Resurrection (18 page)

Charlie was not certain how to react to this display, so he gave no outward reaction at all. He was not certain what was about to take place so he kept his cards hidden and his poker face on.

“Why don’t you bring our visitor into the library, I’ll join you there in a few minutes Nigel,” The man said.

“Yes Colonel Martin, thank you very much,” Nigel answered.

Nigel pointed the way and went ahead of Charlie disappearing behind a curtain at the far end of the room.

“Keep everyone on high alert Mr. Bell, let’s see what this man is up to; understand?” The Colonel said to the man in the suit.

“Yes sir, I understand,” he said.

Chapter 44

Nigel Directed Charlie to a large mahogany table in the middle of the library, Charlie looked around the room at shelf after shelf filled with books. After a moment a man dressed in a server’s outfit entered the room.

“Would you like something to drink,” he said. “Some coffee or tea perhaps and I have some chicken salad sandwiches prepared also.” He said.

Charlie was silent.

“Yes Lipscomb that would be fine and, coffee is good.” Nigel said speaking for Charlie.

Lipscomb returned with the coffee and sandwiches and set them on the table.

“Will there be anything else sir,” Lipscomb said looking to Nigel.

“No, nothing else Lipscomb I believe this will be fine thank you.”

Charlie reached out and fumbled with the coffee pot visibly irritated with the cuffs on his wrists and attempting to be as obvious as possible.

“Here let me help, sorry about this,” Nigel said standing and pouring Charlie a cup. “Sugar or cream?”

No, black,” Charlie said taking one of the sandwiches.

He munched on his sandwich and attempted to not spill coffee all over and Nigel sipped his drink in silence. Just then there was a flurry of activity outside of the library.

Through the glass French doors that led to the outside of the house Charlie noticed several men lining up on either side of the doorway. Nigel rose from his seat and waited, Charlie remained seated.

The doors opened and two men entered and took positions on either side, as the colonel entered the room.

“At ease gentlemen, please be seated,” he said.

He reached over and picked up a cup and saucer from the silver tray and then poured himself a cup of coffee. He dropped two cubes of sugar into his cup and they disappeared into the black liquid and the spoon clanked loudly against the sides of the cup as he stirred.

“Well, we finally meet and like I said we don’t often have guests, in fact you are the first so I would again like to welcome you to Resurrection. I am Colonel Jenks Martin,” he said.

“You have a funny way of treating guests,” Charlie said holding his cuffed hands out above the table.

The colonel looked over at Nigel and waved his hand and nodded. Nigel pulled a small ring of keys from his belt and opened the bracelets. Charlie rubbed his wrists and grimaced.

   “I’m sorry about the restraints but—”

   “Yes I know, precautions and necessities,” Charlie interrupted. "I’ve been told.”

   “Oh yes, I knew you’d be a fighter, don’t say I didn’t tell you Nigel. But look at this from our standpoint, you come out of the wasteland, you’re heavily armed, what are we supposed to do Charlie?”

   Charlie was taken aback by the use of his name, “how do you, wait, the boy where is he?”

   “I assure you the boy is safe and well fed but, after all Charlie he killed one of my men, one of my top men out there on that mountain. That man had a wife and child so I believe you can understand our reluctance to allow you two out and about without knowing anything about you.”

   “We didn’t have any idea who those men were, they could have been raiders for all we knew, the boy was defending himself, and he was defending me!” Charlie’s raised his voice and his tone was stern. Charlie finished his coffee and set the cup onto the sauce with a loud clink.

   “May I be candid with you Charlie?” Colonel Martin put his elbows on the table, his expression was stern.

   “About what?” asked Charlie

   “Well, about you of course.”

   Charlie leaned back into the chair, he knew exactly what the subject the colonel was broaching but he feigned ignorance anyway.

   “What about me?”

   “Don’t be evasive Charlie; I believe we both know what I am talking about. What I want to know is who you are? I want to know what you are.”

   Charlie leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. “I believe that all of these questions are unnecessary, you already have your answers. You took blood when I was out, studied my eyes, you already know,” he finished and then leaned back in the chair once again.

   “Your right Charlie, we do know quite a bit about you, we know what your blood revealed to us as well as what your eyes told. You carry the virus but you did not turn, a part of you is like those creatures out there but you are still human as well.

   Colonel Martin poured himself another cup of coffee, he pointed towards the pot and Charlie waved it away.

   “Charlie, what do you know about the virus, what do you know about the outbreak?”

   Charlie could see he was being probed, he knew the colonel was watching for his reaction. But He wondered what the questions meant, was there something about the epidemic that he had not heard before.

   “I know what everyone else knows. Something happened to the weather and the rains came. There was something about the rain though, it carried with it that flu and somehow the flu turned into this.

   Colonel Martin lit a cigarette, and laid the pack on the table. 

   “So Charlie, do you have any family out there, wife children perhaps?

   “Both, I have, I had a wife and five children, all gone now.”

   “I’m curious though, how did you come to be infected?”

   “My wife’s last act upon this earth was to give me a vicious bite. She attacked me and I put her in the ground in my basement with the kids; are you happy now Colonel Martin?” you guys make sure and write that down in whatever book you’re writing about me,” Charlie stood and kicked his chair back, it went crashing into the wall.

   “Ok, ok,” the colonel said raising his hands to stop the guards who were rushing Charlie. “I think that’s enough for today. Nigel won’t you show our guest to his new accommodations. We’ve taken the liberty of letting you use one of the empty homes on the main avenue, I think you will find it most comfortable.”

   Nigel took Charlie by the elbow and pulled him along out of the library. The colonel turned to the guards after they had exited.

   “Watch him,” he said.

Chapter 45

   Nigel led Charlie out of the mansion and out into the street.

   “Are you trying to get yourself shot?” He said. “Look, just calm down this is not easy for us either.”

   Nigel led Charlie to a small tin building sitting amongst a row of identical tin buildings and unlocked the door and allowed Charlie to enter first. Once inside Charlie saw a small but cozy room, an area rug covered the floor. There were two upholstered chairs against one wall. Beyond that there was a kitchen which had a sink and pantry and a small table.

   “And here is the bedroom, the mattress is old but it should be more comfortable than a bed in the outdoors,” said Nigel.

  Charlie turned on the hot water faucet at the sink; he ran his hands under warming water.

  “Yes, running hot water and a bathroom right over there with a shower,” Nigel said pointing to a room just off the front room. “Everything you need and of course we will bring you food for a while but you will be expected to become self-sufficient but in time of course.”

  “Of course,” Charlie sneered.

  “Well then, I’ll leave you alone now do try to get some rest.”

  Nigel turned and left the building closing the door behind him. Charlie pulled a chair from the table and sat down and lit a cigarette. He was not sure about all of this; he wasn’t certain what it was but something in his gut felt off.

  Later that evening he stepped outside his bungalow and ventured off to see some more of the place. When he was some distance away from the more populated area of the camp he could hear sounds, he wasn’t certain what they were but he continued to walk towards them.

  As he got closer to the fence he saw men with weapons, he also now heard the unmistakable sounds of Wasters on the other side of the barricade. Their moaning and gurgling, the low guttural growls were part of his reality now and they would never leave his memory.

  There were two armed men on either side of the gate. As Charlie approached he heard a high pitched screech. It too like the moaning was familiar to him but it still brought a chill down his spine. It was the sound a Waster would make upon spotting a human target.

  It was then he saw a horde of the monsters running out of the darkness and into the light. Bright motion activated lights kicked on but did not stop their advance. The first line of wasters hit the outer perimeter fence and sparks flew and smoke rose into the air and as the advance line fell at the fence the next wave hit. The smell of putrid and dead burning flesh entered his nostrils and he felt nauseated.

  “It’s almost beautiful isn’t it?”

  The words startled Charlie. He spun on his heels and saw Colonel Martin standing behind him lighting a cigarette. He blew out the match and tossed it on the ground.

  “Beautiful? I fail to see anything beautiful about it,” Charlie answered.

  “Look at them; mankind reduced to its basic instincts. One thing drives them and that is the need to feed. Not for their own sustenance though, it is to feed the virus, it is the virus which drives them. The virus keeps them animated for its own purposes and that single purpose is its own survival. It has to spread itself to keep multiplying and since it is no longer airborne a bite is the only method of transmission available to it.

  Then, as suddenly as the attack on the fence had started, it stopped. The Wasters turned away from the fence and retreated into the darkness.

  “And that is the beauty. Why did they stop, why did they not continue until the last one was toasted? Do they learn? That would mean they have some sort of intellect and some will to survive. I believe that the virus has indeed kept some of these abilities intact in the brains of these creatures; for its own survival,” the colonel said taking one last drag on his cigarette and tossing it to the ground where he ground it underfoot.

  With that the colonel turned and walked away

   “Enjoy your walk Charlie,” he said over his shoulder.

   Charlie returned to his room and lay down on the bed, one thing was certain he thought; this was indeed better accommodations than those to which he had become accustomed.