by Tony Baker
Harry felt the burden of responsibility weigh heavily once again. He slowly looked at the various boats that were sitting in the Bay waters filled with the survivors who had already faced horrors beyond imagining. They had no idea yet what he had been told, that they would have to continue to face this dreadfulness as a group, unable to rely on anyone other than the person standing next to them. His anxiety was building by the moment, eager to get started toward his family in Indiana. But how could he turn his back on all these people who had families as well. He sat down heavily on one of the benches built into the Swift Boat, with elbows on his knees and arms extended in front of him.
“We’ve come this far, Harry,” Frank finally spoke up for the first time. “I say we stay focused and do what we can.”
Harry looked up to Frank for a moment, then to Derrick.
“I agree,” Derrick said with a grin while laying a hand on Frank’s shoulder. “I think the rookie here wants to take a tour of Angel Island. Who am I to deny the kid?” Then dropping all pretense of humor, he said, “You know we stand together no matter what you decide, Harry, but we need to do what we can for these folks.” He gestured toward the waiting boats.
“I’m getting too old for this shit,” Harry said while getting to his feet.
Looking toward Frank, Derrick said, “I knew he was going to say that!” then laughed. Frank smiled at Harry, who was once again in awe of his friend’s ability to lighten the mood of just about any situation.
“Right,” Harry began. “So we do what we can and get these people on dry land. But you both need to know that I’m not staying for long. Not certain how just yet, but I’m heading inland. My family is alive, at least they were a week or so ago, and I have to get to them.”
“That’s what you guys were talking about awhile back?” Frank asked, remembering the cryptic exchange between Derrick and Harry at the truck before they’d started out for the marina.
“Yes, Frank, it was,” Harry answered. “I received an email from my nephew right before I headed to the station. He said they were okay at the time but I have this gnawing feeling that I need to get to them as soon as possible. Once these people set up on the island, I’m leaving.”
“We will be leaving!” Derrick said, crossing his massive arms on his chest and staring Harry down as if that gesture concluded further debate on the subject.
Frank glanced quickly to Derrick, then back to Harry and said, “Yep, we’re all leaving.” With that he also crossed his arms, attempting to emulate Derrick but not quite having the same affect.
“Look guys, I appreciate …” Harry began.
“I believe the discussion is decided, Lieutenant,” Derrick interrupted.
“I could order you to remain, Sergeant!” Harry replied, attempting his best authoritative voice.
“You could do that, but then I would have to disobey that order. You’d have to take my rank for insubordination and I’d still go with you. We would both win!” Derrick replied with a huge smile on his face.
Harry knew that Derrick wanted nothing to do with rank, although the chevrons on his collar meant little now.
“Besides,” Frank interjected, “You keep saying you’re too old for this shit so you’ll probably need our help at some point anyway, right?”
“Oh I like the way this rookie is proceeding through his training, don’t you, Lieutenant?”
Derrick quipped.
Harry knew this was going to be a losing battle for now. Shaking his head he said, “One thing at a time then. First let’s see what’s on Angel Island.”
Harry radioed Cecil and then made certain Phil was listening in. He suggested that they get underway, then head around the island and into Ayala Cove on the north side. Cecil suggested that he proceed ahead of the flotilla of boats and scout the area. Harry and Phil agreed, but insisted that Cecil not go ashore until more firepower could be made available.
As if on cue, the fog bank which had engulfed the survivors since before they’d left the marina began to roll back, exposing Angel Island.
Once the general plan was set in place, Cecil sped off in the Bayliner as the Phoenix brought her engine up to running speed and began to push forward through the Bay waters. Those at the controls of the other boats figured out what was going on and started following. A few at first, but soon the rest of the small flotilla fell in behind the large red fireboat.
“Let’s see if we can catch up with Cecil, shall we?” Harry said to Bill after he made his way back to the pilot house.
The Swift Boat came to life and headed toward Angel Island at full throttle, passing the boats who were maintaining their positions to the rear of the Phoenix. The Swift Boat rounded the island on the west side, giving Harry a fairly clear view of the shoreline. With the fog line receding, he could see several buildings dotting the landscape closest to shore but nothing more. If the island contained the infected, they were not making themselves known. That concerned Harry a great deal; he thought back to the infected on the marina and how they’d appeared to be actually stalking their victims. But there was no more time for contemplation; they had arrived. They rounded the final point on the north side of the island and entered Ayala Cove.
The next twenty-four hours was a blur of activity. The survivors landed after Harry, Derrick, and a few others proficient with weapons made a sweep of the island. They ran across several of the infected but dispatched them quickly and without incident. Harry speculated that they might have been part of a tour group that had been on the island at the time of the initial attack. There were a few wearing National Park Ranger uniforms who must have been assigned to the island. Harry was surprised that there were not more of the infected, and no survivors, but he was quite happy the island was clear.
They checked the buildings next to the docks, including the large visitor’s center. These too were found to be free of any unwelcome inhabitants, although a family of raccoons were found in the basement of the visitor’s center. Momma Raccoon was not happy with their eviction and made her protests known as Derrick herded them out of the building. Harry and the others took great pleasure in watching the antics of the large man trying to wrangle six small animals while he cussed and threatened to shoot them if they didn’t ‘move your little furry asses.’
Once the other survivors landed, weapons that had brought from the police station were dispersed among those who could handle them, but only after passing a review by Derrick and Frank. The firearms that remained, along with extra ammunition, were secured in a locked room in the visitor’s center.
Harry had the opportunity to finally meet Phil Sanchez, Jimi Johnson, and Gus Franks face-to-face. Ayala Cove was deep enough to allow the Phoenix to pull up to the refueling dock, so once the all clear was given Jimi maneuvered the big boat in and shut her down. Derrick, Frank, and Cecil were part of the welcoming committee that awaited the San Francisco paramedic and firemen. Hugs and expressions of gratitude were shared between all the men, each knowing that without the other none of them would have gotten as far as they had.
Gus was still in a great deal of pain from the bullet wound he had received, but was able to walk the short distance to the visitor’s center where his care would continue. Jimi was fortunate enough to run into a friend who had been among the survivors at the marina. Both he and his friend were assigned to the security detail that Cecil put together. They would also tend to the generator and other maintenance issues on the island. Jimi’s friend was a building engineer who’d worked at the Transamerica building for many years.
Cecil organized people into several groups, each responsible for completing a particular task: searching the buildings for usable supplies; inventorying the supplies and weapons on hand; collecting firewood to provide heat and cooking. Others kept the children occupied, with Wanda in charge of that activity. Everyone pitched in and there was very little complaining, although everyone remained on edge. One or two out of each group was now armed and their primary responsibly was to
keep watch for any surprises. Especially with those who were tasked with entering buildings. Harry had them mark each building as they cleared it, but everyone still remained on high alert.
They located a large generator which they were able to use to provide electricity for the visitor’s center and a few other buildings. Harry and Cecil, along with a couple of others, had spent the better part of an hour trying to get it started without much success. That was until Frank happened to be passing the shed where the generator was housed. He watched the men at work for a few minutes, then walked over to the tank that held the fuel supply for the large unit. He glanced around the tank until he found the supply line which fed the fuel to the generator. Reaching down, he located a small red valve labeled ‘ON’ and ‘OFF’. Frank turned the valve to the ON position and said, “That should do it.” He then calmly walked out of the shed to resume what he’d been doing. Harry and Cecil looked at each other and busted out laughing at their oversight. The generator started with the first try, producing very welcome electricity to power lights and some of the other basic essentials like refrigeration and heating. Everyone worked throughout the night, and by morning the island resembled a small community.
Cecil decided to call an impromptu meeting of all the survivors after he and Harry had discussed the need to set up a structured leadership. Too many questions had begun to arise from others in the group as to who should be asked what in regard to assignments and other matters. Harry found himself answering far too many of those questions, and he wanted no part of the decision-making. Cecil had argued that Harry had little choice in the matter, as the other survivors looked to him as the primary reason they had made it to the island in the first place.
Word went out about the meeting and spread quickly. After the survivors had a chance to clean up and eat, they started trickling in to the visitor’s center. Everyone was expected to be in attendance, with the exception of Derrick and four others who would remain on roving patrol outside.
Inside the visitor’s center the main room had enough chairs brought in for everyone to be able to sit; the room was buzzing with conversation as people filed in. Phil, Frank, Wanda, and Jimi were sitting toward the back of the packed room. Gus was sitting in a wheelchair near the front, chatting with a nurse practitioner who had been among the survivors. She had helped set up a small clinic in one of the buildings.
Harry and Cecil were the last to enter the room, and when they did everyone rose to their feet in thunderous applause. Both men were taken aback by the outpouring. It took several minutes for them to reach the front of the room, as they were stopped to shake hands and receive accolades from those present. Many of the survivors were too emotionally overcome with gratitude to do more than shake hands and offer a simple thank you. Once the men were able to stand before the group the applause was renewed.
Harry had insisted that Cecil oversee the meeting, and he was finally able to bring the room under control. “Thank you all. Please be seated.”
After the room quieted and everyone found a seat, Cecil continued, “I believe I speak for everyone in this room when I say the last week or so has been, to say the least, the hardest which we’ve ever had to endure. Our nation, the world, has been brought to its knees. I spent many years in the military and I thought I had seen the worst that humanity could inflict upon itself. I was sorely mistaken.” Cecil spent a few minutes relaying what Captain Overton had told them. Harry and Cecil had decided to keep nothing from the group. Most of those present sat in stunned silence at the news. Others quietly wept.
“Regardless, we in this room and the few outside have made it this far and survived,” Cecil said, looking around the room. “We are part of a group that luck, the universe, or God has decided should continue on. To remain the survivors of the dead and set up this safe haven. Not sure what is to come, but I do know that we will face it together – and together we will do our best to rise from the ashes! I remember something that Winston Churchill once said that I think is appropriate. ‘We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.’ The room once again erupted in applause, and this time Cecil was unable to bring them back under control.
After several minutes everyone finally settled back into their seats and Cecil was able to continue. “I want to introduce you now to the person who was able to reach us at the marina and who, along with his team, literally saved our lives. Many of you have already met him, but for those of you who have not, this is Lieutenant Harold Lancaster from the San Francisco Police Department. I asked Harry to relay to you what he has heard and learned.”
35
Harry had not been paying close attention to what was being said, as he’d had something weighing on his mind since they’d arrived on the island. Sitting on the edge of a table in front of the room, he was a bit startled when he heard his name and once again watched everyone rise from their seats, applauding.
“I’m seriously too old for this shit,” he said under his breath as he got to his feet and joined Cecil.
Harry felt more uncomfortable than ever. Raising his arms and motioning everyone to sit did little to curb the group’s enthusiasm. As he waited for it to play out, he glanced at Cecil who could only grin and shrug his shoulders as if to say ‘it’s not me’.
The applause finally faded and the room became quiet, allowing Harry to speak. “Thanks folks. I know you all have been through a great deal, and what Cecil has just told you does not make this any easier. But you all have to keep in mind that we are not alone in this. There are others that have survived this. They are still fighting and even making gains.” Harry spent several minutes telling the group about the GNN interview he had seen and what Chief Ekers had told him. A few of the other survivors had seen the same interview.
“You all need to understand clearly that there is no help coming. At least not in the foreseeable future. The continued survival of this group depends solely on each of you working together. You are relatively safe for now, but you need to remain vigilant as you continue to get the island fully operational and secure. To that end, Cecil and I wanted to put a few ideas in front of the group.”
For the next two hours the survivors discussed everything from medical supplies to food. How they could get the word out that Angel Island was a safe haven, and what procedures to be put into place for acceptance of any new arrivals. This created the most debate, as some felt anyone arriving had the right to be part of the community. That was quickly laid to rest when it was pointed out how quickly Treasure Island had succumbed to the infected. The nurse practitioner said that she could develop a very simple blood screen for the infection once she had the proper equipment. Until that could be accomplished, it was decided to set up a closely guarded quarantine location for all new arrivals. There were several buildings on the island well-suited for that purpose, although not in the best of conditions. As harsh as it seemed to some in the group, it was decided that new arrivals could decide whether they wished to go through quarantine or not be allowed to land on the island.
The discussion finally turned to the establishment of a governing body for the island. It was decided to establish a five-person counsel with one of the five being a chairperson. That person would make the final decision should the counsel be unable to reach a consensus on a particular matter.
Cecil and Harry sat quietly during this discussion and allowed the survivors to decide how to set this up. To both men’s surprise, the group not only settled on a five-person committee to act as this new governing body, but they made their choices as to who would serve on that committee with very little disagreement. Cecil was unanimously chosen to be on this committee, and was elected its chairperson. These people had put their lives in his hands at the marina and they trusted him. That, along with his extensive military experience and even temperament, made him ideal to head the committee. With a great deal of humility Cecil accepted the responsibility and gave his assurances he would act in the best interest of the is
land and its inhabitants. The five-person committee stood before the group of survivors who once again stood and gave them a round of applause.
Harry had asked Cecil, Derrick, and Frank to meet him at the boat dock right after the meeting. He’d been thinking about what Overton had said, that the National Guard might still be on Treasure Island. It had been several days since the last contact had been made with them, according to the captain, but Harry felt an obligation to find out whether or not they were still alive. The others readily agreed, and a plan was quickly developed. This plan would include Jimi and Phil, as Harry was going to take the SFFD Fireboat Phoenix on this mission.
It only took an hour or so to get everything set and in motion. Phil and Jimi did not hesitate in their support. Jimi had the diesel topped off and the fireboat ready within fifteen minutes. Harry and Frank brought a few basic supplies on board, along with spare ammunition, and Derrick found two additional men willing to go. One was an Alaska state trooper who had been on vacation in San Francisco, and the other the nurse practitioner who had proven her proficiency with firearms. She, along with Phil, should be able to handle any medical issues if necessary.
There were several others who readily volunteered, including Cecil, but he had been dissuaded by Harry who pointed out they needed to limit the number of those on this expedition. If something should go wrong, the loss of a few would not impact those left on the island. Although Cecil could not argue with that logic, he was still not happy being left behind.
“You are going to be much more valuable to this group by remaining and continuing to get things set up, Cecil,” Harry said. “You know as well as I that these people need to have someone they can look to. We also both know that fear of the unknown can be one of the biggest threats to the success of what we’ve begun here. These folks are a great group of people but they still need to have the voice of reason near them for now. You, my friend, are that voice, and you have become the most vital asset this group has at the moment.”