by Patten, Sean
“Well,” I said. “I got up in the middle of the night to answer nature’s call, and I saw that your bedroom door was open. Once I realized that you were gone, it didn’t take much guessing to figure out that you’d probably gone to check out the single most dangerous place in the neighborhood.”
“Amy was always bad at sneaking out,” said Lori with a smile. “Never covered her tracks very well.”
“What?” asked Amy. “No way! I was an expert sneaker-outer.”
“I let you think so,” said Lori. “But lucky for me a had a couple of your friends from the neighborhood on my payroll, so to speak. They let me know whatever it was you were getting up to.”
I glanced back at Lori, flashing her a smile. She offered one back. A fit-looking sixty-something, she had Amy’s sun-blond hair and bright blue eyes, but whereas Amy’s sharp features were all youth, Lori’s had a touch of maturity to them. Just from looking in her eyes I could tell she was a woman not to be underestimated.
“I can’t believe you turned my friends into spies,” said Amy with a small grin.
“It’s a mother’s job to make sure her little girl’s safe, you know,” she said.
“Only fair that I returned the favor,” said Amy.
Lori pursed her lips, clearly touched by the sentiment. She reached forward and took her daughter’s hand, squeezing it softly.
I was happy as hell for the two of them, but I’d have been lying if I’d said it didn’t just make me think of Sarah, and how a reunion like this between the two of us wasn’t likely to ever happen.
“I’m proud of you, Mom,” said Amy. “Standing up to David like that? I don’t know if I would’ve dared.”
“Sure you would, honey,” said Lori. “You’ve always been a fighter. And there was no way I was going to stand around and let that kind of crap happen in my neighborhood. My plan was to tell the people who weren’t on the board, try to get David kicked off.”
“Didn’t look like you would’ve had much luck,” I said. “Considering half the town was just shooting at us.”
“David had them trained,” Lori said. “‘Shoot first, ask questions later.’ Most of them probably didn’t even know who they were shooting at.”
She cleared her throat and went on.
“But God, I never thought I’d see you again, baby,” she said to Amy. “Let alone that you’d come save me.”
“Well, you told me I was always welcome home,” said Amy. “Just needed a little time to take you up on the offer.”
“’Bout time,” said Lori with a smile. She sat back and let out a sigh. “Well, we made it out of there. I guess now we still have the issue of where to go next.”
“My place,” I said. “I’ve got a ranch right outside Red Arroyo. Shouldn’t be more than a couple hours’ drive. And we’ve got more than enough gas to make it.”
“Your place?” asked Amy. “You’re…okay with that?”
“Sure I am,” I said. “Plenty of space, plenty of supplies, and far enough away from any town that we should be able to avoid the hell that’s going to break loose over the next few weeks. You two are welcome to stay however long you like.”
“That’s very generous of you,” said Lori. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything. After what I’ve seen over the last couple of days I wouldn’t feel right if I wasn’t helping out someone besides myself. Hell, I wouldn’t be around if your daughter hadn’t stuck out her neck to save me.”
“I knew I raised her right,” said Lori with another smile.
But instead of matching her mother’s smile with one of her own, Amy sat up, shocked.
“Wait,” she said. “The supplies—the medication. We left it all behind!”
She turned to me, waiting for my reaction. Amy was right. All the pills I’d gotten from Alban Falls were back in Sandy Vista, sitting in David’s place with all the rest of them.
I swallowed, trying my best to hide the tinge of anxiety I felt at this.
“What?” asked Lori. “What pills?”
“Ed’s got a heart condition,” she said. “A serious one.”
“Now, now,” I said. “It’s fine. I’ve got a couple bottles kicking around the ranch. And Red Arroyo’s always got a big stock of them for me.”
“What about after that?” asked Amy. “What about—”
“It’s fine,” I said. “Maybe…maybe what you said before was right. Maybe without us running around for our lives, I won’t need to be throwing back pills every five minutes. Hell, maybe I’ll even start running like my doctor was always pestering me to do.”
“Okay,” said Amy. “Good.”
“But don’t you two worry about that,” I said. “We’ve got a few hours’ driving ahead of us, and I can bet both of you are needing some halfway decent sack time.”
“God,” said Lori. “That sounds like heaven.”
“Get some shuteye,” I said. “And I’ve got clean sheets and extra bedrooms at the ranch. When we get back, you can rest as long as you need.”
Amy yawned, stretching out her thin limbs.
“Okay,” she said. “But you need some sleep, too. I’m going to rest for an hour, then you wake me up. Got it?”
“Got it.”
Like hell I was going to let her drive. It wasn’t that I didn’t need she could do it—more that I wanted her to get some sleep. The girl had been through a lot; she deserved some shuteye.
Sure enough, moments after Amy and Lori shut their eyes they were out. I focused on the road ahead, letting my thoughts unspool.
I hadn’t been lying about my meds—I did have a few bottles of pills at the ranch. And the local pharmacy in Red Arroyo did have a small supply that could be stretched out for a few months. And hell, maybe some easy-ish living would do my ticker some good.
But like I knew when we’d secured the pills from Alban Falls, I was only kicking the can down the road. Just a matter of time before I ran out and pushed myself too hard and that was that. All I could hope was that the few lessons I’d taught Amy would be enough to see her through.
And I felt…pretty good about that. The girl was a survivor, like I’d said. And she’d shown back at Sandy Vista that she had what it was going to take to keep on fighting and living. Lori would be a good addition to our group. I’d only known her for a short time but I could already tell she wasn’t a woman to trifle with.
I drove on, sailing down the open roads of the highway, stopping to slow down and drive around dead cars in the lanes. Every now and then I’d pass a person, or a group of people. Further west was LA, and I was happy as hell that we weren’t needing to go there.
One hour ticked by, then two, the sky growing brighter as morning approached. About two-thirds of the way through the drive my heart acted up, pain rushing through my body. But after a few seconds it faded.
I grit my teeth and shook my head once I was feeling right again. Between the stress and exertion and the lack of medication over the last few days, I’d been putting my heart through stress that it wasn’t capable of handling. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was, but I felt…something deep inside, like a machine had powered down and was slowly coming to a stop.
Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. All that did was getting to the ranch and making sure the ladies were safe and sound.
Before too long, I reached the turnoff for Red Arroyo. My gut tensed at what the town might look like. Scenes from Alban Falls flashed in my mind.
But, to my surprise, the town was…okay. It wasn’t a huge place, only a few hundred people, and one of the few towns in America left where everyone at least knew one another’s face.
There were no plumes of black smoke over Red Arroyo, no burned-out husks of cars or blank-faced refugees milling up and down the roads. Instead, two cars, each facing one another, were across the main road leading into town.
I drove up the cars slowly, not sure what to expect. As I approached, two men, each arm
ed with rifles, rose up from behind them.
“Stop your car, now!” one of them shouted.
Once again, guns were being pointed at my face. Fear ran through me at the idea that I’d come so far, only to be stopped for the very last time so damn close to home.
25 Ed
I did as the men ask asked, hoping to God that I hadn’t just driven into a trap.
“State your name and business!”
The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it.
“Ed Mack!” I shouted. “And I live here!”
Silence.
After a few moments, the men lowered their guns and approached. And as they did, I realized why they sounded familiar—one was Wyatt Capshaw, one of the assistant managers at the local grocery store. The other was Mike Willard, a recent addition to the police force.
Mike came over to my side of the car, Wyatt to the other. I rolled down the window.
“Shit,” said Mike. “It is you, Ed!”
I placed my finger over my lips before nodding to Amy and her mom.
“Ah,” Mike said. “They…they cool?”
“They’re cool,” I said. “Guests.”
“Friends of yours are friends of ours,” said Mike. “I’ll let the rest of the town know to expect some newcomers.”
“The rest of the town?” I asked, hardly believing what I was hearing. “Everyone’s…everyone’s still here?”
“For the most part,” said Wyatt as he came over to our side. “But we were prepared for the great bed-shitting that happened…more than enough paranoid survivalist types who took the news about the sun seriously.”
“Yep,” said Mike. “We’re locked up nice and tight. No one gets into town without our say-so.”
“Us,” said Wyatt. “Or the five other guns you’ve got trained on you right now.”
Wyatt turned and gave a thumbs-up, a few other hands popping up in the distance and returning the gesture.
“Never been so glad I chose to move into a town full of crackpots,” I said with a smile.
“You’ll need to pull your weight to keep Red Arroyo secure,” Wyatt said, “but we know you’re good for it.”
“Of course,” I said. “And, uh, is that all? I got some ladies who are in desperate need of a few hours to chill without people shooting at us.”
“Yeah, yeah,” said Mike. “Of course. You go get settled in and unwind. Whenever you feel up to it come by city hall. The mayor’s…not around anymore, but Police Chief Santos is running the show now. He’ll be eager to hear what’s been going on in the outside world.”
“I’ll be there,” I said.
With that, Mike and Wyatt each gave me a nod before heading over to the cars on the road. They each took the back bumper of one of the cars, pulling them off the road and letting me pass. With a wave, I was off, the ladies still fast asleep.
The drive through the town was…actually pleasant. A few early risers were already up, chatting with one another here and there. It actually looked like any other day in town—granted without a drop of juice. I had no idea what the future had in store, but if civilization was going to come back, it was going to happen with cities like Red Arroyo.
I drove through town, eventually reaching the dirt road that led to my ranch. By the time I arrived, the sun was high enough above the horizon to cast the place in soft, orange light. I pulled the car out front, and killed the engine.
“Hey,” I said, gently prodding Amy. “We’re here.”
She opened her eyes sleepily, coming to and taking in the scene.
“Wow, Ed,” she said. “This…this is great.”
“This is your place?” asked Lori, herself waking up.
“Sure is,” I said. “Come on, let me show you around.”
We stepped out and once I was on my feet, the blood rushing back to my legs, gave my back a good crack.
The place looked as inviting as ever. My home was a three-bedroom ranch home situated on a twenty-acre plot of land covered in California Palms, Joshua trees, and all kinds of cacti. It was secluded and peaceful and exactly what I loved to come back to after a long tour with a band or a weekend of Dead Air.
Especially after how the last one turned out.
I nodded to the women, and they followed me into the house.
“Ah, yeah,” I said, taking in the sight of my living room. “Home sweet home.”
I turned to Amy and Lori.
“And it’s your home, too,” I said. “For as long as you like.”
“Thank you,” said Amy.
“We got a pantry in the kitchen and a cellar full of enough canned goods to keep you full for the next two years. There’s gas for the stove, but use that sparingly. Same with the water tank—and make sure to open it up when it rains and collect what you can. Boil it first, though, just to be on the safe side.
I led them through the house, showing them around and stopping in front of the study. I opened the door revealing a room of bookshelves packed full of hundreds of books, rifles and shotguns mounted on the wall.
“Wow,” Amy breathed.
“I’m impressed,” said Lori.
“Come here,” I said.
I stepped over to one of the shelves, looking for my special book. Sure enough, it was in its usual place. I pulled on the copy of The Count of Monte Cristo, the shelf clicking and opening like a door. Behind it was a small room of stainless steel walls, dozens of weapons from pistols to shotguns to rifles racked, boxes of ammo under them.
“Pray you don’t need you use these,” I said to Lori, “but if you do, I or Amy can show you how.”
“Amy?” asked Lori. “You know how to shoot?”
She smiled. “Ed showed me a thing or two.”
“Well, then,” said Lori. “Guess you miss out on some stuff when you’re in the basement.”
“Speaking of the basement,” I said, leading them out of the study and into the kitchen. “The pantry’s more like a shelter—any trouble goes down, you get in and lock the top. If the house falls down on top of you there’s a drain that leads about a hundred feet away. You can take the ladder there back up to the surface.”
I racked my brain, trying to think if there was anything else.
“But the town’s full of good people. Get to know them when you can. They’ll take care of you.”
“You’ll have to introduce us soon,” said Lori. “But right now…I think I need a good twelve hours of sleep.”
I smiled. “Sure. You can take the first bedroom on the right. Get comfortable—it’s yours as long as you want it.”
Lori returned the smile, a tear forming in her eye that she quickly wiped away. “Ed,” she said, shaking her head. “You’ve been so good to us. I don’t know what to say. Or how to repay you.”
“Repay me by staying alive,” I said. “And…uh, if I end up kicking the bucket, there’s a Joshua tree out front. Biggest one there. Bury me under it.
“Ed,” said Amy. “Don’t be morbid.”
“Just…just want to cover all the bases, you know? Do that, and don’t make a mess, and this home’s yours as much as mine.”
“Lucky for us we don’t have to worry about that part,” said Amy. “Because we’re going to make sure you stay with us for a long while.”
I let out a snort and smiled. “Sure,” I said.
Lori gave me a long hug before leaving for the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.
Then it was just me and Amy.
“I think I need some fresh air,” I said. “How about you?”
She smiled. “Sounds great.”
Together we went out to the front porch, both of us leaning against the railing as we took in the glorious sight of the eastern sun over the desert.
“I’ve been hating the desert for the last few days,” said Amy. “Almost forgot it could be this beautiful.”
“There’s a reason why I keep coming back here,” I said.
Silence fell. A tinge of pain ran through
my chest and down my arm, but I ignored it.
“Listen,” I said.
“Yeah?” Amy asked.
“You’ve…you’ve been through some shit.”
“We’ve been through some shit,” she said.
“True,” I replied. “And right now you and your mom are getting a breather. Hopefully it’s a long one. Assuming the power’s out everywhere for good, these next few months are going to be something none of us are going to want to see up close and personal.”
“No kidding,” she said. “Good thing we’ve got the perfect place to hide out from it all.”
The pain returned, this time forcing me to wince. I considered going into the house to get my pills, but I decided to just let it pass.
“But you’re ready,” I said. “For whatever comes. You know how to shoot, you know how to fight back, and you know how to survive. And I only had to teach you one of those things.”
“Thanks, Ed,” she said.
“I’m serious,” I said. “You’ve been through some terrible shit, and look at you, standing tall, not afraid of anything. You’re one of the strongest women I’ve ever met, Amy. The new world’s going to need people like you. Don’t you forget it.”
Amy glanced over to me, tears in her eyes. Without saying a word, she threw her arms around me and pulled me in for a tight hug. And as I held her skinny frame in my arms, part of me was ready to let go, to let her find her own way.
“We’ve still got a lot of work to do,” she said. “And I hope you’re not leaving me with one shooting lesson. I want to keep at it until I’m as good as Ramirez.”
“It’s a tall order,” I said. “But we’ll see what we can do.”
Amy stretched her arms out and yawned hard. “Okay,” she said. “I think I need some sleep before I can think about anything else.”
“Take the room next to your mom’s,” I said.
She nodded before giving me one last look and starting inside.
“Oh, and Ed?” she asked.
“Yeah?”
“Remember when I saved your ass?”
“How could I forget?”
“I think we can consider it even,” she said.
