“Fuck.” He gave Lorna a vicious glare. “What the fuck did you think you were doing? Look what you made me do.” He swiveled around to the back seat. “See what your stupid grandmother did? She almost killed us.”
“Now, wait a minute, Seth. There’s no need to speak like that. I just woke up and spoke to you . . .” Her voice tailed off, the surprise of his words sinking in. A warning flickered in the back of her mind; the suspicion she may have made an error allowing Seth to ride along with them flashing a red flag. She watched him as she intuited he sensed the shift in her voice. He quickly attempted to bring himself back under control, breathing deep and turning to favor her with an apologetic grin; the old charming Seth back in charge.
“Sorry, Lorna, you just startled me. I must have been concentrating too hard on the long drive we have in front of us. Are you girls all okay back there? How about you, Suzy girl, what are you doing, just waking up? You missed out on the excitement.”
He reached over to playfully muss her hair. Suzy drew back to Lorna, trying to evade his reach. He brushed it off as if it hadn’t happened, saying brightly, “Well, why don’t we get back on the road?”
Lorna nodded slowly, her mind spinning with the thoughts of their vulnerability.
They had been driving for at least ten tedious days; sometimes making progress, sometimes having to backtrack. Many times they were forced to pull off the road and shut off the car, waiting until marauding groups of thugs passed them by. They were losing many hours of valuable drive time each day.
Lorna counted at least six more shocks that rocked the car at various times, scaring the hell out of them. There was no way to tell how far away the bombs had hit. Fortunately, no telltale plumes appeared in the sky, leading them to believe they were far from ground zero.
Yesterday, they were forced to detour around the mob of refugees streaming down the highway from a town far ahead of them. The refugees were migrating away from their town with just the clothes on their backs, stunned expressions preventing them from grasping the serious position they were in without food and water.
Seth refused to stop and ask questions, preferring to leave the road and wait until he could figure out a way around them. When Lorna suggested they might benefit from the intelligence they could gather from the refugees, he looked at her as if she had just suggested he carry the car on his back.
“You must be out of your mind. When the hordes realize we have a car, some brave badass is going to try to take if from us. And what do you think they’ll do to us if they learn we have boxes of food? Use your head, woman.” Lorna smarted from the remarks but recognized the wisdom behind them.
One unusual bright spot occurred on their second day together. Lorna was nodding off in the car, the monotony making her sleepy when, from inside her purse, she heard the unmistakable ring of her cellphone. She instantly scrambled to answer, knowing it could only be her son or her husband. Rooting through her purse, Seth urged her to hurry.
“How in the world can you get a signal? All the towers must be out.”
Feeling the cold plastic in her hand she drew the phone to her ear. “Hello?”
Tears slipped down her face as she recognized the sound of Clyde’s voice. “Oh, my God, how are you? Are you safe? Yes, yes we’re fine. We have a Good Samaritan with us . . . no, he’s fine . . . Seth. He’s helping us to find you. What . . . what do you mean, Clyde?” Her voice became measured, concern coating her words.
“But that’s not possible.” She laughed. “Well, if you say so, it just sounds fantastic . . . Healing powers, wings? Yes, dear, I believe you if you say so . . . no, I don’t know much. The cities are burning. We know at least half a dozen bombs have been dropped. No, we haven’t seen any sign of the authorities. No ambulances, a few choppers. Clyde, people are killing each other.” She started to cry again. “No, stay there, love . . . I need to know you’re safe. We’ll come to you . . . promise. Clyde . . . Clyde, are you there . . .?” She glanced at her phone—it showed a dead battery. But the battery had died days ago. Sniffling, she returned the useless cell to her purse out of habit.
“That was Grandpa? Where is he? Will he come get us, Gram?” Jen’s anxious voice sounded tiny and close to tears. Maryann tried to comfort her, murmuring sounds to reassure her. What a good kid, thank heaven we found her.
Lorna tried to hold on to the last echo of Clyde’s voice as Seth intruded, demanding an explanation. “Well, what was that all about?”
“That was my husband, calling from outside the sanctuary. He said it would be a onetime deal—whatever that means.” She turned to Seth, excitement shining in her eyes. “They have food, lots of food. He said they’re growing it.” Her voice filled with amazement. “I don’t understand how this can be but he said he’s with other people and animals, lots of animals.” Her voice reduced to a halting whisper. “He said . . . he said a woman with wings saved them. She cloned a dog—and something about a healer.”
“Cloned a dog? I think you got the message wrong. Did you have a bad connection? The whole thing sounds ridiculous.”
“I know. But he’s safe. And they have plenty of food. They’re growing it. This must be a big place. Oh girls, I think we’re going to be okay.” She glanced again at Seth as a pensive expression ran across his face, lighting a fire in his blue eyes. Lorna turned away, refusing to have her happiness dimmed by Seth and his ambiguities. She pushed back her filthy hair, refusing to let it trouble her as she remembered how wonderful it was to have heard Clyde’s voice.
It was only on their third night together that Lorna’s uneasy feeling about Seth began to surface. They all agreed it would be a good idea to get off the road and rest. They hadn’t bathed in days and the girls were getting testy from the amount of time they were forced to spend in the car. Searching for a while, they finally located a deserted motel. Most commercial buildings they encountered were either boarded up and deserted or guarded carefully by gun-toting rednecks and trigger-happy business owners, all trying to preserve what they could feel and touch in a disintegrating world that made no sense. Occasional bodies testified to the new rule of law: Shoot first, ask questions later.
It didn’t take long, once the bombs had started, for the fires to come. Horizons glowed at night with the voracious flames that consumed all in their path. It wasn’t just the bombs that brought the fires. It was busted gas mains and careless campfires, unleashed firebugs and plain malicious thugs taking advantage of the situation to create mayhem. Again, they found they were forced to go out of their way to skirt coming conflagrations.
The motel Seth found appeared to be deserted and boarded up. They approached it cautiously, searching for signs of life, praying the road that ran in front of the motel was far enough off the beaten path to offer a safe haven for the night.
Seth and Lorna developed a procedure. He would park the car down the road with the hood up, the women locked inside. He then crept back to the motel to reconnoiter, using the broken down car as a plausible excuse if he were caught. It sounded weak but it was all they had. When he ascertained the coast was clear, he came back and waved them forward, the hood banging shut as Lorna rolled into the parking lot.
Their first successful night brought a welcome release of happiness for the young girls. They argued about who would take the first bath. Seth warned them about the amount of water available. To preserve as much as they could, they would plug the tub, letting the water pour in until it stopped. They managed to collect enough water that had remained standing in the pipes from other showers to bring back to their tub to properly wash.
But no one wanted to be the last one in of course. Seth had played the gentleman, waiting in the bedroom with Lorna as the girls took turns with their baths. Unfortunately, Lorna would have to be blind not to notice him lingering in the bathroom with Maryann and Jen as he teased them about who was next. Is he flirting with them? Dismissing her active imagination, she banished her suspicions. Seth had already
showed them what a good guy he was, agreeing to help them get to Clyde.
Now she began to have her doubts again. It was becoming clear that the tension and conditions they faced were wearing everyone down, including Seth. She fretted as she wondered if she just expected too much from him. Maybe she needed to cut him some slack too.
“What do you think?” Seth slowed the car as they approached a one-story motel, seemingly deserted.
“Yeah, looks okay, let’s check it out.” Seth stepped outside the car, raising the hood for their cover story. As he walked toward the motel, he turned his head back to the car, entirely missing the man that crept from behind the hotel with a shotgun in his arms. The dirt pinged with a warning shot, sending Seth fleeing back to the car.
“Son of a bitch, he almost got me.” He slammed the car door, started the engine and turned the car around. Slamming his fist on the steering wheel he shouted at Lorna. “See what you made me do? You distracted me and I didn’t see the gunman. I could have been killed.”
“What do you mean I distracted you? You were already out of the car. And if he wanted to kill you he wouldn’t have given you a warning shot.”
Seth froze. His hands gripping the wheel tightened so hard Lorna could see them turn white. He turned to her so slowly she was confused. “What’s wrong, Seth?”
He stared right through her as if he didn’t see her. Taking his hands from the wheel, he grabbed his pinky with his other hand, bending back until it popped. Shaking out his hand, he put his foot back on the gas pedal and moved on down the road in silence. Suzy looked up at her grandma; her face blank, lips trembling. She felt Jen’s hand on her back looking for reassurance. She held tight to Suzy and sent the girls in the back a hushing motion, unwilling to challenge Seth.
From behind the wheel came Seth’s tight voice. “We need a new plan. I think we need to find a vacant house.” He suddenly turned to Lorna, all smiles and charm. “How ‘bout that, girls? Want to stay in a nice house tonight? I should have thought of that sooner.” He turned back to the road, a satisfied smile dancing from ear to ear.
What the hell? Lorna trembled inside, trying desperately not to show any emotion, as she realized they had to get rid of this guy before something bad happened.
Seth cruised through the residential neighborhood of a modest town looking for a likely house. Some were boarded up; others were obviously occupied with shades drawn.
They quickly found their situation was no different than at the motels. Seth soon located a modest white split level at the end of cul-de-sac, conveniently set back from the road. Parking the car, Seth turned to Lorna, his relaxed and handsome face smiling with confidence.
“This looks like the one. I’m going to go check. I’ll come back to get you girls when it’s all clear.” Sliding out of the seat he bent down to pluck out the keys and, giving the girls in the back seat a quick wink, he reached for his huge backpack, sliding it on his back. Lorna watched him approach the house, slipping the car keys in his pocket.
Disappointed, Lorna realized this definitely was not the time to be without a spare key.
“Gram, Seth is a little scary, don’t you think?” Jen piped up from the back seat.
“Gram, I don’t like Seth. He’s a bad man.”
Even Maryann added her opinion. “Lorna, can’t we just leave him here?”
Lorna turned uncomfortably in her seat. “He just has a bad temper, girls, let’s keep him happy for a while longer. I’ll wait for the right chance. I need to get the keys away from him first.” Groans were heard all round, the girls as frustrated as Lorna. Jen sat back, smelling her underarms.
“My pits stink, can’t wait to take a bath. Do your pits smell, Suzy?”
“No, I do not smell.” She reached back to punch her sister. “You smell like doody.”
“Ewww, you have maggots in your hair, Suzy.” Soon all hell broke out, the girls doing what sisters do: They fought, they squabbled. The time passed.
Before long, Lorna realized Seth had been gone for over twenty five minutes. What could be taking him so long? She became anxious. If something happened to him, he possessed the keys and they’d be stuck. Damn.
As the girls continued to fight, she glanced down at her hands, lamenting the condition of her nails. She wondered if she might find a bottle of nail polish inside the house. She didn’t plan to steal it, just touch up her manicure. She hoped they might find enough water to take a decent shower. Hot water was something she probably could say goodbye to. She turned to the window again to watch for Seth. Doing a double take she observed him running out the front door of the house to the car. He was not wearing his backpack.
“Girls, girls, stop that. Seth’s coming, I think we’re in.” They watched as he made his way to the car, then slid inside and started the ignition. He noticed their inquiring expressions.
“Come on, ladies, it’s time to celebrate.”
“What took you so long?” Lorna sounded accusatory even to her own ears. She quickly reached out to pat his arm and amend her tone as his eyes darkened. “We thought something might have happened to you.”
“Nope, all’s good.” Pulling into the driveway, Seth directed the unloading of the car. They had learned quickly never to leave anything behind at night. If marauding gangs spotted anything in the car, they would help themselves, leaving busted windows and flat tires. They had started to hide the car when they found a safe place to stop, not wanting to find it missing in the morning.
Lorna carried a box of food into the kitchen. As she placed it on the kitchen table, she noticed a half-eaten peanut butter cookie in the trash. Who would throw that out with food such a desperate issue? Reaching in the garbage can she withdrew the paper plate that held the cookie, revealing a blood splattered dishtowel hidden underneath.
Pausing to stare at the blood soaked rag, she reached out to touch the towel. Drawing back, she swallowed hard as her fingers encountered wetness. She stared at her fingers, trying to discern the meaning of the damp blood on her fingers.
Scanning the room, she looked for Seth’s backpack. Not there.
She ran to the front door to observe Seth horsing around with the girls as they unloaded the car. She might have a few minutes before they finished.
Running wildly through the house, she looked for Seth’s backpack. Relieved, she found it in the sweetly decorated master bedroom, lying on the bed like an obscenity.
Sitting on the big bed, she quickly unzipped it, rummaging through clothes, water bottles, small tools, nails . . . nails? She withdrew a handful of large headed nails wrapped in a plastic bag. Her heart beat faster.
Moving on she withdrew a large item that turned out to be a woman’s purse with a colorful scrap of silk tied to the strap. The silk felt as if it were knotted around a small hard object. Unknotting the silk, she recognized the items, blood draining from her face.
Why would Seth be carrying a pair of ladies panties threaded through a set of wedding rings? She held the rings in her hands as a beam of sunlight caught the large diamond, sending refractions of light around the room in dazzling patterns.
Snapping out of her paralysis, she hurriedly put the rings back as she had found them. Unable to resist, she opened the purse to discover the usual female items: car and house keys, cosmetics, two plastic baby diapers and a wallet . . . baby diapers?
Opening the wallet, she searched for identification. Reading the address on the driver’s license, she felt a creeping coldness grip her heart like a fist: 7 Prince Henry Dr. Ladenport, Maine. Oh, my God, the dead woman on the side of the road with the empty baby seat. Lorna ran her finger slowly over the plastic of the baby diapers. Where’s the baby?
Feeling as if she had been kicked in the stomach, Lorna hastily stuffed the items back into Seth’s backpack. Smoothing the backpack down, she placed it on the floor. Is that where I found it?
“What are you doing, Lorna?”
She jumped up off the bed, he
r face stiff with shock. “Uh, I thought I might lie down and take a nap.”
He stared at her, searching her face as she held her breath. Suddenly, he broke out in a big grin, his eyes twinkling, compassion in his voice. “I bet you’re beat. Why don’t you get something to eat with the girls? I have them filling our water bottles. I found the homeowners have a well that they water their lawn from. It’s too bad the house isn’t hooked up to it. While you eat, I’ll bring water into the tub in here. We can take turns when the girls are ready.”
Lorna raised her hands to her face, wondering if it looked green. She fought the urge to vomit, nodding her head at Seth, trying hard to make her stiffening lips smile and to act naturally. He took her arm, guiding her down to the kitchen with him, every fiber of her nerves screaming for her to run.
Lorna felt as if she had been sucked down Alice’s rabbit hole in a vicious dream that refused to let go. Her mind raced as she tried desperately to devise a plan to get the girls to safety.
“Maryann, have you seen the car keys?”
“No, Lorna, last I saw them Seth had them. Want some peanut butter?” The girls were eating peanut butter out of the jar with tablespoons, having run out of bread and crackers long ago.
“Let me see if I can find some crackers for you. Anyone check the pantry?” Lorna stood in front of the small pantry, noting the absence of crackers but discovering many canned goods they could use. She absently wondered if she could be wrong about Seth. Maybe he had just found the woman’s purse somewhere. Yeah, that could be the answer. She moved into the laundry room. Sometimes people built another pantry in there.
“Find anything yet, Gram?” Lorna opened the laundry closet, turning to the kitchen to answer when a bad smell of feces assailed her nose. She swung the door open to discover the dead body of a woman in her late thirties and a young boy of about twelve. Both throats grinned their bloody evidence at her, sheets of congealing blood betraying Seth’s obvious handiwork. Lorna slammed the door, running to the kitchen sink to vomit as Seth returned from the master bedroom.