The Last Flag, page 4
part #2 of EMP Survivor Series
“Hello?” Danny asked.
“I’m back here,” the voice answered, weaker and quieter than before.
Danny glanced behind him and saw that his room was connected to another at the back of the boat. He only saw the person’s arm on the side of the bed.
“What do you mean he’s lying?” Danny asked.
“Father Copeland doesn’t care about you,” the voice answered, hoarse and tired. “He doesn’t care about anyone but himself.”
“Is he dangerous?” Danny asked, intrigued, but the voice remained silent. “Hey, is he dangerous? Hello?” Danny gingerly swung his legs over the side of the bed and then forced himself to stand up. He was about to turn toward the back room when another voice stopped him.
“Oh, good, you’re up.”
Danny turned around and saw a beautiful young blonde dressed in a linen cover. The thin cloth fitted her loosely, but Danny didn’t think she was wearing anything beneath it.
“Are you hungry?” The woman gestured to the tray in her hands. “I brought you fruit and a fish sandwich.”
Danny, slack-jawed, cleared his throat and pointed toward the back. “There’s someone in here with me. I thought I was alone.”
“You’re not alone, Danny.” The woman set the tray on the empty bed next to Danny, grabbed Danny’s hand, and gently guided him back onto his bed. “And you never have to be alone again.”
The woman was even more beautiful up close. She was young, with soft and supple skin, cheeks rosy, and eyes bluer than the water they floated on. “My name is Daisy,” she said. “Here, let me help you get comfortable.”
Danny didn’t resist as the woman tucked him back into bed. Her body was warm and soft as she pressed against him. It took all of Danny’s restraint not to pull her on top of him, but even if he did give in to those desires, he knew his injury wouldn’t allow him to get very far. He was in too much pain.
“How’s that?” Daisy asked.
“Better, thank you,” Danny answered.
Daisy smiled. “I’m glad.” She reached for the tray and placed it on his lap. “If you need anything else, you just call for me.” She gently grazed Danny’s cheek.
“Thank you,” Danny said.
Daisy smiled once more and left Danny, glancing back at him on her way out, giggling as she disappeared.
After she was gone, Danny thought about what the mysterious stranger had said about Father Copeland. But as he ate the sandwich and fruit, Danny couldn’t help but wonder what was so bad about this place? He had died and been transported to paradise as far as he could tell.
6
When Charlie and Shelly returned to the cabin, they restocked their go-bags, refueling the rations they’d lost from Seattle to Beckett Island.
“I don’t understand why I have to stay here,” Benji said.
“Because someone needs to hold down the fort,” Charlie said, winking at his wife.
“That’s just something you say when you don’t have a real job for me,” Benji replied.
Shelly repressed a smile before she turned around. “Benji, you saw what it was like when we left Seattle. Your father and I brought you to this place because it was safe. We’d like you to stay that way.”
Benji pointed to Kayla. “Then how come she gets to go?”
“Because I’m not a baby,” Kayla answered.
“I’m not a baby, either!” Benji retorted, but his petulant tone wasn’t helping his case.
“Son, come here,” Charlie said, and he dropped to a knee as his son approached. “You’re not a baby. You’re far from it. You’re brave, and you’re smart, and you’re strong. But the things your mother, sister, and I are doing are beyond what you understand right now.”
“But I can figure it out, I promise,” Benji said, determined.
“I know you can,” Charlie said. “And you will. But right now, your mother and I need to focus on our jobs, and we can’t do that if we’re not sure you’re safe. And you’re safest here, okay?”
Benji bowed his head, knowing he wouldn’t win this argument. “Okay.”
Charlie kissed the top of his son’s head and stood. “I love you. We’ll be back as soon as we can. If anything happens, I want you to stay here and hide. You protect yourself at all costs, understand?”
Benji nodded, but after Shelly and Charlie turned around, he blurted out, “What happens if someone needs help?”
Shelly glanced at Charlie; the parents knew this was a critical moment for their son. Neither of them wanted him to become weak or scared but pushing him before he was ready could put him in danger.
“If it’s safe for you to help, then help,” Charlie said. “But remember, you can’t help someone—”
“If you’re not whole,” Benji said, repeating his father’s words. “I know, Dad.”
Charlie smiled. “Love you, kiddo.”
“Love you, too,” Benji said.
With Benji set up safe and secure at the cabin, Charlie, Shelly, and Kayla headed toward the marina. Kayla had been tasked with bringing the horses over to the island now that they had a working boat that could carry them. But that was the extent of her involvement.
“I could go,” Kayla said when they got on the boat. “I could help you or Mom. I’m not useless.”
“We know you’re not,” Shelly said. “But it’s better if you and your brother stay on the island, at least for now.”
Kayla faced forward on the boat rail. “You don’t trust me.”
“Of course, we trust you,” Shelly said. “Your father and I just don’t want to push you—or your brother—too quickly. You both have been through a lot.”
Charlie kept a close eye on his daughter. He had noticed her behavior had been distant lately. Usually, he would have chalked it up to simple teenage angst, but after what she’d done, drowning that woman, Charlie feared it was something more. He had never wanted his daughter to go through something as terrible as he’d done, taking a life, but this new world would force everyone to make hard choices.
“How are you holding up?” Charlie asked.
“Fine,” Kayla answered, attention still focused ahead.
Charlie sensed the anxiousness. She didn’t want to talk about it, and he didn’t blame her. He didn’t want to talk about it, either, because doing so would force him to bring up his past, which he wasn’t particularly proud to share with his daughter.
“Listen, if you—”
“I’m heading to the front,” Kayla said, and then she walked away.
Charlie watched her leave, and Shelly moved closer to him.
“She needs you to push through that wall she’s put up,” Kayla said. “As mad as she might be for making her move out here and her entire world crumbling around her, she needs to hear from her father that everything will be okay.”
Charlie nodded, but deep down, he had his doubts. Taking a life was no trivial piece of trauma. It affected every aspect of a person’s psyche, and Charlie knew the guilt, shame, and fear were eating away at his daughter’s consciousness.
“I don’t know if I’m what she needs,” Charlie said.
Shelly grabbed Charlie by the chin and then pulled his face toward hers. “You’re her father, Charlie; of course, she needs you,” Shelly said and then nudged him forward. “Go on.”
Charlie knew his wife was right more often than wrong, so he heeded her advice and followed Kayla to the boat's bow.
Charlie had wanted to keep his home life and work life separate, but now that Shelly knew about what he did, it was only a matter of time before his children found out.
Kayla stood alone at the bow of the ship. The massive ferry they were riding had been fixed and repaired after the EMP attack.
“Hey,” Charlie said, joining Kayla on the railing.
“It’s creepy not having anyone else on the boat,” Kayla said. “Too many empty seats.”
Charlie nodded. “Things are going to feel weird for a while.” He looked at his daughter, who remained focused on the shoreline ahead. “How are you doing?”
“I told you I’m fine,” Kayla answered.
“You’re not fine,” Charlie said.
Kayla lowered her head and wrung the iron railing with her hands in frustration. “I don’t want to talk about it, Dad.”
Charlie recognized all of the symptoms Kayla was exhibiting. She was fidgety, avoided eye contact, and wanted to be alone. Charlie had been the same way after killing someone for The Bunker the first time. It was on the tip of Charlie’s tongue to tell his daughter the truth, but he couldn’t do it. He reasoned that he wasn’t doing it because he didn’t want to put more trauma in her life, but the truth was he was scared.
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Charlie said. “If you hadn’t acted, Benji would be dead.”
“I know,” Kayla said, her eyes closed. “Please, Dad, just not right now?” Her voice cracked, and Charlie knew the moment's pressure was getting to her.
“Okay, sure,” Charlie answered. “Just let me know when you are ready to talk about it, okay?”
Kayla faked a quick smile and then nodded. “Sure.” She faced forward again, shutting out Charlie and the rest of the world.
Charlie returned to Shelly, who raised her eyebrows.
“Well?” Shelly asked.
“She’s not ready, Shelly,” Charlie answered. “She needs more time to process what she’s going through.”
“Charlie—”
“I know, okay?” Charlie said. “I know, but she’s… She’s going through some shit.”
“Yeah,” Shelly said. “And that’s why I wanted you to talk to her, Charlie.”
“What do you want me to do?” Charlie asked. “If I keep pushing her, she’s going to keep going inside herself, and I thought all of this was to ensure that we didn’t lose her. Christ.” Charlie shook his head. “Just let it go, Shelly.”
The moment Charlie finished talking, he knew his anger had gotten the better of him, and Shelly was already walking away before he tried to apologize.
“Great,” Charlie said to himself. “Good work, pal. Real nice.”
When the boat finally docked on the mainland, Charlie wanted to make things right between his wife and daughter.
“I’ll see you when you get back,” Kayla said, walking toward the beach where they stashed the horses.
“Kayla, wait,” Charlie said, jogging over to his daughter, stepping in front of her path. “You know how much I love you, right?”
“I know, Dad—”
“You, your brother, and your mother are the most important things to me,” Charlie said. “Nothing else even comes close to my love for you. And there is nothing that you can’t talk to me or your mother about. No matter what kind of feelings you have. You did nothing wrong.”
Kayla was on the verge of tears, but she didn’t cry. She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. It was like how she used to hug him when she was little, like she was afraid that she’d never see him again if she let go.
Shelly walked over to join them. “Can I get one of those?”
Kayla let Charlie go and then hugged her mother. With Kayla’s back to Charlie, Shelly mouthed, “Thank you” to him.
“I love you, Mom,” Kayla said.
“I love you, too,” Shelly said.
“Listen,” Charlie said, talking to both of them. “Be safe, be smart, be aware. Anytime we step off the island, it could be dangerous. There are desperate people out there, and desperation breeds violence.”
“I’ll be fine, Dad,” Kayla said. “I’m only taking the horses back onto the boat.”
“I know,” Charlie said. “But the rules still apply.”
Kayla rolled her eyes. “Okay.”
Charlie and Shelly watched her grab the animals and then lead them back to the boat. Charlie and Shelly stayed close, waiting until the ferry had safely restarted its journey to Becket Island.
“She’s going to be fine,” Shelly said. “It’s perfectly safe back on the island.”
Charlie nodded, but he knew the truth they would all learn eventually. The world had changed. Anyone could be an enemy. Friends could turn on you at the drop of a hat. All it would take would be one rash decision, one person who became too emotional, someone who thought they could help their family by hoarding or guarding resources everyone else needed.
“It’s always appealing to hunker down when things get tough,” Charlie said. “Hell, we did it.”
“But we’re part of a community,” Shelly said. “And that community has stuck together.”
Charlie scoffed. “It’s been three days. We still have a long way to go before we can trust those people.”
“Hey,” Shelly said, grabbing Charlie’s hand. “They’re safe.”
Charlie shook his head. “No place is safe anymore.”
7
The fever had gotten worse. Ted Booker knew that was a bad sign. The gnarly gash in his left leg had needed medical attention, but there was none to be found. Everyone was either hiding or hunting. Ted was hiding.
“I’m hungry.”
Ted stared down at his three-year-old daughter, Maggie, her face smeared with dirt and ash, her blue eyes pleading and desperate. Ted remembered seeing a family on a street corner years ago, the father holding a sign telling any passersby about their unfortunate turn of events. Ted remembered the shame in the father’s eyes and the judgment he had cast on the man. He swore he would never be like that man.
And, yet, here he was.
“I know,” Ted said. “But we’ll find some food later today, all right? We just need to rest a bit.”
Maggie pouted, but she was too weak for an outburst. It had been a day since they’d found anything to eat. The chips and popcorn Ted had pilfered from a local gas station were the last few bits of edible food left in the store. Everything in the coolers and freezers had spoiled. Ted was sure there was other food out there, but he hadn’t been able to find it.
Ted gently touched his left pant leg, where the fabric had hardened from dried blood. The wound was from their escape from the city after the quakes had started. He had barely gotten his family out, but he had been forced to leave friends behind.
It was an impossible choice, but Ted had to make it. He never dreamed he would have been forced to do such things. But the world had changed in the blink of an eye.
Ted saw people turn on each other so quickly, all for simple things they took for granted daily: running water, food, medicine. Everything was always within arm’s reach. If Ted needed to provide something for his family, he simply drove to the store and bought it. But money was useless now. And Ted’s profession as an advertising executive provided no valuable skills for them to survive.
Survive.
Ted had repeated that word to himself over the past few days. How had it all come to this? They had everything they could ever want, and in the blink of an eye it was all gone. The world had turned to ash and dust, and anyone still alive was too afraid, weak, or angry to change it. The only concern that mattered now was keeping his family safe. And Ted vowed to do whatever was necessary.
Movement at the front of the retail store where Ted had hidden his family caught his attention. He tensed, sitting up and reaching for the kitchen knife he’d grabbed from a restaurant. They had hoped to find food there, but there was nothing.
“Hey.” Alyssa stepped between the clothes racks, pulling their twelve-year-old son, Harry, with her.
Ted immediately relaxed when he saw his wife, Alyssa, thankful she was still alive. “Did you find anything?” He kept his voice down because Maggie had fallen asleep.
Alyssa shook her head. “No food. But…” She reached into her pocket and removed a half-empty tube of Neosporin. “For your leg.” She handed him the box, and Ted engulfed his wife’s small hand within his own.
“Thank you,” Ted said.
Alyssa leaned forward and kissed him. She then sat on the other side of Maggie while Harry sat next to Ted.
“Thanks for keeping your mom safe, bud,” Ted said. “Proud of you.”
“Thanks,” Harry said. “But we didn’t see anyone. It was like a ghost town out there.”
Ted didn’t have any problem with the isolation. He had seen the way people were attacking one another, fighting over what limited resources were still available. His instincts told him to get as far away from populated areas as possible, so they had headed northeast out of Seattle. The few folks they had come across looked to have the same mindset. No one spoke to one another; no words were exchanged, only anxious glares from across the road.
The town Ted had pulled them into was small, nothing more than a stoplight off the highway. But he’d been here once during a business trip. He didn’t know why this place stuck out to him when he decided to pick a place to go when they were leaving Seattle.
Nothing significant happened here for him. Ted had only stopped to fill up his car, grab a water bottle, and use the bathroom. But he remembered how quiet the town had been when he had visited. When he shut off his car and stepped out of the vehicle, he heard nothing but the wind through the trees.
There was no traffic, no shouting and screaming from drunks arguing or road rage from drivers. No people were glued to their cellphones. It was like the town had somehow managed to find a way to co-exist with the world around it instead of conquering it.
It could have been any of those things that brought Ted here, but all he knew was that he needed to get his family out of the chaos and back toward some semblance of peace and safety. And so far, they’d found it here.
Alyssa kissed the top of Maggie’s head, who’d shifted her weight into her mother, holding onto her in her sleep. She then looked to her husband, worried. “They need to eat,” Alyssa said, lowering her voice.
“I know,” Ted said.
Food, water, and shelter had been the only items on Ted’s mind since the power had shut off. He didn’t think it would turn back on anytime soon, and he knew it was a much bigger problem than anyone would admit.
