The fourth one was still looking.
“That was really impressive.”
“It’s my gun,” I replied. “It makes it easier. What do you suppose he’s looking for?” I walked close to the fence.
“I don’t know. I’d suggest we find out, but…” Sean pointed as he joined me.
More Infected appeared. They seemed to come from behind the houses and raced up the street.
“I thought you said ten or twenty a night,” I said. “There’s at least twenty.”
“Yeah, I see that.”
“Does it worry you?”
“Yeah.” He raised his weapon. “Yeah, it does.”
TWENTY
FROM LEV’S SIDE
The nightly entertainment was at my expense. The moment Nila left with that captain they started joking about it with me. Trying, I guess, to get me. It was immature but at least they were laughing.
They had it wrong.
I wasn’t worried about Nila going off with this captain in some sort of prelude to a romantic night. That wasn’t Nila. I knew her well enough to know. My concern had nothing to do with jealousy, it had everything to do with my fear that Nila would be seduced. Seduced into a new lifestyle, that she would want to stay in Colony One.
That was my biggest concern.
I paced a lot, watched Katie work on her drawings. She shared them with me, told me what they were, even though I could clearly make out the images.
I thought about using the phone to call Nila. I studied that phone to see how it worked but I decided against it. I didn’t want to be overbearing.
Everyone passed out early except me. I went from pacing to lying on the bunk to getting up and looking out the window. A cycle I repeated.
Until finally, the phone rang.
It had been so long since I’d heard a phone ring, it caused me to jump. And the forgotten familiarity of the phone caused everyone to wake as well. I answered it on the first ring, keeping my voice low. “Hello.”
“Hey, Lev,” Nila said.
“Hey, hold on.” I signaled to Ben and Fleck that it was fine then returned to my phone call. “What’s going on? You okay?”
“I’m fine. I just wanted to check in. How are things?”
“Good. Good. Everyone was asleep.”
“How about you?”
“Not yet,” I said.
“Then you aren’t trying hard enough. Get some sleep, Lev. It’s the only time you can. You’re not on watch.”
“I’ve been getting too much sleep lately,” I said. “How long will you be?”
“I’ll be a couple more hours, we’re headed to another sector.”
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“I’ll tell you when I get back. I have to go. Kiss Katie for me?”
“Absolutely. Be careful.”
“For sure, and Lev.”
“Yeah?’
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.” I waited a second, then ended the call. The phone beeped and I set it down.
I walked to Katie’s bunk and kissed her as Nila asked. As I went to tuck her in, I noticed the pink bag she carried. She had it cradled to her chest. It was odd, because for as long I’d known Katie, I’d never know her to be so protective over something.
What did she have in there she didn’t want anyone to see? That was my thought. I reached for the bag but stopped. It wasn’t my place, nor was it right to peek. I fixed her covers and went back to my bunk.
After the call from Nila, I felt less restless and finally fell asleep.
I don’t know how long I was sleeping, but I woke up as soon as Nila walked in. Of course, she made noise, tripping over things in the dark, repeatedly saying, “Sorry” until she sat down on the bunk next to mine.
“Hey.” I sat up. “How’d it go?”
“Good. I guess. I’m tired. We went to nine sectors tonight.”
“Nine?”
Nila nodded. “You can say I saw a lot of this place tonight.”
“And?”
She leaned down to untie her boots. “I saw enough that I think we can’t stay here that long. As soon as me and Katie are done, we’ll go. It’s not gonna be safe, not for long.”
“Did you shoot a lot tonight?” I asked.
“Yeah, more than I thought I would.”
“Deaders?”
“Infected.”
“For real?”
“Yep.”
“How can that be?” I asked. “I mean, we barely saw any for the longest time and when we did, they were deaders.”
“I have a theory on that.” She removed her boots. “You know how there’s this bible verse that says, ‘when one or more gatherers in my name’ or something like that?”
“Book of Matthew, yes.”
“Well, I think that’s what’s happening here. I think when we were a small group we didn’t attract them. But here, there’s so many people, it’s like a beacon. They’re going for the beacon, not the small stuff.”
“Did you…did you just use the Bible as an analogy to an undead apocalypse?”
Nila facially cringed. “I did. But it’s the best way I could think to explain what’s happening. Sean says the numbers have been increasing weekly.”
“Whose Sean?”
“Captain Marshall.”
“You’re on a first name basis now?”
“Yeah, I’m working with him. I plan on going out to do this again as long as we’re here.”
“Can I ask why?” I questioned.
“Because I want to get close to him. I want him to be on our side. He’s a good one to know. He’s honest.” She glanced up at me from the tops of her eyes.
“I take it he was honest and told you some things tonight?”
“Yes, he did.”
“Do you want to tell me?”
“I do. But can it wait until the morning? I’d rather not whisper and I’m really tired.”
“Nila, you can’t just leave me hanging like that. It’s frustrating.”
Then before Nila could say anything, Fleck’s voice came out of the dark. “From what I gather, she’s been leaving you hanging and frustrated for some time now.”
In a rare occasion, Nila snorted a laugh.
Not wanting to be the butt of any more jokes, I gave up, said good night and whether or not I could fall asleep, I laid back down and closed my eyes.
Whatever it was, Nila would tell me. I was certain.
TWENTY-ONE
TO THE BONE
June 9
It wasn’t as if Colony One was a bad place. It wasn’t built with bad intentions, nor did it harbor any sinister secrets. The entire Project Justin was good in theory. It would have worked in the event of a normal plague or extinction virus. Not one where the infected can enter a stage of extreme strength and rage and have enough remaining intelligence to open a gate.
I likened the people like Clare to those flashy salespeople, who in the old world would promise you a buffet lunch if you listened to a speech on time-shares. Her and others like her had a responsibility to bring people in. The only way the Colonies would work was if everyone worked to rebuild.
What they didn’t tell us or probably anyone else was that a third of the population had lived there before the virus. When they learned the virus was extinction level and Project Justin kicked into gear, they were rescued and placed into safe houses, protected while the soldiers and those there for the project cleaned houses and killed infected.
They were sheltered. Which meant a third of Colony One didn’t have a clue how to survive or live beyond the fences. They didn’t know how to escape the infected.
Which was dangerous because the infected were closer than they knew.
They didn’t seem worried, why would they be? For a year they had been protected. Why wouldn’t they still be?
The morning after my first Sector watch, I explained to Lev and the others what Sean had told me. How The Colony that had fallen experienced
increased infected, and an actual outbreak within resulted in only twenty-five percent being evacuated.
The rest weren’t just sealed in, they did a clean sweep.
Firebombed The Colony.
As inhumane as it sounded, it stopped the virus from spreading to nearby survivor camps.
The entire mission of Project Justin was to save humanity…at all cost.
If the virus isn’t contained, if the infected weren’t killed, little by little it would infect the world and only the few that are immune would remain.
I didn’t talk much about it to Clare when I saw her the next morning at the hospital. Just that I had enjoyed the outing and was interested in doing it again. I even went as far as to lie and say if I had that job, it could influence me to stay.
I was a little miffed when she replied, “Really? I thought for sure you would want a food service manager job.”
I guess in a post-apocalypse world, Arby’s is impressive to have on your resume.
What I really wanted to know was how long we’d be there. I expected a few days, so my plan to stay on Sean’s good side looked promising, until she asked me to donate stem cells.
“You and Katie both,” Clare said. “It’s vital. We would need you another five days. During which you can’t really run around. I would prefer you not to leave at all for a week after the cells are retrieved.”
“I can go shoot in the sectors, right?”
“As long as you don’t do anything too physical.”
“I can sit on my ass and shoot,” I said.
Clare smiled. “It’s good to have you out there.”
“Clare.” I folded my hands on her desk, leaning in to talk to her. “There are a lot of people in this place that don’t have a clue how to handle an infected.”
“We want to have a world where they don’t need to,” she said.
“Is that really realistic?”
“With the right team members on patrol, it can be. With a vaccine or the right treatment, it will be. If we can save people from getting the virus or stop the virus from turning them into Phased, mankind can eventually render the virus extinct instead of the other way around.”
“I understand. And you know, infected are plenty for some reason. You can easily have them captured for testing.”
“Unfortunately, the ones running around out there,” Clare said, “are too far advanced. Even though they aren’t SACs, we only test on those in the early stages before they phase.”
“Wait. You only test on…early stages? Test on, meaning present tense. Is the virus in Colony One?”
Clare only looked at me.
<><><><>
“I knew it,” Ben said. “I knew it. I knew it. I said it was here. You can’t have a couple thousand people in a sectioned off area with those things outside the fences, without it being in here.”
“A couple thousand?” I asked. “Eight thousand, four hundred and seventy-three, not including us.”
Fleck whistled. “I didn’t realize this place was that big.”
“It’s huge. And it’s not the biggest one. Don’t ask me, I don’t know where the other Colonies are. I do know they are now looking at small towns like Cobb Corner to be subsidiaries.”
“Let me get this straight,” Lev said. “They’re trying to gather up all the people they can?”
I nodded. “Large populations will bring civilization back. The more organized they are the more likely it is they can beat the infection, either through medicine or guns.”
Lev nodded. “I get their thinking. But do people actually want that? Do they want to be herded together like sheep?”
“Um, apparently eight thousand people do,” I said.
“And,” Fleck added, “not everyone shares your passion for avoiding the world and hiding out in a cabin.”
“The cabin was and is the best place to be. The property is large. It has room for growth. Earl fortified that place,” Lev argued. “Our biggest mistake was leaving there. One day all of you will see that.”
“Okay, alright.” Ben held up his hands. “It doesn’t matter, does it? We’re headed back to Cobb Corner. We all decided this, right? I mean it has people and Lev can find someplace to hide. That’s the plan. The only solid one we’ve had for a while. So all of this, the Colonies, it doesn’t affect us and is a waste of our energy worrying about it. The only question that should remain is, when do we go back?”
A solid plan.
Ben was right.
We hadn’t had a solid plan since we’d all come together a year earlier.
I told them how they wanted to get stem cells from me and Katie and at the most it would be five days. Then I agreed that would be it. If they needed us for anything further they were in touch with Cobb Corner and knew where to find us.
Five days.
We would leave.
At least I was confident that nothing would happen in those five days.
TWENTY-TWO
TINY WINDOW
June 13
No one ever told me what all was involved donating bone marrow. In my naїvety, I had never really thought about it. I believed it to be a simple thing, until Ben explained it to me. I was grateful I didn’t blindly volunteer my daughter. He told me how they would go into my pelvic bones with needles to remove liquid marrow. And that the stem cell procedure I had been doing for them used to be a well-used alternative to bone marrow back before everything went to pot.
I didn’t understand why they needed marrow if they already had been taking an alternative.
But I had agreed and I’d stick to it. I started to get fearful when Ben told me they had to put me under. At that point I told them I was backing out unless Ben was in the operating room with me.
They agreed.
I then had to apologize to everyone because it was going to take even longer. Not only did they want me to wait for the five days after the procedure, I had to wait three days for the procedure while experts arrived from another Colony.
At least they were doing the procedures there and I wasn’t some test subject.
They moved us out of the YMCA style shelter to a third-floor, two-bedroom apartment over a former bakery. It was a few blocks from where we had been previously, and it gave us more room.
Everyone took it fine that we had to stay. I enjoyed my three days of sector shooting knowing that I probably would have a hard time after the procedure.
The day of the operation I learned that Fleck truly didn’t mind the three days because during that time he had met someone.
Her name was Chandy. Not Candy or Chandra, but Chandy. She came to the medical center with Fleck to wish me luck. That was my first introduction to her. As awful as it was of me, I wanted badly to ask if she was an exotic dancer because she scarcely wore clothing, and what she did wear was barely above underwear.
She was pretty though and didn’t come across too bright. Then again, I could have just been nervous and misjudged her. She did, however, seem like the type of woman Fleck would date. Wild and fun.
Lev wanted to stay until I was done, but I told him to take the kids back to the apartment and Ben would come and get him when I was in recovery waiting for the anesthesia to wear off. Reluctantly he agreed, wished me luck, and took the kids.
The hospital was quiet; I didn’t really see any patients other than myself, and the staff was minimal. Only a few people walked the hallway. Then again they were doing the procedure late in the day because the surgeon needed to rest after the trip.
They gave me something to calm my nerves. I would have preferred a drink. In the operating room, Ben asked me, “You ready?”
I nodded.
“No worries, you’ll be fine.”
I looked at him and realized in the year he had been with us it was the first time he acted in a doctor capacity toward me. Those were my last thoughts. I was out.
Ben was the last person I saw when I closed my eyes and the first person when I opened them.
“
Hey, everything went well,” Ben said.
I could barely focus. I looked around, things went double, blurred. From what I could make out I was in a room, it wasn’t huge, but it was too large to be a regular room. But even lying there everything spun.
“I think I’m dizzy.” The words sounded slurred. My tongue felt too big and my throat hurt.
“It’ll wear off. I’m going to go so Lev can be here. I know he’s probably pacing. You’ll be fine. You’ll only be alone for a half hour maybe. And really you’re not alone. You have a good nurse. Right here.” Ben pointed. “She’ll take good care of you.”
I could make out the figure at the other end of the room, but that was it.
“I’m not worried,” I said.
Ben smiled and leaned down, kissing me on my forehead. “You did very well. Get some rest.”
Eyes barely open, I nodded and passed back out.
When I was married to Paul, I bought this alarm clock online. It was called the Sonic Wake Up. Guaranteed to wake even the deepest sleeper.
It was hard to believe that I was a deeper sleeper now, with the dead raging around me, than I was before everything went to hell. I guess in the old world I had the desire to stay up watching television or watching online video after online video.
The alarm had this echoing, deep buzzer that repeated like a warning and a tiny row of red lights that flashed. Paul hated it. He used to say it woke everyone up but me.
Which was true.
He’d nudge me in bed. Usually the back of his hand into my hip, or he’d poke his bony pointer finger painfully into my butt. “Nila, damn it, shut that thing off,” he’d say.
I dreamt of Paul, something I hadn’t done in a long time.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
That painful poke. “Nila, come on.”
“Stop that, it hurts,” I said.
“Shut that off.”
Buzz, Buzz. Buzz.
The red flashed against my eyelids.
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