Desolation

by Mark Campbell

  Andrew was thrown against the wall and Jerri, semiconscious, rolled across the floor and came to a stop at his feet. He looked down and saw that her arms were still wrapped around Jacob’s corpse. The shawl that covered the baby was soaked in blood and looked grotesque.

  It was time for him to remedy the situation while he had the chance.

  Andrew reached down and easily pried Jacob out of Jerri’s arms with one hand. Jacob started to trash lividly in Andrew’s grip. He reached out of the shawl and scratched Andrew’s hand as he tried to claw his way out of the blanket.

  Andrew startled and dropped the child. He looked down at his hand and saw a small bead of blood rise to the surface of the scratch. The baby’s nails were surprising sharp.

  Jacob struck the floor and rolled out of his gory shawl. His eyes were open and hazed and black bile dribbled out of his gaping toothless mouth. He made gurgled screams and his naked half-decayed body flopped on the ground, convulsing.

  Andrew reached down, snatched the hideous child by its neck, and hurled Jacob out of the cargo hold just seconds before the ramp finished retracting and the door sealed.

  The whirling wind inside the plane immediately calmed. “Cargo hold is secure,” the overhead voice announced.

  Andrew let out a sigh of relief and sunk down on the floor next to Jerri. He wiped the small bead of blood off of his hand and looked at the wound; surprised the little bastard broke skin. He rested his head against the sealed exit and looked around the cargo hold, frantically trying to catch his breath.

  Shrink-wrapped devices that resembled large bombs similar to what Witt had described were secured against both sides of the cargo hold by thick yellow nylon straps. The devices were unlike anything Andrew had ever seen. ‘LAZARUS TYPE’ was stenciled on each device in bold white lettering.

  The craft finally achieved proper altitude and stabilized. Andrew carefully rolled Jerri onto her back and ran the back of his fingers across her cold cheek as he gently brushed a few locks of hair behind her ear. He frowned as he reached down and felt for a pulse.

  It was there, but very weak. He needed to stop her bleeding and get some fluids in her before he lost her for good. The door at the bulkhead at the far end of the cargo hold swung open and a solider wearing a gas mask sauntered into the room with an assault rifle slung over his shoulder, huffing and puffing.

  Andrew quickly stood and turned towards the soldier, sweat breading across his forehead. He nervously reached for his pistol… “ Holy shit,” the masked soldier said as he tried to catch his breath. “I ran back as fast as I could but you beat me to it… Thanks for closing that damn thing. We almost lost all of the cargo. I thought Joel was handling things back here.”

  Andrew shook his head.

  “He was infected…” Andrew said. “He had already turned by the time I got here.”

  The soldier looked down.

  “Joel was a good man,” the soldier reflected. “We lost a lot of good men today thanks to those savages.” “I know,” Andrew said bitterly as he looked down at Jerri. “I didn’t know anybody else even made it aboard.”

  “We were the last,” Andrew said.

  The masked soldier stared down at Jerri.

  “She’s my wife,” Andrew explained. “I couldn’t leave her behind.”

  “Is she bit?” the soldier asked hesitantly as he stared at her bloodied arm. “No,” Andrew quickly answered. “But one of the marauders shot her… I need some gauze to stop the bleeding. Is there a first aid kit on here?”

  The soldier thought about it for a moment. “ Yeah, there is one up in the crew cabin next to the AED,” the solider said as he stared at Andrew. “Say… have I seen you before…? You don’t look familiar…”

  “Shit was crazy out there… Did anybody else make it aboard?” Andrew asked, ignoring his question. “ No, it’s just me and the two pilots,” the soldier replied. “We were overwhelmed by the infected. It was a fucking massacre.” The soldier paused a moment and eyed Andrew. “What unit did you say you belonged to again?”

  “Sorry,” Andrew said flatly.

  Before the soldier could respond, Andrew drew his pistol and shot the man three times in the chest.

  The soldier jolted with each shot, stumbled backwards, and collapsed against the bulkhead door.

  39

  Jerri opened her eyes and found herself standing barefoot in the snow in a clearing surrounded by towering pine trees. She was wearing a white silken nightgown that stopped right above her ankles. Oddly, her feet weren’t cold and the temperature outside didn’t seem to affect her as the wind kissed her exposed skin.

  She remembered the place… It was Flagstaff, Arizona. The ski town was one of the most memorable trips she ever had and was the first time she ever saw snow.

  In the distance, through the thin tree line, she spotted Mitch wearing his usual casual attire. He was sporting a thick black jacket and had a tattered winter hat covering his tussled blonde hair. His complexion looked healthy and a radiant white light glimmered around his body.

  “Hey sexy,” Mitch said with a smile. Jerri smiled and trekked through the snow towards him. Her steps felt light and an overwhelming sense of calm washed over her. She snaked her way through the sparse trees and ran up to Mitch, throwing her arms around him.

  Mitch held her close and kissed the top of her head. His hands were warm and soft against her skin.

  Jerri closed her eyes and nuzzled her head into his chest, giving a happy sigh. “I’m dreaming, aren’t I?” she asked in a blissful stupor. Mitch smiled and nodded.

  “Worse,” he said as he gently ran his hands along the small of her back. “You’re dying. You lost a lot of blood, babe.”

  Jerri kept her eyes shut and smiled. She didn’t care. “If this is death then I welcome it… We’ll be together again,” she said. She looked up at him and smiled. She stood on her tiptoes and gently pressed her lips against his.

  Mitch closed his eyes and sunk into the kiss for a moment but then reluctantly pulled back.

  “We will be… but not today,” he said in a soft voice. Jerri frowned and searched his eyes for an answer.

  “It’s just not your time,” he explained with a heavy heart. “You’re on a plane right now.”

  She placed her hands on his chest and looked up at him, nearly on the verge of tearing.

  “I thought I dreamt the whole thing with the runway and the plane. I miss you… I don’t want to go back…” she replied gently. Mitch smiled and placed his hand on her cheek. “I know… I miss you tons,” Mitch said as he gently kissed her once again. “You need to let go of him though… He’s dead… You’re many things but crazy isn’t one of them.”

  Jerri winced at his words as their weight crushed her at the very core. She adamantly shook her head. “I know he is… but I can’t… After the camp and all of the death I can’t just let him go,” she said as she closed her eyes. “Without a purpose… what good am I? What makes me any different than the monsters who survive just to survive? I don’t want an existence like that… I want things to be the way they used to be.”

  Mitch stroked her cheek and gently ran his thumb across her bottom lip.

  “You can’t hold onto the past and hope that things will go back to the way they were once upon a time,” Mitch said gently. Jerri opened her tearful eyes and looked up at Mitch. “What else is there left to hold onto?” she asked bitterly. “The future,” he replied.

  “What future?” she asked as tears started to sob. “Everything good is gone… I lost everything. There is nothing left to make a future with! I thought maybe Jacob could… but he’s gone now… I don’t want to turn into Witt. I just can’t see a future for me anymore.”

  Mitch wiped the tears off of her cheeks and cradled her close. “That’s what I want to show you,” he explained. He gently turned her around and hugged her from behind. “I want to show you the future.” Jerri blinked and noticed for the first time that they were standing on the edge of a
tall snow-covered mountain. Down below, the white forest seemed to stretch out endlessly in all directions. It was beautiful but desolate.

  “There’s nothing down there,” she said scornfully.

  Mitch smiled.

  “Exactly,” he answered. “There is nothing down there…”

  Jerri raised an eyebrow and looked up at him with a quizzical look.

  “I don’t understand,” she said. “You’re missing my point,” he said as he started to caress her. “There is nothing down there… no zombies… no viruses… no lies… no government. It’s pure unadulterated freedom from everything that caused this mess in the first place. It’s a blank canvas that you and the rest of the survivors can paint any way you like.”

  A genuine smile crept over her lips as she thought about that for a moment and let it sink in… Then she frowned. “I don’t know where to start,” she admitted.

  Mitch smiled and kissed the back of her head.

  “Sure you do,” he said.

  Jerri thought about the plane and opened her mouth to speak–

  “No, you’re right,” Mitch said. “He’s taking you to another camp… That’s why you need to stop wallowing in your self-pity and take action.”

  Jerri closed her eyes, embarrassed at herself.

  “Take control of the situation,” Mitch said.

  Jerri frowned.

  “How? Think about it… I’m just one person. I can’t take over a military plane.”

  Mitch nodded. “I can’t tell you how to do it, but I can tell you that you’re capable of doing it. Despite what you’re thinking now, the camp didn’t break you.”

  “It did,” Jerri said as she closed her eyes. “It didn’t,” he assured her. “What broke you was losing someone else you cared about. That’s why you refused to see the truth before your very eyes.”

  Jerri didn’t argue with what she knew was true.

  “If you pull yourself together again, you can do this. Remember, as far as he’s concerned, you’re weak and teetering on the verge of insanity,” he said as he gently ran his hands up and down her arms.

  Jerri turned around and looked up into his eyes.

  “And if I fail?” she asked.

  “You won’t,” Mitch said with a smile.

  Jerri and Mitch embraced as the snow started to flutter down all around them. For a brief moment, Jerri’s world was finally at peace.

  40

  Jerri’s eyes fluttered open and heard the loud propellers outside and saw the metal scaffolding that ran along the ceiling. She knew that they were somewhere in the back of the plane, somewhere people aren’t supposed to be riding inside.

  A solider wearing a gas mask hovered over her, staring down at her.

  Jerri startled and let out a gasp.

  The soldier pulled off his gas mask, revealing Andrew’s face. He looked feverish. “Relax, it’s just me,” Andrew said.

  Jerri groaned and closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing heart.

  “Why are you dressed like that? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!” she asked.

  Andrew laughed.

  “No, it’s just how I’m keeping my cover with the pilots,” he calmly explained. “They think I’m one of the men from the base.” “And me…?” she asked.

  Andrew shook his head.

  “They don’t even know you’re back here,” he said. “I’m still trying to figure out how to handle that… To be honest I was worried you wouldn’t wake up,” he said as He reached down and brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek, coughing.

  The hand he touched her with looked swollen, pus-filled, and infected. She pulled away and tried to sit up.

  Andrew quickly stopped her and gently pressed her back down onto the metallic floor of the cargo hold.

  “Don’t get up,” Andrew told her. “You need to rest. You lost a lot of blood. You’re lucky I found a first aid kit when I did.” Jerri slowly raised her bandaged arm and stared at it. All she felt was a dull consistent throb.

  “Given the chaos at the base, I’m surprised we made it,” Jerri said in a hoarse voice.

  Andrew stroked his fingers across her cheek again but made sure to use his other hand, his healthy hand.

  Her skin crawled at his touch. “Yeah, same here. The plane is deserted for the most part,” he said as he broke into a coughing spasm. “The only two people on here aside from us are the pilots.”

  Jerri looked at him and could tell that he was very sick. She didn’t bother asking what happened to him; she didn’t really care. “And Jacob?” she asked.

  Andrew smiled and gently ran his fingers through her hair.

  “He’s safe,” Andrew explained softly. “He’s on a special medical transport… He’ll be waiting for us at the Capital.” Jerri quickly looked away. She knew he was lying.

  “So I take it we’re still going there,” she said weakly. Andrew smiled down at her and nodded.

  “Of course, remember what we talked about in Witt’s apartment?” he asked as he wiped the sweat off of his brow. “If you want Jacob to have a future then we can’t chase pipe dreams about safe havens in other countries... You want to see him again right?”

  Jerri looked up at him and forced a thin smile.

  “Yes,” she hoarsely replied. She frowned and closed her eyes. “I’m parched though… is there anything to drink?”

  Andrew stroked her forehead and nodded. “Of course,” he said. “But it’s from the sink in the bathroom so it’s warm. I guess the days of chilled bottled water are behind us,” Andrew said with a smirk.

  Jerri opened her eyes and smiled.

  “That’s fine,” she answered softly. “I’m not really picky at the moment.”

  Andrew laughed.

  “Wait here,” he said as he stroked her bandaged forearm. “I’ll be right back.”

  Andrew got off of his haunches and staggered down the cargo hold, boots clacking as they struck against the metallic floor. As soon as he was out of earshot, Jerri sat up on the floor and was immediately overcome with vertigo. After her blurred vision started to come back into focus, she carefully surveyed her surroundings.

  Strange alien looking devices were fastened against the sides of the cargo hold. They resembled bombs. Each device had ‘LAZARUS TYPE’ stenciled on it; it was a name she was seeing more and more frequently as of late. It gave her the creeps.

  She looked down and saw that she was lying on a dirty army blanket with an open first aid kit beside her. She didn’t see any sign of Jacob or his shawl and could only assume Andrew left the dead baby behind.

  Her hand rummaged through the open first aid kit… While she was busy searching, Andrew walked back into the cargo hold holding a plastic cup of water.

  She quickly withdrew her hand from the kit and looked up at him. She smiled as she gently took the cup and emptied it in one swallow. Andrew watched her drink and sat down next to her. “What did they say?” Jerri asked as she sat the cup down. “Pardon?”

  “The soldiers who took Jacob away on the medical transport,” she asked. “What did they say when they took him away?”

  Andrew’s eyes flickered away from hers briefly. “Ah, yeah, that was pretty awkward… It happened so fast,” he said. “You know… they didn’t say much of anything. They were just ready to get out of there. I can’t really say I blame them.”

  Jerri nodded understandably.

  “Funny they didn’t take me,” she casually mused. “You would think getting shot would warrant some kind of special medical attention.” Andrew frowned. “I tried,” he said sourly. “I couldn’t carry you both. By the time I went back to get you, the helicopter already took off.” He stared at her. “I hope you’re not accusing me of–”

  Jerri shook her head and held up her hand.

  “No, no,” she said earnestly. “I understand… the baby took priority. I would have done the same thing.” Andrew nodded, settling some.

  “That’s right. That’s why I did what
I did,” he said. He placed his hand on her knee.

  Jerri tensed.

  “That child deserves a future,” Andrew continued, “just like we do.”

  Jerri looked up at him and smiled slightly. She took his hand and gently brushed it off of her leg.

  A look of disappointment came over Andrew’s face. “We both deserve a better hand,” she said calmly as if nothing happened. Andrew smiled and folded his hands in his lap.

  “We’ll make a fresh start together,” he said. “You’ll see.” Jerri looked over at him and gave a playful smile.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that we were a thing. Have you made any more decisions on my behalf while I was out?” she asked. “I didn’t mean that,” Andrew snapped. “Besides that’s not really my choice to make,” he said in a snarky tone. “But to be fair… eligible bachelors with a heartbeat do seem to be in short supply these days.”

  “Well…” Jerri said as she placed a finger against her chin, pretending to contemplate. “I’m sure there are quite a few men at the Capital you keep insisting on. You might be in for some competition.”

  Andrew’s gaze sharpened. “Same thing goes for women… I do have a thing for northerners,” Andrew replied. His voice sounded calm but he couldn’t hide the crimson in his face.

  Jerri studied his reaction and smirked.

  “I don’t think you have much to worry about,” Andrew said as he reined his emotions back in control. “I’ve taken a certain interest in you.” Andrew smiled and stared into her eyes.

  Jerri leaned towards him and grinned.

  “Oh… lucky me,” she said flatly.

  Andrew lost his smile and abruptly stood up.

  “Well I’m going to go check with our pilots,” he said in a bitter tone. “You should stay back here and rest.”

  “I’d rather not,” Jerri replied. “It’d be nice to get out and stretch my legs…”

  Andrew stared down at her, unwavering in his expression. “No. I’ll be back to check on you in a little bit,” he said before erupting into a spasm of coughs. He put on his gas mask and walked out of the cargo hold, closing the bulkhead door behind him.