A Long Time Until Now Read Online Free PDF Page B

average.”
    Elliott said, “Yeah. Well, it’s not now. Our now.”
    Trinidad asked, “How do we get home?”
    “We wait for whatever brought us here.”
    “What if it never comes? How do we get home?”
    “That’s all there is.”
    Trinidad shouted, “Don’t you tell me that!”
    Armand ran over fast, was alongside, and suddenly it was a man on man hug with bawling tears.
    He saw nothing funny or unmanly about it. He was barely keeping it together himself.

    Sean Elliott felt ill. He realized he’d neither eaten nor drunk all day, and forced himself to swallow a few mouthfuls from his Camelbak. Then he chewed some jerky. He didn’t feel better, but his stomach eased off a bit, and his headache faded.
    Had he spent all day just staring into space? He was supposed to be in command.
    Spencer came over as soon as he moved.
    “Sir, can I consult with you?”
    “Yes, what is it?” He tried to make eye contact and failed. He masked his shame by glancing around.
    Spencer indicated with his thumb and head. They moved away from the group and around the back of Charlie Eight.
    Spencer looked rough. He hadn’t slept either, and might even be in shock.
    “Sir, with respect, you are not handling this well.”
    “I . . .” he was about to erupt in an ass chewing, because no one could handle this shit well, but he needed help, and Spencer was trying to offer it.
    “I’m open to suggestions,” he said.
    “Sir, it’s been almost three days. We haven’t secured food, water, shelter. Whatever dropped us here is gone. It may or may not come back, but we have to make the call to take care of ourselves here, now.”
    “I’m afraid of leaving. We don’t know when it will come back.” It had to come back. If it happened once, it would happen again.
    “We don’t know if it will come back. And we’re running out of resources. Water. Food,” Spencer repeated. “Fuel. We have limited ammo. We need to relocate while we have fuel, then settle in. If there’s some kind of time portal, and someone is looking for us, they’ll do what SAR does and find us. We can leave signals.”
    “What if they don’t know we’re here?”
    “Then, sir,” the man said, with a very deep breath, “they won’t be looking for us, will they?”
    Every time Elliott was sure he was all adrenalined out, something came along and kicked him again.
    “Yes. I agree. But I really don’t know what to do. And Spencer . . .”
    “Yes, sir?”
    “Between you and me, I’m fucking scared.”
    “Well, that means you’re like the rest of us, sir. But we have what we have.”
    “I’m sorry I weirded out.” He burned in embarrassment. He was the officer, and he’d sat here doing nothing.
    “It can happen to anyone, sir. Glad to have you back.”
    “Thanks. You don’t mean that, though.”
    Spencer stuck out a hand and he took it and shook.
    “Yes, I do. I’ll run things myself if I have to, but you can see the kids don’t respect me. They never have. You, they actually listen to.”
    He nodded. “So you tell me what to do and I’ll tell them.”
    “No, sir. You’re the officer, you need to command. I’ll implement.”
    He had a moment of cold clarity.
    “There’s no way I could resign anyway. Not here,” he realized.
    “No, there isn’t, and I wouldn’t let you. They need you.”
    He noticed the man didn’t say “I need you.”
    He breathed again, and took in the impossibly fresh air. He could smell the truck, and otherwise, the clearest air anywhere. It was refreshing, but frightening.
    “Downhill, to the river, and dig in there. They can find us. But what after that?”
    Spencer said, “We try to find somewhere we can build long-term camping, like an overhead between the vehicles, and windbreaks. Hooches if we can. If there’s saplings—”
    “I can advise on building hooches, Sergeant. I’m an engineer.”
    “Yes, sir. See? You can get us comfortable and healthy. Fresh water, too.”
    “Yeah. And we have a box of