The door opened and a little girl with dark skin stood in the doorway looking up at him. Beside her was a large German Shepherd sitting at attention with its teeth bared.
“Hello, little…”
Before he could finish, the girl spoke. “Don’t take another step. With one word, this dog will go for your jugglear.” Her voice was timid but firm.
“Look,” said Tank, “I’m not here to hurt you, my name is Tank.” He held out his hand.
“Don’t touch me. There is a gun pointed at your head right now. If you touch me, that gun will shoot you.”
“I’m Effy,” said the voice from behind Tank, “Don’t let this big brute scare you.”
She stepped between the little girl and Tank. “We’re friends of Monique, is she here?”
“Really?!” said Ayesha, dropping the stern look on her face. “Is she okay?”
“She was at the hospital,” said Effy, “and she was having her wound treated.”
“Where is she?” asked Ayesha.
“Can we come in, please?” asked Effy, “It’s really cold out here.”
“I guess. You don’t seem like bad guys.” She patted Roxie on the head. “It’s okay Roxie, they’re fine.”
The dog stood up and sniffed the visitors.
“Your dog looks well-trained, but I assume the ‘gun pointed at your head’ was a bluff,” said Tank.
“Nope, that part was real too,” said Zach as he stepped out from behind the wood pile, gun in hand.
“Impressive,” said Tank.
“And Ayesha, its jugular, not jugglear.”
They all went inside the cabin and exchanged names.
“Monique didn’t just leave us?” asked Ayesha.
“No, Pascal found her unconscious here and brought her to the hospital.”
“Who is Pascal?” asked Zach.
“He’s a really nice guy who is looking after Olivia right now” said Effy.
“How do you guys know Monique?” asked Zach.
“I just met her at the hospital when she came in,” said Effy. “When the fire alarm went off at the hospital, she was one of the first ones out. I haven’t seen her since.”
“I’ve never met her, but I know her husband Kevin,” said Tank.
“Do you know Joe too?” asked Ayesha eagerly.
“Yes, we all travelled down here from Chateaugay.”
“He’s here?” yelled Ayesha. “Joe’s here! Where is he? Is he coming?”
“I don’t know, I lost contact with him when I left the hospital,” said Tank.
“Someone’s coming,” said Zach as he pulled out his gun and walked to the door. He put his boots on and peered out the front window.
Tank got up and joined him. “Is that thing even loaded?”
“Yes.”
“Would you really have shot me?”
“Yes. I also have a llama out back that I could have sicced on you,” he replied with a smirk.
“Now you’re bluffing.”
“I don’t know what bluffing is,” said Ayesha, “but we do have a llama and his name is Boots.”
Tank opened the door. “I’ll handle this, wait here.”
He took two steps forward and stood with his rifle at the ready. Zach stood beside him.
“I thought I told you to wait in the cabin.”
“I thought you could use my help.”
Tank recognized the side-by-side before it reached them. “Don’t shoot, I know them.”
Tyler and Camille drove right up to the cabin. “Tank is that you?” said Camille, and she jumped off the snowmobile and gave him a hug.
Tank looked at Tyler.
“I kept her safe…” said Tyler.
Tank nodded at him. “So, you did.”
“Is it Joe and Monique?” asked Ayesha from the cabin.
They all went inside the cabin, which was getting a little crowded.
“Hello there,” said Camille to Ayesha, “who are you?”
“I’m Ayesha.”
“Well, Ayesha, I’m Camille and I had a little sister about your age.”
“You’re not Joe or Monique,” Ayesha said pouting, “and I don’t know you. Is Joe your friend?”
“Yes. Do you know him?”
“Maybe. Does your friend Joe have black hair?”
“Yes,” said Ayesha tentatively.
“Is your Joe a good guy who is nice to everybody?”
“Yes.”
“Does he have a beard?”
“No.”
“Well, he does now. Is your Joe a little quiet but a good leader?”
“Maybe.”
“Did your Joe go to jail?”
“YES!”
“Well guess what?”
“What?” yelled Ayesha.
“He’s on his way here, right now!”
“Really?” said Tank. “Is he with Kevin too?”
“Is he driving a snowmobile?” interrupted Zach, “because I think hear him coming right now.”
Joe, Kevin and Ivette arrived to a great commotion. Ayesha ran to him, and they embraced, while she cried.
“You have a beard now!”
“Yes, but I’m still me.”
Tank lifted Kevin out of the trailer and put him on the bed in one of the rooms. Joe told Tank how he had escaped the hospital and Tank said how he had found the parliament buildings heavily guarded. Camille regaled her story of how she bravely saved Tyler’s life with her archery skills. Zach matched her story with his own story of fending off a wild pack of dogs to save Ayesha. They all laughed when Tank chimed in about how Zach and Ayesha heroically protected their cabin with nothing but a pistol, a dog and their wits.
Ivette stood awkwardly in the corner, till Ayesha talked to her. “I’m Ayesha, what’s your name?”
She stood looking at Ayesha but didn’t reply.
“Her name is Ivette,” said Joe. “She doesn’t talk much.”
“Where were you living?” asked Ayesha.
Ivette remained silent.
“She lived in a big mansion,” said Joe.
“Really? Me too,” said Ayesha.
Ayesha talked to Ivette in the corner as the others swapped stories. Effy tended to Kevin’s re-opened wound in one of the rooms.
“Someone else is coming,” said Tank.
Zach ran to the window.
Tank nudged him on the shoulder. “Ha! I beat you this time.”
The sun was starting to rise as a large box truck with #667 on the side drove up and parked beside Tyler’s side-by-side.
When Monique limped out of the truck, she was mobbed with questions. She refused to answer any of them till she found and hugged Ayesha.
Joe yelled over the din, “Kevin’s here!”
“What? Where?” asked Monique.
“He’s in the bedroom in the cabin. Effy is looking after his wound. He was shot,” said Joe.
“I have to go see my husband,” Monique said to Ayesha.
The little girl reluctantly released her.
Monique ran through the small crowd and into the room with Effy and Kevin. Effy left the room and closed the door giving the couple some privacy.
As they traded stories in the main room, Kevin and Monique could be heard yelling, laughing and crying in the bedroom.
When Monique emerged from the room, her eyes were red and her cheeks were stained with tears.
Effy stood up and walked over to her. “I’m sure Pascal is taking care of your baby.” She wrapped her arms around the older woman and let her sob on her shoulder.
There was a strange grunting sound outside.
“Someone’s coming,” said Tank and Zach at the same time.
Tank looked out the window. “What is that?”
“That’s our other llama,” said Zach.
“Dora?” said Ayesha.
“Are we expecting anyone else?” asked Tank, “because someone is walking with that llama.”
Joe opened the door. “I don’t kn
ow who that is.”
“That’s Pascal!” said Camille. She ran to her brother almost knocking him over with a hug.
“What is that llama carrying?” asked Tank from the cabin doorway.
Monique went on her toes to see over the throng of onlookers at the door.
Suddenly, she shoved her way through the throng and raced through the snow. “It’s my baby!”
Moments later the cabin was alive with excitement as Kevin, Monique and Olivia were finally reunited with more tears and hugging.
Kevin was in a lot of pain. Effy found some sleeping pills in the collection that Zach and Ayesha had brought back and gave him two.
Pascal and Camille had their own little family reunion as Roxie bounced around the room from person to person.
Monique broke the sad news of Laurel and Blender’s deaths to Joe. She hugged him, and they both cried for a long time.
Epic tales of harrowing adventure were told as they ate a breakfast of beans and canned stew.
When Olivia started crying, Ayesha ran into one of the rooms to get something and returned to Monique.
“I got you something for Olivia,” she said and handed her the cute pink bunny rattle she had found in the house with Zach.
“Thank you, Ayesha. That was very thoughtful of you.”
“We did get all the other stuff on the list too. Even diapers.”
“You did great, Ayesha. I’m very proud of you. I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you got back.”
“I’m glad you’re here now,” said Ayesha.
Olivia was still fussing as Pascal handed Monique a bottle of formula. “This may be a little colder than she likes it…”
“Pascal, I don’t how I could ever repay you for taking care of Olivia.”
“No problem. I may appreciate the practice someday,” said Pascal.
Monique looked at Effy and winked. “You’re right he is a nice guy.”
Pascal blushed.
Camille nudged her brother. “What’s all that about?”
“What’s with you and this Tyler guy?” he retorted.
“Touché.”
As Olivia started to nod off, Monique went into the room where Kevin was sleeping. She lay Olivia down on the bed beside him.
She came back into the main room. “I have an announcement,” she said. The excited conversations died down.
“I don’t know when any of your birthdays are, but it’s almost Christmas and I have just the thing for such an occasion. I know you have all just had an amazing breakfast of beans and canned stew, but I have something even more special to share with all of you.” She looked directly at Zach. “Something that you in particular are going to enjoy.”
Zach looked dumbfounded. “Me?”
“Yes, you. I need all of you to put your boots on and come outside to my truck.”
She refused to answer any of their questions as they followed her outside to the big box truck. The snow and wind had died down somewhat as they all stood behind the truck waiting for the big reveal.
“Zach, you come up front here and help me open this door,” Monique said.
She lifted the lever, and they both heaved on the door and rolled it up.
Zach stood in the back of the truck with a wide grin on his face as the others looked on behind him. There were gasps and laughter and clapping.
The back of the truck was filled with stacks of boxes of various shapes and sizes. The labels on the boxes made it easy to know what was inside them.
Zach rose his fists in the air in triumph. “Chocolate!” he shouted.
Chapter 51
The jets had stopped flying overhead and there were no more explosions that day. They all had had a long night and most of them slept a few hours in the cramped quarters of the cabin. Later that afternoon, Joe called a meeting and they all gathered around.
“This cabin is great,” he began, “but it is not big enough for a group this size. I have a suggestion that I believe is the best option. As some of you know, there is a large underground bunker northeast of here. It is large, well-stocked and I’m sure Millie would be glad to take us.”
“Is it safe?” asked Monique. “Who else knows about it and how do we know someone won’t try to take it over? We found a big house that we thought was safe, but we were attacked.”
“You can ask your husband, but I can assure you it’s the safest place I know. The bunker is well hidden and I don’t think there are many people that know about it. The only ones that know about it are in this room,” said Joe.
“You can all do whatever you want, that’s up to you. This city doesn’t seem very safe lately and I don’t know if those jets are coming back.”
“I’m with you,” said Tank.
“So are we,” said Camille, pointing at herself and Tyler.
A little hand tugged on Joe’s shirt. Ivette pointed at herself silently.
“Of, course you can come too Ivette,” Joe said to her.
Ayesha looked at Monique. “We’re going too, right?”
Monique looked at Zach who nodded.
“Yes, we’re coming too,” she said.
“What about Dora and Boots?” asked Ayesha.
“I don’t know if a pair of llamas in a bunker is a good idea,” said Monique.
“On top of the bunker is a big barn with chickens, pigs, rabbits and even a donkey,” said Joe. “I bet Millie would be happy to add a couple llamas.”
“If we eat more of the chocolate in my truck, we may have enough room to put them in there,” said Monique.
“I can help you with that,” said Zach.
They found a van with a full tank of gas in one of the houses nearby. Despite Zach’s pleading, Monique would not let Zach drive the pink Beetle. He rode in the back of the van with Ayesha and Ivette. They tried to make Kevin as comfortable as possible laying in the middle seat beside Effy who tended to him. Pascal sat beside her.
As they were leaving, Monique stopped the van and got out. She walked to the museum sign and tied a black shirt to it.
“Who’s that for?” asked Pascal.
“Warren.”
“Who’s Warren?”
“I killed him. He’s in the Museum.”
“Do you think anyone will come take the body anymore?” he asked.
“I don’t know.”
Pascal didn’t ask any more questions and Monique didn’t discuss it further.
She got back into the van and drove on.
Tyler had mapped out a route that bypassed most of the city. He led the caravan with Camille in his side-by-side.
Joe followed close behind them on his snowmobile with Monique’s full van behind him. Tank took up the rear guard on his snowmobile.
No one stopped them on the way. They saw no roadblocks, no army, and no gangs. It was as if everyone had gone into hiding. What they did see were black flags contrasting against the white snow. They were on mailboxes, front doors, on cars, in storefronts and in windows. Each one indicating another death. Another victim of the Scourge. Another body to be taken away.
Joe wondered if there was anyone that would take these bodies. The government was silent, the C3’s abandoned, and the hospital gone. If the army survived, they would be preoccupied. Even if someone came to take the bodies, would anyone be left to bury them or mourn them? Most would never get a funeral or a plaque or a tombstone. The only monument to their life was the black flag hanging outside their home.
Millie and Earl welcomed them all into the bunker. Roxie and Shelby became acquainted and the llamas were put in the stall with the donkey. Millie fussed over the kids and Earl found rooms for everyone to put their belongings. They all had beds they could call their own. Joe asked about Corporal Erin Callaghan, but Millie hadn’t heard from her yet.
That evening they all sat down to a hot meal, with boxed wine and canned juice. After a noisy meal of animated conversations, they settled into the rec room as Earl played his harmonica.
“Who do you think
was in those planes?” asked Joe.
“I don’t know,” said Tank, “but they had some serious hardware.”
“Why do you think someone would attack us, anyway?” asked Monique.
Zach joined in the conversation, “Did none of you guys ever listen to the news?”
“There hasn’t been news for a long time, Zach,” said Monique.
“I mean before all this. Did any of you keep up on world events or politics?”
“You read the newspaper?” asked Tank.
“Do those still exist?” asked Zach, “I did watch a lot of internet news and YouTube videos.”
“So, smartie pants, who attacked us?” asked Camille.
“I saw Asian looking people who were doing some sort of recon by the parliament buildings,” said Tank.
“Who are the ones that first said they had a vaccine?” asked Zach.
Pascal joined the conversation. “The Chinese.”
“That’s right and why did we never see a vaccine in North America?”
“This kid’s smart,” said Pascal, “and he’s right.”
“What are you guys talking about?” asked Monique.
“Zach is on to something here,” said Pascal. “If the Chinese had a vaccine, they might have kept it to themselves. China is the most populous country in the world and have been running out of resources for years. They may not have created the virus, but they may be taking advantage of the situation. If they have found a cure or vaccine, they would just have to wait until most of us die off. When the time is right, they invade. Then they take our resources.”
“So why has the bombing stopped?” asked Joe.
Tank answered. “That was just the first probing run of a much bigger invasion.”
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Books In This Series
Black Flag
Black Flag - Surviving the Scourge
A global apocalyptic pandemic called the Scourge is sweeping the globe, decimating the population. Society is disintegrating, leaving the remaining to endure the chaos. This is the action-packed adventure of a disparate group struggling to survive a societal meltdown.
Black Flag | Book 1 | Surviving The Scourge Page 29