H10N1 (18 page)

“Yeah,” she said. “Got butter?”

* * *

The general consensus was that they would stick to the interstates from then on. The possibility of a traffic jam seemed insignificant after the fire. And they could make much better time on wide expanses of paved road.

As Rick zipped along Interstate 30 toward Dallas, Devin scanned the highway.

“This is so weird, not seeing other cars coming or going.”

“I told you, man,” Rick said. “The mass exodus is over. People got to wherever they were going a long time ago. There’s no one left but us stragglers.”

Devin chuckled. “They’re all hunkered down now, waiting for their refrigerator to kick back on.”

“Or in their bomb shelters,” Judith added, “organizing for the revolution.”

Massaging his bald head, Devin said, “I’m just not so sure they’ll stay put.”

“Why not?” Rick asked. “Either they’re in a safe place, or they’re dead.”

“Not necessarily,” Devin said. “I think we’re heading into phase two.” He swiveled in his seat toward Rick, and the two women in the back. “First all the stores are looted, the spoils are stock-piled. And I’m not talking televisions, here. I’m talking necessities. But there’s only so many cans of corn out there. Once the stores and warehouses are emptied, people will start robbing each other. You with me so far?”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Rick propped his arm against the window, his hand twisting at his ponytail.

“Phase two will be all about the hysteria,” Devin continued. “No one knows how long this will last. So how much food is enough? You may have twenty-four cans of tuna. But wouldn’t forty-eight cans be better?”

“So people will venture out to rob their neighbors,” Rick grumbled. “I can just see it in the history books—Starkist Wars.”

A short chuckle escaped from Taeya, but it triggered another coughing jag. Devin raised an eyebrow to see if she was okay. She nodded through teary eyes.

Once she got her breath back, Devin continued. “Some groups will band together. Like us. The whole safety in numbers thing. Sooner or later, the hunter/gatherers will evolve into farmers. That’s what the cavemen did.”

Rick grunted like a caveman before turning to the women. “Me hunt. You gather.”

Judith grunted back, “You moron.”

“So we’ll be back to tribes,” Taeya said.

“But it won’t all be folks like us,” Judith said. “You’ll get the slackers who don’t want to work, and the marauders with their gang mentality, shooting up peaceful settlements. We’ll make all the same mistakes again.”

Rick slapped the steering wheel. “Can’t we just live together in peace and harmony?”

Judith settled back in her seat. “Hasn’t happened yet.”

* * *

West of Dallas, Judith took over the driving, with Devin riding shotgun. Taeya had just dozed off when she heard Devin tell Judith to slow down.

Glancing over, Taeya saw Rick peering out of his side window. “Is that what I think it is?”

She had to unbuckle her seatbelt to see over his head. Off to the right, beyond the highway fence, was a gas station with some kind of truck parked in the middle of the lot. A black hose ran from the truck into the pavement. Two motorcycles were parked near the truck.

She studied the small tanker. It didn’t really look like the trucks used to deliver propane gas, although it was about the same size. The tank on the back was green and opaque.

“That’s a friggin’ septic truck,” Rick said. “You know, like they use to suck the shit out of your backyard.”

After stopping, Judith leaned over to get a look out of Devin’s window. “He’s sucking gas out of the underground storage tank.”

Taeya wasn’t sure who they were talking about because no one was in sight. But suddenly a man with a bright red mohawk flew out from behind the truck as though he’d been punched. Two men charged after him, both swinging fists. When the red-haired man fell to the ground, one of the men drove a knee into his chest, pinning him down. He tried to get something out of the red-haired man’s hand, while the other thug kicked his head.

The poor guy managed to roll onto his stomach, tucking his hands underneath to protect whatever the men wanted. Was it the keys to the truck?

His position left him defenseless; the men punched and kicked him mercilessly.

“Now that’s not right,” Devin said. Opening his door, he swung out of his seat and into the back of the truck in one fluid motion. Judith handed up his rifle without being asked.

Taeya heard the gunshot and saw the front tire on one of the motorcycles exploded, knocking the bike to the ground.

“Nice shot,” Rick said.

The attackers stopped in mid-kick and swung around in all directions, looking to see where the shot had come from. Devin fired again, and the bullet snicked into the pavement right at one of the men’s feet.

Rick opened his back door and leaned out, brandishing his handgun. Standing at the driver’s door, Judith propped her rifle on the roof and sighted through her scope.

The two men glanced briefly at each other, weighing their chances in a gunfight, then scrambled for the remaining motorcycle. They drove off, away from the interstate.

“Let’s check it out,” Devin said when he climbed back into the cab.

After driving off the exit ramp, Judith swung the truck into the gas station. When she got closer to the red-haired man, she stopped again. He was still on his stomach, but he’d raised his head to watch them approach. Probably fearing another attack.

His hair wasn’t cut in a Mohawk as Taeya had thought. It was like a topknot on a bird. The rest of his head was shaved. He had a chin beard like a billy goat, also flaming red. Blood trickled down between his eyes.

“If you’re going to travel alone,” Devin called, “you really need to carry a gun.”

Pushing up with his arms, the man staggered to his feet. He tried to discreetly slip his keys into his pocket. “I’ve got one in the truck, but I’m out of ammo.”

“Bummer,” Devin said.

Squinting one eye shut, the man studied their group before breaking into a smile. “Yeah.” His two front teeth were gold.

“I like your fuel truck,” Devin said. “You willing to barter?”

The man took a swipe at the blood on his face with the heel of his hand. “What you got?”

Devin puffed out his lower lip like he had several options. Then he said, “I got some weed that’ll knock you on your ass.”

Men. Just like that, they were best buddies. Devin reached into the back for his athletic bag of pot while Rick scrambled out of the backseat. He had to get a closer look at the tanker.

Taeya thought about insisting on masks and gloves, but after counting all the spikes in the man’s eyebrows and the studs on his lips, she decided the potential for infection must have been astronomical during the worst of the pandemic. If he’d survived that last wave, he must be healthy. She cringed at the huge gauges in his earlobes. He couldn’t have been more than twenty years old. What other parts of his body had he mutilated?

The man introduced himself as Eric, and after the usual knuckle bumps, he answered Rick’s questions about where he’d found the truck, how long it had taken to get the crap cleaned out of the tank, and how much fuel he was getting from the underground storage units.

Grabbing her medical bag, Taeya got out of the truck. As she approached Eric, he gave her the standard once-over, lingering too long on her breasts. Judith hopped out and slung her rifle over her shoulder. As she sauntered up to Eric, he gave her the same ogle.

“You like what you see?” she taunted, her arms spread wide.

“I sure do,” he drawled.

Stepping up closer, she said in a husky whisper, “You take one more look, and I’ll blow your nuts off.”

Rick and Devin giggled like teenagers, then Rick slapped Eric on the back. “At least she’ll leave your dick intact.”

The blood drained from Eric’s face, making his freckles stand out even more, as well as the piercings. And it also emphasized the blood that was still drizzling down his face.

“Would you like me to take a look at that?” Taeya held up her medical bag.

Judith parked the truck under the gas station awning, out of the sun. Then the guys perched on the sides of the truck bed. Eric couldn’t get over the zipper bag full of marijuana tops. Taeya decided it was a good thing he didn’t have any ammunition. He might be tempted to try and steal the bag. And she would hate for the boy to die so young. While she tended to the gash on Eric’s head, the guys got high.

Once she closed the cut with a butterfly bandage and put away her supplies, Eric vaulted over the side of the truck and opened a side compartment on his tanker. Taeya stared at the rows of canned goods, jars, and boxes. He made his selections, then hopped back into the truck. Using a pocketknife, he cut open a can of chicken and passed it around with a bag of pita chips. Taeya was amazed that they weren’t stale.

The conversation turned to destinations, so Rick told Eric about the Biosphere. Taeya expected Eric to try and weasel an invitation, but he was all gung-ho about heading to California. He wanted to stake a claim in the San Joaquin Valley before all the prime acreage was gone. It sounded like the old gold rush days.

After a while, Judith decided the siesta was over. The men insisted they wanted to stay in touch, so Taeya gave Eric her shortwave call letters. Not that she ever expected to hear from him again, but it had been an uplifting experience to meet up with a fellow survivor. To feel like they were part of a new movement in the country.

* * *

It was dark when they got to Tucson. Taeya was exhausted. She checked her watch—five a.m. She’d slept off and on, but didn’t feel rested. Rick was driving again. She’d taken her turn in El Paso. There was a moment of exhilarating activity when they found a storeroom in a small cantina jammed with masa flour, dried beans, jugs of honey, and jars of salsa.

Judith discovered a cache of canned tamales, and as Taeya drove through New Mexico, Rick had sat up front and fed her bites of the cold but tasty treats.

North of Tucson, Taeya directed Rick to Highway 77, but it was useless looking for the Biosphere in the dark. All the map showed was a red dot in the middle of the desert. With a groan, Rick pulled off the road, and locked his door. She’d been struggling to stay awake to keep him company, but the moment she heard the lock click, Taeya closed her eyes—her fingers securely wrapped around the Beretta on her lap.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The early morning sun was already heating up the truck’s cab when Taeya snapped awake. She glanced over at Rick. His mouth lolled open, though he wasn’t snoring. She swung around to see if Devin and Judith were still asleep, but the back seat was empty. Her gasp woke Rick with a groggy, “Wha-a-a?”

That’s when she noticed Judith and Devin quietly talking outside by the tailgate. Were they changing their minds about the Biosphere? If so, what would Rick do?

He squinted at his watched, then banged his head against the headrest. Three hours sleep. He rubbed his eyes, and when he spotted his friends in his mirror, he rolled out of the cab. Taeya got out on her side and joined them in the already oppressive heat.

Judith passed her a jar of spiced apples. Digging a slice out, Taeya slurped it down.

“So, what’s the plan?” she asked.

“We find the Emerald City,” Judith said.

Rick handed her a box of Froot Loops. She crunched on the stale cereal and washed it down with water.

As Devin drove along the desolate two-lane road, the others scanned the wasteland for any sign of the Biosphere. There was nothing to see in any direction but small scrub and cacti. No roads, no buildings, no fences, no nothing.

“We’ve gone too far,” Rick said, looking up from the map book. “Turn around.”

“We already turned around.”

“Well, do it again.”

“No wonder they stayed locked up inside for so long,” Judith said without taking her eyes off the barren landscape. “If they ever went out for burgers, they’d never find their way back.”

“Hang on.” Devin took his foot off the gas. “What’s that?”

“Looks like a wash,” Rick said. “It must have rained recently.”

Devin stopped and the guys got out. Taeya opened her door to catch any available breeze.

“No tire tracks,” she heard Rick say.

“That doesn’t mean anything.” Devin squatted down. “It definitely looks worn here. Let’s try it.”

They must have gone a mile when Rick and Devin started arguing about whether the road veered to the left or went straight.

“Okay, just stop,” Judith ordered. She got out and trudged up a small rise, with Rick and Devin right behind. With a sigh, Taeya got out. How had Mai ever found this place?

Up ahead, Rick groaned. “What the hell is that?”

Taeya trotted up to see. A small town sat in the middle of the desert like someone had photo-shopped it into the scenery. “Maybe that’s the town of Oracle?”

“Not according to the map.”

“There’s a couple of cars down there,” Devin said. “Let’s check it out.”

As they drove closer, Taeya studied the town over Rick’s shoulder. “It looks more like a shopping center.”

He angled his head close to hers. “Why would they put a shopping center out in the middle of nowhere?”

“And why are there cars here?” she asked.

“A summer madness sale?”

They all grabbed guns and climbed out. Devin took the lead, his gun aimed at the closest car. “Empty,” he said when he drew alongside.

The car in front was empty, too.

Taeya whispered to Rick. “Maybe one is Mai’s. She drove here from Chicago.”

Like a member of a SWAT team, Devin crept toward the buildings, his rifle sweeping from side to side. Judith brought up the rear, walking backwards, checking roofs.

It could hardly be called a shopping center. But in its heyday years ago, the Biosphere must have attracted enough tourists to support a small café, a couple souvenir shops, the obligatory fudge and candy store, and a Starbucks.