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a couple of beers—for about the same.
Hardly a wonder, if their experience in the tunnels had been even half as fricking harrowing as Fred described.
And he believed every word. Why wouldn’t he when he’d been eavesdropping on chatter from freaked-out civilians and freaked-out military.
Plus, he’d seen some serious shit going down on the monitor from hacking into street cams.
Serious crazy-time shit.
So, since he hadn’t heard anything to make him think the military—and they were pretty much running the show right now—had ID’d him or his location, he got some sleep himself.
Seemed like the time to bank it.
He’d given them all another day to chill, to pack up, and for him to keep his ear to the cyber air.
But the time had come to say good-bye to his Batcave and some pretty awesome toys.
Arlys came out of the bedroom dressed, her hair pulled back in a tail. She was really hot, Chuck thought, but she sort of felt like his sister at this point.
He couldn’t even fantasize about banging her without feeling, well, the ick.
“Fred’s nearly ready, too. I could help you with all this, Chuck.”
“Rather not have anybody else messing with my stuff. Just about done anyhow. We’re all going to load it in our transpo. I’ve got to go get that. You guys could pack up some food, what’s left of the beer.”
“We’ll take care of it.”
“Great. I’ll go get our ride.”
“Chuck, we don’t know how bad it is out there. I should go with you.”
“Not to worry. I’ve got my way.” With a tap of his finger to his temple, he saluted. “Back in ten.”
“At least take one of the guns.”
“Nah.” He just winked and walked out.
After pressing her fingers to her eyes, Arlys dropped her hands. He’d made it this far, she thought. She’d just have to hope he kept on making it.
At least he stocked decent coffee, so she’d have one more hit before they left the odd and expansive basement. The safety of it. Safe, she thought, like a bomb shelter while the world blew itself to pieces outside the walls.
“Want one?” she asked Fred when she came out, red hair fresh and bouncy, makeup perfect.
“Chuck still has Cokes. Where is he?”
“He went to get the car. We need to pack up some food.”
“Okay.” Fred pulled out a box of Ring Dings.
“I was thinking more of basics.”
“What’s the point if you don’t eat the fun while you can?” She grabbed a Coke, swigging as she packed a box. “Is he taking all that?”
“Appears to be.”
“I hope he has a big car so we’re not all smooshed.”
“I hope he has a car that can get us out of here.”
“Don’t worry so much. We got here, right? We’ll get there, too.”
“I’m feeling edgy, therefore bitchy.” Arlys grabbed some cans, wondered if anyone over the age of twelve actually ate alphabet soup besides Chuck—then reminded herself to be grateful for it.
“You’re worried about Jim and everybody. I’m going to believe they got out, because we don’t know they didn’t. There’s still good in the world, Arlys. I can feel the good just like I can feel the bad.”
Arlys set down the coffee, pushed over a pile of Hostess pies. “Apple or cherry?”
“Why not both?” Fred opened her backpack, slid them in. “There’s room.”
“You’re good for me, Fred.”
In just under the allotted ten minutes, Chuck disengaged the locks, came in. “Let’s load ’em up and head ’em out.”
Arlys pulled on her coat, a cap, hefted the food box. And when she walked out, stopped. Blinked.
“Is that a…”
“Humvee—not militarized,” Chuck added as he loaded a box of equipment. “I’m a hacker not a fighter. Cool, right? Like Arctic Circle cool.”
“It’s awesome!” Fred stuffed in bags and backpacks as Chuck went back for more.
“Who … who actually owns a Humvee?”
“I do.” Chuck loaded more. “Always figured the world would screw itself, and why not have a monster ride to use to head for the hills? One more load.”
Arlys went back, got the case of bottled water. Chuck grabbed the last load of equipment, took a sentimental look around.
Then he shut the door, locked it, and turned his back on home.
They weren’t smooshed—it was a monster ride—but the equipment and supplies took up a lot of space. Arlys nudged Fred into the front with Chuck, settled in the back, and as he rolled and rumbled away, took out the pad and pencil he’d dug up for her.
She’d written out every detail she could remember from the last broadcast, from the trip through the tunnels. She’d written until her fingers numbed. Now she wrote about beginning this journey.
Maybe no one would ever read it, ever hear it. Maybe no one would care, or be left to care. But she needed to make a record.
“Going to head up Nine,” he told them, “and see if we can get on Eighty. It’s probably blocked, but this bitch has muscle. We may be able to clear the road.”
Arlys pulled out the folder of maps she’d asked him to print off. “I worked out some alternates.”
“Always prepared. Don’t worry, cupcake. We’re getting you to Ohio. That’s the deal.”
They made it as far as Ridgefield before they hit a serious roadblock. An SUV with a dented rear fender was slowly backing away from a five-car pileup blocking the road.
Arlys laid a hand on the gun under her coat.
“They’re good. I can tell,” Fred said quickly. “They’re not bad.” Fred swiveled around. “They probably just want to get out like we do.”
As she’d trusted Fred in the tunnel, Arlys trusted her now. She rolled down her window, put both hands out and up.
“We’re trying to get through,” she called out. “We’re not looking for any trouble. I’m Arlys, and I’m with Fred and Chuck. Chuck thinks he can push the wreck out of the way.”
“Can do,” he confirmed.
For several seconds, the SUV didn’t move, then it began to back up again, veering to the side until the driver’s window faced Arlys and Fred.
“We’re not looking for trouble, either. I can help move the wreck.”
“I’ve got it.”
“Chuck’s got it,” Arlys relayed. “If he can push them out of the way, you can follow us through.”
A woman in the passenger seat leaned forward. “Arlys Reid?”
“Yes.”
She nodded to the driver, who let out a long breath. “Okay. We’ll wait here.”
Chuck rolled his shoulders. “Watch me plow this road!”
He took it slow. Arlys had worried he’d ram the mess of five cars like a horny buck, but he eased into it, kept it steady, worked the wheel.
With the ringing squeal of metal, he pushed two cars back enough to angle and nudge one off to the shoulder.
Fred applauded.
“Video games,” he claimed, backing up to get an angle on another. “Plus, I ran a snowplow for one of my uncle’s businesses a few years.”
He only had to push the other cars over a few feet.
“We can get through, they can get through. We’re wider.” He drove past the wrecked cars, eased over, stopped.
This time the SUV pulled up to Chuck’s side.
“We appreciate it.”
“No sweat, we both wanted through.”
“Rachel,” she said. “Jonah, and Katie in the back. We have three infants with us.”
“Babies!” Fred shoved open her door, leaped out.
“Fred!”
“I want to see the babies.” She waved a hand at Arlys, bounced over to peer in the back window. “Oh! They’re beautiful! Are they all yours? Oh, babies are so full of light. What are their names?”
Slowly, Katie rolled down the window a few inches. “Dunca
n, Antonia, Hannah.”
“You’re blessed. Chuck, they have three babies. They need help. We should help. We’re going to Ohio,” she continued, before anyone else could speak. “If you want, you can follow us until we’re not going the way you are. Chuck can maybe keep pushing things out of the way.”
“Jonah?”
Jonah glanced at Katie, then back at Rachel, then nodded. “We’d be grateful. We’re not heading anywhere in particular. We’ll follow you.”
“How far you want to go before you break?” Chuck asked.
“We’ve got almost a full tank. We just started in Hoboken.”
“Hey!” Chuck poked a finger into his own chest. “I’m from Hoboken. We must’ve been right behind you. How about we try for the Pennsylvania border? You need to stop sooner, blink your lights, or when the sun’s up, honk.”
“Safety in numbers,” Rachel added.
