by J. Thorn
“I was hoping you and I could have a few words,” Donna said.
“Yeah, sure. Did you wanna go back outside?”
Donna shook her head. “Not a big fan of going out there at night with those bastards swarming the air, even if the picnic table is hidden by the trees.”
“Fair enough.”
Donna walked through a nearby door and Maya followed. They entered a storage room with a desk in one corner. Flies buzzed around empty Chinese food cartons stacked in front of a darkened bank of surveillance monitors. Boxes had been ripped open and left in a jumble, tourist brochures for all the wonderful sites to be seen in the Bluegrass State scattered across the floor.
Donna sat down in an office chair behind the desk and gestured to the chair on the other side. Maya sat down, and then Donna put her elbows on the table and leaned forward.
“Those guys told me that you’re the one making the decisions.”
“Really?” Maya shrugged. “I guess I’ve kinda taken command of our little crew. A mama bear.”
Grinning, Donna let out a small laugh. “I like that. Funny how, when the world goes to shit, men begin to empower women.”
“I haven’t thought about all that. I’m just trying to keep my kids safe.”
Donna raised an eyebrow. “And have you thought about how you’re going to do that?”
“Of course. I’m still trying to sort it out, though. We’ve been through a lot and I’m not sure what to do next.”
“Speaking of that, what exactly happened to you all?”
Maya gave Donna the shortened version of what had happened, from being inside Nashville when the dome had dropped on the city while her kids were on the outside, on to escaping and making the journey to Fort Campbell to finally reunite with her children. Then she told Donna about how Fort Campbell had been destroyed by aliens, and how she and the others had barely escaped.
When Maya finished her explanation, Donna spoke.
“I’ve heard some crazy stories from folks since all this started. Got my own story, but we’ll save that for when we have more time. Let’s just say I used to be a fan of alien-invasion movies and I’d go to all the sci-fi cons. Used to.”
Maya chuckled, grateful that Donna had a knack for taking the edge off of a difficult conversation.
“But I haven’t quite heard anything like that. Honestly, it seems like a miracle that you’re even sitting in front of me right now.”
“It sure feels like that.”
Donna leaned forward. She reached out and covered the top of Maya’s hand with hers.
“You’re a strong woman. That’s not hard to figure out, even after only a couple of conversations with you. And clearly you want the best for your family.”
“It’s all that I want.”
Donna gripped Maya’s hand tighter. “I know.” She let go and leaned back in her chair. “So, have you heard about Cincinnati?”
Maya sat back and cocked her head to the side. “No. What about Cincinnati?”
“They’ve got one of the last human strongholds in the Midwest. For some reason, an obelisk never rose there like it did over so many other cities. God rest their souls.” Donna made the sign of the cross. “Because of that, a resistance has formed there.”
“How do you know all this?”
“We met a traveler on the highway who told us about it. I’m not sure what reason he’d have to lie, and given that we’re now living in a rest stop, my people voted to go north and find out for ourselves. Decided right before y’all showed up.”
Maya stood up. “Which guy told you about Cincinnati? I’d like to talk to him.”
Donna lowered her head and shook it. “Unfortunately, he didn’t make it. He was killed right before we made it here. Someone was speeding down the highway and not paying attention, and they hit him.”
“Oh,” Maya said, sitting back down in the chair. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s just the way the world is now. I hate to sound harsh, but he wasn’t the first person we lost, and I doubt he’ll be the last.”
It was a harsh sentiment, but one that Maya understood. Because of her job, she’d been somewhat desensitized to death, which was a scary thought all on its own.
Donna leaned back and clasped her hands together on the desk. “Your crew should come with us. But they shut the gates at dusk so we can’t dally.”
“I’ll have to talk it over with the others.”
“Where else would you go? Seems like quite an easy decision to make.”
“No offense, but I hardly know you. Neither of us know if Cincinnati even exists anymore.”
Donna grinned. “You’re smarter than I thought. But that unfortunately might be the one thing that gets you killed.”
Maya glared at Donna as the woman stood.
“We’re leaving first thing in the morning. They’re using the big football stadium as the refugee camp, and from what I understand, it could close any day now.” Donna shook her head. “And believe me, you don’t want to be on the outside when they close that gate for good.”
Without giving Maya a chance to respond, Donna walked out, giving Maya yet another thing to consider in her decision on what they would do next.
40
After Donna left, Maya sat staring at a poster of Mammoth Cave on the wall across from her. She stood up and then sat down again, closing her eyes and trying to make sense of the situation.
Honestly, she didn’t know Donna. The story about Cincinnati had sounded hopeful, and yet, Donna had no way of proving it was true. For all Maya knew, Cincinnati could be nothing but a burning pile of rubble right now. As calculating and systematically destructive as the aliens had seemed to be, how could they have left a city like Cincinnati standing? Especially by now, Maya would have thought that they’d have found a way to obliterate it even without the need for a dome.
But what if everything Donna had said was true? What if Cincinnati was the last stronghold within a thousand miles? Left standing for a reason she didn’t yet know? Maya understood that they couldn’t continue to wander the highways, stopping at random rest stops and gas stations to try to find shelter from the threats in the skies. How long was that going to work before their luck ran out?
She took a deep breath and stood. She shoved her hands into her pockets, something she often did when she was anxious, and paced to the opposite side of the room. There, she split the blinds on the window with two fingers and peered outside.
From the window, Maya had a clear view south. Flashes lit the clouds like lightning, spreading from one horizon to the other. The aliens had filled the skies over Fort Campbell and were continuing their assault northward. Maya shuddered to think about what might have happened if she had followed Gerald’s advice and stayed. She thought of all the people she’d seen disintegrated before her eyes by sophisticated, alien weaponry. Cameron naturally came to her mind. The way the woman had pushed Maya out of the way and sacrificed her own life for the rest of the group.
Maya then considered what things might have been like if they’d stayed in the fort. She saw her kids crying, reaching out for her as an alien stood behind them with its weapon pointed at their backs.
Before the ugly daydream could get worse, Maya shut the blinds and stepped away from the window. Sweat ran down her face and she gasped for air, closing her eyes and seeking calm within herself.
And as the dark thoughts faded, her decision became clear. She stood up straight and walked out of the office.
Maya looked to her left, to where Reno sat with John and the kids. He stood up and dusted off the front of his pants as he stared at Maya. She saw Gerald again sitting in the same spot he’d been before, looking her way now with his elbows folded over his knees. And, ahead of her, Donna stood talking to one of the men in her own group. Most of the others were lying down, some sleeping and others just attempting to get some rest.
Pushing a lock of hair from her face, Maya nodded at Donna as she walked over to Aiden and L
aura. She could feel eyes on her as she sat down next to them.
“Everything all right, Mom?” Aiden asked.
Maya smiled. “Everything will be. Get some rest, because we’re leaving here in a couple of hours.”
“Where are we going?” Reno asked.
Maya looked over her shoulder to see Donna still staring at her.
“We’re going to Cincinnati.”
41
“When do we get to stop running?”
Maya looked over at her son, seeing the tears in his eyes. She took a deep breath before she replied, worried that she might give a snap reaction.
“Hopefully, when we get to Cincinnati. Now, get your things.”
“How far is that?” Laura asked.
“I’m not sure.”
“Do you think there will be power there?” Aiden asked.
Maya bit her lip, and then couldn’t hold the words in any longer. “Look, I don’t know! Now get your shit in the truck!”
Laura raised both hands in surrender and Aiden looked at his feet. Seeing their reactions, Maya sighed and shook her head, putting a hand in front of her own mouth.
“I’m sorry, guys. I shouldn’t have snapped at you two. This is all nuts and all I want to do is make sure you’re safe. I know you’re both scared. I am, too, and I promise I’m doing everything I can to get us all to safety. Cool?”
Aiden nodded, but Laura just stared. Maya brought them both into a group hug. “Now, please, put your things in the truck.”
As her kids stepped away, Reno approached Maya with his bag already slung over a shoulder. He glanced at the kids, then back to Maya.
“Everything okay?”
Maya nodded. “They’ll be okay. This shit is wearing on them.”
“Them or you?”
“I think all of us.”
“And you think following these people is the right call?”
Maya raised an eyebrow, staring into Reno’s eyes. “I do. Did you have a better plan?”
Reno shook his head. “I just hope there’s a refuge in Cincy.”
Then Reno glanced over at the trucks. Maya followed his gaze to see Gerald leaning against the side of one of them as the two kids approached. They put their bags inside and tried talking to their dad, but he only mumbled a few words without looking up.
Reno turned back to Maya. “You think he’s going to be okay?”
The truth was that Maya wasn’t sure. She wasn’t looking forward to riding with Gerald after the way he’d been acting. She’d known him for years, and had thought she’d seen every fickle mood and explosive emotion he was capable of. But she’d never seen him this despondent.
“He’ll be fine,” she said. “Let’s get going.”
They walked over to the trucks. The kids had climbed into the one she’d be driving. Gerald would be coming along with her, and Reno and John would be driving the other. She looked at her ex-husband, who was still leaning against the side of the vehicle.
“You about ready to go?”
Maya waited for him to say something as they made eye contact. He glared at her instead, dirt covering his tear-streaked face, but he said nothing as he finally climbed into the passenger seat.
This is going to be one hell of a ride, Maya thought as she rolled her eyes.
Donna approached, and Maya forced herself to smile as the woman put a hand on her shoulder.
“You about set?” Donna asked.
“Ready when you are.”
Donna shook her head. “This isn’t going to be an easy trip.”
“You don’t have to tell me that,” Maya said, thinking back to some of the ordeals she’d been through. “Let’s just get on the road so we can get it over with.”
“As you wish. We’ll follow you.”
Maya nodded, then got into the driver’s seat of the truck. Within minutes, they were on the highway again, headed north.
Gerald said nothing, keeping his fist to his chin and looking out his window. The kids had sensed his mood, as well, as they hadn’t tried talking to him again. Maya drove with both hands on the wheel, wanting to say something to him, but deciding not to. It wasn’t worth it. She only hoped he would eventually cool down and get back to a somewhat normal Gerald by the time they reached Cincinnati. Normal Gerald was an asshole, but he was better than this guy.
Maya checked her rearview mirror to see Donna’s caravan following closely behind. Reno and John were in the vehicle ahead of her, leading the way. John had family in Cincinnati, and so he had been there plenty of times and knew all the shortcuts—and side roads and detours if necessary.
They’d made it about fifty miles from the rest stop when smoke began billowing from the hood of Reno and John’s truck. This broke the peace, and even Gerald sat up in his seat and looked out the windshield.
“What’s happening?” Aiden asked.
“I’m not sure.”
Maya had lied, of course. She knew, but she had to hold it together. She checked the rearview mirror again. In the car behind them, she saw Donna talking to the person who was driving. Ahead, Reno stuck his arm out of the window to signal that he was pulling over. A gas station was just ahead on the right, though it looked like it had been closed since the invasion began. Reno drifted off the side of the road toward it.
Maya clicked on their emergency lights and put her hand out the window to signal to Donna that she was pulling over.
“Hopefully, she won’t be too upset that we have to stop for a few,” Maya said, thinking out loud.
She pulled into the parking lot, and as she turned to check on the caravan again, she heard their engines roar. Donna’s group continued speeding down the highway, leaving Maya and the others behind. Maya threw the truck into park and jumped out.
Standing next to the road, she waved her arms.
“Hey!”
But the caravan continued speeding off down the road, leaving nothing but dust in their wake.
Her arms fell to her sides and Maya exhaled.
Reno stepped out of the other truck and put his arms out. “What the fuck was that?”
Maya looked down and kicked the dirt. Then she put her hands on her hips and shook her head.
“Why would they just keep going?” Laura asked.
“I don’t know,” Maya said, swallowing the words she really wanted to share with Donna.
She looked to the sky. Luckily, it was still early enough in the day where there would be a minimal threat of aliens, but she also knew they were up against another clock.
“She must be really worried about getting to Cincinnati before they close that stadium down,” she said.
John walked around to the driver’s side and popped the hood of his truck. When he lifted it, more smoke rose from the motor as he coughed.
“Keep everyone away from that until the smoke clears and I can take a look,” Maya said to Reno. “I’m going to run inside and make sure it’s clear, and see if there’s anything useful.”
Maya walked through the shattered glass doors of the convenience store to see that every cooler had been shot out and raided, the only thing left on the floor being a single can of baked beans. But it wasn’t the sight of the store that raised the hairs on Maya’s neck—it was the stench.
As an EMT, she knew exactly what the smell was, but she’d never gotten used to it. She lifted the collar of her shirt up over her nose, breathing through her mouth. Whoever had died in here had done so in the last two or three days. She’d turned around to leave when she heard something.
A voice.
“Hello?” Maya asked.
There was no immediate response, and then she heard the voice again. It had a static to it, and she followed the noise behind the counter. And when she looked behind it, she saw not only the source of the sound, but also the smell.
A man lay on the ground, with his eyes wide and dried blood stains covering his head, spreading out from a hole between his eyes. A handgun lay on one side of him and a radio on the
other. Maya picked up the radio, the dried blood tacky on her fingers. She tweaked the knob until the static receded to a light crackle and the voice became clearer.
“…approximately 80% of the world’s cities. Most have been domed while others have been obliterated. New York, London, Paris—gone. Survivors should hide wherever possible, especially during the night. Stay off the highways. Stay out of sight. Some reports suggest the swarm is fanning out to the countryside and more rural areas. Take haven where you can find it, and God bless America.”
Maya walked out of the convenience store and found that Reno was waiting for her. Behind him, the kids were out of the other truck.
“Find any tools?”
Maya looked at Reno, unsure how to respond.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“A radio… local news reports…” Maya trailed off, not sure what to tell Reno and how to break the news to her children.
“That’ll have to wait, Maya. We’ve got big problems right here.”
42
“I knew this piece of shit wouldn’t last,” Reno said.
With wrench in hand, Maya climbed under the hood. But even she knew she was fooling herself. After a few more minutes of checking seals and hoses, she stepped back from the truck and grunted as she threw the wrench to the ground. Her hands had been covered with oil and gunk. She pushed her hair away from the front of her face and wiped the sweat from her brow using her forearm.
“Damn radiator.”
Reno nodded. “That’s what I thought, too.”
“What’s that mean?” Aiden asked.
“It means this hunk of crap isn’t going anywhere,” Gerald said.
It was the first time he’d spoken in quite some time. Maya glared at him before looking at her son.
“Unfortunately, your father’s right.”
“Can’t we get a radiator out of another car?” Laura asked.
Maya looked up and down the highway. There weren’t any vehicles in sight, and she pointed that out to her daughter.
