Family

by Matthew Costello

  Until a brilliant sun cut through trees to the east, the sun still low in the sky but the light wonderful.

  Then it was time to get going.

  And Kate, shuffling downstairs, ready for a day of driving, didn’t hide her concern over the new member of their party.

  “Mom, what are you thinking? We don’t have much food. And who knows what’s ahead, and you ask a guy… that big to join us?”

  Christie shook her head.

  “A bit more quietly, please. He does have ears, you know.”

  But Ben was talking to Simon in the living room and Christie guessed that he really couldn’t hear them.

  “And what do you know about him?”

  Christie shook her head. “Not much. But he was there last night, when your brother needed him.”

  That seemed to stop Kate.

  Being there… such an important idea.

  Kate had been there for all of them. They wouldn’t be here, alive, if not for her.

  And Christie had said that they make all decisions together.

  Kate shook her head.

  “I bet he eats a lot.”

  Christie smiled. “Looks that way. But says he has some food he’s been hiding, things he found after everyone left.”

  Then to nudge Kate toward some acceptance, “Simon wanted it. I think… that’s important.”

  Another nod from Kate. Not on board, but finally accepting the new passenger.

  “He seems quite sweet,” Christie said. “Innocent, despite all the things he must have seen.”

  “Sure,” Kate said.

  Christie half-expected a whatever.

  Instead…

  “We all set to go?”

  “I heated some soup. Have some.”

  “I’m okay now,” Kate said. “Guess… bring what’s leftover with us. We’re going to need everything.”

  Christie nodded. She didn’t like it when even a tiny bit of a wall went up between her and her daughter.

  She so needed Kate to get through this.

  Then Kate—the driver, really the person in charge now—walked out to the living room.

  “Simon…” then, hesitant, “Ben… you guys all set to go?”

  Christie stayed in the kitchen, watching, as Ben turned.

  “Y-yes,” he said. “Maybe we can pick up my food on the way?”

  “Sure,” Kate said. “We can always use more food.”

  And if there was an edge to Kate’s comment, she was sure Ben didn’t pick up on it.

  Then Kate turned to her. “Time to get going.”

  And they all started moving to the front door, to what looked like a glorious morning, leaving this warm house that was just another place they passed, on their way to whatever was ahead.

  CHAPTER 28

  Roadblock

  Christy looked down at the map.

  The road ahead, Route 6.

  That should have taken them well into western Pennsylvania. Now it looked like it had been slammed by a tornado. Trees down, burnt-out cars on either side.

  Kate gamely plowed her way through the debris, curving through the literal log jam.

  But at this rate, it would be a week, maybe even more, before they reached the eastern end of Michigan.

  And she knew they couldn’t afford that.

  “Mom, this is no good,” Kate said, stating the obvious.

  It didn’t help that Kate could still drive jerkily, giving the car a little gas, then braking, turning… her moves not at all smooth.

  Christie looked at her daughter, hands grimly locked on the wheel. Christie felt that soon she could take over some of the driving.

  But not on this road, not driving like this.

  On the map, she saw the interstate highway, I-80, so close.

  No choice now.

  They’d just have to backtrack, get on the big highway, get away from all this.

  They’d have to ignore all the dangers of being on a highway.

  She looked back at Simon,… Ben.

  Simon asleep, head against a window. Ben, a giant in the back seat, a gentle smile on his face.

  Then back, “Kate, I think we should get on the interstate.”

  Anther jerky brake as Kate turned, looked, then back to the latest barrier that had to be passed.

  “But, Mom, you said the highways… they’re dangerous. I mean, remember…”

  Christie could.

  The gas station.

  When they were on their way to the Paterville camp, to their lives being changed forever.

  They survived the fact that the place had been taken over by Can Heads.

  But then this thought, Back then we had Jack.

  He had been there.

  Now it was just them.

  “Don’t think we have a choice, Kate. We can’t waste so much time, doing this, using up the food. And these towns… I mean, they look all empty. But what if we hit one, winding our way through… that wasn’t?”

  But Kate had already nodded, accepting the logic.

  My partner in all this, Christie thought.

  “Okay. What do I do? How do we get there?”

  “Okay. You have to turn around and—”

  “Really? Go back? After—”

  Christie reached over and touched her daughter’s hand, the knuckles white from her firm grip on the steering wheel.

  What a way to learn to drive.

  “It’s not far. There’s a road that takes you to an on-ramp. Won’t be long.”

  Another nod from Kate.

  Then she laughed. “Um, not sure I know how to turn around.”

  Christie laughed as well.

  “Right. Okay. It’s called a three—point turn. So first, back up…” Christie turned around to see how much leeway the car had going in reverse. “…slowly, about a car length or two, and then I’ll coach you from there.”

  And Christie kept looking back as Kate backed the car up, too fast, then followed by an equally jarring slamming of the brakes.

  “Now, cut the wheel right. And Kate—just the tip of your toes, a little bit of gas…”

  And somehow, Kate managed it… and they were on their way, back where they came from, back to find the highway.

  When they got to the highway, Christie saw the on-ramp, a single lane leading to a toll booth with its barrier missing.

  Probably someone smashed right through it.

  Toll booths. They belong to a different world.

  And as soon as they were on the empty highway, already that felt chilling, eerie—no other cars, only the occasional spotting of a deserted, abandoned car or the black curlicues of tires that had spun off eighteen-wheelers.

  She had told Kate, “I think I can drive soon. Leg’s feeling pretty good.”

  Kate nodded, turned to her. “You sure?”

  She had patted her daughter’s hand. Kate had done so well with this, but it was time to give her a break.

  And truth was, she was feeling better, especially with the ability to use cruise control on the empty highway. Not much stress on the leg at all.

  After a few hours on the road, they stopped.

  She got one of the plastic gas containers from the trunk—five gallons—and poured it all into the tank.

  Did they have enough to get all the way to Michigan?

  Not even close.

  But she’d deal with what when they had to.

  And then—with a touch to Kate’s cheek—a smile.

  “Thanks, Kate. Time for you to rest.”

  And Christie began driving.

  *

  The drive… monotonous. Simon awake, looking out the window; Ben and Kate both sleeping.

  In a few hours she’d have to think what they’d do for the night.

  The night—that was always a question.

  Where would it be safe?

  That idea itself seemed absurd.

  The cruise control kept the car moving at a steady sixty miles per hour. She barely had to steer exc
ept to avoid the random junk—a hubcap, an exploded piece of luggage, its contents spread all over the road.

  All suggesting grim stories.

  She knew the risk they were taking in travelling on the exposed highway, bottled up between exits.

  Every now and then she turned on the radio, volume low, and scanned for a station.

  Once she picked up a snippet of something, but with so much static that only a smattering of words was intelligible.

  She did register one near-complete sentence.

  “…have been no further… from the state government. People are advised—”

  Then gone.

  People are advised.

  Then the highway passed by a row of industrial buildings, a huge complex, no indication of what their purpose was, just massive gray stone structures close to the road.

  Doubtful anything worthwhile could be in them.

  She couldn’t afford chasing wild geese.

  Though, she admitted to herself, this whole escape to a place that might only be a rumor could be just that.

  She had to keep reminding herself to stay in this moment, deal with what’s going on.

  Anything else, and she might lose it.

  She took a breath. Something she remembered back from her days before the kids, taking yoga classes. Breathing. Trying to stay calm, keep focused.

  When—ahead—down a long, straight strip of the highway, she now saw something stretching clear across the highway.

  She gently tapped the brake.

  Killing cruise control.

  Her eyes locked on what was ahead, now closer.

  Close enough to see…

  A wall of cars stretching across the highway, a blockade.

  She let the car slow, glanced in the rearview mirror at Simon in the back.

  No one awake now.

  And she knew that all the steady breathing in the world wouldn’t keep her calm.

  CHAPTER 29

  Boxed In

  Kate leaned forward.

  “Mom, what is it?”

  Christie said nothing. She just put the car into reverse and started backing up. She’d have to edge the vehicle to the side of the road, then turn around.

  She looked in the rearview mirror to check on Simon. He too was awake, eyes wide.

  Like my kids can now sense danger, as if they’re changing into some other kind of human.

  And that, though, was more than a little scary.

  But then, just above Simon, in the back windshield, she saw a black SUV, a big one, one of those giant Fords, or maybe an Escalade, racing toward her.

  And she realized what this was.

  They had a wall to stop her one way.

  And that car coming toward her to keep her from getting away.

  She backed up faster since there was nothing else to do, except to try and get away.

  And as soon as she felt her car hit the dirt and dried grass off the pavement, she quickly went into forward, but unable to resist a glance in the mirror again, the black car so much closer.

  Kate had noticed too, turning in her seat.

  Which triggered Simon, now unbuckled, kneeling, looking out the back window.

  “Simon,” she said, “Sit down. I can’t see. And buckle up, damn it.”

  She gunned the car forward, and she felt that move in her wounded leg.

  She was okay for steady highway driving. But this jerking backward and forward, racing to the right, then left, the wheels screeching like they were out of a stupid cop chase movie… it was too much.

  And when she finally made that hard turn, thinking that the car would almost roll over, the curve so tight and the accelerator floored.

  Christie saw the SUV had changed direction and now was aimed at her like a missile.

  She cut right, avoiding some black rubber treads in the center lane, and saw the SUV adjust as well.

  Locked on. Racing to her.

  “Mom!” Kate said. “They’re coming right at us.”

  And feeling so helpless; she cut to the left, the SUV doing the same thing.

  In another few feet, she’d be unable to avoid a headlong crash.

  The SUV could probably weather that.

  Her car would be crumpled like a paper napkin, her kids wedged in a trap of metal and glass.

  She took her foot off the accelerator.

  Simon: “Mom, what are you doing?”

  Christie kept her eyes locked on the SUV, and as her car slowed, she noticed the SUV—still aimed right at her—also hit the brakes, a puff of smoke erupting from its rear tires.

  Until it too slowed, and the two vehicles slowly rolled within a hundred feet of each other, nose to nose.

  And then—fully stopped. Christie’s mind raced, trying to think what she should do.

  This car in front of her.

  All those others in back.

  Had she come this far with her kids to have it all end like this?

  Then the final, crushing thought: What would her husband do?

  God, what would Jack do?

  She said the only idea she had.

  “Kids…”

  The words always absurd.

  Her eyes tearing.

  “Have your guns ready. Safeties off.”

  Christie’s rifle was to her left, stuck like a road map between the seat cushion and the door.

  Releasing the steering wheel, her left hand went down, and—with a click—released the safety, and she kept her hand there while she waited.

  The black SUV just sat there, nothing happening for a moment.

  “Is everything okay?” Ben asked, his innocent question almost welcome when clearly everything was not okay.

  “Not sure, Ben. Just going to wait a minute, see what happens.”

  Kate looked at her, her face set.

  But whether her daughter was worried about scaring Simon or didn’t want to unnerve Christie any more than she was, she said nothing.

  Then, the driver and passenger doors of the black SUV opened.

  Two men got out, rifles in their hands, barrels raised. They stood there a moment, perhaps to see what response that move would bring.

  “What should we do?” Kate said, so quietly.

  “Just… wait,” Christie said, not having much belief in that plan.

  Thinking, Maybe with the men out of the vehicle, I should try to get past them.

  It would take them a while to hop back in, turn around and, and…

  And what?

  In minutes, they could be behind her, now maybe with guns out.

  If she did that move, it would be when there was nothing else to do.

  She realized that she was slowly taking in one breath then letting go, as if somehow that could miraculously keep her calm.

  Then men started walking toward her car, separated by five… six feet, walking slowly.

  Guns not pointed, but at a “ready” angle, just like Jack had taught her.

  Ready to rear up a few inches and blast away.

  And now closer, she saw that one of the guns wasn’t an ordinary rifle. One was some kind of machine gun, an automatic weapon.

  Pull the trigger, and it could spray them with bullets.

  “You know those people?” Ben said, and even his voice sounded nervous now.

  “No, Ben. I don’t.”

  More steps and then—with the men only yards away—they stopped.

  The men could easily look in her car. She saw them turn to each other, say something, then back to the car.

  One man made a gesture, rolling his right hand, a sign to open a window.

  Christie hit the button and her window came down. Then she quickly hit the button to stop it at just the halfway point.

  “Lady, what… what the hell you doing out here?”

  Then the other man, “You’ve been following us?”

  She shook her head.

  She lowered the window some more.

  “No. We didn’t know you were there. We jus
t want to move on now. So if you could—”

  One man shook his head.

  Then words that made Christie’s stomach go tight.

  “You best get out of the car.”

  She gulped.

  “Mom…” Kate said.

  “We just want to go back. We’ll stay…” She hunted for words that would appease them. “…away from you, from this highway. Just let us…”

  Then, so slowly, one of the men started to raise his rifle.

  “Best you get out of the car. So we can talk. All of you.”

  Christie shook her head.

  The idea of starting the car, and racing away, now seemed like the only option.

  But then… to race past them? Bullets firing at them?

  The very definition of hopeless.

  Then the other man, his automatic weapon now also raised, barked, “Get out now. All of you!”

  Christie turned to Kate, Simon… and even Ben’s moon-like face now crossed with lines of worry.

  She cleared her throat.

  “We have to get out. We got to do it, kids.”

  She expected an argument.

  But to neutralize that, she quickly popped open her own door and released her hand from her gun, swung her legs over the metal barrel and suddenly stood outside.

  She looked back at the kids, doing nothing. Frozen.

  She turned back to the men.

  “They’re just kids. Why can’t you just let us go?”

  The men stood there.

  Until one of them said, “Kids? Then you should damn well be scared, lady.”

  What is he talking about?

  She heard a door pop open. Kate getting out, standing right by the open door. But Christie saw that she still held her gun in her hand.

  Then another pop, and Simon, then Ben, got out.

  The wind whipped around them. The temperature in the forties, but the chill still so strong.

  Christie looked back at the men.

  “Can we go? We just want—”

  Near begging.

  But the man with the machine gun pointed behind Christie, back to where there had been a line of cars.

  And when Christie turned, she saw another car from that line now racing toward them.

  “Doc’s coming. You can talk to him.” The man nodded. “He’ll decide what happens.”

  And Christie turned and watched as this other car raced toward them.