R. Ruggiero - Brushfire Plague

They had taken only a few steps when he heard the first pistol shot ring out. The others jerked their heads around. Cooper didn’t. He knew what it was. Calvin, I knew you were big enough to make the right call. Sure enough, another crack followed a few seconds later.

Cooper continued walking home. His slow, plodding steps reflected the exhaustion that had overtaken him.. His rifle felt like a suitcase loaded with rocks. He had to make a conscious effort to keep it from banging into the ground. I didn’t sign up for this. He could hear his father’s voice in response, “We don’t volunteer for responsibility, son. It finds those who can handle it and then it bites you in the ankle and holds on like a wolverine.” His father had lived his life in service to others. The stress, scars, and his eventual death could all be traced to that choice. His father had chosen the cause of the average working stiff. Cooper had tried to choose no cause at all. He was worried that one had finally found him. Absently, he kicked his leg out, as if to shake something from his ankle.

Cooper found himself awake as the first rays of sunlight came streaming into his bedroom. Jake lay curled up against him, in the fetal position. Cooper carefully got up so that his son could continue sleeping. He made his way downstairs, taking the FAL with him and strapping on the holster.

Within a half-hour, he had a full breakfast made from his nearly-depleted freezer supply of sausages and orange juice. He had cooked up a healthy pile of pancakes with frozen blueberries thrown in. They’d run out of eggs this morning. Cooper had reflexively reached into the fridge to grab a carton, but was surprised when his hand returned empty. He was thankful he had some pancake mix on hand that only required adding water. He wondered how long it’d be before he tasted eggs again. He knew Portland had some people with chickens in their backyards, but that couldn’t supply an entire city. He shook the thoughts from his head, no use worrying about that now.

He put Jake’s portion aside, covered. He ate ravenously, like a prisoner getting his first homemade meal after a long stretch in stir. Within minutes, the food was gone and he leaned back, patting his belly in satisfaction. Ah, I feel like a new man, now. He was surprised at his rapacity and it hit him just how much the previous day had taken from him.

He was just starting his second cup of coffee when he heard a light rap on his front door. Not a moment’s peace. He tread lightly across the floor so as not to cause the floorboards to creak, his hand on the hilt of his pistol. Looking out, he saw the ponytail-bobbed hair that belonged to Angela. The intent look on her face instantly made him smile.

He forced his lips together in a straight line as he opened the door, “Good morning.”

Her face lit up as the door came open, “Good Morning, Mr. Adams. I was hoping I could have a word with you. I hope it’s not too early, but I saw you moving around, making your breakfast.” Her friendly, open face was difficult to resist, even if he’d wanted to try.

“Oh, sure. Come on in,” he motioned her in with a sweep of his arm. “Can I get you a cup of coffee?”

“Sure, that would be great.”

She sat down at his kitchen table while Cooper poured another cup. He called to her from the kitchen, “Cream? Sugar?”

“Nope, I like it straight up,” she responded. He smiled inwardly.

He had barely landed back into his chair when she began, “I’m going to be direct because that’s just how I am. I hope you can handle it.”

He stared intently back at her, his dark eyes staring at her over the rim of his coffee cup, “Try me.”

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see things are going to be… ah… unstable… for a while. I want in here. Fully in, until things go back to normal. I don’t want to be a refugee here.”

Cooper bristled and leaned forward like a leopard getting ready to pounce. She stopped him with a hand gesture, “Just let me finish. I know what you said about us not being second-class citizens, and I believe you. But, I want more than that. I want people to forget that I didn’t live here when this all started. That’s how far I want to be ‘in’.”

“What are your requests?” he said impatiently.

“First, I want to be armed—if you have something—and to become a regular part of your defense team. I’d be at least as good as some of the people you have out there on the line.” He knew that was true.

Cooper paused for a moment, but only for effect. He knew he was going to agree, but wanted to make her wait for it. “OK. See Dranko. He’s up the street. Tell him I sent you. What’s your second request?”

“I want to move in here.”

Coffee sprayed across the room as he burst out laughing, “Damn lady, you don’t mess around, do you?” He wiped the coffee from his mouth with his shirtsleeve.

Embarrassed and turning red, Angela waved her hands, “No. I didn’t mean it like that,” she looked at the ground. “Words aren’t my best suit.”

“I guess not,” Cooper chuckled.

“I just want to move in here. I’m not trying to get laid. Look, I’m smart enough to see that you’re the guy who most knows what he’s doing. I want to survive this thing and I figured bunked up here gives me the best chance. And, I won’t lie to you. Being here will help me be more quickly accepted with the others.”

Cooper nodded his head, “OK, I get it. That makes sense,” he looked at her with a wry grin, “why didn’t you just say so?”

She threw a napkin at him and chuckled, “I did! It took me a second to get there, that’s all.”

“Of course you can stay here. We have a spare bedroom. It’s yours as long as you want it. You will have to help out around here and I may have you keep an eye on Jake sometimes.”

“Not a problem. Thank you.”

“And, don’t you worry about the other thing.” He stood up to leave the room and with his back towards her he added, “You’re probably not my type.” He missed the flash of disappointment across her face.

From the kitchen, he heard another knock on his door. He repeated his security precautions and gestured for Angela to remain seated and quiet.

It was Dranko.

“C’mon in Dranko. You can have my last cup of coffee.”

Dranko saw Angela and stopped, “I’m not interrupting anything am I?” Cooper had known Dranko long enough to notice the imperceptible smile lurking on his face.

Angela didn’t miss a beat, “Just me joining your militia.”

Dranko looked at Cooper incredulous. “That’s right. She’s in. Arm her up.”

“And, no, I didn’t sleep my way in. I can shoot,” Angela added impishly.

“OK, boss. I’ve seen you spot the lone, honest card player from that joint in Baghdad and the one virtuous lawyer in all of Oregon, so I trust your judgment.”

“Thank you for your vote of confidence, brother. I don’t know how I’d get up every morning without it,” Cooper’s sarcasm was biting.

“Screw you. You want to hear what brought me over here this morning?”

“One question before that.”

“What?” Dranko said in exasperation.

“What was the name of that lawyer again? I don’t remember ever finding one like you say.”

Dranko burst out laughing and punched him in the shoulder. Angela sat to the side, grinning widely and shaking her head.

After it subsided, Dranko turned serious, “I’ve got the teams ready to survey the surrounding neighborhoods, like we discussed yesterday.”

“Good.

“But there is some news I thought you’d want to know. First, it was announced today that the Chinese are sending a flotilla of relief ships. Also, advance flights of airplanes are to start arriving in the next few days.”