by Dave Bowman
The boy and the blonde girl looked at each other and laughed uproariously.
“Yeah, young lady,” the boy mocked, poking his friend in her belly.
The second girl, short and stout, looked on silently with a stone face.
“Listen, you kids need to go home,” Annie said. “It’s not safe out here.”
“Yeah,” the blonde girl said. “It’s not safe for you.”
The guy held his bat with one hand and let it bounce against the open palm of his other.
“How about you just cut the crap and give us your stuff,” he said. He almost sounded bored.
“Are you kids Victoria students?” Charlotte asked. “You’re all going to be in hot water very soon. We’re teachers there.”
The boy and the blonde girl exchanged another look and burst out laughing.
“Oh, you’re teachers?” the girl asked mockingly. “Even better. Hand over the loot.”
Charlotte pulled her bag tighter against her chest.
“Come on, Annie, let’s go. These children won’t threaten us.”
Charlotte started to move. All of a sudden, the quiet girl stepped in front of Charlotte, standing inches from her. The girl’s frame was broad and sturdy. She stood menacingly before Charlotte.
“Give us your stuff,” the girl said slowly. “Now.”
Charlotte side-stepped the girl and tried to make a run for it. But the girl grabbed Charlotte’s arm and swung her around to the ground. Charlotte fell on her side with a yelp.
Charlotte looked up helplessly at Annie, who was being surrounded by the boy and the other girl.
The kids reached for Annie’s backpack and Charlotte’s purse, pushing the women out of the way. Annie fought for her backpack, but the boy yanked it out of her hands. The stout girl easily overpowered Charlotte.
The boy stood before them, threatening them with the baseball bat. The two girls flanked him again.
“Little punks,” Charlotte said, looking up from the ground.
The blonde girl smiled. She looked at Charlotte’s high heels.
“Get her shoes, too,” the girl ordered, sneering.
Charlotte recoiled as the stout girl lunged at her. Charlotte fought, kicking her legs, but the boy grabbed her feet and held them still while the girl ripped off Charlotte’s favorite red heels.
The three teenagers disappeared in the woods, laughing as they ran.
Charlotte gave Annie a bewildered look.
“I can’t believe some high schoolers robbed us,” Charlotte said. “They give us grief all day in school, then they steal from us?”
Annie shook her head. “There go all our food and supplies. And your shoes.”
Charlotte looked down at her bare feet. Suddenly, she remembered something, and threw her head back in frustration.
“My medication!” Charlotte exclaimed as she hit the ground with her fist. “My pills were in that purse!”
Annie closed her eyes. She let her head hang in disappointment.
Things couldn’t get much worse.
Charlotte had Addison’s disease. Because her own body could not make life-sustaining steroid hormones, she relied on a prescribed medication. If she ran out of the drug, she could die.
What was worse, stressful situations made her need more of her meds.
Annie knew she had to keep her friend calm. Without the medication, stress and panic could throw Charlotte into a life-threatening crisis.
“Don’t worry,” Annie said, trying to make her voice sound calm. “We’ll find you some more prednisone.”
Charlotte, still in a heap on the forest floor, began to breathe rapidly. Panic was already taking her over.
She looked up at Annie with a frantic expression. “Where?”
“Well, you have more at home, right?”
Charlotte wrapped her arms around her legs and rocked back and forth.
“Yeah, but it could take hours to get to my house.” Her voice trembled.
Annie knew she was right. There were so many obstacles between them and Charlotte’s home out in the suburbs, that they might not make it in time.
“We’ll find a pharmacy,” Annie said confidently.
Charlotte started to protest. Annie interrupted her.
“I promise you we’ll get that medication,” Annie said. “But until then, it’s very important that you stay calm.”
Annie knelt beside her friend on the ground. “How are you feeling now?”
Charlotte closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m starting to feel a little dizzy,” she said in a quiet voice.
Annie gulped. Charlotte had long ago explained to her best friend about the signs and symptoms to watch for.
If I ever start slurring my words or get confused like I’m drunk, have me take the prednisone in my purse.
Annie knew that dizziness was one of the early warning signs. Charlotte could be thrown into an adrenal crisis if they didn’t get that drug soon.
“It was crossing the river,” Charlotte said. “I know you did a lot more of the work than I did, but it was hard for me too. I think it wiped me out. Plus all the stress of everything else … It all just made me bottom out. I was going to take a stress dose right before those kids stole our stuff.”
The more Charlotte spoke, the more Annie could hear the panic in her voice.
“I know,” Annie said. She tried to hide the fear in her own words. “But everything’s going to be okay.”
Inside, Annie herself was panicking. She had no idea how they would get that medication. Even if they could find a pharmacy, she figured it would be ransacked by then.
“I’m pretty thirsty, too,” Charlotte said.
The fear in Annie’s belly wound itself into a knot. Thirst was another early symptom of a crisis.
Annie wiped the dripping hair out of Charlotte’s face.
“Come on, let’s go get you something to drink,” Annie said.
She stood up herself, then helped her friend to her feet.
“Here, take my shoes,” Annie said.
Charlotte shook her head. “No, I can’t take your shoes. Then you’ll be barefoot.”
“No arguing,” Annie said as she handed her flats to Charlotte. “Just put them on. I knew it would come in handy sometime that we wear the same shoe size.”
Charlotte put the shoes on and followed Annie as she set out through the woods.
Annie wasn’t used to walking barefoot, especially not through the forest. Each step hurt.
At first, it was the rocks and twigs that poked her skin. Then, she had the misfortune of stepping on some broken glass. She ignored the small cut and pressed on. She had nothing to clean it with, anyway.
What had they gotten themselves into?
Getting past the guards and crossing the river had seemed like such a victory.
But now, Annie worried it had been a mistake to leave downtown.
She bit her lip as she walked to distract herself from the pain of her feet. She tried to walk gingerly, avoiding anything sharp.
Maybe they should have waited with everyone else on the bridge to get across the river. At least that way they would still have Charlotte’s medicine, plus food and drinks.
But no, she told herself, they’d had to do it this way. They’d made the right choice.
Who knew what would have happened to them on the bridge? They probably would’ve had their stuff stolen there, too. And now, having crossed the river, maybe they’d have a better chance of getting to safety before it was too late.
They had to push through. No matter what, they had to keep going forward.
Annie knew Charlotte was devastated by the robbery. Annie was, too.
It had felt so good to get across the river, so victorious. They’d fought so hard in the water, just to have a pack of teenagers steal their stuff. Annie fought back her own feelings of defeat and exasperation.
Her stomach was growling.
Swimming across the river with Charlotte in tow
had taken so much out of her. She was running on fumes, the exhaustion creeping over her steadily. She didn’t know how much more she had left.
But none of that mattered, because her friend was in trouble. She couldn’t even entertain thoughts of giving up. There was no choice but to keep going.
The women crossed the hiking trail that ran parallel to the river. They left the woods and climbed a grassy embankment. Finally, they reached the street.
Once they were out of the woods, there was a little more light. But Annie had to face what she had been trying to ignore: it was starting to get dark.
She looked down at her foot. The bleeding had stopped, but her feet were dirty.
No time to worry about a little cut right now.
They were entering the south side of the city. They set off through a new neighborhood and once again entered the street full of panicking people.
“So many people,” Charlotte said slowly. Too slowly.
Annie didn’t like the way her friend’s voice sounded – like it was moving through a thick fog.
Annie studied her face. Charlotte blinked slowly, as if in a daze. She was definitely showing signs of confusion now.
I’ve got to get her those meds before she slips into a coma.
Or worse.
“Char, just hold on to my hand, okay? I’m going to lead us through these crowds. Then we’ll get you your pills.”
Charlotte nodded dutifully, her usually animated face drooping and looking dull. She took hold of Annie’s hand, and they set off through the crowded street.
“The end is here! The end is here!” a man in a long coat screamed as they walked past. “We’re all doomed!”
Nearby, a young man shouted for all to hear that he was selling various illegal drugs.
“Get your fix for the end of the world!” he shouted. “Go out with a bang! Rock bottom prices!”
A woman carrying bottles of water ran smack into Annie. A water bottle fell, and as the woman bent to pick it up, she cursed in a loud voice at Annie.
Annie didn’t stop to engage.
“Why is everyone yelling?” Charlotte asked in a haze.
A woman carrying a screaming infant ran past. Children, adults, and even dogs trailing leashes behind them pushed this way and that.
An elderly man grabbed hold of Annie’s arm and stopped her. He began frantically speaking to her in a foreign language.
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Annie said, jerking her arm away. The man kept speaking to her in a panic. He pointed up at the sky, repeating a word over and over.
“Annie, what’s he saying?” Charlotte asked sleepily.
Annie didn’t answer. There was no time. She pulled her friend away from where the man stood.
The women pressed forward. At times, Charlotte was nearly pulled away from Annie’s grasp by the out-of-control crowds.
The exertion of fighting her way through this street isn’t good. It’s just depleting her levels.
Then, Annie’s heart leapt with joy.
“Charlotte, look! A pharmacy!”
Annie pointed at a chain pharmacy store she spotted around the corner. Charlotte’s eyes tried to follow Annie’s indication, but she was having trouble focusing.
“A fahm-a-see?” Charlotte slurred. “No fahm-a-see. I just wanna go home.”
“We need to stop here first, though,” Annie said.
She pulled her friend across the street and down the sidewalk. Charlotte shuffled toward the store while Annie held onto her.
Just as Annie expected, the pharmacy was a madhouse. Annie saw through the windows that people were packed like sardines inside.
“We’re going to have to push our way through the door,” Annie said.
“Can I wait out here and you go in?” Charlotte asked. She struggled to keep her eyes open.
Annie started to answer, but Charlotte stumbled and nearly fell.
She’s about to pass out.
I can’t let her out of my sight. And that pharmacy better have her meds.
“No, I need you to come in with me,” Annie said.
They arrived at the front door. A large man was trying to push his way through.
“Can you let us in first?” Annie asked. “My friend here is not doing so well. She needs a medication right away or she could die.”
The man ignored her.
“Fine, if you want to be that way,” Annie said.
She was done being nice.
Lunging at the guy, she rammed her shoulder against his gut. He recoiled.
Annie pulled Charlotte along behind her as they slipped in the opening left by the man.
Inside the store was total chaos. People were behaving like wild animals, tearing through shelves and boxes, screaming and wailing and shrieking.
People had overtaken the area behind the pharmacy counter where the medications were kept. A woman screeched, “Oxycontin! Where the hell is the Oxycontin?”
Annie struggled to push through the crowd. Two very tall women blocked her way to the pharmaceutical area.
“Please let us through,” Annie pleaded. “My friend is dying. She needs a medication.”
The women looked at Annie and rolled their eyes. They went back to trying to push their way into the drug area.
“She ain’t dying,” one of them said. “Y’all just want the Oxy like the rest of us.”
“You ain’t getting it before the two of us, that’s for sure,” the other one said.
Annie looked back at Charlotte just as her eyes were rolling back in her head. Her mouth was open, moving without words like a fish.
“Oh, no,” Annie said as she grabbed her friend and helped her toward a wall. Charlotte’s back slid down the wall where she came to a stop with a thud on the floor.
“Stay here,” Annie instructed.
But Charlotte wasn’t going anywhere. She sat slumped over on the floor, her head hanging to one side.
Annie knew she had just minutes to get the medication, if that.
She turned and looked at the crowd blocking the entrance to the drug area. Rising to her feet, she narrowed her eyes. No one was going to stand in her way anymore.
She started off toward the women blocking the entrance, taking large strides.
But before she could make it, an enormous, blinding flash of light froze her where she stood.
11
Dan Hamilton drove his 1968 Porsche 911 through the crowds on South First Street in downtown Austin. At the first opportunity, he turned on to a quieter side street.
However, being one of the only running cars on the road that afternoon, the crowds were sure to follow him wherever he went.
He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he kind of liked it. He liked having something that no one else did.
Everyone else seemed to think the world was ending. But Dan knew he would come out on top.
He always did.
He had an uncanny way of using other people’s misfortune to his advantage. And above all, his profit.
He drove past the woman on the street with a baby in her arms. She was shouting something, but at his speed, he couldn’t quite make it out. He was sure she was begging him for a ride, since all the newer vehicles had stopped working mysteriously and suddenly.
He rolled his eyes and accelerated past her.
People were always wanting something for free. He’d had to work for everything he had. More than work. He’d had to use his skills in reading people that he had honed over a lifetime.
Take the car he now drove, for example. It had been his father’s pride and joy. Dad had always said he would leave it to Dan’s brother, Bradley.
But why should Bradley have it?
Bradley had been Dad’s favorite. Above all, Bradley was someone who’d never had to work for anything.
When they were kids, Bradley always won their parents’ favor.
He always had better grades, popularity, and luck with the girls. Dan had always been in his s
hadow. And even when Dan had gained entrance to Stanford Law School, Bradley still managed to upstage him by getting in to Harvard Medical the next year.
So when their parents passed on, it was only fair that Dan should get the Porsche.
And the house.
Of course, Bradley was upset and accused Dan of changing the will. But he was never able to prove it.
Dan didn’t mind losing the relationship with his brother, or what was left of it. He found his fulfillment through his job as a high-powered attorney back in his hometown of Austin.
Of course, he’d had to work hard in his career, as well. There was always someone who seemed to be standing in his way. Dan had learned to evolve with the changing nature of his professional life.
If there was someone with an idea that would make Dan look good, he found a way to take credit for it. If Dan made a mistake, he pinned it on someone else.
Then there was that little matter of the chemical plant case a couple of years ago.
He had been defending a corporation against accusations of intentional negligence. He had a strong case. As he always did, he used whatever he could to his advantage, and threw out the rest.
As usual, Dan won the case.
Well, a pesky little journalist had appeared out of nowhere a month later, claiming he had evidence of attorney misconduct. Dan’s sources informed him the annoying little fellow was planning to write an exposé on the trial and publish it in the Austin newspaper.
It would have looked bad for Dan. Real bad.
The journalist was saying that Dan had destroyed evidence. Evidence that would have lost him the case. The journalist was saying that Dan had a history of backroom dealings with the judge presiding over the case.
Dan couldn’t risk that information going to print. He could imagine the consequences – being disbarred, losing his job, facing rejection and disgrace.
No, that would never do.
So, Dan made some inquiries.
He did nothing more than what he would do with any court case. He investigated his opponent, found his weak spots, and used them to his gain.
It turned out the journalist had a baby daughter and a wife. Those were his weak spots.
It was almost too easy. All Dan had to do was hire someone to take some pictures, send some emails, and generally scare the journalist pretty good. And then it was over.