by Mark Goodwin
Terry rubbed his chin. “What am I going to do? Leave my wife?”
“If you have to, in order to save your children, then yes. But that’s her choice. Not yours. If everyone else is packing up, I doubt she’ll want to stay here by herself.”
He shook his head. “You have no idea how she’d be if I make an ultimatum like that.”
“You don’t have a choice, Terry. You can’t sacrifice your kids because you want to please your wife.”
He gave a sigh of defeat. “Let’s hope she’ll come around to our way of thinking after she hears the local news. I’m sure it won’t be good.”
She pleaded with him. “Yeah, then everyone else and their grandma will be on the road trying to get out of town. It will be gridlock. You know what Atlanta traffic is like on a normal workday. What do you think it will be like with half of the city trying to get out of Dodge at the same time?”
Terry ran his hands from the top of his head down his face. “I know, Kate. But I can’t just leave my wife.”
CHAPTER 14
I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
Jeremiah 4:23-28
Dinner was tense. Conversations were stilted and artificial, serving only to dissipate the awkward silence. Kate spoke only when spoken to.
“The pasta was great, honey. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to catch the local news.” Terry stood up from the table.
“I’ll join you.” Penny placed her napkin on her plate. “Vicky, will you and your brother get the dishes this evening?”
“I want to know what’s going on also,” Vicky protested.
Penny pushed in her chair. “I’m sure they’ll be talking about it all evening. The news channels will milk this one as long as they can.”
Sam began collecting the plates from the table. “Let’s just hurry up and get it finished.”
“Thank you for dinner, Penny. And thanks for cleaning up, guys.” Kate smiled at her niece and nephew.
“No problem, Aunt Kate. But if we go to the cabin I’m riding with you,” Vicky stated.
“Fair enough.” Kate followed her brother and sister-in-law to the den where the news had already begun.
“The mayor of Atlanta has issued a city-wide curfew to go into effect at sunset this evening and will remain in place until sunrise tomorrow morning. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said that the move is a preemptive attempt to quell social unrest which is brewing around the city.
“Our station has received multiple reports of looting and confrontations between businesses and patrons over the ongoing credit card and banking crisis.
“Federal authorities have gone out of their way to put the public at ease by assuring us that the situation will be rectified shortly. Nevertheless, it only takes a handful of people who are unable to access basic goods and services to spread a sense of general unease throughout the population.
“As the contagion worsens, we are hearing of more and more shop owners deciding to close their doors to avoid additional conflict with enraged customers unable to purchase necessary items like food and gas. With each new closure, even those who are able to pay with cash cannot buy the fundamental supplies they need for the day.
“This is all so ridiculous.” Penny sat on the sofa next to Terry and rolled her eyes.
Kate looked at the time on her phone. “We have about two hours before the curfew begins. This is our last chance to leave tonight.”
Terry said, “It looks like things are getting bad. Penny, why don’t you go ahead and put a few things in a bag. We’ll go to the cabin tonight. If things blow over, we can come right back tomorrow. I’ll tell the kids.”
Penny crossed her arms and let her mouth hang open. “Are you serious? The news basically said the only reason the streets are dangerous is because people are giving into panic. I don’t want to feed into this hysteria. Besides, we’re in the safest place we could possibly be.”
Terry gave a contrived grin. “Kate, can you give us a few minutes to talk?”
“Sure, I’ll help the kids finish up the dishes.” Kate ascended the stairs and made her way back to the kitchen. “Can I help?”
“We’re finished,” Sam pressed the start button on the dishwasher.
“What’s going on with Mom and Dad? Are we leaving?” Vicky leaned against the counter.
“They’re having a discussion about that right now.” Kate leaned next to her.
“What if Mom and Dad don’t go? Are you still going to the cabin tonight?” Sam asked.
Kate thought about the question. She knew she probably should, but this was her family. “No. Whatever we do, we need to do it together.”
Vicky hugged her. “Thanks, Aunt Kate.”
Minutes later, Kate walked to the top of the stairs to see if Terry and Penny had reached a resolution. She overheard Penny speaking.
“I love Kate like my own sister, but I don’t want to uproot my family because of her delusional paranoia. I understand she has mental issues, but I can’t allow that to be a problem in my house. And you are making it worse by playing along with all of this craziness.”
She could hear Terry’s reply. “It’s not craziness, Penny. I’ve never seen a curfew issued in Atlanta, this is a legitimate emergency. Why are you fighting me on this? And Kate has social anxiety disorder, she’s not schizophrenic. Quit making her out to be a lunatic.”
Kate wanted no part of that conversation. She returned to the kitchen where Vicky and Sam were monitoring the events around Atlanta via social media.
“No way! Check this out!” Sam held up his phone for Kate to see video of a massive fire burning.
“Where is that?” Kate looked closer.
“The Mercedes Benz dealership.” Sam turned the phone back toward himself.
“The one in Buckhead?” Kate was concerned that it could be so close.
“Yep.” Sam continued to watch his screen.
Vicky ran to the back door and opened it. “I bet we can smell the smoke from here!”
“Let’s keep the door closed.” Kate pulled the door shut.
“Why? What do you think can happen?” Vicky looked curiously at her aunt.
“Probably nothing. But just in case the ne’er-do-wells venture out this way, we don’t want to give them the opportunity to pull anything.”
“You think looters are going to come to our neighborhood?” Sam seemed skeptical.
Kate said, “I hope not. But if you were going to loot houses, where would you go?”
“Buckhead,” Vicky replied matter-of-factly.
“You’re right,” said Sam.
Terry stormed up the stairs, his face in a bad-tempered pucker. “Kate, we’re going to wait until morning to see how things are going. The news just showed the traffic on I-85 and I-75. They both look like parking lots.”
“We’d take US-19. We wouldn’t have to get on the interstate.”
“I know, but 19 could be locked up as well from people trying to avoid the interstates. Anyway, you can take the guest room downstairs. I’m going to get a shower and try to relax in my room.” He tried to smile. “Good night. We’ll figure it out tomorrow.”
Vicky looked concerned about her dad’s mood. “Good night, Daddy. I hope you sleep well.”
“You, too, sweetheart.”
“I love you, Dad.” Sam waved.
“You, too, buddy.” Terry disappeared down the hall.
“H
e looks mad.” Vicky’s brows sank low.
“He’ll be okay.” Kate pulled her close for a hug. “Your dad gets upset, but he gets over it fast.”
“Was he like that when you guys were growing up?” Sam asked.
“Yeah.”
“Because of Uncle Boyd?” Vicky inquired?
“Usually.” Kate laughed. “I’m going to get some stuff out of my car.”
“Can we watch TV with you?” Vicky asked.
“Sure. Give me a half hour to brush my teeth and get a shower, then you two come on down.” Kate walked out the back door. She could hear the roar of police and fire sirens in the distance. “It’s going to be a long night.” She popped the trunk of her Mini and retrieved her pack and the soft rifle case which held her father’s old shotgun.
Kate stayed up late watching the local news with her niece and nephew. The Atlanta station aired a special broadcast to cover the deteriorating conditions around the city, suspending regular programming and continuing their coverage from the 5:00 o’clock edition through to the 10:00 PM broadcast.
The news told of widespread looting, including smash and grabs at a variety of retail establishments such as liquor stores and convenience stores that had closed down due to the ongoing credit card outages. Criminal activity became too out of hand for police to control and the chaos began to creep into residential streets.
A loud knock came to the door.
“Who could that be?” Vicky sat at the foot of Kate’s bed in the guest room looking at her brother who was watching the news from the small easy chair.
“Beats me. Are you going to go look?”
“I’ll go.” Kate pulled the shotgun out from beneath the bed.
“You have a gun?” Vicky looked astonished.
“It was your grandfather’s.” Kate began climbing the stairs with Vicky and Sam right behind her.
Terry was already at the door, looking out the peephole.
“Who is it?” Vicky asked.
“It’s your friend from school, Amanda.” Terry stepped back and unlocked the door.
A frantic and crying girl ran in the house. “Mr. McCarthy, you have to help! They came in my house! They attacked my dad! He told me to run out the back door and come here!”
Vicky grabbed her friend and hugged her. “It’s okay, you’re safe.”
“You have to help my dad!” Amanda sobbed.
Penny walked into the room with her housecoat on. “What’s going on? What’s happening?”
“Let me just grab my shoes and a jacket. I’ll come with you to help your dad.” Terry darted off to his bedroom.
“Terry! There’s a curfew. You can’t go out. Just call the police! They’ll handle this.” Penny trailed off behind him.
Terry was back in a matter of moments. “Come on, Amanda. I’ll drive.”
“I’m coming with you.” Vicky stepped into her tennis shoes.
Terry shook his head. “No. You are staying here. Lock the doors and stay inside until we get back.”
“I’m coming,” Kate declared.
Terry glanced at the pump-action shotgun. “Okay. Kate, ride in the back. Amanda, you ride up front with me so you can show me where you live.”
“Terry! You are not leaving this house!” Penny insisted.
Terry ran towards the Escalade without addressing his wife. Amanda got in the front, and Kate took the back. Once out of the drive, Terry asked, “Where do you live?”
“Christian Park, on Blanton,” Amanda said between sobs.
“Is that close by?” Kate asked.
“Three streets over. I can’t believe everything broke down this fast.” Terry drove feverishly.
“People saw Albert’s interview. They know the government is lying about the virus being patched. They’re starting to put two and two together. No money, no credit cards means no food, no booze, no cigarettes. Pretty soon the trucks will stop rolling, police are already overwhelmed. They’ll have to make choices about whether to go home and try to protect their own families or risk it all to fight a losing battle. People who are already living on the edge are doing what they have to do to make sure they get theirs.”
Terry turned to Amanda. “How many people came into your house?”
“I’m not sure. Three I think. One had a crowbar that he used to pull the door open. Another had a ball bat. I saw my dad get hit.” The girl continued to cry as they drove down her street. “That’s my house, the white one on the left.”
Terry pulled in. Kate could see from the back seat that the front door was still open. She jumped out and followed Terry up to the front porch.
“I’ve got a gun! If there’s anyone in here that shouldn’t be, this is your last chance to get out alive!” Kate couldn’t believe those words were coming out of her mouth. But she knew it was true. She was a bit skittish under normal conditions, so if she felt threatened while she had a shotgun in her hand, she’d certainly shoot first and ask questions later.
Amanda ran past Terry and Kate. “Dad!”
Kate followed her to the dining room where her father lay on the floor bleeding from the back of his head.
Terry rushed in and bent down by the man. He checked his pulse and looked up at Amanda. “He’s alive. Kate, call 911.”
Kate held the shotgun with one hand and dialed the number. “All circuits are busy.”
“We have to get him to the hospital.” Terry tossed his keys to Kate. “Pull the Escalade up in the front yard. Back up as close to the front door as possible.”
Kate looked around to make sure she didn’t hear or see any looters still in the house before leaving her unarmed brother in the house. “Okay. Piedmont is closest.”
“No way. The closer we get to downtown, the worse it will be. We’ll take him to Northside.”
Kate ran to get the SUV.
Amanda helped Terry to get her father into the back of the Escalade.
“Stay with him,” Terry ordered Amanda, then ran to the passenger’s seat. “I’ll take the shotgun. You drive. Treat red lights like stop signs and don’t stop for anything else.” Terry slammed the door shut.
Kate put the SUV in gear. She sped north on Lake Forest Drive, encountering only a handful of police cars with their lights and sirens heading in the opposite direction. Each time she saw another set of lights in the distance racing toward her, she tensed up, thinking about the worst possible scenario where she and Terry were arrested for being out past curfew. She knew it was ridiculous and that any reasonable police officer would know she was only trying to help, but she couldn’t help thinking what if?
Once at the hospital, Terry ran in the emergency room entrance. He came out minutes later with two nurses and a gurney. Amanda got out of the vehicle and followed the workers into the hospital. Terry got back in the passenger’s seat. “You okay to drive?”
Kate watched Amanda’s father being wheeled away. “Yeah, are we just going to leave them?”
“We’ve done all we can for them. I need to get home, load my family up and get out of here.” Terry examined the bloodstains on his shirt.
“I can drive.” Kate put the Escalade in gear and punched the accelerator. Emergency vehicles speeding south passed her on the road back. She could see the glow of large fires against low-hanging clouds from multiple locations in the distance. She smelled the smoke and soot. They quickly returned to Terry’s house.
“Back up in the front yard, right to the door. I want to get loaded up as quickly as possible.” Terry bailed out of the vehicle and slammed the door.
Kate cut the ignition, exited the vehicle and followed close behind her brother.
Penny opened the front door. She focused on the bloodstains which soiled Terry’s shirt. “What happened to you?”
“It’s not my blood.”
“Where is Amanda?” Vicky waited inside the doorway.
“She’s fine. She stayed with her father at the hospital.” Kate hugged her.
“Her dad, is he going to
make it?” Vicky begged.
“He was unconscious, but he was breathing good and had a strong heartbeat. He should be okay. We took him to Northside. They’ll take good care of him.” Terry pulled his daughter close and kissed the top of her head. “But for now, I need everyone to pack a bag. We’re going to the cabin. I want to be out of here in twenty minutes.” Terry clapped his hands at his children. “Come on, let’s go! Right now!”
Vicky and Sam stared at him with eyes wide, then hustled off to their respective rooms.
Penny crossed her arms. “Terry! It’s the middle of the night! We can’t go now. There’s a curfew!”
“And the police are obviously unable to enforce it. We’re leaving, and we’re leaving right now. Pack a bag, Penny.” His face was hard.
“I’m not going anywhere.” She pulled the collar of her housecoat up around her neck and began to walk away.
“Then stay here, but I’m taking the kids. And I’m taking the Escalade. I’ll leave the Mercedes for you.”
“You’re not taking the kids!”
“This is not a discussion. I’m taking the kids if I have to duct tape you to a chair. I should have listened to my sister and left before the news came on. But I didn’t. Now we’re all in danger.”
“And I suppose that’s my fault.” Penny stood defiantly with her hands on her hips.
“No. It’s my fault. I never should have capitulated to your demands. And now I’m through talking about it. I’m going to get a quick shower to wash the blood off of me, then I’m leaving with the kids. Do whatever you want, but I’m warning you, don’t get in my way with the kids.”
Kate avoided looking at either one of them.
“I hope you’re happy now, Kate. You got your way.” Penny stormed off to the bedroom.
Kate grimaced.
“Don’t worry about her. It’s certainly not your fault.” Terry gave her a quick squeeze.
Kate forced a smile. “Thanks. I’ve got walkie-talkies in the car so we can stay in contact on the road.”
Terry said, “Good. I’ll drive up front. You trail behind me. If you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you’d let the kids ride with you. If we come across a threat, I can handle that. You just worry about getting my kids out of there.”