Richard Stephenson - Collapse

“Well, it’s to be expected. I’m sure a lot of people are evacuating the major cities and heading north to Wyoming and Montana to get away from all this madness. How far away are they?”

“Just over three miles, sir.”

“That’s odd. They’re off road?”

“They are indeed, sir.”

Howard watched the convoy drive carefully across the terrain. Not all the vehicles were suited for leaving the pavement, driving slowly around ditches and rocks.

“Sir, they will be able to see Meredith’s garden if they stay on the same heading.”

“I don’t really care. They could build a town up there and would never be able to get down here. Hell, they could dig a tunnel down to us, and it wouldn’t make the slightest difference.”

“Sir, we do have the means to take them in and provide them shelter. They would only take up a fraction of the dormitory wing.”

“Slow down, Old Man, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m not going to open my door to strangers. God only knows what they would do down here.”

“Yes, sir.”

Howard watched the convoy close the distance to Meredith’s garden. The lead vehicle stopped a few yards shy, and the driver got out. A man in his mid-thirties closed his truck door and walked over to the garden. He didn’t seem surprised by it in any way, as if a beautiful oasis in the middle of the rocky terrain was perfectly normal. He knelt by Meredith’s tombstone, gently placing his hand on it.

“Sir, I assume you know who that is?” asked Hal.

“Yes, Old Man, it’s my son, and he brought a bunch of strangers to the front door.”

Richard Dupree and Billy Bratchett were driving north along Interstate 25, approaching Fort Collins. The iPad belonging to Richard’s ex-wife, Monique, was propped up on the dashboard, resting on the dials of the air-conditioning controls. His children were currently in the care of Monique’s boyfriend, who was in his parent’s RV. With the picture of the RV locked onto the screen of the iPad, both Richard and Billy were scanning everything in their line of sight trying to find it. They were having a hard time of it with the number of RVs on the road. People were fleeing the cities in droves. Much like the firearms market, The Second Great Depression didn’t hinder the recreational vehicle market; if anything, it only increased demand. Many people had downsized to RVs or were forced into them after the government foreclosed on their homes. As a result, RV-Towns sprang up along the interstates. Richard and Billy had stopped at several rest areas along the interstate to search among the dozens of RVs for the one with the telltale American flag and contrasting black quarter panel. Richard had to beg Tank to stay in the truck while he talked with the people in the rest stop. Tank knew he would terrify people with his demon eye and the dozens of tattoos decorating his skin.

Richard knew how to talk to people and had no trouble striking up a conversation with strangers. The story was the same with everyone — it was time to get the hell out of Dodge and find a safe place to live.

Richard made up a story of trying to reunite with his brother. Many people were in a similar situation trying to find their loved ones, so it wasn’t difficult for Richard to blend in with them. Richard felt that the search was getting nowhere but didn’t give up hope. At the next rest stop, he found a large group of people gathered around a fire. A hunting party had killed some wildlife and returned with enough game to feed the crowd. Richard described the RV to the group.

“I’m looking for my brother and his family. We got separated in Denver, and I’m trying to catch up with them. We’re both headed up to Yellowstone, and I’m wondering if any of you saw his RV.”

A thin, gaunt woman who desperately needed the meal she was about to eat spoke up. “Wait a minute. Old tan colored RV with an American flag on the driver’s side?”

“Yes, ma’am, have you seen it? The panel above the back tire is black and sticks out like a sore thumb.”

“Yeah, sure. They were here this morning; I think they left about an hour ago.”

“Thank you so much. You’ve been a big help.”

The thin woman smiled. “I hope you find your brother. Don’t suppose you have time to stay and eat? We’d love to have you.”

“Ma’am, I appreciate it very much, but I better get going if I’m gonna catch up with him. You folks have a good day.”

Richard ran back to the truck and climbed in. “We’re getting close! They left here an hour ago.”

“Great news, brother. What’re you gonna do to the asshole that’s got your kids?”

“Don’t know. As long as doesn’t try to stop me we won’t have a problem.”

“Trouble has a way of finding you, Richard.”

“Don’t I know it.”

Richard pulled back onto the interstate and decided that he needed to close the distance. He stuck to the feeder road and was able to get the truck up to sixty miles an hour. Twenty minutes later, the feeder road congested, so Richard drove onto the shoulder and pulled into the grass. He was able to maintain fifty miles per hour in the grass. Trading the Honda for this four-wheel drive pickup was an excellent decision.

Richard soon found out why the traffic was coming to a standstill. An RV-Town was in front of them, and for some reason everyone was exiting into it. Richard had a good feeling that he would find the RV he was looking for there and took the exit. A very large crowd was gathering around one particular RV. A man was standing on its roof and appeared to be some sort of religious nut spouting end of the world prophecies. He chuckled to himself. If the man was reciting the Book of Revelation, he probably wasn’t too far off the mark.

“Billy, I appreciate you staying in the truck as many times as you did. It means a lot to me that you understand. I’m certain my kids are here somewhere. You wanna get out and try to make friends, I won’t stop you.”

“Fuck you mean ‘try’? I’m one charming mother fucker!” Tank laughed.

Richard smiled and got out of the truck. He wanted to get closer to the man atop his RV to hear what he was saying. He quietly pushed his way into the crowd to get closer to the show.

“Just listen to me! I know what I’m saying sounds completely insane! All I’m saying to you folks is — what do you have to lose? If I’m full of shit, all you have to do is go your own way — no harm, no foul.”

“If I drive all the way out there for nothing and waste my gas, you and I are gonna have a problem!” yelled a man towards the front. The crowd agreed with him.

“If you’re worried about your gas, then don’t come!” The man on the RV was in his early twenties, thin with long, curly blonde hair. “My cousin knows exactly what he’s talking about! He already has a large group of people out there! When my dad comes back he’s gonna take another group with him! It’s your choice if you wanna come along!”

An older man in his sixties spoke up. “This place you’re talking about sounds like some science fiction fantasy land! How come we never heard of it?”

“Because my uncle is Howard Beck! He built the place years ago and kept it a secret! It’s massive and can hold all of us for years!”

Most of the crowd started laughing. Some began to walk away. The same observer spoke again. “Howard Beck? The crazy computer guy? He’s lived alone for years, and no one has laid eyes on the man. If he really is in this bunker he won’t let any of us inside! Stop wasting our time!” About half the crowd walked away in frustration.

The young man atop the RV pleaded with them. “He’s going to let us in! I promise you! It’s the only reason he built the place! He’s known for years that the world was going to end! Don’t waste this chance! You have no idea what you’re passing up!”