"Frank, you sure there ain't no cops that are gonna be out? I can't afford to get busted again. That'd be three strikes for me." Jack was chewing on a ragged fingernail as he spoke.
"Yes, I'm sure. Their cars don't work either. Have you seen any since this started? You think they're just gonna be walking up and down every street now? They're no better off than anybody else. Everybody's walking now. Hell, they're probably doing the same thing we are, out looking for food and stuff."
Craig stopped to rub the heel of his brand-new snakeskin cowboy boot. "Man, I need to find me some different shoes. These boots ain't made for walking."
Frank snorted, "You're the dumbass who picked 'em out. Whole damn shoe store and you picked those. Yeah, they're pretty, but pretty ain't what's most important right now. Maybe one of these houses we're gonna hit tonight will have something in your size."
"Well, I guess I didn't think about having to walk everywhere," Craig offered in defense of his choice of footwear.
"Can you believe all the people at the mall? I reckon everybody's figured out this is bad," Jack said.
"Anybody who ain't figured out by now this is some kind of end-of-the-world thing is just stupid," Craig commented.
Frank nodded. "Yes, and every day that goes by it's gonna get worse. That's why we gotta get our hands on as much stuff now as we can. Then we find a place to hole up for a while."
They stopped in their tracks when they heard the distinct sound of a car engine. All three were turning in every direction trying to figure out where it was coming from.
"Did you hear that? That was a car! Maybe everything is back on now!" Jack exclaimed.
"It isn't. If the power was working again you'd hear the transformers humming, but that was definitely a car and it was running," Frank said. "We need to find it. Where's it coming from?"
"It sounds like it's coming from that way, one of those places over there," Craig replied, pointing toward the houses by the small pond. Just as they were about to zero in on the sound, it stopped.
"Shit!" Jack was looking the direction Craig had indicated. "It's gone now. How we gonna find it?"
"We're going to walk this street, scope out these houses, and wait to see if someone starts it again."
"Then what?" Craig asked.
Frank grinned at his companions. "We're gonna see if we can't convince them to donate it to us."
Jack laughed. "No one's going to give up a car that runs, especially not now."
Frank pulled a pistol out of his waistband. "Then I guess we'll just have to convince them to change their mind."
~~~~~
Will and Joel went back inside the house, hurrying over to the fireplace to warm up. Amanda had moved Teddy closer to it as well. He was grinning at them.
"So? What'd you think? Will it do the job?"
Joel turned to warm his backside and smiled at his friend. "I think it will, Teddy. Are you sure, I mean absolutely sure, you want us to take it?"
"Hell, yeah. I'd rather give it to you than have some asshole steal it."
Joel grew quiet. Will spoke up.
"What guns did you want us to take, Teddy? We can load them in the Scout to get them home."
"Right this way. Will you take us into the next room, darlin'?" he asked, looking up at Amanda. She smiled and winked at him.
"Point the way, sweetie."
He indicated a door just off the living room. Will went ahead and tried the door. It was locked. He turned back to Teddy. Teddy pointed to the wall to his left.
"Bookshelf. Top row of movies. Find a movie called Shooter."
Will walked over and perused the wall of DVDs. He spied the one Teddy had referenced. "Got it."
"Open it up and take the disk out."
Will did as Teddy instructed. Under the disk was a key, taped to the case. He held it up, grinning. "I feel like I was in a scavenger hunt. I'm guessing this is the door key?"
Teddy nodded. "Bring it on over here and open us up."
Will stuck the key in the door knob and opened it. Teddy wheeled himself slowly through the doorway and flipped the light switch on the wall. Nothing happened.
“Dammit. Forget there’s no power. Can you get those oil lamps off the mantle? There’s a lighter behind the clock.”
Will and Joel pulled the lamps down and lit them. When they had replaced the globes, they carried them over to the open doorway. There were no windows. The room was pitch black. Teddy motioned toward the interior.
“Take those lamps on in. Light this place up.” Will and Joel did as he asked, raising the lamps high above their heads. They all stood and stared.
The walls were lined with gun racks. The top quarter was devoted to rifles and shotguns. The section under that held pegboard with handguns. Just below those were shelves with magazines, apparently for the guns above them. Below the shelves were cases of ammunition. Joel and Will were dumbstruck. Amanda was clapping. Teddy turned his chair around to face them, smiling as he did.
"Welcome to my favorite room in the world. Feel free to look around."
Amanda leaned over and kissed his cheek. "This is now my favorite room in the world. This is amazing!" She walked toward one of the displays and took down a scoped rifle. Teddy watched her and nodded.
"Ah, I see the lady has an eye for quality. Mossberg .308. One of the shortest barrels in that caliber, ten-round magazine. Fine rifle for hunting, protection, whatever you need. Good choice."
Amanda slung the rifle over her shoulder and grabbed extra magazines from the shelf below it. She then went to a handgun rack on the adjoining wall and pulled two pistols. Teddy smiled.
"Glock 19 and a Beretta M9. This beauty knows her guns. Two excellent choices."
Amanda was testing each in a shooting stance. "I love the longer barrel on the Beretta, but that 1911 style is rough on my hand when I'm actually shooting. The Glock feels perfect." She looked at Will and Joel. "Guys, I'm going to need a to-go bag."
They came out of their stupor at her comment and laughed. Still looking around in awe, Will said, "I've never seen this many guns in one place before. Have you shot them all?"
"Hell yes! What good's a gun if you don't know how to shoot it?"
Joel walked over to Amanda. "You're going to have to help us decide what to take. We really don't know anything about guns."
Amanda had found a paddle holster for the Glock and was inserting in her waistband. She looked up and replied, "Two handguns each; you could go with a semi-auto pistol and a revolver for options. A rifle and a shotgun each. Any extra magazines. All the ammo we can carry. I wish we could do some practice shooting, but I don't think you really want people around here knowing you have them." She looked at Teddy. "Which ones do you want for yourself, honey?"
Teddy pointed as he called them out. "Colt 1911; Taurus Judge; Mossberg 500 shotgun; and that Bushmaster AR-15. One box of ammo for each. Y'all take the rest."
"No, Teddy, we can't take all that. We won't have room for us if we try to take all that to Elliott's." Joel was looking around the room trying to figure out how to get the stuff in the Scout.
"Give them to your neighbors. I don't care. Leave the Ruger LCR, one of the pistols, and a shotgun for my next-door neighbor, then take the rest. Whatever you can load up. Take the back seat out of the Scout and leave it here. Get all the 9mm and .380 ammo for sure, as well as the 5.56, .308, and whichever rifles you pick. You should be able to get the guns in those bags in the corner."
Will went to the corner and pulled out four canvas duffel bags. He laid them out on the floor and started loading them up. "Looks like we're going to get a workout today."
Chapter 16
General Everley pulled Phil Roman aside and filled him in on the progress of the mission. Roman smiled, nodded, and went back to the table.
"Gentlemen, I'm going to suggest we continue this meeting tomorrow. I believe we'll have something to present to you at that time that will change the way we plan for the future of our country. We
need to come up with a solid agenda for how to restore order and security to our citizens and our country, without infringing on their rights in the process. I don't know if those things should be done in tandem or separate. I am tasking all of you to spend the rest of the day thinking about that and how we can accomplish it. Be ready to present those ideas when we meet again. We're adjourned."
Everyone stood up, gathered their belongings, and filed out the door. Everyone, that is, but Roman and Everley. When they were alone, Roman addressed the general.
"Any idea what time they'll be here tomorrow?"
Everley shook his head. "There's no way to know. Sorley dealt with some angry people on the way there. This storm will have kept many of them indoors today, but it seems to be letting up. If it stops, it's quite possible they'll venture out again and it will be two days later than when he left. Two more days of no power, plus none of the other services working now, with no information from anyone in the government about what's going on and what we're doing to get things back on track. Food stores dwindling — or even gone — and no water to drink, no heat for their homes, unless they have the ability to burn wood or coal … desperation and panic seem likely at this point. An operational vehicle approaching could be interpreted as a sign of salvation, in particular if there's evidence it's military. That same vehicle passing them by offering no aid would be seen as the government abandoning them and would then be met with hostility and resistance. I have a feeling the trip back is going to be a lot more difficult than the trip there."
"But you said he's not alone this time. Aside from Tanner and his family, he has Guardsmen and a Secret Service agent. He should be able to project a more solid and less vulnerable persona," Roman commented.
"We can hope. Say, I'm thinking about relocating to the barracks down here. At least there is some semblance of normalcy with generators and water pumped in from the Potomac. How did they do that without anybody knowing, by the way?" Everley asked.
"They ran it under Seventeenth. The street was torn up under the guise of a busted water main, but they were, in reality, installing the pipes to the river. Ironic that they put that capability in as an afterthought when this place was built and now it will be a vital part of survival here." Roman paused, deep in thought, then went on. "Moving here is a very good idea. I think it might be prudent to have all the Joint Chiefs stay here as well, especially once Tanner arrives. In all honesty, I don't know where everyone is staying, but if they're driving between here and there, it will save fuel, which will soon be at a premium until we can get some shipped in. We sure as hell won't be making any anytime soon."
"Most of them are staying at their offices at the Pentagon. Not far, but you're right, we might as well conserve fuel where we can. We'll talk about that tomorrow."
"I have to ask you something, Charles," Roman said after a moment's hesitation. "Do you know where Admiral Stephens is? Olstein keeps hounding me about his absence."
Everley didn't say anything at first. "Honestly, no, I don't know his exact location. I just know he's not in the city anymore."
Roman waited for him to continue. When he didn't, Roman said, "Then can we assume we won't be seeing him again?"
"That's a good assumption, I think," Everley replied, again not expounding.
"Well, I can't say I blame him. I don't want to be here, especially without my family, but it's too far to try to get home. There's no way I can get a thousand miles now. The only thing left for me is to try to do what I can to help fix this. Let's hope wherever he is that he's safe from harm."
Everley nodded. "Works for me. Let's get out of here before Olstein gets back. I'm gonna go pack. You moving over, too?"
"Yes, but not until after Tanner gets here. No sense giving Olstein twenty-four-hour access to harangue us just yet."
"Good point," Everley said. "I'll take my time."
President Olstein was mumbling to himself while writing at his desk in furor. "I don't know who they think they are, but I'm the one who decides what we're going to do. I'm the president. I'm in charge here. They have to do what I say!" He finished one sheet, slamming it down as he continued writing on the next. "Absolute insubordination, mutiny, disobeying direct orders — I'll have them all court-martialed when this is over! Vanessa! Get in here!"
The door opened and David Strain, Vanessa's assistant, stuck his head in. "Sir, she's not here. You —"
"Oh, right, right, I forgot. Come in, David." He waved a hand toward himself, motioning for David to approach. He stepped into the room.
"Is there something I can help you with, Mr. President?"
Olstein handed him the paper he had just finished writing. "Yes, read through this, fix any typos, and then type it up. I need a dozen copies. We have working computers and printers down here, don't we?"
David nodded. "Yes, sir. We are off the grid down here. Pretty much everything works except the Internet … which isn't working for anyone here now."
"Good. Get that done for me. Congratulations, by the way — you've just been promoted to my Chief of Staff." Olstein went back to work on what he was writing, his way of dismissing the man.
"Um, thank you, Sir." David walked out of the office and closed the door behind him. He looked down at the paper and scanned its contents. His eyes grew wide.
"Holy shit."
Though he had said it quietly, he peered up and down the hall to see if anyone had heard him. Seeing it was clear, he walked slowly to the space he had been sharing with Vanessa before her departure, reading along the way. He sat down, finished reading the missive and, shaking his head, muttered, "Oh, boy, Vanessa, you just thought there was going to be a shit storm before. Wait until they see this!"
Chapter 17
The winter storm was waning. The blinding snow had lessened to flurries making driving less tedious, though the tracks they had made going out were now gone. As a result, on the drive back they saw more and more people coming out of their homes, milling about, gathering in groups, and scurrying here and there with items hidden under coats or blankets. A number of them were staring at the approaching vehicle, some tried to flag them down, and there was muffled shouting and rude gesturing as they passed. David Tanner was watching them all from the window as the Humvee made its way back down the New Jersey Turnpike toward New Brunswick.
"When you see the effect this has on the people, what our world becomes when you take away the technology, it's hard to fathom what the coming weeks and months will bring." Tanner's voice held a touch of wonder and fear. "I hope they're trying to find ways to fix this and get us back on track as fast as possible. The leadership of this country has a lot of work ahead of them."
Damon was behind the wheel. Jason was riding shotgun, getting a break from the cramped back area which Hutch had taken after he lost a round of rock, paper, scissors to Darrell, who had taken over the gunner's spot in the middle of the Humvee. Damon looked at Tanner in the rear-view mirror. "The ones who are there in Washington are discussing our options. The problem is this is a vacation week for Congress. Many of them had already gone home for the Christmas holiday. From what General Everley shared with me, they've gathered the few who were still there. I'm not sure what they've come up with so far, outside of the issues with President Olstein and his ideas."
Tanner nodded and said, "Well, it's not like they can watch Christmas specials on the Hallmark channel. They might as well spend their time wisely and try to figure this mess out."
Everyone laughed at his comment. Jason commented, "Do you think any of the ones who went home will try to get back to help work things out?"
Damon shook his head. "I don't. If they're already home, they're with their families and won't want to leave them to fend for themselves. I don't know about you, Jason, but no one else in here has any family to worry about, outside of the Tanners. I mean, we have parents and siblings, but no wives or kids."
"Wife. She's in D.C. so I'm heading to her more or less. No kids. I guess that's a blessing
now." Jason looked back at the Tanner family. "No offense, sir … ma'am."
"None taken. I can't imagine how I would feel if I didn't have them with me," Tanner said, looking over at his wife and son. "I know Speaker Roman has two young daughters with his wife in Wisconsin. He's trying to focus on work, but I'm sure he's frantic over not knowing if they're okay."
"I bet there are a lot of people who weren't home when this happened. People who travel for work or were on their way to Grandma's for the holidays," Darrell added. "I wonder who all the people were in the cars we've passed on the interstate. They weren't all local. Where did they go when they left their cars if they live hundreds of miles from here? Hotels? Did they go up to people's houses and ask if they could stay? I mean, they had to go somewhere because they aren't here."
While everyone was pondering Darrell's comments, they continued down the turnpike. When he got ready to make the exit onto Burnet Street, Damon said, "Okay, gang, we're going to be in a heavily populated area in just a few minutes. Keep your eyes peeled for any potential problems."
His words caused those in the Humvee to tense up as they peered out the windows. To their right, the street was lined with a sound dampening wall, which could provide a bit of cover for them. The left side, however, was open to the apartments and houses, and they could see plenty of people outside. As it had everywhere else, the sound of the running vehicle in an otherwise quiet world garnered everyone's attention. Those on the street would start toward the sound but as they passed, they could see mixed emotions on their faces. Expressions changed from surprise to hope to anger, resentment, sadness, and any combination of them. A few tried to run after them, but the deep snow made that all but impossible. They had to settle for anguished cries for help. Help the team could not provide in any case.
The abandoned cars around them had been broken into and ransacked, possibly by people looking for supplies that might have been left behind. Many had been left with their doors standing open, and more than one was clipped by the front end of the Humvee and snapped off. Mrs. Tanner flinched at the sound every time, making a kind of squeaking noise, clutching her son tighter.
Perilous Miles (Book 3): Another 20 Miles Page 13