by J P Whitney
“Works for me,” Ruth said. “Any objections ED3N?”
“It appears to be the best compromise of helping survivors while keeping the new society safe. Those from camp could eventually be admitted into the city. The camp could also serve as a punishment for those that commit crimes within the walls.”
“Crap. The more we talk about it the more complicated this gets. If jailing our citizens results in expulsion from the city, that means we know criminals will be outside the walls. We are placing potential enemies at our gate and making it dangerous for us to leave the city. Long term, aren’t we imprisoning ourselves,” Ruth asked both of them.
“There will always be people that present a danger to themselves, others, and the stability of the new society. There are only a few options for their location. Inside or outside of the wall. If outside, are they detained or free to roam?”
“Perhaps we should ask Terry for some guidance here. Surely the military has a protocol for how to handle potential civilian threats,” Mark suggested.
“I’ve already taken the liberty to ask for his opinion on this matter,” ED3N replied automatically. “He said, and I quote, ‘never create a prison for yourself. And keep the threat under control’. He believes we should establish an internment camp within the walls … should the need arise.”
“Well, I guess it wouldn’t be a welfare state. More of a work camp. ED3N do we have room for them, where would they be located,” Ruth asked.
“I suggested having them work a section of the fields in the outer ring. The zone could be fenced off from Ring 5. Captain Terry agreed.”
“Well, there you have it. Let’s prepare a ‘safe zone’ within the wall to house one thousand people. We can always expand it if necessary. Anything
Chapter 23
Guilt
Tucker and Eli found Bryce hunched over his father. Cradling his father’s head in his lap and slowly rocking back and forth. Tucker’s hand fell gently on his brother’s shoulder, the action opened a floodgate of tears for both of them as Bryce sobbed uncontrollably. "It's all my fault! Dad would still be here if I would have come back down the trail. But … I just … had to see how far away the base was."
Tucker, puffy-eyed and sniffing back his own tears, replied sympathetically, “You can’t blame yourself for this.” He was numb with shock himself, knew exactly what Bryce was feeling, but couldn’t find more comforting words so just added, “It’s not your fault.”
Bryce sobbed even harder.
Surprisingly, it was Eli that reached Bryce, his voice full of compassion, "If you hadn't climbed up here that sniper would have spotted us on the way to the base, and we all would have walked right into their trap. Because of you, we heard everything over the radio. Bryce, you were brave and you saved us. We are only here now because you decided to get to the top of this hill. You became our scout warning us of the harm coming our way."
Tears streamed from the corners of Tucker’s eyes but his face was hard. He slowly bent down to pick up his father’s shotgun and walked to where the sniper lay in a pile of his own gore. He racked a shell into the chamber and removed what was left of the man’s head. Racked it again and shattered the man’s chest. Racked it again and tore into his guts. Again and again, until each pump and pull of the trigger resulted in only an unsatisfying click.
Reverently, he gently rested his father’s gun against a tree and called out to his brother.
“Come help me,” as he grabbed the man by one wrist and one ankle and motioned for his brother to do the same on the other side.
The boys picked up what was left of the man, shuffled to the edge of the cliff, and swung the body to a silent count of three before launching it out into the breeze that rushed up the face of the cliff. The limp remains of the sniper performed a slow tumbling roll in the air and then quickly gained speed until it smashed onto the boulders hundreds of feet below.
“What do we do with Dad,” Bryce asked dully to no one in particular, then grabbed his brother’s hand as both of them silently said their goodbyes.
“Seems like the two of you just created a very private and peaceful resting place for your father,” Eli said soothingly. “High on this cliffside, he can enjoy the sound of the waves, the ocean breeze, and the setting of the sun at the end of each day. I’m sure he’d approve.”
“But shouldn’t we bury him?”
“There’s no time,” Eli said. “What if there’s more of them at the Coast Guard base? It won’t be long before they head this way to figure out why no one is responding to their radio calls. But this time we won’t catch them by surprise.”
The mention of radios triggered a memory for Bryce as he looked at the one in his own hand. The radio his father had given him no more than 15 minutes ago.
“Where is she? Where’s mom?” But he knew the answer. She would have been the first one up the hill. The first to check on him and his father. Somehow in the chaos of the moment, he had blocked out her absence.
This time it was Tucker that hung his head and sobbed. His anger had burned away the adrenaline. All that was left was a hollow sadness that left room for the reality of the situation to settle into his bones. Both their parents were gone.
He and his brother were now orphaned in a world that had already left them isolated and alone.
“Boys, I really hate to be insensitive but we have to get moving,” Eli urged. His sixth sense telling him time was up as a new dose of adrenaline rushed through his veins at the thought of having to deal with yet another armed conflict.
The brothers looked at each other and nodded in silent agreement.
The three of them half slid, half sprinted their way down the trail until they once again reached the road.
“Where’s mom,” Bryce asked again.
“You don’t want to see her this way,” Tucker said quietly. “The hit squad had just stopped directly in front of me and were turning my way when mom opened fire on them. She took out one but the other two trained their weapons on her. If she hadn’t drawn the fire of the other two, then Eli and I wouldn’t have gotten the drop on them … but … I should have fired first. Then maybe she’d still be here for you. For us. I’m sorry Bryce.”
“No, guys, it’s not like that at all. Your parents did their jobs. They protected you and wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Now honor their sacrifices by saving your own butts. Let’s get out of here,” Eli said.
“We can’t leave her this way ... all alone,” Tucker said and disappeared into the brush. He returned moments later, his mother over his shoulder, and started up the trail without another word.
Bryce followed closely but kept his eyes on the perfect depressions his brother’s boots made in the soft dirt, trying his best not to see the visible proof that both of his parents were now gone. But every few steps a drop of his mother’s blood would fall into one of the footprints, a silent and dark reminder of the tragedy of this terrible day. Step after step, drop by drop until it finally stopped and Bryce came to the realization that not all was lost. The blood of his mother and that of his father was in him. And in his brother. Eli was right. He and Tucker had to fight on and honor the sacrifices of their parents.
At the edge of the cliff, Tucker gently placed his mother under the shade of a large pine. It had an amazing view of the pacific ocean as it seemingly stretched on forever into the horizon. The brothers moved their father under the tree as well and joined their parents for eternity by interlocking their fingers together.
As the boys said their silent goodbyes and leaned on each other for support, Eli kneeled and placed a hand on the head of each of his fallen friends and prayed.
“Rest in peace brother. Rest in peace sister. It’s your time to join the father.”
He stood and put his arms around the boys and herded them away from the site of one massacre … and towards another.
As they made their way back through the quarantine camp, the three were lost in the silence of their own thought
s. The bodies of the men they killed on the road, and of the victims of the virus at the camp, hardly registered with them after what they had just suffered. They eventually made their way to the gate and were about to begin wading through the parking lot of cars when Eli stopped them.
“Wait!” he shouted through his mask not intending for it to come out as forceful as it sounded to his own ears. His nerves were obviously frayed. “We need to burn them,” he added in a softer tone.
Tucker was frustrated and slightly frightened by the sudden outburst, which pulled him from the thoughts of his parents, “burn who?”
“The dead. We can’t leave all these bodies here to infect others.”
“Are you kidding me? That’s what you’re worried about right now? After what we’ve just endured you want us to further contribute to this gruesome scene by turning it into a human barbeque? There are hundreds of them, maybe thousands.” Tucker was trying to protect not only the fragile psyche of his younger brother but also his own and didn’t think he could handle any more interactions with the dead.
“I know it sounds morbid, and the timing is horrible, but we can’t allow others to stumble into this place. It’s set like some kind of biological bear trap. We came with masks and gloves. Others that are more desperate for food and water may not be as prepared or as lucky.” Eli said.
“Do what you need to do but we’re not helping. We’ll wait in the car. You have 30 minutes. Then we’re leaving,” and with that, the emotionally drained boys trudged their way to the car.
Eli had the feeling he was being watched and kept looking back toward the Coast Guard base, but no one was in pursuit as far as he could tell. He needed fuel and found a pair of industrial looking generators nearby. Removing the caps, it became instantly obvious both had long since run dry. Not even the smell of gasoline remained. However, two 5 gallon cans were next to the generators. Empty, of course, but it was a start. After adjusting his mask and inspecting his rubber gloves for holes, he went on the search for tubing.
There was a water spigot near one of the medical tents. Attached to it was a 50-foot garden hose. He cut a six-foot section with his pocket knife and headed back to the line of parked cars at the gate. He found an older pickup so he wouldn’t have to hassle with a locking gas door, and fed one end of the hose down into the tank. He pulled it out and examed the end. About seven inches was wet with fuel, that should be plenty for his needs. He reversed the hose and fed the other end down into the tank. He wasn’t sure if the gasoline would kill the virus if any had contaminated the hose but was the best he could do under the circumstances. Exhaling deeply, he tried his best to form a seal on the hose and sucked with all his might. This was Eli’s first attempt at siphoning and wasn’t prepared for the gasoline that flooded his mouth forcing him to gag and spit out the foul liquid. But the gas flowed as he dropped the line into the can before doubling over in a coughing fit. A few minutes later the first can was full and he transferred the hose to the second can. When both were overflowing, he pulled the hose from the tank and tightened the lids to safeguard against losing the precious contents and keep from dousing himself in gasoline any more than he already had. Straining to lift the twin red cans, Eli forced himself to walk back into the death camp to begin the purge of the virus that had killed so many. It was a small act, to sterilize one camp when hundreds of millions had died but, symbolic or not, it was something. And he had to do it.
He worked quickly from the far end of the camp back towards the gate and splashed fuel onto every corpse and fabric surface he encountered. Back at the entrance, he entered a tent and knocked both cans on their sides, the remaining contents spilling and fanning onto the asphalt and running further back into the camp. He lit a crumpled piece of newspaper and tossed it into the back of the tent.
‘WOOMF!’, as the fuel ignited and the tent exploded into flames.
With the raging orange heat of the gasoline fire at his back, and a quickly spreading column of black smoke billowing into the air, Eli walked the lines of cars and tried his best not to think about what was burning on the other side of the fence.
The only thing left to do was get the Olsen boys home so they could begin the process of mourning the loss of their parents. He arrived at the car to find Bryce and Tucker leaning on each other in the back seat. Tucker unlocked the doors and tossed the keys to Eli as he slumped into the front seat.
“You’re driving,” he said.
As he put the keys in the ignition, Eli realized this family had saved his life more than once now. Their willingness to take quick action saved him from the bandits that held him at gunpoint in the orchard on their property. And the sacrifices of Sara and Tommy saved all of them today. But the family had also given him sanctuary and more importantly, purpose when he fled the homeless shelter. Without their mercy and generosity, he likely would have ended up in the same quarantine camp that was being incinerated at this very moment. And maybe he’d be the ashes blowing in the wind and falling like snow onto the windshield.
∆∆∆
Leaning on his brother’s shoulder once again, Bryce replayed the scene from the hilltop over and over in his mind trying to figure out what he could have done differently. Mentally flogging himself over his father’s death. But all the scenarios played out the same and he finally realized Eli was right. If he hadn't stumbled onto the sniper, they all would have stepped into the trap. The men were clearly waiting to ambush anyone on the road. They would have taken the guns and all their supplies. Maybe his family would have tried to trade their farm in exchange for their lives. Who knows what they would have done to his mother. He didn't want to think about that. In the end, the men would have taken everything they had to offer and then some. Including their lives. He didn't feel better, but he was thankful he and his brother were still alive. And thankful for Eli trying to put things into perspective … in a way only an adult could.
∆∆∆
Tucker barely saw the trees that blurred past his window as he replayed his own private hell and contemplated the act of emptying the shotgun on the man’s corpse, and then callously tossing the body off the cliff. And it frustrated him even more that these acts weren’t enough to calm the rage that had built up inside him. He needed to direct it at something. The fact that Eli was here and driving their car, while his father and mother lay on top of some hill in the coast range, was as close as he could get to finding a target at the moment.
Bryce had cried himself to sleep against his own window. Tucker leaned forward from the back seat and whispered over Eli’s shoulder in a shaky, emotion choked voice, “Why couldn't you have been the one to rescue Bryce? Or the first to shoot on the road? Then maybe we’d have at least one of our parents. We’ve literally given you everything we could offer, even their lives, and yet still here you are. How is that fair?”
“I wish I could trade places with them. I really do for your sake. But do you think your mother would have forgiven herself if she didn’t pull the trigger first and you would have been shot? And do you think your father would have let anyone else go up there to rescue your brother? Hell, even if your father had allowed me to go, it wouldn’t have resulted in the outcome you’re yearning for.”
“And why is that? Because you are a coward who always needs to be saved?” Tucker practically snarled.
That one stung. But Eli swallowed hard and continued, “No, because I don't think I could have risked Bryce’s life by taking the shot. The life of someone else’s son. I would have frozen when I saw the guy holding Bryce at gunpoint. I would have paused to think about it where your father acted instinctively. That sniper was a trained soldier. And if I hesitated, I'd be dead. And Bryce as a hostage would have gotten the rest of you killed. I’m grateful to be alive thanks to your brother’s bravery and your parent’s sacrifices. But if I could trade places with them, so you'd still be together, I’d gladly do it.”
Eli definitely felt guilty and owed this family a debt he could never repay. But h
e also knew Tucker hurt and lashed out in frustration in an attempt to make sense of the situation and deal with the pain. Wanting to turn it into action instead of sorrow. But Eli had felt similar grief over the loss of his wife. Mad at the doctors that couldn’t save her life, and furious with the God that wouldn’t. But he also knew the anger was futile. In the end, things either happened for a reason or at random. Either way, there was no changing the outcome of a situation like this. The death toll was huge. No act of vengeance or retribution or wishing … could walk any of this back.
“Do you want to talk about what you did to that man’s body up there?” Eli asked as gently as possible.
Tucker shrugged and only offered, “I needed to get some of the rage out. And there was no way in hell that evil bastard was going to remain on that hilltop with my father for the rest of eternity.”
“Did it help?” Eli asked, “With the rage I mean.”
“No.” Tucker said dryly and added, “How about you and the burning of the corpses?” He could have chosen his words more carefully, camp instead of corpses perhaps, but he wanted Eli to join him in misery a bit longer.
“I didn’t do it out of anger. Just trying to prevent others from becoming ill. I had to do it, even if you would have left me. Ah hell. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I was acting out of rage and frustration too. Like by burning them, I could erase the entire senseless mess of today. I don’t know. But I also thought you guys might want to come back to visit your parents someday. And if so, you shouldn’t have to deal with all that carnage again.”