CHAPTER NINETY
As Mace drove away from San Antonio, TX, he said, "Well, that was something."
Lisa stared out the window as they drove, reflecting on what they'd just left. "There was no other way, was there?"
Mace glanced at her while driving. "Well, for one, you're dying, remember. You said you didn't want to fade away in some hospital bed. Second, if you weren't sick, we'd both be climbing the walls with no one to fight or kill. It's in our blood. We'd start imploding and take it out on the camp."
Lisa didn't look at him. "Yeah, you're right," she said quietly as she stared at the passing landscape.
"It's better this way," he reaffirmed. "Without us there, they can focus on creating a better way of life. We were only going to bring them down."
They drove in silence for a while before Lisa spoke again."I'm really tired of living this way," she said softly.
Eight hours later they pulled over outside Dallas to set up camp before dark. They'd rode in complete silence all the way. They hadn't run into a single soul along the journey.
"Stay in here until I get everything set up," Mace said before exiting the ambulance. "We'll see if we can't refill some of the gas cans in the morning."
"Yes, boss," Lisa responded weakly. She looked worse. The emotional toll of leaving wasn't helping her situation.
They remained silent the rest of the night, lost in their own thoughts.
Waking the next morning, Mace rolled over inside their two-person tent and stared silently at Lisa. He didn't need to ask if she was okay. He'd seen death too many times before. He stared at her quietly for an hour before finally getting up. It was the most peaceful he'd ever seen her.
He spent the next several hours silently digging her grave. He looked up at the sky during a short break and wiped his brow. He couldn't help but wonder if the peaceful look on her face went beyond a tranquil countenance. Carefully lowering her body into the hole, he felt the darkness pull at him again. There was nothing holding him back now: No camp, no family, no responsibility to keep it in check. That scared him. He was now free to release the madness within. He was completely alone.
After finding enough fuel to fill the gas containers, he hit the road again. Reaching dizzying speeds, his face remained stoic as he drove for two straight days, only stopping long enough to relieve himself, search for gas or clear debris. His focus was completely on the Plaguers and ending the infection for good.
Approaching Louisville, KY, a little after midnight on the second day, he slowed the ambulance down after spotting bonfires in the distance. Killing the lights, he stopped and pulled to the side of the road, checking the area with binoculars.
He figured it must be Plaguers by the size of the group. He got back in the ambulance and pulled up to their camp. The camp sprang to life as soon as he approached, and he was greeted by angry faces and rifles. Mace exited the vehicle carefully as the Plaguers surrounded him.
"Don't move," a big, dumb-looking Plaguer commanded as Mace lifted his hands over his head. "We need to check you for weapons."
"I've got a handgun in a hip holster under the jacket," Mace said calmly, keeping his hands raised. "I'm not a threat. I'm hunting down witches. I have gifts for the great leader."
The dumb-looking Plaguer seemed confused. Others started whispering amongst themselves at the announcement.
"What great leader?" the dumb-looking one finally asked.
Answering a question with a question, Maced asked, "Where are you heading?"
"The battle is up North. We're heading to New York to join our brothers."
Impressed at what he'd started so easily in San Antonio, Mace said, "I am heading there as well. Marty, our great leader and prophet, awaits my arrival." He figured if he'd planted the suggestion in San Antonio to Marty and that group of Plaguers, they should be the leaders of the overall group.
"Marty, the great leader," the dumb-one repeated, and the suggestion took root. As the implication of a prophet expanded, the psychic Plaguer connection carried it even further, allowing it to grow in significance.
"I have seven cases in the ambulance. I travel to present them to Marty. With them in his possession, the curse will be ended. It is my destiny."
Enthusiasm spread throughout the crowd as they learned the key to victory now rested inside their campground. They looked towards Mace with reverence.
"I would be honored if you would assist me in this great moment," Mace said as he pictured the mass-murder to come. His body tingled as he imagined the end in sight.
The next morning as the group gathered up its things, Mace couldn't hold in the pull of the infection any longer. Creeping up behind a Plaguer that was off by himself, Mace's blade sliced across the Plaguer's throat before his presence was even acknowledged. Breathing in deeply at the completion of the act, Mace quickly disposed of the body. If he didn't give in to the darkness, he knew he would eventually explode. He needed to keep it released in order to finish his mission. As the others gathered to leave and noticed the Plaguer's absence, Mace identified himself as a Mystic.
"Our brother was chosen by Gozer to be released from this mortal coil," Mace explained, longing to be free of it himself. "He is with Gozer now, in paradise. It was his destiny." His nightmare would soon be over. "Our mission is a holy one," he continued, feeling nothing inside. "Travel with me and many more of you will discover that Bliss." He could already feel the call of the darkness.
Excitement spread through the crowd as they thought of being picked for such a divine gift. It took two more weeks for the group to reach New York. As Mace grew restless over the slow pace, eighteen more of the forty-three left were mysteriously chosen by Gozer.
The closer they got to New York, the more Plaguer groups they came into contact with. Their overall numbers reached tens of thousands as they entered the city searching for the elusive center of Plaguer activity and frontline of the war against the great Curse. People abandoned their cars as the area became too congested to drive through. Many collapsed and died as they marched, too weak to continue but unable to resist the pull of their calling.
Mace longed to free the world from the Plaguers fanatical existence. They were unpredictable and delirious. With this one last act his role as warrior and protector would be finished. He would finally be free. It was almost time to meet his Maker.
As they left their vehicles and entered New York City, Mace climbed into the back of the ambulance and opened each case, setting the timers. In seven hours all the nukes would explode. He hoped that would give them enough time to reach the epicenter of Plaguer existence. Opening the side doors, he handed the cases to those in his party who had not yet experienced the pleasure of his Rapture.
Following the throngs of mad pilgrims, he was utterly surprised when word spread through the crowd that Marty, their leader and prophet, would be speaking again at Madison Square Garden in preparation for the final battle.
As enthusiasm grew behind Mace's suggestion and the Plaguer groups connected, the new belief advanced like a wireless transmission throughout the airwaves. Reaching New York far in advance of Mace's own group, Marty's brain suddenly felt enlightened, and those around him turned to him for their every need.
Feeling like he was in some hallucinatory nightmare as the crowd finally made their way towards the Garden, Mace couldn't understand how the building itself could still be standing. Years after the Apocalypse, its condition was a stark reminder of the destruction of their world. Dark and dilapidated, the closer Mace got to the building, the worse it appeared. Huge panes of glass were missing altogether, while others were shattered and broken, with glass scattered everywhere. Part of the structure had burned.
The closer Mace came to their meeting place, the greater his sense of peace. As the crowds grew tighter, he actually laughed out loud as Plaguers brushed against him, eager to get inside. They were rushing to their deaths, he thought. The end was near. For all of them.
Once inside, torches lit t
he arena, creating an off-kilter, drugged type of experience. The stands teemed with dirty Plaguers, who all chanted together, "Kill, kill, kill..." They repeated the word over and over and over again.
Those that arrived with Mace quickly spread word that he carried the answer to the dreaded curse. Marty himself sought his counsel as he prepared to address the crowd. As Mace walked into his private room, Marty's expression couldn't have been more surprised. Or pleased.
"You," Marty said expressively. "You were right all along!"
Eyeing him intensely, Mace's brain turned as he realized he could end it all with truth. Everything he'd started and spread, they'd believed.
"There is one thing left to do," Mace said, starting to feel peace spread within him. "Listen to me closely."
Marty studied his face, enamored by his wisdom and guidance. "Just tell me," he said sincerely.
"The curse," Mace said. "It is still in our midst. It turns out it isn't somewhere out there, but it's within us all. We are all infected." Surprised by Mace's declaration, Marty remained mesmerized by his words.
"There is only one way to free ourselves from this curse," Mace said. "There is only one way to make this right."
Marty's eyes grew wide as Mace's words sunk in.
"We need to sacrifice ourselves. We need to leave this earth free from the stain of infection." At the sound of his words, everything felt right to Mace.
"We need to die?" questioned Marty, shocked by the authority and authenticity of Mace's truth.
Smiling as the end drew closer, Mace answered sincerely. "It is not a bad thing. It is the gift we give to this world. With this one final act, we just might find redemption." Watching Marty try to find meaning, Mace felt sympathetic for his plight. It wasn't Marty's fault. It was none of theirs. It was the infection. It tried to destroy them all.
"Trust me," Mace said. "This is a glorious end. We must embrace this truth and offer ourselves up with joy."
As the new realization spun through Marty's head, he grinned. "We can end the suffering," Marty said, understanding his own inner turmoil and madness. "We can finally find peace."
"Exactly," Mace answered calmly.
Staring at him for the longest time, Marty finally uttered the words that brought it all home. "You are our Savior." The circle was now complete.
CHAPTER NINETY ONE
As Mace made his way to the top of the stands, he took it all in. Part of the roof had collapsed, and the breeze felt good as it swept through the upper rows. Looking about, he chuckled as he realized the building could collapse any moment. It creaked and swayed as the crowds chanted and stomped their feet, becoming joyous as they embraced their final act of surrender. Marty didn't need to announce it. It spread telekinetically. The vibration was so strong Mace could actually feel it himself.
Those that couldn't make it inside pressed themselves against the building, feeling the connection through the walls. Others pressed against them as they all longed to be part of their final experience. In all, over 170,000 Plaguers gathered or pressed against each other, lost in the connection of their surrender.
Closing his eyes, Mace took a few deep breaths as he prepared for the end to come. In his minds eye, he pictured Jade smiling and happy. It was what he'd always wanted for her. Falling into a faraway place, he watched as Jason ran giggling through a field of deep grass with Jade chasing after him. They looked completely joyful.
At that moment, his heart opened up again. He could feel his love for them return as the seconds ticked down to Plaguer Armageddon. "Thank you," he said out loud, as more pictures of his family and friends played out in his mind.
Despite the roar of the crowd as Marty finally took center stage, Mace remained in a state of bliss as his mind surrounded himself with those he loved and cherished. A smile crossed his face as he pictured Chelsea with Herman on her shoulder and Buster at her feet.
He never felt any pain when the nukes finally went off. Just a quick flash of intense heat, and then nothing. The next thing he knew he was floating aimlessly in a dark void. Endless and deep, he experienced no fear. He felt nothing. Lost in a timeless, spaceless existence, he surrendered himself to the emptiness all around.
In the far off distance, which appeared to be millions of miles away, he suddenly spotted a tiny pin of light. As it slowly drew closer, it began to grow in size. It started moving towards him at dizzying speeds, expanding as it came, until it finally appeared as a vast tunnel of light. He felt an incredible sense of love emanating from its center.
Someone appeared in the middle of the tunnel. Recognizing his old friend's smile immediately, the emptiness Mace felt was replaced with a great sense of joy. Behind Father McCann were numerous others from his past. His eyes fell upon Lisa, who now looked completely radiant. They all did.
As he looked upon each face, the guilt he'd felt washed away. They held no resentment towards him, laid no blame. All he felt from each of them was acceptance and love.
Jason, the child he'd been forced to shoot in San Francisco, whose death had haunted him most, suddenly stepped forward, grinning wildly at the sight of him. "I've been waiting for you," he said joyfully.
From somewhere deep inside Mace an overwhelming consciousness of love burst forth like an exploding planet. He instantly felt at one with the light and everyone around him. With razor clarity, he suddenly understood it all.
EPILOGUE
Ten Years Later
As the sun began to set over San Antonio, TX, the sounds of children's laughter filled the air. On a beautiful summer night in early September, the compound gathered to pay homage to their founding members.
Lighting the candle of remembrance, Chelsea smiled as she cleared her throat, ready to begin her speech. Her oldest daughter, Emily, waved at her from the crowd and yelled, "Go Mom!"
The crowd laughed, causing Emily to bolt from her seat and race towards the stage. She was a natural ham. Bailey quickly snatched her from behind, and she giggled incessantly as he carried her back to her seat over his shoulder.
Watching her family, Chelsea smiled warmly. "This is why we gather today," she said, motioning towards them. "We are just so blessed to be here right now."
Over the course of the past decade, the camp had grown by twenty-three, with only one loss, in their second year. One of the Rangers died accidentally as they cleared the mines around the compound. With all the threats gone, it was time to change the area from a fortress into a sanctuary.
"We honor all our heroes this day, but especially Mace Marconi and Lisa Hutchins, my mother," Chelsea said proudly, beginning her official speech. "Their bravery, unyielding commitment to this camp, and selfless actions allow us to still be here today." She widened her arms and said, "And just look at what we've accomplished."
Surrounded by fields bursting with crops, flowers, and trees, their sanctuary barely resembled the hardened fortress it once had been. Farm animals roamed freely inside their large pens, while Buster slept quietly in the shade under an oak. Far past his prime, he barely roamed anymore. With the eyesight in his one good eye deteriorating and arthritis slowing him down, he stayed mostly indoors, sleeping next to Emily at night. They were close to inseparable.
Standing in the back behind Jade, Roger wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed the side of her cheek. "I love you," he whispered, as Shawn, ten, and Mace Jr., now nine, played with their little sister on the ground in front of them. Even though they held this commemoration every year, Jade couldn't help but get emotional.
Jade kissed Roger's forearm as he snuggled her. "I love you, too," she said quietly. Their relationship had grown stronger over time, finally blossoming into deep feelings and then real love. Mace would always be the one, though. They both understood that.
Standing next to his mother, Jason smiled and squeezed her hand as she sniffled. Looking up at her, he said "It's okay, mom. You can cry if you need to."
Smiling back, Jade stared lovingly at her boy. He was the spitting imag
e of his father. He possessed an inner strength and sense of compassion that completely warmed her heart. She knew he would someday be their new leader. "Thank you, honey," she said. She bent over, kissing him on his forehead.
After Mace's departure, the idea of turning the camp became close to an obsession for Roger. Leading by example, as each day passed and no new threat arose, he worked tirelessly to turn their focus from being battle-ready to family-oriented. With the arrival of Mace and Jade's third child in a non-hostile environment, everything changed. Young, hardened hearts that never contemplated a peaceful existence, started to melt. Hope took hold in the camp. Roger became their spiritual father.
Children continued to squeal as they chased each other around the playground. They usually didn't get to stay up this late. Crockett shook his head as his and Kelly's youngest, Brian, nicknamed Bowie, started crying as he slipped off the monkey bars. "Kid's a human pinball," Crockett whispered to Kelly as she sat next to him.
"I'll get him," Kelly chuckled as she quickly rose and rushed over to quiet him down. She didn't want his fussiness to interrupt the proceedings.
"As we start a new decade," Chelsea proceeded, "we continue to work hard to improve our community and give thanks for all the goodness we have received. We are the new world order: We are the future. And as we multiply and expand, we vow to treat this earth and each other with respect."
Momentarily locking eyes with Maya as she scanned the crowd, Chelsea smiled as she watched Maya's baby reach up and pull on Maya's lower lip. Looking at Travis sitting next to her, Chelsea could see the adoration and love on his face as he stared at his family. He grabbed his baby's fingers and gently kissed them.
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