Page 23 of Desiderium
“……………………No…We’re not going to mention that.”
Good… Great… Awesome… Oh look! A quarter!
I look around at the estate as so many memories bombard my tired mind. I remember the first time I met Cole through the closet door of my room. How gentle and kind he was with my terrified self. I remember waking up later to Hawk and his words of reassurance and possessive nature to have me stay with them rather than battle the world on my own anymore. I remember Jax, the shower, and then what happened each time I went into his room. The sheer, raw power behind his emotions—both the good ones and the bad. And how now, I find the second floor, where all those memories were born, completely obliterated and nonexistent.
Realistically, it’s all unnecessary frivolities in the world we’re currently living in, but I can’t help wiping a stray tear from my eye as I turn to see the boys’ reactions.
Officially, this place was owned by Jax. But it wastheirhome… All of theirs. They told me how they would all meet up here every summer ever since Jax got the place. It wouldn’t have been the same if those summers never happened. The loss they must be feeling, I can’t even imagine.
Cole and Hawk are quiet yet reflective, softly kicking their boots into the dirt, their hands in their pockets in surrender and defeat. While Jax lived here year-round, Hawk and Cole only usually came to stay on holiday. That is until the virus spread. It was then they brought whatever they could of their old lives to reside here permanently. Jax still had the cabin down the way with some bits of his life left to cling to. But Cole and Hawk?
They lost everything.
I turn my gaze to Jax who looks just as determined as ever, his face alluding to anger but also peace and resignation. With his eyebrows drawn together, he sucks on his cheek before nodding and says, “Alright, let’s get to it.”
Jax leads the way, motioning for everyone to follow him to the little shed over by the lakeshore on the other side of the beach. There’s a lone zombie ambling across the property but Jax signals that he has it.
The scraps of clothes left on its decaying body are barely covering the putrid flesh underneath, leaving very little to anyone’s imagination, much to my repugnance. The last thing anyone needs to see is rotten nether bits.
Lifting his knife, Jax takes out the straggler with efficient ease, not even slowing his steps as he clears the path forward.
Cole, Hawk, and I follow behind him and Sadie but exchange a skeptical look as we walk, wondering what hemight be keeping in there. As far as we know, it’s just a home for towels, a few bits of extra clothes and some gasoline and replacement parts for the boat that’s no longer here. Nothing we really need.
At least the walk to the shed is easier than I expected. The small area of ground leading to the lake is a mixture of dirt and sand. On any typical day, it would be soft and somewhat difficult to cross without putting some sort of effort behind the movement. But today, it’s firm, hardened by the four days of continuous rain that fell on us.
I look up to the skeletal remains of the house, remembering it’s less sandy from here to there, and instantly cringe at the mud we’re going to have to traverse to get there. Thankfully, I don’t get to dwell on that little nugget of information too long as we make it to the shed.
We fan out in front of it and wait while Jax opens the door. He starts to throw everything out of the small outbuilding as if none of it matters. Which it doesn’t, but that’s all that was in the shed… Right?
“No fucking way…,” Hawk whispers in awe next to me as Jax kneels on the ground and removes a piece of the floor. Then another… and another. Soon enough, a set of stairs becomes visible, making the rest of our jaws drop at the discovery.
“You didn’t know this was here?” I ask Cole and Hawk.
“Fuck no! Remember what we said happened when we escaped here last autumn? Jax was pulling out weapons from his own asshole by the time we were done!” He pointsover to the walking trail that runs on the side of the lake. “He hid fucking thermobaric rockets in those gaudy ass trail markers for crying out loud.” He points to Jax accusingly. “This is where the helicopter is, huh? Deep underground, just like Batman would have designed it. Some kind of Justice League man-cave, full of boom boom sticks and caped crusader merchandise type shit. Isn’t that right Jax? Or should I call youBruce?”
Cole steps in front of Hawk, halting his interrogation. “Ok, we get it. You’re pissed he didn’t tell us about all the hidden shit. But at least hehasthe hidden shit. We would have been fucked over six ways from Tuesday if he didn’t. So shut the fuck up and let the man do what he does best and dig up his buried treasure like a fucking pirate.” He looks to me and Jax, winking and smiling.
Jax pauses his disassembly of the shed and smiles back, unfazed. “You know Aly has a thing for pirates. I have no problem taking that as a compliment.” He turns back around and starts his descent down the steps. Hawk, Cole and I take one last look at each other before we follow him down the hole.
The room at the bottom definitely isn’t big enough to hold a helicopter, but itislarge enough to hold multiple MRE’s (meals-ready-to-eat) as well as water, fuel, a tiny propane grill, and a tent amongst other things. We take about an hour to bring up what we can use and, since there’s no way we’re staying the night here, bring it to the front of the house, stacking it all in a large pile.
Yeah... There’s no way that’s going to fit in any of our packs. I don’t care how massive they are. I’m not evensure Mary Poppins could take on this tower of gear without busting a seam or two in her carpet bag.
I originally assumed we were going to find and use Jax’s old truck but after looking at the nonexistent state of his garage and everything that was in it, that option’s officially off the table.
Gathering around our newly formed mountain of supplies, we look to each other for a solution before turning toward the entry gate. The large metal fencing has been knocked over in some places, and mangled in others, but that’s not what catches each of our gazes. Dozens of trucks and cars litter the grounds, scattered amongst the entryway, driveway and former garden area. These must have been left by Earl’s brother during their takeover attempt.
I wonder...
“I’ll go check ‘em out. Maybe we’ll have some luck and one will start up.” Cole walks up to the first one, before shaking his head and heading to the next.
I turn to ask Hawk or Jax what I can do but notice Hawk is missing. “What in the fuck are you doing, dick for brains?” Jax yells to Hawk. Unable to curb my curiosity, I follow his gaze and see why he’s asking that.
“Every time you touch something a secret passage opens up—the shed, the fucking trail markers. Now, I might be wrong but these fucking trees look mighty suspicious.” He walks up to another one and kicks it, hurting his foot in the process. “Motherfucker!” He shakes his foot off and clenches his hands into fists, collecting himself before stubbornly kicking another. “Son of a bitch!”
Jax pulls me into his side, murmuring to me as Hawk kicks another. “Did you know he went to college after he got discharged and has a degree in engineering?” I open my mouth in shock as he continues. “Yeah, no shit. Engineering. But he thinks kicking a tree will open up a secret cave of wonders.” He lifts his head to the sky, probably asking a higher power to grant him patience, while raising his hand to get Hawk’s attention. “Bro!” Jax yells to Hawk, getting him to stop harming the darn trees. “I promise you, there are no more hidden caches on this property. The shed and the trail heads were the only hidey holes. That’s it.”
Hawk looks around the property one last time and points to the side yard. “So that big ass boulder, that has no right being there, doesn’t secretly open into anything?”
