The Last Days (Book 4): The Dead Live On

by Julie Cooper Brown

  “Why can’t I come back here and play? Dad set off the bombs, right? We’ll be okay. It’s not like I have to go to school tomorrow.” Pat looked at him with so much love. He should not have even known that such chaos was devouring the world. All his little friends were more than likely dead, and it broke her heart to think of what his future may hold. They couldn’t even be sure the threat had been eliminated for another year, until then, they would make the best of it, and she would try not to worry.

  “You should know better than to argue with me by now, Ethan. You’ll do as I say because you love me,” she said while leaning down to hug him.

  “Yea, I do. You win, Aunt Pat.” Pat took both of their hands walked the children through the corridors until they reached the dining area. As they passed the doors of the Presidential wing, she noticed that Angel had cringed and pressed her face into Pat’s thigh. She knew the doors were locked, she had tried them herself. She also knew that the lock was controlled from the inside, leaving her with a creepy feeling about the room as well.

  “Well,” Jack said as he finally sat down and breathed a sigh of relief. “Now that that’s over with, all that’s left is to wait it out.”

  “I’m fine with that. Sleeping in a real bed, no fighting the dead, no being scared out of my mind for a year, sounds good to me. How big is this place? There has to be a map somewhere.” She began rummaging through the drawers of a desk located next to the door. Coming up empty, she walked the room and scanned the bulletins on the walls.

  “I’m going to explore the whole building, after I’ve located the kitchen. I’m starving. Would you care to join me?” Jack stood and stretched, looking five years younger after the tension left his face. Kate thought him handsome and wondered what he would look like without the auburn beard. She wanted to ask him about his relationship with Pat but let it go. They didn’t seem to be lovers so she would assume that they were not. She quickly brushed the thought away and followed him out of the control room. A few feet down the hall there was indeed, a map of the shelter. It was pretty big all right. Kitchen, food storage, an underground greenhouse, dining, a gym, recreation room, library, laundry facilities, several bedrooms and security booths, medical facilities and last but not least, a Presidential wing; set right in the middle of it all. She turned to look behind her and realized that the inner walls of the entire place were the outer walls to the wing. An icy chill creeped its way down her spine to extend all the way to the tips of her toes.

  “Jack, didn’t you say that the President had gotten infected?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. I got a call from the President’s physician, Dr. Richards. He said that three agents, along with the President and General Harper, had contracted the infection and they had been quarantined. I haven’t heard from them since before I left the CDC to locate Dr. O’Dey. I’ll ask Pat if she heard anything. All this commotion and I haven’t really had time to get caught up on the events that occurred after I left.”

  “Well, don’t you think that this would be the undisclosed location?”

  “I would think that they probably had been taken to a location closer to home and more private. This is right in the middle of the compound and there would be too many other people brought here, increasing the risk of infection. I’m not sure. We’ll look into it tomorrow. Right now, I’m hungry and tired, and most importantly, I feel safe.”

  “Yea, I guess I’ll quit worrying, for now. I just have a nagging feeling that our safe haven may not be so safe. It’s hard to accept that it’s over just like that,” she snapped her fingers. “Maybe I’m just paranoid.” Kate pushed the doors to the dining room open and they joined Pat and the children at a table in the middle of the room.

  Ethan and Angel were already eating; Jack grabbed a plastic spoon and was ready to dig into the macaroni and cheese and Pat wasn’t eating at all. Honestly, she didn’t blame her; she didn’t feel like eating either. She was hungry at first but now, exhaustion was getting the best of her. It must’ve shown on her face because Pat told her to go and find a room, get a shower and some sleep and she would take care of Angel for the rest of the night. Taking advantage of the situation, Kate thanked Pat and told everyone goodnight. If she remembered correctly, the map had shown that each of the rooms had their own bathrooms. She pictured herself in a tub full of steamy hot water with bubbles, and afterward, a nice big bed and soft pillows to snuggle her head into.

  Chapter Thirty Six

  “Why won’t you open the door? I want out of here!” Montgomery Mason hissed at Dr. Richards through clenched teeth. They had been trapped in the security office just inside the wing, for almost a month. They would had starved to death it hadn’t been for the unopened box of Cheez-Its that an agent had hidden in a drawer along with several bottled waters and a half of a can of Pringles. They meted them out to each other every few hours, one a time and drank the water sparingly, but the goods were now depleted and they were weak. They would not survive the next few days in such a state. Dr. Richards grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. He was getting impatient and had had just about enough of being trapped in this tiny room, with such a heartless man that he disliked with a passion.

  “Because, if I do; they’ll be attacked by the ones that have been staring at us through the fucking glass, this whole fucking time! They’re not expecting this, there are children out there! We have to wait!” He strained to keep from screaming at him.

  Dr. Richards saw the woman on the monitor, then the children when they had approached the door as well. He was not going to open these doors as long as whoever stood outside of them, looked to be helpless and unarmed. Yes, he was risking his own life at this point, but what was his one life compared to the many that could possibly be saved. He would wait for the time to come, and it would.

  Pat made sure that the kids had been fed, bathed and tucked into bed. She was absolutely exhausted herself and longed for a hot bath as well, but couldn’t get the Presidential Wing out of her mind. She couldn’t be sure that The President was brought to this location, but if he were, then that would mean that they were trapped for the next year, with the living dead also in residence. That would also mean that there would be a risk of another outbreak, however small it would be, considering there would be no one left to infect other than those within the compound.

  When she last spoke with Dr. Richards, there were at least five infected in their party, and she wasn’t sure just how many their party actually consisted of. She feared that it may be more than they could handle. Yes, she knew the door was locked, but that didn’t mean that they were safe. She decided she’d talk to Jack about it before she attempted to try to rest.

  “Efan,” Angel whispered. “Are you sleeping?”

  “I’m trying to,” he replied in a whisper as well.

  “I’m scared,” she said, sitting up in the bed.

  “Why, Angel? We’re okay, now.”

  “There are scary monsters here,” said in a lower whisper. “In the… the Pres..ide..nsal wing.” She struggled to say the word correctly.

  “Nobody’s in there, and besides, we have my dad. He’s a hero.”

  “Yea and Kate’s a hero, too.”

  “AND Aunt Pat! So, we have three heroes! Don’t be afraid, they’ll protect us. Now, lie down and go to sleep.”

  “Will you protect me, too?” she asked.

  “Yes. Go to sleep.”

  “Teddy, too?”

  “Yes, Angel. I will protect you and Teddy. Now, be quiet and go to sleep.” Ethan pulled the covers over his head while Angel sat in the bed looking at the door. Seconds passed and it seemed a lifetime for Angel. The small night light on the wall offered little comfort. She was truly afraid and didn’t want to sleep alone.

  “Efan.”

  “What?” he asked, throwing the blanket off of his head so he could see.

  “Can me and Teddy sleep with you?”

  Ethan groaned and said “Sure, but go to sleep. No more talking.” He lif
ted the blanket so she could get under it and she scrambled into the bed, snuggling close to him.

  “Thank you,” she said and closed her eyes.

  “And Angel, thank you for trying to say that big word, you almost had it. We’ll work on saying my name next.” Ethan turned over and fell quickly into a dreamless slumber.

  Kate emerged from her bath feeling refreshed and content, for the moment. The only thing on her mind now, was a good night’s sleep. There were four full size beds in the room but she wasn’t going to be picky. She threw herself in the bed closest to the bathroom door, and for the first time in her life; she found herself silently saying the Children’s Prayer and was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

  On her way to find Jack, Pat opened the door to the room she picked for her and the children. A dim triangle of light from the hall was cast on the empty bed where she had lay Angel, only an hour before. Her heart skipped a beat and she opened the door wider to see that Angel had crawled into bed with Ethan. Pat thought to wake her and put her back in her bed, but she decided against it. The girl had lost her father and needed the comfort.

  She continued her search for Jack until she found him in the main living area, seated at the small bar in the corner, shooting Jack Daniels straight. The large flat screen T.V. on the wall showed Al Pacino at his best, in Scarface. The scene that played involved a motel room, a chainsaw and a lot of blood. She had seen enough of that. After locating the remote, she turned the television off.

  “It was the only good movie on the shelf. I needed some normalcy,” he said while pulling another shot glass from the cabinet, sitting it in front of her.

  “No, I don’t want any, thank you. I think that you should refrain from taking your next shot as well. I need to talk to you.”

  “Okay, what would you like to talk about?” He asked, pouring another shot anyway. He loved the way the liquor warmed his chest as it went down and he wanted to take advantage of it.

  “I think that they brought the President here.”

  “Kate said the same thing, I told her I’d check it out in the morning, and I will, but I think they would have taken him somewhere else.”

  “Where, Jack? Where else would they have taken him? There is no safer location.”

  “There is another location, just as safe, in Washington. I’m sure that he would have wanted to be closer to home. Are you sure that you don’t want a shot?” He began filling the glass that he had sat down in front of her moments before.

  “No, I don’t want any! This is serious! They didn’t have enough time to get to Washington! They were here, in Georgia, so why would they go all the way to Washington when there is a perfectly safe place here. Not to mention that this is the central control station for the launching of the bombs that are supposed to eliminate this fucked up situation. If they didn’t plan to come here, they would’ve never shown up at the CDC.”

  “Okay, so what if they did? What do you suggest we do, Pat? We both know that the doors are controlled from the inside. I don’t think we have anything to worry about based on that one fact. Their all dead and it’s been at least a month, so any of them that may have been an Able, are way past that stage and just as senseless as the rest of them. We can’t get in and they can’t get out. I say, we let it go.”

  “Well, I can’t rest until I know for sure, Jack. We’ve been friends for many years and you know me. I am not easily intimidated but I am afraid, Jack. I am very afraid. We can’t get out of here for a long time and I just need to know if I have to constantly be on alert, or if I can finally relax and get some sleep.”

  “Okay. Let’s go and get Kate and we’ll all check it out. The most we will be able to do is try to listen for any movement, but we’ll do that if it will make you feel better.” Jack came out from behind the bar and hugged her. They had been friends for a very long time and he would do just about anything to ease her mind. If it weren’t for her support when his wife had passed, he probably wouldn’t be alive today and Ethan would be an orphan.

  “Jack, let’s just let Kate sleep, if all we can do is listen at the door. She’s been through enough, lately.”

  “All right, let’s go.”

  Chapter Thirty Seven

  “How much longer do you think I am going to let you keep me in here, Dr. Richards?” Montgomery asked while standing over him as he watched the monitor that showed the entrance to the wing .Dr. Richards stood and turned to him, pointing his finger in Montgomery’s face.

  “As long as I fucking say! If you hit that button, even a second before I am ready, I will knock you from here to Sunday. Do you understand,” he said putting his face so close to Montgomery’s that their noses almost touched. “It opens when I say it opens.”

  “Just who do you think you are, speaking to me in that manner?” I am now the President of this great country and-” Richards shoved him.

  “Right now, you’re just a piece of shit, inching ever closer to death with each second that ticks by. Your Presidential status doesn’t mean a fucking thing! You have no weight to throw around, so shut up before I open this door and let your wife do with you as she sees fit. Which I assume that you know, will not turn out too well for you, my friend.”

  Montgomery fell silent at the mention of his wife and looked to the door where Cassie stood on the other side, her fingers gripping the edge of the window, leaving flakes of dried blood on the glass and her eyes on Montgomery. They seemed to grow much wider at the comment that Richards had made about pushing him out there. Dr. Richards translated it as a look of anticipation, but pushed it from his mind because that was not possible. Montgomery had been distracted by movement on the monitor and diverted Dr. Richards’ attention from him. “Look! Out there! They’re here, now open the door!” Richards pushed Montgomery down in the chair and hit the button marked intercom.

  Jack approached the doors to the Presidential wing with Pat following close behind. He pulled on the handles and not only did the door not open, it didn’t budge. The lock held the doors securely. Looking back at Pat, he started to tell her that there was nothing to worry about when they heard a low voice. They looked up in the corner of the wall above the door and saw a very small security camera, and a smaller perforated metal plate beside it. He stood on his tiptoes to get closer so he could make out what was being said.

  “Don’t make any noise, do not knock on the door or speak. It seems that their hearing is very finely attuned. There are four infected persons, just inside the door and there are several more within this area. We are in a security room on the right side, about twenty feet inside the door. My speaking to you now is attracting them closer to us and away from the entrance. If you are armed, show them to me. If you aren’t, take this opportunity to retrieve your weapons and return.” Jack stepped back and showed his weapon and Pat followed his lead.

  “Okay, good. I am going to open the door. When I do, three of the four are pressed against the door to the room we are in. One has drifted away towards the entrance to the Presidential living quarters, which is maybe fifteen feet from where you will be standing when you enter. I will say again, there are several others in hall to the living quarters, so be careful. There is a weapon in the floor and when I get out of this room, I will retrieve it and help you. Nod, if you have understood all that I have said.” Jack nodded and took a deep breath. They had their weapons drawn and at the ready.

  “Damn, I thought we were through with this shit for a while,” Jack whispered.

  Pat couldn’t keep herself from saying in a whisper as well, “I told you so. I’m ready, are you?”

  “Do I have a choice?” He replied.

  Dr. Richards spoke over the intercom again. “Okay, when you are sure you are prepared; nod your head to give me the ‘okay’ to open the doors. As soon as I am free from this room, I will help you.” Jack stood firm and nodded. Dr. Richards hit the button and the door made a loud click as the security lock was disengaged, and the doors swung outward to reveal the
dead inside. The smell of death and decomposition was so strong that their bodies jerked visibly as they struggled to suppress the urge to vomit as they move forward into the wing. The sound the door made when it was unlocked got the attention of the dead that had been trapping Dr. Richards and Montgomery in the security room. Pat and Jack held their fire until the zombies moved far enough away from the door, so the two men could get out without any risk of contact.

  Pat’s first shot took out the dead that had been on the left side of the room. His brain exploded out the back side of his head, spraying the west wall with gore. She then turned her attention to the two in front of them and quickly fired off two rounds that took them down immediately. Jack’s first bullet went clean through the right side of Cassie’s face and embedded in the wall. It threw her off enough to back her away from the door. Dr. Richards burst out of the room first, and the heavy door smashed Cassie against the wall behind it, causing her decomposing body to easily crumple to the floor. Montgomery scrambled out on his hands and knees immediately after, trying to keep out of the way of gun fire. The rest of the dead had begun slowly but surely, filing through the door to the hall. Dr. Richards had obtained Scott’s weapon and began firing at them beside Pat and Jack.

  Kate awoke to a sound that she was sure was gunfire and loud voices to accompany it. She jumped from the bed and grabbed her weapon, checking the clip to make sure it was fully loaded as she ran down the hall to locate where it was coming from. Ethan and Angel had been awaked by the noise as well and were standing in the hall outside their bedroom, Ethan hugging Angel, both were crying. She quickly shoved them back into the room and gave them instructions to lock the door and wait for her return. Satisfied that they would listen to her she continued around the corner towards the commotion.