Free The Nuclear Catastrophe (a fiction novel of survival) by Barbara C. Griffin Billig, Bett Pohnka Page B

children who had become alarmed at their father ’ s words. Kim ’ s face was stained with a fresh onslaught of tears. She moved over to comfort the girl.
    “ Frank, are you sure it ’ s dangerous? I don ’ t see how this could happen. Harry doesn ’ t think it ’ s serious. ”
    “ So what! I ’ m not going to stand here arguing with you any longer, Paula. I ’ m leaving and the kids are going with me. If you want to stay to protect your possessions, then that ’ s your choice. But it ’ s a damned foolish one, I ’ ll tell you that! ”
    “ We don ’ t even have any cash in the house, ” she replied sullenly. “ How far do you think we ’ ll go without money? ”
    That was a fact Frank had not considered and it stopped him momentarily. “ All right, ” he answered shortly, “ we ’ ll go by the bank and draw out what we ’ ve got in there. But get in gear, for Christ ’ s sake, Paula. We ’ re wasting precious time! ”
    “ What ’ ll we take? ” his wife asked.
    “ I don ’ t know, for crying out loud. Just grab some stuff. Some clothes. But hurry! ”
    Frank left them to their own as he rapidly selected a couple items he wished to take along. The M-1 carbine was illegal to have, but law or not, the wartime souvenir was picked up. Filling his pockets with the long, pointed bullets he re-entered the kitchen to help his wife.
    And there she was. The ancient tea set that her grandmother had given her was sitting beside the door. A black Persian Paw stole, in its bug-proofed bag, was parked next to the silver pieces.
    “ Frank, I need you to carry this to the car, ” Paula said. “ Be careful and don ’ t drop it, it ’ s an antique. ” With that she extended the old, hand-carved clock that had sat in the center of the mantle.
    Frank glared at her. “ You ’ re unreal, Paula. I ’ m worried about saving our lives and you ’ re dragging out every broken down piece of junk in this house. We ’ re not taking any of it! ”
    She scowled at him and clutched the clock close to her.
    Snatching up the tea service in exasperation he stalked outside and threw it into the trunk. “ Let ’ s go! ” he shouted.
    They tumbled into the car, Paula delaying until she was positive the door was securely locked.
    Frank was a masterful driver. He whipped the vehicle into the street and had crossed the two blocks to stop in front of the bank before his family had settled down and fastened their seat belts.
    He dashed from the car to the yellow stucco building of the only local bank in San Mirado, a small business with no branches.  Because it was local it was popular.  But in a flash he was back. “ God! Wouldn ’ t you know it! They ’ ve closed up the damned place!  There's no people there and no electricity so the ATM doesn't work. ” He threw his body into the seat.
    “ Daddy, can ’ t you write checks in Arizona? ” Kim asked.
    He threw a disgusted look at Paula. “ And who would be in this bank to honor the checks, huh?

 
                                                           
                                                            Chapter Five
     
    After the students had been dismissed, Althea Carr began her own preparations to leave. The school administration had released the students prematurely—she thought in fact the manner in which the school day abruptly ended had reflected disorganization on the part of the staff. The children should have been kept in the classrooms until it was deemed safe to let them go, or until their parents were notified to pick them up. But then, she was simply a teacher, not an administrator, nor a maker of decisions regarding emergency policy. She was frankly amazed at the lack of established procedure. The school had numerous instructions on what to do in case of fire or earthquake—just as there were instructions regarding a high ozone count in