299 Days: The Collapse by Glen Tate Page B

absurdity of that thought. He needed that humor to get through this. That chuckle broke up the mood so he could deal with all the things he needed to do.
    As he drove close enough to see them, Grant looked at their faces. He knew he shouldn’t. They looked asleep. With blood everywhere. They were not nice boys. Thank God for that. At least he didn’t kill people who looked innocent.
    Everyone tried to talk to him. He just kept the window up and kept driving, carefully so he didn’t hit anyone, including the dead bodies.
    His neighbors were looking at him strangely. They were pointing and whispering. They were looking at him like…he was a killer. They were afraid of him. They had slight fear in their eyes. They were treating him like a killer. He wasn’t welcome in normal society anymore. He could feel it.
    His neighbors looked like people he had known decades ago. His life as Grant Matson—family man, attorney, and resident of the Cedars—was over. These people had known a different Grant Matson. The first Grant Matson. The second Grant Matson was driving that car. He had business to take care of. He drove past like he didn’t know them. Because he didn’t. Except Ron. He had saved Ron’s life that night by risking his own. He nodded at Ron, who was trying to talk to him. Grant kept driving.
    Once he left the Cedars, he didn’t see another car until he hit the freeway. As he approached the street that led to the onramp near the old brewery, he could see there was a big a backup on the freeway. It passed right by the Capitol. There were lots of police cars trying to get there and ambulances leaving. Grant had an alternate route planned. He got off the street before it fed onto the on ramp. He took a back street to get to an onramp to the highway leading to the cabin. No traffic at this entrance. Grant smiled. At least one part of the plan was working. So far.
    He got onto Highway 101 and accelerated to cruising speed. He was staying at sixty miles per hour because he had a loaded AR in the seat and didn’t want to get pulled over. That was probably not a problem given that the police were all at the capitol, but why risk it.
    Grant needed some music. He hit the play button and one of his favorite “survival” songs came on, Long Hard Times to Come by Gangstagrass. The lyrics seemed to be speaking directly to him as he left his family behind to go off to the cabin to… survive?
    On this lonely road, trying to make it home
    Doing it by my lonesome
    Pissed off, who wants some?
    I see them long hard times to come
     
    Ain’t got no family, you see there's one of me
    Might lose your pulse standing two feet in front of me
    I'm pissed at the world, but I ain’t looking for trouble
    Think about it, nobody wants to die
     
    I'm ready to go partner, hey I'm on the run
    The devil’s hugging on my boots that's why I own a gun
    This journey's too long, I'm looking for some answers
    So much time stressing, I forget the questions
     
    You probably think I'm crazy, or got some loose screws
    But that's alright though—I'm a’ do me, you do you
    So how you judging me? I'm just trying to survive
    And if the time comes, I ain’t trying to die
     
    Hey this is the life of an outlaw
    We ain’t promised tomorrow—I'm living now, dog
    I'm walking through life But, yo, my feet hurt
    All my blessings are fed, man I'll rest when I'm dead
    Look through my eyes and see the real world
    Take a walk with me, have a talk with me
    Where we end up—God only knows
    Strap your boots on tight you might be alright
     
    On this lonely road, trying to make it home
    Doing it by my lonesome
    Pissed off, who wants some?
    I see them long hard times to come
     
    That summed it. Grant saw “them long hard times to come.” He was doing it by his “lonesome.”
    The drive out to the cabin passed like the blink of an eye and felt like a lifetime at the same time. Along the way, he thought about his entire life. He thought about Lisa and the kids all