The Last Mile Trilogy Page 9

  Just when they agreed that the farming task was not such a good idea, and they’d do better to just head out, two things occurred the Hoyt brothers hadn’t planned on.

  One the signal stopped. Two, a baby was delivered like a UPS package. Dropped at their doorstep … and left to cry.

  Tate was the more experienced when it came to children, since his resume included dating a woman with two sons.

  Jeb on the other had could care less, never wanted children, and Robi swore even if he did, no one would bear them for him.

  There was something special though about baby Martha …

  “She smells,” Jeb declared. “Always smells.”

  Sitting on the porch enjoying the evening, Robi scoffed. “No, she doesn’t. I bathed her.”

  “She smells,” he repeated, standing in the open screen door. “Take a whiff.”

  “She probably needs changed.” Robi stood up. “Might as well take advantage and learn.”

  “Yeah, right.” He held the door open for her. “And use those things sparingly.”

  “What? The diapers?”

  “Shh,” Jeb told her. “She’s sleeping.”

  “And she smells in her sleep?”

  “Shh.”

  “Oh, hush.” Robi waved out her hand. “Let her get used to noise. Did you tell one of the others?”

  “They’re in the back drinking beer. Since you’re sober and a woman, I thought those were two bonus points to go to you.”

  “Gee thanks.” Robi walked to the couch where Martha was barricaded in by pillows.

  “Sniff.”

  Robi bent down and inhaled. “I don’t smell anything.”

  “I do. I’m telling you, she smells.”

  Huffing, Robi removed a pillow, and crouched down to the child. Martha lay on her stomach in only a diaper and tee shirt. She reached to the diaper, lifted the leg edge, and poked her finger in.

  “Uh!” Jeb winced. “Stop that.”

  “She’s dry and …” Robi lifted it further and tried to peek, “I don’t see anything.”

  Jeb grunted.

  “Well, you said you smelled something.” She stood up.

  Immediately, Jeb handed her a bottle of liquid sanitizer. “Here.”

  Robi chuckled. “Thanks.” She squirted some in her hand. “She doesn’t need changed. You’re imagining the smell.”

  “No I’m not.”

  “Can I ask what you were doing smelling her anyhow?”

  “She looked dead,” Jeb answered.

  Robi laughed out a gasp and said, “What?”

  “Yeah, I was coming through the living room to get you and see if you wanted to sit out back with us, have a beer, even though everyone said you’re antisocial … is your kid allowed to drink? Tate gave him a beer.”

  Robi blinked. Her head spun from his sudden switch of subjects. “Excuse me?”

  “You asked why I thought she was dead.”

  “You said my son is drinking.”

  “No, I said Tate gave him a beer. He’s not drinking it yet. He was waiting for permission from you. And I was coming to get you, invite you, ask you, even though I was warned. Everyone says …”

  “I’m anti-social,” she said finishing his sentence.

  “Then they’re right.”

  Robi tossed her hands out. “Yes.”

  “Ok, I’ll tell him. I wasn’t sure. Since there are no alcohol laws yet, but …”

  “Jeb.” Robi halted his rambling, “Why did you think the baby was dead?”

  “She wasn’t breathing. Well, she didn’t look like she was breathing. I walked by and she was still. So I listened. I couldn’t hear anything. I didn’t see her moving either. So I poked her, she didn’t move.”

  “You … you poked her?”

  “Yeah, like this.” Jeb reached down and poked the baby. “And she didn’t move again. Man is she a heavy sleeper. So, I bent down to listen or maybe feel or hear a breath. I got real close to her face, and I felt the breath from her mouth.”

  “OK.” Robi nodded.

  “That’s when I smelled her. Her breath. She smells.”

  In disbelief, Robi said, “You are claiming her breath stinks?”

  “I didn’t say she stinks. I said she smells. Get close. Take a whiff. See what you think.”

  “Will this get you to leave me alone?” she asked.

  “Probably not. But try.”

  Sighing, Robi did as instructed. She brought her face close to the baby. She paused when she noticed that Martha really didn’t look like she was breathing. Leaning closer to the baby’s pouty lips, a tiny breath escaped Martha mouth and Robi was jolted back.

  “Oh wow!” Robi inhaled again. “That is strange. She …” after sniffing again, she looked up at Jeb, “her breath smells like lilacs.”

  “I know. I fuckin’ hate lilacs.”

  “That is weird.” Robi stood up. “I don’t remember using a lilac soap.”

  “You didn’t,” Jeb said. “I hate lilacs. I wouldn’t have lilac soap. But it’s not her, it’s her breath. Are babies supposed to smell like lilacs?”

  “If you use lilac soap. Otherwise they smell like babies.” Robi shrugged. “Sour milk, vomit, food, poop …”

  Jeb winced. “Not lilacs?”

  “I don’t know what it is.”

  “Maybe I should ask that Doc person.”

  Robi chuckled. “Asking Doc is …” she suddenly grinned mischievously and then said, “I don’t think asking Doc is a bad idea. Go on.”

  <><><><>

  Doc took a whiff of Baby Martha. Then as if it were some sort of religious ritual, everyone filed in line, bent to the baby, sniffed her breath, mumbled “Weird” and shook their heads.

  It wasn’t Jeb’s imagination or Robi’s. Martha had lilac smelling breath.

  Robi really wanted to be alone, but she feared missing something good when Jeb asked Doc about what he thought could cause that so she joined the others in the backyard.

  Most sat encircling the fire raging in a cut down barrel. . Robi watched. Jeb stood, appearing totally engrossed, arms crossed, nodding as he listened to an orange glowing Doc’s explanation.

  “Have a theory,” Doc said.

  “Go on.”

  “She’s not human.”

  Ever so slightly, not heard by anyone but Robi, Jeb cleared his throat in shock, “Not human?”

  “Nope.” Doc shook his head. “Think she’s one of the aliens. Maybe got lost from the pack. Or was sent early to see if she could survive” Doc spoke assuredly, “Could be a spy. And the astral projecting aliens know she can’t eat and live off of what we feed her and there is some sort of special protein in lilacs. Aliens sneaking in, astral wise, feed her lilacs and go.”

  Jeb nodded. “I see. You mentioned a spy.”

  “Could be robotic too. In a biological way. The aliens using her to watch what we do.”

  “A-huh. And is there anything we can do?”

  “Kill her,” Doc said. “If she is a spy, she’ll have to go.” He looked around the campfire. “Everyone knows this.”

  Half hearted mumbles of agreement emerged.

  Doc continued, “Then again, we could cut her open and see. She may not survive a live autopsy, but if she ends up being alien, no loss.”

  “I see.” Jeb nodded again. “Thanks for that. I need another beer.” Not appearing phased at all, Jeb went directly to the house and inside.

  Robi followed.

  Once in the house, Jeb released a heavy exhale and his body flung drastically around. “Un- fuckin’-believable,” he said out loud, thinking he was alone.

  “We hear it all the time,” Robi said.

  Jeb jolted. “I didn’t know you followed me.”

  “I had to see your reaction.”

  “You set me up.”

  Robi shrugged. “You tried to shoot me today. But … we hear the alien thing all the time. Kudos for keeping a straight face and not mocking him.”

  “Na
h.” Jeb shook his head, “He’s old. Whack job or not he deserves our respect. Aliens. Man.”

  “Out of curiosity,” Robi asked, “do you think the virus was an accident or done on purpose?”

  “Definitely on purpose.” Jeb went to the cooler and retrieved a beer. “You?”

  “Purpose. Any guesses who?”

  Jeb fluttered his lips. “The whole fuckin’ world I think …” he opened his beer “After Fortress America a united effort went underway to shut us down. They did. Now, they’re just sitting back, waiting for the air to be safe and they’re going to drop right in. Led by the multitudes of … Chinese.”

  “Whoa.” Robi blinked in surprise. “We have the same theory.”

  “Great minds think alike.”

  Robi snickered.

  “What?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing. So …” she sighed, “you guys never said… And though it’s very masochistic of me to ask … but are you and Tate gonna join us?”

  Jeb peered at her with his dark eyes. “Go with all you guys? The old guy who believes in Aliens?” After snickering, he took a drink of his beer, gasped, and said, “Probably not.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  July 1st

  I-64 West, Kentucky State Border

  Kentucky Rain finished playing and Robi shut off the player as she drove. She exhaled. “Well, Ray wanted us to do that.”

  “Yeah, he did,” Nick said. “I bet he’s laughing, wherever he’s at, that we remembered.”

  “How could we not?”

  “Mom, you never said much about his death.”

  “It’s hard,” Robi replied. “I try to keep things in check. I don’t want to break down. Ray knows I’ll miss him. I do. Plus, I cried all the tears I’m gonna cry in a lifetime, so don’t get hurt or anything.”

  “I’ll try. But I do have to say, out of everyone, I didn’t expect Ray to leave us first.”

  “Me either.”

  “He was really strong,” Nick said. “There was just something about him.”

  “I know.”

  There was a silent moment.

  Then Jeb spoke, “Can I say something?”

  Robi looked at him. “No. This conversation is between me and my son.”

  “I’m in the front seat here, I’m in the car,” Jeb defended.

  “And why is that?” Robi asked.

  “Why is what?”

  “Why are you in the car with us? You just kicked poor Bishop out.”

  “Ha!” Jeb scoffed. “I merely moved him to another vehicle. One source of protection in each Humvee. I’m it in this one Tate is it in the other one.”

  Robi snickered. “And you think that we need you?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “You don’t think me and Bishop could have handled it?”

  “Nope. Not at all. You know, you should let me drive.”

  “No.”

  “Why?”

  “I drive. I! Drive!” Robi nearly screamed.

  “Uh …” Nick leaned forward. “Can we not start fighting again?”

  Jeb shrugged. “I’m not. It’s her.”

  “It’s him.”

  “Me?” Jeb barked. “Babe, I’m being nice. You’ve been nothing but mean. Here I am, trying to protect this vehicle. Keeping an eye out, and you just pretend I’m not here.”

  “Let me ask you a question,” Robi said. “If we need a Hoyt in each vehicle, why didn’t you ride in that one and let Tate ride in here with us? Huh?”

  “Easy,” Jeb stated. “Our baby is in here. We should be …”

  “Our baby?” Robi quipped. “Our? Our?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Where the fuck are you getting that? It’s not our baby.”

  “It is, too,” Jeb said defensively. “You’re the woman …”

  Robi gaped. “Here he goes again.”

  “No, hear me out,” Jeb said. “You’ve been mothering this child for three days. Right?”

  “That still doesn’t mean …”

  “Right?”

  Robi groaned.

  Jeb continued, “You’re the strong female role; I’m the strong male role. Parents. Mother. Father. Ours. There.”

  Robi gave a strangled scream of frustration.

  “Mom.” Jeb smirked.

  Nick laughed.

  “You know …” Jeb continued, “parents fool around. You’ll have to put out eventually.”

  Again, Robi growled a screamed, “I’m not dealing with you in the car.”

  “Tough.” Jeb shrugged.

  Huffing, Robi peered in the rearview mirror. “I’m willing to bet the conversation in their Humvee is much more mature.”

  <><><><>

  “I’m telling you,” Tate spoke upbeat, “underneath all those layers, the thick bulky sweaters … Scooby Doo’s Velma has voluptuous breasts.”

  “Dude.” Bishop chuckled. “There is no way. Velma is like … Velma. No one digs Velma’s chest.”

  Tate shrugged. “Did you see the movie?”

  Manny waved a finger while he drove. “We’re talking hot cartoon babes, the movie version doesn’t count.”

  “When’s the last time you looked at Velma during the cartoon?” Tate asked. “The curves are there. They just didn’t want to show up like Daphne.”

  Greek kept his eyes on his notebook, and flipped a page. “Never in my life have I heard a bunch of grown men discussing the quality of a cartoon woman’s breasts.” He shook his head. “It’s not right.” He paused to lift Doc’s head from his shoulder.

  With a grunt, and a snore, Doc’s head went against the window.

  Bishop asked, “What’s so wrong about it?”

  “They’re cartoon women. They aren’t real breasts.”

  Tate turned around from his seat in the front. “And we have real ones now?”

  Greek chuckled. “Nope. Not now. Maybe when we get to So-Cal.”

  Tate gave a playful swat to Manny. “Hey, maybe that television chick will be there.”

  “In about another month,” Manny said, “Velma could be there and I’d be happy.”

  “How about you, Greek?” Tate questioned. “Hoping on anything?”

  “A nice work space,” Greek answered. “If you think I want a woman, Nah.” He shook his head. “Had the finest. Can’t top that, so why try.”

  In awe, Bishop called out, “Ah, Dude, that’s like great. Really nice.”

  “What kind of woman are you hoping might be there?” Tate asked Bishop.

  “I’m really not thinking about it. Honestly.”

  Tate chuckled. “We haven’t seen a woman in two months. You’re kidding, right?”

  Manny answered, “Bishop’s still stuck in the Florence nightingale phase over Robi.”

  “No way?” Tate quipped shocked. “Robi?”

  Bishop flung out his hand. “I like Robi. I think she’s a very sad person and I just want to be friends.”

  Snickered, “Yeah rights” came from both Tate and Manny.

  “Speaking of Robi,” Manny said “Why are they swerving?”

  “Off! Off!” Robi smacked Jeb’s hand as it reached for the wheel. “I’m driving.”

  “I have to take a leak, pull over.”

  “Oh, wait. Hold it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because we just stopped not long ago,” Robi bitched. “Nick, do you have to go?”

  In a daze, staring out the window, Nick only raised his eyes. “Leave me out of this, please.”

  “No, do you?” Robi asked.

  “No,” he said nonchalantly.

  “See? See?” Robi said to Jeb.

  “What does your son having to piss have to do with it?” Jeb asked.

  “He doesn’t have to go. It’s been longer for him,” Robi replied.

  Nick grumbled, “Can I ride in the other car?”

  Robi pointed to the back “See? Now my son doesn’t want to ride with me.”

  Jeb shook his head. “If he doesn’t, i
t’s only because ….” he raised his voice, “you’re nuts! Now pull, over so I can go.”

  “No, be a big boy.”

  Out of orneriness, Jeb snickered.

  “Grow up. And don’t be so foul.”

  “Foul?” He laughed. “Now, I’m foul.”

  “And demanding. God, you’re a control freak. You must have been a drill sergeant in the army.”

  “I beg your pardon,” Jeb said offended. “I was not an enlisted man.”

  Robi laughed. “You were an officer?”

  “I was a major, yes. Tate was a captain.”

  Again, Robi laughed. “Someone actually commissioned you? Could you read enough to do the paperwork?”

  “Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny. Now pull over because I have to go to the bathroom.”

  “Fine.” Robi quickly jerked the wheel.

  “Watch out!” Tate warned.

  Manny swerved around Robi who’d pulled off to the side of the road. “What the hell is she doing?”

  Tate looked back. “I don’t know.”

  “This is ridiculous.” Manny turned the Humvee around.

  “You should be ashamed of yourself,” Jeb said slamming the car door as he got out, “driving like that in the home of Elvis.”

  “Asshole! Elvis was from Tennessee. And I’m supposed to believe you were a major? How in the world did you pass college?”

  “I’m going to the bathroom.” Jeb stormed off from the side of the road.

  Nick got out of the car. “Baby needs changed.”

  “Tell her father,” Robi said sarcastically.

  “Mom, don’t make me change her diaper. Her poop is weird.”

  “It is not,” Robi argued.

  “Yeah, it is. It smells.”

  Open mouthed, baffled at the ridiculous comment, Robi faced her son.

  Manny, Tate and Bishop approached.

  “Everything all right?” Bishop asked.

  Robi gave an up motion of her head, “He had to pee.”

  “By the way you drove,” Bishop said, “I’m gonna guess he had to go pretty bad.”

  “He’s a pain in the ass,” Robi quipped. “Can’t you guys take him?” She turned to Tate, “Please. Get your brother out of my car.”

  Tate shook his head. “No can do. You’re stuck with him. We’re having fun in our vehicle.”