by Harp, Wilson
He smiled and walked back to the little building we had set up in.
“He’s right, you know,” said Anne. “That was incredibly risky. You could have been really hurt. I’m so proud of you.”
I followed Anne across the highway as I replayed my actions over and over. I hadn’t stopped to consider the consequences. This was something new for me.
They had moved Alan, Terry and Chad into our building. Ted thanked the others when we arrived, and they wished us a good night and went back to their beds. The rescued men sat against the wall of the room. It was clear Chad had suffered some serious burns. A man we knew as Doc hovered over him.
“I can’t see well enough,” Doc said. “Blast it, I need some light.”
“Here,” Ted said. “I have a flashlight.”
He dug into his pack to retrieve it. Me and Anne went and sat next to Alan and Terry.
“You okay?” I asked.
Alan nodded. “Yeah, thanks to you.”
I scooted up against the wall and dropped my head back. I was exhausted. I felt a wave of weariness drift over me now the adrenalin had faded.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “Just glad you’re safe.”
Anne curled up in her bedding. She kept her eyes opened, though, and listened as we talked.
“That’s the second time you’ve saved us, David. I don’t know why,” Alan said.
“It’s the right thing to do.”
Alan shook his head. “I wouldn’t have believed there were people like you left in this world. You were rare enough before the EMP hit. I just don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“Do about what?” Anne asked.
Alan looked at her and blinked. “Nothing. Just rambling I guess.”
Ted had pulled out his flashlight and was burning some of the batteries as he helped Doc treat Chad.
“Those are some bad burns,” Doc said. “But I think we can get the coat off without too much damage. Your legs have some lighter burns, but we can save those jeans, I think. No need to cut them off.”
“What are we going to do?” Terry asked Alan. “All of our gear was in there.”
“We’ll hold tight until the wagons catch up,” Alan said. “Can’t be more than two or three days behind us.”
Ted looked back at Alan. “We can spare a few things for Chad,” he said. “A couple of shirts, anyway. And we can leave a few days food for you. We have enough to make it to DeKalb.”
“That’s mighty kind of you,” Alan said. “We’ll look for you when we get to DeKalb. I’ll pay you back.”
“Sounds like a deal,” said Ted.
“I’m sorry you lost everything,” I said. I shut my eyes as I leaned against the wall. “I can’t imagine losing everything in my pack. I couldn’t imagine trying to replace it all.”
“Just things,” Alan said. “Nothing which can’t be replaced easily enough.”
“Even the radio?” I asked.
The room became very quiet and I opened my eyes. Alan, Terry, and even Chad stared at me as though they wanted to kill. Doc looked confused as he glanced between us all. I saw Ted’s hand edge toward his sidearm.
“How do you know about the radio?” Alan asked.
“I… I saw you with it last evening. You were on the roof of the warehouse.”
“You were spying on us?” Terry asked.
“No!”
“Then how did you see us?”
“It’s fine,” Alan said. “I’m sure David can explain. Can’t you?”
“We just wondered where you were last night, because we thought you were going to bunk with us again. I went out and saw you had a fire going over at the warehouse and I saw movement on the roof. I just took a look to see what was going on.”
“From here?”
“I used binoculars,” I said.
“You were spying,” said Terry.
Alan motioned him to calm down.
“What did you think when you saw the radio?” asked Alan.
“I figured you were calling back to your wagons to find out where they were or to tell them how close to DeKalb you were.”
Alan nodded. “That’s it. You’re sharp, David. Sorry we got all itchy there. A radio is just an expensive piece of equipment and we just didn’t want others to know.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I should’ve forgotten I saw it. I just figured you would be overly upset having lost it in the fire.”
“You’re right. I just hadn’t thought about it yet. Now we really are at the whim of fate. If the wagon breaks down or there’s something else that comes up, we’re here without help or means of contacting anyone who can help us.”
“With the line of folks behind us, you should be able to get any help you need,” Ted said.
“Why don’t we all try and get some sleep,” said Anne. “It’s been a rough night, but the morning will be better.”
We all muttered our agreement and settled back to watch Doc and Ted finish work on Chad. When Doc had patched him up as best as he could, Ted turned off the flashlight and crawled into his bedding.
“I’ll be back tomorrow morning before we leave,” said Doc. “Get some sleep if you can.”
Chad had been in a lot of pain when we brought him in, but Alan had some hydrocodone in his jacket. I hoped it would dull the pain enough for the tough man to rest during the night.
The next morning Doc woke us right at sun up. He unwrapped the bandages around Chad’s arm and shook his head.
“You’re going to have some bad scars,” he said. “Not much anyone can do about it. But it should heal. Just keep it clean and wrapped. You should be fine.”
He turned to Alan and Terry. “You two were coughing a lot last night, you probably have some degree of smoke inhalation. Take it easy a couple of days and if it gets worse, start taking some antibiotics.”
“Thank you, Doc,” Alan said.
The other travelers were already gone by the time we finished getting our friends situated. Ted went over to the warehouse to search for anything which might have survived the fire. He came back with a semi-automatic pistol and a partially charred pack.
“Not much left,” Ted said. “But maybe something useful.”
“You folks should get on the road,” Alan said. “You’ve done enough for us.” He motioned to the spare food, two canteens, and spare shirts we left them.
“Do you have any way to defend yourself?” Anne asked.
“We have our pistols, but I’m guessing our rifles are gone,” Terry said.
“How much ammo?” Anne asked.
Terry looked at Alan and I could see the silent communication between the two men.
“Maybe fifty rounds. Maybe a mag more,” Alan said.
“You might need to hunt if the wagon takes more than a few days. And you might need a little more protection.” She handed Alan a box of shotgun shells and her shotgun.
“I expect to get that back in DeKalb. Catch up when you can.”
Alan stared at the shotgun in his hand. “I have got to visit Kenton one day,” he muttered.
He smiled at us. “Go. Get on. We’ll catch up soon and I’ll make everything square.”
We laughed and headed down the road. It was already mid-morning and there was a soft breeze which carried the promise of spring. We still smelled like smoke, but there was a freshness about the day that lifted our spirits.
“I imagine it will only be a few more weeks before some of the plants wake up,” I said. “Feels like it’ll be an early spring for Chicago.”
“Probably already have daffodils poking their heads up back home,” said Anne. “The men should be prepping the fields in the next few weeks.”
“I wonder how the rest of the world is doing,” I said. “I figure down near the Gulf they’re already planting.”
“In Florida, they probably never stopped,” said Ted. “Or a tropical island.”
“Oh to be stranded on a tropical island,” laughed Anne. “We all dream
ed of that, but I bet most people trapped that way just wish they were home.”
“Maybe,” said Ted. “In some ways it would’ve been better to have been in a third world country. They don’t have the reliance on technology like us. Their wells work, their food supply wasn’t interrupted. They just kept on with no change.”
“Like my grandparents told me in the Great Depression,” Anne said. “They were so poor, they didn’t know there was a depression. They just knew a lot more folks lived like them for a long time.”
“What about the Amish?” I asked. “We didn’t think they’d be affected much, but word out of West Plains is they were trying to get people to help them.”
“The law of unintended consequences,” said Ted. “You can’t think of every possibility and are bound to miss some. The Amish lived separate from the rest of the world, but not as much as they imagined. There were still things they relied on from outside their community.”
“What about this conflict between the military and Miller?” Anne asked. “We didn’t even know this existed when the military came in to help us, but now I wonder what would have happened if we had refused their help. Would they have forced themselves on us? Andrews seemed to indicate that’s the case.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Thayer hasn’t welcomed them with open arms, and they’ve been left alone.”
“It might have changed,” said Ted. “We met that unit of soldiers heading to Kenton the day we left, remember? They may have been heading down to Thayer or some other town the military wants control over.”
This idea disturbed me. When we left the base, I thought of the military’s control of things as necessary and what was needed to restore order. And I thought of Miller’s rule as tyrannical and despotic. But did the people around Springfield look at Miller as the rightful authority and the military as the would-be tyrants?
Ted was right, we were headed into another Dark Ages where feudal lords and kingdoms would control only the land they could keep by force. Trade and commerce would be what tied area to area, not a sense of common humanity.
The next several days saw a steady increase in people and buildings. We were headed due east right into the suburbs of Chicago and the stream of people increased hour by hour. It was on the third day we saw a wagon headed away from DeKalb. The driver and the guards were in a mostly empty wagon and they didn’t glance at the travelers headed east.
“They must be regulars to DeKalb and used to this traffic,” I said.
“They may be used to it, but they still had their weapons at the ready,” said Ted. “We need to stay on our toes.”
The forward group of travelers had spread out after the fire, but as we drew closer to DeKalb, we tended to clump together. There was a sense of safety in numbers, even when you barely knew and trusted each other. It was better than being alone in a crowd of strangers.
The fields and distant farm houses gave way to subdivisions and commercial areas. There was still plenty of room and openness, but we were walking through civilization. Or at least former civilization. Open areas were just as likely to be sports fields as horse fields, trees would have been planted for their aesthetics and shade rather than just naturally growing. Cross streets and street signs were everywhere.
On the fourth day we saw a sign for DeKalb which told us it was a mere 8 miles away. The traffic had picked up considerably and we felt almost crowded at times. We spent the night in an abandoned movie theater which had been used by travelers since almost the time of the event. We settled in for an early night as the others in our company wanted to arrive in the early morning hours to set up their deals.
“Is it weird?” Anne asked me.
“What?”
“Knowing you’re so close to home?”
“It is in a way. I could jump in a car and drive to my house without glancing at a map now. I would be home within an hour.”
“I’m glad, you know. You may not believe it, but I really hope you find them.”
“Anne… I…”
“You don’t know if you can go back to Kenton if you do. I understand that. I just wanted you to know I hope you’re happy in the end.”
“Thank you, Anne. I only want you to be happy, too.”
“Well, that’s enough sappy talk. Let’s get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow.”
I lay there until I heard Anne’s breathing become slow and steady. Finding Lexi and Emma was my goal, but it wouldn’t be the last challenge I would face.
Chapter 19
The fifth morning after the fire, streams of people converged together as we headed into DeKalb. The traders we had traveled with were excited and anxious. They talked about what they would do when they got there, worried about their wagons coming up behind us, and generally dreamed about what this opportunity would mean for them.
As we got closer to the city, I could understand the excitement. Dozens of merchants had joined our travels in the last few days. Some with large packs on their backs, some with small carts pulled by them, or even a team of dogs in one case, and some with large wagons pulled by horses or cows. The large wagons had teams of armed men around them. It was a well-armed troupe of potential wealth and no one seemed likely to take chances.
Along the road, little stands had popped up. All sorts of wares and food were being hawked to the travelers as we walked by. Strip mall parking lots were full of buyers and sellers, the few small convenience stores and gas stations which still stood had been put back to their purpose. Even some houses seemed to have been converted into places where you could buy or barter for goods. More armed men stood guard over all of these small businesses.
This was a place for trade and commerce, and the people here were serious about it. I had no doubt that people were hanged daily for theft and gun fights broke out on a regular basis. The town made me tense, all the more as I thought of Lexi and Emma. They must have endured this, and worse, over the last ten months.
“We should be able to get plenty of supplies here,” Ted said. “Looks like almost anything is for sale.”
Anne pulled the hood of her coat up around her face. “I don’t like this place. It makes me feel vulnerable.”
“It sure isn’t Kenton,” I said. “It isn’t even DeKalb anymore. This was a quiet college town when I left.”
“Cape Girardeau was a quiet college town, too,” Ted said. “Although the riots here were less disastrous.”
He was right. There was damage to most of the buildings, but they still stood and were in reasonable condition. A few empty lots showed the signs of the occasional fire, but for the most part the town was in pretty good shape. There were just so many people. Thousands by the time we entered the main area of town itself.
The long stream of merchants seemed to melt into the central marketplace. A large enough area of open land to absorb the crowds. It might have been a park at one time, but now it was just an ocean of people, tents, wagons, and crude wooden stands. DeKalb buoyed my hopes maybe Cape was the exception instead of what happened everywhere. Just as Kenton was on one end of the scale, maybe Cape was on the other. Maybe Chicago was somewhere in between.
“How long do you think it’ll take for us to get out of here?” I asked Ted.
“I’m not sure. Supplies we can get today, but we need to know more about the conditions in Oak Park and what we might find when we get there.”
We slowed in front of a small restaurant on the edge of the sprawling marketplace. The smell of meat being cooked on a grill wafted out and made my stomach growl.
“Let’s get some food,” I said. “We can plan out our next move. Besides, maybe we can get someone to talk over lunch.”
“I’m just scared of what that is,” said Ann. “I’m pretty sure it ain’t beef.”
“Maybe squirrel and rabbit,” I said.
“Likely dogs and rats,” said Ted. “Too many people around. Any small game would be snatched up quick. Have to resort to scavengers to feed on.”
“I’m hungry enough for dog,” I said. “And it smells good. I just won’t think about it.”
We went into the building and an older woman greeted us.
“Hi, I’m Sherry and this is my place. What can I do for you?”
“Hi Sherry. A place to rest our legs and have a drink would be a nice start,” Ted said.
“Ya’ll aren’t from here,” she said. “You’re with one of the merchants from the south by the looks of you.”
She had blonde hair which was gracefully turning gray.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said. “And we’d like a nice meal.”
“Well if you’re from the south, then you don’t have the right coin. You can buy our coin out at the big blue tent. There’ll be a line by now, but I have an agreement not to take anything but coin. It will be two apiece for dinner when you get them.”
“Thank you,” said Ted. “We’ll be back for the meal.”
We headed for the blue tent she had pointed toward. There was a long line, so we found the end and waited.
“Kind of a good sign they have their own money,” Ted said. “Means there’s some sort of control and organization. We’ll get some coin and be able to eat and resupply without too much hassle.”
A grubby man with a rank smell pushed his way into us.
“Hey, you need coin? I can trade you some coin. Make you a better deal than the changer.”
Ted shoved him hard away from us.
“Don’t touch us,” he growled.
“No, no, no, nothing like that,” the man threw his hands wide. “I didn’t mean nothing. Just, I can get you coin if you need it.”
“Hey! What’re doing?” a man shouted.
The grubby man fled when he heard the shout.
A large man with a stout wooden stick glared into the crowd where his target had disappeared. He wore a bright blue armband which had the word POLICE stenciled on it in white.
“Sorry about that,” he said as he turned back to us. “Only ones to trade coin are the changers here.”
“You’re the police?” I asked.
“The state police.” He stood up straight as he said it. “We’re who keeps order here so watch your step.”
