by Hunt, Jack
“Mom,” Evan tugged on her jacket and motioned to three guys coming down the street with rifles on their backs. Each of them looked like they were hunters. She’d seen them around town driving a large truck. She glanced over to Officer Jackson but several of the officers had already spotted them. They drew their weapons and in a controlled manner pushed through the crowd and told the three men to put down their weapons.
“We have the right to bear arms.”
“Concealed carry, not open. Now put them on the ground.”
It was a tense few moments and after some back and forth the men lowered their weapons and the cops moved in, cuffed them and took them into the station. That again only made matters worse as others protested and said that they weren’t doing any harm. Jackson looked at Rayna before following the other officers inside and closing the front doors.
She must have waited out there for close to thirty minutes before Gary emerged. Gary Westin was close in age to Elliot. Both of them were in their late forties. Gary was six foot two with cropped dark hair and a mustache.
“Rayna.”
“Sorry to bother you, Gary, but I need to speak to you.”
He cast a stern glance at the crowd and motioned for her to head inside with him.
“Looks like you have your work cut out for you,” she said.
“Oh it’s been manic since yesterday. People can’t get through by phone so they’ve been showing up at all hours. There isn’t anything we’re able to tell them other than to go back home and wait for an announcement.”
“Announcement?”
“The mayor will have a town hall meeting to address people’s concerns. Officers will be patrolling along with volunteers near the grocery and pharmacy stores to prevent anyone from looting. They will set in place a six o’clock curfew. Pretty standard stuff.”
He led her down a corridor and she glanced into the offices, which were packed with people discussing the situation.
“Everything okay at home?”
“Yeah, as good as it can be.”
He motioned for her to head into his office.
“How you doing, kids?” They both mumbled under their breath and he ran his hand over Evan’s hair. “And I see you brought Kong with you. Hey boy!” he said crouching down and running his fingers through the dog’s hair. He rose and shut the blinds in his office for a little privacy.
“So what can I do for you?”
“This is an EMP, right?”
He stared back at her and then went around his table and took a seat.
“Um,” he cleared his throat. “From what we can tell, yeah. No one has managed to find out what caused it so far, as TV, radio, everything is down and without a vehicle working we are kind of cut off from the outside world.” He frowned. “Can I get you a coffee?”
“The vending machine is working?”
“No, but a camp stove is.”
“It’s okay, I’m fine.” She leaned back in her chair and ran a hand over her face. “Last night when the lights went out. Two of my neighbors came by.”
He shook his head and leaned forward. “And?”
“At midnight, in the rain.”
“What did they want?”
“They said they were checking. You know, seeing who else didn’t have power but…”
“But what?”
She shrugged and cast a glance at Lily. “I don’t know. I just get a bad vibe from them. One of them asked if it was just me and the kids.”
“And you said?”
“I didn’t reply. I told them to go on their way. I was holding a rifle.”
“Holding a rifle?” He smirked.
“Well, Elliot said.”
Gary sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “You heard from him?”
“No. Nothing.”
He leaned back in his leather chair and ran a hand around the back of his neck. It was clear he was stressed.
“Listen, if you want to bring the kids to our house, I’m sure Jill wouldn’t mind.”
“Actually, I was thinking that maybe you both wanted to head to the shelter.”
He chuckled. “I think that would be kinda jumping the gun right now. Besides, I have a lot of work to do here.”
“Like what?”
“Just because the power is out, Rayna, it doesn’t mean the world comes to an end. There are folks out there who are still relying on us for protection.”
“And how are you supposed to do that without any vehicles?”
He exhaled hard. “It’s not going to be easy. Some of us will patrol on bicycle, the rest on foot. We’re working with the community to find older vehicles that might operate. We still have a job to do. We have several volunteers in the community that will be assisting down here so we can be out there but yeah that’s the plan so far.”
“What about ham radio?”
“For?”
“To find out what’s going on out there. We have one. Radio might be down but ham radio should be working. At least according to…”
“… Elliot,” he finished what she was about to say. “Rayna, I know and we will get around to that. Right now we are just trying to deal with the backlash from everyone and assess the situation, create a contingency plan and issue a state of emergency.”
“So are you running a generator in here?”
He nodded. “The town hall here has been set up as a command center while we deal with this.”
“And what about water and food?”
He blew out his cheeks. “That’s what the town hall meeting is going to be about. They’ll hand out information with instructions on what to do to make refrigerated items last. Probably by suggesting folks leave milk, frozen meat and leftovers outside. With all the cold weather we’ve been having it should last. We’re also working with the grocery stores to see if we can arrange to have bottled water made available.”
“And what if people get ill?”
“Rayna. I don’t have all the answers. We have someone who is working on all of that right now. All I can tell you is that our officers are telling everyone to attend the meeting, and then questions will be answered.”
She nodded and he smiled at Evan.
“Why don’t you drop by and see Jill? I’m sure she’d appreciate the visit and it would certainly make me feel better knowing that she’s not alone.”
“And how long are you going to be?”
“However long it takes. We have guys who worked through the night. So I need to be here for now.”
“And my neighbors?”
He exhaled hard. “Look. I’ll have one of the officers swing by, okay, but I’m sure they are just like everyone else. A little nervous. If you head home later just be sure to lock your doors. I’ll keep you updated.”
She offered back a strained smile and thanked him. As she got up, he came around and gave her a hug. She felt his thumb rub the back of her neck under her hair. They’d grown quite close over the months that Elliot had been away, probably a little too close. He hadn’t cheated on Jill but that was only because she wouldn’t let him. She might have missed the company of a man in her bed, but she wasn’t that low. She had morals and knew where to draw the line. However that hadn’t stopped him from seeing where the boundary line ended.
“Oh by the way. Do you still have the other two-way radio?”
“It’s at the house.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
As Rayna and the kids headed out, she noticed the crowd had gotten larger, wilder, and she knew it would only be a matter of time before they took matters into their own hands. She’d drop by and see Jill and see if she could convince her to come back to the shelter. If she declined, so be it. Either way, she planned on making sure her kids were safe. At the end of the day that was her only priority.
Chapter 16
All it takes is one person to unravel a nation, just as it takes only one domino for the rest to fall. That’s what Elliot told them that morning, and that’s what they witness
ed as they walked past a Walgreens Pharmacy. Someone had taken a forklift, peeled up the security gate and smashed right through the front door leaving it wide open. They watched as young and old went in and out returning with armfuls of milk, soft drinks, chips, candy, medication and hygiene products. No one stopped them, and no one would. Police and the National Guard were overwhelmed, if they were anywhere to be seen. In the past hour they hadn’t come across one soldier. Without communication it would take days before there was any real attempt at providing relief. People weren’t dumb, they knew that. That was why so many days after Katrina there was still chaos. It was why there was a delayed response, and it’s also why looting happened only twenty-four hours after Hurricane Irma hit and took out three-quarters of the power in Florida. Sure, emergency services were out there but the need was too overwhelming, and this was more than just a power outage. If the nation was under attack by North Korea, the troops would be called to action, leaving police, store owners and homeowners to deal with the problem at hand.
As they rounded another corner they saw three kids running from a Foot Locker carrying boxes of sneakers that they would sell later.
If the power remained down for longer than a few months, and if other areas in the world had been attacked by North Korea, who knew when help would come? Of course, ordering a citywide curfew would be one of the first steps that the mayors of New York and other cities would try to put in place but enforcing it, well, that was another thing entirely. As they continued past a stretch of stores, Elliot could already see some of the measures that store owners had put in place. Someone had sprayed a warning sign in red paint across the front of a set of metal shutters: YOU LOOT, I SHOOT!
But it wasn’t just looting that would be the problem — widespread violence would come hand in hand as the desperate took whatever steps necessary to gain what they needed, even if it meant mugging someone.
“I would advise you to keep your gun on the ready, and your eyes peeled for trouble. It’s a long walk out of this city and chances are things are going to turn ugly real fast.”
Elliot took the lead, Damon watched his six while Jesse stayed by Maggie’s side. He had to admit his change of mind had surprised him. He wasn’t offering them anything more than what they might find if they stayed but he got a sense that they were looking to him to see their way through it. He didn’t want to burst their bubble. Sure he knew a little about surviving. The army had taught him enough, and he’d put in place a shelter and enough to ride out six months, but that was for his family. It was the bare minimum. Certainly not enough for others.
“We aren’t walking this whole thing, are we?” Damon asked, his eyes scanning the windows of buildings. Elliot didn’t reply. Several loud bangs followed by gunfire made him think of Iraq and all the times they’d rolled into villages searching for insurgents. The moments they burst into homes seeking cover, or carrying their wounded. It was loud, hot and there was no telling what was around the next corner.
“If we come across an older vehicle, you think you’d know how to hotwire it?” Elliot asked, eying Damon.
“Oh, because I was inside, you automatically think I…”
“Inside?” Maggie asked. It was bound to come out. Better now than when they were a hundred miles outside of the city. Fortunately, Elliot didn’t have to be the one to explain, but he knew he would probably get blamed for not saying anything. The thing was, it wasn’t his place and ex-cons didn’t bother him. He’d rubbed shoulders with them enough over the past year.
“I did eight months in Rikers for drug possession.”
“So you’re some kind of dealer?”
“No, just a mug who trusted his best friend and ended up becoming the fall guy.”
“I had a friend of mine who ended up there. Said it was bad,” Jesse said out of the blue. “He ended up in solitary confinement. Said it was exactly what he needed to get his shit together.”
“Why was he there?”
“Tax fraud. He had to do a year inside.”
Right then, two rounds were fired, one of them ricocheted off metal and instinctively Elliot hit the ground. “Get down!” He sucked in a breath and made sure the others were okay before he peered around the vehicle to see what was going on. No one was shooting at them. Someone had fired a few rounds through a Pizza Deli window. They were now kicking the shattered glass and entering. He motioned with two fingers for them to get moving. They were only seeing the tip of the iceberg. By nightfall there was no telling how bad it would be. He wanted to put as much distance between the city and them as possible. It wouldn’t be easy without a ride. He’d already mapped out the journey and figured it would take them close to a hundred hours on foot. Now he’d hiked and run a lot of miles when he was a soldier but covering 286 miles? He was even more determined to find a vehicle. There had to be at least one they could find. Not everyone could afford the newest models.
They continued on, crossing over Newtown Creek and heading north on Van Dam Street. It would take them across the Robert Kennedy Bridge, through Randall Island Park and straight through the middle of the Bronx. He figured it would take a good four hours before they managed to get through there. It was a dangerous place day or night, though if he had to walk through it, it was better in daylight hours.
“Hold up,” Maggie said leaning against the wall. She grimaced while reaching down and rubbing her leg. Elliot looked back and realized this was going to take much longer if they had to keep stopping and starting.
“Look, why don’t you stay here in the cemetery and me and Damon will go search for a vehicle? Remind me when I get back to put some stitches in that leg of yours.”
Her eyes widened.
First Calvary Cemetery was huge. He figured no one would be hanging out there. Anyone looking to take advantage of others would be in stores, homes and down back alleys waiting for unsuspecting looters they wanted to mug.
“Yeah, not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Well it’s either that or we walk through the Bronx at night. Take your pick.”
Jesse nodded. “I’ll stay with her. Go on.”
He put his arm around Maggie and led her into the mammoth cemetery with huge granite tombstones. The sky was a deep blue and there were only a handful of clouds in the air. How dangerous could it be in a cemetery? he thought as he watched the other two head on without them. Would they even come back?
Chapter 17
“You know the chances of us finding a vehicle that operates is slim to none. But you already knew that, didn’t you?” Damon said, eyeing him as they trudged on through Long Island City, an industrial area that ran along the East River in Queens.
“They’re going to slow us down and besides I don’t have the means to support either of them.” He cast a glance at Damon. “And you, well, you’re heading my way.”
“Then why did you invite her to come along?”
“Because she offered a ride and well…” He shook his head. “Look, it doesn’t matter, does it?”
“That depends.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you can live with that. It’s not something I would do.”
Elliot stopped walking while Damon continued. He stared at him. More guilt, that’s all he needed. All that mattered to him now was Rayna and the kids, no one else. Hell, if anyone else mattered he wouldn’t have spent the last year underground trying to avoid human connection.
They walked in silence for a while, taking in the sight of one store after another that had been looted. It was to be expected. Without power, looters knew there were no cameras so the only thing they were up against was a store owner with a gun and even that wasn’t going to deter them.
“Oh, don’t look now, Queensboro Correctional Facility,” Elliot said looking to throw a verbal jab back at Damon after his “It’s not something I would do” remark.
“Hilarious,” Damon replied before pointing to a college up ahead. “I figure if we need to find some shitty cars, it
will be in there. College kids are notorious for scraping the bottom of the barrel.”
“Even better, an indoor parking garage,” he said as they came around onto Thomas Avenue. As they got closer, they noticed the sign in the window of the building beside it. It was the New York Army National Guard Career Center. Beside that was a sign that read: ALWAYS READY.
“Oh yeah, always ready. Where the hell are they?”
The streets were filled with people, but no police and no guardsmen. They crossed the street and jogged down the slope into the parking garage. Someone else must have had the same idea as the steel shutters had been pried up just enough for a car to squeeze out. Elliot pulled out his Glock and kept it low as they entered the garage. Damon swept his flashlight around as they went from car to car searching for one that looked like an old clunker. He realized it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack as even those who didn’t have a lot of money drove vehicles from the ’90s.
“What year are we looking for?”
“Ideally, the ’70s but we might strike it lucky with one from the ’80s.”
They noticed that many of the vehicles had been broken into. It was probably druggies looking for loose change, and tearing out audio equipment to sell.
“So you never told me why you ended up in New York.”
Elliot shot him a glance. “I needed space.”
“The old lady got on your nerves?”
“Not exactly.”
“The kids piss you off?”
“No.”
“Well it must have been pretty bad if you sought shelter in the tunnels of New York. That can’t have been good.”
“It’s not that bad, actually.”