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

three meals a day.”
    “I can’t say I blame him,” Darlene said. She was glad for the few minutes of normalcy in her life. She’d been on the run, stopping for quick meals, eating alone in diners and fast food restaurants ever since the funeral.
    It was good to make small talk with people, even if they were still strangers. She hoped she didn’t need to get to know them well. Nothing against the couple. They were lovely. But staying longer meant the situation outside had deteriorated beyond her being able to leave.
    Maybe this was her wakeup call from above to get her shit together and go home to face her new life. The one without her dad and all the good and bad that came with it. Dad brought meaning to her life; she had to look after him, no matter what kind of mood he was sometimes in. She needed her dad there to fight with about taking his meds or not eating so much red meat or sneaking a cigarette from the pack he had hidden in the garage.
    Darlene finished eating and filled her cup with more coffee but stayed in the kitchen with Pheebz while Herbert went to get dressed.
    “Can I ask you a question, dear?” Pheebz washed the dishes while Darlene helped to clear the table.
    “Sure.”
    “Who was it?”
    Darlene was confused. “Who was what?”
    “You lost someone you cared for. I can see it in your eyes and the way you daydream,” Pheebz said.
    Darlene nearly dropped the plate in her hand. “My...my dad.”
    “I don’t mean to pry. Sorry,” Pheebz said.
    “No, not at all. I didn’t realize it was that obvious. I ran clear across the country to escape his ghost but he’s sitting with me now. I just miss him,” Darlene said.
    “You about ready?” Herbert asked, coming down the hallway.
    “If you want to talk about it later, I’m here,” Pheebz said. “Be careful today, and watch over Herbert. My husband thinks he’s half his age most of the time.”
    “And I feel even younger,” Herbert said with a grin as he came into the kitchen and kissed his wife. “But get the heating pad and the Vicks out for my return.” He winked at Darlene. “You know, just in case Darlene needs it from trying to keep up.”

Chapter Eight
Day 2 I-70
    H erbert remarked how many more cars there were on the road today as opposed to any other. He didn’t look happy, and Darlene could see he was keeping count of the cars.
    “People all fleeing east, and it’s only going to get worse,” he said.
    When Darlene and Herbert arrived at the gas station, there were two cars parked near the pumps.
    “Sorry, closed,” Herbert said as he got out. “We’re out of gas.” He glanced at Darlene. “Get the pistol from the glove box...just in case.”
    By the time she pulled the pistol out and got out of the truck, the two cars were driving away.
    “They were friendly but they only stopped a couple of times. Wait until they go a few more miles and there’s no gas, or they start hearing about it on the radio.”
    “Has it all shut down this fast?” Darlene asked.
    Herbert frowned before answering. “Unfortunately, it has. And what I’m doing is part of the problem. I’m not going to lie and say what I’m doing is technically legal or moral, but my family is the most important thing to me. I paid for this gas and the food and everything inside. It’s mine. I intend to hoard it and hope this all blows over, which I don’t think will happen anytime soon.”
    “I can’t say I disagree with you. If I were still in Maine, I’d lock the doors and bar the windows and hope the winter supplies my dad had stored in the basement was all I needed,” Darlene said.
    “Each time we come back up here, we’ll try to move one of the cars out back as well. We can fill the bigger ones first,” Herbert said. “Let me open the bay door and pull in. I don’t want anyone on the road thinking I’m open.”
    As he spoke, another car, filled with a family of five, pulled up to the pump.
    “I’ll go tell them we’re closed,”