He sighed heavily. “Lay it on me, Shiloh.”
“The first is Nora, the mother of Kaylee and Liam,” she began. “From what I figure she died on the road between here and the Fire Hall… and we didn’t even notice. Aaron… Aaron is of course torn apart at the loss of his wife and the even heavier weight of having to raise two young children in this world… Let alone how hard it would have been before.”
“I’m sure we’ll help him,” he said, taking a breath. “Next.”
“Helen.”
Derek looked down and punched the back of the sleigh with his hand. She was someone that had come out with him because he had asked her to. He was directly responsible for her death.
“On the other side of things, George and his cronies are all dead. There weren’t that many of them.” She looked around and then continued. “We lost one of the horses in the fire fight.”
“Mine?”
“Yeah, and he was a good horse too. I’ll let you explain that one to Sheridan, but, given the circumstances, I don’t see her being that upset. Upset that we lost him, and others too, but I imagine she will understand we did what we could,” answered Shiloh.
* * * * *
Daniel stood just inside what had once been the main entry of the parking garage underneath the city hall. Unlike the other side that led out onto the four-lane boulevard, this one led out to a two lane street and a park. The gate was still closed and when he looked out it appeared quiet.
Another seven—all police officers or other emergency services, except for one army reservist—stood behind him.
It had taken far too long to find another team not only willing to go out, but also possessing the right set of skills. This was not the usual patrol. It was a walk right into an urban battle field.
“All right,” he said. “The first priority is supplies. No supplies will mean we don’t eat and the rest of our people starve to death. Second, we find our people. Understood?”
There were nods all around.
He signalled to the gate keeper and the gate slowly slid open. Daniel winced at the clattering and creaking of the gate. The noise was enough to alert anyone listening for it that the gate to City Hall had finally been opened. The amount of time it took to open was a way in for anyone waiting for that opportune moment. He made a cutting motion with his hand and the gate keeper stopped the gate from opening any further.
Daniel led the others out and then signalled again to the gate keeper to close the gate. Again, the creaking and grinding sound of the gate closing was far too loud, causing Daniel to wince again, and once it closed everything turned quiet once more.
“Maybe we’re lucky and the gangs are sleeping off a rough night,” said one of the officers.
“One could hope,” admitted Daniel. “All right, stay sharp. I wish I could say by the book but I don’t think any of our books covered this. Just be damn careful out here.”
They moved out to the street and Daniel led them toward the arena, which was just to the south of City Hall. Strangely, while it would have made for another prime shelter like the mall, no one was ever spotted going in or coming out of the building. Tracks were non-existent and Daniel led them that way first.
Up until a few years ago, the train station had always been semi-deserted. Now, in the summer at least, it had become the Farmer’s Market. There were numerous restaurants and cafes along the street facing the tracks. All deserted. If they looped around the arena and down that run and then into the downtown core again, they could cover all the restaurants and boutique delis and stores.
Hopefully the nuts in the mall had not already come to the same conclusion.
Funny how before all this, the walk had always been short, even pleasant, when those same stores had been open. Once off work, he would often share a good coffee at the roastery that sat right across from the arena. His friend, Derek Moss, had addicted him to the place as they were both coffee hounds in their own way. Sheridan also loved the place. She, however, tended to frequent places closer to her end of town and even if she ventured further in she preferred the Italian place on Regent.
He sighed.
He had no idea if he would see her, or his friends, again. At least he knew that if anyone survived it was likely to be them so long as she had not been at the hospital when everything went out.
Derek… well…
The last reports of what happened in Garson and up that way were as grim as downtown.
He turned his focus back to the here and now. As easy as this walk would have been before, it was not simple anymore. The streets were clogged with snow and abandoned vehicles and other debris that they had to move around and double check.
Daniel was thankful of one thing only.
The cars were at least completely abandoned – no one had opted to remain with the cars and therefore it was unlikely that they would discover a body within any of those parked along the way. Considering his choice in career, he had seen more than his fair share and it never got any easier.
After fifteen minutes of careful plodding through the snow to the corner by the train station and the arena, they could clearly see that the area was completely deserted. There was absolutely no sign that the gangs had even made this far from the mall.
“Well, this is anti-climatic,” stated one of the others, and Daniel turned to glare at him. “Not that I’m complaining. Just stating a fact.”
“Well, let’s check the restaurants. Maybe there’s something still in them.”
The first one they checked was the coffee shop. It was not as if he was expecting a whole lot in the way of food in there as it did not actually serve heavier meals. He suspected this was due to the very tiny space it occupied less than the fact that it was right beside two places that did serve food. But, and he would admit it was because he really missed his morning coffee, he knew that they had had regular—and huge—shipments of coffee beans that they roasted and ground right on the premises.
And it looked like they had had a big one right before Harnet declared martial law.
Daniel would have danced if his instincts were not on high alert for any sign of danger. Some of the beans never had a chance to be even roasted yet which that meant with a bit of tender loving care they could still be coaxed to grow into a full plant.
Strangely enough, they did have something that could nurture these plants like a year round multi-level farm. The tower that housed city hall was encased in glass on almost every side. The roof was already accessible and often used as a daycare’s play area. Each floor within the city hall was open concept and while north facing the greenhouse effect within could serve as a place to grow their food.
Starting with the coffee.
Now they just had to get some actual food seeds and he knew just the place where to get those. Luckily, it was also downtown. In fact, it was right across the street from the square—if on the side that was regularly raided.
Still, it was a chance they would have to take.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
In the afternoon, the door opened and in strode a very tired looking Derek and Shiloh.
“Thank the Gods,” exclaimed Sheridan. “I was worried. The watch said they heard shots to the north.”
“Unfortunately that was us,” answered Derek. “We ran into trouble… and… Helen is dead.”
Sheridan sat down heavily. “Dear God in Heaven,” breathed one of the other nurses.
“Was anyone else lost?” she asked.
“Nora—” At Sheridan’s confused look, he answered. “Someone we met at the Fire Hall who agreed to join us. She left two young children and their father. Those three survived. We also found three others out there.”
“Patrice, his father died,” answered Shiloh. “We couldn’t help him. Also Zachary and Emilie. Zachary is a constable for the Sudbury Police, and Emilie is a paramedic.”
“So six more to add to the survivors. I’m glad you found someone… but why the shooting?” asked Sheridan as she c
aught how Derek and Shiloh looked at each other. “What happened out there?”
“We had an… altercation with a group of people, and I use the term loosely—who decided they were going to lure us in on our good intentions and wanted what we had,” answered Shiloh. “We had no choice, Sheri, it was us or them.”
“I wasn’t going to blame you,” said Sheridan. “I wasn’t there, you were. You did what you had to do and this world is going to force a great number of those kinds of decisions on us. We don’t have to like it, but we do have to accept it if we are to survive.”
That was the problem with this, she realized. Those hard decisions that once were hypothetical and bandied back and forth between people as a philosophical ‘what if’ now had become very brutally real. Decisions needed to be quick and the hard ones did not have the time or luxury of debate over what was right and wrong for humanity as a whole. It had literally come down to decide what was right for the group and hope they could all live with it at the end of the day.
Sheridan did not think she was the kind of person who could make those decisions. Or, at least she used to think that she was not. Now, however, she had to make those sorts of decisions every single day.
It was like triage, only the stakes were much, much higher.
And it seemed like the longer time went on the more that everyone around her depended on her decisions to get them through and she just didn't know how long she could keep doing it.
A few moments later Tyrell came in and motioned for her to follow him. He acknowledged Shiloh and Derek, and pulled them with him as well. “Sheri, there’s something wrong with Rick.”
“What do you mean?” asked Sheridan.
“He was fine one minute and then he couldn’t talk,” answered Lorraine. “It looks like a stroke—the exact same thing happened to your grandfather.”
Sheridan pressed her lips into a thin line and turned to Shiloh. “Get my kit out of my office,” she asked, and Shiloh nodded once before running back to the front office turned clinic. “I’ll be honest. I have no idea what I’ll be able to do for him without a hospital.”
“I know,” said Lorraine and, more quietly. “Just do your best.”
Sheridan walked into the kitchen, and knelt by the stricken man. “Oh Rick,” she breathed, as she held his hand. “Where’s my kit, Shy!”
“Right here!” came Shiloh’s answer as she knelt beside Sheridan.
“Can I help?” asked Emilie. “I’m a paramedic, not a doctor or a nurse.”
“Get in here,” said Sheridan and she looked up at Derek. “Did you find anything at the Fire Hall?”
“Stripped an ambulance,” said Emilie, as she stood up again. “I’ll be right back with the stroke kit.”
Derek stepped back, unable to watch. Emilie came running back into the house with the bag and a bottle of oxygen. She vanished from view behind the kitchen island. There were a few quiet murmurs, and then he heard Sheridan state clearly, “Log time of death. I’m sorry Rick… I couldn’t do anything but ease it for you.”
The shock rendered him numb. Just like that another one was lost and there was absolutely nothing any of them could do. “Not Rick,” breathed Marissa, as she held her hand to her mouth.
“Terrence,” said Derek. “Nora, Helen. Rick… and we’re not even a week into this yet and already we have four to mourn.”
* * * * *
The first house they came to had a furnace that relied on oil and when the tank ran out, the furnace had quit. Russell leaned on the door of the SUV and Adrienne looked past him, shaking her head.
Instead of risking moving to another house, those within had attempted to burn something else to keep warm but instead had burned their house down. The entire back half was a write off, even though the front part looked untouched.
“What do we do now?” asked Adrienne’s mother.
“We keep going,” answered Adrienne.
Everyone climbed back into the SUV and Adrienne backed out of the driveway to continue south down the back road. She had been right about one thing. The dips and valleys, which required going down one side and up the other, were now getting rare and they were heading downhill far more than they headed uphill.
This was eating into their already iffy situation with fuel.
Finally, at the top of one final hill, the engine spluttered and died just at the end of another driveway. Unlike the first house, they could see a thin curl of smoke from the house that overlooked a lake. The house seemed to cling to the top and side of the hill by the lake and the patio at the back must have had a truly fantastic view.
They walked up the curving driveway.
“The SUV would have never made it up this hill anyway,” said Russell.
Adrienne nodded as they finally reached the front of the house. Two people came out of the house and when they spotted Adrienne, they sighed in relief.
“Talk about a sight for sore eyes…” said the man as he came down and shook everyone’s hand pumping Adrienne’s the most. “With what we heard on the radio about martial law and then nothing else we assumed the worst.”
“I can confirm it,” admitted Adrienne. “Can we come inside?”
“Of course you can!” exclaimed the woman. “Hugh, how could you not even think of basic hospitality, especially now with how cold it has become. They look half frozen.”
They followed the couple inside and Russell looked around at the ample supply of paintings and other artwork that decorated the living room. Adrienne knocked off her boots and the others followed her example. They all allowed the couple to strip them of their wet clothing and to wrap them in blankets. The first thing put into each person’s hand was a cup of hot tea.
“Oh, this is heavenly, thank you,” said Adrienne’s mother.
After a moment, while they warmed up, Adrienne finally said, “We have it on good authority that our government has fallen. What we knew is now gone.”
“Are you serious?” asked the woman.
Russell nodded. “There’s some strong circumstantial evidence, as well as firsthand reports.” He motioned to the three young men who had ventured across the ice. “Apparently the city has fallen into disarray and looting.”
“And if Sudbury is gone, so are the rest of our cities, and perhaps the rest of North America. We’ve been thrown right back into the 1800’s,” pointed out Adrienne’s father. “We came here because it’s safer and because we’ve got nothing in the way of supplies. I’d hate to ask this but we’re looking for shelter.”
The couple looked at each and then the man sighed. “Well, we don’t have much. But if you aren’t averse to some hard work, we have no problem putting you up. Frankly, though, we’re all going to have to work hard to survive. You have a problem with that?”
“You won’t hear any argument from me,” answered Russell, and there was a chorus of agreement from behind him.
“Then you’re welcome to stay,” said the woman. “My name is Laurie, and you’ve already met Hugh.”
* * * * *
If they thought he was stupid or wasn’t able to recognize the signs of dissension, then they were more idiotic than he had originally believed them to be when he first drove in here.
Garrett was neither stupid nor naive.
He was hardly surprised when the four men came up behind him while he was out checking the fishing nets and he was already turning to face them when they arrived. He said, “I heard you coming, so don’t even bother being quiet about it.”
The one caught gambling his share away led them and Garrett looked from one man to the other, noting that each one was armed with something, even if it was a stray piece of metal bar.
“No way this will end peacefully, I take it, eh?” he asked. “The old man has to die so the younger ones survive.”
“Nothing personal, old man.”
“None taken.” Garrett stood up straight, his arms crossed over his chest. “Just keep one thing in mind. If you think I’m going to be an e
asy mark you’d best think again. If I’m going down, more than one of you comes with me and then you’d be pretty hard pressed to explain not one disappearance, but perhaps three? Maybe five if I’m lucky.”
A few of them shifted uncomfortably. They knew he was fighting for his survival.
Garrett was not going to let them win this without it. “Well, come on, don’t have all day,” he sighed as he cracked his knuckles.
The instigator lifted the piece of re-bar above his head and took a step. Garrett kept an eye on him, but fully expected the strike from his opposite side from one of the others. What they did not expect was that he could read their actions way ahead of them.
He plucked the bar from that one’s hand and let his own momentum continue past him as he took a small step back. Lifting one leg in a neat trip, Garret sent the man sprawling into the snow-covered gravel. When the decoy finally made his move, Garret shifted to his right and crouched, and then threw him up and over his shoulder as he abruptly stood up.
The scream behind him and scrambling sounds of metal on icy rock… and the splash… told him and the remaining four that the instigator had just slid to a cold, watery death. The current would carry his body to an even nastier end through the second stage turbines.
Garret turned to face the other three, except of course for the man still on the gravel that was just picking himself up now, his face one of horror at the fate of his co-conspirator. That one short scuffle and its end had just stolen their desire for further violence.
“Well, that it?” asked Garrett, tapping the bar in one hand. “Who else wants to go for a swim?”
They backed off and Garrett scowled. “I’d tell you to get the hell out of here but I’m not a cruel man. You can stay until spring and then I don’t want to see anything but the back of you. You’re done here. You stay on the other part of this work site and away from the others. Consider yourselves all fired. Now get the hell out of my sight.”
* * * * *
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