by P. A. Glaspy
Carly plopped down on the bed, pouting. "How am I supposed to pick out clothes to leave here if I don't know whether or not I'll need them?"
"Did you pack any of your business clothes or shoes?" Amanda asked her.
"Yes, why?"
"Because you won't need those, or anything like them. You need jeans, sweatshirts and sweatpants; long and short-sleeved blouses; shorts and sweaters; and at least two good coats, plus whatever you sleep in times four to six. Oh, and plenty of underwear, all of your bras and panties. For shoes, you'll want to take a few pairs of tennis shoes, some flip flops, and any sturdy boots you have, preferably insulated. You need the clothes you wear at home, not anything you would wear to work or on a date. The rest of that stuff is worthless in the country."
Sniffing, Carly replied, "Well, that helps. Although, when I think about the money I have invested in my footwear alone …"
Amanda smiled at her. "I hear ya, sister. I'm not sure how I'm going to make it without my spike-heeled boots or the fifteen pairs of wedged sandals. Come on, I'll help you sort out what you need to take."
As they entered the hall, Joel called out from the living room. "Amanda, we'll need you to run us through some gun-handling safety tonight, too. It's going to be a busy evening."
"Sure thing, Mr. Cha — I mean, Joel. Right after we cut back on these clothes."
Joel mumbled under his breath, "Good luck with that."
After much arguing and pleading on Carly's part, they managed to get the bags down to the number Joel insisted they could take with them. They loaded up the Scout and the cargo carriers, and as Joel had guessed, they were packed tight. He made sure there was a spot for each person inside the car, though whoever was behind the seats would likely be sitting on a garbage bag of clothes. Will let them know that it wouldn't be a bad thing considering the beating his butt took on the way there. They then had a light supper of leftover roast and vegetable soup. Once the dishes were done and put away Joel called them all into the living room.
"Amanda has chosen hand guns for each of us and is going to show us how to handle them. We can't actually shoot them, which isn't ideal because pulling the trigger on an empty gun is nothing like doing it with a bullet loaded, but we can at least get the feel for them and learn how to carry them in a safe way. Amanda, you're on."
Amanda walked to the center of the room and pulled the Glock from her waist. Carly looked at her wide-eyed.
"You've been walking around in here all evening with a gun? Is it loaded?"
Amanda chuckled. "Of course. An unloaded gun is a club. I picked a holster at Teddy's that holds the pistol inside the waist of my pants so I could carry it without anyone knowing."
"Why don't you want anyone to know?" Lauri asked.
"Did you see how the neighbors' attitude and demeanor changed when I revealed the shotgun? People act different when someone in their vicinity is armed and they know it. It's like when you're driving, and you look into your rear-view mirror and see a police car. You immediately check your speed or move over if you're in the passing lane. The police car and the officers within are a sign of authority. For civilians, a firearm does the same, particularly with people who don't know anything about guns, like you guys. No offense, but you're in the same boat as your neighbors where firearms and protection are involved. I see it in your eyes when you see me holding a gun. Let's change that."
She spent the next few hours going over the safety basics using unloaded weapons. She gave Carly and Lauri a .380, and Joel and Will each got a 9mm. As expected, the men were much more comfortable with their sidearms than the women. She gave them "homework", consisting of releasing and replacing the magazine repeatedly while always being mindful of where their trigger finger was on the gun – that being not on the trigger.
When yawns became more prevalent than words, Joel called a halt to the evening. "We need to be ready to roll out of here before dawn in the morning. Let's get some sleep, gang." They all reached to lay their sidearm on the coffee table — all except Amanda.
"You guys need to get in the habit of keeping that with you at all times," she said. "Take it with you if you're not sleeping in here. Set it beside the bed. If you are sleeping in here, put it close so you can grab it quickly."
Carly rolled her eyes. "What, are we going to be attacked here in the house? The doors are locked, the curtains are drawn. I think we're okay."
"Don't think for a second that being inside the house is completely safe, Carly," Joel replied. "There were home invasions before everything went to hell. It will be worse now. Another reason I'm sleeping out here."
Carly hesitated. In a voice just above a whisper, she said, "Should we be worried about people breaking in, Dad?"
He pulled the slide back on the pistol in his hand, checking to see that it was loaded. "Not as much now as a couple of hours ago. Go ahead and lay down. We'll be okay."
Joel's sleep was interrupted multiple times by sounds outside. A world with no power is very quiet, so sound carries quite a distance. He heard gunshots that sounded like they were coming from about a mile away. Also, he heard Lauri's snoring a couple of times from down the hall. It worried him that she couldn't use her cpap machine. Sleep apnea could cause her to have a heart attack or stroke, neither of which was something he wanted to face in this new reality. There would be no ambulance ride to the hospital, no IV meds to treat and stabilize — it would just be over, or worse, she would become bedridden and need constant care. Joel felt selfish for thinking it would be better for her to just die and get it over with if that happened, but he also knew it would be next to impossible to provide her any quality of life now if something like that did happen.
He got out of his chair slowly. Aches in muscles he hadn't used in quite some time reminded him that he wasn't used to the lifting, carrying, and other physical activities he had been performing over the past few days. He tried not to groan as he rose since Will and Carly were sleeping in the living room, too. He lit a lantern, then made his way to the door leading out to the backyard and opened the blinds.
From the looks of a still dark horizon, he figured it was at least an hour until sunrise. He wanted them to be ready to get on the road as soon as it was light, so he put a pot of coffee on — knowing it was quite possible that would be the last pot he brewed in his house. He looked around the kitchen in the soft glow of the kerosene lantern. So many memories from so many years of living there, happily raising their children, and watching their grandsons grow from two little boys tearing through the house to the two young men they had become. The majority of his and Lauri's adult lives had been spent in that house. The thought of just walking away from it, along with the idea that they might never return, left him with a feeling of angst. Coupled with the unknown of what their future might hold, he wasn't finding a lot of positive to focus on. He was brought out of his dark reverie by Will coming in the kitchen.
"Mmm, that coffee smells good, Dad. Is it ready yet?"
Joel gave a little start. "Morning, son. Just about. You can get some cups out if you want."
Will shuffled to the cupboard and pulled down five coffee mugs. "Getting an early start, I see. What time were you wanting to head out?"
Joel turned the heat down under the pot and poured two cups of the steaming hot liquid. "As soon as we can. I've been thinking: coffee, tea, sugar — these things are luxuries, but they can also make bad situations a bit more tolerable. Maybe we should see if we can find a spot for those three things at least."
Will took a sip of his coffee and closed his eyes. "Yeah, I think that's a great idea, because when the coffee's gone, life is going to take on a whole new level of suck."
Joel nodded and looked up as Carly, Amanda, and Lauri came into the kitchen. Carly hurried over to grab a cup, held it out and growled, "Gimme." Joel poured cups for her and the other two women and set the pot back on the cook stove. He leaned over and kissed his wife on the cheek.
"Morning, honey, girls. Get your caff
eine on because we'll be leaving in about an hour. Just have a few more things to pack up."
"Did we forget something last night?" Amanda asked, then sipped her beverage. "Oh, dear God, that's heaven."
"Yes, it is, and that's why we decided to pack up all the coffee, tea, and sugar we have here. The more we have out there, the longer it will last."
"We're going to run out of coffee? Man, that sucks! This whole EMP thing sucks!" Carly flounced down at the dining table with her mug. "I'm not going to get to be a partner. I have to leave my cute clothes and cute shoes behind. Now, I'm going to have to do without coffee. I'm not even sure there's life with no caffeine."
"Car, you're such a drama queen. Stop worrying about stuff that hasn't happened yet. We just need to get —" Will stopped mid-sentence as his eyes glazed over. None of them had actually been present when he had a vision. Lauri grabbed him.
"Will! Will! Are you okay? What's happening?" She was shaking him, and her voice was frantic. He did not respond to her.
The scene before him was again the cold, dark street he had seen in his last vision, right before the blast. But this time, he could see that it was his parents' street. Chris and Julie's house was gone, nothing but a burned husk left in its place, the chimney the only part still standing as if in defiance of the destruction to which the rest of the house had succumbed. He could faintly see the remains of two bodies laid out in the yard. He knew who they were.
There was no light in any windows. His mind took him closer to the home he grew up in. Peering through a tiny slit in the curtains, he could see Jack and his children huddled together in what appeared to be an attempt to stay warm. He was confused as to why they didn't have a fire going or a lantern lit until an old pickup came roaring down the road, bright spotlights playing over the remaining houses. When they lit up the Chambers home, he watched as Jack and his children ducked down trying to stay out of sight. The truck slowed as it reached the end of the driveway. The occupants climbed out and sauntered up to the front door. The biggest among them lifted a booted foot and kicked in the door like it was paper. The children screamed as Jack raised a shotgun and fired into the doorway. The big man fell back as his associates took up positions on either side of the gaping hole. Bright tactical flashlights were shined into the room, blinding Jack and his kids. Jack raised his hand to shield his eyes and was cut down with multiple shots from multiple guns. The children were killed as well.
The attackers stepped inside and went to the small family lying in a heap on the floor. Their heads turned at once to the sound of the back door crashing open. Margie dropped the bowl of eggs she had been out gathering when she heard the shots and came running. She screamed and tried to run to her family but was grabbed by two of the men who had killed them. One of them picked her up, threw her over his shoulder and dumped her unceremoniously on the sofa. He laughed as he started to unbutton his pants while two of his men held her arms. She struggled, still screaming. The attacker stopped working on his zipper, doubled up his fist, and punched her in the face. She went limp. He went back to his fly.
Will blinked several times as the vision faded. He looked around and saw his family and Amanda staring at him.
"You had another vision, didn't you? What was it this time? Was it about us? Did you see the boys?" Carly peppered him with questions. He reached for a chair at the table and sat down. Everyone else sat with him, except Amanda.
She stared at him and said, "Vision? Like in … you think you're psychic? That kind of vision?"
Carly raised an eyebrow at her and replied, "I take it you don't believe in psychic abilities."
"There's no such thing as psychics … is there?"
Carly shrugged and said, "All I know is he sees stuff and it happens. He saw this mess we're in; that's why he was on his way home. You can believe it or not. It's true."
Amanda sort of plopped down in a seat next to Will. She laid a hand on his arm and asked softly, "Why didn't you tell me? While we were on the road? I mean, if you knew this was coming you could have —"
"I didn't know this was coming," he answered her, waving an arm in the general vicinity, "not this in particular. I didn't know what or how or when. I just knew something bad was going to happen. And I didn't tell you before because I didn't want you to look at me like I was crazy — kind of like you're doing right now."
Amanda shook her head. "No, I don't think you're crazy. I'm just kind of in shock, that's all."
"Can we get back to the vision? What was it, Will?" Carly prodded.
"This street. This house. Jack and his family …" He stopped there, not wanting to tell the rest.
"What?" Carly all but screamed.
"Bad, really, really bad. We need to get out of here, and we need to warn Jack on the way."
They wolfed down some cereal and granola bars, then quickly grabbed the coffee supplies, as well as the over-the-counter and prescription medications, which had been forgotten until they took them that morning. Joel also told Lauri to pack up and bring her old cpap machine. When she tried to argue with him, he said, "You never know if we might be able to figure out a way to power it. It's worth a shot." He was pretty sure it was a lost cause, since the machine had computer chips in it, but it wouldn't hurt to try. The old one hadn't been plugged in at the time so there was a chance.
The pillows and sleeping bags were gathered and stuffed into every space they could find, which were all but gone. They made one last trip through the house to make sure they hadn't missed anything important, even though they had no idea where they'd put it. Lauri had the floor board on the passenger side filled with food and drinks in case they ran into anything that kept them from getting to Elliott's that day. It was only about twenty miles, but anything could happen, especially when people would be becoming more and more desperate. Will's vision had left them all with a sense of foreboding that had them feeling the need to get out of the area as fast as possible.
The sun was just cresting the horizon as they were loading into the Scout. Joel had stepped out the front door and looked down the street for anything that shouldn't have been there. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he closed and locked the door and went to the garage where his family was waiting, anxious to be on their way. He locked that door as well, pocketed the key, and opened the garage door. He hurried back and climbed into the driver's seat.
Carly was sitting on some of the pillows between the two front seats. Lauri was in the passenger seat, with Will and Amanda right behind, sitting on bags and pillows, too. Joel looked at his family.
"I have no idea what we're going to find out there. There's no way of knowing. I need everybody to keep their eyes open for anything that could be a threat. People running toward us, pulling up guns, pretty much any action that isn't minding their own business. I'm going to try to do this without stopping. If we do have to stop, be ready to defend this car and each other. Without this vehicle, we'll never make it to Elliott's. Without each other, I don't know if we'll want to."
No one said anything. Lauri and Carly looked scared to death. Will and Amanda looked resolute. Joel turned back toward the front. He started the ignition and put the car in first gear. As he was releasing the clutch, three men stepped out in front of the Scout. The one in the center had a pistol pointed at Joel.
"I'm gonna need you all to get out of my car. Nice and slow."
Chapter 24
Frank smirked as he eyed the old man and woman in the front. Piece of cake, he thought. That old geezer looks like he's about to shit himself. He wished he'd been able to find guns for Jerry and Craig, but the houses they'd been in so far hadn't had any they could find.
"Doesn't anybody have guns in their house around here?" he'd asked of his friends after half a dozen places had been a bust.
"I don't think people keep guns in their houses like they used to," Jerry replied. "All those mass shootings has got people scared of them."
Craig was still flipping cushions on the sofa looking for any
thing of value. "That's so stupid. All those shootings is the reason to have a gun, so the shooter isn't the only one holding." He knelt down and looked under the couch and the chair beside it.
"Did you check the nightstand?" Frank was pulling out drawers in the kitchen dumping the contents out on the floor.
"That's the first place I looked. No guns, no bullets, no signs there ever was a gun here. We're wasting our time. Let's try another house."
There had been only a few that were empty. The pulse going off that early on a Sunday morning found most people at home in bed. In the end, Frank had to settle for melee weapons for his men. He didn't know how much good they'd be, but at least they weren't empty-handed.
Now, standing before the precious vehicle, he was positive they could take it from the old couple. Then he saw another head pop up between them. Just some chick. I wouldn't mind doing her, but the car comes first. None of the occupants made any move for or showed any guns. Maybe that fat lady got it wrong.
He stood waiting for them to open the doors. When no one made a move to do as he had told them, he became impatient and yelled, "What are you waiting for? I said get out! You don't want me to come pull you out." As if to emphasize the threat, Craig slapped the bat into his hand a couple of times. They still made no move to exit the vehicle.
"Fine! If that's the way you want to play this, let's play!" He looked to either side and gave them a nod. All three men took a step toward the car.
~~~~~
Joel stared at the strangers. Only the center one appeared to have a gun. The other two were holding a bat and a crow bar. Amanda spoke from the back.
"How fond are you of that windshield, Joel? I can take him from here, but it's gonna leave a hole." She had pulled her pistol from its holster and had it ready behind Lauri's seat. The men in the driveway took a step forward.