“You would be John Jacob Astor if you had that much money,” Lydia replied.
He looked at her, wondering what she was thinking. The name meant nothing to him, but it sounded like she was serious. However, before he could ask a question, he was distracted by her long blonde hair blowing in the wind.
“You took off your bonnet,” he remarked casually.
She smiled at him. “Yeah. When you opened my window, however you did that, I was overcome by the fresh air. I love how the wind feels. I’ve never gone this fast in a wagon!” Lydia leaned her head out the open window a lot like a dog would, and the wind made her hair flow and whip.
Once they left Elwyn’s place, Garth had opened her window to clear out the fresh paint odor, but he hadn’t anticipated what it meant for the pioneer girl.
He forced his eyes back on the road. There weren’t many cars on the two-lane highway, but his dad had reinforced the idea that he should always keep his eyes on the road no matter what.
Seconds later, he pulled out his phone, held it up next to the steering wheel, and pressed the button to activate voice command, doing it all without looking down.
“What are you doing with that?” Lydia shouted in the wind.
“Calling my dad. He and I have been playing phone tag all day. ‘Call Dad.’”
Lydia shifted in her seat. “I love tag! You will have to show me how to play with your telephone.”
Garth chuckled to himself as the phone rang on his dad’s end.
“It’s ringing!” he said excitedly.
The phone rang many times, for at least a minute, and he assumed it was going to fail as it had before. However, he held on because any ring was better than none. If he was patient…
Finally, there was a click, and a voice said, “Hello?”
“Dad?”
“Garth! Hell, yeah! I’m so glad to hear your voice.”
“Me too,” he said, keeping one hand on the wheel. “Where are you?”
“Didn’t you get my texts? I’m in Wyoming. We were stuck behind a huge herd of buffalo crossing the highway, if you can believe it. I sent you a picture of it.”
“I think our texts aren’t going through all the time. I’d remember if you had told me about buffalo.”
They traded stories for a few minutes. Garth told him about his idea to paint the taxi so it wasn’t a huge target. He also explained his dilemma with getting gas, and his dad seemed pleased to hear how he had figured it out.
In return, his dad shared his stories about Utah and Wyoming.
“So, Dad, I’ve got my gas and a like-new ride. I’m heading home this afternoon. I do have Lydia with me, but I promise she’ll sleep in a separate room.”
Buck laughed. “I trust you to do the right thing. You are a man now.” He hesitated like he wanted to say more.
“Dad?”
Buck turned serious. “Son, listen. They are talking about this blue light as if it has made all of the world’s military equipment go haywire. The President came on the radio and said some nations are thinking about using nukes because they might soon be obsolete.”
Garth held onto the wheel as if losing his grip would result in a fiery wreck. “Dad, are you serious? They would really do that?”
“I’ll be honest with you, Garth; I don’t know. I’ve talked it over with Connie, and we both agree it is unlikely. However,” he stressed, “we’re two civvies out here in Bumpkinville, Wyoming. We have no idea what’s happening back in civilization. We can’t say it is impossible.”
“What should we do?” Garth replied, his voice cracking on the last word.
Lydia was now back inside the window and watching him. He figured his change in tone must have been obvious.
Buck went on. “You are safe in Delaware?”
“Yes. We came on the ferry to this state, and we haven’t gone far from the landing, but we aren’t exactly there right now.”
Dad spoke in a muffled voice to someone else, presumably his friend Connie. Garth was interested to know more about the mystery woman because he’d seldom seen his father with a companion.
Not since Mom died.
“Hold on. Connie and I are looking at the atlas. Do you have a map with you?”
“No. I brought the tent and sleeping bags, but I don’t have any maps.”
“Shit,” Dad said under his breath. “I should have anticipated that in my bugout bag. A basic map of the US would have been easy to stick in there.”
Connie said something he couldn’t pick up, but his dad seemed to repeat it.
“Interstate 64, Garth. Go south all the way through Delaware and Maryland on… Highway 13. Can you remember that? It will take you to a long bridge over the bay, and then you’ll be in Virginia. You will literally run into Interstate 64. Take it west. That will keep you well clear of Three Mile Island and any fallout from it.”
“South on 13. West on 64. Got it.”
“I’ll have to get back to you on where we’re going to meet, but I want to stay away from all the major cities.” His dad paused for a full five seconds. “In case the worst happens.”
Garth watched the road, unable to reply right away.
“You good, son?” Buck asked, his voice thick with worry.
His first reaction came out of nowhere: anger. He didn’t want to head west, away from home. Away from his best friend. It wasn’t only dangerous, it was a colossal disturbance in his existence. His dad had an elaborate plan to ruin Garth’s entire life. It was pure Dad being Dad.
But he choked down that first instinct and tried to think about Dad’s position. He was doing his best to get back home.
No, he’s doing his best to get to me.
“Are you positive I should leave New York? I’m sure I can get this taxi back home. We can leave if it looks like any war is starting. I’ll listen to the radio religiously.”
“I know you could make it. I have no doubt of your skills, after what it took to get out the first time. But if there is a war, even a small one, New York is going to be a target. You’ll have maybe fifteen minutes of warning, assuming the radio is working. You’d never get out of the city in time.”
“This is crazy,” Garth reasoned. “I’ve never driven much before, much less a thousand miles.”
Dad laughed in a sympathetic way. “Before a few days ago, you didn’t drive at all! There’s nothing to it. I could do a thousand miles in one day if I didn’t keep running into bullshit, sometimes literally with this herd. Once you are on the interstate, keep your eyes on the road, don’t interact with people if you can help it, and drive west. You’ll do fine.”
“All right. I trust you know what’s going on. I can do this, Dad. If the cell towers are working again, I might even have the internet. I can use online maps to find my way west. That will make it easier.”
He felt a little better knowing his dad had faith in his abilities.
“We’re going nowhere fast out here,” Dad replied. “Keep your phone close, but if all else fails, head for the sunset, okay? Drive west. We’ll drive east. Get yourself a map next time you get gas and take bypasses around big cities, right?”
“Got it. How do I get gas?”
Someone spoke to Dad, and his muffled reply suggested he held a hand over the phone. When he finally came back on, he sounded excited. “We’re through the herd and back up to highway speeds, so we’re going to make up some time. I’ll be back to you in a jiffy, okay? We’ll keep in touch for where we’re going to meet up.”
“Okay,” he said, still driving. “We’ll be fine. Talk to you soon, Dad.”
“Love you, son. Keep the wheel-side down, okay?”
Garth laughed. “Love you, too. Will do.”
He hung up and thought about the grave turn the conversation had taken.
Lydia watched him as if waiting for her orders.
He frowned. He’d had his mind set on going home and showing Lydia all the things that were important to him. Maybe even cooking for her, but
all that was gone after one short conversation. Dad was right, though. If the shit had hit the fan, staying away from city dwellers was the key to surviving. Garth turned to look at Lydia. At least he wasn’t alone. She was a survivor. “Looks like we’re heading west.”
I-80, Wyoming
“When it rains, it pours.” Buck almost set his phone back in the cradle after talking to Garth, but he caught sight of the text notification. “It looks like I’ve got a text message from Mr. Williams.”
Connie didn’t miss a beat. “Who is—”
“My boss. Well, more like my manager. He arranges the pickups and drops for the shipping company I contract with.” He handed her the phone. “Can you read what he says?”
There were only a few cars on the highway, mostly from westbound turnarounds who had peeled off from the long line of vehicles waiting for the buffalo herd to clear out. Still, he wasn’t going to text and drive.
“It says, ‘Buck, I’ve had ten drivers give up the ghost in the last two days. I’ll lose my shirt on the insurance payouts alone. Please tell me you are going to get our load to White Plains.’”
He glanced at Connie. “He used my nickname. It’s literally the first time he’s ever done it. I think he’s desperate.”
She smiled at him. “What did he call you all the other times?”
“My real name is Blake,” he said as if she’d pulled out one of his teeth.
“Aww. That’s a cute name.” She reached down to Mac, who remained in a ball at her feet. “You have such a cute daddy.”
Buck clenched his jaw and pretended to be mad. In truth, there wasn’t much she could say that would make him angry at her.
“So, anyway…” Buck drawled. “I talked to him right after the blue light hit, and I told him I would get this through for him. Do my job, basically. That’s what I’ve been telling our friends in the convoy too, but I made the statement before I saw the full effects of the blue energy wave. And before the red wave, and that was before there was a whiff of nuclear war.”
He stopped talking and stared straight ahead.
“Buck? You there?” She seemed to know when to pull him out of his reverie.
After a long sigh, he chanced another look at her. “I can’t believe the world has come to this, but I’m considering not pulling this load to White Plains, especially if Garth meets us out on the road. Best case, I delay my delivery for a week or two.”
“And worst case?” she asked.
“Worst case is something bad happens with this nuke issue, we meet Garth, then find a comfortable patch of woods to call our own. Try to make the best of whatever resources we can find, and if the world eventually gets back to normal, we come out.”
She sat back in her seat and crossed her arms as if getting comfortable for a long ride. “There is an upside, you know?”
“I’d love to hear it,” he remarked without enthusiasm.
“We’ll have all the chili we can eat.”
That struck a gong inside his psyche.
I’m not a thief!
The more he thought about it, however, the more he realized she was being practical. If there was a calamity, he was sitting on a gold mine of survival rations. The metal cans would last a long time. They could get him and his people through the worst of what might be a tough slog.
“And I’ve got a can opener,” he said, deliberately chuckling.
The thought made him look at his trailer in the side mirror. The container practically glowed in the sunshine, but his mind was playing tricks on him again. The endless supply of chili was a fantastic resource to have, but it would also make him a mountain-sized target if people found out what was back there.
“Text a reply to Mr. Williams, please. Tell him I’m still on the road and will do everything in my power to get the shipment to White Plains.”
It was a powerful admission to know he probably couldn’t make good on that statement, but family came first. After he had Garth back in the fold, he could worry about coming through for his boss.
But not a second before.
Nineteen
Search for Nuclear, Astrophysical, and Kronometric Extremes (SNAKE). Red Mesa, Colorado
Faith finally had enough data to go to General Smith and present her case for how energy flowed inside the powerful bubble surrounding the Earth. She strode down the hallway with confidence, until she saw Benny the reporter leaning against the wall as if waiting for news to drop in his lap.
“Hey! Dr. Sinclair. You have something for me?”
“Not right now,” she replied, sounding chipper. She didn’t want to give him any reason to doubt her. “But I might have news soon.”
Benny blocked her way, although it didn’t appear deliberate. “Thanks, by the way, for helping my wife come here.”
Faith stayed there for a moment. “She’s doing okay? No problems getting in?”
He shook his head. “Nope. They didn’t even give her a once-over to collect her phone, like they did for me. I guess they didn’t think she was a reporter.” Benny winked.
“Is she?” Faith whispered.
“Naw. I’m just being silly.” He scanned the hallway. “This place has become too serious, if you ask me. It’s great I’m here, but hardly anyone is willing to talk to me, as if I’ll get them fired.”
“Everyone’s paranoid,” she agreed. “That’s the price of having a general of the Army in your house.”
“Maybe,” he replied.
When Benny didn’t volunteer anything more, she made to leave. “I have to go see the general. Hang around, okay? If he clears me to say anything publicly, you’ll be the first one to know.”
“And the only one!” he added as he stepped aside.
“That’s our arrangement,” she assured him.
Faith walked past several more offices until she got close to the one being used by the General. His aide stood outside the closed door, which usually meant the general was inside.
Pull it together, Faith.
“Hello. Is the general available? I have some data to show him.”
The aide smiled while he checked a digital tablet. “I’m showing he is free in a few minutes. Will that be okay?”
For once she wasn’t in a life-or-death rush.
“Yes. I can wait.”
“Very good,” the man replied.
She looked back at Benny. He remained in the same spot, but he had his eye on her. With luck, she’d have a good meeting with the general, get the okay to tear into one of the Four Arrows boxes, and then have something interesting to share with the reporter. It would relieve everyone in his audience to know there was a solution being worked out.
After waiting a few minutes, the guard let her in.
“Hello, General Smith,” she said in the presence of the aide.
The old soldier waited until his helper had shut the door, then addressed her informally. “Come in and sit down, Faith.”
He had his top buttons undone, and he was covered in sweat like he’d been doing hard labor since she last saw him on the parking lot. He got up and strode toward the plastic chairs in front of his desk.
Faith looked him up and down because he was a mess.
“I know. I’m soaked from running around outside. Don’t tell anyone I’m a normal human,” he joked. “It would ruin the image.”
“The rumor I hear is your nickname is ‘Obi-Wan,’ after the Star Wars movies. Were you out there working your magic?” The relaxed mood caused her to lower her guard and try a little small talk.
“Who told you that? I’ve been trying to stamp that nickname out for years. Back in Iraq, I—”
The ground shook under her feet as a fiery orange light erupted from the parking lot. She was sideways to the windows, so she turned in that direction to see what it was.
“Down!” the general bellowed.
He slammed into her.
“Shit!” she yelled as she fell.
The glass of the windows shattered and allowed
the full fury of the explosion into the room as she dropped to the floor. The roar was deafening, and it got momentarily hotter, but the impact with the floor hurt her the most.
Tiny pieces of broken glass splashed against the back wall and fell to the floor as a cascade of tinkling crystal. She shielded her head from the flying shards.
She gasped for air as powerful gasoline fumes filled the office.
“What the hell was that?” she yelped.
General Smith had his arm draped over her midsection, and for a few seconds, he didn’t move. She thought he might have been injured, so she tried to shift it away.
“Don’t,” he said. “We need to stick together. Go for the door.”
The smoke made it hard to see inside the office, but it wasn’t completely dark.
“This way,” the general declared as he used his arm to push her toward the hallway door.
“I’m with you,” she replied as best she could.
“Watch the glass,” Smith announced as he began to crawl toward the door.
“Can we get up?” she asked with obvious fear in her voice.
“Stay down!” he ordered. “We don’t know who’s out there. We may be targets.”
Oh, shit.
They made it over the broken glass and through the door.
His aide was absent, and the hallway was filled with chaos and screaming.
He got her situated on the inside wall, away from any windows.
“Was it a bomb?” she inquired.
“Damn right it was a bomb. Someone blew up a car out on the lot.” He picked at his scalp as if checking for shrapnel.
“I don’t want to stay here, sir. I’ve got to get my people out of this hall.”
He stopped his self-triage. “Stay low, and go with me down the hall.” He pointed toward the research area, which was at the end of an intersecting hallway. “We’ve got to get everyone deeper into the facility.”
It wasn’t dignified to be crawling the hallway in her blouse and dress pants, but she followed the general without complaint. Along the way, she checked on some shaken people, including Benny.
End Days Series Box Set [Books 1-4] Page 61