After driving for about ten miles, he finally eased back on his speed. He needed to look for a gas station in the next hour or so. He’d hoped to go through a fast-food restaurant connected to a gas station. That way he could get gas and go through the drive-up and have the least amount of contact with anyone, but was the disease spread through food handling? He wasn’t sure and decided not to risk it.
According to his GPS, there were few towns in the next sixty miles and he could probably avoid any people if he went to some isolated filling station.
Hunter fished around in the bag of snacks he’d put on the front seat and found a cereal bar and tore one open, eating it as he drove. The bottle of water he had was warm, and he grimaced as he washed the cereal bar down.
He spotted a sign for a nature preserve, and the sign had the logo for restrooms, so he pulled off the highway. The park looked deserted which, given the beautiful day, made him pause. Where was everyone? Holed up at home or maybe this park was normally deserted at this time of day during the week. Either way, at least he wouldn’t have to avoid anyone.
Hunter went into the bathroom, pausing to make sure it was empty before taking care of business. As he washed his hands, he wished there was a shower available. Even in the rippled, dirty mirror, his hair stuck up in five different directions and stubble darkened his jaw. He didn’t normally have to shave every day, but it had been about three days since the last time, and he was actually starting to grow a bit of a beard. No wonder the cop had thought he was homeless.
He pushed the button on the soap dispenser, happy to see a small pile of foam in his hand. Rubbing his hands together, he washed his face and scooped water over his head. He gave his head a shake, sending droplets flying. Feeling a little better, he returned to his car but paused with his hand on the door handle. Sirens sounded in the distance. Lots of sirens. He hadn’t thought there were many towns around, but maybe there was an accident somewhere. Uneasy, and hoping the sirens were for some run of the mill accident or possibly a fire, he returned to the highway.
Cole drove to the local truck rental place and was relieved to find someone working. The news was full of dire reports of deaths, and the schools were closed for the rest of the week. There had even been a plane crash. The pilots had become giddy as they communicated with air traffic control and when the controller suggested an emergency landing at the nearest airport, the pilots had refused and instead, said they felt like attempting loop de loops. They had actually tried the maneuver—with a 747 full of passengers. All had died on impact.
He approached the rental counter, almost relieved to see that the clerk wore a surgical mask over his nose and mouth. Cole hadn’t resorted to using his yet, but he probably would from now on. Nodding to the guy, he said, “Hi. I want to rent one of the twenty-footers.”
“You got a reservation?”
“Uh, no.” Cole didn’t know he needed one. “Are they all reserved already?”
“Yeah, but I got a twenty-four footer if you want. Cost more, though.”
Cole let out a breath. Whew. “That’s fine.” He pulled out his wallet and withdrew his credit card and driver’s license. In short order, he had the truck secured but then wondered about his own vehicle. He should have picked up Sean first to come with him. He’d have to leave his car here and get Sean to come back with him to get it.
Driving through town, he noted a good number of cars being loaded as though the family was going on vacation. Lots of suitcases and bags. The parking lot as he passed the store was packed. He was glad he’d done most of his shopping last night. He hoped he had enough for Sean’s family too. If only they could get some chickens or goats. At least they could supplement with eggs and milk then. A cow would be great, but he had no way of getting anything bigger than a goat to the island. At least, not until winter and they could walk over on the ice. Of course, by then the whole scare would be over.
7
Cole backed into Sean’s driveway. Before he exited the truck, Sean was in the front yard.
He eyed the truck, his arms crossed as he shook his head. “Don’t you think this is a bit of overkill, Cole?”
“I wanted a twenty-footer, but they didn’t have any, and judging by the madhouse I saw in the parking lot of the grocery store, I think others are getting the idea of the severity of this disease.”
Sean looked down, scuffing a toe in the grass. “You better be right about all of this. The kids are giving up so much. Piper had her heart set on prom. She already has a date, and she and Jenna were supposed to go out dress shopping this Saturday.”
Cole had a soft spot for Piper. Not having a daughter of his own, he felt protective of his only niece. He wouldn’t hurt her for the world. He rubbed the back of his neck and avoided Sean’s gaze.
Sean continued, “And Trent has baseball starting up soon. If he misses tryouts for the travel team, he can forget about playing this year.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that.” Cole didn’t know why he apologized because this wasn’t his fault, but he was the one who planned their survival strategy. Maybe he was wrong. He saw the fear in Sean’s eyes—fear that he covered with gruff annoyance.
“Well, we better start loading up the truck.”
Jenna greeted Cole with a brief hug when he entered so at least not everyone was mad at him.
“Have you heard from Hunter today?”
Cole shook his head. “No. I tried to call first thing when I woke up, but the call wouldn’t go through. Everyone is talking on their phones, I guess. I sent a text but haven’t heard back yet. I’m going to keep trying to call too. In the meantime, why don’t we get you packed up, head over to my place and get my stuff, then we can go?”
“I was up most of the night packing clothes and odds and ends. Blankets, sheets, towels—that kind of thing.” She ran a hand through her hair, blowing a few strands that settled back over her face. “No matter what Sean says, Cole, we’re glad you warned us when you did. Otherwise…” Jenna shook her head, worry pinching at her mouth. “I was too keyed up to sleep, so I went to the supermarket at six this morning and am I glad I got there when I did.”
“I saw the parking lot on the way over here. Was it bad?”
“A complete zoo. The shelves were emptying fast, but most people were grabbing milk and bread, as though this was a winter storm instead of something bigger. I was able to get quite a bit of canned food, dried stuff like beans and fruits. Hope you like apricots because there were bags of them.”
Cole smiled. “Sure. I guess.”
Jenna gave him what he decided passed for a return smile, but tension bracketed her mouth. “Good. Oh, and I bought a bunch of salt, vinegar, bleach and I don’t even know what all. I probably went overboard, but once there, I couldn’t seem to stop. I kept thinking, what if this is the last time I get to shop at a regular grocery store? So bizarre to think about.”
“I know. I couldn’t help wondering about the employees I passed at the Walmart. Last night, there was no panic, and it was so normal.” He shook his head, unable to finish the sentence.
Jenna reached out and gave his shoulder a brief squeeze before continuing, “Anyway, I charged it all and got some cash from the ATM, too. I wish I could have taken out more, but there was a limit on the machine. Plus, people were lining up behind me to get cash too. Oh, and since I’m not going into work, I couldn’t get the masks you wanted, but I did hit the drugstore before I even went to the grocery store, and I got two boxes of masks, plus as much first aid stuff as I could get my hands on. If nothing else, our medicine cabinet will be stocked for the next year with pain relievers, cold and flu medicine, and antibiotic ointment.”
Cole nodded, but his mind was on Hunter. Had he even received the directions to the lake? Maybe after he got Sean and his family settled on the island, he could come back and wait for Hunter. “We better get a move on.”
It took them two hours to pack up everything. Cole eyed the blow dryer on top of one of the boxes Piper carrie
d out to the truck. He picked it up. “Really?”
She stuck out her tongue at him and grinned. “There’s no reason I have to face the apocalypse with bad hair.”
“Yeah, whatever, but make sure to pack some warm clothes. Hats, coats, and gloves, and boots too. If you have hiking boots, pack those also. Those sneakers aren’t going to last long.”
Trent trudged to the bottom of the ramp with two boxes stacked one on top of the other. He set them in the back of the truck, and Cole moved them deeper in, along the wall. One was full of baseball gear. He was about to veto it but then thought better of it. It might help pass the time. He turned back to his nephew. “Hey, Trent. Do you guys have a Frisbee? How about a volleyball net and ball?” He remembered Sean stringing up a net a few years ago at a barbecue. They needed something fun to do to pass the time. While there would be a lot of work to do, they would have to take breaks now and then. “Also, grab your guitar and as many books as you can.”
That reminded him. He wanted books on how to do stuff. Practical things like gardening, canning, curing meat and hides. There were so many necessary tasks they didn’t know but might have to learn to survive. He decided that despite the time, as long as they had computer access, he was going to take a few minutes to print out some basic guides on those topics. He knew Jenna was a good gardener, so that was something. He pointed to the back of the truck when Piper came out with another box. “Stack that one over there. I have to go ask your mom something.” And he wanted to remind Sean to pack his tools too. They could be invaluable in the coming days.
Cole hopped off the truck and trotted into the house. “Hey, Jenna—”
“I can’t believe you spent this much, Jenna. We don’t have that much! How are we going to pay the mortgage next month?”
Jenna stood in the kitchen, a box of dishes on the table in front of her. “Don’t you get it, Sean? The mortgage isn’t going to matter in a month.”
“And you know that for sure? Or is this based on what Cole’s been saying?”
Cole halted in the threshold between the living room and kitchen. Sean’s tone didn’t sit well with him. Not the doubt—he understood that. This whole situation was a lot to comprehend. It was the emphasis on his name, as though Sean was sneering as he said it. He looked between Jenna and Sean. Jenna’s eyes darted to him, then she shook her head at Sean. “I have a lot to do still.” She brushed past Cole on her way out of the room.
Cole watched her for a second, then turned to his brother. “What’s going on?”
“I can’t believe we’re actually abandoning our home and jobs on your say so—that’s what’s going on.”
He didn’t respond. What was there to say that he hadn’t already said? Instead, he turned away and saw Piper struggling down the hall with a plastic bin that looked heavy. He moved to help her. “Here, I’ll take that.” Cole grunted as he took the weight of the bin, wondering how the skinny teenager had managed to carry it as far as she had. “What do you have in here? Rocks?” he joked.
“Just some of my books.”
Sean came into the hallway, craning a look over Cole’s shoulder. “I told you not to bring all the books, Piper. They’re not essential.”
“It’s okay, Sean. There’s plenty of room, and the books will help pass the time. In fact, that’s what I came in to discuss with you and Jenna. I thought that if you have any books that might come in handy, grab them. We may not have Internet and we’ll have to look things up.”
Piper bit her lip, glancing at her dad before looking at Cole. “I have some How-To books in my closet. I got them at a thrift store. I was going to glue them together and make a cool table out of them like I saw on Pinterest, but I guess I can still do that when we come back.”
Sean’s lips clamped together, and he gave Piper a curt nod. “Fine.”
She spun and ran back to her room as Cole shifted the bin of books. He lifted an eyebrow when Sean remained in the hallway, blocking his way. “This box isn’t getting any lighter, you know.”
“Look, Cole—I get that you’re trying to help us. And I respect your expertise in this area, but my family is my domain. You don’t get to override my authority regarding my children.”
Shocked, Cole simply nodded. “I apologize. I wasn’t trying to—” He broke off and hiked the bin higher. “I’m worried we might be out there a long time, and the kids will need something to keep them occupied. That’s all. I wasn’t trying to make you look bad.”
Sean blew out a deep breath, shaking his head. “Fine. This thing is freaking me out.”
“Yeah. Me too.” His fingers were going numb from the weight of the bin so he shouldered past Sean. He wanted to offer reassurance that everything would be all right, but he couldn’t make that offer.
It was noon before they had everything they felt they needed from Sean’s house. The beds had been the last things to go into the truck. Most of the other furniture had to be left behind. A few chairs and some folding tables were added, but Cole hoped the cabins at the island still had some furnishings. They had been furnished at one time, but it could all be gone by now. He tried to remember what the papers from the will had stated. It was just something about the land and holdings, whatever that meant. He had received a ring of keys to the various buildings. He hoped one was to the boathouse on the shore.
Cole secured the back of the truck, and wiped his hands on his jeans, turning to Sean and Jenna, who were shoving last minute items into the back of their van. “I need someone to ride with me to get my vehicle at the truck rental place.”
“I’ll go.” Sean tossed his keys to Jenna. “Are they going to follow us or meet us back at your place?”
Cole started to tell Jenna to meet him at his house but then changed his mind. He wanted to stick together. “You might as well follow us. My house key is on my keychain with the car keys and it’s a pain to get off the ring.” That was his excuse, and they seemed satisfied with it, but really, he just had a gut instinct. In the five or so hours he had been here, he’d caught glimpses of the news on the television in the kitchen. Panic was already starting to erupt in larger cities as deaths increased.
Cole pulled into the parking lot at the rental place. “Shit!” a guy stood beside Cole’s car, a rock in his hand, poised to bash in the rear passenger window. He laid on the horn, which startled the man. But it didn’t make him run. Instead, he raised the rock again.
Slamming to a stop, Cole leaped out of the truck, leaving it running. “Hey, what the hell are you doing? That’s my car!”
The man turned on Cole, the rock now aimed at him. “The stores were empty, but you have a shitload of food. I need stuff for my family!”
“Sorry to hear it, but that doesn’t give you the right to steal from my family and me.”
“Yeah, well, just try to stop me!” He raised the rock. Whether he was going to throw it at Cole or take a few steps closer and try to crush his skull with it, Cole never found out.
“Drop the rock and step away.” There was the click of a safety.
Cole watched Sean step up beside him, a gun in hand. His eyes widened. He hadn’t known Sean even owned a handgun.
The man hesitated, but finally dropped the rock.
“Now get out of here.”
The man threw them a hate-filled glare then took off.
“Shit, Sean. Were you going to shoot him over my window?”
“If I had to, I would. You said this was going to get bad. Don’t go acting like I was wrong.”
Cole watched the man disappear around the corner of the rental place. “Yeah, you’re right. I have some hunting rifles and ammo, but I don’t know if it’s enough. What about you? Did you pack anything more than that?”
“Oh yeah. I have four handguns, a shotgun, and a hunting rifle.” Sean engaged the safety and shoved the gun into a holster beneath his left arm. He covered it with a loose work shirt.
Cole knew about the shotgun and the hunting rifle now that he thought about it. T
hey used to go hunting now and then. Their dad had been a big hunter and Sean had loved the trips. Cole hadn’t been as interested but was glad that they both knew how to handle a weapon. The skill might come in handy.
Jenna pulled into the parking lot and Sean looked over his shoulder, then leveled his gaze at Cole. “Don’t tell Jenna or the kids about this. I don’t want to scare them.”
“Yeah. Sure. Thanks for saving my ass.”
Sean nodded. “That’s what brothers do.”
8
“But I need to get back to Atlanta…that’s where all my data is. I need to compare—yes, I know I can look some of it up on the computer, but the Wi-Fi here is unreliable. I’ve been booted from the system four times in the last five hours.”
Elly paused and listened to her boss at the CDC tell her how she was needed in Chicago and there was nothing he could do to help her. She knew everyone was stretched thin at the office and didn’t mind the work, but she felt handcuffed.
“Sure. I’ll keep doing the best I can.” She got another call coming through, so she said goodbye and switched to the next call.
“Elly Jackson.” She rolled her eyes. Frank, from FEMA. Perfect. “What do you need, Frank?”
The guy was competent, but he was as frustrated as she was. She’d been sent to Chicago, while others in her office had been dispatched to New York, Los Angeles, Houston and other major metro areas. They were to work with FEMA to coordinate emergency management efforts and to make sure all proper precautions were taken when setting up quarantine centers.
“No, you can’t compromise on the N95 masks. The surgical masks aren’t adequate for airborne precautions.”
She waited as he explained that they’d been sent ten cases of surgical masks and only one of the N95 respirator masks. “I don’t care how tightly you tie it, it’s not going to stop the virus from getting through. It’s not meant to filter airborne contaminants.”
Sympatico Syndrome Trilogy Box Set Page 6