“Sorry to disappoint you,” Ethan laughed. “What about you? You collected two more stripes since the last time I saw you.”
“Yeah, I got one over there and they gave me the other in Cincinnati just because I was the oldest surviving NCO. Can’t run an army without sergeants.”
“Mike, this is Jake Harper. He’s kind of the leader of this group here at the farmhouse.”
“Yeah, Phil filled me in a little about what’s been going on here. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Harper.”
“Well, I’m happy to know you, Sgt. Blaine. Does this mean the army’s back in business?”
“Not just the army; there’s a provisional civilian government set up in Cincinnati. We’ve got detachments out all over the area looking for survivors and spreading the word.”
“Is it over then?” Vickie asked hopefully.
“No, ma’am, I’m afraid it’s not over yet. But from this point on, we’ll be making steady progress. We’ve hit two bandit gangs today and taken out over a hundred fifty infected, and that’s just our one platoon. There are two other platoons to the east and west setting up right now. We’ll be conducting regular sweeps from now on until the entire tri-state area is secured. It’s going to take a long time and a lot of effort, but it’s going to happen.”
“What does this mean for us?” Kim mumbled through swollen lips.
“Right now it just means we’ll be setting up a camp next to Hollington to protect civilian lives and property. The Governor will be sending a delegation later to work out all the details. Our primary mission now is to clear out the gangs and the infected and make this area safe. We’ve had good relations with Hollington for the past year or so and plan to designate it the regional capital. Lieutenant Reid is meeting with the Hollington committee right now but I think I can answer most of your questions and address your concerns.”
“I’m sure we can find plenty to talk about then, sergeant,” Jake said.
From Sgt. Blaine the group learned that Cincinnati was the largest American city known to have survived the infection. With a population of over forty-five thousand, it was now possibly the largest city on the planet. Washington was gone, New York was a burnt out shell and most of the Eastern Seaboard was virtually devoid of human life. Sporadic radio contact was maintained with a few operators in Europe and South America and several in Canada. After the initial outbreak, the infected died off quickly in the harsh cold of the extreme north and south latitudes but, cut off from the manufacturing bases in the more temperate zones only small settlements survived under relatively primitive conditions. In many tropical areas, no uninfected humans survived at all and the places became cesspools of disease from the many unburied bodies rotting in the sun, uninhabitable for years after.
Despite his missing limb, Garth’s prior service was judged invaluable. He happily put on a uniform again to become Cpl. Moyler of the First Ohio Valley Regiment. Ethan had had enough of military life, but agreed to help train a local militia, an improvised National Guard. Lt. Reid’s command was set up right outside the Hollington walls and sent reconnaissance patrols and search parties out in all directions, eventually gathering in another twenty-eight survivors, including Fred Lane and his family who’d stubbornly hung on in their substation stronghold.
Tad watched from a distance as the military established itself around Hollington. He knew that there were now too many people in the area and it was time for him to move on. Easily evading patrols that were looking for remnants of the hordes of dull-witted drones, he headed south again, even though mindful of the fact that the future was bleak for his kind. Never again would he lead even a small pack of drones to attack a home or settlement and he knew and accepted that his days were numbered.
The Governor himself arrived with a delegation from Cincinnati and officially declared Hollington the district capital. Hannah easily won a seat on the committee and even the skeptical Kim had to admit things were working out well. Winter came late that year and, with the help of most of the soldiers during their off-duty hours, a bountiful harvest was reaped from the fields, more than enough to accommodate the extra mouths to feed. The long, arduous task of simply surviving seemed at last at an end and the even longer challenge to endure and prosper was just beginning.
. . .
Kate woke up in the middle of the night to find herself alone. She pulled on a robe and left the room, searching for Kim. Bernie was in the kitchen having a cup of coffee before his shift on guard and told her Kim went out the front door only a few minutes ago. Kate hurried outside, half expecting her to be out on another hunt, but found her leaning against one of the porch columns, staring off into the moonlit landscape.
“Kim? What are you doing out here?”
“I couldn’t sleep. I got to thinking about that infected, the one who saved me. I can’t help wondering why he did it.”
“Who knows why they do anything?” Kate said. “Most animals only kill for food or if they’re attacked or feel threatened. He already had his kill; maybe he just didn’t see you as a threat.”
“It wasn’t just that,” she said, shaking her head. “He cut me loose. He looked at me, I mean; he really looked at me, looked right into my eyes and he cut the ropes. Why did he do that? Why didn’t he just walk away with his kill? Why bother to set me free?”
“I don’t think we’ll ever know. Maybe he doesn’t really know himself. I do know that you’re here with me and, why ever he may have done it, whatever his reasons, I’m thankful for that.”
“All the infected we’ve killed, do you think that, deep down, there was still some humanity left somewhere inside them?”
“No, I don’t believe that. I can’t believe that or I’d never be able to sleep again. He was the exception, one of a kind.”
“You’re probably right,” Kim murmured. “I hope you’re right.”
“Come on back to bed, it’s chilly out here.”
Kim gazed off into the distance a moment longer, then nodded and walked back inside with Kate.
Epilog
In the decades to come, it was generally acknowledged that this was the time and place in which civilization began its comeback. Cincinnati became the capital of the New American Republic, which eventually encompassed most of the old United States east of the Rocky Mountains and parts of eastern Canada.
Hannah served two terms on the Hollington committee before being named Chairman for two more. She moved on to serve with the presidential administration in Cincinnati, never losing contact with the people she still loved and admired.
Garth eventually retired with the rank of First Sergeant and he and Larissa spent their twilight years along the shores of Lake Erie.
Bailey became a financial auditor, first for the Ohio Valley District and later for the Federal Government.
Eve and Owen married a few years later and gave Tom and Liz three grandsons and four granddaughters.
Kate and Kim spent the rest of their days together working to help traumatized survivors adapt to their new world. Kim never again broke her promise.
Pete worked as a civilian mechanic in the military district’s combined motor pool. Carolyn worked with Dr. Vargas, eventually becoming head nurse at the Hollington Medical Center. They married in the spring and raised two fine sons.
Ethan was finally persuaded to become an Army Drill Instructor, eventually retiring as a Master Sergeant. Karen achieved her goal of becoming a physical therapist. They also married in the spring, raising two daughters and a son.
Tad Jamison’s memories continued slowly to return to him. Eventually he remembered the face of a woman he’d loved; a wife, the mother of his children. For a while, the memory made him happy, until vague flashes of other recollections began to crystallize and he saw them dead at his feet, saw himself feeding upon their corpses. His last earthly act was to put a pistol to his head, begging their forgiveness as his finger tightened on the trigger.
Jake, true to his word, never sought any elected position
and refused any official appointments. He spent the next eight years helping to salvage and rehabilitate machinery from the plants abandoned after the Great Infection and later, despite his declining health due to the many wounds and other injuries he’d suffered, oversaw industrial production for the Ohio Valley District. Vickie worked alongside him as personnel manager and deftly dealt with any problems concerning inventory, procurement and labor relations. They were married in a triple ceremony with Pete and Carolyn, Ethan and Karen. Together for twenty-nine more years, she was at his bedside holding his hand when he drew his last breath. Their two sons, daughter, eight grandchildren and the remaining members of their extended family joined her at his funeral. Almost nineteen years later, she was laid to rest next to him near the farmhouse where they’d spent so many happy years.
Afterword
I enjoyed writing this trilogy, never having any expectations of becoming a renowned author or gaining fabulous wealth from my labor. I’m actually sorry I finally finished it and have to say goodbye to the characters I’ve created and the world they will eventually rebuild. If you’ve derived any pleasure, any entertainment from reading my modest contribution to the world of literature, then I consider it to have been a worthwhile effort.
Tony Battista
Revised edition: April 2020
Table of Contents
Foreword
Chapter 1: Jake
Chapter 2: Vickie
Chapter 3: Supply Run
Chapter 4: Alone at Night
Chapter 5: The Island
Chapter 6: The Carrolls
Chapter 7: Pursued
Chapter 8: Trip to the Mall
Chapter 9: Refugees
Chapter 10: They Can’t Swim
Chapter 11: The Archer
Chapter 12: The Hardware Store
Chapter 13: Temporary Arrangements
Chapter 14: Carolyn
Chapter15: Strange Relations
Chapter 16: Overrun
Chapter 17: Leaving the Island
Chapter 18: Art and Ellen
Chapter 19: Vickie’s Souvenirs
Chapter 20: Company Arrives
Chapter 21: Madness
Chapter 22: The Ambush
Chapter 23: Awkward Hookup
Chapter 24: The Carltons
Chapter 25: Dr. Warfield
Chapter 26: Nightmare
Chapter 27: Supply Run
Chapter 28: Aftermath
Chapter 29: Leaderless
Chapter 30: Welcome Visitor
Chapter 31: Change of Seasons
Chapter 32: The Diner
Chapter 33: Camp Bravo
Chapter 34: Revelation
Chapter 35: The Country Club
Chapter 36: Ray of Hope
Chapter 37: Epilog
Author’s Notes
Lethal Infection Book II: The Infected Return
Chapter 1: The Alpha
Chapter 2: Reappearance
Chapter 3: Sniper
Chapter 4: Making Plans
Chapter 5: Beginning to Organize
Chapter 6: Visitors
Chapter 7: Bandits
Chapter 8: Tad Begins to Reason
Chapter 9: Medical Advice
Chapter 10: Bandits Again
Chapter 11: Fighting with Fire
Chapter 12: Relocation
Chapter 13: Fred Lane
Chapter 14: The Bandits’ Discovery
Chapter 15: Fast Learner
Chapter 16: Raid on the Farm
Chapter 17: Reunion
Chapter 18: The Bandits Regroup
Chapter 19: The Substation
Chapter 20: Settling In
Chapter 21: Kim’s Vengeance
Chapter 22: The Bandit Attack
Chapter 23: Windup
Author’s Notes
Lethal Infection- Book III: The Rebound
Foreword:
Chapter 1: Karen
Chapter 2: Ethan
Chapter 3: No Longer Alone
Chapter 4: Emerald City
Chapter 5: Jerry
Chapter 6: Together
Chapter 7: Unwelcome Memories
Chapter 8: Bailey
Chapter 9: On His Own
Chapter 10: New Additions
Chapter 11: Friends Lost
Chapter 12: Bailey’s Escape
Chapter 13: Garth
Chapter 14: Bailey Finds a Home
Chapter 15: Starting Over
Chapter 16: Nightmares
Chapter 17: The Rescue
Chapter 18: The Log Cabin
Chapter 19: Abandonment
Chapter 20: Hollington’s Offer
Chapter 21: New Friends
Chapter 22: Negotiation
Chapter 23: Ethan’s Struggle
Chapter 24: The Pit
Chapter 25: More Bandits
Chapter 26: Deadly Encounter
Chapter 27: A New Beginning
Epilog
Afterword
The Complete Lethal Infection Trilogy Page 70
