Chapter 12
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They scanned for information on the ham radio for most of two hours. The handful of operators they talked with had nothing new to add. Power and comms were out the world over. No one knew if anyone had successfully overcome the electromagnetic interference that had shut the world down.
Twenty minutes after their last connection, Don spun the dials on the radio receiver. “Everyone is off. All static. Interference must have spread to these frequencies.”
Jane turned to Johnny. “I can't believe we're thinking of leaving without Dirk, Donna, and Dee.”
Johnny slowly shook his head. “I tried to convince him this was the better option. He insisted on staying. When released, they want to try to make it to her mother's house in Massachusetts.
“Might be time to get on the road.” Mace stood.
Jane sighed. “I say we eat, and anyone who wants one, take a shower. This might be your last hot water. The water pressure is dropping again, by the way.”
“Surprised you two don't have a water well.”
Jane frowned. “Too close to the ocean. Saltwater intrusion knocked out the wells around here decades ago.”
Vanessa said, “I had a shower a while ago. I'll help with the food.”
Don raised a hand. “I could use a cleanup. Got a bit busy when the power went out again.”
Johnny pointed. “Down the hall to the right. Third door. Bathroom inside there. Should have towels, shampoo and soap.”
Don looked at his son.
“Nope, I'm good,” said Cam.
Johnny laughed. “What is it about teenagers and baths? Don't know about the rest of you, but I love being clean.”
Cam replied, “I took one yesterday afternoon.”
Johnny nodded. “Suit yourself. Any chance you get to take one on the road will likely be cold.”
Mace said, “The RV has a shower. No heater?”
Johnny replied, “No, it has hot water, just not a lot of it. Two really short showers and it's out. Only gets luke-warm if you aren't hooked to the grid. And I'd rather us not be using our water for showers if possible. Might be in short supply.”
Tres asked, “How long will it take us to get over there?”
Johnny thought. “Just over three hundred miles by I-64, but we aren't going that way. Takes us past Richmond. We'll be taking Highway 460. It cuts across the middle of the state. On I-64 we’re talking five to six hours. I would add a couple to that going 460, and a couple more given the circumstances. Good thing is, we can stop and set up camp just about anywhere if we need to. Don't have to make it there in a single day.”
Food was prepared and eaten, the kitchen cleaned and dishes neatly put away. Don and Cam walked to the helicopter as the rest of the group piled into the cars and the RV. Jane and Vanessa, with Derwood and Molly, would pilot the RV while Johnny followed behind in his SUV. Mace would follow them in the Jeep, with Tres riding beside him.
The helicopter lifted off, returning ten minutes later. Cam jumped out and ran across the grass to the waiting RV. The roads were clear all the way to Bowers Hill, where a massive jam of cars sat at a standstill. They would stop at Sandy Pines to determine a strategy for getting around it.
The transit through Norfolk went smoothly. Mace continuously glanced over at I-264 as it paralleled their journey, hoping to see traffic on the move. His desires were not to be met.
As they drove along, Tres commented. “Less than a week and civilization has fallen into anarchy.”
Mace replied, “Being out of power for a short time, we can handle. Without communications, all security is local. Anyone getting within shouting distance under these conditions is a threat.”
“I should have taken my car and driven home when this all started.”
“That's a long ride. Might not have been able to get fuel. With power out, all the stations are closed.”
“Maybe. I'd have found a way to make it work though. I can siphon with the best of them.”
“People will shoot you for less. Tell you what, when we get settled, we'll see if we can stock you up with a car and sufficient fuel. Might take you three days to get there on the back roads, but it should be doable.”
Tres nodded. “Thanks. I'd appreciate that.”
The caravan stopped near an open field in Sandy Pines. Don set the helicopter on the ground. Mace drove the Jeep into the field to meet him.
“The interchange up ahead is completely blocked. We won't be getting through there anytime soon. I do have an alternate route, although I don't know how doable it is with that RV.”
“Give it to me.”
Don pointed toward the other side of the road. “Railroad track behind that neighborhood. If you can get on it, we can sail right past that fiasco up ahead. Best shot at doing so is at the crossing back on Greenwood. Gonna be a bumpy ride. You think the chassis of that RV can handle it?”
“It's essentially a bus chassis. Made to be durable, but I'll have to run it past Johnny. He knows that thing a lot better than I do.”
“Let me fly down the track for a few minutes. If it all looks clear I'll come back and hover over here. If not, I'll just land until we figure something out.”
Don hustled back to the helicopter as Mace made his way over to the RV. Johnny was standing in the doorway talking to Jane.
“Bad news is it's jammed up with cars ahead. Johnny, if you want to go with me, we can scout for a way through, maybe across a median or using the other lanes or something.
“If we're completely blocked, Don thinks he has another way around. We head back to Greenwood and get on the rail tracks that run through the neighborhood over there. We'd have to stay on them for a couple miles. Would be slow going and bumpy, but clear. You think she could handle it?”
Johnny shrugged. “I suppose. She's as good a driver as I am.”
Mace shook his head. “No, you idiot. Can the RV handle it? I have no doubt Jane can.”
Johnny laughed. “OK, thought that was an odd thing to ask. It's a million mile chassis. I think it will do OK. If we get stuck, gonna leave a big mess if a train comes through.”
“I doubt they're running anything on those tracks with communications being down. They'd have to stop at every crossing without the signals working. Trains don't like to stop.”
Johnny hopped in the Jeep and they proceeded up the road to the interchange. Several people stood outside of their cars, pinned in by those in front and behind them, the traffic going in each direction was completely stalled. The lanes were filled with cars who had attempted to get around the snarl. A rental truck lay on its side with a crowd standing around it. Blue lights of several parked police cruisers were swirling, adding to the chaos.
Johnny shook his head. “Median is blocked up going both ways. And those cops wouldn't be too thrilled about us jumping the curb with that RV to push a car out of the way. Let's hope Don comes back with good news on the tracks.”
Mace joked as he turned the Jeep around. “Should have had that RV jacked up and all-wheel drive added. Couple feet of clearance and some big mudders and we'd be in business.”
Johnny nodded. “You know, had you suggested that at the time I was designing it, I would have seriously considered it. What a big redneck bus that would have made. Would've been a big hit at the shows though.”
Mace replied, “Yeah, well, I can't think of everything for you.”
“Too bad we didn't meet in high school. I think we'd have gotten along great.”
“Maybe. Always wished I'd played football. Growing up I was by far the fastest kid on the block. Instead, I played soccer. I think as a team we averaged about two girlfriends and four parents in the stands every game.”
“We were merciless to the soccer players back then.”
“Yep. Our football players hated us back then as well. And I can't say there was much love coming from our side either. They had the nice stadium and all the gear while we played our games on th
eir practice field. Was more mud than grass.”
Johnny squinted one eye in thought. “It wasn't the American sport thing to do back then. In fact, we used to shove the soccer frosh out into the hall naked on a regular basis.”
“Yep, those were good times. At my school, there was a ditch outside the locker room. It was a ritual for the football seniors to throw all the freshmen soccer players into the ditch. Of course, at the time they ate their own young as well. Anyway, there was always about a foot of water and muck in the ditch. And it was usually almost freezing out. And the freshmen were usually naked when it happened.”
Johnny nodded. “Sounds familiar.”
“When they came for me my freshman year, I ran past them and jumped in the ditch on my own. I think they were so stunned after that they just left me alone. We managed to get them back a couple weeks later with the old itching-powder-in-the-jock-strap gag. I tell you, I never laughed so hard in my life. They ran out on the practice field, and within ten minutes half of them were clawing at their crotches. You should have seen them trying to run back to the locker room. I could have watched that on video a thousand times over and never been sick of it.”
“I had a bit of hazing when I got to college. Three of the offensive linemen decided they were going to hold me down and put their own heart shaped tattoo on my shoulder. I mean an actual tattoo! Come on!”
“What happened?”
Johnny gestured toward his right shoulder. They pinned me down and made it about halfway through before I broke loose.”
“And?”
Johnny laughed. “Let's just say I got in a few good body punches before they scrambled out of there. They came up and apologized the next day. I let it slide and they respected me for it after that.
“You know, at that age you're a mix between indestructible and can't-do-any-wrong. They were just having fun. And it worked out. I talked Jane into getting a half heart tattoo on her shoulder so we matched. She of course didn't know the story about mine at the time.”
Mace laughed. “How sweet. Have you told her?”
“Oh yeah. She was a little miffed at first, but we laughed it off later.”
Johnny was quiet for a minute. “You know, after I sacked that guy and lost my edge, I often wondered what it would have been like to have gone pro. Then I would look at Jane and imagine what life would be like without her. There's no comparison looking back now, but man, at the time, I sure missed it.”
Mace pulled to a stop beside the RV. As Johnny climbed out, he looked up at a returning Don Rogers. The helicopter was positioned toward Greenwood Drive.
Mace shut off the engine and walked to the RV door. “Jane, this is our current option. We go back to Greenwood and get on the train tracks there. We can ride those for about two miles. That will take us past the block-up. It will no doubt be a bumpy ride. And it might be tricky getting on or off the tracks. You up for it?”
Jane grinned. “Off-roading in an RV? Heck yeah!”
“Well don't be too enthusiastic about it. We get stuck and it puts a big dent in our plans.”
“We'll figure it out. We sit here long enough and we're itching for trouble anyway. Lead the way.”
Mace turned to Johnny. “You go first, I'll follow behind.”
Johnny nodded as he headed to his SUV.
The ride back to Greenwood was short. After a wide, slow, sweeping turn, Jane steered the RV carefully onto the tracks. She came to a sudden stop.
Mace parked and walked back to the RV. “Too wide?”
Jane nodded. “Looks like it. Those ties look like eight-footers. This rig is right at that.”
Mace took a deep breath as Johnny stepped in front to assess the situation. “Well, we could unhook the trailer. I can pull it with my car.”
“That trailer is loaded down,” Mace replied. “You have enough power?”
“Always get a V8! We take that trailer load off, she should be able to run with one wheel on the ties and the other off. If we take it slow, there shouldn't be much danger of rolling. And the clearance should be adequate. Hopefully anyway.”
Mace looked up at Jane. “Still want to off-road?”
Jane pointed at the tracks up ahead. “Not getting out of town just sitting here. Let's move out.”
“Give me a couple minutes to unhook the trailer.”
Mace said, “Tell you what. Back this rig up and let's find a big parking lot where we can hook you up. I don't like fighting this in the road.”
After a swap of the trailer, the end-run around the traffic congestion began. Johnny, pulling the trailer, went first. Jane eased onto the tracks as Mace checked for clearance. As he walked back to his Jeep, he didn't have the most confident of feelings. The vehicles easily handled the bumpy terrain, but at a slow pace.
Tres said, “Lean isn't too bad.”
Mace replied, “She only has a couple inches clearance over that left rail.”
“How's Johnny look with the trailer?”
“It just fits on those ties. If he manages to keep it there, he'll be in good shape. Don't think there's much in that trailer that can break, just the trailer itself.”
After a slow start, the pace began to pick up. The two mile run would take less than a half hour, if all went well. Luck was not on their side. The RV came to a complete stop.
Mace ran up to an open door. “Problem?”
Jane pointed. “Rock is getting really low on this side. Look up under the front for me. Tell me what kind of clearance I still have.”
Mace bent over, inspecting the situation. “Hmm. You have about an inch at the moment.”
Jane said, “The next twenty yards that rock looks lower.”
“What about this side? If you get this wheel back up on the ties, you might be better off leaning over this way.”
“Hop on. I know you won't believe this, but this rig is all-wheel drive. Let's see if that's doable.”
The hybrid drivetrain offered a torque advantage over standard. The front left tire edged slowly up onto the cross-ties as the right wheel moved off.
Mace laughed. “You're right. I don't believe it. Who has a big RV that's all-wheel drive?”
“We do. Now get back to the Jeep and let's keep moving.”
Mace climbed back into his ride.
Tres asked, “Trouble?”
“No. Just had to make an adjustment. Gravel on the left was getting spotty.”
They passed the first two neighborhood crossings without incident. As they approached the third, Johnny had come to a stop. Again Mace exited the Jeep, running forward along a rail before reaching the SUV. A pickup was blocking the tracks up ahead.
Johnny leaned out the window. “I don't like the looks of that.”
“Wait here, I'll have a look.”
“I'll get your back.”
They walked the fifty yards toward the pickup. Johnny stopped at twenty-five. Mace stopped at ten.
Four young men were sitting in lawn chairs in the back of the tall four-wheel drive. One held a shotgun.
Mace said, with his hand on his weapon, “You fellas mind if we pass?”
One stood, throwing a beer bottle in his direction. “You want past, you pay a toll.”
Mace replied, not wanting trouble, “How much is the toll?”
Another asked, “What you got?”
Johnny yelled from behind. “Fifty bucks if you move.”
The shotgun barrel was aimed in Mace's direction.
Mace held up his hand. “We aren't looking for trouble. Just looking to leave town.”
The first responder nodded his head. “You pay the toll and you are free to go.”
Mace asked again, “How much is the toll?”
The man in charge scratched the back of his neck. “Well, seeing as how we have something you desperately want—to get past here—I'd say that gives us negotiating power. Tell you what, we'll take... a thousand dollars. I know rich folk like yourselves are carrying plenty of loot, so a thousand dollar
s... and that gun you're toting. And don't tell me you don't have it. I know that helicopter up there belongs to you as well.”
Mace glanced back at Johnny and then back again at the men in the truck. “Let me talk to my friend. He's the banker between us.”
The man in the truck held up his hand. “You hold right where you stand. You want to talk, he comes to you.”
Johnny yelled out: “I have a better idea. How about we trade out a few dozen pieces of lead for passage?”
The man grinned. “Well, boys, looks like we got us some kind of smart-ass comedian wanting through. Maybe a little rock salt will persuade him to pay what we ask.”
Jane was soon standing beside Johnny. “Hey, fellas. Was just listening in. I have an offer for you. Line up six empty bottles on the roadway there. I get five shots to break all six. If I fail to do so, you can have your way with me. But, for each one I hit, you each have to chug a beer. And we'll throw in that thousand dollars you want.”
The man slowly shook his head. “Not workin' for me. I mean, in this spotlight you ain't half bad, but I'm not one to trust people I don't know. How about this: you come forward with the thousand dollars, we'll have our way with you, and then I'll even split a beer with you. And your friends can then go on by 'cuz I know if you have some of this you're gonna wanna stay.”
The men in the truck laughed.
Jane sighed. “Mace, you might want to hit the deck.”
Four quick pops from Jane's AR-15 saw four men dropped in the back of the pickup. Cries of pain could be heard coming from the truck. A single hand raised up in surrender.
Jane walked forward with purpose. “You there, with the hand up, get in the cab and move that truck off the tracks. Do that and I let you all live!”
The hand waved, followed by one of the men slowly standing. He hopped over the far side of the truck holding his bleeding shoulder, climbed into the cab, and moved the pickup off the tracks and into the neighborhood.
Jane stood at the crossing. “Mace, you take the SUV, bring it past. Johnny honey, bring up the RV. And tell Tres to bring the Jeep. When you’re all safely past, I'll join you.”
Mace shook his head as he looked at Johnny. “She's just little miss take charge now isn't she?”
“When it comes to taking action, or to using guns, I defer to her judgment.”
The taillights of the pickup disappeared into the neighborhood as they brought the vehicles past the crossing. Jane returned to her position behind the wheel of the RV. They continued on their way.
As Mace climbed back into the Jeep, Tres asked, “What happened? I couldn't see.”
Mace shook his head. “Jane just plugged four drunk rednecks is what happened. That woman is starting to scare me.”
The next stop, the planned exit, was where Highway 460 intersected Highway 13. When they arrived, Johnny snaked the SUV and trailer through the cars that partially blocked the path. Jane stopped, not having the room to maneuver through to exit the railway.
Mace walked up to an open RV door as Johnny waited just down the road. “What's the plan?”
Jane said, “This barge won't fit through that hole.”
“Those two cars don't have drivers.”
“Neither do the ones in front of them. Probably all up gawking at that rental truck on its side.”
“Can you make room?”
“You mean push them?”
Mace nodded.
Jane grinned. “Get back in the Jeep. I might need to back up after. And we'll want to be right out of here when I'm done.”
Mace hustled back, climbing up inside and closing the door.
Tres asked, “What's the holdup?”
Mace half laughed. “Watch and see.”
The big RV rolled forward slowly, gently bumping the side of the first car. Again the torque of the hybrid drivetrain was put to work. The two abandoned vehicles were pushed off the side of the road as others watched from their cars. Jane backed up briefly, turning onto the roadway and proceeding out to where Johnny was stopped. As Mace and Tres passed by, two passengers from the car immediately following stood in cheer. Past the interchange, the highway was clear.