Date: 2015-10-15 04:16:01+00:00
Description: After losing her entire family in a tragic accident, Faye Wills follows a path of depression and alcohol abuse in an attempt to bury her pain. Her course of self-destruction places her in an alcohol induced coma. When she wakes, she discovers the world was besieged by a virus and she was left for dead on top of a mound of bodies in a football stadium. The world is a barren and desolate place and it works in Faye's favor. With no desire to live, she sets a goal of making it home to die. Then she encounters Dodge and two young boys. They ignite a spark long lost in Faye. That spark is the will t
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

LAST WOMAN 2

Jacqueline Druga

LAST WOMAN 2

By Jacqueline Druga

Copyright 2014 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.

A very special thanks to Jenny S. and Linda K for all your help in getting this book ready.

Dedication

To Franny L. For putting up with all my midnight rambling messages through the tough scenes.

ONE - FAYE WILLS

All that I was and all that I ever wanted to live for was gone. It slipped from my grasp long before mankind, as I knew it, vanished from the face of the earth. I was not one of the lucky ones, I didn't die. To some that wasn't a bad thing, to me, at the time, death would have been a dream come true. I wanted to die. I wanted to be rid of this godforsaken world months prior to the disease that crushed life into the ground.

I missed it, you know.

I missed the end of the world. Months prior to the sickness named ERDS, everything about my life ended. I experienced what every other person on the earth would face in a matter of months.

Death.

My son Mark, just on the brink of his driver's test, was driving with my husband and young daughter. A normal afternoon outing and their innocent lives were taken by a drunk driver battling his own personal heartbreak.

That driver took from me my entire family. In a snap, in a heartbeat, they were gone. From that day in February forward I didn't care. I lost my job, fell into a deep state of depression and drank my pain into a numb state. It never went away, just numbed for an evening only to return with a vengeance when I next opened my eyes.

I attempted to take my life. Why else would I want to live? I held a gun to my head but didn't have the courage to pull the trigger. I stood on the bridge but couldn't climb over the railing. I took a handful of pills, washed it down with a third of a fifth of bourbon, only to have a neighbor discover me in a nick of time.

While I battled my demons, the world battled a virus that moved in a stealth like manner across the globe. I heard of it and didn't think much of it.

I couldn't be so lucky as to fall sick with the flu and die.

My one way path to death was set and subconsciously or not I was drinking my way there. I did so all the way to the night in April when, while out with friends, I hit my limit. Too much alcohol in my blood and I not only passed out, I went into an alcohol induced coma and was hospitalized.

How ironic that the one thing I used to try and kill myself with probably aided in saving my life. The oxygen fed into my system probably filtered the virus, my breathing was slow and so was my heart rate, decreasing the rate of infection and how it infiltrated my blood.

All of this is theory, but my comatose state had a role to play. Despite the fact that I caught the killer virus, I didn't die.

They thought I did.

In fact, they tossed my body in a makeshift mass grave at a football stadium.

When I came to, I was in a cloth body bag, snuggled in between corpses, naked and fly ridden. Blood from my ripped out IV shunt covered my arm; my legs were nearly glued together from my own bodily functions.

I had been out in that coma for three weeks, then mistaken for dead and left behind for over three days to rot on top of a pile of corpses.

I lived.

Why?

When I stumbled from that stadium I stumbled into a desolate world emptied of life.

No one remained. I was alone. I thought it was a dream, that it wasn't real. But it was. I was a statistic to whoever tossed me in that pile. Number 4723. Not Faye Wills, but a number.

I believed after I got my senses and strength back that I just wanted to make my way home to die. Make my way across the city to my house. End it curled up in my five year old daughter's bed.

While I cried at first over the shock of what happened to the world, a part of me rejoiced. I didn't sob over the death, I sobbed over the silence. To me, the world ended before the ERDS virus claimed its victims, and I was biding my time until I caught up.

All plans sound good at first and fool proof. But even I, with all intentions of ending my suffering on the earth, wasn't ready face the prospect of surviving.

After my family had been killed, and while life still thrived around me, I wanted to relinquish it all and join the ones I loved. Leave the putrid crowded pain filled place. Yet, in a blast of irony, in a silent world void of life, suddenly, surprisingly even to me... I found my will to live.

TWO - DODGE CASH

Thanks to the convenience of cable news channels, I watched the world's demise unfold before my eyes and didn't even realize it. But in the final days, there was no mistaking it.

My life moved onward despite news of the virus and so did my daily events. I didn't worry much about some sickness; then again, they didn't say much about it. Just that it was highly contagious and if possible, stay inside.

The fact that it killed everyone that became infected was skipped over. Probably on purpose. If I had the responsibility of informing the public about it, I would leave out that tidbit too.

People didn't stop at first, not in America. I mean, hey that nasty little bug was overseas. We listened to the news but didn't register what it all meant.

One of my employees in my auto shop told me about this conspiracy site and how they had pictures of mass graves in England.

I laughed and told him that it was all propaganda and a way to get advertising money.

No flu or bug killed that many. Hell not even the Spanish Flu did what the conspiracy site claimed.

But the Bubonic plague did. I forgot about that one and how much damage it did to the world.

Daily news reports would come on. Nothing earth shattering or anything that consumed the airwaves.

Slowly it built.

It seemed as if I couldn't change a brake pad without hearing about an infected country.

Then it was infected cities.

I took a little bit more notice when the bug showed up on the West Coast. Nothing really changed much about my life while the bug began its course. I'd pick up my kids at the ex's house, take them to school, get to my shop and face a lot full of cars dropped off the night before. I'd assign the cars, do the repairs, clear out the lot sans the few problematic ones and then head home.

My life was routine. Evening take out or something on the grill no matter what the weather, a cold beer or two. Three nights a week I had my younger kids and every Monday night a video call to my son at college while we watched wrestling together.

There was no special female in my life because I gave up on that. My kids, all three were my life.

Then the virus that was just a news report became a reality.

Fast, too. The momentum of the flu was unbelievable. Beginning of April it was overseas. On Easter Sunday, April 19, the warning was put out that it was moving rapidly.

Schools were closed that week and I couldn't register how quickly it consumed my life.

Within a day my popular and busy repair shop was suddenly empty. My mechanics called in sick. Then my ex-wife called to tell me she was sick and that my younger two were getting 'the fever'.

I felt like I was in the novel, I am Legend.

Some European Flu sweeping its way across the globe, no prejudice against race or age. Streets were empty, only those rushing to go nowhere and military tucks rolled down the roads.

I remember calling Tyler, my oldest, he wasn't sick, it was still early in the virus and he was in another city. I felt helpless and out of control. I was always able to right the wrong, to fixed things, but this was something I couldn't fix.

I couldn't make my kids better. By the time they had caught it the cold reality of its lethality was known.

Everywhere on the streets were body bags or bodies wrapped in curtains, blankets, you name it. People tossed out the dead like the trash. Trucks came by and picked them up. We were instructed if we lost anyone not to keep them in the home, but to place them outside with some form of identification.

My ex, desperately ill and my kids not much better, begged me to go to an aid station to get medicine for them. Some sort of relief.

I knew it was a gamble. Especially knowing there wasn't any medicine that could save them. Leaving them meant taking a chance of being gone too long.

Having to go into the city was a risk, but my ex begged me. So against my better judgment, I went. I drove across the bridge, only to have to park quite a distance from the aid distribution tent. God, I waited in line for hours. My phone died, and the last time I talked to Melissa, my ex-wife, she was gasping. I had to get home. If she passed away who would be there for my kids?

The soldiers passing out medication pouches announced they were done for the day. And like in some sort of bad science fiction post apocalypse film, people began rioting, yelling, pushing and fighting.

Weren't they sick? To me they should have been more concerned about those they came there to help. I turned to leave and was shoved back. An innocent bystander, drawn into the mobbing crowd. I just wanted to push my way out. But I supposed because I'm a bug guy, I was a target and was one of the first arrested and detained.

Before I could even comprehend what was happening, I was tossed in county jail.

I thought they'd let me out. But they didn't.

No one came. No due process of the law. The television covered the virus, twenty-four seven and all I could do was watch and worry about my kids.

I tried. I fought, pleaded and begged, but no one cared. I was a common criminal and the guards on duty were only concerned with events outside the jail walls.

Couldn't blame them.

There were forty cells in our pod division or section of the jail, and none of the cells were locked. So we moved freely about the unit. I watched as not only the news team grew sick, but those around me in the cells.

By my fourth day there, I knew getting out was impossible. The course of the flu was fast. My poor children were already gone and taken. I wasn't there to hold them or to comfort them. I wasn't there to tell them how much I loved them.

I wasn't there.

Instead, I was a helpless prisoner in a death ward. Every hour, minute, every second of my days were filled with visions of my poor babies. Suffering, needing ... reaching for nothing.

I killed me. It broke my heart so badly I felt the physical pain.

It didn't take long for silence to take over. When the news stopped, I listened to the city shut down around me. Bridges collapsing, explosions. Then nothing. No cars. No shouting. Nothing. Not even a damn bird squawked.

The television stayed on for another day, showing nothing but an empty chair. The news crew ... dead, I suppose.

That was the same time everyone around me was either dead or well on their way. No guards showed up to work. The cells were open, yet the pod unit was locked down. No way out of the jail. They stopped bringing in food and I started to ration and hide what little I had left. Of course, no one around me cared. They were too sick.

There was nothing I could do for them. At first, I tried to administer help, water, whatever I could. It didn't work. Eventually as the numbers of sick overwhelmed me, I just stayed away.

By the time power shut down, three men in my POD unit remained, aside from me. They died shortly after.

After moving the bodies as far away from me as I could, I stayed more in the recreation area. The small one hoop basketball court, was open with high echoing walls and a barred ceiling with no glass. It was air I could breathe and air that didn't reek of death.

The prospect of me getting out of there was dire. I tried everything I could. I could not get out.

I was convinced when the last of my food ran out, I would just die. Suicide wasn't my thing, I'd wait it out until I was taken.

I lived my life the best way I knew how. Always tried to be good and never mean. Treat people the right way. Within my soul, I carried that. Despite what happened around me, I was resolved that I did all I could.

My destiny was to die and rot in that concrete hell. A broken and crushed man. I accepted that. Until that day, from nowhere, echoing across the empty city, I heard that squeaky wheel.

THREE - FAYE

To some, waking up to find yourself the last person on earth or at least believing that, would be a mental trauma. For some reason, it didn't bother me. I was on a course for answers as to what happened and then once satisfied, I'd end my life.

Perhaps my attitude played a factor in wanting to leave Dodge behind when we met. I had no intention of traveling with him. He was filled with hope despite the dire circumstances.

Having been in jail, left to die, Dodge was grateful when I helped him and conveyed an indebtedness. I just wanted to wander off alone to my home. However, I was glad for Dodge. More than I knew, I wasn't physically ready for any journey. He was the crutch I needed. He was strong and safe and thought ahead.

Me, if left alone, had I made it home I doubted I would do what he did. He raided the neighboring homes for food, thought ahead about going south, planned for that and searched for survivors. If he and I were alive, so were others.

I didn't care.

He did.

He found them.

A gift I would eventually appreciate. We found Darie and George, brothers who survived. Nine and five years old. Where I shunned their affection and wanted distance, Dodge grasped at it. It was a focus and a chance to feel needed.

What I didn't realize was all of it was attacking me, invading my heart and I wasn't aware.

I wasn't alone anymore, even my neighbor Bud had survived. Dodge called out on the radio, the airwaves buzzed. People were indeed alive.

Then came news of a survivor camp in Kentucky, so Dodge planned on going there. The camp was heading to the Panhandle in Florida where there were other survivors and research doctors.

A pilgrimage leaving in 'X' amount of days.

It wasn't for me. Dodge, Bud and the boys left and it wasn't until they were gone, along with a few subtle messages from Dodge, that I realized I wasn't ready to shuck life.

I wasn't ready to give in. Those boys, those sweet little surviving boys had infiltrated my emotions and I didn't know it until they were gone.

Dodge did.

When I realized I made a mistake and wanted to go to Kentucky, I also realized how much Dodge knew that was going to happen. He had packed the car for me, with extra gas and a map all routed out.

Along with a radio. Instructions on a post-it said Channel Seven.

My house was my refuge, my sanctity. It held memories of my life and past, yet I left it behind, taking only a few items. Believing one day I would return.

I made the trek of nine hundred miles, running into delays that shoved me hours behind.

Chasing the schedule, I knew I was pushing it with the caravan. So I put it to fate. If they were gone it wasn't meant to be.

When I arrived in Kentucky, the caravan of vehicles was indeed gone.

But fate had played so many roles in my life since my family was killed, that it only seemed to reason it would chime in again.

As I dropped to my knees in defeat, a voice called out to me.

A young voice, male, he too had missed the caravan.

Not only was it fate that he was there, it was fate that I had made contact once with the boy over the airwaves. I was the one who told him about the caravan to Kentucky.

There he was. I decided he and I would find that caravan.

And if I didn't believe in fate beforehand, my final declaration of fate came when I found out the boy's name. It was Tyler. And not just Tyler. It was Tyler Cash ... Dodge's son.

FOUR - DODGE

Admittedly, I went through a roller coaster of emotions and thoughts from the second we left Faye's house. Tucked away in an aging RV called Fastball, we hadn't rolled more than twenty miles and I was looking at that radio.

Call, Faye, Call.

She didn't. We were supposed to radio her but we hadn't heard anything, we all figured Faye wasn't coming. Or worse, Faye was dead. She checked out.

The boys didn't know. For all Darie and George knew, Faye was leery about being the only woman.

"Good thing she didn't come," George said when we arrived in Kentucky. "Ain't no women here. Guess she'll come when we find more women."

There was a gate and one man stood post, he welcomed us. The radio voice we had become familiar with didn't live on base, but a mile away.

Faye had said she worried that it was bad, that it was all a trap. No way no how was it a trap and I knew it when we arrived.

A man named Sergeant Stockard, or Len as he asked us to call him, greeted us when we pulled over.

"Man, am I glad to see you guys," he said, greeting us with a welcoming embrace, like an old friend.

Len had pulled it together. He was on an aid station post until the very end and he gathered those who had survived. He double checked the dead, because some of them were only in comas and left behind, left for dead like Faye and Darie.

"We have seventy-three survivors not including you guys," he told me as he showed me around.

They were packing up, getting trucks ready. Using gas pumps powered by generators, like the one I had made, so they could siphon gas from the powerless fuel stations.

"We made contact with the other camp a few weeks ago. Not long after everything died out," Len explained. "A CDC doctor who was testing immunity, started gathering people."

"How many are in the Panhandle?"

"Hundreds, I think." Len replied. "They got scientists. Which you know, scares me."

"Why's that?"

"You have scientists involved somewhere, at least in my opinion, the human factor is gonna get lost."

"So why join them?"

"They sound like they have the resources, or at least the makings for long term survival. Gotta think of my survivors here. Because most of them need to go on. We have seventy three survivors. Twelve adults."

All around were children. Everywhere you looked in the camp you saw a kid running about, some still toddlers, diapers sagging and swaying in the wind.

But none, not a single one was female.

"Although, this may be the end of the line," Len said.

I looked at him with curiosity.

"You can't continue the human race without women," Len said.

Even with my knowledge of Faye, I didn't say anything. Not a word about her to Len. "Surely there are women."

"I hope there are," Len replied. "But this CDC doctor, Lewis, I think his name is, he said the virus was pretty gender specific. Almost as if it was designed to be a doomsday virus. End the female population, end the race."

"Wait. So there's not a single female in the Panhandle."

"Not one. Not that has been found. Dr. Lewis said they are aggressively pursuing the matter. What the hell does that mean? I don't know. Scares me though. But for the sake of the kids, we head down there. If there is a future, it's with them."

I looked over at Darie and George who sat with Bud by the RV, Fastball. I heard George's statement about 'no girls' in my head' and immediately feared for Faye.

Something made me happy that she didn't come.

I started instantly praying she didn't take her life. That somehow she had a change of heart. Because as soon as I heard from her, once I got Bud and the boys settled in Florida, I was gonna find Faye. Then I would make a plan with her.

She was a commodity in a dead world. One I felt the need to protect. Instantaneously I wanted to hightail it north and find her.

She was, by all accounts, to the best of my knowledge, the last woman.

I kept my mouth shut about her, even told the boys to not say a word. Bud and I discussed it.

Bud was wise, of course he had been living on the earth decades longer than me, so he had that reliable gut instinct. "If she isn't dead." Bud told me that night after the boys went to sleep. "Then you need to find her and hide her."

"You think she's dead?" I asked.

"She had a really tough tragedy, Dodge. I don't know how she survived it. She tried to kill herself a few times. Nothing is holding her here. For her sake, I kind of hope she took the route out. Because if she didn't, it's gonna be an even tougher life."

"Is it responsible though?" I asked. "If she is the last woman, it has to be known."

"Does it?" Bud asked. "What kind of life does that give her? Either one protected or one in danger. Either way she may be nothing but a closed in experiment, kept away from all. That's not living, Dodge. It's existing. Faye needs to live. She's been doing nothing but existing for months."

I recalled Len's concern over the Scientists saying, 'Aggressive measures'. Len was worried and even relieved he didn't have a woman at camp. Because if he did, as he said, he wasn't sure what he'd do.

It could be a dangerous world for the one and only woman.

I knew this. I listened to Len. I listened to Bud. I heard what they said and heard my own heart on the matter. I was a smart man, not dumb. So why ... why did I do it?

Excitement perhaps. Relief?

I should never have done it, I wasn't thinking. But thirty miles into the caravan, when my radio crackled and hissed and I heard Faye calling out, I didn't think. I grabbed that radio. In gratefulness and stupidity, I replied. "Oh my God, Faye," I gushed out. It was so good to hear her, to know she was alive.

"Dodge, I'm on base," she said. "Where are you guys?"

She was on base. She changed her mind. Darie and George squealed with delight and Bud gave an approving nod. "About thirty miles away," I said. "We just left there. Faye, I'll pull over." In fact I did. Right there and then, I jerked the wheel and moved to the side of the highway. "I'm pulling over. Get on 181 South, it's clear. You can't miss me. I'm waiting. We're waiting. And Faye, wait until you see. Wait until you see how many kids there are. It's amazing."

"I'm on my way. And Dodge ..."

"Yeah."

"I have a surprise for you."

"You're a surprise, Faye."

"No, this is better. See you soon. Over."

"Out." I placed down the radio but kept looking at it. I was overwhelmed, Faye was not only alive but close. My heart raced, my mind jumbled with excitement. I didn't even noticed the caravan had stopped. I had every intention of staying on the side of that road.

Then I saw Len. He barreled our way with a look of determination.

"Shit," Bud stated. "Bet he heard the radio."

I don't know what exactly I was expecting Len to say, but it wasn't anything near what he did say.

Opening the RV driver door, I had barely stepped out when Len raged at me.

"Are you insane?" he growled. "Not only did you know of a woman, but you brought her here?" his voice squealed at the end. "Hashman asked if you had a woman."

"I was protecting her. I said no." I honestly believed he was mad because I had lied.

"Yeah, well, hell of a job you're doing now." Len barked. "If you would have said yes then, we would have told you not to come. To hide her. God knows what the south wants with them or what they'll do. She's the only one and she's that close?"

My heart raced.

Len said. "She called out. Anyone listening heard her voice and then you saying her name. Anyone searching for a woman is gonna know where to find her. We have no clue what kind of technology remains down south. Hell they may track her signal."

My eyes closed tightly. "I'll turn around. I'll go. I'll find her."

"Whatever you want to do, that's fine. But get her turned around some way, somehow. And do it now. For her safety ... do it now."

It was a huge mistake for Faye in all her feminine glory to call out over the radio and an even bigger mistake for me to reply.

Faye was so excited about finding us, about heading our way. I was so excited about her wanting to live that I simply forgot that she announced her presence and was going to be a prize those scientists down south were gonna pursue with vigor.

Hating to do it, I took a moment to think, grabbed our map and looked at the route. I lifted the radio. "Faye. Faye come in."

"Dodge, I'm driving as fast as I can."

"Stop."

"What? Over?"

"Stop." I lowered my head to the radio and took a second to think. "You're the last woman Faye. To be with us is dangerous. I'll find you. Stop. Turn around. Turn off the radio. Take the route back home. If you have to stop, then stop. But stay hidden. I'll find you. Somehow. Just go."

It broke my heart to tell her that.

Even more so, her simple reply of, "Got it" sent an ache through my chest.

Faye was a smart woman. I felt that she knew what I was saying and would adhere to radio silence.

It was the last I heard from her.

When the caravan continued to move on, I waited until I saw no one was lagging back, no one was waiting to follow me, then I turned around.

Me, Bud and the boys would start our journey to find Faye.

But I had a feeling, we weren't going to be the only ones searching for her.

FIVE - FAYE

My foot hit the brake at the same time Dodge gave the order for me to 'stop'. Almost as if his voice was connected to my reactions. I set down the radio as if it were acid and with wide eyes, turned to Tyler.

The car idled. For a moment we were frozen there.

Neither of us said a word, but I could tell by the look on his face, he was thinking the same thing as me. I looked around, in the rear view mirror, then left to right. Suddenly, the world no longer felt vacant. I was consciously aware of my surroundings. I had not given a thought to the whole Kentucky trip, whether or not I was safe or being followed.

Now I did.

"You're the last woman?" Tyler asked. "Is that possible?"

"I don't know."

"Oh my God. You can't ... you can't be seen."

A part of me felt as if three weeks post plague was a little too soon to worry about rapists and marauders. "Soon, but not yet," I said. "Maybe in a few months it will be less dangerous."

"From normal people."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean. Right now. From a scientific point of view, if you're the last woman, you're vital and they're going to want you. That place down south ... they are science based. They'll treat you like an experiment."

"No," I scoffed. "They wouldn't do that."

"Faye, if you were a scientist and there was one man left in the world. What would you do?"

"Try to figure out why he survived."

"Through experimentation."

It was at that point I realized we were still sitting in the middle of the road. While I still wasn't convinced that my life was in any danger, the urgency in Dodge's voice was enough to heighten my awareness and turn the car around.

The one thing I didn't want to do was get off course. I needed Dodge to find us and he was a half hour or so behind.

My plan was to make some distance. Dodge didn't want me using the radio because I sounded 'female', but he didn't know I wasn't alone. Tyler could call out, and while I wanted with all my heart for Dodge to hear his son's voice, I didn't want for anyone else listening to put two and two together and hear how young Tyler sounded.

Another radio call to a man named 'Dodge', this one by a youngster, would be too much of a coincidence. Even I thought he was younger than nineteen when I spoke to him over the radio.

We'd figure out a coded message for Dodge, and hopefully, he'd understand it.

In the meantime on the drive, not only did Tyler practice his deepest voice, he gave me a deeper insight into who he was.

Tyler Cash was a nineteen year old bright, artistic, young man. Thin and lanky, but not real tall. His hair was a bit longer, which was so unlike his father. In fact, he was a complete contrast to the triple B Dodge. Triple B meaning, Bulky, Big and Bald.

Where Dodge looked like he should be a professional wrestler or a Mad Max biker, Tyler looked like he should be playing guitar somewhere in a cafe.

"Where did you go to school?" I asked him. "I mean that you were so far away?"

"New York."

"That's impressive. City?"

"Yeah."

"How did you make it out? I mean, we barely made it out of our city after it all."

Tyler explained. "When things started getting bad, my roommate suggested we head out. We went to his parent's house. I had plans to get to my dad."

"He said you talked to him."

Tyler nodded. "I did. I wasn't sick. I told him I was leaving the city and after traffic died down, I'd make my way home. Then ... I started getting sick and I called him again."

This made me curious. Because Dodge didn't make mention that Tyler was sick. In fact, he was pretty certain his son wasn't.

Tyler continued. "But he didn't answer his phone. I called my stepmother. She sounded so sick and she said the kids were sick too. My brother and sister." His head lowered some. "My dad wasn't around. He went to get medical supplies."

"He was in jail. Arrested at the aid station," I said. "I found him in jail. The only survivor."

"Was he ever sick?"

I shook my head.

"I was. I thought I was going to die. Josh, my friend died, then his mom. I was too sick to do anything about his dad. I just crawled into bed. When I woke up I guess days later, everyone was already dead. I was out of it, kinda weak for a few days and then I talked to you."

"It's a scary situation to wake up to a dead world. I know. I lived that too."

Tyler exhaled. "I thought I was the last man on earth."

"And I thought I was the last woman."

"Hey, Faye ..." Tyler said. "You are."

"That we know of."

We talked against the miles traveled. I tried my hardest not to convey any worries to the young man. The last thing I wanted him to be concerned about was having to watch out for me.

Dodge would find us soon. I was confident of that. Dodge would think of something. He always did. He planned things out and took things into account.

Except turning around and heading back from Kentucky.

Dodge didn't think ahead on that one, therefore, we didn't have the gas or the means to get gas from reserves.

We sputtered on our last bit of gas in West Virginia, and pulled over just by a sign that indicated a town called Rooster was one mile away. Hoping that Dodge was really only thirty miles or less behind us, we placed a riddled radio call we hoped he'd decipher.

SIX - DODGE

The last thing I wanted to do was pull over again. We used our last can of gas and had to not only take out the small generator, but had to open the reserve of the Zoom Gas Station. We lost valuable time and miles.

I picked up the pace as best as I could in the RV, while Bud looked on the map. His square reading glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

"Gotta be on the route," Bud said. "Has to be."

"So you don't see it?"

"Well hell, I'm pushing eighty, the eyes aren't the best. Give me a second."

I replayed in my mind what the stranger said on the radio. His voice was deep and he sounded like he was a big guy. He called out for Bud.

"Looking for Bud Doyle. Hey Bud, me and Wills aren't making it. Ran out of fuel in Westie. Sorry we missed the convoy. Hope we can meet up. Right now we're stuck in Westie. This is Rooster. Out."

That was all that was said and they didn't respond to another radio call.

"Wills is Faye's last name," Bud said. "They didn't want to give it away that it was Faye. Westie has got to be West Virginia or a town in West Virginia or Kentucky. Taking the same route back, they didn't make it that far and I'm not seeing anything that looks or sounds like Westie."

"Who is this asshole with her? Where did he come from?" I asked.

Bud lifted his head from the map. "You that concerned?"

"Yes. Because if he was with her when I spoke on the radio, he knows she's the last woman. Probably misleading us somewhere."

"I don't think so. She probably met up with him on base or maybe he's the reason she headed down there. And I think he would have noticed she was a woman way before the radio call."

"You didn't know him or recognize the name?"

"Nope."

"But he called you."

"Faye probably told him to so no one heard a call for you again," Bud said. "Now quiet so I can look at this map."

"It's times like these I miss the Internet."

"Yeah, well, it's times like these I'm glad I didn't use it all that much."

I drove with one hand while the other rubbed my temple. I wanted to look at that map, but didn't want to stop again.

Darie was asleep and battling motion sickness. He was such a good kid. His brother on the other hand, was a road trip nightmare. George wouldn't sit still. He was like an overbearing nagging mother in a nine year old body.

"We gonna find her, Dodge?" George asked, poking his head between the two front seats of the RV.

"Yes."

"We have to find her."

"Please sit down."

"We have to find her," George repeated ignoring my request.

"We will."

"She can't be out there. It's got to be scary for her. She is the last woman."

"I know," I said, staring as I drove on.

"Who is the guy?"

"Please sit down."

"He sounded mean. Think he's bigger than you, Dodge?"

"I don't know."

"You're a big guy. If he's bigger, I'd be scared. I hope she's safe with him. You called him a bad name so you might be scared too."

"Please." I said stronger, "Sit down."

"Why? 'Cause of seatbelt laws? Can't have seatbelt laws. There's no more police."

"It's still very dangerous." Through my peripheral vision I saw him move, but he didn't step back, he moved more to peer over Bud's shoulder. "Why aren't you listening?"

"I wanna help."

"Bud is doing fine. He's looking for a town."

"What town?" George asked.

"We think the man left a clue in his radio call," I said. "Like a secret message giving their whereabouts. We're just trying to determine what town."

"Like here?" George pointed to the map.

"I'll be damned," Bud smiled. "I think the boy is right."

"What?" I asked.

"Rooster." Bud said. "Rooster West Virginia and it's about twenty miles from here on this route. That's where they're at. The guy said Rooster."

"Well I hope you're right," I said. "And good job, George."

"Thanks," he replied brightly. "Now can I stay here?"

"No." I told him and then smiled when he whined and stepped back.

I prayed that the mind of the nine year old boy and eighty year old man were right. Because my mind was clouded with worry about Faye and this gruff sounding stranger that was with her.

I picked up the speed on the nearly empty road and sure enough, parked by a sign that read 'Rooster: One mile', was the car I left for Faye. It was positioned semi off the road, like most abandoned cars. My heart thumped once in my chest then sank to my gut. Immediately I was fearful that this stranger took Faye and was playing games with us.

I pulled over, instructing Bud and the kids to stay back as I exited the RV.

More than anything I wanted to call out her name, but again, I was too scared someone would hear. I stepped to the car, hearing the rustling of leaves. I pulled out the pistol from the back waist of my jeans and walked around the car.

I listened and watched the leaves move on the thick brush next to the car.

Then I quickly lowered my weapon, placed it behind me and exhaled hard in relief when I saw Faye step from the foliage.

"Oh my God," I rushed to her. "You're alright."

"I'm fine. I was hiding until you got here."

Reaching out for Faye, I just wanted to embrace her in gratefulness but she gave me the brush off. A quick 'acquaintance' style hug that made me step back. When I did, I noticed the smile on her face.

"What's going on?" I asked. "Where's this guy?"

"Not just any guy, Dodge. Look who I ran into on my way to the convoy." Faye side stepped and the bushes parted.

They had been practicing, it was obvious, providing a heart stopping reveal that knocked me off balance. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move. My eyes widened and I exhaled what air I had left in my lungs.

I did not expect to see my oldest son standing before me.

He cried out a heart wrenching, "Dad!" and ran to me, slamming his chest against mine. I wrapped my arms so tight around him, lifting him from his feet and planting my lips to his cheek. "You're alive. You're alive."

In my embrace with Tyler, I opened my eyes making contact with Faye.

From what I had known of her, she was withdrawn. She showed a cold exterior and often emotionless. Drowning her emotions in a bottle of whiskey. To keep them in check. To not let anyone know she felt or that she could feel.

But the Faye that stood on the side of the road, showed me her human side. Even if for a brief moment, I saw the twinkle in her tear filled eyes. She was happy for me, she was overwrought with emotions.

I broke the embrace with Tyler for a second, placing my hands on his cheeks and staring deeply into his eyes. "I am so grateful to God that you are alive. So grateful. How ... how did this happen?" I asked.

Tyler turned and pointed to Faye.

"I didn't know," Faye said, lifting her hands. "Remember the boy I spoke to on the radio and told to go to Kentucky?"

"You?" I asked Tyler.

"Yeah, me. But I got there too late. So did she."

"This is fate." I shook my head in disbelief. "It has to be fate. If you hadn't stayed behind Faye, I wouldn't have my son."

"Yeah, well," she shrugged. "If you hadn't taken everything from my house to piss me off..."

"Whatever the reason," I said. "We're all together. It's the way it should be."

"What about going south?" Faye asked. "The boys ..."

"The boys will deal. I can't go there without you Faye. You saved my life ... twice now." I glanced to Tyler. "We stick together on this thing and figure it out."

"What's the plan?" Faye questioned. "You always have a plan."

"We stop. We regroup. We think," I told her. "That's what we do first. Figure out our obstacles and go from there."

My son asked. "Where're we gonna stop?"

With a chuckle I looked at the sign. "Rooster seems as good a place as any."

After unloading everything from Faye's car, we all got in Fastball, with intentions set on a temporary halt in Rooster. Who knew what the small town held. At least I knew it was remote enough to hide out until I came up with a viable plan.

The Voice of Unreason - Dr. Barry Chatham

It is completely irresponsible, not to mention detrimental to the human race, to possibly be the only remaining sex of a species, then run and hide. A move not charged by the need for safety but rather one that is selfishly motivated.

The ERDS virus took a lot from this world and no doubt, it would take the remaining civility. A person, left to their own resources is a victim waiting to happen.

A woman is a prize waiting to be collected.

Out in the world she is a target. In a facility she is a preserved treasure.

We know this.

While the virus wasn't prejudice against anyone, it did aggressively seek the female population. As a geneticist I was called in early during the ERDS epidemic to find an answer on why women were struck first. I never did. Even though the virus took months to reach the point where it rippled out of control, there just wasn't enough time.

There was a slim immunity factor, one not found in a single woman. There was also a revival factor of twenty percent.

Twenty percent. However, that rival or recovery happened days after the body was mistakenly pronounced dead. Overcrowded medical facilities, families rushing to remove the deceased from the homes. Whatever the reason, bodies were buried and burned before they awoke from the ERDS coma.

Complicating matters was the fact that we lived in a 'dead rising' obsessed world. They were shooting the survivors in fear of being eaten. What stupidity.

How many of those who rose were women?

We'll never know.

I have not seen one, alive that is, in over a month.

By the time the two remaining doctors found a cure for ERDS, it was too late.

It was over.

The world fell apart. But preparations were made in advance for the continuity of the human race. A nice little sector set up and stocked, rapidly erected in the panhandle of Florida.

What a joke.

To have continuity of the human race you have to have the means to reproduce.

To tell someone who could be the last woman on earth to run, is inconceivable to me. A woman, by the sound of her voice on the radio that was probably younger than forty, still well within the range of child bearing years. And unless medically altered, could produce a single ovum that could change the current course of mankind.

Who needs the ovum, we have the DNA.

Yet for some reason, she vanishes over the airwaves and is currently somewhere in a country so big she would be like finding a needle in the haystack.

Whoever this 'Dodge' man was, we know he was coming out of Kentucky and the female counterpart was on her way from the same location as he.

He informed her to 'head back home'.

Where home was, we didn't know. It could have been anywhere. Although my experts insist it wouldn't be more than seven hundred miles from Central City Kentucky. Just not feasible with the radio signal to be any farther.

People arrived daily here in the Panhandle. Since we opened the camp and sent out the call for survivors many have shown up. We will be able to eventually rebuild a part of civilization, produce food and live. Despite our growing numbers, it will never get really any bigger than the remaining survivors that come to us.

Without hope of growth, with the possibility of extinction, I fear what will become of those who survive. Will they care enough to be human when they are all that's left of the human race?

In reality, as long as there is a woman, there is hope the race will not end.

We know of at least one.

I am not giving up on that hope.

We have the manpower and resources to send out search parties and actively look for women. We will do that. We have to. In addition, once the Kentucky convoy arrives, we'll find out about this Dodge and where he originated from, and then we will locate the needle in the haystack. It is a must, and we will do it at any cost. Our lives, our world, our existence, depends on it.

SEVEN - FAYE

When I first saw the sign, 'Welcome to Rooster. Population 672', visions of the Andy Griffith show danced in my head. I foresaw a quaint town square with a few shops, where park benches decorated the sidewalks. The same benches that old men would sit on, read the paper and talk. Bud mentioned that the rural areas may have been spared.

But none of that was the case. None of our fantasy scenarios held true. Rooster was nothing more than a highway strip town, with some frame houses, a gas station and a Wendy's fast food restaurant.

It wasn't optimal to stop and park, nor even to hide out.

There wasn't a person to be seen and unlike everywhere else, we only spotted a couple bodies placed by the trash.

Dodge pulled over the RV and did so directly in front of Wendy's. It was tough explaining to Darie why we weren't getting chicken nuggets and fries.

Dodge tried to pacify the young boy by telling him, 'We'll make them for you."

That didn't go over too well for George, who countered. "How? How you gonna make them? They're all processed meat. It went all bad. You can't recreate processed meat, can you?"

Dodge looked over his shoulder with complete aggravation. "Why do you have to be like this?"

"Why are you misleading my brother? He loves chicken nuggets."

The back and forth between the grown man and the child made me smile. Tyler on the other hand laughed. Telling us it was quite an accomplishment to get under his father's skin, since his father was rarely ruffled.

It was unanimously decided that we'd keep moving for a little while. We topped off the tank and canisters from the Rooster gas station but veered from course.

On the map Bud spotted another small town. It was off the main road and highway, and we set our sights on that.

"At the very least," Bud said. "It has lots of green around it. We can camp out there until morning. Make it home then."

Was that the plan? To just make it home? Or are we running? Hiding? All of the above? Nothing really was said and no plans set in stone. Which was unusual because Dodge was always thinking ahead.

Maybe he wasn't saying anything.

For certain he didn't bring up the subject of me being the only woman. That got buried somewhere. He didn't mention it and neither did I. The subject would have to eventually be broached. I would wager on that.

Until then, I was content just moving forward.

EIGHT - DODGE

There was something about having my son, Tyler that made me a big old sap. I couldn't walk by him without touching or kissing him. I think I kissed him more in four hours than I did in four years.

It was pure, unadulterated gratefulness. My kid was alive. I was blessed. Yes, I lost, but I didn't lose it all.

My heart was still aching for the two children I lost, but yet I rejoiced in what I kept.

Not to mention he was pretty good with George and Darie.

Hanover was a perfect stop for the day and evening. We drove for a while down a two lane, tree lined road that was barely wide enough for the RV. Then all of a sudden there was Hanover.

A town six blocks long and six blocks wide. It looked like an old mining town or something like that. Simple houses and a few modern trailers. There was a small store and a few other localized businesses.

There were no people.

I admit, I held out hope that this buried little gem would have some folks.

It didn't.

We parked the RV next to the fire station which, of course was located by the smallest community park I had ever seen. The RV fit nicely right by a set of four picnic benches.

Tyler offered to stay behind while Faye and I went out for supplies. I wanted to scavenge that fire department for some first aid stuff, and then hit the small store.

Seeing how much remained would tell us or give us an idea what happened in that town. Did they all die in their homes? Or did they move on?

It was a ghost town.

Plus, I wanted to talk to Faye. We hadn't had a chance to talk. Last I saw her, I was begging her to come to Kentucky and she was adamant about staying behind to die. Curl up in her daughter's bed and down a bottle of pills.

She said my taking everything was inspiration to find me. I accepted that. But wanted to know where she was emotionally and mentally.

Was it a passing phase or was she really on her way to healing emotionally?

She was months ahead of us all in her stages of grief.

We raided what we could from the fire station and headed to Gluck's General Store. It was funny, because the town was so empty, so silent, we heard the laughter from the boys even though they were blocks away.

Somewhere in our entrance into the grocer, I asked her. "What made you change your mind and come?"

"Oh look, across the street, a liquor store."

"Why doesn't that surprise me that you spotted that?" I asked her.

Faye smiled.

She smiled?

It wasn't a big smile. More of a closed mouth look to me then she reached for a can of Spam.

"We don't need Spam."

"It's turkey Spam." She held it up.

"Faye, come on."

"Why is it important?"

"I need to know what made you come to Kentucky. I need to know if I'm gonna be finding myself trying to convince you to stay with us."

She looked down to the Spam and then to me. "I had a choice. I chose to live. Can we leave it at that?"

"Noted."

She placed the can back on the shelf and turned to walk away. When she did, I took it back. Figuring she grabbed it for a reason and not just as a means to change the subject.

We had that Spam with other food, it wasn't bad. When evening set in I built a small fire as the night was chilled. Bud went to bed early claiming he was tired. I accepted that. It was a long day.

Faye stayed outside while I did a quick inventory of what we had. The continuous 'popping' carried to me even though I was in the RV. The boys were playing the game 'Trouble', they laughed. It was late and I debated on telling them it was time for bed.

The inventory surprised me. We didn't have as much as I thought or hoped. For short term it was fine, but it wouldn't last. Without a doubt, we needed a long term plan all the way around.

I grabbed a pack of the honey flavored flat breakfast biscuits and stepped outside. It was the less eaten food. The boys seemed to cringe about those but I liked them. They reminded me of the oat cookies we had when I was in the service.

Stepping outside the trailer, the boys played their game. Tyler was trying to teach Darie to count spaces and they were laughing. To look at them, it didn't seemed as if they faced the end of existence. It didn't seem that civilization caught a bug and vanished. They were three young males blocking out the world and playing a board game.

Life was a camping trip for the moment.

I suppose with all they went through, shutting out the tragedy was a good thing.

Faye was seated in a lawn chair at the edge of the RV. A small distance from the kids, but she was watching them. She wore some sort of pink cardigan sweater that looked as if it were hand knitted and belonged to someone thirty years older.

A bottle of red wine was on the ground next to her and it was mostly full. To my surprise she sipped what she had in her hand, not downing the hard stuff.

An empty chair was next to her, almost as if she were expecting me to sit and I did.

"Hey," I said as I made myself comfortable.

"Hey." She bent forward, lifted one of those plastic cocktail glasses and handed it to me. "The wine is made locally. It's awesome." She poured some in the glass.

"Local wine from West Virginia?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think it's made in a man named Bob's basement. But it's still good."

"Thanks." I showed her one of the honey biscuits. "Cookie?"

"Nah."

"Nice sweater. Did you bring it?"

"No, it was in the lost and found box at the fire station," she said with seriousness. "I keep wondering what fireman lost it. Bet he looked real cute."

Something about Faye at that moment struck me. "Did you just make a joke?" I asked.

"I did." She nodded. "Sorry if it was bad."

"It was the greatest joke I heard in a while. You ... Faye, made a joke. You're smiling."

At first she lowered her head and sipped her wine, then as she bit her bottom lip, cupping that glass, she stared out to the boys. "I woke up so angry with you. I mean ... I went to make coffee and I couldn't. Everywhere I turned, you took something that was mine."

I tried not to laugh and a huff of air escaped me.

"All I did was curse you. Anger ... and I grew angrier when I thought you did it on purpose because you were thinking 'oh she's gonna die and won't need it'."

"That wasn't why I took the stuff. I took it to make you mad."

"Mad enough to want to find you and yell?" she asked. "Let me tell you something, Dodge. In the middle of that anger, I realized ... I was feeling. For the first time in almost four months since my family was killed, I felt something other than self pity or numb. That anger, no matter how intense reminded me that I was alive. And the toy that Darie left. I was missing the signs and then I just took off before I missed you guys completely."

"I'm glad you did and glad you were late because I wouldn't have found my son."

Faye tucked her hair behind her ear. "He's a good kid and I am so happy for you. Seeing him. Seeing George and Darie. Not all lives were ripped apart."

"We're gonna do this, Faye, you know that right?"

"Do what?"

"Survive. Live." I finally tasted that homemade wine. "This is pretty good."

"See? I told you." She paused. "And I hope you're right. We just need a plan."

"Well, I kind of have a plan." I winked.

"I knew it."

"I just thought of it though. I think, we head back home. We're all from the same area. Go home. Adjust. Absorb and heal. We scavenge what we can. The farms will be growing soon so we can raid those. Get enough ready for the winter and then head out."

"Where?"

"South or west. We'll figure it out. A place we can eventually plant our own food which has access to fresh water. Wells maybe. Somewhere we can be secluded and safe."

"Secluded and safe, huh?" She breathed out. "To keep me hidden."

"Not hidden. Just safe. I don't ever want you to feel like you're hiding."

"I can't be the last, Dodge, I can't," she said with desperation.

"I don't think you are," I said. "But I can't take that chance."

"I don't expect you to take on that responsibility. I don't want you to have to feel that kind of pressure."

"We're in this together, Faye. All of us. Fate brought us together for a reason. I'm not taking on anything I can't handle. Except ..." I finished the glass of wine. "This stuff. It's a little potent."

"Yeah, hence why I said sip." She refreshed my glass.

"It's getting late, should I get the kids down?"

"No." Faye shook her head, still watching them. "They look so happy. Look at them."

I did. The kids laughed and set up for another game.

"They're forgetting the world right now," she said, "and I envy that. So I think, if you don't mind, I wanna live vicariously through them for a moment."

"Sit here and watch them?"

"Yeah, sit here and watch."

I raised my glass to her. "Life goes on, Faye."

"It does." She clicked her plastic cup to mine. "And for the first time in a while, I'm realizing that."

NINE - FAYE

August 31

It was the first summer without my children, the first time in forever where I wasn't running out to the mall for new school clothes. The excitement of the first day of school was gone, because there was no excitement over the first day of summer vacation or my getting tired of the kids being home all day.

I missed those days of telling them to step away from the television and go out and play, or to put down the video game.

Go get fresh air.

'Mom, it's hot.'

I absolutely positively dreaded when the weather really warmed up.

From the moment we made it back, Dodge ditched the usage of any radios. Just on the outside chance, the people from the CDC had science fiction technology and could zoom in on us.

What Dodge had originally foraged was miniscule in comparison to the houses that weren't touched. The stores that remained were fully stocked, especially in the back loading docks.

We had plenty to choose from.

While I didn't hide, I didn't leave my gated community either. Our housing plan was gated and that offered a minimal layer of security.

It took about a week for Dodge, Bud and Tyler to remove bodies from the street and homes close by. That helped with the smell. By one month post ERDS, the worst of the smell started to subside. A hint of it lingered. I didn't know if we just got used to it or the bodies decayed enough to stop.

Bud proclaimed about sixty days.

His reasoning was, "That's why no one ever smelled bodies buried in the woods, eventually they rot enough to not smell as unholy."

George marked a calendar every day, and even started to make the next year's. At first I wished he didn't, because he announced the date every day and yelled out at noon.

"It's twelve o'clock." He'd just shout it, and diligently wound his super hero watch.

George was our official time keeper. But I was glad he was.

Because of him I knew it was my daughter's birthday, my Anniversary. I was able to mourn the loss and celebrate my chance to have them.

I was making oatmeal when George got up, announcing, "It's August thirty-first. Boy, we'd be in school. We need school, who's gonna teach us?" he asked as he sat at the table.

Dodge produced this look of 'don't look at me' and I was going to volunteer.

Then Tyler said. "I can teach you. I'll be your art teacher. Music too. Faye, bet you are good with numbers."

"Not by my checkbook," I replied. "Reading. I'm good with reading."

"I'll do math," Bud added. "I was a tax attorney. I'm good with that."

History would have to be a group effort and there were books that would help. After all the plague didn't destroy the pages of old stories that graced the shelves of libraries. We could always get them.

In fact, Bud had already taken to reading books on farming. We cultivated our own seedlings and the tomato plants were amazing.

We spent a lot of time drying out the food and readying it for travel.

I thought it was a mistake to leave. We had enough supplies to make it through the winter. But I was outnumbered. The general consensus was we wouldn't make it through the cold and snowy weather. If we did stay it would be a challenge and too much for the little ones to handle.

The three and a half months back at my house were only preparation months.

I realized this as the house grew empty and the supplies were moved to our transportation. We would take the RV and a car.

It was unsettling to me because we hadn't heard anything. We hadn't see anyone. No one came after me for being the last woman. Perhaps that was over and done with. We just didn't know.

We had no set destination. Just that we were heading west then south.

That thought scared me because I had become complacent in my own world, in my own home. I hadn't a clue what lay beyond my housing plan, much less the city.

Soon, we'd find out.

It was a particularly cool day for the last day of August. I stood by the window watching Dodge load up the car. A chill swept over me and I didn't know if it was the breeze or the ominous feeling I had about leaving.

I didn't want to leave.

But what choice did I have?

Bud, Dodge and the boys had become a huge part of my life. Without them I was back to nothing and I wasn't going there again. So my choice was to go where they went.

I only hoped the foreboding feeling that swelled within me was just my fear of the unknown and not some psychic premonition I was trying to ignore.

TEN - DODGE

Bud started smoking cigarettes again. He had kicked the habit three decades earlier, but since he really didn't care and they were plentiful, he lit one after another. Although I wasn't fully convinced he was actually inhaling.

He loved the idea of mapping out our route into the unknown. He and his wife always took the RV, so hitting the road was nothing new to him.

He yammered on about which roads we'd take and ideas of good places to stop. He couldn't wait until daybreak when we'd roll out on an adventure into the unknown. His enthusiasm matched that of a kid waiting on Santa. He just wasn't winding down.

My head was still reeling after the daily, post dinner argument slash discussion with Faye. It was the same. She didn't want to go. Why did we have to go? As if I were suddenly going to tell her something new and the light would switch on.

Truth was. I had nothing new. We had to go.

Weather was going to play a big role. And despite how secluded the small gated community seemed, it wasn't. More than anything I wanted to stay back too. It had been months since we left the area, we didn't know what the world held for us. Things could have gone really bad.

We just didn't know.

But staying in the open of that housing community wasn't going to cut it. I knew in my mind what I was searching for as a final destination or long term stopping point.

A structure where it was warm, protected and far away from civilization, or rather, former civilization.

The good people survived but so did the bad, and chances were those bad were emerging, starving and would hit the cities and the former populated areas.

We couldn't stay, a fire would send a smoke signal seen for miles. We couldn't practice shooting because sound traveled.

It was such a quiet world, I would be blocks away and would hear Bud cough.

Imagine if someone heard Faye laugh or yell, which she did when the boys were being bad or even calling them in for supper.

We didn't know what to protect ourselves from, because we simply didn't know what was out there.

In my mind, staying put, we were sitting ducks waiting for trouble.

I remember a quote from an author named, Alan Cohen. 'There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.'

We were going on an adventure, the excitement was unknown, and we would keep moving.

It was the only way to gain power over all that we lost. To forge ahead and keep going.

As the night dwindled down, I too, suffered from the pre travel jitters and decided to take a walk. The moon was pretty bright and that helped light the street. I wouldn't go far, I just wanted to walk. It was while doing so, a block from the house, that I heard it.

A 'snap' in the distance. As if something was stepped on or broken. We hadn't seen or heard an animal, and in the quite that sound carried and echoed.

It made me stop.

I pulled my pistol from my jacket and lifted the flashlight, aiming in the direction I heard the sound.

My heart beat hard when I swore I caught a flash of movement between the houses. I stood there for the longest time, waiting, watching and ready.

Nothing happened and I heard no more. I wanted to chalk it up to my imagination, but it wasn't. Someone was there. I saw the movement, heard him and when the wind blew, I smelled him.

I may have scared him or he just backed off. In either case, I didn't take a chance.

I stayed awake the rest of the night, sitting on Faye's porch. That simple sound, movement and whiff of body odor reiterated what we had to do.

We had to leave. As much as I wanted to find a reason to stay, it was no longer an option. Our little suburban sanctuary had been discovered.

The Game Changer - Major James Reynolds

Basic common knowledge told us that if the surviving female was indeed at Central City Kentucky, then she picked up a radio signal to make her way there.

By all accounts she was at farthest seven hundred miles from that convoy point. I was in charge of the search and recover mission. Instead of going out wildly, we waited until the CC convoy arrived and settled and interviewed several key people.

We learned that the man named 'Dodge' arrived with one older gentleman and two young males. The female was not with them.

No one remembered a license plate nor recalled asking them where they came from. They were in an RV. One person recalled the older of the boys having a deep southern drawl. The relationship between the older males and younger was connected, so that told me they had been together for at least a few weeks.

Since none of the older individuals or the female on the radio had a southern accent, I made the determination that the boys were more than likely discovered in their home state by Dodge and the older man coming from a state that had more of a northern dialect. With the seven hundred mile radius in mind, that left really only four states. Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Southwestern Pennsylvania.

It was high priority locating the surviving female and I was given all the resources I needed for the mission. I sent out teams to each state, while I ventured out with the Pennsylvanian team.

We would comb every square inch if needed and bring in air support only when we had a good radius of location. Problem was, with each passing day, they grew farther away. But if it were me and I were protecting the only woman, I would keep her away from the south until the weather was too much to handle.

We had time.

While the human race had dwindled, Nature seemed to find its niche in the apocalypse. Growing rapidly and in full force, making road travel more tedious on back roads as trees extended out.

If they did travel, soon they'd leave a trail. But in my mind, they weren't traveling. Not yet.

We were growing weary, and our supplies dwindling. I had sent men back to base for more supplies. Remaining behind, with the search on hold was myself and one other man. Just outside a small community in Southwestern Pennsylvania, we had set up a small camp when a good breeze swept in and I caught the scent.

Food.

I followed that scent until it stopped and I then saw a hint of light. It gave me even more direction. However once I arrived at what looked like a gated community, the light was gone. Or perhaps it was just further in. I made it inside, and that was when I spotted the male.

It was and had been the only survivor we had seen in months.

He was large in height and bulk, and I wasn't certain if he was alone or if there were more. I did know that when he pulled the weapon, I wasn't taking a chance. Because of my uncertainty compounded with only one source of backup, I retreated. It wasn't our mission to engage or to make a hostile approach. Coming at the man at night was sending the wrong message.

I figured the morning would be the best time to check out the man's camp and see if this was possibly where the surviving female was hiding. However when morning came, they were gone. They had slipped out early.

The two of us were able to determine where they were staying, and oddly enough on the mailbox perched in front of the picture perfect suburbia house was the name, 'Wills'.

I hadn't noticed it at first, but the soldier with me asked, "Isn't the name Wills, the one used on the last radio call to the man Dodge?"

He was right. It was. We entered the unlocked home to find it void of food, water and photographs. Actually anything personal had been taken.

But not everything.

A desk drawer in a home office gave us the confirmation.

The home belonged to a Faye Wills.

I know for sure the surviving woman's name was Faye.

We had it. We found where they were or at least had been staying up to only a few hours earlier. The house still smelled of food and people.

They weren't that far and I was one hundred percent certain we had a vicinity. Even with their head start, and even without us having their direction, we had an area. It wouldn't be hard to find them. I was confident we would and soon. A few hours and we'd lock in.

I radioed base and called in for the air team.

ELEVEN - FAYE

It shouldn't have surprised me one bit that Bud's route to the west would follow a trail of KOA campsites. It was something I learned as we were getting into the cars, and Bud pulled out the KOA map.

Dodge championed that idea to me after the initial thought of 'we're living camp ground to camp ground?' I hit the phase of 'it figures'. After all, Bud and his wife were always on the go in the Fastball RV.

It was hard saying goodbye to my home.

When I left it months earlier, a part of me felt that I would be back. I did go back sooner than I expected. But as I took one last look at my family home, I knew it was the last time I'd see that house.

Dodge's mood was off. The usually confident man was quiet. Something was on his mind and he looked tired. I didn't push the issue with him, figuring we'd have time to talk later.

I could tell though he was deep in thought about something far more than our travels. He squinted a lot, like he had a headache, causing deepened lines on the sides of his eyes.

When Dodge was in thought, he squinted. Almost as if his eye lids held answers.

The RV was packed to capacity and so was the compact car that I drove. We would all take turns at being behind the wheel. Our travel plans didn't include going too far per day. We weren't really aware of what the roads would be like.

The plan was to avoid Kentucky, more so avoid going south for a while. Avoid the way we had taken to Central City. Simply move west and then when we hit Illinois, we'd go south. Sometime while I slept Dodge came to a decision on where we would head. Louisiana was the first state of choice. Close to the Lake Charles area. Not that Lake Charles was a remote town, but a place near there. The weather was warmer in that state and they got a lot of rain, which would help with the issue of fresh water. Dodge set his initial sights on settling there.

I didn't argue because I didn't know much when it came to long term survival plans. My argument ended when it was out of my hands to leave the house. Something, unless proven to me otherwise, I would always believe was a mistake.

We were off and moving by sunrise.

It felt rushed, I don't know why.

In my mind, I saw us cruising down the highway without a problem. That wasn't the case.

Since I had missed the final days of civilization, I didn't know that people ran for the hills, trying to get to remote areas to avoid the infection.

But the government sealed off roads to keep the infection from spreading and since military personnel was scarce, they took to destroying the roads. Making huge gaping holes right across the middle and they did so in the places where you couldn't just drive around.

We heard about these holes before heading to Kentucky. Hence why we had to take the roundabout way.

We saw the first of the road block holes, just about forty miles into the state of Ohio.

There went the idea of heading directly west. I was following behind the RV when it slowed down, then finally stopped.

The toy radio hissed and then Dodge's voice crackled. "Hey Wills, we have to turn around." George, who was my riding partner, lifted the radio and responded that we 'roger that'.

They were pink princess radios, Dodge got them from the budget store so we could communicate during the ride. He figured the range wasn't that good and we wouldn't be picked up by an unwanted third party. But just on the outside chance, I wasn't allowed to speak on them.

I hung back until Dodge turned the RV. He lifted his hand in a wave as they drove by slowly and then I turned around and followed.

"Bud said don't worry," Dodge came over the radio. "He said we're in KOA heaven."

I chuckled and told George. "Tell him, I said I bet."

"Wills is not surprised," George stated.

I followed behind, lagging more like it, being told to keep up. Old habits of being a law abiding driver die hard.

After backtracking a good ten miles, we veered off a lesser known exit.

"This will take us North," Dodge said. "How you doing on gas."

George radioed my response of, "Still good. But we're getting hungry."

"Oh stop," I nudged George playfully. "I didn't say that. Are you hungry though?"

"A little."

"You didn't eat much this morning."

"That's 'cause Dodge kept hurrying us," George said.

"He did, didn't he?"

"You don't suppose he was worried about something do you?"

To me, George was perceptive, because I also noticed a difference in Dodge's demeanor. It was a conversation I wasn't going to have with George. So I said, "Nah, he's fine, just nervous. But if you're hungry. I have chips. Want some?"

George nodded fast and assuredly.

My small bag was just in the back seat and as I reached behind for it, I glanced through the back window. Coming up in the distance from behind was a motorcycle and car.

"Shit."

"What?" George asked.

I quickly turned around. My hair had grown, and I grabbed it pulling it upwards. "Put your hat on my head. Hurry."

George took off his baseball cap, his little hands shook has he adjusted the back. "Someone's coming, ain't they Faye?"

"Hurry."

George placed the hat on my head, while I held my hair. Heart pounding rapidly, I quickly looked in the mirror at my plain reflection as I ordered to George. "Radio Dodge. Tell him we may have trouble."

George picked up the pink radio.

TWELVE - DODGE

It didn't take long for me to remember why Tyler and I butted heads all the time. In the first few weeks after our reunion and after the gratefulness of his being 'alive' started to fade, my 'Tyler' reality came forth.

"Tyler," I said his name, trying not to lose it. Hand over the steering wheel, looking forward, focusing on the empty road while he rambled on insidiously.

"I'm telling you."

"Tyler."

"It was too fast. Bet me. Bet me it was a means of population control."

"Ok," I held up my hand. "Let's say for a second, hypothetically that it was deliberately released as a means to control the population. Don't you think they would have tested it? Or at least been aware of its lethality? Better yet if it was population control, don't you think it went a bit far killing off all the women?"

"They didn't know."

"They would have tested it."

"On who?'

I shrugged. "I don't know."

"Just think about it."

"I do. Every time you bring it up which is every time you see a picture or a billboard."

"Why are you being mean to me?" Tyler asked. "You always were."

"I'm not being mean. Really."

"I just don't think it was nature."

I huffed out, thinking, 'here we go again' when the radio hissed out static. Just before I could even register my happiness over the interruption, or before I heard George's voice, Bud whispered out a worried, "Dodge."

I sensed it in the way he said my name and my eyes immediately glanced up to the mirror.

'We have trouble," said George.

No shit. I thought. There in the rearview mirror I saw the motorcycle and the car. We hadn't seen anyone in months. Then again, we really hadn't left the safety of the community around Faye's house.

Seeing people was a bit disconcerting, especially since they seemed to follow us, but more than that was the fact that the motorcycle pulled up to Faye's car, riding alongside and looking in.

Finally I put on my turn signal and slowed down, pulling over.

Stay in the car, Faye, stay in the car. I thought.

Once stopped, I checked my pistol, secured it within reach and looked at Tyler. "Go in the back with Darie. I need Bud ready to roll if there's trouble."

"What do they want?" Tyler asked.

"I don't know."

Bud said, "Do you think they saw Faye?"

"She's wearing a hat, but she's not hiding that she's a woman too well." I opened the RV door and stepped out.

The car pulled up and parked just on the other side of the road and the motorcyclist parked his bike next to the car. I thought all was good until I noticed Faye pulling close. I tried not to show the cringe as she parked between us and only about ten feet back,

Was she nuts? She certainly wasn't thinking.

Again I pleaded in my mind for her to stay in the car.

There were two men. The one who drove was about my age, and the other maybe in his late twenties.

Surely there were more. Why would they drive two vehicles if there weren't?

The older of the two seemed hospitable enough as he made his approach. "Hank," He held out his hand. "Boy it's good to see people. This here is Powell."

Powell kept looking at the car. "Got a little kid in there." He stepped closer to Faye.

"Can you not ..." I stopped him. "I'm little leery. I mean, we don't know you."

Hank nodded. "Makes sense. Saw you guys ride by our camp. Saw the gasoline cans."

Hank's voice faded to the back of my head, my focus was on Powell who kept looking at the car. And then the car door opened.

While Faye kept her distance and wore that damn hat, I wanted to scream. What was wrong with her? Why would she get out? I was going to kill her and I readied for trouble.

Powell kept staring.

Then finally, I realized Hank was asking me something.

"I'm sorry, what?" I questioned.

"Gas. Can you spare any gas?"

"Seriously?" My eyes went back and forth between the two men. If they hadn't seen people in a while, then why were they acting so casual? Something really was up.

"Seriously," Hank said.

"My man, there are gas stations everywhere that have reserves. The reserves are filled."

"There's no power."

"Go to Home Depo, grab a generator and a pump, then suck it out like us."

"Why are you getting so upset?"

"It's just that, this is feeling awfully uncomfortable." I told him. 'I mean, you follow us, you shake hands and you keep looking at ..."

"That a woman?" Powell asked, "You got a woman."

There it was.

Powell took two steps toward the car. "Hank, he got that woman the radio called out about."

I reached out and grabbed his arm. "It's not a woman." I made eye contact with him, staring him down, trying my best to look intimidating. After all, I wasn't a small man. It had to work to some degree

"Looks like a woman." Powell said with a snicker.

"It's not."

"I can smell a woman."

I laughed. "You're out of your goddamn mind. Smell a woman. That's a man."

"I'm telling you ..."

"Powell." Hank silenced him, "If the man says that's not a woman, it's not. Got it?"

"But ..."

"Got it?"

"Fine."

At that point I was done and ready to go. My eyes kept on moving, looking for more people hiding in the bushes. I shouted to Faye. "Wills. Back in the car, we got to go."

Faye's back was to us, she nodded and got in the car.

"Where you headed?" Hank asked.

"West. Now if you don't mind." I grabbed the RV door.

"What about that gas?" Hank asked. "Looks like you got plenty. How about a can till we get to the Home Depo?"

My jaw twitched and I assessed the men. Again, I kept waiting for someone to come from the side of the road hiding there waiting for the opportunity to ambush us. "Stay here." I instructed and walked over to the car. I stood by the driver's window, while reaching up to the roof, my voice was low. "Don't let on I'm talking to you. But what the hell were you thinking getting out of the car?"

"I thought you were in trouble."

"And you would do what?" I undid the chord holding the gas can.

"Why are you giving them our gas?"

"So they go away."

"Will they?"

"I don't know. Shut the window." I pulled down the canister.

"Do I stink?"

My shock over her question caused me to pause. "What?" I whispered.

"Stink. That man said he smelled ..."

I didn't even let her finish or justify her comment with an answer. I shook my head and walked with the gas to the two men. "Here this should start a generator. Saw a sign for a Home store about ten miles back. Best of luck to you."

"Much obliged," Hank took the can. "We'll be seeing you."

"I doubt that," I said.

"You never know." Hank smiled and walked to their car "Powell."

Powell again hesitated. He was too focused on Faye. He knew. How could he not?

My plan was to wait. Wait until they got on the bike and in the car and drove off. Once they moved in the other direction and I was satisfied with that, I'd get back in the RV and move forward to our first night's stop.

But no sooner did Powell hop on his bike, and Hank open his driver's door, that we all heard it and then saw it.

A helicopter.

It flew slowly over head, circled and then appeared to be hovering for a moment. The wind from the blades was sharp, as tiny particles of dirt blasted against my face and eyes.

"Must be looking for that woman." Powell said snidely, then jumped on and started his bike.

"See you around." Hank got in the car, shut the door, and started his engine.

Within in a minute, they both had turned around and headed back in the other direction ... south. They did take one more look at Faye as they rode by that sent a shiver up my spine.

Before getting in the RV, I walked back to the car. "Don't ever get out of the car again. Please." I told Faye firmly.

"Dodge," George said excitedly. "You see them choppers? They rescuing us?'

"I doubt it." I replied. Knowing full well, the choppers weren't good news. They moved on, but I was certain they'd be back.

"What did they want?" George asked. "I mean they were looking at us."

"Yep." I nodded. "Looking for her. Stay ..." I pointed, "out of sight."

"Dodge, wait." Faye called my name as I took a step away.

"What Faye? And please don't ask me if you stink."

"No, those men. You think they'll follow us?"

"I don't know," I exhaled. "They went in the other direction. Let's just hope it stays that way." With a tap to the roof, I walked back to the RV.

I just wanted to get moving and hopefully, that campground was as remotely located as Bud kept saying.

It had to be.

THIRTEEN - FAYE

A part of me thought Bud was out of his mind and that map of his was too old - until we pulled through the gate. Of course the hidden paradise campground was marked on that the gate's entrance, and Dodge made it a point to pull over and remove that sign.

Dodge was paranoid and rightfully so. We had encountered that duo. I didn't see the problem with those men. Yeah, they were odd but they weren't dangerous. They just needed gas.

I tried to bring that up to Dodge, but he blew me off. I guess he wanted to settle for the night. The campground was really nice even with the overgrown grass and the apocalypse looking grounds. The playground was still viable because it didn't have grass, it was mulch and while it was still daylight, the boys ran to the swing set.

Bud was saying people retreated there when the virus hit and we saw the campers and tents when we arrived. Bodies remained, some wrapped, some just laying on the ground, dead in and on sleeping bags, their corpses showing signs of the sickness.

Those poor people, they came to find refuge from the sickness only unable to outrun it after all.

Personally I would have stayed in my own home, my own bed. Not in some pop up tin can or tent.

Although the cabins were nice the main luxury cabin sat center of the compound. Bud made a bad joke. "Bet me it's available."

Dodge laughed and so did George and Darie. Me and Tyler sought the humor.

It felt secure there, safe and hidden. Not a soul was around, yet Dodge felt the need to go check the grounds. I could only imagine the pressure he was feeling knowing that he was stepping out of the sanctity of my neighborhood and he had to watch out for me.

And then my mind raced with neuroticism. I couldn't shake what the one man had said. Combine that with the fact that it was inane, I was bothered even more. How could I worry about something so stupid in a dead world, yet I did. No matter how barren and different life was, a part of me slipped back to the mindset of life before the virus.

It made me worry more. Even with a hat and baggy clothes, how could Dodge protect and hide me if someone could catch my scent?

They could only catch my scent if ... I smelled.

The thought of that made me cringe.

I washed, I did. Every chance I had. Granted taking full baths were few and far between but not a part of my body suffered from a lack of cleansing.

Perhaps I was ill or it was an after effect of the sickness.

They all acted like I was crazy, I probably sounded it.

I asked Darie. "Do I smell?

He giggled and said. "Yes, you smell through your nose.'

"No, Darie, do I ..." I lowered my voice as if it were a curse word. "Stink?"

He laughed,

I asked George.

He replied. "You're silly."

Tyler's response was a question. "Are you worried?"

"Yes."

"That's funny that you're worried about that." And he walked away.

Dodge firmly told me, "There are other things to worry about."

I asked and they all told me I was silly, yet not a single one of them said, 'No you don't smell."

Bud, I never got to ask him. He made it abundantly clear to me that he was not interested in discussing the matter when he told me he was getting the well pumps working and we'd have water soon.

Until the water was ready, I kept my distance. I was a bit ashamed.

I sat on the side porch of the cabin by myself, watching the boys until they were done playing and Bud called them for supper. Tyler was off working on some project, I could hear him singing.

I enjoyed listening to him. The sun was just starting to really set when Dodge startled me and sat next to me on the step.

"Hey," he said.

I jumped a little and moved over.

"I brought you dinner. Canned stew." He handed me a bowl

"Thanks." I moved even more out of his way. "I'll eat in a few minutes." I set the bowl on the step next to me.

"Faye, what in God's name is wrong with you? You never miss eating with the boys."

"Truth?"

"No less."

"I'm a little embarrassed."

"About?"

"The fact that I .... That I smell."

"Oh my God." Dodge gasped out. "You cannot be serious?"

"I am, Dodge. I stink."

"Faye ..."

"No. I asked and everyone laughs or says I'm silly but no one will say I don't stink."

"Is this all still over what that asshole said?"

"Yes." I nodded. "He said he smelled me." I shuddered. "For a woman, that's just horrible to hear."

"You realize the world pretty much went to shit. Right?" Dodge stated. "People died. Nearly everyone. Worrying about body odor or smelling is absolutely absurd."

I gasped. "So I do stink."

"Stop it."

"You're not answering. That man said he smelled a woman."

"And he probably did."

I hurriedly covered my face.

"The whole goddamn apocalypse can smell you."

I just wanted to die, right there and then.

Dodge continued only this time with an air of hostility, "You wash Faye, you wash all the time. You use that stupid purple soap, and that blue powdery smelling deodorant, not to mention that spray for bugs. It ridiculous."

"You sound mad."

"It makes me mad. We can cut your hair, dress you bad, hide your breasts but we can't stop you from smelling like a woman."

"In a good way not ..."

"Faye." He barked. "This is not important. Do you think I care if I smell?"

"No. But in case you're wondering you don't."

Dodge growled. "Why is this a concern? There's no reason to try to smell good."

"You're wrong," I told him. "Everywhere we go, everything smells bad. The world has gone so wrong, and we are reminded not only by what we see, but by what we smell. A good smell is just a tiny deviation that is needed. Also smells can trigger a memory, good or bad. You smell roses you may think of your grandmother, or honey and think of a friend. You smell rank body odor, you may think of that boy who beat you up in eighth grade gym class..." I paused when Dodge just glared at me. "Not that anyone beat you up in eighth grade gym."

I playfully nudged him.

Dodge folded his hands, elbows resting on his knees. "Faye, I like the way you smell. Don't get me wrong, I do. It makes everything wrong with the world a little more tolerable at times. But right now, you're the only one that smells like that and that worries me. I can't keep you safe if they can lock onto your scent."

Heavily I exhaled in revelation of what he was saying. It wasn't that I was trying to smell feminine, it was just the things I was accustomed to using were feminine. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think about it."

"Yeah, well. Neither did I." Dodge looked at me and smiled with a closed mouth. "Honestly, I didn't until that guy said it and all of a sudden I noticed the powder smell. And it pissed me off that I missed that. I didn't even think of that. That won't happen again."

"Dodge, you don't have to do this. You don't have to stress out to keep me safe. I am not your responsibility."

"I know I don't have to do anything. It's what I want to do." Then Dodge did something odd. He reached over, out of the blue, yet so naturally he rested his hand on mine. "I just want you to feel safe, that's all."

I looked down at his hand, felt the roughness of his skin, then as I felt the security of that hand, I slipped my fingers in between his. 'More than you realize, I do. I feel very safe."

Dodge smiled and chuckled almost nervously. He stared at me for a second, brought our joined hands to his lips and kissed the back of my fingers before releasing the hold. "Good." He cleared his throat. "And now that we established that you don't stink." He reached over me and grabbed the bowl of food, then placed it in my hands. "Eat."

I laughed, not loudly, but an airy laugh that escaped my chest. I enjoyed that moment on the steps with Dodge, and then I enjoyed my canned stew

FOURTEEN - DODGE

The helicopter made three passes around the camp, waking me up just after dawn. I didn't get too much sleep but got more than I did the night before.

Tyler was on watch, he said he'd stay up all night and sleep in the RV during the day. Bud offered but I hated that he was wearing himself down. He needed rest and for as much as he tried to deny it, he wasn't a spring chicken. Hell, he had more than a decade on me and I was beat. Tyler could do it, in my mindset, all he had to do was sit on the porch, listen and watch.

In the months since being together the boys had taken a liking to me and when they slept, they slept in my room. The cabin didn't have lots of room options for them so they slept in bed with me. It was a full size bed, big enough for me and two small boys. But it didn't quite work out that way. George was comfy and near the center, shoving me nearly to the edge while Darie sandwiched between us. Darie however, sometime during the night, decided to be acrobatic and I woke up to his little foot in my face.

I moved the foot, slid out of bed, and stretched to work out the kinks.

Bud was in the bed next to us and when I looked over, his eyes were open causing me to jump. Then he blinked.

"Christ, Bud," I said in a whisper. "You're awake."

"Whatcha think? I was dead?"

"Yes."

"Probably looked that way, who can sleep with the ruckus and the choppers."

"Then Faye heard them?" I asked.

"More than likely. I heard her step out before you woke." Bud sat up and stretched. "She's getting cleaned up. Then making food before we leave. Tyler told her to use the green soap and not the purple. Then she said you were an asshole."

"Me?"

Bud shrugged and stood. "Yep. You. Guess she liked the purple soap. I liked the purple soap. Smelled too female for me though."

"That's the reason she can't use the purple soap." I looked down on at my watch, it was just after six am. "We'll let the boys sleep a little more. I'll be back."

"Where you going?"

"Making sure everything is okay." My boots were in the kitchen area of the cabin, and I grabbed the chair, pulled it out and sat down. I didn't lace my boots, only put them on with a stomp and when I stood grabbing my flannel shirt, that's when I noticed.

I didn't see Tyler. I peered again out the window and to the chair on the porch.

He wasn't there.

At first it worried me then I thought he probably walked Faye to the shower room since the one in the main cabin didn't work. He would have walked her there, and hung out to make sure everything was fine.

I opened the door and realized that wasn't the case. Faye wasn't fine.

The moment I stepped on to the porch, I heard Faye scream.

FIFTEEN - FAYE

Tyler took the night watch and was sitting on the porch when I slipped out to get cleaned up. When I told him I wanted to clean up, he asked me to stay put, checked out the building and lit a kerosene heater.

It was a chilly morning, and I wasn't looking forward to washing with cold water. Bud had used the generator to get the pumps working and the water flowed in the main shower building...cold water that was.

The little heater made the space toasty warm, and though he was supposed to be on the porch, Tyler sat on the path waiting for me to finish.

I washed in spurts, talking intermittently to Tyler.

We had seen the chopper when we walked toward the shower building, and it made a couple more passes.

"I don't think it saw you," he said from outside.

"I hope not." I shuddered as the cold cloth ran over my chest. I used the green soap as recommended. It was strong and soapy smelling. I never liked it even before the virus, but at least I would smell like everyone else. Except Darie, who was hard put to let us wash him. I think it is a fear that goes back to the first day we met him, when he was coated in a layer of dead flesh and maggots. Dodge had to pull each and every maggot from his hair.

After finishing, I stayed close to the heater to stay warm and got dressed, even wearing those ridiculous heavy man boots Dodge insisted on.

"You never know when we're gonna have to hike it or run," Dodge said. "So the flip flops are out."

Hike it or run? I could barely walk in those boots. But like with the soap, I'd do it.

I felt good and was ready to make some breakfast for the kids. We had powdered eggs and I'd cook that up with a can of corned beef hash. Dodge would be happy since I inundated him with Spam for breakfast.

Dodge.

I thought a lot about him before I fell asleep and when I woke up, I peeked in on the boys cuddled and crowding Dodge on the bed.

Dodge was a good man. He gave me hope that people would keep their humanity even in the wake of a ravaged world.

Not wanting to cause a fire, I reached for the heater, but stopped. "Ty," I called out. "Is there a special way to shut this off? Do I just turn the knob or will the kerosene still seep?"

I didn't get a reply.

"Tyler?" I walked to the door. Had he left to go back to the house? He wasn't sitting directly by the door, but a few paces down the path. He heard me every other time I called out.

Thinking it was strange that he would leave the 'Faye Washing' post without telling me, I walked to the door.

Turning the handing, I pulled it open, calling out his name. "Tyler."

Hank stood there. The man from the highway. It took me by surprise and I jumped.

"Hey there. Faye is it?"

I didn't have time to register if he were alone or if that other guy, Powell, was with him. Instinctive I knew it wasn't a good situation and without hesitation, I tried to shut the door.

Too slow. Too late. Hank pushed forward grabbed for my arm and yanked me out, before I could scream, he pulled me into him and covered my mouth.

My eyes watered from the stench of his fingers that pressed hard under my nose. They smelled foul.

He held me around the waist, my back pressed to his chest. I squirmed, I wasn't going to be an easy take. I wasn't some Martial arts master or rough, tough Mad Max woman who could perform phenomenal fighting feats. I was just scared and that worsened when I saw the snide look on Powell's face as he approached.

He retracted a fist, I saw it coming. With everything I had, I reared back my heavy boot, hoping for a connection into Hank's shin.

I hit him and his grip released at the same time Powell's fist sailed forward.

In my greatest fantasy, Powell would have hit Hank, but I didn't have time to look, I just ran.

I didn't make it far, not because they got me, but because I saw Tyler lying on the ground next to his folding chair. There was blood all around him and I screamed.

Run to the cabin, I thought. Run. Get Dodge. Get help.

I made it just to the end of the path at the beginning of the clearing before the cabin and I saw Dodge.

I heaved out the biggest exhale of relief. I focused on him charging my way.

Hank or Powell, I didn't know which one, grabbed me from behind. But that didn't stop Dodge. He was a blur through my peripheral vision. Everything moved so fast. I watched as Dodge struck forth with a massive blow to whoever was on my left. Then he grabbed him and tossed him down.

It was Powell.

Powell laid on the ground and that was when Hank released me.

"Run," Dodge said.

Hank went for Dodge and that was a mistake.

From what I saw, they were no match for an outraged Dodge.

Again, Dodge battling the two men, hollered, "Run."

Run where? Then my first instinct was to go to Tyler.

As I turned, I saw two more men approaching the fight from behind Dodge. Before I could yell out a warning, one of the men, raised a bat and sailed it down towards Dodge as if he were going for a grand slam.

It struck Dodge against the upper back and then as Dodge teetered forward, the man struck down, hitting Dodge in the head.

I thought they killed him.

I saw the blood spray out when it connected and Dodge went down.

A screamed of fear, worry and need for help rumbled from my belly through my chest.

Dodge went down.

The four men pounced viciously on him kicking him, striking him. I didn't know what to do, how to help. My heart raced out of control. Dodge was beaten, Tyler was hurt or worse.

Tyler.

Tyler had a gun.

I spun to race that few feet to Tyler and skidded to a stop with the first blasting and echoing boom of a shotgun.

A turn of my head, a glance over my shoulder and Powell flew up and backwards from the hit.

In the time it took to engage the chamber, a second shot was fired. Baseball bat man went down.

Bud was on the porch of the cabin. He engaged the chamber, shifted his body and blasted the third man.

He stood on that porch waiting for Hank to stumble to a stand and when he did, Bud shot him as well.

Both of the Cash men were down for the count. I yelled, "Help him," to Bud as I turned. "Tyler's hurt."

I ran as fast as I could to poor Tyler. The young man looked so helpless laying on the ground on his side. There was a pool of blood by his stomach.

My hands shook as I reached for his shoulder and he groaned.

I sighed out. He was alive.

He wasn't shot, it looked as if he were knifed in the gut. Gently I rolled him onto his back and removed my sweatshirt. He bled badly and I didn't know what to do. Cover the wound was all I knew, cover and pressure.

I placed my bunched up sweatshirt over the huge gash in his gut.

"Faye," he said weakly. "I'm sorry."

"No, sweetie. No. It's gonna be fine." I felt the emotions creep up my throat. His face was pale, and on my knees I applied more pressure but I panicked.

I couldn't breathe. I wanted to scream and cry out. This wasn't happening. It wasn't. I looked around, left to right, wanting help. But this wasn't the old world. There wasn't anyone to call, to come rushing to the aid of a fallen teenager.

Or was there?

At the edge of insanity, ready to lose it, he came running down the path. It was soldier, or at least he was dressed like one. He wore camouflage pants, a dirty green tee shirt, and his military cover was open. He slid in like a baseball player and to his knees dropping his backpack.

"Let me look." He said, removing my trembling hands from the sweatshirt. He lifted the shirt slightly. "Farmer!" He called out. "Hold this." He said to me.

I did. Who was this man that just rushed in?

"Farmer! Stat. One down," he called out again.

A younger man, thin, also in uniform ran down the path toward us. He had a bigger pack which he set down by Tyler's head.

"I got this, Major."

The 'major' acknowledge with a nod, and stood. "I'll go assist Lane with the other man."

My eyes only looked briefly at the major as he walked away then back to Farmer who was reaching in his bag.

"I'm Lt. Farmer, I'm a flight medic. What is his name?" he asked as he pulled out a syringe.

"Tyler." I said.

"Tyler," Farmer spoke to him. "Hey, Tyler, look at me. Open your eyes. Let me know you're with us."

Tyler opened his eyes.

"Good. Good boy. You're gonna be okay," Farmer said. "I'm gonna give you something right now for the pain and it will relax you so I can help. And another injection of antibiotics. Don't need you getting sick."

Farmer worked quickly injecting the medication into Tyler then scooting down more toward the wound. He flapped open the backpack which was filled with different items. I didn't know what they were, they looked like bandages.

After ripping open what looked like a huge gauze pad, Farmer removed the sweatshirt. "Looks like a hunting knife." He examined the wound. His face scrunched up as his fingers probed the wound. "Deep too. Hold this on here." He said to me, then reached back into this bag.

I held the bandage as Farmer prepared something and the major returned. He was a man of average height and build, nothing extraordinary, but he presented strength and didn't project an overbearing nature. I couldn't tell his age, his face was worn and his brown hair was dashed with some gray. All of which could have occurred after the virus. He looked forty but could have been thirty. I didn't know.

"How is he?" The major asked about Tyler.

Farmer exhaled and shook his head. "I don't know. Whatever they gutted him with hit something. We have internal bleeding. What about the man?"

"Alive. Strong guy. Lane said a couple broken ribs, arm is broken. Head injury. He doesn't think it's a fractured skull or that he has any internal bleeding. He wants you to assess. But nothing a few days rest won't help with. What about him?"

"We do nothing and the kid bleeds out. I can perform field surgery but ... that's not the best option. Major, he weighs no more than a buck fifty."

The major looked at me. "Is this your son?"

I answered quickly, "Yes."

"Then he goes, too. Stabilize him," The major said to Farmer and turned.

He goes? My mind raced and I was about to ask what that meant when another solider approached the major.

"What do you want me to do?" Another soldier asked.

"Radio Carlisle base. Tell them we're flying in with the mission and an injured male. The rest of the squad can drive there. We'll take first transport down. Administer what is needed for the injured man, and get the men to clear out those bodies. There are kids for crying out loud. Make sure the old man is fine, and needs nothing. Map out the route and leave the kids some candy." The major walked through the path.

"Ma'am," Farmer called for my attention.

I looked to him. He held what looked like a huge syringe, but there wasn't a needle. It wasn't clear, it was blue and wide. "What is that?"

"It's injectable field foam. It will coat the insides and stop the bleeding until we can get him into surgery. We use it in combat. Just need you to hold him still, 'cause I have to go into the wound and inject."

I nodded, intent on following instructions. "You'll go check on Dodge after this?"

"The other injured man?" He asked while he worked. "Yes. But Lane is pretty good."

"Who are you people?" I asked.

"United States Army. I am at least. Lane is Air force. But what does that matter now right?"

"What are you doing here?"

"We were looking for you. Been following you since Pennsylvania."

"Why?"

"You're kidding right?" He partially smiled. "You're the last woman. And good thing for you guys, we arrived when we did."

Everything seemed like a dream, a bad dream. One moment happy family, then next devastated by reality. All I could do was hope for the best and pray it all worked out.

I stayed with Tyler until Farmer said he was stable. They'd be moving him soon and me for that matter, instructing me to get my things. It was as if I wasn't given a choice, and I had questions. I knew the major could answer them.

As soon as I emerged into the clearing by the cabin the major in my sights, George ran to me, hugging me as soon as he saw me.

"I'm okay," I told him.

"I was worried. How's Ty?"

"Bad." I told him. "Where's Dodge?" I didn't see Dodge or the bodies.

"Inside. They are fixing his arm. He's not awake."

The major must have heard this because he walked to me and interjected. "He'll be out for a day or so, but we believe he'll be fine. We'll give you a few moments to get your things."

"Wait. Wait." I held up my hands.

George asked innocently, "Are we leaving?"

The major answered him. "Son, she's coming with us. We gave the older man directions to where we're going."

"Where am I going?" I asked. "I can't leave my family."

"You have an obligation to your country," he said. "An obligation to the human race to go."

"I'm not going to be a human guinea pig."

"I give you my word that is not the case. Yes, they'll be tests, but it needs to be done."

"I'm not going. You can't make me go," I said adamantly.

"You are absolutely right. My orders are to get you no matter what. Willing or not. But if you tell me you are not going, then I am reporting that I lost you. I don't agree with taking you against your will. Understand?"

"I understand."

"Then understand this. Your son is seriously injured. He needs help that we can provide. Without it, when that foam disintegrates, he'll bleed out. Flying him to our survivor camp is his best hope. He goes with you or he doesn't go at all."

"That's blackmail," I said.

"Yeah, well ... how about this for blackmail," he told me. "Your family was in danger because of you being a woman. You ... were in danger. Do you think if the old man wouldn't have shot that those men would have left the little ones alone? No. For their protection and yours, this is the best thing."

My lips pursed and I felt a lump in my stomach, especially when George whined out a 'no'.

I turned to George and crouched some. "I don't want to go or leave you. But Tyler needs me to help him."

"I need you, Faye. Don't you need us, too?"

"Oh my God with all my heart," I grabbed him and embraced him. "But when big tough Dodge wakes up, he's gonna need you because he's going to be sad. So you keep him strong and get him to me." I pulled back, then cupped his face in my hands. "Okay?"

He pouted as he nodded.

I placed my lips to his cheek. "Be strong. I will be thinking of you and waiting for you."

His head hung and it broke my heart, I hate leaving him and Darie, and I wouldn't go with the soldiers if Tyler didn't need the help. They could help him, from what I witnessed and the way they worked on him right then and there told me they weren't bad men, they were doing their job and that was to get me. While it appeared as if I were leaving without thought, that wasn't the case. I was going for Tyler, Dodge would want that. Refusing to go would endanger Dodge's son. After all we had been through, I would not nor could not let Dodge lose another child.

As I walked by the major, he stopped me. "I don't mean to be a hard ass. For you and them, this really needs to be done."

I acknowledged what he said and moved to the cabin. George stayed close behind me. I thought as soon as I stepped inside, how great it would be to be a four year old like Darie. If he was fazed by all that was happening, he had already moved on and was sat at the table playing with a truck.

Bud made eye contact with me while talking to another soldier. I pointed to the back bedroom, indicating that I was going there. I heard the soldier speaking as I gathered my things. The soldier was explaining to Bud about medication he left, what he was to do, and apparently he had given Bud a speed course on changing IV bags because he mention he left a replacement bag.

I didn't take much, some pictures and half my clothes. I did however take the Wilkes Watch that I'd had since I woke up in that stadium. I always had it with me, it was with me from the very beginning of my journey.

What I took was minimal, but it included the small truck that Darie made me, and the items I brought that belonged to my own children. I stuffed my purple soap in the bag, because it didn't matter anymore if I smelled feminine.

I was found.

After shouldering the bag, I stepped out of the room. Farmer was examining Dodge and that was the first time I got a good look at him. An ache filled my entire chest. Dodge was strong, yet looked so hurt and helpless on that sofa. Head bandaged, arm in an air cast, chest wrapped, an IV and his eyes closed.

Darie was consumed with his toy and I made my goodbye to him quick and without drama. I didn't want to stir fear in the child. I kissed him, hugged him and said I would see him soon.

I stood by Bud waiting for Farmer to finish. Bud rubbed a hand up and down my back. "You all right?" he asked.

Arms folded close to my body, I nodded. "Poor Dodge."

"He took a hell of a beating."

"Thank you." I turned to Bud. "Thank you for shooting ..."

He stopped me with a shake of his head. "Didn't do nothing no one else would do. How's the boy?"

"He's bad. That's the only reason I'm leaving."

"I know. And they gave us directions, so we'll be there. Might be a while. God knows how long it will take and we aren't leaving till he's well. But we'll get there. I promise."

I reached out to Bud and embraced him. "Watch them."

"And you take care of Tyler and yourself."

"I'm scared."

"Me, too."

He kissed me on the cheek and I closed my eyes.

Farmer cleared his throat which caused me to step back.

"How is he?" I asked.

"Everything that Lane said is spot on. He'll be fine in a week, but he shouldn't move for a few days. He'll probably wake up tomorrow but he's got a head injury," Farmer looked at Bud. "Don't be surprised if he's a little out of it for a couple days."

"My wife had a head injury once. I remember," Bud said.

"Good. Ma'am we gotta go. We need to get to the chopper."

"I understand, I just need a minute."

Farmer shook hands with Bud, wished him luck then slipped out.

I had said my goodbyes to Darie, George and Bud, and I just needed to say goodbye to Dodge. I didn't realize how hard it was going to be until I stepped toward the couch.

"Dodge," I whispered his name as I knelt by him. "I know you can't hear me. Maybe you can." I grabbed his hand. "Thank you for coming to my rescue. I promise with everything I am to watch your son. He means the world to me, too. All of you do. Get well." I leaned closer, placing my mouth near his ear. "Get strong, then come and get me." Softly I kissed his forehead, leaving my lips to linger there before I finally stood and said my final goodbyes.

Every bit of my insides shook, I was scared to death. They had become a part of me, George, Darie, Bud, Tyler and Dodge. Leaving them was like leaving a security blanket. I didn't want to walk away. I gathered what little courage I had and finally left, holding on to the hope that it wasn't the last time I'd see them, and before long we'd be reunited.

SIXTEEN - MAJOR JAMES REYNOLDS

The RV was our tip off. We knew Dodge was traveling with an old man and two boys in that RV. A woman named Faye called out to Dodge. When we spotted the RV on a highway in Ohio we had a good inkling it was them. Farmer was flying the chopper and reported they stopped at a campsite.

I arrived there before dawn. I didn't even see the marauders enter the camp.

But at least we were able to save the young man. He wasn't out of the woods, but he stood a better chance with us. The north east regional squads were directed to head back down to COM Camp. The other squads scattered about the country were still on a directive to find other women. Giving up on that search meant giving up on the race. We'd keep searching until we exhausted our resources.

The woman Faye could not carry that burden alone.

Physically she was fine, emotionally she wasn't. She was like a lost puppy when we pulled away. She sat with me and Tyler in the back of the truck, and watched as we pulled away from the camp. I could see it on her face, the sadness, as the little boy ran after the truck until we pulled too far away.

She sobbed when he disappeared from sight.

The chopper was waiting on the highway and we lifted safely. Tyler's vitals were holding strong, but we had to move fast. We were six hours from the foam breaking down. I was hopeful the plane would be ready when we reached Carlisle.

Even as we lifted, Faye kept staring out the window. She confessed to me that Tyler wasn't actually her son, and I told her, that like a priest I would keep that confession confidential.

It was for the best if everyone at camp believed he was her son. Not that I doubted the care he'd get, but it was an assurance they'd give their all.

She didn't speak after that, the noise from the chopper was too loud. In fact, she didn't say a word until we were on the plan and airborne. She stayed next to Tyler.

I offered her a water and a breakfast biscuit, she took both, then after she thanked me, she asked me my name.

"Reynolds. Major Reynolds."

"What is your first name?"

"I'm sorry." I sat down on the bench across from her. "It's James."

"Where are we going?"

"COM camp," I replied. "Five division bases in the Panhandle of Florida. The main complex is located north west of the Apalachicola National forest."

"COM Camp?"

"Acronym. Continuity of Mankind. The primary base, the medical research center and housing was developed many years ago. It's like an outdoor biosphere, best way I can describe. No-one thought it would ever be used."

"When did they start moving people there?"

"When they had a viable cure and treatment."

She immediately locked eyes with me. "If they can cure it, why is it a dead world?"

"They cured it too late. So now they are moving on to the next phase. Continuity of Mankind. We can go back to the old way of life, but that plan ends if we don't find a solution."

"I'm not the only one."

"Let's hope."

"What are they going to do to me?" she asked.

"Medically, I don't know. Like I said there will be tests."

"Will I be a prisoner?"

"You'll be protected." I replied.

"A prisoner."

"Ma'am ..."

"Faye."

"Faye ... you have to be protected. Right now it's still early, people are still healing. But a couple more months, no women, it's not going to be good. You need to be secured."

"A prisoner."

"No." I shook my head. "Not at all."

"Will I get to be with Tyler?"

"I don't see why not."

"You aren't bringing me down there to be part of some sick sexual lottery, are you?"

As wrong as it was, as inappropriate as it seemed, I laughed. After that brief laughter, I cleared my throat. "No."

She groaned out a, 'hmm,' and turned her head.

"This entire thing is a scary prospect, I understand that. You won't be a prisoner, mistreated or a lottery prize. I give you my word. I know you don't know me and have no reason to trust me. But my word is all I have left in this Godforsaken world and that too isn't going to hell."

Finally, she looked back at me. Staring at me with a look of acceptance over my word.

She was scared, rightfully so. One moment she is moving on with a group she trusts, trying to put her life back together, and the next she is swept away, headed south as a means to save the human race.

Was that even possible? That still had to be determined.

Her fears were founded. There was uncertainty there. I didn't know what they had planned for Faye, but I would do all I could to make sure it wasn't the nightmare she was fearing. Because before we could even begin to save the human race, we had to first preserve our humanity.

SEVENTEEN - FAYE

It was the first time I had been in a helicopter, and thankfully I worried more for Tyler than I did the flight. His body shook and jolted with every sway of the bird. He remained unconscious the entire time. Farmer told me it was the medication he gave him and resting was for the best.

We arrived at an Army base somewhere mid Pennsylvania.

A small military cargo plane was waiting and we boarded then took off faster than I believed possible. Farmer kept checking on Tyler, telling me he was doing well. But I could see his belly starting to distend. I asked Farmer about it. I wasn't a doctor but even to me it didn't look right.

It was the internal bleeding and the clock was ticking between the disintegrating foam and the desperate need for surgery.

The flight took two hours and a van was waiting when we arrived. We went from the back of the cargo plane to the van. There were no windows and all I knew was it was hot. Muggy and hot.

The major, whose first name was James, didn't really speak unless I spoke to him first. He sat across from me on the plane and behind me in the back of the van. He gave promise after promise that I wasn't going to be some test subject hooked up to machines. I envisioned my prison camp as a hospital room. I'd wear nothing but a hospital gown, in a white room with white walls. No one would find me and I'd watch life, or what I could of it, through a lab window.

That was what I believed. What else could there be?

We stopped only once after getting in the van, and from what I could hear from the voices, it was a check point. We moved forward again only a short distance and then after a complete stop, the back doors to the van opened.

Greeting us were two men in hospital scrubs, standing with a gurney. They immediately stepped in the van and grabbed Tyler.

As I hurried from the van to be with Tyler, I was greeted by a man in his late thirties, clean cut, looking every bit the part of a doctor, right down to the tie around his neck.

Was I in a twilight zone? Who wore a tie in a dystopian world?

I looked to my left and we were at what appeared to be a small hospital, at least it looked that way.

Tie wearing hospital guy, placed his hands on my shoulders with a wide smile. "We are so happy to have you. We'll take good care of him."

"I want to go with him."

"Absolutely." He held out his hand in a point to the hospital. "This way."

He led the way into the building. It was without a doubt a hospital. We walked through the emergency area, and though it didn't buzz like the hospital of pre virus days, there were people there waiting to be seen. Children holding injured limbs. It was a picture of normality...just on a very small scale.

They were all male.

Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at me.

At the end of a series of short halls, they took Tyler through a set of double doors. "He's going into surgery now and Dr. Lewis and I can wait to talk to you. We have a very good surgeon here."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Barry Chatham. I'm a geneticist that's been working on this virus. I'll be working closely with you. Would you like to go to your new home and wait on news of your son?"

"I'd like to wait here."

"Very well. Can I get you something? Coffee? Tea?"

Did he just ask if I wanted coffee? I stuttered out a, "Coffee thanks."

He nodded and turned. James was standing behind him. "Major make sure there is a guard on this door or in there."

"Yes, sir," James replied. "I'm assigned for now and then I'm heading back home to clean up. I've been out there a while."

"I'm not running away," I said.

James looked at me. "Faye, it's really for your protection. We think you're safe but you never know."

Barry Chatham opened the door to the small room where I'd wait. He closed it and left me alone. There were two chairs, a couch, coffee table and a television that played old 'I love Lucy' reruns.

They used an old video player to show the reruns.

Chatham returned only once and that was to bring me the promised coffee and a blanket in case I got chilled. I was, oddly enough, there was air conditioning.

I sat in the room and watched a few seasons of 'I Love Lucy', they brought me some soup, and night fall had arrived before I heard anything about Tyler.

A man who introduced himself as Dr. Drescoll came into the waiting area. My heart dropped to my stomach while waiting on what he had to say.

"He's good and stable. We repaired all the damage."

I exhaled loudly. "Can I see him?"

"Yes. But we are keeping him in a medically induced coma, just to allow his body to rest. He lost a lot of blood and it appeared when they injected the knife, they ripped upward," Drescoll said. "He's a lucky young man. But with rest, he'll make it."

He took me to see Tyler who indeed was sleeping. Intravenous lines were hooked up to him and a heart monitor beeped steadily.

Barry Chatham returned again asking if I was ready to go get some rest

Hating to leave Tyler I said, "Yes". When he escorted me down the hall, I figured it was the point where they'd take me, strip me, scrub me down like an infected person and start draining my blood.

To say I was relieved to see James was an understatement. I actually barely recognized him at first because he was clean.

"Major Reynolds will walk with us," Barry stated.

I was fine with that. He, Farmer and Lane were the only ones I knew. I was surprised when James carried my pack and we walked out of the hospital.

Though dark, I got my first look outside. The weather was still warm and muggy. The street was flat and narrow. Two lane roads. It looked like a mixture between a military base and a small town.

We walked two blocks and stopped when we reached a five story apartment type building set back on a larger section of property. A long, tall fence with barbed wire surrounded the entire area around the building. Armed guards were positioned out front and they unlocked the gate to let us in.

"My prison?" I asked James.

"If it is, it's my prison too. I live in this building. I'm still getting used to the fence."

"It's new," Barry said. "We erected it when we started our search for you. All it takes is one person to want to get to you. This is the safest building I can think of. About twenty of our military personnel reside here."

The building reminded me more of a motel. Outside stairwells, hallways that ran the length of each floor. A single metal door for each unit and a window next to it.

There was a small lobby and a single elevator.

We took that to the fifth floor and walked the exterior hallway all the way to the very end. A soldier sat in a chair by the door, he stood when we approached.

"I'll leave you to get situated," Barry said. "Major Reynolds will see you in. He's made sure the place is ready for you. There should be plenty of food and water, and please do not leave without an escort, please."

"I understand," I replied.

"I expect you'll go to the hospital in the morning to see Tyler. I would like to take time to talk to you with Dr. Lewis about the test we'd like to run on you."

"What kind of tests?" I asked.

"Blood. We'll do lots of blood tests. We need to find out why you survived and other females did not. Mainly most of this is to preserve and to protect the only woman we know that has survived. And possibly, you know, getting you to part with some ovum. But we'll discuss that tomorrow. For now, get some rest." He gave a squeeze to my shoulder and stepped back, turned, walked a couple feet and stopped. "And Faye, thank you for joining us."

I wanted to say, 'did I have a choice?' but my mind was still spinning over the fact that he so nonchalantly asked for my eggs.

"This way," James turned the knob and pushed open the door. "It's not much." He flicked on the light. "But it's clean, air conditioned and has hot water."

I kept thinking, not much? It had power, lights, and a stove. If there was hot water, more than likely there was a toilet. I had been living for months cooking on a fire or Coleman stove, using lanterns and candles, going to the bathroom in a make shift outhouse. And I thought that was pretty darned good living in a world that went to pot.

The apartment unit was simple and plain.

We stepped into a living room that also served as a dining area. The small two seat table was in front of the sliding glass patio doors. The kitchen was open planned except for a counter that's served as a small partition.

"Hall is that way," James pointed. "To the bedroom and bathroom. There is food. And ..." He walked over to the kitchen counter. "I hope you don't mind, I took the liberty of getting you this."

He held up a bottle of bourbon. "Want one?"

"Yes, thank you."

He cracked open the bottle, reached for a short glass and poured some in.

"What made you believe I drink?" I asked.

He handed me the glass. "I found where you were staying before you went to Ohio. My God the empty bottles."

"Yeah, that was a means of pain relief long before the virus."

"I hear you on that one." He moved back with an exhale. "Anyhow, if you need anything, just let the guard know. I'm also right next door."

"Thank you."

"Not a problem." He walked to the door. "Good night, Faye."

I lifted my glass. "Night James."

He stepped out.

Admittedly when that door closed, I felt a jolt of nerves. The apartment, COM Camp, even Dr. Chatham were not at all what I expected. Everything was too nice, too easy and that in turn made me too leery.

I sat down on the couch, intent on sipping my drink. It had been a long stressful and agonizing day. I thought of the boys and hoped they were okay. I missed them, I missed them terribly. The next morning would be quiet without their mad laughter and shenanigans that boys often have. I thought and prayed for Dodge to get well and come get me. I thought of Tyler and how lucky he was to be alive.

I sipped my drink some more and rested back. I wouldn't over think my circumstances, not on the first night. But I would the next day. It seemed too good to be true and in the world we lived in, that was something I just couldn't allow myself to trust.

EIGHTEEN - DODGE

Upon first awakening, or so I thought it was my first wakening, my last recollection was pulling into the camp ground. I had lost everything after that moment. I didn't know why I had some tube in my arm, why my head pounded worse than any hangover and why I couldn't move an inch without excruciating pain radiating up my side.

It was dark, Bud slept in a chair near me, an old newspaper spread across his lap.

Again, he looked dead.

Before I could call out, or even register what was going on, I passed out again. The sound of the boys laughing and running summoned me to and I jolted awake with a large 'crash' of thunder.

My mistake was jolting to a sitting position.

Unlike me, I grunted out a scream in pain, which of course scared the hell out of Darie and he screamed as well.

"Dodge is a zombie. Dodge is a zombie." His voice trailed as he ran away.

"Dodge, ain't no zombie," Bud corrected and walked into my focus. "Dumb move sitting up like that. Do you know my name?"

"It's Bud." I said with some sarcasm.

"Know who the president was?"

"Keene."

"Where are you?'

"Ohio, some camp site."

"Good. Good." Bud winked.

"Dodge!" George flew into the room towards me, stopping just as he reached for me. "You're ok?"

"Yeah."

"What's my name?"

"George."

"Dodge, you're normal." He hugged me. Even his frail arms hurt my body, but that was okay.

Bud walked over, removing George from me, then placed pillows behind my back so I could sit up comfortable and yet, relaxed.

"Need some water?" Bud asked. "Anything?"

"Water and an aspirin."

"We have better stuff for ya."

I didn't understand that and I guess my facial expression conveyed as much.

"What's the last you remember?" Bud asked.

I paused to think. At first, again, when I opened my eyes the night before, I could only recall pulling into the camp site. Everything was a fog, hard to remember at all.

"Think. Do you remember those two men on the highway?"

"Yeah, I ..." Suddenly a vision of Hank, holding Faye flashed in my mind. I blinked, then I saw Powell. Feelings of rage engulfed me, I remembered swinging, throwing one of them, fighting and then ... nothing. "Oh my God, Faye." Again, I tried to get up. The pain was too much and Bud stopped me.

He told George to take Darie into the back and play a game. George obliged, then Bud sat on the coffee table, hands folded.

"Tell me she's okay." I said.

"Faye is fine. Thanks to you. Unfortunately you were jumped by two more men. They hit you pretty hard then clobbered you with a bat. Two busted ribs, your arm is broke and you have a pretty bad head injury. Your whole body has to be aching."

"How did it end?" I questioned.

"I shot them. But Faye is fine, unscathed. Tyler on the other hand, not so much."

"Oh my God, my son."

"He's not dead." Bud held up his hands. "They gutted him pretty good with a knife."

"Where is he?"

"Not here. With Faye."

At that point I was swimming in confusion. "Where are they?"

"Army came and took them. Faye went because they needed to get Tyler help. He was pretty bad. They flew them out."

I felt an ache in my chest, totally defeated. I'd failed.

"It had to be done," Bud said. "They weren't meaning Faye any harm and when you're well, we'll head down there. They gave me directions."

"How do you know? How do you know they didn't mean her harm or they weren't just gonna kill my kid."

"'Cause in my years on this earth, Dodge, I become a pretty good judge of character. That major that headed the team? Good fella. Two young medics that worked on you and Tyler. All good intentions. If they hadn't arrived when they did, Tyler would have died."

"When did they leave?"

"Two days ago."

"Two days? I've been out two days!"

"Not really." Bud replied. "You got up a few times."

"I don't remember."

"I figured you wouldn't. You were out of it, talking crazy stuff. One time when I asked you what my name was, you said it was Clint Eastwood. At first I thought you were joking because I shot those men, but then you said you were in Kentucky the day after prom and the President was Reagan. Those two time frames don't even match up."

I brought my hand to my head, it throbbed in pain.

"The army left pain medication if you want it."

"Yeah, Maybe. I just want to get up and go."

"Well, you aren't doing that. Not today at least. When I know you are getting better and thinking clearly...and can move with less pain, then we'll hit the road."

"I'm thinking clearly," I said.

"Right now. My wife fractured her skull when she was sixty five, trying to ride one of those electric scooters. Wasn't right in the head for two weeks. Some days she was lucid, others she was playing bingo with the cereal box. Let's just be sure, I don't need to be chasing aliens when we're on the road."

"Aliens?"

"Yeah, that was one story you gave."

Heavily I breathed out and sat back. "I feel like I failed her. How did I let this happen?"

"You didn't let this happen. You did all that you could. None of us thought our camp would be attacked. By God's grace we're all alive. You get well and strong and we hit the road. Those boys need you and so does Faye." Bud stood. "I'll go get that pain medication and you rest up. I'll tell George not to read to you."

"Why would you do that? He's allowed to read to me. I love that."

"I know you do, but not now. Please. Every time he read you a story, you opened your eyes and believed you lived that reality. Although that could be funny if he read Brokeback Mountain to you."

Bud chuckled at his own joke as he walked away. I just groaned again, rested back and closed my eyes. Despite what Bud said, I still felt heavily defeated. Defeated and in pain. I would do my best to get my strength up enough to leave. Because I didn't want waste any more time getting to my son and Faye.

Bud may have trusted those men, but me, I didn't. I feared the worse in what they could possibly do to my son and even worse to Faye.

NINETEEN - FAYE

Tyler took a turn for the worst on that first morning, exactly twenty four hours after the attack. He developed a fever and his belly began to swell again. I woke up that morning having slept on the couch, the hot shower I took the night before plummeted me into a wall of exhaustion. I didn't sleep long and knew the second I opened my eyes, something was wrong.

I dressed and made coffee and told the soldier outside my door I wanted to go to the hospital to see Tyler.

The soldier walked me to the hospital and notified James I was there. I didn't see him at all that morning. For some reason I was under the impression he was my personal guard. But that wasn't the case. He was a busy man; I was one mission accomplished and one of the soldiers told me he was prepping teams to go out following rumors of more surviving women. They were only rumors and no one really saw one.

I was the only woman they knew for sure existed.

Tyler was still sleeping when I arrived, but I noticed his color was off. Even more so than the day before when he was knifed. That was when the doctor came in and told me about the infection. He explained that the knife was probably full of bacteria. They loaded him with antibiotics, but by late afternoon they had to go back in and find not only the 'bleeder', but remove and clear some of the infection.

A tube extended out of his abdomen and the need for a medically induced coma was greater. I didn't leave his side. Dodge wouldn't want his son alone and I didn't want Tyler to be alone either.

By the following morning his fever had dropped and by dinner time, he was declared out of the woods and I was instructed to go get some rest. What surprised me was the fact that I still hadn't met Dr. Lewis. Barry Chatham had stopped in, merely to check on Tyler and me. He told me his concern was for me to be in a controlled and protected environment and that when things calmed down he would speak to me about what they needed.

I accepted that and decided to go back to my fenced in bungalow. They promised they would get me if needed.

No one really spoke to me, I just stayed in that room. When I did walk outside, it seemed as if all activity stopped. The men and boys just started at me.

Despite my new surroundings I still expected to see Dodge at any moment. Farmer told me he was probably just coming to up north and since he was traveling with Bud and the boys to give them a good week to get to me, maybe even ten days.

They were on my mind constantly. It was almost four months exactly since I met Dodge and I spent every single day with him and the boys, along with Bud. Now I was pushing the third night without them and I was lost. I missed my nighttime hugs from Darie. He'd curl up on my lap until he was just about to go to sleep and then after catching himself, he'd race to Dodge to put him to bed. I missed listening to George impressively read to Dodge. He did that every night, whatever he could find, he'd read. Dodge would listen and comment and George even quizzed him to make sure he was paying attention. Dodge always did.

Life at my house with them and Bud was like a prepping meets camping trip. It was easy, relaxed and even though we lived in colonial style living, it had a sense of normalcy.

Even with my air conditioning, hot water and modern conveniences that were lost for 99% of the world, I wanted to go back to the simplicity and to the people that had become no less than a family to me.

After a shower, I ate some sort of stew from a can, grabbed the bottle and glass and decided it was such a warm night I'd sit on the balcony. There were two chairs out there, the lounge kind. A table between them. I lit the candle that was there and enjoyed my drink.

It gave me a sense of comfort because it was part of my nightly routine. Every night, no matter what, after the boys were down Dodge and I sat on my deck. It was our thing. There was only one night that we didn't do so and that was when Darie got a stomach bug from something he ate. In that instance, Dodge and I took turns with Darie as he hovered over a bucket.

It was hard to believe that seven months had passed since my family had died. I had wanted to die. Never would I have believed that it would take a dead world to bring me back to life.

Not a day went by that I didn't think of my husband, my daughter and son. But no longer did I think of them with an abundance of sadness, I started to reach the point where I thought of them and remembered the fun times. The happiness they gave me.

In the midst of my thoughts, I heard the sliding door from the next balcony. I shared a balcony with the apartment next door, and only a railing separated us.

I glanced over to see James; he held a glass and bottle as he stepped out.

He looked surprised to see me. "I'm sorry," he said. "If you want privacy out here, I can go back in."

"No, please. That's fine. Enjoy your drink."

He nodded and sat down on a chair. "I hear Tyler is doing better."

"Yes, they expect to see him really improve over the next couple days."

"How are you doing?"

I shrugged. "Worried about Tyler, can't stop thinking about Darie and George. Bud, too. And Dodge, I am so worried about him."

"He's a tough guy," James said. "He'll be fine. I have a feeling."

"Thank you for that. I haven't seen you in a couple days. One of your soldier guys was telling me you were getting search parties ready. Are you going back out?"

James shook his head. "Not this time. I promised you that you would be fine. I don't want to be too far away."

"I appreciate that. So I take it you weren't too far away these past couple days."

"Fifteen miles. Division Five camp. We had some issues and problems."

"What kind?" I asked, then waved my hand. "I'm sorry none of my business."

"No, that's fine. Just trouble there. Division Five camp houses our rough survivors."

"You have them all together in one camp? Is that smart?" I questioned. "I mean, putting all the bad together is like a prison. You can only breed more bad."

"I agree. But it's not my call. I am only following orders."

"From who?"

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Who gives the orders? Chatham? Lewis."

"In anything medical they do. About you they do, sort of, but they aren't in charge of COM Camp."

"Who is?"

"The president and a skeleton staff."

Hearing him say that took me by surprise. "The president is alive? How did he survive the virus?"

"He's the president. First sign of problems, they locked him in an air tight room. Then the vaccine was found and he was one of the first to get it. But his family got sick right away, you know that though."

"Nope." I shook my head. "I caught the beginning of the outbreak, but I missed the grand finale." I downed the rest of my drink and freshened my glass, looking at it as I spoke. "All those bottles you found at my house, kind of contributed to it. I was in an alcoholic coma when the world went to shit. Drank myself into oblivion. I didn't want to feel, I wanted to be numb."

"I'm sorry. Was it the outbreak? You said you caught the beginning of it. Did you lose family?"

"Not to the virus. I uh ... three months before everyone died, everyone I loved was killed in a car accident." Instinctively drawn by that flash of memory, I downed that drink, then I looked over at the airy 'huff' of almost laughter that came from James. I was insulted. "Was that funny?"

"Nope." He took a big gulp of his drink and gasped. "Familiar." With a grunt he reached for his own bottle. "Five months before everything ended, I had just finished my last day on my tour overseas. I was on my way back and the plan was to meet my family on vacation. Unfortunately, their plane had trouble. Flight 247 outside of Orlando, it crashed."

I gasped. "Oh my God, I am so sorry. I remember that crash."

"Me too. I lost my wife, my three kids, my mother, sister and niece. Everyone. Gone."

"James, I ... I am so sorry. I know how you feel."

"Yeah, you do. Anyhow, like you ..." He lifted his glass. "I drank a lot. Then the virus started and I went on detail. Threw myself into my work. Worked exodus checkpoints, then aid stations until I got sick."

"You ... you got the virus, too?" I said. "I caught the virus. Our stories are so similar, please don't tell me you woke up in a pile of bodies."

Quickly he looked at me. "Did you?"

"Yeah, in a football stadium. I woke to a dead world. I thought I was the last woman on earth."

"You are."

"So far," I said. "But I also thought I was the only living person."

"I had the same thoughts. I woke up in an Army tent outside a body depositary. Everyone dead. No one around. And here, while I suffered with the illness, I thought my suffering was over."

I turned some on my chair to face him. "How did you do it? How did you not want to die? I woke up and spent every second of my life wanting to die. What got you passed that point."

"Not sure that I am."

"You still want to die?"

"I don't know." He gave a half shrug. "I'm not sure if I want to die, I just haven't had anything that made me want to go on. You know? I may have survived, but....unfortunately ..." He said. "I still don't feel alive."

TWENTY - DODGE

The first time I really moved wasn't easy, but I was tired of pissing in a cup. My balance was a bit off and I should have waited for some help, but I wanted to get strong. To me lying around wasn't doing that. My body hurt with every step, I could only imagine how bad it would hurt without those pills.

I needed some air and felt such a sense of emptiness. My son and Faye they were gone. Out there in the world somewhere. I was worried sick about them, and it wouldn't help me getting back to sleep. Then again, I had slept for a couple days.

It was a cooler night, I probably should have had a jacket but I wasn't sure how I'd put it on. Any real twist of my body was agonizing. I was sitting on the front porch for about ten minutes when I heard the squeak of the screen door, followed by an exhale.

His breathing was his announcement of presence, and then George sat down next to me.

"Hey, Buddy," I said. "Can't sleep?"

"I tried. I heard you making noise and grunting."

"Sorry."

"That's ok. What are you doing? Just staring out?"

"Yep."

"Can I sit out here with you?" He asked.

"Absolutely. I'd like that."

George inhaled and exhaled again. Almost restlessly. "I missed reading to you tonight."

"You should have."

"Bud said I'm not allowed until I find some story called Broke Back, something."

"Don't listen to Bud. You can read me anything."

"Cool." Another breath, another exhale. "You aren't looking for the giant squirrels are you?"

I looked quickly at him. "What are you talking about?"

"When you woke up the one time you were yelling about giant squirrels. We had to pretend to kill them to shut you up."

"Oh my God," I ran my hand over my head.

"That's okay, you got hit on the head pretty bad."

"I figured."

"With a bat," George said.

"Better than a crowbar."

"I saved it so you can see. It still has your blood on it."

I cocked an eye brow and looked at him. "You saved it?"

"Yeah, it's pretty cool. I'll show you."

"Tomorrow. Okay?"

"Okay." He shrugged. "Are you sitting here worried about Tyler and Faye?"

"Yeah, I am."

"They're okay, you know," George said. "The Army guys were nice. They wanted to help. Say, Dodge, you don't think they'll be so nice to her that she won't want to come back, do you?"

I didn't even need to think about that question. I answered, "Nah, she likes you guys too much."

"She likes you too, Dodge. Even though she yells at us guys. Probably because she doesn't like boys. I miss her. I miss Tyler. Do you miss them?"

"Yeah. Yeah I do. Very much."

"You're gonna get better and get them, right? You're gonna go down there and get back Faye and Ty. Right, Dodge? 'Cause you can't fight any more bad guys if you're hurt."

"I'll get better and then we'll go. If it's the last thing I do, I'll get them and we'll be together again." I reached over, grabbing his little hand and I gave it a squeeze of reassurance. "I promise"

I intended to keep my promise. I would get better and we'd head down to Florida, search out Faye and Tyler and get them. But something told me all that wasn't going to be as simple as it sounded.

TWENTY-ONE - Major James Reynolds

If it had been my choice, my decision, if I were running things, Division Five wouldn't be the ones we picked up looting or causing trouble. In fact, they'd not make it into our sanctuary settlement at all.

Because most of COM Camp moved down there to the settlement before the shit hit the fan and everything shut down, we were able to avoid any power losses. We are the only pocket of civilization that is close to the way things were when the world shut down. At least, the only one that I know about.

The reasoning for placing all the trouble makers in Division Five was to keep them out of Divisions One through Four. That was the suggestion of General Allen. In a way he had a point. If they banned together anyhow, as long as they had what the other divisions had, they'd stay away. Not the case, trouble was brewing constantly.

For the most part they do, unless they get ill or hurt in one of the many brawls that happen.

The problem is most of those in Division Five won't work to keep things going, so those who do have to work argue and fight.

My biggest concern was when I went there recently and I was asked several times if it was true we found the woman.

Right or wrong thing to do, I lied. Everyone knew about there being a surviving woman, that fact moved rampant all across the settlement. But it was supposed to be kept under wraps. Then again, all it would take would be for one person from Division Five to have been at the clinic when Faye arrived.

Leo, as he called himself, was the leader over there. His real name wasn't Leo, he stated that was his star sign and he was putting the past, along with his name, behind him.

He was adamant that I wasn't being honest. So much so he was abrasive and confrontational.

He locked eyes with me in some sort of attempt to see if I were telling the truth. I tried to maintain eye contact, which was difficult considering I wasn't being honest. I kept telling myself that Faye depended on me. What Leo or others would do with the knowledge of Faye, I didn't know and I didn't want to take a chance.

Because he was so head strong that we found her, I decided just as a precaution, to check clinic records to see if anyone from Division Five was there when she arrived.

Unfortunately, there was.

TWENTY-TWO - FAYE

It had been nearly a week since I saw Dodge, Bud and the boys. I expected them any day, but a part of me knew Dodge's injuries were too severe for even him to bounce back in a day or two.

James had told me the route that was mapped and with stopping would take them five days to get to COM Camp.

I impatiently waited.

In the meantime James became my balcony buddy. He never sat on my side, I never invited him over, nor did he ask. I would sit outside and after he was done working for the day, he'd come out on his patio.

Undoubtedly, he was my stand in for Dodge.

I actually asked him to join me for my first official meeting with Barry and Dr. Lewis.

Dr. Lewis was not at all what I expected. After meeting everyone else and experiencing how friendly they were, I was taken aback by the arrogance of Dr. Lewis. He never even told me his first name.

He wasn't young like Barry Chatham. He was a middle aged man, who seemed angry at the world. He projected a smug righteousness. I wanted to tell James to smack him.

It was the end of the world, as we knew it. Yet no one seemed to tell this to Dr. Lewis. He still wore a tie, neat blue button down shirt, hair combed perfectly. He was the type of doctor I always imagined solved a lot of problems and knew he was the only one who could. More than likely he had a trophy wife, and his kids wanted for nothing.

If arrogance had a scent, he reeked of it.

I was glad James came with me.

Nothing was said when we arrived, not at first. A younger man took four tubes of blood from me, smiled and then thanked me.

James asked him. "What are they checking for?"

"Diseases, immune deficiency. They need DNA sampling, and hormone levels."

That was the one.

Hormone levels.

After the blood work, I was taken to a back meeting room with a table and chairs. James and I sat down and Barry entered shortly after.

He shook our hands and was pleasant and upbeat. "How are you feeling, Faye?"

"I'm well, thank you."

"Tyler is doing wonderfully," He said.

"He'll wake soon?" I asked.

"Very. We stopped medication this morning. See? All is bright."

Then the dark hit. Dr. Lewis walked in.

He didn't introduce himself, I learned only of his name because Barry said it. He pulled out a chair at the table, dropped his folders and said. "Let's get to this."

I looked at James.

"Why is Major Reynolds here?" Dr. Lewis asked.

"I asked him," I said.

Dr. Lewis shot a serious look at James. "I certainly hope you are not breaking the rules set forth with this woman."

"Excuse me?" I questioned. "Rules? What rules?"

"He knows the rules," Dr. Lewis replied.

"I don't." I said.

"Doesn't matter because he knows them. Anyhow ... we need to get to this right way. Enough time has been wasted since your arrival down here. Let's get something straight, I don't agree with this pampered pet rule that we have happening with you."

I laughed. "Pampered pet?"

"You are a subject."

"No, I'm out of here." I stood up. "James." I moved toward the door.

"Stop right there, Mrs. Wills. This is out of your control."

"Bullshit," I snapped. "I came here of my own free will."

"I beg to differ," Dr. Lewis spoke calmly. "You came here because that boy needed help. He was dying. We helped him."

"Okay, thank you. But that doesn't mean I am your subject."

"You owe us."

I huffed out a 'ha' and turned for the door.

"Time to pay the medical bills," he said. "I'll disconnect him. I will. I don't give a damn. No sweat off my back if he lives or dies. That's not why I'm here; I'm not here to save a nineteen year old boy, I'm here to save humanity. So make your call. Walk out that door, he gets disconnected; you get the boot, good luck as a woman on your own out there."

I spun around. "You arrogant piece of shit." I pointed. "You have no right to talk to me like that."

"And you have no right to deny us what we need."

I laughed. "I never denied anything. I was never asked. You came in here with your holier than thou attitude, talking to me as if ... as if I were a lab animal. I gave my blood. What else do you need from me?"

"Your uterus."

I looked at Dr. Lewis, shook my head with a scoffing breath and opened the door. "You're insane."

"And we're ..." Barry spoke passionately. "Out of options. We are out of options as the human race goes. Even if you aren't the only woman, you are one of the very few left. We are facing extinction."

I turned slowly around. "I hear you. I do."

Dr. Lewis began to speak. "So you see ..."

"I don't!" I shot a hand his way. "Hear you!" After turning from Dr. Lewis, I lowered my voice. "Go on, Barry."

Barry continued, "It's called Project Eve. When we first realized very early that it was wiping out the female population, not only was I called in to find out why, but also to find a solution. Hence the name Project Eve. For those who follow the creationist theory, they believe Adam and Eve were the first man and woman on earth. They initially bore three sons, but it's said that in their lifetime, they bore something like thirty three. In theory, if one woman bore enough female offspring, we have enough male children to begin repopulation."

"What is enough females?"

"Ideally, eight."

"Eight? That's absurd. Are you asking me to bear eight children or are you thinking in terms of just taking my uterus?"

"We want you to have them. Four will suffice," Barry said. "Two sets of twins. That's all. One set, then wait a year after birth and then another."

For some reason I looked at James. He gave no indication of what he thought.

"Barry," I spoke to him, not even acknowledging the presence of Dr. Lewis. "I lost my children. It crushed me. Crushed me beyond belief. I don't know that I even want to take the chance of having and losing another child."

"I understand. That's an option, you don't even need to raise them. Give birth to them, be a surrogate only."

I took a deep breath and sat down.

Dr. Lewis interjected. "You have an obligation to do this."

"Shut up." I barked. "I don't listen to you. Barry? Even if I agreed, there's no guarantee I'd have twins, let alone females."

"Yes, there is," he replied. "I'm a geneticist. When asked to find a solution, I went immediately to the fertility clinic where I was working on genetic engineering and sex selection. I took the embryos waiting to be surrogated. We have female embryos here. Right now. Once you are primed, we implant about six. Hopefully two will take hold. If they all take hold, we will abort several for your safety and that of the children."

It was a heavy request and one that truly went beyond what I personally wanted. I understood what they were asking. If I failed to give birth to a girl, if I truly was the last woman on earth, then was I truly failing mankind?

Was it indeed my responsibility? A part of me believed it wasn't, then there was a part of me that felt it was.

I told them with all good intentions that I needed to think about it. Honestly, think it over. It was not a decision I would make lightly or impulsively.

Barry agreed to give me all the time I needed. Dr. Lewis not so much, stating, "She is playing us until the boy is healed."

When he put up a fuss about wanting an answer, James simply stated. "If we hadn't found her, you'd still be waiting on an answer. So, with all due respect. Stand down, Doctor."

Dr. Lewis didn't like that much, but I did.

Barry gave me the time to think it over and I agreed to their physical examinations to determine if I could indeed be a surrogate.

I left that meeting room with a lot on my mind.

Project Eve was a big responsibility. More than physically I worried that emotionally I just didn't have it in me to handle.

TWENTY-THREE - DODGE

"Happy Labor Day," Bud told me as I walked out to the RV.

I merely chuckled a 'what'?

"First Monday in September. Let's pause in appreciation of all your hard work."

"Thanks." I smiled then cocked an eyebrow when I looked at Bud. He seemed to be dragging. 'You look tired, Bud. You feeling all right?'

"Oh, I'm fine. First good night's sleep I had all week. Didn't have to get up and have inane conversations with you about carburetors and I wasn't chasing you either."

Had Bud been the only one telling me about my odd behavior, I would have thought he was joking. But George informed me I had 'spaced out' episodes. It made sense. I had pockets of time I blacked out and didn't remember what was happening.

My head injury was worse than we thought. It bothered me that I blacked out, that I spoke gibberish, that I had dream like moments and brought up High School memories.

I couldn't control my head, nor could I control my arm which hurt far more than it should have. The air cast wasn't cutting it. My arm ached and it was a pain worse than the headaches. Bud made the suggestion, that maybe we needed something more stable. If we past a clinic or hospital, we would stop and get items to make a cast.

I took one hell of a beating and knew it. It took me nearly a week to get back to semi normal. Bud said no way we were leaving until I made it an entire night without getting up and re-living the past.

When I woke up on Labor Day, Bud simply said it was time to go.

Before leaving he showed me the map. The map had been marked by the soldiers. Because of the quarantine holes in the road we had a zig zag route. Drive five or six hours and stop for the night. It would take five to six days to get to the Panhandle.

The boys were getting restless and were bored without the KOA campsite. Darie increasingly became sad. The child that didn't seemed fazed by much, drew silent and carried around Faye's shirt. He insisted on being the one to hold the items Faye left behind. Constantly stating he missed her and Tyler. But he wouldn't let go of that shirt. I realized why that was when I tried to take it from him when we were getting ready to leave.

"Get in the RV," I said to the boys. "Darie, give me that shirt. Faye is gonna want that."

"Give it back." He handed it over.

I took it. I caught a whiff of it.

It made me pause.

It smelled like Faye. Admittedly, I inhaled it as well. I brought it to my nose and brought in her scent. Of course Bud busted me doing so and asked what was wrong with me.

Nervously, I replied. "It smells like Faye."

Bud laughed a 'tee-hee' style laugh.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"You're funny. Kind of like a puppy dog."

"I just miss her. I miss Tyler. But I'm used to missing him, with being off at school and all."

"Gut telling you he's fine?" Bud asked.

"Yeah, it is."

"Mine, too. And we'll get to them. But then what? Have you thought of beyond that? We need a long term plan."

"Head west I suppose, I don't know."

"Stick with the original plan. Find a good settling spot?" Bud asked.

"Yeah. I'm not worried about finding other survivors. I think that will come eventually as the world heals. Right now, I say we stay put and be a family, or try."

"Start all over and try to move on from the pain." Bud said.

"Yes, exactly."

"With Faye?"

I lowered my head.

"It's Ok, you know," Bud stated. "To want to move on with her. Start anew. You guys will make a heck of a family. You already do."

"You don't think her being down there will change things, do you?" I asked.

"Nah, Faye needs ya. And you and her and them boys. That's what she needs. I've known Faye a lot of years. She's done a lot of healing. You did that, Dodge. The boys and you. You and her ... well, that's a given."

"I don't want to be 'the given', Bud, I want to be 'the one'"

"Well, isn't that just the mushiest thing I heard in years? But nice, that was nice." He grabbed the RV door and opened it. "For what it's worth, I don't think that should be a worry." Bud got inside.

The kids were loaded in and I stood there. He was right. Faye and I had a connection. All I wanted was for us to be safe and away from everything.

We moved out and knew a stop wasn't far off.

But even stopping for a night that was one night closer to finding Faye and my son.

I was happy with that.

TWENTY-FOUR - MAJOR JAMES REYNOLDS

The day had been pretty productive, especially being called to Division Two to meet the general who 'on the record' was none too pleased with my remark to Dr. Lewis. Off the record, he laughed. And asked, of course, was I breaking the rules.

I was. Not all. But some.

The rules were pretty much laid out. We were not to get personal with Faye. No soldier was to speak on a personal level to her, do anything outside the boundaries of our job. Finally, we were not to sleep with her or make an attempt to be intimate in any way.

All the rules were set forth to keep an emotional distance from her. She was one of optimistically, a handful of women. More than likely she could possibly be the only woman COM Camp finds.

But I broke the 'personal' rules, she knew a lot about me and I about her. Our porch talks were just that. I didn't tell the general I was breaking any of the rules. Mainly because I didn't want him to switch my detail. I liked hanging out with Faye. She was a good reminder of life.

The way she moved her hands when she spoke reminded me of my wife. Her laughter brought back memories of my childhood friends. The way she drank, reminded me of my mother.

She was every woman I ever knew, and I valued that.

One Division was busy all day, ending in Division Five to make four arrests after a fight broke out at their distribution center.

Rules in each section were simple. Contribute. Nothing was hard labor. But if you didn't contribute in some way, you were rationed your share. It was the only way to keep things running.

People didn't get that. Again, they seemed more concerned with finding the woman. That gnawed at me.

I stopped by our PX on the way home, picked up a bottle and then swung over to the mess hall. I knew I missed chow but Red was working and he gave me a ton of leftovers.

After my shower, I reheated the food, grabbed my bottle and headed to the patio door.

That was when I heard it.

A child's voice came from outside. I paused thinking, what was a child doing out so late and then as I slid open the door, I heard another voice, that one a man.

'Hey, Faye, I'm running late so I won't be able to swing home first. I'll still be able to grab Mark from practice though. Maybe I'll be brave and let him drive home. Love you.'

Beep.

'Next message'

'Mom! Hey! Dad let me drive. I did real good. I hit the curb a couple times. But that's ok, it was my first time. So cool. Why aren't you answering? Are you sleeping? You're the best. I love you. Bye.'

Beep.

My heart sunk. I was so envious at that moment that I decided to retreat back into my apartment. I began to close the door.

"Wait," she called out. "Don't go. Come out."

"I didn't want to invade your privacy."

"That's your balcony."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

I took a step to the balcony and paused. "Did you eat?"

"Not yet."

"I have plenty from the mess hall. Are you hungry?" I asked.

"That sounds nice. Are you sure you want to share your food?"

I smiled as my answer, set down what I carried and went back to my apartment to get her a plate.

She accepted it and said, "Smells wonderful. Is this rule breaking?"

"Probably." I sat down.

"I can't believe they set forth rules about me. How many have you broken?"

"All but one."

Faye laughed.

"Please don't let me interrupt you." I pointed to the phone.

"Are you not wanting to talk?"

"I love talking with you. I just thought ..."

"No, it's fine. I was able to charge my phones."

"Phones as in plural?" I questioned.

"Yeah, my phone, my husband's, my son Mark's. I thought for sure after being off for so long, they wouldn't work. But lucky me. What a gift." Faye said with such awe.

"It is a gift. How did you still have your phone? I thought you told me the other night you were out with friends when you went into the coma."

"I was. But that was also the time of my life when I didn't care. And this phone." She held it up. "Was put away, because I had so many pictures and videos. I was so afraid of breaking it or losing it, I didn't use it. I got one of those pay as you go jobs."

"That was very smart. I am very envious. I wish I had my phone, I wish I had my wife's phone. My daughter's phone ... well maybe not, she was fourteen."

Faye crinkled her face. "I would be afraid to see what was on there." She paused to eat some food, complimenting it again.

"They do well for us soldiers as far as cooking."

"I'd say. Do you have pictures? Anything?"

I shook my head. "When I went down with the flu, I don't know what happened to my stuff."

"Did you go back home at all? I mean, I'm sure you had things there."

"Can I be honest?"

Faye nodded. "Please."

"I ... I've been afraid. I've been afraid to deal with that pain again."

"I understand that. Where are you from?"

"Surprisingly, about forty miles from here. Great place we got on foreclosure. Private, secluded. Beautiful."

"And you haven't gone back?"

I shook my head. "Pitiful huh?"

"No, not at all. But you should. I'll go with you if you'd like."

"I would like that. Especially since you and I have such similar tragedies."

"Misery loves company."

With a closed mouth smile, I shook my head again. "You're not miserable Faye."

"No, I guess you can say I'm healing. And this helps. So you need to go get your personal items. Honestly, James, it will not hurt. It will make you smile."

I watched as she glanced down to her phone. Cautiously, I asked. "May ... May I see your family?"

She gasped out with an airy, 'ah'. "James, yes. Please." She lifted her phone. "This is my daughter."

I leaned over the railing awkwardly trying to glance at the small phone screen. "Screw it." Grabbing my food and drink, I stepped over that railing and joined Faye on her side.

"Whoa. You crossed the rail."

"I did." I sat on the chair next to her.

"Wait. Is that a rule that you broke."

"It is." I inched closer. "But right now, I don't care."

There was something about the look she gave me. Our eyes made contact in that dim light, and she gave me the most peaceful smile. I felt it. The dinner in hand, I spent that evening looking at every single picture, listening to each story and watching each video.

Rule breaking or not, I enjoyed it.

TWENTY-FIVE - FAYE

September 8

Tyler finally came out of the medically induced coma the day before and was feeling well. I was waiting to have an in-depth conversation with him, because I needed to speak to him.

A lot was on my mind and Tyler was not only a friend, but fast becoming a son to me. I could imagine me having the conversation with my own son, Mark. He was smart and intelligent, like Tyler. Would be grown up about what I needed to discuss. I also needed to know what Dodge would think and Tyler was my best source.

I needed to discuss what happened in my meeting with Dr. Lewis and Barry. What they had asked, not the way it was presented, played heavily on my mind.

Tyler of course, was a breath of fresh air. He looked so much better and had his color back. He was sitting up in bed, eating what looked like broth.

He smiled brightly when he saw me. "Faye, you're back."

"I am." I kissed him on the cheek, leaving my lips there an extra moment. "How are you feeling?"

"A little sore. You didn't stay long last night after I woke up."

"You needed rest."

"Faye, where am I? There are lights. There's power."

"A hospital in COM Camp in the Panhandle community," I replied.

"I don't remember how I got here, just waking up once when they told me they were gonna operate. Before that, those guys ... they didn't hurt you, did they?"

"Nope. Your dad came."

"Where is he?"

"He's not here. He took a heck of a beating, Ty. He is up north and hopefully, will be here any day. The Army showed up looking for me right after the attack. They saved you." I pulled up a chair and sat down.

"Is my dad all right, though?"

"The medic that took care of him believes he'll be fine. We almost lost you, and that was my concern."

Tyler grabbed my hand. "Faye, you shouldn't have come here. They were searching for you. You don't know what they want."

"Actually, I do know. I need to speak to you."

"What's going on?"

"They told me what they needed. There's a something called Project Eve ..."

Tyler cut me off. "They want you to have babies."

Tightly closed mouth, I nodded.

"Who will be the father?"

"They already have fertilized female embryos they want to implant."

"Wow." He sat back some, sinking into his pillow. "They want you to start repopulating. Breed girls so they can reproduce. That's a heck of a lot of responsibility."

"I know."

"Did they say what they were gonna do with these girl babies after they were born?" he questioned.

"They want me to be a mother. But ... I didn't go beyond that. I think it's more of a jump start plan."

"What did you tell them?"

"That I would think about it," I said. "Tyler, what do you think your father would say?"

"Faye, it doesn't matter. I know you and my dad have this Post Apocalypse weird bond thing, but this isn't about him. It's you having the babies. What do you want to do? What are your thoughts?"

"I don't know, Tyler. I don't. Don't you think it's my obligation to do this?"

"No. No I do not. Obligation to do what?" he asked with edge. "Deliver mankind from extinction? Be the new Eve. Every species will eventually face its extinction, if it's man's turn, then there's nothing, not even carrying embryos, we can do. If man is meant to live on, then nature will find a way. Not some lab, and not by some woman made to fill guilty."

My first reaction and thought was 'wow', when I heard this bright young man speak so passionately.

He brought up a very valid argument and point. One I would carry with me as I made my decision.

TWENTY-SIX - DODGE

We stopped that first night at a KOA campsite Bud suggested outside of Charleston West Virginia. We made really good time there. We saw no one on the roads at all. I knew the good timing thing would go to hell, because we had to veer off the main highway because of road blocks.

Those pesky government made holes that made it impossible to travel. So a one hour highway ride fast turned into a two hour trip.

Darie didn't handle the winding roads and bumps all that well. I determined he wasn't the healthiest kid. He wasn't sickly, but he got sick very easy. I figured he never fully recovered from his bout with the virus.

Motion sickness kicked in about the same time I started hearing the 'clunking' sound coming from the front end of the RV.

I wasn't a doctor or teacher, but I sure as heck was a good mechanic and knew right away it had to be the bushings or sway bar. I may not have packed the best first aid kit, but I packed my tools. I needed a place to jack it up. Take a look and do what I could to get us back on the road.

We were about ten minutes outside of a little town called Wayne, West Virginia. If there was one thing I learned passing through the small towns of West Virginia. There may not have always been a restaurant, but there almost always was an auto repair place.

My plan was to power up the shop with the generator and lift the RV. Hopefully, they had a lift big enough or I'd be jacking it up manually with several jacks.

Wayne, West Virginia was a hilly community with scattered frame houses, railroad tracks and a strip mall that looked abandoned long before the virus. It was a one stoplight town with a population '1410' sign that hung as you entered.

What I first believed to be a school bus graveyard ended up being a stroke of luck.

It was a service shop for buses. It wasn't state of the art, but I didn't need state of the art. Fortunately just before 'town' there was a Value Auto Parts store.

There wasn't much distance at all before the parts store and the rest of town.

The courthouse peeked at the top of the hill, just before the business district. I parked the RV just outside the bus garage and decided to walk with Bud and the kids to find a good place to hunker down. I didn't know how long it would take, but being that it was already afternoon, chances were, Wayne, WV was our pit stop for the night.

We unloaded some things from the RV. I didn't want them staying in the shop as it was too dirty and Darie was already susceptible to everything.

The courthouse was probably the best option.

"Do we really need to fix it?" Bud asked.

"Yeah we do, if we don't, the back roads will do us in. We're not taking the straight shot, we're going north and west and east."

"Can you fix it?"

"Can you find a KOA campsite?" I asked rhetorically.

Bud laughed. He said he wanted to explore a little with the boys and I told him to stay close. He agreed.

I headed back to the shop. One thing I noticed that was strange about Wayne was there were no bodies. No people lying on the streets. No cars just abandoned. In fact, the school buses were the only vehicles we saw.

Not a police car, aid setup or warning flyer, there was nothing that indicated that the town was hit by a virus. Nothing except the fact there were no people.

The hydraulic lift was out and I had to go about raising the RV the old fashioned way. Knowing all school buses came with a jack, I hit them up.

I had just raised the RV enough to crawl under when I heard an odd 'clomp'.

It was a steady clomping and it took a second to register and then I realized it was a trotting horse.

I stepped out of the garage, at the same time I spotted Bud and the boys walk out onto the street. They must have heard it as well.

In the distance I saw it arrive. A horse drawn buggy. At first I wondered if we wandered into Amish land, especially when I saw the bearded man. His beard was long and he wore all black. Only when he pulled closer did I notice he wore some sort of black robe and a black hat with what look like a veil.

The closer he drew, I saw the 'cross' as well.

He was younger, maybe thirty, and he drew the horse to a stop.

"Afternoon, we saw you arriving."

Bud and the boys made their way to me.

Bud questioned. "We?"

"Yes, sir." he nodded. "We have a lookout that sees for miles." He stepped from the carriage. "I am Deacon Jeremiah." He extended his hand to me.

"My name is Dodge Cash." I indicted. "This is Bud, George and the little one is Darie."

"Pleasure." He slightly bowed his head. "Are you in distress? The vehicle is not working?"

"It's having issues," I said. "But nothing I can't fix."

"That is good. We don't see many travelers. Most of which are not traveling in a recreational vehicle. Or ...' He looked at Darie and George. "Have small children. Those we do see, we wouldn't approach, they travel the main roads."

"How many are you?" Bud asked. "You keep saying we."

"Many. Hundreds. We have not counted."

It nearly took my breath away. "Hundreds?" I sputtered.

"Yes, when news of the virus heightened, we started receiving a pilgrimage of people. We welcomed them."

"You received a pilgrimage?" I questioned.

"Yes," Jeremiah replied. "We have a monastery ten miles into the mountains. Holy Cross Monastery. We are self-reliant in every way and people came. We opened our gates and were spared, I believe because we are remote. It never touched us."

"That's amazing," I said. "It's a pretty barren world out here."

"May I ask where you are going?"

I answered. "South. Florida."

"To the government community?" he asked.

"Not intentionally. My son was injured and ended up there with a friend."

Darie in his youthful naivety, blurted out. "Faye. We need to find Faye. They took her too."

Jeremiah walked to Darie and crouched down. "That is wonderful. But God has told me a secret. Women, like Faye are to be kept a secret." He held his finger to his mouth. "Special and protected. Do you know what that means?"

Darie nodded.

Jeremiah rubbed his head then stood and looked at me. "If indeed this is true, then the woman Faye, is in the hands of the government. Do you trust this?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. I honestly don't. I have to get them."

"I see. Well, while you make repairs, I offer you assistance in anyway. The invitation is open for you to rest, have a warm bed and meal. Also the little one does not look well. We have a physician. I would gladly escort you there."

"Thank you, but I think ..."

"Dodge," Bud interrupted. "I think we should go."

I blinked several times and held my hand up to Jeremiah. "Can you excuse us?" I then took hold of Bud's arm and led him a few feet away. "We don't know them. This could be a trap."

"Well, I know of this monastery. We're in the area and honestly, listen to the way he talks, the way he's dressed. Don't think marauders are gonna don that attire just to hijack us, do you?"

"Is it your years of gut instinct."

"Yeah." Bud winked. "Besides, Darie ain't well. I want him to see a doctor. We don't know when we'll see another medical professional."

If Bud was thinking all was gonna be all right with this man, then I went with what Bud said. He did have a good gut instinct. And he was right, Darie needed to be seen by a doctor. I needed to know the boy was okay.

I asked Jeremiah if there was room for me to work on the RV there and when he replied there was, I asked if he'd wait while I did a quick assessment and gathered what I needed to fix the RV.

He did.

After raiding the auto parts store, I lowered the RV and followed him.

We drove slowly, which worked well for the RV. It didn't clunk as badly when moving at a turtle's pace.

I knew the second we arrived at the property that we had stumbled upon something we didn't expect.

A pickup truck was parked outside a huge gate, the doors of which had to be twenty feet high. There was a wall but I didn't suspect it went around the entire circumference of the monastery, just a guarded entrance.

A man in a leather jacket, baseball cap and holding a rifle was one of two people it took to open that gate for us. He looked like he could have been a good old boy from Wayne.

We drove through the gates watching them close behind us.

The road was narrow and after a mile, it opened up. While we had not yet arrived at the main area of the monastery, we saw something else.

Trailers, RV's, tents ... all set up and more than those, we saw people.

A lot of people. They didn't look like refugees. They appeared to be moving about as a community. Some did laundry, some cooked. I saw men working on a construction project.

Our pace slowed down even more and not only did a child dart across the road, but he was followed by two pigs,

Chickens and other livestock moved freely about as if they were just as much a part of the community as everyone else.

"Good God," Bud gasped out. "This is a sanctuary."

"Look Darie." George said, excited. "Kids, we can play. Can we play with them Dodge? Can we?"

"Yeah." I murmured. "Sure." I barely blinked as I drove, taking it all in. Jeremiah wasn't exaggerating when he said hundreds flocked there in a pilgrimage.

"Dodge, this is the place," Bud said in slight shock. "You have to get Faye, this is where you settle. There is life here. It's safe here."

While I wasn't certain it was where I wanted to settle, Bud was correct in stating there was indeed life and it was safe here.

The monks and those who traveled there made it safe.

They had to.

I was rendered speechless and grateful because speckled throughout the masses of survivors ... were women of all ages.

Faye was not the last one.

TWENTY-SEVEN - FAYE

Several things transpired that afternoon when Tyler took his first steps post-surgery. We ran into Barry who asked if I could take some tests. Since Tyler was worn down from his brief but productive walk, I agreed.

Barry didn't ask me if I had decided, it had been a couple days, but I know asking me was on his mind.

I hadn't made up my mind, but the subject was heavy on my thoughts.

Should I? Shouldn't I?

My blood work came back perfect and I agreed to an ultrasound. That was immediate and the results stated I was fit for pregnancy.

Those tests were nothing compared to Barry asking if they could start the in-vitro, frozen embryo transfer injection process.

I was clueless as to what that meant and Barry explained that when dealing with cryogenically frozen embryos, the uterus needs to be prepared for implantation. There was only a 50% chance that it would work, hence why he wanted to implant six embryos.

"Why do you want to give me injections if I haven't made up my mind?" I asked Barry.

"Because that way if you decide to do so, your body is ready. Right now it's perfect timing because you just finished your cycle."

"What happens if I decide against it?"

"Nothing, you'll continue on. You may miss a period but nothing drastic."

The tests took most of the afternoon and fortunately I did not run into Dr. Lewis.

I had so many questions about COM Camp since it dawned on me that I knew of only our division, and the bad one, but nothing of the others.

It was something in all my conversations with James, I didn't ask. It came up because Barry stated that should I conceive, I would have to be monitored by them constantly. Not hooked up to anything, but staying within the division.

Did I want that? My permanent residency at COM Camp was now playing a factor in my decision.

Was it indeed a place I wanted to raise children, if I actually kept them?

I couldn't see Dodge or even Bud wanting to stay there. Tyler hadn't seen enough to formulate an opinion.

I did finally find someone else that would speak to me about COM Camp. The male nurse that took care of Tyler.

He said it was against the rules, but offered some information. Primarily children were kept with caretakers in Division Two. Division Three was farming, and Division Four was mainly housing for those who worked in other divisions.

Did he like it? I asked him.

He hesitated in answering then said, "It's better than surviving out there."

I didn't get that. I was fine with surviving out there. Dodge had it down. We just needed a new place to start. Then again, perhaps things were different for those traveling the roads. Look at what happened to us when we ventured from my house.

My day was pretty bland; about the most exciting thing was getting that cold gel squirted on my stomach for the test. I couldn't walk around, I couldn't see the division. There was a rumor that the president wanted to meet me, but that had yet to happen.

Either I prepared my meals or they were brought to me.

I went where they said I could go and stayed where they told me to stay.

I was just as much a secret in Division One as I was out in the world, the only difference, outside the world was better.

In a sense, I was free out there.

Air conditioning, clean surroundings, protection, food and hot water. Most of those things I would eventually have again with work.

They weren't motivation enough to make me want to stay in COM Camp. Because unfortunately more than I realized or James believed, I was nothing more than a well kept prisoner.

TWENTY-EIGHT - DODGE

Life seemed simple. If only for that day. There was something about being on the monastery grounds that brought out the best in everyone. Everyone but me, of course.

I didn't seem to notice or really care much. My focus was on three things.

Make sure Darie was well, fix the RV and go get Faye and Tyler.

First thing was first. Jeremiah brought us to the 'doc', a man who was the doctor in Wayne before all hell broke loose.

He took a look at my air cast and said that it wasn't going to do and wanted to set it properly. I knew a cast would take hours to dry, so I opted to work the RV first. As he examined Darie, he told of how there had been only three instances of the sickness on the monastery grounds. But the way they handled it was sniffles and cold, flu or not, they were isolated. Jeremiah said they were spared. The Doc clarified that and said not a single monk got ill.

Of the fourteen hundred in Wayne, two hundred retreated immediately to the holy grounds. Another third left and then many more just trickled in.

Half the people of Wayne they couldn't account for. Doc believed they died.

He gave Darie a good exam, asking him a million questions, then asking me. He didn't have the resources to do blood work, so he had to rely on knowledge, old fashioned wives tale signs, deduction and reasoning.

Darie was not dying, as Bud put into my head. He wasn't well, the Doc said. He not only was undernourished, he was pining for Faye.

He missed her terribly, telling the Doc that she was helping to be a mom because his mom died.

Admittedly, I was a little jealous. I handled those boys, or at least the dirty work with them, and Faye got all the glory and love.

Yeah, I suppose they loved me or liked me a lot. But I highly doubted either of those boys would get sick from not being around me.

Despite the fact that we had food, Darie didn't eat much. I knew that. I tried. But it wasn't like we could claim defeat, pull into McDonald's and get the child an order of nuggets that we knew he'd devour.

The old adage, if they're hungry they'll eat, didn't hold true in this instance.

The Doc told us we had to try anything and everything to get some nourishment in him.

I made it a point that I didn't give a shit if it was candy, that child was getting calories. When we resumed our journey there were plenty of stores here and there to raid.

Following the exam, the boys said how they wanted to play with the other kids and I took advantage of that time to jack up the RV and get to work on it.

One would have thought I was some sort of engineering guru the way people came over to talk to me while I worked. Asking if I knew how to fix this or that and telling me how they were glad they had someone with 'fix it' knowledge. Some even stated I had to be a master doing it all with a bum arm.

It was hard to tell them I wasn't staying, but for some reason, they were all like, "You'll be back."

Even with the distractions, not to mention the pain in my arm, I finished the RV in a couple hours and set her to the ground. That was going to be our home for the night.

Admitting defeat, I sought the Doc, popped a pain pill and he set my arm. I don't know if it was the plaster cast and my arm being set right or the pill, but for the first time since I was beat up, my arm didn't hurt so badly.

After the cast had time to dry, I went back outside.

Darie and George still darted about. I could tell Darie didn't feel a hundred percent but he wasn't missing the chance to play with new kids or to tail his brother around.

Bud had built us a small fire and sat facing the boys, watching them play like a proud grandfather.

"Is that coffee?" I asked, making myself comfortable in the folding chair by him.

"Yeah, pretty good too. How's my Fastball?"

"Good, I think. I'll know once we get her on the road."

"That's reassuring."

"Trust me." I winked. "I know what I'm doing."

Darie squealed loudly and it caused me to look up. I didn't know if it was a happy or scared noise, but when I saw the smile, I know he was fine.

"Probably feeling that energy," Bud said. "Or gas. One of the two is making him laugh."

"What are you talking about?"

"While you were fixing Fastball, that boy ate."

"He ate? What did he eat?"

"One of them Monks cooked up some kettle beans. Big old kettle over a fire. Molasses I think was in them, not sure. So thick you didn't even know they were beans. Darie ate two large bowls."

"Darie ate beans? I tried to feed him beans."

"That's because you opened a can. You didn't roast them over a fire."

"Actually, I would have loved to try them."

"They brought you a helping." Bud said.

"They did?"

"Yeah, but Darie ate them. Ate mine too. Figured if he was eating, he could have them. We have food so no worries."

"I'm not." I rubbed my hands together aiming toward the fire. It was getting cooler.

"This is nice here Dodge. Really nice."

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Bud asked. "Look around."

"Do you trust it?"

Bud laughed. "Monks are running this place. And I wouldn't exactly say they were running it, just providing. People here are good. One man was telling me they have little tunnels under the cabins. They have drills to move the women there in case anything happens."

I shook my head. "Just not what I want."

"Well, what the hell then Dodge? You want a place to settle. You thought about joining the Kentucky people. You yourself said you want the boys to have people around them. Well, here it is."

"Things change, Bud."

"Like what?"

"Like Faye ... and women in general. Hiding in a catacomb at the first sign of trouble. I think she stands a better chance being off somewhere secluded."

"What about them boys? What kind of life are they going to have? Or Tyler. They need people around them. You may not, but they do."

"What about you?"

Bud exhaled loudly. "You know when all this happened, and my wife died, my kid died, I wandered like Faye. Not wanting to live. I figured, heck how much time do I actually have? Not giving out my age and not that you'd know it 'cause I'm a handsome fella, but I'm over eighty."

Hearing that surprised me. I didn't know. Faye believed he was in his seventies, maybe. Bud looked good. "You still have some years, Bud."

"Yeah, I do. So it doesn't matter where I wind them down. Here, there, back home. Rolling down the broken road in Fastball. Doesn't matter. But I'll be honest with you, I also wouldn't mind pulling back Fastball some. Parking right over there by the edge of the trees." He pointed. "And hanging here watching them boys. This is God's green earth as best as you can define it. It would be good staying here until it's my time. But I go where you go."

"Thank you."

"You are using my RV."

That made me laugh. "I think I just have a problem with joining an already established community. Sort of like I'd be just a sheep here."

"That's the control freak in you talking. But I see your point. I do think before you make any decision to go off with the kids, start your own Monk City, I think you should talk to Faye. We're all like a family, and this should be a family decision. Not a Dodge choice."

"You're right," I said. "Man. How did you get so wise, Bud?"

"I'm old. You know that. Wait. You may not. My good looks hide my age."

I chuckled and stood in the mood for a cup of coffee myself. I headed toward the RV to make a cup and some food. Probably wouldn't be anywhere as good as the coffee Bud had or the beans that Darie ate, but I'd make do.

I glanced over my shoulder to Bud who resumed watching the boys play. Then I looked at the boys, they were playing some sort of catch and release game and laughter filled the air of the grounds.

Tyler popped into my mind and my heart skipped a beat, hoping and praying that my son was fine. I wondered what Faye was doing and if she would really enjoy the Monastery sanctuary as much as Bud or if she would be like me and just want to be on our own.

Soon enough I'd find out. In the morning we'd leave. I'd let them know that we'd be back, even if it was just for a brief visit.

Besides, I actually wanted to know about the camp down in Florida. Maybe they offered even more. I watched the boys for another minute and slipped into the RV.

Maybe the whole entire reason nothing felt right was because Faye wasn't there. She was a new addition to my life that appeared when everything went bad. Every decision made was together, every meal, every evening conversation. In the four months since we met we weren't apart for more than a couple hours. Now, it had been a week and it was driving me nuts.

No decision could be made or even contemplated until we were all together as a unit. Hopefully the unity of our group was not that far off.

TWENTY-NINE - FAYE

More than likely it was my paranoia or even my over active, Hollywood induced, imagination but I was certain that injection they gave me to prepare my uterus was some super hormone injections designed to make fertilization infallible. After all, this was some lab that gave me the injection for a project called Eve.

A 'soup' of hormones typically used in frozen embryo implantation was how Barry described it. Telling me that in the pre-virus world many women undergoing in-vitro had received it. It was one of three injections needed.

I didn't buy that. There was something about that injection. It sent my body and mind into a tailspin. I was hot, then cold. Sick to my stomach and achy, my breasts hurt then they didn't. I was angry that it was humid, then I cried when I saw a flower.

I told James I wasn't liking how I felt. That something was off.

He suggested that I was tired and it was magnifying everything.

That made sense, everything always seemed worse when I was tired, so even though it was early evening I decided on a nap.

Jokingly I told James. "If you don't see me later, come check on me to make sure I didn't die."

He didn't laugh.

My nap wasn't long but it was a hard sleep and one I wish I didn't take. The hormones that intensified my emotions seeped into my dream and it was a nightmare.

A nightmare I had lived.

My subconscious released the reasons why I didn't want to have another child, and in the dream I lived it.

I dreamt of that fateful day when I lost my family.

In the dream I watched them die. I watched our SUV get smashed by that truck, flip in the air and ricocheted off of four cars.

Clearly, I saw the impact as it hit the passenger side, killing Rich instantly and sending my daughter Sammy from her Youth Seat out of the vehicle and onto the street, right where they had found her.

I screamed and cried and woke up feeling that pain all over again.

It was with me always, but had dulled since the accident. Now with that dream it returned with a vengeance. So much so I grabbed my chest, tried to breathe and swore I was having a heart attack. I stood, legs wobbling, reaching out to the darkened room and then I knew I wasn't having a heart attack, I wasn't lucky enough to die. I was alive, reliving that day all over again and feeling the heartache. An emotional pain so deep and so real, it manifested physically in me.

It was traumatic and I dropped to my knees and sobbed.

My babies. My husband. My entire existence died that day.

What was I doing? Suddenly all the healing I had experienced in the previous seven months diminished.

I was a mere shell of existence crumbling on the floor of the apartment.

Never again, in my entire life did I want to lose someone I loved so much.

The dream, I believe was the answer to the question I had been debating.

When Rich and the kids were taken from me, I shut down to everyone. Letting Dodge, the boys and Bud into not only my life but my heart was opening up myself to experiencing that pain again.

I already gambled with that. Getting impregnated, having a child was just expanding the chances of heartache and loss.

Crying uncontrollably, hands to my face, I realized I wasn't ready yet to take that chance. I wasn't ready emotionally to think about having a child. Not yet. Maybe in the future, maybe when I was stronger, but it was still too soon.

I knew what my decision was for the time being and I feared the reaction of Dr. Lewis when I would tell him my answer was definitely no.

THIRTY - DODGE

SEPTEMBER 9

Darie had this keen ability to twist and turn his body in the smallest of places. We stayed in the RV and while I debated on sleeping in the driver's seat, I opted for the covered sofa which folded out into a wider twin size bed. Bud insisted it was a double.

It wasn't one of those luxury, extra-long RV's, but it was a nice size. Because it was Bud's he got the rear queen bed.

George opted for the other couch without pulling it out. Surprisingly, the boys were asleep early. I took advantage of that and decided to sleep as well. After all, I wanted to get an early start. So when Darie's foot plowed into my face, I took the upside down restless sleeper as my personal alarm clock and got up.

It was starting to get light and I illuminate my watch.

Six-thirty.

I was surprised I slept that long. My arm felt nearly one hundred percent better, no hard morning ache shooting up my bicep.

While the plaster short cast was heavier, it was actually easier for me to move and it wasn't as awkward.

I sat up on the bed and Darie shifted his body again. I ran my hand over his head then adjusted him on the pillow and covered him. I smiled because he fell asleep with Faye's shirt.

After standing up I checked on George, who barely moved from the night before. The scent of something cooking outside carried into the RV, one the scents I caught was coffee. I decided I was going to seek out a cup. Maybe someone would be neighborly.

But first I wanted to get dressed. When we left the KAO campsite following my recovery there, we packed everything pretty tight. Putting things in order of needing them. Extra food and water were carried it the storage.

My plan was to take a few moments in the morning, get mentally prepared, wake the crew, get them fed and then we'd be on our way. Maybe push for a longer traveling day.

To maximize space, most of everything was tucked away in some nook or cupboard in the RV, but our clothes were in the back room.

I hated to disturb Bud, so I put on the small wall light in the hall outside the Queen Room, and quietly slid open the door as little as possible and slipped in.

My duffle bag was on the floor near the foot of the bed.

Matching or not. I would reach in, grab a shirt and a new pair of pants. Careful not to make a noise I unzipped the bag slowly and reached in. I grabbed a tee shirt, felt for denim and tugged out a pair of jeans.

I'd fix the items later. I just wanted to get my things and get dressed.

For the life of me I couldn't feel socks and opted against them. As 'gross' as Faye would claim it to be, she wasn't with us and I would wear another day out of my socks.

I stood with the slightest of grunts and when I did, I noticed the hint of light cast upon Bud as he slept in the bed.

My heart skipped a beat as it always did when I saw his his eyes were open.

I laughed with a shake of my head. "Damn it Bud, I hate when you do that."
Another chuckle I reached for the door and paused when I didn't get a response.

Typically when Bud was awake and quiet, he would make a sarcastic comment.

But Bud was silent.

A lump formed in my throat. The word barely squeaked out of my mouth. It was caught somewhere in my closed up throat. "Bud?"

Silence.

I felt the twitch in my gut and my hand trembled some as I reached for the door. I opened it wider to bring more light into the room.

When I did I saw Bud. He lay on his side, one arm tucked under his head, the other draped across and dangling down the edge of the bed. His typical sleeping position and Bud looked peaceful. His eyes were open.

I walked to the bed.

An ache crept up my chest and seeped out in the form of a soft moan. "Oh, Bud." I breathed out heavily, immediately taken with a sense of loss. I reached down to him. His right arm had the appearance of settled blood, and when I touched his head, his skin was cool.

Standing there I was at a loss and it hit me how big a loss this was going to be. The boys wouldn't comprehend it and Faye was going to be crushed.

Truth was so was I.

I ran my fingers gently down across his face, closing his eyes and I took a moment. A private moment to say my own goodbye to a man I had grown to know and love.

Bud was gone. He passed away peacefully in his sleep.

THIRTY-ONE - FAYE

I didn't sleep much the night before and I was curious as to where James had gone. He never came out on the balcony, his lights never turned on. The last I saw him was when I had my late lunch and injection.

My soldier guard said he had matters to attend to and that was all I was told.

I fell asleep just before dawn and slept only a couple hours. My headache was better, I wasn't crying, but I could feel the seesaw mood swings creeping up on me as I made my first morning cup of coffee.

This was the last day for Tyler to be in the hospital. If he was strong enough they'd let him out. I bought him time by not giving my answer.

I honestly, seriously, gave it deep thought.

More than I thought I would have.

I loved my children, Mark and Sammy. Loved them more than I loved life itself. They completed me and without them I wasn't the same. A part of me longed to have that love again. To hold that child and have my chest just fill with emotions that couldn't be brought on by anything else.

That was love. The unconditional love a mother has for her child.

With that love came the chance of heartache. Heartache that I was not alone in experiencing. Mine was just different.

Perhaps the injection fueled some sort of unreasonable emotional response. I did take that into account.

As I sipped my coffee I was hit with an overwhelming sense of loss. I missed the boys, Dodge and Bud. I actually laughed when I looked at my choices for breakfast and one of them was Spam.

I swore Dodge wanted to lose it every time I suggested Spam. But he was patient, nodded and went with the flow.

In my heart I knew he'd healed from the attack, but with the days that had passed I started to worry. Where were they?

Surely even if God forbid something happened to Dodge, Bud would have brought the boys to me. James told me he made it a point to give good directions.

I worried that something was wrong, that something had happened; they should have arrived at COM Camp by now.

Just as I was about to decide on a meal, a knock came at the door. I honestly knew it could only be one person, James.

I called out for him to come in, knowing my card was outside, and he entered holding a plate.

"Hey, they had pancakes at the mess hall," James said. "Thought you might want some."

The plate was covered with a cloth. I lifted it and they looked wonderful. "Thank you."

"How are you?" he asked. "The guard said you never went on the balcony like you always do."

"I wasn't feeling all that great and not to mention I felt like I had the worst case of PMS ever."

"You'll have that when they give you a hormonal cocktail. Which I told you I don't trust. I don't get why they had to rush that."

"I don't either." I reached down and broke off a piece of the pancake. "Was there trouble last night? You weren't around."

"Nah. Things I wanted to take care of." He shrugged. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes. But I had a rough night. Thoughts of my kids, my husband. You know."

"I do."

I brought the pancake to my mouth, enjoying it for a moment, and then looked at James with seriousness. "I'm not gonna do it."

"Excuse me?"

"I can't. I can't do it right now. I thought about it and ..."

"Faye, you don't have to explain your reasons to me."

"I know," I said. "But I have them. It's not that I am ruling out a child. I'm just not ready to have one now. If I am meant to have a child, I think I'll leave that up to fate and not science."

"Whatever you want to do. Remember that."

"How do you think they'll react?"

James took a loud breath. "Honestly, I don't know."

"Are they gonna kick me out? Not that I care, but Dodge is on his way down and I don't want him to get here and I'll be gone. He'll never find me."

"That's not going to happen."

"You mean they won't make me leave."

"I don't know about that," James said. "I'm referring to Dodge. He'll find you no matter what."

"How can you be so sure?" I questioned with slight panic. After all, I was worried about that. I had his son; I knew and felt that Dodge was on his way. We were a partnership that I didn't want apart any longer. "We can't be sure."

"Yes, I can. I was thinking ahead. If they make you leave ..." He winked. "Trust me. I have a plan."

THIRTY-ONE - DODGE

The last thing I wanted to do was wake up the boys and tell them that Bud had passed away in his sleep.

That would be a hell of a thing to wake up to.

I didn't want to leave the RV at all, it wasn't a chance I wanted to take. I hated the thought of George waking up and finding Bud.

When I heard voices outside, one soft enough not to wake the boys, I quietly crept from the RV door and signaled the two men to come over.

After alerting them to stay quiet, I asked if one of them could pass on to those in the monastery that I needed some help, my friend had died.

The looks on their faces were as if they too had lost a friend.

Their heads hung low, they conveyed their sympathies and said they'd let Deacon Jeremiah know.

I didn't want anyone coming to the RV, not yet, not until I told the boys.

When the boys stirred less than an hour later, I had their breakfast for them. Granola, some fruit snacks and juice.

"Jeremiah, said he'd give us eggs today," George said. "How come we're not having eggs?"

"I didn't feel like going to the monastery to eat," I replied, sitting at the table with them. Darie didn't seem to mind. He picked at his food. Although I bet he would rather have eggs.

"How come Bud's not up with us?" George asked.

"Is he still sleeping?" Darie questioned.

"He's in bed," I answered.

George laughed. "Is Bud being lazy today? He's never the late sleeper. We should get him for breakfast. Bet he'd want to go to the monastery."

"Stay here and eat," I told him.

"Why don't you want us to get Bud? You mad at him?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm not mad at Bud." I cleared my throat. "Not at all."

The George looked at me with a side glance. "You sick? Hurt?"

"Me? No."

"You look it. You look pale. We should get Bud."

"Stay here."

"Darie, run and wake up Bud." George instructed.

Darie stood and I stopped him. "Just eat please."

"You're being rude Dodge, you can't let Bud sleep through breakfast. That's not nice," George then stood. "I'll get him."

Before I was ready, George darted toward the back. It took all of my agility to stop him.

"What is wrong with you?" George asked. "You're being weird."

I crouched down before him and stared seriously at the young boy. "Please," I spoke softly. "Go sit down. I'll tell you."

And then I did.

Their reactions weren't what I expected. Darie was a little scared, I think more so because Bud was still in the back room.

"Is he gonna get up like me and Faye?" Darie asked.

"No. No, he's gone."

I expected sadness from George, I suppose he was. But the very mature child showed nothing but anger.

He asked if he could see Bud, and after some debate, I let him go. I tried to stand in the doorway, but he asked me to leave. I don't know what happened in that back room, but when he emerged he ran right out.

Jeremiah wasn't far, in fact he was just outside the RV, as if waiting. He stood when George took off running. I moved to chase him but Jeremiah stopped me.

"Lyle's following him." Jeremiah said. "The boy needs to absorb this. To him and us everyone finished dying months ago. This is a big deal."

My hand shot to my face, I wanted to scream. I couldn't believe Bud was gone. "It's a big deal to me too."

"I'm sorry for your loss. For all of you." Jeremiah reached out laying a hand on my shoulder. "I had time to speak to Bud. He was a man of faith and knowing that, I would like to handle his burial properly."

Slowly my fingers dragged across my face. "What do you mean?"

"We have a cemetery here. I'll have two men get a spot ready and we'll have a service for him this afternoon."

I guess in my shock, I didn't handle that well. It didn't make sense and I squeaked out confused. "Why?"

"Why?" Jeremiah repeated with an emotional chuckle. "My friend, part of what makes us civilized is how we deal with our dead. This world was besieged with sickness so fast that we as a civilization put asunder all that we knew and did. The good bye, the ceremony of burial were forgotten. There were too many too fast and we tossed them like garbage and placed them in mass graves. Human beings deserve more respect than to be discarded. Those were people that were loved. But the problem was, those who loved them died along with them. Not now. Mr. Doyle has you and the boys. If we intend to be civilized and human again, we must return to all practices and that includes burying our dead with dignity."

He was right. Although what to do with Bud's remains weren't really a thought for me at that moment. I was too busy worry about the boys and how Faye and Tyler were going to react.

I agreed and thanked Jeremiah. He informed me that he would handle things and I was to handle the boys.

That was a lot.

Darie sat on Bud's folding chair and George returned shortly after, kicking his feet as he walked.

"You all right?" I asked.

"No. No. It's not fair."

"I know."

He placed his hands in his pockets and looked up to me. "Where is he? He still inside?"

I shook my head. "No, Jeremiah and a couple of the brothers took him. He'll be buried here in the cemetery."

"What!" Georg blasted. "You let them take him?"

'Yes, George. We're going to have a funeral."

"And leave him here?"

"That's what a funeral is," I said.

"I know what a funeral is Dodge," It seemed the angrier and more emotional George grew, the more his Georgia accent came out. "But they took Bud and you wanna leave him here. You can't leave him here."

"What do you want me to do? Tie him to the top of the RV and roll to Florida like that?"

"Yes," George nodded. "Cause it's his RV. This is his journey. We're his family. He deserves to be there when we find Faye."

"George that's not realistic."

"Yes, it is." He argued. "It's the right thing to do."

"Do you think Bud would want that?" I asked. "He wouldn't. He said yesterday to me that this was the place he wanted to live his last days. Well, he did. As sad as that makes us, as angry as it makes us, there is nothing we can do about it."

George sniffled. I heard it and saw it on his face but he was so stubborn and thrown by Bud's passing, that he wouldn't give into the sadness or let me see it. He scowled at me. "Fine. Nothing we can do about it. But we can do something about Faye and Tyler. Go get them. I want us all back together."

"We will be. As soon as ...."

George cut me off as he stormed by me to the RV. "As soon as we can. Fast too." He demanded angrily, then opened the RV door, paused and did a complete change of tone. He looked saddened at me with a small pout to his lips. "Please," he peeped out the word. "Please, I need Faye."

He lowered his head then slipped inside the RV.

I exhaled trying to relieve some of the heaviness I felt. It didn't work.

George was a little boy carrying a man size heartache.

There was nothing I could do to ease the pain of Bud's death. But I would do everything I could to get George and Darie, not only on the road to being better emotionally, but on the road to getting our family back together.

THIRTY-TWO - FAYE

Tyler looked the best I had seen him in a while. Even before the injury. His color returned and maybe he was given the nutrients he was missing, I didn't know. But his smile was brighter and he was playing a video game when I walked into his room. No longer was he hooked up to machines, only the shunt remained in his arm.

It was a welcome sight and I knew he was going to be leaving the hospital soon.

My early morning talk with James didn't breed any answers as to what I would do if they asked us to leave, but he was certain all would be fine.

That changed when he received a request from the president to lead the escort team to Washington DC. All that James could tell me was that it involved important government documents along with personal items.

The escort would be gone two nights. He was nervous and asked me not to say anything about my decision until he returned. To me, James went a little overboard on what 'they' may do when they found out I wouldn't be bearing a child just yet.

His fears compounded my own.

I gave him my word. I hated living under the false pretense that I was still making a decision but the two days gave him the time to return or for Dodge to get here.

Dodge.

The boys.

Even with the comforts of old life, I wanted that simple life with Dodge, Bud and the boys.

Not surprising, Tyler asked about them the second I stepped in the room. "Any word at all?" he asked.

"Not yet."

He looked down to his game controller and then back to me. "You don't think my Dad didn't make it do you?"

"You mean do I think your Dad died?"

Tyler nodded.

"No." I stated with utmost certainty. "I don't feel it. I think about Dodge and I feel he's fine. Not like I'm psychic, but we developed a bond. Something is holding them up."

"Like what?"

"Car trouble maybe."

"Can't be car trouble," Tyler scoffed. "My Dad is like the master mechanic."

"Ok well, then something else." I pulled up a chair. "Dodge is fine. They're fine. I just ... I just wished they'd get here."

"You don't wanna stay?" Tyler asked.

"As much as this is really great having electricity. I feel like I lost my sense of freedom."

"I'm feeling better, we can go when he gets here."

"I'm looking forward to it," I grabbed his hand.

"How are you?"

"Me? I'm fine. I had a rough night. The hormone injection was like a bad drunk and I know those ..." I faked a laugh. "But ..." I exhaled. "I won't be getting another one."

"Why? Was one enough?"

"For now. However I think ... I think I'm going to let nature take its course."

"What do you mean?" Tyler asked.

"I just don't know that I am ready to be the new Eve."

A voice entered the room. It wasn't one that I expected. It was Dr. Lewis. "Is that your final decision?"

In surprise I turned in the chair and stood.

"I heard you speaking. Is that your decision?" he asked without emotions.

"Listen, Dr. Lewis. I know the timing of my decision with Tyler getting well and all is ... it probably looks like I strung you along. But I honestly thought about it. I really did. I looked at pictures of my kids on the phone. I thought of the good memories. I gave it every thought."

"I see."

He stared at me as if waiting for me to say something else. Perhaps to sputter out my reasoning. As I prepared to do just that, my eyes shifted to rushing movement in the hall and voices.

He looked over his shoulder to the commotion, and then as if it didn't faze him he returned his attention to me. I expected him at that moment to tell me to get Tyler and go, to leave immediately. I was ready for that.

"May I speak to you alone?" he asked. "Please."

Please? Dr. Lewis the arrogant, unaffected, unemotional doctor said please?

I nodded then glanced back at Tyler and then followed Dr. Lewis to the door.

We stopped when another soldier raced down the hall by us.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Trouble with one of our divisions." He led the way down the hall.

"Division Five?"

He stopped looked at me and shook his head almost in disgust "Yes, I suppose Major Reynolds told you about them."

Immediately I thought about how concerned James was about that division and almost like a kid waiting for their parents to go out of town, it seemed Division Five waited until James wasn't around. "He told me a little. Why are the soldiers running?"

"We're having some problems with them at our gate."

"They're really rushing."

"There are a lot out there." He turned the bend. "Nothing you should worry about. We have it under control." He walked a little farther and stopped at a closed door. "This is my office. Come in." He opened the door. "We need to talk."

My heart beat a little faster. Walking in there was like walking into the bosses' office when something was wrong. I had a bad feeling about what he was going to say, and a part of me was afraid.

Even though I didn't trust going in there with him, I owed him my time at least. I stopped inside his office and he closed the door.

THIRTY-THREE - DODGE

The Monks at the Holy Cross Monastery did a nice job for Bud's final send off. Bud would have liked it. Two of the men went into Wayne and gathered a coffin from the local mortuary. Coffins weren't used during the virus. The 'ceremony' of a funeral added a sense of closure and the entire community attended the service then walked with the coffin, drawn by a horse to the cemetery.

It was followed by a late lunch of bread and soup.

Darie ate his soup and George picked. The eldest of the boys was fussy and agitated.

Though sad, Darie took Bud's passing gracefully. He acknowledged the loss, spoke highly of Bud while never letting go of Faye's shirt.

Faye was going to have to launder that tee shirt when all was said and done.

It was pushing four PM by the time everything was finished. We still had a few hours of daylight left for traveling and by my calculations still twelve hours of travel to go until we reached that government camp.

I was ready to pack up and go, but Deacon Jeremiah thought it was best we spend one more evening. His reasoning was we couldn't pull into that camp at night and were still two night's rests away from getting there whether we left immediately or waited until dawn.

"Get rest, rejuvenate the spirit, leave at dawn and push extra in traveling. The little one is better now, he'll handle it."

It made sense, but George was obstinate about leaving immediately. Then because Jeremiah was the one to ask, George reluctantly agreed to stay one more night.

Jeremiah made another suggestion. Leave the RV, go into town and find a smaller and easier means to travel to Florida. I was a mechanic so I could make sure the car was road worthy.

"Leaving Bud's RV here is not in the cards," I told him as we sat outside the RV.

"You are returning."

"Not for long."

"Even then, leaving it is a sensible decision. The RV and your belongings will be safe."

I held up my hand. "I know that. I do."

"The RV is big, it requires a lot more stops to refuel. You want to make the trip quickly; you won't do that with a thirty-two foot recreational vehicle."

"I'll think about it," I replied.

"And I can't convince you to leave the youngest here?" Jeremiah asked. "Until you return?"

"No." I shook my head. "Faye will kill me if I show up down there without Darie."

Jeremiah nodded his head. "I understand that. But he's so little and he's running and playing."

I looked up to see Darie playing with another child. "I see that. But he has to go."

"Can I ask why you are so adamant about not joining the community here?"

Before I could answer, George pulled up a chair and sat with us. He answered for me. "Because Dodge thinks this is a cult."

It wasn't the answer I would have given. Although pretty brazen and blunt about the way he said it, there was a distorted truth in George's words.

Jeremiah quickly looked at me. "We are not a cult."

"I didn't say that," I defended.

"Did too," George said. "Bud told me you called it a cult. Said you told him that all the men were gonna have to grow long beards and be monks and the women ..."

"Stop." I told him. "I said no such thing. Bud was lying."

George gasped. "Why would Bud lie?"

"Because Bud liked to tell tales." I then looked at Jeremiah. "I didn't say it was a cult. I did express reservations about this being a monastery."

"I see. Well, we are not a cult. Yes, this land once was a monastery but it's God's land. These people here are a community. We don't force them to follow our beliefs, the only rules we have is to respect the land and the others. Be good to one another. We're trying to rebuild here, Dodge. A safe environment. Because it's not safe out there. Especially for women."

"Don't we know that," George said. "That's why Faye isn't here. The men wanted her because she was a woman."

"Hundreds of people here," Jeremiah said. "Nine are female. The virus was not kind to women. We need to protect them and keep them safe. Here they are. Out there, it's hiding and running. It will only get worse."

I heard his words and agreed. "Jeremiah, it's not that I don't want Faye safe. I just wanted us to go somewhere new and start again."

"And then what?" Jeremiah asked. "What about the boys? How will that aid them growing up not being around anyone else. We remain, it is up to us to rebuild. All the means are here. God ..."

Sometimes George was too mature for his own good. He didn't even let Jeremiah finish before he spouted out. "There is no God."

I cringed a little in embarrassment.

Without being thrown, Jeremiah calmly asked him. "You don't believe in God?"

"Nope."

"Did you ever?" He asked.

George nodded. "Yep. I did. I believed when I was praying really hard. Praying for God to save my mom and dad. But He didn't. I'm sure everyone was praying. But God didn't answer anyone's prayers. Know why? Because there isn't a God. I figure, if there was one He'd answer prayers."

"God can't answer everyone's prayers. And sometimes prayers are answered differently."
"It's a dead world." George said.

"I beg to differ," Jeremiah said. "Look around. All around is life. I am sorry that God didn't answer your prayer, but He did answer prayers."

"How can you say that?"

"Because I can bet my life your mother and your father were praying that you and Darie would live. While she was ill, she wasn't praying for herself, she was praying for you. I believe God answered that prayer. Dodge prayed for his children. His son lives. I am sure Bud's children prayed for him. He lived."

"What about Faye?" George asked. "Who prayed for her? No one. Her kids died long before the sickness, her husband too. She don't have a mom or dad. Or family. She was out cold, laying in a mound of bodies. Who prayed for her?"

"Just because Faye lived, doesn't mean someone wasn't praying for her. Maybe she was chosen. Maybe ... because the doctors of the world knew this virus was wiping out the female population, maybe there was one doctor out there praying that one woman lived. Maybe Faye was that one woman answered in his prayers." Jeremiah reached out and grabbed George's hand. "We don't know. I can't convince you there is a God. I can convince you without a doubt there is life. This isn't a dead world. Not yet." He stood slowly, running his hand over George's head and then glanced outward. "I think I'll go play kick ball with the others. Would you like to come, George?"

George shook his head. After Jeremiah walked away, George looked at me. "I'm sorry Dodge. Are you mad at me?"

"For what?"

"Saying there's no God."

"Can't be mad at you for saying how you feel." I told him.

"Why'd this have to happen, Dodge?" George's voice cracked as he spoke. "Why? Why'd everyone have to die? Why're we living like this?"

"I don't know, little man. I wish I did."

Then surprising me, George stood, walked over to me and climbed on my lap.

For as mature as he tried to be, for as grown up as he acted, George was just a boy. A scared little boy. I wrapped my arms tight around him and his head fell onto my chest.

"I can't bring back what we had," I told him. "But I promise you I will do everything I can to make this life worth living for you."

"I know you will. I may not believe all that much in God. But I believe in you, Dodge," he said. "I believe in you."

I felt George's arms lock tighter as his words seared into my heart.

There was nothing more I could tell him. All I could do was hold him, because I really believed at that moment, he needed that security most.

THIRTY-FOUR - FAYE

"Do you know what it's like to fail mankind?" Dr. Lewis asked. His first question as he closed the door to his office. He didn't ask it with an edge, nor his typical arrogance. I suppose, or so I thought, it was more of a rhetorical question.

I took a seat and he walked around and leaned against the edge of his desk. "I'm not here to chastise you for making the decision you have made. I am not bringing you here to change your mind or threaten you. I am here to enlighten you."

It was hard to pay attention at first in that office because increasingly gunshots rang out. Then after he began to talk, all noise faded.

"When this virus began it seemed so simple to fix and fight. In my arrogance, I knew I could be the one who cured it. Come up with not only a serum to fight it but an inoculation to never get it. That, of course, was when it hadn't touched our soil yet."

"Weren't you the one who cured it?" I asked.

"I was. But early on, too full of myself I made mistakes and then like a puzzle we over thought the problem and the virus soon became unstoppable. I vowed to work day and night. What do you remember about the virus?"

"Not much. Before I slipped into the coma they were just warning people to be cautious. That many were getting it, and then I woke up three weeks later."

"What is the last date you remember before waking up?"

"April fifteenth."

Dr. Lewis nodded. "Our first patients began dying around the first week of April. And then they just kept dying and dying. I had been working on it while it was overseas. Long before it got here. Long before our first case at the end of March. Do you by any chance know anything about the first victims? You were conscious?"

"No." I shook my head. "I was drowning in my own grief."

"Ah, eventually so was I."

I glanced up to him.

"The first deaths, oddly all came within hours of one another. An elderly couple in their early eighties. A woman in her thirties and two children both ten. First deaths. A family returning from an overseas extended cruise to Spain." He forced a smile and made eye contact. "They were my family. My parents, my wife and kids. Ironically the man who held the knowledge to stop the virus watched helplessly as his family died. Died of a virus I was certain I could beat. But didn't. Do you know what I did after that?"

"I can assume you went to work twice as hard."

"No. I stopped. In fact when I knew everyone that I loved had this highly contagious virus, I took off my mask, all protective equipment and welcomed this virus. It didn't touch me. So I just slipped away and bothered with no one."

I stared down to my hands. "I know that feeling."

"I suppose you do. So ..." he exhaled. "More people died, time moved quickly and after a couple weeks and begging from colleagues who had already taken the research as far as they could." Dr. Lewis chuckled emotionally. "In fact they had implemented this place. After that, fine, I went back to work on the virus." He held up a single finger. "One week. Maybe less. I cured it. It was as simple as I first thought. Had I not taken the time to hide away in anger, I could have saved millions. Millions. I ... failed mankind. Whether I really did or not, no reasoning can convince me otherwise. I failed. So I ask you do you know what it's like to fail mankind? Because if you don't ... you will. I don't say this maliciously, I say this honestly. Maybe not today. But you will. You chose not to carry the gender altered embryos because you are not willing to get attached, have children again, whatever the case. But I assure you, like I was the answer to saving a good portion of this world, you are the answer saving the species."

I shook my head argumentatively. "You can't say that. I firmly believe there are other women."

"Do you know that for a fact? I thought someone else could take my burden as well. Even if there are other women, what's to say the baby will be immune to the virus? What's to say the baby will be a girl? Maybe nature has decided to eliminate us and only male children will be born without the aid of science. And if you are the only woman, what if suddenly there is a power failure and we lose the embryos, or worse, something happens to Dr. Chatham? Believe it or not Faye, you are the answer. There might be others, but we don't know if they exist, if we can do for them what we can right now. And right now is the time to take advantage of the fact that you are an answer. Don't gamble like I did. Don't grow old and leave this world never knowing if you could have made a difference when we were given the chance to begin again. Because of my selfish decision we lost our population. Don't let your selfish decision end the line of what is left."

He delivered to me in that office, a very strong argument for doing the procedure. Words that were hard to ignore. Words that I heard, despite the increasing fighting that erupted outside the walls of the hospital.

<><><><>

By late evening I was locked in my apartment with not just one, but two guards with me. Farmer, one of the first soldiers I met, had returned to my apartment at the request of James.

He told me that civil unrest had erupted and the seventy men from Division Five had enlisted the help from other divisions and were trying to storm the gates of Division One.

Why?

Officially, I was told it was because they felt they were treated sub standardly, that they wanted what Division One had. They claimed they lived in tent cities and were starving. NO electricity.

They were made to work with little reward. That was what they claimed.

Whether or not there was any truth to the way they lived, I didn't know. But Farmer believed the biggest bargaining tool was me.

He believed they were trying to get in to get me. I was a woman, the leaders needed me and wanted me. If they had control of me, they could demand to live with better means.

They would have a say in how they lived.

No one had to leak my presence, like James had feared, someone from Division Five was being treated at the hospital while I freely walked about.

I worried about Tyler but was assured he was fine.

"We just need to keep you safe," Farmer said. "As odd as it sounds, they will try to get you."

"Am I that big of a bargaining chip?"

"You're the last woman."

It sounded like a warzone outside, not just civil unrest. My windows were blackened and I was kept in the center of the apartment.

"Farmer, what happens if they get close?"

"I have a few ideas. Any breach we have to move you to a good spot. Hide you. Hiding you won't be hard but getting you there will." He then lifted the back pack he brought with him. "This is my idea. Faye, you need to consider it. For your safety, to protect you, we have hide you in every way possible. That includes hiding what you are." He unzipped the bag and lifted a pair of hair clippers. "What do you say?"

It wasn't an easy decision, but it was one I had to make quickly. I knew the day would come where I'd have to transform for my safety and that day was here. Farmer pulled the rest of the items from the bag and with his help, I began my transformation.

It was a good thing we did because not a half an hour later, men from Division Five broke the barricade and were on my street.

THIRTY-SIX - MAJOR JAMES REYNOLDS

September 10

Taking a Chinook we flew to Washington DC from an airbase close to Division Two. We landed on the lawn of the White House.

We did see, as we flew overhead survivor camps in the city. I had seen many major cities in my journey to find Faye but never did I see so many survivors in one place. Not that there were hundreds, but we spotted camps with multiple people.

It was a search and retrieve mission for documents and other personal items. An inane trip in my opinion, but it was the president.

Upon landing, we learned that there was unrest involving Division Five. There were serious problems and demands. I wasn't comfortable being so far away.

I was reminded quite clearly that no matter how much we tried to take control, restore order and civility, the country was possibly too far gone. This was reiterated by the squatters that had taken over the west wing of the White House.

We asked them to leave, and one man reminded us that the White House belonged to the people.

President Turner, an easy going man as it was, was hard put to argue merely stating, "Let's just get what we need and leave at first light."

The squatters didn't bother much with us other than asking if we had extra food.

"There's an entire damn city afoot," I told them. "Go look for it."

"Major," the president scolded. "You will provide these people with items we have and don't need."

That was the problem. Before the world went to shit, we all felt the need to provide, and in a sense, still did. What was it getting us?

When I was ordered to do that it pushed me to the verge of saying the hell with it and just move on from the government camps.

By nightfall, I realized through radio communication, I would not have much of a choice.

Things had gotten worse. Rebels from Division Five stormed Division One, looted and took over Division Two, however Farmer's quick thinking got Faye and a few others to the safe house. A place I had been preparing for days.

"There were deaths, Major," Farmer said in the radio call. "It's not good. The safe house will only work for so long."

He was right, until and if we restored order, Faye wasn't safe. In fact would she ever be?

At first light we pulled out. None of us really had any rest and for the first time the president truly showed anger over the situation.

I listened to him rant and rave on the flight, all the while I just wanted to tell him if he'd
listened to other military people in the first place, none of it would have happened.

When the call went out inviting the public within the walls of the government compound, the general warned it would cause problems. While it was the easiest way to find a surviving woman, it wasn't the logical way.

We ended up going out to search for her anyhow. Leaving us with hundreds of less than desirable survivors who were angry, bitter, mourning and lacking any true motivation to live a productive life any longer.

They lost everything.

They had nothing more to lose and they lived like it.

The rising smoke told us we had to find an alternate place to land. The airfield was destroyed and smoke was thick everywhere.

I was informed things were semi under control. Division One was secure, but not without loss.

A jeep rendezvoused with us at the alternate landing site and took us to Division One.

Being told we had multiple casualties was an understatement. Everywhere I looked there were burnt buildings, bodies being moved. The damaged hospital was packed with the injured.

I gave the order not to treat any rebels. As inhumane as it sounded, my men came first. Especially with only two doctors and limited medical staff.

Dr. Lewis had been moved to the safe house and unfortunately, Dr. Barry Chatham was killed.

Our geneticist. Our link to ending the path to extinction ... dead.

After a heartbreaking briefing, I made my way to the safe house which was located forty miles northwest. An inconspicuous exit from the highway led to a two lane road then a hidden narrow dirt driveway. After a half mile drive through the trees the driveway ended at a gate.

Just inside that gate was one of my soldiers.

I drove through and parked the jeep, the cool fresh air from the ocean hit me immediately. I saw a soldier walking the beach with another right behind him.

A path led to the house and I paused. The swing set caused an ache in my chest. Standing there for a moment I looked at it. I remembered the day I erected that swing set. It was before we moved into our dream house.

I was a man who feared very little, but at that moment, I feared going into the house. I hadn't returned at all. I was scared it would be difficult and as I stood in the yard of my old house, I wasn't wrong. It was difficult.

While preparing that house as a safe location, I never went alone. I always brought a soldier, he unloaded items, carried them in and I stayed outside.

I had been to the house several times in the previous week, but it was the closest I stepped to that swing set.

As I was gathering the courage to go inside and see Faye, another soldier emerged from the side door.

"Major," he snapped to attention.

"At ease. Where's Faye? Inside?"

He shook his head. "On the beach."

A part of me felt relieved that I didn't have to go inside. Not yet. "Thank you," I said and after glancing back to the swing set, I walked to the beach.

The one soldier walked back and forth to the water's edge. He was carefree, why wasn't he watching Faye. I called to him. "Soldier. Where is Faye?"

Then he turned around.

I was breathless.

It was Faye. She wore a tee shirt tucked into camouflage pants and not only was her long hair gone, it was shaved close to her head in what looked like number two comb buzz cut.

I watched her shoulders drop and she hurried to me across the beach.

I was relieved as well because if I didn't know it was Faye, then neither would the rebels who sought her.

"James." She threw her arms around me.

Instinctively, I returned the embrace. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. No." She answered in a weakened voice. "It was horrible. They were escorting us out. Barry was shot. He was shot right next to me. And Tyler, I don't know where he is. We were looking and they rushed me out." Her head dropped.

"That's what I need to talk to you about."

Faye gasped. She inhaled a backwards scream. "Oh God, he's dead."

"No." I shook my head. "He's not dead. But we have a situation. They got him. They have Tyler."

THIRTY-SEVEN - FAYE

I hated guns.

The hatred went back to my father and his death. I was only nine when he was accidently shot by a friend. Dodge tried to teach me while we were at my home but I didn't even want to touch it. I knew about them, just hated them.

So when we had to make the rush to leave the apartment and Farmer made me shoulder that M-4, not only was I thrown off balance by the weight but emotionally it pulled me down as well.

He expressed that since I was looking the part of a male soldier, I certainly wouldn't be moving about without a weapon.

The vest covered my breasts, the jacket or 'cover' as they called it hung too far down over my hand and the combat helmet was loose.

I felt like a sloppy mess and there was no way anyone would believe I was a man, let alone a soldier. But things moved fast, we ran as partners instead of him escorting me. My confirmation that I looked like a man was when we arrived at the hospital and Dr. Chatham blasted Farmer, asking where I was.

When he stepped closer to me, he could tell.

The intention was to get Tyler, both scientists and another doctor, then flee through the back of the hospital to the hidden jeep.

That was the intention and that was the plan, but when we got to the hospital chaos had already erupted. Getting to Tyler's room was like playing a video game, darting forward, back, staying close to the wall, all to discover Tyler was already gone.

The shrill sound of my voice was a calling card to the rebels and they caught up to us as Farmer dragged me to the back door.

We were there, we were out, Barry on my right. Dr. Lewis on my left. Farmer holding up the rear.

He directed Dr. Lewis to go through first with me between the two men.

Dr. Lewis pushed open the back door and in that brief moment, I guess when Farmer stepped sideways to shoot, Barry was shot in the back of the head. For as important as he was, as much as I liked him, I couldn't even take a moment to acknowledge his death.

I could barely scream when Dr. Lewis then yanked me hard to the waiting jeep that was buried in the brush.

A driver was in the jeep and after zero hesitation we zipped through the night, leaving me in a state of shock over Barry's death and in confusion regarding the fate of Tyler and Farmer.

The first news we received of the events came when James arrived.

Although other soldiers showed up for protection, they knew no more than we did. Farmer arrived with him, he had stayed back to help defend the hospital.

Dr. Lewis was a mess. An emotional mess. His cool exterior crumbled in the wake of the aftermath. I suppose he was better friends with Barry than he wanted to admit. He sat in the house, looking at a photo album. I hadn't been in the house; I stayed on the covered back porch. I found it soothing watching the ocean. Alternating between walking to the water and returning to the porch.

I was seated on the step, facing the beach, when James came from the house and sat next to me. He reached over laying a hand on my wrist.

His hand shook.

I looked at his trembling fingers then to him. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Just dealing." He breathed out. "No word yet. I'm gonna have to go back and find out exactly what they want to do with Tyler. Why they took him."

"Because of me?"

"More than likely."

"We'll get him back, right? We have to."

"We'll get him back," James said with certainty. "But I don't think things will ever be the same again. There's been a lot of damage both to morale and property in Divisions One, Two and Five. Because of that, things will be shaken all over."

"Will they rebuild?"

"Yep. Maybe this time, they'll take more time. I know they were rushing to save people and give them hope, but they didn't think through the reactions of people, they didn't think through the human side. To me that should have been planned out before the lights were put back in place. Some things can't be rebuilt. The research wing suffered a lot of damage."

"The cure?" I asked.

"We recovered that. Dr. Lewis will be able to recreate it, we hope, but we have to take him elsewhere to do so. The gender altered embryos are done. The cases were burnt. So even if you had changed your mind, it's too late now."

I glanced to my folded hands and said nothing.

"I have to tell you Faye, this cutting off your hair, taking a male look ... it was a brave thing."

My reaction probably wasn't one he expected. I laughed, tossing my head back. "Brave? I am so far from brave." I shook my head in disgust. "This whole thing made me take a really deep look at myself. I sat right here and did a lot of thinking."

"How can you determine through that thinking that you aren't brave?'

"Because I'm not. I'm afraid; even then, I am weak, living in some stupid fantasy world that all will be ok because I let everyone else handle things for me."

"Faye ..."

"No James, it's true. When I got up from that mound of bodies, physically I was sick, but emotionally I was strong. I was determined to make it home and die. Then I met Dodge and I just handed the responsibility to him. He'd get me home, he'd help find food. I didn't worry about anything too much because Dodge handled everything. And here I sit, waiting on Dodge, waiting on you, so I can feel safe and better. That's not the way it should be. I should be able to do everything within my physical capabilities. Poor Dodge, the responsibility I put on him."

"In your defense..."

I laughed.

"No, listen." He held up a hand. 'You need more protection than you can give yourself. You are a commodity that is sought in this world. And like any commodity, food, water gas, it takes a team to keep it secure until things straighten out, if they ever do. One person cannot protect all the gas supply. You alone cannot constantly protect yourself."

"But I should know how. Dodge tried to teach me." I shrugged. "I blew it off. I figured he can shoot people. Hell, Farmer weaponized me and I balked."

James laughed. "Weaponized you?"

"Yeah, put a rifle here, pistol there, that sort of thing. I couldn't touch them. I felt sloppy and that I would hurt the wrong person."

"Farmer told me about your opposition to guns."

"I have to get over it. I have to at least be able to protect myself if Dodge isn't there."

"I know. I have something for you."

I glanced over at him when he grabbed my hand.

"You cannot effectively protect yourself if you are intimidated by the weapon you hold. Let's face it, an M-4 is heavy and intimidating. A 9mm is too. This should not intimidate you."

James placed what I thought was a toy revolver in my hand. It couldn't have been any more than four inches, with a barrel, tiny trigger and tiny hammer.

"It's loaded, so be careful."

"It's real?"

"Oh, yeah." He grabbed the revolver and handled it gently. "A 22 Magnum, not the smallest made but close. Barrel ejects up for easy load. It's a single action trigger, which means you have to cock it back before you shoot." He cocked back the hammer, aimed and then gently replaced the hammer. "I'm gonna tell you, it's not good at distances. But close up it is and perfect if you get yourself in a tight spot. It's a starter gun, and it shouldn't scare you." He placed it in my hand. "It can save you."

"Like when those guys grabbed me."

"Yep." He set a box of ammunition on the porch. "Take today. Learn how to use it. Be Dirty Harry." He smiled. "It sounds like a firecracker and it's not real loud. Will you practice?"

I looked down at the weapon.

"Please. You say you want to be strong. Protect yourself. You can only do that if you learn. I'll assign a soldier to work with you. Just have it with you and don't let the kids see it because they'll think it's a toy."

My response was a nod as I felt the weapon in my hand. I wasn't intimidated by it. "Are you leaving?"

"I have to head back to base. You're fine here. I'll check back if I can. But more than likely not, I don't want to be followed."

"Thank you for this. What did you do, stop at a gun shop?"

James laughed. "No, that was my wife's. I got it for her because she hated guns and I wanted her to have something she was comfortable with."

It was shocking to hear that because James had spoken about his fear of going back to his house. "You went home?"

"I did." He nodded.

"See. You didn't need me there."

"I wouldn't exactly say that."

I gave him a curious look.

He turned his head, looked at the house and waved out his hand. "Mine."

I gasped. "Oh, James this is your house?"

He nodded. "When I prepared it, I didn't step inside. Going in for this gun was the first time I went in since the virus hit. It was hard. But I had good motivation."

"Your photo albums? Pictures? This was your life?" I reached over and grabbed his arm. "This is wonderful. I love it here. I don't even want to leave. Ever."

"Unfortunately, staying isn't an option. Not yet. Maybe one day you can come back here. But until we deal with the problems. Until we can make life normal and safe for you and any other female, remote is best."

"Baby steps to normality?"

"Baby steps to normality," he said. "First one being, we get Tyler back."

Listening to James didn't give me the feeling that I would be hiding forever. Just as I would take the steps to keep myself safe, so was he. I loved the beach house, and I wanted to make it my goal to return there again.

Something inside told me James was going to make that a goal as well. His job before the virus was to fight to make the world a better and safer place, no doubt he was still doing his job.

THIRTY-EIGHT - DODGE

September 11

A sickening feeling hit my gut when I saw the smoke rising up in the distance. Though I wasn't certain it was from the government camp, my instincts said it was.

We were still twenty miles north of the place and I stopped.

Thank God, no pun intended, Deacon Jeremiah made the trip. Since we left the RV with intentions to return right away, he traveled with us 'just in case'.

It was one of those 'Just in case' moments.

"You got twenty miles." Jeremiah asked. "That should not take you long to get there, find out what happened, if anything and return for us. I think it's safer for me and the boys to hang back in case there is trouble."

Hating to do so, I agreed.

"No," George argued. "We need to see Faye and Tyler."

"You will. Let me make sure everything is good."

Jeremiah asked, "What do you think happened?"

"Could be something as simple as a house fire, or something like a raid by survivors."

Jeremiah looked around. "See that speed limit sign?" He pointed back. "We'll be in the wooded area. If need be we can retreat and run to the house not far down the road. But we haven't seen anyone, so I feel safe."

"Don't take this the wrong way but are you able to handle trouble?"

Jeremiah smiled. He wasn't old at all. Younger than me. "I'm protected. I have God in my heart ... and a 38 in my jacket."

"You're carrying?"

"Brother Daniel said God leads but man has free will, and in circumstances such as this, you can't trust what that free will is going to do."

My eyes shifted to the smoke.

How right he was.

After making sure they were hidden back and safe, I got in the car and drove. I hadn't made it ten miles before two big military trucks blocked the road.

Fifteen feet from the trucks, I was ordered to stop.

As if I wasn't going to do that.

One armed soldier approached the car and I was so grateful the boys weren't with me. I lifted my hands in the air.

"Step out of the vehicle slowly," I was instructed.

After opening the door, hands lifted again, I stepped out. 'Look, I'm just heading to the camp. My family is there. If you don't mind this cast is heavy and I'd rather not hold my arms up too long."

He nodded. "Your family is in which camp?"

"There's more than one?" I asked shocked. "I don't know. I have two little boys waiting about ten miles back with a friend. I am here to find my son and ..."

I stopped.

"And?"

"And you're probably not going to believe this. But .... The woman, Faye."

The soldier stepped back. "Major." He called out to the side. "Major can you come here please, sir."

Out from the front of the truck, a man of average height and build walked my way. At first he walked normally, then he slowed down, tilted his head and picked up the pace.

"Major, this man says ..."

"Are you Dodge?" he asked.

Hearing him say that surprised me. "Yes, I am."

"Wow, last I saw you, you were down and out on the ground."

"Thank you for that."

"James." He held out his hands. "James Reynolds."

The soldier then said. "Is this the guy you were talking about?"

"Yes." James nodded. "Where are the boys? Is everything all right."

"I left them back with my friend. I saw the smoke," I replied, then noticed another man approach.

"Hey!" The upbeat second soldier pointed. "Dodge. You are doing great. You were really messed up when I worked on you."

"Thank you both for reminding me how bad I got my ass kicked," I told him. "And thank you on a serious note for helping us. Now ... where's Faye and Tyler?"

They all looked at each other, then faced me.

By the look on their faces the news wasn't going to be good.

<><><><>

James, the major and a man who went by the name Farmer drove me back to the road to get Jeremiah and the boys. We didn't say anything to the boys, just that Faye was moved to a really cool spot.

However on the way to get them, James informed me of the situation. One of the camps had an uprising. They were claiming they wanted what everyone else had. They also wanted Faye.

The rebels claimed it wasn't to hurt her but to have her so they had bargaining power. They knew what the main camp wanted with her.

Someone gave the rebels all the information they needed and they knew, without Faye, the government couldn't complete project Eve.

According to James, the rebellion screwed that up.

He told me about how they wanted Faye to get pregnant with girls. A way, even small, to jump start things. I didn't tell them about the women at the Monastery.

It wasn't my place to do so.

The rebels had my son, and with it, they had someone not only ready to destroy the hospital, but the grid and water supply as well.

James said, "I don't care about the grid. I do care about the hospital. The virus research is there, the vaccine is there."

He didn't say much more nor did he go into detail about the plan. He told me he'd do so once we were with Faye. He also assured me that he took great care to watch her and make sure she was safe.

I'd be lying if I said a bit of jealousy didn't creep up inside of me.

In fact, I stewed about it unreasonably until we arrived at the safe house. Then everything seemed to leave. The boys and I, along with Jeremiah behind us, excited the car. We had just made it up over the grade and passed the swing set when I spotted Faye.

No one told me she had shaved her head, dressed like a man and took on that look.

It didn't work for me. I knew even at a distance it was her, standing there at the edge of the water.

So did the boys.

They flew by me, screaming her name at the top of their lungs.

"Faye! Faye!"

I walked but watched them run to her.

She spun around, her face lit up and she moved as quickly as she could to the boys. They both plowed into her so hard, they knocked her back and she dropped to her knees. It was an amazing reunion and I wanted to be a part of it.

At first I believed she was so encompassed with the boys that I was an afterthought. Then with Darie and George both in her arms she looked up. The biggest smile I ever saw graced her face. She kissed both boys, stood, chuckled and ran into me. The boys were sandwiched between us, holding on to our legs as I did my best just to grasp on to her.

It felt so good to see her, to hold Faye and to know she was fine. She looked absolutely fine.

"I am so happy to see you guys." She squeezed tightly and then pulled back. "How are you? I was so worried about you. But I knew inside you'd be fine."

"I'm good. How are you?"

"Physically fine. Tyler ..."

I held up my hand. "I know."

"I'm sorry. I am so sorry."

"This isn't your fault."

Then the look I dreaded hit her. Faye shifted her eyes looking about. "Where's Bud?"

A lump formed in my throat and the words were hard to say. "We lost Bud. He ... passed away two days ago."

Her hand shot to her mouth and she gasp. "Oh no." Then she cringed, almost as though the news made her nauseous. "Please tell me he wasn't beat up, or shot or suffered."

I shook my head. "No, he passed away in his bed in the RV. In his sleep."

Faye nodded a few times, then blew slowly from her mouth, she lifted Darie so motherly to rest on her hip as she brought George closer. "Then I'm glad he went that way. Was he happy? Did he say anything?"

"He was confident that we would find you."

George peered up to her. "We had a funeral. They put him in a coffin like my grandpa. Had music in church and everything."

"A funeral?" she asked.

"I'll explain it to you later just ..." I pointed back to Jeremiah who was in the background.

"Is he Amish? Was it an Amish town? He has that beard and hair ..."

I laughed. "No, he's a monk."

Faye murmured out an, "I see."

But I don't think she did. Our reunion on that beach was brief. And it took everything to get the boys away from the ocean. I promised them they could play there when Tyler got back. They agreed and came to the house.

<><><><>

"They want to meet," James said as we stood on the back porch. "One hour. Two of us and the woman, two of them and Tyler. I set the meet at an open spot where they can't bring anyone to ambush us. They said once the exchange is made, they will call off their guys at the grid, water supply and hospital and negotiate in good faith. Right now, I have snipers on these suicide bombers, ready to take them out on my call."

"What's the plan?" I asked.

"Take them out, get Tyler, give the call and then we storm Division Two to break them there." James twitched his head to the right. "That's the plan."

"Sounds too easy."

"We're not dealing with rocket scientists or terrorist cells that are organized. We're dealing with outraged and irrational human beings. They tend not to think things through."

"Good. When do we go?" I asked.

"We?" James shook his head. "You don't go. We do."

"What!" I blasted. "That is my son."

"And I will do everything I can to ensure I deliver your child back to you. Trust me. But if something goes wrong ... those boys in there. Those little boys need you."

I chuckled in disbelief. "If something goes wrong they'll have Faye."

James didn't say anything. His silence told me a lot.

"No." I shook my head. "You're taking Faye?"

"They said two men and the woman. There will be two men and Faye."

"Unbelievable, you're gonna use her as bait? Pretend you're handing her over?"

"I'm taking her. I need her there, just in case they ask to hear her voice. I would ask. None of us sound female enough to pull it off. They can make things go bad quickly if they know it's a rouse. But she's not the woman I'm handing over." When the screen door squeaked, James nodded at it and I turned around.

Farmer, who was only about two inches taller than Faye and thinner, walked onto the porch. On his head he had that scarf or bandana Faye always wore and dangling over his shoulder was a ponytail. It was Faye's hair from when she cut it. He also wore her tan shorts and that pink tee shirt that irritated me because it made her stand out and never camouflaged her.

Faye sighed out. "He wears that so much better than me."

I shot a quick glance at Faye, then back to Farmer. I could tell immediately she was envious. Not because Farmer wore it better but because he wore it at all and she was dressed like a man. It had come to the point where the world was forcing her to hide her femininity.

"Now to you see the plan?" James asked.

I groaned, I 'saw' the plan, but I didn't like it. What choice did I have?

Faye's goodbye's to the boys was short and sweet as though she were going to the grocery store. That was not to worry them. She briefly met Jeremiah; there wasn't time for long introductions or explanations of where he came from.

James and the very feminine Farmer were in the jeep. Farmer sat in the back and Faye was ready to go.

Before she stepped from the porch, I gave her a once over. It was hard to believe it was her. The strap from her helmet added a thickness to her chin. It looked too heavy for her. The uniform was slightly big, and the sleeves to the jacket nearly buried her hands.

"Be careful out there." I told her.

"Tyler will be fine."

"I know he will. You ... be careful."

"I promise."

"I'm a nervous wreck, Faye. You shouldn't be doing this."

"Yeah, Dodge, I should." She spoke softly. "I have to. I don't expect you to understand. But I need to just take charge of my destiny, even if it's only one moment."

"I understand."

"When I come back, will you tell me about this place that gave our friend a real funeral?"

"I will. But now your chariot awaits."

As Faye took a step forward, I stopped her once more and embraced her. Embracing Faye was natural. I lost count of how often we hugged over the months or huddled close while George read to us. I didn't realize how much I missed it until it wasn't there.

Now after being separated, she was trudging into dangerous territory. I was scared.

Placing my hand on the side of her face, I leaned forward and kissed her. Fast enough not to annoy her and soft enough to let her know, 'hey, I care and I'm here waiting and worrying.'

With a closed mouth she smiled and said as she walked by me. "That was nice." She paused before getting in the jeep. "I was wondering when you would ever try that."

A small laugh seeped out, along with some sort of post-kiss teenage twinge. Those were quickly replaced with more worry as I watched them drive off.

THIRTY-NINE - FAYE

Without much hair, I could feel the beads of sweat forming on my head under the heavy helmet. My stomach fluttered with nerves.

"If it goes the way I hope," James said as he drove. "This will be over in three minutes. We're meeting at the old Big Shop's parking lot, they tore that building down to make room for a tent city. Nothing is there. They should be there now but I'll park at a distance. I'll propose one of them bring Tyler as I escort Farmer. I'll try to keep the pacing even with their man. I don't want to get too close so they know Farmer is a man. Once they are clear of us, I need you to cough."

"Cough?" I asked.

"Once if they move to my left. Twice if they are directly behind me. And three times," James demonstrating and did a triple cough. "Like that if they veered right. We have one shot. When you cough, you get down, I will turn around to take out the man with Tyler and at the same time Farmer will take out the man in front of us."

"What if there are men hidden?"

"That's possible. If gunfire erupts, take cover under the jeep. But where we are meeting, there's nowhere close to hide. I don't think they're bringing anyone. They won't think it's an ambush."

"I think you're underestimating them. I think they're gonna pull something. This is too easy."

Farmer reached up and gripped my shoulder. "We got this."

I glanced to the fingernail polish. "Why am I wearing a nice shirt and fingernail polish?"

Farmer explained. "Because they know or at least think, you were pampered. We're just banking on their preconceived notion of what they think a woman would do."

From the road I could see the parking lot.

Fallen tents rolled up and danced in the wind. There was a blue pickup truck center of the lot and James pulled in and stopped at a good hundred feet distance away.

Allowing the jeep to run, he placed it in park.

"Well, don't I feel honored," The older of the two Rebel's called out. "Got the major himself."

I saw Tyler standing between the two men.

"Tyler you okay?" James yelled out.

"Yes."

Rebel leader replied. "I see pink. Let me hear her talk."

Both James and I faced Farmer.

When my back was to them, I raised my voice. "Tyler, it will be all right."

Rebel leader laughed. "Well, send her over."

"No." James said. "Even exchange. Same time. You bring him, we bring her to you. Let's end this shit."

"I couldn't agree more, major."

At that point James reached into the jeep to assist Farmer. Farmer kept his arms tight to his body, as if cold or upset, when I knew he was concealing his smaller handgun.

"Not you." The leader yelled. "The smaller soldier. Have him bring the woman."

My eyes widened and James looked at me with a cringe. He lowered his voice. "Ok, change up. Get ready to hit the deck Faye, when I shoot Famer will take out that asshole."

I nodded and stepped from the jeep.

"Don't worry," James said.

"I'm not." I stayed close to Farmer as we moved in front of the jeep.

My heart raced with each step we took. Midway Tyler and the other man passed us. I made brief eye contact with him.

Perhaps neither of us looking at Tyler too long was our error.

It was the longest walk of my life and as we drew closer, I noticed the sawed off shotgun in the leader's hand. It was aimed at me and I thought to myself, they were planning the same thing.

They were gonna shoot me at the same time they shot James.

We were getting closer. Why hadn't James fired? At ten feet the leader commanded, "Stop."

We did. I eyed that shotgun and knew it was coming.

"Don't take that boy any closer," said the leader to his cohort.

When he did, I glanced over my shoulder. A quick glance, fast enough to see Tyler was the same distance from James as I was from the leader.

Or so I thought.

When I turned back around the leader was only a couple feet away, that shotgun was even closer to my chest.

He raised it with a smile and looked at Farmer. "Aren't you a pretty thing?"

Come on James, shoot. I thought. Do something. Why wasn't James shooting? Was the gun on Tyler?

"What's your name?" the leader asked Farmer. "Fanny? Faye?"

Farmer's head was down.

"Doesn't matter."

Had I known better, maybe I would have seen the shotgun was already engaged.

At only a distance of four feet from us, the leader fired the shotgun. The blast was so powerful it shattered the flesh and bone on Farmer's chest. I felt his blood splatter onto me at the same time as my ears rang me into a temporary oblivion.

I don't even believe I screamed I was so shocked by what had happened.

The sound of a high hum filled my eardrums as everything seemed to move in slow motion. Farmer's body dropped to the ground and my knees buckled.

I didn't have time to panic or be scared. I knew running was my only option. I spun to my right, saw the other rebel on the ground and James running my way.

I never heard the shot from James.

Before I knew it the leader grabbed my left arm.

I struggled and fought to get free pulling away and my hearing came back some. Enough to hear.

"Stay back!" He yelled at James.

My last glimpse back, James stopped and I saw Tyler in the jeep. That moment I took to look, was the split second I stopped struggling and the leader pulled me back.

No, I thought, this was not happening again.

I brushed into him and because he held that shotgun, the only grip he could purchase on me was my left arm.

"Come any closer and I'll shoot her. I don't care." He yelled to James. "Not anymore."

Another yank to my arm and he pulled me nearer. That was when I really looked at him. I looked in his eyes. I saw nothing. A blank look, a man without emotions, a man on the edge. He really wasn't afraid to take my life.

Maybe that was his intention all along.

Not to have me, but to kill me. Kill me out of bitterness because he believed I was the last that remained.

His top lip twitched and he stared at me. For some reason I lost all fear. Was this what remained of our world? Was this man a representation of what I had to run from for the rest of my life? Or were him and his kind pockets of exceptions to the rule that man would rise above barbaric tendencies?

All these thoughts consumed me quickly in just the few seconds that we locked that stare.

"Your buddy's dead."

"So is yours," I said.

He laughed. "You think I care?" He shook his head. "You think I didn't know you were the woman? Did you think I was stupid?"

"Yes." As I said that single word, my thumb pulled back the hammer on the mini 22 magnum that was concealed in my hand beneath the 'too big' sleeves of my jacket. Without hesitation, eyes still locked on his, I lifted the revolver to his chin and fired.

He never saw it coming.

For a moment I swore he knew that bullet entered his brain. The tiny gun had just enough power to end his life and with one last blink of his eyes he registered his death.

His grip released, I stepped out of the way and his body fell to the ground.

Tyler cried out, "Oh my God, Faye." And I heard the running footsteps of Tyler and James.

All I could think about was Farmer.

I dropped down to my knees by him, grabbing his lifeless hand in mine. His eyes were open and I closed them. I prayed that he felt nothing and had died instantly. I felt bad, truly bad. He didn't deserve his death sentence.

"Faye," Tyler knelt down. "Are you ok?"

I nodded.

"Faye," James said. "I'm ..."

"What was his first name?" I asked, looking at Farmer.

"I'm sorry? What ..."

"What was his first name? Every one called him Farmer. What was his first name?"

James stuttered in audible thought, "It was ... something odd ... it ..." Then he finally said, "Blain. His first name was Blain."

"Thank you. I just needed to know that," I said, and took another moment with him. I owed him that much.

The brave and brilliant young man who saved Tyler's life, gave his life in one final attempt to save him again.

For that I would be forever grateful and would always hold a special place in my heart for Lieutenant Blain Farmer.

FORTY - MAJOR JAMES REYNOLDS

The beat up blue pickup truck had enough gas for me to return to base. I gave Faye and Tyler the easy directions to get back to the safe house. I also radioed on the secure channel for one of my men to be on the road.

I honored the motto to 'leave no man behind' and in all my years in the service, I hadn't. I wasn't going to start now.

Farmer was the first soldier I watched die in the post virus world. His death hit me hard. It would never be forgotten or in vain.

He was a casualty in a new war. The first battle had raged.

It wasn't over. Not by a long shot. We had successfully taken out the threats at the grid, water system and hospital, but we still had many more.

I recognized the man that Faye had shot. He was one of the men who led things in Division Five. I didn't know if the others were dead or were actively looking at their next option.

Even if Faye's theory about the men wanting her just to kill her was to hold true, it wouldn't be long before they would want her because she was a woman. That alone was a problem.

We had not fortified COM Camp as well as we believed. We were fine until we brought in a commodity that someone wanted. For the time being, even with rebel leaders still in control and still plotting, I believe we scattered them enough to buy some time.

Not much, though.

Wherever Faye and her family went, it would have to be safe and secure. None of us really knew what it was like west of Texas. I hoped traveling that far wasn't one of their options.

No matter where they went, I needed to know. I needed to be able to be that sense of backup. To check on her, because if indeed she was the last woman, she was precious and it would be every man's responsibility to preserve that.

The last thing I wish for Faye is a life of hiding and fear. After what I witnessed, after seeing her take her fate in her own hands, Faye wouldn't live in fear.

She rose from the depths of a pile of dead flesh and went from being a person who just wanted to die, to being a woman who fought to live.

I envied that.

There's more to life than just breathing and like Faye, one day I too hope to experience that.

One day.

FORTY-ONE - DODGE

It was the hardest wait I had experienced. I wagered on it being several hours. I didn't expect to hear the jeep return so quickly.

There were two porches at the beach house. One faced the ocean, the other faced the driveway. We all sat on that front wraparound porch waiting and hoping for the best.

Not only was there me, Jeremiah and the boys, there were also four soldiers, Dr. Lewis and some senator who didn't say much.

I was shocked to learn the president survived and more so that he wasn't at the safe house.

Three people went out to get my son and when the jeep pulled up the driveway, I only saw two figures and my heart dropped.

My heart sunk and thumped in my stomach when I saw my son step from the jeep.

I was already out and unconscious when they took him south for help. I never saw how badly injured he was, but the boy that raced toward me looked healthy and only a little thinner.

His enthusiastic and relieved call out of, "Dad" made me ever so grateful and I leapt from the porch to greet him with the biggest embrace.

My eyes lifted and locked onto Faye. I exhaled, and reached out my hand. "I am so glad you two are safe. So glad." I planted my lips to my son's cheek, holding them there for a few seconds.

"Dad, you should have seen." Tyler stepped back. "I think the outfit and hair cut made Faye ..."

My son stopped talking when Faye shook her head. Obviously something happened she didn't want me to know about. Tyler shut up and I didn't force the issue.

Faye would tell me in time.

She held nothing back from me.

"Where's James and Farmer?" I asked.

Faye puckered a little and tilted her head. She looked to the sky, in an attempt not to cry. "Farmer was killed. James had to return to base. He'll be back." She slid her hand over my arm and walked to the porch.

Arm around Tyler, I followed.

She looked at everyone on the porch and announced that Farmer had been shot. He seemed like a good man and it was apparent by everyone's reaction that he would be sorely missed.

"What now?" Dr. Lewis asked.

Faye shrugged. "I don't know. James seems to think we're ok now, but not for long."

"Then we pack up and go," I said. "We take the boys and go. We need to find a place to settle."

"You need ..." Dr. Lewis interjected. "To find a stable and safe place for her. She can't run constantly."

"What about you?" Faye asked him. "Where are you going?'

"I have research to start again. It's a focus I welcome."

Then George blurted out. "What about Monk Land, Faye? You still have to go there"

"Monk land?" Faye asked.

"That's what Dodge calls it," George said.

"Oh, I do not. Stop telling tales." I defended.

"You called it that." Argued George.

"Once."

Jeremiah cleared his throat. "If I may? George is speaking about Holy Cross Monastery. That's where I come from. Your friend Bud liked it there. He hoped that you'd go there and stay. We are very deeply embedded in the mountains. A huge wall protects our entrance and we also have guards. We have water, greenhouses, livestock and a doctor."

Faye looked at Dr. Lewis.

Dr. Lewis asked. "Is it a real doctor? Not some back woods or herbal healing person?"

"He was the town doctor. We have a community," Jeremiah said. "People living there. Starting life again."

Faye looked at me. "Dodge? What do you think of this place?"

"Honestly?"

"No less."

"I want us to go somewhere and start fresh. But it offers the safety you need and the freedom you deserve."

Her eyes shifted about and she grabbed my hand. "Are there children there? I want Darie and George to grow up around kids."

"There are kids there." I then leaned close to her and whispered in her ear. "And women."

Her eyes brightened and she looked at Jeremiah. "Then we go. It sounds perfect for now."

"Plus," George said. "Bud is there. We can go see him any time."

"There is a problem," Jeremiah added. "A good portion of the town retreated to our mountain haven. They are not immune to the virus."

"We have a vaccine now," Dr. Lewis stated. "Many of the people down here were given it. If you'll welcome it, we'll bring it."

"Yes." Jeremiah said excitedly and extended his hand to Dr. Lewis. "Without a doubt. We want to preserve any and all life that we can. We have to make sure life goes on."

"Then we have the same agenda." Dr. Lewis replied.

There was an odd sense of resolution in that moment. A much appreciated reunion, those I cared about were alive and well.

Bud would have loved that moment. Probably even would have spewed out a sarcastic comment that it was turning into a happy ending after all.

I thought about Bud saying that and it made me smile. I guess I looked pretty goofy, because I got a bunch of strange glances.

For the first time in a long time, deep in my gut, I truly felt everything was going to be just fine. Never the same, never the way it was, but fine nonetheless.

I could live with that.

FORTY-TWO - FAYE

We were told we had a couple days to enjoy the house until we had to leave. James was certain there was a safety time frame and Dr. Lewis needed a day or two to get the vaccine packed. Because they didn't want to take a chance of us being followed or anything happening on the road, they were preparing a helicopter to take us to West Virginia. I was good not having to take that long drive.

But I did look forward to spending that alone time with Dodge and the boys.

That evening after we were all reunited, it felt normal.

It was absolutely perfect.

None of the boys, including Tyler, wanted to leave that beach. After dinner they played for hours on that beach. Football, sand castles, whatever they could do.

Dodge and I sat on the steps of the back porch watching the three of them laugh and dart about. The sun was setting and it was a serene moment.

I slipped my fingers between Dodge's. I forget how much I missed holding his hand, sitting there with him, stealing our evening moments like we'd done since we first met.

"I wish we didn't have to leave here," I told him. "This house is great."

"Yeah, it is. Maybe we can come back one day. Maybe one day things will be good again."

"Do you think?"

"Yeah, I do. You're not the only one, Faye. So there are more. Even if you are few and far between, there will be a time when it's gonna be ok to move about."

"And smell like purple soap again?"

"You smell like it now."

I sniffed my arm and shrugged. "They let me use it. Of course, I don't need my shampoo. Regular soap works now."

Dodge reached over and rubbed my buzzed head. "It kinda works for you."

"Really."

"Yeah. I like it. Now I don't have to worry about finding your hair in my food."

That made me laugh and then so did the sight of Tyler with Darie in the water. The mother in me called out a 'be careful with him' warning.

"So," Dodge said. "COM Camp was nice?"

"Where they had me was. But it doesn't beat this.

"Really now? You have a fridge, hot water, air conditioning. You think this is better?"

"Wherever we all are is better. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind having all this and the running water." I nudged him and then rested my head on his arm. "But there really is no choice in my mind."

"Thank you." He kissed the top of my head. "So uh, James told me about why they wanted you. Project Eve."

I lifted my head.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"I forgot. For a brief moment, I really forgot."

"About Project Eve?"

"Yes." I nodded.

"Well according to James, that's out. The lab was destroyed."

I turned to face Dodge more. "What did you think of that? I mean, them wanting me to carry female babies."

"I saw their reasoning. They believed you were the last woman and by impregnating you with girls, they were assuring you weren't."

"Kind of inane now, right?"

"No. More like moot. The project is over. The thought of it is. Now it's up to nature. Until then." Dodge pulled me closer. "We have our little family." He winked and nodded at the boys. "I'm happy with what we have."

"Me too."

We fell into a peaceful silence watching the boys. They only had a few more minutes of light, then we'd have to go in. No fires, no outside light. For safety sake we still had to take precautions.

I thought about Project Eve and how I wanted to tell Dodge. I wanted to tell him that Dr. Lewis delivered a heartfelt argument and that somewhere in hearing his words that the embryos could be accidently destroyed and listening to the gunfire, I suddenly decided leaving it to fate wasn't a gamble I wanted to take.

Yes, I wanted to leave it up to nature, but there was no certainty that I would get pregnant let alone carry a girl.

The cases of gender altered embryos were an assurance that the female species may live on.

Call it a hunch, or even a female intuition, whichever it was, I changed my mind.

And before I could change it again, before the rebels stormed the hospital, we gambled on the implantation and that the single dose of fertility preparation would work.

Five gender altered female embryos were implanted in me not even eight hours before those cases were destroyed.

Whether the in vitro worked, remained to be seen. There was a chance our little family was going to get bigger. Until I knew for sure if it took hold, I'd stayed mum on the subject.

I stopped short on telling Dodge about it all. I wanted to, I really did. Instead I opted for sitting there and just enjoying the fact that we were all back together again.

With the possibility that I was in fact with child, watching the boys on the beach and holding Dodge's hand, I couldn't ask for a clearer sign that no matter what, life finds a way. And it goes on.

EPILOGUE - FAYE

FIVE YEARS LATER

Wayne, WV

It was time to leave the nest. At least that was the way that Tyler put it when work on the town of Wayne was complete. Of course, Tyler had left our nest not long after we returned to Holy Cross grounds. He took a liking and bonded with Jeremiah and studied under the monks.

He claimed he wasn't a monk, nor would he ever go that route, but somehow with his studies, he gained a focus and he began creating art that was remarkable.

I believe the solace of the monastery was what Tyler liked best. That and the peace. They gave him a single cabin near their main building.

While Dodge worked hard getting things running and finding a way to restore partial power, I learned the fine art of making soap. That doesn't sound like much or an impressive resume, but it was a craft I learned there and one I enjoyed doing. I never had a skill like that. Tyler would often carve molds for me and always, the ones I made for myself were purple.

Over the course of the first two years, survivors trickled in. Then around year three they just stopped.

Our community grew. Hence one of the reasons Dodge and the others worked so hard on Wayne.

I knew the second on that first day we walked into Holy Cross that I was home. It was a perfect community and reminded me of what I read of pilgrims. Dodge insisted we weren't going to be there long.

Eight months after we arrived, I gave birth early to a beautiful set of twin girls. I carried triplets until my fifth month but lost one.

Dr. Lewis showed up not long after I lost the first baby and he never left.

He stayed and then was one of the first people to move back into the town of Wayne after Dodge and the others got the first street complete.

Darie and George grew up as normally as the world let them. They read and wrote stories and played games without relying on gadgets or gizmos. They had been ready to move into Wayne long before me. I found security behind the walls of Holy Cross. A security blanket that took five years to lose.

James dismantled COM Camp and then began the task of rebuilding it.

We communicate with them regularly.

James stops by every three months. He's doing well and staying busy.

Dr. Lewis says that technically I am still the only women to survive the virus. The women at Holy Cross weren't immune. The vaccine assured their survival because the virus was still going strong.

Other threats emerged and Dr. Lewis was working hard to fight those. Whooping cough was back with a vengeance and any inoculation we had were already expired.

Since the virus, eight babies were born including my daughters.

One child died of whooping cough. Of the seven children that lived, my babies were the only girls.

I worried if I would even like the girls. Would I feel for them like I did Sammy and Mark, would I love them like I loved Tyler, Darie and George? After all, biologically they weren't mine. I doubted there'd even be a connection.

But when they were born all doubts went out the window. They were my children. No, they were mine and Dodge's children. I never expected him to be less than a great father. Dodge was. The day we baptized the twins, two years to the day that I woke up on that field of dead bodies, I started a new chapter of my life and married Dodge.

We made our little family, or rather big family ... official.

We didn't need to, we wanted to.

I stopped letting Dodge do everything for me and went back to my old self-sufficient self, I made one exception to that rule. Diaper duty.

The day I left Holy Cross reminded me of the day I left for college. I was sad and scared; after all, I was leaving a home I'd had for five years.

It was a big change and a big step. But in the new life that's what everything was ... new.

Life was never the same as it was before the virus wiped out the world we knew. It never will be.

We take it as it comes.

One step at a time, one day at a time.

We close our eyes at night and sleep peacefully. We wake up grateful to be facing another day.

Considering all the tremendous heartache behind us and painful memories we carry, I'd say we're doing okay.

We couldn't ask for any more. We're still alive and not only that ... we're living.

Table of Contents

- ONE - FAYE WILLS
- TWO - DODGE CASH
- THREE - FAYE
- FOUR - DODGE
- FIVE - FAYE
- SIX - DODGE
- SEVEN - FAYE
- EIGHT - DODGE
- NINE - FAYE
- TEN - DODGE
- ELEVEN - FAYE
- TWELVE - DODGE
- THIRTEEN - FAYE
- FOURTEEN - DODGE
- FIFTEEN - FAYE
- SIXTEEN - MAJOR JAMES REYNOLDS
- SEVENTEEN - FAYE
- EIGHTEEN - DODGE
- NINETEEN - FAYE
- TWENTY - DODGE
- TWENTY-ONE - Major Reynolds
- TWENTY-TWO - FAYE
- TWENTY-THREE - DODGE
- TWENTY-FOUR - MAJOR REYNOLDS
- TWENTY-FIVE - FAYE
- TWENTY-SIX - DODGE
- TWENTY-SEVEN - FAYE
- TWENTY-EIGHT - DODGE
- TWENTY-NINE - FAYE
- THIRTY - DODGE
- THIRTY-ONE - FAYE
- THIRTY-ONE - DODGE
- THIRTY-TWO - FAYE
- THIRTY-THREE - DODGE
- THIRTY-FOUR - FAYE
- THIRTY-SIX - JAMES
- THIRTY-SEVEN - FAYE
- THIRTY-EIGHT - DODGE
- THIRTY-NINE - FAYE
- FORTY - MAJOR REYNOLDS
- FORTY-ONE - DODGE
- FORTY-TWO - FAYE
- EPILOGUE - FAYE