“We lost two people after we left you at the base, but other than that, we have done very well. The baby is doing great,” he says with a smile. “She and the mother have both settled in, with Annette offering her visits to Aniyah whenever she wants. It must be a load off her mind to have a doctor to see anytime, especially after giving birth in the middle of nowhere surrounded by monsters that want to eat you and your baby.”
Allen leads us over to a long, mostly vacant table. Chad and Roberts join us with their own plates of food, and we all dig in quickly. Under my watchful eyes, Ryder manages his bowl of soup, bread, and even the cookie but he doesn’t touch the baked beans. He offers them to me, and when he insists he can’t stomach them, I take a couple of spoonfuls, leaving the rest for anyone else at the table. He gives the rest to Aaron, and I keep a close watch on him for the rest of dinner. His face looks a little pale and pinched in pain, but I don’t think the disease is progressing too fast. At this point, it’s more likely a combination of losing Reese and being worried about the next twenty-four hours.
When we’re all finished eating, Allen clears his throat. “It’s time for you to address everyone. They were told to hang around after dinner for a surprise announcement. Annette is going to introduce you and then invite you on stage to speak. When you’re done, she’s going to break out some booze we found, along with some fireworks. The snow has stopped, so it should be okay to launch some off. We were planning it for two months from now to celebrate the one year anniversary of this place being established, but she thinks this will be an even bigger morale boost.”
“Alright, what do I say?”
“Whatever you think these people need to hear. They’ve been pretty down lately because things aren’t changing like they thought they would. A lot of people thought the military would pull through by now and everything would go back to normal. And that’s kind of what you’re promising them,” he says with a smile. “Two military members who are willing to give everything they have to ensure a better future for all. They’ll eat it up. Just wing it.”
“Okay, I can do this,” Aaron says. He takes a quick drink from his water bottle and heads for the stage at the back of the room when Annette motions to him.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Annette stands at a wooden podium, dressed in a nice pantsuit with her hair pulled into a tight bun on the top of her head. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please? I’m sure many of you are wondering why I’ve asked you to hang back after your meal. The reason I’ve asked you to stay is to listen to a guest speaker. We got some new residents today as I’m sure you’ve no doubt heard, and one of them has some very important news he’d like to share with you. So please give him your undivided attention.” She motions to him. “Aaron, the stage is yours.”
“Um, thanks,” Aaron mumbles, trading places with her. He grips the edges of the podium and looks out into the sea of faces in front of him. From where I’m sitting, his face almost looks a little green, and I feel sorry that he has to speak publicly on such short notice. He clears his throat. “My name is Aaron Monroe, and I’m a Specialist with the United States Army. I did a lot of work in the early days, trying to keep the disease contained. When that failed, I began to take in survivors and tried to fortify a save haven for them, much like you’ve got here.
“Unfortunately, things didn’t end well, and me and a small group of survivors were forced out onto the streets with very few supplies and no real hope to keep us going. We decided to try for Colorado, a place with a smaller population, which would hopefully mean fewer dangers. To get there, we decided to make our way to an airbase and take a helicopter, as one of our members was a trained pilot. While we were at this base, we met a man who claimed to have had regular radio contact with a scientist in Montana, who claimed to be working on a cure.”
Aaron stops to lick his lips and calm his nerves. All around us, I can hear people whispering to one another. It’s the quiet, subdued whispers of people that have long since given up hope of what he’s about to say, but his words are stirring something deep inside of them. Hope. Not everyone is going to buy it, but enough of them are already clinging to the hope he’s presenting, even though he hasn’t even said it yet.
He doesn’t have to say it, I realize. Just looking at him, I would be able to tell what he’s about to say next. There’s a feverish glint to his eyes and a steady tone to his voice, even if he is nervous about speaking. They know what he’s going to say next, and they’ve already fully accepted it as truth. They’re just waiting for the confirmation. The second they get it, they’ll be gone, lost to their own disbelief and crazed happiness. And the celebration will be in full swing.
“Our helicopter crashed not far from our intended destination, but somehow we met up with friends. When we told them our story, we decided as a group to risk everything to track down this scientist. If he was still alive, we were going to do whatever we could to aide him in his research. We made it to Montana without much of a hitch and found his lab. After he let us inside, he began to explain his role in creating the original disease and their intentions behind it. Originally, they were trying to create some kind of viral weapon that would lessen the risk to our own troops while getting rid of our enemies, but it had an unforeseen side effect, one that quickly got out of hand.
“As you know, it didn’t take long from the first reports before everything went to hell. The doctor was evacuated from his lab in Detroit and whisked away so he could work on the cure in peace, which he did until we found him. We aided him whenever we could, and when he had tested the cure and found it to be a success on two separate test subjects, he handed the cure over to us with instructions to deliver it to his lab in Detroit. Tomorrow morning, we’ll be leaving to do just that. We’re going to take this cure all the way, and if we succeed, things will change for the better.
“The undead will revert to their human selves, and even though some of them will die from their injuries, many will be cured. They’ll no longer be flesh-craving monsters. They’ll just be normal people that are capable of being rehabilitated. There’ll be no more living in constant fear, no more hopeless days spent wondering when the end will come, no more losing loved ones. We’ll begin a new era of peace, one where we can truly begin rebuilding our lives without fear of losing everything we’ve made so far.
“Annette wanted me to share this news with you, so that you can begin moving towards a brighter, better future today. All of you in this very room have survived unimaginable horrors, and so far you’ve managed to come out on top. But no more of that, not ever again. Our future officially begins now!”
The room erupts into applause, and several people get to their feet, crying and whistling as Aaron gives the podium back over to Annette. His cheeks are turning red from the praise, but he stands there and listens to it with a proud smile on his face. And he should be proud. We’ve done the unthinkable, braving all kinds of obstacles and losses in order to do the right thing, all for people like this. And he just told them as much.
“In order to celebrate this momentous news, I’ve got a special treat for you guys. There’s going to be a fireworks show shortly for those of you brave enough to face the cold. But we’ve got something that should warm your spirits,” she says, motioning to the back of the room. Two men are wheeling out cases of booze while a woman sets out red plastic cups. “We’ve got a few different types of alcohol as well as some stuff to mix it with. Pick your poison and head around to the center of the community to watch the fireworks. Afterwards, you can return to the food hall and we’ll be playing some awesome music and just celebrating the best we can.”
Annette gets a round of applause, and several people head back for the booze, searching for a brand that’s familiar to them. While everyone starts their own celebration, Aaron returns to our table, stopping several times to shake hands and receive hugs from some very emotional people. When he finally gets back to our table, he sits down and Todd claps him on the
back. “You’re a natural.”
We smile, and Aaron gives a weak chuckle. “I thought for sure I was going to be sick.”
“You did look a little green up there,” Todd says with a smirk.
“You did great. It was a speech to go down in history,” Allen says. “I told Annette it would be, so she had someone write down the entire thing word for word, so we can put it in our records. People will remember that speech for a very long time.”
Chad claps his hands loudly. “Well, now that the official business is over with, who wants some booze?”
“Yeah, what the hell,” Roberts says, getting to his feet. “This might be our last chance ever to get drunk.”
The two of them head up to the front and grab red plastic cups, searching through the already open bottles of liquor for something to drink. Chad chooses what looks like Captain Morgan spiced rum and he mixes it with coke, making his drink very strong. Roberts goes with seven and seven, using less liquor and more pop to take it down a notch.
“What did they mean by ‘this might be our last chance ever to get drunk’?” Ryder asks.
“The three of us are heading out with you guys tomorrow,” Allen says. “At first, I wasn’t sure if it was just going to be me, but they insisted on coming. There’s a bit of a hero streak in them that hasn’t been beaten down yet by our circumstances. You’ll be grateful for their help tomorrow, even if they do have a bit of a hangover.” He looks at all of us still seated. “Not big drinkers? You know you’re welcome to join in the celebration.”
Todd gets to his feet. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”
“Really?” Madison asks, wrinkling her nose. “You don’t seem like you’d be a big drinker.”
“I’m not, but I see a bottle of Crown Royal over there with my name on it. You want anything?” She shakes her head, but follows him up to the front of the room. She looks over the alcohol choices while Todd pours himself a pretty mild drink, offering Madison a sip. She takes a tiny one and gags, quickly handing it back to him.
Chad and Roberts laugh with Todd, but it’s so lighthearted that she joins in, throwing her head back and laughing along. Chad makes another drink and offers it to her, saying something that makes her smile. She sniffs it cautiously, making the guys laugh again, but she doesn’t gag when she takes a sip this time. She takes a few more sips and strikes up a conversation with Chad and Roberts. She and Todd listen to them talk about something with interest, their hands joined and sipping on their drinks.
I look at Ryder. “Do you want something to drink?” I ask softly. “It might help take the edge off.”
“I’d need a lot of liquor for that,” he says, wincing as he pushes away from the table. “I don’t want to risk not being at my best tomorrow. I’m already going to be at a disadvantage as the disease gets worse. I don’t need to be impaired as well. But I am going to go watch the fireworks,” he says, looking down at me, offering me his hand. “Care to join me?”
I take it and he helps me to my feet. He doesn’t let go of my hand even when I’m out of my chair, and we head for the exit, following a steady stream of joyful people. It’s freezing cold outside, and I zip my coat up a little higher and pull my hat down around my ears, hoping to avoid having them go numb. Ryder pulls me closer, shielding me from most of the cold wind, but it’s not too bad out right now. It’s just dark enough for a fireworks show, and I’m actually really excited to see what they have in store for us.
Already, I see kids running around front yards, chasing one another with golden sparklers. Some of the adults stop to watch them playing so happily and carefree, and I imagine this is probably the first time in a very long time that they’ve been able to share in their children’s joy.
We follow the stream of residents to the center of the community, where a stage has been hastily erected in the middle of the street. There are three large boxes full of fireworks. They come in all shapes and sizes, some looking like what you’d find in a backyard Fourth of July celebration, with others looking like they’re the type you finish off a parade with. The heavy duty stuff will probably be saved for last, with them starting on the smaller stuff until they get the hang of setting them off.
We find a spot a few rows back from the stage, in the middle of a group of people. Thankfully our position cuts down on some of the cold wind, and I feel myself start to warm up a little beside Ryder. He looks down at me, and even though there’s still a deep sadness in his eyes, I see something else, too. Even after all that we’ve lost, he’s still happy for these people. These strangers that we don’t even know, who wanted to have him thrown back outside the walls to fend for himself. He’s glad they’re getting a moment of peace and joy, and he’s happy that we’re the ones who are giving them this opportunity.
I squeeze his hand tighter, and he curls his fingers around mine. Our gloves are bulky, but we do our best to make it work. We huddle together for warmth as more people trickle towards the stage, some getting a little loud as the alcohol starts to hit them. Madison and Todd find us, and they’re both still sipping on their drinks, though it looks like they both might have gotten a refill.
“What are you drinking?” I ask her.
“Seven and seven,” she says. “It’s not bad. I can’t even really taste the alcohol in it. Just the seven up. It’s okay for my first time drinking.”
Todd snorts. “A college girl who didn’t drink? Bullshit.”
I laugh, and she huffs, turning away from us. “I didn’t drink. I did smoke some weed a couple of times though,” she admits. Todd’s eyes widen and I half expect his mouth to drop open in shock. “What? I was in college and trying to have some fun. It was safer fun than going to a party and getting wasted when I was underage. I would have partied it up after I was twenty-one, but didn’t wanna take any risks until then.”
“Well, looks like I’ve got a bad girl after all,” Todd says, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her closer. “And here I was thinking you were gonna be a good influence on me.” She giggles and takes another sip of her drink.
Aaron finds us eventually, and his timing is good because the first fireworks go off before he can even speak. We all face the stage, craning our necks back to look up for the show. There’s a loud pop and a brilliant flash of blue light as the first firework goes off. Our cheers get drowned out by the next firework, which results in another loud pop and a streak of green light that crackles like firecrackers. The next one goes off with a loud whistle, leaving a trail of white smoke behind as it explodes in a shower of golden light, dripping back down the night sky before fading out.
Several people ooh and ahh as the show goes on. Children stare up in wide-eyed wonder, and I feel myself grin like a madman as several splashes of blue, purple, and orange light up the sky. This is exactly what these people needed, and it’s exactly what we needed as well. Something beautiful that serves as a distraction from the bad things while simultaneously giving hope for the future. For now, I just clear my mind of all doubts and worries and enjoy what life has to offer in this moment.
The fireworks come faster and faster as the people behind them get better at setting them off. They start to get more elaborate, creating huge multi-colored designs. The show goes on for a good twenty minutes before they start to slow down. Eventually, there are only a few left in one of the boxes, and they all get taken out and lined down the stage. Several people work together to set them off at just the right timing, giving us one hell of a finale. There are several loud booms as they explode, lighting up the entire sky with bold designs of red, blue, green, gold, orange, silver, and purple.
As the last of the color fades from view, the operators get a round of loud applause. They stand and take a bow, basking in the praise. I join in, clapping excitedly. I never thought I’d get to see anything like this ever again, and now that I have, I’m determined to have more experiences like this one in the future. We’re going to have stuff like this again, if it kills us.
Ryder tugs on my hand, and I look up at him. “Come on; let’s head back to the food hall. They said there’d be music and more celebrating. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on that.”
As a group, we head back to the food hall. Aaron walks along silently beside us, taking in the beauty of all this white snow and peaceful serenity, while Madison and Todd hang back a ways, giggling with one another and sipping more of their drinks. I doubt two weak drinks is going to make either of them drunk, so it’s more likely that they’re in such a good mood they just can’t help feeling giddy.
We hear the music before we can see the food hall, and it’s fast paced and upbeat, the perfect song for a bunch of nearly drunk people to dance to. When we get back inside and out of the cold, we find that all of the tables and chairs have been removed for the night, and there are a couple of heaters taking up valuable energy to crank out heat and make everyone nice and comfortable. It’s at least thirty degrees warmer inside than out, and I shrug out of my coat, handing it over to someone waiting to take names and tape them to our coats so they don’t get lost.
There are a few platters of freshly baked treats all along the buffet counter in the back, as well as several large bowls of drinks that smell strongly of alcohol. It looks like they’ve taken whatever was left in the booze box and mixed it with whatever they could find. Each is labeled with tape, and I see a couple of different combinations: Jack and coke, seven and seven, gin and tonic, and vodka and sprite. People are lining up at the tables to get their drinks, and a few are clustered around the room in small groups, making light-hearted small talk.
Todd grabs Madison and pulls her away from the wall, towards the middle of the room. Others have already begun to dance, and her eyes light up as she follows him. I watch as the two of them start jerking their bodies in the way that I could never seem to master without feeling like a fool, but they don’t seem to have a care in the world. Nobody has a single care in the world tonight, except for Ryder.
Zombie World (Zombie Apocalypse #3) Page 42