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“We need to maintain order,”Pierce signed.“We can’t afford mistakes or panic. We’ll assign roles and keep a schedule. It’s important everyone contributes and stays vigilant.”
“How long do you think we’ll be stuck here?” someone asked, and a murmur of unease went through the group.
Pierce’s gaze swept the group, measuring their anxiety before he answered.
Rhiannon translated his signs with a steady voice, though her own heart thudded unevenly. “We don’t know how long exactly. It depends on how much damage the quake caused. Help will go to major population centers first. Checking highway rest stops will be a low priority, so we need to be prepared for the long haul.”
“Oh, my God,” someone whispered. “We’re going to die here.”
“We’re not going to die here,”Pierce signed.“We need a plan for food, water?—”
“The water in the bathrooms is still working,” one of the teenage gift shop workers—Hailey, according to her nametag—spoke up. “But it’s a mess back there. Part of the hallway collapsed.”
“Okay, good to know,”Pierce signed.“We’ll clear a path, and that will solve our bathroom problem. We can use the toilets, but I wouldn’t trust the water to drink unless we can somehow boil it.”
“There’s a small camping supplies section in the corner, across from the bathrooms,” Dottie said, nodding toward the back of the store. “Last I knew, we had at least one tabletop camp stove in stock and propane tanks for it. We also should have water filters and purification tablets.”
“Great, that’s a start,”Pierce signed. His expression didn’t change, but somehow Rhiannon could tell he was relieved by the news.“Our priority is water. Gather all the unbroken bottles from the coolers that you can find and bring them over here to the registers. This will be our base camp. Juices, too, but avoid the sodas and teas for now. They’re better than nothing, butthey can dehydrate. Also, if you’re thirsty, drink what you need. Don’t sip. It’s easier to stay hydrated than it is to rehydrate, and hopefully, we won’t be here long enough to worry about running out of food and water. We have plenty.”
“There’s also cold storage in the back… if we can get to it,” Dottie said. “We have more drinks in there and pallets of water.”
“Then we may not even need the filters and purification tablets. But, for now, we’ll focus on what’s right here and easily accessible. Let’s gather food too. Anything cold, we’ll eat first before it spoils.”
“What about the coolers? We have some knock-off Yetis in stock,” the young male worker spoke up. His nametag read Will. “We can fill them with ice before it melts and keep stuff cold longer.”
Pierce nodded.“You be in charge of that, then.”
The kid’s chest puffed, and Rhiannon suddenly realized what Pierce was doing—he was assigning them more than tasks and responsibilities; he was giving them a sense of purpose and control.
Brooke shyly raised her hand, the freckles on her cheeks standing out starkly against her pale skin. “I can help Will with the food.”
“You do that,”Pierce signed and then faced the group again. “Cell phones should be kept off to preserve the batteries. The network is down now, but when it comes back, we might be able to reach out for help. Is there a landline?”he asked Dottie.
“It’s dead,” she said with a frown that deepened the smoker’s lines around her mouth. “I already checked after the earthquake. I can check it again, but I’m betting the landslide took out whatever was left of the lines.”
“Anyone have a radio?”
“My sons have walkie-talkies,” one woman said after Rhiannon translated.
“Mom,” one of the pre-teen boys complained as she took them from her sons.
She hushed him and offered the radios. “They’re just toys, but if they’ll help, you can have them.”
Pierce accepted them.“They’ll work if rescuers are nearby. Thank you.”
“There’s an old AM/FM radio behind the register,” Dottie added. “Won’t let us talk to anyone, but maybe we can hear something about the outside world if any stations are still broadcasting.”
“Good idea,”Pierce signed, his face maintaining its stoic composure.“We’ll set up a communication hub near the front of the store with the walkie-talkies and the radio. We also need to think about securing the premises. We can’t be sure what the repercussions of this quake might be—both structurally and socially.”
“Socially?” one man called out, his brow furrowed as Rhiannon translated.
“Yes. If this quake was as big as I think it was, it’s likely chaos out there. People will be desperate, scared... and that can often lead to dangerous situations.”Pierce scanned the group, his gaze lingering on Dean, who stood with his arms crossed and looked more agitated than concerned.
Dean sneered. “What? Does he think I’m gonna start looting or something?”
Pierce returned Dean’s contempt with a steady, unflinching gaze. Rhiannon felt the tension spike between them, the air thick with unspoken threats.
Before she could intervene, Pierce took a step closer to Dean, his movements slow and deliberate. He raised his hands to sign, and even though Rhiannon hadn’t yet translated, everyone in the room could feel the weight of his silent words.“We’re allin this together. Survival depends on cooperation, not conflict. You’d do well to remember that.”
