Approaching the intersection at the end of the drive, they had another decision to make. Continuing straight would take them into Pacific Beach and in the general direction of where they’d had the run-in with the men in the truck. To the right, they would cross the bridge over the freeway and have to maneuver through side streets to get to Morena Boulevard, which would take them home. It seemed like an easy enough decision, but the side streets were densely populated and very narrow, which Daniel saw as a risk. Additionally, Morena was, as it seemingly always was, in a state of construction and repair. The road’s potholes were numerous and in some cases deep. Trouble in that area would prove challenging to escape.
Nevertheless, even with the weapons they’d picked up at the sporting goods store, Daniel didn’t like the prospect of taking on the group of rednecks. A weapon’s effectiveness is only as good as the owner’s ability to use it, and simply put, Paul was clueless when it came to handling guns. That left him to fight four armed men, and while he was comfortable handling both his handgun and the AR-15, he didn’t see a scenario in which he could take on the four men and come out alive.
“I’m sorry.”
Daniel looked over to the passenger seat, where Paul was staring straight ahead, his eyes unfocused. “Why are you sorry?”
“I want to help, but I’ve been nothing but a burden to you. I know you need someone to help if we run into trouble, but I just don’t know how. My mother hates violence, and all my life she’s done everything in her power to shield me from it, as if it’s not real, or worse, that there’s always a way to avoid it. But there isn’t, is there?
“I wanted to take karate so that I could defend myself when kids were picking on me in school. She said ‘absolutely not’, and told me that I just needed to tell her who was picking on me and she would talk to the principal. I told her it didn’t work like that. She didn’t listen. She went to the school and complained. Two days later, a group of boys cornered me after school and beat me up.” Holding up his left arm, he brought the fingers on his right hand over to lightly touch the skin. “They broke my arm in two places. I asked again if I could learn self-defense, and what was her solution? She moved me to a different school.
“I actually want to join the Marines, but she forbade me from even considering the military.” Paul looked down at his hands, shaking his head. “Heck, I’m not even allowed to play certain video games if she thinks they’re too violent.”
Daniel felt sorry for the kid. He reached over and put his hand on the teenager’s shoulder. “Look, I’m not going to criticize your mom. Every parent has a duty to raise their children how they see fit, and I’m sure she believes she’s doing the right thing.” Paul nodded, looking down at his hands, which were clasped tightly in his lap. He was clearly embarrassed and frustrated.
Daniel continued. “With that said, violence is part of mankind. It always has been. Any study of history shows that for as long as man has existed, he’s shown a propensity for violence.
“Now, listen to me: when I point that out, I’m not condoning violence, I’m simply saying that avoiding it isn’t always possible, and when it happens, we may not have a choice about being involved in it.
“If we’re drawn into it, we need to know how to protect ourselves. Better yet, we need to know how to defeat our enemies.”
Paul listened to Daniel’s words, nodding in agreement. When Daniel finished, the young man looked up at him, meeting his gaze. “I want to learn.”
“I’ll teach you what I can, when the opportunity is there.” Putting the car in gear, Daniel turned right, heading over the freeway. “For now, just do things exactly as I say. You won’t be very effective without proper training, but you can still help.”
If they had any luck at all, they’d make it home without any further trouble, but that seemed unlikely.
The sun descended into the horizon, casting the skies into a brilliant display of pinks, purples, and orange, the type of sunset San Diegans saw relatively often but still enjoyed. It would be dark within minutes, and Daniel needed to figure out how to get home without becoming a gigantic target.
As they crossed over the freeway, Daniel saw that his assumption had been right and that the northbound 5 freeway was gridlocked. The difference here, though, was that he saw men going from car to car, trying to open doors. They were looking for something, and he didn’t want to stick around to see what it was, or worse, give them the idea that they might find it in his car.
Once across, they descended a small hill and approached another intersection. Either way would get them to Morena Boulevard, but as they got closer, he saw people inside the 7-Eleven on the left side of the street. The glass door to the convenience store had been broken, leaving a carpet of glass in the entryway, and from what he could tell, a group of men and women were inside, having a party. The good thing was that they were distracted, and Daniel drove by without incident, turning right onto the side street that would connect to the main thoroughfare that would get them home.
Driving down the small street, he saw an old apartment complex ahead. He’d thought about it in advance, and was concerned about the concentration of people that it would present, and his concerns were proven valid.
Approaching the complex, he saw a group of mostly Hispanic men standing in one of the carports, drinking large bottles of Modelo and Tecate beer. One of the men nudged another, pointing at their car, and he turned, looked, and walked into the street, motioning for them to stop. Daniel had already determined that the man was unarmed, so he slowed, lowering the window as they approached. He told Paul to grab his pistol and hold it on his lap, visible. The kid quickly complied.
The man wore a white ribbed tank top, which accented his belly and thick but undefined arms, along with a loose fitting pair of jeans that hung low on his hips. A gold cross hung on a thick chain around his neck. Seeing the window open, he grinned, cocky arrogance showing on his face.“Whatcha got for my drink, homie?”
Daniel dropped the barrel of the shotgun onto the edge of the car window, pointing it at the man. “Nothing to drink in here, sorry. Keep your hands where they are and back away.”
The man’s eyes went wide at the sight of the double-barreled gun pointing at his chest. He backed away, slowly, his eyes darting between the end of the gun and the cold look in Daniel’s eyes. “Hey man, chill. I was jus’ hoping you had some beers, dog.”
“We’re chill. Just trying to get home. You understand that, right?”
“Yeah, man I understand.”
Daniel pressed on the gas, driving forward slowly. “Alright, cool. Have a good night.”
The man brought the bottle of beer up to his lips and took a swig before turning and slinking back to his friends, who had watched the entire encounter in stunned silence. It sure seemed like a Prius would be an easy target for a shakedown.
A Mexican man in a Raiders t-shirt lifted his chin to the man. “What happened, bro?”
“Man, they didn’t have shit. I figured it wasn’t worth my time, you know?”
“Yeah, alright. Hey, your girl done cookin’?”
“Probably. Let’s go check.”
In the rear view mirror, Daniel watched the men head into the apartment complex, laughing and drinking as they did. Breathing a sigh of relief, he told Paul to double check the safety on his gun and to put it away, which he did.
Reaching Morena, he looked both ways for cars or people. They were a mere three miles from home, and he was starting to think they’d get there within the hour. Seeing nothing of concern, he turned onto the street, immediately dodging a pothole and following the big, barrel sized traffic pylons, which guided them from a double laned traffic pattern into a single lane.
Seeing the freeway overpass they’d crossed over ahead, he decided to take further precautions. He pulled over to the side underneath the bridge, weaving the vehicle between the pylons to do so. Leaving the car running, he opened the door and got out, telling Paul to get out as well.
Looking around, he saw exactly what they needed only a few feet away. “Alright, we’re going to drive the rest of the way without lights.”
Paul looked confused. “But won’t it be hard to see?”
Daniel nodded. “Absolutely, but it will be hard for others to see us as well, which is more important.” He looked around again for any signs of movement close by. Seeing none, he continued. “Our eyes will adjust as we avoid light, and I’ll be able to see fairly well. I’m sure we’ll hit a few potholes along the way, but with any luck, we’ll get home without running into anyone else.” Daniel walked around the car, heading to the edge of the road, where a puddle stood.
“OK, so why did we stop? Can’t you just leave the headlights off?”
Reaching down and grabbing a big handful of mud, Daniel explained. “Daytime running lights. They’re always on. We’ll also have to deal with the brake lights. We’re gonna cover all of them with this.” He held up the mud.
The young man smiled as he realized the cleverness of Daniel’s plan. “Got it.”
The pair spent the next twenty minutes covering the lights with a thick coating of mud, standing back to see how effective their efforts were multiple times. When the light was no longer visible, they used the nearby patch of grass to wipe the mud off of their gloves before returning to the car. Inside the car, they used one of the coats to cover the center screen, an electronic display that showed the engine status, battery levels, and other indications. Daniel laid pairs of socks across the speed and engine indicators, blocking that lighting as well.
With the car effectively darkened, Daniel pulled back onto the road, driving slowly both to minimize noise and to compensate for the lack of visibility. As they made their way along the street, he realized that the constant state of construction on the road was, for once, not an inconvenience, but rather a significant help. The tall, orange pylons were easy to see, even in the dark, guiding them safely through the construction area while avoiding the majority of the potholes and other road hazards.
Even with the visual aids, it was stressful and slow-going. Daniel rolled down the windows again so that they could better hear any threats.
As the car approached the bridge that crossed over Balboa Avenue, they saw bright lights on the hill above the road. Slowing to a stop, Daniel looked behind the car before focusing his attention on the hill.
High above the road, lights blazed from a clifftop house. It was a massive, two story home that offered 180 degree views of the bay and the surrounding neighborhoods, and one that Daniel had admired many times on his way home. With the windows of the car down, he and Paul could clearly hear the sounds of a party, and a large one at that. They heard yelling, loud music, and the occasional sound of glass breaking. The voices coming from the home were primarily men’s voices, but there were a few women’s voices sprinkled in as well.
Since Daniel had never seen anything more than a few people sitting near the windows of the home during the four years he’d been driving by, it seemed safe to assume that the people there, partying in the middle of a deadly outbreak, were likely trespassing.
Suddenly, the sound of gunshots and breaking glass rose above the party noise. Daniel and Paul pulled back, instinctively, but when the shooting ceased and was immediately followed by laughter, they realized it was simply an overly exuberant partygoer.
From where the car was, they were out of sight of the people above, but continuing on would not only put them in the line of sight of the revelers, but potentially in the line of fire as well. Even so, going forward was the only real option. Turning around and heading back the way they came would add significant time to their journey, and because of where the house above them was, Daniel wasn’t sure if there was a way around it without going five or more miles out of the way.
“What are we going to do?” Paul whispered from the passenger seat.
“Hold on, I’m thinking.” Daniel ran through options in his head, considering various routes home, and the amount of time they’d spend in the line of sight of the people in the house above them. Aside from being attacked, the absolute worst case scenario would be if the group above them were to chase or follow them home. That was unacceptable.
With that in mind, Daniel realized that the road split, with a ramp heading to the right to travel eastbound on Balboa Avenue. While they would be visible on the road, only people on the very edge of the home’s property would be able to see them, and only if they were focused on the road directly below them. From what he could hear, the group was drunk, obnoxious, and focused on nothing more than amplifying each of those current states.
Satisfied with his plan, he started the car, explaining to Paul what they would do. “We’ll hug the right shoulder of the road, follow it to the right, and stay quiet. That will take us up the hill, and when we’re out of sight of the house, we’ll cut across and then take the side streets home.”
“Okay, sounds good. Want me to watch behind us?”
“Good idea. As soon as the property up there becomes visible, keep an eye out for any indications that they’ve seen us.”
“Got it. What if they do?”
“Then we continue heading up the hill and try to find somewhere to hide. We’re not going to lead them towards the house.”
“I understand. ” Paul’s eyes had taken on a new determined look.
Daniel liked it.
Putting the car in drive, he inched forward, angling the vehicle towards the curb until he was as close to it as possible without riding up onto it. Paul lowered the passenger window and leaned out, looking up the hillside towards the house as they passed under it. A bottle hit the pavement in the spot where they had been only movements before, shattering in an explosion of glass. Daniel’s foot hovered over the gas pedal, maintaining the slightest pressure, but ready to stomp down if it turned out that the bottle had actually meant for them.
It hadn’t. Paul watched and listened intently for any signs of interest from the group atop the hill, but there were none. It was simply a part of the rowdy behavior the participants were engaged in.
Daniel began to relax, beginning to feel that they would actually get home without further issue when he saw something that made his heart pound in his chest.
“Oh, shit.”
A pair of headlights was heading up Balboa. In less than a hundred feet, the vehicle would turn onto the ramp and head straight for them.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Serafina and the girls worked diligently, packing medium and small size items to high importance - ones they simply would be unable to leave behind - into the Jeep, maximizing the use of the available storage space. Looking in the center console storage, Serafina found gum, napkins, pens, and spare change, along with an old traffic ticket which she’d already chewed Daniel out for. Clearing that stuff out, she left only the tools for removing the Jeep’s hardtop. It seemed highly unlikely to occur, but if they did need to, not having the tools would make it nearly impossible.
With those things removed, she thought about what they’d want close at hand. Daniel would likely want to keep the handgun in one of the webbed storage baskets on the doors, where it would be much easier to access. With that known, she stashed an extra box of ammunition in the glove compartment, then added a multi-tool and a flashlight. Looking back at the center console, she considered her options again.Eventually, she decided on a pair of protein bars, a bottle of Tylenol, eye drops, lip balm, and motion sickness pills, in case anyone had issues during the drive up the winding road that led to Big Bear. There was still room left, but she figured they could save that for last minute additions.
With all of the space under the seats and in the available storage compartments filled (she’d even stashed small bags of clothing and microfiber camping towels in the storage area for the jack), she and the girls headed back inside, where they made coffee and hot chocolate. Her and Ashley turned their coffee into an iced version with soy milk and Splenda, while Brenna stu
ck with hot cocoa.
“Auntie, I’m scared of sleeping in our room alone tonight.” Brenna said, staring at her steaming cup.
Serafina reached out and stroked the girl’s arm. “I understand. We’ve all been through a lot.” She thought about the layout of the house for a bit, then made up her mind. “Tell you girls what, if we move some stuff around, we can all sleep in the front rooms. How does that sound?”
Brenna nodded enthusiastically. “Good, let’s do that.”
Ashley sipped her iced coffee before responding. “Yeah, sounds good.”
“Great.” Serafina took a drink as well, then set her glass on the counter before getting up and heading to the front part of the house. The girls set their drinks down as well and followed her.
Serafina stood, hands on her hips and began pointing at various pieces of furniture in the room. “OK, we’ll need to get the coffee table out of the living room to make room for a mattress. I’m thinking Daniel and I will use the queen sized mattress from the guest room, you two will share Ashley’s mattress, and Paul will use Brenna’s mattress. We’ll put him next to the fireplace, we’ll be here near the dining room, and you two will be there in the dining room.”
The girls nodded in agreement. As usual, their stepmother had a plan.
“So, move the coffee table first?” Ashely asked, stepping forward.
Serafina thought for a second, then said, “actually, I’m thinking we should move the ottoman from the breakfast nook area, then move the dining table there. Then we can move your mattress into the dining room. We’ll move Brenna’s mattress and the guest room mattress into the kitchen, then move the coffee table into the hallway, in the space between your room and the guest room. Then we can move the mattresses into the front living room. Sound good?”
“Sounds good.” Ashley said. “How ‘bout me and you get the ottoman while Brenna starts moving the chairs?”
And with that, the three of them got to work, pushing, pulling, sliding, dragging and in general just finding a way to move furniture around. After forty-five minutes, they were finally done, with the exception of the bedding, which they figured they’d get after they took a short break.
Surviving Rage | Book 1 Page 22
