Fifty Falling Stars

by Wesley Higginbotham

  “Not just yet. I’ll be up in a minute. I wanted to step out for a smoke before bed.” Scott said. Tara just smiled and shook her head as she went upstairs. Scott gathered his jacket from the hall tree and fished out his pipe and bag of tobacco. “Come join me outside, Jan.”

  “You have to be the last guy on the planet to still smoke a pipe.” JJ said.

  “Yeah, just another old dinosaur, but you just can’t get the rich flavors from a cigarette or a cigar.” Scott grabbed a pinch of the tobacco, packed it into the pipe bowl, and lit it. “I’m afraid this might be a dying habit, in more ways than one.”

  “Maybe,” JJ said. “But who knows, it could make a comeback.”

  “I’m not just talking about the old timers like me dying off.” Scott said. “You smell that, Jan?”

  JJ did smell something odd. His neighborhood was quiet. He lived far enough from downtown that the general unrest hadn’t spread this far. “Yeah.What is that?”

  “I’m not too sure. I think it might be the smoke coming from the fires downtown. You didn’t see the grocery store, Jan. It was bad. I’ve never seen panic like that in this country, even in the sixties riots or the Rodney King fiasco. Those were pretty much just bad neighborhoods acting out. This was everywhere we went tonight.”

  “Yeah, but the National Guard should be able to help the cops get everyone back in line and get things back to normal.” JJ said.

  “Perhaps. But what if they don’t? Besides, it’s not really the riots that have me concerned.”

  “So, what’s got you so worried?”

  Scoot took a big puff on the pipe. “Just that, Jan. What if things don’t get better? The riots are a symptom, not the problem, at least not yet anyway. The economy has just had the largest disruption ever. The terrorist attacks have succeeded in making the public scared. All of that is bad enough. What concerns me is what we saw at the grocery store. It’s been less than a week since all of this started with the attacks in the Middle East and the markets freaking out. The grocery stores are already running low or out of food? What’s going to happen when all of those scared, pissed off people in all the rioting cities start to get hungry? What’s going to happen when medicines and first aid supplies start running short? I can’t believe the pharmacy we stopped at was out of everything. Maybe they were. Maybe they were just overwhelmed by the crowd. Surely every grocery store in the area couldn’t be as bad as that one was. We didn’t really look around after our little encounter. We just wanted to get here safely. But how long will it be until they start to run low on supplies?”

  “Speaking of meds, how are you and Tara on your meds?”

  “Mine aren’t too bad. I’ve got about thirty days’ worth of my high blood pressure meds and the blood thinner. Tara brought two months’ supply of her insulin with her.” Scott answered.

  “That should be more than enough to see you through until the city gets everything back under control.” JJ said.

  “Yeah. You’re right. Maybe I’m just being paranoid about all that is going on, but what I really wanted to talk to you about is making a plan to get us out of here if we need to.” Scott said.

  “What do you have in mind?” JJ asked.

  “My brother has a place down in Alabama. It’s a pretty big farm. He raises all of his own food and stuff. It’s pretty out of the way to be bothered by anyone. It could be a good place for us to go and wait things out if they get too bad.”

  “You don’t think that’s a little extreme?” JJ asked.

  “Maybe it is, but what’s the real harm if we go? You said it yourself that you are going to take a few days off of work to see what happens with the banks. Unless something happens real soon, I’m betting they won’t be up and running again anytime soon. Even if the rioting and such calms down, the markets are still in the shitter. Tara and I are retired. No worries on where we go. Sherry could use a few days off as well. The kids might miss a little school, but nothing they can’t make up. All I’m saying is that we should be prepared to get out of the city if we need to.”

  “I don’t know, Scott.” JJ said. “I still think that’s a little over reactive. I mean, hell, they have the National Guard involved now. They’ll get everything calmed back down. The terrorist attacks can’t go on forever. When they get that calmed down, the markets will fall in line. Everything will be all right.”

  “Goddammit, Jan.” Scott said. “I’m scared. I don’t remember ever feeling this helpless. We have to do something. I’m not saying we up and abandon everything right this second. I just want us to prepare.”

  “All right, Scott.” He had known Scott for nearly twenty years and had never heard him even hint at being afraid of anything. Scott was one of the last tough guys left out there. He had been drafted into Vietnam, survived two tours, and had never looked back. It rattled JJ that Scott was now admitting he was afraid. “What do you have in mind?”

  “I just want us to go out early tomorrow and see if we can pick up some stuff. You haven’t got much food. We’re going to need more of that and some gas. I figure we’ll fill up your and Sherry’s cars and maybe even some gas cans. Tara and I only grabbed an overnight bag when Sherry showed up and begged us to come along. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now I’m wishing I had brought more with me. Maybe we can swing back by the apartment and pick up some stuff tomorrow morning. If things get worse, I think we should be ready to set out by Thursday.”

  “That’s sounds ok to me.” JJ said. He really didn’t want to go out tomorrow, but if Scott thought it was a good idea to prepare a little bit, what harm would it do to placate the old man? They did need food, after all.

  Scott woke him with a shake at six the next morning. “Get ready to go. I want to get out and be back here before most people are out and about today.”

  Scott had filled Tara in on what they had planned when he went to bed the night before. The women and children wouldn’t be alarmed if they woke up and the men weren’t there. The two left the house and climbed into JJ’s Camry. “Let’s head to some of the stores further out. They shouldn’t have had the rush that the ones closer to downtown may have seen.” Scott said.

  JJ started the car and drove a few miles to another suburb further outside of Chicago. They passed by a gas station that advertised gas at eight dollars a gallon. “Holy shit! How is that even possible? I thought that was price gouging or something.”

  “With the war and the attacks on the oil refinery last night, I suspect we might see it go even higher in the next few days.” Scott said. “Heaven forbid things keep going like this for a couple more weeks.”

  The parking lot was overflowing when they pulled up and got out of the car. People already queued outside the door by the time Scott and JJ arrived. The store manager allowed only a few dozen people at a time into the store in an attempt to avoid the mobs of people that had trashed several grocery stores in the last couple of days. An armed security guard helped the manager keep the crowd in check. Scott and JJ learned from talking to other people in the line that the city still burned. The riots had kept going until the wee hours of the morning. The police and National Guard were trying to get people out of the city, but the unrest had shut down most of the public transit. Many people found themselves stranded in the city. Droves of protestors had looted several businesses and shops as they attempted to walk out of the city. The riots weren’t calming.

  Fifteen minutes later, JJ and Scott entered the store. They walked around in wonder at all of the empty shelves. They passed the refrigerated section. “Everyone always buys out the milk, bread, and eggs first. I’ve always wondered why that is. Is there some sort of fantastic milk sandwich that I’ve been missing out on my whole life?” Scott asked. The comment brought a slight smile to JJ’s lips as they shopped on. They gathered about a week’s worth of canned food. Everything fresh was long gone.

  Scott grabbed the last two cartons of cigarettes and four packets of his favorite pipe tobacco from the shelves and he
aded toward the checkout. After they checked out and packed their purchases into the Camry, Scott said to JJ. “Well, since we didn’t get anything perishable, you wanna try to go back to my place and see what we can get?” JJ agreed and they started the drive towards the city.

  Things weren’t so bad until they came to within a few blocks of Scott’s house. Burned cars and trash lined the streets. Several fires smoldered in trash piles and burned out buildings. “My God.” Scott said as they passed the wreckage. “This looks like a fucking war zone. I’m glad Sherry came and convinced us to get out of here. I wouldn’t have thought we were in any danger. Oh shit, look at my building!”

  The eight story apartment complex that housed Scott and Tara’s third story apartment was scorched. “Looks like they only got the entrance.” JJ said. “Your place looks ok.” JJ pulled the car in front of the building. “At least parking is good today.” JJ said. “You know, Scott, we haven’t passed any traffic in a while.”

  “Yeah, I noticed that on the way in. I had no idea that it would be this bad. Let’s make this quick. I’ve got a good idea on what I need to get. It shouldn’t take long.” They made their way through the burned out lobby area and took the stairs to the third floor. They walked down the hall to Scott’s apartment. He unlocked the door, and they entered the Reed’s two bedroom apartment. Scott went to the back of the guest room and appeared with two large suitcases. They spent the next few minutes gathering clothes and food and stuffing them into the suitcases. “Almost forgot something.” Scott said as he went into his bedroom and reached up to the top of the closet. He pulled down two small boxes. JJ didn’t see what Scott pulled from one box and put into his pocket. The other box was heavy. He handed it to JJ and asked him to put it in one of the suitcases. “That should do it.” Scott said. “Let’s get back to your place.”

  They rolled the heavy suitcases down the hall and hauled them down the stairs. As they exited the lobby into the street, Scott noticed two thugs looking at their car. One of them held a brick and stood ready to break into the car when Scott shouted. “Get the fuck away from my car!”

  The threat didn’t scare the two men off. “Whattcha got in the bags, old man?” The thug without the brick asked.

  “Just leave us alone.” JJ pleaded as the thugs began walking toward them.

  “I don’t think we will. Tell me what’s in the bags, old man, before I put this brick through your head instead of the car window.”

  “Piss off.” Scott said.

  The thugs took another step toward the men. JJ reached into his pocket and took out his cell phone. “Who you callin, hero?” One of the thugs asked.

  “Leave us alone or I’ll call the cops.”

  “Look around you ignorant fuck. There ain’t no cops around. Just give us them bags.” The thug with the brick said. He raised the brick as if to throw it at JJ.

  Scott pulled his right hand out of his jacket pocket and pointed something small and black at the thug. The thug dropped the brick and began backpedaling. “Easy there, old man. We were just messing around.”

  “I don’t give a fuck what you were doing. You’re not getting our bags, or our car, and are going to get on your goddamned knees right now!” Scott said as he held the gun inches away from the thug’s face. The thug began getting down to his knees. Scott saw the other one take a step forward. He took a step back and pointed the gun at the second thug. “You too, dipshit.” Both thugs got on their knees. “JJ, load the bags into the car and start the engine.”

  JJ did as he was told while Scott covered the thugs. After he loaded the bags, JJ fumbled with the keys while trying to start the car. “What’s taking so long? Start the fucking car!” Finally JJ got the keys in the ignition and started the car. Scott backed up to the passenger’s side and climbed in, still pointing the gun at the thugs until he closed the door. “Step on it!” He ordered. The car took off down the road.

  “That was amazing!” JJ said. “I’ve never seen a real gun before. What are you doing with one?”

  “I keep it around just for something like that. It’s one of those things like insurance. You hope you never need it, but if you do, you’re damn glad you have it.”

  “So, what is that, like a forty-five or something?” JJ asked.

  Scott laughed. “No, son, this is just a little Ruger three eighty. It’s not very powerful or intimidating, but it’s small and would have put a big enough of a hole in those assholes to make them reconsider whatever it was they were doing at the time.” He racked the gun back, cleared the chamber, took out the clip, and handed it to JJ.

  “It’s tiny.” JJ said as he held the gun.

  “Yeah, it’s small enough to fit in a pocket, but about as powerful as anything I ever figured I’d need.”

  “I’m sure glad you had it. That was getting ugly in a hurry.”

  Chapter 8

  Wednesday evening found Will staying with Jenny at her parent’s home. He had lost power yesterday and decided, with much urging from Jenny’s brother, to stay with them at her parent’s house. Joey brought over a lot of supplies from his place, one of them being a spare generator. They gathered around the TV after dinner. America was beginning to look like some shithole country caught up in the Arab Spring movement. Cities across the country burned as the riots spread like a plague. The largest were hit the hardest. Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, New York, St. Louis, Detroit, LA, and several others burned out of control.

  The news began a story on the stock markets. The lady anchoring the news told a grim story. The markets had opened for all of two hours on Wednesday before they fell another twelve hundred points. The latest fall prompted the New York Stock Exchange to announce that the markets would remain closed until further notice. The anchor lady spoke to her colleague about the unfolding events. “Charles, many companies are now reporting that the credit market has completely collapsed. They speculate that unless the credit opens up, up to fifty percent of them will not be able to make payroll this pay period. Major suppliers of oil are saying that the continued violence in the Middle East and attacks on American oil infrastructure have driven the price of oil to over three hundred and fifty dollars a barrel. Transportation companies that are still operating are reporting that their cost will skyrocket unless gas prices come down. This combined with the financial crisis stemming from the European debt crisis and countries all around the world fleeing the US dollar, leads experts to predict that America could see unprecedented inflation by the end of the month.”

  “This sounds like dire news, Kristi.” The other news anchor said. “What impact are we going to see on the average American?”

  “Charles, expert sources are telling us that this could be utterly catastrophic for the average American. America’s four largest credit card companies have announced that they will no longer be able to extend credit to individuals for the time being.”

  “What will that mean?” The reporter asked.

  “Well, if you go to use a credit card or debit card, you will not be able to process your transaction. Many people depend on credit cards and other forms of credit-based payments to do everything from buying groceries to gasoline. Many businesses have instituted a ‘cash only’ policy. As we saw on Friday last week, several banks have had runs on their branches. Our experts tell us that many banks will be temporarily closing branch locations around the country to prevent or curtail future runs on the banks.”

  “Wow, Kristi, it sounds like the entire commerce system is on the verge of collapse? What advice do we have for anyone who now doesn’t have a working credit card or the ability to get cash out of the banks? How are people supposed to buy the basic necessities they need to live?”

  “That is a problem that FEMA and other government agencies are trying to confront. The Treasury department announced plans today to begin issuing a new currency, backed by precious metals, within the next thirty days. They plan to issue the new currency to banks, allowing them to reopen and distribute the new currency to
the customers. FEMA is teaming up with the National Guard to set up food distribution centers around several large cities around the country……” Jenny’s dad, Chuck, turned down the TV.

  “This is what I’ve been talking about.” Joey said.

  “You really think this is it?” Joey’s mom, Kerry, asked.

  “I think so. What did you see in Knoxville?” Joey asked Jenny.

  “I didn’t see much of anything. I got pulled into the ER. It was just too busy in there. Luckily, most of the cases were pretty minor. The cops were able keep everything from getting out of control. So…“ She yawned and trained off. “I can’t handle this right now, Joey. I’ve got to get some sleep. I’ve pulled three, eight hour shifts, back to back.”

  “Ok, sweetheart.” Will said. “Why don’t we get you back to your room and let you sleep.” He got up and led her back to her room. He came back in the room a few minutes later.

  Joey explained to his dad what he thought was coming. “We need to get out of here.”

  “Why do you think we need to go, Joey?” Chuck asked.

  “I think this is just the beginning. Did you hear the report on the news a few minutes ago? They’re saying you can’t even use money anymore.”

  “That’s not exactly what they were saying.” Kerry said.

  “It might as well be the same thing. If you can’t get to cash and you can’t pay with credit cards, what exactly are you supposed to do?”

  “I’m not sure.” Chuck said. “You don’t think that the new currency is going to help things?”

  “I don’t.” Will said as he sat down on the couch next to Joey. “If things are as bad as they say with the inflation and all, I’m probably not going to take any money for my work. How could I when I wouldn’t even know how much to charge to make sure I could pay for the parts? The new money could work out, but they said it could be months before they get it out to the banks. What am I supposed to do until then? I guess I could do the work on credit, but again, how much do I charge? What’s the new money going to be worth? How am I going to survive until then? I can’t buy food with the credit I give to people I do work for.”