by Nikita Eden
“All of us,” Marcella amended with wave of her hand. “We’ve been talking and we think you should take over as Director.”
Audrey’s mouth dropped open as she looked at the faces of the Runners who were still there and wondered why they would want that. There were members of the group who were in better shape than her physically. The fact that she was the youngest of the Runners made her feel suddenly more inadequate.
“I appreciate that and everything, but I really don’t know what to say,” Audrey muttered. “I don’t think it’s up to us though.”
“We’ve already talked to the Council,” Cecil, who was Runner Ten, said from the back of the group with a bright smile. “They know you’re young—we all know it, but we all believe you have a strong sense of self and are confident you know what you’re doing.”
“Thanks Grandpa,” she affectionately called him by the nickname the group had given him as the oldest member. “What about Dean?”
She knew Dean was upset because of Lincoln and she didn’t want to do anything that might hurt Dean more whether or not she meant to. The group was quiet with a few murmurs popping out.
Marcella spoke up again, “The Council thinks it’s best to talk to you about taking on the title of Director and then let you decide what to do about Dean.”
“When do I talk to them?” Audrey questioned.
Marcella pointed behind her and Audrey turned to see Mr. Davies, Mr. Ruthers, and Mrs. Jimenez waiting at the edge of Runner’s Field.
She looked back at the rest of the Runners and hesitantly ran to where the Council was patiently waiting for her.
“Good Afternoon, Audrey,” Mr. Davies said kindly as she approached them. “It’s been a busy few weeks for us all, don’t you think?”
Audrey nodded. She wasn’t sure what to say to Mr. Davies, but he didn’t wait for her.
“Well, I take it Marcella has told you the news?”
Audrey squeaked out an affirmation, “She did. I-I’m honored that you would consider me.”
“The Runners approached us about it. I can’t say we haven’t been impressed with your leadership lately. Do you think it’s a position you’d be interested in?” Mr. Davies queried.
“I think it would be great, but—”
“You’re worried about how Dean will take it?” Mr. Davies guessed correctly. “I think you should know that he hasn’t been to practice this week because I have asked him to take time to clear his thoughts and gather himself.”
“I see,” Audrey replied.
She knew Mr. Davies just wanted the best for his son, but it was odd that he would ask him to stay away from people who needed him and who could help him.
“He lost his best friend and then was almost killed himself,” Mr. Davies continued. “That can take a lot out of a person.”
“Do you think he will be upset that he’s being demoted?”
“I’ve talked to him a few times when he’s allowed me to this last week,” Mr. Davies sighed and scratched the back of his head. “I think he understands that we can’t have someone who is acting as unpredictably as he has been leading such an important group of people.”
“There are other people who could do a better job,” Audrey protested. “People who are more qualified.”
“You are young, but you’ve been trained just as long as the others have since Roswell was able to stabilize itself,” Mr. Davies started.
“You know the ins and outs of being a Runner and the others already respect you enough that they unanimously asked for you to lead them,” Mrs. Jimenez added happily.
“I think I agree with them,” Mr. Ruthers grunted. “As much as I don’t care for the Runners, we need you right now and you are more responsible than some of the people out there who are twice your age.”
“We think you’d do well as Director,” Mr. Davies concluded.
Audrey was flattered that so many people held her in such high esteem, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t good enough for what they were asking of her, “Do I need to answer now?”
“No,” Mr. Davies replied with a slight frown that caused a crease in his forehead. “We would like you to let us know by the end of the week though. We’ll name you interim Director and go from there. How does that sound?”
Audrey nodded. Maybe if she tried it out for a while she’d be more comfortable taking on the responsibility of having the position permanently, “Yeah that sounds good to me.”
“Who do you want to be your Assistant Director for the time being?” Mrs. Jimenez asked her. “I want to make sure I know what to record back at the office.”
“I think I’ll ask Marcella for now. She’s always been reliable and trustworthy,” Audrey answered and looked back at the other girl with a smile and a small wave.
“Alright, thanks for the chat, Interim Director,” Mr. Davies grinned and held his hand out.
She shook his hand firmly and turned around. She headed back to where the small group of cheering Runners waited.
~~~
All ten Runners were standing between the north gate and Runner’s Field. They had started meeting at the gate the day after Audrey was made Interim Director. They all enjoyed the short jog to the field and used it as a time to bond with each other.
“Today we’re going to the hospital instead of the field,” Audrey told them. “The Council is pushing to annex the hospital today.”
She was immediately bombarded by protests.
“Are you serious? What if there’s another Howler?” Cecil’s voice cracked slightly. “I really don’t think it’s safe to go in there after one was found in the building.”
“That’s a risk we have to accept. We’re going together to clear out the rest of the dregs that are around the area. Max,” she said turning to the other man. “I need you to stay near the baseball diamond with a radio so you can stay in contact with the people who will be setting the new fence up around the perimeter of the hospital.”
“Will they be fast enough if it takes longer than they estimate it will take to set the fence?” Max asked with an eyebrow raised.
“This last week a few of us have been marking places where posts will go during the daily sweeps around the hospital,” Audrey explained. “There will be seventy-five men waiting close by with all of the posts and coils of fencing.”
“Have there been any signs of another Howler?” Greg, who was Runner Six, shuddered. “There have been a lot more of them around here lately.”
“We haven’t noticed any activity during the day out of the usual with the dregs aside from the incident with Dean. As soon as the workers get the all clear from us they’ll start setting everything up,” Audrey could see the hesitation in the Runners’ eyes and hoped they would be willing to go through with the plan. “Everyone will be there to take out any of the dregs that come out trying to get to anyone who is unarmed.”
There was murmuring among the Runners, but Audrey didn’t let up on trying to convince them, “I know this seems terribly unsafe, and to be completely honest it probably isn’t, but Dr. Searle is insisting that he needs proper facilities and Mr. Ruthers has insisted we ‘do our jobs’ for once.”
“Easy for him to say when he’s safe behind the walls,” Max complained.
Audrey pursed her lips and continued, “We all need the facilities and until we can clear enough of the dregs out of the surrounding area to take the wall down we need to annex the hospital.”
The group was quiet before Max asked, “So, should we gear up and get ready to go?”
Audrey nodded and the group disbanded so they could get to the field and gather what they needed out of the supply shed. Marcella and Lincoln stayed behind with Audrey.
“We need make sure everyone is alert today,” Audrey said to them. “We’re going to have to split the three of us up and have one or two of us go inside with a small group and have whoever is left stay outside and instruct the Runners who are on the outside with the workers.”
/>
“I’ll go inside,” Lincoln volunteered. “I’m fast and can help with Howlers if there are any others in there.”
Audrey nodded and turned to Marcella, “Do you think you could handle everyone outside alone?”
“Absolutely,” she nodded.
Audrey opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it and glared over Marcella’s shoulder, “What are you doing here?”
Dean walked through the Commons and straight through the north gate towards her, “I came to help. My dad told me what the plans the Runners had made for today and I know you guys could use an extra hand.”
It was hard for Audrey to stay mad at Dean for very long. She knew he needed time to recover from everything he’d been through, but she was still upset with how he had acted the last time they were at the hospital.
“Do you really think we need you messing this up?” Marcella snipped at him. “We’re going to have enough to deal with today. We don’t need anyone throwing us off.”
“I understand why you guys are mad at me,” Dean held his hands up defensively. “I’ve been less than reliable, but I really want to help. Plus, I’m still a Runner.”
Audrey stared at him and then rolled her eyes. She knew the other Runners weren’t going to be pleased, but she knew the extra help would minimize the danger to the workers.
“Gear up and stay near the edges of the field when we get to the hospital,” Audrey said coolly. Dean smiled and ran to the supply shed where the rest of the group was already gathered and getting ready.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Marcella asked with a scowl.
“Dean was a good leader until Peter died. Maybe the time away helped him relax and get himself back together. Besides, he was right. He’s still a Runner and if he wants to work with us, why stop him?” Audrey defended him.
“You’re not going to pass everything back on to him after this are you?” the other girl asked. “We’ve all been worried since you only took the position temporarily.”
“I think depending on how this goes today, I may go talk to the Council and accept the permanent position,” Audrey informed the other girl cheerily. “Leading the clear outs and keeping up with the schedules has made me see I can keep things going smoothly. I think I can do this.”
“We all know you can, but if this is what you need to decide then we’ll all do our best,” Marcella clapped her hand on Audrey’s shoulder and smiled. “You’ve got this.”
Audrey joined everyone at the supply shed and frowned. They were all quiet and most of them kept shooting glares at Dean’s back. Tension hung heavily in the air and Audrey wondered if it really was a good idea to let Dean come along.
Everyone quickly finished gearing up and followed Audrey to the hospital. The men were already waiting behind the fence that stood behind the home plate of the baseball field.
“Alright everyone,” Audrey said as they walked across the baseball diamond. “Lincoln, Cecil, Greg, Gemma, and I will be going inside. We’re going to clear things out room by room.”
“What will we do out here?” Max asked, fidgeting with the extra radio Marcella had given him.
“Marcella is going to issue instructions to everyone out here based on what we tell her. While we’re going through the inside she’ll lead a group around the hospital. You guys will keep the exterior doors on the ground floor open and exterminate all of the dregs that come out as quickly as you can,” Audrey expanded on the plan.
“How will we keep an eye on the workers if everyone is in the building or circling it?” Max questioned.
“You’ll stay close to them with Dean. Once you get the all clear, you guys will lead the workers to the big white spray painted X’s that are on the ground. We want to keep this under five hours so we aren’t still here when dregs start coming out again. Let’s get to it!”
The groups split up quickly and followed their leads. Audrey led her group slowly through the emergency room doors.
“Stay close,” she whispered. “Stay quiet. We’re going to go room by room. If you see any lone dregs in the hallways use your melee, save your ammunition for large groups and only if you absolutely need it.”
The Runners closed ranks behind her and maneuvered through the halls as a tight group. The first few rooms they checked were empty, but they soon encountered a small group of dregs near a, nurse’s station.
Audrey, Lincoln, and Greg quickly took care of them. After that there was a steady stream of dregs that seemed to come from every direction in the hospital.
After an hour had passed Audrey wiped her brow with the sweat band she was wearing on her wrist and rolled her shoulders back a few times.
They rounded a corner into the x-ray room where a small nest of dregs was gathered, “Easy work guys.”
She slowly opened the door, but instead of standing calmly like usual the dregs started to frenzy and moved hastily toward the door.
Audrey’s heart leapt into her throat and she took in a deep breath of air before she skillfully swung her machete at them. She disabled a few by taking out their legs while Lincoln swung at their heads to kill them.
The swirling pit in her stomach rushed to her head and energized her. She felt weightless and was hyper-focused on her movements.
When the last dreg in the nest fell she groaned at how tense the muscles in her back were. She didn’t realize she had been holding her breath until her head started swimming. She exhaled and breathed in, but almost instantly regretted it because the stench of rotting flesh that filled her nose almost made her vomit.
“Oh my gosh,” she swallowed to keep herself from retching. “Let’s take a second to regroup. Cecil close that door will you?”
The five Runners walked into a small room that connected to the x-ray room. They stood in the room breathing through their mouths.
“This is disgusting,” Gemma complained. “I swear I can taste the dregs in the air.”
Audrey’s eyes watered from the putrid smell and she nodded in agreement, “Does anyone know for sure how much we have left to finish canvasing before we’re done?”
“We’ve only done about a third of the hospital,” Cecil said looking out the small window on the door. “It looks like there’s a small group of them right…”
He trailed off and hastily scurried away from the window on the door. Everyone looked at him quizzically and he silently mouthed “get down” to them. That’s when they first felt the floor moving.
It was a soft rumble that was almost imperceptible, but then they heard a deep, loud roar echo through the halls and they all quickly dropped to their knees.
“What is that?” Gemma exclaimed as quietly as she could while trying not to panic.
“I don’t know,” Audrey whispered. She crawled to the door and stood up so she could see what Cecil had spotted in the hall.
Fear flooded her when a massive block of grey flesh quickly passed the door. She dropped to her hands and knees and moved to look out the window. She slowly raised back up and peeked out as a mutant the size of a small sedan angrily stampeded down the hall they had just finished clearing out with a group of dregs following it.
“Well?” Cecil asked impatiently when she turned back to them.
“Radio Max. Now. Tell him to get the workers by the field out of there. We need to go after that thing because everyone might be in serious trouble,” Audrey opened the door and charged into the hallway with the other four Runners close behind her.
The radio crackled and Cecil said, “There’s a big guy headed out there.”
“What do you mean ‘big’?” Dean’s voice responded.
“Where’s Max?” Cecil demanded angrily.
“He went to help the guys find all the white marks,” Dean answered.
“Warn the workers and all the Runners out there. There’s a giant beast the size of a car coming out and it’s angry,” Cecil released the button and pulled his pistol out of his holster.
“Can do,” Dean answ
ered and signed off the radio.
The small band of Runners quickly made their way to the Emergency Room and out the front doors where they saw the giant mutant furiously swinging its thick arms at people who were in its way.
“What is that thing?” Gemma asked, horrified by the sight.
“It’s one of the Behemoths Albuquerque has talked about,” the blood rushed into Audrey’s head when she saw it barging toward Dean and the workers.
“Dean,” she whispered to herself and made a beeline in his direction.
“What the heck?” She heard Marcella yelp from the front of the hospital.
Audrey wasn’t sure if anyone was following her, but she ran as fast as she could. She sheathed her machete and pulled out her gun as she ran.
The Behemoth stopped every ten feet and pounded at the ground, like a really big toddler throwing a tantrum, before grabbing fistfuls of grass, dirt, and rock. She watched it throw its newly acquired projectiles at the people closest to it and prayed that no one would get hurt.
She stumbled when it throw its arms out to the side and let a loud roar into the air. The men from the construction crews had already dropped the poles and coils of fencing and were running as fast as they could to the gate. The sound of the metal clanging on the ground irritated the Behemoth and it focused on the group of men running away from it.
Her stomach dropped when she saw Dean running towards the creature with his pistol pointed at its giant body, shooting at it repeatedly.
“Dean!” she shrieked when she saw the bullets that pierced the Behemoth didn’t slow it down any. “Get out of there!”
He must not have heard her because he charged at the monster as quickly as he could. He yelled something Audrey couldn’t make out over his shoulder at the remaining workers and they rapidly ran back to the wall that protected Roswell.
None of the Runners knew what to do to take down a mutant that was so large. They all used the pistols they had to shoot at the massive expanse of back, but it continued to charge towards the walls and the community.
Dean was able to get closer to it when it stopped to beat at the ground.
