by Hunt, Jack
“What was?” Tyler asked.
“You know, the whole EMP. Doom and gloom. The world is going to end speech you gave her back there. I’m not sure I would have gone that route but it was unique. I’ll give you that.” He tapped the railing as they went down. “Ah, the things we do for love,” he muttered. “So. When do you think the lights will come back on. In a day or two?”
Tyler shook his head. “Don’t hold your breath.”
“What? But I thought…”
“You thought I was making this shit up?” Tyler asked.
“Well not all of it but c’mon. We always bounce back. That’s what makes this nation so great. California fires, yearly hurricanes, tornadoes sweeping across the land, it’s all par for the course. We lose a few lives but what country doesn’t?”
“In your life, how many times have you heard it reported on the news that cars have stalled, cell phones no longer work, planes have dropped out of the sky and there is no power?”
“Um… well…” Nate stumbled over his words. Tyler didn’t have to clarify, eventually the penny would drop. The truth was everything that had taken place so far was almost word for word how his father had depicted it. That’s what scared him the most. It was one thing to watch, read and hear about it, another to be living it. He wasn’t sure if he would head north to Whitefish. The thought of returning after so many years sickened him. He needed to speak with his uncle. Although he knew he was probably climbing the walls by now with worry, Lou was different to his father, more level-headed. But that’s not to say that he didn’t have his moments when he acted like his father. Lou had been the one to put together the bag for him. The original that his father had made was back in Whitefish, tucked in a closet, out of the way. When he left the town, he thought he would never pick it up again. But old habits die slowly. It had become ingrained in him, carrying the backpack wherever he went. It might seem unnatural and to some probably unbelievable that he would lug it around, but his father believed that time was a person’s worst adversary in a crisis. The longer it took to get to a shelter, the longer it took to find that bugout bag, the higher the chance of dying.
It was a fear-based mentality his father had instilled in him, no different than religious people’s beliefs about hell. The fear of what might happen was a strong motivator. It would make seemingly sound of mind people do all manner of ludicrous acts, most of which they would justify later.
Tyler adjusted the backpack on his back, handed the gas mask to Nate and slipped his half face respirator on as they reached the ground floor and pushed out into the smoke-filled night.
13
It was like walking through hell. Vegas had a sleazy feel to it at the best of times but with thick black smoke rolling through the streets, and fires raging seemingly every few blocks, Tyler expected trouble. That’s why he kept his Glock at the ready. Whether the bottom feeders of society weren’t along the same stretch they traveled, or fear of reprisal from police officers kept the lawless at bay, they arrived two hours later without incident.
Uncle Lou’s military surplus store was a one-story light brown building that crouched at the corner of Lake Mead Boulevard and Statz Street. On the outside, large red and white signs advertising security equipment, tactical gear, work wear, surplus, MREs, knives, dog tags, bags, BDUs, webbing, tents, maps, books, mining supplies, binoculars, compasses, jackets, tarps, patches and ammo cans, stood out in almost a distracting manner. Either side of the double doorway entrance were two large, green imitation missiles that he’d had a local artist in town create. Covering the windows were graphics of military personnel in action. Unlike his father, Lou had served his country, giving eleven years of his life to the army. It was him who inspired Corey to think about a career in the military. When they were younger, they would often dine at his home in Whitefish. Their Aunt Barb would cook up a large crockpot of chili, and Lou and their father would throw back alcohol like water and he’d recount his tours and the lives he took overseas. Whether there was truth to the tales or it was the beer talking, it didn’t matter. They lapped it up and hung on every word — especially Corey.
After their mother passed on, and their home went into foreclosure, Lou and Barb were like an anchor in their life. They’d extended a hand and offered to house them but their father was too proud. When he eventually accepted help, it was from a local church member, not his brother. Still, Lou invited them to their home any chance they got and tried to provide some stability at a time when their father struggled.
Tyler went around the side of the building as shutters were covering the main door and windows. Like many of the businesses in Vegas that had the good sense to act fast, Lou knew his establishment would be one of the first places people would hit after grocery stores. Even if someone could get through the shutters at the front of the store, they would have to make their way through ballistic glass. His uncle had thought of practically everything. While not as paranoid as his father, Lou was a firm believer in having a contingency plan. Down the right side of the building was an entrance where he could drive vehicles in and out. Military vehicles were hard to get and few people wanted them so the ones he had were mostly used for display or for parades in the city.
“Are you sure he’s here?”
“Trust me. He’ll defend this place to his last dying breath.”
Tyler banged his fist against the garage door. “Uncle Lou. It’s me.”
He looked up at a surveillance camera that moved ever so slightly. A generator was powering it. “Come on. Open up.” Tyler looked around nervously. The motor powering the shutters kicked in, and they stepped back as the shutters were raised. It was dark inside but along the floor Lou had installed tiny strips of lights like in an airplane to help with navigating the aisles just in case they had a blackout. Even if you have power, never turn on lights in a blackout — you’ll attract unwanted attention; Tyler’s father would say. The familiar smell of musty old clothes and aged metal lingered. There was a buzzing noise behind them as the shutters came down and it sealed closed.
Lou emerged from a darkened aisle with an M4 in hand. The first thing he did was launch into a tirade. Tyler knew it was coming. “Tyler, how many times do I have to tell you…” Before he finished, he squinted then asked, “Who’s that?”
Tyler thumbed behind him. “Oh, uh. This is Nate. He might leave with us.”
“Friend of yours?”
“Not exactly, let’s say we dug him out of a hole.”
Lou came over and raised his gun at him. “Put your hands up.”
“Uncle Lou, it’s fine.”
“Why, you patted him down?”
“No but…”
Lou didn’t wait for an explanation, he began patting him down and going through his pockets. “Widen your legs.” He pushed him up against a shelf and kicked his feet apart.
“Is this really necessary?” Nate asked.
“If you want to leave, no. If you stay, yes.”
With that said Lou continued. As he came around the back of him, he tapped and lifted his jacket. “Oh, what have we here?” Before Nate could react, Lou pulled a Sig Sauer out of Nate’s waistband. He’d tucked it into the small of his back.
“Do you mind? That’s mine.”
“Yeah, and you’ll get it back when you leave, no sooner. Got it?”
“Tyler,” Nate said.
Tyler piped up, “Lou. It’s not like it’s unheard of.”
“Of course not but that doesn’t make me feel any safer, now does it?”
He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and a water bottle, and what looked like a small women’s purse. “Hmm. I’m guessing this isn’t yours.”
Tyler squinted at the nearly empty water bottle and noticed something. He walked over and picked it up and turned it around. There was a logo on the side for Lyons Hotels.
“You grab this while you were there?”
“No.”
“So where did you get it from?”
�
�I already had it on me.”
“That doesn’t answer the question.”
“Look, it’s just a water bottle, what’s the problem?”
Tyler scooped up the small plaid purse and opened it. There was about a hundred and eighty bucks in cash, and several credit cards. After he pulled one out and read the name, he turned around. “You stole her purse?”
“I…” Nate spluttered trying to turn around but Lou had a firm hand on his back keeping him from going anywhere. Then it dawned on him. Earlier that night Erika had said her bag, and purse had been stolen. Tyler looked Nate up and down and the pieces started to fall together.
“Wearing motorcycle gear. I should have figured. You drive a green Kawasaki?”
With his head slightly turned Nate flashed a thin smile and Tyler shook his head. “Listen, I can explain.”
“Where’s her bag, Nate?”
“In the rubble.”
“And the phone?”
“In the rubble. Well, I think it’s there.”
“You think?”
He hesitated for a second then bellowed, “I sold it. Okay? You happy?”
“You really are a piece of work. So, this is what you do. You’re in the habit of snatching bags?”
“We all have to earn a living. Besides, it’s not like she’s hurting for cash, now is it?”
“Geesh. Are you serious?”
“Look, if it’s any consolation, I was thinking of getting out of the game.”
“Just like you’re trying to talk your way out of this,” Tyler said coming around to look him in the eyes, and shake the purse in his face.
“Well, c’mon then,” Lou said grabbing him by the collar and pushing him towards the exit. “Time for you to go.”
“At least give me my gun back.” Lou turned and snagged it up and handed it to him but not before removing the magazine.
“Tyler. Please. Come on, man. I didn’t know it was her. It takes us seconds to snatch bags and phones. I don’t focus on faces, I look at the item I’m taking.”
Tyler didn’t reply as he watched Lou guide Nate over to the side shutter. Lou punched a large red button on the wall and the steel clattered as it rose. He tossed out the full magazine. “Look. I was planning on giving it back but in the heat of the moment I just forgot.”
“Yeah. I bet you did,” Tyler said as Lou shoved him out into the night and brought the shutter back down. They saw him snag up the magazine and slam it back into the handgun.
“Tyler. Please, man. I don’t want to stay out here. I don’t have a place to stay.”
Lou walked towards Tyler. “Nice choice in friends. Maybe next time you’ll remember to pat them down before bringing them back here. Who knows how many others he could lead here?”
“I’m sorry, Uncle Lou, I screwed up.”
“Yeah, well, come on back. Barb has some soup ready. After that I need you to give me a hand loading some of these products into the bunker.” Tyler could still hear Nate outside asking him to give him a chance. He banged a few times on the shutter and Lou bellowed that if he continued, he’d regret it. He wasn’t a violent man but under these conditions Tyler wouldn’t have put it past him. Tyler followed Lou out back trying to forget Nate. He liked the guy but if he couldn’t trust him, that could make life dangerous, and it was already ramping up in the city.
Erika poured herself another full glass of red wine and knocked it back. Since they’d left, she’d planned to handle the guest issues, first by trying to get in touch with the contract security company to find out why their guy had left and second by changing out of her clothes into something more professional and speaking with them down in the lobby. Well, that was the plan. Unfortunately, no one answered the phone and after what she experienced in her room, she wasn’t willing to go through that again. In the first hour with the landline still in operation she phoned her mother in Utah. According to Luanne, her mother had been trying to reach her for several hours but because she didn’t have her phone on her, and only recently returned to the hotel, Erika decided to call her.
Although her parents were still involved in the decision making of running the hotel chain, they had reached an age where they preferred to be as hands-off as possible. That for them meant frequent vacations to Aspen and overseas when they weren’t living out a quiet life in Midway, Utah.
“Yes, I’m okay, Mom.”
“And the hotel.”
“It’s still standing though security appears to have vanished.”
“Well what do you expect after hiring that company? I told you to hire…”
“I know what you told me. They were recommended to me by a friend and I was trying to be frugal.”
“Darling. Frugal is what gives hotels bad ratings. There is a reason why we are number one in the country and it’s not because we are penny pinchers. Now I want you to phone the company I recommended. Would you do that for your mother? Unless of course you want to deal with the blowback of bad reviews.”
Could she be any more condescending?
“I don’t think it’s going to matter. People have been irate all this evening. Once the net comes back up, we are screwed.”
“Don’t say that. We’ll handle it.”
“I’m sure you will,” she said. “But what am I meant to do in the interim?”
“Leave it to Luanne. She’s more than capable of running that hotel. Remember, she was doing it long before you got there.”
“How could I forget? You remind me every week.”
“Oh don’t be so dramatic. I’m just reminding you that she’s a well of experience that would be better served if you gave her more leeway.”
“If I gave her more leeway, I wouldn’t have a job. Wasn’t that the reason you put me here?”
She heard her mother snort. “Look, if you can’t handle it—”
“I can handle it.”
“I’m just saying. Your brother Chad would be more than happy to take over the reins.”
“Have you heard from him?”
“Not recently. I thought he was with you.”
Erika frowned wondering if she even knew what was going on.
“Mother. are the lights out where you are?”
“Yes. Darn things have been off for several hours. I have candles on all over the house. Your father has been trying to get hold of the utility company but no one is answering the phone and our cells aren’t working.”
“What about downed planes?”
“Downed what?”
“Oh, forget it. Is the internet working?”
“No. Nothing is. It’s utterly frustrating.”
“Yeah, first world problems can be like that.”
“Don’t be facetious, Erika, I get enough of that from your father.”
Erika groaned and ran a hand through Bailey’s hair. “Where is he?”
“Digging through the garage for the generator. It took him this long just to remember we had one. I don’t think he even knows how to operate it. Uh, look, I’m going to…” she paused. “Henry?” More silence followed by the sound of her mother walking. “Henry? Is that you?”
“Mother. What’s going on?”
“Dear God. Who are you? Get out of here.”
“Mom?”
There was a loud crash and then she heard her mother scream.
“Mom. Mom!”
In the background she could hear her mother struggling and crying, and then a loud thud. A few seconds after someone picked up the phone as she heard heavy breathing and then the line went dead. “Hello? Hello, Mom?” She tried phoning back but no one answered. Erika called her three more times before she put the phone down and paced back and forth. Her fear turned to panic, and she tried to contact the local police to see if they could alert the Midway Police Department as she didn’t have their number or any way of finding out what it was because the net was down. Unfortunately, she couldn’t get through to emergency services. The lines were jammed. Thousands were probably overwhelming
the switchboard. “Damn it!” she bellowed slamming the phone down. She tried her mother’s one more time but only got the answering machine.
Gripped by the unthinkable, Erika hurried into her bedroom and rooted through her closet for her old backpack. She pulled it out and stuffed it with some underwear, a couple pairs of pants and socks, and then rushed into the bathroom. She scooped up her toothbrush while Bailey followed her, sensing something was wrong. All the while Erika kept muttering to herself. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. Flustered and overwhelmed she snatched her jacket off the hook, picked up Bailey’s leash and crouched. “Bailey. Come on, let’s go.” She trotted over, wagging her tail. Erika quickly clipped the leash to her collar and headed out the door.
All she could hear in her mind was the sound of her mother’s scream.
Utah was a long way away. Traveling there by car would have been stressful, but by foot and in these conditions? She had no idea how she was going to get there but she knew who might help.
14
There were several officers from Columbia Falls and the Flathead County Sheriff Department blocking the highway. All of them were carrying Remington 870 shotguns or Colt M4 carbines — certainly heavy firepower for run-of-the-mill checkpoints. One of the officers gestured to get them to slow down as they got closer. They’d expected to see police out patrolling and making sure that looting didn’t happen but there was something very different about this.
Corey brought his window down.
“Good evening, gents,” the officer said shining his flashlight beam into the vehicle. Another officer did the same on the other side, while a third went around the back and investigated the contents of the truck.
“Where are you coming from and where are you heading?”
