"Can we try a different station?"
"I'm not sure if it will be any different, but sure."
Natalie scanned through the channels. Most of them were static, but a few had the same woman with the same message. When she got to the third one, she stopped. "No point in continuing." She leaned against the chair. "Let's just try and figure out what she's saying."
They listened for a few minutes, but only figured out that no one knew what was going on either. Disaster was widespread through the county and probably beyond. People should take care of the injured because assistance was limited and not guaranteed. Evacuation was not recommended unless homes were not in livable conditions. There were no temporary shelters set up yet.
Clara turned it off after they listened to the message repeat for the third time. "I think I've got about all I can get from that."
"Me too." Natalie had her eyes closed, and she was still leaning against the chair.
"You okay?"
She shrugged. "I suppose considering everything, yeah."
"Let me see if there's a cell signal yet." Clara pulled out her phone, still seeing no lines. Of course.
"Anything?"
"Not yet. I think we should get going."
Natalie nodded.
Chapter 24
WILLIAM TRIED OPENING his eyes, but couldn't. Where was he? What had happened? He couldn't move, either. His body ached.
Voices spoke in hushed tones in the distance. He wanted to call for help, but his voice wouldn't cooperate.
He vaguely remembered some explosions. Where had he been when he heard them? Was he still there? Wherever that was. He remembered seeing Clara at the park and something about a dog.
His head pounded, and he wanted nothing more than to rub it. Why couldn't he move anything?
Chapter 25
CLARA FINALLY MADE it to the parking lot exit. She had had to go around fallen trees, abandoned cars, and even people. Some were running around, obviously confused. Others were lying in the road, not moving. Clara was glad that Natalie still had her eyes closed. She would have gotten upset over the sight for sure.
She checked out the road conditions in front of her. There were abandoned cars in the middle of the road with some more downed trees, but from what she could tell, they should have been able to get the car through. She pulled out into the correct lane, more careful than ever, despite the fact that she didn't see a single car moving.
Maneuvering around everything, she couldn't decide where to go. Braydon's house wasn't too far away, it was near William's.
"Where do you want to go?"
"Can we go to Braydon's? He was supposed to be sleeping all morning. He has a long night at the steel factory tonight. Well, it's probably canceled, but you know what I mean."
"Yeah. I want to go to William's house too. Look at these roads. It could take hours to get anywhere."
"Hours?" Natalie leaned forward, looking around. "This is horrible. The explosion wasn't just the mall, was it?"
Had she even been listening to the emergency announcement? "It's everywhere. I think we're better off going to either Braydon or William's house. At least we could get something to eat." After giving Natalie so much blood, Clara was in dire need of nourishment.
"Well, let's go then. I want to see Braydon with my own eyes."
Clara turned left, heading for the most expensive neighborhood in Delphic Cove. The roads were no better as they got closer, except that the sirens were getting louder.
Were the emergency crews assisting the rich first? Clara shook her head in disgust. That couldn't be true, could it?
Still avoiding the obstacles that filled each road, she turned down another road, getting closer to William's neighborhood. He had to be okay. He just had to be. She couldn't even let herself think otherwise.
"What's that?" Clara narrowed her eyes. Something was obstructing the road a couple blocks ahead.
"Power lines?" asked Natalie.
As they got closer, they saw several large trees piled on top of each other, not allowing any vehicles to pass either way.
"We're going to have to turn around." Clara looked around to make sure no one was in her way. There were a couple cars turning around up ahead, closer to the trees, but no one near them. She managed to turn around without much of a hassle.
"I know another way. I'll tell you where to turn," Natalie said.
Just as they were picking up speed, and currently twenty-five miles an hour was fast, a dog appeared out of nowhere and ran in front of the car. Natalie screamed as Clara hit the brakes. The dog ran off, and Clara hit the gas again. "I can't wait to get somewhere safe."
"Braydon's uncle had his place upgraded to withstand a strong earthquake, so hopefully everything is running there. I really want a hot meal and a super long shower."
"That sounds good." More trees were down blocking the road, and Clara had no choice but to run over a small one as she avoided two huge ones and a delivery truck on its side.
"It's going to be a long time before things get back to normal, isn't it?" Natalie asked, her voice wobbling.
"Probably. But it looks like we made it through the worst of it. I haven't heard any explosions since we were in the mall."
"I think Bray's uncle has some backup generators. He was talking about getting a powerful system. Now I wish I would have paid more attention when he told me about it. I think it's solar powered and has enough power to last a few days. Maybe?"
"It's okay. We'll find out when we get there."
"And this time, I'll listen when he tells me about it. Oh, we're almost at our turn. Go left where that motor home is stopped."
Clara nodded, careful to avoid more abandoned cars.
"Should we be worried about all the empty cars? I mean, there has to be a reason for people to leave them in the middle of the road. Look! That one's a beamer. It's one of this year's models. Why would someone just leave it there?"
"They were probably more worried about their safety. Anyway, we'll go as far as we can. I'm sure we'll get to Braydon's house just fine." Clara sounded a lot more confident than she felt, but she didn't want Natalie to start freaking out. They both needed to be level-headed, because there was no way to know what they would have to face before they arrived.
Clara turned down the road Natalie had indicated. "Now what?"
"Go a little further, and then we'll turn right. I had to go this way when there was construction last year."
They drove in silence for a little while, only speaking when Clara needed to turn somewhere. They passed an area where the ground was black. Charred debris littered the area.
Natalie gasped. Clara didn't ask what had been there. She was curious, but she didn't want to upset her further. They needed to focus and stay calm.
"Do I need to turn anywhere?" There was a fork in the road up ahead.
"Left." Natalie's voice sounded strained.
Clara turned left.
"Second right."
"Just think of how nice it'll be to get back home."
Natalie sighed and then sniffled.
Clara took the next right and then they found themselves faced with a police barricade. Two officers walked up to the car, and Clara stopped. She rolled down the windows.
A tired-looking policeman walked up to her window. "No one gets in or out of this neighborhood, ladies."
"But we live there!" Natalie exclaimed. "You have to let us through."
The officer folded his arms. "Do you know how many times we've heard that today?"
"I do live there. I swear."
Clara gave Natalie a surprised look. What was she doing?
The cop turned to another, standing a few feet away. "They live here—she swears."
They both laughed.
Clara's body ached and her stomach was rumbling for food. She didn't want to have to drive all the way to the Ferguson's house. That could easily take hours with the roads as they were. Could she use mind control in this situation? Even if she could us
e it on the cop closest to the car, there were three others to contend with.
The other laughing officer came to the door and leaned against it. "Do you have any ID?"
Natalie dug into her purse. She handed him her driver's license.
He shook his head. "That address isn't in this neighborhood."
She hit the dashboard, swearing. "That's my parent's address. My fiancé and I live at 3517 Huckleberry La—"
The glove compartment popped open and some envelopes fell out into her lap.
"I thought that was locked. Oh! I have mail on it with my name and address. See? It's from the lady who's making our wedding cake. It has my name and my fiancé's name." She handed it to the closest officer.
He held out and looked at it. "That does match the address you just gave me."
"So, you'll let us through?"
Still holding the mail, he leaned closer to Natalie. "The address doesn't match the one on your license. How do we know you're even telling the truth? You could have stolen the car. Vehicles are abandoned all over the city."
Tears ran down Natalie's face. "Look at the names on both. I'm telling the truth—it's me. I'm engaged to be married. Please."
Clara looked at the cop. "Would you just compare the names? They would match if she's telling the truth, wouldn't they?" It was all she could do not to roll her eyes, or worse, get out of the car and suck him dry. Did they think they got to make up the law because there was a disaster? It was hardly cause for martial law.
"Let me see the license again."
Natalie handed it over, wiping at her eyes. The two officers looked back and forth between the two—obviously it was a two-man job.
The other one pulled out a clipboard and flipped through some papers attached. "Looks like it matches the info we have here on 3517 Huckleberry. Braydon's last name is Bennett, same as the listed owner of the home, John Bennett." He turned to the other cops and waved for them to move the barricade.
They handed Natalie back her stuff, and then Clara put up the windows and drove on once the road was clear. "Can you believe those guys? Talk about a power trip."
"I'm going tell Uncle John all about it. They may not realize his connections with their chief, but they soon will. I've never been treated like a criminal before, and I didn't do anything to deserve it."
"How does Braydon's uncle know the chief?" Clara was trying to distract her, because with everything going on, those idiots were the last thing she needed to be upset about.
Natalie spoke about his relatives while Clara focused on the road. Whatever debris had been there was removed. Sirens could be heard, now louder than before. This must have been where they all went first before taking care of the general population.
"Do I need to turn anywhere? I haven't come in this way before."
"You're fine for a few blocks."
They rode in silence again, except for Natalie telling Clara where to turn before she finally recognized where they were.
When they pulled into Braydon's driveway, Natalie nearly flew out of the car. Clara turned the car off, and then followed her up the steps. The front door opened before they got there, and some guy appeared in the doorway. Clara assumed that he was Uncle John. Natalie ran to him, throwing herself into his arms. "Is Braydon okay?"
"He's inside resting."
Clara stood back, giving them space. Uncle John looked at her after Natalie had stepped away. "I'm John Bennett." He put out his hand.
She took it and shook. "Nice to meet you. I'm Clara Erikson. I'm staying with the Fergusons this summer."
"Clara, it's good to meet you. Thank you for driving Natalie. Why don't you girls come inside and relax? Where were you when it happened?"
"We were in the mall. It was horrible." They stepped inside.
His eyes widened, and then he closed the door. "You were inside the mall? That was one of the places hardest hit."
Natalie burst into tears again. He gave her another hug. "You're safe now. That's the important thing. Do you want me to wake Braydon?"
She looked like she wanted to say yes, but she shook her head no. "Let him rest."
Clara looked at John. "How do you know the mall was the hardest hit? That wasn't on the broadcast."
"I've got the news on in the living room. We've got both satellite and an antenna. They're updating everything as they find out what's going on. There are two local stations reporting, and then of course plenty of national stations."
"Do you know what happened?"
"Why don't you two get your shoes off? Then we can get comfortable and settle in on the couches and watch the news. Do you need something to eat?"
Clara nodded as she got her shoes off. Natalie stepped back and took hers off too.
When they reached the living room, Uncle John indicated for them to sit. He disappeared into the next room. Clara could hear him telling someone to make them food.
They sat down, and Natalie pulled a blanket over herself. Clara watched the newscast, trying to figure out what had happened. As far as she could tell, the explosions had hit up and down along the entire Pacific coast and some of the East coast too. Nothing was said about either Canada or Mexico being hit along their coast lines.
When Uncle John came back in, he sat in a recliner. "The food will be ready soon."
Clara thanked him. "Do you know why we were hit, Mr. Bennett?"
"Just call me Uncle John—all of Braydon's friends do. Right now, they suspect one of the communist countries. Ever since the new president was elected, we've been a target. She hasn't kept her mission to rid the world of socialism a secret."
"Did they hit our entire coastline?"
He nodded. "They've hit parts of each coastal state along both oceans."
Clara tilted her head.
Natalie let out a sigh. "So, are we going to fight back? We can't just sit around when we've been attacked."
"Certainly. All of our troops are being prepared right now. Every reserve has been called for duty. In the meantime, the president and her people are looking into the source of it."
"Is it going to be a full blown war?" Natalie pulled the blanket closer to her chin.
"More than likely. Right now, the troops are on the defensive, ready to protect our nation. As soon as we know who attacked, we're going after them."
"Why not just pick any communist country and attack? Show them we won't be messed with." Tears filled Natalie's eyes. "They have no right to do this to us."
Uncle John shook his head. "We can't do that, dear. We wouldn't get the backing of any other countries if we did. Although, the other anti-communist countries are backing us up."
One of the house staff entered the room. "Would you like the food brought in here? Or will you come into the dining room?"
"We'll eat in here today." He glanced over at Natalie, looking worried. She looked terrified.
Chapter 26
WILLIAM OPENED HIS eyes. He was in a darkened room. The only light came from underneath the door. He looked around, unable to tell where he was. Nothing looked familiar. Even the bed he was in felt strange.
He remembered not being able to move earlier, before he had fallen asleep. He wiggled his fingers and toes. At least those moved. He tried moving his legs around. His right knee moved up, but the left one felt restrained.
Next, he moved his arms. They both had full motion, although he noticed his right wrist was wrapped up. It wasn't in a hard cast, but some kind of soft material. Was that what was on his leg, too? He maneuvered his way under the blankets and felt his leg. It was wrapped in the same kind of material.
Where was he? It wasn't a hospital room, nor was it a room in his house. He was sure he had never been in the room before. Even with the limited light, he could see enough to know he was somewhere strange.
His head had a dull ache. He reached up and felt around, discovering a large bump on the side of his head. It felt somewhat crusty, as though it had been bleeding.
What happened? Had h
e been abducted? He tried sitting up, suddenly desperate to get out of there. He listened for conversation. Hadn't he heard some before he had fallen asleep? He couldn't hear anything aside from the sound of his own labored breathing.
The first thing he needed to do was to find a way outside. Then he needed something to eat. His stomach was rumbling.
William moved the blankets aside, and then slid his legs off the bed. He stood on his good leg. It held his weight just fine. He put half of his weight onto the wrapped up leg. He winced at the sharp pains that shot through his knee. That could make escaping more challenging, but it wasn't going to stop him.
He took several painful steps, discovering that his left ankle hurt too, even though it wasn't wrapped up. He leaned against what appeared to be a dresser. His wrist ached, so he adjusted his weight, leaning against his left arm instead.
What had happened to him? What was the last thing he could remember? There was something about a dog. What was it? A cocker spaniel? A beagle?
He shook his head. It didn't matter what kind of a dog it was, he had obviously not been attacked by a dog. Though he felt some scratches on his arms and legs, there were no puncture wounds indicating an animal bite.
Had the dog been with anyone? No. It had been in a car. He was petting a dog inside a car, but he was outside. What did the car look like? It might have been red, but he couldn't be sure. Where had he been going or coming from?
His head ached. He rubbed the tender bump. Whatever had happened to him had probably been enough to hinder his short term memory. He sighed.
Images of the Delphic Cove lake came into his mind. He had been there because he was upset about something. What? He had run into Clara and they had some sort of an argument. She asked him if he wanted the ring back.
What happened next? He looked around the room, desperate for answers that he wouldn't find there. Had he taken the ring back? Had she put it back on? What had he done? She was the best thing to ever happen to him. Whatever their argument had been about, surely it was something they could have worked through. When had they not been able to work through something?
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