ALL IS SILENCE

by Robert L. Slater

  She turned back to the front as a young man stepped in front of the car, waving. She stomped on the brake, but realized too late it wasn’t the brake. She spun the wheel as the car gunned forward, she jammed both feet on both pedals, not wanting to make another mistake.

  The young man jumped behind a car as she swerved to a stop, engine racing. She shoved it in park, threw the door open and hopped out. The adrenaline had her wired. “I nearly killed you. What the Hell were you doing?”

  “Lizzie? Is that you?” He came out from the parked car. He had longish hair, a Led Zeppelin T-shirt over a beer belly and black, white and gray camo fatigues.

  “Do I know you?” She bent over shaking. Her brain twisted in her head. She knelt down trying to stabilize it.

  “I was a senior when you were a freshman.” He offered his hand. “Curtis Madison? Went by C.J. back then.”

  “C.J.? What the hell?” Lizzie stared at his hand. No contact. She grabbed the handle on the door and stood back up. “I’m trying to get back to my house. You want to drive? Might be safer.” She grimaced. “My first day driving.”

  He got in the driver’s seat and she took shotgun.

  “Oh, C.J. meet Saj.”

  “Curtis.” His eyes followed hers to the baby. “Sure. Lincoln Street, right?”

  “You know where I live?”

  “Your note. At BHS? 2224?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Now that she knew there were more survivors she should go erase the whiteboard.

  “Wrote my number down there, too. Your kid?”

  “No. Saj is another survivor Zach and I found.”

  “Zach? Zach Riley?”

  Lizzie nodded.

  “That red-headed kid?” He slapped his thigh. “I used to sell him pot and shit.”

  “Yeah, that’s him. He's picking up Nevaeh. You remember her?”

  “Oh, yeah. Zach had a crush on her, right?” C.J. made a right onto her street.

  Lizzie laughed. “Zach had crushes on everybody.” That niggling thought about survivors was back. “You were on the trip with us to Honduras. The water purifying trip? You were the sick one, right?”

  “Yeah, that was me. Ended up making everybody miss an extra week of school.” He pulled to a stop in front of her house. “Why?”

  “A bunch of the survivors are from B.H.S. We were all on that trip.” She hopped out of the car and extricated Saj from the car seat. “Maybe that’s why we’re immune.”

  “Maybe you guys owe me.” C.J. carried the crib in from the car.

  She walked behind him carrying bags. He set it inside the front door and turned to face her leaning his arm on the door jamb. He was uncomfortably close.

  She ducked under his arm and brought the bags into the living room.

  “Mind if I hang out until Zach gets back.” He plopped on her couch. “That cool?”

  “Sure. Thanks for the help.” She preferred not to be alone, even if it meant hanging with the annoying C.J. “You hungry?”

  “Always.”

  Zach accelerated up the onramp to I-5. “Let’s see what you can do.” He glanced back automatically to merge. No one coming. Duh. His foot pressed harder toward the floor. The engine whined, but kicked in, bursting forward. Ignoring the center line he straightened the curves. On the curvy hills above Lake Samish he decided that more than 90 m.p.h. was probably what he would have termed crazy before the whole world went there, but when the speed limit jumped to 70 he opened it up and hit three digits on the straightaways.

  A moment of misgiving crossed his mind when he saw the remains of a car seat in the median. Should he have left Lizzie and Saj? He’d be back soon enough.

  He kept up his speed. It was a lovely November day, the trees swayed in a light breeze as he passed the exit to Gramp’s place off Cook Road. The Skagit Valley flats were devoid of human beings, but snow geese dotted the fields along with the big white marshmallow rolls of hay. Crossing the bridge into Mount Vernon, he remembered when a span of it had fallen into the Skagit River. It was before he drove, but he remembered hearing how bad most of the bridges were. If it went down now, no one would fix it.

  He pulled off to forage for food at Safeway. Garbage cans propped open the doors, but they slid aside as he approached then clanged back into the cans. He grabbed some frozen chicken fried steaks and found a microwave in the break room.

  After lunch he continued south, his mind mulling the same questions over and over. Why had he and Lizzie and Nev survived? What was next? And what the hell was he supposed to do about his feelings for her?

  How many times had he said they could sleep together and still just be friends? It had been lovely. He remembered bits and pieces, delicious moments, a flash of flesh in the moonlight, the touches of skin on skin. So much had already escaped his brain.

  He pretended to be asleep when she woke in his arms, pretended not to feel her stiffen, pretended not to hear the deep sigh that sounded like anything but contentment. When it got light he waited until he was sure she was asleep again. Then he snuck out from under the covers, backing away from her, letting her be alone. He remembered the last glance he’d taken as he left her room, her calm, pleasant face and the softness of the skin he had touched in the dark.

  Zach sighed, flipped on the radio and hit search. When it stopped on a 99.9, The Rock, playing Alice in Chains, he cranked it. The growling voices and guitars provided the mood he wanted. “It’s all right,” He sang, “Had a bad day.”

  He took the exit to Tumwater. He had nearly fallen asleep, jerking awake every few miles. The sun had gone down, but the light had not left the sky. He hit redial, calling Nev’s number.

  “Zach?” Nev answered before he even heard it ring.

  “I’ll be there soon.”

  “I’ll come find you. There are a bunch of streets with similar names. I’ll meet you by the gate. It says Silver Ridge.”

  “Okay. If that’s what you want to do.” He followed the G.P.S. and stopped at the entrance to the Silver Ridge development.

  The wind whipped Zach’s face as he stepped out of the Tank.

  “Zach!”

  Zach spun. Nev sprinted at him, her arms wide open. He stepped forward spreading his arms wide. She careened into him, dropping her backpack and wrapping her arms around him. He hugged her. “Nev, I’m so glad you’re alive.”

  “Zach.” Nev pushed him back and appraised him. “You’re…” Her words stumbled. “Uh, me too.” She finally said as she released him and retrieved her duffle bag. “Let’s go.”

  “You’re all ready to go?”

  “Yeah. I said my goodbyes. Things are weird here.”

  “Okay. Sooner we hit the road, sooner we’re back in Bellingham.” He took the duffle and tossed it in the back seat.

  When they got back to the freeway he noticed her still staring at him. “What? Have I grown a third eye?”

  “No,” she giggled. “You’re a lot bigger than you were. It’s only been a couple years.”

  “Oh, yeah. Grew six inches in three months my Junior year. Went from short to above average like that.” He snapped his fingers. “So fast I got stretch marks on my shoulders.”

  “Wow. And not just up. You’ve been working out?”

  “Well, some at school but mostly from ‘working out’ on the farm. Gramps-” He couldn’t talk about Gramps, yet.

  Nev nodded soberly. “Is he?”

  Zach knew the implied question and the answers to the rest. “Yeah. Everybody in the family.”

  “Mine too.” He saw her jaw tighten, but she turned her face into a smile. “I didn’t think anybody I knew was still alive. Now you and Lizzie. And I’m heading home to Bellingham.”

  “Bellingham is dead. Except hippies and dog people. That’s what Lizzie calls the folks who aren’t all there anymore.”

  Nev nodded. “One of the reverend’s kids is like that. Charley stares out the window all day. They said he got sick, got better, but something’s off. He’ll eat if you give him f
ood.”

  A siren went off behind him. Zach saw flashing lights spinning in his rear view. “What the hell? Didn’t anyone tell him it’s the end of the world?” Zach stepped on the gas and felt the Tank rumble underneath him as it surged ahead.

  10

  LIZZIE MADE FROZEN PIZZAS AND opened a plastic carton of mixed fruit for Saj.

  C.J. chuckled over her yearbooks in the living room.

  “Hey, C.J.? What do you want to drink? Milk? O.J.? Crappy beer?”

  “What kind of beer?”

  “Coors Light?” She snorted. “Jerkwad, my mom's boyfriend was watching his weight.”

  “Sure. Coors is cool.”

  “Okay. Sorry about the cuisine. Zach's a decent cook. I'm not.” She sat down at the kitchen table. A high chair would've been a good thing to grab. Saj toddled toward her.

  “Hey, you cooked. I appreciate it. When Zach and Nev get back you should come out to our place. We got a farm out Deming way, me, my brother, my dad and some others. I'll return the favor. If you're lucky, somebody else will cook though. One of the guys is a farmer, excellent cook. Got the best beef. And we got us some venison, too. Got kind of a commune out there. We need more hands to get work done on the place.”

  Lizzie smiled and nodded. C.J., aka Motormouth in high school, was still as talkative as ever. “Dinner for sure. Not sure we want to sign on with anyone.”

  “That’s cool. Take care of your own, my Dad always says.” He laughed, still flipping through an old yearbook. “Can you pass me another beer? Your pictures in here are pretty hilarious.”

  “Yeah. I used to have hair. Brown, I think it was.” She handed him the beer. Lizzie got herself a glass and poured a shot of Kahlua.

  “Hey, you got any whiskey? I'd take a shot.”

  “‘Beer and whiskey, always risky.’ After this I'm off-duty as your server.” She poured him the shot and set it down next to him on the end table.

  “Thanks. I'll get you your tip later.”

  She sat at the computer and sent a few messages to Jess.

  Saj came up next to her and plopped down on the floor. “Sss-sss.”

  “Yeah, I’m gonna tell her about you, Saj. She's never gonna believe it. Me with a kid.”

  The cop kicked in his overdrive; his lights flashing as he accelerated toward them. Adrenaline pumped through Zach; he forced himself to think straight. What’s the worst thing that can happen? His foot stayed jammed to the floor as the Tank built up speed. But it was no match for the police cruiser. It had flanked him and the cop jabbed his finger at the side of the road.

  The siren wailed as the cop pulled past and slowed down in front of him.

  “Shit.” Zach tapped his own brakes. “I guess we stop?”

  Nev nodded. “I don’t want to die in a car crash.”

  Zach took his foot off the accelerator and pushed in the brake. He’d broken 100 mph again. Now he was shaking. What the hell was so important?

  The police car continued to slow in front of him finally whipping to the right and straddling the road. Zach jammed the brake the rest of the way in and the seatbelts tugged as the force pulled them forward.

  The policeman exited the car with a shotgun.

  “Jeez,” Zach muttered, “watch enough cop flicks?” He raised his hands.

  The officer motioned for him to roll down his window. Zach pushed the button and it slid down. “What’s the deal? Sir.” he added as an afterthought.

  “Nobody goes north. There’s a new outbreak in Oregon. We’ve got all roads north blocked off.”

  He acted like a cop. Zach read the tag on his uniform. “You’re really Officer Williams?”

  The cop nodded.

  “The pandemic is over,” Zach said. “The scientists say if you haven’t gotten it you won’t.”

  “Nobody knows that for sure, kid.” Williams moved along the Tank looking in the windows. “You’ll have to come to the Quarantine Center.”

  “With people who might already be sick?” Nev’s eyes were wide. “That’s crazy.”

  “You looked around much, young lady? Crazy is the new normal. Now, turn this rig around and follow me.”

  “Wait. Can we go back to where I picked her up? Tumwater? She’d got people there.”

  “Call them,” Nev begged, “They’re from the Mountain View Church.”

  “Mountain View? I used to take my kids there.” His face twitched. “Above my pay grade. You need to follow me to the Q.C.”

  So his kids were dead. Zach turned to Nev. Convince him. She looked like she was going to start crying.

  “Please,” Nev said. “Officer Williams, all my family’s dead. I don’t want to go around sick people. Please let me go back to the Reverends’.”

  The officer swallowed. “Is Josie alive?”

  Nev nodded, her eyes pleading. “And John. Can we call them? I’ll go back there.”

  Zach saw Officer Williams consider, as he glanced back and then back to Nev. Then he smiled.

  The cops face softened to a more pleasant human expression. “All right. I’ll escort you back to the exit.”

  “Thanks,” Nev said. “God bless you.”

  “I’ll follow you.” Zach said to Williams retreating back. He punched the window button up and then they were safe again. “So are we really going back?”

  “Not for long,” Nev replied through her tight jaw. “We’ll have to take back roads north after dark.”

  “Suits me,” Zach said, “better text Lizzie we’re going to be late. At least I’m not feeling sleepy anymore.” When the adrenaline wore off he’d have to stop or he’d literally crash.

  A text had popped up on Lizzie’s phone. Nevaeh. Ran into trouble getting out of town. Her cell buzzed, another one. Won't be there till morning. Can't wait to see you, banana. Banana? Oh, mañana.

  After a brief exchange, Lizzie decided to call it a night. Saj had fallen asleep, beat from the day’s activities, and her eyes were starting to droop. She lifted the baby to her chest and carried him toward Mama’s room. “Gonna put the kid to bed,” she said over her shoulder to C.J. “Thanks again for your help with the crib and stuff.”

  “Yer welcome. Gonna get me some more of this, s’all right with you?” He tipped his beer can toward her sloshing some of it onto the floor. “Shit.”

  Lizzie hesitated, looking at the puddle. “Don’t throw up in the house?”

  “I can handle my booze, baby.”

  “Whatever, C.J.” What would she find in the morning? She got Saj into the crib. C.J. was still as obnoxious as he was in high school. She pulled on her mom’s old flannel pajamas and snuggled into bed. The clean sheets felt nice. It had been one hell of a week. At least, she was no longer lonely.

  Lizzie came aware to a weight pushing down on the bed and the covers lift up. “Zach, it’s not gonna happen again.” She rolled over groaning. “Go away.”

  A hand went up her pajama top and cupped her breast.

  “Shit! Zach get out!

  “It’s not little Zach. It’s big Curtis.” C.J.’s voice was slurred.

  “Jesus, C.J.” She shoved him away. “Get the fuck out of my bed.”

  “No.” His breath heaved and stunk of whiskey and cigarettes.

  He tossed off the covers. His strong arms jerked her onto her back. The heavy weight of his body rested on her thighs as he straddled her.

  “Please, C.J..”

  “Need to repopulate the planet.”

  Shit, this is not happening again. She couldn’t see his face in the dark. ”I can’t have kids, C.J. Please don’t do this.”

  “Then we’re just gonna practice.” C.J. wheezed, he wasn’t as fat or heavy as Jerkwad, but he wanted more from her than Jerkwad ever had.

  “Zach and Nev are going to be here any minute.”

  “Nope. Not till tomorrow. Saw the post.” His hands reached down between her legs.

  His hard hands fumbled with the drawstring on her pajamas. He grunted and yanked. She heard tearing
fabric. Shit. Change of tactic. “Curtis. Please. I gotta pee.” She wiggled her legs together. “You don’t want me to pee.”

  A ragged chuckle escaped his throat. “No, I ain’t a pervert.”

  His weight lifted off of her. Lizzie pulled what was left of her pajama bottoms up and stumbled into the hall. The lights were still on. He hadn’t even bothered to turn them off.

  “But I’m coming with you.”

  She glanced back. His pants were already off and he was ready for the deed he was trying to inflict on her. Not if you were the last person alive. She backed away toward the bathroom. “I can’t go when you’re watching. Thought you weren’t one of those perverts.”

  “All right, but I’m gonna be right outside the door here listening. Don’t try nothing.”

  Lizzie closed the door. A string of profanity ran through her head. She clicked the lock. She flipped the lid of the toilet up as she glanced around for something, anything that would get her out of this. “It might take me a minute, I’m all stressed out.”

  “Take your time, I’m waiting.”

  The bathroom had no windows, but rows of glass brick to let in light and a skinny slider to get some air circulation. She couldn’t get more than her arm out. Keep playing. “Okay, C.J., it’ll be just a minute.”

  The metallic hose on the shower hung down. No way she could choke him, he was too strong. She stepped in the bathtub and slid the window open. “Help.”

  “Nobody’s gonna hear you,” C.J. said. “They’re all dead.”

  “HELP ME,” she screamed.

  “Quit hollering or I’m breaking down the door.” The knob jiggled. “You know these doors are no better than cardboard.”

  Lizzie looked down. Behind the bathtub. Jerkwad’s shotgun. She reached down the other side, her shaking hand tightened around the gun. Now she would have control.

  “C.J.?” she called surprised at the steadiness in her voice. “I’ve got a shotgun in here.”