The Lookout: A Gripping Survival Thriller Read online

  “But I used my snowmobile yesterday,” she said.

  “As did I. How do you think I wound up this far out… walking?” He looked back at her. “While I was looking for those boys, my machine gave up the ghost a few miles from here. It just came to a standstill. That was my first inkling of what this was. I tried to retrace my steps but snowdrifts soon covered them. And before you ask, yes, there was still gas in it. That’s when I tried to get in contact with my guys but the radio wasn’t working, so then I tried my cell... nothing.”

  When asked what kind of bomb could do this, he went on to clarify that it wasn’t the kind of bomb that would cause casualties directly, so to speak, because the blast occurred high up in the atmosphere, away from people. It was the power emitted that was dangerous. Depending on its distance it could disrupt, interfere with or damage electronic equipment and in turn wreak all manner of havoc on society. Like knocking over the first domino in a line. Telltale signs were power grids going down, cars and planes losing power, computer systems acting all out of whack, and backup emergency power no longer working.

  And that wasn’t the worst of it.

  It was one thing to lose power and have random electronics no longer working — but people depended on transportation, phones, computers — hell, the entire world today had their nose buried in a device. With advances in technology, many companies would crumble overnight without juice. Others in society would gradually lose their minds. The connected infrastructure was critical to the day-to-day running of the world. Food was the big one. Without power, without transportation, there would be no more production from factories or deliveries. Then there was heat. Not everyone had a wood-burning stove like her and with the plummeting temperatures it was more than likely the elderly would become susceptible to hypothermia.

  Kelly stared back at him. “Are you sure?”

  He got up and went to the window. “You said you were from Emery, right?”

  She nodded.

  He pointed. “You can see the lights from here. They’re not working.”

  “But that’s on a clear night. In the summer.” Outside the weather had blotted out any object within a few feet. She sighed and perched on a seat near the table. “There must be a way to verify this. To be sure.”

  He shrugged. “Well there are multiple ways. If you had an outlet connected to the grid there is the three-radio method but… well… it kind of relies on you already having it set up before the power goes down.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He returned to his seat. “It doesn’t matter, Kelly. It’s of no use to us now.”

  “Well I’m interested. I want to understand.”

  Travis ran a hand over his long face. “Okay, well, like you asked… how can you be sure it’s not just a typical blackout caused by extreme weather versus an EMP that is either geomagnetic or nuclear? Well besides the obvious, getting no power from an outlet, your car not starting or a plane crashing into your backyard, if you have three shortwave transistor AM/FM radios, here’s what you can do — tune them into your local emergency frequency, extend the antennas and plug one into an outlet, the other will run off batteries, the third will need to be placed inside a Faraday cage.”

  “Faraday?”

  “Yeah, it’s a conductive envelope, basically a shield that is used to block electromagnetic fields. Think of a box of conductive metal or metal grids where an EMP pulse would be induced into it instead of the device inside. Anyway, once you have that set up, you would check the first radio after the power goes out. If you have no trouble hearing the station, chances are it’s not an EMP. Backup power will often kick in at different facilities. If it doesn’t power on, then you move on to the second unit which is powered by batteries. If that works, the first radio was probably taken out by a geomagnetic EMP, or some power surge from the outlet. However, if it’s just a simple blackout, you would still be able to hear the radio station as mentioned before, because many stations have backup power in place. If it’s a geomagnetic EMP, the radio itself would still power on but there’s a good chance the stations won’t work because of the EMP or because they’ve shut down due to the event. Basically the difference between a nuke EMP and geomagnetic EMP is there is usually some forewarning before a geomagnetic one occurs, and some stations aware of that may have taken steps to protect their equipment. Either way, the key would be to monitor that second radio for transmissions. Depending on how long the duration of the solar storm is, it could take a day or two before transmissions begin again.”

  “And if the second is dead?”

  “Well then you’re really screwed.” He let out a chuckle but she didn’t laugh. He continued. “If the battery-powered one is dead, then you probably have experienced a nuke EMP. That’s where the third radio comes in. As long as the Faraday’s shielding doesn’t have any holes, leaks or such, that radio should turn on and work. Now bear in mind, there are a lot of variables that come into play, and believe me, people argue and get all uppity about the accuracies of this, but the plain fact is most don’t know. Still, the kind of EMP, duration, distance, strength, frequency of nukes, and other radio stations transmitting come into play. In fact you could be looking at a couple of hours to a couple of days before transmissions return to normal, and obviously, if you’re too hasty in taking that radio out of the Faraday cage and another nuke EMP hits immediately after, well, that won’t work either.”

  Kelly stared, shaking her head. “Why have I not heard of this before?”

  “It’s not exactly dinner conversation.”

  “But in our day and age with countries pointing fingers at each other, and tensions running high, it seems we should at least be made aware.”

  Travis shrugged. “There’s a lot of things we should be made aware of but we aren’t. Welcome to planet earth,” he said before letting out a chuckle. When he saw she didn’t find it funny he got serious again. “Listen, one thing is for sure, it will get dangerous out there. Maybe not in the first 24 hours but once the penny drops and society realizes power won’t be restored, stores will be wiped out and the worst in people will come out.” He paused. “Look, I’m not a glass half-full kind of guy, Kelly, I live my life grounded in reality but it’s hard to ignore the signs. At least here you have a means of staying warm, and you can hunt. In many ways we can survive here.”

  “We?”

  “I mean — you. Once the weather is better I will hike out of here.”

  “You know it’s a good two-hour hike to town and that’s on a good day. You could be looking at three hours or more by foot with the dump of snow we’re getting.”

  He nodded. “That’s right.”

  She didn’t want to tell him he could stay as she didn’t know him well enough and there were minimal resources, the lookout only had the bare bones, but then again, sending him on his way wouldn’t exactly be kind.

  Kelly looked beyond the window into the darkness.

  Not by any means was she one to jump the gun, or believe the first thing told to her, especially from a stranger who showed up at her door in the middle of the night with a wild tale, but a lot of what he’d said made sense — except for one thing, she hadn’t checked her phone. Kelly reached for the device still plugged into the solar charging unit and hit the power switch. Nothing. No power at all.

  Travis looked at her. “I told you. I’m not making this up. Whether an electronic device is plugged in or not, the pulse could affect it.” It was hard to deny but then again they hadn’t had any sunshine in a while, and the snow would have covered the panels, and perhaps the battery pack didn’t get enough of a charge. “I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Kelly, but…” He trailed off not finishing what he was about to say, but instead looking despondent.

  As the night wore on, Kelly offered him the bed because of his state. At first he declined, not wishing to impose, but from the color of his skin, and the way he was shivering, he was clearly suffering. She opted to stay awake, saying she was unabl
e to sleep. She wasn’t lying either. Her mind was doing laps, circling between what he’d told her, the awkwardness of a stranger in her midst — a male one at that — and then what could be done to survive the situation. It was in a time like this she wished she’d brought a radio to the lookout to verify his claims but Cole had convinced her that it would have taken away from the experience. Of course he never objected to the idea of solar panels for phones. But then again, he said that was more of a safety issue. With little to no cellular service, she couldn’t see how it improved the situation. If an emergency arose they would still have to make contact with the outside world.

  As for her?

  Owning an off-the-grid rental was one thing but Kelly was no survivalist. Spending a few nights here and there at the lookout was the extent of her wilderness experience and even that wasn’t exactly tough. She pumped in drinking water from gallon jugs that she brought with her, Hank hauled in the wood, and if she needed supplies she was capable of doing a quick run into town to collect them. But if the snowmobile was out of action that meant hiking and if the town was in no better shape, how would that help them?

  Hank. He’d said he’d be returning today. Would the Snowcat be affected?

  She looked over at Travis who appeared to be sleeping soundly. Although he’d delivered a compelling case, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was mistaken. What if the snowmobile was working? What if the cell phone wasn’t charging because of snow on the roof covering the panels, and what if… Her mind resisted the idea that she was victim to some out-of-control event.

  I have to know.

  Kelly waited until daybreak before snatching up the key to the snowmobile and donning her winter gear. She glanced at Travis and eased open the trap door, careful not to wake him. A sharp, cold wind sucked out the warmth of the cabin as she descended, closing the hatch behind her.

  Instantly, her body was pulverized on all sides by the frigid weather. She hung tightly to the ice covered steps and slowly lowered into the blustery day, trying to avoid losing her grip. One slip and she could wind up on the ground, a casualty with a broken body. That was just one of the reasons why people didn’t stay over the winter months.

  Ten steps later, her foot slipped and she smashed her right knee into the hard wood. A cry of agony vanished, stolen by the brutal wind. Bracing herself and holding on for dear life, she continued until her boots sank into snow. She sat on one of the lower steps and slipped into snowshoes before trudging toward the portable shelter. Boomer’s bowl was now gone, hidden below several feet of snow. A familiar ache washed over her. I could have done more, I should have… she berated herself but reality was there was nothing she could have done.

  It was out of her control, just like the situation Travis had described.

  Wiping a thick layer of snow off the machine, Kelly inserted the key and went through the process of trying to start it.

  Nothing.

  Again she tried without luck.

  “C’mon! Don’t do this to me.”

  She slammed a fist against the machine in frustration.

  It was just another reminder of how out of control her life felt. Trying to escape Cole, trying to flee from a life that sought to confine her and reduce her to nothing more than a woman without a voice. She refused to give up, trying again, thinking that she could will the damn thing to life. But it was pointless. It was as dead as she was. Nothing more than a shell.

  “I told you. It won’t start,” his voice cut through the howl of wind. Kelly turned to see Travis wrapped in a blanket on the lower steps. “Come on in before you freeze to death.” She didn’t want to but what other choice was there? Until the snow stopped, any hope of hiking out was virtually impossible.

  Stuck.

  Confined.

  Cut off from the world, this was her worst nightmare.

  7

  Instant oatmeal, some homemade bagels with cream cheese, and coffee.

  She stuck to the basics that morning. Kelly had begun to make it when Travis insisted she take a seat and let him wait on her. As a guest, he said it was the least he could do after she welcomed him in. At first she was reluctant but he was persuasive. Truth be told, she wasn’t comfortable having him take control or seeing a uniform draped over the counter, both reminded her of Cole. It was more than off-putting to say the least.

  As they sat at the table overlooking the snow-covered forest, Travis said it was the best bagel he’d had in a long time. Whether he was just saying that to be kind or being truthful, it was hard to distinguish as Kelly was so used to being put down, real compliments seemed ingenuine.

  The conversation gradually drifted toward questions of a more personal nature, like her ex-husband. He wanted to know what he did for a living, and why they separated. It was to be expected, now that Travis was wearing his clothes, but she really didn’t want to get into a whole spiel about abuse, or being a victim — the last thing she needed was pity, especially if they were to be stuck inside the lookout for an unknown amount of time. So, instead she talked around it, notched it up to incompatibility, and Cole’s insecurities. It wasn’t a lie. After A Call to War became a bestseller and she began getting requests for media interviews, and traveling took precedence, Cole began acting even worse than before. Jealousy. That’s what she’d concluded. You think you’re so much better than me, he would say while giving her a disgusted look. You think because you earn more than me, I should be grateful?

  It was all nonsense. She’d never once said or acted in a way that might make him feel inferior, and yet no matter how often she tried to make it clear that the acclaim that came with publication meant nothing, and it hadn’t changed the way she felt about him, he didn’t believe it. He thought she would leave, take off with someone better. How? How could that possibly happen when he’d already made her feel like he was the best she would ever get? He’d stripped away at her confidence, practically robbed her of what joy she once had. Could she have done better? Damn right she could. Should she have left him sooner? Of course, but how many women like her had waited, suffered in silence and stuck it out, hoping that things would improve, that a partner would change?

  Kelly felt like such a fool, and yet she knew she wasn’t alone

  She could still recall that first night he struck her, and how he blamed her for what happened. Kelly looked at Travis and decided to leave out the tale of abuse from the conversation.

  “Did you resent him?”

  Still lost in her thoughts she snapped back into the present.

  “Sorry?”

  “Your husband. You said he was jealous of your success.”

  She frowned and swallowed hard. “Um. No. I actually understood how it could make a person feel less than, if they wanted it to, but… well… I write, he saves lives. How could anyone compare the two?” She swallowed her food. “If anyone should feel less than, it’s me. At least he was leaving this planet for the better, well, before…” She stopped herself again, almost treading into uncomfortable waters. She sighed. “My novel might stand the test of time but eventually like all books, it will disappear below mounds of new bestsellers, find its way into a bargain bin at a used bookstore and become nothing more than the ramblings of a woman who at one time thought she had something to say.”

  “Do you?”

  Her brow knit together. “Do I what?”

  “Have something to say?” He said, then scooped another spoonful of oats between his lips. She breathed in deeply and contemplated the question.

  “I used to think I did.”

  “So what changed?”

  She paused and looked out the window. “Me I guess. I mean I could blame Cole, and believe me, he deserves a whole lot of blame but the reality is I stayed with him far longer than I should have and…” She breathed in deeply. “No matter how I try to justify my reasons for staying longer than I should have, that’s on me.”

  He nodded thoughtfully.

  Gradually, she was able to swing the conversa
tion around to him. Unlike her, he seemed to have no problem discussing his love life, or lack thereof.

  “So I see you’re not wearing a ring. Never married?” she asked, taking a sip of coffee.

  “Nope.”

  “Kids?”

  “None.”

  “Dating?”

  “Unfortunately no…” He smiled and tapped his spoon in the air. “Though there is someone special that’s caught my attention recently.”

  “Really?”

  He pulled a face. “Ah, time will tell. We’ll see.”

  “Does this lady have a name?”

  He grimaced. “I prefer not to say. You know… I don’t want to jinx things and all.”

  “Well is she blond, dark-haired, tall, curvy?”

  “I really don’t like to place labels on women. It’s so…” He stared off above her head. “Limiting, don’t you think?”

  His answer caught her off guard. It was a strange reply. “In what way?”

  “Well, dating sites seem to have made it so sterile. You know… boiled it down to a specific number of traits, age, color, shape and so on and then we either fit into that or we don’t. There’s little room for what’s buried beneath. The real stuff that matters. No one seems to care about that.”

  She cocked her head. “They do leave a section for interests.”

  He smiled again. “Of course they do but does anyone really pay attention to that?”

  “Women do.”

  He pulled a face. “C’mon. I’d beg to differ.”

  She put her fork down. “So you think women only pick based on looks?”

  “Looks. Career. What a man earns.”

  Her brow furrowed. “But how’s that any different than what men do? They’re all about looks.”