Joe prayed for a diversion and he got an answer. Six youths with Molotov cocktails attacked the police about half a mile up the street from the armored cars. "Go now, " he said to Jamie, Casey and Fr. James, who would go out at the maintenance door, into the back alley, to the canal, about twenty minutes to the west of the apartment. Jamie and Tammy had been instructed to leave their cell phones in the apartment, and Fr. James had left his at the rectory. Casey had "lost " his at the coffee shop. He had temporarily bought a new pay-as-you go with cash, but left that in the street in the opposite direction of the apartments. Joe had kept his for a reason. All trusted his military sense.
The three left quickly while the police fought with the six youths up the street. Shots were fired. Tear gas spread over the sidewalks. Joe took out masks for Tammy and himself. "Tam, I am going out for seven minutes exactly. If I am not back in that time, leave the same way as the others."
Tammy looked at him with teary eyes. "And, Sampson?" Joe smiled. "Take him with you in your arms, no cage, but if he wants to go, let him go."
Tammy hugged Joe and he left. She did not watch him go. In seven minutes, he was back. "Are you ready?" The police had shot all six of the youths and were moving back to their ground around the armored cars. "Yes, and I decided to let Sampson go on his own." Joe gently touched Tammy's arm. Joe told her to go downstairs to the kitchen and wait by the door. Tammy did as she was told. When she got to the door, she heard an enormous blast. Then, another blast. She was confused, but grabbed Samson and when Joe ran down the stairs, they left the apartment, ran to the back door, into the alley and down the side road to the canal. They were running in the dark, but a huge explosion lit the sky.
"Get down." Joe pushed Tammy to the ground by the side of the canal which jutted up against a small house. Samson finally wriggled out of Tammy's arms and ran away. "Don't worry. Animals have sense."
For a few minutes, Joe shielded the prone Tammy he has pushed into the grass on the side of the canal, then he said, "Go", and the two scrambled down some old stone steps to be level with the water. They ran along the side, then walked, moving west. They saw no one, but heard the sounds of sirens in the background. Moving quickly, the two reached a small bridge and crossed to the other side. Within twenty minutes, they were at the boat. It was dark, but Joe could just see the other three inside.
"Get down, all of you." They obeyed. For several minutes, they all laid on the floor of the canal boat until Joe gave the all clear word. "Use oars". Father James and Casey pushed the boat out from the moorings, and into the center of the canal. Jamie and Tammy stayed on the floor. After about a half hour in the dark moving north and then east, the two women could hear Joe chuckling. Father tended the tiller in the back of the boat.
Although they were afraid to talk, the women's curiosity was too much to fight. "Joe, what did you do?"
Joe whispered. "Bombs, in the cells." Tammy looked surprised. Joe continued, "I put them in the cars. Sorry, ladies, I used your phones and mine. Nothing will be left of them or some other things."
Surprisingly, the entire trip out of the city went without a hitch. Joe passed out arms to all at this point. But, just as they were entering true countryside, near the first lock, Joe saw movement on the shore. He had a large light, but did not want to use it. He crept up to Casey on the starboard side. "Do you see that?" He asked quietly. Casey grunted, "It's a cow." Father was in the back, still steering.
The cow followed the boat's course, and Joe thought this was not good. He knew, however, that if they tried to get rid of the cow. they would draw attention to themselves. They were entering the lock and wanted to get through quickly. Thankfully, they cleared that first hurdle and move up the canal, almost silently.
The cow moved off the side path bordering the canal and turned towards a field to the west. Then, the group heard a horrible sound. Coyotes. A pack attacked the cow. The men pushed the canal boat forward. Tammy thought of poor Sampson. Maybe the cat was safer in the city.
After two hours with oars, and moving through two more locks, Joe suggested using the motor. Also, he asked Father to say grace for a quick dinner. Hours had passed since they left the city and they were now in countryside marked only by old farms here and there, all dark, all silent.
After four hours, Father James said Mass and consecrated five Hosts. The two women said rosaries while clearing up, when suddenly, Joe yelled, "Get down". There on a small bridge about 200 feet away, several people were standing and pointing at the canal boat. They began to yell, "Get it. Hey, here, down here."
About seven people began moving from the bridge to both sides of the canal, three on one side and four on the other. One fired a shot into the window of the kitchen. Tammy caught the bullet with her leg.
"I'm hit. Oh." And she fell on the floor. Joe shot back and hit the man with the gun, who fell into the water with his pistol. Joe then turned to the other side, where some men, two, were trying to get onto the boat. Then, one jumped, and missed. Shouts came from both sides, "Back off, back off. We'll get more help."
All five thugs left moved away into the darkness."Get the engine going full speed." Joe ordered, then he went down into the kitchen. Tammy was crying and biting her lip until it bled. A bullet had scraped her left leg, but did not go into it. Joe gave her some pain killers and tended the wound.
"Jamie, stay down on the floor with her. And wrap her up so that she does not go into shock. Give here more of this if she needs it."
The two women remained on the floor. The three small lights of the kitchen had been turned off by Joe when the trouble started. "Keep in the dark, " Joe whispered.
He went out to Casey and Father, who was steering the boat. "Use your weapons if you have to..." He said sternly. He could hear, in the darkness, men calling. "Father, I think the next bridge is about an hour away, am I correct?" Father James answered, "Yes, and it is, thankfully, full of holes. It would be hard to use it, especially in the dark."
"Well, keep an outlook. Casey, use the rifle if you have to before they get to the bridge."
Casey agreed.
Joe went back downstairs and stared at Tammy. She was "out". "Good", he said. "The pain meds will make her sleep. Are you OK, Jamie?" Joe was thinking of his promise to take care of Jamie on pain of death he had made to Derek. "I'm fine." Joe looked at her gun. "You know how to use this."
Jamie whispered, "Yes," but she really did not want to do so. She sat on the floor holding Tammy in her arms. She prayed.
An hour passed. The bridge with the holes loomed ahead in the dark. It was painted white. Joe could make out about seven men again. He laid down in the bow of the boat. No one could see him. Three of the men had weapons. He aimed at the closest one's right hand. He waited. A shot rang out just over Casey's right ear. Joe shot the hand of that assailant. Then, another shot whizzed past Father James at the tiller, in the back, and hit the side of the boat. "Amateurs." Joe muttered,and shot that man, who fell through a hole in the bridge. The rest scattered, but two went to either side of the canal and ran alongside the boat. One person shot again, and just hit the chimney coming out of the kitchen. Joe responded.
All ran away. Father James stood up and prayed over the water where four men had ended their lives in the two skirmishes. Casey moved over to Joe, who was standing up. "I did not expect this."
"I did. People will panic in this darkness and steal anything. There are four more locks and four more bridges. Father, go into quarters and get some sleep. I shall take over the tiller. In two hours, Casey it will be your turn to rest."
Father came over and blessed Joe. "I am tired. But, I want to be with Tammy when she wakes up."
At the next four locks, nothing happened. Once, Joe saw lights being carried in the distance. No one approached the canal for hours. Strangely, there was not one light in the sky. And, there were no stars. A cover of cloud pressed over the area still. Joe could hardly make out hills, or trees, or fields.
"What do you make of this darkness, Joe?" Casey asked. Joe had passed sandwiches and juice over to Casey. "It is not smoke. It is weird. I do not think the army or any of the forces could make this."
"So, what is it?" Casey felt nervous as if he knew the answer. "It is something other worldly, Casey. It is not natural." The darkness lay like a blanket over the entire area, maybe over all the United States. There was nothing chemical about this darkness. Joe leant back against the back of the boat and thought.
Then, he saw, in the distance, the lit end of a cigarette. "Casey," he whispered. "Get ready." Casey fingered his rosary in one hand and a pistol in the other. Joe held onto the tiller with his left hand, and quickly cocked his rifle in his right hand. He watched the small, red fire on his left. He had a strange thought. He wondered what Derek was doing at this time.
To be continued...
