by Tate, Harley
“Exactly.” Owen slapped the counter in agreement. “Who in the government would be willing to be the fall guy? To be the international face of panic and death? Can you imagine anyone in Washington willing to do that?”
Lainey agreed. “Owen’s right. What if the reports turned out to be bogus and nothing happened? Whoever came out with the theory would be laughed right out of a job.”
Keith pressed his lips together, saying nothing, but Lainey knew that look. It meant he wasn’t sure but didn’t want to argue.
She nudged him. “You have to admit it’s a viable theory.”
“I understand what you all are saying. And I admit Rick’s info is compelling. But after sitting in the dark for three days thinking it over—” He shook his head. “I just don’t want to believe it. Not without proof.”
If that’s how Keith looked at it after all he’d seen, then what would foreigners think? What would the surviving Americans think? Lainey focused on the pattern in the floor. If she was going to honor Rick’s request to keep digging for the truth, how would she convince anyone it was serious?
Maybe she should forget it and just focus on finding her family, but the thought didn’t sit well with her. There had to be a way to do both. If only her sister were online. If she could reach Midge and ask her to keep searching, to reach out to her contacts and uncover the truth…
Was Midge even alive?
“Even if the government just dropped the ball, it doesn’t change the facts.” Jerry’s statement brought Lainey back to the present and she shook her head to clear her thoughts.
“What are you saying?”
Jerry uncrossed his arms and braced his hands on the counter. “With the government in shambles and most of the people in charge dead or missing, we can’t expect any organized aid. No one is coming to help us. It doesn’t matter if the government was responsible or not.”
Owen agreed. “We can’t stay in Los Angeles. It’s going to turn into a war zone soon, if it isn’t already.”
“That’s one thing we can agree on.” Keith closed the tequila bottle and put it back in the near-empty cabinet. “Where do you want to go?”
“The Canadian border is open. For now,” answered Owen.
“You want to go to Canada?” Keith raised both eyebrows. “And become what, refugees?”
Lainey hesitated. That wasn’t what any of them wanted, was it? “I need to find my family. My mom was in Chicago, but Midge told her to head north to a small town on Lake Michigan. She has a friend who retired there.”
“Did she make it?” Jerry asked.
“I don’t know.” Lainey plucked at a stain on her sleeve. “I haven’t heard from either of them.”
“We could head for Chicago and cross our fingers that her family is okay.” Owen flashed a smile in Lainey’s direction. “If we keep the van, we’ll have satellite capability. We can record some video spots and send them out to international news agencies.”
“You want to keep reporting?” Keith’s words were directed at Lainey, not Owen.
“Rick asked me to. How can I stop now?”
“But don’t you think—”
“Honestly, I don’t know what to think anymore.” She eased closer. “We don’t have to chase the story. I’m not asking to drive to Washington, DC and confirm the president and his cabinet are dead. I’m just thinking—” She paused, trying to come up with the right words. “Why not put the information out there? Show the rest of the world what’s really going on.”
“And we’d do this on the way to Chicago?”
Lainey nodded. “If my sister contacts me and I find out she’s somewhere else, we can change our plan. But for now, that’s where I have to go. I have to find my mom.”
Keith didn’t respond right away.
“If you don’t want to come with me—”
“I’ll come.” He looked down at Bear curled up between their feet on the cool floor. “Bear will, too.”
Relief flooded through Lainey. Asking Keith to accompany her on the search for her family wasn’t fair, but she wanted him to come all the same. She turned to Jerry. “I completely understand if you don’t want to come with us, but please consider it.”
Jerry shrugged. “I don’t have anywhere else to be. Driving across the country seems like as good a thing to do as any. Besides, you’ll need another driver.”
Lainey smiled. Four people and a dog weren’t much, but there was something to be said for safety in numbers. “When should we leave?”
Keith focused on his watch. “I vote for first thing in the morning. Before then we can clean ourselves up, change, and try to find some food.”
The foursome split up, with Lainey and Owen inventorying the remaining items of value in Keith’s apartment and Keith and Jerry finishing up cleaning the bathroom. Thanks to a pasta pot and a gas grill with a full propane tank, they were able to boil enough water to clean off the grime of the past few days without worry about contamination of the water supply.
As Keith emerged from his bedroom in a pair of clean jeans and a T-shirt, he held out a bundle of workout clothes to Lainey. “Daphne left these here. I figured you might prefer these to the work clothes.”
Lainey stared down at the dirty shirt and stained pants she had put back on with a grimace.
“If you don’t want them—”
“No, I do.” She took the bundle. “Thanks.” Wearing a dead woman’s clothes soured the taste in her mouth, but Lainey swallowed it down. Leggings and a shirt that covered her back end would be easier to move around in than a blouse and pants any day.
When everyone finished their tasks, they crowded around the kitchen bar.
Owen pointed to a meager line of food and drinks. “That’s all we could find. Half a box of pasta, a bottle of tequila and a bottle of vodka, one can of tuna, and powdered peanut butter.”
“Why didn’t Daphne eat the peanut butter?” Lainey reached for the bottle.
“Allergic.” Keith rubbed his neck. “She hated tuna, too.”
“We also found an unopened bag of dog food and a half a case of wet food in cans.”
Keith nodded. “It’s digestive stuff leftover from the last time Bear ate something nasty and I had to take him to the vet. Calms his stomach.”
“So we can split this up tonight and set off in the morning with nothing.” Owen didn’t sound thrilled.
“Or we can hunt for more supplies.” Jerry offered. “The grocery store downstairs can’t be empty.”
Lainey looked at Keith. “I thought you said it was closed.”
“It seemed that way, but I’m sure there’s a way inside. During business hours residents can walk straight in from the building.”
“And at night, when it’s closed?” Jerry asked.
“There’s a sliding grate.”
Jerry nodded. “We can probably pop it with a crowbar or something similar.”
Lainey exhaled. Were they really about to do this? Break into a store for food? She pressed her lips together. “Someone has to stay with Bear.”
“Jerry and I can go. Scope it out.” Keith glanced at Jerry and the older man nodded. “Lainey and Owen, maybe you can charge up our devices, even try and get back online if you want to.”
“We can pack up anything else to take with us, too.”
They talked for a few more minutes, hashing out a plan of attack. When it was settled, Keith picked up the gun and shoved it back in his waistband before following Jerry out the door.
Chapter Ten
KEITH
Keith’s Apartment
Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. PST
The door to the stairwell clicked shut as Keith eased down the dark hall. On a normal day, the pair of glass doors at the end of the tiled hallway would reveal a small convenience store stocked with frozen dinners, pints of ice cream, and a hearty selection of wine.
Catering to residents of the building, the little shop didn’t stock the latest food trends
or organic produce from the fancy market three blocks away. But for hungry residents trundling home after a hard day’s work, it sold all the essentials and then some.
Keith motioned toward the grate covering the darkened doors. “The owner must have closed up for good when the bomb hit.”
“Any chance there’s a key in the management office?”
“Not likely. Separate management. I overheard the leasing manager complain about it a few months ago. She didn’t like the lack of control.”
“Why would it matter to her?”
“A curated collection of food and wine would lead to higher rent.” Keith rolled his eyes. “I just wanted microwave mac and cheese.”
They reached the doors and Jerry gave the grate a shake. “No way to brute force this without a tool. You sure there isn’t a hammer or a crowbar or something lurking around here?”
“Not that I know of. Maintenance doesn’t even have a closet. It’s all contracted out to some company that shows up when a unit needs a repair.”
Jerry yanked on the grate again. “Then we’ll need to raid the garage and see if we can scrounge something up.”
Keith punched at the wall in frustration. Nothing had been going their way since leaving the courthouse. First Daphne, then the beggar, then the news reports and Rick’s theory. Now this.
“It’s closed.”
Keith whipped around. The hallway was empty. Who on earth?
Jerry stepped away from the doors. “Hello? Is someone there?”
“Maybe.” The voice came from one of the only doors between the store and the lobby.
“Are you a resident?” Keith eased in front of Jerry, leading by default since he carried the only firearm. “Do I know you?”
The door opened wide enough for a man’s head to emerge. Black bushy hair, thick-framed glasses. He shook his head. “No. Amanda says I bother the other residents if I hang out in the lobby, so I stay inside.”
“The front desk woman?”
The head nodded.
“That doesn’t seem very nice.” Jerry kept pace beside Keith as they eased down the hall. “Shouldn’t all the residents be able to use the common areas?”
“People complained. I received a warning. Two more and I face eviction proceedings. That wouldn’t be good.”
“Why not move?” Keith asked the question to keep the man talking as they approached the door.
“Too hard. Too many buildings and streets. No one knows how to move the pieces like I do.”
Jerry shot Keith a look. He shrugged. The guy might be off his rocker, but he was the only person who lived down on the main floor and the closest they had come to finding someone helpful since leaving the studio. Even if he couldn’t get them inside the store, he might know where to look for a key.
“Do you know when the store will reopen?”
The man slipped back inside, but didn’t shut the door. “No. Ralph isn’t here. He hasn’t been back since Friday night.”
Jerry eased against the wall as he neared the door, attempting to remain hidden from the man’s line of sight inside.
Keith didn’t know what else to say. The guy didn’t volunteer any info, but he didn’t shy away, either. Were they totally off base? Was he just some crazy guy banished to the equivalent of the basement because he refused to find a new place to live? The whole trip down to the store might be a boondoggle, but what were the alternatives? Braving the street to try and break into a major store?
The thought dragged Keith’s lips into a frown. Too many risks. Especially with a little store right here. Why were they treating the guy like he was dangerous? For all they knew, he was just cautious, as he should be. Keith strode forward, leaving the pretense of stealth behind him and stopped in front of the door.
The man lurched back and the door swung shut, but Jerry stuck his foot out, lodging his boot into the open space. The door banged against his foot and the guy inside mumbled something Keith couldn’t make out.
“I’m sorry, but can we talk to you?”
“I’m not supposed to.”
“We won’t tell Amanda. Honestly, we just want to talk about the store and what you’ve seen around here the last few days.”
“Don’t you know?”
“I just got back. It took me three days to get home.”
“You live here?”
“Third floor. Studio apartment.”
The man inside mumbled again.
“Can you tell us anything about the store? Another way to get inside? Where the owner might be? Or an employee?”
When the man didn’t respond, Keith sagged, convinced he either knew nothing or would refuse to help, but after a long pause, the door swung open.
With hair rumpled from sleep, a set of flannel train pajamas covering his solid frame, and flip flops on his feet, the resident managed an awkward smile.
“I’m Keith.” He stuck out his hand.
The man wiped his hand down the front of his shirt before giving Keith’s hand a shake. “Ed.”
“This is my friend, Jerry.” Keith motioned to Jerry as he stepped into Ed’s line of sight.
They shook hands and Jerry smiled. “Can we come in?”
Ed glanced behind him, mumbling. “I guess. But don’t touch anything, okay? I’m in the middle of a scene. It’s very important work. I can’t have a single figure out of place.”
Keith had no idea what Ed was talking about, but he agreed. “Okay. Sure. We won’t touch anything.”
They stepped into the apartment and Ed shut the door.
“Whoa.” Jerry stopped on the edge of the living room, head swiveling back and forth.
A massive LEGO city stretched across the space, built on a platform of taped-together folding tables. Keith approached, mouth hanging open in wonder. “Is this Los Angeles?”
“Only the highlights. I compressed the key buildings of the last hundred and fifty years into a single city of ten blocks. An entire week’s vacation right here.”
Keith leaned over the display, picking out the Dolby Theatre, the Griffith Observatory, Chateau Marmont, Capitol Records, and more. Little lampposts hugged gray street corners and Minifigures walked through the streets carrying shopping bags and cell phones.
Building something this impressive from scratch had to take years. “You created this?”
Ed nodded. “I take it to Brickfest in Pasadena. Every year it gets a little bigger.”
“How long have you been working on it?”
He tugged at his pajama shirt. “Five years.”
Jerry blew out a breath. “And here I thought LEGOs were for kids.”
Ed shot a petulant look in Jerry’s direction. “That’s what Amanda says. Wants me to move into an apartment upstairs so they can turn this into a breakroom for employees.”
“What’s wrong with that? Looks like your place could use some fixing up.”
Keith glanced around. Jerry was right. He’d never seen the linoleum tiles beneath his feet in any apartment in the building, and the textured walls hadn’t been painted in years.
“Like I told Amanda, there’s three things wrong with it. One, I’m grandfathered in. I’ve been in this apartment since before the new company bought the place and fixed it up. Two, I like being close to the store. Three, I’d have to take this apart and carry it up via the elevator. It would never work.”
“After everything that’s happened this week—”
“I have to rebuild. I know.” Ed pointed at the Capitol building. “That’s gone for sure. Some of the streets are ruined. I’ll have to adjust, take some buildings out and put new ones in. There’s only two months until Brickfest. I don’t know if I’ll have enough time.”
Keith glanced at Jerry. Did the guy not understand what had happened? He hedged. “I’m guessing you have a bit more time.”
“No. These conventions are planned years in advance. There won’t be a delay.”
“Even if the town no longer exists?” Jerry asked. “You have to
admit there are bigger problems now than worrying over a bunch of plastic bricks.”
Ed’s face reddened and he plucked a Minifigure off the display, twisting the figure’s face around before shoving it in Jerry’s general direction. “Now you’ve done it. I’ll have to turn all their faces around to the mean side!”
Keith held out a hand. “He didn’t mean anything by it.” He glowered at Jerry and nodded toward Ed, trying to get the older man to apologize.
Jerry exhaled. “Fine. I didn’t mean it.”
“I’m not convinced.”
Jerry crossed his arms and stared at Ed like he was a waste of time.
Maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t. Keith didn’t know. He tried to get the conversation on track. “Ed, please. About the store.”
“Don’t see why I need to tell you anything seeing as your friend insists on disrespecting me and all.”
“We’re sorry about that, really.” Keith stepped forward. “I think this build is incredible.” He pointed to the Capitol Building. “Your use of all those single bricks to mimic the circular concrete is amazing.”
Ed shuffled in place. “It took a lot of experiments to make that work.”
“And the pale beige is just right for the Dolby Theatre. I didn’t even know bricks came in that color.”
“I had to buy thirty sets of Jurassic Park LEGOs to get enough.”
“I bet everyone who sees this is impressed.”
“Usually.” Ed glanced at Jerry before turning back to the little figure in his hand. He swiveled the face around and showed it to Keith. It smiled.
Keith tried again. “About the store.”
Ed put the figure down onto the sidewalk and walked him past three buildings to a door. He opened it and walked the man through. “I might know how to get inside.”
Keith swallowed. “How?”
He walked around the display and fiddled with something inside the building before standing up and holding out his hand. “I watch the store at night. Ralph lets me eat a pint of ice cream when I do a good job.”
A silver key sat in Ed’s palm.