by E A Chance
Brett’s voice caught as he said, “Eight.”
Coop shook his head. “How long have they been gone?”
“Several hours. It happened in the middle of the night and was over in minutes. They killed the three men standing guard and took the rest of us completely by surprise.”
Riley turned to Coop. He gave a slight nod and cranked the steering wheel. “I’ll pull to the front. Tell us what you need.”
Brett jogged alongside and waited for Coop to park. They dug out the medical supplies and heater, then Brett led them toward the stairs past three bodies covered in sheets.
When they neared the chapel, Riley paused and turned to Julia. “Put that box down, sweetheart, and wait for us in there.”
Julia dropped her box at the top of the stairs. “Don’t leave us, Mom. What will we do if those men come back?”
“They won’t, but find a good place to hide, just in case. I won’t be long, then we’ll be on our way to the ranch. You’ll be with Holly tonight.”
Julia nodded and looked away. Hannah put her box on top of Julia’s and eyed Riley. The fear in Hannah’s eyes pierced her heart. The poor girl had already lost one mother that week. Nothing mattered more to her than protecting her girls, but she kept getting forced into abandoning them. It would kill her if anything happened to them while she was protecting strangers. She was tempted to hand over the med supplies and leave Brett’s people to fend for themselves.
Julia reached for Hannah’s hand and gave Riley a weak smile. “We’ll be fine. Go help those people so we can get out of here.”
Riley hugged each girl and kissed the tops of their heads. “Thank you for being so brave. I’m sorry I have to do this.”
Hannah’s voice tremored when she said, “We understand,” and walked with Julia into the chapel.
“What injuries can we expect?” Coop asked Brett.
“Five with gunshot wounds in their limbs, one chest wound, a gunshot to the gut, and one in the back.”
Riley’s eyes widened. “They shot someone in the back?”
“A woman was trying to escape up the stairs with her baby. She fell and dropped him when they shot her. The baby didn’t survive.”
Riley rubbed her face as she fought back the tears. “Sickening. What kind of monsters were these?”
Brett stopped and faced her. “The worst kind.”
She took a breath to calm her rising panic and switched into doctor mode. The scene in the church social hall was like the ballroom clinic in miniature. It was hard to believe they were in the same room they’d seen the day before. One end was sectioned off for the wounded. Small groups of people talked in whispers at the other end. Only about a third of the group remained.
Riley and Coop set up their supplies and got to work. She started with the grieving mother who had the wound to the spine. Coop took the man with the gunshot to the abdomen. There wasn’t much either could do for their patients but clean their wounds and stitch torn tissue. The bullets had missed the major organs in Coop’s patient, and he had a slim chance at survival, but Riley’s patient wasn’t so lucky. She would soon be reunited with her son.
When they’d done what they could for the others, they left care instructions with Brett.
He shook their hands and said, “We’re deeply in your debt.”
“You need to get your people out of here,” Coop said.
Brett gave a slight nod. “Nowhere else to go. Best of luck to you.”
“You, too,” Riley said. “Coop, please, get the girls to the truck. I’m going to say goodbye to Angie.”
“She’s not here,” Brett said.
Riley stepped closer to him. “Not here. Do you mean dead? Or taken hostage?”
“Not dead, and I’m not sure if she was taken. The attack happened fast, and it was absolute pandemonium. Some were taken, some ran. I didn’t see what happened to your friend. I’m sorry.”
Coop motioned for her to follow. “Come on, Riley. We have a long way to go.”
She took one last look at the pale, terror-stricken faces and dragged herself up the stairs behind Coop.
Before they went into the chapel, she put her hand in the crook of his elbow. “Go ahead. Say it. You have a right to.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What are you babbling about?”
“I told you so. I feel you thinking it.”
He put his hands on her shoulders. “First off, even if I was thinking it, and I wasn’t, I have too much class to throw that in your face. Second, it hurts that you think I would. Third, I get zero satisfaction from being right.” He dropped his hands and moved away.
Riley stopped him. “You knew we shouldn’t stay. How? Is seeing the future another of your superpowers?”
“It was coincidence, not a premonition. I’d bet my life this was Crawford’s gang, but there will be more like them.”
Tears brimmed in her eyes, and he pulled her into his arms. She rested her head on his chest and let his strength flow into her. “I was ready to rush into our deaths last night. I’m putting you in charge of all our decisions. No more arguments.”
He stepped away and studied her for a moment. “I don’t believe you for a second, and what would be the fun in that? Let’s rescue those poor terrified girls and get the hell away from this place.”
Riley passed a road sign showing they were twenty-eight miles from Charlottesville, so they’d made over fifty miles in three hours. If Coop hadn’t been sleeping, she would have whooped for joy. They’d dodged a tragedy in Warrenton, no thanks to her, and escaped with enough gas to get them to Charlottesville. If their luck held out, they could stock up with enough to make it to the ranch by nightfall. She was beginning to see the light at the end of the long, horrifying tunnel.
She peeked at the girls through the rearview mirror. They’d been brokenhearted to hear about Angie, but putting Warrenton behind them had buoyed their spirits. Each quietly read a novel they’d found buried under faded newspapers in the workshop.
“What are you reading?” she quietly asked Julia.
She looked up from the pages and smiled. “The Hobbit.”
“Your favorite. That was a lucky find. Don’t you ever get tired of reading it?”
“Never. Do you get tired of Pride and Prejudice?”
“Good point. What about you, Hannah?”
Hannah glanced at the cover. “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.”
“I love that movie,” Julia said. “Never read the book.”
Hannah shrugged. “I’ve never seen it or read the book. It’s good so far.”
Coop grunted and adjusted his pillow. “Too loud. Need to sleep.”
She smiled down at him and whispered, “Sorry.”
She winked at Julia and saw Hannah’s eyes widen an instant before she let out a piercing scream.
“Mom, look out,” Julia cried at the same time, but it was too late.
A truck-sized hunk of metal fell from the sky and landed on the road ten yards in front of the truck, sending up a wave of exploded asphalt that covered the windshield. Riley slammed on the brakes and cranked the wheel. The pickup flipped and rolled twice before coming to an upright stop, parallel to the metal object.
Riley gripped the wheel, unable to take a breath, then the world grew dark.
Chapter Ten
“Riley, breathe,” Coop called to her through the darkness and she felt a sting on her cheek an instant later. She forced her eyes open and watched him jump out of the truck and run around to the driver’s side. He yanked the door open and lifted the handle to recline her seat.
She did as he’d ordered and drew in a deep, cold breath. Her head immediately cleared. She started to sit forward, but Coop put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.
“No, you don’t. Let me examine you first,” he said. “I have to tear your sweater open.”
She shoved his hands away. “I’m fine. Just knocked the wind out of me. I have to get to Julia and Hannah.”
“We’re fine, Mom. Let Coop check you,” Julia said.
She struggled to sit up, but Coop pinned one shoulder to the seat and pointed at the dashboard. It was two feet closer to her than it should have been. Riley gasped, then looked at Coop. A stream of blood flowed from where the stitches on his stairwell injury were torn open.
She ripped off her sweater and handed it to him. “Tie this around your head before you examine me.”
He touched his fingers to the cut, then pulled his hand away and stared at the blood. “Don’t even feel that.” He tore off a sleeve to wrap his head before leaning over to evaluate her injuries. He unhooked her seatbelt and pressed his ear to her sternum. After listening for two minutes, he said, “I could do this better with a stethoscope, but your rhythm is good and the bone structure seems sound. You’re going to have one hell of a bruise.”
She pushed him out of the way and scrambled out of the truck. Julia and Hannah were already standing on the road, examining their cuts. Riley went to Julia first and started checking her injuries, beginning with her head. Aside from a few tiny lacerations from broken glass, she’d come through the accident unscathed.
Coop checked Hannah and found the same result. His cuts and scrapes were more serious, but by the look of the truck on the front passenger side, he was lucky to be alive. He had three lacerations in addition to his head wound that needed stitches yet again. Riley took the crowbar from under the front seat and got the girls to help her pry open the crumpled tailgate to get to the medical supplies. After digging out the med packs, she discovered the can of antiseptic spray they’d used on Kyle. There was just enough to spray his worst cuts.
“That’s not going to dull the pain much, but it’s the best I can do.”
He cringed when she sprayed the cut on his forehead and said, “Don’t suppose there’s any morphine?”
“The vials shattered.” She handed Julia a flashlight. “Shine that into the center of the cut, please.” After swabbing the wound with alcohol, she poured some over the suture and needle. “Hold as still as you can, Coop. This isn’t going to tickle.”
Coop grinned and closed his eyes. “In med school, I sutured a cut on my leg after only one beer. I can handle this.”
Riley was glad his eyes were closed so he couldn’t see her hand shaking as she raised the needle to his forehead. She stopped and closed hers, too, and took three deep, even breaths.
Coop opened his eyes. “What’s taking so long? Get it over with.”
“Fine,” she said and jabbed the needle through his skin. He’d been smart to annoy her. It stopped the shaking.
A thin film of perspiration formed on his forehead while she stitched. He kept his eyes closed and panted, but he didn’t cry out or complain. Riley was impressed with his restraint.
“Hannah,” she said without taking her eyes from her work. “Look in that small first aid kit for some squares of gauze. When you have them, wipe Coop’s forehead. We need to keep his sweat from dripping into the wound.”
Before Hannah took a step, Coop reached up and wiped his head with his coat sleeve. “How’s that?”
Riley sighed in exasperation. “Unsanitary. I forgot what a terrible patient you are. Hannah, I still need the gauze, please.”
Their wounds were cleaned and bandaged thirty minutes later, including the duct tape Coop had insisted on wrapping around the cut on his arm. They hugged each other to celebrate the miracle of being alive, but the celebrating came to an abrupt halt when Riley got a good look at the truck. It was demolished. She sank to the ground and started to hyperventilate.
Coop bent over her and said, “Panic, or is this from the accident?”
“Panic,” she gasped.
He wrenched the back door open and grabbed a baggy from the backseat. “Breathe into this.”
She took the bag in her trembling hands and raised it to her mouth. Julia sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulder while Hannah sobbed into her hands.
Between breaths, Riley said, “Coop, we’re doomed.”
“Just breathe into the bag, Mom,” Julia said.
Coop rubbed his gloved hands together. “I’ll tell you what we’re going to do. We’ll go on a winter backpacking trek to find a new truck. Hannah, stop blubbering and come help me unload our stuff.” Hannah stared at him for several seconds before shuffling to the tailgate. “Julia, your mother’s fine. Get over here and help. Riley, keep breathing.”
Riley felt far from fine but nodded for Julia to go.
Hannah dropped the tent on the road and turned to stare at the giant steaming object that had caused all their trouble. “What is that thing?”
Coop straightened and stepped next to her. “Part of a satellite or other space junk would be my guess. The CME probably fried it.”
“If that had landed on us, we’d be pancakes,” Julia said.
“But it didn’t, so we’re good. What is it with you and pancakes?”
Julia shrugged and tossed a package of toilet paper on top of the tent. Riley watched the three of them dump their precious goods into random piles on the dirty pavement. After five minutes, she couldn’t take it anymore and threw the baggie aside to get up and supervise the operation. She caught the wink between Coop and Julia and knew she’d been played.
They separated the supplies they needed for survival and left the rest. Riley saw The Hobbit sitting in the discard pile and snuck it into her backpack before Julia noticed. The extra half pound of weight would be worth it when she surprised her later.
Coop carried the big tent, two sleeping bags, and a fire-starting kit. Riley took the bulk of the food and the remaining first aid supplies while they split the rest of the food, two other sleeping bags and extra clothes between the girls. Each carried four bottles of water and purification tablets.
“If we keep up a three-mile per hour pace, we’ll reach Charlottesville before sundown,” Coop said. “If not, we’ll look for a secluded place near water before it gets dark. The packs are heavy, and we’re tired and sore, but the sooner we find another vehicle, the sooner we get to Wytheville.”
Julia pulled her pack higher on her shoulders. “Just another adventure.”
Hannah didn’t even fake a smile. “I hate backpacking.”
Riley squeezed her hand. “Think of it as carrying your books at school. We’ll take breaks and not push ourselves too hard.”
Hannah didn’t look convinced. Coop turned on his heels to face west and marched off singing Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, from Snow White.
Julia stepped into line behind him, followed by Hannah and Riley.
“Can’t you find a better hiking song?” Julia asked.
“I always wanted to be one of the seven dwarves when I was little,” he said.
Julia rolled her eyes. “You’re so weird.”
Hannah laughed, but Riley couldn’t even conjure a snicker. Coop had warded off the panic attack, but her anxiety churned beneath the surface. They’d lost their only means of transportation and heat. Their odds of surviving had been cut by at least half. If they didn’t find another vehicle, it would take weeks instead of a day to get to Wytheville, if they even survived that long.
She forced herself to join the others in their silly song and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.
They settled into an even walking rhythm and covered the first mile in eighteen minutes. Julia wanted to speed up, but Riley reminded her they had a long way to go and had to pace themselves.
Riley caught up to Coop, and as she fell into step beside him, another gigantic chunk of metal fell from the sky and landed a quarter-mile in front of them. A third crashed down two hundred yards to the south ten seconds later.
Julia covered her head with her hands and looked at the sky.
Hannah imitated her. “They’re going to fall on us.”
“We have time to run out of the way,” Riley said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. “Why are they falling now? The CME was almost a week ago.”
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Coop followed another chunk with his eyes half a mile up the road. “It’s taken this long to be pulled in by earth’s gravity. I read once that scientists use gizmos to monitor orbital objects and keep them from falling to earth. These pieces must belong to a larger object that survived reentry through the atmosphere. Everybody keep your eyes open.”
“No, kidding,” Julia said. “It’s bad enough we have to watch out for bad guys and wild animals. Now we have to dodge giant space bombs,” Julia said.
“The wild animals here aren’t dangerous, and those aren’t bombs,” Riley said.
“Yet,” Coop said over his shoulder. “And black bears do live in the area.”
Riley scowled at him. “Can we please change the subject to something more pleasant? Let’s look for a library in Charlottesville. I want to learn more about CMEs and wilderness survival techniques. Once we have another truck, we’ll fill it with books.”
“Only Mom would assign homework in the middle of Armageddon,” Julia mumbled just loud enough for Riley to hear.
“My feet hurt, and they’re freezing,” Hannah whined.
“They’ll be numb soon, and you won’t feel them anymore,” Coop said.
Riley elbowed his ribs and whispered, “Not helping.” Coop gasped and sank to his knees, clutching his side. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
He dropped his pack and tent and rolled onto his back. “Broken rib. Pneumothorax. Left side.”
The girls ran to where he lay on the ground and stared down at him.
“What’s a pneumothorax?” Julia asked.
Coop started to answer, but Riley shushed him. While she dug through her pack, she said, “A collapsed lung. He must have broken a rib in the accident. When I elbowed him, the bone probably punctured his lung.”
Hannah knelt beside him and grasped his hand in both of hers. “Is he going to die?”
“No, because I’m going to save him,” Riley said. “Breathing with his other lung will keep him alive for now. Julia, help me get his coat off and lift his shirt. Hannah, grab the cleanest chunk of snow you can find. Then I need you on the flashlight again. Shine the beam where I’m drawing this X.”
