“Let’s see it,” Bette ordered.
Bruce unwound the bandage, which looked like it had been made from a shirtsleeve. The bloody cloth fell away, revealing a bad wound. Bette held his hand and studied the gash.
Katie was trembling as she waited in agony, Travis resting his hand on the small of her back.
Bette sighed, then wrapped up the wound. “I see some glass in the wound, but there are also clear teeth indentations.”
With a shivering breath, Bruce closed his eyes. “I understand.”
“Oh, God, no!” Katie’s legs buckled, and Travis caught her.
Kevin lowered his head, feeling sick of it all.
A soldier guided Bruce toward the side of the road.
Bruce smiled at his daughter as he passed her. “It’s okay, Katie-girl.”
Katie reached to touch him, but her father shook his head.
“Bruce, I’m sorry.” Travis’s voice was full of grief.
“I’m not. I got to see you and my daughter and know about my grandchild. I got to say good-bye.” There were tears in Bruce’s eyes. “I love you, Katie-girl. I’m damn happy you’re going to be a mother and you’re going to have a good life. I’m proud of you.”
“Dad, I love you. I love you so much,” Katie said passionately, struggling not to cry. She would be strong for her father.
Bruce blew his daughter a kiss, then stood on the side of the road with his head down. Travis and Katie clasped hands and watched him in silence, tears glimmering in their eyes.
“This day can’t get much worse,” Kevin whispered to Bette.
But it did. By the time every truck and bus had been searched, they’d found seven infected people: four men and three women. Two were teenagers; the rest were adults. The oldest was in his sixties.
“You have two choices,” Kevin said as he walked down the line of infected. “We leave you here and you turn. Or, we can put you out of your misery and save you from the fate of the rest of the world. I know it doesn’t seem fair and it’s not, but I want to give you the dignity of the choice. I’m truly sorry.”
“I’ll do it myself,” one girl said through chattering teeth. The eighteen-year-old was having spasms, and Kevin was sure she was on the verge of turning.
Kevin studied her, then glanced at the soldier standing behind her. The soldier stepped away. Kevin handed the teenager his revolver.
People in the buses and trucks behind him were watching. The soldiers had tried to make the people look away, but he knew there was something innately human in not being able to tear their eyes away from the drama.
The girl’s breathing was shallow, her eyes milky.
Gazing at Kevin, she whispered in a voice that was barely human, “Take my mom to the fort.” Then she shoved the gun in her mouth and, without hesitation, pulled the trigger.
Her blood splattered the others. One infected man screamed and ran into the pasture.
“Let him go,” Kevin ordered. “He made his choice.”
“I can’t do it myself,” one of the women said, staring at the dead teenager at her feet. “I can’t.”
“I’ll do it,” Bette said gently. She walked behind the woman and shot her.
“Me, too,” a man said, looking at Bette. “Me, too.”
Kevin looked into Bette’s green eyes and saw her sadness. He moved to stop her, but she had already fired.
The teenage boy turned and ran.
“I can’t,” the last woman whispered, then raced into the field.
Bruce slowly and deliberately reached for the gun at the dead girl’s side. “I don’t want to ask you to do what I can do myself,” he said in a wavering voice. His hand was shaking.
Kevin pressed his lips tightly together and gave a curt nod.
“You did a good job, son. Just some of us were a little slow. And a little foolish,” Bruce said with a sigh. He looked at his daughter and son-in-law, in the cab of their truck. “Katie, I love you. Travis, take care of her. I got to say good-bye, and that makes this all worth it.”
“Dad,” Katie said emotionally, “I love you, too.”
“I know, honey, I know. Take care, y’all.” His hand steady now, Bruce pressed the gun to his temple.
The gunshot made Kevin jump even though he knew it was coming.
“One of them is coming back,” a soldier said. He raised his weapon.
A shot rang out. Then silence ruled the world again.
“Let’s go home,” Kevin said at last, wiping his tears away.
3.
Home
The sparkling Christmas lights were the first thing many of the evacuees saw as the convoy crested the hill and sped down toward the fort. Perhaps because of the gloomy, drizzly weather, the lights seemed very bright, twinkling in the grayness of the day.
Amy’s children, huddled together in a metro bus, stared with wide, shell-shocked eyes at the glowing decorations. Margie leaned over and whispered to her brother and sister, “Maybe Christmas is here.”
Guadalupe broke down crying, burying her face in her gnarled hands. Those around her laid comforting hands on her.
In one of the lead trucks, Bette sat in silence. Tired to the core of her being, she wanted to be somewhere safe and warm. Once she’d been a medic who tried to heal the sick. Now she was an executioner. Exhausted, she rested her head on the seatback.
The convoy drew up outside the fort’s gates. Vehicles were admitted through the lock one at a time, the sentries examining them for any unwanted zombie stowaways. Overhead, the helicopters hovered watchfully. To everyone’s relief, no zombies attacked while they waited.
When the truck Katie and Travis were in passed through the gate, Katie wiped away a few silent tears. They were home, but their world had been changed forever once again.
Her best friend was gone.
Her father was gone.
Kevin saw Nerit, the Israeli woman, standing on the wall, watching the proceedings with keen eyes. Their gazes met and something unspoken passed between them.
Having received word of the inspection for bites on the road, Charlotte waited with Belinda and other volunteers to treat the people who had been wounded during the escape.
Peggy and Yolanda feverishly took down the names of all the evacuees, realizing quickly that it would be a huge job to make sure everyone had lodging.
As the survivors poured into the courtyard that had once been a construction site, the citizens of the fort rushed to greet them.
There were moments of incredible joy as family members were reunited. Friends who had not seen each other in years wept as they embraced. Weary soldiers found themselves hugged and kissed by strangers. Newly arrived members of the reverend’s flock were stunned to find their spiritual leader waiting for them, and he, in turn, shed tears as they greeted him.
These and many other unexpected reunions filled the dreary day with cries of happiness that were mingled with tears of sadness.
Finally, the last truck rolled in. A beleaguered middle-aged man, his hair messy and his face drawn, trudged through the crowd toward a redheaded woman who was staring at him in disbelief.
With infinite gentleness, Bill put his arms around Katarina and kissed her, then said, “I really need a beer.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
1.
Moments
“We must remember that our loved ones have moved on to a place where there is no fear or pain. It is we, who are left behind, who feel fear and pain. We must take comfort that their suffering is over; we must love one another and live the best life we can to honor their memory,” the reverend said to his gathered flock, lifting his voice in prayer.
Katie moved past him, her legs feeling heavy and leaden. Travis walked behind her, resting a hand on her waist. She felt dizzy and tired, and her body ached from the long, bouncy ride in the truck. Her hand pressed protectively against the swell of her stomach as she walked toward the hotel.
As one man moved aside to let her pass, Katie saw Jason
directly ahead of her. He was standing very still with Jack pressed to his side. Michelle stood a half step behind him, her face pale. Katie’s heart broke all over again as she gazed into the boy’s eyes.
“Jason,” Katie managed to say before he flung himself into her arms. Shaking, he buried his face in her neck as he cried. Clutching him, she whispered, “I’m so sorry.” Tears filled her eyes, then spilled over. Jack began to whine.
The teenager sobbed desperately. Travis wrapped his arms around both of them and said, “We’re here, Jason. We’re here.”
“Mom! Mom! Mom!” Jason’s voice was a screech of pain.
Michelle wrapped one arm hesitantly around Katie, who pulled her into a four-way embrace. Jack squeezed between their legs and howled.
* * *
Rosie was in a feverish rush to get lunch on the table for the newcomers. The kitchen was filled with delicious smells as she and her crew worked hard to make a feast. She pulled dozens of fresh biscuits, golden and hot, out of the oven, then wiped her hands on a towel and went to check on the fried chicken. She had decided to break out the last of the frozen poultry for the new people. They needed good food, from the sight of them.
“Hey, Rosie,” Calhoun called from the doorway.
“What is it, Otis?” Rosie asked.
“Your mama is in the lobby,” the old man said.
Rosie looked up, startled. “What did you say?”
“Your mama, Guadalupe, is here. She hit me with her derned cane,” Calhoun said as he sauntered none-too-casually toward the biscuits.
She waved her metal tongs at him to warn him off. “My mamá can’t be alive. She went to the hospital for a checkup on the first day. Hospitals were deathtraps.”
“Well, she’s alive,” Calhoun answered, reaching for the biscuits.
Rosie smacked him and he grunted, but snagged a biscuit. She hesitated, then handed the tongs to one of her helpers. “Don’t let him get another one.”
Calhoun shoved the entire biscuit in his mouth and grinned as he went for another.
The thought of her nearly one-hundred-year-old mother being alive was too much to even hope for, but when Rosie entered the lobby, she saw the hunched-up old woman in a wheelchair, banging on the check-in counter.
“I want a room with a view that doesn’t include zombies!”
Rosie fainted. Guadalupe turned to look as people cried out. She was stunned to see her daughter lying on the floor. “ Dios mío! My baby is alive!” She began to cry.
* * *
The dining room had never been so full. People were crowded in, eating feverishly. The reverend had blessed the meal, and some people had wept at his words.
Bette sat with some of the survivors and a few fort residents. It had been a long time since she had eaten such good food. She picked at the biscuit on her plate, eating slowly so that she could relish the flavor. Across from her, a pretty Latina kept giving her furtive glances.
Finally, Bette put out her hand and introduced herself.
The younger woman smiled shyly and said, “My name is Monica.”
Under Monica’s intense gaze, Bette continued to eat. The heaviness inside her grew a little lighter every time she met the other woman’s eyes.
* * *
Bill and Katarina ate together, holding hands under the table. Despite the pain around them, they were enveloped in a bubble of happiness. Bill was home and they were together. What exactly that meant, they weren’t sure yet, but so far, it felt right.
* * *
Kevin and Nerit sat side by side in a corner of the dining room. They ate in silence. As people relaxed and laughter began to be heard, tears came to Kevin’s eyes. He put down his fork and began to cry, his wide shoulders heaving. He had worked so hard to save the people at the mall and he had failed. He’d seen the list of names Peggy compiled. Close to half the four hundred people in the mall had died.
But two hundred had lived, and they were now safe, so perhaps he had not entirely failed. He didn’t know what to think anymore. His family was gone. Valerie was gone. His soul was tired.
Nerit touched his shoulder, offering wordless comfort. A man on Kevin’s other side did the same. Other people stopped to thank him. Somehow Kevin found himself on his feet.
“I wish I had done more. I wish everyone had made it. I’m so sorry,” he apologized.
The people around him were shaking their heads.
“You did well.”
“Good job.”
“Thank you.”
Without realizing it, Kevin moved through the dining room, surrounded by grief, faith, and love. People held him, kissed him, and cried with him.
At last, Nerit took his hand and led him to her own room. Kevin lay down on her bed, which smelled of lavender and sage.
“Sleep,” she told him. “Your job is done. Now you can rest.”
He closed his eyes and felt her cool fingers rest on his forehead. He was certain he would never be able to sleep.
He did not wake up for two days.
* * *
Katie slipped into Juan’s room and found his mother visiting, along with Guadalupe.
“Katie,” Juan said emotionally. He reached out and drew her down into a tight hug. His unkempt beard scratched her cheek.
“Juan, I came as soon as I could,” she said, sitting next to him.
“Have you met my grandma yet?”
Katie smiled at Guadalupe. “We’ve met. I helped sign her up for the evacuation.”
Guadalupe returned her smile. “We hung out at the mall together, right, chica?”
Katie struggled not to lose her composure. “Juan, about Jenni—”
“I already know,” Juan said quickly. “Jenni came to me.”
Rosie dabbed at her eyes. “He told me about his dream and I thought maybe it was just a nightmare, but now…”
“She came to you in a dream?” Katie said.
“I don’t think it was a dream. I saw her. I felt her touch. She was wet and her hand was hurt. At first I thought she had come home, but then I realized…” Juan faltered and his voice grew hoarse as he continued, “I realized she was telling me good-bye.”
Katie could not hold back her tears. “She’s not one of them.”
Juan sighed with relief and covered his eyes, trying to compose himself. “Was it you, Katie? You … did … it?”
Katie nodded. “I did.”
Juan hugged her again. “Thank you, Katie … thank you…”
* * *
“I saw my mom,” Jason whispered in a slurred voice.
Considering the strength of the sedative Charlotte had given the boy, Travis was surprised that he was awake. Next to him, on the bed, Jack continued to sleep, his tail wagging slightly.
Jason looked at Travis groggily and repeated, “I saw my mom. She’s okay.” Jason’s eyes drifted shut, his breathing slowed, and he was asleep. Travis looked cautiously around the room. Feeling foolish, he whispered, “Hey, Jenni, don’t go too far. We still need you.”
He sat back in his chair, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, feeling better.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
1.
The Season Ends
Some of the new arrivals slept for days. Others were hyperawake, afraid that if they fell asleep, they’d wake up back at the mall. Many people walked along Main Street, staring in awe at the buildings; others were astonished just to be outside after months indoors.
The fort’s long-term residents helped the newcomers settle in and find their niche.
The two helicopters and their crews were temporarily grounded until new fuel supplies could be located. Kevin and the soldiers who had followed him joined fort security. Any ruffled feathers between the fort sentries and the soldiers were soon smoothed out as Kevin and Nerit worked together to create a cohesive defense unit.
With Bill back in the mix, the situation with Brewster, the last of Blanche’s henchmen, was resolved. He was allowed to stay in the fort—under
probation—after he stringently denied having any foreknowledge of Blanche’s murderous plans.
Meanwhile, the fort monitored the communications between Senator Paige Brightman’s convoy and Central. It quickly became evident that the Central Government did not have the resources to rescue the senator and the people who had left the mall with her. Within two weeks of the fall of the mall, all communication between Brightman and Central ceased.
The decision as to whether or not the Central Government should be contacted was placed in the hands of the fort’s inhabitants. They voted nearly unanimously to continue on their own.
Spring arrived and bluebonnets sprang forth to color the hills as the trees regained their green regalia.
Life moved on.
2.
Happy Anniversary
“I can’t believe it’s March already,” Peggy huffed.
Stacey looked up from the ledger she was studying and lifted her eyebrows. “It is?”
“The new people arrived in mid-February, and that was a month ago. I guess we’ve all been so busy, it got away from us. Lord knows I’ve hardly slept.” Peggy was busily making a homemade calendar on the back of a used piece of paper.
“We missed Valentine’s Day when all that stuff went down at the mall,” Stacey said sadly. She marked off a few items on her ledger before reaching for the next form in her pile.
Peggy snorted. “Zombies rise and we’re still doing paperwork.”
Lenore knocked lightly on the door to Peggy’s office. Clad in jeans and a blue Eeyore hoodie, she looked as dour as ever. “I’m heading out with a scavenging crew. I took twenty more bolts for my crossbow. They’re looking low.” She handed Stacey a slip of paper.
The blond woman nodded and said, “I’ll let Jason and his crew know they need to make more.”
“Thanks.”
“How are you doing, Lenore?” Peggy asked.
“A girl can only cry so much over a boy,” she answered in her usual dour tone.
“You know, that handsome Kevin Reynolds is single,” Peggy said, hoping that maybe Lenore would smile and start feeling happier.
“You do realize that just because you put a black woman and a black man in the same room, that don’t mean they’re gonna hook up, right?” Lenore scowled.
As The World Dies Trilogy Box Set [Books 1-3] Page 86
