by Brett, Cal
“You haven’t made contact with any of them?” The Leftenant asked.
“Early on we tried,” Kelly said, “but we learned that most of them are living pretty desperate lives. Now, we stay away from them. You are the first people we have spoken to in some time. I suppose I should thank you for not being uncivilized marauders.”
“And we, you,” the Leftenant added. “It must get quite lonely with just the two of you.”
“It does sometimes,” Kelly reflected, “but it can also be very peaceful. Especially now that we have this place.”
“What about the Baldwin Sisters?” Robbie called over from the kitchen as he poured coffee from the glass and plastic press.
“Mmmm. Delicious.” Clark took a sip and praised him, “I do think you’re getting the hang of it, Robert.”
“The Baldwin Sisters?” The Major looked at Kelly.
“Oh,” She laughed, “yes. The Baldwin Sisters. They are a very bright light in this darkness. They are two old ladies we met just recently. They helped us out after Robbie hurt himself falling through their roof.”
“You seem quite accident prone, young man,” the Major said indicating Robbie’s still wrapped finger.”
“Yes,” Robbie laughed holding up his hand, with the bandage, “but I’m unkillable so far.”
“So these Baldwins have proven valuable allies?” The Major encouraged her to continue.
“Yes,” Kelly went on, “or, we hope they will. They have a big greenhouse where they grow their own food and raise animals. They taught us a little about farming and shared the seeds we used to start our garden here. We promised to start trading with them as soon as we get more settled.”
“Well that does sound promising,” the Major agreed.
“So, you’ve just been wandering around since Texas?” Robbie changed the subject as he and Clark re-entered the living room holding fresh cups of coffee.
“It certainly feels like it sometimes,” Clark laughed. “But no, we have a plan. We just need a… well, Major, do you want to fill in the blanks on that?”
“I suppose,” the Major answered. “I don’t think there’s any harm in telling these good folks. We’re looking for an airplane. One big enough to cross the Atlantic and get us home.”
“But, there have to be plenty of airports between here and New Mexico,” Kelly inquired sitting back down. “You haven’t found a single airplane?”
“We’ve found plenty,” the Leftenant provided, “unfortunately, every airport we have come across has been overrun or destroyed. We did find a very nice 747 in the middle of your interstate 20 motorway just west of Fort Worth but it had no fuel and the tires were all flat.”
“Aye,” Clark added, “we spent a few days trying to get that one to work but a horde of zombies came through and ended that effort.”
“That sucks,” said Robbie.
“I think our biggest problem is that we are simply stabbing about in the dark,” the Major said. “We don’t know our way around, we’re using old motorway maps, hoping to find a needle in a hay stack. We don’t know the cities well so it’s hard to tell the difference, on these old maps, between a major airport and a small air field. And it has cost us dearly.”
“We are in a race against time as well,” the Leftenant added, “jet fuel goes bad and can only be stored for so long. Even in optimal conditions. We are already technically over the limit but if we find a good plane and a decent batch of fuel we can probably make it work.”
“We heard there were a few air force bases and a naval air station down here along the coast,” Major Garrett said. “We thought perhaps our luck might change.”
“If you find a plane, and the fuel is good, one of you can fly… right?” Kelly asked.
“The Leftenant and Mr. Clark are our pilots,” the Major pointed at the two men. “So, it’s important that we keep them alive.”
“I’d prefer to be kept alive also,” the Color Sergeant commented as he came back through the front door.
“Don’t get your hopes up, Bradley,” the Major declared, “you and I are expendable.”
“Not a bit of it you two,” the Leftenant argued, “get that notion out of your head. We are all going home together.”
“Color Sergeant, can I get you some more tea, or a coffee?” Kelly asked being the polite hostess.
“No thank you Ma’am,” the big Sergeant replied, “the caffeine will just keep me awake all night. I’d miss my bad dreams. Now, I don’t suppose you have anything stronger?”
“Sorry, just some warm soda in the fridge,” Kelly smiled.
“Wait a sec,” Robbie exclaimed. The group turned to watch as he dashed down the hall.
“What’s got into him?” The Major asked.
“No idea,” Kelly looked confused.
A moment later Robbie came back holding a bottle and held it out to the Sergeant.
“Good lord!” The Sergeant exclaimed excitedly, “Oban Little Bay! Boy, you’ve got to be joking! Where did you get this?”
“Scavenging in a liquor store a while back. I almost forgot about it. I was saving it for a special occasion” Robbie said, “and how special is it to get a visit from the Royal Marines?”
“It depends on the purpose of the visit, but in this case I’d say it’s pretty bloody special,” the Sergeant went on. “Can we really open it?”
“Sure, why not?” Robbie assented.
“Major?” The Sergeant asked.
The Major paused for a moment, considering it, then smiled and nodded, “Just a snort to toast our new friends, yes? I don’t suppose there is any harm in that.”
Robbie broke out glasses from the China cabinet and everyone but Kelly poured themselves a shot.
“None for the lady?” Clark asked.
“Sorry,” Kelly made a face, “whiskey is just too strong for me. Please enjoy yourselves though. Nobody has to drive home, right?”
“True.” Clark laughed. “We wouldn’t want to risk a drink driving charge.”
The Major held up his glass and was soon joined by the others. Each glass held about an inch of amber colored Scotch. “To our gracious hosts,” he said and they all took a sip.
“Oh, that’s good,” the Sergeant said with a rasp. “I think we need to toast Sergeant Patel, and the other good men we have lost.”
“Indeed,” the Leftenant agreed and they drank again.
After several more toasts, the Major called the drinking to a halt. “Alright lads, that’s enough. We have work to do in the morning.”
“Right you are,” the Leftenant agreed sadly, setting his empty glass down.
“Color Sergeant, have you arranged berthing for us?” the Major asked.
“Yes, Sir,” he replied, “right across the hall.”
“Robert, Kelly,” the Major stood and turned to them, “I think we need to retire for the night. We all need our beauty rest. Thank you so much for having us in your lovely home and sharing your evening with us. It has been a rare pleasure. We will see you again in the morning I trust?”
“Oh I don’t know, tomorrow I have a yoga class and I was planning on hitting some of the big sales at the mall,” Kelly laughed as they walked the group to the door.
“Sounds as if you have quite the busy day scheduled,” the Major smiled, “then we hope to see you soon then.”
Everyone said their goodnights in turn and headed down the hall towards their own rooms.
When they were gone, Kelly locked and bolted the door. Wandering through the house, she blew out the candles and glanced outside through the curtains. The night was quiet and the sky was filled with stars. By the time she got back to the bedroom, Robbie was already passed out on top of the sheets.
“You’re too young to drink,” she scolded his sleeping form before lying down and pulling the sheets up over herself. She fell asleep quickly and drifted into uncharacteristically peaceful dreams.
Chapter 26
The next morning Kelly rose early, left Ro
bbie sleeping in the bed and took care of her morning business before cleaning her face and hands with the water from the bucket they kept on the balcony. Pulling on a sweater, sweat pants and boots, she used a tie to pull her hair back into a pony tail and quietly stepped out into the hallway. The passage was empty and quiet but she noted that the stairwell doors at either end had been propped open. At the far end of the hall, she could see the figure of a Marine standing guard dressed in his helmet, body armor and black assault rifle. He had his back to her and seemed to be looking out the small window.
She wasn’t sure why, but she didn’t feel like interacting with the guard so she turned and walked the other way.
“Oh!” She exclaimed when she nearly bumped into a young Marine standing inside the stairwell, “I didn’t see you there. You scared me.”
“Sorry mum,” the man apologized. He wore his battle gear like the other guard but she noted he had an Asian look, was thin and not much taller than her. He stepped back on the landing, giving her room to pass, “didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“It’s ok, I should have been watching where I was going. We’re not used to having other people up here.” She looked at the name tape on his uniform, “Mr… Kim, is it?”
“Corporal Kim, yes mum,” he corrected.
“Oh? Corporal, ok.” She said as she started up the steps, “I’m just going up to check the garden on the roof.”
“Roger that,” Corporal Kim nodded as he watched her go.
Kelly liked the roof top in the mornings. It was usually cool and quiet before the sun was all the way up. Even though the people were gone, daytime in the city still seemed much more noisy and active than night with the birds squawking and the creatures banging around down on the street. She enjoyed the short respites of quiet time before the day began. It gave her peace of mind to walk around the garden and plan out her day.
When she stepped out of the stairwell onto the rooftop, the sun was not yet over the horizon but the sky was light enough to reflect a glow from the low hanging clouds. A fog had rolled in from the river overnight, covering the streets downtown in a swirling grey blanket. The roof of the building was at just the right height to sit slightly above the fog and just below the clouds in a layer of thin, wet mist.
But Kelly was not alone with her garden as she had hoped. She saw Major Garrett and Leftenant Windsor at the edge looking out over the city. A few of the other soldiers, not on watch, were also on the roof but further away. Their silhouettes blurry as they moved through the moist air. Some stood alone smoking cigarettes or just staring out towards the river. A few huddled near each other and seemed to be chatting in hushed voices.
“Good morning,” she breathed in the cool air as she walked over to the two officers.
“Good morning Kelly,” they both said cheerfully turning to greet her.
“It’s like a lovely, English morning,” the Leftenant waved his hand at the thick fog. “Almost feels like home.”
“Did you all sleep well?” Kelly asked.
“Wonderful,” Windsor laughed.
“I don’t think I have slept so well since I left my own home,” the Major added.
Kelly observed that neither the officers, nor the other men on the roof, were wearing their battle gear. They were armed, but had traded their helmets and body armor for dark green berets and, in spite of the cool temperature, had rolled up their sleeves into squared off cuffs around their biceps. On their shoulders each of them wore a “Royal Marines Commando” patch along with a British Union Jack and some sort of black dagger.
“Well if you are up here hoping to catch a glimpse of our famous River Ferry, I’m afraid it hasn’t been running lately,” Kelly informed them as she looked out towards the river.
“I’m sorry to have missed that.” The Major replied. “Actually, the Leftenant and I were just taking the lay of the land.”
“It’s hard to see anything right now, isn’t it?” Kelly squinted down at the blanket of grey covering the streets.
“Indeed,” the red bearded Leftenant agreed. “What time does this usually dissipate?”
Kelly held up her empty wrist showing that she had no watch, “I don’t know the time but as soon as the sun comes up some more, all this in the streets will burn off.”
Windsor looked at his large black and silver wristwatch and then to the Major. “So maybe another half hour then?”
“Most likely,” the Major agreed looking at his own watch.
Kelly looked at them quizzically. “How do you still have watches that work?”
“G-Shock, MRG,” the Leftenant answered proudly, holding out his wrist to show her a large time piece. It was metallic with a matte black finish. “Tough as nails, water proof and solar powered. You should get one.”
“How about you, Major?” Kelly said looking it over.
“Oh, I prefer my old Pathfinder,” the Major held up his own watch, its grey plastic looked more worn than the junior officer’s though it had a similarly bulky bezel covered in dials and buttons. “Not as flashy as the Leftenant’s, but it’s been with me around the world and through several war zones. Even before the end.”
“Nice,” Kelly said, “I’ll put one on my Christmas list.”
“And where is young master Robert this morning?” The Major inquired with a raised eyebrow as he readjusted the watch band on his arm.
“Still sleeping,” she explained, “He was still in high school when this whole thing started. I don’t think he’s ever had whiskey before. It may be a rough morning for him.”
They all laughed.
“Well I suppose everyone has to have a first time,” the Leftenant said.
They continued their conversation as the sun slowly rose behind them. The clouds overhead gradually lifted and the fog in the streets seemed to drain back down into the river. When the rays of the sun finally found them, Kelly suddenly felt like a wet cat. The heat and humidity sank down onto them like a heavy syrup. Her hair felt frazzled and the sweater, which had previously felt so cozy, began to feel hot, heavy and damp. She instantly felt self-conscious around all these men as she realized she was not wearing a bra and the wet clingy garment was doing its best to show off all the curves of her breasts.
Kelly crossed her arms over her chest and was about to excuse herself when the Leftenant abruptly pointed at an object in the distance, somewhere down on the street.
“There it is!” He exclaimed.
“Where?!” The Major asked excitedly.
“Will you excuse me, gentlemen,” Kelly took their distraction as an opportunity to depart and put on some different clothes.
“Yes, of course,” the Major said dismissively as he looked through his binoculars at the street below.
“Just there!” The Leftenant said pointing downward. “Between the blue lorry and the white convertible.”
They were so immersed in whatever they had discovered that they hardly noticed as she walked away. Kelly was happy to have escaped without embarrassment but conversely, it nagged at her that they hadn’t even seemed to notice her form fitting sweater. She couldn’t help thinking, ‘is something wrong with me that these guys didn’t even notice that my boobs were on display?’ She chided herself for even thinking of such things as she quickly made her way back downstairs.
She was in such a rush going down the stairs that she forgot about the young sentry at the next landing and nearly crashed into him again. As she apologized and backed away his eyes went to her chest and lingered. She gasped as she realized that he had definitely noticed her clingy sweater.
“Sorry!” She called as she dashed away both embarrassed, and vindicated.
Robbie was sitting on the edge of the bed when she walked in.
“Good morning, sleepy head,” Kelly sing-songed as she began pulling at drawers looking for clothes. “Did you sleep well?”
“Like a rock,” Robbie said bleary eyed. “I don’t think I’ve slept through the night like that since the old days
.”
“No headache?” Kelly nudged.
“No.” Robbie replied indignantly. “You think I can’t handle my liquor?”
“Rob?!” She said as she changed tops. “Have you ever drank whiskey before?”
“Well, no,” he answered, “but it’s not like I never had a beer. It’s been a while, sure, but I’m no lightweight!”
“Sure, sure,” Kelly said acting unconvinced. “Ok, whatever. Your friends are all up on the roof.”
“What are they doing?” Robbie asked pulling on a t-shirt.
“Just chilling, I think.” She replied. “But, something had that Major, and the big red headed guy all excited. I don’t know what.
“Weird,” Robbie said, rubbing sleep from his eyes. “They didn’t say?”
“It was getting hot, so I came down to change. Why don’t you go and find out what they are all fired up about?” Kelly suggested. “I’ll boil some water for tea.”
“Yea, ok.” Robbie agreed, pulling on his boots.
As he started out the door Kelly yelled, “…And they can come down here if they want a cup. I’m not a waitress!”
“You got it,” Robbie replied as he walked out.
Kelly lit the coals on the grill, filled the tea pot with water and set it on top of the grate to boil. She was tempted to sit down and enjoy the sunny morning but instead went inside and began setting up cups for tea and coffee. ‘I’m becoming my mother,’ she thought, as she arranged the cups and saucers neatly on the coffee table. She stepped back and looked at the arrangement and realized it didn’t look right.
“Well, mother,” she said out loud as she began looking through the kitchen drawers. “See what you have done. It’s after the apocalypse and you’ve got me looking for table settings to serve tea.”
A few minutes later she had the coffee table set with napkins, silverware and condiments. She set the ornate box of tea in the center and made sure the French Press and coffee were readied on the kitchen counter. Looking over the display again, she made a few adjustments before deciding her mother would approve. As she made the finishing touches the door opened and Robbie returned with the officers, followed by Mr. Clark.