Marla soon emerged from the kitchen with two plates in hand. She set them on the coffee table next to James and then lit one of the LED lanterns Larry had given them.
“We better eat this before it goes bad. Enjoy.”
James walked over to see a plate of rotisserie chicken with macaroni salad and coleslaw from two nights ago. Larry soon awoke with the aroma of food in the air and lifted the brim of his hat.
“Something to drink? Soda, tea, or water?” she asked them both.
“Any beer left?” James asked, hopeful.
“Nope. Sorry,” Marla said.
“Water’s fine,” Larry said, thanking her. She headed back to the kitchen.
James took a seat on the couch and put some food on his plate. “It’s not getting any quieter out there. Everyone’s outside. I’ve never seen it look like that.”
“Can’t blame ‘em,” Larry said as he took a bite of chicken. “What else can they do?”
“What time do you plan to leave?” James asked. He hoped it was soon for Rita’s sake.
“In a few hours,” he answered. Again, James wondered if Rita could wait that long. Vernon spoke of manually administering her treatment, which gave them some hope, but she needed medical attention, regardless. Her kidneys were acting up, he explained. And it wasn’t good. Marla soon returned with bottled water. She sat in a sofa chair across from them and made her own plate as they continued to eat in peace.
By evening, Vernon and Rita had come over, dressed and ready for the trip. Rita was in a wheelchair and looked in no condition to travel, but they had little choice. Outside, the neighborhood gathering resembled a candlelight vigil, with most people in the streets and only a few retreating to their homes. James watched from his window, halfway open, and listened to the barrage of outside conversations taking place, expressing worry and frustration at the lack of response. “How long?” seemed to be the biggest question coming from their mouths.
Vernon and Rita sat in the living room with Larry on the couch and Marla in her own seat. In her hands, she cradled the emergency radio, tuning between frequencies but unable to pick up any broadcasts. Larry told her that he had much better equipment at his cabin, part of his continual effort to convince them to come along.
It was a hard decision to make. James didn’t want to leave their home any more than Marla did, but she seemed steadfast against it, unreasonably so. James was at least willing to entertain the notion. Once Larry left, they would be out of options. Vernon asked every ten minutes or so when they were leaving. He wasn’t trying to be a bother. Rita was obviously his main concern, and he couldn’t help it.
“You know anything about siphoning gas?” Larry asked him.
Vernon shook his head.
“I take that as a no?” Larry added.
“I’m sure there’s nothing to it, right?” Vernon said. “Just suck fuel out through a hose.” Rita suddenly lowered her head with a moan as she clutched her sides. Marla jumped up from her seat and grabbed a quilt hanging on her chair, bringing it over. Vernon moved close to his wife and put an arm around her as Marla covered her.
“I’m sorry, Larry. How much longer?” Vernon asked.
Larry turned his head and looked at James sitting at the window. “What’s it looking like out there?”
James peered through the blinds, observing the street. There seemed to be just as many people as ever, but he didn’t want to delay the much-needed departure. “It’s clearing up a little. I don’t even think they’ll care. Everyone is preoccupied.”
“That’s what you think,” Larry said. “They’ll swarm my car like moths to light.”
Vernon continued to rub Rita’s back as she winced in pain. “I’m sure there are other working cars out there. Older models just like yours.”
Larry nodded. “Yeah. If you see any, let me know.” He suddenly rose from his comfy spot on the couch and made his way to the window. He lifted the middle blind and looked outside, making his own assessment. “Nah. They’re blocking the road as far as I can see. It’s not safe yet.”
“What are we so afraid of?” Marla asked from her chair. Larry spun around, eyes ablaze as she then backed off, softening her tone. “If you don’t mind me asking.”
James attempted to mediate once again. “Marla, you saw what we went through.”
“Yes, but that was on the highway. We’re home now.”
Larry turned around to look out the window. “Doesn’t matter.”
Vernon suddenly cut in with his own chilling suggestion. “We need to do whatever it takes. I don’t care.” Both James and Marla looked at him, surprised at the force in his tone.
The room got quiet as the once-dormant tension boiled to the surface. Hopeful, James listened at the window, but the crowd remained. He knew that it could be another hour or two before things quieted down. Larry was going to have to take a chance one way or the other. Rita was depending on them. The silence between them continued, along with their endless waiting. A true miracle would have existed had the power and everything else just come back on. Instead they sat in increasing darkness with only a LED lamp on the coffee table providing an illuminating glow.
Then suddenly, they heard a distant drone of not one engine but several of them. They all gasped, and Vernon smiled. The whole street seemed to hush in an instant. Headlights soon beamed down the road as roars of hope and whistling and laughing swelled like a tide. James rose and opened his blinds halfway, peering to the side as a line of trucks drove down their street. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. No one could.
Larry pushed against the window as Marla and Vernon rushed over. Military cargo trucks had arrived, at least five of them all in a row. Their engines were running. Their lights were on. Soldiers jumped out the back of them and descended upon the street. At first glance, it looked as though hope had arrived, but James didn’t know for sure. No one did. Vernon rushed outside before they could stop him, right out the front door. Marla pursued him, only to be blocked by Larry as he slammed the door shut.
“What are you doing?” she said, astonished. “Those are soldiers out there.”
“It’s martial law,” he told her as his serious gaze shifted to James. “Just like I talked about. Now you can go with them or me. It’s your choice.” He remained in place, preventing Marla from leaving. She looked back at James, whose agreeable stance and attitude suggested that Larry had a point. She turned away from the door and stomped toward Rita.
“You’re both crazy. We’re taking Rita to them now.” She grabbed the handles on the back of the wheelchair and pushed her toward the door where Larry stood like a barrier. “Move!” Marla seethed.
Larry slowly shifted out of the way as though it no longer mattered. James glanced out the window and saw Vernon approaching a squad of soldiers who were walking the street. He pointed to James’s house, talking wildly and in a panic, but his words were drowned out by the surrounding motors. One of the soldiers stopped and appeared to be attentive to his plight. It could be just the break they needed. Larry, however, considered the sudden appearance of the military as something far more troublesome.
“This is how it begins,” he told James, closing the door.
James had been so distracted watching Vernon that he hadn’t even noticed Marla pushing the wheelchair down their driveway. He shouted for her to come back, but she wouldn’t listen. He catapulted from his chair and rushed to the door, prepared to chase her down, but Larry moved to block the way once again.
“Now’s the time to decide, James,” he said. “I know you’ve got more sense than that. You come with me or the soldiers. It’s one or the other.”
“I have to get Marla,” he said, attempting to move around Larry. He hadn’t noticed how bulky he was until then as he tried to shove him out of the way.
“Listen,” Larry said, grabbing him. “It’s a roundup. I read all about this in leaked documents. Total control. You go with them, that’s it. You might as well be in prison.”
“Excuse me,” James said, pushing him aside. As soon as James opened the door, Larry slammed it shut. They glared at each other, but Larry’s eyes were far more intense.
“You get Marla. I’m leaving in two minutes.”
With that, James swung open the door and ran outside into the headlight beams covering the street. A brief glance in all directions, and he saw families being led to the trucks and climbing aboard of their own will as barricades were being placed at the road entrances by the soldiers. Everyone looked relieved that help had arrived at last. He saw Marla and Vernon at the rear of one of the trucks, talking to a tall officer who looked to be in charge. James had two minutes to make up his mind. He knew Larry wasn’t bluffing. It could have been a ploy by Larry to get them to come along with him, or he could be onto something. A decision had to be made, especially as he heard his garage door open and the roar of Larry’s engine from inside.
Hideaway (Book 0): An EMP Thriller Page 12
