Gateway to Chaos (Book 2): Seeking Refuge

by Payne, T. L.

  “Yes. I’m at a loss as to what more to try.”

  “Mr. Ward called our neighbor over last winter when it wouldn’t start. Maybe we should see if he would take a look at it again,” Mrs. Ward said.

  “Do you think he’d come?” Scott asked.

  “It’s worth asking.”

  Dean Cartwright had been the only one of Mrs. Ward’s neighbors to come check on her after the gun battle in their woods. No doubt concerned over all the gunshots, he’d come with several of his relatives to check on Mr. and Mrs. Ward. He’d helped Scott bury the body with the aid of a tractor. He hadn’t seemed all that friendly toward Scott and JJ, but Scott didn’t blame him. They were strangers, and they had brought their troubles down on the older couple.

  “I guess I could walk over and ask. All he could say is no, right?” Scott asked.

  Mrs. Ward poured herself a cup of coffee and took a seat across from him. “Do you want JJ to go with you?”

  Scott shook his head. “I think she should stay on watch.”

  They’d been alternating watch shifts since the shootout. They’d expected someone to come looking for the men who’d attacked them, but no one had. The county sheriff finally came and retrieved the bodies of the six men the next day. Scott supposed that the shooters’ families could’ve contacted the sheriff’s department and he wouldn’t know about it. But in any case, they didn’t want to be caught off guard like that again.

  “I’ll head over to Dean’s right after I finish my coffee,” Scott said.

  Dean Cartwright greeted Scott with a shotgun in his hands. Despite their previous introduction, he didn’t seem to be taking any chances when it came to Scott.

  “Hey, Dean. Mrs. Ward sent me over. She was hoping that you might have a minute to take a look at her old Jeep. She wanted to drive up to St. Louis and stay with relatives until all this is over and they get the lights back on,” Scott said.

  Scott was relieved when Dean laid the shotgun over the crook of his arm. Dean scratched his balding scalp as he approached Scott, eying him suspiciously.

  “I don’t mind coming to take a look at it, but Mrs. Ward doesn’t drive. She hasn’t driven in the twenty years I’ve lived next to them.”

  “She said that, and I offered to drive her. We didn’t want to leave her at the farm all alone. It took some convincing to get her to agree to leave her home and animals to stay with her sister in St. Louis.”

  Dean pursed his lips.

  “I thought you two were headed south from here?”

  “We were, but I just couldn’t walk away and leave her here to fend for herself. She needs to be with her family at a time like this. It’s just an hour drive.”

  “How you all getting back?” Dean asked, an accusatory tone to his gruff voice.

  “We’re going to drive back here and drop the car off then head on to JJ’s folks down in Cape Girardeau,” Scott said, telling two lies in one sentence. He hated lying. He hated liars with a passion, but somehow, he didn’t feel this man would understand his arrangement with Mrs. Ward or have compassion for his desire to reach his daughter in Florida. Scott could tell by the man’s expression that he hadn’t believed him. But nonetheless, he followed Scott back to the Wards’ farm.

  After confirming the arrangement with Mrs. Ward, Dean walked into the detached garage and within five minutes, the Jeep purred to life. Scott started to ask what Dean had done to fix it, but the look he gave Scott as he lowered the hood put a halt to any friendly banter.

  “You make damn sure that you get the old lady up there to her sister’s house or I will personally hunt you down,” Dean said through clenched teeth. Scott had no doubt the man meant every word of it.

  With the engine of the old SUV still running, Scott ran inside to inform Mrs. Ward that they’d be leaving soon before heading out to the end of the driveway to catch JJ as she made her perimeter search of the property.

  “Did you get it running?” JJ asked before Scott had even spotted her in the thick underbrush that lined the driveway. He wanted to lie and say he did. He wasn’t sure why exactly. Maybe to impress her or from embarrassment that he should’ve been able to get it working, but in the end, he told the truth. He even told her about Dean Cartwright’s warning.

  “Funny how he’d care enough to come hunt you down. I notice that he didn’t offer to have her come stay with him after Mr. Ward passed,” JJ said as she walked up beside Scott.

  Scott thought about that as they made their way back to the house. The snow in the driveway concerned him. He hadn’t checked the tread on the car’s tires, but from his own experience, cars didn’t drive well in deep snow. The highway to St. Louis wouldn’t have been plowed. There wasn’t a way of knowing how deep the snow was in the city. Scott made a mental note to grab a shovel and anything they could use for traction if they got stuck.

  While he waited for Mrs. Ward and JJ to get things ready to leave, Scott loaded the back of the Jeep with two cans of gasoline, a snow shovel, and a bag of kitty litter he’d found in the barn.

  After giving instructions to Dean’s teenage son on how to care for her goats and chickens in her absence, Mrs. Ward climbed into the back seat of the Jeep. JJ was riding shotgun, her black duffle bag at her feet and the rifle between her legs. Scott placed Mrs. Ward’s small suitcase in the back seat then looked around the garage for any last-minute items they might need. When he spotted the come-along winch, he threw it in the back and hopped into the driver’s seat.

  “Are we ready?” Scott asked, trying not to let his excitement to finally be on the road and closer to being able to head toward his daughter show in his voice.

  Mrs. Ward nodded, and Scott put the car into gear. He looked to JJ.

  “Ready?”

  JJ held the rifle out in front of her. “I’m ready.”

  Tomorrow, Lilybug, I’ll be there tomorrow.

  Chapter 3

  Red Cross Disaster Shelter

  Chesterfield Mall

  Chesterfield, Missouri

  February 18th

  Still unsettled by what she’d overheard that morning, Raine was anxious to find out if Antonio had indeed made it to the shelter. She scoured the wall outside the food court looking for her note to him. It was missing from where she thought she’d placed it. She walked back down the hall and started from the beginning, looking under the layers of messages. She was standing on tiptoes trying to reach one above her head when a familiar voice called her name.

  “Looking for something?”

  Raine turned and flew into the arms of Antonio Milanesi.

  “You made it. I knew that was your voice I’d heard,” Raine said, leaning back to get a look at him.

  “I’m surprised you could recognize it. After breathing all the smoke and walking eight miles in a blizzard, my throat is raw.”

  “Hoarse or not, I’d recognized that Brooklyn accent of yours,” Raine said, taking a step back. “How’d you make it out of the blaze?”

  “Dumb luck,” Antonio said, his mouth twisting into a crooked grin. “I fell into a manhole.”

  “A manhole? You mean the entrance to the storm drains under the streets? I thought they had heavy steel covers.”

  “Normally, they do. Thieves will steal anything. With scrap metal prices as high as they’ve been, some crooks have been stealing manhole covers and selling them.”

  “That’s crazy. But lucky for you.” Raine looked him up and down. “Is it broken?” she asked, pointing to the brace on his left knee.

  “Doc says he can’t say without proper x-rays and an MRI.”

  She studied him. “Are you in much pain?”

  Antonio shook his head. “Only when I breathe, walk or move.”

  “Did you break some ribs?”

  Antonio raised his sweatshirt to reveal the nastiest bruise Raine had ever seen. It covered his entire left side from under his left arm to his waist.

  Raine scrunched her face. “That looks painful. Did they give you anything?”
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  “Tylenol,” Antonio said.

  Raine shook her head. “Sheena and DeAndre will be happy to know you made it here.”

  “They made it. Awesome. How’d you guys make it out?”

  Raine looked around then leaned in closer.

  “We lost DeAndre for a bit. That was scary as hell. But we found him and took off running. An elderly lady flagged us over and let us stay with her in some type of bunker in her back yard.”

  “Whoa. That’s good timing,” Antonio said.

  “I know, right? She had that thing stocked to stay down there for months or something. It was crazy.” The image of what had happened the next morning after they’d emerged from the shelter flooded back. Raine swallowed hard. She didn’t want to share the fact that she’d killed someone. She wasn’t sure if Antonio would understand. She wasn’t even sure she did. All she knew was that she couldn’t let Sheena and DeAndre die after all they’d been through to survive.

  “You okay?” Antonio asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

  “Yeah. I’m fine. It was just a hard road to get here. They separated me and Sheena as soon as we got here—something about safety for the kids. I get that. I just wish I could talk to her and see DeAndre.”

  “You two got that close? No offense, but I took you for a loner.”

  Raine raised an eyebrow. “Well, I think things like this…you know.”

  Antonio nodded. “You haven’t been able to talk to her since you arrived?”

  “Yeah. I saw her yesterday for a minute. She’s on the list to be moved to a FEMA trailer soon and she’s asked for permission to have me stay with her and DeAndre until I can get home to Florida,” Raine said. “Hey, maybe you can…”

  Antonio shook his head as he grabbed her forearm and moved her away from the food court.

  “That ain’t ever gonna happen,” he whispered.

  “Why? Because you aren’t related to them. I’m not and…”

  “No one is getting moved from this place, Raine. FEMA doesn’t have hundreds of trailers set up for refugees. If they did, they’d be housing their own staff in them. As it is, the Red Cross and FEMA folks have moved their own families here to the shelter.”

  Raine's eyes widened. “That just makes good sense, though. That would help them concentrate on their tasks here without worrying about their families,” Raine whispered.

  “I’m bunking with the son of one of those FEMA volunteers. He ain’t happy about being here. He’s been complaining about being on lockdown and not allowed to leave the city. He wanted to go to his mother’s in Jefferson City, but his father said no one was allowed to travel, not even government officials and their families.”

  Raine waved dismissively. “That’s not proof of anything. His dad likely only told him that because he didn’t want him to leave.”

  “I doubt that. He’s twenty-two years old. He’s old enough to make up his own mind.”

  “That doesn’t mean that they aren’t busy setting up FEMA trailers to move people out of the shelters,” Raine said.

  “Well, he said his dad was pissed at his bosses because their hands had been tied and basically, they’ve been told to run the shelter until supplies run out and then walk away.”

  “I don’t believe that. He’s just pissed at his dad, it sounds like.”

  “Maybe so, but as far as I can tell, no one is doing anything to get us out of here,” Antonio said.

  Raine and Antonio stepped back as people streamed out of the food court.

  Antonio’s eyes scanned the missing persons wall. Raine could see him reading the names on the notes.

  “Are you looking for someone?”

  “My sister, but I don’t think she’ll be here. She was on a cruise in the Bahamas. She and her husband were celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary. They weren’t expected back in St. Louis until the day after the EMP struck, so I doubt they made it.”

  “I’m sorry,” Raine said. That was all she could think to say. She’d liked to have been able to offer him some hope, but she had to acknowledge how unlikely it was.

  “Thanks,” Antonio said, running a hand over his sore ribs.

  “Where’s the rest of your family?”

  “It’s just me and my sister. My mom and dad died when I was little. We were raised by my grandmother in Brooklyn. She passed last year,” Antonio said.

  Raine could see the grief in his face.

  “My sister moved down here when her husband got transferred to St. Louis. She let me come live with her until I got a job.”

  Raine smiled.

  “What about you? You got siblings?” he asked.

  Raine started to answer him but was cut off.

  “Hey, Antonio. Jones was looking for you,” a tall Hispanic man said as he passed them.

  “I gotta run. I’ll see what more I can find out and try to find you after dinner,” Antonio said as he turned and followed the man past the carousel ride located in the center of the mall.

  Raine watched him disappear into the crowd. A knot formed in her stomach. What they’d discussed had upset her. She’d lasted this long in the uncomfortable conditions based on the belief that they’d soon be moved to a better place. She was awaiting word of when she could get transportation to Florida. But now after what she’d overheard that morning about the city being on lockdown, then her conversation with Brandon and now Antonio, she was having a difficult time remaining optimistic.

  Raine rushed past the carousel toward what had once been a Sears department store. She ignored the volunteer at the door and walked over to the craft table in the corner of the dayroom. Raine grabbed the tape, several pieces of paper, and a red crayon before quickly walking back to the missing persons wall.

  Raine scrawled the message. At the top in big, bright red block letters, she wrote Sheena, Gage, and Tom’s names and taped the note at eye level. She hoped that they’d see it soon and come find her. She needed to get their take on the situation at the shelter.

  Chapter 4

  Possum Hollow Road

  St. Francois County, Missouri

  February 18th

  As soon as they pulled out of the Wards’ driveway onto Possum Hollow Road, JJ knew that any hope of getting to her parents’ home outside Marble Hill that day was unrealistic. With the deep snow slowing them down, it was going to take the rest of the day to reach St. Louis. They’d likely be forced to spend the night in the city since driving at night on snow-covered country roads was out of the question.

  Scott’s posture was stiff as he leaned over the steering wheel. JJ glanced over her shoulder to the back seat. Poor Mrs. Ward had a death grip on the door’s armrest.

  This was going to be an intense ride.

  Scott accelerated, and the vehicle sped up. The Jeep’s traction wasn’t bad. As long as they went slow, JJ thought they’d be able to stay on the road all the way to St. Louis.

  A moment later, as they rounded a sharp bend in the road, a man stepped out in front of their car. Scott stomped on the brakes, and JJ flew forward, the seatbelt digging into her shoulder.

  Mrs. Ward gasped.

  The Jeep’s tires at first struggled to find traction on the slick road. JJ could hear the traction control system engaging to keep the vehicle from sliding. She stared at the man in the roadway, whose eyes grew wide as the SUV barreled toward him. The Jeep wasn’t slowing fast enough. JJ shoved her right foot against the floorboard, stretching out her left arm and gripping the dash.

  Somehow, Scott was able to steer the vehicle into the opposite lane and barely miss the man. It was a good thing Scott wasn’t traveling any faster or they likely would’ve plowed right over the guy. Scott raked his fingers through his hair and let out a loud puff of air.

  As they continued down the road, JJ looked in the side mirror. The man stood in the middle of the road staring at their taillights.

  “That was a close one,” JJ said.

  Scott nodded and glanced into the rearview mirror.
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  “Are you all right, Mrs. Ward?” he asked.

  “I’m fine, but I bet that old boy needs to change his drawers.” Mrs. Ward chuckled.

  JJ laughed.

  “Me too,” Scott said.

  Scott leaned forward. He white-knuckled the steering wheel as he navigated the Jeep along the narrow, winding road. JJ wondered if she should at least offer to drive part of the way. Not that she believed she could do a better job. She wasn’t sure she could’ve avoided hitting the man herself. She’d often been overconfident in her own Jeep and driven too fast for the conditions, but she’d never wrecked.

  When they reached the first straight portion of the road, Mrs. Ward leaned forward and placed her wrinkled hand on the back of Scott’s seat.

  “Up here on your left, take that next driveway. That’s Joe and Betty Wheelers’ place. Their driveway leads to Highway 67. Otherwise, you’ll have to drive practically to Farmington on roads like this.”

  Scott did as instructed. As they drove past the house, JJ noticed that no smoke rose from the chimney. There were no fresh tracks in the snow leading from the house to the barn. Two horses stood knee deep in a snowdrift near a watering trough. JJ turned in her seat as they passed them.

  “It doesn’t look like anyone’s been home since this all went down. You think those horses have been fed and watered?" JJ asked.

  “It’s possible that Joe and Betty might have been up in St. Louis when the lights went out. Joe’s on dialysis and goes to St. Louis three times a week for treatments.”

  “I think we should stop and check on the horses,” JJ said, glancing over to Scott. “It won’t take but a minute.”

  Scott glared at her then stopped the Jeep.

  “I don’t want to try turning around. You’ll have to walk from here.”

  “Okay. Not a problem. I’ll be right back,” JJ said as she threw open her door and slid out. She pulled the hood up on her parka and headed toward the corral.

  As she’d suspected, the horses’ water was frozen. Beside the large trough, a sledgehammer and a shovel leaned against a fence post. It took several whacks to break through the ice to reveal the liquid beneath. The dappled gray mare nibbled on the hood of JJ’s parka as she used the shovel to scoop out chunks of ice. The horses drank as JJ trudged off to the barn to see if they had any hay or grain. Neatly stacked round bales sat under a cover next to the barn, but they were blocked off from the corral by a pipe gate. JJ opened the gate and left it ajar so the horses could go in and feed. With her pocketknife, JJ cut the strings wrapping the bales. The horses would be set for a while. Hopefully, the owners would get home soon. There wasn’t much she could do to keep the water in the trough from refreezing, but the horses would be able to drink today. That was all she could do.