by Harley Tate
It didn’t take long for signs of the highway to appear. A gas station stood on the closest corner, followed by a Denny’s and an extended stay motel. Danny slowed the horses, forced to navigate between stalled and abandoned cars the closer they came to the interstate.
Jack pointed to the east. “There! I knew it!”
Midge squinted. Past the cloverleaf exit, a huge tan warehouse with a red roof hugged the highway. Portage Outdoor World was painted across the roof in blocky font. “Looks like we can enter from across the highway.”
Danny led the horses across the overpass and down a frontage road. They curved along the landscaped lane leading to the shop and Midge sat on her hands to keep from fidgeting. A huge American flag blew in the wind above the store and a handful of trucks and SUVs sat in the parking lot.
“What should we do with the horses?”
“There’s a field behind the building,” Jack offered. “Cassandra and I could stay with them so they can eat and rest.”
Danny led the horses around the back, easing down a sloping, gravel bank to the long grass beyond. He turned in the seat. “Are you sure you can handle it?”
Jack nodded.
Midge fished out Tito’s gun and held it out. “You should have a weapon. Something to defend yourself.”
Jack looked around them. “There’s no one here. Do you really think it’ll come to that?”
“Would you rather sit out here without it?”
“Take the gun, honey.” Cassandra nudged her husband. “We’d rather not need it and have it than need it and be without.”
Jack reached for the gun, a frown deepening the lines between his brows. “All right.”
Midge climbed out of the carriage and patted Bethel on the side. The horse had already ripped up a clump of grass and fresh green juice dribbled from her chin. Even if they walked away from the store empty-handed, at least the horses would have a chance to eat.
Danny fell into step beside her. Midge handed over Randy’s gun, but Danny waved her off. “That leaves you without. Keep it.”
She shoved it at him again. “Keep it. I’ve got Max’s.”
“But it’s empty.” Danny took Randy’s gun and shoved it in his waistband. “Let’s hope this place sells holsters. I’m sick to death of cold metal digging into my skin.”
Midge took the opening and said what she needed to say. “I’m sorry I tried to handle Dom all by myself. You’re right. We are a team and I should have worked with you.”
After a moment, Danny softened. “It’s okay. Just, don’t do it again.” He met her gaze. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“You there! Stop and identify yourselves!”
Midge froze. Danny stuttered to a stop. A man with a military-style rifle stood outside the door to the store, barring entry.
Danny held up his hands. “We’re refugees from Chicago. Just passing through.”
“Purpose for entry?”
“Food, camping supplies, ammunition and weapons if you sell them.”
“Cash only.”
Midge spoke for the first time. “We have cash.”
“Any weapons?”
“Two handguns.”
The man pointed at a handwritten sign with the barrel of the rifle. “No ammo allowed inside. Give me the mags and you can collect them when you exit.”
Danny reached for Randy’s gun and pushed the button to eject the magazine. He walked up to the guard with it.
“Round in the chamber?”
Danny racked the slide and a single round fell to the ground. He picked it up and placed it in the man’s palm. Midge stepped forward and showed him the empty revolver. The man nodded and let her keep the weapon. “Ask for Sean inside, he’ll help you stock up.”
Midge nodded and ducked past the man to head inside the store with Danny. The front automatic doors stood open wide enough for one person at a time to squeeze through.
Another guard stood on the inside, same style gun resting in his folded arms. “Have you been checked?”
“Yes, sir. The man outside said to ask for Sean. We are looking for some ammunition for a pair of handguns as well as camping supplies and food, if you have it.”
The man nodded and relaxed his position. “I’m Sean.” He stuck out his hand.
Danny and Midge introduced themselves.
“Sorry about the protocol, but we just bought this place out from the franchise and turned it into a family business a year ago. We’re not going to let a few bombs ruin all we’ve done. As soon as the country is back on its feet, we’ll relax.”
Midge didn’t have the heart to tell him it probably wouldn’t work out like he hoped. She followed him toward the back wall where glass cases showed off a plethora of handguns and a rack along the back held at least fifty rifles. No prices were listed.
She pointed at the wall. “How much for a basic shotgun or a rifle?”
Sean twisted around. “Cheapest we have is a grand right now.”
Midge swallowed. She didn’t have that much money left.
“A thousand dollars? A cheap one’s only like two or three hundred, max.” Danny leaned across the glass.
Sean held up a hand. “Prices have changed. Supply and demand, you know.”
Midge reached out and laid a calming hand on Danny’s shoulder. “It’s okay. We’ll just take ammunition.” She set her revolver on the counter.
Sean whistled as he picked it up. “You a Western fan?”
Midge shook her head. “Someone gave it to me.”
“Well, it’s a sweet piece. Good condition, too. I don’t see many Model 19s come in here anymore. All the old-timers like to hang onto them.”
He grabbed a box of rounds from beneath the counter and slapped it on the glass. “The .357’s got a real kick, though. You sure I can’t interest you in something a little more manageable? Maybe a Glock 43 or a Ruger LCP. Both would fit your hand a lot better.”
Midge thought about the recoil but shook her head. They couldn’t afford it. “Just the ammo, please.”
Sean moved onto Danny. “How about you?”
Danny set the gun on the counter.
“Now that’s a classic. A well-loved Glock 17. You really should think about cleaning it, though.” He set another box of 9mm rounds on the counter. “Now what?”
“Holsters would be great.”
Sean turned back to the rear counter, opening a few drawers before coming back with two clip-on holsters. “We don’t have anything specific for the Smith & Wesson, but we’ve got a custom for the Glock. Give them a try and see what you think.”
Midge and Danny tried out the holsters, clipping them to their jeans before slipping the guns inside. Midge jumped up and down and twisted to the side. The gun stayed put. Danny crouched and stood up and almost laughed out loud. “This is great.”
“Happy to be of service.” Sean picked up the ammo boxes. “Can I help you with anything else?”
“Do you have any camping equipment? We could use a tent and some sleeping bags. Maybe a flashlight. Some easy-to-cook food, too.”
Midge glanced at Danny. Based on the way Sean kept looking at them, she knew he was going to up charge the heck out of the ammo and everything else they purchased. Danny didn’t seem to notice the lack of prices, but after the sticker shock over the gun, it was all Midge could think about.
As Sean led them over to another section of the store fully stocked with everything a backpacker could need, Midge hoped she had enough money. Danny picked out a couple of tents, a pile of sleeping bags, and a flashlight along with an armful of just-add-water meals.
Midge stopped him. “Let’s slow down.” She leaned close enough for only him to hear. “I don’t have enough money for all of this.”
Danny scrunched up his brows in confusion. “It’s not more than two hundred at the most.”
“Based on his quote for a gun, it’s going to be at least three times that.” She grabbed his arm. “They took all the prices down, or did
n’t you notice?”
Danny paled and set half of the things back as Sean wheeled a cart toward them. He loaded up their selections and walked everything over to the cash register. After scrawling the contents of the cart onto a pad of paper, Sean looked up with a smile. “Let’s call it six hundred even.”
Midge almost choked. Six hundred dollars for some cheap camping gear and a hundred rounds? She had to get better at her aim. Her voice cracked as she spoke up. “Do you have any water?”
Sean bent down and picked up two bottles that ordinarily cost less than a dollar a piece. “That’s another twenty bucks.”
Danny cursed beneath his breath and Midge kicked him. They couldn’t blow this now. Not when they were getting so much. Sooner rather than later, American currency would be worthless. Better to use it when they still had the chance. Midge handed the money over and Sean stuck it in the cash register with another smile. “You all need any help outside?”
“We can manage.” Danny collected the camping supplies and Midge grabbed the ammo and the waters and together they headed out of the store. After stopping to retrieve Danny’s magazine, they hurried to the carriage.
It stood exactly where they’d left it, with both horses bent toward the grass and Jack and Cassandra sitting in the rear seats. Danny dumped all the gear in the back with a scowl. “We couldn’t get everything we wanted. Those jerks jacked the prices sky high.”
“We’re lucky we got anything at all.” Midge handed one of the water bottles to Cassandra. “I’m sorry, we could only afford two.”
“That’s okay.” Cassandra took it and leaned back. “Thank you for trying.”
As Danny flicked the reins for the horses to move, Midge opened the box of .357 Magnum rounds and loaded Max’s revolver. With only one box and no means to get any more rounds, she hoped she wouldn’t have to use it.
Chapter Nineteen
DANNY
Wednesday, 6:00 am CST
Rural Michigan
The first hint of morning sun cleared the trees to Danny’s east and he poked at the crackling fire. It was a risk to lighten up the dark with the promise of warmth, but with a newborn in their midst Danny decided the benefits outweighed the danger.
A hot breakfast of freeze-dried eggs with chunks of bacon would keep Cassandra going and help her feed April. Danny marveled at how well she’d done so far with so little, but the stress had to be getting to the new mother. With any luck, they would be reaching St. Joseph by the end of the day and April could spend the first night in something other than a tent on the side of the road or a bomb shelter that had seen better days.
It had taken all afternoon to reach the Indiana-Michigan state line and when they stumbled across a golf course, it seemed the perfect place to stop and set up camp for the night. The horses were tethered to a small tree on the edge of the course and were already awake and grazing the stubby grass. Midge slept in the carriage beneath a sleeping bag and Cassandra, Jack, and April shared the tent.
Midge, Jack, and Danny had taken turns keeping watch and he’d opted for the morning shift. As he poked at the fire again, a sharp crack pricked the horses’ ears. Danny rose up and tugged the Glock from his stiff new holster. Beatrice stamped a foot and snorted.
Someone was out there.
Danny kept the grip on the gun steady as he reached for the flashlight. He panned it on the bushes. One moved and he focused the beam on the spot. “I know you’re in there. Step into the light or I’ll shoot.”
The leaves rustled. Danny braced himself for a vagrant or a thief trying to steal the horses. He didn’t expect a scraggly, ten-year-old girl wearing nothing but a nightgown and a pair of rain boots. Her hands shook as she held them up. “Don’t shoot me, mister! Please don’t shoot me!”
Danny lowered the gun. “Are you okay?”
“Please, mister. My momma, she’s real sick. I left to go get someone, but no one will help. I saw your pretty horses and…”
She stopped talking and shifted back and forth in the boots.
“And what?”
“It’s silly.”
“Go ahead. Tell me.”
The little girl’s cheeks burned hot. “I-I thought maybe you were a prince.”
Rustling nylon and a sleeping bag zipper sounded from inside the carriage and Midge rose up like a zombie come to life, groaning with the effort. “If he’s a prince, then I’m Sleeping Beauty.”
The girl bit back a shriek, hands clasped over her mouth.
Danny ignored Midge’s comment and focused on the girl. “What’s your name?”
“Ginny. My momma’s name is Barbara. Everybody calls her Barb. At church they all eat her pie, but ain’t nobody comin’ to help us now that we need it.”
Danny hesitated. If no one would help, there was probably a good reason. Midge hauled herself out of the carriage and motioned to Danny that she would be back before tramping off toward the woods. As she disappeared from view, Danny turned back toward Ginny. “What are her symptoms?”
Ginny held up a hand and tapped each finger as she went. “Throwin’ up, sores all over, her hair’s done fallin’ out in big ol’ clumps.”
Danny soured. If it was radiation poisoning, there was nothing anyone could do.
Midge emerged from the trees and blew on her hands to warm them up. “Sorry, kid. We can’t help you.” She walked by the little girl like she was nothing more than a Girl Scout trying to sell cookies.
As she neared the fire, Danny whispered. “Her mom has radiation poisoning. We can’t just leave her.”
“That’s exactly what we’re going to do.” Midge reached for the pouch of eggs. “She might be the first, but she won’t be the last. We can’t save them all.”
“We could try to save her.” Danny looked past Midge to where Ginny stood on the edge of the grass, rubbing her bare arms against the chill. “She can’t be more than ten years old. What’s she going to do if her mom dies?”
Midge thrust a finger toward the tent. “There’s a newborn in there in case you’ve forgotten. We’ve got to make April the priority.”
Danny swallowed. He didn’t like turning a little girl away. It wasn’t right. Not when she’d sought them out for help. “Jack and Cassandra aren’t even awake.”
“No.” Midge crossed her arms. “Not this time. Someone else can help. It doesn’t always have to be you.”
“There isn’t anyone else. She said as much.”
Midge whipped her head around to stare at the girl. “Don’t you have a father?”
“No, ma’am. He ran off when I was little. Momma said we cramped his style.”
She turned around and exhaled through clenched teeth. Danny could see the war waging inside her mind. At last, the right thing won out. Midge pressed her lips together and set the pouch of food on the ground. “I’m going to regret this.”
“No, you won’t.”
Midge stepped close enough for only Danny to hear. “We can go check it out. But if that woman’s on death’s door, we can’t stay and we can’t take that girl with us.”
Danny deflected. “I’ll wake up Jack.”
He rushed over to the tent and whispered Jack’s name. When the new father emerged, eyes puffy from lack of sleep, a pang of guilt hit Danny, but he pushed it down. Ginny and Barbara needed him, too. He explained the situation and joined Midge by the edge of the grass a moment later. He smiled at Ginny. “Ready?”
The little girl nodded and turned back the way she came, traipsing through the trees and underbrush before coming out onto a back road running along the golf course. “It’s all the way at the end of this road. Momma doesn’t like neighbors.”
Midge cut Danny a glance but said nothing as they followed the girl in a slow jog. After at least a mile, Ginny slowed. She pointed up at a ramshackle house with moss growing on the roof and a broken gutter leaning against the carport. An ancient Buick station wagon sat in the drive.
“Momma’s inside.”
Danny moved to
ward the steps, but Midge grabbed his arm. “It could be a setup. We need to be careful.”
He glanced at the girl. Dirt and dried tears tracked down her cheeks and she looked to be nothing more than skin and bones. “I don’t think so.”
“Still.” Midge pulled Max’s gun free. “We can’t be too careful.”
Reluctantly, Danny agreed, pulling his own gun from his holster as he approached the steps. Ginny scrambled past them to the front door and pushed it open before darting inside. “Momma? It’s Ginny. I found someone to help you.”
She hurried down a hall with plush maroon carpet that had seen better days and faded photos in crooked frames. A wedding photo of a woman with hair the same straw blonde as Ginny smiled at them as Ginny pushed open the farthest door.
The smell of vomit and diarrhea assaulted Danny’s nose and he held the back of his hand across his mouth to ward off the smell. He turned to Midge. “Believe her now?”
She grimaced, but didn’t say a word.
Danny stepped into the room. A middle-aged woman lay on the bed, propped up on a stack of pillows. Her cheeks sank against her teeth, and a giant, oozing sore spread across her forehead and up into her scalp where hair used to be. She blinked dull, lifeless eyes and tried to lift a hand. It fell back against the mattress with a limp thud.
“Barbara?”
She coughed and Ginny rushed to pick up a cup of water. She held a straw out and her mother took a sip.
“Yes. That’s me.”
“I’m Danny. Your daughter found me this morning and says you need help.” He tried not to stare at the wound on her head. “Can you tell me what you were doing before you got sick?”
She gasped for a moment and struggled to take a breath. “I was in Detroit with my sister when the power went out. I called my kids, told Ginny and Graham to stay inside and wait for me to git back.” Drool slipped from the corner of her mouth and Ginny dabbed at it with a tissue. “The Buick couldn’t make it through all those stalled cars on the interstate.”