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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] There Sool had passed the still-smoldering remnants of Larry s Diner and started the long climb up Highway 2 toward Waterville to the west. Two of the huge transmission towers that carried power across the state had gone down along with the cables they carried. Fires, started by sparks from the black, snakelike cables, headed for the southern horizon. By the time Sool had topped the long incline that led up out of the valley, a number of things were apparent: Night was coming, she was hungry, and the odds of successfully crossing the Cascades equipped with a light jacket and running shoes were not especially good. Not only that, but the scumbags back in Coulee City were but a sample of things to come. A woman alone would be extremely vulnerable. Like it or not, Sool figured she would need some help. But where to find it? The physician had driven that particular route many, many times before and knew that the next town of any size was Waterville. If it was not already overwhelmed by refugees, it soon would be. So rather than follow the herd to Waterville and the inevitable confrontation with its hard-pressed citizens, Sool had decided to turn either north or south and try her luck in an even smaller community. One that could use a doctor. Page 76 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html All of which was fine, or would be, once she reached a turnoff. There was a night to get through first, however and that had the higher priority. There were no houses, sheds, or barns in sight, which meant Sool had three choices: She could sleep in one of the abandoned cars, sleep next to the road, or sleep in a field. The last two alternatives were clearly unattractive, especially on a night when the temperature would drop into the low fifties, so the car was best. Not that she wanted to be alone, not if she could help it. She continued to walk until she spotted two women walking side by side, approached, and asked if they would join her. They were quick to agree. The women introduced themselves as the Landy sisters, both of whom were from Tacoma. They pointed to a stalled minivan. It had three flat tires and a badly scorched fender but seemed otherwise intact. Sool had agreed, the vehicle was appropriated, and the doors were soon locked behind them. The Landys had two loaves of bread looted from a delivery truck, and they were kind enough to share. Sool used a first-aid kit that the owner had stupidly left behind to tend the blisters on their feet and then dumped the rest of the contents into her nearly empty medical bag. The three women talked for a while. But due to the fact that none of them wanted to discuss their real concerns, not in front of strangers, they stuck to the safer stuff. An hour elapsed, the number of people who passed the van dwindled to little more than a trickle, and darkness descended. They slept after that, or tried to, although Sool awoke several times once when someone tried to open a door, once when one of the Landy sisters talked in her sleep, and once to escape a nightmare. Finally, when her watch told her it was 4:00 A.M., Sool opened the back door, took her bag, and locked the van behind her. It was cold, and the physician s teeth chattered as she headed west. Sool wished she had a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a piping-hot cup of vanilla-flavored coffee trivial, everyday comforts she had long taken for granted. Others would be up soon, the moment the sun broke over the eastern horizon. But now, until the rest of them crawled out of their holes, the doctor had the highway to herself. Now, looking back, the medic realized how critical that seemingly unimportant decision had been. Because Sool was the first one up, and because of her early start, the physician was all by herself when she topped a rise and saw the work party below. Ten or twelve men and women had been clustered around the point where a farm road connected with Highway 2. A power saw screamed and sparks flew as the steel blade sliced through metal supports. Sool had seen the sign topple, watched people carry it toward a waiting dump truck, and realized what they were up to. They were from a town, asmall town. They were afraid of refugees. So they were busy removing signs, erecting barriers, and blocking roads. Page 77 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html Sool felt her heart beat faster as she ran down the road, approached the work crew, and slowed to a stop. She had noticed they were armed and anything but friendly. A man helped a woman position a freshly painted Road Closed sign so that it blocked the two-lane highway. His voice was hard and cold. Something I can do for you? Yes, Sool had said earnestly. Take me with you. She eyed one of the signs already loaded into the back of a pickup. Take me to Guthrie. The man s eyes had narrowed. His mouth made a straight line. I m sorry, lady, but Guthrie is full up. Try Waterville . . . it s a few miles west of here. Sool refused to back down. She was five foot five and tried to look taller. I understand the problem . . . but I m a board-certified surgeon. How many doctors have you got in Guthrie? she d asked. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |