Sunfall (Book 3): Impact

by Gideon, D.

“They’re my officers, and this isn’t breaking and entering,” the Chief said. “This is search and rescue; part and parcel of disaster recovery. The house appears to be abandoned, and it’s our duty to verify there’s no one inside in need of assistance.”

  “It’s not abandoned. The Cobbs went on vacation,” Dotty said. “They asked me to watch over their house while they were gone. You and your men have no right to go in there.”

  “FEMA directives say we do, Ma’am,” the Chief said.

  “Search and Rescue doesn’t involve taking inventory,” Teddy said.

  “Mrs. Parker, we need to address these violations,” Cindy said. “Please let the Chief do his job and allow me to do mine, so we can all get on with our day. I have many other houses to visit today.”

  “You mean you’ve got other law-abiding citizens to shake down,” Teddy said.

  "No, I mean we've already pulled six bodies out of houses in the last two days, and we need to get through the rest of the neighborhood before we find any more," Cindy snapped.

  "Six bodies?" Dotty said, aghast. "How did they die?"

  "Dehydration, medication, lack of medication, maybe," the Chief said. “A few were obviously killed, probably from a break-in. It doesn't really matter. We've got a job to do, we've got people to save, and you can either cooperate with us or get the hell out of the way. I don't want to bury any more of my townspeople."

  "Going into people's houses just ain’t right," Teddy said.

  "Even if it's to save their lives? You need to check your principles, Teddy," the Chief said.

  "I know exactly what my principles are, and what my rights are. And law or not, FEMA or not, this ain’t right." Teddy's face was flushed red and his fists were clenched.

  "Teddy, maybe he's right. If people are dying," Dotty said, "we need to get them help."

  “But you know there's no one in that house," Teddy said.

  "And regardless of what you tell me, I still have to check or it's my ass on the line," the Chief said.

  Preacher watched as the little man chewed on his thoughts for a moment, and then gave a curt nod. "These folks that died, who were they? What did you do with the bodies?"

  “We've started a list at the Rec Center for family members and friends. We’ll be in contact with the local church leaders at the end of the day and determine where they need to be buried," Cindy said.

  "So are you going to cooperate? Can I go oversee my disaster recovery?" The Chief said.

  "There's nothing to cooperate with," Dotty said. "My taxes are paid, and we’re in an emergency. I reject any violations the city wishes to bring against me."

  The Chief rolled his eyes and held his hands up. “I’ve got a house to go through. Yell if you need me.” He crossed the street and entered the Cobb’s house.

  Cindy huffed and pulled two papers from her clipboard, holding them out to Dotty. "This is a survey you need to fill out and turn in, and a list of the violations you've been accused of. Consider this your only warning. We’ll be back in 48 hours to inspect the property, and if it is not in compliance with city codes and regulations, as well as federal codes and regulations, we will start measures to seize the property."

  "Aren't townspeople dying a little more important than my backed up toilet?" Dotty said, not taking the papers.

  Cindy knelt and placed the papers on the ground at Dotty's feet. She stood back up and made a hand gesture to the people with her. "Fortunately, Mrs. Parker, not all of the townspeople are so selfishly interested in their own well-being," Cindy said. "We have a lot of volunteers willing to help us with the mountain of things that we need to get done. Now if you'll excuse us…" she stepped into the street and walked around the truck. Cathy and the three men followed her without comment.

  Teddy stepped on the edge of the papers to pin them before they blew away and cocked his head, looking at Dotty. "What do you plan to do about this?"

  Dotty glared at the papers fluttering under Teddy’s toe, then stooped and picked them up. "I guess I'll just have to fight it once they start the proceedings," she said. "We need the outhouse, we need the water troughs, and they’re not permanent. A judge should agree with me on that."

  Teddy snorted. "If they can even find a judge," he said.

  “I don't like them being on the property," Preacher said. "Someone should have been here."

  “My mom should be home,” Ripley said. “I’m going to go see why she didn’t come out.”

  “You leave her be,” Teddy said. “If she’s home, layin’ low was the right thing to do. It’s obvious these two houses ain’t vacant. They ain’t gonna kick in those doors.”

  They all looked across the street, where a few men, and the group following Cathy, were huddled in discussion in the front lawn.

  "Well, forewarned is forearmed," Dotty said. She gestured to the wheelbarrow. "Get that thing out of sight and let's see if there's some way that we can hide what we’re doing from people walking by on the street. The less they can see, the less complaints there will be.”

  “Those complaints weren’t anonymous,” Preacher said, lifting the handles of the wheelbarrow and starting up through the yard.

  “I know,” Dotty said. “There’s no way to hide what we’re doing from Cathy, but if we can block the view from the street, it still might help the next time they come.”

  “I’m gonna head home and get the truck ready,” Teddy said. “Preacher, you comin’?”

  “I need a few minutes,” Preacher said, tipping his head towards the house across the street.

  Teddy glanced in that direction and nodded. “I hear ya. I’d stay too, ‘cept I need to get stuff ready.”

  Preacher took the wheelbarrow to the back of the house.

  He could see the sense in checking houses for people that might need help. But the Chief had specifically said “inventory”, and that didn’t sit well. There had been too much tension and too many people around to make a fuss about it. He really should stay and see if they took anything out of the house, but there was too much to do.

  The back door of Ripley’s house opened and Lily stepped out onto the deck, followed by a giant of a dog. Ripley was right behind them.

  “I’m not going to open the door and risk having them make an excuse to come in when I’m the only one here,” Lily said. “If your father had been home or one of the boys had been around, I’d have come out and told them to get out of the yard.” She nodded to Preacher as she stepped down onto the grass.

  King jumped off of the deck and headed straight for Preacher. Preacher froze, one hand still on the wheelbarrow handle. The dog hadn’t warmed up to him yet, but he hadn’t given Preacher any trouble, either. King just didn’t take kindly to him being within a few feet of Ripley. That was fine. Ripley didn’t take kindly to it either, so he made sure to leave room.

  The big dog loped near him, sniffed the air, and ran for the tall pine tree at the back of Dotty’s yard. That pine was taller than the gum trees surrounding it, and anytime the wind blew and it started swaying, Preacher thought about trying to climb it and lop it off. If that sucker ever came down, it was tall enough to reach the house. It was King’s favorite place to cock his leg; almost as if by conquering the tallest tree, he conquered all of them.

  Preacher could relate. It had been his habit to go straight for the biggest guy in the bar, too.

  “They should have checked before leaving,” Ripley said. “You shouldn’t have been here alone.”

  “I had a gun, and King was right beside me the whole time. I was fine. I just needed to pee.”

  They didn’t give him so much as a glance on their way to the outhouse—other than Lily’s initial greeting—not bothering to check and see where he was or if he was watching them. It hadn’t been that way the first few days. They were starting to trust him. It was slow progress, but it was still progress.

  He’d take it.

  Marco

  Marco crouched in the darkness under the cellar stairs. Mel s
quatted beside him. Above them, booted feet walked all through the house and made dust sprinkle down from the cellar’s ceiling.

  “What if they find us?” Mel whispered.

  “They’ve been inside for more than ten minutes and haven’t found us so far. They won’t,” he whispered back.

  “But what if they do?”

  “Then we go with them. Quietly,” he stressed, seeing her glare.

  A shrill voice cut through the muffled talk of the men who were searching the house.

  “Frank? Frank! Where are you? I need a word with you,” a woman called. She didn’t sound happy.

  Almost right above them, there were heavy steps, and a man spoke. “Are you about finished in here?”

  “Yes sir,” someone responded. “I was just checking for a can opener. Looks like they took all of the food with them.”

  “Okay. Give me some room, then. Let the others know,” the man said. After a moment with more steps above them, he spoke up a little louder. “I’m in the kitchen.”

  The woman’s heels struck the floor as if she were trying to leave marks. She stopped directly overhead; she must have been standing right next to the pantry door. “What the hell was that out there?” she demanded.

  “That was you getting caught trespassing in broad daylight.”

  “So?”

  “So, what was I supposed to do?”

  “You’re supposed to back me up,” she said.

  “I backed you up as much as I could. You want me to put a couple of seniors in cuffs where anyone watching could see they hadn’t done anything wrong?” The two were both silent for a moment. “That was sloppy, Cindy,” he said. “You should have just left the notice and the survey, and come back later to inspect the place. Above board.”

  She started pacing, right above their heads. More ancient dust rained down. Mel covered her nose and hunched her head down between her shoulders. Marco pulled the neck of his t-shirt over his nose.

  “That will take too long. This was the perfect opportunity to get Dotty Parker out of that house and you didn’t take it,” Cindy said.

  Beside him, Mel gave a little gasp. He squeezed her shoulder, hoping she wouldn’t get pissed enough to start yelling.

  “There were too many witnesses and you don’t have solid proof of anything yet,” Frank said.

  “I do have solid proof! You can see the water catchment from the damn sidewalk! You can see that big man going in and out of her house like he’s living there.”

  “Fine. But you don’t have a paperwork trail. There’s steps you have to follow-”

  “We’re on a tight schedule, Frank,” Cindy said, her words sharp and punctuated. “You read the Governor’s message. Michael’s headed here. We need these FEMA forms filled out and every resource in town inventoried, at least.”

  Frank made a snorting noise. “I still don’t buy that. Michael’s gonna travel from Texas all the way up here to Maryland? I think your friend the governor is lying. Push the towns to round up all the food in one spot. Makes it easier for his goons to come through and pick it all up.”

  Mel looked up. “Who’s Michael?” she whispered.

  Marco shrugged. “The head of your FEMA agency, maybe?”

  “I don’t need your conspiracy theories, Frank. I need her out of that house,” Cindy said. “All the other streets have 75% compliance with our suggestion that they evacuate their homes and come to the Rec Center. This street? Complete opposite. Only 25% vacancy.”

  “And you think that’s her fault?” Frank countered.

  “That little busybody’s keeping everyone’s spirits up. The little old lady down the street, the one that caused such a fuss a few years back cutting down that tree in her yard? She told me Dotty had been by to check on her just yesterday. And Seth Miller’s promised to get her another tree she can cut up with that chainsaw of hers. They need to be removed. If the other residents see Dotty and her dysfunctional clan evacuate, they’ll do it too.”

  “Why not just tell them Michael’s coming?”

  “And cause another panic? Hell Frank, they’d leave the Rec Center and go back to their houses to put everything somewhere safe.”

  “Don’t do the air quotes thing, Cindy. Kenny does that shit. You know how I hate it.”

  Cindy kept going as if Frank hadn’t even spoken. “We’d never find the stuff then, and good luck getting those people back to the shelter before Michael gets here. That would make the Mayor look bad, Frank. That would make me look bad.”

  “Oh, god forbid you look bad to the Governor, who’s all the way across the Bay. I’ve got people shooting at me, Cindy. They see us pull up in the truck and out come the guns.”

  “So talk to the Guard! The Governor sent them here to help us,” she said. “Get one of their bullet-proof trucks they’re driving all over town.”

  “You think I haven’t tried that? It didn’t fly. They can commandeer our stuff, but not the other way around.”

  They were both quiet for a minute. The thumps of boots in the rest of the house had all but stopped. Marco could hear the sounds of people milling around and talking outside.

  “So you commandeer something. You’re the Chief of Police,” Cindy said. “Solve the problem. Then work on getting that woman out of her house. We need results, Frank. We do this for the Governor and we’ll be set for life.”

  She started across the floor, then stopped. “If we don’t, we’ll be out of a job and starving like the rest of them. We can’t let that happen.”

  Frank said something in reply, but Marco didn’t catch it over the sound of Cindy’s heels leaving the house. After a moment, Frank left, too. The front door slammed and Frank started shouting to round everyone up. Engines started up, and pulled away. Within minutes, all was quiet outside.

  “They’re trying to push Grams out? What the hell?” Mel said, her voice still barely above a whisper.

  “I’m not sure,” Marco said. “But if they’re taking inventory and gathering stuff up, that means we’ve got to work faster.” He moved out from under the stairs and looked up at the trap door, thankful it hadn’t been found. He made a mental note to rig up some way it could be locked from underneath.

  Mel came out and grabbed the stool next to the mattress. She moved it underneath a vent and climbed up, peeking through the screen.

  “Looks like the street’s all clear,” she said. “We’ve got to warn Grams.”

  Marco adjusted the pack on his back and nodded. “Let’s go.”

  Dotty

  Dotty stood on her back porch, watching the chickens scratch through the grass inside of their run. Her eyes traveled over to the fence surrounding her yard, and from there into Cathy’s backyard.

  Everything we do here is in full view of that woman, she thought. There’s no way to hide anything from her.

  It was too late to build a taller fence. There wasn’t anywhere to get the materials now, and even if there was, there wasn’t money to buy them.

  Maybe we could string up some tarps?

  No, that would just bring more complaints about things being unsightly and not fitting in with the historical code. With one hand, she brought a glass of Bill’s iced tea to her lips and took a sip. With her other, she rubbed at the cross hanging from her necklace.

  There had to be a way out of this. She couldn’t let Cindy kick her out of her own home, codes or no. She couldn’t let a vindictive, bigoted neighbor get the better of her.

  If only her late husband Nate had been here. He’d have talked everyone down, smoothed everything over, and they’d all have walked away happy. He wouldn’t have made things worse, the way she had.

  “What do you think, Grams? Does Michael ring a bell for you?” Mel asked from the kitchen doorway.

  The question yanked her out of her thoughts and brought her back to the present. Her kitchen was full of people, all trying to talk at once. The noise was what had driven her out here to the porch in the first place. She loved having a full house, a
nd these people were her family, but when everyone was on edge like this, it got to be too much.

  “I’ve got no idea, sweetheart,” Dotty said, not turning around. “You’re probably right. It’s probably the head of FEMA. Who else would be coming here and have the City people in such a tizzy?”

  Lily stepped out past Mel and dropped into a chair. “I don’t like this. They’re brazen enough to come here in broad daylight and just walk right through our yards like they own the place. What are they going to do next?”

  “It’s not what they’re going to do next, it’s what we’re going to do to prepare for it,” Marco said from further inside. Dotty saw Lily raise an eyebrow, and Marco quickly added, “with all due respect, Miss Miller.”

  “No, you’re right,” Lily said. “I just don’t want this happening again. I don’t think they’d have done it if one of the men had been here. A man’s just more intimidating than a woman is, even if she does have a shotgun.”

  Ripley moved up beside Mel. “Dad’s gonna shit a brick when he finds out.”

  “He’ll be mad at himself for not being here, and then he’ll feel guilty for thinking he should’ve left Father Bill high and dry,” Lily said. She made a disgusted noise. “There’s just so much to do.”

  “Well we’ve got lots of hands to get it all done, honey. We’ll find a way,” Dotty said.

  “Are you going to go up the Rec Center and complain about Cindy and those men?” Ripley asked.

  Dotty shook her head. “I thought about it, but I don’t think it would help. It might make things worse. If I talk to the Mayor and get Cindy in trouble, she’ll come up with more things to fine us for. Maybe get your Mom and Dad involved, too.”

  “The Mayor might be the one telling her to do all this,” Lily said. “He’s not the cleanest politician around.”

  “Sounds like he and my mom would get along great,” Mel said. “The only way to deal with people like that is to dig up dirt on them. We could maybe go up to the Rec Center and nose around-”

  “No,” Dotty said, setting her tea down. “We’re not going to stoop to their level.”