Surprisingly, traffic away from William and Kingshighway wasn’t bad. She turned left, and then zigzagged right. Only one more traffic hurdle ahead, the intersection at Independence Street. She needed to go a block past it, to the corner of North Park and Whitener, where Woody lived.
As she feared, Independence, always one of the busiest streets in Cape, was swarming with traffic. Hundreds of students aboard scooters wove crazily between the horde of cars. At least the vehicles were moving. There was no traffic backed up. She soon discovered the reason. The intersection was manned by a stocky campus police officer directing traffic. When he signaled her turn to go, she floored Cami.
CHAPTER 41
The darkness disoriented Rhetta. When she crossed Independence, she didn’t recognize anything and didn’t know for sure where she was. She couldn’t look to the familiar green patina of the lighted coppered dome on Academic Hall on the Southeast Missouri University campus to get her bearings. The entire area was pitch black. No dome anywhere in sight. Was she heading the right way?
After six blocks, Rhetta realized that she had passed Woody’s house. Irritated at the time she wasted getting lost, she spotted a driveway and quickly used it to turn around and backtrack.
Mercifully, there was almost no traffic on the side streets. She wasn’t honked at or forced to dodge wayward vehicles aiming for her. There was also no light. She slowed down, willing her eyes to recognize Woody’s house.
Finally, she recognized his bungalow and roared into his driveway. The moment she stopped, Woody appeared at her driver door. She rolled down the window.
“I heard you coming from down the block,” he said.
“Do you have your 30-06? C’mon, we gotta go.” Rhetta hit the accelerator and revved the motor. Cami responded throatily.
“I’m not going with you, Rhetta. I can’t leave Jenn here alone.”
Jenn stepped out from behind Woody. She cradled a large hunting rifle and a box of shells. “Here, Woody. Go.” Jenn thrust the rifle at Woody. “I’ll be fine. I have a .38 and know how to use it.” Jenn, nearly as tall as Woody, but a hundred pounds lighter, deposited the rifle into her husband’s arms.
When he took it, Jenn tucked a strand of her long blond hair behind her ear and nodded. She blew him a kiss, then whirled around and disappeared into the shadow of the house. In a moment, Woody’s back door slammed and she heard a metal latch clattering into place.
“I can’t believe this blackout has to do with terrorists,” Woody said, making no move toward Cami’s passenger door.
“We’re being attacked. It’s up to you and me, Woody. We’re the only ones that can stop it. We have to get to a substation ahead of whoever is doing this and stop them.” Rhetta kept her voice as calm as she could. She knew Woody well enough to know she had to stay calm, or he’d bull up and walk away from her. She didn’t have time to drive to her house and find Randolph’s weapons, then head to the substations. She needed Woody to shut up and get in the car.
“I tried calling the police, but they wouldn’t listen to me. I can’t reach the FBI office in St. Louis either.” She put Cami into neutral and held her foot on the brake.
“You still haven’t told me about Billy Dan. What happened? You said he got shot?”
Why did Woody just stand there talking?
She sighed. “Yes, he got shot, by somebody driving a green SUV. Sound familiar? Get in and I’ll tell you about it.”
She wasn’t positive about the person or persons driving the green SUV being responsible for shooting Billy Dan, but she’d bet her next paycheck on it.
Jenn stepped out on the front stoop and shouted, “Woody, go with Rhetta. Right now.” Woody obeyed, crossed in front of Cami and opened the passenger door. He slid the rifle and a box of shells on to the floor and covered them with the surplus tarp that draped from Rhetta’s seat into the back. The bright overhead LED interior light spilled all the way to the outside of the car. She was glad that Ricky had added the LED. The old-style yellowish interior light wasn’t strong enough to draw moths.
Woody stared at Rhetta. When she saw his expression, she touched her hair and frowned. She must’ve looked like a yard gnome that had fallen into wet concrete. And then the concrete dried.
“Hurry up and get in. We have to plan our strategy.”
After the passenger door closed, Jenn returned to the house.
“Don’t you look cute. Is that a new fashion trend?” Woody gestured to Rhetta as he fastened his seat belt.
She didn’t answer him.
He glanced sideways at her. “What are we going to do?”
“Here’s how I have it figured. We’ve already lost three, maybe four substations, starting with the two in Bollinger County and one at Center Junction. I think maybe the other one in Cape County is out because everything around us is dark as the devil’s breath. That only leaves two. We have to decide whether to go to Scott County or Perry County.”
“What do you plan on doing to stop them, whoever they are?”
“First we need to decide the where, then the what,” Rhetta said and slammed Cami into reverse.
At the end of the driveway, Rhetta pulled out on to the street and stopped. Cami’s engine rumbled.
“Since we’re in Cape Girardeau, I figure we’re about the same distance away from either Perry or Scott County. The interstate connects all three communities in a straight line. Right now, we’re in the middle. The issue is the traffic. Not to mention, choosing which one to go to first. Our choice could mean the difference between success or total failure.” She turned and stared at Woody. “It might be a crap shoot, but I favor going north to Perry first because it’s easier for the perps to reach that one from the substation in Cape County.” She waved her hand around. “We know they’ve been to Cape County. They can easily use a back road instead of the interstate and get to Perry County. Otherwise, they’d have to fight traffic to cross town, then head down south on the interstate to Scott, then drive back track up the interstate to Perry.”
She waited for a comment. Woody didn’t say anything. When she slid a glance his way, she swore she saw him nod. She took that as a positive sign. Maybe he was finally persuaded.
“Perps?” Woody said, and a slow smile sneaked across his face.
Rhetta felt relief. Woody was with her. “Let’s hit the substation on County Road 1458 in Perry County,” she said and shifted into first.
They screamed down Woody’s dark street. Rhetta shifted, downshifted, made two turns, and headed to the old Farm-to-Market Road.
“We’d never have made it to the interstate. There’s too much chaos,” Rhetta said, tearing through another turn and roaring on to State Highway 127, which the locals still called the Farm-to-Market Road. In spite of the road disappearing into a hill, she knew it continued north, straight into Perry County.
“What’s the plan?’ Woody asked. He passed a bare palm over his slick head.
“Is that rifle loaded?” Rhetta pointed to the back seat. She thought he nodded, although she couldn’t see him clearly. “Are you still an expert shot?” She knew all about his numerous marksmanship awards from the military.
“Yes, and yes.”
“All right. Here’s the plan. We get to the substation and stop anybody inside the fence that shouldn’t be there. We’ll hold them until the police get there. Maybe if we catch these guys, the cops will pay attention.”
“They aren’t going to stand there meekly while you call the cops.”
“Right. That’s why you have the rifle.”
Although she couldn’t see him shaking his head, his silence spoke his uncertainty.
“Have you got a better idea?” Rhetta’s glare was wasted. Most of her face was probably concealed by the darkness.
“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what the Sam Hill is going on any more than anyone else does. We can’t shoot these people.”
“You do, too, know what’s going on, Woody. These pe
ople are trying to take down our country. You and I both know this is a terrorist attack. And it’s up to us to stop it.”
Woody sighed. “Jenn believes you’re right. We had a huge argument. Just before you got there.”
Rhetta smiled in spite of the terror she was feeling. Good for Jenn. At least she has some sense. Maybe I should’ve brought her instead of Woody.
Inside, Rhetta felt like a bowl of jelly. On the outside, she needed to appear strong so Woody wouldn’t waver. She knew he’d been forced to kill during his stint in the war, and that had contributed to his PTSD.
“Is Jenn a crack shot like you?”
“What? No. Well, yes, she can shoot. She’s not a marksman. Or is it markswoman? Whatever.” He rubbed his head with a handkerchief he’d pulled from a back pocket.
Rhetta steered the subject back to the plan. “County Road 1458 runs down to the river. The substation is on the bluffs overlooking the river. We’ll turn off on Gabriela Road. That crosses County Road 1458 about a mile after we turn. Then we head toward the river.”
As they sped along the two-lane highway, Rhetta filled Woody in on how she found Billy Dan shot under his boat. And how Sheriff Dodson didn’t believe her.
“Woody, it’s down to you, me, and Randolph. We’re the only ones left of everyone who saw the schematic. And poor Randolph is out of commission.”
Woody didn’t answer, although she thought she heard him grunt his assent. She cut her glance sideways but was afraid to take her eyes off the dark, twisting road to stare back at him. Especially since Cami was flying at over eighty through the twists, turns, and hills.
Topping a steep crest on the outskirts of Perry County, they were met with a glorious sight. The landscape ahead was dotted with lights. All around, the lights from houses, farm dusk-to-dawn lights, and street lamps glimmered. The view looked wonderfully normal.
“Look, Woody!” Rhetta shouted, even though he sat a mere two feet away. “We’re not too late. They haven’t knocked the substation out up here yet.”
She gunned the Camaro and dared not consult the speedometer.
“Maybe we’re all wrong about this,” Woody said. “Maybe it really is just a massive power failure in Cape.”
“Are you forgetting about Bollinger County and Billy Dan? Right after Billy Dan got shot, the power in Bollinger County started failing. Then the power in Cape went out. That’s not random.”
“I know, I know, you don’t believe in coincidences, but still. The power substation going out in Bollinger could have caused an overload in Cape.”
Rhetta spotted Gabriela Road up ahead. The whole area looked so bright and normal that she began to wonder if maybe Woody wasn’t right.
She swerved a hard right on to Gabriela Road. In about a mile, she spotted the sign for County Road 1458. She pulled up and stopped.
“Why are you stopping?”
“If there’s cell phone service here, I need to call the county sheriff or the FBI again,” Rhetta said. She located her iPhone on top of the console and powered it on.
A red bar replaced the usually green battery indicator. The battery was nearly dead. She groped around in the console for her car charger cord. “Damn, where is it?” she said, and pulled everything out of the small storage bin. She riffled through a mileage logbook, three pens, a small spiral note pad, and several paper napkins. No cord. She didn’t take out the cigarettes and latex gloves.
“Let me have your phone,” she said to Woody. She held out her hand.
“I don’t have it. I guess with all the arguing with Jenn, I forgot to grab it.”
“Crap,” Rhetta said and sifted again through the console.
“All right, forget it. We’re on our own.” She snapped the lid closed. Gravel flew as she turned right on the unpaved county road.
She raced along County Road 1458 for nearly a mile before Woody spoke.
“Uh, didn’t you say the power substation was near the bluffs?”
“Yes.” Her eyes were glued to the road.
“You’re heading away from the river,” Woody said. His voice was calm. “You need to turn around.’
“Damn,” Rhetta said, screeching to a stop. A cloud of dust swirled around the car as she executed a Y-turn. She tore off back from where they’d just come. Sailing past the intersection where she’d rummaged for her charger, she said, “How could I have gone the wrong way? We may be too late.” Couldn’t she find anything tonight?
Woody glanced out the side window.
“Uh, Rhetta, all the lights are still on so we’re okay.”
He no sooner said it when lights began winking off. Just like in Bollinger and Cape counties.
The countryside around them plunged into a hellishly familiar blackness.
CHAPTER 42
So much for getting here on time!
Rhetta slammed the brakes and pulled to the side of the county road.
“What are you doing?” This time it was Woody shouting as he threw out his hands to brace himself against slamming into the dash. The shoulder harness snapped tightly against his chest, pinning him against the seat.
Rhetta threw Cami into reverse. “We can cut across and get back on Gabriela Road. It connects to the interstate just south of Perryville. Maybe we can beat them to Scott County if they don’t know this short cut.”
Woody fiddled with the shoulder harness until it finally yielded some slack. “How come you know your way around Perry County but get lost in the Steak ’n Shake parking lot in Cape?”
“I once dated a guy that lived on a farm up here,” Rhetta answered. “We used to drive all these back roads.” She swerved hard to the right. Woody braced again. “Who told you I got lost in the Steak ’n Shake?”
“So, how come you went the wrong way back there, looking for the Mississippi?”
Rhetta ignored him.
* * *
As Rhetta had predicted, once they hit Gabriela Road they were within five minutes of the interstate.
Hustling down Gabriela Road, she swerved right when she spotted the interstate. Woody again braced against the dash. Cami’s modern shoulder harnesses were getting a workout.
It took only a dizzying few seconds to complete the near circle of the on ramp. Soon they were racing on to the interstate. This was their last chance to stop a total grid failure. They had to get to Scott County, to the last substation, before the terrorists did.
There were few vehicles on the divided interstate. Mostly, she saw only over-the-road trucks with trailers. Once she locked into the inside fast lane, Rhetta opened Cami up. Her speedometer displayed a maximum top-end speed of 160 on the face. She didn’t dare look at it to see how close they were to burying the needle.
The interstate wasn’t much different than it was before the blackout, since there was no highway lighting in this part of the state. She stole a glance at Cami’s fuel gauge. To her shock, she had less than half a tank of gas left. All that crazy driving from Glen Allen and then through Cape to get to Woody’s had taken its toll on the nearly full tank she’d started out with. Her pet Camaro was a gas hog.
Rhetta reached up and patted the dash. “Come on baby. Don’t let me down. I can’t stop for gas. We’ve got to go another 50 miles.”
Please God, we’ve got to stop them.
“It wouldn’t do any good to stop at a gas station, anyway,” said the ever-practical Woody. “There’s no power, remember?”
“Yes, Woody. I’m aware that there is no power and therefore we won’t be able to get any gas.”
“Then don’t run out.”
Honestly. Does he think I planned it this way? Grr….
“Why are you growling?”
She wasn’t aware that she’d growled aloud. “I’m just getting frustrated, that’s all.”
“Yeah, well, me, too.” He twisted around and gazed out the back window. “Have you seen any cars in your rear view? Maybe we should be on the watch for a car that’s driving suspiciously fast down the int
erstate. Besides us, I mean.”
Woody made sense. She glanced in her side view mirrors. No other cars. Theirs was the only car rocketing along.
Peering at the speedometer, Woody said, “You’re liable to get pulled over for speeding, you know.”
Good grief, was he being deliberately obtuse?
“That would actually be wonderful.” She slapped the steering wheel. “If only!” She felt herself getting exasperated. Had he not paid attention when she told him about her unsuccessful attempts at contacting law enforcement? Getting pulled over might get them some help, damn it!
“Can you get out the map from the glove box?” Rhetta angled her chin in the direction of Woody’s death grip on the dash. “Under your right palm.”
“Why do you need a map?” He sounded worried as he fiddled with the catch to open the glove box.
“Turn the knob to the right,” she instructed after seeing his impatience. He’d already slapped the glove box door twice.
“I got it,” he said and rooted around. Instead of a map, he produced a leather holster with a neat pearl handle showing through.
“What’s this?” He held it between his thumb and index finger.
Rhetta slid a glance his way and recognized the .22 pistol Randolph had bought at the gun show last month.
“Randolph bought that at the gun show. I guess he forgot to take it out of the glove box.”
“Good, we could use another weapon, even if it is just a toy.”
“We can’t use that one. It’s not loaded.”
Woody set the holster down on the console between them. Rhetta changed lanes and the gun slid to the floor near Woody’s feet. He groped around his feet, searching for the gun.
“Never mind the pistol, Woody. Find the map.”
Triumphantly, like he’d found a scavenger hunt object, he finally held up the folded Missouri map. He left the glove box open to utilize the small light to read the map. The Camaro had no map lights, only the overhead LED dome light, which didn’t have a switch.
He opened up the large map and spread it out over his lap. “What do you want me to find?”
“Look for Flatt Junction. It’s in Scott County. I think it’s east of Old Miner.”
“Old Miner? Where’s that?”
“It’s considered a part of Sikeston now.”