The Roaming

by W J Hegarty

  “Thank you, Sheriff.” Takashi smiled at Marisol as she nodded and made her way back to the side of the stage. She situated herself between Mayor Lancaster and Sam.

  “Good morning,” Takashi began sternly. “I would like to begin by addressing a few questions you may already have concerning my unit’s arrival in your town. There are many rumors floating around that I would like to take this time to dispel. Some are very much true. Most, though, are not, I’m afraid. First off, we are not here to put your town under quarantine or martial law, nor are we here to evacuate you. Any type of curfew restrictions or lack thereof will remain in the capable hands of local law enforcement. We are not here to exert any form of control over your community. We only want to help.”

  An audible sigh of relief sprang from the audience. Dozens of frightened faces gave way to relief and even a few smiles.

  A group in the corner erupted into nervous laughter, the sight nearly bowling Radzinski over in amazement. “Are these people for real?” he asked Garrett.

  “Quiet. They have no idea the shitstorm that’s headed their way,” the seasoned, older soldier replied as their commanding officer continued.

  Takashi tried his best not to acknowledge Radzinski’s comment. The Marine’s reaction, though, was apparent for anyone with eyes on the man. “As you may have heard, the men standing before you were cobbled together from the remains of various units deployed to Philadelphia twenty-three days ago. We have been out of communication with command for more than a week. As far as I know, we are the only survivors of the Philadelphia siege.”

  Another audible gasp erupted from the crowd, much louder this time. Again, conversations escalated.

  “If I could have your attention for one more moment, please.” Takashi was drowned out by the nervous crowd. He let the frightened citizens get their misgivings off their chests for a few brief moments before speaking up, louder than he was accustomed to. “We were followed here,” he said bluntly.

  Immediately, the crowd went silent.

  Takashi continued. “A large group of infected have been following us since Philadelphia. We managed to keep a good distance ahead of them for the first few days. Unfortunately, they don’t tire. When we slept, they kept moving.”

  “So you led those things right to us,” Mayor Lancaster interrupted, never one to miss an opportunity to assign blame, righteously or not.

  “As I told you this morning, Mayor Lancaster, had we been aware of your location, we would have avoided this area altogether. Circumstances as they are, we were miles past your town when we noticed your lights flashing. If not for your power failure last night, we would not be here.”

  “And you expect us to believe that?” Mayor Lancaster accused.

  “Believe what you will. My primary concern—my only concern—is making this community aware of the danger.” Takashi turned from Mayor Lancaster and redirected his attention once again to the crowd. “We believe this group of infected numbers in the thousands. We estimate that they are currently between twenty-four and thirty-six hours behind us.”

  The crowd remained silent, fixed on every word from the colonel’s lips. Their individual arguments and suppositions momentarily were quelled.

  Mayor Lancaster wasted no time with an obviously prepared rebuttal. If the people of Pepperbush let an outsider over-speak their leader with tales of ghouls, then what kind of leader was he? He elbowed past Takashi with a backup microphone at the ready for just such an occurrence. Mayor Lancaster pointed at Takashi, then flailed his arms wildly toward the colonel’s unit. “You and your people come into our great town all high and mighty, waving your guns around, and we’re expected to, what, acquiesce? I am afraid not, sir.” Mayor Lancaster returned his attention to his constituents. “We have been safe right here in Pepperbush for the duration of this madness—madness I’ll have you know people like the good colonel and his fellows here brought to Philadelphia and other cities across our great nation.” He turned back to the soldiers, his eyes wide and his face reddened. His upper lip trembled, exposing grinding teeth. No longer able to hold back, spittle spewed with every word. “I’ll tell you, good citizens, it is a sham. All of it. Time and again, those who would call themselves your betters would have you bow to their every whim. I say no more. We will not do as you say, sir!”

  A few members of the audience began to nod in approval. Others cheered their leader. Some got up and left, sure to give the soldiers in attendance a condescending sneer on their way out of the room. Lancaster had won back at least a small portion of the crowd.

  “I have kept you safe this long,” the mayor continued. “And I will continue to do so. Our defenses are more than adequate to contend with a few slow-moving science experiments people like the good colonel’s superiors have burdened our country with.” Mayor Lancaster turned his attention to his cronies. “This way, gentlemen. I’ve heard more of this foolishness than I care to for one evening.” Mayor Lancaster stormed out of the building, his lapdogs following closely behind, the lot of them exchanging congratulatory assertions under their breath.

  A sizable portion of the crowd was relieved at Lancaster’s refusal of Takashi’s warning. These people left with the mayor.

  Soraya turned to Miller. “I should hit him, yes?”

  “Do I want you to? Absolutely. Should you? Probably not.”

  Takashi ignored the outburst for the sake of those that remained. He had seen it all before: one frightened man afraid of losing what little control he had over his tiny corner of the world would say or do just about anything to keep that control. One man’s ego-stroking wasn’t important to him. Saving as many of these people as possible was paramount. Takashi addressed those that remained. “As I was saying…”

  The handful of citizens that remained returned their attention to the colonel.

  “Hundreds, possibly thousands of infected are coming here, to your community, from the direction of Philadelphia. I suggest that every home and business south of Main Street relocate to the northernmost territory as soon as possible. We need to move fast. All of us.” He gestured to the people in attendance as well as his own. “My unit has been briefed on town security and the procedures you already have in place. The police, with assistance from Sam’s security force, will help organize the transfer, but we will need every able body to lend a hand with preparations,” Takashi said, though what remained of the crowd again burst into unsure questioning.

  There were a few gasps from the crowd as reality struck. These people were in no way prepared for a full-fledged assault. Most of the people in Pepperbush saw Philadelphia and Baltimore sacked on their televisions, but over the weeks, they had become complacent. Horrors like those would not—could not—happen here. It seemed that they were wrong. A portion of the townsfolk left the meeting at this revelation, no doubt to secure their own property and loved ones. Perhaps they had contingency plans of their own.

  “Can you stop them?”

  “Are reinforcements coming?”

  “Can they get into my house?”

  Many questions arose, most of which Takashi ignored while he motioned for Marisol to take the stage. What remained of the dwindling crowd quieted slightly as a trusted face approached the podium.

  “We’ve discussed options,” Marisol began. She looked back to Takashi, then over to Sam, who gently nodded in agreement. The three of them had spoken earlier, though the agreed-upon plan still didn’t sit well with her. Marisol cleared her throat. She closed her eyes for what felt like an eternity, far longer than she was comfortable with in front of the waiting masses.

  To Miller’s surprise, the people remained calm, after all. Of all the speakers who took the stage that night, Marisol was the only one everyone trusted without fail.

  She continued. “Over the next six hours, we need to relocate everyone south of Main Street to the northernmost homes.”

  “Is that absolutely necessary, ma’am?” Glen asked, his hand partially raised as he stood.

&
nbsp; “Unfortunately it is, Glen. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. If what Colonel Takashi and his men have told me is accurate, then there is most likely a small army of those things almost at our doorstep.”

  A teary-eyed woman spoke up. “How can you be sure? Maybe they’ll just go right on past. They might not even see us.” She slumped back down into her seat, breathing heavily. Her husband tried his best to calm her.

  Marisol covered her mouth with her hand and quickly dropped it back to her side. “I… I can’t,” she stammered.

  Miller pulled the sheriff aside. He didn’t envy Marisol’s position in the slightest. These were people that she was mostly friends with. They trusted her and she was telling them as gently as possible that some, possibly all of them, would be dead in less than two days’ time.

  “Ma’am,” Miller spoke up, addressing the frightened woman in the crowd. “We don’t know for sure, but it’s safe to assume that the infected followed us here.”

  Radzinski smirked at Miller’s display of compassion.

  Glen stood. His hand remained steadfast on his son’s shoulder. “What can we do to help?”

  “Simply put, we need volunteers, sir. Anyone who knows their way around a weapon is vital. Even just a passing knowledge will be extremely helpful.”

  Glen nodded in agreement. His boy lowered his head.

  “Rifles and shotguns are preferable, but any weapon will be an advantage for us. In the meantime, Sheriff Marisol and her police officers will help to coordinate the relocation effort.”

  Sam, Seth, and Tobias met up just outside of Town Hall, away from their question-laden peers.

  “Looks like we have a change of plan, son.” Sam stroked his mustache as he watched the crowd thin.

  Seth was pale. “I’ll be honest. I didn’t think they were going to have good news for us, but I didn’t see that coming.”

  “You don’t have to tell me, guys.” Tobias was dumbstruck. “This changes everything.”

  “I trust you’ll do the right thing here, Tobias?”

  “If you’re suggesting I might pack up the family and take off tonight, forget it, Sam. I’m nervous, not suicidal.”

  “Glad to hear it.” Sam kept a watchful eye on the crowd filing out of Town Hall. “I think our best bet for now is to ride this thing out with Takashi and his people. Let’s play it by ear for now.”

  “Agreed,” said Seth.

  Tobias gazed toward the red horizon. “Takashi and his unit just being here should be all the proof anyone needs that we should get the hell out of this place. I just hope it’s not too late.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Strays

  Marisol escorted Damon from the police station’s holding cells to the reception area. She had him by the bicep in a grip that surprised even Damon. Last night, Damon decided that he didn’t feel like paying up after he lost a hand of poker over at Mother Leeds. When the table demanded payment, he answered by knocking the dealer on his ass. That single act could have gone overlooked. Emotions had been running high in town as the days wore on. Given the circumstances, even the most grounded among the denizens of Pepperbush weren’t immune to letting frustration run its course. It’s what Damon did next that was disturbing and landed him a night in jail. He dragged the dealer out into the streets in front of the bar and proceeded to beat him senseless. It took three other patrons plus Marisol, who was stopping by for a drink, to separate the men.

  “You can take your friend with you, but he gets one warning and one warning only. If I pick him up for fighting again, I won’t put him in a cell. I’ll escort him past the gate personally.” Marisol shoved Damon forward, almost daring him to give her a reason to exile him. The Baltimore native had a manner about him that Marisol couldn’t stand. Everything about him set off alarm bells. If it wasn’t for the fact that exile could mean certain death, she would have done it last night. She was a peacekeeper, not an executioner. Push anyone far enough, though…

  Markus waved to Marisol as he guided Damon out of the police station. “Thank you, Sheriff. This won’t happen again.”

  Marisol remained silent as she watched them leave.

  Out in the streets, Markus followed Damon toward Mother Leeds. The hothead was moving at a pretty good clip. Markus wasn’t sure if Damon just wanted to hurry back to their new home or if he had something else in mind.

  “Come on, man. I thought we were going to make a go at this?”

  “I never agreed to that. You can play with these hicks all you want.”

  “They’re not hicks. They just don’t live in the city. There’s a difference.”

  “Whatever you say. When this shit blows over, we’re going back to Baltimore.”

  “One of us is.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means I’m done with this life. The crime, the violence, your father.”

  “So that’s how you’re gonna do me?”

  “I’m not doing shit to you.”

  “Motherfucker, we raised you up from nothing. If it wasn’t for us, you’d still be a corner boy.”

  “And you’ll always have my respect for that, but when is it enough? When do I get to do my thing? When can I be my own man?”

  “Your thing? Your thing is doing what you’re told.”

  “After everything we’ve been through, you’re going to talk to me like I’m one of your underlings? Like I’m some bitch?”

  “You’re acting like it. There’s a way we do things. We look out for our own. Fuck everybody else. That’s the way the world works.”

  “Yeah? Well, tell that to Miller and his crew. They went out of their way to help us.”

  “So?”

  “So they’re putting it all on the line to help a bunch of strangers when they could have left us here to die. You could learn something from that.”

  Damon picked up his pace, leaving Markus behind in the street to contemplate if it was even worth his time trying to reason with him.

  8:40 am - Burke Residence

  Tobias darted from one corner of the Burke residence to the other, checking and double-checking the windows and doors. Isabelle sat by the fireplace, smoking. She was trying her best to ignore her husband’s latest overreaction to the latest bit of troubling news.

  “Isabelle, I need to meet with Sam and our new guests as soon as possible. You should probably stay inside today, just to be safe. I’ll be gone most of the day and tonight. Don’t wait up. I’ll have someone swing by to check on you after it gets dark. Oh, and make sure Tommy doesn’t wander too far. Keep an eye on him. I love you.” Tobias had a way about him when he was preoccupied. The way he talked at her was nauseating; he listed off demands like some overbearing boss saying what he needed to say with no regard for her feelings on the matter—or any matter of late.

  Isabelle said nothing and didn’t even raise an eye in his direction as Tobias hurried out. He slammed the door behind him. She hated that, slamming doors. How hard was it to close the door gently?

  “Keep an eye on Tommy,” she repeated. Like she needed to be told. “Don’t leave the house? You mean my prison?” She balled her fists until her palms bled. She stood there staring at her empty living room. A rage was consuming her. She imagined smashing everything in the house, indiscriminately breaking all of it, her own belongings as well. She picked up a framed picture of her and Tobias on their wedding day. Just the two of them, happier times. The smile on his face in the photo only increased her ire. She slipped it into her purse just as Tommy entered the room.

  “Where did Daddy go?”

  Who the fuck cares? she desperately wanted to say, though she settled for a response more befitting a child. “He went to help his friends, Tommy. You remember Mister Sam?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Well he’s gone to help Mister Sam keep the whole town safe.”

  “The whole town?”

  “That’s right, the whole town.”

  “He’s always going somewh
ere.”

  “That’s because your daddy is a very important man.”

  “I don’t want him to go.”

  “Aww, come here, sweetie. Hey, why don’t we go somewhere, too? Just me and you. What do you say?”

  “Okay. Where?”

  “Hmm, let’s see.” She thought for a moment, and it dawned on her. “Let’s go see your Aunt Nisha.”

  “Okay!” Tommy lit up. He loved Nisha.

  Isabelle grabbed her purse and a bag of toys for Tommy. She made it a point to leave the front door open wide before they began their trek.

  9:10 am - Bed-and-Breakfast

  Jim lumbered through the streets, neck on a swivel when he wasn’t mumbling to himself. He kept a watchful eye for Marisol and her police; he wasn’t supposed to be here. He was a predator, refugees his prey. A man in his early thirties passed with his young daughter in tow; she couldn’t have been older than five. Jim watched as they perused the offerings at Emily’s Goods, the closest thing the town had to a general store. The little girl was all smiles as they continued their trek toward Grace’s bed-and-breakfast, where a warm meal awaited. The child would eat while her father toiled away in the kitchen. He was one of Pepperbush’s many refugees, taken in during the earliest days of the crisis before a ban on strangers was enforced. Grace was kind to the young man. She was kind to everyone, but she took an extra liking to the single father and his adorable daughter.

  The young father pushed backward through the two-way kitchen door, out into the dining area, carrying two hot plates, one for himself and one for his daughter. Hot sausage and eggs, steaming beside a serving of jellied toast. The aroma wafting from the meal reminded him of home, a place he didn’t want to think about anymore. His smile dropped. The plates nearly fell from his hands. His daughter was coloring on a child’s placemat as she sat on Jim’s lap.