Rusty cars and mounds of moldering trash had been pushed onto both sides of the Kansas Turnpike. Aside from an initial plowing to create a pathway for the FEMA convoys, it didn’t appear to Teddy that cleaning and decontaminating the interstate was high on the priority list, so nature had taken its course. Skeletal corpses remained slouched behind the driver’s seat and slumped across rotting dashboards. The abasement was not confined to the highway—overgrown, neglected fields dusted with frost stretched out for miles and perennial woody vines were slowly encroaching on the abandoned farmhouses and boarded-up homesteads that peppered the barren land. Tractors sat sunken into the earth on rotting tires and forgotten stables housed the remains of horses and livestock that had long since succumbed to starvation.
Between the silence inside the bus and the decaying world outside, Teddy found a strange peace. In the haunting stillness that surrounded him—it was a welcome change from the whirlwind of chaos that had followed him ever since Tucson. Lost in silence and transfixed by the scenery, he was given a brief respite from Jane’s memory and all of those that he had left behind in his journey.
As they drove onwards, the overgrown fields and farmhouses gave way to empty neighborhoods and shuttered strip malls. Tattered billboards peppered the side of the freeway and the side streets had been rendered impassable by wrecked vehicles, overgrown vegetation, and toppled trees. Loose paper and mounds of trash overflowed from the alleyways onto the sidewalks.
Teddy could tell that they were getting close to a major city, but he had no clue which one.
At the front of the bus, Parham and Vue stood up and started donning their gasmasks and checking the filters.
Teddy looked away from the window and cuffed his head in his hands, sighing.
“You look nervous, but you don’t need to be,” Roger whispered. “I was shaky too the first time I went out.”
The others seated nearby remained silent, as they scowled, and kept their heads down.
Teddy lowered his hands and looked over at the man. “I’m not nervous… I’m just irritated that I’m sitting here freezing my ass off under the watch of that short piece of shit standing up front.”
Roger offered a thin smile.
“You’ll get used to it—both the cold and Parham’s delightful personality.” He pointed at Teddy’s bruised and bloodied nose. “Parham’s work?”
Teddy nodded.
“He’s got a real bad case of the holler tail,” Roger said, shaking his head. “Nasty one, that’s for sure.”
“Yeah, I noticed.” He reached up and rubbed the dry flakes of blood off of his upper lip. “I seem to have a funny effect on people.”
“I know the feeling, buddy.” Roger chuckled. “I ran a pawn shop before the bug hit—not the best profession to make friends in. What did you do?”
“Security,” Teddy said. “Banks, mostly.”
Vue pounded against the grille with his fist.
“Yo!” Vue shouted. “Shut up back there!”
Roger lowered his head and placed his index finger against his pursed lips with wide comical eyes and went shhhhhhh.
Teddy grinned.
“Listen up!” Parham announced from the other side of the grille, voice muffled by his mask. “The priority today will be the Kansas State Capitol building. City leaders require a centralized location.
“Since the building was closed for the duration of the pandemic, we don’t expect many corpses. That being said, it is located outside of the safe zone so there is no telling who crept inside and died. If you find a corpse, deal with it as normal—there will be a flatbed coming around in case you do stumble across a few. A security team from the city will be working alongside you today and sweeping the area for any survivors. As always, if you encounter a survivor, let the security team deal with them—do not attempt to engage.
“Your mission will be to perform power restoration preparation protocols before the block gets placed back on the grid and absorbed into the safe zone. Full power restoration is scheduled in two days.”
“Power restoration protocols?” Teddy whispered towards Roger.
“Easy day,” Roger whispered back.
Parham looked over at Teddy and scowled. “Since we have a new recruit, I will remind you all that your RFID chips will be monitored from the safe zone’s control center and your movements will be tracked at all times. If you try running away, you will be tracked down and executed—I hope that’s abundantly clear.”
Teddy gave him a cold glare.
“Does anybody have any questions?” Parham asked as he looked out at the others.
The passengers remained silent.
“Good.” Parham adjusted his gasmask straps. “Gear up and get ready—we’re almost there.”
The passengers put on their reflective vests, gloves, and their ill-fitting dust masks as they anxiously shifted around in their seats.
“You’ll be paired off in twos,” Vue said. “The person you’re sitting with is who you’ll be working with!”
Teddy put on his vest and gloves and looked over at Roger. “I hope you know what the hell you’re doing because I was never much of an electrician.”
“It doesn’t take a doctorate degree to unplug a coffee maker,” Roger said with a grin. “But if you get confused, I’ll help you out.”
“Thanks, you’re a real lifesaver.”
Roger laughed. “Just relax—it’ll be fine… Power restores are easy. All we have to do is walk around and unplug everything that folks left on before they died. One coffee maker or space heater left unattended could start a fire and that’s never good.”
“What if we come across a dead body?” Teddy asked.
“We’ll pretend we didn’t.” Roger gave a goofy grin and put his mask on.
Teddy chuckled and looked back out of his window’s tiny peephole. The bus had pulled off of the freeway and drove along a street in what probably had been the downtown area. Many of the buildings were separated from the rest of the city by a wall constructed out of a series of interlocking steel slats. The steel barrier ran along the side-streets and alleyways and zig-zagged between abandoned buildings. It was topped with multiple spools of razor wire and spotlights, and was protected by numerous makeshift watchtowers atop slab scissor lifts. Military flatbeds loaded with additional steel slats stood parked near many of the watchtowers, ready to add or take away from the wall at a moment’s notice. The steel wall was stenciled with Topeka Safe Zone.
Inside the walled complex, the windows of the buildings had all been repaired and the streetlights appeared to be working. Steam rose out of the apartment’s HVAC systems and FEMA policemen patrolled the rooftops keeping an eye on the people below. Electric lights gleamed from the numerous mid-rise apartment buildings and office towers. Many of the buildings were walled-in by scaffolding as workers repainted them and repaired damage left behind from the riots that had followed the outbreak.
Outside the wall, things looked much different—the dark streets were littered with rusted, abandoned vehicles. Derelict buildings had their windows shattered and still had yellowed sheets hanging from their balconies with hand-sprawled messages pleading for help.
Teddy looked at walled off area with some surprise. “That is… something.”
“I guess you can see why folks want to live in there. Too bad the rest of the city isn’t so… picturesque just yet.”
“Who rebuilt everything?”
“We did—the vultures, dontcha know. Teams just like ours made all of that possible. Every week that steel wall extends outwards and envelops more buildings.”
“I really didn’t expect much progress,” Teddy said. “The last time I was in a city, it looked like a warzone.”
“Most still do… For every city they reclaim, just think about how many smaller towns get left behind.”
Teddy peered at the one of the office buildings that was getting its windows power-washed. “What do they do in there all day? Do they work a nine-to-f
ive at some office, go home, and pretend that everything is normal?”
“Nah, I don’t think they’re that sheltered from our new reality,” Roger said. “I heard that they have to work just like we do. They run the factories, power plants, and deal with a lot of the manufacturing. Outside of skilled labor, most of the medical folks and cops live in the city.”
“So it’s a just another work camp…”
“Yeah, but with nicer beds and better food I suppose.”
Teddy looked over at him and frowned. “I’ll pass on it, if they offer.”
“Judging by how you make friends, I don’t see you getting an invitation anytime soon, hoss.”
“Just as well.”
“If they offered it to me, I wouldn’t brush it off,” Roger mused. “I’ve heard it’s a different quality of life inside.”
Teddy turned his attention back to the scenery outside the window and glanced up at one of snipers standing on a watchtower platform. “I’m not fond of being kept inside by walls and men with guns.”
“It’s just the way things are now,” Roger said.
“A cage is still a cage.” Teddy looked over at Roger. “What happens to the others?”
“Others?”
“The others,” he repeated. “The ones who refuse to live in a work camp or a safe zone.”
Roger thought for a moment and then shrugged. “I’m not sure there are too many decent folks left. Outside of the city, it’s a dangerous life. All the remaining land has been claimed by the terrorists.”
“Terrorists?”
“Separatists, terrorists, nutjobs… Whatever you want to call them,” Roger said as he scratched his red nose. “They’re an issue in the city. They figured that they were just fine without a government and they’d like it to stay that way. Dying over an ideal makes about as much sense to me as government cheese—nobody cares and they’re only hurting the folks living in the city with their attacks.”
“See, that’s part of the problem. I’ve slept with one eye open long enough. That type of lifestyle just doesn’t suit me anymore.”
“If the bed was nice enough, I’d happily lay down with one eye open all night long.”
“Now you sound like Perry…”
“Old Perry? The orderly?” Roger shook his head. “That doormat happily licks the cop’s boot heels every day that he puts on that stupid armband. Please—don’t insult me like that. I’m not saying that they are our saviors, but a free bowl of sour soup beats getting into a fistfight over a can of beans in the streets.”
Teddy stared outside, at the wall and watchtowers, and kept frowning—it reminded him too much of USP Tucson. “I understand, but I couldn’t live in a place like this. I want to be able to scratch my nuts without worrying about Big Brother watching me.”
Roger laughed and his rosy cheeks filled with wrinkles. “If they wanted to get their jollies watching my old ass, I wouldn’t stop them.”
“You’d sell your dignity for a clean bed, huh?”
“Dignity? I already told you that I ran a pawn shop. I gave up on dignity a long time ago.”
Both men laughed.
“Quiet!” Vue ordered.
The bus turned a corner and came to an abrupt stop.
The doors folded open and Parham stepped outside.
Vue unlocked the security grille with a large brass Folger Adam key and motioned for the passengers to step forward. He held a small box of cheap plastic flashlights under his arm.
“Hurry up!” Vue said, his Brooklyn accent muffled by the gasmask. “One flashlight per group! I better get it back when you get return!”
The passengers got on their feet and shuffled down the narrow aisle, many coughing behind their flimsy masks.
Vue handed a flashlight to every other person who passed.
Teddy followed Roger and adjusted his mask. He noticed that people kept their heads down and didn’t speak. “Not a lively bunch, are they?”
“Shh,” Roger responded quietly as he walked with his eyes on the ground.
Teddy frowned.
Roger walked through the grille and passed Vue.
Vue handed him a flashlight.
As soon as Teddy neared, Vue reached out and jabbed him in the chest.
Teddy grunted in pain and froze.
“Yo, if you talk so much on the way home, I’ll make sure that you won’t be able to move your jaw,” Vue warned. “No side conversations—that’s the rule. Got it?”
“Yeah,” Teddy croaked. “I get it.”
Satisfied, Vue stepped aside and allowed Teddy to pass.
Through the windshield, Teddy saw that the bus was parked in front of a large courtyard. The Kansas State Capitol building stood prominently on the other side in the distance.
Salguero gave Teddy a sideways glance from the driver’s seat as he passed. “You won’t last a week.”
Teddy looked down at the unarmed driver—the man looked like a joke. He was dressed as if he were going to battle but he didn’t even have a pistol. “Just be a good chauffeur and keep it nice and warm in here.” He turned and started to walk down the steps.
Salguero angrily shoved a foot against Teddy’s back.
Teddy flew forward and landed hard on the asphalt. He coughed violently and wrapped his arms around his bruised ribs.
“Careful on that last step,” Salguero said with a dark grin.
Roger bent over and helped him up. “Oh for crying out loud… Stop ruffling their feathers. It isn’t a fight you’ll win.”
“Is there a problem?” Parham asked as he walked over with his rifle ready.
Teddy rose to his feet and shook his head. He pulled his mask down and spat a wad of bloody mucus onto the ground.
“Then get your ass moving!” Parham ordered. He snatched Teddy by the back of his neck, and pushed him away from the bus and towards the courtyard.
Roger hurried beside him.
Teddy balled his fists and spun towards Parham.
Parham stepped back and pointed his rifle at Teddy.
Roger stepped between them and forced a smile. “Don’t worry, boss, I’ll keep an eye on him and make a decent laborer out of him yet!” He jaunted a thumb over his shoulder towards Teddy. “He’s still all schnookered from last night, that’s all!”
Before Parham could answer, Roger led Teddy off of the road and onto a footpath into the courtyard.
The courtyard’s frozen grass was dying and lay boxed in by overgrown hedges. Brown vines crept up the park benches—covering the broken marble Victorian fountain in the center. Barren trees rustled in the bitter wind, and a few lay toppled across the footpaths.
Beyond the courtyard, sunlight glimmered off of the Capitol’s iconic dome but the rest of the building appeared to be in a state of severe disrepair. Most of the limestone along the lower levels was covered with graffiti. The glass in all but one of the windows had been shattered. Two marble support pillars had broken off and lay in pieces on the stone steps leading up to the entrance.
“Thanks for that back there,” Teddy said once they were out of Parham’s earshot. “I’m not very good at keeping my cool.”
“I can tell.” Roger chuckled. He turned on his flashlight briefly to ensure that it worked. Satisfied, he turned it off and stuck it in his back pocket. “You have to learn to bite your tongue… Those fools think they’re the Frozen Chosen and are itching for an excuse to pull their triggers.”
“I’ve tried to be civil, but they all have massive power trips—especially that motherfucking sergeant.”
“Parham? Yeah, most short men do.”
“And what’s with that bullshit no talking rule that the Asian guy was going on about?”
“It is exactly what you said it is—bullshit,” Roger said. “They’re just making rules up for the sake of making rules.”
“Jesus… I would have been better off just staying where I was.” He looked over at a row of old-fashioned newspaper vending racks owned by the Kansas City St
ar. A yellowed, molding piece of paper dated months ago stood in one of the glass displays and had an image of corpses stacked outside a hospital like cordwood. The headline read: Harlem Flu Overwhelms Topeka Hospitals – Local Government Mum on Official Death Toll.
“Where were you at before?” Roger asked.
“Before what?”
“Before the camp.”
“A stadium,” Teddy said.
“You stayed in a stadium? Hot dogs… Popcorn… You were lucky! Our shelter in Topeka was at an old high school.”
“It wasn’t anything special.” Teddy shrugged. “It was just a dirty cesspool.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, what did you expect?” Teddy asked. “They brought people there by force.”
“Yeah, that’s a good point,” Roger admitted. “If I had my druthers, I’d still be back at my ranch… Honestly though, the high school wasn’t so bad. It was cleaner than the camp and most of the folks were downright friendly. I sure miss some of them… I hope they’re doing well wherever they ended up.”
As Teddy thought about his time in the stadium, his mind drifted to thoughts of Jane and Danny. Their memories had started to plague his consciousness even when he was awake.
Teddy’s expression darkened as he kept walking.
Roger glanced over at him. “What’s wrong?”
Teddy didn’t respond.
“Ah…” Roger said knowingly. He grew flustered and scratched his neck, embarrassed. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to pick at scabs… I shouldn’t have brought it up. I’ve lost people too, both before and after the high school.”
Teddy thought about Ein and his mood soured even more. “Here lately, all I seem to do is lose people.” He gave a heavy sigh. “You’d think I’d get used to it by now.”
“It never gets easy and you’ll never get used to it. All you can do is keep moving forward.”
Teddy looked over at him. “I didn’t take you as the type that gave inspirational speeches, Roger.”
Roger laughed. “Get some liquor in me and I’ll even preach the gospel to you.”
Teddy grinned. Despite the grim surroundings and his even grimmer mood, he found a strange comfort in Roger’s goofy company.
H7N9: The Complete Series [Books 1-3] Page 40
