by Ralph Gibbs
“If this is a survivalist camp, it explains this,” Franklin said, pulling a box out of his pocket.
“What’s that?” Maggie asked.
“It’s a satellite phone,” Franklin said. “I found it in one of the houses. It just needs to be charged.”
“Going to call your FBI friend?” Randel asked. “See if they can come get us?”
“That’s the idea,” Franklin said. “Paris gave me a number to use if I came across a satellite phone.”
“Use an outlet in the kitchen,” Randel said. “To conserve the batteries, I cut the circuit breakers to everything but the kitchen and living room. I don’t know much about solar power. It was always too expensive for me to fiddle with, but I imagine with all the storms the batteries have to be low. I’ll see if I can find the power gage in the morning.”
“How’s our new friend doing?” Danica asked.
“I’m fine.”
“Sorry to wake you.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve been able to sleep through the night,” Deborah said. Danica sat on the edge of the sofa. She pulled up the blanket and felt her head.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“I’m twenty-five, not twelve,” she said, a touch of anger in her voice “Just because I can’t walk doesn’t mean I can’t take care of myself.”
“So, you’re saying I didn’t have to shoot that man,” Danica said. Deborah turned her head feeling embarrassed. “I’m sorry, but we can’t be too careful. The slightest medical issue can turn deadly nowadays. I was just making sure you were warming up nicely.”
“Just . . . just ask before you touch me,” Deborah said.
“I can make that deal,” Danica said.
“Did he—?”
“No,” she said hotly. “I almost wish he had. I could have at least understood that. Instead, he treated me like I was a two-year-old child. He forced me to wear diapers so he could clean me like a baby. He wouldn’t even let me feed myself. He fed me baby food, and if I wanted something to drink, I had to drink it from a baby bottle. If I did something he didn’t like, he spanked me. I almost laughed the first time he did that. It’s not like I could feel it. The only thing he didn’t do was rape me. I think the sick fucker looked at raping me as a perversion.” She let out a half-laugh and sounded almost hysterical. “He saw me as a two-year-old. If he raped me, that would make him no better than a child molester.”
“How long?” Franklin asked.
“Since the outbreak,” she answered.
“Holy shit,” Randel said.
“He lived down the hall from me,” she said, determined not to give his name. If she said his name, it would give him life. He was dead. Let everything about that bastard, including his name, die with him. “I saw him every time I left my apartment. I used to think we just left for work at the same time. Now, I think he was deliberately waiting for me.”
“Did you catch the plague?” Danica asked.
“Not at first,” Deborah said. “When news of the plague broke, he came to my apartment. I was afraid, so I let him in. He started to take care of me. He found us food, but soon he was bringing only baby food saying it was the only thing left he could find. The first time he spanked me was when I wouldn’t let him feed me. He pulled me out of my wheelchair and called me an ungrateful child. It only got worse from there. When I finally caught the plague, I was happy. It was my escape from a hell that I knew I wasn’t going to be rescued from. He must have caught the plague about the same time. When I recovered, at first, I didn’t know who I was or who he was. I thought he was my father, so I nursed him back to health.” Deborah pulled herself into a sitting position. “By the time I regained my memories, he was fully recovered. It was like a bad dream. I almost went insane, knowing what I’d condemned myself to.”
“And tonight,” Franklin prodded.
“I had enough,” she said, her eyes downcast. “I was at a low point. We left home about a week ago. Some bad stuff was going on there.”
“Where’s home?” Franklin said.
“Greenville,” Deborah said. “We were hearing explosions and gunshots all day long. Mostly though, I don’t think he could find any more baby food close by the apartment.”
“Any idea what was happening?” Danica asked.
“No idea,” she said. “But on the way out, I was seeing a lot of dead bodies and not all of them had died of the plague. We saw a lot of people, but we never stopped to talk to anyone. Except it couldn’t always be helped. Traffic jams forced us to abandon our car. One time I made the mistake of talking to a stranger. He didn’t even hear what I said. That asshole shot him just because I said something. After that, I pretended to be mute.
“Today, I just had the feeling the rest of my life would be spent with this lunatic. When we stopped for the night, he parked on a hill where I could see the flooded creek below. When he got out to use the bathroom, I locked the doors, put the car in neutral and let it roll into the river. One way or another, I wanted to be done with him.”
“It’s over now,” Maggie said. “You’re safe now.”
“Am I?” she asked.
“You’re as safe as anyone can be in this world,” Danica said.
“I’ve told you my story; what’s yours?” Deborah asked, looking at them all. Maybe it was the scenic atmosphere, or maybe it was the warm fire that acted as a truth serum, but, one by one, they related their story. It was like a hole in a dam that kept getting bigger. As each one described their story, the others burst at the seams eager to relate their own. Franklin was the only door that stayed shut.
When Danica related her story, she also included that she was not a state trooper, but that she took on the persona to honor her father. Maggie promised to wash her shirt and get as much of the blood out as she could.
It surprised Danica to learn the story Randel related to the men in the truck was nearly the truth. Randel was vacationing in Pensacola with his wife and two children. Maggie, though, was married to a sailor stationed at a nearby naval base. Having survived the plague, Randel was on a supply run when he found Maggie and Andy outside the library.
Randel confessed that had he not found them, he most likely would have taken his life. They found strength in each other and eventually fell in love. “When we ran across a priest, or at least someone claiming to be a priest, we asked him to marry us,” Randel said.
“It was fast,” Maggie confessed, “but in this world, why wait.”
“In a normal world we probably wouldn’t last,” Randel said. “We barely know anything about each other, but we don’t live in the normal world anymore.” Maggie came over and sat in Randel’s lap.
“I know everything I need to know about you,” she said, kissing him on the lips. “You could have let me, and Andy fend for ourselves but you didn’t.”
“I think you’ll do fine,” Deborah said a tear running down her cheek. “It does my heart good to see that there is still goodness in the world.”
Danica also was tearing up. Embarrassed, she walked to the pantry, saying she was hungry. She wiped a tear away as she opened the door and then suddenly squealed looking every bit the teenager she was. “Oh my God,” she said excitedly. “Peanut butter.” She pulled one of the ten jars off the shelf and grabbed a spoon from the drawer. “Dibs.”
“You can have it,” Franklin said, laughing.
The next morning Danica awoke to the smell of bacon and coffee. Throwing back her covers, she shuffled to the kitchen where Randel and Maggie were putting together breakfast.
“Is that . . . Oh my god, it is,” Danica whispered so as not to wake the others. “Where did you find it?”
“In the freezer,” he said. “Food in the refrigerator might have spoiled, but most everything in the freezer looked edible. I used the microwave to defrost it. There are some steaks in there as well. If we survive the bacon, I think it’ll be safe to grill the steaks.”
“You sure it’s okay?” Danica said.
“The amount of ice build-up says to me that the freezer never lost power,” Maggie said.
“In that case, I can’t wait,” Danica said, her mouth watering in anticipation.
“There are biscuits in the oven, and as soon as everyone else is up, I’ll fry up some pancakes, oatmeal, and grits.”
“No eggs,” Danica said, sounding disappointed.
“Nope,” Randel said. “They have several chicken coops, but they’re empty. It doesn’t look like wild animals got to them, so they either let the chickens go or hadn’t bought any yet. But I could have sworn I heard a rooster crow this morning. Or caw, or whatever it is they do.”
“If they let them go, they’re probably still close,” Danica said.
“Did any of the other houses have power?” Randel asked.
“Not that I noticed,” Danica said. “Once I eat breakfast, I can nose around a bit more.”
“Something smells good,” Franklin said, coming into the kitchen. “I can’t wait to see what you do for lunch.”
“I thought spaghetti,” Maggie said. “If that’s all right?”
“Spaghetti sounds great to me,” Franklin said.
“Me too,” Danica said.
Franklin opened a few cabinets until he found cups.” He turned to Danica. “You want coffee?”
“Yes, thank you,” she said.
Grabbing another cup, he poured them coffee, handed it to her, and then looked out the kitchen window.
“You find the power meter?” Franklin asked Randel.
“It’s in a shed out back,” Randel said.
“How’s the power levels?” Franklin asked.
“The needle looks to be about halfway,” Randel said. “But, so what? I mean, what’s the worst that can happen? We run out of power and go back to cooking on an open fire? Even if we have to do that for a day or two, the sun will eventually come out and charge the batteries.”
“Where did you get the water?” Franklin asked, suddenly remembering Danica’s warning about the well.
“From the well,” Randel said. “I checked it. No bodies.”
“They might be decomposing at the bottom,” Franklin said.
“I thought of that,” Randel said. “I found fishing line and hooks. I weighed it down and dropped it to the bottom of the well at least a dozen times. Never snagged onto anything. Still, I boiled the water just in case.”
“Sounds fine to me,” Danica said. “They have a sink with a faucet, so it’s reasonable to assume they should have running water. I’m guessing the well is a backup.”
“I’ll check around this afternoon,” Randel said. “I mean if we’ll be here this afternoon.”
“How long do we plan on staying?” Danica asked, turning to Franklin.
“I’d say at least until the storms pass,” Franklin said. “We could use the rest. I’ll know more after I talk to Paris. She might have a line on the weather.”
After breakfast, everyone seemed in high spirits, including Deborah, who frequently laughed as they all ate at the table. Even Whisper seemed to be walking better. The hot meal seemed a boon to the entire group.
After putting his plate in the sink, Franklin grabbed up the phone and headed upstairs.
“I’ll go with you,” Danica said, rushing after him.
He punched in the numbers Paris gave him, and before the second ring, there was an answer.
“Franklin?” Paris said on the other end. “Are you and Danica okay?”
“We’re both fine. Nate?”
“No,” she said, needing to say nothing else.
“Goddamnit,” Franklin said. Danica sat down and started to cry, understanding the implications of what he’d said.
“We’ll bury him tomorrow.”
“How’s Anita holding up?”
“Not too well. She’s with Matthew at the moment. She’s latched onto him. It’ll take a while, but she’ll be okay.”
“How about you? How are you holding up?”
“Like her, eventually I’ll be okay.”
“You get to shake hands with the president, yet?
“Are you kidding? I can’t get close to him. I have to go through quarantine first. They don’t play around here. I’ll make sure everyone’s settled. Then I guess I’ll start the quarantine process. Gunilla’s already in quarantine. Apparently, they want her to lead a research team looking for a cure. They’re even bringing her father over. Enough of the chit-chat, where the fuck are you?”
“Ironically, in the mountains. Or at the start of them, anyway. We found a small group of houses to wait out the storm. Might stay here a few days though.”
“What are your plans?”
“Normally, I’d push on, but frankly, I could use the rest . . . And a hot bath,” he added. He explained about the house. “Any idea what the weather will be like for the foreseeable future?”
“The best estimate is that you’re in for scattered rain for the next several days. You might see some sun, but it’ll be short-lived. After that, it’ll clear up, but it’ll start getting cold, soon, especially in the mountains. By the time you’re ready to leave, I should be able to tell you the best way. Don’t linger too much longer. The weather guys are predicting an early winter.”
“What’s it like there?”
“Calm considering, it’s the new US capital,” Paris said. “Not as many people here as I thought there would be. And no one will leave me alone. Everyone wants to know everything I experienced out there. For a government that used to pride itself on intelligence, there is a decided lack of knowledge of what’s going on beyond the capital’s borders. They debrief everyone that comes in.
“There’s also talk that the president might move back to Washington sometime next summer. But they’ll only do that once they make sure the plague isn’t going to resurface or they find a cure. There are rumors the Atlanta group might move to Washington and the president wants to keep that from . . . What? Franklin, hold a second. Oh, piss off,” Paris said to someone. “Sorry about that. Someone here didn’t think I should tell you that.”
“What did you mean a resurgence of the plague?”
“The original plague came back several times, but most of the remaining scientists believe that if there isn’t another outbreak by late next summer, the danger is probably past.”
After explaining as best he could the roads they took to get to their current location, Franklin asked, “Is there a large town or a small city near where you think I am?”
“It looks like there’s one, just up the road, if you are where I think you are.
“I need to find a wheelchair,” he said, and then explained about Deborah. “I figure I can find one at one of those quickie medical stations, but eventually she’ll need something more durable.”
“You’ll probably have to wait until you get through the mountains and find a major medical center to find one of the good ones,” Paris said. “Till then, you’ll to have to make do with whatever you can find. I’ll look around here and see if I can find something and have it waiting for you.”
When they hung up, Franklin turned to Danica. “You up to taking a road trip?” he asked.
CHAPTER 48
Two mornings after their arrival, Franklin and Randel set off for the town that Paris said was up the road. Though initially, Danica was planning to go, she reluctantly agreed that neither Maggie nor Deborah could adequately protect themselves in an emergency. Though Maggie wielded a dangerous skillet, neither of the women knew the first thing about firearms.
Franklin wanted to wait for the rain to let up, but as everyone was exploring for anything that might be useful, Deborah was bound to the couch, and it touched his heart. She couldn’t even help with the dishes. Instead, she was stuck watching others move about, occasionally joining in short conversations about nothing important. Her only companion was Whisper. Since Whisper could barely walk himself, he stayed mostly on the couch with his head in Deborah’s lap.
Con
sidering what Deborah went through since the plague started, Franklin figured it was important for her to be included in more activities and the best way to do that was to get her mobile. Also, with the high number of storms this year, he wasn’t sure when the weather would break.
Franklin and Randel didn’t bother with the car as the bridge had been washed away. Franklin flirted with the idea of trying to find another road, but that could take all day. Instead, when he and Randel reached the bridge, they turned upstream.
An hour later, they found an uprooted oak tree that had fallen across the stream, now turned river. Wordlessly, Franklin shimmied up the roots and crossed. Randel hesitated and then followed. Once on the other side, the two made their way back to the road. They made it only about a mile before running up against another washed-out bridge.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Randel said standing at the edge of a stream that wasn’t as wide as the first, but still too wide to jump across. “We’ve been gone for two hours, and we haven’t even made it three miles. This doesn’t bode well.”
Franklin picked up a long branch and plunged it into the stream, testing the depth.
“Have you ever pole-vaulted?” Franklin asked. He made sure the branch wasn’t rotten.
“I tried it once in high school,” he said. “I cleared the bar, but when I came down, my knee slammed into my eye, busting it open. That was my first and last vault.”
“You won’t to be able to do this like a normal vault,” Franklin said. “The stream is moving too fast. You try a running vault, and the water will sweep the log before you can set it on the bottom, and you’ll end up in the middle of the steam heading God knows where. Anchor it first.” He pushed the pole into the water until it was set. “Once you anchor it, push as hard as you can to get enough momentum to make it over while at the same time climbing up the pole.”
“I think I understand,” Randel said.
“Just watch me,” Franklin said. He started to sway back and forth, trying to gather standing momentum. When he felt he had gathered enough, he launched himself out and over the water. When he reached just past the apex and just as the branch was coming down to the other side, he used his arms to climb up the branch about three handholds. He landed just on the other side of the stream. Once over, Franklin tossed the branch to Randel. When Randel was satisfied the branch was firmly set, he made his try. Randel used his feet to try and power himself over. He stalled less than halfway over and landed back where he started. The second try ended up with the same results. The third time was the charm. As he reached the apex of his swing, he shifted to the other side of the pole over. When he started forward, he let out a shout of triumph.