“With the storm coming, keep him there tonight. I’ll drive out in the morning with the next shift. He can ride in with us. Over.”
Wilson’s orders made sense, even if Cam would have preferred his own bed tonight to the bunkhouse. Neither bed would have Lissa, so it didn’t matter.
Walker dished up stew, setting two steaming bowls on the table.
Cam sat at the rectangular table in the main room, which served as an office, a kitchen, and a dining area for whoever was stationed here. The Outpost had been well-outfitted to keep the duty from being onerous, and the bunkhouse also had a stove and would be fine for overnight. The buildings, barrier, and gate were recent additions as part of xTerra’s security.
His hands tingled in the warmth. He leaned forward, spooning in chunks of venison, carrots, and potatoes.
“What happened out there?” said Walker as they settled in at the table. The tall man handed Cam a plate with fresh bread, the smell making Cam’s stomach growl again. He’d skipped lunch and pushed hard to make it this far. Grabbing a chunk, he slathered it with butter. He sighed at the first bite.
While he would explain to the captain, he didn’t mind sharing the short version with Walker. “I fractured my foot and had to hole up while it healed. I was near Fort Robinson, Nebraska.” For now, he left Lissa out of the story.
“Any trouble with the Slains down there, or their allies?” Walker sat across the table, shoveling in his dinner.
Cam shook his head. “Not there. Though they had a temporary hunting camp when I arrived. I stayed out of the way, and they left a few days later. Nothing special.” He shrugged. His first meeting with Lissa flashed through his mind. She couldn’t be dislodged from his thoughts. “More encounters over the last few days.”
“Your foot must be killing you after snowshoeing back. Make sure you check in with Medical tomorrow.”
The windows rattled with a strong blast of wind.
“Like I said, just in time,” said Sergeant Walker.
***
“You’re right,” said Luke Wilson. “The Slains’ presence is a problem we have to deal with, sooner rather than later. Wethink they’ve stationed themselves on the roads in all directions to prevent anyone else from joining us. Come spring, or next summer at the latest, we’re going to push them out. I’m glad you’ve returned. We need another steady hand like yours, and I’d like to offer you a promotion. We’ve elevated Walker to lieutenant and promoted three others to sergeant. You’d make four.”
Cam nodded. “If it isn’t a problem, I’d like to be stationed out here on a semi-permanent basis this winter. After spending so much time out of xTerra, I’d prefer the quiet.” At least here there would always be one other person. At home, even in his downtime, he’d be alone and would dwell on wishing he were elsewhere.
Wilson nodded with an easy smile. He glanced at Walker, who also nodded. “Sounds good. Kory will be relieved. His wife is expecting again, and I’m sure he’d rather be home with his family more often. Plus, we want to keep someone senior out here in case the situation heats up. Based on your information, we’ll station a few more people out here so they can’t overwhelm the gate.” He hesitated. “I understand you want to clear the air with your mother as well.”
Cam shrugged. “I don’t have high hopes, but it’s important to try. Give me three days in xTerra, then consider this my post for the rest of the winter. We can re-evaluate in the spring.” He wanted to get the next part off his chest. He exhaled. “Once we’ve done what we can next year to push the Slains back, I plan to return to Nebraska. I met someone.”
Chapter 15: Cam
December
Cam listened to the on-duty doctor at xTerra’s Med Center as she confirmed his ankle injury had several mostly healed fractures among his tarsals. No wonder he’d been in agony.
“You can see where the bones have healed differently than the areas around each fracture.” She pointed, then traced a place on the X-ray with her pen. “There’s a faint line on this one deeper inside where it’s still partially fractured.” The doctor turned away from the image. “You walked sixty miles this week, returning?” She shook her head.
“With all the detours, it was more like ninety.” He leaned back in his chair.
“You overexerted yourself, which is why your ankle’s swollen and painful again. I recommend staying off it for all but an hour or two at a time for the next week. We’ll see if the swelling goes down. If not, I’ll do another X-ray, and we’ll proceed from there.”
That timeline shouldn’t interfere with his plans, as much of his active duty at the Outpost could be spent sitting. Today was for laundry and practical matters in his bunker. Tomorrow, he would try to speak with his mother before he was due at the Outpost the day after.
Cam returned to his place, driving his electric cart to the storage shed outside his entrance. He glanced around outsidebefore heading underground. With thirty guard towers around the walled city, the Watch had eyes in all directions, even if there was just a single gate. Over the years, xTerra’s people had cleared the trees in a wide swath beyond the walls to increase visibility. They were surrounded by rough, empty country.
If the Slains breached the wall, they could damage community buildings, but the underground homes and people would be safe. Of more concern were the gardens, barns, and livestock areas. Protection plans centered around them. Much of xTerra’s new wealth lay in its ability to produce fresh food and to be mostly self-sufficient. Cam hoped that once their problems with the Slains became less urgent, much of the agriculture could expand outside the walls.
Until that time, they’d keep the animals and crops close.
Punching in his code on the panel, he swung the thick steel door open and went inside. He flicked on the fans to circulate the slightly stale air. He unpacked in the laundry room, throwing his clothes into the washer immediately. Before turning it on, he changed into clean clothes and added what he’d been wearing. While not usually one to be too interested in what he wore, he was sick of the same four shirts and two pairs of pants he’d been wearing for two months straight. He’d left his favorite blue t-shirt behind with Lissa.
As usual, thoughts of her infused everything, even here where he’d only lived alone. His bunker seemed empty and strangely quiet without her company. Not that she was a talker, but her presence had made him feel seen and heard. They’d become close in a short time, almost as though they’d been destined to find each other—a perfect match.
He rubbed his temples, trying to massage away the tightness clamping his head. His brain was busy again today.
