Read Online The Plague Years (Book 1): Hell is Empty and All the Devils Are Here by Mark Rounds - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mark Rounds
Tags: Zombie Apocalypse
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dessert came from Argentina, and the potatoes in Dave’s salad probably came from Idaho. Grocery stores believe in just in time inventory. Most don’t have more than three days’ worth of food on hand. One of the symptoms of this disease is increased appetite. Those stocks will be depleted even faster. There is going to have to be movement of goods at some level and that means someone has to drive the truck, unload the barge, and shift boxes in the rail car. It would just take a few folks moving around to make most quarantine measures ineffective.”
The conversation around the table faltered to a stop. To cover the silence, Chad got busy with the ribs, Heather and Mary began setting the table and Dave stared out over the valley. The kids came back down and conversation stayed to more conventional topics until the last of the pie was served.
Chad pulled Connor aside.
“Son, could you do me a favor?”
“Sure dad.”
“Here is fifty dollars. Take the kids to a movie or go play video games or something. We need to have a talk here.”
“What about?”
Chad considered his son for a moment. Sometimes it was hard to think that this good looking six foot two inch young man standing in front of him was his son; the same kid who had at ten, ridden his bike through his elementary school hallways. It seemed only yesterday that he had paddled around with his friends in the blow up kiddie pool that languished these days in the garage. It dawned on Chad that his son was nearly grown. He couldn’t just tell him to run along and play anymore.
“Son, after you get back, you and I and your mom will sit down and I promise to tell you as much as I know.”
“It’s about that stuff you were talking about on TV isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“I figured, conversation at dinner sounded … stressed and I have been watching the news too.”
“I know son, I promise we will talk but I need to speak to your mom and Aunt Heather without the younger kids hearing, there just hasn’t been time.”
“OK dad, I’ll hold you to that,” said Connor and then he continued with a twinkle in his eye. “Can I take the Camaro?”
“OK, but no hot rodding!”
“I’ll keep it cool, no worries,” he said as he snagged the keys from the hook.
“Hey guys, who wants to go see the new Star Trek Movie!?” said Connor.
There was a chorus of ‘me me me’ from all the kids.
“Connor, you should have asked me first,” said Heather with a stern face. “Ginger is too young for that sort of movie.”
“Ah MOOOOM,” said Ginger in her best wheedling voice. “I watch them all at home anyway, once they come out on Netflix, can I please?!?”
“Heather,” said Chad interrupting before she could get up a head of steam. “It’s a decent movie and we do need talk some adult talk.”
Heather was torn between her perceived parental duties. On one hand, Ginger did get nightmares from certain movies; on the other, she also needed to know the threat to her kids and her livelihood.
“Ok, young lady,” said Heather in her best mother hen voice. “But tomorrow is a school day so you need to go right to bed once we get home. And if you have nightmares, you go into Katy’s room, not mine.”
“Yay! You’re the best, Mom.”
After the kids had left, Heather said, almost too softly hear, “I am really trying to be darling.” Then her face got serious. “OK Dr. Strickland, I am pretty much guaranteed to have my sleep disturbed by a crying eight year old girl with nightmares. If what we are about to do isn’t worth it, I am calling you!”
May 7 th , Sunday, 5:30 pm PDT
After the food was put away and dishwasher was started, Dave led the procession, with drinks in hand, to his garage.
“Now I had to fly kind of blind on this one because Chad couldn’t give me any intel on what the problem was,” said Dave as he flicked on the lights.
The big double car garage was almost obsessively clean. Along one wall was Dave’s workshop
The conversation around the table faltered to a stop. To cover the silence, Chad got busy with the ribs, Heather and Mary began setting the table and Dave stared out over the valley. The kids came back down and conversation stayed to more conventional topics until the last of the pie was served.
Chad pulled Connor aside.
“Son, could you do me a favor?”
“Sure dad.”
“Here is fifty dollars. Take the kids to a movie or go play video games or something. We need to have a talk here.”
“What about?”
Chad considered his son for a moment. Sometimes it was hard to think that this good looking six foot two inch young man standing in front of him was his son; the same kid who had at ten, ridden his bike through his elementary school hallways. It seemed only yesterday that he had paddled around with his friends in the blow up kiddie pool that languished these days in the garage. It dawned on Chad that his son was nearly grown. He couldn’t just tell him to run along and play anymore.
“Son, after you get back, you and I and your mom will sit down and I promise to tell you as much as I know.”
“It’s about that stuff you were talking about on TV isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“I figured, conversation at dinner sounded … stressed and I have been watching the news too.”
“I know son, I promise we will talk but I need to speak to your mom and Aunt Heather without the younger kids hearing, there just hasn’t been time.”
“OK dad, I’ll hold you to that,” said Connor and then he continued with a twinkle in his eye. “Can I take the Camaro?”
“OK, but no hot rodding!”
“I’ll keep it cool, no worries,” he said as he snagged the keys from the hook.
“Hey guys, who wants to go see the new Star Trek Movie!?” said Connor.
There was a chorus of ‘me me me’ from all the kids.
“Connor, you should have asked me first,” said Heather with a stern face. “Ginger is too young for that sort of movie.”
“Ah MOOOOM,” said Ginger in her best wheedling voice. “I watch them all at home anyway, once they come out on Netflix, can I please?!?”
“Heather,” said Chad interrupting before she could get up a head of steam. “It’s a decent movie and we do need talk some adult talk.”
Heather was torn between her perceived parental duties. On one hand, Ginger did get nightmares from certain movies; on the other, she also needed to know the threat to her kids and her livelihood.
“Ok, young lady,” said Heather in her best mother hen voice. “But tomorrow is a school day so you need to go right to bed once we get home. And if you have nightmares, you go into Katy’s room, not mine.”
“Yay! You’re the best, Mom.”
After the kids had left, Heather said, almost too softly hear, “I am really trying to be darling.” Then her face got serious. “OK Dr. Strickland, I am pretty much guaranteed to have my sleep disturbed by a crying eight year old girl with nightmares. If what we are about to do isn’t worth it, I am calling you!”
May 7 th , Sunday, 5:30 pm PDT
After the food was put away and dishwasher was started, Dave led the procession, with drinks in hand, to his garage.
“Now I had to fly kind of blind on this one because Chad couldn’t give me any intel on what the problem was,” said Dave as he flicked on the lights.
The big double car garage was almost obsessively clean. Along one wall was Dave’s workshop
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