EMP Catastrophe | Book 2 | Erupting Danger

by Hamilton, Grace

  “You set quite the example with your escapade,” Colin sneered. “That takes guts, escaping the way you did, I’ll give you that. Leaving that poor guard hollering for help and looking like an idiot. We all figured that if a stupid bird-boy like you could do it, why were the rest of us hanging out in our jumpsuits for? With the whole cartel on my side, we were able to take the prison. It was even easier when the warden decided to shut the whole place down.”

  “You caused a revolt,” Max said and felt grateful that he’d listened to his instincts. If he had stuck around, Colin would have killed him already for sure.

  “Easiest thing I’ve done in my whole life.” Colin winked at him. “I got friends who helped me out. It’s really something when you have the full cartel backing you. Imagine. You could’ve had that too if you hadn’t turned on us.”

  “I had to,” Max said. “I would’ve been locked up for half of my life if I didn’t.”

  “Wrong!” Colin made a sound like a buzzer being hit. “No one thought you’d sing, but you did. Now, you can sing all the way to Galena.”

  Max’s stomach dropped. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe. “What did you say?” he asked.

  “That’s where we’re heading,” Colin said. “My boys and me. We’re looking for a nice vacation spot. Someplace high in the mountains where we can enjoy the fresh air. I hear a friend of yours owns a hotel and might be willing to give us a discount if we persuade her.”

  “How do you know about the hotel?” Max’s world was spinning too fast around him. His fear threatened to overwhelm him.

  “The guards keep records about us, you know,” Colin said. “Since a bird like you had flown the coop, we were curious where you might be heading to. If there was someone out there who’d take you in. I hope this Kathleen won’t mind if you never show up.”

  “You stay away from my family,” Max said. His fear felt like a match that had been struck, and now it burned hot and had transformed into anger. “You don’t go anywhere near Galena.”

  “Not so smart, are you?” Colin said and tutted at Max. “It wasn’t hard for me to figure out you’d take the fastest route home. The easiest route. Always one for the easy way out, aren’t you? Not just here, but with the cartel too.” Colin knelt in front of Max. “Did you ever think what your life might have been like if you hadn’t betrayed us? If you’d kept your mouth shut, you’d be taken care of right now. No one would ever come after your family. Come to think of it, they’d probably be better off! The cartel takes care of their own. Too bad it’s time for you to pay the piper.”

  Max waved his hands around to encompass the quiet, empty world around them. “What does that matter anymore? There’s no point in making an example out of me. There are no more guards or prisons or even laws! The cartel can take whatever they want. Why are they so determined to end my life when I was just a lowly drug mule?”

  “Like I said, the cartel takes care of their own.” Colin’s smile had faltered, and he watched Max with disgust. “I’ll be taken care of. My family will have everything they’ve ever needed. A spot is waiting for me at their compound, but they told me I have to take care of you first. This is how I earn my way and prove my loyalty. By taking out the bird who sang so you can’t betray us again.”

  Max’s heart thundered in his ears. His hands balled up into fists on the asphalt. Colin stepped back and snapped his fingers. The four men set upon Max like a pack of wolves.

  15

  Matthew felt as though he were underwater. He heard his father ask him a slew of questions, but his voice was muffled to Matthew’s ears. For a moment, guilt crushed him like the pressure of the deep sea as he studied the note tied around the rock.

  How could I doubt her? He’d thought that perhaps Kathleen was paranoid and making things up. Yet here was undeniable proof that she was not seeing things. He shouldn’t have been taken by surprise by whoever had left this for them, just because he’d dismissed the one person who’d seen that stranger. He wanted to take that rock and throw it far into the woods.

  “Matt?” David asked. “Matthew?”

  When Matthew looked up, he realized his father had been saying his name for a long time. He let out a shuddering breath and stooped over the rock. He picked it up and showed it to David. David’s eyes went wide. The rock was rounded on one side with a jagged edge on the other, which caught and held the twine that had been used to tie the note to it.

  David made a sound of surprise and shuffled closer to Matthew. He peered over Matthew’s shoulder and asked, “What is that?”

  “Looks like a letter,” Matthew said in a rush. “Someone is trying to contact us.”

  His hands quivered as he tugged on the note and managed to slip it out from under the twine. The paper was thick, like expensive stationery. It crinkled as Matthew unfolded it. The rock fell to the ground with a thud and embedded itself in the dirt. Matthew quickly skimmed the message that had been written in blue ballpoint.

  David snorted as he read along with Matthew. “Dear hoteliers?” he asked.

  “They must not know who we are,” Matthew said. “They only know we own this place, not who we are exactly.” That made him frown. It wasn’t new news that the Rileys had purchased the hotel. Matthew had interviewed with the local newspaper about how fixing up the historic landmark would bring economic purpose to Galena. He’d even submitted a press release to the hotel circuits when they’d bought the place.

  “It’s an invitation,” David said and started to read the missive out loud. “‘We would like to open up a discussion with you to negotiate a trade. We have many resources that might be helpful. We hope you have supplies that would help us. Come to us at your earliest convenience.’ Very formal. Do you know the address?” David pointed at the address underneath.

  Matthew nodded. “It’s a bit south of us. Not all the way in Galena, but below us on the mountain.” He thumbed across the logo stamped on the bottom of the stationery. The name ‘Carpenter Country’ was entwined around a swirling red logo, but no signature graced the page. Matthew felt his mental hackles rise. The whole things felt suspicious.

  “This is exactly what we needed,” David said, sounding relieved. He read through the message again, mouthing the words. “This is better than I’d hoped for. Don’t you see, Matthew? Now we don’t have to be the ones to scout and make first contact. Someone is already in need and has made the first steps to approach us about trading.”

  Matthew’s frown deepened. He didn’t know what to say to his father’s enthusiasm.

  “They don’t give a time,” David continued. “What do you think? Should we just go down there first thing in the morning?”

  “We’re not going anywhere,” Matthew snapped. His suspicion transformed into dread. It felt like a hole inside of him full of the people he’d met since the EMP hit. Those that had threatened him. Threatened his wife. Hurt his children. He didn’t want to add anyone else to the list. “It’s not even signed. Wouldn’t you think whoever this person was would sign their name, at least? As a sign of good faith?”

  “That’s nothing,” David said, waving him off. “Maybe it’s a group of people.”

  “Or maybe it’s that biker gang that Kathleen met on the road. Remember them? I shot one of their members.”

  David shifted from side to side and looked uneasy. “Don’t look at it like that,” he urged Matthew. “This is what we’d been hoping for. We absolutely need to seek these people out. If they’re willing to trade with us, they could have food. Ammunition. We need good allies.”

  “Or they’re setting up a trap to take over the hotel,” Matthew said. “Maybe they want to get even.”

  “Matthew, that’s simply ridiculous.”

  Matthew looked at his father in disbelief. “I don’t get you, Dad. You’ve always told me to be on my guard. Look out for people’s real intentions. Now you’re willing to dive in head first without considering the consequences? You’ve nagged me my whole life for doing things like
that!”

  “This is different,” David insisted. “You’re not just making random internet friends and hoping they’ll boost your status. This is about survival. This is about two parties needing to get something substantial from each other.”

  “So what I did before wasn’t substantial?” Matthew demanded.

  “That’s…no, Matthew. I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant.” David put his hand on his forehead. “I mean that before, people weren’t in dire straits. Not like this. Not when they don’t know what they’re going to eat next week. We weren’t in need. Not like we are now.” He took a step back and rubbed his hands together. “We could go armed, if you’d like, but we would be foolish not to take advantage of this opportunity.”

  Matthew’s fury was its own raging inferno. He was disgusted with his father. He was disgusted by how everyone had changed since the EMP. He’d done his best in the beginning to help others, make friends, and put good out into the world. He’d hoped that good would come back to him. Instead, he’d seen his father get shot, watched his marriage crumble, seen his daughter faint from fatigue, and housed a murderer. The world wasn’t better now that they’d gone back to basics. It just revealed the ugliness people really held on the inside.

  And there was no way he was exposing his family to more ugliness.

  “Absolutely not,” Matthew said. All he wanted to do was create a bubble of safety around his family to keep the outside world out. He couldn’t do that with his father acting like a cowboy-hero and riding into the sunset with his white flag raised, hoping someone would negotiate with them.

  “Why not?” David asked, his face flushed with a mixture of confusion and irritation. “What do we have to lose?”

  “Everything!” Matthew hissed. “Don’t you see? This could be Samuel trying to set us up. He’s a local. We’re nothing but strangers in this place who only have each other. Samuel could’ve enlisted some of his friends and be lying in wait for us. Dividing us. This is nothing but a trap. We don’t have any friends out there. No one is on our side, Dad.”

  David shook his head. “Matt, I’ve always wanted you to learn to be cautious, but I didn’t think the lesson would make you so paranoid.”

  “I’m not paranoid,” Matthew said and heard the thunder of anger in his tone. “You said that about Kathleen, too. Look.” He scrunched the letter into a wad of crumpled paper in his hands. “She was right. I doubted her because you couldn’t see anything beyond what you wanted to see. This isn’t like the Army, Dad. We aren’t going to make allies. People don’t want to willingly help us.”

  David’s face hardened and Matthew knew his words had struck like arrows. “Even you can’t deny that we need supplies.” David’s voice was flat.

  “Yes, you’re right on that point. Is that what you want to hear? We need food, but I won’t risk my family on someone who doesn’t even have the decency to sign their own name. Carpenter Country? What does that even mean? It all sounds like a sure way to get us killed or make us homeless. I’m putting my family first. This stays and dies here.” He threw the note on the ground.

  David looked at it mournfully.

  “This stays between us,” Matthew continued. “I don’t want anyone to know about it. Not Mom. Not Kathleen. Especially not Jade. No one needs to be alarmed. I don’t want anyone getting ideas about trading or, worse, getting spooked and starting to believe we’ll be attacked. If this Carpenter Country wants to trade with us, they can come to our front door and ask. Not by sending us a creepy, unsigned letter, tied to a rock, demanding we come to them.”

  David shook his head. “Matthew, this is a mistake.”

  Matthew turned away from him “Not a word. Especially to Kathleen. Leave it alone.”

  “And what if she asks?” David asked hotly. “Your wife isn’t an invalid. She deserves to know. So does your mother. We’re supposed to not keep secrets from each other. Especially about something like this that affects the well-being of everyone.”

  “I don’t care. We’ll say that we didn’t see anything or that whoever must’ve been out here tucked tail and fled before we caught sight of them. Blame me if you have to, but don’t mention anything else.”

  “Matthew—”

  “Dad, I said leave it.” Matthew spun on his heel and began to walk toward the hotel. He hated sounding so sharp with his father, but David needed to see that the uncertainties outweighed the potential gains. Nothing good could come of this.

  He kept telling himself that all the way back to the hotel. It didn’t alleviate the dread knotting his insides.

  16

  Kathleen clutched the railing of the porch as she watched Matthew and David rush out toward the property line. Her heart had gotten tangled in her throat, and she could feel it pounding against her neck. She’d been so foolish. She should have been outside with them, not sulking in her room, marinating in her shame and hopelessness. She should have been the one pushing Allison and Patton behind her and standing as a barrier between her children and danger. As much as she disliked Jade, the young woman had done what Kathleen hadn’t been able to do. Protect.

  Ruth and Jade turned back toward the house slowly, as if moving through molasses. Ruth tugged on Patton’s arm to break his gaze on his father. Jade lingered next to Allison, waiting for her to follow. Kathleen tore her gaze away and searched the edge of the property for another glimpse of the shadowy figure, but she felt in her gut that whoever she’d seen had most likely escaped into the woods. No one would stick around after hearing so many gunshots.

  Ruth and Patton climbed the porch steps. Kathleen’s mouth went dry as she continued to stare at Jade. Jade acted like a pillar for Allison, something steady and patient that waited for the teenage girl to lean on when she was ready.

  Kathleen hated to admit it, but Jade was the better woman. They’d both lived through…defending themselves against unsavory types. While Jade was out here, digging trenches and educating the Rileys on self-defense, Kathleen had holed herself up in her room and tried not to let her anger lash out at everyone. She’d been unsuccessful so far at that too. She couldn’t bring herself to open up to Matthew. Just thinking about it made any forming words harden inside her like concrete blocks. Little things set her off, and she constantly felt as though everyone was judging her. That they saw through the flimsy protective layer she’d drawn over herself, and decided that down to her core, she was just another ugly person here at the end of the world.

  Not Jade, though. Jade had faced her fears.

  Kathleen wished she could feel respect for her, but instead, she only felt a despondent jealousy inside her.

  But now that Jade had put herself between a perceived threat and Kathleen’s family…well, jealousy could only extend so far. And Kathleen had enough self-respect to give thanks where it was due.

  Ruth eyed Kathleen as she guided Patton into the hotel. She glanced back with a knowing look on her face and said softly to Kathleen, “Make nice.” She disappeared inside the hotel.

  Jade had finally gotten Allison to break away from her spot on the lawn. Together they walked up on the porch. Allison kept her head down as she stepped inside, but Jade eyed Kathleen warily, as if she expected Kathleen to bite her head off.

  Which…wasn’t an unfair assessment. Kathleen had been nothing but harsh to her.

  Kathleen took a deep breath. The words were still like rocks inside of her, but she managed to sculpt a couple into something intelligent. “Thank you,” she said and gestured out toward the lawn where they had all stood not minutes before. “For what you did. Putting the kids first.”

  Jade nodded once and sidestepped around Kathleen as if waiting for Kathleen to pounce on her. Kathleen swallowed hard, but before Jade cleared the porch, she paused and turned around. Kathleen met her gaze and watched as Jade bit her lower lip as if pondering whether she should speak.

  “Who were they?” Jade asked.

  Kathleen’s stomach dropped. The thin defensive barrier she’d kept
between her and the world had effectively been shredded by Jade’s simple question. A simple question loaded with blood and action. “I don’t know what you mean,” she said, breathless.

  Jade raised an eyebrow at her. “C’mon. Seriously. You can tell me. There’s only a couple of events in a person’s life that will give them that look in their eye.” She jabbed a finger at Kathleen for emphasis. “I would know.”

  Kathleen’s cheeks flushed. She couldn’t meet Jade’s eyes but shook her head, looking at the ground. Jade had pinned her to the spot.

  Jade made a sharp, pointed noise and took a few steps closer toward Kathleen. “You know, when I pointed the gun at gas station clerk, I was filled with terror. It was like a piece of ice inside of me. Freezing everything except the animalistic need to survive. I’ve known men like that before. I’ve been in worse situations with men like that, too. I didn’t want to be in it again. I thought, why should a piece of scum like that be allowed to live and hurt other people? Hurt another young woman like me?”

  Jade paused as if waiting for Kathleen to fill the silence. Kathleen cleared her throat, desperate for this conversation to be over. Jade continued to speak. “It’s okay to be scared,” she said softly. “Fear is the thing that helps you survive. It’s letting go of it afterwards that’s hard.”

  “Why did you do it, though?” Kathleen finally managed to ask. “How can you just forget about it?”

  “I haven’t,” Jade said. “I’ve been scared every day since I pulled the trigger. You don’t just get over stuff like that, you know? I see it every time I close my eyes.” She looked up into the sky. “At the same time, I know I’d probably do it again. Matthew and David didn’t see the guy’s comments as threatening, but it’s different for a woman. To me, it was a clear threat. Not even thinly veiled. He would have taken everything I had all because he could. He’d have power over me and would take advantage of that. I want to call it self-defense, but I’m not sure the term fits, since he really didn’t do anything but make me feel unsafe. I think you know exactly what I’m talking about, though. Whatever happened to you, your life might not have been in danger like mine, but you were terrified.”