Mass Extinction Event: The Complete Fourth Series (Days 54 to 61) (24 page)

Elizabeth

“She was a good person,” Charles says, with tears in his eyes as we stand next to the grave. “She never hurt anyone, you know? She only wanted to help.”

“If it's any consolation,” I reply, “everything happened very fast. I really don't think she had a chance to realize what was going on.”

“Yeah she did,” he says, sniffing back more tears. “People always say that sort of thing, but I don't buy it. When someone dies, they know, even if it's only for a millionth of a second. That's enough for them to understand what's happening to them. She must have seen the bullet as it...” He pauses, before lowering his head, as if he can't bring himself to continue.

Hearing footsteps nearby, I turn and see that my father is approaching, along with Diane Clark from the council and a few other people, who are hanging back a little.

“This is a sad day,” Diane says as they reach us. “We've all known people who died, but for it to happen in such an unnecessary manner...”

“We're arranging for a headstone,” my father adds. “It's not an easy job, but we've found someone who should be able to come up with something appropriate. I know this probably isn't much consolation, but at least she'll be remembered. We've been thinking for a while that this would make a good spot for a cemetery, when one is finally needed. We'll think about marking the land off and making it official.”

“But you won't bury
him
here, will you?” Charles asks, with a hint of anger in his voice. “The man who killed her...”

“Of course not,” Diane replies. “His body has been disposed of.”

“How?” I ask.

She pauses, as if she wasn't expecting the question. “Does it really matter?”

“Kind of.”

“In an appropriate manner,” my father says. “Respectful, but... We can't exactly bury him in the city's main plot, can we?”

“Why not?” I ask. “Everyone deserves a grave.”

“His body has been removed,” Diane explains, “and from a sanitation and hygiene point of view, that's the most important thing. We decided that since he came from outside the city -”

“He didn't come from outside the city,” I reply, interrupting her. “He came
from
the city, which is more than most of us can say. He should be buried here.”

“Why do
you
care so much?” Charles asks.

“I just think -”

“The decision has been made,” my father says firmly. “The body has already been taken out of the city, so there's really no point discussing it any further.”

“But -”

“Elizabeth, please,” he hisses. “This isn't the time! People are grieving!”

“You should have kept him alive,” Charles continues. “He should have been made to pay for what he did.”

“He paid,” my father points out.

“It shouldn't have been so quick and easy, though.”

“What matters is that the threat was nullified,” my father continues, making his way over to Charles and putting a hand on his shoulder. “We also have to take our anger and turn it into something useful. We're currently talking about -”

“Kill them all,” Charles replies.

“We're going to have a vote -”

“Use the helicopters,” Charles continues, his anger clearly growing. “Hell, give
me
a gun and I'll go out there and do it myself! For as long as those people are trying to get into the city, we'll never be safe. You have to send soldiers out there to get rid of them, and I want to sign up! I want to be the first one to open fire on those bastards!”

“That's very admirable,” Diane tells him, “but no decision has been made yet.”

“Typical politicians,” Charles replies. “You're just going to sit around and talk while people die!”

“Actually,” my father replies, reaching into his pocket and taking out a small metal badge, “that's not true at all. We've decided, Charles, that given your unique understanding of the impact of the current situation, it would be a good idea to invite you to join the council. Under the rules we established several weeks ago, only seven people can be members of the council at any one time, so I've decided to step aside and let you take my place.” He hands the badge to Charles. “It's time for you to make your voice heard.”

“They won't listen to me,” he replies, turning the badge over in his trembling hands.

“Yes,” Diane says, interrupting, “they will. Some on the council see the need for a new approach, but some need a little nudge in the right direction. We believe that by having you on-board, a more persuasive case can be made. In fact, we're going to have an emergency session right now, so you should come with me so I can start to fill you in on a few of the details.”

“Do you really think I can make a difference?” he asks.

“When we talk,” Diane continues, “we use logic and reason. It can be a little dry. You, on the other hand, have real emotion on your side. Emotion always wins out, and that's why John Marter and I want you to come and help persuade the others.”

“I'm going to make them see the truth,” he replies, wiping tears from his eyes as he starts to follow Diane to one of the other buildings. “I won't stop until they've listened to me!”

As they walk away, I can't help but feel that I just witnessed some expert manipulation. Turning to my father, I realize that he seems proud of himself. He and Diane have found a way to use Alison's death so they can promote their own agenda.

“Happy?” he asks finally.

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” I reply.

“I could tell that you didn't like me being in a position of power,” he continues, “and making those decisions, so I decided to step aside. I'm sure I can contribute to the city in some other way.”

“And you gave your place to an emotional, angry man who'll demand more violence,” I point out.

“You said it yourself the other day, we need different voices, different opinions. There was a danger that the council would become too soft, too comfortable. The events of the past few days clearly show that our approach was starting to fall out of step with the realities of the situation. I think that problem has been addressed now, don't you?” He pauses. “Besides, people won't stop listening to me just because I'm no longer a member of the council. I'll still have a voice, and now Charles Bloom will have a voice too. Everyone wins.”

“Everyone except the people outside the city.”

“They're not our priority.”

“It was all true, wasn't it?” I continue. “Natalie told me about the helicopters and what they really did out at Lake Erie, and she wasn't lying. You used them to kill other people, people who could threaten this city.”

“The council makes decisions -”

“And you're part of that council!”

“Not anymore,” he replies. “I quit, remember? You just saw me give my badge over to that fine young man. Does that seem like the decision of someone who's drunk on power and glory? And now -”

He reaches out to put a hand on my shoulder, but I pull back, not wanting him to touch me.

“Lizzie,” he continues, “let's just spend some time together. So much has happened, and I know we maybe weren't as close as we could have been, but we only have each other now. Your mother and your brother are gone, we can't afford to lose each other as well.”

“What happened to Mitchfield?” I ask.

He pauses, and I can tell that I've brought up something he'd rather not discuss.

“It's gone,” I continue. “Don't even bother lying to me, because I know. And don't ask
how
I know, because I won't tell you. You're just going to have to accept that you can't control everything.” I pause, almost enjoying the hint of discomfort in his eyes. “So did you send your helicopters there, as well? Was Mitchfield no longer any use to you, so you had it erased from the map?”

“You have no idea what you're talking about,” he replies stiffly.

“And all the people there?” I take a deep breath, trying not to think about Rachel. “Please tell me they left and that they're coming here.” I wait for him to answer, but after a moment I realize that he clearly doesn't want to admit the truth. “Rachel got out of there, right?” I continue, with tears in my eyes. “Dad, please -”

“Who's Rachel?” he asks.

“You... The baby, Dad. Rachel's the baby.”

“Oh. Of course, I'd...” He pauses again, clearly a little shocked.

“Where is she?” I ask, struggling to control my anger.

“What the hell kind of monster do you think I am?” he asks, his voice trembling with emotion. “Do you really think I'd let an innocent child be murdered like that? Of course the people at the base were evacuated before it was shut down. Every single one of them, including that little girl.”

“And Toad?” I ask, trying to stay calm. “Were you telling me the truth when you told me he was dead?”

“Lizzie -”

“Is he dead?” I shout, with tears running down my cheeks.

He stares at me for a moment.

“Tell me,” I whimper, finally unable to keep my emotions under control. “Please, just tell me the truth...”

“Yes,” he says finally. “I know I've made some terrible decisions, and I know you probably don't agree with any of them, but I would never lie to you directly.” He pauses again, before stepping toward me and putting his hands on the sides of my arms, the way he used to when I was a kid. “I'm so,
so
sorry, but your friend really did die out there. Believe me, if I could have brought him back to you... I want to see you happy, Lizzie.” He puts his arms around me and hugs me tight. “The people from Mitchfield were properly evacuated,” he continues, “and they're already on their way to a secondary facility in Philadelphia, and
of course
they have Rachel with them. We abandoned Mitchfield because it served no further purpose, but Philly is going to become our second city. We're growing, honey. The human race is getting back onto its feet.”

I want to argue with him, to push him away, but all I can think about is Toad. Ever since we left Mitchfield, I've had a faint hope in the back of my mind that he's alive, but I guess that would have been too much of a miracle.

With tears streaming down my face, I let my father hug me.

Thomas

“Damn it,” I mutter as I try the last of the pumps and find that, like the rest, it's dry. “Please God, can't you just give me one more break?”

Taking a step back, I look across the dusty street and see nothing but broken windows. Without gas for the truck, I'm stuck in this backwards little town, and I doubt very much that there'll be another gas station until at least the next town along, wherever that might be. Then again...

Spotting a car parked nearby, I hurry over and try the door. It's locked, of course, and even if it was open I still wouldn't be able to start the engine.

Glancing back at the gas station, I realize that all I need is a hose and I can transfer gas out of all the cars I find. It'll take a while, but at least I'll be able to get moving again.

Elizabeth

Hearing footsteps racing along the street, I turn to see several people hurrying this way with guns slung over their shoulders. I step back, shocked, only to realize that one of them is Natalie.

“Hey!” I call out to her. “What's happening?”

“Didn't you hear?” she asks, stopping for a moment. “We got the word!”

“What word? Are there more intruders?”

“Hell no,” she replies, “and there won't be ever again, either. Today's the day, Lizzie. The council voted and now the helicopters are going to clear the area around the barrier. Everyone with rifle training has to go and man the gates, just in case any desperate people try to break through.”

“And you're joining them? After everything that's happened?”

“I got to thinking about it,” she continues, “and I talked to my father, and he helped me to see the truth. It's us against them, Lizzie. They're gonna come swarming in if we don't get rid of them. That Eddie guy was just the first.”

“But the helicopter attack,” I reply, still shocked by this sudden difference in her approach. “You said you never wanted to -”

“People change,” she says firmly. “People and times and sometimes even the whole fucking world. Sometimes you just have to stop thinking -”

“No!”

“Yes!” she says with a grin. “You have to push all those thoughts out of your head and just do whatever's required! Take a gun! Fly a helicopter! Stop having that endless debate going on in your head! I've seen you, Lizzie. Even when we were being held hostage by that guy, you were thinking all the time, trying to work stuff out. You even started to feel sorry for him in the end, despite the fact that he was totally willing to kill us just to make some kind of point!” She pauses again. “Sometimes you just have to pick up a gun and accept that it's time to go kill your enemies. And that's what those people out there are, it really is. They're our enemies. When you strip away all the crap, that's what life's all about. They want to take our food, so we have to stop them.”

I shake my head.

“You'll see,” she adds. “Listen, I have to get going, I don't want to get left behind. Maybe you should just stick your fingers in your ears and pretend this next part isn't happening. I can tell you're not quite at that point where you can deal with it yet.”

As the words leave her lips, helicopters swoop low over the street, heading away from the center of the city with their lights blazing bright against the afternoon sky. I watch them for a moment, before turning back to Natalie and seeing that she's already running to catch up to the others. As the helicopters get further and further away, I start to realize that Charles must have found a way to get the council to agree with him. I guess he cried a few tears, told them about Alison, and persuaded them to respond with emotion rather than reason.

Then again, Charles was little more than a puppet, put in place by Diane and my father. He did the job that was expected of him.

Making my way over to the nearest building, I head inside and then find the stairs, before hurrying up several flights. Despite the pain in my right foot, I keep going until I reach a doorway, and finally I burst out onto the roof. Making my way to the edge, I find that I've got a great view for several miles, and I realize I can see figures far away. They look like little more than ants from here, but I guess they must be some of the people who've been living outside the city, trying to find a way inside.

And then the gunfire starts. I watch as the helicopters fly low, and I realize that the killing has started. Mesmerized and horrified in equal measure, I stand and watch as the distant figures start running. The gunfire continues, and a moment later I also hear several large bangs, which I guess come from the soldiers at the barrier. Assuming that none of the people outside the city have any kind of firepower, it sounds as if the entire encounter is a massacre, but I can't turn away or cover my ears. Instead, I stay completely still, barely even blinking, as I listen to the fighting coming from every direction.

***

“The operation was a complete success,” Diane announces a short while later, standing on a makeshift stage in the square outside the main building. “The entire perimeter of the city has been cleared, and we've extended our safe zone ten miles in every direction.”

A round of applause erupts from the crowd. With Alison gone, there are now eighty people in the city and they've all gathered here to listen to the latest news. Glancing at the faces of the people around me, I can see a genuine sense of relief, as if much of the tension of the past few days has given way to a sense that the danger is over. It's as if I'm the only person who has any doubts.

“First,” Diane continues, “I want to thank everyone who took part in the operation. I know that a few of you were unable to do so, due to lack of training on the equipment, but you mustn't feel as if you didn't contribute. We all add something to the life of the city, and now that we've removed the threat from our doorstep, we can focus on really pushing ourselves forward. Tonight, the future of our city was given a huge boost.”

Another round of applause breaks out. Feeling someone nudging my arm, I turn to find my father standing next to me.

“See?” he says with a smile. “This is about life, not death. Hope, not despair.”

“I also want to make another announcement,” Diane continues. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of our technical team, I can tell you tonight that the electric barrier is ready to be installed. Within a few days' time, we'll no longer need to have men and women stationed all around the edges of the city, because the electric barrier will keep any trespassers at bay. A new -”

She pauses as more applause rings out across the square.

“A new gate will be erected,” she adds with a broad smile, “and this will be the only route into and out of the city. We'll need an armed presence on that gate at all times, of course, but for the most part the people of Boston can now focus on other areas that need to be improved. The council is considering so many projects, we barely even know where to begin, but over the next few days we intend to draw up a detailed timetable. In the meantime, I'm declaring tonight and tomorrow to be a public holiday, so apart from those who are needed to work on the gate's construction, I want everyone else to just relax and try to reflect upon the huge achievements we've managed so far.”

My father puts a hand on my shoulder, and this time I don't push him away.

“Because no matter how good things might seem now,” Diane continues, “there
will
be challenges ahead. Fresh surprises, fresh obstacles, fresh losses. But also fresh victories, fresh achievements and fresh chances. The project to rebuild this great city of Boston is only in its early stages, but nothing is going to stop us, because we have history on our side. We're doing the right thing, we're persevering for the sake of the whole human race, and we're not going to let anything stand in our way! And now, I wish you all a very good evening. Take this time to celebrate and to reflect. We've all earned it!”

As more applause breaks out, I turn and see that Natalie is among the first of the people who are starting to leave the crowd. She still has a rifle slung over her shoulder, and there's a dark, haunted look in her eyes.

“Lizzie -” my father starts to say.

“Later,” I tell him, turning and hurrying after Natalie.

“Hey,” she says, having apparently lost most of the enthusiasm she showed earlier. She can barely even look at me, and she's limping slightly.

“Hey,” I reply. “How are you doing?”

“Good.”

“Are you hurt?”

“Twisted ankle.”

I wait for her to elaborate, but as we make our way across the dark square, away from everyone else, I can tell that something's not right.

“What?” she shouts eventually, stopping and turning to me. “Christ, you -” She lets out a gasp of frustration. “What do you
want
, Elizabeth?”

“I want to know what happened out there.”

“We had guns and they didn't, so what do you
think
happened?”

“Did you really kill people?”

“No, we tickled them until they ran away. Of course we killed them, you fucking idiot.”

“But I mean
you
,” I continue. “Did you personally kill anyone?”

She stares at me for a moment. “Yeah. I did. Why, are you jealous?”

“After everything you said about the helicopter,” I reply, “I never thought you wanted to see people getting hurt again.”

“That was the thinking side of my brain,” she explains, “but sometimes thinking gets in the way. You tie yourself up in knots when the answer's simple and it's right in front of you. Today I realized that thinking gets you nowhere, that sometimes you just have to do whatever's necessary.”

Staring at the rifle, I try to imagine what it must have been like for her.

“There were way more than we realized,” she continues after a moment. “They were like rats. At first they ran toward us, but then the helicopters opened fire. Then they started running away from us, but none of them got very far. I figured a few of them would escape, but I don't think that happened at all. I heard the same from other people who were in different areas.”

“How many people died?” I ask.

“I don't know, and I doubt anyone's gonna count, but... maybe close to a thousand.”

“A thousand people?” I reply, shocked by the idea. “That's... Are you sure?”

She rolls her eyes. “Do you wanna know the best bit? They're leaving all the bodies out there, right where they fell, to act as a deterrent for anyone else who comes this way. I reckon it might work, too, seeing as there are women and kids out there with bullets in their backs. I mean, Jesus Christ, if I came across a scene like that...” She pauses for a moment, with a hint of shock in her eyes but a faint smile on her lips. “I'd run like hell.”

I take a deep breath, trying to take it all in.

“Your pal's there too,” she adds.

“What pal?”

“Eddie. The asshole who took us hostage. They hung his corpse from an old streetlamp. Seriously, Elizabeth, there's some mental stuff going on out there. It might be all happy families and civilized discourse in the heart of the city, but to safeguard all that shit we've got some savagery on the fringes. You've gotta admire the imagination of those sick bastards, though. War really brings out the creativity in some people.”

“But -”

“This is how the world is now, Elizabeth. I know you're struggling to deal with it. That little voice in the back of your head, telling you that everything's unfair and immoral? You need to learn to find a way to shut it up, so you can focus on helping to keep this city alive. After all, no-one likes a freeloader. Sooner or later, you're going to have to join us.”

I open my mouth to ask more questions, but something seems to be stopping me. My chest feels tight and for a moment I'm worried I might not be able to breathe, but finally I manage to get myself under control.

“I'm tired,” Natalie explains. “I need to -”

“That gun,” I reply, interrupting her. “Is it heavy?”

“Heavy?” She seems surprised by the question. “Kinda, yeah. It takes some getting used to, especially the kickback, you can end up with a really bruised shoulder. When you -”

“And is it difficult to operate?”

“Not really, you just point and aim.” She pauses. “Well, there's a bit more to it, but you get better with practice. Why?”

I stare at the gun for a moment, before turning to her. “Maybe you'd better start showing me how to use one of these things,” I say finally, as I feel a strange kind of heaviness starting to fill my heart.