Situation Z

by Semple, A. M.

  Wilson knew all about Russell’s 1052. It was a hundred multiple choice questions. Each question built on the answer from the previous question and splintered into numerous questions within questions. It left his brain feeling like applesauce. Russell wouldn’t comment on how Wilson had done, but shot him the oddest look whenever it was mentioned.

  It was Wilson’s turn to clear his throat. “Err, Russell, I don’t have to take it again, do I?”

  “I’d prefer you didn’t. Go ahead and get your people.”

  ****

  Wilson raced back, picking up the deer path he’d come in on. All eyes were on him as he jogged up alongside the vehicle. His smile spoke volumes. “We’re in. Russell has a place for us to bunk. You’ll have to fill out some paperwork, a 1052, and of course there’ll be surveillance, but we’re in.”

  Everyone began talking at once. Riley raised his voice, hushing everyone before addressing Wilson. “What exactly is a 1052? Is it some sort of test to see if we can get in?”

  “Err, no not a test, just a bunch of questions, more of a survey. Jane will need help with hers.” He gave Gary a pointed look.

  Gary glanced over at Jane then back at Wilson. “Yeah, OK.”

  Riley took a step closer to Wilson. “And if Russell doesn’t like our answers, then what?”

  Everyone was staring at Wilson, waiting.

  Wilson shrugged his shoulders. “Just don’t mention anything about the government. Riley you’re a cop, I’ll get to you in a minute.” Wilson paled. “Has anyone worked overseas or been involved in factory outlets.”

  Sadie leaned her head out of the jeep. “What’s wrong with factory outlets?”

  Wilson shrugged. “It would be best if you believe Russell has a problem with factory seconds. You haven’t worked in one, have you?”

  She shook her head. “No, but I’ve shopped in plenty.”

  Wilson let out a breath. “Well, there is certainly no need to mention that, is there? Anyone else worked in an outlet or been overseas?” He made hasty eye contact with everyone as they responded in the negative.

  Riley had been to England, but he’d be damned if he told Wilson that.

  Wilson was about to go on when he turned back to Riley. He stared at him for a long moment. “Riley is there something you want to tell me?”

  Riley shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “No.”

  Wilson stepped closer and cocked his head to the side. “I doubt you’ve worked at a factory outlet.” He leaned in so he was nose to nose with Riley. “You look like a man with a passport.”

  Riley, who had always prided himself on his poker face, swore under his breath. They needed more like Wilson down at the station. The silence lengthened, and Wilson waited, staring at him, not blinking, not moving a muscle. It was eerie. Just when Riley decided under no circumstances was he saying anything else, he found himself blurting out some words. “I spent several weeks in England, satisfied?”

  Wilson snickered. “Russell’s half Scott, he’ll like that.” Turning on his heel he addressed the rest of the group. “Give me a minute.” He motioned for Riley to follow him till they were just out of earshot.

  Wilson smiled cheekily at Riley. “Have you ever worked in Tucson, Mesa or Flagstaff?”

  Riley squinted down at him. “No! What possible difference could that make?”

  Wilson turned around making a beeline for the vehicles, throwing his answer over his shoulder. “None that you need to know about. You’ll have no problem getting in.”

  Riley followed closely behind and got back in his truck and looked at Fred. “That guy is going to push me too far. I hope Russell has more sense than him, though it is starting to look doubtful.”

  Fred wasn’t sure how to respond, except that he was thankful not to be Riley. They followed Wilson the short distance to Russell’s gate.

  Wilson jumped out and asked Russell for the code.

  “The code is your birthday followed by three zeros. Drive to the next gate and wait for my instructions.”

  Wilson chuckled and typed in the code. Everyone watched with satisfaction as the gate slid open. They drove through it and over a small length of field before arriving at the next gate. It was taller and much more intimidating. Wilson jumped out again.

  “We’re in, Russell.”

  “I can see that. Now you need to leave Jane in one of the vehicles, then you can drive or walk to the tank.”

  “OK, Russell.”

  He jogged back to Riley’s truck and poked his head through Fred’s open window. “We gotta leave Jane here. She can stay in the jeep.”

  Riley smiled. Maybe Russell was smarter than he thought. “Fair enough, Wilson.”

  While Wilson let everyone in the jeep know the plan, Riley helped Gary remove Jane from the truck. Within minutes Jane was secured with a seatbelt in the jeeps backseat. Her teeth clicking had slowed, and Gary looked on with concern. “It’s odd, but I’d swear she knows she’s being left behind.”

  Wilson was at his side. “We’ll all visit her. We can take shifts.”

  Marjie leaned in to get a better look at Jane. “I can take the first shift.”

  Riley cut in. “Let’s all get inside the gate, and then we can decide who’s coming back to babysit the dead chick.”

  Everyone turned at Riley’s angry words.

  “Sorry, I’m a little on edge.”

  Wilson focused on Jane as he spoke. “You have never liked Jane. It isn’t her fault she didn’t finish turning.”

  Riley closed his eyes, shaking his head. “What are you talking about?”

  Gary stepped in front of Wilson. “He’s saying that just like everyone else here, she needs a place to stay.”

  Riley leaned in and whispered. “She’s dead. We’re doing this for Wilson. Don’t you start.”

  Gary turned away from him. “I’ll stay with her for the first couple hours.”

  Russell’s voice over the intercom answered. “Everyone but Jane needs to come inside pronto. We have a lot to go over.”

  Wilson looked up into the camera. “We’ll check on her later, all right, Russell?”

  “Once we go over her condition, we’ll decide how to proceed.”

  Wilson nodded. Everyone loaded into Riley’s truck with four in the back and three in the cab. Wilson gave Riley quick directions. They drove only a minute before a square, flat-roofed building came into view. Its two windows were small and located at the top of the walls. A heavy, metal door led inside. Wilson had stayed in the building on numerous occasions. It held six months’ worth of food, and twenty barrels of water were stored in it at all times. Inside were ten bunks with sleeping bags and pillows. A small room in back housed a portable shower and toilet. The building had been an anniversary gift from Russell to his wife. He’d made it for the two of them, as well as her relatives, in case a world catastrophe should occur. She was less than pleased when he surprised her with it. The tank had been the final straw before she left.

  Russell approached from seemingly nowhere. He was of medium height and had a sturdy build. His iron-grey hair was cropped short and his firm expression had most everyone wondering if he’d spent a great deal of time in the military. He stood at a distance, studying the group a long moment before stepping forward and shaking Wilson’s hand. “Everything still all right?”

  He didn’t mention the bite specifically, unsure if Wilson had told the group about it.

  Wilson nodded, delighted to see his friend. “Better than all right under the circumstances. Leg’s a bit itchy.”

  Russell glanced around. “They know about your uh…injury?”

  “Everyone but Gary.”

  Gary stepped forward. “You all right, Wilson?”

  Wilson smiled sheepishly. “One of the ankle biters got me a couple days ago.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I just never turned.”

  Gary’s sandy eyebrows shot upward. “You’re immune?”

  Wilson pursed his lips. “So far, so good.�
��

  “My god, that’s fantastic.” He clapped Wilson on the shoulder.

  Everyone commented in unison. Wilson soaked up the praise, then turned to make introductions. He started with Marjie. He went on at length about her ending with, “she’s very handy with a rake.”

  Marjie blushed and shook Russell’s hand.

  He stared at her for a long moment, then nodded his head. “Wilson’s fortunate to have found you.”

  Wilson continued the introductions, giving unexpected detail about each person.

  Russell’s face remained expressionless as he shook hands, but his keen eyes missed nothing. Every member was being studied.

  Finishing with Gary, Wilson turned expectant eyes on Russell, hoping he hadn’t changed his mind about any of them.

  Russell’s expression remained unreadable as he led them to the tank. Inside the ten bunks were separated in two rows of five with a narrow walkway in-between. He pointed. “Men on the left, women on the right. You’ll find a 1052, as well as two number two pencils, on your bunk.”

  Everyone looked at each other, then quickly took a bunk. Wilson’s was closest to the door and across from Marjie. Riley took the next bunk and was across from Sadie. Fred and Jennifer made up the third set and Gary took the bunk next to the end. They all collapsed on their beds and began talking at once.

  Russell whistled between his fingers, getting everyone’s attention. “Please, pick up your questionnaires. It is not a test, but more of a way to find out your level of dependability. You will be timed, though you may take as long as you need. Times may vary considerably. It has been done in under an hour or as long as ten hours.”

  Hearing the latter time, Wilson glanced up sharply, wondering if he set some sort of record.

  Russell looked pointedly back at him. “The length of time is irrelevant.” He turned his attention to the group again. “Your answers however are.”

  Sadie wasn’t one to mince words. “What’s the point of all this?”

  Russell cleared his throat. “You are a guest on my land. I will feed and house you because you are friends of Wilson’s. But I will not put myself or Wilson at risk if you turn out to be someone who can’t be trusted. I have taken years to perfect the 1052. It’s a small request considering what you will be getting in return.” He turned to leave and stopped in front of Wilson’s bunk. “While they take the test, feel free to use the shower. I’ve left extra sets of cargo pants and shirts in the back storage. Help yourself.” He left, closing the door behind him.

  Everyone looked around. Marjie was the first to thank Wilson for bringing them there, and was quickly followed by the others. Wilson wished them luck on their tests and went in search of clothes before taking a shower. Fifteen minutes later, he returned from the shower, drying his ears and peering over everyone’s shoulder. He looked into the surveillance camera and gave Russell the thumbs up.

  Chapter 20

  Fred leaned back on his bunk, flipped open his questionnaire and began writing. The first page was straight forward, name address, date of birth. He filled it out and flipped to the next page. Scanning the contents, he was thankful to see it was multiple choice. He read the first question, his eyebrows lifting. Looking around, he saw that everyone had a similar, slightly baffled expression. Jennifer shot him a confused look. He shook his head. She gave him a small smile and went back to reading her test. He turned back to his and reread the first question. ‘If you had a cactus, would you water it?’ ‘If yes, move to question 4b.’ 4b was just as perplexing. ‘When drinking water, how often do you leave your glass empty?’ Fred answered C, very often, and was instructed to proceed to 10g. ‘When filling a bucket at a faucet, how many inches would you leave unfilled from the top?’ The rest of the questions continued in the same manner. Many of them looped back to earlier parts of the test.

  For the moment, Fred took a mental vacation. The test demanded enough of his attention for him to take it, but he felt at peace for the first time in three days. He knew what he was feeling wouldn’t last, but it was a way for his mind to heal, even if it was for a little while. Everyone seemed uncomfortable with Russell’s rules, but Fred was relieved more than anything. It was the safest he’d felt since everything had started. If he had to put up with a couple of unusual requests, so be it. Russell had a detached air about him. When he mentioned surveillance, there seemed to be more concern about himself than any desire to watch them. Fred hated to admit it, but if Russell was a friend of Wilson’s, he was probably all right.

  Next to him, Riley mumbled and flipped a page. Across from him, Jennifer flipped pages then flipped them back.

  “This test really isn’t so bad,” he whispered for anyone who was listening. He glanced up to find Jennifer staring at him. He shrugged, then winked at her. Her frown turned to a warm smile.

  Fred finished his questionnaire first. He made eye contact with Wilson and waved for him to pick it up. Surprised, Wilson hopped up and retrieved it. “Hey, quick work, Fred.”

  Fred nodded, leaned back and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

  ****

  Russell retreated back to the safety of his home and poured himself a dark beer. Sipping the thick layer of foam off the top, he made his way to his study. Inside the oak paneled room were eight monitors. They provided feedback from cameras placed strategically around his property. He turned to the screen providing a view inside the tank. Riley and Jennifer were flipping pages. Everything seemed in order, but he continued to monitor. An hour later, his glass sat empty next to him, and he was shocked to see Fred turning in his test. Everyone else was proceeding as expected with the exception of Sadie. She had been confrontational when they’d met which he figured was only natural. Everyone reacted differently under stress. But now… he leaned in closer to the monitor… strands of silvery hair had escaped her braid and hung loosely in front of her face. She had a death grip on her pencil and was making straight lines down the length of her test. From the looks of it, she was close to cracking. She swiped at what must have been a tear and went back to making lines. Russell swore as he got to his feet. In a matter of minutes, he was at the tank and through the door. Wilson got up from his bunk and handed him Fred’s test.

  “Thank you, Wilson.” He pulled Wilson outside, closing the door behind them. He cleared his throat and whispered his next couple words. “We have a forty-five sixty-three.”

  Wilson didn’t blink an eye. Russell had code words for just about everything. Wilson had memorized them all. A forty-five sixty-three was an unstable individual. Of the group, only one of them exhibited that behavior inside the tank. “You mean Sadie.”

  Russell nodded but didn’t speak.

  “I imagine she’s not herself. Had us in her house last night. Fed us some pb and j’s. She’s been um… edgy, you know, what with all the bodies. She left Mr. Jingles behind.”

  “I assume Mr. Jingles is a mouse.”

  “You’re thinking of that prison movie. Mr. Jingles is a cat.”

  Before Russell could respond, Sadie came through the door and handed him her test. “I can’t do this.” She turned to Wilson. “I’m staying in my jeep. Get rid of Jane.”

  Russell stepped forward. “I’m sorry you’re not comfortable, but staying here is a lot safer than anything you’ll face along fence line one.”

  “Fence line one. Do you hear yourself? This is insane. Three days ago I was…” She couldn’t continue.

  Russell finished for her. “In your house. Look what happened to your house, to most houses. Now think about the tank. It may be out there to you, but right now that’s the closest you’ll get to normal. And from what my contacts tell me, this is a good area. The worst we’ll get is stragglers. Unless…” He paused for emphasis. “Unless we do something to attract their attention. We need to stay quiet and calm. That’s why I have rules. It gives people structure. It gives me structure. You seem like a logical person, Sadie. Think about what I’m saying.”

  Sadie stared
at him a long moment then finally spoke. “I would water the cactus.”

  Russell flipped open to the first page of her test and started to reach in his pocket. “Wilson, get me a number two pencil.”

  It had taken several hours, but Sadie was able to finish the test. Russell sat with her and helped her through some of the tougher questions. Together, they went back inside the tank.

  They were met by Wilson. He handed Russell the rest of the completed tests. “Everyone showered. After they finished, I checked the monitors. No activity, unless you count Jane contemplating space. She’s easy to see from camera three.” He handed Sadie a t-shirt and pants. “The shower water may not be too warm but it feels good on a hot day.”

  Sadie nodded, blinking rapidly, overcome with a combination of emotions that had been building all day. “Thank you, Wilson.”

  Jennifer walked up. “Come on, Sadie. I’ll show you the amenities.” She smiled up at Russell. “Thank you, Russell, it may not be fancy, but it was the best shower I’ve had in a long time.”

  “You’re welcome. If the two of you could wait just a moment.” Russell turned and addressed the group stretched out on their bunks. “I know you’re tired, so I’ll keep this short. In order to run things smoothly, we’ll each have tasks. I’m not concerned with who does what as long as everything gets done. I have a good supply of food. It will last a lot longer if we supplement it with wild game and vegetables I’ve been growing. You can all take turns helping with surveillance of the property. The tank will need to be kept clean. We can work up some sort of schedule tomorrow. Oh…and there will be survival training for all of you. Under no circumstances do I want anyone to get hurt or bit while you’re under my watch.”

  Fred, propped up on his elbows, dropped down on his pillow. “It sounds fair and generous to me.”

  Everyone quietly agreed.

  Russell nodded. “Fine. Rest up. I’ll take two volunteers to help with surveillance in three hours.”

  Wilson and Riley volunteered at the same time.

  “Good, I’ll be back later.”