by Olah, Jeff
Less than a hundred yards away, the woman from the day before stood holding a sign above her head. She was only visible from the waist up and in nearly the same position she’d been when Owen had run out into the street. Written in what looked like charcoal, three giant words were scribbled out on a piece of tattered cardboard.
WE NEED HELP
Owen glared at the sign for a few seconds, but it seemed like it was longer than that. He felt the urge to run, to react, to do something other than just stare back at the woman and her sign. “How long has she been out here?”
“Same as yesterday.”
“And the sign?”
“At first she just waved her arms over her head. I guess she wanted to be sure we were watching. She just pulled the sign out a minute ago.”
That wasn’t what he was asking. “No,” Owen said, “what do think we should do?”
As the woman lowered the sign and now just stood with her arms at her side, Kevin turned to face him. “What do you think?”
“We really don’t have much of a choice.”
“We don’t have a choice or you don’t have a choice? Don’t let this turn into something it’s not. There are a few ways this could go, and only one of them ends well for us. I think we need to remember that.”
Owen stepped to the edge of the roof, dropped to one knee and looked out toward the interstate. It was worse than the night before and now had him doubting his decision to keep it to himself. “Let’s find out what she wants.”
“You sure about that?”
“Not even a little bit.”
54
They were running out of time, but Owen needed to finish this. He watched the alley that ran alongside the building across the street, now beginning to slide the nine millimeter from his belt.
“Owen,” Kevin reached for the gate. “Let’s at least allow her to cross, I don’t think she’s going to give us any trouble.”
Owen looked over briefly, made eye contact. “You willing to bet your life on that?
“That’s not what I’m saying.”
His attention quickly turned back to the street, Owen gripped the gun in his left hand. “Then what are you saying?”
Kevin scratched at the side of his face, sounding like he was already growing tired of the back and forth. “Just that not everything is as black and white as you want it to be.”
“You doing it again, trying to teach me some sort of life lesson? Trying to show me how to focus on what’s important? You wanting me to prove—”
Owen’s voice dropped away as the woman from the roof leaned out away from the alley and looked first at him, and then down toward the end of the block. She stepped quickly to the sidewalk, her limp from the day before now only a slight hitch.
From his right, Kevin held his hand out, placed it carefully over the weapon in Owen’s hand, and quietly cleared his throat. “She’s not armed and looks scared.”
Owen’s eyes locked on the woman; he didn’t turn or blink. “Yeah?”
“You want her to run again?”
He spoke quietly out of the side of his mouth, almost as if on autopilot. “No.”
“Then focus on what we’re—”
Owen pushed Kevin’s hand back, finally turning toward him. “I know what I’m doing.” His voice now ratcheting with each word. “You just worry about yourself.”
Kevin stepped in front of the gate, almost nose to nose with Owen. He kept his voice low, but spoke quickly. “Come on man, she’s not a threat. You know that.”
The woman had stopped on the opposite side of the street. She teetered at the edge of the sidewalk, again looking from Owen, to the end of the block, and then back to Owen. Her eyes said she’d been awake much longer than was healthy, and her drawn features spoke to the disaster that this world had become.
He figured Kevin was right, but was done taking chances. His family came first … no matter what.
“Hey.” Owen wasn’t sure exactly what to say. There were many things, but with Kevin drilling a hole in the side of his head, they all seemed much too aggressive.
The woman stepped off the sidewalk and offering a weak smile, began to raise her hands. “I’m sorry.”
Her voice sounded as though she hadn’t used it for quite some time. It was low, raspy, and hesitant. She walked with her shoulders rounded and her head down. And again, she said, “I’m sorry.”
Kevin moved past Owen and looked to the intersection beyond their building. He turned back to the woman and then reached for the lock. “We shouldn’t be doing this out here. We either need to let her in or turn her away now. There isn’t time for anything else.”
“Unlock it, but leave the chain on.” Owen leaned into the gate and as the woman stepped up onto the curb fifteen feet away, he held up his hand. “Stay right there.”
She stopped, but again turned to face the intersecting street to her right. “I need some help, my—”
Owen again held up his hand, quickly looking her over. “Are you alone?”
She shook her head, but didn’t answer, looked like she was afraid to speak. He didn’t like what that said, but also didn’t get the feeling that she was a threat. Maybe Kevin was right.
But then again …
“Who are you with, where are they?”
The woman wiped her eyes, swallowed hard. She was at that helpless moment just before a complete breakdown. Owen had seen it many times, only now he was on the opposite end.
To his right Kevin sensed it too. He slipped the chain from around the gate but before pulling it open, turned to Owen. “Let’s figure this out inside.”
Owen made a point of looking into the woman’s eyes. And when she finally met his stare, he slipped the nine millimeter into his pants and nodded to Kevin. “Yeah.”
The woman’s eyes were full as she looked from Owen to Kevin and then back. She blinked every few seconds and slowly opened her mouth, saliva sticking in the corners. “Wait.”
Kevin held tight to the chain-link, slowing the gate as he stepped into the opening. “Wait?”
The woman was shaking, her arms, her legs, she even appeared to convulse as she turned and looked back toward the alley. “I can’t.”
Owen now also reached for the gate. He slowly pulled it away from Kevin, and stood on the sidewalk with his hands raised and his palms facing out. “It’s okay, we’re not gonna hurt you. We just want to help.”
He knew what was coming, should have seen it earlier and made the adjustment. But it was too late. The woman took a step back, turned, and started to run.
Before she was even half way across the street, Owen was on the move. Her strides were less than half of his, and although she was fast, he was already gaining ground.
Up onto the opposite sidewalk and approaching the alley, the woman turned the corner first. She cut left and darted around a dumpster, leapt a motionless corpse, and then again increased her pace.
Within five feet, Owen reached out for the back of her shirt, but only managed to grab a handful of nothing. He tried to speak, his words coming in short bursts, between deep swallows if air. “Come on … we only … want to …”
He now thought back to his conversation with Kevin and wondered if chasing this woman was the right decision. Was this what was best for his family or was he simply feeding a personal obsession?
He didn’t even need to ask. The answer should have been clear as soon as he stepped through the gate.
Owen quickly slowed to a walk and then paused a moment to catch his breath. “We can help you, you just need to let us.”
As if awakened by his words, the woman came to an abrupt stop. She stood facing away, her hands hanging at her sides. She looked like she was going to turn, but then didn’t. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come out here.”
Owen looked over his shoulder, saw Kevin standing thirty feet back. His friend motioned toward the end of the block and pointed at his wrist.
Back to the woman he said, “What’s yo
ur name?”
The woman turned her head back, tears continuing to run down her dirty cheeks. “Harper.”
Owen slowly started forward, each step carefully placed. “Okay Harper, we can help, but there isn’t time. We have to go … right now.”
She finally lifted her head, again wiped at her face, and pointed toward the opposite end of the alley. “It’s my grandmother…she’s weak. She needs help.”
55
Owen sat across the table from Harper Rhyes and her grandmother, Cookie. They ate quickly and without speaking more than a handful of words. Once finished, the older woman pushed back in her seat and looked around the room.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Owen said. “No trouble at all.”
Natalie came out of the kitchen, followed closely by Kevin and Zeus. She had another plate of rice and two glasses of water. “I hope the two of you are still hungry.”
Harper began to shake her head, although Cookie turned to Natalie and smiled wide. “Yes, thank you.”
Natalie set the plate and the glasses on the table and took a seat beside Owen. She waited for Kevin to slide into the booth to her right and watched as Zeus trotted to the front doors. “So, the two of you have been alone out there for the last week?”
Harper stopped short of raising her glass to her mouth and turned to her grandmother.
Owen rested his arms at his sides, shifting slightly away from Natalie. His wife was never one to mince words, and he knew from her tone that the question had multiple layers. Ones that weren’t going to be easy to answer. Their new visitors may not have picked up on it, although he could see where this was headed and felt the need to interject.
“It must have been rough.”
Cookie set her fork on her plate. “My granddaughter is much tougher than she looks; she’s the reason we’re still here.”
“Where are you from?”
“The city, downtown.”
Owen leaned back into the table and folded his hands. He looked toward the windows at the northwest corner of the building and then back to the women.
There wasn’t time.
He also wasn’t asking the right questions and knew that sooner or later, Natalie would jump back in. He needed to get through this and back to what mattered most. “My friends and I … we aren’t staying here.” He then turned to Harper. “What are your plans?”
Cookie swallowed a small sip of water, wiped her chin, and pushed aside her plate. Her expression told him that she was understandably caught off guard by the question. “We don’t have a plan, does anyone? Do you?”
Owen forced back a smile. The older woman’s no-nonsense attitude reminded him of his wife. Only now he was intrigued, rather than apprehensive. She continued to stare at him, waiting for an answer, but all he could focus on was the world beyond their building and the next several hours.
“We do have a plan, but unfortunately it doesn’t involve staying here. Not even for another day.” He glanced to Natalie, her eyes now narrowed and drilling a hole in the side of his head. “You’re welcome to come with us, but if you’d like to stay here we’ll understand.”
Harper slid her chair away from the table, looked as though she might stand. “My grandmother is in no shape to travel. This is the first time she’s eaten in the last few days. She’s weak and just needs some time. Maybe a couple of days.”
Owen looked to Kevin, and then Natalie, and finally back to the two women. “I’m sorry, but we’re leaving tonight. We’re heading to the coast and if we don’t go soon, there’s a chance we won’t be able to.”
Natalie placed her arm on the table and raised her hand. “Uh, excuse me? I thought that you said we’d have to wait another three days?”
He should have had this conversation with her separately, although he was here now, and figured he’d kill two birds with the same stone. “Yeah, things have changed a bit.”
“Things have changed? What things and when did they change?”
Her sarcastic tone said she didn’t believe him. He’d heard it more times than he could recall, but now didn’t care. For once, there was a good reason.
He didn’t like the idea of unraveling the details in front of their guests; however, they might also benefit from hearing what he had to say. “It was this morning.”
Natalie’s voice inched up. “This morning?”
“Well, I first spotted it late last night, but wasn’t sure.” He turned briefly to Kevin and then back to his wife. “It wasn’t until this morning that I knew for sure.”
“What? What did you know for sure? What is it Owen?”
Again to Kevin and then back to Natalie, he said, “The crowds, they’re migrating this way. I’m not sure why, but if we don’t leave soon, we won’t be able to.”
Now it was Natalie’s turn. She looked to Kevin, and then back to Owen. “What do you mean, won’t be able to? Couldn’t we take another route, maybe just go around the crowds?”
“That was my plan two days ago, but now it won’t work. If we don’t go soon …”
Owen stopped. He didn’t even want to voice it, thought that maybe if he never spoke the words that it may not actually come to pass.
Kevin shifted in his chair, looked to Natalie, and finished Owen’s thought. “If we don’t go today, we won’t be able to. The crowds are going to encircle this place, probably within the next twenty-four hours. We may be safe locked behind these gates, but even that won’t last very long. Owen’s right, we have to go. And the sooner the better.”
Cookie took a slow sip of water, slid the glass to the center of the table, and began to step out of the booth. “Mr. Mercer?”
“Owen, just Owen.”
“Owen …” She turned to Harper. “We want to go with you. We won’t be any trouble and will pull our own weight. My granddaughter is tough, tougher than most, but so am I. We aren’t about to give up, not even close.”
He let a soft grin slide across his face. “Okay, okay. I believe you. You don’t need to sell me on—”
“MR. MERCER!”
It was Lucas. He was moving quickly along the outside stairwell and shot through the doors just as everyone in the room turned.
Moving through the dining room, Lucas dropped his voice, but not his intensity. “Mr. Mercer, there’s a problem.”
Owen pushed out of the booth, his pulse rocketing. “What is it?”
Lucas stopped at the table twenty feet away. “They got through. I don’t know how, but they’re inside the gates.”
56
Owen jogged to the opposite side of the room. The windows at the northeast corner offered the best possible view, and if his predictions were correct, that’s where they had gotten in. He quickly pushed a chair into the wall, climbed atop, and pressed his face into the backside of the glass.
For a moment, he forgot how to breathe, his eyes darting from one end of the property to the other.
“We have to go …”
Reaching into his lower back, he felt the handle of the Glock, stepped off the chair, and turned to the others. “We have to go now, right now.”
Natalie was already heading toward the stairs. She spoke under her breath to Harper and Cookie, then started toward the stairs. “AVA, NOAH?”
Owen crossed the dining room, his eyes watching the front doors and the windows on either side. “Nat, where are the kids?”
As she continued in the opposite direction, crossing paths with Kevin and Lucas, she shouted back, only turning slightly toward him. “They were going to the third floor.”
“For what?”
She didn’t answer.
Now moving toward their new guests, Owen slowed. “There really isn’t time to talk this over, we’re leaving. And I’m going to need you both to follow Kevin out to the black truck.” He made eye contact with his friend, offered a nod. “He’ll make sure you’re safe, just do what he says.”
He turned away as Kevin led Harper and Cookie toward the doors
, Zeus now up on all fours, waiting for instruction. Ahead, Natalie and Lucas had moved into the interior stairwell and disappeared, only his wife’s voice could be heard echoing down to the first floor.
“AVA, NOAH?”
Owen stopped. He took a half-second to look around and think through his next move, to attempt to focus through the fear. Running to the stairs, he stopped at the door. “NAT, LET’S GO!”
Somewhere above, a door opened and voices shot through the narrow space. He closed his eyes and just listened for a moment. There was Noah, breathing hard and asking questions without waiting for answers. His daughter also—she was speaking over her brother and making sure Lucas had alerted her father.
The last voice was his wife. It was low and rushed. As he stepped into the stairwell and looked up, he caught a glimpse of her coming out onto the third-floor platform and hurrying the others along. “Come on, we’re getting out of here, we don’t have time, just … just go!”
Owen backed away as his children and his wife moved out of the stairs and ran the short distance to the front door. He followed, keeping one eye on the windows over his right shoulder.
With the group now gathered near the front doors, Owen turned first to Kevin. “Let’s just get through the gates and out onto Sixth. Once we have them at our backs we can decide how far out we want to go.”
Kevin nodded. “Okay, I’ll take our new friends out first, have Zeus run interference. Shouldn’t be a problem.”
Next, over to Natalie, he motioned toward the front lot and handed her a key ring. “Get the kids to the SUV. I’ll come out with Lucas and he’ll drive.”
She began to respond, but he had already turned and started for the kitchen. “Lucas, let’s go.”
Ava called out. “Dad, what are you—”
Without turning, he interrupted. “No time sweetheart, I need you to help your mother and your brother. I promise Lucas and I will be fine.”
Into the kitchen and scanning the cooktop, Owen reached for a pair of egg timers, handed one of them to Lucas, and gripped the other in his left hand. “Your idea, you get the honors.”