by Jack Hunt
“And Bobby?”
“You heard him. He’s staying.”
Satisfied the men were gone, they made their way back inside and gathered together what food they’d found in the restaurant. Then Sam scooped up a small bottle of bourbon and stuffed it in his backpack.
“All right, let’s go before they come back.”
“We’re walking?” Lisa said.
“Yes, Lisa. Is that a problem?” Sam asked.
“But…”
Sam lost it in that moment. Maybe it was because the whole event had disrupted his plans and the recent run-in with these locals had almost cost his daughter her life but he was done listening to her constant whining. He was beginning to understand why she and Mason had separated.
“If you don’t want to go, stay, but we are getting the hell out of here and if that means walking all the way, then so be it.”
Silence fell over the group and thick tension hung in the air.
Sam sighed and then apologized before heading out.
“Dad, I mean, Sam,” Anna said.
He stopped and turned to wait for her to catch up.
“You know you can call me dad.”
She shrugged. “Listen, Bobby said we can’t take the Jeep.”
“No surprises there.”
“But he said he would take us to Colorado.”
“Shit, I swear that old man is playing head games. How did you manage to convince him?”
“Call it the Wade charm.”
“Is that so?”
Anna smiled, walking back to the building.
At the Stockyard Public House, Jeremy burst through the door with Nick’s good arm wrapped around his shoulder. They frantically cleared the pool table and laid him down. “Get the first-aid kit!” he yelled.
“Am I going to die?” Nick asked, clutching Jeremy’s shirt. His skin had turned a pasty white.
“No, you’ll live for now but we need to get you patched up.” Sean returned and went about working on him. Wayne stood by the door looking out the window with Gabe.
“We need to go back there. Get Toby,” Wayne said.
“There isn’t anything we can do for him now.”
“It’s not right, man, it’s not right!” Wayne said pacing up and down.
Jeremy went straight to the bar and grabbed a bottle of beer, he cracked off the top and took a hard swig. “How the hell did that happen?”
“Does it matter? He’s dead,” Wayne snapped heading back over to the window and looking out nervously. “By now they could be long gone. I don’t understand you. You wanted us to move in and then you pull us back?”
“Do you want to die?” Jeremy asked.
“No but—”
“Then you need to calm down. Get a grip.”
Jeremy turned to Gabe. “How many of them are there?”
“I already told you. I saw three.”
“Three?” He looked at Wayne.
Wayne was quick to respond to that. “There had to be more than that.”
“Maybe not.” Jeremy walked up and down. “Why set fire to those carts if they were all still in the building when we arrived?” He looked out the window and took a swig of his beer. “They could have made it to the state forest, unless…” He paused for a second and then looked back at Sean. “You going to be okay here?”
“Yeah, he’ll be fine.”
“Stay with him.”
“Where you going?”
“To do a little reconnaissance,” Jeremy said.
Sean stopped patching Nick up and made his way over. “Jeremy, I’m not staying here. I want in.”
Jeremy placed a hand on his shoulder. “Keep an eye on him. We’ll handle it from here. There’s no point all of us getting injured out there. We’ll be back soon. Besides, it will be easier for us to get closer to them with just a few of us.”
He motioned for Wayne to head out and he followed along with Gabe who was hobbling. “Take Sean. I’ll stay,” Gabe said. Jeremy turned back and nodded, and Sean tossed a bloody rag on the table, scooped up his gun and patted Gabe on the back as they headed out the door.
“You know we’re outnumbered,” Sean said.
“Outnumbered, maybe, outsmarted, no,” Jeremy replied sliding into the vehicle and revving the engine. Sean got in the back and Wayne rode shotgun. They tore out of the lot heading for the golf and country club.
SIXTEEN – I’M SORRY
Outside of Breckenridge
Eric Porter arrived at St. Anthony Summit Medical Center with a huge bouquet of flowers to give to Helen. When he arrived, her father, Richard was sitting in her room with his head in his hands. The door was slightly ajar so he rapped gently on it before pushing in. “Everything okay?”
Richard looked up and smiled. “Of course. I’m just tired.” He looked at the bouquet of pink roses. He knew they were her favorite, and remembered the way she lit up the few times he’d dropped some off. “For Helen?”
“Actually for you,” he said with a smirk on his face.
Richard wagged his finger at him and the corner of his lip curled up. “Come in. I’ll get you a drink.”
“They’ve managed to get that vending machine working?”
“It works. The generators are operating but I had Terrence bring me something better.” He reached over and pulled out a silver flask. Eric removed the previous day’s flowers and replaced them with the ones he’d brought. Richard took a swig and handed it to him.
“What is it?”
“Bourbon.”
He raised a hand. “Ah, I’m trying not to drink.”
“Oh that’s right, I remember Helen saying, you’re off the stuff.”
“Three years clean.”
“How’s it feel?” Richard asked.
Eric came around and placed a hand on the end of the bed frame. “Good.” He nodded. “It’s been good to feel clearheaded.”
“But I don’t remember you having a problem?”
“I didn’t, so to speak. Well, not like the way you might think. I just found that I was drinking too frequently. I don’t like to be a slave to anything. You know?”
Richard winked, and took a sip. “I hear you. The stuff can creep up on you.” He wiped his lips with the back of his hand and seemed to be studying him.
Eric breathed in deeply. “So, when is she supposed to be out?”
Richard glanced at his wristwatch. “Soon.” He motioned to a chair. “Pull up a chair. I’ve been meaning to have a chat for some time.”
Eric grabbed a chair from the far end of the room and pulled it in close. He’d known Richard for as long as he’d known Helen, which was most of his life. They’d attended the same school in Breckenridge, their parents were friends and they’d spent time with one another at social events that were usually arranged by her father. Over the years he’d sat in the background watching Helen’s relationship play out with Sam. He’d heard the rumors swirling around town, and had been privy to the downfall of their marriage. While he knew Sam, he couldn’t exactly call him a friend. They came from different circles. Eric’s family wasn’t wealthy but they had jobs that let them live above middle-class families, enough to put him through college and graduate as a lawyer.
“How have you been?”
“You’re asking me?” Eric smiled.
“Yeah, I know life can get busy and with all that’s happened over the last three days, I just wanted to touch base.”
Eric shrugged. “Good I guess.”
“And the business?”
“Never better. Which reminds me, I appreciate the donation you made to the building project.”
“My pleasure. I like to support local companies, especially ones that I intend to employ.”
Eric tilted his head.
“I want to put you on retainer as my personal lawyer.”
He frowned but a smile danced on his face. “But you already have one. Anthony Stephens. He’s the most prominent lawyer around here.”
“
I know. That’s why I’m here to support you. You see, I have a knack for seeing greatness in people. At least I like to think so. And I like what I see in you, Eric.”
“I appreciate that.” He felt a little hot around the collar, uncomfortable even. It wasn’t that he didn’t need the support. Having Richard behind him would provide a number of inroads into different companies in Colorado. He was a man that had his finger on the pulse. Hell, it was the reason why the city had called him back in to fill in as mayor. He was a pillar of the community — a force to be reckoned with. Those that stood by him thrived and anyone who dared stand up to him didn’t last long in the town.
“That’s good. Because I’ve been thinking — you know, with Helen getting out of surgery today and both of you being single and all.”
Eric knew where this was going. “Oh, Richard, um…”
Richard placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. “It’s okay. I know you like her. And to be honest, she likes you too.”
“She does?”
He chuckled and took another drink from his flask. “You have to understand how Helen’s mind works. She’s impulsive, strong headed — she got that from her mother. At times it can be her strength but more often than not, it can lead her down the wrong path. You know what I mean?”
“You’re referring to Sam.”
Richard stabbed his finger in the air. “Exactly. But he’s been out of the picture for the past eleven years and that’s a long time to be alone. She’s not getting any younger and despite her reluctance to enter into another relationship, she needs someone. Someone who will stick by her side and won’t leave when tough times come calling. A man that won’t be easily swayed by the legs of another woman just because Helen’s cranky or has a few more lines on her face. What I’m trying to say is that it would be an honor to have you as part of the family.”
Eric swallowed hard trying to find the words to reply.
“I’m not sure what to say. Thank you, I guess. But…”
“If you’re worrying about Sam. Don’t. He’s not even a blip on her radar.”
Eric cleared his throat. “Strange because she seemed to make it clear that she still had feelings for him.”
“He’s the father of her child. Of course she will. But that’s not love.”
“No?” Eric asked.
Richard shook his head as if he had it all figured out. “No. Love isn’t cheating on your wife.”
“But I thought that—”
“You thought wrong,” he said cutting him off and controlling the conversation.
He’d seen the way Richard would get his back up at the mention of Sam, but what he couldn’t figure out was why. Sam was gone. He’d got what he wanted. Eric thought back to the months before their breakup. Rumors of Sam cheating had swirled. In all fairness to Sam, Eric had his doubts about the legitimacy of it all. He’d overheard a conversation between Richard and his father about competition in town. His words were clear. Leave it with me. That competitor left town a few days later. How he managed to pull it off was the question.
“Helen has been through a lot since the death of her mother. And now with all this — she hasn’t been thinking straight.” He breathed in deeply. “No, I know my daughter and she likes you.”
“Like is one thing, Richard. Love is another.” He paused. “I couldn’t ever play second fiddle to someone else.”
“You wouldn’t need to. He doesn’t come around.”
“He’s meant to be here now, with Helen being ill, at least that’s what Helen said.”
“Look around you, Eric. Do you think that’s going to happen?”
Eric ran a hand through his thinning hair. “I don’t know, Richard.”
“What don’t you know?”
“Helen is—”
“Do you love my daughter?” Richard asked cutting him off.
He scoffed. “More than you know.”
“Then what’s there to talk about? You have a decent job, a good family. You’re single, she’s single. I like you, which goes a long way.” Both of them chuckled. “Don’t make it complicated. When she comes out, tell her.” Richard reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. “This belonged to my mother. I want you to give it to Helen.”
Eric put his hands up. “Whoa, Richard, I can’t accept that.”
“Of course you can.” He pushed it into his hands and forcefully folded his fingers around it. “And you will.”
“No, I mean the ring is something I should buy. This seems all a little too rushed.”
“Rushed?” He scoffed and rose to his feet. Richard crossed the room and looked out the window. “Life is short, Eric. It can rob you of what you hold dearest.” He snapped his fingers. “Just like that.”
Eric got up. The whole situation made him feel uncomfortable. It was like someone had turned up the temperature in the place a few notches. Richard turned around. “If you want to get her a ring, I understand. But it would mean a lot to me if you temporarily gave her that. She’d recognize it. It would mean a lot to Helen.”
“It would?”
He nodded and smiled.
There was a long pause and Eric was about to say something when the door pushed open and a doctor stepped in. “Mr. Underwood. A word outside.”
He glanced at Eric before disappearing into the corridor. Richard pointed at Eric and said, “Hold that thought. We’ll continue in a minute.”
Eric sat back down and opened up the box and took a look at the sparkling diamond ring. It was huge. Far bigger than anything he would have got her. He closed the lid and squeezed it tight. Outside he could hear Richard and the doctor having a discussion about the surgery. He missed some of what they said.
“No, that’s impossible. You had everything you needed.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Underwood. Complications can arise. We did everything we could to save her.”
Eric rose to his feet, thinking he’d heard them wrong. He approached the door and opened it in time to see Richard looking at him with a blank expression on his face. No tears fell, he just stood there shaking his head muttering the same thing over and over again. “No. No.”
The doctor placed a hand on Richard’s arm and he shrugged it off and snapped out of whatever daydream state he was in. “Go back in there. I will pay you anything. Go back in there.”
“We can’t.”
Security rushed down and tried to settle Richard but he just fought back, pushing them and telling them he would sue every single person in the hospital. Then without another word he charged off leaving Eric dumbfounded. The doctor turned to him and said again, “I’m sorry.”
Eric looked down at the ring box in his open palm.
SEVENTEEN - THE ROAD
It was late afternoon when they rolled out going north on 162 and heading for I-90. They still had over a day’s drive if they maintained a good speed, didn’t stop, and avoided roadblocks. Sam knew that was asking too much, especially since they were three days in and the nation was even more desperate.
They passed by several vehicles on the way, though less than the previous day. With no gasoline being trucked to stations, pumps closed and so many unprepared, it wouldn’t take long for even the working vehicles to stop operating.
I-90 was a complete bust. Gridlocked traffic for as far as the eye could see. It no longer mattered if the vehicles were working because unless people stuck to the back roads they had no chance of making it anywhere.
Sam drove on the hard shoulder before veering off somewhere around Fort Plain. From there on out they stuck to the roads least traveled and made it to the town of Oneida as the sun melted into the horizon.
“We’ll stay in the high school tonight,” Sam said as he turned into an empty parking lot. They pulled up around the back to where there was a large gym and he killed the engine.
“We’re not leaving this out here,” Bobby said.
“I wasn’t going to.” Sam motioned to the main doors. “We’ll take it into the gym
.”
He scoffed. “You just love breaking into places, don’t you?”
“Hey, by all means, you can stay out here with the vehicle if you like but I figure it’s probably best to steer clear of trouble for a while.”
“And you think breaking in is the way forward?”
“Old man, have you got any better ideas?”
He sniffed a few times.
“I thought so,” Sam said, hopping out and making his way over to the building with Anna, and Mason. It didn’t take them long to get inside. They broke a window on the south side and wandered through the school until they located the large set of double doors in the gym area. It was large enough for a vehicle to get in and out. Bobby drove the Jeep in with the rest of them still in the back. As soon as they were inside, they locked the doors using thick rope.
“Well let’s explore,” Chase said jogging off.
Anna took off. “I’m going with him.”
“Hey, don’t go too far,” Sam said. “The last thing I need is to search for you.”
“Your old man is a bit high-strung, don’t you think? If I’m not mistaken he looks like he enjoys calling the shots and giving everyone their marching orders.”
Anna nodded. “He headed up a team in the SEALs.”
“That explains everything,” Chase said, shining a flashlight into some of the classrooms. He looked at her out the corner of his eye and Anna caught it.
She smiled. “What?”
“Back there at the country club. You didn’t seem very scared?”
“Looks are deceiving. You?”
He grinned. “You know I’ve done some wacky shit in my time. Bungee jumped off the high steel bridge in Washington, went tandem skydiving on my eighteenth birthday and ran out of oxygen while scuba diving, but I’ve never felt the fear of dying like I did today.” He stopped outside the main office for the staff and principal and tried the door handle. It was locked.
“I always wanted to root around in the office area. Stand back.” Chase kicked the door twice, on the third try it burst open, breaking the wooden frame and sending splinters flying. He waved her in. “Ladies before gents.”
