me that" before her dad's voice thundered into the phone as if he was trying to yell all the way from Ohio. "Lila, listen to me. Are you someplace safe? You need to get someplace safe, lock the door and ride this out. That's what your mom and I are doing. Whatever's happening, the army will get it under control soon. You just have to protect yourself until then."
Lila looked at the rifle and ammo, the scope and night vision goggles lying on the counter beside her. "I'm trying, Daddy. I'm with some people from the subway and this one guy has had some military training. He's kind of our leader. I'm not at my apartment and I can't get there. It's blocks away, all the public transport systems are shut down and the streets are jammed with abandoned cars. We haven't decided what our next move should be yet."
"Let me talk to this guy."
Lila glanced at Ari, selecting vests and boots, holsters for the knives and other gear. "He's kind of busy right now. Has the President or someone made a statement yet? Is there something we're supposed to do or something the military is planning on doing? And are you sure you and mom are okay?"
"We're fine. Don't you worry about us. Our house is so far out of town, we're not in the thick of things. Wouldn't even have known anything was going on if I hadn't happened to turn on the TV."
"Dad, arm yourself. I know you don't have a gun but you need to get an ax or butcher knife. Anything sharp. We think you have to behead these things in order to stop them. Ari killed one that way, and one of the people here thinks it's about severing the spinal column."
Ann came up beside her, clearly wanting to use the phone. "I've got to go now. The phones are down here. We only have a few working cells and no way to recharge them. Take care of yourself, Dad. Tell Mom I love her. I love you both."
"Love you, too. Call again as soon as you can. Let us know what's happening."
"I will." She hung up and surrendered the phone to Ann, the weight in her chest nearly choking her. She ached to be with her parents right now, secure, loved and safely out of this nightmare city.
She walked back toward the front of the store. Ari beckoned her to join him. "Try this. See if it fits." He held out a hunting vest, and she slipped her arms into it. He zipped up the front. "It's no Kevlar, but might protect you a little and there are lots of pockets for carrying things."
Lila looked down at the heavy brown camouflage vest looking ludicrous over her short skirt and wedge-heeled sandals. "I need some pants and shoes, too."
Ari scanned her bare legs. "I don't know. That's kind of a good look for you."
Was he flirting? Here, now, in the middle of an end-of-the-world disaster? Her legs burned as if his assessing glance carried the heat of a torch. He met her gaze, brown eyes sparkling, and her stomach gave a little flutter.
She smiled. "Okay, player. I'm going over there now." She pointed to the shoe aisle, where Deb and Mrs. Scheider were finding good walking shoes to replace their high heels. Her smile disappeared as she reported to Ari what she'd learned on the phone. "By the way, my mom and dad in Ohio say this attack is happening there, too. There haven't been announcements on the news, just conjecture, and the government isn't giving and information."
Ari frowned. "There must be a battery powered radio somewhere in the building. I'll look for one."
Lila removed the hunting vest as she passed Hector, speaking in rapid Spanish into his cell phone. She tried to catch the gist of the conversation from his expression. With his thick brows knitted it was hard to tell if he was upset or relieved.
She reached the shoe aisle where Deb reached to the top shelf for a box. Several other shoe boxes littered the ground around her feet.
"How's it going?" Lila offered a little smile.
Deb shook her head. "Great. Not enough to be in the middle of a disaster, but I can't find a pair of shoes that fit." She lifted a white, gray and orange
Lila looked at the rifle and ammo, the scope and night vision goggles lying on the counter beside her. "I'm trying, Daddy. I'm with some people from the subway and this one guy has had some military training. He's kind of our leader. I'm not at my apartment and I can't get there. It's blocks away, all the public transport systems are shut down and the streets are jammed with abandoned cars. We haven't decided what our next move should be yet."
"Let me talk to this guy."
Lila glanced at Ari, selecting vests and boots, holsters for the knives and other gear. "He's kind of busy right now. Has the President or someone made a statement yet? Is there something we're supposed to do or something the military is planning on doing? And are you sure you and mom are okay?"
"We're fine. Don't you worry about us. Our house is so far out of town, we're not in the thick of things. Wouldn't even have known anything was going on if I hadn't happened to turn on the TV."
"Dad, arm yourself. I know you don't have a gun but you need to get an ax or butcher knife. Anything sharp. We think you have to behead these things in order to stop them. Ari killed one that way, and one of the people here thinks it's about severing the spinal column."
Ann came up beside her, clearly wanting to use the phone. "I've got to go now. The phones are down here. We only have a few working cells and no way to recharge them. Take care of yourself, Dad. Tell Mom I love her. I love you both."
"Love you, too. Call again as soon as you can. Let us know what's happening."
"I will." She hung up and surrendered the phone to Ann, the weight in her chest nearly choking her. She ached to be with her parents right now, secure, loved and safely out of this nightmare city.
She walked back toward the front of the store. Ari beckoned her to join him. "Try this. See if it fits." He held out a hunting vest, and she slipped her arms into it. He zipped up the front. "It's no Kevlar, but might protect you a little and there are lots of pockets for carrying things."
Lila looked down at the heavy brown camouflage vest looking ludicrous over her short skirt and wedge-heeled sandals. "I need some pants and shoes, too."
Ari scanned her bare legs. "I don't know. That's kind of a good look for you."
Was he flirting? Here, now, in the middle of an end-of-the-world disaster? Her legs burned as if his assessing glance carried the heat of a torch. He met her gaze, brown eyes sparkling, and her stomach gave a little flutter.
She smiled. "Okay, player. I'm going over there now." She pointed to the shoe aisle, where Deb and Mrs. Scheider were finding good walking shoes to replace their high heels. Her smile disappeared as she reported to Ari what she'd learned on the phone. "By the way, my mom and dad in Ohio say this attack is happening there, too. There haven't been announcements on the news, just conjecture, and the government isn't giving and information."
Ari frowned. "There must be a battery powered radio somewhere in the building. I'll look for one."
Lila removed the hunting vest as she passed Hector, speaking in rapid Spanish into his cell phone. She tried to catch the gist of the conversation from his expression. With his thick brows knitted it was hard to tell if he was upset or relieved.
She reached the shoe aisle where Deb reached to the top shelf for a box. Several other shoe boxes littered the ground around her feet.
"How's it going?" Lila offered a little smile.
Deb shook her head. "Great. Not enough to be in the middle of a disaster, but I can't find a pair of shoes that fit." She lifted a white, gray and orange
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