“No. I had something that finished up early. Thought I’d save you the trip.”
In truth, Perez had canceled a previously scheduled video conference so he could make this personal appearance. In his mind, Sims was the second most important person in the Project. He had become the hammer that reinforced the principal director’s rule. So Perez knew it was necessary to make sure their working relationship was solid. Small things, such as dropping in like this, went a long way toward solidifying loyalty.
“Thank you, sir, but you didn’t have to do that.”
“Not a problem,” Perez said. “I take it you didn’t find anything after your last report.”
“No, sir. Those first tracks we saw were it. There was a big storm up there. I’m pretty sure they’re riding it out somewhere. Once the weather clears up, we can go back out and look for them again.”
Perez had received a report on the storm. It was the same one, though diminished, that was expected to hit northern New Mexico in the next hour or two, and could possibly make it all the way down to Las Cruces at some point during the night.
“If you do go back, what do you think your chances are of finding them?”
“Fair, I guess.”
“Give me a percentage.”
“Well, if the weather clears up in that area like it’s supposed to tonight, and we leave before first light tomorrow, I’d say we have maybe a forty-percent chance. If we have to wait twelve hours or a full day more, it would go down to single digits and probably not be worth it.”
Perez wasn’t sure a forty-percent chance would be worth it. “Touch base with me this evening. We’ll make a decision then.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Anything else to report?”
“No, sir. That’s it.”
“Very good.” As they shook hands, the principal director said, “Tell your men I’m very pleased with the work they are doing.”
“I will. They’ll appreciate that, sir.”
26
“Try again,” Rachel said.
“Okay,” Crystal said, “but the result’s going to be the same. Either their radio is off, or Matt’s not answering.”
“He’s got to answer.”
“I realize that, but I can’t make him pick up.”
Rachel’s jaw tensed. She needed to reach her brother, and try to talk him out of this insanity one last time. “Keep at it, Crystal,” she said. “You can make it every ten minutes, but don’t stop. They’ve got to check in at some point. When you do reach them, no matter where I am or what I’m doing, let me know. I must talk to Matt.”
“I’ll do my best,” Crystal said.
Robert made sure he was the very last person in line to receive an inoculation from the UN doctors. Renee had tried to take the position for herself, but settled on second to last at his insistence. Together they watched as the others went behind the screens that had been set up, and come back out a few minutes later, a few rubbing their arms and all of them smiling.
After Estella received her shot, she paused when she reached Robert. “It doesn’t hurt too much,” she said.
“I’m happy to hear that,” he said.
She touched his hand. “Lunch after you’re done?”
“Sure.”
She walked off, and he could feel Renee staring at him.
When he looked at her, she said, “Oh, really now.”
“Please don’t start.” Robert wasn’t in the mood to participate in any teasing. He was happy they were all being vaccinated, but he was still coming to grips with how many people Ivonne had said were dead.
Renee seemed to sense his frame of mind and didn’t say anything more.
Slowly, they continued moving forward until they were the last two in line.
After a few minutes, Helena, the UN nurse, stepped around the end of the screen and motioned to Renee. “Señorita, please come back.”
The two women disappeared behind the screen, leaving Robert the only one left.
He glanced out at the sea. It was another postcard day in paradise — blue sky, light breeze, and sunshine. It was the kind of day guests coming to the resort always hoped for as they flocked to the water, and took to the Jet Skis and snorkeling boats and surfboards. But that was Before. In the After, the water was empty and the beach deserted.
“Robert?”
He turned and found Ivonne smiling at him.
“Your turn.”
Renee was still there, sitting in a chair next to Dr. de Coster.
“Please sit here,” Ivonne said, pointing at the empty chair next to where she was set up.
After Robert followed her directions, she placed a strip of plastic against his head. When she pulled it off, she looked at it, and then noted something on the pad of paper. “Temperature’s normal,” she said. “Your arm, please.”
She wrapped a blood pressure cuff around his bicep, placed a stethoscope against his arm, and pumped up the device. Again, she wrote down the results.
“Feel any unusual aches or pains?” she asked, her fingers probing under his jaw and down his throat.
“No, I’m fine. I told you, we’re all fine,” he said.
A disarming smile. “I’m sure you are. It’s procedure only.”
“Sure. I guess that makes sense.”
She opened a plastic packet and removed a swab attached to a long, wooden dowel. “If you would open your mouth, I want to take a sample from inside your cheek.”
The testing went on for another few minutes, ending with two vials of blood being drawn before she pulled out a prepared syringe with orange-tinted liquid inside.
“This won’t hurt much, but you may feel a little uneasy in the next few hours. It doesn’t happen to everyone, but if it does, don’t worry. It will pass quickly.”
She jabbed the needle into his arm and pushed down the plunger. At first, it felt like he had a knot under his skin, but even before Ivonne put a small, round bandage over the injection point, the sensation had gone away.
“That’s it. You’re all done,” she said with a smile, and looked over at Helena. “Next one, please.”
“He was the last,” Helena said.
Ivonne leaned back in her chair and began rolling her head over her shoulders. “Finally.” She noticed Robert looking at her. “Yours is the largest group we’ve had to deal with at one time.”
“We’re the largest?” he said, surprised yet again.
“By far,” Dr. de Coster said. He’d finished with Renee a few minutes before, and she had left to join the others. “The average is three or four people. Our biggest group previous to yours was seventeen.”
“It’s a miracle that all of you are still here,” Ivonne said.
To Robert, it wasn’t so much a miracle as him and Dominic making hard choices and sticking by them.
He touched the bandage on his arm. “How long until we’re safe?”
Something changed in her expression. She glanced past Robert at de Coster. When she looked back, she said, “You’re the one in charge here, correct?”
“Well, there are a few others who try to help keep things in order,” he said.
“Perhaps you should have them join us.”
Robert suddenly felt very uncomfortable. “Why?”
“There are some things we need to discuss.”
Not wanting to cause any unnecessary concern among the rest of the island’s survivors, Robert decided the meeting would be held in Dominic’s apartment, located in a part of the resort few others ever went.
In addition to Renee, Robert asked Enrique Vasquel and Chuck Tyler — the two people who’d been helping him and Renee the most — to attend the meeting. Ivonne, Helena, and de Coster were joined by the older man who had ridden in the back of the plane with them.