Nuclear Survival: Western Strength (Book 3): Make The Cut

by Tate, Harley

  As he walked to the back of the SUV, Lainey tucked her hair into a low ponytail.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  She nodded. “It doesn’t have to be long, but Owen’s right. We should talk to these people. Put a face on this tragedy that isn’t filled with violence.”

  With a reluctant nod, Keith agreed. He’d shoved the Glock from the Vegas guard into his waistband and covered it with his shirt. It pressed into his skin as he walked beside Lainey to the front door.

  Jerry was already there, waiting. “Ready?”

  Lainey nodded.

  “Owen and I will be waiting out here in case of trouble.”

  They opened the door and ducked inside. Rows of folding chairs stretched toward a podium where a man with a battery-powered microphone stood. He pointed toward a middle-aged woman in a center row. “Yes. You have a question?”

  Keith tried to keep as quiet as possible as he eased down the rear wall. He brought the camera into position and clicked Record.

  “I want to know what we’re doin’ about all these travelers.” The woman pointed in the direction of the highway. “I get two or three a day stoppin’ by the farm begging for gas and somethin’ to eat. Pretty soon, I’m gonna have to turn them away.”

  “You’re under no obligation to feed or provide for strangers,” said the man at the front. “You can tell them no and suffer no repercussions.”

  “That hardly seems right,” the woman shot back. “Some of them have children. Some look sick.”

  A chorus of voices agreed and conversations broke out amongst the attendees.

  “One at a time, please.” The man with the microphone tried to rein in the crowd. “Yes, you sir. What’s your question?”

  An older man hitched up his jeans before he spoke. “I want to know when we’re going to set up barricades. We’ve got to keep people from driving through town. We’ve got to protect what’s ours.”

  Another burst of agreement from the crowd.

  Keith swallowed. Everyone inside the building was on edge. Tension crackled in the air like electricity before a storm. He wasn’t sure sticking around was a good idea.

  As he shifted position to take in more of the crowd, a man in the back row spotted the pair of them. “Hey!” He scowled and jabbed a finger at the camera. “Who gave you the right—”

  Lainey stepped forward with a smile. “We’re just here to cover the meeting.”

  “The hell you are!” The man spun around to the front and pulled off his baseball cap before waving it high in the air. “Excuse me! Sir! We’ve got interlopers!”

  Every head in the community center turned. Forty pairs of eyes zeroed in on Lainey and Keith. Not a single face looked friendly.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  LAINEY

  Community Center

  Argusville, ND

  Friday, 11:00 a.m. CST

  Lainey’s back bumped against the wall as angry residents turned on them. Keith lowered the camera and stepped up, using his hand to shield Lainey from the onslaught.

  She pulled his arm down. “Please, everyone. We just wanted to talk to a few of you, to get perspective on what it’s like in a town that’s not in the middle of a full-blown riot.”

  “It’s about to be if you keep filming!”

  “You said it!”

  “Get them out of here!”

  Lainey pressed her lips together and tried again. “Please. I know everyone is on edge, but you don’t know what it’s like in the cities. It’s chaos. Millions of people are dead. The rest are on the verge of dying. There’s a man in Las Vegas claiming he’s the president of every state west of the Rockies. He’s calling himself the President of the Western States of America.”

  The more she talked, the quieter the crowd became.

  “From what little I’ve heard in here, it sounds like people fleeing their homes are driving through Argusville and it’s putting you all on edge.”

  “We’re going to be overrun!”

  “They’re going to ruin our little town!”

  “We moved here to get away from people, not feed them!”

  Someone in the audience shushed the crowd. “Let her speak!”

  “Thank you.” Lainey smiled out at the sea of terrified residents. “If what I’ve heard is true, more people will be coming.”

  The crowd groaned.

  “The Canadian border is slammed. They’ve set up tent cities and are accepting some Americans through, but they’re being held like refugees at the border. No one is allowed to roam Canada freely.”

  Murmurs of shock rumbled through the audience.

  “If the border closes, you can expect all those people waiting to get in to head back this way. Combined with more people leaving the major cities,” she paused, staring out at all the faces, “there’s going to be a lot more people stopping here. And they’re only going to get more desperate.”

  The crowd erupted into heated discussion. Lainey hesitated. Had she done the right thing? Was telling this tiny town they were about to be invaded smart?

  She swallowed. Too late to second-guess herself now. She turned to Keith. “I think we should go.”

  He nodded.

  As they stepped toward the door, a man grabbed her arm. “You can’t just walk in here, drop a bomb, and leave.”

  Lainey glanced at his hand holding onto her blazer before looking him in the eye. He was about Jerry’s age with a receding hairline and a flannel shirt with a repaired pocket. “Take your hand off me.”

  He let her go. “Do you know anything about Minneapolis? I’ve got family there I haven’t heard from since this all started.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t.”

  “There’s got to be something.”

  She glanced at Keith before turning back to the man. “It was probably hit with a bomb.”

  The man paled and stepped back.

  Lainey rushed to smooth it over. “But I don’t know that for sure. It could have been spared. I only have personal confirmation on Chicago, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and Denver.”

  “You’ve been to all those places?’

  “LA and Denver. I’ve got contacts in the other two.”

  “So you’re a reporter?”

  She nodded. “With KSBF in Los Angeles. At least I was. Now we’re freelance. Trying to get into Canada.”

  “Did you say you’re from LA?” An older woman pushed past the man, using a cane to clear the space. “What TV station?”

  “KSBF.”

  The woman harrumphed. “Not the right one.”

  “Are you Irma?”

  The woman’s brows dipped low over dark eyes still sharp despite her age. “What if I am?”

  Keith spoke up. “We’re friends with Jerry, your brother-in-law.”

  She pressed her thin lips together. “Did he make it?”

  “You could ask me yourself.”

  Lainey turned to see Jerry standing just inside the door. Irma’s mouth fell open before she clamped it shut. She shuffled over to Jerry and smacked him on the arm. “You miserable old coot. You should have told me you were comin’. Here I’ve been convinced you turned into a pile of radioactive ash and all this time you’ve been perfectly fine.”

  “There was no way to reach you. It took this long to make it out of LA.”

  Irma stuck a bony hand on her hip and turned to Lainey. “Is that true?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” She wasn’t about to contradict Jerry now. “We tried our best to get here.”

  “Well. I suppose things are a little crazy.” Irma turned back to Jerry. “You gonna stand there all day or are you gonna drive me home?”

  Jerry scratched behind his ear. “I’m welcome at your place?”

  She hit him again. “Of course you are. It’s not your fault you’re as stubborn as a mule and unable to admit when you were wrong. You and Ronnie took after your daddy.”

  Jerry visibly swallowed. “There are four of us, a dog, and a cat.” />
  Irma threw up her hand as she stepped around Jerry before jabbing a woman standing in the way with her cane. “As long as they aren’t a bunch of murderers and thieves, what’s it matter?”

  Lainey suppressed a laugh. She liked Irma already. With Irma leading the charge and taking no lip from anyone, they piled into the SUV and Keith drove back to the little farmhouse.

  After they parked in the drive, Jerry helped Irma down from the passenger seat and they walked together toward the house. Lainey hung back. “We should give them some time to sort this out.”

  Keith agreed. “Bear needs to stretch his legs.”

  “So do I.” Owen climbed out of the back and Pound Cat raced after him, jumping down to the weedy gravel and darting toward the house before Owen could scoop him up. “Pound Cat!” He hurried after the little tabby, only stopping when the cat hunkered down in front of a bowl full of food.

  “Guess he’s hungry.” Keith bent to pick up a stick and wagged it in Bear’s face.

  Owen’s face pinched. “He’s probably starving. All we’ve fed him are scraps for days.”

  Keith launched the stick into the air and Bear took off after it. “So is Bear, but at least he doesn’t turn his nose up at stale bread and Oreos.”

  “Cats are picky creatures.” Lainey smiled for the first time in a day as she watched Bear run with abandon. The poor dog had been cooped up in the car for way too long.

  A moment later, the front door opened and Jerry motioned for everyone to come inside. The farm house was small, with a cozy living room off the front porch and a dining room that could seat six before it got too crowded.

  Irma called out from the kitchen. “Don’t just stand there gawking. Come have a cup of tea before the propane runs out.”

  Lainey followed Jerry into the small kitchen and squeezed into a chair next to Keith. Irma filled a kettle from a tap above the sink and placed it on the stove. From her kitchen window, she could survey the rows of planted crops and watch the setting sun. It was lovely. Lainey understood why she refused to leave it.

  As soon as the kettle hissed, Irma poured five mugs and everyone picked a tea from the little basket on the kitchen table. The older woman hobbled to the last chair and Jerry helped her into it before leaning back against the counter and crossing his arms.

  “Jerry tells me you all have been reporting on the bombs.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Irma dunked the tea bag in the steaming water. “Tell me about it.”

  Lainey gave a brief summary of all they had seen and heard. When she’d finished Irma shook her head. “It’s as bad as I’ve feared.” She blew across the surface of her tea before taking a sip. “No one here is prepared for what’s coming.”

  “Do you have any defenses?”

  Irma leaned back to look at Keith. “You mean guns? Heavens, yes. What do you take me for, a city girl?”

  Keith smiled. “No, ma’am. Just checking to make sure you’re all right staying here.”

  “Don’t you start fussin’ like Jerry did when Ronnie died.” She straightened up and lifted her chin. “I’ve got a full propane tank, septic that’s been cleaned out in the last year, and a deep well that’s never run dry. Assuming I can keep the riffraff off my property, I should weather this just fine.”

  Lainey exhaled. Irma was better prepared than anyone she knew. “What about food?”

  “The neighbor boys plant two hundred of my acres. I’ve got a little garden off the back of the house. Between what they owe me every year and what I can grow myself, I should be fine.”

  “And your neighbors?”

  “We’re a community. Even the ones who don’t farm anymore can find a way to survive here. We won’t let anyone starve.”

  The more they talked, the more Lainey envied Irma’s way of life. When had everything become so complicated?

  Jerry cleared his throat. “We talked and Irma’s been nice enough to offer me a place to stay.”

  Owen gave a start. “You’re not coming with us?”

  “I belong here with family.” He smiled at Irma and Lainey leaned back. Had she ever seen him smile? Jerry nodded, his mind made up. “I should have come a long time ago.”

  “Now you’re finally talkin’ sense.” Irma motioned to the back door. “I’ve got an old shed that’s full of everything from rusted-out tools to a drum full of gasoline. It’s probably pretty stale, but it should get the job done.”

  “Don’t you need it?”

  “For what? I haven’t driven since the blizzard of ’96.”

  “We’ll manage without it.” Jerry pushed off the counter. “We should be able to scrounge up food for Bear and Pound Cat, too.”

  “About that.” Owen forced a tortured smile. “I was wondering if you all could keep him?”

  “A cat?” Jerry looked like he’d swallowed a pickle.

  “He’s really taken to the place. When I tried to pick him up off the porch, he hissed at me.”

  Irma laughed. “Cats love it here. Don’t ask me why. Got eight of ’em that keep comin’ around day after day.”

  “So you’ll take him?”

  “Of course.”

  Lainey reached out and patted Owen’s hand. “It’s a good decision. He’ll be happier here than in the car or stuffed in the camera bag.”

  Owen nodded, but didn’t say any more. She could see the emotion on his face even though he tried to hold it back.

  Lainey turned to Jerry. “Thank you for everything. We never could have made it this far without you.” She wished he could change his mind, but Lainey understood. Family was everything now. She smiled. “Is there anything we can do for you?”

  Jerry thought it over. “I wouldn’t mind a shout out when you get to be big and famous. The guys around here won’t believe I was your cameraman unless you say my name on the air.”

  Lainey shook her head. She hardly believed she would ever qualify as a celebrity no matter what her sister or Owen said. “Of course. But don’t hold your breath that I’ll ever be that famous.”

  After a few minutes of small talk while they enjoyed the last of the tea, everyone set to work loading up the SUV and preparing to leave.

  As they pulled out of the driveway, Lainey waved until she couldn’t separate Jerry or Irma from the front porch. “You really think they’ll be okay?”

  Keith nodded. “It’s the perfect place to hunker down and rebuild.”

  Lainey exhaled and turned back to face the front and whatever their future held across the border.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  KEITH

  I-29 Near Canadian Border

  Rural North Dakota

  Friday, 2 p.m. CST

  The closer they got to the border, the more congested the road. Cars littered the side of the highway. Many sat empty and abandoned with busted windows and flat tires. People sat in and around others, some on the trunks, some on the hoods, others in makeshift tents along the side of the road.

  Lainey shifted in the passenger seat. “What are they all doing?”

  Keith tightened his grip on the wheel. “Waiting to cross into Canada, is my guess.”

  “Then why aren’t they at the border crossing?” Lainey stared out the window.

  Keith glanced to his right. In the grass on the side of the highway sat a family of four in folding camp chairs. The father held a cardboard sign. Out of Gas. Need Food. Water. He swallowed. “I’m guessing they made it this far before they ran out of fuel. The line must be taking days to clear.”

  A mile from the border, Keith slowed. Cars stacked up in both lanes as far as he could see. “I think this is it.”

  “These people can’t all be waiting in line.”

  “Looks that way.”

  “Keith’s right.” Owen spoke up from the back. “From what I read, it’s solid cars all the way. As soon as one gets through, another takes its place.”

  “We’re never going to make it up to the border crossing. Not here.”

&nbs
p; “What if we drove through the field?”

  “Through someone’s farm?” Lainey turned back to Owen. “Are you serious?”

  He held up his hands. “Just a suggestion.”

  “We could try another crossing.”

  “What if they’re all this bad?”

  Lainey held up a finger like she’d just sparked an idea. “What if we do a spot right here? We could record it and upload to the Winnipeg station.” She motioned to Owen and his tablet. “You send it direct to them and explain that we’re stuck over here. Tell them exactly where we are. Maybe they’ll help us.”

  “The Canadian government will never let a TV station tell them what to do.”

  “They might convince the border patrol to assist.”

  “And come onto American soil to rescue us? Not a chance.” Keith shook his head. “We need to get closer for it to work. Right up at the crossing.”

  Lainey twisted around to peer out the rear window. “We should turn around. Take the highway back to the last exit. See if there’s another road.”

  “All the border crossings will be jammed.”

  “I’m not talking about another border crossing. I’m talking about this one. We can find some smaller road and try and get closer. Then we walk over.”

  “No way.” Owen shook his head. “It’s still six hundred miles to Meadow Lake. We need a car.”

  Lainey flopped against the seat in frustration. “Then it’s hopeless.”

  “Maybe you’re right.” Keith stared out the window at all the cars. “Maybe we do the spot and see what happens.”

  She brightened. “Really?”

  Keith turned to Owen. “If we do it, can you send it right away?” He waited for Owen to nod before reaching for the camera. “We don’t get out of line. We do the piece from here.”

  “I can drive while you two film,” Owen offered. “That way if the line moves we don’t lose our spot.”

  Keith didn’t like it, but he couldn’t think of another option. If they sat in line and did nothing, they could be there for days or weeks. Would the people surrounding them stay civil for that long? He put the vehicle in park and reached for the small camera. “It has to be fast. No more than a couple of minutes.”