The Alex Cave Series. Books 1, 2, & 3.: Box set Page 11

  “Come on, Dad!” Mark shouted from inside.

  Harold kept the gun pointed at the crowd as he slid onto the seat. He kept the door open, leaning out so he could watch the other people in case they tried to shoot at him and his family. “Okay, Calli. Drive away, nice and easy.”

  Harold watched the crowd get smaller, and no one attempted to stop them. Calli turned the corner, and Harold closed the car door. He collapsed against the seat and sighed deeply, still holding the gun on his lap. “Oh my God!” he mumbled. “I just killed that boy!”

  “You didn’t have any choice, Dad,” Mark said reassuringly.

  Harold looked over at him, feeling like he’d turned into some kind of savage beast. “I know, son. I know.”

  The Woolly’s drove east on Interstate 90, out of Seattle. The highway was crowded with abandoned vehicles, and, on several occasions, Harold and Mark would have to shove cars out of the way so they could continue. They passed several people walking, their thumbs out for a lift and eyes imploring for sympathy, and a woman with two small children sitting on a suitcase beside the road. The woman stood and shouted for help, and Calli started to pull over.

  “What are you doing?” Harold asked.

  “Look at them, Harold. Those poor children must be exhausted, and that woman is all alone.”

  “No, Calli.”

  “Oh, Harold, don’t be so selfish. There’s room enough to squeeze them in,” Calli told him in her familiar, domineering tone as she slowed the car to stop.

  “I said, no!” Harold stated firmly, his voice low and menacing.

  Calli glanced in the rearview mirror at Harold in the back seat, and a chill ran through her tired and aching body. She’d never seen that look in Harold’s eyes before. He’s changed, she thought. “Whatever you say, Dear,” she sighed and stepped on the accelerator.

  As they passed the forlorn mother, something slammed into the side of the car. Startled, Calli swerved across the road, nearly slamming into the guardrail before regaining control. Harold flinched and looked out the back window. A man was running after them, heaving large rocks at their car.

  “My God! What was that?” Calli cried out.

  Harold was shaking, more from rage than fear. “Those were rocks! It was a trap, Calli. Probably that woman’s husband was hiding nearby waiting to carjack us! We can’t trust anyone. Understand? The world’s gone crazy!”

  Harold stared at Calli’s reflection in the mirror, her eyes showing stunned understanding as she nodded. Pamela was sitting up front and turned to look at him. She looked scared, and he patted her soothingly on the shoulder, trying to hide his own fear of this new reality. “We’ll be all right, honey. We just have to be careful.”

  Mark leaned forward in the back seat. “We have guns, so nobody’s going to mess with us!”

  Pamela shook her head. “We have one gun and that stupid toy. What if somebody has more guns? What do we do then, dummy?”

  “Don’t call me a dummy, you wart hog!”

  “That’s enough, both of you!” Harold snapped. “Listen, all we have is each other. We’re a family and we have to work together or none of us will survive. Is that clear?”

  Pamela turned and stared out the front window, and Mark did the same out the side window. Silence filled the car until Calli spoke a few minutes later.

  “We’re getting low on gas, Harold. We’re down below an eighth of a tank.”

  They passed a sign advertising three major gas stations in North Bend a mile ahead. Harold knew it was the last stop for gasoline until they made it over the Snoqualmie Pass. “Take the next exit. Maybe they still have some gas left.”

  Calli nodded and they continued up the grade. As they came around a sweeping turn, they saw thick, black smoke drifting across the highway, and a few moments later, they saw the source; a four car accident on the off ramp into North Bend. Half a dozen people stood off to the side, staring at the carnage.

  “Get as far over to the left as you can, Calli,” Harold said in a cool tone. “Keep the speed up. Go faster, if you can.”

  The group of people stared at them as they passed, but no one tried to stop them. The highway continued to climb, and Calli kept glancing nervously at the gas gauge. There were fewer abandoned vehicles along the road, and they didn’t see any more people walking. The gas gauge was touching the red line when they reached the summit and the sign for Snoqualmie Ski Resort. The exit looked clear.

  “Harold?” Calli asked. “We’re on empty.”

  “All right, take this exit. It would be better than being stranded on the highway.”

  Calli took the off ramp and followed the road to the ski lodge. A large sign announced it was closed for the summer, so she drove past it into the little community. Everything appeared abandoned, and from all the broken windows, it was obvious all the buildings had been looted, even the motel.

  “What are we going to do now, Harold?” Calli asked in a quivering voice.

  The parking lot for the motel was nearly empty, except for a long fifth wheel RV attached to a one ton Dodge pickup truck parked at the far end. “I’m not sure, Calli. Pull in here at the motel and we’ll think about it.”

  Calli parked at the opposite end from the trailer and shut off the engine. The four of them remained in the car, no one speaking as they listened to the ticking of the engine as it cooled down.

  Harold sighed deeply. “It’s getting late. I think we should hold up here for the night.”

  “Do you think it’s safe, Dad?” Pamela asked.

  Harold shrugged. “Safe as anywhere, I guess. At least we’ll have beds to sleep in. I wouldn’t want us to have to sleep in the car on the highway.” Harold grabbed the gun sitting on the seat next to him. “I’ll take a look around first.”

  Mark grabbed his toy gun. “I’ll go with you.”

  Harold smiled at his son. “No, you stay here and protect the women.”

  “Yeah, right!” Pamela said sarcastically and stared out the window.

  Harold sighed and tucked the pistol into his belt, opened the door, and slowly climbed out. He paused to look around and listen. At first, he heard only the wind, then faint traces of music. He cupped one hand around his ear and tried to locate the source. It seemed to be coming from the RV trailer. As he stared at it, one of the curtains slid back and an elderly man stared back at him for a moment before the curtain closed.

  Harold wondered why the old man didn’t come out, and then realized he must be as leery of strangers as he was. Not much I can do about it, he thought, and walked to the front doors of the motel. The glass from one side lay scattered on the carpet inside. Harold pushed on the other and walked through. The reception desk looked unscathed, even the little bell still sat on the counter. Harold tapped it and heard the little ding. No one came to the desk, so he walked past it and stopped at the corridor, looking left and right. Most of the doors stood open, and the nearest one had been kicked in.

  Harold’s heartbeat faster as he began walking down the left corridor, wondering if someone might still be lurking around. He stopped at each room and took a quick look inside, and except for a few unmade beds, all of them looked as though they hadn’t been stayed in for quite a while. He stopped at the glass exit door at the end of the hall and looked out. A cement walkway curved around the building and back to the parking lot.

  His nerves settled down a little as he walked in the opposite direction and saw the same thing in the rooms down the right corridor, and again he looked out the exit door. The door suddenly flew open and a huge round rifle barrel was thrust in front of his eyes. Harold’s heart leapt into his throat and he staggered backward, tripping and crashing to the floor. He stared up in stunned disbelief as a tall, slightly overweight man with gray hair stepped through the door and shoved the rifle barrel against his chest.

  * * *

  Chapter 12

  BOZEMAN, MONTANA:

  Christa arrived at the airport and found Alex’s silver Chevy Blazer in th
e parking lot. She stowed her small carry-on bag and suitcase in the back seat, and followed the directions on the map Alex had drawn. On the drive to the ranch, Christa marveled at the beautiful scenery. Huge green meadows surrounded by trees, rugged mountains reaching up to a deep blue sky, and the aroma of pine filled the air.

  Alex hadn’t described the ranch, but as she drove through the timber and meadows, Christa pictured Alex’s home as a quaint log cabin with a rustic old barn near a meandering stream. She was slightly disappointed when she drove into the circular driveway and saw the modern rambler style house and steel barn sitting on a small hill above a meadow.

  She shut off the engine and stepped out of the Blazer to look around. There was a stream farther down the hill, she noticed, facing a magnificent view of the valley and rugged mountains in the distance.

  She turned to walk up the sidewalk to the house- and froze in mid stride. A huge brown bear was standing a few feet away, she quickly took a step back and bumped against the Blazer. She fumbled behind her for the handle, yanked the door open, and leapt inside, slamming the door closed behind her and pushing the lock button. As she stared out the window, the bear slowly walked toward the Blazer and stared up at her for a moment, then rose up on its hind feet as it placed its massive paws on the door and stared inside. Christa’s heart pounded in her chest as she scooted across the seat, forcing herself against the opposite door as she stared at the huge head filling the top half of the window. Suddenly, she saw a movement beyond the bear.

  “Barney, get down!” she heard a woman yell.

  The bear’s head turned away and dropped from view, and Christa watched a tall, attractive young woman with long brown hair approach the window. The woman tried the door handle, but it was still locked. Christa slid across the seat, could see the bear standing a short distance away, and rolled the window down a little.

  “Who are you?” the woman asked.

  “I’m a friend of Alex Cave. I thought this was his ranch. I’m sorry if I disturbed you. I must have taken a wrong turn.”

  “No, this is Alex’s ranch. He told me someone was going to be staying here. He didn’t say it would be a woman.”

  Christa thought she saw a hint of jealousy in the woman’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect anyone to be here. I’ll be doing some work at the university.”

  The woman stared at Christa for a moment, like one cat sizing up another, then nodded assent. “I’m a friend of Alex’s, too. Come on in and I’ll show you around.”

  Christa nervously looked at the massive beast a short distance away. “What about the bear?”

  The woman chuckled. “That’s Alex’s dog, Barney. Don’t worry. He likes women.”

  Christa nodded, eased the door open, and slowly climbed out. “Alex said he had a dog, but, my God, he’s huge!”

  “He sure is.” The woman turned toward the dog. “Come here, Barney. Say hello.”

  Barney’s tail wagged back and forth, as he trotted up to Christa, sat, and lifted a big paw. Christa reached down, which wasn’t very far, and shook it, feeling the massive callused pads on the bottom. She stroked Barney’s head and smiled up at the woman. “He seems friendly.”

  “He’s a big baby around women, but if you were a man, he wouldn’t let you out of the car unless Alex told him it was okay.”

  Christa stood and extended her hand to the woman. “I’m Christa Avery.”

  The woman accepted the handshake. “I’m Judy Kerns. Grab your bags and come inside. I’ll show you the guest room.”

  Christa retrieved her bags from the back seat and followed Judy up the sidewalk. Judy was much taller than she was, she noticed, with a nice figure filling her blue corduroy shirt and blue jeans tucked into her well-worn cowboy boots. Christa guessed she was probably in her late twenties. She suddenly felt a little depressed. Alex hadn’t mentioned he was living with another woman. That must have been the reason he didn’t want to come into my apartment last night. Damn! And she had just thrown herself at him like some kind of . . . what? Bitch? Slut? No, she thought. Just like a lonely woman attracted to a handsome man. No, it was his fault for not telling her about this Judy.

  Judy led Christa through the living room and pointed out the bathroom in the hallway. They passed an open door and Christa glanced inside. The walls were lined with books, and a computer sat on a large desk under the window.

  At the end of the hall, Judy indicated the room on the right. “You can stay in here. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be in the living room.”

  Christa entered and set her suitcases on the bed, noticing the thick, patchwork quilt on top. The room was sparsely furnished, with a small dresser and two nightstands. Christa hung part of her clothes in the closet and put the rest in the drawers. On the way to the living room, she stopped to look in the other bedroom. A king-size bed with an ornately carved headboard dominated the room, with a massive dresser and mirror against the opposite wall. The nightstands matched the headboard, and she saw a door, which probably led to another bathroom. She could smell slight traces of aftershave in the room, but no trace of perfume.

  When Christa entered the living room, Judy was sitting at a breakfast bar separating the large kitchen.

  “Would you like something to drink?” Judy offered.

  “Yes, thank you. A beer, if you’ve got one.”

  Judy walked to the refrigerator and returned with two beers. She handed one to Christa and opened her own, then took a sip from the bottle.

  Christa opened her beer and looked around the kitchen. “Where do you keep the glasses?”

  “Oh. Up there, in the last cupboard.”

  Christa received a cold feeling from Judy as she walked to the cupboard and brought back a glass. “Listen, Judy,” Christa said as she poured the beer. “If it’s going to be a problem, I can stay at a motel instead. I mean, Alex didn’t tell me he was living with someone.” Christa saw a flash of bitterness in Judy’s dark blue eyes.

  Judy shook her head. “I live a few miles away. I take care of Barney and the ranch while Alex is gone.” Judy gave her a look of warning. “But we’re really close, if you know what I mean.”

  Christa nodded. So, he’s not living with her, she thought, and felt greatly relieved. She had to restrain herself from laughing with joy, though she did smile. “Yes, I see.”

  When Judy saw Christa smile, the hair on the back of her neck stood up at the thought that this woman was invading her territory. She’d been trying to get a serious relationship going with Alex since he had bought the ranch two years ago, and even though they had dated and slept together a couple of times, she couldn’t get him to make a commitment. She accepted the fact that Alex was not the type of man to be possessed by any woman. Still, this attractive little gal might be nudging her out of Alex’s life, and she had to know just how much competition she was up against. “So, are you and Alex, ah, close friends?”

  Christa smiled and shook her head. Better to play it cool with this woman, she thought. “I’ve only known him a little over a week. We’re working on the same project together.” Christa noticed the tension between them ease up as Judy relaxed a little.

  “That’s good. I mean, that you’re working on the same project. What is it, anyway?”

  Christa didn’t want to say too much about what was happening to the crude oil. “We’re working on a way to solve the oil problem on the west coast.”

  “It’s been on the news a lot lately,” Judy said. “All those people rioting over gasoline and food. It’s starting to affect us, too. It’s getting harder to get some things at the stores.”

  “What about gasoline. Any shortage yet?”

  “It’s getting worse. Some of the smaller stations have closed, but the bigger companies still have gas. You just have to wait in line longer.” Judy glanced at the clock on the stove. “I have to get going before it gets dark. Help yourself to whatever you need.”

  “Thanks.” Christa watched Judy chug down the rest of her beer.
“How are you getting back? I didn’t see your car.”

  “I’ll walk. It’s only a couple of miles.”

  “Can I give you a ride?”

  “No, thanks. I live just across the valley. It’s about thirty miles by car, so I can walk it faster than you could drive me there. I’ll stop by tomorrow and see if you need anything.”

  “Thanks.”

  Christa walked Judy to the door and stood on the porch. Barney wagged his tail and followed Judy until she walked through a gate beside the barn and headed across the meadow. Christa shook her head in wonder. So that’s the kind of woman Alex’s interested in, she thought. The rough-edged cowgirl type. Then again, maybe not. Judy seemed to be the outspoken type, and if she and Alex were serious, Christa was sure Judy would have said so.

  Barney stood at the gate until Judy had disappeared over a small rise, then turned and trotted across the driveway, wagging his tail as he walked up the sidewalk to Christa and sat at her feet. She petted his head for a few moments, then turned and walked into the house.

  Christa took her glass of beer into the living room and sat on the curved sectional sofa, picked up the remote control from the glass coffee table, and turned on the television. She flipped through the stations until she found a news broadcast. The weatherman was explaining his forecast for the next day. Sunny, with the temperature reaching sixty-five. After a commercial, the picture showed a slender, serious looking man standing behind a podium with a presidential seal on the front. A newswoman’s voice announced she was broadcasting live from the White House pressroom to receive a special announcement from the National Transportation Director, Sam Barnsworth.

  The Director nodded at the audience and began speaking. “Ladies and gentleman, I’ve been asked by the President to announce the implementation of a temporary nationwide rationing of petroleum products.”

  The pressroom resounded with questions shouted at Barnsworth, who patiently waited for everyone to quiet down. Several minutes passed before the room was quiet again and he continued. “The rationing process will begin immediately. Every citizen will be mailed a ration card, based on last year’s income tax records. The amounts of gasoline and oil each person will be entitled to will be based on employment, types of business, and priority needs. We feel this will be the most honest and equitable way to decide how the rationing should be distributed.”