“I own a ’78 Pontiac Trans AM. It ran just fine until about five minutes ago.” He saw an intrigued look in Larry’s eyes. “I drove it here from the house after the EMP hit.”
“And now it won’t start?” Larry asked.
“No,” James said, throwing his arms down.
“We were hoping that you’d look at it,” Marla said.
Larry scratched the side of his beard and glanced out the back window where daylight shined onto the carpet. “Well, I’d like to, but I’m in quite a hurry, as you can imagine.”
James stepped closer and tried to make a deal. “We’ve got some cash. Name your price.”
Larry snickered. “No thanks. I’ve got a long drive ahead of me.” He looked over their shoulders and pointed to the back. “Tell you what. Take some supplies with you. I’ve got some real nice backpacks that will come in handy.”
“We appreciate that,” Marla said, keeping her friendly smile on display.
Sensing their time coming to an end, James made one final plea. “Would you happen to be heading north on your trip?”
“I am,” Larry said, nodding. “Why? You want a ride?”
James and Marla exchanged glances and then looked at Larry with hope. James had been asked for rides too and knew the burden it placed on the driver. And if you gave one person a ride, you’d have to give another and another until you were no longer reaching your destination.
“Is that a possibility?” Marla asked, speaking first.
Larry studied them for a moment and then shook his head. “I’m sorry. My wife is waiting for me, and I need to stick to schedule.”
“What’s your plan?” Marla said, suddenly backtracking. “If you don’t mind me asking.”
Larry brought his head down and sighed. “It’s simple, really. I’ve got a bug-out cabin about forty miles north of St. Louis away from all of this mess.” He paused and then looked at James with a question in mind.
“You own any weapons?”
James nodded. “We have a .45 pistol at home.”
“You’re going to need it the worse things get.”
Marla rocked forward on her stool. “We just want to get home.”
“I’m sorry, but I’ve got no room,” Larry said.
“Look, we don’t have a vehicle,” James repeated, hoping to hammer home the point.
“I’m sure you’ll work something out,” Larry said, grabbing a box from behind the counter. He headed toward the door as though the matter had been settled, but James was far from conceding.
“What if we’re on the way,” James said. “Could you just consider that?”
Larry turned around and signaled with his head toward the store aisles. “There’s not enough room, you hear me? Now take what you need and leave. It’s closing time.”
“Hold on,” Marla said, standing. James and Larry both looked at her as she continued. “I hear people outside.”
She was right. There were voices beyond the back door. Larry rushed from behind the counter to the window. Ever cautious, he lifted part of his blinds and peeked outside. “Oh no…” he said, backing up.
“What is it?” James asked, nervous.
Marla remained quiet, though fear was evident in her face.
“You two just stay right here,” Larry said, grabbing a shotgun near the door.
“Wait a minute,” James said, walking toward him. “Larry, please.”
But it was too late. Larry swung the door open and rushed outside with his shotgun, slamming the door behind him. James went to the window, trying to see what was happening. Marla rushed over and touched his back as he lifted the middle blind and looked outside. There stood six men lined up and staring Larry down. Larry remained at the rear of his car, keeping a steady aim. James knew trouble when he saw it.
7
Standoff
James watched the scene unfold outside as Marla remained close and looked over his shoulder. From their view, it appeared that Larry had control of the situation. Most troubling, however, was the demeanor of the men. They weren’t afraid of Larry. Some of them even had smiles on their faces.
“What are they saying?” Marla whispered.
“Hold on,” James said, trying to listen. The group of middle-aged men had an undeniable roughness about them. Three of them were wearing oil-stained mechanics’ coveralls. They were unshaven and sporting ugly tattoos. Some were holding wrenches in their hands like weapons.
“I don’t think they’re here for a friendly chat,” he continued. Marla gripped his shoulder as the tension increased outside. Larry aimed his rifle at a black man in the center, presumably the leader of the group.
“I’m not going to tell you again, Richie. Get the hell out of here,” Larry said in an authoritative tone.
James took a closer look and made a quick assessment. He recalled passing an auto shop on the way to Larry’s store. The men attempting to surround Larry must have been familiar with his store. It didn’t look like they were there to shop. They were there to take.
“Come on, Larry,” Richie said, holding his hands up. “We just want to see what you got. I know you’ve been preparing for something like this for a while.”
“We’re closed,” Larry said, both hands gripping his shotgun. “Any of you want to make a move, go ahead. I’d take out maybe three of you with one shot.”
“Don’t be like that,” Richie said as he took a careful step forward. “We just want some of them supplies you have.”
“Look at his car,” his tall, freckled-faced white counterpart announced while pointing ahead with his long socket wrench. “It’s all packed up. Are you planning on going somewhere?”
Larry remained in place, unwavering as his finger caressed the trigger. James sensed that the situation could turn out a lot worse than it already looked. He wondered how far Larry was going to go to protect his property.
“I’ve got to do something,” he said to Marla.
“No,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. “You’re staying here.”
He turned his head slightly back. “We can’t just stand back and watch this. There has to be another way.” He looked through the blinds again, hearing Larry’s voice raised.
“It’s none of your damn business what I’m doing or why. I’ll give you ten seconds to get out of here, or someone’s getting shot.”
Richie smoothly veered in front of the freckled man, all smiles. “Don’t you mind Eddie now. We’re all just a little nervous about what’s going on.” He paused and stared intently at Larry. “I know you know something. You’re the doomsday man.”
“You’ve got five seconds,” Larry responded.
Richie’s smile dropped, replaced with an angry scowl. “Listen to me, you crazy ol’ bastard! Put that gun down right now, or we’ll seriously mess you up!”
“I guess you boys have a death wish,” Larry said.
James immediately backed away from the window with his heart pounding. “That’s it. I’m going out there.”
He moved quickly behind the counter and began to search the shelves as Marla objected. “No, James.”
He crouched down, ignoring her, and continued to feel around until he found a plastic case on the middle shelf. A guy like Larry probably had an array of hidden firearms throughout his store. James had a gut feeling. “Larry needs a little strength in numbers. That’s all.” He rose from behind the counter and placed the plastic case on top, opening it. Inside, he saw a 9mm p vv istol with two full magazines next to it.
Marla looked down, eyes wide. “Have you lost your mind?”
James loaded one magazine and then pulled the hammer back, chambering a round. He kept the safety switch on. It’d been a while since he’d shot a gun, but it’s one of those things you don’t forget how to do. He glanced at Marla with a reassuring look but saw only fear on her face. He walked from behind the door and gave her a quick hug, promising that everything was going to be okay. She followed him to the door with increasing worry
.
“Please be careful. I’ll be watching from the window.”
James stopped at the door, taking a deep breath, preparing himself for the confrontation. He opened the door and quickly stepped outside. All heads turned toward him in surprise. Larry too. James held the pistol up and advanced with long strides toward the men. He positioned himself across from Larry, amid the uncomfortable silence. At first, Larry said nothing. Perhaps he was waiting for James to explain himself, or maybe not. The situation was clear enough: James was providing backup.
“You heard the man,” James announced. “Leave!”
“Who’s this, Larry?” Richie said with his smile returning.
“Must be his boyfriend,” Eddie said, adding to the laughter among the men.
“Get out of here,” James said, but no one moved. He then aimed the pistol in the air and fired, startling everyone within earshot. Larry turned to him, shocked, as the mechanics scattered. “And don’t come back!” James shouted as they ran past the gate, dropping their tools along the way.
James looked at Larry, expecting gratitude. Instead, he was met with a blank stare. “What the hell you do that for?” Larry asked as he lowered his shotgun. “I had everything under control.”
“I wanted to help,” James said. “It looked like you needed it. Well, not that you needed it. I just didn’t want to see anyone get shot.”
The door suddenly swung open and Marla rushed outside. “You scared them off?”
“I did,” James said, turning to her with a cocky smile.
“Wait a minute,” Larry said, narrowing his eyes. “Is that my pistol?”
James held it up and shrugged. “Yeah.”
Larry marched over to him and grabbed the pistol back. James held his hands out, readily relinquishing it as Larry went back inside, slamming the door behind him.
“I think it went well,” he said to Marla sarcastically.
She took his hand and stepped toward the gate. “We should leave.”
James remained in place, stopping her. “Hold on. Let’s find out about that ride.”
“No,” Marla said, shaking her head. “Don’t push him.”
“We’re not giving up that easily,” James said, “especially after what just happened.”
The back door opened and Larry stepped out, carrying two boxes. He walked to the car as James moved quickly to help and opened the rear tail gate. Larry set the boxes down with a sigh and then glanced between James and Marla. “I’ve given it some thought, and it doesn’t make much sense to offer you supplies with no way to get them home.”
James listened quietly, careful not to seem too eager.
“I’ll drive you home,” he continued. “God willing that we can make it.”
Marla suddenly rushed forward, throwing her arms around him. “Thank you so much!”
Unprepared, Larry froze in an awkward, surprised stance as he patted her back. “That’s quite all right.” He then stepped away and propped the back door open with a nearby brick. “Now, help me load the car up, and let’s go.”
James looked at the gate as it slowly creaked open. “You think we’ll see your friends again?”
“I wouldn’t worry about them,” Larry said. “But go ahead and latch that shut anyway.”
James moved fast toward the gate and peeked outside to make sure the coast was clear. He saw the mechanics far down the road. They had left… for now. He thought of the dangers that awaited Larry once they reemerged with another working vehicle. He’d already witnessed the relentless pandemonium taking hold of the city. There had been fires and explosions, and no one knew just what was going on. The mere thought of his prized Pontiac, wrecked and abandoned, filled him with anger and sadness, but there were far worse things that had happened that morning.
He stepped back from the gate and latched it shut. Turning toward the station wagon, he saw that both Larry and Marla had gone back inside the store. Curious, he approached the car and peered inside through the open windows. There were boxes and plastic containers that filled the entire rear section. There was still plenty of room in the back seat, and James was sure it was only a matter of time before that was filled as well. He had to hand it to Larry, the man was prepared. Then he thought about their own limited food supply at home. They were woefully unprepared.
Larry and Marla soon returned, carrying two plastic bins with both hands.
“Too bad you can’t take it all with you,” James said, approaching them.
Larry closed the hatchback, shaking his head. “I would if I could. You saw what just happened here. Leaving this store behind is a huge risk.”
James followed him back inside, conversing along the way. “You know, I was headed to a cabin this morning, before all of this stuff happened.”
“Really?” Larry said, faintly interested.
“It was for a writer’s retreat,” James said.
The severity of their situation still hadn’t settled in, even with everything that had happened in the past two hours. He didn’t even know what time it was. He and Marla had jobs. They had careers. They had a home and friends and family. They had lives to lead. The situation was unreal, but with Larry in their corner, however, it seemed that they had some hope after all.
“You’re a writer?” Larry asked.
“Yes sir,” James said, following him inside again, toward the aisles. “I write military espionage stuff. It pays the bills.”
Larry handed him a box to take. “Then I suppose you’re familiar with what an EMP can do.”
James nodded and then searched the room for Marla. He wasn’t sure where she was until he heard flushing from the restroom. “I did glance through that commission report from a few years ago.”
“2011,” Larry said, rising.
“I think so,” James answered.
Larry cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like the government was prepared for this.”
They continued outside to the car where they placed more boxes into the middle this time. James kept an eye on the gate, fully understanding that Richie and company might return with guns next time.
“Were those friends of yours?” James asked as they headed back inside again.
Larry shook his head. “Don’t mind them. I’m sure they were just scared like everyone else.” Standing still for a moment, he looked around, making sure he hadn’t forgotten something important. “We best get moving before they come back.”
Marla exited the restroom, drying her hands with a paper towel. “It’s so dark in there.”
Larry moved quickly behind the counter, lost in his own thoughts. They’d packed close to half the supplies of his entire store, but there simply wasn’t enough room to take it all. James moved the few remaining boxes to the door and then checked on Marla to make sure she was okay.
She smiled as she tossed her rolled up towel into a wastebasket beside the counter. A new air of relief and confidence existed between them. There was now hope that they could get home. At home, they were safe.
“I should never have gone to work today,” Marla said, scanning the darkened store.
“You didn’t know,” James said.
“Is this a terrorist attack or something else?” she asked.
James wished he knew, but he didn’t. “We’ll find out.”
Larry removed a painting from the wall, revealing a wall safe. He carefully spun the combination and opened the thick door. James approached the counter to get a closer look, but all he could see was darkness inside. Larry pulled out a zip bag resembling a pocketbook and stuffed it into his backpack on the counter. James didn’t ask what was in it, and Larry didn’t say anything. Whether it was emergency cash or passports, he could only guess. Next from the safe came another handgun. James caught a glimpse as Larry placed it inside his backpack with a few boxes of ammo for good measure.
“I wouldn’t mess with you on a bad day,” James said, trying to ease the tension.
Larry’s eye shot up
ward at him. “What’s that?”
“You’re armed to the teeth,” James said.
Amused, Larry nodded. “Well, where I’m going, we’ll be completely on our own.” Larry zipped up his backpack and swung it over his shoulder. “My hope is that after a month, the grid will be back online and we can start to rebuild.”
James hoped that Larry was just being overly cautious. He was offering a worst-case scenario. Prepper/survival types like him lived and breathed that kind of stuff. He looked like the kind of guy who would enjoy a month in the forest away from civilization.
“Do you really think it could be that long?” Marla asked.
“If we’re lucky,” Larry said, opening the cash register.
Marla stared down onto the carpet, resigned. It looked as though she was trying to make sense of everything. James was also trying to cope with their strange new reality. They were at Larry’s mercy. Once they left the secure confines of the store, they’d return to the growing chaos of the streets. There was no telling what to expect.
James grabbed the two remaining perishable boxes on the counter at Larry’s behest. Marla was nervously biting her nails. For a moment, everything was quiet. Larry then crouched down and lifted a bullet-proof vest, to curious glances from both James and Marla.
“Are we ready?” he asked, slipping the vest over his arms as though it was nothing more than a jacket. “Time’s wasting.”
James studied him for a moment. “Would you happen to have two extra vests?”
“Nope, sorry,” Larry said without hesitation. “This is the only one.”
“Great,” James said with wry sarcasm. He then turned to Marla. “Don’t worry, honey. We’ll be fine.”
Marla walked past him and stopped inches from the open back door as a breeze flowed through the room. They could smell the smoke from outside. “Maybe we should wait a little longer.”
Larry headed toward the door as though they didn’t have a moment to spare. “It’s now or never.” He turned at the door, about to step out, and noticed both Marla and James’s hesitation to return into the madness they had narrowly escaped from. But James knew that they weren’t going find another opportunity. Larry scanned the store for anything left behind. Aluminum shutters blocked every window from outside.
Hideaway (Book 0): An EMP Thriller Page 7