by Harley Tate
He thought it over. “Dizziness is gone. Thanks to you, I ate and drank enough that I’m not nauseous. I think a lot of my symptoms were dehydration and hunger, to be honest. All I have left is this blasted headache.”
Midge nodded. She hadn’t noticed the pang in her stomach until they ripped into the candy bars and chips. What started as an armful of snacks dwindled to a Twix and a bottle of water within an hour. They would need more food, and soon.
She paused. They? Was she really considering them a unit already?
“What are you thinking?”
Startled, she looked up. The moon hung low and cast Danny’s face in a pale glow. Midge stammered. “N-Nothing, really. How about you?”
He leaned on the pipe-turned-walking stick. “I was trying to remember that article I read about EMPs.” He slowed and let Jessica pull a bit ahead. When she noticed, she turned and held up her hands in a question.
Danny made a motion to mimic a sleeping baby and Jessica smiled in understanding. Midge had to give him credit. Even Danny figured out talking about the future around Jessica could be dangerous. If she freaked out in the airport when the power first went out, what would she do when she found out it was about to get a heck of a lot worse?
Midge spoke low enough for only Danny to hear. “What did it say?”
“I’m pretty sure an EMP fries the grid. It’ll take years for the power to come back on.”
She wanted to tell him that was the least of their problems, but she didn’t know how he’d react. Hell, she didn’t know the first thing about him.
“If that’s true, we’ll need more than a pipe to defend ourselves.” He glanced up at Jessica. “We might need a gun.”
Midge jerked her head up. “A gun? Seriously? Do you even know how to shoot one?”
Danny nodded. “Shotguns at least. My father’s a member of a sporting club upstate. He used to take me every year on the annual quail hunt.”
Midge snorted. “Like with horses and hounds and the king’s colors waving high?”
Danny took the jab in stride. “Not quite that pompous, but close.”
She smiled at the sidewalk. “So upstate… does that mean you’re from New York?”
“Yeah, my dad’s a banker.” The way he said the word, Midge would have thought it meant convicted felon. “I didn’t grow up there, though. He shipped me off to boarding school after my brother died.”
Midge swallowed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
“Of course you didn’t. And it’s okay, it’s been a long time now.” Danny tucked his chin. “He was my best friend, though. I still miss him.”
“How?”
“Staph infection. We’d gone to summer camp and spent all of July in this lake tucked into the base of the Adirondacks. God, it was beautiful.” His voice cracked and he paused a beat. “Joey scraped his leg pretty bad on a rock, but he didn’t want to stop swimming. By the time the camp counselor saw it, it was infected. They got him to the closest hospital, but he died of septic shock within twenty-four hours.”
Midge could hear the pain and hurt in Danny’s tone and voiced the obvious. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“I should have said something. I knew he got the cut. I just… We weren’t in the same cabin. I thought he’d gotten it treated.”
“How old were you?”
“Eleven.” Danny exhaled. “That’s why I’m pre-med now. I want to be a research doctor and work on new antibiotics.”
“Your parents must be proud.”
“My mom would have been. She died when I was two. And my father?” Danny almost spat. “Not a chance. If I’m not following in the family footsteps and becoming a banker like all the Olsens before me, then I’m a failure.”
Midge reeled. She complained about her mom never visiting because she had too many potluck dinners to host and parties to plan, but her family didn’t disown her because she’d rather sit in a corner with her computer than put on a dress and play hostess. Her mom loved her no matter what.
“What about you?” Danny’s question jerked her out of her thoughts. “Obviously, you’re into computers.” He pointed at her bag. “You won’t let that thing out of your sight.” He chuckled. “I thought that flight attendant was going to yank you off the plane.”
Midge smiled despite herself. “I’m a computer engineering major at UNC Charlotte.”
“Cool. Wish I could get into the technical side of things, but one look at code and my eyes cross. You ever write your own programs or anything?”
Midge wasn’t about to tell him that she’d been coding since she got her first computer at age eight, could hack her way into all but the most encrypted servers, and probably broke a million laws for kicks. She shrugged. “Once in a while.”
After a few steps, Danny stopped. “Wait. If you’re in college, why are you coming home now?”
She blinked, panic fuzzing her brain. “I—I, um…don’t want to talk about it.”
Danny backtracked. “Oh, yeah, I mean, you don’t have to tell me if it’s personal. I just thought maybe you were on the quarter system, too. Trying to explain to people why I’m not in class like everyone else is always awkward.”
Midge exhaled in relief. If they were going to stick together, she would have to tell him the truth, but not out in the wind on some random street. She motioned to Jessica. “We should catch up. It’s probably not good to let her be so far ahead on her own.”
Danny agreed and together they hurried to close the gap. With ten feet separating them, Jessica froze. A moment later, Midge heard a shout.
“Stop! You don’t need to take it!”
She hurried up to Jessica and pulled her back behind the corner of the closest building. “What’s going on?” Her words came hot and fast, blowing steam into the air.
“I—I don’t know. There’s someone in the street.”
Midge patted Jessica’s arm and crept toward the corner. The voices grew louder.
“Please, you don’t understand, the car isn’t even working.” A man’s voice, pleading, but firm.
“We just wanted to sleep in it!” A woman, frantic and terrified.
Midge poked her head out enough to see. A couple stood beside a fancy Mercedes, hands quivering in the air as a beam of light roved over them. From the man’s black suit and the woman’s spangled party dress, she could tell they weren’t from this part of town.
A thug in a black coat pointed a handgun at the husband with one hand and a lit-up phone with the other. “Shut up and give me the keys!”
“It doesn’t work. It won’t get you anywhere.” The husband kept pleading, begging for the man to leave them alone.
“Please, honey, just give him the keys.” The wife clung to her husband’s arm, begging him to cooperate. “It isn’t worth it.”
“The hell it isn’t. I worked my ass off for that car and now this guy wants to take it? Where are we going to sleep tonight?”
“Give me the keys or you ain’t ever gonna be sleepin’ again. I ain’t kiddin’.”
At last, the man got the message and shoved his hand in his pocket. Midge exhaled. Thank God. As the husband held out his keys, a shot rang out.
The wife screamed, stumbling back in her high heels as blood bloomed across her husband’s white dress shirt. Midge pulled back from the corner as Caden let out a cry. The gunshot had woken him up.
She looked at Jessica in alarm. They needed to go, now. Danny grabbed Jessica by the arm and they took off, running for the next block. Midge followed when another shot echoed off the buildings.
As Midge spun around, the wife staggered into the road, trying to run, but failing. She fell to her knees before landing face-first on the double yellow dividing line.
Danny’s voice cut through the terror. “Midge, come on!”
She turned and ran, catching up with her companions as they reached the next block. Together, they raced down the street, Jessica clutching Caden close, Danny leaning on Midge for support.
It wasn’t until Midge could barely breathe and Caden stopped crying that they slowed. Midge bent over and gripped her thighs as she sucked in some air. “I. Think. You’re. Right.” She huffed out each word between breaths.
“About what?”
“We need a gun.”
Jessica wiped tears and sweat off her face as she checked on Caden. “You’re not going to find one inside the city limits.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I am. Believe me, being married to a cop I hear all about it. Ray’s got to go to Des Plaines to shoot on a public range.”
Midge spoke up. “There’s got to be someone who would sell us one.”
Jessica thought it over. “There is one place. A pawn shop not that far from here. Ray said they’ve been watching the owner. They think he’s selling illegally.”
“That’s perfect.” Danny clapped his hands. “If the guy’s already willing to break the law, then he’ll work with us.”
Jessica frowned. “Don’t get your hopes up. I got the impression he’s a real creep.”
Danny wiped a hand across his mouth. “If he’s the only seller, then we don’t have a choice. Can you get us there?”
Jessica nodded. “Should be able to, assuming we don’t run into another carjacking.”
Midge looked first at Jessica, then at Danny. Like it or not, they were in this together now and staying alive was the most important thing. She pushed her hair off her face and squared her shoulders. “All right. Let’s find that pawn shop.”
Chapter Nine
DANNY
Friday, 11:00 pm CST
DuBois 24-Hour Pawn
Danny gave himself a pep talk the entire walk to the pawn shop. From the plane crash, to the fight over the golf cart, to the murders they just witnessed, it had been a hell of a day. Once daylight came and the power to the entire city stayed off, what would happen? Nothing good, he knew that much.
Thank goodness his symptoms were almost gone. Pain no longer mushed his brain and the fog he’d been walking in lifted a half a mile back. The modified crutch almost held him back at this point, but until he had a better weapon, he refused to leave it behind. They neared the block with the pawn shop and a dim light illuminated the windows. An accordion grate barred the door.
Jessica tried the handle. “It’s locked.”
As Midge gave the grate a yank, Danny cupped his hands around his face and peered inside. Stereos, guitars, and jewelry lined the front window. No guns in sight.
He jabbed a finger against the glass in frustration. “I don’t see anything.”
“I told you, he’s not allowed to sell in the store.” Jessica spoke low so as to not wake Caden. “If he has anything, it’ll be hidden in the back.”
Movement caught Danny’s eye and he squinted. “There’s someone in there!”
Midge banged on the door.
The man didn’t move.
She banged harder and Danny chimed in, whacking the window with the palm of his hand. Caden stirred on Jessica’s chest, thrashing as he struggled to stay asleep.
“Shh, shh, it’s okay.” Jessica stepped away, soothing her baby as Danny grew more and more frustrated. He banged on the window again, hard enough to rattle the frame. At last, the man emerged from behind the counter. He approached the door, hands on his hips. “Shop’s closed. Go away.”
“Please, sir—” Danny began.
The man waved him off. “I said no. Now get out of here.”
Danny punched at the metal grate and Caden began to cry in earnest. Jessica tried her best, but he wouldn’t calm down. She came up to the window, exhaustion tugging at the lines around her mouth as her baby wailed. “Please, sir, we won’t take much time.”
The man in the shop rolled his eyes. “I don’t do screaming brats or uptown rich kids out to spend all their daddy’s money. Scram.” He turned to walk away.
Danny tore a hand through his hair. He couldn’t believe the man wouldn’t even let them inside. He spun around on the sidewalk, mouth open.
Midge stepped forward and shouted into the window. “We have cash.” As the man twisted back around, she flashed a huge stack of bills. “Five minutes. That’s all we need.”
The man approached the door, muscles in his jaw tightening as he looked Midge up and down. Even with her baggy sweatshirt and black jeans, she cut a good figure. To see someone old enough to be her father stare at her without trying to hide his interest made Danny’s blood boil. No one had the right to look at her that way, especially not a stranger.
He swallowed a wave of bile and reached for Midge. They could find a weapon somewhere else. As his hand landed on her shoulder, the door unlocked and swung open.
“I’ll give you two minutes, but the pipes stay outside.”
Danny bristled. First the man undressed Midge with his eyes, then he demanded they give up their only line of defense. He moved in front of Midge and shook his head. “No. They come in.”
The man stepped back and reached for the door. “Then we’re done here. No one’s entering my shop with a weapon.”
Midge scooted around Danny and piped up. “How about we hand them over? We can collect them when we leave.” She glowered at Danny until he stepped back. “It’s not safe out here without them.”
The man’s lip twitched as he unlocked the grate. It slid open with a screech. “All right. Welcome to DuBois’s 24-Hour Pawn.” He held the door open with a scowl.
Midge handed over the pipe and stepped inside. Danny did the same with his crutch, taking his time so he could get a good look at the man.
Mid-fifties, judging by the hair graying around his temples and the sagging skin beneath his eyes. A paunch that said he spent more time in front of the TV than in the gym. As he leaned forward, his shirt rode up, revealing a massive pearl-handled gun concealed on his waist.
One shot from a pistol that size and Danny would have a hole in his chest big enough to climb through. He swallowed. They were on Mr. DuBois’s turf now and Danny didn’t like it. Not one bit.
The man strode behind the counter, all swagger and machismo. He palmed the glass. “All right, you’ve got two minutes. Make the most of them.”
Danny puffed up his chest and stepped forward. “I’d like to buy a handgun please. A 9mm will do.”
He didn’t know the first thing about handguns, but hoped it sounded convincing. From the smile creeping up DuBois’s face, he guessed it didn’t.
“Afraid I can’t sell you a gun inside the city limits my friend.”
“What?”
“Chicago rules. No gun sales in the city.” DuBois hooked his thumbs in his belt loops.
“So you’ve got nothing?” Danny reeled.
“Well, I might have a few pieces from my personal collection floating around. But they aren’t for sale.” DuBois’s smile deepened.
Danny dug his wallet out and flashed his credit card. “Perhaps you’d be willing to make an exception?”
DuBois shook his head. “Nope.”
Danny tried a different tactic. He raised his hand and turned it so that his watch was visible. A graduation present from his father, it probably cost more than all the jewelry in the display combined.
DuBois leaned close enough for Danny to see the dark stubble on his chin. “Nice piece. Worth a pretty penny, too. But no dice.”
Danny’s shoulders slumped. He was out of ideas.
Midge stepped forward, but Danny didn’t want her within ten feet of the guy. Between the way DuBois leered and the money in her wallet, it was too risky. He reached out to warn her off, but she sidestepped and avoided his hand.
“Mr. DuBois, I’m afraid you don’t understand.” Her voice trembled and at first Danny thought it was fear, but as she glanced first at Jessica and then at him, he wasn’t sure.
“No one is going to care about gun laws ever again. The power outage wasn’t an accident. It was an act of terror.” Midge lowered her voice. “And if what I’ve learned is true, then it�
��s only the first strike.”
Danny’s blood ran cold. First strike? Was this what Midge was talking about on the plane? Did she know something about what happened? Something she’d held back this whole time?
DuBois tilted his head. “Go on.”
Midge glanced back at Danny again, an apologetic smile on her face. “If I’m right, then sometime soon, a nuclear bomb will detonate. But not just here. In the twenty-five largest US cities.”
Danny staggered back. If she’d been the one suffering a concussion, he’d have chalked it up to the after effects, taken her by the shoulders, and walked her out of there. But Midge was fine. And from the expression on her face and tone of her voice, deadly serious.
DuBois raised an eyebrow. “What do bombs have to do with the power outage?”
“I don’t know,” she said, shaking her head. “It might be a precursor, something to distract the government with. I have no idea. All I know is, there’s an imminent threat to the United States. Twenty-five bombs, already in the country, already on the move.”
The more she explained, the faster she spoke, like a dam had broken inside her and she couldn’t wait to spill out all the details.
“It’s been all over the dark web. I was in the middle of a Hack-A-Thon in Charlotte when a friend stumbled across the chatter. Everything syncs up. Dates, times, shipments. The threat is real. I didn’t know when it would happen, but when the EMP hit a few hours later—” She turned and looked Danny in the eye. “We need to get out of this city and we need to do it now. If we don’t have something to protect ourselves, I’m afraid we aren’t going to make it.”
Danny swallowed. It didn’t matter why she’d kept the information from him or how she’d found it out. If Midge was right and a bomb was about to detonate in the heart of the city, then they needed a weapon and they needed to run.
Jessica let out a tortured wail. “Bombs? Are you serious? I thought the EMP was it.” Caden began to cry. “What about my mom in Colorado and my sister in Grand Rapids?” Her breathing turned rapid, shallow ins and outs as she fought the urge to hyperventilate.
