Red Death: A Post Apocalyptic Thriller (12 page)

“Now,” Tara told him, “Tonight.” He glanced around the room, eyebrows arched. Then he shrugged. “Alright. I guess we are okay with that.”

“Thank you,” Tara said. Kevin pulled over a chair and Tara sat down as the others gathered around. They began to lay out a plan.

~

Mary cut the steaming pumpkin bread into pieces, lifting them from the hot skillet onto a plate. She glanced at the crack between the boards on the panty window and saw it was dark. She was worried about Tara, and about whether she would soon see Julia and Ben again. A thump from upstairs made her jump. She wiped her hands and pulled a piece of tinfoil off the spool, lightly covering the bread.

She trotted up the steps and stopped outside Lee’s room to slip on gown, mask and gloves. She cracked the door slightly and peeked in. Lee was just crawling back into bed and the powerful smell of feces filled the room. He groaned.

“Mary, don’t come in here. It stinks to high heaven.”

“Lee, now don’t you think a thing of it. It’s not like I haven’t smelled shit before!” She took in his blood red eyes and pale face. The pot attached to Tara’s chair was nearly full of viscous brown liquid. She noted it grimly. The diarrhea had started.

Mary walked to the desk where the gallon jug of oral hydration solution sat. She poured a glass and set it on Lee’s bedside table. “I know this is the last thing you want to do, Lee, and it’s going to get harder once you get nauseous, but you have to drink a gallon of this per day. This stuff is the difference between life and death, literally.”

Lee groaned again and nodded. He picked up the glass and took two swallows before plopping back down on the pillows. “I can barely swallow, Mary. My throat hurts so bad.”

“I’ll check to see if we have some Sucrets or numbing spray in the medicine cabinet.”

Mary opened a plastic bag, slid out the slops pan and stuck her arm into it, slops pan and all. It was the easiest solution to carrying the contaminated waste out back to empty without risk of spilling it in the house. She let herself out of Lee’s room and went about the routine of burying the waste outside, disinfecting the pan, and returning it. She stopped off in the bathroom to check for Sucrets in the cabinet and found a sore throat spray instead.

After reassembling the potty chair, she asked Lee to open his mouth. It too was bright red, even his tongue. Mary found herself holding her breath behind the mask. She sprayed his throat liberally.

“Thank you,” croaked Lee. “That helped.”

She asked if he wanted pumpkin bread. He shook his head. Mary insisted he drink the rest of the glass of ORS by the time she returned in an hour or two. She left him there, going back outside to take off the gown, mask and gloves. Traipsing through the house every time wasn’t exactly a good sterile procedure, but there was a limit to what they could do. She stood there afterward staring at the moon, wondering what Julie and Tara were doing at that moment.

Chapter 12

Tara led the way down the railroad tracks to the river, ten of Kevin’s comrades following behind them. Kevin walked beside her. She knew he had volunteered to lead this rescue with her, and she was grateful. Otherwise, it may never have taken place. Tara glanced at the long bolt cutters in Kevin’s hand, then back at the men following.

“I’ve never used those. Will they work on chain link fence?” Her voice sounded shaky. She knew she was just making small talk, but Tara was nervous, extremely nervous. She realized how dangerous their mission was and that this might be her last few moments on earth, but desperation drove her. Saving Lee was all she could think of.

“Yes, they should do the job just fine. We’re the point men, Tara. The others are going to remain hidden, so as not to risk the entire group. We need to get in and get out within three minutes or so. If you can’t get the transfusion items you need by then, you’ll have to let it go. If anything at all goes wrong,” he held her eyes and paused, “you’re on your own.” Tara swallowed hard and nodded. Her mouth was terribly dry and she could barely speak.

As cold as it was, she was sweating profusely. She pulled the scarf away from her neck, her gaze darting left and right, half expecting to be ambushed before they reached the camp. Her mind spun with plans, obsessing over the details of what might happen, running new scenarios through it in hopes of being prepared for anything. However, she knew that was impossible. It was a wait and see situation, that was the reality.

Kevin held up one arm in a gesture of silence as they neared the bluff overlooking the camp and the river. There was just enough light to see him. The barely perceptible sound of feet on small stones behind them was the only thing Tara could hear.

Kevin started down the path through the waist-high brown weeds. They descended the steep hill in the near dark, and exited on the plateau beside the river. The ringed rocks of the campfire showed pale against the black ground. Kevin stopped again, turning to look at the others descending the hill. Tara watched as they scattered along the riverbank, crouching behind trees and tall weeds. This apparently was as far as they would come. Not very reassuring, but Tara was grateful that at least Kevin was with her. He signaled them, and then led the way further down the bank, finally dropping to his hands and knees to crawl up the steppe-like ridge just below the camp. The fumes from the bonfire were intense here, and Tara almost gagged at the horrible odor hovering just below the smoldering wood smell. She knew now it was burning flesh.

With another nod from Kevin, both of them slowly raised their heads above the ridgeline. The huge chain link enclosure lined with benches was just yards away, a court sized rectangle at the rear of the Kmart. It was topped with barbed wire, but Tara knew that wouldn’t matter. They were going in through the bottom. 

As they crept closer, Tara could see two huddled figures on a bench closest to the river.
That must be Julie and Ben.
Tara pointed and Kevin nodded.

“Stay here. The team wanted me to go up front to check the access doors. I’ll be right back.” Tara froze and panic welled up inside her.
No! That wasn’t part of the deal!
But she could not bring herself to demand he stay.  She was lucky they were even helping her at all. She crouched there watching as Kevin dropped the heavy industrial bolt cutters beside her and took off, running low along the fence and outside wall of the building. She tried to calm herself.
It’s okay; he’s coming right back.

Tara did not see anyone else in the enclosure and decided to approach Julie. Part of her wanted to surprise them for Mary’s sake. She stealthily placed each foot, making as little noise as possible, holding her breath to avoid making white clouds. At the fence, she inserted her fingers in the links and crouched. Julie was two feet to her right, her son partially on her lap, a blanket wrapped around them both.

“Julie,” she breathed softly. Julie stirred, and then realized someone had called her name and jerked around quickly. Tara could see blonde hair framing the pale oval of her face, her mouth open in shock.

“Tara, is that you?” she whispered. Tara answered in the affirmative and crept close enough for Julie to entwine her own bare fingers around Tara’s gloves.
She must be freezing!

“Listen to me. We’re getting you out. My friend Kevin is up front checking doors and guards. He’ll be right back. I need you to get me tubing, needles and blood or plasma for a transfusion, and whatever else you’ll need to give one. Type O. My husband Lee is sick.”

Julie reacted instantly, carefully laying the sleeping Ben out on the bench, covering him with the blanket. All Tara could see was the top of his blond head peeping out.

“Hurry,” Tara urged.

“I’ll do what I can,” Julie told her, breaking into a shambling half-run toward the rear entrance of the exercise pen. She looked like she was very weak.

Hurry, Kevin. If this boy wakes up before his mom gets back, if he screams when he sees us…

“Hey!” a male voice yelled from the direction of the entrance, very loud in the stillness. A sudden commotion at the front of the store began. Shouting and the sound of heavy footfalls in the brush followed.
Kevin! Dear God, he’s been caught.

From behind her, down the ridge, Tara could hear the slight noises of the Resistance retreating to safety. Desperate now, Tara tried to think of what to do, how to save the mission. The bolt cutters were far down over the bank, safely out of sight, but Kevin was leading the guards straight to her.

Quickly, she whispered Ben’s name. The boy stirred and sat up. “Ben, I’m your grandma’s friend. Go inside, quickly and find your mom. Tell her not to come out.” The little boy blinked his pretty blond lashes at her a few times, nodded, and gathered the blanket around him, shuffling toward the door. He seemed pretty unruffled for a six year old, and Tara thought he had probably seen it all by this time.
Thank God, he didn’t overreact
. Tara moved from the fence, further toward the front and away from the bolt cutters. The guards chasing Kevin shouted their way closer.
They’re too close, I can’t get away.
She glanced around desperately. There was nowhere to hide. Tara closed her eyes.

Ben and Julie are safe. The guards won’t know they’re involved, but what can I tell them we were doing?
Maybe a version of the truth
…
that a relative was brought here, and I wanted to see if I could find them?
It was the best she could think of, and she said a tiny prayer, hoping it would work.

Kevin crashed through the brittle waist-high brush, and Tara saw his look of panic. The men came right behind him, but Kevin flew past her, face flushed. Another guard yelled at the sight of Tara and broke off from the other three. He held his rifle on her. “Well, look here, another one,” he panted, winded from chasing Kevin. “And this one’s a lot prettier.”

“I’m sorry. My aunt was brought here. I just wanted to come see it for myself. I hoped to get some information on her.”

The guard laughed. “At night?” He raised his eyebrows skeptically, motioning her to hand over her backpack. She slipped it off.

Tara shrugged. “Well, you know, I’ve seen a lot of people taken here, and I didn’t want to be one of them. I asked my friend Kevin to come with me, and he was nice enough to do so. Now you’re chasing him.” Her words were punctuated by shouts. The three guards came crashing back through the brush with Kevin in tow.

Tara shook her head, exasperated. “Kevin, I told him it wasn’t your fault; that I made you come with me to find out info on my aunt, but he doesn’t believe me.”

Kevin understood what she was doing and nodded. “I’m sorry I ran, but I got scared. I kind of guessed we weren’t supposed to come this close.”

The guards ignored him, pushing him ahead of them back toward the front of the Kmart. Tara’s guard took her by the upper arm and directed her before him. Tara’s heart sank.
At least we got our stories straight.

  ~

Mary heard movement from upstairs and went to check on Lee. She poured another glass of ORS, and Lee groaned, shaking his head.

“I know, Lee, but you have to drink it. You also need to force some food down, for Tara’s sake if nothing else. She’ll be back soon, and I don’t want her thinking I didn’t take care of you!”

This seemed to have an effect. “Is there any more of that crabapple cake?” he rasped.  “Maybe I could eat a little of that.”

Mary shook her head. She instantly decided the least she could do was go gather more crabapples and make him another one.

“A fresh batch, coming right up!” 

Lee rolled over to face the wall and Mary closed the door softly behind her. He was burning up with fever now, and her fear rose. He might not survive this if Tara didn’t come back soon with blood and transfusion supplies. She tried to shut off this train of thought. But Mary was alone and afraid, with a very sick man.

After she cleaned and disinfected herself, she decided to make the trip to the crabapple trees right away. She should be able to get back within twenty minutes if she hurried. She dressed warmly for the frosty night and let herself out the back door. As she walked down the alley, she happened to notice some of the houses now had paint alongside their front doors too. She could see it clearly in the moonlight. Here was a streak of red. A few houses down was another streak of red. On the other side of the street, she saw bright yellow swatches on the doors of several homes.
Red on some, yellow on some. What does it mean?

Mary scooped up as many crabapples as she could, picking even more from the trees and stuffing them into the plastic bag she carried. She hurried home without seeing another soul. It was as though the world had ended and she was the last survivor. The chill she felt had nothing to do with the cold.

  ~

The guards led Kevin and Tara around the side of the large building, with Tara wondering the entire way about Ben and Julie. Did he give her the message? Was their true mission still undiscovered? If so, maybe there were a small chance the Resistance would come finish the job, and rescue them now too. She hoped Kevin was important enough for them to risk it. Maybe along with Julie’s nursing skills, it would be enough. Tara knew she had nothing to offer them.

The group arrived at the edge of the blacktopped parking lot, which stretched, all the way to the access road that ran between the other stores nearby. The Walmart Superstore loomed off to their left, a Big Lots, Dollar General and several smaller stores in a small strip mall to the right. Tara couldn’t help wondering
if there was any food left in any of them.

Kevin and Tara were pushed ahead of the guards through the large glass doors reinforced with plywood. Again, they were stopped and fitted with masks. She noticed the formerly glass-fronted store sported plywood over all the windows, except for one higher up. The old store had been turned into a fortress. At least there was electric, the generators were doing their job. Tara blinked at the near-blinding whiteness. She’d almost forgotten how bright lights were.

Guards with rifles slung over their shoulders stood lined on each side of the entrance. Once inside, Tara saw that a wall had been built just behind the row of checkouts behind the cash registers. It ran all the way to the other side of the building, effectively blocking off the front of the store from whatever was now contained in the rear section.

She and Kevin were led down the aisle into the customer service area, where another door opened up on a flight of stairs. Side by side at this point, Tara had a chance to catch Kevin’s eye. He frowned and shook his head slightly. This scared her badly.
Surely, it will be okay. This is a government facility. They’ll question us, maybe detain us for a bit, then let us go.

They stopped before a door marked Private and her guard knocked softly. “Come in,
”
someone answered on the other side, and she and Kevin were ushered through.

A big man stood looking out the window at the night. He had a close-cropped haircut, obviously military, and wore a camouflage uniform. Pink scalp showed through his light colored hair and his thick neck glowed red.
There’s a stroke waiting to happen
. Tara couldn’t stop the irreverent thought.

He turned to them, eyebrows raised. “What do we have here?”

“They were caught outside, Commander Myers. The male subject was up near the front and the female out back by the fence.”

“And did you ask them what they were doing?”

Tara decided to interject her story. “I begged my friend Kevin to come with me. My Aunt’s been gone a long time and I was going crazy not knowing. If you could just tell me whether she survived the virus or not…” Tara lied, thinking she sounded pretty convincing. Kevin stood quietly, letting her do all the talking.

The camo-man stared at her, expressionless. Tara retained her most innocent look. Finally the man spoke, “We’ll keep you here overnight. We’re expecting a large contingent of recruits for our vaccination program, and you two can get one while you’re here.” He motioned to the guards.

“Get her set up downstairs,” he said, dismissing her. Tara tried to hide her fear, as he looked her way again.