Ali laughed, "I told you I got you."
Vic pushed the coyote's carcass off of him. He got up and looked around.
"Whatever man," Vic said.
Two more coyotes ran toward them. Vic’s and Ali's heads snapped in the direction of the barking. They both froze.
As the coyotes got closer, Vic and Ali heard two gunshots. The two coyotes tumbled to the ground.
Marcus ran out of the truck holding his knife. "What happened?"
Still panicked, Ali pointed at the coyotes.
Marcus's head swiveled.
"You guys all right?" said a skinny man with shaggy hair as he ran toward Marcus, Ali, and Vic.
"Woah," Marcus said holding his knife.
The man put his hands up. "I'm cool, man," he said.
He looked to be in his late twenties. His clothes were dusty as if he'd been out in the desert for a while. He put his rifle down on the ground.
"He shot the coyotes," Vic said.
"Yeah, he saved us," Ali said.
"My name is Steph," the man said. "I've been out here for days now. I was looking for water and saw your friends under attack and helped them."
Marcus put his knife away. Ali picked up the gas canisters. The rest of the survivors in the truck came out.
"What happened?" Eddie said.
"Coyotes," Marcus said. "Steph here saved them."
"Where are your people?" Eddie asked Steph.
"They're gone," Steph said. He picked up his rifle.
Everyone paused.
"Don't worry," Steph said. "Those were my last two bullets."
"Thank you," Marcus said.
Steph smiled. “No problem. I would expect somebody to do the same for me.”
"Is this your truck?" Steph asked Marcus.
"No," Marcus said.
"It's mine," Eddie said.
"You have any food?"
Eddie smiled. "I sure do."
"Great," Steph said. "We'll take all of it."
Eddie looked at Steph as if he was joking.
Steph pointed his gun at him.
A guy and a woman pulled up in a Jeep Wrangler behind them.
“Good job, Steph,” the woman said.
Steph smiled. “You should’ve checked my gun,” he said to the survivors.
Ali shook his head. How could we be so stupid? he thought.
The woman and man walked toward Josefina while Steph kept the gun on his victims. They didn’t have any weapons visibly on them.
“Hurry up,” Steph said.
Marcus looked at Vic who was still on the ground and nodded.
“Can I get up?” Vic said.
“Whatever,” Steph said.
Vic tried to make his way up and threw sand in Steph’s face as Marcus smacked his gun upward. A shot went off into the sky.
The man and woman ran toward Josefina. Ali and Jesse cut them off and wrestled them both down to the ground.
Marcus ripped the gun away from Steph and butted his nose with it. He let off a warning shot.
The man and woman stopped wrestling with Ali and Jesse.
They tied the three of them up with the gas hose against the pumps with the hopes that the coyotes would get to them by nightfall. Lesson learned.
They drove through the night in shifts. Jesse relieved Eddie at the wheel right after dinner. And Marcus drove from around midnight until sunrise. Nobody spoke much. But it was now understood that you can't trust anybody. The gas station incident could've resulted in a worse ending.
They didn't encounter any other vehicles on the road. But it's not like they were looking forward to meeting others either. At least on the road, they didn't see any of the creatures either. The highway and its surroundings were barren.
Eddie wasn't concerned. He held out hope they would come across other survivors who weren't enemies or looking to take advantage of anybody.
Jesse, Christina, Eddie, and Vic slept as Marcus drove.
"Stop," Ali said.
Marcus didn't pay him any mind. Ali poked his head right above his shoulder.
"Dad, stop," Ali said again.
"What now?" Marcus said.
"I need to go to the bathroom," Ali said.
"Hold it," Marcus said. "We stopped an hour ago."
"Okay, I don't have to that bad, but there," Ali pointed to a billboard on the side of the highway that read "Duncan's Commons".
Marcus screwed up his face. "A shopping outlet? We're not stopping to shop." He shook his head. "What's wrong with you?"
"It's not out of the way. What else are we doing? If the stores are empty, we can turn around and keep driving," Ali said. "Plus look at our clothes."
"It could be dangerous. You don't know who or what is out there," Marcus said.
"Come on," Ali pleaded.
Marcus looked at his son. He could tell it would mean the world to him.
"We could use some supplies," Eddie chimed in.
Ali's eyes widened. "See, we can get supplies."
"Okay," Marcus said. "No longer than an hour."
Ali's face lit up. He hopped into the back of the truck and woke Vic up. "We're going shopping, man. Free shopping."
Marcus pulled off of the highway and into the parking lot. There were some stranded cars, but other than that nothing in sight. The place looked completely abandoned. The rest of the group got up. Ali and Vic scanned the signs to see what stores were in the complex.
"Adidas, Reebok, Timberland, Nike, Fossil," Ali said.
"Nike!" Vic shouted.
"Vans," Jesse said.
"Polo!" Ali shouted. That was the only sign he wanted to see.
"Barneys," Christina said.
"Look, Brooks Brothers," Ali said to Marcus.
Marcus stood up. "Okay, everyone travel in pairs. Take your weapons. If you hear or see anything or anyone shout, do not...I repeat do not interact with anyone you see. No matter how friendly they might seem." He sounded like a chaperone taking children on a field trip to an aquarium. He turned to Eddie. "I'll stay with the truck."
"Don't worry about it," Eddie said. "It's my truck. I'll stay with it. Pick me up some boots. Size thirteen. And maybe pick up some more food and see if any of the restaurants in the food court have propane tanks."
"Oh...okay. You sure about staying?" Marcus said.
"Positive," Eddie said.
The group minus Eddie left Josefina. Ali and Vic went in one direction while Jesse buddied up with Christina.
"Hmmmm," Ali said as he and Vic looked at Jesse and Christina race off into Barneys. "We didn't play that right."
"No, not at all," Vic said.
"We can't go over there now," Ali said.
"Why can't we?" Vic said.
"Because it's gonna look obvious we're following them, because we realized this was one big sausage party."
Vic thought about it. He knew Ali was right.
"She's too skinny for my taste anyway," Ali said.
Vic laughed. "You didn't have a shot."
"Man please," Ali said.
Vic shrugged. "Let's do Nike first."
Ali wanted to say "no", because he knew they only had an hour. "Okay. Let's not spend too much time."
"That's the only spot I wanna go to," Vic said.
"Aight," Ali said.
They approached the storefront holding their knives.
"We probably should get some new weapons while we're here," Ali smiled looking at his kitchen knife.
Vic nodded.
The door to the store was wide open. It looked untouched as if they were two mangers opening the store for the day. Vic went right over to the racks of sweatpants and grabbed a couple of pairs of grey and black pants. He threw them on top of the counter at the register. Then he went to the size fourteen racks looking to see if there were any Jordans.
"Slim pickings?" Ali said.
"Shit," Vic said.
Usually he would be able to find a few hidden treasures here and there, but nothing.
At least nothing he would proudly wear on his feet...even considering what they'd been through. Vic perused the shoe racks a second time. This time, he even went through the 13's and 13 1/2's.
Ali thought about telling Vic to hurry up, but he could tell from the dejected look on his face that he would be finished soon enough.
Vic grabbed a few Jordan t-shirts and a Chicago Bulls hoodie.
"For real?" Ali said looking at the Bulls hoodie.
"Slim pickings," Vic responded as he threw everything into two Nike gym bags.
"Here you go," Ali said. He threw a New York Knicks Carmelo Anthony jersey at Vic.
It landed on his head. Vic examined it and threw it on the ground. "Get the fuck out of here," Vic said.
"You the only Puerto Rican in New York that doesn't fuck with Melo," Ali said.
Vic rolled his eyes. "First of all, he's not from New York. He's from Baltimore. I'm not contributing to that charade."
Ali laughed. "He was born in Baltimore."
"He's got a West Baltimore tattoo, my g," Vic said. "I'm not obligated to ride for the dude. Plus like I said, they're losers."
Ali didn't want to waste any more time with this conversation as it was eating into his shopping time.
"On to Polo!" Ali said as he sprinted out of the store.
Ali ran across the parking lot to the Polo store as if one of those green-eyed mutants were chasing him. When Vic eventually arrived, Ali was already onto his second section of the store. He moved around the store in a methodical fashion throwing what he didn't want onto the floor. The store quickly looked like it was ransacked by a family of Looney Toons Tasmanian Devils. Before Vic realized it, Ali had two shopping baskets full of clothes.
"You can't take all of that with you," Vic said.
"Why not?"
You don't know your own father? Vic thought.
"Well for starters," Vic said, "we're on a food truck with four other people."
Ali looked at him as if he didn't comprehend. He grabbed swimming trunks, shorts, rugby shirts, hats, bandannas, oaks, underwear...basically anything that even slightly peaked his interest.
"You don't need underwear?" Ali said to Vic.
Vic thought about it for a second.
"You nasty fam," Ali said.
He did. Vic grabbed some boxers and threw it into his gym bag.
"Let me know if you see a windbreaker," Ali said. "Polo Sport if possible."
"Sure," Vic said. He wasn't looking.
Ali put cologne in his basket.
"Why?" Vic said.
"Who knows how often we'll get to shower?" Ali said.
"Marcus is going to tell you this stuff isn't practical," Vic said. "And you know it."
He did know it, but he didn't care.
"I'll handle him," Ali said.
"What about this," Vic said. He held up a green short sleeved polo shirt with a big navy blue Polo horse on it.
Ali sighed. "Are you fucking serious? You know I don't fuck with the big horse."
"You don't?"
"I hate...hate the big horse," Ali said. "It looks stupid. You might as well give me some 'Coulda Had A Polo' my nigga."
Vic laughed. "C'mon the big horse isn't like Chaps. You talking crazy now."
"It might as well," Ali said. "I don't fuck with it."
Vic looked at his watch. "We got like five minutes left."
"Cool, I'm done," Ali said.
Ali walked out with four leather Polo bags and one big duffle bag full of clothing. He placed the bags on two flatbed carts from the stockroom.
Vic laughed when he saw him push the carts out of the store. "You look ridiculous."
Ali and Vic made it back to the food truck. Marcus was already there waiting, but he wasn't mad. He’d picked up some clothes for himself and changed into new clean ones. A pair of jeans and a red track jacket. That's about as casual as he gets. He also found the propane, got some food, and landed some new knives from the cookware store.
"You're not taking all of that onto the truck." Marcus smiled.
"What?" Ali said.
"You heard me," Marcus said. "We're still waiting for Jesse and Christina. So sort out what you want to bring on the truck. Two bags max."
Marcus went off to siphon gas out of the abandoned cars.
Ali looked at the carts full of clothes. Vic laughed at him. Ali knew Marcus had a point, but he still didn't want to give up any part of his treasure chest.
Ali emptied the bags onto the parking lot asphalt and went through it to eye what he could scale down.
Jesse and Christina eventually returned holding shopping bags and smiling.
"I hope you got underwear," Ali said as he sifted through the clothes.
"Of course," Jesse said.
"Two minutes," Marcus said to Ali.
"I'm done," Ali responded. He got down to one leather bag and the huge duffle bag jam-packed with stuff.
"Get anything good?" Vic said to Christina.
"Did I," she replied with a huge grin.
"Let me see," Vic peeked into her bag.
Let me see? He's just asking to get friend zoned, Ali thought.
They loaded back up into the truck, all with smiles on their faces. It was the first moment since the earthquake that each one of them forgot what had happened.
Marcus pulled back onto the highway ready to get closer to home.
Chapter Five
Eddie drove the truck as it passed a sign that read "88 miles to Deerfield".
"We're almost there," Jesse said.
"I know," Eddie said. "I can't wait to hold my babies."
"When's the last time you've seen Lourdes and her family?" Christina asked Eddie.
He thought for a second. "Two summers ago. Little Matilda was only five. But I taught her how to make French Toast." He looked back at Christina beaming with pride. "We Skype all the time though. The last time I saw Matilda, she said she now puts Fruity Pebbles on top of her French Toast."
"Fruity Pebbles?" Vic said. "Yuck."
Eddie laughed. "Same thing, I wanted to say. But I told her she should experiment. She wants to be a chef just like her abuelo."
Everybody in the truck chuckled except Marcus. Eddie noticed.
"Don’t worry," Eddie said to Marcus. "The cellphone towers will come up soon, and you'll be able to call your wife."
Marcus said nothing. With each passing hour, he got more anxious. The same for Ali who had bit his fingernails down to the nub.
"Lourdes is a nurse right?" Marcus said.
"The head nurse at Everett's Manor," Eddie said. "She's so funny. Every time I forget something, she said she's going to get me a room at her retirement home." He laughed. "I told her, I'm not ready for that yet. But after the last few days, who knows."
Marcus gave up a fake smile.
"Her house is amazing," Eddie continued. "Her husband Teddy is an engineer. There will be rooms for all of us. So you guys should be able to stay there for a few days."
"I don't think we'll be staying long," Marcus said.
Eddie nodded.
"Then, can we drive to New York?" Ali said.
"Sure," Eddie said. "I'll let her know that you are my friends and saved my life. We'll definitely work something out."
"Where do I go?" Christina said as she looked up from a Marie Claire magazine.
"Well...do you have any family?" Marcus said.
"An uncle in Philadelphia," Christina said. "But I don't talk to him much.”
"We can take you there," Marcus said.
She put her magazine down.
"Don't worry," Vic said. "It's going to be okay."
"It will," Marcus said.
Christina half smiled.
"You got any grandkids?" Eddie asked Marcus.
"Not yet," Ali interrupted.
Marcus shot him a glare.
Ali shrugged.
"No," Marcus said to Eddie.
"They're the best," Eddie said. "You can spoil them all
you want. Then, not have to deal with their attitudes or hand them back to your kids."
"Sounds fun," Marcus said.
"Is Ali your only child?" Eddie asked.
"No, I have...had another son. Patrice," Marcus aid.
The demeanors of Marcus, Ali, and Vic all changed. Eddie picked up on it.
"What happened to him?" Jesse asked.
"Jesse," Eddie shouted.
A knot formed in Marcus's throat. "He died two years ago."
The color flushed from Jesse's face before he could mouth the words to apologize.
"Don't worry about it," Marcus said. "He worked on Wall Street for AIG. One day--"
Ali interrupted, "Some dipshit loser asshole who was upset the bank lost all of his money came in and shot up the place. Patrice was shot and killed trying to protect some of his co-workers." Tears poured down his face.
Marcus said nothing.
"I'm sorry," Eddie said. "I remember that." The shooting was widely publicized. It was one of those things where you remember at the time feeling bad for the victims of a senseless crime, but soon after you forget about the story altogether. There was probably another tragedy that happened soon after that. But now when they were confronted with a face to put to the victim, it brought those feelings rushing back.
The mood in the truck changed completely. They drove in silence for about a minute.
Marcus put the burden of breaking the awkward silence on himself. What could he do or say? His safest bet was to get Eddie talking again. "Can Lourdes cook?" he asked Eddie.
“My Lolo has my blood," Eddie said. "So of course she can."
They passed Everett's Manor. It was a large facility that looked peaceful. Nobody was outside. The group wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Even though it was daylight some of the outdoor lights were on.
"That's where she works," Eddie said.
"Looks abandoned," Christina said.
“Hmm…you think so?” Eddie said.
Christina looked at him as if she was making sure they were looking at the same building.
“Looks pretty safe to me,” Eddie said. “It’s a nursing home not an amusement park.” He laughed and continued to drive.
Josefina made it into Lourdes's neighborhood. It was 2:30 in the afternoon. The scene was drastically different from all of the previous times he had visited. There were no kids in the street playing. Nobody was mowing the lawn. Cars were in the streets.
Scattered Screams: (The Disruption, Book One) Page 8