by A. American
Teague caught the first man in the chest, toppling him instantly. These guys weren’t very well equipped, relying on surprise to give them the advantage. The two men with him quickly moved to take cover in the trees to the side of the road. Teague fired a quick shot at one of them, getting a yelp as the round slammed into the target’s ass.
The van was struggling against the tree when a sudden lurch forward announced it had broken free. The van roared through what was left of the tree, headed for the opposite shoulder of the road. Daniel quickly corrected to maintain the road and they were quickly out of the ambush. What seemed to last an hour to Daniel had only lasted about three minutes.
“Wooo! That was a rush!” Teague shouted from the back of the van. He dropped the mag from his rifle, replacing it with a full one.
Christy brushed hair from her face and breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t particularly enjoying this new world. But she was thankful to be with Daniel, Bob and the guys. The thought of trying to manage this on her own filled her with dread. She thought back about her apartment and what it looked like, not to mention the man that was there. She could only imagine what he wanted, not that it was that hard to figure it out.
But she wasn’t about to let it beat her. She was ready to take on anything that came her way. With that thought, she looked at the Glock in her lap. It gave her a sense of strength, security, that she didn’t just have to be a victim. Anyone coming after her would have to work for it.
“Look at this,” Daniel said.
Christy looked up to see another downed tree in the road, its leaves already turning brown and limply hanging down towards the road. A car sat on the other side of it, burned to the frame. “Must have been what they were talking about,” Bob said.
“That could have been us,” Christy added.
“But it wasn’t,” Gene said.
Christy gripped her Glock, “And it’s not going to be.”
A short distance past Harkins Crossroads, they made a right turn off Hwy 9 onto Hwy 148 that would take them through the southern part of the Talladega National Forest and into Sylacauga. This was a larger town than the last one, and as a result, the people weren’t quite as well organized. There was no barricade on the edge of town, no obvious organization anywhere. With that said though, there also wasn’t any real sense of chaos or danger. While there was no power in town, people moved about freely and calmly to fulfill their needs.
Other cars and trucks were on the roads and people treated intersections like four-way stops. There was no trouble, at least that they could see. Passing a gas station, they saw vehicles cued up, waiting for fuel. A large diesel generator was tied into the station to provide power. One of the highlights was the large ice dispenser in the parking lot. It was one of those do-it-yourself deals where you put in two bucks and could get a bag or ice in bulk to dump into a cooler. The line for ice was longer than the one for fuel. But here too, it was orderly as people waited with coolers for their turn.
But maybe it was the presence of the several sheriff deputies that was keeping everyone in line. Here at least, the veil of civil society seemed intact. As the van rolled by the station it naturally drew looks from the civilians and deputies alike. Daniel was always nervous when he saw cops of any fashion. Some of his previous encounters hadn’t gone well, and he wasn’t eager to relive those.
As they left town, Bob called out the turns to get them headed in the right direction.
“We have to cross the Coosa River. Take US 235 north towards Childersburg. We can cross there.” Bob said as he studied the map. “I know I had agreed earlier with your suggestion for heading down to Rockford and crossing the river on Hwy 22, but I’ve changed my mind. Heading north from here just a bit and cutting across from Childersburg looks like it may be a bit shorter route overall. So, trust me on this.”
Recognizing that Bob had done a really good job navigating thus far, Daniel didn’t argue the point with him.
Headed towards Childersburg, they passed a couple of stalled cars on the side of the road. Shortly afterwards, they came across what looked like a family walking down the side of the road. Hearing the van, the man turned and waved, sticking his thumb out.
Daniel looked at Bob. “Should we stop?”
Bob looked up, but before he could answer, Christy did. “Of course we should. We can give them a ride.”
Bob shook his head. “No. Not a good idea. Just keep going.”
Christy was shocked. “What? They’ve got kids. We should help them.”
Bob dropped the atlas into his lap. “The fact they have kids makes them even more dangerous. Their car probably ran out of gas, so they’re walking. They’re desperate. Not for themselves, but for their kids. Desperate people do desperate things. We can’t risk this.”
Christy was pissed. “That’s a really fucked-up view, Bob.”
He turned in his seat. “It’s not the way I want to be. But this van is our life right now. Without it,” he turned and pointed at the people they were now nearly on top of, “we’re them. You think anyone is going to stop and pick us up?”
From the back of the van, Teague shouted, “I’m with Bob. They’re not in the circle of trust!” Then he laughed at his own joke.
Gene looked at him and smiled. “That was really bad, but funny.” Teague gave a thumbs up and turned to watch the rear.
Christy folded her arms and sat back in her seat. She was fuming inside. She knew there was nothing she could say to change the situation. But the next time they stopped, she was going to talk to Daniel. It was his van after all. He can decide whether or not to pick people up. Things may be bad, but she wasn’t about to let it change her. No matter how bad it gets, you should still help those you can.
Childersburg was much like the last town, but with a minor difference. This time, they saw a pharmacy being looted. No one was trying to stop it either, which was more concerning than the actual looting. But they made it through town and over the Coosa without any trouble.
They turned south and worked their way westward across the state, trying to avoid getting any closer to the southern reaches of the Birmingham area than they had to. Their route would take them through more rural areas. Farm fields and woods were more preferable than built-up urban areas. However, those were not without issues. The south is crisscrossed with rivers, creeks and canals. All of these need to be crossed via a bridge, a natural choke point. Not to mention the real obstacle, the Mississippi River, that would need to be crossed at some point as well. And that river wouldn’t have many secondary roads with bridges. At some point, they would have to use a major highway to cross it. This was the one issue that worried Bob more than anything.
It was in the afternoon that Bob said he needed a piss break. Christy immediately spoke up to say she wanted to change Bob’s dressing as well. They were approaching the Black Warrior River on Underwood Bridge road. Daniel started looking for a place to stop, but both sides of the road were bordered by a large water-filled ditch.
“Right there,” Bob said, pointing to the right side where a small bridge crossed over the ditch.
Daniel eyed the rickety structure with suspicion. “You think it’ll hold us?”
Bob was shaking a smoke out of a pack and absentmindedly answered, “Sure.”
Daniel scowled, but turned towards the little bridge. It held, and soon they were in a small clearing bordered by trees. Bob pointed to the back of the small field and said, “Pull back there so we can’t be seen from the road.”
Daniel drove around a point created by the trees to where the clearing narrowed and was shielded from the road. It created a shady spot for them to stop and rest for a while. Teague was out the back door of the van before it was even in park, pecker in hand and pissing like a race horse.
“Woooo! Damn that feels good! I was seeing yella!�
� He shouted.
Daniel got out and stretched as Christy tried to help Bob, who wasn’t interested in any assistance. “I’m fine, Christy. I need to stretch and then you can pester me.”
“Whatever, old man. But you’re not getting back in that van before I change your dressings.”
Lighting his smoke, Bob dropped his lighter back in his pocket as he replied, “Yes, Nurse Ratchet.”
She shook her head and reached in for a roll of TP. She was walking around the van when Teague nearly ran into her. He looked at the TP and, with a devilish smile, he asked, “You need any help?”
Christy was always a proper woman that didn’t use profanity or vulgar language, except in extreme situations. Teague was an extreme situation. She gave him the finger. “In your dreams, asshole.”
Teague laughed. He enjoyed messing with her. Pointing at the roll again, he said, “Hurry up with that stuff. I got a shit on deck that would choke a midget to death.”
Christy shook her head. “Do you even realize what a shithead you are?” She didn’t wait for an answer and headed off into the woods to find a spot to take care of her business.
Daniel had taught her the finer points of relieving oneself in the woods. Not so much by choice though. When they first met, she wasn’t into the whole camping thing. But he went so often that she gave in and started to go with him. When she realized he didn’t camp in the tidy campgrounds with air-conditioned bath houses, and that he wouldn’t leave when she had to go, she was forced to learn.
After attempting several variations, she had settled on a method that involved finding a suitably small diameter tree, grabbing it with both hands and squatting down, using the tree for support. Unlike men, she didn’t need to linger during the act, something she never could figure out. She was horrified when he tried to get to her to sit with one cheek on a folding shovel. This was certainly more dignified. She quickly took care of business and was headed back to the van.
Back at the van, Daniel smiled at her and patted a folding chair he was setting up. “Here, babe. This one’s for you.”
She smiled and sat down. “Thank you.”
Teague walked back and snatched the roll from her hand and said, “I was serious about choking that midget.” He then quickly disappeared into the woods.
She shook her head as she watched him leave. “I wish he wasn’t here.”
Daniel sat down in a chair beside her and looked over his shoulder. “He’s not all bad. If you let him think he’s getting to you, it only makes it worse. Just ignore him and he’ll quit.”
Gene unfolded a chair and plopped into it. “He’s right. Onboard ship pranks and such were a common thing, but if you didn’t let it get to you or didn’t react, they just gave up. It was the ones that reacted that got screwed with. The better the reaction, the more they got targeted.”
Christy shook her head. “I just don’t understand you guys. I mean, why?” Before she could continue, Gene, Bob and Daniel answered in unison, “Because it’s fun!”
She threw her hands up. “See, that’s what I mean. How is making your friends unhappy fun? We women, we don’t do that to one another.”
Bob choked on a breath of smoke and started to cough. “Whatever! You just use passive-aggressive catty bullshit on one another!”
Gene held a finger up. “And us.”
Still coughing, Bob nodded. “Especially us!”
Daniel didn’t want in on this discussion, so when Christy looked at him, he just shrugged, getting a roar of laughter from Gene. Trying to find an out, Daniel stood up and asked, “Who’s hungry? We have stuff to make sandwiches.”
“Smashing idea, old sport!” Gene shouted.
Daniel went to the van and came back with a small aluminum folding table and set it up. Then, from the fridge, he returned with the sandwich fixings. Christy stood and offered to help. He smiled. “Just sit down, babe. I got it. Take a break.”
They all relaxed and had a sandwich. As soon as Bob was done, Christy went to work on his wounds. They still looked nasty but were clean, and the bleeding had completely stopped, an improvement. As she worked, a sound drifted through the trees to them. It was a deep rumbling sound. Teague rose to his feet looking back towards the road.
“What the hell is that?” He asked.
Gene stood up and said, “It’s diesel engines, a lot of them.”
“Let’s go take a look,” Teague said.
“I’ll go too,” Daniel said as he got up.
Teague looked at him. “Get your gun, man. Don’t go anywhere without your gun.”
“Oh, yeah,” Daniel said as he went around the driver’s side of the van and grabbed his weapon. Teague and Gene were waiting at the front of the van for him. Teague pointed at the rifle. “That thing should never be more than an arm’s reach from you, buddy.” Daniel nodded. “I’m serious, dude. When you need it, you won’t have time to go get it.”
Slightly annoyed, Daniel said, “Okay, okay. I got it.”
The three of them walked back towards the point that blocked them from the road. They stopped where a few trees would block them from being directly observed from the road. As the trees thinned and they could see through them, they were able to make out large armored vehicles moving down the road. Emblazoned on the side of each one were three large letters, DHS, with the seal of the Department of Homeland Security.
They watched as armored vehicle after armored vehicle passed by. Daniel quietly asked, “What the hell are those?”
“They’re MRAPs,” Gene replied.
“Aren’t those an Army thing?”
Taking the comb from his pocket, Gene ran it through his mustache. “Yeah, they are. But back in 2013, the government started buying them. I think they have over two thousand of them now.”
“What in the hell do they need those things for?” Daniel asked.
“For this. For right now,” Teague said. “They’ve been planning and waiting for this for a long time.”
“How in the hell can people fight against those things?” Daniel asked.
“With IEDs.” Gene snorted.
“I don’t think you made any of those, Gene.”
Gene rubbed his mustache. “Maybe not. But I can.”
Daniel looked at him. “You really think that’s necessary? They haven’t done anything to us, so why should we assume they’re our enemy?”
Teague pointed towards the road where the last of the MRAPs was passing by. “Run your ass out there and wave ‘em down then.”
Daniel watched as the last truck disappeared. Slowly shaking his head, he said, “No, I don’t think so.” Then he smiled and looked at Teague. “Besides, they’re gone now.”
The three men walked back towards the van. Gene pulled out his comb and ran it through his mustache again. Daniel was beginning to understand this tale, Gene was thinking. “What’s on your mind, Gene?” Daniel asked.
Gene blew the comb off and pocketed it. “Just thinking about those trucks. They may be an issue in the future.”
Daniel was looking at the ground as he walked and asked, “What the hell were they doing out here?” Holding his arms out, he turned in a circle. “We’re in the middle of nowhere!”
“Out looking to fuck someone up,” Teague said.
Gene nodded. “That was a lot of hardware. I think we should stay here tonight. I don’t want to get back out on the road too close behind them. Better to let them get on down the road a ways.”
“I agree, good idea,” Daniel said.
Back at the van, they shared what they saw with Christy and Bob while Bob’s dressings were being tended to. Without looking up from her work, Christy asked, “What’s that mean?”
“It means we’re staying here tonight,” Gene replied.
Christy
looked up. “But it’s so early. We could still go a long way today.”
“No. Gene’s right,” Bob said. “We need to let those guys get on down the road.”
Christy shook her head. “Why? As long as we’re not on the road past the curfew, we’re not doing anything wrong.”
“That may be true. But why even take the chance if we don’t need to?” Bob asked.
Christy looked around the small clearing they were parked in. Shrugging, she said, “Whatever, I guess. It’s nice here.”
They started to set up camp for the night, deploying the awning from the van and setting up the small tent. Gene was inside the van, rummaging around in the groceries. As always seemed to be the case, he was hungry. He came out with an armload, announcing he would take care of dinner.
“Since we’re so far off the road, I think I’ll build a fire tonight,” he said as he placed a package of chicken breasts on the small folding table.
“A fire would be nice,” Christy said. “It just doesn’t seem the same to be camping and not have a fire.”
Teague stood up. “I’ll prepare a fire pit. We need to be able to put it out real fast if we have to.”
After dinner, the group sat around the fire. It was kept small, but fed often to maintain a comfortable flame. Everyone had their chairs pulled up close with their feet outstretched toward the warmth, except Christy. She was curled up in the chair with her feet tucked in a small fleece blanket covering her, in a way it seems only women can do.
Gene had strung a wire antenna for the radio and had it set up on the small table beside him as he scanned through the bands looking for traffic. Daniel was nearly asleep, his chin resting on his chest. Bob and Teague both stared into the fire. It was a quiet time, with only the murmurs from the radio and the crackling of the fire breaking the silence.