by Frank Bates
*****
The president’s office was silent save for the sound of the clock ticking which only served to accentuate the ennui.
Hillary was seated behind her desk while Mr. Kennedy was seated on the other side. The president was contemplating his suggestion and Mr. Kennedy could see that she was struggling with it.
Although Hillary looked as neat and well put together as always, Mr. Kennedy could see the telltale signs of her distress. He watched as she got lost further in the jungle of her thoughts. The lines on her forehead had appeared to have become more pronounced in the course of a day since he last saw her. He could see dark circles under her eyes—the way they were puffy and red.
He pitied her, he truly did. But Mr. Kennedy’s sympathy extended only to her outward appearance. He could care less about all those other things. He glanced at his wristwatch. They’d been locked in this room for over an hour now. He still had other things to attend to. He barely held his foot from tapping on the floor in impatience. It would do no good to display anything but compassion right now. If only she would sign those papers already then he could get out and end this farce.
“Are you sure there is no other way?” Hillary asked.
Kennedy looked up at her. This is the fourth time she has asked me this same question. He inwardly sighed. “Yes. As I have told you before, this is the quickest and most efficient way.”
There it was again, that look of righteous indignation, Kennedy thought.
“But they are still people. Wouldn’t it be better to just have them be detained until we have found a cure?” Hillary said.
Kennedy shook his head woefully. “That would be ideal but I’m afraid we lack the resources to carry on such a wide scale operation. Besides, who knows how long we would have to keep them locked up until we could find a cure. It could take years!”
Hillary was at a loss for words. Of course, Kennedy was right and she knew it. What he was saying made sense but she couldn’t help but feel at odds about taking such action.
Feeling the need to deliberate the matter on her own, Hillary dismissed Kennedy.
*****
And so it was that Hillary was now faced with a conundrum. If she signed this Executive Order, she would ensure the safety of the people long after the virus had finished spreading. If she didn’t she might as well be signing the death certificate of the entire nation.
With a heavy heart, Hillary made her decision. She took out her fountain pen and scribbled onto the document her familiar elegant signature.
On that day, President Hillary White had signed the Executive Order 23245, officially establishing the Viral Defense Corps tasked with eliminating those that have survived exposure to the virus and are exhibiting side effects—mainly, committing violence and murder against those who have avoided exposure.
Chapter Fourteen: The Proposal of the Frontier Justice
The assembly had finished and people started leaving the parish. Appropriate people have been assigned for the expedition to Atlanta and arrangements were made for the sick that would be travelling also. The same was done for patrol duties.
The townspeople left the parish with a renewed sense of purpose and hope in their hearts.
Several people remained in the parish after the rest of the residents had left. The town leaders—or those who have taken up the leadership role ever since the outbreak and consequent collapse of order and society—stayed behind in order to hold their own meeting with Seth and Father Alain. There were eight people and among them were Maria and retired Police Chief Charles Harris who had always held some sort of authority in town even before the outbreak. They were well-respected and liked by many.
Father Alain led them to a small room near the kitchen. The room was made up of dark wood just like the rest of the parish. It was simple with virtually no furnishings other than a respectable elongated wooden mahogany table with several matching chairs around it. It served the group's purpose well enough.
After everyone had settled in their seats and had been served a glass of Father Alain's orange juice, their meeting commenced.
"That was a good plan you gave a while ago." Charles said. "Did you come up with that, Andrews?"
"It was a joint effort between me and Father Alain." Seth said.
Father Alain waved the praise away. "Oh, no. All of it was Seth's idea. I just provided him with details on the town and all that."
"Well, in any case, you came up with a sound short term plan. Now, it would be good if we could make long term ones that will aim to rebuild this town." Maria said, if a bit sternly.
Maria was in her thirties just like Seth. Her red hair was as fiery as her temper. She was pretty but the guarded and solemn air around her made people respect and be wary of her at the same time. She was still relatively young but people around town had the impression that she was much older because of her no-nonsense attitude. With Maria, it was either serious business or nothing at all. You better not waste her time. If you're just going to talk about inconsequential matters and exchange dumb flatteries, then you'd better get out of her sight.
Charles was the opposite of Maria. Where Maria was hard and unyielding, Charles was good and accommodating. He was in his early forties but despite his age, Charles' brown hair had not a hint of grey. You would not know it from his jolly nature but Charles was well-known to be one of the best fighters in all of Watauga. He was not only strong but he was also a brilliant police officer. Although he had already retired from service due to certain circumstances, Charles still remained active in keeping the peace and order in the community. In fact, he was one of the first people who took over the role of leader and kept the town from completely falling apart following the outbreak.
Seth was already familiar with Maria's attitude so he didn't mind her tone. She was right, after all. They didn't have any time for dilly-dallying.
"All right then. I'm sure you've got ideas already. Let's hear them." Seth said.
Maria took center stage. "First of all, it would be best if we made a council. Each person in the council will be assigned a specific duty or department, if you will, of which they will be responsible for. I believe a council would help make things more organized."
The others around the table hummed in approval. "Indeed, I think that is quite a good idea. After all, we have different skills and fields of expertise. A council divided into specialized duties would utilize the best of our abilities in the most sensible way possible." Father Alain chimed in.
"Okay, so we'll create a council. What duties will this council have?" Seth asked.
"It varies, of course. I am planning to have five divisions. We can have two council members head one division. The council's tasks will be divided into the following: food, water, daily necessities, maintenance, and security. A council member who heads the food division, for example, will be responsible for organizing meals, gathering food, food sanitation and other related tasks." Maria explained. She took a sip of her orange juice as she watched the others nod and agree with her.
"That's brilliant! It would definitely be a good system to implement in the long run." Charles praised. Maria had a haughty smile on her face.
"Yeah, I agree. Once the town's back up and running, it'll definitely need to have direction and a good foundation." Seth said. "If we set it up now, we'd have lesser problems in the future."
"Okay." Father Alain clapped his hands together brightly. "We'll decide who the council members will be. If I may, I would like to nominate someone to be the head of security." Father Alain sent a sideways glance at Seth and smiled.
"Me?" Seth said looking around the table. "I'm a bad pick."
Father Alain frowned, looking like a sad puppy. His eyes seemed to be asking Seth why not.
Seth offered a placating smile at the priest. "I appreciate the trust you place in me, Father, but there is a better choice for the job. I'd say Charles is the best person to become head of security."
Charles beamed. "Aw, shuc
ks. You think I'm good enough? Well, then, I'll gladly take the position." Beneath the innocent gaiety in his smile, it was obvious that he was fired up.
He must have really missed being on the job, Seth thought.
"Since immediate concerns regarding supplies and medical assistance have already been addressed during the assembly, I think we should turn to the most pressing matter at hand." Charles said. "The raiders."
A serious atmosphere befell the small room.
Maria huffed. "Those pesky marauders. They've been a huge pain in the ass. I can't get a good night sleep because of them."
"They've started killing people, which reminds me, there's a dead kid at the service station. We need to give him a proper burial."
A symphony of dismayed profanities went round the table.
"Goddamn it." Maria hissed. "We have to put a stop to them."
"Yes, we will. Don't worry. I've come up with a plan to counter them in addition to the patrols." Charles said solemnly. "I thought about organizing a group specifically made to fight dangerous elements like the raiders and ensure the safety of Boone. I even thought up a name for it—the Frontier Justice."
Everyone in the room was in favor of Charles' plan.
"I have already selected the person who I think for the position of leader. Seth, will you lead the Frontier Justice?"
All eyes turned to Seth. Seth considered the offer. As far as Seth's other mission of finding his family went, settling things in Boone would make things move faster. Besides, Seth admitted that he was probably the best choice as Charles said.
"Sure, I accept." Seth said.
And with that, the town leaders wrapped up the meeting and the Frontier Justice was born.
Chapter Fifteen: The Attacker
Amelia and Liz were on the road. They were traveling east on Highway 20. After they left Church's Chicken, Amelia found an auto repair shop. It was abandoned, like so many of the other establishments these days. Owners must have died. She found a maroon Nissan that looked to be in good condition in the shop. With a bit of tweaking and twisting, she was able to make the car roar to life. Storing some gas and tools in the back, she and Liz drove away. There weren't any deli shops or convenience stores nearby so Amelia decided to just wing it and drive to Virginia as per the original plan. They're bound to come across more shops later on, Amelia was sure.
Amelia kept her eyes on the lookout for any decent stores and didn't notice the bored look on Liz's face.
Thirty minutes more had passed and Liz couldn't handle the silence anymore. Boredom was bad. When you're bored, the mind tends to go to places you don't want to be at. Misery is at its loudest when all is quiet.
Liz fidgeted in her seat. She needed to do something--anything--to distract her from the thoughts pushing their way into her head. She can't handle them right now.
"How were you able to fight against those big guys back there?" Liz suddenly asked.
"What?"
"You're a girl yet you were able to defeat four men even though they were so much bigger and stronger than you. How were you able to do that?" Liz asked.
"Hm, I guess that's because I'm smarter and better at fighting than they were." Amelia answered.
Liz frowned. "How can you be better at fighting? You don't look strong."
Amelia sent her a sideways glance and smirked. "Girl, strength is not measured by how tough you look. You don't win a fight by having dragon tattoos all over your body or having bulging muscles and twelve pack abs. True strength—the kind of strength that makes you win fights—is found here," Amelia pointed at her head. "And here." She finished, pointing at her chest.
"To be smart enough to read your opponent and strike when it matters and to be courageous enough and not get scared no matter how many people you're facing or how dangerous the situation is. That right there is what will help you win a fight, not how you look."
Liz shot Amelia a doubtful look.
Amelia sighed. “Look, I may not look it but I did go to prison, in case you forgot. I'm not exactly weak, Liz. What brought this up anyway?"
"No reason. I just wanted to make small talk." Liz shrugged.
Liz twisted to her side, staring out of her window. She could see endless open fields filled with grass and the occasional tree. The sun was bright in the sky, and her cheek stung a little from its warmth. It was a beautiful day. She remembered spending days like this traveling with her family. They'd go to the mountains or to some resort. She'd stay at the back seat and watch as her parents smiled at each other and held hands. Liz remembered feeling so happy then.
But her dad died a few days ago. He succumbed to the virus. Not wanting her only daughter to get infected, Liz's mom ordered for her to be brought to Virginia. She thought happiness lasted forever. She knew now how naive she had been.
The car passed through an intersection. There were buildings around and cars littered the streets. They have entered a town.
Liz spotted a car, its Windows were rolled down. Something was moving inside.
She perked up. What if there was still someone there? She rolled down her window, thinking to call out to whoever was in the car.
As their car passed by it, Liz was hit by a sickening smell and in the car, what she thought was a person moving, was in reality a big black bird pecking at the flesh on the corpse's face. The bird gawked at her. Liz felt sick.
Overcome by a wave of nausea, she hurriedly rolled her window back up and turned to Amelia. "I need to use a bathroom."
"Need to pee?"
"Uh, yeah. Please hurry up. I don't think I can hold it in much longer."
"Whoa, there. Okay. Luckily, we're in a town now. I'll stop by someplace with a bathroom real soon so just keep it in for now." Amelia said and stepped on the gas.
Five minutes later, Amelia stopped at a defunct McDonald's.
Liz got out of the car as soon as Amelia had finished parking it. She ran inside the store and headed straight for the bathroom.
Her nausea peaked and she vomited into the sink. She vomited until she could vomit no more and was just dry heaving bile. She turned on the faucet and washed away the taste of vomit. Feeling a little bit better, she looked at the cubicles behind her through the mirror. Might as well. She was here already anyway.
Just as soon as Liz entered a cubicle, Amelia burst into the bathroom.
"Whew, I think we just hit up a good town. I saw a convenience store and even a shopping mall a few miles away. Hey, Liz, are you done peeing?" Amelia said.
"No, I just got in and please stop saying ‘peeing’ all the time. It’s gross."
"What do you mean, gross? It’s a normal physiological human function. Everybody pees." Amelia said. Liz made a disgruntled noise of disgust and Amelia grinned. Ah, she’s too prim and proper. She looked around the bathroom and figured she should probably also do her business. "Hm. I might as well. Who knows how long 'til we find another bathroom." Amelia murmured to herself.
Amelia got into a cubicle too and emptied her bladder. While there, she started thinking about what things they would need for their travel. She didn't want to spend too much time in this town. They needed to be on the move and reach Virginia as quickly as they could. It would be better for her if she could drop Liz there with her mom so she could plan out her next moves.
Amelia finished and absentmindedly reached for the tissue--except there was none. Snapping out of her thoughts, Amelia discovered that there was no tissue left save for the bar. "Crap." She mumbled. "Liz, can you give me some tissue? Liz?" Amelia called out. But Liz didn't answer back. She probably got too absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't hear Liz finish up and get out of the bathroom. Ah, now what? Amelia thought.
*****
Liz got out of the McDonald’s store and decided to explore the vicinity. She didn’t plan on straying too far, she just wanted to see what kind of buildings or stores were around. She badly wanted to change her dress. The blood that got spilled on it had dried up and no matter how
much she washed it away with water, the stains wouldn’t completely go away—and so did the smell. Feeling another of wave of nausea rise up her throat, she shook the thought out of her mind. She rubbed her upset stomach and went to the building next door. It seemed to be a complex. It was two stories high and there were about three different establishments on each floor. Liz briefly wondered if there might be a clothing boutique there.
As she was walking over to the building, a sudden, acute sense of being followed assaulted her. She tried to ignore it at first, thinking that maybe she was just being paranoid but she heard the shuffling of feet behind her and she couldn’t take it any longer, she turned around.
*****
“Liz! Why didn’t you wait for me? I ran out of tissue and seriously questioned my life choices.” Amelia called out as she got out of the bathroom. She looked up and found that Liz was not in the store. Frowning, she stepped out of the store and scanned the vicinity. Holding a hand above her eyes to shield them from the sun, she looked around for Liz. She couldn’t see the girl anywhere however. “Just where did she go?” Amelia said, putting a hand on one hip.
A loud scream caught Amelia’s attention. Her first thought was that maybe Liz was in trouble. There are a lot of dangerous people around nowadays. One of them could have gotten their hands on her.
Amelia rushed over to where the scream came from. “Liz!” She yelled.
“Amelia! Hel—mph!” Liz cried but a hand clamped over her mouth.
“Let go of her right now!” Amelia yelled at the guy.
He turned to Amelia with bloodshot eyes. “She’s my daughter! I’m taking her home with me!” He said frantically.
Amelia glared at the man holding Liz. He had one arm locked around her while his other hand covered Liz’s mouth to stop her from screaming. He was a scruffy middle-aged man who obviously did not look related to Liz at all.
“Look, man, let the girl go or you will regret it. I swear.” Amelia said, bringing out her revolver. She cocked the gun and pointed it at him. “I won’t say it twice.”
