The Living Dead Series (Book 2): World Without End (16 page)

“Then what is it?”

“It’s just an exit, that’s all.”

They roamed a little while longer but the most interesting room they could access was a locker room/shower which Bea was happy to find, Brian less so. The room wasn’t marked for men or women and had no lock so while Brian stood guard in the hallway she showered then bullied Brian into doing the same, standing guard outside until he emerged. They didn’t have any clean clothes and had to put their old ones back on but she still felt better for the effort.

Back in the office, she checked their backpacks and made sure their guns were still hidden inside.  They went back to find David and find out where to get some sort of supper before settling down for the night. Too deep underground for windows this part of the facility was very dark and quiet except for passersby in the hallway. Thoughts of Mac and Sylvie ran through her mind and she saw them in her imagination, dead and mutilated, entombed together forever in the cold underground room, wandering mindlessly until they decayed beyond movement.

When she finally fell asleep Bea dreamed she was back in Dupont Circle, trying to walk across the snow drifts, pulling Brian alongside her. Evan was just ahead of them, striding away. The more she tried to catch him the faster he seemed to walk until finally she called his name aloud in frustration. He stopped and slowly turned. Teeth gleamed whitely along his jawline where the skin had been ripped away and hung in a wet flap against his neck. Whitened eyes turned blindly their way and his jaws opened wide as he lurched wildly toward them through the snow.

She woke, heart racing, and stared into the darkness. Faintly, screams sounded somewhere in the facility. It was a long time before she finally fell asleep again.

~

Virginia opened her eyes to almost total darkness. She could see the general outline of a door from which a soft blue glow and humming mechanical vibration came.

Her mouth was dry and she was warm, too warm for all the blankets that seemed to smother her and when she tried to push them off she realized she couldn’t move her arms or legs. Panic set in at the realization she was strapped down, helpless and alone. Where was she? As she struggled, the blankets shifted and covered her face, making her feel like she couldn’t breathe and she started screaming.

Someone pulled the blankets from her face but backed away while a woman, outlined in the light from the hallway behind the now open door, held a rifle pointed at Virginia’s head. She stopped screaming but continued to breathe in huge gulps of air while struggling to break free.

“Don’t struggle. Count to ten and relax.” The voice came from somewhere behind the gun.

Virginia gasped and tried to calm down but couldn’t. She closed her eyes and felt panic well up again.

“Out loud! Count to ten out loud. Do it now!” The voice spoke with authority and command.

“One, two, three…” She paused for breath. Why did she feel so weak? “Four, five, six-”

“Excellent. You can stop now. I’m going to adjust your bed so you’ll be sitting up. You’re going to feel it move a little.”

The blankets slid down even further as the head of the bed rose and someone turned the lights on. A woman walked around the soldier who held the gun and directed a penlight into her face.

“Can you tell me your name?”

“Virginia Dare. Who are you? Where am I?” The words came out in a croak.

“I’m Dr. Anouk Osawy. You are in an emergency shelter in Washington, D.C. Do you remember anything about the last few days?”  The doctor motioned to the soldier who lowered the rifle but stayed close.

“I…, no, not really. Do you know-” She stopped, too afraid to ask where the children were, too afraid of what the doctor would tell her.

Dr. Osawy continued to examine her, making her stick out her tongue, flex her legs and arms.

“Do you want something to drink?”

“Water?” Suddenly she had a raging thirst.

“Done. I’ll be right back.”

The doctor left and Virginia took a trembling breath. Her mind felt fogged and she pulled fruitlessly against the restraints. The soldier raised the rifle again and sighted it on her, quite emotionlessly. The doctor returned and told the soldier she could leave. The woman did, reluctantly though, and stationed herself outside the door.

“Can you release me? I’m not dangerous- I don’t think. No, wait. I was bitten, wasn’t I?” She drew a deep breath that ended in a sob. “That’s it. I remember now.” Her head drooped forward. “Kill me, please. Let that soldier back in and tell her to shoot me.”

“Slow down. Here, have a little water first and then we’ll talk about shooting.” The doctor held the cup to her lips. Virginia sipped the water too quickly and choked. Finally she caught her breath again.

“Did my husband bring me here?”  Dr. Osawy nodded. “Are my children with him? Are they okay?” She had to know.

“They’re here, Virginia. They’re all fine.”

At that Virginia began to cry, keeping her head down and sobbing uncontrollably. Dr. Osawy fumbled with the straps holding her arms down, released them and handed her a tissue.

Finally the sobs slowed. She leaned back and drew a shuddering breath.  Her eyes were swollen and when she spoke, her voice was hoarse again.

“You’re a doctor. You must know what being bitten means. If you don’t want to shoot me here then take me somewhere where you can dispose of my body more easily. I don’t want my children to see me. You must have a procedure for this. I can’t be the first infected case you’ve seen.”

“True. You’re not the first. But you may be the first infected case I’ve ever
cured
.”

Virginia stared at her. “There’s no cure.”

Dr. Osawy smiled, “Let’s talk.”

~

“…and you can argue that the Z-virus has an incredibly long life-span, given the right conditions. I mean, seriously, finding animated mummies in the Tutankhamen excavation? The Egyptians knew,
they knew
, and that’s why they were so careful to remove the brain in the mummification process. Dagon and sometimes Kali are both snake gods often associated with the eating of human flesh. The clues are all there if you just know what you’re looking for.”

David continued talking and Brian listened, adding his own occasional observations. Bea had lost interest about thirty minutes ago but had nowhere to go and nothing else to do but stay here, bouncing a ping pong ball or flipping through outdated magazines, some from the nineteen-seventies.

When she woke up this morning, Brian was already gone. After she brushed her teeth and tried to smooth some of the wrinkles from her clothes she found him and David eating cereal in the break room. There weren’t a lot of other people anywhere and the few she did see were all either soldiers or medical personnel and they were too busy to talk to her. According to David the shelter was stocked with enough food for a lot more people than the few already here but she was still afraid of getting kicked out, having nowhere to go.

She interrupted David mid-sentence, “When you go to California, is there any way we could catch a ride out of the city? Maybe they could take us to rural Pennsylvania, someplace without so many infected?” She chose Pennsylvania because she knew Evan was from there and his parents might still be alive. She had spoken with his dad on the phone once and his mother sent her a birthday card last year. They might be willing to let her and Brian stay for a few nights and maybe tell them where they thought they might be safe to settle down.

He replied, “There are infected everywhere, you know. The rumors about infection-free zones are just that, rumors. This place is heavily fortified and well-stocked. You should be okay here for a few weeks.”

“We aren’t welcome here, David. We’re not with the government. We’re strays.”

“We’re all survivors and on the same team. The living are an endangered species now.”

“When do you leave? Are you still going to Atlanta first?”

He looked tense. “Atlanta is not an option anymore. It’s gone, even the CDC is just gone. We think there’s a military airfield in West Virginia we can get out of and I should be going by tomorrow. It’s going to be the more isolated places that are valuable now.”

“That’s why I want to find one. Civilization as we once knew it may be over for the rest of our lifetimes. No one is coming to save us. A farm, someplace in the mountains, something like that is what we need.”

“There won’t be any food there unless someone has stockpiled it. The grocery stores have been looted to exhaustion. It’s winter, no crops are growing and even if they were, do you know how to can them, preserve them, whatever? I sure don’t. And don’t forget you’ll need to keep a constant watch for the dead. That will be hard with just the two of you. There’s safety in numbers.”

For just a moment she hated him for exposing the impracticality of her own plan to her. He was right though. She didn’t know how to do any of those things other than watching out for the dead. It was winter and the power was probably down, or would be soon and it was cold throughout most of the country. Unless they got incredibly lucky and found an isolated area with no dead and with lots of canned goods and a water source, they wouldn’t make it for long. David was still talking and she tuned back in.

“…with the Dares when they go back?” He looked at her expectantly.

“Sorry. Could you repeat that?”

“I said have you considered going with Ian and Virginia when they head back home? They live in a fairly rural area in the mountains.”

“I don’t want anyone to feel responsible for us. Brian and I always take care of ourselves but we need help to get out of the city. I can’t see any way out except by air at this point and the hordes aren’t going away so that won’t change.” She bit her lower lip, something she did only when she was under stress. Her split upper lip had just started to heal but was still puffy and tender. The pointless inaction here was getting to her.

David thought she looked very young and vulnerable. While talking about the virus and other things Brian told him something of their lives and incidentally revealed just how alone the two of them were. Obviously Bea had always taken care of them both and Brian relied on her absolutely.  She was thinking long-term and looking for a refuge she could turn into a home. He had no idea how to help her.

His family lived in Seattle; another reason he was eager to get to the west coast. He talked to his dad two days ago but hadn’t reached him since. According to his dad there were some dead in the streets but it wasn’t too bad yet. The biggest problem was the hordes of refugees trickling in from California and elsewhere. Wherever the refugees went the dead were never far behind. Both his mom and dad were pretty good with weapons but the constant watch to keep looters and worse off the property was exhausting. They had also given him one other piece of information he was struggling with but it made him even more determined to get out of here.

This city belonged to the dead. The little shelter here could hold out for a long time assuming nothing went seriously awry but its usability was finite regardless and he feared she was right. Civilization was finished for now.

“S
he’s exhausted. After I spoke with her last night she had another bout of fever. That’s good though, if it doesn’t make her too weak.” Dr. Osawy led the way to the infirmary, boots squeaking a little on the polished floor. The woman couldn’t have had much sleep but she looked as professional and crisp as ever.

Ian asked, “What does she remember?”

“Pretty much everything. She knows she was bitten and infected. I outlined the steps of the treatment and she was very interested. She also knows the children are here, as well as you but she keeps asking about someone named Charles?”

“Right. Charles is the constable in our town Tunbridge Wells. He was part of the group she made it across the mountain with.  Space on the chopper was limited so he stayed behind.”

“I’ll let you tell her. I can give you ten minutes. She wants to see the children too but I thought perhaps it might be better to wait until tonight. Too much excitement maybe.”

“So she’s not excited to see me.” Ian said flatly.

“I didn’t say that.” The doctor ran her badge through the reader. “Remember, ten minutes.”

She left and Ian turned the door handle and went in. Virginia was looking away and seemed listless. Someone had pulled her hair up in a cap and her face was pale. Her collarbone was prominent above the thin cotton hospital gown and her arms seemed very thin.  The bite mark on her wrist was plainly visible and looked dark, bruised.

Ian cleared his throat, “Virginia?”

She looked up and the listlessness disappeared.  The joyous look that stole across her face was like the sun breaking through dark clouds.

“I didn’t know if I had dreamed that I found you until they told me all of you are here. At least I think they said so. The nightmares have been so bad. I didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t. Where-?”

“The children are all here and fine. Charles stayed in Springfield. There wasn’t enough room on the helicopter. He was fine the last time I saw him and we left him with plenty of food and ammo.”

“I’ve been so worried. I thought I might have… done something to someone.”

He sat carefully on the edge of the bed and only then realized her arms and legs were strapped to the bed rails. He started to unbuckle the canvas straps but she stopped him.

“They have their rules, just leave it.”

“No.” He finished with the straps and took her in his arms. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve wanted to do this.”

They were silent for a moment. He pulled the cap from her head and felt her hair fall, soft and silky, across his arm. He felt her heart beating, a strong, steady pulse, life’s essential rhythm.

“They’re telling me they think I may be cured. The fever is killing the virus or most of it anyway. Maybe they’ll let me out soon.” Her voice was still a little hoarse.

“Are you in pain?”

“No, not really. Mostly tired and wishing I could get out of here. Did you remember to bring Greg’s blanket and Miss Alice?”

“Yes, blanket and doll both made it on board. Now they just want to see their Mom.”

“I wish they were here now. This has been so hard for them. We’re never going to be able to give them the life we should-”

Ian spoke into her hair, arms tightening around her. “We’ll give them the best life we can. Teaching them to be smart and resourceful will be our biggest priority, along with keeping them alive.”

She pulled away so she could see his face. “Ian, Daniel needs extra attention, even if it seems like you are paying more attention to him than Anna and Greg. They still have us but Daniel is never going to get his parents back and-”

There was a knock on the door and Dr. Osawy came in. “Time’s up. My patient needs her rest. Maybe the children can come in tomorrow for a little while. I’m sure they’re eager to see you.”

Ian left. The doctor, with a wry look, re-fastened the canvas straps. “I have to do this, you know. Regulations. But maybe we can dispense with it soon. If you’re hungry, I can get you something to eat. What would you like?”

“Brains, please.”

“Good, you can still make jokes. I’ll make a note of that on your chart. Now seriously, what do you want?”

“Do you have soup? Chicken noodle maybe?”

“Done. I’ll have it sent in and someone will help you with it.”

“Thanks, Doctor, for everything you’re doing.”

“No need to thank me, you’re providing me with loads of information. Just keep getting better, okay?”

Virginia nodded and closed her eyes.

Ian was waiting outside the room. “Do you have any idea when she’ll be able to leave?”

Dr. Osawy looked off down the hallway. “We’ll discuss it. Right now there are more tests to run and your wife has requested chicken noodle soup. Another good sign. Give it time, Mr. Dare. By the way, don’t ever undo those straps again or there won’t be any more visits.”

She walked away, striding confidently in those thick-soled combat boots. Ian stood outside the room wondering how much time he needed to give and one other thing. Why had the doctor never once looked him in the eye?

~

Bea spent most of the morning prowling around the shelter. It was vast, with corridors ending in locked doors that presumably led to unused spaces. She hoped to find a supply room and some boots for Brian but had no luck.

Some of the doors had small, thick glass panes placed at eye level but it was still difficult to see down the dark hallways. Once she heard moans and smelled that distinctive rot indicating there were infected inside but she couldn’t see anyone through that particular door. Perhaps they were locked inside the rooms lining the space. She left that area quickly.

Soldiers continued to carry boxes and cases to some unknown destination. Brian tried to surreptitiously follow them but a soldier, the same one who had called them ‘strays’ barked at him to stay out of the restricted areas, whatever those were. Bea couldn’t shake off a sense of impending change and not the good kind. She needed to come up with a plan and a destination for escape. Settling back in the room that David was using for an office she accessed the internet and pulled up population maps of the United States. It was amazing how densely the East and West Coast were populated in comparison to the rest of the country. Once you got to the middle of the country there were considerably fewer people, especially in the West and Mid-West. The Dakotas were sparsely settled as were Montana and Idaho. Someplace out there gave the best chance of getting away from large groups of the dead.

That was no guarantee of survival though. Shelter and food were necessary.
This
shelter seemed to press down on her and she longed for the sight of the sky, trees, for fresh air. She clicked out of the map and got up to go find Brian when voices drifted in from outside the room.

“The doctor said to ‘give it time’ but how long is that?”

She heard David reply. “She probably doesn’t know either, Ian. How could she? We’re all in uncharted territory on this one.”

“We need to get out of here. I want to go back home and re-take the town. We know the territory well and there must be other survivors hiding out. ”

“It’s a small town, right?”

“Yeah. Up in the mountains and away from any major highways. I love it there. A great place to raise kids and I can’t wait to get back. I know it’s our best bet. Why did they decide to send you to Cali? I know you’re still a reservist but I would think they want the regular military on this one.”

“Regular military they can’t keep in touch with. I volunteered as soon as I heard there was a mission and that, combined with the fact they are obviously scraping the bottom of the barrel made me the ideal candidate.”

“Sorry, I didn’t
mean that as an insult. Have we intercepted any more messages from the Chinese?”

“At this point it’s more what we’re
not
hearing. We know of three large ships that regularly cruise the Pacific several hundred miles off the coast, of course. They usually communicate with Beijing several times a day. Now we’ve just got silence. They could have been sunk for all we know but probably not. I’d say they’re out there running silent.”

“I thought they would have landed by now.”

“They may still be trying to assess the situation. The last satellite images we downloaded showed large numbers of people in the streets near the docks and harbor. It appeared that an altercation was going on but similar disruptions are everywhere. We just don’t know the status of the coast. The last images we got were two days ago. After that we lost communication completely.”

“No one in Congress would listen when we warned them about allowing the Chinese to manufacture our military communication equipment. Of course it’s full of bugs. Remember how righteous they became about the free market all of a sudden? I still think the nation has been sold out at the highest levels of government.” Ian said.

Both men were silent for a moment and then Bea heard Ian say, “I have the oddest feeling that Dr. Osawy was hiding something from me. I don’t know what it is yet.”

David said, “Don’t read something into it that isn’t there. Just focus on getting your family out of here and to someplace safe.”

High-pitched, childish screams rang out and Bea looked out the door. All three younger children ran down the hallway and latched on to Ian’s legs, Brian following with arms outstretched and moaning dramatically. He saw Bea and dropped his arms, looking sheepish. The little girl, Anna, screamed again delightedly and yelled, “You can’t catch me!”

Bea frowned at Brian and shook her head warningly. Ian noticed.

“Let them play, Bea. Goodness knows they need to.”

Brian raised his arms and staggered forward and the children took off again, the tiled hallway echoing with laughter.

“I’m not sure if that’s gallows humor or just poor taste. The only thing I can say in his defense is that he just turned eleven.” Bea said.

“Then let him be eleven as long as possible. I think Brian is going to have to grow up a lot faster than I did.” David said. 

Bea nodded and went back to the computer as the two men continued on down the hallway. She pulled up maps of the whole beltway area, trying to guess which roads might be less-deadlocked than the others. A motorcycle would be their best bet for getting around obstacles but it would be cold and they would have no real barrier between them and the millions of dead doubtless roaming the roads. She had never driven a motorcycle but supposed it couldn’t be that different from a bike.

So many people were still online while hiding out in their homes and hoping for rescue. A woman in Buffalo claimed that she had seen thousands of the dead emerging from the waters of Lake Erie while a man in Florida said he had seen Jesus walking through the clouds with a flaming sword in his right hand and leading a pale horse. Reports of the Virgin Mary descending to earth and taking children back to heaven abounded. She was always described as dark-haired, wearing blue, flowing garments and supernaturally beautiful.

There were messages on various blogs begging for help in obtaining necessary medicines as well as for water. Surprisingly the less developed nations seemingly were faring better than the more industrialized. She supposed that the less technology you had, the fewer problems you had coping without it.

Many, many people believed the “End of Days” was here and one minister preached that the walking infected were the result of “the minions of Hell rising from the pit to torment the living.” He quoted, “And in those days, men shall seek death and not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.”

Other voices brought up the Mayan calendar and the planet alignment that would bring about the end of the world. She had to smile at that one. The timing was wrong but people were clutching at any explanation that helped them make sense of the collapse of their world.

She watched a shaky, hand-recorded video showing a group of thirty people or more, all dressed in white and with bare feet walk purposely along a city street into a group of the infected. They held candles in front of them and sang what sounded like hymns, continuing to sing until they were taken down and partially devoured by the surrounding mob. The singers soon rose, white clothing now stained red, and joined frenziedly in eating their former friends. The video quality was poor and had been filmed through a window but it was still clear enough to show what was going on.

Sickened she clicked out and went back to the maps, memorizing street names and trying to get a general sense of the direction she needed to go once out of here.

That night she and Brian ate supper with Ian and the children. They were excited, having just seen their mother and they talked about all the things they were going to do and see once back home. She had already gathered that the older boy, Daniel, was actually a neighbor’s child and that his parents were almost certainly dead. Ian treated him as part of the family as did Anna and Greg.

“So it’s really a cure then? I didn’t want to mention it until I knew your wife was better but I’m going to tell you now. The doctor tried this therapy on a co-worker of mine. He didn’t make it but it was only because he had a heart problem. The combined effects of malaria and the Z-virus were too much of a strain. He was older than your wife, too.”