Mark’s jaw dropped, “Sick bastards.”
“The wheels have come off.”
Mark looked puzzled, “What’d you say?”
Cooper returned a grim look, his lips tight, “The wheels have come off the cart. The protective veneer of civilization is coming off in large swaths, as fast as a buzz saw would make its way through pressboard furniture. We’ve descended to the law of the jungle. Use whatever favorite expression you want. But, we’re in a different world now. The rules and laws are gone. When that happens, those who have been kept in check by those very same rules and laws will now cross over,” he paused surveying the mess in the car once more and then turned back towards Mark. “With devastating results.”
“The psychos you mean?”
“Not just the psychos. This here was the work of at least two people. Cooperating. One firing a shotgun and the other wielding a damned submachine gun! So, not just the crazy. We also have to worry about the near crazy, those with fantasies, those who celebrate violence, those with a grudge against society, etcetera, and etcetera. They will all now be equally dangerous to you and me.”
Mark slumped in his seat, “My God.”
Cooper caught Jake’s wide-eyed expression. “Mark…and Jake…we will be alright. We just have to keep our eyes open and our wits about us. We need to stay armed, at all times now. And, we will need to get our neighbors organized.”
“Organized? What good will that do against this?”
“Plenty. This will sound cold, but we don’t have to outrun the bear, just outrun the others that the bear is chasing.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Mark shot back.
“It is simple really. The lone psychos won’t stand a chance against a group that is armed, however ragtag they are. And, the organized predators will go where it is easiest. They always have and always will. Simply by getting our act together, we can keep ourselves safe. Trust me, there will be plenty of places where they won’t get themselves organized. That’s where the bad boys will go.”
Mark sighed, “Wow that is calculated. But, it sounds true.”
As they rounded the last corner to Cooper’s house, Mark continued, “So, what do we do now?”
Mark’s question sparked something deep inside Cooper. He felt alive again. Not since he had received the urgent phone call from Elena a few days ago had he felt such a jolt. He felt a strong sense of purpose well up inside of him from down deep. He knew what he had to do. He needed to plan for not only his welfare and Jake’s, he had to keep as many people safe as he could during this troubled time. His father’s words came back to him. Do the greatest good for the greatest number. His father had been trying to help people get a little more out of jobs. A slightly larger paycheck. More time with their families. A more secure pension. Cooper knew he’d be simply helping people survive. Cooper couldn’t help but gaze skyward and deliver a deliberate wink.
Mark watched Cooper with a quizzical expression before Cooper turned back toward him, his eyes blazing with intensity, “We need to get organized.”
Mark looked blankly at him, “Can you speak English please?”
Cooper chuckled before continuing, “First, we need to survey the block. Figure out who is sick and who has died. We need to seal them into their rooms to limit the smell.”
Mark interrupted, “Don’t we need to bury them?”
Cooper shook his head firmly, “No, the risk of disease from dead bodies is grossly exaggerated and misunderstood. The truth is, as long as you keep corpses away from your water supply, there isn’t a risk of any disease spreading”
Mark remained unconvinced. Cooper continued, “But, I tell you what. We should bury them because it will help with people’s spirits. Give closure.” And eliminate everyone worrying about disease spreading just as you’re doing.
Mark nodded.
“Second, we need to round up every able bodied adult who has ever handled a firearm before or is willing to learn. Third, we need to inventory all of our available means of defense. We’ll start with firearms, but we should include knives, baseball bats, and other hand to hand weapons. I suspect we will be noticeably short of guns. Finally, we pull everyone together, say first thing in the morning, and go over our plan.”
Mark nodded as Cooper talked. A light returned to his eyes and a wide smile graced his lips. “Right on. I like it. We can’t just wait around like sitting ducks wondering what will happen.” Mark’s reaction proved the old axiom that getting people into motion during a crisis always elevated spirits.
As the pickup pulled up curbside, Cooper finished his thoughts, “While Jake and I unload the truck, why don’t you go find us enough people to put a few pairs together to survey the block?”
“Got it,” Mark responded, a twinge of excitement in his voice.
“I’ll put together some sheets of paper and clipboards for people to use.”
Mark nodded and trotted off. He was confident that Dranko would be one of the people Mark would ask to help out. He wondered if his friend had calmed down enough to join them.
An hour later, the pickup was unloaded, the clipboards were ready, and three pairs were ready to go. Mark and Peter, Lisa and Lily, John and Freddie Jones. Freddie was in his mid-twenties and rented a room out in the neighborhood. His blonde hair would bob uncontrollably whenever he was laughing, which was often. He enjoyed laughing at his own jokes, most of which were, thankfully, funny. He was short but muscular. Today, he had a grim expression on his face and his normally alert blue eyes were downcast and placid.
The others naturally gathered around Cooper when he moved toward them.
“What we’re going to do is very simple. I know Mark has probably explained it, but let’s review it real quick. We need to knock on every door in our block, including the houses that face our block. We want to know three things: any deaths experienced in the household, any unburied deceased in the household, and what weapons they have available for the common defense. This last one is important: be clear you are asking if they have weapons they can lend to the neighborhood during this emergency. We aren’t taking anyone’s guns.”
“That’s not a misunderstanding we want,” Freddie piped in. Everyone laughed nervously.
“Right. We also want to invite everyone to a meeting, this evening at five o’clock. Right here, on my lawn. Ask each household to send one person. Tell them we’re going to make a plan to protect our neighborhood and we’re starting with a plan to defend our block. Questions?”
“Won’t people be too afraid of getting sick to come to a meeting?” asked Peter.
Cooper paused for a moment, the corners of his mouth turning downward, “That’s a good question. Some will be. But, you all weren’t too afraid. Why?”
“I figured I’ve already been exposed to whatever this thing was and I just didn’t want to hunker down and wait to see if I was gonna get sick,” John chimed in without hesitation.
“For me, I just didn’t want to be alone anymore. I knew it was probably dumb to come out, but I couldn’t stand it!” Freddie remarked.
Cooper nodded, “Right. Some people will be too afraid to come out, but many won’t be for a variety of reasons. So, let’s ask people and see what we get.” The group nodded in agreement.
“Shouldn’t we also track how many are sick in the household?” Lisa asked.
Cooper didn’t hesitate, “No. We shouldn’t.” The faces around him went slack in surprise. He let what he’d said sink in before continuing. “One, we can’t do anything for those who are sick and all it will do is raise expectations that we will help them somehow. Second, people are still afraid so the data we collect wouldn’t be reliable. And, third, it could sound people’s alarm bells just by…”