The first floor didn’t house the cafeteria, which concerned him because it meant they would have to explore other floors, although he hadn’t heard any noises from the upper floors and held on to the hope that they were unoccupied and uninfected.
He found a few good windows where he could get a good view of their surroundings, and marked the floor in front of the doorways with big chalk X marks with chalk he had found earlier. He began thinking that if they could secure the upper floors this might be the perfect place to hide out for a while. They should have food and water upstairs, there were clean beds everywhere, and all the tools necessary to create the antidote.
As he headed back towards the emergency room entrance he could hear voices coming from the room itself, and as he entered he found Father McCann and Rob watching the waiting room television, sitting in two of the chairs with guns drawn across their laps. Rob had the 12 gauge, while Father McCann cradled the Marlin, the large hunting rifle, and Mace couldn’t help but smile. “What are you two doing up? I thought you’d be fast asleep.”
Father McCann waved him off, shushing him, never taking his eyes off the television. Mace blinked a few times, realizing the importance of real information and drew close to hear what was going on. Father McCann had instructed Rob to climb on a chair and turn on the TV, flipping through channels until they found CNN. Most of the channels were on autopilot, playing sitcoms or other useless programming or were off the air entirely. What was on CNN though, was as important as anything else they had encountered thus far. It was a Presidential Address, speaking directly to the United States and the World about the terrorist attacks occurring within the United States. Mace wasn’t sure what he had missed, but caught it at the beginning of a critical point.
“At this time, the United States of America is under the influence of a serious and deliberate terrorist attack. There has been a biological agent that has been simultaneously released across every major US city and has infected millions of our citizens. We have, as of yet, been unable to identify this agent or slow its rate of transmission. We do, however, have solid intelligence as to the perpetrators of this attack, and we are in preparation to release an unprecedented full scale nuclear response.”
Mace and Father McCann were mesmerized watching the President’s address, while Rob grinned at the thought of the devastation of a nuclear attack. As they watched, the President lowered his head and closed his eyes for a full 10 seconds before continuing.
“The United States was caught off guard by this attack, and I would like to take full responsibility for our lack of preparedness. My heart goes out to the families who have suffered such an enormous loss in such a short period. Know that you do not suffer alone. My wife, the first lady, as well as my son have both fallen victim to the devastation of this attack.”
He paused again, trying to keep his composure.
“The Great Nation of the United States of America was built on the concepts of freedom and democracy, doing its best to give to the world an example of liberation, tolerance, and respect. We have played a leading role in peacekeeping missions around the world and have been ambassadors of good will and humanitarian assistance whenever such assistance was needed. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, we fought to protect our borders and our citizens from any recurring violence. We went so far as to invade other countries in an attempt to stall weapons programs or bring justice to those who would attack our citizens at home or abroad. We felt fully justified in defending ourselves from an enemy that would kill innocent women and children with no regard for human life.
“I will be the first to admit that in this process mistakes were made and that past administrations were overzealous in their policies, and as a result dissolved much of the good will that had been constructed through diplomacy and dialogue. That does not, however, lend any credence to the doctrine of hate that has been expelled by those who would rest at nothing less than the total destruction of our way of living and our belief in democracy and love.
“As I stand before you, I make a vow that the United States of America will rebuild from the devastation of this attack. The United States will not perish or fall by the hands of evil or darkness, but rise to the greatness of its forefathers and ideals. It is by the will of God that we exist, and it is through love and compassion that we will endure and overcome.
“Today, under the darkest skies this Country has ever seen, we turn our hearts and prayers towards God, because it is in His wisdom and mercy we trust.”
He paused again, taking a deep breath before continuing.
“I have put a stop to any nuclear response. Our final gift to this world in these times of devastation is a message of hope and peace. Turn from the hatred that has poisoned your minds. Allow your children to walk in the light of love and forgiveness. Carry on in peace with your fellow man. We give you this opportunity and pray that you will use it to further the lessons of mercy.”
He choked back a tear, dropping his head before continuing.
“May God help us all, for we are all in need of His mercy.”
With that, the television went blank before returning to a loop reel that was describing the ongoing devastation in cities through the United States. The world would hold a vigil of peace, a somber hope for a better humanity, and work together briefly to try to help America survive the onslaught. It would be brief because devastation and madness would spread like rows of falling dominos throughout Africa and Europe, wiping out thousands of years of progress in a few weeks of infection and carnage.
Chapter 24
Rob sat outraged, cursing under his breath, finally lifting the rifle and firing a shell into the television set, blowing a hole in it. Both Mace and Father McCann jumped at the act.
“What kind of bullshit was that? We should blow those fuckers right off the face of the earth!”
He started foaming around his mouth as he carried on, his anger boiling over in bitterness.
“What kind of a pussy president would allow those fuckers to do this and get away with it? I swear to God if I was president I would kill them all!”
Mace, who had felt the stirring of hope at the speech, felt it ebb away as he stared at Rob, knowing many would share Rob’s reaction. He slowly stood, staring at Rob.
“Put the gun down, Rob. Just take it easy.”
Rob shook his head. “Fuck that. You’d go along with what he says, wouldn’t you?”
Mace tried to come up with an answer that would satisfy him.
“What do you think would happen if we engaged in a full scale nuclear attack right now? You know what would happen? Right now, we’re at our weakest point and if we went and killed millions of innocent people just to take out the assholes responsible for this we might as well sign our death sentence. Nobody would come to our aid and there’s a chance they might just finish us off.”
Little sparks jumped out of the front of the TV, causing Mace to flinch. He straightened and looked at Rob, trying to maintain his composure as a bubble of anger simmered in his gut at Rob’s latest outburst. “It’s just a good strategic move, Rob. That’s all it is: Strategy.”
The more he thought about it, the more he started to think it might be the truth. The thought disturbed him.
As if it had been a card lost in a deck Jason suddenly appeared in his memory, and his phantom presence brought the reality of their situation crashing down on Mace like a tsunami. He staggered backwards, blindsided by its presence and turned quickly, leaving the room without saying a word and heading down the hall. Rob and Father McCann both looked bewildered by the action. Father McCann turned towards Rob and addressed him, serious but with a small gleam in his eye. “I think maybe he wanted to watch Jeopardy.”
Rob looked at him in confusion, and Father McCann rose and patted him on the back. “Come; tell me what’s on your mind. I’ve got some time to kill.”
Chapter 25
As Mace headed for a quiet place to breakdown for a few minutes, Jade walked out of
a doorway ahead, awakened by Rob’s gunshot and half asleep, needing to discover the story behind the gunfire before she could find rest again. Looking at Mace, she could see the intense sorrow breaking over his pores, and in her face, he could see her alarm. He tried to shake his head, to tell her he was all right, but he found he couldn’t speak.
Sorrow and pain were suffocating him, and he just walked past her, shaking his head and moving quickly towards an open door down the hall. She followed him, his emotional display tearing at her heart and she forgot about the gunshot that had concerned her.
He made it to the open door and tried to shut it behind him but she was right behind him, blocking it. He turned towards her and tried to push her away but she wouldn’t let him. He let out a small sob and tried to turn again but she grabbed him, holding on to him, needing to be with him, and he gave in, letting her hold him as the tears started to come. She held him as his body was briefly racked by sobs until he regained some composure and led her to a small couch in the room they had entered. It was the lab waiting room where he had earlier found and removed two lifeless bodies. He wiped his eyes and sniffled, wiping at his nose with the back of his hand.
“I don’t know what came over me.”
He sat there a few minutes trying to further compose himself, then turned towards Jade. “My whole life I never felt anything but emptiness and hate. In the last few years, I finally discovered what it was like to feel something and in a moment, it was all just ripped away from me like it was nothing. That’s the worst part. I don’t know why I was allowed to feel it if it was just going to tear me apart.”
He shook his head, looking at the floor, trying to shake the heaviness that was crushing down on him. “A part of me feels like I did this, like I’m responsible for this. Like my past sins caused all this to happen and Jason died because of me.”
He lifted his head towards Jade, his pain clearly showing in his eyes. “I know that sounds crazy, but that’s just how I feel. I just don’t know what to do or how to deal with this.”
Jade leaned forward and whispered softly in his ear. “You need to stop beating yourself up for the past, Mace. None of this is your fault.” She glanced at the door and then back at him. “We all need you now to get through this. You are so much more than you think you are. Jason’s death had nothing to do with you.”
He leaned forward and kissed her, and she kissed him back. They continued to kiss each other softly, relishing the intimacy of the moment. Soon there embrace began to turn more passionate, and in the quietness of the hospital room they held each other tight. The longer they embraced the more they needed relief from the desperation of their circumstances. They looked at each other and realized that they might never see each other again. They could both die at any moment.
The madness of their reality rushed over them and their desire grew more urgent. Mace got up and closed the door and they fell together, tearing at each other’s clothes with a passionate hunger, fear and uncertainty feeding their desire. Jade tugged at Mace’s belt, undoing it as she kissed him hungrily, while Mace ripped off her shirt, buttons popping, before he laid her on the floor and finished undressing her. He stared down at her and she reached up for him, pulling him down on top of her. Soon they were making love fiercely, hotly, letting out an outburst of suffering passion and emotion, until they lay spent, sweating, and holding each other tenderly. She put her head on his chest and cried quietly, savoring the moment and wondering if it would ever be repeated. He looked over the room, picturing the bodies he had pulled out earlier. He squeezed her tightly and kissed the top of her head, sadly sharing her same thoughts before reluctantly pulling away to get up to gather his clothes. “If Rob walks in here, he’ll be scarred for life.”
She smiled sadly. “He’s already scarred.” Her smile disappeared. “He scares me, Mace. I think this all might be too much for him. He looks like he’s enjoying it.”
Mace picked up her shirt and handed it to her, a little embarrassed by the torn buttons. “I think he’ll be all right. We’ve just got to keep him under control.”
She took it and slowly put it on. “He’s losing control. We all are. I don’t know how to keep sane through all this.”
He looked at her and in his head he heard the answer before he spoke it, “One day at a time.”
Mace turned to head towards the door when he noticed the small Derringer on the floor. “Is that yours?”
Jade nodded, moving to scoop it up. “I snagged it at the gun store. I thought it might come in handy.”
A silly smile crossed his face. “Do me a favor and use a bigger gun. I don’t think that’s going to help us.”
She slipped it back inside her pocket and shrugged. “You never know.”
Chapter 26
Jade slipped back inside her room as Mace walked back to the emergency waiting room, rejoining Rob and Father McCann. Once inside they all looked at each other as they heard a door open down the opposite hallway, a door where no one had been sleeping. Mace jumped up at the realization, heading out the door as he drew his pistol. Once he hit the hallway he could see three people coming towards him, and at the sight of the gun their hands went up and they started pleading with him.
“Don’t shoot. We’re normal. We’ve been up on the second floor.”
They’d taken the stairwell down. Mace lowered the gun as Rob and Father McCann rounded the corner with the shotgun and the hunting rifle. The hands went up again and Mace looked back at Father McCann and almost burst out laughing. He’d have to take the gun away from him. It looked almost comical in his hands. He made a motion to lower the weapons and they both did. He turned back to the trio.
“Who are you? How long have you been up there?”
The one in the front spoke first, “Since early this morning.” He motioned back towards the others. “They’ve been here since it began. We just hooked up when it all went crazy.”
Mace put his weapon down by his side but wasn’t ready to holster it quite yet.
“Couldn’t you hear all the commotion down here? There were plenty of gunshots.”
“We could hear the pops, but we weren’t sure who was getting the upper hand. We’ve been looking out the window upstairs and decided we should try to get some gas for the generator before it runs out. It’s pretty calm out right now.”
Mace nodded, realizing he hadn’t thought of that yet. “Have you been watching the news? Anything new worth discussing?”
“Just the same old loop. The Country’s been devastated. There’s no help on the way. I know that we’re not going to punch back and I’d like to decimate every last fucking one, but I personally think it’s too late. I think this thing just moved too fast. All that other rhetoric was just for the history books.”
Mace didn’t really believe that. If there was one thing the country could do it was fight back. He dismissed the comment. “Do you know where the generator is?”
“Yeah. It’s a big sucker. Probably a twin pack. I could see it out the back window. I’ll bet it runs on diesel. I want to check the oil pressure and cooling system while I’m at it.”
Mace studied him for a second then holstered the gun. He put his hand out. “Mace Marconi. This is Father Jack McCann and this is Rob…” He looked at Rob for a second before giving him a quizzical look. “What is your last name?”
“Jenkins.” Rob had calmed down enough to look once again like a regular fifteen-year-old kid and not a psychotic adolescent on the verge of mass murder. He nodded at the newcomers. “Nice to meet you.”
The man in front nodded back and turned to Mace. “John Cole. I’m a mechanic for the City of San Francisco. This is Maria and Gilbert. Those things come out in force at night, but they’re pretty quiet in the daytime. They’re sensitive to the light.” He nodded in affirmation of his statement. “They’re mean as a snake at night though.”
Mace considered what he said about the light and thought about the flash grenade. “What have you noticed?”
<
br /> “I saw it last night. Once it got dark, I could see a huge mass of them moving outside. A car came shooting down the street and they didn’t like the headlights. They covered their eyes.”
Mace thought more about it and began to hatch a plan. “What if we covered this place in lights? I mean like floodlights. Do you think they’d just avoid us?”
John looked at him and considered the possibility. “You know, they just might. It might also let them know we’re here. That’s kind of a big risk; For one thing, there are still some that come out during the day. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that it’s safe, cause it’s not.”
Mace shook his head. “I know it’s not safe, but I haven’t seen any ability on their part to think. They just react. If they don’t like the light, I think they’d just move on.”
John raised his eyebrows. “You know, if we light this place up people will know we’re here. It might lead to a rescue.”
“It might. We’ve got another reason to draw people though.” He studied him carefully for a few seconds before continuing. “We’re carrying the antidote.”
John looked dumbfounded as the words took a few seconds to sink in. “The hell you say? The antidote? The antidote to what? Nobody even knows what the fuck this is?”
Before Mace could respond, Father McCann spoke up from behind him. “It may be hard to understand, but there’s no guarantee that it will even keep you alive. It will only keep you from turning into one of them. There has to be some peace in that. It will help stop the plague.”
Rob looked at John Cole and his twisted smile returned. His adrenaline was beginning to kick in again and he wanted to get his juices flowing. “I say we kill every last one of them. We’ve got more guns. We could start a war.”
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