Vacation

Christie gave him a look for the escaped “damn.” Then she leaned forward and hit one of the radio presets.

“Maybe no news for a while?” Christie said.

Jack nodded and smiled. “No news is … probably good news.”

Christie smiled back.

When she looked forward, she saw the entrance to the New York State Thruway.

Armed guards flanked a single gated entrance to the highway.

A turret stood nearby, with more guards able to get a 360-degree bird’s-eye view of the entrance area.

Jack slowed behind the lone car in front of him.

“Can you get out the papers?” he said.

Christie popped open the glove compartment and brought out a packet. To use any highway, you needed a pass from the Emergency Highway Authority. They had to know where you came from, your destination, how long you would be gone, and a host of other seemingly irrelevant details.

The gate to the highway opened and the car in front pulled away. Jack edged next to the booth as the gate came quickly down again.

Jack knew that Christie had paid all the necessary fees weeks ago, so there should be no problem.

Still, he felt a bit of a chill when the guard, an automatic rifle slung over his shoulder, stepped up to the window.

Odd position for a cop to be in. This slight air of suspicion.

“Hi, folks. How are you doing today?”

Making small talk. A technique. Sometimes Can Heads could look normal, almost act normal. But if you talked to them, if you chatted to a Can Head, you’d know damn fast.

Shit, you could even sense it—or even smell it on them, on their clothes, on their breath. You’d see a stray red dollop marking their shirt.

“Going on a vacation, eh?” The guard flipped through the papers.

“Yes,” Christie said, smiling. The guard had lowered his head to get a good look inside. “Our first with the kids. We’re going to the Paterville Family Camp. In the mountains.”

The guard nodded, now looking right at Jack. “I hear it’s nice up there.”

Jack had trouble engaging in the chitchat, this little routine the highway cop had.

Could flash my badge, Jack thought.

Cut this short.

“Have there been any reports?” Jack said. “Any trouble, on the way up?”

The guard laughed as if it was a silly question.

“No. Nothing for weeks. Been real quiet. I think we got them on the run. In this state, at least. And you got a good steel-mesh fence, electrified all the way up there. I wouldn’t worry.”

The guard scanned the back of the Explorer, checking out the children.

“You have a nice vacation,” the guard said, backing away.

He went back to his booth and opened the gate. The two guards to the side, rifles at a 45-degree angle, watched the operation carefully. The gate moved up slowly. Then Jack gave the guard a nod, and pulled onto the entrance ramp.

They were on the Thruway.

Heading north, to the mountains. Their vacation had, Jack felt, really begun.

11

In the Backseat

Simon looked out the window. His parents sat so quietly. Usually they talked.

But now—just sitting so quiet.

He turned to look over to his sister. She had her nose in her book. That’s what Mom always said, You always have your nose in a book.

Simon didn’t like to read. Mom tried, and the more she tried the more he hated it.

Kate loved it.

He looked out the window. No one else on the highway. So empty, Simon thought. And the fence … he knew that a fence surrounded where they lived. He’d seen that lots.

But this tall fence with its curled wire at the top seemed much taller.

And every now and then … a sign.

Big red letters.

Simon read the words.

WARNING! THIS PROTECTIVE FENCE IS ELECTRIFIED.

The fence was electric. Why was that? Were the bad people on the other side? Is that why it had to be electrified?

He wanted to ask his parents.

But instead he just kept looking out the window.

As the car sped down the empty highway, as one sign after the other rushed by, Simon finally picked up his plastic men.

There was danger ahead for his action figures. They’d have to climb, then fight something big and evil.

But Simon didn’t know exactly what yet.

*   *   *

“I’m hungry!”

“Can’t you … shut up?”

Christie reached over and touched Kate’s knee. “Kate, no ‘shut ups,’ please.”

Christie watched Simon turn and make a face at his sister.

Gonna be a long ride, Christie thought.

“And Simon—no faces.”

“Mom, can you please make him stop? I want to read my book and not have him whining about food!”

Christie saw Jack raise his head to the rearview mirror. “You guys chill. Want to watch a video?”

Christie knew that was no solution. The two kids never agreed on a video. Sometimes it seemed as if Kate liked being defiant. She still enjoyed the big animated movies from years ago as much as Simon.

Contrary, thought Christie. She just likes being … contrary. Must be an age thing, a brother-and-sister thing.

Some kind of thing.

At least I get to experience what families have always experienced on vacation road trips.

One of the reasons people always looked forward to coming home.

“Okay, you two. How about food? We have some PB&J in the cooler. And those lemon drinks you like.”

“Yuck. I don’t like that stuff,” Simon said.

As if forced to agree, Kate added: “Me neither. Nothing else?”