by Emily Garnet
With a little hop, he managed to get his uninjured leg over the side, followed by the hurt one, and squeezed into the box, sitting on the floor of it. It was snug and certainly designed for cargo instead of an adult, but he thought it might work. He’d have to sit almost sideways so Ivy could see though.
Ivy came to stand beside him. “What are you doing?”
He wiggled his shoulders a bit so he could get into a position that felt more comfortable. “I’m seeing if I can ride like this.”
Her eyes widened. “I thought you wanted bikes for both of us?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “I can’t keep walking on this leg, but I might be able to pedal. I can try if you don’t think you can ride with me on the bike.”
She chewed on her lower lip for a moment before sighing. “I’ll give it a shot, but we won’t make good time.”
He nodded. “It has to be better than me on foot, since every step is agony.”
She sighed again. “Okay.” She walked around the bike to sit on the seat. The bike was positioned to go out the main door, but she just took it for a ride around the room for a few laps. It was obviously taking a toll on her.
He frowned. “If you can’t…”
She gritted her teeth. “I can.” In determination mode, there was no arguing with her. He’d learned that long ago, though some of their bandmates still hadn’t. “I can do this,” she said a couple of moments later as she returned to align with the wide front door. She spent a moment adjusting the bike seat before nodding.
“Great.” As he stood up to get out, his foot caught the side of the box, and he nearly fell on his face before catching himself with Ivy’s help. “Thanks.”
“Sure.” She looked around. “Let’s see if they have anything else of use.” Ivy wandered off toward the back of the store, where they’d seen offices during their preliminary search.
Matt moved around the storefront, finding a few snacks for sale near the register. Mostly, they had office supplies and packaging items that were of no use to them. He saw a shelf of bike helmets near the bikes that were waiting for riders to deliver packages that would probably never be sent again. He found one that fit him after a little experimentation, and another that should fit Ivy.
As he heard her footsteps approach, he moved to the bikes. Ivy came into sight with three bottles of water and a bag of jerky. “I found these. Not much back there.”
Matt got back into the box. It was a tight fit with his long legs, but it beat the pain each step brought. She passed the items to him once he’d settled into the box on the bike. He tucked them into the limited space between his legs, where he also stowed her backpack when she passed it over a minute later. He shrugged his off too and used it to brace the butt of the rifle, so he could aim and fire more smoothly, if the need arose.
As a final step, he handed her the helmet he’d selected for her before putting on his own.
“I really dislike the idea of putting on someone else’s used helmet.” Ivy eyed it with distaste.
He shrugged. “It’s either head lice or traumatic brain injury.”
“Eww.” She smacked him lightly on the shoulder. “You’re not helping.”
He grinned. “Nope.”
With a shudder, she put on the black and red helmet. Ivy moved to the glass door to unlock it and brace it open, so they could ride out easier. When she stopped on the other side, she was clearly nonplussed to discover she couldn’t lock it from the outside. “Maybe I should run around back and—”
Matt shook his head. “Just close it. The backdoor is broken now. It’s only a matter of time before people discover this place. Maybe the bikes will go to people who need them as much as we do.”
“Or maybe they’ll be destroyed by shortsighted looters.” With a heavy sigh, she left the door closed and returned to the bike. After mounting, she said, “I wish we had a way to pay for this and the window.”
He nodded. “It probably doesn’t matter anyway. I doubt they’ll be making a living with the delivery service anymore.”
Ivy nodded, but she still looked guilty. Matt understood, sharing the same feeling. He would’ve much rather stolen from a big-box chain than a small local business, but he contented himself with the knowledge they hadn’t taken much. Other than the window damage, they’d slipped in and out with very little evidence of being there. He just hoped someone else didn’t take advantage of the broken window to loot the store or destroy it.
They rode in silence for a while, and Ivy seemed to have found a rhythm. As they got close to a big pile of debris, Matt called out a warning so she could detour around. She did so but turned too sharply on the handlebars and flew off the bike.
He got out of the box to kneel beside her. “Are you okay?”
“I think I broke my butt.” She laughed, though there was a hint of tears in her tone.
“Are you hurt?”
After a moment, Ivy shook her head. “I’ll probably have a bruise on my fanny in the morning, but I can go on.”
At those words, Matt stood up and offered her a hand, bracing himself so he could lift her to her feet. Once she was steady, they returned to their positions on the bike and continued on.
The sky continued to lighten around them, though the strange colors remained. As the sun started to peek over the horizon, it turned the sky a mix of orange and gray and green, with touches of red here and there. It was a strange sight. Beautiful, yet terrifying, because the sky was never meant to look like that.
“It’ll probably take a couple of days before the aurora completely fades. We’ll be seeing northern lights for at least the next couple,” said Ivy as they neared Nellis Air Force Base.
She brought the bike to a sudden stop as they rounded the corner and saw all the people collected outside. They stood in three long lines, and people were pushing and shouting. It made him uneasy. “I think we should go around all this.”
Before Ivy could agree or disagree, several troops came to the gates. One of them had a bullhorn, and he started shouting through it. “We’re going to open the gates and let you in. Proceed in an orderly fashion. You’ll follow all directions given to you without question or hesitation. If you don’t want to cooperate, you’ll be spending time in our brig or finding yourself outside the gates again.”
Ivy’s eyes widened. “I agree. Let’s go around.”
Matt nodded, and Ivy got off to push the bike backward. He was going to get out and help her, but she shook her head at him, probably fearing he’d take too long or draw unwanted attention. She stopped several feet away as the gates opened, and people started rushing in. There was chaos, but it didn’t take the airmen long to regain control. A few shots fired into the air caused all of them to still for a moment, and the bullhorn airman shouted again. “In an orderly fashion.”
Matt and Ivy hung back until the crowd had cleared the area enough for them to go through. When it was clear, he said to Ivy, “Bike as fast as you can, because we don’t want to get stuck in Nellis. I have a feeling if you take shelter there, you’re going to be there for a while.”
She nodded. “We definitely don’t want that.”
Matt held tightly to the rifle as she set a brisk pace. Fortunately, the sidewalk was relatively smooth, and Ivy was able to speed past. He thought he heard one of the airmen shouting at them as they went by, but no one tried to stop them, and there were no shots fired. He couldn’t believe he’d even been afraid of that, but the night had brought a shift in his perspective, and he wasn’t certain anything would ever be the same again.
At the corner, he looked back and saw massive tents erected on the tarmac, and the soldiers busy processing people into them. He was glad they’d managed to escape the help of the military. He had a feeling it would come with costly strings, and he’d rather be on his own than trapped inside the base.
Ivy biked on, though he kept turning to look behind him for at least the next few miles, half-expecting an armored vehicle full of airmen to chase the
m down. The fear made no sense, but it was a fear he couldn’t quite banish until they were well away from Nellis Air Force Base and approaching the outskirts of Las Vegas.
Chapter Thirteen
Every muscle in Ivy’s legs screamed with agony as they biked down the 604. They had left Vegas behind at least an hour ago. Her tailbone still stung from the fall she’d taken. She couldn’t wait to get rid of the bike and never look at it again, but it had definitely increased their speed. She had no idea where they would stop, but it had to be soon. She was definitely feeling the effects of the night before, and hauling Matt around in this bike was a workout unlike anything she did on a regular basis.
As they rounded a corner, Matt said, “Stop.”
Ivy came to an abrupt stop that made her slide forward, but she stayed on the bike seat. “What’s up?”
“Trouble.” Matt gestured a few yards ahead of them.
Ivy followed his hand with her gaze, freezing at the sight of three men with guns surrounding a semi. As she watched, one wrenched open the door and shoved his gun in the face of the driver. She heard a heated exchange but couldn’t make out words. She didn’t even have a gun, and Matt had just the rifle, but she couldn’t bike on and let this happen. Chances were, they wouldn’t let them go by anyway. It was only a matter of time before they noticed Ivy and Matt unless they could manage to push the bike back around the curve that shielded them from sight. That didn’t sit right with her.
“Give me your gun, Matt, and get down.”
“No. This is crazy. There’s no cover anywhere for you or me.”
Ivy knew that, but she still held out her hand for the rifle anyway after slipping off the bike. He handed it to her, and she took advantage of the moment where they were still unseen. Matt crouched down in the box, but Ivy didn’t.
She could hear the voice of her father in her head screaming at her to stop being stupid, but she persisted. She lined up a shot, going for a fatal wound. If she shot someone and left him capable of retaliating, she’d just be exacerbating the situation. When she had her target acquired, she held her breath and slowly squeezed the trigger. Blood blossomed on the man’s back on the left side, right where she’d aimed. His heart had surely stopped.
He fell quietly, but it was still enough to get the attention of the two with him. She’d already lined up her second shot for the middle guy when both started to turn. As the one in her sights turned, it affected her angle, and the bullet went through his jaw instead of where she’d been aiming. He screamed with agony as his blood splattered on his comrade and the poor driver they had dragged from his cab.
In the chaos, the final thief turned his attention fully to Ivy. She didn’t see it happen, but she heard a gunshot and saw him fall a moment later. The driver stood, holding a sizable handgun. He was still holding it out as he knelt down to check the pulse on the one he’d shot.
The one who’d lost his jaw was still writhing on the ground, and Ivy moved forward with the intention of ending his suffering. He was a thief, but he didn’t deserve that kind of pain. She was ashamed that her aim had been so off, and she hadn’t been able to adjust it in time. She was going to have to spend a lot of time regaining the skills she used to have.
As she drew closer to the driver, he took care of the problem for her, putting a bullet in the man’s forehead and bringing about instant silence, other than the sound of their bike’s tires across the asphalt as Matt pushed it toward her and the gruesome scene.
He eyed Ivy warily, holding his gun loosely at his side. Ivy held her rifle pointed away from him, but still accessible if she needed it in a hurry.
Matt stopped with the bike behind her. “Are you out of your mind, Ivy? You could’ve been killed.”
She nodded once, still not glancing away from the driver, who stood up slowly. He appeared to be in his late-forties, but he didn’t have the typical trucker gut she associated with the few drivers she’d met, including Aaron and Stu, who drove the tour busses for Tattered Souls. He wore a red ball cap he pushed back and nodded at her. “Thank you, ma’am.”
“You’re welcome.” Seeing how he marginally lowered his handgun, and judging based on her instincts alone, she flicked on the safety and handed Matt his rifle. “I didn’t think they’d let us just ride by, but we couldn’t have left you in that situation anyway.”
He nodded. His face flushed, and he shifted in his cowboy boots. “Truth is, I brought it on myself. I fell for their routine. They were blocking the highway, and one of them was lying down. I thought they were injured, so I stopped to help. I won’t be making that mistake again.”
“Your rig runs?” asked Matt.
He nodded. “Can I give you folks a ride somewhere?”
“We’re heading to Salt Lake City,” said Matt.
He whistled slightly through his teeth. “That’s a ways past where I’m heading, but if the truck will get us there, I can get you as far as Ely.”
“How far is that from here?” asked Ivy.
“About two hundred miles.”
She and Matt shared a glance, and when he nodded, she nodded as well. “We’d appreciate a ride. I’m Ivy.” She nodded toward Matt. “This is Matt.”
The man held out his hand. “I’m Lonnie.” He had a firm handshake, but not overbearing. “Why don’t you two hop into the cab?” He looked down at their bike. “I’m afraid I don’t have room in the back for your bike thing though. It’s a full load, and the cargo inside is too precious to leave behind.”
“What are you hauling?” Matt glanced at the trailer and then at the bike with clear regret at the idea of leaving it behind.
“Food and water, plus some medicines for store pharmacies.” Lonnie was a little tense as he imparted that information, but he didn’t reach for his gun.
With a long sigh, Matt patted the box and then reached in to retrieve the items they’d stored there. He passed Ivy her backpack, and she took it with a nod, indicating she was okay with leaving behind the bike. She was actually thrilled at the idea, but she understood why he was reluctant.
“Go on and get it then, kids,” said Lonnie.
Ivy walked around to the passenger side and groaned when she climbed up, feeling every ache in her body. She certainly didn’t feel like a kid right then. Matt climbed up behind her, and he let out a little moan. She was worried about his leg, so soon as they were in the cab, she asked him softly, “Pull up your jeans please.”
“I’m not paying for the ride that way.” He winked at her.
She rolled her eyes. “I want to see how bad your wound is.”
He lifted the jeans leg high enough to show the wound. It had bled through the gauze and bandage, but she couldn’t change the dressing at the moment. There were no red streaks emanating from it, and she took that as a good sign, though she really couldn’t remember when signs of sepsis started to appear. It was another bit of knowledge she’d have to brush up on if this nightmare didn’t end soon.
With a grunt of his own, Lonnie got into the driver’s side. “You folks ready?” At Ivy’s nod, he turned the ignition. The rumble of Lonnie’s truck was a welcome sound, and she exhaled with relief as she leaned against Matt. It was good to be traveling again by vehicle.
“She’s a rough old beast, and the shocks aren’t very good, but Gracie gets us where we need to go. That’s why I haven’t bothered to replace her. That, and I haven’t had the money.” Lonnie laughed, sounding not at all self-conscious.
“I guess it’s a good thing you haven’t upgraded,” said Matt.
Ivy nodded in agreement.
“I suppose so. Most of the newer rigs wouldn’t move after whatever happened last night, but here we are. What do you folks think happened?”
Ivy shared her theory, though she was more convinced than ever that it was actually fact. She expected Lonnie to reject her idea or freak out as most people had, but he remained calm.
“I figured it might be something like that. Or maybe a new weapon from one of our
many enemies. You reckon it’ll last a long time?”
“Months or years.” Matt said it in a weary way, suggesting he’d accepted Ivy’s theory and subsequent information as his own.
He nodded. “That’s about what I expected.”
“What do you have to do in Ely?” asked Ivy.
“That’s where my family is. This load of food was headed for a Target in Tucson, but I figure folks in Ely can use it more. If I’m wrong, I’ll go to jail, but if I’m right, it feeds the town for a little while longer, minus what I set aside for my family.”
“I’d do the same if I were you,” said Ivy. She was being sincere. He had an incredible opportunity, and he should use it to take care of the people important to him.
“I’m going to pull into the truck stop up here. I need to get some fuel, and so far, they’ve still been pretty organized at the ones I’ve stopped at. Wouldn’t hurt to keep your guns close though.”
“I have just the one,” said Matt. “Ivy lost hers when someone stole our truck.”
Lonnie grimaced. “I’m afraid I can’t help you out there. I have just the handgun. Just keep an eye on yourselves.”
Ivy was tense when they pulled into the truck stop outside Arrolime. There was a gleaming line of trucks parked in the lot reserved for truckers to rest, but she didn’t know how many of those were running. They all looked too new to her to be able to start without some major intervention.
When Lonnie approached the pumps, his was the only truck. An attendant came out from a small building situated in the middle of the island of fuel pumps. He was wearing an amazed expression as he approached. When Lonnie opened his door, the guy seemed stunned. “You’re the first business we’ve had all day.”
Lonnie didn’t seem surprised to hear that. Ivy was, because it made the situation even more real. If the trucks weren’t moving, America would grind to a halt. There’d be no future grocery store deliveries, and as soon as people realized what was on the shelves was all they were going to get, panic and chaos would ensue. She hoped they could at least reach Salt Lake City in the next couple of days, because by the third day, when the average person ran out of food in their house and started understanding how hard it was going to be to get more, the world around them would be utter chaos.