“Sorry to barge in on you like this, Allex, but we’ve got a major problem,” Tom said, getting right to the point.
“What’s wrong, Tom?”
“Marquette is burning out of control from all the lightning. We’re evacuating the city.” He accepted the full coffee cup I set in front of him. “There are less than two thousand people left so we’ve decided to split them up into three groups: one will go to Escanaba, one to the Soo, and one group… to Moose Creek.”
“What?! Why here? And why Sault Ste. Marie? ” I asked, alarmed.
“Location, Allex. You have an established town that is virtually empty. The housing is in place, the schools, everything. It only needs to be populated and supplied.” Tom paused, looking for words. “I know this is going to sound outrageous, but Canada is attempting to invade us, so we’re placing mostly current or former military in the Soo to stop them.”
“You gotta be kidding. Why would Canada want to invade the U.P.?” I was astounded.
“Though Lake Superior was almost untouched by the ash cloud, the other Great Lakes are now heavily polluted. It’s the largest freshwater source in the world, and Canada wants total control of it.”
I let out a big sigh and sank down in my chair.
“What is it you want us to do?” Mark asked.
“Jim figures we have less than twenty-four hours to take what we can and get everyone out safely. Marquette is now under martial law and nobody is objecting. People are massing at the sports dome.
“We’ve commandeered semi-trucks and all the package delivery trucks, and we’re filling them with everything that might be needed. A crew worked a few hours at the university, hauling out books until it got too hot. The library was already burning when they thought of it.
“There is a mostly full semi that just arrived at the food warehouse and is being divided between two others that were sitting there. Jim has a volunteer group emptying the warehouse of everything into the three trucks equally, one for each evac location. They’re positioned for easy escape should the fires spread even more. We aren’t descending on any place empty handed.
“There are also three more big trucks parked at Walstroms and three delivery vans. That’s where you come in, Doc. We want to fill the vans with medical supplies from the pharmacy, however, we only have two field medics and they don’t know what medicines do what. Right now they’re working on boxing up all the over the counter stuff— aspirin, cough syrups, those kinds of items— but they don’t want to touch the heavy pharmaceuticals until you get there.”
Mark stood. “Of course I’ll help.”
“Not yet, Doc,” Tom said. “Before Rayn takes you in, I’d like us to take a few minutes and pump Allexa’s prepper brain. Allexa, what else might be still in that store that a new location could use? The space in the semis is limited and so is our time. However, we don’t want to overlook something that might be vital later. Right now they are concentrating on sporting goods, tools, lanterns, candles, and things like blankets and sleeping bags. We’ve got the manpower to spread out, what else should we be looking for?”
I took a sip of coffee; my thoughts whirling. “In the pharmacy department are also hygiene items. Have them get as many packs of bar soap as possible. It can be used as shampoo and clothes soap too, so take all of it,” I stated. “Also toward the back of the store is the fabric department. Take all the bolts of everything. One aisle over is the sewing materials; it should take only three boxes to collect all of the threads, pins, needles, and scissors equally.”
Tom stared at me for a moment and started writing.
“And yarn. That can go in large trash bags. Plus knitting needles, crochet hooks, and anything that even remotely looks useful, like patterns,” I continued. “If you have two people doing only that, they should be able to empty that entire aisle equally into three or six bags in less than ten minutes.”
He was still writing.
“May I make a suggestion, Tom?” I paused, and he nodded. “Write these down on separate sheets of paper. That way you can give the sheet to a two-man team and they can go. It’ll save minutes of instructions.”
Tom grinned. “And now you see why I want her as my assistant!” he said to Mark, ripping the pages off and starting over.
“Canning supplies, if there are any left: jars, seals, canners. Plus spices and matches. Baby things—cloth diapers, bottles, a few soft toys maybe, though many things can be made from the fabric and yarn. Shoes! It will take a while to learn how to make them.”
“Speaking of babies, Tom, you should add condoms to that pharmacy list!” Mark said.
“Someone needs to check the gardening area,” I said. “I know its October and there likely isn’t anything there, but even flower seeds should be kept.”
“I think we should check out the hospital, too,” Mark said. “I’m sure there are lots of useful supplies there.”
“Sorry, Doc. The hospital was hit with a major lightning strike two days ago and it’s nothing but smoldering rubble now.” Tom glanced at his watch. “This is a good list. Okay, we need to move; time is running out.” He handed the stack of papers to Rayn, who had been standing quietly by the door.
Mark stood, slipping on his jacket. He reached out for me and I slid into his arms.
“You bring him back to me safe and sound!” I said to Tom.
“I’m staying here, Allex. Sargent Jones will take care of him,” he said. I looked at him with many questions on my mind, and before I could ask them, he continued. “You and I need to ready the town for a lot of new residents!”
They drove away in the Hummer, Rayn at the wheel. I felt a knot form in the pit of my stomach and wondered when or if I would see Mark again.
“What now?” I asked Tom.
“We need to come up with a plan for housing distribution. You know the town, I don’t. Any ideas?”
“I think we should get the others involved in this,” I said. “Besides, Moose Creek belongs to all of us now and I value their input.”
~~~
We all sat around the large kitchen table: Ken and Karen, Eric, Jason and Amanda, Joshua, and the kids.
“Five hundred people coming in the next two days? Can we do this in time?” Jason asked.
“I think if we take it by groups it might work better,” Amanda said. “Personally, from past experience, I think the people with kids should be closest to the school, and be dealt with first. There’s nothing more distracting or disruptive than a room full of cranky kids! Maybe the couples without children could go to the motels.”
“Great idea, Amanda.” I smiled at her. “Tell you what. Why don’t you and Jason go house to house across from the school and write down the addresses and how many bedrooms are in each house. That way we can assign the appropriate space.”
“I like that idea,” Tom said. “We can use that method for the other houses too. Ken, Karen, can you take around Lake Meade? Just addresses or fire numbers and any info you think might come in handy. We have to work quickly; the first wave will be here in a few hours.”
There was a collective “What?!”
“It’s a small group of women with children. Jim thought it best to get them out of harm’s way. Besides, the less he has to worry about, the quicker things will fall into place,” Tom said.
“Joshua, do you mind if both Emi and Jacob stay with you for the day?” I asked. “It would help us out not worrying about them.”
~~~
“So what are you not telling me, Tom?” I asked as he drove with me in the front seat and Eric in the back.
He glanced toward the back.
“No secrets, Tom,” I stated flatly.
“It’s a mess in town, Allex. Jim hasn’t slept more than an hour or two in three days. Not many are sleeping, not with the constant thunder. It’s eerie. There’s no rain, just all thunder and heavy lightning. Huge bolts, big jagged slashes across the sky, almost non-stop. The last meteorologist in town said he thought it was a sys
tem that is now caught in this valley and can’t get out. Every now and then we get hit with hail but that doesn’t help the fires.
“The fires started small, isolated places that were quickly contained. Then one of the taller buildings was hit, and the bolt must have followed the pipes. An underground heating fuel tank blew and it took out more than a city block. That fire spread to the gas stations and those started to blow. Fortunately, right after the first explosion someone suggested we pump as much of the gas back out of the underground storage tanks and move any tankers away from town. That’s how we came to have so many and already filled.”
“Does that meteorologist say what is causing all this?” Eric asked from the back seat.
“He guessed it was the weather pattern disruption from the continuing volcanic eruptions in Yellowstone. We won’t know now. He got hit during a big strike; died instantly, his body charred… right on TV during an in the field broadcast. People are scared now, Allex, terrified. I think that’s why everyone is cooperating so well. They want to get out, and I don’t blame them.”
“When was the last time you got some sleep, Tom?” I asked quietly.
“I got a couple of hours last night. I’m okay, really, exhausted, stressed out beyond the max, but okay.”
“So what is really bothering you, Tom? I’ve known you for a long time and you’re holding something back,” I said.
He glanced at Eric again. “We haven’t been able to… to filter who is going where. There are some, ah, undesirables in each group.”
“Swell,” Eric said. “I guess we’ll have to deal with them as we find out who they are, won’t we?”
~~~
Tom pulled into the township office parking lot, followed by Jason with Amanda and Ken and Karen in the police car. I unlocked the doors and hit the light switch by habit, but nothing happened.
“Hold on, Mom, I threw the breakers last time to prevent a surge,” Jason said. He headed toward the maintenance room, guided by the faint light streaming through the dirty windows. Soon, the building was flooded with artificial light.
In the vault where we’ve always kept office supplies I found several steno pads that still had several sheets each and handed them out to everyone, along with a couple of pens.
“Remember, work as quickly as you can - addresses, number of bedrooms, and anything that might be critical, like a wood stove, fenced yard, keep it short and simple. Amanda, Jason we need you back here within an hour.”
~~~
“Just so you know, I believe there are a few evacuees coming here that are from Moose Creek. Chances are they will want their homes back,” Tom said, looking out the window.
“I don’t have a problem with that,” I replied.
“And we did try to balance out the personnel. We asked for at least one electrician, plumber, carpenter, and teacher in each group, especially the Moose Creek group. Those going to Esky will be blending with a community already set up, Moose Creek is starting over.”
“Are there any medical people?” I asked, thinking of the workload on Mark.
“The two medics I mentioned are going to Sault Ste. Marie with their units. I do believe that there is one coming here. Gray. Wasn’t he one of your paramedics?” Tom asked.
“Gray is coming back? That’s good to hear.” I smiled, even though the vision that danced across my memory was of Gray sitting in the school gym with bodies piled around him.
While everyone was out surveying the houses for possible occupation, I found a street map of the town of Moose Creek. Using the copy machine I enlarged the map, a section at a time, and taped it together. In foresight, I made two copies. One was now tacked to the wall in the meeting room, where we also set up a couple dozen chairs and a desk. The other went on the wall in my old office, which made me wonder if Anna was coming back.
I took a red marker and put an “X” through several of the houses.
“What are the red X’s for?” Tom asked after he woke up from a short nap.
“This house is Pete’s,” I tapped with a pencil, “and this one is Lenny’s. They are at Mathers Lake right now, but will want to come home at some point. This one is… was, my friend Kathy’s house, and the one next door was Pastor Carolyn’s. They are off limits.” Tom didn’t question why. I couldn’t bear seeing them used right now. “There are a few more that aren’t in Moose Creek proper, however we’ll deal it with later.
“Tom, I have to ask: aren’t we out here in danger of the fires spreading? We’re not that far from Marquette and we’re surrounded by forest.”
“We’ve taken that into consideration,” Tom said. “I saw a map of the county behind the zoning desk. Let me show you something.” Standing in front of the map, he pointed with a pencil. “Here’s Antler’s Basin, and here is the dam that forms it.”
“Natural waterways,” I thought out loud.
“Not only there, also here at Three Shoes Corner, the Little Guppy, the Big Guppy, and Snake River.” He pointed at all the rivers that cross county road 695, the main road to Moose Creek. “Natural fire breaks. Plus, Jim is sending a munitions crew to the dam. Once everyone is out of Marquette, they’re blowing the dam to create a wider river right next to town.”
“You do remember what happened the last time the dam was breeched, don’t you, Tom? We had six inches of rain in two days during spring meltdown,” I said. “The dam couldn’t hold the water and it burst. The resulting flood took out three bridges, including the two that are Moose Creek’s access to Marquette. We were completely cut off.”
“Yes, I remember. We’re hoping with a controlled detonation the bridges won’t be compromised,” he responded. “I hope it works.”
“What about our electricity? Is that going to fail as the fires spread?”
“Anything is possible, Allex, however the lines that feed Moose Creek that come from Wisconsin run here, on this side of the Antler Basin River.” He pointed to an area outside of Marquette. “How long the power lasts is anybody’s guess at this point. One tree down almost anywhere, and it’s gone. We lost power in Marquette days ago. Jim had his men bring a couple of generators from Sawyer. You should see those things, they’re huge. One is keeping Walstroms lit up so they can work in there; the other is keeping the arena cooled off and powered. With all the people in that confined space, it gets very warm, and with the heat from the fires, well, that generator is getting a workout. Jim says it’s capable of running the entire airport, so he’s not afraid of overloading it.”
“Can you show me where the fires are concentrated?” I handed Tom a red marker. “Tom …” I pointed to a grouping of red dots near the shoreline just outside of town.
“Yes, we know, Allex. That’s why the evacuation was called, the deciding factor so to speak. The fires have already hit the edges of the coal yard that feeds the power plant. Once it really takes hold, it will burn for years. Marquette is lost.”
CHAPTER 28
While I stood there contemplating the map and all those red dots, Jason and Amanda pulled into the parking lot.
“There are forty-five houses within Moose Creek proper, Mom, I’m sure you know that,” Jason said, looking at my taped together map on the wall in the meeting room. “All of them are within walking distance to the school.”
“I think the ten houses that actually face the school should be held for the families with the youngest children,” Amanda stated. “Most of them are three bedrooms, and that bi-level house right across from the school has four bedrooms. On the next street, the houses that back up to these are all two bedrooms or have a third in a loft.” She looked closer at my map. “What are the red X’s for?”
“Those are the ones that are off limits for one reason or another.” I took the pad from her with all their notes. “You two did great. Jason, will you and Eric do the same thing for all the motels? I don’t think I’ve ever paid attention to how many units each one has, and that’s something we need to know.” I tore the sheets from the pad and gave i
t back to Jason. “Amanda, can you stay and help us here when the first group arrives?”
“Of course! What do you want me to do?”
“I’m not sure. Tom, do you have any idea how many will be showing up today?” I asked.
“I can’t be certain, maybe as many as a hundred women and their children,” he responded.
I suddenly felt very overwhelmed! How were we going to process that many?
Amanda must have recognized the panicked look. “Mom, what if we issue numbers, like they do at the deli? We can take them one at a time.”
I nodded. “There are packs of 3x5 index cards in the vault. Will you number a stack one through fifty? I’m going to put this list of addresses on the computer along with your information and print it out. After we get everyone assigned, we can add names to the list. Tom, we need to talk.”
Once in the privacy of the office, I confided in him my growing concern.
“I’m worried about entitlement attitudes, Tom. We’re giving these people free housing, free schooling, and for a time, free food. I don’t want anyone thinking they are going to get a total free ride. We need to set down rules.”
“I’ve been thinking about that myself, though your concern might be premature. I’ve seen these people, met them, and talked with them. Most of them are so thankful to have someone giving directions they’ll do anything to be taken care of,” he replied.
“That’s what I mean, Tom, they want to be taken care of.” I paced while I thought. “I still think we should lay some ground rules and go from there. You should be the one who addresses it though. I’ll back you up.”
The first busload arrived a half hour later, along with the semi-truck from the food warehouse. The truck parked at Fram’s and the bus emptied into the township parking lot. Amanda passed out thirty-two numbers as they filed quietly in. The adults sat in the chairs and the children sat on the floor or wandered around.
The Journal: Crimson Skies: (The Journal Book 3) Page 17