Darkness United Read online

  With no way to contact them, Grace prayed for the best, although she knew from reports the big cities were struggling the most. If Portland was in trouble ... She decided not to finish the thought. Worrying about her family did nothing to help. Grace's only consolation was she did not have a significant other anywhere out there. She dedicated her life to the army. Even though there were lovers over the years, no one ever captured her heart.

  Falling in love was not much of an option with the regular change of duty stations. With the new state of the world, Grace was certain her status would never change.

  Walking again, she looked at the variety of boats moored along the docks. There were a handful of sailboats converted to fishing trawlers, which the military enlisted into service. They went out every morning to bring in food for the serviceman as well as the refugees. One of them was

  pulling away while the others were busy with activities for departure. She guessed they were trying to get in and out before the turn in the weather. She also saw the armed soldiers on their decks. According to command, their presence was for security, but Grace knew they were also there to ensure the ship's captain did not make a break for it.

  A few useless yachts and half a dozen other smaller sailboats dotted the slips as well. Unfortunately, the remaining sailboats were not large enough to be much use to the military although an idea occurred to Grace. She could possibly use one of them to do some of her recognizances. Traveling to places like Astoria by boat would be faster and easier than going on foot. Still, there would barely be room for her squad, let alone a crew or any real supplies. With a sigh of frustration, Grace went back to puzzling out how best to fulfill the general's orders.

  Her gaze wandered back to the storm front. The sky grew angrier, and the red tints looked like blood. Grace definitely considered it a bad omen. She could imagine how high the swells would get once the weather really turned bad. I hope no ships get caught in it, she thought. There was no Coast Guard to answer a mayday call.

  WHEN JACKIE WALKED into the gymnasium at Astoria’s middle school, she was shocked by the number of people milling about the tables of the Saturday Farmers Market. It was true this was a new, much smaller, venue for the gathering since the weather turned rainy and the park was not practical, but still, the place was packed. And by a lot of new faces, she thought taking Taylor’s arm as they walked across the crowded space to where Lexi, Anna and the others from the farm set up a couple of tables.

  “Wow,” Jackie said after everyone exchanged greetings.

  “There are so many people here.”

  Alice nodded from behind the table. “And business is good,” she said with excitement in her voice. “I've about traded away all the apple butter I made this week.”

  Jackie furrowed her brow. As good as the news was that people were busy bartering, she did not care for the idea there were more newcomers in town than she realized.

  Taylor leaned into her. “You're frowning,” she said softly.

  “What's wrong?”

  Jackie appreciated her partner always knew when something was not quite right. Her perceptiveness about her surroundings, but especially when it came to Jackie, was one of the reasons she loved the woman.

  “Doesn't it seem like there are a lot of people here?”

  Jackie asked. “New people?”

  Taylor nodded. “I noticed that too,” she answered. “My deputies reported a few groups rolling in, but I wasn't expecting this.”

  Jackie continued to scan the room as a man she did not recognize came toward her. He was middle-aged, with a young boy in his arms. Jackie decided it was time to start tracking down answers. As he strolled up to the table, she took the opportunity to introduce herself.

  “Good morning,” she said with her most welcoming smile. “I don't think we've met.” She held out a hand, and the man shifted the boy to his left arm so he could take it.

  “Hi,” he said with a smile in return. “We just arrived last night. I'm Lou.” He nodded toward the little boy. “And this is Carl.” Carl hid his face in Lou's neck at the introduction. Lou shrugged. “He's a little shy. Been through a lot.”

  Jackie could only imagine. Her own flight from Seattle had been harrowing enough. For a little boy ... she thought as her heart went out to him.

  “Well, it's nice to meet both of you,” she said. “I'm Jackie Scott and –” She started to turn to Taylor when the man

  interrupted.

  “Oh, I know who you both are,” he said, still smiling.

  “You're the ones who saved Astoria and why we are here.

  People pointed you out.”

  Jackie actually did not know how to react, and she glanced at Taylor. Their eyes met and it was clear the woman was equally taken by surprise.

  “Well, I'm not sure if that is true,” Taylor said, recovering first. “But it is good to meet you just the same. Mind if I ask how many came in with you last night?”

  “Seventeen of us. All up from Forest Grove,” he answered.

  Jackie felt a bloom of anxiety in her chest. Seventeen new people arrived overnight? she thought and then an unsettling realization came to her. Where are all these new people living? As if reading her mind, Taylor continued.

  “That's quite a group,” she said smiling but Jackie could see the concern on her face too. “Where are all of you staying exactly?” The housing shortage in Astoria was already an issue after fires took out one neighborhood and a tornado took out another.

  “Oh, we just set up our tents down by the waterfront with the others,” Lou explained apparently not sensing their dismay at the revelation of a possible population explosion.

  At the news, Jackie became almost angry. It seemed unbelievable this happened so quickly, and she was not aware of it.

  After a few more pleasantries with Lou and his boy, Jackie peeled away from the others with Taylor beside her. “And you didn't know about this either?” she asked still having trouble getting her head around the rapid turn of events.

  Taylor blew out a breath. “Not to this extent. But don't get concerned yet,” she said, putting a reassuring hand on Jackie's lower back. “Let's do some trading, say hello to as many of new people as we can, and tomorrow I'll go do a headcount down by the waterfront.” Jackie nodded, not

  entirely convinced Taylor was as unconcerned as she acted.

  Still, she knew from her experience in business, no decision should be made without first having all the facts. Tomorrow they would have a better understanding of Astoria's new residents.

  “Okay,” she finally said. “And do you mind taking Lexi when you go make your count? I’d like her opinion on this as well.”

  Taylor nodded. “Good idea,” she said. “Now, I think we should go welcome some folks to our city.” Jackie let out a deep breath and put on her smile. She readily agreed.

  IN THE CROWDED GYMNASIUM, Anna went from table to table trying to find the perfect gift for Lexi. She had something specific in mind, but so far had not seen it. As she browsed, she suddenly felt a hand on her arm. Looking up, Anna saw the smiling face of a young woman holding a three-month-old baby boy in her arms. Heidi, Anna recalled as she returned the welcoming look. “Oh, Anna, I was so hoping to run into you,” Heidi gushed. “I wanted you to see Patten. He's such a good baby.”

  Smiling, Anna touched the blue blanket wrapped around Patten to pull it back a little and see his sweet face. “Oh, he's adorable,” she said and Heidi beamed.

  “Do you think so, too?” Heidi asked. Anna made a quick visual appraisal of both mother and child. As a nurse practitioner and one of the few medical personnel in Astoria, she was always vigilant. They both looked extremely happy and healthy, and Anna felt a bit of relief. With no electricity and a quickly diminishing supply of medication, Anna knew any real crisis would be difficult to treat. But right now, there is nothing to worry about, she thought and gave Heidi's arm a squeeze.

  “I certainly do,” she answered just as a man joined them.
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  Anna recognized him as Heidi's husband, Tony. He beamed when he recognized her.

  “Hi, Anna,” he said. “Doing a little shopping?”

  Anna nodded. “I am,” she said. “But I'm trying to find a certain table and I can't. Everything is so moved around now that we aren't in the city park anymore.”

  Tony scratched his chin. “What exactly are you looking for?” he asked. “Maybe I've seen it.”

  “Actually,” Anna said. “I'm searching for a typewriter.”

  Both Heidi and Tony looked surprised. Anna continued to explain. “It's going to be a birthday present for Lexi. I think she would enjoy writing stories again.”

  Tony clapped his hands together. “You're in luck,” he said.

  “I know right where that is. Come on.” He waved for Anna to follow. After a few turns through market tables, she stood at the edge of a display with over a dozen old tools on it. A crank meat grinder, a hand drill, and other items which were nothing but conversation pieces until a few months ago.

  Now, they were quite valuable. Among them sat a black manual typewriter. It was in fantastic condition, and Anna started to worry there was no way she could afford it. Trying not to look too excited, she glanced around for whoever was managing the table. A smiling, elderly lady came over.

  Before Anna could ask any questions, Tony put a hand on the woman's shoulder.

  “Anna,” he said. “I'd like to introduce you to my mom.

  Mom, this is Anna Scott. She's the one who delivered Patten in the parking lot the night of the tornados.” The woman held out a hand, and when Anna took it she clasped it tightly.

  “I cannot thank you enough,” she said. “My grandson means everything to me.”

  Tony laughed. “Well, believe it or not, we can,” he said.

  “She’s shopping for a typewriter. And I figured we could give her a good deal.”

  Anna started to shake her head. “Tony, I can’t,” she said, but the man held up a hand to stop her.

  “I know,” he replied. “But Patten is due for a checkup and probably needs a shot or something too. Maybe you could do a house call?”

  Anna laughed. It hardly seemed a fair deal, but her eyes went back to the typewriter. It would be the perfect gift.

  CHAPTER 5

  tanding at the wheel of the Wind Dancer, Meg was Sfrustrated. They were only a day into the latest leg of their journey, with no plans to stop for a week, but it looked like they might not have a choice. When she first saw the bank of dark clouds on the horizon, Meg knew in her heart they were in for a blow. Jimmy's report of a red sky at sunrise did not help her confidence this storm would be something they could easily ride out. Although it was true the size of her ship allowed for navigation through most bad weather, she was never one to take unnecessary risks.

  Especially when the consequences of damaging her vessel would be disastrous to her future plans. Meg was pretty sure there was no place where ships could be repaired these days.

  After consulting the map in her cabin, she picked a possible harbor to duck into should it come down to it. As the day grew late and she stood at the ship's wheel, Meg was glad she took the time. Cold rain slashed diagonally across the deck, and gusting winds whipped the sails back and forth against their ropes. Thirty-foot and greater swells tried to force the ship off course as they crashed along the bow occasionally even washing over the railing. Having been raised on fishing boats since she was adopted as a twelve-year-old, Meg was not afraid. She worked the wheel steering into the waves with a practiced hand. Sailing was simply second nature.

  Under

  normal

  circumstances,

  when

  they

  had

  sophisticated communication equipment, diesel backup engines, and electric bilges, Meg would just batten down

  everything and ride it out. The problem was she had access to none of those things anymore, and the storm looked to only be getting started. “What do you think, Jimmy?” Meg called over the wind. “Run along with this storm or find a port?” The man rubbed his hand along the dark stubble on his jaw. She watched him give a long look at the ever-darkening sky.

  “It’s about sundown,” he replied. “If we had more daylight, I'd say go for it. But ...” He shrugged, and Meg nodded.

  She agreed with his assessment. Trying to sail safely in the dark without any sort of working navigation system was not worth the risk. There were no lighthouses or buoy signals to warn them if they drifted close to shore. The last thing I want to do is sail us into a sand spur, she thought. Or worse, a pile of rocks.

  “Okay,” she said. “We are on the same page. Take over, and I’ll go doublecheck the landmarks for the harbor I want us to shoot for.”

  Jimmy took the ship’s wheel as Meg started across the wooden deck for her cabin.

  “You bet,” he said. “So, where are we headed?”

  Meg glanced over her shoulder. “Just a little port,” she called as the wind tried to steal her words. “Someplace called Aberdeen.”

  HELPING SAM WITH THE usual evening chores, Laura carried a fresh bowl of drinking water out to the back porch. Sam was there watching the antics of the four dogs as they pranced about waiting for their dinner, and the sight made Laura smile. But when the three-month-old pup, Rascal, got his legs twisted around each other in his excitement and did a faceplant in the grass, she laughed. Turning to say

  something about it to Sam, she noticed the woman was not laughing with her. In fact, she hardly broke a grin. It was all Laura needed to confirm something was very wrong with her Sam. For the last twenty-four hours the usually carefree, happy-go-lucky woman was quiet and seemed distracted.

  “Sam, are you okay?” she asked.

  Sam did not immediately answer. Instead, she set down the bowls of scraps she held and paused to look away into the distance. A ball of anxiety started to form in Laura's stomach. She had no idea what Sam was about to tell her, but she was sure it was bad news.

  Finally, Sam faced her. She grasped Laura's hands and took a deep breath before answering. “Laura,” she started and then seemed to lose her courage. Laura squeezed Sam's hands, wanting to reassure her, no matter what was on her mind. Sam gave her a small smile of thanks in return.

  “I love you, Laura,” she continued. “With all my heart.”

  When the woman did not continue, Laura nodded. The words were ones she could never hear enough, but there was definitely something else coming.

  “I love you too, Sam,” she said. “Now tell me what is bothering you.”

  Sam swallowed hard, but then a look of determination came into her eyes.

  “I want to go on a scout,” she said and then paused, apparently waiting for Laura to react.

  Furrowing her brow, Laura tried to figure out what exactly Sam was talking about. What’s a scout? she thought.

  “I don’t know what that means,” she finally said and watched Sam’s face start to brighten as she explained.

  “Like exploring,” she said. “I want to take Lester and ride to Portland, or nearby, to see how other towns are doing.”

  Laura blinked as the information registered. It only took a second for her to recognize Sam, her love, was talking about riding her horse into danger. She started to shake her head, but Sam was not deterred.

  “Before you say no, think about all the good it could do. I can look for the supplies we need. Maybe someone has extra medicine? Or tools we could use?” she explained and then quieted her voice to a whisper. “What if someone’s figured out how to turn the power back on, and we just don’t know it?”

  Tears sprang to Laura’s eyes. She was wise enough to know Sam’s plan was exactly the right thing to do. But why does it have to be her? she wondered. There were lots of other people in Astoria. Before she said as much, she stopped herself. Even she knew Sam was the best choice.

  The woman she loved was courageous, good with a map and compass, and had Lester. Not to mention lik
ed by everyone she met. Sam was the perfect emissary. All those facts did not make hearing Sam's idea sit any better with her.

  “How long would you be gone?” she asked reasoning that a few days would be bearable. It was always hard to be away from Sam, but clearly, the trip was something Sam really wanted to do.

  Sam smiled, and Laura saw the relief in her eyes that Laura was not fighting her on this.

  “I'd leave right after Lexi's birthday,” she explained. “And then be back by Christmas.”

  Laura felt a weight suddenly press on her chest. “That is almost a month,” she whispered.

  Sam answered by pulling her into a hug.

  “I know, sweetheart,” she said. “But it will go by quickly. I promise.”

  Laura knew it most definitely would not.

  AS THE STORM OUTSIDE whipped the sides of the large canvas tent where Grace worked and lived, she tried to get

  some rest. It proved impossible. She was always a light sleeper, but since the apocalypse, she woke instantly at even the faintest sound. The roaring of the wind and rain made it a challenge to sleep. With a groan, she rolled onto her side and clamped her eyes shut. It took a moment for her to recognize the sound of knocking at the door to the tent. Rubbing her face to wake up, she reached for the flashlight on the table beside her cot where she slept and took a quick glance at the wind-up watch on her wrist. It read half-past one o’clock in the morning. This can’t be good, she thought and sat up. “Who is it?” she asked.

  “Private Cooper, ma'am,” a woman's voice answered.