by Lee West
He moved the bikes one by one from their storage hooks to the patio behind the house. Finding the air pump and tools was the next challenge. Glancing over the various tools, building materials, household items and bags of what appeared to be discarded junk, he found the pump lying underneath one of the benches. The toolkit proved to be more difficult to locate. An exhaustive search of the counters, drawers and bins finally yielded the unopened bike repair kit after several minutes of quiet cursing and mumbling.
With the proper tools in hand, he closed the garage bay door and got to work. The first two bikes barely required any attention. He inflated the tires and spent a few minutes tuning the gears and brakes. The third bike was a different story and would require a significant amount of tinkering for it to function properly. He sat on the ground, adjusting the bike as the sun made its way over the treetops, warming his face.
“Good morning! I see you found the bikes,” said Brett, walking over to Frank.
“Sure did. I hope you don’t mind me taking the liberty of pulling them down.”
“Not in the least. I’m just glad you were able to find them and the tools. Are the bikes usable?”
“Sure are. These two bikes are in great shape. I’m just working on the last one. Once the others get up, we should be ready to head out.”
“I’ll take the mountain bike!” said Joe, strolling across the deck toward them.
“Sure. That means Mike gets the lady’s bike—because I’m not riding it,” said Frank.
“I didn’t think I got up late enough to be punished with a light purple lady’s bike!” said Mike, following on Joe’s heels.
“Well, you know, early bird and all that,” said Joe.
“How long before we head out?” asked Mike.
“Should be good to go in a few minutes. I just want to give these brakes another crank,” said Frank, pulling on the cable and cinching it down.
Meg came over to give Joe a hug. “When do you think you guys will be back?”
“I don’t know. Maybe a couple of hours?” said Joe, turning to Mike for confirmation.
“That works. We can head in one direction for an hour, then head back,” said Mike.
“I brought you guys the best map of the area that we have. You should tuck it away just in case anything weird happens and you need to veer off the roads. At least you’ll have an idea of the area around you,” said Brett, handing Frank the map.
“Thanks. I planned to ask if you had one. Nice to see we’re on the same page,” said Frank, opening it. “Can you show me our current location?”
“Sure. I can mark it for you,” said Brett.
“I think we should all memorize it instead of marking it,” said Frank. “In case it falls into the wrong hands.”
Brett nodded. “I hadn’t thought of that. Thank you. Nancy would have kicked me in the shins for suggesting we mark the map.”
“I think her foot would have gone a little higher,” said Frank, getting a laugh from all of them.
Once they had all studied the map, Frank stuffed it inside his small pack. “Mount up!”
“I suggest you guys take a right out of our driveway. You can bike down to the university and back. It would be nice to know the status of the campus,” said Brett.
“Do you both work at the main campus?” asked Joe.
“We do. The original bike purchase was part of a fitness phase we went through years ago. As you can probably tell, it didn’t last. We planned to ride to work every day. I think we did it once,” said Brett with a chuckle.
“We all go through those phases. Sharon and I have more exercise equipment at home than most gyms!” said Mike.
“You guys ready to get out of here?” Frank said.
“Let’s do this!” said Joe.
They rode down the driveway and onto the main road. Although Frank had never been a bicycle rider, he loved being able to move quickly. Their days of walking had worn on him mentally and physically. Looking back, he wondered why they hadn’t simply stolen bikes from a sports shop. Adjusting the gears, he settled into a comfortable pace in line with the others.
— 29 —
Meg watched the men ride down Brett and Nancy’s long driveway toward the main road. She had her reservations about Joe accompanying them on the reconnaissance mission. Being separated from him scared her. Instead of allowing her mind to cycle through doomsday scenarios, she decided to tidy up the small in-law suite. Looking around, she agreed with Joe that the place was a little creepy. For her the creepiness came from the old-person vibe it gave off. Clearing away a few personal items from view went a long way to making the place more inviting.
After she finished cleaning, she decided to join the others. As soon as she walked out of the apartment, the enticing aroma of fresh-brewed coffee quickened her pace.
“You made coffee!” she said to Nancy.
“Sure did. Grab a mug while it’s still hot.”
She helped herself to a mug of coffee before joining the others at the table.
“What do you think they’ll find out there?” asked Marvin.
“I really can’t say,” said Brett.
“I’d like to think we’re alone out here, but I just don’t know after seeing that caravan pass. I’m also not sure I want us to be alone,” said Nancy.
“Why do you say that?” asked Meg.
“We really have no idea what we’re up against. I’d like to get some information. Ideally, they’ll find something we can learn from. Who knows, maybe the university will hold answers for us.”
“Good point. That would be nice,” said Marvin.
After she finished her coffee, Meg decided to take a nap while waiting for Joe’s return. “Nancy, do you need help with anything?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Okay, then I’m going back to bed. I could use the rest,” she said, getting up.
Closing the door behind her, she was grateful to Nancy and Brett. When she and Joe had first met the couple, they both hated that they had to sit with them for dinners on the cruise. Now she couldn’t be happier for their company and hospitality.
She stood in the living room of the apartment, looking down the driveway to the street, thinking about Joe and the other men. She hoped they would get back soon. Just as she was turning away from the window, something outside caught her eye. A Humvee drove past Nancy and Brett’s driveway, stopping suddenly while still in view. The armored vehicle paused for a few seconds before backing up and pulling into the driveway.
“Shit!”
She scrambled out of the apartment and ran toward the main house. The others were where she’d left them on the porch.
“A military truck is coming! We need to hide!”
Nancy was the first on her feet. “Follow me!”
Nancy quickly opened the back door to the garage, grabbing a flashlight from an adjacent shelf. She pointed the powerful flashlight at a rope suspended from the ceiling several feet away.
“I’ll grab the ladder!” shouted Brett.
Brett grabbed the end of the rope and pulled, opening a trapdoor built into the ceiling. He reached up and yanked a large wooden ladder down from the opening, making sure it was stable before nodding at Nancy.
“Get in!” shouted Nancy.
The four of them scrambled up the wooden steps into the darkness of a spacious loft. Brett retracted the ladder and closed the trapdoor, momentarily casting them into darkness. A brief panic started to overtake Meg, until Nancy activated the flashlight again.
“Everyone good?” said Nancy.
She nodded, along with Marvin.
“I’m going to turn this off,” she said. “We need to remain silent and still until they’re gone.”
“Okay,” whispered Meg, wishing Joe was here by her side.
The sound of a vehicle skidding to a sudden stop caused Meg to jump. She almost cried out, but Nancy grabbed her hand and steadied her nerves. The storage loft didn’t have a window or any way to l
ook out to see what the soldiers were doing. Instead, they had to sit listening in the darkness.
“I’ll check this area!” shouted an unseen man.
Beneath them, the garage door opened. Bits of light shone through the small cracks in the loft’s floor. A man clanged around the garage under their hiding spot. If he pulled on the rope, he would discover their presence.
“What did you find?” another man yelled.
“Nothing. It’s just a garage. Let’s get out of here. This place is perfect. We should report it to battalion headquarters immediately,” said one of the men.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go through the garage? Maybe grab a thing or two before they get here? We have a long list of stuff.”
“No. We can take what we want later. Come on.”
A little while later, they again heard the distinct sound of doors closing. The engine roared to life as the men drove away. Nancy turned on her flashlight, nearly blinding Meg.
“Oops. Sorry about that!” she said, aiming the flashlight at the floor.
“I think they’re gone. I’ll open up the door,” said Brett.
He lowered the steps and then stood aside for Nancy to go down first. Meg wasn’t sure if he stood aside for Nancy because he didn’t want to go first or because he was being chivalrous.
Nancy went down first, calling to them a few seconds later. “All clear!”
They climbed down with the help of Nancy’s light, gathering at the base of the ladder.
“What do you think they meant by the place being perfect?” asked Marvin.
“I think it’s obvious. They’re coming back and setting up at our place,” said Nancy.
“Maybe. Or they’re just going to loot. Either way, we need to get out of here. Fast! Before they come back,” said Brett.
“What about the guys? They won’t know where to find us! We can’t just leave,” shouted Meg.
Brett placed his hand on her shoulder. “We’ll head out in the same direction they went. We can stay off the road. Eventually we’ll run into them. They’re going to the university. Everything will be fine.”
Brett’s words did little to steady her. There was no guarantee they’d eventually cross paths with Joe and the others. He was probably right, and they would run into them eventually, but it seemed like a big risk to take. Then again, what choice did they have? They needed to leave before the soldiers returned.
“Okay. I’ll grab our bags and be ready to leave in two minutes,” said Meg.
“Marvin, grab your stuff and meet us here. We’ll take the western trail through our property, just there,” said Nancy, pointing to the woods. “We should probably take Frank’s and Mike’s bags, too. Load up on a few essentials.”
Meg dashed into the apartment to grab their bags. Fear about Joe’s whereabouts gripped her. She tried to convince herself that she would see him again.
— 30 —
Joe ducked into the underbrush on the side of the road as another heavy militarized truck passed their group. The men had been forced off the main road shortly after leaving Brett and Nancy’s house. They had hidden in the bushes on the side of the road, waiting for the traffic to subside. He couldn’t focus on anything but Meg’s safety, as he watched truck after truck speed toward Brett and Nancy’s house. Joe chastised himself for leaving her. They should never have separated.
“Do you think it’s safe to leave?” asked Mike.
“It’s been a while since the last truck passed. We should be good,” said Frank.
“You guys want to head back to the house? I think we’ve seen all we need to see today. I want to check on the others. We can head out again in the morning,” said Joe.
“I agree. Getting to the university isn’t worth the risk. There’s too much traffic on the road. Do you think we’ll be safe going back there? What if the soldiers are at the house?” said Frank.
“I’m worried about that too, but we have to at least go back and look. For all we know, nothing has changed at their house. You good with that, man?” said Joe, turning to Mike.
Mike sat quietly—staring at the road. Joe could tell he was conflicted. If he were in Mike’s position and Meg were lost somewhere out there, he would do everything he could to find her.
“Sure. We can try again tomorrow. Maybe they’re just relocating. Things could be vastly different tomorrow or even later today. It’s still early,” said Mike.
The men mounted their bikes and took off for Nancy and Brett’s house. Shortly after getting back on the road, they were forced to seek shelter in the trees flanking the road when another truck sped by.
“What the hell is going on? This is insane,” said Frank.
“I know. I never thought I’d see such a heavy military presence on our streets. It’s almost surreal to watch,” said Frank.
“I don’t think we should keep trying to ride the bikes. We’re spending more time hiding than riding,” said Joe.
“I know. I was thinking the same thing. Let’s store the bikes here and then cut through the forest to their house. Without the ax, it’ll be slow going, but at least we’ll be moving,” said Frank.
The men stowed their bikes behind a large rocky outcropping. In order not to lose the valuable transportation in the forest, Joe placed a heavy tree branch on the shoulder of the road marking the rough location of the bikes.
“Alright. With any luck, we’ll be able to find these again. I hate giving up transportation, but staying on the road seems futile at this point,” said Joe.
“Me too. I’ve done more walking than I ever thought possible,” said Frank.
Joe led the group through the forest at a quick clip. He wanted more than anything to reunite with Meg.
After thirty minutes at the fast tempo, Mike said, “Can we slow down? I don’t think I can keep up this pace much longer.”
Joe stopped and looked them over. Mike seemed fine despite breathing heavily from the exertion. Frank, on the other hand, stood with his hands on his knees, taking deep breaths as though he would pass out.
“Sorry. Maybe one of you should set our pace.”
After a short break, Frank continued their trek through the forest.
“We should be almost there, unless we got lost,” said Mike.
“Holy shit! We’re not lost nor are we safe! Get down!” said Frank as he quickly took a knee.
Ahead of them through the trees stood Brett and Nancy’s house. Military trucks sat scattered across the front lawn. Numerous soldiers walked around the property, setting up large tents.
“What the hell are they doing?” asked Mike.
“If I had to guess, I’d say it’s a camp of some sort. Like they’re quartering soldiers,” said Frank.
“Where are the others? We just left them a few hours ago!” said Joe.
The men sat watching as soldiers established a makeshift HQ on Brett and Nancy’s lawn.
“We need to get out of here. Watching them isn’t doing us any good,” said Mike.
“No. We should stay. Maybe the others are inside! We need to watch. They could be taken out at any moment!” said Joe, his voice cracking.
“My guess is that either they’ve been taken away already, or they managed to hide and evade the soldiers,” said Frank.
“I’m betting they’re hiding. Everything is so quiet out here. We were able to hear the trucks coming long before they reached us. I’m sure the others hid as soon as they heard something coming,” said Mike.
“But where? Where are they hiding?” asked Joe.
“Nancy and Brett both work at the university. I say we start there. They know the area and would seek shelter at the next most logical place,” said Frank.
“You’re probably right. Let’s go. With any luck we can get there before dark. You still have that map?” asked Joe.
Frank pulled out the map and considered it for a moment. He used his fingers to roughly measure the distances between points and finally said, “We’ll be lucky to get th
ere before dark.”
— 31 —
Nancy could hardly believe that soldiers had set up a headquarters on their property. The danger of their current situation had temporarily receded from her mind after a hot meal and a night in their cozy bed. This morning’s homestead invasion had shattered any future illusion of normalcy.
“We should be getting close to the campus. Maybe another hour or so,” said Brett.
“Where do you think the guys are?” asked Meg.
“They were heading to the university. With any luck, we’ll find them there,” said Marvin.
Nancy wasn’t convinced they would be reunited with the men. The campus was a large place. Even if the guys managed to reach it undetected by the military, finding each other would prove difficult.
“Where do you want to go when we get to campus?” said Marvin.
“I have no idea,” said Brett.
“I think we should go to my office. I have a key to the tunnels. We could grab it and then use the tunnels to get around. That is, assuming the soldiers haven’t taken over the campus and we’re able to get inside,” said Nancy.
“How did you get a key to the tunnels? I don’t have one!” said Marvin.
“I’m not sure I’m supposed to have one either. Years ago I forgot my office key and needed to work late. I managed to find a janitor, who let me in. We got to talking, and after he left, I realized he forgot a small bundle of keys. He never came back for them.”
“How did you know you had the key to the tunnels?” asked Marvin.
“You need to ask that question? She’s the nosiest person I know!” said Brett, laughing.
“Thanks a lot! Of course, I can’t really get mad, because he’s right. There weren’t too many keys, so I tried various doors. Initially, I thought I could get us into the observatory to surprise Brett. Eventually, I figured out the keys were just for the Sociology Department and tunnels.”