Blaze of Glory

CHAPTER 29

From far off, a bellowing sound creased the silence. There’d been no sounds of traffic or airplanes for several days now, and that total lack of background noise accentuated the new sound, gathering it up and propelling it forward as if the world had never heard the sound before. Like a fog horn, the sound surrounded them, direction and distance unknown.

Nikki stood and searched the night sky. "What was that?"

Little Rashad joined her, but stared towards where they knew the ocean to be, instead. "A boat maybe?"

"Like a ship. One of those big ships with swimming pools?" Nikki asked.

Sissy turned to Buckley. "They could be checking to see if anyone’s alive. Wouldn’t that be nice?"

Grandma Riggs began singing the strains to The Love Boat.

Love Boat, soon will be making another run.

The Love Boat, promises something for everyone.

"Are we really talking of a they?" Buckley said more to himself than anyone else. "Like there are other’s alive?"

"I think so," Sissy nodded.

"My God," Buckley said, wiping a maggie clear of his brow.

The sound of a fog horn split the air again.

"You know? It does sound like a cruise ship," Buckley said.

At those words, Little Rashad and Nikki high fived, then turned and threw their arms around Sissy. Sissy grinned silly happiness at Buckley and Grandma Riggs. MacHenry approached, and Sissy turned to him as well, but when she saw his face, her smile faltered, then dropped completely.

MacHenry gazed sorrowfully with red, bleary eyes at the happy group.

"How’s Gert?" Buckley asked, stepping forward.

"I salted her wounds." The words came out as a sigh.

"Like in the bible," Grandma Riggs said. "Lot’s wife transformed into a pillar of salt when she turned to look upon the angel’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah."

"If she was salt, we wouldn’t have this problem."

Buckley nodded towards the ocean. "Salt does seems to be the answer."

"Doctor told me to lay off," MacHenry deadpanned. "Said it would kill me."

Gert limped up behind MacHenry, thankful to have his shoulders to hang her arms and take her weight. She caressed MacHenry’s cheek. To Buckley she said, "Can we get a move on?" She tried to smile and almost managed it.

"Maybe we’re not the only ones still alive," Buckley said. "Are you okay, girl?"

"Don’t matter," she said through gritted teeth. "Just untie Grandma from that silly old chair. We’re changing plans and I’m driving."

Little Rashad perked up. "Driving?"

"What?" Sissy looked from Buckley to Gert to MacHenry.

"Yep. I've decided, we're-"

"Come on, Baby. We can-"

Gert pushed away from MacHenry, almost falling. She found her balance by holding out both of her arms. "Stop it. We both know it’s something I have to do, Travis. If we’re going to make it, we have to move faster."

"I won’t let you die," MacHenry whispered hoarsely.

"What can you do?"

MacHenry opened his mouth as if to speak, but couldn't find the words. Frustration and emasculation loosed silent tears. "I… nothing."

"Listen honey, Gert said softly. "If that’s a boat, it won’t wait forever."

MacHenry stepped towards her, but halted as she stumbled away from him. The determination in her eyes was no match for his desperation.

"In fact," she added, pointing to the boy, "Why don’t you pick out a ride for us, Rashad?"

"Anyone I want?"

"Anyone you want," Gert said.

The boy’s face brightened. He grasped Nikki’s hand and began wading through the morass of abandoned vehicles.

"Preferably one with the keys still inside," Gert added.

Little Rashad’s gaze danced across the cool lines of fast cars. He paused to stare longingly at a silver Trans Am- beautiful and fast, it would do little for the small group.

Buckley held out his flask of salt water. "You could drink salt water. It helps.

Gert ignored him. "Maybe a pick-up truck, Rashad."

"Salt water slows them down," Buckley said, raising his voice.

But Gert still ignored him, her gaze following Rashad and Nikki as they searched for a vehicle.

A maggie shot from the palm of Buckley. He held it out to her, close enough so that she had to watch. Pulling salt from his pocket, he dribbled some on the nasty beast. The maggie puffed smoke and turned to sludge.

"Nice trick," she said.

"Maybe you can live longer. Hell, maybe the people on the ship have a cure," Buckley said.

"That’s bullshit and you know it."

"But I-"

Gert lunged towards him and grabbed him by his shirt. "Don’t you do it!" Without the make-up of her profession and the hope to survive, her face looked twenty years older.

"What?"

"Don't give me hope," she snarled, like a cornered animal. "I can live with death. What I can’t live with is hope! I can’t die with it. I don't want it."

Grandma Riggs kicked Buckley in the small of his back. "Let her be. It’s her choice."

How could he leave her be? Buckley's whole reason for being was to motivate the group and get them to safety. Now to have one of their own infected and giving up hope, Buckley felt the failure on a personal level.

Sissy interrupted his thoughts. "Mr. MacHenry. Where are your clothes?"

Buckley spun and saw the middle-aged, former used car salesman standing behind Old Gert with a sloppy smile on his face and pale blue boxers around his private parts. No clothes meant no salt, translating to a quick death, if not corrected.

"MacHenry, what the hell are you doing?" Buckley asked.

Gert let go of Buckley and staggered to her lover. She placed both hands on his chest. "Baby? What are you doing? You can’t do this."

MacHenry smiled and grasped her hand in his own. "I’m doing what I wanted to do all along. I’m gonna go out like the brightest and the best of them. I'm going to go out in a blaze of glory"

"Oh honey."

"I’m not gonna leave you, baby. Just think of me as your Johnny Storm."

"No. Not Johnny Storm."

"Oh yeah," MacHenry said, looking at Buckley. "And it's time to flame on."