by Lopez, Rob
Larry stared. “It looks like ass. In fact, it looks like a baboon’s ass.”
“Can’t say I’ve ever seen that. How have you been coping so far? Have you been holed up somewhere?”
“Been in one of those camps.”
“Down south?”
“No,” said Larry, still a little suspicious. “Back east.”
Rick nodded to show he understood. “Things a little rough, there?”
“Man, it’s crazy. I had to get out.”
“Probably a smart move.”
“Had to slip out at night. They didn’t want anyone leaving. There’s, like, diseases and shit, and they didn’t want it spreading, but there was no way I was staying to get sick. We were, like, two days without food. They said pirates on the river were stealing the food shipments. Can you believe that? 2017 and we’ve got pirates.”
“Did you see them?”
“No, but it was, like, the number one rumor in the camp. Along with the one that they were denying us food because they were keeping it for the cops. I didn’t know what to believe. Figured I had a better chance to scavenge for myself.”
The others appeared and Larry seemed to relax when he saw they weren’t all armed desperadoes.
“Did you meet anyone else on the road?” asked Rick.
“A few,” said Larry. “I hooked up with this guy who I think might have been ex-military, I don’t know. He seemed to know what he was doing, and he helped me out for a couple of days before he went his own way. Gave me this gun. He was a good dude. I think he was headed to someplace in South Carolina.”
“So where were you headed?”
“Me? I’m going to the mountains.”
Rick gave up his seat for Janice to rest her joints after climbing up from the creek. Chuck took a good look at Larry.
“Son,” he said, “you’ll die in the mountains. That ain’t easy living for folks that ain’t used to it, especially in the winter.”
“I stayed in a cabin, once,” said Larry defensively. “I know what it can be like.”
“No, really, you don’t.”
“It’s better than staying around here, man. At least it’s easier to hide in the mountains.”
“Hide from what?” said Janice.
“I can’t say, exactly,” said Larry darkly. “But there’s something pretty evil out there.” He looked around at them all. “I found a farmhouse that had been burned down. I was looking for food, and when I went around the back, I saw an entire family that had been lynched. Four, of them, hanging from a tree, with their hands tied behind their backs. I mean, I could see bullet holes around the farm windows. The place had been assaulted. And whoever did that, well, they hung the family, kids and all.”
“That’s awful,” gasped Janice.
“Where did you see this?” asked Rick.
“I don’t know, man. It was about six or seven days ago, I think. I’ve lost track of time.”
“Did you recon the site for more clues as to how many might have been involved in that?”
“No way. I got the hell out of there. Been pushing the miles ever since.”
Rick looked at Scott for a while, and a silent conference passed between the two, both men thinking the same thing. As military men, it was their first instinct.
“If we went back with you,” said Rick to Larry, “do you think you can show us that site?”
Larry was aghast. “Are you kidding me? I’ve spent days getting away from there. I’m not going back.”
“I need to know what kind of threat we’re facing,” said Rick.
“Rick, no,” exclaimed Lauren once she realized what he was planning.
“Ain’t doing it, man,” said Larry.
“We need to do some recon,” said Rick to Lauren. “If the situation out there is changing, we need to know about it.”
“Recon yourself,” said Larry. “I’m heading west.”
Rick frowned at Larry. “If I showed you a map, would you be able to retrace your route for me?”
“No way, dude. I told you, I lost track of everything, including where I was going. Sunset was the only time I knew which way was west.”
“We’re past the fall equinox. That means you’ve been headed south-west, not west.”
“Whatever, man. All I know is what I don’t know. If it’s okay with you, I think I’ll move along. I want to get clear of the city by nightfall.”
“That’s not long. I suggest you stay with us tonight.”
Lauren shot Rick a look that said: seriously?
Larry caught the look. “I’ll be on my way. Great meeting you guys and all. Now, if I can have my ammunition back?”
“You don’t have to go,” pressed Rick. “Stick around here with us. You’ve got a better chance of surviving. There’s nothing in the mountains.”
Larry looked askance at him, indicating with his hands the highway they were on. “There’s nothing here, man. No food, no game, no clean water. There’s just wreckage. And crazy people.”
“That’s not true.”
“As God is my witness, and I ain’t a religious person, but that is pretty much all I’ve been seeing the past few days. It’s over, man. You’re not going to rebuild this shit. The only hope is to find somewhere that hasn’t been totally fucked up and start over.”
“There’s no such place, and you wouldn’t survive there anyway.”
“I beg to differ,” asserted Larry. “Now, my ammunition?”
Rick mulled over the different ways he could get Larry to stay, but none seemed very persuasive considering Larry’s frame of mind. Giving up, Rick tossed him the magazine. “Keep a round in the chamber, next time. You don’t want to waste time racking the slide when you need it to fire. This road takes you to the center of Charlotte. It’s a radiation zone. Gets worse on the other side. It’ll stay that way until you’ve crossed the Catawba River – which will be the most contaminated part. Avoid drinking any ground water in that area. After that you’ve got another ten to fifteen miles before you find camps like the one you left. Or worse. And it’ll be like that all the way to the mountains.”
Larry studied the magazine to work out how to fit it back into the gun. “Never had to fire this,” he murmured.
“All the more reason for you to stay,” said Rick.
“No,” said Larry. “There’s got to be a way. I know I can survive. I had a cousin who lived in Asheville once. If I can get there, I know I’ll be safe. I’ve hiked the mountain trails. I can build myself a shelter and make a new start.”
Rick glanced at the rest of the group, imploring them to maybe say something. Chuck took his cue. “Son,” he said, “you’re chasing a dream. Now may not be the best time.”
“It’s better than settling for a nightmare,” answered Larry. “I appreciate your offer, but I’ve got to stay focused. It’s the pioneer spirit, right?”
There was an awkward silence. “Once you’re clear of the city, stay off the roads,” said Rick.
Larry nodded glumly, shouldered the pack and then began walking. Rick watched him, waiting for him to turn around.
He never did.
“Pity,” said Scott. “He was almost an alright guy.”
22
The nature museum in Freedom Park was a modern, glass-fronted building. The wooden deck outside looked forlorn, with moss already growing on the picnic benches. Inside the bleak, cold interior were display cabinets with stuffed cougars and bobcats. The few live animals that had been kept for children’s amusement were gone now, the cages torn open. Probably ended up on a grill.
In the Butterfly reading corner, in the only room with a carpet, Rick found Sally and Harvey, huddled under blankets.
He and Josh were returning from a successful shoot at the park, with two geese carried upside down.
“You made it, then,” said Rick.
The nurse and the security guard both looked ill.
“Yeah,” was all Sally could say.
“The last pati
ent, did he die peaceful?”
Sally shook her head. “I’d like to say he did, but …”
“It’s okay,” said Rick, not caring for the details. “When did you last eat?”
“Just this morning,” said Sally. “No, wait. The stove ran out of gas. Maybe it was last night. I think we were eating soup powder on its own. Or trying to. We’re out of water.”
Rick crouched down to examine them. They were both pale, and he thought they might be suffering the onset of hypothermia, but neither were shivering. He touched Sally’s brow to see if she had a fever.
“I’m not sick,” she said. “Just tired.”
“That’s the same thing, right now,” said Rick. He uncapped a bottle of water. “Drink.”
Harvey looked to be in worse shape. All the fire had gone out of him. Rick had seen the symptoms too many times before: Post Traumatic Stress. The long days and nights at the hospital spent in despair, the humiliation, the pointlessness of it all. The endless waiting.
The Colt Python lay at Harvey’s side. Rick picked it up and noticed one bullet less in the chamber.
He no longer needed to ask what happened to Mr. Moore, the last patient. The agonizing story was written all over Harvey’s face.
Rick kept the revolver. In Harvey’s present state, he was likely to eat a bullet himself.
“Run into any trouble on the way down?” asked Rick.
“No,” said Sally.
“You okay to walk?”
“Where to?”
“Our place. It’s not far from here.”
Sally smirked. “You gonna let us eat goose?” she said, eyeing the catch in Josh’s hands.
“Sure,” said Rick. “It’s Thanksgiving.”
“Today?”
“All day.”
All trace of humor died on Sally’s face, and tears formed in her eyes. “Oh my God,” she said.
“What?”
“Thanksgiving,” she murmured, like she couldn’t quite believe it. “Every year I go to my sister’s place in California, to visit my niece. Every year.” Sally broke down, sobbing. “She’s only five. I don’t know what’s happened to them.”
Rick watched, impassive.
“Damn all this,” choked Sally. “Why did this have to happen? What the hell did we do to deserve this?”
Rick was no expert on cosmic justice, but he didn’t think a more pragmatic answer would be well received, so he stayed silent. Harvey, meanwhile, kept up his five-thousand-yard stare.
“Dad, I’ll wait outside,” said Josh.
Rick caught the faint look of disgust on his face. The boy was hardening.
“Okay. We won’t be long.”
Josh trailed out.
Harvey woke from his reverie and, in response to Sally’s sobs, put his arm around her shoulders.
Rick waited until his patience ran out. “We need to make a move,” he said.
Harvey stared blankly at him.
“If you want to come, you need to come now,” added Rick.
Sally rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand. “I’m sorry, it’s just … difficult.”
“I know.”
“Sure, but do you?” she sniffed. “You just seem so cold, like this doesn’t bother you.”
Rick wasn’t about to disclose the tears and anguish he’d felt at the friends he’d lost on the battlefields of at least two continents – that wasn’t for anyone else to know.
“Trust me. I do.”
In spite of that, he understood Josh’s gesture, too. Today was supposed to be a special day, and everyone back at the clubhouse had been looking forward to it. Bagging two geese, especially, was something worth celebrating. It wasn’t everyday they had that much meat to go around. With Sally and Harvey in their present moods, however, Rick wasn’t sure if the two would put a downer on the proceedings. The others probably wouldn’t thank him for bringing them.
Especially since he hadn’t cleared the invitation with anyone. But still, what else was he going to do?
*
“Could have invited someone else,” hissed Lauren through gritted teeth. “Someone happier.”
Rick didn’t mind. He was content. There was a fire in the ballroom hearth. The goose, nettles and rice were delicious. Chuck and Janice had arrived with presents for Lizzy and Daniel: little dolls that Janice had knitted herself. They’d brought the dog, who soon got friendly with everyone and was treated to some meat that hadn’t come out of a can. Scott and April seemed closer, exchanging ribald jokes in an undertone voice that left them giggling. And above the fireplace hung their nation’s flag, rescued from the flagpole outside. Rick wanted the solemn moment to bring everyone together, but Sally and Harvey sat at the far end of the table, subdued and barely speaking.
“Got a little something here to warm the heart,” said Chuck, pulling a dark green bottle from a bag. “Peach wine,” he declared. “Made it last year and had it maturing ever since. Wasn’t sure what I was saving it for, but this seems as good an occasion as any. For Rick and his good lady wife, this is for you.”
“Crap,” said Lauren, “I didn’t bring enough clean cups.”
“Just pass the bottle,” said Scott.
“Then spin it,” said April.
“Don’t be so gross,” laughed Lauren.
“I have some glasses here,” said Janice, bringing out a little box. “Someone bought me a gift of shot glasses a while ago, but I never used them.”
“That was me, honey,” said Chuck.
“Yes, because you wanted an excuse for me to say yes to you wasting our crops on making moonshine. Which you never did, so here we are. The small size means we can make the wine go further. And maybe Josh could try some for the first time?” she added, looking to Rick.
“Sure,” said Rick, not particularly caring one way or another.
Josh perked up from fussing the dog, cognizant of another portal to adulthood opening up.
Glasses were filled and clinked, and Rick, waiting for his moment, proposed a toast.
“Here’s to all of us here today. We’ve made it this far, and I think for that we should be plenty grateful. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say we’ve earned this.” He cast a steely glance around the table. “But don’t kid yourselves that we’re over the worst. Pickings will be slimmer, come winter, and we’re going to have to work harder and scavenge farther out, but that’s not my main concern.” Rick grew thoughtful. “We’ve met our first refugee from the camps. I think we’re going to meet more. A lot of people who don’t know better are going to head for the mountains. Soon after, I think we’ll have some who have suffered in the mountains, coming back the other way. We’re going to be discovered, and we’re going to have to agree on a strategy for when that happens.”
“That your idea of a rousing speech?” said Scott. “I got a better one: bottoms up, everyone.” He downed his shot and savored the taste. “Hey, that’s good.”
Rick sipped his wine. “Got no interest in rousing speeches. All I’m interested in is what’s going to happen and what we’re going to do about it. You all heard Larry’s story about that burned out farm.”
“That was horrific,” said Janice. “What that young man must have witnessed.”
“Hey, let’s not forget; he could have been making it up,” said Scott. “I met plenty of refugees who made up stories and passed on dubious rumors to get more sympathy and stuff. They weren’t stupid.”
“Yeah, but we also know the likelihood of these stories being true,” said Rick. “We’ve already had one incident of armed robbery.” He glanced toward Sally and Harvey, still toying with their food. “Wouldn’t take much for there to be a lot more. Would take less for someone smart to gather together guys to do it on a bigger scale. Looks like Packy’s already started on that route. We could find a gang like that outside our doors sooner than we think. Which is why I’d like to invite Chuck, Janice, Sally and Harvey to move into the clubhouse with us. There’s plenty of room.”
Scott raised an eyebrow. “Thought we were going to offer one of the outbuildings?”
“I was,” said Rick. “Now I’m wondering if we need something tighter. The houses here aren’t positioned for mutual defense, and if we stay in small groups, we’re easy prey, no matter how many guns we’ve got.”
“We’ve discussed it,” said Chuck with a glance at his wife. “We think it’s a fine idea. Just mindful of how many things we need to move. We’ve accumulated a lot of stuff.”
“That’s not a problem,” said Rick. “We can bring it in stages.”
“What about the Hatfields?” asked Scott.
“Thinking maybe we can send them one more message. After that I can’t do any more.”
“I could deliver them a message,” said Scott. “Wrapped around a brick and thrown through their window. We need asshats like that the way we need rickets.”
“They’re not my first choice of neighbor,” admitted Rick, “but if they’ve got the firepower I suspect them of having, they could still be useful. I don’t want to write them off yet.”
“How bad would things have to be for them to be a good idea?” asked Lauren.
Rick looked at her. “As bad as I think it’s going to be.”
23
It began with a single gunshot. All activity in the FEMA camp paused as people cocked their ears, trying to discern the nature of this sound. Was it just another warning shot from the guards around the loading jetty and the food store? Dusk was falling and the shadows in the surrounding woods deepened. A shout of inquiry rose, pattering the silence with faint echoes of confusion. Then a flurry of shots broke out, muzzle flashes lighting up the woods in all directions.
Screams and cries drowned out the staccato cracks as the population heaved in a spasm of panic. Bodies collided and tents were trampled as people tried to flee. Anybody who slipped in the mud was borne down by the weight of others clambering over them. The nimbler ones who made it to the woods were the first to be cut down in the crossfire.
Inside the barn, Dee clutched her baby tight.
“What’s going on?” said Margaret, peering over from the next cattle stall.