Last Light (19 page)

He hurried to the camping supplies instead, trying not to run anyone over as he pushed his cart to the back corner of the store. He passed rows of televisions and stereos lined up on the back wall. There was no one in those sections, but dozens of others rushed to sporting goods. He hoped he wouldn’t have to fight anyone for the lanterns he was going after.

When he got there, the lanterns were already gone, but he managed to find two axes in the next section over. He tossed them into his cart, then scanned the aisles to see if there was anything else they could use. The area was getting too crowded, and people grew more agitated as the shelves emptied. Disheartened, he decided to head for the batteries.

He saw Kay rushing across the floor, rolling a two-wheeled garbage can behind her. It was one of their priority items, since they could transport water from the lake in it. He congratulated her as he ran past.

The checkout lines at the front were already beginning to form. The manager looked frazzled as he stood at one of the two open registers, yelling out, “Cash or checks only, please! We can’t take credit cards! Cash or checks only! And have all your information on the checks, including social security numbers.”

Doug pressed through the crowd to the paper towel section. With all the people filling the store, it felt as though the air was being sucked from the room.

He caught a glimpse of Kay making her way through the aisles again, rolling that garbage can beside her and dodging runners with their kamikaze carts.

It was absolute chaos, and Doug knew his own family contributed to it. But what else could they do?

Kay had managed to get several of the items on her list. The rolling garbage can was a major win, and she’d filled it up with waste baskets and stacking bins, two bottles of bleach, and several packs of diapers and powdered formula for Amber Rowe. She spotted some kerosene lamps on a top shelf, and letting go of her can, climbed the lower shelves to reach them.

“Score!” A teenage girl grabbed Kay’s garbage can and started away with it.

Kay leaped down. “Wait! That’s mine!”

“Ain’t yours yet, lady!” The girl tried to get around a cluster of people blocking the aisle. Kay caught up to her and grabbed the can back, but the girl had no intention of surrendering it.

“You’re not taking this!” Kay said through her teeth. “Give it back.”

The girl swung and hit Kay in the stomach. Kay let go, doubling over, the breath knocked out of her. The girl started running, dragging the can away. Kay launched out after her, but the girl pushed through the crowd, disappearing out of her sight.

She tried to go after her, but there were dozens of people between them. And what would she do if she caught her? Attack a teenager? She couldn’t have her children see her fighting, or have Doug stumble upon her in a catfight on the floor.

She had to face it. She’d lost it all.

There wasn’t time to wallow in defeat, so she hurried back to the plastics aisle and grabbed the only two remaining Rubbermaid bins. They didn’t have wheels, and they weren’t very big, but she knew she could use them. She stacked one inside the other, then tried to run back through the store again, retracing her steps, hoping to find the items she’d just lost.

All but a package of diapers were gone.

Tears welled in her eyes as she hurried from one place to another, finding nothing on their list. The only things left were clothing, greeting cards, electronics, and DVDs.

She saw Beth and Logan coming toward her with a red wagon. Beth was crying.

She hurried over and grabbed the wagon’s handle, determined not to let anyone snatch it. “What’s the matter, honey?”

“We had some butane tanks in the wagon. And this man came along and just grabbed them out.”

“I tried to stop him,” Logan said.

“He went after him and kicked him, but the man pushed him down and got away.”

“Logan! Never kick a man!” The thought of what might have happened made her shiver. “Are you all right?”

“Yes. But I’m gonna find that man and tell Dad. He won’t let him get away with it.”

“There’s no time,” she said. “Let’s just stay together and make sure no one takes anything else. Come on, let’s find the others.”

While they were looking, they made their way past the untouched racks of clothing and headed back to the toy section.

“Look, Mom! Skateboards! There are two left.” Logan ran ahead and climbed up three shelves until he could reach them.

“Logan, you don’t have time to look at the toys!”

He grabbed the two boxes and jumped back to the floor. “Mom, look,” he said on a whisper. “We can use the wheels. Make another wagon or something. It’ll be good for hauling things.”

Kay hesitated, then realized her son was wiser than she thought. “You’re right. Let’s look for more wheels. Skates. Riding toys. Anything that’s left.”

Kay’s spirits rose as they found several wheeled toys—apparently no one else had thought of them. She grabbed them and piled them into the wagon.

The wagon piled high, they ran to the hardware section and grabbed several rolls of duct tape, then made their way back to the front of the store. They took their place in the long line of people waiting to check out. Fights were breaking out all over the store, and people were shrieking and yelling. There was no one there to help keep order.

A young employee stood at the doors, trying to make sure no one escaped without paying for their merchandise, but as Kay stood there, she watched several people push out past him. There was nothing he could do. Things were getting dangerous. She couldn’t wait to get home.

She hoped Doug and Deni would make their way to the front before either of them was injured.

Deni dragged the wheelless garbage can behind her as she ran through the aisles. She saw her dad in the housewares section, putting two windup clocks into his cart.

“Dad!”

He looked up and grinned when he saw the garbage can. “Great, you got one.”

“It doesn’t have wheels. Are you sure it’s worth the trouble?”

“Yes, it’s worth it.” They could find a use for it. He looked into the can and saw the other items Deni had collected. She’d scored several packs of batteries before the crowd had cleaned them out. That must have been her first conquest.

“Mom’s already in line,” she said. “I saw her at the front.”

“Okay, let’s go. I think we’ve got about all we’re going to find.”

He dumped most of the things he’d accumulated in his cart into the garbage can, then carried it to the line where Kay waited.

“No breaking in line, buddy,” the man behind her shouted.

“We’re together,” he said. “We’re writing one check.”

“No way. I’ve been waiting here for twenty minutes.”

“We’re all gonna get waited on,” Doug said. “You got your items.”

“You’re not pushing in front!”

Doug sighed. “Fine. We’ll get at the back of the line.”

“Not fair!” Logan cried. “We were here first!”

Doug shot the man a bitter look. “Just do it, Logan.”

The kids looked as if they’d just been disqualified from the big race, but they convoyed back to the end of the line, and Doug brought up the rear.

Kay’s face glistened with sweat as she scanned the items they’d found. “Deni, thank heaven you got a garbage can.”

Doug looked for hers. “I saw you with one that had wheels. Where is it?”

“Stolen,” she said. “Right out of my hands. I almost got beaten up trying to get it back.”

Doug groaned, and pulled all their things together. “Let’s get in a circle around them,” he said. “That way no one can grab anything.”

The family encircled their plunder, dragging everything up as the line moved forward.

“I hope Jeff’s all right.” Kay looked toward the entrance of the store. “It’s a madhouse here. People are going absolutely nuts.”

“He’s fine,” Deni said. “He’s got it easy, the wimp.”

Doug hoped she was right.

twenty-four

Jeff couldn’t believe he’d been relegated to sitting outside like some kid who couldn’t be trusted with anything really important. Yes, he’d messed up big-time last night, and he knew there would be repercussions. But his parents were cutting off their noses to spite their faces. He could have been helpful inside, but instead he had to sit here wasting time.

He could have slept later.

An hour went by, the sun rising ever higher in the sky, its heat beating down on him with relentless oppression. His head still pounded from last night’s events, and he wished he’d eaten more breakfast. He felt a little sick, and dreaded the thought of throwing up on the pavement. He didn’t think he would, though. No, this was the kind of nausea that hung with you all day long, like a stalker waiting to strike.

The first shoppers started coming out of the store, their arms loaded with purchases. A group of guys gathered outside the door, talking quietly and looking his way. He recognized them from school, though they weren’t in his circle of friends. They were a year or so behind him, probably freshmen.

They’d each cultivated that “tough dude” look, the one that dared anyone to cross them. He tensed up as they came toward him, then decided to stand to look a little more intimidating, just in case they planned to start trouble.

The tallest one, whose sleeves were cut off at the seams, wore a tattoo of a snake that wound around his biceps. The ringleader, Jeff thought. The others followed him like little dogs.

The ringleader grinned as he came nearer. “How’s it goin’?”

Jeff nodded. “Fine. You guys get anything good?”

“Not yet. You’re Jeff Branning, right? The pitcher?”

He grinned and stuck out his chest. “Yeah. You guys play?”

“Not us. No way.”

The kid eyed the bikes behind him, and Jeff’s muscles went rigid.

“What you doing with all these bikes?”

“They belong to my family. They’re in the store, so I’m watching them. There are a lot of freaks around, you know. Taking stuff that doesn’t belong to them.”

The barb amused the kid, and the other four guys slipped behind Jeff, admiring the ten-speeds.

“Nice,” the tattooed one said. “Ain’t they nice, guys?”

“Yeah, real nice.”

“What’s this one?” one of them asked. “A BMX? Looks brand-new.”

Jeff glanced over his shoulder. “It’s about a year old.”

“Let me get a better look at it.” The kid took it by the seat and handlebars and tried to lift it free.

Jeff lifted his shotgun. “Sorry, man. Hands off.”

The kid raised his hands. “Hey, I wasn’t doing nothing wrong. I just wanted to see it.”

Jeff didn’t let his gaze waver. “Look without touching.”

The ringleader started to laugh then, and the others seemed amused, as well. Jeff braced himself for a fight. He took a deep breath and stood with his legs slightly apart, ready for whatever they pulled.

Whack!

Pain smashed through the back of his head, knocking him to the ground. The bikes crashed beneath him. The tall one grabbed his gun, but Jeff didn’t let it go. He got to his feet and chambered a round. “Back off!”

His assailant backed away. The other guys were rattling the bikes, trying to get them apart. No way, he thought. Not on
his
watch.

He fired into the sky, startling them all.

“Get out of here, or I’ll kill you!”

The thugs hesitated, as if waiting for the ringleader to act.

Jeff chambered another round. “You guys have a death wish?”

They all backed off then, and scattered like billiard balls. Jeff waited until they were out of sight, then touched the back of his head.

He was bleeding, big-time. Shaking, he pulled his T-shirt off over his head, wadded it up, and pressed it against his gash.

At least the bikes were intact.

He stood there, trying to catch his breath as reality hit him. This wasn’t just a frivolous day in the life of a shopping family. And this was no ordinary power outage. There might not be terrorists overthrowing the government, but one thing was painfully clear.