by Hunt, Jack
Blake squinted. “You?”
Chapter 1
10 Days into Blackout
Breckenridge, Colorado
Sam wiped beads of sweat from his brow after attaching another solar panel to the roof of Helen’s house. He glanced out across the city of Breckenridge and felt a familiar sense of home. Although it varied each year, the weather was mild for October. They still hadn’t had a dusting of snow but many of the aspens surrounding the town had turned golden making the entire Colorado landscape look like it had been set on fire.
Unlike Oneida, which had fallen hard and fast, the law enforcement of Breckenridge had maintained order, at least according to Richard. A city hall meeting was fast approaching and he planned on attending if only to find out the truth. People didn’t mince words and if trouble was brewing he’d soon know.
According to Richard, the mountain town was functioning, citizens were behaving and he didn’t foresee that changing despite news of dwindling resources.
He wasn’t fooling anyone, certainly not Sam.
As he made his way down the ladder at the side of Helen’s house, he thought back to the years when things were good between them. She’d been like a pillar in his life, the one sure thing that kept him grounded. So much had changed.
It had been three days since they’d moved out of Richard’s home on Iron Mask Road. What was meant to be only a one-night stay was drawn out into several days at the request of her grandfather. Of course he stated his reasons: safety, desire to be with Anna, and being one of only a few people with a working generator. Although Sam knew it was just another means of controlling the situation, he went along with it out of respect for his daughter but that all changed the morning Anna decided to return home.
His mind drifted.
Sam woke early that morning and for a moment he thought he’d be the first to rise until he heard conversation downstairs. It didn’t take long to recognize Richard’s and Anna’s voices.
“I don’t understand, Anna. We have everything we need here — plenty of space, a good neighborhood, and a generator. There’s no need to go home.”
“I appreciate it, grandfather, but I think I’m ready. Besides, it’s not fair on you.”
“I told you I’m fine with them staying. Sure, Sam should consider moving on but the rest, they are more than welcome.”
“I can’t believe you just said that.”
“What?” he replied so innocently.
“Don’t play the ignorance card. You know.”
Sam pulled back the covers and made his way over to the landing to hear more.
“Look, I appreciate him bringing you back but it doesn’t change anything. This is where you belong and he has a home elsewhere. Your mother was clear about that.”
“Don’t bring her into it.”
“Anna, I was there before she went in. I heard what she told me.”
“You know what, I don’t care. I’m heading out today. It’s my life, it’s my decision. Besides, I’ll only be around the corner.”
“It’s not safe.”
“It’s not any safer here. In fact, if it weren’t for my father I wouldn’t be here now. I’m going to ask him to stick around. If you have a problem with that, speak to him.”
Sam made his way down as they continued talking.
“Hold up, Anna. What are you going to do about a generator?”
“I’ll figure it out.”
“Security?”
“I’ll figure it out.”
“See, this is what I’m on about. You’re still a child.”
“I’m nineteen years of age.”
“And now your mother is gone, I’m responsible for you. You’re to stay here. If there is anything you want, we can go get it but there is no point in you heading back to the house. It will only make you sad.”
“You’re not my mother. And you don’t dictate what I do.”
“Okay then, how are you going to feed yourself? You got a job?”
“How is anyone in this town going to feed themselves? Wake up. Have you not seen it out there?”
“The town is functioning fine. It’ll only be a matter of days and the power will be back up and running, and then—”
“You are dreaming,” Anna said. “You didn’t see what I did out on the road. There are towns that have fallen. People have turned on each other.”
“Absurd. It’s only been ten days. There have been power outages across this country longer than that.”
“But I think you’re forgetting a very significant point in all of this.”
“Yeah, what?” Richard asked.
“Those were in one area. One area. People outside of that gave assistance to get them through it. This is across the entire United States. It may very well be global. Every city, every town and hamlet has been affected. Roads are clogged with vehicles. Transportation in the sky has been affected. Unless the government can reverse whatever has been done to the grid, no aid is coming, grandfather.”
“I knew it. I knew this would happen. This is exactly why I didn’t want your mother letting him near you. Your father has got into your head and filled it with fear-based, illogical nonsense.”
Sam walked into the kitchen. Richard was standing close to Anna with both hands on her arms as if he was trying to prevent her from walking away.
“It’s not nonsense, Richard, and I didn’t say anything to her. Anna’s seen it for herself. The problem here is you haven’t but you will. Give it some time and Breckenridge will break.”
Richard released his grip. “I won’t have you polluting her mind.”
“He’s not,” Anna said. “Please, grandfather, you don’t understand.”
“I understand very well,” he said turning around to face Anna. “I understand that he walked out many years ago and now he thinks he can come back and call the shots. Well you can’t.” Richard faced Sam from across the room. “I will not have you twisting the situation.” He walked over to a drawer and pulled out a checkbook and pen. “So tell me, how much is it going to cost to have you leave?”
“Leave?” Sam replied.
“I want you gone today. Out of this house, out of Breckenridge.”
“Grandfather,” Anna raised her voice in protest.
Richard ignored her and walked over and scribbled into his checkbook before ripping off a sheet and handing it to him. “How’s ten thousand dollars sound?”
Sam took it out of his hand and looked at it.
“Not enough?” Richard asked. “Okay, twenty thousand.”
Sam shook his head and ripped up the check and tossed the pieces on the ground.
“I don’t want your money.”
“Then what do you want, huh?”
“I’m here because of Anna.”
Richard stabbed his finger at him. “No! What’s done is done. You made the decision to no longer be part of this family a long time ago.”
“You know that’s bullshit,” Sam shot back. “If it wasn’t for you I would still be here. You never once gave my relationship with Helen a chance.”
“Don’t you mean if it wasn’t for you, cheating on my daughter?”
“She was just a friend, and I didn’t do anything.”
“That’s not what the photos and video show.”
Sam took a step forward and Richard backed up pointing his finger. “I would think very carefully about what you do next.”
Anna was quick to jump between them.
“Please,” she pleaded with them.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not going to waste my time on you.” Sam gave him a hard look. “I’ll leave your house but not the town, not until Anna says so.”
Richard looked at Anna and her eyes bounced between them.
“Anna?” Richard asked expecting her to make a decision.
“We’re heading out this morning,” she said.
“Anna!”
“I’m not doing this, grandfather.”
They’d made so muc
h noise that Mason and Chase had come down to find out what was going on. “Sam?” Mason asked as Anna walked past Sam leaving both of them standing there staring at each other.
Sam turned and patted him on the shoulder. “We’re leaving this morning. Get your things together.”
He snapped back into the present at the sound of banging.
Dropping to the ground, he turned to see Mason hammering No Trespassing signs around the 1.7-acre property. Helen’s home was a gorgeous, custom log cabin bordering open space and Nordic trails. It was perched near Cucumber Gulch and looked directly at the Tenmile Range. Covering almost 6,000 square feet, the four-bedroom home was designed with timber trusses, handcrafted stone and the best material money could buy. Of course, Richard wouldn’t have expected her to live in anything less. The purchase of the property had been a cause of several arguments. Sam wanted a modest home in one of the many good neighborhoods in town among the rest of the hard-working folks of Breckenridge, but oh no, Richard wouldn’t have that. It was all about appearances. It would reflect poorly upon him to have his family rubbing shoulders with blue collar. Helen stood by Sam even though he knew she wanted to live in the wealthier neighborhood. Who wouldn’t? So instead of backing off and allowing them to forge their own way, Richard went behind Sam’s back while he was overseas. He’d paid a designer to build a home and then he gave it as a gift to his daughter on her birthday.
What was Helen meant to do?
Sam was furious. But that was always Richard’s way. He was a master manipulator. He knew she wouldn’t turn it down. He rolled out the red carpet and gave her a tour of the place on her birthday. Richard even had the front porch wrapped with a red bow. It was sickening. And if that wasn’t enough, he made sure that it was within walking distance of his home. Peerless Drive was just around the corner from Iron Mask Drive.
It was a slap in the face.
By the time Sam returned from the operation in Iraq, Helen had already moved in and got the baby bedroom set up for the birth of Anna. Richard couldn’t have timed it any better.
That was one of many actions he took to shape the course of their life in the town, Eric Porter was another but that would come later.
“How are we doing?” Sam asked Mason.
He wiped away sweat and exhaled. “That’s the last one in. You think these are really going to make much difference?”
“Any deterrent is better than no deterrent.”
Mason leaned against a shovel and jammed a cigarette into his mouth. “You know, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since losing Lisa.”
“You want to return to Boston?” Sam asked.
“No. There’s nothing for me there, besides…” He gazed around. “This town seems to be holding up okay.”
“For now,” Sam said looking back at the house. He noticed Anna in the window talking with Amanda.
Mason blew out smoke. “So when the power comes back on — what then?”
“What do you mean?” Sam asked.
“Will you stay?”
Sam hadn’t given much thought to it. Originally the plan was to head out to Boston, reconnect with Anna, bring her back to Breckenridge and spend one more week there before returning to California but that was before the fall. He’d spent the better part of the last eleven years with his nose buried in military operations. While it had contributed to the loss of his marriage, it had saved him from losing his mind in some ways. Having something to funnel his anger and bitterness into had allowed him to keep his head above water, but now that was his past, nothing more than a line on a résumé. He looked back at Anna and thought of all the years he’d missed out on; the birthdays, the Christmases, the school years, he wasn’t sure what he could offer her now but as long as she wanted him around and the situation didn’t change he would remain here.
“To be honest, Mason, I’m just taking it day by day. Feeling my way out. This is all new to me.”
Mason sniffed hard. “So what else do you want done?”
“What did you do with the solar pathway lights?” Sam asked.
“They’re out back.”
“Good. We’ll bring those in tonight.”
“Inside?”
“They might not give off a lot of light but as long as they are charged by the sun in the day they’ll provide some illumination through the night. Saves us having to use gas in the generator. Which reminds me, how much gas do we have left?”
“We are scraping the bottom of the canister.”
“What about the car?”
“Already drained it. By the way that was real nice of Richard to get us a generator.”
Sam snorted. “Yeah, real nice. Where’s Chase?”
“I have him collecting water from the creek. He’s set up barrels to collect rain water beneath the gutters, and I told him to position a few in the woods. Hopefully that should keep him busy for a while.”
While they were talking, Anna and Amanda emerged from the garage with two bicycles. “Hey,” Anna said. “I’m taking Amanda into town, show her around and see if we can help at the school.”
Sam frowned. “At the school?”
“It’s being used as an emergency shelter. I figure they could use a hand.”
Sam thumbed over his shoulder. “But we have a lot to do around here.”
She gave a broad smile. “We’ve already done it.”
“The kick plate on the doors?”
“Installed.”
“The 2 x 4 barricade?”
“In place. I’m way ahead of you.”
“I don’t see the window bars.”
“We’ll add them later,” Anna said. “Dad, you worry too much.”
“And you don’t worry enough. Are you carrying?”
Anna lifted her top to show him the holstered Glock.
Sam was reluctant to let her go but he didn’t want to be overbearing and controlling like her grandfather. At the end of the day she was nineteen, and she’d proven she could handle stress, and from what he’d seen of the town over the past few days, there was a strong show of police presence patrolling. “All right but just don’t be too long, okay?”
He glanced at Amanda. Richard had got both Anna and her new clothes. She was now dressed in a pair of tight jeans, a white sweater, and had her dark hair pinned back. They hadn’t spoken much since they’d arrived. Finding her fiancé dead had traumatized her, even more so than Mason losing Lisa. His reaction was to become withdrawn and quiet for several days then he seemed to snap out of it. Some might have thought it was odd but everyone processed death in different ways and Sam figured Amanda would eventually come around.
They gave a wave and rode off down the driveway disappearing behind the pines. Mason patted him on the arm. “Ah, she’ll be fine. You’ve got a strong kid there. You should have seen the way she handled herself that day at the golf and country club. I swear she takes after her father.”
Sam smiled and was about to get back to securing the property when he heard the crunch of tires on the gravel driveway. He cast a glance over his shoulder and saw a police vehicle pull in.
“Heads up,” Mason said resting on his shovel.
A silver Chevy SUV with a blue stripe down the side rolled in. Sam instantly spotted Richard inside and sighed. He knew it was only a matter of time before he pulled some strings and tried to get Sam into trouble. The engine shut off and Richard and an officer got out.
“Whatever he’s told you, officer, don’t believe him. We’ve not done anything wrong.”
Richard smiled, and the officer chuckled.
“You’re not in any trouble,” Richard said. “I just wanted to introduce you to Chief James Sanchez.”
Sanchez was middle aged, with silver flecks in his hair, tanned, sporting a goatee and a bit of a paunch.
“Sam. Pleased to meet you.”
Sam extended a hand and greeted him. “Likewise.”
He had a firm handshake. Sam sized him up.
“Heard you had a lo
ng trip from Boston.”
“That’s right. So what can I do for you?”
“It’s actually what you can do for the town,” Sanchez said. “Richard here was telling me about your military background. He says you’re planning on staying. Is that right?”
Sam nodded and glanced at Richard who shifted uncomfortably.
“Well, I’ll cut to it. Obviously you are aware of the situation we’re in. While the community is doing a great job of helping one another through this time, there has been an increase in theft and a couple of women have been attacked in their homes at night.”
“And?” Sam asked.
“Our officers can only handle so much. With the curfew in place, and the need for more officers on the street, we’ve been seeking out anyone who has military background to assist. Richard here said you had. I thought you might be interested in helping.”
Sam’s gaze bounced between the two of them.
“Not sure I can help you there,” Sam replied almost immediately.
“Huh. That’s unfortunate.” Sanchez turned to Richard. Richard put up a finger and stepped forward placing a hand around Sam’s shoulder and urged him to walk with him. Sam shrugged his arm off. He didn’t want him thinking he liked him. Richard had this way about him whereby he would make a person feel smaller than him, less important even.
“Look, Sam, I know we got off on the wrong foot but—”
“What’s your angle?”
“My what?” Richard asked, his brow furrowing.
“C’mon, Richard, you always have a reason behind what you’re doing.”
“I don’t have an angle. We have a need. If you are staying, then the situation here in the town affects you and Anna. Chief Sanchez brought up the need for more people helping in our meeting this morning. I recommended you. Is there a problem with that?”
“The problem is with you overstepping the line.”
“The line?”
“Since I’ve known you, you have never asked. You push and pull. Then you stand there baffled as to why I resist.”
He studied Sam, nodding ever so slightly.
“If you’re not interested that’s fine. But if those lights come back on, who knows, maybe this would give you a foot in with the department. A man of your skills — it can’t be easy finding work now you’re out of the military.”