Resistant, no. 1

by Ryan T. Petty

  “Here, go get the rest out,” he said, handing it to me.

  I took the key and raced to the next cell, seeing Mr. Wellstone standing there.

  “I can’t believe he’s alive,” he said as I unlocked the door.

  “I can’t believe he’s not infected,” I said back.

  We unlocked Dr. Swanson next.

  “Are you coming?” I asked with a smile.

  “You bet I am.” She smiled at me. “How did you do it? How is he still alive?”

  “I have no idea.”

  I unlocked the cell door and she gave me an unexpected hug.

  “You are the cure, so you’ll have to excuse me in wanting to write everything down about you.”

  “Can we get out of here first?”

  “That’s probably our best move.”

  Michael approached quickly, dressed in a camouflaged jacket and pants. He carried another set with him.

  “Alright, two soldiers came in and the guard on the other side of the door expects two to come out. They can carry a body on the cot. Jennifer, you’re the body. So which one of you is going to try and make it out with us and which one of you is staying behind?” Michael said the words quickly with no emotion. It was military talk, but I wasn’t sure how it was going over with Wellstone and Swanson.

  “Well,” Dr. Swanson finally responded, “why don’t you give me your fatigues and Patrick and I will take her out.”

  The response forced Michael to crack a smile.

  “There it is, Captain, that handsome smile of yours. I wanted to see it one last time.”

  “No, Gloria,” Wellstone interjected, “you go. You’ve done so much work here.”

  “Work they took from me, or did they?” She raised a small piece of plastic and smiled, handing it to Wellstone. “Here, I was able to save everything I’ve written about this. I hope future generations learn something from me after all. Besides, you’re stronger and they will probably need a half-doctor out there.”

  Wellstone hugged her and I did the same.

  “If I would’ve given myself time to have children, I hope my daughter would’ve been just like you.” She patted my arm and nodded down the hall. “But all good things must come to an end. Like Cleopatra, your carpet awaits.”

  We watched as Michael and Wellstone pulled the cot from the cell.

  * * * *

  It actually wasn’t a carpet, but a small sheet I was under. Michael and Wellstone carried it at each end as we entered the hallway, both of their faces covered by masks.

  “What do we have here?” asked a male voice.

  “It’s Swanson,” Michael said, changing his voice, “the old hag pulled her mask off.”

  It took a moment before we started moving again, time enough for the guard to accept his story. I could feel slight jostling of the cot and the slow sensation I was falling, knowing we were descending the stairs. The first floor would be the test as to whether we would survive or not, and I could only hope we could get out the front quickly.

  Once we reached it, they moved quickly with me, but every step felt like it could be our last, like someone was going to stop us before we could make it to freedom. I wanted to grab the sheet and pull it tight over me, but I knew I was supposed to be dead, so I tried to lay limp as I was jostling continually.

  “Got another Deracine dead,” Michael said, his voice raspy this time. With both Michael and Mr. Wellstone being such important people in the compound, I was sure we were going to be caught, but somehow we were waved on. Whether it was the voice, the mask covering their faces, or the guard not wanting to deal with another infected body, somehow we made it through. Once outside, the cool breeze blew against the sheet and their footsteps crunched the scorched earth.

  “Where are y’all taking that one?” someone yelled out to us.

  “It’s a Deracine, so we’ll take it out as far as we can,” Wellstone called back, but I could tell their footsteps had quickened and soon we were in the tall grasses from outside the fence. When we entered the far tree line, I smiled to myself.

  Michael uncovered me and pulled me to my feet.

  “I can’t believe it,” I said, looking at him through his mask. “So where do we go now?”

  “Insurance,” Michael said. “Back to the garage. We have the trucks there. Do you remember the way?”

  “Maybe, I’m not sure. Why? Aren’t you coming?”

  Michael shook his head. “If my sister is still in a quarantine building, this may be the only chance I have to get her out.”

  “Michael, she may be—”

  “Jennifer, I’m going,” he cut me off. “She would do the same for me.” He ran his hands up and down my arms and looked deep into my eyes.

  Finally, he looked over at Wellstone. “Take care of her,” Michael said.

  Wellstone nodded, holding up the pistol he had unholstered.

  Michael gave one last look before heading back through the grass. Wellstone touched my arm.

  “Here,” he said, “I’m no good with guns.”

  We started to walk through the woods, helping each other along the way. I tried to remember the path Michael had taken through the fields and woods to get back to the compound, but shortly into the journey, we heard gunshots.

  “Michael,” I said, turning back, but Wellstone grabbed me.

  “We can’t help him, Jennifer,” he said, but I continued to fight him.

  “Let me go,” I yelled back, still holding the revolver. Somewhere in the remote corner of my mind, I desperately thought I could help; I thought I could race back and assist Michael and Clarissa.

  “Jennifer, think!” Wellstone shook me. “Think about what losing you would mean to everyone infected. We miraculously got you out of there. You can’t put your life in jeopardy like this now.”

  “But Michael has done that so many times for me.”

  “Because he’s all about doing the right thing, and now you have to be as well.”

  * * * *

  We ran through the woods, but I didn’t go as fast as I could, knowing Wellstone couldn’t keep up physically with my speed. Still, once we couldn’t hear gunshots anymore, I was almost brought to tears. The gunshots meant Michael was still fighting, still trying to come back to me. Without them, I was almost certain he was dead. Stevenson had to have known about our escape by now, and soldiers were probably not far behind us, or at least that’s what I had to think now.

  Staying in the woods, we tried to bypass any clearings or wheat fields. We never encountered another person, so my only hope was that we were on the right path and not totally lost. I continued to look over my shoulder, holding the pistol up and ready to fire, listening to anything that might sound suspicious, and trying to keep Wellstone ahead of me. I could tell he had not been out of the compound in some time and was not used to trying to keep quiet. He stepped everywhere he shouldn’t have through the dense brush.

  “The garage is not too much farther,” he said.

  “How do you know?” I asked.

  Wellstone smiled. “I’ve been out here before, Jennifer.”

  I gripped my pistol a little tighter, not knowing what he meant, but he must have seen the look in my eyes.

  “No, Jennifer, I wasn’t part of kidnapping you,” he said, raising a hand. “What I meant was Michael and I found this place in the first year of staying at the compound. He was able to get the trucks, weapons, and medical supplies in the garage, just in case something like this ever happened.”

  “And who else knows about it?”

  “Us and Clarissa are all that’s left.”

  “But how did you find it way out here?” He was about to tell me when I saw something move through the brush behind him.

  “Get down.”

  I pulled Wellstone into a shallow area just inside the tree line and peered up. There was movement toward the garage, which I could see in the distance. The sound of a high-pitched motor broke the silence when someone raced up the rock road towar
d the building. Others were there as well, all toting weapons, all dressed in ragged clothing.

  “Déracinés,” I whispered.

  The door on the side of the building was open. Next to it, the bodies of Hector and Alex still lay where Michael and I had left them. Soon, both garage doors on the front of the building slid open. The trucks that had been stashed, the one in which Michael and I had slept in, slowly rolled out on the gravel. I could see Damien riding on top of one with his girlfriend driving. I slid back down into the hovel.

  “They have the trucks, too.”

  Wellstone didn’t say anything, but gave a nod, with both of us knowing escape was out of the question. I peered up in time to see the mayor step out of the building.

  “Take these back to the city,” he commanded. “Tomorrow, we’ll outfit this old one to open up their compound and then take the rest by force.”

  Damien nodded and slapped the roof of the vehicle. The girlfriend stomped on the gas and they drove out of sight. The mayor jumped in the next one and soon he was gone. Others rode away on their motorcycles, leaving just a couple around the building.

  “What are we going to do now?” Wellstone asked.

  At that moment, I heard a click from behind us.

  “You’re both about to die, that’s what.” It was a Deracine pointing a pistol at us. “Drop your gun and stand up.”

  I did as he ordered, helping Wellstone to his feet. We both raised our hands automatically.

  “You,” he pointed at Wellstone, “take your mask off.”

  “No, don’t do this,” I practically begged.

  “You’ll be getting yours next,” he growled.

  I looked at Wellstone, through the lenses of the mask. His eyes were fearful as he raised his hands and unclasped the buckles on each side. Just then, I heard the Deracine grunt and saw a painful expression on his face. He slowly turned, revealing the long blade, which was stuck in his back. He tried to raise his pistol again, but another blade struck him just below his neck. He stumbled backward, falling dead at our feet.

  Michael held another knife in his hand while Clarissa held herself up on a nearby tree. He ran forward and quickly checked the Deracine, making sure he was dead and pulled both daggers from the body.

  “Doc, can you see to Clarissa?”

  Wellstone nodded and went back to her.

  “How many more are there?” he asked quickly, peering past me.

  “A couple at the garage. They already have the trucks.” I heard him sigh, but that was it. “I thought you were dead.”

  He finally looked in my eyes, but only for a moment.

  “They have guys playing soldiers, but they hardly know how to shoot,” he answered, more concerned with the problem at hand. He picked my gun up and handed it back to me. “I need a diversion. Count to fifteen and try to shoot one of them.”

  “Please, be careful.”

  “That’s my middle name.”

  He pulled his pistol and hoisted himself forward, following the tree line to the point where it was closest to the garage. I counted as soon as he left, taking aim at one of the Déracinés. It was a much farther distance than I had ever practiced at and I was shocked to see the bullet hit the side of the garage just above his head. The men ducked for just a second before running in my direction. The next shot I fired hit nothing and only made them pause for a moment.

  My heart was racing when they got closer, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Michael come out of the trees. He fired two quick shots at the first man and dropped him to the ground. The second one turned, but Michael was already on him, toppling him to the ground. They struggled in the tall grass, out of my view, as I pulled myself from the ground. A single shot was fired, making my heart stop.

  “Michael!” I shouted as I ran. I reached the place where they had fallen to discover the dead Deracine laying on the ground and Michael sitting in the tall grass next to him.

  “I’m getting too old for this,” he tried to joke, looking up at me through his mask. I pulled him to his feet, noticing he was splattered with the man’s blood.

  “Come on. Let’s help the other two.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Michael and I disposed of the Deracine bodies, as well as Hector’s and Alex’s, and closed the doors of the garage. Wellstone found an old cot and laid Clarissa down, checking the wound in her side. It was infected and she was already running a temperature. Wellstone walked over to us.

  “Michael, if I had something, anything, I could help her,” he said, “but the fact is I have no medicine or supplies. Everything we had stored was in those trucks.”

  “I’m not dead yet, Doc, so why don’t you come over and tell me what’s going on?” Clarissa motioned at us from across the room. We walked over to her as she smirked up from under her mask. “So what’s the deal?”

  “Clarissa, I have nothing to help you with, not even a bottle of aspirin.”

  “So I’m dead, huh?”

  “I will do my best to make you as comfortable as possible.” There was silence as everyone tried to grasp the thought of losing Clarissa, not to the virus they had all feared, but to a wound that couldn’t be medicated.

  “Well, how about you make me comfortable behind that cabinet over there?” She pointed to the wall and I could tell Michael was smiling through his mask.

  Michael and Wellstone pulled the cabinet from the wall and Wellstone and I were shocked to see a large hole in the concrete underneath it.

  “Shall we?” Michael asked, holding out his hand. The three of us descended a ladder into a narrow walkway. There sat boxes of medical supplies, extra gas jugs and large, automatic weapons and their rounds. Michael turned on a flashlight and shone it down the passageway.

  “Clarissa and I found it on one of our first days exploring the prison. That’s why I had the small office, because the room is actually just a small entranceway to this tunnel. We hid it behind the bookshelf in the back of the room. Anyway, the only thing we could figure out was that this was a utility tunnel. Remember, Doc, how the back room of this building held the supporting generators for the prison? Well, here is the tunnel that brings them out this far. These pipes here hold electric lines and they come out of the middle of the floor up there. Clarissa and I have been stowing away supplies for years now and have built up quite a collection, don’t you think?” Michael smiled.

  “But why bring their utilities way out here? I mean, wasn’t it a minimum security prison?” I asked.

  “That’s what I thought, and why connect to a secret playground for the rich, unless they needed a way out?”

  “You think they built it for themselves to escape?” Wellstone asked.

  Michael smiled and shone the light down the tunnel.

  “I think they built it in a time where the rich and powerful had bought their freedom through the politicians who acted like they were helping the people. But the virus puts all that in the past now.” Michael crossed over to Wellstone and patted him on the shoulder. “Sorry, old friend. This was our secret and we promised never to tell anyone, until the other day.”

  “What happened the other day?” Wellstone asked, but Michael turned to me.

  “Well, when Stacey came and got me, telling me Jennifer was missing, we searched around the compound, but no one had seen you leave. When we finished checking the Alamo, I knew what had happened. I told Stacey to go back to sleep, and when I entered my office, the bookcase was slid back.”

  I stood there in silence, realizing what happened to me, how I was drugged and taken down this tunnel to where Clarissa hoped to get rid of me.

  “Anyway, we tried to be pretty adamant about the Alamo being our last stand once the compound got over five hundred people. We knew there was no way all of the people would survive on the road if we actually had to leave it. My only real hope was the Déracinés would leave us alone, but in the back of my mind, I knew it would never last.” Michael tossed a small rock into the darkness and we heard it ri
cochet against the pathway. “When we eventually planned to use this path, we were just going to get a handful of people out. It was the worst case scenario anyway, and now we can’t even do that.”

  I’m not sure what they were thinking, but I thought about all of the people in the compound, their images stuck in my mind. There were young children playing in the cafeteria, their mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers. There were the old who had lost everything, but still held a bit of nostalgia about them, hoping to find that they would live to see normalcy again. All of them were doing what they could to survive, working together with strangers to build a safe solitude within the abandoned prison.

  “Oh no.”

  “What is it?” Wellstone asked.

  “The Deracine leader, he said they were going to finish off the compound using the trucks. They’re going to attack them again,” I said. Both of them looked at me, but didn’t say a word. “We have to do something about it. It’s not their fault this has happened to us. Most of those people are just trying to survive.”

  “I’ve got to look after Clarissa,” Wellstone said, grabbing a medical bag and climbing the ladder quickly. I could barely see Michael’s face in the hazy light.

  “Jennifer, no,” he said as soon as we were left alone. “Those people made their decision to follow Stevenson down into this mess. They gave up their rights because they were all scared, and now they have their own little dictatorship that will get them all killed. They stood back as he had us arrested and would have let us all be executed because they were scared. Besides, they’d be in the same predicament now if they had killed us or not.” I stood up as Michael shone the flashlight up between us where we could see each other’s eyes.

  “Michael—”

  “No.”