“Anyway, how’s the family doing?” Alex asked.
“Bored out of their minds,” Erik replied. “Emma is tired of reading and re-reading all of the books in the house and Samantha is sick of her toys.”
“What about Nina?” Alex asked, wondering about the Walker family Pit Bull.
“She’s just as stir crazy as the rest of us. The poor girl is used to long walks and lately she’s been limited to running around the yard.”
“You know, if you all moved down here your boredom would be cured instantly. Plenty of kids around for Sam to play with, plenty of grownups for Emma to chat with and Nina and Leonidas can guard the hood together. Nobody would mess with us with a Doberman and a Pitty on the loose. They might even do the wild thing and we could end up having an army of weird looking Dober-Pit mutts running around.” The thought evoked a cartoonish animal with exaggerated features in Alex’s mind.
“How could I say no to an offer like that?” Erik said. “Seriously though, you know we’d be down there in a minute if it was that easy. I know it’s not far, but I’m just worried about trying to make the move, considering how bad it has been out there.”
“You guys still hearing a lot of gunfire over there?
“Yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised if people got into the guns and ammo supply over at Elite Sporting Goods. I would hate to have a run in with a well-armed gang, while trying to protect my wife and daughter.”
“I hear you, brother. It’s dangerous out there. If you decide you want to go for it, we’ll do whatever we can to help you guys out. Everyone here is still grateful for your assistance before, especially David and Lilliana. They might not have made it here without you.”
“Thanks man,” Erik said. “Hey, I gotta get going, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Tell Jack I’m pulling for him.”
“Will do, talk to you later,” Alex said ending the transmission.
A couple of hours later, David and Leonidas switched off with Alex for the day shift and he went over to the Sullivan house to check on Jack. Andrea answered the door and appeared as if she hadn’t slept yet.
“How is he?” Alex asked.
“He’s in a foul mood, just like any other morning,” Andrea replied trying to force a smile as she motioned for Alex to follow. “He’s in the living room with Lilliana. Naomi just left to get some sleep.”
Alex entered the makeshift infirmary. A twin sized mattress had been pulled off of the bed in the Sullivan’s guest bedroom and was now serving as Jack’s hospital bed in the corner of the living room. He appeared to be sleeping, but opened his eyes, when Alex entered the room.
“I might have to call in sick to work this morning,” Jack joked. “You’ll have to check the squirrel traps for me.”
“Don’t worry about it, I’ve got you covered,” Alex said.
Lilliana walked in from the kitchen holding a cup of water and some pills. Jack sat up as Alex reached out to offer his assistance.
“Take it easy, Stone, I’m not paralyzed,” Jack barked, brushing him off.
“He can actually put some weight on it,” Lilliana explained, handing the pills and water to Jack. “He gets up to use the bathroom, but we’re trying to keep him off of it as much as possible to avoid irritating the wound too much and hopefully keep the inflammation down as much as possible.”
Jack took his meds and laid back down to rest. Alex stood there for a moment watching his friend, which only served to irritate him more.
“Don’t you have something better to do than stand there and watch me sleep?” Jack said. “I had Andrea and Naomi watching me all night, like they were waiting for me to do a trick or something. I can tolerate the pretty ladies watching me, but your ugly mug has got to go.”
“Alright, alright, I’m going. If you need anything just hop across the street. I’ll be carving your pirate peg leg for when we need to amputate that mess.”
“Wise ass!” Jack cracked, as Alex walked to the door with Lilliana and Andrea.
“What do you have for meds?” Alex asked his sister in law.
“Not much, unfortunately,” Lilliana said. “Plenty of ibuprofen, but we only found a limited amount of real pain meds when we collected the medical supplies from all of the empty houses in the neighborhood. We only have enough Oxycodone for another day or so at best.”
“Those guys that did this had some pill bottles with their supplies,” Alex said. “I didn’t really go through them to see what was there, but I would bet they were not hoarding vitamins. I’ll go get them and bring them back over here to you.”
“That would be great,” Lilliana said hopefully. “Maybe they had some antibiotics too. We don’t have any and they would be helpful to have on hand in case of an infection.”
Alex quickly went back to the Kim residence to retrieve the meds and brought them back to Lilliana, who took them to the kitchen to inventory them. She lined them up along the counter, organizing them by name, checking each bottle methodically in order to get an accurate count and dosage. The pills that were of the same kind and dosage, she consolidated into a single pill container, until she had five different bottles left on the counter. Two of them contained Oxycodone in different dosages and the other three were Codeine, Valium and Vicodin.
“There’s good news and bad news,” Lilliana said, finally, after finishing her work. “The good news is we have more than enough pain meds, so Jack should have a comfortable recovery.”
“What’s the bad news?” Alex asked.
“No antibiotics. Those guys obviously were not taking up a collection for the Red Cross. It seems like they were just typical junkies, only focused on meds used to get high.”
“What is the risk of infection?” Alex asked.
“I wish I could say it was low, but under these conditions, without proper supplies and a nice climate controlled hospital room, it’s a real risk.”
“We might have to figure out a plan to start scavenging outside of the neighborhood to look for some,” Alex said. The plan was not one he wanted to put into action, because of the potential for danger, but he would do whatever was necessary to help his friend.
“He’s fine for now,” Lilliana said. She understood the risk that scavenging entailed and did not want Alex to act impulsively. “We’ll keep an eye on him for a day or two and I’ll let you know how he’s doing.”
“Ok, I’m going out for the morning hunt and I’ll check in later.”
Alex took Jack’s .22 rifle, which was leaning against the wall in a corner near the front door and left to check in with his own family before beginning the day’s chores. As he walked across the street to his house, he reflected on Jack’s role in the neighborhood and he couldn’t help but worry about the old man. Jack’s military background made him a hardass at times, but Alex saw through the facade and knew that it probably wasn’t easy for him to be laid up like that and that he likely felt bad that others had to take care of him. The neighbors of Oak Tree Lane had become like family since the EMP happened and Jack and Andrea were like the adopted grandparents of the family.
When Alex got to his house, he could hear the happy sounds of his children and nephew playing inside. He paused before entering and quietly prayed for Jack’s recovery and thanked God for his own family’s health and safety.
CHAPTER 5
The next evening Alex sat listening to the rhythmic tapping of the rain water dripping from the roof of the Kim’s residence, after taking over his usual overnight shift from David. The light rain brought cooler temperatures to the area, giving them all a much needed break from the August heat and also provided a replenishment of the Oak Tree Lane water supply. Each of the homes, whether occupied or not, now had makeshift rain catch systems set up to capture the vital resource whenever it rained. However, it had been over a week since the last rain, so the group was running low on water before this storm moved in. Alex was grateful that he wouldn’t have to start making trips to one of the nearby streams to collect water for the group.
>
As much as he appreciated the rain, though, it did have a downside. Trying to see or hear anyone approaching from the parkway in the dark was much more difficult during rain storms, so Alex knew he had to be particularly attentive during his shift. It had been a long day and he hadn’t slept much, so he was worried about his ability to stay awake through the night. The sound of rain usually lulled him to sleep, so he made sure to bring a large thermos with what ended up being the last of his coffee supply. He planned to enjoy every last drop, but with each sip, he knew he was growing closer to the impending loss of his favorite vice.
Alex was sure that others in the neighborhood had run out of coffee over a week ago, so he knew he would soon be entering a state of misery that the others had already endured and survived. However, the espresso coffee that Alex drank was much stronger than what everyone else had and was typically served in small cups. Since he was used to drinking the potent brew in large cups, he imagined that he was in for a much rougher ride than the rest of his neighbors. Thankfully, Olivia had never shared his addiction to coffee, so the children would still have one functional parent during the next few days of suffering.
Alex tried to stop thinking about his coffee situation and shifted his thoughts to Jack, who he checked on right before switching off with David. Jack seemed to have a pretty good day and spent most of his day sitting up instead of lying down. He also used some old crutches that Tony had found in his basement, and was able to get around without any assistance. Alex was impressed with the old man’s toughness. He assumed that Jack was dealing with a lot of pain, but he hardly let anyone know it, if he was.
As he was thinking about his friend’s recovery, a frantic call came over the radio on the ham frequency that Alex and Erik used to communicate with each other separate from the neighborhood channel.
“Alex are you listening to this thing?” Emma Walker asked excitedly.
“Hey Emma, I’m here, what’s wrong?”
“I...I think we’re ok right now, but some people attacked the house,” She said.
“Where’s Erik?” Alex asked. He had only heard Emma use the radio a couple of times to talk to Olivia.
“He went out to take a look around and see if they are still nearby. But he said I should let you know what happened. I’m worried about staying here. What if they come back?”
“Ok, slow down for a second,” said Alex. “Tell me what happened.”
Emma went on to explain that a small group of men armed with crude weapons and at least one rifle were going door to door in their neighborhood earlier in the day. At first, they thought that the men were just begging for food, because they saw the neighbors give something to them. But then the men came to their door saying they were collecting the “food tax,” demanding some canned goods in exchange for being left alone. Emma told Alex that Erik stuck the barrel of his shotgun out the window beside the front door and told them that he didn’t agree to their terms.
“He suggested that they leave while they still had the chance and they left immediately,” Emma said. “I thought everything was ok but then they came back right after the rain started tonight. Nina started barking and I saw them from the bathroom window. Two of them were carrying bottles that they lit on fire and threw at the house and then they ran away. One of the bottles hit the roof and the other one went through the big window in the front. The one that got inside the house exploded and burned part of the floor and wall near the front door. Luckily Sam was asleep in her room at the back of the house when it happened. Sam plays by that window all the time. Anyway, Erik got the fire extinguisher to put out the fire before it spread.”
“Thank God,” Alex said. “You said one of the bottles hit the roof, did it catch fire?”
“When Erik went to check, he said it looked like the rain kept it from burning too much and must have doused it. There’s a lot of damage inside though. The window’s broken and the burnt smell is overwhelming. I’m really afraid to stay here.”
“Don’t worry, you guys can come here. It will be safer here,” Alex said reassuringly, hoping that he could in fact come up with a way to safely get them to Oak Tree Lane.
“Hold on, Erik is back,” Emma said with a slight sense of relief in her voice.
“Hey Alex,” Erik said sounding a bit out of breath. “We’re going to have to come up with a bug out plan.”
“Yeah, Emma explained what happened. You ok?”
“I’m good. I’m just frustrated that I let them leave only to have them come back like that. I don’t want to have to kill every idiot that knocks on my door from now on.”
“I know,” Alex said. “A lot has changed and it’s a huge test to our principles, but we either adapt or die. It’s kill or be killed.”
“Alright, I get it, enough with the clichés,” Erik said. “Let’s just figure out how to get my family and as much of our stuff there without us getting robbed and killed along the way.”
“Ok, I think I should come to you and then we can both work on getting you guys here. I don’t think we can do multiple trips, so you’re going to have to prioritize what you all need that we can reasonably move in one trip.”
“When can you get here?” Erik asked.
“Give me a couple of hours. I can probably be there sooner, but I need to get someone over here to take over for me and then I’ll have to get my gear together. Do you still have the bugout cart that you bought for your bike?” Alex asked. The cart was a small trailer that attached to Erik’s bike, which could be used to carry some of their gear.
“Yeah,” Erik replied. “It’s not very big, but it will have to do.
“I’ll travel light, so I should be able to carry one of your backpacks full of gear.”
“Ok, I’ll figure out what we’re taking and be ready to go when you get here.”
“Sounds good, brother,” Alex said. “I’ll let you know when I’m on the way.”
After ending his transmission with Erik, Alex switched back to the neighborhood GMRS channel on his radio and proceeded to wake up the neighbors to try and get someone to switch off with him. Tony responded and agreed to take over for him. He also got a response from Olivia, who always kept a radio with her in the bedroom at their house.
“What’s wrong?” His concerned wife asked.
“I’ll be over in a minute, so I’ll explain then. Can you get the door for me?” Alex asked.
“Ok, I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
Alex only had to wait a few minutes, before Tony arrived with his Ar15 hanging by his side from a single point sling and harness.
“This better be good,” Tony said appearing a bit groggy.
“I need to go get Erik and his family. A small group attacked their house and it’s not safe for them to stay there.”
“Shit Stone, you're always trying to keep all the fun to yourself. Maybe we can go get Gunny and prop him up over here like a crabby old scarecrow, so I can come with you.”
“I wish we could,” Alex said. “You know I would welcome the backup. Anyway, it shouldn’t take me too long to get there and back. Hopefully it keeps raining. I think that will mask the sound of our caravan on the way back. Anyway, I’ll try to give you a heads up when we are nearby, so you don’t kill us all in the dark.”
“Good thinking, I always get an itchy trigger finger on overnight guard duty.”
“By the way,” Alex said hesitatingly. “There’s still some coffee left in my thermos. I was hoping to enjoy the last few drops of my coffee supply, but it’s all yours.
Tony’s eyes went wide as he reached for the thermos. “You better not be shittin me, Stone!” He breathed in deeply to capture the aroma and smiled as his brain confirmed the contents of the thermos. “If I knew you still had coffee, I would have killed you for it weeks ago.”
“Well that’s the last of it, wise guy, so I guess I’m safe now.”
“Alright Stone, go get your shit together and have a good time stormin the castle and rescuing you
r friends.”
“See you later, buddy. Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime!” Tony said, smirking as he poured himself a cup of liquid joy.
Alex left and crossed the street to his house, where Olivia was waiting to remove the barricade from the door. Leo announced his approach with a single bark before he set foot on the front steps.
“What’s going on?” Olivia whispered when she opened the door and let Alex into the house. Everyone else was still sleeping in the house and she didn’t want to wake the children.
“I got a call from Emma and Erik. They had a run in with some trouble makers and they don’t think it’s safe to keep staying there, so I’m going to get them.”
“Wait, you’re going by yourself? Let me go wake up David and he can go with you.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Alex said. “We only have one bike and I need it to get there as quickly as possible. Besides, I don’t like the idea of both of us being out there at the same time. If something happens to me, I’d feel better knowing that your brother is here to take care of you and the kids.”
The answer gave Olivia a slight sense of panic. She reached for Alex’s arm and he could see the worry in her eyes.
“I’ll be fine,” Alex said smiling. “You know me, I always plan for the worst. It’s going to be ok, though. Nobody in their right mind is out in this weather, so it will just be like a rainy bike ride in the park.” Alex tried to alleviate his wife’s concern, but he could see from the look on her face that it wasn’t working.
“That’s what I’m worried about,” Olivia said slightly agitated. “Whoever bothered the Walkers is out in this weather, so they’re probably not in their right minds, right?”
“I promise to be careful. I know you don’t like this, but I need to help them. They would do the same for us.”
“I know, I know,” Olivia said in frustration. “I’m sorry. Go get them and get back here safely.”
The Power Struggle Series (Book 2): The Downward Spiral Page 4
