Robin went to her purse and handed her identical phone to Cody. He flipped it open, and it too was dark. “What the …? Neither phone works.”
“That’s odd.”
Cody looked at her in the dim candle light flickering from the drafts coming through the windows. “I’m going out front to see if anyone has lights.” With his jacket still on he went through the front door, walked down to the sidewalk, and looked around at his neighbors’ houses. It was pitch black. The entire street was quiet and blanketed in solid darkness. Instead of going back into his house he decided to walk across the narrow street to see if his friend Jack was home.
It felt strange walking into the night completely socked in by fast moving thick clouds. No lights, no traffic, no sounds except for the wind. The light from his flashlight led him to Jack’s front door. He automatically went for the doorbell, and then he remembered there was no point. Cody rapped on the door. In a few seconds it opened and Jack appeared.
“Oh. It’s you Cody,” the old man said, looking through his bifocals. “Come in, come in. Terrible weather we’re having. And now this.” He slowly pointed to the burning candles in his front room. Cody noticed Jack had leaned a baseball bat back against the inside door frame. For being an eighty-seven year old man, he was still fairly strong, but a bat in his hands wouldn’t really discourage a serious intruder.
“Thought I’d stop by to see if you lost your power, but it seems it’s out everywhere,” Cody offered.
“Thanks for coming by Cody. We’re doing just fine,” Jack said. “Edith is in bed. She’s still sleeping.” Edith, his wife of fifty-three years, was in frail health and seldom ventured outdoors now. Jack had been caring for her for a long time. They’d lived in this house for fifty years, ever since it was built. The elderly man meticulously maintained his yard, was a friendly old guy, and all around good neighbor.
Cody nodded his head. He liked the old fellow who was a World War II veteran who insisted on walking in every Veteran’s Day, Fourth of July, and Christmas parade. “I’m glad to see you are okay,” Cody mentioned. “Just hope they get the electricity on soon.”
“Except, now we have no heat,” Jack added. “The gas heater won’t work without electricity to turn it on and run the blower.”
Cody had completely forgotten about the furnaces not working. In this bitter cold he hoped everything would get back to normal soon. He had to ask Jack, “Can I use your phone? Our cell phones are down for some reason.”
“I’d let you, but our home phone doesn’t work. It went out with the lights too,” the nice neighbor said. “Never owned none of those damn fancy cellular type phones myself. Too much of a bother if you ask me.”
“Okay Jack. You take care and stay bundled up. Say hello to Edith for me. I’ll find out what’s going on and let you know tomorrow,” Cody said as he headed to the door.
“Good to see you Cody. Go stay with your family,” Jack said. “We’ll be fine. Been through much worse over the years.”
He opened his door and automatically went for his bat. “Good night my friend,” Jack said. “Oh, Cody, don’t let them get to you,” he said as the door closed.
Cody wondered what the old man meant by that, but it didn’t really matter. It was too cold outside in the howling night wind to stand there thinking, so he rushed back to his house.
Inside he smelled the burning wood. It was comforting in a strange sort of way, but he also sensed the house temperature had dropped a bit. The candles were still burning and threw off enough light to get around. Robin and the children were having a good time singing Old McDonald songs in front of the fireplace.
Cody broke up their fun and explained to his wife what he had found out about the blackout, which was absolutely nothing, except that the entire street was without power. And it definitely didn’t help the situation. “We’ll have to make the best of it until tomorrow, but…”
“But what?” Robin asked.
“We won’t have any heat. The furnace can’t start up without power.”
“Well, we have the fireplace. But Cody, there’s something else,” his wife mentioned.
“What more can go wrong?” Cody asked, shaking his head.
“There’s no water. I turned the faucet on when you were out, but there’s no water.”
Cody stopped to think for a minute. How in the hell could that be? Then it came to him. Water systems were delivered by pumps, electric pumps. Another thought popped into his brain. The radio in his office also worked on batteries. He could listen to the news to find out how bad the storm was. Carrying his flashlight he rushed to his work space, unplugged the radio, and switched it to battery power. He dialed the station selector along the full AM spectrum. Nothing, not even static. He then turned the knob to FM and increased the volume,
getting the same results. He opened his laptop, but even on battery power it refused to boot up.
“Damn!”
Cody sat back for a second, thinking. He picked up his truck keys and hurried through the kitchen into the garage. The radio in his truck would give him information he needed. He opened the pickup’s door and jumped in. He couldn’t believe how cold it was in the garage. He inserted his key to start the engine. It refused to turn over. He tried it again, then again. He turned the radio knob, but it too was dead.
Confused, Cody dashed into the house, and without saying a word, grabbed Robin’s car keys out of her purse. He had installed a new battery in her Nissan not two months ago. He desperately went through the same motions over and over. Her car was dead too. But that was impossible, he thought. Wasn’t it?
He sped back inside and saw his wife looking anxiously at his erratic actions. “Robin, I don’t understand what’s happening. There’s no electricity, no phone service, no computer hook up, no heat, no water. Now the cars won’t start and the radios don’t work. I’ve never heard of a winter storm knocking out everything. Something weird is going on, Robin. I don’t know what it is, but I’m going to find out.”
Chapter 4
That evening Cody had made several more trips to the woodpile. He dumped a big heap of frozen, but dried wood on the patio and stacked the fireplace bin full for the cold night ahead. He thought it best for the whole family to sleep together in the living room since the fire was their only source of heat and the bedrooms in the back of the house would get colder.
Robin had laid most every blanket they had down on the carpet near the hearth as a cushion for her and the children to sleep. Cody tried to sleep on the long sofa, but at best he slept off and on through the night. Each time he woke he topped off the fire with more logs and made sure his kids hadn’t kicked off their covers. The house was getting colder by the minute and he started to get concerned for his family’s well being.
Early in the morning he stoked the fire for the umpteenth time. He looked at his watch and was surprised to see it was keeping time. It was six fifteen on Thanksgiving Day. He tried the light switches; however, the power was still off. The faucets ran dry too. He checked his cell phone once more, but it didn’t light up.
Walking about the house, the temperature felt like it was fifty degrees. Outside, fifty degrees was not too bad. Inside, it was a raw, bone chilling level. Cody opened the living room curtains enough to look out. There was a thin layer of white frost on the graveled front
yards and the street looked slick with a film of ice. The winds had
died down and all the trees had lost their leaves to last night’s blowing gusts.
From the window he glanced both up and down the road hoping to see repair crews in their big rigs and yellow gear working to restore power. No one was out there. It appeared that no traffic had even traveled the slick icy roads. The storm clouds, still dark and threatening, hung low enough to block the early sun. The southern mountains, usually in full view, were lost in the weather. Touching the window pane, Cody could tell the outside temperature was probably close to ten degrees. By all accounts it appeared the cold was w
ith them for at least another day.
Robin woke up, rose from the bedding on the floor a bit achy from the ordeal, and cuddled up against her husband looking out the window. Her thick woolen robe was warm from the blankets and she felt good next to his side.
“It seems that nothing has changed since last night,” Cody commented.
“Brrrrr. It’s cold,” Robin said.
“Yeah, everyone needs to bundle up today,” Cody said. “I can make some hot water on the barbeque grill. It will help a lot. The kids can have hot drinks and hot cereal for breakfast.”
“Good idea, Mr. Gordon,” she teased. “That will work. But where are you going to get the water?”
“Mrs. Gordon,” he threw it back to her. “I had a full kettle of water on the stove last night, if you remember. Is the cold making you forget?”
“Ah…ah,” she mumbled. “Hey, I’m sorry about Jonathan.”
“Yeah. Me too.”
“Doesn’t look as if we’ll be eating a traditional Thanksgiving meal today,” Robin remarked. “I’m not even sure if we have a hand can opener to open the peas.”
She patted Cody’s backside, went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. Inside was dark, but remained cool. The defrosted turkey was still good and could be cooked outside, although she would have to cut it into pieces to cook on the grill. The freezer
compartment on the bottom was cold and there was a full tub of ice, as if they needed more ice. That would last for a day or two. But by
then the electricity should be on. In the meantime, any perishable
foods, like the milk and fresh vegetables, could be stored outside in the colder patio.
“I could use a coffee,” Cody told his wife. “How about you?”
“Right now, anything warm will do,” Robin answered.
Cody took the tea kettle filled with water out to the gas grill at the far edge of the back patio. He reached under the grill and turned the propane tank valve on. Another full tank sat next to it. Then he turned the gas knob controlling the side pan burner to the ‘on’ position. He pushed the starter button to ignite the gas without success. “Not this too!” he shouted. He had a foolish thought that the propane gas might have frozen over night. He pushed the button again a bit too hard. This time the orange flames kicked up.
Cody went back into the house to wait for the water to boil. The kids were up and running around in their pajamas and stocking feet. Robin was folding and putting away the night’s blankets. After several minutes Cody retrieved the kettle and poured an instant coffee for himself, a green tea for Robin, and two hot chocolates. Enough hot water was left for two bowls of instant oatmeal for the children.
He checked the fire and peered out the front window. Still no repair trucks. “What the hell is going on?” he said aloud. He felt he had to do something. This situation was getting ridiculous. Where were the police? Wouldn’t a person think that under these dire circumstances the local police or sheriff department would patrol the neighborhoods making sure the citizens were safe? Especially when there was no way to communicate. What about the National Guard, the Red Cross? People pay their taxes; they should be able to rely on emergency services.
He was getting upset, maybe a little crazy. Annoyed. Definitely impatient. It had only been twelve hours since the power outage, though it seemed much longer. He started doubting that the electric would ever come back on. What if this abnormally severe storm and its effects lasted for more than a few days. Or maybe longer. The dismal possibility concerned him.
Robin returned from the linen closet. “It might be a good idea to think about our situation,” her husband said without warning. “What
if the electric stays off for any length of time? We need water. Each person needs at least a gallon of water per day. We don’t have that. The house will stay cold, even with the fireplace burning. Our cars
don’t run. We have no means of contacting anyone. The only good thing is we can cook on the grill. Hell, where is everyone?”
“It will be okay,” Robin said. She didn’t like when Cody got this way. He was normally calm, reserved almost. Not too many things
actually bothered him. He generally went with the flow and almost never got aggravated.
He softly grabbed his wife by the shoulders. “There’s something I need to do. I’m going out. I have to go to the police station. They must know what’s happening. If this weather continues, people are going to need help soon.”
“The police station?” Robin said. “That’s four or five miles away! You can’t drive there. You definitely can’t walk. It’s freezing outside. You’d freeze to death trying to walk that far.”
Cody stood solid. “I can’t simply wait here. Wait for what? What if there is no help coming? What will happen when we run out of water and food? Do you know what will happen to us and the kids when we run out of firewood? There’s enough wood for a few more days. Then what?”
“Things will get better by then. I’m sure of it.”
“Well, I’m not so certain.” Cody went down the hall to his bedroom closet. He pulled a sweater over his shirt and grabbed a heavy winter jacket from the back rail. He found an old winter hat that he never wore and tugged it over his head. Then he picked up his wallet and cell phone.
“Robin,” he began when he entered the kitchen again. “I’ll be gone for awhile. Maybe I can get some more water at the store. We need water.”
“But Cody!” Robin tried to protest, although she knew once her husband had his mind set, there was no use trying to change it. Maybe he was right.
Cody looked her square in the eyes. He was serious. Serious as all hell. “There’s a half case of bottled water in the pantry. Heat it up and have the children drink plenty of hot chocolate or tea. It will keep them warm. I’ll be back in a few hours. Trust me Robin. I have to go.”
“Okay. Are you warm enough?” she asked and buttoned his top two jacket buttons. He looked funny in the hat, but Robin still felt nervous
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. I’ll have my phone with me, just in case we get service again.”
All of a sudden Jeffrey ran into the kitchen yelling. “Mommy, Daddy, I can’t go to the bathroom. There’s no water. I can’t go poop.”
Cody smiled at his son. “Daddy will fix it Jeffrey. I’m going to get it all fixed.”
Before he went out the front door he told his wife, “Lock the doors and don’t open them for anyone. You hear me?”
“Yes. Here,” she said, handing him his leather work gloves which were in kitchen drawer. “You’ll need these. Be careful.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He stepped out into the cold and shut the door. He had no idea what he would discover, but he knew he had no other choice.
Chapter 5
Thus far, exactly twelve hours into the scheduled blackout, everything was going precisely as planned. It was still too early to see the results of this grand operation, but they would most certainly occur within the allotted time. Another thirty-six hours was all that was needed. That’s when everything in normal everyday America would begin to collapse.
And collapse they would.
The entire coordinated scheme will begin as confusion sets in almost immediately. Irritation and discomfort will arise during the minor annoyances inside the initial twelve hours. Within eighteen hours in the extended cold and deepening darkness, uncertainty and a growing sense of urgency will most certainly develop. One full day into the event, people will begin crying for help and cheering at the sight of uniformed relief. In two days most of the populace will be accounted for, one way or another.
All essential forces will be firmly in place. Every facility will be up and ready. Each conceivable contingency will be anticipated and covered. Those in charge of this enormous undertaking will be keeping a watchful eye on the complex mission as they anxiously follow the prescribed phases so meticulously laid out and as they patiently wait for the end.
Every ele
ctrical device and computerized component and automated element in a three thousand mile perimeter will be damaged beyond repair. Replacement components and alternate systems will be unavailable. Citizens of the land will quickly realize their misguided reliance and unfettered addiction to modern world inventions and conveniences. Their woeful dependency on such vulnerable, advanced technology will soon be known. Their so called easy life will disappear in a second. People all across the nation will curse their imprudent ways and regret their reckless conduct. Being ill-prepared will carry no excuse, but will only offer frustration, confusion, and despair.
For most, it will be too late.
All manners of communication will revert back two hundred years, well before the invention of the telephone and light bulb and electricity. Messages across any distance will take weeks by carrier, if not months to share. News will become irrelevant and useless, obsolete when sent, outdated when received. Information of all sorts will be dispensed only as needed by those who deem it so, and controlled by the few.
Travel will be limited to foot and beasts. As in ancient times, backs will tote people’s tattered bags and wagons will haul their meager belongings. Only those few things of necessity will be carried. People will leave their homes, forsake their properties. All other possessions, once thought so valuable, will be left behind, non-essential for life to continue. Journeys will be checked at frequent points, on all highways and exits, waterways and seas, either to be denied or tolled. A great exodus of citizens will follow the crowds in front and end up lost in places even more desolate than from where they had departed.
Treasonous Behavior- in the Beginning Page 4