by Harley Tate
“I don’t know what your problem is, but we’ve done nothing to you.” She jabbed her index finger an inch from his chest. “We deserve a say in what goes on in this neighborhood as much as the next person.”
Greg snorted and glanced down at Leah’s hand. “I’d step back if I were you.”
“Or what?”
His eyes narrowed as his gaze settled back on her face. “Or I’ll make you.”
Chapter Eight
GRANT
Neighborhood Clubhouse
Smyrna, Georgia
Monday, 10:00 a.m.
Oh, hell no. Grant pulled his Shield from his holster and brandished it in a sweeping arc.
The nearest neighbors balked. A woman bumped into a pair of men. A man pushed two others aside. Shouts rose from all around.
“Gun!”
“Run!”
“Get out of here!”
Grant wanted to join in and tell them to hurry it up already. The path between him and Leah teemed with bodies. Shooting his neighbors was the last thing he wanted, but no one was going to threaten his wife.
“Clear the room!” Dan’s voice boomed above the commotion. “Everyone out! Now!”
The no-nonsense tone pushed people into action. Arms shoved, heads ducked, and lists fell to the ground. Chaos. The crowd swelled at the double doors, undulating in a panicked wave as people rushed out into the morning light.
Grant wished there had been another way, but he had to protect his wife.
After a few moments, the space cleared. Five men were left standing around Greg and Will. Three he’d seen before down at the pool. All young, single, and probably eager for some authority. The other two he didn’t know. If they were all part of Greg’s posse, getting out of the clubhouse could be a problem.
He motioned to Leah. “Step out of the way, hon.”
She stalked back behind him and Grant leveled the gun at Greg’s chest.
“No one speaks to Leah that way. Not now, not ever.”
Greg held up his hands like it was no big deal. “I’m not the one who brought a gun to a no-weapons-allowed event.”
“I’m not the one who lit my truck on fire.”
Greg’s eyes narrowed.
“How about we just put the weapons away and have a conversation?” Will stood off to the side, wearing the same ridiculous grin he’d used at the beginning of the meeting.
Grant turned to Will. “So is this some sort of good-cop, bad-cop shakedown? Is that how you plan to run things?”
The man’s smile faltered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Mm-hmm. And I’ve never watched a single episode of The Walking Dead. We’re basically standing in ground zero for the new city of Alexandria right now and the two of you appointed yourselves the de facto leaders.”
“This is nothing like that.”
Dan eased up to Grant’s side. “Seems pretty spot on to me. First you take everyone’s food. Then you take away their ability to defend themselves. Then what? You decide who gets what and when?”
He shook his head. “How soon before you’re shoving your face full of someone else’s crackers and drinking their wine?”
Will crossed his arms. “We’re doing this to help our neighbors, not steal from them.”
Leah rolled her eyes. “If you wanted to help, then you’d find a working vehicle, assemble a team and go find a store that hasn’t been ransacked. You wouldn’t confiscate from the very people you claim to be helping.”
The men between Will and Greg eyed Leah, Grant, and the rest of their friends with hooded eyes. Each one stared at them like they were assessing the odds and waiting for the right opportunity.
It didn’t matter how much they argued, Will was never going to listen to reason. From the way he stared at them, to his defensive body language, it seemed he really did believe his own hype.
Greg, on the other hand… He knew exactly what he was doing and why.
Grant brought the attention back to him. “Will might have good intentions, but everyone knows you don’t. You’re only here to ensure you’re in charge.”
Greg didn’t even open his mouth. Instead, he busied himself with picking up the lists people had dropped on the floor.
“You should know who you’re teaming up with, Will.” Grant turned to the other man. “Greg’s kids tried to steal a propane tank from Susie yesterday, and someone, most likely Greg himself, set fire to our truck last night.”
“You don’t have any proof of that.” Greg stood up with a stack of papers in his hand. “It could have been anyone on the street or a stranger looking for some fun.”
“Or the neighbor who’s had it out for us for years.” Leah shook her head. “You did it. And you were the reason we weren’t invited today.”
Greg glanced around. “Looks like that was the right decision if you ask me.”
Oliver and Susie hung back in the rear of the clubhouse. Grant motioned for them to head for the door. One of the men he didn’t know moved to intercept them.
Grant aimed his gun on the man. “I don’t think you want to start that battle.”
The man glanced at Will.
After a moment, their leader shook his head. “Let them go. We don’t need to keep them here.” He frowned at Grant. “It’s obvious they don’t share our values.”
Oliver and Susie scurried out the door, but Dan stayed by Grant’s side. He nodded at the man by the door. “Hey, Logan. Didn’t expect to see you at this meeting.”
The other man managed a taut rise of his shoulders. “Don’t see why not.”
“You aren’t much for rule-following, that’s all.” Dan glanced around. “But maybe you’re hoping to be the one making the rules, is that it?”
Will held up his hands. “No one is here because they want to make the rules.”
“Speak for yourself.” Grant pointed his gun at Greg. “I know that’s exactly why he’s here.”
Greg took a step, but Grant shook his head. “Don’t give me a reason.”
“How about we all just agree to disagree for now, okay?” Will motioned toward the door. “You can go and talk this over at home. We can start our inventory.”
“And if we decide not to contribute?” Leah focused on Greg. “What happens then?”
“I’m sure we can come to an understanding.” Will smiled at Leah, but it looked pained. “If we’re through—”
Grant lowered his weapon but didn’t put it away. “Stay away from our house and everyone else’s who stuck around here. If anything happens to them, I’ll hold you all responsible.”
Will opened his mouth, but shut it after glancing at Greg.
Leah and Dan eased toward the door and Grant followed behind. He kept his focus trained on the clubhouse until they rounded the street corner and it was blocked from view.
Leah reached for him. “I’m sorry. That was all my fault.”
“No, it wasn’t. They’re the ones to blame.”
“If I’d kept my mouth shut—”
“You’d be furious at yourself.” Grant holstered the Shield and gave his wife a sideways hug. “Your backbone is one of the reasons I love you.”
Dan cleared his throat. “How about we save the mushy stuff for later, huh? We’ve got to find Oliver and Susie and come up with a plan.”
Leah leaned past Grant. “What do you mean?”
“Seems pretty obvious. Even if we could have stayed before, we can’t now. Greg will never stop. If we want to keep our wits and our gear, we need to leave.”
Grant hustled up his driveway and found Susie and Oliver waiting in their rocking chairs on the front porch. Susie stood up when he came into view. “Are you all okay?”
Leah smiled and rushed up to give the older woman a hug. “We’re fine. Sorry I got us in such a mess.”
“If you want to blame someone, blame Greg.” Oliver almost spat out the man’s name in disgust. “He’s the reason we’re here.”
“We should talk
about this inside.” Grant unlocked the door and Faith darted out. She slinked between everyone’s legs, saying hello with tail wags and sniffs of jeans.
Grant reached down and gave her a pat as everyone filed into the house. He turned on two lanterns and set them on the dining room table as each person found a seat.
Dan spoke first. “Like I told Grant and Leah on the walk back, it’s obvious now that Greg will never leave us alone. And with the confiscation of all our food and any weapons we own, we’ll never be safe if we stay here.”
Grant nodded. “After the truck, I knew we had to go, but listening to Will this morning confirms it. Even if they don’t go after us physically, they can make our lives miserable. If we don’t give up our food and defenses, they’ll come for us.”
He motioned at Oliver and Susie. “Once they find out about your electronics and your garden, they’ll take over. You won’t have any control.”
Leah pulled her legs up to her chest and sat sideways in the dining room chair. “Even after the truck, I thought we could stay. I thought there had to be an explanation. It couldn’t just be animosity or fear. But I was wrong.”
She focused on Grant and he smiled in encouragement. “Greg hates us. He’s never going to stop until we’re either broken or under his thumb. I don’t want to stick around to find out how he’s going to do it.”
Susie rubbed her temples. “I agree that leaving makes the most sense, but where do we go? Does anyone own any land?”
Dan scratched his head. “There’s a hunting lodge I’ve been to a few times up north of here. They’ve got hundreds of acres. We might be able to camp there for a while.”
“My sister lives in Hampton, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to go back there.”
Grant reached for Leah and took her hand. “Neither am I.”
Oliver spoke up for the first time. “I’ve got an idea. It’s not out in the country, but it’s away from the blast area and Greg and his cronies won’t follow us.”
“Where?”
“Kennesaw State University.”
“A college?” Dan scoffed. “Aren’t we all a little old to be going back to school?”
Oliver put up a hand. “Hear me out. It’s got a huge communications department with a radio station and a digital media lab. If anyone can connect to the outside world, they can.”
Leah perked up. “It also has a nursing program. I could rebuild my trauma pack and fortify it with more supplies.”
Grant nodded. “They also have a crisis preparation course. One of the guys I work with took it last year. If the college is operational, they might be able to help us.”
Oliver glanced around the table. “So it’s settled? We pack up and go?”
Grant nodded. “Everyone go home and assemble your gear. We can meet back here as soon as you’re ready. Kennesaw State here we come.”
Chapter Nine
GRANT
2078 Rose Valley Lane
Smyrna, Georgia
Monday, 4:00 p.m.
Grant stared at the two backpacks, massive pile of clothes, kitchen items, garage bits and pieces and more with a frown. “There is no way we can carry all of this.”
Leah sat on the floor, struggling with a stuff sack and an uncooperative sleeping bag. “We’ve barely scratched the surface. There’s a million more things we could take if we had the space.”
“That’s the thing. We don’t have any space. We might be able to take a single backpack on the motorcycle or rig up some saddle bags, but with Faith, we can’t put anything on the back.”
Leah stared at him for a moment. “We can’t take the motorcycle. There’s Dan, and Susie, and Oliver to think about. What are they going to do, run alongside?”
Grant rubbed his forehead. “But it will get us there so much faster.”
“We are not leaving them behind.”
Grant eased to the floor. Faith trotted up and twisted around three times before settling beside him on the edge of the living room rug. He ran a hand through her fur. Leah was right, but Grant didn’t like it.
“That means we either pare it down to the minimum so we can carry it, or we have to find a car.”
Leah nodded. “I vote for assembling everything we want and once everyone else shows up, we can make a decision.”
“Fair enough.” Grant set to work organizing the items within reach.
Everything from the kitchen went into one empty duffle bag: a can opener, collapsible bowls, their camping sporks and nesting pots. From their camping gear, he added their portable stove and fuel, all the various types of fire starters and every lighter he could find. Then knives and plastic bags and water bottles.
The bag filled faster than he expected and he hadn’t even touched the food. Thanks to his haul at the sporting goods store, Grant had days’ worth of freeze-dried meals. He nestled them all into a second bag along with the meager supplies left in the house and the jerky he’d picked up for Faith.
Another bag down, not nearly enough to go. Leah was right: they needed everything.
He sighed in frustration. Whenever they camped, he’d been an ultralight sort of guy. Small tent, tiny stove, pared down clothes and food. But he’d always had a home to come back to. When faced with leaving and never coming back, Grant wanted to take it all.
“Harder than it looks, isn’t it?”
Grant nodded.
Leah set down the shirt she was folding. “Maybe we should stay. We could take a stand against Greg and those men.”
“And then what? Wait until someone else comes along to take it all from us again?”
“The National Guard might mobilize. They might bring aid and restore the power.”
Grant shook his head. “I saw downtown. There’s nothing left of the state government. And if what Oliver found is true, the federal government is worse. The best we could hope for would be international aid workers.”
Leah almost laughed out loud. “Never thought I’d hear you say something like that.”
Grant glanced at their wall full of wedding photos. “Will and Greg are only the beginning. We have to leave.”
Leah didn’t say any more.
He knew she struggled with leaving everything and everyone behind. He thought about Leah’s sister and finally asked the question he’d tried to avoid. “Do you want to go to Hampton?”
His wife looked away.
“We could make a life there, you and I. It would mean—”
“It would mean trading Greg for whoever is in charge there.” Leah turned to face him. “How is that any better?”
“Your sister is there.”
“My sister kicked you out. Her husband almost got me killed. She—” A sob cut off Leah’s words and Grant crawled across the field of supplies to wrap his wife up in a hug.
“I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
Leah wiped her face on his shoulder. “No. It was a fair question. But I don’t want to go there. I don’t know if I can ever forgive them for how they treated you.”
Grant leaned back and took Leah’s face in his hands. “I love you and I would never have stopped looking for you.”
She smiled. “Same here.”
A knock on the door startled them both. Faith rushed to the front of the house, sniffing the air.
Grant stood up and headed to the door. He groaned as he opened it. “And I thought we had a lot of stuff.”
Dan grunted beneath the weight of two massive backpacks and a cooler. “This is only half of it. The rest is in my garage.”
“What about Susie and Oliver?”
Dan set the cooler down and shrugged out of both backpacks. He grabbed his knees and sucked in a lungful of air before answering. “Still packing.”
Grant pinched his lips between his fingers and turned back to his wife. “Forget a car, we’re gonna need a caravan.”
An hour later, Susie and Oliver trudged through the door with the last of their belongings. All told, the five of them filled the entire livin
g room with bags and boxes and gear of all sorts.
Dan mopped his brow with a paper towel. “There’s no way we’re gonna be able to take all this. We need a U-Haul, not a car.”
“Like a massive truck isn’t a beacon for thieves.” Oliver adopted a sing-song voice. “Hey bad guys, here we are, a bunch of morons in our massive truck. We don’t have anything you want inside, promise.”
“I didn’t say it was a good idea.”
Grant thought it over. “If we can find two old SUVs or a couple of pickup trucks, we might be able to haul everything.”
“With your truck torched, there probably isn’t a single working vehicle besides Stan’s motorcycle in the neighborhood.” Oliver shook his head. “Where are we going to find two?”
Dan leaned back in the chair. “I know a place. A cheap car lot on the way to Marietta. But it’s too far to walk.”
Oliver threw up his hands. “Lot of good that’ll do, then.”
Grant disagreed. “We can take the bike.”
“That means two trips at least.” Leah shook her head. “It’ll take too long. Who knows when Greg and those thugs of his are going to come back.”
“Can we both fit on the bike?”
Grant took a good look at Dan. A few inches taller, with a belly twice Grant’s size, Dan had to outweigh him by fifty pounds. He hedged. “It won’t be comfortable. But if we take the box off the back, maybe for one trip.”
“Then let’s do it. We can ride there together. If we find a big enough vehicle, the bike can go in the back. If not, we’ll leave it behind.”
Grant turned to his wife. “Would you be okay here? Susie and Oliver could stay. You all could take turns keeping watch.”
Leah nodded. “I can do it.”
Grant glanced at his watch. Just after five. Sunset wouldn’t be for another two hours and Greg wouldn’t be stupid enough to attack in the daylight. “How far is this place?”
Dan thought it over. “About twenty minutes.”
“Then we should go. The faster we get there, the faster we get back.”
“Give me five minutes and I’ll be ready.” Dan pushed off the couch and opened his backpack. He fished out a dark sweatshirt and pants before heading to the bathroom.