Looking at her watch, “Four o’clock,” Jo Ann answered and moved over to help Wendy pull the gas tanks off. “How much gas did we use?”
“We have just over a quarter of a tank,” Wendy told her, grabbing the funnel. “We were averaging twenty miles a gallon.”
As Wendy put the funnel in the gas tank, she looked over and saw Jo Ann concentrating hard. “So, we need seventy-five gallons to get home,” Jo Ann finally said.
“Very good,” Wendy smiled. “We have six five-gallon cans, so how much is that?”
“Thirty gallons,” Jo Ann answered quickly. “So, we won’t have to get gas every time we stop?”
Pausing before she lifted up the first gas can, “No, if we stop and can fill the cans, we will,” Wendy told her with a serious face. “We may have to change directions or any number of things. Always try to stay ahead of problems.”
Nodding, Jo Ann moved over and helped Wendy lift the can up to the funnel. “It’s heavy,” Jo Ann grunted.
“Yes, it is,” Wendy said and saw Noah come over while looking up at her and holding the stuffed animal up. “Can’t play right now,” Wendy told him, tilting the can back so the gas wouldn’t overflow the funnel.
“Noah, sit with Ryan so he doesn’t roll off the blanket,” Jo Ann said liking the fact that the can was getting lighter. Noah took off back to the blanket and sat down.
It took three and a half cans to top off the Tahoe and both were panting as Wendy grabbed the hose from the Tahoe. She looked at the four cases of bottled water and two cases of sports drinks, hoping that would be enough to get them home.
“Wake Sally, so we can get some gas,” Wendy said, picking up an empty can.
When Sally got up and saw Wendy at the door while holding the can, “Hold on, I saw something that will help,” Sally said and ran into the barn. She came back rolling a red wagon.
“That’s great,” Wendy said, putting the can she was carrying in the wagon. She turned to see Jo Ann putting the baby pack carrier on and moved over and helped. When Wendy put Ryan in, she saw Ryan was almost half the length of the twins with his legs hanging down.
Checking her vest, Wendy grabbed the M4 off the dash since she didn’t have to carry gas cans. Draping the single point sling over her head, Wendy checked the rifle and then let it hang under her right arm. “Let’s get some gas,” she said, picking Noah up and setting him on her left hip.
Feeling the magazines for the pistol under his butt, Noah kept wiggling as they walked out of the barn. “Did either of you hear or see anything?” Wendy asked.
“I saw an airplane,” Sally said, pulling the wagon and Wendy jerked her head to look down at Sally.
“You did?” Wendy cried out. “When?”
“Just after eleven o’clock,” Sally answered and then pointed over the field to the south before moving her arm to the east. “It flew over there, heading that way.”
Liking the sound of that, Wendy squeezed Noah and lifted him up so he wasn’t riding on the magazine carriers on her belt. “Anything else?”
“I heard engines,” Jo Ann said, pointing to the east. “But they were really far off.”
“No gunshots?” Wendy asked hopefully and both shook their heads and Wendy gave a thankful sigh.
They checked the farm truck, but it was diesel. Moving to the house, they saw two cars under the carport. When they’d arrived this morning, Wendy only opened the door of the house and smelled rotting flesh inside but she had called out. When nothing had come, she’d headed back to the barn.
“Let’s see how much we get,” Wendy said, putting Noah down. One was an old Lincoln and the other was a new Cadillac and had an anti-siphon valve. Reaching into the wagon, Wendy pulled out the oil drain pan and slid it under the back. Taking the M4 off and putting it on the trunk, Wendy grabbed the large screwdriver and hammer.
Crawling under the back, Wendy put the pan under the gas tank and took out the drainage plug in the pan. “Get a can ready,” she said, putting the tip of the screwdriver against the tank. Arthur could do this with the heel of his hand, but Wendy needed a hammer. She tapped the screwdriver and punched the sheet metal that formed the fuel tank before yanking the screwdriver out.
A stream of gas shot out and Wendy centered it over the drainage pan, then scooted out. “It’s peeing gas,” Jo Ann laughed as Wendy laid the empty gas can down on its side.
“We need the pee,” Wendy grinned, putting the hose from the oil pan drainage spout into the gas can.
The girls looked on as they heard the gas draining into the oil pan and then into the gas can. “Yes, Arthur taught me this. He said it was faster but you ruin the gas tank, but the cars he did it to, he didn’t care,” Wendy told them, seeing the fuel level in the gas can was nearing the opening.
Slowly, Wendy sat the gas can up while leaving the hose inside and the girls watched in wonder. “I think it’s faster if you just suck it out,” Sally said.
“Couldn’t. New cars have a valve to stop just that,” Wendy told them, grabbing another gas can.
When the gas stream finally stopped, the three empty cans were full. “Wow,” Jo Ann said, bouncing Ryan in the carrier.
“Won’t they have gas cans here?” Sally asked, looking around. “They have tractors and stuff, it’s a farm.”
“Good thinking,” Wendy said, putting the stuff in the wagon. “Let’s pull this back and look around real quick, then eat and get back on the road.”
Sally went to grab the wagon and Wendy almost stopped her, but only said, “It’s going to be heavy.”
Grabbing the handle, Sally pulled hard to get the wagon to start rolling. It rolled fine on the cement carport but when the wheels of the trailer hit the grass, Sally had to pull hard and grunt for every inch. Bending over, Wendy pushed on the back and Sally gave a relieved smile.
Reaching the barn, Wendy put the cans on the trailer but let the twins strap them down. Sally assured them there weren’t any gas cans in the barn, so they headed over to a shed. Inside, they found six yellow diesel fuel cans and one blue kerosene can. All of them held fuel. Then in the corner, Jo Ann found three red five-gallon cans. Two were empty and one was half full.
Letting Sally carry the empty cans, Wendy carried the half full can back and poured it into the half can that was strapped down. Putting the three cans on the wagon, they headed back to the carport. Shoving the siphon hose in the tank, Wendy blew and then sucked before yanking the end from her mouth and shoving it in the first can.
“I think this way is faster,” Sally mumbled.
“I do too, but it tastes nasty,” Wendy said, spitting out the gas taste.
When the three cans were full, Wendy pulled out the hose that was still pouring out gas. “Wish we could’ve taken all of it,” she mumbled, putting the hose in the wagon. Again, she helped Sally get the wagon back to the barn but this time, Noah moved in front of Wendy to lean down and push the back of the wagon.
“Good boy,” Wendy said, moving her right arm off the wagon and holding the M4 that was swinging under her arm, so it wouldn’t hit Noah.
“With what we used last night, we have enough gas to get home!” Jo Ann announced as they strapped in the new cans.
“It would be cutting it close but remember, we will refill gas cans because I don’t want to run out in the middle of nowhere,” Wendy said, helping Jo Ann take the baby carrier off.
“I know, but it just feels good,” Jo Ann smiled as Wendy took Ryan.
Reaching out, Wendy hugged Jo Ann. “Yes, it does,” Wendy admitted, then moved over and hugged Sally. “We are doing pretty good.”
Everyone sat down on the blanket and ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Pulling out her pistol from the holster, Wendy started going over the commandments and how the gun functioned. Everyone was on their second sandwich and Ryan had finished his bottle when thunder rumbled across the sky.
Wendy glanced outside and her mouth went dry at seeing lightning flash to the south and the wind pickin
g up. “Time to load up,” she said, jumping to her feet. The twins looked on in shock as Wendy moved at hyper speed, loading up the last of the stuff.
Picking up Noah, Wendy put him in and then grabbed Jo Ann who was holding Ryan. Lifting them up, Wendy put them in the back and turned around to pick up Sally. Yanking her door open, Wendy put Sally in and pushed her until Sally stepped over the center console and dropped into the passenger seat.
Taking her M4 off, Wendy tossed it on the dash as she hopped in the seat. The engine was cranked before her door closed. “Ready?” Wendy asked, but didn’t wait for an answer as she dropped the shifter in reverse.
Throwing up dirt as she backed up, Wendy tapped the brakes and threw the shifter into drive. Instead of pulling around the house and back to the road, Wendy took off across the grassy field. Barely slowing when she reached the ditch, Wendy guided the Tahoe back onto the road. Glancing back and seeing the trailer was fine, Wendy hit the accelerator.
The girls looked at Wendy in shock. Wendy was clearly scared and that upset their world to no end. “What’s wrong?” Sally asked, glancing over at the speedometer and saw they were at fifty.
“A storm is coming,” Wendy cried out very fast.
Sally turned to look at Jo Ann in the back who just shrugged. When Sally turned back to Wendy, thunder exploded outside and Wendy levitated out of the driver’s seat and Sally felt the Tahoe speed up. Hearing the patter of rain, Sally saw large raindrops hitting the windows.
“It’s just rain,” Sally finally said.
“Sally,” Wendy snapped as she started hyperventilating. “This is the south! Tornados drop out of the sky, destroy everything, and kill you! They like dropping from the sky in storms, not rain showers. That is a storm brewing outside!”
With wide eyes, Sally turned to Jo Ann and saw her face was pale. Having never given a thought about a storm before, the twins were now filled by Wendy’s terror. Spinning in her seat, Sally looked around them. Not for people, but for funnel clouds; people be damned.
The rain picked up and Wendy had to slow down as lightning flashed outside and thunder exploded, making everyone squeal. Noah and Ryan latched onto Jo Ann as she too tried to see outside through the sheets of rain.
Almost missing a turn because she couldn’t hear the GPS, Wendy slowed down to twenty. “Sally, turn the GPS up so we can hear it,” Wendy said, having to raise her voice over the rain.
“Maybe we should’ve stayed in the barn,” Jo Ann yelled from the back, trying to see funnel clouds even though it was dark outside now.
“No! Tornados love mobile homes and barns, you never stay in those!” Wendy shouted, gripping the steering wheel hard. With every flash of lightning, the twins scanned around as thunder shook the Tahoe.
Lightning forked through the sky, turning night into day and Sally cried out, “Tornado!” and Wendy buried her foot in the floorboard. Unable to see far up ahead of them, even with the lights on, Wendy turned to the GPS screen and followed the road using the car on the screen.
Jo Ann leaned over so she could see out the passenger windows as lightning flashed and she saw the shadow looming behind them. As she took a breath to scream, lightning flashed again and Jo Ann saw the shadow was a water tower. Not sure if that’s what her sister had seen, Jo Ann kept looking around.
With her face pressed against the passenger door window, Sally tried to see where the shadow had gone but couldn’t because trees were around them now. “I don’t see it anymore,” she finally said. Then, Sally realized they were hauling ass.
Turning around, Sally glanced over at the speedometer and saw the needle passing ninety. Looking at Wendy, Sally noticed Wendy would glance out the windshield but was keeping her eyes on the GPS screen. “Don’t wreck or the tornado will catch us,” Sally said with a dry mouth.
Nodding, Wendy tapped the brakes until she slowed to forty and she could see out of the windshield again as the wipers tried to keep the water off. Even tiny little Ryan could feel the fear that filled the Tahoe as he clutched Jo Ann tight.
It was an hour later when the rain slacked off and Wendy turned on the post light and aimed the powerful spotlight ahead. Now able to see really far, Wendy sped back up as the rain started coming down hard again. Having watched Wendy, Sally reached up and swiveled the post light in front of her until it pointed forward and turned it on.
With the two police spotlights shining, the Tahoe sped on until they crossed into Georgia. It was only then that Wendy slowed back to forty and turned the spotlights off. Everyone was panting hard like they had run the distance instead of ridden.
Climbing in the back, Sally grabbed bottles of sports drinks and handed a bottle of water to Jo Ann. Climbing back into the front seat, “Are there a bunch of storms like that near the house?” Sally asked and then handed Wendy a sports drink.
Bobbing her head side to side, “My husband built me a concrete house that a tornado can’t knock down,” Wendy sang out with a sassy tone.
“I love Arthur,” Sally and Jo Ann said in unison.
Leaning over, Sally looked at the gas gauge. “The truck doesn’t like going fast in the rain,” Sally noted, seeing the needle at half a tank.
“I’ll find more gas because I wanted out of that shit,” Wendy said and turned up the bottle of sports drink and didn’t stop until it was empty.
Rolling down her window, Wendy tossed the empty bottle out and then rolled her window back up. Looking in the rearview mirror, Wendy could see the flashes of lightning behind them as the rain finally stopped. “Girls, I want to stop and fill up, just in case we have to outrun the storm again,” Wendy said.
“Okay,” the girls said.
Not pulling over, Wendy stopped in the middle of the road. With both Noah and Ryan asleep, the three jumped out, acting like a NASCAR pit crew. The tank was topped off, all three peed and were back underway in five minutes.
When Wendy turned heading west, the twins kept their eyes scanning and looking for funnel-shaped shadows as Wendy’s fear of storms was joined by new converts.
Chapter Thirty One
It’s not wasted money, it’s only taxpayer money
Feeling the ground shake, Sarah sat up and realized she had fallen asleep in her chair. She felt the room shake and even watched a pencil roll an inch on her desk. “What the hell?” she mumbled and grabbed the phone and pressed one of the speed dial buttons.
The phone rang and rang until Sarah finally hung up and pressed another number. Like before, the phone just rang and rang. Hanging up, Sarah tried two more numbers and felt more trembles, seeing it was the entire room shaking.
Her door busted open and Sutton barged in, “The bunker is under attack!” he gasped.
Hanging up the phone, Sarah jumped up. “By who?”
“Citizens,” Sutton said out of breath, “seems this area wasn’t as secret as the government hoped. I finally got one of the guards outside to answer the radio. He said it was thousands and they had heavy equipment and are using it to get inside.”
“Bullshit! That door is ten feet of steel, if it’s an inch,” Sarah said, leaning over and tapping her keyboard.
“Sara, they aren’t digging at the door. They are digging through the concrete around it,” Sutton said as Sarah sat down, staring at her computer screens. Walking around and standing behind her, “Holy shit!” Sutton gasped.
One of the biggest bulldozers he had ever seen was rolling over the bunker, pushing up concrete as a dozen excavators dug into the concrete. A puff of smoke went off near the massive door and they felt the ground shake. “They are using explosives,” Sarah said, tapping the screen and more images started flickering on.
“That’s some of the ventilation stacks,” Sutton said, pointing at people pouring drums of liquid down the broken pipes. He didn’t need the camera to zoom in to see the red noses on many of those attacking.
“That motherfucker left us!” Sarah shouted and Sutton searched the subdivided screens until Sarah clicked and the im
age of Marine One lifting off the helipad filled one screen and then two identical choppers flew up beside it. The choppers turned and headed west. “Without this team, what can he do?”
“Live for a day,” Sutton answered, feeling the room shake.
They both jumped as an alarm sounded and a voice came over the intercom. “West entrance has been breached. Please proceed past section doors.”
“That’s us,” Sutton said as Sarah tapped the screen. “All that equipment was at the north entrance.”
“No, they have some at the west entrance,” Sarah said as fear gripped her. “What do we do?”
“I don’t mean to sound funny, but we need to get the hell out of here,” Sutton replied, then walked out of the room. He walked to the observation window and hit the intercom. “Move your asses, we have a mob breaking in,” Sutton called out and the group ran for the decontamination chamber.
Walking back into Sarah’s office, he saw her on the phone. “Who are you calling?” Sutton asked.
“Telling security not to close the doors into the central bunker until we get there,” Sarah snapped, hanging up and pressing another number.
Walking around the desk, Sutton took the phone from her and hung it up. “We go there, we will get infected,” Sutton told her. “You have the work backed up?”
“Yes,” Sarah said, pointing at an external hard drive.
“Take it and come on,” he said and left. Yanking the wires from the drive, Sarah took off after Sutton and found him in the changing room. “No, leave your suits on,” he said, grabbing his off the wall and tossing one at Sara.
Everyone just stared as the ground shook again. When he was suited up, Sutton looked around the room at everyone in the blue hazmat suits. “Follow me and stay close,” Sutton said, grabbing an emergency flashlight off the wall.
When he opened the door leading to the massive tunnel, everyone heard machine gun fire. Stepping out, Sutton glanced to his left that lead to the west entrance and saw soldiers in gas masks behind concrete barriers, shooting down the tunnel.
Running across the tunnel, Sutton opened the door to their quarters and ran in. Moving down the central hall, he glanced back and saw the last person close the door. “Are we going to hide under the beds? Because, I always got found there!” Sarah shouted inside her suit and only Sutton in front of her heard.
Viral Misery (Book 1) Page 34