The sun passed over quickly as the shadows seemed to dance across the ground. My time on this Earth was running out. Any moment, Damien would turn to me and put a bullet in my head, or worse yet, in my stomach, so I would slowly bleed to death. I tried not to think about it and to keep my mind on the task at hand. Throughout the afternoon and early evening, I had chopped through half of the tree, and yet it stood strong, not giving in to my needs. I took a few more swings when I heard a click behind me.
“Time’s up, girly girly.”
Before I could turn around, my face was plastered against the tree bark. Damien pressed his body against mine, just like he had done when he had first captured me. I didn’t see it, but felt the hard steel push into the back of my head.
“Please, don’t do this,” I whimpered, closing my eyes, hoping to find any sense of compassion in him, “Please.”
“I’ll do whatever I want with you, girly girly.” He stepped away from me, the gun lowered. “Turn around!” he commanded.
This was my last chance—the last time I could try something before he shot me dead in the woods. I gripped the ax handle tightly, and as I turned, I swung it as hard as I could. He shielded himself with his arm and the blade sliced deep into it until it reached the bone. It was the last image I saw before I ran for my life, hearing bullets bounce off the tree I had been cutting. Another hit the tree in front of me, as I dodged between them.
When he tackled me, I fell hard against the ground, but continued to fight, punching and scratching, hitting and screaming as much as possible. But he finally wrapped up my hands within his and forced them down to my sides. Blood trickled down his arm and onto me. He leaned back and screamed like a wild animal, and before I knew it, he had slammed his head against mine. Everything went dark and my body went limp, but I heard him laughing as he pulled himself farther on top of me, rubbing my face with his bloodstained hand.
“You’ll be begging for death before I get done with you,” he whispered, before running his sandpaper-like tongue against my cheek, his hand running over my neck and down across my torso. My eyes were closed, my body couldn’t move, but I could feel every horrible touch of his rough fingers. When he ripped my shirt, I believe I whimpered. Why couldn’t I just pass out?
There was moisture from his lips against my neck, and I felt him pull the chain I was wearing with his teeth, causing me to finally shiver.
Something happened, a noise, a gunshot, something, and I felt the weight of Damien’s body leave mine, pushing the air out of me. Through the slit of my open eyes, I could see the darkened, gray clouds through the thick vegetation. Everything was turning white. Maybe Damien had already shot me and I didn’t even notice. My pain was fading. As the light grew stronger, two figures stepped into my eyesight, hovering like angels, contemplating on whether they wanted to deliver me or not. One nudged me with a foot.
“You think she’s dead?”
All went dark.
Chapter Six
The aches and pains in my body woke me. Regaining consciousness, my mind reeled with surprise when I realized I was still alive. But my surroundings had changed. The woods and the foliage were all gone, replaced with gray, cinder blocks all around me. At the end of the small room, there was a metal door. When I finally got to a sitting position, I could tell the only light coming in was from a few windows high in the walls, too far up for me to reach, not that I could even stand at this moment.
My head was spinning. Damien’s head-butt was the biggest blow I had ever taken, or at least known I had taken. I rubbed the back of my neck and ran my fingers over where he had placed the gun at the back of my head. If only he had pulled the trigger or if I had pulled the trigger in the car...there had been too many times already that I had stared death in the face.
Finally, I noticed a camera mounted above the door, the small, red light telling me it was on and capturing everything I did.
“Hello,” I called out weakly. “Is anyone there?” Of course there was no answer, but someone had brought me here and hopefully they were watching me through the camera. Still, nobody came.
Time passed slowly in the vacant room. I was finally able to get to a standing position and took a few steps across the room to the other wall. My legs were wobbly and I was more than fatigued, but at least I could still walk.
The door startled me when it creaked open, and the first thing that came through was a pistol pointing at me. I backed up into the original corner where I awoke, watching as a blonde woman passed through the door, keeping her eyes on me through the clear visor on her mask. She was beautiful, wearing camouflaged fatigues, but I could also tell she was fierce, and my mind quickly raced to the vicious people who had captured me, and to Damien, who was more than sadistic.
“Stay there!” she commanded.
I wasn’t about to move.
Behind her, a man entered, carrying a tray. Like her, he wore the same clothes. He too was handsome. Both kept their eyes on me as he entered and slowly placed the tray of food on the floor in the middle of the room. They both took steps back, but her gun remained pointed at me.
“We would like to ask you some questions,” he said through his mask, his mouth covered by the breathing apparatus on the front. But unlike Alex, I could see their eyes and many of their facial expressions.
“What do you want?” I responded.
“We are asking the questions,” she snapped back at me. He waved her off and took a step toward me, trying to take my focus off of her.
“It’s okay. We rescued you in the woods. We would like to know how you got there.”
“They took me out there,” I answered quickly, kind of confused as to whether I needed to explain my whole story.
“They who?” he continued.
“Those...those people in the city. In Texarkana. They all had tattoos, many with a triangle and circle. They had me in a prison cell with others and made us go cut trees for them for their fires.”
“Okay,” he said calmly, “and the one on top of you?”
“Damien. He made me say his name,” I whimpered, covering the top of my shirt with my hand where he had ripped it open. “He...he is one of their leaders. How did you get him off of me?”
The woman stepped forward, only to be waved off by the man again.
“Clarissa here shot him. Unfortunately, we were some distance away so it only wounded him. We try to kill all SA7s and 8s we come across.”
“Captain, you said no names,” the woman complained. He looked at her through his mask.
“I think it’s okay.”
“What’s a SA7 and 8?” I interjected, with both of them concentrating on me again. The woman shook her head.
“Well, you’re obviously SA3,” she concluded quickly about me.
The man looked at me as well and his green eyes locked into mine.
“The sergeant here is speaking out of turn. While you were out, we took blood samples from you.”
“Samples?”
“Stop interrupting the captain!” the woman yelled at me, but this time her partner gave her a hard glare. I could see he was losing patience with her as fast as she had lost it with me.
“Yes, samples. You might not have noticed the pinprick in your finger, but we are running tests on your blood. The first will tell us what type of blood you have, and the second will tell us if you are infected”
“I don’t understand.” I shook my head and asked, “Infected with the disease?”
“People who have been around others infected come down with the SA8 virus. Your memory loss confirms you are probably SA3 or 4, like the sergeant here said, but we will let your tests run before we make any final decisions. We really only brought you back because you were wearing this.”
The man waved my necklace and medallion with the ∞ symbol out in front of me and placed it on the tray next to the food.
“Decisions?” I questioned again. “What are you making decisions about?”
“It’s not a
big concern right now,” the man said calmly, stepping forward, close to the tray of food he brought in. “Right now, you just need to eat and rest. Get your strength back and we will check with you when we get your results in. It shouldn’t take more than twenty-four hours.”
But I wasn’t about to let them leave, not without explaining what was going on.
“Please, tell me what happened. Why are there these...these SA8 people out there? Why are you wearing a mask? What am I infected with?” But when I tried to get up, the woman stepped forward, pushing the gun closer and closer. I went back down, scared in the corner, my hands up in front of me. They both looked at each other, but slowly backed out the door.
“We will talk soon,” the man said before shutting the door behind him. I got up quickly, but by the time I reached the door, I heard locks being replaced and the knob wouldn’t turn.
“Please! Please! Don’t leave me in here!”
* * * *
The food was much better than what I had eaten while imprisoned in the city by the angry killers, the SA7s is what they were called. In fact, it was the best food I had eaten since my escape. Much of it was vegetables, including potatoes, carrots, peas, and corn. Bread was served as well, along with fresh water. The portions were large as well, but still didn’t quite seem to fill me up. I guess I was much hungrier than I imagined. I received a meal three times a day, each time by two people, one with a tray, one with a gun, and both wearing masks. None of them spoke to me, but meticulously did their work in getting me food before leaving me alone and secured again.
I also received a change of clothing, which I was happy with, although my modesty kept me from changing until the middle of the night, hoping nobody was seeing me do so on camera.
Three days passed in the room, when I was finally woken early one morning by the unlocking of my door. As always, I was back in my corner, but instead of it being a meal, it was the first man again, the captain. This time he was alone though, carrying the gun himself. He closed the door and locked it, before leaning up against the wall across from me.
“Your test results came in,” he said with no emotion.
“And what were they?”
“Inconclusive.”
“What does that mean?”
He sighed. “I’m not sure. Neither are any of our scientists,” he said, crossing his arm, tapping his pistol on his shoulder. “The machines we have can easily detect the blood type and the virus, but we ran yours four times and every time they came up inconclusive on both tests. So I’m out here, trying to see what you can tell us.” He looked at me through the early morning light, expecting me to say something.
“Well?”
“Well what?”
“Why do you think your tests are inconclusive?” he asked with more authority this time.
“I don’t know. I mean, I don’t know if I’m infected or not.”
He tapped his gun on his shoulder again, not too worried I might try to attack like his sergeant had.
“How long were you out by yourself?”
“Weeks.”
“Weeks?”
“Yes. I escaped somewhere in a forest in Arkansas. Someone was holding me captive. They chased me, but I hid in the cars on the interstate. They were full of...”
“...of the dead?”
“Yes.”
“You see, right there, you should have been infected. Staying around a dead body that had the disease without a mask should have infected you, and from what most of us are guessing, you are probably SA3, 4 or 6.
“What are all these numbers about? What is this disease?”
He stepped forward this time, nonchalantly waving the gun in front of him.
“And answers like that only help us confirm our diagnosis. Why don’t you know about the virus yet? It’s been out there for six years and you act like you’ve never heard of it. Why is that?”
“I don’t know!” I snapped at him. “I don’t know why I can’t remember anything. I wish I could, but everything from before my escape is a blank.”
“Alright,” he said calmly, looking at me with his deep, green eyes, “tell me what happened to you, out there. Tell me the whole story.”
I sighed, but went through it all for him. The escape, sleeping next to the dead on the interstate, the cannibals who tried to kill me, the helicopter, Alex and his changing to a monster right before my eyes, the evil people in Texarkana, all the way to my fight with Damien in the woods. The captain never stopped me, never questioned me. He only listened as I poured out everything I already knew.
“He made me say his name,” I finished, with tears in my eyes. It was a moment before the captain spoke.
“Michael,” he said simply.
“What?”
“My name is Michael. I’m not going to make you say it. I just thought you might want to know. Everyone around here calls me Captain though.”
“Oh,” I mumbled, not knowing what to say.
“And what is your name?”
“I’m...” All I could go by was what Alex had told me that my name was Jennifer, so that was the answer I gave him, but it felt like it was just a name to me and nothing I was actually connected to.
“Very well, Jennifer,” I could see his cheeks rise slightly, telling me that behind the breathing apparatus there had been a quick smile, “for right now, you are still being held here. I will discuss the information you gave me with the Council and see what they want to do with you.” He turned toward the door with the key in his hand.
“What do you mean? I have to stay locked up in here?”
“For right now, that’s the best I can do. If you are infected, we can’t take the chance of inviting you inside the compound. No one with the virus has ever been inside and while I’m on watch, no one ever will.” He turned the key and opened the door.
“But you just can’t leave me here, not like this.”
He looked back at me with his strong eyes.
“Right now, my only other option is to release you. Do you want to go back out, out into those woods? Back to where we rescued you?”
I didn’t say anything, knowing that staying in the room was my only good option.
“I didn’t think so. So just sit tight.”
“Do I have a choice? Is it going to be just another twenty-four hours?” I quipped.
“The longer it takes to get a decision from the Council, the longer you stay. Do you need anything besides food?”
“Freedom would be nice.” I caught a glimpse of his cheeks again.
“Someday, we’ll all have that.”
He shut the door behind himself and I heard the lock reengaged.
* * * *
The captain, Michael, had a couple of magazines brought to me with the morning breakfast. I had seen a few books and magazines in the cars on the interstate, but never took the time to pick them up and read them. These were old, very old, and they talked about a place called Hollywood and actors and actresses who lived out there and the movies they were working on. It sounded like a wonderful place, at least much better than where I was now.
I also found out I could read and read well. The words flew through my mind quickly. I devoured both magazines before the afternoon meal was served and then again before my final meal of the day. I was hoping—whatever my past was before I lost my memory—that I had liked to read. What a terrible waste it would’ve been if I didn’t.
The next day I was given a bucket of water, not to drink this time, but to clean off with. Again, I waited until nearly darkness before I did, but the clean water, soap, and towel felt so good. I had nearly forgotten what cleanliness could do to you and how good it made me feel. But just as I wrapped the black towel around myself, the door suddenly opened.
“Do you ever knock?” I yelled as the captain entered, alone again, pistol holstered this time. He looked quickly at me and then glanced away at the floor.
“Well?”
“Uh...do you want me to step back outsid
e?” he asked sheepishly.
“That would be the proper thing to do, don’t you think?”
“Yes,” he agreed, “probably.” He shut the door behind himself, but not before giving a slight chuckle. I dressed quickly, clean, refreshed, but concerned about what information the captain was coming with.
“Okay, you can come in now.”
“Sorry about that,” he said coming in, “I wouldn’t have barged in if I would have—”
“It’s okay. You didn’t know,” I answered embarrassed, but I remembered the camera on the wall above him, and I only hoped he actually didn’t know.
“So what now?”
“The tests were run again with the same results. No one can figure it out. All people are born with certain types of blood, but yours acts like it has practically its own identity, like it is a type amongst itself. It’s something no one has ever seen before. Our scientists are fascinated.”
“Well, I’m glad someone is, but what does that mean for me? Are you just going to keep me in this room to run experiments on now?” When I finished the sentence, a flash of light spun through my eyes and I immediately got a painful headache.
“Are you okay?” The captain stepped forward, but not close enough to actually touch me.
“Yes, I think so.” I shook my head, the pain leaving me as quickly as it came. “So you are letting me stay?” The captain’s face grimaced and I knew the answer was much more complicated than that.
“While the scientists in our community are intrigued and want to keep you around, the Council is still very suspicious. And I told them the same as I told you, I’m not letting anyone in that—”
“That may infect everyone. I know.”
“Right.” He walked around the room slowly, taking his time as I sat there waiting for him to speak. “The Council voted on whether to let you stay or not.”
“And?”
“It was split, but three thought you should stay and four said you are to be released tomorrow.”
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