The chilliness of the air told Sebastian that they were definitely in the eastern Pacific. Tomlinson followed him and lit a cigarette right away. The smoke from his first drag covered the salty smell of the sea air. They made their way around the side of the ship and took a seat on a box out of view of the hatch.
“So what’s up, corporal?” Tomlinson asked then took another long drag.
“Once we land you know we’ll be able to go find family members. As you know, my plan is to go find my brother and his family. I wanted to know if you wanted to go help me find them?”
“Of course I’ll help you.”
Sebastian smiled, he knew that was the easy question, now came the difficult one.
Before he could ask, Tomlinson asked, “Is that it? You wanted to take me out in the dark and cold to ask me that?”
Sebastian paused, he did not answer. The darkness masked Tomlinson’s blank stare, not until he took another drag was Sebastian able to see him waiting patiently for an answer.
“Here’s what I wanted to discuss with you.”
Tomlinson took another drag and said, “Go ahead, corporal.”
“I’m not going to beat a dead horse but you know I’m not happy about everything.”
“Wait a minute, corporal. Did you bring me out here to preach about the same shit? I don’t have time for this, bro, I really don’t,” Tomlinson said irritated, flicking the cigarette butt over the railing.
“Hold on, hold on,” Sebastian said urgently.
“Corporal, I’m willing to help you find your family but I don’t want to go through another lecture about what we’re doing. You know how I feel. If you don’t like it, then leave.”
“That’s what I’m going to do.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, as soon as we hit the beach, I’m gone. I brought you out here to ask if you wanted to go with me.”
Tomlinson did not respond, he stood with his arms crossed and thought.
“I know you don’t agree with everything I’ve said before but I don’t want to keep doing this. Once I find my brother, I’m not coming back. I wanted to know if you wanted to go with me and leave all this shit behind.”
“I don’t know man, I really don’t know,” Tomlinson finally responded.
“I know this may not be an easy decision for you, but I could use you. You’re a great Marine and a great sniper and I want you to come with me.”
“Are you so pissed about what’s happened that you want to bail? We have a good thing here.”
“No we don’t, the entire world is turned upside down, we’ve spent the past few weeks doing things that go against the code of conduct we swore to uphold, we have committed treason, we have killed Americans, for God’s sake we have waged war against other Americans!” Sebastian said raising his voice.
“We have done what we needed to do!” Tomlinson yelled back.
“Well, this isn’t what I signed up for!”
“Corporal, I think you’re making a mistake. Plus, you won’t have anything but a rifle, some water and a few rations.”
“Not true, that’s where I need your help. I’m taking a Hummer along with as much food, water and ammo I can get.”
“So you’re going to steal from us?” Tomlinson barked.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, but the colonel’s actions are wrong.”
“Wrong? You’re hilarious,”
“You can think what you want,”
“Whatever man, I don’t give a shit what you do. But I am staying right here,” Tomlinson said pointing toward the deck.
“Well, I do give a shit!” said a gruff voice from the darkness.
Sebastian and Tomlinson turned quickly to see who was talking, but it was too dark. Sebastian felt fear enter his body, as he had said things that he wanted no one else to hear. The sound of footsteps grew louder but the darkness still hid the identity until he spoke again.
“Corporal Van Zandt, you want to abandon your position as a trusted scout sniper with our platoon because you don’t agree with how things have gone. You came to me the day we heard about the attacks and complained about our initial mission. Our commanding officer put it all on the line by turning these ships around and heading them in the direction you told me you wanted to go,” the voice said.
Sebastian now knew who it was. Gunny Smith stepped right in front of Sebastian, so close that Sebastian could smell the smoke on his breath.
“You think you can just leave with precious equipment and resources? Well, Corporal, I can tell you that’s not going to happen,” Gunny said defiantly.
“Gunny let me explain,” Sebastian said desperately.
“No more explaining, in fact no more talking from you corporal. I heard your entire conversation with Lance Corporal Tomlinson. Apparently he’s also tired of hearing you talk. Here’s what’s going to happen, corporal: You’re not going anywhere, as of this minute you’re under arrest.” Gunny said. Then, out of the darkness two figures came forward, each grabbing one of Sebastian’s arms. Sebastian attempted to struggle but he soon stopped, knowing the futility of it all. Even if he broke free where would he go? Defeated, Sebastian dropped his head.
“Men, take him to the brig, I’ll be down shortly,” Gunny ordered. Just as they were walking him away Gunny stopped them, “Corporal Van Zandt, I knew your brother and you’re not him.”
Sebastian didn’t have the physical or emotional strength to even respond.
“Take him below,” Gunny commanded.
Both men escorted Sebastian from the deck and into an unknown fate.
****
San Diego, CA
Gordon’s eyes hurt when he opened them. Finding it hard to focus, he rubbed his eyes. Trying to focus again, he could make out the ceiling in his bedroom. The sharp pain on his left side prohibited his movement initially, but he forced himself to roll over on his right side. The sun was coming through the slits in the plantation shutters. He wasn’t sure what time or what day it was. Managing the pain, he pushed himself up into a sitting position on the bed. Glancing down he looked at the bandages.
“Damn, I look like a mummy.” He grunted.
His left shoulder, arm and side were bandaged, and by the looks of them they were fresh. Everything looked normal around the room. He knew he had been out, but wasn’t sure for how long. The memories he had after the fire fight were cloudy and gave no timeframe. Anxious to find Samantha he slid off the bed and stood on his feet. He felt the pain but it was manageable. Taking a few steps, he felt how stiff and sore his body was. He paused and began to walk toward the door when it opened. Samantha stood there with folded clothes and a joyful expression on her face at seeing Gordon awake.
“Gordon! You’re awake!” she said happily, walking over to him. She put her arms around him and hugged him.
“Hi, sweetie,” Gordon responded. He hugged her with only his right arm.
“Honey, you need to keep resting, please get back into bed. Where were you going?” Samantha asked looking at him with concern. She gently pushed him back toward the bed.
“I’m hungry,” he said resting back against the pillows.
“How do you feel?” she said, touching his forehead.
“Sore and my wounds are painful,” he said reaching over and grabbing her arm. “What happened? What day is it?”
Samantha sat on the bed next to him and took his hand. “Gordon, there’s a lot to tell. You were rescued by a couple of Marines who were on patrol.”
“Really? What happened?”
“They heard the gunfire and were close by so they came and helped out. They found you lying on the road and brought you home along with Jimmy.”
“Jimmy’s okay?”
“Yes, he’s fine. He’s been quite busy since you’ve been out.”
“What day is it?” Gordon asked curiously.
“It’s January 3rd.”
“What? Are you serious? I’ve been out for over two weeks?”
“Honey, don’t get exci
ted you still need to rest. You lost a lot of blood. But it was the infection and high fever that had us concerned. You have been in and out of consciousness since the incident. Today is the first day you’re awake and talking coherently.”
Gordon calmed himself down and asked, “How are the kids?”
“They’re great, they’ve been praying for you several times a day. Every day they come in and hold your hand. They’ve been so sweet and I have to say supportive.”
“We have great kids, don’t we?” Gordon stated smiling at Samantha.
“Yes, we do. That’s because they take after me,” Samantha said winking.
Gordon held her hand tighter and said, “I love you, baby.”
“I love you, too, I’m so happy you’re okay. I was scared there for a bit. Nelson did a great job and took such good care of you.”
“So, what happened with everyone else, that day is foggy for me.”
Samantha looked down for a second before she responded. “Jerrod was killed and Eric is missing still.”
“Shit, really? How’s Melissa?”
“She’s not doing well at all. I’ve been trying to help out as much as I can but she’s a wreck.”
“Has Jimmy sent out search parties for him?”
The look on Samantha’s face changed dramatically with Gordon’s last question.
“What is it?” Gordon asked concerned.
Samantha would not respond, she kept looking down.
“Sam, what’s wrong?”
“No search parties have been sent out,” she said still looking down.
“Why? What’s going on?” Gordon asked, he was beginning to get frustrated. “Sam, talk to me, tell me?”
“Right after the incident Jimmy attempted to get a party to go out for Eric, but he was stopped by Dan.”
“What?”
“Mindy and the board appointed Dan as the head of the security forces. Jimmy objected and he was removed from the teams all together.”
“God damn it!” Gordon said loudly.
“Gordon, it’s gotten really bad. It didn’t take them a day to take over and change everything you had started. The food shipments are nothing now, they mostly come back empty. There has been fighting between neighbors over food. Mindy and the board are now saying they want everyone to open their homes for inspection to see if anyone is hoarding food. If they are, they want to take it and redistribute it.”
Gordon sighed deeply and shook his head.
“I need to get up.”
“Wait, there’s more,” Samantha said stopping Gordon from getting out of the bed. “Quite a few families have left. A couple came back and told of a sickness that has hit people to the north.”
“A sickness, like what?”
“The way they described it was that everyone they had encountered from south Orange County had burns on their arms and were losing their hair.”
“Where did they encounter these people?”
“They came across them in Oceanside; they were heading south to get away from the sickness. As soon as they heard about a sickness to the north they turned around and came back.”
Gordon sat quietly, thinking.
“What do you think it is?”
“Sounds like radiation sickness,” Gordon responded flatly.
Hearing Gordon’s response, Samantha gasped.
“Sam, we need to get out of here. I need to speak to Jimmy now,” Gordon sucked up the pain and pivoted out of the bed and onto his feet.
“Gordon, you do need to rest, though.”
“Samantha, we don’t have time. Go find me some heavy duty pain meds and go get Jimmy.”
Samantha knew that when Gordon was serious there was no saying no. She left the room promptly.
Gordon walked over to the window and looked out. He could see smoke coming from over the hillside about two miles south. He knew who that was. Their time attempting to survive in San Diego had finally come to an end. Knowing the road to Idaho would be challenging, it provided hope and a chance to continue. If they stayed in San Diego, they would perish.
****
Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado
Conner’s day had been full of good and bad news. He had become accustomed to bad news, so when he received good news it made his day special. With a smile from ear to ear he could not wait to see Julia. His daily briefings always left him feeling helpless, but the news that Julia had shared with him earlier kept his spirits high. Knowing it was early for any accurate testing, Julia’s belief that she was pregnant filled him with joy. One very positive thing that had happened out of the loss of their son and the catastrophe that had befallen the country was that he had grown closer to his wife. With his hectic schedule and time away as a career politician they had drifted apart and at times he wondered if their marriage would survive. Now he felt that his best friend, his wife had become his closest confidant and soul mate. Trying times can work in two ways: they can drive people apart or they can bring them together. The love he was feeling for her resembled the love they shared in their first few years of marriage. He wasn’t positive she was pregnant, but the hope buoyed him.
Stepping to the door of their quarters, he could hear music playing inside. He opened the door and what he saw took him back to his days in college. Julia was dancing around the room and singing loudly. When he first met Julia, he was drawn to her distinct feminine energy. That femininity had been lost over the years as their lives went in two different directions mostly because of his intense schedule.
Finally noticing him standing there, she ran and jumped into his arms. He held her and walked into their bedroom while they kissed passionately. They both dropped onto the bed and continued to kiss.
“I love you, Brad,” she said after taking a pause from kissing.
“I love you, too, Julia,” he responded with a softness in his voice.
“Sorry for the loud music,” she said, caressing his face.
“Not a problem. I actually loved walking into the room and seeing you so happy.”
“I feel like a little girl. I know we’ve been through a lot but the chance of becoming a mother again makes me feel alive,” she said, with a glimmer in her eye.
“I know this might seem horrible to say, but your happiness makes all the bad things happening seem distant. Coming home to you gives me a break from the harsh realities of what’s happened.”
Holding his face in her hands, she responded, “I’m glad that you fully support this.”
“Of course.”
“So, tell me about your day, any good news?”
“Why yes, there was,” he replied as he rolled onto his back. She laid her head on his chest and listened to his breathing. “We finally made a decision on the location of the new capital.”
“That’s definitely good news. So where will it be?”
“Without rehashing the issues of logistics, it came down to two choices, the first being Portland, Oregon and the second San Francisco. After much discussion and analysis, we decided to go with Portland. It has everything we need. The port and airport are adequate and the population is manageable. San Francisco had positives but the concentration of people was too much. We know we will have some issues but it’s the best choice. If we didn’t have the reactor meltdown problems we would have gone somewhere else.”
“So what happens next?”
“We go out there. We, meaning a team of us to go get things set up. That brings me to the bad news.”
“Oh no, I know that tone Mr. Conner,” Julia said raising her head and looking at him.
“I’m going to lead the team,” he said.
“What? That’s not your job. Send others to ensure it’s safe,” Julia said concerned.
“Not this time, I need to go. I’m their leader and I need to go see exactly what’s happening out there.”
“You’re too important, what if something happens to you?” Julia said as she sat up looking upset about the news. Her glow had gone and had been rep
laced by dread.
Conner understood her concerns, but the idea of him leading the team was his. He was tired of being pent up inside the mountain, plus he believed a true leader leads from the front. Brad also thought it would send a powerful statement that their government was real and they were doing something.
“Julia, I knew you were going to be upset but you have to understand that things are different now. We have limited resources and personnel. I need to lead like leaders of the past and be on my horse leading the charge, not cowering in a bunker somewhere.”
“I don’t agree with you, you’re too valuable to lose. Your country needs you safe, not running around like a cowboy on the frontier.”
“I appreciate your concerns, but I’m going. I need to be out there. I need to see exactly what is happening. I will be safer than most, I’m not going alone. I’m taking a large entourage of security. I might be daring but I’m not foolish.”
“Brad, you’re going to be a father again. I can’t afford to lose you.”
Conner paused before responding. He knew he needed to tread lightly.
“Sweetheart, I hear you, but this trip will not be long. I’m going out there to get things started then I’ll return. I’ll be gone no more than two weeks.”
“Brad, I think you’re being foolish, but when did that ever stop you?”
“There’s one more thing,” he said sheepishly.
“What could be worse?”
“We leave tomorrow morning.”
She just looked at him and then abruptly stood up and left the room. He followed her to attempt to console her, but she avoided him. He reached over and touched her arm.
“Don’t touch me!”
“Julia, please,” he pleaded.
Wanting refuge from him, she went into the bathroom and locked the door.
“Julia, come out, please,” he said after he knocked softly on the door.
“Leave me alone.”
“Please, open up.”
“Brad, leave me alone. I need time to think about this.”
He leaned on the door, hating that the past couple of weeks of bliss had been wiped away. Her crying brought doubt to his most recent decision. The sacrifice of being president was becoming something he didn’t want anymore. If he could change it, he would. But fate doesn’t work that way and he had a responsibility. Backing away from the door, he went to his closet, grabbed a bag and started packing for his trip
The End - a Post Apocalyptic Novel Page 26