“Oh.” Nev ate.
“You want to go out with me?”
“Oh, Zach, I thought you’d never ask,” Nev said in a syrupy southern accent.
Zach grinned. “For guns.”
“Yeah, I suppose.”
When Lizzie got up they explained the plan to her. She seemed relieved to stay at the quiet calm of the lake place with Saj and Spike.
13
ZACH CLIMBED INTO THE TANK. He started the engine and revved it. The big V8 rumbled and the hood of the truck see-sawed as the engine torqued. “Sure you don’t want to learn to drive?”
Nev grimaced. “This beast? No way.”
“It’s an automatic.” The Tank lurched forward as Zach stepped on the gas. “Not too fast, but it is powerful.”
They drove up driveways. Zach wasn’t certain what he was looking for. How can you tell from the outside of a house that there are guns inside? “Maybe we should go to Wal Mart.”
Nev laughed. “Yeah. We can pick up a flame-thrower while we’re at it.”
“I’m serious.” He pulled back onto the main road and headed for town. “You can get major firepower at Wal Mart.”
“Okay. Anything else we need? Maybe a mega-pack of diapers.”
Zach contemplated the new world order while he drove. Where they really in danger? Nev flipped through the radio stations, but gave up. Oldies and three-week-old recorded Emergency bulletins weren’t good listening.
When they got to Wal Mart they found a truck-sized hole in the glass front. Zach rolled down the windows and they sat outside for a while listening, in case anyone was still in there.
After five minutes Zach opened the door and jumped down. “Should have brought Lizzie’s shotgun.”
“Yeah,” Nev hissed, following him. “Brilliant. So you can get your head shot off.”
Zach stepped in onto the broken glass. It crunched under his feet. The lights were all on. He sidled around the store sticking close to the walls. At the sporting goods counter he realized someone else had had the same idea. The cabinet glass was broken, shelving units sat askew. Anything that could shoot a bullet or a pellet was gone. “Damn.” He kicked through the garbage, glad he had on his heavy steel-toed boots. He found a couple boxes of ammo, two of .22 and one of 9mm. Probably the thieves were nervous and in a hurry. He stuffed them in his jacket pocket.
“Let’s go, Zach.” Nev glanced around.
She looked jittery. A compound bow box on the top of a shelving unit caught his eye. He climbed the shelves and knocked it off with a bang.
“Zach.” Her tone was sharp and her voice a whisper. “Come on.”
“Okay.” He picked up the box. He glanced around, but could see no arrows. The box said there were two included. “Let’s go.” He worked his way back the way they had come. Nev had him wound up. He peeked around each corner before stepping into view. Nev stayed close behind.
As they neared the front of the store, Zach thought he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He froze and, then spun. Nev rammed into him. He knocked a bunch of vases on the floor. They shattered in the stillness. A box fell from a high shelf with a flutter of black wings. Half a dozen angry, cawing crows scolded them.
“Hell, Zach.” Nev’s face was white, her eyes wide. “I nearly peed my pants. I hate crows. Can we leave?”
The birds returned to their roost, still chittering at them.
“Yeah.” Zach laughed. “Hey, everybody. We’re here. If you somehow missed that.” He smiled at Nev and waited a few seconds; there were no more sounds.
Back in the car, Zach headed south from the shopping area. “Let’s try Yeager’s.”
“That old place with all those old record player things hanging from the ceilings?”
Zach nodded. They drove past a pack of dogs, mutts of various sizes. Clustered together, they chased the Tank.
When he got to Yeager’s, Zach drove around back. The door had a piece of plywood covering it with a dumpster rolled up against it. So, whoever had done it was probably back outside. “You wanna stay in the Tank?”
Nev shook her head, “No way.”
Zach pushed the dumpster aside and lifted the plywood away from the door to the side. “Always loved this place,” Zach whispered.
Someone had filled a cart with camping gear and freeze dried food. It was quiet. The lights were off, but there was a decent amount of light to see by.
Inside he did not find the mass destruction he expected. “Somebody else loved it, too. It’s clean.” He grasped Nev’s hand and they walked together through the aisles. He motioned toward the front of the store. “Would you go that way and keep an eye on the street?”
Nev nodded and headed for the windows, seeming less nervous here. Zach was glad she had come along. Though she didn’t have Lizzie’s toughness, she also didn’t have the bad attitude.
Zach picked out a Bushmaster AR-15 and a smaller, simple bolt-action .22 caliber. He grabbed ammo for both and Lizzie’s shotgun and left the box of 9mm from Wal Mart. “Okay. We can go.”
Nev hustled toward him.
“This one’s for you. It’s a beginner. .22. Mostly to scare people.”
Nev stared like it was a live snake. “No. I don’t want one.”
Zach acknowledged her discomfort. “Okay. Maybe later.”
“Not likely.” She shook her head. “Let’s go.”
They didn’t talk much on the way back.
When they got to the lake, Lizzie ran out to greet them. Zach could see another manic mood.
Lizzie said. “Let’s go to Western.”
“The university,” Zach said. “Why?”
“Maybe there are more people,” Lizzie replied. “Maybe young people, college students, are more likely to survive.”
“Most of the kids at Evergreen went home right away,” Nev said.
Zach saw her jaw clench. Why hadn’t she gone?
“Well,” Zach said, “we haven’t been down that way, so we can go. But we go out safe. Every gun is loaded.
“Jeez, Zach,” Lizzie said. “You sound as paranoid as me.”
Zach ignored her comment and continued. “We watch ourselves. We gotta assume people are dangerous. If they don’t have guns and a grudge, they might be infectious.”
Lizzie scoffed. “The scientists say if we’re alive we’re okay.”
“The same thing he’d said to the cop. “Better safe than sorry,” Zach said. He sounded like Gramps.
Lizzie didn’t seem to hear. “Remember the ceremony in the rock circle at Western, Nev?” she chattered. “We wanted to communicate with Jess by a sending.”
“Yeah. I was okay.” Nev laughed, “as long as we didn’t have to be naked.”
“Shit.” Lizzie’s laugh was hollow. “Stupid little girls. But how’re you gonna learn?”
Zach remembered Lizzie’s Wicca phase; messing with magic made him nervous. Maybe he believed enough in higher powers to be scared. He parked in the main University parking lot next to Fairhaven College.
Lizzie continued. “If I was going to go to college it would have been at Fairhaven. Rumor has it their community garden has pot plants interspersed with the vegetables.”
Lizzie had been talkative since he brought Nev north, but Zach knew it was more than being excited to see her. He remembered hunting with Gramps, when he’d got his first kill, a buck. Afterwards he couldn’t stop talking. His father and uncle had teased him about babbling like a little girl; Gramps had only nodded. The blood and the warmth of the body had been nauseating, but he’d been wired, couldn’t sleep. First kill. His mouth went dry as he realized his hadn’t been human and saying ‘first’ implied there would be a second and a third.
They wandered through the campus—big gray monolithic buildings hidden among the trees.
It felt different here than the rest of the city, more alive. Zach couldn’t quite put his finger on why. Then he realized. There were faint sounds, a murmur of people close by.
As they r
ounded a corner Zach spotted an older guy in a straw hat pushing a cart loaded with boxes. He wore a Hickory shirt like Gramps when he worked on the farm. The man waved at them and continued on. As if a group of strangers wandering in was an everyday thing. Zach looked at his companions. “People?”
“Let’s catch up to him.”
Zach hoofed it, but couldn’t see where he’d gone.
They could hear the people before they got to the communal gardens. Zach was elated. People, dozens of them, were cleaning and picking produce: carrots, onions, cauliflower and broccoli. They looked up and nodded, but continued their work.
“Well, I’ll be—” Zach wasn’t sure what he’d expected from other survivors, not a brass band or anything, but he expected them to at least be interested.
“Hey, look.” Lizzie pointed.
The man, his cart now empty, shuffled toward them with a grin on his face. He set aside the cart and came forward, taking his straw hat off and scratching his balding scalp. “Welcome.” He offered his hand.
Zach hesitated, shrugged off his nerves about infection and shook the firm, calloused hand. “Thanks. You’re the first people we’ve seen other than us.”
“I’m Vern. We get a few folks trickling in. Yesterday some folks came down from Canada.” Vern didn’t seem to be able to stay still.
“I’m Zach. This is Nev, Lizzie… And the kids.”
“Welcome. We can use more hands. Besides this—” He motioned to the garden, “we’ve got the Joe’s Garden greenhouses over the hill.”
“We aren’t really into gardening,” Lizzie said as if she could answer for them all.
Vern’s smile fell a little.
Zach held his hand up. “Hold it, Lizzie. I’d be interested in helping out.” He couldn’t help but like the man. Lizzie glared at him.
“You help, you get fresh produce.” Vern grinned. “The first batch is free.”
Lizzie plastered on a smile. ”We’re trying to get uh, adjusted. Figure out what’s up.”
She stared at Zach like she wanted him to back her up. He shrugged. “Yeah.”
Vern nodded. “Okay, I get it. Well, lots of work to do and the weather won’t let it wait. Follow me if you want. I’ll get you some food and you can ‘figure out what’s up.’” He set off at a brisk pace.
Zach pulled Lizzie close as she walked past him. “What the hell was that about, Lizzie?”
“He’s weird. I don’t trust him.” She jerked her arm out of his and followed Vern.
“You don’t trust anyone.” Zach glanced back at Nev. She rolled her eyes.
Vern held the door open and they stepped inside a cement building. “I taught History at Fairhaven before this all went down.” He said it as if he expected them to say something about themselves. The first question adults always asked each other was “What do you do?” The guy was odd, but Lizzie, as usual, had over-reacted.
Vern handed Zach a bag and a loaf of bread. It was rustic and warm.
“Thanks.” Zach dug through it to find carrots, string beans, broccoli, garlic, onions and cauliflower. “This is awesome. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Vern beamed. “There’s a gathering at Sehome High School gym tomorrow. We’re trying to figure things out here, too. Come. Bring your friends. Good to meet you folks. Lots to do. ” And he was off again.
Zach turned to Lizzie. “What’s the plan?”
“Why are you asking me?” Lizzie spun away and stomped out the doorway. “Hell if I know.”
Zach counted to ten. Act like the boss until you don’t want to make a decision. Nev put her hand on his shoulder. He saw sympathy, but not much help. She had never been one for confrontation. He followed Lizzie out the door. “Lizzie, wait.”
“What?” She spun around.
“Look, I just asked a question—”
“Never mind.” Lizzie strode away again.
Zach’s stomach rumbled, inspired by the smell of the fresh bread. “Let’s head home.”
Back at the lake, Zach pulled marinating steak out of the fridge. “Ta Da!”
“Yah, Zach!” Nev clapped. She started flipping open cupboards. “We need a nice bottle of red wine.”
Nev was such a nice counterpoint to Lizzie’s negativity. He remembered Nev helping his mom cook, back in the days when everything was fine.
“Come on. It’s out in the garage.” Lizzie’s eyes focused on the steak. “I don’t know anything about wine. But I’ll help you pick a pretty bottle.”
Zach loved the attention his food and cooking skills got. It made up some for all the crap he took. He grilled the steaks on the barbecue while Lizzie got the wine open.
Nev made a salad of grated carrots, chopped greens, broccoli tips, onions, black olives, then tossed it with a raspberry vinaigrette she’d found in the pantry.
Lizzie set the table with some nice china she’d found in the cupboard and added candles. “This is more like it,” Zach said, slicing into his still pink-in-the-middle steak. “Ah.”
“It’s like perfect for training,” Nev said. She wiped dressing off her mouth with the back of her hand. “When I was getting ready for a half marathon, I’d eat protein and veggies. Never could get into the vegan thing, but I do love veggies.”
Spike seemed to sit up a little straighter. He tried to use the knife and fork, but Lizzie helped him cut the meat.
Zach decided his first judgment of a dumb dog was not fair. Spike was more like a smart dog, giant and bumbling. Maybe even a dumb kid, but it was hard to get over the six- foot height if he ever stood up. Acted like a kid at the dinner table, too. Only wanted steak and bread. His hair hung down over his eyes. Somebody better cut it soon. And that somebody is probably me.
After dinner, Nevaeh helped him clean up. They filled the dishwasher and ran it. When the water pump kicked in, the lights flickered. Zach wondered how well solar power would work in Bellingham, Washington in the winter. Was there anyone left even thinking about it?
Zach glanced around at the group sitting around the fake gas fire, considering where they’d all been a week or so ago. Lizzie’s dark mood had lifted a bit and she was singing Row Your Boat to Saj. Spike squatted, leaning his head on the soft leather arm of the chair and staring into the fire. Nev surfed what was left of the net on the expensive laptop he’d retrieved with Lizzie.
He closed his eyes; the sounds were soothing. Zach wished it was real wood popping and sputtering in a fireplace. But this is nice. It reminded him of the best of times, when Mom and Dad were together and happy and they were at Gramps when Granny Mae was still alive. In the summer, after working in the fields or hunting, they’d all sit by the fire, laughing and singing.
The thought of hunting made him think of the guns. Maybe they were just being paranoid. There weren’t really enough people to worry about. But they needed to stay away from C.J.’s brother.
14
SUDDEN HARD RAIN ON THE skylight overhead jerked Zach awake. His first thought was gunfire, but then he recognized the heavy rain. The room was dim, the fire still unchanged. The gas fire was okay for a while, but the repetition paled in comparison to real red-hot, flickering coals.
Spike was nestled into the love seat with a blanket tucked around him. The girls were gone. Zach stood, stretching stiff limbs, and walked toward the master bedroom.
He knocked on the door gently and heard some sort of murmur that sounded like an affirmative. Turning the knob cautiously he pushed the door open. Nev stared at the laptop. Lizzie lay on the bed next to her with Saj sleeping in her arms.
“Have a nice nap?” Lizzie asked.
“Not bad. A chair’s not as comfortable as a bed,” Zach said. “Why’d we bring the crib if you’re not going to use it?”
“I didn’t want to wake him up.”
“Oh.” Zach flopped down next to Nev. “What’re you doing on the laptop?”
Nev raised an eyebrow at him. “Trying to see if there is anything approaching an organized recovery.”
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Zach snuck a hand up to tickle her but a glare stopped him. “Any luck?” He lay on his back with his hands under his head, enjoying at least touching the warmth of her hip with his.
“Not yet.” Nev shut the laptop lid. “Seems like someone should have their shit together. More than us anyway.” She dug her elbow in his rib.
”Ouch, Nev.” Zach squirmed away from the pain. “That didn’t tickle.”
Lizzie looked up. “Most of ‘em are probably partying.” She glanced around. “Like us.”
Zach snorted. “Partying, yeah, that describes it. Or surviving and trying to find other people.”
Lizzie got a distant look in her eyes as she said, “Like Jess.”
“Why not join the hippie-dippies?” Zach asked. He liked Vern. And the vegetables.
“You want to be told what to do by a bunch of old people?” The disdain in Lizzie’s voice was clear. “We’re fine. We’ve got each other. You can’t tell me this isn’t cool.”
“Yeah, it’s cool, but—” With Lizzie almost all adult men and most adult women were the enemy. Keeping us from being free. “Sheez, Lizzie. They’ve got food. They’re not exactly ‘The Man.’”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Besides I don’t know if I even want to stay in Bellingham.”
“You don’t know?” Zach wondered if he would ever figure out other people. “Whatever. I’m going to the gathering tomorrow. I want to help.”
“Gathering?” she asked. “’There can be only one!’”
Zach recognized the quote from the movie they had watched the night she had taken him up to her bedroom. They said it right before they chopped someone’s head off. “Uh, Lizzie, it might be a good idea if you and Spike both kept away. In case C.J.’s brother shows up.”
Lizzie scoffed. “Why would I go anyway? But you can go. I’m not your boss or anything. You can give me the highlights later.”
“I will. It would be good to have more people around. Even if they are a bunch of hippies.”
Lizzie shook her head and turned away. “G’night, Zach.”
“G’night, Zach,” Nev echoed.
ALL IS SILENCE Page 10
