The Last Man in the World Explains All

by D Krauss

  *

  Midnight.

  Carl rolled out of bed and listened. Nothing. Louise kept up the breathing, as trained, throwing off any Bureau-aimed mics. Good. Carl smiled and resisted the urge to pat her rather substantial behind. Giveaway.

  Carl padded down the hall and grabbed the pre-positioned pack. He opened the noiseless second story window, masked by purposely overhanging branches, and dropped into a recess he had dug in the yard for this purpose. Sam the Dog came over and sniffed, no barking, trained, and Carl crouchran beside him to the false fence. Bureau-aimed motion sensors would be fooled. He patted Sam, good dog, and slid out the bottom, rolling into the gutter. He turned on the night vision and studied the side street. No unknown cars. He switched to infrared and studied the park next to the street. Animals only. No people.

  Okay.

  Carl sprinted and vaulted the overgrown fence, dropping down below and unsheathing a knife, should it be necessary. It wasn’t, and he followed a path into the middle. He held the knife ready as forms rose from the undergrowth and moved around him. Once he was satisfied they were, indeed, his neighbors, he relaxed.

  “What happened?” Frank whispered.

  “Stupid kid,” Carl said.

  The forms were motionless, considering. “What’s the damage?” Eddie asked.

  “Substantial. It includes your Chucky, Sam.”

  Sam started, and swore under his breath. “Stupid ass kid. How many friggin’ times…” and Sam went off on Chucky and Junior and the Suits and what life had turned into, the grief in his tone.

  Carl and the rest waited. Sam needed it, because they all knew what had to be done.

  Had to be.

  “You got them tagged?” Carl asked Levy.

  Levy nodded, a motion almost lost in the dark. “The van’s parked in the dead side of Spring Street, where the asphalt’s broken. The relay’s on the next corner over. I count two teams, standard 12 hour shift, but I don’t know where the response is.”

  “Hmm, we’ll need that.”

  “Working on it.”

  Carl nodded. Levy would come through. Had before.

  “You know what you have to do, Carl.” Zachary, silent until now.

  Carl didn’t need to respond. He looked at Sam, who sobbed quietly for a moment. “We know.”