Overkill

Carol was awake before Daryl the next morning. She dressed and went into the kitchen to prepare a bagged breakfast and lunch. She hadn't slept well and she felt uneasy. Her vague fears began to coalescence into firm resolve against this trip to Canada. She grabbed a paper bag and put in protein bars, fruit, and began to make sandwiches. By the time Daryl came into the kitchen she was ready to speak her mind.

"Daryl, don't go. We can start buying more supplies today. We have antibiotics and we can buy more respirators on-line." She wanted to run into his arms and beg him to stay, but pushed that thought back. She wasn't going to beg him to do what he ought to want to do. Stay here and protect his family. Carol hated feeling weak and her voice sharpened, "Rick has you and Jesse all fired up to go get more supplies but he won't be here either. He'll be off being police chief. Carl may get stuck at work." Are you listening to me? You're leaving doesn't feel right.

Daryl bristled at her tone but he didn't raise his voice. He had woken up this morning alone and Carol's side of their bed was cold. He had packed last night and put everything in the Tahoe. He hated to say goodbye and hoped to just sneak away this morning. He pushed back his feelings of guilt and tried to talk some sense into his normally sensible wife. "We'll be back in less than a week. One long day's drive and we're there. We make our connections and we'll get back as soon as we can. I'll call Merle from one of the burner phones this morning. See if he can get here any sooner."

Carol reverted back to cold logic, "We don't know what is going on. The government will be suppressing all the information it can. They are firing up Apocalypse Protocol. They've never done that. Canada is lenient with their immigration policies. People are traveling to and from Asian countries all the time. If there is a hint that the virus is in Canada then our country will crack down on border security. We may not see it as a crime to bring in antibiotics and other medicines but our government does. This is no time for you to get arrested. We have enough. More is overkill." I have definitely convinced myself that this is a bad idea.

Daryl thought about the medicines they had. He was beginning to think that maybe Carol was making a few good points when he heard Jesse pull into their driveway. He would look like the world's biggest pussy if he announced to Jesse that "My wife says I can't go." Jesse was waiting. Michonne hadn't tried to guilt him into staying. "I'll call you later. We'll be careful. I'll be back before you know it." He grabbed the paper bag and kissed Carol. She didn't kiss back. Daryl went to the back door, "You alright?"

Carol looked at him stoically, "I have to be. I'm on my own."

Daryl walked back to her, "I'm sorry I'm going and leaving you alone. I'll be back as soon as I can." He put his arm around her and kissed her. This time she kissed back but he tasted the salt from her tears. "I love you." He pulled away and opened the door. Carol wiped away her tears and watching the Tahoe disappear into the darkness.

She busied herself with the morning routine of getting the children off to school. Sam and Mika were fine but Lizzie was watching her every move. Carol got everyone in the van on time including Judith and Jada who were often slow in the morning. The bus came and Lizzie was the last to get out. She turned to Carol, "We'll be extra careful until Dad gets back." Then she took off on a run to catch up with the others. That's the first time she has referred to Daryl as "Dad". She calls me "Ma'am" and him "Sir". The other two started calling us "Mom" and "Dad" six months ago. Lizzie is catching the uneasy vibes.

TWDTWDTWD

They were twenty miles from home before either of them did more than grunt at each other. Daryl was rewinding his morning conversation with Carol and trying to convince himself that he was right and anyway they were already on their way. Jesse was quieter than usual and Daryl wasn't in a talking mood either.

Jesse turned onto the highway that would eventually lead them to a northbound interstate. They would follow that through Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan. Then they would cross into Canada. It usually took several days to get what they needed and then they would take a different route back. Jesse never crossed the border in the same place twice. He claimed that it was bad luck. Their Tahoe was five years old and looked every day of its years. The rebuilt engine had less than ten thousand miles on it and the tires were in good shape.

Jesse stopped for coffee and gas before they got on the interstate. The coffee must have loosened his tongue. "Michonne and I had it out last night. She downright told me that I wasn't going. The woman preached at me for twenty minutes about how I was deserting her and running off to have an adventure. I told her that I had told you that I was going and I wasn't going to be ordered around by my wife. I was going and she could just stop jawing at me."

Daryl snorted, "Bet the shit hit the fan about then. Carol waited until this morning to try to talk me out of it. She goes all cold and logical when she gets her mind set on something. Then she cried and told me she was on her own. Another couple of minutes and she would have had me telling you that I couldn't go."

Jesse checked his mirrors, "That would have been great. I would have marched home and told Michonne that you caved but I didn't. She would smile at me in that way in which her face lights the room and said, "Thank God Daryl has some sense." Probably would have dragged me to the bedroom and had her way with me. You screwed up, Daryl. We both could have got laid this morning if you hadn't decided to take a stand for pussy whipped men everywhere."

"We could say that the check engine light came on in the Tahoe and we decided to go back." Daryl was willing to lie. Nothing wrong with a little lie once in a while. Carol would figure it out but she would never say anything.

Jesse didn't say anything for a while and then he admitted, "I went too far last night and if I go crawling back with some bullshit story she's going to know. I'll call her tonight. She'll get over it and we'll be back in a matter of days."

Daryl tried not to remember Carol telling him "I'm on my own."

TWDTWDTWD

Carol called Michonne who wasn't working today. They decided to get an early start to the warehouse stores. Andrea had a court appearance this morning and couldn't go, but was only working this morning and would be home this afternoon. She and Michonne spent the hour it took to drive to the store bitching about their husbands. Carol noticed that they weren't the only ones buying the sacks of rice and beans. Fortunately, there were still twenty five pound bags of salt left. Then they visited a superstore for over the counter medications. Carol bought baby formula, paper and cloth diapers, baby clothes for a boy. They went to several stores and tried not to buy so much that it would be noticeable.

Andrea had lunch ready. They ate sandwiches and drank sweet tea and it could have been any day. Andrea had been cruising the internet. "I'm getting some chatter from Saudia Arabia. Indonesia is the largest Muslim population in the world. Every Muslim is required to travel to Mecca at least once. The chatter says that the hospitals are being overrun with feverish people and the death toll is mounting."

"We need to take the kids out of school next week. The younger ones will be fine but the teenagers are going to be a handful." Michonne took a bite of her BLT and drank sweet tea. "I'm buying more coffee and tea on my next trip out."

Carol groaned, "We need to go visit Cousin Billy's Gun Store this afternoon. I'm not going by myself." The others snickered. Cousin Billy was at least seventy-five and still a determined skirt chaser. Cousin Billy had the hots for any female over twenty and for Carol in particular. Daryl took her with him when he went because Billy would always give her a good deal on guns and ammo.

Cousin Billy's store was located well out in the country. There were no signs or advertisements along the secondary road. It was generally believed in the county if you didn't know where Cousin Billy operated then you didn't need to know. The three of them piled into Carol's van and headed off to the twilight zone.

Cousin Billy had taken an old elementary school and converted into a prepper's paradise. There were several trucks in the parking lot when Carol drove in, "Oh, good. It must be a full moon. I smell crazy in the air."

Andrea laughed as she closed the van door, "I'm always afraid that I'm going to lose my law license for just being here. I always wave to the ATF surveillance cameras in those trees across the road."

"I'm more worried that the clientele are going to revert to their past and go all KKK on me." Michonne muttered, "Crazy ass crackers."

Cousin Billy was holding court at the front of the store. He was dressed in his summer camo outfit as benefitting the warm day. There was a large pile of probably illegal merchandize piled on the old teacher's desk at the register. His long suffering assistant Jim Bob was checking out very large man wearing camo and lots of tattoos. Carol wished that they had thought to change into camo. Can't quite imagine Andrea and Michonne in camo. Maybe if Michael Kors designed it?

Cousin Billy called them by name. He knew everybody's name and if he was occasionally wrong? Who would ever have the nerve to correct him?

"If it isn't my three favorite ladies. The blond bombshell Andrea, the Ebony Skinned Michonne, and my Silver Haired Queen Carol. Not what would bring you three women to see ole Billy without your husbands? You ladies ready to par-tee?" Cousin Billy limped toward them, "Or if you are ready to part with the long green we can do some business."

Carol bit the bullet, "We're looking for some ammo. Maybe a couple of pistols. Two deer rifles and those scopes that Daryl looked at last time. We need some bags of lime too." Because if the shit literally hits the fan? You wants lots of lime.

Andrea smiled at Billy, "Christmas will be here before you know it and I want to do some early Christmas shopping." Santa's going hard core survivalist this year. Who needs toys when we can all have a Uzi of our very own.

Michonne, "I want to get a pistol, a rifle, and get some shorter katanas for the kids to practice on, "

Cousin Billy rubbed his wizened hands together, "Never saw the like of people going Christmas shopping today. Like Black Friday around here, no offense meant, Michonne."

Michonne gave a pained smile, "None taken, Cousin Billy."

They left an hour and half later ready for a small war. Rick was home and helped them unload. "Let's talk before the kids get home from school." Skip the sweet tea, let's have some wine to go with out whine.

Andrea brought out the sweet tea and they moved to the front porch. Rick sat down on a white rocker and took a drink of iced tea. "My buddy at Homeland called again today and said that they are starting to move soldiers back to the United States. First group left Korea today. They are keeping it quiet but the next step will be to close down embassies in certain countries. Just generally trying to get Americans home in case this turns out to be something." The good news is we finally found that exit strategy in the Middle East. The bad news is that the bad news just keeps coming.

Sheila had loped over to sit on the porch with them and Carol knew it must be close to bus time, "I'm going to go pick the kids up. I'll grill chicken for dinner and make some rice to go with it. Sam will gather what we need for a salad. Come and eat at my house this evening. Maybe we will have heard from Daryl and Jesse by then." She wanted company tonight. The house was too empty without Daryl there to talk to while she cooked. Carol stood up to go.

Andrea put her hand on Carol's arm, "Wait just a second." She turned to Rick, "Cousin Billy wants you to stop by in the morning. He says that he wants to give police officers a good deal on weapons and ammo for home defense. He practically gave us this stuff today and asked to come back tomorrow and get more supplies. I'm telling you Cousin Billy was downright charitable today to us anyway."

"He knows that his place will get raided right off. He'd rather give it away than have it taken from him. I'll stop by early in the morning and send the county deputies too. Once words gets out that Billy is giving good deals the place will be a madhouse. You better go in early too. Call me when you leave the house and I'll meet you there." Rick stood up. "I better see to the livestock. Carl and I are going to move the cattle in the pastures close by. I'll stock up on horse feed and we'll move the bales behind the barn this weekend." Good times in the apolcalypse.

Sheila whined to remind Carol that it was time to go. They were there in plenty of time but Sheila liked to err on the side of caution. Carol leaned back against the headrest and wondered where Daryl was. Somewhere far away from here. She was on her own and there was a bad moon rising.

AN

Time for angst. It happens and it is going to get worse.