Finding Family

By Juliet Nordeen

When the world goes to hell, recent Portland, Oregon-transplant Sarah and her trusty dog-pal, Rufus, count their lucky stars when she finds a safe place for them to call home at The Hold, an enclave of resourceful families. But Sarah quickly learns that the walls built to keep people out also keep people in and she still has business Outside, namely finding out what happened to her family in Boston. Sneaking Out, Sarah learns just how bad it can get when she’s captured by a barbaric group of men, The Trolls, and ransomed for more than The Hold is willing afford to pay. Will she survive?

• Language: English
• Publisher: ArtChi's Voice
• Release date: Aug 13, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465863430

Juliet Nordeen

Juliet Nordeen, a recovering engineer, lives on the Kitsap Peninsula of Washington State with her beloved hubby and multi-species family. When she’s not writing, she’s volunteering as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for foster children, making people laugh with Improv Comedy, or designing masterpiece quilts. Juliet’s latest work is a novel called Blue Suede Darlin'.

Book preview

FINDING FAMILY

Juliet Nordeen

An ArtChi’s Voice Publication

http://www.artchisvoice.com

Smashwords Edition, Copyright 2011 Juliet Nordeen

Cover Art based on a photo by Grzegorz Japol from Dreamstime.com

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction, in whole or in part, in any form. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

FINDING FAMILY

Prologue

Sarah sat quietly in the small room at the front of the pole barn. She kept her hands in plain sight, as unknown visitors should, especially with a shotgun and a revolver present. The dark of early night crowded into the room and was dispelled by a single lantern hanging from a ceiling beam. As Sarah and three unnamed men waited for someone called Rachel, the cold Oregon winter rain pattered on the corrugated metal roof. Sarah dripped that same rain onto the plastic chair in which she sat and onto the asphalt floor of the barn.

Rufus, her Alaskan Malamute, had already shaken off as much dampness as he could while still in harness and latched to his overloaded cart. One of the men had jury-rigged a muzzle for Rufus and tied him to a post in the corner next to Sarah’s mountain bike. His wet-dog scent overpowered the antiseptic smell Sarah noticed when they first led her into the building.

A woman entered the room and removed her slick yellow rain coat. She was a tall, slender woman with light brown hair and the remains of a runner’s tan. The blond man nearest the door traded his revolver for her wet coat and stepped outside to guard the door. Sarah stood up and offered her hand, but Rachel merely nodded and sat down behind a desk made from two sawhorses and a sheet of plywood. She laid the gun aside. Sarah sat when Rachel gestured to her chair.

Where are you from? Rachel asked.

Sarah knew it was important to be forthcoming and honest, without rambling. Boston, originally. But I was living in Southeast Portland. She sniffled.

You sick?

No ma’am. Just a runny nose from being out in the cold so much lately, Sarah said. Rachel’s arched eyebrow beckoned for details. I was telecommuting on a contract assignment when The Wheeze hit, hadn’t had much contact with the outside world, so I avoided the virus. I still check my temperature every day. No fever. No symptoms.

Rachel nodded and asked, Where are your people?

It’s just me and Rufus. I don’t have any relatives living in The Hold or nearby, Sarah said. This was the point when most Holds asked Sarah and Rufus to leave. Without family ties to someone Inside it was easier to send unknown visitors back Out on the road. Easier, but the look in their eyes told Sarah it was never easy.

No family?

They — Mom, Dad and Stevie — were living in Boston. I haven’t heard anything for weeks. Couldn’t get through after the comet hit. I tried for about ten days and then, you know, everything went crazy.

So you’re looking for someplace permanent?

Yes, ma’am, if that’s possible, Sarah said. Rufus and I left our apartment when the cupboards got bare, and we’ve been looking hard for a new place the last six weeks or so. We’ll work hard, earn our keep.

Everyone here does. That’s the rule: Contribute more than you consume or you’re on the road. That gate swings Out more easily than it swings In, Rachel said and Sarah believed she meant it.

Why here? Rachel asked. Sherwood Hold is a long way from anyplace, Rachel said.

Sarah nodded agreement. It had taken her and Rufus three days to get this far from the beaten path at cart-hauling speed.

"We met a trucker who was delivering to Boone’s Hold. When they turned us away, he said you might be in a unique position to take advantage of my talents. He wouldn’t tell me anything more, just pointed us your way."

What do you do?

Before the world fell apart, I used to be pretty good with computers.

*****

Straining to focus on the circuit board through her unlit magnifying lens, Sarah applied her soldering iron and burned away the last two leads between the dead chip and the circuit board. She clamped the delaminated silicon chip tightly between the arms of her tweezers to prevent it from disintegrating in place and making a mess of the board. Changing out all the silicon chips on the board was enough work without stopping to clean up after every one.

Sarah dropped the dead memory chip into the waste