Reset (Book 2): Salvation (13 page)

“I don’t understand …” Trey whispered as they walked from the warehouse. “Why didn’t.”

“Quiet.”

“But …”

“Trey, it’s like a pattern, little things adding up. I can’t see the whole picture yet, but I am certain I am not going to like the picture.”

“Everything okay?” Maggie stopped and looked back.

Shit. Did she hear me?
Malcolm wondered. “Yeah,” he answered.

“What picture?”

She did.
He shifted his eyes to Trey who had a smug look, as if to convey to his father that he was busted. Then Malcolm replied. “Salvation. Not so sure, I like what you’ve been telling about it.”

“Well, your choices are pretty limited. Salvation, or your son’s farm.”

“There’s a whole world out here.”

“Again,” Maggie said heading into the entrance of building. “Your choices are limited.” She opened the door.

“What the hell was that supposed to mean?” Malcolm asked and followed.

“Dad.” Trey stopped him. ‘I know something inside is screaming at you. Just don’t think too much. Things are cut and dry now in this world. No conspiracies. Honest.”

Malcolm walked in, when he did, Norris stepped from another door.

“Well?” Maggie asked.

“You’re not gonna like it.” Norris replied to her. “This way.”

Again, the wheels started spinning with Malcolm. What wasn’t she going to like? Had the lab burned out, been decontaminated like his lab? Although, unless that lab unit was sealed there was no way to contain the fireball.

Curious, Malcolm stepped through the first door and then through a thick steel one, which brought him into the lab area.

“Whoa,” he heard Trey say behind him.

The walls were the same clinical white. But instead of a super long hallway it looked more like a prison with two floors. The lights were still on and it had the clinical smell that Malcolm remembered very well.

Some of the doors were open. Some looked as if they never opened.

Maggie walked slowly down the hall looking up and down.

“Did you check the storage?” Malcolm asked. “There is a storage room that should have food. You can see if they …”

As if he weren’t even being heard, Norris spoke. “As you can see, the hatching took place.”

“Hatching?” Malcolm questioned.

“That’s what we’re calling it,” Norris said.

“Oh, so now you hear me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing.”

“How many?” Maggie asked.

“We estimate twelve unaccounted for. The automatic door looks like it opened five days ago.”

Malcolm stated. “So about the same time as us.”

“More than likely,” Norris said.

“Any indication where they are?” Maggie asked.

Norris shook his head. “They aren’t here.”

“Fuck!” Maggie screamed. “Are you kidding me? Twelve? And they have days on us.”

She veered into a verbal temper tantrum, spouting off more things, Malcolm honestly stopped listening to her when she started stomping her feet like a child. His mind spun again. Trey said there were no conspiracies in the new world, but was Trey right or misled? It didn’t make sense to him at all. If they truly were there to look for a cure, then look for a cure. The whereabouts of the Hatched was understandably frustrating. But the Hatched weren’t the point of the mission.

Or were they?

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Marilee had become Nora’s point of contact and source of information. She learned how those in Rantoul lived and had survived all this time outside the walls of Salvation.

“Never really thought about it much,” Marilee said. “I didn’t know the world before the virus. Just the way things run. I know I heard that people die younger now outside the walls. But they can live until seventy in Salvation.”

“Or longer.”

“No. Seventy,” she said nonchalantly.

Nora thought her manner of response was odd, then again, it could have been because Marilee was explaining the ins and outs of Rantoul. How they farmed, canned, tried to get some normalcy, and hunkered down in the winter, venturing out to hunt. That was when they got most of their meat.

Rantoul had three cows they used for dairy. But most farm animals were part of the wild. Cows and pigs, chickens. Which explained the gamey taste to the pork the community served as a meal.

It was a lot of information for Nora to take in. In a way, it reminded her of the stories she read about settlers, or back in the Little House on the Prairie era. Rantoul was not the only community. There were others. None were close and barter exchanges took place about every eight weeks at the trading post which was located about two hundred miles away.

Marilee said everyone was excited about the exchange. They had their best batch of moonshine to date and it was going to be a commodity.

“Exchange is three weeks off,” Marilee said. “Would be wonderful if you guys were back and we could use one of those sun cars you have to draw our cart. We’d be there in a day.”

“Well, you know,” Nora said. “The others are supposed to arrive here. I don’t see us needing three buggies to search for Salvation. Maybe we can leave one. No promises.”

“That would be wonderful. But it would be more wonderful if you stayed. Didn’t leave at all. Everyone is excited about having a preacher and more people in the town.”

“We may be back. I just know we have to find Salvation.”

“They aren’t gonna let you in,” Marilee said. “They are a different breed. Although I hear about them making checks to look for the virus. Other things they can scavenge.” She shrugged. “Just rumors. I never saw Salvation people. But I know they won’t let you in. Even if they believe your story, won’t they blame you?”

Nora produced an awkward smile. “Why would they blame us?”

“Well, you were frozen to ensure you’d live right? Part of a project you said. I’d immediately assume you were the ones who started it because you knew it was coming. Not you personally, but guilt by association.”

“Do you blame me?”

“Heavens no. That’s silly. Salvation is a different thing.”

“I need to find my husband, my daughter, I know they survived and went there.”

Marilee sang out a ‘hmm’ and continued packing jars.

“What was that about?”

“I just have a different point of view. I mean, I know it wasn’t that long ago to you, but it was a lifetime ago for them. They moved on. They have lives now. For you to come back …” she must have seen the look on Nora’s face, because Marilee stopped talking. “Forget I said anything.”

Nora nodded, she was glad to stop the conversation, but it didn’t leave her. Not at all.

The temperature had dropped drastically as soon as the sun dipped in the sky. More so than it had recently. Nora already had a shoestring wardrobe and she found herself at the thrift shop rummaging the racks in the semi dark store. It was kept up. More of another trading place rather than an abandoned shop from days gone by.

People brought their old clothes there and traded them for others. Rantoul had an abundance of clothing. Scavenger hunts in the earlier days filled the business, keeping their doors open as some sort of homage to the days before the virus.

Nora had nothing to leave for payment. She’d ask Jason what he would recommend. After canning with Marilee and a quick stop to grab jeans and a jacket, Nora walked to the Christian Life Church where Jason had spent the evening.

She called out his name when she entered and he responded with, “In the back.”

Nora caught a glimpse of light seeping in from behind the sanctuary. She followed it and stepped into a small office.

“Hey,” Jason said with a smile. He stood by a desk, stacking books. “How was your night?”

“Good. We canned beets and talked.”

“I like that throw back to the eighties jeans jacket.”

“Pretty nifty, right?” Nora asked, hands in pockets she opened the jacket some. “It’s cold out there.”

“It’s cold in here. I haven’t figured out how to heat things yet. No fireplace. If this town becomes home, I’ll have to figure something out.”

“I’m sure you will.”

“Until then….” He lifted the lantern and grabbed her hand. “I was right. This way.” He led her out of the office and into a hall. He pointed to the first door on the right. “Our sitting room.”

Inside there were two small couches and bookcases.

“We may have to raid the library for secular books.” He led her further. “Kitchen.”

Nora stepped inside.

“There’s a large hall right beyond this. This was the kitchen to that, I guess. I’ve been cleaning all night.”

“You’re doing well.”

“And …” Another yank of her hand and he brought her back to the hall. A few feet down they turned the bend. “I was right. There were guest rooms for guest preachers.” He opened the first door. “How about this … huh? Beds.”

Jason stepped inside setting the lantern on the dresser to light the room.

It wasn’t too small. Two twin beds, a chest of drawers, desk, television, which they knew wouldn’t be useful and a small private bathroom.

“Does it work?” Nora pointed.

“No. But Ralph’s outhouse is right behind the building he said we can use it. I brought in some water from the pump for you to wash.”

“Thank you.” Nora folded her arms and sighed.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Jason cringed. “I wasn’t thinking. Do you want your own room? I was just …”

“No. No-no.” Nora waved out her hand. “This is fine. I’d rather sleep with you.”

Pause.

Silence.

Jason looked at her.

Nora smiled. “That came out wrong.”

“I’m waiting on a joke now.”

“Nah, no jokes.”

Jason cocked back. “Really? It’s been all day. I’m ready.”

Nora leaned back against the desk, and again, folded her arms tightly to her body. “Would you say you were a good husband?’

“Is this a joke?” Jason stepped to her.

“No.” Nora chuckled. “I’m asking.”

“Um …wow. At times, yes. I made mistakes.”

“You cheated?

“No.” Jason answered quickly.

“Because she did.”

Jason only groaned.

“I ask because you’re a good guy. I mean, you get me water to wash, make sure our surroundings are clean.”

“That’s for me too. And you act like I take the reins. You’re the brave one, Nora. You lead the way. Where is this coming from?”

“I was just thinking that my husband was a better husband than I was a wife,” Nora said. “Does that make sense?”

“Yeah, it does. Again, where is this coming from?”

“When we were canning, Marilee eluded to the fact that maybe it is wrong to search out and find my family.”

“Wrong? Was I wrong when I looked for mine?”

“Would you have looked if you knew it was thirty years?”

“Probably.”

“And we did look for answers about my family,” Nora said. “We found answers to where they are. Is it fair to go find them after all this time?”

“Fair to who?”

Nora didn’t reply.

Jason locked eyes with her, it was obvious he was thinking. At least Nora hoped he was, hoped he was searching for the right words. After all, wasn’t it part of his job to say the right thing to make people feel better?

After running his hand over his face, he moved even closer to her. “Look, some organization believed that you, me, the others were worthy to be man’s insurance. They took us against our will and knocked us out for thirty years. That sucks. They took us out of their lives. But it was only a blink of an eye to you. On the other side of the coin, the pain your family went through had to be unimaginable. They lost you, mourned you, and sadly probably moved on with their lives. Now does that mean you need to let them go?”

“That’s what I’m struggling with.”

“I’d be lying to you if I told you I didn’t think about it for myself. If my family was alive, would I walk into their lives? I mean I mourned them, not as long, nor as deeply as they mourned me, but because of you, I have accepted the realization it’s done.”

“So what did you come up with? If they were alive and you knew where they were, would you walk into their lives?”

“I probably wouldn’t. I mean, that’s me. I’m a chicken. I’d be scared they wouldn’t want me, or moved on so much. Or frightened of anger, more hurt. Who would it be for? Me? Them? Thirty years is a long time. If I walked into their lives who benefits? But it’s a whole lot easier for me to say, because my family is gone. Yours is not. You do what you need to do. I am behind you and will walk the path with you.”

“It shouldn’t be this difficult of a decision,” Nora said. “But I keep thinking that same thing. Who is it for? I have been gone from their lives for a lifetime. I’m gonna think about it a little more.”