by Hunt, Jack
“Have fun with that,” Alex said. She got out and brushed past several people on the way, leaving the two of them alone.
“This must be one hell of an introduction to your foster family.” Alex’s eyes darted to the rearview mirror where he could see Ryan clearly.
“It’s definitely one for the books,” he replied.
“So where you from? I mean I know Florida but…” Alex asked, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. Although he was anxious to get going, by any measure it looked as if people were acting in an orderly fashion.
“Everywhere. I’ve bounced around the country for most of my life.”
“Never met your parents?”
“Nope.”
“Are they alive?”
“I’m told they are.”
Alex glanced over to the station and saw Sophie browsing the shelves inside.
“So you were in Florida before this?”
“For a short while.”
Out the corner of his eye, Alex saw a green van swerve in and park at an odd angle. Then a red Ford truck zipped past the line and curved around in front of those getting gas. At first he didn’t think anything of it and figured they worked at the station, but it was the sight of two men hopping out of the truck with the lower half of their faces covered that got his attention. Moving fast, one of them produced a handgun and aimed at the two guys handing out canisters of fuel, instructing them to get down. Meanwhile, three individuals similar in appearance, with rags over their faces, burst out of the van on the opposite side and hurried over, pointing handguns at several drivers who had got out to intervene.
“Get back!” he heard one of them say.
“What the hell?” Alex muttered.
Ryan leaned forward between the seats. “So soon.”
“You say that as if you were expecting this,” Alex said.
“Weren’t you?”
Alex didn’t reply. He watched it play out like a movie as the small crew lightened the truck’s load. His eyes bounced to the station, remembering Sophie was in there. If she walked out while this was going on, there was no telling what would happen. Fortunately it was over before she emerged. They removed upward of ten canisters and loaded them into the van and truck before peeling out, leaving only a few remaining.
Sophie emerged, oblivious to the armed robbery. She was carrying a case of water, candy, chips, packets of jerky and cigarettes, a habit she’d tried to kick. Unaware, she glanced over at the commotion, the aftermath, drivers checking to make sure the owner was okay. She set the water in the bed of the truck and got in the passenger side. “The line still not moved?” she asked, tossing a candy bar in the back for Ryan.
No sooner was she in than Alex threw the gear into drive, and swung out of the line. “Uh… where are you going?” she asked.
“To get some gas.”
“But it’s back there.”
He glanced at Ryan in the rearview mirror.
“They ran out.”
“But I saw a few canisters.”
“Yeah and by the time we reach the front of the line those will be gone. No, I have a better idea,” he said craning his neck and driving the accelerator to the floor. He wasn’t lying, they needed gas and he’d seen where the truck went. The van had split off and gone in another direction. He scanned the traffic and homes, expecting the truck to have pulled into a driveway. With so many vehicles heading home or out of the city, they couldn’t have got far.
Sure enough, a blur of red swerved out of the traffic, bounced over a low median and screeched down Old Stump Road. “Seems everyone is in a hurry,” Sophie said.
Alex kept his distance while Sophie assumed he was heading for another gas station. “Alex, the Shell station is that way.”
“It’s closed,” he replied, swerving across the road. “I saw it earlier.” He lied. She would have blown her top if she knew where they were heading. The brazen nature of these guys, and the fact that they didn’t take the truck with all the gas in the back, made him think they were opportunists, amateurs, taking advantage of a time when they knew cops would be busy. While the overwhelming majority of people weren’t going nuts, or resorting to crime, there would always be a few bad apples ready to take advantage.
“Alex, we don’t have time for this.”
He smashed the accelerator, sending Sophie back into her seat.
“Seriously?”
“Sorry, I forget how much power this puppy has.” He watched the truck in the distance rejoin the traffic. It was at least six vehicles ahead and by the looks of it, gunning for a neighborhood across from Northeastern High School, but that wasn’t where they went.
Instead, they drove on past the school and then hung a right down a narrow dirt road that fed around the back of the school fields past a running track and baseball diamond. Alex was all too familiar with it; Michael had played ball there numerous times.
“Alex. What the hell are you doing?”
It was a dead end. The road came to an abrupt stop bumping up against a large patch of lush green woodland. Beyond that were businesses and another neighborhood. In order to avoid being seen he’d stayed as far back as he could without losing sight of them. When they reached the end, he spotted the red truck, and caught sight of the two guys lugging four canisters into the woods. Had they stolen the vehicle? No doubt they were on their way to some house to drop off the gas.
“Alex.”
He raised a finger. “Just stay here.”
Alex reached between the seats and collected his handgun from his duffel bag and stuffed it into his waistband at the small of his back as he got out.
“Hold on a minute. What’s that for?” She asked.
“The less you know the better,” he said.
Protesting, Sophie was quick to come around as he shut the door but before she could say anything, a nearby explosion caused the earth to shake beneath them.
A wall of air knocked Alex back into the van. Another sudden burst of energy. They didn’t even have time to see what caused it, only that a huge section of the city beyond the woodland was now in flames with black smoke rising. When Alex wiped the grit and dust from his eyes, he turned his head and saw Sophie lying motionless in front of the vehicle, her boots just in view. “Sophie!” Alex scrambled over, coughing hard. Another loud boom, followed by three more in the distance caught his attention.
He slipped his arm under her head and just as he lifted her, she gasped. “What the…?”
“Ryan!” Alex yelled.
More flames crept up as Ryan jumped out and came to her aid. Both of them got her into the truck. “Stay with her. I’ll be right back.”
Ryan placed a hand on his arm and shook his head. “It’s not worth it. Let it go.”
“We won’t get far without gas.”
He broke away and hurried toward the tree line where he last saw the men. Another loud explosion echoed in the distance. He could see orange flames between the trees as he sprinted, darting in and out trying to pinpoint the two men.
Alex hadn’t made it far when he felt a weight land on him.
His body slammed into the ground and dirt went in his mouth as a man cocked a gun and placed it to the back of his head. “You a cop?”
“No.”
“Then why are you following us?”
When he didn’t reply fast enough the guy on top pushed his face into the earth.
“Why?”
“I need gas,” he shot back.
A pause, then the guy laughed almost in disbelief. “Man, you’ve got some balls.”
“I’ve got money.”
He laughed. “He’s got money. Check him out, Clive.”
The guy on top began rifling through his pockets. It didn’t take long to find the handgun tucked into his waistband. “That’s not the only thing he’s got.”
Alex still hadn’t seen a face, at least not without the bandanna on. That changed when the guy doing all the talking dropped down and shoved the ba
rrel tight against the back of his head. “Really looks like you were gonna pay.”
“It’s protection,” he muttered into the dirt.
“Yeah? How’s that working for ya?”
Alex turned his head to get a better look at him. That’s when the guy squinted as if he recognized him. The guy doing all the talking had blond dreadlocks and was wearing a red plaid shirt, and his breath smelled like cigarettes. “You want gas? Clive, give the man some gas.”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
Another explosion rocked the earth, this time even closer. All of them looked beyond the trees and could see nothing more than smoke and fire. Clive got off him and wandered a short distance away while the other kept the barrel of the gun pointing at him. “Come on, Clive. We don’t have all day.”
Clive jogged back with a gas canister. The guy took it from him and set it down then lowered his gun. He took out the magazine from Alex’s gun and tossed it, then dropped the gun a short distance away. Next, he brought the bandanna down.
Alex couldn’t believe his eyes.
“There you go. Take it and get the hell out of here.”
“Tommy?” Alex said, his brow furrowing.
“Long time, Mr. Reid. Didn’t recognize you at first. Sorry. You’ve got to understand, if we didn’t jump on it soon, we’d be without.”
And just like that he tapped his pal Clive and they bolted taking the other three canisters with them. He heard Clive ask Tommy how he knew him, he didn’t catch what he said but he knew the answer.
Tommy Dumont had been a close friend of Michael’s. Hell, he knew him when he was just twelve. Eleven years later, and rumors of jail time, he’d wondered what had become of him. Alex brushed off dirt as he rose from the ground.
Another shockwave rocked the earth, and he scooped up his gun and the canister of gas and hurried back to the truck.
Emerging from the tree line, Ryan jogged up to meet him.
“Holy crap. You got one?”
“Strangely, yeah.”
He placed a hand on Alex’s arm. “You okay?”
“A little shaken up, a few grazes but nothing…” he said just as he caught sight of Sophie who was staring at him through the windshield. “Did you mention anything?” Alex asked.
“She didn’t exactly give me much choice.”
“Yeah, she’s kind of like that. Welcome to the family.” And without saying another word, they got in and peeled off, his mind on Tommy, Michael and better days, days before this, before whatever the hell had gone wrong.
6
California
Light stabbed her eyes. It was the first thing she sensed as she woke.
Was she alive or dead? Was this a nightmare? The world snapped into view but it was different, darker. She was in an air pocket. Elisha coughed hard. It felt like she had swallowed a mouthful of sand. Her hands were caked with dust. The light moved. What was that? Where was it coming from? Her small frame was curled into a fetal position in a space no bigger than a couple of Rubbermaid totes. Was she underground? Her hands groped before her… rock, dirt, rebar, everywhere.
She went to move some more but felt a shot of searing pain go through her back.
Like lights blinking on, the nerves in her body came alive sending signals to her brain, and a wave of excruciating agony filled her right arm. It was broken. There was no denying that. The pain was all too familiar. Swollen. Hot. A memory of the ski slope back in Maine, a school outing and a tumble that had seen her carted off to the hospital and forced into a cast for six weeks. She remembered it well.
Her forearm felt like it was twice the size.
Where am I?
Another wave of pain and she tried to get her bearings.
Click.
Then a bright light, focused on her.
“Hello?” she called out.
“You’re alive,” a male voice said sounding relieved.
“Who is that?” She squinted and tried to see but without the light it was too dark, too claustrophobic and too tight to turn.
“Liam Carter.”
“Carter?” His image came to mind; six foot, muscular, buzz-cut hair, one of the top students in their class. He struck her as a little odd as he was so quiet, kept to himself. “What are you doing here? Where are we?”
“Not far from your house. After the explosion we were buried.”
Then it came back to her. The phone call with her mother. The eruption and stepping outside to see what all the commotion was. Then a blast, a wave of air knocking her off her feet. That was all she could recall.
“What happened?”
“An attack? I’m really not sure to be honest.”
She gave a nod and tried to push the pain from her mind.
“What were you doing here?”
“Coming to see you.”
“About?”
He groaned. “Long story. Look, I’ve tried to make my way over to you but with all this rubble, it’s too tight. I’m not sure it’s even safe to move. I’ve also tried to get out but…” She heard him heave on something. Wood, a steel grate, the sound of chunks of concrete hitting the ground. “We’re trapped.”
His words lingered in her mind.
That was the last thing she needed to hear. She could already feel herself beginning to hyperventilate. Calm down. Stay calm, she told herself. Nope. It wasn’t working. It was too dark, too tight, too… “We’re going to die here, aren’t we?” she blurted out.
“No.”
“Yes we are.”
“Listen to me, I admit the situation is bleak but rescue crews will come searching. It’s just a matter of time”
“Rescue? Time? Tell me. How long have you been conscious?”
“Since it happened. I never went unconscious. Maybe four hours, maybe less.”
“And since then have you heard anyone? Anything?”
“Besides explosions? Screams? No.”
“Then there’s your answer.” Elisha set her head back down on a slab of concrete and with her left hand, the one that was moving, gripped a chunk of rebar. It was cold, and wet. That’s when she registered the sound of dripping water.
What followed was thirst.
“I need water.”
“What?”
“Water!”
“That I have. Not much but…” She heard him shift a little “I’ll toss this to you. You think you can catch it?”
“Does it look like it?” It came out wrong. Made her sound like an ass. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he said. He shone his light into the pocket of air around her and after a second or two, a plastic bottle bounced off the concrete near her then rolled. She raked it back before it rolled over an edge and disappeared into darkness. Elisha cried out in pain as she twisted and dragged her limp arm. With the flashlight still on she could see a bottle of Gatorade, blue in color. “Don’t drink all of it. There’s no telling how long we’ll be here.” Elisha clamped the bottle between her thighs and used one hand to twist off the top before taking a sip. She desperately wanted to guzzle it all down but he was right, they could be there a while. As she swallowed and her throat came back to life, she listened to the steady sound of dripping.
“There must be a busted water pipe nearby.”
Liam shuffled forward; she could just make out his dust-covered face in a small opening in the rubble. He shone the light farther in. “If there is, I can’t see it.”
“I might, if you can throw me the flashlight.”
“And risk it going over the edge?”
He groaned and reached through, his hand almost touching her boot. “Make sure you catch this.”
“Hold on,” she said. She placed the lid back on the drink and jammed it between her legs. “Okay, go ahead.”
He let out a cry as he tossed it forward. The metal clattered as it hit the concrete and then the light went out.
“Damn it. Where is it?”
“Great,” Liam said.
Her hand clawed at the rubble until she found it. “I’ve got it.” She pressed the button but it didn’t switch on. “C’mon. C’mon.” She knocked it a few times against the concrete. Each time a flash of light would blink then go out. Please, God, she thought. Then, it burst to life, its warm glow filling her cramped quarters.
She pointed it toward where she could hear water. The beam illuminated rubble then a face, discolored, hard and cold, staring back at her, eyes wide in horror. She let out a cry in shock and almost dropped the flashlight.
“What is it?” Liam asked.
She didn’t reply. Instead, Elisha took a deep breath and summoned the strength to shine it back into the darkest recesses of her concrete prison. There, beyond the body was a rusted leaking pipe. There wasn’t much coming out of it but enough that if she could scramble over. She could fill the bottle but it meant climbing over a dead woman, her mother’s neighbor.
7
North Carolina
Over three thousand miles of hellish landscape. It would take roughly forty-five hours via I-40 if they had enough gas, didn’t stop and were fortunate enough to not get a flat tire.
What a dream.
“Damn it!” Alex said kicking the flat tire. Sophie already had a cigarette in her mouth and was chain smoking her way through the pack. Since leaving Elizabeth City, she hadn’t asked him about what had taken place in the woodland but he knew it was only a matter of time. That’s how she was, quiet, contemplating, picking her words before she unleashed heck.
“I’ll give you a hand,” Ryan said as Alex got out the spare.
“Just one break, that’s all I want.”
“Seems to me you already got it,” Sophie muttered.
There it was. It was kickoff time. Man, she picked her moments. Why not wait? Why not hold off until he wasn’t covered in grease and sweat and cursing under his breath? Where would the fun be in that? At times in his marriage he wondered if she enjoyed arguing. Lugging the tire to the side of the truck, he shot her a glare while Ryan slipped the jack beneath and he took over. “Just spit it out, Sophie.”