by Vince Byrd
Henry sat up on his cot, “I couldn’t have said it better myself.” They both turned and looked at him. “I’m sorry for eavesdropping, but you were talking a little loud, and the sound carries in this room.”
“Yeah, Doc, your voice carries,” Larry snorted, as he rolled over on his stomach and buried his head in a couch pillow. “Is it me or is it hot in here?”
Kat touched Jesse’s face, looked him in the eyes and said, “Thank you. I know these memories will haunt me for a while, but I also know that I am stronger because of it. I am thankful you were here for me through it all.”
“She’s his penguin,” Ginger said, lying on her side staring at them.
“Penguin?” Larry raised his head up.
“Yeah, penguins mate for life,” Ginger announced.
“I knew that about penguins,” Kat acknowledged.
“I’m all for mating,” Larry joked.
“Watch it, Mister,” Ginger teased, smacking him on his butt.
Jesse stood up and said, “We leave in twenty. Let’s pack it up.”
“Really, Doc, I’m having déjà vu here,” Larry poked.
“I’m going to make some coffee,” Jesse decided.
“I’ll go with you,” Kat said, as she slid her cot away from the door.
Jesse slid his cot back and opened the door to the office expecting to be hit with cool air in the stable, but was surprised when the air was warm. He was greeted by a horse that had his head stretched out over the fence expecting a treat. He stepped over to the horse and gave it a couple of rubs and pats. Then, he walked over to the stable door, opened it up, and stepped outside. The air was very warm outside for December in Virginia. Kat stepped out behind him, “Wow, it’s so warm out here,” she said, as she took in a deep breath and looked all around. Across the field and up on the road, the enormous plane stood out like a sore thumb, reminding her of her dream. “Store it,” she whispered to herself. “I can do that.”
Jesse turned around and looked at her, “Did you say something?”
“No, I’m fine,” she responded.
“I didn’t mean to cut our conversation short in there. They were all listening, and sometimes it’s hard for me to be vulnerable in front of a bunch of people. Kat, I do want you to know that…”
“I thought there was coffee? I heard there was coffee. Where’s the java?” Ava stepped out and interrupted him.
“You’re twelve. You drink coffee?” Jesse asked.
“Find me a teenager that don’t,” Ava challenged.
“Well, let me see if I can brew some up for you right quick,” he offered. Jesse went to the truck and retrieved a propane stove top, a pot, and some instant coffee. After making it, he passed out Styrofoam cups full to everyone. Kat passed out pop-tarts and bagels that they had brought from Amherst.
Ava drank down her coffee and gobbled her pop-tart and said, “It was a little weak, Jesse. Dad made his strong. He said it would make your toes curl, and sometimes it did.”
“I’ll work on it,” Jesse said with a wink.
“No, I liked it better,” she admitted.
They loaded the truck with what little they’d removed, loaded some extra drinking water, and some for the radiator should they need it. “Henry, are you driving your VW?” Jesse asked.
“Yeah, I’ll follow you. Two vehicles are better than one; don’t you think?” Henry asked.
“I do, but we’ll have to find some gas for it down the road.”
“It’s full right now. The deputies filled it up for me,” Henry informed.
“That’s good, one less thing to think about right now. Everyone ready? Let’s roll out,” Jesse directed.
Jesse and Kat got into the cab of the old Chevy, while Ginger and Larry climbed into the bed of the truck. Since the air was warm, they thought it wouldn’t be so cold riding in the back for now. Ava decided to ride with Henry in his Volkswagen. She sat down in the passenger seat and slammed the door. Henry sat down behind the wheel and said, “Are you going to be my navigator?”
“What does a navigator do?” she asked.
“They navigate our course and watch out for danger and obstacles,” he explained.
“So, they’re like a lookout?”
“Yes, you got it.”
“I can do that. I would have to look out for Dad when he plowed or harvested so he wouldn’t run over something, like a chicken, cow, goat, another plow.”
“All right, here we go,” Henry said, as they pulled out, easing past the plane and back onto the highway headed south.
Twenty-one
Paige Day 1
Once they reached the city limits of Abbeville, Alabama on highway 431, there were still stalled cars and no lights to be seen, even in the distance. David stopped the car and just sat there quietly, staring at the darkened road ahead of them. The headlights shone on a car to the side that sat abandoned with the driver’s door open, like the owner was in too big of a hurry or just didn’t care. David glanced down at the gas gauge, and the orange needle indicator was just above a quarter of a tank. “We need gas,” he said. He really didn’t know what to say. Bud’s prediction burned in his mind like a bad dream. “What now?” He looked at Emily with a worried expression on his face.
“There!” Emily pointed to a billboard that displayed a happy couple with a young child eating breakfast at a table and a sign that read, ‘Stay at Abbe’s Inn’. “Let’s go there and get something to eat, and then we can figure it out.”
“I think we should keep going, Dad. We can find a gas station on the way and grab something there,” Ethan suggested. “It could be sixty miles, seventy miles, or even a hundred miles to the edge of the blast zone. We need to keep going until we know for sure.”
“I agree with Ethan; we have to know. I need to be sure about my dad,” Paige approved.
“Yeah, I think we should keep going too. The sooner we can get home, the better. I mean, we’re only a few hours away, right?” Makayla proposed.
“Technically, we are, but it’s slower with all these cars in the way,” David said, looking down at his watch that no longer worked. He rubbed the face of it and added, “I think we should keep going as well. If there was an invasion, God forbid, we need to get home as soon as we can.” David shifted the gears on the column to make sure it was in first, let out the clutch, and continued to drive into uncertainty.
More than half an hour had gone by, and they turned into a Fill & Thrill 88 gas and service station in Eufaula. David pulled up to a pump and parked. The garage doors were closed, and it was dark inside. There was no one around. David and Ethan got out and went to the door. Ethan tried it, but it was locked. David pounded on the door several times. No one answered. “I don’t think anyone’s here,” Ethan commented.
“We’ll see, son,” David remarked. He stepped over to the garage doors and kicked them loudly several times. He stuck his face to one of the windows and cupped his hands around his eyes. “I see a light!”
An African American man in his early sixties came to the window with a flashlight in his hand, his blue mechanic shirt displayed the name, Freddy. “What do you want?”
“We need gas!” David shouted through the glass.
“We’re closed!” Freddy shouted back, turning to walk to the back.
“Wait! I’ll pay a little extra!” David offered.
Freddy shone his light at the Duster and saw the women in the car. He shook his head and said, “$100 cash for ten gallons.”
“What? Are you serious?” David questioned. “I said, ‘a little extra.’”
“The pumps won’t pump without power. I have to start my generator for you to pump the gas. The price is $100 cash for ten gallons; take it or leave it,” Freddy barked.
David held up both of his hands, “Okay, okay, but we need something to eat as well.
”
Freddy pointed to the store door and said, “Wait over there.” Then, he disappeared into the back for a couple of minutes. The lights slowly came on and illuminated the store. They flickered like they were straining to stay lit. Emily, Paige, and Makayla joined them at the door, and Freddy came to let them all in. “I’m sorry ladies, but you’ve got ten minutes.” He held out his hand to David for the cash.
David turned to Emily and asked, “Do you have any cash? This guy is selling us ten gallons for $100.”
“What? Sir, is that true? That’s ten dollars a gallon,” Emily was shocked.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but you tore me away from what I was doing, and I opened up for you all. You’re lucky I have a generator, or you’d be out of luck. People will be lined up out here tomorrow wanting gas, and they’ll pay a lot more than you. Do you want it or not?”
Emily dug around in her purse. She pulled out five twenties she had forgotten she’d tucked away for a rainy day. She handed them to Freddy. “There you go. Are you going to charge us triple for the food too?”
“No, the food is priced as marked, but I can only take cash,” he answered.
David ran out to get the ten gallons of petrol and noticed the pump was old. He hadn’t seen one that old and in operation in a long time. He picked up the nozzle and flipped the large, silver flap handle over. The numbers on the pump rolled like a slot machine until they all read zero, and he began to fill the tank with gas.
Headlights lit up the street as an old pickup moved slowly in their direction. The truck was a lowered, blue and rust-colored 65’ Ford Step-side. Emily, Paige, and Makayla stepped out of the store as it rolled by. Two men sat in the cab, one whistled as they gawked at them, pointing a spot light on them. It almost blocked out the truck in their vision for a moment due to the brightness. Once past, they shut the light off and continued up the road slowly.
“Well, that was creepy,” Paige commented.
“They were creepy,” Makayla agreed.
Ethan stepped out seeing the truck pass by just as the light went off, he said, “Cool truck.”
“Really Ethan? Those guys were just whistling at us,” Paige informed.
“They were? It’s a good thing they kept going then,” he said, puffing out his chest.
Makayla started laughing, “I know you mean well but…”
“He has it in him, don’t you, baby?” Paige defended, as she rubbed his right bicep.
Ethan flexed his muscles, holding up bags in each hand from the convenience store. “I got you, babe; I got you.”
“Come on, Little Man, let’s go. Emily, did you get me a drink?” David asked.
“Of course. I know better than not to,” Emily admitted.
“Dad, you know I hate it when you call me that, but you both continue to do it. Why? Why can’t you just let it go already?” Ethan complained.
“Sometimes it’s the only way to get your attention, and it’s fun. I like to watch your reaction when I do it,” David explained.
“That’s just wrong, Dad. You’re not right.”
“Maybe not, but let’s go.”
They all got into the car and dug through their thin plastic bags. They each took out something to eat and drink. Freddy locked the door to the store and disappeared inside. Just as David cranked the car, the lights went out, and the gas station was in the dark once again. They continued up the highway toward Columbus, Georgia.
Several miles later, while they were settling in and finishing their snacks, they encountered some more headlights coming toward them, and then some from behind as well. As the headlights passed by, they saw it was an old 1960’s one and a half ton, flatbed Chevy farm truck stacked full of caged chickens. The smell gave it up as it passed. The driver paid no attention to them as they drove by one another. The vehicle behind continued to follow them. Once outside of town down a lonely stretch of road, they were engaged by another set of lights that seemed to be in the middle of the road. David stopped the Duster about fifteen yards away, and the car behind stopped right behind them. “This looks like trouble,” David warned.
Paige reached down and pulled out her pistol that she’d wedged between the seat and the hump of the floor. Emily reached into the glove compartment and pulled out the pistol Paige had given David and handed it to him. “I’m scared, David,” Emily said.
“It’s probably someone needing help. I’ll check it out,” he assured.
“Makayla, trade places with me slowly,” Paige requested. Makayla slid over Paige’s lap, and Paige slipped into her seat as Makayla took her place on the hump in one smooth motion.
“What are you going to do?” Makayla asked.
“Yeah, what are you thinking, Paige?” Ethan wondered.
“David, I’ll back you up,” Paige informed.
“No, you stay in the car. Lock your doors. I’m sure it’s nothing. Just let me go talk to them,” David commanded.
David turned off the car and gave the ignition key to Emily. “You hang on to the key, just in case.”
“David?” Emily took the key and gave him a sad look. “Please be careful.”
“Dad, I’ll go with you,” Ethan said.
“No, just give me a minute,” David demanded. He pushed the pistol into his waistband and pulled his shirt over it. He opened the door and stood up behind it. He raised his hands and said, “Hey, do you need some help?” There was no answer. “Hello!” David put his hand on his pistol and ran toward the headlights. Paige jumped out of the car pointing her pistol at the car behind them.
“Paige!” Ethan shouted at her.
“Turn off your lights, or I’ll shoot!” she commanded. Then, the car lights went out.
Twenty-two
Jesse Day 7
Ginger smiled at Larry’s blonde hair blowing in the wind, as they rode in the bed of the truck. The air was warm, thick, and sticky from the high humidity. Rain clouds were beginning to fill the sky and steal away the sunlight. Larry’s body swayed with each turn Jesse made to drive around another abandoned vehicle. He sat on the wheel-well hump and hung onto the side, taking in the scenery of the last of the many miles of Virginia. Ginger sat on the floor leaned against a box, studying his face.
Kat sat in the seat next to Jesse, watching him maneuver the truck. She wondered what he was going to say to her back at the barn. He said ‘I want you to know…’ What is it that he wants me to know? What was he going to say? I could just ask him. “Jesse?”
“Yeah,” he answered.
“What were you going to say to me back at Stan’s before coffee?”
He turned and looked at her for a moment and then turned back toward the road. He paused before he spoke to collect his thoughts, “I was going to tell you that…that your PTSD will get better.”
“That’s it? That’s all you were going to say?”
“Well…I wanted to say…I could not have made it without you. I mean our connection took me by surprise, and you’re nearly ten years younger than me. I’m not even sure about what’s happening around us, to our nation, to our government, to our way of life. I know we’ve been through a lot together, survived a lot, and sometime after we get back home, you might not like what you see. Me, I mean.”
“You were going to say all that?”
“No, I just wanted to let you know that without you, it would have been a nightmare. You made it all…better. It was bad, it was awful, but you made it better for me,” he admitted. She was quiet and waited to see if he was going to say something else. “That’s all I wanted to tell you. I’m going to stop talking now.”
“No, I’m glad you told me. Because, you did the same for me. I don’t know what the future holds either, but I do know I want you in it every day,” she declared.
“But, you’ve only known me for a week,” he informed.
“Jess
e Gibson, it’s been a very long week, and I would marry you today…” She slapped her hand over her mouth, “Oh crap! Did I say that out loud?”
“Yeah, you did. Wow! I didn’t know you were so into me,” he laughed. “You’re not like one of those stalker women or fatal attraction types, are you?”
Her face reddened a little, “No, it’s just…I’ve been waiting a long time for you to come along.”
He stopped the truck and turned to her, “Katy West, will you be my girlfriend?”
“I will! I will!” She answered laughing at his dramatics, and then they kissed each other. Ginger moved up to the back glass and was smiling, peering in at them in celebration of their love.
“Uh…G. Ginger!” Larry yelled.
That got her attention right away since Larry had never called her by her full first name before, except when they first met. She turned and looked at him. He pointed toward the western landscape. They saw trees being ripped out of the ground at their roots from the twisting force of a tornado, tearing its way across the land in the distance. Pieces of debris flew in a circular motion all around a large funnel. Her mouth dropped open as she witnessed the brown swirl engulfing a house shredding it into pieces, joining the already churning fragments in the air. She turned back to the glass and pounded on it. She pointed toward the storm, and Jesse motioned for them to get down. Henry pulled up beside Jesse and honked his horn. Ava had her window rolled down, and Henry shouted, “Follow me!”
Jesse nodded, and Henry dropped his VW into first gear and floored the gas pedal. He popped the clutch, wound it out to get as much speed out of it as he could, and then shifted into second. He darted around a car and turned into the parking lot of the Mamma’s Home Cooking restaurant he’d spotted. He drove right up to the front door. He got out and pulled on the door. “It’s locked!” he shouted. Jesse and the others pulled up and flung open the truck doors.
Jesse stood, looking back at the tornado and saw it split into two smaller twisters. They wobbled in the sky like the inflatable, whacky, waving air dancer tube man at the used car lots to attract buyers. He knew they were both headed straight for them, and they only had a couple of minutes before the tornadoes were on top of them. He paused, and his memory transported him back to the desert as tiny morsels pelted his exposed skin. Bullets zipped by his head and mortars exploded all around him as he tried to stop PFC Rodriguez’s wound from being caked with sand. One of Rodriguez’s legs had been blown off, and they were caught in a battle zone in the midst of a sand storm together. He bandaged the PFC’s stump as quickly as possible, and they huddled low as the sand continued to pile over them. They stayed put and prayed to God that the enemy wouldn’t get lucky with a mortar strike.