Hall. When it was in sight, we crouched at the edge of the forest casting our eyes up and down the street to make sure that it was clear before we made a move. When we burst out of the bushes, we didn’t stop running until we reached the back door. It was locked of course, so we began banging. I glanced around thinking that at any minute now the noise was going to attract them. Fear ran through me at the thought of a cluster of skinheads showing up.
“Let’s try around front,” Billy said hopping down off the five steps that led up to the back door. Just as he made it a few feet away, the door cracked open. It was Murphy. I’d never felt so relieved to see him as I did in that moment.
“Guys.”
We bolted inside and he slammed the door behind us.
“You guys okay?” He pointed to my head and I just waved him off. Murphy led us into a spacious office area where everyone was. Corey and Luke were already there. There were about sixteen other people filling up the corridor as well as a few rooms. Most were folks I recognized from around town. Mainly adults in their forties and fifties. Certainly not the kind of people that would have been ready to deal with this. Hell, none of us were prepared for this.
“Where are Jodi and Brett?”
“Were they supposed to be here?”
My brow knit together. “I told them to go here.”
“Perhaps they stopped somewhere. I’m surprised you are even here, Frost. I thought you would be outside with all your crazy buddies,” Luke sneered at me as he paced back and forth. He had a cigarette in the corner of his mouth. I didn’t reply.
Right then Ally Murphy came in from the corridor. Her mother Sara was close behind her, and some other guy who I figured was her new boyfriend.
Ally glanced at me and looked up and down.
“Is there enough diesel for the generator?” Murphy asked.
His daughter replied. “There are a few cans down there but not a lot. Maybe a couple of days’ worth if we are lucky.” She looked at me again. Murphy caught me looking. “Ally, this is…”
“I know. I’ve seen him around school.”
I quickly shifted the attention away from myself.
“What about your family, Corey?” I asked then noticing he had blood on his hands.
“My mother and sister are out back.” He held up his bloodied knuckles. “I had to take out two guys on the way. They just started attacking us. I don’t even know why.”
“I do.”
Their eyes fell upon me. I quickly brought them up to speed on what had happened so far. What I had been told and what it seemed was going on around the country.
Murphy immediately went into defense mode. “I need to get to my house. Grab some weapons.”
“Weapons? You planning on starting a war?” Sara asked.
“Look around you, Sara. It’s already begun. This isn’t going to get any better. You heard yourself. They are already taking out the police.”
I thought back to the two police officers. I didn’t even want to think about what had happened to them.
“Has anyone checked the station next door for weapons?” I asked.
Murphy replied. “Already done. It’s locked up tight because of the riot. We’d need to find one of the officers.”
“No, no. I say we get the hell out of town now while we can,” Luke said.
Edgar Wheeler who owned a gas station on the outskirts of town spoke up. He was chewing a piece of tobacco in the side of his mouth and spitting black gunk into a small can beside him.
“There’s no leaving except by foot. They have already blocked off the main road on the east side. Even then, I highly doubt you are going to last long out there.” He looked at me. “If you say they are doing this in some of the other towns, we are screwed either way.”
“So we ride it out,” an elderly lady in her mid sixties spoke up. I had seen her around town but I didn’t know her. “We can hide here.”
“They’ll find you,” I muttered. “This is just the beginning.”
“Where are they doing?” Corey
“Let’s try around front,” Billy said hopping down off the five steps that led up to the back door. Just as he made it a few feet away, the door cracked open. It was Murphy. I’d never felt so relieved to see him as I did in that moment.
“Guys.”
We bolted inside and he slammed the door behind us.
“You guys okay?” He pointed to my head and I just waved him off. Murphy led us into a spacious office area where everyone was. Corey and Luke were already there. There were about sixteen other people filling up the corridor as well as a few rooms. Most were folks I recognized from around town. Mainly adults in their forties and fifties. Certainly not the kind of people that would have been ready to deal with this. Hell, none of us were prepared for this.
“Where are Jodi and Brett?”
“Were they supposed to be here?”
My brow knit together. “I told them to go here.”
“Perhaps they stopped somewhere. I’m surprised you are even here, Frost. I thought you would be outside with all your crazy buddies,” Luke sneered at me as he paced back and forth. He had a cigarette in the corner of his mouth. I didn’t reply.
Right then Ally Murphy came in from the corridor. Her mother Sara was close behind her, and some other guy who I figured was her new boyfriend.
Ally glanced at me and looked up and down.
“Is there enough diesel for the generator?” Murphy asked.
His daughter replied. “There are a few cans down there but not a lot. Maybe a couple of days’ worth if we are lucky.” She looked at me again. Murphy caught me looking. “Ally, this is…”
“I know. I’ve seen him around school.”
I quickly shifted the attention away from myself.
“What about your family, Corey?” I asked then noticing he had blood on his hands.
“My mother and sister are out back.” He held up his bloodied knuckles. “I had to take out two guys on the way. They just started attacking us. I don’t even know why.”
“I do.”
Their eyes fell upon me. I quickly brought them up to speed on what had happened so far. What I had been told and what it seemed was going on around the country.
Murphy immediately went into defense mode. “I need to get to my house. Grab some weapons.”
“Weapons? You planning on starting a war?” Sara asked.
“Look around you, Sara. It’s already begun. This isn’t going to get any better. You heard yourself. They are already taking out the police.”
I thought back to the two police officers. I didn’t even want to think about what had happened to them.
“Has anyone checked the station next door for weapons?” I asked.
Murphy replied. “Already done. It’s locked up tight because of the riot. We’d need to find one of the officers.”
“No, no. I say we get the hell out of town now while we can,” Luke said.
Edgar Wheeler who owned a gas station on the outskirts of town spoke up. He was chewing a piece of tobacco in the side of his mouth and spitting black gunk into a small can beside him.
“There’s no leaving except by foot. They have already blocked off the main road on the east side. Even then, I highly doubt you are going to last long out there.” He looked at me. “If you say they are doing this in some of the other towns, we are screwed either way.”
“So we ride it out,” an elderly lady in her mid sixties spoke up. I had seen her around town but I didn’t know her. “We can hide here.”
“They’ll find you,” I muttered. “This is just the beginning.”
“Where are they doing?” Corey
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