Countdown to Armageddon (4 page)

     “Do you remember a couple of months ago, when there were some solar flares that disrupted the communications satellites, and our cell phones kept dropping calls and the TV picture kept going out?”

     The boys looked at each other and shook their heads.

     “It’ll be like that, only a thousand times more powerful. Instead of just messing with our communications satellites, the massive storm will send electric static waves that will bombard the earth. They won’t do any damage to humans, but they will be strong enough to short out anything that has a battery, or anything that had a circuit board which can be short circuited. That means no cars will work, no computers, no electronics. Nothing you plug into a wall or put batteries into will work anymore.”

     He took out the small metal box from Jordan’s backpack.

     “There is, however, one way to protect things from being destroyed. I made this based on what scientists call a ‘
Faraday cage.’ Somebody named Faraday invented a concept whereby electronics were stored within a metal container, but were insulated from direct contact with the container. The idea is that when solar flares send electromagnetic pulses, or EMPs, toward the earth, they will hit the box and run around its surface. But the electronics inside are insulated from the EMPs. Therefore they are protected and can still be used.”

     He opened up the box so the boys could see the rubber insulation, and took out the radio.

     “As I said, I don’t know when it’s going to happen. It could happen while we’re at home. That would be the best thing. But it might happen while you’re at school, or while you’re en route.

     “
Jordan, if you’re at school and all the lights go out, try to call me. If the lights at school don’t work, and your cell phone doesn’t work, and none of your friends’ phones work either, then it’ll be time. When you go out to your car, you’ll notice cars on the streets in front of the school have all died.

     “There will be people getting out of their cars and looking under their hoods and scratching their heads, trying to figure out why everybody’s cars all died at the same time.

     “When that happens, leave all your books behind. You won’t need them anymore. Take this bike out of your trunk and put the wheels on it. It’s a racing bike. The wheels have thumbnuts so they can be installed quickly without wrenches. Put the wheels on the bike, put your backpack on, and ride home as quickly as possible.

     “People will try to flag you down, or ask you to get help. Do not stop. They may be friendly, or they may want to take your bike. People will be desperate and scared. Keep moving.

     “If someone does succeed in taking your bike, don’t put up a fight. Give it up without getting yourself hurt. Then walk home. Your school is just over twelve miles from home. I clocked it. You should be able to make it home in one day. If for some reason you can’t, find one of the cars on the road that is unlocked and sleep there for the night.

     “At some point, I want you to duck behind a building or some trees and take the radio out of the backpack. Put the batteries in it and turn it on, and then call me to tell me you’re on your way and when I can expect you. Do you understand?”

     Jordan’s lip quivered, but he nodded his head yes. Scott turned to his younger son.

     “Zachary, the same applies for you, but without the bike. Your school is only six miles away. You can make it in one day. You’ll have to take this backpack with you every day, but there is still room in it for your books and such. There are two bottles of water and some granola bars for each of you if you get hungry or thirsty on the way.

     “Zach, if you’re at school when everything goes out, walk out of school and head home. If any of the teachers try to stop you and say it’s just a power outage, ignore them. Walk right past them and out the door. Your life will depend on it. The same thing applies if the bus dies on the way to or from school. You’ll know it’s happened because all of the other vehicles on the road will die too at the same time. And your cell phone won’t work.

     “I don’t want either of you to worry or be scared. Once we meet here, I’ve got a safe place for us to go, and I will protect a vehicle that will get us there.”

     Zachary thought of his mother, who lived with her boyfriend a couple of miles away.

     “What about Mom?”

     “I will talk to your mother. She is very stubborn, but I will tell her if she can get here within a few hours of the blackout we will take her with us.”

     “Dad, I’m scared.”

     “That’s why I’m telling you all of this, son. I know it’s a lot to absorb, and it’s a scary thought. But me telling you this is a good thing. You can put your mind at ease, knowing that while the rest of the city is panicking and going into chaos mode, that we’ll have a safe place to go, and we’ll survive while many others won’t. All you have to do is make it home. I’ve got everything covered after that.”

     Scott went to sleep that night wondering if he’d done the right thing by telling his boys. They were likely to mention it to some of their friends, and it might open them up to ridicule. They might be called crazy.

     But no, he finally decided he needed to tell them. Mostly because they had a right to know that something that would affect them to such a great degree was likely to happen soon. Also, if they were caught by surprise, they might panic. If it happened while they were in school, they might go to the home of a friend who lived close to the school. And while they would surely be safe there, without telephones they’d have no way to tell Scott where they were.

     Now he just had to figure out a way to tell their mother without her freaking out.

-7-

     A couple of weeks after he closed on the old Ryan place, Scott was there, in the main house, unloading a truck full of furniture and dishes from one of his abandoned storage lockers. There was a knock on the door.

     He opened it up to find Joyce, carrying a house plant and bottle of wine.

     Scott wasn’t surprised. At the closing, she kept catching his eye. It was obvious she was interested. And, Scott had to admit to himself, he was too.

     “Hi. I hope this isn’t too much of a bother. I just wanted to drop off a housewarming gift, and…”

     She left it at that, afraid to go further.

     But Scott wasn’t quite so shy.

     “I hate to drink alone. I’ll accept your generous gift, but only if you stick around long enough to share it with me.”

     She smiled a warm smile. She was quite attractive, Scott had decided. And definitely his type.

     “Why, thank you, Mr. Harter. I’d love to, but… I’m afraid the wine isn’t chilled.”

     “First of all, no one calls me Mr. Harter. Mr. Harter sounds like a stuffy old codger. Call me Scott, please. And the wine isn’t a problem. I have a friend who’s a wine snob from
Europe. He insists that only American fools chill their wine before drinking it. He insists that wine and beer taste better at room temperature. Let’s find out. And while we’re finding out, we can get to know each other.”

     It was her turn to smile. She’d already decided she wanted to get to know him a lot better.

     “Okay, but you’ll have to keep an eye on me to make sure I don’t drink so much that I can’t drive home.”

     Scott’s expression told her he was thinking the same thing she was.

     He took the bottle out of the gift bag and read the label. An Eifel spatlase. She had good taste in wine.

     “Have you been to the
Eifel region?

     “No, I’ve actually never left the States. An old friend got me hooked on German wines several years ago.”

     She looked around.

     “I was expecting to see your boys, Scott. You said you had two of them?”

     He saw right through her. She was fishing.

     “Yes, but you won’t see them today, I’m afraid. They are with their mother this weekend.”

     “But you have full-time custody? Pardon me if it sounds like I’m prying, but that’s unusual in Texas. For a father to have custody, I mean.”

     “Oh, I don’t mind. It’s no secret. Linda had some problems about the time we were going through our divorce. She gave me custody without a fight because she knew they were safer with me. And because she had her own personal demons to fight, and she couldn’t do that while raising the boys. She’s been clean and sober for five years now, and she’s changed her bad habits. So even though I have custody, we have a very liberal visitation arrangement. And she and I are still good friends.”

     “It’s nice when you can end things amicably. I wish my own marriage had ended as well. But he’s gone forever, and I haven’t seen him for years. So that’s all water under the bridge, I suppose.”

     “Do you have any children, Joyce?”

     “No, not me. I always assumed it was Ron. My ex. But then after we divorced I got tested. I’m unable to. But that’s okay. I’m too much of a space cadet to have kids. I’d probably leave them at the supermarket by accident or something. That’s how scatterbrained I am.”

     “Oh, I doubt that. You strike me as a woman with a great head on your shoulders, who knows exactly what she wants and how to get it.”

     He smiled and she blushed. It was at that point she realized that all pretense was gone. He knew she wanted him, and his warm smile told her he was more than willing. They’d just dance around the subject a bit more. Play the waiting game. But before the night was over she’d be sharing his bed. She was sure of it.

     Scott found a couple of wine glasses in one of the boxes and washed and dried them. He poured them each a glass. This time he abandoned his easy chair and sat down on the couch beside her. He liked the way she smelled.

     Two hours later the bottle of wine was down to its last drops, and Joyce was feeling no pain. Scott was certain he could have his way with her, but was too much of a gentleman to take advantage of her. So he offered her a way out.

     “If you’d like, I can run you home and pick you up again tomorrow. Or, if you’d like, I can put you up in the guest room. I just stocked the bathroom with a bunch of girly stuff. They may not be the brands you’re used to, but I’m confident you’ll have everything you need.”

     She laughed.

     “First of all, ‘girly stuff?’ You make me smile, Scott Harter. And second of all,” she said as she leaned over and kissed him, “don’t forget I was the one who showed you this place. I’ve been in the master bedroom. And it’s much more to my liking.”

     He kissed her back. Then he got up and said, “Well, then. It’s a chilly night, and the master bedroom is a bit drafty. How about I get a nice fire going in there?”

     “Great idea. While you’re doing that, I’m going to make use of your shower. And I’ll leave the door cracked in case you care to join me.”

     He smiled at the thought.

     “Well, dear lady, I just might do that.”

     The next morning Scott arose before Joyce and fixed her breakfast.

     She walked into the kitchen with her hair a mess, but she didn’t care. The smile on her face told him she’d had a good time.

     “Hey, cowboy. I was hoping for another round this morning, but I smelled the bacon and now I’m conflicted.”

     He laughed.

     “We can do both. But if we eat first we’ll have more energy to do the other. How do you like your eggs?”

     She laughed.

     “I just thought of an old joke. A man asks a woman how she likes her eggs and she says, ‘fertilized.’”

     Then she turned red.

     “I’m sorry. That was just a bit naughty, wasn’t it?”

     Scott said with a chuckle, “Listen at you. You’re standing in my kitchen wearing nothing but a smile, and you’re worried about being naughty. I’d say you’re way past naughty, my dear.”

     “Good point, cowboy. And I like my eggs scrambled, with cheese if you have some.”

     “I do indeed. Sit right there and look beautiful while I finish this up. Or you can make us some coffee. Have you used a Keurig before?”

     “Oh, yes. I can’t live without mine.”

     “Good. Look in the second door on the right for the Keurig cups. I’d like some traditional roast, if you don’t mind.”

     She said, “It figures,” but didn’t elaborate.

     As she sipped her coffee she studied him, standing in front of the stove in a pair of light blue boxers. She guessed they were the same age, give or take a couple of years. He aged well, and was in much better shape than most men his age. He still had his hair and all his teeth, and had some good grooming habits. She’d dated some real pigs in recent years, so this was a nice change.