All Is Silence - Deserted Lands #1

Chapter 10 - Part I

LIZZIE MADE FROZEN PIZZAS AND opened a plastic carton of mixed fruit for Saj.

C.J. chuckled over her yearbooks in the living room.

“Hey, C.J.? What do you want to drink? Milk? O.J.? Crappy beer?”

“What kind of beer?”

“Coors Light?” She snorted. “Jerkwad, my mom's boyfriend was watching his weight.”

“Sure. Coors is cool.”

“Okay. Sorry about the cuisine. Zach's a decent cook. I'm not.” She sat down at the kitchen table. A high chair would've been a good thing to grab. Saj toddled toward her.

“Hey, you cooked. I appreciate it. When Zach and Nev get back you should come out to our place. We got a farm out Deming way, me, my brother, my dad and some others. I'll return the favor. If you're lucky, somebody else will cook though. One of the guys is a farmer, excellent cook. Got the best beef. And we got us some venison, too. Got kind of a commune out there. We need more hands to get work done on the place.”

Lizzie smiled and nodded. C.J., aka Motormouth in high school, was still as talkative as ever. “Dinner for sure. Not sure we want to sign on with anyone.”

“That’s cool. Take care of your own, my Dad always says.” He laughed, still flipping through an old yearbook. “Can you pass me another beer? Your pictures in here are pretty hilarious.”

“Yeah. I used to have hair. Brown, I think it was.” She handed him the beer. Lizzie got herself a glass and poured a shot of Kahlua.

“Hey, you got any whiskey? I'd take a shot.”

“‘Beer and whiskey, always risky.’ After this I'm off-duty as your server.” She poured him the shot and set it down next to him on the end table.

“Thanks. I'll get you your tip later.”

She sat at the computer and sent a few messages to Jess.

Saj came up next to her and plopped down on the floor. “Sss-sss.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna tell her about you, Saj. She's never gonna believe it. Me with a kid.”

                                                                        *        *        *        

The cop kicked in his overdrive; his lights flashing as he accelerated toward them. Adrenaline pumped through Zach; he forced himself to think straight. What’s the worst thing that can happen? His foot stayed jammed to the floor as the Tank built up speed. But it was no match for the police cruiser. It had flanked him and the cop jabbed his finger at the side of the road.

The siren wailed as the cop pulled past and slowed down in front of him.

“Shit.” Zach tapped his own brakes. “I guess we stop?”

Nev nodded. “I don’t want to die in a car crash.”

Zach took his foot off the accelerator and pushed in the brake. He’d broken 100 mph again. Now he was shaking. What the hell was so important?

The police car continued to slow in front of him finally whipping to the right and straddling the road. Zach jammed the brake the rest of the way in and the seatbelts tugged as the force pulled them forward.

The policeman exited the car with a shotgun.

“Jeez,” Zach muttered, “watch enough cop flicks?” He raised his hands.

The officer motioned for him to roll down his window. Zach pushed the button and it slid down. “What’s the deal? Sir.” he added as an afterthought.

“Nobody goes north. There’s a new outbreak in Oregon. We’ve got all roads north blocked off.”

He acted like a cop. Zach read the tag on his uniform. “You’re really Officer Williams?”

The cop nodded.

“The pandemic is over,” Zach said. “The scientists say if you haven’t gotten it you won’t.”

“Nobody knows that for sure, kid.” Williams moved along the Tank looking in the windows. “You’ll have to come to the Quarantine Center.”

“With people who might already be sick?” Nev’s eyes were wide. “That’s crazy.”

“You looked around much, young lady? Crazy is the new normal. Now, turn this rig around and follow me.”

“Wait. Can we go back to where I picked her up? Tumwater? She’s got people there.”

“Call them,” Nev begged, “They’re from the Mountain View Church.”

“Mountain View? I used to take my kids there.” His face twitched. “Above my pay grade. You need to follow me to the Q.C.”

So his kids were dead. Zach turned to Nev. Convince him. She looked like she was going to start crying.

“Please,” Nev said. “Officer Williams, all my family’s dead. I don’t want to go around sick people. Please let me go back to the Reverends’.”

The officer swallowed. “Is Josie alive?”

Nev nodded, her eyes pleading. “And John. Can we call them? I’ll go back there.”

Zach saw Officer Williams consider, as he glanced back and then back to Nev. Then he smiled.

The cops face softened to a more pleasant human expression. “All right. I’ll escort you back to the exit.”

“Thanks,” Nev said. “God bless you.”

“I’ll follow you.” Zach said to Williams retreating back. He punched the window button up and then they were safe again. “So are we really going back?”

“Not for long,” Nev replied through her tight jaw. “We’ll have to take back roads north after dark.”

“Suits me,” Zach said, “better text Lizzie we’re going to be late. At least I’m not feeling sleepy anymore.” When the adrenaline wore off he’d have to stop or he’d literally crash.