Apokalypsis Book Three

by Kate Morris

  “You can say that again. I’m ready to lose my crap, but I feel like I should check him for a pulse.”

  She laughed. She actually laughed. It was adorable.

  “Well, he’s a former Defense Force commander. That’s Special Ops in our country, kind of like your Navy Seals. He did a lot of counter intelligence stuff, too, so the government got him into witness protection and security details for HVT’s when he got out of the military.”

  “HVT?”

  “High Value Target,” she explained patiently and veered around a car that was simply parked, left by the looks of it right in the middle of the street. “HVT. That’s me.” She hooked her thumb at her own chest, making him grin.

  “You’re not an HVT,” he corrected her, feeling the melancholy that came over her from that definition. “You’re more than that, Wren. Just because something happened in your past doesn’t mean that it’s what defines you. You’re just you.”

  “And who’s that exactly? Wren Foster?” she asked morosely and picked up the pace to keep up with Jamie, who was kind of a speed demon. “That’s my fake name. I’ve been a lot of names, but I like that one the most. I try to use it every third or fourth move. I actually remember to answer to it most of the time.”

  She offered forth a chuckle that held less humor than when he’d made her laugh.

  “Do you want me to call you Abigail now?”

  Wren shook her head, causing her dark ponytail to bob around. “No, Wren’s fine. I like going by that because my dad always called me his little wren. You know, like the bird?”

  “Yeah, that fits,” he said with praise and tried not to ogle her. It was hard. Her hair was inky and silky like a crow’s feathers. He wasn’t sure what a wren looked like, but its feathers couldn’t possibly be as soft as her hair, which he remembered very distinctly touching the other night in the den.

  “Elijah,” she said quietly.

  “Yeah?”

  “I-I want to talk to you about something later,” she said.

  “We can talk now if you want,” he answered. “You know, between pillaging the village and looting stores and shooting at cops and all that.”

  She laughed again, exposing small dimples. It made him wonder what she was like before everything happened to her. Carefree? Surfer girl. Kind. Sweet maybe? He’d never know that now. All he knew was the new girl with a chip on her shoulder and super silky hair. He shook his head. He had to keep it together where she was concerned. They could be friends. Survival companions, but nothing more.

  “No, not here. Later. When we’re alone after everyone goes to bed.”

  “Does Jamie sleep? I think he actually might be a cyborg,” he joked, getting another laugh. Three in a row. Not bad. “You have seen the reboot of the Terminator series, right?”

  She smiled, “Yes, and no. He’s always like that. He thinks if he sleeps, I’ll get killed or something. He doesn’t sleep much at all. I catch him up in the middle of the night a lot just pacing the house, whichever one we’re in at the time.”

  “Wow,” he said softly and with deference toward the man. Wren obviously meant so much to him. Elijah was beginning to feel the same way about her, his survival buddy. “Yes, to answer your question. We can talk whenever you want.”

  “Thanks,” she said and gave a brief look his way before focusing her attention on the road ahead of them.

  Her uncle led them expertly right back to Elijah’s house, having obviously memorized even side streets and alleys in their town. Then Alex and Lila helped unload everything from the vehicles. Food items were stacked in their overflowing pantry, and the camping supplies were stored in the basement for the time being. Jamie said he wanted to organize it later tonight. Elijah figured he’d do it when he wasn’t sleeping like the rest of the humans.

  Then they sat down to a nice dinner that Lila prepared of homemade mac and cheese, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and hamburgers with lots of fresh toppings. She explained that they should eat the fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats before hitting the canned goods and frozen foods. He was impressed. They all were. She said she had so much free time that she organized it all in the pantry and fridge and planned a list of their meals.

  Jamie said during dinner, “We should try to cut down to two meals per day for each of us adults, and three for the little girl.”

  “Hope!” Hope yelled at him as if she were insulted he didn’t know her name.

  “Right, sorry, kiddo,” Jamie apologized. “But she’s the only one still growing. She needs more calories. If this goes more than a month with us being shut in like this, we’ll need the food to go as far as we can make it go.”

  “And if we can’t stay here for some reason?” Alex asked.

  “What reason would that be?” Wren asked.

  His brother shook his head, “I don’t know. They were talking on the news while you guys were gone about the military. Said they might need places to stay or they might move people to military camps if this gets worse. For now, they said to stay inside and not go out and to have enough food and water for two weeks.”

  “Two weeks,” Jamie said in a mocking tone.

  “You think it’ll be longer?” Lila asked.

  Wren’s protector put down his fork and explained, “Civil unrest usually takes a few weeks to squelch. This has a lot more elements. We’ve got sick people, so many that the hospitals are overflowing.” He turned to Elijah and said, “I saw that your school was being taken over last night when I went on a run looking for Russo. The military has set it up for a hospital.”

  “Yeah. They said they might do that, use the schools and city buildings,” Elijah stated, remembering that press conference with the CDC doctor and the general.

  “Yes, but that’s not the only problem. We have civil unrest, looting, letting out criminals- as I think the three of us saw behind the sporting goods store today- sick people, and sick people who aren’t just sick but want to…well,” he paused to indicate Hope, “you know what I mean. This is too much for one military, no matter the size, to handle. They’ll simply be spread too thin.”

  “What are you saying?” Wren asked hesitantly.

  He resumed eating as if nothing were amiss, “I think it’ll go months, and I don’t think they’ll be able to keep people under control.”

  “Months?” at least two of them blurted.

  “Yes,” he nodded and took a bite. “It would take months just to treat the sick, round up the ones who are violent, and restore law and order.”

  “I think you might be right,” Alex said. “They were showing footage from around the world today. It was pretty bad out there. Other countries are feeling it already. France has declared martial law, Great Britain is a big mess, Russia has so many of the infected, they’re…”

  “They’re what?” he asked his brother.

  “Um…you know the saying, ‘kill it with fire’?”

  Elijah nodded.

  “Yeah, that’s what they’re doing with them,” he explained without saying too much in front of Hope. “Rounding up and dropping like Napalm or some crap on them.”

  “Geeze,” he remarked, feeling a little sick remembering the pirated videos he’d watched. Of course, they weren’t entirely people anymore, either. “I saw something similar on the internet while I was researching it when you were in your coma. I guess I didn’t want to believe it.”

  “Burning,” Jamie repeated, getting a nod from Alex and a similar one from Elijah. “If the Russians are the ones who started this, and it looks like they are, then they know something we don’t. I’d say that’s what you have to do.”

  “But the general in the press conference didn’t say that,” Wren countered. “He said they can die just like anyone else.”

  Jamie didn’t miss a beat, “Then they’re burning them to kill the virus. If it’s airborne, maybe it doesn’t die with the host body.”

  “Maybe we should discuss this later,” Lila put in firmly.

  “
Oh, yeah, sure,” Jamie said, looking put in his place for such a fierce dude. “I’m going out. I won’t be back till morning. Don’t wait up. Keep the house locked.”

  “Where are you going?” Wren asked nervously.

  “Stay close to Elijah,” he told her. “I’ve got some research to do. Plus, I got a lead on Russo.”

  “Want me to come?” Elijah asked, getting a stern look from her protector.

  “If I’m not with her,” he said, indicating Wren with his butter knife, “then you are. Got me?”

  Alex jumped in to say, “Hold on now. Elijah isn’t responsible for your niece just ‘cuz they’re…well, whatever they are.”

  “No, it’s cool, Alex,” he stopped his brother. “I don’t mind. Actually, I agree with Jamie. It’s important I watch out for Wren.”

  “Wren can look out for Wren,” she put in impatiently.

  Jamie touched her forearm and said, “I want Elijah with you. Or his brother. He’s U.S. Army. I trust him, too. It’s not just that you can’t take care of yourself. They’re already here. It won’t take long to find you now.”

  His brother’s eyes narrowed at this.

  Her fake uncle rose, grabbed a long rifle that he had propped in the mudroom, gave them a salute, and left. Elijah wasn’t going to lie. It made him feel a little less safe. He noticed Wren also looked unsettled. Alex rose and double-checked the door.

  “I’ll help you clean this, Lila,” she offered and stood, as well. It seemed like she just needed to do something to keep from fidgeting.

  “Elijah, can we talk?” Alex requested, to which he nodded and followed him into the den where his brother closed the door. The minute it was shut, he turned and asked without preamble, “What the hell’s going on?”

  Elijah sighed and explained the situation as best as he could. He told him the whole, unedited truth about Wren, not because he wanted to but because he felt like he had to in order to keep his brother safe and warn him of every real danger they could be in. When he was done, Alex sighed and nodded.

  “Okay,” he said finally. “Alright, I’m in. Now I know this isn’t some simple thing with her. Explains a lot.”

  “Yeah, it did for me, too,” Elijah said.

  “We should probably work out some sort of rotation to keep an eye on the perimeter. Maybe set up some booby traps outside, too.”

  “Okay, yeah. Cool. Did you do stuff like that in the Army?”

  “Some. I’m just thinking if those…things climb our fence, they could be in the house quick. I’m glad you looked out for the place while I was out of it.”

  “It’s my place, too. I didn’t want to not have a house to bring you home to.”

  “Thanks for stickin’ by me, too,” Alex said, an unusual show of emotion for him.

  “Who else was gonna do it, man? We’re brothers. We stick together till the end, right?” Elijah asked and immediately regretted it. The end could be sooner rather than later.

  “Till the end, E,” Alex said after a long pause and stuck out his fist, which Elijah punched. Then they slid their palms across each other’s like they used to when they were younger.

  His brother went to the shed out back to bring in more lumber, and together they boarded up the remaining windows with scrap wood and a pallet they found. Elijah found himself wondering as the sun took its last look at the horizon if they shouldn’t loot steel rebar to install in the windows, as well.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  They gathered around the television in Elijah’s den to watch the press conference being aired at nine o’clock. It was being called a state of emergency address. If anyone else was hoping for something positive, they were as disappointed as Wren.

  “…and the death toll has climbed to nearly one million here in the United States,” the CDC doctor was reporting. “Worldwide the number is somewhere near twenty-nine million.”

  “Oh, my God,” Lila gasped.

  “…we still strongly urge every person, man, woman, and child to take elevated preventative measures. If you are going to be around anyone outside of your immediate, normal circle of friends or family, wear the face masks and gloves provided.”

  “Wait,” Wren said. “If this is airborne, then why do we have to wear gloves?”

  “It has to be from contact, too,” Alex remarked. “They still aren’t telling us everything. Hell, maybe they don’t even know everything, either. And I bet the numbers are higher than that. Those are just the dead they know about. What about the people who are infected running loose?”

  “Or the ones that citizens have had to kill to protect themselves and didn’t want to report it because they were afraid of going to jail for murder?” Elijah posed the hypothetical.

  “Or the ones they could be disposing of,” Wren added.

  “What do you mean?” Elijah asked her as the doctor on the television droned on with depressing statistics and facts and terminology that nobody really understood.

  “What if the government here and in other countries were also burning the bodies? Are they keeping a count on those? And which ones are they burning? The crazy ones, the ones that people have started calling the night crawlers, or the ones who were infected with RF1?”

  “I don’t know,” Elijah said.

  “What’s it matter?” Lila asked. “We could all die…”

  “Hey, don’t talk like that,” Alex interrupted.

  She didn’t stop, though. “No, I’m serious. I worked in a restaurant until a few weeks ago. You know how many people I’ve served? Hell, one of our cooks died from it. He attacked another chef with a butcher knife before they got him restrained. It seems like if you don’t get one, you get the other.”

  “But some people are immune,” Wren said.

  “Yeah, a select few,” Lila countered.

  Alex broke in again to say, “I had it. I got better. It’s not necessarily a death sentence.”

  She didn’t look like she believed him. Instead of further arguing, they turned their attention back to the screen.

  “…the federal government is doing everything in its power to continue to run shifts in all departments that are deemed necessary, such as public utilities, fire and police, military, and medical facilities. We urge you to burn your trash, don’t attempt to use the postal service right now, stay home as much as possible, don’t try to send your children to daycare or schools, stay out of the public as much as you can, and please, only use the 9-1-1 operating system for extreme emergencies, life-threatening emergencies for safety or medical only. Our systems are bogged down. Government workers, hospital staff, and emergency responders are working overtime to keep the country running as smoothly as possible. The military will continue to ensure food and water shipments are delivered to the sites on the maps. Go to our website for your local pick-up spot. You will need to bring proof of residency from now on with a public utility bill such as your electric or gas bill, etcetera. This will help us to ensure that each community is receiving the allotted rations for each and every household.”

  “Yeah, right,” Alex scoffed. “Rations.”

  “Agreed,” Elijah said. “The way it was today up there? That was gettin’ nuts already. People aren’t gonna put up with the military bringing in the food. Eventually, they’re gonna overrun the soldiers and steal those trucks.”

  “If they haven’t already,” Alex said.

  “…if you feel sick, or a loved one, neighbor, or friend is symptomatic, please check them in at the facility nearest you. Those are also listed on our website. We want to make sure each person who is infected with this flu is treated fairly and thoroughly. We know you want to be with your family or sick loved ones in the hospitals and medical sites, but please be patient with us. We are doing all that we can for them. You must drop them off and leave. You will be given information about the patient as soon as we can get it to you. Remember, time spent explaining things to you is time their caregiver is away from them.”

  “Or, we’re secretly bu
rning your loved ones in an oven in the backyard,” Alex said harshly, which made Wren flinch. He must’ve realized it was going too far. “Sorry. This shit just has me pissed off.”

  The screen changed from the doctor to a map of their state and each neighboring state. The doctor was explaining the map and how the ‘blue zones’ were marked for safe zones where the military was setting up temporary bases that would be fenced in, guarded, safe, and protected. Wren found herself wondering how they could keep people safe if the virus was in the air. The television screen flipped again to a new picture. It was showing what the blue zones looked like up close. The footage was from across the country, some place in Arizona, another in New York, Georgia, all over. She knew the map of the United States pretty well, having had to memorize it when they made their first stay in the states shortly after they left Australia. The military blue zone camps were surrounded by a tall, intense-looking fence with sharp stuff at the top. Military tents, trucks, and soldiers were inside. It didn’t look like the kind of place Wren would want to stay. The man she remembered as the general from the last video feed was explaining the temporary blue zone military housing.

  “…you will be disarmed upon entering…”

  “Bullshit,” Alex said. “No, thanks.”

  Beside her, Elijah’s phone buzzed, and he went to the back of the room to answer it. Within a few seconds, she could tell it was something bad, so she followed him from the room into the dining room.

  “Yeah, sorry, man,” he said. “I’ll be right over.”

  He pressed the disconnect button and gave her a grim expression.

  “What is it?”

  “Jeremy,” he answered, naming his best friend. “His dad and little sister are dead. His mom’s sick now, too. He had to leave her at the designated site at the middle school today.”