by Hunt, Jack
“Anyway, he said he wanted to come out and see me for the week.”
“And what did you say?”
“I thought it was a great idea. However…”
“However?”
“He said you were against it.”
She took a deep breath. “He did? Right. Of course he did.”
“Why would you be against it?”
Sophie slammed the brakes on again, nearly rear-ending the truck in front of her. She cursed.
“Mom?”
“Yeah. Yeah. I heard you. Listen, I know you’ve got a lot on your plate right now and I figured having dad come out would only distract you. Besides, he’ll probably want us to go out for a meal together and…”
“So this isn’t about me, it’s about you and what you want?”
“No… I…”
“You know, Mom, I’m nineteen. I can make decisions for myself.”
She groaned. “I know you can.”
“Then let me.”
Sophie glanced at Ryan who reached for his second earbud and jammed it in his ear to give her privacy. Up ahead a few drivers had got out of their vehicles to see what was holding things up. Car horns blared, and one driver even tried to do a U-turn but that wasn’t happening. “Alright. Whatever you want, hon. Phone dad and let him know it’s okay. By the way, have you had a chance to check the mail to see if my package arrived?”
“Yeah, it came. I’ve put it in the house… and…”
There was a strange sound that came over the phone. It almost sounded like an explosion. Elisha went quiet.
“Elisha?”
“What the hell…” she muttered.
“Elisha. What’s going on?”
“I don’t know… hold on a second…”
She heard her walking, then Elisha let out a gasp. “The power went out in the house. Hold on, I’m going outside.” The connection began breaking up. “Mom, something’s happening. I…”
“Elisha.”
Her daughter was talking but she couldn’t hear her. It was a jumbled mess; something was interfering with the connection.
“Elisha, can you hear me?”
More strange sounds, followed by what sounded like a muted scream.
Another loud explosion and the line dropped.
Her heart started racing.
Sophie tried phoning again but she couldn’t get through and it never went to voice mail. She tried for a second time but got the same response. Ryan took out an earbud, taking notice of her concerned expression. “What’s the matter?”
“I don’t know,” she said, trying Elisha’s number again as she finally veered off onto Airport Road and followed signs for the rental company. A huge jetliner roared overhead taking off from the airport, another landed, parking lots either side of the road were filled with vehicles, and buses were hauling people to departures. By any measure nothing looked out of the ordinary, and the traffic they encountered earlier was just because of roadwork. Still, concerned for Elisha, Sophie placed a call to the Petaluma Coast Guard base in hopes they would know.
Nothing.
No one picked up.
It just gave an out of service chime.
Sophie swerved the SUV into the rental lot, and hopped out, phone in hand, a head full of worry. One of the workers came out to greet her and check the vehicle over. Ryan hauled out the bags from the back as she placed a call to Alex.
“C’mon. Pick up. Pick up.”
It kept ringing then went straight to voice mail. “Alex, it’s me. I’m worried about Elisha. Call me back.” She hung up and followed the Alamo employee into the building.
From there they hurried over to the airport.
Inside, Sophie continued to try Elisha’s number but wasn’t having success. Ryan attempted to keep up with her as she charged ahead, glancing at her wristwatch. “Sophie. Slow down.” As she was approaching the area to check in, she noticed several staff members were turning passengers away. She glanced up at the screen and saw that her flight to California had been cancelled, along with every other flight across the United States. “What the heck?”
Her worry for Elisha increased. Her heart sped up as she tried to find someone who could tell her what was happening. “Sophie,” Ryan called out to her. She cast a glance over her shoulder and he pointed to a nearby restaurant and bar that was crammed with people staring up at flat screen TVs. They were tuned into the news.
“Turn it up,” an angry-looking businessman shouted, pushing his way through the crowd to the front of the bar. The bartender cranked the volume a few notches. On the screen, shaky amateur footage recorded from a cell phone showed large swaths of Los Angeles in flames, then an explosion that wiped out multiple buildings and sent a billowing wave of gray smoke, reminiscent of 9/11, down through the streets. Screams could be heard, and people were running caked in debris. Video rolled from a news helicopter of cars colliding with one another on the interstate as explosions created massive quakes. It then switched to another recording. One city after the other it played out, explosions, fire, destruction, followed by a seismic event that sent a massive tidal wave rolling toward the shore of San Diego.
More footage rolled in, a back-to-back montage of devastation.
All around her, Sophie heard gasps and cursing, as the knot of people crammed into the restaurant increased and helplessly watched lives get wiped out in an instant. Most of the footage and been captured by CCTV and live cameras throughout the West Coast.
A reporter stood in a cloud of black smoke barely visible. She put a finger to her ear and squinted. Her voice crackled, going in and out. “We’ve just touched down in the heart of Sacramento where multiple explosions were witnessed only blocks from here, and unconfirmed reports of…”
“Sacramento. No, no, no,” Sophie said backing up.
The camera went black and it switched to the news room where another reporter tried to fill in the blanks. “Reports are coming in fast of widespread power outages and explosions throughout different states across the west coast. We are still trying to confirm…”
The news went offline.
She tapped Ryan on the shoulder. “We need to move. Now.”
“But…” Ryan went to say something but Sophie was already four steps ahead of him, leading the way toward the exit. Sacramento was less than two hours away from Petaluma. The sounds she’d heard over the phone before it went dead were identical to those in the news footage.
They hadn’t made it within ten feet of the main doors when all the power went out. A look of bewilderment spread throughout the airport, some moved quickly, but most appeared confused. Sophie had no idea what was going on but she knew enough to put the two events together. If they didn’t move fast the roads would be jam-packed and they’d have no chance in hell of making it out.
Ryan trailed behind her as she powered on, heading for a line of taxis. She lifted a hand and a driver approached to assist. It all happened so quickly. She didn’t need to tell Ryan what to do as he was already getting in the other side.
The clunk of the trunk was followed by the driver getting in, blissfully unaware of what was taking place in the airport.
“Where to?”
“Elizabeth City.”
He turned in his seat, his forehead wrinkling.
“That’s an hour away.”
“Whatever it costs, I will double your pay if you move now.”
He glanced toward the airport and noticed more people pouring out. He shrugged then chuckled. “Make it triple and you’ve got a deal.”
“Man that’s a rip-off,” Ryan said. He opened his door to get out. “C’mon, Sophie, we’ll find another driver.”
She placed a hand on his arm. “It’s fine. Stay in,” Sophie said breathing hard. Ryan exchanged an icy glare with the driver before slamming the door closed. The taxi tore away and Sophie looked over her shoulder at the stream of people approaching taxis. Strangely, there were still many standing around looking perplexed.
> When Charlie didn’t show with his truck, Alex opted to jog over to his home and collect it that afternoon. His property was located two miles away, just off Lula Meads Road. After lacing up his sneakers, he headed out the door, forgetting to take his regular phone with him. There were very few homes along his road which bordered up against the water, and neither were there many on his way out, except a few farms. The front of the property faced large open fields, forest and farmland.
Not one for having his nose buried in his phone, he didn’t have a clue what was taking place around the country or even the county at that exact moment. Using an old iPod belonging to Michael, he jammed the buds into his ears, selected one of the many songs he’d listened to countless times and picked up the pace, soaking in the peaceful sight of the odd car that passed.
When he made it to Charlie’s place he noticed Trish’s SUV was in the driveway next to his black 4 x 4. He slowed, and made his way up to the door. Before he reached it, Charlie burst out. “Alex.”
“Wild night, eh?”
“Yeah. Yeah. You seen the news?”
Alex dropped onto his porch step to catch his breath and work out the tension in his calf muscle. “You know I don’t watch that crap. Anyway, are we still on for today? I thought I would take you up on that offer of heading up to the lake. I haven’t heard back from Elisha. She said she would call Sophie but… well… you know how she is. Probably squeezed the brakes on that idea.” He scratched the side of his jaw and brought up a hand to block the glare of sunlight so he could see Charlie. He looked concerned. “Charlie. What is it?” He paused. “Oh no, don’t tell me you and Trish have had another argument.”
“No. Something’s happened.”
“Yeah, I pulled a muscle. This getting old business isn’t for the faint of heart.” He rubbed the back of his leg and looked at him again. Charlie wasn’t smiling, which was odd. A grin was usually a permanent fixture.
“The power is out.”
“So? I’m sure it’ll come back on again.”
“Across the country. Widespread. Phones are down too.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You been smoking that funny tobacco again?”
“I’m serious. It started in the west but other states have been hit. Seismic activity, explosions. Trish is getting our things together as we speak. We’re heading out to her mother’s.”
Alex’s brow furrowed as he leaned back, placing both hands on the step. “All right, Trish put you up to this? This is about what happened last night, isn’t it?”
The storm door cracked open and she came out with a pained expression. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail. “He’s telling the truth, Alex. The phones are down too.” He rose and his gaze bounced between them trying to gauge if this was some prank. Not one to take the word of another he headed into the house and flicked the light switch.
Nothing.
He scooped up the phone in the kitchen but the line was dead.
Before he could ask for a cell phone, Trish handed over hers. “It powers on but it’s not working. The communication lines are down.”
“You said this started in the west?”
He shrugged. “I guess. I caught some of the news before the power went out,” Charlie said.
Alex stared back at them for a second, fretful thoughts piling over each other.
“Where are my keys?”
“On the hook.” Trish gestured to a small key rack near the door. Alex scooped them up before bursting out of the house and leaping off the top porch step.
“Alex. Where you going?” Charlie asked following him across the front yard.
“The base. I need to know more.”
He hopped in and fired up the engine. The truck whined as he threw it in reverse and swerved out of the driveway. A plume of dust billowed in the air behind him as he tore away.
Thoughts of Elisha, then Michael went through his mind as he reached speeds of up to a hundred. He didn’t think about cops. The ride was less than fifteen minutes to the base. Throughout the journey he scanned roads, nothing looked out of place. Was Charlie overreacting? Power outages and communication lines going down were one thing but reports of explosions and destruction throughout the nation, was another. That had all the makings of an attack. He eased off the gas and hung a right past the U.S. Coast Guard planes that were a fixture at end of the road. He gunned the engine, hoping that when he reached the security gate they would tell him there was nothing to worry about.
He was wrong.
Security personnel were dashing to vehicles, others entering the nearby security building, only a couple were at their post and they were in discussion as he drew near.
He brought his window down almost at the same time they turned toward him. “Rich, what’s happening?”
“Not sure right now, reports are coming in fast over secure lines that the country is under attack.”
“From who?”
He shrugged. “We were told to hold our post until we receive notice.”
“The outages, and communication, is it down here?”
“Yep.”
His stomach sank. “Damn it.”
Without wasting another second he swung the truck around and gave it some gas. Heading back home, his mind went to Sophie, she’d left over two hours ago. Was she stranded at the airport? Was she on a plane heading back? Had she tried to reach him? Unable to remember where he placed his cell phone, he rifled through the center console, then reached over to the glove compartment. The truck swerved a little and he straightened out, his heart beating a little faster.
He made it home in half the time it usually took. After killing the engine, he went inside. “Where the hell is it?” He scanned the countertops and then saw the cell on the table where he’d left it the day before. Scooping it up, it powered on but was getting no signal. “Ah man, c’mon!” Tossing it down he headed into his room and took out a duffel bag, tossed it on the bed and began to pack a few items. As he was doing that he heard a vehicle roll into the driveway. A glance out the window and he saw Sophie and Ryan getting out of a taxi.
A few seconds later the door opened. “Alex!”
“I’m in here,” he said.
Sophie entered and glanced at the bag.
“Flights were cancelled. I left you messages.”
“No power.”
She placed a hand on her hip and tilted her head back. “Did you see the news about Sacramento?”
“No.”
“God. Alex, I was on the phone to Elisha when it happened.”
“What did she say?”
“She didn’t. There was an explosion and a scream, and…”
Tears welled in her eyes. Instinctively he moved toward her to give her a hug. Right at that moment Ryan walked into the room and stared. “Oh, sorry.”
Alex extended a hand. “You must be Ryan.”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“Alex.”
Ryan gave a strained smile.
Sophie continued. “Do you know what’s happening?”
“I don’t know, I went over to the base, they seem vague. One of the guys seemed to imply America was under attack but…” He turned and continued packing his bag. “Who knows.”
“But the power will come back on, right?” Sophie said.
“I wouldn’t bank on it.”
Alex changed clothes before zipping up the bag and shouldering it. “If these explosions are happening across the nation and everyone is without power, do the math. Whatever the hell this is, it’s widespread and waiting around won’t do us any good. I’m heading out. If you want to stay here, or go up to the cabin, you are welcome to. There’s food in the cupboards, not much in the fridge but…”
“You’re heading into work?”
“Work? No. I’m going to find our daughter.”
He brushed past her.
“But she’s over three thousand miles away.”
“And she’s the only kid we have left.” His eyes darted to Ryan
before he exited the room. Sophie followed him into the kitchen where he went to the basement door and headed down into darkness. “Well I’m going with you then. Both of us are.”
“No. Stay here, it’s safer,” he said fumbling around in the dim light that came from two small windows. He rummaged in a drawer for a flashlight. He turned it on then opened a cupboard and pulled out his gun case. He retrieved a 9mm, and several boxes of ammo. He loaded a magazine, and made sure the chamber was loaded with a round before reaching beneath his workbench for a few camping gear items that would come in handy.
“I’m going with you and you don’t have a say in the matter.”
He looked at her, shadows from the flashlight dancing off her face.
There was no time to argue.
“Fine. Let’s go.”
5
With twenty gas stations in Elizabeth City, and a population of over 17,000 people, there should have been no shortage of fuel, except this was no ordinary day. Already the lineups at stations were a telling sign of what was to come. At one, a stream of vehicles trailed down the street, blurring out of view. The signs outside were all the same: CASH ONLY. After driving by four, the decision was made out of desperation, even if it took them an hour to reach the front of the line. With no power to pump gas, savvy owners had found a way to siphon up from the underground gas tanks and then sell off cans full of it for an outrageous amount.
Forty minutes later, Alex’s truck idled behind six vehicles, patiently waiting his turn as each one rolled ahead, handed money out the window and received a five-gallon can. The owner of the BP station had filled the back of a truck with red containers. Two older teens were handing them over while a middle-aged man collected wads of cash. Inside the station a woman was working the register. Several passengers got out of their vehicles and went into the station to purchase water, oil, anything they could get their hands on.
Alex could sense the panic.
Sophie cast a glance over her shoulder to Ryan in the back. “You hungry?”
“Getting there,” he said. “You want me to go and get something?”
“I’ll do it. I need to use the washroom.”