Inoculation Zero: Welcome to the Age of War

by S. Ison

  Greg’s infectious grin made the boy irresistible to refuse. Besides, it was always good to go fishing.

  “We can, but if Pearl spanks my bonkie, I’m gonna get you,” Randal threatened, which sent the boy into giggles.

  Greg drew up beside Randal, and Randal felt the small hand fit neatly into his own hand. It was warm, and so fragile. The wind blew the hair around his small face, and Randal thought it was time for another haircut.

  Taking a deep breath, Randal inhaled the primordial scent of the ocean and its life. Greg imitated him, and a small smile creased Randal’s wrinkled face. He squeezed the boy’s hand gently, and sent him running with Mean Dog down to the shore.

  They’d left the women working in the garden, with promises of catching lots of fish for dinner. The garden was coming along nicely now. It looked like the chicken poop was really helping. It was only spring, but the days were getting longer and hotter.

  Gulls wheeled over the ocean, and the crashing waves could not muffle the child’s laughter as he ran back and forth through the waves at the shore, the ugly little dog chasing after him, barking madly.

  Topsfield, Maine

  Kelly stood out in the yard, watching Schrodinger’s Cat play with Chloe. The chickens were scratching around the garden, digging up the worms and bugs that were emerging into the warmth of the sun. It was still too early to plant out the garden, but the plants in the greenhouse were doing well. Andrew had done a fine job of watching over their place while she and Tim were gone.

  Tim walked out of the barn with Butter, and led her to the corral, where she could nibble the new grass starting to come up. Lonesome was put in with her, but would be watched. She was well-known for being an escape artist.

  Distant barking came from the woods, where Chance roamed. It sounded like he had a squirrel treed, the excited frustration clear in his bark. Kelly watched Tim’s long, strong body as he walked back to her. He smiled, his face at peace.

  He pulled her into his arms and held her for a moment, then kissed the top of her head. “How are you feeling?” His words were muffled in her hair.

  “Better. I think I’ve eaten enough to where I don’t feel hungry all the time. Patsy said that I would probably stay hungry. She said she did during her pregnancies.”

  “Good. I was worried that bastard had done some damage,” Tim said. Though his voice was soft, Kelly heard the hard edge.

  She hadn’t asked him about Chum, and he’d not offered any information. She knew he’d taken care of the bastard and his cohorts. That was enough for her. The women had been returned to their homes, and the little girl to her mother.

  She’d stopped spotting, and the fear that had hovered just below the surface had eased down a notch or two. Patsy had explained that spotting was normal, as long as it wasn’t bright red blood or a lot. She’d also told Kelly that the contractions were just the uterus stretching to accommodate the baby.

  Patsy had reckoned that the stress of all that tomfoolery had more than likely brought it on. After Tim had fetched her, they’d spent the night with Kenny and his wife. She’d been well fed, and was given a nice hot bath. Though it was only about three inches deep, it had been heavenly. She and Patsy had spent the rest of the evening talking baby things, and promised each other another visit.

  They’d come home three days ago. Tim had hovered over her constantly, and this morning she’d laughed and told him to go and tend the animals, that she’d be out in a bit. When she’d come in the kitchen, she’d found a bowl of still-warm oatmeal, a towel over it. She’d eaten her fill, then come outdoors.

  It felt good to be home, and to see that it was still standing and safe. She was watching Prometheus, the little black hen, who was scratching around near Chloe. Chloe eyed the diminutive hen, and stuck an exploratory paw out to tap the hen on the back. Prometheus turned and pecked the kitten’s head, and sent the kitten staggering off like a drunken sailor on shore leave. The kitten made her zig-zag way back to Schrodinger’s Cat.

  Both Kelly and Tim laughed. She missed Hope, but was appreciating the extra room in the house. Tim led her to the open fire at the firepit and pulled out a chair. Once she took her seat, he poured her a half cup of coffee. She refused to give up her morning coffee. He poured some fresh milk from Lonesome into the cup, and added some honey.

  She took the hot cup in her hands and sipped the hot brew. It felt wonderful. She thought she had missed that the most, besides everything else. She’d lost track of time in the closet, and it hadn’t been much better when she’d been moved up into the room above the kitchen. Tim had said she’d been gone twelve days, but it had felt so much longer.

  She was just grateful to be home now, and looked around once again. “I missed this place so much, Tim.” Tears shone in her eyes. She grasped his outreached hand and squeezed it.

  “You don’t have to worry, honey. You’re safe now,” Tim said.

  She smiled into his blue eyes. “I know.”

  And she did.

  Bridgman, Michigan

  Mike and Janet sat in lounge chairs facing the lake. Jada and Zack were down at the shore of the lake. Jada was holding Zack’s dimpled little hands and he was squealing with delight as the water tickled his feet.

  Mike grinned, and looked at Janet. Her face reflected the same delight. They’d been back for nearly two weeks now. His arm was sore, but doing a lot better. Janet had scrubbed it out and applied more antibiotic ointment. It had hurt like hell, but he knew that if it got infected, it would hurt a lot more.

  Jada held Zack’s hands as she helped the boy walk back to Mike, the baby’s steps wobbly and uncertain, but determined. Mike reached out his arms, took the baby in his arms, and wrapped a blanket around him to make sure he didn’t get too chilled. He grinned at the child’s happy face.

  Chubby hands grabbed at Mike’s nose and cheeks. He squealed again with happy discovery as Mike nibbled at the questing fingers. Mike laughed, and Zack copied the laugh. Jada laughed, picked up the fishing pole, and walked back to the lake. Mike lifted Zack above his head, sending the baby into new peals of hilarity, drool hanging suspended from his open mouth. Then he brought the baby down and blubbered the baby’s round belly.

  He felt at peace now. This was his new family. Zack’s new family. His heart still hurt from the loss of Stephen and Alisa, but it was starting to heal. He promised them and himself that he’d raise the child with a whole lot of love.

  He looked up when he heard Jada’s scream of happiness; she was jumping around trying to pull a fish in. Janet got up from her chair and walked over to help.

  “We’ll teach you to fish one day, little man. Then you can be ‘The Man.’”

  Zack’s response was to put his thumb into his mouth and lay his bright head on Mike’s broad chest. Mike felt his heart nearly explode with happiness and love. As his dark hand came up to cradle the small head, he leaned down and kissed the blond head.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  San Gabriel Mountains, California, Location Unknown

  Jewel stumbled and fell to her knees. A hand took her arm, but she shook it off and stood. “You know it would be easier and safer if you were to just take these restraints off,” she said, her voice low and sarcastic, anger simmering below the surface. “It isn’t like we can go anywhere without food and water, and we have no clue where we are.”

  “Sorry miss, but we have our orders. We only have a few more days,” Midwestern said.

  “Asshole,” she muttered under her breath, and wiped a stray hair from her face.

  They’d been on the move for four days now, and walked from sunup until sundown. She knew they were going due east, but to where, she didn’t know. The men only removed the restraints for bathroom breaks, and she and Larry were quickly restrained after. Only one at a time, never together.

  In the evenings, the men would build a fire and serve out MREs, which were horrible and made her extremely thirsty. She’d suggested they go hunting, but they simply looked at
her blankly. She looked at them and snorted in derision, shaking her head. They were definitely not survivalists.

  She’d pretended to be asleep and listened as the men talked in low tones at night. Apparently, the government had set up some kind of protocol for an end-of-the-world scenario. It involved repopulating and re-educating the survivors, building a nation of workers, farmers, doctors and so on.

  It was a good idea in theory, but in reality, it was slavery and human trafficking. Who was the government to tell her she had to have children, and with whom? To rip her from her family and drag her across God-knows-where to someplace to become a brooding mare was friggin’ science fiction bullshit.

  Who the hell thinks up this shit? she thought. She knew they needed to get away. They were getting farther and farther away from her father. Larry was leaving small signs, as was she, but there was some terrain in which this was simply impossible, like rocks and boulders. Larry was constantly looking around. Trying to keep his bearings, she thought.

  She could see the anger, despair, and guilt he carried, though she didn’t know why he would feel guilty. It wasn’t his fault or hers that these assholes had kidnapped them. But she knew she didn’t want to become an enslaved baby-maker. These fools were just following orders, and had no idea that they were just plain wrong.

  They’d heard mountain lions in the night, and Larry had warned the men that they were prolific and dangerous. The idiots had looked at him and laughed, patting their automatic weapons. This had given Jewel the seed of an idea. Though she and Larry were never allowed to talk, they did communicate with their eyes. She wouldn’t be able to tell him her plan, but she hoped he’d be ready for anything at a moment’s notice.

  The fifth day they were out, she smelled rain in the air. Perhaps this would be a chance for escape? The men had selected a campsite along some rough terrain, with craggy rock formations and little vegetation. They had managed to get a small fire going, though there was little wood.

  One of the men had gone with Larry to collect firewood, using Larry to carry the bulk of the firewood.

  They were sitting around the fire eating their MREs when they heard thunder in the distance.

  “Sounds like it’s going to be a wet one,” said Midwestern.

  “Shit. I hate sleeping in the rain,” the youngest of the group bitched.

  “It’s good for you, will put hair on your chest,” the third man said, and laughed.

  “How about kiss my hairy ass,” the youngest said, and they all laughed.

  It was cut short when they heard the cry of a mountain lion somewhere up in the rocks above.

  Jewel smiled secretly when she watched the men pull their weapons closer. It was time to put her plan into action. She just hoped Larry would catch on and not be a hinderance. His dark eyes were boring into hers, and she smiled slightly and gave him a quick wink. She hoped he would realize something was about to go down.

  “I have to go to the bathroom. I think these MREs are tearing my stomach up with all this salt,” she said.

  She stood and walked over to Midwestern, and held out her wrists to be unlocked. He gave her an impatient look, but loosened the restraints so she could take one hand out, leaving her hands free.

  “I need the roll of toilet paper and a flashlight. It’s too damn rocky to go without a light.”

  “Anything else, princess?” the youngest asked, smirking at her.

  Jewel didn’t deign to look over at him, instead waiting for the requested items. Midwestern gave her a depleted roll of toilet paper and a small penlight.

  “What the hell am I supposed to do with that? I’ll kill myself tripping over rocks with that tiny thing,” she argued, knowing she needed to make a fuss.

  “Yep, and you won’t be going anywhere far with it either,” Midwestern said, a bland smile on his face.

  “Fine, but if I break my ankle, you’re carrying me!” Jewel shot back, and walked away.

  She made her way around the rocks as quickly as she dared. She used the small light to look for a sharp rock, which was easy, considering they were scattered all over the ground here. Finding one, she pulled a long strip of cloth from her shirt and ripped it. Then she pulled up the sleeve of her coat and quickly cut a long gash in her arm using the rock she’d found. Blood spattered all over the rocks.

  Putting the sharp rock in her pocket, she wrapped her injured arm up tightly in the torn fabric. She then began to yank out hair and scatter it. Satisfied, she looked around, and found what she needed. She threw the toilet paper roll a little distance, then gave a blood-curdling scream.

  ⅏

  Larry stared into the fire. He was becoming more desperate with each step they took away from Charmain and Jack. He didn’t know how to track to find their way back. He could track animals, but the tracks had to be clear. He’d tried to leave signs of their passage, but once they’d reached this rocky area, it had become almost impossible.

  These soldiers were walking at a fast pace, and he wasn’t sure if Charmain and Jack would be able to find them. It had been five days, and he didn’t know if they would ever be found now.

  Jewel had been quiet for the most part. They’d been kept separated, and were not allowed to talk to each other. He spent most of his time in front with the youngest man, who was about Larry’s age.

  Larry had watched Jewel in the evenings. Each day, she grew thinner, and now looked gaunt. He was afraid she was starving herself, but he had to agree with her that the food was horrible. He could hardly eat the salty diet either. The men carried water, but he and Jewel were only allowed a few sips here and there. When they came to streams, though, they were allowed to drink their fill.

  Something was up tonight. Jewel had looked at him and winked. He didn’t know what she was up to, but he hoped it was something to do with some kind of escape. The longer it took to get away from these men, the harder it would be to get back or be found. The cry of the mountain lion had been unsettling, and these jokers didn’t take it seriously. Larry was glad the cat seemed to be fairly far away.

  He was staring numbly into the fire when he heard Jewel’s scream, and the hair on his arms shot up. He cried out in panic. The men jumped up and grabbed their guns.

  “Jewel’s in trouble. I think that mountain lion got her,” Larry screamed, his eyes large with fear.

  The men looked dumbly at him, then each other.

  “Well, don’t fucking stand there. Go get her! For the love of Christ, go save her! Don’t let that thing kill her and eat her!” Larry screamed at the men, spittle coming from his mouth, his hands clutched to his chest.

  “What about him?” the youngest man asked.

  “Where the fuck am I going to go, asshole. Go find her, you chickenshit piece of garbage,” Larry bellowed.

  “Come on,” Midwestern ordered, and all three men took off with flashlights and weapons at the ready.

  Larry was unaware of the tears pouring down his face. He was dancing back and forth, looking into the darkness. “They’re coming, Jewel! They’re coming to rescue you! Hang on. Don’t die!” he called loudly into the night.

  Larry couldn’t stay still, he wandered between the edge of the camp and back to the fire, looking out to the rocks. Then he saw her, a finger over her lips for silence. He waited, his heart hammering in his chest. He wanted to shout with joy. She was alive.

  She came up to him, then took him by the arm and quickly led him away. They backtracked into the rocks, then she pulled Larry into a deep declivity and began to pile rocks around the opening. Larry felt around in the dark, she had turned off the penlight, and gave her large rocks to stack in front. They could hear the men, about three hundred feet away, talking excitedly.

  “Shit, look at all this blood,” the youngest man cried out.

  “Shut up and look for her. She has to be here somewhere,” Midwestern said.

  “You think that mountain lion got her?” the youngest asked nervously.

  ⅏

  Jew
el smiled at the sound of his voice. It trembled. She could smell the rain coming. It wouldn’t be long before it started to pour down. Larry was passing her large rocks, and she carefully placed them at the entrance of the cave. It wasn’t big, but it was deep, and she and Larry could easily fit in it, though they had to nearly lie down to do so.

  It didn’t take long to seal the entrance of the cave, and then she scooted back to Larry, who had lain down to give her more room. She patted her pocket and pulled out the sharp rock.

  “Give me your wrists,” she whispered.

  “Did I ever tell you that you are damned amazing?” Larry whispered.

  Jewel chuckled softly, and began to saw at the restraints. She could hear the men. Though the sounds were muffled, she could tell they were getting close to the small cave. She stopped sawing, and she and Larry lay still. She tried not to hold her breath. The men stumbling around in the dark.

  “Shit, it’s starting to rain. We better get back to the camp before the fire goes out. I think whatever it was, it got her. I think she’s already dead. We can at least take the man in,” Midwestern said.

  Jewel could hear the defeat in the man’s voice, and also some horror. Being eaten alive was not something people wanted to think about, especially when they were at the bottom of the food chain. She could hear the men move away, and soon didn’t hear anything.

  “I think they are gone, but when they get back to the camp, they are going to have a shitfit when they find you gone too,” Jewel giggled softly. She resumed sawing the bindings, and was finally able to free one of Larry’s wrists.

  “Should we go ahead and leave?” Larry asked, shifting.

  “No. We’d be easy to spot in this terrain. We only have this little penlight. I think we should stay in here a day or so. There’s no way they can find us, and they will think you’ve gone off on your own.”

  “That’s true. They might try to follow me back. Let’s give it until tomorrow afternoon and see how it is,” Larry suggested.