EMP: Collateral Darkness

  Book Two

  By Tony Mastrolacasa

  Copyright © 2019 by Tony Mastrolacasa

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, except in the case of a brief quotation included in a critical review or article, without written permission from the author.

  This book is a work of fiction.

  All names, characters, places and events are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, locations or events is completely coincidental.

  While every effort was made to include technical descriptions in a way that they appear accurate, they too are used fictitiously. The author assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions contained herein. This book was written for entertainment purposes only.

  This book is dedicated to my parents, Salvatore and Carmelina Mastrolacasa.

  Immigrating to Canada from San Bartolomeo in Galdo, Italy in 1957, my future mother arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia at 21 years of age. My future father, her fiancé, would follow a year later in 1958. Their journey was not an easy one, fraught with tragedy and unintended adventure.

  Travelling with a friend, Carmelina Circelli came to London, Ontario to join her father who had come six months earlier. Together, they intended to earn enough money to secure passage for her mother and younger brother, still living in poverty in Italy. Only once their entire family was reunited, would they slow down and begin living the Canadian dream. Tragically, her father would soon fall deathly ill and insist on returning to Italy to spend his final days with his wife. My mother would never see him again. Her mother and little brother would finally arrive in Canada a few months later, but her fiancé was still missing. ‘Where could Sal be?’ she would wonder for weeks.

  Sal was still at sea, not exactly lost, but not necessarily getting any closer to Canada either. My father would eventually travel up the St. Lawrence Seaway and arrive in Montreal, but not before making an enormous mistake. Travelling alone and never having even seen an ocean going vessel before, he boarded the wrong ship and as a result, spent 28 days at sea. Needless to say, my dad has seen places that many of us can only imagine. I remember vividly, the stories he would tell us as children, tales of the Red Sea and of exotic foreign ports. That’s right, at 23, my father sailed to Canada by way of the Suez Canal. His exact route eludes his memory now, but I’m told the Red Sea is not normally part of the voyage.

  My future parents finally reunited again, married and build a wonderful and prosperous life together in Canada. Their unyielding love, support and encouragement, saw all four of their children carve out wonderful lives for themselves as well. ‘Mastrolacasa’ directly translates to ‘Master of the house.’ My parents, Sal and Carmela, were certainly masters at building a perfect home for us all.

  Now in their 84th and 86th years, my parents have never heard me thank them for coming to Canada. I’ve never expressed my gratitude to them for being so courageous in their search of a better life. My world, my life was only made possible because two brave young adults walked along an old wooden gangway and boarded a ship to Canada.

  Thank you Mom and Pop. I love it here in Canada and I owe it all to you.

  Your loving son,

  Tony.

  Special thanks to my life long friend, Ian Hetherington, for his final review and valued suggestions.

  Chapter 1

  “That did not go well.” Sydney said as she slid over to the centre seat in the Bronco.

  “How the hell did that turn so ugly?” Stu asked, climbing into the passenger seat beside her.

  “Gus and Barb wouldn’t leave when there was a forest fire in their back yard.” Sydney said. “I doubt they’ll be convinced to leave now… not on the word of some stranger anyway.”

  “They’re obviously shell shocked and not thinking straight.” Stu said. “Same goes for the Hendersons. Just let them sleep on it and we’ll see if they’re packed up and ready to go.”

  Their 15 year old son, Leo, started the Bronco, pulled out of the Harper’s laneway and took his family home. Their other two sons, Brody and Joey, as well as their Walker coonhound, Jersey, sat quietly in the back, listening intently to the discussion.

  “And what if they’re not packed and ready to go, Dad? Then what?” Leo asked.

  “Then… we leave without them.” Stu said.

  ◆◆◆

  As darkness descended on Orchard Park Road, the homes of the various Alliance members were alight with heated debate.

  “What the hell was Stu thinking?” Barb asked her husband. “Basically, we can escort them to their comfy new home up north, but then we have to find our own place to stay?”

  “Calm down, Barb. That’s not exactly what he said.” Gus replied. “His friend’s cabin just isn’t big enough for all of us. He said he’d help us find a place once we get there.”

  “Get where? He wouldn’t he even tell us where it is?”

  “Well, he needs to protect…”

  “…I’ll tell you on the way.” Barb said, trying her best to imitate Stu’s voice. “What the hell kind of answer is that?”

  “I suppose it was the best…”

  “…You know what I think. I think he doesn’t give a damn about the rest of us. I think we’ll be screwed over as soon as we get up there. That’s what I think.”

  “There’s no way Stu would…”

  “…You don’t think it’s a little strange that Stu trusts this Stacey girl so much?”

  Gus just stared at his irate wife, waiting patiently for her to start up again.

  “Well? Aren’t you going to say something?”

  Gus closed his eyes, lowered his head and took a deep breath.

  “They survived some pretty brutal situations together, Barb. It’s kind of weird, but I get it… I guess.”

  “Well, I’m not buying it. Something’s up with her and that other guy.” Barb said.

  “Listen to me very carefully, Barb. Those two didn’t hesitate to rush down there to that barricade and give us a hand. As soon as those bikers arrived, they could have just loaded up their kids and driven out of here to the east. They had already delivered their message. They didn’t owe us anything, but they stayed and fought along side us. Brian said they even took out four or five of those bikers themselves, including their leader. If it weren’t for Stacey and Corey, we might still have a biker problem.”

  “So, what are you saying then, Gus? You want to go with them?”

  “No, Barb… actually, I don’t. We have the cattle to consider. I don’t know how we can stay, though. If it’s true, what Stu says about that nuclear power plant, the radiation could make us really sick. It could even kill us.”

  “If it gets here at all. If Stacey gives us one of those badge things, we can just leave if it detects radiation. We can get out before it gets bad.”

  Gus and Barb sat quietly together, considering their options and how each could play out. Finally, Gus thought of a compromise that he believed his wife could settle on.

  “Let’s put some things together tonight, Barb. We’ll go over to Stu’s in the morning, like everyone agreed and see what the others are thinking. Whether we decide to join them or not, we should keep our stuff ready to go from now on. If we decide to go, we’ll be ready. If we decide to stay, we’ll already have our things organized for a quick bug out. Either way...”

  “…we’ll be ready.”

  ◆◆◆

  At the Henderson place, the debate was short lived, but it didn’t exactly go the way Stu was hoping either. Having just lost their father and older brother, the twins weren’t getting anywhere in their debate with one another, so they turned to their grieving mother for her opinion.

  “What do you think we should do, Mom?” Kurt asked.

  “If you two fools would have let Stu finish one damn sentence, we might have actually learned something and been able to make an informed decision.” Ann said. “That Barb can be a real piece of work too sometimes.”

  Ann let out an exasperated sigh and got up from her chair.

  “I’m sorry, boys, but I just can’t think straight right now. I need to lie down for a while. Wake me in a couple hours, will you? We need to make a decision.”

  “Sure, Mom. Get some rest.” Kyle said.

  The boys got up and gave their mother a warm hug and then watched as she wandered off to her room.

  “She’s in no condition to go out on the road, Kyle.” Kurt said.

  “You don’t think I know that?” Kyle replied.

  “So, what are you thinking then? You think we should go anyway?” Kurt asked.

  “I’m thinking, screw Stu and his bullshit. I’m staying right here and looking after our cattle.” Kyle said. “Don’t care about anything else, except for the three of us and the Limousins.”

  “What about Nancy and Judy?” Kurt asked. “What if they decide to leave? Don’t you want to see things through with Nancy?”

  “You think they’ll go and leave their Holsteins behind?” Kyle asked, noticeably concerned.

  “I don’t think so. If we tell them we’re staying, maybe they will too.” Kurt said. “You want to go over there and ask?”

  “Yeah, I think we should.” Kyle replied. “Nancy walked up to me earlier and tried to say something, but I didn’t even hear a word she said.”

  They both turned towards their mother’s room as the faintest sounds of muffle

d sobs started to seep out from behind the door.

  “Alright, let’s go.” Kyle said, turning back to his brother. “We’ve already lost Dad and Sam today. Let’s go see if we’re losing our girlfriends too.”

  ◆◆◆

  “How are you guys doing in here?” Sydney asked as she walked into the boy’s room.

  “I’m getting there, Mom.” Brody replied. “How the heck are we supposed to decide what to bring? I mean, I have so much stuff.”

  “Two bags each Brody.” Sydney said. “You heard your father. We only have so much space.”

  She looked behind the door and asked, “Where’s Joey?”

  “He finished a while ago, Mom. He already brought his bags outside to Leo.” Brody replied.

  She turned to go check on him. She needed to have a look in Joey’s bags, just in case Leo hadn’t already. Knowing her five year old, she figured that his bags were probably only half full and with nothing other than t-shirts and swim shorts.

  As she walked past the master bedroom, she took a moment to look in on Stu. He had tried to stay up and help, but Sydney had insisted on sending him off to bed. He had fallen asleep before she had even thrown a sheet over him. Looking at him now, snoring softly, she noticed that he was still in the same position that she had left him in.

  Poor guy.

  She left him to sleep a while longer and headed out in search of Joey and Leo. She found them out in the laneway. Joey was struggling to pass Leo up an empty jerrycan as Leo stretched down from the roof of the Bronco. Sydney picked Joey up by the waist and gave him a boost.

  “Thanks, Mom.” Joey said.

  “Joey, did you already finish packing?” she asked as she set him back down.

  “Yeah. My bags are in the corner there somewhere.” Joey replied, pointing to a pile of stuff back in the garage.

  “I think you should go through them, Mom.” Leo said. “I didn’t see a single pair of socks or underwear in there.”

  “Alright, Joey, let’s go. Grab your bags and follow me.” Sydney said.

  Joey gave his mother a frustrated look, lowered his head and went off to find where he had tossed them. He hated packing and he didn’t care who knew it.

  Stupid socks and underwear.

  ◆◆◆

  “Hey, Jenny, you two alright out here?” Stacey asked.

  “Emma’s fast asleep, but I’m a little cold.” Jenny replied.

  “Yeah, I know, sweetie. I brought you another comforter.” Stacey said. “Your dad’s curled up in the cab of the truck. It’s up to us girls to rough it out here in the tent tonight. He’s got a lot of driving to do tomorrow.”

  “Why can’t we just sleep in the house? Sydney said that we could.”

  “The Coopers have a lot of packing to do. They’ll be running around in there all night. We wouldn’t get any sleep and just be in the way.”

  Noticing Stacey wince when she sat down, Jenny asked, “How’s your shoulder?”

  “It’s sore, but it’s getting better. When your dad popped it back in, I almost slugged him one.” She said with a giggle.

  Jenny sat quietly for a few seconds and then finally mustered up the courage to ask the question that was eating her up. It was the same question that her father had, up to this point, failed to ask.

  “Do you like my dad?”

  “Would that be okay with you?”

  “I think so. I mean, I like you and Emma a lot, but I don’t want him to get hurt again.”

  “I have no intention of hurting either of you. You guys are my family now.”

  “… and families stick together.”

  “That’s right, Jenny.”

  “So… that would be a ‘yes’ then?”

  “Yes, I like you both very much, but he hasn’t said anything to me. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

  “Okay, but I know he likes you too. I can tell.”

  “Get some sleep, Jenny. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

  ◆◆◆

  Carl had given Toby a ride home on Brian’s ATV and made sure she was settled in before heading home himself. The first thing he did when he walked through his door, was to put a pot on the camp stove, so he could have a small bite to eat. He went off to clean up a little more thoroughly while he waited for the water to boil.

  Feeling refreshed, he dumped a packet of soup into a mug, poured hot water over it and stirred up the chickeny goodness. With his modest dinner in hand, he walked out back to relax in his chair by the stream. The chair of his deceased wife, still sat next to it. He sat quietly, sipping from the warm mug as he thought about the decision he was now facing.

  Before this all started, he was perfectly prepared to spend the rest of his days sitting by this stream, pondering days gone by. He made a point of dedicating at least an hour every day, thinking of his beloved Rachel and their lives together. He missed her companionship dearly, but always felt better after spending the time thinking about her. He’d even sometimes catch himself forgetting he was alone, absentmindedly speaking to the empty chair beside him.

  As he sat here now, it occurred to him that he hadn’t done this for days. His initial feelings of guilt, over this sudden realization, quickly changed to a feeling of… purpose.

  Carl knew that he had basically been counting the days before he could join his wife in the sweet hereafter. His heart meds had run out days ago and he figured that he would end up getting sick soon enough. He was at peace with it. He had done his bit and wanted only to be reunited with his wife.

  Now, though, he was an important member of the community again. He had come to think of Brian and Stu and their families as his own. He had put himself in harm’s way protecting them and had come to enjoy the comradery and respect that they regularly showed him. As strange as it seemed, this nightmare scenario had given Carl’s life purpose again.

  He had never planned on leaving this place. He was determined to breathe his last breath on this plot of land and then be put to rest beside Rachel. Not anymore, though. He wanted to stay with his new family and help protect them. He felt invigorated and there was simply no way that he was going to deny himself a chance to contribute, however short lived it may end up being. Rachel would understand.

  Enough of this horse shit. I gotta go get some crap together.

  As he stood up and turned to head in, an unexpected sound suddenly broke through the silence of the night. Over by the barricade, he heard the sound of one of the motorbikes being kicked over. He froze in place, his hand instinctively going to the butt of his rifle. On the third attempt, Carl heard the bike rumble to life and then quickly speed off.

  ◆◆◆

  Morning came and the members of the Alliance slowly started making their way over to the Cooper place. They had all agreed to meet at 8:00, regardless of their intentions to come along or not. This time of year, the sun wouldn’t be breaking the horizon until around 8:30, so the road was dotted with bouncing flashlight beams and the glow of lanterns.

  Brian and his family were the first to arrive. He had removed the bucket from his tractor and reconnected his cargo trailer to it. It once again carried Fran, Barry and Cindy and all of their most important possessions. Brian intended to make the journey north in this way, but was unsure if anyone else would need to ride with them or not. Along with his ATV, which he still held out hope for, they may end up having to leave quite a few things behind to make room for others.

  “Good morning, Syd.” Brian said as he climbed down from the cab of his tractor.

  “Morning.” She replied from the front porch where she stood waiting for their guests.

  She continued to watch as Fran and the kids got out of the trailer. Remembering what it had been like travelling back there, Sydney was glad to have a spot reserved in the Bronco… with its heater. She would remember to take a few turns in the trailer, so that Fran and her kids could get some relief from the cold bumpy ride.

  “Good morning, everybody.” Sydney said again with a big smile. “The guys are all out back barbecuing up some breakfast. Are you guys hungry?”

  “Uh-huh.” Barry replied.

  Cindy simply hugged her mom’s leg and nodded in response.

  “Run around back then. Joey’s been waiting for you.” Sydney said. “We’re having a big breakfast feast this morning!”

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37