Things Change (Book 1): Things Change

by Citroner, GW

  “Road warriors? I loved that movie.” Ty chuckled, then considered. “That’s actually not funny. What the hell do we do about it?”

  Dan replied. “We could hold up for a couple of hours and try going through under cover of darkness. If we keep our lights off, we may not be noticed.”

  That’s dangerous, and we’d go too slowly anyway if we did try,” Ty scratched his head, staring at the van’s headlights for a moment. “I’ve got an idea.”

  “It better be a good one.”

  “It is. During the Second World War, they had the same problem. People needed to drive from place to place at night without being seen by the enemy. What they did is cover the top half or so of their headlights. Just enough to reduce their visibility while letting them still see at least some of the road.”

  “That might work. Do we have anything to do that with?” Lily asked.

  Ty hopped in the van and rummaged through the glove box. “Hah! I knew it, an old piece of crap like this – the driver would have something on hand to keep things from falling off.” He waved a heavy roll of gray duct tape at them.

  It took only minutes to completely cover the brake lights and leave the barest slit clear across both headlights. “That should do it, we won’t be invisible, but we’ll be a lot harder to see.”

  “It’s the best we can do,” agreed Dan. “The only problem left is engine noise. You can hear this old engine coming from a long way off.”

  Lily looked at the masked headlamps. “It makes it look like the car’s squinting.”

  “Anyone driving is going to look the same,” Dan replied.

  Twenty

  “I don’t like this,” Dan squinted fiercely, trying to see as far ahead as possible. “My eyes hurt like hell.” Setting off at nightfall, they’d driven for the better part of an hour. Lily and Smelly were asleep on the back seat.

  “I’ll switch with you.” Ty offered.

  “We’re way passed Ogden. That puts us smack dab in the danger zone around Salt Lake. I’ll feel better if we can get a bit farther before stopping.”

  “I don’t think it’s going to get better.”

  “What was that?”

  “Just thinking out loud, I said I don’t think things will ever improve. What’s happened is like hitting a window with a rock. You can’t put it back together again.”

  “That sounds pretty dark coming from you.”

  Ty sat up straighter. “No, it’s not being dark, I’m just thinking logically.” He took a breath and continued. “The world was already in trouble before all this happened. Almost every country had already begun splitting into us against them. Politics, race, money, we were all on one side or another. It was just a matter of time before everything blew up in our faces. Look at the Soviet Union. That was cracking up slowly for years and then the wall dividing Germany into east and west just fell one day.”

  “What has that got to do with us now?”

  “I think it’s the same thing. The United States has become a collection of very different, little countries. Look at California and New York, the most cosmopolitan and racially diverse states in the country. Now compare them with Idaho, Montana or the Dakotas, don’t get me started on the southern states like Kentucky or Florida.”

  “Then the crisis could help unite everyone against a common danger.” Dan said.

  “I don’t think that’s how it works in real life. War tears countries apart and we’re at war against the infected, looters, loonies, and troublemakers who want to take advantage of the chaos.”

  “I still don’t buy it.”

  “Think!” Ty said, warming up to the topic. “For the last fifty years we’ve gone through the mess in Viet Nam, women’s rights, gun rights, Carter, Reagan, abortion; and each time more and more people chose sides and stayed there.”

  “Don’t forget the preppers,” added Dan.

  “Yeah, that’s us. People who saw the mud and sand civilization balanced on, and they got ready for the fall. If we get through this and start rebuilding, we’re going to have a bunch of little countries on one continent, just like Europe. The history there isn’t pretty. They went hundreds of years at war with each other.”

  “No hope then?”

  “No, not none – but I don’t think we’ll live long enough to see the world set back on track. I’m sure this has gotten out to every part of the planet. What happens to technology when there aren’t enough people left who know how it all works?”

  “Now you’re being silly. We have the books, technical manuals, and actual devices we use all around us. There’ll always be some bright boys around who can figure it all out again.”

  “Even if you knew everything there was to know about building a computer, do you think you can manufacture your own hard drive or memory? Everything we’ve accomplished, from phones to refrigerators, relies on a massive chain of specialists and dedicated manufacturing facilities. Think about the problems we’re going to have figuring out the power grid.”

  “I see your point, but then what?”

  “We probably go back to a nineteenth century level of technology, stuff people can build and maintain on their own with just a little mechanical know-how. Steam and maybe gas-powered engines, but forget about MRIs and antibiotics.”

  “No antibiotics means no more invasive surgeries like a heart bypass or hernia operation. Shit, we were almost there before the epidemic. There were more antibiotic resistant bugs coming out every year and no luck finding drugs to fight them with.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Throw nuclear bombs and a shaky banking system into the mix and I guess you’re right, we were heading for a fall sooner or later.”

  “I think that’s what caused this mess. Some big brain somewhere decided to play with something he shouldn’t have and it got out of hand.”

  “Are you two always so depressing when I’m not around.”

  Ty turned around and said “Sorry if we woke you, Lil. We’re talking to pass the time and keep focused on the road.”

  “Go back to sleep, I figure another hour before we stop so Ty can take over. We’ll need more gas or another car shortly after that. You’ll wanna be fresh in case there’s trouble.”

  A sharp pinging sound caught their attention. Wind whistled through a small hole just over a rear side window. Ty shouted. “Hit the gas, somebody’s shooting at us!”

  Lily grabbed the dog and found cover for both of them in the space between rear and front seats, Ty bent over double to hide as much of himself as possible while Dan hit the gas and turned off the headlights. They were speeding blindly into the darkness, running the risk of crashing, or running off the road.

  For Dan, time slowed down. He was incredibly aware of every bump in the road, the movement of the steering wheel. He guessed they were doing in excess of eighty miles per hour. A cracking sound from the rear window and there was another whistling draft. That was behind us. I think we passed the shooter.

  Believing they were headed away from danger, he flicked the headlights on and slowed down a bit. What he saw in the dimmed headlights wasn’t comforting. “Oh shit. Forget about dodging bullets, put on your seat belts, and hang tight!”

  Twenty-one

  Snakelike, glittering shapes crisscrossed the road a few hundred feet ahead. “Road spikes!” yelled Dan, moments before they ran over the first strips.

  All four tires blew as Dan slammed on the breaks in an attempt to avoid the hazard. Fishtailing wildly, the vehicle tipped over, sliding several yards before slamming into the guardrail.

  Eyes flying open, Dan looked around him. How long have I been out? His face pressed against the driver side window and the view confused him until he remembered. Spikes in the road. I hit the brakes like an idiot and we flipped over.

  Looking to his right he saw Ty, hanging over him, out cold. Staring through the shattered remains of the windshield, he saw several small, bright lights heading toward them. He shouted. “Are you OK back there?”

  “We’re a b
it banged up, but nothing broken.”

  He twisted his head to look at Lil and got his ear licked by a slimy, foul-smelling, foot long tongue. “Your friend needs a mint,” he coughed, trying to escape the stench and find fresher air. “Company’s coming, Lily. How’s about we let slip our dog of war?”

  Turning the dog’s lumpy head toward her face, Lily gazed into eyes disturbingly like her own and gave a simple order. “Kill them all.” The creature exploded through the ruined windshield.

  Soon after, they heard screams and gunfire.

  “I need to make sure he’s OK.” Lily crawled out of the wreck.

  “I could have used a hand with, Ty,” Dan grumbled.

  Then he smelled gasoline. Pulling off his seatbelt, he managed to get in a kneeling position. He released Ty’s seatbelt and the man’s heavy body fell on him. He tried waking him up. “Ty, come out of it! We have to get out of here!” The smell of gasoline grew heavier. It was a matter of seconds before something sparked a blaze. He had to act. Bracing his butt against the seat and feet against the other man’s belly, he kicked. Ty’s inert form rolled away from the vehicle. Dan quickly followed.

  Ty shook his head. “What happened?“

  Dan pulled him farther from the wreck and answered. “We crashed, I pulled you out. Lil and Smelly are running after the assholes that did this.”

  “Shame we don’t have marshmallows.”

  “What? I think you hit your head a little too hard.”

  “No, I mean it. Look at the pretty fire.” He passed out again. Dan looked back to see the van engulfed in flames.

  “At least it didn’t explode.” He got up creakily to see what could be salvage before the whole thing burned up.

  “I’m back.”

  Dan jumped, bumping his head. “Don’t do that!” he continued pulling out their backpacks and gear from the wreck. Lily had reappeared with uncanny stealth. “Where’s old smeller?”

  “His name is Smelly, Dan,” she said, carefully placing two AR-15 rifles on the ground beside her. She carried a third across her back. “Look, I brought back goodies. The bad guys won’t need them anymore.”

  “Nice haul.”

  She pointed at his hands. “You’re hurt!”

  He looked them over, only now realizing the damage he’d suffered escaping the wreck. “It looks worse than it is. The first aid kit is somewhere on that pile, help me find it, please.”

  “Where’s Ty?”

  “He’s out cold, over there. It’s quiet. You and Stinky handled the troublemakers?”

  “His name is Smelly, and he’s still out there, sniffing around. I think he was getting a little stir crazy sitting in the back, he’ll be back soon enough.”

  “How many were there?” He asked, using their drinking water to wash his scraped hands.

  “Not many. Smelly took care of them, and I just tried to follow. I counted eleven bodies when he was done. He sees much better in the dark than I do. Those men didn’t stand a chance.”

  “I don’t feel bad about it at all.”

  “So the van’s a total loss?” Ty staggered over to them. Noticing the rifles, he picked one up and whistled appreciatively. “Civilian AR-15s, we need these.” He slipped out the magazine. “7.62, not the conventional 5.56 rounds; packs a better punch.”

  “How’s the head,” asked Dan.

  “Like I banged it into a brick wall.” He waved at the burning wreckage. “We’re gonna need another ride.”

  Lily knelt down to give Smelly a well-earned scratch behind his ears, “You’re a good boy, Smelly, aren’t you?” She added thoughtfully, “You know guys, these people had to have a vehicle somewhere nearby, why don’t we take a walk and see what we can find?”

  Ty agreed. “You have a point. I bet if we walk back the way we came, we’ll find something.”

  About two miles later, they found an exit and turned off the highway. “I think we can turn off the flashlights now, day’s breaking.”

  “How about we take a break on the other side of that overpass? I’m still shaky from the crash, and I could use a break.”

  “Stay here, while we go ahead. Smelly will keep an eye on you.”

  Dan and Lily went ahead. “Look over there, Lil, that orange splash on the tree. Somebody marked this area for a reason.”

  They approached the tree and found a trail beaten through the brush behind it. “This looks good; there’s been a lot of traffic here. Let’s follow it and see where it goes.”

  “Be careful, Dan; the infected ignore me, but if something’s here, then it’s gonna get you before I can do much about it.”

  He looked at the gun he was carrying. “Don’t worry so much, this isn’t the first time I’ve done this. Besides its daytime, they’re not so active now.”

  Five minutes later, they found it.

  “We hit the jackpot.” Dan said, awestruck by the sight before him.

  “It’s a jeep, Dan.”

  “That, young lady, isn’t just a jeep. It’s a kitted out Humvee in forest camouflage with spare gas cans on the tailgate and an M60 machine gun on the roof.”

  They approached the vehicle and took a long look inside. “Those are ammo cans, Lily. Probably more than a few hundred rounds for the rifles you liberated and this monster on the roof. Looks like they drove a wide path back down the hill where it meets the highway. We can pick up Ty and grab the food and gear we left behind at the wreck.”

  “How do we start it? We don’t have keys, but I bet one of those guys spattered on the highway will, it shouldn’t take long to find.”

  “Just settle down next to me in the front seat while I show you something.”

  “You can hotwire this thing?”

  “Don’t need to, you see this,” he pointed to a toggle switch on the dashboard. “Now listen.” He flipped the switch, and then pressed a button. The starter chugged and he tapped the gas pedal. The engine roared to life.

  “This isn’t a civilian ride, military vehicles don’t need keys. Let’s go pick up Ty.”

  They bumped down the hill to circle back under the overpass and meet Ty where they left him. Man and dog were asleep when they found them; Ty was using Smelly’s smooth white side as a pillow. “I guess they made friends,” Lily said.

  They rumbled down the highway; already well past Salt Lake City and heading toward New Mexico. Ty looked over the map. “If this is 550 then we keep going straight until Albuquerque, then catch 40 going east until we hit Abilene. You’ll be at your grandma’s in no time Lil.”

  “I don’t know if she’s still there, or what she’ll think of me if she is. I’ve changed a bit since than the last time she saw me.”

  “Do you know her exact address?” Dan asked.

  “It’s 1664 Partridge Place. I just don’t know how to find it. That’s not a problem, is it?”

  “Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.”

  Bored, Ty rummaged through under the rear seats. “Let’s see what we’ve got back here, might be a road atlas or something.” They heard him grunt and then complain loudly. “Jeezus, you’re dog just farted on my head while I was looking under here.”

  “But did you find anything?”

  “Besides poison gas?”

  “Stop messing around with the dog, Ty. Is there anything interesting back there?” Lily asked.

  “No – maybe…Yup, but it’s not a map. Looks like notebooks with pics between some of the pages.”

  He handed one to Lily and started flipping through another. “This is a list of their supplies by the look of it, and it doesn’t look good. They were running out of everything.”

  “This looks like one of the guys who were shooting at us back there. He’s standing with a woman and a little boy; was that his family?”

  Dan cut in. “Don’t start feeling guilty, Lil. I’m sure all those men had people they were responsible for. They chose to attack us for what they needed. We responded the only way possible.”

  “It looks like there w
eren’t too many left, there’s a long list of names here and many are marked ‘deceased’ with a date.”

  Dan gripped the wheel tightly thinking about his own boy, knowing that at least one of those men was going to be sorely missed. “Try to find something we can use, Ty.”

  “I think I did.”

  “What?” Dan asked.

  “It’s a collection of notes, observations they made; attacks, deaths, what they stole from travelers, things like that.” He flipped through a couple of pages and continued. “They were alright until just recently, the barriers and patrols kept out infected people and they were ruthless when one of their own showed signs of infection. But they didn’t just rely on canned goods. There was livestock; chickens, sheep, pigs, and then they became infected.”

  “It must have surprised the hell out of them.”

  “Yup, I know it made things interesting for us.” Ty said. “It’s still not the end of the world, though. But it makes survival a little more problematic.”

  Lily groaned. “What does everybody do when you don’t know if you’re gonna run into killer mice or psycho birds? Animals are kind of everywhere.”

  “Yes, but not every animal is going to get infected. During the black plague, millions of people died, but the survivors were immune to infection, which is why it never happened again. Life always adapts to changing circumstances, and this is just a hard patch we’re going through. It won’t be as bad what happened to the dinosaurs.”

  “I don’t know, this is starting to look pretty bad to me. Maybe people years into the future will be fine, but it’s my people here and now that I’m most concerned with.” Dan said.

  “I know you’re worried about the wife and kid, but we need to focus on what we’re doing now; heading to where they should be.”

  “It’s been eating away at me, anything could have happened to them by now.”

  “You’re not the only one, look at Lily – her grandmother is the only family she has left. If she finds her, how’s she going to explain what happened, and why she looks the way she does. She also has to be careful she’s not mistaken for one of the infected.”