Cassy ran as best she could and purposefully collided with the grate separating the pharmacy section from the market. Gripping it with her hands she noisily shook it and called out for Nancy. Nancy’s head popped up from behind the pharmacy desk. Nancy immediately saw the light coming from the front of the store.
“What’s going on?” she demanded.
Cassy was breathless. “Trouble,” she said. “We got to get out of here.”
“Okay,” Nancy said. “I’ve got everything anyway.” She came from behind the counter and tried to push through the hole in the mesh. The cut ends of the wires had other ideas, and she was snagged.
“Here, take this,” Nancy said, handing her sack of drugs to Cassy. Using both hands she tried to extract herself. She found it was not easy.
The light coming from the front of the store was suddenly dramatically augmented. At the same time a whooshing sound commenced and rapidly increased. When it reached earsplitting levels it cut off with such suddenness that its concussive effect knocked some teetering merchandise off shelving.
“Oh no!” Nancy moaned.
“What?” Cassy demanded.
“That was the sound when Eugene was consumed,” Nancy said. “Where’s Jesse?”
“Come on!” Cassy yelled. “We have to get out of here.”
She put down the parcel Nancy had given her and tried to pull back the edges of the wire mesh. Flashlight beams began sweeping around the inside of the store.
“Go!” Nancy cried. “Take the package and run!”
“Not without you,” Cassy said, struggling with the stiff wire.
“All right,” Nancy said. “You hold this side, and I’ll push the other.” Working together they were at last able to free Nancy.
Nancy grabbed the bag of drugs and together they began to run along the back of the store. They didn’t have a specific destination. They were merely counting on the store having a back entrance. Instead all they found was an interminable frozen food bin.
Reaching the far corner, they turned into the first aisle and headed forward. They thought that by running along the periphery of the building they’d eventually find a door. But they didn’t get far. Ahead a shadowy group of people rounded the corner. Most were carrying flashlights.
A simultaneous whimper of fear escaped from both Cassy’s and Nancy’s lips. What made the group particularly frightening was their eyes. They glowed in the dim light of the store like distant galaxies in a night sky.
Cassy and Nancy simultaneously reversed directions only to be confronted by a second group coming from behind. Huddling together they waited as the two groups closed in on them. When the people were close enough for the women to see their features, it was obvious they were equally divided between male and female, elderly and young. What they had in common was their glowing eyes and their plastic smiles.
For a few moments nothing happened except the infected people completely surrounded the women and pressed in on them. Cassy and Nancy were back to back with their hands clasped over their mouths. Nancy had dropped her bag of drugs.
Terrified at being touched, Cassy screamed when one of the infected people suddenly lunged for her and grabbed her wrist.
“Cassy Winthrope, I presume,” the man said with a short laugh. “This is indeed a pleasure. You have been missed.”
Pitt drummed his fingers on the steering wheel of Jesse’s van. Jonathan fidgeted in the passenger seat. Both were anxious.
“How long has it been now?” Jonathan asked.
“They are twenty-five minutes late,” Pitt said.
“What are we going to do?”
“I don’t know,” Pitt said. “If anybody was going to have trouble I thought it would have been us.”
“As long as we kept smiling, nobody seemed to care what the hell we did,” Jonathan said.
“Stay here!” Pitt said suddenly. “I got to check on that supermarket. If I’m not back here in fifteen minutes, drive back to the cabin.”
“But how will you get back?” Jonathan whined.
“There’s plenty of deserted vehicles around,” Pitt said. “That won’t be the problem.”
“But... ”
“Just do it,” Pitt snapped. He climbed out of the van and quickly descended the bluff. He emerged from the trees on a deserted street and set out toward the supermarket. He estimated he had about six blocks before he’d have to turn for the final block.
Ahead an individual came out of a building and turned in Pitt’s direction. Pitt could see his eyes glowing. Suppressing an urge to flee Pitt coaxed his face into a broad smile just as he and Jonathan had done in the medical center. Having already smiled so much his facial muscles were sore.
Pitt found it was nerve-racking to walk directly at the changed person. He had to concentrate not only on the smile but also in keeping his eyes directly ahead. He and Jonathan had learned the hard way that any eye contact was viewed suspiciously.
The man passed without incident, and Pitt breathed a sigh of relief. What a way to live, he mused sadly. How long could they survive this cat and mouse game?
Pitt rounded the corner and approached the supermarket. The first thing he saw was a group of cars parked directly in front of the store. What worried him was the fact that their lights were on. As he got closer he could hear their engines were running as well.
Reaching the edge of the parking lot, Pitt saw a tight group of people emerge from the store and begin to climb into the cars. Soon the sound of slamming car doors reached him.
Pitt dashed ahead and ducked into the shadowy doorway of a building at the edge of the entrance to the supermarket’s parking lot. Almost immediately the cars began moving and turned in his direction. As they gathered speed they formed into a single line. Pitt pressed himself back into his hiding place as the lights of the leading car swept across the front of him.
Moments later the first of the six cars passed within twenty feet of Pitt. It hesitated momentarily before turning out into the street, giving Pitt a fleeting look at the smiling faces of infected occupants.
Each car in turn passed. As the last car hesitated, Pitt caught his breath. A shiver of abject horror passed down his spine. Seated in the backseat was Cassy!
Unable to restrain himself and without considering the consequences, Pitt took a step forward as if he’d planned on racing to the car and yanking open the door. The low-level ambient light washed over him, and at that moment Cassy glanced in his direction.
For the briefest fraction of a second their eyes met. Pitt urged himself forward, but Cassy shook her head and the moment passed. The car lurched forward and quickly accelerated off into the night.
Pitt staggered back against the darkened door. He was furious with himself for not having done anything. Yet deep down he knew it would have been hopeless. All he could see when he closed his eyes was the image of Cassy’s face framed in the car window.
17
5:15 A.M.
The dazzling desert night sky that had been awash with stars was fast fading to shades of pinkish blue as the promise of another day brightened the eastern sky. Dawn was coming.
Beau had been on the terrace off the master bedroom enjoying the night air since he’d heard the good news. Now he was impatiently waiting for the last few minutes to pass. He knew the meeting was imminent since he’d seen the car come along the driveway and disappear from view in front of the mansion.
Beau heard footfalls through the bedroom and the sound of the latch on the French doors opening. But he didn’t turn around. He kept his eyes rooted at the place on the horizon where the sun was about to appear for a new day, a new beginning.
“You have company,” Alexander said. Then he withdrew and closed the doors behind him.