Earth's Survivors Apocalypse (22 page)

I told them about the footprints by my house. They said they had seen footprints as well. They had gone out Coffeen Street and saw tracks of three or four people going in and out of a small store there. They had called out, but no one had answered. They had had second thoughts about calling out too. They weren’t armed. What if someone shot at them?

That brought my original thoughts to mind about a weapon. I mentioned the sporting goods store, and we all agreed to make a trip out there soon.

We talked about cars and trucks and agreed it would be good to get an SUV or truck of some kind if we could find one that will run, as they might be the only vehicles that could drive around as bad as things are torn up. They have also tried starting a few vehicles with no success. I mentioned my electronic brain idea, and Jake said he had thought of the same thing. Turns out he’s also a mechanic. I guess I can see why they chose him to lead. I feel kind of useless around the guy though. We agreed to try finding an older vehicle. Jake thinks our chances of getting one running are good. We’ll see what we can find.

The first night together was good. The best I’ve slept since this thing started. Just not being alone, you know?

I guess I’ll end on that note...

Conner closed his notebook and stuffed it down into his pack. Looking around the factory floor, he was surprised how different a few more warm bodies could make it. It didn’t seem as cold, so oppressively quiet, so echo filled with any kind of sharp noise, so…
so different, b
ut different in a good way.

Katie had been watching from across the factory floor where she had made a little area for herself away from Jake and the others. A clearly defined space of her own. Jake hadn't liked it at all. She hadn’t wanted to interrupt while Conner was writing, but now that he seemed finished she walked over to him.

“This was really nice of you,” she said as she walked up. “We were staying in that old school building. None too stable. Last night was the best sleep I’ve had in a while.”

“Funny,” Conner replied, “I was thinking the same thing. For me it was just having others around. People.”

Katie smiled.

She’s beautiful, Conner thought. He wasn’t normally a fan of tattoos, but she had some sort of tribal stuff that snaked up under her shirt sleeve. Just a hint of ink where her shirt didn’t quite meet the top of her Levi's made him wonder just exactly where the ink ended. She caught his eyes and smiled again.

“Mind?” She asked, gesturing at the ground beside him.

“No, sit down,” Conner smiled. “I have no manners at all. How long does it take to devolve? I guess a little over a week.” He smiled again.

She laughed as she sat down. The silence stretched out for a few seconds, each of them looking around the factory floor as the others talked or settled in for the night. They both spoke at once.

“Sorry,” Katie said and laughed.

“No, really. It’s that devolved thing again. Go ahead.”

She fixed her eyes on him. “I was just wondering what you were planning on doing. I mean, have you thought about leaving? I know you spoke a little about it yesterday when you were talking to Jake, but I could see you weren’t quite ready to fall in with the Jake-ites yet.” She lowered her voice for the last.

Conner looked at her levelly. “Yeah… I guess it does show. I don’t dislike him. I don’t even disagree with what he said. I just… I just don’t know. We don’t click, know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I do.” Katie answered. “It’s the same with me. I can think. I don’t need someone to do it for me.”

“Exactly,” Conner agreed. “But it’s a little more too, like Alpha male shit. This is my tribe. Me chief.” Conner finished in a near whisper.

Katie giggled but quickly clamped a hand over her mouth while nodding her head in agreement.

Conner continued. “I’m not really an Alpha male type of guy, but I’m not a dumb sheep either.”

“Me either,” Katie agreed, her giggles under control. She fixed him with her serious eyes once more. “So what will you do?”

“Probably like I said, like everyone else said, leave, but I don’t see why the south or the west wouldn’t be a good direction to go in. We’ll all see, I guess, as spring comes on, or as…”

“What?” Katie asked.

“Well, as this goes on. It might not be over yet. There might be more changes ahead. The days have slowed down, almost seemed to stop for a while last week when the sun just hung in the sky. Maybe what was supposed to happen happened? Now the sun’s rising in the wrong place in the sky. Did the Earth's spin reverse that fast? Weren’t some people claiming we’d fall off the Earth after the asteroid hit? Something like that?” He took a deep breath.

“I guess I’m just waiting to see how this goes. What happens next? In a few months, not far into spring, I’ll probably leave. Whatever has happened,
is happening
, should be over by then,” He smiled. “I guess that was a long drawn out answer.”

“No. Not really,” Katie answered. “I’m in the same place. I’m not sure what happened either, or if it’s all over, but I don’t think I want to live in a factory forever either.” She looked around, “But who knows; maybe it’s come to that?”

Conner shrugged his shoulders. “There are caves that dot the river. At least it hasn't come to that.”

She nodded and then continued. “Anyway, I… I just wanted you to know I’m seeing it the same way as you. I mean… I mean I want to be on your side of it.” She locked her eyes on his and gave a firm nod, then flipped her short, black hair out of her eyes. She firmed her mouth, set her jaw and spoke once more. “I'd like to go get my things... Move over here with you.” Her dark eyes settled on his own. “Be with you... I mean, be
together
.”

“Quick,” Conner said.

She nodded and smiled, “Maybe it’s a quick world now. I’m taking you at face value, I guess. You don’t have a little harem locked away farther back in this factory, do you?” She smiled.

Conner laughed. “Not hardly.”

“Well then,” she asked quietly, her eyes serious.

Conner nodded, which caused a huge smile to spread across her face. His own smile answered it. But, he thought, did she really mean…? He didn’t complete the thought as she stood and walked across the factory floor to where she had put her things and spent her first night. She turned and looked back at him. Conner stood and walked over to help her move her things over to his area. Several pairs of eyes watched the move.

~

“Guess that settles that,“ James Adams said to his wife Jan.

His wife nodded, a slight smile on her face. For the last few days Jake had been pushing Katie. Jan had disapproved. Let the girl make up her own mind, she had thought.

“Maybe it’s for the best,” she said now. “That young man is much more likable, Jimmy.”

James nodded in agreement. The fly in the ointment might be Lydia who had been making eyes at Jake since they’d first met, but who, for the last few days, had only had eyes for Conner. James looked over just as a look passed between Jake and Lydia. Oh, oh, he thought.

Jan shook her head. She had noticed the look pass between them too. “Maybe if those two get together it will level everything out,” she said softly. Jake had made it clear he was interested in Katie, not Lydia, but the girl had made her choice. Jake would have to accept it. Jan felt Katie had made the better choice of the two. She turned her attention back to the conversation she had been having with James.

~

Jake watched as Katie moved her sleeping bags and back pack over to Conner’s side of the factory floor. He didn’t see what she saw in Conner, but it was her choice, and she wouldn’t get a second chance with him. He frowned at his own thoughts. Don’t be an ass, he told himself. It’s not that serious. He looked over and caught Lydia's eyes; the question was right there. He nodded, and she sprang to her feet like a rabbit. A mean look on her young, pouty face as she looked towards Katie. The look went unanswered by Katie. She turned her back to the girl as she walked back over to Conner’s side of the factory.

~

Lydia quickly gathered her things and moved them over to Jake’s area. Stupid bitch, she told herself. She can have the dude. She’d only wanted Jake all along. Chasing after Conner the last few days had been an attempt on her part to make Jake jealous. Jake would take her out of here. She hated this place and everything to do with it, always had. Jake was tough, tougher than the other guy. She didn’t think of it in terms of Alpha Male and territory, but it came down to the same thing. Jake was the top dog.
Her
top dog.

The fire burned lower as everyone settled in for the night. Some happy, some worried, some undecided, but everyone along for the ride.

L.A.: March 13
th

Beth and Billy

T
he trek east out of the city was much harder than Billy and Beth had thought it would be.

It was close to noon before they reached Alameda, and decided to try to find some kind of four wheel drive vehicle, at one of the many car lots that dotted the sides of the road.

It had been slow going until they reached El Segundo Boulevard. The stalled traffic had been much lighter there, and they had been able to drive part of the way by cutting into the parking lots of fast food restaurants that dotted almost the entire length of the highway. They had followed that to Willmington, and picked up a truck that had seen better days. Getting the truck had not been a problem; there were several used car lots along the road. They had used the parking lots to swing around the worst of the traffic, and that had worked well until they had intersected Compton Boulevard. It was hopelessly packed with stalled traffic and scattered bodies rotting in the sunshine.

Beth had fashioned rags from a ripped up t-shirt to cover her nose and mouth. A few seconds later Billy had followed suit. The stench was horrific. They had left the truck, which had sounded as if it was close to dying anyway, and struck out on foot again. Beth led the way as they cut cross lots through Compton Woodley Airport.

Crossing the dead airfield had been unnerving for both of them. The runways had cracked, and either lifted skyward, or tilted down into the ground. Several blackened skeletons of large aircraft dotted the airfield. Most of them were so badly burned that they had been unable to tell what they had been before. Billy thought a couple of them may have been military aircraft, but as badly twisted as they were it was impossible to be sure.

One large plane sat tilted skyward on a chunk of runway that had separated from the surrounding pavement. The plane looked untouched, and almost as though it was some sort of rocket ship waiting to be launched skyward. Luggage, some burned, some untouched, was scattered across the airfield in every direction, and many of the suitcases were burst, with papers and clothing scattered, everywhere along with other personal effects. There were bodies here too.

On their way through the city they had seen more and more bodies. It had been unsettling to both of them. The bodies they
had
seen had not been killed by the Earthquakes. They bore gunshot wounds, and appeared to have been dead for only a short period. Possibly only the last two or three days, they decided.

The bodies at the airport were concentrated around the terminal building. The huge glass windows were peppered with holes, and in some cases completely blown inward, as if a battle had taken place for the terminal. Most of the bodies inside were concentrated behind the long rows of seats in the main lobby, as if they had been trying to use the seats for cover. It had apparently done no good. They paused only briefly, wondering what had occurred before they moved on. The overwhelming stench in the shattered terminal building drove them out. A few of the wrecked planes, where they had expected to see bodies scattered all around, were empty.

Occasionally they heard gunfire around them, and twice explosions from further north, behind them, had startled them. They had hurried along fearing the sounds, but fearing more the possibility that the owners of the guns might find them. They walked in silence across the remainder of the shattered airfield, and they were both glad when they left it behind them and eventually came to 91. 91 was traffic packed and they made their way across the steel roof tops once more, crossing under 91 on South Central and making their way along the sides of the road to E Del Amo Boulevard.

Here, like the MLK Highway, black topped parking areas fronted all manner of fast food restaurants, store chains and shops, which bordered both sides of the strip. It wouldn't necessarily assure a way around the stalled traffic, Billy realized, but it appeared as though it would give them a much better chance of getting to 405.

Billy led them towards the rear garage area of the dealership, where they found a full size four wheel drive Chevy pickup. Billy had worked at a dealership before, and recognized the garage area as the prep shop.

“When someone buys a new car,” Billy said, “or truck, or whatever, they have to prep it. Take the plastic off the seats, fill the tank, wax it, sort of get it ready for the customer, you know?”

“I thought they came from the factory all ready to go?” Beth said.

“Well, they do, sort of,” Billy agreed, “but they have plastic over the seats to protect them, and oil drips from the cars overhead on the transport trucks; dirt gets tracked into them when the guys move them around the lot. Sometimes they may have a scratch, or small dent that the body shop guys have to fix, and they get paint over-spray all over the car; dust in it, you name it. I used to have to prep cars, and it's not much fun. Minimum wage type of job and the salesman who sold the car is usually breathing down your neck all the time you're getting it ready. I hated it. I figured though, if we're going to find a truck all ready to go, this would be the first place to look. Gassed up and the whole nine yards. They even waxed it for us.” Billy finished, trying to break the somber mood that had set in as they crossed the airfield.

His effort worked partially, Beth offered him a small smile as she spoke. “You know a lot of things don't you?”

“Not really,” Billy said. “I just worked at a lot of different jobs. Mainly just to stay employed, but also because I believe you should learn as much as you possibly can. It worked for me. I grew up with a lot of guys who were constantly unemployed. Maybe they were carpenters, or roofers, or auto mechanics, whatever. When things would get bad, they'd get laid off. Not that I never got laid off, I did, but if I got laid off I could go to work somewhere else fairly quickly. I can practically build a house from the ground up, and do all the rough and finish, electrical, plumbing, and carpentry. The same with cars. I just learn well I guess, and it paid off. Someday I'd like to build my own house.”

“I've always wanted to own a house,” Beth said, the tentative smile had grown wider as she listened to Billy talk. “I never thought I would live anywhere except that crummy apartment. If I never own a house I guess that would be fine with me, as long as I never have to live in that dump again.”

Billy was nodding his head as she finished speaking. “I know what you mean. I had a crummy little place in a little town in northern New York. I used to take all the overtime I could get, so I wouldn't have to go back to it too soon. I really hated it, I mean totally. I had this dream of buying some land and building my own house: When this is over that's what I would like to do. Just find a nice place and build a house. Maybe have some cows, I don't know much about cows, but I could learn. I guess that sounds kind of stupid, but it really is what I want to do, and if I make it through this in one piece, I'm going to.”

“It doesn't sound stupid to me at all,” Beth said, “in fact it sounds like a good plan, a good dream to hold on to. I've never really dared to dream. I guess you know that.  I'm not making any excuses, and I'm not really ashamed of how I lived. I really didn't have many choices. It seems now though, as if I do. I guess now it's okay to dream. You think?”

“I think so,” Billy agreed. “I mean if you can't dream, what's the use, right?” she nodded her head as if to say yes before Billy continued. “Like, I live my life, and you live your life. You believe what you want, and I'll believe what I want. You see?”

“I do,” Beth said. “I guess I'm sort of the same way. I've always tried to live without hurting people. I was getting pretty bitter though, I have to admit. I just saw too much that didn't make any sense to me, and I could never understand why, if there was a God, he would let so much bad exist. I guess though, if people want it, it's going to be there. People thought I was bad, but I never really dared to look at myself. I guess I was bad, to a certain extent, but what was I supposed to do?” she seemed pensive.

“I had family, but... Well, you know.... I don't want to get into that. Suffice to say I couldn't be with them. So I was on the street when I first came here... I had to live. I prayed. I prayed a lot, but God never seemed to hear me. You could say I just gave up. I lost a lot of friends on the streets. It's sort of like a family, I don't know if you can understand that, or not, but it is. We all tried to watch out for one another, but it didn't always help. When you live your life that way, you can't expect to get any help from the cops either. I guess I just tried to stay alive from day to day.” She laughed, “And it was all about to change... I didn't see you, but they gave me the job playing.” She had lost her smile as she spoke, replacing it with a wistful pursing of her lips and a sadness that sat deeply within her eyes.

Billy nodded his head and they both fell silent for a few seconds.

“Beth,” Billy said. “It really doesn't matter anymore. I'm the last guy who would ever think of judging you. Believe me. I've screwed my life up so many times it's not funny. As far as I'm concerned what you did, you had to do. It doesn't make you a bad person at all, and it doesn't have any bearing on who you are now. I mean that sincerely.”

Now it was her turn to nod her head. She hadn't realized it, but his opinion mattered to her, and what he said allowed the small smile to re-surface on her face. She had told herself that she didn't care what he thought about her, but she knew even as she told herself that, that she was wrong. It did matter. It mattered a great deal.

They walked together to the back of the garage, and pushed up the steel overhead door. It took a few minutes to move a couple of the cars out of the way, so that they could drive the pickup out of the garage and into the lot behind the dealership.

Billy drove the truck across the grassy back lot, and stopped at the rear of a gas station to look for a state map. Beth followed him into the deserted station.

She filled a paper bag with some groceries, mostly canned goods, while Billy opened the map and studied it on the counter at the front of the station.

“Looks like the best way out,” Billy said, “Is still going to be 91. We passed it, we'll have to back track to catch it. We should be able to skirt around most of the traffic, shouldn't we?”

“Believe it or not, I don't really know,” Beth answered. “I mean I live here, or did, but I didn't get out of the city at all, or hardly ever, so I don't know what it's like.”

She paused and looked at Billy as he bent over the map. He smiled as he spoke.

“I actually understand that,” he said. “I didn't really know a lot about getting around outside of Watertown where I grew up, and you saw how I was here. Maybe I knew my way around for a handful of blocks, but that was it. I guess you learn how to get to the places you need to get to, and that's about it. No real big deal though. According to the map there are a lot of loops, sort of side roads that go around, and run parallel to 91, and hey, we've got four wheel drive, we can cut through the fields if we have to, right? That will get us to ten and ten is our ticket east.”

Beth shrugged her shoulders, as she replied. “I guess?” The attempt at humor was not lost on her, and she flashed a smile at him as she shrugged her shoulders again. “I guess if the cows don't mind.”

Billy grinned back, and they both laughed a little as they walked back out to the truck.

“You know,” Billy said as they climbed into the cab of the truck, “we should stop and pick up a couple of sleeping bags, and maybe a tent too. We still need to pick up a couple more rifles too.” He didn't want to alarm her, or make her start to worry, by bringing the subject up once more, but the truth was that he was fairly worried himself. If there were armed people running around killing whoever they chose too, it would be kind of stupid, he thought, not to have better weapons. Beth had the pistol, and her rifle. Billy had his own pistol and a rifle, but he wasn't sure it would do a lot of good. He wasn't a good shot. She surprised him when she not only agreed, but didn't seem to lose her smile when she did.

“I think it would be stupid not to stock up on whatever we can, guns included,” she said, echoing Billy's thoughts. “Do you know much about them?”

“Not really,” Billy confessed, “I've never even shot a rifle, you know, just never learned, I guess, or even wanted to. I think I could learn though. You know anything about them?”

“Well, now that you mention it, I do. At least a little. Not from shooting one, but more from seeing them. There are a lot of pawn shops on Beechwood, sort of goes with the territory, I guess. That's where I got this,” she said, holding up her small pistol, “We got the rifles from a smashed in pawn shop... The has to be another pawn shop or sporting goods shop out here somewhere, right?” Almost as she spoke Billy spotted one across the crowded interstate.

“There is one,” Billy said as he pointed.

They left the truck beside the stalled traffic, and walked through and around the cars to the large shop. They spent the better part of the afternoon outfitting themselves from the racks in the shop and carrying what they needed across the road to the truck. The pickup had a black vinyl bed cover. They opened it, stored the tent and the sleeping bags along with the other camping gear inside it, and then snapped the cover back into place.

“It probably won't keep everything totally dry,” Billy said, “if it rains, I mean. This is kind of more for show than actual protection,” he said indicating the cover. “But it should still do all right.”