TAGGED: THE APOCALYPSE (21 page)

“
Come with us when we leave,” Warren pierced Sven with his unnaturally bright clear eyes.

“
Where will you go? Stay here with us,” Sven said. “We have food and electricity. We are rebuilding the world.”

“These things which you hold to are nothing more than dust and ashes,”
Warren waved his hand to encompass all around them. “The world as you knew it has passed away. It is dying. It is in the final throws of death. Can’t you see?”

“Yes, you preached on this yesterday
…and this morning. I’m not sure I understand,” Sven said.

“You are one of us.
The Spirit is strong in you.” Warren grasped him firmly by the shoulders. “You have saved many and you have done well. You think you are rich but you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”

“I don’t understand. You speak in riddles.”

“Then I will speak plainly. Tomorrow, you will see for yourself.” Warren was sad. “Whatever you do, do not accept the mark.” Sven nodded. “Where did Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins meet up at the end of the Shawshank Redemption?”

“I love that movie.”

“Za wa…za wa,” Eve never left Sven’s side, now. They were inseparable. Frank lurked nearby, glowering jealously.

“
Zihuatenejo, Mexico.” Samson spoke in his deep baritone. “The darkness is coming and is now upon us.”

“Follow the
Jericho road. Our people are there, but they are hiding their light. You must find them to survive. Trust no one you meet on the road. Remain faithful, and you will find help there.”

“Sleep now.”
Warren moved his hands in front of their faces like a Star Wars Jedi. “You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow.”

“Knock, knock, bitches!”

Thompson stood in the gun turret of the front tank, threw his head back
, and laughed maniacally as it overturned with a crash and screeching of metal on metal, the first of three cars blocking the roadway to the power plant. There were another two hundred or so more in front of them, but the first ones went pretty good.

“That was
awesome!” Thompson screamed over the roar of the engines. He fingered his M-16. He hoped they ran or resisted so he could shoot them. He had an elaborate plan laid out to gain access to their holding cells, so he could hurt them. He wanted to hurt that skinny pothead soooo bad! He hated all of them. Especially that bitch Candy. He was going to take care of her. He never even touched her the first time, but he was accused of rape. Well, he was going to take care of that
this
time.

Off to the right where the woods began and thickened
, the flagellates crouched down off the road. They moved silently, making their way further and further off the road as the military slowly plowed a path to the plant. Warren prayed continuously for Sven and Jackie and Jeb. From his position in the trees he counted three tanks, five personnel carriers and several hundred foot soldiers moving beside them, scanning vigilantly for infected.

“Daddy’s home!” Thompson called in a sing song voice.

It stood there blending almost seamlessly into the folds of the dark ruffled velvet curtains and the night-shrouded door. It was a man and it was watching him. He wore a tri-corner hat and what looked like clothes from the American Revolution. Sven sat up and blinked his eyes to get a better look. The man stood in profile, half facing away from him and not looking directly at Sven as though he were guarding him. He opened the door a crack to reveal a very bright light. He looked back at Sven and he seemed to give a nod and a half smile before stepping through and shutting it behind him. Sven rubbed the sleep from his eyes, still staring at the curtain and the door and the man who was no longer there. Dixon huffed, lifting his huge head and watching Sven from a few feet away. Chickens pecked contentedly around him.

Awake now, there was no curtain. There was no door.
Sven found himself staring at a thick leafy tangle of cannabis plants and deep shadows. He didn’t remember coming up to his mattress in the back room of the upper tower last night. Beside him Eve slept. Sven felt the ache in his loins, remembering the fulfilling joy of finally joining with Eve. He pulled her toward himself and kissed her eye lids, cheeks and neck to wake her for another round. She turned her head toward him and stretched, smiling at him and kissed him back.

“Guess what today is?” Eve said.

“Groundhog day, I hope,” Sven smiled.

“It’s my birthday!
I’m a legal adult now. Hurray. Well, yesterday actually, but there was a lot going on.”

There was a terrible screech of metal on metal and what sounded like a car crash outside.

At the second even louder screech and crash, Sven flung open the locked metal door and Dixon muscled ahead of him as he stepped through into the tower control room. Jackie, Jeb and Mack were already there looking out of the panorama windows at the gates. Eve joined them.

The tanks rolled up to the front gate
just after first light. There were three of them and behind that were two hard top personnel carriers and behind that were lots of civilian cars with green spray painted “US ARMY” written on them. Why not? It seems that the original owners no longer needed them. Lots of soldiers walked alongside the vehicles with their M-16 rifles at the ready.

The
flagellates had evaporated in the night. They departed as quickly and quietly as they had arrived. Sven, Jackie, Eve, Mack and Tiny were sleeping in the relative safety of the upper tower. A number of survivors also left with the flagellates.

The immovable tangle of cars rusting in front of the gates was easy work for the tanks. They just pushed them out of the way with a great roar of the engine and screech of metal until the road was clear again all the way to the gate.

The remaining survivors gathered at the gates and cheered, waving white tee shirts and handkerchiefs. Many were weeping at the sight of the military and their beloved government in action.

“They shot Dixon!” Eve was hysterical. “I went out to see what was going on and I didn’t even realize Dixon was with me…he just followed me and a soldier saw him and just – shot – him. I’m so sorry…”

Sven grabbed his rifle and bolted for the gate crowded with tanks, people
, and soldiers. “Show me.”

“Wait!” Jackie called
, but it was no use. Jackie, Jeb, Mack and Tiny had been discussing whether to hang back or go talk to the soldiers. They were heavily leaning toward hanging back, or even disappearing for a while, just a moment before.

Sven saw red. Eve trailed close behind
, unable to control her tears. He was going to kill whoever had done this.

“I never should have stayed. I should have left with Frank,” Eve wept. “Then this would never have happened. You will never forgive me.”

“Drop your weapons!” Suddenly, there were 40 soldiers pointing guns at him and Jackie. He stopped in his tracks. There was Dixon on the ground ten feet ahead, looking at him. The life had bled from him and his eyes were dead. Sven wasn’t sure he could recognize him. Sven ran over, threw down his gun, and put his hands on Dixon searching for the wounds. “FREEZE! Don’t move!” Dixon had been struck multiple times in his chest near his heart. The wounds were pumping blood out so fast.

“Who did this?!” Sven lifted his head and demanded. Blackness descended as a rifle but
t crashed across the side of his head.

Sven woke to dirt in his teeth. His hands and feet were zip tied together
and he was on his face in the dirt. “Sleeping beauty awakes,” someone said. Sven couldn’t focus his eyes and his head felt like it had been run over by a truck. A trickle of blood flowed down from his head to his upper lip. “That’s gotta sting.” Jackie was bound to his left. Dixon was no longer moving and his eyes were empty glass. There was a giant puddle of blood around his body. A man in a uniform came over and put another bullet in Dixon’s skull.

“Remember me?”
A man wearing the uniform of the power plant guards stepped forward in front of Sven. “I shot your dog.” Sven immediately recognized Thompson, who had participated with Dennis in the uprising.

“You raped Candy…” Sven said
, remembering. Thompson kicked Sven hard, right in the ribs, with steel toed boots, knocking all the air out of him.

Thompson leaned over him, “No
, that was Rusty. You killed him, remember?” Then more loudly for everyone to hear, “This man raped an under-aged girl. That girl right there,” he pointed at Eve. Dennis emerged from the cab of the second personnel carrier.

“No
, he didn’t! He never touched me!” Eve cried, throwing her body protectively over Sven. The officer nodded and five soldiers grabbed hold of her, pulling her away from Sven.

The officer in charge stood directly in front of both Sven and Jackie and read the charges, “You have taken possession of a
critical federal infrastructure facility for non-governmental purposes. You are under arrest for treason, terrorist acts, assault on government officials…”

“We saved all these people
,” Sven said. “They would all be dead, now, if not for us. And, where the hell was the government anyway?”

“That’s not what these men tell us. They tell us you executed the guards and murdered anyone who did not do what you told them.” He motioned to Dennis and Thompson. Dennis
came and stood next to Thompson, nodding agreement, while Thompson grinned maniacally, looking like he wanted to lunge at him and tear him to pieces.

“They saved us
,” Eve spoke up. “They’re heroes!”

“The women were used as sex slaves,” Dennis said. “They had no choice in the matter.”

“That’s not really accurate,” A man and his new wife stepped forward. “My wife was one of Candy’s Girls for a while, but I purchased her freedom.”

“
What do you mean you purchased her freedom?” Dennis asked.

“There’s not many women anymore. It’s harder for them. Men outnumber women
ten to one.”

“If you wished to marry her, why couldn’t she just go with you?” Dennis asked.

“Like I said, she was one of Candy’s girls. Lot’s of men wanted to marry her. I’m the lucky one.”

“A prostitute.”

“I don’t like your tone, Mr.”

“In other words
, she worked for Candy. Candy owned her. You had to
buy her
from Candy. She was a slave; property; chattel. ”

“Arrest that man,” the officer ordered. Ten soldiers jumped on him
, wrestling him to the ground, and zip tied his hands behind his back. They roughly forced him onto his knees next to Sven and Jackie. Sven kept his head down but glanced toward the tower. He saw no sign of Jeb, Mack or Tiny. “You can’t purchase another human being like a car or a horse. We’ll figure out the specific charge later.”

“No!” The wife ran to the bound husband
, then pleaded with the officer. “He’s done nothing wrong. He’s my husband. He saved me. Please!” Four men in fatigues came and stood between her and the officer.

“At first light
, a military tribunal shall be assembled and you shall be tried for your crimes. Let’s see, war profiteering, running a house of prostitution, running an illegal drug operation, a moon shining operation, treason against the United States, false imprisonment, …did I miss anything?” The officer turned to Dennis who was smiling.

             
“Looting,” Dennis said.

             
“This is war time. We are under martial law. For the looting alone, I can have you summarily executed.”

             
“Looting?! Everyone is dead, more or less.”

             
“Take them to the holding cells. They’ll be tried first thing in the morning,” the officer ordered, “and I want everyone here blood tested, tagged and identified before coming back into this facility.”

             
“We won’t accept your tag,” Sven said.

             
“Then you’ll be imprisoned until such time as you comply…which won’t matter much in your case. Test them first,” the officer ordered.

             
A medic in fatigues rushed over with a hand held device and efficiently drew a small sample of blood from Sven, Jackie and the other man. “Sir, I think you should see this.”

             
“What is it?”

             
“We have a possible hit here. These two appear to have immunity to the virus.”

             
“Well, you two are special.” The officer folded his arms and stood authoritatively over them. “I want a full battery of tests done on these two, immediately. If you are immune, which is quite rare, we are finding about one to three percent of the population carries immunity to the virus naturally. Your cooperation will be extremely helpful to our efforts toward curing this disease. You two however, are prisoners of the United States. As such, you have no rights. You will be found guilty in the morning. We will do with you what is most expedient.”