United States Of Apocalypse by Mark Tufo, Armand Rosamilia Read Free Book Online

said.
    Darlene was going to ask who John was when the husband walked in, gave a quick smile again to Darlene, and helped himself to more coffee.
    “I think we’re going to head out,” John said.
    Herbert shook his head. “No way. Haven’t you been watching the same news we’re watching? People are packing the main roads. It won’t be long before airports are closed due to the smoke in the air.”
    “We need to get back to Florida,” John said. He glanced over his shoulder. “My wife wants to be close to her parents, and I left my old man in Pensacola.”
    “Are you going to drive back?” Pheebz asked.
    “Yeah, I guess so. We’ll see how far we can get,” John said. He didn’t look too happy.
    Darlene watched his wife walk by the kitchen, peeking in and frowning when she saw John standing close to Darlene, before rushing off into the back of the house.
    “We’re going to pack and be gone in a few,” John said. He thanked Herbert and Pheebz for their hospitality.
    “I’ll pack you some supplies. Food and water,” Pheebz said.
    John shook his head. “No thank you. We’ll stop on the way east and get what we need. It’ll be a long trip back but we’ll manage. I know you’ll need it more than we will. You don’t have many options for supplies coming in, but I’ll head south and east and skirt the major cities. I can pick up things along the way.”
    “Will you at least stay for breakfast?” Pheebz asked.
    “I’ll check with my wife,” John said, then went to find her.
    Herbert and Pheebz shared a quick look, and Darlene had to smile. It was like her parents all those years, having a conversation about someone with a glance. The couple knew how whipped John was, too. There would be no stopping his wife. They’d leave but, hopefully, be back safe and sound.
    Darlene didn’t think they’d get very far once they got close to major cities, which they’d have to get near if they wanted to use even tertiary highways.
    “You never answered me about breakfast. Hungry?”
    Darlene nodded. “Yes. I can help.”
    Pheebz waved a spatula in her direction. “This is my place during the crisis. Trust me. This is the only spot where I can forget about what’s going on. When Junior was sick...” Pheebz got quiet.
    “I’ll take a heaping stack of pancakes,” Herbert said quickly.
    Pheebz turned around, stared at him with a mock mad face and waved the spatula. “You and those damn pancakes. You’re getting scrambled eggs and toast, and you’ll like it.”
    Herbert went over to his wife and kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll eat anything you cook, hon.” He patted his large gut. “As you can plainly see, I do enjoy groceries and I do enjoy my wife’s cooking.”
    Darlene wandered back into the living room since she wasn’t needed in the kitchen. She’d let the couple have a moment. She was sure Junior was a loved one who’d died, and talking about it was painful. Darlene wasn’t one to pry. Hell, she’d just lost her dad. The last thing she wanted was to sit around and cry about loved ones who were no longer with them.
    The images on the TV flashed by, scenes of major fires and police trying to control large crowds. There was a shot of Manhattan, the New York City streets looking like a war zone.
    Darlene needed to call her aunt and make sure everyone in her family was all right, even though she didn’t want to get into a lengthy conversation about what was happening in the world, or about her dad.
    She pulled out her cell phone but there was no signal.
    “Oh, that won’t work down here in this valley. I have a landline in the office for emergencies. A cordless hanging up in the kitchen, too. I carry my cell phone for work but don’t even bother taking it out of my truck when I’m home,” Herbert said. “Feel free to call whoever you want and take as long as you want.” He grinned and looked back into the kitchen. “But I wouldn’t take too long because your food will get cold, and