The Burnout Chapter Thirty Five

The first round struck Brad in his right shoulder. He spilled off the bike backwards and landed on his backside on the hard road. The second round bounced off the road in front of Patty and ricocheted upward, missing her face by inches. It was so close, she could see the dull gray round pass by like a lead colored hornet.

Patty dumped off the bike and dropped behind a dead Nissan sedan, pulling her carbine around in front of her.

"Everyone, get down!" she yelled and immediately fired five rounds over the top of the hood without aiming.

The rifle was unfamiliar to her and for a moment she wished she had the Ruger, but mentally slapped herself for the lapse of judgement. She had no time to turn and check on the others but instead, had to determine where the shots came from. She didn't have to wait long.

There was a shout from nearby and three or four different firearms fired simultaneously in her direction. Things happened so fast, it was hard to determine where the shots were fired from and what type of arms were used. The rounds slapped the Nissan and the ground around her, hammering the cheap exterior, breaking the window glass and punching through the rear end of the car.

Patty waited, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Sure enough, there was a momentary pause as their attackers stopped to reload or see the results of their handiwork. Patty instead rolled to her left and came to a rest behind the engine block of the Nissan, rose up and fired over the hood in a sweeping semi-circle in their direction.

Once she dropped to the ground, she dumped the magazine and replaced it with a fresh one, shoving the spent mag in the left pocket of her cargo pants.She looked back to see Brad was against the center divider of the tollway and Catelyn was holding a t-shirt or rag against his bleeding shoulder. Candace had her head down and was squated against a mini van which was providing cover to all of them for the time being.

"Candace! Get Brad's rifle! Now!" Patty hissed at her.

A voice came from the road ahead.

"Don't waste your time, mister! Stand up, toss out your guns, give us them two girls and your stuff and we'll let you go!" it said.

Patty fired two rounds from the carbine and then squatted back down. She needed to convince these a**s that she wasn't the only one armed or shooting back. She pulled the.357 from her fanny pack and the Glock from her gunbelt. She lay down flat on the ground and looked carefully for any sign of movement from beneath the Nissan. Ten seconds later she saw something move in the grassy area off the road ten yards front of her.

She fired both guns, alternatively at the figure. Somebody grunted and then more shooting came from the same general area. Patty set the handguns down and picked up the carbine. She rolled behind the trunk and fired two rounds and dropped back down again.

Candace scooted up behind her with the M4 in one hand and dragging the .243 with the other. Patty turned and saw that Catelyn had put Brad's left hand on his wound and now had her Ruger ready.

Patty pointed at the two girls, made a shooting gesture with her free hand and then held up her left hand to the two girls with three fingers. She slowly counted down and once the last finger was down, all three of them let loose with a volley has well aimed as possible without standing up.

After a moment, the same voice came back.

"Quit using up all them bullets. We got you surrounded. Just give up them girls and we'll call it quits!" it said.

"Well, at least he is changing his demands." thought Patty.

But Patty knew they were stuck. The sun was setting and perhaps if it got dark, they could get over the center divider and make a run for it. It would mean leaving behind the bikes and most of their gear, but it appeared to be their only option. She was reaching for her pack from the bike when another medley of shots rang out effectively stopping her from reaching it.

Patty picked up both handguns and fired over the car to nobody in particular. She then put both away and made ready to charge these goons and make her stand. She decided she would tell the girls to get Brad over the wall once she started shooting and she would continue to fire until all three guns were empty. Hopefully, that would give them enough time to get away.

But them things changed again. Something flew overhead and landed with a crash of breaking glass in the direction of the attackers. At once, the smell of something burning hit her nostrils. Moments later, another flaming object flew by and the same threatening voice ahead screamed in pain. Patty wasted no time.

"Get Brad up and over that divider! Hurry!" she yelled at Catelyn. Candace scooted back and tossed the .243 over the wall along with her backpack. Catelyn grabbed her backpack as a number of shots were fired but not in their direction but to something or someone to their rear.

Patty had the ability now to grab her backpack without being shot at and tossed it over the divider. She then grabbed a handful of smaller bags and a water container out of her bike trailer and tossed them over as well. Looking back once more at the bikes and for anything worth taking, she pulled herself over and squatted down next to the girls.

"Psst!" came a voice to their right.

Patty turned and saw a black face in the twilight hiding behind a dead pickup truck.

"C'mon! Get over here, they won't wait long!" he hissed.

Patty pushed Catelyn and Candace forward and tried to get Brad to his feet.

"Girls! You're going to have to drag Brad. Put on your packs and take his arms."

They did as they were told and half dragged Brad towards their mysterious savior. Patty scrambled around in the rapidly fading light grabbing all the loose things she had salvaged from the bikes. The shooting continued sporadically as the fires died down. Patty then crawled over to the pickup and came face to face with a young African American man. He was holding an unlit Molotov cocktail fashioned from a beer bottle in one hand and a Bic lighter in the other.

"Hang on, I gotta gets some room here." he said.

He then lit the old rag wick in the bottle, stood and lobbed it with a strong right arm over in the general direction of the attackers. At once the shooting stopped again and they clearly heard someone say "Oh cr*p!" as the improvised explosive struck.

"Okay, listen up. We got to get to the wall by the side of the road and climb over. After that we're gonna haul butt down the hill to that building over there. If the road trash gets over here, they gonna be able to shoot us in the back so you gotta move, you hear?" the stranger said.

They stood to move when he turned back to them.

"Why you bringing him along?" he said pointing at Brad. "He's gonna slow you down and he's dead anyway!"

"No he's not and he comes with us." said Patty getting in the young man's face.

"Suit yourself, but you're carrying him, not me, lady." he said and then he hurried to the retaining wall bordering the south side of the tollway.

The five made it to the other side and hastilly put Brad over the low wall. Patty was loaded down with both M4 carbines,, her backpack, Brad's pack, a water container and two smaller bags. She wanted badly to go back to the bikes and try to recover anything else they might have left behind, but it was impossible at this point.

They hurried down the hill, Brad's face growing paler by the moment and his feet barely able to hold him up. Catelyn had her arm under his left side while Candace held up his right. Patty was pleased to see that they still held both the .243 and the Ruger and had not left them behind.

At the bottom of the hill, they crossed the service road and made it to a strip shopping center lined with small shops and restaurants which had all their windows and glass doors shattered and hanging open. Moving carefully over the broken glass, they entered a frame shop, went through the front of the store, behind the counter and out the back door all while being led by the young man.

Behind the store was a grassy field bordered by a two lane street running north to south. They made it to the street and loped, (dragging Brad along) hurriedly one block until the reached a larger street. Crossing, they entered a large abandoned two story office building, went through a door behind the receptionist desk and started down a pitch black hallway.

"Don't worry, I know my way around this place. Take my hand and hold each other's hands until we get to the end." the young man said in the darkness ahead.

They all joined hands and walked down a carpeted hallway, the air thick and stifling until they felt themselves pulled to the right. A door was heard opening in front of them and they were pulled inside and heard the door close behind them.

There was a shuffling sound and the young man's face was illuminated as he turned up the light on a small LED lantern. In the dim light, he grabbed a piece of cloth from a nearby chair and stuffed in around the base of the door.

They found themselves in a large, dusty conference room complete with a long table, numerous chairs and a dead big screen televison against one wall. There was a bedroll laid out in a corner along with a small number of personal items piled nearby.

The young man lit another light and the room was illuminated enough for all to see. Patty sat Brad in a nearby chair and pulled open his shirt, inspecting his shoulder, front and back.

"Catelyn, get that first aid kit out of my bag. You know the one we picked up off those guys. Set it here on the table. Okay, it looks like the bullet went through so that's a good side. Here, hold this flashlight up. Okay, he's lost blood, but the wound is not spurting blood so I don't think the bullet hit anything." she said.

Patty went through the extensive first aid pack and grabbed some wipes and then put hand sanitizer on her already filthy hands. Using the wipes and some peroxide, she cleaned the wound as best as possible. She then put a QuikClot bandage on each side of the wound and then wrapped it some gauze as best as she could.

Patty dug through the bag and found a container of anti-biotics, took two out and forced them into Brad's mouth, liberally pouring water down his throat. She then helped him to the floor and using his pack as a pillow laid him down.

"Where did you learn to do that?" asked Candace.

"TV. I used to watch a bunch of medical shows. I don't know if it's right, but I don't know what else to do." she replied.

Patty took a long drink from the water bottle she had and removed and replaced the magazines in her Glock and the M4.

"Candace, Catelyn. Check your weapons and top off if need be. Candace, hold this for me." and she handed the teen Brad's M4.

Patty then turned to the young man who was sitting in a high back chair with one leg thrown over the side watching the scene with disengaged interest.

"Now who do we have to thank for our rescue?" Patty asked him.

"Antonio. And you're welcome." he replied.

"Thank you, Antonio. Who were those guys?" asked Patty.

"Redneck road trash. They come down from the sticks looking for stuff. Everyone still thinks the city is a big grocery store full of stuff for the taking. Bunch a' idiots. What are you people doing wandering around the city during the day? Man, you wanna get nailed or what?" Antonio asked.

"We are trying to get home." said Candace. "My sister and I live off 635 near the Galleria."

Antonio threw back his head and laughed out loud.

"Oh my god, that's funny. What were you out doing? Shopping? You think you gonna just ride your little bike to the Galleria to mommy and daddy? Hell, ain't nobody going over there. Is you all from there?" he added.

"Brad lives in Addison and Patty lives in Fort Worth. Why can't we go over there?" asked Catelyn.

"Hell, girl, the Razas got the Galleria and everything around it to LBJ and over. You want to go through them, be my guest. But you ain't gonna see your folks until they done with you." he said.

"Great." said Patty. "What's happened here? How do you know all this?"

"You must be new around here, girl. Dallas is getting carved up by those with the means, know what I mean?" said Antonio as he reached into a gym bag on the table and took out a Lance cheese and cracker snack wrapped in celophane.

"City is still holding downtown and the hospitals. DHS has both airports including the one in Addison and a whole bunch of other stuff. The gangs got the rest if they can hold it. Everyone else is just trying to keep their heads down and stay alive. Like me." he said through a mouthful of crackers.

"Why aren't DHS and the city working together? Isn't that what they are supposed to be doing? I don't get it." exclaimed Patty.

"Girl, DHS is doing it's own thing. They got all the guns, helicopters, planes, them Hum-Vees, everything. They is taking what they want and shooting at anyone who comes near them. I stay away from them mo'fos." Antonio replied.

"Okay, well, we need to get out of here. Girls, I don't know what to tell you, but I don't think it's safe right now to get you to your parents or Brad home either. We can go to my parents and you can stay there till things calm down, alright?" said Patty.

That started Candace crying and Catelyn's eyes to water up as she held her sister.

"Ah, sheet, that's all we need. Look lady, you got to move on before someone hears all this blubbering, you hear?" said Antonio to Patty.

"Hold on, tell me something. Why did you help us anyway?" asked Patty ignoring the two crying girls.

"I was checking those stores near the tollway and saw you coming down the road before those guys jumped you. I figured if I helped you, you might give me something. Think of me like a businessman helping providing you a service and you providing me one in return." he said with a smile.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, kid. Ain't no way..." said Patty abruptly.

"Hang on, sister! I don't roll that way. Whatchoo think I am? Like those guys out on the road? Sheet, you're hurting my feelings. I was hoping you had something better to eat then this junk." Antonio said holdling up the last cracker from the pack. "And I'll take one of those machine guns you got too, seeing as I don't have no gun and you got plenty and not enough folks left to shoot them."

"No guns, I don't know you or trust you. Yet." Patty added diplomatically. "But here," and Patty tossed Antonio one of the MREs from her backpack.

"Beef stroganoff. Don't know what it is, but it's better than fruit rollups and prezels." replied Antonio ripping open the package.

-------

Patty left the girls and dragged all of their gear over to the other side of the room and took inventory. They had lost the tent, both tarps, her sleeping bag, her tennis shoes, the camp stove, the dutch oven, Brad's machete, the camp hatchet, the last of the dried fruit, the cheese from Snuffy and of course all four bikes and the trailer. It seemed like there were other things missing as well, but she couldn't keep it straight in her head.

They still had their packs, most of the food including the freeze dried stuff purchased long ago in the Shreveport sporting good store as well as the MREs from the DHS contractors. And their guns. They managed to get all of them out of there but unfortunately, she could only find one of the spare ten round magazines for the Ruger 10/22. The other must have fallen along the way.

Brad had kept his share of the spare magazines for the M4 in a shoulder bag he wore which Catelyn fortunately took with her as they fled the tollway. Patty filled the two magazines she used at the gun battle from the small supply of spare rounds they found in the contractor's bags as well as topping off the .357 revolver.

Antonio went about his business, but soon had all of his meager possessions packed up.

"Well, ladies, and shot up guy, it's been fun, but I have to be on my way. Can't stay in one place too long or I might end up like him." he said pointing at Brad who was asleep on the floor.

"Hold on, Antonio. I have a proposition for you." said Patty. "You like to be a businessman huh? Well, here's the deal. I have to get these girls and Brad somewhere safe and I could figure this wasn't the place. You know the lay of the land and we could use you as a guide."

"You help me navigate our way out of here and we'll share what we have for food with you the whole time you're with us. And when our agreement is done, you can have one of the carbines. In the meantime, I'll give you a down payment. Besides three more MREs, you can have this rifle for now and until we are done." Patty held out the .243 to Antonio.

"I don't want that big ol' Daniel Boone rifle. Give that magnum you got in your bag instead." Antonio replied.

"So I'll take that as a yes. Fair enough, here's the .357. Now remember, you pull any funny stuff or try to leave us and I'll break my end of the contract, deal?" said Patty.

"Your end? What you talking about?"asked Antonio.

"That I won't shoot you in the back." she replied.


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The Burnout Chapter Thirty Four

They woke at dawn with no uncertain amount of apprehension about what was coming their way. All were eager to get home, but at the same time, well aware of what lay before them. The easy part was getting up, the hard part was getting started.

The ride up 205 for the first few miles was uneventful. The repetitive handful of small homes, dirt driveways, metal outbuildings, non-functioning vehicles and staring, silent observers to their passing. There was no more friendliness in the eyes of these locals. They had seen too many travelers, pausing for water, advice, shelter or food these residents could neither spare nor share. The level of distrust had not reached the point where "shoot first, ask questions second" had become the law of the land, but that did not forbid each from openly bearing arms and directing them at Patty and the teens direction as they passed.

Then, like the weather, things changed. Around a short bend, the small country homes with kitchen gardens, pole fences and sheds gave way to long shale driveways leading to garish mini-mansions complete with geographically diverse landscaping, swimming pools, oversize SUV's and topiary. All of which neither functioned nor provided protection from the elements or passerby.

The Ford Excursions, F450 pickups and Suburbans were as dead as the iPhones and in-car DVD players they housed. The houses with pristine lawns were overgrown, patched with brown and worthless for food production due to the excessive fertilizers, weed killers and hardy foreign grasses.  Some yards were nothing more than postage stamp sized enclosures surrounded by concrete swaths, patios and unending swimming pools now green swamps bereft of functioning filters, chemicals or pumps.

Clearly, the residents of these fine homes did not send their children to 4H Club but rather advertised their new loyalties documented with signs that stated 'Brock played football' while 'Chelsea did cheer'. The gentrification of rural Texas extended the exoburbs out further not only by residence but by pass time as well.

"Where is everyone?" asked Candace.

"Oh, they're there. Just watching us from inside their homes." said Patty.

"What are they doing?" asked Catelyn.

"By now, who knows. But look at that." replied Patty.

Up ahead, a home which once priced in the mid four hundred thousands, excessive by rural Texas prices, now featured a partially burned roof, broken windows and open doors. Toys, clothing and household goods were strewn across the yard. A useless Cadillac Escalade stood abandoned with it's hood and gas tank door left open. They turned their eyes and rode on.

The change was gradual, but complete within a few more miles. The homes grew closer together as the hinterlands gave way to the actual suburbs of Rockwall, Texas. But Patty was having none of it. As they approached farm to market 549, they took a sharp turn to the east before heading north in a circular route around the spreading signs of population.

Her plan was simple and hopefully, would help them avoid trouble. After FM549, they would cut over on FM542 to rejoin 205 which eventually intersected with state highway 78. 78 ran through a strip of land between the two sides of Lake Ray Hubbard and from there into Wylie. Years ago and just out of college, Patty briefly lived in Plano, a large bedroom community which bordered North Dallas to the south and Wylie to the east. Patty hoped she knew enough about the area to navigate around troubled areas.

As they traveled north, they passed a more modest housing community on the west side of the road. Many of the home's windows were boarded or the houses were obviously abandoned, it's owners gone somewhere unknown. But in front of a simple ranch house just off the highway, a small boy, no more than three stood in front crying. The door to the house was open and there were no other people around.


Just when Patty was ready to stop, a woman with hair a strewn wearing an old house coat ran outside and scooped the boy into her arms and huddled down on the yard turning her head away from Patty and the kids.

"Please go. Don't .. we ain't got nothing.. just leave us be.. he's a baby.. let us be, please.." the woman whined.

"Ride on, don't look back." said Patty. This time, the group followed her orders without question. Patty dared look back and saw the woman run behind the house deeper into the subdivision. "This is the new normal" thought Patty.

Before they crossed to the next farm to market road, they saw their first body lying in the grass nearby. The carcass was bloated from the heat and the sex was indeterminate, but had clearly been left carelessly behind. The only sound was that of the relentless cicadas.

"I thought there would be more people, didn't you, Patty?" asked Brad.

"I thought there would be too. I wonder where everyone went?" she replied.

"Maybe they went closer to Dallas. Maybe there is a center or something that people can go to for food and stuff." said Candace.

"Maybe so, but how would they know?" asked Catelyn. "It's not like TV or the radio work. And that lady back there. She was scared of strangers and it looked like she and that little boy were all alone."

"I don't know, let's just focus on the road ahead and please, keep an eye out. This place is creepy."

They all agreed.

Just southeast of the Mesquite Municipal Airport, they had to cross Interstate 30, the first major road they had seen since Interstate 20 far to the south. The scene there was no different. The road in both directions was littered with abandoned vehicles, many of which had been burned or heavily vandalized. A number of eighteen wheel dry trucks had their trailers open and the goods tossed aside likely by those looking for food or other relevant valuables.

What struck Patty was that a path had been purposely cleared through the middle of the interstate in both directions, the blocking vehicles shunted aside without concern. As if a bulldozer had tossed cars and trucks like toys to the sides of the road. Something or somebody big and organized had done that. They crossed the bridge over the highway without incident and continued without seeing anyone on the interstate below.

From the farm to market road, the cut across a road named Williams Street and rejoined 205 on the north side of Rockwall. To the west, a small subdivision jutted out into an undeveloped field and ended abruptly. To the east, the land was still populated by plowed fields and small houses. It was there, at a gate which had been reinforced with dead vehicles a young man holding a rifle by his side stepped onto the side of the road and waved at them.

Patty's tires scraped on the rode as she stopped and she unslung the M4 carbine around to point at the young man.

"Hey, I'm cool." he said holding his right hand up. "Just wanted to say hi and see how things were going."

He was probably around eighteen years old and was wearing Wranglers, a t-shirt and a baseball cap. His gun was a scoped bolt action rifle. Behind the vehicles at the gate behind him, there were three other men and one woman, all armed and all looking apprehensively at Patty and the kids.

"Be careful with that," Patty said, "The last person who pointed a gun at us ended up dead. We can't afford to take chances."

"I getcha. Where are you guys going?" the young man asked.

"Dallas. We are trying to get home." said Catelyn.

"What's your name?" he asked Catelyn, "Mine's Tyler."

Brad scooted his bike between Catelyn's and Tyler.

"I'm Brad, this is Catelyn, Candace and she's Patty." he said pointing her way.

"Cool. What's it like out there? We haven't been further than to see the rest of Rockwall and we don't go there anymore." Tyler said.

"Bad. Look kid, nothing personal, but we've got to get moving, we have a long way to go." said Patty.

"Do you guys need any water? We can't give you any food, but we have water from our wells and everyone needs water, don't they?." said Tyler with a smile.

"That would be very nice, Tyler." said Patty. "I'm not trying to be rude, we've just had a real bear getting this far and it's not going to get any easier."

"No problem. Hey Dad, can we give them some water?" yelled Tyler to a man behind one of the cars.

"Sure, hang on." The man stepped back and brought out a large five gallon bucket from the shade of a nearby tree.

"My name's David Ogle and you've met my son Tyler already. Where did you folks come from?" he asked.

"Shreveport, well I did, these kids came from further east." answered Patty.

"We've heard all kinds of stories from folks passing by. Did you hear anything about some sort of government aid or FEMA?" asked David.

"Heard about it and saw it. If they haven't been here, count yourself lucky from what we can tell." replied Patty.

She then told them about the trade off small towns to the east were doing to get a few supplies. She also told them about the convoy they saw, but she left out the part about the ambush the day before.

"That don't seem right, but at this point, we'd be willing to listen to their offer." said David.

"Where is everyone? It seems like all those homes back there were empty or everyone was hiding." asked Brad.

"Little bit of both, I am afraid. Lot of folks moved in together or started walking towards the city looking for handouts and such. Lot of rumors going around about FEMA food trucks and aid camps so people just headed to Dallas or across the lake seeing if it were true. 'Course it probably wasn't but that's not gonna stop folks who ain't got a pot to pee in. Not many of them came back, neither."

"At the same time, we also had some problems with groups of folks coming out of the city looking for food. They thought everything out here was one big farm. You know, fields of corn, eggs for the taking, apple trees full of fruit and all that nonsense folks in the city believe. Some of them people who came our way weren't real happy when they saw this." he said waving his arm around. "Figured we were hoarding stuff in our houses, so we've had to block off our area and let them know the hard way not to mess with us, if you know what I mean." he finished.

"So how are you guys getting by?" asked Patty.

"Well, it's a little bit of everything. See, all these homes behind me sit on four or five acres. We got water wells and most everyone had some sort of garden or a few chickens. Sure, we do everything by hand, but we figure we got it better than they do just over the lake for instance. We've been throwing in together, expanding our gardens, doing guard duty, sharing with those who got less."

"There's two stock ponds and that little lake over there has some fair sized fish. We've been putting a dent in the rabbit and squirrel population too, so we been eating. Can't say the same for the folks coming from Dallas and elsewhere. Even the people in those new housing communities over there don't have it like we do. No sense in moving on unless we have to." replied David.

"What about the local government? Rockwall? The county?" asked Patty.

"Nope. The sheriff office and the local PD ran some patrols early on the first few days. They even used horses as there weren't many running cars, but that ended as soon as it started. We heard they kept having run ins with folks cutting through our town and they decided to hunker down with their own families, I guess." he answered.

"So how are things north of here?" asked Patty. She then told the Ogles the direction and roads she meant to take. David then pointed out the places they had visited, but unfortunately, they had only gone a few miles from their home. They had one working vehicle, but driving it only brought attention from the 'have nots' so they kept it hidden. There was little else he could share with them other than rumors and rumors of rumors.

After talking for a few more minutes, they decided to move on and thanked the Ogles for the water and fill up of their containers. Tyler told them they would be welcome to visit again, but much to Brad's displeasure, he directed the invitation to Catelyn.

Before they rode off, David Ogle asked,

"Hey, anything you'd be willing to trade one of them military rifles for? We got guns, but could use something fancy like that if it's doable."

"I'm sorry, but we can't trade any more guns. They are too valuable these days." answered Patty.

"Understand. Well, you folks take care." he said

"You too, good luck."

-------------

The little group continued north until the hooked up with highway 78 and began the journey towards the lake and across it. Along the way, as they approached the lake, they saw several people, both in small watercraft and along the shore, fishing.

"That many people, I doubt there's a fish alive or anywhere in the area." remarked Patty.

Within a short amount of time, they crossed the thin strip of land dividing the southern and northern sections of the lake and crossed into Wylie or near enough to it. Patty led them to a farm to market road that took them through the wide spot in the road called St.Paul and then up to Parker Road.

Parker ran east/west and would take them into northern Plano only a few miles from Dallas. Patty was going to make up the trip from there. She might take interstate 75 south or cut over to Ohio Road or the Tollway. Frankly, she had no idea. Her choice of direction would be determined by who or what threatened them along the way.

Parker was a long stretch of road that alternated between rural, small homes to gated communities comprised of more upscale dwellings. There were people in both types of living arrangements and all were trying to make the best of the circumstances as they could and a few even waved at them as they rode by.

The passed a large shopping center and saw that the stores were all closed, boarded up or looted. The gas station on the corner and some small restaurants were the same condition. The smell struck all of them the further west they went. Too many people and nowhere to put all the waste.

As the afternoon grew late, they soon came to Interstate 75 and a hard decision as to what route to take the kids to their home. Candace was excited as they were probably only one or two hours from home by way the crow flies.

As they paused in the parking lot of an abandoned Texaco station, they heard a loud chopping sound puncturing the air to the south. They looked up to see not one, but four dark helicopters come their direction and pass over heading north. All civilian marking numbers on their tails and had normal running lights on.

"Wonder who that is and where they are going?" asked Patty.

"Probably someone else who wants to shoot us, eat us or call us names." said Brad in a dry voice, "Does it really matter anymore? Let's get going."

-----------

The day was getting late and rather than find a place to stop, Patty decided it was pointless. It was best to use the remaining light to get everyone as close as they could to their homes. They took interstate 75 as the first choice and would ride it south to Loop 635 and then head west towards the girl's home first.

The first few miles were not out of the ordinary. It was not until they came to several vehicles bunched together that they stopped and Patty carefully surveyed the situation from a distance. There were at least four eighteen wheelers, all dry vans, with their doors open and no fewer than thirty or forty people, mostly men, going through them and moving boxes to a couple of older model pickups with trailers attached.

"I'm not riding through that, not with two teen age girls" thought Patty. So they turned their bikes around and took the closest off ramp, 18th street, which was in South Plano just north of the Dallas county line and the George Bush Tollway.

"Do you want to take the Tollway instead?" asked Brad.

Patty knew why he asked. He lived in Addision which would be closer that way. Patty relented and they cut over to Bush which turned out to be a better decision. The sides of the road were open and visibility was much better. There were also fewer vehicles diabled along the way.

For a few minutes, Patty thought things were going to turn out better than she thought initially. Maybe they could get Brad to his house, stay the night, drop off the girls at first light (or have Brad do it) and she could be on her way to Elena and home. Maybe things would work out after all.

She was wrong.


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