Genesis Virus

by Pinto, Daniel

  Youngblood says to Lou. “Back off, it’s not like David killed him.” He studies the expression of a distraught David and is rendered speechless.

  The Chief is on his shins, dirt pasted over his mouth. “This is the end.” He turns on one knee to face David, pointing his handgun.

  David doesn’t flinch or blink.

  Ava kicks the gun into the air then fires a shot into a tree between Lou and Youngblood, she walks towards them, they look unimpressed and ready to charge.

  The Chief pulls out his hand knife. David looks up. “If you lay one hand on her, I will kill all of you.” I can’t lose my last friend.

  Lou has his hands on the Chief’s shoulders from behind, holding him in place. “David, spit it the fuck out.”

  David inures them to the truth. “Coop rescued me by leading the dead away. I managed to get back to my bike and put some distance from the running herd. I could see Coop behind me, his horse must have been wounded or burned out, those things were unshakable.” He draws a breath so he can speak again and to slow his mind down in the face of the prying eyes. “I-I wanted to lead them away so I turned around and drove towards Coop to help him and when I got closer, a few of the dead were biting his horse and I could see him waving for me to run…His horse fell to one side on the ground and I could hear gunshots and him screaming. I-I had no more handgun ammo…I fired the last shot of the launcher at Cooper…I didn’t even know his fucking name…” The genuine love for Coop on the Chief’s face is too much to bear. David evokes Coop’s screaming face then covers his own face in his hands, to hide both, and his back slides against the tree as he slumps down. Pain and guilt compound, and feed into each other.

  Youngblood’s hugging himself; Lou holds onto the straps of his bulletproof vest and stares up at the clouds, face draining of color, taking longer than usual to clear to his throat. “Why couldn’t you just die, my friend didn’t deserve that, you used his kindness against him, you selfish little shit.”

  Ava rolls her shoulders as she gains a foothold in the middle of all the men giving them cursory glances, back and forth like a referee. “That’s enough. Coop knew the risks.”

  Time comes to a cessation. Everyone is looking around as if waiting for Coop to walk through the trees. This has to be another one of David’s jokes.

  Youngblood’s running lost in a quandary and the Chief’s scream scares him to immobility. Lou has his hand over his gun on his belt like an willing outlaw. Ava takes a few steps and jumps on the backs of the Chief and Lou heading for David, she brings them down ridding them of their weapons and is trying to pin both of them. Pliable flailing arms beset an aggressive Ava. She’s tall, but both men are double her weight. She pummels into their backs to slow them down.

  “David.” The chiding Chief and Ava say for opposing reasons. David’s heels are deep in the dirt and his fingernails in the bark of a tree.

  A embolden Youngblood jumps over the three bodies tussling in the dirt and points a gun at David.

  Lou helps the Chief stay upright. Ava’s rolling in the grass.

  David says. “Ava don’t look.”

  Youngblood says. “He was the only one who wanted to save you even though you deserved to die for having a temper tantrum with your big gun…why couldn’t you just drive away…he will never see his wife because of you. You weren’t his friend and never were.” Youngblood drops his head and gun as if both are one hundred pounds.

  David says. “Coop was my friend, I got him killed by attacking those things, it is my fault, and I deserve what’s coming. Do it.”

  David unabashedly grabs Youngblood’s hands and brings the gun to the center of his forehead, bestowing his blessing. “If you’re not happy, you’re depressed waiting to die. The Boss is a mile away.” He points to the left. “Get Coop’s wife back and killed them all, starting with me.”

  Standing up, Ava says. “David, shut up.”

  Lou says. “Do it.”

  Ava now has one gun against the ear of Youngblood and another pointing at the Chief and Lou huddled together with dastardly intent in their eyes. The smell of stale sweet wafts out from Ava, she ruefully chortles. “Really everyone…I’m the sensible one here. Our life is dangerous and people die…David makes mistakes, but he’s not a friend murderer…we all live or we all die here today. Decide.”

  Youngblood raises his axe as well. “I will give you the suicide you always wanted.”

  David backs away from the gun in his face. “Coop was my friend. Fuck all of you if you don’t believe that. He said death or family, the first night we all spent together. That is how this ends. I will get his wife back for him or die trying. Kill me now or help. This pain in my gut has been with me since I killed my best friend that night in my home and it will never go away now. I keep losing people no matter how hard I try. Decide.” He shoves Youngblood off balance.

  Youngblood squeezes the trigger. “Those things killed my friend, I won’t kill you and make his death meaningless. You’ll have to live with the consequences of your choices.” Youngblood tosses his gun and axe on the ground; Ava waits a moment then holsters her weapons, vouchsafing trust. The hard-earned smidgen of comradely among the group is gone.

  David says. “This act of kindness will never be forgotten.” He gazes at everyone for a moment then Youngblood last. Youngblood upswings, punching David in the mouth and the Indians rush Ava; she places one arm on both their chests and is pushed back through the patchy grass. The group is rolling on the ground as one.

  Everyone stops fighting suddenly because there’s a rapid strong gust of wind and thunderous clapping. They all look up with leaves in their eyes to see the underbelly of a black helicopter, passing over. A Godsend or Godforsaken omen?

  3

  Ava trots to a stooping David swallowing a handful of pills. “It’s alright I was almost a doctor.” His voice lacks the usual gamine charm and confidence.

  She slaps him on the back harder than she intended. “One of them will probably kill you in your sleep.”

  “That’s why I’m leaving before tonight to do something.”

  “Of course you are.” Ava says loud enough for everyone to hear. “Fuck the Indians, don’t let it get to you, it’s me and you, pretty soon we’ll get our brother Phillip back. She swipes her hand in the general direction of the Indians as if they’re a nagging fly.

  “I don’t blame them for hating me.” David says. “I have to go back and get all the ammo and supplies, Coop was carrying it. You said he left it on the mountain. Right?”

  Ava says. “Yeah. None of us thought to carry it. To caught up in our own shit.” She tells him where to look.

  David says. “I’m going to go a different way, just in case.”

  Ava says. “Lou will probably tag along, so there’s that.” He shrugs his shoulders. She tactfully withholds the many thoughts giving her a killer headache and saves David the trouble of trying to stop her intrusion on his trip. He’s dividing the group so we don’t attack the Boss today.

  David says. “It hasn’t even been that long and I miss Maria more than I ever thought.” Ava flitches at the name and he looks up at her sitting down next to him. “No one is to use the walkies and stay out of sight. I’ll talk about Phillip’s rescue when I get back, if the Indians decide to rush into the Boss’s camp, let them go and die.” She gives him an affirmative nod.

  David rests his head on the side of her head and closes his eyes. She expects him to scream her name in jest like he often does. Instead he’s quiet, she hugs him from the side; he’s thinner than the last time they hugged on the rendezvous mountain, nearly a month ago. He says. “I’m tired. I’m finished. The truth is I’ve been empty inside for years trying to piece back my life. It’s too late for me, but not for Abigail. She will be the best of us.”

  4

  The next morning, Youngblood and his uncle tower over Ava as she laces up her boots. She slides her pack on. “I’ll be back later, don’t wait up ladies.”

&nbs
p; The Chief brushes up against her and says. “We’re coming too.”

  She forthright hikes away. “I’m going to observe only. You guys might get too emotional and rush in and all of this will be for nothing. This is a see, not a touch kinda thing.” The two dark sunwashed skin men follow at her heels and with the same resolute expression.

  She’s humming to herself making her way downhill, hoping they get the hint. Stops and they bump into her back, she grabs her gun and they immediately back up like pestering children. She slides the top of the handgun back and forth upside down as fast as she can, cooling down. “Fine. Youngblood lets go. He can tell you both what he saw…Happy?”

  The Chief gives Youngblood his gun and walks away without saying anything.

  Ava says to the Chief’s back. “Keep your ass put, don’t push my kindness.”

  They ride halfway on Ava’s bike trying to hide under the limited canopy of trees until Youngblood falls off due to a bumpy ten mph. She stops a few minutes later, to hoof it the rest of the way, with Youngblood running behind her and a massive hill in front.

  She pulls the dawdling Youngblood up the last leg of the bleak hill; both are panting on their backs looking up at the sky. “This douche’s lair should be here.” Still on the ground, Ava turns her head to look at Youngblood. “Were you going to kill me after David?”

  He says. “I don’t know what I was going to do. I just saw red. What about you?”

  She says. “I was going to grab you for a shield and kill Lou first, then the Chief and you last.” He awkwardly smiles at first. “Oh…you’re not playing.” Then performs a situp with the help of a bush.

  On her knees and elbows, she rests in the shade and looks through binoculars, turning the lens to focus on the back of a man’s head, following him like a rat through the mazelike camp. She wipes the sweaty hair off her forehead.

  The boiling sun is in the east.

  Ava and Youngblood reconnoiter the Boss’s base of operations. A nervousness excitement surges through Ava’s hands. “This will be my swan song.” Youngblood has one eye shut and a detached riflescope in the other. “I don’t know anything about swans, it’s time for fucking justice against that White Devil.”

  “Ha…I think that’s the first time I heard you swear, you mad huh? Youngblood…Youngblood? How does David come up with these names?”

  Aluminum dunes made up of appropriated vehicles as far as the human eye can see, the flat land underneath is beaten into submission with no grass only perennial tires spurting all around like fields of Indian needles. Ava watches a vehicle maneuver down the winding road like a drunk driver and she focuses more on the road not taken. She sees a rock roll away and a brown tarp flap up from one corner, a pit is burrowed deep and wooden stakes slant up and towards a driver like police spikes. Ava’s on her stomach and quickly moves the binoculars away from her face and slides back down. “David was right, it’s a underground bunker.”

  From up high, the cars look like tiny boats sailing towards the camp and she imagines each car has a story about a person trying to take over the base over the years like the corrupt pirate island of Nassau and now it’s finally her turn.

  She sees tiny reflections in random cars, she hands the binoculars to Youngblood. “They have look-outs inside some of those cars, I’m guessing at least one sniper, and a couple of traps that I can see.”

  On the outskirts of the camp, an isolated tree guards the entrance like the lonely tree of Tenere in Niger. Olympic sized swimming pool graves filled to the brim with blacked bones are in the shadows and under a storm of flies and gnats.

  Tower apparatuses with black boxes on one side and lights on the other; the poles are strategically placed within the car field and resemble baseball field lights, that face the only road leading into the camp. A fleet/trail of Jeep Wranglers lead the way into the camp, a mountain behind it guards it from the elements.

  In the shade, the Boss’s home is an opened field consisting of three acres of land palisaded by innumerable vehicles, a half a mile in each direction. Inside the perimeter, a carwall is made up with the sides of ambulances, garbage trucks, vans, and eighteen-wheelers. The carwall around the outside of the camp is stacked a house high after the first layer of vehicles. Positioned eighteen-wheelers face each other to make up the entrance; smaller cars are sporadically parked within the camp. Could be homes, transport, or both.

  By collegial men sorting ordnance, Ava spots a couple of guys desperately trying to get out what looks like scuba diving and surfing attire. The skin tight spandex suits are covered in zombie flesh. Their heads covered with a patchwork of human flesh stapled to cardboard helmets. Ava stops inspecting the zombie mascots and turns her attention to bentwood chairs and tables littered with guns and playing cards. Metal barrier canisters are filled with various supplies and wood. Particular men seem to be prepping for something important with the fervor of Boko Haram militants.

  Oblivious to the world, chummy men are tossing a football over two pole tents and steamy grills like tailgating companions. Ava says. “Fuck ya’ll.” She hands Youngblood the binoculars. Turns to her back.

  She scribbles down a list with a hard hand:

  A really big football field of living space surrounded by a junkyard. (How in the hell?)

  Over forty armed men, a few women, no children.

  Multiple towers with lights. (Probably car battery charged)

  One entrance. (The hubris)

  Phillip and Abigail are probably inside.

  Chopper is probably on the other side of the mountain.

  Youngblood says. “What are you doing?”

  “Making notes in David’s journal.”

  He’s mouthing gibberish to himself as he studies the camp, he then says to Ava.

  “We shouldn’t press our luck, let’s leave.”

  She takes the binoculars. Stands at the edge of the cliff, panning the land in her mindscape. A fresh cut grass smell is in the air. “I need to…come on. Come on.”

  Rolling to one elbow, Youngblood looks at her then into the distance, furtively as through window blinds, only seeing cars and cars.

  A man turns and looks at the sky, revealing his profile. Ava says. “Phillip. You son of a bitch.” She smiles.

  Youngblood says. “Let me see.”

  She hands them over, turns her face away, and wipes her eye.

  “I’m happy for you.”

  Ava says. “Let me know if you see a little girl.”

  Youngblood says. “Which man is the leader?”

  Ava says. “Kill every man, but the big man with the dark hair in the center looking up.”

  Youngblood says. “Can you please hand me the pen and paper…and hold the binoculars for me for a sec…right here.” Youngblood sits cross-legged with pen and paper in his lap.

  Ava studies what he’s drawing. “Yeah that’s Phillip. Add a cigarette. I never knew you could draw.”

  “Wasn’t useful until now. I had a dream of becoming an architect. I learned by tracing comics everyday.”

  Ava says. “When we come back we’ll blow them to Kingdom Come.”

  5

  The Boss is lying back against a windshield, a teal and orange glow is above him. “Another beautiful day in this lovely Texas hill country. I grew up around here, y’know.” He takes a long drag from his cigar. “The state has become greener, nature is healing itself fast. We are merely guests, the world doesn’t give care about us, why would it, that burden is left to us.”

  Phillip’s standing and inclines over. “I’ll help you.”

  The Boss says. “Beg your pardon?” His eyes stuck in the past.

  Phillip says. “With Paul.”

  The Boss says. “Oh that, I forgot.”

  Phillip rolls his eyes. “Bullshit, I get it.” He looks at the walking men close by.

  The Boss says. “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as nights and when you move fall like a thunderbolt…Sun Tzu.”

  Phillip has an un
broken panorama view of the landscape and the darkening clouds.

  The Boss lifts his chin by tilting back, sermonizing one last time for old times’ sake. “Worlds of self-interest are colliding, let the best man win.” The air is cool and still. He’s at peace like a man in a rocking chair on his front porch enjoying his golden years. “Or maybe I’m being a tad dramatic like a grumpy old-timer.” His laughing turns into coughing.

  Phillip says. “Maybe you should quit, John.” The Boss hands him the cigar. “It’s not that overrated Cuban shit, it’s American.”

  6

  In the late afternoon, David comes into the camp like a lost zombie. He has dark circles under his eyes and a pale face like he’s been burning the midnight oil and then some.

  “Youngblood, Lou might need your help with something. He’s a few blocks away take my bike.”

  Without a word, Youngblood patters past the low-spirited David. Then it’s just him and the Chief staring at each other. A golden leaf tumbles between the two men. Ava’s asleep. Both of their hands are over guns on their hips. Eyes tracing the other man’s rugged face.

  Thunderheads are in the distance sky.

  The Chief’s voice is tight with emotion. “So this is it, huh?”

  David draws his gun faster than the Chief. He holds it like a cop. “Toss it down.”

  The Chief says. “I ask for one last favor, let Youngblood go, he’s the only family I have left.”

  David’s mouth is twisted. “I worked too hard to get this far, I won’t get stabbed in the back. I’m sorry for Coop, I will carry his death with me forever. I’m a killer and a man of my word. If you can put your hatred for me aside for one more day, we can both get what we want. Revenge and our loved ones. Or I can shoot you in the head. I need you on board fully with my plan or you can say your last words now. It makes no difference to me. I won’t take any chances with Ava’s safety.” His voice trails off with the wind.