Protocol One Read online

  “Yes.” Tony nodded.

  “So the plan is to go to the safe locations once a destination is known?”

  Again, Tony nodded. “And hopefully, get there before the news breaks and be safe and sound when the comet hits. The final shelter is supposed to be a safe location for up to three years. By then you emerge and the world is settling.”

  “Emerge to what?”

  “No one knows,” Tony said. “Fleishmann can guess. Just know you’ll be safe and sound for three years.”

  “In theory,” I said.

  “In theory.” Tony waved to the bartender at our final destination, ordering just one more round before we left. I guess it was his way of making the date look legit. “Until the moving day, you’ll be stuck with me. I am the deterrent to keep eyes off of the connection between you and the Senator. You can blame his ex wife on that one. Odd time to be insecure on whether you are gonna show up at the shelter.”

  “But I am. How will she handle that?”

  “You won’t be at the same shelter,” Tony replied. “She’ll be with the presidential group.”

  “That makes sense. So my work and unknowing participation is done.”

  “Yes, sort of.” Tony lifted his drink. “Depending on what shelter, you may have to drive there and you may be responsible for picking up and escorting essential people to the shelter.”

  “Wow, that’s a big responsibility. I would think the government would have ensured their arrival.”

  Tony shook his head. “Not at your shelter.”

  “How many people does this shelter hold?”

  He shrugged. “If I were to guess, fifty, maybe more, but it would be tight.”

  “So there will be fifty people there?”

  “Ten. You, your son, seven essential people, two of which will be there as security and the foil man.”

  “What about you? Gil?”

  “I’ll head to the northwest shelter or east, depending on which one is the main shelter. Gil is going to the presidential shelter.”

  Was it the alcohol or the information? My head spun. “This doesn’t make sense. A lot of money was spent on this.”

  “You think? Thirty-two million dollars.”

  “Why would the government spend that money to save only ten people?”

  Tony held up his hand stopping me. “You got it all wrong. The government had nothing to do with this. This was all the Senator. His money that he laundered. That’s why it was so secret. He didn’t want the government to know. And he wasn’t doing it to save the world, Anna. Don’t you get it? All that money, all that trouble … it wasn’t to save as many lives as possible, it was to save you. You and your son. Protocol I is for you.”

  His words hit me harder than any amount of alcohol I had consumed. It was more to take in. More than I wanted to take in. Everything was speculation up to the point of the date and now it was a reality.

  I wished it would go back to crazy speculation on the front of a grocery store tabloid.

  But it wouldn’t.

  <><><><>

  We literally closed the bar, leaving after the waitress and just before the bartender. It was Tony’s way to make sure that the agents were worn out. They were watching to make sure that I didn’t know anything. My shopping was done so even if they watched me around the clock, they would see no signs whatsoever of me getting prepared.

  We drove back to my house, saying very little until we pulled into my driveway.

  “What now?”

  “Wait. That’s all. When the time comes. You go,” Tony said.”Until then. Get used to me being around. I’ll be by tomorrow to play catch with your son.”

  “Are you serious? He’s eighteen.”

  “I have to make it look like I’m trying to get on your good side and that we’re starting a relationship.”

  “You apparently are as good as dating as I am. Playing catch with an eighteen year old seems a bit over the edge. To make it look good, you should just spend the night.”

  “I’m game.”

  “I’m joking.”

  Tony lifted his eyes to the rear view mirror. “I’m heading out. I’ll be by tomorrow. Lean in like you’re going to kiss me. They’re watching.”

  I leaned in toward him and he moved in to me. I suppose our silhouettes appeared to be locked into some sort of kiss. When in reality, Tony’s mouth was by my ear.

  He whispered. “’You’re a lucky woman. In a few weeks, people would give their right arm to have what you are getting.”

  “A bunker.”

  “No... a future.” He pulled back. “Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight.”

  I stepped from the SUV, waving to Tony as I closed the door. I tried not to look back at the black car parked two doors down. Again, at my front porch I waved and hung in the doorway until Tony pulled away.

  Then I went inside.

  “Hey, Mom.” Jackson was in his typical working position on the couch. “How was the date?”

  “Informative.” I closed the door.

  “What?”

  “Jackson …” I sighed out. “You and I have to talk. We have to talk big time.”

  “He told you what’s going on?”

  “He did.” I sat down on the chair next to the couch and prepared to tell my son everything I knew.

  If it was a lot for me, I could only imagine what it would be like for him.

  We were in a stalemate. A ‘wait and see’ phase. There was nothing left for me to do but wait for the time to come. But I made a vow, until that time came, I would do everything in my power to learn all that I could. And for the first time in my life, I would take initiative and absorb all that I could.

  I always believed I would just let Gil give me the information. But now that I was facing a real threat, I wanted to be the one who knew. Not for myself, but my son. I could no longer be a passive human being just riding the ups and downs of what life brought. I had to learn to be a survivor.

  10 – Taking Off

  July 30 – Midland Texas

  “Why are you still home?” Gil squeaked emotionally in the first call I had with him in weeks. “Why are you home? You should be on the road or there.”

  “I know.”

  “Then why haven’t you gone?”

  “The van. The van wouldn’t start.”

  “Oh my God! That was supposed to be redone. I don’t care now pre-computer car or not. You have to go. Get your ass in the car and go now.”

  “I’m not going to fit three more people in my Mazda.”

  “Try. Or screw it, just go. You have directions, go! A security team is there already prepping. Go. Don’t forget to wrap the radios.”

  “Gil …”

  “I’ll be in touch, Anna. Just get there. Please. Where’s Tony?”

  “I … I don’t know. He probably went north. I haven’t seen him in two days.”

  “Jesus, I had this planned.”

  And he did.

  We should have been gone. We should have been on the road at least two days earlier, but as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men often go asunder. And ours did.

  I spent the previous weeks learning all that I could. I even went to the library to avoid them tracing any of my ‘online’ activity. Other than Fleishmann, I would say I knew a lot about comets. Quite a bit of information could be learned if you lived and breathed it for a month. Although I still couldn’t figure out the need for all the foil. The bunker was supposed to be a safe guard from any EMP. However, we weren’t taking any chances. There had never been a test done on a wide scale. Everything was theoretical and we were working with that along with a lot of faith. So everything got wrapped per instructions from Fleishmann.

  I couldn’t wait to meet Fleishmann.

  Jackson handled the news of the comet better than I expected. He said to me, “Well, I knew one of these times Dad would be right. I just wish it wouldn't be about the big one.”

  Tony was around a lot. He showed up
every couple days like the dutiful pretend boyfriend. Life in the rest of the world went on as if nothing was happening, and to mostly everyone nothing was.

  I found myself watching the news every day, hoping the comet information didn’t leak, only because I just wanted to get to the shelter, wherever that would be. If the news leaked or was confirmed by the government, things would get crazy.

  Even down to two weeks before impact, we still didn’t know.

  Just on the outside chance we could be stuck in Texas, I started making rations. Just like the good old days.

  Then eight days before impact it looked as if I was going to fly to Germany. The comet’s projected impact was just east of Seattle on August 3.

  We were all ready to go, flights were made and then … the observatory in Puerto Rico notified us that the comet was picking up speed.

  It was confirmed and they were a hundred percent sure it would impact on August 1 on or near Manto Equator.

  Plans were then finalized. Gas cans were filled, the route was mapped to a facility in a place called Lillyville, Pennsylvania.

  If we were traveling in a straight line, it would be fifteen hundred miles. But it wasn’t a straight shot. We had to pick up Melissa Ayersman in Little Rock. She was an agricultural specialist. Craig Milton, a brilliant doctor and scientist in St. Louis, then finally Peter Fleishmann outside of Columbus.

  The other specialist, an electrical engineer was supposed to go to the shelter and prepare the facility in the final hours.

  Each person we picked up was to have enough gas to get us to the next location.

  The trip, without problems would take twenty-six hours.

  Not a problem if we left on time.

  But the day we were supposed to go, the 1975 Volkswagen van, or rather as it was called a bus, wouldn’t start.

  As decked out and redone as it was inside, the engine failed for some reason and I took it to the nearest shop. Parts had to be ordered.

  “Another week or so,” said the Mechanic. “I’m sorry. But you’ll be on the road soon.”

  Little did he know, we didn’t have another week.

  The day I spoke to the mechanic was the last day I spoke to Tony. He had to hunker down. I wished he would have said goodbye because we actually had started to become friends.

  My final phone call from Gil motivated me.

  Jackson had finished wrapping the radio system parts all individually in foil.

  I had packed all the rations that I had made along with six gallons of water. We were going to leave, van or not, and try our best to get to the bunker.

  My plan was to call the three passengers en route and tell them to bring the minimum and only what was needed. It was going to be a tight squeeze.

  We would get there. We had two days. As long as everything stayed sane, we would be fine.

  I didn’t know how we would fit our belongings in the car along with everyone else. I took what clothes I could, along with photographs and keepsakes.

  “You ready?” I asked Jackson, who placed the last of his items in a suitcase.

  “We’re leaving?’

  “We have to. You wrapped and protected all your musical stuff, right?”

  “I did.” Jackson sighed out. “I’m scared Mom.”

  “Yeah, me, too. We’re going to have to leave a lot of the gas behind. I need you to secure what we can to the roof.”

  Jackson nodded and stood. “What about Dad?”

  “Dad’s probably already been evacuated to wherever they are taking the President.”

  “How do you know?”

  “The news just reported he was taking a few days off for the flu. That tells me …” A knock at my door drew my attention. “Finish up. We leave in ten minutes.”

  Jackson nodded.

  I hadn’t a clue who would be there. Imagine my surprise when I opened the door and Tony stood there.

  “Tony?” I questioned. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m sorry it took so long. I had to find a pre-computer van that ran.”

  “You’re supposed to be up north.”

  “I thought about this. I know where I’m supposed to be. And I am going against every rule set forth. But I know the best chance for long term survival and for life is at Lillyville. That’s where I need to be. That’s where I need …” He pointed back to the van that sat in my driveway. “That’s where I need her to be.”

  I looked beyond Tony to the van, and standing next to it was a little girl no older than five.

  “She is what is important to me. I need my daughter to go to Lillyville. I need her to live.”

  It took me by surprise and took my breath away, Tony never mentioned he had a daughter. “Absolutely.” I said. “She goes. You go. There’s plenty of room.”

  “Thank you. I’ll go get the gas cans. Are you ready?”

  “We’re ready.” As Tony turned from me, I stopped him. “Tony. Just know I am really glad you’re going with us. I feel much better.”

  Tony nodded. “I owe you for letting her go. I won’t let you down.”

  “I know you won’t.”

  “Get ready, we have to move.” Tony said as he headed to my garage. “News is going to break tonight. God knows what we’ll run into.”

  The news was going to break? I was surprised it hadn’t already. Despite the fact that internet speculation had increased, NASA and the government adamantly denied an impact was imminent.

  If it was going to be made official, I feared what we’d run into.

  I only hoped we could make some distance before all hell broke loose.

  And it would.

  11 – The Road

  Interstate 20 East

  The longest leg of the journey was the first one to Little Rock, Arkansas to pick up Melissa who was to be waiting at a research trailer on the grounds of Hansen Foods.

  The trip under normal conditions would take a little over nine hours. We had enough gas to make it to Little Rock, with some in the cans to spare. Not much. Melissa was to have additional cans to get us to the next stop.

  Tony found a good means of transportation. The van, while older, had been redone by some band. There were plenty of seats and enough open space for bags.

  We left my home at ten in the morning, and should have, by all accounts, arrived in Lillyville by noon the next day. A full twenty-four hours before the comet was to strike.

  Enough time to help foil man finish wrapping and get situated.

  Tony’s daughter was a miniature picture of him. She was five years old with long dark hair. She seemed sweet, but I could tell she had his sarcastic attitude. I felt bad that I didn’t know he had a daughter.

  “You didn’t ask,” Tony said.

  “I did. I did. Remember? It was after I asked if you were married and you said if you were would we be dating? Then I asked if you had any kids and you said you wanted to play video games with Jackson. You avoided the question.”

  “Maybe you should have I asked why,” Tony said.

  “I didn’t want to press it. I thought maybe you had a testicle problem or something.”

  He looked at me with a glance of shock and some disgust.

  “Tell me again,” Jackson poked his head between the seats. “Why we can’t go straight there.”

  “Joie.” Tony simply answered then indicted his daughter. “She’s here right? Why? Because I knew about Lillyville. The fear was if they knew where it was and they were responsible for going, they would bring people with them. If I, of all people, broke the rules, so would they. It’s human nature to want to protect the ones you love. So they don’t know where it is. To survive they are reliant on being where we tell them to be at the time.”

  “The other guy is going there. The electrical guy.” Jackson said. “What made him special?”

  “He knew where it was all along,” Tony answered. “He actually was the one that designed all of the systems for the three bunkers. Lillyville was his working space. If the preve
ntive measures taken for EMPs fail, we blame him.”

  “Not a lot of faith in him,” I mumbled. “Considering we bought stock in aluminum foil.”

  “Back up to a back up. Plus, the guy lived close and had no family. He’s there. We made sure we did a background check on everyone before they started working with us. Prime candidates weren’t married or had children.”

  Tony continued the conversation with Jackson. One of which was how, once we hit Ohio, we’d be able to communicate with the bunker with our radio systems. Until then, we were in the dark with them.

  Jackson and Tony got along really well. On the ‘sleep over’ nights, Tony and Jackson were up all night playing games while I studied and learned.

  It was on my mind day in and day out.

  Of course, weighing in was how incredibly uncomfortable I was with how fast Tony drove. His child was in the car, and even though we were making great time, all it would take was to get pulled over and we’d lose that time.

  Tony didn’t seem to care.

  I envied Joie who slept soundly. Not thinking of anything. Me. I kept looking at the phone, at the time and waiting for some word from Gil.

  It had been four hours since I sent him a text simply stating ‘we were on the road’ and nothing came back.

  The bright side of it all was no word had broken in the four hours. I wanted us to get to Little Rock before the news broke, but felt that wasn’t going to be the case. Even though, at the rate we traveled, we would get there early.

  Tony would flip on the van radio; go back and forth between any stations we picked up. We didn’t need to hear what was being said, only that it was being said.

  We had our course.

  Then just under two hundred miles to our first destination, we called Melissa to tell her we’d be there in less than three hours. Our arrival was way ahead of schedule.

  She said she was waiting and ready and then she said something else. “I thought you would be listening to the news conference. Things are different.”

  After blurting out a ‘what?’ I thanked her and immediately turned on the radio.

  “What’s going on?” Tony asked.