by Ellis, Tara
“Sandy Miller?” Patty called, squinting at the crowd.
“Here, Patty.” The middle-aged woman moved to the front, both her substantial height and presence easily parting the sea of people. She was a well-respected rancher in the community, which was why Patty had chosen her.
“Sandy will be in charge of organizing Mercy’s food, but it’s a huge undertaking and will require a lot of teamwork.” Patty nodded at her friend.
“I’ll be at a table,” Sandy’s voice boomed. “I’m looking to talk to anyone with a working farm, gardens, or the ability to hunt or fish.”
“Someone broke into my barn and stole a bunch of stuff last night!” A man shoved his way through to the front. “It’s not like we can call 911. What are you going to do? ’Cause I plan on defending myself from now on.” Cheers of agreement erupted and there was a palpable change in the atmosphere.
Sheriff Waters leaped to his feet from his spot next to Caleb and stepped to the center of the stage. “Enough!” A hush fell over the people of Mercy. “Allen, you know as well as I do that it was likely someone desperate for the bottled water they took, not a hardened criminal. We’re all neighbors here.” He eyed Allen specifically. “If we can meet our basic needs and remember that we need each other to get through this, we’ll be okay. Allen, if you’re so keen on being the law, why don’t you come up here?”
Allen looked skeptically at the sheriff. “Huh?”
“Come here.” Sheriff Waters pointed to the spot next to him.
The young man glanced back at his wife but then hesitantly climbed the stairs and went to stand in front of the sheriff. He was in his late twenties and one of the typical, strapping local boys who’s worked a farm his whole life. Patty also knew that he had a lot of friends and was someone they wanted working with them, rather than against them.
“You have a very valid point,” the sheriff began. “I’ve stressed my concerns with the mayor about security issues and the plain fact is that I only have two deputies. I need more.”
Allen shifted from foot to foot. Leaning forward, he lowered his voice. “What about that DUI a few years back?”
“Unless you have a felony conviction, I’ll consider any and all applicants.” Sheriff Waters addressed the whole crowd. Looking back at Allen, he gave him a smile. “I’ve known you long enough to know what kind of man you are.” He held out a hand. “What do you say?”
Allen considered the offered hand for a moment before clasping it tightly. “You can count on me, Sheriff.”
There were some whoops from the courtyard and random applause, the mood once again shifting. Patty was already emotionally drained and was having a hard time keeping up with it.
“Excellent.” Sheriff Waters pointed at the back tables. “Come see me and Allen if you want to join us in keeping Mercy safe!”
Patty spent the next hour introducing other committee heads, including the doctor to help organize the clinic, the fire chief to coordinate more volunteers, Paul to get the streets cleared of vehicles and collect the gas, and Caleb to set up a type of pony express for communication. She knew this was only the beginning and they’d have to address other needs as they came up, but it was a start. It was a good start.
Of all the wants, desires, and requirements, Patty understood that what the people of Mercy needed above all else was hope. That was something that couldn’t be achieved with committees and information. She could tell them everything would be okay and it didn’t even matter if they believed it, so long as they had hope. To do that, Patty had to come up with a way to give them something tangible and immediate. It wasn’t until an hour before the town meeting that it came to her, and she knew Mr. Sullivan, the store owner, was still scrambling to put it into motion.
As Caleb finished delivering his prepared speech and answering a handful of questions about a mail system and an attempt to set up a new repeater on a nearby mountain ridge to make radio communication possible, she spotted Mr. Sullivan near the edge of the stage. He gave her a thumbs-up gesture.
Smiling, she thanked Caleb and then took center stage again. She watched as four large barbeques were wheeled in behind the tables, out in the middle of Main Street. They were already smoking. Sandy Miller and several of her friends began setting up more folding tables to either end of the barbeques and she grinned when she saw one of them spread a Fourth of July tablecloth on one. She’d told Betty where all of the party supplies were kept; enough paper plates, napkins, cups, and plastic cutlery to feed the whole town.
“Thank you all for coming!” Patty shouted as a few more observant members of the crowd noticed the smell of cooking meat and began looking around for the source. “We’re facing something horrific. It’s plunged us into a desperate existence and it’s up to us all whether we fail, flourish, or merely survive.”
Caleb moved to her side and she took strength from him as he clasped her hand. “I strongly believe that our town of six hundred and fifty-eight souls can flourish, in spite of what has and will happen. So long as we face it together.”
Patty turned and gestured for Mr. Sullivan to come onto the stage. Mercy was a small town and The Corner Store was a mainstay for everyone who was born and raised there. Everyone knew the small, humble, kind man and his presence was a vivid example of the sense of community Patty was trying to tap into.
“The meat in Mr. Sullivan’s freezers has been kept cold by one of two working generators since the lights went out,” Patty explained. “But we know it isn’t feasible long-term and so he has kindly offered to share it all with us here today.”
There were more murmurs as Sandy and her friends continued laying out a feast in the middle of the street. Steaks, burgers, hot dogs, chips, corn on the cob, potatoes, beans, and pop sat among the decorations.
Gary shot Patty a disapproving look but she ignored him. The town needed this. Aside from the meat, potatoes, and corn, it had all been bought in advance and set aside. It was what most would consider junk food and, in the big picture, wouldn’t make a difference. Very soon, they’d be relying on hunting, fishing, gardening, milk cows, and chickens to keep them all fed. So, let Gary quibble with her over some chips and beans if he wanted.
“Tonight,” Patty yelled over the rising clamor, “let’s celebrate life. While we mourn the loved ones we’ve lost, let’s also remember that we’re still alive. We’re alive and we can get through this so long as we pull together. Because together, there isn’t anything we can’t overcome here in Mercy.”
Chapter 24
DANNY
Near Honeyville, Utah
Danny was in trouble. It wasn’t clear which of her symptoms were from the infection in her arm and which were radiation poisoning, but she definitely needed antibiotics.
“According to the map, Honeyville is only a mile away,” Sam said from near her elbow.
Danny turned her head slowly to look at him, trying to avoid any unnecessary movement and another bout of nausea. He wasn’t looking so great himself, but while Sam admitted to a persistent mild headache and stomach pain, it hadn’t progressed any further than that. Danny suspected that the radiation exposure might have weakened her immune system and made her more vulnerable to the raging infection that was eating away at the flesh in her arm. The thought made her stomach churn and she bent over with a pained expression as she dry-heaved.
“Come on,” Sam urged when she’d finished. “It’s really small. They might still have a stocked pharmacy.”
Nodding, Danny grunted with the effort of centering her bike and pushing off. She’d never been so tired in her life. After having a restless night’s sleep in their new tent, they’d been biking all day and it was now late afternoon. Other than the pit stops while her stomach emptied itself and a couple of water and rest breaks, they’d pushed on through the heat. In spite of having to keep up on foot, Grace appeared to be faring the best of their group.
They’d only just started looking for an in-store pharmacy and medication at the superma
rket when a loud argument somewhere in the darkened warehouse, followed by gunshots, had forced them outside prematurely.
Neither of them liked the idea of stopping in a town again. They’d passed by a couple of larger ones already and there was palpable growing unrest. People were scared and it was becoming harder to deny that things weren’t going to get back to normal.
Danny already had a unique insight into how the majority of people handled crises and unexpected situations. Often, when on the scene of a bad car accident, passengers and witnesses would either be withdrawn and in shock, or angry and lashing out. Fight or flight. With modern society becoming more and more dependent on technology and instant…everything, it was rarely necessary to fight for anything, let alone your life. Danny suspected that as more people accepted the fact that no one was going to come to their rescue, they’d start lashing out and few had the coping skills needed to act rationally.
“Danny!”
Danny jerked, opening her eyes in response, and realized she was headed for a ditch. The brakes squealed as she reacted and the back tire slid sideways in the gravel, and she managed to put a foot out to catch herself before falling. Breathing heavily, she looked sheepishly at Sam.
“I must have dozed off.” Hanging her head, she could feel her heart hammering in her temples, each beat another wave of pain. She was burning up and racked by chills at the same time.
I’m in trouble, she thought for the third time that day.
“I know you are, but we’re here,” Sam said.
“I said that out loud?” Danny mumbled, fighting a fresh wave of fear. She was close to being delirious yet still with it enough to realize it. Not a fun state of mind to be in. “Wait. Here? Where are we?” She tried to focus on the buildings in front of them, but her vision was blurred. They weren’t home, were they? She thought they had a few hundred miles to go. “Dad?”
“Honeyville,” Sam gently told her. “We’re in Honeyville, Danny. Let’s hide the bikes and our gear here. No sense advertising what we have, especially when we can’t defend it.”
Danny dropped her bike and steadied herself for a moment before carefully stepping over it. Still, she staggered under the weight of her pack and Sam had to catch her to keep her from falling.
“Woah!” Sam grabbed at the straps of her large trek pack, pulling her back and keeping her on her feet. Turning her, he took a good look at her face before putting a hand to her forehead. Grunting, he quickly removed her gear and then gave her a bottle of water. “We’ve got to get your fever down.”
Gulping the water, Danny clung to the wisps of rational thoughts tumbling through her mind. “I took the last of the Advil last night. I need more, or Tylenol or aspirin, along with the antibiotic.” She looked around at what appeared to be a small park on the outskirts of a small city. “Where are we?”
Sam looked exasperated. “Honeyville, Danny. Come on.” He moved her bike and gear behind the tree where he’d already hidden his and then took her by the good arm. “Can you walk? You could stay here.”
Danny shrugged him off, whistling for Grace, and headed for a small footbridge that crossed a stream. It was so peaceful, meandering through the trimmed, green grass.
“Danny!” Sam was in her face again, looking concerned.
“Did you know you look like an older Antonio Banderas?” she asked in all seriousness.
Sam screwed up his nose and his dark brows drew together. “We’re the same age.”
Danny snorted. “That’s what I meant.”
Sam shook his head. “I don’t want to leave you,” he muttered as he took her arm once again and urged Danny forward. “Splitting up would be a bad idea and I want to get some medicine in you ASAP. What kind of antibiotic do you need?”
Danny knew Sam was asking her something important and she concentrated on his words as they walked. “Antibiotics,” she repeated. “For my arm.”
“Yes,” Sam said encouragingly, like he was talking to a small child. “What kind do we need to look for at the pharmacy?”
“Amoxicillin,” Danny said without hesitation. “It might say Augmentin on the bottle. Cephalexin, also known as Keflex, is another common one, or Bactrim…or Septra.”
“Okay,” Sam interrupted. “Got it.” He looked at her again, seeming to gauge her condition.
“It’s the fever,” Danny answered the unasked question. “It’s gotta be really high, Sam. I’m having some pretty serious bouts of confusion and it’s getting worse. I’m sorry.”
Sam waved off her apology. “We should have stopped sooner. Now we’ve—”
“We want answers!” A man was shouting from nearby, his voice tinged with hysteria. Answering cries of agreement rang out, indicating a large group of people.
Sam slowed and Danny followed him cautiously as the trail they’d been following opened into a small graveled parking lot. Across from it, over a dozen people were standing in front of a two-story building with the words CITY HALL emblazoned across the front entrance.
“Go home!” A portly man with a police officer to one side was standing at the top of the stairs, below the sign. “We don’t know anything. We’re literally in the dark just like you are!”
“We need water!” A woman cried. “When’s the power coming back on? Why aren’t you doing anything?”
Danny allowed Sam to lead her around the group and down what must be the main street. It reminded her of Mercy. Her head swam again and she struggled to remember where they were, what they were doing. Her legs felt like lead.
“Keep moving,” Sam urged, his voice low and insistent.
She’d stopped again. Danny blinked rapidly to clear her vision and kept going. Something crunched under her feet and she realized it was glass. Confused, she looked more closely at the nearest building and saw that the front windows were gone.
Grace whined, a sound indicating she was stressed. Danny put a hand out to find her new friend’s head and the dog licked her fingers. “Good girl,” she cooed.
Someone rode by on a bike, and another man was galloping down the road on a horse. They passed a woman on a bench, staring blankly at them, holding a cellphone. Two men stood arguing across the street, waving their arms in the air. Another shout from behind them, in the direction of city hall, was followed by a scream and then breaking glass.
Danny turned to see what happened and saw several of the protesters bending over to pick up rocks before lobbing them toward the men at the top of the stairs. The officer withdrew his gun and fired it twice into the air.
“This way.”
Sam was pulling her down a side street. Danny’s vision blurred again. It was an alley with tall brick walls to either side of them. They side-stepped a dumpster. She smelled smoke and vaguely registered a crumbled, burnt-up section of building. There must have been a fire. So many fires.
Hands under her arms. Grabbing at her and making her arm hurt. She fought against them.
“Danny! Stop fighting me. Come on, we have to go.”
Something wet licked her face. Grace? She stopped struggling and opened her eyes. The sky above had become thick with unusually colored clouds and she wondered if they were going to get a storm. That wasn’t unusual in Montana this time of year… Where was she?
“You need to get up.”
Hands pulled at her again and Danny recognized Sam’s voice. “Sam?”
“Yes, it’s me. You need to get up, Danny. I found a pharmacy but we have to hurry.”
Danny stumbled to her feet, fighting a wave of dizziness and nausea. There was a door propped open in front of them. They were in another alley. Sam was at the entrance gesturing for her to follow and she managed to make her legs move. Slowly, she entered the darkened building, relieved when Sam turned his flashlight on. She hadn’t even noticed he had it before.
At first, it wasn’t apparent that they were actually in a pharmacy, but soon the flashlight revealed that most of the items on the ground were things you’d find in a drugstore. It
had been thoroughly trashed.
“Over here.” Sam waved his light to show where he was standing by another open door.
Danny entered the back room, kicking bottles of pills that were scattered on the ground. “Were probably looking for narcotics.” She bent over to pick one up and her mind went hazy again.
“Swallow these.”
It felt like her eyes were taped shut. Panic threatened to overpower her common sense as Danny desperately tried to remember what was happening. She needed to open her eyes. Only slits at first, a flash of light encouraged her to open them further. Sam was hovering in front of her, holding a flashlight in one hand and something else in the other. Pills.
“Tylenol,” Sam explained. “No antibiotics yet in this mess, though I managed to find these. You have to take them and get this fever down. I need your help.”
Danny tried to raise her arm and when it proved to be too much work, she simply opened her mouth and allowed Sam to feed them to her. He nearly choked her with a bottle of some sort of sports drink, but she gagged it all down.
Grace was curled halfway on her lap. “How long was I out?” Details were rushing back and Danny was frightened at the time she’d lost.
“About an hour,” Sam answered quickly, his eyes darting nervously around the room. “Things are heating up outside.”
“It’s such a small town.” Danny pushed herself up into more of a sitting position and was rewarded with an intense ringing in her ears.
“It doesn’t matter,” Sam said. “The breakdown has started. People we’d have considered normal are willing to do whatever it takes to stay alive.”
“It hasn’t even been seventy-two hours yet,” Danny said, recalling Sam’s theory. She hadn’t believed it then but it felt like a lifetime had already passed and along with it, all the rules had changed. As the ringing in her ears faded, she heard a new sound from outside the room. They weren’t alone.
“Stay here.” Sam edged to the door.
