Long Road to Survival: The Prepper Series (Book 2) Read online

  “Yeah, that’s what you think.”

  “He hates needles,” Susan told the nurses gathered in a half-circle around her father.

  The head nurse held up what looked like a plastic gun. “Mr. Baker, this is an auto-injector. It shoots the inoculation directly into the body.”

  Paul nodded. “Your backside won’t hurt for more than a day or two.”

  Susan elbowed him in the ribs. “You’re not helping.” She turned to the nurses. “Why don’t you let me see if I can help.”

  As his daughter approached, Buck’s arms fell to his sides, his face returning to a measure of sanity. Slowly, Buck pulled the drawstrings of his robe and tied them together. With the awkward balance of a man who’d come awake in the middle of the night, Buck moved to the examination table and sat down.

  “You’re in remarkable shape for a man your age,” the head nurse told him. “But what you need now, Mr. Baker, is some rest and relaxation.”

  Buck seemed to agree. Susan put her hand on his good shoulder.

  “Now, roll over onto your stomach and undo the back of your robe,” the nurse said in a soothing voice.

  Buck hesitated.

  “Go ahead, Dad. You’re okay.”

  The head nurse addressed Paul and Autumn. “You two can stay as well to hold his hand if you’d like.”

  Paul laughed. “If I see whatever that robe is hiding, I may be scarred for life.”

  “You will when you see what a real man looks like,” Buck shouted, lying face down on the examining table.

  Just then a beautiful woman appeared in the doorway and everyone in the room, including Buck, turned to watch her.

  In her mid-forties and stunning, the woman was dressed in a slim-fitting grey jacket and skirt. With skin the color of almond milk and her dark hair tied up in a bun, she was breathtaking. Despite her beauty, there was something about this woman that made it clear she wasn’t to be trifled with. Her gaze shifted from Paul, to Susan, then to Autumn. “Ava Monroe,” she told them. “I’m Director Van Buren’s assistant. The three of you need to come with me.”

  They looked from one to another with a growing sense of unease. Were they in trouble?

  If ever Buck had reason to jump around and create a scene it was now, but the old guy’s expression had changed. Gone was the suspicion from a second ago. Buck’s face was strangely gentle, and Paul couldn’t shake the impression that his father-in-law had just experienced one of those rarest of emotions: love at first sight.

  Chapter 6

  They were standing outside the infirmary in a brilliantly lit hallway that looked like something from a spaceship.

  “There’s no need to worry,” Ava told Paul, pressing flat the seams of her skirt. “You and your family are not in trouble. I’m simply here to give you a tour of the facility.”

  The air escaped his lungs along with his anxiety.

  “Our own private tour?” Susan asked with a touch of suspicion. His wife’s striking red hair was tangled and unkempt and Paul could see she was feeling self-conscious in the company of a woman this beautiful. “What’d we do to deserve the VIP treatment?”

  Ava’s lips nearly curled into a grin, but didn’t. “Believe me, none of you are being given special treatment. As we make our way through the Ark’s various facilities we’ll be seeing lots of other groups. Mr. Victor Van Buren thought that since we’ll all be spending some time together, it was best that our civilian guests be shown around.”

  “Van Buren?” Paul said. “He run this place?”

  “Think of him as the appointed mayor.”

  Susan shook her head. “What you really mean to do is show us where we can and can’t go.”

  Autumn tugged at her mother’s sleeve. “Mom, be nice.”

  Ava paused. “Please let me remind you, Mrs. Edwards, that you and your family are currently in a top-secret government facility. Our instructions were to seal the blast doors and leave civilians on the other side and yet the director defied protocol and did exactly the opposite. And you’re right, some parts of the facility are strictly off-limits, but that’s to prevent sensitive information being leaked to the very people who may wish to destroy us.”

  The muscles in Susan’s face settled. “You’re absolutely right. Please accept my apology.”

  “Hey, this whole situation is messed up,” Paul chimed in. “We’ve been through a lot in the last few days and tensions are high. We don’t mean any disrespect.”

  “And none was taken,” Ava replied. “Whether we like it or not, we’re all in this together. Part of that means learning to trust one another.” She motioned to Buck, who had wheeled his bed over for a better look. “As for your father, once he’s back on his feet, I’ll show him around personally.”

  Buck leaned back with a grin that covered his entire face.

  “I’m sure he can’t wait,” Paul said.

  They were on the tram when Ava described the bunker’s layout. “As you may have already discovered, portions of Sugarloaf Mountain were hollowed out to accommodate the bunker’s four main facilities. Ark One is a ten-story structure which houses the living quarters along with the mess hall and entertainment area. Meals are served at 0900, 1200 and 1800 respectively. Forty-five minutes is the allotted time to eat. Miss your window and you don’t eat.”

  Autumn crinkled her lip. “Ouch.”

  “The entertainment area contains a movie theatre with seating for three hundred. Nearby is a games room where residents can unwind playing pool, foosball, table tennis, cards, what have you.”

  “What’s table tennis?” Paul asked.

  Susan punched his shoulder. “Uh, ping-pong.”

  “I knew that.”

  The tram sped through the tunnel as Ava went on. “For those who are so inclined, the living quarters also house a fully equipped gym.”

  “It sounds more like a country club than a bunker,” Paul observed.

  “That’s precisely why we don’t use the term bunker,” Ava replied. “A bunker’s an ugly slab of concrete with dim corridors and tiny square rooms. The sort of place where Hitler spent his final days. The Ark is new, modern, spacious, perhaps the only one of its kind.”

  She seemed to be savoring the words the way a connoisseur might savor a vintage bottle of wine.

  The tram slowed and then came to a gentle stop. The doors slid open with a hiss and the four stepped onto the platform marked Ark Two. Ava led them through a set of doors into what might have passed for the reception area of an office building. People here were mostly dressed in either white medical robes or orange coveralls. But all moved with a purpose, flashing identification cards at wall panels to open doors or pass through turnstiles. Two guards sat at a desk lined with monitors while another pair roamed the corridors, disappearing out of view. An elevator opened and took on a group of workers heading for God knew where.

  “This is the science and engineering wing,” Ava explained. “The upper floors of each Ark contain additional residences for those working in each area.”

  “Where do you stay?” Paul asked, resulting in an elbow from Susan. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “I stay in Ark Three, the administration and COG department.”

  “So I guess the living quarters are sorta like steerage on the Titanic?”

  Ava checked her watch, seeming to ignore the comment.

  “COG?” Autumn wondered out loud.

  “Continuity of government.”

  That was when the stark reality of the situation hit Paul. This wasn’t a country club or some fancy vacation spot. This was the country’s final and desperate attempt to hold itself together before it was ripped apart by anarchy.

  Ava waved her hand in front of her. “Electricity from the Greers Ferry Dam nearby is sent via underground cables to Ark Two. If the outside supply is somehow cut off, deep reservoirs of diesel fuel will power a series of generators for a month or more. Ark Two is also responsible for sustaining life in other ways. Air from outsid
e is drawn inside, purified and circulated throughout the main facilities.”

  “What about water?” Paul asked, suddenly becoming aware that his throat was parched.

  “A massive aquifer beneath the mountain is our main source. Should that run dry, there are reservoirs available in addition to the ones dedicated to cooling the generators. If push comes to shove, we always have Greers Ferry Lake.”

  “It sounds like this place has backup plans for the backup plans.”

  This time Ava did smile, sort of. “Is there any other way?”

  Just then they heard a familiar voice behind them. They turned to find Brett, wearing green fatigues and looking bashful. “I was hoping I could steal Autumn away for a moment,” he said. “Show her around a bit.”

  Paul opened his mouth to tell Brett, “Thank you very much, but she’s already on a tour,” when Susan cut him off.

  “I think that’s a fine idea, Brett. As long as you’re okay with it, Autumn.”

  His daughter was beaming. Her cheeks, touched with the remains of a summer tan, now glowed a brighter shade of red.

  The two of them left, leaving Paul concerned. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” he half whispered to Susan.

  “I knew what you were going to say and I think you need to relax a bit.”

  “Relax? We hardly know this boy.”

  Susan fixed him with one of those stares which usually signaled trouble. “That boy is the only reason we’re alive right now. If it wasn’t for him we’d probably be dead along the interstate from radiation poisoning. Besides, he’s kind of cute and Autumn could use the distraction.”

  “That’s what you thought about the last one and look what happened there.”

  He had a point and he could see it slowly registering in Susan’s eyes. Chet had also seemed nice before Susan had been forced to plunge a knife into his back.

  “This one’s different,” she protested. “I can feel it in my gut.”

  Paul folded his arms. Brett hadn’t needed to lend them a hand, she was right about that. She was also right about him saving their lives. Paul swallowed hard, making an audible clicking sound. “Okay, but the first sign of trouble and I’m calling it off.”

  Susan smiled. “Your daughter’s a stronger person than you sometimes give her credit for, Paul.”

  He winced. Perhaps she had a point there too.

  Ark Three, the administrative area, was the next stop on their tour. This place was occupied almost entirely by military personnel along with government types in dark suits. Ava led them up a few floors and into an impressive command center. The focal point was a semicircular wall brimming with giant screens. Each displayed a map with a portion of the country. Many showed red blobs, which Ava told them represented nuclear fallout. Facing that wall were rows of desks with men and women in front of computers, wearing headsets. There was so much frantic action that it was difficult to catch more than a word or two from any one of them. As they were turning to leave, another tour group of wide-eyed civilians entered behind them. More and more this was starting to feel like a trip to Disney’s Epcot Center.

  “In a worst-case scenario,” Ava told them once outside, “the remaining congressman and senators will take up residence here to continue running the country.”

  “But this place already seems kinda full,” Paul noted. “I mean, there are over five hundred members of Congress with another four hundred in the Senate. Where would you put them all?”

  She didn’t answer, not at first, but Paul thought he already knew the answer to that. “But what about the rest of us in the living quarters?”

  Ava looked grim. “You’re right, the Ark is already operating at near full capacity. Let’s just hope we never need to make those kinds of decisions.”

  By the time they reached the fourth and final area of the bunker, the heavy mood had been dispelled.

  “Wow, so this is the Park we’ve heard so much about,” Susan exclaimed as they exited the airlock.

  All at once Paul was hit with a barrage of sensations. A cool breeze, the smell of pine trees and another sound he couldn’t believe.

  “Are those real birds I hear chirping?”

  Ava nodded with pride.

  The size of the place was more than impressive. If each of the other Arks formed a triangle, then the edges of the Park probably touched each of the tunnels connecting them. Paul glanced up at the ceiling only to shield his eyes from what looked like a glaring sun.

  “How is this possible?”

  “An LED projector that emits white light in a spectrum designed to mimic rays of sunlight,” Ava explained. “In order to simulate Rayleigh scattering, we’ve added a thin coating of nanoparticles. It’s easily the largest indoor biosphere on earth.”

  A small bridge led across a babbling brook and onto a gravel path. But there wasn’t only a single path, there were several and they led in a number of different directions. All around was lush grass and every kind of deciduous tree you could imagine. Even more impressive was a large body of water with people in rowboats, enjoying a beautiful summer’s day. The three of them crossed the bridge and followed the path, Paul marveling at the sights around him, big and small—the wind whispering through the leaves, the gravel crunching under his feet. He was in a dream, he was sure of it.

  Susan pointed to a field where animals were playing in the grass. Paul wanted to rub his eyes. “Are those cats and dogs?” he asked in disbelief.

  Ava nodded. “We have over fifty species in the Park. All of them specially bred to coexist in the Ark. We’ve… tempered their more aggressive genetic traits.”

  “In a moment, I just know Susan’s gonna nudge me to stop snoring.”

  Susan giggled, sounding like the young woman he’d known years ago.

  “When I told you the Ark was one of a kind, I wasn’t exaggerating,” Ava told them. “Like the real sun, the lights above will track across the sky, changing to shades of red, orange and yellow. In the evening, another set will illuminate to simulate stars. We knew how important it was for the human psyche to have reminders of the outside world. This is why the digital windows in your living space show scenes of the outdoors and why we included a park filled with the sights and sounds of nature.”

  Paul shook his head in amazement. “Cats and dogs getting along. If ever I needed proof that the world was ending, this was it.”

  “But this isn’t the end,” Ava told him. “Think of it as a new beginning.” She smiled, this time for real.

  If ever there was a Garden of Eden, Paul thought, this was it.

  Chapter 7

  Autumn was on the main floor of Ark One doing the last thing she would ever have expected. Before her, Brett slid across the smooth wooden floor, releasing the heavy bowling ball with the flick of his wrist and watching as it spun towards its target in lazy circles. His pose made Autumn giggle—right arm in the air, right leg behind him and pointed at an unusual angle. The shiny black ball roared forward, barreling into the stack of pins, knocking them all over.

  “Strike!” He straightened, a beaming smile on his lips, his spiky blonde hair and handsome features accentuated by the warm glow of the lights overhead. He was still wearing his military uniform, which made him even more irresistible.

  Brett tumbled into the seat beside her. “Guess that means I won the bet.”

  “What bet?”

  He grinned. “You don’t remember? If I won, you’d let me treat you to lunch. If you won, you’d let me treat you to lunch.”

  Autumn laughed. “I don’t remember having that conversation.”

  “Early onset of Alzheimer’s. You better look into that.”

  She slapped him playfully, becoming conscious of the grumbling in her belly.

  “I hope you didn’t hear that,” she said, mortified.

  Brett stared directly in her eyes. “Hear what?”

  Not long after they made their way into a large mess hall. Rows of skylights overhead filled the room wit
h artificial brilliance while circular tables filled an almost endless white room. Workers in coveralls moved past them, carting food supplies to be stored away. Seemed Autumn and the other refugees who had arrived weren’t the only ones getting sorted. But this was less of a restaurant than it was a beautiful-looking cafeteria. From the pristine lunch line came the vague odor of meatloaf and spaghetti sauce. A few of the tables were already being occupied by residents waiting for lunch service to begin.

  Brett took Autumn by the hand and led her up to the counter. He handed her a tray and grabbed one for himself. He was such a gentleman. This was the kind of thing she could get used to.

  As they approached the serving line a woman began to tell them lunch wouldn’t be for another ten minutes. Brett waved a white keycard with his picture on it. She nodded and asked them what they’d like to eat.

  Autumn couldn’t help but be impressed. He ordered the beef stew while she chose the lasagna.

  “I like a girl with an appetite,” Brett told her.

  Seeing them with food, a man rose from a nearby table and approached the lunch line, only to be turned away.

  “I play a lot of sports,” she explained. “I’m not your typical salad-and-water type girl.”

  “I like it.”

  They sat and he asked about the sports she played and where she’d gone to school. She wanted so badly to tell him she’d played for the Panthers, but the truth was she’d never got an opportunity to try out, not before things went crazy.

  As they ate, Brett continued to ask questions. He wanted to know everything about her. The sad truth was there wasn’t a whole lot to say. She’d grown up in Nebraska. Her father owned a music store and her mother worked in real estate. Even with the pressure to make her life sound more exciting, she purposely didn’t mention the rock band her father had once been a part of. It wasn’t like Brett would know who The Wanderers were, nor did they have millions to show for it. Besides, no one wanted to be caught bragging over something that wasn’t all that impressive.