The Last Gallon Read online

  “Greetings Stewart family” Athena said which stopped the family in their tracks. “My owl told me you had arrived and we would like to welcome you to Athenia.” Mark bowed awkwardly still not sure what to do and responded “Thank you for your kind welcome. If you will please excuse me as I have never spoken to a goddess before, how do we address you?” he asked hoping his honestly wouldn’t hurt him in this endeavor.

  Athena threw her head back and laughed. “Most call me all-powerful, great one, and all other manners of flattery but you may simply address me as Athena. I commend you on your honesty as well, most subjects just blunder and blather and don’t make a lick of damn sense.” Mark laughed this time; he had to admit that he kind of liked the girl. “Let us retire to somewhere a little less intimidating” Athena said as she hopped off her throne and bounded down the steps towards the family. She took Mark’s hand and led them towards a large oak door to the right of her statue’s left foot. Kara gave him a nasty look and he shrugged his shoulders.

  They entered an opulent room with plush rugs and pillows everywhere. Athena motioned for Joey to shut the door and as soon as he had she plopped down on the pillows and propped herself against the wall. “Being like that takes a lot out of you” she informed them and motioned for them to take a seat. She then turned to Kara and apologized for taking Mark’s hand in that fashion. Kara blushed and said it was ok and wondered how she saw her reaction.

  “So you’re wondering if I am full of shit?” she asked quite bluntly. Mark decided to continue with the honesty bit and shook his head yes. She looked at them with a serious look and said “Sometimes I wonder myself. I don’t have full recollection so not everything is complete. I remember a few things before the wars. I remember swinging in a tire swing made by my father, I remember going to school in a small town school with maybe 5 classes for each grade level. But it’s after the war that gets weird” she explained. “I woke up in a field of daises, completely naked. There was nothing but flowers as far as the eye could see. I got up, picked a direction and started walking. As I walked things happened. I had a dress on, then a helmet, then a spear and suddenly there was an owl on my shoulder.”

  “As I walked buildings started to appear and before I knew it I was here. I was here and I knew every damn thing there was to know about ancient Greece. I built this city from memory and it is only about a dozen projects from replicating a section of Athens. We obviously lack their topography but we are almost building for building like them. I can close my eyes and see every single detail. I cannot tell you how this building disturbs me with its inaccuracies.”

  “When my owl and I are together I learn everything he has seen while he is away from my side. I have stopped treason, tyranny, affairs, and a myriad of other things with his vision. I saw your arrival and knew you were special. That is why you are here; it was he who landed on your car.”

  Mark told her he didn’t quite understand what she was saying. He told her he had never heard of such an occurrence like she experienced but was never close-minded about the possibilities of extraordinary things happening. She cut him off in mid sentence and said “Mark, you and your family are going to rebuild this world. You are, if you want it plainly, going to unfuck all that is fucked. Your cache is going to contain the materials to not only lay your enemies to waste but to bring your allies together. From this day forth you may consider us your allies. We shall stand by your side when you decide you need us there.”

  Mark was beside himself; obviously this girl had some powers beyond the realm of normal human ability. She knew who they were and what they were doing and nobody knew that except Vincent and his family. Whether or not she was a goddess was a matter for discussion, but she obviously had something going on. It was all very confusing for someone that had always been grounded in absolutes.

  “I know it is a lot to swallow” Athena said in a comforting tone “Let us go feast with your whole convoy and then we will watch the games. I must insist you spend the night with us; you may be on your way in the morning at first light.” Mark was not thrilled about being delayed another day but he also didn’t want to piss off the second ally he had ever made either.

  Dinner was amazing. It was a combination of modern Greek and Nashville flavors. If you have never had souvlaki with BBQ sauce you are missing out. The entire convoy ate until they were stuffed and then the ouzo started to flow. Maidens continuously walked the 200 person table and topped off shot glasses as everyone spoke toast after toast until they were well toasted.

  Athena stood from her position at the head of the table and called for her own toast. She toasted to the relationship between her and her guests and how important their alliance would be in the future. Everyone had to take her word for it since she was the only one with future sight.

  She called Kara and Cindy to her side. They got up with a very confused and worried look on their faces. Two maidens approached them with a box in each one’s hand. When they reached the girls they went down on one knee and presented the boxes. Athena spoke “These gifts represent the warrior spirit in each of you. I will be honoured to fight by your side one day.”

  The girls opened the boxes and they contained a Greek warrior’s helmet much like Athena’s but slightly less grandiose. They were both overjoyed with the gift and put the helmets on immediately. They fit perfectly.

  Athena then called Joey and Mark up. Their gifts were too big to hide so they were just presented by the maidens. They were spears much like Athena’s very own. “These gifts represent your warrior spirit. I will also be honored to fight by your side one day.” Mark and Joey graciously took the spears but wondered what the heck they were going to do with them. Athena answered for them “I had your car modified to hold them on the roof for you.” Mark and Joey liked that idea; it would make the Armadillo even fiercer.

  After another couple rounds of ouzo Athena stood and announced it was time for the games to start. The family would be in her special box seats while the convoy could sit among the people. They all filed out of the dining hall and across the park to the stadium.

  The games were already underway when they arrived. Mark noted right away that they were played in what was rumored to be traditional Greek style, completely nude save for sandals. These games did feature women competitors though which was something the original games apparently did not contain. Athena told Mark that she thought differently. In Greece there was much less sexual discrimination so why wouldn’t both sexes compete?

  Mark was very impressed at the javelin throwers the game featured that night. All the throwing sports were exciting to him and he liked the jumping games as well. They also played an interesting field sport. It was sort of like ice hockey on a field or field hockey plus hitting. Hits like tackles in American football could be performed and if the ball died it was tossed in like a free throw in soccer. It was a tough fast paced sport and Mark was surprised that it was completely co-ed. The girls were giving as much as they got and Kara and Cindy were soon rooting for players they liked.

  Around midnight the final game ended and Athena officially shut it down for the night. She sent some of her maidens to usher the convoy to their accommodations and told the family to follow her to theirs.

  Back at the Parthenon Athena showed Joey and Cindy their room and then took Mark and Kara to theirs. She stopped at the door and coyly said “This is your room but I would like it very much if you came to mine.” Oh dear Mark thought to himself, I am so screwed now. To his shock Kara took Athena’s hand, gave it a kiss and told her to lead the way. Oh dear Mark thought, I am gonna get screwed now. The grin was almost comical.

  Chapter 20- Somewhere on I-95

  The boss stood alone at an abandoned hotel on I-95 waiting for Jose Gonzalez of the Zeta cartel. Neither the briefcase nor the young whore had arrived in Atlanta yet even though they had left DC several days prior. The payment had already been processed; in fact, the payment had disappeared along with the agent who accepted it. Basically th
e pooch had been thoroughly screwed on this deal and the company was going to pay dearly, you don’t fuck over the drug cartels without consequence no matter who you are.

  The boss had 4 snipers positioned around him but he knew that the drug boss wouldn’t let anything go down where his cronies could assist in any way. The cartels didn’t get powerful by botching assassinations; they did things swiftly and in the most brutal way possible.

  A black Humvee pulled up and blocked two of the boss’s sniper’s view immediately. The back door swung open and he was pulled inside as the vehicle started moving. “Where’s my shit?” the man next to him asked. “It’ll be there, our guy is very reliable” the boss stammered. “It’s already two days late. Time is running short.” The man said, seething. “Your time is running short.”

  The boss knew he wasn’t walking away from this but he tried to buy himself time as he thumbed the GPS locator sewn into his suit pocket. “We can find him and take care of this, no need to worry” he said, trying to reassure the drug boss. “Too late, I sent out an army yesterday. We know he is heading west, we will find him.” Jose said. “You have pretty much outlived your usefulness to the Zeta.”

  The Humvee screeched to a halt outside an abandoned gas-station. “Did you know that there is often hundreds of gallons still left underground?” Jose asked him. “When the power goes out there is no way to get it out so it just gets left. One cool thing about this Humvee is it has a generator.” The boss knew what was coming and began to shake with fear.

  “Take off your clothes” Jose told him. He couldn’t help but comply and hope his men would get there soon. The boss took off all his clothes and Jose proceeded to stomp on them. “I’m sure you had some kind of tracking or communications device in there.” He said as he spit on the pile of clothes. His men had already fired up the gas pump after rigging it to the generator and sure enough a stream of rusty, gelatinized gas came glooping out of the pump.

  Jose’s men tied the boss to the station’s roof column with some steel cable. “Rope would burn up and maybe let you out, this shit isn’t going anywhere” he informed the boss, then he turned to his men and said “Hose him down.” The men complied and bathed the boss head to toe with the dirty gasoline. They then locked the nozzle on and left it at his feet and got back in the car.

  Jose rolled down the window on the Humvee and said “Adios amigo” as he flicked a cigarette into the growing puddle around the boss. The smoke appeared to be snuffed by the pool for a split second and the boss heaved a sigh of relief right as it caught. He felt the rocks kicked up by the Humvee along with the intense heat of the flash.

  Burning to death is horrifying. The boss learned this as he slowly melted off his own bones. It wasn’t so much the pain as it was the smell and the sound of his skin crackling like a piece of fried chicken in a deep fryer. He thought back to all the people he had tortured or killed in his life-time and felt a tinge of sadness. Not for what he had done, but that he had failed to do more. He also thought of Mark’s wife, there were so many opportunities that he could have taken her.

  The boss’s men arrived and saw the molten pool of death and shrugged their shoulders. He was a bit of a dick and they really weren’t too broken up over his death. “Joe, we’re free, let’s get the fuck out of here!” one of them said. The three other snipers agreed with him and high-fived each other in celebration. They got into the company car and hauled ass towards the west.

  Chapter 21- Memphis Helle

  Mark awoke before Athena and Kara the next morning. He sat at the edge of the bed admiring their naked forms tangled together. He decided he better get up before he got the urge to wake them up. He tried to slip his clothes on quietly but the girls were stirring before he even had his shirt arranged properly. Kara squeezed Athena in her sleep and her eyes popped open wide when she came up with a handful of breast. Mark chuckled.

  “Why do the times when you should have the best memories only occur when you drink yourself into a coma?” Kara asked groggily. Athena chuckled and kissed her on the forehead before rolling out of the bed to put on her regalia. She left Mark and Kara alone while she went to prepare for the day. Mark climbed into bed next to Kara and kissed her on the forehead right where Athena had. “How ya doing baby?” he asked her softly. She smiled and ran her hand down his cheek “I’m wonderful” she said. “Whew” Mark answered then said “I’m glad I didn’t have to remind you that you started all this” he said with a wink. She got a confused look and said “Really?” followed by a “Wow.”

  The two were ready at about the same time as Athena and they met Joey and Cindy out in the hallway. The family and Athena had a private breakfast before departing. While eating their crepes Athena warned them about the rest of their trip.

  “Memphis is over-run with mutants. They kill for fun; the radiation has made them insane. Just kill every one that you see and get out as fast as you can. After that you are free-running up to West Plains. Your journey will not be without peril though. Please try to remember your friendships and know when to be humble. Lastly, when you arrive waste no time setting up a perimeter, there will be trouble.”

  Mark nodded and tried to make mental notes of what she said, she spoke in such generalities that he obviously couldn’t base decisions on her tales until he was already knee deep into what she warned him about but it was always good having a bit of a head’s up about the future.

  The convoy got on the road shortly after breakfast and goodbyes with Athena. As soon as they were out of town and back on I-40 Vincent radioed Mark. “You sure know how to broker a toll there buddy-boy” he joked. Mark came back with “You have no idea man; we were apparently picked from the heavens to visit those folks.” Vincent laughed into the mic and asked Mark “So do you believe what every cute young psychic tells you?” Mark shook his head and laughed “I can’t say I have ever met another.” Kara got an angry look that Mark interpreted wrong. He thought it was a ‘don’t even think about it buddy’ look when it was really a ‘stay away from my woman’ look.

  The convoy chit-chatted on the trip to Memphis and everyone learned a little bit more about each other. It was nice to hear the various guys and gals stories on how they got to know Vincent and why they decided to help him out. One of them, a young lady named Vanessa, said she was a fighter pilot with the Tennessee Air National Guard and defected when the word came down to attack US cities. This brought up something that Mark had wondered about for years so he decided to ask.

  “Why are there no planes?” he asked to anyone who could answer. Vincent chimed in immediately “There are quite a few planes, there are very few pilots. Most people who are wouldn’t admit it. Vanessa here knows she is among friends and isn’t scared to talk about it but most won’t ever utter a word” he explained. “Why?” Mark asked. Vanessa answered “The war. When planes started bombing cities pilots became public enemy #1 and rebel forces started slaughtering pilots by the thousands. Most of us went into hiding or blended into society and never spoke of flying again. A good majority of jets were also destroyed by the people to keep any further carnage from happening” her voice full of remorse and sorrow. “I can’t say I blame the people, you can’t go napalming a city of millions and expect there to be no repercussions, honestly many of them deserved to die, I mean how could you do that to the people of your own country?” she asked, openly sobbing now.

  Someone wisely changed the subject to sports people liked to watch before the war shortly after that. Lots of people participated in that conversation but Mark and the family quietly contemplated all the shit that this country and its people had been through. Maybe Athena was right, the country was ripe for people like them to step in and turn things around. It would be a lot of work but Mark felt like he was down for it so he posed the question to the rest of the family “What do you think about what Athena said?”

  Joey chimed in first saying he thought she was a bit kooky but it honestly spooked him out that she knew so much about them. Ma
rk couldn’t deny that it was a bit freaky; it was his first time dealing with a psychic but she seemed like more than that, she was able to see the future and seemingly into people’s souls. Kara said she believed everything they were told. She could tell Athena was genuine and had no intention of leading them astray. Mark knew right then that she was a bit smitten with her.

  Since the 50 mile point every sign going into Memphis had WARNING spray painted above it. Mark had no idea what to expect, many of the cities on their route had been bombed out but they had never seen absolute destruction from a nuclear device before.

  The story Mark had heard was that Memphis was home to a militia group called the Memphis Marauders. They came up with a plan to poison Washington DC and seemed to have the means to accomplish the task. The group spent months planning the event. They processed ricin by the ton. They loaded the powder into plastic bladders intended to be used for emergency water sources. They loaded those bladders into a freight airliner. The plan was to fly in low and drop the containers throughout the city, spreading the poison everywhere. Nobody knew how efficient the delivery system would be but apparently the government deemed the threat enough to destroy the entire city.

  On May 17, 2017 an MX missile, previously thought to be decommissioned, launched from an unknown location in the Midwest on a course to Memphis. It deployed its ten W87-1 warheads at approximately 1:37am. Six of the 300kt explosives were set to airburst over the city at various altitudes while the remaining four detonated on the ground. Memphis more or less ceased to exist in a matter of seconds.