Dexter navigated the car to the interstate. There were a number of fender benders on the way. To their immediate left, Mary could see two drivers exchanging information before rushing into their car.
While there were accidents on the road, it was void of any movement. This surprised Mary, in that they had seen so many crazy things earlier.
She said, “I can’t believe we are able to get on the interstate with such ease.”
“I agree. People also seem to be acting with a level of restraint and sensibility.”
The traffic was moving, although a bit slow. They were keeping about 35 - 40 miles an hour on the 70 mile per hour expressway. Not as fast as Mary would like, but not as slow as one might imagine.
Mary looked out on the other side of the interstate. She said, “It appears that there are as many people coming into town as are leaving town. I wonder why?”
“Hmmm, who cares? Why would anyone come into this death trap?”
After it was quiet for a little while, Dexter said, “OK, if you aren’t going to bring it up, I will. What the hell was that? Did you see that guy bite the neck of Celeste? I mean, it was like they were vampires or something.”
“I know, Dexter. It was like that video I saw. Whatever that virus is that is going around, it is turning people into raving lunatics,” Mary responded.
“What video?”
“Videos like that are on MYTUBE.COM. Videos of crazed people coming at other people. I can’t believe you didn’t see it. It looked like it was in Atlanta.”
“Hell, we should have left earlier. I sure hope we can get out of this mess. Turn on the radio and let’s see if we can get any more information.”
Mary fiddled with the knobs and found the news station. “The governor has issued a travel advisory. He wants the roads to be clear for emergency personnel to get around. In addition, the mayor is suggesting that we cut down all travel in and out of Atlanta, but the FEMA wants to make Atlanta a place to send people for protection,” the radio announcer said.
“So the Feds are fighting the city. And they want us to stay?” Dexter said.
“What’s the plan now?” Mary asked.
“Right now the plan is what it has always been. Let’s get the hell out of dodge and get to my place out in the country. We will worry about what’s next later. We should have left earlier.”
“You said that…”
“I told you to come on, if you would have come, Celeste would be alive right now.”
“I know you aren’t gonna blame me, you didn’t have to stick around, I didn’t need you.”
While they were arguing, the gas light came on.
“Don’t tell me you don’t have any gas?” Mary said.
“I have to take this exit. We will be back on and out in a hurry.”
“My car is full of gas, why didn’t you say you didn’t have any gas?”
Dexter took the exit and drove into the gas station. “How ‘bout I drop you off here and you hitchhike back to your car?”
Mary remembered why they hadn’t dated before.
There were about five cars in the line ahead of them. There were a number of cars all around, but it appeared as though they picked the right one. They sat in silence. Mary worked hard to keep from looking at Dexter, and Dexter appeared to not care.
One car passed and drove on. The next car came and filled up and drove off. A third car drove up. It was a pickup truck. An overweight guy who looked like he drove in from the country with overhauls jumped out. He filled up his car like everyone else. He walked around the back of his truck and opened the bed. This revealed about 10 gas cans and a couple of larger storage bins.
The guy began filling up each of those gas cans. The woman in the car right behind him was getting more and more agitated as he moved from can to can. She began honking the horn and the country boy waved at her to calm down. He yelled something. He finished filling up his cans, and he took the gas hose to one of the larger storage bins.
At that point a small skinny man that appeared to work for the station came out of the store towards the guy in overalls. This gas attendant was pointing at the country boy and yelling something. The country boy started yelling back. The attendant from the station walked up to the country boy and yelled with greater intensity.
The country boy slugged the little attendant and the attendant hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. Someone else started yelling and the attendant jumped up and started screaming. Dexter opened the door and heard the guy yelling, “I’m calling the police. You better get off this lot.”
The country boy yelled, “It’s my turn, and I will use all the gas I need.”
“I’m gonna call the cops. Get out of here.”
At that point, the gas stopped. A number of customers started yelling. “What’s wrong with the gas?” Another one said, “Where is the gas?” And the people got more and more angry.
Another attendant walked out of the store and yelled, “The gas is gone, and you need to go somewhere else.”
The guy who filled up all the containers got ready to get back in his truck and drive off when other customers started taking gas cans off his truck.
Mary saw Dexter grab two cans and run towards their car.
The country boy started yelling and more people took them. The country boy grabbed one guy that had one can and hit him. The customer hit the ground and the gas can flew away. Three men tried to get one of those gas bins off the back of the truck when the country boy ran back into his cab.
“I think we need to get out of here,” Mary said. Dexter was trying to maneuver out of the parking lot. The country boy came out of the cab with a shotgun and he shot a guy who had a gas can in the back. The gas can went flying and the guy he shot fell down. The country boy turned the gun at the window of another car.
“Get out of here!” Mary yelled.
“This idiot is trying to blow this place up,” Dexter said as he backed up and tried to pull out of the gas station.
The country boy turned his gun at Dexter’s car. At that point, another man, who appeared bloodied, maybe from a shot, jumped the country boy from behind. It appeared as though the guy took a bite out of the country boy.
Dexter nudged the car into the intersection when one final shot went off, and it looked like the gas station blew up.
As Dexter sped off, he said, “I told you this wouldn’t take long. Now, let’s find somewhere to stop so that I can put this gas in the car.”
Mary laughed and said, “I can’t believe you are making jokes.”
Dexter saw that cars now blocked the interstate on-ramp. He said, “I’m glad I know Atlanta. Looks like we have to travel some side roads.”