“As you wish, Doctor. I will wait for you here.”
We helped Kathy back into the wheelchair and pushed through the ER doors, only to be met by Dr. Streiner. She beamed at Mark, but her smile for me was less than friendly.
“I can see you’re getting ready to leave. This has been a pleasure, Mark. I’ve got some surgery scheduled in a couple of days I think you will find interesting. I’ll give you a call and let you know the times,” Denise said, offering her hand.
“Don’t bother, Dr. Streiner,” Mark said stiffly sliding his hands into his pockets in obvious rebuff. “I have no intension of ever working with you again.” Denise looked like she’d been slapped. “I heard every word you said to my wife outside the surgical suite. You insulted her, and you insulted me and the integrity of my marriage. I don’t care if I ever see you again, and I’m certainly not going to be caught alone with you under any circumstance.” With that, Mark turned his back to her and we walked arm in arm to the parking lot.
Before getting into the car, Mark took me in his arms and hugged me tight. “You’re twice the lady she is and you have a class that she doesn’t even know exists. I’m proud of the way you handled her,” he kissed me soundly then and said “And I can’t wait until we get home!” His lascivious grin made me laugh and forget all about Denise Streiner.
~~~
Colonel Andrews was leaning against his car, a dull brown Humvee, when we pulled back into the parking lot.
“Join me for a late lunch? There’s a nice little restaurant around the corner,” he offered.
“There are restaurants open?” I asked in surprise.
“Not many, but we are trying to bring some normalcy back to the town,” he confirmed as we walked the short distance.
We settled into a booth and the men ordered sandwiches while I ordered a large salad and a bottle of water.
“I feel I owe you an apology about earlier,” the Colonel said, “I know it was a shock, but the word will spread quickly about the executions. Those who are taking liberties with the populace need to understand that they are being hunted down and the punishment is swift and severe. I have limited control over the civilians, but I have full authority over the military, and that includes all branches.”
“What about General Marlow? Doesn’t he outrank you?” I asked.
“Ah, now that is a good question. I’ve been doing some digging, as I mentioned, and his records are evasive.” The colonel wiped his fingers on a red and white-checkered napkin. “But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. As a gesture of good will, what can I offer you or do for you?”
I didn’t need to think twice. “Power. Can you get the electricity restored to us?”
“That’s it? Just electricity? Done! It should be back on in the morning,” he smiled in relief. “Anything else?”
“Well I did ask before about shopping…” I reminded him. Mark was sitting quietly, his sandwich finished.
“You must understand prices have gone up a great deal. What is it you want to look for? I’m assuming food.”
“Yes, there are certain supplies I’d like to replenish, and I’d also like some normal things, too. I’d like to see Emilee in a dress that fits, or at least a skirt, and Jacob needs shoes. Is the fabric store open? Material would be good to have.” I turned to Mark. “What would you get if you could?”
“Other than to replace the medical supplies that we’ve used recently, I can’t think of anything I need that I don’t already have.” He smiled at me warmly.
“Feed!” I thought suddenly. “Is Lamb Z Divey open?”
“I’m not familiar with the place. What is it?” Andrews asked.
“It’s an animal feed store,” I said. “There is an old song: “Mares eat oats; does eat oats, and little lambs eat ivy.’ The store name is a play on that: lambs eat ivy – ‘Lamb Z Divey’. The animals need hay. The chickens need feed and straw, oh, and cat food and dog food too!”
“I know what we need,” Mark said, “Flour! This sandwich was a treat, but Allex makes incredible bread, much better than this, and she needs flour.”
“This will cost a great deal, you understand,” Colonel Andrews warned. “Inflation has skyrocketed, and there are no more credit cards. Debit cards are taken, only because it’s an instant transfer from a bank account.”
“So the banks are operating?” I asked, thinking about a very large check sitting in my dresser drawer. There was also a matter of the cash John had left. I didn’t know how much was there as I had never counted it.
“Yes, only nine in the morning until noon.”
“So can we come in to shop?”
“Yes, I will make the arrangements. When would you like to do this?” he took out a notebook and jotted something down.
“Since tomorrow is Sunday, how about Monday and Tuesday? That will give us time to make our lists,” I suggested.
“Two days?”
“Yes, I’d like to do it in shifts. I know all of us would like the freedom of doing a normal thing, but if you haven’t found who is behind all the attacks and corruption, we’re still at risk and we can’t leave the houses without protection.”
“That makes sense. Monday and Tuesday it is.”
~~~
That night as we snuggled under the covers, Mark said, “You continue to amaze me, Allex. We have this golden opportunity to get things, and you think of everyone else except yourself. Isn’t there anything you want?”
“Yes. I want to see smiles on everyone’s faces! I want the satisfaction of knowing the animals are going to make it through the next winter. And I want to spend all the money I have before it’s not worth anything.”
CHAPTER 8
August 12
I dropped all the bundles of cash on the kitchen table in front of a very surprised Mark.
“Where did you get all of this?” he asked in awe.
“John gave it to me when he left. I haven’t bothered to count it. It’s been sitting in my drawer since I found it along with that note that said he was leaving. I think we should take stock of what we have, don’t you?”
Since the cash was still bundled neatly in groups of fifty-dollar bills, twenty bills to a bundle, the counting went quickly. John had left behind $28,000.
“Where did he get that much cash, Allex?”
“Remember the mining accident? He got hazard pay, and that fractured wrist doubled the benefit. I remember him saying that he requested half of it in cash, the other half going into his account,” I looked at the stacks on the table. “I never asked him how much he was given as it wasn’t any of my business, and considering that we spent some of it, and how much is left over, and that he took some with him, I’m going to guess it was one hundred thousand dollars, with fifty thousand in cash,” I ventured.
Mark leaned back in his chair and let out a deep breath.
“Even with the hyperinflation, this is still a great deal of money, Allex!”
“Yes it is. There’s something else I need to share with you.” I slid the envelope with Sven’s check in it toward him. “Before you open that, I want you to know that I’m still not comfortable with having received this. Even after Simon explained the reasons, I’m still in shock by it.”
Mark looked at me as he opened the envelope and pulled out the check. He looked back at me sharply, then back at the check.
“A million dollars?” he gasped. Inside was also a short note from Sven that I hadn’t seen. He unfolded the piece of paper.
“I haven’t read that yet, Mark. What does it say?”
Allexa,
If you’re reading this, then I’m dead. Thank you for being a true friend to me while I was alive. . I know this must be a shock to you, but other than my teammates, you’re the only person I really know here.
Sven
“For being his friend he left you a million dollars?” Mark asked, still disbelieving.
“It’s the life insurance they all had. Simon explained when he g
ave that to me, that Sven wanted someone to benefit from his death, and since he had no family, I guess that was me.” I stood and reached for the coffee pot.
“I remember how hard you took his death, Allex,” Mark said gently. “You really liked him, didn’t you?”
“Yes I did. He was a good person, kind and gentle, and he had an odd sense of humor that always made me laugh. “I’m not going to cash it, Mark. No matter how much we need it, it just doesn’t feel right to me. I only wanted you to know about it.” I poured us a refill. “So, let’s start making a shopping list! I doubt we will be spending all of this cash, but if we do, we do.”
~~~
With the power restored, TV and Internet were available too. How much we have missed what’s been going on is frightening.
The earthquakes in Yellowstone and the new volcano not only haven’t subsided, they’ve spread out, creating a longer and more dangerous breach along the Continental Divide. The Great Divide begins in Alaska and crosses into the Yukon, zigzags south through Canada, and continues into northwestern Montana. From there, it snakes across Wyoming into Colorado and crosses New Mexico into South America. It hasn’t affected the entire Divide, at least not yet, but much of what is west of there, Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and especially California, have become very unstable. Refugees from all those states are heading east, and overwhelming the limited resources along the way.
Maybe having the news again isn’t such a good idea. I just can’t sleep with the images of the rioting running around in my head.
August 13
The morning sun shone through the cloud and ash cover like a great silver smudge in the sky. There was no blue to be seen, only endless grays in varying depths. I was delighted and thankful to have the power back on to keep the greenhouse functioning. Even though there are ground crops still alive in the garden, there is no way of knowing if they will produce any kind of a harvest. The plants we have saved in the greenhouse may be our only source of fresh food for many months.
The dismal sky could not dampen my excitement of going into town, with guaranteed safety, and having the means to buy what we needed if it was available. The good mood was contagious when I explained to the others what we were going to do.
“Because we still need to keep the houses guarded, we will have to go to town in shifts. We also have two days to do what we need to do.”
“Allex thinks we should draw lots to see who goes when,” Mark said. “Personally, I think she should make the decision herself.”
“Makes sense to me,” Ken said, “as long as we all get to go, what difference does it make? Besides, we don’t have anything to spend, so it doesn’t matter to us.”
“That brings up something else,” I said. “And I really don’t want any argument with this. John left a lot of money with me, and we are all going to have a share in it. There are things we need to purchase first because they are critical to our needs, like animal feed and medical supplies, but we will all get a certain amount to spend however we want.”
Joshua looked like he was ready to protest.
“Joshua, your animals are critical food producers. You will not argue with me! In fact, I would like you and Jason to be on today’s team, and go to Lamb Z Divey’s first and get as much hay and straw as you can get on that flatbed trailer. Plus chicken feed, and dog and cat food.”
“Yes, Ms. Allexa, that does make sense,” Joshua said.
“Mark and I will be going on both days,” I said firmly, and no one disagreed. “I think Amanda and Jacob should come today too. That leaves Eric, Ken, and Karen here to protect the houses. Tomorrow, Eric, Emi, Ken and Karen come in with us, again in two separate vehicles. Any questions?” I intentionally chose Amanda to go in on the first day because of her love of shopping, and being on the first ‘team’ will make her happy. I want everyone happy.
~~~
At the security gate our passes were waiting, like Col. Andrews had promised. Mine and Mark had our names on them, while the others had ‘visitor’ printed, along with the date. I noted that Mark and mine also lacked a date, but didn’t say anything. I made a mental note to ask the colonel about that another time.
Jason and Joshua headed to Lakeshore Drive to follow the loop around Marquette to avoid traffic with the trailer. All of us had charged our cellphones during the night knowing it was imperative to stay in touch, and Jason was to call if they had any problems or to let us know when they were done. Before we had left home, I gave Jason five thousand dollars, and I hoped it would be enough.
“I think we should meet up at Presque Isle Park for lunch when you two are loaded up,” I said to Jason and Joshua. “It will give us a chance to see what restaurants are open that we can get something for a picnic. It might be difficult hauling that trailer around, and it will need to be guarded at all times.”
~~~
In Walstroms, Amanda and Jacob went one direction while Mark and I went another. There were plenty of people in the store pushing empty carts, though there were few in the checkout lines. Maybe it was just a place to be instead of cooped up at home.
“I really don’t like the way people are looking at us,” Amanda commented when we crossed paths in the shoe department. “Have you noticed that very few have anything in their carts?”
“You might have answered your own concern,” Mark observed. “We’re unusual. We’re buying, therefore we must have money. I think perhaps we should stay together from now on.”
This surprised me some and it also pleased me that Mark was seeing things around him from a different view. He’d arrived in town from Saginaw very disillusioned, even afraid of humanity, only to be lulled into the false security of Moose Creek. I was inwardly relieved that he isn’t hiding from reality.
Amanda had several things for Jacob: shoes, socks, underwear, and a couple of new toys and books. Also some clothes for herself and for Jason. She was being very cautious about what she was selecting and I asked her why.
“Have you seen the price tags? I would never buy Jacob shoes for a hundred dollars, even though he’s already growing out of this last pair!”
“Then while we’re here, you should get the next two sizes up,” I suggested. “Boots too.” She stared at me. “I can pay for it, Amanda. Get them,” I insisted. “Look, all this money might not be worth anything at all in another week. We need to spend it while we can.”
Mark and I added OTC items like peroxide, alcohol, bandages and Band-Aids to our cart. At the pharmacy, he presented his medical identification, and was able to purchase sutures, syringes, and some heavier drugs like morphine and antibiotics, even though we had to pay for them immediately. Aspirin, cough syrup, and other pain relievers were in short supply, so we got a few bottles of each, all at outrageously inflated prices.
At the checkout, I took a deep breath and handed over almost a thousand dollars for what we had carefully selected, and that was above the two thousand for Mark’s medical purchases. It made me wonder how much the food was going to be.
While we were loading the car with our purchases, Jason called.
“We’re done, Mom. I’m almost afraid to tell you how much this cost us,” he said.
“Don’t worry about it, Jason, I’m thankful we can do this. I need to stop at the food warehouse for flour before we leave this end of town. We’ll see you at the fountain at Presque Isle in about a half hour or so.”
We set out for the quick grocery stop and finding a take-out place.
When Mark pulled up to the fountain, I saw Joshua sitting on top of the bales of hay with a shotgun in his hands. Jason was there too, his .308 aimed at a dozen guys crowded around the trailer.
“Stop here, Mark!” I ordered, quickly called Colonel Andrews, and explained our situation.
“If you can hold out for a few minutes, Ms. Smeth, I’ll send a few troops,” the Colonel said before hanging up.
The National Guard Armory was only a few blocks away, and two Humvees arrived j
ust in time. The soldiers poured out of the military vehicles, much to the dismay of the assailants, who scattered quickly.
It felt odd to have the immediate area sealed off by our military protectors as I set two large pizzas on the picnic table.
“VIP treatment, Mom?” Jason chuckled as he cut up a slice of pepperoni pizza for Jacob and helped himself to a slice.
“I guess…” I mumbled. “I will have to thank the colonel. I really didn’t expect this kind of trouble, though I suppose it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. We’re spending a great deal of money, and that was bound to attract attention.”
We switched vehicles, putting our purchases in the back of the pickup truck with the bags of dog and cat food. Jason, Joshua and Amanda went to do some casual shopping with the extra money that I gave each of them, while Mark and I took Jacob home. The ever-present gloom made it look later than it was. That night, Jason told me about their excursion to Lamb Z Divy’s.
“The straw was twenty dollars and hay was thirty dollars a bale and they look like short bales. We got as many of hay as we could, which Joshua says should last six months for Bossy and Matilda, if not longer. I got only twenty of the straw, since that’s only bedding. I thought about extra straw, but the trailer wouldn’t hold any more and the hay was more important. Anyway, we bought ten bags each of the chicken feed and corn, plus the dog and cat food. It all came to over four thousand dollars, Mom,” Jason apologized.
“It’s worth it, Jason. The animals are now fed until spring,” I reassured him. “Besides, next week all of that might cost twice as much, if it’s even available.”
The Journal: Crimson Skies: (The Journal Book 3) Page 6