by P. A. Glaspy
Will had never seen anything like it. People were pushing and shoving each other to get closer to the door, and the closer they got to the entrance of the store, the more concentrated the number of bodies were that were trying to get in. At the entrance, which was closed and apparently locked, the mob was so thick no one could move. They were yelling at someone inside the store.
"We see you in there! Open these doors! We have a right to that food in there! You can't keep it all to yourself!" This was immediately followed by the sound of fists and unknown objects hitting the glass doors. Will had a feeling he knew where this was going to go and was about to steer Amanda away from the store when they heard a gunshot. That sound, along with the sound of shattering glass, left no doubt some of them had taken matters into their own hands to gain access to the supplies inside. Then they heard screaming and saw people running away from the store. Unable to avert their gaze, Will and Amanda watched as the crowd thinned out, leaving just a couple of men standing at the broken door staring inside, the rest of the people having retreated to what they seemed to consider a safe distance. One held a pistol, the other a shotgun. The man with the pistol was speaking.
"Now, that was an accident. I wasn't trying to hurt anybody. That little gal ran right into my line of fire. I'm real sorry, but we need that food to feed our families. So, y'all just need to step back, let us get what we came for, and call it a day."
A voice from inside the store yelled back, "What about Lauren's family? They needed their daughter! Is some food more important than her life? What is wrong with you people?"
The man with the shotgun replied calmly, "In case you hadn't noticed, everything's gone to shit. Ain't nothing gonna be more important than food and water — well, except maybe guns and ammo. So, you gotta hang on to all the food and water you find. Now, do like the man said and step back unless you want someone else to get hurt."
The people inside must've done as they were told, because the two men holding the guns walked in followed by a throng, still keeping their distance yet driven to acquire the supplies they came for. Will and Amanda watched the bizarre scene from the edge of the parking lot. Will turned to Amanda, who seemed to be in shock.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Amanda slowly shook her head. "No, I most decidedly am not okay. They shot someone! Where are the police? Their station is right next door, for God's sake!"
"I don't think the police are going to be doing a lot of law enforcing for a while," Will replied. "They likely have families to feed, too. Priorities are changing every second. Come on, let's get going and get away from here. We only have a couple more —"
Will was cut off when a voice behind them spoke. "We'll be taking those packs and any cash you have on you."
They turned to see two men, one with a pistol and one with a revolver, both pointed at them. Amanda's hand flew up to her mouth to stifle a scream. "Hand them over nice and slow and nobody gets hurt."
Will tried to think fast for a way out of the situation, but he found it was hard to concentrate with a gun pointed at him. He figured it couldn't hurt to at least try to reason with them.
"Look, fellas, I've got some cash I'll give you, but we really need the packs. It's just a few bottles of water, some protein bars, and spare clothing. We've been walking for miles, and we still have a few to get home. Here, I'll show you." With that, he took his pack off, unzipped the main compartment, and pulled it open so they could see inside. "See? It's just some stuff I had with me in the car when I got stranded on the highway. I do have a couple of hundred bucks though." He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, opened it up, and pulled out the bills he had put in it just a few hours before. He held them out to the men, and the one with the revolver snatched the money from his hand. With his wallet in his left hand, he stuck his right into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out another stack. He held that out to the men, and the one holding the pistol took those.
Looking at each other like they held winning lottery tickets, the two men looked back at them and pistol man replied, "Is that all you got? You ain't holding out on us, are you?"
Trying to look nonchalant, Will shrugged his shoulders. "That's it, man. I try to carry two hundred bucks cash when I'm on the road. You've got it all."
This seemed to appease the men, as they lowered their weapons while stuffing the bills in their pockets. Revolver man said, "All right, you can keep the packs. No hard feelings, but it's every man for himself now, you know?"
Will nodded and said, "I understand. Thanks, guys. We're heading out now. Good luck to you." With that, he took Amanda by the arm and steered her away from the men. She hadn't said a word through the entire ordeal. She remained silent as they crossed Summer Avenue and finally found her voice in front of a bank about a half a block away from the confrontation. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked Will in the eye.
"You thanked them. They robbed you and you thanked them. Why would you do that?"
Will sighed and said, "Because they didn't take our packs. Because they believed me when I told them that was all the cash I had. It wasn't, by the way. And because they didn't shoot us. Believe me, that was not my first instinct. But I'm smart enough to know that I can't take on two guys with guns barehanded. You've heard the term pick your battles? That wasn't one we could win."
Amanda seemed to consider what he had said. "I guess I see what you're saying. Just between you and me, this situation is getting worse by the minute. I'm glad I wasn't by myself. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't been there, Will. I'm so glad you were."
Will looked at her solemnly. "I'm glad I was, too, but it definitely tells me we need to pay very close attention to our surroundings, especially since we're getting back into a residential area. We're less than a mile from my parents' place but it's all houses between here and there. Just keep your eyes open and let me know if you see anything … I don't know, weird … out of place. I'm sure we'll know it if we see it."
"Do you really think we'll run into something else, or someone else like those guys back there?" she asked, voice full of concern.
"I'd bet the rest of the cash I have stashed on it. Hang on a sec."
Will set his backpack on the frozen sidewalk and opened one of the side pockets. He pulled out the multi-tool and opened it to the small knife blade. Zipping his pack up and slinging it over his shoulder, he picked up the implement and said, "I know it wouldn't have helped against those guns, but there's no telling what we may still come across before we get there. Looks like a decent crowd up ahead at the Dollar Tree. Let's try to get through there quick. Keep your eyes forward and walk like you've got someplace to be." He placed the tool gently in his coat pocket.
"We do have someplace to be," Amanda replied.
Will nodded. "And I'd like to get there in one piece, today."
Chapter 18
As the afternoon progressed, the snow fall ceased, leaving them in a winter wonderland that was bitterly cold. The fireplace produced enough heat to push the chill out of the living room, so Carly and her parents were pretty much camping out there. Lauri had brought the camp stove in and placed it on the hearth. Joel was sitting in his recliner with a pen and paper working on something. Carly seemed to be lost in thought.
"What are you writing, Joel?" Lauri asked.
Joel looked up from his paper after he finished what he had been in the process of writing. "Lists of stuff we need to do and plan for. I'm also trying to figure out some way to get us all to Elliott's place after Will gets home. We could do it in the riding mower with the trailer — it would take the weight — but it's not a really secure way to travel, and we couldn't take much else with us. At this point, I just don't know how we can get twenty miles from here without some kind of transportation. Your knees could never make a trip like that walking. I thought I was going to pass out after going just two miles to Carly's. We aren't in any shape for that kind of activity."
"No, we aren't, but if that's the on
ly option, what other choice do we have?" Lauri replied.
"I'm still working on it. We've got a little time."
"Speaking of time, do you think we should hook up the generator and let the fridge and freezer run for a little while?"
Joel's eyebrows raised. "Crap, I hadn't even thought of that. Yes, we should. I just hate that everybody is going to know about it then. It's one thing to lend out an old chainsaw. It's a whole other one to have someone want to borrow your generator."
"Just say no, Dad," Carly commented from the couch sharply. Both of her parents looked at her in surprise at her tone. "You've spent the whole day so far helping other people, including me. Especially me. Of course, I'm your daughter. They're just your neighbors. You've helped them do stuff they should already know how to do. You've tried to educate them on what they should be doing. They're not your responsibility. Your family comes first, and that food in there will feed your family. I say fire it up, and we'll turn them away as they come to the door."
Lauri looked at Carly in shock. "Carly, what in the world has gotten into you? You were snarky when Jack was here, and it seems you're getting worse."
Carly shrugged. "What's the point, Mom? Everything is shit now. Our whole world has been vaporized. Do you know what was going to happen to me next year? I was going to be made a partner in our firm. A partner! My life was about to take a turn for the awesome. Now? It's all gone. My savings, my job, my car, my life — with the push of a button. No more grocery stores, no more cute boots, or mani/pedi spa days. No more pizza or hamburgers. No more fun!" She paused in her rant, then went on. "And on top of everything else, my boys are a thirty-minute drive away that I can't make. Plus, Will should have been here hours ago. Where is he?"
Joel interjected, "Carly, you just need to settle down now. We have things we need to do —"
"I've tried to settle down, Dad! I can't! The enormity of this situation is just too much! It's all gone! Everything we knew, everything we had — just gone! How is that possible? And why didn't anybody plan for something like this? Why did the government leave us vulnerable to an attack like what we have apparently experienced? Isn't that part of their job, to protect us, and this country, from attacks?"
Carly was on a rampage, and her parents just sat and stared. They seemed to be waiting for her to get it out of her system. When she didn't go on, Joel replied quietly, "Honey, I understand where you're coming from. It is a bit overwhelming to think about what life is going to be like. Honestly, we probably have no idea how bad it's going to get. All we can do is get through it. Together. We've all lost everything just like you have. But melting down is not the answer. It won't fix this. It won't help. We need to work on what we can do right now, what we can do in the next hour, and then the one after that. When Will gets here, then we'll figure out the next step."
He watched as her face changed from anger to anguish. The tears started to fall, slowly at first, then harder. She was crying so hard that her breath was coming in great gasps. Both he and Lauri went to their daughter, sitting on either side of her on the sofa. They both put their arms around her as she let out the despair that had been building inside her, probably since Joel first showed up at her door that morning. They knew how she felt about Aaron and Cameron, the not knowing what they were dealing with or how they were faring, since their own son was still not home. Half of their family was not with them and they had no idea how they were doing, or if they were okay. They were pretty sure the boys were fine with Elliott, but Will was a big unknown. Lauri patted her back as Carly's tears continued to flow.
"There you go, baby, let it out. It's going to be all right. The most important thing is we're together. Will is on his way home. I bet he'll be walking through that door any minute. And we will get to the boys. Don't you doubt that for one second."
Carly hiccupped as she looked at her mother. "How? On a riding lawn mower, pulling a trailer?"
Joel replied resolutely, "If that's what it takes."
Once Carly had cried out her frustrations, she went to the bathroom to wash her face while Joel pulled the generator out and hooked it up to the house. He had Lauri turn off all the breakers inside except the refrigerator and freezer. He pulled the cord a couple of times and the old generator coughed, then caught. It was loud, and Joel grimaced at the noise. He had forgotten how loud it was. Oh well, he thought, nothing to be done about it now. He went back inside and checked that everything was working as it should. He heard the compressor on both appliances humming.
Joel stood in the kitchen listening to appliances. "Well, that looks good and sounds even better. You don't realize how much ambient noise there is until it's gone. We'll let it run for at least an hour. Lauri, honey, if there's anything you want to pull out for supper, now would be the time to do that. We should probably follow my advice to Jack and work on the fridge first. The freezer is pretty full, isn't it?"
Lauri nodded. "Yes, it is. I think it will be okay for a few days as long as we get some power to it from time to time. There's a chuck roast in the fridge I was going to cook for Sunday dinner but with no range …"
"Thick or thin? The roast I mean," Joel said.
"Pretty thin. It would have cooked in just a couple of hours in a cast iron Dutch oven."
Joel smiled. "Go ahead and get it ready. I'll get you someplace to cook it." With that, he donned his coat and went out to the backyard.
Lauri got the roast out and put it in the Dutch oven with carrots, potatoes, and onions. She had just finished adding her secret ingredient — onion soup mix — and water when Joel came back inside. She placed the lid on the pot and wiped her hands on a dish towel. Joel picked up the heavy cooking implement and headed back to the door. Lauri hurried around him to open it for him. She stopped and asked, "Where are you going with it, honey? How are you going to cook it?"
Grinning, he replied, "Open the door and you'll see."
She opened the door to find the gas grill pulled up close to the house. Joel set the pot down and opened the lid. He placed the Dutch oven on the rack and closed the back over it. He adjusted the flames down to a medium setting then went back inside. Lauri asked, "Will it be alright to cook in there? I've never cooked with cast iron in a grill before."
"Of course it will. You cooked in cast iron over a fire when we used to go camping. Same thing, except we can regulate it better in the grill because we can turn it up or down and we have a thermometer in the lid so it's more like the oven."
"That's brilliant, dear! I wonder if I can make bread in there." Lauri looked thoughtful at her comment.
"I don't know if we're going to be able to stay here long enough to find out. I'm afraid —" A knock at the door interrupted him.
Joel opened the door to find Beth standing there again. This time she had on warmer clothes. Joel said, "Beth, if your fire is out I'm sorry, but I don't have any more wood to spare. Maybe you could gather dropped limbs or something in your yard."
Beth was looking toward the sound coming from the generator. She looked back at Joel. "What? Oh, no, it's still burning. Actually, I was wondering if I could borrow your generator. I heard it running from inside my house. If I could run the furnace for a bit and warm the whole house up, it would be much more comfortable. I could also cook some dinner. It would probably only take a couple of hours. I could let you know when I'm done, and you could come get it."
Joel stared at her then shook his head. "No, Beth, you can't borrow my generator. As you can hear, we're using it. Besides, it isn't powerful enough to run your furnace or your stove. Those are two hundred twenty-volt appliances. That generator is only good for one hundred ten-volt stuff. Either way, it isn't something I would lend to anybody, not now."
"Well, I just thought you would want to help your neighbors out," Beth commented indignantly. "You know, come together, pool our resources, especially since you seem to think this is going to last for a while. Doesn't it make sense to get with everyone close and make sure we are all fed and warm?"
"Maybe. Tell me, Beth, what will you be bringing to the group?" Joel asked.
"Well … I … um … I'm a great organizer. I can find out what everyone has that can be used by the group. I can see who has what skills to offer. Like you, Joel. You obviously know about fire starting."
Joel squinted at her. "And what do you have that could be used by the group? Any large amounts of canned goods, maybe food in your freezer? Trees we can cut down for firewood?"
Beth shook her head. "No, not really. I have a few things, but it's probably only enough for me for a couple of days. I needed to go to the store and was actually planning to go tomorrow after the roads cleared a bit. I did try to start my car and it's dead. So, I'm going to be needing some help to get through this. You all have all the food Lauri cans, and chickens out back, and you know how to do things, Joel …" Her voice tapered off.
"We don't know yet how long this is going to last, Beth. If we eat everything we have now, we'll all be starving in a month."
Beth looked shocked. "A month? Why in God's name do you think this will take a month to fix? Surely, we aren't talking longer than a week, two at the most."
Joel shook his head. "I don't think so. You have a gas grill, right? You could cook on that like you would a gas stove. Just fire it up and set the pans right on the grate."
"Do you have any idea how much I paid for my cookware, Joel?" Beth asked with a look of distaste. "It's not for using over an outdoor grill. Perhaps you all have an older pot or pan I could borrow, at least for cooking with."