It also felt right that their group was back together again. A stickler for the rules or not, Emily was part of their pack, and she’d jumped at the chance to shove it to Major Brown. Now, she lounged with the coke in her hand and her glasses perched on the tip of her nose like she was the Queen of England.
“I wonder how the rest of the world is doing?” Chas mused, now that the Queen of England had popped up in her head.
“Same as us, I’d guess,” Dean said. “Maybe worse in some places.”
“You’re probably right.”
“People are tough,” Vanessa added. “We’re like cockroaches.”
“We’re nothing like cockroaches,” Emily said. “For one thing, we could never survive a nuclear holocaust or a⏤”
Vanessa groaned. “Em! Not now.”
Emily paused. “Sorry.”
Chas took the opportunity to voice a thought. “I’ve been thinking that maybe it’s time we took things into our own hands.”
“What do you mean?” Vanessa asked.
“First of all, we need to get rid of Major Brown. That man is dangerous, and he’ll be the end of this camp if we’re not careful,” Chas said.
Emily whistled. “That’s a tall order, Chas. Are you sure you want to take that course of action? Because once we start, there’s no going back.”
“It’s not just that, Em. I’m also tired of being treated like a baby. Aren’t you? Don’t you think it’s time we find out what’s going on out there? If Grumps is still alive? Dean’s parents?”
“How do we do that?” Emily asked. “You’re talking about leaving, aren’t you?”
“Not leaving, just…exploring.”
“Don’t be stupid. You’d die out there,” Emily said.
Chas shrugged. “I’m tired of being stuck inside this place and feeling useless all the time while Major Brown uses me as a punching bag.”
“I get it,” Emily said. “I do, but it’s too dangerous. If you go out there, you’re on your own. This is what we have now, and if we’re patient, things will work out.”
“Yeah? How’s that?”
“Major Brown will go too far one day, and they’ll get rid of him themselves. Already the soldiers are unhappy with his leadership. Give him enough rope, and he’ll hang himself.”
“At what cost? The camp? The survivors?” Chas pointed out.
“I don’t know, Chas. I don’t have all the answers, but going out there is just stupid.” Emily shifted in her seat. “For one thing, this might all blow over soon. The infection could die out, and things would go back to normal. Or, it might not, and we’ll be stuck here forever, but we’ll grow up, and we’ll be in charge of our own destinies. Dean could be a soldier, I could be a doctor, who knows?”
Chas looked down at her folded hands. It was obvious to her that Emily would not go along with her plans to leave the camp and find Grumps. Not that I can blame her. It is very dangerous…and stupid, but I can’t help it. I want to go.
“There is another way, you know. One that wouldn’t be quite so dangerous,” Vanessa said.
Chas raised her head. “Yeah?”
“There’s convoys going out every day, looking for supplies and clearing the infected. You could hitch a ride, scout around, see what’s out there.”
“They’d never allow that,” Chas protested.
“They don’t have to know, do they?” Vanessa pointed out. “Just stay hidden.”
Chas frowned. “Is that even possible?”
“Yeah, you can hide in the supply truck. They’d never know you’re there,” Dean said. “In fact, I’ll go with you.”
“So will I,” Vanessa said. “We’d leave in the morning and be back before dark. The grown-ups will never know. We can just tell them we volunteered for some crappy job that will take the whole day.”
Chas smiled. “I like that idea. A lot.”
Emily jumped to her feet. “Well, I don’t. It’s a dumb plan, and you can count me out.” She stomped to the fire escape where she paused. “I won’t try to stop you, and I won’t split on you either, but think about the danger. You could all die out there.”
With those parting words, she left the roof, and Chas sighed. The pack was broken up once more. “I was hoping she’d stick with us.”
“Me too,” Vanessa said. “I’m still going, though.”
“So am I,” Chas said, her mind made up.
“I’ll find us a convoy to hitch a ride with. Maybe tomorrow or so,” Dean said.
“Sounds good,” Chas said, standing up and dusting off her pants. “Guess we’d better get back before they miss us.”
“Yup, let’s go,” Vanessa said.
As Chas climbed down the ladder, she felt both sad and happy. Sad about Emily, and happy that she’d finally be doing something. It’s about time too.
Chapter 7
The next day dawned bright and hot. After a quick shower, Chas tidied her bunk and gathered her school satchel with her notebooks and stationary. It wasn’t much; their schoolbooks were left at the office block designated for their use, and each kid had only a few things to carry.
At breakfast, Vivienne joined them which was unusual. She greeted Chas with a warm kiss. “Good morning, Chasity. What’s on the agenda today?”
Chas shrugged. “School as usual, and there’s talk of starting a hockey team among the younger female soldiers.”
“That sounds nice. Are you joining?”
“Maybe, if they’ll have us,” Chas said.
“How’s my mom doing?” Vanessa asked. “I was there last night, but I might not see her today. Depends how much chores I’ve got.”
“She’s responding well to the antibiotics we’ve given her. I’m hopeful for a quick recovery, and I’ll tell her you asked about her.”
“Tell her I love her too, and will visit as soon as I can,” Vanessa added.
“Will do,” Vivienne said.
After oatmeal and coffee for breakfast, they trooped over to the school building. It was a simple affair: Two offices next to each other that served as schoolrooms, a janitor’s closet, and a single bathroom. Outside was a small patch of grass, a couple of trees, and a few playthings including a jungle gym and a swing. These were new additions, hastily acquired by a squad of well-meaning soldiers on a supply run.
Chas and her friends were the oldest and took their lessons with Mr. Barnett, Emily’s dad, in the first office. The other, younger kids of which there were six, attended school in the second office under June, the other lady who shared Chas’ dorm.
The lessons themselves were limited to what textbooks they could get their hands on that was age appropriate. Still, Mr. Barnett did his best, and from time to time, other adults pitched in if they had specialized knowledge to impart. They reckoned if things ever returned to normal, the children wouldn’t be so far behind they couldn’t catch up, and if things did not return to normal, well…
“At least, they won’t be entirely clueless,” Lala had said, much to the other’s dismay, especially the Barnetts who had high hopes for Emily.
“Relax,” Lala had said. “She can still become a doctor or something. There are enough at the infirmary to teach her.”
That had mollified Richard and Amelia somewhat, but they still badgered the supply teams for more and more books, and there were plans in place for laptops with teaching software, though sadly, the internet was down.
Chas stifled a yawn behind one hand while trying to focus on what Emily’s dad was saying, but it was hard. Math had never been her forte, and her eyes kept straying to the windows. What went on outside was a lot more interesting than what went on inside.
The CDC and their army escort were preparing to leave, and Chas wondered where they were going. She spotted Julia among them and hoped they weren’t leaving forever. She liked the young soldier and wanted to get to know her better.
The convoy left, however, and Chas was forced to turn her attention back to the blackboard and Mr. Barnett’s les
sons. It felt like forever before the day was finally over and they were able to leave. Even then there was no rest to be had. They’d been assigned to kitchen duty for the week and spent the rest of the afternoon washing dishes and chopping vegetables under Lala’s supervision. Dean was no better off. He had to work in the vegetable gardens watering the plants and pulling up weeds in the hot sun.
As the day progressed, Chas wondered if their plans of sneaking out in a convoy would ever come true. It seemed impossible when they were always being watched by someone. She still hoped that Dean would be able to come up with a miracle, though, and resigned herself to another boring evening spent doing homework after supper.
That’s exactly what happened, and Chas spent the night tossing and turning in her bed until Vanessa woke her in the early morning around six.
“Time to get up, sleepyhead,” she teased.
Chas groaned. “Ugh, I didn’t sleep at all.”
“Nightmares again?”
“No, not that. Just restless, I guess.”
“Well, let’s grab a hot shower, and you’ll feel better.”
Vanessa was right. The warm water was exactly what Chas needed to revive her senses. Following their usual routine, she grabbed her bag and followed Emily and Vanessa outside where they met an excited looking Dean.
“I’ve got great news, guys.”
“What is it?” Chas asked.
“We’re getting our chance this afternoon.”
“Chance at what?” Emily asked, her eyes narrowing. “You’re not still thinking of going outside the fence, are you?”
“That’s exactly what we’re doing,” Dean said.
“Well, count me out,” Emily said with a huff. “You’re all being just plain stupid.” Without looking back, she stomped ahead, leaving her friends behind.
“Don’t worry,” Vanessa said. “She’ll come around.”
“I hope so,” Chas said, before turning to Dean. “Fill us in.”
“The guys inside my dorm have been talking. It seems the group that went out with the CDC have run into trouble, and they need rescuing,” Dean said.
“What kind of trouble?” Chas asked, worry for Julia quickening in her breast.
“I don’t know. It looks like they ran into a swarm of zombies, and now they’re stuck.”
“Are they sending someone out to help them?” Vanessa asked, her fidgeting hands expressing her own suppressed eagerness.
“Yes, they’re leaving around two in the afternoon. We’d best be on that supply truck before they go,” Dean said. “This is exactly what we’ve been waiting for.”
“Why are they leaving so late?”
“The other raiding parties are still out there, and they need to return first or the safe zone will be shorthanded.”
“So, we can attend school, but what about after?” Chas asked. “What do we tell everybody about where we are?”
“Easy peasy,” Dean said. “We go to school as normal, then tell everybody we volunteered to help out at the hydro station. It’s a stiff walk from here, too far for our people to randomly check up on us, and we can tell them we want to learn how the water system operates.”
“It could work,” Chas said. “The adults are all for us learning new stuff all the time.”
“That’s true,” Vanessa said. “All right, let’s tell Lala we’re all going there after school. My mom is still sick, so I don’t have to worry about her, and the Barnetts aren’t bothered about us. Only Emily.”
“Let’s just hope Emily doesn’t rat us out,” Dean said.
“She wouldn’t,” Chas said. “She said so herself.”
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough. See you after school,” Dean said before jogging away.
Chas and Vanessa looked for Lala, and after telling her their hastily concocted lie, they rushed to school. As bad as Chas felt for lying to her grandmother again, she also couldn’t wait to get out of the safe zone. Now I can find out what’s really going on. No more vague assurances from Major Brown, and who knows? I might even find Grumps.
Chapter 8
After school, Chas convened with Dean and Vanessa on the outskirts of the parking lot, huddling inside a sheltered corner. The rescue convoy was set to leave in about thirty minutes, and nervous butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the thought of what was to come.
She looked around. The place was a hive of activity. The raiding parties had returned, and soldiers were offloading supplies into the warehouses while fresh ones got ready to leave on their mission to save the CDC group.
The smell of gasoline filled her nostrils, and the constant roar of trucks and forklifts filled her ears. She thought about Julia who’d gone out with the CDC and hoped she was still okay. Please, don’t let anything happen to her. She’s such a nice person.
“So, are we doing this?” Dean asked.
“I’m ready,” Chas said, though her stomach disagreed.
“What about our bags?” Vanessa asked.
“I think we should put all our books into one and hide it somewhere around here. The other two we can take with us and fill up while we’re hiding inside the supply truck,” Chas said. “I’ve thought about it all day, and we don’t know what might happen out there. Having portable supplies might save our lives if something bad happens and we need to make a run for it.”
“Good thinking,” Vanessa said, proceeding to empty her bag and stuffing her things into Dean’s. Chas did the same, and Dean scampered off to find a suitable hiding spot for their stuff.
When he returned, he pointed out their destination, a large supply truck, the entire back covered in thick brown canvas. “That’s where we need to be.”
Moving like ghosts, Chas and Vanessa followed after Dean, scooting between the parked vehicles. At one point, Dean held up his hand and they froze, their backs pressed against the side of the nearest car. Boots announced the arrival of someone, and Chas’ heart nearly stopped beating when she recognized Major Brown’s voice.
“Is everything in place for the rescue mission?” Major Brown asked.
“Yes, Sir. We’re all set.”
Chas recognized the second voice as belonging to Alvarez.
“Do we know what happened?” Major Brown asked.
“It’s hard to say. Communication is broken and sporadic. They appear to be holed up inside an office block and are trapped, but the details are sketchy.”
“How many infected?” Major Brown’s voice drew closer until he was right around the corner where Chas hid. She sucked her breath into her lungs and prayed he wouldn’t see her. She dropped lower to the ground and peered under the truck. His boots were right there. One more step, and…
“I’m not sure, Sir, but I think we must prepare ourselves for the worst,” Alvarez said. “If you look over here, you’ll see I’ve chosen only the best of my men to…”
Alvarez’s voice faded away as he and Major Brown drifted off, and Chas was able to breathe again. “Wow, that was close.”
“You can say that again,” a pale Vanessa said.
“Let’s go before anyone else comes along,” Dean said.
They crossed the remaining distance in a quick run while staying hunched over until they reached the supply truck. It had been loaded and the canvas flap secured, so it took some doing to open a space big enough for them to squeeze through.
Chas kept watch, her eyes flicking from side to side as she nervously chewed on a thumbnail. This was the worst part, and she hoped they didn’t get caught now. The last one to climb in, she pushed down her nerves and crawled inside. She was doing this for Grumps, after all. Grumps and Julia.
Once inside, Dean tied the flap shut again, and they carefully felt their way through the stacks of supplies and crates until they reached the back. Hiding behind a stack of ammunition boxes, they settled in.
“Let’s wait until we get going before we fill up the bags,” Chas whispered.
Vanessa and Dean nodded, and they waited in absolute sile
nce until the truck rumbled to life with a roar. After a few minutes of idling, the vehicle lurched forward before smoothing out into a slow trundle.
Chas waited until she was certain they were out the gates and on the road before fishing a flashlight from her pocket. It was the same one she’d gotten from the little shop at the zoo, stashed away all this time.
The feeble light flickered to life, and the sight of the yellow plastic brought back a thousand memories. Andrew’s strained features, grief for his sister Macy hovering just below the surface. Emily, clever Emily staring with frozen fear through the window to the monstrosity waiting outside. The infected gorilla smashing through the window, and Vanessa’s frightened cries as she lay pinned beneath a shelf.
It’d been a night of terror, but also one of triumph, Chas realized. While they’d lost a lot, they’d gained so much more. Not one of them was quite the same after that, and they each now possessed more fighting spirit and confidence than most. We can do this. We really can.
Dean moved first, and it wasn’t long before he found a crate filled with bottled water. He removed four bottles and distributed them between their two bags. Vanessa jumped in too while Chas directed the flashlight’s yellow beam and found a portable first-aid kit.
“Gotcha,” she whispered.
A box filled with canned food and another full of protein bars provided food, while Chas was ecstatic to stumble across a better quality flashlight with fresh batteries. They each took one, clipping the lights to their belts, and Dean tucked a box of matches into his pocket.
“What about weapons?” Vanessa asked in a low voice.
Neither she nor Dean was armed, and Chas only had her knife.
“See if you can find something,” Chas whispered back.
They came across crates of ammunition, but no guns. In another chest, they found kitchen supplies, and Vanessa and Dean were each able to grab a steak knife which they tucked into their boots. It wasn’t enough, though, and they kept looking while making sure to keep the noise down.
It was a difficult task, rooting about in the gloom with only their flashlights for light while the truck shook and rumbled over the rough roads, now marred with potholes. More than once, Chas lost her balance and nearly fell over, clinging to the canvas for dear life.
Gen Z Boxed Set Page 17
