Feeling the sting of tears, he let them fall, knowing he needed to grieve. He missed Christa’s laughter and her touch. He missed having her near, puttering in the garden or cuddling up while they watched a movie. He leaned against the wall and held his face in his hands. His heart broke, over and over, like the waves crashing over jagged rocks. He pulled out suit cases from the closet. He wiped at his face and packed clothing into several of the suit cases. He went to the hall closet and pulled out his winter gear. He stopped by Cooper’s room; the child sound asleep. Tomorrow would be even busier. He’d be stopping by not only the mattress store, but Lowes again. He’d need all the seeds they could find as well as fertilizer, and the gas-powered tiller. He’d also add more lumber to his growing pile. Again, there was no telling what he’d need it, so he wanted as much as he could get. That large building would hold quite a bit. He’d also seen a sun oven, which he thought might be useful. The sun oven used the sun and magnified the heat to cook or bake foods. It was that powerful.
He could use that during the sunny days, to cook their food. He’d not need the camp stove, nor the propane, saving that for when it was necessary. The videos he’d watched had mentioned having more than one option, one was good, two betters, three, the best. If one failed, the second would work, if not, then the third. He’d also swing by CVS and raid the pharmacy for medicines, antibiotics, bandages and all other items he’d need in case of an injury or illness. He wanted to pick up children’s vitamins and some for himself. He’d need to check expiration date on the too. He just hoped that he could handle whatever came. He had basic first aid skills as a firefighter. But he didn’t know how to suture open wounds, and he could maybe set a broken arm or leg, but if it were a compound fracture, he was helpless.
The thought of Cooper getting hurt frightened him beyond measure. He could only do his best to keep the child safe. He’d finished packing and looked around. He went to his book shelves and pulled the books. There were some excellent reference books that he’d gotten years ago. Though basic for first aid, it was better than nothing. He could hope and find a book store, perhaps at one of the many strip malls. That would be something to think about.
It was near midnight when he’d finished up everything. He wasn’t planning on coming back here, he was now sure of it more than ever. There was no need. When they left in the morning, it would be forever. His heart twisted once more at the thought of leaving Christa here, without him. His mind shied away from the painful thoughts.
With everything at the park, his supplies, he really needed to be there to protect it. He was sure it was only a matter of time before someone thought to go to the park and try and survive there. If he left the food and supplies unprotected, they’d be gone or someone would take over and claim the Beach House as their own. He’d worked too hard and done too much to let that happen. Cooper depended on him.
Going outside, he shut off the generator. The night was at once quiet. Not a sound. By now, the other generators had run out of fuel. He heard nothing in the dark night, but the crickets. He was about to go in when he saw headlights from a vehicle, it shown like a radiant beacon. The lights in the house were off, so Brian closed the door to the house and sat in the rocking chair on the porch. The overhang of the eaves ensured he was deep in the shadows. There was a thin moon out, but it played hide and seek with the clouds.
He watched as the vehicle wove around slowly, it was about three hundred yards up the road. He waited patiently. His heart raced with the implications. There were others out there he knew, and he was sure some were good people and some were crazy, like the old woman he’d run into earlier today. There were also dangerous people as well. Those he did have to worry about. He doubted the vehicle would stop at his place specifically, especially now that the generator was off. He was glad now that he’d left it off while he’d been gone.
He was sure there were enough homes out there, filled with food and supplies to keep others busy and away from his home. He sat still as stone as the car drew closer. He could see it was an SUV of some kind. His breath came in shallow pants, someone had a flashlight, that moved around the homes, searching. Searching for what? He watched as the light danced across the homes. Were they looking for a special home? A specific address? Was someone looking for a loved one? It was after midnight, and Brian wasn’t a fool, they were looking for trouble. If they stopped at his home, they’d find trouble there.
His Glock lay in his lap, waiting for the SUV to draw near. As they passed, the flashlight played over him and the vehicle slowed down more. Brian waited; his mouth now dry. He didn’t raise his weapon yet. The SUV now stopped and Brian waited. The flashlight once more played over his body. He lifted the weapon and now aimed it at the SUV, which to his satisfaction, pulled away and resumed its course, though a little faster
