Lacey and Jessica filled up two Tervis Tumblers with coffee. They joked about how they never expected to use the insulated drinkware for anything other than something iced and refreshing.
They spoke for another minute and then pulled surgical masks over their faces to return outside. Jessica had picked up a box of a hundred when she was at the hospital the other day. It was the kind of privileges she enjoyed as an MCSO paramedic. The group agreed the masks made sense as the atmosphere thickened with soot.
Hank turned to Erin. “That looked like a good idea. Would you mind fixin’ us a couple of roadies while I head over to the Frees’ cottage. I’ll fill a duffel bag with clothes and toiletries so they can freshen up.”
“Are you hungry? I found a box of blueberry Pop-Tarts. It seems Phoebe stocked up on them.”
Hank laughed as he pulled his tee shirt over his mouth and nose. “I can’t think of a better food to have during the apocalypse. I’ll be right back, or you can meet me at the truck.”
“Which one? You’ve added some vehicles since I was here last.”
“The Suburban. It was a drug seizure that Mike, um, requisitioned. He really took it to load a bunch of stuff for us.”
“From the sheriff’s department?”
“Yeah, I’ll explain on the way to the hospital.”
Hank left, and Erin scooted around the kitchen, fixing them coffee for the trip and making a fresh pot for Peter and Mike, who were both still sleeping. She was anxious to spend some time talking with Peter. She knew of him because of his position with the Washington Times and the terrorist attack in Abu Dhabi. They’d never crossed paths because he covered a different department than hers. However, she imagined he’d have some insight into what had happened that might assist her in moving forward.
Ten minutes later, Hank wheeled the long Chevy Suburban off Driftwood Key and onto the Overseas Highway. The sky was illuminated by the sun’s rays that tried desperately to poke through the haze of nuclear winter. It was bright enough to get a look at the devastation they had been unable to see in the darkness when they’d driven back and forth to the hospital the other day.
“This is devastating, Hank. It’s comparable to the damage I’ve witnessed in the Midwest following a tornado.”
“They had no warning,” he said with a grim look on his face. He had to focus on the road because of the stalled vehicles and occasional debris. However, he couldn’t take his eyes off the results of the furious storm. “Jessica and I were at the hospital with Mike as it started to move onshore. Fortunately, Sonny has a nose for these things. He began to button up Driftwood Key at the first signs of the hurricane. By the time we got there, he and Phoebe were almost finished.”
Erin shook her head in disbelief. “They’re remarkable people. Unselfish, too. With their son missing, they put aside their personal feelings to protect everything.”
“They’re a part of our family, Erin. We all grew up together and spend virtually every waking moment with one another. That’s why Jimmy is so special to me. He’s like a son in all respects.”
Hank wiped a tear from his eye and turned away to hide his emotions. Erin noticed his change in demeanor and rubbed his shoulders. She offered some words of comfort.
“I believe he’s going to be okay, Hank. I was very impressed with his doctor and the rest of the medical team. Considering what’s going on, they’ve managed to help people under unprecedented, adverse conditions.”
Hank raised his eyebrows and nodded in agreement. “This is part of what bothers me about Lindsey’s decision to blow up the bridges. I’m sure the president tried to defuse the situation first. I can’t disagree with her decision to send nonresidents off the Keys. And I certainly see why keeping outsiders on the mainland made sense. It just seems like there was a better approach than cutting us off from the world.”
“Agreed,” Erin interjected before Hank finished his thought.
“How are we gonna resupply our hospitals? There will come a point in time when we’ll need to look to the federal government for assistance. One of the functions they perform is to help the country when an unprecedented catastrophic event like this one occurs.”
“Hank, that’s why I’m here. I took a chance that you could lead the charge to stop this madness. Can you imagine what this mayor is capable of? I mean, she ordered the demolition of two major roads. People died on the Overseas Highway as a result. Jimmy would have if it hadn’t been for your son’s heroics.”
Hank continued to steer with both hands, but he raised his fingers as he shrugged. “She’s always had a conniving streak although I’ve always believed she had her constituents’ best interests at heart. She seems to have let this crisis go to her head.”
Erin pointed toward a car that had been set on fire since they’d driven by there the night before. It had burned itself out and continued to smolder. Hank slowed to get a long look before leaving Marathon and heading onto Vaca Key.
She turned in her seat to address him. “You’ve heard the saying power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely, right?”
“Yes. As a politician’s authority increases, their sense of morality decreases.”
“Exactly. All of them are guilty of that. Never let them try to convince you otherwise. Politicians have a strong sense of preservation. They’ll use any catastrophe to better their position in the eyes of voters or to thrust themselves onto the national stage. In the case of your mayor, you need to watch for self-dealing. There are no political brass rings for her to grab like state senate or even Congress. Therefore, she can ensure her survival, as well as the survival of her political cronies.”
Hank shook his head from side to side. “You nailed it, Erin. That’s always been Lindsey in a nutshell. Every decision she makes has an element of subterfuge in it. She will always do what’s best for her.”
“Can you see how that approach will make any recovery effort in the Keys untenable? It will instantly divide the residents into those close to the mayor and those who are not. Kiss the ring or suffer the consequences. Make no mistake, her actions are not about helping the most people. Sure, they’ll get tossed a few crumbs. The real beneficiaries of her overreach will be those within her inner circle and the minions she requires to carry out her directives.”
Hank tapped the steering wheel with his fingers as he fell deep into thought. Finally, he asked a rhetorical question. “I wonder if we could secede from the Keys by blowing up the bridge to Driftwood Key.”
The two got a hearty laugh out of the idea until they grew silent. Neither imagined this conversation would resume very soon as it applied to Marathon.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Monday, November 11
Mariner’s Hospital
Tavernier, Florida
“Wow! Look at you!” exclaimed Hank as he entered Jimmy’s hospital room. He was still assigned to trauma eight but, apparently, not for long. His expression of surprise was genuine. Jimmy was sitting upright in bed, flanked by his parents on both sides resting comfortably in padded chairs. Jimmy had a plastic cup of water in front of him on a tray as well as a bowl of Jell-O, the preferred cuisine of every hospital chef.
“Hi, Mr. Hank,” said Jimmy in a loud whisper. “I lost my voice.”
“Peter’s the same way,” Hank said as he quickly moved to hug Phoebe, who was grinning from ear to ear. “He’s getting better every hour, it seems.”
“Me too,” said Jimmy as he accepted a gentle hug from Hank. He turned his eyes toward Erin. It took him a moment before he recognized her. “You’re back.”