by Dave Bowman
The store was dark, and her head lamp illuminated only a narrow path directly in front of her. She was almost grateful her hearing was still not back to normal, because she thought she heard the faint sound of scampering mice, or other, larger animals.
She almost regretted having volunteered to do this, but she pushed on. She wanted to eat just as much as the others, and Nick shouldn’t have to do all the dirty work.
She imagined all the people who had passed through these aisles before her. There must have been chaos when everyone started dying, and people had tried to stock up. Some of them had apparently died trying.
What remained of the canned food aisle had mostly been cleared out. She guessed that Nick had found the remaining few cans from the back of the shelves. On the next aisle, though, she found a few boxed meals -- instant potatoes, grits, and dried soup mixes. There were some bottles of juice and flavored drinks, and some jars of applesauce. She had to lie down on the dirty floor to reach those all the way at the back of the shelf, but she didn’t mind.
At first glance, many of the shelves looked cleaned out, but as she got closer to some of them, she could see scattered items still remaining in the back. The store had been ransacked, but what remained would add up to a substantial amount of food to take with them.
On the bottom shelf, all the way in the back, she found several boxes of canning salt, and she took them all. Salt would be crucial for preserving food and adding flavor.
She moved on to the baby section, which still had some items left. Using her arm, she raked the tiny jars of pureed vegetables and fruit into the cart. They fell on top of the cardboard boxes of packaged dinners. She figured pureed peas were better than no peas.
Next up was the meal replacement section. She grabbed the remaining cases of Ensure and protein bars. The first aid supplies were nearby. She knew Nick had most of what they needed, but she grabbed the remaining hydrogen peroxide, gauze and bandages on the shelf anyway. A few bottles of multivitamins, just in case. Arnica balm would help Nick’s sprained ankle, and it never hurt to have peppermint and tea tree oil.
There were some personal hygiene products at home, but what would it hurt to have more? It’s not like anyone will be making this stuff again, she thought. She grabbed handfuls of bar soap, shampoo, dental floss, and toothbrushes. No need to slack on dental care just because the world has ended.
She laughed a little as she saw the undisturbed makeup aisle. She moved on without further thought. She did, however, grab what was left of the lip balm and hand cream, knowing it would come in handy during the cold, dry winter.
The pharmacy door was open, so she went in and helped herself to some large bottles of antibiotics and painkillers. There were even some snake bite kits she snatched up.
With the shopping cart heaped over, she pushed it to the front entrance. A newspaper display caught her eye. Most of the newspapers were gone, but there was one from Santa Fe New Mexican dated September 2.
FOUR PERCENT SURVIVAL RATE, the headline read. It was apparently the last article issued by the Associated Press. Jessa moved her eyes quickly over the article, which had clearly been written hastily. This edition of the newspaper was little more than a couple of pages of short write-ups, but she grabbed the remaining few copies. It was the only mention of the survival rate she had seen in any publication.
And it confirmed that Mia had been right all along, she realized with a smile. She knew that Mia had been in hiding when any newspapers from that date had come out – the girl had told her that she had stayed indoors when her parents first got sick – and she wouldn't have seen it. They had a real child prodigy on their hands.
She pushed the cart outside, relieved to fill her lungs with the fresher air outdoors.
They were able to scavenge a few more loads of food and supplies, filling up the truck. The sun was dipping low in the blue sky, and neither of them needed to even mention the increased risk of being out after dark. Without a moment wasted, they hopped in and drove off, looking forward to leaving Santa Fe.
Their hearing had partially returned, and they could communicate with each other a little better. As soon as they got out of the city, Jessa spoke up.
“I’m sorry about what happened back there --”
“You could have gotten us killed!” Nick interrupted, clearly upset. “I knew I should have trusted my gut.”
“I know it was dangerous, but we got out of there alive. It all turned out OK, right?”
He shot her a doubtful look.
“OK, you’re right,” Jessa said. “I know we just barely made it out alive. And we had to kill those guys. I’m sorry, Nick.”
She looked at him with sincerity.
“I just had to find out if he was alive,” she said quietly. “You can understand that, can’t you?”
He sighed. Of course he could relate to the desperate need to know. He had considered driving out to East Texas several times to check on his own family, and that would be much more dangerous than going to Santa Fe.
“I understand,” he said. “But no more errands for you. And this makes us even. Driving around the barricade in Los Gatos is now forgotten. We both made some dumb mistakes today.”
He gave her a little smile.
“Absolutely, we're even,” she said. “You have to admit, though,” she said. “I held my own out there.”
“You did just fine,” he said. “I doubt Charlie could have done any better.”
Jessa scoffed. “Come on, Nick, you know who you’d pick next time to have your back.”
Nick gave her a half smile, but he didn’t answer. Jessa took that as an answer in the affirmative.
30
Once she entered the forest, a sense of dread filled Liz. She tried to push it away and reason with herself. It was just the low light of the woods as the sun was setting that made her feel uneasy. She tried to laugh at herself for never outgrowing a childish fear of the dark. She picked up her pace as she moved through the woods, now familiar with the route between the vehicles and the lodge.
Still, she couldn’t shake the terror that had gripped her. She was now in the middle portion of the journey back to the lodge. Just a few more minutes, and she would reach the open space of the meadow. She broke into a run, desperately craving to escape the shadowy forest.
For just a moment, she felt like an animal, running from a predator. The primal feeling ran through her body, and she felt all at once that her fear had not been unfounded.
The next moment, she knew she had been caught.
They came out of nowhere, their arms wrapping around her shoulders and waist, pinning her arms behind her back and deftly removing her gun from its holster before she could even reach for it. A hand over her mouth prevented her from screaming, and she tried to bite it. She fought with all her might, kicking her legs at them and twisting to get away.
But the rope that bound her hands together and the cloth that blinded her eyes and tied at the back of her head slowed her down considerably. She heard them struggling to keep her still. She didn’t know how many they were, but she fought as long as she could, using her knees and feet against them.
Finally, a blow struck her on the side of her head, and everything went black.
Mia had been in the walk-in pantry, deciding what they would cook for dinner that night, when Liz went outside just before sunset.
The girl came out of the small room into the kitchen, carrying some cans. She was surprised to see only Charlie there.
“Where’s Liz?”
“I think she’s in the latrine,” he said. “She said something about a stomachache.”
Mia frowned, and fear crept over her. She set the cans down and went outside to the latrine.
“Liz?” she called, approaching the rustic outhouse.
After waiting, and hearing no response, Mia pushed the door open to see the empty toilet.
She let the door slam shut on its own and turned around, her eyes scanning over the meadow.
“Liz!” she called out.
She went to the tool shed. Nothing.
Liz was gone.
Mia ran back inside.
“She’s gone!” she cried, her face twisting up in terror.
Charlie looked up, startled. “She’s not in the latrine?”
Mia shook her head. “I can’t find her anywhere out there.”
Charlie fought the panic back and tried to think.
“It’s my fault,” she said. “I had a bad feeling about this…” Her voice trailed off.
“It’s not your fault, Mia. Don’t be silly. She’s probably just out walking or something.”
But that story sounded unbelievable to Charlie even as he said it. Something was wrong. He grabbed his rifle and slung it over his shoulder, then grabbed a flashlight.
“I’m going out to look for her. Stay in here, and don’t come out. Keep the door locked until I get back. Do you understand?”
Mia nodded, the tears welling up in her eyes.
Her frightened face pulled at his heart strings. “It’ll be OK, Mia. I'll be back, I promise.”
She watched him go out into the twilight, trembling. Now she was all alone, and she was terrified.
The tears rolled down her cheeks. She had known Liz was hiding something. She didn’t know what, but she knew her friend was acting strange. And she had tried to keep Liz indoors as much as she could. It had worked after lunch, when Mia had talked to her and kept her close by. But Liz had slipped out anyway, and now she was gone.
Mia had lost her mother, and now her new, dear, friend. She curled up on the couch, sobbing, while she watched the door.
31
Charlie stepped out with his rifle slung over his shoulder, then he quickly brought it around to hold in his hands. The night was coming on quickly, and he heard the sound of small animals settling down for the darkness in the woods nearby. He moved quickly down the porch steps and searched around the house, latrine, and tool shed. He called out for Liz over and over, but there was no trace of her.
He crossed the meadow and entered the woods on the other side, headed in the direction of the parked vehicles. He guessed she must have gone to her truck to get some forgotten object or other. The woods were almost totally dark, and he turned the flashlight on to illuminate the path, stopping every so often to call for her and listen for a response.
He finally arrived at the clearing and the vehicles. His heart sank when he saw at once that she was not there. He had exhausted all the possible places that Liz might go on her own, and his mind filled with worry about her.
She wouldn’t have gone anywhere else. Someone must have taken her.
He looked over the area, searching for anything that might be out of place, any kind of clue as to her whereabouts. It all looked the same as he had left it this morning when he rode out to the gravel road with Nick and Jessa.
A brightly colored piece of plastic caught his eye, and he walked over to look at it. It was a small package of cookies lying on the ground, partially hidden behind the front wheel of the truck Liz had driven. He picked up the package and turned it over in his hand as if it held the mystery of her disappearance. He didn't think the cookies were there that morning, but he supposed he could have missed them.
He walked out to the main road. Everything was just as it had been that morning. Not knowing what else to do, Charlie turned back toward the lodge. Maybe he would get lucky and Liz would have returned home by then. He began the walk back, calling her all the way.
An hour later, Charlie was still searching. He’d gone back to the lodge to find Mia crying, still alone. It was at that point the panic really started to overtake him.
Liz was missing.
He’d put on a good face for Mia, telling her that Liz had probably gotten lost in the woods, but that she’d find her way back soon. She wouldn’t have gone far, he promised her. But Mia would hear none of it. She knew, and Charlie knew, that something awful had happened to their friend.
Charlie did another search of the property surrounding the lodge, just in case Liz was injured nearby and for some reason not answering his calls. But there was no trace of her.
He went back to Mia, trying to calm her down unsuccessfully. Then he began a sweep of the woods from the house to the road, covering the ground in a zigzag fashion. He made use of a compass, careful not to get himself lost in the dark woods. Finally he made it back to the road again.
He began to follow the gravel road toward the south, in the direction they had all come from, calling her name. The adrenaline fueled him, and he did not feel tired. He had to find her.
He had turned off his lamp long ago, his eyes having adjusted to the low light of the stars and the low, waxing moon. He walked along the road, his eyes sweeping over the land, searching for any kind of light in the distance, his ears attuned to any noise.
He heard the engine long before he saw the light. It was coming up the mountain. He stopped and waited. When he saw the headlights, he raised his arm, flagging the driver to stop.
32
A cold, hard floor beneath her body was the first thing Liz became aware of. She was groggy and disoriented, but she knew she wasn’t safe. She was lying on the floor with her hands tied behind her. She couldn’t see anything, and she wasn’t sure if she’d gone blind at first, but then she realized she had been blindfolded.
Her wrists and shoulders were aching, and she struggled slightly against the material that bound her hands. As she came more fully awake, she could hear men’s voices. She immediately stopped moving. She didn’t want them to know she was awake.
“I told you we shouldn't have taken her yet!” She recognized this voice as belonging to James, which didn't surprise her all that much. Somehow she had known it was him she was struggling against in the woods.
“What did you want me to do? She was right there. It was our only chance.”
“You're such a moron, dude. Now what do we do with her?”
“We stick to the plan. We've been through this a million times. We can't do anything until she’s awake. We’ll let the little princess sleep for now...”
Their voices faded as they moved out of earshot. She couldn’t tell if there were two or three men there. She lay like that for awhile, trying to hear anything. Finally, exhausted, she fell back into her dark, dreamless sleep.
Jessa had just dozed off the final few minutes of the long drive back up the mountain, but she jerked awake with the decrease in sound from the engine. The truck was stopping, but she saw after she opened her eyes they weren’t home yet, and her stomach tensed.
There was a man on the road holding a gun and waving them down. Her hand flew to her weapon, realizing Nick was stopping.
“Let’s hope he’s friendly,” Nick said.
Then, she recognized him. It was Charlie. He recognized them as soon as they stopped, and he looked relieved.
“What are you doing out here, Charlie?” Nick asked.
“Thank God it’s you two. You got a new truck,” he said, leaning on the passenger side door. “It’s Liz,” he said, catching his breath. “She’s missing.”
“What?” Jessa asked, still not fully awake. “What do you mean, missing?”
“She went out to the latrine just before sunset. Said her stomach was hurting. Mia went out a few minutes later and Liz had disappeared. I’ve been searching everywhere for her. She’s nowhere. Just gone.”
Nick felt his stomach tighten, and he ran his hand through his hair. “Where’s Mia?”
“She’s back at the lodge, scared stiff, poor thing.” Charlie sighed. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where Liz is.”
“Ride back with us to the clearing and we’ll figure out what to do,” Nick finally said.
The supplies the two had gotten took up the bed and the backseat, but Jessa moved over and Charlie squeezed in next to her. Once they had parked the truck, they decided Jessa should wait back at the lodge with Mia. She started off to retu
rn on her own, but Nick set off behind her, and he motioned for Charlie to follow.
“You’re not going to disappear on us, too,” Nick said. “We’re going with you.”
Jessa may have been tough and able to hold her own, but Nick didn’t want to take any chances. He couldn’t help but worry that Liz had been captured because she was a woman. The thought disgusted him, and he resolved to find her quickly.
Jessa didn’t argue with having company on the walk back to the lodge.
They found Mia terrified and crying.
“She's gone, she's gone,” she wailed. Jessa held the girl close, trying to calm her down.
“We're going to get her back, don't worry,” Jessa said, trying to reassure them both.
After securing Jessa and Mia in the lodge, Nick and Charlie went back out into the night, heavily armed. They scoured the woods and the surrounding area. They called out for her well into the night, but there was never any response.
Finally, they came home worried and defeated. They couldn’t find Liz. They retreated to the safety of the lodge, planning to begin their search again in the light of day.
33
Liz was awakened by rough hands on her, pulling her up to a sitting position. She was now seated on the floor, but her hands were still tied behind her back and she couldn’t see.
“Time to wake up, princess,” James’s voice said.
“Take this blindfold off, please,” she said. “I already know it’s you, James.”
“Sorry it had to be this way, sweetheart,” he said. “But that’s the way things are now. Everyone’s out for themselves.”
“I helped you, James,” she said. “You would have starved or dehydrated without what I gave you. And now you’ve kidnapped me?”
“Yeah, I’m so grateful for your candy bars and bags of potato chips. You’re a nice girl, Liz. Very trusting. But that’s not what this is about.”
