Managing the Apocalypse

by C. J. Boyle

"What are you trying to say then?"

  Brody took another breath and smiled, "Tonight's movie night. Would you like to be my date?"

  Kera laughed. "Yes," she wiped her eyes, "yes, I'd like that."

  They both suddenly looked as if they didn't know the appropriate way to say good-bye. He suddenly cocked his head to the side and shrugged. "I'm going shopping today. You never know, I might not come back. You'd be left regretting the fact that you didn't kiss me good-bye."

  "I guess that I'll have to live with that regret then," Kera laughed.

  Brody exaggerated a frown and turned to leave but she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. He was surprised at first, but then looked into her eyes and kissed her. Their lips lingered for a couple of heartbeats and then he leaned his forehead against hers for a moment. "I'll see you later."

  * * *

  Less than an hour later he was sitting in the back of one of the trucks with Carl and a few other men. He leaned up against some boxes scrolling through photos on his phone. Carl leaned over to see what Brody was so focused on. It was a photo of Kera. She was looking down at something.

  "When did you take that, stalker?" Carl elbowed him.

  Brody put the phone in his pocket, "Shut up."

  "Why do you even have that?"

  Brody shook his head, "JoJo was given access to a military satellite so that he could download and install a program on these phones that will allow us to text each other as long as we're within a mile or two." He reached into his backpack and pulled out two other cell phones. He handed one to Carl and the other to the man. When Brody got a good look at the man, he realized it was the same man with the pencil thin douche beard who was all over Kera a few nights before. "What's your name, man?"

  The guy took the phone, "Dean."

  Brody looked at Dean. He had a large neck tattoo of a handgun pointing up at his chin. Brody tried not to be jealous of the dipshit in front of him even though the man got to first and second base with the woman he loved. It didn't help that he had a front row seat for the event. He had to remind himself that he was going to win her heart, not this kid named Dean. "JoJo wants us to test these things out." He looked at Carl, "Where's Archie?"

  Carl shook his head and gave his pal his best 'are you crazy?' look. "Archie would not be good on one of these missions." He looked at the phone and then put it in his front pocket. "Besides, I'd lose it if anything happened to him."

  Chapter Six

  The Visit

  Martha hurried to the large green chinook that was waiting for her. Her hair whipped about in the wind. Molly Saunders, her new cameraman, and four heavily armed military men followed her. Martha sat down, strapped herself in, and then watched everyone else do the same. She was pissed that Colonel Cockran was forcing her to take military protection but not only that...a reporter to do a segment about New Hope. It was ridiculous because Martha knew the real reason was that Cockran wanted intel about New Hope and how it was run. At least she kept the reason she wanted to go to New Hope a secret. She told him that she wanted to see her husband and that she would only be gone a day. The Colonel flat out refused. She responded by telling him matter-of-factly that she would refuse to work or do any research at all. She actually had fun staring him down. He finally agreed to let her go. When they got to New Hope Martha was surprised at how much seeing Shawn hit her. She unbuckled herself and nearly jumped out of the chopper before it even landed. She wasn't a weak-kneed teenager running after the captain of the football team but it sure felt that way. She got out of the chopper and hurried over to her ex-husband. He held his arms open to her and closed the gap between them, as the wind that the chopper created blew their hair back and forth dramatically. She towered above him and as they hugged she rested her cheek against his forehead. "I missed you so much." She looked down at him and grabbed both his cheeks and planted a big, wet kiss on him.

  Dr. Wallace looked up at her, teary eyed. He grabbed her by the hand, "Let's go, I'll show you around." He whisked her into the building and let the door slam shut before the military men even knew what was happening.

  Molly looked at the prison as if it was a haunted crack house. She didn't want to step foot in it, let alone make it into some kind of puff piece. The Colonel had said it was for posterity. She shook her head. As if a record of what happened here would mean anything to future generations. She doubted there would even be any future generations if there was any truth to what she heard.

  Rose was there to greet her with a smile on her face. She held out her hand for Molly. "Hi, my name is Rose. I'm a big fan!" She yelled over the chopper that was taking off. Rose led her and the men inside to show them around.

  ~ The Beer Run ~

  An hour away Brody and his men were already on the move at a beer factory in Denver. They shouldn't have been there at all because beer wasn't in their assignment, but there was a vote and Brody lost. They loaded a few cases of beer onto a cart and prepared to take it out to the truck. He only agreed to it because he knew that everyone needed to blow off some steam once in a while. He himself was looking forward to having a beer or two alongside a beautiful woman later that night. As they put the last case on the cart, Brody readied his gun. He knew that the driver of the truck was outside keeping guard, but he wanted to be prepared. He walked after Carl and the other two men who pushed the heavy cart out to the truck. They made quick work of loading the truck. They wanted to work fast because they still had to find a pharmacy that hadn't been raided. Apparently, sexually transmitted disease was running rampant throughout the prison. The bottom of the last case started to break through, so Brody placed his gun on the back of the truck in order to help Dean. That's when the gunfire started. Brody looked up and saw the driver frantically shooting in a sweeping motion with his machine gun. Links pounced in what seemed like every direction. Brody simultaneously reached for his gun while checking to see where Carl was. He was shooting upwards to the top of the truck. The damn bastards were good at stealth and apparently, they were on the hunt that day. Just as Brody raised his gun to shoot, a Link jumped at him and knocked it out of his hand, so he punched it in the face. It screamed at him, twisted in the air, and then rammed its feet into Brody's chest, sending him backward into a cement wall. His head cracked against the concrete and he fought to stay conscious. His vision was a little blurry, as the Link made another approach. Brody grabbed it by the throat and started to choke it. In the commotion, he really didn't know what was happening to Carl and his men. At the moment, he was just concerned with saving himself.

  He heard Carl frantically screaming his name. "Brody! Help! Brody!" He wanted to help his friend. He squeezed the Link's throat as hard as he could but its arms were longer than his. It took Brody by the shoulders and slammed his body back against the wall. And then there was darkness.

  When Brody started to wake up he could hear rustling from behind him and occasionally from above. His head hurt very badly and it wasn't clear yet. He knew he had been in a fierce battle with a Link and he really hoped that the rustling he heard was Dr. Wallace dragging his feet around the infirmary. But he doubted it. Especially since his nose was being assaulted by the worst smells imaginable. Dirt. Link piss. Link shit. Decomposing bodies? Probably. He opened his eyes to darkness. As they started to adjust he could see light coming through windows from far above.

  "Where the fuck are we?" Carl whispered scaring the shit out of him.

  Brody tried to look behind him, "I don't know." He could see a little better. They were in a concrete enclosure of some kind. "Looks like we're sitting in an empty pool."

  "Since when do Links save their food for later?" Carl looked around. "Is anyone else here? Dean?" No one answered.

  "I guess we're the only ones." Brody looked up to the top of the pool. A Link walked by and hissed at another one. He could hear more moving around. "Do you have any weapons?" He reached around to his own back to check for his handgun. Thankfully it was there.

  "Only mace." Carl
held it up for him to see.

  "Radio?"

  "No, Man."

  Something resembling a gray blob moved up behind Carl. "Hi." It was a child's voice.

  The kid scared them both pretty bad but neither one of them cried out. They moved closer to the child and tried to see it better. It was a little boy with long brown hair. He was completely naked and covered in filth.

  Brody looked at the boy confused. "Hey, little man. Where'd you come from?"

  The boy pointed up and out of the pool. "Mommy." Both Brody and Carl looked but only saw a Link.

  "That thing is not your moms," Carl said and then looked to Brody, "He's what...two?" Carl eyed the Link as it walked past above them. It made a guttural low growl.

  The boy sat near Brody, "Hungie."

  "Yeah, you need some Huggies," Carl laughed but then got serious, "He's covered in shit."

  Brody pulled a granola bar out of his shirt pocket, tore it open, and handed it to the boy. "Here ya go." The boy took it, sniffed it, and then took a bite so big he could hardly chew it. "Hey, take it easy, little man."

  Carl nodded at him, "You just keep granola bars in your pocket?"

  "What, you don't?" Brody smiled at him. One of the things he liked about Carl is that he could laugh in the face of danger. The three of them were bound to be dinner. He didn't know why they were being saved till later, but he didn't plan on waiting to find out. Somehow they were going to have to escape.

  "I thought you were going to win."

  "What?" Brody was confused.

  "Hand to hand combat with the Link? I thought you were going to win." Carl sat up and folded his legs under himself in an Indian style position.

  "Yeah? Well, I wish I did."

  ~ The Crazy Lady ~

  Kera looked at herself in the mirror. The blisters around her eyes were finally starting to heal but she wanted to cover them up. She dabbed on some foundation and then rubbed it in. When she was satisfied with the coverage she moved onto her eyes. She hadn't worn makeup in literally years. She was in jail and then the world went to hell. There really was no need for makeup. The voice in her head that often made fun of her pointed out that Brody didn't care whether she wore makeup or not. The voice was her voice. But it was always there. It told her when she was stupid. It never ever told her when she was smart. But at times it tried to comfort her. 'She' tried to comfort herself. Other than her Uncle Shawn, she could only rely on herself. When she was on the floor crying after her husband hit her, the only person she had was herself. When she looked in the mirror at the black eye he gave her, she had to look herself in the face and say it would be okay. Contrary to recent events, she was a very strong person. The voice in her head took opposition to that thought. It reasoned with her that, if she was a strong woman, why didn't she leave her husband before things got so terribly out of hand? If she was such a strong person, then why did she try to kill herself? She tried to shake those thoughts off. Tonight, Brody was going to come back. She was going to go out with him and she was going to let him kiss her...and hold her. Maybe even make love to her.

  The radio she had on behind her chirped to life. "This is Chester at the gate. Shoppers are back."

  Kera was suddenly filled with all sorts of conflicting emotions. She was excited. Scared...maybe petrified was more like it. Whatever self-confidence she had shrunk down and all but disappeared. How could Brody like her? He was this prime specimen of a man. He was smart, brave, and kind. He was so far out of her league, it was unreal. She was pretty but not beautiful. Shorter than short. You could say she was brave if you didn't know she had a death wish. She was smart. That much was true. But she was also a basket case. She came with so much baggage. She stopped primping in the mirror and looked at herself. "God dammit, Kera, get it together."

  The sun was setting when she stepped outside. It was cold and the grass crunched under her shoes. She could see her Uncle Shawn standing with Martha and Mitchell. They were huddled together talking about something. She saw the truck and everyone standing around it. The only person she recognized was that kid, Dean. What she didn't see, was Brody. A feeling of pure dread came over her. She walked up to Mitchell. He was looking at her, very concerned. She didn't need to be told that Brody didn't come back. She was frantic, "Where's Brody?!"

  Mitchell put his hands up and bounced them at her. "Kera, calm down." He watched her walk past him. The truck was about fifty feet away and she was heading straight for it with increasing speed. She intended to get in and take it back to Denver and look for Brody. "Kera!" She ignored him and busted into an all-out run. "Dammit."

  He ran after her as fast as he could. He inched close enough to grab her arm. She swung around and punched him in the stomach making him lose his grip. She started running again. All she could think about was getting to Brody. Her visible breath panted up into the sky as she ran. Seemingly out of nowhere Mitchell tackled her and the wind got knocked out of her. She had forgotten how much that hurts. She gasped for air. He got up to his feet, slid his arms around her mid-section, and picked her up. She fought with him, and when she finally got a breath, she screamed, "NO!" He had his arms around her from behind, so she did her best to kick her heels into his shins. She continued to scream and fight, "I have to find him!"

  * * *

  Mitchell picked her up off the ground and started carrying her towards the nearest building which just happened to be solitary confinement. Trying to keep ahold of her was like trying to hold onto a bobcat that was on fire. Kera tried to ram the back of her head into his face. Clearly, she was going to fight dirty. He'd already been kicked in the shins with the heels of her boots so many times that he was sure he'd need medical attention. Everyone within view and in earshot was looking at them. He yelled at the person closest to the door, "Open it!"

  When Kera realized what was happening it only made her fight more. She screamed "NO" repeatedly and scratched at his bare hands with her fingernails. He was starting to get angry but part of him was impressed at the level of viciousness that came out of such a small package. He squeezed her tighter hoping that she'd have trouble breathing while simultaneously pushing her through the nearest cell door. He tossed her in there as far as he could, but she was quick and hopped up on adrenaline. She reached the door in attack mode. He slammed it in her face and then fell against the door while she screamed the longest "NO" he'd ever heard followed by a bunch of shorter ones.

  Mitchell's chest rose and fell like he'd been deprived of oxygen for several minutes. He let himself slide down the solid metal door until his butt rested on the floor. "Christ, woman, what are you like in bed?" He was joking but couldn't help picture it for a moment. He shook it off. He saw shoes in front of him and followed them up to Dr. Wallace's sad face. He had heard Mitchell's crude comment but let it pass. Instead, he nodded at him but it quickly turned into a disappointed shake. Kera was still screaming and pounding on the door.

  "Can you...just stay here until she calms down?" The look on the doctor's face suggested that he believed Mitchell would say 'no'. He kneeled down briefly because he caught a glimpse of Mitchell's left shin. He pulled his pant leg up to get a better look. His legs were red and bruised. "Are you going to need painkillers?"

  "Nah, man. I'm good." Mitchell turned his head slightly when Kera turned silent. He looked out of the corner of his eye at Wallace. There was another slam at the door.

  "I'm going to fuckin' kill you, Mitchell!" She screamed.

  ~ The Interview ~

  Melissa sat across from Martha in the infirmary. She looked past the woman for a moment to the doors. There, she saw the military men who followed Martha around. She didn't know why the doctor's wife wanted to speak to her, but she knew it had something to do with her condition. Her condition. Thinking about it in those terms makes it seem like it was a bad thing. In reality being a 'false' Link was a good thing. The woman had already introduced herself and told Melissa to call her Martha. She tried to make her feel comfortable but she was an
ything but comfortable.

  "I want you to know that anything you tell me here will be kept confidential." She held her notebook to her chest for a moment. "I'm just trying to gain a better understanding of your physiology."

  Melissa challenged that, "Why?"

  The question seemed to throw Martha off. "Why?" The woman thought for a moment. Probably trying to come up with a good lie. "Honestly?"

  "If you want me to answer your questions? Yes."

  Martha nodded, "Well, I haven't shared this information with anyone at New Hope just yet, but...apparently human women can no longer have children." Martha gestured to Melissa. "I'm sure I don't have to tell a smart girl, such as yourself, what that means to the human race."

  She watched Martha as she spoke. The woman looked her in the eye and held her gaze. She didn't look away or start touching the back of her head like liars often do. 'Maybe she's just really good at lying,' she thought to herself. She really didn't think she needed to ask follow up questions after what the doctor had told her. If human women can't have babies anymore this woman was obviously here to ascertain whether or not she could. She decided that life was too short. If this woman was on the level, she was trying to help, not hurt. It was time she tried to help too. "Ask me whatever you want."