“No idea,” she answered, drying her hands and tossing the soiled paper into the mess on the floor. “I was working, heard Cody scream, then before I knew it, I was pulling him away and we both came crashing down.”
“Oh no,” Alex started to say.
“Yup. It's gone,” Diane admitted dismally. Using her foot, she nudged the shattered vials and destroyed equipment. When she mustered up enough courage, she peered inside the incubator and felt physically ill. “I don't have what I need to go on.”
Alex wanted to say something but didn't know what. Just as he was about to call out for Larry, a muffled call came through on the radio.
“Alex, don't respond. It's crawling with infected out here. I'll be at the emergency door in twenty-seconds. Over.”
Alex complied with the request and maintained radio silence.
“Let's go, Doc. Nothing more we can do here.”
1210 hours
Alex gripped his machete tightly, unsure of what to expect. The young warrior finished counting to twenty in his head, then cracked open the emergency door.
Elias’ estimate had proved spot on. Ten feet away, the teacher labored his body to the door. The weight of the two supply bags dragged him down with each step, but Elias’ face displayed unwavering determination.
As Diane propped the door open, Alex rushed over to help.
“Let's hurry it up,” Elias recommended, handing over one of the bags. “There's more in the area, but they don't know where I went.”
Alex nodded and followed Elias inside, and Diane secured the emergency door behind them.
As soon as the door shut, Larry came walking around the far corner. “What happened?”
“You took the words right out of my mouth,” Diane said, marching toward the CFO.
Alex followed in her wake.
“What are you talking about?” responded Larry, nonchalantly. “Where's Cody?”
“Don't play coy with me you smug son of a bitch. Cody's dead. What the hell happened back in my office? How'd Bob get loose?” questioned Diane. She forcefully jabbed her index and middle fingers into Larry's chest.
Elias sensed a fight brewing and cut in between Diane and Larry.
“Whoa, everybody calm down.”
With Larry’s back pressed up against the wall, there was nowhere for him to go. “Bob got loose?” he asked. “W-what are you talking about? I didn't do anything to him! Alex, help me out here…”
“Hey, man, it's a solid question. I heard the screams. I heard Diane call. I was there. Where were you?”
“Exactly. Where were you when I called out for you?” Diane demanded to know.
Insults and accusations were hurled back and forth. The arguing ensued for a very tense thirty-seconds until Elias' voice took over.
“Enough!” he roared. The powerful bass in his tone resonated throughout the clinic. “There are walkers and sprinters everywhere! I will not allow this place be compromised because of a petty fight! So everyone calm down now!”
Elias’ eyes scanned and met each person's, who- at the look of his authoritarian and domineering presence- pursed their lips but neglected to test the stern schoolteacher.
“Dude, that worked way better than flickering the lights,” joked Alex, momentarily reminiscing his grade-school days.
“In my day, we beat kids if they got out of line,” Elias responded with a straight face.
Alex’s smile disappeared; he wasn't sure if the seemingly self-possessed schoolteacher used to not only believe in, but employ corporal punishment.
Elias turned around to both Diane and Larry, but was interrupted again by Alex.
“Yo, Eli, seriously though, hold up. What happened to your back?”
“It's nothing.”
“What's nothing?” Diane asked, putting her fight with Larry on hold momentarily. Diane observed torn pieces of fabric and stains of blood. “Eli, you're coming with me. And Larry we are not done here.”
Without giving him on option, Diane forcibly ushered Elias into one of the adjoining medical rooms. Seizing the moment, Larry stormed off toward the stairs, intent on getting away from the inquisition.
“I'll stay with him and make sure he doesn't do anything else stupid,” Alex said.
***
Diane led the injured man into a room with a door marked with a black number "5.” She ordered Elias to sit on the table, and as she removed his shirt, Diane saw the full extent of Elias' injuries. All were superficial, the worst being a minor two-inch laceration. His dark, African skin hid much of the crimson that ran down his back.
She soaked a rag and attended to each wound one at a time. “So what happened?”
“I told you. It was nothing,” Elias responded. “Just got a little scraped up taking out some infected.”
“Riiiight,” Diane said, dabbing the last and lowest of the injuries. “It’s nothing. Whatever you say.”
Elias continued to sit in silence.
“Let me ask you a question, Elias,” Diane said, walking over to the counter to retrieve a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Taking the man's silence as a cue to continue, she asked, “So why did you want to know so much about the Colonel's files?”
“I told you because of my work in the political world as a teacher and consultant…”
“Do many college professors and political consultants see much war?”
With Elias back cleaned up, Diane was able to see a variety of scars scattered around the man’s tightly toned and muscular back. In particular, she tapped on two spots just above his liver.
“When'd you get shot?”
Unable to see his face, Diane waited for a response, but didn't wait long.
“Ahh, close but no cigar, Doc,” Elias responded nonchalantly. “No war. Well, at least a different kind of battle. Those were from way back in the day...I grew up in the South. Before you ask, it wasn't the nice 'peaches and cream, love your neighbor' South. I was a black kid in a very angry white man's world...”
Elias paused, but Diane opted not to speak. She wasn't sure what to say, so she let him relive whatever nightmares she caused to resurface.
“...I wasn't even eighteen. One night I was driving home, everything was great, then out of nowhere, a car full of wanna be KKK guys were screaming at me to pull over. Like I'm gonna do that, right? So, they ended up shooting at me. Just opened fire. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in a hospital a day later with a pair of bullet holes as presents. I should have died, but I didn't. I know that I'm no MLK, but after living the life I did, I wanted to get into politics and try for some real change.”
Diane mumbled an apology for being suspicious and prejudice, but Elias shook it off.
“Don't worry about it. I can see how it looks. Near my left kidney, I got a nice knife wound for stopping these two assholes from beating my friend to death. Good times.”
Diane ran her fingers over his soft, scarred skin, feeling the mementos from his painful past.
“We good, Doc?”
“Ya,” Diane said, covering the last cut with gauze. She tore off a piece of tape and secured the dressing to his back. “Sorry again, Eli. Didn't mean to pry. You're just a bit of a mystery to me.”
“Isn't everyone these days?”
“Knock, knock,” Alex said, making his presence known at the crest of the door. “We should probably get going soon, before it gets too late.”
“Agreed,” Elias said, hoping off the table. “I'm going to go see if I can find me a shirt. Thanks again, Doc.”
“Hey, Alex, I have to tend to a few injuries of my own. Can you do me a favor and clean out all the rooms? Any supplies you think we can use. I don’t think we’ll be coming back.”
“Sure thing. Anything else you want brought back?”
“No. I’ll grab all of my paperwork in the other office. There’s nothing more I can do here.”
“What are you going to do? I mean aren't you close to a vaccine?”
The exhausted doctor leaned up
against the far wall and let out a long, overdue sigh.
“I was.”
1450 hours
After returning from Willop, most members of the envoy stuck around. Suffering from a self-proclaimed case of "emotional anguish,” Larry MacArthur didn't bother helping download the supplies. Instead, he found his girlfriend, Kelly Hanks, near the picnic tables, grabbed her by the wrist and stomped off toward his docked sailboat.
As Alex and Elias sifted through their newly acquired supplies, they could hear Larry curse and swear that he would never go on another run.
Once the supplies were organized and stored, Elias set off for some much needed rest. Alex wasn't tired, so he opted to stay behind with Diane to deliver both pieces of bad news to Camp's co-leaders. They found Collin and Ranger Nick huddled near the coffee pot in the kitchen of the Ranger station.
“How'd it go?” Collin asked, adjusting his slouched posture.
Alex was still resentful, so he let Diane answer.
“Bad news.”
“How bad are we talking, Doctor?” Ranger Nick asked.
Diane was far too exhausted to sugar coat it. “Cody is dead and so is my testing,” she answered bluntly.
With as much sympathy as his tone would allow, Nick replied, “What happened?”
“Don't look at me,” Alex said, walking over to get a cup of coffee. “I only saw the ending.”
“It all happened so fast. I heard a scream and looked up. My test subject was taking a bite out of Cody's face, and when I pulled Cody away…”
“Wait a sec, Di, you assured me your subject was going to be restrained at all times! That was our deal when you said wanted a live specimen. What happened?” Collin interrupted.
“He was restrained! I don't know how he got loose!” Diane rebutted.
“Same team, guys. Let's all take a step back,” Nick said, noticing a growing agitation.
Collin looked up, took a deep breath and apologized. “Sorry, Di. Lack of sleep.”
“Go on, Doc,” Nick ushered.
“Like I was saying. I pulled Cody away, but we were both off balance. We fell back and my equipment broke our fall. Worst of all, my incubator and latest trials of a vaccine were crushed. There's no way for me to salvage anything. I lost everything.”
“Damn,” Nick mumbled. “And Cody?”
Alex noticed Diane shiver at the thought, so he took over.
“There was nothing we could do. He bled out, and I took care of the rest,” Alex said matter-of-factly. He was neither proud nor ashamed at the act.
“Okay, I’ll break the news about Cody at the meeting,” Collin said, face deep in thought. “Until then, we have some serious brainstorming to do. I know it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. We need that vaccine.”
“Believe me, I know! If anyone wanted it, it was me!” Diane exclaimed, momentarily losing composure. “Sorry, Collin, I’m exhausted, too.”
Collin took no offense. “So what are our options?” he asked, looking from person to person.
“Hey, again, don't look at me. Not my area of expertise,” answered Alex first.
Collin turned to Ranger Nick who shook his head unsure. Then, his eyes returned to Diane's.
“Honestly, no idea. I mean the clinic in Willop had the basics, but I need professional equipment; machines and things you can't just get at every lab or hospital. The absolute essentials I brought with me. So, short of driving back to Atlanta…”
“No. That's not an option, well at least not yet anyway,” Collin said, racking his brain.
“Wait a sec! The WHO in Vancouver!” Diane exclaimed. “The World Health Organization. They have an office in Vancouver. Well, it's just south of the city, but I know where it is. I had to speak at a conference there two years ago!”
“Canada, eh?” Alex joked, emphasis on the Canadian accent. He understood what the glares meant so he stopped smiling. “Got it. I'll save the Mountie and maple syrup jokes for later. That reminds me, I could really go for some pancakes next time...I know zip the lips.”
All eyes came back to Diane.
“They don't have all the goodies that Atlanta does, but I know for sure they'll have what I need.”
Neither Collin nor Nick mirrored the excitement that glowed on Diane's face and for good reason. Both men knew what populated cities equated to- infection and lots of it.
“I know what you're thinking, Collin, but I'm not seeing any other options,” Nick said.
“I know, I know. It's just that we don't know the extent of the outbreak up there.”
“It's our only chance. Short of driving from city to city around here, wasting fuel, supplies and time, it has to be there,” Diane said dryly. “We can't waste any more time. I'll leave in the morning.”
Collin tried thinking of a million reasons why he didn't want Diane to go, even the personal, romantic ones. He looked to Nick who already gave his nod of approval. “I guess you're right. But you're not going alone.”
“Road trip anyone?” Alex joked, spitting back the cold coffee he just filled his cup with. “I call shotgun!”
“Whoa, hold on, Alex. You're not going,” Collin declared.
“Like hell I'm not! Who died and made you boss over me?”
Immediately, Collin reached over and pulled his cousin away by the shoulder. “Look, I know you're pissed at me, but now is not the time to take it out on me. You and Steve are all I got left…”
“Nice of you to finally notice,cuz, but that's bullshit! You got your stupid-ass, ‘figure out who started this outbreak’ project, Steve's got Sarah, and me, what do I have?” Alex paused for a quick second. He could tell that his defiance was now becoming emotional, so he brought it back to the objective. He knocked away Collin's hand and walked back to the others. “We all have to do our part. Diane needs protection and someone she can trust, and I'm the best there is. Ask Nick.”
The well-postured Native American tilted his head in agreement.
Collin hated the idea of sending his family into the fray, but he knew that his argument was lost. Alex was entitled to his own choices. It almost made him smile to see how grown up his little cousin had become, but he refrained.
“Fine, so be it.”
“Well, you got one on your team. You think anyone else will volunteer?” Nick asked.
“Ahem,” came an interruption from around the corner. Matty Finch stood, arm supporting himself against the wall.
“Geez, Matty, you scared me. How long have you been standing there?” Collin asked.
“I basically caught the whole thing. Now I normally am not the heroic type. Like ever. I'm actually more of a 'lover not a fighter' kinda guy, but I figure it's about time for me to step up.”
“I'm sorry, I'm a little confused here, Mr. Finch,” Nick started to say, “You said it yourself, you're not a fighter. I'm curious as to what you think you're going to offer?”
“Believe me, I know, Nick. And call me Matty or 4LIX...actually stick with Matty. Correct me if I'm wrong, Doc, but once you get to the WHO you're probably not going to have access to the computer systems, am I right? So, as much as I'd like to stay safe in my bubble here, I think I’m going to have to join you.”
Diane hadn't thought that far ahead, but she knew Matty had a point.
“He's right. There's no telling the state of the computers.”
“Besides, our project is done, Collin. Well, at least the stuff you need me for,” Matty added.
“Hold up, I gotta ask,” Alex interrupted, again. “4LIX. Like,the 4LIX?The dude who hacked all those IRS accounts?”
Surrounded by a Ranger, a high-ranking government employee of the HHS and a straight edge military man, Matty was reluctant to share in Alex's surprise, appreciation, and admiration.
“Ya, that's me,” Matty answered timidly. He nervously stared down at his toes, away from the judging eyes.
“Dude I read an article on you! You closed out like millions of dollars in accounts across the U.S. fro
m people who were down and out. You're like the digital Robin Hood! Much respect man, you just gained serious points in my book!” Alex said, shaking Matty’s hand and bringing him in for a half-shoulder hug. He looked around at the others who obviously didn't know who the digital knight 4LIX, really was. “Must be a generational thing.”
“Well, I guess we can add one computer hacker to the manifest,” Diane said with a raised eyebrow- she was still unsure of what exactly happened. “Tonight we'll see who else wants to join our dream team.”
1650 hours
At the end of the Pacific horizon, the last of the sun's rays lit up the cloudy skyline a deep orange.
The majority of Camp's residents had gathered around the picnic tables located just southwest of the Ranger station. A quiet buzz of gossip and speculation hovered inside the area dimly lit by torches. The town hall meeting was about to begin.
Even though the colony viewed itself as a collective whole, it maintained a dual command. Just under half of the survivors arrived under the leadership of Collin Jacobs, while the rest had lived under the guidance and authority of Ranger Nick Stronghead.
During their tenure, the men fought neither for power nor for a solemn right to make decisions. Rather, Collin and Nick had come to value the other's leadership abilities. It also allowed for a version of checks and balances, to ensure the best intentions for the survival of their constituents.
As Ranger Nick stepped onto the picnic table to begin the meeting, he offered a hand and pulled Collin up.
“Alright, everyone,” Nick began to say, “Let's quiet down. We have a lot to discuss before dinner.”
After a few seconds, all mouths closed and eyes were focused on the two leaders.
“Collin, why don't you start us off.”
“Thanks, Nick. Okay first things first. Some of you know, most of you don't, but I'm sorry to say that we lost a good man today. Cody passed away during the supply run earlier...”
Before Collin was able to continue, chatty mouths and anxiety-ridden faces interrupted. Shouts of "What happened?" and "Are we safe here?" took over.
The Longest Road (Book 2): The Change Page 8