The ramp was still four feet from the dock. At that point, there were at least six people fighting to get up there and a few more emerging from the tubes.
She shuddered to think what was going to happen when the rest of the running people arrived.
Upon getting there, she shoved her way through to help.
“Get on the boat, Ella,” Tom told her.
“I want to help.”
“Get on the boat.”
“I just …”
Without being given a chance or choice, Tom shoved others out of the way, grabbed hold of Ella, lifted her up and rolled her onto the ramp.
Before she could get on her feet or knocked off the ramp, someone, James, Don or even Paula, grabbed her by the back of the shirt and dragged her back.
“Raise the ramp.” James yelled out.
“What?” Ella scurried to her feet. “Wait. No.”
“Yes,” James said strong. “Because we can’t lower it all the way, the Codies will get on board. Leaving it up creates nothing but a death trap for them. They stand a better chance jumping in the river and swimming to us.”
Ella looked out, some of the Sanctum people had broken free and raced down the docks.
“Once the Codies arrive back here,” James said. “It has to be game over.” He barreled his way to the ramp. “Tom, get up here now.”
“We have to help them. I promised I would help.”
“You did what you could. We’ll pull as many as we can up here, but only until the Codies make it to the docks.”
Ella nodded quickly and rushed toward the ramp. It was dangerous. No one wanted to climb up orderly. The grabbed the edge and kicked each other off. The first hand she reached for pulled her so hard Ella’s legs swung over the edge as she stopped herself from falling.
She was losing her grip and Ella struggled to climb back on the metal ramp. Her hands had nothing to hold onto so she used her forearms to move, but it wasn’t helping.
Surely, she would fall.
Thankfully, Tom had listened to James and climbed on the ramp. He grabbed hold of Ella, bring her back on board.
“Stay back,” he said. “I’ll help as many as I can. But then we have to lift this thing.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
Ella backed up and waited. She stood next to Paula at the railing. She had a rifle perched against the railing. Occasionally she’d pop off a shot. She didn’t shoot steadily, she couldn’t, they didn’t have the ammunition for it.
There was so much confusion, so many screams. So much pandemonium, she didn’t know who or how many made it onboard.
James ordered the ramp to be lifted one final time, and while Ella didn’t look, she heard it lift along with the people crying for them to stop, to help.
The Codies reached the docks.
Suddenly it wasn’t Codies and Sanctum people, they were all converged as one huge mass. She scanned the masses of Codies and people for Grant. She couldn’t find him.
The only thing that distinguished the infected from those who weren’t was the blood. She wanted to turn away when she saw people from Sanctum being torn apart. Ella did watch. She forced herself to her, watching it all was her punishment. She had done this. It was her fault, her arrogance. She … not the Codies or anyone else, she … caused their deaths.
EIGHTEEN – FLOATING
They pulled away from the dock, but because James needed things steady while he helped the injured, Don moved the boat a few yards from the dock and dropped anchor.
Ella stood on the starboard side, staring to shore and then to the river, looking for anyone who tried to swim their way.
For an hour, Codies continuously fell in the river, trying to reach the boat.
Ella’s job was to be look out for anything and anyone. Even when the prospects of more survivors looked bleak, she spent a majority of her time outside.
She had gone back in several times to check on things. Tom, Don, Paula and Rhonda were helping James with the medical aspects, while Mandy held Rodney.
The main floor of the ship was set up like a MASH unit, tables were used as beds.
James looked frazzled, moving from one patient to the other.
She didn’t have it in her to face those from Sanctum. They’d stop her, reach for her and thank her.
Ella didn’t reply verbally, but in her mind she cried out, ‘Please don’t thank me. Hate me instead.’
Mandy wanted to talk to her, she called for Ella’s attention, but Ella made the excuse she had to get back outside. So, Mandy followed her.
“It went crazy,” Mandy said. “Some of the people knew Grant’s plan to open the gate and let them in.”
“Why would he do that?” Ella asked, not even looking at Mandy.
“We have eight adults and eight kids that would have to run for it. The plan was to open the gate and draw them all in.”
“Is that what he did?
“No. Jacob panicked, the Codies were really jamming the fence and he made a run for it. When he did, they just flooded in. Some of us went for the chute, some of us just ran for the boat.”
“What happened to Grant?”
“I … I ... don’t know.”
Neither did Ella. He wasn’t on the boat, she didn’t see him anywhere. Sadly, she figured he was a casualty of her mess.
After a few minutes, Mandy got the hint that Ella wanted to be left alone.
Ella stayed out on the deck without going back in.
◆◆◆
It had been hours since James attended to his first patient and when he finally finished his last, he was beat, but not done. It was time for a break before he did his rounds.
Some fresh air would do the trick.
“Hey, Doc,” Tom approached him. “I’m headed up top with Don. If you’re squared away right now, I’d like to get moving.”
“Yeah, that would be good. Get us there so we can dock first light. How’s the arm?”
“It’s alright. Throbbing a little now and again. But you’ll have that.”
“You will. Are you going to radio that guy?”
“Clay? I can. I thought …” Tom tilted his head toward the window and to where Ella was sitting on the park bench like a seat on the deck. “I thought that was her thing.”
“Sitting there is her thing right now. Why don’t you go up? I’ll talk to her.”
“Sounds good. And … good job, today.”
“You, too.”
Tom gave a light swat to James’ arm and walked away, James headed to the doors to take him to the deck.
When he stepped out, he couldn’t believe how much cooler it was outside.
A few hours earlier the opposite occurred. Now with the sun no longer reflecting off the water, the lower temperature of the water in the river offered a sense of relief from the heat.
“So …” James approached Ella. “Someone said you weren’t drinking, and I thought, wow, if that’s true, something really must be wrong.” He slid on the bench next to her.
“I’ll get there.” Ella said softly.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?”
She glanced at him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you have been out here the whole time.”
“I was in there. I saw you working. You were really busy.”
“We had a lot of bites and scratches. I had to move fast.”
“And?” Ella asked.
“And we have about three I don’t think the serum will work on.”
Ella lowered her head. “I feel horrible.”
“About what?”
“The whole thing. I was so confident we would succeed.”
“It was a long shot, Ella. Running a hundred feet of construction chutes?”
“It was the only way,” Ella said.
“Yes, yes it was. It was either that or let them go. According to Mandy they had about six weeks of food left, and that was if they rationed meagerly. They were a
dying camp.”
“Like they are now?”
“You didn’t need to go back for them,” James said. “You could have left them. But you didn’t. You risked your life. Tom risked his to save them.”
“I failed.”
“Hardly,” James chuckled. “You have fifty-seven people alive in there. They’ll still be alive two months from now, where they wouldn’t have been had you not tried the elaborate rescue. Well, okay, three of them won’t be.”
“James,” Ella scolded softly.
“Just saying. Look, yeah, those people are sad for the friends they lost. They are. But not a single one of them blame you. So, you shouldn’t blame yourself. Maybe with all we have lost in life up to this point, maybe you need to focus on what we still have.”
Ella nodded slowly.
“Why don’t you go radio Clay and tell him we’re on our way. And, have a drink.”
“What about giving my liver a rest.”
“It can rest tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” She leaned to him and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome.” James watched her stand and she reached for the door to go inside. “Hey, I thought you were going up to radio Clay.”
“I will. After I get my drink. Doctor’s orders you know.”
“You’re right.”
Ella opened the door.
“Ella,” James called her, causing her to pause. “I’ll take one, too. Doctor’s orders.”
Ella gave a closed mouth smile as her response and she walked inside.
James could have followed, instead he stayed on the bench, resting, watching the shore. Even in the darkness he could see the Codies moving about, some moved in the water. Most just meandered around the docks.
The boat jolted, then started to move.
James prepared himself for the rough river boat ride, for the uncertainty of heading to a new place and perhaps even a little bit of sea sickness.
◆◆◆
The control room seemed a lot smaller with Don and Tom both in there. It took Ella a bit by surprise how cramped it seemed when she stepped inside. She had been in there before, but it was when she was alone and making the radio call.
“Am I interrupting?” she asked.
“No,” Tom said. “Not at all.”
“I was just taking a break,” Don replied. “Glad you’re here. I’m gonna go grab a bite to eat. Watch the controls, Ella?”
“Um, yeah, sure. Do I just steer?”
“No.” Don smiled. “Just watch. I’ll be back. It’s on auto.” He squeezed his way past her and paused before leaving. “Good job today.”
Ella didn’t want to say thank you, she just nodded her gratitude. Once he was gone, she showed the bottle and two plastic cups to Tom.
“I will indulge, thank you.”
“I owe you an apology.” She poured the drink and handed him one, then poured one for herself.
“For what?”
“Not telling you sooner.” She lifted the glass. “Happy Birthday.”
He inched back in surprise. “How did you know?”
“I was snooping the other day, remember?” She then mumbled and sang a little of Space Oddity.
“Yes. I recall. Apology accepted.” He clinked glasses with her and downed his drink.
“I want to radio Clay and let him know we’re …”
“I already did,” Tom said. “I’m sorry I know that’s your thing.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“I told him we’ll dock in the morning and radio him to organize how we’re going to move all these people.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“How are you?” he asked.
“Okay, I guess. Angry that it didn’t turn out the way I hoped. Sad because people died.”
“Your friend.”
“Yep. I wish I knew what happened to him. Did he suffer?”
The crackle of static from the radio drew their attention.
“Must be Clay trying to get through,” Ella said, finished her drink, set down the glass and extended her hand.
“Hello,” the voice from the radio called out. “Ella, you there. Come in. God, I hope you can hear me. This is the last mic in the place.”
Ella gasped in shock, nearly shrieking. “Grant.” She grabbed the mic, cradling it in both her hands. “Grant. Come in. I hear you.”
“Ella, thank God.”
“Grant, you’re alive. Are you okay? Hurt?”
“No. I’m fine. I’m here with Peterson and two kids,” Grant said. “In the main building. We have supplies and water. We’re safe. We’re fine. You know those things can’t get in.”
Ella did know that. The main building was always Sanctum’s last stand retreat. “Grant, I thought you were dead. I didn’t see you.”
“That’s because when the fences gave in, I bolted for the building with Peterson. No one else came. I know ... I know you guys are leaving. I can see the boat moving. I just wanted to let you know. We’re here. We’re alive. We’ll figure something out.”
Ella lowered her head in gratefulness before saying anything further. “Grant, I know it’s hard to trust me after the fiasco today, but please believe me, we’ll help. We’ll figure out a way to get to you.”
“I know. I’ll count on that. And I do trust you. You guys saved a lot of people today. I’m gonna disconnect. It took me a while to get this thing working and I don’t want to risk losing contact. But know we’re here.”
“Hang in there, Grant,” Ella said. “It won’t be long. Over.”
“Out.”
She set down the mic and grabbed the bottle. “Calls for another drink. Then again …” she poured. “Everything seems to call for another drink.”
“I’m happy to hear he’s alright. Now you know.”
“Now I know.” She brought her cup to her lips. Her mood immediately changed for the better. Yes, she still lost a lot of people, but some had remained and survived. That gave her hope.
“So …” Tom cleared his throat after taking a drink. “You want to plan another rescue?”
“I do. Maybe Clay has an idea. But I think I should try.”
“Count me in.”
“Thank you.” Ella sighed out and faced the window, watching the wake of the river as they moved at a slow pace. “We’re on our way, huh?”
“We don’t know exactly where in Moundsville we’re going, but yes, we’re on our way.”
“Rolling down the river,” said Ella.
Tom laughed.
“What?” She looked at him. “What’s so funny?”
“Rolling? Rolling down the river. You know …” He tilted his head. “I would have thought you of all people would have used a different song lyric reference at this moment.”
“Shit.” Ella closed her eyes and smiled sheepishly. “For all the times I did it, I missed the perfect opportunity.”
“Yep. You did.” Tom lifted his glass and referenced the song. “Floating in a most peculiar way.”
“Really? I would have said, ‘for here I’m sitting in a tin can’.”
“Either works.”
Ella tipped her glass to his and sipped instead of downing it. She wanted to absorb not only the taste of the drink, but the moment as well. She sat down in Don’s chair, staring ahead. Tom rested his hand on her shoulder.
They were on their way. A new place, a new destination. The last leg of one journey and the beginning of another. One thing was for sure, it was far from the last journey any of them would take.
The CO-D4 epidemic was far from over. Like the water on the river behind them, a new wave was forming. One, Ella and the others were more than ready to face.
◆◆◆
If you enjoyed, Rectify 3, I invite you to read the final book in the series, Rectify 4. Reserve your copy on Amazon. To be released on February 1, 2019. Check it out.
Please visit my website www.jacquelinedruga.com and sign up for my mailin
g list for updates, freebies, new releases and giveaways. And, don’t forget my new Kindle club!
Your support is invaluable to me. I welcome and respond to your feedback. Please feel free to email me at [email protected]
The Rectify Series (Book 3): Rectify 3 Page 9