When the Power Is Gone: A Powerless World - Book 1 (12 page)

It was quiet for a few minutes. The question came from Ben.

“Uncle Russ, what happens if there isn’t a clear path? What do we do then?”

Russ looked at him with a small smile. “One thing at a time, Ben. We need to check it first. Then we’ll decide what to do next.”

We checked in on the radio that night. There were transmissions with info about first aid, security, homesteading, and a lot of questions about what had happened to put us in this situation. Lots of questions that no one had answers to. And where was the “government” in all this? No one on the air had seen any sign of any one official. But then again, did we really want that?

****

The scout team for the scavengers showed up that night – at Brian’s house. It was just after midnight, so good and dark. Brian got up the stairs as fast as he could and woke everybody up. We quickly put on shoes and armed ourselves. If they were starting on this side of the street, we needed to be ready. The scouts hadn’t broken in anywhere that we knew of, and they hadn’t marked any houses for the scavengers that they couldn’t see in. But who knew if they would keep to that method? We wanted to know what they were doing. Russ grabbed the night vision monocular and went to the window on that end of the house, at the top of the stairs. He watched the scouts go around to each window they could reach in the front. Since Brian had a privacy fence like we did, that was locked, they couldn’t easily get to the back of the house. Maybe that would make them skip his house. Not that there was anything of use to them over there, but just the thought of some jerkwads going through your house – Brian was seething, and I could totally understand why. I‘d feel exactly the same way.

Brian was antsy, pacing back and forth in front of the window.

“I can jump the fence into my yard, go out the gate and kick their asses. What right do they have to be on my property??”

Bob tried to talk him down.

“Bubba, I know how you feel. If it was my place, I’d feel the same way. In fact, if they work their way over there, you may be the one holding me back. But we need to lay low as long as possible. While it might deter them if they find people in a house, it may also give them the idea that, because there are people at home, there’s a good chance they have food, guns, water – the stuff they’re after. We have a plan, long term: past next week, past next month, hell past next year. We have to get out of here to do that. We want to get out of here with the trucks and trailers, but we’re getting to the farm, one way or the other. We can’t get there if we’re hurt or dead. You know what I mean?”

Brian stopped, took a deep breath, and nodded. “I’m sorry, man. It just pisses me off to see them traipsing around my house like they have some right to do it. But, it’s cool. We’ll watch and see what they do.”

After they couldn’t see in at Brian’s, they walked across the yard – to our house. Here we go.

Your home is your castle; your safe place, your haven, your escape from the world. When you’re at home, you’re comfortable and secure. At least that’s the way it should be. In this situation, there was no security, no safety. We were at the mercy of circumstances beyond our control and people with no morals. And one of the most violating feelings is someone in your home who is not invited, or not supposed to be there. No, they weren’t in our house, but they were outside, trying to see in, and that was close enough.

We stayed upstairs, so that there was no chance they might see us moving around if they were looking in. Not that they could see in, but you never know, so why take the chance? We stayed as still as possible, barely breathing. We tried to listen to what they were saying to each other, but they were talking in a low voice, just loud enough to hear each other.

After about 10 minutes, we heard them moving away, toward Bob and Janet’s. Their place was closed up as tight as ours and Brian’s, so hopefully they would leave it alone as well. The next one down was the Baxters, and they were just too ignorant to stay inside.

Dan popped open the front door, shined a flashlight at them, and yelled, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? GET THE HELL OFF MY LAWN! WE’VE GOT GUNS! MY BOY IS IN THERE WITH YOU IN HIS SIGHTS!”

Good Lord, he told them he had guns. We didn’t really think they did after the remarks they had made here the other day, but they could have something, like a .22, or a shotgun. If Don was really dealing drugs, like we thought, he may have something more substantial.

The scouts took a step back but didn’t run or anything. They looked at Dan, and said something we couldn’t hear. They weren’t yelling, like Dan had. They started backing away, out to the road, coming back down the street toward us. They kept their eyes on Dan as they walked backwards, talking to each other. They had left their truck at the end of the street just past Brian’s house. They got in and headed out of the neighborhood. Hopefully, they would consider tonight a bust. I prayed they would.

By the time they had gone, it was close to 2:00 AM. We still had about 4 hours until sunrise. It was Bob and Janet’s watch, for a couple more hours, so the rest of us headed off to bed to try to get a few more hours’ sleep. Not sure if that was going to happen, but we had to try. Tomorrow could prove to be a very busy day. The thing we’d been expecting since they had shown up in the neighborhood, and dreading, was here. They had been to our house. How long before they broke in to see what we had locked up so tight?

****

Russ managed to get three more hours of sleep. Bob let him sleep a bit longer, since he and Brian were heading out early to check the road and the area. I got up with Russ, as planned, and we kept it quiet so Brian could sleep in the den. At 7:00, he woke Brian up. I had pancakes and coffee ready for them. Coffee by itself would get Bob and Janet up, and it did. When they found out there were pancakes, I got hugs from both of them.

Russ and Brian finished eating, brushed and flossed (without being reminded), and grabbed their bags. Since they hadn’t used anything but a bottle of water each the last time they went out, that’s all they had to add back. They grabbed their side arms, a two-way radio, their bags and rain coats – it was looking like rain again. Rain could be a good thing. Most of the time, scavengers and raiders were like animals, and they would hole up when the weather was bad. Ironic, the similarity to animals. It was possible if it rained, it would be safer for them out there in the woods.

I hugged and kissed Russ, and hugged Brian as well.

“Be safe. Hurry back.”

They both smiled and went to the garage. Bob went out front, checked for anyone out and about, and came back in.

“All clear, fellas. Just go out the front door so we don’t have to open the garage door. Call us on the radio if anything happens. I’ll be there in a flash, in the truck, scavengers be damned.”

Man hugs occurred, then they headed out. I closed my eyes, said another prayer, and went back to the kitchen to whip up more pancakes for the boys. Bob followed me in.

“You know Annie, I wouldn’t mind another short stack of those myself.”

I smiled at my brother-in-love, gave him a peck on the cheek, and ruffled his hair.

“You’ve got it, Hun. Go get the boys up. They’ll be ready when you get back down.”

Because that’s what I needed to do: stay busy. If I stopped long enough to think about Russ being out there with those dirtbags, wherever they were hanging out, it could drive me bonkers. I needed to work on something to take my mind off the situation. I decided to try to do some laundry.

I had bought this manual washing machine. I use the term “machine” loosely, because it was not a machine. It was kind of a tub, with a lid, and a crank handle on the side. You put the clothes in, added water and a little detergent, and turned the crank. It wasn’t my Kenmore, but beggars can’t be choosers when the electronic age is suddenly brought to a halt. I had a wash tub with clean water to rinse in. When one batch came out, I put another in. Janet found me in the laundry room and took over the rinsing. Once the clothes were rinsed, she wrung them out and hung them on the clothes drying rack in the corner. Since it looked like rain, we didn’t want to hang them outside. We washed and rinsed until the rack was full. If we weren’t trying to keep a low profile, we could have started a fire and used the warmth to dry them faster. After last night, we didn’t want to take the chance anyone would see the smoke. We hoped the rain wouldn’t last long, then we could hang some more outside.

With as much laundry done as we had room to hang, I didn’t have anything to keep me occupied now. Janet led me to the table, set a cup of coffee in front of me, and surprised me with one of the e-readers. She opened it up, clicked it on, and looked at me.

“Let’s learn how to make jam.”

I smiled and nodded at her. That should keep my mind occupied. My best friend was a genius. Now, if only the lesson would keep my mind off what might be going on with Russ and Brian.

Brian led them through the woods on the same route they had travelled earlier. The closer they got to the highway, the more evidence that other people had been in the woods, and not too long ago. Most of the prints and trash were close to the highway, not back toward the houses, so it was possible we were still somewhat safe from scavenging bands. Not that we blamed them. Had we not been prepared for something like this, we would be in the same position, trying to figure out how to feed our son, and our adopted family. And yet, from our informed view, we saw these tragic, and probably desperate, people as predators and potential raiders, after our supplies. Vigilance was our new byword.

When they got close to the spot where they would be able to see the road, Russ called softly to Brian.

“Let’s get off and walk from here. We can hide the bikes off the path right over there. I don’t want to take a chance of getting ambushed and losing them.”

Brian headed off the path to the spot Russ had indicated. It was bushed out with spring leaves, and there were dead branches lying close by. They put the bikes in a thicket and laid branches over them. They backed up to the path, looking to where they left the bikes. They didn’t see anything that looked suspicious, and they were peering in, trying to see them. Satisfied with the camouflaged bikes, they grabbed their bags and headed for the road on foot.

The closer they got, the more they could see that everything was not the same as it had been when they came through a few days ago. There seemed to be a definitive path down the road. Apparently, the scavengers had cleared themselves a route in and out of the area. Cars were pushed off to the sides of the road. Good thing for us – the less time it took us to get out of here, the sooner we got to the farm, and the safer our trip getting there might be. The downside was that they could have sentries set up, watching for people like us trying to get out of the area. There could be roadblocks, snipers, all sorts of assault points.

Russ wanted to parallel the road for a while to the south, and see what else they could see. He pulled out his binoculars and scanned the area.

“I don’t see anybody, but that doesn’t mean there’s not anybody there. Keep your eyes open and try to listen for anything out of the norm. Stay in the woods so we can stay out of sight as much as possible.”

Brian headed south on the path. Russ took another quick, magnified look, and followed him. They were constantly scanning the road, as well as the sides, looking for any movement, or any sign that someone had recently been around. It was still early, probably around 8:00, so it was possible there weren’t a lot of people up yet. Funny thing about when SHTF – if no one had a “job” to go to, most people didn’t think it mattered what time you got up. Those of us who were ready for this new world (or as ready as modern day folks could be), knew there were still things that needed to be done, so if no one else was up early, imagine the things you could get to first: deer, squirrels, rabbits; wild edible plants and berries; wild game birds and their eggs. The old saying “the early bird gets the worm” depicted this new world to a T. Maybe even more relevant was the saying “You snooze, you lose”. This was not the time to be catching up on sleep. This is when, if you didn’t have supplies, you became a hunter/gatherer, like cavemen, native Americans, or any of the people who existed before grocery stores and planted gardens, before houses and huts. Though there were houses now, they would be more like huts, except for having real floors instead of dirt. No electricity or running water reduced houses to shelters. Sleeping in probably wasn’t the best idea right now for Joe Citizen, but their laziness was working in our favor at the moment.

As they walked the edge of the woods, they were trying to keep an eye out for people, but also trying to note the differences since they were through here before. Since the first time they went north, toward the mall, they were seeing a different view this time. Different vehicles, abandoned for a week now, but in the same condition as the ones in the other direction – windows broken, doors and trunks left open, nothing of value left anymore. They were pushed to the side, some into the ditch, to clear a lane on the road. Most looked like they had been pushed with a large vehicle, no care taken, as there were dents, smashed fenders and quarter panels – who would care? These vehicles were most likely sitting in the place they would be for a very long time, maybe forever. They were worthless now. Even if the chips could be replaced, by the time they took the car apart to do it, they could probably just build a new one cheaper, in less time, if the factories were able to start back up again. No, these cars and trucks had no value now.

Brian paused, looked back at Russ, and pointed ahead toward the road. When Russ pulled out his binoculars and checked, he saw what looked to be a family walking the road away from them. A man, woman and two young girls were walking the edge of the road, pushing a shopping cart and pulling a wagon, both containing bags they couldn’t see into, as well as some clothes, blankets and other things they couldn’t make out. Russ shook his head and spoke to Brian in a low voice.

“You see the mistakes they’re making?”

No time like the present to continue Brian’s education of the way things are now. Brian looked at them again and started his recitation.

“First and biggest one that I see is walking the road, out in the open. They obviously have supplies of some kind, or else what would they be hauling in the wagon and cart? They have no cover, so if someone comes at them, they have no chance of hiding.”

He looked at Russ, and Russ nodded. Brian continued.

“They have supplies in grocery bags, so a good chance it’s food. It’s ingrained in us to put groceries in grocery bags. That would make it worth taking their stuff right off the bat. The wife and girls are a valuable resource, and it is very easy to see that’s what they are. They aren’t hiding their hair, form, anything.”

Russ spoke up then. “Knowing all that, say you’re a piece of shit scumbag and you see them on the road. What do you do?”

Brian shook his head. “Kill the dad. The mom freaks out, screaming and grabbing her kids. Now all three are in one nice little bundle. Swoop in, grab the mom and the girls, the cart and the wagon, load them up in a truck and haul them off. Five minutes, tops.”

“Good assessment, and probably pretty accurate. It sucks that we have to think like them, but it sucks even more that people like that don’t. Let’s go. Maybe we can save a life or four today.”

Russ moved toward the family at a faster pace, while still staying within the relative cover of the woods. When they were almost abreast of them, and not surprisingly the family still didn’t know they were there, Russ whistled, just a soft whistle, like calling a dog. The man and woman both looked up and in their direction. Russ stepped just to the edge of the woods, with his hands out to the side showing they were empty, and motioned for the small family to come toward him. The father held his arm in front of his family and pulled a small revolver out of his pocket. Well, at least they had a weapon, so to speak. Not much good if someone shoots you in the head from a hundred yards with a rifle though. Russ looked the father in the eye.

“If we wanted to kill you, you’d be dead. We’ve been following you for five minutes. I’d like to help you and your family survive for a little while longer. Please come over and talk to us. My name is Russ Mathews. This is my friend, Brian Riggins. Please come over, away from the road. You are out in the open and could be attacked easily.”

The man and woman both immediately looked around, trying to take in every direction, and seemed to see what Russ was trying to tell them. The dad spoke softly to his wife, who grabbed her daughters by the hand, and they all headed toward Russ and Brian.
Good
, Russ thought.
Step one is a success.

When the small family got to the edge of the woods, the man pocketed the 38 special (easy to see what it was up close) and held his hand out to Russ.

“Sean Scanlin. This is my wife, Kate, and our daughters, Tara and Katlyn. Are you guys from the Woodlawn Plantation houses up there?”

Sean motioned with his head back toward the burned-out neighborhood up by the mall. Russ shook his head. Sean kept talking.

“We lived on Walton Lane. The whole area is gone. We waited for the fires to burn out. The rain yesterday helped. There wasn’t much left, but we found a few basements that were not completely burned out. We grabbed what we thought we might possibly be able to use, and headed out. We have some friends who live about 25 or 30 miles from here. That’s the best option we could come up with. We figured we could walk there in a week. We didn’t know what else to do. Nothing is working, everything is gone, there’s no food, no water, now no shelter. We just hoped we could make it to our friends’ place. They have a small farm, and know all about gardening, and they raise goats and chickens and stuff. Sorry, I’m rambling. Where are you guys from? Do you have a camp or something nearby?”

Brian looked to Russ, who shook his head.

“No, we don’t have anything close. We are out scouting for a route out of here. It’s going to get bad anywhere there are houses around that might have supplies. I just wanted to talk to you about how you were travelling, out in the open like that. You need to be traveling in the woods, under some kind of cover. It will take you longer to get where you’re going, but it will at least provide you some cover. This path will follow the highway for quite a while, right Brian?”

Brian nodded, and Russ continued.

“Your family is in real danger. Your wife and daughters will be a high commodity in the lawless world that’s brewing as we speak. You need to keep them hidden as much as possible. You seem to have some kind of supplies. I would consolidate everything into one place – either the cart or the wagon. Make it look like less. Cover the whole thing with a blanket, with clothing showing under it, so it looks like clothes instead of food. Cut your daughters’ hair, short, so they look like boys, or tuck it up under a hat or cap. Hide your wife under a coat or a poncho. When you absolutely have to leave the cover of the woods, check the area first. Check for other people. Don’t trust anybody. You shouldn’t have trusted us, but I’m glad you did. When you stop to sleep, post a guard. You and your wife will need to trade off. Move deep into the woods to make camp. No fires during the day. Night is safer, but keep it small. I hope you have ammo for that revolver, and I really hope you have some other guns. Don’t share info with anyone you don’t know about what you have. People will kill you for your food or weapons soon. The main thing you need to keep in the front of your mind is be invisible. You don’t want anyone to see or hear you. Understand?”

Sean was trying to absorb everything Russ was saying. Kate had a lost look. She looked at Russ with a question in her eyes.

“Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to help us? You didn’t have to let us know you were here. You could have kept going, and we would have been none the wiser.”

Russ returned her look. “I have a son. If I didn’t know what I know, I would hope someone would help me so he could live.”

Sean’s head snapped up. “You know something? You know what happened? Why nothing works?”

Russ shook his head again. “I don’t know for 100% proof positive. I do have a theory. I think it was an EMP, an electromagnetic pulse. A nuclear weapon, detonated in the atmosphere can cause the pulse, or even a large solar flare, which takes out anything electronic with computer chips. It’s like sticking them in a microwave. They’re fried. I don’t know who did it. I don’t know why. I know if that’s what it was, it will be a long time before we have any semblance of normalcy in our world. I know that with no police, the bad guys are going to be running rampant. I know that the good, decent people will need to band together if they are going to make it and have a fighting chance at survival. Are you good people?”

Sean and Kate looked at each other. Sean spoke up. “We are good people. We just want to keep our kids safe. Can you help us? Can we join you? We don’t have a lot, but we have some food we could share. What can we do to get you to consider taking us with you?”

Brian looked at Russ. He had no right to deny anybody entry to their group. He was an outsider once. Russ shook his head.

“Right now, we are out here scoping out an exit route. Our neighborhood is being cased by scavengers, possibly marauders, so we are getting ready to leave. We will probably be through here tomorrow, or the next day at the latest. The best I can offer you is this: keep heading south. Stay to the woods. We’ll be watching this side of the road on our way out. Watch for two rigs – a pickup and a big SUV, both hauling white trailers. If you’re out here and you see us, flag us down. If you’ve made it that long, we’ll pick you up and give you a ride down the road, maybe pretty close to where you’re headed. Can you work with that?”

Sean smiled and nodded. “Yes, we can work with that. Thank you, Russ. You’re a good man. Are you guys going this way? Can we walk with you for a while?”

Russ smiled at him. “Yes, we’re still checking the area out, so you can tag along.”

They walked the path through the woods, with Russ and Brian leading the way, Sean and Kate behind with their kids and their belongings. Russ shared with them what we had heard on the radio and what we had seen on our street. Sean and Kate told the story of the horrible fire that took out their home.

“Someone – no one ever admitted to it – accidentally set their house on fire, trying to cook inside. It went up fast, then the wind came in, and with no firefighters, we had no way to control it. It was dark, and by the time we smelled the smoke, the whole end of the street was blazing. We grabbed the kids and ran out. The street burned all night, and there were dozens of people standing around wondering what to do next. We had heard gunshots coming from the mall area the last couple of nights, so we didn’t want to go anywhere near there. I had my .38 revolver and a 9mm pistol in my coat pockets when we ran out of the house, thank goodness. Once the gunshots started, I made sure to always have them on me. I got Kate and the girls, and we headed to the edge of the neighborhood. There was a park, with a playground, and a playhouse. We moved in and closed it up. We spent the rest of the night listening to the people out there trying to figure out what to do, where to go. We heard a couple outside the playhouse, but we had secured the door with a huge rock inside, so they probably thought it was locked at night. The next morning, we peeked out and saw a lot less people, and the complete devastation of our homes. Kate fell apart, the girls cried, and I tried to figure out what to do next.”