“Yeah,” Kip added. “And you were the only other one with family. Alive that is. Sorry, Dude,” Kip aimed his voice to Reese. “No disrespect to your deceased friends.”
“None taken,” Reese said.
Gene closed his mouth tightly, took a deep breath and shook his head. “We drove right by where my oldest daughter lived. Well, sort of. She lived in Pittsburgh.”
“Why didn’t we stop?” Thaddeus asked. “Why didn’t you say something? I figured all your family was from Los Angeles, like you.”
“Roberta . . .” Gene hit his cigarette as he spoke. “She was so far east. I’m really feeling guilty about this guys, really I am.”
Reese peeked again thorough the rear view mirror. “Gene, don’t feel bad about not stopping.”
“I do.”
Before a ‘why’ could be asked, David popped up groggily from the back. “Who is Roberta?”
“That’s why,” Gene pointed back.
Thaddeus chuckled in disbelief. “Wow, Mr. On Top of It All, how do you not know his daughter’s name? You accessed all our info to give . . .” Then it hit him, the tone of his voice changed as if he’d had a revelation of some sort. “She wasn’t on the list, was she, Gene?”
“Nope,” Gene exhaled. “I figured we’d be gone four days. I didn’t give her contact information; so therefore, Dr. Burgess wouldn’t have called her.”
Kip had an up sound to his voice. “But, yeah, he’d call your other kid, right?”
“Yep.” Gene nodded. “And I’m sure Suzi probably called her sister, who probably didn’t answer the phone, because she never answers the phone, ever. And even if she would have, odds were Roberta wouldn’t have gone. She would have stayed behind, figuring if there was gonna be a cataclysmic event, she was ready, wanted to witness it, and be there to help. She’s a nurse, one of those ‘one step down from a doctor’ nurses.”
“A nurse practitioner,” Thaddeus said.
Another nod from Gene, a pause, and then he said, “Yep. A no nonsense girl, she is. She wouldn’t have gone. And I wouldn’t want to see proof that she ignored the heads up.”
Finally, Lucy murmured, “I don’t blame you. I’ve been thinking about this Gene. Really, if our families survived, they made it to Mr. Burgess’. If they were meant to survive the drop, I think it didn’t matter where they were, they would have survived. A part of me wished I hadn’t gone home because I would have known anyhow when we get to Burgess’ lab. Right, David?”
David agreed, “I am positive if Burgess survived the drop or whatever it is called, then he documented it. And you know, just because people went to the shelter ahead of time, doesn’t mean they survived. But I’m positive, if Burgess isn’t there, he left us the answers we need.”
Kip gave a pat to Gene’s shoulder. “There you go, dude, you’ll get answers one way or another. And whether you want to admit it or not, you need them.”
“I do,” Gene said. “You’re right.” He rolled down the window and tossed out the cigarette.
It surprised Reese that Lucy turned around and peered back, asking softly, “Do you have any gut instincts, Gene? I can admit it now, I did. I really felt one of my kids was alive. I didn’t want to give into it, because you know, I was afraid of the let down. Or afraid it meant I was a bad mother for thinking one was gone. But I had that feeling.”
“I do, too,” Gene replied. “Maybe it is wishful thinking, but a part of me thinks one of them is alive. I just don’t know where.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
SC 11
Tate always took things in stride. That was why he didn’t mind the ‘memo’ that their fearless leader had sent out.
Sent out, that is, to Jeb, Tate, Bishop, and Parker.
It was delivered via BJ who was on his way to his post in the tunnels. He had been assigned a three week stint even though he was a little young. Tate knew it, but Jeb was confident in his abilities.
BJ was like a monkey, something happened to him during the second wave, instead of getting sick from an attack, he got strange abilities.. BJ could climb, leap and cling like any chimpanzee.
But again, he was young.
He wasn’t going there to protect, he was to watch the tunnels and to report back any problems.
Actually, it had been a while since there were any problems. Tate hoped that wouldn’t change.
He checked out his reflection in the coffee shop window just outside the Pit. Still proud of his boyish looks, he flashed a grin to Al who worked inside, then read the memo again.
Tate chuckled, not because of the contents, because he knew it was a matter of minutes before he would hear from Jeb.
Radio static.
There it was.
“Please tell me this is a joke,” Jeb said over the radio.
Tate laughed. “Roger that, big fella.”
“So it is? Over.”
“No, I doubt it.”
Jeb huffed. “I think our fearless leader is getting whacked with age. We knew this was coming. I knew this was coming.”
“Uh, excuse me,” Bishop interrupted, “I don’t think you should be talking about our leader like that. Insanity is not on our leader’s plate.”
“Whacked,” Jeb repeated. “Ask me if I’m scared.”
“You should be,” Bishop said. “Be nice.”
“The memo spells insanity. I’ll say it again,” Jeb repeated.
“It certainly does not,” Bishop argued. “It could be a good meeting.”
“Fine,” Jeb grumbled. “But I’m calling our leader Chicken Little, because we have to discuss what fell from the sky.”
“You are wrong. Very wrong,” Bishop said.
Tate shook his head. “Why are you defending our leader?”
Suddenly, the fearless leader’s voice came firmly over the airwaves. “Because you guys are all morons thinking I can’t hear what you’re talking about. It’s a radio, assholes.”
Tate nodded. “So, basically Bishop is just being a suck up.”
“Yes. And I’ll see you in ten. Off,” said the leader.
“I only have ten minutes?” Jeb asked. “Fuck, I’m visiting Nurse Matti.”
There was a quick response from the leader, “Excuse me. You’re where?”
Jeb laughed. “Kidding. I’m just outside your office door. I wanted to see if you really signed off.”
Tate listened to the banter and turned down the radio. Their leader never signed off. Not Ever. And he knew the arguing would continue until he himself showed up, Jeb always argued with the leader. After all, he was married to her.
<><><>
Robi Hoyt would say she used to be a beautiful woman, but motherhood, the end of the world, and more so, being married to Jeb, made her feel worn and battle weary.
Others would argue that.
Robi was still a beautiful woman, just one that lacked femininity.
The brothers Hoyt, along with Parker, waited inside the office for her. When she arrived, they were discussing how Bishop had managed to get out of the meeting.
“He’s on watch,” Robi answered as she sat down. She wasn’t tall or thin. Although at first glance she did look thin. She just hid her well defined frame behind military style clothing. Her common attire was baggy camouflage pants and a tee shirt.
Tate shook his head. “Like no one else can do that.”
“He’s watching the movement of the bracelets.”
“Ok, stop,” Jeb interrupted. “Look we’re all busy. We want to make that survivor run and have to work on the tunnel system. So could you speed this up?”
Robbie glared.
“Just saying,” Jeb defended.
“Fine,” Robi snipped. “I need to get your opinion about what fell from the sky.”
Jeb grumbled.
Parker gave him warning voice. “Jeb, come on.”
“A satellite fell from the sky.”
“I think . . .” Parker lifted a finger. “What Robi needs an opinion on is whet
her or not, what fell from the sky has anything to do with what killed the criminals and took the bracelets.”
Tate replied, “Yes.”
“You’re nuts.” Jeb scoffed. “Whatever killed those men came from the north.”
“New York,” Tate said. “What fell from the sky fell near New York. We couldn’t track whoever it was until they picked up the bracelet.”
Robi looked at Tate and asked, “Like Loomis?”
Tate nodded. “My fear is they are using our own tracking system to find us.”
Robi replied, “But the way the tracking is moving like Loomis.”
“If I may,” Parker said. “Rumors have it Albany is a free zone. What if people from Albany killed our men and are trying to find us.”
Jeb facially disagreed. “Nah. No way. Loomis move north, south, east, west, then north . . . this signal is doing the same.”
Robi interjected, “They went to Cleveland.” She looked serious. “You know that if it is . . .”
“Robi.” Jeb stopped her. “Listen. As a leader, you have made excellent calls. On this, and every time before, you get over your head with what you want it to be. I know what you want it to be. It’s not. I don’t think what has the bracelet is human. Unless I get information that the pattern has changed . . .”
There was a triple knock on the door and it opened bringing in a very excited Bishop. “Robi, The pattern changed.”
Robi stood. “What do you mean?”
“It’s been steady, stopping only once in the last eight hours, headed south.” Bishop paused. “Headed for Texas. In fact, they’re almost there.”
Quickly Parker peered at Jeb. “Orange Julius?”
“Fuck, it’s possible. Especially if it’s . . .”
Before he could finish, Robi had snatched a radio. “BJ, come in. You and M 2 and 3, get to the Nevada five entrance tunnel.”
“Hey!” Jeb blasted.
Robi continued, “Prepare a watch team, report, double check radio systems with Mas.”
“Hey,” again from Jeb.
“Nick. Nick, come in.”
“Roger, Mom.”
“Get a squad suited and armed, move out to sector N5. Get a medic and survivor specialist on hand stat.”
“Hey!”
“Roger that, Mom.”
“I’ll meet you at the temp camp. Over and out.”
“Hey!” Jeb blasted at his loudest.
“What!”
“I’m security. What you just did was my job!”
“I’m leader.”
Tate twitched his head. “She has a point.”
Jeb yelled, “I don’t care. It’s my call.”
“And this!” Robi faced him off. “Is something I have been waiting on, I knew it. This is it. Excuse me.” She stormed to the door and paused. “Are you coming, Mr. Security?”
“Yes,” Jeb mumbled in disgust.
“Excuse me?”
“Yes!”
“Then move it.” She stormed out, slamming the door.
“Fuck!” Jeb shook his head once. “I hate when she fucking menstruates.”
Following Robi’s voice from the hall yelling, “I heard that, ass,” Jeb walked out.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Not only was it a sight they hadn’t seen, but it was a sight they didn’t expect.
David was sure it was the location, but why it surprised him, he didn’t know. Maybe because during the entire trip to Texas all they had seen was just desolation and not what lay before him.
The entire institute lay in rubble.
It was old rubble, too, not recent, the charred remains of grounds that had been blasted by something. Chunks of concrete showing the after effects of fire remained scattered about. Everything was gray.
David was the first to step out of the van. His heart sunk as he scanned for anything that looked like a landmark.
“What now?” Reese asked.
“Let me look, let me look,” David mumbled.
“If this is gone then . . .”
“No.” David held up his hand. “No. The time capsule, as he called it, is over five hundred feet below ground. I have to find the secondary entrance that’s all. The main one is gone.”
As he peered around, he recalled the feeling inside the van when they drove closer.
What had happened? Was it a nuclear blast? He assured them the destruction was minimal and any radiation, if it was a nuclear blast, would be gone.
How about the shelter?
No crater, no direct hit. The shelter was safe. David felt that was certain.
“Ok, ok,” David said as he stepped back, his eyes focusing on anything and everything. Then he snapped his fingers, ran a few feet forward and crouched down. He smoothed his hand over the dirt and smiled.
“What is it?” Reese asked in the distance.
The yellow line on the piece of grey driveway was still there. Dusting off his hands, David stood. “It’s the main drive to the institution.”
“Where does it start?” Reese asked. “We drove through rubble.”
A post. David saw it. One remaining bent fence post. “That was the front fence. I’m standing in the drive way.” He turned around, back to the post. He heaved out a heavy breath. “The Institution.” Only it wasn’t. It was just a pile of rocks. But he knew, forty feet behind the institution was what looked like a giant raised sewer. Round, four feet above the ground, with a metal lid. That was the entrance and that was where they needed to go.
But they had to find it. Surely it wasn’t destroyed. David started walking there with Reese, explaining to him what they were looking for while the others waited behind. Well, all but Kip. Like a hound dog, they told him what to seek, and sent him ahead. He seemed to be able to find everything else, why not the other entrance.
“Hopefully it’s there,” Hawk stated, watching Kip dash around singing some tune from the Wizard of OZ.”
“It’s not destroyed,” Reese said assured. “It can’t be.”
“How do you know?”
“Simple, low grade explosions. Like mortars,” Reese said as he approached David.
“OK,” David said confused.
“Fire burned out the rest. I’m telling you this because I saw this in war. Like an air raid. Unless whoever did this knew it was an entrance.”
“Why is he singing from the Wizard of Oz?” David asked. “A tornado didn’t do this.”
“I haven’t a clue.”
“Dude!” Kip shouted. “The witch’s shoes.”
Curling a lip, Reese looked at David. “What the fuck?”
“The house dropped on the wicked witch. The shoes were sticking out. Come on.”
Both men ran to where Kip stood. What appeared to be a tool shed was sure enough propped and tilted, as if blasted, and on top of a pair of pants and shoes. The body had long since disintegrated.
“You don’t think?” Reese asked.
“Dude, this dude was trying to get there when the blast occurred. Bet me,” Kip said.
With a shrug, Reese reached for the door, and with all his might, pulled it open.
He smiled.
“There?” David asked.
“There.” As he would a dog, Reese patted Kip’s head. “Good job.” He stepped inside.
With a whistle David called for the others. “We found it!” Once he received acknowledgement from the others that he had been heard, David stepped in. He didn’t have as hard of a time standing as Reese since the roof was very low.
Reese struggled as he turned the crank. “Hawk, you know, this thing is sealed. If there are bodies down here, five years or not, we’re opening a can.”
“There are not bodies. I’m sure. All the notes talking about this place, and then the switching to SC. Martin had it too together. Open the hatch Reese. Or do you need my help.”
Reese chuckled in sarcasm. “Please.”
Out of breath, Lucy ran in. “Did you find it?”
David nodded and po
inted to Reese.
“Do you need help?” she asked.
He paused and just stared. A pause later he returned to turning the crank. With one more grunt, a hiss emerged and Reese lifted the sealed lid.
David had to know. Reese was right there. “And?”
Reese sniffed and smiled. “Smells like dust.”
“Sweet.” David clenched his jaw, then Lucy’s arm. “Who goes first?”
To say David was slightly disappointed would be accurate. Although he did expect they would find what they did when they climbed down, it had been a long journey.
The time capsule was as he expected, it had been lived in. No signs of bodies, yet there were signs the people had lived there for some time.
There was absolutely no power. And only one computer out of the many he remembered remained.
It had to be the one, David supposed, that Martin left behind for him.
Too many cots to count were set up everywhere; it was like a refugee camp. The left overs far exceeded what Martin had planned for, leaving David to suspect, they had had to venture out for food.
“It’s been empty for a while,” Reese said. “There’s very little dust, though, because it was sealed.”
He turned his head toward Lucy who was looking through things with Kip. “Anything, guys?”
Both shook their heads.
David heard the voices, but knew what he had to do. He went back to the small office where Martin would have kept it. It was where he said it would be.
Before David remembered, the office was just an office, now it contained a small table, two cots, and a desk. No remnants of food or clothing. To David that was a good sign.
He pulled the desk slightly away from the wall and there it was. A shoe box length, flat metal box was taped to the back to the desk.
It was for David. That was their plan. David laid the box on the desk, lifted the lid, and was surprised at the contents.
<><><><>
“It’s bizarre,” David said as he stood with the others, all of them staring at the box. It contained two small drives, a map, a note, a small palm video, batteries to charge it, and five packs of cigarettes.”
He only hoped the batteries would work, and they did. How long they would last was the big question.
The Last Mile Trilogy Page 49