G Hopf: Driver 8: A Post-Apocalyptic Novel

Fun? That wasn’t a word she used often. How could she enjoy something knowing Kyle was gone?

“Portia, come, let’s go,” Jacob urged.

She looked down and wiggled her toes enough so she could see them. Looking up towards the open water once more she took a mental snap shot. This was a moment she never wanted to forget. Today marked the first day of a new life. If Jacob was right and a Paradise existed out beyond the horizon, she’d soon be there; free of the burdens from her old life and with a hope that one day she could find love again.

“Portia, come on, they’re waiting for us,” Jacob said pointing towards the waving crew of the boat.

“I’m coming, I just wanted a moment to collect my thoughts,” she replied stepping out of the water. She picked up her shoes, and headed towards him.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I just wish Kyle could be here with me.”

“He would want this for you, I know that.”

A man whistled from the boat and waved, “Time’s wasting!”

“Are you ready to go find Paradise?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

The two walked along the beach until they reached the dock.

An elderly man by the name of Winston stood on the aft of the boat smoking a pipe, he gave Jacob and Portia an annoyed looked before he snapped, “Anytime you two want to go would be nice. The cartel could show up anytime and change their bean eating minds.”

“We’re going old man, calm down,” Jacob laughed.

Portia leaned in and whispered, “Is he always that grumpy?”

“Pretty much,” Jacob admitted.

“Great.”

Jacob put his hand out and she took it. With a slight lift, he helped Portia climb onto the boat.

A young boy popped his head out from below. “Welcome aboard.”

“Oh, hello,” Portia said with a smile. “Who are you?”

“I’m Nathan,” the boy, who was about eleven answered.

“Shut your mouth boy and get back to work,” Winston barked. “Jacob, untie us, and be quick about it.”

Jacob did as he said and tossed the lines on board the boat and gave it a shove.

Winston turned a key. A small engine that powered a single prop near the keel of the boat came to life.

Portia turned and watched as the boat drifted away from the dock but Jacob wasn’t on board. “Jump, come on.”

Jacob shook his head and replied, “I’m staying. My fate is tied to these lands,” he said.

“But you said you were coming, all that talk!” Portia exclaimed, her face flush.

“I was when my team was going, but that all changed. I’m sorry, but I need to go start what I finished with the slavers and those marshals,” he hollered, the boat drifting further and further away.

“They’ll kill you, no please, come with us. Turn the boat around, now!” Portia ordered Winston who in return gave her a frown.

“If the man wishes to stay, he stays, simple,” Winston growled.

“Turn around, please,” Portia begged.

“Portia, you’ll be fine. I know Winston is gruff but he’s got a good heart and Nathan, don’t let his tenderness fool you, he’ll protect you, he’s tough and strong,” Jacob hollered.

“Why?” Portia asked flustered and sad.

“Goodbye, Portia Grant, live a good life,” Jacob said. He turned and walked towards the embankment.

Portia kept her eyes on him until he got in the SUV and drove over the hillside and out of sight. Her stomach was a ball of mixed emotions. In front of her lay open water, behind her a life that had given her moments of joy and love but mostly loneliness and stress. What will happen to me? She asked herself and drifted off into deep thought.

“Don’t worry, ma’am, I’ll keep an eye out for ya’,” Nathan said taking a seat next to her.

Nathan’s sudden appear jolted her back to the present. With a gently smile she asked, “You’ll look after me.”

“You bet, ma’am, it’s what we do,” he said. It was a common phrase Jacob would say.

“Then I feel better already,” she said tucking the fine loose hairs that came loose from her ponytail behind her ears.

“Jacob saved me too,” Nathan confessed.

Not shocked to hear even after knowing Jacob for a short while, she replied, “He’s a good man.”

“And so is Winston back there. Like Jacob said, he’s got a good heart,” Nathan said glancing back at Winston who returned his glance with a scrunched face.

“Will we ever see Jacob again?”

“Ma’am I’ve been told to always be honest and the answer is simple, no. He’s on another path and he has a mission to fulfill. Believe me, I wish it weren’t the case but Jacob is gone, forever,” Nathan said.

“That makes me sad,” Portia frowned as she put her attention to the shifting water around her and noticed she couldn’t see land anymore. This made her a bit fearful but she also couldn’t escape feeling excited about the adventure she was on.

“Jacob said you were a teacher. Is that true?” Nathan asked.

“Yes, it is true, I was an elementary school teacher in The Collective,” she replied.

The boat rocked as it hit bigger waves.

“Good, then maybe you can show me how read and maybe even write?” Nathan asked sheepishly.

“You don’t…” she said before stopping herself from saying something insensitive. Not every child was given an education like The Collective. She didn’t know Nathan’s story but he was a post-war child and she had a feeling he had been a slave and educating slaves wasn’t a priority. “Of course and if you want we can start now.”

“Really?” Nathan said, his eyes wide with excitement.

“We’ll start with the alphabet. Have you ever heard of that before?”

Nathan shook his head.

She recited the letters of the alphabet then encouraged him to follow along.

As he did, she got up and headed towards the aft. “Any water?”

Winston grabbed a bottle and gave it to her.

“Thank you,” she said taking the bottle and taking a drink.

“Why are you bothering?” Winston asked nodding towards Nathan.

“Because everyone deserves a chance to learn,” Portia answered.

Winston grumbled, “He’s learned all he needs too.”

“If where we’re going is what Jacob says, he’ll need to know,” she said turning back to go sit down when a sliver of deep blue sky penetrated the gray clouds. She stared and longed for a day when she could see the entire sky blue. It had been many years since she’d seen that and sometimes she wondered if it really was blue or just a dream. And just as fast as it appeared, thick gray clouds covered it but didn’t darken her spirits. Whatever lay ahead gave her the promise of a new beginning and even if she were given the chance to turn around she’d turn it down. She didn’t know if anything about Paradise was going to be how Jacob described it, in fact it could all be wrong, however; the one fact she did have was it was going to be her new home.

Kyle sat at the intersection. He could go east towards Pueblo. It was the most direct route, but the last reports he’d heard weeks ago had Generates there. The other option was south through more mountains then break east. Going through Pueblo was risky but it saved time and for him, time was everything, with that in mind, east it was.

He didn’t know what to expect when he entered New Texas. All he’d heard were rumors. Though The Collective had an open trading agreement with Baytown the shipments were always exchanged at the western border. Much like the Rocky Mountain Republic, the Texans didn’t take kindly to strangers.