“No. I mean, you can use pretty words and tell her they died quickly and felt no pain and all that. But no matter what words you use, the pain will be the same. And I know from my own experience with Johnny and the kids that there is no greater pain in the world. Would you like for me to tell her? I’m more detached since I don’t know her, and I’ve been sharing bad news for years.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I can’t shirk the responsibility. I wouldn’t be much of a man, or a father, if I abdicated the hard jobs to others. I just want to know how to tell her without hurting her any more than I have to.”
“My best advice is to be direct. Be gentle, but don’t sugarcoat it. If she’s Jordan’s girlfriend, then she’s old enough to know that the odds of her parents both surviving were pretty slim. I mean, let’s face it. Only ten percent of the city has survived, and no family I’ve heard about has come through unscathed. I’d be willing to bet that she expects the bad news already. She just needs for you to confirm her suspicions.”
“Should I wait until after the all-clear, so I can tell her in person?”
“Are Linda and Jordan there with her?”
“Yes, and Hannah Castro and a whole bunch of other people who love her.”
“I know Hannah. She’s a midwife. She’s had to deliver bad news herself on occasion. It’s good that she’ll be there.
“I’d advise against waiting. It’ll serve no purpose, other than dragging out her suspense. It’s best that you apologize up front, tell her you love her, and then share the news. It’ll suck big time, and you’ll feel like dirt. But on the other end, there are others who can hold her and comfort her and do the things you’ll want to do yourself.
“So I’d advise you not to wait. Do it now, get it over with, and then when you go back to the compound, do whatever you can to let her know you love her and that you’re there for her.”
“Will you be there for me to lean on?”
“Sure. When are you going to call her?”
“Tonight. But that’s not what I was talking about.”
Becky looked at him, puzzled.
“When I get back to the compound. Are you going to be by my side to help me comfort her?”
“Well, we’ve expressed our love for each other. And I’m not willing to let you get away from me. So that leaves two options. Either you stay here with me or I go there with you. And there are a lot more reasons to be there than here. Will your family accept me?”
“My family will love you. How could they possibly not?”
-13-
Scott cracked open the door of John Castro’s house and stuck his head inside. He’d moved in with John right after his release from the hospital. John also shared space with Robbie and Randy, two other San Antonio police officers.
“Hey, you guys make sure you’re decent! I’m bringing a woman in.”
From her position on the front porch, next to Scott, Becky would hear scrambling inside.
“Not to be nosy or anything, but are those guys in the habit of running around the house naked?”
“Naked? No. But sometimes to get comfortable, they’ll walk around in their underwear or without a shirt on. It can be a pretty ugly sight. Especially Randy in his tighty whities or John in his SpongeBob or Scooby Doo underwear.”
“SpongeBob and Scooby Doo underwear? Really?”
“Seriously. Hannah bought them for him just before the blackout as a gag. He said he was wearing the Scooby Doos the last time he and Hannah made love. He said they bring back pleasant memories and calls them his lucky underwear. We told him we don’t mind him wearing them as long as he doesn’t try to get lucky with us.”
She winced and said, “Ugh. I could have done without that visual, thank you very much.”
From inside the house came a voice, “Come in.”
In the small entryway were all three of Scott’s roommates, curious to see the woman Scott had brought home with him.
John groaned.
“Oh, man. I thought you were bringing home a hot chick we could all flirt with. And all you brought was Becky?”
Becky responded with, “You better watch it, Gooberhead, or I’ll tell all the other nurses about your SpongeBob underwear.”
John looked at Scott, who just shrugged.
“Thanks a lot, blabbermouth.”
“Don’t worry, John. I won’t be here long. I’m just here with my darlin’ to use your ham radio for a bit. Then I’ll be out of here and you can get back to being your old disgusting self again.”
She smiled.
John looked at her and said, “’Darlin’? Are you and Scott a couple now?”
“Yep. Pretty much. He finally realized I’ve loved him ever since we met, and he decided he kinda likes me too.”
John slapped Scott on the back.
“Well, congratulations, you two. Becky, I’m glad to see you so happy. You more than anyone else I can think of deserves a little bit of happiness. Especially after all the misery you’ve seen lately.”
Randy walked into the room with a bottle of French wine he’d liberated from a liquor store a few days before.
“Should I pour everyone a glass so we can toast to the new couple’s success?”
Scott’s face took on a serious look as he remembered the task at hand.
“Give us half an hour of radio time, Randy. We’ve got something we’ve got to do first.
Scott knew that Linda was scheduled to work the ten p.m. to two a.m. shift at the security desk.
It was just past ten.
“Linda in Junction, this is Scott in San Antonio. Come in.”
“Go ahead, Scott.”
“Hey, how are things going up there?”
“Not bad at all. Everyone is eagerly awaiting your homecoming and hoping you get here in time to help us harvest the wheat and corn. What’s the latest estimate on the all-clear?”
“The rumors are saying it’ll come any day now. But you know how rumors go. My guess is within the next month or so. Hey, are you alone?”
“The girls are watching TV in the next room. Tom is AWOL, everybody else is around but not close.”
“What do you mean, Tom is AWOL?”
“Sheriff’s business is all Dawn will tell me. He didn’t come home last night, and I’m a little bit worried, but Dawn says he’s fine and will be back soon.”
“Are you guys safe?”
“Oh, yes. He posted a deputy at his ranch to give us some extra security in case he didn’t come back last night and tonight. He didn’t tell us, but Jordan saw him on one of the security cameras. So we’re safe, just worried. He’s gonna have some explaining to do when he finally does come home.”
“Hey, put on the headset, will you? I don’t want the girls to overhear what I’m going to tell you.”
“Okay. Headset’s on. Go ahead.”
“Sara was asking about her folks. They’re dead. Both of them. I went to their house and saw the blood stains. I’ll tell her, because I somehow feel that it’s my responsibility to do so. But I want you by her side because she’ll probably need your support. I know she’ll be devastated by the news.”
“Scott, there’s something you need to know…”
“What?”
But Linda had second thoughts. If Sara wanted Scott to know the true nature of her relationship with her parents, it was up to her to tell him. Not Linda.
“Never mind. She’s still up. They just put the baby down for the night, and she and Jordan are relaxing out back. Would you like for me to get them now?”
“Yes. Might as well get it over with. But before you do that, there’s something else.”
“Something else? What?”
“When I come home, I’m bringing my fiancé. She’s a wonderful woman. Her name is Becky, and she’s the nurse who saved my life after I got shot. She helped me get through my mourning for Joyce too, and somewhere down the line we managed to fall in love.”
Linda was stunned, and a little bit hurt. She�
��d never quite given up on the possibility of her and Scott reconciling.
But she took the high road.
“I’m so happy for you, Scott. For both of you. I’ll tell the others after we deal with Sara’s situation.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem. I’ll go get her and Jordan.”
-14-
“Sara, honey, how are you?”
“Hi, Scott. I’m fine. How about yourself?”
“I’m okay, sweetie. Is Jordan there with you?”
“Yep. Right by my side.”
As Sara was talking, Scott could hear Jordan in the background, saying, “Hi, Dad.”
“Honey, I’m afraid I have some very bad news.”
There was a brief pause on the other end. Then Sara came back and asked, “What is it, Scott?”
“I went by your old house to see if your parents were still there. I’m terribly sorry. They didn’t make it. Neither of them. I’m so sorry.”
There was a longer pause.
While they were waiting for Sara to absorb his words, Scott looked at Becky. Both of them had tears in their eyes.
Becky nodded toward her hand that Scott was holding, to show him he was squeezing it so tight it was turning blue.
He let go immediately, then put his arm around her instead.
Sara was on the radio again.
“Scott, if you can still swing it, I’d still like to go by there. If you don’t mind coming to get me.”
“I don’t mind, honey. But I have to warn you. They’ve been removed from the house. But the scene itself… well, it’s not a pretty sight, or a nice place to be. It’s no longer the place you called home and felt comfortable in. It’s a cold and dark and dreary place now.”
“I understand. I just need to get some closure and say some things to my parents that I should have said a long time ago. And that’s probably the best place to do it.
“Unless they were buried and I can visit their graves. But from hearing yours and John’s stories about body collection, I guess that’s not the case.”
“No. I’m afraid not. Had I known they were there and were your parents I’d have done something special for them. Buried them myself someplace nice. But I didn’t know they were there, and I didn’t know they were your folks. I’m sorry.”
“What can you tell me about the way their bodies were handled?”
“We always make a point to treat the bodies with dignity and respect. Yes, they were burned together in the streets. But they were gently carried, by hand. And someone always said a prayer for them before they were burned.”
“And the bones and ashes?”
“Some of the crews gathered up the ashes with the bones and put them into storage drums, where they were buried in mass graves south of the city. Other crews thought it more dignified to take the bones and let the wind and the rains scatter the ashes. It really depends on which crew worked the street.”
Sara grew silent again.
When he could stand the silence no longer, Scott offered, “If you still want to, as soon as they announce the all clear I’ll take a day off and come and get you. We’ll make a day of it, just you and I. I’ll take you to the house, you can pay your respects, and I’ll help you gather whatever you want to take back to the compound. It’ll give us a chance to catch up a bit.”
“I think I’d like that.”
“Okay, it’s a date. Do you think Jordan is capable of taking care of little Chris for a day?”
Sara managed a laugh.
“Well, I don’t think he’ll be able to produce enough breast milk to satisfy the baby, but I’ll leave some behind for him. Other than that, he’s an excellent father. Changes diapers and everything.”
“Okay, then, it’s a date. The first day after the all- clear, just you and me.”
“Thank you, Scott.”
“You’re welcome, honey. Oh, wait. I forgot. I gathered a few of your things to bring back. Pom poms and photos from your dresser and those kinds of things. Would you like for me to take them back, so you can see your room as it was?
“No, go ahead and bring them when you come. I’d like to save them, and they’re things I probably would have grabbed myself when we go back there to visit. And thank you for thinking enough to gather them.”
The pair said their goodbyes and Scott got off the radio. While Sara was softly sobbing into Linda’s shoulder on the other end, Becky was holding Scott’s hand.
“You did a great job. I don’t know what you were worried about.”
“I was worried because even if I did well, I still just destroyed a young girl’s world.”
He paused a moment before asking, “Do you think it’s odd that she’d want to go back into that house, knowing that her parents died there?”
“Scott, people grieve in different ways. There is no right or wrong way to mourn. Some people would be horrified at the thought of going there. Others, like Sara, may want to see how her parents spent their last days. She may have some things to say to them, to say her last goodbyes and pay her last respects. It only makes sense to her that the best place to do that would be the place where their spirits departed their bodies. It takes a hearty soul, I think, to want to see the place her parents died. Sara sounds like a tough cookie, and I look forward to meeting her.
“Just prepare yourself for the possibility that it may be harder than she thinks. Especially when she sees the blood stains. If I were you, I’d try to get back there before her visit and clean it up the best you can. And to be prepared to whisk her away from the house if she gets overwhelmed.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“I’m always right.”
“Believe it or not, I’m finding that you are. At least when it comes to the art of grieving and such.”
“I’ve seen a lot of it lately. And by the way, what did you say Sara’s mother’s name was again?”
“Stacey McAllister. Why?”
“It’s probably nothing. It just had a ring of familiarity when you mentioned it earlier. But I can’t say why. That’s all.”
-15-
Little Misty was taking her turn at the security console on the afternoon Tom returned. She had just remarked to Hannah how much she missed the old codger when his familiar voice came rumbling over the airwaves.
“Hey, whoever’s on the desk, this is Tom. Is Linda around?”
“Hi, Tom.”
“Well, hello, Little Pumpkin. Are you manning the desk again?”
“Yes, sir. All by myself.”
“Tell me, Sunshine… Is Linda mad at me?”
“Yes, sir. She told me that if you called I should tell you she’s madder than a swarm of hornets. I guess that’s pretty mad, huh?”
“Yeah, I reckon. Would you yell for her and ask her to meet me out front in about five minutes? I’m turning off the highway right now.”
Linda had been listening on the handheld radio clipped to her belt.
“Linda copies,” she said. “I’ll be there.”
And she was, hands on hips, when Tom pulled his old Ford into the yard.
She was equal parts relieved because he finally made it home, and peeved because he’d been gone more than two days without anyone knowing where he was.
She’d planned on giving him a piece of her mind.
Then she saw he wasn’t alone.
Tom got out of the car, but stayed on the far side of it. He figured it was best to have something heavy and solid between them.
Something Linda couldn’t pick up and throw.
“Hey, pretty lady. I used to live here. Am I still welcome, or did you burn all my stuff yet?”
She softened. But just a tiny bit.
“Tom, where the hell have you been?”
“Uh, oh. Better watch it, now. You shouldn’t use such words in front of a man of the cloth.”
The man stepping out of the passenger seat was tall and slender and distinguished, with a full head of gray hair.
&n
bsp; “Oh, it’s okay,” the man said. “I’d probably be asking the same thing if I were in her shoes.”
Linda, for her part, was totally confused.
Tom, deciding to take refuge behind the passenger, came around the car.
“Linda, this is Reverend Bob Massey. Reverend, this is my bride to be, Linda.”
The preacher dipped his head in the manner Texans have greeted ladies for generations. He’d have tipped his hat if he’d happened to be wearing one.
“Hello, Linda. My congratulations.”
It still didn’t register in Linda’s mind.
“Tom Haskins, what in blue thunder is going on?”
“I’m fulfilling a promise I made to Zachary a couple of months ago. The day he went into town with me to try to get a couple of the deputies’ cars running. He asked me if I was going to make an honest woman of you. And I told him ‘yep.’ And it turns out, preachers aren’t as easy to find as they used to be. Especially preachers who are willing to travel a hundred miles to marry two total strangers.”
“You told him ‘yep?’ That’s all the proposal I’m gonna get? You told him ‘yep?’”
She looked at the reverend, who just shrugged his shoulders and said, “Hey, don’t look at me. He’s your man, not mine.”
But she wasn’t mad. She only pretended to be. She looked at Tom, smiled, and curtsied.
“Why, sir, I’d be just honored to be your bride.”
Reverend Massey noted, “Well, good. It’s settled. Now then, Mr. Haskins, you promised me a real home cooked dinner.”
Tom stood his ground behind the good reverend.
“Don’t move just yet, preacher. It may be a trick. She may kill me yet.”
Hannah walked up to join the group and said, “I see we have company. Shall I set another place for dinner?”
The reverend spoke up before anyone else had the chance.
“Yes, ma’am. I need a good meal before I can even think about doing a wedding.”
Hannah’s eyes grew big.
“A wedding?”
“Yes, ma’am. For Mr. Haskins and his lovely bride to be.”
Linda said, “The lovely bride to be part would be me.”
The Homecoming: Countdown to Armageddon: Book 5 Page 6
