New Title 3 (9 page)

We set them up with a large cooler of water, which they gratefully accepted. Before leaving, they told us that a northbound pilgrimage was in progress, and they wanted to join it. I recalled that the military planes had flown north. They could be setting up a huge compound, collecting survivors. But how would these people know about it? What was driving them north? These questions hit me after the party departed, forcing me to go without answers.

“
So what happened? Where’s Tommy?” Sonny asked.

Sidney sat down at the dining room table. He looked exhausted. “After we left you, Sonny, we went to the grocery store to pick up what we could. Tom was having a real hard time. You know Tom, he’s a wreck. Well, nothing was easy to look at or accept especially after we saw his house, right?”

Sonny nodded. “It was a total loss. We couldn’t salvage anything.”

“
Yeah, well, I wish my house had burned to the ground too. Would have saved me from seeing what I saw.” Sid swallowed hard and continued. “So, we were having a rough time with the bodies and all that on the street and in the store, but I was keeping it all down right? Tom couldn’t, he kept on puking ‘til all he had left were the dry heaves. So he’s off puking for the tenth time as I was working the canned goods aisle, hoping to bring back some food for the house. Next thing I know, Tom’s running out the far door, yelling for me to follow. Naturally, I high-tailed it out of there. When he finally stopped and I caught up, I asked why we were running. He tells me he’d seen the bodies of dead people get up and lash out at him. He said they were grabbing for him. I just chalked it up to paranoia in the face of all that was happening; I think I might have even laughed. That’s when he really froze, and I took a look around me. We were being swarmed.”

“
So what next? You both ran in opposite directions, and that’s the last time you saw him?” Sonny asked, his voice tight.

“
Hey, I reasoned with them best I could.” Sid looked offended. “When they got close enough I saw that I recognized two of them. I’m sure one of them was my 3
^rd
year soccer coach from years ago. I pleaded with him to back off. Used his name and everything. Then I saw Mrs. Klein, from the library. She was spouting some biblical bullshit. So we’re getting backed into a corner, right. I finally got through to Mr. Banks, the soccer coach. He explained they only wanted what I had, the box of food. I told him to go get blown. There was plenty to go around. He grabbed for it and I hoofed him in the nuts. What I hadn’t counted on was Tom bailing on me.”

“
You know he can’t stand conflict, he probably just ran for cover...”

Sid cut Sonny off. “Don’t you turn this on me, Sonny. I looked for him. I thought maybe he went back to your house, so I started for there. Then the pricks rushed me! I ran north, leaving the car behind and dropped the box of food. Shit, I felt bad about it, but Tom was gone, man.” Sidney was losing his composure. “Then a shot rang past my ear and they ordered me to stop. So I did.” He rubbed furiously at his eyes. “Before they could do their worst, the group who brought me here came and saved me. They told me where they were going and invited me to come along. I asked them to take me here instead. Shit, Sonny, we fired at you thinking you were one of the assholes who attacked me and Tom. You almost ran us down.”

Sonny shook his head. “Sorry Sid, I couldn’t see shit.”

Sid plowed his fingers through his hair. Wet ash made for one hell of a mess, especially in Sid’s short dreadlocks. “Listen Sonny, Tom’ll show up… He just got scared and ran.” He pushed his chair back and stood. “All my stuff is still in my car in town. I’d really like to get it back. Are there any plans to go soon?”

“
We were planning on going there tomorrow morning,” Connor replied, “but with all these freaks running around, I guess we’d better be armed.”

I agreed. “Five of us can go to town and the rest can stay here to protect the house. Sound good?”

“
Perfect,” Earl approved. “I volunteer for the trip. Who else wants to go to town?”

“
I’ll hang back,” I said. “Get some work done here.” I didn’t know if I was ready to stomach the reality of the situation yet.

“
I’ll stay here too,” Connor decided. “It’s important that nothing happens to this house.”

John, Sid, Sonny and Seth all volunteered to return to town, leaving the defence of the house to the rest of us. We did a time check after the meeting was considered over, and I suggested that we start taking showers one at a time being as many of us were covered in the filmy black soot.

“
No longer than three minutes each. That way water won’t be wasted. We’re on a well here, but keep in mind that it’s not bottomless.” My mind raced with instructions, what to do in a crisis. “Keep the hot water to a minimum too, we need to conserve what fuel we have for the generator.”

“
Meanwhile, let’s get a schedule made up for 24 hour guard duty,” Earl suggested. “It’s important – for our defence.”

And our survival.

*****

Freddy, Gil, and Sara took the inaugural guard shift while the rest of us went to our beds and couches and collapsed. The following morning, I prepared for the 8:00 a.m. watch while Earl and the boys collected their gear for the drive to town. Julia insisted that they tie wet rags to their faces to act as filters.

“
Good luck, fellas,” I said. “I’ll see you in three hours.” Then I added, “Come home with Tom...”

Sonny shot a thumbs-up. “Count on it.”

After they departed, the rest of us spent the morning taking stock of what we had to work with and noting what we needed. Fuel was key to our survival, and conservation of our present supply would be paramount. We would only turn the lights on when absolutely necessary. The fridges and freezer would run day and night as always. Anything else that used up batteries or made the generator consume more fuel would be carefully monitored.

What struck me as bizarre was the amazing sleep I’d enjoyed the night before. The mental and physical stress combined had knocked me right out. Any dreams or nightmares that might have tormented me were not carried over into my waking memory. This made me almost feel like my old self again.

At 10:30 a.m. Connor approached me with the e.t.a. for our ‘Away Team.’

“
Half an hour more, Joel, and then I start to worry, right?” He wiped the sweat off his bare chest with a towel. I was going shirtless too. The girls had adopted a no-bra rule because the heat was just too much. There were definitely no complaints from any of us guys.

I checked my watch. “Don’t sweat it yet. Pun intended.”

“
Trying not to. What are you doing?”

“
Trying to find some stuff we can use.” I gestured at a dusty pile of boxes I’d pulled from the hall closets.

“
Yeah, it’s good to keep yourself busy.” He stood over me, one leg shaking to an invisible beat. He was clearly nervous about something.

“
You need to talk, Connor? You know I’m here for you buddy, just let me know.”

“
No, it ain’t nothing. I’m going back up to see if Freddy needs anything.”

“
You’re sure, man?”

He lifted up his hands as if to say, “It’s all good.” Then he left.

Upstairs, Freddy yelled that the boys were back. Connor hadn’t made it halfway up the stairs before he was blazing a path back down. I opened the door. They were still exiting the vehicles, bags slung over their shoulders. I started a head count while Connor looked at me anxiously.

I shook my head. “Shit, I can’t count them. It’s too dark.”

“
Hey! Did you find him?!” Connor called out.

No answer, so we waited. The troops finally trudged toward the house, heads down and shoulders hunched against the pounding wind. When they came in, I did a head count. Five, only five.

“
Where’s Tom?”

At first they didn’t answer. They glanced at each other and then at us, faces marked by discouragement and, yes, grief. “It’s no good,” Earl finally said. “We looked all over.”

Sid lowered his head and grabbed his stomach. “Shit...” Pushing his way past us, he ran to the bathroom.

Sonny clenched his fists. “I’m going back! I’m not finished!”

“
Are you going back out right now, Sonny?” I asked.

“
I wouldn’t have even come back if I had taken my own car.” He never took his stare off of Earl, the conveyer of terrible news. I half-expected him to start swinging, so I moved between them.

“
Alright, I’ll come with you.” I guided Sonny into the front hall and started suiting up for the nasty weather. “Give us another three hours.”

After I hugged Sara and promised to return on time, Sonny and I left the house. As we sprinted to Connor’s four-runner, I felt the hot ash blowing on my neck. Breathing was difficult in this heat even with the wet cloths on our faces.

The truck didn’t start on the first try, but I’d driven this pig enough to know its quirks and get it going eventually. The uneasy moment soon passed and we were on our way.

“
A
ny new ideas on where we should look?” I asked, keeping my eyes on the road ahead.

“
One.” Sonny rubbed his hands together. “There’s this place on the east side I remember him telling me about, behind one of those horse barns on the town line. He’d go there to think or some shit.”

“
So we’ll go there.” I took a turn slowly. The ash build-up on the roads demanded caution.

Passing through town was a nightmare. The visual picture I had created from the others’ descriptions did not do justice to the reality I now witnessed. Emotion almost got the better of me as we coasted past the twisted metal and fallen trees. Everything was scorched or burned to the ground. How would we ever find anybody in this? It seemed hopeless.

We reached our destination: a barn off the town line. It was then that the rain started to fall, black and heavy. Sprinting the final few meters through the devastated field, we despaired of finding Tom there, until we noticed a light shining inside.

Sonny pushed his way in first, helping me as I slipped in the mucky downpour. Once inside the barn’s fragile shell, I removed my gloves and wiped my eyes clear. Sonny retracted his ski goggles and joined me in staring.

There was a veritable pot factory in here, with hundreds of plants growing in their own bio-bubble. Tables lined the full length of the barn in several rows, and high intensity lights hung low from the rafters, supported by chains.

“
Eden!” Sonny had said a mouthful. I had to smile.

We walked softly on the concrete floor, careful not to disturb the perfect ambiance we’d stumbled into. It was an experienced set-up. Whoever did this had to be growing for a government-ordered medical supply; that was my first impression. On closer inspection, I realized that these plants were being fed more than hydroponics. A well-known drug used to treat depression was also being pumped into them via labeled tubes hanging from the rafters.

“
We should take all of this back,” I blurted. “It’s a lot of weed, man. No one else is going to smoke it.”

He agreed eagerly. Then, remembering why we had come here, he shouted, “Tom! Where the Christ are you?” I nearly jumped out of my skin. His cry broke the otherwise tranquil aura we’d enjoyed since entering the barn. Such a pained last attempt was his call that I felt compelled to join in.

“
Tom! Are you in here?!” No response. My heart sank.

After a few moments of eerie stillness, I set to work on our second objective by collecting the buds. After about seven or eight, I realized that my jacket couldn’t hold more and stopped. Sonny noticed and began to gather some of his own.

“
Might as well get something outta this trip,” he said huskily.

I found a bunch of clear plastic bags under a discarded trench coat and handed some to Sonny. We collected as many ripe buds as we could carry, and then drove back to the house.

Despite the mass disappointment over not finding Tom, everyone was curious about our discovery.

“
How much weed have you got??” Connor asked.

“
Thousands of dollars’ worth,” I speculated. “And there’s more in the barn, a lot more. The best place for it is in the dry storage.”

“
Whoa, the storage is full, old man. We’ve got a shitload of food in there.”

We decided to put them in the garage instead. After clearing a dry shelf and stashing the plants on it, I grabbed enough to guarantee a couple days of buzzed bliss. When Connor met me in the hall, I showed him the wad.

“
I was wondering when you were going to pull it out,” he grinned. “I could smell it a mile away.” He picked some off my palm and rolled it in his fingers before elevating it slowly to his nose and inhaling deeply. “Shit, that’s some serious dope.”

“
What do you say to a big smoke show up in the addition? I think we could all use some time away from..... Well, we could use some time away.”

He understood. “You want me to rally them up? I’m sure they’ll all be more than willing. We got booze too; Earl hit the liquor store today.”

“
Okay then, let’s do it!”

Half an hour later, we gathered in the addition, eager to force aside the bewilderment and fear that threatened to overwhelm us at any moment. Sitting in one of the few chairs, I packed the pipe, a beer at my side- warm, but a beer all the same. The others were drinking and discussing the day’s events. Only the fact that all of us carried weapons distinguished this get-together from the hundreds we had enjoyed in the past. The guns reminded me that this was just an attempt to punch holes in the darkness that enveloped us now.