“What?”
“Do you hear that?’
Again it rang out.
“How can I not? Yes.” John sat up.
“What is that?”
John pointed to the wall. “Laughter. Hunter is laughing.”
“Hunter laughs?”
“Apparently so and odd too.”
“It sounds like whooping cough.”
John chuckled. “If you listen you can hear it’s actually laughter when it’s softer, but when he roars with laughter, we get …”
Hunter did the barking laugh.
“That.” John said.
Meredith squinted. “Who is that with him on the wall?”
“I believe that is Nora.” John paused. “Jealous?”
“Actually, yes.”
Shocked, John’s eyes widened. “Really.”
“Yeah. We couldn’t get him to laugh like that.”
“Well, she was supposed to be funny before we went into hyper sleep. That’s what she said.”
“Hmm.” Meredith shook her head. “I just don’t see it.”
“Me either. Perhaps her humor only appeals to a post apocalypse crowd.”
“Maybe.”
“Goodnight, Meredith.” John lay back down.
“Goodnight, John.” Just as Meredith prepared to rest back, Hunter’s laughter rang out. “It’s gonna be a long night.” She groaned and pulled the sleeping bag over her head.
SEVENTEEN – LEARNING CURVE
Day Twelve AR
Malcolm wasn’t crazy about the Salvation coffee that Maggie continuously raved about, but it served its purpose in keeping Malcolm awake. At first when he took off his heart raced and his adrenaline pumped, then he hit a wall. He pulled over because obviously he couldn’t make coffee and drive at the same time, but Malcolm didn’t remain immobile for long.
Unlike the solar buggy, even the one Malcolm amped up, the van drove at a good speed. Three and a half hours into his trip the expected happened.
Maggie called for him on the Aldervice.
“Malcolm, what are you doing?”
Malcolm didn’t respond.
“I know you hear me, I can see that. If you’re not going to say anything, then listen,” Maggie said. “You’re not in any trouble. I know you’re scared and confused. I do. But you can’t do this Malcolm. I know you think you’re helping your friends, but this is bigger than all of us. You tell me you believe you were chosen to ensure the human race survives. If you believe that, if that is your mission, then you have follow it, because some of you, I believe, are a threat to humanity.”
A pause.
“Malcolm, what about Trey? You brought him on the trip and you left him. You told me where you’re meeting them. I know where you’re going. You can’t keep running. Out there, tire tracks are like footprints in the snow. I know you’re angry about what happened. I promise you, one day you’ll see why. You will and you’ll realize the error of your thinking now. I just hope it isn’t too late.”
At the point where he was going to shut off the Aldervice, Maggie went radio silent. Malcolm didn’t want to end communication just on the outside chance Trey needed him.
He had to keep going and stay the course. If he didn’t fall asleep behind the wheel, he’d be in Champaign by mid afternoon. Getting there wouldn’t be a problem. The highways, while overgrown were completely passable. It was evident that vehicles had moved on the road, heavy vehicles, meaning Salvations Command.
Maggie was right about one thing they would leave a trail. Any course they took off of a Salcom utility road would be spotted. But she was wrong too. Wrong about how he would one day see why they had to kill the hundred people. There was no way any amount of proof out there could justify her actions.
<><><><>
“Were you lying to him?” Trey asked, watching Maggie place the Aldervice away.
“About?” Maggie asked.
“Him not being in trouble.”
“No, I’m not lying,” she said almost in defeat.
“How can you guarantee that?”
“Because Command has no idea he stole the van and left us stranded. None. You know, I know, and Norris knows. The others …. they think what Command thinks.”
“Which is?”
“We are working here on things, testing the blood of each of the deceased, thankfully your father removed all our portable equipment,” she said. “And I … told everyone we didn’t want to lose track of the survivors of G3, your father’s lab, so I sent him to the meeting place so he wouldn’t miss the rendezvous. That buys us a day.”
“That’s not a lot of time.”
Maggie softly chuckled. “This virus doesn’t give that much time. It’s emerged back into a virgin world where probably fifty percent, if not more of the population, doesn’t have a hundred percent immunity to it. All those born in the last fifteen years are vulnerable. At least half of Salvation isn’t immune to it.”
“How can that be?” Trey asked. “I thought to get into Salvation you had to be immune.”
“There are the few born after Salvation was opened and those we let in who weren’t infected. We relied on herd immunity, but this virus … I don’t know if it was a different one that hibernated, or if it just mutated big time. But this one is different. It’s fast, symptoms show in twenty- four hours, full sickness in two days, and death before three days.”
“How do you know this?”
“Because we have been quarantining people since the president arrived. I’m almost afraid to check in today. As of yesterday, we have kept it at thirty-seven. If we can go two days without quarantine, we can declare it contained. But as long as people out there are carriers, it won’t be contained. You know our soldiers are out here, there are communities, survivors, and breeders. If the president is a carrier, I am willing to bet others are too.”
“Yet, you covered for him, why?”
“I’m not evil, Trey. I’m doing my job. Your father had everything taken from him. Thirty years slipped away. I get that. He doesn’t understand the way things work now.”
“Are you going to go after them?”
“Better us, then an entire Salvation Command Brigade. When the new van arrives tomorrow, we go. I’m thinking though, maybe leave the team to run tests, and you and I head up there with one of those solar carts.”
“I’ll do that. Explain to me why you need to get to them. You have that canister. You think it could be an inoculation?”
“And if it is, we need time to copy it and create it. It’s not a cure. Creating more of what’s in that canister can take years. Unfortunately,” Maggie said, “there’s not enough population left to survive years.”
<><><><>
When Jason awoke to the smell of coffee he also panicked. Reaching out beside him to only feel an empty spot caused him to sit straight up.
Where was Nora?
He glanced down at his watch, it was after eight and it surprised him that she was awake already.
Jason made their camp in what looked like a stall. John, Meredith, and Blake slept in the courtyard and were sitting around the fire when Jason stumbled from the stall. He scratched his head not seeing Nora.
Meredith waved him over, calling out, “Did you want coffee?”
“Yes, please,” Jason said, walking toward them.
Meredith lifted the percolator from the fire and poured Jason a cup.
“Have you guys seen Nora?” he asked.
“She said she’d be right down,” Meredith answered.
“Right down? Down from where?”
Blake pointed to the wall.
Jason took a double take, nearly choking when he saw Hunter climbing down the rope. “She was up there? When did she go up there?”
“Last night,” John said. “She pulled watch with Hunter. You didn’t hear them? How could you not?”
“I was out,” Jason replied. “I hit the moonshine pretty hard last night.”
“Lucky you,” Joh
n raised his cup.
Hunter approached the circle.
“Where’s Nora?” Jason asked.
“Nora … She …” Hunter said. “Is coming. She is fine … dude.”
Jason blinked. “Dude?”
John laughed. “Seems Nora taught you a few things.”
“Yes. Hunt …. I … learned much. As did she.”
“Ugh.” John shrieked. “You can’t stop speaking third person, that’s what makes you endearing.”
“Nora said … I can not do that. I practice.”
Meredith tapped him on the arm. “And you are doing so well.”
“He is,” Nora said as she joined them. “He’ll get there.”
Jason turned to her. “You okay?”
“Yeah, thank you.” Nora kissed him on the cheek. “We had some good conversation last night. Hunter is very insightful, we can learn a lot from him.”
“Apparently,” John said.” He’s been learning from you. He called Jason, Dude.”
“That wasn’t on purpose,” Nora replied. “I was telling him about our culture and the word came up, he liked saying it.”
“And laughing,” Meredith added, looking at Hunter. “We heard you laugh for the first time.”
“Nora is funny. She tells …” He squinted. “What is that called?”
“Joke.”
“Joke, yes,” Hunter said.
“You must be a card,” John said. “Because he was howling last night.”
Nora waved out her hand. “He was easy to entertain.”
“No,” Hunter shook his head. ‘Nora is funny. Tell joke.”
“No,” Nora said. “You need to show us what you made.”
“When done. Tell. They will laugh. From gut. Ha. Ha. Ha.”
“Yes,” John said. “Tell us. We want to laugh from gut. Ha. Ha. Ha.”
Meredith backhanded John.
“Tell.” Hunter requested.
“We would love to hear,” John egged on. “So please share the jokes that had him in stitches.”
“Joke,” Nora said. “As in one. The same one. He kept making me tell it over and over and he kept laughing over and over.”
“Must be a doozy,” said Meredith.
“Not really.”
“Tell. Hunt … I want to laugh.” Hunter said.
“I don’t even know how he got it,” Nora replied. “Okay, I’ll tell it, then I want to see what you made.” She waited for agreement. “What did the woman say when the nuclear bomb hit her city.”
John lifted his hands and shook his head.
“She didn’t. She was devastated.”
John and Meredith both gave polite smiles. But Hunter, he laughed as hard as he did the night before.
Jason closed off one ear with his finger. “Wow. That’s a supportive audience.”
“Funny,” Hunter laughed again and started to walk off. “Come. I show you.”
As they turned to walk away, Blake started giggling.
Jason whispered in her ear. “You’re a hit here.”
What was he doing? John wondered. One moment their new big friend was laughing, the next he was serious as he led them across the fort to the side with the fence. He had seen Hunter working over there the day before, but left him alone.
“If trouble comes,” Hunter said as he moved an old cart. Below it was a dirty piece of cloth, he then lifted that, exposing what looked like a half door resting in the dirt. “Took door from there.” He indicated, then lifted the door.
John stepped forward, peering down. The hole was deep and square. Not big, but large enough for two or three people. In the hole was water, apples and a few MRE. “You made a secret room.”
“Hide if trouble.” Hunter looked at Meredith, then to Nora.
“And here I thought you were digging a latrine,” John said. “This is good. Very good.”
Jason asked. “You think we’ll need it?”
“Never know,” John replied.
Hunter covered everything back up. “Stay for two moons, then head to river. Safe by water. Follow the flow.” He finished covering it. “Hunter … I must rest now.”
“Yes,” John said. “You deserve it. And Hunter … very good job. Thank you.”
Hunter nodded. “Thank you. Pound it.” He held his close fist to John.
“Pound it?” John asked, shifting his eyes to Nora. “Sure.”
He hit his fist against Hunters, and after a half smile, Hunter turned and walked away.
John waited. Oddly, he didn’t move, make a sound, or say a word. He waited until Hunter was out of earshot, and then he released a soft but excruciating sounding, “Ow”, cringing as he grabbed his hand.
<><><><>
He traveled the last two hundred miles on pure energy reserves. More than anything, Malcolm just wanted to pull over and sleep, but he kept thinking how close he was and he had to keep going. It was a quiet trip, Maggie hadn’t even tried to contact him again.
Malcolm didn’t know if he should worry about that, or be glad.
It had been weeks since he saw the others. He would have to explain what happened to Amy, how she was killed early in their journey. He spent most of his driving time thinking how he was going to explain to everyone that Salvation was off the radar, and that they had to go and not look back. How he would tell Nora that her husband was alive and well, but she couldn’t chance going to see him.
His mind raced with plans for the future. How they would survive long term, grow food, and hide. He heard stories about The East, so that was out. Maybe they’d go south, or even back to California.
Malcolm was disheartened when he pulled into Champaign. He didn’t see any of the buggies. He didn’t have a clue if Blake had even arrived yet, it had only been a few days. He worried that the others hadn’t gotten the warning.
There was also a chance the others hadn’t gotten there. Then his tired and dejected feelings quickly turned when he saw the message loud and clear on the storefront window.
A message from Jason.
Rantoul Lives.
He recalled seeing the sign for Rantoul and Malcolm hurriedly sought the map. It wasn’t that far, eighteen miles.
It wouldn’t be long, Malcolm thought and he’d not only be reunited with the others, but he could rest, at least briefly, before heading out again.
EIGHTEEN – TRUTH
Just on the outside chance that Blake had arrived and warned the others about Salvation, Malcolm pulled the Salcom van over about a half a mile from Rantoul. He didn’t want the others to see the Salvation vehicle and worry.
It was only a short walk, it was a warm day and the van was out of sight.
Wandering into town, it took everything not to run down the street hollering out.
But something wasn’t right.
It was quiet, too quiet. Where was everyone?
Malcolm knew he was in the right place when he saw three solar buggies. Three of them meant Blake had arrived.
He refrained from calling out, looking around as he walked. It looked like a community picnic had taken place in town. Tables were set up and there was a grill. Food was left on the table. Flies buzzed about the food.
Perhaps they took off in a hurry, but why didn’t they take the buggies? A few steps beyond the tables, Malcolm spotted them. It looked like two bodies, covered in cloth sat outside the church. He couldn’t be sure they were bodies, he had to get a closer look.
“Hold it!” A female voice called out. “Stop, or I’ll shoot.”
The racking of a gun chamber rang out.
Malcolm stopped. In fact he lifted his hands. “I mean no harm. I’m looking for my friends. I’m supposed to meet them here.”
“Who?” she asked.
“Nora. Jason …” Before he finished saying any more names, the door to one of the stores opened and a man stepped out.
Malcolm recognized the clothing, he had also worn that clothing when he was released from the Genesis lab.
The man wal
ked up to Malcolm. “John said you’d be arriving. I met him and Meredith out east. They sent us.”
“Us?” Malcolm asked.
“There are four of us.”
“Where are my friends?”
“They were gone when we got here, they left word, Marilee knows.”
“Who? And you said there are four of you? Where are the others?”
“Helping.”
“Helping?”
“Yeah,” Cole said sadly. “Come this way.”
<><><><>
Malcolm wanted to vomit. In fact it took everything he had not to throw up the second he walked into the church and saw it had been transformed into a make shift hospital. More than a dozen people were in there, laying on cots, intravenous lines in their arms.
Cole explained he was a doctor and like Malcolm was unknowingly part of a Genesis project. He, along with another man and two females, were told by John to come to Champaign.
“They were sick when we got here this morning,” Cole said. “Marilee was helpless. She was doing great, but I felt so bad for her, I haven’t had a chance to talk about the others.”
Malcolm nodded and looked at Marilee. “When did everyone get sick?”
“It started yesterday evening, we were sitting down to eat and people started getting sick all of the sudden. Coughing, shaking, and fevers. I mean it was scary,” Marilee said. “Our doctor was the first to go. But a lot of folks said they were feeling off all afternoon. I was spared. Cole here got the IV bags done and has been giving them pain medication.”
Cole said, “I had to makeshift out of old things. The first aid kits have pain relievers and I been trying to get people to take those.”
“Is this the virus?” Malcolm asked. “The one that hit before?”
“I don’t know,” Cole answered. “Unfortunately, none of us have seen it. But whatever this is, hits hard and fast. We lost two since I got here and the others … well... the others aren’t far behind.
“I’m sorry for this,” Malcolm grabbed Marilee’s wrist. “I will do whatever I can to help. But can you excuse me for a second.
Reset (Book 2): Salvation Page 19