Chapter 10

Drew and Kenzie were sitting at a dinner table with Kenzie’s parents. They were eating dinner. Despite the perhaps seemingly unwelcoming greeting they’d gotten earlier that morning Kenzie’s parents were happy to see them. Apparently the virus had not really gotten hold over the countryside. People simply lived too far away from each other for it to spread properly. The local grocery stores were even open.

But if they had arrived from any other direction they would have been stopped in road blocks. Trucks carrying food (and beer) were let through – but only with an escort. No one from outside was allowed to exit their cars while passing through the city, or town, I mean.

“I still don’t understand how you managed to take more than 12 hours to go from the city to here. It should have taken you 3 or 4.” Kenzie’s dad said with a laugh

“Well, it was dark and we were driving on really small roads, ok?” Kenzie defended herself

“But it really has given us a major problem; we’re almost out of gas.” Drew said

“That is indeed a problem.” Kenzie’s dad said. “But you don’t really have to leave – you could just stay here.”

“I really want to get to my parents. They are probably worrying to death over there.” Drew said

“Where did you get that car anyway?” Kenzie’s mom asked

Kenzie and Drew looked at each other.

“Uhm, we borrowed it from… Asher’s uncle.” Kenzie said, and Drew nodded vigorously.

Kenzie’s parents looked at her.

“I see.” Kenzie’s mom said. “Let’s just hope no one ever finds out.”

“You should probably make sure that car disappears when you get there.” Kenzie’s dad said. “No reason to get a criminal record because of some silly curfew.”

“So the curfew is not valid here?” Drew asked

“Not exactly. But who’s going to enforce it – the national guard?” Kenzie’s mom said

“Let’s not be unfair; they did try.” Kenzie’s mom said

“What happened?” Kenzie asked

“Well, no one really takes them seriously. And besides, there are more hunters around here than there are guards. Let’s just say that they lack firepower…” Kenzie’s dad said

Kenzie raised her eyebrows slightly. “So, where can we find diesel?”

“Down at the transport company you should be able to get it. Here, take my card.” Kenzie’s dad said

“Ok, let’s go.” Kenzie said

“Thank you for the food. It was delicious.” Drew said with a smile (scoring some points with Kenzie’s mom)

As they walked to the car Drew asked Kenzie “Don’t they want you to stay?”

“Sure they do, but they can’t exactly ground me, can they?”

They drove to the transportation company through some back roads, avoiding the town centre. They could see a few people out walking, and many of them waved when they recognized Kenzie, even though Kenzie had no idea of who most of them were. They drove up to the pump and started to fill up the car. It did not take long, but just when they were about to drive off another car came driving and blocked their way.

Two men got out of the car and walked towards them. They were carrying shotguns. Drew and Kenzie looked at each other. Kenzie looked up in the mirror and saw another car driving up from behind. They were trapped.

As the men with the guns arrived Kenzie lowered her window.

“Hey.” She said to the man outside

“Hey.” He answered, looking intently at Kenzie. “Are you from around here?”

“Yeah, I’m Kenzie Hanson.” She said, hoping that he’d recognize her name

“I see.” The man said, with no sign of recognition. “And are you going somewhere?”

“Nah, just filling it up.” Kenzie lied for reasons she could not explain, even to herself.

“You need a permit for that. One car per household is the rule. I can see your car is not marked.” The man said pointing at a red sticker of the windscreen of his car.

“Uhm…” Kenzie was rapidly approaching panic.

“Hi there mini-Hanson!” A familiar voice called out from behind.

A man that Kenzie recognized very well had stepped out of the car behind and walked up to them.

He nodded to the man with the gun. “How are you?” He asked Kenzie

“Fine, and you? How are the kids?”

“We’re great. The kids don’t need to go to school, so they’re happy.” The man said

They chatted for a while, both completely ignoring the man with the gun, who was looking more and more impatient.

“Look, man, she was fueling up her unmarked car without permit.” The gunman finally interrupted.

“Are you still here?” The friendly man asked and looked at him with a cold face. “Don’t you have other places to patrol?”

“I won’t let her drive away, and if you try to stop me I’ll put you all in the isolation camp!” The man said and actually raised his gun towards the friendly man.

He, however, remained calm. “My friend back in the car has his rifle aimed at your head, and will fire at my signal.” He said coldly. “You know him, don’t you?”

The man with the gun nodded, but he did not lower his gun.

“Then you probably know that he was a ranger in the military and that he was in the Olympics in shooting?”

Suddenly the man with the shotgun looked very nervous.

“I suggest that you and your friend lower those guns, and get back in your car and drive away.”

The man with the gun hesitated.

“Now.”

He lowered his gun and nodded to his friend to go back to the car. Before they drove off he stared at the friendly man with hatred.

“What are you doing here?! I thought you were far away in the city.” The man turned to Kenzie.

“We’re on our way to the safe-zone.” Kenzie said. “My dad did not warn me about this…”

“He probably didn’t even know of it, they formed up a local ‘protection committee’ last night. You’d better get going before anything else happens.”

“Would he really have shot him?” Kenzie asked, nodding towards the car behind.

“Who, him? Nah, why would he bring his rifle to town?”