by P. A. Glaspy
After a carb-rich dinner accompanied by a wonderful wine suggested by Angie, Carly lay sprawled out on the couch in sweat pants, moaning. She and Cameron had opted to dine in the living room and watch a TV show while they ate.
"Good Lord, that was good, but oh my God, I'm stuffed! I'm pretty sure the road to hell is paved with pasta."
Cameron was wiping up the final remnants of sauce from his plate with a last bite of bread. He swallowed and added, "Sounds great. Let's eat our way there."
Carly smirked and threw her paper napkin at him. With no weight, it landed in the middle of the floor. Watching it fall, they both laughed at the sight. She leaned back again and held her stomach in her hands. "That's a lot to be eating so close to bedtime. I'll be sorry; I know it. I just love their food."
Cameron burped loudly. "’Scuse me. Yeah, it's good stuff. Maybe we should put that on the menu two nights a week."
Carly shook her head. "No. No way. I wouldn't be able to get through the door in a month."
"Oh please. You're not fat, Mom, not in any way."
"And I'd like to keep it that way. You do your homework?"
"I didn't have any. We won't have any more before the holidays."
She held her plate out to him. "Good. Your turn to clean up."
He took both of their dishes into the kitchen, rinsed them and stuck them in the dishwasher. He came back to the living room, plopped down in a chair, threw his hands up and exclaimed, "Done! Man, doing dishes is hard work. I'm beat!"
Laughing softly, Carly leaned over and grabbed the remote from the coffee table. She clicked through a number of channels, settling on a movie, Red Dawn. It was a remake of an earlier version. The original had Patrick Swayze in it. This one had Chris Hemsworth. She sighed.
"That is one fine-looking man right there," she said dreamily.
Cameron looked at the screen. "Who? Thor? Yeah, he's alright I guess, if you're into that kind of guy."
She replied deadpan, "All women are into that kind of guy."
He got up, stretched and said, "Well, I'll leave you to your lust then. I'm gonna go see how my guild is tonight. Later, Mom."
Carly watched her son go up the stairs. Both of them were growing up, almost grown truth be told. They did their thing, she did hers. She supposed that's how it was with all families now. When she was a teenager, she spent a lot more time with her parents than her sons did with her. But then, there was no internet, not at her house anyway. Homes with internet access were on dial-up modems, and most services charged by the hour of use. She didn't have a computer at home until her senior year of high school, and she was limited as to what she could do. Now, everything electronic seemed to have Wi-Fi capability, including appliances. She marveled at the amazing advances in technology since she had been her sons' ages and was very happy to be living in such a modern time. She turned her attention back to the movie and let her thoughts wander.
~~~~~
At the same time on the other side of the globe, the Chairman was meeting with his scientists and strategic advisors. He addressed the group. "All I want to know is: will it work?"
One of the young men was nodding his head. "In theory, yes, Excellency, it should work. When the missile re-enters Earth's atmosphere, the heat will destroy the stealth capability, making it visible to their radar. However, the bomb will go off at the same time, so they will not have time to destroy it. The altitude will be perfect for maximum coverage of the country. Any unshielded technology will be destroyed. However, we can't know with absolute certainty whether it will be successful, as it has not been tested. To test it would be to reveal to the United States what our capabilities actually are. However, the test models affirm it should function as anticipated."
The Chairman scowled. "We will only have one chance at this. Once this is done, they will know everything; everything we have kept secret up to now. There won't be another opportunity."
Another scientist, older than the first one, replied, "It will be a success, Excellency. I would stake my reputation on it. No, my life."
The Chairman stared at the man and said, "You already have."
Chapter 5
Thursday, December 17th
Carly's cell phone buzzed and vibrated on her desk. She looked at the caller ID. Will.
"Hey, little brother! Please don't be calling to tell me you're not coming. It will kill Mom, break Dad's heart, and piss me off."
He chuckled over the line. "No, I'm coming. I'm leaving Saturday night, right after our last show. I'll have my car packed and leave straight from the dinner theater. I was just calling to see if there's been anything strange going on at home."
"Strange how?" Carly asked, confused.
"I don't know. I really can't describe the feelings I've been having. It's like something bad is going to happen, but I have no idea what. Usually when I get one of these ... visions, premonitions, whatever the hell they are ... it's about a particular person. This one isn't like that. It's around everybody."
"Everybody in the family? Maybe the turkey will be bad and we're all going to get food poisoning." Carly laughed half-heartedly at her attempt at humor, even though she was getting concerned.
"No, sis. Everybody in the country. It's like whatever this is will affect everybody here. It's getting stronger, too. I see people I don't know, lots of people, sick, hungry, dirty, attacking and fighting each other."
"That doesn't make any sense, Will. Why would the people in our country be fighting amongst themselves? Oh wait, that's already happening. It's just not the whole country. Are you saying the whole country will be at war–with each other?"
Will hesitated a moment. "Yeah, something like that. And everything is dark, like there's no light anymore. This is really bothering me, sis."
"Then come home now. If something that bad is coming, you should be here with your family. Now you're scaring me. Just come home. Please."
"Right. I tell the guys I gotta go home because I had a vision I don't understand. Not sure how that would be received, but I know it wouldn't be well. It's only two more days. There's no calendar in the visions, so I have no idea when or if this is really going to happen. But, they do seem to be picking up in intensity and frequency. I get at least one a day, sometimes two. Just do me a favor, and don't ask me why because I don't know the answer. Go to the bank and pull out about five hundred dollars cash. Stash it at home. If nothing happens, you can always put it back in the bank."
Now Carly was really confused. "Cash? No one uses cash anymore. Everything is electronic. Hell, Coke machines take plastic now. What would I need cash for?"
Will sounded exasperated. "I just told you I don't know why, Carly. In the visions there's nothing electrical on. No lights, no machines, nothing. Just do it, please. Do you have that much? I can bring it to you if you don't."
"Good Lord, yes. I got a kick-ass year-end bonus. Okay, if it's that important to you, I'll go to the bank at lunch today. I hate having that much cash. I feel like every thug around knows I have it and is looking to mug me."
"Hopefully, this is a false alarm and you won't need it. Thank you, Car. Does Dad still keep his cash stash?"
Carly laughed. "Oh yeah. One thousand dollars, no more, no less. It may be the same bills he had when we were kids."
"Great," Will said, relief in his voice. "I've got to go. If you don't hear from me again, I'll see you Sunday morning. Can't wait to see the boys."
"Oh, they'll be with Elliott Saturday through Christmas Eve. We could run out there if you want, or I could go get them early."
"Nah, I'll wait until they get back. It will give us some sibling time. I may even spend a night or two at your place."
"Awesome!" Carly cried out. "Popcorn, beer, and corny movies! Okay then, see you Sunday. Love you!"
"Love you, too, Car. Keep your eyes and ears open for anything weird. See ya in a couple of days. Bye!"
Carly placed the phone back on her desk. She really was getting concerned. What could pos
sibly cause the chaos Will described? Some kind of epidemic? And why would it be dark? She pulled up her store list, tapped the microphone button and said, "flashlights." It was added to the list. Then she said, "batteries." Added as well. She thought for a moment, then said, "hand sanitizer," followed by "orange juice." Those would take care of darkness and disease. Feeling better prepared for whatever might become of Will's sixth sense, she picked up her purse and headed to the bank.
When she got home, Carly found a pile of boxes on the kitchen table. She smiled, knowing her Christmas shopping was pretty much done. All that would be left was the wrapping. Addressing the house, she called out, "Mom's home! Is anybody else?" Not waiting for an answer, she picked up a few of the packages and took them into her bedroom, where she dumped them on the bed. She shimmied out of her skirt and pulled on a pair of yoga pants. After exchanging her blouse for a sweatshirt, since she had noticed a slight chill in the house, she grabbed a pair of wool socks and headed back to the dining room for more boxes. She checked the thermostat and found the heat was off. She flipped it on, then reached over the back of the couch to grab the remote and flip the TV to the weather–a TV that was always on whether anyone was watching it or not. The boys came down the stairs and rushed to the table.
Cameron picked up one of the shipping boxes and shook it. "Can we open them? What's in it? Is it for me? I've been a very good boy you know."
Aaron fake coughed as he said, "Bullshit!"
Carly grabbed the box. "Don't shake them! There's electronics in some of these–not for you. Help me carry these into my bedroom please."
Cameron was bouncing around her like a six-year-old. "Can't we have one early, Mom? Pleeeeease?"
"No, you can't. Take the rest of these to my room. Then go get the delivery menu for China Wok. I've been craving their egg rolls."
Aaron had taken a stack of the cartons to her room and was heading for the kitchen. "Hey, Mom, we're getting kinda low on drinks and snacks and stuff."
Carly sighed. "I know. I plan on getting a big grocery run in this weekend after you guys go to Elliott's. Just tough it out until then. We have juice and peanut butter, right?"
He nodded as Cameron came back with the take-out menu. Cameron replied, "Yeah, but that's not snacks, Mom. That's ... you know ... real food. We need junk, the fuel of growing boys. Chips, Cokes, cookies, candy, chocolate. The five C's!"
Aaron looked at his younger brother, shaking his head. "You're an idiot. And chocolate is candy, so it's only four."
Cameron crossed his arms as he stared at his brother. "What about hot chocolate?" he said with a satisfied look on his face.
Aaron rolled his eyes. "Whatever, doofus. Mom, I'll have my usual. Hey, did you hear that?"
He walked over and increased the volume on the TV. The weather spokesperson was saying, "The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for West Tennessee beginning late Saturday night and continuing through Monday afternoon. A significant storm system is moving across the Rockies. It has already dumped up to twelve inches of snow in the higher elevations. It's still a bit early to know what the impact will be for our viewing area, as there is an upper level disturbance forming in the Gulf which could greatly impact this storm, but forecasters believe we could receive wintry precipitation of some kind before the system leaves the area. As we get closer to the weekend, we should be able to give you more details. Stay tuned for the most up-to-date weather information here at..."
Aaron turned the volume back down. He looked at his mother, who shrugged her shoulders. She smiled and said, "You know what it's like in Tennessee. They yell fire and it ends up being a little smoke. I'll believe it when I see it. Besides, you guys will be with Pap. If anybody is ready for a winter storm, it's your grandfather. Now, let's get some food ordered. I need egg rolls!"
~~~~~
The control center was a frenzy of activity. They were closing in on forty-eight hours until launch. The Chairman was pacing one minute, and barking at his underlings the next. He marched into his viewing room and slammed the door. His most senior generals were there, awaiting his orders, if any, lined up like toy soldiers against the wall.
His aide handed him a folder. "The latest projections, Excellency. We are on schedule for detonation at five o'clock Eastern Standard Time, and should get complete coverage of the continental United States, as well as some parts of Canada and Mexico. The only states that will not be affected are Alaska and Hawaii. There is no way to expand the reach that far."
The Chairman waved a hand, as if to shoo away an annoying fly as he read the report. "They are of little consequence. The country cannot be rebuilt from there. Those military bases will be cut off from their command. They pose no threat."
The generals stole glances at each other as they stood at attention in the Chairman's presence. No one spoke, but they seemed to know they were all thinking the same thing.
Are we sure about that?
Chapter 6
Friday, December 18th
Bursting through the office door, juggling her purse, briefcase, and a pricey coffee, Carly exclaimed, "Sorry I'm late! Traffic was awful; there was an eighteen-wheeler jack-knifed on 240. People are such morons when there's an accident."
Marcus nodded as he took her briefcase to help her out. "Yes, Memphis does have some of the worst drivers on the planet, even if the roads are clear, and from what I heard this morning coming in they won't be tomorrow night. Come on down to my office when you get settled. I want to go over a few things with you, since I'm out next week."
"Oh, that's right. You're going to Shelley's parents for the week in Colorado. Hey, I saw they have a big storm right now. You should get some great skiing in." She was shrugging out of her coat as she spoke.
"Yes ma'am, and we are flying out tomorrow morning, so I've got a ton of things to do today. See you in a few minutes." He handed her briefcase back to her and started down the hall.
Carly hurried to her office and dropped everything at her desk. She grabbed her tablet and coffee and headed to Marcus's office. Fridays were casual, so she was wearing jeans and a sweater, which she much preferred over the business attire she was required to wear the rest of the week. The temps had definitely dropped, prompting her to wear the new riding-style boots she had bought herself for her birthday the previous month instead of her usual tennis shoes. Still early for the rest of the staff, it was quiet enough that she could hear her footfalls on the thin industrial-grade carpet. She liked the office when it was like this, before the air was filled with the hum of machinery, the smell of people's lunches being heated in the microwave, and the voices of people chatting amongst themselves in the hallways, talking on phones, or in video conference calls. The door was open, so she went in and sat down across from her boss. He tapped a few keys on his laptop, then turned to her and smiled.
"Okay, I just emailed you my itinerary for my trip and a to do list for the staff. Next week will be dead, deader than this week, so I made a list of some tasks that need to get done before the new year. It's mostly house cleaning, so to speak. Pull the files that are seven years old from short-term storage and get them ready for long-term. Go through the vendors; anybody we haven't used in the last three years, pull and file. Those kinds of things. Everybody can dress casual all next week, so the ladies can wear their Christmas sweaters ... guys too, if they want."
Carly had been pulling up her email on her tablet to follow along and giggled at the thought of some of the guys in the office wearing sweaters with flashing lights or jingle bells. Marcus grinned and continued.
"Yeah, I know what you're thinking. John Harris wearing a Rudolph sweater with a light-up nose is a memory you don't soon forget. So, that's about it. You can call or text me if you need anything. I'm probably going to cut out at lunch today. Shelley gave me my own to do list for the trip last weekend. I should get started on it."
Carly laughed out loud. "Nothing like waiting till the last minute. I'm sure we'll be fine. Lik
e you said, it will be slow, so there shouldn't be any problems. Please stop in and say goodbye before you leave, though. I have something for you, to show my appreciation for the wonderful bonus."
Marcus scowled at her. "You shouldn't have done that. You deserved it, every penny. You want to thank me, wait until you see what your bank account looks like next year after you become a partner. Your life is about to change, Carly. Big time."
She looked down to hide a smile. "I'm so honored, Marcus. I never dreamed I'd get a chance to become a partner. And the gift isn't a big deal. I'll give you a hint: Spanky's Spirits."
"Oh man! I changed my mind ... I'll damn sure take that!" Marcus rubbed his hands together at the knowledge that he knew exactly what the gift was–a big bottle of Fireball whiskey. His weakness for the liquor was well known amongst the entire staff.
With a smirk, Carly stood and gathered her things. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You're very easy to shop for, Boss. Later."
Heading back to her own office, Carly thought about what Marcus had said about her life changing. She wondered exactly what that would look like: a new car, maybe a new house, college funds for the kids, real vacations–her mind spun with the possibilities. Jennifer Russell, the receptionist, was just getting situated at her desk outside of Carly's office. She smiled and said, "Good morning, Carly. You look like you're a million miles away and enjoying the trip."
Carly realized she had a smile as wide as her face, thinking about what her future might hold. "Morning, Jen. Yeah, just thinking about the new year coming up. Lots of changes in the air, I think."
Jennifer cocked her head to one side. "Good changes, I hope."
Carly pushed her office door open with her hip. "Yeah, really good changes."