He didn’t bother entertaining that question.
“Is there anything else, Dan?”
“Yeah. Would you be willing to help at one of the checkpoints for a few hours a day? South of Garberville needs some additional support. It would give you a chance to lead by example. I mean, that’s why you became a cop, right?” He was using his former career as a tool to get what he wanted. When he didn’t respond, Dan patted him on the shoulder. “Think it over. Either way, it’s good to see you again, Colby.”
“I would say, likewise, but…”
“I wouldn’t believe it?” Dan asked with a smile. “Maybe it’s time we change that.” He patted him on the arm and began walking away, but then turned back. “Oh, one last thing, we are having a meeting tonight at city hall. We plan on running them every two weeks to keep everyone in the loop. It would be great to see you there. Maybe you could share some ideas. I’m sure you have some, right?” He winked at him and set his hat back on his head and walked over to an ATV. Dan and the other officer got on and peeled out.
Colby turned and looked back at the gravestone.
“What did he want?” Alicia asked.
“What everyone wants now,” he said, then looked at her. “Control.”
Chapter Three
Trinity County, California
Controlling people in an apocalypse was an arduous task. There were no hard and fast rules governing how desperate people should act, or when they should act. No matter what a person’s morals, beliefs, or previous contributions to society had been — all of that could fall by the wayside in the face of a disaster.
The trip to Hayfork Community Health Clinic wouldn’t take long to reach as it was located next to the drugstore which was on the main stretch that ran through the heart of town. He didn’t like leaving his brothers behind after what had happened but the doc said it was easier to bring the blood to Lincoln than to cart him over. Jessie wasn’t sure what she meant until they rolled by the health clinic.
He knocked on the window.
“Hey,” he thumbed over his shoulder. “You drove by it.”
“We don’t keep supplies there anymore,” she replied.
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t question it. Every town had gone through changes since the power grid went down. Some more than others. Stores had closed, numerous buildings had burned down, and supplies, if any existed, were often kept in one location under lock and key. Humboldt County was no exception. Though theirs was now under the watchful eye of the militia.
A month into the event and with no sign of electricity being turned on or communication being restored, rumors had spread of an uptick in looting by raiders. It wasn’t known whether it was gangs or locals, but someone was taking advantage of the moment. In Hayfork, a rural town that if you blinked you’d miss it, they weren’t any different except for one thing. Jessie noticed there was hardly anyone on the streets. “Has there been an evacuation?”
Her son Matthew glanced back but didn’t say anything.
Chloe hung a left onto Brady Road, a narrow two-lane blacktop that wound its way up through undulating landscape. About five minutes later, she veered into a driveway that led up to a one-story home that was shrouded by trees. Outside were two vehicles, a silver BMW SUV, and a Mini Cooper. Both would have been useless now. Anything with a computer chip was fried. As Chloe swung the old GMC truck around behind the vehicles, she didn’t turn off the engine. “Hey, doc, what’s the matter?” Jessie stood up in the back of the truck bed and looked over the cab to get a better view and that’s when he saw what she was staring at. Outside the home, there was a trail of blood as if someone had been shot and dragged or ran back into the house with a severe wound. The main door was partially ajar. He hopped out, rifle at the ready, while they remained in the truck.
It was clear they were like fish out of water.
They might have been packing guns but their reluctance to get out told him volumes. They were afraid, unfamiliar with danger, and hesitant to put themselves in harm’s way. Jessie never batted an eye as he approached the house. He followed the trail of blood which led into the hallway. It was even worse inside.
He waited for a second, listening. There was no sound.
Jessie cast a glance over his shoulder. Chloe had stepped out, but only to beckon him back to the truck. “Jessie. Wait,” Chloe said, shaking her head, cautioning him not to enter.
“Stay there. Give me a minute.”
He ventured in and looked in the kitchen and found the first body, a woman, shot in the back twice. But that wasn’t what had caused the massive loss of blood. He squinted, noticing a small mass of brown on the counter. When he got closer, that’s when he realized what it was. His stomach churned as he crouched down and saw that the woman had been scalped. The brown mass on the counter was hair and skin.
He backed out, continuing to sweep each of the rooms.
It only got worse.
Another body, this time male, his large frame slumped over a table. He’d been scalped as well. That’s when he heard a gasp. Jessie turned fast to find Chloe standing in the doorway of the kitchen, a hand over her mouth. “You…” Before he could say anything more, she looked in the dining room and saw the male.
There was another moment of shock before she hurried down the corridor.
“Chloe,” Jessie said, trying to save her from the horror of it all.
“Oh, God. No, please,” she said approaching a closed-door. She turned the knob and pushed it wide then let out a gut-wrenching cry. Chloe collapsed to her knees.
Matthew came rushing into the house, rifle up. “Mom?” He
