“If I were I assure you I’d have a beautiful lady on both arms,” Jerome said. “And, no, just some time off. As it is…”
“Worried about your family?” Anna asked.
“Very,” Jerome said. “Friends, family. Family.”
“We all are,” Athena said seriously. She patted him on the shoulder. “They’re not going to let anything happen to Jerome Arthurson’s family, Jerry.”
“I think my educational background might have prepared me more for the eventuality that nothing ‘they’ can do may matter,” Jerome said. “I understand the Black Death is rather scarcely covered in American schools.”
“I didn’t go to most schools,” Athena said. “Although I think Poe covered it best. It won’t get that bad, Jerry. She’ll be there when you get home.”
“I’m worried about Steve,” Christy said. “The last time I got through to his cell all I got was voicemail. And that was two weeks ago.”
“We’re all worried, Christy,” Anna said. “We all have people we’re worried about—”
“Attencion!” a man with a bullhorn said. “We will use English, then I will translate to French and German. There are two storehouses for disaster materials in the building. You will be segregated by sex so as to avoid any…problems during the period of your, hopefully short, stay. It is hoped it shall be very short as there are minimal facilities of all types in this building. But it is the most secure building on the island and here we, the gendarmerie, can deal with any problems that arise much more swiftly and surely. Now, English speakers please wait while I translate…”
“Well, it appears I must bid you adieu, fair lady,” Jerome said, kissing Christy’s hand. “I hope that you enjoy your ‘hopefully short’ stay in the castle.”
“I’m already hoping for Prince Charming,” Athena said, looking up at the gray, three-story, precast concrete building. “Or Princess. I’m easy.”
“That you are, dear lady,” Jerome said. “That you are.” He winked at the group and headed over to the “male” side.
The room was, as promised, a storehouse. More like a warehouse. There were industrial shelves holding boxes, as well as pallets with more boxes and stacked five gallon cans. There were three windows but they were covered by roll-down hurricane shutters. If the lights went out, the room was going to be quite dim.
What was entirely missing were cots, mattresses, blankets, sheets or, perhaps most importantly, a loo. Nor were there any apparent bottles of water. All of which was causing the various women who had been led to the room to have conniption fits.
“I can only drink Holister Springs…”
“Are there vegan meals…?”
“Where are we supposed to sleep…?”
“Where’s the bathroom…?”
“HEY!” Athena suddenly bellowed like a drill sergeant. “Shut up all you bitches or I swear to God I will cunt punt you. Next bitch says a word I will slap you silly. Monsieur,” she said, changing to a purr. “De la plus grande importance est la question d’une toilette? Et de l’eau?”
“Mademoiselle,” the harried gendarme said, nodding in thanks. “We will take individuals to the toilet in the main police area. As to water, those boxes have emergency water bottles in them,” he added, pointing. “For the rest…there are currently no good answers and with that I must leave.”
He quickly shut the door and was gone.
“There is no way I’m—” Brenda McCartney started to say.
Athena took two steps and hit the larger girl with a roundhouse slap so hard it knocked her off her feet.
“We are in a fucking disaster!” Athena shouted, striding to each woman and looking them in the eye. “Not a fucking movie. Not a fucking reality show. Real reality. A fucking disaster! Who knows how much worse it’s going to get? Which of you are going to turn, huh? Am I? You feel sick? How’s that head? Huh? Spinny? Got a fever? Huh? We’ve all SEEN IT.
“So forget the bullshit! We are fucked. Screwed. Blued and tattooed. There is no Evian! There are no special meals! There are no PAs with fruit baskets. There is no kosher if that’s your bitch. There is pure and simple really real survival. Not the fucking show. So start acting like it! All a human needs is a little nutrition and some water that’s hopefully not too fucked up. Or you can sit in the corner and starve, which in your case, Brenda, wouldn’t be a bad idea. But you will die in three days without water and I guarantee you you would drink piss long before that.
“The real question is not whether there’s what you’d like. There are three big questions: How long are we going to be here? How long will the supplies hold out for all of us? How are we going to keep from killing each other when we turn? Anybody got any helpful suggestions?”
“We’ve got one thing going for us,” Anna said.
“What?” Athena said, spinning on her.
“We’re all used to dieting.”
There was a moment of silence, then a giggle. In a few seconds the whole group was laughing hysterically. Christy looked as if she couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry and had settled on both.
“So short rations won’t be a problem,” Athena said, nodding. “Good point.”
“I’ve got a question besides those,” Brenda McCartney said, still holding her cheek. “Who put you in charge?”
“I did,” Athena said. “Because I know all of you and you’re mostly airheaded idiots. And you fucking well know it. Any other stupid questions?”
“Not a question,” Anna said, raising her hand. “But I second her self-nomination. Athena’s capable and you know it.”
“There aren’t any guys in here to get to do all the work,” Brenda said, crossing her arms. “I’m not going to do it, that’s for sure.”
“You know she’s come up with half the good ideas on the challenges,” Anna said. “And she is organized. You most certainly are not.”
“You’re a leader,” Christy said quietly. “Why not you?”
“Age,” Anna said, ticking off the reasons on her finger. “With it experience. Athena runs her businesses, she doesn’t just let others manage things. And force of personality. While I could and would…ahem…’cunt punt’ any of you if it were necessary, you’re rather less in fear of it than Athena’s threat. She has more force of personality. I do, however, back her one hundred percent. And as to that specific threat, I have played football since I was four. It would be a quite righteous cunt punting, I assure you.”
“Any other takers?” Athena said. “And, Brenda, if you raise your hand I swear I will break it off at the wrist.”
There weren’t.
“Fine,” Athena said. “And, yes, I get the guys to do all the work. It’s called ‘delegation,’ Brenda. And if I delegate something to you, you’re going to do it. In fact… You wanted to know what kind of water. Fine. He said those boxes had water,” she said, pointing. “Find out what kind and how much. Take Sarah…”
“Wait,” Sarah Cassill said, raising her hand. “I’ve got a question.”
“What now?” Athena said, tiredly.
“Um…What’s Brandon doing in here?”