by Max Lockwood
“How do you plan on gaining credibility?”
She thought for a moment before speaking. She knew that Alec wouldn’t be pleased with her idea.
“I think I could secretly produce the serum on a larger scale. As we make our way toward the border, we can find infected people and inject them. If the cure works—and I think it does—then I’ll save lives and have witnesses. I’ll have evidence that I’ve found a way to stop the virus. They’ll have to at least listen to me before locking me up.”
As she had predicted, Alec looked uncomfortable with this idea. “It’s risky,” he said. “Not only do you want to go to a hospital and spend a lot of time in a dangerous area, but you’re talking about purposefully approaching infected people. Do you know how close you have to get to them to inject them? If it doesn’t work instantly, you’ll get torn to shreds. I think it’s great that you want to save lives, but you’re going to lose your own in the process. Why don’t you use me as a character witness? I’ve met Bretton. I know what’s been going on.”
Elaina sighed. He meant well, but he didn’t seem to understand how she was viewed by the general public. On the surface, he understood that she had a warrant out for her arrest and that people generally despised her, but he seemed to think that people would listen to her. He just saw her in a different light than most did.
“Remember my trial?” she said flatly. “That’s what’s going to happen if I can’t prove myself.”
“Yeah, I guess,” he muttered. “But you managed to change my mind about you. I think Thomas would say the same thing.”
She looked back at the young man helping Melissa over rocky terrain. He had changed a lot since she’d managed to convince him of her innocence.
“There’s one more person I need to convince,” she said quietly. “I think I need some excellent samples to do that, though.”
“Who?” Alec asked.
“Professor Himmler,” she said. “He’s a virologist in New York. Well, he’s a retired virologist. We spoke a few times while I was working on my virus. He probably understands it better that anyone else. I don’t know if the news has changed his mind about me, but when we briefly worked together, he understood that the virus was originally meant to attack and weaken cancer cells. He’s a no-nonsense guy, though, so he’s going to want to see a strong argument for why he should help us before we get his blessing.”
“That’s great!” Alec exclaimed. “Why didn’t you mention him before?”
“We had no way of contacting him while we were in Washington. The cell phone towers went down within days of the epidemic and we had no way to charge our phones. We would need a landline in an area where there is still phone service. A radio might also work, but if I remember correctly, Will has that. Finding a phone would be a huge win for us.”
“Add that to the list of needs,” Alec said. “Food, water, car, and phone.”
“And lab.”
“And the lab,” he added. “That’s a tall order.”
They stopped for a moment to let the other two catch up. Thomas and Melissa were a few minutes behind. When they came closer, Elaina noticed that Melissa was looking pale and clammy again.
“I see a house up ahead,” Alec said as Melissa panted. She looked no better than she had when they’d found the stable. “If it’s empty, we can search the place while Melissa rests.”
“How much rest?” Thomas asked. “I think her fever is back.”
Alec bit the inside of his cheek. “We’ll decide once we get there.”
They walked a little slower so they could stay in one pack. When they arrived at the cottage, Alec grabbed his gun from his bag and marched straight toward the door. Thomas followed close behind.
Elaina stayed back with Melissa, bracing herself for the sharp pop of gunshots. Melissa was swaying on the spot, so Elaina guided her over to a boulder to have a seat. She didn’t need to deal with a head injury from passing out on top of everything else that was wrong with her.
It wasn’t long before the men returned, without incident. Elaina was surprised but relieved that there was no gunfire necessary.
“It’s empty. Someone clearly took the essentials and fled, but there’s still some good stuff here. See for yourself.”
Elaina entered the small cottage and looked around. The cupboards were wide open and she could see cans of fruits and vegetables neatly stacked in rows. Thomas ripped open a box of saltines and shoved a handful in his mouth. He offered some to Melissa, but she shook her head.
Instead, she wobbled over to the couch and flopped down, her eyes closing immediately. Concerned by this, Elaina calmly walked over and held her fingertips over her nose. Feeling her hot breath on her hand was reassuring that the girl just needed some sleep to recover.
Thomas opened the medical kit and prepared a syringe of antibiotic. He gently wiped Melissa’s arm with an alcohol swab and inserted the needle into her arm as if he had been doing it his whole life.
“There’s a shed out there,” Alec said, putting his hand on Elaina’s shoulder. “Let’s check it out.”
By the way he was speaking to her and standing so close, for a moment, Elaina wondered if he was just looking for a little alone time again. Suspecting this, she followed him outside, interested in seeing what would happen.
As it turned out, he genuinely wanted to check out the shed. He circled the perimeter, looking inside the windows. He tapped on the glass, hoping to startle any creature inside. When he deemed it safe, he opened the door.
It was dusty and dank inside, as if no one had bothered to clean it out or expose the structure to fresh air. Elaina covered the bottom half of her face with her sleeve.
She opened a moldy box that was filled with small clown figurines. She dropped the cardboard flap in disgust.
“I don’t think there are any treasures in here unless you like creepy clowns,” she said. “I’m going back to the house to check on Melissa.”
“Wait,” Alec said with urgency in his voice. “Look at this.”
She stepped over stacks of old books and CDs to get to the other side of the shed where Alec stood. He held the edge of a tattered bed sheet in his hand, a look of wonder on his face.
“This had better not be a joke,” she said dismissively. “I don’t know if I’m in the mood for pranks.”
“This is no joke,” he said, removing the cover to expose a motorcycle. It was a little old and rusty, but it appeared to be functional.
Alec turned the keys in the ignition and started the bike, revving the engine. He hopped on and rode it out of the shed, toward the house.
Elaina ran to catch up with him, absolutely elated. It wasn’t the truck she was hoping for, but it was a vehicle.
Alec hopped off the motorcycle and scooped Elaina up into a hug.
“It works!” He laughed, giving her a squeeze before setting her down.
“That’s great,” she said. “Let’s tell the others.”
They ran inside, smiles on their faces. It was a contrast to Thomas’s morose expression.
“Good news,” Alec said. “We found a motorcycle. There’s even a gas can in the garage. I think that means that we’re close to the end of the trail. We can ride it the rest of the way down the path, then keep going.”
“That’s great,” Thomas said, though his expression didn’t match his words. “There are four of us, though, and you can only fit two people on a motorcycle.”
“We could take it in shifts,” Elaina offered. “Alec could take me to the nearest town so I can find a hospital and a telephone. Then, he can pick Melissa up and take her somewhere to recover. Then, he can return for Thomas. We’ll all meet up in whichever city is closest. Or, we can find a car and all go together. We can make it work.”
Thomas shook his head. “If that’s what you want. If you guys need to secure a safe spot, we could probably stay up here for a day or two on our own. I don’t want to slow you guys down by making you drive back and forth.”
&
nbsp; Alec looked toward Elaina and shrugged. “That’s fine with me. I’ll do my best to get back to you guys within a day, maybe two. We’ll hurry. You just have to stay somewhere along the trail so I can find you guys when I return.”
“Yeah, I think that’s best. Melissa won’t be well enough to ride on a bike for at least another day,” he said as she slept beside him. We’ll rest up and you guys can do the important work.”
“Do you have everything you need?” Alec asked him.
“We have food, water, medical supplies, and weapons. It’s enough for a few days.”
“I’ll be back soon,” Alec repeated, nodding at Thomas.
“Good luck,” he replied.
Thomas watched as Alec filled the motorcycle tank with gas. He handed Elaina a helmet before putting his own on. They got on the bike, Elaina wrapping her arms around his waist. With a rev of the engine, they took off down the trail.
Thomas looked back toward the couch where Melissa slept. They were alone.
Chapter Fourteen
The silence set Thomas on edge. Any moment, he knew that someone or something could come tearing through the door to harm him. He constantly looked toward the door and windows, ready to jump up and fight back. He glanced at his newly acquired shotgun sitting on the kitchen table. From there, he drew a line to the door and back to Melissa.
The short hike that morning proved to be too strenuous for Melissa’s fragile state. As he watched her sleep, Thomas marveled at the fact that she’d managed to walk that far at all. He was frightened when she’d collapsed on the dusty couch—he feared she would never get up.
Thomas wanted something to do to fill the idle time, but there wasn’t much to do. He peeked through the lost artifacts in the house, proof that life had once existed there. Picking up a worn anthology of poetry, he sat down across from Melissa and began to read.
Never much of a scholar, especially of Romantic-era poetry, Thomas struggled to concentrate on the flowery language. But eventually, he came to enjoy his sole form of entertainment. After a while, he even formed a connection between the words and his own life.
It was as if many of the poems were describing his current location. Sure, there was lots of danger outside the cottage door, but at the surface, he was surrounded by beauty. Outside, beautiful aspen trees swayed in the light breeze, moving fresh air into his lungs. The cottage they had inhabited was not in pristine condition, but it was quaint and peaceful. Thomas could imagine himself spending more time in solitude, with Melissa by his side.
Once he saw his surroundings as the poets of past centuries had, he felt a little better. The silence was a little less stifling. He didn’t understand most of the lines he read, but the book was comforting nonetheless.
Around noon, Melissa woke up, her arms flailing. Thomas rushed to her side to soothe her.
“Melissa,” he called to her to rouse her from her nightmare. “You’re having a dream.”
She blinked her eyes open, letting them come to rest on Thomas’s face. “Sorry, I had a bad dream,” she said, still quivering. “I was being attacked.”
Thomas sat down on the couch next to her. “You’re safe. I promise. I haven’t seen or heard anything in hours.”
“What have you been doing?” she asked.
He leaned over and picked up his book of poetry, handing it over to her.
“I wouldn’t have guessed that you enjoy poetry.” She smiled, resting her head back down.
“I’ve never read any,” he admitted. “It’s not that bad.”
She laughed. “I’m sorry I haven’t been very talkative lately. I bet you’re bored with me.”
Thomas shook his head. “You need your rest. That reminds me, I should probably boil some water and check your bandages.”
He grabbed the metal bowl and a few empty bottles and headed out behind the house. This cottage also had a rainwater collection tank a few feet away, but the water had grown stagnant from sitting unused. He quickly built the fire, brought the large bowl of water to a boil, and waited. He stomped out the small fire just in case the infected were somehow drawn to the smoke and carried it inside.
When he got back inside, Melissa was rummaging through the cupboards, supporting her weight on her good arm against the counter.
“You should go back to the couch,” Thomas suggested. “If there’s anything you need, just tell me and I’ll get it for you.”
“Fine, then.” She smiled, slowly returning to the couch. “I found a box of teabags on the top shelf. Why don’t you make a few cups for us? It might make the water taste better. I think there are soup mixes up there too. I’m not really hungry, but I think I can stomach one of those.”
“You got it,” Thomas said, preparing the tea. He stirred a dehydrated chicken noodle soup packet into a mug of hot water.
“I could get used to this,” Melissa joked as he brought her the meal.
“Don’t worry. Before long, you’ll be feeling up to preparing your own food again.” He laughed.
She sat up a little, and he tucked the corners of an old crocheted blanket around her hips. He reached back to fluff her pillow when she slapped his hand away.
“I’ve got it,” she said, playfully rolling her eyes at him. “Drink your tea.”
They sat quietly, sipping their hot beverages. Thomas didn’t care for tea, but it was better than the taste of the stale water.
“Want me to look at your arm again? Elaina told me to keep it really clean so you’ll be ready to go when Alec returns.”
“Where did they go?” she said, looking alarmed.
Thomas smacked his head with the palm of his hand. “I forgot you were sleeping through all of that conversation,” he said. “They found a motorcycle and rode off to find a car and a hospital lab for Elaina. Alec is going to come back for us soon. There wasn’t enough room for all of us, and you weren’t doing well, so I told them that we would be okay here for a little while.”
She sank down into the couch, looking defeated. “You could have just left me here.”
“No, no one wanted to do that. It’s going to work out just fine. I wasn’t happy about it at first, but I kind of like this place.”
Melissa crinkled her nose. “Really?”
Yeah, it’s not so bad. People spend a lot of money for these little vacation homes.”
“I guess. What else did I miss?” she asked, finishing her tea. She adjusted her shirt so Thomas could tend to the wound.
“That’s about it,” he said, removing her bandage. He doused a washcloth in hot water and lightly dabbed the wound.
“No word from Will?”
“Still missing. I hope they don’t find him down the trail somewhere and bring him back. I don’t think Alec and Elaina trust him very much, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t welcome him back into the group.”
“He shot me, didn’t he?” she asked.
Thomas shrugged. “That’s what I think. He was out of control.”
“His anger is justified. If he’d killed someone I loved, I think I would lose it too.”
“There’s a difference between anger and homicide,” Thomas said. “I’m just glad he’s gone.”
Thomas firmly pressed an alcohol-soaked piece of gauze in the hole. Melissa yelped.
“Sorry,” he said. He was too distracted at his feelings of anger toward Will to realize that he was hurting Melissa. “Let me put some of that numbing cream on it before I wrap it back up.”
“What do you think happened to him?” she asked. “What if he was killed by the infected? What if he’s infected, just wandering around out there?”
Thomas grimaced at the thought. Will had done a lot of wrong in recent times, but Thomas didn’t think that his actions deserved death.
“I’m sure he’s hiding out alone in a place like this somewhere along the way,” Thomas said, though he hardly believed his own words. “Maybe he’s even made it to the next town.”
“Yeah,” Melissa said softly. �
�Maybe.”
They were quiet for a moment. Both had a feeling that Will was most certainly dead at this point. No one travelled alone if they could help it. It just wasn’t practical.
“How long did Alec say it would take him to come back for us?” Melissa asked.
“One or two days. Why?”
She was quiet for a minute as she chewed at a hangnail. “How sincere did he sound when he said that?”
Thomas paused. “I don’t know—sincere enough. Why?”
“What are the chances that no one comes back for us?”
Thomas’s stomach dropped. Was he being naïve to take Alec’s word? He knew he wasn’t as close to Alec as Elaina or Will, but he imagined that Alec still cared about what happened to them.
“I don’t think they would do that, would they?” Thomas asked.
Melissa looked at the ground. She didn’t want to burst his bubble.
“They’ll come back. Besides, we have everything we need here. We could survive here for a week if we needed to. By that time, you’ll be as good as new. If Alec and Elaina didn’t want us around, then why would they bring us this far?
He put the medical supplies back into the plastic case, keeping his hands busy. He didn’t want to think too much about what would happen if Alec didn’t return.
He had no doubt that the two of them could survive on their own. But without means of transportation, they wouldn’t get very far. Their life for the foreseeable future would be spent hiding in remote locations and scavenging for food wherever they could find it.
Maybe one day, they would be able to reemerge into society, if there was anything that resembled society left. If Elaina’s serum were distributed, maybe they’d only have to survive on their own for another month.
Melissa needed better medical attention, though. She was starting to grow stronger, but a few shots of horse medication wasn’t enough. Thomas didn’t know much about medicine, but he knew that a doctor could do much more in an hour to help her than he could do in several days. Melissa still had a hole in her shoulder that had to be stuffed with gauze. He didn’t think it would ever really heal like that.
