by A. L. Jambor
George took this opportunity to check his bag to make sure he had everything he needed and then to slide past Gerald. He ran back to Maria Elena.
Gerald kept staring at Simon, who stared right back. As Gerald watched, Simon lifted up the bicycle lock with both hands and bent it in half until it snapped. He threw it at Gerald’s feet.
“As long as we need what's in there, no more locks.”
Simon walked past Gerald and out the door into the City. Gerald stood there cursing himself for not having a syringe in his pocket. He should have put one in his pocket before opening the door for George. George. He had forgotten about George. He wasn’t treating any splinter.
Gerald cursed himself again for not taking better precautions when he took the samples. Someone must have an infection. Soon they would know about what he’d done.
Gerald had to think of something fast, before they descended on him. He went back to the lab and filled three more syringes – one each for Andrew, Simon, and George. He would keep them in his pocket so he would be prepared when they came for him.
*****
George came through Maria Elena's door with his bag. He looked at Katie and asked her to go to the Wilmer residence and get Christie.
“Tell her I need her assistance with a patient,” he said. Katie ran to get Christie. “Andrew, I think you should go and speak to Simon. Please, before you do anything, speak to Simon. He and Pat are in the cafeteria.”
Andrew went out the door and headed for the cafeteria. George went over to Maria Elena and removed her blanket. George prepared a dose of the sedative and gave it to Maria Elena to help her through what he had to do next. He would have to remove the stitches and clean the wound. It would be very painful. At least the sedative would help her sleep afterward.
He waited for Christie to arrive before he started. She came in the door ten minutes after Katie had gone for her. She must have been asleep for her hair was disheveled and she was in her nightgown. She had sent Katie home.
“What happened, George?” She took one of the kitchen chairs and pulled it over to the side of Maria Elena's bed by her head. She sat down and began stroking the little girl's long brown hair.
“I think our friend decided to take some cell samples without our assistance.” Christie began to get up, but George put his hand on her arm. “No, no, stay here. I need you. The men are going to take care of this. You must help me with this little one.”
Christie fought the urge to run to Gerald’s lab. While George washed his hands, she put her arm over Maria’s head, sheltering the scared little girl.
When George returned, Christie held Maria in her arms while he removed the stitches and cleaned the wound. The little girl screamed with pain and held on tightly to Christie, but she never tried to get away. She knew they were trying to help her.
George worked fast, not wanting to prolong her agony. When he was done, the wound was clean, the new stitches were neat and sterile, but the swelling would take a day or two to go down. George gave Maria Elena some penicillin and prayed she wasn’t allergic. He applied the topical antibiotic to her wound and put a loose bandage over it.
“I would prefer leaving the wound open, but she may thrash around during the night. We can take it off and see tomorrow. Please stay with her. I have to go and see what Andrew is planning.”
George left Christie with Maria Elena. Christie got on the bed and rocked her until the little girl finally went to sleep. Christie gently let go of Maria Elena and lay down on the sofa. Soon she, too, was asleep. During the night, Maria Elena would moan, but she didn't wake up. George had done a good job.
Chapter 61
George joined the men in the cafeteria. Their faces were glum as they decided the fate of Gerald Todd.
“I wanted to bust him right there,” Simon said. “I should have. He’s the most useless man on the planet.”
“We have to figure out a way of keeping him somewhere. He can't be allowed to be around the kids.” Andrew was so angry he had to hold himself to the chair with his hands. “I really want to kill him.”
“Don't go near him,” Pat said suddenly. “He's got something planned. I know. I'm a skinny guy and when I get around big guys like you, I have to have a plan. Something sneaky that will give me an edge. And that guy is nuts. I saw him the other day when I was in here havin' breakfast. He walked by and looked at me. He had crazy eyes. And I got to thinkin' about how he was the one that put the animals down when they were sick. That made me think he's got somethin' up there that could put us down. One quick shot in the arm and bingo – all the big guys are down.”
They all stared in amazement at Pat. He usually didn't talk much, or contribute anything of particular value. He was funny, and the guys liked him. He did as he was told and usually didn't complain.
But this was a whole other side of Pat. This was the kid who grew up in Brooklyn and had learned how to survive. And what he was saying made a lot of sense. Gerald was definitely acting crazy, and he did have access to drugs. They would have to catch him off guard. But where would they take him?
“Take him to the basement,” Pat said.
The basement had one access, the door in the floor of the kitchen at Wilmer's residence. That would be easy to monitor. But what would they do with him? They couldn't just keep him in there.
“We need a more permanent solution,” Simon said. His look was mean. He had had enough of old Gerry.
“You’re talking about murder, Simon,” George said. “We don't have the authority.”
“I'm alive; that's my authority, George. The son of a bitch needs to die. That's the only way any of us will be safe.”
Simon got up and walked away. He was going to the bench to watch the lab door. Andrew suddenly remembered Calvin.
“Listen, I have to tell you something. Pat, go tell Simon to come back for a minute.”
Pat got up and walked to the door of the cafeteria. He waved at Simon to come back. Simon waved back that he wasn’t interested in coming back, and Pat came back to the table.
“Oh well, you can tell him when I'm done,” Andrew said. “I saw Calvin today. He’d been down to St. Pete to see that little girl, you know, the one with the dog. He said she found her parents. He said they’ve been riding around for a week without suits.”
Andrew stopped and let that sink in. George and Pat realized what he was saying. “That's right, no poison in the air. They had two busloads of kids with them that they picked up along the way from Vegas. They’re just like our kids. They’re coming here tomorrow morning.” Andrew paused for effect. “Guys, we can go outside.”
George and Pat broke out in huge grins. Pat jumped up and ran out to Simon. He came back a minute later with Simon in tow.
“We can go outside?” Simon said to Andrew.
“Yup, we can go outside.”
Simon walked away as fast as he could. He headed straight for his quarters to pack. He wasn’t staying in this loony bin another minute. Pat chased after him and asked him where he was going.
“I'm packing, kid. I gotta get outta here.”
“But Simon, there's nothing but dead bodies out there. Why don't you stay until we figure out what to do next? We really need your help with Gerry.” Pat was almost running, trying to keep up with him.
“Look kid, I know, but I can't stand this place. My solution is to kill the bastard. End of story. I'm done. If you guys want to deal with him, then be my guest. But I'm leaving.”
Pat watched him go to the field. Simon's quarters were behind Christie's office. He also had chosen to be away from the others. Pat followed him to the field. Simon turned around and grabbed Pat by the throat.
“Get away from me now or I'll kill you.” Simon said. He stared at Pat. Pat looked into Simon’s eyes and then looked away. He’d never been afraid of Simon, but the big man was scaring him now. There was murder in his eyes. When Simon was sure Pat understood, he let him go. Then he walked away.
Pat watched Simon le
ave, and then he turned and ran back to the cafeteria. When he got there, George and Andrew were just getting up to go to bed. He was still shook up from his confrontation with Simon, but he his feelings about Gerald had intensified.
“You guys should stay away from Gerry,” Pat said. “I just have a bad feeling.”
George and Andrew looked at each other.
“Well, one of us needs to keep watch tonight. The other will sleep on the benches down here,” Andrew said.
“I’ll keep watch,” Pat said. He went to the store and grabbed an energy drink. He brought it back and sat at one of the tables.
Andrew and George each picked a bench and lay down. They dozed a little, but never really got to sleep. Every noise roused them. They were a little afraid of Gerald after Pat had told them about Gerald's ability to put things to sleep.
As Pat was sitting in the cafeteria, Austin walked in.
“Hey, buddy, what are you doing up?” Pat asked him.
“I have this thing on my leg.” Austin was wearing a tee shirt and his underwear. He walked over to Pat and showed him his wound.
Pat hadn't seen Maria Elena's wound, but he guessed it looked like this. It wasn't as swollen, but it was nasty. Pat hated doing it, but he woke up George and showed him Austin's leg.
George took Austin back to his house and treated his leg. For all Austin's complaining, he was very brave and hardly yelled as George cleaned his wound and re-stitched it. George was hoping this was the last child he would have to treat. He was very tired and lay down on Austin's sofa. He was soon fast asleep.
Pat somehow managed to stay alert most of the night. He dozed off around 4a.m. Gerald hadn't made an appearance. Pat was hopeful he wouldn't show his face down here. Fortunately, Pat was right.
*****
The morning came and the kids started piling out of their houses. George woke up and checked Austin's leg. It looked good. He then walked over to Maria Elena's house and checked her leg. It, too, looked good. He had her get up and walk. She had a little limp, but that would go away as she healed. She gave George a big hug and thanked him.
Christie stirred when she heard them talking. She got up off the sofa. She asked George how things were out in the City and he said the night had been uneventful. She sighed in relief. “So much for my vacation,” she thought. He told her about Austin and she was now sure it had been Gerald.
“He's dangerous, Christie. Let him alone. The men are going to handle him. Please, we need you. Stay away from him.”
George had his hands on her shoulders. She knew he was right, but her rage was so great she could barely contain it. She told George she would be fine and he left Maria Elena's house.
Out in the city, George began to notice some of the other children limping slightly. He stopped them one by one and found eight more children with wounds like Austin's and Maria Elena's. By some miracle, their wounds hadn't become infected. He applied the antibiotic ointment and a loose bandage and told them all to take the bandage off tomorrow.
George could now understand Christie's need for revenge. These children had been assaulted in their sleep by a maniac. Thank God Gerald hadn't killed them.
George found Andrew in the cafeteria drinking coffee. Pat was getting the food ready for the kids' breakfast. George sat down with Andrew.
“We have to kill him,” George said. Andrew's eyebrows shot up.
“I thought we didn't have the authority, George.”
“He's a mad man. No one will be safe as long as he lives.”
“George, we can get out now. We'll take him somewhere, like a jail or something. I just don't think I can handle murder on my conscience. I don't think any of us can, with the exception of Simon. He's...different - but not you George, and certainly not Pat.” Andrew paused. “We have to think of something else. In the meantime, we watch each other's backs. We post somebody at the lab door to make sure he doesn't get out. We take food up there. We leave it outside the door. That's it for now.”
“I still think we should put him in the basement,” yelled Pat.
*****
Christie went back to the residence and showered. She changed into new clothes and made her way to the cafeteria. She smiled when she saw that Maria Elena had joined the girls for breakfast. She then sat down with Andrew and George.
“Well, guys, what's the plan?” She looked from one to the other.
“Christie, I have to tell you two things,” Andrew said. “The first is I put a baseball bat in your lab by your computer just in case you find yourself alone in there with Gerald. The second is....you can go outside.” Andrew told her about Calvin and about the new people coming to the biosphere.
“For real, you're not kidding. We can go outside,” Christie said.
Andrew just kept nodding his head and grinning at her. She started to laugh and jumped up out of her seat. She ran to the field door and opened it. She ran down the stairs and across the field. When she got to the back, she opened all the doors and climbed the ladder to the hatchway. Calvin had seen her running and met her at the ladder.
“You need the code, Christie. 091379,” Calvin said. Christie turned and looked at Calvin.
“It's true, right. I really can go out there.”
Calvin nodded. He watched as Christie entered the code and the hatchway opened. She stuck her head out and breathed in the air. She climbed up to the surface and stood on the ground. She could hear the breeze rustle through the trees. Calvin climbed out the hatchway. He was on his way to meet Joe and Dani.
“I'm bringing them back Christie. They want to see the biosphere. Do you think Gerald will cause any trouble?” Calvin hadn't heard about last night. He didn't know about the wounded children or Gerald's madness.
“I hope not. I know Andrew and George have a plan to watch him. He's one guy against us all.” Christie paused. “Bring them back. I want to meet them.”
Calvin turned and walked towards the vehicles. He looked up and noticed the Mercedes was gone.
“Shit, somebody stole my car. I knew I shoulda’ taken the keys.”
Calvin didn't know that Simon had left the night before. He thought that more people had come out of the woodwork. But there were so many cars on the roads, why take his baby? He would have to take one of the trucks, but it just wouldn't feel the same.
Chapter 62
Christie looked around the parking area and started walking. She walked to the dirt road that led to U.S. 19. She walked to the entrance of 19 and saw for the first time the devastation that Andrew and the men had dealt with. The bones piled up on the side of the road had been laid there by them, and this was just a small sample of what the rest of the country must be like.
The smell was still slightly putrid, but not too bad. Christie turned around and walked back to the hatchway. It felt so good to be outside, but she wanted to check on the kids' wounds.
As she was just about to enter the hatchway, Christie heard vehicles approaching. She turned and saw Calvin's truck followed by two school buses, an SUV, and a sedan. She watched in amazement as the kids clambered off the buses and the adults emerged from the cars. She could just make out Mindy's blond hair and she could see the dog, only now there were two.
Calvin waved his arm to indicate they would be entering the biosphere through the back and to follow him. Christie came down the ladder and positioned herself to allow the others to enter. The kids started coming down first. Christie directed them to form a line along the field and wait until everyone had come in.
The kids kept staring at the huge field. They couldn't believe it was underground. When Dani came down the ladder, Christie almost kissed her. She was so glad to see another adult woman. Then she saw Jenny come down and she was beside herself. She wasn't alone anymore.
Once everyone was inside, Christie told them to go to the top of the stairs and out the door. Mindy and Mark raced ahead to show the kids where to go. They all ran up the stairs. The adults had to keep reminding them to slow down.
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“You have a really great kid there,” Christie said to Dani.
“I know, and I missed her so much.” Dani was awestruck by the size of the biosphere. She had no idea that this was what Mindy had been talking about. It was just amazing.
“You don't know how glad I am to see you,” Christie said, with tears in her eyes.
“I think I do. Jenny is great, but I really needed someone older to talk to.”
The women stopped walking and hugged each other. Then they proceeded up the stairs to the second floor. Christie could hear Jason talking to Calvin.
“You have to tell me about them,” she said to Jason, pointing at the two dogs.
“They were the first purple babies,” he said.
“Purple babies?” Christie looked at Dani.
“That's what all these kids are. They all came from the same place. Their mothers were treated by the same doctor who used this purple solution to prevent miscarriage. I was one of the mothers.”
“Is that what kept you alive?” Christie was confused.
“No, no, we were trapped in a cavern.” Dani kept walking and left Christie to ponder that answer.
Jason stood by Christie and told her he had files at home that explained everything. Christie told him to bring them the next time he came to the biosphere.
The kids were running towards the center of town, with Mindy and Mark in the lead. Mindy saw her old friends Maria Elena, Katie, and Alyssa and ran to greet them. Mark's mood became dark when he saw her run to them. He stopped running and held back until Jason caught up with him. Jason was with Jenny so he was no fun either.
Mark hated being left alone again. He kept walking slowly. He got to the Town Square and stood to the side watching the kids meet and greet each other. Mindy waved to him to come over, but he just stood there. He looked up the stairs leading to the labs. He wondered if Gerald was still up there mooning over his cow.