Instant Darkness

by Mark J Russell

  “There’s the pantry of the kitchen,” Abram said. “That should be pretty well stocked, as we just got here. Then there’s a cold room in the basement where a good many things are stored. Any fresh food, like vegetables, should be stored there until they are eaten. Next to that is a root cellar with things like potatoes and carrots. There is a locked room in the lower barn with canned and dry goods, and a much smaller stash in the upper barn.”

  “So, we’re pretty well set?” Maggie asked.

  “We’ve also got dairy and beef cows coming, as well as some goats. I think Emma should be charged with taking care of them. They’ll need to be milked, but that will mean dairy products like butter and cheese are achievable.”

  “That’s a relief,” Shelly said. “When I realized we could become a permanent part of this community, I worried we’d go hungry.”

  “Actually, Gary doesn’t think we have enough stored. He thinks we need to bring in more food,” Abram said.

  “How does he think we are going to get more?” Shelly asked.

  “He says he has a plan,” Abram said. Inwardly, he doubted the feasibility of any plan that waited until now to acquire more supplies.

  “I hope he’s not planning on doing anything reckless,” Maggie said.

  “He’s a farmer, so it’s something along those lines, most likely.” It occurred to Abram that Gary had gotten off topic and never told him what his plan was. They’d been sidetracked by the beef versus dairy argument.

  “But we already have farming as a core part of our plan,” Shelly said. “What else does he want to do?”

  “I don’t know,” Abram said.

  “I don’t trust him, Abram. I wish you hadn’t invited him here,” Shelly said.

  “He’s my best friend, Shelly. And he has survival skills that we’ll need to get by. We won’t be able to make it without him. Gary is a skilled survivalist.” He noticed Maggie had turned and was making her way back to the ladder. He thought she must be embarrassed by the argument. Or, perhaps she was afraid he would bring her up. But she was family, and was always going to be included in any bug out plan.

  “Something about him just doesn’t sit well with me,” Shelly said. “I don’t trust him.”

  “I do. Sure, he’s rough around the edges, but he understands the value of life and friendship. He would never do anything to harm us.”

  “I think you’ll find that he’s not as high minded as you think, Abram. This is just the kind of situation his love of lawlessness rejoices in.”

  “Love of lawless—”

  “There’s no law that can’t be broken, because there is no longer unified law enforcement.”

  “Nonsense.” Abram tried to make his tone light—he was ready to steer the conversation away from Gary. “Fenton has a police chief and two officers. They may not be able to communicate with Montpelier, but they can keep peace in their town. And, for now, they even have vehicles. I’ll go down to town tomorrow and make sure they know that their cars can be restarted if they disconnect and reconnect their batteries. And when the gasoline runs out, I’m sure they’ll ride bicycles or horses. There are plenty of horses in this area. Would you like a horse?”

  “A horse would just be another animal to feed. Unless you are going to use it to plow the fields, I don’t see needing to go very far. A bicycle would do very well.”

  “Do you think we need a horse for plowing the fields? We have a lot of gasoline put aside for the tractor, but eventually, we will run out. I suppose it depends on how soon that happens. We could prolong the use of gas if we did some of the harvesting by horse, I suppose.”

  “But then you still have to feed it,” Shelly said. “That means making sure you have enough hay in for the winter for one more animal.” She moved toward the ladder. “We could bring in the hay by hand and save gasoline that way. There are five of us, after all. It should be possible.”

  Abram didn’t know what Gary’s plan for harvest was, but he wasn’t going to mention his friend’s name again now. Shelly had let the argument slide, and he was grateful. Gary could stay in the background until dinner, when Abram would warn him to keep his conversation civilized. Eventually, the women would get used to Gary and realize he wasn’t such a brute, as he seemed.

  Then, to his surprise, as he was descending the ladder, the gate bell rang.

  The walk from town to the Pattersons’ compound hadn’t been easy for Nick. Rae Ann’s sparkly red shoes had rubbed her heels raw, and she had to be carried the entire way, as the road grew progressively worse. It had turned to dirt as soon as they had navigated off the route that led along the river, and it was a steady uphill slog. On top of that, the farther they traveled, the more like a track and less like a road it became. It was rutted, potholed, and riddled with rocks that would twist your ankle if you weren’t careful.

  Finding himself standing at the gates to the compound was a relief. There was even a mailbox with the correct house number on it. That was a minor miracle out here in the middle of nowhere, miles up a dirt track. How did the mail carrier even navigate this road?

  The problem was, now that they were here, how would they get the Pattersons’ attention?

  He studied the gate. It was padlocked, and there was a cement strip under it, so there was no digging a trench and going under. There was no house in sight, although he thought he could see a barn through the trees.

  Corey gave an exclamation and moved to where a rope hung near the latch. Nick hadn’t even seen it hanging there, but Corey grabbed and pulled, and a bell rang clear and loud from under a small wooden structure he’d taken for a rather large birdhouse. A few minutes later, they heard footsteps crunching on the drive, and a man appeared from around the bend.

  He was a short man and stocky, with squinty eyes and a mouth that drew down. But the thing that made Nick’s heart drop was the rifle cradled in his arms. This was not the welcome he was imagining. Not that he’d assumed Abram would be glad to see them, but this man was positively hostile.

  “Go away,” he said. “We can’t help you here.”

  “I’m looking for Abram Patterson,” Nick said. “Is he here?”

  “I said, go away.” The man cocked the rifle.

  Corey stepped in front of his dad. “Is Emma here?” he asked, his voice high and reedy. “She invited us to come.”

  The man raised the gun, pointing it straight at Corey’s head. “I won’t repeat myself again,” he said. “Go away, or I’ll shoot.”

  “No, Gary. Stop!” It was Emma’s voice, coming from behind the man; she was running fast. “Put the gun down, Gary, that’s my best friend.”

  Behind Emma, Abram, Shelly, and a woman Nick didn’t know appeared, walking quickly. When Abram recognized them, his face flushed beet red, and if Nick had had any doubt about the “invitation,” it was gone. Abram had not invited them to join him at the compound, and he was not happy they were here.

  Emma was tugging at Gary’s arm. “Lower the gun! Those are my friends.”

  Gary glanced at Abram, who gave him a small nod of agreement. Well, at least we aren’t going to be shot, Nick thought, as Gary reluctantly lowered his rifle. And Nick was only slightly comforted. The weapon was still loaded and cocked, and the man’s eyes were focused back on Nick’s face. They weren’t out of danger.

  “What are you waiting for?” Emma said. “Open the gate.”

  Gary glanced at Abram again, and this time there was the merest hint of headshake. No. He wasn’t throwing the gate open to welcome his neighbors. He really didn’t want them here. Nick wished now, more than ever, that they’d stayed home. He could have coped in his own home, but this was beyond the ability to absorb.

  “Can we at least spend the night?” Nick asked. “Rae Ann needs some first aid.”

  Shelly started forward, but Abram caught her eye, and she stopped.

  Emma looked from Gary to her dad and back again, her face showing the disbelief she was feeling. “Dad,” she said, “you have to
let them in. They can’t stay out there on the road all night.”

  “I made it perfectly clear that we weren’t including any of your friends, Emma,” Abram said. “That hasn’t changed.”

  “But you have to.” She grabbed his arm. “I invited them. They wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me. You’ve got to let them in, Dad, because if anything bad happens, it will be my fault.”

  “I’m sorry, Emma, I really am, but you need to learn to live with the consequences of your actions.” He was staring at Nick, not even looking at Emma as he talked to her.

  Emma’s face flushed. “Dad! Please?”

  “You heard me, Emma, now go back to the house,” Abram said. “Now.”

  But that was the wrong thing to say to a modern young woman. Nick watched her face grow hard, her chin jutting out.

  “Fine,” she said. “Then open the gate and let me out. If you don't let them in, then I’m leaving with them.”

  Shelly made a sound that might have been, “No!” but it was hard to tell because Gary produced a key and said, “Fine with me.”

  “Gary,” Abram barked, but the man ignored him.

  “Let her go, Abram,” Gary said. “Girls aren’t much use, and this one won’t take orders. We don’t need her.” He opened the gate and let her slip through.

  “That’s my daughter, Gary,” Abram said, giving Gary a look that would have melted a lesser man. “And this is my property.”

  “And you told these people to leave,” Gary said. “If she wants to go with them, I say let her.”

  “But I say let them in,” Shelly said, stepping forward. “If girls aren’t much use, then you should be happy to get another man and a boy. I’ll put Emma and Rae to work in the house, and you can have Nick and Corey.” Eyes locked on Abram’s, her face was set. “Let them in, Abram, or I’m going with them too. And I can’t speak for Maggie, but I imagine she’ll want to come with me.”

  Maggie stepped forward. “That’s right, Shell, I’m with you. You go, I go.”

  “What’s it going to be, Abram?” Shelly said. “Are you and Gary going to spend the duration alone together?” She took another step toward the gate.

  “Shelly,” Abram snapped, his face a mask of rage, “stop playing and go back to the house, now. And take Maggie with you.”

  “If that’s how you want it,” Shelly said, and she took Maggie’s hand. The women walked past Abram and Gary to the gate and slid it open again to walk through.

  Nick watched as Abram caved. The rage that was holding him together dissolved, leaving his face slack with despair. His hands were shaking at his sides.

  “Come back, Shelly,” he said. “Nick and his family can stay. But they will have to work for their living, is that understood?”

  “Let me make sure you understand something, Abram Patterson,” she said. “If you ever talk to me like that again, if you ever order me to do something like that, I will be gone. Do you hear me?”

  “I’m sorry, Shelly,” Abram said. “I thought a national emergency made me responsible for your safety. But you are an adult and responsible for yourself. It won’t happen again.”

  “Oh, come on, Abram,” Gary said, shaking his head.

  Shelly walked back through the gate and got right up in Gary’s face, making him lurch back. “If you ever think you can break up my family, you’re wrong. Pull that crap again, and you’re gone. You’ll be on the other side of that gate before you know what happened. Do you understand me, Gary?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, straightening up. “My apologies, ma’am.”

  “Good.” She regarded Nick and his family. “Emma, take Corey down to the house and put him in one of the downstairs bedrooms, the one with twin beds. If Nick doesn’t mind, they can share.”

  Nick shook his head; he didn’t mind.

  “Rae can sleep in the little room next to yours,” Shelly continued. “It’s just the right size for a six-year-old girl. Gary, lock the gate.”

  Nick started forward, but something he heard made him look back. Was it a car? What he saw surprised him. Joshua’s car was crawling up the rocky track a ways behind them.

  Nick stepped quickly through the opening in the fence and Gary locked it behind him. He dismissed Joshua as not important, thinking he’d just seen Shelly go from inferior housewife to commanding officer in the little man’s eyes, and it amused him. Nick was going to get on Shelly’s good side just as soon as he could. If one thing was clear, it was that Shelly and Maggie were the moral backbone of this group, and it would pay to have their approval.

  13

  “Do you know that car?” Abram asked Nick as Gary locked the gate behind him. Joshua had increased his speed as they walked through the gate, rocking and bumping up the road.

  “Yes. He gave us a ride to town when our car got stolen.”

  “Do you mind if Shelly takes Rae Ann down to the house without you? We may need you for this.”

  “Sure, that’s fine.”

  Shelly came and took Rae Ann from Nick’s shoulders. Rae Ann wrapped her arms around the woman’s neck and her legs around her waist as Shelly took her, holding her close. “Come on, sweetheart.”

  “My feet hurt,” Rae Ann said, “and I have blisters.”

  “Goodness, yes,” Shelly said, walking toward the house with her burden. “Those are magical shoes, but I don’t think they were made for walking.”

  “And Louise is hungry, and I lost my clothes…”

  “That’s okay, sweetheart. I think I have some of Emma’s old clothes. We’ll get you all set up.” Shelly eyed Corey, and said, “Come on, you look like you could use a nice, hot meal too.”

  Maggie, Corey, and Emma followed Shelly back to the house, Rae Ann looking over the woman’s shoulder as they went, trying to see what was happening at the gate.

  Nick shifted his attention back to the approaching car, which had arrived at the gate. Joshua was sitting behind the wheel, watching them, and Nick wondered what he was waiting for, then noticed that Gary had his rifle pointed at the car.

  “You don’t need to do that.” Nick said. “That guy isn’t armed. He’s harmless.”

  Gary glanced at Abram, who nodded, and he lowered the gun.

  The car door opened, and Joshua lumbered out, carefully raising his hands in the air to show them he wasn’t armed. He strolled to the gate, and Nick thought he seemed relaxed and friendly until he saw that Joshua’s knees were shaking. He was scared, but also desperate enough to face his fear.

  “I’m only looking for a safe place to spend the night,” Joshua said. “I’ll go first thing in the morning.”

  “We’re not a flop house,” Gary said, sneering. “Find somewhere else to stay.”

  “Like where? Is there a B&B down this road?”

  “Not one that would take you in.” Gary laughed. “You look a little down and out, man. I’m surprised Nick got in the car with you.”

  “Come on, Nick, the only reason you are here is that I brought you,” Joshua said through a tight jaw. “Doesn’t that mean anything to you? Your kids are safe because of me.”

  Nick thought Joshua was acting more on edge than he should be. “Why don’t you drive on through to Canada, like you said you were going to?” he asked.

  “What if they aren’t letting people through the border? I don’t want to be stuck up there all night with no gas. Come on, man. Let me in.”

  “It’s not my call. I’m lucky they let me in.”

  “If we let you in,” Gary said, “before long, every lost soul this side of the river will be asking us to take them in. Abram knows Nick. No one knows you. I hear there’s a FEMA shelter set up in Burlington. You could go there for the night. It’s only another hour; you could be there before dark.”

  “I’m tired of driving. Let me in, and I’ll help you out with some work or something before I leave. I’m a good mechanic.” Joshua smiled, but it was strained.

  “What do you think, Abram?” Gary asked. “You don’
t want this stranger in your house, do you?”

  “I could stay in that barn,” Joshua said, pointing. “I’d be fine in an outbuilding or on the porch. I won’t even ask for food or to use the bathroom.”

  Smart, Nick thought. Joshua had seen the women and probably realized they’d insist on feeding him. They might even offer him a bedroom for driving Corey and Rae Ann here. Shelly took a stand for Corey and Rae Ann, he was pretty sure. If it had just been him standing on the other side of the gate, he’d probably be headed back into town now. But she wasn’t going to turn children away, and Nick was lucky enough to belong to them. She wouldn’t separate children from their father, either.

  Abram was quiet for a long time, and Nick could see his thought process reflected on his face. Should he do the humane thing and let the man stay, or should he protect what was his and make Joshua go away? His jaw tightened, and Nick thought he was going to say no, when Joshua spoke up again.

  “I can chop wood,” he said. “I know you don’t need it now, but you will in the winter. I can help clear a field for planting.”

  He watched Abram’s face transform again. These were tasks that needed doing, and it couldn’t hurt to have help.

  “I’m a good man to have around,” Joshua continued. “Besides, it’s only one night. I’ll give you three hours of solid work just to sleep in your barn overnight.”

  Gary turned to look at Abram. “You can’t be thinking of letting this joker spend the night in the compound,” he said. “The next thing you know, there will be people ringing our bell every day, looking to work for a safe place to stay. We just acquired two able-bodied men.”

  “It wouldn’t hurt to have extra help for a day,” Nick said. “I’m sure Joshua would keep quiet about the compound if you asked him to.”

  “No one asked you,” Gary said. “We went to a lot of trouble to keep people out. What was the point of that if we’re just going to let people in?”

  “I’m sorry, Joshua,” Abram said. “I can’t let you in. Gary is right. What’s the point of all this security if we are just going to open the gates to everyone who comes by?”