Driver 8: A Post-Apocalyptic Novel

PROLOGUE

“Now, kids, hydration is critical when you’re out in the wilderness. So, before we head out today for our hike, drink plenty of water and second, make sure you bring plenty with you,” Kyle Grant said to the group of children whose ages ranged from eight to twelve. Today they were heading out for the longest hike of their summer camp and Kyle didn’t need anyone dropping out. “One last thing, always remember the threes. Three weeks without food, three days without water and three minutes without air. That’s how long you need of each before you… what?”

A young girl, about ten raised her hand.

“Yes, Melody,” Kyle said pointing at her.

“Die.”

“Correct. Now, go get hydrated and finish packing. Meet me at the trailhead in fifteen minutes,” Kyle said.

The group of twenty-three kids and two adult counselors stood and exited the cabin.

“You’re really good with the kids,” Tiffany Powell, the camp director said with a big smile. She walked over and leaned on the table where Kyle had the pack back he was using for a demonstration laid out on.

“I love it, I can’t think of a better way to spend my two week vacation,” Kyle said, a broad smile gracing his rugged and square jawed face.

“We don’t get many volunteers and those we do, don’t’ travel over a thousand miles at their own expense,” she said.

“Like I said, I love it. Taking my vacation time and spending it on the beach drinking cocktails is fun, but I find this fulfilling, I really do.”

“I could go for some cocktails on the beach right about now,” she laughed, standing and folding her arms. “The kids really love having you here too. I especially think they love the police stories you tell around the camp fire.”

“You do know, I do it mainly to scare them straight,” he joked. “But is it only the kids who love having me here?” he said with a wink.

“Let’s keep it professional,” she replied. “You know something, I also think you make them feel safe. Nothing like having a real LAPD detective as a volunteer camp counselor.”

“Part-time counselor, if it paid more I’d be here full time, believe me,” he jested.

“You have a job anytime you want it,” she flirted.

The door opened and a man in his late twenties, stuck his head in. By the look on his face, he was scared.

“Josh, you okay? You look like someone just got eaten by a bear,” Tiffany joked.

“Tiffany, hurry, something is happening back east. Something bad.”

She jumped and asked, “What’s happened?”

“A terror attack, something, come, hurry,” Josh said and took off.

Tiffany and Kyle followed him to the main camp station building. When they entered they found a group of people huddled over the television. She pushed past until she could see the screen.

For Kyle it was easy, at six foot three, he just leaned over the group.

On the television was a large explosion followed by a mushroom cloud rising high into the sky.

“What is that? What’s going on?” Tiffany asked.

“That was Boston,” Joselyn, the camps aquatics counselor, said.

“Are you serious?” Tiffany asked.

“Yes, the news is reporting cities all along the east coast are being hit,” Jacob, the native skills instructor, answered.

“Turn it up, I can’t hear,” Kyle said.

“…reports are now telling us there have been strikes on the west coast too. It’s very chaotic but it does seem like the west coast is under attack now. Oh, wait, we have a need video feed coming in from a pedestrian’s phone,” the reporter said.

The screen clicked over to a wobbly video image of Los Angeles in the far distance. A bright flash then a huge mushroom cloud rising and enveloping the entire city.

“Oh my God!” Vivian, the arts and crafts counselor, cried out with tears in her eyes.

Chatter and crosstalk exploded in the group.

Kyle stood in shock and watched the video clip being replayed. One second his city is there, the next second it’s gone. Destroyed in the blink of an eye by a nuclear weapon.

“Denver. Has anyone heard if Denver has been hit? My mom and dad live there,” Joselyn asked.

“My brother lives there too,” Blaine, the archery instructor said.

“We’re now getting a report from our affiliate in Topeka that Kansas City have been hit. It appears what started on the east coast then the west coast is now happening in the Midwest,” the reporter said.

“What should we do,” Josh asked.

All eyes turned to Tiffany.

Tiffany thought for a second and said, “We wait. We don’t do anything drastic until we know for sure what is happening.”

“But we’re at war, cities are being destroyed,” Vivian wailed.

“This is not a time to panic. Our number one goal is to take care of these children. Does everyone understand?” Tiffany asked.

“I agree with Tiffany. Let me make a call to a contact I have in Denver,” Kyle said pulling out his mobile phone. He dialed and put the phone to his ear.

The phone clicked and a message played. “All circuits are busy. Please try your call again later.”

Kyle tried again and got the same message. He looked at Tiffany and said, “I can’t get through, can someone else try to call out?”

“I’m getting a message that says all circuits are busy,” Joselyn said.

“Me too,” Jacob said.

Tiffany pulled out her phone and tried, “Same here.”

“Try the land line, see if that’s working,” Joselyn suggested.

Kyle picked up the landline phone and called the number he was trying on his mobile. He put it back on the cradle and said, “Says the circuits are busy.”

“Oh no. What does that mean?” Vivian asked, her hands trembling.

“It means everyone is calling out like us, nothing more,” Kyle replied hoping to calm the situation down but feeling deep down that he had just witnessed the end of the world live on television.

“Turn up the T.V. they’re saying something about Europe,” Vivian exclaimed.

Josh turned the volume up.

“…Paris, London, Copenhagen, Berlin, all gone. We have preliminary reports coming from our international correspondents in the Far East that Beijing, Hong Kong and other major cities and military installations in China have been hit by the United States as a retaliation for the attacks against what is now over a dozen major U.S. cities ,” the reporter said and paused as she became overwhelmed with emotion. “I don’t know how long we’ll be live but I pray that when this is over….” The feed went dead and the screen turned blue.

“Where was that news station?” Kyle asked.

“That was Denver,” Tiffany said her voice cracking a bit.

The room grew quiet save for the sound of people crying.

“The kids, they’re waiting for me near the trailhead,” Kyle said.

“Go get them. When they come back we need to ensure they don’t hear about any of this, if you can’t keep your composure then let me know,” Tiffany ordered taking control of the situation.

“I can have them do an art project,” Vivian said wiping tears from her cheeks.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, you’re shaken up, take a few, go back to your cabin,” Tiffany said turning to Joselyn, “How about we have them do a swim?”

“I’ll be down at the beach waiting on them,” Joselyn said and headed out.

Kyle was making his way to the door when Tiffany called out to him, “I’m coming with you.” He stopped and waited.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m scared,” Tiffany confided.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit freaked out but you handled it nicely in there. We need to keep our heads. Clearly the world has gone to shit and soon we’re going to have to explain it to the kids.”

“I know, believe me I’m already thinking about that. How do you say the world has ended to a bunch of kids without having them meltdown?”

“You can’t, this situation is fucked, pardon my French, but there’s no easy answer. Just know that I’m here to help anyway I can, let me know what I can do,” Kyle said.

She reached out and took his hand.

He looked and gave her a reassuring smile.

Squeezing his hand she said, “I can’t tell you how happy I am you’re here.”

“Tiffany! Tiffany!” Josh hollered from across the camp.

She turned and asked, “What?”

“The power, it’s down, nothing is working,” Josh answered, his tone sounding stressed.

“This is a camp, right?” Kyle joked.

“Hold on, the power’s back on!” Josh hollered.

“That’s the backup generators, do me a favor, turn off all non-essential items, we’ll need to preserve fuel,” Tiffany hollered back.

Josh gave a thumbs up and ran off.

“You’re like a bad ass general, calm, cool, and collected,” Kyle quipped.

She winked at him and said, “It’s called being the oldest of four and a dad who was a Marine. C’mon let’s get those kids.”

“Tiffany, wake up,” Joselyn said nudging her.

Tiffany opened her eyes and shot up. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Josh, he took off, took the rest of the food and one of the trucks,” Joselyn said.

“How? Who was on watch?” Tiffany asked swinging her legs out of bed and stretching.

“It was George, I found him unconscious after showing up for my shift. He told me Josh approached him, they talked and when he turned around he got hit in the head. That’s all he remembers.”

“Where’s Kyle?” Tiffany asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t think he returned yet from his run.”

“That son of a bitch, I knew I couldn’t trust that mealy-mouthed asshole,” Tiffany said getting up and putting on a fresh shirt. “Did you get an inventory of the food?”

“Tiff, he took everything.”

“Literally, everything?”

“Yes. He cleaned the shelves out. He said something to George about heading to Wisconsin to see if his family was still alive.”

Headlamps from a vehicle shot through the window.

“It’s Kyle,” Tiffany said racing out of her cabin.

Kyle exited a truck and could see the look of concern written all over Tiffany’s face. “What happened?”

“Josh, he left and took all our food, everything,” she replied.

“Damn it. Any idea when he did this, maybe I can track him down.”

Joselyn came out and said, “Over an hour ago, he’s long gone by now. George said he said something about going to Wisconsin.”

“Well that asshole will have a tougher time. There’s bandits on the roads now. I barely got away from some. It’s not safe out there anymore, people are desperate, in need of food, fuel, you name it.”

“What are we going to do?” Tiffany asked.

Kyle walked to the back of the truck, reached in and pulled out a box of potato chips. We have these.”

“I think we’re going to need more than a large bag of chips,” Tiffany scoffed.

Kyle smiled, reached back in and pulled out a huge box and said, “There’s like forty bags in here and the warehouse I found off old highway eight had a stack of these same boxes all the way to the ceiling. Plus there’s more, I found oatmeal, cereal, and rice; sweetheart I think I might have found the motherlode. At least enough to keep us fed for a bit.”

“These bandits, how far out did you encounter them?” Tiffany asked.

“Oh, six miles north.”

“We need weapons,” Tiffany said.

“Agreed,” Joselyn said.

“I’ve been looking, nothing. The one gun store I came up on was ransacked,” Kyle said. “I agree, we’re going to need weapons to defend ourselves here because it’s only a matter of time before someone not nice shows up.”

The sounds of screaming children came from a bunkhouse.

The three took off running.

Kyle reached the bunkhouse and burst through the door to find several of the kids had their flashlights beaming on a spot in the far corner of the cabin. He looked and saw Vivian hanging by the neck. “Oh, Christ.” He ran over and grabbed her lifeless body to see if there was any hope of saving her but the second he touched her he knew she’d been hanging for a while.

Tiffany followed by Joselyn raced into the bunkhouse. Seeing Kyle struggling with Vivian’s body, Tiffany went to help while Joselyn went to care for the children.

“Why, Viv, Why?” Tiffany asked.

They got her body down and laid her gently on the floor.

Joselyn had long taken the kids out of the bunkhouse so it was safe to talk candidly. “Are we going to survive?” Tiffany asked.

Kyle gave her a sympathetic look and replied, “Yes. Yes, we are. I swear it.”

She came over and buried her head into his chest. She looked so small next him with her five foot five stature.

He lifted her chin and gave her a light kiss on the lips. “I promise. I won’t let anyone or anything hurt you or those kids.”

“Now what?” she asked.

“We bury her first, then regroup. Today is a new day. I’ll head out in a few hours to continue scavenging.”

“But you just returned,” she said embracing him tight.

“I need to keep looking and we need weapons.”

Kyle made the last turn and stopped at the main gate for the camp.

George appeared from behind a tall pine and opened it.

The two waved at each and Kyle proceeded into the camp. He had been out scavenging daily but each day was growing more and more dangerous and he still hadn’t come across any weapons. He was tired, frustrated and beginning to grow concerned. Soon the limited supplies they’d found would run out, things were getting desperate.

George had been putting his native survival skills to work but to date he hadn’t caught enough to make a dent. There were twenty-three children, same as when the bombs dropped. Not a single parent had showed up. It was beyond sad. On top of the children there were six adults left. A large number to feed with only small game animals and what few items Kyle could find. With Josh taking all the camp supplies two weeks before he had all but written everyone off.

Kyle parked the truck but hesitated from getting out. Bored he turned on the radio and flipped it to the AM frequencies. He’d done this before but only found static, for some reason he thought he’d try again. He pressed the scan button and watched the numbers race up. They zoomed past seventeen hundred and started up again at five thirty only to stop at six hundred with a crackling voice coming over. He sat up and listened.

“…this………… States government broadcasting…… Cheyenne…… Air…… Anyone receiving this message…. is…. need of assistance. …… to coordinates 38.7445 degrees north, 10…… degrees west. To anyone listening,… is the United….. government…. from Cheyenne Mountain…… Station…”

He jumped out of the truck and raced directly to the camp director’s shack hoping to find Tiffany.

Joselyn walked by with several children in tow.

“Where’s Tiff?” he asked running by.

“In the shack, I believe.”

He sprinted up the small rise and burst through the door.

Tiffany jumped from her seat when she saw him. “You scared the hell out of me!”

“The government, come, hurry,” he said excitedly, his breathing rapid.

“Government?”

“Yes, just come,” he said trying to rush her along.

She followed him back down to the truck. When they arrived the message was still broadcasting. “Listen,” he said. She sat in the driver’s seat and listened intently to the choppy broadcast. Her eyes wide with joy, she said, “We need to go to a higher point. Maybe we can get a better signal.”

“Good idea, scoot over,” he said.

“No, I’m driving,” she said sticking out her tongue and slamming the door.

They sped up an old fire break that led to the top of the mountain, there they hoped the signal would be strong. As they climbed higher and higher nothing changed. “Oh, c’mon,” he groaned.

“Maybe when we get to the top, have some faith,” she said.

She exited the wooded trail and was now near the barren and rocky crest. She turned the wheel hard, crested the mountain and like magic the static lessened and the recorded message was clear enough to understand.

Kyle turned up the volume.

“To all listening, this is the United States government broadcasting on six hundred kilohertz from Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station. Anyone receiving this message and is in need of assistance proceed to the coordinates 38.7445 degrees north, 104.8461 degrees west.”

They both looked at each other. Tears welled up in Tiffany’s eyes and a huge grin spread across Kyle’s face. “Does this mean we’re going to survive? Does it?” she asked.

“I don’t know for sure, but I’m optimistic. We have to make a run for it.”

“We have the bus, we all can fit.”

“I’ll bring the truck to carry supplies and gear and we have a ton of diesel. I say we go for it.”

“You sure?” she asked.

He paused, thought for a second as the message replayed again. He smiled wide and said, “Yes.”

“All the kids are going on the bus along with Andy and Gwen. Joselyn you’ll go with Kyle in the truck. I’ll ride on the bus with the kids, and last but not least, George you’ll drive the bus,” Tiffany said.

“Please tell me you’re not one of those endless nervous talkers who drone on for hours during long boring drives,” Joselyn asked Kyle.

“I’m worse,” he fired back.

“Great, thanks a lot Tiff,” Joselyn groaned as she walked off.

Those who were riding the bus loaded on, except Tiffany. She walked over to Kyle who waited by his truck. “Triple check, you have the map and route?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“You have plenty of fuel. We’re not stopping if we don’t have to.”

“Correct.”

“Are you happy?”

“Yes.”

“Good, me too,” she said and headed back towards the bus. She stopped just before getting on and turned, “Kyle, one second.”

He waited.

She ran up, leapt into his arms and gave him a firm and passionate kiss. When she was done, she pulled away and looked deeply into his blue eyes.

“Whoa, that was awesome.”

“I love you,” she said.

Not expecting to hear that he didn’t know what to say so he stood looking dumbfounded.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way. I just wanted to tell you, that’s all. Now let’s get on the road.”

Kyle could feel the heavy weight of fatigue hitting him as his head bobbed down then snapped up.

“Don’t fall asleep on me,” Joselyn warned.

“I’m okay.”

“No, you’re not. We need to pull over.”

“No, no, no, we’re making good time.”

Joselyn picked up the small hand held radio, “Tiff this is Joselyn. We need to change drivers.”

“Okay, let’s pull over on the shoulder just past that sign,” Tiffany replied.

“Sounds good,” Joselyn answered. She gave Kyle a look and said, “You heard her big boy, pull over.”

Kyle hated to admit it, but Joselyn was right. He pulled the truck over with the bus parking just behind him. He got out, ran around to the passenger side and got back in. Joselyn simply slid across the bench seat.

“Can you believe I’ve never driven this big rig?” she said putting the truck into gear.

“Now I’m scared.”

“I didn’t say I couldn’t drive, just that I’ve never driven this truck. I’ve been working at the camp for three years and I’m finally driving it.”

“Where you from?” Kyle asked slouching deep into the seat.

“Denver.”

“Sorry., why didn’t I know that?”

“Don’t apologize. This whole thing sucks I just don’t understand why anyone would start a war, especially a war that destroys the world. I mean, who does that?”

“Dumb people, politicians, that’s who. The same people who are now safe in their bunkers. You know, maybe we tell whatever politician we’ll meet at Cheyenne Mountain what we think about them,” Kyle joked.

“You get their attention and I’ll kick’em in the balls,” she laughed.

“God knows they all deserve a swift kick in the nuts.”

“Do you think they’ll have hot water?”

“I guess.”

“That’s one thing I miss so bad, a hot shower," Joselyn said.

“Miss? You mean, need,” Kyle joked waving his hand in front of his face.

Joselyn gave him a shit eating grin and raised her middle finger at him. “Fu…” The windshield shattered and a single bullet struck Joselyn in the face and exited out the back of her head. Her limp body fell onto the steering wheel and jerked it hard to the left at a forty-five degree angle. The truck tipped up on it’s right tires and slammed onto it’s right side then began to tumble down the road. Kyle was tossed from the truck after the second roll and hit the pavement, rolling to a stop thirty feet away. The truck smashed through a guard rail and barreled down a steep ravine.

George slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting the truck and Kyle.

The children all started to scream and cry.

“Stop the bus!” Tiffany hollered.

George did as she said but just before he could bring the bus to a full stop, several bullets slammed into the windshield; one striking him in the head, the other in the neck. He fell to the right and down the front stairs of the bus.

The children were wailing in terror.

Tiffany got behind the wheel and finished stopping the bus. With it fully stopped she turned to face the children who were sobbing and screaming. “Everyone out the back, now!”

Andy, who happened to be seating in the far back, got up and opened the back emergency exit only to find three strange and armed men waiting with their rifles all pointed at him.

“Don’t fucking trying anything,” one of the men said.

“I won’t, please, trust me, we’re not armed, we have kids,” Andy said.

“Jump out of the back. That goes for all of you, out the back now. Arms up, no bullshit, and this will be your last warning, don’t fucking try anything or I’ll kill ya’.”

Andy jumped first. A second man grabbed him and forced him down on the ground.

One by one, the children all exited followed by Gwen then finally Tiffany. Like Andy, they were all made to lie face down on the road. Tiffany turned her head giving her a clear view from under the bus to where Kyle was lying in the road. She prayed he’d wake and come save them.

Several men boarded the bus. They went from seat to seat looking for anything of value. One came to the back and called out, “Nothing on here but a few bags of fucking potato chips.”

“If it’s food you’re looking for, we had it all in the back of the truck,” Tiffany said.

“Is that right,” the first man said. He gave his men a once over and asked, “Where’s Mike?”

“He’s down the road in his position,” one of the men replied.

“That dumbass disobeyed my order, I said shoot the fucking tires. No, he had to go and shoot the driver, now everything we need is down at the bottom of that ravine.”

“It’s not all lost, Ray,” one of the men said. “We’ve got twenty-three kids and two women.”

“Yeah, I suppose it’s not all bad if we were fucking cannibals you idiot,” Ray snarled.

“No, you’re not seeing it. Maybe we can trade them. Huh?”

Ray thought for a moment and as if a light bulb went off in his head, he hollered, “Load back up boys.”

“All right, you heard, get back on the bus,” one of the men yelled pointing his rifle at them.

Andy and Tiffany were the last in line.

Ray came over, gave Andy a look over and said, “Who the hell will want a pussy of a man like him.”

The other men laughed.

Andy cringed and begged for mercy, “Please don’t hurt me.”

Ray pulled him out of line, drew his pistol and shot Andy in the head.

Tiffany screamed, “Who are you? You fucking monsters!”

“Well aren’t you a feisty one,” Ray said rearing his arm back and smacking Tiffany hard in the face.

The hit was so hard she fell against the bus and onto the ground. She rolled over and caught a glimpse of Kyle moving. He looked up for a second, just enough for them to make eye contact. Not wanting him to suffer the same fate as Andy she shook her head, signalling for him to stay down.

“Tyrone, toss that pretty little thing in the back. It’s time to tame the wild beast,” Ray said.

Doing as he was told, Tyrone, picked Tiffany up and took her onto the bus.

Ray called out, “Alright you sons of bitches. Good haul. Let’s head back to the ranch and have us a party!”

The bus fired up.

Kyle tried to move but his body was racked with pain. He slightly lifted his head as the bus drove past, the tires grinding the broken glass and debris from his truck into the pavement. He reached out with his bloody and battered arm and said, “Tiffany.” Unable to stay conscious he drifted off.

“Who is he, dad?” a young boy asked.

“I don’t know his name but it doesn’t matter, he’s a man in need,” a man said towering over Kyle who was still lying in the road. “You two, get this man into the van,” the man ordered.

Two other men ran over and picked Kyle up and carried him over to a large cargo van. They laid him in the back gingerly. The boy and his father got in with him.

Kyle opened his eyes but all he could see was two blurry figures above him. “Tiff…”

“What’s he saying, dad?” the boy asked.

“Sounds like he’s calling out for someone.”

The boy leaned in close and whispered, “If supplies are tight, why are we saving him? You always say the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.”

“Son, that’s a good question. I saw this man and for some reason, I felt like he needed to be saved.”

“He’s another mouth the feed,” the son said.

“He can have half my ration.”

“I still don’t understand.”

“Because you’re thinking with your head. I’m thinking with something else. I don’t know who he is or where he came from. I don’t know if he’s a good man or a bad man. But something tells me, we need him. I could be wrong but I’m going with my gut.”

“But…”

The father held up his hand, “I know what I’ve told you. Let’s see how this plays out. Either he’ll end up being a savior for our fledging group or he’ll be the one that will put an end to it. Right now, I’m betting he’s the former.”

The driver jumped behind the wheel and asked, “We calling it a day?”

“Yes, take us home.”

“Okay, next stop, Eagle.”