by Annie Berdel
“I don’t remember,” Megan answered.
“Might have something to do with you passing out. Do you have any fruit or anything?” Chloe asked.
“I think I have bananas in the kitchen.”
“I’ll be right back. Don’t move,” Chloe demanded.
Chloe walked into the kitchen and met Michael there snooping through the cupboards. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Looking.”
“Go outside and wait, and don’t let her see you.”
“Ya sure,” he said as he grabbed a soda from the refrigerator as he went out the side door.
Chloe grabbed the water and a banana and walked back into the living room.
“Here, eat this. And no talking till you are done.”
Megan did as she was told and the color started to return to her face. Feeling better, she sat up on the couch.
“It’s been a long day. Sorry to drag you into it,” Megan said with a halfhearted smile.
“No worries. But you need to take better care of yourself. Biggest mistake women in general make is taking care of everyone else before they take of themselves. Stop it. And now! Promise?” Chloe asked.
“Promise,” Megan replied with a bigger smile.
For the next hour, Chloe sat with Megan and they just talked. Chloe learned a lot about the woman sitting in front of her. She had several children, the youngest being asleep in the next room. Robert, or Robbie as Megan called him, was named after his father. His father had died in a car accident a couple months ago during a business conference in Los Angeles. Tests run on Robert after the accident showed his blood alcohol level to be more than double the legal limit. He was drunk driving, which was bad enough. It still didn’t explain who the woman was in the car with him at the time since she had no ID on her. The story cut Chloe to the core. She knew who the woman was. The woman was Chloe. She was a paid escort who made her money during business conferences that catered to married men. Chloe had never seen the impact of what her job did to the other side of her John’s life. Now, it was staring her right in the face.
99
Shelby shone the flashlight around the room. Tote after tote lined one wall. Reading the tags as she scanned down them, she found the ones she was looking for.
“Here, help your mama out,” she said to the kids.
Each grabbing a tote, they carried them to the middle of the room. Grabbing a knife from within her apron pocket, Shelby cut the duct tape off that sealed the lids shut. Inside she pulled out multiple tarps and had the kids begin unfolding them across part of the dirt floor. Next, they tied them across the ceiling and down the walls, making an enclosed area inside the room. “There, that should keep more of the dirt out,” she said.
“Are we going to sleep in here, Mama?”
“Yes! We are on an adventure! This is going to be fun,” Shelby replied.
She tried but the looks on the kids’ faces told her she wasn’t very convincing. Opening more totes, they found sleeping pads to keep them off of the ground and sleeping bags to keep them warm. Being underground should keep the temperature a bit more stable, but it would be chilly to sleep.
Shelby opened one tote that held a camp stove and fuel along with cooking utensils. Digging through other totes, she found hygiene supplies and then food and stored water.
“What would you kids like for dinner?” Shelby asked.
“What can we have?”
“How would you kids like some s’mores?” Shelby asked.
The kids all looked at each other like they couldn’t believe what they were hearing. “SURE!” They yelled in unison.
“Hold it together, girly,” Shelby said to herself. Funny, though, what thinking it might be your last good days on earth will do to a soul. She looked at each of her kids in the soft glow of the flashlight. She wanted nothing more than to see them grow up and marry off to someone they loved, to give her grandbabies. This wasn’t the road she had planned. It wasn’t the journey she had asked for, but it was the one that was laid out before her.
100
Angie watched the man from beneath her lashes. He had sat down with his back against the trailer so he could see both Scott and Angie, the gun never leaving his hands.
“Where you folks going to?” he finally said, breaking the silence.
“Ohio,” Angie said before she caught herself.
She quickly looked at Scott for a sign that it was OK to answer but his eyes never left the stranger.
“Long way from here, wouldn’t you say?”
This time Angie didn’t reply. She kept busy on fixing the man something to eat.
“That truck work?” he asked
“No” Scott replied.
“Why not?” he asked.
“You tell me. I have no idea,” Scott said.
“Bit testy are ya? Did I interrupt your beauty sleep?” the man asked looking at Scott. “I’m sure your woman doesn’t like being talked to like that.”
Scott didn’t answer. His face was set in stone looking at the man, not even blinking.
Angie was waiting for any opportunity she could get. Problem was, her gun, knife and flashlight were all over by where she was sleeping under the sofa mattress. While it was good that the stranger couldn’t see them, she couldn’t get to them easily just yet. It didn’t help either that Scott was giving her no clue on what he was planning on doing.
The man startled her when he stood up and walked to her. Pointing to Scott, the man had him move to the opposite side of the fire away from Angie.
“You have anything here to drink?” he asked her.
“Water. It’s over there,” she said as she pointed to the back of the trailer.
“Don’t move,” he demanded.
He walked over to where she had pointed and looked around. Angie used the opportunity to try and get Scott’s attention.
“Hey! I said no talking!” The man yelled, obviously upset “Fucking cunt. You not understand English or what?”
Walking over, he grabbed Angie by the hair and pulled her to a standing position. Scott reacted and started to approach them but the stranger pushed the gun into Angie’s back. “Stop now, bud, or the cunt is going to have a hole in her belly.”
Scott stopped in his tracks. Angie’s eyes were like large saucers and staring right at Scott, pleading for help.
“Get over to the tree” the stranger said as he pushed Angie in that direction, her back arched as the man pushed the gun farther into her spine.
“Put your arms around the tree,” he instructed Scott. “Now lock your fingers and don’t fucking move.” Scott did as he was instructed as he didn’t want the man to hurt Angie.
Reaching into his pocket, the man pulled out some zip ties and rope and handed them to Angie. “Tie his fucking hands together.”
Oh God, Angie thought. With Scott tied to the tree it would be up to only her to protect them.
The man walked over and pointed the gun at Scott now and Angie almost fainted. Hurriedly, she did as the stranger instructed.
“Now tie his feet around the bottom of the tree with this,” he demanded as he threw the rope at her
Angie looped the rope around the tree looking up at Scott. “I love you,” she mouthed. His eyes slowly closed and opened as if in agreement.
The man walked back over to the fire and motioned Angie to follow. “Get me that water before you get over here,” he stammered.
Angie fumbled over to where she had left the water bottles the night before. Picking up a couple, she noticed the toothpaste and toothbrushes she had laid out for morning. Quickly grabbing a toothbrush and sliding it up her jacket sleeve, she hurried to the man and gave him his water.
“Can I sit?” she asked.
“Might as well. I don’t need anything right now.”
“My name is Angie, by the way.”
“So? To me, you’re just a cunt. Just like all the other women out there,” he replied
Angie didn’t know ho
w to respond to that. Obviously the man had issues with women in his past and she didn’t want to add to it. She figured it would only escalate the situation, possibly beyond her control.
“Do you need anything else to eat?” she asked.
“Sure” he replied and handed her his plate.
They sat in silence for a while the man finished his food. It was too quiet. Angie needed noise to do what she needed to get done. Sliding the toothbrush down the sleeve of her jacket and into her hand, she needed to snap the brush off of the handle. Coughing loudly, she synced the breaking with the distraction of her cough. “Bingo,” she thought. Scooting over, she felt around on the ground for a large enough rock that she could file the end of the toothbrush into a point. But it was going to be noisy and she couldn’t risk being detected.
“Is there something you need?” Angie asked. “We have some supplies but not a lot. Please, just take what you want and leave us be.”
“Aren’t you the bossy one?” he replied.
“I don’t know why you are doing this. We haven’t done anything to you. We were just trying to get home.”
The more talking that went on, the more Angie was able to file the toothbrush handle against the rock. She needed to make the best point she could at the end. Chances are she would have one shot at this and that was it. She had to be 100% committed to this, or her plan would fail.
The stranger stood up and looked around.
“What do you want?” Angie asked again, now annoying the stranger.
“I need to take a piss, you gonna hold it for me?”
“Oh. No, I’m sorry.” Angie stammered, feeling embarrassed.
“Well maybe you should. Come on and help a man out here,” he said grinning at her.
“Leave her alone!” Scott yelled out.
“Or what? You’ll pick up the tree and beat me with it?” the man chuckled.
“How about you hold it for me then?” he said to Scott.
Startled, neither Angie nor Scott said anything.
“A lot of years locked up changes a man. The cunt is used materials. You, on the other hand, might be worth the fight.” he said directly to Scott.
Angie stopped breathing. “God no!” she screamed out in her head.
The man walked over to where Scott was tied to the tree. There was no escape for him. His hands were zip tied around the tree and his feet were tied against the tree so he couldn’t move, his legs apart.
He grabbed Scott’s buttocks in his hands. Scott jerked upwards leaving the stranger to let out a howl of laughter. “Relax bitch, it will only hurt for a little while,” he whispered in Scott’s ear.
Angie wanted to hurl her guts up. Never in her worst nightmare would she have dreamed this to happen. There was no scenario that could have been worked through. She knew what it was like to be raped and wished it on no one, but for a man. It was too much for Angie to comprehend.
Gripping the handle of her makeshift shank, Angie mustered all the strength she could get and lunged towards the man standing behind Scott. Hearing the commotion, the man darted to the right as Angie’s arm descended downward and met its unintended target.
101
Brian opened the binder. Before him were the events about to take place in chronological order. Stage one had begun with the eruption of the New Madrid. Most of Louisiana, Missouri and Western Tennessee were gone, obliterated in the push of a button. Pushed by someone who thought this was all a war game they were testing. In three days another large event would happen that would change even more lives. Situated in Ohio, he should be able to escape the wrath to come. But the poor souls in San Diego would not. Stage Two was about to begin. Closing the binder, he stood and walked over to the window. Glancing out at the changing leaves, remorse hit him square in the gut. What was he doing, allowing this to happen? Not stopping it. These were the good people, right….these people who were giving him orders. Doubt crept into his mind. What if he were doing the wrong thing, what if this whole thing was just another scheme, people no better than the ones whom he thought they were trying to destroy. “Ah Christ, please forgive me,” he said as he picked up the revolver.
Click.
Click.
The red gooey substance splattered against the window and ran down the glass as the man’s body slumped to the floor.
102
Shelby knew the fallout from the mushroom cloud could reach the farm where they were, but it the initial blast, if it were going to take them out, would have by now. Now she had to wait. Wait and pray. Anything above ground would be contaminated if the fallout reached out to the farm.
The plan was to wait at least 48 hours before leaving the shelter, but not knowing what was going on above was killing her. She needed to know where Mountain Man was, what condition her house was in, the animals. Waiting was frustrating!
“Mama?” Startled, Shelby realized she was deep in thought and not paying attention to the children.
“Yes dear?” she replied.
“Do you hear that?”
Shelby listened, “What is it?”
“Some kind of weird thumping noise.”
Shelby listened even more intently. “It’s probably one of the cows. They don’t like being down here and not being up there munching on grass!”
“There it goes again.”
Shelby heard it that time. Her heart rate increased. “What in the world?” she questioned.
“You kids stay here and keep this sealed shut. I’m going to check on the animals.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Shelby cut through a small section of the duct tape holding two sections of the tarp together.
“Tape this right back up here,” she instructed her son.
Backing over to the door, Shelby listened again. The thumping was a bit louder now that she was out of the tarp. Slowly opening the big door, she entered the larger room with the animals staying against the wall as not to spook them. They knew her and would recognize her scent but she didn’t want to take any chances of animals being alarmed.
Stopping, Shelby heard the thumping again, this time picking up faint voices. Hearing to where the dirt ramp was to take her above ground, she cut through the duct tape holding the tarps together.
Waiting, she listened
“Shelby!”
She recognized her name, and very few people knew about the underground rooms under the barn.
“Joshua?” She yelled out.
“Shelby! I’m up here. Let me in.”
Tears began flowing down Shelby’s face as she recognized Mountain Man’s voice. Her heart broke though when she realized she couldn’t let him in the doors.
“The fallout has begun, hasn’t it?” she yelled through the door.
“Yes,” was the only reply.
“Oh God. I love you, Joshua. You will always be my Mountain Man, but I can’t let you in here. You are contaminated. You will contaminate the children and it could kill them!” she cried out, her heart breaking for the man who was a part of her.
“Go to the house, get into the pantry. There’s a tote in there marked fallout. Get the walkies and turn them on,” Shelby instructed him.
“I love you my Shelby girl” she heard. “I love you.”
The hardest decision she had ever made in her life was to not open the door to her husband. It damn near killed her. To make the decision to allow someone to possibly die to save others, all of whom she loved immeasurably, was more than she could handle. Breaking down, she collapsed into the dirt and wailed with grief, the animals starting to scurry around her. The sobs shook her entire body as she realized that that might be the last time she ever heard Mountain Man… her Joshua’s voice ever again. Her grief had consumed her as Bella’s hoof came down upon her leg, crushing the bone under the weight of the horse. Shelby cried out in horror that matched the severity of the pain. She was alone and there was no one to hear her or to help her.
103
The storm was at least an hour
away and would give Nina just what she needed. Walking into the barn, she found her unknowing victim.
“Hey Tommy,” she beamed out gleefully.
Looking up, Tom felt uncomfortable that anyone other than Emma called him Tommy. It was her pet name for him, and no one else’s.
“Ma’am, please call me Tomás. Emma calls me Tommy and it’s her special name, no disrespect.”
“Oh,” replied Nina, a little taken aback. No worries, she thought, minor setback but she needed to regroup her emotions real fast since it definitely pushed her buttons. “No worries. Tomás is so formal, how about I call you Chulo.”
Tom let out a laugh, “Ma’am, that’s kinda funny.”
“Why? It’s most befitting! Nothing better for a Latino friend!” Nina purred. “Say, where are those cabins at anyways? I need to go check on some people.”
“Well, which one? They are scattered all over the place,” Tom replied.
“I think its number seven.”
“That’s one of the farther ones in the back. You sure you want to go all the way back there?” Tom asked.
“Oh. Well, maybe you could draw me a map.”
“Ma’am, you shouldn’t be going out there by yourself. I can take you out once I’m done here I guess. Can you give me like twenty minutes?”
“You know it, Chulo!” Nina cooed as she walked away.
104
Megan and Chloe were still talking when Robbie woke up. Changing his diaper and grabbing a bottle of milk, Megan put a jacket on him and grabbed the keys to the RV. “Robert bought it a few years ago. We used it every summer for a couple weeks or used it if we had visitors staying, like Robert’s brother. I couldn’t stand his brother so instead of having him in the house, Robert made him stay out here so they could hang out together instead of disturbing the kids so much.” Megan explained as she opened the door.
By now introductions had been made and Michael had joined the group to look through the motor home. It was in pretty good shape other than it hadn’t been started since last summer. “With Robert’s passing, I just had no desire to come out here,” Megan said.