The Systemic Series - Box Set

by K. W. Callahan

  “You find a good place to stop?” she asked rubbing her eyes and yawning.

  “Think so,” I nodded at the exit ramp we were approaching. “No fast food signs or advertisements for hotels or gas stations…just an exit with a town a couple miles away. I think it’s our best bet.”

  I could see Sharron maneuver their mini-van up and around beside me in the left lane, passenger window down.

  “This our stop?” Will called from the vehicle’s passenger seat.

  “Yeah,” I called back.

  He nodded and their vehicle slowed, falling back in behind ours.

  I slowed to about 15 miles per hour, giving us a more gradual approach and time to inspect the area and look for signs of potential danger. I wanted to give everyone plenty of time to scan the new site and catch anything that might look out of place.

  As we moved down the exit ramp and stopped at where it intersected with a crossroad, I did another scan. To our left was the highway overpass and a sign indicating three miles to the nearest town. To our right, about a hundred yards away, was a small clearing set off from the road by a thin line of trees. I slowly pulled out onto the crossroad, turning right and leading us to the nearby pull-off site.

  The area was just a dirt lot and was rutted with murky water-filled potholes. It appeared as though it had once served a spot for tired truckers to catch a few winks or disenchanted motorists to change blown tires, blown diapers, or just let the kids pee, play, or be car sick. The area’s perimeter was lined with trash – fast food bags, soda bottles, beer cans, plastic garbage bags, old tires, and even a ratty looking mattress – but no people, and that was exactly what I wanted.

  I led our small convey to the back of the clearing and we formed the vehicles up into a sort of half moon. I felt like the pioneers of yore, circling the wagons for protection.

  I killed the engine and swiveled in my seat to check on Jason. He was still sleeping soundly but I was surprised to see Joanna sitting up. She looked tired but alert.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked.

  Claire turned around in the passenger seat to look as well. “Oh, you’re up,” she said, sounding surprised.

  “Well…better than last night,” Joanna said, stretching and then grimacing in pain. “Still pretty sore. And I’ve got a heck of a headache. You have any aspirin?” she asked.

  “I think we have something,” I told her. “Claire, you want to find her some aspirin and I’ll start getting things organized outside?”

  “Sure,” she nodded.

  It took a couple minutes for everyone to wake still-sleeping children, spill out of their vehicles, and get moving after the night’s long drive. I think we were all glad to be able to move freely again. There was a lot of yawning and stretching as well as plenty of bathroom breaks behind the nearby trees. We made a breakfast of the few supplies we had left. There were cans of corn and baked beans passed around among us, and we broke out the camp stove to cook a few pieces of venison that had been hurriedly pulled from our makeshift refrigerator back at camp. Then Claire boiled a couple packs of noodles and added seasoning for flavor. We mixed small – and heavily salted – diced up pieces of venison in for protein. We washed it all down with red party cups of water from one of the gallon jugs we’d brought along. The kids weren’t real happy about the menu, but they were starting to get used to some pretty shitty meals at this point. Their hunger, paired with more salt – or sugar, depending upon the particular meal – sprinkled atop their food, typically overcame any displeasure with their culinary options.

  It wasn’t the most delicious meal, but it worked to cure our cravings. I estimated that with the addition of Joanna, Janet, and Shane, we now had enough food to last us about two or three more days – maybe four if we really pushed it.

  As the sun began to rise above the trees, it took the remains of a slight chill out of the early fall air. With the hunger pangs gone and my belly as full as it was going to get, a wave of exhaustion hit. I rounded up the camp and finally got all the kids quiet. “First off, let’s have introductions,” I said. “Last night we added some new members to our group. And pending their willingness to stick with us for a while…” I looked at them, and Joanna gave a slight nod, “…I’d like to get them acquainted with everyone. This is Joanna, Janet, and Shane.”

  The group exchanged formal greetings, and I made sure that the newcomers met everyone and understood how we were all related or knew one another.

  “Okay, now back to the schedule for the day. Anyone else besides Claire, Joanna and the kids get some sleep last night?” I asked the group.

  “I did,” Janet raised her hand.

  “I was counting you among the kids,” I said.

  “Don’t,” both Janet and Joanna said almost in unison.

  “Alright,” I nodded. “I won’t. Anybody else?”

  Ray and Pam raised their hands.

  “I caught a few winks last night,” Will offered.

  “How about you, Mom?” I asked.

  “I slept okay,” she nodded back.

  “Emily?” I questioned softly, not wanting to push her too hard since she had just lost both her son and husband yesterday, but hoping that giving her some direction and sense of purpose might help take her mind off things.

  “Yes,” she nodded glumly, staring at the ground.

  “Okay then,” I said. “I’ll need you all to be on watch and kid duty for today. Joanna, you’re going to rest some more to make sure you’re over your injuries. So are you, Will. Dad, Sharron, and I will also get some sleep since we were driving all night and will likely be driving again tonight. Here are some playing cards to help keep the little ones occupied,” I said, handing a rubber-banded deck to Claire. “The kids are allowed to scavenge and play but they are not to leave this area for any reason unless accompanied by an adult. And even then, I really don’t want anyone venturing too far. Bathroom breaks are about the only reason anyone should be leaving this immediate vicinity. We don’t know who is around here and we want everyone to stay close. Janet, you know how to handle a gun?

  She nodded that she did and I looked to Joanna for conformation, which I got.

  “Good. Ray, you want to handle camp security?”

  “Sure,” he said.

  “We’ll have one sentry carrying a gun at all times that will be switched off at two-hour intervals throughout the day. Ray, you can come up with a schedule that works better if you want, but I don’t want firearms carried by anyone besides our guard unless they have to leave this area for some reason. Otherwise, all loaded weapons will be kept inside Dad’s SUV in the cargo-area to reduce the chance of accidents or kids getting a hold of them. If you sense or see anything that looks out of place, don’t be afraid or embarrassed to raise the alarm. It’s better to be safe than sorry. As we know from yesterday, there are some bad people out there and apparently they’re not going to hesitate to attack us if they think we have anything of use. Those who are staying awake need to get items they think they might need for the day – including snacks for the kids – out of their vehicles. Those who will be sleeping will do so inside the vehicles to eliminate the chance of noise interrupting their sleep as well as to make it easier for us to move quickly if we need to. I don’t want to get caught with our pants down and have to leave the few remaining supplies we have behind if we have to move fast.”

  I looked around at the group.

  “Any questions,” I asked, feeling kind of like a dictator, but knowing that what I was doing was best for the group.

  “Where are we headed?” Joanna asked. “Do you know of somewhere safe?”

  I shook my head. “No. We’re headed south in hopes of finding a warmer spot to hold out for the winter.” I paused, looking around at the group. “Anything else?”

  “What are you thinking about food and fuel?” Dad asked.

  “I’m not really sure,” I said. “How are you guys on gas?”

  “We’re down under half a tank,” s
aid Dad.

  “We are too,” Will agreed.

  “Actually closer to a third full,” Sharron chimed in. “And the closer we get to empty, the faster it seems to go with our gas guzzler.”

  “We have about half a tank too,” I said. “It should be enough to get us into Tennessee. I guess we’ll just have to be on the lookout for any potential refueling options. We can always siphon more gas if we find abandoned vehicles. And as for food, same thing. We’re just going to have to keep our eyes open for whatever’s available. Anybody see a wandering deer, rabbit, squirrel, turtle, duck, goose or whatever, nab it if you can or wake somebody up if you don’t think you can get it on your own. Anything else?” I asked, yawning and hoping that there wasn’t.

  There was silence.

  “Good,” I said, turning. “I’ll be sleeping in our car if anyone needs me.”

  I pulled Claire aside after my little speech. “You doing okay?” I asked.

  She shrugged. I knew that she wasn’t, but she was trying hard. I hugged her close. “You’re doing great,” I said. “I know it’s tough. I’m so sorry about your dad and brother, but you have to be strong now, especially for your Mom.” I could see the tears welling up in her eyes, and one trickled down her cheek. I wiped it away with a finger. “You okay on your diabetic supplies?” I asked.

  “Yes,” she nodded.

  “How long can you go?”

  She shrugged. “Probably still have enough for several months, maybe four or five if I really stretch it.”

  “Start stretching it,” I said.

  “Batteries for my insulin pump are getting low. I’d like to get a few more just in case.”

  “Okay,” I said, making a mental note. “You still have that bag of candy and fruit chews?”

  She nodded.

  “You can use that to help regulate your blood sugar levels?”

  “A little.”

  “Good. Do your best.”

  She smiled, “Go get some sleep, captain. You can’t control everything.”

  I snorted and gave her a half smile, “I can try, can’t I?”

  Ray sauntered over as I was finishing up with Claire.

  “How you doing, punkass?” he asked.

  “Good, thanks,” I smiled at him. “I know we haven’t had much time to catch up. Sorry for that.”

  “Hey, when you’re busy getting shot at by people, you’re not really master of your own time,” he shrugged.

  I scratched at the growing stubble on my face as I led him over to the edge of camp so we could talk. It had been almost a week since I’d shaved last and my face was itchy after not having been able to wash it for over a day and a half now. I was on one of my last razor blades that I’d brought from home and it was starting to get dull, so I was trying to stretch the interims between shaves.

  “Do me a favor, will you?” I asked him in a hushed tone.

  “Anything,” he nodded.

  “Keep a concealed weapon on you…just in case. I know I said I didn’t want anyone else carrying, but you’re experienced and I know you won’t make mistakes with it. You’re used to carrying and we have new people in our group. They seem like decent individuals, but you never know. Plus, I’d just feel better with you armed.”

  He nodded. “You read my mind.” Then he smiled, “You really think I’d give up my piece anyway?”

  “No,” I grinned. “But thanks for playing along.”

  “Sure,” he nodded. “I’m the one who should be thanking you though,” he said, putting a hand on my shoulder. “I’m not sure how much longer we could have held out in Chicago.”

  I smiled sadly, “I’m not sure how much longer we’d have been able to hold out back at camp without you and Pam.”

  “We’re gonna be alright,” he smiled at me.

  Ray had a confidence-inspiring smile, a big open-mouthed toothy, almost silly grin; but it was so natural, you knew it was genuine. “We have a good leader,” he patted me on the back and turned to rejoin the others.

  CHAPTER 7

  TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th

  WESTERN KENTUCKY

  Thankfully, it turned out that the remainder of the day at our roadside stop proceeded uneventfully.

  Everyone was able to take a breather from the hectic past 24 hours and the kids got some much-needed exercise that we hoped would let them sleep through the night’s journey.

  Janet and Joanna turned out to be wonderful with the kids, and the youngsters adopted the newcomer Shane as one of their own almost immediately.

  We began packing things up at around seven that evening and we were on the move again by eight. My goals for the evening were to find more fuel and hopefully to have made it well into Tennessee by morning.

  We switched things up a little bit when it came to the passengers in our vehicles. Ray and Pam rode with Janet, and I. I wanted to keep Emily’s spirits up, so I asked Claire to ride with her, Dad, Jason, Paul and Sarah. My thought process was that having Jason, Paul and Sarah there together would help provide them with some sense of wellbeing while at the same time helping to keep Emily’s mind – as well as Claire’s – off of the loss of their loved ones. Sarah and Paul were old enough to be fairly independent, but still childlike enough to need adults. And that sense of purpose and being providers of security to the kids was what I hoped would help Emily and Claire the most right now. And I ended up putting Joanna and Shane with Will, Sharron, and Mom.

  As our convoy traveled the blackened highway this time, we actually saw a few other vehicles. We counted four throughout the night, but we didn’t attempt to make contact with them, nor they with us. One followed us for almost 30 miles before passing us about halfway through Kentucky. I was glad when they were gone. It made me nervous watching their headlights creep ever closer to us as we drove.

  The other three vehicles we spotted were heading north on the other side of the divided highway and their lights disappeared as quickly as they came.

  After the vehicle that had been trailing us passed us near where I-24 split with I-64 outside Paducah, I began the search for a place to stop for fuel. As we drove, I watched the advertising signs lining the highway to help pick our spot. I found it near the Kentucky/Tennessee border.

  The place looked promising, and as we pulled off the highway and onto the exit ramp, my hopes rose. There was a large truck stop and a smaller gas station across the street. A sole fast food joint sat beside the small gas station. There were no lights on in the area, and from all outward appearances, the place looked completely abandoned, which was exactly what I wanted.

  I led our group to the larger fueling station first. Its surroundings were devoid of vehicles save for a lone pickup truck at the far end of the parking lot. Our convoy pulled up in a row under the mammoth canopy that covered the passenger vehicle gas pumps.

  I gathered a couple flashlights, got out, and met up with Ray, Will, and Dad. The kids were all sleeping soundly and we hoped we could get this done and over with without waking them. After I handed out the flashlights, Will – his leg injury feeling better – and Dad went to check the pickup truck and scout the area’s perimeter.

  Meanwhile, Ray and I went to inspect the interior of the truck stop, the glass doors of which were already smashed, making entry simple. Inside, it smelled really bad. I hoped that it was the rotting gas station hot dogs and not some bloated and decomposing trucker carcass that was causing the stench.

  The place had pretty much been picked clean of food and drink, but I did come across a few packs of AAA batteries near the cash register. I pocketed them and crossed Claire’s request for these items off my mental list, breathing a small sigh of relief in the process.

  “Not much in here,” Ray said, shining his flashlight’s beam around the empty display racks and refrigeration units.

  “No, not much,” I agreed.

  There were plenty of cleaning supplies and car accessories, but anything of real value had already been taken. We headed back outside where we pa
used to survey our surroundings.

  “Give me a second,” Ray said as we stood there.

  I watched as he walked back to our SUV, opened the rear cargo area, unloaded a few things, and then took a minute to rummage around where the spare tire was stored. He came back smiling and carrying our tire iron. “Give me a hand,” he said as I stood there gawking, not understanding what he was up to.

  He led me over to two soda machines where I held the flashlight as he went to work. Using the pry bar side of the tire iron, Ray had both machines open in under a minute.

  “See?” he grinned, nodding at open the machines. “I did learn a few valuable things being in a gang back in the day.”

  Each of the machines was still loaded with sodas.

  “People will raid the store shelves, grabbing everything that’s out in plain sight, but they forget about the vending machines…a secret stash left right out in the open,” he explained. “Grab something we can put these in,” he nodded to the rows of sodas inside the machines.

  I went back to the car and found a few plastic garbage bags. I knew the discovery wouldn’t do much to solve our food supply situation, but two trash bags full of soda would at least supply some much needed calories when every calorie counted. These treats also provided us with a nice reminder of the small luxuries of our not so distant past.

  Dad and Will were back by the time we were done.

  “How’s it look?” I asked.

  “Little bit of gas left,” Will said. “About a quarter tank at best.”

  “Mmm, not good,” I frowned in the darkness. “Might as well get it, but it won’t get us far splitting it up between three vehicles.”

  We waited while Will and Dad found containers into which to siphon the truck’s remaining gas. It came out to about six gallons in total, an amount we split evenly between our three vehicles. Then we headed across the street to the gas station and fast food joint that sat next to one another. There we found two more abandoned vehicles that provided us with another 23 gallons of gas, a much more favorable take. I got seven gallons for our vehicle, Dad took seven for his, and we gave the remaining nine to Will since his van’s fuel mileage sucked.