by T. L. Payne
The man was carrying a barbeque grill like those used for tailgate parties. The man had not shut the door of the shed.
There may be something useful in there.
Probably not the food and water that she desperately needed right then, but maybe a tarp, rope, fishing line, or other things that might help her survive as she made her way to Uncle Ryan’s house.
She thought for a moment. The men had only traveled a short distance from Darlene’s farm before they stopped at the nasty trailer they’d held her in. If she could somehow make her way back to the trail, maybe she could find Darlene’s farm.
She could find Emma.
Emma had probably run away when the two men had shown up. Maddie wanted to give Darlene and Ray Junior a proper burial, but she didn’t think she could dig two graves. She would try to cover them up, at least. They had been so good to her. She was afraid that she would not encounter very many good people on the rest of her journey.
As she crept along the tree line to the shed, she looked to see if the man would return to shut the door. Maddie ran across the lawn and into the shed. She shoved the pistol into her pocket and rummaged through boxes and scanned the items on shelves. She bent over and flipped open the lid to a blue cooler under a small work bench and let out an audible sigh of relief when she discovered it was full of bottled water and energy drinks. Maddie unscrewed the top of one of the energy drinks and downed its contents.
Maddie looked around for a bag or pack to carry the drinks in. Labeled storage totes lined the walls of the shed. Some totes were labeled, “clothes.” One said, “books” and others said, “photos” and “mementoes.” The one that read, “handbags and totes” caught Maddie's attention. Pleased that the owners were so well organized, Maddie opened the container and found a large L.L. Bean canvas tote bag. Opening a bottle of water, she took a sip and sat it down on a box. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and began filling the canvas tote bag with as many bottles of water and drinks as would fit. After packing nine bottles, Maddie tried to zip the bag closed. It only zipped half way, so she pulled one bottle out and held it under her chin as she finished zipping the tote closed. Gripping the bottle in one hand and the tote in another, she turned to go.
Maddie saw the man exiting a side door of the house. Dropping the bottle to the ground, she pulled the pistol from her pocket. She clutched it in her right hand, hoping she would never have to use it again. Maddie ran across the yard. At the edge of the property were lawn met the woods, Maddie stopped and crouched beside a tree to scan the area.
She tried to slow her breathing. The noise of her heart beating in her ears prevented her from hearing as sharply as she wanted. Closing her eyes, she inhaled, counted to three, then exhaled slowly. After a few seconds, her breathing had slowed. Maddie listened for any pursuers or dangers lurking in the woods.
Maddie inspected the pistol. Releasing the magazine, she counted the remaining rounds.
Only two rounds left. Oh shit.
She should have looked for the other guns before she left the trailer. But she had wanted the hell out of there before some other crazy druggies showed up.
Slapping the magazine back into the pistol, Maddie held it tight as she waited to see if the man had followed her. She wasn’t sure if he had even saw her. Maybe she was being paranoid. She was drained, hungry, and filled with adrenaline from shooting two people.
She thought it was probably normal to be a little paranoid when running for her life in the apocalypse.
All she wanted in that moment was to get somewhere safe and sleep. Uncle Ryan’s would be safe. She could sleep when she got there. Until then, she needed to keep moving.
After twenty minutes stumbling through the woods, Maddie came out on a trail beside the canal. Somehow, by some miracle, she had found her way back to the I&M Canal trail. She looked around trying to get her bearings. The sun was high in the sky, so it was no help in giving her a direction at that moment. Taking a chance, she turned right and walked west. After ten minutes on the trail, she recognized a building. She had passed this before she got to the point on the trail near Darlene’s farm.
She picked up her pace. She worked up to a run, but it was difficult with the oversized tote filled with heavy bottles. She slowed, holding the gun down at her side. She felt safer holding it. She picked up the pace again. Pumping her arms, she glanced at the pistol in her hand. She had run with full water flasks many times, but the weight of gun threw her off her pace.
Concentrate, Maddie. Remember your rhythmic breathing.
Left foot, inhale, right foot, left, right, exhale, repeat. Her pace quickened and her breathing slowed. She was in her groove.
It was only minutes before she came upon the spot where she had fallen near Darlene’s driveway. She stopped at the junction of the trail and Darlene’s gravel drive. She was full of dread and fear, but she had to check if Emma was all right—if Emma was still at the farmhouse.
She walked slowly down the driveway, pistol raised in front of her. She was startled by a rustling of leaves and sudden blur of motion to the side of her. As she turned, ready to fire, a large ball of white fur flung itself at her, putting his huge paws on her arms. She exhaled out loudly and lowered the gun. She had forgotten about the boy’s dog, Cooper. Tears streamed down her face as she hugged the big dog to her chest. Ray Junior loved the dog. He had proudly told Maddie tales of the dog fighting off coyotes to protect his mother’s goats. Cooper licked Maddie’s face and wagged his tale.
Maddie stood, pulled up her baggy pants, and continued down the driveway. She stopped at the back corner of the house. The boy still lay in the back yard where he had fallen.
What kind of coward shoots a kid in the back as he is running away?
He was no threat to them. Carl just killed him for sport. He was a sick man.
A sick, DEAD man, she thought, looking over at Ray Junior’s body.
She no longer felt remorse for killing Kelly and Carl. She wasn’t sure if her mom would understand, but she knew her dad would.
God would forgive her, she hoped.
Maddie ran up the back stairs and flung open the door. She dropped the canvas tote just inside the door and stiffened at the sight of Darlene’s body. Darlene still lay on the floor in a huge pool of congealed blood. Placing the pistol on the counter, she called for Emma.
“Emma, Emma it's me, Maddie. You can come out now. The bad men are gone,” Maddie yelled, heading toward the front of the house.
Maddie searched room by room, calling Emma’s name. When she reached the door to the basement, she heard a noise below. Maddie opened the door and called down.
“Emma, it is Maddie. You’re safe now, please come out. We need to get out of here.”
Emma emerged from around the corner holding a shovel in her hands. She dropped the shovel and bounded up the stairs, flinging herself into Maddie’s waiting arms.
The two hugged and cried for a moment before Maddie took Emma by the hand and led her out the front door. She sat Emma down on the front steps of the porch. Cooper stood beside her, his tail slapping Emma in the face.
“Wait here. I have to go in and find my pack. I need to fill the water bladder and get some food for the road.”
“No, don’t leave me, Maddie.”
"I’ll just be a minute, I promise. Cooper here will keep you company. Won’t you, big guy,” Maddie said, ruffling the dog’s fur.
Maddie returned to the kitchen. Stepping over Darlene, Maddie retrieved the tote bag full of bottled water and returned to the front porch. Placing the bag next to Emma, Maddie returned to the kitchen again. Ray Junior’s body was visible from the kitchen window.
Getting Ray Junior’s body up the stairs and into the house was difficult. Maddie could tell she had used all her physical reserves. She was running on empty. She knew all too well what happened when you pushed your body to the extreme without providing it proper nutrition. She would have to eat soon, but first she needed to pay r
espect to Darlene and her son.
Maddie retrieved a quilt from Darlene’s bed. Placing Ray Junior next to his mother, she covered the two bodies with the quilt. Maddie looked down at them. She thanked them for their kindness to her. She placed a bouquet of flowers she had plucked from Darlene’s garden on top of the quilt.
A lump formed in Maddie’s throat. Tears threatened to cloud her vision again. She fought back the tears.
Maddie did not have time for grief. She was still at least twenty miles from Uncle Ryan’s house. She and Emma needed to fuel up their bodies and get back on the trail. If they pushed, they could be there by dark. Uncle Ryan may even have hot water for a bath if his solar panels still worked. She dreamed of taking a nice, long, hot bath.
Maddie opened the door to the pantry. She unscrewed the lid on a jar of peanut butter and scooped some out with her fingers, transferring it to her mouth. She took a plastic shopping bag from the pantry as she chewed. She put the jar of peanut butter and a package of crackers in the bag, then grabbed two cans of soup and a can of mixed fruit. She found a spoon in a drawer and pulling the tab to open one of them, then proceeded to eat it cold, straight out of the can.
After rummaging around in all the cabinet drawers, Maddie found a can opener. She opened the can of fruit and a can of chicken noodle soup, grabbed another spoon, and headed for the porch.
“I know the soup is cold, but you need to eat as much of it as you can. We need to eat to fuel our bodies so we can make it to my uncle’s house today,” Maddie said, setting the bag down and handing Emma the two cans and the spoon.
Before Emma could get the first bite of soup spooned into her mouth, Cooper stuck his nose into the can and knocked it to the ground.
“It's okay, he must be hungry,” Emma said, petting the dog.
Returning to the pantry, Maddie found a bag of dog food and filled the largest bowl she could find. When she pushed open the screen door, Cooper rushed over to her. Maddie placed the bowl down on the step in front of the dog. He licked the bowl clean and begged for more. She pulled a bottle of water from the tote and poured it into the bowl. He lapped it dry in seconds.
Maddie knew a person could go thirty days without food, but likely only a couple of days without water. They would need to hydrate themselves, especially if they had to run for their lives.
Returning to the kitchen, Maddie opened another can of soup and took it to Emma. Emma sat on the porch and ate. Maddie remembered the food in the smoker and the dehydrating vegetables. With no one to tend the fire, the meat in the smoker would be bad, but the vegetables were still good. Maddie used a second plastic bag to gather the dehydrated veggies.
Maddie retrieved her runner’s vest pack from the bedroom. The knife and hatchet were still attached to the pack. She removed her sleeping bag and rain jacket to make room for the food. She stuffed the dehydrated veggies and jar of peanut butter into the pack. After filling the water bladder and soft flasks, Maddie slid her arms into the vest and pulled the V straps tight across her chest.
She retrieved the pistol from the counter in the kitchen, even though it only had two rounds left. Hopefully, two rounds would be all she needed if it came to it. Both Darlene and Ray Junior’s shotguns were missing. A search of the house revealed that the Goff brothers had taken all their weapons and ammo.
Returning to the porch, Maddie took two bottles of water from the canvas tote and refilled the dogs water bowl. The rest she left sitting on the steps. They were to heavy and awkward to carry.
Standing on Darlene’s front porch, Maddie looked toward the trail. It didn’t seem right to leave Darlene and Ray Junior in the house like that, but she thought maybe she and Uncle Ryan might return and give them a proper burial.
Maddie and Emma descended the steps. Turning toward the house, Maddie said a silent thank you to Darlene and Ray Junior. The two headed off toward the I&M Canal trail. Cooper followed them. Maddie stopped and looked down at the dog. He stopped and sat on her foot. She reached down and patted Cooper on the head.
“I’ll see you, boy.”
Maddie and Emma turned and walked toward the trail. The dog sprang up behind them and ran off down the driveway. When Maddie and Emma reached him, he turned and walked beside Emma. Emma looked questioningly up at Maddie. Maddie nodded, and the trio picked up the pace to a jog. Ray Junior would be happy his beloved dog would have a new home. She was sure of it.
When they reached the town of Seneca, Illinois, Maddie slowed and held her arm out to stop Emma. Cooper ran over and sat at Emma’s feet. Maddie pulled the map from her pack and searched for an alternative route. She was not comfortable traveling through a town.
Finding there wasn’t another route that didn’t require crossing water, Maddie and Emma walked into town. Stopping just before crossing the first city street, Maddie placed the pistol she had been carrying in the kangaroo pouch of her pack. People might not appreciate her running through their town with a pistol in her hand. Surprisingly, the town looked untouched by the violence that they had seen in other cities on their trip.
Not wanting to push their luck, Maddie picked up the pace. Emma reached down and took a hold of Cooper’s collar. There were a few people on the streets, but not many. No one was near the trail. Maddie was grateful for that.
After passing the last city street in Seneca, Maddie and Emma breathed a sigh of relief. They picked up the pace and started jogging away from the town. When they came to a section of the trail that was not very well maintained, they were forced to slow. Grass grew on the path and tall weeds lined the trail on both sides, slapping at their arms as they ran. At one point, there were tree limbs down over the road. It took a great deal of extra energy to climb over them.
When Maddie saw a sign for Marseille, her heart leapt. She was close. She recalled that Uncle Ryan lived just outside of town. They continued on the trail until it crossed over Main Street. When they reached Main Street, they turned right and walked south, crossing over the Illinois River. Maddie and Emma jogged as they left town and saw open fields. At a junction, they continued straight. At the end of the road sat an old yellow farm house. She stopped and stared at the house. She looked over to Emma and down at Cooper who sat at her side.
“We’re here. We made it. We’ll be safe now, don’t you worry. Uncle Ryan is really nice, and he loves dogs,” Maddie said ruffling the fur on his head.
She brushed the fur from his eyes, and the three of them took off running as fast as they could. When she reached the mailbox, Maddie stopped. She stared at the house. It was the typical Midwest farm house, surrounded by plowed fields and a large red barn in the back. A long gravel drive divided two fields where cows and horses grazed peacefully. Maddie smiled and pointed at a foal running around its mother. Emma smiled broadly.
Lazy black calves dotted the pasture.
Movement at the barn caught Maddie’s attention. Maddie halted, suddenly worried that it wasn’t Uncle Ryan. She saw the man raise his weapon. No doubt they were in the man’s rifle scope. She pushed Emma behind her.
What if she had come to the wrong house? It had been years since she had been there. What if he had moved and not told her? What if something had happened to him and bad men had taken over the place?
Maddie wanted to turn and run. She was just about to do exactly that before Cooper took off in a full run toward the man. Maddie and Emma ran after him, calling his name and demanding that he stop, but he kept going.
When he reached the man, Cooper leaped up and put his paws on the man’s chest and licked his face. When Uncle Ryan looked around the side of the large mass of fur, Maddie took off in full sprint with Emma right behind her. Maddie flung herself into him and melted into his embrace. Ryan’s arms wrapped around her, enveloping her like a cocoon. Maddie felt the release of all the fear and pain. She hung there in Ryan’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Ryan held her and stroked her hair just like her dad use too. She knew that she was finally safe.
Just like her dad, Ryan
would do whatever he had to make sure of that. They had made it. She’d made it. She was no longer alone in the apocalypse.
Chapter 26
Joint Field Offices
Marseille, Illinois
Event + 4 days
The last time Aims had seen everyone together in the same room had been during their last emergency operations exercise. This time, however, there were a lot more empty chairs. Everyone in the Joint Field Office coordination meeting wore somber faces. Most looked as if they had not slept since the event. Everyone except Principal Federal Officer, Sarah Wilms. Wilms wore a crisp pressed business suit and black flats. Her was hair in was a tight bun. From what Aims could recall of the woman, she always looked serious. If she were concerned about the state of the country in the current crisis, she did not show it.
No doubt Wilms would have liked to wait until the governor’s representative had arrived, but with such important matters to address, waiting was a courtesy of their old world.
“I’m sorry to have held up the meeting,” Wilms said. “I was just made aware of a critical issue at Clint Power Station. One of their emergency generators is inoperable, and one other is low on diesel due to a fuel leak. Out of an abundance of caution, I have ordered the Red Cross shelter in Decatur closed. The refugees at that shelter will be distributed among existing shelters in other parts of the state.”
She paused and looked around the room.
“DHS has requested that some refugees from the Decatur facility be brought here to JCO until they can be interviewed and cleared for release back into their communities. I have granted that request.”
