CHAPTER 27
Havre, MT
Tom woke up with his teeth chattering. He forced his arms to move, the blood feeling almost sluggish in his veins.
Sitting up, he shook his legs, which were tingling from the cold. Damn, it must be near freezing. He could see his breath as he exhaled. He swung his arms around himself, trying to generate some heat.
Seeley sat up next to him. “It’s fucking cold, man.”
He looked horrible. Seeley’s lips were blue and there were dark circles under his eyes. His normally warm complexion would now rival a vampire’s.
Tom was pretty sure he didn’t look any better. He pulled the bedroll from the ground around his shoulders, trying to stave off some of the cold. “No kidding, man. Don’t think I can do many more nights like that.”
Seeley nodded and stood up, shifting from one foot to the other. “They can’t throw us a damn blanket? How the hell we supposed to dig for them all day, when we’re freezing all night?”
Tom watched the farm truck pull up and drop off a new batch of recruits. “Don’t think they care, man. We’re not exactly irreplaceable.”
“No shit. Do you think last night was a fluke or is it gonna be like this from now on?”
“Don’t know, man. I mean, it’s October. Gets pretty cold at night back home around now, too.”
Seeley nodded and shifted to jogging in place. He stumbled over one of the other men who’d been sleeping next to him. “Shit, man. Sorry.” He scrambled back to his feet.
The man didn’t respond.
“Buddy, you okay?” Seeley asked.
Tom looked over at the still form. No little puffs of cold air appeared around the man’s nose or mouth. Tom leaned down and pulled the man onto his back. The man’s arm flung out with the movement, hitting Tom in the leg. He focused on the man’s chest. It wasn’t moving.
Tom stood up and shook his head at Seeley.
“Damn.” Seeley looked over at the enclosure. “What do you think’s gonna happen when the ground gets too cold? We’re not gonna be able to dig.”
Tom looked at Seeley, and then to the entrance when he heard a gunshot. The initiation demonstration was in full swing. Tom watched two men pick up a body and lumber over to the body pit. As they tossed the body over the edge, one of the men fell to his knees and puked. A guard kicked him in the back.
Tom looked back at Seeley and shook his head. “When the ground’s too hard, we’re of no more use.”