Gateway to Chaos (Book 2): Seeking Refuge

by Payne, T. L.

  “Wait, you guys. We need to check it out first,” Lucy said.

  Alicia stepped back and let them past her. Brandon, Lucy, and Raine started up the stairs. Raine was startled by the crack of the door as Brandon kicked it open. She looked around, sure that anyone in the vicinity would have heard it too. Antonio stood with his sled in his hand staring up at her. She looked at the rest of her traveling companions at the bottom of the stairs. None of them would be any help to her if things went south in there. Raine paused in the doorway. She swallowed hard then took a step inside. Lucy held her pistol in two hands and was swinging it from left to right. Raine hoped she knew how to use the thing if someone burst through one of the three doors that lined the hallway.

  Brandon eased open the door to their right, and Lucy disappeared inside. Raine was in awe of her bravery, given that she was trembling uncontrollably. A tight knot formed in the center of her chest.

  “It’s clear,” Lucy whispered as she emerged from the room.

  There were two more doors to their left. Brandon stood to the side and turned the knob. It was locked. He looked back at Lucy and Raine. Raine shook her head. Anyone in the building would hear them for sure if Brandon kicked in the door. Lucy motioned to the next door. Brandon nodded, stepped forward, and tried the knob. It opened, and Lucy rushed inside. A second later, the door next to Raine swung open. Raine let out a yelp.

  “It’s me, Raine,” Lucy said, stepping into the hallway.

  “Sorry. You startled me.”

  Brandon joined them. “Both rooms are empty. Let’s keep going.”

  Ahead was a sewing room, likely where alterations were made to bridal gowns. The hall continued to the other side of the building. There were no doors on the rooms where plastic-covered gowns hung on rods.

  Raine followed Brandon and Lucy down an interior flight of stairs to the retail section of the shop. More gowns hung on racks. A framed certificate hung on the wall declaring the shop as the “Best Bridal Salon in St. Louis!” Shoeboxes were stacked in the corner. A long bench sat in front of a small raised stage. Raine pictured brides modeling gowns for proud mothers and best friends. She admired the intricately-beaded gown on the mannequin. When she was little, she’d imagined herself walking down the aisle in such a dress. After her brother died, she had vowed never to have children and doubted she’d ever get married.

  Brandon unlocked the front door.

  “I’ll get the others.”

  Lucy ran her hand over a sequined gown. “Pretty.”

  Raine nodded.

  A moment later, Sheena and the others climbed the front steps into the shop.

  Brandon helped Antonio hop up the stairs.

  “We should bring the sleds in and try to conceal our footprints somehow,” Raine said, staring out the window.

  Brandon looked around. He walked over, grabbed a gown off the rack, and headed out the door. He spread the train of the gown out on the ground and placed his metal pipe in the middle of it. He picked up the gown by the sleeve and dragged it behind him. He disappeared around the side of the building and made a full circle, ending up back at the front steps. He dragged the gown behind him as he walked up the stairs and entered the building, pulling the snow-covered gown with him.

  Raine looked out the window. The trick had done a pretty good job of erasing their tracks. It wasn’t perfect, but what was left wasn’t as noticeable. The drag marks looked odd, though, and might attract attention. It was the first time since the lights went out that she wished for more snow to hide them.

  “We’ll need to set guards at the front and back, I think. We should rotate every few hours so we all get some sleep. It’s going to be a long night, I’m afraid,” Brandon said, his breath making a cloud of vapor above his head.

  “I’ll take first watch,” Tom said. “I can’t do much with these.” Tom held up his bandaged hands. “But I can stare out a window.”

  “I’ll take the back door,” Gage said, turning and walking in that direction.

  “What about the upstairs doors?” Sheena asked.

  “It's quicker to get out down here, if someone gets in,” Brandon said.

  Everyone stared back and forth at each other waiting for someone to comment. No one did.

  “I’ll take second watch,” Brandon said.

  Lucy stepped forward. “Me too.”

  Raine wasn’t surprised that everyone seemed to allow Brandon, a virtual stranger, to lead their little band of refugees. He’d been the only one to step up to take on the role.

  “All right, everyone, try to get warm and get some rest. We’ll make a final push and hopefully get to Alicia’s by midday tomorrow,” Brandon said.

  They may have been out of the wind, but it was still bone-chillingly cold inside the bridal shop. Now that they’d stopped walking, Raine could tell that she’d been perspiring too much. Her underlayers were wet, and she was shivering. She needed to change into her extra clothing and get dry if she had any hope of getting warm—or at least warmer.

  “If you have any extra clothes with you, I suggest you change out now. You don’t want wet clothing to chill you now that we’ve stopped walking. You could become hypothermic,” Raine said as she turned to find a bathroom or dressing room where she could change in private.

  She turned at the stairs that led to the second floor and entered a room filled with bright-colored prom dresses. She recalled David, bald, and gaunt from chemotherapy treatment, standing at the bottom of their stairs in his tuxedo holding a corsage for his girlfriend. He’d fought hard to be allowed to attend his prom. The doctors had advised against it, but David went anyway. He wore a hospital gown for his wedding two weeks later. Malorie had looked stunning in her wedding gown. They’d wheeled David down to the chapel where family, friends, and hospital staff waited to witness him recite his vows to his long-time girlfriend. He’d cried when Malorie entered the room. Everyone cried that day.

  Raine stared into the full-length mirror on the wall. She’d skipped her own prom. As she stood surrounded by the beautiful gowns, she felt a pang of regret. She imagined that there wouldn’t be a prom for anyone this year.

  After pulling off her sweat-soaked clothes, Raine dressed in the Red Cross-issued light gray sweatpants and shirt. She hung her wet clothes across the racks in an attempt to dry them. She was so glad that she had synthetic and wool clothing. They’d dry much faster. She wished she had hand warmers to put in her socks. That would make them dry so much faster. Her bare feet were already freezing on the cold floor.

  When Raine exited the room, Sheena waved her over. “In here, Raine. We’re going to huddle together to try to stay warm.” She followed Sheena into a smaller room filled with accessories and veils. It had no windows. On one hand, that meant fewer cold drafts, but on the other, it limited their escape routes should they need to get out quick.

  “Over here, Raine,” DeAndre said. He looked so cute in his feed sack sleeping bag.

  Raine smiled as she crossed the room and sat beside him. He seemed so unaffected by all they’d endured thus far. But she knew that kids often appeared resilient when underneath, they were just as screwed up as the adults.

  “Are you getting warmed up yet?” Raine asked, tucking a ballgown tightly around his small frame.

  “My feet are still cold, but my hands feel better.”

  Raine pulled his knit hat down over his ears then spread her saddle blanket over her torso and pulled a gown over her legs. The gown wouldn’t be that warm, but it was something. Raine listened to soft snores as she lay next to DeAndre. She’d drifted off briefly before Tom and Gage changed shifts with Brandon and Lucy. But now, she stared up at the ceiling waiting for daylight and getting back out into the cold. At some point, someone had placed a pile of wedding gowns over her legs and feet. They crinkled when she rolled over, but they did provide some relief for her frozen bare feet.

  Chapter 14

  Baxter Road

  Chesterfield, Missouri

  Feb
ruary 19th

  JJ and Scott hid inside the oversized cardboard box for over twenty-four hours listening to the men’s banter as they scavenged through the sporting goods store. JJ’s foot was asleep. She attempted to pull it out from under her, but there just wasn’t enough room.

  “Are they ever going to leave?” JJ whispered.

  “I sure hope so. I have to take a piss.”

  JJ snickered. “Sorry. I do too.”

  After hours inside the box, their body heat had warmed the space enough that she felt warmer at least.

  Once or twice in the night, they’d thought the men had gone only to find guards posted at the doors and be forced to scurry back to the hideout. JJ tried to detect a pattern to their guard rotations to anticipate their shift change. She hoped she and Scott could somehow take advantage and slip away undetected, but as yet, she’d been disappointed. She could hardly contain her frustration with having to spend the night hiding in a cardboard box.

  As the day arrived with no relief, she thought she’d go mad just sitting there, waiting. The day wore on, and her eyelids felt heavy. She wondered how many hours had passed. Was it dark outside yet? Her mouth was dry. She felt an irritating tickle in the back of her throat. She was trying hard not to cough. JJ vowed that the first thing she’d do when they got out of there—after emptying her bladder—would be to get some liquid in her, even if she had to eat snow to do it. She knew that would do more harm than good in that it would drastically bring her body’s core temperature down to dangerous hypothermic levels. If they could make it to the pack of things they’d gathered in the store, they could use the camp stove and melt the snow.

  The more she thought about water, the thirstier she became. It was overwhelming sitting in the tiny, dark space as her stomach gnawed with hunger and thirst. Her head hurt. Her ribs hurt. She was thoroughly miserable. Just when she’d reached the point that she was ready to stand and fight the men just to get out of the box, she heard the back door slam. She listened for voices or sounds of movement. She heard nothing.

  “What do you think?” JJ asked.

  “They may have left. They’ve been here quite a while. I imagine whatever vehicle they’re driving is full by now.”

  “I wish we would’ve made a break for the vehicle. We need that ride.”

  “I know, but we’d likely had gotten shot in the process. There are at least four of them. Who knows how many they have watching their vehicle,” Scott whispered.

  He was right. It would have been foolish to try it. She was just tired and hungry and so damn ready to get to the warmth and safety of her parents’ home. Her parents were likely still out combing the countryside looking for her. If they’d found her Jeep at the bottom of the ravine near Park Hills, they may fear the worst, but knowing her father, he’d never give up until he located her, dead or alive.

  JJ had been a daddy’s girl growing up. She’d preferred going hunting and fishing with him and her brothers over the gardening and cooking chores of her mother and sister. Her father had taught her to shoot when she was eight years old. She’d shot her first deer that year. She closed her eyes and could smell the deer chili cooking on her mother’s wood stove. The spicy aroma would fill the log cabin. JJ’s stomach rumbled. She’d never known hunger like this. She thought that the caffeine withdrawal would have subsided by now, but her headache said otherwise.

  “I still don’t hear anything. Do you?” Scott asked.

  JJ listened. “No. You think it’s safe to get out now?”

  “I’m going to push the flap back and take a peek,” he said.

  He nudged the side flap open just an inch and waited, listening for voices. Scott pushed it back wide enough to crawl through, and they slowly rose to their feet. Scott took two steps toward the door. JJ heard a crunching sound and froze. She heard more crunching, and the back door banged open. Scott and JJ dove for the box. JJ slid back to allow Scott room to get inside. He eased the flap shut and they listened.

  “How many of them do you think there are this time?” JJ asked.

  “They’re no longer talking so it’s hard to say.”

  “You think we can take them?” JJ asked.

  “Not without knowing how many of them there are. We have no idea how many are waiting outside as well.”

  JJ was beyond frustrated, but she had to agree. Now wasn’t the time to do something reckless. At least she’d been able to get off her foot. She pulled her knees to her chest and wiggled her toes in her boots. She felt the sensation of pins and needles poking her as the blood flow returned to her foot.

  “You guys need to hurry up. We need to drop by the fitness center and pick up Ralph and Gene. The boss wants us back at headquarters so the A-team can go take care of some business,” JJ heard one of the men say. The door banged and she listened, praying that they’d all left. After not hearing anything for a long while, she thought her prayer had been answered.

  Scott eased open the flap and a flashlight’s beam scanned past the box. He closed it quickly and settled back inside. They heard sporadic gunfire during the night and thought that must have been the business that the man said the A-team needed to take care of.

  JJ eventually fell asleep with her head against Scott’s back. When she awoke, she wasn’t sure if she’d even be able to move let alone run away if they got the chance. Everything hurt.

  Chapter 15

  Manchester Bridal Boutique

  Manchester, Missouri

  February 20th

  Gunfire throughout the night had kept everyone but DeAndre awake. Raine couldn’t tell how far away the shooting had been. She thought it most likely had been coming from the grocery store where they’d encountered trouble the day before. She found it very concerning. It meant that there were more than just the grocery store people they’d need to avoid. They’d be much safer if they could get away from the commercial district and back onto residential streets.

  “Look what I found,” Antonio said, holding up a package of Ritz crackers and two pouches of tuna salad.

  “Oh my God. You are my new best friend,” Lucy said, jumping to her feet.

  Antonio pulled his arm back slightly.

  “Sorry. I’m just so hungry,” Lucy said, stepping aside and allowing Antonio to pass. Antonio scooped a mound of frozen tuna from the pouch with a pocketknife and placed it on a cracker.

  “You want some tuna and crackers, little man?” Antonio said, handing it to DeAndre.

  DeAndre took it and shoved the entire cracker into his mouth. Everyone laughed as crumbs dropped onto his blanket.

  “Here,” Antonio said, handing Lucy a tuna salad-smeared cracker.

  “Where did you find that? I looked through all the drawers and cabinets in the breakroom,” Raine asked.

  “In the drawer at the reception desk,” Antonio said.

  Antonio slowly lowered himself into the middle of the group and placed the pouches on the floor. He handed the crackers to Sheena. She took one and handed the packet to Raine. Once the package made it around the circle, everyone ate their frozen tuna salad like it was their last meal.

  Raine licked tuna from her fingers. The crackers made her mouth feel dry. She desperately needed a drink.

  “That was a lot of gunfire last night,” Raine said.

  Sheena wiped crumbs from DeAndre’s nose with the hem of a periwinkle ball gown. “Some of it was close, too,” Sheena said.

  “It’s been quiet this morning,” Antonio said.

  Lucy wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stood. “Maybe they're all dead.”

  Everyone looked from her to DeAndre. He didn’t seem to be listening as he crammed crackers into his already-full mouth.

  “Did you see anyone while you were on watch, Lucy?” Raine asked.

  “No, but it was dark. Too dark to see anyone not right next to the building.”

  Raine frowned.

  “Me either. I don’t think we would’ve known they were there unless they knocked down the
door.”

  “Do you think it’s safe to go out there this morning?” Alicia asked.

  Raine thought about all they’d experienced the day before. So many close calls, and that was their first day outside the Red Cross shelter. What would the coming days be like?

  “I think we should get far away from this commercial area. It’s like a watering hole. All the animals will come here to drink and feed,” Lucy said.

  DeAndre looked up, smiled, then went back to eating his crackers.

  “I don’t know any other route to my house from here,” Alicia said, “I always traveled Route 141. I guess we could find a way to cut over somewhere south of here, maybe.”

  “I agree with Lucy,” Brandon said as he entered the room. “I think we should send scouts out to see what route may be safe.”

  Raine looked up at him. He looked like he hadn’t slept a wink. He pulled his knit hat off and ran a hand through his short brown hair before rubbing his eyes. They all looked pretty ragged. Raine found it nearly impossible to sleep as cold as it was. Once she’d finally drifted off, sporadic gunfire had prevented her from falling back to sleep. She wasn’t sure she’d have the energy to walk five miles.

  “I’ll go,” Tom said. “I can’t do much with these hands, but my feet work.”

  Brandon lowered himself to the floor, took a cracker, and scooped the tuna out of the pouch with Antonio’s knife.

  “I think we should see if there’s a map or atlas around here and try to find some way to Alicia’s that avoids areas like this one,” he said with his mouth full.

  “We can check out the cars nearby. Maybe we’ll find a map in the glovebox,” Tom said.

  Antonio snorted. “I doubt you’ll find one. Everyone uses GPS these days. Being dependent on technology has screwed us, man.”

  “My granddad still carries an atlas in his car,” Alicia said.