The Survivor Chronicles: Book 1, The Upheaval (43 page)

“Not anymore, a newly formed river separated me and Mary Ellen, and them from their friends." He nodded toward Riley and Lee. "We know where they’ll be heading though.” “We saw the river,” Carl told him as he stomped on his butt. “Crazy f’d up world right now.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Lee retorted.

“Is she okay, my mom?” Rochelle inquired anxiously.

“She was the last time I saw her,” Al assured her.

“Xander will keep her safe.” Though Riley was still ashen, sweating, and a sickly shade of green, she seemed to be piecing herself together as Lee helped her to her feet.

“Are you sure?” Rochelle whispered.

Riley nodded and swallowed heavily. She made a face as she wiped at her mouth. “I know he will.”

Rochelle brushed the tears from her eyes and straightened her shoulders. “I want to see her.” “You will.” Al didn’t like making promises he didn’t know if he could keep, but he would keep this one. “I’ll get you there.”

“Ah.” Carl looked to John who stared back at him before shrugging. “Mind if we tag along? I’d like to make sure she finds her mom, or at the very least gets somewhere safe.”

“As would I,” John interjected. “And we have nowhere better to be, nothing better to do.”

“What about your family?” Lee inquired.

“My family has been gone for awhile,” Carl answered.

“John found out his parents were gone earlier today,” Rochelle said in a choked voice. John glanced at her before turning his attention to the woods. He swallowed repeatedly as he blinked rapidly. “I didn’t plan on going anywhere without you two.”

Carl smiled at her but John couldn’t tear his gaze from the woods. Al wasn’t going to argue with them, or protest Rochelle’s words. There was safety in numbers, and it was becoming abundantly clear that they all needed more allies and protection. Besides, they barely even knew Rochelle, yet they had been willing to die to keep those men from taking her. He didn’t think they would find many better men out there.

Plus the truck looked a lot more reliable, and would be far more of an asset, than the car.

“Safety in numbers,” Al said.

Lee snickered but didn’t protest; Riley stepped forward to introduce herself in a tremulous voice. “I’m Riley, and this is Lee.”

John regained control of himself enough to turn and shake her hand. Rochelle stepped away from Al; he didn’t know what she had in mind until she threw her arms around Riley’s waist and hugged her. Riley’s eyes widened as she was rocked by the force of Rochelle’s slender frame.

“Thank you,” Rochelle whispered.

Tears shimmered in Riley’s eyes, her head bowed as she hugged the smaller girl back. Al had to turn away as the strange urge to cry seized hold of him. They’d all lost everything they’d ever known today, homes, friends; family. However, looking at the hodgepodge group gathered around him, he began to feel a bond with mankind that he hadn’t felt in years, at least not since Nellie died. There was a growing trust here, a need, a love for others simply because they were also human. They were all somehow weathering the anarchy with some sort of decency, and a respect to others who were suffering and lost and frightened.

For the first time in so very long, he was reminded of the simple, honest good that resided in most of mankind, even on the worst of days.

“You’re welcome,” Riley whispered.

“Where are you supposed to meet up?” John asked.

“Sturbridge,” Lee answered. “At Xander’s grandparents, if their house is still there.”

“What if it’s not?”

“We’ll figure it out then, but first we have to get there,” Riley answered. “It’s normally only about an hour from here…”

“But nothing’s normal anymore," Carl finished when she trailed off.

“Exactly. If they beat us there Xander will wait for us, as I’m sure your mom will wait for Al, and if we beat them we’ll wait also,” Riley said forcefully.

“No complaints here,” Carl assured her. “Like John said we have nothing better to do, and I’d like to have something to focus on other than the possible apocalypse.”

“Possible?” Lee inquired.

Carl shrugged. “It’s not completely official yet.”

“After what we saw at the stadium I’d say it’s pretty official.”

“You were at the stadium?” John inquired.

Riley’s lip curled in a sneer as she shook her head. “Big mistake, and between the lava and the river, there’s nothing left.”

“There’s more lava?” Rochelle gasped.

“Unfortunately,” Lee told her. “You also saw some?”

“We traveled through the town to get here. Past the center of town, heading toward the stadium we were blocked by a giant crater that was filled with the stuff,” Carl informed them.

“Sounds like where the state hospital was,” Riley murmured.

“You know the town well?” Carl asked.

She managed a feeble smile as she nodded. “It’s our town, or it was anyway. Doesn’t seem like there’s much left of it.”

“I’m sorry, but if it makes you feel any better there were a number of survivors gathered in the center.”

“It does actually,” Lee said. “Hopefully they stay that way.”

“You can get us out of here then?” John asked enthusiastically.

“We can try, but it’s not exactly the same town we grew up in,” Riley told him.

“There’s a tree blocking our way. We were in the process of cutting it up to move it when those guys appeared.” Carl lit another cigarette as he nodded toward the front of the truck.

For the first time Al noticed the small oak blocking the way. “We’ll give you a hand with it. Do you know how to use that gun?”

“I do.”

“Anyone else?” They all shook their heads in response. “Okay, we’ll keep watch while they work on the tree.”

Carl nodded in agreement as he turned and walked back toward the front of the truck. John and Rochelle followed close behind, but Al hung back for Riley as Lee joined John by the tree. “He was right you know.” Riley was still exceedingly pale and there was a hollowness to her that hadn’t been there even after she’d been separated from Xander. “You did what had to be done; you didn’t hesitate to pull that trigger when it was necessary. That doesn’t make you a bad person Riley; it makes you a person that keeps your head and does what’s necessary when it’s required.

“I’ve never killed a man before, so I’m not going to pretend to know how you feel, but you saved three lives today. Keep that in mind when the guilt starts to eat at you.” Her lashes were coated with tears as she blinked them back. “You’re not a bad person Riley, even if you’re afraid you might be.”

“How did you know?” she breathed.

“I’ve been around awhile,” he replied with a small smile. She swallowed heavily and nodded. “Now, since you’re obviously capable of firing that gun, and at least hitting something with it, are you going to help Carl and I or are you going to help with the tree?”

Riley didn't blink as she stared at him. Al knew it was an important decision for her to make. Was she going to continue to fight, or was she going to allow others to do it for her from here on out? The others didn’t have to make that choice yet, they may never have to make it though that was doubtful, but she did.

“I’ll watch with you and Carl.”

Al couldn’t stop the grin that split his face as relief filled him. He didn’t know if she’d ever pull that trigger again, but at least she wasn’t going to completely slink away and hide. “Good.”

Al kept his attention focused on the back of the truck, while Riley watched the other direction, and Carl suspiciously studied the woods. “You’re from Cape Cod?” Al inquired as he spotted the Sandwich address on the side of the vehicle.

“Yeah,” Carl answered. “How bad was it there?”

“Let’s just say not many made it off after us. Thankfully, we were at work so we took the truck.”

“That bad?”

“There was a tsunami. A freaking tsunami,” Carl answered with a shake of his head.

Al nodded as he continued to study the land. “Yeah, there was one in Newport too.”

Rochelle glanced at him questioningly, he shook his head at her and she returned to helping John with the tree. Relief filled him when Lee and John tossed the last log into the woods and wiped their hands on their dirty shirts. “I’ll have John ride in the back so you can ride up front,” Carl told him as he reappeared at Al’s side.

Al shook his head. “I appreciate it, but I’ve got a car stashed not far from here with some supplies.”

Carl grinned at him as he lit another cigarette. “Great. Two vehicles are far better than one.”

“Until we need gas.”

Carl thrust a thumb at the truck. “She’s got enough to get us to Sturbridge and we have a little extra in the back. Plus some food and water.” It took everything Al had not to hug the guy. “Would you like to ride in the truck till we get to the car?”

Al would have loved a minute to just sit and relax, but now was not the time, and the last time he’d relaxed he’d fallen asleep and nearly been eaten by lava. “I’ll walk; thanks.”

Carl and John retreated to the truck while Rochelle walked down the bumpy road with them. Al tiredly made his way up the driveway to where he'd stashed the car. Carl pulled the truck into the driveway behind them. “There’s a pool you can use to clean up a little,” Al informed them as he opened the gate to the pool area.

Carl, Rochelle, and John practically trampled each other in their rush to get at the water. Instead of simply washing off, John and Rochelle threw their arms out and dove into the water. Carl shook his head at them as he knelt at the side and began to wash his face and arms. “You’re going to get the truck wet.”

“Worth it,” John told him as he shook back his shaggy wet hair.

Al retrieved the keys from the flipper and reemerged to find Rochelle and John already climbing out of the pool. They both jumped and danced as they rang out their shirts in an attempt to get dry. “We’ll be dry in no time in this heat,” Rochelle informed Carl.

They followed him back to the car and waited as he maneuvered it out from under the tree. “You weren’t kidding about this not being much of a car,” Riley muttered.

“Stealers can’t be choosers,” Al informed her.

Riley, Lee, Carl, and John laughed in response, Rochelle looked horrified. “You stole a car!?” she blurted.

“Your mother helped.”

“Wow,” she breathed as she nodded approvingly. “Go mom.”

Lee shook his head as he opened the door and shoved the garbage to the other side. Al opened the trunk and pulled out the handgun he’d taken back from Rita, an event that seemed like a lifetime ago now. He handed it out to John. “Even if you don’t know how to use it you should probably have it.”

“I’d like to stay with Carl and John. John can’t read a map,” Rochelle said. Al almost protested, but what could he really say? She wasn’t his child, and it was obvious these two weren’t going to harm her.

John scowled at her as he folded his arms over his chest. “That comment just earned you more time in the middle,” he informed her.