The Last Mile Trilogy

by Jacqueline Druga

  “I have gloves.” Nick showed her. “Sparky! Stop!”

  The dog went silent.

  “See?” Nick smiled. “I think someone trained this dog.”

  “Oh, sure,” Robi said sarcastically. “It shows.”

  “Can we take her?” Nick asked.

  “Take her where.”

  “With us, to So-Cal?”

  Robi exhaled and unfolded one of the lawn chairs. “Can we sit? That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “Sure.” Nick walked over to join her.

  “What makes you so sure we’re going?”

  “Greek,” Nick replied. “Not that he said we are, but we listen to his suggestions. He studies and learns before he suggests. That’s why.”

  “Have you talked to Ray?”

  Nick shook his head. “Not yet. You?”

  “Not yet,” Robi said. “I wanted to talk to you, because really, you’re the only one whose opinion matters.”

  Nick scoffed. “That’s not true.”

  “Nick, if you didn’t want to go, and wanted to stay put, I’d be happy to do so. Whether or not the others do.”

  “And the others will be happy to do whatever you decide,” Nick told her. “Why don’t you want to go, Mom?”

  Robi stood, paced nervously and exhaled. “This is home. And …” she turned and faced Nick, “you know my theory on everything. I just don’t want to be out there, in this world, open and vulnerable when the Chinese or Russians land on our soil.”

  “So we stay put and be sitting ducks. Like … So-Cal.”

  “They’d have to find us.”

  “We’re in a major city. They’ll find us.”

  Robi folded her arms. “You know that’s what I think happened to So-Cal.”

  Nick nodded. “A signal sent. They knew there’re a lot of people joining up there.”

  “Resistance. They picked up the radio signal,” Robi said, “I’m sure of it. Like Doc, only my aliens are the illegal kind. They’re waiting for time to pass, for us to die out, and then they have the good and plentiful USA.” She paused, and then snickered. “So funny, because my theory and Docs are so similar.”

  “Yours is just a tad more realistic.” He walked to his mother. “Do you really think President McCreen’s Fortress American policy caused it?”

  “Oh, my God, yes!” Robi gasped out. “Nick, you don’t remember the shit that went down when McCreen initiated it. We feed most of the world. We cut off the hand that fed them and they wanted it back.”

  “To this extreme?”

  “We’re a mere fraction of the world, Nick.” Robi shrugged. “Anyhow, maybe you have a point. Maybe staying in a big city isn’t the thing to do. But is going to So-Cal?”

  “I don’t think it’s our final destination that counts as much as the trip.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If your theory is right, don’t we want to find people? Don’t we want to cross this country while it’s still ours?”

  “Correction,” Robi said, “this country will always be ours. We just may have to fight to keep it.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  June 11th

  Robi had an office.

  She could have picked a larger one, but she preferred the view from the smaller office. The desk was placed before a window that stared to the front of the courtyard and sat as high as the flagpole that waved the American Flag.

  Her perfect view.

  She was leafing through pages when Ray knocked on the door.

  “You wanted to see me, boss?” he asked.

  “Stop that,” Robi said with a chuckle and swiveled her chair. “Come in. Yes, I did.”

  “What are you reading?” He took a seat next to her.

  “Greek is obsessive. Last night I asked him what he thought about heading to So-Cal, I mean what he really thought. He said let me get back to you …this morning …” she said as she handed Ray the papers “he gives me this.”

  Ray whistled, and then started lifting sheets. “This is a complete breakdown.”

  Robi nodded. “Positives. Negatives. What we need to watch out for. The route we should take, everything we’d need … you name it.”

  “Did you skip to the last page to see what his final thoughts were?”

  Robi smiled. “Of course. But read the last line.”

  Ray lifted to the last page and read out loud, “Because I know you cheat and skip to the end, I didn’t put my conclusion here. Find it. It’s embedded within his report.” Ray laughed. “Greek.”

  “I haven’t found it, but I know what it is.”

  “He wants to go.”

  Robi nodded.

  “Manny told me you asked him.”

  “Nick, too.”

  “What about Doc?” Ray asked.

  Robi waved out her hand. “Doc will go where we go.”

  Ray handed the papers back to Robi. “Can I ask why I was spoken to last?”

  “Absolutely! Because you and I can’t make a decision on going until we know what the others want to do.”

  “You really want me to have a say-so in this?”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” Robi said. “I count on you a lot. So, knowing that … what do you say?”

  “You mean do I want to pack up, trek three thousand miles across a God forsaken barren country? Perhaps run into nut cases, crazed and killer animals, all to arrive and possibly have to rebuild all the shit we did here?” Ray asked.

  “Yes.”

  Ray shrugged. “Sure, why not? What else do we have to do? What about you, what do you want to do?”

  “Honestly?” Robi peered up with innocent eyes. “I don’t know yet.”

  Ray stood. “Well, I do what you do. You stay. I’ll stay. You go. I go. You just let me know. Right now … I’m heading down to eavesdrop on Doc and Stranger guy. Their conversations are wild.”

  “You do that.”

  Ray nodded with a smile and walked out.

  Alone in her office, Robi stared at the document Greek had prepared. Greek was thorough and she was certain that it contained pretty much all she needed to make up her mind. What was the best thing to do? Because Robi just didn’t know, she would read the document, cover to cover.

  CHAPTER TEN

  June 12th

  It had twelve legs, the tiniest of hands extended from it and it gnawed slowly at its meal. Bishop saw what appeared to be two eyes, but Doc said they weren’t. They were sensors.

  “See what I mean?” Doc asked.

  “Yeah. Yeah I do.” Bishop stepped back from the microscope. “Did you show this to anyone else?”

  Doc shook his head. “No. Sparky just got here a week ago, that’s the first live specimen I’ve had.”

  “So these guys should be pretty easy to beat,” Bishop said, “as long as they don’t get into our blood stream.”

  “These aren’t our enemies.”

  “They look it.”

  “Remember how I said the virus was the initial wipe out?” Doc asked.

  “I do.”

  “These little guys are part of that first wave,” Doc explained. “That’s my theory. Where the virus didn’t work, they move into the weakened body.”

  “Then the real aliens come?”

  “Once the planet is clean. Meaning, we’re gone,” Doc said. “I believe there are more than just these little guys.”

  “Like what?” Bishop asked.

  “Well, I don’t think Earth’s pending residents have arrived yet. They know they aren’t gonna be able to wipe us all out, so they’ll send a killer squad down. Bet me. They’re probably already here. Picking up radio signals, taking out the survivors.”

  “Whoa. Dude. That is frightening. So who do we have to fight and beat?”

  “That wave. Then again, if we beat them, the aliens are on their way. We’ll eventually have to kick their asses too.”

  Bishop shook his head. “Are there enough of us?”

  “I hope so.”

 
“So, you think they’ll look like this microscope invader.”

  “Nah,” Doc replied, “I think they’ll have a lot of our traits. Maybe even look somewhat like us. They’ll have the same make up, they have to live here.”

  Bishop snapped his finger. “Which means they can die as easily as us?”

  “You got it.” He winked. “Now, the second invaders, I worry about them.”

  “But you’re working on that invention, the weapon. Is that for them?”

  “Yep. Gosh, I’m thirsty, you?” When he got a nod from Bishop, Doc reached under the counter, and pulled out two bottles of soda. “Does she want one?” he asked as he opened a bottle and handed it to Bishop. “It’s a warm day.”

  “Juanita’s fine, thanks.” Bishop accepted the beverage.

  “She’s a good girl,” Doc said with a wink.

  “I like her,” Bishop said, “although she’s not my type.” He snickered.

  “What is your type?” Doc asked.

  “Female, right now. With arms, legs, and all body parts.”

  Doc laughed. “Ain’t had many. Well, we have one.” He cleared his throat.

  “She’s Ray’s girlfriend, huh?”

  Doc laughed. “Ray. Big black Ray? Nah. She’s nobody’s,” Doc replied. “She’s not too male friendly. I think it’s because her husband died. I don’t think no man will ever have her now.”

  “Robi?” Bishop asked. “Why not? Man, she’s beautiful.”

  “You’re saying that because there’s no one to compare her to.”

  “No, I’m saying that because she is. She doesn’t need make up, nothing. If she just smiled … man, Robi would be really beautiful.”

  Her clearing throat caught their attention.

  Bishop jumped and nearly knocked over his beverage. “Sorry.”

  “I’ll be.” Doc turned around. “The venomous seedling has arrived.”

  Robi exhaled. “Thank you for that, Doc.”

  “Welcome.” Doc walked across the room.

  Bishop looked at her with curiosity. “Why doesn’t he like you?”

  “I’m in this room!” Doc yelled. “Ask her. She makes Attila the Hun look saintly. One time there were eight of them astral projecting aliens in the rec room. What did she do? Blew me off.”

  Robi, with slightly rolled eyes, nodded.

  “Like that!” Doc said with a snap of his fingers and then continued, pointing a finger at Robi, “She don’t care much about nothing. Nothing. Except that boy of hers and that’s her most endearing quality.”

  Robi faced Bishop. “I don’t know why he hates me.”

  Doc yelled, “I’m in this room!”

  Robi rolled her eyes. “It’s my ‘could care less’ attitude.”

  “You do have that,” Bishop said.

  “Why are you here?” Doc asked.

  “If you’d give me a moment, I’d tell you,” Robi said. “You two have been buried down in this basement for two days. I’ve been speaking to everyone. And everyone decided … we’re gonna pack up and head to So-Cal. Or Utopia as you call it.”

  “Yes!” Bishop clapped his hands. “All of you? Are we taking a van?”

  Robi snickered. “More than that. Greek is laying out the paperwork and he, Ray, and I will go over it. We’re taking two special vehicles, which we still have to get. We also plan on picking up stuff along the way.”

  “Like survivors?” Bishop asked.

  “If we find any. We’re gonna sort of look for them according to your list.”

  “Hallelujah,” Doc called out. “That’s the brightest idea. We don’t need to go to spots that the aliens hit.”

  “Agreed,” Robi commented. “So, that’s it. We hope to have it all together to leave in two weeks.”

  Doc said, “Doesn’t give me much time to work on my weapon.”

  “No, it doesn’t,” Robi replied. “Well, I’ll let you two be. Thought I’d inform you.”

  “Wait,” Bishop called as she was leaving. “Did Doc tell you about his specimen?”

  “What specimen?” Robi asked.

  “Hush!” Doc hollered.

  “What specimen?” Robi repeated. “You aren’t bringing viruses in here.”

  Mocking, and whining, Doc responded, “No, I’m not bringing viruses in here.”

  “It’s alien,” Bishop said. “Microscopic, but alien.”

  With a disbelieving tone, Robi said, “You guys have a microscopic alien? Where did you get it from?”

  Doc replied, “Sparky.”

  “Sparky the mutated dog?” Robi asked.

  Bishop answered, “Doc said he’s the first live victim. All other samples were taken from the deceased and the virus or invader was gone. Sparky’s alive. He got a sample. Come see.” He waved her to the microscope.

  “Is it a skin sample?” Robi questioned.

  “You can say that,” Doc responded. “I got it out of a tumor from his butt.”

  “This is a sample from Sparky’s butt?” Robi asked and leaned over the microscope. “Now what exactly am I looking for in this …”

  She paused.

  Her head slowly lifted. “What is it?”

  Doc slammed his hand on the counter. “Second wave attack of our alien intruders.”

  Bishop extended that answer. “A microorganism like Doc has never seen. Have you?”

  “I can’t say I spent much time looking in a microscope,” Robi said, “but this is weird. It looks like a mutated creature.” She started to look again.

  Doc stopped her. “That’s enough my high and mighty. This is my work.”

  Robi stepped away. “Then by all means, go back to your work.”

  Bishop saw it. A strange look in Robi’s eye as she left. Plus, her behavior was altered. As if she were in shock, she kept glancing back to that microscope even as she walked away. She may not have been an expert in microscopic beings, but like Bishop, she knew that whatever she viewed under that microscope wasn’t normal.

  <><><><>

  Some time, the day before, Greek dropped off ‘Part Two’ of his expedition to So-Cal manuscript. Robi knew there was no way she was going to get through the entire thing. But the decision was made and the information manual was now a guide of sorts.

  One thing about living in a dead world, there was plenty of time.

  Time to do whatever was needed. If one didn’t keep busy, then insanity was an undeniable option.

  The second Ray and Manny found out they were going, they spoke to Greek and went out for the transportation.

  It didn’t take long to return. The new car lot not far away provided them with reliable new transportation.

  “About five thousand miles,” Ray said as he walked around the Humvee, showing it off to Robi. It was just the two of them. “We got two. I don’t expect this to get the best of mileage, but if it breaks down, we can stop and get another. I think.” He scratched his head. “Yeah, we can. Anyhow. Spare parts like hoses and breaks, we carry.”

  “Gas?” Robi asked.

  “We’ll make a portable pump to suck it out of the tanks,” Ray replied. “Strap it on top.”

  “Three in each?”

  Ray nodded. “Gives enough room for us to take stuff. Of course, you ...you are the only one with a lot of stuff.”

  “I had a pretty full life.” Robi ran her hand over the vehicle. “Radios?”

  Ray shook his head. “Doc won’t allow for that. I tried.”

  “We could have a problem communicating between vehicles.”

  “No, if we have a problem, we just stick our arm out the window to say we’re pulling over.”

  Robi chuckled. “True. Greek’s plan calls for stopping at certain times. I guess finding accommodations won’t be difficult.”

  “Shouldn’t be,” Ray said. “The only thing I want to make sure we have is a small water tank on top of each vehicle.”

  “Makes sense. So …” She exhaled. “Transportation ready. Now all we have to do is pack it up.”
>
  “Learn our route.”

  Robi nodded and then stared out.

  “What do you want to ask me?”

  “Huh?” Robi’s head cocked.

  “You wanted to talk to me about something,” Ray said.

  “I didn’t tell you that.”

  “Don’t need to. You came out here for a reason, and we started talking about the trucks.”

  “I ...I uh came out to see the trucks.”

  “Liar.”

  Robi’s head lowered and she gave a blushing smile. “Ok, hear me out.” She held up her hand.

  Ray groaned out. His head went back. “You don’t want to go.”

  “Ray …”

  “That’s fine. But don’t be pulling a female …”

  “Ray …”

  He continued, “…on me and change your mind after Bishop and Doc leave.”

  “Ray. God!” Robi interrupted. “It has nothing to do with leaving. Ok, it does. But not in the way you think?”

  “What is it?”

  “I stopped to tell Bishop and Doc about us leaving.”

  “And they were what?”

  “Glad.” Robi shrugged. “But that’s not it. Ray … Ray, I was in Doc’s lab. … What do you make of his alien theory?”

  Ray laughed. Heartedly and bodily he laughed. With a shake of his head, he let out a breath and lit a cigarette. “You have a tone of seriousness to your voice that is making me think …” He waved his cigarette with a smile. “That you might be starting to think about his theory.”

  Robi shrugged.

  “You are?”

  “Listen …”

  “No, you listen. Doc …no matter how much you try to cover for him …” Ray swirled his finger around his temple. “Gone. His valid points are one in ten. Maybe.”

  “But he has a point.”

  Ray nodded. “That a race is wiping us out to make room for them, take over our land?”

  “Yes.”

  “Gee, Robi, it sounds good. It also sounds like your theory.”

  Robi tilted her head in wonder. “What do you mean?”

  “You think a bio weapon was used to wipe out most of the population. So does Doc. You think our invaders want our soil. So does Doc. You think our invaders want to live here. Doc does, too. You think there is a second wave of invaders here to get what the virus didn’t, to make room for those moving in. Doc does too. See the similarities? The only difference is you think it’s just North America, Doc thinks it’s the world. Your invaders are the Chinese. His are aliens from …” Ray paused to chuckle, “outer space.”