Neighborhood Watch: After the EMP

by EE Isherwood

  “I only need a second,” Tyler insisted. “I can’t stand water.”

  The three machines might have been brand-new. Units filled with soda flanked a snack model in the middle. That one had a clear front so buyers could see all the candy bars and chip bags inside. Tyler banged on the unpowered green soda machine on the left.

  “Awe, man, they run on electricity,” he complained.

  I met Luke’s eyes and light bulbs went off over our heads at the same time.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I asked.

  “I’m sure I am,” Luke reached for his wallet, “You want to collect stuff for our supplies. However, I think all three of these machines aren’t going to take my dollars...”

  “We’re way past dollar bills.” I held up the bat.

  “Whoa!” Tyler said as soon as he saw what I was prepared to do. “Are we really doing this? Can I break it? I have high dexterity and strength.”

  “This isn’t your stupid game, T,” Rainey snorted.

  “No duh, R,” the boy answered back.

  “Not in a million years, Tyler.” Luke faced me. “Besides, do we even need what’s in there if we have to destroy the machines?”

  “If the power comes on tomorrow, and we break into it for nothing, I’ll pay to repair the machine. However, if it doesn’t come back on for a while, someone’s going to come through and break this machine for what’s inside. It might as well be us.”

  “Works for me,” Luke shrugged.

  “Hey, kid. You got a piece of paper and a pen?” I pointed to his big black backpack.

  “Sure,” he answered.

  Since we’d shown the way out the back of the gym, a steady flow of escaping students and parents hurried by the vending area. It lent some urgency to our decision, and I made the choice to damage the machine if it meant we got a little extra food out of the deal.

  Everyone gave me space, then I slammed the bat into the plastic, shattering it. Once I had a hole in the middle, I struck it several more times to clear around the edges.

  “That ruled!” Tyler yelled.

  “That wasn’t so bad,” I said as I removed my backpack and opened the zipper. “Let’s fill this to the brim. Get the grain bars and chips, first. Then the chocolate and sweets.”

  Tyler already had his pack off and open, so he could get the pen and paper, but he soon turned it over and let all his books fall to the floor. He tore a piece of paper from a notebook and handed it to me, along with a pen. The notebook went onto the floor, too.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Rainey asked with surprise. “You can’t toss your books.”

  The boy looked at his dad, at me, then back to his sister.

  “Dad just arrived with a strange neighbor to help us walk home because something bad happened outside. We’re plundering a vending machine inside our school. Summer vacation starts in four days. Do you really think we’re going to need books anytime soon?”

  I wasn’t sure if I should get involved. I was never big on school myself, so I could see myself dumping the books if I were in Tyler’s place, but Luke was the dad. He might have to pay for them if they were lost or destroyed.

  Luke didn’t say anything.

  “See?” Tyler sniffed. “Dad thinks we need food more than geometry tomes!”

  “They’re books, not tomes, you doofus.” After a long sigh, she slowly pulled off her dainty backpack and picked out books to drop.

  “I get these…” Tyler pulled out a row of Twinkies, “and these.” He plucked a bunch of Kit-Kat bars from their slot.

  “I really don’t care,” Rainy replied in a dry voice.

  After both kids began picking at the carcass of the vending machine and filling their packs, they soon removed every chip bag, cookie, and candy bar. We filled up the little space in my backpack immediately, so I was glad to have the extra room from those other two. When we were done, there was nothing left to take.

  I scratched my name and phone number on the piece of paper along with a short note explaining I was willing to pay for any damages. It seemed like the honorable thing to do, though I immediately wondered if anyone would ever read it. In fact, I hoped someone would. If I ended up paying the bill, it would mean civilization had returned and some bureaucrat had come to collect. In a weird way, getting busted for vandalism and theft was much preferable to getting away with it.

  “Oh, man!” a male teenager said as he stopped behind us. “We can do that now?”

  “We were just leaving,” I replied.

  “What about my soda?” Tyler protested. “Can I crack into it with Dad’s hammer?”

  Luke looked at me.

  “We don’t have time,” I replied. “Besides, soda machines are locked and sealed like refrigerators. I’ve seen them opened up in truck stops lots of times. We can’t bash through one without spending a lot of effort.”

  “Well, that blows,” Tyler replied.

  The three of us left as the passing student and a friend started shaking a soda machine. I had no idea what would happen if they tipped one over, but I belatedly wondered if I would get stuck picking up the tab for all three machines. My note should have made it clear I only destroyed the food unit…

  “Do you want to go into the kitchen?” Rainey said to her brother. “I bet you could steal an entire cow from the freezer.”

  My ears perked up. There would be a lot of food for the taking in there.

  “The party would be at risk if we shoot too high for loot,” Tyler answered. “The vending machine was a target of opportunity. The cafeteria would require its own campaign.”

  In his own weird way, the kid was right. Even if we needed that much food, we didn’t have the means to carry it for six miles, and we didn’t have anywhere to store it. I’d read about groups of survivors going out for big scores of food, but raiding a school cafeteria three hours into an unknown disaster would be pushing it. I felt fine with the vending machine because it wouldn’t seriously affect anyone if the power came on tomorrow. On the other hand, if the police showed up and asked why I had hundreds of pounds of meat labeled as coming from the school, there would be tough questions. Until I knew for sure we were in this for the long haul, I had to keep Luke and I from getting into serious legal trouble.

  “I swear I can’t even talk to you,” Rainy huffed.

  “What?” he asked with disappointment. “I’m speaking English, you know. You should be able to talk to me just fine.”

  “Guys!” Luke said with exasperation. “We’re in a situation here. Save the sniping at each other until we’re home safe.”

  “Fine,” the two said at the same time.

  As we walked the hall toward our exit, I crashed into a pretty young woman who’d been going against the flow of traffic.

  “Sorry, ma’am,” I said immediately.

  “It was my fault,” she answered, and then her eyes lit up.

  “Tyler and Rainey!” the woman cried out.

  Luke spun toward the voice. “Melanie?”

  The woman scrambled around me and held both arms wide open, sucking the trio into her grip like a powerful magnet.

  They hugged for a good twenty seconds as I watched the foot traffic grow in density around us. There was a steady stream of walkers, including a lot of young people, suggesting the gym was still emptying.

  Luke was the first to come up for air, leading the others to separate. “Mel, this is Frank Douglas. He actually lives on our street, in the last house, but he’s been helping me like crazy today on account of the EMP blast.”

  “Nice to meet you, Frank, I’m Melanie. An EMP? Is that really what happened out there?”

  Melanie was tall, with a lithe figure. She wore gray dress slacks but had on running shoes. She also had a sporty tank top, rather than the expected blouse. When she wiped some blonde locks out of her eyes, I realized she’d recently been sweating profusely.

  “We think so,” I said. “I’ve been trying to figure it out since it h
appened late this morning, but no one has been able to get the official story. I take it you’ve been outside, too? Maybe you saw something which could help us confirm what we already know…”

  Before she could reply, multiple gunshots blasted somewhere back by the gym.

  “Shit,” I exclaimed. “We need to go. Now.”

  We moved quickly toward the back doors, but so did everyone else.

  It was a stampede.

  CHAPTER 9

  “Run!” I yelled.

  In moments, we were swept up in a torrent of people running away from the chatter of gunfire. The popping echoed throughout the halls, making it hard to say which of the corridors the noise originated from. However, there wasn’t much choice in where we had to go, since everyone was headed in the same direction.

  “Stay together!” I added.

  Luke and his wife kept the two kids in front of them, acting as sheepdogs guiding their flock. I stuck with them, using my strength to add to the protection of the kids, but I also searched frantically for the small back door we’d used to come in.

  “Luke, which way to Levar?” When we’d come through the back door, I made a point to observe details of the hallway, assuming we’d be returning the same way. However, every landmark was now hidden by running people, making everything look different. Luke’s kids had been in the school for years, so I figured he’d know his way around.

  “Yeah, make a left, then a right!” he shouted.

  We were on the wrong side of the flow for a left turn, so I leaned my shoulder and pushed my way over. I immediately hit the side of a huge young man who was probably a linebacker on the football team.

  “Watch it,” he growled in a deep voice.

  “Sorry,” I chuckled to de-escalate the situation. “A bit crowded in here. We just need to go left at this hallway.”

  The guy looked over and at first didn’t act as if he was willing to help us, but he seemed to quickly change his mind. Instead of continuing with everyone else, the big man planted his feet. “You’re right, sir. It’s crowded as hell in here. You guys can cross in front of me.”

  With the giant slowing the flow of traffic, it presented a gap for us to cross.

  “This way!” I insisted and grabbed Melanie’s hand to get her attention.

  She and Rainey switched directions which led Luke and Tyler to do the same.

  “Hey, Rainey,” the guy said as she went by.

  “Oh, thanks, Macon,” she replied.

  “What a last week of school, huh?” He spoke as if there was no urgency.

  “It’s only Monday,” Rainey chuckled. “I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Tuesday.”

  “Me, too,” he said as his feet moved a couple of steps.

  “See you tomorrow,” the girl added as she bolted into the side hallway.

  Even with all his strength, the bulky kid did not come close to stopping the stampede. Luke and his son were the last to sneak through the opening, but Macon lurched forward before they were across, shoving the dad.

  “Sorry, sir,” Macon said in a polite tone.

  “No worries!” Luke replied as he made it into the small side hallway. “Get home and be safe.”

  Once Luke and Tyler were safe, I waved to Macon.

  “Thanks!”

  “Anytime!” he replied with cheer as he got swept back into traffic.

  As we all sped down the new hall, I finally recognized where we were.

  “We’re almost out,” I said to my friends.

  Two distinct claps of gunfire resonated from far inside the school. Whatever was going on back there, I was relieved we were no longer a part of it. After turning down the next hallway, I saw the door we’d broken through to get in. Levar stood in the gap, looking as if he wanted us to hurry. A feeling I shared.

  “C’mon!” he shouted.

  Levar stepped under the push bar and got the door open so we could all run through without delay. Once we were all outside, he let it bang shut.

  “Thanks,” I said to him as I caught my breath.

  Luke and his family greeted their neighbor.

  “I can’t believe you found the kids in all that,” Levar said once it was evident everyone was safe and unharmed. “I heard those shots pop off and didn’t know if I should run in with your backup guns.” He pointed to the nearby bike trailer.

  “The gunfire wasn’t aimed at us,” I replied in a serious tone. “In fact, we never really saw what caused it. Whatever the reason, though, the noise got everyone moving. I hope that’s all it was.”

  The air was thick with tension after our hasty exit, but Tyler’s worried face changed to excitement when he saw the bike trailer. “Can I ride in that?”

  “You’re a little big, aren’t you?” Luke answered. “We brought it along to store our supplies.” He got quiet. “Frank had us bring guns in it.”

  Melanie’s expression changed to something I guessed was disappointment, or shock, but she said nothing to explain her reaction.

  “Cool!” Tyler continued, not sounding at all deterred. “Can I sit in the trailer and hold a gun while you drive me home? That would be badass!”

  “This isn’t Fortnite,” Rainey huffed.

  “We’re all going to walk home,” Luke insisted. “Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars, and most importantly, do not touch the guns.”

  Tyler was clearly disappointed, though he held a hopeful pose.

  “And no, you still can’t ride in it,” Luke said with exasperation.

  The boy finally gave up.

  “Are you ready, Levar?” I asked with a chuckle.

  “Yeah, uh, hey. Do you mind if I ride around for a bit before going back?”

  “We can’t spare a minute. It’s going to be dark in a few hours and there’s a lot we need to do before then. Plus, I…” My brain warned me anything could happen on the way home. We could get jumped. Lost. Blow all the bike tires running over broken glass. Anything could prevent us from making it home today, which screamed as a reason for us to start the journey without delay. However, I didn’t want to panic Luke’s kids, since they hadn’t gotten a taste of what things were like outside their school, yet. I reformed my thoughts before continuing. “I think things are getting a little more serious out here.”

  Around us, the parents and students ran across the tree-lined parking lots and empty ball fields, away from the main school building. Only a few came out of the little back door we’d found, but they kept moving when they saw Levar and his holstered pistols. One or two even went back inside the door rather than pass him.

  “Look, I appreciate what you’re saying, but I came with you guys expecting to find my lady. If she’s out here when things get…” Levar purposefully looked at the kids, seeming to pick up on my reluctance to get too detailed about our situation. “Busy. Then she’ll need my help leading her back to the subdivision. She’s not that great with directions, you know?”

  “Let’s still make a plan,” I replied. “Search for as long as you can but try to get home before nightfall. I have a suspicion things are going to be the worst on the main streets and around businesses. It should be a lot safer on the backstreets where there are less people, you know?”

  “I promise I’ll try to return before night,” Levar said as he picked up his bicycle. “But don’t come looking for me, okay? I know what I’m doing.”

  It was an easy promise to make. Even if Levar was the most important person in the world to me, I wouldn’t have a chance of finding him in an entire city cast in darkness. It made me realize how futile it was for him to search for Kaira.

  Levar walked the bike over to Luke and held out his hand. “Thanks for letting me use this. I can cover a lot more ground than if I was on foot. I owe you big time.”

  “To pay me back, you can install that video system you’re always talking about,” Luke laughed.

  “I think I’ll owe the whole street a new surveillance system before this is over.”

&n
bsp; “Good luck,” Tyler added.

  “Thanks. I’ll be back as fast as I can.” Levar got on the seat and pedaled away. He had to weave through some of the escaping students but was soon clear of the crowd.

  A moment after I was sure he was going to make it, I pushed my bicycle toward the street. “Come on, guys, we have to get on the road before everyone else.”

  “Why do you say that, Frank?” Luke got his bike and trailer rolling. “Don’t we want safety in numbers?”

  “Yes and no,” I answered. “On any other day it would be fine to walk with everyone else, but today I think we need to stay in front of them, so we don’t get caught up in the mayhem. Plus, I did tell James we would try to lead them...”

  As we moved away from the back door of the school, it gave us a better view of the chaos that had come out with us. Parents ran around screaming the names of their children, while throngs of highschoolers darted back and forth across the parking lots, frantically searching to see if their parents were among those present. It reinforced the need to stay in front of the mess.

  “Can I go to my car before we leave?” Rainey asked her mother.

  Melanie looked to Luke.

  Luke turned to me. “We have to go through the lot anyway. You think it’s safe?”

  “I’m fine if it’s on the way,” I replied to Luke. If her car was over the horizon, she’d need to justify the detour, but if we were passing close to it anyway, it seemed like a reasonable request.

  “Show us the way,” Luke said to his daughter.

  Rainey pointed where we should go, and Luke and I adjusted our bearings.

  We approached hundreds of dead vehicles, some of which were already paired with young drivers trying to figure out why they wouldn’t start. The kids had popped some of the hoods to investigate, but many simply sat in their cars and cursed or cried. It was probably made worse than it needed to be since they had no idea about the EMP. It was all a mystery to them.

  Melanie came between Luke and I, drawing my attention away from the drivers. “So, Frank, are you a policeman, because this seems like a rescue.”

  “No way, I’m not cut out to be a cop. Working with criminals every day isn’t something high on my list. However, I did run my own trucking company. Some of those guys and gals abused my rigs like criminals, I suppose. Before that, I drove the trucks, which I guess made me the criminal.”