Safe Zone (Book 2): The Descent

by Suzanne Sussex

  “Um, hi,” Luca said, shifting uncomfortably.

  Lex looked mortified, a slight flush creeping up her cheeks, “I’m sorry, I just assumed.”

  The other woman rose and joined them. She also gave Sally a brief hug and then turned to Luca.

  “Luca, I’m Sally, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” The woman smiled naturally and instantly put him at ease. “Now, shall we get out of the doorway and take a seat?”

  Without waiting for an answer, she returned to the small table, and the rest of them followed suit. A jug of water sat on the table, and Luca eyed it longingly. The mere sight of the liquid made him acutely aware of how dry his mouth was. They had needed to ration drinking on the journey in case they ran out. He looked away from the water and saw Sally watching him. She remained silent, but lifted the jug and poured two glasses of water, she handed one to Luca and then the other to Sammie.

  As soon as they had downed the water, Sally got straight to business, “Where’s Annie?”

  The smile fell from Sammie’s face, and Luca hung his head, not daring to meet the eyes of the two older women.

  “She … she’s gone,” Sammie said, almost in a whisper. Her eyes filled with tears and her body sagged, “Oh, Sally, I have so much to tell you …” her voice broke, and the tears began to fall freely.

  Lex instantly leapt to her feet and hugged the sobbing girl.

  “Luca …” Sally prompted gently.

  Luca lifted his head and looked at the kind face staring back at him. The leader of Zone E was not what he expected. She was warm, approachable, kind. The complete contrast to Brian. More like Curtis, the previous leader. Yet the zone seemed to be thriving. Even after only meeting Sally a few minutes ago, Luca felt reassured that it was possible to be a decent person and run a zone effectively.

  He took a deep breath and began.

  He talked of meeting the two prisoners, of finding out where they were from. As though in a therapy session, he confessed to his reaction and subsequent treatment of them; of meeting Sammie, of Annie’s murder; of their escape and all they had learned from the nozos.

  As he spoke, Sammie’s tears subsided and the familiar look of hatred settled on her face. Lex returned to her seat and chewed her bottom lip. Sally stood and paced the room. She kept her expression neutral and gave the occasional nod. Brief flashes of understanding, pain and anger crossed her face. But gone so quickly he wasn’t sure they had been there at all.

  When he finished, the room fell silent. Sally continued to pace, her brow furrowed in concentration. Lex hung her head. Luca glanced across to Sammie, taking in her red-rimmed eyes and blotchy cheeks. He reached a hand towards her and she took it with a small smile of thanks.

  The silence in the room became uncomfortable, and Luca became all too aware that his presence might not be welcome. Like it or not, his home was Zone G, and he had been complicit in all that went on there; complicit by simply not speaking up and protesting.

  He shifted in his seat, then with another glance at Sammie, he let go of her hand and rose from the chair.

  “I’m sorry,” he said to no one in particular, “I should leave.”

  Sally turned to him. He expected to see hatred in her eyes, but instead, he saw compassion.

  “Luca, stay, please,” she said, “You’re not to blame for what has happened. But I thank you for helping get Sammie, Johanna and Sidney away from that monster. If we are going to fight this, we'll need your knowledge of Brian.” She walked over to Luca and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Will you help us?” she asked.

  He lifted his eyes to meet hers, seeing that the tenderness in her voice was matched in her eyes. At that moment the difference between Brian and Sally shone so brightly it almost blinded him. Zone G needed a leader like the one that was standing before him, and not the cruel dictator they had today.

  “Zone G is my home,” he said sadly, “but I don’t recognise it anymore. I will help you fight, but, when we have overthrown Brian, will you help us? We need someone strong to show the people how a zone should be run … we need you.”

  Sally nodded, “We’ll do everything we can to help, Luca. I promise.”

  Luca searched Sally’s eyes, for any sign that she might not be genuine. But all he saw was honesty. He smiled sadly, “Thank you.”

  Still with her arm on his shoulder, Sally led Luca back to the table and indicated that he should sit down again.

  “We have a lot to do,” Sally said, her tone instantly transformed from a caring aunt to a fearless leader. “Luca, tell me what you can about Zone G, your people, your capabilities, your weapons etc.”

  Luca smiled, “Let’s start with our weapons, I happen to be a bit of an expert in that field.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  The rain has continued throughout the night. I lie in my bed and concentrate all of my attention on the sound of the raindrops gently tapping at the window, hoping the soothing, monotonous tune will help me relax.

  Mum lets out a little snore and rolls over to my side of the bed. Huffing, I give her a gentle nudge, and she shifts back into her original position. I envy her. I wish I could sleep so soundly, but my mind is racing too much. Every time I start to drift off, something brings me back to full consciousness.

  The sky will soon start to lighten, maybe the sun will break through the clouds and halt the rain. The morning will come, just as it does each day. Then everything will change once again.

  In the darkness of the night, it is far too easy for the darkest corners of the brain to take over any semblance of rational thought.

  “I’ll sleep better in my own bed. It’s Mum’s occasional snores that keep waking me up. This bed is lumpy and uncomfortable.”

  My mind comes up with a myriad of excuses, reasons why I should not be lying here right now.

  Almost without conscious decision, I find myself slinking silently out of bed and softly padding down the dark corridor to my bedroom.

  To Luca.

  Pushing open the door, I peer inside. So many hours awake have meant my eyes have adjusted to the darkness and I can make out the form of Luca sprawled across my bed. I stand in the doorway for a moment, watching the rise and fall of his chest, and listening to his quiet and gentle breaths.

  Then he lets out a little grunt, as though he has sensed my presence in the depths of his slumber, and then he shifts in his sleep, making room for me to climb in.

  I don’t need any more invitation, I join Luca in my bed and press my body into his. He moves again and flops an arm around me.

  At last, I feel safe, protected

  I am asleep in an instant.

  ~

  When I wake up, I am alone. For the briefest of moments, everything is okay. I am in my bed. I can hear Mum downstairs moving around, probably making breakfast or mending some item of clothing or other.

  Then the sound of voices drifts through the floor and in a torrid rush, everything comes flooding back to me.

  We had spent most of yesterday afternoon making plans for how to deal with the imminent threat from Zone G. Joe had been summoned to join us. As Head of Security, his knowledge and experience would be vital. As Annie’s lover, he needed to know what happened to her.

  Joe had walked into the room with that familiar grin on his face. He saw me sitting at the table and grinned even wider. He spun around looking for Annie, but the implications of the lack of her presence did not seem to register. My heart broke as he just kept smiling.

  Sally began to speak, but I interrupted. It should be me that would tell him. As I talked he slumped into an empty chair, the grin slipped from his face, and he hung his head while I finished my tale.

  We stayed silent, giving him the chance to digest the news. Then he looked up at me, and his face had transformed. Gone was the smiling, jovial man. Replaced instead by the look of a hardened soldier, absolute determination and hatred written across his face.

  “I am going to kill him,” he stated through pursed lips.
/>
  “Get in line,” I told him. He looked at me in surprise, then let out a small laugh laced with malice.

  “He will certainly live to regret the day he messed with Zone E.” Maybe it was the professional soldier in him. Or maybe it was the desire to get revenge, but Joe did not spend time grieving for Annie. Instead, he turned to Sally, “So what’s the plan?”

  We spent the next few hours talking through our options. By the time Sally sent Luca and me home, we had a plan. It was the best possible plan, the only real option. But no one was going to like it.

  Sally, Lex and Joe would arrange for the news to be shared across the majority of the zone. I asked if it could be me that would break the news to my S&T colleagues and, of course, my Mum.

  On the way home, I stopped at the S&T office and asked Luca to wait outside for me.

  Perched on the corner of Annie's desk, I brought them up to speed on the events in Zone G. I did not mention the vials. Sally had made it clear, that now, more than ever, we needed to keep them to ourselves. My team cheered at the news that Johanna and Sidney had been found, but the cheers turned to anger as they heard of their imprisonment.

  Then tears, as I told them of Annie’s murder. Finally, I told them of the plan. I had been right, they didn't like it, but they did accept it. Every one of them agreed to do their part.

  As they discussed how they could help, I made my excuses and left. To avoid talking about anything important on the walk back to my house, I pointed out features of the zone. Then we both seemed to realise that it was too similar to the tour he had given me on the day we had met. When everything was still okay. We walked the rest of the way in silence.

  At home, I introduced Luca to Mum. To her credit, she hid surprise that I had brought a stranger home. A male stranger at that. Instead, she was gracious and offered us both a hot drink, which we accepted gratefully and drank while, for the third time that day, we told our story.

  Mum took the news as well as could be expected. The tears only came when we told her of Sally’s plan. She excused herself from the table and went into the kitchen to prepare our evening meal. Luca suggested that we offer to help, but I shook my head. Mum needed this time to be alone and think on what we had said. On what was to come.

  Mum's laughter drifts up the stairs and pulls me from my memories.

  Hang on, she is alone, with my potential boyfriend. Oh crap. I jump out of bed, throw some clothes on and run downstairs before any embarrassing stories can be shared.

  Mum and Luca are sitting at the table, eating porridge and chatting quietly. I join them wordlessly and tuck into the spare bowl of porridge they have filled for me. Luca is telling mum about Robert and the struggles they have faced since the outbreak. Mum nods sympathetically and starts to tell Luca about Dad. I’m stunned, but I fix my attention on the porridge. Mum rarely talks about Dad, and to do so with a stranger is unheard of.

  A sharp knock at the door interrupts their conversation. I jump up to open it. Lex and her partner, Tara are on the other side.

  “It’s time,” Lex says.

  I nod and step out of the way for them to come in. I can’t speak because of the lump that’s formed in my throat. I knew that this moment would come. It’s what kept me awake all night. But now, it’s here, and I feel like there is so much I haven’t done or said.

  I introduce Luca to Tara, while Lex greets Mum with a brief hug. She says something I don’t hear. Mum nods and smiles, but I can see the tears already welling in her eyes.

  I can’t cope with Mum’s distress. There are no words of comfort I can offer, no promises that I can make. Instead, I busy myself with clearing up the breakfast things.

  When I’m done, Mum seems to have regained her composure.

  “Are you ready?” I ask brightly, as though she’s just going to work, or out for the afternoon.

  Mum nods and picks up a large duffel bag. Luca instantly takes it from her with a small smile and Mum nods her thanks.

  “I’ll see you out,” I offer and lead the way to the front door. Stepping out into the street, the first thing I notice is that the rain has stopped and the sun is trying to break through the clouds. Then I see them. Hundreds of neighbours, friends and strangers traipsing walking down the street. The mood is sombre, and the only sound I hear as the crowd begins to pass is that of children laughing excitedly at the adventure. They don’t understand the severity of what is happening. To them, it’s a game. Something new. Something different. I close my eyes briefly and say a little prayer that those children can keep their innocence in the days to come.

  Then I step out into the road, and the five of us join the stream of people heading to the gates.

  We collect more people as we walk and by the time we arrive at the inner gate, there must be thousands of people all around me.

  Waiting by the outer gate are rows and rows of carts and horses. The elderly, pregnant women and small children are escorted into some. Others are already full of boxes with food, first aid, and blankets. There is not enough to sustain this number of people, and a knot of dreads envelops me. Have we made the right decision?

  I spot Sally helping Uncle George into the back of one of the carts, and I run over and climb in behind him to give him a hug. He looks back at me with an overwhelming sadness, but he does not speak. Neither do I, for I simply do not know what to say.

  “Sammie, Sally,” I hear a voice call as I jump back out of the cart. It’s Joe waving me over to the front of the procession.

  “Where’s Luca?” he asks.

  “Over there,” I point in the vague direction of my family and see that Luca already has his eyes fixed on me. I wave him over. He says something to Lex, Tara and Mum and the three of them weave through the crowds to join us.

  “Luca, this is Tom, he’s going to oversee this operation. But you’ll need to work together to get there safely. Are you ready?” Joe asks with a brief flicker of concern.

  I look to Luca and understand Joe’s worry. The colour has drained from his face, as though the realisation of the responsibility that rests on his shoulders has just hit him.

  “You can do this,” I say.

  He nods, “I’ll keep them safe, Sammie,” he says, staring directly into my eyes.

  “I know,” I say, then pull him towards me. Without thinking, I kiss him. He holds me tight and kisses me back. Conscious that I am standing right next to my Mum, I pull away after a few moments.

  I then turn to Mum and pull her towards me, “I love you, Mum.”

  She smiles at me, and her eyes fill once more, “I love you too, sweetheart.”

  She doesn’t make me promise to stay safe, and I don’t offer. We both know that the coming days will be dangerous. Promises made now would be meaningless.

  Finally, I turn to Lex and Tara, I hug each of them in turn and wish them good luck. Lex kisses me on the cheek and tells me to look after Sally.

  I laugh. It’ll probably be more the other way around.

  Joe guides Sally and me over to a cart, with a brief nod, Sally steps onto the back and turns to face the crowd.

  It is as though the entire zone has come here today. I guess that makes sense, as those who are staying will want to say their goodbyes to their loved ones, just as I did.

  "My friends," Sally shouts and pauses for the chattering crowd to fall silent.

  "Twenty years ago we faced the greatest threat to our species that we have ever seen. Not only did we survive, but we thrived." She shouted the last word with such passion that those still talking amongst themselves gave her their full attention.

  "Now once more, we must face an evil that wishes to destroy us. An army that has been fed on lies and is led by deceit. They will come to take what is ours, to destroy everything that we have built."

  Shouts of anger rise up from the crowd, Sally waits for the noise to die down before continuing.

  "Today I am evacuating the elderly because they are our heroes of yesterday and our young because they are
our future. To the rest of you who have chosen to leave today... your role is to protect those who cannot protect themselves. To lead our people to safety.”

  I look out at those gathered, marvelling at the effect of her words. Shoulders that were recently slumped in defeat are pulled back. Heads are held high and chests puff out as the sense of responsibility takes hold. She had given everyone a choice; stay and fight or to flee. Now her simple words have taken away any sense of shame or guilt felt by those choosing to leave, instilling in its place a sense of purpose and pride.

  "Those of us who remain will stand together, and we will fight to our last breath to protect our home. Zone E will not fall because of one man's evil intentions."

  Cheers erupt from those nearest to her, and the noise travels like a tidal wave through the people, gaining momentum until the sound is deafening.

  As the first carts start to slowly make their way out into the world, Sally jumps down from her impromptu stage.

  "Great speech," Joe says with a grin, "I think they bought it."

  "'I hope so, Joe," she smiles wearily, "I really need them to be brave. This is a huge risk."

  "Look at them, Sal," he replies and points to the procession slowly making their way past, chests puffed and heads held high. Not an ounce of fear shows on anyone's face.

  We, along with thousands of others, stand and watch until the very last of our evacuees leaves the zone, and the outer gate is pulled shut behind them.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Not for the first time, Brian cursed at the way in which the events had unfolded. They should have had months to prepare this invasion of Zone E. His army should be well trained, elite. But instead, thanks to that bitch and her friends, he had twelve hours and a group of men and women that were entirely unprepared for what was to come.

  The element of surprise would have given them the advantage. It should have been an easy fight against a zone that had no idea what was coming. Instead it was a race against time. At worst, he would only allow E a day or two to prepare. At best, that bitch, the traitor and his prisoners were all eaten by zebs as they fled Zone G.