by E A Chance
“And my instincts are screaming that we need to get out into the country. What about your uncle’s ranch that you mentioned? Where did you say it is?”
“Outside Wytheville in southwestern Virginia, but it’s over three-hundred miles from here. It took us hours to go twenty miles today and won’t people outside the city be just as ruthless as city dwellers if they’re starving?”
“Not likely. There will be smaller numbers competing for food and supplies in the countryside. Rural communities have stores of food and implements for survival and hopefully will be more willing to help strangers. You said once that your father has a small farm in Colorado. You must understand what I mean.”
Riley wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. “My gut tells me leaving is wrong, and we can’t both be right. I’m willing to put my trust in you. Don’t make me regret it.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He stood and held out his hand. “We need to go tell the girls.”
Riley reached for his hand and climbed to her feet, dreading breaking the news to Hannah. “This isn’t going to go over well. You do it. They like you.”
“And make me the bad guy? Chicken.”
“It’s your idea. “
Coop asked the girls to sit on the couch while he explained that they had to leave and why.
Hannah jumped to her feet before he finished and clenched her fists. “You’re leaving? You promised not to abandon me.”
Riley tried to put an arm around her shoulder, but she ducked out of the way. “We’re taking you with us, Hannah. I told you you’re part of our family now.”
She started to tremble. “I can’t leave. My parents won’t know where to find me.”
“They’re not coming back,” Julia said without emotion. “They’re dead.”
“Julia, hush!” Riley said.
Hannah ran at Julia and pummeled the blanket with her fists while she screamed, “Why would you say that? You told me they were alive. You said they’re waiting in a secret underground bunker. They’re not dead. They’re coming for me. Why did you lie?”
Coop wrapped his arms around Hannah’s waist and pulled her kicking and screaming off of Julia before handing her to Riley on the couch.
“Don’t listen to Julia,” Riley whispered. “She’s just in pain and upset about what happened with Quinten. We don’t know anything about your parents. We’ll leave them a map to where we’re going so they can follow, but we have to go. Coop says it’s too dangerous to stay in the city.”
Julia sat up and wiped her tears before reaching for Hannah’s hand. “I didn’t mean it. I’m so sorry. I want you to come with us. You’re like a sister to me. Forgive me?”
Hannah fixed her red puffy eyes on Julia. “How do I know what to believe?”
“Believe this,” Riley said. "If your parents are alive, they’ll stop at nothing to find you. That’s my promise."
“Let’s get that map ready for your parents. I’ll take it to their room myself,” Coop said. “Then, we all need to pack and get a few hours of sleep. I want to be at least an hour out of the city by sunrise.”
Hannah nodded and gave Julia a reluctant hug. Riley was disturbed by Julia’s reaction and concerned about taking Hannah with them, but they had no choice. No matter what they faced when they left the hotel, she was sure of one thing. Hannah would never see her parents again.
Chapter Seven
The truck hit a pothole and jarred Riley awake. She glanced at the digital sports watch she’d found at the outdoor store and frowned. Only an hour had passed since she’d fallen into a fitful sleep. Julia and Hannah rested peacefully in the back, ignorant of the horrors that lay just beyond their windows. The sliver of the moon provided dim light, but there would be no shielding the girls from reality once the sun rose.
“Sorry to wake you,” Coop said softly. “I’m trying to avoid the bumps, but it’s impossible to dodge them all with so much debris in the road.”
Riley shifted on the seat in a futile attempt to get comfortable. “We’re alive and the truck’s running. Nothing else matters.” In the beam of the headlights, she could just make out the shadowy outlines of demolished cars and frozen, contorted bodies scattered on the road. “Where are we?”
“Still on Route 29. It’s been dicey, but I haven’t had to divert to surface streets so far. We’re about five miles from Centerville, Virginia.”
She shined her penlight on the map. “We’ve only made forty miles in two hours?”
“Afraid so.” The fatigue was apparent on his face. The poor man only had three hours of sleep in the past day. She clicked off her light and reached up to massage his neck. “Feels good,” he said.
“Happy to help.” She gazed into the darkness, watching their slow progress. “Are you sure we shouldn’t go back to the hotel for another day? It’s not too late.”
He pulled into a grocery store parking lot just as the sun peeked over the horizon behind them. “No, Riley. That’s not an option. I may be wiped out, but you can trust me. I already feel better just being out of D.C.”
She lowered her hand and stared at the smashed doors of the store entrance. No point in going in there to scavenge supplies. “Maybe the worst is behind us,” she said, with more optimism than she felt. “It does feel good to be heading west. I may be nearly a continent away from Jared and Emily, but it’s comforting to be traveling in the direction that brings me closer to them.”
“Glad to hear that.” He ran his hands over his face. “I need to sleep. Feel up to driving? The roads should become less congested as we get further into the suburbs, and the sunlight will make navigating easier.”
She nodded and pulled the door handle. The door creaked as she pushed it open, and she cringed, fearing it would rouse the girls, but they didn’t stir. How would it be to sleep like the dead? she wondered as she stepped onto the frozen asphalt.
The parking lot was half-full of empty cars waiting for owners that would never return. Other cars sat untouched where drivers had slammed into each other when the CME’s magnetic pulse fried their onboard computers. Thankfully, the area was free of dead bodies. She hoped that meant the victims had walked away from the accidents. The sight was a stark reminder of the catastrophic disruption to millions of ordinary lives. A wave of sadness washed over her.
She shook off her dark thoughts and ran a few laps around the truck while Coop checked the oil and tires. She started for the driver's side when he closed the hood, but he caught her hand and pulled her to his chest.
She held him for a moment before gazing up into his face. “I didn’t realize how much I needed that.”
“Let’s just stay here holding each other all day and let the world go to hell.”
She lifted onto her toes and kissed him before reluctantly stepping out of his arms. “Wish we could, but the girls probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much as we would. There will be plenty of time for that at the ranch. It’s so tranquil there. You’ll love it.”
He stretched and yawned as he climbed into the passenger seat. “Take it slow. No more than thirty-five and stay alert.”
She got behind the wheel and picked up the map. “Let’s go over the route one more time.”
Coop tapped his finger on their current position. “We’re here on 29. Take it through Centerville and don’t stop. It becomes more rural after that. Let’s get as far as we can before stopping for breakfast.”
Riley maneuvered out of the parking lot, keeping her eyes glued to the road. After the first mile, they passed a pile of neatly stacked bodies on the shoulder, and she wondered who’d been kind enough to move them. Vehicles and other debris hadn’t been touched. Shoes, sweaters, schoolbooks, food wrappers, and other signs of everyday life littered the pavement.
“None of this makes sense,” she said, breaking the silence. “Where’s the military? Where are the local governments or community organizations? We haven’t passed another living soul since leaving the hotel. We can’t be the
only ones who survived.”
“Maybe it’s the cold or people are too afraid to leave the security of their homes. The grislier answer is that enough time has passed that the population is dying of thirst and starvation. Most people don’t keep more than a few days’ worth of food in the house, and water supplies are depleted.”
“Zach always pounded it into our heads to be prepared for any catastrophe. Used to drive me nuts. Wish he was here so I could tell him he was right.”
Coop studied her for a moment. “It would be small consolation. From what you’ve told me about him, I can’t imagine he’d want to see his family suffering just for an I told you so.”
“He wouldn’t. Do you think the CME was a global event or a just regional one? If this area was affected so severely, why isn’t the rest of the country or other countries stepping in to help? Is the entire world facing what we are?”
“I read before the CME strike that odds of a global event are minuscule, but even so, it would take massive coordination to mobilize a relief effort even on a local scale. It may just be taking time for help to reach us. For all we know, rescuers are a day behind us.”
“We can only hope.” Coop’s eyelids started to droop. “Sorry, I’m talking too much. I have these questions spinning in my brain and can’t stop them. I won’t wake you until we need to top off the gas.” He fluffed a pillow they’d taken from the hotel and tucked it under his head. Riley smiled at how boy-like he looked. “Did you leave cash in the room for the things we took?”
Coop gave her a half-grin. “Yes, not that it matters. That place will be gang headquarters by sundown, and trust me, paper money won’t be their currency.”
“I know you think I'm ridiculous, but paying for what we take feels like a lifeline to our former existence. Humor me until the cash runs out and we’re forced to barter.”
“Got it, boss,” he said and squeezed her hand. “This will be a moot point by tomorrow. There’s less than $500 left and I didn’t exactly pay for the truck.”
“Are we there yet?” Julia mumbled from the back seat.
Riley glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “No, sorry, sweetheart. Go back to sleep.”
“Who can sleep with all the talking?”
Coop cocked his thumb at Hannah. “Her, apparently. You hungry?”
“Yes, and I need the bathroom.”
“Porta-potty’s in the back of the truck. Might as well pull over, Riley.”
Riley was reluctant to stop but couldn’t postpone the inevitable forever. She did a quick check for corpses before edging into an empty spot on the side of the road. Julia pressed her forehead to the cold window and stared at the post-CME landscape. It was her first look at the outside world beyond the hotel. She watched heartbroken as Julia took in the charred remains of homes and businesses half covered in ice and snow, and streets clogged with demolished cars and garbage.
“Did the whole world end? I thought things would be normal after going so far,” Julia whispered.
“We’re only fifty miles from the hotel,” Coop said.
“Fifty?” Julia whined. “It’ll take a year to get to Uncle Mitch’s.”
Riley was relieved to hear her complain and reminded herself that Julia was more resilient than she gave her credit for. She really had handled the trauma of the past few days like a warrior princess.
Julia tapped Hannah’s knee. “Wake up, sleepy. You’ve got to see this.”
Hannah looked around in confusion. “Where are we?”
Julia crossed her arms and made a pouty face. “Practically down the street from where we started.”
Hannah bolted upright. “Back at the hotel? Why?”
She seemed relieved, and Riley felt a pang of guilt. “Julia’s exaggerating. Come see the fancy toilet Coop found for us.”
Hannah nodded numbly and followed Riley out of the truck. Julia opened her door and shrieked. Riley rushed to her, fearing a dead body, but only found a half-eaten deer carcass.
Coop dragged it into the grassy ditch. “Too bad, that would have made an excellent lunch.” Hannah grimaced and vomited onto his shoes. She wiped her mouth on her coat sleeve, and her lower lip trembled. He laughed and said, “No cause for tears. I’ve had worse, and I’ve always hated these shoes.”
Julia laughed into her hand while Riley put her arms around Hannah’s waist and nudged her to the back of the truck. Coop stripped off his soiled shoes and tossed them into the woods. Riley thought that was a bit rash. They’d be easy enough to clean, and he might need them down the road, but she kept her opinion to herself.
They rummaged through the stacks of boxes in the truck bed until they found a new pair of boots for Coop and their new bathroom. Coop had discovered a backpacking toilet with a privacy tent. That fortunate find would do as much to make the journey tolerable for the three women as any of their other provisions. Hannah’s outlook brightened as they rigged the toilet, and each took a turn.
They got underway after stowing their gear and downing a quick breakfast of MREs. As Riley drove, she thought of Hannah’s reaction to the carcass. If she was that disturbed over a dead deer, how would she react to a human corpse? Julia had taken the incident in stride, but that was her way.
Hannah had clearly led a sheltered and pampered life, and Riley wondered if she’d be strong enough to weather the trials to come. If her uncle’s ranch was beyond the reach of the CME’s destruction, at least life would have a semblance of normalcy, leaving Hannah to mourn the loss of her parents in peace.
They made slow but steady progress for the next two hours. Riley grew more adept at maneuvering around the wreckage as they went. Her anxiety subsided and she did her best to stay alert. She hadn't had much more sleep than Coop.
While Coop slept, Hannah and Julia chatted quietly about the drastic changes in the post CME landscape. Riley was relieved it distracted Hannah from thinking about her parents. The grieving process would take time, but the sooner she adapted to her new circumstances, the better her chance for survival.
Riley was imagining life as the mother of four children when she came over a rise and saw a traffic barricade blocking the road. She slammed the brakes, and the truck skidded to a stop inches from the barrier. Coop slid off the seat and banged his head on the dashboard. He climbed back up, rubbing his stitches.
“What the hell, Riley?”
She gripped the steering wheel with one hand and pointed a trembling finger at the barricade with the other. “I didn’t see it until we were on it.”
Coop grimaced. “No permanent damage. I’ll go move the barricade.” He made a check of the area before reaching for the door handle. “Stay in the truck and lock the doors.”
“Are you sure you should go out there? Someone put the barricade up for a reason.”
“No one’s around. I’ll be careful. Honk if anyone comes.”
He was out of the truck before she could stop him. He had two sections of the barricade moved to the side of the road when three men in heavy coats came over the rise from the opposite direction. The one in the lead was of average build but had striking eyes and skin the color of dark, creamy chocolate. The one directly behind him reminded Riley of a shorthaired Jason Mamoa. The third was scrawny compared to the other two and reminded her of her dentist. He didn’t appear too menacing, but it was impossible to tell if any of them carried weapons under their coats.
“Girls, get on the floor,” she whispered. Hannah was out of her seat and curled up on the floorboard in a flash, but Julia didn’t move. Riley flashed her fiercest stern mother look. “I said, get down.”
“But, Mom, I want to see what’s happening,” Julia whined.
“Don’t argue. On the floor, now!”
Julia slid off the seat just seconds before the dentist one turned toward the truck. Coop saw the men before she could warn him. He strolled up to them and called out a cheerful “morning” in that jaunty manner that magically made everyone like him. “Is the road out up ahead?”
Riley was too far away to hear the Jason Mamoa character’s response.
“What’s happening? Are they going to hurt Coop?” Julia asked in a loud whisper.
Riley shook her head. “They’re probably just warning people about some danger on the road past the barrier.” She’d done her best to keep her tone light, but Julia’s look showed she hadn’t bought it.
As the conversation went on, the men became more agitated, and Coop’s demeanor more guarded. She slipped the keys into her front pocket and reached into the glove box for the gun.
Julia peeked over the seat. “What are you doing? Do you even know how to fire that?”
“Hush. You two get under that blanket and do not leave this truck no matter what happens. Do you understand?”
Julia sank down and pulled the blanket over their heads. “Yes, ma’am,” they said in unison.
Riley stashed the gun in her waistband, zipped her coat, and settled in to wait, but Coop abruptly left the men and headed for the truck. He yanked the door open and slid in beside her.
“They won’t let us pass unless we pay a ‘road tax’ of half our supplies. I tried to explain that we’re just passing through and can’t survive on fifty percent of our provisions. They were unimpressed. They say the streets and roads are barricaded for a hundred miles in every direction. I’m sure they’re lying, but we can’t know for sure. Give me a chance to stall and figure out a way out of this. No way they’re leaving with our stuff.”
Riley kept her eyes riveted on the men as she spoke. “Let’s just back the truck up and go back the way we came. We’ll find a way around them. The Jason Mamoa one is as big as a tree, and there could be more men hiding out of sight.”
Coop raised an eyebrow. “Jason Mamoa?” When Riley shrugged, he said, “I don’t think they’re just going to let us leave, and they might be packing. He opened the glove box. “Where’s my Glock?” She lifted her coat and showed the weapon tucked into her jeans. He held out his hand. “Give it to me, Riley.”
