TRIAL: A Post Apocalyptic/Dystopian Thriller

by Murray Mcdonald

  Barbara lived two streets over from Kate. Her husband, Roger, was a local businessman who was, as all the ladies of the small community were well aware, a player. He had contacted Kate a few times over the previous couple of months, offering his ‘support’, a support she was sure Barbara knew nothing about, nor a support Kate was in the least interested in, and had made that point abundantly clear to Roger. Kate had come close to outright telling Barbara, but after a couple of hints elicited, a “you know Roger” from Barbara, with a smile that failed to hide a deep hurt in her eyes, it was clear she was not only aware, but didn’t want to hear about her husband’s antics. She had a lovely house and garden, didn’t need to work, and had obviously decided his failings were worth the reward.

  Kate could deal with the Rogers of the world. She had deterred many an admirer in her time. Whether before Tim, or while he was on operations overseas, she’d had her fair share of unwanted admirers. Tim had always laughed when she had relayed the stories on his return. ‘I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong?’, she would say, only to be wrapped in his arms and deafened by his hearty laugh. ‘That’s why I love you so much. You’ve no idea just how damned hot you are!’

  Kate turned away from Barbara as thoughts of Tim flashed through her mind. The house, another reminder. Danny came out of the front door. A small Tim. Everywhere she turned, she was reminded of the only man she had ever loved. The house, sitting above the plain with its perfect views, was his dream home. It had cost them every penny they could scrape together, and then some. She loved and hated it in equal measure. Unlike nearby communities, theirs were individually built homes, not symmetrical estates where you got to choose from only one of three or four house types.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” asked Barbara.

  Kate wiped a tear from her eye. “Yes, yes, I’m fine,” she smiled as genuinely as she could, watching Danny jump on his bike. “We’re just going to go down to the supermarket and see what we can pick up.”

  “Roger’s there now. The minute he realized the power was out, he was out of here in a second. I couldn’t even speak to him; he was in such a hurry to get to the store.”

  Yet here you are, holding me back, thought Kate. “Anyway, we better get going. See you soon, Barbara.”

  The cycle to the store was easy, downhill all the way. Kate had never seen so many bikes on the roads but then, she’d never seen the roads with no moving cars either. There were a lot of norms that were going to change, she surmised as they freewheeled most of the way in the late autumn sunshine. Kate was thankful that she had insisted on the windbreakers, as her face bore the brunt of the icy breeze that the low hung sun failed to warm.

  If Kate had any illusions that the world would soon return to normal, they were squashed the instant that Albertson’s, their local supermarket, came into view. Police officers surrounded the building, while a large crowd of customers waited angrily for their chance to enter. Kate and Danny joined the quickly growing line that was filling the empty car lot and much like the rest of those in line, kept their bikes by their sides.

  “If everybody could just keep calm, please. We’re trying to ensure that everyone gets some food and water,” shouted one of the officers. Kate counted twenty-two officers protecting the supermarket.

  Angry shouts were hurled back. A number of those in the line did not appreciate the police taking control, likening the control to something that the Russians would do.

  Kate tried to ignore the shouting and attempted to find out what she could from those around her. An hour later, she had discovered that everyone, including the authorities were as in the dark as she was. Potentially more so, as nobody else seemed to be aware that the power station had been struck by something prior to its explosion.

  The crowd had grown steadily in that time and despite the occasional shouts of disdain, people remained surprisingly well-behaved and controlled. Kate could see the line looping numerous times as it snaked through the parking lot, ending up nearly at the main road. She guessed there must have been over a thousand people behind her but thankfully, only a hundred or so in front.

  To almost everyone, the current situation was the result of a catastrophic disaster at the nuclear power station. A man nearby was explaining in some detail, to all who wanted to listen, how an electromagnetic pulse could have caused all electrical and electronic circuits to fail. Kate understood little of his detailed explanation and zoned out as he digressed to the banning of diesel engines. due to nitrogen oxide levels ten years earlier, and the fact that they may have survived the pulse effects. As it was, the enforced hybrid generation of vehicles stood little to no chance against such a catastrophe.

  “But the cars had stopped before the explosion,” said Kate to herself, but loud enough for those around to hear.

  “The explosion was over forty miles away. It is a massive site, there must have been others we didn’t see. What we witnessed was the final explosion,” explained the man.

  “But what about radiation?” asked another person.

  “Actually, what we witnessed was a relatively low yield explosion, the ultimate height of the cloud was quite low. The height of the cloud determines the scale of the explosion. We’re probably looking at a yield of between ten to twenty kilotons. Honestly, even without the extensive safety procedures that are in place to contain any fallout, there is no danger to Boise, or for that matter, anywhere outside of the immediate vicinity of the explosion.”

  “And what makes you such an expert?” called someone from the crowd.

  “I’m a Physics lecturer at Boise University, specializing in Nuclear Engineering.”

  “Oh, okay, thanks,” replied the questioner quietly.

  Kate noticed the people around her relax as the ‘expert’ confirmed they were safe from radiation. It was clear that the majority felt whatever had happened was temporary, a local problem that would be fixed as soon as the State and Federal Emergency plans kicked in. The Governor would be asking the president for help and FEMA, with its billions of dollars of federal funding, would ride into Boise and save the day. Kate was not convinced. They were over forty miles away from the plant. Whatever the expert claimed, that was one hell of a long distance for small explosions to disable every electronic device in Boise. She had not seen one piece of electronics work. Even the police officers’ radios were useless. She had watched as notes were delivered to the officers while they waited.

  “You don’t agree?” the woman next to Kate, had been watching her.

  “Sorry?” asked Kate.

  “You don’t think this was just an accident?”

  Kate shrugged. “I don’t know what I think,” replied Kate honestly, “but I’m going to assume the worst and pray for…”

  “Mom,” Danny pulled at Kate’s jacket, attracting her attention away from the woman.

  “I’m talking, Danny.”

  “Mom,” he pulled again, more insistent.

  “I’m sorry,” she offered to the woman, bending down to Danny.

  “That’s very rude,” she chastised her son for his manners. He ignored her and pointed over to a corner of the lot where a small group of men had gathered. The group was obscured from the police and the majority of the line by the building. In a few seconds, Kate would lose sight of them as the line would take her and Danny around the final loop towards the supermarket entrance. They were nearly there.

  “Mom?”

  Kate looked around desperately. The last thing she wanted to do was create a scene. She looked over to the nearest officer as she inched out of the group’s line of sight and waved wildly for him to come to her.

  “Ma’am, you’ll just have to wait your turn,” he called over.

  Kate waved more insistently. The officer nodded to his colleague and headed to her.

  “What?”

  She leant forward and whispered in his ear, much to the disgust of those queuing around her. She could see how it looked, good-looking woman trying to charm her w
ay to the front or get some sort of special treatment.

  However, the looks of disgust were short-lived, as the officer snapped back from Kate’s whisper and rushed to his colleagues.

  If there were a point that Kate had to define as the point that the world turned to complete and utter shit, it would have been that moment.

  Chapter 4

  Kate pulled Danny behind her as the first of the group of men burst around the corner. She didn’t like guns, but knew them well enough to know that the men meant business. AR-15 assault rifles were aimed at the policemen and balaclavas covered their faces, suggesting they weren’t entirely convinced that civilization was completely gone for good.

  The police to their credit stood their ground, their service revolvers looking pitiful, in comparison to the assault rifles they faced. Kate counted nine men in balaclavas facing down the twenty or so policemen. As the first screams cut through the crowd, the stampede began. Kate held on tight to Danny, keeping herself between him and the gunmen as the crowd pushed and pulled around them.

  As hard as she fought, she couldn’t keep her feet and both crashed to the ground. Kate managed to cover Danny with her own body as the crowd stamped and kicked their way to safety.

  “Just let us into the store and walk away. Nobody needs to die today,” called one of the hooded men, stepping forward. His voice was calm and clear as he pointed his rifle with unnerving confidence at the officers.

  Kate and Danny were caught only yards from the incident. The crowd had gone in seconds, dissipating into the surrounding neighborhood. Hopefully, some of them would alert the police and back up would be on the way. However, that wouldn’t be any time soon, as the only form of communication was person-to-person and the police headquarters was nearly four miles away in downtown Boise.

  Kate tried to move. A police officer waved for her to stop. She was safer where she was, given that the tension between the police and the men was rising. Kate shielded Danny, holding him as tight as the day she had given birth to him.

  “Walk away!” commanded the man.

  “This is crazy, guys. In a day, things will be back to normal,” offered the senior officer, a sergeant who had made his way to the front of his men. “Just put your guns down and we’ll forget this ever happened.”

  The man in charge of the hooded men scoffed, “You have no idea what’s happened. Tomorrow, the next day, the day after, this is the new normal.” He waved his arms around dramatically. “We’re screwed! The sooner you realize that, the greater the chance you’ll survive. Get in that store and take what you can for your families. You won’t get another chance.”

  “It’s just an accident, the power will be back on soon.”

  “Look above us,” said the hooded man.

  None of the officers did.

  “It’s not a trick. Just you, look above us.”

  The sergeant looked. “So? It’s a beautiful day, clear blue sky.”

  “Do you think there was a simultaneous nuclear power plant disaster in Washington, Portland, San Francisco, or anywhere else for that matter?”

  “I wouldn’t have thought so,” said the sergeant, still searching the sky for whatever he was missing.

  The hooded man joined him in looking up. “So, where’re all the planes? Not a one. Not one plane has flown over the city all morning. Not one. There are hundreds of flights supposed to be up there at any time, casting their vapor trails, flying from Seattle to New York, Chicago or wherever, you get my point? Not a one. Not one.”

  More of the officers began to look up. As did Kate and Danny. She had never really looked to see planes flying high above them before, and wasn’t even sure if you would see them, but she certainly was used to seeing the vapor trails.

  “The world has changed, you just don’t know it yet. Just walk away and let us get what we need,” prompted the hooded leader.

  The sergeant looked at his men before turning back to the group. “I’m sorr…”

  The gunshot echoed around the empty parking lot. Kate threw her hand over Danny’s eyes as the sergeant’s head bore the brunt of the shot. The look of shock was etched on his face as his lifeless body slumped to the ground. Kate managed to quell her scream, despite it being the most shocking thing she had ever seen.

  The police officers were stunned into inaction. All looked to one another for inspiration - fight back or concede? The leader’s AR-15 muzzle smoked from the single round it had spent in proving his resolve. It had been a calculated gamble. It worked. The officers weren’t willing to die for a world that may no longer exist. Their inaction proved that. They all lowered their weapons and walked away.

  “I’m sorry you had to witness that,” offered the hooded leader to Kate as his men, grabbing two small trailers, pulled them by hand towards the supermarket. Kate was fighting to keep the contents of her stomach down as the man spoke. His voice was familiar, but she desperately didn’t want to place it. She had no wish to know who the cold-blooded killer was. She just wanted to get her son as far away from there as possible.

  Running boots preceded the arrival of more men. Kate looked up briefly to see another five, hunting rifles with scopes slung over their shoulders. Pistols were holstered on their hips. Snipers oversaw the operation. Whoever this group was, the men were well-prepared and willing to do whatever had been necessary to secure what they wanted. Fourteen men who, by the looks of them, had money and looked after themselves and their equipment well. Their clothing, Kate knew, was top of the line. She recognized a number of brands, all high-end, all-weather gear. Their weapons weren’t cheap either. Kate didn’t like them, but knew enough to know quality. These weren’t hardened criminals. They were people from the community who obviously felt times had changed, to the point they could gun down policemen, and not have to worry about the dire consequences.

  “He was just doing his job,” she managed as the sergeant’s dead body caught her eye again, and an overwhelming feeling of sickness rushed over her.

  “His job’s redundant now. He just didn’t know it yet,” said the hooded leader with little feeling. His mind was already moving on to his next task. He was pointing to a location on a map, and issuing orders to his team.

  “And who made you judge, jury, and executioner?”

  The leader looked down at her. Although she couldn’t see his mouth through the balaclava, she could see the smile in his eyes. He cupped his manhood in one hand and thrust his rifle forward with the other.

  “These and this!” he proclaimed proudly, much to his men’s amusement.

  “Yet you hide your face.” Her outrage at his arrogance and belief he could take whatever he wanted was rising.

  “Mom,” cried Danny. He was shaking in her arms, wanting her to stop. He knew her buttons. He knew that tone of voice when she had been pushed too far. It was a tone that stopped all of her kids in their tracks. A tone that she had just used with the shooter.

  “Makes us more menacing!” he laughed.

  “Or not sure you’re right and hiding your identities from the authorities in case you’re wrong?”

  “Oh, we’re not wrong,” he said, peeling off his balaclava.

  Kate instantly recognized the man she had seen many times before. Bob Jackson, an assistant principal at the high school, coach of the Little League baseball team, and one of the most prominent members of the community. With his face revealed, the rest of the men removed theirs. These men were confident that there would be no repercussions. Kate recognized a number of the men from the local area, one had even been in her home, a well-respected local plumber.

  “I suggest you take what you can for you and your family before you go. You won’t get another chance,” said Bob, ending their conversation.

  “I can give you a hand,” said one of the group, offering Kate a hand to help her up.

  Kate looked at the man offering his hand. He had hovered near Bob throughout the encounter with the police. A snide grin seemed to be permanently affixed to his f
ace. His hair was slicked back and despite having worn a balaclava, remained perfectly in place.

  Kate turned to Danny. “No thanks,” she replied loudly, standing and helping Danny up.

  The man’s grin remained affixed to his face, but the warmth was gone. His eyes scanned every inch of her body, taking in a view he very much appreciated and wished to enjoy.

  Kate caught the lascivious look, and the man smiled and winked. The smile held a promise that Kate had no intention of ever letting the man live up to.

  “Trey! Leave her be, you hear?” instructed Bob.

  Trey licked his bottom lip and winked as he walked away, not taking his eyes off of Kate.

  Kate stared him down, offering him no suggestion that she was the least bit intimidated by him. His smile grew, the more she stared him down.

  “Be seeing you,” he mouthed and blew her a kiss as he walked out of sight and into the supermarket.

  “Be careful with him,” warned another member of the group as he walked by.

  “I don’t intend to be anything with him!” she called defiantly, with as much courage and bravado as she could muster. Trey had rattled her. She could see through him. He was a predator. Whether he had acted on his urges before, she didn’t know. She guessed not, but with law and order gone, who was going to stop the Treys of the world? Who would protect the Kates and their families from the Bobs and Treys who believed they could take what they wanted when they wanted it?

  “Kate?”

  Kate turned to the source of her name, one of the snipers who had just rejoined the group.

  “Roger?!”

  Barbara’s husband walked closer, out of the rest of the group’s earshot. “I never thought…” he said quietly, looking forlornly towards the sergeant’s body. She could see he meant it. Roger, the player, was nowhere to be seen. He was genuinely upset at how events had transpired.

  “I can see that,” she comforted.

  “You really should stock up on what you can,” he pointed towards the store.