The McClane Apocalypse: Book Two (51 page)

“Yes, that is something we need to discuss. How did this come to be?” Grandpa asks after everyone quiets down.

“Went to a hobby store to get squibs, you know for demos,” John says to Derek and Kelly who both nod like they know exactly what he’s talking about.

Sue has no idea what they would need with a hobby store squid or even what one was for that matter. It sounds like a child’s stuffed animal or something.

“Squib, Sue, not squid. I thought the same thing,” Reagan says as she must read her expression of confusion. “They’re used for blowing up shit, I guess.”

“Like I was saying,” John jokes. Reagan snorts at him.

“His mom was hiding on the second floor,” Reagan breaks in. “She was very sick. Looked a lot like what we’re seeing with our new patients we have out there.”

“She’d also been stabbed and was dying. Reagan couldn’t have done anything to help her. She’d already been sick for a couple of months and was coughing up a lot of blood and had lost a ton of blood from being stabbed. Her husband was already dead, and she was all by herself up there. She was writing a letter that I have if everyone would like to see it later. She said she was just going to leave it with the baby and hope somebody found him. The city isn’t safe and the boss, here, won’t be making any return trips if there needs to be any,” John says with a certain amount of dictation in his voice.

“What? You don’t get to make that decision. You don’t make any decisions for me,” Reagan screeches with fire in her eyes. Her temper can flare at a moment’s notice, and it is usually directed at John.

“Yes, I do,” John states so casually and decidedly that even Sue believes him. He’s going to get slugged, though. Her sister’s eyes just about pop out of her head.

“Shut up! We were fine. I’m still alive aren’t I?” Reagan asks.

“If it wasn’t for me, you’d be dead or taken captive or shot or raped by now, or all of the above. So you’re out, half pint. Next time I go, I take Kelly or maybe even Cory,” John tells her.

“What happened?” Derek asks, momentarily quieting Reagan’s arguing. She just sits glaring right at John beside her. He ignores her for a moment and then finally looks at her with a grin and a dismissive shrug.

“Yeah, did you guys run into trouble, bro?” Kelly echoes.

“Had a few problems. It’s a war zone for sure. Not at all the place for the women to go. Not ever again,” John says pointedly at Reagan who is seething at him.

“That’s not good. I’m sorry to have sent you after all, John,” Grandpa says with guilt.

“It’s fine, Doc. We were ok. It’s just not the place for the women. It’s one thing if one of us gets shot, but they aren’t interested in shooting the women if you know what I mean. And the city’s a no fly zone at night. They’re like cockroaches. They get moving around at night for some reason. Probably because they’re scared of each other, too, I suppose. I don’t know. But there are plenty of medical supplies at that big hospital, and we never even went to any of the smaller urgent care facilities. We found the supplies behind hidden, paneled walls in the teaching part of the hospital. Didn’t even have to go any further than that. By the time we found Jacob- that’s this dude’s name- it was already getting dark, and his mom warned us to get out of the city before nightfall. And she was right let me tell you. We already went in at night the second night there, and it was bad,” John explains with a slow, meaningful nod. The men at the table are all reflective, quiet, considering what they’ve just heard.

“You can brief us later,” Derek says to John, and Sue knows that he means to get the full story on the violence and the problems they encountered in the city. She’ll have to get the scoop from him if he is willing to tell her. So many times in the past her husband tried to shield her from things that he thought was too much or too inappropriate for her to handle.

“We promised Melissa- that was Jacob’s mother- that we’d... take care of him,” John says, and Sue doesn’t miss the strange expressions that pass between Reagan and her brother-in-law.

“It was the right thing to do, son,” Grandpa expresses so clearly what everyone is thinking. “We can finish this discussion tonight. Reagan and I should get back to the med shed and see if those fevers have gone down at all.” He looks to Reagan who nods. She takes the time to give John a mean-spirited sneer before she leaves the room with Grandpa.

“Sue, why don’t you take Hannah and help with dinner and the kids? We need to go over the security,” Derek requests. “Tell Cory to keep on watch for a little while longer, and we’ll be out shortly. Don’t go outside while we’re in here. Don’t let the kids play outside, either. Just until we’re sure of these people. Ok, honey?”

Sue kisses him on the cheek and goes to the other side of the table to retrieve Hannah, who slides her hand back from Kelly’s under the table. Kelly looks embarrassed to be caught, but Hannie is unaware that she has been.

“Want me to take him, John?” Sue offers and reaches for the baby he holds so closely. He seems reluctant to give him up.

“Uh... sure. Probably be a lot easier to go over everything if I’m not watching him. Thanks, Sue,” John tells her, and she takes the baby from him.

He’s light, too light for a baby of ten months, and Sue immediately realizes why John would feel so protective of him. Jacob is a beautiful baby; of course, all babies are beautiful. He has big brown eyes and almost no hair, and he’s very expressive and happy for a kid who’s been through so much.

Sue relieves Grams in the music room with the children, and she and Hannah fill her in on what she’s missed while the kids continue to play with their toys. Jacob wriggles from her lap and does a funny half crawl, half leg dragging over to the other children who immediately allow him into their inner sanctum with their toys. Then she runs upstairs where she finds Cory peering out the second floor hall window with binoculars. He’s watching the visitors, and Sue tells him what’s going on. Isaac’s shrill cry alerts her that he’s up from his nap, so she retrieves him from the crib in her bedroom and goes back downstairs again to help with dinner preparation. Sometimes she wished that this grand, old house was just a tad smaller and had fewer flights of stairs to run up and down a hundred times a day.

While the rest of the women make dinner, Em volunteers to feed Isaac for her from a bottle that Sue has pumped full of breast milk. Hannah is at the stove already, stirring a big pot that smells heavenly. Grams is mixing something creamy in a large bowl at the center island and is holding baby Jacob on her hip. He’s so tiny and sweet, and Sue watches as Grams gives him licks from a spoon of whatever she’s making. It must be something he likes because he keeps bouncing up and down like a puppy waiting for a treat.

“What’s in there, Hannie?” Sue asks her as she touches her sister’s shoulder. Hannah uncharacteristically startles. Hm, that’s strange because Hannah never startles. She’s more aware of what’s going on around her than anyone else in the house at all times. She’s either very distracted or she’s too preoccupied with all the newness happening at the farm.

“Oh, um, it’s just a pasta sauce for Grams’s homemade noodles. It has garlic and spicy sausage and basil and tomatoes from the garden and butter, of course. We’ll finish it with some cream and parmesan cheese before we serve it,” Hannah explains.

“It smells divine, little sister. What can I do to help?” Sue asks because she’s normally out in the garden on most days weeding and picking and not in the kitchen with the cooking. She’s learned not to interfere too much with the two master chefs in this house.

“That bread on the island needs sliced and,” she hits the button on the clock beside her which gives an audible reading of 6:42 p.m. like most of the clocks in the house do, “we need the kids to get the table set, and the cucumber salad needs taken out of the fridge. Dinner’s going to be rather late tonight. Oh and Grams made cupcakes to celebrate Reagan and John coming home. I think they still need frosted- if there’s any frosting left! You could do that with Em when she’s finished with Isaac.”

Leave it to Hannah to have everything under control. Obviously what Grams is allowing Jacob to lick from the spoon is the frosting for the cupcakes. Grams just smiles like the sly fox she is.

A short while later the family is reconvened in the dining room for the evening meal, and the talk is of the new visitors and the patients in the med shed. The chores have been finished, but nobody has cleaned up and showered yet. The meal begins with a prayer said by Grandpa as he does most nights, and he makes special mention of Reagan and John’s safe return and the sick people in the infirmary.

“We brought everything in from the city, sir, all of the bags. Took the horses right up behind the back porch so the visitors wouldn’t see any of it and get any ideas. They’ve got a small fire going out there for cooking, but it looks like so far they aren’t straying from their camp,” John reports. Everyone has taken to calling these unwanted houseguests “the visitors,” even Grams.

“Reagan and I can get the medical supplies sorted out and stored away tomorrow. Maryanne can help you with getting everything put where it belongs in the storage cellar or to wherever it all needs distributed. The rest of you can also help with that.” Grandpa looks tired. Everyone looks tired.

“How are the woman and child doing, dear?” Grams asks.

“Not good, Maryanne. Not good at all. Reagan ran the feeding tube on the boy, but his body is rejecting the fluids faster than we can get them in. His fever won’t come down at all and neither will the woman’s. I’ve double-dosed both of them with fever reducers, and it’s not doing anything. They both have antibiotics and steroids running now, though. Reagan was finally able to get an IV in the boy, another reason I’m glad she’s here. I wouldn’t have made that one without an ultrasound. I’m afraid the situation for both of them is grim at best. They’re both in the Lord’s hands now, dear,” Grandpa says, and everyone at the table is quiet a moment.

“Maybe you two shouldn’t be in there, either,” John murmurs almost inaudibly. Sue hears it, though.

“What? Don’t be crazy,” Reagan says in response. “Who the hell else is going to help them? You, genius? We’ll let you know if we need you to blow something up, but we’ve got this covered.”

Apparently she’d heard him, as well. Grandpa jumps in to clarify the situation for John, who is obviously worried about Reagan, on whom he’s staked his claim for all to witness.

“She’ll be all right, John. Reagan and I know how to take the proper precautions, but the rest of you should stay out of there unless we specifically call you for help,” Grandpa reassures him.

John tends to openly display his feelings for Reagan and doesn’t seem to care who knows how he feels about her. It leaves Sue to wonder again exactly what all had gone on between them while they were away for almost five days. John is holding Jacob on his lap, and the baby keeps slapping at his fork, forcing John to dodge his fists.

“Here, he’s hungry, duh,” Reagan besmirches John in front of everyone and, without missing a beat, hands Jacob a piece of bread that she’s slathered with honey.

“I know. I’m trying to feed him. Give me that. It’s too big anyways. Leave us alone, woman. We don’t need you tellin’ us what to do. Isn’t that right, bud?” John scolds her, pushing her hand away with the back of his arm and she huffs at him.

He takes the too-large chunk of bread from Jacob, gives Reagan a warning glare that actually makes her back off and feeds the baby some tiny pieces of pasta instead, which is actually a better choice, and follows up with a half spoon of pureed peas. Sue is left to assume that Grams has pureed the peas for the baby. John and Reagan look like a couple of new parents on their first attempt at a restaurant meal. The whole situation is surreal.

“Do you have the new security worked out?” Grandpa asks of the men, ignoring John and Reagan.

“Yes, sir, we do and Derek’s been working on the night vision for your security system. Cory has agreed to keep an eye on the med shed most of the daytime hours, and we’re going to angle the camera on the back porch more towards it so that it will be on there at all times. Whoever’s on night patrol will just add that to their watch,” Kelly informs him.

“Good. We do have a problem, though. It’s September and that corn needs to get put up, and if we can cut that last field of hay up behind the cattle pasture it would help with the animals all winter. Also, we need to get the wheat cut. Without it, we’ll run out of flour very quickly,” Grandpa informs them.

“Right, we’re going to need to resume our normal daily activities around here but also keep the place safe,” Derek adds knowingly, and the men all nod or agree verbally.

“And Reagan and I need to take care of the two patients, so things might get a bit tight around here for a while until these visitors are gone,” Grandpa acknowledges.

“I can help more. And if we can lock the med shed, then Cory could help out, too, instead of hanging out over there all day,” Sue offers, and Derek gives her thigh a squeeze under the table and smiles at her.

“Perhaps. But let’s see how it goes tomorrow if these people stay where they are supposed to be,” Grandpa says to which John interjects.

“Don’t worry. We’ll get it all done, and we’ll just keep an eye on the farm at the same time. If Derek’s driving the tractor, I’ll set up on the big hill and watch through my rifle scope down over the whole place. If we’re cutting wood, then we’ll go only one or two at a time so that someone else can be here at all times. Kelly, you and Derek and I can cut that wheat and when it’s ready, then we’ll work it together and Derek can stay back here,” John counsels smartly.

“I also think it’s advisable to keep the entry doors to the house locked at all times,” Kelly says and looks from Grandpa to Hannah who sits beside him. “We’ll all just use the back door into the kitchen. And, Grams, we can give you a shotgun and a pistol to keep in there with you and Hannah just in case.”

“That’s probably a good idea, Kelly,” Grandpa admits and Grams agrees but begrudgingly so.

“With any luck, we’ll get those two well and ready for travel as quickly as we can. Then they can all move on. There are plenty of other places that are abandoned where they can go,” Reagan says coldly. “We can suggest a few apartments in the city that have some recent vacancies.” As she says this, she raises her eyebrows in expectation, grins and looks to John who smiles as if they have a secret joke. The way John looks at her sister is touching, although Reagan is completely oblivious of him as a man it seems.