Darkness Begins: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller (After the EMP Book 1)

by Harley Tate

  “So, I hate to be Captain Obvious, but do you have a key?” Tucker stood up, three ripe tomatoes in his hand. “’Cause it would be great to go inside out of the sun. My Nordic roots don’t like the heat.”

  Madison dug in her pocket and fished out her keys before unlocking the front door. She pushed it open and popped her head inside. “Mom? Dad? Anyone home?”

  No response.

  With a disappointed exhale, she shoved the door wide and walked in, ushering her friends out of the sun and into the living room. It looked just like the last time she’d been home, apart from the lack of lights. Still the same brown leather sofa they’d had for a decade, the same TV and cabinet beneath it. Not a single picture on the wall had been bumped or moved.

  If something bad happened to her parents, it wasn’t while they were home. She walked into the kitchen and stopped still. Someone had definitely gotten the message.

  “Wow. Did your parents do all this?”

  Madison stood gawking at the containers stuffed onto the counter. Every vase, Tupperware, water bottle, and trash can had been filled with water and squeezed onto the kitchen counter.

  Madison nodded. “It must have been my mom. She got my texts.” She glanced around in awe. “That’s good, right? That means she prepared.”

  “Yeah, but where did she go?” Brianna picked up a piece of paper from the kitchen counter. “Looks like she inventoried the fridge and freezer, too.”

  Brianna held out the paper and Madison took it, scanning down the list of foods with dates next to each item, all in her mom’s handwriting. “She went through all the perishable food and noted when to eat it. Some of it’s listed today.”

  Madison shook her head. “She wouldn’t have done that if she didn’t think she’d be here.”

  “What if she left it for you or your dad?”

  “Maybe.” Madison set the list back down and walked over to the sink, resting her hands on it as she stared out into the backyard. “But something seems off. She wouldn’t just disappear. If she’d planned to be gone for a while, she’d have left a note, eaten the food, something.”

  “Hey, Madison?” Peyton called out from down the hall. “You might want to see this.”

  Oh, no. Madison’s chest constricted with dread. She rushed into the guest bedroom where Peyton stood. “What is it?”

  He pointed at the rumpled bed sheets. “Someone’s been sleeping in that bed.”

  She frowned. “That’s weird. My parents’ bedroom is across the hall.”

  “That’s not the only thing.” Peyton walked past her and pushed open her parents’ bedroom. “Look.”

  “Oh my goodness.” Madison marveled at the stacks upon stacks of supplies. Gatorade and water. Toilet paper and paper towels. Protein powder and granola bars. “This is so my mom.” Madison walked up to the cases of water and ran her fingers over the plastic. “She made me do Girl Scouts all the way through high school. I even had to earn the Gold Award.”

  Madison turned to Peyton. “She is all about being prepared.”

  “Not like Brianna’s family, though right?” Peyton glanced around. “I mean, this is a good start, but unless there are some secret stairs to a bunker or fallout shelter, I’m not seeing a long-term survivalist here.”

  Madison shook her head. “No bunker. My mom isn’t into doomsday stuff, more just everyday capabilities. But I can see her scrambling to get as much as she could if she thought something bad was about to happen.”

  “Maybe she’s out foraging. She could be rounding up more supplies.”

  “It’s a possibility, but I’d think she’d want to stay home and keep an eye over all of this. Especially if my dad’s not here.” Madison glanced around. “It doesn’t look like he made it back yet.”

  “Where is he?”

  Madison exhaled. “Anywhere from here to China. He had the San Francisco to Hong Kong flight yesterday.”

  “Ouch. That sucks.”

  Madison sat down on the edge of her mom’s bed. “What about you? Aren’t you worried about your dad?”

  Peyton joined her on the edge of the mattress, his massive frame dipping the bed as he scooted back. “A little. But I shouldn’t even give that jerk a second thought.”

  “Why not?”

  “What good would it do? He basically disowned me, Madison. Kicked me out of the family and told me to not come back until I’d wised up.” Peyton snorted. “I’d like to see the look on his face when he realizes all he’s built is worthless.”

  Madison reached out and grabbed Peyton’s hand. “I’m sorry. I know that’s got to hurt. But he’s still your dad. If you want to try and—”

  “No.” Peyton cut her off mid-sentence. He pulled his hand away from hers and stood up. “As far as I’m concerned, he’s on his own.”

  “You mean that?”

  Peyton threw out his hands. “Say I make it to Los Angeles. That somehow I can get a car and drive the four hundred miles all the way down there without gas or running into any kind of problems. Then what? I’m in freakin’ Los Angeles. My dad was planning that massive party. I don’t even know where he’d be. He could be at home, at the studio, the label, at some friend’s mansion drinking champagne and swimming in the backyard pool like this is all one big vacation.”

  “And if he’s not?”

  Peyton stopped pacing. “Then he’s got the pool out back, a kitchen full of food, and a gated front entrance. That should give him a little while, at least.”

  Madison hurt for her best friend. Not having a good relationship with her parents seemed impossible, but she knew lots of kids weren’t so lucky. Even her own mom had a rough time growing up, but she hadn’t shared many details. All Madison knew was that her mom hadn’t spoken to her parents since before Madison was even born.

  “I’m sorry, Peyton. People suck.”

  “My dad, especially.” He sat back down with a sad smile on his face. “Enough about me. How are we going to find your parents?”

  Madison thought it over. Part of her wanted to grab her pack and set off on foot, knocking on every door to ask about her mom. But another part of her said to stay put and wait. “I’m leaning toward the hug-a-tree approach.”

  “The what?”

  “You know, if you’re lost in the woods the best thing to do is sit down and hug a tree. It’s what my parents taught me when we went backpacking. It’s easier to find someone who’s lost if they just stay put.”

  The more Madison thought it over, the more she settled on staying home. “My mom will come back. We just need to stay here and wait. Keep the place safe.”

  “And all these supplies.” Peyton stood, up rubbing his arms. “You think if we open the windows it’ll warm up in here? I’m wondering how we’re all going to stay warm tonight.”

  Madison shrugged. “It’s worth a shot.”

  Peyton cranked open the window and a breeze shifted Madison’s hair.

  She glanced up in alarm. “Do you smell that?” She sniffed the air again. “It smells… like smoke.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  MADISON

  Sacramento, CA

  3:00 p.m.

  “What’s going on?” Madison rushed out of the house, almost tripping over the step as she stumbled to a stop on the back patio. “Is something on fire?”

  “Only Tucker’s ego.” Brianna nodded at the grill. “Seems he’s not too manly, after all.”

  Tucker cast his girlfriend a glance. “I never said I was a grill master.” He turned to Madison. “Please tell me you know how this works.”

  Madison sucked in a breath as her heartbeat slowed from hyperdrive to normal. “I thought you all had lit something on fire.”

  Tucker ducked his head. “Only my pride.”

  She laughed without hesitation for the first time in forever. “Lucky for you, I’m an expert griller. My mom’s got a list of food and when to eat it in the kitchen. How about we crank this baby up and have us some steak?”

  “If I did
n’t have a girlfriend…” Tucker’s lame attempt at a joke was cut off by a tomato landing smack on his cheek. He caught it before it hit the ground. “Come on, babe, you know I was only joking.”

  “And you know I’ve got a mean fast pitch.” Brianna brushed past Tucker and headed for the house. “If you don’t get in here and help me pick, then you’ll have to eat a veggie burger.”

  “Aw man, that’s not fair.” Tucker raced after her and the two disappeared into the house.

  Madison turned back to the grill and pushed the ignition a few times before twisting the closest burner on. She might not know where her parents were, but she wasn’t alone. She had three friends to share the afternoon, and they had food, water, and shelter. That was more than enough to be thankful for.

  “You sure it’s all right if we eat a bunch of food?” Peyton stopped beside her, a can of Coke in his hand. “My backpack’s stuffed with food just like everyone else’s. We don’t have to eat what your parents have.”

  Madison cast him a look. “Don’t be silly. Of course you can eat here. She waved at the kitchen. “All the meat in the fridge is probably bad and the stuff in the freezer is on the edge. If we don’t cook it, we’ll just have to get rid of it somehow.” She glanced at the wheeled trash can supplied by the city. “I don’t think trash pickup will happen this week.”

  Peyton sipped his soda but didn’t say anything.

  Whenever he grew silent, it meant he had more on his mind. “What is it?”

  He looked up at the sky, focusing on the hints of color already appearing on the edge of dusk. “I know Brianna and Tucker are dead set on leaving, but what about you? What do you want to do?”

  “Stay here. Wait for my parents. They’ll come home. I know they will.”

  Peyton nodded, but didn’t look at her. “If they do come back, where does that leave me?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  He swirled his half-empty can around and took another drink. “Will you still have room for me here? Or should I be prepared to leave?”

  Madison turned to Peyton and reached for him, wrapping her arms around him in a sideways hug. His soda splashed as she pinned his arm to his side. How could he ever doubt his place in her home? She nuzzled his shirt. “It doesn’t matter if we’re down to our last Saltine, Peyton. You’re basically family. Of course there’s room for you here.”

  “Eeewww. You two need to get a room.”

  “Don’t tell me there’s kissing out there. You know I hate kissing.”

  Brianna and Tucker stopped in front of the grill, teasing smiles on both their faces.

  “I thought we agreed to leave all the kissing to the two of you.” Madison held out her hand and Brianna filled it with a plate of sliced-up zucchini and onions. Tucker held up two packages of chicken, both from the freezer. Just the sight of all the fresh food made Madison’s stomach clench. How long would it be before such a spread came this easy again?

  Would anything like normalcy come back? Or was this the end of it, the last gasp of society fading into the dusk as the northern lights lit up the night?

  She put the food on the grill and Tucker took the empty packages and plate back inside. The smell of cooking filled her nose and memories of a life too easy filled her mind. They had taken so much for granted. Not just electricity, but everything that went along with it: grocery stores, national farming corporations, the massive scale of modern food production.

  The United States produced more food than every person inside its borders could ever hope to eat and many times over. Americans threw away so much food every day it was mind-boggling. She remembered the statistics from her sustainable farming class: 40 percent of all food grown in the US was thrown away. Enough to feed millions of people. Every. Single. Day.

  How many people would wake up in a few days wishing they had canned all those strawberries and apples they had let rot in their fridges? How many would even know what to look for to see if food was still edible? Madison flipped over the chicken and veggies, thankful for what they had, but wary about the future.

  Endless questions percolated in her head.

  Peyton tapped her temple. “Whatcha thinking?”

  Madison’s brows knit together as she tried to put it into coherent words. “I’m worried. How long will it be before people figure out this is the best it’s going to be?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Brianna perched on the edge of the patio table, leaning against the weathered wood. “It won’t take long. Once people run out of food, they’ll look to the government, the military. When they don’t come…” She crossed her arms across her chest. “It’ll get ugly fast.”

  “You really think everything’s just stopped? That no one’s going to try to help?”

  “How can they? There’s no power. How many police and military have reported to work? How many government employees actually showed up at their offices and tried to organize anything?”

  Tucker came back outside, nodding along with his girlfriend. “Brianna’s right. Everyone’s always looking for someone else to tell them what to do. The police, military, members of state government, they all have bosses. Someone else in charge. When those people don’t come up with a plan, everything will fall apart.”

  “I think you guys sell people short.” Peyton scratched at his short hair. “Not everyone’s a coward.”

  “It’s not cowardice. It’s self-preservation.” Brianna pushed off the table, brown eyes bright with passion. “Besides, all those idiots we’ve elected lately, you really think they care about the little guy? You really think they’re going to stick their necks out, risk their lives, to keep peace and order?”

  She shook her head. “They only cared about one thing: power.”

  Peyton still wasn’t ready to give in. “But don’t they still have it? Aren’t they still in charge?”

  “In name only. All the power local, state, and federal officials have only exists because we allow it to exist. What do you think will happen when the prisons fail? When the wardens don’t show up to work? There’s plenty of people out there who will jump into the void.”

  Brianna took a step closer. “All those bad guys out there won’t stand around a wood-paneled room and spout a bunch of words about how we need to do something. They’ll be out there taking control. By force.” She swallowed. “By the time anyone in the government pulls up their big-boy pants and tries to help, it’ll be too late.”

  Madison didn’t know if Brianna was right, but she made some good points. Sitting back and waiting for help wouldn’t do anything but waste time. She held up two plates stacked high with grilled veggies and meat. “I hope all that debating worked up your appetites.”

  Tucker grabbed a plate and set it on the table. “Just watching the two of them and I’m starving.”

  They all sat around the patio table, the mood lightening as they focused on dinner and not the uncertain future. Tucker loaded up his plate with a pile of zucchini and enough grilled chicken to feed a small football team.

  Brianna chugged half a Gatorade and made a crack about burning off the calories with a late-night run. Even Peyton relaxed, eating and laughing until the crinkle of worry between his eyes smoothed away.

  After they’d eaten every last scrap of food, the four of them leaned back, stuffed and satisfied. Living without electricity wasn’t so bad if you got to do it with friends.

  Madison hated to break the moment. She turned to Brianna. “Please tell me you all are staying the night. I don’t think you should be out on the roads when it’s dark.”

  Brianna glanced at Tucker. “If it’s all right, we’d love to. The Jeep’s still got three-quarters of a tank, but I don’t want to waste it. It’ll take almost that much just to get to the cabin.”

  “That’s with no detours.”

  Brianna nodded. “We’ll need to keep an eye out for a way to get more.”

  Madison stood up and began collecting plates and her friends pitched in
. “There’s a bed in the guest room and a sleeper sofa in the living room.” She paused. “And my parents’ room, but…”

  “If anyone sleeps there, it should be you.”

  Madison nodded, shoving her worry back down. “Thanks.”

  She took an armful of plates inside with Peyton and the others came along behind. As she set the dishes on the counter, a noise made her jump.

  Bang. Bang. Bang.

  Madison glanced up at Peyton in alarm. “What was that?”

  He pointed toward the front door. “We’ve got a visitor.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  TRACY

  Sacramento, CA

  6:00 p.m.

  The case of Slim Fast wobbled on her hip. Tracy scanned the parking lot, checking for any sign of her Suburban. With every empty parking spot, panic rose inside her, growing from a tiny seed of fear and doubt to a full-fledged, heavy breathing, sweaty-palm catastrophe.

  This can’t be happening.

  She turned to Wanda. “Did you see anyone? Hear anything?”

  Wanda shook her head, the ashen pallor of her cheeks reminding Tracy of the remains of a campfire.

  Barren.

  Empty.

  She swallowed down a wave of bile and tried to think. They had spent all day clearing out Wanda’s apartment. The Suburban could be hundreds of miles away by now.

  “I can’t believe… Why would anyone…” Wanda’s thoughts trailed off, each one unfinished as if the refusal to utter the truth out loud would somehow make it less real.

  Wanda took a hesitant step, arm outstretched to the parking spot where the Suburban sat an hour before. Tracy loved that SUV. It held a million people and twice as much gear. The transmission still worked with a hundred and five thousand miles. It even had a full tank of gas.

  I risked getting shot for that gas.

  A smell hung in the parking lot air, the pungent, thick combination of motor oil and rot. The more Tracy breathed in, the more it suffocated her, swallowing her up like a cloud of despair, pushing her closer to the brink of a breakdown. A crow cawed overhead, fat black body perched on the telephone line twenty feet away.