Sarah dropped the sliver into a waste basket she'd set next to the couch.
I didn't say anything. What could I say?
"Why would he do that?" she asked.
She pulled away from her handiwork. I could feel her eyes on me. I turned to face her. Sarah's face was smooth and calm, yet I could sense an underlying angst behind the calm exterior.
"I don't really know, Sarah. Maybe he thought he needed to prove something to himself."
I thought it was as close to the truth as I could come.
"He was being selfish," she said bitterly.
She broke eye contact and looked into her lap. Her hands had settled there in a meek posture. Her shoulders were slumped and huddled tight into her body as if she were cold. Sarah was lost in her thoughts. Then her lips curled inward and the veneer of calm broke apart. The wavy worry line came first, then her eyes became crimped and narrow, and I could see the pain written in them. Her chin began to tremble as it had so many times in the past twenty-four hours, and she started crying in a low, soft whine.
Instinctively, I reached for her and put my hand on her shoulder and she leaned softly into me. Her body shook and the whines soon turned into a soul-rending howl. Its intensity unnerved me. I stiffened and placed my injured arm lightly across her shoulders.
Becky appeared in the doorway of the office, her face twisted in concern. She ran to the couch and sat behind her mother and embraced her lightly from behind and began to lovingly rub her mother's back.
After a while, Sarah's cries turned into soft sobs. Eventually, she quieted down other than an occasional sniffle. She straightened herself and brushed the tears back from her face.
"I need to finish treating your arm," she said, as if nothing had happened.
"Okay."
A sudden, familiar awkwardness cropped up between us.
Becky stretched out on the couch and settled her head onto her mother's thigh.
Sarah cleaned the wound again and applied some Polysporin to it. Then she bandaged it up with gauze and tape and unfurled my rolled-up sleeve back down over the bandage.
"If there are any slivers left, they'll work themselves out in the next week or so." Her voice had taken on a professional tone.
"All right," I told her.
I stretched my arm and turned it up and down as if I were testing it out. Removing a few splinters and bandaging my arm wasn't suddenly going to make my arm and shoulder feel better. Moving my arm gave me something to do.
Sarah put everything neatly back into the first aid kit. Her face was still rosy and wet from crying.
"I don't know your last name," she suddenly mused aloud. She said it as if the realization of it had occurred to her for the first time.
"It's Henricksen," I told her. "Jacob Henricksen."
I didn't know why I had included my given Christian name in my answer.
"Oh," she said, smiling weakly. "Henricksen is a nice name." And I thought she said it as a way of being polite.
She looked at me curiously. "Does anyone ever call you Jacob?"
I didn't really want to answer her, but I did. "Only my mother," I told her. "She called me Jacob when she was upset with me or wanted to get my attention."
Then we fell into silence. Neither of us were especially adept at small talk. I felt awkward with it and Sarah seemed to labor with it too.
Sarah had recovered from the crying jag and regained her composure.
She smiled to herself as if the discovery of my given name had momentarily lifted her spirits. She held the first aid kit in her hands and toyed unconsciously with it, looking thoughtful.
"What will you do now?" she asked me.
I didn't know what to tell her. I'd made a promise to Raj, though I wasn't exactly sure what my promise entailed. I'd delivered them here safely, and I wondered if that ended my obligation. I felt confused, but I knew a part of me wanted to be with them. But that's not what I told her.
"I'm not sure," I said, unwilling to make a commitment.
Then I changed the subject. "It's after eleven o'clock. Maybe we should get something to eat."
Just the suggestion of eating put everyone at ease. Becky brightened and Sarah nodded her approval, and the three of us headed down to the cafeteria.
*****
It was a roomy cafeteria with plenty of round four-seat tables and colorful plastic chairs. Several vending machines, a refrigerator, a sink, a countertop with a microwave, and a hotplate stood against one wall. The fridge was well stocked and had a couple of loaves of wheat bread along with slices of smoked ham and cheese—medium cheddar and Swiss. I opened the freezer and found several types of meat and frozen vegetables. We made ourselves sandwiches and sat down at one of the tables and started to eat. I'd found a Coke to drink and Sarah and Becky had bottled water.
Sarah chewed thoughtfully on a bite of her sandwich. Something appeared to be vexing her, as if she were trying to work something out in her mind but couldn't quite put it together.
She looked up at me. "Dr. Nardone," she started. "Did she seem a little off to you?"
"I don't know. She seemed distracted. Why do you ask?"
"Well, it's just …" and she paused reflectively for a moment, "… she seemed different from the first time I talked to her on the phone."
I shrugged noncommittally.
Sarah made a face as if she were annoyed with my reaction and went back to her sandwich.
I felt strangely contented sitting there with them. I'd often had the same feeling sitting by the stream near the cabin. I drank greedily from the Coke can and the Cola gurgled softly in my throat.
Sarah smiled broadly and Becky tittered.
I smiled back at them and felt my face redden.
Lukas Melzer strolled into the room. He came up to our table and smiled cheerfully. He wanted to know if we had everything we needed.
We let him know we were fine. Then I asked him where they would be taking us. Sarah looked surprised by my question.
Melzer pulled up a chair and seated himself.
"Well," he started. "There's an underground government facility near Routt National Forest in Northern Colorado. It's quite an amazing complex. You'll have your own rooms there. They're very nice. There's plenty of food and supplies. You can stay there till this is all over with. You'll have everything you need to be comfortable, and it's perfectly safe."
Melzer spoke with a quiet assurance. He sat relaxed, one leg crossed over the other, hands cupping his knee.
"I happened to be there with Homeland Security when all this started. We were extremely lucky. We were conducting a training exercise. Ironically, the training was centered on establishing and coordinating communications during a national emergency. And as it turns out, that's just what we've been doing. I'm an adviser and consultant for the project. We've been coordinating communications with the CDC and CNN, trying to keep everyone informed.
"There's military personnel stationed there who handle security for the facility. There's a science lab there too. They're working as hard as they possibly can to create a vaccine. We're hoping Becky can help with that."
Becky smiled sheepishly and her face reddened.
Melzer winked at her and gave her a reassuring smile.
"What will they need Becky to do?" Sarah asked.
"I believe they'll just need to draw some blood and possibly take a tissue sample. Nothing too invasive. To my understanding, it'll be quite simple."
"I'm not afraid of needles," Becky said.
"I see. You're quite the brave little girl. Personally, I'm terrified of them," Melzer joked.
Sarah and Becky both smiled.
"Would it be all right if you showed me where you were bitten?" Melzer asked. He looked to Sarah to see if it was okay, and Sarah, in turn, looked to Becky.
Becky shrugged and pulled up her sleeve, exposing her bite wound.
Melzer mimicked a painful face. "Ooh, that looks like it hurts," he said.
"Nope,
not anymore," she told him. "It used to hurt, but it's okay now." And then Becky pulled her sleeve back down.
"Well, that's good," Melzer added. And then he looked thoughtful for a moment.
"There's one thing I can tell you, Becky. People are going to appreciate what you're doing. Your willingness to help out could save a lot of lives." He said it sincerely. "I believe people will be inspired by your willingness to help, and you'll give a lot of people hope. It's really important we all work together to help each other out. After all, we're all human beings and we all share this planet. And the only way we'll survive this crisis is if we all work together as if we're all part of one family."
The words teased my memory. Intuitively, I knew it was important to remember where I'd heard them. And then I did. They were the same words that had been spoken toward the end of the recording I'd listened to, almost verbatim. I felt confused, and then I became aware my Coke can was suspended halfway to my mouth. I finished raising the Coke to my lips and took a sip. Had Melzer noticed my hesitation? He kept his attention focused on Becky the entire time and his disarming smile never wavered.
During the last couple sentences he'd spoken, his voice had taken on the same passionate timbre I'd heard in the recording and the words were nearly identical.
I acted normally as if nothing had happened—and maybe nothing had. Anyone could have spoken those words. Melzer's thoughts were hardly out of the ordinary.
"Who's in charge of the facility?" I asked him.
"There's a Colonel Hopkins," Melzer said, turning his head attentively toward me. "I would say he's in charge. I believe originally the intention was to have civilian authority in charge of the complex, someone from the government. But the virus struck so quickly, I don't think they ever had the chance to execute the plan that was in place. But everything's running smoothly at the complex. There's nothing to worry about."
He glanced at his watch and then looked around the table at each of us. "Any more questions?"
No one said anything.
Sarah and Becky had already finished eating their sandwiches. Sarah nudged Becky with her elbow. "C'mon, sweetie. Time for a nap."
They got up and took their bottles of water with them. Melzer smiled and nodded as they left.
I took another sip of my Coke. The Coke was ice cold and I had a buzz going from the caffeine. It gave me a lift and I felt more alert. I couldn't help but wonder if Melzer was the whistleblower, though he didn't seem the type. It didn't make any sense. What would have been his motivation? There was a good chance I was overreacting.
Melzer stood up and pushed his chair back in till it was flush with the edge of the table. Then he settled into the chair directly across from me. "I like to look people in the eye when I talk to them," he said. "I had been hoping we might get a chance to talk. I don't very often have an opportunity to talk to survivors."
I nodded as if it were fine with me. Melzer's easy, cordial smile persisted, but I had the distinct impression he was scrutinizing me.
Melzer placed his hands on the table palms down. "They're quite nice. Sarah and Becky. You're fond of them, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am."
"Have you known them long?"
"No. I've only known them a few days."
I didn't know what to make of Melzer, but I'd already decided I wouldn't lie to him. There was no point to it. He'd know if I lied. I'd stick to the truth and say as little as possible.
Alvaro walked in before Melzer could ask me another question. It was the first time I'd seen him and he made an impression. Coleman had looked like just another soldier, Alvaro looked menacing. An angular, whitish scar sliced through his left eyebrow. Alvaro was in his mid-forties, stout, not too tall, with thick-muscled shoulders and forearms. He wasn't in a uniform. He wore tan cargo pants and a Hawaiian shirt patterned with large green frond leaves. Alvaro's eyes were alert, but there was a flat, emotionless quality to them. He sported a dark week-old beard and his bushy hair was a mix of dark gray shades. He walked with a relaxed, agile gait and toted his automatic weapon casually by the barrel.
He addressed Melzer directly and paid no attention to me. "That same alpha is hanging around outside. He's limping around, checking the building out. Now he's got company. Maybe twenty of them. Seems interested in the truck they came in. Want me to take him out?"
"No. That'll attract more of them," Melzer told him. "They can't get in. Just keep an eye on him."
Melzer spoke with a casual authority, and he obviously didn't feel the need to assert himself. It struck me the two of them communicated familiarly as if they'd been together a long time.
"He may have spotted me," Alvaro said, his voice colorless. "Seems to be hiding now."
"Just keep an eye out. I want you and Coleman to alternate roof duty. I want someone up there all the time."
Alvaro took his cue and walked away. Melzer waited patiently till Alvaro was out of the room. "Do you know what an alpha is, Jake?" he asked.
"Yes," I told him.
"This one a friend of yours?"
"Not exactly."
"But you know him, right?"
"Yes, I know him."
"You mind telling me what happened?" he asked. Melzer seemed to have a keen interest in the Swimmer.
"Five or six days ago, he came after me, chased me down. I hit him with a baseball bat. Yesterday, I shot him." I kept my comments as concise as possible.
"Could you tell me about him?" Melzer asked.
"Well, he's tall, well built, like a swimmer. He can run full out and climb fences. He's intense and brutal, and he enjoys killing."
"Yes, I see. You know, we're aware of alphas," he said. "At the facility, we monitor all the information we can, try to learn as much as we can. There've been a handful of reports on these alphas from different parts of the world. They seem to be quite dangerous."
"They are," I told him.
He studied me closely for a few moments. "I think you may have been very lucky where this alpha was concerned."
"Yes. I know."
Then he raised his eyebrows. "So, you have a gun then?"
"Not anymore. I lost it this morning."
"Oh, that's too bad. How did you lose it?"
"I dropped it and couldn't go back for it."
Melzer looked at me thoughtfully. "It's entirely possible this alpha is stalking you."
"Yes, I'm aware."
"I suspect you've made a life-long enemy."
"I guess so."
"Well, he won't be able to stalk you where we're going. You and Sarah and Becky will be safe at the complex."
I couldn't seem to get a handle on Melzer. I had no real feel for who he was. He had remained as pleasant and amiable as ever, but I didn't trust him.
I decided to change the dynamic, see if I could draw him out and get a feel for him. "You have access to a lot more information than I do. There seems to be different ideas about who was responsible for the attacks. Who do you think is responsible?"
"Hmm. That's a good question, Jake. There's a lot of conflicting information out there." Melzer paused thoughtfully and seemed to be weighing how to respond. "Keep in mind, you can't believe everything you hear or read.
"The truth is, I don't have any idea who was behind the attacks. But I don't think it's relevant at this point. The die has been cast. There's no going back. What's important now is what we choose to do about the situation we've found ourselves in. The human race can stumble about as it has for thousands of years or we can come together to create the best possible future for ourselves.
"As far as who was behind the attacks, I'll say this. People are going to believe what they want to believe. They'll find whatever shred of evidence they can to validate their beliefs about the attacks. Some will believe terrorists were behind the attacks, others will believe the attacks were the result of some kind of conspiracy. They'll cling to those beliefs because it's what they do. In the end, there will never be any real consensus as to what happen
ed."
Then he went on. "Again," he began. "The important thing is what we choose to do now. There's no question this has been … and still is … a terrible tragedy. But it will run its course. And then what?" He bored his eyes into mine, then answered his own question. "This is an opportunity. A defining moment. A chance to come together and create something extraordinary from the ashes. Maybe this time we can get it right." He watched me closely as if he were gauging my reactions to what he was saying. "I take it you're familiar with the story of the Tower of Babel?"
I nodded affirmatively.
He chuckled good-naturedly. "Don't get me wrong, Jake. No one has ever accused me of being religious. And for good reason. But there's a powerful allegorical message held within the Tower of Babel story. As I'm sure you're aware, the Tower of Babel is a metaphor. The tower itself represents man's aspiration to ascend to the heavens, to achieve extraordinary things, to rise to the level of the gods. A worthwhile pursuit, wouldn't you say? And while they had a singular purpose, which is always necessary to achieve great things, the timing wasn't right. Not then." He paused for effect. "There is a right time for everything."
Melzer spoke in a scholarly, philosophical tone.
"As the story goes," he continued. "God, in his infinite wisdom, scattered the human race through a confusion of tongues. The people lost their ability to communicate and work together. Most importantly, they lost their singular purpose and were scattered to the ends of the earth. And while the Tower of Babel is just a story, the confusion of tongues accurately represents human reality.
"There's a direct correlation between the confusion of tongues and humanity's never-ending fascination with self-interest, what you might call the human ego. The ego is humanity's curse and is the root of all chaos and confusion in the world. Look around you. We live in a world fully invested in chaos and greed and self-fulfillment. Every ounce of human misery is self-inflicted. Human beings are constantly pitting themselves against one another. Even the threat of extinction hasn't been able to bring the human race together."
Melzer smiled sardonically. "People are willing to come together when they have a common interest. And now they do." He spoke hurriedly. "People want to survive. And when they're desperate enough, they won't care who was behind the attacks. They'll want us to keep them safe. That's all they'll care about. Then they'll be ready to come together because there'll be no other choice. They'll know the only way to survive will be to work together. It will be a start. And that's all that's needed."
Apocalypse Journeys (Book 1): Jacob's Odyssey Page 24
