by EE Isherwood
The guy spoke in a loud voice. “Hey, do you guys know what’s happening?”
“You keep going, okay?” I whispered to Penny. “I’ll talk to him.”
“Are you sure?” she fretted.
“Totally. There’s nothing to worry about. I’m just going to see what he can tell me about this town, so we know what to expect when we get your daughter. Stay alert until I catch up, okay.”
My decision to briefly split up was tactical. I wanted Penny to make it to her daughter without stopping since she had said the daycare was a few blocks ahead. At the same time, it was dangerous to travel into populated areas without a sense of what was going on. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to investigate.
“Hey, bud,” I said and then slowed to meet him in the street behind the truck. “What can I do for you?”
Penny continued past the man.
He watched her go by, mouth open, as if wowed by her athletic appearance. When he turned back to me, his demeanor changed to embarrassment, perhaps thinking we were together. “Sorry, man. I’m just looking for answers about what the hell’s going on. I came out of the café, and my truck was dead. Every other car is dead, too. Now some people are saying there’s been a nuclear war. Do you think it’s true?”
I stood on the pavement, leaving about ten feet between us, giving me the option to use my gun if things went bad. “Sounds like bullshit to me. The news didn’t have anything about a coming war, you know? Besides, with the way everything has gone out, including our phones and electrical power, I think we got hit with a high-altitude EMP blast.”
The man turned and shouted to the main group on the far side of the mail truck. “This guy says it was an EMP, not a nuclear war, thank God!”
A young woman yelled back. “Did he hear about the Cubans attacking Miami?”
The man turned to me. “Did you?”
“Nope, sounds like more crap from the rumor mill. How would you have heard what’s going on in Miami, anyway? Does someone have a working radio?”
“All we have are these rumors.” He laughed nervously. “The mail guy said it was Cubans, I think. I stopped another biker earlier who said something about a failed science experiment up north. Then there were the Army guys—”
“You saw them? I’m kind of looking for them.”
“Yep. They came through a couple of blocks north of here. I tried to run up and meet them, but I was too slow. Spoke to a guy who supposedly talked to them, but all he would say is that he had to get home to his family.”
I pretended to stretch my legs, checking out the people by the truck, the man in front of me, and the seemingly disinterested Floridians elsewhere in the congested area. There were no obvious threats. “Did you see where they went?”
“They went that-a-way,” he replied and sounded a bit like Daffy Duck.
His demeanor made me laugh for a bit, but I got right back to business.
“I’ll keep an eye out for them. There are also lots of helicopters and jets flying around. All those military folks have to know more than the rest of us. If you can link up with them, you’ll get your answers.”
“I’ll try, dude,” he answered.
“Anything else going on in town? I’m heading this-a-way.” I tried to mimic his Daffy Duck impression while pointing behind him.
“I’ve been here since the sirens. Haven’t seen nothin’ but people standing around. I’m figuring I should walk home.”
“I would,” I replied. “Beat the rush.”
He cracked up. “Smart.”
“Thanks for chatting, but I’ve got to catch up to my friend. Good luck.” As I spoke, I hopped on my pedals and rolled past him. I took note of how easy it would be for a bad guy to knock me over, should it come to violence. Bikes were great on the open road, but they had severe limitations in close quarters. The trip was teaching me in ways I never would have thought by only reading books.
Penny was a full block ahead, but she was pedaling slowly. To her credit, she kept swiveling her head from side to side, as if keeping watch for trouble like I’d instructed. A few isolated people stood here and there on the upcoming stretch of road, but we seemed to have passed the bulk of the pedestrians.
“Did you learn anything?” Penny asked when I caught up to her.
“Not really, other than he said no one knows what happened.”
“Did you tell them your theory?”
“Yeah, but I’m guessing, like everyone else. They think it was a nuclear war, or Cubans attacking Miami. Either one could be true, I suppose, though I still believe the EMP scenario fits the circumstances the best.”
We rode for a short way, passed a large golf supply store, and then made a left turn on the last street, which was the far edge of the gridded town. Some shops and structures were on the right-hand side, but the forest was beyond them.
“There it is!” she cried out.
She pedaled toward a trio of small structures on the right side. A non-descript blue-roofed building sat between a tire-changing service station and yet another bank. However, there was no question where she was going. A dozen toddlers climbed the playground equipment inside a chain-link fence behind the middle building. As we got closer, I noticed a small sign on the blue roof emblazoned with ‘Corky’s Daycare.’
Penny became frantic as we pulled onto the parking lot shared by all three buildings. “I see Daisy!”
“She’s in the yard?” I asked.
“Yes, we have to hurry.” She hopped off her bike and walked it past the few cars on the lot.
I did the same and ran my bike next to hers.
“We should take these inside the front doors,” I said. If there was one guy waving around hundred-dollar bills to buy one, there were others who would steal our rides at no charge. I didn’t need any book to explain that one to me.
“Sure,” she said as she pulled the glass door open.
Once inside, the place was surprisingly quiet. The small waiting room had a well-worn carpet, as if parents had picked up and dropped off their children here for decades. Before I had a chance to catch my breath, a woman came up to a half-door blocking off the classroom part of the building. She was a few years older than me, with patches of gray hair above her temples.
“May I help you?” The lady squinted at my companion and her elaborate biker gear. “Oh, sorry, Mrs. O’Rourke. I hardly recognized you. You’re here for Daisy, I’m sure.”
She nodded. “I saw her out back.”
The woman stood behind the half-door while speaking quietly. “You’re the first parent to come back. I’ve got to tell you, this power outage is really scaring the children. That’s why we put them outside to play. They should be in here having lunch.”
Always aware of the heavy stress on people during emergencies, I tried to take it down a notch. “Lunch sounds wonderful. What are you serving?”
The woman frowned and looked alternately between Penny and myself, perhaps trying to figure out our relationship.
“I’m kidding,” I went on once I saw that the woman had no sense of humor. “I’m helping Mrs. O’Rourke stay safe on her bike ride. I’m her neighbor.”
“Why aren’t other parents picking up their children?” Penny whispered to the teacher. “The power is out all the way down to our subdivision, which is almost five miles south on Bayside Road. This is a huge disaster.”
“I don’t know, but I hope they all clear out before five o’clock. I’ve got to get home and make dinner for my two kids. They’re in middle school but sometimes they act like they’re still in pre-school, if you know what I mean?” Talking about her family seemed to make the woman lower her guard. She even laughed at her own joke.
A small bell sat on a shelf-like countertop affixed to the door, like the kind you’d find on a hotel’s welcome desk. None of us were touching the silver shell, but the striker inside began to vibrate, causing it to barely ding. I recognized the deep rumble of helicopters again. The women noticed it, too.
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“Can I get her now?” Penny asked in a dry tone.
“Right away.” The friendly woman held up a ‘wait here’ finger, then turned and left the doorway.
I tapped the bell to make it stop doing its weird thing, chuckling as I did so. I tried to act like it was no big deal there were choppers nearby. Despite suggesting to two guys the military might have important information, I could tell the only mission today was going to be getting Penny’s daughter to safety. That ringing sound only reinforced the need to hurry.
“Mommy!” a little girl cried out from the next room.
“Daisy!” Penny leaned against the barrier.
The older woman came back and opened the bottom part of the door, revealing a cute little four year old child behind it. The girl wore a pink one-piece dress and a pair of shiny pink shoes with princesses on them. Unlike her mother, the girl’s blonde hair was long and curly rather than straight, but her facial features almost matched Penny’s to perfection.
“Mommy, I wasn’t done playing. Robby and Patricia were in my boat, and they need me to point them where to go.” The girl’s lips smashed together, creating a tiny pout.
“I’m sorry, darling, but something special is happening today. Me and my, uh, friend, Mr. Frank, are riding our bikes. We’ve got a neat trailer for you to ride in. Would you like to go with us?”
As soon as she’d said the words, the little girl’s face lit up.
“I always wanted to ride with you, Mommy!” she cheered. “You are dressed so pretty. Can I get a red shirt like yours?”
“Of course. I’ll get you the shorts, too. Then you’ll look just like Mommy.”
Daisy clapped.
“Right now, I need you to wear your own pretty clothes, okay? Your spot is right here, on this nice, big chair.” Penny walked her around the back of the trailer and flung open the plastic roof, revealing a pair of canvas seats.
“Whoa!” Daisey blurted. “It has seat belts?”
“That’s right. Let’s get you in there.”
It took a couple of minutes before Penny was satisfied the belt was hooked and the lid was on correctly. She pretended to play peek-a-boo with the girl through the clear plastic roof as well as the side windows, as if proving to her daughter she wouldn’t lose sight of her. Daisy seemed to love the whole idea, if her permanent smile was any indication.
I wheeled my bike outside, then held the door wide.
“Thanks,” she said, stopping next to me as she came through the entryway. “I mean it. I’m so glad I didn’t have to do this by myself.”
“Bye, Miss Lynn,” Daisy called out to the teacher watching us.
“Bye, bye, Daisy,” the lady replied in singsong. “I hope I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Penny met my gaze, and we both knew that wasn’t going to happen. I gave her a friendly nod, and she continued outside.
“See you, Miss,” I said to the woman before letting the door shut.
The thump of rotor blades was growing, but the sound waves bounced off the store fronts of the strip mall across the street, making it hard to tell where they came from. A quick glance into the clear blue sky didn’t reveal their location, either.
“I’m going to go fast, Daisy.” Penny straddled her bicycle. “Just enjoy your ride, m’kay?”
“I can’t see you, Mommy.” The girl sounded a little worried.
“I’m right here.” Penny twisted at the waist and leaned off the saddle, so the child saw her through the side window.
“There you are!” the girl cheered.
We rolled off the parking lot together, but Penny immediately lagged behind. While she caught up, I stayed alert for where I might spot the helicopters. I’d given up the idea of chasing after the Army trucks, but there was a chance the aircraft were meeting the men on the ground. If it happened along our route, we might still have a chance to learn what they knew.
She caught up as we made the right turn back onto the street with the mail truck, though she was now showing some strain in her legs. “This got a lot heavier,” she chuckled.
“Mommy, faster!” Daisy cried out from her cocoon.
“I’m trying, dear,” the mom replied like a good sport.
The rotor chop persisted as we went by the golf supply store we’d passed earlier. When we reached the first cross street, the reverb noise disappeared, as if it had been turned off with a switch.
“Whoa!” I said, hitting the brakes.
Penny hadn’t been going fast, so she stopped only a bike-length or two ahead of me, despite the surprise. She looked over, worried. “What is it?”
I pointed up. “The sound went away.”
A single woman screamed from a parking lot close to the intersection. It was a blood-chilling howl, as if she was witnessing a horrible murder.
Penny and I froze in place.
Motion caught my eye to the north, about half a mile down the cross street, among the fast-food joints, stores, and little buildings. A shape appeared from behind a grove of tall trees and moved from left to right, like it was coming onto a stage in front of us.
“Oh, God,” Penny shuddered.
A huge gray aircraft silently lumbered across the sky, tipped sideways, so we only saw the bottom of the four-engine monster. It looked like the pilot had been flying low and banked to avoid the trees, but then stalled out. The right wing teased the ground clutter for a couple of seconds, the tip scraped across the road, then it sliced into a building. From there, the giant bird seemed to get pulled to the ground. It crumpled and broke apart before the mass of falling steel erupted in an orange fireball.
“Oh, shit,” I blurted out.
A wave of heat blew into my face, as if I’d just opened an oven door.
“Wow!” Penny yelped.
“On the bike!” I ordered. “We’ve got to move!”
How many other planes were up there?
CHAPTER 4
“M-mommy, what was that?”
Little Daisy sounded scared, and after what had just dropped out of the sky, I didn’t blame her. We’d stopped at the first intersection to watch the crash, but the kid had a hard time seeing out the side of the trailer, which was for the best.
“Don’t worry, dear.” Penny clicked into her pedals as we moved out. “There was a little accident, that’s all.”
Understatement of the year.
“Go,” I said in my calmest tone of voice, unable to look away from the fireworks. The tail of the plane rose up one last time, then crashed back into the fiery wreck. The concussive roars of explosions echoed through the streets of the powerless business district. In the background, barely audible, the screams of fleeing citizens highlighted what was heading our way.
“Is anyone ouchy?” the child asked her mother.
The fallen plane’s crash site couldn’t be more than half a mile away, but even in those few seconds, I could tell there would be lots of ouchy people over there.
Secondary blasts rattled the glass in nearby storefronts.
“I-I don’t know, sweetie,” Penny fibbed, but her shaky voice gave her away. “Why don’t you just enjoy the ride, and we’ll be home real soon.”
“Okay,” Daisy complained, like the ride wasn’t going to be as fun as she thought.
We got back up to speed, but it was only a hundred yards to the second cross street. I had to keep an eye on the fallen plane, if only to confirm there wasn’t a tumbling wave of fiery debris barreling toward us.
“Take it slow when we get there,” I advised.
As we entered the intersection, a small piece of metal skittered through the spokes of my front tire. A similar metallic clunk impacted the stoplight signal above my head. In a few seconds, there were dozens of hits, and the sounds kept growing in intensity.
“Get behind that!” I said as I pointed to a lifted pickup truck with huge tires.
We crossed most of the intersection and skidded next to the abandoned truck as more metal bits fell around us. Some ricocheted
off the smooth red paint of the big Ford. Others put chips in the glass of the cabin and hopped around the cargo bed. Before I could think of our next move, one of the debris fragments bounced off the concrete, slammed into the vehicle’s underside and rolled to a stop almost at my foot.
“What the hell?” I blurted.
“It’s freaking money!” Penny exclaimed, picking up a quarter.
“Is it hot?” I asked, a second too late to stop her.
“No, it wasn’t orange, so I assumed it wasn’t.”
A million-dollar hail storm cracked windows and dented the hoods of cars parked up and down the street. Other pedestrians took cover behind whatever they could find.
I chuckled at the cruel irony. “The plane must have hit one of the fifty banks in this town. The crash sent buckets of coins into the stratosphere.”
After ten or fifteen seconds, the downpour became a trickle, then it faded out. I waited until I didn’t hear anything before I stood up. From our position, I still had a view up the second cross street toward the wreck. I couldn’t see the main crash site, but there was an oily wall of smoke headed our way with people on the street running from it.
“We’ve got to move again,” I said, gesturing Penny ahead. “Go!”
“Uh-huh,” she answered.
We rode for a few seconds before I caught her watching me.
“You’re riding all hunched over,” she said, “like more money is going to fall on us.”
“I guess I’m being careful.” I came out of my crouch. “There’s no telling how high that explosion sent crap into the sky. If it hit the bank’s vault, bricks of gold might come down next.”
“That would really suck,” she replied.
“But at least we’d die rich,” I mused.
She chuckled at my horrible effort at breaking up tension.
For a few seconds, I searched the sky for falling threats, though I soon became more interested in the road ahead. The people who’d been standing around the mail truck had cleared out, but they’d gathered with others and created a larger group of about forty onlookers at the next intersection. A few scurried about picking up coins, or ran for their lives, but most still watched to the north, toward the big show.
