Tipping Point (16 page)

“Some jobs can be combined. You’re cutting pieces of the same lengths for certain things, because there are standard measurements, like with the beds and futon. All of them are queen-size, which meant using a lot of wood cut to specific lengths. It’s almost like assembly-line work then, and it can be done really fast.

“I added to that because I made the workbenches the same lengths, too. Gives me lots of space to do stuff on them later, and they’re good for food prep in the meantime. More than one person can be helping in the kitchen area and have plenty of room to spread out.

“I’ve got giant lists of parts needed for assembling things, and then I combined those lists for any commonalities. I’ve pre-cut most of what’s needed for the new building’s interior stuff because of that. I was ridiculously anal about it, but it saved me from setting up over and over again. I just hadn’t done the plans for the exterior stuff yet. There wasn’t enough time.”

“Hey, whatever works. I was wondering what all those weirdly-shaped piles of wood were for. I mean, the steel studs and two-by-fours I could see, along with the drywall, but there’s all that smaller stuff.” Mac nodded.

“The stairs and risers are cut, and all the parts that go into assembling them. There’s a straight staircase as well as a spiral. There are actual kitchen cabinets, rather than what we’re using now, along with the doors and countertops.

“We’ll continue to use the table we’re using now, and the beds and futon, but we were always going to have a third bedroom, so the extra mattress is there. I need to assemble the bed frame that’s pre-cut. We just don’t have room for it with everything that’s stored in there.

“We stuck the third mattress up in the overhead storage, as you may have noticed when you were going through the supplies. Along with the fifty-million cases of toilet paper. I’d tell you guys to use that area for privacy, but I’m not sure enough regarding its safety. Everything we stored up there is light, except for the mattress.”

“We’re fine where we are for now. We can do the camping thing if we need to get away from everything for a night. It might be fun, actually. We’ve only been here a couple of days, so it’s not like it’s been long enough to feel crowded or anything.”

Mac pulled into the gas station in Rosseau to top up the truck’s tank. She wasn’t surprised when the green Civic drove by. It was a small community and Gerry was probably unemployed. For much of the younger generation in the area, cruising was a favoured pastime. There wasn’t anything else to do.

She was even less surprised when she saw the car heading back to the station a few seconds later.

“Kirk, Gerry is on his way. I’m going to pay for the gas so we can take off.” As quickly as she tried to move, it wasn’t fast enough. Gerry walked into the store and headed straight for her. Kirk came in behind him.

Gerry sized up Kirk and sneered.

“That your boyfriend, bitch?” The clerk behind the counter spoke up.

“Gerry, get out of here before I give you a lifetime ban. You don’t talk to my customers that way.”

“Fuck you, Jim. Stay outta this.” Gerry walked up to Mac, violating her personal space, and stared down at her.

“You think you can get away with getting me fired? Just wait until I get you alone, bitch.”

“Gerry, you do realize there’s a camera in here, right? And witnesses?” Mac turned to look at the clerk.

“Jim is it?” When he nodded she continued.

“Jim, Gerry here has already been warned by the police and lost his job for harassing me. Could you please call the police?”

“Happy to.” Jim had a smug look on his face. He didn’t seem to like Gerry very much.

“Oh, fuck you, Jim. Don’t you call the fucking pigs on me.” When Jim continued to tap out the number on the cordless phone, Gerry snarled in rage and overturned a stand full of candy bars and gum.

“Hey!” The loud, sharp sound Mac made when she yelled at Gerry was very effective at getting his attention.

“Look you piece of crap. Don’t ever come near me again. A restraining order will be in force, but I guarantee it’ll be me that’s enforcing it. Now get the fuck out of this guy’s store or the three of us are going to start tearing you apart. You’re a puny little shit, and it will not go well for you.” Jim had already come around the counter to keep Gerry from destroying his store. Kirk was standing beside her with his fists clenched at his sides. Gerry cursed and kicked some of the chocolate bars when he slammed the glass door open. The pane cracked when it hit the railing beside it.

Mac didn’t take her eyes off Gerry until his car peeled away from the station. She’d been very concerned that he might take out his anger on the goats or chickens, or even just her truck. Her fingers were stiff by the time she release the handle of her knife. She hadn’t pulled it out, not wanting anyone to know she was carrying a concealed weapon, but it had been close.

She was shaking with anger as she flexed her fingers. Gerry had no idea how close he’d come to seeing her wrath up close and personal. There was a good reason she’d been keeping an eye out for a video camera.

Since they had to wait for the police now, Mac took some pictures of the mess Gerry had left behind. She wasn’t sure if they should touch the stuff, but Jim wanted to pick up the stock from the floor, so she and Kirk helped him. There was footage of what had happened anyway, so she didn’t think it would matter. It was a simple vandalism issue in Jim’s case.

“I’m Mac and that’s Kirk, by the way,” she said belatedly. Jim laughed.

“Nice to meet you. Just not under these circumstances. Sorry I couldn’t get him out of the store sooner. That kid has never been anything but trouble. There’s nothing wrong with the rest of the Newman clan, but that kid’s like a changeling or something. He keeps getting into trouble like this, his dad’s gonna wind up kicking him out. He doesn’t seem to have any friends that would take him in either.”

The cops arrived within fifteen minutes, so they had to have been in the area. Mac smiled when she saw the second one get out of the car.

“What is it with my old friends these days? All y’all are turning into cops!” She smirked until Gilles recognized her and let out a yell.

“Well, what the fuck are you doing here Mac? You back for good, or just visiting? And why the hell haven’t I seen you before now?” Mac just grinned and walked up to give him a hug.

“You know very well I had no idea where you were. You’re as bad as me! Chuck said he lost touch a long time ago, but the last he heard you were in Humphrey.” Gilles nodded.

“Yup. Married, too.”

“Oh my God! It’s a freakin’ epidemic with you guys, all this growing up and shit. So much for hanging out and drinking until dawn, eh?” Gilles laughed.

“I stopped doing that years before I met Felicia. I’d never have met her otherwise. Or at least she’d never have given me the time of day.”

“I don’t doubt it. Well, you’re whoring days are over, I guess. Then again, we all knew that wasn’t what you were looking for. God, those were the days! Anyway, your partner there is looking a bit annoyed, so I guess we should get down to business here. This is a bit more complicated than it looks.”

It was another thirty minutes before all the details were out. Gilles was shaking his head at her.

“What is it about you? You’re always attracting trouble.”

“Very funny. I’m not putting up with victim blaming and shaming, thanks. Chuck’s got the details at the Huntsville station, but I think it was someone from Parry Sound who would have visited Gerry to issue the warning.” Gilles sobered.

“I’ll find out and make sure this is dealt with. We don’t have much use for men who pull that kind of shit around here.” When the incident report was filled out, a copy was given to Jim so he could file his insurance claim for the door and the little bit of damage to his stock.

“I’m required to press charges against him now, even if you don’t, Mac, so don’t be surprised to get a subpoena.” Mac just nodded. She knew they’d never be able to serve it to her. Gilles gave her his cell number so they could catch up at a later date, and then he and his partner had to leave on another call.

Mac drove up their driveway ten minutes later. The goats were finally home. She looked around at what had been done in their absence. The enclosure was looking good, but she realized she needed to keep the does separated from the bucks now.

Then there were the new chickens. The hens would be fine with the others, but the rooster needed a home of its own. Mac dragged her fingers through her hair and scratched vigorously at her scalp.

This was the problem when she made plans, and then kept changing them on herself. The closer they got to disaster, the more worried she became. The more worried she was, the more she tried to compensate, which resulted in more work.

There was no sign of Cameron or Leigh, so Mac figured they were inside. The garden looked like it was already done, which thrilled her. One less thing on the list. Cameron popped out of the building suddenly.

“Mom, something’s happening on the news or whatever. It’s trending on Facebook, and it looks major.”

“Fuck. It’s starting.”

12

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Mac and Kirk quickly herded the goats into the small pen to graze and tied a rope back and forth around the opening. As soon as they had let the hens out of their boxes and into the chicken enclosure, Mac took off for the house and went straight to her laptop. Facebook wasn’t a news source, exactly, but it pointed her in the direction she needed to go. She opened that first.

Rather than a single item trending, there were several that were related. The Greater Toronto Area, or GTA as it was called, had gone dark. It accounted for nearly half the population of Ontario. At least seven million people were without power, and there was no estimate on when it would be back up again.

The second item appeared more alarming than a power outage to anyone who didn’t understand how problematic that outage was. Looting and rioting had started in Hamilton, Oakville and Mississauga. The damage in Burlington wasn’t as severe yet, but she didn’t expect that to last.

Toronto was the worst. Already the police and military had been called in to do what damage control they could, but it looked like a lost cause to her. There just weren’t enough cops or military police to handle millions of panicking citizens. Justin Trudeau had followed in his father’s footsteps and invoked the War Measures Act, basically stripping everyone of their rights.

The third item mentioned the empty grocery store shelves, which had most likely been the impetus for the rioting and looting. The food was already gone, because they’d stopped delivering. The truckers had refused to go to a city where they knew they would end up trapped. All shipments had been rerouted to cities that still had power.

As much as she wanted to talk to Neil right then, she had another obligation. She needed to try to get Allan to come to the farm, and she’d take the opportunity to get more feed.

Mac called him and got his voicemail. As soon as he called back, she’d head to his place. It wasn’t that far, since he lived in Bracebridge, but she was pretty sure things would be getting bad there very soon.

The truck was only a two-seater, so she wouldn’t have room for anyone to go with her if she was going to bring him back. It was a risk she was willing to take, however, when she thought of the pain Cameron would suffer if anything happened to her dad.

Her phone rang. It was Allan.

“Hey! It’s Mac. Long time no talk. Are you busy tonight?”

“Hey back! It’s been years, probably, and no, I don’t have any plans. Why?”

“I’ve got to go to the feed store so I thought I’d stop in for a quick visit.”

“From Hamilton?” Mac was surprised.

“Didn’t Cameron tell you we’re outside Rosseau now?” She could hear him take a quick puff from a cigarette, and then cough after he finished inhaling. He had allergies and asthma, used two inhalers, and still smoked. One of many things he did that used to drive her nuts.

“Well, shit! If I’d known I’d have come and seen ya. I drive all over the place with the cab. I could’ve stopped in any time.”

“We’ve only been here since Tuesday night, trying to get the farm setup finished. We’ve got goats and chickens now, and the garden is doing pretty well. You really should see the place.”

“Holy crap! I still can’t get over how close you guys are. Cameron never told me where you were. Just said something about a farm. I figured it was down south somewhere.”

“I need to get going for now, but then I’ll stop by. What’s your address?” Allan inhaled from his cigarette, and promptly coughed once again.

“I’m on a main drag. Wellington. Hey maybe we can go shoot some pool or something. I haven’t had much chance to do that lately.” He gave her his house number.

“I have a pool table here. I just haven’t set it up yet. I figure that’s going to be a pain in the ass, but soon I’ll have all the time in the world for all that anyway.”

“Really? Holy shit. You always said you wanted to get one, but I never thought you’d do it.” That was the other thing that had turned her away from Allan. His complete lack of faith in anything she said. He either thought she was lying, or he just didn’t believe she could do it.

“I already know where Wellington is, so it’s not like I’ll get lost. I should be there in an hour.” When she hung up a few minutes later, she saw she had chewed off part of her thumbnail. Allan was fun to hang out with, but he was annoying, too.

Thinking it through, she grabbed her phone and called Neil.

“If you haven’t seen it already, check out what’s happening in the GTA,” she said, as soon as she heard his voice.

“I’m guessing it’s bad. Hang on. I need to go back to the office computer. Give me the short and sweet version, and I’ll get the details once I’m online.”