“Did Rose say she needs you?”
“Actually, she said not to come.”
“Then maybe —”
“No.” Lars shook his head. “There’s no question. Other than Rose, there is one valuable reason for me to go.”
“What’s that?” Tom asked.
“Eventually, there is going to be a clash. Them against us or them against that new army. Hell, I believe they’ll come into this town, but before they do, they need an insider. I’m going to be that insider.”
“Oh, that’s just like you, trying to make another name for yourself.” Tom stood and spoke with sadness laced sarcasm. “The new post-flu generation will raise their children to say, ‘you wanna grow up to be like Lars, don’t you?’
Lars smiled sadly. “I pray the post-flu generation has children.” He grabbed on to Tom’s arm. “You are my friend, Tom. I appreciate the concern. But I’m going in there, I will help Rose, and I will find out about this place and what all they are doing.”
“How will you get us this information?” Tom asked. “They’ll be listening, you know.”
“I have ideas.” Lars winked. “Oh ye of little faith. After all, I am Lars Rayburn.”
“That you are.”
Lars looked at Tom deeply, trying to convey that he had it under control and that everything would be alright. Then he left. He had far too much to get ready and too little time.
Damon, NY
Chris stood in the doorway of the small church. It was the place they were using as a school. He didn’t go in, he watched. It was chilly out, but he didn’t mind, he was too engrossed. He’d smile when Tigger raised his hand to answer a question and cringed when Tigger got it wrong.
Tigger looked happy, even anxious. Chris watched for a while, holding Emmie’s hand even though she clutched tightly to his leg for security.
It wasn’t her hand that Chris felt touch upon his back. He knew the touch and he looked up to see Mick. “Hey.”
“Hey, Chris. What are you doing?”
“Watching. They’re having school. Look at Tig. Don’t he look happy? Man… it’s pretty cool, though. You know, them having school.”
“I bet you miss it.”
“I do, and I miss my friends.”
“Why don’t you go in?” Mick cupped his head.
“I will. Ain’t the older kids’ time yet. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Oh my God, not at all. I’ll probably stand here and watch you. Who’s your girlfriend?”
Chris snorted a laugh. “This is Emmie. Say hi to Mick, Emmie.”
Emmie buried herself further into Chris.
“She came with us from the camp. Was running with us. Did real good too, huh, Emmie? Except she peed her pants a lot.”
Mick smiled.
“I predict in twenty years her and Tigger are gonna be married. You wait and see. He can’t be her boyfriend now, though. She’s half his age and that’s illegal or something. She’s gonna come with us to Lodi, Mick, if that’s okay?”
“Chris, I think —”
“She don’t have a family. I can take care of her if you don’t want to.”
“Chris—”
“I really like her, Mick. We can’t leave her behind.” Chris crinkled his brow. “You don’t want her?”
“What? No. I was gonna tell you I think that’s a good idea. I’d like that.”
“Whew,” Chris said in relief. “Good. ‘Cause I already told her about Pap. If you are alright with me bringing her home, what is it? You have that look on your face.”
“That look?”
“Yeah, you can’t hide things Mick. Really, Mom even said so. Said your face reads like a book.”
“What are you reading, Chris?”
“Worry.” Chris gasped. “Oh, no!”
“Oh no what?”
“My friend, Jake. It’s my friend Jake, isn’t it? He died?”
“What? Who’s Jake?”
“The boy that came with us,” Chris said. “You’re here to tell me about him ‘cause he got sick last night and Doc is keeping him at the clinic.”
“I don’t know about Jake, but I wanna talk to you. Walk with me over there.” Mick pointed to a bench.
“Okay.” Chris lifted Emmie and carried her with him to the bench.
“That’s pretty cool, Chris,” Mick said. “I’m awfully proud of you right now.”
“Someone is dying.”
Mick winced. “Why are you talking like that?”
“Because I know that look. That look scares me.”
“You’re also pretty perceptive. But I’m not here to tell you about anyone dying. I wanna talk to you on a grown-up level.”
“I can handle that, Mick, I drove a car.”
Mick put his hand on the back of Chris’ head. “That you did, and you even managed to hit a man without killing him.” He cleared his throat. “Chris, you know about the bad guys that put up the blockade right?”
“The ones in Erie?”
“Yep. I was on my way through there, and I was meeting my mom. Seems — and this all I know — it seems these guys got ahold of her first.”
Chris’ eyes widened. “Oh no, they got Rose?”
Mick nodded.
“Whew, thank goodness Rose is strong. Bet she took out a couple of them bad guys. Your mom is tough.”
“That she is, but as you can guess, I’m pretty worried.”
“I would be too. I am,” Chris said. “I’m sorry. You’re gonna go get her, right Mick? You’re gonna go get your mom and help her? That’s what you wanna talk to me about?” he rattled. “You wanna leave to get her and that’s fine. We’re safe here.”
“I want to get her, yes, but we don’t know enough about the blockade, who all is there, what they have and how many innocent people are there. It’s gonna take some planning. But we’ll get her. In the meantime, there’s something else.”
“Whoa.” Chris sat back. “What?”
“The flu that wiped out most of the world escaped accidentally from a lab. That lab was remote and it got out long before everyone caught it. Problem is, there are lots of these labs in the country, and they have more than one deadly disease. The diseases are contained and safe unless the power goes out. Then there’s a chance these viruses will leak out. Birds, other animals, people moving by the buildings, all of them can catch it. This happened in one lab already.”
Chris jaw dropped. “We’re all gonna die from deadly viruses?”
“Not if I can help it. There will be an effort today and tomorrow where people are pairing off, going to these labs, making sure all the viruses are still in the cases and then we’re gonna burn them out so they never threaten anyone again.”
“You said we…”
“That’s what I want to talk to you about. Five of these labs are in Maryland, on a base I know well. I want to go because I want to see for myself that these things are destroyed. For you and your brother, I have to know that they are. Especially Maryland, because there’s a germ there that’s worse than anything we’ve ever seen.”
“Are you asking me for permission?” Chris asked.
“Actually, Chris, I am. You tell me you don’t want me to go, I won’t go. No problem.”
“You want to do this?”
“I kind of have to do this.”
Chris closed his mouth tight and gave a proud look. “Then you go. You won’t be gone long, right?”
“I’ll leave in the morning and be back before you go to sleep.”
“Then you do it, so we can be even more proud of you.”
Mick pulled Chris into him and kissed him.
“Then you gotta get Rose back, Mick. You have to. Emmie needs her and Rose ain’t never had a daughter.”
“We’ll get her back. Then all of us, we head back to Lodi and live life as normally as we can.”