{"id":242,"date":"2013-07-21T16:35:35","date_gmt":"2013-07-21T16:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/?page_id=242"},"modified":"2025-07-11T20:35:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T20:35:04","slug":"chapter-50","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/story\/chapter-50\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 50"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 50<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve formed a new kind of family here on the base.\u00a0 Most of us aren\u2019t related, by blood or marriage or anything else.\u00a0 We don\u2019t have much in common, other than the fact that we\u2019ve, so far, managed to survive.\u00a0 Before the Osiris Virus struck, some of us were rich, some of us were poor, and most of us were somewhere in between.\u00a0 We had our own lives, our own families, but they\u2019re all gone now.\u00a0 All we have is each other, and that makes us family.\u00a0 Necessity is stronger than blood, stronger than marriage, stronger than common threads.\u00a0 Necessity is the true tie that binds.\u00a0 We stick together because we need each other; it\u2019s as simple as that.<\/i><\/p>\n

Of this new family, I am still the father figure, still the leader.\u00a0 These people are like my sons and daughters, my brothers and sisters.\u00a0 It is my duty to protect them and keep them unified.\u00a0 It\u2019s not an easy job.\u00a0 They may have come together like a family, but they fight like a family, too.\u00a0 I can\u2019t say I blame them.\u00a0 There are a lot of different personalities here, and it\u2019s not hard to see why some of them clash.\u00a0 Sometimes I raise my voice, too.<\/i><\/p>\n

They drive me crazy, just like a family, but at the end of the day, I love them, just like a family.\u00a0 They <\/i>are my family now.\u00a0 It\u2019s a different kind of family, not one I would have chosen, but really, who gets to choose their family anyway?\u00a0 Most people are born into a family.\u00a0 The ten of us were brought together by destiny \u2013 or whatever it was that spared our lives and helped us find each other.\u00a0 Maybe I\u2019ll never know what exactly it was, but I do know one thing:\u00a0 I would die to keep this new family of mine alive.<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Friday, April 20, 2012<\/b>
\n2:00 p.m.<\/b><\/p>\n

Kevin had a headache.<\/p>\n

Standing outside the church, his gun in hand, he viewed guard duty as a reprieve from the tension stagnating inside the chapel.\u00a0 He was used to living in close quarters with other people, but only military people, people with strong character and discipline.\u00a0 He was not used to being holed up with people who were snotty, whiney, immature, or unrestrained\u2026 and he wasn\u2019t thinking of Gabby.<\/p>\n

The thirteen-year-old girl, surprisingly enough, had proven herself to be more of an asset than a hindrance.\u00a0 She had helped her mother make the church fit for living, and she had demonstrated a willingness, even an aptitude, for weapons training.\u00a0 Kevin wasn\u2019t comfortable with the idea of arming her for actual combat with the undead, but he had no doubt that she would rise to the challenge, if it ever came to that.\u00a0 She was young, too young for the horrors she had witnessed, but whether because of this, or in spite of it, she seemed mature beyond her years.<\/p>\n

If only they could all be that way,<\/i> he thought grimly.\u00a0 Of the first set of newcomers, only AJ had really contributed to life on the base \u2013 another pleasant surprise to Kevin, given his rough exterior.\u00a0 Kevin knew himself to be judgmental; he expected things to be a certain way and was automatically wary of anything that went against the norm, and AJ, with his too many tattoos and too-cool attitude, was one who certainly did.\u00a0 AJ was an artist, an addict, practically an anarchist \u2013 uncouth, undisciplined, and unpredictable.\u00a0 He was the last person Kevin would, under normal circumstances, entrust a gun and expect to conform to military training.\u00a0 But while everything around them was deteriorating, AJ seemed to be thriving in this new, zombie-infested world.\u00a0 He had quickly risen through the unofficial ranks to become Kevin\u2019s right-hand man, his best soldier, the major to his lieutenant colonel.\u00a0 Though they were opposites in many ways, Kevin admired AJ\u2019s courage and candor and thought he could understand, at times such as this, why he was so willing to take on extra sniper duty, just to escape the chapel for awhile.\u00a0 In that respect, they were not so different after all.<\/p>\n

His eyes searched the landscape around him, alert for signs of movement on the horizon \u2013 either zombies, following the scent of his flesh on the breeze, or AJ and the two younger women, returning from target practice.\u00a0 They had been gone an hour now, and he hoped being forced out into the open, with the threat of the undead heightened, would be enough to scare Kayleigh into learning how to defend herself.\u00a0 She was a skinny girl, not strong, but in shape; she would have no problem wielding a weapon, if she would only try.\u00a0 Kevin had trained plenty of young women her size in the Air Force; the only difference between them and her was their strength of mind, a quality Kayleigh lacked.\u00a0 She seemed determined to stay weak, the constant damsel in distress.\u00a0 In that respect, she was as stubborn as Howie, and almost as infuriating.<\/p>\n

Howie seemed eager enough to defend himself, but he was too arrogant to learn the proper way to do so.\u00a0 He was a man who liked to be in control, in charge, and he didn\u2019t take direction well.\u00a0 Accustomed to men who followed orders from higher officers without question, Kevin was not used to being challenged.\u00a0 Just as Kayleigh was determined to stay helpless, Howie seemed determined to prove he could learn without being taught.\u00a0 On their trips to the shooting range, he ignored Kevin\u2019s advice and, as a result, continued to waste precious seconds lining up his shot, trying to get his aim perfect, which led to him firing too late and missing his target completely.\u00a0 To make matters worse, he panicked at the first moan of a zombie, and Kevin feared that even if he did learn to aim and shoot quickly, he would still freeze up when confronted with a lurching, undead target.<\/p>\n

The latest pair of arrivals showed more promise.\u00a0 Nick had shot well on his first trip out.\u00a0 He had never fired a real gun before that morning, he\u2019d told Kevin, but he was a skilled video gamer, and it showed in his hand-eye coordination.\u00a0 When he took the time to line up his shot, his aim was excellent.\u00a0 Unlike Howie, though, he spent little time actually aiming.\u00a0 He was quick to pull the trigger, but his shooting was chaotic, inconsistent.\u00a0 With some practice, though, Kevin was confident Nick would become a capable defender.\u00a0 He, at least, was willing to learn.<\/p>\n

He hoped Riley would be the same way, though he worried, too, about her stubbornness.\u00a0 She was tough to read, even harder to predict.\u00a0 When she and Nick had arrived, she\u2019d been quiet, withdrawn.\u00a0 Her explosion at Kayleigh earlier had come without warning, and even now, it left Kevin unsettled.\u00a0 Riley was a firecracker with a short fuse who had gone off in a small space, surrounded by people who were already on edge.\u00a0 He knew what dissention in the ranks could do to a regiment\u2019s morale, and he worried that if tempers flared and arguments like the one this morning continued, their precariously united group would fracture.\u00a0 He hoped, as AJ had, that both women would work out their emotions on the skeet range.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, he massaged his temple with his free hand and tried to enjoy the temporary solitude.\u00a0 It was a beautiful day; the sky was blue, the sun was shining, and a coastal breeze was blowing, bringing with it the fishy, salty scent of the Gulf.\u00a0 If only it were enough to mask the stench of decay that had thickened throughout the base, as bodies, both dead and undead, began to rot in the heat and humidity, without which Kevin might have been able to pretend it was just another typical day.<\/p>\n

If he\u2019d counted the days correctly, it was a Friday afternoon.\u00a0 Normally, he\u2019d be looking forward to the weekend \u2013 a break from the physical therapy that had kept him here on the base to recuperate from his injury, a chance to get off the base and go out, see the sites western Florida had to offer, or just relax.\u00a0 Now, weekends were meaningless.\u00a0 Time itself was meaningless.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t matter if it was Friday or Monday, day or night; they had to be on alert at all hours, ready to defend themselves against the constant threat of the living dead.<\/p>\n

Again, Kevin\u2019s eyes panned the horizon.\u00a0 A distant rumble drew his attention in the direction of the front gate, which was out of his range of sight.\u00a0 He strained his ears, listening.\u00a0 Unless it was just the shuffling feet of a massive horde of zombies, that sounded like something that was running \u2013 a motor.\u00a0 He hated to get his hopes up, but it had happened twice before, first with Howie\u2019s purple Lexus and then Nick\u2019s pink Barbie car.\u00a0 Could it be that another carload of living people had found their way to the base?<\/p>\n

Forgetting his headache, Kevin jammed his hand into his pocket, fumbling around for the keys to the Humvee.\u00a0 He came up empty and remembered that AJ had driven Riley and Kayleigh down to the skeet range in it.\u00a0 Looking around, his eyes darted between the only two vehicles in the front lot \u2013 the purple Lexus and the pink Beetle.<\/p>\n

Sighing, he turned to open the one unfortified entrance to the church.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just me!\u201d he called in at once, announcing himself.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Howie!\u00a0 Can I borrow your car?\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie hesitated; at first, there was no response.\u00a0 Then Kevin heard a reluctant, \u201cUh\u2026 well-\u201d<\/p>\n

He rolled his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cNick?\u201d he shouted, cutting Howie off.\u00a0 \u201cKey to the Barbie car, please?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick was there at once, keys dangling from the keyless entry in his hand, a questioning expression on his face.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s up?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I heard another car.\u00a0 I wanna go meet it.\u00a0 Thanks,\u201d Kevin added, grabbing the keys from Nick.\u00a0 \u201cWatch the chapel, will ya?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure thing,\u201d replied Nick.<\/p>\n

Kevin smiled; at least one of them was agreeable.\u00a0 \u201cBe back,\u201d he said, darting out of the church.\u00a0 He aimed the keyless entry at the flowery, pink Beetle and heard a honk and a click as the locks disarmed.\u00a0 His legs protested as he squeezed himself into the driver\u2019s seat, jamming his knees beneath the dash.\u00a0 Turning the key in the ignition, he heard the engine sputter to life and the sound of Michael Jackson\u2019s voice through the speakers, singing, \u201cThriller\u2026 thriller night\u2026 so let me hold you tight and share a killer thriller, ow!\u201d <\/i><\/p>\n

Kevin shook his head, stifling a chuckle.\u00a0 \u201cReally?\u201d he muttered aloud and then shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cGuess it fits.\u201d<\/p>\n

He turned the volume down and pulled out of the parking lot.\u00a0 The pink sunflower drooping over the bud vase in the dashboard swayed as the convertible putted up Bayshore Boulevard.\u00a0 Just a short ways up the road, Kevin spotted the metallic glimmer of the hood of the other vehicle, approaching slowly.\u00a0 He honked the horn in excitement and frowned in bewilderment at the feeble \u201cmeep!\u201d that sounded from the Beetle.\u00a0 Changing his mind, he slowed to a stop and put the car into park, letting the engine idle as the other vehicle grew near.<\/p>\n

It was a pick-up truck, he saw, though with the sun reflecting off the windshield, he couldn\u2019t make out the faces of the people inside.\u00a0 The truck rolled to a stop in its own lane, and the driver\u2019s side door opened. \u00a0A man jumped down from the big truck, temporarily obscured by the open door, but when he straightened up and stepped out from behind the door, Kevin\u2019s jaw dropped open.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrian?!\u201d\u00a0 He scrambled out of the Beetle, practically spilling out onto the road as his long legs tangled together, shouting his cousin\u2019s name all the while.\u00a0 \u201cBrian!\u201d<\/p>\n

A familiar figure was running towards him, until the two men collided in a crushing hug.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t believe it\u2019s really you,\u201d Kevin murmured, tightening his arms around his cousin\u2019s bony frame.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe neither,\u201d replied Brian, squeezing him back fiercely.\u00a0 \u201cI came here on a chance; I didn\u2019t know where else to go… but I didn\u2019t think you would really\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He trailed off, but Kevin knew how the sentence ended.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of the base is dead,\u201d he replied.\u00a0 \u201cThere are a few other survivors who\u2019ve made it here.\u00a0 How about Leighanne and the girls?\u201d\u00a0 He looked over Brian\u2019s shoulder to see the passenger side door opening, but the woman who climbed out of the truck was not Brian\u2019s wife.\u00a0 Kevin glanced down as Brian\u2019s gaze flickered up to meet his, and his heart sunk as he noticed the sheen of tears in his cousin\u2019s blue eyes.\u00a0 Brian\u2019s adam\u2019s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed, but he didn\u2019t speak.\u00a0 He just shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh Bri\u2026\u201d he whispered, and pulled Brian back into another hug, patting his back awkwardly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d\u00a0 He pictured Brian\u2019s twin girls, his own nieces, and his heart broke for his cousin.<\/p>\n

Brian pulled out of the hug and straightened again, clearing his throat.\u00a0 When the truck door slammed shut, he glanced over his shoulder to see the woman approaching timidly and beckoned her over.\u00a0 \u201cKev, this is Gretchen,\u201d he introduced his companion, as she came up alongside him.\u00a0 To her, he said, \u201cMeet my cousin, Kevin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gretchen\u2019s blue eyes widened in a mixture of disbelief and delight.\u00a0 \u201cWow!\u201d she exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s so nice to meet you!\u00a0 To meet anyone, really\u2026 but especially you.\u00a0 We\u2026 we didn\u2019t know if we\u2019d find anyone alive down here, let alone you.\u00a0 We haven\u2019t seen a living soul since we left Atlanta.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a few others here,\u201d Kevin repeated to her.\u00a0 \u201cYou guys\u2019ll make it ten.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre there… you know\u2026 any of them<\/i> here, too?\u201d Gretchen asked, looking around apprehensively.<\/p>\n

Kevin knew to what she was referring.\u00a0 \u201cUnfortunately, yes,\u201d he replied.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve been going out practically every day, taking out as many as we can, but the base is huge; we won\u2019t get them all for awhile.\u00a0 That said, we should head to the chapel \u2013 that\u2019s where we\u2019re staying, for now.\u00a0 It\u2019s as secure as anywhere.\u201d\u00a0 When they nodded, he added, \u201cJust follow me in your truck.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNice ride, Kev,\u201d Brian remarked sarcastically, as Kevin turned to head back to the pink Beetle.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t have to look back to know that his cousin was smirking.\u00a0 He responded by waving his middle finger over his shoulder.<\/p>\n

Crap<\/i>, he realized, as he opened the door to the Barbie car.\u00a0 I just flipped off a minister.<\/i>\u00a0 \u201cSorry Lord,\u201d he muttered out loud, as he climbed in, glancing up at the canvas top.\u00a0 \u201cAnd thanks\u2026 thanks for sparing my cousin, and for sending him here.\u201d<\/p>\n

He threw the car back into drive and pulled a U-turn, and when he glanced up into the rearview mirror, the truck was behind him.\u00a0 Brian and Gretchen tailed him, as he led the way back to the chapel.<\/p>\n

When they reached the parking lot in front, Kevin saw the Humvee parked there.\u00a0 That meant AJ, Riley, and Kayleigh were back.\u00a0 He parked the Beetle two spaces down, leaving a spot for Brian\u2019s truck.\u00a0 He grabbed his gun from the passenger seat before climbing out, looking around for any zombies that may have followed the others back.\u00a0 Brian and Gretchen climbed down from the truck, also wary.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks clear, for now!\u201d called a voice, and they all turned to see Nick standing just outside the church door, armed with a gun.\u00a0 \u201cA few of \u2018em followed AJ and the girls back, but we took \u2018em out.\u201d\u00a0 Looking around, Kevin could see fresh \u2013 or recently dead, anyway \u2013 corpses littering the grass.\u00a0 \u201cSo hey, more people!\u201d Nick exclaimed, grinning at the new arrivals.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy cousin, Brian,\u201d said Kevin, slinging an arm around Brian\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cAnd this here is Gretchen.\u00a0 Gretchen, Brian, meet Nick.\u00a0 He just got here yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNice to meet you,\u201d said Gretchen at the same time Nick said, \u201cWelcome.\u201d\u00a0 Brian merely nodded his greeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got some supplies,\u201d Brian spoke up, motioning to the truck bed.\u00a0 \u201cShould we unload them now, or\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, might as well do it now, while there\u2019s no zombies around.\u201d\u00a0 Kevin hurried to lower the tailgate.\u00a0 With Nick\u2019s help, they were able to unload everything \u2013 bags of food, clothes, guns, blankets, and other survival supplies \u2013 and carry it into the chapel in one trip.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got more newbies!\u201d Nick announced, as Kevin secured the door shut behind them.<\/p>\n

Gabby came scurrying out of the sanctuary to see the new arrivals, Jo and Riley behind her.\u00a0 A flurry of chatter rose in the entryway, as introductions was made, the women hugging, Brian shaking hands.\u00a0 Gabby led them into the sanctuary to meet the others.\u00a0 Kevin noticed Kayleigh and AJ slouched in opposite corners, leading him to wonder how their training session had gone.\u00a0 They both glanced up at the group\u2019s noisy entrance, but neither of them got up.\u00a0 Howie came right down from the altar, his hand outstretched pompously, to greet the newcomers.\u00a0 Kevin led another round of introductions.<\/p>\n

Gabby offered to take Brian and Gretchen on a quick tour of the chapel, while Jo set to work organizing the new supplies, adding them to the inventory of what they already had.\u00a0 While this was going on, Kevin slipped off to AJ\u2019s corner and sank down beside him.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019d everything go?\u201d he asked in a low voice, with a pointed look toward Kayleigh.<\/p>\n

AJ snorted.\u00a0 \u201cAbout like you\u2019d expect.\u00a0 I guess I should be congratulated on the fact that neither of them shot each other.\u00a0 And Kayleigh did<\/i> have a gun in her hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin smirked.\u00a0 \u201cDid you get her to actually pull the trigger?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce or twice.\u00a0 She\u2019s a terrible shot, but I don\u2019t think she was really trying.\u00a0 She wants to suck at it.\u00a0 She wants us to think she\u2019s so bad at it, we\u2019ll never put her on sniper duty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSounds about right.\u00a0 How about Riley?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s good.\u00a0 Real good, for a chick.\u00a0 Once she quit bitching at Kayleigh, she was fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u00a0 Thanks for taking them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo problem, man.\u201d\u00a0 There was a long pause, and then AJ added, \u201cThanks\u2026 thanks for trusting me to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin was surprised at the hesitancy in his voice.\u00a0 He smiled and clapped AJ\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cSure.\u00a0 If anyone could\u2019ve gotten Kayleigh to shoot a gun, I knew you could.\u201d<\/p>\n

AJ snorted again.\u00a0 \u201cSo,\u201d he changed the subject, \u201cthat guy Brian, he\u2019s your cousin?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, from Georgia.\u00a0 He came here on the off chance that I might still be alive, or at least that the base would be a safe zone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s pretty lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u00a0 What are the chances, right?\u201d\u00a0 Kevin\u2019s voice dropped to a whisper, as he added, \u201cHis family didn\u2019t make it, though.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know the details\u2026 don\u2019t know if he\u2019s ready to talk, or if I even wanna know\u2026 but he had a wife and kids\u2026 two little girls\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo the chick with him \u2013 she\u2019s not his wife?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sucks, dude.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin nodded, and another awkward silence fell.\u00a0 When Gabby returned from the tour with Brian and Gretchen in tow, he stood up and motioned for AJ to follow.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, man, come join the group.\u201d\u00a0 Even Kayleigh slunk over from her secluded corner to sit on the outskirts of the cluster, as they all settled down into a section of pews together.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you two came all the way from Georgia?\u201d asked Riley, surveying the newest additions to their group.\u00a0 \u201cNo wonder it took you so long to get here; it took me and Nick forever just to get across town!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, we only traveled by day\u2026\u201d Gretchen explained.\u00a0 \u201cWe stayed a couple of nights in abandoned houses, and we got held up for three days at a gas station.\u00a0 We kept having to switch vehicles for fuel; the gas pumps won\u2019t work with the power down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got good generators here,\u201d supplied Kevin, \u201cso it won\u2019t be a problem, at least not for awhile.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood weapons too, I bet,\u201d added Gretchen.\u00a0 \u201cWe just have a couple of hunting rifles we took from a farmhouse\u2026 although your cousin showed me how to make a Molotov cocktail.\u00a0 That\u2019s how we finally escaped the gas station; we were surrounded!\u00a0 Pretty impressive, for a music teacher.\u201d\u00a0 She grinned at Brian, who didn\u2019t quite meet her eyes as he flashed a quick smile back.\u00a0 He cast a furtive glance at Kevin, who stared back at him in confusion.\u00a0 Why had he lied to Gretchen about his occupation?<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a music teacher?\u201d Nick spoke up.\u00a0 \u201cRock on, man.\u00a0 We need another music lover up in here.\u00a0 Riley gets annoyed by my singing.\u201d\u00a0 He stuck his tongue out at Riley, who rolled her eyes in response, grinning the whole time.<\/p>\n

Brian chuckled, but the sound seemed forced.\u00a0 \u201cYeah?\u00a0 You work in music, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u2026 not really.\u00a0 I don\u2019t really\u2026 work,\u201d Nick replied awkwardly.\u00a0 \u201cI mean, I\u2019m sorta\u2026 between jobs.\u00a0 Or I was, at least, before all this shit went down.\u00a0 Guess it doesn\u2019t matter now, does is?\u00a0 Money\u2019s worthless.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine with me,\u201d AJ chimed in.\u00a0 \u201cDoesn\u2019t matter now what class anyone is \u2013 or was, I should say.\u00a0 We\u2019re all equals now \u2013 no one\u2019s better than anyone else just because they\u2019ve got more money.\u201d\u00a0 Kevin noticed that his gloating smile seemed directed mostly at Howie, who looked disgruntled.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what did everyone else do, before last Friday?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInfernal Friday, I\u2019ve been calling it in my head,\u201d interjected Riley.\u00a0 \u201cThe day the world went to Hell.\u00a0 I was gonna use it in my news report \u2013 you know, play up the drama.\u00a0 As if the situation needed to be any more dramatic.\u201d\u00a0 She rolled her eyes at herself, her cheeks flushing.<\/p>\n

\u201cInfernal Friday\u2026 I like that,\u201d said Gretchen, offering a grim smile.\u00a0 \u201cSo you\u2019re a reporter?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was.\u201d\u00a0 Riley put on her news anchor voice.\u00a0 \u201cThis is Riley Blake, for Channel Three News\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

AJ smirked.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve seen you on TV.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe too,\u201d added Kevin, as a sudden realization dawned.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t recognized Riley without her makeup and hair done, but now he remembered her as the reporter who had toured the base just a couple of weeks earlier for a report on the new jet prototypes being tested at MacDill.\u00a0 \u201cYou interviewed me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s right.\u00a0 Small world, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d say so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what do you do, Gretchen?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a teacher.\u00a0 Third grade,\u201d added Gretchen, and there was a sadness in her voice.\u00a0 Kevin thought of all the military children who had died on the base, and of Brian\u2019s daughters.<\/p>\n

Then Howie said, \u201cThat\u2019s the grade my son was in.\u00a0 He was nine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone looked at him.\u00a0 To Kevin, it looked as if they were all as surprised as he was.\u00a0 Only Kayleigh did not react.\u00a0 No one else, it seemed, had known that Howie was a father.\u00a0 He had never mentioned having a child.\u00a0 They noticed his use of past tense, though, and for a few seconds, no one spoke, for no one knew what to say.<\/p>\n

It was Brian who broke the silence.\u00a0 \u201cMy twin girls were seven.\u00a0 First grade.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie met his gaze with sympathy.\u00a0 \u201cWhat were their names?\u201d he asked quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cBonnie and Brooke.\u201d\u00a0 Brian\u2019s voice was shaky.\u00a0 \u201cHow about your son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBartholomew.\u00a0 We called him Bart, or Barty, for short.\u00a0 I was supposed to have him for the weekend, but\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Howie trailed off, shaking his head.\u00a0 Then he cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cIn any case,\u201d he went on briskly, changing the subject, \u201cI\u2019m the CEO of a major corporation, Dorough International, which owns and manages over a hundred hotels worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHm\u2026 too bad.\u00a0 It looks like this zombie crisis is really gonna put a damper on travel and tourism,\u201d remarked AJ in mock seriousness.\u00a0 \u201cYou might have to lower your room rates\u2026 or at least bump up the amenities.\u00a0 Personally, I always thought the continental breakfast could be a lot better, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you like to tell the others what it is you<\/i> do?\u201d snapped Howie.\u00a0 \u201cOr should I say, don\u2019t<\/i> do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u201d\u00a0 AJ\u2019s tone was as cool as Howie\u2019s was hot.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t drink anymore.\u00a0 I don\u2019t do drugs anymore.\u00a0 Before Howard here was hospitable enough to offer me a ride in his Lexus, I was an unemployed, starving artist in rehab.\u00a0 So there you have it:\u00a0 I\u2019m a loser.\u00a0 Make you feel better about your own life?\u201d<\/p>\n

Howard scowled.\u00a0 AJ smirked.\u00a0 Nick spoke up, \u201cActually\u2026 yeah \u2013 it does me.\u00a0 Good to know I\u2019m not the only loser in the bunch.\u00a0 Like I said, I was unemployed.\u00a0 I wanted to be an actor, but all I ended up doing was waiting tables in Hollywood for eight years, before I gave up and moved back here to live with my parents.\u00a0 Look up \u2018loser\u2019 in the dictionary, and you\u2019ll see my picture.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled good-naturedly, but Kevin could see the sting in his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least you followed your dreams,\u201d put in Jo, smiling at Nick.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just so hard to make ends meet in this economy, especially in a field as fickle as entertainment.\u00a0 There\u2019s no shame in working as a waiter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks.\u201d\u00a0 Nick looked pleased.\u00a0 \u201cSo what do you do, Jo?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m an ER nurse.\u00a0 You don\u2019t remember, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d\u00a0 Nick blinked, taken by surprise.\u00a0 \u201cMe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jo smiled patiently.\u00a0 \u201cSpeaking of it being a small world\u2026 I treated your head wound last week, Mr. Carter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone looked at Nick, who appeared bewildered.\u00a0 \u201cYou did?\u00a0 I don\u2019t remember\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShort-term memory loss is a common side effect of a head injury like yours.\u00a0 You were in and out of consciousness for several days; I\u2019m not surprised you don\u2019t remember,\u201d Jo explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry,\u201d said Nick.\u00a0 \u201cI remember getting into it with some douchebag frat boy-\u201d\u00a0 Kayleigh suddenly looked up.\u00a0 \u201c-and then I blacked out, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up in a deserted hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery 28 Days Later<\/i>,\u201d AJ put in.<\/p>\n

Gabby shuddered.\u00a0 \u201cOoh, that movie was scary!\u00a0 Do you think that\u2019s what caused this?\u00a0 Like, something like the pure rage virus in that movie?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t seen the movie\u2026 and I\u2019m not sure you should have seen it either,\u201d said Jo, frowning at her daughter, \u201cbut it was definitely some sort of virus, spread through the air\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Osiris Virus.\u201d\u00a0 Kayleigh spoke out of the blue.\u00a0 All of them turned to look at her.\u00a0 Blushing, she elaborated, \u201cAfter Osiris, the Egyptian god of the underworld.\u00a0 He was brought back from the dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a cool name,\u201d said AJ, with a nod in Kayleigh\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n

Kayleigh actually smiled, still looking a little embarrassed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2026 I\u2019m a history major at UCF; I\u2019ve studied ancient Egypt,\u201d she explained.\u00a0 \u201cI just thought it would be a good name for\u2026 you know\u2026 the virus.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does have a ring,\u201d Gretchen agreed, with an awkward chuckle.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s probably some official sciencey name for it, but that works for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Jo spoke again, \u201cwhatever it\u2019s called, this virus \u2013 the Osiris Virus \u2013 was definitely airborne.\u00a0 All of the patients at the hospital died of it, even the ones who were admitted for other reasons. \u00a0All of them, except\u2026 you.\u201d\u00a0 She looked directly at Nick, still frowning.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2026 I\u2019m ashamed to say I left you for dead, Nick.\u00a0 I wonder why you didn\u2019t get it.\u00a0 Or why I didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy any of us didn\u2019t,\u201d Kevin spoke up.\u00a0 \u201cIt was the same way at the base.\u00a0 You know,\u201d he added, to Jo.\u00a0 \u201cEveryone without a gas mask died within a day, except for me.\u00a0 Why didn\u2019t I get sick when I took my mask off?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI dunno why I didn\u2019t get it either,\u201d said AJ.\u00a0 \u201cEveryone else at the rehab center had already kicked the bucket when I decided to bounce.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the same way at the college,\u201d added Howie, and Kayleigh nodded solemnly.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe it\u2019s something in our genes,\u201d Gabby suggested, her brown eyes lighting up with this apparent revelation.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, like, our DNA!\u00a0 Think about it \u2013 my mom and me are both fine, and so are Kevin and Brian, and they\u2019re related!\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie raised his eyebrows, looking impressed with the thirteen-year-old.\u00a0 \u201cShe could be on to something.\u00a0 Maybe we all have an inherited resistance, an immunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s inherited, how do you explain our whole families dying?\u201d asked Riley.\u00a0 \u201cMy dad, my brothers\u2026 all dead.\u00a0 How could I be the only one in my family with some kind of genetic resistance?\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie\u2019s paused, pressing his lips into a thin line.\u00a0 \u201cNot everything gets passed on,\u201d he answered finally.<\/p>\n

They were quiet for a moment, all of them deep in thought.\u00a0 Then Gretchen said, \u201cShawn would have answers.\u00a0 My husband.\u00a0 He works for the CDC in Atlanta.\u00a0 He was sent up to Maryland to study the virus after the first outbreak.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t heard from him since Saturday, though\u2026 the cell phones are out of service.\u00a0 Hey!\u201d\u00a0 Her eyes widened suddenly, as she looked at Kevin.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t have a way to contact Fort Detrick, do you?\u00a0 He might still be there, at USAMRIID.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry,\u201d said Kevin.\u00a0 \u201cThe only means of communication we\u2019ve got here is radio.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been broadcasting over an AM frequency \u2013 that\u2019s how most of the others knew to come here \u2013 but I don\u2019t think the signal is strong enough to reach all the way up to Maryland.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d\u00a0 Gretchen sighed.\u00a0 \u201cOh well\u2026\u00a0 He\u2019s probably already left there, anyway.\u00a0 We should keep broadcasting.\u00a0 Maybe when he gets far enough south, he\u2019ll hear the message and come here.\u201d<\/p>\n

If he\u2019s still alive,<\/i> thought Kevin grimly, but of course, he didn\u2019t say it.\u00a0 He caught a look from Brian that told him his cousin had been thinking the same thing.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll keep broadcasting,\u201d he assured her.\u00a0 \u201cIf there are ten of us, there may be more.\u00a0 And in the meantime, we\u2019ll need to secure the base, and get rid of all the zombies.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be easier, now that we have more numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be nice to get out of this church,\u201d said Jo, and Riley nodded in agreement, with a sour look towards Kayleigh.\u00a0 \u201cFor today, though, we should rest.\u00a0 You two have had a long trip,\u201d Jo added, to Brian and Gretchen.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re so glad to have you here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank God,\u201d Kevin agreed, slinging his arm around Brian\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 He felt Brian stiffen and gave his cousin a searching look.<\/p>\n

Gretchen smiled and replied, \u201cWe\u2019re so glad to finally be here, too.\u201d\u00a0 But Brian just nodded once and said nothing, avoiding Kevin\u2019s questioning eyes.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter 50 We\u2019ve formed a new kind of family here on the base.\u00a0 Most of us aren\u2019t related, by blood or marriage or anything else.\u00a0 We don\u2019t have much in common, other than the fact that we\u2019ve, so far, managed … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":8,"menu_order":50,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"onecolumn-page.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/242"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=242"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":589,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/242\/revisions\/589"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}