by D A Carey
The other thing that caught Luke’s attention was how many of his neighbors were wandering aimlessly. They appeared listless or despondent as they walked the neighborhood without much to do besides looking at damage or idle chitchat with each other. Tens of millions of people had been a cog in the wheel of American industry for so long that, when that wheel stopped turning, they lost purpose. Those people merely gawked in consternation at the people who were boarding up and bugging in.
* * *
The drive home to the suburbs from downtown had taken over two hours. The expressways were a mess. There had been random sniper-style shootings from overpasses, wrecks, and intentionally placed debris in the roadway to slow people down. Luke would be happy when the police got the roads cleared.
The surface streets had gotten progressively worse. Half the blocks had fire trucks, police, and ambulances responding, while the other half had unattended fires burning and unchecked crimes being perpetrated unabated. Just as Luke got used to the war zone appearance, he would travel through miles of blocks that looked untouched.
When he got home to his subdivision in the eastern part of the county, it was obvious something had happened. Luke’s pulse was racing as he rolled up to a roadblock at the front of his subdivision. He recognized a few of his armed neighbors and could see smoke rising from some houses behind them and a few burned-out cars.
“Rob, what happened here?” Luke could hear the pitch in his voice rising and couldn’t stop it.
“Luke, is that you? Where you been, man?”
“I went to work. What’s going on here? Is my family okay? I need to get in!”
“It’s okay, man. Your family is fine.”
With a silent prayer, Luke bowed his head to the steering wheel and muttered, “Thanks,” to Rob. He lifted his head. “What happened here?”
“It’s hard to say. It escalated faster than we were ready for. You’ve been away a lot going to work, so I don’t guess you noticed that most of us have had to stay home. A lot have been laid off, some can work from home, and a few quit their jobs rather than leave their families.”
The last statement elicited a pained expression from Luke, and when Rob saw that, he hastily added, “Sorry, man. You’re doing what you have to, like we all are.”
“Thanks.”
“Anyway, there were a few strange trucks and vans in the subdivision. We didn’t think too much of it, though. People are getting help packing up or bringing in friends and family. The place has been hectic lately.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed.”
“Well, earlier today, a fight rolled out of one house, and Mrs. Jamison down the street was hitting some dude and screaming bloody murder that he was robbing her. That got a lot of people’s attention. The dude decked her with a fist to the jaw and jumped in his truck. We blocked him in and pulled him out of the truck. Some of the men from the neighborhood roughed him up pretty good. Then his buddy came from behind the house shooting. Some of our men shot back, and they ducked back into Mrs. Jamison’s house and kept shooting. We don’t know if we hit them, but soon after, flames were coming out of the house, so we surrounded it and waited for them to come out.”
“Did they?”
“Nope.”
“What about the rest of the houses? All this smoke can’t be from one house.”
“It isn’t. After that, we decided to blockade the entrances to the neighborhood first and then go door to door checking on people. We found five more houses being ransacked right beneath our noses. We weren’t ready.”
“Did anyone get hurt?
Rob nodded. “Yeah, and I’ll never live that down. We were right here and could have helped. We just didn’t know and weren’t ready. Thankfully, three of the houses were empty and were only being looted. Two of the houses had people in them, though. One family was brutalized badly and two of them shot. We aren’t sure if they were shot when we went in or well before. Both of those homes burned as well.”
“It could have been a lot worse if you fellows didn’t do what you did.”
“Thanks. I’ll get this truck moved so you can get to your family. We’ve stepped up the neighborhood block patrol. Can I count on you to take a shift?”
“Sure.”
“Okay. Some of us are pooling supplies for meals. Don’t feel like you have to, but some people are getting desperate, and we’re trying to head off any internal fighting over supplies.”
“I’ll talk to Cindy and see what we can do and get back to you.”
“Thanks again.” Rob slapped his hand on Luke’s hood, motioning him through the now-open blockade.
<< Rob >>
The power and internet were off more than on now. Food was running low, and the stores were closed. The news said there was food available at distribution locations. Fuel and labor shortages of drivers limited the transportation to various cities. The government had set up relief aid distribution centers and advertised it both online and with flyers tossed out of Humvees as they drove by various subdivisions.
Rob called a meeting of some key members of the neighborhood watch group. They met at the clubhouse by the pool in the center of the subdivision.
“Everyone, I appreciate you all coming here. If you’ll take a seat, I only have a couple of things to discuss.”
“Why the small group?” one of the ladies asked. “Why isn’t everyone else here?”
“I’ve talked to a lot of the people in the neighborhood about this already,” Rob responded. “So most everyone here has some interest in what I want to talk about or I wasn’t able to talk to you individually. I’ll ask Luke to explain it because it’s mostly his plan.”
Luke stood, cleared his throat, and surveyed the room nervously. He didn’t want to be responsible for being in charge, even though it was the best way to get his family the food they needed with commerce at a standstill and stores closed.
“I’ve talked to some other men and a couple of the few remaining policemen. They promise that it’s true the government is giving out emergency supplies and rations downtown. That’s where my office is, and I know the area well. From what I hear, the supplies are coming in by barge and being distributed at a couple of parking garages down by the YUM Center and the Galt House buildings. It makes sense if you think about it. Barges can carry tons of cargo and don’t need roads. They’re easy to protect, and the only choke points they have to worry about are the locks which are controlled by the Army Corp of Engineers.”
“It’s worth checking out,” Rob said. “We have some trucks and can pool enough gas for a few trips downtown. Security will be a big deal both on the trip and for the families left behind. We’re asking for volunteers to go downtown and to help guard the homes of those who do go.”
“Who gets the food?” one lady asked.
“We haven’t discussed how to distribute it yet. We will get as much as we can,” Rob answered. “Our goal is to get enough for everyone. We have all talked about this and plan to share. However, if push comes to shove, we will show preferential treatment to those who help either downtown or back here at home.”
The last comment made the room erupt in shouting and yelling as Rob knew it would. He and Luke had spoken, and he was sure he had to get that out on the table from the get go.
“This is unfair!”
“You’re stealing our food?”
“What about our children?”
The cries went on. Finally, Rob bellowed at them to sit and calm down. “I only said if push came to shove, we would reward the people who put in the work. We do aim to share and help our neighbors.”
That didn’t stop the uproar and excuses, but it did quiet it some.
“I’ve had a back injury.”
“My knees hurt.”
“I can’t carry more than twenty pounds according to my doctor.”
“We leave at six in the morning,” Rob announced. “I’m going outside for some fresh air. Anyone who wants to come on the trip or will volunteer to gu
ard our homes while we’re gone, see either me or Luke.” Then he turned and walked outside.
* * *
Around six a.m., four men left in two trucks. It was nearly nine before they were stopped at a roadblock on Second Street downtown not far from the old YMCA building. They were forced to park and walk the rest of the way. Two men stayed with the trucks, and Rob and Luke continued on to a parking garage entrance on Third Street beside the YUM center.
They got into a line that stretched for more than two blocks. It was after noon before they reached the front. A tired government employee said, “Toiletries or MREs?”
“Both,” Luke responded.
The man reached for a single MRE and toiletry bag.
“We’re collecting for our subdivision,” Luke explained. “We have a couple other men and two trucks parked a few blocks away. How do we get approval for enough for everyone?”
“You can’t,” the official said bluntly. “This is the single line. Take it or leave it. I can give you as much as two MREs and one toiletry item. Take it or leave it.”
“I’ll take it. What about my family?” Luke’s voice was rising.
“There is another line for families. They have a computer with your IRS information. They are authorized two give you two MREs per day for each member of your family according to the most recent tax record.”
As they left the line, Rob said to Luke, “Go ahead and get in the family line. If you can spare another MRE or two for me, I’d appreciate it. I’m going to go spell the other guys and let them come get in line here before they shut this down. I heard they close around four each day.”
“Okay, Rob. Thanks, and be safe.”
After another ninety minutes in yet another line, Luke was given eight more MREs and three more toiletry kits. Another government official who was more sympathetic warned him, “You need to get here earlier next time. In a day or two, they will be shutting the food distribution down to four hours a day. There is also scuttlebutt that they plan to shut down the family line. Soon it will be one MRE per person present. So far that’s only a rumor. I believe it, though.”
“What am I supposed to do?” Luke asked. “My family and friends are all out in the east end, miles from here.”
“That’s up to you. A lot of people are camping out in the parking garages. They are allowing one marked parking area as a camping spot per family. People are making them as comfy as possible and bringing in pallets and separating them with curtains.”
“That’s barbaric!” Luke exploded, and the more agreeable of the two government employees’ demeanor changed. Luke had gone too far.
“I don’t think an extended camping trip is too much to ask to keep one’s family fed. I live there myself.”
“I’m sorry. I know that was rude of me. Why don’t you move into one of the Galt House hotel rooms or one of the offices around here?”
“Not allowed. FEMA says who can stay where, and so far camping in the parking garages is the only approved option. A few of the people doing special jobs can get promoted and earn a better spot as a perk. That’s what I’m working for.”
“What kind of perks?”
“Better spots in the garage or a spot out of the garage if you go high enough, school classes for the kids, better food.”
“Okay,” Luke said, deep in thought as he stepped out of line.
The man gave one last piece of advice. “You and your neighbors need to decide soon. In a few days, they’re going to pull back the police and military to protect only the downtown area and waterfront. Anyone outside the perimeter will be on their own and classified as a quasi-criminal for violating the curfew.”
“A criminal for staying in my own home?”
“Quasi.” The man snickered. “They assume you’re out where you shouldn’t be because you’re outside the wire. It won’t matter anyway. Those areas won’t be patrolled and will devolve into anarchy. You can do what you want. I brought my family here.”
<< Vince >>
Around mid-morning the day after the outage, Vince was looking out the window and saw Carol come riding in on a bicycle just as pretty as you please. When Liz saw Vince smile and walk out the front door, she followed, Junior close on her heels. It was clear that Bill had spoken to Junior about protecting Liz, passing the torch, so to speak.
“Carol, my word!” Vince’s booming laugh was infectious those rare times he used it. “I thought you were Mary Poppins coming up the driveway.”
“Vince, there is nothing silly about my outfit,” Carol said primly. “Even though the skirt is long, it’s made for riding. It’s split up the middle.”
“What about your picnic basket?” Vince said, having fun with her.
“I only had a small backpack and needed to bring a few personal items and food.”
“Well, you have to admit that the bike is in true Mary Poppins style.”
“Honestly, Vince,” Carol said, getting exasperated, “it’s a popular style of bike, and those of us with a little more padding on the backside prefer this to the narrow racing-style seat. Liz has a couple of these bikes, too.”
“No matter,” Vince said, taking Carol in a one-armed hug. “I’m so glad you’re here and safe. Come on in and tell us what you saw out there.”
From Carol’s account, things were getting worse in Los Angeles faster than they had expected. While they’d all seen what happened the night things went dark, they hadn’t seen much violence or chaos in Liz’s neighborhood. Vince opined that it had something to do with the few police who stayed on the job and were directed to this neighborhood. In his opinion, more of their safety was due to how well armed the citizens in this part of town were. Despite all the anti-gun and anti-violence protests many of the Hollywood elite participated in, this area was remarkably well armed.
It wasn’t that the thugs didn’t try these neighborhoods; it was that the residents had less compunction about shoot first and ask questions later than many hunters and soldiers Vince knew. It was chilling to see how fast they changed and how ruthless they could be. Vince had seen more than a couple of Liz’s neighbors shoot someone just for walking up their driveway.
Carol was calm despite the atrocities she reported seeing. She described more looting than actual targeted crime. To the people with low morals, the businesses had more low-hanging fruit than an individual house for now. Carol also shared that she’d made a detour on the way to Liz’s to stop by Kim Middleton’s apartment. They had all become close working for Liz. Kim had been on a cruise when the power went off. Carol just hoped that somehow Kim’s ship made it to port and she’d gotten home. However, it was obvious no one had been to Kim’s place in more than a week by the fliers piled up outside her door.
From Liz’s posh Hollywood neighborhood, they could see much of the city burning. It wasn’t clear if was accidental electrical fires or rioting gone unchecked. Inside the neighborhood, a barter system soon evolved where the wealthy people were bringing people into their homes and paying them in food, jewels, and electronics of all things to help them defend their property. What was ignorant about that process to Vince was that as soon as it became obvious the electronics had no value and the food and jewels ran low, the helpers would merely leave in a best-case scenario. At worst, they would turn on their hosts and kill them for what was left.
Vince knew they were living on borrowed time and they needed to get out while they could. When they’d gotten home from the bar and inventoried the panic room supplies and guns, Liz had directed Vince to the gardener’s building to check out his truck. Now that they were actually planning to leave, he wanted another look. The truck was old and rickety. Liz told Vince it was Bill who insisted she buy an older truck for the gardener as opposed to a new truck. Vince wasn’t sure how far it would get them, but it started, it ran, and they had plenty of spare fuel. Vince, Junior, Liz, Ava, Tyler, Kayley, and now Carol were potential travelers. If they all chose to go, Vince wasn’t sure how they would fit in the truck with enou
gh supplies. They needed to make a plan and decide who was going sooner rather than later.
Vince made eye contact with Liz over the throng created by Carol’s reunion. He nodded to the hall, indicting he wanted to speak to her. “We need to decide who is going and get on the road soon,” he said once they were out of earshot of the others. “Probably tonight.”
“Wow, I thought we would have another day or two. You could use the rest.”
“True, but another week of rest won’t change things much for me. I’m getting that niggling feeling that I need to be on the move like I used to get in combat. I’ve taught myself to pay attention to those feelings. So we need to go.” They were standing close to each other, and Vince could smell her hair. Suddenly, he needed some space.
“Let me catch up with Carol and let’s get everyone fed, then I’ll bring up the conversation,” Liz said. “It’s probably best coming from me.”
“Thank you, Liz.”
She gave him a teasing chuck on the shoulder and said, “Let’s eat around four. That should give you a couple of hours to prowl around and collect whatever you think we need, and it will give me time to catch up with Carol.”
<< Liz >>
“Okay, everyone. I know this is hard. As you know, I’ve made the decision to leave L.A.” Liz scanned the huge front room of the lavish Hollywood mansion. She was mostly met with silence. She’d asked Vince to stay quiet at the side of the room. These were her people, and she needed to talk to them. They were frightened, and they might turn their anger on him as an outsider. She only wanted to get things settled and get on the road. They had discussed this before and knew this conversation was coming.
“Please,” Liz said, drawing out the word, “don’t think I’m pressuring you or asking you to join me. The trip I’m going to take will be extremely hard. It will be dangerous, and people could get hurt or killed.”