“Think I can handle that.”
Al turned to leave, but Tyler stopped him, gun outstretched in his arm. “You keep it. Lord knows I’d rather it be in your hands if the dead ones outside have more friends nearby.”
Tyler smiled. “See you in the morning.”
He closed the door behind Al, walked to one of the empty beds and kicked back. Without the incessant blaring of a battery powered alarm clock, it took him a few minutes to fall asleep.
Chapter Four
September 17, 2013
Mobile, Alabama
Tendrils of light poured through a gap in the blinds onto Tyler’s face, waking him from his sleep. For once his dreams were empty as if his mind had shut down for the first time in months. While he was glad to have gotten some rest, waking had filled him with the same sense of dread he felt the night before.
He sat up on the edge of the bed. Placing the M-16 against the wall, he leaned in to check on Marcy. Her chest still rose and fall with the same uneven cadence it had the night before. If there was any sign of good news it was that she didn’t seem to be getting any worse though it was hardly any consolation.
“Hey, you’re up.” Matt popped his head in the room and smiled. “We started loading your truck a few hours ago. We almost have everything loaded and ready to go.”
Tyler rubbed his eyes. “You guys don’t mess around.” He stood up, grabbed the M-16 and slung it over his shoulder, and followed Matt into the front room. Once there he saw new faces he hadn’t seen since the night before. Women and even a few teenage children walked about, gathering their belongings and placing them in boxes spread across the room.
The group worked together well, organizing everything they planned to take based on what it was and who it belonged to. Most of the community property like food and water, was being placed in the truck while each of the vehicles were being loaded with the belongings of those inside. Most people were packing light, taking only enough clothing to last a few days. It was a nice change from the days when you’d pack enough to account for every possibility, like jeans for work, slacks in case you decided to go out, and swim trunks because the hotel might have a pool.
Seeing all the clothing strewn about had Tyler remembering his clothes back at the hotel. He’d left town in such a hurry he hadn’t thought about going back to get it. Now, having put some distance away from Mobile, he wasn’t about to go back to get it.
Al greeted Tyler as he walked into the kitchen. New sheets were wrapped around his shoulder, mostly white though faint traces of brown could be seen around the area of the bullet wound. He had the injured arm in a makeshift sling cut from the same sheet Tyler cut the night before.
“We’re just about ready to head out. You might want to grab a bite to eat before we leave.” He pointed to an array of single serve wrapped pastries stacked neatly on the table. “You might want to grab a shower too. Hot water is out, but as of now the plumbing still works fine.”
“I could go for a shower right about now.” He looked down at his pants and shirt, filthy from both the scuffle at the gas station and from the fight last night.
“And a change of clothes. Matt is about your size. I’ll see if he has something you can borrow.” Al left the room and returned a few minutes later with a fresh change of clothes. The pants were two sizes too big, but with Tyler’s belt it wouldn’t be that big of a deal.
“Thanks,” Tyler said.
“Least I can do. I wasn’t exactly nice to you yesterday afternoon. Many good men would’ve done bad things to me if I’d treated them like that, yet once the opportunity presented itself you decided to help instead of something else. I won’t go beating around the bush about this, Tyler, but there’s something special about you. It’s as if the good Lord above put you here for a reason. Why he sent you with a combat rifle in your hand is another matter entirely. One I plan to ask him personally if I ever get the chance to grace his presence in the after.”
Tyler lowered his head to hide his embarrassment. He didn’t feel like he deserved any of the praise Al had piled on. Yeah, he’d stopped to bandage his wound when he really wanted to let him suffer, but he knew it wouldn’t be right. In the moment, staring eye to eye at death, you learn to place trust in people you might not otherwise. His choice to help Al instead of hurting, or leaving him had been one of these decisions.
“Now I’ve said more than enough. Go get yourself cleaned up. I’ll have Judy come in and take care of your lady friend.”
Tyler thanked him, grabbed the clothes, and went down the hall to the bathroom. A lit candle sat on the edge of the sink, helping illuminate the rather small room. Seeing it burning instead of the lights was a stark reminder about how much had changed. Things he once looked at as being normal to everyday life were now relegated to luxury status. Having to live around the once working technology was like a slap in the face. A firm reminder about what had been just days ago, and what would never be again.
As the water washed over him, splotches of dirt and caked on blood covered the once clean porcelain tub below. Feeling the water running through his hair felt wonderful, even if it chilled him to the bone. Best of all, it had helped relieve the headache that wanted to form.
Alone, he toyed with the thoughts in his head. Thoughts of the wife and kids he still hoped were out there somewhere. Someplace safe away from the chaos and horrors he’d dealt with away from home.
Seeing the young boy cowering behind his truck had given him hope they were still around. Yet it also filled him with concern. He wondered how Ryan would’ve dealt had he been put into the same situation as the boy. Would he have done anything to get something to eat, or would he have starved instead of doing something morally wrong?
The answer he came up with startled him, not so much because he didn’t trust his son, but because of what he’d become. In the past few days he hadn’t done anything different than the boy. Everything he did was thinking about his day-to-day survival with enough thought to consider tomorrow’s needs before they came up.
Yet, the more he thought about it, the more he had done something different. From what he saw the boy hadn’t fired a shot. Even his gun was well away from him on the ground when he saw him last night.
But that wasn’t the case with Tyler. When the bullets started to fly he wasn’t near a gun, yet his first instinct was to grab one and shoot Sure, he’d decided against turning the weapon on those inside the house, but that was more for his personal safety than anything. He knew, deep down, that he wouldn’t have been able to get outside in one piece as long as one side or the other was still alive. All he’d done was choose the side that had shown to have some heart, even if it wasn’t directed at him.
Knowing that made him worry more for his daughter. At sixteen years old she might have thought she was ready to take on the world, but not in its current form. He wasn’t sure there was a kid alive ready for the way things were, least of all his.
A knock at the door tore him from his thoughts. He hastily rubbed his body down with the bar of soap, rinsed off, and got dressed. Outside the door he found Ralph waiting patiently for his turn.
“Sorry about that,” Tyler said, drying off his hair. “Got a bit carried away. It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to clean up.”
“No worries, man. I understand. It’s kinda crowded like this every morning, though not usually as urgent. If we weren’t planning on heading out shortly after noon, I wouldn’t have knocked.” Ralph pointed at the damp towel Tyler had in his hand. “You done with that?”
“Yeah.” He handed over the towel and left Ralph to the bathroom.
Tyler went back to the room he’d slept in and sat down on the bed. Judy sat in a chair next to Marcy, cleaning her face and skin with a wet rag.
“Do you think she’s going to make it?” Tyler asked, saddened to see Marcy still unconscious.
“Hard to say. We don’t know how much she took in, or what’s going on inside her body. If there’s any goo
d news it’s that she survived the night. From what Al’s told me, the swelling is one of the most dangerous parts of the process. Anything else we can treat with antibiotics.”
Tyler breathed a sigh of relief to hear her say it, even if the information was secondhand.
“Why don’t you go out front and help the boys. I’m sure they can use the help.” She dipped the rag into a bucket, rang it out, and rubbed it along Marcy’s arm. “I can keep an eye on her for you.”
Tyler thanked her, laced up his boots, and went into the front room to lend them a hand.
Ralph and Matt sat on the living room couch, each holding a bottle of water. Their conversation came to an abrupt end when they saw Tyler enter the room.
“Look who finally showed up to help,” Matt said, playfully.
“Yeah, too late.” Ralph got up, bumped his fist against Tyler’s shoulder and went into the kitchen with the women.
Tyler chuckled. “Sorry about that. Got a little caught up in the shower.”
“That’s what Ralph told me.” Matt walked across the room, stopping at the damaged blinds to look outside. “We threw the back seat of the van in your truck. Figured you might not want to stick around with us for too long, all things considered.”
“That’s fine. If something comes up we can switch it back.” As much as he was grateful they considered he might want to go his own way down the line, he wasn’t in a hurry to leave them. He was sure it was his experience from the Army, but there was something about being around guys you risked your life with that soothed him. The same thing had happened in Iraq though not to the same extremes. Before first contact, most his squad did their own things, only talking to each other as training or the mission dictated. But that first firefight changed things. Created a bond that wouldn’t have existed any other way. Bonds that exist to this day.
“Looks like Al is going to let you lead the charge out of here. Have an idea where we’re going?”
“I’m torn between taking 10 or shooting up 98 to 59.”
“Any preferences?”
Tyler shrugged. “Highway 10 is a straight shot for the most part. I can take it all the way to Phoenix, then shoot home to the north. But the other way is a bit faster. It also gives me a lot more options to avoid the cities. Seeing what happened around here makes me want to avoid as many people as I can.”
“That ain’t no shit.” Matt grinned. “Well, if you don’t mind, I’ll hitch a ride with you. Kinda out of a seat with the seat out of the van.”
“Fine by me. Marcy will be in the van anyway. Won’t mind the company.”
Matt’s face went into a somber expression at the drop of a hat at the mention of her name. “How’s she doing?”
“Not sure. Judy seems to think she might pull through. I guess if she survives another night we’ll know.”
“Smoke inhalation doesn’t play. Had a cousin get stuck in a house fire as a kid. Ended up with a nasty case of bronchitis.”
“OK people,” Al said as he entered the room. “Looks like it’s time to hit the road. Let’s get our shit together and get in the car before I get all sentimental and decide to stick around for another bandit attack.”
The house broke into a muffled laughter. Al, not joining along, walked over to Tyler and placed his hand on his shoulder. “You can handle the show for here. Just let us know where we’re going so we don’t end up going different directions.”
“Let’s shoot up 98. Keeps us off the coastline, not to mention avoids hitting every major city on the southern edge of the states.”
“Sound’s like as good as idea as any.” He cleared his throat and addressed the house. “You heard the man, we’re heading north on 98. Stay in a tight group. Don’t need to ride each other’s asses, but make sure you can see both the person in front of you and behind you at all times. We don’t want to leave anyone behind.”
The group murmured their approval and everyone got in the car and hit the road.
Chapter Five
Unknown, Mississippi
September 17, 2013
The caravan made it about an hour outside Mobile before it hit its first snag. One of the lead cars, a mid-seventies Oldsmobile, broke down with what seemed to be a blown transmission. With Tyler pushing the steel beast with his truck, they pulled the car off the highway and into a church.
They pulled the cars as far away from the highway as they could go without driving into the graveyard. It was as much about protecting what little they had as it was about being safe. A parking lot full of vehicles at any building this close to the highway was as good as a bulletin board that announced ‘we’re here, come get us’ to everyone who passed.
Tyler hoped to get at least into Mississippi before they had to stop, Jackson ideally though he would’ve been tickled to just cross the state line. But if there was a silver lining in the sea of shit that kept raining down on him it was that he was now far enough away from the city to feel safe.
“Well, looks like we need to find us another car,” Al said with disappointment. “I’d like to send two guys out to find a car, but first I want to make sure this place is safe.”
“But this is a church,” one of the older women said, approaching from the van.
“In the past I would’ve shared your sentiment, Wilma. A house of god should be sanctuary for any man who wishes to enter. Yet the events of the last few days have made me realize that the world doesn’t work that way anymore. As far as we know, there could be an armed gang sleeping in there right now, waiting for someone foolish enough to come inside believing it’s safe.”
“I’d rather take a minute to check first before sending two away. Strength in numbers and all that,” Ralph added.
“Tyler, if you don’t mind. Take Matt, Ralph, and Davis and check things out. The rest of us will stay back with the women until you give us the clear.”
“You heard the man.” Tyler reached into his truck and grabbed one of the handguns he’d taken back. The other handguns and the remaining M-16 had been spread across the group, making sure every man was armed with something.
Matt and Davis both held their handguns out and ready, safety off in case they needed to fire in a hurry. Ralph, on the other hand, had the same rifle Tyler saw him with the night before. Unlike the others, Ralph was holding his weapon down and away from the group though his hand was close to the trigger.
The group took their time getting to the front door, covering each other as they moved one by one past the stained glass windows in the front. Other than the tall steeple, the church was one story tall. Attached to the side of the church was another building they passed when they came in. Likely offices, classrooms, and a daycare if he had to guess, the typical stuff you expected a church to provide.
They stopped at the wooden doors leading into the main section of the church to search it first. Huddled against the wall, they went over their plan of attack going in. Tyler was the only one with any sort of combat experience, so they let him take charge.
“Just because we didn’t see any cars outside doesn’t mean nobody’s here. Everyone needs to work together from here out so we make sure we all walk out of here in one piece.” He stopped to make sure they were all paying attention, then continued. “I’ll go in first. Then Ralph, Matt, and finally Davis. When you come inside, make a break for the pews. They’re probably made with wood, but they’ll provide some cover. Davis and Ralph, I want you to keep to the right side. Ralph, aim your gun at the door or hall attached to the side in case they have someone in the attached building. Then Matt and I will work our way through, searching any nook and cranny.”
“What do we do if we see someone?” Ralph asked, face growing pale.
“Point your weapon, but don’t shoot. Give them a chance to make a move first.” It wasn’t ideal, but he knew he might be facing the proposition that other people were here for refuge as well. The last thing he wanted on his conscience is the death of someone innocent that had turned to the church for safety.
“I don’t like the idea of bringing guns in a church,” Matt said. “Doesn’t seem right.”
“It isn’t, but I promise you that not everyone things this way. As far as we know, the place will be empty and we’re talking this over for nothing. But we need to be prepared for the worst.”
“Lets just get this over with before I chicken out,” Ralph said. “Again.”
Tyler grinned, but kept Ralph’s secret. He knew he wasn’t mentally built to use a gun. And even though he’d given him potentially the most important task during their search, he didn’t expect him to pull the trigger. But as long as he at least said something they’d have a chance.
“Here we go.” Tyler threw the doors open and stormed inside. He crossed the room at a full sprint, dropping to his knees at the last second to slide the rest of the way behind the pew. The other men followed close behind, Matt going to Tyler on the left while the others went to the right. Ralph scooted across the floor and stopped at the edge of the pew. He raised his gun at the side door, targeting reticle aimed at the brass doorknob.
“What is the meaning of this?” a priest said from the front of the church. He was wearing a jet black suit with a matching tie over a neatly pressed white shirt. The uniform looked pristine, which was amazing considering the complete lack of technology that would help him keep it that way on his own.
Tyler poked his head above the pew, gun aimed at the pulpit while he got a better look.
“Are you alone?” Tyler asked.
“What kind of question is that?” the priest said, arms at his side. “Of course we’re alone. Now I expect you’ll be answering my question.”
“I’m with a group of people looking for a safe place to stay. One of our cars broke down and we’re looking for a new one. Looking to be here for a few hours at least, a night at worst.”
“All are welcome into the house of the lord. But I must ask you to keep the guns outside. Drawing blood in a house of God is a sin I’d assume avoid.”
Echoes of Tomorrow Season One: Episode Seven (Echoes of Tomorrow: Season One Book 7) Page 3
