The Last Five Days: The Complete Novel: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller (11 page)

Neal related what was happening in Black Dog to Reverend Ashley's sermon on the suffering of Job. He tried to rationalize watching his daughter rise from death to try to attack him. It was not earthly possible. Only a higher being could resurrect the dead. The only explanation Neal could muster was God was punishing him for shallow faith. Unlike Job whose faith never wavered, Neal pretended to believe, but God saw through the deceit. The sacrilege of going to church on Sunday without putting your heart into it. God punished him by taking Nancy and Sally and now Neal had to make things right. To the rational mind, the thought of God murdering a man's family because he was just a warm seat in church was insane, but then again, so was the thought of the dead not dying.

Neal put a flame to the body of Edna Jones. She loved the homemade chicken salad from The Corner Market and joked with Neal every week about killing him and stealing the recipe. As he watched Edna burn, Neal quoted from the Book of Job. "The fire from God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and servants, and consumed them."

"Neal, you have to stop burning the dead." Winston bent over and tried to catch his breath from running. Daylight started to tease its exit. Winston had to act fast.

"Go away, Winston. I have to make things right with God. Maybe he will bring Nancy and Sally back to me."

Winston didn't respond. Neal's desperation cut deep. Winston wasn't burning bodies, but he wasn't much different than Neal. He held on to hope that he could save Marianna. Bring her back from the dead. Reality cut deeper. Marianna was dead, just as Nancy and Sally Harvey. Nothing was going to bring them back.

"God didn't kill your family," Melanie said. "This virus did and, for all we know, you're spreading it burning these bodies."

"Fire purifies." Neal turned to Winston and Melanie and pointed the torch. "Don't try to stop me from doing God's work."

Melanie nudged Winston and whispered, "Say something or shoot him."

Winston cleared his thoughts. "You've got the military pretty pissed at you, Neal. You have to cut it out with the fires."

"Or what, Winston? Are you going to shoot me?"

"I don't want to." Winston placed his hand on the Colt still nestled in its holster.

"Why do you think this happened to us?" Neal asked.

"I don't know," Winston said.

"We weren't living right by God." A sudden cough interrupted Neal. Blood trickled from his nostrils. He wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket, smearing blood. "I despise myself and repent in ashes and dust."

"What the hell is he talking about?" Melanie whispered.

"He's quoting the Book of Job, but he's losing his mind. He's infected." Winston spoke to Neal. "How long have you been sick?"

"It's part of the test. Loathsome sores from head to toe." Neal coughed again and spit blood. "I will not curse my Lord. These burnt offerings will bring Nancy and Sally back to me."

"Shoot him," Melanie said. "You saw what they did to that helicopter. We are sitting ducks here. I didn't escape Dean to just die by a military strike."

"Just like Job, Winston. God will restore things."

Neal coughed, this time violently. He fell to his knees, dropping the torch. Fire raced up the sleeve of his jacket. Neal screamed and sprang to his feet. He charged Winston like a human torch. Winston freed the Colt from the holster and fired one shot into Neal's head. He keeled over just as the flames engulfed him. Smoke rose from the fire that consumed Neal's body. It danced in the autumn wind like a soul ascending to the heavens.

"Rest well, my friend. Give Nancy and Sally a hug for me."
A hug.
At that moment, Winston wanted nothing more than to hug his wife. Saving her wasn't possible, but he could end her suffering and join her. He eyed the Colt.

"What are you doing?" Melanie asked, grabbing at Winston's wrist. For the first time, she saw hopelessness in Winston's eyes. "Don't you dare think about giving up. We have to show these assholes we're survivors."

Winston smiled and put the Colt back in the holster. "Once we get out of this mess, you should think about becoming an inspirational speaker."

Melanie smiled back. "A regular Tony freaking Robbins."

* * *

"
Y
ou're clinging
to me like a stubborn turd, Tom. Afraid I'll spill your dirty little secrets?"

"It's imperative that what you heard is not repeated."

"Yeah, I can see how it would be bad press if the word got out you intentionally infected Americans with your war drug."

Fisher moved to the entrance of the tent. Hendricks grabbed his arm and pulled the large man toward him without much effort.

"I wanted you for the initial project, but that was before I knew you. I sure as hell don't want you now. You need to keep this secret." Hendricks pushed Fisher away from him. "Are we clear?"

"You don't want me, but you sure as hell need me." Fisher smiled. "Once this is over, I'll sing at the top of my lungs how much of an asshole you are, if I choose to. Are we clear?"

"Sir, the man is back."

Hendricks turned his attention away from Fisher. "Have Salk suit up. Get Fisher a suit too if you can find one big enough."

* * *

"
I
don't trust
these people. Take this." Winston handed Melanie the Colt. "Go hide behind Betty's house. If anything happens to me, go back to my house…" Winston hesitated. "If anything happens to me, will you make sure that Marianna doesn't suffer?" He eyed the gun in Melanie's hand.

"Screw them. Don't tell them what Byrd told you. They caused this mess. Let them figure it out. They see we are alive. That's good enough. Dean said he could get out of Black Dog. We can too. We don't need them."

Winston took Melanie's hand. "They have every possible way out blocked. I'm not doing this for them. I'm doing it because I promised Dr. Byrd I would. Take a look around. They've taken just about everything from us. They can't take our word."

Melanie sighed. "If something happens to you, I'll take care of Marianna."

Winston let a brief smile escape.

"I take it you put out the fires." Hendricks stood beside a tank, flanked by two armed guards in biohazard suits. "Who's your friend?"

"Go," Winston said to Melanie. "She was just leaving, Hendricks."

"The fires?"

"Your people took care of that before you blew them out of the sky."

"If I didn't know better, I would think you were trying to paint me to be the bad guy here, Winston."

Hendricks moved closer, almost touching the caution tape that roped off Black Dog. Winston waited until Melanie was out of sight and then started toward Hendricks. Winston chuckled under his breath; the scene reminded him of a classic old western meeting of good guy versus bad guy. With everything he had done over the last few days, Winston wasn't sure if there was a good guy in this plot.

"Stop right there," Hendricks said. "That's close enough."

The soldiers aimed their assault rifles at Winston. He stopped about twenty feet from Hendricks. Part of Winston wanted to rebel against the government that made him a prisoner in his own town, but he remembered what happened to Ticker Evans when he didn't obey.

"Is it safe to assume the fire threat has been eliminated?" Hendricks asked.

"I took care of it," Winston said.

Hendricks motioned to someone behind one of the tanks. "I'm a man of my word, Winston. This is Dr. Robert Salk and the fat one is Dr. Mark Fisher. I hope your words will lead to a resolution."

Salk and Fisher, both in hazmat suits, passed Hendricks on their way to the caution tape. The soldiers retreated behind tanks but still kept Winston in their sights.

"Can I move now?" Winston asked.

Salk waved Winston forward. Fisher watched the soldiers.

"Did Byrd become infected or was she...?" Salk asked.

"No hello. No thanks for stopping the pyromaniac. I have to be honest, he kinda stopped himself."

"There is no time for that. Did Byrd get sick?" Salk asked again.

"Yeah, she got sick. She wasn't murdered. What the hell is this?"

"I was hoping you could answer that question for me," Salk said.

"Well, let's see, you get sick, you kill people, and then you die." Winston paused. "That about sums it up."

"Are you presenting?" Fisher asked.

Winston hit him with a befuddled look.

"Are you sick?"

"No."

"We need his blood, Bob. If this is as infectious as you say, he may carry an antibody."

"How many people are left in Black Dog?" Salk asked.

"I'm not sure. Can we get this over with? It's going to be dark soon. You don't want to be out after dark. Not to mention, guns aimed at my head tend to make me nervous." Winston pointed to the soldiers.

"Can you guys fall back?" Fisher asked.

"No, sir. General's orders to stay right here."

"What about the woman with you? Is she infected?" Salk asked.

Winston looked over his shoulder. "I don't see anyone with me."

"We are trying to help you," Salk said.

"You have a funny way of showing it. Beetle Bailey and Gomer Pyle want to shoot me. Your friend wants my blood, and my own country is holding me prisoner."

"Your blood could be the key to a cure," Fisher said.

"So, you do know what this is? Why am I not surprised you're lying to me?"

"You're right, it's getting dark. What did Byrd tell you?" Salk said.

Winston paced beside the caution tape and watched the barrels of the soldiers' rifles follow him. "She was sick when she met me at Luther's. The first sign of sickness is nausea. At least it was for her. I think it affects people differently. She complained about joint pain and headaches. Near the end, you bleed from your mouth and nose."

"Do you know what turns the infected violent?" Salk said.

Winston stopped pacing. "I think you lied to me, Salk. Why don't you tell me what you know about this sickness?"

"We know that at some point, the infected become violent. That's all. We don't know why."

Winston smiled. "I'm not sure I believe you."

"I'm not here to play games with you. Tell us what Byrd told you."

"Or what, Salk? You'll have them shoot me? That's what your boss said if I refused to stop the fire starter." Winston paced again. "The fire starter had a name—Neal Harvey—and he was my friend. Was Byrd your friend?"

"Carrie was my friend," Fisher said. "I'm sorry this is happening to you."

Winston stopped again. "If you're sorry, why don't you get us out of here? It's not safe." Winston eyed Salk. "The final stage before death is rage." He turned back to Fisher. "One minute Byrd was explaining to me what was going on inside her body and the next she tried to rip my throat out." Winston paused. "I'm sorry she died. She seemed like a good person. Not like you. You sent her in here knowing she would never come out. You sacrificed one of your own."

Fisher looked at Salk.

"I can't really see your expression through the moon suit, but I guess you didn't know that," Winston said to Fisher.

"We couldn't let Byrd out once she became contaminated," Salk said.

"You sent her in knowing she would die?" Fisher asked.

"It wasn't my choice."

"It was your choice to let this thing out in the wild. Don't give me that 'not my choice' bullshit, Bob."

"Wait, you caused this?" Winston asked.

Hendricks moved back into view. "It was my understanding that you have valuable information with regard to this situation. If so, divulge now. If not, we have more important things to do than pass the time with you."

Winston ignored Hendricks. "Answer my question. Did you cause this virus?"

"You have until I count to three to answer my question," Hendricks emphasized the word “my,” "or I'll deem you a risk for withholding information and have you taken out."

Winston laughed. "Taken out? Isn't the military supposed to protect and serve?"

"He's not military," Fisher said. "And he's serious. Don't die here."

"Listen to Dr. Fisher, Winston. He may not look like it, but he's a smart man." Hendricks held up his arm. "One."