Ty smiled my way. “I didn’t think any more messages would go through. I’m glad she got that through to you. It makes me feel better too. Would you check my phone to see if my dad or mom sent us any more instructions?”

  “Sure, where’s your phone?”

  “Right here in my front pocket. You can reach right in there and get it. I wouldn’t want to take my eyes off the road or my hands off the wheel.” I saw the amusement in his eyes and maybe a little bit of a dare. I unbuckled my seatbelt and slid across the seat, slowly reaching into his front pocket. He lifted his butt off the seat and straightened his hip to give me better access. I carefully reached further into the pocket and slowly pulled his phone free. “You can leave your hand in there if you want,” he teased.

  I felt myself blushing again. I slid back to my side of the truck and buckled my seatbelt before turning on the screen of his phone. He had two unread messages. I turned to look at him. “You have two.”

  Ty motioned me to go on, so I clicked on the app and saw that they were both from his mother. “They are both from your mom. The first one must have been sent early before the service went down. It just says that she loves you and to be safe. The second one says that they are all heading south. It says your dad’s sources say that the radiation won’t be an issue and that as long as you stay on the east side of the mountains, we should be safe from the air blast. She said that when we get close, we should check the two-way radio. They will start calling when they are in range. She ends with they love you and be safe.”

  Ty took a deep breath, and it struck me that, although on the outside he appeared calm and confident, I should have known that inside he was worried as well. I looked over at him and took one of his hands from the steering wheel. I held it in my own. “I’m sorry. You’ve been worried, and I should have realized that. You’re just always so in control. I’m here for you too.”

  “It’s my job to be here to take care of you, to keep you safe. The messages from my mom help. They are safely on their way. Getting out of the city was going to be a big challenge. According to what Dad told me earlier, they were more than suggesting that people shelter in place, they were insisting.”

  “We are here to take care of each other, and you are going to have to get that through your thick skull.” I knew that he had difficulty with that concept but in this world, he was going to have to learn to accept it. “So, what your dad told you, is that why you lied to the officer?”

  “Yes, I didn’t want him to think that we were going to be traveling far and force us to go to some shelter somewhere. We need to get to the cabin. The shelters are great for people for now but what’s going to happen when supplies don’t show up, and there aren’t enough resources for everyone? So that is actually slowing down our progress some because I can’t drive as fast as I want to or we will catch up to them. If they run into someone else and stop, we might catch up to them though. It’s risky to stay on this road, but it’s the fastest way.”

  Just then I noticed the rest area sign. “Do you think we could stop there? I could use a restroom break, and it would give us a little bit more of a buffer between them and us. We could look at the map. Maybe there is a side road that runs parallel to this one.”

  “That’s one of the reasons I love you. You’re so smart and such a good problem solver.” Ty smiled at me and turned on his signal so Ben would know that we were going to exit soon.

  ∞∞∞

  I opened the door of the truck and stepped out into an eerily quiet world. There were no sounds of travelers stopping to take a quick bathroom break. No one walked their furry family member. No families picnicked beneath the pine trees. The silence went beyond the lack of human inhabitants in the area. No sounds were coming from animals, insects or birds. It was so quiet that the sound of Ty closing his truck door made me jump, it seemed so out of place. We suddenly seemed like uninvited visitors, maybe not just in this place but in the world. Perhaps the universe was finally rejecting mankind, and what we have done to the earth, I thought. It could be that we are just out of time like what happened to the dinosaurs.

  We all stood on the sidewalk in front of the building seemingly entranced by the lack of all things normal in this place that should be full of everyday human life. There were no other vehicles in the lot and nothing that would indicate that anyone else was anywhere nearby. Ty seemed to be taking in everything, scanning for danger. Finally, he cleared his throat to get us all in motion.

  “One second,” he whispered to me as he headed back to the truck. He seemed to rummage around for something, and I couldn’t see what he had in his hand when he returned. He pulled me to him, in what would appear to others as a hug, but I felt him slip something into the back waistband of my jeans and pull my shirt over it to cover it. A gun. He had made sure that I knew how to shoot, insisting on teaching me one weekend not long ago. I looked up into his eyes questioningly. Once again he leaned down and whispered into my ear, “By all appearances, we are here alone, and hopefully you won’t need that, but something just feels off. Maybe I am just overly sensitive or cautious, but I want you to keep that with you … on you… going forward. You know how to use it and in this world, if there is danger don’t hesitate.”

  I looked into his eyes and gave a slight nod. I wasn’t going to spend any time arguing with him or doubting what he said in this world. I didn’t know if I would ever be able to shoot someone, but I would try to protect myself if I needed to. Ty pulled away and said, aloud, “Okay, why don’t you ladies go in to take care of your necessities and I’ll just look at the map here.”

  Ben had picked up on Ty’s discomfort with the situation, and his situational awareness seemed to increase. He walked back to his truck, opened the door, and pulled out his rifle. “I think I’ll just take a look around. Walk out some of the kinks from sitting in that truck for so long. If you need me just holler.”

  Ben wandered to the opposite side of the building from where Jules and I would enter to go to the restroom. He would appear causal to the untrained eye, and I was glad that he was trying to help Ty ensure that the area was safe and secure. I didn’t know if the facilities would be working still, with running water and such, but I really hoped that I could use the bathroom and wash my hands and face. I took Jules by the hand, and we walked together to the ladies restroom. I opened the door cautiously and peered inside. I could sense eyes on us, but I was sure that both Ben and Ty were watching to make sure that we safely got into the restroom without incident, so I tried to convince myself that I was simply imagining things. Ty had moved closer to the building and appeared to be studying a road map of the state.

  I heard no noise in the bathroom. There was no dripping water, no squeaky door hinge, nothing that indicated someone was in the room. Jules and I quietly slipped inside. I bent down and looked to see if there were any feet visible under the stall walls. I didn’t see any, so I slowly walked down the line and pushed each of the doors open, holding my breath the entire time. When I reached the handicap stall, I slowly pushed the door open, half expecting someone to jump out at me. The door banged against the wall, and Jules jumped and let out a small scream.

  “Jules, there’s no one in here but you screamed, and they’ll be freaked out. Yell out that we are all right!”

  Before Jules could even get the door pulled open to yell, Ty was there charging through the door with Ben on his heels. Ty had a look of panic on his face, and his eyes immediately swept the room looking for danger and me. His eyes found mine, and I saw him take a deep breath before once again sweeping the room for danger. “What happened? What’s wrong?”

  “I’m sorry!” Jules looked ready to burst into tears again. “I just… El swung the door open, and it hit the wall. It scared me. I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay Jules,” Ty tried to reassure her. “I heard the loud bang and was already on my way here when you screamed. Seems like you guys are safe in here so I’ll just head back out.”

  Ty turned and walked out the door. I started to go into the stall when I heard the sound of a shot being fired. I grabbed Jules and covered her mouth to prevent another distracting scream before I quietly made my way to the door. I did not want to rush out and distract Ty from whatever had happened outside that door. I whispered for Jules to not say a word. I tried to tell her to go to the back stall and lock herself in, but, she adamantly shook her head no. She had tears streaming down her face, and I felt guilty, but I needed her safely out of the way. I quietly pulled the gun from the back waistband of my jeans and showed it to her before motioning her back to the stall again.

  I could hear Ty’s voice through the door, but it wasn’t clear enough to understand. I slowly cracked the door, hoping that I could better hear what was going on. I couldn’t really see anything or anyone, but I could hear the situation better. Ty was yelling at someone, and I could hear the tension, mixed with authority, in his voice.

  “There is no way that we are going to let you leave in that truck. Just back away from it and I’ll let you go on your way, no harm no foul. If you move one more step and continue to try to get in that truck or take anything out of it, I will shoot you. I am a damn good shot so don’t make me do it.”

  “Kid, you got more than you need here and it’s only right to take care of your fellow man in times like this. Besides, I know that it’s just you. Your friend over there is out cold on the ground. I took care of him. Yeah, there are those two little girlies in the bathroom, but they’re girls. They ain’t going to be of much help to you. You can’t stop me, it’s just you. So, go on and put that weapon down. Then I’ll leave… with the truck. You will still have plenty to tide you over until things get back to normal.”

  Ben! My heart chilled at the man’s words. Was Ben okay? There had to be something that I could do to help, especially since the sexist pig thought that Jules and I were just girls who couldn’t do anything. I felt trapped in this restroom. Without seeing where everyone was, I didn’t know what I would walk out into if I opened the door. I might end up being a distraction to Ty. I looked around the small room and noticed a window in the very back stall that would come out on the back side of the building. I quietly let the door swing back closed and went to the last stall.

  “Jules let me in and help me get out of this window.”

  “What? No, you can’t go out there until they come to get us. Someone just fired a gun. It’s not safe out there.”

  “Someone is trying to steal one of the trucks, and I can’t let that happen. It seems like Ben is hurt and Ty is in a standoff with the guy.”

  “What?? Is Ben hurt? How bad? What happened?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m not leaving Ty out there by himself with the crazy man who hurt Ben. Is there anything we can stand on to get out that window?” As soon as she heard that Ben was hurt, Jules sprang into action. She climbed up on the toilet and began forcing the widow out. It was one of those old windows that pushed out from the bottom and latched closed. It was old and heavy, but by the time I got into the stall to help her, she had already forced it wide open without making a sound.

  “All right,” I said. “Ty gave me a gun before we came in here. I’m going to climb out and sneak around. You stay in here, it’s safer.”

  “Ben needs me, I’m not staying in here. I’m coming too.”

  “You can’t defend yourself, and you’ll be a distraction to Ty.”

  “I’m not staying!!”

  “Fine!” I didn’t want to waste any more time arguing. “Just stay behind the building until it’s safe. I’m not sure where Ben is but if you just run out, it will make things worse.” Jules nodded her assent, and I lifted myself through and out the window. It was a short drop to the ground, and I tried to land as quietly as I could. Once outside I could hear Ty and the other man clearly again. I looked around to get my bearings and knew that if I followed the building to the left, I would come to the door where the ladies room was, which is where Ty should be standing. I looked in that direction and saw Ben lying face down on the ground.

  When Jules landed silently beside me, I whispered to her, “Ben is lying down there. It looks like the man pulled him behind the building. Go as silently as possible down to see if he is all right. If you make noise, you will distract Ty. Can you be silent?” Jules nodded to me, her eyes wide and determined, before silently and cautiously heading towards where Ben was on the ground. I turned to the other side of the building, trying to figure out how to best proceed. I knew that both trucks were parked in the middle of the front of the building and one would think that the man was standing near the trucks with his attention focused on Ty.

  “This is the last time I am going to warn you,” I heard Ty tell the man. “Walk away from the truck and back into the woods where you came from. That’s the only way you are getting out of here unharmed. I can shoot you before you ever get that gun out of your waistband. Just walk away… NOW!”

  I took a deep breath, preparing myself to peek around the building when I heard another shot. I hesitated, not knowing what to do now. I didn’t want to turn the corner and distract Ty, but I certainly didn’t want to leave him out there on his own.

  “Hey now,” yelled the stranger. “That almost hit me, but you missed. Ain’t such a good shot are ya?”

  At that, another shot rang out, and the stranger cussed loudly. “You shot my hat you son of a bitch!”

  “Told you I was a good shot so you really shouldn’t insult my mother again. That’s the last warning shot, the next one will strike flesh. Back away from the truck and put the gun on the ground. Obviously, you cannot be trusted.”

  “I’ll step away from the truck but I ain’t puttin’ my weapon down.” I finally peeked around the corner and saw the man take one step away from Ben’s truck. “Now, you just lower your gun, and we’ll get along just fine. I’m sure we can work this out real friendly like without any more shooting.”

  From my angle, I could see that the man had another gun in the back waistband of his pants that Ty could not see. He slowly lowered his left hand. The next minute was a blur. The man quickly tried to grab the second gun, a shot rang out, and I stepped from behind the building and pointed my gun at the man who was now laying on the ground, blood pooling around his foot.

  “You shot me you son of a bitch,” the man yelled.

  “Good thing he did because if he hadn’t I would have and I’m not nearly as good of a shot as he is. Who knows where I would have hit you. Why didn’t you just walk away? Why did you have to reach for your gun?” I was screaming at the man, and my hands were shaking like crazy. Ty yelled at me, concern in his voice.

  “Babe, lower your gun and make sure the safety is on. Your hands are shaking like crazy, and I don’t want an accidental fire. I’ve got this asshole covered.” Ty walked over to the man who was still cussing up a storm and took both weapons from him. He quickly patted him down and also removed a wicked looking hunting knife which was strapped so that his pants and boots made it invisible. “I’ll be okay here. Go check on Ben please.”

  Jules yelled out from behind the building, “I’m with him. He’s got a big knot on his head, but he’s starting to come around.”

  “Okay. You’re going to get up and walk away from the trucks. Go sit on that bench over by the building.” Ty motioned the man toward the building.

  “Are you crazy? You shot me in the foot. I can’t get up and walk anywhere.”

  “Well, then I guess you are going to have to crawl or scoot on your ass. I don’t care how you get over there just get over there!” I could tell that Ty was getting frustrated with the guy. “Of course if you choose not to I could just shoot you again and leave you where you lie. The choice is yours, my friend, because it doesn’t matter either way to me.”

  The man began scooting towards the bench, cursing the entire way. His progression was slow, but he finally made it. There was a trail of blood from the truck to where he sat, and I looked away so I didn’t get sick. The sight of blood and I didn’t agree with each other. I really didn’t want to look like such a baby in front of Ty, but throwing up would just make it all that much worse.

  “Up on the bench,” I heard him say. The guy struggled but managed to get up from the ground and onto the bench. I walked over to where Ty stood a bit away from where the guy was sitting.

  “What are you going to do with him?” I asked quietly so the man couldn’t hear me. Rather than answer me, Ty just glared at the man and walked over to the back of the truck. I saw him pull something from the back and then turn back to the man.

  “Mister, you aren’t very intelligent. In this world, you just walk away when someone is holding a gun on you. People aren’t going to mess around with your stupid thieving ass. You’re lucky I love my girl because I’d just as soon leave you here to bleed, get an infection, or whatever but I think she’d be upset by that, so I’m going to patch up your foot and let you hobble back to whatever rock you slithered out from.”

  Ben and Jules came around from the side of the building as Ty was getting ready to patch up the man’s foot. Ben was rubbing the back of his head, and Jules seemed to be helping him stay up and mobile. “Kill the son of a bitch,” Ben mumbled as Jules led him over to his truck. “Not only did he hit me he was going to steal my truck.”

  Ty made quick work of bandaging the man’s foot, and then he handed me the first aid supplies. “Can you put these back in the truck and bring me back some of the paracord that’s in the glove box please?”

  I quickly got him the cord and was surprised to see him tying the man’s hands to the bench. “You’re going to leave him tied here?”

  “Yes.”

  “But… What … How will he survive if he can’t get free?”

 

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