by N. C. Reed
“Shucks no!” the boy whispered. “Thanks mister!”
Clay felt like a heel in many ways, leaving people like this kid to their fate, but what could he do? He couldn't help everyone. How would he choose? And there were people around him at home he would need and want to help as well if the need arose. He had to be able to draw the line somewhere.
“That's it,” Gordy broke Clay from his thoughts as he piled the last of the clothing on top of everything else. “We're good.”
“Let's go,” Clay nodded. He closed the door as Gordy secured the ramp and ten seconds later they were headed for target.
“There's the truck,” Gordy pointed. Clay wheeled the box truck in beside it, taking four parking places.
“Let them know we're here.”
-
“I just don't know,” Janice mused. “Both pair are nice.”
“Pick one Janice and let’s be going,” Lainie ordered as her phone rang.
“We're outside, parked beside you,” Gordy's voice was scratchy. “Aunt Lainie, can you hear me?”
“I hear you, Gordy,” she replied, unable to talk louder. “We're on our way to the front. Be out as soon as we can.”
“. ..ay.” She hung up.
“Janice, that's it. Put both pair of shoes in the cart. We have to go.”
“But I-”
“Now,” Lainie's voice was firm. “Our time is up. If you don't want to go barefoot, put them in the buggy!”
Cowed, Janice did as ordered. Lainie had already loaded one cart with feminine needs and OTC meds, and grabbed underwear for herself and for Clay. It wasn't as sexy as her 'work' underwear by any means, but would almost certainly last longer. She once again cursed herself mentally for not believing Clay when he had first told her about this.
The front was a madhouse for no reason Lainie could see until a new register opened with a sign that read 'CASH ONLY'.
“Oh, shit,” she breathed as irate people began bellowing about their electronic cards not working. She guided her carts into line, making sure that Janice was immediately behind her with the third.
“Go to the truck,” she said softly. “Tell Clay that it's cash only suddenly and people are angry. I may need help.”
“Okay,” Janice was beginning to understand that things were not good. She almost ran out of the store, looking back once before going out the door.
“Ma'am, do you really have cash for all this?” a woman wearing a name badge and jacket from the store asked, semi-politely.
“I think so,” Lainie smiled. “If I'm a little short then I'll leave off something. I was paying cash to start with,” she added as softly as possible.
“Very well,” the woman nodded and turned to tell the cashier to ring her up.
“That's a lot of cash,” a man in the next aisle said casually.
“I don't have it on me,” she smiled. “My daughter just went to get my husband. He refuses to shop for 'female things' as he puts it, so he waits in the truck.”
Years of convincing men she was dancing just for them had turned Lainie into a good actress. The man chuckled as he turned away.
“Come on, Clay,” she more or less breathed as the girl behind the register kept going while another bagged her purchases.
“This is going to total a good bit,” the annoying woman was back, disbelief clear on her face. “You do understand that it's cash only, right?” Lainie looked over shoulder to see the man still watching her.
“Do you think you could draw just a little more attention to me?” Lainie hissed at the woman. “Make sure that everyone in here knows I'm carrying a large amount of cash? I don't think the people in the very back of the store heard you yet.”
The woman's face turned beet red at the dressing down, and possibly in embarrassment at what she had done. She nodded jerkily and continued to help unload the items.
Stupid bitch. Or just thoughtless, she decided. That's all.
She almost cried in relief when she saw a black cowboy hat coming through the door. She waved her hand over her head and saw Clay look her way.
“Thank God,” she whispered when he got to her. Hiding from the man behind her, she pulled money from her pocket.
“Act like you're paying,” she ordered. He nodded and proceeded to pay the bill.
“We need to go,” he told her as he waited for the receipt. “Things are getting dicey.”
“I know,” she sighed. “We have to be careful getting out. This idiot,” she made sure the supervisor could hear her, “has let everyone and their mother know I'm paying cash.”
“Nice,” Clay snorted, looking at the red faced woman. “We 'll be sure to let corporate know how helpful you were. . .Delores,” he looked at her name tag. “Thanks a million.” Without waiting for a reply he started pushing one cart and pulling another, Lainie behind him with the third. She risked a glance over her shoulder to see the man in the other line still watching them closely.
“Do you still have the fake tags on the truck?” she whispered.
“Of course,” he nodded.
“I'm afraid we need them,” she admitted. “That man behind me is still watching us.”
“You know, he might just be looking at the seat of your jeans,” Clay teased her and she blushed red.
“He wasn't interested in my jeans until he found out the pockets were stuffed with cash,” she shot back, in no mood for playing.
“All right, all right,” Clay soothed. “No problem now. We're leaving him behind in a minute or two.”
They reached the truck and started loading, Gordy having opened the box truck's cargo door after seeing that the back of the pickup was nearly half full. Janice got into the back of the truck and Lainie began handing her smaller items as Clay and Gordy stuffed larger packages into the big truck.
“The phones are starting to act up,” Lainie said as she handed packages to Janice.
“We noticed,” Clay nodded. “I was hoping we could avoid that until we made it home, but that was probably too much to hope for.”
“What was?” Janice asked. “And where are we going?”
“Home,” Lainie told her. “That's all you need to know right now, honey,” she told the girl. “Just keep putting this stuff anywhere there's an empty spot.”
“Y'all got quite a load there, don't'cha?” a new voice spoke from behind them. Lainie turned to see the man from the checkout standing just a few feet behind her. His gaze fell on her, then moved to Janice, then back to her.
“Afraid we do,” Clay replied for her, moving to flank Lainie as he spoke. “Trying to get set up in a new place.”
“Uh huh,” the man's eyes took in the truck and then Lainie again. “See, I don't think that's what this is at all,” he said as his eyes came back to Clay.
“Well, I 'll stay up late tonight worried about that,” Clay replied evenly. “Meanwhile, we got work to do so don't let us keep you.” Behind him Gordy was still stuffing items into the truck even as he tried to keep an eye on what was happening. Janice had stopped working and was just looking.
“You don't know who I am, do you?” the man asked, smirking. He was tall, and potbellied. Wearing a scruffy denim jacket, flannel shirt and dirty jeans. His hair line was halfway up his head and his face was covered in a scruffy red beard and mustache.
“No, can't say I do,” Clay replied. “I can say I'm not interested in finding out, though,” he continued. “Keep going,” he said to Lainie without looking at her.
“See, I think you're laundering money,” the man went on as if Clay hadn't spoken. “And since I think that, I've got the power to confiscate that money and everything you're carrying right now,” the man produced a leather wallet with a badge inside.
“You gotta be kidding me,” Clay actually laughed in the man's face. “This is a shakedown?”
“Are you accusing me of something?” the man's gaze hardened.
“I'm saying flat out you're either a thief or a liar or both,” Clay replied, no l
onger smiling or laughing. “And I'll give you one chance to walk on about your way. Just one,” he added. “Think it over before you do something you can't take back.”
“I was hoping we could come to a peaceable arrangement,” the man sighed dramatically, pulling a cell phone from his pocket. “Now, I'll have to make it official.” He tried to place a call, smiling at Clay.
“Last chance Cowboy,” he offered.
“Keep working,” was all Clay said. Behind him the others kept doing just that.
“Might as well stop that,” the big man said. “Keep us from having to-” he stopped suddenly, frowning. He pulled the phone from his ear and looked at it.
“Not going through?” Clay asked calmly. “Want to try it again?” his voice was deadly soft.
“Don't get any funny ideas, Cowboy,” the man's fake geniality left him suddenly. “All that will do is make this worse,” he added as he hastily redialed the number. The look on his face told them he wasn't getting through.
“I don't think it's a funny idea at all,” Clay smiled. “My idea is to kill you right here. Leave you laying for someone to find later. Maybe today, or tomorrow. Who knows?”
“I'm an officer of the law,” the man stammered, taking a step back as Clay advanced.
“You're a good for nothing snake who preys on people with that hunk of tin,” Clay's voice vibrated with anger. Suddenly there was a gun in his hand, just inside his jacket.
“Now don't make this worse,” the big man stammered, seeing the gun.
“Oh, I'm about to make it all better,” Clay almost sang. Suddenly he reached out and grabbed the man, slinging him bodily around and into the space between the two trucks.
“Mister, you're making a mist-” was as far as he got before the butt of Clay's gun slammed into his throat. He held the man up as he gagged, choking to death with a crushed esophagus. The man shuddered and bucked several times, spittle foam flecking at the corner of his mouth until finally he was still. Leaving the body leaning, Clay pulled a trash can over and knocked the lid off. Quickly stripping the man of his ID, he upended the dead extortionist into the can, replacing the lid. It didn't close completely, but would look like it was simply full.
“Are we done yet?” he asked as he looked to see if anyone was watching or if any cameras had seen him.
“Is he dead?” Janice asked, reminding Clay of her presence. The look on his face terrified her as he turned to look at her.
“He's just out,” Lainie told her, never taking her eyes from Clay. “He's out cold. When he wakes up he'll have a rough time getting out of there and by then we 'll be safe. He was trying to rob us.”
“He made me feel dirty,” Janice nodded. “Looking at me like that.”
“We're done,” Gordy at least was still functioning. “All loaded.”
“Lets go then,” Clay ordered. “We 'll eat on the way. We have to get out of town. Things are starting to go bad.”
Lainie stood still for a few more seconds, Leon's words echoing in her mind. He won't hesitate to kill anyone who gets in his way or threatens his family.
“Lets go!” Clay repeated, jarring her from inaction.
“Right,” she nodded. “We're good.”
“Follow us and if we get separated use the radio. Stay off the phones even if they work. In fact, turn them all off,” he ordered. He waited as Gordy and Lainie did so. He looked at Janice.
“I-I-I don't have a phone,” she looked at Lainie. “I didn't need one, l-living at the club so I didn't sp-spend the money. I'm s-sorry,” she looked as if she might cry.
“It's okay that you don't have one,” Clay said gently, surprising them all. “Don't worry about it, okay? Just hop in so we can be way away from here when this guy comes around. Right?”
“Okay,” she smiled a bit then, nodding, and went to get in the truck. Clay looked at Lainie.
“Reconsidering?” he asked her pointedly.
“No,” she shook her head. “No, I'm not.” Her voice was firm. “Let’s go.”
It took fifteen minutes of negotiating after lunch traffic to get back to the Interstate system, which still left them in heavy traffic.
“Shit,” Clay cursed, slamming the steering wheel.
“We're still moving,” Gordy said, looking around them. “But it's slow.”
“See if there's a map in the glove box,” Clay ordered. There wasn't.
“Dammit,” he muttered under his breath. “I know there's a map in your grandpa's truck, in the glove box,” he told his nephew. “They're right behind us. Go and get it. But watch yourself and don't get run over. And if we start moving just jump in with them for the time being.”
“Got it,” Gordy nodded, bailing out. Clay watched the road, thinking back to that dirty cop. Of all the shit to run into today, that was the last thing he'd had in his mind. He had offered the man a chance to walk. He should have taken it and then he'd still-
The passenger door opened and Gordy clambered back in, map in hand.
“See if you can find us a different way out of here,” Clay ordered. “A way that will let us loop around at least some of this crap.”
-
“Miss Lainie, is Mister Clay your husband?” Janice asked after Gordy had grabbed the map and ran with it.
“No, honey. We aren't married,” Lainie replied. “We're together though,” she smiled.
“Oh,” Janice nodded. “That man wasn't really sleeping, was he?” she asked quietly. Lainie considered her options for a few seconds before replying.
“Janice, I took you in because you don't have any family, right?”
“Yes ma'am,” the girl nodded. “I mean, I have an Aunt, but. . .she drinks. I told you about her.”
Yes, Janice had told her about the Aunt who drank, and then suggested that her then sixteen-year-old niece turn tricks for money to buy her booze.
“You decided to come with me because you felt safer, right?” Lainie continued.
“Yes,” the girl nodded. “I didn't like that man that bought the club from you. How he talked.”
Smart girl.
“Well, that man back there was a threat to us,” Lainie said carefully.
“I know,” Janice surprised her. “I've been looked at like that before,” she shuddered slightly. “I don't like it,” she added.
“You asked earlier what was really happening,” Lainie told her. “Something bad is happening, or at least we think it's going to. That's why we're grabbing as much stuff as we can with what money we have and now we're trying to get to the farm that Clay owns so we can ride out what may be about to happen. Hopefully in safety.”
“What's happening that's so bad?”
“There's going to be what's called a solar storm,” Lainie replied, simplifying it. “It's already on it's way, and it may hit the Earth. If it does, it will destroy almost everything electrical in the world. Some things will probably still work, but a lot of them won't. Times will be hard because. . .well, think about this. If trucks won't run, they can't bring food to the grocery stores. So when the food that's there runs out, what happens?”
“People would go hungry,” Janice nodded. “And probably steal food, too,” she added. “From others.”
“And hurt people to get what they wanted,” Lainie nodded. “That man that came after us, he was trying to take our money and our things, and probably do something bad to us. Clay stopped him from doing that. Whatever happened to that man, he had it coming,” her voice hardened.
“It's okay,” Janice said, smiling a little. “He was mean, anyway. I could tell by his eyes. The way they sort of looked through you instead of at you. Like he was measuring what you were worth to him.”
Lainie was floored by the girl's observation. How did she keep coming up with these gems and yet seem so totally clueless?
“Yes, he probably was,” Lainie agreed. “He was looking at me like that in the store.”
“I saw him,” Janice nodded. “I thought he was just looking becaus
e you're really pretty. Men do that you know,” she said it as if she were confiding some great secret to her former boss.
“Yes, sweetie, I know,” Lainie fought a smile. “And he may have been at first, or looking at you, too,” she pointed out. “You're a pretty girl and filled out well. But he was really watching what we did. If we had money and how much. He wanted to steal what we had. And probably would have hurt us, too,” she added.
“He was mean,” Janice said again, nodding firmly. “Are there horses where we're going, since it's a farm?” she asked suddenly. Lainie almost started at the abrupt change, but caught herself.
“Yes, there are,” Lainie smiled instead.
“I love horses,” Janice smiled. “You think I could learn to ride one?” she asked hopefully.
“I don't see why not,” Lainie nodded. “I just learned to ride not long ago.”
Not long ago? Try four days ago. Had it only been four days since she was riding the Sanders land with Clay on horseback? So much had happened in those four days. So much had changed.
“You did?” Janice was asking.
“I sure did,” Lainie nodded absently. “We 'll ask Mister Clay if you can learn too. I bet he will teach you.”
“Or maybe Gordy could teach me,” Janice said, suddenly shy. “Does he ride?”
“I guess so,” Lainie once more fought to hide a smile. “I don't know for sure, though. And he's usually busy, so if he doesn't have time don't be upset about it, okay? He just has a lot to do.”
“I won't.”
-
“I'm sorry Uncle Clay, but I don't see a way around,” Gordy shook his head. “Every exit leads to roads that take us well away from where we want to be. I don't see a single major road running parallel to the Interstate through here. It would all be narrow city streets looks like. And they don't all run to anywhere in particular. Looks like several cove type drives.”
“So we're stuck here, then,” Clay sighed. “What if we went across?” he asked. “If we get off at an exit and go across the highway? Is it any better to the east?”
“No,” Gordy said after another minute. “It's different, but not any better. It's like all the streets over there are funneling people back toward Interstate 24, and that takes us way off course.”