No Ordinary Day | Prequel | No Ordinary Escape by Tate Harley

Author:Tate, Harley [Tate, Harley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Post-Apocalyptic | EMP | Survival | Thriller
Published: 2021-03-29T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Gloria

Tom Petty wailed on the radio about a freeway cutting through a front yard as Gloria cruised up to a green-lit intersection, the back of her Toyota Highlander filled to the brim with provisions. The lights inside a strip mall on her right flickered. The stoplight glowed bright for a moment before flashing out.

Gloria’s foot slipped off the gas pedal. Oh, no. Not already.

An oversized transformer perched atop a metal pole strung with high-tension power lines crackled and popped, sparks shimmering down to the asphalt below. A little Jeep Renegade barreled through the intersection from the left, oblivious to the lack of power, as a USPS mail truck entered from the oncoming lane.

Everything slowed. The mail truck shuddered as the driver caught sight of the Jeep and applied the brakes, too late to matter. The front left fender collided with the driver’s side of the Jeep. The little SUV teetered on two wheels for an exaggerated second before launching into a roll. As it hit the side, then the roof, then the other side, Gloria watched in horror, powerless to stop it.

The driver flailed about like a crash test dummy in a government safety standards video. At last, the battered vehicle came to rest upside down, half on the sidewalk, half in the road. Gloria hit the button on her car to use her phone. No phone connected. She frowned. Her phone always automatically connected to the vehicle. She tried again, but the same message appeared.

With a frustrated exhale, she dug in her purse, pulled out her phone, and dialed 911. After a few moments of silence, a recorded message played. All circuits are busy. Please try your call again. Gloria cursed and dialed again. Persistence rewarded her. The phone rang.

And rang, and rang, and rang. After at least thirty trills, she hung up. Ahead of her in the road, several witnesses now congregated around the totaled Jeep. Two leaned in and helped the driver escape. Miraculously, he stood on his own, appearing shook up, but not seriously injured.

A horn blared behind her and Gloria jumped. She sat in the middle lane, unmoving as cars eased around her on both sides. The driver behind her flashed an obscene gesture out his windshield and Gloria waved an apology before releasing the brake and flipping on her turn signal.

Did anyone around her know what just happened? Did they comprehend the magnitude of the situation? She drove down another major road, staring out at the darkened businesses as drivers honked and changed lanes and punched fists of frustration into the air.

She eased up to another four-way, four-lane intersection. On any other day, cars queued twenty deep waiting for a green. Today, it reminded her of a video game the neighbor’s little girl played— endless vehicles zooming down the road and a little chicken just trying to get across.

An Escalade blew through the intersection as Gloria approached. She eased forward. The minivan to her right hesitated. The Mercedes opposite pulled ahead. Gloria pressed down the accelerator.

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