The Damaged Climate Series (Book 2): Drought Warning Read online

  “What happened to your arm?” Ryan was able to get to a standing position. Being on the ground left him vulnerable and he didn’t know how fast this would escalate.

  “I fell on it.”

  “It didn’t come in contact with her, did it?” Steve asked.

  Ryan watched the girl. She wasn’t even registering that someone had stumbled across them. Her body was motionless, her breathing shallow, and she hardly moved. Animal attacks seemed to be getting more common and if drought conditions ensued, they’d be coming around more often to look for water and food sources.

  The stranger cocked his head to the side and closed more ground between them. He was so filthy that he looked like a zombie. He still gripped the revolver tight in his hand, never raising it high enough to hit them if he did pull the trigger.

  “You think I got the rabies too?”

  “I didn’t say that,” Steve replied. “Put the gun down. We aren’t here to hurt you.”

  “You’re not taking her to see a doctor. You’re not taking me either. Just leave us be so we can die alone. It’s better this way. It’s better we go now instead of lingering and suffering.”

  Ryan slowly took a step forward. He had his gun in his pocket but had no intention of pulling it. He didn’t want to come off hostile in an already fragile situation. Glancing at the child, he smiled, but she didn’t acknowledge it. She was already moving into a comatose state. There would be no saving her.

  “It’s probably too late for her. But we can help you. You’re not showing symptoms yet. That looks pretty fresh.”

  “No.” He shook his head furiously. “How do you know I’m not showing symptoms?” He laughed and lifted the gun in the air and dropped it again. “I should follow you both back where you came from and expose you all to it. Wipe out Harper Springs for good. I’d be doing you a favor.”

  “No sir, I wouldn’t want you to do that. We just want to help.” Ryan wondered why he was even bothering with it, but his conscience couldn’t leave it alone because of the child. “We’ll head back to town. Godspeed.”

  “Is that how it’s gonna be?” The man aimed the gun at him this time, right between his eyes. His laugh was evil and his smile exposed rotten teeth. Had this been a movie, it’d seem like the zombie apocalypse, but it was a case of rabies, a common problem with wildlife. Ryan couldn’t risk it spreading. They were already fragile. One drop of blood would mean a death sentence for those who remained.

  “You don’t want to shoot me, Mister.” Ryan watched the gun shake in his hand. He could take him with no problem. “She’s your daughter, isn’t she?”

  The man took a few steps closer and the gun was only a foot away from Ryan. “Leave her out of this. She’s already dead.”

  He reached his arm out and if Ryan moved an inch, the barrel would be pressed into his forehead. He didn’t move and even made it a point to hold his breath. Staring into the stranger’s eyes, he feared the worst. One drop would compromise everything he was working for.

  “I think I am going to do that. I’m going to go seek medical treatment and kill everyone. It’ll be a slow death, but it’ll be quicker than trying to wait out the hell we’re living.”

  The man was insane. Ryan couldn’t blame him – if he had been infected he’d probably lose his mind too. “Don’t dishonor your daughter that way. What would she think of you if she knew you purposely did this to us?” He could see Steve in his peripheral vision and wondered if he was carrying a weapon.

  “I told you to leave her out of this. I’m going to do it. I’m going to kill all of you. And it starts with you.”

  He pointed his index finger at Ryan and just as he went to lunge forward, a gunshot rang out. Birds flew from the branches above, their wings flapping loudly against the silence. Ryan backed away, making sure no blood got on him. The man fell to his knees, clutching his midsection as he landed face first on the ground below. It was a major risk to shoot him at point blank range but it was the only chance Ryan had before he was attacked.

  Glancing at the girl, her blank expression stared up at the sky. She was gone before her father and Ryan was thankful she hadn’t witnessed his death. Circling the body, he felt the emotions catch in his throat.

  “Any blood get on me?” he asked Steve, looking at his friend for clarification.

  “No. I think he was far enough away that you were out of range.”

  “That’s two men I’ve killed now.” He couldn’t take his eyes off of the lifeless bodies.

  “Because you had to, Ryan. He was crazy! He was threatening all of our lives!”

  Ryan appreciated the justification of why it happened but it still didn’t eliminate the bitter taste of being the man behind the trigger. A loss of life was a loss of life. The unfortunate circumstances made it worse.

  “You ever take a life, Steve?”

  “No. I never have.”

  Ryan patted him on the shoulder. “I hope you never have to.”

  Chapter Six

  Ryan and Steve came back sooner than Cecilia was expecting. Ryan didn’t say anything to her, bypassing her as he went to the restroom. His posture slumped and he looked distraught. It was typical of him to duck her when something was bugging him but she wanted to know what it was. She didn’t know Steve well, and though it was going to be awkward, she had to find out what happened out there.

  “Hey, Steve. Everything okay?”

  “How’s your boy doing?” He side-stepped her question and she appreciated his concern despite the fact that it was his subtle attempt at avoiding her question.

  “He’s been awake more today. I don’t think it has set in yet but he is doing better.” She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and eyed the bathroom. Ryan hadn’t come out yet and her stomach clenched at the possibilities of what could have happened. “Did something happen?”

  Steve arched his eyebrow and swayed – was it a nervous tick? The man was pretty much a stranger to her but she was keen to telling when someone was apprehensive.

  “The oil well that burned last night is totaled. We found another that has a little in it but no way to protect it.” He took his baseball cap off and twirled it on his finger and avoided eye contact with her.

  “And what else? I thought y’all would be out longer.”

  “I’ll let Ryan tell you. It’s not my place, ma’am.”

  Cecilia darted toward the restroom. She didn’t care that it was designated for men. Pushing the door open, she stopped in mid-step when she saw Ryan staring into a mirror on the far wall. There was one sink that didn’t work with the electricity out but he leaned on it, his cold gaze sending a chill down her spine.

  “Ryan?”

  He glanced at her and back to the mirror and didn’t say anything. Picking his bag up off of the floor, he started to leave, but Cecilia stood in his way. She was petite and he towered over her. He could have easily moved her if he really wanted to but he backed away, ducking his head.

  “What is going on, Ryan?”

  “Nothing. I don’t know...” he trailed off, his voice transitioning to a whisper.

  “What do you mean, you don’t know? I asked Steve and he told me I better ask you. Please, what happened?”

  “We found some oil. It’s okay right now but I can’t say it will be an hour from now.” He raked his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. “I’ve killed two men, Cecilia.” His green eyes were wide, his thick eyebrow arched as he let it out.

  “Just now?”

  “No. One a few weeks back. A looter who held Steve hostage. And today, another. His daughter had rabies. And… I couldn’t take a chance on him infecting everyone. He threatened to come spread it.”

  Cecilia’s heart sank. Her husband stood before her, hurt and upset over what he had done. “You were protecting us, Ryan. It wasn’t murder. Did he have rabies too?”

  “I don’t know. He was...” He motioned his hands as he tried to think up the right word. “He was aggressive. He held a gun on
me and came close to shooting me. I did what I had to do, right? Was it the right decision?”

  “Yes, Ryan. You did what you had to do for the safety of all of us. You couldn’t risk letting him come infect all of us.”

  “I don’t know if he really would have. What if he was talking in anger because of his daughter? We all say things we don’t mean in times of tragedy.”

  “It’s a risk we can’t take. And if he came at you, it’s definitely self-defense. Look at me, Ryan.” She grabbed his hand and kissed the back of it, her heart breaking for him. His eyes were red and tired and he looked like Ty when he had been caught doing something wrong. “You said so yourself. Times are different now. We are in survival mode. No one is going to fault you for making the decisions you have made.”

  “We can stand here and justify it all we want, hon, but any loss of human life is like a punch to the stomach. And it ruined the rest of the day. We don’t have time for this...”

  “Did the girl die?”

  “Yeah. She was pretty much dead when we came up on them.”

  “Oh my God, Ryan. Did any blood get on you? Any of his bodily fluids?” Her pulse quickened and she checked him over. There was no blood on his clothes or skin but the possibility was still there.

  “No, I don’t think so. He didn’t get that close to me, but he would have.”

  “I wonder if the doctor has the vaccine, just in case. If he does, Ryan, you should probably do it. I don’t know much about rabies but I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

  “What are the chances that he’d have the rabies vaccine here? Nothing got on me.”

  Cecilia left the restroom and weaved in between a few people, her mind set on finding the doctor. She ignored Darryl and didn’t even hear what he asked her as she passed by Ty’s bed – he was probably asking if Ryan was okay and she couldn’t honestly answer it.

  Thankfully, the doctor wasn’t with another patient. “Hello, Mrs. Gibson. How can I help you?”

  “Do you happen to have the rabies vaccination down here?” It probably was far-fetched but she had to ask.

  “I think we have a couple of series. I only kept a few in stock at the clinic and they were kept in the basement along with my other supplies. Who has been exposed?”

  “Ryan. But I don’t know if he has been. There was a situation today and would it be a good practice to at least give him the vaccination as a precaution?”

  The doctor folded his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. “If you think there is a good possibility that he’s been exposed, then yes, it’s good practice to go ahead and administer the vaccination. It’s a series of three shots spanned over about twenty-eight days. Where is Ryan?”

  Just as Cecilia was about to answer, Ryan joined them. He was hesitant but it didn’t take much convincing. It felt too convenient that the doctor would have the vaccine in stock, but they lived in an area where people came into contact with wild animals all the time. It was probably a normal request by patients who came into his clinic. Cecilia would take all of the good luck she could get.

  “Did you get bit by something, Mr. Gibson?” The doctor asked.

  “No. Just came close to someone who was infected with it.”

  “Someone? As in a human?”

  “Yes, sir. A girl and her father. I uhh...” He looked at Cecilia and back to the doctor. “I shot him. He was coming at me and...”

  “You did what you had to do. No explanation needed, Mr. Gibson.” The doctor smiled. “Normally we don’t administer the vaccine to someone who wasn’t actually bit by something rabid but it doesn’t hurt to go ahead and get the vaccine just in case. And with you going out there in the elements, it will also help in case you do happen to get bit. With Ty being vulnerable and your situation, we’ll go ahead and do it as long as you consent to it.”

  “Yeah. If it won’t hurt anything, let’s do it. I don’t want Cecilia to worry and you’re right, I’ll be going up there more often.” He pointed upward, referring to ground-level.

  The doctor sifted through his supplies and pulled a syringe and a small glass bottle. He rubbed Ryan’s bicep with an alcohol pad and sucked the medicine into the syringe. Cecilia watched as he jabbed the needle in his muscle and plunge the vaccine into his body. The corners of Ryan’s eyes crinkled like it hurt, but the doctor finished fast, applying a bandage to stop the small droplets of blood that oozed from the puncture.

  “We’ll need to do another dose in seven days. I’ll keep some aside in case more people need it. After the seven-day dose, we’ll do another in twenty-eight days.”

  “You really think we’ll stick to that with everything going on?” Ryan asked.

  “We’re going to try. I’ll come by in a little while to check on Ty. Take it easy. I don’t want you overdoing it. How’s the leg doing?”

  “It’s holding me up, Doc.”

  “Good. Let’s keep it that way.”

  Cecilia followed Ryan back to Ty’s bedside, a sense of calm enveloping her. The rabies shot might be overdoing it but she didn’t want to take a chance on anything. They had fought too hard to get careless.

  ***

  Ryan couldn’t get the little girl’s face out of his head. Her blank stare and her glossy eyes were haunting and he hated the way it had ended for that family. The father was probably desperate, looking for help, and things took a turn for the worse. It could have easily been him and Ty. The stranger probably wasn’t violent. He was probably an everyday blue-collar guy who kicked back a few beers after work and took pride in his life. And it was all over now.

  “Daddy?”

  Ty pulled him from his thoughts and Ryan was thankful for the intrusion. “Hey, kid. How’s it going?”

  “I’m hungry.”

  “You keep eating so much and you’re gonna get fat.” Ryan laughed and ruffled his hair. “I think the nurse said she was going to bring you some of that yummy oatmeal here in a little while.”

  “I want a cheeseburger. And fries!” The child’s eyes lit up as he listed all of the food he wanted.

  “As soon as we get you better and things get back to normal, we’ll eat all of the junk food we want! Until we get sick! Sound good?”

  “Yeah!”

  “What sounds good?” Cecilia joined them, handing each one of them a bottle of water.

  “A cheeseburger and fries. And an ice cold vanilla Coke.” Ryan’s stomach growled at the thought of it. Would they ever get to indulge in something like that again?

  “Oh, that sounds like heaven!” Cecilia replied. “And don’t forget the ice cream sundae!” She patted Ryan’s leg. “How’s your arm? He used a huge needle on you.”

  Ryan rubbed his bicep. It was sore to the touch and he made a mental note to keep moving it. “It’s fine. Everything is going to be fine.” He had to convince himself that it was true. His outlook on the near future was shot. He couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

  He ruffled Ty’s hair again and joined his father who was out of earshot from Cecilia and Ty. There weren’t that many people in the storm shelter. People were finding more confidence to venture out of the cellar with the lack of storms coming through. The less they spent down inside, the less propane they would burn with the lanterns to keep the room lit up. With the door open during the day, it also helped keep things lit up in the shelter. Everyone who went outside smiled and commented about the new-found freedom of being able to enjoy fresh air, but to Ryan, it was worrisome.

  “What’s on your mind, Ryan?” Darryl nudged him, pulling him from his trance.

  “Who says there’s something on my mind?”

  “I’ve known you for thirty-seven years, Ryan. Since you were a little kid you had the same look when you were perplexed or worried. You’ve been walking around with that expression for days.”

  “How much time you got?” Ryan asked, forcing a smile that was more painful than his injured leg and rabies shot.

  “I’ve got nowhere else to be.” Darry
l spread his hands wide and adjusted his weight in the chair.

  Ryan never felt like he and his father were close enough to have personal discussions. In high school, it felt like he was in the military with the tight ship his father ran. And here they were, years later, getting closer. It was sad that an apocalyptic situation was the saving grace of their relationship.

  “I’m not a meteorologist by any means but the lack of precipitation is concerning. The river drains fast, we all know that. With no help coming, what are we going to do once it runs out?”

  Darryl’s brow creased and he sat forward. “You’re jumping the gun, aren’t you? When was the last storm? Two days ago?”

  “Something like that. But before, we weren’t going two hours without one, you know? And you know as well as anyone how the weather cycles. Rainy season, drought, you name it. I’ve worked the land long enough to see the signs. You’ve done it even longer than me. Even if I’m wrong about the drought, what’s the harm? We’ll have crops in the ground with ample water supply. Not much to lose.”

  “So what is your plan?”

  Ryan skimmed his hand down the band aid covering his rabies shot. It was hurting but nothing compared to the pain in his throbbing leg. “Is it too early to get stuff in the ground? We’ve had plenty of high temperatures to plant. And though I can’t be completely confident about what I’m about to say, I bet there won’t be another hard freeze for a while. Why not start while we’re ahead before the lakes get low?”

  “Ryan, the lakes are over spillway right now.”

  “Yeah, right now, Dad. But what have drought years proved? They evaporate in weeks after temperatures climb over ninety-five degrees. Like I said. What do we have to lose? You just said earlier that you have nothing but time.”

  “Where are we going to get plants and seed?”

  Ryan sighed and glanced over at Cecilia and Ty. He was eating a large bowl of oatmeal, his shoulder still wrapped up where the amputation took place. He hadn’t asked many questions yet but they were coming soon. He was glad Ty was healing and was safe.