The Journal: Crimson Skies: (The Journal Book 3) (24 page)

“Harvey’s House of Horrors,” Karen said,
joining us. She looked unusually pale. “That sick bastard had shot
every one of them and posed them like they were company. Men,
women, even a couple of teenage girls … I think they were girls.”
Karen ran back to the bathroom.

Ken looked in the direction his wife went for
a long moment before continuing. “Harvey was giggling like a madman
and talking to us about joining the party. Then he focused on Karen
and stood up.” He turned his back to me for a brief moment. “He
was… aroused. Karen pulled her gun out and shot him in the face and
then in the crotch.” Ken let out a nervous chuckle.

“We need to mark that place completely off
limits,” I whispered.

“I ran a roll of police tape around the
house. Anyone getting close should get the message,” Ken said.

“Do you want to take Karen home?” I asked him
gently.

“Actually, I think she’d rather keep working
here, if that’s okay.”

~~~

It was mid-afternoon when the next busload
arrived with perhaps a dozen personal cars following. We used the
same procedure of issuing numbers. Though this group was all
childless older couples, we still passed out fifty numbers. By
assigning these couples to the various motels, it went quickly.
There were a few exceptions.

“Is there any chance we can get a house with
a yard?” one woman pleaded. “I’d really like to put in a garden. I
do understand about using the housing space wisely, and if my
daughter and her husband move in with us, it would save space and
I’d have some help.”

“I agree. Let’s look at this other list,” I
said, shuffling some papers. I found the list Ken and Karen had
dropped off before they started patrolling the parking areas. I
assigned the family a house down on Lake Meade.

Four others came to Tom and asked about joint
housing. Seems they had been close friends for many years and
wanted to stay together. I really thought that if we made as many
feel welcomed and as comfortable as possible, the fewer problems we
would have. I assigned them a house next to the other family.

I gave the same speech about getting along,
the hospital, and the food.

“Perhaps I can help,” a middle aged woman
said, approaching me. “I come from a really large family. I’m used
to cooking a lot at a time, and I’d like to help somehow. I’m
Marsha by the way.”

“You just got yourself a job!” I said
enthusiastically. “In fact, let me have your card back, I’m
changing your housing to live right at the Inn. It has a dozen
rooms on the upper floors. Let’s take a walk and you can choose
whichever room you want. That might be your only perk. The rest is
going to be a lot of work.”

I left Eric and Tom to escort the other
couples to the various motels. As a tourist town, Moose Creek had
several seasonal motels that had quickly become a benefit to us as
instant housing.

I introduced Marsha and her husband to Jason
and Amanda, and returned to the offices in time to see the three
long commercial tankers backing into the lot at Frams’.

“What are those, Tom?” I asked.

“Propane, gas, and diesel. Each of the three
locations gets the same thing. I thought it only fair.” He leaned
against the doorway. “It will still have to be rationed. When this
is gone, it’s gone.”

What a daunting thought.

“That’s it for today, Allexa,” Tom yawned. “I
don’t know about you, but that was exhausting. I still need to get
back to Marquette.” He paused for a long time, not moving to
leave.

“What, Tom?”

He looked at me, then away. “You know, this
is what we trained for, and we did well today. But all of this has
such a… a final feeling to it.”

“Are you coming back?” I asked in a small
voice.

He smiled at my obvious emotional pain. “Yes,
Allex, I’m coming back. Jim and I discussed it and I volunteered to
move here to Moose Creek and give you a hand in running it. We
couldn’t just dump five hundred people on your doorstep without
some help.”

“Is Jim coming too?” I asked. I’d grown quite
fond of the Colonel.

“No, he feels he will be of better use in the
Soo fighting the Canadians.” He laughed. “Who ever thought we would
be at war with Canada?” That left me speechless and sad. “Let me
give you and Eric a lift home, Allex. We’re done for now and
tomorrow is going to be a very long day.”

~~~

Rayn’s Hummer and a step-van were sitting in
the driveway. Rayn was sitting on top of the picnic table with a
glass of water, deep in thought. Mark was nowhere in sight.

“Rayn, where’s Mark?” I asked, alarmed.

“He’s in the house, having a drink. He’s
really upset and I think he’s mad at me,” she stated.

“Over what?” I asked.

She frowned. “Maybe you should ask him.”

Just then Mark came out the back door. “She
almost
killed
me!” he snapped, pointing at the young lady
sitting quietly.

“I did
not
, Doctor Mark!” Rayn
protested.

“What in the world happened?” I asked,
wrapping my arms around Mark, so glad to see him home. “No, don’t
say anything yet. I think I need a drink for this. Tom, you want
anything?”

“No, though I’d like to know what the fuss is
all about.” He grinned.

Mark followed me inside, and I saw Eric sit
down next to Rayn and hug her. They were going to make a good
couple.

“One of you start from the beginning,” I
pleaded, taking a sip of my spiced rum. It went down smoothly, just
like it should on a rough day.

Mark and Rayn glared at each other.

“Mark, how did it go at the pharmacy?” I
asked, hoping to get something started.

“Actually, it went quite well,” Mark said.
“We finished everything in less than two hours. The sorting,
packaging, even marking all the boxes. There wasn’t a great deal
left. I did manage to get some vital things for the hospital.”

“Since the pharmaceuticals were at the top of
Col. Andrews’ priority list, those were loaded first and left with
a guard, even though there isn’t anyone left in town who’s out to
steal,” Rayn chimed in. “After that all of us circulated with
shopping carts. It was actually kind of fun. Three semis are now
loaded with an amazing variety of things. One of them should arrive
in Moose Creek in a few hours. The soldier driving it will sleep in
the cab tonight to protect it. Oh, and he’s staying with us so he
will need quarters.”

“Us?” Eric gasped. “Does that mean
you’re
staying?”

“Of course I’m staying,” she laughed. “I
asked for this assignment as soon as it came up.”

“Rayn, I’m delighted you will be here, but
let’s get on with what happened, please!”

“I volunteered to drive the pharmaceutical
truck,” Mark stated. “That’s it over there.” He pointed to the
oversized step van. “I wanted to stop at the Medical Center before
we came home since there is no going back.” He looked at me; his
eyes had a touch of fear. “Oh, Allex, it’s bad there, really bad,
there are fires everywhere.”

“He told me that if I didn’t stop with him,
he would go alone.” Rayn glared at him again. “I couldn’t let that
happen, so I went.”

“The parking lot was empty. I pulled up as
close to the doors by the rehab center as I could, and Rayn was
right behind me. I went to the equipment supply room first and
found what I wanted: a wheelchair. I went back for another one
while Rayn stood guard. I also found several pairs of adjustable
crutches and some limb stabilizers that I piled on top of the
second wheelchair. When I was headed back to leave, some guy
stepped out from one of the therapy rooms and pointed a gun at me.”
He swallowed hard. “I’m not afraid to admit that I was really
scared, Allex.”

“The guy didn’t see me at first,” Rayn stated
calmly. “When he saw me and turned my direction, his whole body
turned, including his gun hand. As soon as the weapon cleared the
doctor’s range, I fired.”

“The Arc,” Eric said, and Rayn nodded. “Once
the perp began the Arc, that curve of space where the gun isn’t
pointed at anything, the doctor was no longer in danger of being
shot by a reflex firing,” Eric explained. “The Arc lasts only a
fraction of a second.”

“She could have hit
me
!” Mark yelled
starting to pace.

“Mark, where did the bullet actually hit?” I
asked.

“In the middle of his forehead.”

“From what I understand, Rayn is an excellent
shot, and that was a very short range. So it was exactly where she
aimed. You were never in any danger from her hitting you. It sounds
like she saved you.” I hugged him tightly. “I’m really glad she
did!”

“It was really loud,” he said, his voice
quieting. “My ears are still ringing.”

“So did you bring the wheelchairs with you?”
Tom asked.

“After all of that I was not about to leave
them behind. Allex, I want to take one to Collins. He’s having a
rough time getting around on crutches with a broken arm.”

When Tom was getting ready to leave, a moving
van pulled into the driveway. It was getting busy here.

Staff Sargent Frank Sanders, one of the
colonel’s private detail, stepped down from the driver’s seat. Rayn
and Eric both stood and Rayn gave him a quick nod, acknowledging
his superior rank. He returned her gesture, also nodding to Eric,
who outranked him. Even though Eric was no longer active military,
it was all a sign of respect.

“Ma’am,” Sgt. Sanders said, “this is a
special delivery from Col. Andrews. I’m to give only you or the
doctor the keys. One key is for the truck, the other is for the
padlock on the back doors.”

“What’s in there, Sargent?” I asked.

“I don’t know, ma’am.”

Mark took the keys and opened the padlock,
looked inside, and then locked it again. He stood by my side,
grinning.

“Do you need a ride back to Marquette?” Tom
asked the young soldier.

“Yes, sir, I do, although I will be coming
back tomorrow to stay.”

~~~

After the two left for Marquette, I pulled
Mark aside. “So what’s in the van?” I asked.

“Christmas,” he said, smiling even broader.
“It looks like Jim emptied a liquor store.”

Rayn coughed subtly.

“Ma’am,” she looked really nervous, “would it
be alright with you if I went home with Eric?”

“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t,” I
replied, reaching out to give this new member of our family a
hug.

October 25

With what we were to face today haunting my
thoughts, I slept poorly, finally falling asleep at four o’clock in
the morning. The alarm went off at six.

Freshly showered and fortified with coffee
and toast with jam, we headed back to the township offices to
organize the next wave. As prearranged the night before, we all
drove our own vehicles, not knowing when someone might have to
leave. Before we arrived at the township office, I noticed another
large semi-truck in Fram’s parking lot. It must be our Walstroms
truck, filled with supplies.

Rayn and Eric came in casual fatigues with
Eric proudly sporting his maroon beret. They also had rifles and
sidearms, and would be stationed inside by the check-in desk, in
full view. Ken and Karen were to control the parking lot, while
Jason and Amanda worked in the office kitchen preparing an easy
meal. This next group could be the most disorderly of all.

A long line of personal vehicles began
filling Fram’s parking lot and a full school bus pulled into the
township offices at ten o’clock. Men and women spilled out,
dragging suitcases and plastic bags. The ones that caught my
attention immediately were the two women with six children. I
singled them out and ushered them into the meeting room.

“You should have been on yesterday’s bus,” I
said.

“I’m sorry, but we were still rounding up the
kids,” the youngest one replied, clearly exhausted.

“I’m Holly Crawford, and this is my sister
Ivy. Please, no jokes,” the other one pleaded. “We are, or
were
, middle school teachers. All these children are orphans
we’ve been caring for. If at all possible, could we stay together?
The children have been traumatized enough.”

“I have the perfect house for you two,” I
said, thinking of the big house with four bedrooms across the
street from the school. “Here, fill out these cards, and I’ll have
Amanda take you to your new house.”

Teachers! Another problem solved on its
own.

Out of the corner of my eye I caught a
familiar face. “Gray!” I called out to the town’s only paramedic.
He turned my way and smiled. “It’s so good to see you. I heard you
might be coming back.”

“It is home, ya know? When everyone left or
died, I felt I was more useful in Marquette. Now…” Gray looked
around, “I think I can help again. Has my house been assigned to
anyone?”

“No, it hasn’t. I marked it off-limits. You
can go home anytime you want. Have some lunch first.”

“Ramen noodles again?” he asked with a
grin.

“Nope, I think it’s vegetable soup today,” I
said, remembering the two cases of noodles I gave him during the
flu outbreak last winter.

I found Tom out in the parking lot organizing
the restless bunch.

“Everyone whose wife or parents might already
be here will be next. File into the meeting room and we’ll find
where your family is,” Tom said. He had a very loud and commanding
voice when he wanted to.

It took close to an hour to process the forty
men that came forward; most were husbands, some were fathers and
brothers. Only two didn’t match up to anyone.

“I’m sorry, I don’t have those names listed,”
I shrugged. “Are you sure they were to come here and not
Escanaba?”