Free Dark Titan Journey: Finally Home by Thomas A Watson Page A

you and these kids, you really thought I didn’t have the intelligence to not use water with dead bodies floating in it?” he asked. After thinking about it, Jasmine decided it was best not to answer.
    After an hour, Nathan sat back. “I don’t have the time to get him cleaned up. I have to let the boys take a nap so we can leave in a few hours,” Nathan said.
    “What do I do?” Jasmine asked.
    “Clean him gently. If you find any red looking cuts, put some ointment on them. He has a splinter in his left foot that I’m going to have to dig out but I don’t have the time now.” Nathan said standing up. Jasmine and the boy looked at him as he walked over to the ladder climbing up to the loft.

Chapter 5
     
    Day 38
     
    It was three in the afternoon when Nathan stood in the loft watching the rain come down. It never stopped. It would turn into a drizzle, then become a soaking rain with intermittent downpours. Only the interstate was above the water level now. Nathan pulled out the map again and grabbed his tablet. The closest rise in elevation was twenty miles northwest. It was where they wanted to go but he was sure the roads would be underwater. Everything depended on how much water was covering the roads.
    Through the day he had watched more and more people gather on the interstate. “We can’t risk traveling on that,” he said looking out at the interstate. Not seeing an easy answer, Nathan stood up to get the group ready. He knew some were awake hearing them down in the barn. Climbing down he found Jasmine holding a cleaner little boy.
    “How’s he doing?” Nathan asked, feeling his clothes. He smiled, finding they were dry.
    “He’s doing better but still hasn’t talked,” she said, then held up her hand. “That was a huge splinter.”
    Nathan looked over and saw her holding up a two-inch piece of wood in her hand. “He let you take it out without chewing your arm off?” he asked, amazed.
    “Not really. He tried to bite me but I held him still. When I got it out and showed it to him he hugged me,” she said proudly.
    “Get up,” Nathan said walking by everyone that was asleep tapping them with his foot. “You did good,” Nathan said looking back at Jasmine. “Find a blanket and poncho to put on him, he rides with you.” Nodding her head, Jasmine smiled and fed the boy some more of a food bar.
    It barely took them an hour to get ready and Nathan opened the door of the barn to find the water less than a foot away. “Remember to only go where I go. If you can’t go to the rally point, don’t return here. Worst case, get to the rally point on I-35.” Nathan walked to the pack animals and pulled out the M-4 with the grenade launcher and SAW. He grabbed a few grenades and put them in his duster pocket.
    “If we can’t make the rally point, why not come back here?” Tom asked.
    “Water’s rising too fast; you’d never make it in a few hours,” Nathan said, strapping the M-4 to the front of his saddle. The SAW he hung over his shoulder.
    “You know how to use that grenade launcher and machine gun?” Jasmine asked, situating the boy on her saddle.
    “Yes, I have an M-203 and shot the SAW in training,” Nathan said. “I just haven’t shot a real grenade though, only practice chalk rounds,” he admitted.
    “Why do you want them with you now?” John asked, a little worried.
    “It’s light outside and we really can’t run. Worst case, I can talk someone out of chasing us,” Nathan said moving Emma around in her sling then climbed up. Ares looked out at the water then up at Nathan. “Hey I can’t carry you too,” Nathan said looking down at him.
    Kicking Smoke, Nathan led them out to the road and the water was up to the horses’ bellies. Nathan turned Smoke, heading north on the water-covered road. When he had gone to get the boy Nathan had followed the county road south since it was closer. Now he was heading north to another county road that ran over the interstate instead of