Matthew Mark - Dark Days Rough Roads

He then watched him walk over to the squirming figure and did the same. He reached down and grabbed the bag the guy was holding. Turning back around; he helped the old man with the shopping cart get back to the sidewalk and gave him the bag back. That explained why his buddy shot him. No honor amongst thieves or something like that.

Haliday waited another 15 minutes or so, and then satisfied he was safe, he rose up and packed up his rifle and rolled up his mat. He looked down at the trash. He wasn’t about to pick it up. He looked toward a couple of the houses and at the people sneaking peeks between the curtains.

He looked at one guy and gave him a thumbs up sign; the guy returned it with a thumbs up. Haliday walked back toward the Tahoe. This had been an intense morning. Looking down at his watch, it had actually only been a total of about 10 minutes from the first shot until the last, if even that long.

Reaching the Tahoe, he opened it up, looked around and saw more people looking at him through half open doors and parted curtains. He threw his gear in, climbed behind the wheel, started the Tahoe, and turned the ham on. “You there Mike?” he said. Linda came on and said he was at the table having a drink. She asked Haliday if he was ok. Oh ya, absolutely run of the mill morning is what he wanted to say but he was too tired. He just said, “Yes, see you guys in a few minutes, have the garage door open.”

Five minutes later he was backing up into the garage. He walked inside, gave his daughter a huge hug and told her he loved her. She was in tears and he was too. He nodded toward Linda then wiped his face, walked over to Mike and said “Good job old man; can you spare one of those?” Mike poured him a couple fingers of Jack. Haliday drank it quickly and put the empty glass on the table.

Mike looked up at Haliday and was speechless. He hadn’t expected anything like what he had just seen. He finally told Haliday that when he saw that AR pointing at him he rolled over a few times and laid there and prayed he wouldn’t die. He had wanted to just run at that point. It was one thing to fire at guys to scare them, but another to actually kill them.

He asked Haliday how come it didn’t bother him. “Look Mike,” he said. “I don’t have time for it. Suffice to say that my daughter, hell you guys too, all needed me. I did what I had to, not for me, but for you guys.” Haliday looked at Linda and Mike and said, “I guess we have some business to talk about now.”

Haliday’s parents had heard the exchange in the morning and waited it out while drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes, not knowing what was transpiring or sure they wanted to know. Dawn had listened in as well, but had a better idea of what had most likely taken place. All of them were glad they heard his voice and knew he was ok right now. They also decided to leave him alone until he called them.

Haliday was looking at Mike and said, “Wait a minute, before we talk, what the hell happened to you?” Mike told him they made everyone stay at the plant for almost four hours until they realized the power wasn’t coming on any time soon. They all started to leave and Mike cleaned out his locker. He started the walk home and was going well around the hood. He hadn’t gone far enough away from it.

He ran into a group of four punks that were shaking people down for drug money. Pickings were good with everyone walking to wherever they needed to go. He told them he didn’t have much and tossed whatever cash he did have down on the ground. One crack head said "What, we ain’t good enough for you to put it in our hands?"

“That’s all I have,” he told him, “no offense but I don’t want any trouble.”

The punks circled him and started making threats. Mike tried to push his way through thinking they were bluffing, but they weren’t. They jumped him quickly and started throwing punches. He dropped to the ground and they kicked at him. He managed to grab one’s leg and push him off balance, and then Mike got up.

They threw more punches and Mike had fought them off the best he could and he managed to get away and started to run. He ran through a hole in a fence into an old tire factory. He managed to hide himself and sat there while they searched for him. They would kill him if they found him.

"We’re going to kick your ass when we find you." they yelled. They searched for almost an hour, but didn’t find him. Mike stayed hidden for hours though before he would venture out. Once out, he got as far away as he could and finished the walk home. It was slow going; he was sore as hell and had bruises everywhere. His face was a mess and he had lost a couple teeth in the fight. Haliday looked at him. “Sucks to be you,” he said.

Getting back to business he put it as plain as he could. “I brought some food that will get you by for a little while.” He got up and walked around looking in their cupboards. They had quite a bit of food. Linda was a food hoarder of sorts, always stocking up on sales, but not prepping. “With all the corn around these parts and this, you should be able to make it until spring,” he told them.

“Whether you can find a FEMA camp or not before then, if they even exist, is up to you. I don’t trust them. I can leave you an AR and about 500 rounds. You have Mike’s bows and if you can hunt enough to help, that might work out ok. But game will become scarce very quickly with everyone hunting. Flat lands and cornfields won’t yield many animals.”

Kayla started to tear up. Mike and Linda just kind of hung their heads low. Haliday said if he had any way of supporting them he would take them back, but there was no way they could make it adding two more adults to the mix. Haliday walked over and opened the freezer and saw it stacked with meat.

He grabbed a package and read the label, it said venison. “Where did you bag this deer Mike?” Mike said he got it on his friend Bill’s farm. “In Michigan right?” Haliday remarked.

Mike said, “Yes; couple months ago when we were in to visit.”

Kayla said, “Dad, please, can’t they come with us? Mike and Mom helped get you here.” That was partly true, especially about half an hour ago.

Kayla was crying steadily now, “Dad please, can they stay with us?” Haliday sat down and motioned for her to come over to him.

“I don’t have room and food sweetie.” He looked at Mike and Linda who also were now in tears. “I’ll tell you what though. I’ll take them back to Michigan and get them to their friend Bill’s farm if they know for sure he’ll take them in.”

Mike said he was positive Bill would take them in. He offered many times before that they could come and stay if they ever wanted to return to Michigan. He was even more convinced he could use their help with the farm in this situation. They were sure of it and Haliday was convinced as well.

Linda gave him a quick hug and said thank you. Kayla gave him a bigger hug. Mike told him anything he needed him to do, let him know. “Good, because there is a lot to be done. Grab some paper and write this down.” Linda grabbed a notebook and took notes. Haliday left them very specific instructions on what to do. He told them what to pack, no more, no less, what to do with the food in the house and the rest of what he wanted them to grab.

Mike said, “We’ll put it all in the truck.”

Haliday said, “No, put it next to the truck. When I get up we are going to repack the load in the Tahoe.” Haliday went over to their ham and told Dawn and his folks he would be off the net for a few hours. “I’m going to go get some sleep. Wake me in three hours and we’ll finish getting ready.

“You have the list, get it all done and make sure someone stands guard. Don’t let anyone in, including your neighbor the deputy.” Haliday went into the living room and laid down on the couch. Just before he passed out, he was thinking it would be nice to have the extra guns on the trip home, but questioned if they would do what it might take if it came down to that.