The Divide: Origins (11 page)

“I
know how you feel. She wouldn’t want you to die, though. If we stick around for
much longer, that’s exactly what’s going to happen. Let’s go,” Zoe said and
reached her hand out.

He
took it, and they started walking. As they walked, she tried to keep his mind
occupied by talking about anything other than the disaster or what just happened.

“So
before all this, who was Liam?” Zoe asked.

“What
do you mean?”

“You
know. What kind of kid were you? I’m guessing you were the really competitive
type.”

“You
would be right. I was the captain of the chess team and the leader of the
debate club.”

“So
you’re a nerd . . . that’s not exactly what I was expecting.”

“Yeah,
I’m just joking with you. I was on the basketball team. I wasn’t the captain,
though.”

“You
really had me going for a second there. I knew someone like you couldn’t have
just been on the debate team.”

For
a second, Liam looked like he felt guilty. He had just smiled and joked with
Zoe right after his sister died. What was wrong with him? How could he do that
at the worst time of his life? He should be broken right then, shouldn’t he?

“Okay,
you’re kind of spacing out on me. What’s going on?” Zoe asked.

“I
made a joke at the worst time of my life. I’m a terrible person. I shouldn’t be
able to smile at a time like this.”

“It’s
okay, Liam. I know how bad you feel because I’ve felt the same pain. Sometimes
all you can do is smile and joke when you’re screaming inside. If you don’t,
it’ll destroy you. Why don’t you just have a meaningless conversation with me
right now and not feel bad about wherever it goes?”

“Fine.
Why did you think it was ridiculous that a guy like me could be on the chess or
debate team?”

“I
didn’t think that was really out of the realm of possibility, but you’re in
good shape and you’re tall for your age. That’s why I thought you were older. I
just would’ve been surprised if you weren’t a jock.”

“Okay,
but what about you? Who was Zoe before the disaster? Were you a cheerleader?
You certainly have that look about you.”

“In
my eyes, that’s not exactly a compliment. I never really got along with the cheerleaders.
As a matter of fact, I didn’t get along with the jocks either. I mainly stayed
to myself.”

“So
if you don’t like jocks, why are you talking to me?”

“If
you haven’t noticed, I’m kind of in short supply when it comes to options of
guys to talk to. Besides, you don’t seem that bad. I kind of like you.”

“Oh,
really? Well, it’s a shame you weren’t more involved at your school. You’re
pretty. I think you would’ve made an excellent cheerleader.”

“So
that’s all it takes to be a cheerleader, huh? Just beauty?”

“And
she skips right over my attempt at flirting,” Liam said before scowling.

Here
he was again trying to act like things were normal when they could never be
again. Talking about their old lives or flirting with Zoe wasn’t going to make
him feel any better. The people he loved were dead.

“Stop
for a second,” Zoe said and grabbed his arm.

“What
is it? If it’s about that flirting thing, I’m sorry. That might have been out
of line, considering the situation we’re in.”

“It
wasn’t. I can see that you’re hurting. Maybe it was wrong for me to make you
pretend that everything was okay. I don’t exactly mind being called pretty,
though. Not many boys have ever called me that. I want you to know something.
You’ve lost two people today, and there’s a chance that Max and your dad aren’t
going to make it. If that’s the case, then we’ve got to stick together. You
might be all I’ve got left, so I want us to be close starting now. If you’re in
pain or you just need to talk things through, then I’m here for you. What do
you need?” Zoe asked and wrapped one arm around him.

“A
reason to keep moving,” he said and slid his arms around her. Then he kissed
her.

“What
was that for?” Zoe asked.

“You
didn’t like it?”

“I
didn’t say that. Of course I did. It’s just that it was my first kiss,” Zoe
said before she heard a branch break behind them.

“We’ll
talk later,”
Liam
whispered, and they turned to see a
man walking toward them.

They
just knew that the military had found them. They had come so far, but it seemed
they were doomed to face the same fate as the others.

Chapter 11

Lost And Found

Liam
stepped in front of Zoe and readied himself for what would likely be death. In
truth, that thought was comforting on some level. If he could buy time for her
to escape, he would be satisfied. Then he could join his family in the next
life. As the source of the noise stepped out, he let out a sigh of relief,
however.

“Max!
What are you doing here? We thought you would already be halfway to the next
town by now,” Zoe said.

“Rebecca
told me you guys ran into the woods when it all happened. I couldn’t just leave
you behind. She’s on the way to the town. She’ll find shelter, and if we move
quickly, we might be able to join her before it’s too cold to move. Where’s
your sister?” Max asked Liam.

He
only shook his head in response. He couldn’t bring himself to say that she was
dead. Max laid a hand on his shoulder and told him he was sorry. Nothing could
be done to change what happened, though, so they needed to get moving. Otherwise,
they would be the next ones dying. As Max started leading them away, Liam
stopped.

“What’s
wrong? I know things are rough right now, but we’ve got to go,” Max said.

“My
dad . . . where is he?”

“I’m
sorry. I did my best to keep everyone safe, but he didn’t make it,” Max said
and looked down.

He
didn’t know what to say. Max knew that as the adult, he needed to come up with
something that would make things better for Liam, but he didn’t know if any
such thing existed. What could possibly make the kid in front of him feel
anything other than consuming grief?

“I’m
sorry. Max is right, though. We’ve got to go. We’ll talk about everything on the
way,” Zoe said and reached her hand out to him.

He took it, and they started moving
again. Zoe and Liam stayed a little behind Max to talk privately, but he could
hear some of what they were saying. Zoe had been through exactly what Liam was
experiencing. Her words didn’t change anything, but they at least let him know he
wasn’t alone. Max sensed something else there, too. As he glanced back at Zoe
holding Liam’s hand, he saw two people who might just be much more than they ever
intended before things were all over. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing
either. Everyone’s days were numbered. Wouldn’t it be good for those final
moments to be filled with friendship and maybe even love? Max pondered that
thought for the next few hours and simply listened to the kids behind him. Was
the relationship he was witnessing them develop something that he wanted? It
was now or never, right?

As
the heat grew more intense, their pace slowed until they didn’t feel like they could
go any further. It was already getting late, though, and Max didn’t think they
could afford to rest. It would be dark within the next three hours. He had no
idea where they were, but he was hoping they were close to the town. If not,
Zoe and Liam were going to collapse soon. When it felt like he couldn’t move on
any longer, Max spied something a few yards away from them. There was a small
creek bed through some brush.

“Are
we ever going to stop?” Zoe asked while wheezing and looking noticeably pale.

Her
lips were cracked, and it was obvious that she was dehydrated. It was time to
rest.

“Yeah.
We’re stopping here. Have a look at that,” Max said and pointed to the creek.

He
had never seen two kids run so fast to water. They submerged themselves and
drank until they couldn’t anymore. Max helped himself as well. He didn’t know
if the water was safe, but he didn’t have time to think about that. Dying from
a heatstroke or dehydration was a much more pressing issue.

“How long can we rest?” Zoe asked as she
lay back in the water.

“Only
for a few minutes. This place was a Godsend. I didn’t think we were going to
make it for a while there. Even I was starting to feel weak,”
Max
said.

“It’s
only
over 130 now. I don’t know how
anyone is surviving in this. Maybe we really were meant to find this place. It seems
pretty convenient for us to find this spot right when we needed it most.”

“God
didn’t help us find anything because there is no God. It was dumb luck,” Liam
said as he got out of the water.

“Why
do you say that?” Zoe asked.

“Think
about the last few days. Our families are dead, the world is in a complete
state of chaos, and I would be willing to bet that close to half the world’s
population is gone already. Does that sound like the work of a merciful God?
We’ve got to start facing facts. God or anyone else isn’t going to help us. The
only help we’ve got are the people standing beside us, and even with perfect
cooperation, it might not be enough. Our world is completely unstable, and we
have no idea what could come next.”

“That’s
a pretty bleak philosophy you’ve got there. What do you think, Max?”

“I
don’t know, but he’s not wrong about one thing. All we’ve really got left in
this world is each other, and nothing is sure anymore. That’s a good excuse to
live every day like it’s your last. Once we get to the town, I’m going to make
sure to start doing that again. I think we’ve all been living our lives as if
the rules have changed, and they have, but not in the way we think. We thought
that when Ira hit, it stopped life, and the things that mattered before were
obsolete. It’s actually the opposite. Ira put a timer on all of our lives, so
now more than ever we should rush to experience every human emotion possible.
That even includes the illogical ones that won’t help us get through this in
any way.”

Zoe
really thought about what he said. Were they living in the end of days, and if
so, what did she want her last days to be filled with? She had never thought of
the major milestones she wanted to accomplish before her life was over. Some of
the things that were so important before were impossible now, but that didn’t
mean everything was over. The simple things were still a possibility. Love,
friendship, and even little dreams were alive in this new world. Zoe had always
wanted to climb a mountain. It seemed illogical to even think about such a
dream now, but was it possible that those little dreams were more important than
anything? The thought of a normal life filled with love, happiness, and the
hope of accomplishing things that brought personal satisfaction to her life
might have been her only reason for wanting to live in this new world.

“Not
that I don’t want to stay here and talk philosophy more, but we’ve really got
to get moving again. Get one last drink, and then we’ve got to find Rebecca and
a shelter for the night,” Max said.

They
did as he told them, and everyone headed in the direction that they hoped a
town would be in. They walked for another hour, and finally, they arrived at
their destination. Everyone was sore, and the sun had taken its toll on them,
but they were finally safe. All that was left to do was find Rebecca and
finally rest. Some food didn’t sound bad either. They just had to hope she had
found a nice place that was well stocked. It seemed like a long shot, but at
this point, Max didn’t even know how they were still alive, so anything was
possible.

As
they stepped into the town square, Max started to feel a hint of doubt. There
was no sign of Rebecca. Had she made it? What if something had happened to her?
Their Humvee was nowhere in sight. If she had to move on from the town for some
reason, he was confident that she would have found a way to leave him a sign
that there were problems and an idea of where to go in order to find her. There
was no sign of any of that, though.

“I
don’t know where your friend is, but we’ve got to find a place that’s safe.
It’s going to be dark soon,” Liam said.

“We’ll
get to shelter after we find Rebecca. Maybe we should spread out and . . .” Max
managed to say before he saw a truck pull into the square and come toward them.

He
had mixed feelings in that moment. They had no weapons, so if the people coming
toward them were aggressive, they were going to be in trouble. On the flip
side, these people might be able to help him locate Rebecca. By not running,
the decision was ultimately made for him. The truck pulled up to them, and two
men got out with rifles.

“Identify
yourselves,” the first man said.

“I’m
Max. This is Zoe and Liam. We’re not here to pick a fight. We’re just looking
for a friend named Rebecca,” Max said with his hands raised.

“My
name is Brandon, and this is Mack. We’re in charge of this town now. It’s good
to know that you’re not here to pick a fight because it wouldn’t end well for
you or those kids.”

“You
can quit with your stupid threats because there’s nothing you could do to us
that we haven’t already gone through,” Liam said.

“We
could blow your head off and see what a smartass like you looks like scattered
all over the pavement,” Brandon said and raised his gun.

“There
won’t be any need for that,” Max said and stepped between Liam and the gun.

“Good
to know. Let’s say we knew where your friend was. What would you be willing to
do in order to be reunited with her?” he asked and lowered his gun.

“Just
about anything. I would have to know she was alive first, though.”

“She
had a pretty bad leg injury when she pulled into town in a military grade
vehicle. When you get past all the bruising, she’s quite the looker. I can see
why you would be willing to do most anything to see her again. Now, do you
believe me?”

“Yes.
What do you want us to do?”

“Come
with us. We have a shelter with generators not far from here. I’ll explain
everything once we’re there.”

Max
looked over at Zoe and Liam as if to ask what they thought. Zoe seemed to be on
board, and Liam didn’t look like he cared either way. Max eventually nodded in
approval. It might not have been a good idea to trust these guys, but he didn’t
know what choice they actually had. It was only minutes from being dark, and it
was already starting to cool off. Soon the outdoors would be unlivable. If
these guys really had heat, then even if they didn’t have Rebecca, they were
the best move.

Brandon
and Mack searched them, and then they told them to get into the back of the
truck. They rode over to the town school and went inside. The classrooms were
filled with people who had made pallets on the floor. It felt great inside.
This seemed like the perfect place for survivors. Still, Max had a lot of
questions. How were they keeping this place going, and was there enough food
for everyone?

“What
is this place?” he asked.

“Mack
will take you upstairs and fill you in on everything. The boy will go with you,
and I’ll take the girl to your friend. She can make camp there,” Brandon said.

“We’re
not separating until we know everything.”

“If
she steps foot upstairs, then she’s volunteering to work for us. Trust me when
I say you want her to play a civilian role instead of becoming what we are.”

Max
nodded, but Zoe didn’t look happy. She was a little offended that they were
assuming she couldn’t do something that Max and Liam could, but she should have
just accepted it and been happy. It would have been much easier if she had.

“I’m
not going to sit around and do nothing. I’m not injured,” Zoe said.

“Be
quiet, and just enjoy the opportunity to stay warm and happy here,”
Max
said.

“Don’t
do that. You know as well as I do that I’m just as responsible for our survival
as you or anyone else. I can help.”

“If
the lady wants to help, then we’ll be happy to let her. Don’t say I didn’t warn
you, though,” Brandon said and motioned for them to walk upstairs with Mack.

Max
sighed as they walked. He had hoped that Zoe would accept a backseat role. He
had no idea what they were going to be doing, but Max guessed that it wasn’t
going to be good. Once they were upstairs, his suspicions were confirmed. The
first floor of the school looked like a simple and inviting place. The second
was a different story, however. It was filled with weapons and survival gear.
It was clear that for the people downstairs to be safe, it was taking some
sacrifices by the more able-bodied men. Mack took them into a room with several
crates of food and threw each one of them some chips.

“You
look hungry, so I figured I would give you a chance to eat while I explain,” he
said.

“We’re
grateful. Thank you. What do you do here, and what role will we be playing in
it?” Max asked.

“You’re
direct. I like that. Our role is simple. Brandon is my brother. When everything
happened, the military tried to force the people of this town to leave. They
told us that they wanted to keep us safe at their base, but we knew better.
Some people left willingly, but many of us stayed. The ones who were unlucky
enough to stay found out exactly why they wanted us gone. They raided the town
for supplies, killing anyone who dared to stand in their way. We fought back, though,
and we were able to force them out eventually. Most people died, but it gave us
a new perspective. We realized that no one could survive
on
their own
anymore. We gathered at the school and came up with a plan. We
would find all supplies possible and distribute them to whoever was in need.
Everyone would eat, and we would all stay together. That way, we would be safe.
Thanks to the efforts of our stronger members, we were able to gather enough
food to hold out for what we’re hoping will be quite some time. We also raided
the local gas stations. We’re hoping that will keep the generators going for a
while, but after that, we have no idea what we’re going to do. These people
count on us, though, so we’ve got to do something. We give everyone who’s able
a job. Some search for supplies during the day while others hunt.”