by J. R. Tate
Maybe he’d come to his senses and drop the gun. Ed calming down was the only way Alice would get out of this alive.
“Come on, Crystal. I’m doing what I can for you,” Alice whispered, waiting patiently for Ed to bring back what she had requested. If the store didn’t have a kit, Alice would need to start thinking up a way to escape. Allowing Ed to swoop in and keep her from her family wasn’t an option. Allowing Crystal to die hopefully wasn’t an option either.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Sophie felt more tense the farther they walked from Boston. The outskirts of the city was a heavily concentrated area with buildings, houses, and places of business. What lent to the eerie feel was the lack of people. There were a few other sparse groups, walking in the same direction they were down the sidewalks, but they were in a heavily populated area. Where was everyone? Held up inside their houses, afraid to come out? She could feel the eyes on her, watching her every move from atop the high lofts in the apartment buildings close by.
Clutching her bag on her shoulder, she glanced at Danny, neither of them saying much for the past half hour. Danny had always been a conspiracy theorist and she always took it with a grain of salt but as the disaster played out in front of them, Sophie felt it was important to listen to him. Electromagnetic pulse - just the mention of an EMP strike made the hair on the back of her neck raise. How in the hell was she going to get home to her family?
“We’ll get back to Texas, Sophie.”
“How in the hell did you know what I was thinking about?”
“I can tell. You’ve made it clear you want to make it back to your family. You haven’t said much and you’re usually a talker.”
Glancing at a family across the street, her heart ached at the sight of the two young children following their parents, their clothing tattered, their faces soiled with dirt. It was like they were looking at photographs out of a National Geographic of chaos overseas. If Sophie didn’t know any better, it looked like the scenes from Syria. Here on American soil. Was this war? Or was this just some breakdown in technology that no one saw coming?
“How do you think we’re gonna make it back to Texas? Cars aren’t working. Nothing is.” Sophie spread her hands, motioning toward all of the abandoned vehicles. “How long will it take us to walk almost two thousand miles?”
“Believe me, I’ve thought about it. That’d be like six hundred hours, which would mean it’d take about twenty-five days if we walked continuously with no breaks.” Danny flashed a smile and Sophie slugged him in the arm. “What? I’m just saying… it’s doable. Not in twenty-five days but we will make it back there. Maybe we’ll run across some horses or something. That’d cut it down to half the travel time.”
Shrugging, Sophie sipped on her water. “No telling what we’ll come across on the way. We already had to fight once. I don’t trust anyone.”
“And we shouldn’t trust anyone.”
“Do you really think this is an EMP?” Sophie stopped walking for a second. Her feet ached and her legs were sore. She had always been in decent shape but walking this much would take its toll even on the most seasoned marathon runners.
“I do.”
Biting her bottom lip, she looked down at the ground. “Do you think our families are alive?”
“I wish I knew, Sophie. At least we’re both needing to go in the same direction. I’ll just have to walk a little farther to Abilene.”
“It’s just…” Reaching out, she grabbed Danny’s hand and continued walking. “Airplanes crashed out of the sky. It’ll be nothing short of a miracle if my dad is okay.”
“Maybe he wasn’t on a plane at the time.”
“Maybe.”
Danny pulled his cell phone from his pocket and grimaced. “It’s just funny how we’re so used to pulling out our phones and having instant contact with people. Now it’s like we’re back in pioneer times when people traveled by foot, horse, and wagon. They never knew how their families were doing unless they got a letter that took forever to get to them. I’m trying to view this as an adventure. It really helps with the doom and gloom of the situation.”
“I should try to be more like you but it’s hard to believe this happened. We almost got beat up back there at that store for simple items. We can’t let our guard down.”
“And we won’t. We’re good for now. We’ll walk until we get tired and find a place to rest. The farther we get, the sooner we will find out about our loved ones. At least we’re not going at this alone.”
“I probably would’ve already panicked to death.” Sophie finally cracked a smile and nudged Danny. He was right - at least they were in this together, especially since it felt like the rest of the world was disappearing around them.
***
Jake walked slowly down the steep incline. The lake was below the road by several hundred feet and the campground was on the other side of the water. If they did run across anyone, it’d be people who would know what to do in this situation. They were campers. They knew how to survive without electricity and the comforts of their homes back in the city. That might not have been completely true but he had to convince himself of it to not freak himself out. Larry wasn’t ashamed to admit he was a city person. Jake had grown up in the country but never without the daily items they took for granted now that they weren’t available.
Larry wasn’t able to keep up the pace with Jake so he slowed down to make sure they wouldn’t get separated. Larry was a bigger man than Jake, outweighing him by at least fifty pounds and unfortunately, it wasn’t muscle. His breathing was labored and he stopped, leaning on the side of the cliff to try and catch his breath.
“You okay?” Jake asked, feeling the sweat sting his eyes. It wasn’t really hot but the humidity was a factor.
“I’m good. The last time I ever walked this far I was about twenty years younger. You never realize how out of shape you get sitting behind a desk all day.”
Jake offered him the bottle of water. It was almost empty but he had a few more in his bag. “Drink the rest of that.”
“No. We need it.”
“Exactly. You need it right now. The last thing I need is you passing out on me, Larry.” It was cut and dry but it was honest and Jake didn’t have time to sugarcoat anything. They were in a mess. They had to move fast in case anything else happened. “There are some motor homes and campers just down that way. And it looks like the tent camping is on the other side of the lake.”
“And why are we doing this again? Why not just go back to the plane?”
Suddenly the once quiet, reserved hiking buddy was now becoming whiny. Jake had to consider their situation - it was bad enough to make anyone cranky and wishing they were somewhere else.
“I want to see if we can find anyone who might know what happened. And we might find some things we can use. Camp stoves, lanterns, those kinds of things.”
“You want to steal?”
Jake glared at Larry as they continued to walk, finally reaching a point in the trail that was a bit more level, allowing their pace to quicken until they reached the ground below. “You see anyone around here who might be wanting this stuff?” Jake spread his hands, motioning toward the abandoned campers. “I don’t think we’re in a position to really have a moral debate. Do you understand the seriousness of what’s going on?”
“I really don’t. What do you think happened?”
Jake hesitated before reaching for the door of a camper. A pickup truck was still there, parked by a fire pit that looked like it had been recently used. The charred wood in the hole looked like it still had some use and he’d love to be able to take some back to the plane to keep them warm overnight. If they needed to, he’d go back to the crash site and bring a few more people back to help gather things. But his overall plan was to get the hell away from the area and somehow find a way back to Dallas. If things went his way, he’d only spend a few more nights there and be gone.
“First thing my mind went to was terrorism. The plane was
in fine shape. I assumed someone tampered with something. Someone who knew exactly what they were doing.” He opened the door to the camper, being cautious to the possibility that someone could be on the other side, waiting with a shotgun. Just like everything else they had run across, it was vacant. Taking the steps inside, Larry followed.
“But now what do you think?” Larry asked, staying close to the door as Jake walked through, opening up the cabinets as he passed by.
Jake clicked his tongue between his teeth, pulling out food from the pantry. Cookies, beef jerky, a few bottles of water, and a bottle of scotch. Jake wasn’t sure if he’d admit it out loud, but seeing the bottle of booze excited him more than the water. He needed an escape or something to at least take the edge of the reality they were facing.
“I don’t know. I don’t even know where to begin, which is why I wanna find someone to talk to. Getting another perspective of someone on the ground might give us a better idea.” Jake put the waters, scotch, and cookies in his bag. It wouldn’t be able to hold much more but at least they knew where to find more items if they wanted to come back later. It wasn’t too far of a hike if they got desperate for something.
The very back of the camper exposed a bed and chemical toilet. Lifting the pillows, he felt something metal and cold under his fingertips. Clamping down on the item, he yelled out in joy when he realized it was a handgun - a nine millimeter just begging to be plucked. Stealing a gun was a felony but things had changed - this was for protection and survival, and Jake felt he could walk with more confidence knowing he had that with him.
Sliding the magazine out, the gun was loaded with fifteen bullets. It wasn’t much but hopefully, he wouldn’t come across a situation where he’d need to use any of the ammunition, much less all fifteen of them. He slid the gun in his waistband, the weight of it reminding him that he had just stolen a major item from someone - it wasn’t just food. Taking the gun catapulted Jake into the complete reality they were now living - normal, everyday laws didn’t apply anymore. The world had changed in a matter of seconds and it was becoming every man for himself.
It took Jake a second to relax. Hoping he was hiding his anxiety from Larry, he forced a smile and waited to see what Larry’s opinion was on the theft of the handgun. The man didn’t say a word, which was good and bad. Jake tried to ignore the worry. They were now protected, whether it was from some other person or even wildlife - they were deep in the woods and could easily run across an animal that would take their lives.
Exiting the camper, they moved onto the next, finding the same story with each one. Jake was beginning to feel discouraged when he saw something sprint into the trees about two hundred yards away from them. It was quick and a streak in the corner of his eye and he wondered if it was just a wild animal attempting to get away from them.
“Did you see that?” he asked Larry, patting the other man on the chest.
“What?”
“I think I saw someone go into those trees.”
“They obviously don’t wanna talk to us if they ran.”
Jake ignored Larry and walked toward the thick grove, holding his hand against the butt of the handgun in case he needed to draw it quickly. Leaves rustled from footsteps and he blinked back the sweat, swiping his cheek with his shoulder.
“Hello?” Jake stood still, attempting to listen if whoever it was would respond.
The crackling of the leaves stopped and he peered through the thick vegetation. The body shape looked like a man and he held his hands up at shoulder level, his back turned toward Jake and Larry.
“We’re not here to hurt you,” Jake yelled. “We just wanna talk!”
The man turned around, his face shielded by the brim of a baseball cap. He kept his hands up but didn’t move an inch. Jake got closer, moving slowly so he wouldn’t spook the person even worse.
“Please don’t shoot me!” The man finally spoke up but kept his face low. “Please…”
“I’m not gonna shoot you.” Jake was finally close enough to get a good look at him. He was younger – Jake would estimate him to be in his early twenties. His clothes were tattered and his face was bruised and bloody.
“Please…” the man pleaded, his voice low, his body shaking.
“I’m not gonna hurt you. I just wanna talk. Do you know what’s happened?”
The stranger shook his head and looked up completely. Tears streamed down his soiled face, he grit his teeth, and anger replaced the sorrow and pain he had revealed to Jake.
“They killed them. My family…”
“Who did?”
“Do you have a family, Mister?”
Jake nodded his head but was hesitant to reveal much more information. For all he knew, this kid was playing him. No one could be trusted. “I do.”
“Are they still alive?”
“… I think so. Why?”
“You’re lucky if they are. You should probably get home to them. They won’t be alive long.”
“What do you mean by that?” Jake asked, glancing over his shoulder at Larry, who had stayed back. Figures. Jake knew he didn’t have backup with him.
“Nothing. Never mind.” The boy wiped his face with his sleeve and took a few steps back. “They’re gonna get us all. We’re all dead.” He turned around and ran, sprinting through the trees until Jake couldn’t see him anymore.
“Come back! I’m here to help!” Jake’s voice echoed but got no response from the mysterious person. “What in the hell was that about?”
It gave him the chills as he heard the warnings replay in his mind. Was the kid another doomsday conspiracy theorist? Probably. But it still didn’t answer all of the lingering questions Jake had on his mind. If anything, it made his curiosity worse and his panic to get back to his family heighten.
“Let’s get the hell out of here, Larry. We need to keep moving.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Alice looked around the small office for anything that might help her with the child. It was taking Ed a while to get back but she could hear him looking around. Would a gas station have a needle and thread? They had lots of odds and ends and maybe they’d have a small repair kit. People who traveled lost buttons, didn’t they? She dug through a desk drawer, searching for anything that might help her sew up the wound but was coming up short.
There was a pair of scissors in a pen holder and she grabbed those. But nothing for thread. Kneeling next to Crystal, Alice sterilized the scissors with some of the peroxide, making sure not to use too much. It would come in handy later on if she found a way out of the mess she was in.
Ed came back through and tossed a plastic package at Alice. It fell beside her and she grabbed it, shocked that he actually found what she had requested. What were the chances that the gas station would have something like that? She wasn’t going to ponder her good luck and convenience of the situation because Crystal’s injury was anything but convenient. Ed pacing around her with a loaded gun made this far from easy.
She sterilized the needle with more peroxide, trying her hardest not to infect Crystal even more. Threading it was tough and she tied a knot, securing the thread. Wiping the blood clean once again, Alice tried to ignore the fact that Crystal likely had lost so much blood that getting the injury stitched up was a moot point. Maybe she hadn’t lost as much as Alice was predicting and this would help. Maybe she had lost so much that it was already too late.
Checking Crystal’s pulse, Alice glanced up at Ed who wasn’t looking her way. He paced back and forth, grumbling something she couldn’t understand, mimicking the actions of a drug addict at the peak of his high. Leaning forward, she pushed the injured skin together, attempting to match the sides up like a puzzle piece. Forcing the needle through the skin, she punctured one side, expecting Crystal to yell out in pain but she didn’t respond. That was good and bad. Good that she didn’t have to handle a wailing child, bad that the kid wasn’t feeling anything. Being in shock was the best case scenario. Being on death’s doorstep was l
ikely.
Weaving the thread down the wound, Alice formed a braid and pulled it tight, joining the skin together. More blood oozed out and she moved fast. Every second was crucial to Crystal’s survival - and not to sound stupid, it was crucial to hers as well. She continued to keep Ed in her peripheral vision, making sure he didn’t get trigger happy and shoot her.
Tying a not, she cut the thread loose and put it in the first aid kit. If she could get away, it would be a good item to carry with her. Though she lived somewhat close, there was no telling what else she might run across between here and there. It was a big if on whether or not she’d get away from Ed. Either the wreck they were involved in had hit him in the head and made him crazy, or he was fitting the mold of a drug addict. There was possibly more to the story than he was volunteering to her.
“I have it stitched up,” Alice said, scared to even speak.
“Good. Is she gonna make it?” The gun shook in his hand and his shirt was covered in sweat.
“I don’t know, Ed. It’s hard to say.”
“Fix her, nurse. Damn it!”
Alice checked Crystal’s pulse - it was so weak she struggled to find it. Her breathing was slow but at least she was still alive. “I’ve done everything I can, Ed. This will help stop the bleeding. There are gauze pads to make sure the wound stays clean. Sleeping is good for her. It’s allowing her body to heal.” She would omit the details about Crystal possibly having internal injuries that Alice had no way of fixing.
“You’re talking like you’re leaving.” Ed lifted the gun at her, his knuckles white from gripping the handle so tight.
