Rectify 3: A Novella
Date: 2019-01-11 08:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Post-Apocalyptic | Infected
Description: The CO-D4 virus rages the globe, leaving weary survivors and infected who roam the streets. In the aftermath of the pandemic, Doctor James Ung finds himself in a new type of world. A quiet one. Almost as if everything is put on pause. The global distribution of the vaccine breeds a different outcome other than hope. Those who receive it fall into a deep coma. Ung along with Major Tom find an ally in Ella Hoffman, a displaced survivor from another camp. Time is running out and they are clueless as to what will happen when the inoculated survivors wake. Together with a few others, they make plan

RECTIFY 3

A Novella

Jacqueline Druga

Rectify 3 - By Jacqueline Druga

Copyright 2019 by Jacqueline Druga

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any person or persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Thank you to Paula Gibson, with all that you had going on in your life, I can’t believe you helped me with this.

Cover photo provided by: Alexandru Zdropa - Upsplash

ONE – OF MICE AND PLANS

This is not the end.

Those were the thoughts of James Ung. He thought them the second he arrived on the roof of that inner-city apartment.

This is not the end. It can’t be.

He had been in a bubble and it broke. But his bubble wasn’t caused by denial, it was caused by society’s delegation of safety while in the crisis.

Rich, poor, middle class … it did matter.

He was the head physician in the emergency department of Mon Valley Hospital. Had been for years. It was a cushy job in a hospital that rarely saw much of anything.

Until the CO-D4 virus.

He saw the beginning, the panic, the chaos, and he saw the world dust off, get it together and loudly declare with one voice, “We will not be defeated.”

Essential services were restored, and not only were people encouraged to return to work, they were required. Life had to proceed as it always had. The only difference was the curfews and the soldiers on the street eliminating those who caught the virus and revived.

Life returned to normalcy.

Well, as normal as it could get.

He lived in the suburbs, in a nice house, in a perfect housing plan. Even at the height of the first outbreak, James had never seen more than a few infected at one time. That was because of where he lived. They were highly policed, and when the world began putting itself back together, they created teams. They called them R Teams. Highly trained, specialized teams when called, infiltrated homes or buildings with suspected infected. There they would remove the threat or … rectify them. They were part of a network making life safe. Although, at night there was never a guarantee, but James worked that shift at the hospital.

When last he went to bed, everything was close to being normal. As normal as it could be with the Codies, as they called them, out there. But there was hope, albeit short lived. An inoculation had been distributed and delivered to a lot of the public. At least in James’ area. And while a warning had been issued for possible side effects, James didn’t think much of it. After all they had rushed production and vital testing.

Life would resume shortly, and all would be fine.

Society was on the road to recovery.

James himself needed to recover. He was without sleep going on two days straight.

So, with the combination of exhaustion and inebriation, James slept over twenty-four hours with no interruptions.

When he woke up everything was different.

It was as if the world was on pause.

He didn’t realize how fortunate he was until that moment. James could’ve been killed by his naivety. He ventured out from his home never realizing the dangers ahead.

The side effect of the inoculation was more than the typical ones. Those who received it fell ill, slipped into a coma and had yet to waken. The world was quiet.

Vulnerable.

Those exposed when they dropped from the immunization were nothing but an easily had dinner bell for the infected.

No one was around to control the infected anymore.

Now James was trapped, or so he thought, in a ten-story apartment building. He was there with new friends. Friendships formed by circumstances.

Ella was one of them. A woman who lived across the river. She came from a compound completely engulfed by the infected. Yet, as if she had some sort of thrill seeking addiction, she would make her way out of the compound every week to get supplies for her people going through the infected unscathed. She was good at what she did, but her last trip was one without a return ticket. Her route back had been totally blocked.

Major Tom Leland, the commanding officer of the R Team in the city, was with them as well.

Ella and James were good ones to have around, they knew how to handle infected.

James only knew how to handle the sickness and wounds.

They sheltered in Rhonda’s apartment. A woman who not only just gave birth but was bit and turned. Major Tom gave her an inoculation knowing the chances of it working were slim, because it had to be delivered rather quickly to work as an antidote, as James had done with Ella after being bitten.

It worked.

James still didn’t know why.

The old saying ‘safety in numbers’ wasn’t going to hold true for long, because the number of infected grew by the hour outside of Rhonda’s apartment. Moving about the streets below, almost as if they knew lunch was in the building.

They needed an exit plan. Getting out of the apartment building at least into the sub or were there was less affected might work. But James needed a better view than from the fourth-floor apartment door, so he made his way to the roof.

Once there the stench of the dead carried up to him, but the air was cooler than in the apartment. He didn’t feel comfortable he would know how to determine a better way to go. It all looked hopeless to him.

He took a moment in the quiet and pulled out his phone. He locked onto the battery indicator in the right hand corner staring.

“Are you wanting to be alone?” Ella asked as she stepped onto the roof.

“No, no. I …” James cleared his throat. “I came up to see if there is a better way out.”

“Good idea.” Ella walked over and joined him. Her eyes shifted to his phone then back to James. “This side isn’t working.”

“Nah.”

“How about over that way?” she asked.

“I didn’t check.”

“Then I will.”

When she walked away, James fiddled with his phone. “How are you feeling, Ella?”

“I’m good. Fine. I have some energy today.”

“And the surgical site?” he joined her.

“Fine.” She peered over the edge. “This way is good. Doesn’t look bad at all.”

James looked down. “There are infected down there.”

“Yeah, but less than the other side. Only a couple dozen. I’ve dodged more when I was at Sanctum and left for a booze run.”

“Which was often,” James joked.

“Uh, yeah. It’s the apocalypse. Who wants to be sober? Not me.” She walked over to the other side. “No, this is in no way as good as the other side,” she rejoined him. “This is the doable side.”

“Okay, what does that mean?”

“This is the way out. At least, I can try. There are trucks at the Med camp. Big ones. I can go get one and bring it back here close to the fire escape. We need to get out of this area. Further away. How were the suburbs when you were there?”

“Not like this. Wait. Ella, the field hospital is over run.”

“Not so bad that Tom couldn’t make it. Besides, they’re slow as fuck. I’m pretty fast. I’ve made it through far more over on the South Side.”

“I’m not sure I like this plan.”

“It’s the only one we got, but we’ll talk to Tom and Rhonda first.”

James nodded.

“James? Why do you keep looking at your phone?”

Almost embarrassed, James smiled. “It’s almost dead.”

“I’m surprised it’s not.”

“I had it on the charger before the power went out.” He sighed. “Truth is … my wife and son were overseas, back home in China when this all started. I stayed in contact, even when things got back up again. Then I lost contact. I tried every day … no answer. It started going straight to voice mail. But … Jana … my wife, her mom called me three days after I last spoke to Jana. She left a message. That was months ago. I … I haven’t listened to the message. Call it fear, call it avoidance, whatever. Waiting until I was strong, I suppose, or ready to hear what it was. Now … now I have eight percent battery and I am scared that if I don’t listen to it right now … I’ll never get a chance.”

“And you’ll never know.”

James nodded. “You’re the first person I have told this to.” He clutched his phone.

“Are you telling me just to tell someone or are you wanting my advice?”

“Both.” He glanced over at her. “What would you do?”

“Me, personally, I would have listened to it right away. Good or bad, get it over with. The suspense would kill me. I was terrible with TV shows. I was that person who looked for spoilers or went online while watching a movie because I couldn’t wait for the end.”

“That’s terrible.”

“That’s me ... you don’t seem the type … obviously. You could listen to it and know. Or not listen to it and never know. So, my advice is, follow your heart. I think you know what the message says even if you never listened to it. If you believe in your heart, they are still alive, then you don’t need to listen to a voicemail to tell you. But if you don’t know their fate, or are unsure, then you can’t possibly move on without the confirmation. That’s the best advice I can give you.”

“Thank you.”

Ella ran her hand across his back as she stepped back. “I’ll leave you be. I’m going to go talk to Tom and Rhonda and see what they say.”

“I’ll be right down.”

Ella said nothing further, she slipped away quietly leaving James alone with his thoughts.

James looked again at his phone and to the voicemail log. Then after a deep breath he hit ‘play’ and brought the phone to his ear.

TWO – STILL A DISTANCE

They called it Sanctum. A place where one hundred and three people took refuge when they couldn’t cross the river. It was a section of the industrial park which was completely surrounded by a sturdy fence. In that area were three buildings. A storage unit that served as their housing, along with a kitchen remodeling center and a restaurant supply store.

During their months there, they lifted sections of the concrete lot to expose soil and plant a garden. Most of the food came from what was already there and from what the government dropped to them in the beginning along with what Ella scavenged for.

She had a keen ability to make it through large groups of Codies quickly and safely.

Sanctum was located at the South Side of town. It was a place that thrived with business during the day and an out of control nightlife on weekends for the rowdy alcohol warriors.

It was always busy.

After the fall, it was still crowded. Only this time with the infected. They swarmed the entire area. More so than anywhere else, it was as if they were led there on purpose to cleanse other areas.

The compound was located a mere fifty yards from the river, but it might as well had been a thousand. Getting out was useless.

Grant led Sanctum. An unwanted honor that was placed on his shoulders, but he took it on with his entire being. He would keep those in Sanctum alive.

At first, when the government learned about those trapped in Sanctum, they dropped food and water, they also kept the power on and provided a radio.

“We’ll get you out,” they said.,

No one ever came.

Then it turned to, ‘you can’t leave, you all are carriers now.’

Grant knew it was bullshit, but he went along with it. Until he was told the truth there was no way to get them out. Sanctum was a beacon of sorts for the infected. If they left, so would the Codies and it would be game over for the entire city.

Too many Codies with too few to kill them.

So, Grant held onto that lie and told his people it was the reason they couldn’t leave.

They wouldn’t take it well to find out they were in place to be nothing more than a magnet.

Grant looked at it as his sacrifice for humanity.

Even though they had a surplus for food, Ella and a few others would go out. A few diverted the Codies while Ella ran. The infected had no need for food, they dined on the living. The huge chain grocery store had been stocked fully along with all the other businesses in the area when they were trapped.

Eventually they’d run the gauntlet on the food in the area, or the amount of infected would grow to the point they couldn’t leave, but Sanctum planned ahead. They were gardening and building a water purification system.

Eventually the Codies would die out.

Eventually.

But would Sanctum survive until then? It was growing more obvious the longer a person was Codie, the more violent they became.

At least from Grant’s perspective, he didn’t have any hardcore scientific or medical facts, only what he saw and perceived.

When they first revived, they were docile, almost as if they retained a part of who they were. As their bodies decayed, along with their brain, any trace of humanity remaining was gone and replaced with sheer animal brutality.

He received a broken radio transmission from a man who identified himself as a Major. He told Grant Ella was still alive. Grant was relieved, he feared they had lost her when she didn’t return from a run and was gone overnight.

Before the radio went silent, he assured Grant they’d do their best to get to them. They’d figure something out.

Grant didn’t doubt they would try. He held onto his hope.

Their chance of survival hinged on outlasting the Codies. But as more and more of them power housed against the fences, Grant wondered how long they could hold out.

He had to keep hoping this Major would pull through. If the Codies broke the fences getting through, they were done. They had no defenses that could match an invasion of thousands of them.

It would no doubt be a horrible way for them to die.

THREE – LET GO

Moundsville, West Virginia

The shortest distance between two points wasn’t always the wisest route when it came to running from infected. Clay Owens knew this, but he also knew time was limited for the woman and her husband who made the distress call for help from a trailer park not even a few blocks from where he and his camp were safely located.

Using a child’s walkie talkie, Clay only by chance heard the call.

Clay and the others didn’t take refuge in the historic West Virginia State Penitentiary to hide, they went there for safety and to help others.

He had brought at least a dozen people into his camp.

Cathy and Talbot would be no different.

Or so Clay thought.

He drove over, which was the smart thing. He told them to stay put in the rental office, after all that was where they had called from.

When he got there, the building was overrun.

He estimated in Moundsville, before the weird post immunization thing, there were about a thousand Codies. Too many to shoot, but not enough that they were worried. Never were they in the same place at the same time. It just so happened that two dozen of them were relentless at that trailer office.

He stayed a distance away and radioed, “Cathy. Hey, it’s Clay, come in. Over.”

“Clay.”

Something about the way she said his name, just sounded off.

“Cathy, you’re gonna hear a car horn. I’m gonna divert them. When I do, I need you to come out and run across twelfth street to the church. It’s clear over there. I’ll swing around and pick you up.”

“We’re not in there.”

“You’re not in there? Is someone else in there?”

“No. We ran.”

“Where?” Clay asked.

“To the pit.”

“Goddamn it, stay put.”

Clay knew what the pit was. It was a part of the trailer area where they expanded, but it was underdeveloped. Why they ran there he didn’t know. Probably scared. He knew the second he hit the gas and drove down the main, and only road into the park, the infected would see him and pursue.

They did.

All would have been fine timewise had they been in plain view when he made it there. But he had to look for them, calling for them on the radio, however they wouldn’t come out.

Finally, Clay threatened then over the radio. “If you don’t come out now, I’m leaving.”

They emerged from behind a bulldozer at the edge of the pit. They moved slowly as if they were exhausted. Clay made the mistake of going down to get them. He knew it was risky, the road was gravel and sand.

When he slid the car to a stop, he then pushed open the door for them. “Get in. Hurry.”

“Thank you,” Cathy breathed heavily when she got into the back seat, Talbot, just as winded, got in the front. As soon as he closed the door, Clay hit the gas.

“Why did you run down here?” he asked.

Talbot answered. “We thought it would be safer to go to the creek. Get across it.”

“This isn’t a vampire apocalypse, the infected can cross water.”

Clay drove up the main road and as he came up the crest, he could see the group of infected. ‘I can make it, I can make it,’ he thought. As soon as he gunned the gas pedal, the wheels spun, and he was stuck.

Cathy screamed.

“We’re gonna have to run,” Clay told them. “We’ll head across the field to the woods hitting the main road.”

“I can’t. I can’t,” Cathy cried. “My legs.”

Clay didn’t get it. Cathy didn’t look like a damsel in distress, she looked like she just got back from a hunting trip. Rough and rugged. “You don’t need to run far,” Clay told them. “A good hundred yards ahead and we can slow down. Got it. But we have to run and do so now.” Clay pushed open his car door, bolted, and noticed quickly they weren’t following him.

The infected neared and Talbot stood by the back door, seemingly trying to convince Cathy to move.

Clay ran to them, pushed Talbot away with an order to go, and then Clay yanked Cathy from the car.

“I will not leave you, and I will drag your ass,” he told her. “You called me for help. I’m here. Now move it!”

She sobbed in fear, lagging behind Clay every step of the way. She moved in zig zags, her legs wobbling as she ran.

Clay waved his arm to Talbot. “Just go. Go. Quit looking back. Hit the main road, you’ll see the prison. My people are waiting by the south entrance.”

Talbot nodded and ran.

“I can’t,” Cathy slowed down.

“A little more. A little more and we can walk the rest of the way.”

“I can’t.” Cathy dropped to her knees. “I can’t breathe. My legs won’t work.”

“Listen to me,” Clay said. “We’re almost there. We only need a little more distance between us and them. Okay?”

With a weakened cry, Cathy nodded.

At that moment, they heard what sounded like a short muffled scream.

Cathy looked up quickly. “What was that?”

Clay heard it but pretended he hadn’t. “Nothing. I didn’t hear anything. Let’s move.”

His encouragement got her up, and despite having to still pull her, they moved quickly.

As promised, just as they hit the small wooded area, Clay slowed down the pace. They had to be diligent keeping a keen eye out for straggling infected. He knew other than the group at the trailer office, there weren’t any larger groups.

“Just stay quiet. Sound attracts them,” Clay said.

The moment they emerged from the woods to the road, Clay recoiled slightly. He wasn’t expecting what he saw.

Three Codies were hunched over Talbot’s body, congenially sharing his midsection.

Talbot wasn’t dead, or at least Clay didn’t think he was. His right hand twitched as did his head, his eyes stared at Clay as if trying to convey the words, ‘help me.’

Cathy let out a blood curdling scream, catching the attention of the infected as they stood.

Hating to do it, because sound was like a dinner bell, Clay pulled out his pistol and fired a single shot into Talbot’s head.

Cathy screamed again.

Still, they had a chance to get by them. There were only three, they were slow, and Clay could see a clear, straight shot to the back wall of the prison.

Clutching Cathy’s hand, he pulled her to the left to avoid the Codies. Somehow that wasn’t what Cathy wanted. She moved in the opposite direction, toward her husband, crying out his name.

What was she? Nuts?

“Talbot!”

Clay pulled her towards him, he had her by the hand, but then so did one of the infected.

The infected lunged down, taking a bite out of her arm, causing yet another scream from Cathy.

Seeing more Codies making their way toward them, Clay didn’t have a choice. He shot the one that bit Cathy, then hurriedly shot the other two.

It was a lot of work, took a lot of his strength, but Clay dragged a bleeding and hysterical Cathy back to the camp.

Bit or not, infected or not, it didn’t matter.

Dying out there at the jaws of the infected was not an option for any human being.

No one was turned away at his camp.

They’d help her and try to make her comfortable.

When she died, which she probably would, and when she revived, they would rectify her. But it would happen in a safe environment, surrounded by people, not Codies.

It was the humane thing to do.

FOUR – STUFF

Ella needed a nap, she hadn’t slept much and if she were going to try the great escape to get them transportation, she needed her energy. She didn’t sleep long, the baby started crying, waking her. Not so much the noise of his infant wail, but the thought of getting him to safety.

Then again, sleeping in the middle of the living room next to a comatose ‘fallen’ didn’t help.

The soldier’s name was Bradly. He was one of Tom’s men who, like millions of others, took the inoculation against CO-D4 and just fell into some sort of deep sleep.

Tom and James brought him into Rhonda’s apartment under the guise of help, but a part of Ella thought it was more to see what was going to happen to him.

She staggered from the living room into the kitchen, pausing to look out the window.

James and Tom stood on the fire escape. She could see them out there talking.

It was cooler outside, not much, but the apartment was sweltering.

She boiled water using the sterno stove and made a cup of coffee, then sat at the kitchen table.

There were items there she hadn’t noticed earlier.

A military style radio with headphones, a shoulder harness, a revolver, something that looked like a wallet and another item, a music player. She found it odd because the music player had an eighth inch cord extending from the headphone jack and connected with an adapter to the military radio.

After looking at it in her ‘just woke up’ state, she realized it was a way for Major Tom to play music for his men.

Men who went on rectify raids. Putting down infected like they were rabid animals. In his defense, many of them were.

The longer an infected was revived, the more dangerous they became.

Sipping her coffee, she shifted her eyes again to the window and flipped open the wallet.

It was an identification wallet. A military ID that said ‘R-Team’ on top, as if anyone would ask to see his ID when he showed up to rectify at a home or business.

His name was on the card, Major Thomas Leland.

It wasn’t a bad picture.

She lifted one eyebrow and looked over her shoulder at Tom. Usually military men look older than what they were. Tom actually looked younger than the age on the ID. She wouldn’t have guessed him to be more than thirty-five, when he was in fact turning forty-five in two days.

“Happy Birthday, Major Tom,” she whispered, closing the wallet.

As she brought the cup to her lips, she glanced down at the music player. Genuinely curious as to what the R-Team listened to when they did a rectify raid.

Not seeing the harm, she lifted one of the earpieces to her ear and pressed play on the music player.

Nothing happened. Nothing played.

She lifted the player looking at it, then decided to switch the ear buds from the radio into the player.

That worked.

Music played.

At first, she didn’t recognize the intro and then the signing began.

‘Ground control to Major Tom. Ground control to Major Tom.’

She nearly spat her coffee.

“No way,” she laughed.

“Something funny?” Tom asked.

She didn’t see or hear him come in and Ella jumped.

“Sorry, I was just—”

“Touching my stuff?” Tom asked.

“In her defense,” James said. “You kind of just left it out.”

“Let me ask you something Major …” Ella cleared her throat. “Tom. Is the music choice by chance or is it an ego thing?” she asked jokingly.

“What does she mean?” James asked.

“Ha, ha, funny.” Tom took the music player from her. “It’s not an ego thing. At first, it started as a joke. My men always sang that song to me. Then the song became a timing thing on the raids. It just times everything perfectly and we never needed to speak, only listen.”

“What song?” James asked.

Ella started to sing., “This is Major Tom to ground control …”

“Stop,” Tom requested. “Please.”

“I’m sorry. I am. And in all seriousness, will you explain the timing to me? I find it interesting.”

“You’re not joking?” Tom asked.

Ella shook her head. “Everything, when it comes to the Codies is about timing.”

“Then I will,” Tom said. “Speaking of timing.” He pulled a chair out at the table. “James tells me you want to take the fire escape on the opposite side of the building. Hit the pavement and make it to the med station.”

“Get one of those trucks left there, yes.” Ella nodded. “I think it’s our best shot. I would take the fire escape from the roof, there aren’t that many Codies. I can get through them and out run them. I have done it a ton of times.”

“I think it’s insane,” James added.

Ella looked at with seriousness. “We need to get out of here. I told you this. It’s the best way., We need to get to a safe location to formulate a good plan to get the people out of Sanctum. Being here, in the inner city is not the best place. I ‘ll get the truck, bring it to the fire escape or the side entrance. It’s our best option.”

“I agree,” Tom said. “I think I should go.”

“No offense, Major,” Ella said. “But I can do this. I can do it fast and, besides, there’s a fallen on the couch. What if he wakes up, what if he’s a Codie or worse? You’re a lot better equipped to handle that situation than me or James. No offense, James.”

“None taken.”

“Okay,” Tom said reluctantly. “We do this. I’ll watch from the roof. If I see trouble, I’ll follow. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Ella said.

“We get the truck, we get out,” Tom said. “I say we make a pit stop at the R-Team base. There’s an armory there, we can get weapons and supplies. Then head … where?”

James answered. “My house. My neighborhood was heavily patrolled so there were very few Codies, and I’m guessing my neighbors all were inoculated.”

“Yeah, it was pretty quiet there.” Tom replied. “So that’s the plan. Let’s do this. Finish your coffee, Ella, daylight’s burning.”

“Roger that, Major, I’ll take my protein pills and put my helmet on,” she joked, referencing the song lyrics.

“Funny.” Tom nodded.

Ella downed her coffee, placed her cup on the table and stood. “To the roof.”

FIVE – BEHIND THE WALLS

The website once claimed it to be the Alcatraz of the East Coast, and when the West Virginia was built, the architects probably didn’t plan on it being a viable fortress for an apocalypse.

Maybe they did.

Clay worked there before the CO-D4 virus and he wasn’t a seasonal employee. He was administration and did summer tours. During the Halloween season he oversaw the haunted prison, and even came up with the ‘Spring Fling’, which was a reenactment of a prisoners last day on death row.

Other than a historical site, the prison was also a training facility and while half of it was spooky and run down, a good portion of it was in fair condition.

That was the portion where people lived.

It offered protection. Surrounded by thick concrete walls, and plenty of grass in the center for farming.

Before things started getting bad, Clay lay claim to the prison, speaking to others who worked there about making it a retreat and fortress. They all thought he was insane and that things would be back to normal.

Moundsville, Wheeling and other surrounding areas didn’t have the Codie cleanup crews like most places. No one came in at night and took out the ones that wandered. No special teams had gone into homes and cleaned them out.

It was like another world.

While other cities were still going to Starbucks, Moundsville was under siege from the infected by the strain. They lost their electricity long before anyone else.

When news of the cure finally hit them, Clay sent a couple men to Steubenville to try to get a batch, but the men never returned at all. It had been days.

Clay all but gave up until he himself took a ride to Washington, Pennsylvania an area only twenty-five miles west of him. There he saw it was a dead world. No people, only Codies.

Soldiers at aid stations were lying on the ground, people in medical camps seemed to have just dropped.

Welcome to the Apocalypse, Clay thought, ‘Hell, I’ve been living in a dead world for a couple of weeks.’

He and the others at the prison were pros.

In actuality they had been there for twenty-seven days.

However, Clay had rescued more people in the past couple days since the cure was delivered, than the prior month.

Those people told Clay what happened to the world.

He rescued anyone still breathing, even if they were injured.

They were life.

And he wasn’t sure if they’d turn. There was one man in his camp who was bitten three times in six months since the outbreak, he never got sick. Clay attributed it to the fact the man was tough as leather with skin that looked like leather, too. Eighty-seven years old, a bottle of vodka a day drinker and a smoker.

Tough guy.

His lack of moving fast was what caused his bites.

Clay made his way to the medical room just off of the reception area. It had used to be the director of tour’s office, but it was transformed by making two trips in a truck to the Chain Name Urgent Care office.

Jerry, the fire chief was acting doctor, and he did a good job at it.

He pretty much treated wounds, made people comfortable and rectified them.

Jerry looked tired when Clay walked in. It had to be something else that was getting him down, Clay knew they weren’t that busy.

Cathy, the new woman, was on a cot sleeping, her arm bandaged, Jerry sat next to her. His hands were folded with head down. His eyes looked deep and dark. Clay cleared his throat to announce his presence.

“Hey, Clay.” Jerry stretched and stood.

“How is she?”

“Well, injury wise, she is good. She had the CO-D4, without a doubt.”

Clay shook his head. “Aw, man.”

“It’s a blessing for her,” Jerry said.

“What do you mean?”

“Cathy, that’s her name, wants to die. I mean she didn’t up to the point she was bit. She had her husband.

“How do you know this?” Clay asked.

“She was lucid. We get the radio calls and people come in. Some injured, some not. They all talk. She talked. She said to me she and her husband did some pretty stupid things the last couple days in the name of survival.”

Clay chuckled. “Yeah, running to a dead end is one of them.”

“They weren’t thinking clearly, Clay. Both their small children were ripped from their arms. She carried one, he carried the other and they held on,” Jerry glanced down at her. “She said they held on so tight, but still the infected got them. They were running for their lives. Broken people, broken hearted.”

“That’s the poet in you coming out in your description, Jer.”

“Can’t help it. I’m a writer, too. Anyhow. Her husband was the last person she had left. Now that he’s gone, she’s ready to go.”

“I don’t blame her. Sounds like you were really affected by her story.”

“Of course, I was,” Jerry snapped. “I’m not heartless. I just feel guilty.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I haven’t lost anyone. I had no one to lose. So, I have no way to relate. I can only be sympathetic. And I am.”

“I know you are.” Clay reached out and gave a squeeze to Jerry’s shoulder. “We couldn’t do this without you.”

“I wish I could do more. I wish I could help them. It exists, you know,” Jerry said. “The cure. The treatment.”

“Yeah, but Jer, you heard the people that came in, right? They said the ones that received the inoculation got sick and went into some sort of deep sleep.”

“I did,” Jerry said with a nod. “But even without thorough testing there had to be a reason they released the vaccine. There had to be research that said, ‘hey this works’. They didn’t just whip something together and hope for the best. That’s not the way it works. At least I wouldn’t think so.”

“So, if that’s the case, why didn’t it work?”

“Oh, it did. It did. Out there, somewhere, people are alive because it worked. Maybe not many, but they exist,” Jerry said. “We just need to find them.”

“Does it matter?”

“Hell yeah. Each life we save matters. Each life we lose is another victory for extinction, and that’s part of the battle, my friend,” Jerry said. “We can’t afford to lose.”

SIX - UNDER FOOT

The smell of the dead carried in the slight breeze. With rising temperatures, the rotting intensified and every time the wind blew, James caught a whiff of it as he stood on the roof with Elle and Tom just before he made dash for a truck.

He listened to Tom instruct Ella like she was a soldier going into battle. Actually, she was. But more so a soldier sneaking into enemy territory.

“This is the mini rectifier,” Tom said, handing her the small handheld item. “It is for close range rectifies. If they close in on you, use this. Press it to the head, press the button, that’s it.”

“Why would she be that close?” James asked.

“She could be surrounded or surprised.” Tom then handed her a gun. “You know when and how to use this, right?”

“I do,” Ella said.

“Good. There’s a round in the chamber so be careful. Remember, they’re still human with human weaknesses. Sweep the legs if need be. Keep a two foot distance, dash and spin.”

“Ground control to Major Tom,” Ella said. “This isn’t my first rodeo running from the Codies. I got this. No worries.”

“I know. I know,” Tom told her. “Just get to the mobile hospital. Any truck you see should have the keys in it.”

James watched as she nodded her agreement then turned to him. He walked over to her. “Just be careful.”

“I will.”

“Whoa, hey, wow,” James waved his hand in front of his face. “Have you … have you been drinking.”

“I had a double. Standard running prep,” Ella replied.

“Ella, you need your wits,” James said.

“And that is exactly why I drink. I do not want to face those things without my liquid courage. Never have. Never will.”

“Ya think maybe you have a problem?” James asked jokingly.

“Nah, I don’t think I do.” Ella smiled. “I know I do. And I … am off.” She reached for the fire escape rung. “I’ll try to grab a radio at the hospital. Not sure if it will work. Once I get the vehicle, I’ll be back and will pull straight up to the back entrance. It should block any Codies so you can get out.” She stepped onto the ledge, pivoted her body, looked down then stepped backwards on the fire escape ladder.”

Both James and Tom stood right by the ladder and watched as she descended the it.

There were maybe eight of them at the bottom when she began, but within seconds, more gathered.

As soon as Ella was two thirds of the way down, she stopped. There wasn’t any space to jump when she reached the end.

Tom whistled a short whistle. “Stop,” he told her. “Come back up.”

“I can try to jump,” she said.

“What, are you nuts?” James asked. “It’s not worth it. Come up we’ll figure out another way.”

“Fine.” Elle reached back up for the wrung. She lifted her leg to climb and when she did, the fire escape ladder let loose and slid all the way down.

Not only did the ladder bring her close to the Codies, but the unexpected and abrupt stop of the ladder jolted her from it. She flew off and after she hit into a few Codies with her back, she slammed hard to the ground.

“Ella!” James called out.

She quickly was submerged within the hoard.

Tom pulled out his revolver and aimed.

“Wait. Stop. What if you hit her?” James asked.

“You’re right.” Tom harnessed his weapon. “I’m going down.”

Ella knew the second the fire escape dropped she was done for. She tried to hold on, but the force of the jolt sent her flying to the ground and into the pack of Codies.

It felt as if it happened in slow motion. She didn’t know whether it didn’t hurt when she hit the ground or if she was just so consumed with where she landed.

She felt no pain.

Ella had good reflexes and was fast, but not fast enough to get up on her feet and free from the hoard.

They were all around her. Rotting flesh and a sour pungent odor consumed every quick breath she tried to take. They were there, delaying their attack, staring down at her.

This was not the way she was going to go out.

She only had a second, a single second and they would be on her, tearing her apart. She was held down by the weight of their feet and presence.

They’d tear her apart, a death she didn’t want to feel, and for sure she didn’t want to come back.

The revolver was in the waist of her pants, she reached for it.

Her heart pounded out of control. She wasn’t afraid to die, she was afraid of how bad it was going to hurt.

“God forgive me,” she said putting the gun under her chin.

Just before she pulled the trigger, she stopped.

Why hadn’t they attacked her?

They meandered above her and around her, even looking at her, but not a single one of them grabbed for her.

She withdrew the gun away from her chin, extended it as best as she could and fired.

The round hit a Codie in the gut and he went down, not a kill shot, but he was down and that gave her more room. She could move her legs and bent them up, firing again.

Another one went down and Ella scurried to her feet.

She was ready and expecting it, the attack at any moment, but it didn’t happen.

In fact, the moment she stood ready to fire and fight her way free, the large group shifted and moved away just enough for her to pull back and away.

Their attention was elsewhere.

Once off the sidewalk and in the street, she turned to see what drew them from her.

Tom was on the fire escape.

“Hey!” she shouted to him. “Go back up! I’m good.”

Tom looked as if he saw a ghost. He stared at her with a shocked expression.

“Not a bite or scratch,” Ella hollered. “I’ll be back.” She spun around again and finally felt the effects of the fall to her back. ‘Uh, yeah,” she said softly to herself as she picked up her pace. “That’s gonna hurt tomorrow.”

James nearly toppled over the roof when he saw Ella not only break free from the group of Codies but do so unscathed and still with an arrogant attitude.

As he clutched his chest, he could feel his own heart beating against his sternum. ‘My God,’ he thought. ‘A rising dead apocalypse and I’m having a coronary.”

He focused watching Ella move down the street.

Just as he calmed down, Tom popped up from the fire escape, startling him again.

“Shit.” James jumped back. “Oh my God.’

“Did you see that?” Tom asked with excitement. “Did you see?”

“Yeah, of course I did.”

“Doc, seriously, how?”

“Has to be the fact that she was infected and cured. That’s the only thing I can think of.”

“This is beautiful,” Tom said. “This means she’s a weapon against them. Unless, you know, you think maybe it was a fluke.”

“No, they would have gotten her.” James exhaled through his slightly parted lips.

“You okay?” Tom gave a swat to James’ back.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “No. I … don’t know. That was scary. I thought she was a goner.”

“I did, too.”

James stepped back to the edge of the roof and looked out. He no longer saw Ella. She was long gone and on her way to the field hospital.

As long as everything went as planned, it wouldn’t be long before they were all safely out of that apartment building.

SEVEN – ROSE COLORED GLASSES

Suddenly, everything was changed. Even if Ella never acknowledged her fear, it was there. Always.

Her train of thought was continuously, ‘get there, get what I need, get back.’

She’d stay focused on staying alive and being fast. She took in her surroundings, but only to assess them for danger.

Now that the veil of fear was lifted, she was seeing things in a different light.

The world seemed scary, not from a dangerous threat but from emptiness and change.

Ella was always running, and now she slowed down. There was no need to run. The Codies didn’t notice her, they walked right by her, even bumped into her and didn’t do a thing.

She had a chance to really look around.

Perhaps things were different because she was in the inner city.

The streets were littered with paper and other trash, windows broken, and long standing brick buildings burned out.

Blood stained the streets, the sidewalks, doorways and stairs. Body parts were rotting on the ground, some torn from bodies, some eaten until very little was left.

As if the Codies said, ‘okay, I had enough,’ and dropped the remains of humans wherever they felt like it.

Ella knew from just being around and talking to Rhonda that some of the Codies had a spark of who they were. Some, like Rhonda were well aware. But it seemed to Ella the longer they were Codies, the more they lost the human side of themselves until they became murderous creatures with no regard for life.

Blinded by rage they attacked … like her husband.

Even the rage-filled Codies wanted nothing to do with Ella.

She didn’t need to be a scientist or doctor to know why.

Ella had been bit, infected then cured.

Whatever infected her was still there, somewhere.

That scared Ella.

Was she in fact a Codie? A functional Codie.

She had no idea what would become of her, so she decided to live for the moment. However, looking around at the world, a bit of her wondered what there was to live for.

Desolation, death, destruction.

The triple threat.

She arrived at the field hospital that had been erected on the streets by the main hospital. Any time she had been there to steal medication, she went to the tents. As if the main hospital was off limits.

Other than it being the first time she was truly seeing things, it was the first time Ella felt sick to her stomach.

The field hospital stunk of rotting flesh. It saddened and sickened her because anyone remaining, anyone alive, was a mere meal for the Codies.

Those who went into post immunization limbo didn’t stand a chance.

The Codies were so consumed with … consuming, Ella had to wonder if they would even notice her at all. Even if she hadn’t been ‘invisible’ to them.

There were numerous trucks and vehicles parked and abandoned near the entrance. Immediately she found a truck with the keys in it. The ignition was in the off position and the tank three quarters full. It would start, she hoped, and she would take it. First, she had to get supplies.

She knew right where to go for those.

Ella had snuck into that supply tent many times. She doubted that any Codies would be in there.

James needed saline intravenous bags and other items for Bradly. Plus, he asked her to pick up other things.

Just as she neared the tent, she stopped, when she heard voices.

“Yeah, I heard that, too,” the smooth male voice said. “Sure, would be a sight to see, now wouldn’t it.”

“Yep,” another man said, his voice was raspy. “I thought of going there. Out of curiosity.”

“That’s dumb.”

“I know. So, I’m playing it safe. I should be there by morning. No traffic anywhere.”

“Would think so,” Smooth Man said. “Don’t think the infected can drive.”

“Now that would be a sight.”

Ella didn’t want to go in there. In fact, she backed up. Two men, in the supply tent, she was a woman, alone. It could be trouble. Then again, they could help her.

She needed those supplies.

After hanging back a few minutes, listening to the banter about where raspy voice would stop on his journeys and what he would get, Ella took it as a sign to go into that tent, when smooth man said. “I could use a drink.”

Ella had that handled.

Maybe she could hand them a peace offering, if needed.

But first, she drew upon her best Netflix cops’ drama knowledge.

Not wanting to take a chance though, Ella pulled out the revolver, made sure it was ready and with a pivot, swiftly entered the tent, gun extended. “Hold it right there,” she said, fully expecting to take them by surprise.

It Ella that was taken by surprise.

There was no one in the tent.

The voices came from an unmanned radio.

She had no idea, because she hadn’t heard static or the obligatory, ‘over and outs’ she knew to be radio protocol.

Protocol be damned, there were other people out there, and they had to be close, too.

After securing her weapon, she hurried to the table and lifted the microphone.

EIGHT – BUILDING

“Hey, Steve,” Clay said over the radio. “I thought you were traveling alone.”

“I am,” replied Steve.

“Well your girl was just on the radio.”

“I don’t have a girl.”

“I’m not his girl,” Ella said. “I’m not with Steve.”

“Who is this?” Clay asked.

“Ella.”

“Who’s Ella,” asked Steve.

“Isn’t she your girl?” Clay asked.

“No,” Ella said. “Why would you say that?”

“Because you said, ‘I’m here, too.’”

“I’m here, too, as in I am here in this world alive,” Ella said. “Can you guys please use over and out, so I know when someone is done speaking … over.”

“Didn’t seem important,” Clay said. “When I was only talking to Steve … over.”

“Now me,” another voice entered the radio waves. “Over.”

“Who is this?” Clay asked. “Over.”

“Grant,” he replied. “I know Ella. Over.”

“Grant!” Ella squealed. “Oh my God, how are you?”

Silence.

“You have to say over,” Clay told her. “Or else we won’t know you’re done. Your rules.”

The radio conversation became confusing and even slightly comical. He knew Steve, didn’t know the Grant fellow or even Ella, so instead of using all the overs and outs, Clay simply asked them to speak one at a time and he was able to learn a little about them.

They weren’t far from him. Maybe an hour away.

Ella was part of Grant’s camp when she got separated from them. Now she was trying to figure a way to get Grant and his people out of their camp.

A camp that was surrounded by tens of thousands of Codies.

That whole story sent warning bells off to Clay.

He found it hard to believe there were that many Codies in one area. Yes, it was the city, but the soldiers and armed civilians never let it get that out of control.

Because Clay didn’t know them enough to trust them yet, he didn’t give any information about his whereabouts. He had a good thing, and though he wanted to find people to build his community, he had to be careful.

Clay ended the radio transmission asking them to keep him posted about the rescue operation, and since Ella and Grant were able to communicate through the radio, Clay would listen in to gauge their legitimacy.

If indeed there was a rescue attempt, there would be talk between them.

Clay would hear and then he’d make the decision to invite them or not to what Clay believed was truly nothing less than a sanctuary.

NINE – LIFT OFF

“She’s dead,” James said, looking out the window.

“She’s not dead,” Tom argued.

“I’m telling you, she’s dead. She’s taking way too long. Too long. I think she got cocky about the Codies not touching her and they ate her.”

Tom laughed. “Stop.”

“She shouldn’t have gone by herself,” Rhonda said. “I mean, that was wrong of us to send her by herself. I should have gone. If she is immune to them, so am I.”

“Okay,” James held up his hand. “You could be invisible or immune to them, as well, but you are in no shape to go. You just had a baby, plus, you know, some of your body is not in good shape. You’re necrotic in several areas.”

“Then what about you?” she asked James. “You’re in good shape. Or Major Tom. Isn’t he the expert? All I’m saying is, we let her go out there. If anything happened to her, it’s on us.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door, James rushed over. He looked through the peep hole and exhaled loudly in relief before opening the door quickly.

“Thank God,” he said, pulling Ella inside. “Where have you been? You’ve been gone hours.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Ella replied. “I went to the field hospital, got the truck and I got supplies. I made a few supply stops.”

“We could have made them once you got back,” James nearly scolded.

“You’re right. I just thought with the baby we should keep the stops to a minimum. I got walkie talkies,” she said. “So, we won’t have this problem again.”

“We’re glad you’re alright,” Rhonda said. “We were just worried.”

Ella looked at Tom. “You’re not saying anything?”

With a tightly closed mouth, Tom shook his head. “I knew you were fine. Didn’t know what the hell was taking so long, but I knew you were good.”

“Thank you for that,” Ella said. “So …” she clapped her hands together once. “I have the truck pulled right ass end to the door. I’ll go out there and open it up, you guys climb right in. Who’s ready?”

James hid the fact that he was catching his breath, slowing his heart and allowing is head to spin less. He went from a frenzy of worry to being relieved, now he was about to leave the safety of the apartment to venture out into the Codie filled streets. Ella didn’t seem that concerned, that helped James. Even though Ella had that invisibility to her, she seemed unfazed by anything out there. It told James, how bad could it be?

◆◆◆

When Rhonda blurted out, “Oh, can I try?” James couldn’t help but wonder what was wrong with the mentality of the people he was with?

Like it was a video game, Rhonda wanted to walk among the Codies to see if she, too, could do so like Ella.

They had pulled to the temporary base and to the barracks style house where Tom had lived. There were at least two dozen Codies swarming around the house. Most were soldiers, some with blood stained clothing, some looked as if they hadn’t been injured.

Ella came up with the idea that she would go out, take down a few Codies to make a path for Tom so he could go in and get what he needed.

“I thought you didn’t like killing them,” James said to Ella. “I thought you believed a part of them was still in there.”

“I do, for some,” Ella replied. “After a while they aren’t who they used to be. I don’t like or want to kill them. I don’t. I just tell myself that I wouldn’t want to be like them, that I would want someone to help me. To put me out of my misery.”

“Why are you giving her a mother’s guilt trip?” Tom asked James. “Do you think we shouldn’t kill any of them?”

“Not now that we know they can be reversed. How do we know some scientist out there isn’t working right now on an aerosol version?”

Tom laughed, then held up his hand. “Sorry. Not to make fun. But … no … they’re not. If we don’t cull their numbers, there will be no turning back and there’ll be to many of them for us to defend against.”

“We just need a place to run and hide for a month,” James said. “Scientifically speaking, eventually they will all die out and drop.”

“They haven’t yet,” Tom said. “Despite what science dictates the human body will do.”

“Guys,” Ella interjected. “The longer we sit here and debate, the more that arrive. Can you just tell me what you need and I can go get the items?”

“No.” Tom shook his head. “I want to go in and get my stuff.”

“Okay,” Ella nodded. “Then we stick to the plan. I go out there.”

“Oh, can I try?” Rhonda asked. “If they don’t attack me, two of us could clear a path faster.”

“That’s a good idea,” Ella said.

“No!” James barked. “It’s not. It’s insane. She just gave birth, she has a child that needs her and she already has rotting flesh on her legs, and I can’t chance them getting worse before I operate.”

“That was rude,” Ella said to him. “Bringing up her rotting flesh.”

“What?” James blasted, confused.

“Can you really see it?” Rhonda asked. “I mean how noticeable is it?”

“Really?” James snapped. “You’re being vain right now?”

“Okay. Stop.” Tom held up his hand. “Enough about the rotting flesh. And ... no, Rhonda, it’s only noticeable when someone mentions it.” He looked at James.

“Gee thanks,” James said.

“Back to the plan,” Tom said. “As good of a plan as it is, Ella I don’t think you’re strong enough to take more than one or two. This isn’t the movies. Taking them out isn’t easy or fast. Our best bet is for me to go to the back of the truck. Cause some noise and get their attention, James drives and pied pipers the truck far away from the house for me to make a run for it.”

“You?” Ella asked. “What about me?”

“I want to do this alone. You risked enough already,” Tom told her.

“I like that idea.” James replied.

“I still think I should try,” Rhonda said. “I need to know if I am the same as Ella.”

“They’ll be plenty of enough time for that,” James said. “I think … whoa … wait,” he reached for but missed Ella when she passed him. “What are you doing?”

“I’m driving. You get to the back of the truck,” she said. “Tom wants to go in there alone. We need to give them a reason to follow us. If Tom is the distraction and he gets out, they won’t follow us. If you’re hanging out the back of the truck … they will.” She sat down and started the truck. “Hey, Major Tom. Slight change,” Ella said. “I’m gonna back up and pull away from the house. Far enough to let you out to wait and watch, and far enough time for James to safely get out and get in the back. I will swing back around, get the diversion started and drive slow enough so they follow us. Radio when you have what you need.”

“Roger that,” Tom replied.

With a jerk of the vehicle, Ella pulled quickly from the front of the house. The Codies knew the truck moved to fast for them, they reached but only one or two bothered to try to follow. Once a good two hundred feet away, and with minimal Codies nearby, she stopped.

Tom gave her a nod of thanks and then got out.

He looked both ways as if darting traffic and raced across the road.

James opened his door and paused before getting out. “For the record, I wasn’t being rude. I was stating fact. And worrying about appearance, it’s a little unwarranted to be so petty in the apocalypse. That’s all I wanted to say. I’ll go make some noise now.” He jumped from the truck and shut the door.

“Am I being petty?” Rhonda asked.

“Not at all.” Once Ella knew James was in the back. She initiated the plan, heading back to Tom’s barrack house to start the distraction.

◆◆◆

Even for as great of physical shape that she was in, Ella’s foot cramped from keeping a steady, even amount of pressure on the gas pedal to move the truck at a constant seven miles per hour for nearly thirty minutes. That was how long it took Tom to get in his place and get what he needed. It seemed so long that Rhonda even radioed him to make sure he was alright.

He was. He said he was taking care of things.

When they returned to get him, he carried two large duffel bags, tossed them in the back and got in the front of the truck. His demeanor seemed different to Ella, if possible, he was quieter and more reserved.

Something had occurred in there, she wasn’t going to ask him, but he volunteered the information.

“A couple of my men had turned,” he told them. “I had to rectify.”

“Were they bit?” James asked. “Scratched.”

Tom shook his head. “No. I couldn’t see any marks.”

“You don’t think?” Ella lifted her eyes to the rearview mirror. “They were maybe, like Bradly and they woke up as Codies, do you?”

Tom looked over his shoulder to the back seat where Bradly was with James and Rhonda. He was unconscious but propped into a sitting position with his head against the window. “No,” Tom said. “There were two of my men like Bradly. Why didn’t they get up if that was the case? Besides, why would the vaccine turn them?”

“This whole thing,” James said. “Started somewhere, somehow with a virus. A virus that infected someone, and they were then able to spread it with a bite or scratch. But we also know that the virus they carried could be caught by sharing needles, sexual contact, just like any other bloodborne virus. To make a successful immunization, often times it is made with a virus like polio. This could have been made with the virus.”

“Which …” Tom said. “Would explain Ella’s invisibility to them. She has the virus. In a sense, to them, she’s one of them.”

James nodded.

“Can you check?” Tom asked. “Can you do a blood sample from Ella and see if she has the virus.”

James laughed.

“What?” Tom asked. “Why is that funny?”

“Because I am an ER doctor. I’m not a virologist or epidemiologist, I haven’t a clue what I am looking at under a microscope. Maybe if I knew what the virus looked like I could try, but then, any of you could do it also.”

“So, we’ll never really know?” Tom asked.

“If we confirm Rhonda’s the same,” James said. “Then we factor in the common denominator. They both were bit, they both were infected, and they both were given the vaccine and it cured them. If Rhonda has invisibility, then it’s safe to say they still have the virus in them.”

“Are we contagious?” Ella asked. “I mean, if we have it in us, then we may be contagious.”

“I wouldn’t rule that out,” James replied. “It’s not airborne, it’s blood born. Chances are, if you have it in you, no matter how it is working on you, you’re probably contagious.”

“Which means,” Rhonda spoke up. “I have to keep bottle feeding the baby. I can’t breastfeed. I can’t take that chance.”

Her concern was acknowledged, and before going to James’ house, they stopped to get more formula and bottles.

There was a certain point in their travels where everything changed.

Even though they were still in the larger populated suburbs, there were very few Codies.

“We took care of areas outside the city,” Tom explained. “More so than inner city. There was just too much danger to the teams going out to clear the streets. Folks like James rarely ran into them. If they did, there was maybe one or two.”

“That’s how I knew something was up,” James said. “When I woke up and saw the Codies on our street, I knew something went south.”

They made it to James’ neighborhood pretty effortlessly after a pharmacy stop for formula. He lived in an area south of the city and in a housing plan that wasn’t new. It was probably decades old. The trees had a chance to grew tall and thick, the streets were perfectly paved, the houses were all similar, large and bulky, too much so for each lot. The homes had very little in the form of front yards.

James’ house was a storybook white one. A cross between a ranch and split level. It had a sense of eloquence to it. A flower lined path that led to the house. Double red doors were at center of the home, and the first floor windows were all easily accessible to any burglar who wanted to take a chance on his house. Ella knew instantly upon seeing it why Tom was able to peek inside and see James that morning passed out on the couch.

There was a basketball hoop above the garage in the double wide driveway, but they didn’t pull in there. They just pulled in front.

James handed Ella the keys. “Why don’t you open the front door, and I’ll help Tom carry Bradly. Get Baby Rodney inside.”

Ella nodded, took the keys and shut down the truck.

“Wait,” Tom called out. “Let me go check the house.”

“Why don’t I go check the house to make sure,” Ella said. “You can get Bradly ready.”

“I’d really rather it be me,” Tom retorted.

“Why does it matter?” Ella snapped. “You. Me. One of us.”

“Me,” Tom said.

“Is this some kind of macho, male thing.”

“Yeah,” Tom said. “It is. Sorry. Chivalry is not dead in my book. I don’t think a woman should have to put herself in danger.”

Ella laughed a loud, single scoff. “A woman.”

“Hey!” Rhonda snapped. “Guys, this isn’t important. Let’s all just get out of the truck. Get air. I don’t think Codies are in the house, the door is shut. Let’s just go.”

Ella smiled smug and opened her door. “I agree. Thank you, Rhonda.”

She stepped out. James was right after her.

Just as she rounded the front of the truck, Ella stopped when she heard the call of his name.

A female, a cheerful voice, laced with a bit of relief.

“Doctor Ung. Hey, Doctor Ung.”

“Shit,” James whispered right behind Ella.

Ella raised an eyebrow and looked to him. She then looked to the direction of the voice.

Two doors up and across the street, a woman stood on the edge of her lawn waving. A thicker woman, not heavy or fat, just thick. If it hadn’t been for her breasts, Ella wouldn’t have known it was a woman. She had short, curly dark hair and wore blue, dickie workpants and a blue tee shirt. She was in her thirties, and she waved her arm high in the air, back and forth.

“Doctor Ung. Hey!” she yelled again.

From the front door of the house a man emerged. He wore a short sleeve dress shirt and vest with a pair of Cargo shorts. His dark blonde, Prince Valiant styled hair came to his chin, and he kept his hands in the front pockets of his pants as he stayed on the porch.

“Shit,” James repeated. “Just wave and hurry to the house.”

“Why?” Ella asked.

“They’re annoying.”

“They’re alive and survivors in an extinction level event,” Ella said.

“Again, ignore them. You’ll thank me.”

Ella shook her head. “Now who’s being petty in an apocalypse.” She tossed the keys to Rhonda and headed toward the couple.

As she made her way across the street, Ella was surprised when James walked straight to his house with Rhonda. Tom, however, stood by the truck watching.

“Hello,” Ella said, extending her hand to the woman. “I’m Ella.”

“Ella.” With a firm grip, she shook Ella’s hand. “I’m Paula, that’s my husband Don.”

Ella lifted her hand in a wave to Don. “I am so happy to see—”

“Is Doctor Ung, okay?” Paula asked, cutting off Ella. “He just hurried into his house. Or did he have to use the bathroom?”

“We have a baby with us and a sick man in the truck, he just—”

“Wanted to take care of them,” Paula said. “He’s a good man. He helped me many times. Didn’t he Don?” she hollered back.

“Didn’t he do what?” Don asked.

“Doctor Ung. He helped me lots.”

“Oh, yeah, lots.”

“Whenever I needed anything. He would answer the door,” Paula said. “I’m so glad to see he is alright and alive. I was worried.”

“I’ll tell him,” Ella said.

“Good and invite him over for dinner. I’m sure he isn’t eating or has time to make food. You know, being busy rescuing you all. That is what he did. He rescued you and brought you to his house, right?” Paula asked.

“In a sense,” Ella answered. “Okay, maybe not the soldier over—”

“Can you tell him to come to dinner?” Paula asked. “I mean, all of you are invited. We have plenty. We went to the food bank to stock up. I work there. Well, volunteer. Technically you can’t work there. There is a lot of food there.”

“I’ll tell him.”

“You know what?” Paula waved out her hand. “We’ll bring it over. With the sick person and the baby, we’ll bring food to you.”

“That would be nice. Thank you.”

“We’d be nice to the whole neighborhood, but no one is around,” Paula said.

“They’re around,” Don shouted from the back, still holding steady in his same position. “They’re just unconscious.”

Paula nodded. “They are. We checked. When we woke yesterday things were weird. I went to the food bank. No one came. At all. Then when I came home, we knocked on doors. Even ... even went into a couple house. Nothing. Everyone is sick or out of it.”

Ella nodded. “It’s the immunization that caused some sort of reaction. You didn’t take it?”

Paula shook her head. “No. We were given it, but we’re anti-vaxxers.”

“Oh, so you have children,” Ella said.

“No, why would you say that?” Paula asked.

“Usually, anti-vaxxers have kids. They are against immunizing them, so they are anti-vaxxers.”

“No, not really.”

“Okay, well, I’ll go tell him. Nice to meet you.” Ella quickly turned and headed across the street.

“Seven,” Paula yelled. “We’ll be by then.”

Ella lifted her hand to acknowledge and approached Tom.

“What did they say?” Tom asked.

“They’re bringing dinner.” Ella kept walking and went straight into James’ house.

TEN - PREPLAN

Tom was going to eat that orange before it went bad. Who knew when he’d ever get another orange again. It was already getting tender spots from the heat.

He leaned with his back against the far counter in the spacious kitchen, taking in all the activities around him. The baby cried in the other room and Rhonda tried to sooth him. It wasn’t working.

Perhaps it was because between James and Ella there wasn’t any quiet in the house.

Ella fiddled with the radio but was by no means quiet. She’d try the radio, fail, hit it, swear, pour some alcohol into a glass, down it and repeat.

James, after situating Bradly in the den, paced the kitchen, seemingly more concerned with the fact that his neighbors said they were coming over than anything Ella told him about the men on the radio.

It hadn’t been long, but since Tom missed television, it was reality entertainment before him.

“Why?” James asked. “I mean, you met them, so you know.”

“I know I need to get this radio working.”

“Do you know how to fix it?”

Ella shook her head. “Haven’t a clue. It worked at the field hospital, it has to work here. We need to get in touch with Grant.”

“We need to stop my neighbors from coming over.”

Ella slammed her hand on the counter. “Why? Who cares?” she lifted her drink.

“Maybe those of us sober.”

She downed her drink. “Maybe.” She played with the radio. “Look all I know is we are sorely outnumbered against the Codies. They’re alive. They survived. They’re people. Every life is important. Like them or not, we’re all in this together. Do you think I like everyone at Sanctum?”

“I really didn’t think about it,” James said.

“I don’t. Half of them I don’t bother with. But I still do what I can. It’s my part. Just like it’s your part to accept your neighbors. If we join with Sanctum, rescue them, then that’s more of a crowd they can get lost in.”

“Do you think …” Tom peeled his orange. “Maybe the radio works. The light is on. Maybe no one is responding or talking. Maybe Grant’s battery died. Who knows? You’re their runner, right? No one is running out for batteries now. My advice is to stop beating it and messing with it, leave it on and wait.”

Ella sighed out and walked over to him, taking a piece of his freshly peeled orange. “I’ll do that.”

“Wait.” James held up his hand. “We talked about rescuing Sanctum. Do we know what we’re doing after the rescue? I mean that’s a hundred people.”

“That’s a valid question,” Tom said.

“And I don’t have a valid answer,” said Ella. “I mean, yeah, we can all move into a neighborhood, but still, we’re gonna be a beacon for the Codies. That’s why Sanctum is so surrounded. We’ll need to find a place to go. Far away, maybe removed. Who knows?”

“What about this guy on the radio?” James asked. “Did he say where he was.”

“He’s safe,” Ella said. “He was far too calm and laid back. He’s somewhere with people. But he wasn’t saying. I don’t blame him. He doesn’t trust us. If I had a good, safe place, I wouldn’t announce it either.”

“We can think of a place,” Tom said. “Transport and food are the problem for a hundred people.”

“Well …” Ella tilted her head. “An idea from Paula, we stock up. We hit the stores or food banks. We get the food. I would assume there are resources out there right now. All of that is a moot point unless we come up with a way to rescue a hundred people.”

“Where on the South Side are they?” Tom asked.

“You don’t know?” Ella asked.

Tom shook his head. “We knew of Sanctum. I’m sure someone knew where they were. I don’t.”

“If I had a map, I could show you.”

Tom briefly turned his back to her. “Will these work?” he extended his hand and dropped a small stack of pamphlets before her. “Tourist maps. I was thinking they might come in handy.”

James looked at him. ‘Where did you get tourist maps?”

“In your junk drawer,” Tom answered.

“I have a junk drawer?”

“Everyone has a junk drawer,” Ella said.

“I don’t.”

“You do,” Tom said. “I found those when I was looking around.”

“You were looking through my kitchen.” James shuffled through the pamphlets. “Oh, okay, my housekeeper got these for my parents when they came over to visit.”

Ella opened one all the way. It took up a large portion of the counter. “Okay, this will work nice. Did you find a pen when in that drawer?”

“No need.” Tom pulled one from his chest pocket and handed it to her.

“Thanks.” Ella took it and clicked it. “Here is where we …”

THUMP.

The loud sound caught all of their attention.

“What was that?” James asked.

“Did Rhonda drop the baby?” Ella suggested.

“Too heavy to be a baby,” Tom said. “Rhonda?” he called out. “You alright?”

“Yes,” she replied from the other room. “I was going to ask the same of you. What was that noise?”

Then it happened again.

Tom realized at that moment it wasn’t something dropping, it was a door rattling on its hinges. As if someone was banging to get in … or out. On that thought he raced to the den.

For certain the noise came from there. A constant banging against the door. Tom listened, he heard footsteps then a loud bang.

“Bradly?” Ella asked when she arrived.

“Yeah,” Tom nodded.

“He’s a Codie,” James said. “That would explain your men at your base house.”

“We don’t know this,” Ella said. “Maybe he’s confused.”

Tom shrugged. “One way to find out.” He leaned closer to the door. “Hey, Bradly.”

One loud band and the door knob not only turned, the door began to open.

Tom was quick, he grabbed it and pulled it closed, holding with both hands. A struggle ensured. “Shit. Ella, tell Rhonda to take the baby upstairs. James, grab my revolver from the back of my pants. Then when I say, you guys back up. I’ll open the door.”

James reached for his gun and extended it to him.

“Wait,” Ella said. “What if we give him the vaccine? Like we did with Rhonda and Ella. What if we try? Do you think you can subdue him enough so we can administer it?”

“Yes,” Tom said.

“I see where you’re coming from,” James said. “But, Ella, even though there are unused vaccines out there, we don’t have them close enough right now for this moment. Where are we going to get it?”

◆◆◆

The small black cardboard box was open exposing two prepared syringes.

“This is what caused this,” Paula said. “Do you want to make it worse? It can make it worse.”

James lifted one of the syringes. “We have to try. Thank you for bringing these over.”

“If he dies, I am not to blame,” Paula said.

“Of course not. I am.” James hurriedly flashed a fake smile and raced toward the den where Tom still held on to the door.

“You got it?” Tom asked.

“Yep. All ready.” James nodded.

“Ma’am,” Tom looked at Paula who had followed James. “You may want to go back.”

“I want to see.”

“Very well.” Tom then looked at Ella. “Get in position.”

Ella placed her back to the wall directly across from the den door. “I’m ready.”

“When I let go,” Tom said. “He’s gonna come out and go directly for you. You sure you want to do this?”

Ella nodded. ‘Yes, you said you had me covered if I’m not invisible to him.”

“Honey,” Paula said. “You aren’t invisible to anyone. He’s telling you this to be bait. Step away from the door.”

“I’m okay,” Ella told her. “If Major Tom says he has me covered, I trust that. I’m ready.” She took a deep breath. “Do it.”

“Bradly,” Tom called out. The second he did, the fight over the door began. Still holding the handle, he reached for his weapon and then released the handle and stepped back.

As predicted, the den door flung open.

Bradly took a step, paused for a second, and breathing heavily, locked a stare on Ella and raged forth at her.

Just as he reached her, he came to a full stop. He slammed his hands to the wall behind her, keeping Ella close to him as his arms formed a barricade on both sides of her.

Mouth still open, eyes a maddening red, he tilted his head, while tilting his chin upward as if smelling her.

A soft clicking growl emerged from his throat as he brought his face closer to Ella’s.

Then he froze. His head lifted with agitation, he dropped his arms and spun around to James who was behind him.

James backed up.

“It’s not working,” Ella said. “Take him down. Take him down now, Tom.”

Tom didn’t need to. Another step closer to James and Bradly’s legs buckled and he dropped to the floor.

ELEVEN – RIPPLES

Grant chose his room in Sanctum, not because it was a corner office, but it was away from the loud, everyday life in Sanctum.

As far as corner offices went, it wasn’t that impressive. Second floor of the industrial warehouse, two windows and one of his walls was made out of glass. Probably for the supervisor to watch the happenings below in the paper and office supply facility.

He kept that covered with a curtain and made the area into his home, pushing the desk to the wall, and sleeping on the fake leather couch.

The windows were the size of his old bathroom windows, not an escape route for any adult, but big enough for him to look out.

He stood, shoulder against the wall, fingers separating the slates of the blinds, staring out, trying to catch a glimpse of the river. It was moving pretty good. He wondered if there was a storm north of them.

It was hard to tell. Every day was so gray and dismal.

Now it seemed worse.

They were trapped and the prospects of getting out of Sanctum were slim.

He was at the point where he was almost resolved to die there.

He heard the light tap on his door. He knew it was Mandy before he called, “Come in.”

It was always Mandy this time of day.

“Anything?” she asked as she stepped in.

“On the radio you mean?” Gran asked, not turning around. “No. Well, I hear her, she doesn’t hear me.”

“Did you try one of the other mics? Or the other radio?”

“No. I don’t think it will work. I’ll try.”

“At least we know she’s alive. Good for her,” Mandy said.

The sound of something dropping on his desk finally caused Grant to turn around. “That the inventory?”

“Yep. We have about three weeks before we seriously need to cut rations.”

“Why not cut them now?” Grant asked. “We should.”

“But you said earlier, Ella told you she’s coming.”

Grant chuckled softly. “Ella is one person. The area is so overrun, she’ll have to come by the river.”

“But it’s over,” Mandy said. “Right, I mean. No one is gonna shoot us for leaving, so she can approach the main dock.”

“Mandy.” Grant walked to her. “Even if Ella came straight to the main dock, that is still two hundred feet to get one hundred people out of here and to what? How is she going to get all of us, then take us where?”

Mandy exhaled and lowered her head. “Do you think she was just saying that?”

“Oh, no. No.” Grant shook his head. “I believe Ella will make every attempt.”

“Then maybe we should, too.”

“What do you mean?”

“She has to make an approach from the river. She’ll call out, she’ll let us know she’s coming. Instead of standing here, staring out the window wondering how Ella is gonna get us, why don’t we try to figure out how we will get to her?”

“Any ideas?” Grant asked.

“No,” Mandy answered quickly. “But we have a hundred people down there and I am sure one of them does.”

Mandy was right. She was absolutely right, and instead of wallowing in his office, Grant was going to follow Mandy’s advice and as a community they would figure something out.

TWELVE – ROUND TWO

Apocalyptically neighborly or not, there was only so much of Paula and Don that James could take. They weren’t going home, and he wondered if they were going to.

They talked about things that had nothing to do with what was going on, with the exception of a thousand questions Paula asked Rhonda about her birthing and death experience.

James kept checking on Bradly, and like being social, he could only do that so much as well.

Tom pretty much laughed at him when James asked him if he wanted to take a break and James would take watch.

So, he went back in, meandered around his house, finding his way to his own bedroom.

He looked at the pictures of his wife, Jana and their son that graced the mantel in there. Then he needed a little bit of them, he opened her top drawer and pulled out one of her tee shirts.

It was either losing its smell or James was losing his ability to sense her. He just didn’t feel it and it saddened him. He knew why and was trying not to think about it. That voicemail lingered in his mind

The shirt, though, even after being in the drawer smelled fresh. Jana was always particular about the way her clothes smelled, never letting the housekeeper do her laundry at all.

It was funny, Jana had a lot of clothes, but seemed to wear the same ones often. She even had clothes with tags still on them. Just as he went to return it, he paused and unfolded the shirt, holding it up.

He looked over his shoulder as if someone was there, and then James, with a thought, went through his wife’s drawers.

After finishing there, he sought out Ella. He thought maybe she had gone to sleep, but the lantern in the kitchen was still glowing. James was glad she was still awake.

When he walked in, she was leaning over the island counter, with the map spread out, the radio beside her and her head bobbed slowly side to side.

He approached the counter and waved his hand in front of her face to get her attention.

“Everything okay?” she removed the headphones.

“Yeah, what are you listening to?”

“Major Tom greatest hits. Only, you know, it’s just one song. I was hoping it would inspire me somehow. The lyrics are that really applies to us. Maybe … I don’t know.” She shrugged.

“So, you’re thinking about a plan?”

“Yep. Trying.”

“Can I help?”

“Yes, any help would be great.”

“I uh … was upstairs in my room and I thought of something.” He placed a stack of folded clothes on the counter. “These are my wife’s. You two are about the same size. And this is gonna sound weird, but there is a package of undergarments unopened, as well.”

“Again, with the Ella stinks thing?” Ella asked.

“No, no, I’m sorry, I just figure you hadn’t changed your clothes in days and …”

“I’m joking. This is sweet of you. Packaged underwear, huh?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Well.” Ella tilted her head. “Looking at this house, knowing you had a maid, package underwear is just so middle class.”

“True. But she was frugal and hated the thought of throwing away underwear that cost a lot of money.”

“I don’t even want to know why she threw away underwear.”

“She never wore the same pair twice.”

“So, she is like an oxymoron.”

“Was.”

“Excuse me?”

James cleared his throat. “Was. I … listened to the voicemail.”

Ella sighed heavily. “Oh, James, I am so sorry. And your son?”

James shook his head. “My mother-in-law said she was joining them soon. She didn’t say how they passed, but that the village was attacked.”

Ella reached out and placed her hand over James’. “I’m really sorry.”

“Thank you. So, please, feel free to wear her stuff. That doesn’t sound callous does it?”

“No, but I won’t throw away underwear. I’ll even wash up.” She winked. “Cause I do think I stink.”

“You’re fine. So …” He clapped his hands together once. “What do we have. What are you thinking?”

“Not much,” Ella said. “Here is where Sanctum is.” She pointed on the tour map.

James joined her on the other side of the island. “Okay, yeah, that’s by the German restaurant. We went there a lot.”

“Me, too, after the fall.” Ella smiled. “Still the best place to get booze quick. I mean we’re twenty paces from there.”

“I thought you said it was an Industrial park?”

“Well, that’s what the sign says. It’s more of a glorified storage place. One small office supply place, that is where most of us sleep. The kitchen remodeling place is where we cook. And we use the grocer chain building mainly for produce, we wiped that clean right away.” ------

“The rest of the time you got food from nearby places?” James asked.

“Yeah, Giant Bear store was literally a run down the railroad tracks. Codies lose their balance pretty easily on those.” She snickered.

“That could be a way to get those people out. That’s a heavy populated and congested area.”

“You’re telling me. The streets are swarming with Codies. They are congregating more around the Sanctum fence. It won’t be long before it falls.”

James ran his hand over his chin. “So, getting to Sanctum by the river is the best option?”

“It’s the only option.”

“You know how to handle boats, I mean you crossed that river all the time.”

“With a row boat.”

James pointed to the map and the area that said ‘Marina’ which was directly behind Sanctum. “Is this where you got on your boat.”

“No.” She ran her finger up the map to a bridge. “I hid the boat under there. Remember, I was crossing during a time where I thought I’d be shot if caught.”

“Are there boats still at the docks?” James asked.

“Yes.”

Tom’s voice interjected. “It’s not so easy. Those boats use keys to start and the owners probably have them.”

James looked at him. “What are you doing in here?”

“Taking a break. Seeing how Ella and her planning is going. Thought I could help.”

“Who’s on watch?” James asked.

“Paula,” Tom answered.

James choked out a shocked laugh. “Paula? Are you serious?”

“She’s a card carrying member of the NRA,” Tom told him.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” James scoffed. “I can say the same, doesn’t mean I can shoot.”

“She was reigning women’s sharp shooter champ, regional and national, three years in a row.”

“She told you that?” James asked.

“Yep and showed me the cards.”

“Who carries their marksmanship award cards?”

“Paula.” Tom leaned over and looked at the map. “So, we have the dock really accessible. We need something big.”

James suggested. “What about one of those land and sea tourist things. We can go down the river and roll right up to Sanctum.”

“That’s a good idea, but …” Ella showed him. “The only area to roll on shore is where I parked my boat under that bridge. Then the problem is getting to Sanctum. The streets are overrun. It’s not possible.”

“Plus,” Tom added. ‘They are located on the north side of town. We could get them, they were used to evacuate people from that area.”

“You evacuated the North Side?” Ella asked. “Why did the South Side get left behind?”

Tom shrugged. “I don’t know.”

James snapped his finger. “Here. Not far from Sanctum. Still on the south side. The Clipper River Boats. That area is not populated, just businesses, bet we can get there. We talked about this before. All those people can fit on one of those boats.”

“How are we going to man it?” Ella asked.

Tom answered. “I’m sure it’s not that hard.”

“It’s not,” another voice entered the room. It was Don. “It isn’t at all. The controls are pretty self-explanatory.”

“Okay,” James said. “Your wife is a sharp shooter and you man riverboats?”

Don laughed. “No, don’t be silly. I know the controls. I worked for the fleet for decades as super hero on the kids’ cruises.”

No one laughed. It was silent.

“Anyhow …” Don made his way to the map. “We can move the boat straight down to those docks. Put down the ramp.”

“We?” James asked. “You and Paula are coming? You know we probably aren’t coming back. Probably stuck on that boat awhile, I mean it’s a hundred people and—”

“I know. We know. What else are we going to do?” Don asked. “Survivors have to stick together.”

Tom asked him. “So, you can maneuver this boat?”

“Yes.” Don nodded. “You could, too. And honestly, you stock this thing up it can sustain everyone until we figure out a place to dock for good.”

‘That still leaves a big problem,” Ella said. “How do we get the people of Sanctum to the boat? With no way to communicate that we’re coming, they can’t even lend a hand.”

Tom gazed down. “Using the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, how far is that, Ella?”

“Roughly a hundred feet,” she answered. “But it’s not a straight smooth shot. No matter how we slice and dice it, it comes down to the same problem. We can get there, we just can’t get to them. I mean, I have been wracking my brain, but I’m like a hamster in a wheel.”

“That’s it,” James said. “A wheel, well, not a wheel, a tunnel.”

“You want to dig a tunnel?” Ella asked.

James shook his head. “Build one. But it won’t be a real tunnel. If the Codies can’t see you, they won’t attack. We quietly move groups through, straight from the fence through the tunnel.”

“Good thinking, Doc,” Tom swatted his back. “But realistically, where are we getting the tunnels.”

“Tents,” James said. “The quarantine and field hospital tents. They’re thirty to fifty feet long. The walkways that go between them. We only need a couple and … they’re retractable.”

Ella asked. “What does that mean?”

“It means,” Tom explained. “You pulled them out like a Slinky. Not bad. We put them as best as we can together. Those things weigh at least a hundred pounds.”

Don snapped his fingers several times rapidly. “How about we do one better? How about we use Doctor Ung’s Hamster wheel idea, but go with tubes., Like the ones that the hamsters go through. From the dock ramp straight to the gate.”

“How?” Paul asked.

“Three foot diameter construction chutes. You know the ones used on buildings that hang down for debris. Three feet in diameter pretty much anyone can crawl through. Lightweight plastic, each extends twenty feet, they interlock, easy to assemble and they weight thirty-seven pounds.”

Ella blinked in shock. “That’s a pretty detailed knowledge of those things.”

“I know them well. I look at the purchase orders and I know where we can get them. MeinCo Construction. Got about eight sitting in the back warehouse, they were supposed to go out when the jobs were still running. I … I know this, I am Chief Financial Officer there.”

“Wow,” Tom said. “He comes up with not only the idea for the boat, he can man it and … he solves the Sanctum dilemma. Pretty good, huh, James, for a neighbor you don’t like.”

Don quickly looked at James. “You don’t like me?”

“What?” James snapped in shock. “No, I never said that. Please, what I said was …” He stopped talking when he noticed everyone’s attention was elsewhere. Not only that, they looked surprised. James turned his head to see Bradly standing in the kitchen.

“What ... what happened?” Bradly asked, confused.

“Son.” Tom approached him. “How are you feeling?”

“Fuzzy. Weird,” Bradly answered. “I remember not feeling well. Sick to my stomach, you know. A bunch of the guys were. I laid down, next thing I know, I’m … staring at her.” He looked at Ella. “And then nothing again.”

“You had an episode.” Tom placed his hand on Bradly’s shoulder.

“In fact,” James added. “I’m a doctor. I’d like to examine you now if I could.”

Bradly nodded slowly. “Okay. I would like to go back to bed if I can.” He turned, took a step and stopped. Slowly, he turned back around. His eyes widened, almost with a saddened revelation. “Major Tom?”

“Yes?”

“If you see my mom, tell her I love her.”

“Son, why don’t …”

Before Tom could finish, Bradly’s eyes rolled behind his head and he fell to the floor.

No convulsions, no noise … nothing.

Hurriedly, James rushed to him and joined him on the floor. His hand felt his neck, then James put his ear close to his face. “He’s dead.”

In a whisper, Don spoke, “The virus killed the virus.”

James peered up at him.

Don explained. “He was healthy, the vaccine was part virus. He got it, you hit him again with the vaccine, the virus canceled itself out.”

“What are you talking about?” James asked.

“I’m just theorizing.”

“He thought of his mother,” Ella said sadly.

“He was twenty-three years old,” Tom said. “So young.”

“Will he come back?” Ella asked, looking at Don. “Will he revive?”

“Why are you asking him?” James snapped.

“He seems smart,” Ella replied.

“I am, with a high IQ,” Don said. “But I don’t know. I would say yes.”

“I say …” James cupped his hands over Bradly’s chest. “Let’s not give up on him.”

Tom stopped him. “He has the virus Doc. One way or another he has it. CPR means mouth to mouth. You wanna risk doing that, having him vomit in your mouth and give it to you?”

James closed his eyes. “As a doctor …”

“You have to preserve the integrity of life as well,” Tom told him. “Let him go. He was one of my men. Let him go.”

“How much integrity is it giving him if he revives?” James asked.

“He won’t.” Tom knelt down by Bradly and reached into his front chest pocket. The object he carried protruded like a long pen. But it wasn’t. It was an instrument of eternal peace for those infected.

Tom swept his hand down Bradly’s face, closing his eyes then placed the thin narrow instrument to Bradly’s temple. Tom looked down to the young man and with a depress of his thumb to the end of the tool, Tom whispered his standard, “Rectify.”

THIRTEEN – EAVESDROPPING

Legs extended and resting on the desk, Clay kicked back in his chair, watching the radio and sipping a warm beer.

“I don’t know how many are in your town,” Ella’s voice carried over the speaker. “Just giving you the warning. If he woke up. So, will they. I know around here, everyone got the immunization. So, everyone went down.”

Clay lifted his beer, speaking to himself out loud and not into the radio. “Don’t have that problem here. No one got the immunization.”

“They went down and will get back up,” Ella said.

“Yeah, well, ours caught the flu and turned.” He took another sip.

“He seemed different, though. Which scared me. Almost as if he were fully aware of what was happening. He was one of them, a Codie, but had a look about him.”

“Is that so?”

“He died though. He died shortly after we hit him with the vaccine again.”

“You double dosed him, of course he would. And, you have a doctor. Ha!”

“Anyhow, I’ll check back later. Just wanted to give an update to Grant and to anyone else that is listening. Night.”

“Night.”

“You know …” Jerry, the residential fill in doctor, stepped into the room. ‘You probably would get a lot further if you picked up that mic and actually let her hear what you were saying.”

“Nah. I’m just listening.”

“What is she saying?”

“Like a news update. She talked about those who got the immunization and kinda went comatose.”

“We knew that.”

“They’re rising.”

“We didn’t know that.”

“Well, we don’t have that problem here,” Clay said. “We never got the shots. Did you catch that last part about the one being different?”

“I did. So, she was being an apocalypse Delilah.”

“I’m sorry, a what?” Clay asked.

“Delilah, she ... just ... it was a woman DJ a while back that used to be on the air, sultry voice, talked to people and they all thought she was their friend. She played music.”

“This chick was talking about music. Trying to break down the words to some old David Bowie song. Strange. She was also talking to her friend, who wasn’t replying. Seems she came up with some elaborate chutes and ladders rescue for him and the town. Gonna boat up to their riverside compound and set up tubes for the people stuck to crawl through. From the compound to the boat. Only way out. Apparently, that part of town was the dumping ground for Codies. Radio chick says there are tens of thousands of them crammed in the area.”

“That really is elaborate. How do they propose to do that with tens of thousands of Codies?”

“Sneak in from the river. Less of them that way. And one of them is invisible to the Codies. That’s what she said. She said she is like the Jesus of Codies, she walks among them.”

“She called herself the Jesus of the Codies?”

“No, I did.”

“You’re insane. Pick up the radio and talk to her.”

“Nope.”

“Clay, you’re the one that said everyone is welcome.”

“I did.” Clay nodded. “But I don’t know. Call it a gut instinct. I just don’t trust them. They’re trouble.”

“Your gut is wrong. Think about it. Good night.”

After another swig of his beer, Clay lifted the bottle as his form of goodnight and returned to focusing on the radio.

FOURTEEN – ONCE BITTEN

Jennifer and Ben Fields, a couple that lived several doors up the road from James, were wandering aimlessly down the middle of the street. They staggered, Ben was half dressed, Jennifer in workout clothes. They looked lost and confused.

In fact, Tom thought at first that was what they were ... confused, maybe they woke up, didn’t know what was going on. Following a short whistle from the second floor window where he held watch, Tom knew better,

They honed on in him and raged his way.

That told Tom, they were like Bradly and had risen.

How long would it be before the entire neighborhood was at their door?

The spotting of those two people wouldn’t have been that big of a deal if Rhonda hadn’t also seen them and decided that was the moment she wanted to check and see if she was like Ella.

She walked right out of the house and up to the couple. They walked around her, ignored her as if she weren’t even there.

As if she won the lottery, Rhonda did a celebration dance right there in the middle of the small front yard.

Tom told her to get back into the house.

He watched awhile longer, then decided to join the others. He could hear their voices carrying up from below.

After coming down the stairs, Tom double checked the locks before joining the others in the kitchen. “The natives are getting restless,” Tom said., “You have two wandering out there. We need to get a move on before the entire neighborhood, or those who got the shot, get up and make it impossible for us to leave.”

Ella gathered up the map. ‘So basically, we need to stay clear of areas where people were tucked in their beds thinking they had some bad side effect.”

Tom nodded. “James, I know this is your home. You may want to take this time to get things you want to take.”

“I’ve already been doing that,” James replied.

“Paula and I will do the same thing,” Don said. “We’ll head home. Get some items, grab the rest of our guns and will be back. We’ll head to the construction company first. There are trucks in the garage there, we can take one of those trucks to the boat.”

“Unload the chutes on the vessel,” Tom said. “And head out for supplies. Use the day to get supplies and practice moving and carrying those chutes along with connecting them.”

“Any of the clipper fleet big enough to do that,” Don said. “Taking the day is a good idea.”

Don then excused himself from the kitchen and left the house with Paula.

“Are they safe out there?” James asked, in reference to Paula and Don.

“I only saw two Codies,” Tom replied. “For now. Once we get to the fleet, James, you’ll set up inside, I’ll head out for supplies and when I am doing that…” He then looked at Rhonda and Ella. “You two have to practice moving those tubes. They’re gonna be heavy.”

“Why are they doing the chutes?” James asked.

Rhonda answered. “Because Ella has some sort of immunity and I do, too. It’s the best combination.”

“You’re not well, Rhonda,” James said. “I know you feel it. I know it’s been a couple weeks since you had the baby, but it’s only been a few days since Tom gave you the serum. Your legs …”

“I know. Have rotting flesh.”

“I was hoping to find a way to do the invasive surgery today,” James said. “Hit the hospital. Get what I need. Do it either here or find a way to do it on the boat. Either way, it needs to be done.”

“Then it can wait,” Rhonda told him.

“The longer you wait, the more chance you have of losing your legs all together.”

“What about I do it alone?” Ella suggested. “They’re tubes, they roll. I can roll them into place.”

Rhonda faced her. “It is a two person job. So, unless you …” she turned again to James. “Have another suggestion. The surgery is going to have to wait until after the rescue.”
“I do,” Tom interjected. “What about if I go. I’m strong. I can move those chutes quick. I’ll do it with Ella.”

Ella lifted her hand. “There you go again being chivalrous. Thank you, Major Tom, but really in this instance, chivalry be damned. Those Codies will be all over you making it impossible for us to lay those chutes efficiently and fast.”

“Not if I’m like you.”

James chuckled. “And how do you suppose you do that.”

“What if I …” Tom extended his hand and laid a syringe on the table. “Get bit.”

◆◆◆

“This is totally insane, you know that, right?” James asked Tom.

“I do.”

“You know this is not guaranteed to work.”

“I am going to try to repeat the process,” Tom said. “Bit in the left arm, give the virus time to hit me and then take the vaccine.”

“And it if doesn’t work?” James asked.

“I prefer to believe it will.” Tom smiled. There was a bit of nervousness in his smile and James saw it. He raised his eyes to Ella. “Watch him.”

“We’re good. We’ll be three houses over. They have a big fence, we’re letting one of the gnarly ones in. Only one. We can handle one.”

James shook his head. “Gnarly. Anyhow, control the bleeding.”

“We will,” Ella replied.

“As soon as the skin breaks, I’ll rectify it,” Tom said.

James was hesitant. He actually hated the idea and the plan, but they seemed dead set on it and all he could do was step back and hope for the best. He had to. Truth be known, other than him being a good guy, Tom was an anchor in the group. They couldn’t afford to lose him.

◆◆◆

Ella figured the people that lived in the house down from James had to be either particularly protective of their garden or were up to something in their yard. They were the only reasons she could figure why they had the large wooden plank fence. It was the epitome of a privacy fence.

The particularly ‘gnarly’ one that Ella described was at least a few days old as a Codie. He paced back and forth in the driveway and dove for the truck as soon as they pulled in.

It was silly driving only a few houses down, but it was the safest bet.

Get in, get out.

The Codie didn’t pay any attention to Ella. His hands hit and squeaked against Tom’s window and she slipped from the truck to check the backyard of the house.

She wanted to make sure there were no others around.

After getting out of the truck, she walked to the fence a mere five feet away. It was latched and she had to reach up to undo it.

The gate pulled outward and Ella opened it a few inches to peek in. The yard was empty. She closed the gate again, stood there and waved Tom to come.

He climbed over and slipped out her side of the truck, closing the door and drawing the attention of the Codie.

It came his way, and he kept the pace even enough that it followed him to the gate and stayed on the other side as he slipped into the yard with Ella.

She held the gate closed.

The yard wasn’t big, and it was obvious the owners hunkered down and were probably still in the house. The first floor windows, including the patio doors were boarded up tight.

“You ready?” she asked him.

Tom nodded.

Ella knew the plan. She would open the gate and the moment the Codie charged in, she’d push it close then grab for him, so he didn’t go after Tom full force.

Tom was to block him with his left forearm, hoping that was where the Codie would bite down.

When she saw Tom had his small rectifying tool ready, Ella opened the gate.

There was a second delay, then Gnarly Codie made his way through. He locked on to Tom and full force headed his way.

Ella slammed the gate and grabbed Gnarly, arms around his waist, holding on to him. He felt slimy, making her gag. His clothes were damp and stunk.

She tried to see what was going on, but Gnarly struggled against her hold.

The second she heard the soft grunt from Tom, she knew he was bit.

It was only a second, and she didn’t have to hold on to Gnarly any longer. His body went limp and he dropped from her arms to the ground.

Tom held his forearm and Ella whipped a cloth from her back packet, throwing it over his wound. “You okay?”

“Yeah, son of a bitch hurts.”

“Tell me about it.”

“It’s five after ten. How long after you were bit did he give you the shot?” Tom asked.

“About an hour,” Ella said. “My heart was racing so, I am guessing it pumped through my blood pretty fast.”

“I have news. My heart’s racing right now.”

“You’ll be alright,” Ella said. “I believe that. And … I’ll drive.”

“Keys are still in the ignition.”

Not that he needed it, but Ella held on to Tom as a sense of support and opened the truck door for him.

It was going off without a hitch.

The backed out of the driveway and drove back down to James’ house.

As soon as they pulled in front, Ella saw the woman across the street. She moved rigidly, her head swinging back and forth as if looking for something.

“That’s different.”

“That’s the neighbor of James. She was with a man this morning. Jennifer Fields. Her husband is Ben. I wonder where he went?”

“Is that really their names?” Ella asked.

“That’s what Paula said.” Tom opened his door, he stepped out at the same time as Ella and headed up the walk.

Ella didn’t follow. She was busy watching Jennifer and her odd movements. She had seen a lot of Codies, but Jennifer was different. Almost like Bradly.

“Ella?” Tom called her.

“Was she a riser? I mean, you think she had the vaccine and went down like Bradly?”

“I would assume so. You coming in?” Tom asked.

Ella briefly looked over her shoulder. “Yeah. Go on. I’m coming.”

Ella heard the door squeak open and close, then after another second or two looking at Jennifer, she headed to the house.

The second she approached James’ red double doors, she heard the heavy breathing.

Peering over her shoulder to her right, she saw a male Codie. He too, like Jennifer moved differently. It had to be Ben.

Eyes never leaving him, Ella reached for the door handle, just as she grabbed hold of it, before she could give it a turn, Ben charged her way.

Then exactly the same as Bradly, he stopped cold directly in front of her. His face a mere few inches from hers.

His mouth opened, head tilted as if he were orally taking in her scene.

“Tom,” Ella called out. “James? Stay inside.”

She wanted to go in the house but feared if she opened the door. Ben would go in. So, slowly and cautiously, she moved away from the door.

Ben kept the same distance, moving with her, studying her.

She didn’t like the feeling she was getting. Was he trying to figure her out?

Quickly she mentally went through her options. She could run or try for the door.

The keys were still in her hand.

She had to draw him from the house.

All it would take was a quick shove and then she’d bolt to the truck.

That was her plan.

The second she went to shove him, he grabbed her by the shirt and tossed her to the side.

She slammed against the house. Before she could bounce back, get her footing and run, he struck her in the face with a closed fist.

Everything spun around her, the pain was tremendous, even taking her breath away.

Ella lost all balance and toppled to the porch.

As soon as she hit the planks of the floor, he sailed a foot into her side, then rapidly and viciously began to kick her, one right after another. Ella brought her arms to her body to protect her ribs and rolled in a ball.

He landed six solid kicks before he stopped and fell down right next to her. Blood poured from his head, forming a puddle that aimed for Ella.

She felt her arm grabbed and she was lifted quickly to her feet.

James wrapped his arm around her, nearly dragging her back into the house.

It was happening so fast, Ella wasn’t really registering anything.

“I didn’t hear … I didn’t hear the shot,” Ella said.

“Paula put a silencer on her revolver.” He handed the weapon back to Paula. “Thank you.”

“Are you okay?” Paula asked Ella. “You’re bleeding.”

Rhonda rushed her way. “Oh my God, what happened?”

James held up his hand. “She’ll be fine. I’m taking her to dining room. Is Tom in the den?”

“Yes,” Rhonda answered.

“Tell him I’ll be right there. I need you to bring me my suture kit. I have it in there. Paula, grab me some rags, third drawer down, left of the sink, also a pan of water. And in the kitchen is Ella’s black bag. Grab me a bottle from her bag.”

“There’s more than one?” Paula asked.

James let out an airy chuckle. “Yeah.”

“Any particular spirit?”

“Any will do.” James led her though the living room. He sat her in one of the dining room chairs, then grabbed a glass from the cabinet in there.

“It’s empty,” Ella said as the glass was set in front of her.

“Won’t be for long.” James pulled up a chair and sat directly across from her. “What the hell happened out there?”

Ella exhaled heavily and leaned into James, whispering. “They’re different. I said it when I saw Bradly. These ones are different.”

“You’re not invisible to them.”

Ella shook her head. “But they look at me differently.”

“What do you …” James paused when Rhonda brought in the suture kit and Paula brought in the water, cloths and a bottle of Vodka. “Thank you.”

“Are we allowed to know what’s going on?” Rhonda asked.

“When I’m done, she can tell you.”

Rhonda nodded and stepped back. She and Paula left the room.

James grabbed the bottle and looked at Ella when she grunted. “What’s wrong.”

“I’m not a vodka fan.”

James shook his head and poured some in the glass. “It’s not all for drinking.”

“You’re gonna waste my booze on my injuries.”

“Drink.” He pushed it to her. “And tell me. You said they look at you differently.”

“Yeah, like they’re thinking.”

“That’s impossible.” He dipped one of the cloths in water and wiped her bleeding cheek.

“No, it’s not,” Ella said. “Your friend June theorized a part of them was still in there. Rhonda ... was still in there. These ones are completely and utterly a different breed. They think. They know. The ones that rot, the ones bit, scratched, they used to look at me like a meal. This one … he looked at me like a threat. He had an opportunity to take a bite out of me, but he didn’t. Instead …” She downed the small amount of vodka. “He opted to beat the hell out of me.”

“How much pain are you in?” James set down the cloth.

“I don’t know. My adrenaline is still going. How did you know to come out?”

“Paula,” James said, preparing the sutures. “She called for me.”

“Boy, for a couple that you just don’t like, they are coming in handy.”

“Stop.” He poured some vodka onto the clean cloth and brought it to her cheek.

Ella winced a little.

“Sorry.” He then poured some in a glass. “Have another drink. I’d like to get you numb.”

Ella laughed. “I’m a hardcore drinker. It’s gonna take more than that to get me numb.”

He pushed the bottle forward.

“James, the other ones, the ones that were like Rhonda. They were near dead, weren’t they?”

James nodded. “Yeah. Heart rate, respiration, all very slow. They are there, but slow.”

“These ones aren’t like that. I don’t think they’re rotting.”

“You think they’re one hundred percent alive.”

“Yes. We need to get one and test them.”

James laughed. “The best I can do is examine them. I can’t run blood tests. I don’t know what I’m looking at. I told you this before. Now, I need to get you sutured and then tend to Tom.”

As he brought his hand to her cheek, she stopped him, grabbing his wrist. “Bradly … Ben … they looked at me like they were thinking. Thinking, James. If by some chance they are, they can plot, they can plan.”

“We’ll have to be one step ahead.”

“Yeah, we will. But we have one problem.”

“What is that?”

“When it was just the Codies. The ones bit, the ones that passed and revived … we had an upper hand, but tens of millions got that vaccine. Tens of millions are going to wake up and be just like Bradly. And we’re in trouble,” Ella said. “These intelligent, thinking, raging creatures … now outnumber us.”

FIFTEEN - PREPPING

It was bittersweet for James. He hated leaving his house, yet, he knew they had no choice. In the hour that he waited until he gave Tom the vaccine, the neighbors began waking.

He packed what memories he could, telling himself, eventually he would come back. The house was going nowhere.

They loaded into two vehicles and headed toward the river where the Clipper Fleet was located. Stopping only at an Urgent Care for James to grab supplies.

They needed enough for a month, maybe more, that was how long he figured they’d have to be on the boat until they found a safe place to dock.

James knew the location of the Clipper Fleet but didn’t put two and two together until they arrived there.

It was close, too close for comfort to the part of South Side that was swarming with Codies. Only four blocks. But that section was blocked off by the military, large fences and barricades were erected and did their job well.

He didn’t see any by the barricade. Ella said they were all center and massing where there was life.

She conveyed she was certain, at one time, a lot of the residents were alive.

Once at the Fleet, Don showed again why he was a useful part of the team and how wrong James was about him. Their annoying personality paled in comparison to how much of an asset the odd ball team was.

After breaking into the office building, Don knew where the keys were and chose the Majesty Two as their means of transportation.

It was large, and a smaller replica of the old steam boats. It was the last one used and docked in a position where they could easily head down river toward the compound.

James, Rhonda and the baby were left there, while the others went out to the Construction company and supplies.

He hated that he wasn’t out there with them helping, but he understood their reasoning to keep him away from harm.

The ramps were pulled up and locked, they were safe on the boat, even just docked.

The boat was large, three decks. The first was tables that surrounded a dance floor, a bar on one end and kitchen on the other. The second floor were more tables with an open center area that looked down, and the third floor, tiny as it was, were where the controls were located.

There were other little rooms, like offices, storage rooms and bathrooms.

He hadn’t a clue how they were going to organize over a hundred people to live on the boat for one month. Rhonda made the suggestion there were enough table cloths to create curtains for privacy.

That would work but having a destination would be better.

After exploring, James went topside to the outer second floor deck. It faced the city. Even with some of the buildings showing signs of fire, it was still a beautiful sight. Beautiful but, there was such a dead silence to everything. It felt lonely and terrifying.

For a second, looking at the skyline under the perfect, cloudless blue sky, James allowed himself to forget about all the horrors that were happening, he was brought back to reality by the bodies that continuously floated by in the river.

There were so many of them, James didn’t stay outside for long, he went in to wait for the others.

Tom helped until he couldn’t and then he passed out.

Ella was grateful for the help because there was no way she was assisting Don in putting the construction chutes in the truck. They were heavy and she worried about that. They had to put down at least five of them to get to the fence, at least that was what she figured.

Fortunately, Don had a flat dolly

That was the part of the work that Tom did. He made all the way to the Clipper Fleet and then he said he had to stop.

That worried Ella, but she didn’t show it. She continued to help Paula and Don on the supply runs. Ella hadn’t a clue there were that many food banks in the city. They hadn’t been touched or picked over.

They stayed away from residential areas. The business districts may have more Codies, but at least they were the original ones.

Ella never thought she’d see the day when she preferred one type of Codie over another.

By the time they had finished, Ella, too, had reached the end of her rope.

Her face throbbed and ached along with her entire body. She couldn’t determine where all she had been kicked and was certain the next day the bruises would pin point her injuries.

Then again, her face didn’t waste any time turning colors.

She saw her reflection once and it was briefly. Ella turned away. Her cheek was swollen and the entire side of her face was already blue.

Upon returning to the boat, they had to unload everything, and that process took time.

Ella was ready to rest, but she couldn’t. While it was still light out, she had to practice locking the chutes together.

One piece of the plan was missing … Tom.

Hours later, and he was still sleeping.

To Ella, that meant one thing. It didn’t work on Tom and he was going the same route as Bradly and anyone else that took the immunization.

“He’s fine,” James told her as they stood on the deck. “Trust me.”

“He’s still sleeping.”

“Well, the man hasn’t slept in days. Don’t you remember me?” James asked. “You thought the same about me.”

“Yeah, but you weren’t bit. He was.”

“He’s fine.”

“We need to know,” Ella said. “If he’s a new and improved Codie, we need to know.”

“Oh my God, he’s not.”

“I’m finding out.” Ella walked inside and to the corner where Tom had set up a make shift bed on the floor. “Hey.” She nudged his leg with her foot. “Hey.”

“Nothing.”

“Ella, let him sleep,” James said. “He’ll wanna take watch tonight and tomorrow is the rescue.”:

Ella ignored James. “Tom. Tom. Tom.”

“Ella,” James warned her.

Then Ella started to sing her own version of his theme song, “This is ground control to Major Tom, you’re laying on the floor and I need to know if you’re human anymore.”

Tom groaned. “Yes, Ella. I am.”

“Oh. Good. Thanks.” Ella turned and walked away.

◆◆◆

She had blisters on her hands. James treated them and suggested gloves for the rescue the next day. He was sure after they got the people from Sanctum, if they were successful, Ella would, like Tom, pass out. She was running on fumes and booze.

In fact, James found her on the deck, bottle in hand, leaning against the railing staring out into the darkened city.

“Think maybe after we get everyone situated,” James approached her. “You may want to give your liver a rest?”

Ella laughed. ‘You’re cute.”

“I’m serious, Ella.”

“I know.” She sipped from the bottle. “And eventually, I’ll stop. Just not now. Not yet.”

“It’s still going to be there. Sober or not,” James said.

“In time I’ll face it.” She lifted the bottle and pointed to the city skyline. “I never thought I’d see the day when the world went dark. Yet, here we are. You know, if you listen you can hear them.”

“Hear who?”

“The Codies.”

“No, you can’t.”

“Yes, you can. Just have to tune in. So … did Tom finally get up?”

Before James could answer, Tom did.

“I’m up and up to speed,” Tom stepped onto the deck. “I know the plan. And, Ella, while I appreciate you worrying, please know I wouldn’t have shunned my responsibilities. I literally couldn’t do anything. It took over.”

Ella nodded. “Do you think it worked?”

Tom shrugged.

Ella face James. “What about you? Do you think it worked?”

“I don’t know. We should test it. Maybe tomorrow …”

“How about now?” Ella asked Tom. “Take the truck and hit the barricade?”

“Ella,” James squealed out in shock. “It’s night. It’s dark. You’re drunk.”

“I’m not drunk.”

“Okay, then tipsy.”

“I’ll give you that,” she said. “We’re not going in. We’re just going to the barricade. If they charge for him and keep trying to get him, then we’ll know. We’ll be completely safe either way. At least it’s the OG Codies.”

Tom chuckled, ‘The O … G Codies?”

“Original Gangster Codies. First wave, non-modified and intelligent.”

“You really think that’s what we’re dealing with?” Tom asked.

“You didn’t see, Tom,” she said. “That Codie knew exactly what he was doing to me.”

“Okay, then let’s do this.”

“You know what?” James lifted his hands in defeat. “I give up. And … I am not staying here. I’m going.”

“Doc,” Tom said. ‘You really shouldn’t.”

“Ella said it is completely safe. I want to leave this boat. I’m going to be on it for a while. So … let’s do this. I want to see for myself.”

Ella was game and seemed rather happy that James was coming along.

After telling the others, they loaded into the construction pick-up and headed a few blocks away to the barricade.

The moment James stepped out, he wanted to tell Ella how right she was. He could hear them, in the dead of night and a silent world, sound traveled in an abundance. He could not only hear the Codies, he could hear baby Rodney crying blocks away.

The Codies were gathered at the barricade fence, they could hear the baby, too.

A smell filled the air, it was awful. Like some garbage pen with rotting trash.

That and the moment the three of them were spotted. The Codies grew vicious and rushed the fence, clamoring over each other to get out.

“James,” Ella said softy. “Go back to the truck. We need to see if it’s Tom they’re reacting to, as well.”

James agreed and backed up. He needed to get away from the smell. As he stepped into the truck, he watched Ella walk straight to the barricade.

They didn’t go for her, they moved as if she was blocking their view.

“I still got it,” Ella yelled. “At least with them.”

James slid in the truck, shut the door and slid down. Enough to be out of sight but not far enough that he couldn’t watch.

Tom walked to the barricade.

It was at that moment, James knew that it worked.

The Codies backed off and calmed down.

He watched as Ella and Tom celebrated with high fives to each other like they were watching a football game.

For months the world battled the CO-D4 virus. Mankind had gone to the edge of extinction, retreated and returned the edge again.

Every scientist in the world worked on a way to beat it.

Finally, by accident, their little group discovered a way.

There were two types of inoculations handed out. A supposed antidote and the other, a vaccination.

The antidote didn’t work to defeat the virus in the body, but oddly, the vaccination did.

In order to be immune, one had to be infected and cured.

That was the secret. That was the way to overcome CO-D4.

It was too bad, it was all learned a little too late.

SIXTEEN – THE OTHERS

There was about fifteen feet from the fence to the building. The smallest open area in Sanctum. Grant stood there, watching the Codies bounce off the fence. There were at least three dozen back there, a lot less than anywhere else. Grant figured it was because the area was hidden.

It was the spot Ella would sneak out.

“It’s gonna be here,” Grant told Mandy.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Has to be. This is the shortest distance between here and the main dock. This is it.”

“And we are going to make our way through the Chuck E Cheese tubes from here to the dock?” she asked.

“That’s what she said on the radio.”

“That’s a hundred people going a hundred feet. We’re going to have to be fast.”

“Yeah, I know. Once we start heading out, the infected are going to swarm to this area.”

“Not to mention the dock. This is going to be impossible,” Mandy said.

“Yeah, but it’s the only way out. Children first with escorts. Those are the most important people to get out.”

“I talked to the kids,” Mandy said. “I told them about crawling through. It’s going to be dark. We have six kids under the age of five. They’re going to be scared, they won’t go, I’m telling you.

“My plan is to have an adult, every couple kids. You know, with a flashlight, crawling through with them. It might work. If it doesn’t … we carry them.”

Mandy laughed airily. “Carry them through the tubes?”

Grant shook his head. “No. It’s a hundred feet. We carry them and run for the docks.”

“How do you propose we do that? You just said this place will be swarming once we start moving out. How do we get out with our most precious cargo with all of those things … out there?”

“Simple. A diversion. When it’s time to go. When it’s time to carry them out,” Grant said. “We take all those infected out there and let them in.”

“Let them in?” Mandy said as if he were nuts. “You realize they will storm this place and it will be extremely dangerous. There are thousands out there. Thousands.”

“Yep.” Grant nodded. “Truth be told, Mandy, we aren’t all making it out. We’re not. You know how the saying goes. The best laid plans of mice and men? This is one of those plans. Something is going to go wrong. We’re all going to die here if we stay. Some of us will live if we leave,” Grant said. “Really, at this point, what choice do we have?”

◆◆◆

Did she have nothing else to do, Clay wondered. Other than talk away on the radio? Didn’t she sleep? Then again, neither did Clay. The woman whose voice filled the air talked about her experience with that she called NICS. N … I … C. New Improved Codies.

Was everything a nickname or acronym? He supposed they needed a name or else they would be saying, “Hey, watch out, that person who took the immunization, went comatose, woke up enraged is coming for you.”

He listened to her ramble, then cycle back to her plan of rescue in case Grant was listening.

Clay had to admit, he was impressed. Even if the rescue didn’t work, he had to give them props for trying.

He was in his new typical position, feet propped up listening to the radio, when Jerry knocked on the door and stepped in. Clay turned down the volume.

“Busy, I see,” Jerry said.

“Yep.” Clay cleared his throat and exhaled. “What’s up?”

“Cathy passed away. You know the woman you rescued yesterday?”

“I do.”

“I rectified her. I see you’re listening again.”

“I am. They have this elaborate rescue planned. As you know. A hundred people. And, they got a case of the immunization they are bringing with them. Two hundred doses.”

Jerry crinkled his brow. “It doesn’t work.”

“Nope. Alone it doesn’t. It turned them into NICS.”

“NICS?”

“New Improved Codies. Intelligent ones,” Clay said. “She went off about how they think and stuff. One kicked her ass.”

“Wow. Okay. So why grab the inoculation?”

“She said they have a way to make it work. She’s calling out for a scientist.” Clay shrugged.

“Bill’s a science teacher, will that work?”

Clay shrugged.

“Yesterday when you brought Cathy in, she was another person you rescued. You ... Clay said everyone gets in. You have this fortress, this safe haven here.  A place that can grow and nothing can get it. We can conceivably wait it all out. Heck, I remember a couple weeks ago, you standing up telling people how we need to find survivors, yet … you won’t invite these people.”

“I know.”

“Is it because there are so many?” Jerry asked.

“In part, yeah. One or two at a time, I can control. We have thirty-six people here., We bring in another hundred, hell we have …”

“Life.”

“I was going to say confusion.”

“You’re a good guy, Clay. You have a good thing here.” Jerry reached out and gave a squeeze to Clay’s shoulder. “Lift that radio and tell them where to go.” He patted him once before pulling back his hand. “Good night.”

“Night.” Clay lifted his hand in a wave, then turned up the radio again.

“And you know,” Ella’s voice carried over the radio. “I’m wondering if it’s a psychic thing with him.”

“What the hell is she talking about?” Clay asked. “What did I miss?”

“See what you think. And when we meet up you tell me,” Ella said. “Major Tom you really made the grade. And the papers want to know whose shirt you wear. It’s time to leave the capsule if you dare.”

Lyrics? She was reading lyrics?

“I mean,” Ella said. “How does that even fit into what is going on? What does an astronaut have to do with Codies? Or is it symbolic and really means nothing at all?”

After a groan and grunt, Clay lifted the microphone. “You do know that song isn’t about space, right? Over.”

Pause.

“Oh my gosh,” Ella gushed. “I thought I lost you. What did you say?”

“You’re talking about the song lyrics, right? It’s not about space. It’s about a junkie who overdosed. Stepping through the door. Floating in a most peculiar way. Stars look very different today. Heroin overdose.”

“Oh, wow. I never thought of that. Now you ruined the song,” she said. “Did you just tune in or have you been listening?”

“I’ve been listening and learning you. That’s why I didn’t say anything,” Clay told her.

“Why now?” Ella asked.

“Because you’re rescuing or attempting to rescue a lot of people tomorrow. You’re doing it by the river, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, since you need a place to go. You’re taking an awfully convenient route. I have your place. I have a safe haven. Even though I don’t think you and I are gonna get along at all … you’re gonna take the boat and float on down the Ohio River in a most peculiar way, directly to us.”

“Wait. We have a lot of people,” Ella said.

“I have a lot of room.”

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“You’re welcome. Besides, I want to meet this Major Tom and Doctor James. Along with uh … Pauline?”

“Paula.”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you again.”

Clay nodded, even though she couldn’t see. He felt better about it. He wasn’t sure why he didn’t trust her and her people, a part of him still didn’t. But as Jerry had said, they were in a war against extinction and every person was a soldier.

Life needed soldiers.

Clay proceeded to give her the information to get to Moundsville.

SEVENTEEN – THE RESCUE

Paula and Don were oddly bubbly. They were the first ones up, then again, they were the first ones in bed. Don fired up the engines, which in turn gave power to the vessel.

Somehow, Paula whipped up a breakfast of egg puffs and fruit along with freshly brewed coffee. She set the table, made a bottle for Rodney and made everyone sit down together for a meal.

“This is the last day before mayhem,” she said. “Hopefully, a hundred people will board this ship and it will seem a little overwhelming. I know. I was a volunteer at a hurricane relief center. It gets hectic. So, enjoy this moment.”

Ella would. The egg puffs were delicious. She dabbed a little hot sauce on them and devoured them. She needed that energy source in her body. Something. Because every move she made hurt.

“We have about two days’ worth of power,” Don said. “We need to cook off anything that can go bad. After that, we’re going to be just floating. For God knows how long.”

“About five hours,” Ella said.

Everyone looked at her.

“Last night when I was playing with the radio again, hoping Grant could hear me, that guy responded,” Ella told them. “The one from two days ago. We’re gonna back track to the Ohio River and head down to West Virginia. Moundsville. He’s there. He has a place. He called it a Safe Haven. He and about thirty others are set up in an old prison and they are safe. They are planting and that’s where we’re headed.”

Everyone vocally responded at the same time and their voices meshed together.

“It sounds legit,” Ella said.

“What if it’s not,” Tom asked. “What if it’s an ambush?”

Ella giggled. “We’ll have over a hundred people, it is going to have to be a big ambush.”

James lifted his hand. “So, we’re not going to be floating on the river for a month.”

Ella shook her head. “Let’s hope not.”

After finishing up the meal, Don excused himself. It was time to go.

Ella walked to the deck to wait.

The morning sun felt warm and soothing. They were so close to Sanctum, so close. Under normal circumstances, she could walk there in less than ten minutes.

She sipped her coffee, elbows against the railing as the book lifted from dock and moved slowly down the river.

In minutes they would be there.

James joined her on the deck, asking her if she was nervous.

“Of course,” Ella replied. ‘Aren’t you?”

“A little, yeah. I have everything ready in case of injuries. Just hope I can keep up if it all goes south.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t.”

It was a wild card rescue and they all knew it. Their unspoken fears were confirmed when they approached the dock and saw the Codies.

There weren’t thousands or even hundreds, but enough scattered about the shore and docks that the dream of a safe, quick rescue went out the window.

The original plan was the lower the ramp and leave it down.

That would be impossible.

The second they docked, the Codies made their way over.

Ammunition was rationed, so there was no way to take them all out. The sound of gunfire would only bring more.

It would be a quick drop and go.

Lower the ramp, Tom and Ella would roll the dolly down with the chutes and the ramp would be raised.

There wasn’t time to overthink, they had to just move. It was also a true test of Ella and Tom’s ability to slip through the Codies.

James wished them luck and they secured the first two chutes to the dolly and waited by the ramp.

The second it lowered and touched the dock, the Codies moved toward them.

They had to race down and clear the ramp before Don raised it within seconds of them making their way down.

The Codies encompassed them, ignoring Ella and Tom and reaching for the raised ramp.

Ella looked over her shoulder to James, then she and Tom together moved the dolly.

Grant was at the fence when Ella arrived with Tom. The arrival of the boat was a diversion that drew the Codies from the back area where they would attempt the rescue.

“I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes,” Grant said astonished, reaching his fingers through the chain loops of the fence to touch Ella. “They aren’t attacking you.”

“No, they aren’t. We need to move quickly,” she said. “This is Major Tom.”

“Major Tom, thank you.” Grant nodded.

Ella explained the plan. They’d be back once the chutes were all in place and connected. They’d start with the children first.

It was tedious and physically exerting work, but Ella and Tom worked together. They placed the chutes, connected them and ran back to the boat to get another.

It took three hours, but they did it.

In doing so, they created a dilemma. Even though the last chute was a mere two feet from where the ramp would come down, more Codies had gathered at the dock and there was no clear and safe way to lower the ramp.

The best laid plans of mice of men …

They had to toss out the plan to have adults escort the children through the dark chutes.

The children had to venture alone. At the end, they would be lifted to the ramp that would still be in a raised positioned.

Don and James waited to grab them while Paula took position as a sharp shooter.

Led by an older child with a flashlight, they slipped though the slightly opened fence and began their journey on hands and knees.

Out of eighteen, only ten ventured through.

They thought it out, but not well enough.

The best laid plans …

They didn’t take into account that the children would pause, cry out and struggle as they crawled through.

They didn’t take into account the amount of people that would rush to the back portion of the fence to await their turn to crawl through the chutes.

They didn’t take into account … people would panic.

Ella and Tom stayed close to the chutes, following as the children made their way.

Their cries and the shaking of the tube caught the attention of the Codies and soon, the Codies were attacking the tubes.

They swarmed to the tubes, covering them which increased the panic in the kids.

“Keep going, keep crawling.” Ella encouraged. “Go. Go.”

It was a constant fight, pulling a Codie from the tubes only to have two more take its place.

What should have taken a few minutes, took nearly thirty, with all the stopping and going. Finally, the first child reached the end.

Tom yanked him out, like a doctor delivering a baby and lifted the ten-year-old child up into the clutches of Don. Codies reached and fought to get each child.

While Tom did the pulling them out, lifting them up, Ella battled the Codies. Pushing them back, striking them, doing everything in her power to keep them at bay.

Occasionally, Paula would have no choice but to fire a shot.

Then just as James lifted the tenth and final child upwards, something happened.

The Codies suddenly seemed disinterested in trying to get the children, they changed directions, and after all of them turned, they moved back in the direction of Sanctum.

Deep within his soul, James wanted the plan to work, but knew somehow things would go wrong.

In theory, it was awesome. Something like that would work like a charm in the movies, but in real life, it went from tricky to dangerous.

He watched in horror as the Codies pounced on the chutes, two or three at a time at the same spot. Grabbing for it, bending it.

Tom and Ella were on it, though. Shoving them off, repairing the chutes when they started to disconnect.

He worried about the children and how easily they could get hurt.

James recognized that they couldn’t lower the ramp and that he and Don had to be ready for when Tom lifted each child up. It wasn’t easy for him. The children would kick and scream in fear as the Codies reached and grabbed, extending their arms around Tom.

Then something happened, the Codies faced the other way and moved in a horde toward Sanctum. It happened just as Tom lifted the last child and the first adult made his way out.

“Lower the ramp,” Tom ordered.

He saw it as an opportunity to freely get those in the chutes up to the boat. James had to wonder if Tom was curious as to why they turned or even if he cared.

James did.

What is happening? Why is this happening? Ella thought in a panicked state. She watched the Codies move in droves back to Sanctum. She heard Tom yell out about lowering the ramp, and when she looked over her shoulder, she saw an adult male, impatiently grabbing for the ramp as it lowered.

Then another adult emerged from the tube, followed by another., They were coming out fast, not even giving the ramp a chance to make a connection to the dock.

Tom yelled at them, “Stop. Wait.”

Ella turned back around. The chute had to be full, it moved like a snake across the ground, shaking buckling. The Codies walked into it, bumping it … and then at the mid way point, it cracked and broke just as the wave of people passed.

The Codies stopped.

The reached inside the chutes, grabbing the first set of legs they could.

“No, no, no,” Ella hollered. “Tom! What do we do?”

She glanced over her shoulder to him.

When he saw what was happening, he paused in helping people. “Ella, come back to the boat.”

“The Codies, they’re getting …”

“Come back now.”

She didn’t understand why? She wasn’t in any danger. But it wasn’t the Codies, it was the oncoming rampage of running people that posed a threat.

Those from Sanctum barreled toward the boat, blasting past the Codies, tripping over the chutes, some making it through, some not so fortunate.

There were those holding children running and Ella watched helplessly. Why did they run? Why take the chance?

“Ella!” Tom called out.

There was nothing she could do, Ella wasn’t even armed. After two steps backwards, she spun on her heels and raced to the boat.

The ramp was still four feet from the dock. At that point, there were at least six people fighting to get up there and a few more emerging from the tubes.

She shuddered to think what was going to happen when the rest of the running people arrived.

Upon getting there, she shoved her way through to help.

“Get on the boat, Ella,” Tom told her.

“I want to help.”

“Get on the boat.”

“I just …”

Without being given a chance or choice, Tom shoved others out of the way, grabbed hold of Ella, lifted her up and rolled her onto the ramp.

Before she could get on her feet or knocked off the ramp, someone, James, Don or even Paula, grabbed her by the back of the shirt and dragged her back.

“Raise the ramp.” James yelled out.

“What?” Ella scurried to her feet. “Wait. No.”

“Yes,” James said strong. “Because we can’t lower it all the way, the Codies will get on board. Leaving it up creates nothing but a death trap for them. They stand a better chance jumping in the river and swimming to us.”

Ella looked out, some of the Sanctum people had broken free and raced down the docks.

“Once the Codies arrive back here,” James said. “It has to be game over.” He barreled his way to the ramp. “Tom, get up here now.”

“We have to help them. I promised I would help.”

“You did what you could. We’ll pull as many as we can up here, but only until the Codies make it to the docks.”

Ella nodded quickly and rushed toward the ramp. It was dangerous. No one wanted to climb up orderly. The grabbed the edge and kicked each other off. The first hand she reached for pulled her so hard Ella’s legs swung over the edge as she stopped herself from falling.

She was losing her grip and Ella struggled to climb back on the metal ramp. Her hands had nothing to hold onto so she used her forearms to move, but it wasn’t helping.

Surely, she would fall.

Thankfully, Tom had listened to James and climbed on the ramp. He grabbed hold of Ella, bring her back on board.

“Stay back,” he said. “I’ll help as many as I can. But then we have to lift this thing.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

Ella backed up and waited. She stood next to Paula at the railing. She had a rifle perched against the railing. Occasionally she’d pop off a shot. She didn’t shoot steadily, she couldn’t, they didn’t have the ammunition for it.

There was so much confusion, so many screams. So much pandemonium, she didn’t know who or how many made it onboard.

James ordered the ramp to be lifted one final time, and while Ella didn’t look, she heard it lift along with the people crying for them to stop, to help.

The Codies reached the docks.

Suddenly it wasn’t Codies and Sanctum people, they were all converged as one huge mass. She scanned the masses of Codies and people for Grant. She couldn’t find him.

The only thing that distinguished the infected from those who weren’t was the blood. She wanted to turn away when she saw people from Sanctum being torn apart. Ella did watch. She forced herself to her, watching it all was her punishment. She had done this. It was her fault, her arrogance. She … not the Codies or anyone else, she … caused their deaths.

EIGHTEEN – FLOATING

They pulled away from the dock, but because James needed things steady while he helped the injured, Don moved the boat a few yards from the dock and dropped anchor.

Ella stood on the starboard side, staring to shore and then to the river, looking for anyone who tried to swim their way.

For an hour, Codies continuously fell in the river, trying to reach the boat.

Ella’s job was to be look out for anything and anyone. Even when the prospects of more survivors looked bleak, she spent a majority of her time outside.

She had gone back in several times to check on things. Tom, Don, Paula and Rhonda were helping James with the medical aspects, while Mandy held Rodney.

The main floor of the ship was set up like a MASH unit, tables were used as beds.

James looked frazzled, moving from one patient to the other.

She didn’t have it in her to face those from Sanctum. They’d stop her, reach for her and thank her.

Ella didn’t reply verbally, but in her mind she cried out, ‘Please don’t thank me. Hate me instead.’

Mandy wanted to talk to her, she called for Ella’s attention, but Ella made the excuse she had to get back outside. So, Mandy followed her.

“It went crazy,” Mandy said. “Some of the people knew Grant’s plan to open the gate and let them in.”

“Why would he do that?” Ella asked, not even looking at Mandy.

“We have eight adults and eight kids that would have to run for it. The plan was to open the gate and draw them all in.”

“Is that what he did?

“No. Jacob panicked, the Codies were really jamming the fence and he made a run for it. When he did, they just flooded in. Some of us went for the chute, some of us just ran for the boat.”

“What happened to Grant?”

“I … I ... don’t know.”

Neither did Ella. He wasn’t on the boat, she didn’t see him anywhere. Sadly, she figured he was a casualty of her mess.

After a few minutes, Mandy got the hint that Ella wanted to be left alone.

Ella stayed out on the deck without going back in.

◆◆◆

It had been hours since James attended to his first patient and when he finally finished his last, he was beat, but not done. It was time for a break before he did his rounds.

Some fresh air would do the trick.

“Hey, Doc,” Tom approached him. “I’m headed up top with Don. If you’re squared away right now, I’d like to get moving.”

“Yeah, that would be good. Get us there so we can dock first light. How’s the arm?”

“It’s alright. Throbbing a little now and again. But you’ll have that.”

“You will. Are you going to radio that guy?”

“Clay? I can. I thought …” Tom tilted his head toward the window and to where Ella was sitting on the park bench like a seat on the deck. “I thought that was her thing.”

“Sitting there is her thing right now. Why don’t you go up? I’ll talk to her.”

“Sounds good. And … good job, today.”

“You, too.”

Tom gave a light swat to James’ arm and walked away, James headed to the doors to take him to the deck.

When he stepped out, he couldn’t believe how much cooler it was outside.

A few hours earlier the opposite occurred. Now with the sun no longer reflecting off the water, the lower temperature of the water in the river offered a sense of relief from the heat.

“So …” James approached Ella. “Someone said you weren’t drinking, and I thought, wow, if that’s true, something really must be wrong.” He slid on the bench next to her.

“I’ll get there.” Ella said softly.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?”

She glanced at him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you have been out here the whole time.”

“I was in there. I saw you working. You were really busy.”

“We had a lot of bites and scratches. I had to move fast.”

“And?” Ella asked.

“And we have about three I don’t think the serum will work on.”

Ella lowered her head. “I feel horrible.”

“About what?”

“The whole thing. I was so confident we would succeed.”

“It was a long shot, Ella. Running a hundred feet of construction chutes?”

“It was the only way,” Ella said.

“Yes, yes it was. It was either that or let them go. According to Mandy they had about six weeks of food left, and that was if they rationed meagerly. They were a dying camp.”

“Like they are now?”

“You didn’t need to go back for them,” James said. “You could have left them. But you didn’t. You risked your life. Tom risked his to save them.”

“I failed.”

“Hardly,” James chuckled. “You have fifty-seven people alive in there. They’ll still be alive two months from now, where they wouldn’t have been had you not tried the elaborate rescue. Well, okay, three of them won’t be.”

“James,” Ella scolded softly.

“Just saying. Look, yeah, those people are sad for the friends they lost. They are. But not a single one of them blame you. So, you shouldn’t blame yourself. Maybe with all we have lost in life up to this point, maybe you need to focus on what we still have.”

Ella nodded slowly.

“Why don’t you go radio Clay and tell him we’re on our way. And, have a drink.”

“What about giving my liver a rest.”

“It can rest tomorrow.”

“Thank you.” She leaned to him and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for everything.”

“You’re welcome.” James watched her stand and she reached for the door to go inside. “Hey, I thought you were going up to radio Clay.”

“I will. After I get my drink. Doctor’s orders you know.”

“You’re right.”

Ella opened the door.

“Ella,” James called her, causing her to pause. “I’ll take one, too. Doctor’s orders.”

Ella gave a closed mouth smile as her response and she walked inside.

James could have followed, instead he stayed on the bench, resting, watching the shore. Even in the darkness he could see the Codies moving about, some moved in the water. Most just meandered around the docks.

The boat jolted, then started to move.

James prepared himself for the rough river boat ride, for the uncertainty of heading to a new place and perhaps even a little bit of sea sickness.

◆◆◆

The control room seemed a lot smaller with Don and Tom both in there. It took Ella a bit by surprise how cramped it seemed when she stepped inside. She had been in there before, but it was when she was alone and making the radio call.

“Am I interrupting?” she asked.

“No,” Tom said. “Not at all.”

“I was just taking a break,” Don replied. “Glad you’re here. I’m gonna go grab a bite to eat. Watch the controls, Ella?”

“Um, yeah, sure. Do I just steer?”

“No.” Don smiled. “Just watch. I’ll be back. It’s on auto.” He squeezed his way past her and paused before leaving. “Good job today.”

Ella didn’t want to say thank you, she just nodded her gratitude. Once he was gone, she showed the bottle and two plastic cups to Tom.

“I will indulge, thank you.”

“I owe you an apology.” She poured the drink and handed him one, then poured one for herself.

“For what?”

“Not telling you sooner.” She lifted the glass. “Happy Birthday.”

He inched back in surprise. “How did you know?”

“I was snooping the other day, remember?” She then mumbled and sang a little of Space Oddity.

“Yes. I recall. Apology accepted.” He clinked glasses with her and downed his drink.

“I want to radio Clay and let him know we’re …”

“I already did,” Tom said. “I’m sorry I know that’s your thing.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“I told him we’ll dock in the morning and radio him to organize how we’re going to move all these people.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“How are you?” he asked.

“Okay, I guess. Angry that it didn’t turn out the way I hoped. Sad because people died.”

“Your friend.”

“Yep. I wish I knew what happened to him. Did he suffer?”

The crackle of static from the radio drew their attention.

“Must be Clay trying to get through,” Ella said, finished her drink, set down the glass and extended her hand.

“Hello,” the voice from the radio called out. “Ella, you there. Come in. God, I hope you can hear me. This is the last mic in the place.”

Ella gasped in shock, nearly shrieking. “Grant.” She grabbed the mic, cradling it in both her hands. “Grant. Come in. I hear you.”

“Ella, thank God.”

“Grant, you’re alive. Are you okay? Hurt?”

“No. I’m fine. I’m here with Peterson and two kids,” Grant said. “In the main building. We have supplies and water. We’re safe. We’re fine. You know those things can’t get in.”

Ella did know that. The main building was always Sanctum’s last stand retreat. “Grant, I thought you were dead. I didn’t see you.”

“That’s because when the fences gave in, I bolted for the building with Peterson. No one else came. I know ... I know you guys are leaving. I can see the boat moving. I just wanted to let you know. We’re here. We’re alive. We’ll figure something out.”

Ella lowered her head in gratefulness before saying anything further. “Grant, I know it’s hard to trust me after the fiasco today, but please believe me, we’ll help. We’ll figure out a way to get to you.”

“I know. I’ll count on that. And I do trust you. You guys saved a lot of people today. I’m gonna disconnect. It took me a while to get this thing working and I don’t want to risk losing contact. But know we’re here.”

“Hang in there, Grant,” Ella said. “It won’t be long. Over.”

“Out.”

She set down the mic and grabbed the bottle. “Calls for another drink. Then again …” she poured. “Everything seems to call for another drink.”

“I’m happy to hear he’s alright. Now you know.”

“Now I know.” She brought her cup to her lips. Her mood immediately changed for the better. Yes, she still lost a lot of people, but some had remained and survived. That gave her hope.

“So …” Tom cleared his throat after taking a drink. “You want to plan another rescue?”

“I do. Maybe Clay has an idea. But I think I should try.”

“Count me in.”

“Thank you.” Ella sighed out and faced the window, watching the wake of the river as they moved at a slow pace. “We’re on our way, huh?”

“We don’t know exactly where in Moundsville we’re going, but yes, we’re on our way.”

“Rolling down the river,” said Ella.

Tom laughed.

“What?” She looked at him. “What’s so funny?”

“Rolling? Rolling down the river. You know …” He tilted his head. “I would have thought you of all people would have used a different song lyric reference at this moment.”

“Shit.” Ella closed her eyes and smiled sheepishly. “For all the times I did it, I missed the perfect opportunity.”

“Yep. You did.” Tom lifted his glass and referenced the song. “Floating in a most peculiar way.”

“Really? I would have said, ‘for here I’m sitting in a tin can’.”

“Either works.”

Ella tipped her glass to his and sipped instead of downing it. She wanted to absorb not only the taste of the drink, but the moment as well. She sat down in Don’s chair, staring ahead. Tom rested his hand on her shoulder.

They were on their way. A new place, a new destination. The last leg of one journey and the beginning of another. One thing was for sure, it was far from the last journey any of them would take.

The CO-D4 epidemic was far from over. Like the water on the river behind them, a new wave was forming. One, Ella and the others were more than ready to face.

◆◆◆

If you enjoyed, Rectify 3, I invite you to read the final book in the series, Rectify 4. Reserve your copy on Amazon. To be released on February 1, 2019. Check it out.

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