The Days After, Big River

The Days After

Big River

J. Richardson

COPYWRIGHT

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2013 by J. Richardson

The author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE

The Annie Belle

CHAPTER TWO

The Crew

CHAPTER THREE

Rolling on the River

CHAPTER FOUR

Small Town to Big City

CHAPTER FIVE

Storm

CHAPTER SIX

On The Wide Missouri

CHAPTER SEVEN

Away

CHAPTER EIGHT

No Safe Passage

EPILOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

The Annie Belle

MUDDY COLORED SHEETS of water spilled over, frothed into a creamy foam where the blades dipped into the churning current. The paddle wheel pushed the two-level boat along the big river. William Clay Allen, the owner and operator, guided the vessel with both hands on the polished wooden ship's wheel, he smoothly navigated the waterway that he was so familiar with.  Clay didn't wear the suit of a captain; he wore his denim jeans, a long sleeve navy blue T-shirt and canvas boat shoes. His dark blue cap snugged down on a head of thick black hair and was lettered Annie Belle, the cap shaded a face pleasantly weathered and tanned. Dark brown eyes hid behind aviator style sunglasses, watched cautiously as the shoreline approached.

Graceful blue letters repeated the name Annie Belle on the sides of the long boat that was freshly painted white and below the name, New Orleans, La. This craft wasn't the huge commercial type that carried hundreds of visitors along the river for dining and touring, sometimes even over night excursions. This well-maintained riverboat never carried more than twenty five tourists, either on the three hour early trip that included a light brunch or the afternoon trip that offered sandwiches and snacks.

A walkway and rails encircled the many windowed cabin area on the first deck. If you took the narrow stairs to the second level, you walked out onto a flat deck with a strong safety rail. The small wheel house, the control cabin, sat next to the stairway at the bow of the boat.  A framework stretched from the boat's bridge to the aft and a heavy canvas top could be rolled out to cover it.  Mounted at the opposite end of the deck was a viewing scope that allowed observation of activity on and around the river. A long row of wooden benches, facing back to back, with ornate wrought iron backs and legs were bolted down in the center of the deck. Freshly painted black,  not very comfortable but they gave the passengers a place to sit and have a high perch view.  The Annie Belle was not a fancy hulking cruise boat; it was Clay's livelihood, his life and also his home.

For the last hour or so, as the morning tour came to an end and the boat glided back into the busier area along the river, Clay noticed something different.  The day was bright and clear,  the usual waterway traffic had been passing him by all morning, yet something on the land—-what was it? It was very still, no motion of the heavy land traffic.  In the lulls between the noise of barges and tugs and towering freighters, he heard occasional shouts and car horns that honked from the shore, but no movement other than hazy figures that scurried around. 

He reached down in the metal clad cabinet that stored walkie talkies and other small electronics, such as a battery operated radio. He spoke into the radio, Louis, could you come up to the helm? Hey, bud, are you there—-would you come forward please?

Another hand held radio sat in a metal box at the aft of the boat, Louis's voice crackled in reply, Gotcha' boss. I'll be up shortly.

More and more folks stood upon the decks of the assorted boats that passed in both directions, they looked out with curiosity at the shore. Some vessels seemed to be stopped silent in the water. Clay maneuvered the paddle wheeler with skill, the long pier that allowed his passengers to disembark was about twenty minutes ahead.

A short stocky man with cocoa colored skin, stepped into the small space that housed the ship's wheel and controls and Clay.  He wore the same uniform, if it could be called that, as his friend and boss.  What's up, you think?  It looks like a power outage or something in the city.  Weird thing though, I don't see any vehicles moving.

Yeah-h, said Clay. He took his sunglasses off and scanned the bright blue skies, I don't see any storm clouds. It's clear as a bell today. The sunglasses went back on, Well, we'll be at the dock shortly. Go ahead and help Angeline get the passengers off.

Okay, bet we find out what's happening when we get there, huh? Louis smiled and moved towards the cabin area. 

Elizabeth Angeline Babin Cook stood behind the bar and wiped vigorously at the polished top. Her auburn hair piled up in a tousle of curls on her head, a circle of comb teeth secured the curls and made neat rows in her shiny tresses. She looked down at the job she was intent on completing. Her slim figure looked pleasing in the same jeans as her boss and her co-worker and she wore the appropriate canvas boat shoes. No T-shirt however, a soft navy blue blouse tucked neatly in her jeans. Gold hoops dangled from her ears, a small cross on a chain at her neck, no wedding ring or any rings on her fingers and a Timex watch circled her wrist.

Louis's wide hand slapped the bar and made her jump.

Angel, we're close to port. Let's round 'em up, girl. 

Several of the morning tourists peered out the windows and a few sat at tables and munched on cookies from a round tray of assorted sweets.  A small girl with hair the beautiful color of her mother's, popped up from a stool behind the bar. A tiny pair of glasses rested on her turned up nose, she removed them and laid them on top of the sketch pad.  As usual the drawing that engrossed her filled the white page.

Louis! she grabbed him around his knees.

He lifted the petite beauty and gave her a hug, Hey there, Allie girl. How's my baby today?

Louis sat her down and announced in a smooth voice with just a touch of a cajun accent, Okay, folks, we'll soon be at the dock.  Be sure to gather all of your belongings and prepare to disembark.

Angel looked down at her daughter, Put all your supplies in your backpack, honey. Do you need to make one last restroom visit?  The little girl skipped towards the bathroom on the opposite side of the cabin, her loose bright printed top flounced around.  She didn't like clothes that fit her body close, complained and tugged if her mother dressed her in anything that. She tolerated her jeans with an elastic waist and she liked the slip-on canvas shoes.

A loud horn blared out as the Annie Belle slowly edged next to the long pier, murky water lapped against the heavy pilings. The wooden pier would relay the tourists all the way into their towering luxury hotel that had a view of the river from every room.  Louis and Angeline, now Clay stood and told them thanks for coming and have a nice day. It was just the normal thing, the routine. As the passengers walked up the pier, it was obvious that something wasn't quite right, but they trailed up the long walkway towards the hotel. They seemed to be scanning the shore and murmuring to each other.

Angel, busy until they docked, stood by the rail and looked at the scene on the land. Now she could observe the chaos.  No cars moved around and clearly many had slammed into others, steam and smoke spiraled up in dozens of places and an actual fire or two blazed, unattended.  People ran in all directions, shouts and a few panicky screams rose above the sea of dead autos.  There were no sirens, no police or fire trucks and crews.

Allie dashed out and tugged at her hand. She was only five but very precocious, What is it, Mommy? Is there a bad car wreck?

She pulled the little body up next to her. Maybe, she answered with a doubtful voice. She looked at Louis and over to Clay, the question in her eyes, My god, what....

Clay only hesitated for a moment, Louis, I think we need to get back out into the bay, away from the shore.  He turned to move up to the control cabin and Louis immediately spun to follow. 

Angel said, Hey, wait, we need to get home. We need to get off... her voice trailed away as she looked back at the mass confusion. She and her daughter lived in a small one bedroom apartment. They usually walked from the big boat and then took a bus, when her workday ended.

Clay turned and said, Angel, I don't think that would be a good idea right now.  Let's get back out on the river and I'll get you closer to home, by the waterway. He hurried on towards the helm and Louis went to untie the moorings. 

Angel stood in stunned silence until she felt the slight roll of the deck.  She snapped to and led Allie into the cabin, careful to not let her daughter see her fear.  Rather nonchalantly, the girl sat down on the carpeted floor, took off her backpack, pulled out her art pad and placed her glasses on her nose.  Perched on one of the stools at the bar top, away from the child, Angel muttered, What in the world is happening? This is just crazy.

Clay eased the long vessel away from the land. He felt not near as baffled as his pretty new bartender slash hostess about what might've happened. Not one hundred percent certain, yet a firm idea that it was something widespread.  Angeline had just come to work on the boat a couple of weeks earlier. It was early and the season would get busier.  He and Louis simply couldn't do everything, especially the small hospitality and courtesy things that folks expected.  She seemed to be smart and competent, not to mention nice to look at.  He didn't mind sweet Allie being on board, at all.  If her mother didn't have to pay child care, it made him feel less guilty about the small paycheck that was all he could pay her.

The boat slipped ever so slowly along, he noticed no break or change in the havoc on the land. His mind recounted the many times his brother Daniel—-old doomsday Dan, he called him—-had lectured and raved about the various scenarios that would change the world or worse, end the world.  Dan, was absolutely convinced that this below sea level, coastal city wasn't the place to be, sure that the ocean levels would rise and take out all the coastal cities in the world. Every apocalyptic event from the financial collapse of America to massive earthquakes filled the brother's list of possible catastrophic happenings.  Even though, Clay and Dan and their parents had always lived on or near the river in Louisiana, the paranoid brother had moved away from the Gulf Coast, about three years earlier. 

A believer, a Prepper, Dan relocated to a small community in South Dakota very near the Missouri River.  The Missouri flows right into the Mississippi River and Dan said, When the S—hits-the-fan, you can navigate all the way to my place. That's why I chose a place south of the locks and dams on both rivers.  A software developer, he worked from home, his several acre farm. He built up his supplies and preparations for the doomsday event that he was confident would come. He never gave up and tried consistently to persuade his brother to leave the coast. 

The expert hands barely moved the handles that extended from the wooden wheel. Just as Louis walked up beside him, he thought, Well, old Dan, I'm afraid one of your nightmares has finally come true. The man didn't say anything to his boss, just waited for him to speak.

Clay let his breath out in a long exhale and shook his head, I think that crazy old Dan might've not been so crazy, my friend.  Something way out of the norm has happened.  When the vehicles go dead, it's electrical—-like the whole electric grid is down. Only certain things would affect the cars, anything computerized. It could have been natural, like a solar flare or man made, an EMP.  It may have been deliberate, intended to do just what it did, knock out the electric grid, cripple the world.

In amazement, Louis stared into the face of his friend, "You mean everywhere!"

Maybe not everywhere, on the other hand, possibly not just America but the world. We won't know for a while, something is very bad wrong.  I do know that, said Clay.

Louis took off his cap and slapped it on his leg.  I trust you, you know that.  If this is possible, if it's true, I have to get Penny and Jacob.  I'm going to take the dinghy and head back down river.

Clay said, It's going to get more and more dangerous out there, Louis. You take plenty of fuel and get your wife and boy, catch back up with us.  I'll move as slow as I can and stop if I can, I'll be watching for you. They clasped hands in a tight shake.  He reached in his pocket and pulled out a key to a padlock, Take that .38 and ammo from the gun closet. You be careful and stay safe.

Clay, what about Angel and the girl? said Louis.

No way that I could put her on the shore, not until we see what the situation really is. She'll have to stay on board for now, he replied.

The friend smiled, Good boy. You stay safe and I will see you upriver.

Shortly, the small boat putt-ed away, slid down river and the brown hand raised in a wave. Angeline and Allie stood at the rail and waved back until he was out of sight.  Allie pranced back inside, found some cookies left on the table and returned to her drawing.  Thick tendrils of Angel's hair came