46 Hours To Home

by Pat Riot

  Rob reached over and pulled the bag with his pilfered fruit out of the backpack. In all the action one of the bananas and a tomato was smashed but the rest seemed to be fine. He didn’t care how smashed it was, it was still good to eat. He ate the smashed banana first, then the tomato, a few grapes, half a bag of nuts he still had from the first gas station he broke into, then started working on the half gallon of water he was still carrying.

  As he relaxed he thought about what was going on. Not quite twenty-four hours in. I’ve broken into a gas station. Fended off a dog using an ASP. Avoided the smoke from a plane crash. Shot and almost certainly killed someone. Watched as the hospital was overrun. Watched that random helicopter flying over. The farmer’s market was looted and the transients set up residence in the gas station. I watched that mob move through the neighborhood. And if I had to bet that fire I saw was them setting fire to the gas station. That’s more than most people see in a lifetime. What else will I witness before it’s all over? What will my son witness as he grows up? The sad part is my son will grow up never knowing the life of excess and luxury that most Americans knew. Even those who were considered below the poverty line lived better than the vast majority of the world. My son won’t get the joy of Saturday morning cartoons, the first day of school, going to the movies and mall with his friends, getting his license, girlfriends and all the issues that go with that. I hope Jackson and Monica are doing okay. I’m sure she’s worrying about me as much as I’m worrying about them. Hopefully the neighbors were home when the EMP hit.

  Rob’s street was a small one and all the neighbors knew and looked out for each other. They had occasional neighborhood bar-b-ques and if anyone went on vacation the other neighbors watched the house, got the mail, made sure the trashcans were put out if needed for trash day, made sure the pets were taken care of, all the things that made good neighbors. As his mind raced back and forth thinking about everything and nothing, his mood turned dark. After letting his mind wander for several minutes he thought to himself, Enough of that. There will be enough time to cry over what I can’t control. Right now, I have to focus on what I can control, which is getting home to my family. Once again, he refocused his despair into determination.

  Rob rested for thirty minutes before gathering his stuff. Before leaving his makeshift bed of hay he drank one of the 5-hour energy shots he was carrying then retraced his steps back to the main office and looked through the windows. When he didn’t readily see anything that might help him on his trek home he moved on.

  He reached the main gate and as he took a few minutes to study the surrounding area he thought he saw some movement in the field on the east side of the street. He ducked behind one of the large trees set next to the fence and continued to watch. Another minute passed before he was certain he could see something, but it wasn’t until he heard barking that he realized it was several dogs walking in a southerly direction. He waited another five minutes to give them time to clear the area then climbed the gate and continued north. He walked on the left side of the road on the dirt shoulder and for the next half mile there was nothing around except fields.

  As he walked, Rob admired the aurora and the quiet that seemed to blanket the earth. He wondered how the rest of the country was doing. His research always indicated that with a solar flare no country on earth would be spared, especially if the resulting EMP was similar in size, or even larger than, the Carrington Event of the 1800’s. As he thought about it, Rob was sure the large cities like Los Angeles and New York in the United States, and cities like Moscow and Tokyo overseas, were descending into chaos. With limited resources and little to no law enforcement or military presence anywhere, the gangs would soon take over. They would seize what was left and rule their areas much like warlords and dictators in third world countries, using their power and ruthlessness to beat fear and submission into the population.

  The rural areas and areas around military bases would fare much better, at least initially, until large groups of people made their way out of the city, seeking respite from the gangs or thinking there was a better chance at survival somewhere else. He wondered if he would come across anyone with a working radio that could at least receive any messages being broadcast by anyone that still had the capability.

  Soon Rob was approaching State Highway 60, the initial route he planned to take home the night before. Redlands Boulevard remained narrow with one lane each direction divided by a yellow line and no sidewalks as it rose above the freeway and descended back down on the other side.

  Several hundred feet short of the freeway Rob came to a stop and studied the area in front of him. He debated if he should stay on the road and cross the freeway using the overpass or walk down onto the freeway and cross the freeway itself. The pro to staying on Redlands was that it was a straight shot across and would give him good views of the area. The con was that once he was up on the bridge there was nowhere to go if he was surrounded by anyone that might be lying in wait to ambush unsuspecting travelers. The con to crossing the freeway itself was he would need to navigate the center divider and cross directly beneath the bridge created by the street, but the pro was he would have room to move if need be. He decided on the low route.

  Rob proceeded north on Redlands, then turned left onto the eastbound onramp. The onramp made a sweeping U-turn and transitioned into the eastbound lanes before making its way under the overpass and continuing east. He walked onto the on ramp and followed the turn, the entire time scanning the overpass and freeway itself for anything that might appear out of place. He reached the freeway proper without incident and started to cross the eastbound lanes. When he reached the center divider he realized he only needed to get over the construction k-rails that were set up to protect freeway workers, instead of the usual concrete wall and vegetation that divided most of the freeway in this area. That’s right, now I remember. They have been working on expanding the freeway right here, prepping for future, and desperately needed, overpass and lane expansions. Guess that’s never gonna happen now though.

  Rob easily hopped over the k-rail and passed over to the westbound lanes. He passed under the overpass, so he was now walking on the east side of the bridge and walked onto the westbound onramp which was a mirror image of the eastbound onramp. He walked up the onramp and followed it as it curved left and met back up with Redlands. When he was able to he looked south and studied the overpass, trying to see if there was anyone up there. He still couldn’t see anyone but decided he’d rather be paranoid and alive, than lazy and captured or worse.

  He turned north and started walking, this time on the left side of the street to put distance between himself and the few houses on the right. He was just past a group of five houses when he heard some screaming. He immediately scrambled down into the drainage ditch to his left, this one several feet deeper than the one used to hide from the group before, and slowly raised his head above the edge of the ditch, searching the area where the houses were. A few seconds later a male came out of the second house from the end, yelling something Rob couldn’t make out and he was followed by a female who seemed to be yelling something back at the male. Rob watched for a few minutes as the two argued, screamed, and yelled at each other in the front yard of the house before they both walked back inside, the male punching the screen door and slamming the front door behind him. Rob shook his head. Even during the end of the world people can’t get along. Once the couple was back inside the house Rob climbed out of the ditch and continued his trek north.

  When Rob arrived at the intersection of Redlands and Ironwood Avenue he didn’t bother stopping to check in each direction as the open fields and flat land gave him a good field of view to check for trouble before he ever reached the intersection. As he continued north he entered a small community where the houses were generally larger and on bigger properties, many on two or more acres.

  As he walked Rob never caught sight of a candle or heard anything other than the sounds of nature. He walked until he came t
o a very large church on the left side of the roadway. He decided to see if there was any running water and veered through the parking lot and up to the large building where he found a spigot on the front of the building and turned the handle, but nothing came out. Oh well, it was worth a shot. Nature is calling anyways, this is as good a place as any.

  Rob walked around the backside of the church and found a large grass area with several trees and bushes. He selected one and used the Kershaw Siege to dig a hole. Once he was done he covered up the hole then refilled the water pouch using the last of the water from the one-gallon plastic bottle from the gas station, then flattened the bottle and put it into his backpack.

  Rob walked back through the parking lot and linked back up with Redlands at the intersection of Kalmia Avenue. He knew soon he would have to tackle a steep incline that lasted for about a mile and was not looking forward to it. Let’s just get it done, its downhill for a few miles after that. Rob set out again, passing houses on both sides, watching and hoping everyone was asleep so he could pass through unmolested. He soon passed the intersection with Locust Avenue and started the uphill climb. It was tough going but he set a steady pace and kept putting one foot in front of the other.

  When he reached the crest, he stopped to catch his breath and turned to look at the city of Moreno Valley. He was shocked at the number of fires he could see. It seemed like every neighborhood had at least one house, and many two, that were burning. He could even see what looked like a large apartment building fully engulfed in flames. That is insane. Due to the light being cast onto the city from the aurora Rob could see several neighborhoods where it appeared entire blocks were burned down. With no ability for fire department response, fires burned unimpeded, only stopping when they ran out of fuel.

  Rob said a quick prayer for the people affected by the carnage, and for his own family and friends, then turned and left Moreno Valley behind. The next part of his journey would be a whole different ball game and he was as determined as ever to make it home to his family.

  Chapter 7

  Rob checked the time. 12:32 am. With thoughts of how his family was doing, he started the descent into San Timoteo Canyon. Here, the street, one lane each direction with a double yellow solid line down the middle, was cut directly through the hill and had shear walls at least fifty feet high on both sides. As he rounded the first bend in the road Rob slowed. Stopped directly in the middle of the street facing him was a brand new black Chevy Tahoe. He made sure he had easy access to his gun by moving his jacket out of the way and resting his hand on it as he approached the vehicle. When he was twenty feet away the passenger door suddenly flew open and someone got out. Rob started to draw his gun but could see the person had their hands in the air.

  “Hey!” a male voice called out.

  Rob pushed the gun back into his holster but left his hand on it in case the guy did something stupid. Using his left hand, Rob pulled the Surefire from its nylon holster and used it to light up the area at the guy’s feet. He didn’t want to irritate the man by shining it directly into his face. Rob could now see the man was white, tall, and skinny, wearing business attire, including a tie.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Rob asked. You would think after a full day of sitting here he would have at least taken off the tie.

  “Not much. I’ve been sitting here for a day already waiting for help to come, but you’re the first person I’ve seen.”

  “Waiting for help?” Rob asked, puzzled. “Were you able to call for help?”

  “No, my phone stopped working when my Tahoe died,” the man answered.

  Rob waited a second for the man to elaborate on what he meant by waiting for help. When he stayed quiet Rob asked, “If you weren’t able to call for help, how is anyone supposed to know that you need help and, more importantly, where to find you?”

  “Well… I… Umm…” He stuttered for a moment, confused, before answering, “I just figured the cops or someone would come by at some point to help me out I guess. I started really worrying when the sun went down again and I hadn’t seen anyone all day.”

  Rob finally realized the guy was just expecting help to come to him with no effort on his own part. “Buddy let me tell you something,” Rob said, somewhat exasperated. “Help is not going to just magically appear to save you. There is no one coming to help you. If you haven’t realized, not only is your car and cell phone not working, but if you walk a couple hundred feet that way,” Rob was pointing back towards Moreno Valley,” everything you can see is blacked out.”

  “What do you mean ‘blacked out’?” He sounded as if he didn’t believe what Rob was saying.

  “Blacked. Out. As in, the power is out. No lights, no electricity. Nothing,” Rob said sharply.

  “Seriously?” The man asked incredulously as he started walking towards the crest of the hill. While the man was gone Rob peaked into the Chevy Tahoe. It was new, top of the line, all the bells and whistles, the best package money could buy. There was a briefcase on the passenger floorboard and a garment bag hanging in the back window. Nice ride. Too bad he didn’t pay for the “hardened against EMP” option, Rob thought with amusement. He waited several minutes for the man to return and was about to just walk away when Rob finally heard him approaching. “How long has the power been out?” the business man asked, sounding as if he was on the verge of panic.

  “Since your car and cell phone stopped working, about twenty-four hours ago,” Rob responded. “You didn’t think it was odd that you waited here all day, on a street that normally carries hundreds of cars back and forth during the day, but you never saw anyone?”

  “Well yeah… but…” The man trailed off.

  “But you never decided to do anything about it.” It was a statement, not a question, from Rob as he shook his head. This guy has no hope of surviving. “Listen, I suggest you get what you can from your car and start walking home.”

  “Walk home? But I live in San Diego, I’ll never be able to walk all that way,” he replied with dismay in his voice.

  “Well, good luck to you then,” Rob said as he started to walk away. He was done dealing with someone who had no desire to help themselves. How can anyone sit here for almost twenty-four hours and not even walk the short distance to the top of the hill to try to look for help? Unbelievable.

  “No, wait!” The business man shouted, now in a full panic, as he started walking towards Rob while waving his arms. “You have to help me!”

  “Stop!” Rob commanded loudly as he pointed the Surefire directly at the man’s face.

  The business man stopped immediately and covered his eyes. “What the hell? Stop that, it hurts!” he yelled hysterically.

  Rob lowered the light to the man’s torso. “Listen closely to me,” Rob said firmly. “I don’t have to do anything, and that includes helping you. What I am going to do is keep walking. What you do is your own business, but you need to get it in your head that you’re on your own now. A tow truck is not coming to tow your Tahoe. A taxi isn’t coming to pick you up. The cops aren’t coming to save the day. You need to man up and make it happen yourself.” With that, Rob turned and started walking north again, leaving the stunned business man standing next to his SUV. That’s the problem with modern society. Everyone depends on someone else for help. No one is self-reliant anymore. Everything is someone else’s job. Car has a flat? Call a tow truck. Grass needs mowed? Hire a landscaper. Don’t want to clean the house? Hire a housekeeper. Neighbor looked at you weird while their dog pooped on your lawn? Call 9-1-1 and the cops will solve your problems. There wasn’t anything wrong with hiring someone to do something for you if you had the money, but it was breeding a culture in America of relying on everyone else to handle your issues.

  Before he was out of ear shot Rob thought he heard the man sobbing. Rob shook his head in disgust. One thing the man said did stick with Rob though. He’s been there almost twenty-four hours and hasn’t seen one person go through. I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad t
hing. The canyons he was walking through carried hundreds, maybe even thousands, of cars back and forth each day. Most of them were people who worked on one side of the canyons but lived on the other and made the winding commute almost daily. Then again, maybe it’s because the time the EMP hit. No one would have any reason to walk through if they were already at home, unlike me who was at work.

  The road exited on the other side of the hill and the shear walls on both sides fell away and turned into hills which slowly grew further apart the farther he walked. Rob followed the road as it twisted and turned and dropped in elevation. As he rounded the last curve in the road, right before it straightened into a mile long straightaway, a reflection caught his eye from the right side of the road. After a quick check to make sure the business man wasn’t following him Rob moved closer to check it out.

  When he got to the edge of the road Rob could see a light color sedan on its roof about fifty feet off the roadway. Using his Surefire to light the way, Rob carefully made his way down the embankment, through the flattened brush, and over to the car where he knelt to check inside and found there was one occupant. A white female, probably in her fifties, still in the driver seat being held up by the seat belt. Rob could see right away that she was dead; her skin had a gray pallor to it, eyes were open but unseeing, and her hair was matted with coagulated blood, with a large puddle of it directly underneath her on the roof of the car.

  Rob didn’t bother checking for any supplies he could use. There was no way he was going to disturb her last place of rest. He got back up and walked back to the road, using the Surefire to study the damage the car left between the roadway and where it came to a rest. Based on the tire marks on the street and the line of damage from the street to where the car came to a rest, Rob figured she was driving downhill when the EMP occurred. Because of the power loss to the car she was unable to maintain control and the car left the roadway, flipped, rolled several times, and came to a rest on its roof. He hoped her death had been quick, with no suffering. The really sad thing is any family she has will never know what happened to her. All they know is everything stopped working and she never made it home. I can’t imagine not making it home and Monica never knowing what happened to me. It was a sobering thought.