Tornado Warning (10 page)

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Ryan, but no one is coming.”

“What? How do you know that?”

“It’s like we are the only ones left. It’s no man’s land out there. I never thought a tornadic system would have that kind of power, but from what I’ve seen, we are dealing with something massive that no one has ever experienced before. Between my place and yours, I only ran across two other people. And they weren’t good people.”

“What do you mean?”

“Looters. They killed my neighbors just to get their food supply. We have to be careful. They could be coming this way.”

Ryan closed his eyes and hoped that he would wake up from this bad dream, but the harsh reality stared him in the face. “There were a couple of guys that came through here a few days ago, but I was able to chase them off. I didn’t think it was that bad, just that emergency services were spread thin so we’d have to be patient and wait until they got to us. Surely somebody has figured out what is going on and they are sending help.”

Darryl stepped toward the cellar. “I wouldn’t bet on it.  With cell phones down, there’s no way to call. And if cell phones are down, other means of communication are as well. No internet either. We don’t even know how much ground these storms covered. With the damage I witnessed on the way over, we can’t rule anything out, Ryan. Miles and miles of destruction and death. It could’ve easily stayed organized enough to go right on into Oklahoma and Kansas, and even other parts of Texas.”

“I understand how FEMA and Red Cross can’t get in due to the damage, but can’t they fly in?” Ryan looked up at the sky. He was afraid of what he might see – the dark clouds threatened them with rain.

“Probably can’t get through with the unstable atmosphere. And with all signals down, it’s too iffy to fly anyway.”

“I wish I could get some news or something. It’s like we’ve been forgotten.”

“We’ve either been forgotten or we are the last few left to survive. I’d say we were lucky, but I bet that food supply you talked about isn’t enough to hold you over much longer, is it?”

Ryan shook his head. “No. A few more days. Maybe a week. I’m eating really small portions so Ty can have more to keep his strength up, but he has lost his appetite. I was hoping someone would be here by now. It never crossed my mind that no one would come or that this weather system had the capability of killing off everyone from here to Canada. I still don’t think it did.” Ryan piled up a few more branches, his plans of using them seeming ridiculous at the moment. Looking back at his dad, he grit his teeth. “You really think that whatever this is has cut us off from the rest of the world, indefinitely?”

Darryl stared off toward the mountains and took a second to answer. “That’s best case scenario. But honestly, I think we’re dealing with something unfathomable and unprecedented. If it was normal, the National Weather Service would have been on top of it and we wouldn’t be in this situation. Best case scenario is that they’re working on getting to us, but since I’m being honest, I’ll say this much – it’s gonna get a hell of a lot worse before it gets better.”

Chapter Ten

Ryan sat in a lawn chair across from his dad and Ty. He was good with his grandson, and it seemed to lift up the child’s spirits when he saw his grandfather shimmy down the side of the cellar. Ryan couldn’t get his mind to slow down. His father had never acted crazy before. It took a lot to get him riled up. Hearing him talk like he had about the storms was probably credible, but Ryan had to keep hope that someone out there was working to get to them.

He finished off a can of potted meat and tossed the metal can in a trash bag. He was stockpiling what he could, viewing the world from a hoarder’s perspective, thinking he could use everything some way. The lid could be used as a knife if he could maneuver it enough to make a blade.

Now that his father was there, they’d go through their supplies quicker. He hadn’t eaten much and made sure Ty had what he needed, but Ryan couldn’t deny the man food. Sifting through the bags, he wished he had bought more that day at the grocery store, but who would have made plans to be stranded for an undetermined amount of time? Preparing for a few nights was one thing, but issues after tornadoes were resolved quicker than this in normal circumstances.

Kneeling beside Ty, he handed him some water. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m hurting. Grandpa looked at my arm.”

“Yeah? And what did he say?” Ryan looked up at Darryl and back to his son.

“I just said that we need to clean it up again.” Darryl stood up and motioned Ryan away from Ty, his brow creased in worry. “It’s infected, Ryan. And his eyes...” Darryl glanced at Ty. “His pupils aren’t dilating.”

“How am I supposed to keep him from sleeping? What do you think we need to do?”

“He’s resting and that is good. His arm concerns me. How in the hell did it happen?”

Ryan didn’t like Darryl’s accusatory tone, but it wasn’t the time or place to argue with him. “I’m not sure. We got down in the cellar and after it was all said and done, he, you know… I already feel guilty enough. I’ve debated with what I should do. Do we leave the cellar and risk being out there when another storm comes? Do we abandon our food and water? And I sure as hell wasn’t going to leave him alone!” Ryan’s voice raised and echoed.

“I know, Ryan. It’s a tough spot to be in, and I wish I could tell you what to do.”

“And Cecilia… Son of a bitch! We’re in the twenty-first century. How in the hell can something like this happen?” Ryan had been on the verge of losing his cool for a few days, and suddenly, in front of his dad, the walls came tumbling down, exposing his worries. “How can someone not be coming for us?”

“Maybe they are. Maybe I’m wrong about the whole thing and it’s just taking some time. I’m sorry about Cecilia.”

“You talk like you know she’s dead.”

Darryl shook his head. “I don’t know that, Ryan. I didn’t say that.”

Ryan took a deep breath and leaned against the wall. “I know. I’m sorry. I wish we wouldn’t have gotten split up. I wish Ty wasn’t hurting. I’m glad you’re here. I was worried about you and Cecilia’s parents. Maybe she made it to their house.” It was a fat chance. Fox Lake was out of the way from where she was going.

“We’ll figure something out.”

Ryan grabbed the rope. “I’m gonna go for a little walk. I’ve been wanting to go out in my pasture and see if there’s anything in the debris that might be useful but haven’t wanted to get too far away from Ty. I won’t be gone long.”

“Be careful. I don’t have to tell you about watching for storms.”

Ryan patted him on the shoulder and went to ground level. He wanted to look for supplies, but he also wanted to be alone for a while to gather his thoughts. They couldn’t just sit around any longer. With word from his dad on the current situation, the only thing they were doing by waiting was dying slowly. He couldn’t sit around and watch Ty be in pain any longer, and he couldn’t speculate about where Cecilia might be.

When he went back down into the cellar, Darryl was busy cleaning Ty’s arm. The boy was cringing and his eyes were closed, but he was standing strong and taking it like a man. His father was better at the medical stuff – his years of doctoring animals on the farm probably helped with the experience. Ryan watched for a few seconds, feeling more comfortable about his decision after seeing how well his father was doing with Ty. He was a man Ryan could trust, which was the last ingredient he needed in his plan to try and make something happen.

Darryl looked up as he finished with the bandage. “I didn’t see you standing there. How long have you been there?”

“Not long. How’d you get him to relax?”

Darryl pulled a silver flask from his pocket. “The wonders of whiskey.”

“You didn’t...” Ryan cocked his head to the side.

“No, I didn’t, but I did use some of it to help clean the wound. Instant numbing effect. Seemed to work on him. Your boy is gonna be a whiskey drinker.” Darryl laughed and tossed the dirty bandages aside. Standing, he pushed the flask against Ryan’s chest. “Take a drink.”

“Nah, I’m good.”

“It’ll relax you. I’m not saying get trashed on it. It’s for medicinal purposes.”

Ryan unscrewed the lid and took a swig. It was strong and burned, but he savored the taste. He gave it back to his dad. “I’m going to go get some help tomorrow.”

Darryl arched his eyebrow and took a pull from the flask before putting it back in his pocket. “You sure about that?”

Ryan glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “There’s no other option. Ty is hurting. He’s going to lose that arm and more. You said so yourself. It’s infected. And his head...” Ryan stood strong. “I gotta find Cecilia. If I stay here, we’re gonna die. We can’t just keep hoping someone will come. It’ll be too late if we go off of that alone.”

Darryl nodded as they both looked at Ty. “I’m not going to try and talk you out of it. I walked over here.”

“And I’m glad you did, otherwise, I would have to stay here and wait it out. I trust you enough to leave Ty with you so I can do this.”

“You trust me? It’s nice to hear that since we haven’t been on the best terms the last few years.”

Ryan blinked back the warmth in his eyes. “When I get back with help, we can discuss all of that. But right now, I need to get some rest. I’d like to be positive and say I’ll find someone out there fast, but we know the truth.”

“It’s okay to be a realist. Get some sleep, son.”

After checking on Ty one last time and pulling the blankets up around him, Ryan turned off the lanterns, secured the rope that held the door in place, said one last good night to his dad, and laid down on his lawn chair. Sleep didn’t come. He needed rest, but with all of his worries, he thought about different scenarios, and how he’d take it if Cecilia was really dead.

He’d be devastated, and it wouldn’t be good for Ty’s health. What if they never got closure with her? The storm was big enough to send his house flying, leaving no trace of it. It probably did that with people too.

Laying on his side, it was so dark that he wasn’t sure where he was facing. He could hear his father snoring nearby, envying the fact that he had fallen asleep. It was a shame he didn’t have a book to read. That was always a good way to get sleepy when insomnia plagued him. He had to come to terms with the fact that tomorrow might be the last time he’d ever see Ty and his father. But at least he’d go down swinging instead of leading them all to the grave without trying.

Balling up his coat, he used it as a pillow, closing his eyes, begging his mind to shut down so he could sleep just a few hours. That was all he was asking for.

“Ryan?”

He squinted, unable to see his father, but he knew it was him by the sound of his voice. His body ached from the awkward position he was laying in, and when he sat up, Ryan realized the metal door was off, and a small beam of light was cascading in from above.

“What time is it?” Ryan looked down at his watch, blinking away the blurriness. It was seven fifteen, which meant he needed to get moving.

“Ty had a good night. He seems pretty rested this morning. I went ahead and got up and did a few things and let you sleep. Are you still going to head out today?” Darryl poured some coffee in the percolator and lit the camping stove.

“Yeah. I’m not going to talk myself out of it.” Ryan smiled. “I’ve just been making instant coffee every morning. The percolator makes too much for just me.”

“Well, you know me, Ryan. I’ll drink twelve cups by myself.”

Ryan took a metal mug and sipped the coffee. It tasted twenty times better than the instant stuff, and he polished off two cups, drinking them too fast. It’d be the last time he’d have something that tasty, but he saved the rest for his dad to have.

Ryan gathered up a few bottles of water and some Vienna sausages, potted meat, and crackers. The rest he’d leave for them. The canned fruit was tempting, but it was something Ty enjoyed and needed to keep his strength up.

“Is that enough?”

“Yeah. I plan to follow the river for a while. I can always try and fish if I have to. I got some matches and a lighter so I can make a fire at night.”

“Daddy? Are you leaving?” Ty lifted his head, but it fell back on the chair.

Ryan knelt beside him, fluffing his hair. He had to keep cool. If he showed any bit of sadness, Ty would see it. “Yeah, buddy, I’m leaving, but I’ll be back.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to find mommy. And I’m going to get help so we can get you out of here and get you feeling better, okay?”

Ty reached his good hand toward Ryan, clasping their fingers together. “I love you. You’re coming back, right?”

“Yes, I’m coming back. I’m going to find Mommy and I’m coming back. And things will get back to normal. Grandpa is going to stay here and be with you until then. He’s going to take care of you. And you take care of him. Can you do that?”

“I can.”

Ryan kissed Ty’s forehead. “I love you, Ty. I’ll see you soon.”

Turning to his father, Ryan shook his hand. Whispering, he said, “I sure hope I don’t let y’all down.”

“You won’t. It takes a man to go do what you’re doing. I’ll take care of Ty. Be safe, Ryan. Watch the sky. Get to the lowest spot you can find if you find yourself in the path of a storm.” Darryl smiled. “Hell, listen to me. You know what you’re doing. You know how to watch the weather.”

Ryan pulled him in for a hug. “Love you. Thanks for coming. Thanks for taking care of my kiddo.”

“Love you too, Ryan.”

The hardest part about leaving was taking the first step. Ryan told himself not to look back. It would make him want to abort the decision and stay there with Ty, but he couldn’t do it. Hoisting the backpack, he took a sip of water from the canteen his father gave him. It’d keep the water cooler, and if he did stick by the river, it’d be easy to refill. He still had to ration everything he had. There would come a time when he’d have to go a different direction, and water would be scarce.

The handgun was heavy in his pocket. It was added security against wildlife he might run across, and with looters being spotted, some violent, he wouldn’t hesitate to protect himself if he needed to. Ammunition was limited, but he was a good shot, and hopefully, he wouldn’t have to use the gun at all.

It was already hot and humid, so he tied his jacket around his waist. With the extreme fluctuation in temperatures, it wouldn’t be wise to get rid of it. His first instinct was to go toward town. There were community storm shelters where people would go if their homes weren’t equipped with a safe place. Churches often allowed people in their basements. Maybe people in Harper Springs were able to take cover, even with the lack of warning provided.

Ryan wasn’t clear on the timeline of how everything had transpired. Did Cecilia have enough time to make it to town? It felt like she had only left the house a few minutes before the storm barreled down on them.

Now he was starting to second guess himself. Should he follow the highway instead? Maybe he’d run across a vehicle that he could get running, or maybe someone driving through to help would stop and assist. His father’s words echoed in his mind –
No one was coming
. He couldn’t believe that. He couldn’t accept the idea of the rest of the United States leaving them to die. Something had to give. There would eventually be a break in the atmosphere long enough to fly some planes with supplies and medics in. Someone would eventually send mobile crisis units once they could get past the debris and highway closures.

There was about a mile hike from the river to the highway, and if he went between the two, it’d take longer, but he’d walk across more farms where he might run into someone he knew. Instead of the ten-mile walk to Harper Springs, it’d double, but at that moment, he was going to stick with that plan. There would be fish if he ran out of food, and water so he wouldn’t dehydrate himself. There would also be a better chance of running across a cellar or place to hide when more weather came through.

The sun blared down on him like a furnace. It was refreshing to see it for a change, but it was good and bad, depending on how he looked at it. It burned his skin and sweat poured in his eyes. The sun was a major part of supercells forming. The air fed off of daytime heating, and that was his biggest fear. He had a hard time finding where the dry line was. With the drier air, it was probably east of him, and that would keep him safe until it retreated back west with squall lines forming along it.