The Beginning of the End (10 page)

I washed down my food
with a slug of soda, “We need to come up with a good plan.” Chevy
nodded his head in agreement. “So let’s go over what we know,
those dead want to eat us, and the only way to kill them is to bash
their brains in. There are other people out there like us, but they
want to steal your truck and bash our brains in. So, my best plan is
making it to my parent’s house.” Chevy was listening to me,
nodding his head, and was making short work of his crust. “So
what’s the plan?” he asked, as he stuffed the remainder of the
crust in his mouth. “We grab our backpacks, throw in some food and
soda, just in case. Then we head out to your truck and make our way
over to my parents. We meet up with Mom and Dad. Dad saves the day,
and problem solved.

Chevy raised a finger
to his chin as he went over the plan in his head, “Not bad, but I
think we need to head over on foot. We have to assume everyone and
everything out there is trying to kill us. My truck is so loud, all
it’s gonna do is draw attention to us.”

“That’s a good
point.” I agreed. Chevy continued,

“Okay, we get dressed
in all black. Black pants, black shirt, black hat and gloves. We’ll
meet back here in five minutes to pack our backpacks with food. Then,
we head the three miles to your parent’s house on foot, and we’ll
avoid walking on the streets and open fields. We stick to the yards
and stay undercover. This is a total secret mission.” We confirmed
the plan with a fist bump and went into action.

October 8th 10:00PM

Now, after a few days
back in the McGill lab, Bob was exhausted. He pulled a chair up to
Sophie. She was sitting there with her hands propping up her head,
and her eyes were closed. “You need to get a little sleep.” he
said. She turned to him without removing her two arm supports, “I
need to figure this thing out so we can save a few lives. It’s been
four days, and we’re still no closer to a cure!”

Dr. Marcil walked into
the lab looking for Bob and Sophie, “I need you both to come with
me.” Dr. Marcil led them into the inner lab that was made up of six
inch thick steel walls. “Look at this!” Dr. Marcil said, as he
turned on the screen viewer for the electron microscope. He pointed
at the screen while he explained, “I’ve re-engineered the serum’s
synthetic proteins, changing their DNA. If we process them through
the enhanced protein, it will create a new blue print for the ZMapp!
We should be able to produce a sample in 48 hours. If this works, we
can start dosing within a week!” Bob listened to Dr. Marcil,
feeling a sense of Déjà vu, “Listen Doc, let’s make the samples
and test it on a handful of sick, before we start getting too
excited. It’s still a little early to start jumping for joy.” Dr.
Marcil and Sophie started at once by clearing an area for work. “If
you and Sophie are going to start working on the serum, then I need
to call General Strong with an update.” Bob looked up at the
speaker on the ceiling, “MARIA, open the door please, I need to
make a phone call.” The speaker above him came to life. “Yes
Colonel, may I suggest you make your call in the outer office? If you
are planning on using your Sat-Phone you will have the best reception
there.” Bob gazed up at the ceiling again, “Yes, thank you,
MARIA.” Bob passed through the maze of security checks,
effortlessly with MARIA deactivating each of the security systems
check points. Once Bob stepped into the office, MARIA came over the
speaker again, “Colonel Aiken, I will be deactivating all the
sensors in the office for your privacy.” MARIA said, as Bob heard
the speaker click off. Bob hit the speed dial and waited for the
connection. For the first time in his career, no one picked up on the
other end of the secure line. He tried again, after the tenth ring,
the General picked up himself, “General Strong here!”

“General, it’s Bob!
I’m calling with an update. I just left Dr. Marcil and Dr. Simone
in the lab. They have figured out a way to alter the serum and should
have a sample developed for testing in the next 48 hours!” There
was a brief pause on the other end of the Sat-Phone, “I’m not
going to lie, Bob. I’m not too convinced we’re going to be able
to beat this thing. The virus has spread to every side of the globe
in the last 72 hours. This is a global pandemic. Every sick person
who ingested water containing Dr. Marcil’s ZMapp has died and
turned into one of those things. Now half of the world is trying to
eat anyone who’s not sick or dead. We recalled all of our troops
from overseas. Not counting those who are sick or already turned
dead, we’re down to ten percent.” Bob nearly dropped the
Sat-phone, “General are you telling me the United States Military
is almost non-existent?” Bob heard a sigh over phone, “That’s
exactly what I’m telling you, Bob. We’re not the only ones. It’s
every military on every continent. The only men we have left are
those working special details with the President, the chemical bunker
guards, and the few who were immune to the virus.”

“What can I do
General?” asked Bob. “Bob, if this new serum works, you need to
get it to Atlanta. The President’s here with me in a secure bunker.
We’ve got everything we need to wait this out, but mankind is
depending on you. There’s one more thing, Bob. I have to warn you.
I know you haven’t been out of that lab in days, and you need to be
prepared. They’re all dead out there. When you walk out of those
secure doors, you will be fighting for your life. Life as you know
it, has changed. There’re no more trains, the airports have been
overrun and are now non-accessible. The roads are just as dangerous.
The sound from the cars seem to attract the dead. You’re 1,200
miles away. You need to make it here one way or another. We can
synthesize your serum here and try to save any non-infected.
Godspeed, Bob!” The General said as the line went dead.

Bob stepped out into
the hallway and called for MARIA.

“MARIA would you
please pull up the exterior cameras on this monitor.” The monitor
warmed up and displayed twelve four-inch square boxes. Every box
showing a different camera shot of the lab exterior. Bob searched the
monitor and found the exterior courtyard view. He used the cursor to
make the courtyard camera expand to full screen. It was empty at
first, and he was about to switch to another camera, when he caught a
young woman run into the camera view from the east. Without stopping,
the woman looked back across the cobblestone courtyard and lost her
footing. She tumbled, landing on her hands and face. She was slow to
get up, and it became obvious why she had been running. Two men and a
woman entered the screen from the same side as the woman. Even with
the graininess of the monitor, Bob could see the decaying flesh of
the woman’s three new friends. They were slow and clumsy, but
gaining distance on her. She tried to get up again, but stumbled on
her twisted ankle. One of the dead men got a few fingers wrapped in
the woman’s sweater. It was just enough to slow her down, so the
second dead male was able to grab onto her. Like wild animals
fighting for a piece of meat, the three attacked her. Clawing, biting
and tearing away lengths of flesh. The woman’s shoe had fallen off,
and Bob watched as the woman’s pantyhose covered toes stopped
twitching. He continued to watch as other dead came into view and
joined in the feeding frenzy. Bob turned his head away from the
monitor, stood up and walked away.

MARIA escorted Bob back
to Dr. Marcil and Sophie. He gave them the General’s grave news and
told them about the attack, not less than twenty yards from where
they were standing. Dr. Marcil put a hand on Bob’s shoulder, “I’m
sorry you had to see that my friend.” Sophie took his other arm,
“Bob, if they’re all dead, then how are we supposed to test the
serum? If the tests are successful, how are we supposed to get it to
Atlanta?” Sophie asked. Bob thought about it, “We’re going to
drive until we run out of gas. Then we’re going to find another
car. If we can’t find another car, then we are going to walk.”
Bob insisted.

“It will take us a
month to walk to Atlanta.” Sophie said concerned.

“Well, I hope you
have a good pair of sneakers!”

October 11th 10:39 PM

Five minutes later, I
came back into the living room to find Chevy watching out the window
again, “What’s out there?” I asked. Chevy wiped away the
condensation left on the glass by his breath, “There’s nothing. I
mean, I don’t see anyone. It’s like they’ve all disappeared.”
He used his sleeve to wipe the window again. I joined him in his
exterior search through the living room window, “Are we gonna do
this thing or what? I need to make sure my parents are okay.” I
said. I felt the knot in my stomach starting to come back. We ended
our exterior watch and headed for the front door. I stopped at the
door and took a knee for a quick inventory of my backpack. Granola
bars, gloves, an extra shirt, and four sodas stuffed in the bottom.
The side pocket held a four inch folding knife that I only carried
when I was deer hunting with my dad.

I decided to pull the
knife out of my pack and stuck it in my front pocket.

“What’s that for?”
Chevy asked looking at the knife.

“It’s for
protection, in case we run into anymore of those dead people out
there? The lady on the TV said you have to destroy their brain!” I
explained as I unfolded the knife and tapped the point with my
finger.

“You bring up an
interesting point, Ty!”

“I’ll be right
back.”

Chevy left and began
searching the house for his own weapons. Over the course of the next
three minutes, I heard boxes banging, doors slamming, and at one
point I thought I heard Chevy walking around the attic. When he
finally emerged from the hallway, he was transformed into a killing
machine. Swinging from his right leg was our camping hatchet and on
his left, a framing hammer. Our 20-inch barbeque fork was half
stuffed into a pocket on his pack with the tines sticking out the
top. He was holding a six-foot metal rod in his right hand. Chevy had
duct taped a steak knife to the end of the rod’s shaft.

“What the hell is
that thing?” I chuckled. Chevy held up the shaft like a javelin,
“It’s a spear! I ripped down my curtain rod and taped a steak
knife on the end!” Chevy said as he handed me the spear. I lifted
it, like I was working out curling a dumbbell, “Wow, it’s heavy!”
I said as I handed it back to Chevy.

“Yeah, I know! It’s
twisted brass and expensive. I took it from my parent’s house
before it was sold. It will be great for stabbing those things.” he
exclaimed, and I had to agree. It was a formidable weapon.

Again, we met at the
door, both ready for battle. I looked out of the front door’s peep
hole, “It’s clear!”

Chevy hit the light
switch and the living room went black. We stood there in the dark,
both ready and scared to death. I swung open the door, and we both
charged into the front yard screaming with weapons drawn, and
prepared for anything that might come our way. We stopped in the
middle of the yard, screaming battle cries. We spun around, ready to
kill enemies from any direction, “Ah-hhhhhh!” I screamed, as we
were attacked on all sides, by silence. There was nobody. Standing
there alone with Chevy, I felt a little foolish. Even Mrs. McCarthy
was gone. The only thing that remained of her was black ooze stains
she left behind in the street. “So which way should we go?” Chevy
asked, as he kept his eyes watchful for continuing threats. “I say
we make a beeline to their house, cut through backyards and only
cross the roads when they’re clear.” Chevy agreed with a single
nod. We crept through our yard and made it to Chevy’s truck. We
took up position behind one of the huge tires. I got down on my belly
and shimmied under the truck, peering out to see if there was anyone
coming from either direction. As I scanned the road, I thought I
heard Chevy say, “Don’t worry old girl. I’ll be back for you as
soon as I can.”

I couldn’t help but
giggle, “Are you talking to your truck?” I crawled out from under
the truck and looked up at Chevy.

“No! I wasn’t
talking to my truck! I was talking to you, and you must have misheard
me.” Chevy complained.

“If that’s the
case, then why did you call me old girl?” I asked, now grinning
from ear to ear. “Damn, Ty! You’re being a jerk! Now is the road
clear or not?” Unable to hold it any longer, my smile turned into a
full fledge laugh. Chevy walked away, headed for the street pissed
off. “Wait for me! You don’t want to leave me, your old girl,
behind do you?” Chevy kept walking without looking back. For the
next ten minutes, we walked in silence. Oops.

October 10th 1:45pm

After not sleeping for
days, Dr. Marcil took off his glasses setting them on the counter
next to him. While reaching up to rub his eyes, he called out to
MARIA. “Yes, Dr. Marcil is there something I may assist you with?”
the voice squawked. “MARIA, please locate Dr. Simone and Colonel
Aiken. Ask them if they would be so kind as to meet me in the lab?”
Dr. Marcil put his glasses back on and turned the flame off from
under the 1,000 ml flask. The dark red rapidly bubbling liquid began
to slow. The doctor removed the flask and gently swirled the inner
contents looking for uniformity. He was setting the cooling liquid
back on the stand as Sophie and Bob walked in.

“What do we have here
Doctor?” Bob inquired as he admired the red swirling fluid. “That’s
it!” Dr. Marcil cheered. “I’m calling it Emapp, and it’s
ready for testing!”

He poured a few
milliliters into a smaller beaker, using those contents to fill a
syringe.

Dr. Marcil capped the
syringe and handed it to Bob. He studied the syringe and then looked
up at Dr. Marcil. “What am I supposed to do with this?” he asked,
holding up the needle. “It’s your job to test it, Colonel.” Bob
gave the doctor an, are you crazy look, and threw the syringe on the
counter, “I’m not sticking that thing in my arm! Remember what
happened to Miranda!”