The Rule of Three (6 page)

“Good morning! Glad to see you’re not sleeping away the whole day,” my mom said.

I looked at my watch. It wasn’t eight yet. “It’s not that late. Besides, I was up most of the night.”

“And your mother was up
all
of the night,” she said.

“That makes two of us,” Herb said.

“Three,” Brett added.

“Come and sit down, have some coffee and breakfast,” my mother said.

I noticed the extension cord leading in through the sliding glass door, snaking across the floor and up onto the counter, where it was connected to a toaster, the coffeemaker, and an electric skillet. Obviously this was the line coming from Herb’s generator. I poured myself a nice hot cup of coffee and then put a few strips of bacon and a couple of pieces of toast onto a plate.

“How are things?” I asked.

“Considering all the potential for problems, things are going well, especially since I was short so many officers.”

“Why so many?” I asked.

“Some have a long drive to work, so there’s no way they could report for duty. With others I suspect that they were worried about their own families and stayed home.”

“I can understand that,” Herb said.

“So can I,” my mother agreed. “I’m fortunate not only to live close but to have Adam to look after the kids.”

“We don’t need babysitting,” Danny said.

“Yes, we do!” said Rachel. They were on the opposite sides of a lot of issues.

Herb smiled. “I’m just saying I understand these officers wanting to protect their families.”

“I couldn’t go home even if I wanted to,” Brett said. “My parents are out west, and my house is well over an hour’s drive.”

“You’re welcome to stay here as long as necessary,” my mother said.

“I really appreciate that, Captain. I know a couple of the guys are sleeping at the station.”

“And I’m grateful for that,” my mother said. “We can’t leave it unmanned.”

“Brett did a fine job last night. It was helpful to have an officer standing post,” Herb said.

“There are actually three others from the precinct who live right here in the neighborhood,” my mother said. “And they’ve all reported in for duty.”

“What if they didn’t?” Herb asked.

“I’m sure they’ll come. All three are veterans and—”

“I mean, what if you assigned them to patrol in this area instead?”

“Then I’d be down three more officers that I can’t afford to lose.”

“Not lose—
reassign
,” Herb said. “With those officers, along with Brett, this whole area would be completely under control.”

“And other areas would be less under control. I can’t do that,” my mother said. “I’d be accused of acting in the interests of my family and not of the whole community.”

“Isn’t this neighborhood a big sector of your precinct?” Herb said. “Four patrols could protect hundreds of houses, a couple thousand people, the stores and their supplies, the fuel at the gas station.”

“Four officers on foot couldn’t patrol all of that,” Brett said.

“But four
patrols
that were mobile could,” Herb said.

“What sort of transportation do you have in mind?” my mother asked.

“There are bicycles of course. And older vehicles as well as minibikes and dirt bikes that are still working. You could even double the coverage by allowing each officer to be partnered with a civilian. Sort of like Neighborhood Watch, but on wheels.”

“That would certainly make it more doable,” my mother said. “Although, obviously, none of those civilians involved in patrols could be armed.”

I wondered how she’d feel about me carrying a baseball bat—or Herb packing heat.

“Only those legally registered to carry a firearm should be doing so,” Herb agreed.

“Yes, people like yourself, who are licensed,” my mother added.

So she already knew about his gun.

“Actually, I was thinking of borrowing your car today, Adam,” my mother said.

“Sure thing,” I said, even though the idea of somebody else—even her—using my car made me uneasy because it had always stalled out when other people tried to drive it.

“But I’ve thought better of it. Your car isn’t reliable, and you seem to be the only one who can make it go. I’ll figure out another option.”

“I’ll scout around the neighborhood if you’d like,” Herb said. “Take an inventory of working vehicles.”

“That would be appreciated. We could try taking an inventory here, and if it worked I might be able to apply the same thing to other parts of the precinct.”

Mom was being completely relaxed and straightforward with Herb. I got the feeling that she really did appreciate his help around our neighborhood, while she considered her whole precinct.

“And since I’m looking I could also be trying to find some people who could establish nighttime checkpoints at key locations in the neighborhood,” Herb said. “It would give your officers reassurance to know that their families are safe while they’re out on patrol. Of course, I’d only do that with your permission.”

My mother nodded. “I understand the reasoning for everything you’re suggesting, Herb, but at this point I don’t think it’s necessary.”

“Okay,” he said. “But if you change your mind, I can put things into operation quickly.”

“That’s good to know,” my mother said. “Thank you for thinking this through.”

I was grateful she wasn’t giving in to paranoid thought or overreaction. After all, the power hadn’t been out for even twenty-four hours. It would be all right soon enough.

My mother got up from the table. “I’m pretty sure that I won’t be back until tomorrow morning at the earliest. Adam, I know you’ll look after your brother and sister while I’m gone.”

“Do you want me to drive you to the station?” I asked.

“That would be wonderful. It
is
a long walk.”

“If you don’t mind I’d like to go along with you,” Herb said. “Just to keep you company.”

“I need to get some things from the station, so I should go, too,” Brett said.

“There’s enough room for the four of us,” I said. “It would be okay to leave Danny and Rachel for a while, right?”

“For a while is no problem,” my mother agreed.

“No problem,” Danny said.

“A
little
while,” Rachel added.

*   *   *

I turned the key and my car started right up. Strange, but it seemed to be working better than it usually did. It was now pretty loaded down between the extra weight of three passengers and the working minibike and two trail bikes strapped into the trunk. My mother was going to have officers use them for patrol, and then she’d ride the minibike home at the end of her shift. Slowly I backed up, easing down the driveway so I wouldn’t bottom out.

“I think your grandfather would be proud of how this old car of his is doing,” my mother said with a laugh.

“I think we should all be proud of it,” Herb said. “Sometimes things that have been retired can still do the job.”

“I get the feeling you aren’t just talking about the car,” my mom said.

“You’re right about that,” Herb said, and we all chuckled.

I was surprised how many people were already on the street this early. Folks were outside talking in pairs or small groups. Normally the only people I’d ever seen at this hour were walking their dogs. Without exception, people stopped talking and watched as we passed by.

“This must be what it’s like to drive a Ferrari or Lamborghini,” I said.

“Especially since none of those cars would be working now,” Brett said.

“Well, really old Ferraris would be working,” I noted, heading west up Folkway toward the parkway.

I rolled through the stop sign at the top of the hill and looked over at the mini-mall. It didn’t look normal at all. The parking lot was full of abandoned cars, and there were hundreds and hundreds of people milling about the stores.

“Are the stores open yet?” I asked.

“I’m not sure most of them are going to open at all,” Herb said.

“Pull in,” my mother ordered.

I cranked the wheel and we motored into the parking lot.

“Crowds this big make me nervous,” Mom said. “We’ll just stop and—”

There was a tremendous crash and the front window of the supermarket shattered into a million pieces. A roar went up from the crowd as it surged forward.

“Let us out!” my mother ordered, and I slammed on the brakes.

My mother and Brett jumped out. The two of them rushed toward the mob, which was pushing and shoving its way through the opening where the window had been. I watched Mom and Brett disappear into the store. I could almost feel the chaos from here. Things were out of control.

“Drive,” Herb ordered.

“I’m not leaving!”

“You’re not going anywhere. You just have to park and lock your car—hide it among the other vehicles—and then we can help.”

“How can we—”

“Go!”

I pressed down on the accelerator, whipped around a corner and found an empty spot, pulled in, and turned off the engine.

“Roll up the windows and lock it,” Herb said. His voice was calm again.

Quickly the windows went up and we climbed out, locking the car behind us. There was another tremendous crash, and I looked up to see that a second window had been broken, pieces of glass raining down, scattering the crowd before they rushed into the second opening.

“Stay right with me, Adam, right
behind
me,” Herb said. His hand was on his pistol, still in its holster. As we rushed forward there were already people moving away, carrying cases of water and soda, arms full of cereal and boxes of cookies and bags of chips. There was a strange look on their faces, eyes wide open and glazed, like they were excited and scared and happy all at once. Where was my mother? Where was Brett?

There was a loud noise. “Get down!” Herb yelled.

He ducked and I did the same, almost hiding behind him.

“Is that gunfire?” A second shot rang out, and then a third. There was no mistaking that sound now. At once the crowd reacted—some froze in place and others started running. Herb stood straight while I still cowered, trying to hide behind him. I caught sight of Brett stepping out of the store through one of the shattered windows. My mother appeared in the second—there was blood flowing down her face from a cut on her scalp.

“Everybody stop!” my mother yelled. She aimed her gun in the air and fired another shot, and the entire crowd froze.

Brett was holding his revolver in one hand. In the other he had his baton. Herb had also unholstered his weapon. It was now in his hand by his side, his other hand cradling it, partially hiding it from view.

“Those inside the store need to leave!” my mother yelled out. “If you try to leave with stolen merchandise, you will be arrested and charged with looting and rioting. Get out and go home now!”

A man came out past her, and then another, and then a woman holding a small child by the hand. This woman had brought her kid along as she went into the store to loot!

People were leaving the store, but they weren’t leaving the lot. If anything, there were more people coming, slowly walking toward the front of the store.

“This isn’t over,” Herb said to me quietly. “Come.” We threaded our way through the crowd, and I noticed that his hand was now in his pants pocket, his pistol out of sight.

“We just want food and water!” a man called out, and the crowd reacted with a roar of agreement.

“This isn’t the way to get it,” my mother replied. Blood was dripping down the side of her face.

“Then what
is
the way?” somebody else yelled. The crowd was now becoming louder, pressing closer again.

“We have a right to food and water!” another person in the crowd yelled, and again the crowd reacted. They were going from crowd to mob again, right before my eyes. My mother wiped her face with her hand.

Herb stepped forward until he was standing beside my mother. He whispered in her ear a moment and she nodded. Then he spoke to the crowd. “Folks, you do deserve food and water. And I know how you can get it!”

“Let’s hear it!” a voice called.

I wanted to hear it, too, but I also wanted to know about my mother. I sidled past Herb until I stood right behind her.

“Are you okay?” I whispered.

“Fine, just a little cut—nothing. A piece of glass. You know how head cuts can bleed.” She turned to the crowd. “Let’s listen to my friend here. His name is Herb.”

“You’ll all be able to purchase some water and food from this store,” Herb continued.

“What if we don’t have cash?” somebody called out. “We can’t get any from the banks, and credit cards aren’t working!”

“A credit system, an honor system will be arranged where some merchandise will be given out on the promise that you’ll pay once power is restored,” Herb announced.

“He’s not authorized to make that offer!” a man exclaimed as he stepped out of the store. “I’m the manager, and he has no right to—”

“Shut up and listen,” my mother snapped. She turned to Herb. “Go on.”

“We need you all to stay calm and orderly,” Herb said. “I know you’re good people and want to do the right thing. Here’s how it will work. There will be a line, and it will start over there, right by the sign on the street.”

As one, the crowd turned and looked in the other direction. The entire mob had become a group of obedient children. Herb was controlling the group like a magician.

“I want you all to know that you have my word that things will be distributed fairly so that everybody who is present now in this parking lot will receive supplies.”

I looked at my mother. Her quizzical expression mirrored my thoughts—how is he going to do that? But he sounded so calm, so matter-of-fact that I believed him, and judging from the reaction, so did the crowd.

“Okay, slowly now, women with children and older people move forward and then in just a minute I want the rest of you to make an orderly line over there by the sign. And remember, we’re all civilized people, and the best way to care for your family is to respect other people’s rights to care for their families.”