Reduced

by Robin Tidwell

  During that time, Jeff had managed to alienate even his own friends, scamming and conning anyone who crossed his path. He always wanted more: more money, more expensive clothes, more fancy cars. Nothing was ever enough.

  At first, Cal seemed oblivious to Jeff’s wheeling and dealing. Soon she began to make excuses, invent reasons. And finally, she knew. That’s when the physical abuse began.

  Since most of Cal’s closest friends had long been absent from her life, as per Jeff’s machinations, no one knew for three months. Finally, in desperation, Cal packed her bags and fled the house which was soon to be returned to the bank anyway, and ended up at Meg’s.

  Jeff was too composed and arrogant to go looking for her, let alone beg her to return, and Cal immediately filed for both a restraining order and a divorce. Jeff disappeared, leaving behind tens of thousands in unpaid bills, a massive load of credit card debt, and a foreclosure.

  With Meg’s help, and a reunion of her closest friends, Cal was able to pull out of her depression, take charge, and deal with the mess. She vowed never to be taken advantage of again, and set her mind to forgetting the entire episode.

  And now Jeff was back.

  Hot anger filled Abby. What he’d done to Cal, to others. How careful he’d been, how calculating. And now he was here again, to destroy, to wound.

  Abby lifted the .357 and took careful aim. She waited for the slight breeze to die down; she had one shot at this, so to speak, and had to make it count.

  Bang!

  Jeff dropped to the ground, clutching his chest. The other man turned, slapped his hand to his side and grabbed air as he, too, went down. A neat hole appeared in his temple.

  Abby shimmied to the ground and approached Jeff cautiously; the other was beyond her help and her concern. She made sure Jeff’s hands were empty, and knelt down next to him. Blood soaked his jacket, but his eyes tried to focus.

  “Abby,” he rasped. “Should’ve known it would be you. Say ‘hi’ to Cal for me.”

  “Scum,” said Abby. She shot him again, right between the eyes.

  By nightfall, Abby had slipped back through the perimeter fence, repaired it, and reached the summit of Purple to set up her camp. There were a few more weak spots in the fence that would need her attention tomorrow, but first she had to radio Cal.

  Keeping it brief and vague, as they had agreed for the purposes of radio communication, Abby let Cal know that two threats had been found and dealt with and that the breach had been sealed. She also told her that the remainder of her trip should be significantly shortened as long as the perimeter held. Cal, in turn, informed Abby that all was well and the move was going according to schedule.

  Signing off, Abby set about cleaning her guns and sharpening her knife. She finished a quick dinner and a smoke and stretched out on her bedroll. She wanted to have an early start, hoping to finish the east side and move north. Working along Flagstaff and Pioneer should go quickly, merely a routine check, and then she’d be back at the main site.

  She wondered at her lack of regret or, really, lack of much emotion at all when she’d killed those two men. Ha. As though Jeff fit any definition of that, other than physically. It was her job to protect the group, just as it was for all of them. Yes, she’d been angry; justifiably so. But she would have done it anyway. Odd how this…whatever it was…changed the stakes.

  Six. She'd killed half a dozen…people. Yes, human beings, regardless of their illnesses, or flaws, or evil deeds. And it had gotten easier, true, but she still felt rather sick inside. Something else to analyze, to ponder. When she had time. When the world wasn't crazy.

  Abby set off just as the sun rose. She found a few minor breaks in the fence itself and a couple posts that needed to be reset. By noon she was nearing the descent between Purple and Flagstaff and decided to make a quick detour to the cave she’d found. It took a bit longer than she’d anticipated, but she was pleased. It simply meant that it would be difficult for someone else to find as well.

  She climbed back up, to the top of Flagstaff, then crossed over to Tank Hill. A cursory inspection of the water tank showed everything in order. She was on schedule so far; she’d reach the main site before nightfall.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Ted was back on duty, supervising the few girls who had remained in the camp, when Abby walked into camp. She hugged him briefly and smiled back at his own feeble, sad attempt. She saw Cal sitting nearby and touched her arm, motioning her to follow. The two walked over to the unlit campfire.

  “All right,” said Cal briskly. “Tell me.”

  “It was Jeff.”

  Cal’s face blanched. She cleared her throat and struggled to stop the slight tremor in her hands. She cleared her throat again.

  “Jeff,” she repeated. “That Jeff? The same scumbag from back when? What the hell?”

  Abby replayed the conversation between the two men. Jeff had known James and, presumably, Candy. Jeff was behind the explosion. And the earlier threats. And of course, Jeff was now dead. Eliminated.

  Relief shone on Cal’s face even as tears welled from her eyes. Abby put an arm around her shoulders and the two sat there for a few minutes, in the dark.

  “Bastard,” said Cal, and she rose to return to her duties.

  Abby was relieved to see Emmy, all in one piece, knowing she’d gone to town the day before. The intruders had distracted her enough, but now she was eager to find out what, if anything, was happening in the outside world.

  “Absolutely nothing,” Emmy said after dinner when the two of them, with Juliet of course, were sitting on the steps of their tent.

  “We drove in, me and Noah and two others in a second truck, and picked up the list of supplies that Cal had for us. Noah needed more drugs and things, and we found those too. It was almost too easy. No signs of any people, at all, and everything just sitting there.

  “Of course, there’s no electric, so the smell in some places was pretty bad. Most of the, um, rotting and all, has pretty much gone away. The smell, that is. A lot of fat vultures lurking around, though.”

  Abby grimaced. “Guess it’ll be my turn tomorrow. Cal mentioned it tonight.” She kissed Juliet on the top of the head. “Will you miss me, little one?”

  “Yes,” said Juliet. “You’re always gone . . .” Her tiny voice trailed off.

  “Fair enough,” said Abby. “The day after tomorrow, we’ll go out hiking, just the two of us. Will that work?”

  Juliet jumped up and grabbed Abby around the neck, almost knocking them both over into the tent. “Yes!” she shouted.

  Noah was nowhere to be seen, and hadn’t yet returned to the tent by 9:00, so Abby allowed Juliet to sleep over. Emmy ran to let Millie know while Abby dressed the little girl in one of her own t-shirts in lieu of pajamas. She carried her down to the shower house to wash her face and brush her teeth, then she and Emmy resumed their talk, quietly, as Juliet fell asleep.

  “Was it awful?” asked Emmy.

  Abby shrugged. “Not really. I didn’t know it was Jeff until right before I shot. And it wouldn’t have made any difference; they both had to be stopped.

  “New world, Em. I wish it wasn’t like this, but we have to work with whatever we have. And in this case . . .” Abby was suddenly very tired. “Let’s go to bed.”

  Abby tossed and turned throughout the night, waking periodically to check on Juliet who could sleep through a thunderstorm. Too restless to try to sleep anymore, she walked back down to the smoldering campfire and lit a cigarette. She leaned back on a log, staring at the stars as they faded into morning.

  Janey was the first to arrive at the shelter and she started the fire and put on coffee. Ted ambled down in her wake and sat beside Abby.

  “How are you doing, Ted?” she asked.

  “I’ll be fine.” He tried to smile. It just wasn’t working. “Lots to do, gotta keep busy. Sleep would be good, though,” he admitted.

  “I hear ya,” said Abby. Janey handed her a steaming mug. She sippe
d slowly, then headed back to her tent to get ready for whatever the day might bring.

  The trip to town started in almost a festive mood; everyone was glad to be getting out of camp for a bit. Janey and Abby were in the lead truck, Mark and Barbie followed in the second. They were to start at the southern end of town, working a grid pattern, searching for whatever they could find that might be useful for the coming winter. It was a bit chilly, but warming quickly, and the blue sky was clear and bright.

  They drove down Highway 55, taking the last exit, and turned east on Route A. Skipping the commercial district, they concentrated on homes. It was on the second street when Janey froze.

  “Choppers,” she said, and pointed to the sky. They all looked up. There were six, flying in formation. “Get down!”

  They dropped, wiggling underneath the truck. The choppers continued on, but two circled back directly overhead. They descended so low that dust and gravel was swirling, making it impossible to see or hear. Finally, the noise and dirt faded as the choppers rejoined the others. Janey told everyone to stay put and she crawled out, remaining crouched near the wheel well.

  “They’re coming back,” she said. “Let’s roll. I have no idea what they’re looking for, but I have a feeling about this one.

  “Abby, you drive. Mark, Barb, we’re splitting up—take a left on Commercial and drive north. Find a warehouse or big garage and pull inside or next to it. Then take cover.

  “We’ll go south and see if I can tell what’s going down.”

  The trucks spun out and turned in opposite directions. Abby drove fast but steady, as Janey leaned out and watched the sky. She caught a glimpse of Mark pulling into a parking lot near what she assumed was a mechanic’s garage just as they topped the hill.

  “Pull over!” yelled Janey. “Now!”

  Abby yanked the wheel hard to the left as a huge fireball exploded over the intersection they’d just left behind. The truck bounced and rolled, landing on its side. The girls were flung around the cab, and Abby took a sharp knock on the head. She woozily tried to open the door but Janey pushed her back down.

  “Don’t move,” she hissed. “Stay still, close your eyes.” They could hear a chopper descending, but no one emerged. After what seemed like many long minutes, the bird rose into the air, circled once, and headed north along with the rest of the fleet.

  “All right,” said Janey. “Let’s take a look at that cut.” She dabbed it with a wet bandana. “You’ll live.”

  “Now what?” asked Abby shakily. She was used to stalking game, following trails, and occasionally shooting at something human, but she had no real experience with the US military firing upon her. Or any army, for that matter.

  “We wait. We’ll give them thirty minutes in case they come back. Here, have a drink.”

  Abby gratefully accepted the water bottle and took a long drink. She handed Janey a cigarette and they both lit up. Within a few minutes, Abby was calmer.

  “So what was that all about?”

  “Not sure. Those were Super Cobras. Marines. They’re generally reserved for top-secret work but, well, typically not within our borders. Holy crap.”

  This piece of news certainly did not help the situation. Janey checked her watch. “Okay, let’s go.”

  They climbed out of the truck through the passenger side, landing heavily on the gravel shoulder. Up ahead they could see only a thick cloud of black smoke, slightly drifting to the east. Both girls drew their sidearms as they walked down the highway, keeping to the right in case a dive into the ditch should become necessary.

  “I’m starting to get really tired of all this,” muttered Abby. In spite of everything, was it really too much to ask to have a day without drama?

  They tied their bandanas over their faces as they approached the smoke. It was beginning to dissipate somewhat as the wind picked up, still blowing to the east. Abby was relieved that it shouldn’t affect the camp as long as the breeze didn’t shift.

  Catching a glimpse of what lay beyond, yet still not where the fireball had actually landed, Janey stopped short and grabbed Abby’s arm.

  The town was gone.

  More than half of it, anyway, much more. Not a building was standing. The ruins were charred and smoking. Gone. As one, they looked to the right, down the hill where Mark and Barb had fled to the garage. Nothing. No truck, no bodies. Obliterated.

  Abby sat down. Fast and hard. And stared. Janey put a hand on her shoulder. They stayed there, unmoving, for a long time. Finally, Janey pulled Abby to her feet and they returned to the truck, still on its side in the ditch. Abby tossed her water bottle and grabbed two beers out of the cooler. They sat in silence.

  At last, Janey picked up her radio and fiddled with the dials. “Cal. Janey. Yes. No. Send someone. Yes. Just south of Route A. Yes.” She clicked off.

  The silence continued.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  The black truck screeched to a halt, rousing Abby and Janey from their near-stupor. Emmy emerged and rushed to Abby, her face turning pale as she looked back to the smoking ruins of the town. She was followed by Noah with his medical bag but Abby and Janey waved him off. Brad was the last to exit the vehicle and immediately hooked up the winch, smiling at the girls. He was relieved that everyone seemed okay; dealing with blood and death just wasn’t his thing.

  “What about . . .” asked Noah. He gestured vaguely to the north.

  “Nothing you can do for them,” Janey answered briskly. “We walked. We saw it.”

  Within a few minutes, the truck was righted and checked over by Brad; Noah gave the tires a few kicks and the three girls gathered the loot that had spilled from the bed. A radio crackled to life, and Emmy answered. She talked to Cal for a few minutes then turned toward the rest.

  “We need to go down there,” she said. “Janey, it’s safe, right?”

  “Well, I guess. I mean, I’ve heard a few things about some new weapons but not like this. And not in our own country for

  heaven’s sake. Don’t think it’s nuclear but if it is, well, we’re dead anyway. Close definitely counts in that department.”

  They started to climb into the trucks when Noah stopped Abby. “Are you okay to drive?”

  Abby snorted. “Hey, Emmy—tell Noah when I’m ‘not’ okay to drive!”

  Emmy almost laughed out loud. “Never, Noah. Abby is never ‘not’ okay to drive!”

  The two trucks moved slowly into town, passing the spot where Mark and Barb had pulled off the road. There was nothing there, no garage, no truck, nothing. Half a mile later, after cruising down the main drag through the ever-lessening smoke, they saw the truck.

  Flat as a pancake, tires melted into the pavement.

  When they reached the northernmost end of the town itself, the debris began to appear. It seemed as though the tremendous explosion had tossed anything that wasn’t anchored for at least a mile. What it didn’t incinerate, that is.

  They stopped to regroup, just before crossing under the highway to return to camp. Without exception, they were all stunned by the devastation.

  “What the hell is the point of this?” raged Janey. “They have to know there are survivors—what did you tell us, Noah? Ninety-five percent loss of population? That leaves five percent of us left. What the hell?”

  She stopped. She looked at the others. They all understood, even Janey. They weren’t supposed to survive.

  They made their way back to camp, a subdued and quiet group. They ignored the questions and immediately gathered in the command tent with Cal and the others. Abby and Janey gave their report, then Pops rose to speak.

  “We’re moving up top at first light. Brad tells me he’s almost finished anyway and what’s left can be done when we get there. Gonna be a big job, we have to truck all the supplies up there too.” He glanced at Cal for confirmation and she nodded.

  “Janey, you’re in charge of cleaning up down here. I want everything erased—everything. All signs that we were here.

&n
bsp; “Abby,” he grinned. “You’re going to get those kids up there. They go first. The little one and the teens. Those girls can help set up, under your direction, and once it’s going you can pitch in with the rest of us.” He looked around at everyone, in turn, emphasizing the situation.

  “This is big, folks. We had an inkling, but never thought it’d come to this, not really. Cal and me, we got plans and you know most of ‘em. The rest will come. Now let’s go tell everyone else. Pull it together. We got a job to do.”

  All ten walked, together, down to the shelter to break the news. Cal began with her suspicions, the research, the conclusion that she and Pops had drawn. The questions came fast and furiously; some showed anger, most were merely bewildered. Janey filled in the events of the day and at that, everyone quieted immediately.

  Pops closed the session, reiterating the instructions he’d given the leaders just a short time ago, and sent everyone off to their tents.

  Abby stopped by Millie’s and scooped up Juliet, hugging her tightly. The little girl had been sleeping, but she came awake instantly when Abby arrived.

  “I’m so sorry, little one. We can’t have our day tomorrow like I promised. Tomorrow we’re moving up top. All of us.”

  Juliet snuggled further into Abby’s lap. “It’s because of bad things, isn’t it?” Abby swallowed hard, at a loss for words. “That’s okay. I have you to take care of me, Abby. I’m not afraid.” And with that, Juliet was fast asleep again.

  Abby tucked her back in and quietly left the tent, smiling sadly at Millie. The older woman stopped her and took both her hands in her own; she looked her square in the eyes and said, “Abby. She’s right. She’ll be okay, we’ll all be okay. Even you.” Millie hugged her and Abby left, making her way back along the rocky path.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  By late November, it was snowing. The weather had held until then, cold and rainy, but nowhere near the freezing mark. They all routinely dressed in layers for warmth, as fires were kept deliberately small and used mainly for cooking. Supplies were running low and Abby was waiting for a break in the storm to venture out of camp.