Love at the End of the World

by Christiana Miller

  “I, uh…”

  “Wow. That was some kiss.” He had to clear his throat.

  She turned away. “I’m so sorry.” Mortification rolled off her in waves. “I shouldn’t have… You probably have someone at home and…”

  He sighed and reached for her, dragging her against his body. Everything about this felt so damned right in the middle of such a mess. “It’s okay, Elaine. I’m not upset, and no, I don’t have a girl at home. That’s why Ramon came with me, because he’d be on his own there and I’d be on my own here.”

  Her shoulders slumped. “But I took advantage of you.”

  Liam’s laugh roared in the sudden silence. “You haven’t taken advantage of me. I’d just been going through the list of reasons why I shouldn’t kiss you. So, we’re about equal.”

  Elaine turned in his arms, her eyes shining with both excitement and unshed tears. “You’re not tricking me, are you?”

  He shook his head. “No. Not at all.”

  “We should make the bed.” She stopped, blinked, and sighed. “I’m not normally like this. I feel like everything coming out of my mouth has some kind of intimate connotation.”

  He laughed. “Not at all. But we should head to bed. Today was trying, and I don’t think there’s going to be any kind of easy fix for tomorrow either.”

  They brushed aside their attraction and made up the bed, then she retreated for the night, upstairs to her bedroom. In the gloom, after the lights were turned off, he lay there, watching the play of the trees outside swaying in the moonlight.

  What would tomorrow bring? Another encounter with a shuffler? Ramon working out what the cause was? One thing was for sure, he’d keep Elaine safe and close by, because the promise of something nibbled at his senses. He refused to ignore it and was still thinking as he fell asleep.

  * * * *

  Elaine wondered how she’d face Liam. Awake since dawn, she listened to the birdsong in the trees, her window closed, after opening it and smelling the sickly-sweet smell of decay.

  A large photo of her grandma hung on the wall, and she studied it, wishing the older lady was still alive so she could advise Elaine. “I don’t know what to do, Grandma. I mean, there are bodies in the streets, and Emily’s dead...kind of. Should I, you know, put her out of her misery?” Her gut clenched at that thought, and she immediately discounted it. She could barely kill a fly without feeling an immensity of guilt. “And Liam, he’s so nice and good-looking. No guy has ever really given me the time of day, I’m plain and dull.” Saying it all out loud left her more confused than ever, and she rested her head in her hands.

  The sound of footsteps on the stairs had her raising her head. At the tap on the door, she tugged the quilt closer. “Come in.”

  The tray came before the man, made up with bowls, teapot, teacups, and napkins. Tears sprang into her eyes. It had been so long since anyone had treated her like this. Since before Gran’s death.

  “As I was rattling about in the cupboards making breakfast, I thought you could do with a little pampering. I hope this is okay.”

  It was so cute how off-kilter he appeared for a change. She grinned. “It’s been a long time since anyone did something like this for me.”

  Liam unfurled the legs on the tray, and she shuffled over as he placed it down.

  “Ramon called. He said they haven’t made any headway, but some attackers tried to get in during the night and some of the patients took a turn for the worse. He’s not sure what can be done right now. Said there’s some talk about airlifting the medical staff to a secure location. He’s refusing to go because there’s work to do.”

  She nodded as Liam poured himself a cup of tea and sank into the boudoir chair beside her bed. It felt both cozy and right.

  Elaine studied Liam. “So an epidemiologist and a police officer. Detective?”

  He shrugged. “Guilty as charged.”

  She laughed at his joke. “Yeah, so both very good at what you do. You weren’t just here as a delegate for that conference, were you?”

  “No. I was a keynote speaker. Supposed to talk about major events and riots that took place on one of the islands where I was policing. I had planned to talk about the importance of precautions and planning.”

  She nodded. And here she was the office girl for some small and totally obscure medical supply company. “Why did you get into policing?”

  “Because I’ve always been big on justice, making sure that everyone’s rights are respected. Without a way to ensure people do the right thing, we’d have anarchy.”

  And yet, they’d met with both of them ransacking the local store. A bubble of laughter escaped.

  “What?”

  “We met in the store, and you and I were helping ourselves to food.”

  Liam grinned. “True. If things ever return to normal, I plan to go back and pay for what I took. It seems to me there’ll be lots of people in the same boat, looking for food and water supplies, and if there’s no one to pay, how will they get what they need?” His brow wrinkled. “Moreover, it’s not safe to be out and about except for emergencies.”

  “Yeah. That’s why I’d holed up at work, but my boss didn’t think I should leave. When I came home, he demanded my keys and told me not to bother coming back. I’ve never not worked, Liam, and I’d been there for years. It’s so surreal. How am I supposed to make do?”

  Fear and confusion settled on her like a heavy coat until he touched her hand. “It’s okay to feel scared, Elaine. It’s what we do with those emotions, how we put them to good use and help others that counts right now.”

  She bit her lip. “I really want to, but where do we start?”

  He scratched his chin and she noted the blond scruff. An emotion she’d rarely felt before—the punch of lust—hit her hard in the belly.

  “I was thinking, we don’t know how long this is going to go on, right? But it’s a fair bet it’s going to take a while. One of the things we could do, after we lay in supplies, is you need a garden. Somewhere you can gather the supplies you need. I know the weather can get cold in winter and hot in summer, but with a little bit of effort, you could be getting supplies year-round.”

  “So, you’re expecting this to last a while?”

  “To be honest, I can’t see how this can be overcome in a year or two. While the shamblers are around, no one is safe. I tried ringing the agent I rented the property through and got a girl. She said the owners were fairly uninterested before all this happened, and now they’re even less likely to be checking on the welfare of the property, and since we’re still alive and all…” He shrugged, his words trailing off.

  Elaine bit her lip. She felt the sting and tasted the coppery tang as she broke the skin.

  “The news was saying that they’ll be shutting down broadcasts soon. That all the non-essential parts of government had disbanded and they are telling everyone to go home, stay off the streets, find out which neighbors are still alive and help them.”

  “It’s like a zombie apocalypse movie, except it’s not a movie or nightmare, is it, Liam?”

  “No.”

  “Emily is out there. And other people I know probably are too. What are we supposed to do?”

  “I don’t know right now, Elaine. I guess we stay here and try to make the best of it.”

  She gripped the tiny, flowered teacup. “I have seeds, and there’s a greenhouse Gran ordered before she died. It’s still in the box in the garage. Maybe we should put it together?”

  He grinned, warming her from the inside. “That sounds like a good plan. That’s what we’ll do today then. Plus, we should check your supplies, see what we need, and stock up. Gas for the stoves and whatnot, check the water supply, petrol for the cars, dry goods.”

  She nodded. Everything he said was sensible.

  “How well do you know your neighbors?” He spoke slowly, and she felt a bubble of panic in her chest because their well-being hadn’t even occurred to her before.

  “Most of
them I know fairly well. It’s an established, stable neighborhood. Your house was empty after the Friars moved away. And the only other newer family are the Chandras. They moved in about three years ago, and Mrs. Chandra got involved in the local neighborhood center. Thought she knew better, got elected to the board, and turned it upside down so that every dispute in the area became this big mountain, and then she couldn’t cope with the stress. She’s a nightmare.” Elaine shuddered just thinking about the woman who caused all manner of issues for the entire area.

  “I saw there’s a DIY store around the corner. Plus, I’m sure I heard some hens.”

  “That would be Mrs. Garmin’s place.”

  “We should check on your neighbors, and I noticed most of you have high fences. It might be worth doing something more substantial around the block. There’s only what, ten maybe twelve houses?”

  “Nine actually. We have a small park at the back of most of the houses.”

  “Good. That means it can be planted if necessary. What about a water source?”

  She nodded at his words. “I get you. We have a small bore on it, as the council uses it to green the area, it’s powered by solar panels. Most of the houses also have solar panels, which means basic connectivity is fine while there’s good weather. But in winter…” Elaine shrugged.

  “What kind of jobs does everyone around here have?”

  “Uh, Mr. Garmin was an electrician and Mrs. Frederick’s son, who lives nearby, is a plumber.”

  When Liam smiled her heart fluttered. “Even better. If we’ve got people around who can help us to hunker down and get through this… Make a list of everyone in the area, their job and skills. We’ll load up in an hour or so and get out and around. Check on everyone.”

  For the first time since this had happened Elaine felt confident they could weather what lay ahead.

  * * * *

  Liam didn’t want to frighten Elaine, but he felt sure that they were in this for the long haul. As in years. Now was the time to make arrangements, to lay in supplies, and to form a community that could ride the situation out. That meant they’d have to find animals for food, grow plants that were edible, and secure a water source. It meant taking chances and doing anything necessary to protect what was theirs.

  They’d need able bodies to raise the fences higher and make them more substantial. They’d need animals for food and gardens, people who had green fingers. It wouldn’t hurt to have some weaponry on hand too. Empty houses could be set up for young families…

  In his mind, the list grew. He wasn’t a list maker, but judging by the list he saw on the fridge and the one in the small office area, Elaine was. They’d need someone to keep their information up to date, and she was just the girl for that.

  His phone buzzed on his hip, and glancing down, he checked the caller ID. “Ramon?”

  “Yeah. This is bigger than anyone planned for. We’ve lost three staff overnight, and the place is in chaos. Can you swing by and get me? It’s not real safe here, and the staff are being sent home.”

  “No worries, I’ll get Elaine and we’ll be on our way in a couple of minutes.”

  Elaine’s steps told him she was heading downstairs, and a plan was forming in his mind.

  “Elaine, I need to go get Ramon. Can you take me?”

  She smiled. “Of course. Let me get my purse and keys.”

  While she did that, he pushed heavier furniture in front of the door. That was a priority they would deal with later today.

  The drive to the hospital was quick, and he relayed that Ramon would be waiting in the locked vestibule outside. When they pulled up, there he was, standing by the large doors, watching through the plates of glass. He piled in and they headed to Elaine’s house. Once they’d settled, Liam asked Elaine to make coffee while Ramon went next door to shower and change. When he returned, Liam waited for them to sit at the table.

  “I have got a plan. I was thinking over what you told me, Elaine. We’ve got a nine-house block plus the park. We can defend ourselves with a little extra work on defenses. We have a doctor in Ramon, plumber, electrician. Some garden basics and even chickens. We need to get the neighbors onside and form a community. We saw what happened last night when that guy tried to break in. There’s safety in numbers.”

  Ramon looked at him stunned. “You want to form an enclave?”

  “No, brother, I want to ensure these people in the local area are safe and self-sufficient. We’ve got shamblers—”

  “Zombies actually. They’re dead, just reanimated. There is no brain pattern as such…”

  Liam stared at his brother. “What?”

  “Well, the doctors who were still there had been seeing this since the outbreak last week. All brain activity ceases and the body is simply on an automatic pilot if you will. I had a chance to look at one last night. He died in the ER, and I saw his readings. Quite interesting that the body is able to continue after brain death. Anyway, they—”

  “Hang on, what caused the death?”

  “Oh, he had come in looking sick. Had taken on a greenish pallor, increased respiration and heart rate, high temps. It looked like a poison, but before he died he told us he’d been bitten by a zombie. I’d say they’re on the money with the idea that it’s spread by saliva or body fluids. Most of those scratched are contaminated by the blood on their attacker’s hands.”

  “How long from infection to death?” Liam needed to know as much as possible.

  “Twelve to twenty-four hours seems to be the range. Depends on the person.”

  “It can spread really fast?”

  “Yeah. I’ve not yet heard of anyone who was infected that didn’t succumb.”

  Elaine sat there, silently taking notes, and Liam wondered what was going through her mind. “We need to batten down. I wonder how long the virus will remain active, because don’t they have a certain lifespan?” she asked.

  He blinked at her words.

  Ramon straightened in his chair, glanced at the woman, and smiled as if she’d asked one of those important life-changing questions. “That’s an excellent question. Only problem is it’s a week old, and from what I’ve gleaned, it’s spread throughout the country already. Even if we go home—”

  “We won’t outrun it. Okay then, here’s my plan…”

  Chapter 4

  Elaine knocked on every door, and everyone except the Chandras and Gideons answered. Liam stayed beside her, his hand on the pistol she’d spied on his hip, as they made their way into neighbor after neighbor’s house and explained the situation, who Liam and Ramon were, and gave a brief overview of what they hoped to accomplish. Mrs. Garmin broke out in tears, while Mr. Fairweather hugged her hard enough to almost break her ribs.

  At the two houses where no one answered, Ramon went around the back, checked inside, and called for Liam’s assistance while she was secured in the vehicle. She didn’t ask what they were doing, but after the two visits his face was grim and his clothes grubbier than before.

  All the neighbors agreed to meet in her backyard at two in the afternoon where Liam would share his plan. It felt like a great plan, except for the part where they’d have to break into the garden center, the hardware store, and the grocery store again. But on the other hand, they needed to prepare for the long haul.

  The sun beat down as Elaine carried trays of glasses and mugs. The urn her grandmother had kept for gardening parties and gatherings was full and steaming. Cold lemonade sat in jugs on the small, outdoor table, and she’d even managed to find a couple of packets of biscuits.

  “Uh, welcome everyone. You’ve all met Liam, and this is his brother Ramon, who’s an epidemiologist. They’ve got news and a plan for our safety. Liam is a police officer from the north who has a lot of experience dealing with riots and the like, so I guess that means he’s in a good position to help us plan.”

  She moved to the seat she’d tagged for herself and sat down to watch the two brothers in action.

  They’d agreed Li
am should go first with the information they’d gleaned. “As you know, the situation right now is pretty bad. We’ve got a virus that’s a week old. Ramon can talk about that in more detail in a moment, but it’s decimating the country, leaving us the shamblers who bite and scratch. I’ve been talking with those who know as well as making contact with the various news stations. Things are bad. People are being urged to form communities, safe places to shelter where there is food and some form of security. We’re in a perfect situation here—”

  “You want us to feed and shelter others?” a voice from the crowd called out, and Elaine was sure it was old Mrs. Murdock. She’d been crotchety forever, and it seemed an epidemic wasn’t improving her attitude.

  “No. What I am saying though is there are nine houses and two are effectively empty.”

  No one commented at Liam’s bald statement. They didn’t need to, because she could see the way shoulders slumped and faces blanked.

  “We have a lot of fencing already in place, and with some effort and equipment from the hardware store, we can reinforce our situation. We already have a range of skills and abilities. We have an electrician, and Mrs. Frederick’s son is a plumber, and I’m sure he’d join us. We have a doctor, and no doubt there are some gardeners too.”

  Gerald Forter raised his hand. “I was in the military as was Mickey Evans here. We served together in East Timor.”

  She grinned. They were already thinking like a community.

  “My suggestion is we pool resources. Turn backyards into vegetable patches. Collect the chickens and find a rooster or two. Breed our own hens. We’ve got solar on the roof and know-how. We can ride this out. Stay safe.”

  “We wouldn’t have to deal with shamblers? James could keep his family safe?” Mrs. Frederick’s voice trembled.

  Elaine stood up. “James can bring his family with him, move into one of the empty houses, and raise his kids here. And we can protect ourselves from the shamblers. We all work together with the gardening and keeping the water source clear. We can survive right here in our own homes. We can welcome a couple of other families too. When things improve, we can loosen up what we have. The sheds would be ideal for long-term food storage, and with our own doctor in Ramon, we can be comfortable. We just need to work together.”