by Karl Morgan
“Yes, officer. My dogs and I are alone here.”
“Better get a move on, sir.” The cruiser drove away.
He was about to get in his car when a thought occurred to him. He hurried back into the house and returned a minute later with several kitchen knives, a chilled bottle of orange juice, two rolls of paper towels and a package of toilet paper. Satisfied, he climbed in the car, closed the garage door and drove away.
A minute later, he turned his car onto Medical Center Drive and stopped along the curb where Mary stood crying. He opened the trunk and jumped out to help her. After loading her bag into the trunk, they climbed inside and joined the impossibly long line of cars headed east on Telegraph Canyon Road.
Two hours later, Bill looked blearily at his watch, which showed 5:15 a.m. He had just passed Alpine and continued eastward at a crawl. Both sides of the freeway were congested with vehicles headed into the mountains, hopefully to safety behind their stone walls. He glanced at Mary who was asleep with her head against the passenger window and Zelda was lying in her lap. Chachis had managed to squeeze herself between his lap and the steering wheel and snored softly. The first evidence of daybreak was lighting the sky to the east. He thought about the odd call he had received yesterday with the deep voice telling him to help a new friend if he wanted to live until morning. For an instant he thought he had dreamed something about that too, but the imagery in his mind quickly changed to the terrorist stabbing him in the throat, so he pushed those thoughts out of his mind. Now he began to wonder if he was far enough away from San Diego if a suitcase nuclear device did explode. He began to panic, breathing fast and his face reddening. Just ahead was the Highway 79 exit. A few other cars had pulled over for the occupants to relieve themselves in a few porta-potties that had been set up there by the highway patrol. He felt desperate to get off this highway as fast as possible. He signaled and pushed his way to the right, barely making the exit. He sped up the ramp and turned north on the highway. No other cars were on the road and he began to doubt his judgment, but continued north. As he passed the small town on his left, he glanced in that direction and noticed it seemed deserted as well. Clearly, the police did not think this place was safe either and he was glad for his quick decision to get away from the clogged freeway. When he was clear of the town, he pulled over to the curb and began to look at the map on his navigation system. He saw that this road would take him to Ramona, and then he could take Highway 78 into the Imperial Valley and relative safety with an entire mountain range between him and the city.
“Bill, are you okay?” Mary said, stirring from her sleep.
“I’m okay, just very tired.”
“Do you want me to drive?”
He was not about to turn down that offer. He opened his door and took the two dogs out with him so they could relieve themselves and drink some water. While he waited with the dogs, Mary found a spot behind a bush where she could pee. Bill pulled out the chilled orange juice bottle and opened it, taking a long drink. When she returned, he gave it to her and went to find his own private spot. When Mary and the dogs were back in the car, Bill pushed most of the things in the back seat onto the floor, and then lay down as best as he could. “Mary, just follow this road until we get to Ramona. Take a right and go east on Highway 78. It will be a twisty road through the mountains, but will take us into the desert. If you need anything, please wake me up, okay?”
“Bill, thank you for saving my life.”
“You are quite welcome.”
“Sleep well.”
The two dogs climbed into the backseat and found places to lie next to their master. Soon, everyone but Mary was fast asleep.
In his dream, he and Mary were driving up the hill out of El Cajon. The freeway was completely jammed and no one was moving. He had his phone next to his ear trying to reach Audrey or Sandi to find out if they were okay. He kept redialing but the line was either busy or an automated voice said all lines were down. He was impatient to get out of here and began to honk his horn. Soon thousands of horns honked and still the traffic was frozen in place. There was a bright flash in his rearview mirror and the car lost power and stopped. His phone went dead and it became very quiet. Then he saw the massive fireball rising into the air from the other side of La Mesa. Mary screamed. He could see a wall of fire shooting down into El Cajon but couldn’t move. Cars began to explode and fly toward them from behind. Instantly, his own car flew into the air with the two dogs flying about the cabin and slamming into the ceiling, then the seats and then to the ceiling again. The car burst into flames. In abject terror, he woke up.
Now he was sitting on a chaise lounge by the side of the sea. A hundred feet down the beach to his left, he could see Mary walking toward him with his two dogs on leashes. She was wearing a red bikini. He looked to his right and saw a small table with two frozen margaritas sitting on it. An old man sat on a second lounge next to it.
Bill was about to ask the man to leave so Mary could sit when he stood up. “Come along now Bill. We have much to discuss.”
“Who are you?”
“Have you forgotten already?” he asked in a deep, gravelly voice.
“Father?”
The old man smiled and offered a hand to help him up. As he stood, he realized he was wearing a blue swimming suit. Mary came up to them and kissed each on the cheek and then sat down, taking a sip from her drink. “Don’t be too long, you two.”
Bill felt something in his hand. When he looked, it was two dog treats, so he offered one to each and then followed the other man down the sand. “Am I dead?”
The old man laughed. “No, son, you are sleeping in the back seat of your car as Mary drives east on the highway, just as you asked.”
“But what about the nuke blowing us up in El Cajon?”
“Bill, honestly, can’t you tell dreams from reality anymore? Okay, where were you when you went into the back seat to take a nap?”
“Just north of Descanso.”
“Not El Cajon, right?”
“But why did I dream that? Do you think Mary took a wrong turn?”
Lou put his hand on his shoulder and replied, “Mostly, dreams are just dreams. Sometimes they foretell the future. Once in a while, they include lessons we need to learn. What did you learn from your dream, son?”
“That there will be a nuclear explosion?”
“You already knew that, Bill. What did you learn about the explosion?”
“It killed the engine and my cell phone.”
“That’s better. If anything electronic is running at the moment of the explosion, those things may short out and never work again.”
“But how will I know when it will happen?”
“Because I will tell you.”
“Thank you.”
“Bill, it is going to happen any second now!”
“Now?” Rather than answer, the old man slapped him across the face as hard as he could.
Bill sat up in the backseat. “Mary, be calm but please slow down and stop as fast as you can.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Just do it, okay? Everything will be fine. Just pull over and stop.” She complied and came to a stop. “Now turn off the ignition.” She turned it off. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Now turn off your cell phone as quick as you can.” They both shut down their devices. “Do you have anything else electronic?”
“No, Bill. You’re scaring me.”
The horizon behind them became as bright as dawn for a second. It seemed like two sunrises, one in front and one behind, and then the one behind faded away. “The bomb just went off.” They climbed out of the car and could see the mushroom cloud peeking over the mountains to the west. “My God, I can’t believe it. It really happened.”
She took his hand in hers and asked, “How did you know?”
“Mary, please don’t take offense, but are you adopted?” He held her hand softly, still transfixed by the image of the massive cloud standing over the remains
of his hometown.
“Yes, but why did you want to know?”
“I’m adopted too, and I think we might be related. I had a dream last night where a man said I was your brother.”
She giggled and said, “It was just a dream, silly.”
“Mary, just before I told you to stop the car, I had another dream where the same man told me exactly when the bomb would detonate.”
She pulled her hand free and walked away. After ten feet, she stopped and looked back at him. “Do you expect me to believe that?”
“Mary, let’s forget the related part for now, but I have no other explanation for how I knew when the bomb would go off. Let’s get back in the car and get out of here. For all I know, radiation is going to start falling on us any second.”
With everyone on board, Bill pulled back on the roadway and headed down the slope and into the Imperial Valley, with the Salton Sea glistening in the distance.
Chapter 3
Bill stopped the car again as they reached the floor of the Imperial Valley so his dogs could get some exercise. Mary had taken the opportunity to lie down on the backseat and get some rest. The road was deserted in both directions, making it seem as though they were the last people alive on the planet. He remembered that his boss, Tom White, had told him there were five suitcase nukes. If that was true, most of the country should be fine, although it was likely that terrorists had poured over the border during the aftermath of the nuclear attack. He turned on his cell phone and saw that he had a weak signal, so he dialed his wife’s number. He was thrilled when she answered. “Bill, you’re alive! Oh my God, we heard about the bomb in San Diego. Is the house okay? How are you? What about the dogs?”
He laughed and replied, “The dogs and I are doing fine. The police evacuated the city early this morning, so we’re now in the Imperial Valley, heading east. I don’t know how things are back home though.”
“Well, it’s just a house. As long as you are okay, everything will be fine.”
“I’m heading toward Montana to be with you and the kids. How is everyone?”
After an agonizingly long pause, Audrey said, “Well, it’s complicated, honey. We’re being evacuated too. We’re supposed to head to Cody, Wyoming. There is the threat of another bomb being detonated here tomorrow on the 9/11 anniversary.”
“I had a dream about that!”
She chuckled and said, “So, now your dreams are coming true? Please.”
“Bill, I found a radio station that’s working!” Mary shouted from the car.
“Who’s that, Bill?” Audrey asked.
“It’s Mary Stewart, this new woman at the office. Her car broke down and when the evacuation order came, I figured I’d better help her out.”
“Really?”
“What would you have me do, dear? Leave her there to be incinerated by the blast?”
“No, you’re right and I’m sorry if I doubted you, but be careful, okay?”
“Yes, dear. I love you very much.”
“I love you too. Tommy’s calling me because we have to leave right now. I’ll call you later.” The line disconnected.
He led the two dogs back to the car and climbed in the driver’s seat. “You should be able to use your phone now. I just talked to my wife.”
“Okay, thanks. This is station KROP from Brawley.” She turned up the volume.
“Sorry for the format change, folks, but the sheriff asked us to keep you informed about the news. It has been confirmed that nuclear bombs detonated early this morning in New York, Los Angeles and San Diego. Most of the residents had been evacuated, but it will be days before damage can be assessed due to the risk of radiation. A large group of terrorists were encountered in the Arizona desert late last night. It is rumored these men were on their way to Phoenix with another bomb. After a lengthy gunfight, the surviving terrorists escaped with their weapon of mass destruction. The army has been called in to find and destroy them before they can reach a metropolitan area. Our local news is not good either. Sheriff Jones reports that a violent gang affiliated with a Mexican drug cartel has seized control of Calexico. As we reported last night, a large terror army continues to control El Centro. Everyone is urged to avoid those areas and especially Interstate 8. Units of the California and Arizona National Guard are on their way to support our local law enforcement teams that are now battling forces attempting to move in our direction.” There was a long pause. “Folks, Sheriff Avery Jones has just stepped into the studio. Here he is.”
“Thanks Billy. Our men have engaged two bands of terrorists just east and west of the Brawley area. If you are armed, your help is appreciated. We recommend that everyone else evacuate the area immediately. We are heavily outnumbered, but will do what we can to protect you. God help us all.” Bill turned off the radio.
“What do we do?” Mary asked.
“We’ve got to keep going. If we stay here, we’ll be dead. Mary, it’s up to you what you do, but I’m going to Wyoming to find and protect my family.”
She wiped the tears out of her eyes and replied, “Okay, I think we’re out of options too. Let’s go. I’ll let you drive.” The car sped east toward the Salton Sea. They had only traveled ten miles when the sound of rapid gunfire erupted to the south. A bullet hit the front fender and Bill slammed on the brakes. “Why are you stopping, Bill? We have to get out of here!”
Bill jumped out of his seat and ran toward the gunfire. Mary was outside the vehicle, shouting for him to return. A hundred yards ahead, he could see several police and Border Patrol officers firing on an advancing group of men wearing all black uniforms and masks obscuring their faces. His mind was filled with the images of the headless bodies and the dream of the masked man stabbing him in the neck. He could hear Mary shouting but knew he had to end this here and now. He prayed that Audrey would forgive him. A deep voice buried in his subconscious said softly, “That’s my boy!” He tripped over a rock and crashed to the ground. As he rolled over, he could see Mary running toward him. He wanted to tell her to go back, but instead jumped back to his feet and kept running. The group of terrorists was only a few hundred feet away and Bill was almost upon the police, only two of whom were still fighting.
One of the terrorists threw something toward the police who turned to flee. One officer was shot in the back and fell. Bill rushed past the other just as the grenade landed at his feet. He grabbed it and threw it back. The same terrorist was preparing to throw a second grenade when the one Bill threw stuck him square in the forehead. The man fell backward and the two grenades rolled into the center of the group and exploded. Bill fell to his knees, wheezing and panting for breath. It was eerily quiet. He looked behind himself and saw Mary comforting the last police officer who had been shot in the leg. She took off her blouse and wrapped it around his leg as a tourniquet. Bill looked at the dead policemen around him. There had to be twenty men and women who sacrificed themselves here. He fought the urge to cry. Anger began to surge throughout his body. He stood and walked over to the closest officer, a young woman who had been shot in the head. He knelt beside her and said a little prayer. He took her pistol and walked toward the enemies.
Most had been blown to pieces by the grenades. He checked each one for signs of life. He heard a low moan and spun around. The man who had thrown the grenades was beginning to stir. Bill was consumed with hatred for these evil men. He walked over to the man and pulled off his face mask. The man had been struck by shrapnel in the abdomen and was bleeding out quickly. Something snapped in Bill’s head. His blood was boiling and he couldn’t control it. He took the officer’s pistol and pressed it against the terrorist’s throat and pulled the trigger. Blood splayed across his shirt. The man had a knife in a scabbard on his belt. Bill pulled it out and looked at the razor-sharp blade. He knew what he had to do. He knelt down and slit the dead man’s throat.
“Bill?” Mary said. He turned to stare at her. “What’s wrong with your eyes? Are you okay?”
“You saw this t
oo!” he growled. As he watched her face, he saw her eyes turn bright red. She leaned down and kissed his forehead, took the knife from his hand and severed the dead man’s head.
The wounded officer coughed and said, “Are you two okay?”
Bill opened his eyes. He was sitting against the rear tire of his car. The officer was sitting five feet in front of him petting the two dogs. “What happened? How did I get here? Who are you?”
“You don’t remember?” Bill shook his head. “I’m Deputy Sam Cunningham of the Imperial County Sheriff’s Department. You saved my life and killed those terrorists. Thank you.”
Bill noticed Mary waking up. She was sitting against the front tire. Her arms and hands were red with blood. He looked down at his own hands and saw them dripping with blood as well. “I don’t know what happened.”
“One of those bastards threw a grenade and you threw it back at them as he prepared to throw a second. The rest of them were killed by the grenade blasts.”
“Really?”
“Yes, sir. You really don’t remember anything?” Bill shook his head again. “Well, that’s when you and your friend cut off their heads and put them on that fence-line,” Sam said while pointing to a fence a few hundred feet away. Bill looked and saw the heads on the fence. Mary was looking at both of them in disbelief. “Don’t take me wrong, sir. I wanted to do the same thing after what they’re doing here.”
“You’ve been shot.”
“Yeah, your friend wrapped her blouse around my leg, but the wound wasn’t too bad. I’d give her the shirt back but it’s kind of bloody. You two also gathered all the guns, grenades, and ammo and put them in your trunk. It’s only been a couple minutes ago that you finished and sat down. Are you okay to take me to Brawley so I can see a doctor?”
Mary and Bill helped Sam into the back seat, and then tried to wash most of the blood off of their hands and arms. Within two minutes, they had pulled back onto the highway and accelerated toward the town. “Just tell us where to go, deputy.”