“She knows best,” he said, truly pleased at what she’d accomplished.
“Finally, we have the framework agreement between Homeland Security and TKM Mining Corporation. Since we’ve given you exclusive rights to what’s yours, and the government has other obligations besides providing security for your operation, this gives TKM the authority, acting as a US contractor, to engage in law enforcement activities in the affected states. Dorothy reminded me there is nothing more important than law and order, especially when citizens are scared and out of touch with those of us at the top of their government. Your teams will ensure criminal activity is stopped, citizens wielding dangerous firearms are curtailed, as well as assuring the safety of your staff.”
“That benefits everyone, as I’ve been saying from the get-go. The more supplies I can bring with me, and the more secure those disbursement sites are, the more people I can help.”
Stricker smacked his lips. “Don’t read too much into this, Mr. Tikkanen, as it will all become null and void once you’ve cleaned up the asteroid, but it will provide a legal foundation for the time afterward. When this all goes to the courts, you know?”
He expected as much. The government might be cooperating at the moment, but the main reason was they had no choice. As soon as they had the upper hand, no amount of legal documentation could stop them from taking whatever they wanted. It was his job, his obligation, to collect as much rock as possible before the world got back to normal.
Along the way, he would also break a few windows. Misha was less than two hours out by helicopter. He began dreaming of ways to send him on a one-way mission which would break the most glass…
Chapter 9
Thornton, CO
The stream bed and bike path created a low point in the northern suburbs of Denver, so it was difficult to see the houses around them. The groves of cottonwoods made it seem like they were driving in a remote wilderness. For a few minutes, the illusion was completed by a lack of people around them. All too soon, they came around a stand of trees to discover the little river was connected to a small lake. A couple of men stood in the path, waving her down.
“What do we do?” she asked, not sure if this was a run-them-down or stop-and-chat situation.
“We have to see what they want,” Shawn replied. “I’ll have my rifle ready if they try anything.”
Logan scooted toward his father. “Dad, can I have a gun?”
Grace was positive the man would laugh his son out the door, but he grunted in the affirmative. “Grab one from my pack back there, but make sure you don’t point it at anyone.”
“You’ve told me the same thing about a million times. How could I forget?” Logan pushed the wooden partition aside to reach for his father’s backpack. She watched him pull out a handgun, though she wondered what else was in there.
“That’s the idea,” Shawn replied.
The two men were dressed in khaki shorts, work boots, and black shirts, suggesting a uniform of sorts. A company name was written on the breast pockets, but the writing was too small to read. It did give them a tiny bit of credibility, so she slowed down. She left the truck running and held her head out the window to talk. “We’re just passing through!”
“Nah, you have to go around. This is our lake.” Behind the man, she caught sight of many people standing in the dense foliage around the edge of the lake, fishing.
“We don’t want your lake. We want to go to Denver.”
“This is a bike trail. It isn’t meant for trucks. Go back and go around, okay?”
She tried to assess the situation in a clinical fashion. The two men didn’t seem like a threat, though she assumed they carried weapons. Grace had a truck full of guns, and a crew willing to use them. Heck, the truck itself was a deadly weapon. The wild card was those people under the shady trees.
“All right, I’m going to turn around where you are, okay?” She sucked in a breath of the fresh Colorado air, glad they weren’t going to block her. Grace waved as she rolled up her window, then she put the truck in gear and nudged forward.
“Yep, that’s all I need.” She hit the accelerator with ambition, causing the tires to chirp with the kick. The truck sped through the opening created by the men, eliciting cursing and screaming from them.
She laughed, thinking she’d done well, but Asher’s face was the exact opposite. He looked at her like she’d smoked his last cigarette.
While keeping the truck on the paved path, she spoke to him. “We don’t have time to go around every roadblock on your bike path. There could be hundreds between here and downtown. Besides, those two didn’t look like they were going to shoot us.”
He sat in silence for half a minute, perhaps brooding. “It’s not my bike path. I’ve never been out this far.”
“You said it goes all the way downtown. I figured you knew because you’d ridden your bike on it, or whatever.”
He shrugged, the roadblock incident seemingly forgotten. “I don’t even own a bike. I did walk part of the trail. We’d eaten at the Old Spaghetti Factory. I ate my cheesecake on a bench next to the pathway. I happened to see a map of the trail network, which I remembered going out this way.”
Logan loaded cartridges into the magazine of his new pistol. “If anyone gives us trouble, now we’ll have four guns to keep us safe.” The pistol was over his legs, aimed at the welded-on door. True to his word, he was mindful of where he pointed it. Still, she wanted to temper expectations about using the weapon.
“Only shoot if we have no other choice. I’m really happy we have glass in most of our windows again, so try not to blow them out.”
A mile later, after several twists and bends in the river, she almost ran into the first bike rider they’d seen.
“Whoa!” she blurted out, stopping the truck.
The biker stopped too. The older man was on a road bike with skinny tires, but he didn’t seem sure of himself as he slowed and came to a rest. There wasn’t enough room for both parties to be on the pavement at the same time, so the man had to dismount and walk in the rocks next to the path.
“Sorry,” she said out the window. “We didn’t expect you.”
“Same here. I wish I could say you were the first in my path. A flatbed truck carrying a little tractor almost killed me earlier today. I think he was going downtown with everyone else.”
“You know about that?” she asked.
“Who doesn’t? There’s a rumor the space rock in Lodo is filled with diamonds. It’s worth more than the whole state of Colorado, so they say.”
Grace smiled. “Shouldn’t you be going the other way? You know? To get yourself some of those diamonds?”
The man had almost walked his bike around her truck, but he looked back. “Never believe everything you hear. Even if it was the honest truth, a diamond meteorite the size of a city block would instantly make every diamond in the world worth nothing. My intent is to get out of the city; I’ve got family to the north. That’s what has value to me.”
She respected his goals. Hers were similar: get back to her dad. “Oh, hey,” she replied, “there’s some men blocking the path at a lake about a mile back. They’re going to want you to go around, unless you blow through like we did. They might be on the lookout, though, so sorry if they are.”
The guy pointed to a pistol holster he’d lashed onto his bike frame. “I’m not worried about it. I spent some time in the military back in the 80s. I think guns are pretty much the same as back then, so I’ll be ready.”
“Good luck,” she said, both to the man and to herself.
St. Charles, MO
“This is a nice place you have here,” Butch said while eating an energy bar marketed toward people who exercise. “This town seems nice, even if it looks like it’s about two hundred years old.”
Haley worked on her second bar. “Yeah, it’s my ex-boyfriend’s mother’s rental. I think they would rather rent it to anyone else, but what’s done is done. I get to stay in this nice piece o
f history, and they get to stay in a lousy trailer out in the county somewhere. Serves the jerk right.” She looked over to Ezra. “So, you guys came in on a boat? I would have never guessed, except it does explain the stench.”
“What about all those people in your park?” he asked. “Where’d they come from? How’d they get here?” He stood about ten feet away from her and Butch, who sat on the back steps of her home. It was the least he could do to keep the awful smell of his clothes away from them.
“Most walked in from St. Louis,” she said dryly. “The power is sketchy. The police are hardly seen. Criminals have free rein in the big city, so normal folks packed their bags and came over here. I saw the police stop you. Did you have guns?”
Her words cut into Ezra. The disappointment of losing his rifles was fresh. “Yeah. I should have left them by the boat, but I didn’t want a kid coming along and finding it.”
“Smart. My dad would have done the same thing.”
“Is he around?” Ezra asked, figuring the man would be about his age.
“No. He died in Iraq back in the 2000s. I was a little girl when it happened, but my mom said he was always looking out for me and the other kids. I guess I never forgot it.”
Butch cleared his throat. “So…what were you doing with that tire?”
She laughed. “Don’t you ever work out? A big boy like you? I was doing some tire drags to round out my WOD. Since I can’t make it over to the box anymore, my workouts of the day have to be done here. Before all this came along”—she waved toward the St. Charles riverfront, though it was on the other side of her stone brick house—“I used to do two-a-days.”
“You worked out twice a day?” Butch said in awe.
Haley glanced over to Ezra with a conspiratorial demeanor. “Does he always ask so many questions? I mean, I don’t mind and all, but I like to know what’s up.”
He rolled his eyes in a let-me-tell-you response, but he let her down easy. “The two of us haven’t had a real conversation with people on the outside for several days. Usually we have to talk about where to find gas, who’s chasing us, or where we can hide. Talking to you is probably the most normal thing we’ve done since the meteorite fell.”
“I heard it’s a real mess to the west and south. It’s amazing you came through okay. I think we dodged it here in Saint Chuck.”
His smile faltered. He didn’t come through unscathed. Neither of them did. Before he could respond, Butch jumped in. “It hasn’t all been gravy and toast. E-Z’s wife died saving a little girl. This man and his wife had a lot in common in looking out for kids.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said to Ezra in a serious voice before canting her head toward Butch. “Wait a sec. Why did you call him E-Z, if I can ask?”
“First two letters of his name. Plus, it totally fits. He makes all those things he just talked about, like dodging bullets and driving boats, look easy. I’ve been by his side, but the guy operates on a whole different level.”
Ezra appreciated what his friend had done. He might have been caught up in the young woman’s mystique, but he was still looking out for his wingman. Butch had steered the conversation away from Susan’s death.
Haley laughed in a playful way: “Butch, you said he looks out for kids. Is that why he chose you?”
Butch was taken aback. “I’m not a kid. How old do you think I am?”
She tapped her finger on her lips in thought. “Seventeen?”
He pulled off his hat and slapped it on his thigh. “I’m almost twenty-one! I’ve been to Afghanistan and back, for crying out loud.”
Haley cracked up laughing. “I’m only messing with you, milk jug. There’s a quality about you which makes me want to joke around. I’m glad I was right.”
“Hold up. Milk jug? Why do you keep calling me that?”
She finished her health bar and licked her smiling lips. It was a charming feminine act ruined completely when she spoke with a full mouth. “Ask me later.”
Butch got up. “Can we use your restroom?”
Haley stood up as well. “My mother taught me to never let strange men in the house. You two literally came off the boat an hour ago. I’d say you qualify as strange. However…” She pointed to a clump of bushes in the neighboring yard. “I know for a fact they aren’t home. You can use their space.”
Butch did his best to not show any disappointment. Ezra knew he didn’t care about using the outdoors as a toilet; they’d been using bushes for the past four days. He was upset she’d called him a stranger. It was evident he was interested in the tire-pulling girl.
“You’re very kind,” Ezra finally said, to head off any awkwardness. “When we’re done, would you mind telling us where we can go to find supplies? We need materials for our boat, and I think we’re going to need a couple more guns before we go back to the encampment.” He was specifically thinking of the person who’d turned them in. Were they hostile? Would they attempt to rob them, once they knew they were disarmed? He had to think ahead.
“I’ll do you one better. I’ll show you the way.”
Chapter 10
Thornton, CO
After passing the first man on the bicycle, more riders appeared on the bike path. At first, it was one here and there, but after about fifteen minutes winding through the tree-lined route, there were dozens of riders. Most were dressed in normal clothes, carrying duffels or backpacks, though a few wore legitimate cyclist gear, looking like they weren’t stopping until they reached Canada.
When a woman rider appeared ahead, kitted in the typical tight-fitting bodysuit professional riders tended to wear, Grace decided to flag her down.
“Excuse me!” She moved the truck about halfway off the path, giving the woman enough room so she didn’t have to dismount and go around.
The rider wasn’t going terribly fast, so she slowed and stopped when she saw Grace practically hanging out her window. The woman unclipped one shoe from a pedal and touched the ground. “Can I help you?”
“Thanks for stopping. Most of the bikers don’t even look at me.” No matter how good the reason for being there, she couldn’t help but think every rider was cursing her out for driving on their path.
“Yeah, well, it’s kind of odd you’re going back toward town. Most normal people are getting out while they can.” The woman seemed to be built for biking. She had strong thighs and bulging calves and the word Wacky was plastered across the front of her pink top. Her hair was tucked under her pink helmet, and her eyes were covered by sporty black shades, so it was hard to make out her features.
She took a moment to think up a reply. No one would believe she was going into the city to get the chairman of a Native American tribe in front of the CEO of the biggest company in existence. “We’re trying to find my friend’s sister.” She leaned back, indicating Asher was the friend in question.
The woman gave Asher a brief glimpse. “You’re going to have a hell of a time if you don’t already know where she is. Trucks have descended on downtown like a bunch of locusts, and the men in those crews are itching to cause trouble. At least ten vehicles parked on my street and started shooting at each other before another ten came in and chased them out. Since the streets are filled with the jerks, the only way I could think to get out was on my bike.”
“Have you heard anything about a rock inside Denver?”
“Of course! That’s why everyone is there. I’ve heard it’s filled with gold, diamonds, and, my favorite, sun gold. I’m led to understand it’s more valuable than the normal stuff.”
It was similar to what the last biker had said. “So, why didn’t you try to get some?”
The woman swished her arms over her front side, like a magician revealing a trick. “Do you think I would last long in a brawl? No amount of money is worth dying for. I’ve got family up in Boulder. It’s only about forty miles from where I live. Not far.”
Asher leaned in. “Not far? It sounds impossible on a bike.”
Grace laughed a
nd spoke to him. “Would you ride it for cheesecake?”
“Cheesecake?” the woman said with surprise. “There’s no cheesecake.”
She turned to the rider. “It’s a private joke. He said he’d been on this trail, but he only ate dessert on it. We’ve been in this truck for days. I think we have a bit of cabin fever.”
“Well, good luck. I’ve got to keep moving. There’s some guys coming up behind me who I do not want to deal with again. They’re riding a lot slower, but they’ll be here soon enough.” She clipped into her pedal and made like she was going to kick off.
“Same to you. Good luck, I mean. I hope you make it to your family.”
“And I hope your friend finds his sister.”
She was gone in a pink flash.
Grace hesitated before continuing, wondering if the entire city was rising to meet her. If the streets were on fire with shootings, and people were fleeing in droves, maybe it was foolish to press on.
Shawn tapped her shoulder. “She was correct. Those men look dangerous.”
Ahead, a group of about ten bike riders came around a bend in the path. They rode burly mountain bikes with thick tires. Unlike the woman, they were dressed in normal clothing, mostly jeans or shorts, and loose-fitting T-shirts. They also each carried multiple rifles over their shoulders.
The truck was already stopped and off to the side, so she elected to stay where she was. The first men rode by with barely a glance at her, giving her a chance to confirm those were rifles and shotguns strapped to their backsides. They each had five or six, making them appear overburdened on their bicycles.
A middle-aged guy bringing up the rear seemed to notice her. “Whoa! A park ranger? My dad used to work for the park service.” He stopped awkwardly, nearly falling over with his heavy load.
Crush: Impact Book 4: (A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller Series) Page 7
