by Harley Tate
She turned the corner and slowed. Guess I won’t have very long at all.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
MADISON
Sacramento, CA
12:15 p.m.
“First of all, thank you to those of you who came today.” Bill cast Madison a glance and she stood a bit taller, folding her arms across her chest in hopes she projected a don’t-mess-with-me vibe.
Whatever this man was about, it wasn’t anything good.
He rubbed at his mouth before continuing. Was it nerves? His tick for when he delivered bad news?
“I know we all want answers. That’s why we’re here. Does anyone have new information they’d like to share?”
A murmur swept through the assembled neighbors. The little clusters of people all glanced at each other, furtive eyes darting this way and that. Madison still saw so much hope mixed with denial.
It wouldn’t last long.
One man raised his hand.
“Yes, David. What is it?”
The man flashed a brief smile. He couldn’t have been much past twenty-five with a close-cropped beard and eyeglasses that screamed hipster. “I still can’t connect with any major news outlets. All of my electronics are working since I’ve got solar back-up, but there’s nothing out there besides the emergency alert we’ve all heard. No one is communicating yet.”
“I’ve tried the radio since it happened and haven’t had any luck, either.” Madison spoke up for the first time and the whole room turned to her.
“Excuse me? Who are you?”
Madison fought back an eye roll. “I’m Madison Sloane, Tracy and Walter’s daughter.”
“Aren’t you in college?” A woman Madison vaguely recognized asked the question.
Madison nodded. “UC Davis. When the power went out, I hit the road. Got here yesterday.”
“The power was out there, too?”
Madison frowned at the sea of expectant faces, no longer surprised, only dismayed. “The power is out everywhere.”
A cacophony of questions broke out, neighbors all talking and raising their hands and practically shouting to be heard. The burst of a sharp noise rang out and the room fell silent.
Bill lowered the metal whistle and held up his hands. “Stay calm, please.” He addressed Madison. “We don’t need to incite a panic, young lady.”
She bristled. “That’s not what I’m doing. I just thought everyone would already know.”
He tilted his head. “Know what exactly?”
“What happened. Haven’t you noticed the night sky?” She waved her arm about. “You know, the northern lights? We had a massive geomagnetic storm.”
“A what?” Brooke, one of the woman she met walking in, spoke up. “A geo-what?”
Madison wished Tucker was there to explain it. He could do so much better than she could. “I’m not an expert—” Bill snorted as she downplayed her knowledge, but Madison plowed on. “A geomagnetic storm is space weather. The sun emitted a solar flare—that’s what disrupted cell service and radios a few days ago.”
“I wondered why my reception was so bad!” another man in the crowd said, interrupting.
Madison nodded. “Ordinarily that’s all that happens. We lose satellite, maybe cell service because of GPS problems. A solar flare alone doesn’t cause any long-term damage. But a massive Coronal Mass Ejection, or CME, followed this one.”
Someone else called out. “We don’t need a science lecture!”
“We need the power back on!”
A few whispers agreed.
Madison glanced around the room. How could so many grown adults not see the information she had to give was critically important? She frowned deeper.
Was this the future? If people couldn’t even stop long enough to hear the truth, what hope did they have to survive what came next? When no one came to help them, what would they do?
Bill called the meeting to order once again. “How about you wrap this up, huh sweetie?”
Madison raised an eyebrow. “I’m not your sweetie. But if you want it wrapped up, fine. You all want to know when the power’s coming back on? Try never.” She turned around as all the voices picked up, ready to get out of that house and back to the only people in the whole neighborhood who cared.
She made it five feet before a hand wrapped around her arm. Bill. He might be twice her age or more, but up close he was still intimidating. His hand squeezed, thick fingers digging into the soft flesh of her bicep. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Get your hand off me.”
“Not until you tell the truth.”
Madison yanked at her arm, but Bill held it tight. “I did tell the truth. The power’s never coming back on. The CME caused a massive electromagnetic pulse that killed the grid. It fried every transformer, every power line, every massive piece of electrical equipment from here to New York.”
Mrs. Palmer appeared by Bill’s side. She reached out and touched his arm. “Bill. Let the child go.”
“She’s lying. She’s just here to cause trouble.”
“I am not.”
“Why would she do that?” Mrs. Palmer tugged on his arm again and at last, Bill let her go.
Madison took a step back, cradling her arm to her chest. “I’m not lying. The EMP torched the grid. That’s why there’s no power, no radio, no cell service. It’s why the water’s out and you haven’t heard a single word from the government.”
Richard and Tabitha, the couple she had met a few minutes before the meeting started, appeared by Mrs. Palmer’s side. “What’s going on? Madison, are you hurt?”
Bill waved them off. “She needs to tell the truth and stop spouting this nonsense.”
“It’s not nonsense.” A voice interrupted the commotion and Madison turned to see Tucker and Brianna standing in the doorway.
“Who the hell are you?” Bill advanced toward them, but Madison jumped in between. “They’re my friends from college. Tucker’s an astrophysics major. He can explain everything a lot better than I can.”
Tucker nodded. “It’s true. Madison’s great at plants, but I’m the science geek.”
Bill opened his mouth to protest, but Mrs. Palmer spoke first. “I’ll get everyone’s attention. They need to hear this.”
Madison glanced at Brianna, a question in her eyes.
Brianna shrugged and mouthed an answer. “He wanted to help.”
She smiled. Thank you.
Brianna held onto Tucker’s hand as Mrs. Palmer escorted the two of them up to the front of the room.
“Everyone, please, calm down. This young man is an expert in these sorts of things and he’s here to explain.”
“Explain what? When’s the government coming to help?”
“Why don’t we have running water?”
Tucker held up his phone. On the screen was a photo of the massive solar flare that rocketed out from the sun three days before. The room grew silent. “Do I have your attention now? Good.”
By the time Tucker finished relaying the events that led to the loss of the grid, the mood in the room had changed from confusion to borderline hysteria. Most people were keeping a lid on it, but Madison could see it on all their faces. They were terrified.
Brooke clung to her neighbor Anna, eyes wide with fear as she pointed back toward her house. Richard and Tabitha spoke with animated gestures, hands flying about as they tried to process Tucker’s explanation.
Only Bill stood still, staring straight at Madison.
She suppressed a shudder, clenching her teeth as she stared right back. He wasn’t going to intimidate her. No way.
After a tense moment, Bill broke his stare, holding up his hands as he shouted. “Everyone! Everyone! Please be quiet!” He blew the whistle in his hand two more times in rapid bursts.
When the room had once again stilled, he spoke again. “Assuming what this young man says is true, which frankly, I doubt,” Bill paused to cast a glance at Tucker, “we should come up with a plan.”
“We should assemble a check-in with everyone in the neighborhood. Once we know who’s here and who’s not, we can move on to an inventory of the houses. In times like this, we need to band together. If someone has more supplies than they need, they should share. If someone has less, they can receive some assistance.”
He paused, surveying the crowd. “We can all weather this temporary hardship if we pool our resources.”
Madison shook her head. He just wasn’t getting it. This wasn’t temporary. She thought about all the things she’d already seen. The tractor trailer on the causeway. The break-in and shootout at the convenience store.
How much more would have to happen for these people to understand? Would it have to come right up to their door? Would death have to stare them straight in the face?
Tucker and Brianna made their way over to her, the same shock and disbelief in their eyes that she felt inside. Madison couldn’t believe this was real. That adults could be so delusional.
She focused on Bill. “This isn’t temporary. You shouldn’t be giving people false hope.”
“You shouldn’t be telling people the world is ending without proof.”
Tucker held up his phone, but Bill waved him off. “Pictures from the internet aren’t proof. For all I know you drew that yourself.” His voice rose as he spoke until most of the neighbors had turned to watch. He pointed at Tucker, Brianna, and Madison. “All you’ve done is show up here and try to incite a riot.”
“I’m telling people the truth. That’s more than I can say for you. Why do you want to know what everyone has so badly? Are you going to try and steal it for yourself?”
Bill didn’t take the bait. “Why are you so reluctant? Do you have something to hide?”
Madison exhaled. She didn’t know what to say. Three days ago she wouldn’t have hesitated to open her front doors to the entire neighborhood. But after the things she’d seen and done…
Besides, her mother had gathered most of those supplies. She couldn’t take it without permission. “You’ll have to talk to my mother about that. I can’t make decisions for her.”
“Oh, I see.” Bill advanced, a predatory gleam in his eye. “The minute someone calls you out, now you’re just a visitor. That’s not really your house, all the things inside aren’t yours to give, is that it?”
Bill’s lip twitched in an arrogant smirk. “How about all the supplies in that pretty yellow Jeep? I noticed quite a few bottles of water in the back. Were you planning on sharing those, or just rousing up a mob and leaving?”
“That Jeep is mine and so is everything in it,” Brianna said. “I’m not staying here and neither is Tucker. We’re leaving tomorrow morning.”
Bill took another step closer. “Not with all those supplies, you’re not.”
Tucker took a step forward, the two men separated by thirty years and Madison’s outstretched hands. “Gentlemen, please. We don’t need a fight.”
Madison waited until both Bill and Tucker stepped back. “Let’s go home, have a discussion, and then we’ll make a decision. Until then, no one’s getting anything.”
“I’m afraid that’s not acceptable.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
TRACY
Sacramento, CA
1:00 p.m.
Tracy slowed the car to a stop to keep from hitting the people streaming out of Mrs. Palmer’s house. Everyone was shouting and waving their arms, pointing and talking with exaggerated gestures as they rushed back to their houses.
What the hell happened?
She glanced at Wanda. “What’s going on?”
Wanda stroked the sleeping cat on her lap. “I have no idea.”
As Tracy stared, a pair of kids darted into the road. One a girl with blonde curls flying away as she ran, the other a boy with moppy black hair that fell in his face. She squinted. Do I know them?
She tried to think. Neither was Peyton, Madison’s best friend. Tracy had seen photos of Madison’s other friends at school and met her roommate once. Could that be Brianna?
“Oh my gosh, Tracy. Look!” Wanda pointed across the street and Tracy gasped.
Bill Donovan from one street over advanced across Mrs. Palmer’s lawn, a shotgun braced across his chest. He carried it with two hands, stalking toward the kids running away.
“What’s going on? Were they trying to rob him? Is he going to…”
Wanda’s questions petered out as another young woman rushed between them.
Madison.
Tracy’s heart lurched inside her chest, a frantic lunge against her ribs, as she caught sight of her only daughter. My baby.
Madison held up both her hands, commanding Bill to stop. He raised the gun.
Oh my God.
No!
Tracy grabbed the revolver from the console of the Leaf and pushed open the driver’s side door.
“What are you doing?”
Tracy didn’t hesitate. “That’s my daughter.” She leapt out of the car, feet barely hitting the pavement before she was running. No thoughts, only instinct. No plan, only determination.
No one would hurt her daughter. No one.
“Tracy! Tracy!” Wanda’s shouts barely reached her ears. It didn’t matter anyway. Wanda could shout the roofs off the buildings and the leaves from the trees. Nothing would get in Tracy’s way.
Madison’s cheeks flushed red, her hands held out, those gentle palms so defiant and bold. So full of courage, her only child. So strong in her convictions.
Tracy slowed to a walk as she raised the gun. She leveled it right at Bill’s face, barrel aiming for the space smack between his eyes. “Lower your weapon.”
Both Bill and Madison jerked at the sound of her voice.
“Mom!” Madison lowered her hands, about to rush up to Tracy, but she waved her off.
“Wait, honey.”
“Tracy?” Bill asked her name like a question, squinting to look past the revolver in her grip. “What are you doing?”
“Protecting my family. What are you doing pointing a shotgun at my daughter?”
He still didn’t lower the gun. Tracy stepped closer, grabbing Madison with one hand and tugging her behind her. “Stay behind me.”
Once her daughter was safe, Tracy put her second hand on the butt of the revolver and widened her stance. She wouldn’t miss.
This wasn’t her first rodeo. That Band-Aid had been ripped clean off already.
“You haven’t answered my question, Bill. Why are you pointing that thing at my daughter?”
He scowled. “She came to the neighborhood meeting to cause trouble. Her and her little friends.” As he spit out the words, the shotgun jerked.
Tracy tensed, her finger light on the trigger. “Put the gun down, Bill.”
“Or what? You seriously going to shoot me, Tracy?”
She leveled her gaze and took a calming breath. Her words needed to be crystal clear. “Lower the gun. Get the hell away from my daughter and her friends or so help me God, I’ll blow your damn head off.”
“Mom!”
“Hush, Madison.”
“You should listen to your daughter. You’re acting crazy.”
“I’m not the one standing in the street with a shotgun pointed at some kids half my age.”
“They were inciting a panic! They were spouting lies!”
“All we did was tell the truth. No one here knows what happened, Mom. They think the power’s coming back on.”
Tracy snorted. “It’s not.”
“You don’t know that!” Bill swung the shotgun back and forth, his aim bouncing from Tracy to a spot behind her where Madison’s friends must have been standing.
She couldn’t let this go on another minute. He was liable to do something stupid. Something he would regret. Tracy took a step forward, the end of the revolver less than two feet from Bill’s face.
“What I do know, Bill, is that this won’t be the first time I’ve used this gun today.”
Her neighbor’s eyes went wide.
“Lower your weapon.”
“Come on, Bill. It’s not worth it. Just put the shotgun down.” Richard Asher, one of Tracy’s neighbors from down the street called out from his position on the sidewalk. “No one wants this.”
“He’s right. Let’s all take a deep breath. There’s nothing to get violent over.” Mrs. Palmer used the most soothing voice, coaxing Bill to stand down.
Tracy wasn’t having any of it. They could talk to the bastard all they wanted. She was standing her ground. “I’m only going to say this one more time. Lower your weapon or I will shoot you square between the eyes. You’ll be dead before your body hits the ground.”
Bill opened his mouth but closed it before he spoke a word. At last, he lowered the shotgun until he held it by only one hand at his side. “This isn’t over, Tracy.”
She kept the gun trained on his body, but lowered it to point at his chest. “Today it is. You take one step on my property, Bill, and it will be your last.” He started to speak, but she raised the gun. “Don’t test me. Not today.”
Instead of arguing, Bill took a step back, one hand in the air in surrender. Tracy watched him as he turned around and walked back to the sidewalk, falling in step beside another neighbor.
Tracy kept the gun trained on him until Bill rounded the corner and disappeared. Only then did she lower the weapon.
Madison rushed up to her, arms out wide. Tracy wrapped her daughter up in the tightest hug she could manage. “Oh, honey. I’m so glad you’re home.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
MADISON
Sacramento, CA
2:00 p.m.
“Will someone please tell me what happened out there?”
Madison glanced up at Peyton with a smile. “My mom went all Linda Hamilton on Bill and threatened to blow his brains out.”
Peyton’s mouth fell open. “Way to go, Mrs. Sloane! That guy had it coming.”