Susan pulled off her latex gloves and leaned in to get a better look at the monitor Liam was viewing. “Is she infected?”
“Doesn’t seem to be. She just alluded an infected one.”
“So, she might be newly infected… is that her blood?” Susan tapped on the screen at Amanda’s blood soaked shirt.
“Doesn’t appear to be,” Liam said, and then changed the subject. “The boy’s guardian is awake…” He glanced at another screen that showed Bill, secured to a bed, struggling against his restraints.
“I know,” Susan stated. “He’s been making a fuss. The sedative wore off sooner than expected, but at least I already got a genetic sample. It might prove to be useful, especially if the boy pans out. Maybe his resistance to the virus came from the father. I can shut him up… if I administer another dose, but then he’ll see me…”
“You can wear a mask,” Liam suggested. “His screams have gotten her attention.” He tapped on the screen showing Amanda still leaning against a wall. “We can’t chance getting caught.”
“I don’t think she’s much of a risk, but you’re right, we don’t need more complications.” Susan thought about it for a moment. “Don’t worry about him. Let him holler. She’ll find him and undo his restraints.”
“You don’t need him?”
“No.”
“Are you done with the child?”
“Not quite. I need more time and better equipment. The medical equipment here is barbaric. I want to scan his brain. See if the fever has done long term damage…”
“We haven’t got time for that,” Liam said. “And we can’t go back to the lab. We’ll just need to make do with human equipment. Ours can be traced.”
“I suppose.”
“We’ll have to release the boy.”
“I’m not finished…”
“We can’t take him with us.”
Susan sighed. “I need more time.”
“We don’t have more time. And there’s no way to go undetected. You know that.”
Susan exhaled loudly. She didn’t like the idea of leaving such a superb specimen behind. “I thought you’d say that. As a precaution, I’ve micro-chipped him,” she explained. “We can monitor the boy… locate him for further study as needed.”
“Good.” Liam strummed his fingers on the desktop. “If we don’t leave soon, we won’t be alive to do any further studies.”
“It won’t be as convenient…”
“Convenience is a luxury we no longer have. Are you ready to go?”
“Almost,” she said, setting down the large, silver, insulated bag she’d been carrying, on top of a long rectangular table against the wall. She rummaged through the contents making sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. “I’ve collected blood samples and then hooked the boy up to an IV. He’s severely dehydrated,” she explained while resealing the insulated bag. “I’ll need to unhook the IV before we go… then I should check on him one more time…”
Suddenly the security monitors started to go out, alerting them to danger. Static was taking over each screen, one by one. “Time’s up.” Liam’s grey eyes grew large. “They’re on to us.”
“Damn! What about the boy? He’s still hooked up…”
“The woman will find him.”
“We don’t know that. What if they find him first?”
“That’s a chance we’ll have to take.”
“We need him!”
Liam glared at her. “Not an option! Let’s go.”
Susan was about to protest, but knew that Liam was right. They were out of time. If the boy died, or even worse, fell into their hands, she doubted that they’d find another unique specimen to study before the human race became extinct. Not wanting to leave the boy behind, but knowing there was no other choice she reluctantly followed Liam to an emergency exit, to make their escape.
***
When Mike returned, he found Ellie wearing one of his T-shirts, a burgundy one. She was sound asleep on the couch, with a book spread open across her chest. He felt bad having left her alone for so long. He stood there staring at her while thinking about how wrong it was to fantasize about how sexy she looked sleeping in his shirt. He couldn’t help but wonder if she had anything on underneath.
Shaking his head, he forced the naughty thoughts from his mind and focused on how dark it was in the living room. He’d had all the blinds in the house shut to try to keep out the desert heat. When the sun set in the next couple of hours, he’d be able to open the windows, to try to cool the place down with the night’s air. Even though it was still cooler inside than it was outside, he found the air stifling. He glanced again at Ellie and noticed sweat glistening across her brow.
Tearing himself away from ogling her, Mike headed for the laundry room to retrieve the emergency candles he kept for power outages, a couple of flashlights, and his stash of batteries. Once he gathered the items, he set them down on the kitchen table. He found a lighter in the back of his junk drawer in the kitchen, and slipped it in his pocket. He then went around the house strategically setting up candles. He’d wait until the sun was completely set before lighting them, to make them last longer.
He and Ellie were going to have to come up with a plan to figure out what they were going to do. He’d talk to her about it once she awoke, or maybe early in the morning. He didn’t want to stress her out because he knew she needed rest. Regardless, they couldn’t stay there. Even though his home was well equipped, and he had everything they’d need for survival for quite a while, the summer Nevada heat would kill them. Without electricity, the high temperatures, well into the 100s, would roast them alive. They needed to move to a milder climate. Mike wasn’t a Doomsday-Sayer, never had been. In fact, he was a glass half-full kind of guy. But, with what he’d been witnessing, he couldn’t imagine life going back to normal anytime soon. The last he’d heard, before the radio stations went out, this crazy epidemic had hit worldwide. There was nowhere to run. They’d need to sit down, do some brainstorming, and come up with a plan for survival.
Mike climbed the staircase, entered his bedroom, and put a candle on the matching walnut nightstands on both sides of his bed. He’d already planned to give Ellie his bed for the night and he’d crash on the uncomfortable twin bed in the guest room. He then wandered into the master bathroom. Since there was no window in there, he decided to light that candle now, and placed it on the counter while he cleaned up. He turned on the faucet to the shower. He knew it wouldn’t be long before he had no hot water. Heck, he wasn’t even sure for how long there’d even be running water. He stripped of his sweat soaked clothes and was just about to step into the shower when he heard Ellie.
“Oh,” she said, startled, standing in the doorway of the bathroom. “I’m sorry… I should have knocked…” Her eyes examined his body in the flickering candle light. Once she realized that he’d seen her staring at his body, she averted her gaze. “I’ll just let you…”
“Wait,” he said, before she could leave the room. “It won’t be long before we run out of water…” He placed a strong hand on Ellie’s shoulder, stopping her from leaving. She turned to face him. When their eyes met, Mike’s lips hungrily met hers in a passionate kiss. Before her brain had a chance to register what was happening, Mike was removing her T-shirt and guiding her into the shower. “We need to conserve water,” he said, then cleared his throat.
“Oh, really?” she teased, not about to argue with him. For the first time, since the world began to crumble around her, Ellie smiled a genuine smile.
Chapter 24
Following the man’s cries, Amanda crept along the halls. She found a staircase and climbed the stairs. She was beyond frightened at the prospect of what she might find. So frightened in fact, that she no longer felt the stiffness of her knee or the gash in her foot. She did feel the coolness of the tile beneath her feet which she was thankful for. It was the only thing keeping her grounded. Her head was swimming, and she had the odd sensation that at any moment s
he’d float away, as if in a dream.
The man had stopped making sounds. Amanda wanted to call out to him. Let him know she was there and that he wasn’t alone. She was there to help him. But the words stuck in her throat, intimidated at the thought of what she might find. What if he was infected? What if he was in the stages of fever and craziness? She decided that it was best to keep quiet until she knew exactly what she was up against.
Barefoot, Amanda’s steps were silent; she’d forgotten all about her sandals and had left them behind. She’d make sure to retrieve them later, before her long walk home. The first door she came to, at the top of the stairs, was open. She peeked inside. There were security monitors against one of the walls. All were nothing but static. The fluorescent light fixtures above buzzed and flickered. There was an emergency exit sign. She’d remember that, if needed. With careful footsteps, she continued walking until she came to the next door on the right. Clutching the handle, she said a little prayer for protection, and then lightly pushed down the handle. The door easily clicked open. She pushed it open a tad and she peeked inside. A little boy was lying in a bed hooked up to what she believed was an IV.
Forgetting her fears, Amanda rushed to his side. His face was a little puffy, but different than the other infected people she’d come in contact with. It appeared that the welts on his pale hands and face were drying up. Some were scabbed over. Was he recovering? No longer hesitating, Amanda touched the boy’s forehead and cheeks. He was cool to the touch. No fever. His eyelids flicked open. Without thinking, she took a quick step backwards. His eyes were a cross between yellow and brown. She wondered if he’d attack her.
“Mom?” the boy whispered. Hearing him speak was a relief.
Finding her voice, Amanda approached the bed. “No, sweetie. My name’s Amanda.” She looked around the hospital room. She hadn’t seen any other signs of life in the hospital besides this little boy and hearing the hollering of that man. And the man may or may not be infected. She wondered if the little boy was being treated before the doctors and nurses had disappeared. She knew she couldn’t just leave him there alone, unattended. It took her a moment, but she figured out how to undo the IV and other equipment that was hooked up to the child. “How do you feel?”
“Tired,” he said. “And my stomach hurts… hungry…”
“Well, let’s see if we can find your parents. And then we’ll get something to eat,” she said, keeping her voice low. “What’s your name?”
“Benjamin.”
Amanda spied a stuffed bear on the floor next to the bed. “Is that yours?”
Benjamin nodded. Amanda scooped the bear up from the floor and handed it to the boy.
“Okay, Benjamin. We’ll have to stay quiet,” she instructed, taking his small hand in hers. “There are a lot of sick people. We don’t want to disturb them.”
“Is that blood?” the boy asked, staring at Amanda’s shirt.
Amanda looked down at her blood soaked T-shirt. She nodded. “We’re going to have to stay quiet,” she repeated. “Okay?”
The boy nodded his understanding. He was a little wobbly, and leaned into Amanda as they ventured down the hall. Again, she heard the man’s voice. It was more of a moan and then he coughed. She stopped in front of the closed door that she thought the voice had been coming from.
“You stay here,” she whispered. “I’m going to have a quick look inside.” The handle turned easily. Amanda opened the door a crack and peered in. There was a man strapped to a hospital bed. “I’ll be right back.”
Amanda stepped into the room and hesitated until Bill turned his head to look at her. His eyes were blue and there were no signs of hives. He wasn’t infected. “What do you want with me?” he asked.
“Um… I don’t know what you mean?”
“Why’d you do this to me?” Bill tugged at the restraints, pinning his arms to his side.
“I – I didn’t. I heard you…” she said, turning to look at the door, “your voice…”
Registering that Amanda wasn’t the one that’d drugged him, and strapped him to the bed he struggled again against his restraints. “Undo me.”
Amanda wasn’t sure if she should. Maybe he’s dangerous, she thought. Maybe there’s a reason why he’s restrained.
“Please,” Bill said. “I was looking for someone to help my son…”
“Dad?” Benjamin stood in the doorway.
“Benji?” Tears filled Bill’s eyes. “Ben!”
“This is your dad?” Amanda asked. The little boy stumbled to the bedside, dropped his bear on the floor and hugged his father. Amanda quickly worked at the restraints trying to free the man when she heard voices. A lot of voices. Deep voices. And marching. Bill heard them, too.
“Hurry,” he said.
The urgency of the situation only made Amanda more nervous. Her fingers fumbled with the restraints. Eventually she’d managed to unlatch him. Bill sat up and then pressed his fingers to his forehead.
“You okay?” Amanda whispered.
“Dizzy,” he said. “Whatever they gave me… I can still feel it.”
“Can you get up?”
Bill slid off the bed and almost fell over. He grabbed hold of a bedrail to support himself. “Go hide. Take Ben with you.” The room was spinning out of control. “I’ll be all right.”
Benjamin grabbed hold of his dad’s leg and squeezed. He wasn’t going to go anywhere without his father.
“Come on,” Amanda said, lightly touching his back. “Take my hand.”
Benjamin refused to acknowledge her. He hugged his dad’s leg tighter.
“Ben, go with the nice woman,” Bill said. “I’ll catch up.”
“No,” he sobbed.
Amanda’s eyes went to the door. She could hear the voices echoing from downstairs. It wouldn’t be long before they came upstairs. The sound of heavy boots clashing against the tile floor frightened her. However, she knew there was a chance that her fears were irrational. What if they were there to help them? Then again, what if they weren’t there to help them.
Remembering the Emergency Exit sign a couple doors down, Amanda had an idea. “Do you think you’d be able to make it down the hall?”
“I can try,” Bill said.
“I saw an Emergency Exit.”
“Okay…,” he said. “Ben, I need you to let go of my leg.”
Benjamin looked up at his dad and reluctantly let go of his leg. Amanda took hold of the little boy’s hand, handed him his bear, and led him into the hallway. Bill stumbled out behind them and leaned against the wall for support against the constant spinning in his head.
Just then, Amanda heard the heavy stomping of boots coming up the stairs. There’d be no way they could possibly reach the Emergency Exit before being found. “Change of plans,” she whispered, tugging on Bill’s sleeve. “This way…”
Amanda practically dragged Benjamin with her, and Bill somehow managed to keep up, as she hurried down the hallway in the opposite direction. She took a sharp left, hoping they’d be completely out of sight by the time the visitors reached the top of the stairs. Breathing hard, Amanda wondered what to do next. Should they try all the doors and find a room to hide in? Or should they keep running down the hallway? What if, whomever, these heavy booted men were, spotted them?
Not knowing what to do, but also not wanting to lock themselves into a room with no escape, Amanda rushed down the hall, pulling Benjamin along. He kept glancing over his shoulder to look at his Dad. His constant glances kept Bill focused.
At the end of the hall, they had a choice, left or right. Amanda chose right. As soon as she’d turned the corner, she heard a man’s voice yell out. Her eyes widened. She looked over her shoulder at Bill who’d been seen as he stumbled around the corner to catch up.
“Run!” he yelled, waving at Amanda. “Run!”
Yanking hard on Benjamin’s hand, she heard his cries for his dad as she dragged him down another hallway. They ran past two elevators. She then spot
ted a sign for stairs. Just as she reached out to grab the doorknob to enter the stairwell, the door flung open. Amanda froze in her tracks. A man dressed in dark green cammies aiming a gun that looked like a toy at them blocked their escape.
Day Three
Chapter 25
Sweating, Ellie awoke feeling overheated. She’d kicked off the sheets at some point in the middle of the night, but was enveloped in Mike’s arms. As much as she loved feeling his strong, muscular arms protectively wrapped around her, she was dying of heat. Mike’s arm was draped over her bare chest. As she carefully lifted his arm, he turned over. She watched as he then hugged a fluffy pillow to his chest.
Ellie scooted out of the bed and walked over to the open window. As she approached, she could feel the morning’s air seeping through the screen. It was much cooler outside. The sun was just beginning to rise, lighting up the world, blanketing her surroundings in a soft orange glow. Closing her eyes, she focused on the coolness of the air, enveloping her damp skin. Normally, she’d have worried about standing there, naked in the window. She wouldn’t want anyone to see her. As reality set in, she opened her eyes and frowned at the reason why she wasn’t worried. As heavenly as the night had been with Mike, reality was striking, hard. Ellie’s brown eyes focused in on the few dead bodies lying in the street and on the sidewalk. The acrid scent of decay was beginning to seep in through the screen of the upstairs window. She knew the scent would grow stronger, even unbearable, as the day grew warmer.
“Hey…” Mike’s groggy voice startled her. Ellie turned around, suddenly feeling embarrassed and exposed. She crossed her arms over her breasts.
“I needed some air,” she answered, wishing she had a robe or something to cover up with.
Mike grinned. “No need to feel shy,” he said upon noticing how uncomfortable Ellie was feeling. “You’re beautiful.”
Ellie shook her head and walked over to the foot of the bed where the sheets had been kicked aside. Grabbing the burgundy colored sheet, she wrapped it around her body, covering herself. “I’m sorry about last night,” she said, sitting down next to him.
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