THE END - Book I - Of THE EVENT SERIES

by Marshall Huffman

  “Franklin, Goddard, jump in, we’re departing.”

  “Yes sir,” came the reply and they hopped in the back of the 6 X 6.

  Twenty-five minutes later they were deposited at the air field. The Colonel knew that it wasn’t going to be easy to find a bird that would still fly if they had undergone the same fate as the cars.

  Webber knew no jets were going to be capable of flying but he thought some of the older prop planes would probably still fly. The problem was finding one that had enough range to make it to Washington without having to stop and refuel several times.

  He remembered a P-40 Warhawk trainer was stored there after its restoration. It was one of the few two seat Warhawks ever built. It had been modified with additional aviation gas storage and had a range of 2200 miles, over twice its original distance. It could fly reach a maximum speed of 362 MPH and could cruse at 240 MPH. with a service ceiling of 30,000 feet. It wasn’t exactly what he would have liked to have but it was extremely reliable and could make the distance they needed.

  It took them almost two hours to get the plane prepped and topped off. The AV-gas truck was older so it started and they were able to hand crank the fuel into the main and auxiliary tanks with little effort. Webber wasn’t sure when the last time it had flown so he wanted to make sure everything was double and triple checked before they departed.

  “I guess we are ready,” he pronounced at last.

  “I don’t know what else we could check at this point,” Goddard replied.

  “Then let’s do it.”

  Franklin climbed in the back and Webber helped him strap in. When he was finished he climbed in front and Goddard helped him get situated.

  “Ready?”

  “Let’s get this bird in the air,” Webber replied.

  The plan was to pick up Interstate 70 and follow it across the midwest and all the way to Virginia. With no electronic aids to guide them they would fly at 1000 feet for most of the way until they had to climb to get over the Smoky Mountains. There was also a great deal of concern about what kind of weather they might encounter and they weren’t too sure about how the clouds above them would affect the plane’s handling. All in all, it was a big risk.

  They taxied to the end of the runway. Webber checked the ailerons and flaps once more before giving the Warhawk full throttle. The P-40 raced down the runway and lifted off. Goddard noted the wheels up time. It was 2:25 P.M.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The Sun Dome

  The first night had resulted in very little sleep for both Rachel and Randy. The strangeness of the house, lack of any background noise, and a certain amount of trepidation about what tomorrow would bring kept them both tossing and turning most of the night.

  Randy was up first the following morning and immediately went outside to see what the weather was like. It was virtually the same as the previous day. The sky had the same ominous look to it. He started the camp stove and made a pot of coffee. The smell more than anything else woke Rachel and she came down a few minutes later.

  “Coffee?” Randy asked when she came in the kitchen.

  “Smells really good but I don’t drink it. Every time I do I get indigestion and heartburn.”

  “That’s a shame. It helps me face the day,” Randy said.

  “I usually have a Diet Coke to get me going.”

  “Really? I’ve known a couple of people like that. Now that is something I find strange,” Randy replied.

  “To each his own.”

  “I suppose so.”

  “What do you think we should do today?” Rachel asked.

  “I’m going to try to find a way of getting a freezer over here so we can freeze some of the food before it goes bad. If we don’t do it now it will be too late. While I am doing that I think it would be a good idea for you to start bringing as much over as you can. I’ll come help you just as soon as I locate a freezer.”

  “How long are you going to be gone?” she said apprehensively.

  “I’ll be back just as fast as I can. Take the Beretta with you if you feel unsafe. I don’t think you will see another soul but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

  “Hurry will you?”

  “I promise,” he said, trying to reassure her.

  Randy finished his coffee and drove off in the Jeep. Rachel watched until he was out of sight. She felt really freaked out now that she was alone. She knew it was silly but still she placed the Beretta in her waistband and walked over to the convenience store.

  She found a box and started loading it down with goods from the freezer. Most of the items had just started to thaw but weren’t totally defrosted yet.

  It took her seven trips to get the frozen goods moved. After that she started on the refrigerated foods. They were cool to the touch but not as cold as they should have been. She considered not trying to save them but hauled them back to the house anyway. She placed the frozen goods on top of the other food when she got back to the house. If Randy returned soon enough they could save almost everything. She looked at her watch. He had been gone for over two hours and she was starting to worry. If he was hurt how would she know? How could she even find him? She was starting to let her imagination get the better of her. She sat down on the front steps and tried to just let her mind go blank.

  ****

  Randy had gotten sidetracked. He drove into the small town and found an appliance store but a pawn shop was right next door. He decided to just take a quick look around. It was truly amazing what people were willing to pawn for practically nothing. He found a tool chest with various tools and a battery charger. He decided that they might come in handy so he loaded them in the Jeep.

  On his second trip he found a whole section of guns and rifles. He gathered up several different rifles and pistols but didn’t find any ammunition for them. Most of the other stuff, except for some knives, didn’t interest him much.

  He looked at his watch and realized he had been in there for over an hour. He hurried over to the appliance store and found a small chest freezer. It took him several minutes to locate a hand cart that he could use to roll it out of the store on. Once he got it outside he realized there was no way he could get it in the Jeep. He needed a trailer.

  He spent the next half hour trying to find one that he could hook on to the back of the Jeep. He finally found one on the back of another car. He hooked it onto the Jeep and drove back to get the chest.

  Even that wasn’t exactly easy but with a lot of sweat, muscle, and cursing, he finally got it on the trailer. He had been gone almost three hours and he knew Rachel would be worked up by this time.

  He was on his way back when he saw a drug store and decided to pick up some items that they would most likely need. He gathered up an armful of medical supplies and went back for some personal hygiene products.

  He picked up two 12 packs of Diet Coke as a peace offering for Rachel. He saw her sitting on the steps when he was still half way down the street. What the hell, he thought, I don’t have to explain myself. He backed the trailer up to the front porch and lowered the gate.

  “Glad you’re back. I was hoping nothing had happened to you,” was all she said.

  “I found the freezer but then I had to get a trailer. I also got us some medical and personal supplies. I got toothbrushes, tooth paste and that kind of stuff,” he said, feeling a little guilty about taking so long.

  “That’s good. I could stand to brush my teeth. You need help getting the freezer in the house?” she asked.

  “Nah. I’m just going to put it on the porch and leave it there. I’ll run an extension cord to it. I can’t see any reason to struggle with trying to get it inside.”

  “That’s fine with me. You get it hooked up and I’ll start putting the food away,” she said.

  In less than an hour the food was stored and they were making trips to get canned goods and other items they might need. They kept the TV on, hoping that something would come in. Every once in a while one of them would flip
through the channels but they got nothing.

  “Hungry?” she asked.

  “I’m getting that way but let’s get something straight. I don’t expect you to cook for me. I mean it’s not a requirement. You know what I mean?”

  “Okay, sure. I just thought I would ask since I was going to make a sandwich for myself.”

  “I would like that but I just don’t want you to feel like you have to do it.”

  “I’m cool with that,” she said and went into the kitchen.

  That could have been handled better, he thought to himself.

  ****

  By day three they had started to work into a pattern. They would get up and have a light breakfast and then head into town to explore. On the far edge of town the found a farm store. It had several generators and they decided to take them and that way not only would they have a backup but they could actually get several appliances working.

  “Do you know how to do the electrical stuff?” Rachel asked.

  “I have a pretty good grip on it. I know the basics. I’m thinking about trying to get a slightly larger trailer and putting a couple of the generators on it along with a refrigerator so that if we decide to travel we can take a decent amount of food along. I would imagine that all the frozen stuff and refrigerated items will have perished by now.”

  “That sounds like a great idea. Are you thinking about us taking off?”

  "I’ve been giving it some thought. I mean, what are the chances of anyone finding us in this burg? I think we will have to at least head out to one of the larger cities and see if we can find anyone,” he said.

  “You really think others survived?”

  “Absolutely. I’m a hundred percent sure that a lot of others were in places that were protected. We just have to find a way of locating them.”

  “When do you want to do this?”

  “Maybe tomorrow or the day after. I need to make sure we have everything we need in case we don’t come back here for a long time.”

  “Or ever.”

  “Or ever,” Randy agreed.

  They spent the rest of the day gathering any additional items they thought they might have a need for. It was almost dark by the time they got back to their base.

  “I’m starved,” Rachel said.

  “I’ll cook. I have a great pasta dish. I can whip it up in no time,” he said.

  “Cool. Can I help?”

  “You can dice the tomatoes while I cook the pasta,” he said.

  She was surprised at the way he was able to make the meal on such a small camp stove.

  “Wow, this is really good,” she said.

  “I thought you would like it. I’m glad we got to use the fresh basil before it went bad.”

  “Yeah. We may not get it again for a long time. There was only one package of basil in the store. It doesn’t look like anything is going to grow for a while either,” he said.

  “What could have killed all the plants?”

  “I guess the same thing that killed all the people. Whatever it was, it was effective.”

  “Do you think this was caused by another country? I mean, like a sneak attack like 9/11 or Pearl Harbor?”

  “I guess it could have been but who knows? I would think that if it was a bomb or something like that, more damage to structures would have taken place. Bottom line, I really don’t have a clue what caused this mess.”

  “What about our families? Are they all dead?” she said, her lip quivering.

  “Rachel, I honestly don’t know but to tell the truth, I think they could well be. I hope like hell I’m wrong but I think we need to be prepared for the worst,” Randy said.

  Tears welled up in her eyes and she got up from the table and went outside and sat down on the front porch. Randy decided it would be best to let her have some time alone to process everything that had happened.

  They had been too busy surviving to really think things through. Family, friends, and acquaintances could well all be dead. The only redeeming thing that he could think of was the fact that it had to have been quick and hopefully painless.

  ****

  Randy went into the front room and flipped through the channels more for something to do than expecting to find anything. Static filled every station. Well, he thought, at least he didn’t have to watch annoying commercials about feminine hygiene or erectile dysfunction. Maybe something good would come out of this after all. Finally he decided he should go and see if Rachel needed to talk. When he went outside she was just looking off down the road.

  “You okay Rachel?”

  “I guess it is just really starting to sink in. My mom and sisters are probably dead. I didn’t even call my mom before this last diving trip. It was just one day, you know? I figured I would be back before she even knew it. She always worries about me diving. Thinks it’s dangerous. That’s a laugh. Who would have known it would actually save my life?” she said.

  “It is ironic, isn’t it?”

  “Just a tad. What’s going to happen? I mean, how will things ever be the same?”

  “I doubt they will. Hopefully they will be better. I mean, look at how it was just a few days ago. Wars taking place all over the world. People were killing other people just because they believe differently or behaved differently. Our government was full of crooks and every time you picked up the paper someone was suing someone over something stupid like the coffee being too hot.

  America may have been the strongest country but that is like saying Rome was the strongest during its time and looked what happened to them. We were headed down the exact path. Corruption and decadence was taking over this country. Maybe this will be a new renaissance period. Those that survived can change the world for the better or at least have that chance. Hell, I don’t know, I’m just rambling,” Randy finally said.

  “Some of what you said makes sense. I don’t know that the survivors will do any better but maybe some things can be made better,” Rachel agreed.

  “Who knows? I don’t even know what is going to happen an hour from now let alone that far down the road.”

  “Do you really think we should leave here and look for other survivors?” Rachel asked at last.

  “I do. I know they are out there and someone needs to start the process of trying to round them up.”

  “Where are we going to look?”

  “Mines. Caves. Any underground facilities. Places that offered the kind of protection we had. I have thought about this over and over. Being buried is what saved us. If we had been out in the open, we would have been just another stain on the ground. Somehow that kept us from the same fate as the others.”

  “So you think we should go to places like Pennsylvania and West Virginia?”

  “Exactly. I know a lot of coal mines are in those areas. When I was a kid my parents took me to a really neat cave called Lost World Cavern. It was some place in West Virginia. I remember it was pretty big and a lot of people went there in those days. I would think it is still around.”

  “And you think we might find someone alive that was inside the cave at the time?”

  “That’s my guess. I could be dead wrong but it seems like our best shot.”

  “Why not Mammoth Cave or one of the other tourist attractions?”

  “Those too. If I am right then we will need to check out the other places as well,” Randy said.

  “And do what?”

  “For one, let them know that others are alive as well. Secondly we can check out the bigger cities on the way to see if anyone survived there. We could be totally wrong about this. What if it was not as widespread as we think it was? We can check out Indianapolis, Dayton, Pittsburg and other cities on the way to West Virginia,” Randy replied.

  “It won’t be easy. The roads are going to be full of wrecks and empty cars and trucks,” she said.

  “I know. Especially when we get near the larger towns but I still think it’s our best shot.”

  ****

  They both sat, l
ost in thought for several minutes. The sun was going down and they had made it through another day.

  Finally Rachel said, “I still haven’t gotten used to the total quiet. It’s eerie.”

  “I guess we never realized how much background noise is around us every moment. I can’t say I miss the mosquitoes all that much,” Randy said.

  “Or spiders. I hate spiders,” Rachel said.

  “What if they mutate? Become big old hairy things with big eyes?” he joked.

  “That would be so wrong. All I need is for them to become creepier than they already were,” Rachel said.

  “So, you agree we should head out?”

  “I’m not sure but it’s better than just sitting here hoping someone will find us. Like you said, we are in a pretty small place and chances of someone stumbling on us are pretty slim,” she said.

  “Then let’s spend tomorrow making plans and going over everything. We will leave the next day. I don’t want to travel at night. It will be hard enough navigating during the day,” Randy said.

  “Sounds right to me,” she said.

  “Have you ever shot a gun?” Randy asked.

  “A few times. My dad used to let me shoot a little on the farm before he died.”

  “Rifle or handgun?”

  “Both. When you live on a farm out in the boonies you need to know how to shoot. He would take me out and let me shoot cans off the fence,” she said.

  “Excellent. So you have no real fear of them?”

  “Respect, yes. Fear? No.”

  Randy got up and walked to the Jeep and returned with a box and handed it to her.

  “Bersa,” she said, opening the box, “But I have the Beretta.”

  “It’s a .380 Bersa Thunder. Small enough to be used as a backup gun. You never know when you might need it. The Beretta is a good gun but kind of bulky. You can slip this one in your jacket pocket even your jeans pocket.”

  “Do you think we might run into trouble?”

  “I don’t know but I would rather be prepared than sorry I wasn’t. People do strange things when a disasters happen,” Randy said.

  “Could you shoot someone?” she asked, looking at him.