The Day After Never - Insurrection (Book 5) Read online

  Hayden scowled. “Why do you need me there?”

  “To present a unified front, since you’ll be working together. And it’ll give you a chance to introduce your deputy and get a better sense of the man.”

  “Whatever. You know how to reach me. Now I have to get back to making sure we aren’t overrun by the squatters. Bad enough with the damn Chinese.”

  Hubert ignored the barb at his decision to accept the Chinese, who’d arrived in two big sailboats a few months earlier. Many in the town had been against it, but they’d proven to be hard-working additions who largely kept to themselves and didn’t make trouble.

  “They haven’t been much bother, have they?”

  “I don’t trust ’em. Something about them gives me the willies.”

  “They work long hours and do a good job. Been forever since we had so much fish to go around,” Hubert observed. The newcomers lived down by the marina and used their ocean-crossing sailboats to fish in all but the worst conditions, trading their catch for necessities. They’d sailed the Pacific in search of something better than their home country, which like the rest of the planet had been all but destroyed by the virus, in spite of draconian measures by their government. They’d also suffered several nuclear power plant meltdowns that had rendered long sections of their coast as well as huge tracts inland unfit for growing food, the sea toxic and unfishable, and many of the inhabitants had set off however they could to escape the polluted wasteland left in the virus’s wake. This group of thirty men and women had arrived one morning in the bay, the sails of their two boats filled with wind, and had been welcomed with mostly open arms by Hubert and his faction. That had been before the squatter problem, and more able-bodied workers had been viewed as a positive by most.

  “They’re better than the tent scum, I’ll give you that,” Hayden conceded. “Radio me when you want to go meet with him. I sent Alex over to show them to their digs. I’ll tell him to be presentable in the morning.”

  Hubert watched Hayden walk away, and then turned to Grant. “Well?”

  “He’ll cooperate, but he won’t like it. Which doesn’t really matter, does it?”

  “Not really. But it’s always better to have people working with you than against you.”

  “I don’t think he’ll go that far, but don’t expect him to do much more than the bare minimum.”

  Hubert nodded. “Hopefully that will be enough.”

  Grant stood. “Be funny if Lucas said no, wouldn’t it?”

  “Funny isn’t the word that comes to mind. We’ll just have to convince him. Leave that to me.”

  Chapter 16

  Joel glanced up at a short man with a cocky strut who entered the stable and walked toward him. As he neared, a badge pinned to the breast of his flannel shirt glinted in the sun. The man offered a grin and offered his hand as he eyed the saddlebags at Joel’s feet.

  “Hey. I’m Alex – the deputy here. I’m supposed to show you to where you’re going to stay.”

  Joel shook the man’s hand. “Great. Can’t wait to get the road dust off.”

  “Long one, huh?”

  Joel rolled his eyes. “You have no idea.”

  “Where’s your partner? I heard there were two of you.”

  “He went to try to find some medicine.”

  Alex frowned. “It was all stolen.”

  Joel shrugged. “You can’t tell some people anything. Got to find out the hard way.”

  The deputy laughed. “Ain’t that the truth.” His eyes drifted to the saddlebags again. “Need a hand with those?”

  “No, I can carry them.”

  “Got the vaccine in ’em?”

  Joel pursed his lips. “Yes. I’m to guard it with my life.”

  “Better you than me. I can carry your rifle if you want.”

  Joel handed Alex his AR-15 and hoisted the saddlebags. “Let’s do it.”

  The house turned out to be a small two-story with wooden siding hanging half off the façade and a couple of the windows broken out and boarded up. Joel regarded it dubiously, and it was Alex’s turn to shrug. “Don’t blame me. I didn’t pick it.”

  “Don’t suppose it has running water or anything.”

  “Actually, you’re in luck there. It’s got a collection tank on the roof, which they rigged up to gravity feed rainwater. Probably full after the last week’s storms. But the bad news is it’ll be cold, and you don’t want to spend more than a few minutes in the shower or it could run out.”

  “Better than nothing.”

  They mounted the steps to the porch and Alex held the door open for Joel, who brushed past him into a darkened foyer. “Bedrooms are upstairs,” the deputy said. “Not much down here but some provisions we stocked in the pantry for you and a couple big jugs of water.”

  After a brief tour of the house, Joel set the saddlebags down on the floor of his bedroom. An inspection of the mattress revealed it to be serviceable, if a little moldy around the edges, and he sat on the edge and let out a contented sigh.

  “First time I’ve sat down in three weeks where it wasn’t a saddle or the ground. Can’t tell you how good that feels.”

  Alex smiled and drew a pint bottle of amber fluid from his pocket. “I imagine you’ve been through hell getting the vaccine here. Want some of the local rotgut to take the edge off? It isn’t half bad.”

  Joel eyed the bottle. “I thought alcohol was illegal in town.”

  “Selling it is. But they can’t ban a man from drinking in his own house if he wants to. Besides, who would enforce it besides me and the sheriff?” Alex laughed and unscrewed the top of the bottle. “Go ahead. Won’t bite you. I mean, it’ll kick you in the head a couple of times, but biting? Real civilized about that.”

  That drew a chuckle from Joel, who took the bottle from the deputy and tried a cautious sip. He swallowed and closed his eyes as the firewater burned all the way down his throat. When he opened them, they were bright and watering. “Whoa. That’s strong.”

  “Yeah, probably about a hundred and ten proof. Packs a punch, but also gets the job done. Sometimes it helps to get me through the day when the sheriff’s on the warpath. He can be kind of a prick sometimes. Has a God complex because he’s the top dog.”

  “You haven’t spent any time with Lucas. Talk about a hard case…”

  “Seems like there’s one in every group,” Alex agreed, and held out his hand for the bottle. Joel passed it to him and the deputy took a swig and then exhaled noisily, his mouth open. “Damn, that’s got some kick, doesn’t it?”

  “Where do you get it?”

  “I know one of the guys who makes it. He’s got a small still over on the ocean side, about five miles from town. Him and his kids are mean as snot, but they know how to make white lightning like nobody’s business. What I hear, they were doing it before the collapse, too. Kind of unofficial like.” Alex took another sip and gave the bottle back to Joel. “They always remember their friend Alex, though. Got to give them credit. Good people.”

  “You trade for it?”

  “Sure. And I do them favors. Works both ways. Same with everything around here. You want something, I know where to get it, but it always comes at a price.”

  “Nothing’s free,” Joel agreed, and took a longer pull from the bottle.

  “What did you do before the collapse?” Alex asked.

  “I was a phlebotomist.”

  “So…worked with plants or something?”

  “No. I drew blood. Medical testing. Worked for a big lab in New Mexico.”

  “Ah. That’s why you’re in charge of the vaccine.”

  “That’s right. I’m the closest they’ve got to a medical technician, and I’ve been trained on how to make it and administer it.” He hesitated. “Otherwise there’s no way I would have been part of this group. I’m not some commando or anything. Not like Lucas.”

  “Real badass, huh?”

  “He thinks he is, that’s for sure. Orders everyone around, calls all t
he shots.” Another swallow of alcohol tempered any bitterness in his tone. “How about you? What did you do…before?”

  “I was kind of a handyman in town and over at the marina. Worked on boats, fixed windows and doors, that kind of thing. There’s always work for a guy who’s skilled with his hands. Still moonlight at it when somebody gets into a jam, but most of the survivors are pretty capable. You have to be, after five years of this.” Alex paused. “Couple of your buddies bought it on the road? That sucks.”

  Joel told Alex about the attack. When he was done, both men were frowning, the reminder of how close death was at every turn as depressing a thought as any. The whiskey took the edge off the worst of it, though, and by the time the bottle was half gone, neither of them were feeling any pain.

  Joel yawned and stretched as Alex took a final drink and returned the bottle to his flak jacket. “I want to hose off. Thanks for the drink. Appreciate it.”

  Alex stood and walked to the door. “Any time. Plenty more where that came from. Enjoy the arctic rinse. Remember what I said about keeping it as short as possible.”

  “Will do.”

  Alex regarded Joel’s clothes. “There’s a lady here that does laundry for a few bullets. In case you have some stuff you need cleaned. If you want, I can send her by tomorrow. Getting too late today.”

  “Thanks. That would be great.”

  “Tell your boss, too. You can work out a package deal.”

  “He’s not my boss.”

  “Sure. Okay. Well, just tell him, and I’ll have her stop by in the morning. Name’s Irene.”

  “Got it.”

  “If you need anything, the sheriff and I are in the old police headquarters about three blocks east of the hospital, on the way out of town.”

  “Will do. Thanks again for everything.”

  “I’ll check in on you again, maybe tomorrow.”

  “Cool. See you then.”

  Chapter 17

  The sky was darkening by the time Lucas made it to the herb shop, having garbled the directions the mayor had given him and overshot, and then taken a wrong turn in an effort to trim some lost time from the trip. The town was a study in Pacific Northwest charm, the homes classic in their Victorian design, all multistory and straight out of central casting for haunted houses. He could see that before the collapse they’d been painted a dizzying array of colors, but now had faded to a muted gray sameness from the salt air and the relentless effects of the weather.

  A simple white sign announced The NorWest Apothecary with vivid blue lettering. He mounted the three steps to the shop stoop and felt a moment of unease when he approached the door and didn’t see anyone inside through the picture window. He tried the handle, and the door swung open with a jangle of a bell.

  “Just a sec!” a female voice called out from the rear of the shop.

  “No problem,” Lucas responded, looking around the interior. Jars of herbs lined the counter, and the entire room smelled vaguely like a gourmet kitchen, spices competing against one another for dominance in the confined space.

  A woman in her forties emerged from a door at the back of the store. A head scarf covered her hair, and her dress was obviously hand sewn and reminiscent of photos Lucas had seen of Quakers or the Amish. “May I help you?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he said, with a tip of his hat. “I have a wounded friend who’s fighting an infection, and she said to ask you for cale…calender…”

  “Marigolds,” the woman finished for him, saving Lucas the effort of mangling the name.

  “That’s right. She said it fights inflammation.”

  “Smart lady. How bad’s she hurt?”

  “Gunshot wound to the shoulder.”

  The woman’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh no…”

  “We just got here a few hours ago.”

  “Is she in the tent city?”

  “No, ma’am. We’re guests of the town.”

  Her eyes widened. “You’re the ones that brought the vaccine?”

  “That’s right.”

  She turned toward the back room. “Jeb! Come on out here. We have a special customer.”

  Lucas shifted uneasily. “If I can just get the marigolds…”

  “Nonsense. They have to be prepared into a salve or they’ll do you no good at all. I can work it up in a jiffy. I’m Mary, by the way,” she said, extending her hand.

  “Lucas,” he said, shaking it.

  A tall man with chiseled features and a graying beard emerged from the same rear door, and Mary moved to him and took his hand. “This is my husband. Jeb, this is Lucas. He’s one of the folks who brought us the vaccine.”

  Jeb stepped over and they shook hands. “Please to meet you. Heard you lost some men. A shame.”

  “Yes, it was,” Lucas agreed. “And my friend took a bullet to the shoulder.”

  “Is she over at the hospital?” Mary asked.

  Lucas nodded. “Not doing great. Don’t suppose you have any antibiotics?” he tried.

  “I’m afraid not,” Jeb said.

  “Some kid outside the fence said he might be able to get his hands on some,” Lucas said. “Any idea how?”

  Jeb and Mary exchanged a look. “Folks out there talk crazy. They’re liars and thieves, mostly, living in sin like animals.”

  “You don’t think there’s any chance?”

  Jeb’s expression clouded. “Anything’s possible, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

  “So we’re back to marigolds.”

  “And I have some sealed aspirin,” Mary offered. “It expired a few years ago, but it’ll help bring down any fever.”

  “Anything else you can think of would be appreciated. She’s a special lady.”

  “Let me see what I can put together. I’ll go over to the hospital with you,” Mary said. “Jeb, you okay watching the store?”

  “Not like there’s a big rush.”

  “Then it’s decided,” Mary declared, and brushed past her husband into the back room.

  Jeb and Lucas stood awkwardly regarding each other for an uncomfortable moment. “How long were you on the trail?” Jeb eventually asked.

  “Almost a month.”

  “Is it as bad out there as everyone says?”

  Lucas nodded. “Parts are. Other parts are peaceful – mostly where there’s no people.”

  “We kind of ruin everything, don’t we?”

  “Way of the world.”

  “I’ve never been farther than Portland. Born and raised in Astoria. Now I don’t have any desire to see the rest.”

  “You haven’t missed much. Lot of the southeast is a war zone. I hear Portland and Seattle are, too.”

  “Don’t even get me started on California,” Jeb said. “I met some travelers from there before we shut down the town. The stories were…ugly.”

  “I’ve heard ’em.”

  “Turned me around, that’s for sure.”

  Lucas wasn’t sure what Jeb meant, and it must have shown on his face.

  “Set me on the straight and narrow. Seen the light, so to speak. Aren’t too many explanations that make sense to me other than that this is a culling by God, and those that survived are being tested to see if the species is worth saving.”

  Lucas kept his expression neutral. “I’ve heard that. Makes a certain sense, I guess.”

  “A man would have to be blind not to see it.”

  “Suppose so,” Lucas said agreeably, looking past Jeb to the back room doorway. When Mary didn’t appear, he strode to a line of jars and eyed them. “You have this shop before the collapse?”

  “It was a stationery store. Not much call for greeting cards anymore, so Mary turned her garden into a living. Another blessing, along with our family.”

  “Kids?”

  “A daughter. Our son was called to heaven in the plague.”

  “Sorry to hear it.”

  “He’s in a better place. We’re still being evaluated to see whether we’re worthy.”

&nb
sp; “Sell a lot of this stuff?”

  “More now that the doc’s medicines went missing. Not many options other than natural stuff.”

  Mary emerged from the rear of the shop with a square plastic container. “I mixed up a whole batch of salve for you and threw in everything I know of to cut infection. Best to get it on her as soon as possible.” She held up a foil packet. “Aspirin.”

  “How much do I owe you?”

  “Eight rounds. But this time’s on the house. Let’s see if she responds well. Next time you can pay,” Mary said. She looked to Jeb and smiled. “Stay out of trouble while I’m gone.”

  “Story of my life.”

  Mary marched to the door, removed a sweater from a peg beside it, and beckoned to Lucas. “Well, come on, then. It’ll be dark soon. Time’s a-wasting,” she said, and swung the door open, the little bell attached to the top tinkling, leaving Lucas to follow her after a wave at Jeb. Lucas obliged, M4 in hand.

  “Thanks for everything,” he said.

  Jeb returned his wave with a serious expression. “I’ll pray for you.”

  Lucas threw him a rueful parting glance. “Can’t hurt.”

  Chapter 18

  Mary marched at a determined pace along the street that paralleled the waterfront, and even though Lucas’s legs were easily a foot longer, he had to push himself to keep up. The diminutive herbalist was moving like she was late for her own funeral, and Lucas could easily figure out who wore the pants in the Jeb and Mary family.

  It had been gracious of her to volunteer to tend to Ruby and provide her time and products free, and Lucas made a mental note to return the favor if he ever got the chance. Too many espoused Christian virtues like empathy and charity, yet often their behavior was anything but, and he appreciated the refreshing change from the cynical reality that existed beyond the town’s border – and even within its council, judging from the meeting he’d attended.

  “Did you know the doctor at all?” Lucas asked when he drew even with her.

  “Oh my, yes. We talked all the time. He’d come around to the benefits of many of the folk cures since the power went down, and we consulted about how best to treat some of his difficult cases.”