(Book 2)What Remains

by Barnes, Nathan

  I was blinded from above.

  “I said that’s far enough! You don’t need to die tonight, mister. Turn back NOW!” the voice ordered. I squinted through the brightness. A figure was outlined in front of a floodlight that inexplicably had enough power to be as luminous as the sun itself.

  “Drop the gun or I will shoot you!” Sarah said. I spun back towards the lights of the LLV where she was aiming the rifle at the mysterious man above me.

  Every tense second allowed my eyes another moment to adjust. Then I processed what she said. Gun, I thought. Oh fuck! She said gun! I looked back upward at the flood lamp and recognized the distinct outline of an AK-47 held at the man’s side.

  “NO! Wait!” I shouted. “No one shoot!”

  “You come on my property, point a gun at me and ask me not to shoot?!” His voice had shifted from commanding to pissed off.

  “Sarah, please lower the gun.” I held the Kukri in a wide berth from its previous ready-position hoping to demonstrate my disarming intent then eased it back into its scabbard. She hesitantly disarmed as well. “I’m sorry, sir. No one needs to fire a gun. We’ve drawn enough attention already.”

  The figure didn’t move an inch. He never exactly raised his weapon at us, yet it was clear he stood at the ready. “Smart move. But all that attention you speak of has been brought to my home. Now kindly return to your vehicle and go.”

  I took a step forward. He instantly raised his weapon causing Sarah to do the same. “I’m sorry for our intrusion and our hostility. We’ve come so far and been through so much to get here. The weather has made it too dangerous for us to sleep outside.” His stance didn’t budge. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. I don’t want whatever you have. All I want is to get my family to a place that’s safe to spend the night. In the morning we will leave, you have my word.”

  He remained still. After a few seconds of silence he asked, “Only the two of you?”

  “No. The woman who has,” I tried to convey an irritated message back to Sarah, “insistently pointed a rifle at you is my wife. Our two kids are in the back of the truck.”

  Another tense minute passed. It was completely dark by then. The pulse pounding in my chest made it hard to tell if the truck was still running. Then the flood lamp cut off and the man said, “Drive around back. I’ll meet you at the garage door. Keep her rifle and that bent sword of yours in the truck. I mean it - NO weapons. If you can’t be in here without a weapon then you can take your chances the way you came. Assuming you agree to my terms then I’ll see you in a moment.”

  His shape disappeared into the house.

  I backtracked quickly with little regard to the slick ground. Sarah almost had to catch me as I slid towards her. “Are we staying or are we going?”

  “I can’t say I feel great about it,” I responded, “but I feel better about being in there than out here. The house looks big; probably enough room for everyone.”

  “What if he’s trying to get us in there to kill us?”

  The same thought had crossed my mind, though I chose to not dwell on it. “If he wanted to kill us he could have already. The guy had an assault rifle at the ready from an elevated position - we didn’t stand a chance if he wanted us dead.” A beastly howl emanated from somewhere far within the pitch-black distance. “Anything back the way we came wants us dead a lot more, so if this man wants the same then I’d rather risk it indoors.”

  She nodded, begrudgingly agreeing to the lesser of two evils. “Come on, we better move quick. He didn’t seem like the type to wait long.”

  Chapter 19 - Haven

  1645 hours:

  We hustled inside the truck. The kids, having heard much of the commotion outside, bombarded us with questions. Sarah kept them calm while I guided 522 around the driveway markers then towards the house past the dual garage door. Our host stood in front of the doorway with a flashlight in one hand pointing down at his feet; his other hand still held the AK-47 at the ready.

  I turned to Sarah, speaking loud enough for the kids to hear. “We stick together. All four of us stay within sight until Mommy or I say otherwise. Got it?”

  “Who is that man?” Maddox asked. “Are we staying here?”

  “Tell me that you understand!” I snapped. My volume startled Calise, who stifled the tears I knew she wanted to let out and nodded that she understood.

  “I understand,” Maddox pouted.

  “Grab your backpacks. Make sure they have what you need until morning. Leave the machete, Maddox. Let me go talk to the nice man. I’ll signal Mommy when you can come out, so be ready.” I undid my belt to remove the scabbard then tossed it onto the dashboard so the man outside could see my passive intent. Then I cut the engine and handed the keys to Sarah. “Wait for my signal before coming out.”

  Leaving the truck without the Kukri on my person made my stomach burble. I slowly approached the man extending both arms to the side.

  “Y’all are out at sun up,” he said bluntly. “That clear?”

  “Perfectly.”

  “You disarmed?” I nodded, remaining silent. “We shouldn’t be out here past sunset. The rest of your crew coming in?”

  I turned towards the truck and gave thumbs up. The headlights shut off then the dome light in the driver’s cabin illuminated. Sarah came out first, followed by Calise, then Maddox. Each of them had their backpacks on with Calise squeezing both guard kitties tightly to her chest. Our host moved inside, holding the door open for us all to pass. Once all four of us were in the garage he closed the door and locked it with a deadbolt. Then he slid a two-by-four stud into a bracket that barred the door.

  We all looked around, wondering what was in store for us. The only thing we knew for sure was that it felt wonderful to be out of the snow. The man wasn’t very talkative, which made his presence unnerving. He fiddled with something cylindrical on a wall-mounted table then the room lit up. I scanned our surroundings to see walls covered in a variety of tools, stacks of wood boards beneath them. A black Land Rover was the only vehicle in the double garage.

  “Thank you for your kindness,” Sarah said. “We didn’t think anyone was here so—”

  “That was the point, ma’am. Most of the travelers that come through here aren’t just looking for a safe haven. A house with the lights on at night has a way of attracting all kinds of guests.”

  “Our plan was to stay in the truck overnight,” I said. “Then it got cold and the snow started. We didn’t want the kids in a freezing car all night long.”

  “That’s the only reason you’re in my house. If it were just you and your wife I would have sent you on your way. Sending kids out there is something that wouldn’t sit right with me.”

  Our faces must have revealed that we were pondering what the horrible alternative could have been because his voice let up on the seriousness for the first time.

  “Y’all got names?”

  “Nathan,” I said, offering my hand to shake. He took my hand in a painfully firm grip. “This is my wife, Sarah.”

  “Good to meet you both. My name is Randall Fisher.” Randall stepped towards Calise. “How about you little lady?” She said nothing back. Instead she squeezed her kitties so tightly that the stuffing bulged. He reacted to her shyness like only a father with daughters would be able to. “Those are some pretty cats you have there! Will you tell me their names?”

  She smiled, warming up to him in one fell swoop. “This is Van Gough.” Van Gough was extended outward.

  Randall took Van Gough’s paw and shook it like he had my hand seconds before. “Well hi there, Van Gough! That’s a funny name for a kitty. What about the other one?”

  “This is Colonel Meows-a-lot,” Calise proudly announced.

  “Now that’s a name for a cat! It’s an honor to meet you Colonel.” He saluted the plush cat when Calise held it up.

  A giggle escaped from the sweet smile that grew on her face. Sarah and I watched carefully, still on guard.

  “My name is Cali
se. I’m five years old. That’s my brother, Maddox. He’s eight.”

  Maddox jumped in to shake Randall’s hand. He made his voice as deep as he could muster, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Fisher.”

  “Nice to meet you all.” Randall looked back to Sarah and I. “This is a fine family you have here. No sense in staying in the garage. Why don’t y’all come in the house and meet my girls?”

  1730 hours:

  The Fisher family had five members total. Jenn, Randall’s wife, welcomed us warmly. She seemed happy to have guests and started altering their dinner plans to accommodate for us. They had three daughters: Allison was thirteen, Brittany was eight, and Courtney was five. Randall jokingly referred to them as their ‘A-B-C’s’. It was a blessing to have found a safe haven with kids that were the same ages as ours.

  Every window had a thick blanket pinned over it. Randall explained that they insulated enough to keep things looking dark from the outside while blocking sound for their low profile. He proudly showed me his mechanism to secure the windows without rendering them permanently useless. He had installed heavy storm shutters that locked from the inside with dual slide bolts. Two-by-four studs were bolted horizontally to the inner frame of each window. A rod extended from each shutter half that, when closed, connected with the stud, held into place with a pin dropped into a hole at the joining point. Even though he had to remove the glass from the window to implement his plan, the design was quite genius; it allowed the windows to have the strength of being boarded up while still able to open.

  I gave Jenn and Randall a very brief synopsis of what had brought us to their door. It seemed like a wise move to stress that we really had an end point that wasn’t their home. After we all got acquainted in their living room around a space heater the kids asked to go play. Calise and Maddox looked at me to see if it was all right.

  “You think it’s alright for them to go have some fun?” I asked Sarah.

  She smiled. “It’s fine if Mr. and Mrs. Fisher don’t mind.”

  “Be nice girls….” Jenn called from the kitchen. ”Dinner is in an hour. You’ve got time to show Maddox and Calise where they can put their things. B, help Maddox get set up in your room. C, I’m sure Calise would like to see your kitties.” Calise’s eyes lit up upon hearing that the little girl apparently had a similar love. The kids hustled upstairs. Allison, or ‘A’ as she was nicknamed, picked up a book that I assumed she had placed down when we arrived then quietly walked upstairs.

  Sarah gave me a kiss then went into the kitchen where Jenn was working. Randall and I sat in uncomfortable silence. Sitting on a couch without a coat on felt weird when it should have felt normal.

  “I have to ask,” I said.

  “Let me guess,” Randall chuckled. “How do we have power?”

  “Back in Richmond we lost power weeks ago. I didn’t hear a generator when we pulled up. You have some lights, heaters, cooking ability… I’d expect to hear a generator running with all that.”

  “Alternative energy,” he said with a smug smile. “You drink scotch?” He got up and moved towards a bar near the kitchen entrance. After inspecting a pair of tulip-shaped glasses he carefully transferred an inch of liquid from an amber bottle into both.

  “Interesting.... solar?”

  He passed me one of the glasses. “That and wind. It’s what I did before the virus hit. I designed efficient implementation systems for solar and wind power for private or commercial use. It keeps us comfortable. There are solar panels on the roof and a few large panels are mounted around the property. I started work on a wind turbine. Bummer that I never finished it.”

  “Perks of the job, eh?”

  Randall had a major advantage over most survivors out there. Independent power with a flair for innovation would likely see them through this nightmare.

  “Never thought they would be used in these circumstances. You gotta make the best of it though, right? We limit how many lights are on at once. Always thinking of new ways to conserve power, being smart with what we’ve got. There are so many damned blankets over the windows most of the time that the heat that comes from a handful of ceramic space heaters on low keeps the house livable. Most of the battery banks which build up with the shitty sunlight we’ve been getting go to cooking meals or the hot water heater.”

  My jaw dropped with that last part. “You still have hot water?”

  He let out a hearty laugh. “Mmm hmm. Drilled the well five years ago when we built the house. I rigged a solar panel specifically for the pump. There should be enough in the heater tank for the four of you to get a hot, or at least warm, shower.” I was shocked and Randall ate every moment of it up. He swirled his glass, taking in the malty aroma then rose it towards me. “Here’s to surviving.”

  Scotch cleared my airways with a single sip. Jenn and Sarah were chatting in the kitchen. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but it sounded like they were getting along just fine. Not a sound came from the second level where the kids were. I took that as indication that they were getting along also. This time was good for them since they’ve only had each other to play with since this all began.

  Sarah walked into the room. “Food’s about ready, gentlemen.”

  “Hun,” Jenn said from the bottom of the stairs, “there won’t be room for all of us at the dining room table. I figure we can set up the folding table in A’s room for the young ones to enjoy themselves. That alright?”

  Randall agreed by tipping his glass towards her. These accommodations felt like too good to be true and it bothered me to think we were exploiting their kindness.

  “I’m sorry for imposing, Jenn. You all have done so much for us already that we really don’t need you to go to any trouble.”

  “Trouble? What trouble?!” She smiled genuinely as she spoke. “When C saw your daughter she looked happier than she has in a month. And the way B looks at that handsome boy of yours is sweet; she flutters her eyelashes like she’s starting a schoolyard crush.” She jogged up the stairs to rally the kids. Sarah walked past holding a platter of cooked chicken breast that left a trail of steam in her wake.

  “Nathan, listen…” Randall’s friendly tone shifted back to the stoic monotony we saw outside. “I’m happy to have you all tonight, really, I am. It’s good for the girls; they needed a break from just each other and me. You’re a good man. I can see that. Sounds like you’ve carried your family through some bad situations. Sharing my house with you is the least I can do because with all the death and all of the killing that’s happened, it’s good to know that I can still do something for the living. There’s not enough of that in the world anymore so it goes a long way. Tonight I want you and your family to be comfortable, eat, drink and enjoy yourselves… but come sunrise, our deal still stands. Is that clear?”

  I took a swig of the expensive beverage, my voice scratched from its potency. “I haven’t forgotten the deal, I assure you.”

  1900 hours:

  Dinner was good enough to be the last meal on death row. We hadn’t enjoyed a hot meal with that much substance since the final night before I left for work. The adults ate downstairs. We chatted about life before the undead, our kids, our families. No one seemed to be willing to bring up anything beyond the night everything went to hell. The present circumstances became a guarded topic that we wanted to stay far away from. It was like all four of us were desperate to pretend like things were normal again.

  Upstairs, the kids got along well. They devoured every crumb on their plates then went back to playing in pairs. I excused myself to use the restroom and check on them. I found Courtney introducing Calise to her personal stuffed cat collection. Calise sat with her legs crossed and her eyes fixed on the showcase with Van Gough and Colonel Meows-a-lot stationed at her side to enjoy the show. It was like the two girls were copies of one another, only with Courtney having strawberry blonde hair like her mother.

  I followed the next little girl voice to the room across the hall. It came from Brittany who wa
s talking up a storm to Maddox. He sat shyly listening to the young lady that was clearly swooning over him. The floor creaked when I tried to creep away, and Maddox jumped up when he realized I was there.

  “Hi, Daddy! Do you need help? Can I come downstairs and help you with anything?” he said eagerly, attempting to find a way out of this awkward predicament.

  “No, Monkey,” I replied with a twisted smile, “you have fun with Brittany. We are her guests, after all.”

  Her blue eyes widened. “Your nickname is Monkey? That’s so cute! Mine is B. Come over here, Monkey, I want you to see these drawings I did.”

  I snickered loud enough for him to hear then headed for the stairs. Allison’s door was open, and I saw her reading quietly in a corner chair as I passed. None of this could be easy on the teenager. The decent age divide between her and everyone must have made the company of a book preferable to anything else. Can’t say that I blamed her for the choice; a good story was easy salvation from the real world.

  Jenn took the last of the dishes into the kitchen. Randall sat at the table cleaning his assault rifle.

  “Where did Sarah go?” I asked, somewhat alarmed by her absence.

  “She couldn’t wait to get into the shower,” Jenn laughed. “Said you like to hog all the hot water so she wanted to get to it first.”

  Randall poured me another scotch. I sat across the table and admired his disassembly that spread gun parts over a towel. I took advantage of the chance to pick his brain for help on the road ahead.

  “The farm is past Interstate 77 outside Carroll County,” I said. “My plan is to follow Route 58 towards the Blue Ridge Parkway.”