Outbreak: Long Road Back (31 page)

The road trip was filled with tense silence eased only by Mrs. Johnson’s wonderful fried cakes and a big thermos of coffee. Carl had splurged and bought a two and a half pound can of actual for really coffee just for the trip. They made pretty good time and the driving only got easier as they got farther south towards the coastline. Everywhere there were little signs of the area being reclaimed by civilization but they still had to spend the night at a rest stop a couple times. At the last one they were treated to the sight of watching Michael play with a functioning drinking fountain for the first time in his life. Of course they were all amazed by the sight of something that they would not have thought twice about a decade ago: clean, clear cold water coming out of a fountain.

On the third day of the trip Amy pointed to something rapidly growing on the horizon that sort of resembled a mountain range. “Look everybody!” she said, making everyone lean forward in their seats to see except Michael who was napping in his car seat. “It’s Boston! We’re almost there guys!”

The three of them had received room reservations at a hotel near where the dinner and reunion was going to be and the city had even set up a shuttle service so that the out of town guests would not have to add to Boston’s already bustling street traffic. The bus ride to the hotel was almost overwhelming. There was just so much noise and movement and Amy found herself floored by the sheer number of people. It seemed like there was the entire population of Phoenix just walking around on one block of sidewalk.

The city definitely had the feeling of a post war boomtown. Lacey had to wonder if this is what it felt like to be walking on a street in say Germany or France after World War Two. Everywhere there was rubble being carted off, new construction or repair work being done on structures deemed repairable. He looked at his wife out of the corner of his eye and smirked. Something about her made him think of some rustic hillbilly seeing the big city for the first time. Maybe it was the shotgun slung over her shoulder? Either way he would not mention it. She would probably slug him on the arm pretty hard.

The building the hotel was in was one awe inspiring sight after another. The smells wafting out of the dining area made Carl’s stomach very angry with him for not rushing right over and devouring the beef he smelled. However his little boy found the little fountain in the lobby far more interesting and both he and Frannie had to keep picking him up so Michael would not run over and climb in it. Amy and Adam got everybody’s room keys for them while they were occupied with the baby.

The two couples got their own rooms while Becca and Paulie also had to split one. Since they were both only fourteen they qualified as family members and got their room free from the city too. The rooms were stunning: huge beds with good firm mattresses, air conditioning and… “Holy crap, hon come look at this!” Amy muttered as she waved Adam into the bathroom. The man giggled and put an arm around his wife when he saw what had her all excited.

There was an honest to goodness shower in the tiled room along with a for really and truly toilet. The sink was glistening with perspiration from the chilled water inside the pipes in the florescent light. Adam slipped past his wife and went to the tub. It was easily big enough for the two of them. “Might have to try this out later, babe.” he said with a demure grin as he tested the hot water tap. It was scalding in a matter of moments.

Amy tapped him on the butt with the toe of her sneaker. “Maybe later. I wanna have a shower!” Adam frowned when the smaller woman playfully pushed him out of the door and shut it behind him. Once she was reasonably certain that he was not going to try to sneak back in Amy shrugged out of her jacket and pulled her tank top over her head. She leaned the shotgun against the toilet then rested her M9 on the top of the tank. Amy stepped into the shower and turned it on full blast filling the little bathroom with steam in moments.

She gasped in pleasure at the feeling of the hot water running down her face soothing all the little aches and pains of the road trip, the stiffness in her joints running down her torso and limbs and swirling down the drain. Amy groped around and found the little bottles of shampoo. She washed her hair carefully. She had cut it off short years ago and regretted it so she had let it go. Her hair now hung almost below her shoulder blades but it was pretty tangled up.

Her breath caught in her chest and a wave of dizziness made her steady herself against the wall She sat down in the shower with the hot water drumming on her head hiding her face in her hands and trying to catch her breath. She started crying softly and did not look up when the bathroom door eased open.

Adam kicked off his boots and climbed in the shower with her. “What’s wrong, baby?” he whispered as he sat down with her and held the crying naked woman to his chest. He brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her cheek. “It’s okay, sweetie. It’s alright…”

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I…I just…I dunno…I miss my mom and dad. And Sergeant Emery. And…and you know…everybody…” Amy sniffed. It strangely had not even occurred to her just how many people she had known and cared about and lost since the plague began. Adam held her tight and kissed the tip of the woman’s nose.
“I know, hon.” he whispered. “I love you.”

Amy frowned and leaned against her husband’s sodden chest. “I know.” she said at last. Now Adam frowned. They had been together all these years through thick and thin, hunger and plenty including a scare when the kids were six or seven and Becca caught the flu real bad. However Amy had never told him she loved him. He knew she did but for some reason she could never bring herself to say it.

“C’mon. Let me get out and dried off. I’ll get you some dry clothes.” Amy said at last. She turned and smooched her husband on the cheek. “It’s lunchtime.”

They spent the day before the reunion enjoying the accommodations and free food from the hotel kitchen. The pool was a definite plus for the kids too. They found a small store not far from the hotel and went shopping for swimsuits. Frannie and Carl stood off to one side of the store while Frannie tried on different swimsuits. “I dunno, Carl…” she sighed heavily as she studied herself in the triple mirror. The old scars like hail damage on her legs, shoulder and arm showed plainly along with the massive furrow across her left thigh thanks to the one piece. Bikinis were right out because the scars like worm paths from the burns showed on her back.

“Hey you’re always beautiful to me, sweetie.” Carl said as he put his arms around her from behind and kissed the back of her neck. “If people stare that’s why.”
The big day came. Amy and Adam both dug into the bottoms of their duffle bags and produced sun faded uniforms and half broken down combat boots. They watched each other out of the corners of their eyes as they took off their civvies from the night before and changed. Adam whistled when his wife tugged on her undershirt. “I forgot how hot you look in that.” he said quietly. Indeed the tight fitting sand colored material did a great job of showing off Amy’s figure. She grinned and playfully swatted at him. The man caught her wrist and pulled the woman onto the bed forcing her to lie on top of him.

All of a sudden she became acutely aware of how long it had been since she and her husband had some alone time. “C’mon, Jarhead. We’re gonna be late.” Amy muttered and smiled as she stood back up. He looked disappointed and let Amy pull him to his feet. She grinned and kissed him again, letting her breasts brush against his chest. Amy gave him a coy look over her shoulder as she threw on her blouse and zipped it up.

There were clusters of men and women in uniform standing around the lobby. Becca shifted uneasily in the glass cylindrical elevator as it slowly lowered to the ground. The young woman sort of remembered riding in an elevator from when she was really little but it was all metal and played music. Mom and Dad stood at the door. She was proud of them. Even if their uniforms were worn out and stained they seemed ten feet tall and bulletproof to her.

The young woman loved them even for their faults: Mom was grouchy sometimes and kind of distant. Sometimes Mom gave Dad dirty looks when she thought nobody was looking after she woke up screaming in the night. Dad looked sad a lot during those times and he would be extra nice, buying little treats or taking the kids fishing or hunting in the woods so Mom could have some alone time.

Amy grinned over her shoulder and ushered the two teenagers out of the elevator when it dinged and the doors slid open. Uncle Carl and Aunt Frannie were already waiting for them with Michael holding his mom’s hand. Aunt Frannie looked different in her uniform too. It seemed to Paulie that his aunt seemed to stand up a little straighter, make more of a conscious effort to walk without her characteristic limp. “What took you guys?” Carl asked as he came forward and hugged his sister. “You look great.” He tapped Adam’s arm and grinned. “Sharp, man. Sharp as hell.”

The group of them walked out onto the street and made a right towards the hall where the reception was being held. Frannie moved almost imperceptibly closer to her husband’s side when she noticed the gaggle of perhaps a couple dozen people holding signs standing behind a barricade that looked like it was pieced together from bicycle racks. However what made Frannie flinch was the fact that a few of the people wore black ski masks like the hajjis. She laughed at herself. Half a world away and half a lifetime ago but certain things still kinda got the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up.

“What’s so funny, babe?” Carl asked. He let his hand run down the woman’s arm and play with her fingers for a moment.

“Nothin’, honey.”

Amy snorted a little laugh at the exchange. Truth be told she could guess what had gotten her friend’s attention. The grin fell away from her face when they got close enough to read what was written on the protesters’ signs.
MURDERERS!
one proclaimed.
A SOLDIER SHOT MY HUSBAND!
screamed another. Amy felt like somebody had dumped a bucket of ice water on her head and she kind of wanted to go back to the hotel.

Adam noticed the hitch in his wife’s step and slowed down to keep pace. “It’ll be okay.” he whispered reassuringly as he took her hand and squeezed it. Amy smiled and squeezed back, leaning against his arm for a second.

They made it across the street and up to the building all of them doing their best to not acknowledge the men and women behind the barricade. A short, swarthy man in sweats mottled with stains stopped Amy and Adam. He eyed the band on Amy’s upper arm suspiciously. “You’re one of those Air Force police, right?” the stranger asked.

There was something about the way the guy was asking that made Amy suspicious. “Um…yes. Er…I was, sir.” she answered, her hand sort of easing towards her sidearm. She could sense her kids watching the exchange. If this weirdo thought that he was going to lay a hand on them he was going to freakin’ regret it. It was hard to tell what caused Amy more surprise: when the stranger puffed up his lungs and hawked a big wad of phlegm into her face and roared “BABY KILLER! FUCKIN’ BABY KILLING BITCH!” or when Adam dropped the stranger like a bad habit with a hard right hook.

Carl and Paulie grabbed the younger man’s father and hustled him into the building while Frannie grabbed her friend’s arm and hauled her along to prevent Amy from giving the jerk a parting shot or two. “You okay, Frays?” Frannie asked as she pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her friend.

“Yeah.” Amy muttered as she wiped the gob of snot off of the side of her nose. “Geez! So gross!” Once she was reasonably certain that she had gotten it all she noticed that her hands were shaking so hard that she nearly dropped the handkerchief. She tried to hand it back but Frannie motioned that Amy should keep it.

Adam stood before his wife and put his hands on her arms. He grinned down at her and held her for a moment, burying his nose in her hair. “C’mon. Let’s get inside. I have to admit I’m a little curious about what could get people so upset.” Adam whispered, taking her hand and walking with her farther into the building.

Inside the convention hall there were signs dangling from the ceiling indicating where the various units were to meet up. There seemed to be some kind of a display set up along the north side of the convention floor. Carl and Frannie set off with Michael in search of whoever might be underneath the 1/21st’s unit crest while the Lacey clan made for the display.

“Mom…why did that man call you a baby killer?” Becca asked as the four of them made their way through the crowd towards the big display board. The young woman took a long look at her mother. The older woman’s jaw tensed and her face went pale. It almost looked like Mom was going to be sick or something.

“I…we…we can talk about that later, sweetie.” Amy said at last in a strangled little voice. They came to the display and she swallowed hard. “My God. Adam…look…” There was a huge laminated map tacked up onto the carpeted board. She took a few tentative steps towards it then reached out tracing the various lines as if searching for something.

“Checkpoint Twelve.” Adam murmured when his finger came to rest on a purple dot on the north side of the Charles River. Becca and Paulie watched in reverent silence as their parents looked at the map. Something about how Dad pointed to the spot on the map then put a hand on Mom’s shoulder told him he should pay attention. Once Mom and Dad moved farther down the display to look at some photographs Paulie studied the point on the map until he was fairly certain he could find it in the city if he wanted.

Carl held Mike’s hand as he tagged along after Frannie. He wondered who was going to be sitting at the table under the sign. He would not know any of them. Still maybe it would help Frannie to see old friends. That was the whole point of the trip, really. Maybe coming here would get Amy and Frannie and Adam some…what was it? Closure?