Outsiders who strayed too close were usually welcomed with a warning shot; but if they persisted, they became casualties. There had even been organized attacks by the have-nots on the haves. Previous friends and neighbors savagely fought for Ding Dongs and Rice Krispies. But it was a matter of survival. Those in the store might survive, while those outside would probably starve. Better to die quickly by the bullet, than to slowly starve to death.
Chapter 26
And through it all, the aliens watched and waited. They had witnessed this countless times on all sorts of worlds. The initial collapses of the governments inevitably led to the downward spiral of the entire civilization. The inhabitants would become so disillusioned with life that they almost wept in relief when the conquerors reappeared. At least, these invaders might be able to restore order to their world. It was a tactic that had been employed for millennia with unprecedented results and Interim Supreme Commander Kuvlar saw no reason to change his tactics now.
Just a few more weeks, the ISC thought to himself. He wanted to make sure that the little infestations would be soft and ripe for the picking. He could not afford to have the same casualty rate on the ground troops that he had suffered in the air raids. If he lost troops at that rate, he would have to launch his planet-killing agents, which would do his career no good at all. The powers that be did not like having to wait before they could inhabit a planet. Not to mention, rebuilding a planet without slave labor would make colonizing that much more difficult.
Chapter 27
“Girls, we’re going to have to leave here soon,” Deb’s father reiterated. It was something that he had been vocalizing more often over the past few days. They all knew the arguments for leaving, but nobody desired to abandon their safe refuge and check on the brave new world. “We’ve only got enough food for another week, and even with some serious rationing, we only have enough water for half that.”
“Hon, we know that,” Deb’s mother chimed in. She seemed to be suffering the most from this assault. The constant shivering from the cold and shock were wasting her already thin frame away.
“Dad, where will we go?” Deb asked meekly. Beth, for once, remained neutral. She also saw the need to leave but had become mighty comfortable in her new confines.
“Well, the supermarket first, and possibly a sporting goods store for some outdoor gear and rifles.” With the last word, he looked over at his wife of twenty-three years. She had been anti-gun from the day he met her. Now, however, she didn’t so much as bat an eye when he spoke of getting some firearms. “That is, of course, if there is anything left.”
Deb was about to ask what he meant by that, and then figured that there probably had been a serious run on all types of commodities. She could even picture people looting Best Buy for televisions. Not that they would do anybody any good right now. She knew, from poking her head out the hatch from time to time, that nobody had power, at least as far as she could see. If it weren’t for her father’s generator, they wouldn’t even have the single hundred watt bulb in the center of the ceiling lit. It didn’t matter to her that the thing flickered like a far-off star. It was still light, and it did wonders to calm her soul. The things we humans take for granted, she thought. More than once she had to remind herself that that her favorite television show wasn’t on, and more than likely, never would be again.
Suddenly, Beth rose from the shadows of the far wall. She looked like she had steeled her resolve or at least tin-foiled it.
“Your dad’s right, Deb, we have to get out of here; if only to see what is going on with the world. We might be able to help some people. At the very least, we’ll be able to help ourselves. I’m with you, Mr. Carody.”
Mr. Carody smiled. “I don’t mean you girls, not right away anyway. I want to go out and get a feel for what is going on.” At that, Mrs. Carody leaped to her feet.
“You can’t leave us here alone, James!” Her voice was quavering.
“Hon, I wouldn’t feel right taking all of you out. It might be dangerous,” he said tenderly.
“All the more reason to take us,” she begged. “We could help you.” He looked at her, wondering what she could possibly do. She looked like she would faint if a dog farted too close to her.
“I appreciate the sentiment, I really do. But I think it would be best if I went out and checked on things first.”
“James, we’ve been married for twenty-three years. If you go out that hatch, I’m going with you.” James had seen that look and stance in his wife only twice. Once, when she wanted to have a baby and he disagreed. The second time was when she told him that she wanted him to start attending church. He had always been adamantly against both, but she stood her ground and ultimately wore him down. Deb and his devout faith in Christianity were proof of that.
He didn’t feel it prudent to be worn down this time. She would stick to her guns like a pit-bull on a mailman’s genitalia. Who knows? Maybe she could help. He didn’t think so but it helped him ease his mind.
“Alright we’ll leave in the morning.” He told her, she looked more like a kid that was promised a trip to the toy store than a woman who may have just signed her own death warrant. Deb had been about to raise her protests at staying when her father threw up one finger.
“Don’t even start, Deborah Anne. I’m already risking enough taking your mother along. I have no desire to put your life in danger also.” Deb knew better than to argue when her father pulled out the middle name. He rarely used it and when he did, he generally meant business. Fine, she thought to herself, there are ways around that. Beth stood meekly, not really knowing what to say, for one of the rare occasions in her life.
The night went by fairly uneventful except for the occasional far-off explosion. Deb could see the worry that lined her father’s face, but her mother still appeared to be reveling in her recent victory, if that’s what you’d call it.
James woke up early just as the sun began its ascent over the horizon. While everyone slept, he had contemplated taking off. But in all his years of marriage, he had never backed out of doing something once he told his wife he was going to do it. And the stubborn woman would probably try to follow him anyway. And the idea of her being alone out there sent shivers down his spine. He didn’t feel good about this upcoming adventure; it was more out of necessity than desire, and he would do everything in his power to protect his present family, Beth included.
James began to reflect on his father. Oh, how he wished that man were still alive. He was the type of man to tackle problems head on. No indecisiveness, whatsoever. He probably would have stuck the womenfolk in the storm cellar the first night and taken his shotgun to see what all the fuss was about. Yeah, Dad but these aren’t some crazy radicals with pistols, he thought before he gently awoke his wife who appeared to be a little confused as to her whereabouts.
“Hon, it’s time to go.”
“Uh?” his wife responded as she desperately tried to wipe the sleep from her eyes. “The girls?”
“Still asleep. I want to get out of here before they wake up. Maybe we’ll be back with potato chips before they even know we left.” James leaned over both girls and gave both of them a small kiss on the tops of their heads. As quietly as they could, they left their shelter, their home. James hoped that this wasn’t the last time he’d see it, but something in his gut just wasn’t sitting right. When the hatch latched shut, Deb’s eyes opened.
“Beth, you awake?” she whispered.
“I am now. What time is it?”
“It’s time to leave.”
“What? Your dad said that we should wait here for them to return.”
“Beth, I’ll go crazy if I have to sit in here waiting for them.”
“But won’t he be pissed if we just show up strolling next to him?”
“Yeah, he would. That’s why we’re going to follow them.”
“You’re crazy. But I’ll do it just to see if we can get some decent shampoo, and some feminine products.”
r /> “I know what you mean. My dad stocked everything in here; but he was severely lacking when it came to women’s needs.” They laughed a little bit, but it was more of a nervous titter. Deb lifted the hatch door a fraction of an inch. She feared that her father might realize this ploy and wait for them to poke their heads out to chastise them. But her dad wasn’t there and neither was the 1979 Vista Cruiser station wagon. Her father preferred his small Toyota, but if he planned to get supplies, he would need something a little bigger.
“The generator must have drowned out the noise,” Deb said, a little louder than their previous whispering.
“Must have drowned out what noise?” Beth asked, two steps below Deb, and now starting to feel a little claustrophobic. That was crazy though, two people had left the small confine so it should now feel more spacious. The lack of souls was having the opposite effect.
“The car, they took the car.”
“How are we going to follow them now?” Beth asked. She felt conflicted between being relieved she didn’t have to leave; but desperate to escape the ever confining shelter. She would have bowled Deb over to get out, Deb, however, was already on the move, leaving the sanctity of their hovel. Beth was expecting the air to be immensely fresh when she made her first venture into the outdoors after more than a week. But the opposite was true.
The air seemed stale and dingy. A brown cloud hung over everything. If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought she was in downtown L.A. during rush hour. Unbeknownst to the girls at the time, however, the brown cloud hung over the entire planet. Fires still raged in most of the major cities. It would be a long time before the winds of change took away the pollution.
“How are we possibly going to catch them if they are in a car? Do you know where the keys are for your dad’s car?” Beth asked as she pointed in the general direction of the blue two-door.
“Yeah, with my dad.”
“Doesn’t he have an extra set?” When Deb shook her head no, Beth pressed on. “What about your mom? She must have a set.”
“No, she never liked that car for some reason; she never drove it.”
“So what now?”
“Well, I know most likely where they are going. If we hoof it through some backyards and shortcuts, we shouldn’t be too far behind them.”
“Where to then?”
“Well, I bet that they’ll start at the Safeway down the street. If we stick to the shortcut, we could be there in about ten minutes.” Now that the realization of leaving their security began to set in, Beth started to get cold feet.
“Are you sure this is a good idea? What if we run down there and they’re on their way back? We’ll never beat them, and your dad won’t be too happy.”
“What’s he going to do? Ground me?”
“Good point. But I still don’t feel right about this.”
“Beth, we can’t stay in here forever. One way or the other, we need to go out and see what’s happening.”
Beth knew she was right, it didn’t make leaving any easier though. It wasn’t exactly the Taj Mahal but it suited their purposes. Besides, she told herself, her parents must be worried sick about her. If she could find a phone that worked, she’d let them know she was alright.
It never occurred to her that her parents wouldn’t be alright. They were the rocks that her life was anchored to. How could the Earth possibly still be spinning if her parents were no longer here? Beth had no way of knowing if her parents had survived the initial assault. They lived far enough out in the suburbs to avoid the major thrust of the enemy’s deadly invasion. Their demise if it should happen, would come more likely from the local variety, looters or opportunists who would take things from people’s homes whether they were there or not.
Mr. MacAvoy put up a modest struggle when they had come, but when one of the youth’s thirty-two-inch Louisville slugger connected with the back of his head, he crumbled like a sheet of paper on its edge. Mrs. MacAvoy fared even worse. After being repeatedly violated while she stared at the still, lifeless body of her husband, they had simply disemboweled her. They left her to die as she struggled to keep her innards from spilling out. Beth would never know what truly happened to her parents and it was for the best.
The girls walked in silence as they took note of the destruction around them. Multiple forest fires could be seen on the horizon. Countless houses appeared as if micro tornadoes had touched down and ripped them apart. The destruction seemed random, a row of houses would be destroyed and then one would stand as if nothing at all had happened. The girls stayed off the roadway even though it was not hindered by traffic. There was no one on the road.
The city was eerily quiet, almost like it was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. On occasion, the girls noticed a shade being moved to the side or a curtain quickly dropping back into place. If they turned to look at it, nobody came out to greet them or confront them. Deb was perplexed; most of the people had been her neighbors for as long as she could remember.
“What is going on here? Why won’t anybody come out?” Beth intoned.
“I think they’re scared, Beth.” Deb answered warily.
“Of us? Are you kidding? We don’t even have so much as a butter knife on us.” Beth wanted to laugh out loud but was afraid she might start crying instead.
“Right now, I think that if we were three-year-olds with pails and shovels, they wouldn’t even come out,” Deb answered miserably.
“How much farther to the grocery store? I don’t think I can take too much more of this,” Beth said with just an edge of anxiety riddling her voice.
“We just have to cross over two more side streets and then up an embankment, and we’ll be there,” Deb answered. She had picked up on Beth’s nervousness and feared that it might be catching. The girls crested the top of the embankment when Deb yanked Beth down to the ground.
“Ow! What the hell did you do that for?” Beth semi-shouted indignantly. Deb put her finger to her mouth and pointed down into the parking lot of the Safeway. Her parents were talking, no, if she could hear them from this distance, it had to be shouting.
“Who are your parents talking to? And why are they yelling?” Beth asked.
“Well, the guy in front is the manager of the store; the guy to his left, with the rifle, owns the barbershop next door. I have no idea who the other guy is,” Deb answered.
“What are they yelling about?”
“If you’d shut up for a second, maybe we’d find out,” Deb answered, a little more snappishly than she meant to.
“Sorry,” Beth whispered. Deb nodded her head in acknowledgement.
“You can’t come in here, James.” The balding, squat manager said.
“Bob, my wife and I have been shopping here for twenty years. I don’t want stuff for free. I’ll pay for it.”
“Your money’s no good here, James. Money’s no good anywhere,” “Bob, I’ve got a family to take care of! Just let me get a few things and we’ll leave.” Bob shook his head no. It was clear to Beth, however, that had Bob been acting alone, he may have helped the Carodys.
“James, I can’t help you. I, we have got to look out for the people that are already here.” James threw what appeared to be money at Bob.
“Fuck this, Bob! I’m going in to get a few things and I’ll be out of your way.”
Deb gasped.
“What’s the matter, Deb?”
“I don’t think that I’ve ever heard my father swear before. That’s all.”
It was then that Mr. Smythe, the barbershop owner, stepped in front of her dad to bar his way. The man was pushing sixty and thin as a wisp. But his steel-blue eyes burned a cobalt blue, visible even from a distance. He looked menacing, especially since he was carrying a huge, double-barreled shotgun.
“James, I can’t let you in.”
“Can’t? Or won’t, Al?” The blue fire in Al’s eyes diminished ever so slightly. “Al, I’ve been getting my hair cut at your place for fifteen years
. Hell, we’ve gone fishing before. You’ve come over to my house for barbecues.”
“James, you don’t understand. There’s only a finite amount of stuff in there and it’s being used up rapidly. What isn’t already bad is beginning to rot without refrigeration.”
“Alright, Al. Just let me get some of the stuff that’s on the fringe and I’ll leave.” Al and Bob both had their heads bowed, on the verge of acquiescing. They had run off multiple marauders, but not one of their own. Not their neighbor and friend.
“Five minutes, James; that’s all.”
“Whoa! Just wait a fucking minute!” the stranger shouted out, leveling his weapon at Deb’s father.
The man looked to be in his early twenties and, more than likely, had been a bouncer formerly. He was huge and looked bigger with his wife-beater T-shirt on. “Now, just wait a goddamn minute!” he repeated.
“Son, I don’t know who you are, but you had best stop pointing that weapon at me,” Deb’s father warned with controlled anger.
“I’ll point this fucking thing at whomever I please!” he shouted.
“Matt, put the gun down. I’ve already told him that he could get a few things.”
“You might have told him that it was alright, old man, but I never agreed to that. We’ve only got enough food in there for maybe another two weeks and I have no desire to share it with anybody else.”
“Matt, that’s the point; we have two weeks’ worth, he has none,” the manager said as he stepped to James’ side in a show of solidarity.
“That’s just too bad for him! He should have crept out from his hidey-hole or wherever the hell he was when we ALL agreed that we would not let anybody else in, no matter who they were.”
“This is different, Matt. He’s one of my neighbors,” Al piped in.
“I don’t give a goddamn if he’s the Pope’s neighbor. I’m not letting him in.”