by Jay Morris
“Shoreline pearl blue or Pre-dawn mica grey?”
“What?” Mrs. Driscol whispered.
He asked a second time “Shoreline pearl or Pre-dawn mica?”
Mrs. Driscol was a little flustered, “um, I don’t know, blue.” she said in an exasperated voice.
“Damn” Old Man Tucker said, “You got the sunroof” and he tossed her one set of the keys.
Mrs. Driscol rolled her eyes and stepped out of the way and Old Man Tucker headed for the car lot.
“They are both Highlander Hybrids” he said. “Look for inventory HH0114 and HH0121” he added.
They headed to the far side of the lot just past the pickups.
“Are they big enough?” Mrs. Driscol asked.
“They are supposed to seat 7, both have roof racks for storage and they both have on-demand 4 wheel drive. I think they are just the ticket.”
A few minutes later they found both of the vehicles. They both started right up but as they had anticipated neither had much gas, less than a quarter tank but they had more than enough to get home and get everyone packed before they started to look for fuel. The cars were comfortable and easy to drive and they pulled into the cul-de-sac in less than 10 minutes. They pulled both cars down by the house, load there first was the plan, then back to where everything had been removed from the other cars and lined up on the curb. For the first time Old Man Tucker remembered that Mrs. Caulfield had been killed in the accident but there had been no sign of the body. Old Man Tucker hoped that her husband had taken care of things rather than the crazies. He decided that he was not going to ask and he hoped that it wouldn’t come up.
Everyone came out of the house and started right away loading, Old Man Tucker put Billy on one roof and me on the other,
“Keep an eye out boys and let me know if you see anything or even if you just THINK you saw something.”
We nodded and Billy saluted and said “yes sir.”
Old Man Tucker smiled and said “get to it.”
It took a long time to load the vehicles and they even had to unload one of them just to rearrange everything. The SUVs were pulled down by the van and the other cars and we walked down by them. For the first time I was feeling very exposed and my stomach felt like it was full of butterflies. The bodies of the crazies that the police officer and Old Man Tucker had killed were all about, they had started to swell up and they smelled like a skunk on the side of the road. I think everyone was feeling the same as me because the equipment was loaded in record time. It only took a minute or two for Mr. Caulfield and Old Man Tucker to move the roof top carrier shell from Mom’s van to one of the SUVs. At last we began our pursuit of Mr. and Mrs. Franks.
It was decided that Mrs. Driscol would drive one and Mom would drive the other. Mr. Caulfield would ride with Billy and his Mom, Old Man Tucker with mine. To even things out a little Elaine offered to ride with the Driscols. I had kind of wanted to ride with Billy but I didn’t say anything right then, I figured this was going to take a while and there would be plenty of time for us to shuffle around. Old Man Tucker was sitting in the passenger seat, he laid his long Russian rifle between the seats and took Mom’s French one and kept it between his knees pointing at the ceiling. Lucy had been put in charge of the road atlas and armed with a yellow highlighter I helped her find where we were and we put a yellow circle around our destination. Mom asked us how far did it look like we had to go and Lucy considered it and finally said,
“From my elbow to the end of my little finger.”
Mom and Old Man Tucker chuckled quietly and Lucy said
“What?” absolutely unaware of what she had said.
Mom had me get a ruler from a little ‘Dora the Explorer’ back pack that she had prepared for entertaining Lucy. She had me measure how many inches it was from our start to our finish and then look in the corner where it said in teeny tiny letters “1 in = 30 mi” and I was able to figure out that since it was about 11 inches we had 330 miles or so to go.
“As a crow flies” Old Man Tucker added.
“What??” was Lucy’s only response causing another bout of repressed laughter.
She crossed her arms and said “I think you are making up words again Mr. Tucker” and this time the laughs were not repressed at all.
Four days; that’s all it was, four days since the swarm and already we could laugh. I look back on it now and realize what a remarkable thing that was. All that loss, all that pain and still we found a moment to laugh amongst ourselves. Of course that was before we knew just how many tears we had yet to shed. As we drove through town, looking for someplace to get gasoline the level of destruction was brought home to the rest of us. Entire city blocks were gone, burnt to the ground. There were hundreds of bodies many that had been reduced to just a few bits and a dark puddle. We rode in silence after that, Lucy sniffling quietly. I was too but I was trying to be as quiet as I could be.
We drove South on Main until we neared the on-ramp to highway 8. There appeared to be a multicar pile up and the sides of the road were steep, too steep to drive around and both the East and West ramps were on the other side of the wreck.
“Maybe you and Lee, um, Mr. Caulfield could move a one of them, you know put it in neutral and push it?” Mom said.
Old Man Tucker looked deep in thought and didn’t answer right away Mom started to get out of the car when Old Man Tucker reached over and pulled her back into the car.
“What on Earth?” she snapped.
“Wait a moment Mrs. Williams. Something isn’t right here, just wait. Okay?”
Mom looked at him and after a moment agreed. Old Man Tucker turned to me and said
“Is your rifle ready?” he asked.
I just nodded I could feel the tension rolling off of him. There was something wild in his eyes.
“Good boy.”
He then turned to my little sister
“Miss Lucy will you be the head look out? I want you to look all around and let your Mommy and Johnny know if you see anything or anyone?”
Lucy said that she would and Old Man Tucker smiled and patted her on her shoulder. He slowly got out of the car; he waved to Mrs. Driscol and Mr. Caulfield to wait where they were.
He pulled the bolt back just to make sure there was a live round in the chamber then slowly walked down the street towards the wrecked cars. He didn’t look like he was trying to hide; I guess he figured that if there was someone there they already knew he was there too. He looked under the cars and then holding the rifle like he was getting ready to shoot it he stepped to look between the cars. He looked back at us and shrugged like he wasn’t sure about this yet. He looked inside first one car then the other, he put the rifle on one hip and opened the door, he reached in to put the car in neutral I guess, and that is when Lucy called out to us
“Mom, Johnny, there are crazies over there.”
She pointed to the thick forest that surrounded us on either side. “Oh shit.” Mom whispered. I looked back to see Billy and the others just watching us.
“I pointed to the trees and then held up my rifle.”
They looked in the direction I pointed and I could see the panic in their response. They all started getting their weapons ready. I looked back at Old Man Tucker who was trying to move the car, pushing it backwards towards the guard rail. I could see the crazies moving through the trees towards us and towards Old Man Tucker.
“What do we do Mom?”
My hands were sweating even though the weather was cool. Mom’s hands were fidgeting on the steering wheel when she seemed to get an idea. She pressed on the car horn and held it down; the crazies seemed startled as if this were something they hadn’t planned on. Old Man Tucker looked up at us and then all around, I guess he saw them because he raised his rifle and with a tremendous explosion dropped one of the crazies. He started yelling and moving his arm in a circle,
“Mom he wants us to go!”
She pressed on the accelerator and the SUV jumped forward. O
ld Man Tucker was stepping back away from the wreck; he wanted us to ram our way through. I looked back and I saw Billy and Elaine and Mr. Caulfield, they were shooting out of the windows. Lucy was crying and I couldn’t understand what Mom was saying so I lowered my window and pulling the charging handle back on the GSG I started firing too. The crazies swarmed from both sides of the road, a few would drop from our firing but not many and usually they just got up again. There were probably a hundred or so, suddenly we were all thrown forward as the SUV hit the car. There was a shattering of glass and squealing of metal, the wreck responded and spinning sideways it rolled down the hillside. We came to a stop and Old Man Tucker ran towards us. I looked out the back and I could see the other SUV had come to a stop behind us. They were covered with crazies. “OH MY GOD!” Mom screamed. I could hear Billy’s pop, pop, pop of his .22, followed by the heavier bang of Elaine’s rifle and the echoing explosion of Mr. Caulfield’s shotgun.
Old Man Tucker opened the door but didn’t get in.
“Shoot at the ones on the outside, don’t hit our people!” he yelled.
There was screaming coming from the other SUV.
“It’s not enough, it’s just not enough!” Old Man Tucker said.
He then yelled at Mom,
“Throw it in reverse, see if you can knock some of them down!”
He shoved a stripper clip full of bullets into the Moisan and chambered one. He started walking towards the crowd raising the rifle to look through the scope and he fired. Mom yelled
“Get down kids!”
She looked over her right shoulder and we started backing up towards the crazies. I grabbed Lucy and pulled her down to the bench seat.
“Hold on tight Lucy” I whispered to her. She said the same thing to Ronald Bear.
The impact was not as bad as the one when we hit the car just a few moments before but it was a whole lot more icky. I could hear the loud snap of bones breaking and snarls and screams of pain and outrage of the crazies that were sent flying and crushed both beneath and between the two Toyotas. Suddenly there was a banging on the hood of our car. It was Old Man Tucker he yelled to Mom to drive and wait on the East entrance ramp. He tossed the rifle in through the passenger window and pulled both of those old Colt revolvers. He walked towards the mass of crazies. The explosions were deafening and Lucy held her hands over her ears Mom was crying but she put the car in drive and pulled away towards the overpass. I sat on my knees and looked out the back; Old Man Tucker was walking towards where Mrs. Driscol would be in the driver’s seat. He fired one revolver then the other, over and again. He reached in and undid the car lock, one of the crazies grabbed him and he spun smashing it in the head with one of the revolvers. Then he backed into the driver’s seat pushing Mrs. Driscol inside. I could still hear Billy firing but he was the only one. The other SUV jumped forward when Old Man Tucker put it in gear and they started towards us.
“He’s got them Mom!” I yelled, “Go!”
Mom went down the ramp and accelerated as fast as the SUV was able and seconds later a blood splattered version followed us.
After five minutes or so I noticed that Old Man Tucker was flashing his lights on and off at us so I told Mom that I thought that he wanted us to stop. Mom pulled over and slowed to a stop as did Old Man Tucker.
“Lucy you and Johnny stay here and keep a look out!”
Mom opened her door and jumped out and ran back to the other vehicle. I thought Mom was just keeping us out of things but Lucy took the job seriously, she undid her belt and pressed the little button that made the sun roof retract. She stood up and was looking around so I joined her; I laid my rifle on the roof I poked my head and arms through and started to examine the tree line on our side of the highway.
By the time Mom reached the other SUV, Old Man Tucker had already gotten out and was laying Mrs. Driscol out on the highway. Billy had gotten out as well and he looked as white as a sheet and he was grasping his rifle like it was all that was keeping him from sinking into the ground,
“Mom! Mom!” he cried. “Is she okay Mr. Tucker?”
He blurted out.
“I don’t see anything wrong but she is unconscious”
Old Man Tucker responded. Mom opened the driver’s side rear door and she yanked it open. Elaine was sitting there her eyes wide open, she was moving her mouth but no words were coming out. She was covered in blood and gore, thick black blood and chips of bone were everywhere
“Honey, honey? Elaine! Are you okay? Elaine?”
Mom asked in a panicked voice but getting no answer she slowed down and reached in and gently touched Elaine’s hand and in response Elaine spasmodically worked the bolt action of the ancient French carbine the magazine having already fallen to the floor at her feet. Mom said in as gently a voice as she could
“Elaine, everything is okay, you are okay, we’re all okay.”
She gently touched Elaine’s cheek and turned her face so she could make eye contact. Elaine was in shock but after a few moments Elaine nodded. Mom heard the passenger side door open and she looked over to see Old Man Tucker pulling a limp Mr. Caulfield from the seat. Turning her attention back to Elaine, Mom tried to take the rifle from her,
“Honey, you don’t need this right now, okay?” she soothed.
It took a minute but she was finally able to pry it from Elaine’s grasp. She set it against the back of the other seat and taking Elaine by both hands got her to turn and climb out of the SUV.
Mom looked over to Billy who was helping his mother to sit up, she was holding her head and blood was coming through her fingers. Old Man Tucker looked around then called out
“Johnny! Lucy! Both of you come here! Quick!”
We both scrambled and were 10 feet from our SUV when she stopped and ran back yelling over her shoulder to me
“I forgot something.”
I rolled my eyes and continued on and reached Old Man Tucker. He looked up at me,
“You and Billy, you have to be the guard, make sure your rifles are reloaded and keep an eye out.”
I heard Lucy running up behind me and sure enough in one hand she had Ronald Bear but in the other she was carrying a white metal emergency medical kit.
“Good job Miss Lucy!”
Old Man Tucker said and he reached for it.
“Now, can you get us all some bottled water, make sure everyone drinks, can you do that?”
Lucy smiled as she handed over the kit and then nodding she said
“I will get everyone millions of bottles!” and she scampered off towards the back of the SUV.
We had packed food and supplies in the same place in both vehicles so everyone would know where things should be. In fact Mrs. Driscol had taken a wide tip sharpie and written labels on the plastic trim for things like that; Water, Food, Medicine, Ammunition, Camping, Tools, Clothes.
I ran back around to the other side and knelt next to Mrs. Driscol,
“Are you okay Mrs. Driscol?” I asked and she nodded saying “I never thought that having such a hard head would be a good thing.”
She muttered it and her voice made her sound a little like she had been drinking. Lucy ran up to us, the millions of bottles turning into five and a teddy bear. She held one out to Mrs. Driscol,
“Billy’s Mom? You are supposed to drink this water right now!”
She said with a very serious face.
“Oh thank you Lucy, thank you.” Mrs. Driscol said.
She opened the water and started to drink.
“Billy, Old Man Tucker wants us to keep a guard up, and make sure your rifle is reloaded.”
He nodded and said “Okay” but his eyes were on his mother. After a minute he reached in the SUV and pulled his second magazine out of his backpack, ejecting the first and slamming the second one home. I felt like an idiot because I had left my backpack and my extra magazines in the other Toyota.
“I have to go back to the other car, keep an eye out back the way we came” I said.
/> Billy nodded and taking one last look at his mother who waved him on he headed back to the rear of the SUV pausing only long enough for Lucy to hand him a bottled water.
While I ran back for my backpack I stole a glance at Old Man Tucker who was wrapping a bandage around Mr. Caulfield’s upper right arm, an unopened bottle of water on the asphalt next to him. Mr. Caulfield looked to be unconscious and there seemed to be an awful lot of blood. I grabbed my pack, reloaded my rifle and started back towards the others. I could see Mrs. Driscol was still sitting up and leaning against the driver’s door. Lucy was pouring water onto a towel and Mom was using another one to try and clean some of the blood from Elaine. Elaine still looked as if she didn’t know where she was or what had happened. Lucy was crying softly but she didn’t stop what she was doing and Mom was talking to Elaine. After a few minutes Old Man Tucker came around from the rear of SUV. He had a box of ammo for his revolvers and was loading them, Mr. Caulfield’s double barrel shotgun under his left arm. He walked over to Billy who was closer and spoke to him quietly. Billy nodded and answered him. Old Man Tucker patted him on the shoulder. Old Man Tucker walked past Mom, Lucy and Elaine towards Mrs. Driscol. He knelt down and spoke to her, they were close enough and I could hear their conversation.
“How are you doing Mrs. Driscol?” he asked.
She looked up at him, shielding her eyes with one hand and said
“I took a pretty bad bang to the head but I will survive.”
She paused for a moment then asked