After the End

by Bonnie Dee

  Deb produced a hand drawn map she'd sketched before they started out. "We got off track, but we can cut over here."

  Ari nodded. "And here's where you want to camp out." He indicated an X marking a hotel.

  She nodded. "I think it's the best location; many ways in and out and places to hide if things go bad, plenty of beds for everyone and food in the kitchen. I'm guessing we'll find a lot of people camping out there. Hooking up with some more able bodies could be useful." She jerked her head at Mrs. Scheider, who was nearly passed out in her seat with Ronnie, slumped across her lap. Ari didn't like the way she kept referring to those two as dead wood, but she was right. They were weak links and the group needed to be at its strongest in order to survive.

  "What happened?" Julie asked again. "How did you get away?"

  "Ann," Lila spoke up. "Ann happened. She changed her mind and tried to come after us. Those things caught her and took her down which gave us time to escape."

  "She was a stupid lady," Derrick practically shouted. He pushed away from the table where he was leaning and stalked over to the soda machine. His shoulders were shaking and he kept his back turned to them as he filled paper cups with the tepid, sugar-water.

  "My God," Julie murmured. "I'm so sorry."

  What are you sorry for? You didn't know her any more than we did. And you sure as hell didn't eat her," Ari wanted to say. He glanced down to find his legs trembling. Derrick wasn't the only one shaken by the loss.

  Joe and Carl returned from the kitchen bringing food with them, not burgers and fries, but limp salad from the warm cooler and packaged, uncrisp apple pies.

  "Nothing back there," Joe reported. "Just more of the same." He nodded at the decimated bodies around them. ""What do you suppose happens when the zombies run out of food sources? Can they feed on any kind of meat or does it have to be living? What keeps them from eating each other?"

  "Just a guess, but I'd say they need the electrolytes in energized, living blood and tissue. Dead meat wouldn't satisfy them," Carl said. "And it's a very good question—what would happen if they were imprisoned without fresh food. I suppose eventually the bodies would shut down and return to their natural state. Only a guess, of course."

  Ari drew as deep a breath of the foul air as he dared. "We shouldn't stay here long. We'll bring the food along. The sooner we get where we're going, the better."

  He doubted anyone was hungry anyway. He certainly wasn't. Nothing like adrenalin and endorphins to keep you flying and the scent of decay to put you off eating. He reached across the table and touched Mrs. Scheider's arm. "Hey, are you going to be all right."

  She opened one eye and looked back at him. "I'm not unconscious, young man. I'm resting. That's what we're supposed to be doing. I'm in excellent physical shape and I'd be perfectly fine if we had to walk another five miles."

  "What about her?" Ari nodded at Ronnie. Derrick had crouched beside his sister to offer her a drink.

  "I'll carry the little girl for a while," Carl volunteered. "The least I can do since you're protecting me like I was made of glass. I feel so useless."

  "You're too important to risk," Ari said. "What's in your head is as important as what's on your hard drive. You'll stay back with the others while Deb, Joe and I go for the computer."

  "I should go with you instead of Joe. It makes the most sense." Derrick stood up, sloshing soda over the edge of his cup as he set it on the table. "I can take the hard drive out of the tower. You probably don't even know what one looks like."

  "Fine," Ari agreed, glad Derrick had made the offer. "We three will go."

  "I should go, too," Julie said. "I work there. I know the layout of the place and which terminal is Carl's. You'll need me to be your map."

  "Babe, no!" Deb protested, shaking her head. "I'm not taking you along. As soon as we find someplace safe, I plan to park your sweet ass there. Carl can draw us a map."

  "Babe," Julie stressed the word hard. "I think you know how well I respond to being told what to do. I'm going with. End of discussion."

  "Whatever," Ari said. "We can figure out who does what later. Right now let's just concentrate on getting all our sweet asses to the hotel without any bites taken out of them." Not at all funny under the circumstances, but sometimes black humor was the only way to keep your sanity.

  It was hard to get moving and head back outside. Shelter was deceiving. A person could start to think he was safe just because he was indoors. Important to remember there wasn't safety anywhere and to stay alert all the time. Ari dragged himself to his feet. "Let's move out."

  "Yes sir, Captain," Derrick said. Sometimes Ari couldn't decide if he liked or hated the kid, but he did trust he could depend on him and that was pretty much all that mattered right now.

  "Everybody get down!" Joe's sharp whisper cut across the murmur of small talk. "Look outside."

  A large group of zombies, different from the ones who'd attacked Ann, was moving past practically right outside the window. And here they were in plain view, chatting. Ari cursed his carelessness. Thank God, Joe at least was paying attention.

  Everyone dropped down behind tables and chairs and watched the shuffling herd move past. Naked and clothed corpses mingled in We Are the World harmony, all economic brackets, races, and genders joined together at last with one common goal—eating the living. Several lifted their heads to sniff the air but none of them looked through the glass windows as they went past to search for potential victims. From their behavior he guessed they were attracted by smells and their vision probably wasn't too keen. They were merely mindless nervous systems seeking sustenance to keep functioning.

  Ari glanced at Lila beside him and flashed on last night and her hand in his as they'd lain in the dark. He would've liked to hold more than her hand and might've tried, if they weren't sleeping with a group of people. He thought she would've let him, too. But then she'd pulled away and turned her back on him so maybe she wasn't that interested. Maybe she'd simply needed comfort and would have held Mrs. Scheider's hand if the old lady had happened to be lying next to her.

  Anyway this was no time to think about Lila and his attraction to her. There were plenty more important things to occupy his mind besides fantasies of kissing some chick he'd just met, who wasn't even his type. Lila wasn't all that built, her hair was kind of mousy and she was way too educated. Yet he couldn't deny that her unearthly blue eyes seemed to see straight inside him and the low tone of her voice made his skin prickle. And he liked the way she expressed herself, calm, intelligent and ironic, a far cry from the girls he'd grown up with.

  Ari shook off his thoughts, and watched the last of the zombies disappear from sight. At last he rose. "I guess it's as safe as it's ever going to be out there. We should get moving."

  They checked their weapons and headed back outside. The day was overcast and breezy; the air promised rain. Ari took point this time, leading them along the new route Deb had set. He resisted the urge to continually glance behind him. He'd delegated Joe to bring up the rear this time and must trust him to keep watch. Ari had learned quickly that giving orders wasn't so hard, but having faith in others to follow through was difficult, especially when your life and others depended on them. He understood now why men in combat units developed utter trust in one another.

  The city was still unearthly quiet. For Ari, who'd been raised on the music of traffic and sirens, the utter silence except for the calls of birds flying overhead was disconcerting. Even worse was when an occasional distant scream ripped through the air. Each time it sent a fresh shot of adrenaline through him and set his pulse racing even faster. The only comfort was that the zombie's attention was focused on someone other than them—which was no comfort at all.

  New York rats were always bold, but with no people around to deter them, they were out in broad daylight feasting on the carnage. Crows and seagulls also tore at the carrion with their beaks and didn't fly away even when the group walked right past them. Ari tried not to see exactly what
body parts the scavengers were enjoying and kept his attention focused on anything moving in the perimeter of his gaze.

  "Over there," he alerted the group, pointing to a group of people a few intersections away. He wasn't sure if they were alive or not and didn't want to wait to find out. "We'd better cut this way." He led the group down a side street and continued the zigzag path toward the Albermarle Hotel. They didn't encounter any more zombies although they did spot them, always at a distance and often occupied with eating.

  Funny how fast a person could adjust to the new order of things in order to cope. Ari had stopped thinking of what the zombies ate as people. Now when he glimpsed the flesh-eaters feeding, he only prayed they devoured their victims completely so new zombies wouldn't swell the numbers of the undead.

  At last their destination was in sight only blocks away. Ari's spirits lifted as if they were assured of a complimentary suite with pillow mints, fresh towels and hot running water in the shower. He knew better. Reaching the hotel didn't guarantee relief. Perhaps they'd all built it up in their minds as some safe, zombie-free zone, a haven in the midst of chaos.

  A few blocks away from the hotel he could see the reality didn't match his fantasy. The front was swarming with zombies, going inside and coming out with bloody limbs and entrails like diners at an all-you-can-eat buffet. The sidewalk beneath the decorative awning was gore-spattered. The revenants milled around, some of them standing and staring vacantly into space. Evidently it was possible for them to eat their fill and what they did in their down time was absolutely nothing.

  Ari motioned his followers off the street. "We're going to have to find someplace else. Is there anywhere closer to Quantus where we could park for a while?"

  "There's a theater," Julie said. "Stage shows not movies. It should be deserted. There wouldn't have been anyone in there during the day, so no reason for zombies to go inside and no dead bodies. I think it would be a good camping spot."

  "How do we get there?"

  Julie and Deb led the way. Ari dropped back to the rear flank, keeping a close eye on the mass of zombies overrunning the Albermarle. The group trudged a block east before heading north again, walking in a tight unit. Carl carried Ronnie and Julie helped Mrs. Scheider, who, despite her vow that she could walk miles if need be, was beginning to limp.

  At last Ari sighted the marquee of a small theater up ahead. He nearly shit when he read the title of the play that was currently running, "Zombie Prom".

  "You've gotta be fucking kidding me," he muttered.

  "It's a musical," Julie said. "They say it's very funny."

  Joe hooted then clapped a hand over his mouth. Tears welled in his eyes as he suppressed his laughter. "I'm sorry. It's too ironic. I can't…" He broke off, chuckling and wiping tears from his eyes.

  His hysterics were contagious. Lila started to giggle and Deb chuckled. Even Mrs. Scheider snorted once before regaining her composure.

  "Don't lose it now. You guys have to keep it together a little longer," Ari warned, but he was fighting back his own bout of hysteria. He sobered instantly when he saw a movement from the corner of his eye. When he glanced that way, it was only a stray cat poking through garbage.

  They marched at a fast clip the last few blocks to the theater and pressed flat against the wall while Ari picked the lock on the double doors. He didn't want to smash his way in. After they were inside they could lock up, keeping the building zombie-proof. It'd been a while since he'd picked a lock and he'd lost his touch, but at last he got the door opened.

  He went in first to check the place out, but didn't expect to find anything since the building had been locked tight. The lobby was clear and so was the theater. Emergency lights faintly illuminated the rows of chairs and the stage, ready for a performance with a high school cafeteria set. Ari went back to the lobby and the others were already inside.

  Carl and Joe moved a candy counter in front of the doors to fortify the glass. The others collapsed on benches or on the worn red carpet. Derrick stood staring at the pulp magazine style poster for "Zombie Prom: A Musical Comedy" which hung on one wall. He shook his head and cursed under his breath.

  Ari checked his watch. It felt like they'd been out on the streets for an entire day. Actually, it was still early. There was plenty of time to take a rest then go for the data at the lab, but all he wanted to do was curl up in a corner somewhere and sleep. He shook off the paralyzing fatigue. "Derrick, Lila, you two want to help me check out the rest of building? There's a whole backstage area. We can't be too careful."

  Lila pushed herself up off the floor without a word. When Derrick continued to gaze blankly at the poster, she nudged his arm. "Come on."

  He blinked and looked at her as if coming back to earth. "This is beyond surreal. I don't know how much more of this I can take."

  "I know." She put an arm around his shoulders and hugged him. The normally prickly kid didn't pull away. Ari felt a rush of longing to have Lila's arm around his shoulders like that. Her comforting hug would feel so good.

  "Let's go." He led the way into the theater. They searched the rows, the stage, the dressing area, wardrobe and prop rooms. Ari even checked the light booth at the back of the theater. There were several exit doors, all of them sturdy metal with solid locks. This place was as tight and safe as a bank vault. He felt confident about leaving the main group here while the strike team went on their mission.

  "All clear," Derrick reported as he came from the restrooms, swinging his knife around his head like a Samurai sword.

  "Thanks. Do you want to go tell the others it's safe to come back here?" Ari asked.

  Derrick gave another one of his mocking salutes and marched off to do his bidding.

  "That kid drives me nuts," Ari said to Lila after the door closed behind him.

  "He lives to bait you. I can tell you don't have a younger brother," she said. "Neither do I, but I've worked at an outreach program for a few years and trust me, that's normal teenage boy asshattedness. I'm sure you were like that a few years ago."

  Ari smiled. "Never."

  Lila slipped her arm through his. "Come sit for a minute." She led him to a row of seats and they dropped onto the faded, flattened cushions. She looked up at the pressed tin ceiling way overhead and the elaborate proscenium framing the stage. "I bet this theater was really gorgeous back in its day."

  "Mm," he murmured, hardly hearing her words as he was concentrating on the pressure of her hand on his arm. What a pussy he was turning into, excited by her least little touch.

  "I thought, before the others get here, we might want to talk about what happened out there…to Ann."

  "Why? It happened. We can't change it. There's nothing to say. We have to keep moving forward."

  "I know, but I thought it might help if we discussed how we feel about it."

  He shook his head, snorting. "Women. How in the hell does talking about feelings fix anything. I fucked up by leaving her behind. She died because of it. End of story."

  Lila's eyes burned into him. "Is that what you think? Really? Ann's death wasn't your fault. She chose to stay and then she chose to follow us. Those were her decisions."

  Ari shrugged. "I shouldn't have left her. It was the wrong move. If I'd given her just a few more minutes, given you time to work your magic, she would've listened to you and come with us. She wouldn't have been…" He couldn't say 'eaten'. The word brought back that image of Ann's sneakered foot shaking as a zombie tore a chunk out of her leg.

  Lila stayed silent so long he thought she agreed with him that he'd made a terrible call. But her next words took him by surprise.

  "I feel horrible saying this, but if Ann hadn't stayed behind and come out when she did you know what would have happened to the rest of us." Lila's voice was small but steady. "She saved us. Maybe that was her destiny, while our path is to get Carl someplace where he can maybe fix all this. I believe in free will, but I also believe in pre-ordained patterns. Sometimes you can't see how the means
justify the end until you reach the end."

  "Wow, that's…really Zen," he said a bit sourly. "I'm glad you can find comfort in that."

  She smiled, not getting pissed off at his sarcasm and snapping back like most girls he knew would have. "That's what beliefs are for, to give comfort. It doesn't mean I really know what the hell I'm talking about." Her smile widened and he had to smile back.

  Their gazes locked for a powerful moment and he wanted to lean in and kiss her. Just once, quickly, before the rest of the group broke in on their quiet moment. But it was already too late. The door at the back of the theater opened and everyone came trooping in.

  "The big dressing room in the back is a good place to camp," Derrick said. "It's got an exit door so if anything goes down we can get out fast. I'll show you." He led the way onto the stage and behind the scenery with the others straggling behind like refugees bearing backpacks and bundles.

  Ari sighed and rose, his muscles aching as if he'd run a marathon rather than walked a few city blocks. Knowing he had to go out there again was what made him so weary. He could understand Ann's desire to hibernate and wait for everything to blow past. But Lila was right, if not about cosmic design then at least about the part where they had to get Carl someplace where he could work his magic and save the day. And the next step was to get the critical data from Quantus Laboratories.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Eight

  It was a lot easier moving with four people than with a group. Ari, Deb, Derrick and Julie scurried along the walls of the buildings like rats, dodging from doorway to alley to dumpster or whatever other protection they could find. Within minutes, they'd covered the short distance to Quantus.

  The building was a generic metal and glass structure. The single word "Quantus" was etched in white script across the glass doors with no indicator of "laboratories" or "research and development". These people were drawing no attention to what their work was about. From the outside it appeared like all the other office buildings in the area.