It took only minutes for the house to be devoured by the flames.
Michael craned his head back and watched as the roof collapsed. His entire life had been spent there, all those years, all the memories gone in a flash. He was not only alone, he was homeless.
Brienne walked up to him and knelt. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and said, “I can’t imagine what you’re feeling, but know I’m not leaving you.”
“You won’t go? You’ll stay here?”
She looked around and replied, “There’s nothing here to stay for now.”
“So you want me to come with you?”
She looked as the house began to crumble and said, “Well, you’re not staying here.”
THREE MILES NORTH OF NEW RIVER, ARIZONA
Emily woke suddenly. She lifted her head and noticed they were pulled off the road. In the front seat Hannah was fast asleep. It was daytime but hard to tell if it was morning or afternoon due to the cloud cover. The driver’s seat was empty, and Reid was nowhere near the car.
She opened her door, stepped out and stretched. The distinct smell of the desert hit her. She inhaled deeply and reached even higher as she extended her arms to the sky. Sitting in the backseat was not a comfortable situation, yet she was thankful not just for the ride but for being a small woman.
“You’re awake,” Reid shouted. He was atop a rise about seventy-five feet away and looking south, a pair of binoculars in his hand.
She made her way up the rocky slope. She was curious as to what he was doing, but when she crested the hill, she saw it with her own eyes. “What is that?” She could tell it was a city, but something seemed off about it.
“That was Phoenix,” he answered. He handed her the binoculars.
After she adjusted the focus, she saw the destruction more clearly. The skyscrapers that once dotted the skyline were charred and broken. Glimmers and glints of glass appeared strewn all across the valley floor for miles. “It’s glimmering.”
“The bomb literally turned much of the valley to glass,” Reid said.
“I don’t understand.”
“Intense heat and sand make glass,” Reid explained.
“Oh, that’s right.”
“Needless to say, we won’t be traveling through Phoenix,” he said. “We’ll find a different route. I’ll check the map and see what’s best.”
Voices echoed off in the distance.
The two snapped their heads around and looked for the source.
“Am I just hearing things, or is that people talking?” Reid asked.
“I hear it too,” she replied.
They crouched down and moved to cover behind a boulder.
“Over there,” she said and pointed to the east about a few hundred yards past the freeway.
He took the binoculars back from her and looked to see a small band of people walking. They had packs on their backs, with rifles slung. He counted four: two adults and two children approximately in the early teens. He assumed they were a family.
“Best we get back to the car,” she said.
“I think they’re harmless, just passing through, but we can’t take any chances,” he replied. “Let’s get back to the car.”
They made their way back to find Hannah awake. She was sitting up and bloody tears were streaming down her face.
He opened her door and knelt beside her. “What’s the matter?”
“I woke and you weren’t here,” she sobbed. “I got scared.”
“I’m sorry, I was trying to get an idea of what’s ahead of us,” Reid explained.
“Did you?” she asked.
“We did,” he answered.
“I need to go,” Hannah said.
“Me too.” Emily smiled. “I can take her just over there.”
Hannah nodded.
The two walked a few feet off the road and, using a shrub for privacy, went to the bathroom.
Emily helped Hannah walk back. She was very weak, and just the short distance had taken its toll on her strength. “I’m tired.”
“I am too,” Reid said. He turned to Emily and asked, “Do you mind driving for a bit?”
“Yeah, of course, you’ll just need to show me how this works.”
“It’s like driving any other car,” he said, then proceeded to tell her about the specifics. It was then that he noticed the gauge had the power at less than half, and with the cloud cover, they weren’t generating any new power. “We need to find one of those charging stations and hope they still work.”
“Where’s that map?” she asked. “You said you had a map of where those stations were.”
He dug through the console and found the map Arthur had given him. “Here.” He unfolded the single sheet and pinpointed where they were. “There’s one in Wickenburg and one in Quartzsite. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.”
“Let’s.”
The two got into the car, with her in the driver’s seat and Reid in the back. Emily adjusted the seat up, giving him more room.
“Hey, before we go, I want to say it’s been nice having you along for the ride,” Reid said.
“I’ve enjoyed it too, considering. Hannah is lucky to have you.”
He reached up and rubbed Hannah’s arm. “I’m the lucky one.”
“I haven’t asked, but where’s her mom?” Emily asked.
“She’s dead. The dog flu took her,” Reid answered.
She turned around to face him and said nicely, “I’m sorry, I know what it means to lose someone close.”
“Were you married too?”
“No, not that, I lost my brother recently,” Emily said.
“My condolences.”
Emily turned back to face the road. “Shall we?”
“Hey, I’ve plotted the route to take us through Yuma, so—”
She spun back around and asked, “You’ll take me to Yuma?”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you, I’ve been wondering how I’d get there.”
He gave her a smile and said, “Shall we?”
“Yes,” she said, returning his smile.
Reid got as comfortable as he could, placed his pack so he could use it as a pillow, closed his eyes and drifted off.
QUARTZSITE, ARIZONA
When Reid, Emily and Hannah reached Wickenburg, they found the Tesla charging station, but it wasn’t operational. With the charge on the car down to a range of one hundred and twenty-two miles and with no sun to help provide a supplemental charge, Reid began to lose hope. They traveled the distance to Quartzsite in less than an hour and hoped to find something different.
“The map says it’s off West Main Street. Look for a Carl’s Jr.,” Reid said, his finger on the map.
Emily was still driving, a choice made by Reid, as he needed more time to rest. Even though he couldn’t sleep, he wanted the time to relax in the backseat.
Hannah was asleep. She’d had one small seizure, which lasted less than a minute, and it appeared the Artane had helped in that regard. While she was awake after, Reid gave her the drugs recommended by Thomas. While he was repacking the bag with the drugs, he spotted the vial from Hillary and recalled that she’d told him to administer the booster shot in two days. With the days bleeding into each other, it took him a few seconds to realize that he’d have to give her the shot tomorrow. While he was skeptical, he figured why not?
Emily slowed the car.
Reid looked up and saw the freeway exit sign for Main Street, then saw the restaurant sign to his right. “It’s right there, see it?”
“Yep,” Emily said. She navigated the car slowly around some small debris and garbage and brought it to the stop sign. She turned right and pulled the car into the Carl’s Jr. parking lot.
“Back there, at the end of the parking lot,” Reid said, pointing.
“I see it,” Emily said and proceeded ahead.
Reid’s heart filled with hope when on top of the charging station he saw a large solar array. “I think we might b
e lucky this time.”
Emily stopped the car a foot from the charging station.
Reid didn’t hesitate; he jumped out and walked up to the tall white tower. There were three in a row, but nothing that told him if they worked. He’d never had to charge the car manually but figured it couldn’t be that difficult. He went to the rear end of the car and pulled on the charging cable. It popped out easily. He took the cable from the tower then realized it wasn’t long enough. “You need to back the car in,” he said to Emily.
She did as he asked.
With the car now backed in, he inserted the charging cable. “Anything?”
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to be looking for,” Emily said.
Reid went to the driver’s side and said, “Look at the screen; see if the mile range increases.”
“Okay.”
He walked back to inspect the cable.
“Nothing,” she said.
“Give it a little bit of time. This thing doesn’t charge like a car getting fueled with gas,” Reid said.
Bored, Emily got out of the car and stretched. “So this is the metropolis of Quartzsite, huh?”
Reid wasn’t interested in casual conversation. He went back to see if anything was changing on the screen, to find the range was up a few miles. “It’s working, it’s working.” He grabbed his map and quickly calculated the distance to Oceanside with the detour through Yuma. “It’s enough, it’s enough.”
“What’s enough?” Emily said as she paced back and forth in the parking lot.
“If we can get a full charge, I’ll be able to make it to Oceanside,” Reid replied.
“Does that include taking me to Yuma?”
“Yeah,” Reid answered happily. He gave Hannah a sweet gaze and said, “I’m gonna get you better, honey, I promise.”
“So you really think there’s some place that has a cure?” she asked.
“Is it any crazier a concept than you thinking you’ll find a utopian society in Baja?”
“Yes, on account you’re from a utopian town in Oklahoma,” Emily quipped.
“Touché.” He chuckled. His spirits were lifted now that he’d found a charging station that worked. “Why don’t you just stick with us? After we find what I’m looking for, we’ll probably head back to Deliverance.”
“I ran into someone recently who said your town was real. I thought they were wrong,” Emily said, referring to her initial conversation with Brienne.
“It’s real, but a place in Mexico—I suppose if a town in Oklahoma can survive and thrive, why not a small fishing village in Mexico?”
“All things are possible even if they don’t seem so,” Emily said.
“I’m hungry,” Reid said and poked his head in the backseat.
“I’ve got some snacks in my pack,” she offered.
He searched through her pack and pulled out the bag of human jerky. “I love jerky,” he said walking up to her.
She saw what he had and rushed over. She smacked it out of his hand and barked, “Don’t eat that.”
“But it’s jerky,” he replied, shocked by her action.
“You don’t want that type of jerky.”
He looked at the piece on the ground then to the bag still in his hand. “What’s wrong with it?”
She snatched the bag out of his hand and tossed it away. “Just trust me, you don’t want to eat that.”
He shrugged his shoulders and went back to dig through the backseat. He produced a bag of chips and asked, “Is this acceptable to eat?”
“Yeah, sure.”
He rolled his eyes and opened the bag. After he took his first bite, he said, “Stale.”
“It might be stale, but it’s better than that jerky,” she said.
“What’s wrong with it? Is it made from dogs or something?”
“Let’s just say it’s not the kind of jerky you want to eat,” she said.
“You’re odd.”
“That’s an understatement.”
“Why don’t you want to join us to California, then come back to Deliverance with us? You’d fit in,” Reid offered, genuinely desiring her companionship for the rest of the journey.
“I’m afraid I have to go to Yuma then on to Loreto,” she said, although she did give the idea honest consideration. “But I don’t think I’d be as welcome as you think I would be. My life has been complicated.”
“Whose life isn’t complicated?”
“Believe me when I say mine has been very unusual.”
He gave her a curious look and wondered what she’d seen or done that made her think the way she did. She couldn’t be that old; he guessed mid-twenties. He found her attractive, something he hadn’t found in anyone in a very long time.
“Why are you looking at me that way?” she asked. She could feel his energy had shifted to something she wasn’t used to. She enjoyed his stare; it made her feel good. She then thought about him in a way she’d not thought of. “Are you married?”
“No, my wife died shortly after Hannah was born,” Reid replied, his tone changing from joy to remorse.
“How?”
“The virus, like many others. I mean, look around; I thought we’d encounter more people than we have.”
“It all does seem empty, doesn’t it?” she said, looking around.
He walked back to the car and glanced in to see the range was at two hundred and fifteen. “We’re getting close.” He turned around and found her standing just behind him. He recoiled at first then realized she wasn’t there to harm him; she wanted something else.
She touched his chest and ran her hand up to his neck. “I’ve never been with a man before.”
He suddenly became nervous. It had been so long since he’d had sex that he might as well be a virgin; he laughed to himself.
She ran her hand from his neck, down his chest, and rested it on his crotch.
Reid stepped back, but the car stopped him from retreating out of her reach.
She closed the distance, lifted her head, and planted a kiss on his lips.
He didn’t know how to act. He was aroused but also felt odd because he thought she was probably fifteen to twenty years his junior; also Hannah was in the car.
She kissed him again, her hand wandering over his body.
“Ah, no,” he said softly as he gently pushed her away. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
Hurt and confused, she asked, “You don’t like me? I thought you liked me.”
“I do, I, um, I find you very attractive, but I…”
“Is there something wrong with me?” she asked.
“No, it’s not you. I, um, I…”
“You want me to come back with you to Deliverance? Why would you want me to come with you if you don’t want me or like me that way?”
She made a good point and one he found hard to refute. “I like you, I do. I find you very pretty. I, um…How do I say this? I haven’t been with a woman since my wife died. I guess I don’t know how to anymore. And Hannah’s right there. I just feel awkward, but believe me it’s not you. You’re very…you look very nice. I’m flattered.”
“I don’t care if you’re flattered. I want to be loved. I want to feel someone, be a woman,” she snapped.
“Please don’t take me not wanting to have sex with you as it being about you. It’s all about me.”
“Why did you take me with you? Why did you invite me to go to Deliverance if you didn’t want me?” Emily asked.
“I’m confused. I took you with me to help. I asked you to come back to Deliverance to give you a home. I never had an ulterior motive,” Reid confessed.
She spun around and stormed off, her fists clenched.
As she headed away, he couldn’t help but think he was the cause of her confusion.
Hannah cried out in pain from the car.
Hearing Hannah moan, Reid was torn away from his thoughts about the incident with Emily. He raced to find her body rigid and in the middle of a seizure. He look
ed around for the rope he’d been using to help but couldn’t find it. “Hold on, honey.”
Hannah shrieked. Her nails dug into her palms and cut them open.
“Where is it?” Reid growled in frustration. He looked on the floorboard underneath Hannah and found it. He picked it up and went to slide it between her teeth, when she relaxed.
Hannah opened her eyes, looked at Reid and cried, “It hurts, Daddy.”
“I know it does, baby, I’m sorry,” he said.
Emily appeared behind him. “Is she okay?”
“She had another seizure,” Reid said.
Emily looked past him and at the screen. “We’re at three hundred and eighty-five miles. Is that a full charge?”
“Ah, yeah, that’s it,” Reid answered. He turned back to Hannah. “I’m going to give you some more pain meds.” He reached back and grabbed the bag, found the drugs, and gave them to her.
Shortly after taking the drugs, Hannah closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Reid stepped out of the car. “Can we talk?”
“Why?” Emily asked.
“About what happened?”
“There’s nothing to talk about. Let’s get back on the road,” she sneered.
“Very well,” he said. He unplugged the car from the charger and got behind the wheel. He peeked at her in the rearview mirror to find she was staring back at him.
“I don’t want to talk about it. Just drive,” she snapped.
He nodded, put the car in gear, and drove towards the freeway.
FIVE MILES WEST OF LOGAN, NEW MEXICO
While Brienne packed what she could find in the barn and other outbuildings for the trip ahead, Michael stood frozen above the freshly dug graves for his mother and Nana. He stared at the dirt and wondered if it all was just a nightmare that he would soon wake from. How could his entire life be upended so quickly? he thought.
Brienne loaded the bed of the truck with everything of value she found, including jugs of water, which she filled from the well; long-term storage food she found in the barn; tools; extra fuel, which she prayed wasn’t worthless; a hose to siphon more along the way; a medical kit she also found in the barn; all the weapons she could find, including those of Wilkins’ people; and assorted miscellaneous items she thought could be useful. She put the last item in and shot Michael a look. Her heart melted for him. Even though she’d not seen her family in a long time, she still hadn’t had to deal with death as far as facing it. Without really knowing what happened to her family, it was as if they were still around.
Seven Days: A Post-Apocalyptic Novel Page 18