by Mark Goodwin
Kate came out from behind the work truck. “You brought supplies?”
“No. I tried, but everything was closed or the lines were crazy. Are you guys okay?” Boyd walked down the stairs and hugged Kate.
“We had a rough trip.” Terry shook his brother’s hand.
Kate thought nothing of Boyd inviting his girlfriend without asking first. It was his typical modus operandi. She put her hand on his shoulder. “Help me get the supplies inside, and I’ll tell you about it.”
CHAPTER 17
As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.
Proverbs 26:14-15
Early Wednesday morning, Kate stuck the tip of the spade shovel into the earth and pressed it down with her foot. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of Tina, but you should have asked before you brought her. It’s bad enough that you showed up empty-handed, but bringing another mouth to feed was not cool.”
Leaning on the handle of the flat-edged transfer shovel, Boyd took a long draw from his cigarette. “I couldn’t just leave her behind. And like I said, I tried to get supplies.”
“If you had tried when I called you, you’d have had no problem.” She loosened the dirt and scooped it to the side.
Boyd stepped back as if he didn’t want to get dirt on his shoes. “You didn’t really give me any details. You have to admit, the story sounded kinda kooky until it actually happened.”
“Well, now we have limited resources. So you and Tina are going to have to earn your keep if you expect us to feed you.”
“Not really—the resources, I mean.”
“Explain.” Kate’s forehead puckered. She continued to dig.
“You’ve got a lot of stuff. Especially with all that extra food we hauled in last night. And with Penny being gone, the numbers sort of even out.”
“Show some respect!”
“Chill out, I’m just saying.”
Kate jabbed the shovel into the ground. “Who says we were planning on you showing up empty-handed?”
“Weren’t you? I mean, come on. This is me we’re talking about. The loser black sheep brother.” His tone was sarcastic.
“I’ll feed you. But you’re going to have to work for it. Tina too.”
“Yeah, sure. Whatever.”
“In fact, you can start right now. Start digging.”
“This is a flathead. I can’t dig with a transfer shovel.”
“Oh.” Kate looked at Boyd as if he’d made a valid argument. “Hey, I’ve got an idea. Let’s trade.” She handed him the spade and took the shovel Boyd was holding.
“How are you going to dig?” he asked.
“I’m not.” Kate started walking back to the house. “I can’t dig with a flat shovel.”
“You expect me to dig a grave all by myself?”
“Six feet deep. Six feet long. Three feet wide. Let me know when you’re finished. You can get started on making dinner.”
“What about everybody else?” Boyd protested.
“Everybody else thought ahead and brought food. If you want to eat, you’ll have to work for it. Every meal, Boyd.”
“That’s not fair. Don’t treat me like the red-headed stepchild.”
Kate fumed. She spun around. “No, Boyd. It’s not fair. We made plans, bought provisions—risked life and limb bringing them up here. I warned you long before the 60 Minutes show about the attacks, yet you squandered your opportunity. However, I did notice you managed to get a case of vodka and three cartons of cigarettes. Everyone else in the country who didn’t heed the warning is going to starve to death. But you, Mr. Golden Boy, get a second chance. Your family, who has put up with more of your garbage than anyone else, is willing to let you work for some of the precious food they set aside for their own survival while the rest of the country starves. So, you’re right. It’s not fair. It’s not fair to me, to Terry, to Sam, or to Vicky. But once again, we get to reap the rewards of your bad behavior. So if you want to make things more equitable, feel free to take your booze, your cigarettes, and your girlfriend, and go home.”
Boyd glared at her with a look of disdain. With a loud defiant grunt, he drove the shovel into the ground.
Kate turned and walked back toward the house. “And make sure Tina understands what will be expected of her. I shouldn’t have to be the one to tell her.”
Kate went to the master bedroom, which Terry would be using. Penny was laid out on the bed. Terry and the kids had dressed her in a clean outfit. They sat in chairs on the side of the bed.
Kate stood in the doorway with her arms crossed. “You guys doing okay?”
“As well as can be expected.” With his arm around her back, Terry held Vicky’s head to his chest.
Kate was at a complete loss for words. She felt like she didn’t belong in the room, so she left. “I’m going to make a run into town. I want to see if anything is available at all. I’ll be back soon.”
“You can’t go by yourself. Let us take the day to say goodbye to Penny. I’ll say a few words, then we’ll bury her this afternoon. I can go with you to town tomorrow,” Terry said.
Kate looked at the time on her phone. “I’m sure the panic hasn’t set in here like it has in Atlanta. But these people saw the news last night. They’ll be lining up first thing this morning to get any supplies that are to be had. Delivery trucks won’t be running. Whatever is on the shelves now is all there is. When it’s gone, that’s it.”
Vicky and Sam looked at their father. Terry ran his fingertips along Penny’s arm. “What are you going to try to get?”
“Gas, if there is any. We need bullets. We have guns, but the people who attacked us didn’t have much extra ammo in the truck. And we could always use extra food, especially since Boyd brought his girlfriend.”
“I really don’t want you to go by yourself. And I’m sorry, Kate. I’m just not up for the ride right now.” Terry’s face was filled with pain.
“I’ll take Tina.”
“You don’t even know her. Why don’t you take Boyd?”
“He’s working on the . . .” She glanced at her sister-in-law’s corpse but couldn’t bring herself to say the word.
Terry nodded that he understood.
Vicky commented, “I don’t think Tina is awake yet.”
“I’ll go,” Sam volunteered.
“No, Sam. Your sister and I need you here today.”
“Aunt Kate needs me. And we all need the supplies. Besides, sitting here staring at Mom like this isn’t helping me. Getting out of the house would be the best thing.”
Terry seemed to not have the strength to argue. He pleaded with Kate. “If you see the slightest hint of trouble, come straight home. We don’t need any of those things as much as we need you both to come home safe.”
Kate replied, “I’ll come right back if there’s trouble anywhere. No unnecessary risks, I promise.”
Her statement seemed to put Terry at ease. “Okay, let me give you some cash.”
“I have money. Keep yours for now.”
Terry said, “Hurry back.”
Vicky looked up. “Can you try to find some flowers? For mom?”
“I’ll try sweetheart.” Kate put her hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Come on.”
He followed her to the hall. “Are you bringing a gun?”
“Yeah. Do you have yours?”
“It’s under my bed. Should I get it?”
“Yep. I’ve got some ammo for you. Let’s top off your magazine before we go.” Kate walked upstairs with Sam to get the pistol, then crossed the hall to her room and retrieved the extra bullets she’d found in the cab of the service truck. She kept them in a paper bag on the shelf in her closet. “I think these go to your gun.” She handed a box of ammo to Sam.
“.45, yep this is what I need.”
“Oh, so you know about guns?”
“I know this is a .45.” He released th
e magazine and began feeding bullets into the top.
“You seem fairly proficient with reloading.”
“I couldn’t sleep last night. I messed around with it until I figured out the basic mechanics.”
Kate had done exactly the same thing with the 9mm when she couldn’t fall asleep.
“I can keep the rest?” Sam held the half-empty box up.
“Sure.”
He picked up another box and extracted a long shell. He read the label. “.270. Wow! What’s this go to?”
“The rifle we picked up. I guess it’s for deer.”
“Or moose.” Sam cracked a smile for the first time since his mother had died. “That’s a big bullet.”
“Yeah. I hope we never have to use it, but it’s nice to know we have it if we do.” She tucked the bag back on her shelf. “Let’s get going. I want to get to the store before it opens.”
The first stop was a shooting range and gun store called Mountain Range. Several people were lined up at the front door waiting for the shop to open. Kate hurried to get in the line before it grew. Minutes later, the door unlocked and a man stuck his head out. “Five people at a time.”
Moans and murmurings erupted in the crowd.
The man said, “We’re trying to accommodate everyone, but we’re going to do this our way. If you don’t like it, you’re more than welcome to go to another store. We’re going to run out of stock in a couple of hours anyway.” He held the door open for five customers, then locked the door behind them.
Kate quickly did a head count of the people in front of her. “Nine people. Let me stand in front, and you come in with the next round if we can’t go in together.”
Sam did as she asked. “Okay.”
They waited and minutes later, three people came out the door. Two were carrying long-gun cases and boxes of ammunition. The store clerk let three more people in to take their place, then locked the door.
“At least it’s moving fast,” Sam said.
Kate felt anxious. Minutes felt like hours. To her, it did not seem fast.
The next time the door opened, four people emerged, each was heavily laden with firearms and ammunition.
“I hope they still have something left when we get inside.” Kate had no idea how large the store’s inventory of ammo might be.
Finally, their turn came. Sam was allowed to go in with Kate. She hurried to the counter. “I’d like five hundred rounds of each of these calibers.”
The man looked at the piece of paper she handed to him. “One thousand round limit per customer. But I might be able to make it easy for you. We sold out of 9mm ball last night. All I have is high-end hollow point; 20-round boxes at $20 bucks each. I doubt I have 500 rounds.”
“Price isn’t an issue. And my nephew is with me. Does he get a thousand rounds?”
The clerk replied, “Yep. But about the shotgun ammo, all I have are target loads. Will that be okay?”
“I guess it will have to be.”
The clerk scratched his beard. “I’m not sure I have five hundred rounds of .270 either. Might have a couple hundred.”
“Okay, give me whatever you have.”
“Sure, just give me a minute.” The clerk took the paper to the back with him.
Sam tugged Kate’s sleeve. “Should we get some holsters? And what about slings for the shotgun and the rifle?”
Kate turned to look at the gear that Sam was pointing to. “Maybe so. Go ahead and pick out anything you think will work for us. And see if they have any magazines that fit our 9mm or our .45.”
The man returned. “I got 400 rounds of 9mm and 220 rounds of .270. You have 500 rounds of the .357, .45, and shotgun shells. It’s a little over your combined quota of 2000 rounds.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that,” Kate said.
Sam placed the holsters, magazines, and slings on the counter and the man rang up the purchase. Kate paid him.
“You better bring up a cart. The shotgun shells alone weigh about fifty pounds.”
Kate turned to see that Sam had already gone to retrieve a cart from the front. The items were loaded with haste and they made their way back to the car.
Jealous snarls watched them walk by with the goods. One man made a snide remark. “Hope you left some for the rest of us.”
Kate didn’t make eye contact with any of them but could feel the angry stares. “Let’s get this stuff into the trunk and get out of here as soon as possible.”
Sam helped her shuffle the boxes into the back of the Mini then pushed the cart out of the way. Seconds later, they were gone.
“Where to next?” Sam inquired.
CHAPTER 18
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
James 2:15-17
“I’d like to stop by Ingles. I bought all the rice and beans they had last time. Those are easy-to-store staples. It would be good if we could load up on a few more bags of each.” Kate felt the trip had been worthwhile already because they’d picked up some ammo, and because Sam seemed distracted from his grief. She also wanted to grab some flowers while at the local chain grocer but didn’t mention it to Sam. He needed no reminding of the sad task which lay before them once they returned home.
“Wow! Look at the parking lot. It’s packed.” Sam pointed at the melee in front of the grocery store. Horns beeped and drivers yelled at other motorists as they jockeyed for parking spaces.
Kate hesitated before turning into the lot. “We’ll park at the far corner. It looks like tempers are on edge.”
“People are lined up for gas too.” Sam’s gaze followed the line of cars stretched out along the road to access the fuel pumps.
Kate twisted her mouth to one side. “That’s not good. I was hoping to fill up before we went home.”
“You have half a tank. How much gas does your car hold?”
“Sixteen gallons or so. The service truck only has about a quarter tank remaining. I’m sure Tina and Boyd didn’t bother to top off her tank when they came. If they did, it would be very uncharacteristic of Boyd.” Kate parked in the field at the back of the parking area. She and Sam cautiously made their way to the entrance. Signs on the doors read Cash Only.
As they arrived, a young woman with two small children riding in a full cart came out the sliding doors.
A manager pursued her. “Ma’am! You haven’t paid for your goods. You cannot leave.” He grabbed the sleeve of her jacket.
She pulled away and kept walking.
“Ma’am, I won’t let you leave.” The manager rushed to the front of the cart and grabbed it forcefully. Soon, a clerk joined the manager in apprehending the woman.
The woman tried to push past them both, but they overpowered her. The children, a girl about four years old and a boy who looked to be less than two, began to cry. The mother joined her kids. Amidst her sobs, she said, “Then call the police. I can’t just leave empty handed and watch my babies starve. All I have is credit cards and a bank card. I don’t have cash.”
The manager swallowed hard as if he were holding back tears himself. “I’m sure everything will be worked out in a day or two. But I can’t let you take merchandise you haven’t paid for.”
Kate dug into her bag. She counted out three hundred dollars and approached the manager. “This should cover what she bought.”
The manager looked at Kate with a look of uncertainty and confusion. He looked at the woman’s cart as if he were considering whether or not to make her come in to ring up the food items. He nodded to the clerk who was still holding the front of the young mother’s cart. “Let her go.”
“Thank you.” The woman dried her eyes and offered Kate a smile. “Thank you so much.”
“No trouble at all.” Kate felt horrible for the woman. She knew the car
t full of food wouldn’t last long, and that without help from others, the small family’s odds of survival were slim.
Sam watched the woman proceed to her vehicle. “That was a nice thing to do, Aunt Kate.”
She put her hand on his shoulder. “If we lose our humanity, our survival is in vain.”
Once inside, Kate grabbed a cart. The aisles were overflowing with shoppers and the shelves were sparsely stocked. “Look! Bread!” She took three loaves.
Sam examined one. “Sprouted bread? That sounds gross.”
“It’s good, trust me. The fact that people think it’s gross is probably why it’s still here. I’m sure the Wonder Bread sold out minutes after they opened the doors.” Kate pushed the cart in search of anything else that might be of value.
Sam froze. “They have plenty of flowers.”
“Do you want to pick some out? You know more about what she’d like than I would.”
He nodded and walked slowly toward the floral department.
Kate stayed near, ready to comfort him if he broke down, but he did not. Sam kept a stiff upper lip and selected two beautiful bouquets.
Sam placed them in the cart. “Can we see if they have any strawberry Pop Tarts? Vicky would like those.”
“Sure.” Kate pushed the cart down the canned goods aisle. All the shelves were bare.
Sam picked up a few packages from the international food section. “Think these are like cookies?”
Kate read the label. “Digestives. I’m not sure, but they’re the closest thing to a cookie we’ll find today.”
A woman hurried past Kate, bumping her with the corner of her cart. Kate ignored the offense and avoided making eye contact.
The next aisle over was cereal. It was bare except for a few containers of oatmeal and some boxes of single-serve grits. Kate loaded them into the cart. “Looks like someone beat us to the Pop Tarts.”
Sam led the hunt for other edible items. “Look, Cupcakes, Zingers, and Twinkies!” He scooped up the synthetic treats like he’d struck gold.