Chapter 3

"Kids, get ready for school right now." I heard my wife, Doris, yell. In response, I heard a bit more than the usual groans of their token resistance. I rose from my breakfast and went to their rooms. Melody and Charles were moving, so I went back downstairs to the kitchen and my breakfast. Doris came in.

"You know, Bob," she said, "They may be right about stopping activity. The President didn't say stop but he didn't encourage us to continue to travel about."

I thought for a moment and then said, "Well, there's only school for two days this week and then the rest of the week and all of next is Spring Break. We could start early. If we do, I think we might go to the cabin with enough supplies for a month and hope we can ride it out. We have portable generators there and receive a couple of television stations as well as radio. We could take both cars to carry more."

"You've thought about this some already, haven't you?"

"Yes, you know me, I always try to be prepared."

She thought for a minute. The kids entered the kitchen still grousing about going to school. She said, "Quiet, your dad and I have talked. You won't be going to school. You won't be going outside at all. Go to your rooms and pack your clothes for the cabin. Plan for a month's stay so don't leave something you might need. Also, go easy on the electronics, we may lose power."

"All right!" They hollered quietly.

Charles looked at me and asked, "What about our rifles and other guns? I think we should have them in case things get tough."

Before Doris could object, I said, "That's a good idea. Pack them for the trip along with every bit of ammunition you can find. Also, all our lanterns, sleeping bags, boots, extra linens and anything else you mother tells you to pack." I could see Melody reach for her phone. "Stop," I said to her, "No one calls, texts, or contacts anyone without my permission. This is not a simple pleasure trip. We have a place few other people have and we need to get there before someone decides to want it for their own use. We don't want to give people ideas. Don't go outside or open the garage doors as you gather things for this trip."

"Now, you two get to work doing what your father said. He and I need to talk for a few minutes about all this." The kids left.

"Bob, what do you really think?"

"Dor, if this is as bad as the President hinted, it will be catastrophic. From what I gleaned from his speech, this SL47 virus is deadly, the government can't stop its spread, and hasn't got an antidote. That's not promising for the future. That's why I want us out of Memphis before things get bad, hope we can weather the virus, and stay safe. I noticed a number of co-workers who were sick Friday and we saw the same thing yesterday in church. People are already getting sick and we aren't. In a panic, that can be risky if it becomes known. From now on, when I am in public, I will cough and wheeze to show I'm sick, too. So will you and the kids. If someone figures out what we're doing, we will tell them we are going to the cabin to be sick. Anyone who would ask knows we love that place.

"Finally, as it gets bad, some people will get violent. I don't want to be in the middle of that and hurt by accident by some sick sicko who doesn't really know what he's doing."

"You obviously think it's real and you don't think we are coming back. Do you?"

"Yes and yes. If we come back, it will be looking for supplies. Did you hear the undertone to the President's words? He does not think things will work out and the fatality rate, which he downplayed, is almost everyone. After everything quiets down, we will consider our options and determine what to do then. I want to make sure we have options. I love you, Dor. It's my job to protect you and our kids."

"Okay, Bob. Let's get to work. I love you, too."

We loaded my car which had an almost full tank. We took the gas cans that had gas in them. I had just filled up gas cans to prepare for Spring cleaning which was handy. Doris' car needed gas and we decided to use it to get groceries and ice when we filled its tank. We made our trip uneventfully attracting no attention. I noticed a number of people wearing masks and purchased four and Doris and I put ours on right then. We spent a lot of money and I hoped to live to regret it. On the way home, I stopped by the ATM and pulled a couple of hundred. I stopped by the gun shop and picked up some more ammunition. The owner knew me and my records were in his files so it went quickly.

We arrived home and finished loading. Both Doris and I were orphans now. My parents had been killed in an automobile accident. Doris's parents had died in a freak fire. My brother and Doris's brother and sister all lived on the coasts so we were on our own. I put Charles in the car with Doris and a rifle. I took Melody and sat a rifle between us on the seat. I told Charles and Doris that they were to shoot first and worry later. No one was to stop us and, while I didn't want bloodshed, we had our plan.

Fortunately, the trip was uneventful. We arrived at the cabin closing the main gate behind us. I left the ladies to unload and took Charles out the drive on the tractor. We pulled an old tree across the road to give it a more abandoned look. It wasn't much but might stop casual folk from coming down the drive.

The cabin was a splurge for Doris and I. It was an old farmhouse on forty acres about half wooded and the other half somewhat cultivated with a two acre pond. We had our own well for water and septic for sewerage. The only thing we received in the way of utilities was electricity. There was no phone and no cable or satellite. We bought it to be cut off from the world and it had worked for us. We had just filled the main propane tank from the winter so we were covered for the rest of the year. I hooked up a satellite dish which I brought from our home in Memphis but really didn't plan to watch. We had one old television set with a converter box and could receive one commercial station and one public station over the air. They were rarely watched. The house sat at the edge of the wooded section looking out through a few trees over the fields of our land and that of our nearest neighbor. If no outside lights were on, it was difficult to see at night and nothing showed at all from the road. As best as we could be, we were hidden and would watch and hope.

When I rose in the morning, I turned on the radio in the kitchen and started coffee. Charlie came down yawning. "Up early as usual, Dad?"

"Yes, I guess I always rise early when I'm here." I lifted my hand for silence to listen to the newscast. It wasn't good. People were dying and most of the rest were sick. A number of governors had declared states of emergency. The newscaster said there were rumors that the President was dying from the sickness. Some violence was occurring but not as much as I feared, people were just too sick. After that we were told the weather was going to be good.

Doris came down as music started to play again and I turned the radio down. "Is the news as bad as we feared?" She asked.

"Mom, people are dying, like maybe even the President!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Charlie, calm down. I didn't expect good news." She said. "How about breakfast?" Our daughter walked in. "Mel, get the big frying pan and start bacon."

"Good morning to you, too, Mom." She said with a little sarcasm as she went for the pan. Placing it on the stove, she went to the refrigerator and got the bacon. "How much should I cook?" She asked.

"About half a pound," Doris replied. We cooked and ate breakfast just like any other family time here.

"I want to set some guidelines for our time here until we all figure out what's going to happen. It may be that I am going overboard in precautions. If so, that's better than not taking enough. Remember my saying, 'I know I'm paranoid. The question is am I paranoid enough?' We will play it safe. Tell no one where we are. You may communicate with your friends up to that point. If someone knows we aren't home, tell them we're traveling to see relatives. Don't go into where.

"Around here, we have plenty of food to last out possible troubles and then some. We know the neighbors around here but I don't want to be seen much nor go to see anyone. If they have the sickness, we can't help them. If they don't have the sickness, they don't need help. The idea is to lay low. Any questions?"