Collapse (New America)

by Richard Stephenson

  "You think I'd make you wait in the car? Be serious! C'mon."

  Elizabeth got out of the car and followed Maxwell into his house. She had to ask herself what she was so nervous about. It wasn't like she expected a Barbie Doll museum or trophy room of women's heads to be on the other side of the door. She was nervous because Max was actually inviting her into his home. It was like he was sharing something with her that he shared with no one else.

  "Make yourself at home; my cat's the same as yours. No idea where he hides when he sleeps."

  "What's his name?"

  "Herbie."

  "Cute name."

  Elizabeth sat on the couch, wondering what kind of computer setup he had going. It was always amazing to watch him on the computer in his office. He was lightening fast, multiple windows opening and closing at once. His hands directed the screen like a maestro conducting a symphony.

  "Hey, Boss, mind if get online?"

  "Sure, just raise both of your hands in a stop motion and say 'Computer.' "

  "Thanks."

  "Sure."

  Elizabeth didn't know if she should be seated or standing to turn on the computer. She felt silly asking, so she just stood up and raised both her hands.

  "Computer."

  The wall on the other side of the room sprang to life. A sixteen by nine foot screen powered up. The resolution and crispness were breathtaking. It was as if the wall faded away and you could walk inside the screen. With the naked eye you could discern no pixels or screen refresh. It made the office computer look like an antique.

  "Thought you needed online?" Max walked back into the room carrying his black and white cat.

  "Uh, yeah. I was just freaking out over this screen."

  "Yeah, I've been building it for like ten years. I just keep upgrading it. I always keep the graphics card top of the line. Watch this."

  Max raised both his hands and in a space of a few seconds his hands zipped around like he was using sign language. The screen dropped down to the floor and a doorway appeared. There appeared to be another room beyond the doorway, fully furnished and just waiting for its occupants.

  "Wow!" Elizabeth's eyes were huge.

  "Yeah, I've tricked quite a few people into trying to walk into that room. It’s hilarious when they hit the wall. What did you need to check?"

  "Oh, yeah. I just wanted to vid-con with my parents and see if they’re okay. Voice interface or do I have to learn your computer sign-language?"

  "Voice interface is fine." Max smiled.

  "Computer, open a vid-con with Reed47AT."

  Two windows opened. One was a small window that showed Elizabeth and Max sitting on the couch. The other window with a flashing circle contained the word "Connecting" underneath it. After about thirty seconds, the flashing circle was replaced with the words: “Unable to connect, would you like to leave a message?"

  "Close window." Elizabeth said.

  "Everything alright, Elizabeth? Are they evacuating?"

  "No, they’re in North Texas. I was just checking to see if they’d heard from my uncle and his family; they were heading up to stay with them."

  "I'm sure everything is fine. Still plenty of time."

  "Yeah, I'll just check back."

  "Elizabeth, I wanted to thank you for all your help. I couldn't have done all this without you."

  "Not a problem, Boss. I gotta say I'm glad you stepped up and really took charge. You've surprised everyone. I don't think anyone knew you had it in you."

  "Well, I may be a disgruntled, lazy bastard, but I can handle my own when the situation calls for it."

  "What made you so disgruntled? You are the smartest person I've ever known. You could have, uh..."

  "Done something more with my life? It's okay, you can say it."

  "Well, I thought it would be rude."

  "You? I've never known you to hold back from the truth, no matter how hard it hits."

  "Fair enough then, answer the question."

  "Well, life has had a way of kicking me in the balls anytime I try to stand up, so I figured I would just stay down. A life without ambition is actually quite peaceful. I've enjoyed it ever since without regret."

  "Your injury have anything to do with it?"

  "My injury has a lot to do with it."

  "Care to elaborate?"

  "I would not."

  "Fair enough, thought I would ask."

  "I mean no offense by it, it’s just that the story that goes along with it is hard for me to talk about."

  "I understand. It's a shame things happened to you that would cause you to just give up on life."

  "Nah, then you wouldn't have me for a boss." Max smiled and winked at Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth returned the smile. "And your sparkling personality."

  Max and Elizabeth sat on the couch and continued to stare at each other. Elizabeth's gorgeous green eyes filled with passion and life as she looked into the eyes of her boss. Max returned her gaze with a steely, unflinching confidence that only served to arouse Elizabeth's passion. They both knew what was coming next. Neither one of them doubted it. The only unresolved issue was who would make the first move.

  The man and woman sitting on the couch were ripped out of their hypnotic stare by their radios. Three short beeps indicated that an emergency message was to follow.

  "All radio units, respond to the Super Mart on 3rd Street. Shots have been fired. Chief Harris, acknowledge."

  "Acknowledge. Chief Harris and Sergeant Reed, enroute. ETA three minutes."

  "10-4, Chief. I've notified County; they're 15 minutes out."

  The chief of police and the operations sergeant bolted out the door and were on the road in fifteen seconds flat. The siren and the flashing lights cleared a path straight the Super Mart on 3rd Street. They made it to the parking lot of the gas station in two and a half minutes. It was pouring down rain, and the sky was dark and ominous.

  Max stepped out of the vehicle and headed for the entrance to the gas station, where he addressed the deputy in charge.

  "Thank God you're here, Chief. Things got really ugly and they might get worse." Deputy Brandon McGee was visibly shaken, but was keeping it together.

  "Start from the beginning, Brandon. What happened?"

  "Well, things were running along just fine. People were patient, waiting in line; they handed over their voucher, got their ten gallons and left. Then, there started to be some snags in the order of things."

  "Like what?"

  "Well, small stuff really. 'I forgot my voucher' or 'my neighbor gave me his voucher' … stuff like that."

  "Damn right my neighbor gave me his! He ain't goin’ nowhere! Why can't I use his?" A scruffy looking, overweight man in overalls was yelling from ten feet away.

  "Hey, you! Come over here!" Chief Harris pointed at the man and motioned for him to come over.

  The man looked shocked at first, then walked over to the two police officers.

  "Yeah?"

  "First of all, I was having a private conversation with my deputy; I don't appreciate you interrupting."

  "Well, I just don't unders..."

  "Do you know how to read?"

  "Huh? What'd you say to me?"

  "Let me repeat that for you. Do you know how to read?"

  "Of course I can read!"

  "Read this."

  Max took a gas voucher out of his front shirt pocket and handed it to Overalls Man.

  "You want me to read this?"

  "I want you to read that, yes."

  The man read very slowly. "The bearer of this voucher is entitled to ten gallons of gasoline at any of the four locations listed on the back of this card. Limit one voucher per household. One use only. Voucher is not redeemable for cash and must be used in person. Voucher is not transferable."

  "Good! That answer your question?"

  Overalls Man had a look of frustration as he walked away, defeated.r />
  Max turned back to his deputy. "You like that, Brandon?"

  Deputy McGee was smiling and shaking his head. "Man, wish I would have thought of that; you made that look so easy."

  "Continue, Deputy, I need to know what is going on before County gets here and tries to take over."

  "Oh, yeah. Anyway, these two guys show up in pickups, and skip ahead of everyone. They got their beds full of gas cans. Knew it was going to be trouble. They said they were volunteering to fill up their gas cans and help us redeem vouchers towards the end of the line. I told them thanks, but no thanks, go back and wait in line. They start getting really pissy, sayin’ they ain't got time to wait and they needed to get on the road quick. So, I says, 'Wait, thought you were going to stay and help pass out gas. Why you gotta leave all the sudden?' They realized I had just called them on their bullshit so one of 'em pulls out a pistol and waves it in the air. People start screaming and the two guys try to cut in line and fill up their tanks. By that time all five of us surrounded them and had drawn down on them. Before we could do anything, they jumped in their trucks and drove off. I figured keeping the gas station secure was more important so I let them drive off. Got their plates before they left and called out a BOLO."

  "Nice work, Brandon. But that doesn't explain why I'm here."

  "Yeah, there's more. A few minutes later they came screaming past and fired three shots at the gas station. Said they were coming back with friends. Man was in the gas station getting some candy and one of the shots clipped his left calf muscle. He's fine, just gonna need a few stitches."

  Max turned to Elizabeth. "Call the other stations and tell them to look sharp, they may have trouble on the way. In fact, Elizabeth, take the SUV and head back to the city garage and take charge there. I'm gonna stay here and wait for County."

  "I'm on it, Boss." Elizabeth was already jogging towards the SUV before Max finished his instructions. She turned on the lights and sirens and raced off towards the city garage.

  Max turned back to Deputy McGee. "Brandon, I want you to set up barricades at the intersection. I want Elm turned into a one-way street all the way down to the next traffic light. Only one way into this gas station, the driveway on the north side of the station is closed. They come in, fill up, and leave out on the same street and drive away. The store is closed, gas only. No one enters the main building for any reason. No one loiters and only the driver is allowed to get out of the car to hand over his voucher and pump gas."

  "Yes sir, Chief." Deputy McGee quickly shuffled off to communicate the instructions to his team.

  "Son of a bitch." Max could see four cars from the County Sheriff's Office turning down the street. He knew that once they got there, they would assume that they would be taking over things like they had always done. Max only hoped that the county sheriff himself wasn't in one of those cars because he was not going to relinquish authority to anyone else. The four cars pulled into the gas station and fanned out.

  "Chief Harris, what's the situation?" The tall deputy sheriff was scanning the parking lot. Max found it comical that the sun was nowhere to be seen but this guy was wearing sunglasses. Guess the shades made him feel in charge.

  "Well, this is what I need from you fine gentlemen. I need for one of you to stay here with me and the others to each head to one of these four locations; we are currently at location number two." He dug into his front pocket and produced four vouchers, handing them to each of the men.

  "The hell is this?" Deputy Sunglasses read the front of the card and looked at his partner. "Is this a joke? You really giving out free gas? No wonder we're here. This craziness is ending now. OK, listen up..."

  Max quickly interrupted. "That's right, listen up. I don't have time to explain the details. You're staying with me.” Max pointed to Deputy Sunglasses. Max then pointed from right to left. "...look at the back of your cards. One, three, four. Get moving, we don't have time to waste. The officers at those locations will fill you in once you get there."

  Deputy Sunglasses had a smile on his face and put his hand on Max's shoulder. "Chief, Chief, Chief...slow down. Max, tell me what’s going on. You don't have to worry about anything, my boys and..."

  "Son, take your fucking hand off my shoulder before I break it. I am the chief of police of this town and you will address me as such. Just because I let you boys come in here and play police officer so you can get an adrenaline hard-on does not mean that you’re in charge of jack-shit. How old are you, son? And take those fucking glasses off before I knock them off."

  "I'm twenty-six, Chief. I'm sorry, I just wanted to help." Deputy Sunglasses looked like a kid who had just been spanked in front of his friends at his own birthday party. He took off the sunglasses and looked at the ground.

  "You were in fucking elementary school when I was a rookie. So learn some respect. Are we clear?"

  "Yes, Chief."

  "What are you assholes looking at? Don't you have someplace to be?" The other three deputies were frozen solid and speechless. They quickly snapped out of it, jumped back in their vehicles and sped off.

  "What's your name, son?" Max looked at the deputy sheriff.

  "I'm Deputy Eugene Shacklewood."

  "May I call you Eugene?" Max looked at the young man and waited for him to make eye contact.

  "Yes, Chief. Uh... my friends call me Gene."

  "Ok, Gene it is. Look at me, Deputy. You got an ass chewing. Get over it, I've been doing this for twenty-one years, and I'm amazed I have an ass left. I don't have time for you to pout. I need you to focus and get in the game. The stakes are high, and I need you."

  Deputy Shacklewood puffed up his chest and clenched his jaw. "Yes sir, Chief, you can count on me."

  "Good. The reason you and your boys were called out here was some angry, pistol totin’ citizens were trying to muscle their way in for some extra gas. My team here was not willing to let that happen. They drove off and returned a few minutes later, firing three shots at the gas station. They said they would be back with friends."

  "Holy shit, Chief. That's crazy! What do you need me to do?"

  "You see that uniformed officer over there? That's Deputy McGee, the team leader here. Check in with him and try to show some respect this time."

  "Yes sir, Chief. Again, I'm sorry for the way I acted."

  "Don't mention it; now get to work."

  Max stood under the awning in front of the entrance and called each of his other stations for a status report. The rain and wind continued to worsen. The city garage was down to eighty-seven vouchers. His gas station had a hundred and two. The other two stations had thirty-six and sixty-four. This was going along smoothly, Max thought; people were getting gas and getting the hell out of Dodge. He just hoped there wouldn’t be many in line when they ran out of gas. That's when things would get ugly. The gas station with only thirty-six vouchers left to redeem had walked the line and counted off the last car. Most of the unlucky cars turned around and left. The ones that stayed understood they were taking a risk but were willing to gamble on a few drops of gas remaining after the rush was over.

  "Excuse me, Chief? I just wanted shake your hand and say thank you." An elderly man in his seventies had walked over to Max. "I asked that nice man if he could pump my gas for me so I could come over and speak with you."

  Max accepted the handshake with a smile. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate that. You are the first person to actually offer any gratitude for my master plan, whatever good it will do."

  The elderly man understood the subtle sarcasm. "You mean that most of these people won't make it past Houston?"

  Max was shocked. "Yes, may I ask how you know that?"

  "Well, unless they open up I-45 before the loop somehow, most of these people will be stuck in a very large parking lot on the interstate."

  "Well, let's just say I want our people to at least have a fighting chance. You evacuating? I didn't catch your name."

  "I'm Alfred. Yes, I
'm evacuating, but I'm going to head west towards San Antonio. Figured I like my chances better further inland as opposed to drowning on this side when the Gulf comes pouring in." Alfred shifted his weight onto his cane and coughed into his sleeve.

  "Not the best idea, but I understand your reasonin..."

  Three short beeps on his radio interrupted the conversation. An emergency message was about to follow. Max tensed up and focused.

  "All radio units, we have shots fired at the city garage. Two gunmen have opened fire, two injured, one dead. Officers on scene have returned fire. Chief Harris, please acknowledge."