Stranded with My Stepbrother Chapter 163

McKenzie

Like everything about Moose’s surroundings, the way was well-lit, as was the bunker beyond. We walked for what must have been at least a mile until we got to a large, one-room bunker stocked to the gills with everything that would be needed for Doomsday. Food. Flak vests. Guns. Water. Everything.

Will and Shep set Dad down on a cot on his belly. Dad only winced once.

“All right.” Moose wandered over to Mom and pulled her over to sit in a chair. “Gotta get that tracker out of you before we can go anywhere.”

Mom nodded and offered her arm.

He took his kit out of his shirt and went to work. After several minutes, the tracker was out and crushed under the butt of a gun, and Mom was stitched back up.

“We’re gonna stock up here a bit, then we’re goin’ up that ladder and into the woods. I’ve got a truck and a Jeep stowed out there, and there’s a dirt road leadin’ out of the woods to the other side of the property. We’ll get out right under their noses,” Moose said.

“Sounds great,” Dolly replied. “What do we need to pack?”

Moose started pointing at various guns and the flak vests. “We need to be armed, just in case.”

“All right.” She began expertly putting together sets of gear and handing them around to all of us.

“We’re gonna lay a vest over Caleb,” Moose explained. “Best we can do to protect him.”

Mom made a concerned noise.

“Best thing you can do for him now is shoot straight,” Dolly said, handing Mom her gear.

I put on my vest and did the best I could stowing the guns around my body. Dolly sighed and rearranged them. She had to do the same for Will and Mom.

“Civilians. I’ve got me an injured man and three civilians,” Moose lamented, expertly putting himself together.

Dolly and Shep were no slouches. Moose didn’t need to correct them.

Moose took a deep breath then went up the ladder. He pushed open a hatch and looked around.

“All right. Let’s be quickish. McKenzie, you’ll need to help Will with your father this time. I’ll need Shep to be ready to open fire,” Moose said.

I nodded and went with Will to get Dad.

This time, Dad made himself sit up then stand unaided.

“Dad!” I objected.

“It’s a ladder. I won’t have you falling down a ladder from dragging around my useless ass,” Dad said between his teeth. “You can carry me after, if you must, but I’m climbing that thing myself.”

“Good plan. If you can do it, that would really help the cause,” Moose replied before Will or I could say anything.

Dad nodded and headed for the ladder, going up right behind Moose. It was painful to watch. His whole body shook.

“Caleb…” Mom whispered, clasping her hands under her chin.

“Come on up, love. I’m doing fine, and Moose seems to think the coast is clear.” Dad reached behind him, though I knew it must have hurt like hell, and still managed to smile at Mom.

Mom didn’t hesitate. She went right to him.

“There we go. Okay, Dolly, you get in the middle there then McKenzie and Will. Shep, you take up the rear,” Moose said.

We quickly shuffled into order. Moose climbed out of the hatch first, followed by my parents, followed by Dolly, followed by Will and me, and then Shep.

Dad leaned heavily on Mom once we made it out. Without a word, Will and I ran forward and scooped Dad up between us. He was muscular from all the farm labor he’d done over the years, so it turned out Mom had to help on my end. I wasn’t a wilting flower by any stretch of the imagination, but Dad weighed a ton.

“This way.” Moose shut the hatch, which made it look like just another grass-covered bit of dirt, and then led us deeper into the woods.

Shep and Dolly were alert, ready for anything, as was Moose. It made me start listening to every tiny sound, wondering if it was a sign of approaching assassins.

It didn’t take long to get to the truck and the Jeep. They had camouflage mesh thrown over them, which Moose dragged off. He had us lay Dad in the back of the Jeep. Mom got in the back with him so he laid with his head in her lap.

“Shep, Dolly, you take the Jeep,” Moose said, reaching under the wheel well and throwing her the keys.

Dolly caught them and got in the driver’s seat.

“Will, McKenzie, get in the back of the truck and keep your heads down. I’m driving,” Moose ordered.

We didn’t need to be told twice. Will and I climbed into the back of the truck, then Will leaned over me protectively, the way I imagined Dad must have done for Mom before the explosion that tore up his back.

“If you get hurt, I’m never going to forgive you, Will Masterson the Third,” I warned him.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he snorted.

Moose got in the truck and fired up the engine. He weaved through some trees. I could hear the Jeep following behind.

Finally, after a long, bumpy time, the ride smoothed out, and I realized we must be on some official road.

“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Moose asked.

Will started to sit up.

“Did I tell you to pop your head up yet?” Moose said sternly.

He folded himself back down on top of me.

“So, we’re going to Grand Marais?” I asked about the northern town situated on Lake Superior.

“We sure are. Just outside. I’ve got some property and a cabin,” Moose replied.

“My parents said they went there. That they liked it. It’s supposed to be pretty,” I said conversationally.

“I ain’t worried about pretty, McKenzie. I’m worried about safe.” Moose went silent after that.

Will and I laid curled and cramped together in the back seat for at least an hour, also holding the silence. Finally, blessedly, Moose said, “I reckon you can sit up now.”

We shot up like gophers out of a hole, both a bit sweaty.

Moose chuckled. “You two look like you’ve been going at it.”

“No such luck,” Will muttered under his breath.

I elbowed him. “We’re very grateful to you, sir. And I’m very sorry about your house. That must be your childhood home, and you blew off the front porch!”

“Oh, I blew off more than that. Once we were in the bunker, I blew the whole thing to kingdom come. Let them sort that out.” Moose gave a dark laugh.

My jaw dropped. “Oh my God.”

“I’ll compensate you as soon as I can,” Will said, sounding apologetic. “You shouldn’t have had to sacrifice all that for us.”

Moose shrugged. “It’s just a house. I always knew I’d be blowin’ it up someday. Someone’s always comin’ for ya, you know?”

“Yes, we know something about that,” Will murmured.

Even though I was sweaty, I leaned into Will, and he put an arm around me. “So, how do you handle a life on the run?”

“Two words. Be prepared. Just like the Scouts,” Moose said.

“We weren’t prepared,” Will replied. “Now we’re scrambling to catch up.”

“Well, that’s why you’ve got me. I ain’t no slouch in the preparedness department. And you got me Dolly. I’d have blown up a hundred houses for her.” Moose smiled fondly in the rearview mirror. “She’s a hard one to hold onto. Free spirit.”

“She’s one of a kind, I’ll agree with you there.” I grinned. Curiosity ate at me, and finally I blurted, “Why doesn’t she just stay? She clearly likes you very much. Does Shep not like you?”

“McKenzie…” Will murmured.

Moose chuckled. “Shep’s as much my son as he can be without bein’ blood. Nah, I’ve got some really bad PTSD and night terrors. When they get bad, I’ve pushed them both away cuz I don’t want them to get hurt. Last time, the fight was pretty brutal. I wasn’t sure she’d ever come back. Of course, by the time I was sure she was gone for good, I figured out what an idiot I’d been. I thought it was too late. But now here she is. I’m not fuckin’ it up again, I can tell you that right now.”

“I’m sorry about your PTSD and night terrors,” I said, feeling for the man. “And I’m glad Dolly’s back in your life. Even if she did bring us all along for the ride.”

“She brought me a mountain lion that had been hit by a truck once. Never thought she could bring me anythin’ more interestin’ than that. But I was underestimatin’ her.” Moose smiled.

I laughed. Will joined in.

“So, Dolly’s told me a little bit. Is it true you both came outta that lovely Jacey woman in the Jeep?” Moose asked, confusion in his tone.

Will and I glanced at each other awkwardly. “Yes,” Will finally said. “I was born thirty years ago, and Jacey was my surrogate. Donor egg. My father’s sperm. So if you’re thinking we’re related or doing something gross….”

“Nah. I mean, it ain’t normal, but nothin’ is.” Moose looked at me. “And you’re nineteen?”

“It’s not that big of an age difference,” I mumbled, blushing.

Moose slapped his knee and laughed. “Well, I know there’s been bigger ones. And you live in that hifalutin’ society, Will. You got them ninety-year-old men with them eighteen-year-old girls. You two are practically tame by comparison.”

“I won’t argue with you there,” Will said with a wince of distaste. “I’ve always wondered about those couples, but they both seem perfectly happy.”

“It’s a business trade, you know that. She gets money. He gets… well, we know what he gets. I even hear sometimes it’s the other way around. Older lady. Younger guy,” Moose replied.

“There’s definitely a few of those,” Will confirmed.

Moose let out more loud guffaws. “I’m tryin’ to picture it. Scratch that, I’m tryin’ not to picture it. You all hifalutin’ folks get wound up about the weirdest things then do stuff like that. Makes no damn sense.”

“True.” Will played with my hair, idly twirling it around his fingers.

It made my scalp tingle.

“How many rooms are there in this cabin? Are we all bunking up together?” he asked.

“It’s a big cabin. Plenty of space. I guess they call them ‘lake homes,’” Moose said in his best rich-people impression.

I laughed. Will just rolled his eyes.

“Don’t you go rollin’ your eyes at your betters, Will Masterson,” Moose scolded him.

Will cringed. “Sorry, sir.”

“That’s better. What I’m tryin’ to say is if you want to rock the paint off the walls, you’ll have your own room to do it in. Which I think was the question you were meanin’ to ask,” Moose said.

With a self-conscious cough, Will admitted, “That was the question, yes.”

I swatted him. “Ugh, men! Is that all you think about?!”

Will and Moose looked at each other. “Well,” Moose said, “most of the time, yeah.”

“I’m surrounded.” I groaned, dropping my head into my hands.

Will kissed the back of my neck then rubbed my arms. “You would have asked the same question as soon as we got there.”

“What makes you think that?” I asked, frowning.

“Because I know you’ve been dying to take some paint off the walls. Just as much as I have,” he whispered in my ear.

Now it wasn’t just my scalp tingling. I tingled all over. “It’s only been two days,” I said, but I sounded weak to my own ears.

“I agree. We should have done it the night before we saw Grandfather. But neither of us was in the mood. Hindsight’s twenty-twenty.” He tucked my hair behind my ear and kissed my temple.

It wasn’t fair that he got to be so composed while I was becoming a messy puddle. Then I watched him shift in his seat, barely able to hide a raging boner.

Not so composed after all.

“H-how much longer to Grand Marais?” I asked, licking my lips.

“Another three hours,” Moose said.

This was going to be the longest ride of my life!