Dalton. “Homicide, murder, whatever you want to call it. I got a gun, and we each got a knife. I just want to know how this ends, you and me alone here. What chance do we got?”
Johnny’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”
“Look, kid, we don’t know where we are. Maybe we’re close by home, and maybe they’re looking for us right now, and maybe a chopper’ll fly overhead in the next five minutes. Maybe.” Dalton scratched the side of his face, stretching his mouth. “But maybe nobody else knows what happened to us. Maybe we’re stuck somewhere they can’t get to us. Maybe they got other problems.”
Johnny just looked at Dalton. He still felt a little feverish. He understood everything Dalton was saying, but it sounded like it was coming from far away.
“We might be here a while,” said Dalton. “That’s all I’m saying. We got to prepare for that. And if we’re going to prepare, then we have to know what we’re up against. What do we have to watch out for, you know?” Dalton tapped himself on the chest. “Me, that’s murder. Other people. That’s what I got to watch out for.”
Johnny shook his head and made like he was going to get up. Dalton stopped him.
“I’m not talking about you, kid. You’re sick, and I can take you in a fair fight anyway.” He patted the stock of the rifle. “And I got the gun right now, so I’m not scared of you. We got no reason to kill each other. But if you’re gonna go down homicide too, then maybe we’ll get rid of the knives and the gun. Throw them in the ocean or something.” Dalton raised his eyebrows and looked down at Johnny. “It’s just the two of us here, and if we can keep from killing each other then we’ll be okay. As long as we’re alone and as long as we both stick together, nothing can happen to us.” Suddenly his voice softened and dropped. “We got water and food now, but that’s not gonna last. Not the food anyway. If nobody comes for us, we’re gonna start getting desperate and I’d just as soon not have any weapons around when it happens.” Dalton looked down at his hands. “You see what I’m getting at here? We got to know these things so we can do what we have to do before we get to the point when we start thinking crazy things about each other.” Dalton paused for a minute. “So, how do you die?”
Johnny breathed in deep. “You didn’t find any food?” Dalton shook his head. “What about those snakes? Or birds?”
“Gotta catch them,” said Dalton. “And even then…” He shrugged. “Not much meat on a snake. I didn’t even see any fish out there. Maybe there’ll be some that come by later, but who knows.”
“And you don’t think they’re coming for us?”
Dalton pressed his lips together. “I hope they are,” he said. “But there’re a lot of islands out here, and we’re not exactly in friendly territory.” His voice trailed off.
Johnny just nodded and sighed. “All right then.” He raised his eyes to Dalton’s. He could feel the sweat breaking out on his forehead and his upper lip. “I’m supposed to starve to death.”
Dalton didn’t look surprised. He just looked angry. “Goddamn it!” he shouted. He stood up and walked a few paces around the camp, and then he seemed to calm down a little. He went over to the pack and tossed Johnny an MRE . “Eat something anyway.”
Johnny shook his head. “What’s the point? Can’t you see what’s happening? We’re done for, here. They’re not gonna come and we’re not gonna find any food. I don’t know. Maybe you make it out okay, but I’m gonna die here for sure.”
Dalton sat down, tipping his head back. He looked at Johnny through his knees, his hands dangling clasped above his feet. “Eat it,” he said. “If you’re right, at least you’ll live another day. But you might be wrong. Either way, you might as well eat while you can.”
Johnny opened the MRE and took a bite. He hadn’t
Johnny’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”
“Look, kid, we don’t know where we are. Maybe we’re close by home, and maybe they’re looking for us right now, and maybe a chopper’ll fly overhead in the next five minutes. Maybe.” Dalton scratched the side of his face, stretching his mouth. “But maybe nobody else knows what happened to us. Maybe we’re stuck somewhere they can’t get to us. Maybe they got other problems.”
Johnny just looked at Dalton. He still felt a little feverish. He understood everything Dalton was saying, but it sounded like it was coming from far away.
“We might be here a while,” said Dalton. “That’s all I’m saying. We got to prepare for that. And if we’re going to prepare, then we have to know what we’re up against. What do we have to watch out for, you know?” Dalton tapped himself on the chest. “Me, that’s murder. Other people. That’s what I got to watch out for.”
Johnny shook his head and made like he was going to get up. Dalton stopped him.
“I’m not talking about you, kid. You’re sick, and I can take you in a fair fight anyway.” He patted the stock of the rifle. “And I got the gun right now, so I’m not scared of you. We got no reason to kill each other. But if you’re gonna go down homicide too, then maybe we’ll get rid of the knives and the gun. Throw them in the ocean or something.” Dalton raised his eyebrows and looked down at Johnny. “It’s just the two of us here, and if we can keep from killing each other then we’ll be okay. As long as we’re alone and as long as we both stick together, nothing can happen to us.” Suddenly his voice softened and dropped. “We got water and food now, but that’s not gonna last. Not the food anyway. If nobody comes for us, we’re gonna start getting desperate and I’d just as soon not have any weapons around when it happens.” Dalton looked down at his hands. “You see what I’m getting at here? We got to know these things so we can do what we have to do before we get to the point when we start thinking crazy things about each other.” Dalton paused for a minute. “So, how do you die?”
Johnny breathed in deep. “You didn’t find any food?” Dalton shook his head. “What about those snakes? Or birds?”
“Gotta catch them,” said Dalton. “And even then…” He shrugged. “Not much meat on a snake. I didn’t even see any fish out there. Maybe there’ll be some that come by later, but who knows.”
“And you don’t think they’re coming for us?”
Dalton pressed his lips together. “I hope they are,” he said. “But there’re a lot of islands out here, and we’re not exactly in friendly territory.” His voice trailed off.
Johnny just nodded and sighed. “All right then.” He raised his eyes to Dalton’s. He could feel the sweat breaking out on his forehead and his upper lip. “I’m supposed to starve to death.”
Dalton didn’t look surprised. He just looked angry. “Goddamn it!” he shouted. He stood up and walked a few paces around the camp, and then he seemed to calm down a little. He went over to the pack and tossed Johnny an MRE . “Eat something anyway.”
Johnny shook his head. “What’s the point? Can’t you see what’s happening? We’re done for, here. They’re not gonna come and we’re not gonna find any food. I don’t know. Maybe you make it out okay, but I’m gonna die here for sure.”
Dalton sat down, tipping his head back. He looked at Johnny through his knees, his hands dangling clasped above his feet. “Eat it,” he said. “If you’re right, at least you’ll live another day. But you might be wrong. Either way, you might as well eat while you can.”
Johnny opened the MRE and took a bite. He hadn’t
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