Carolyn kept her foot steady on the gas. She hadn’t touched the brakes since they left the gas station. One hand rested on the wheel, the other hovered near the gear shift. Her eyes moved constantly, to the road, the mirrors, the horizon, and back again. Everything about her was controlled and precise.
Rob watched her for a second.
“You always drive like this?”
“Yes.”
Rob nodded slowly. “Okay. That’s reassuring.”
“Good.”
“And slightly terrifying.”
“It helps keep us all alive,” she said.
The road stretched ahead of them, empty, sun-bleached, and lined with abandoned cars sitting at odd angles.
Jilly leaned forward between the seats. “So what were you doing before all this?”
Carolyn checked the mirror, adjusting slightly in her lane.
“Air Force,” she said. “Major.”
Rob blinked. “Oh.”
“That explains the driving,” Jilly said.
“That explains everything,” Lucas added.
Rob glanced at her again. “Pilot?”
Carolyn gave a small nod. “Jets.”
Jilly lit up. “Oh wow. You fly jets?”
Carolyn nodded. “I do.”
“That is seriously cool.”
Rob leaned back. “I reset passwords for people who forget them.”
“So basically the backbone of civilization,” Jilly pointed out.
“Finally, someone gets it,” Rob said.
Carolyn gave a hint of smile but kept her eyes on the road. For a few minutes, nobody said anything.
Jilly eventually broke the silence. “So, do we call you Carolyn or Major?”
Carolyn glanced at her. “Carolyn is fine.”
“Okay, Carolyn.” Jilly settled back in her seat for about three seconds then leaned forward between the seats again. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“Three brothers.”
"Older?”
“All three.”
Jilly smiled. “That explains a lot.”
Carolyn raised an eyebrow. “What does it explain?”
“You don't seem bothered by us.”
Carolyn glanced back. “With older brothers you learn to tune things out.”
Jilly grinned.
Rob settled back into his seat. “So how'd you end up flying jets?”
Carolyn shrugged. “I always wanted to fly. I love the adrenaline rush.”
Jilly looked impressed. “I would've wanted to fly something fun.”
“Jets aren't fun?”
“Oh, I'm sure they're fun. I just mean I'd want one with missiles.”
Lucas turned toward her. “Why?”
“In case of emergencies.”
Rob looked at Carolyn. “And she wonders why we don't let her make decisions.”
Jilly crossed her arms. “I'm very good at decisions.”
“Like inviting armed strangers into our life?” Lucas asked.
Jilly thought about that for a second. “Yes.”
Carolyn glanced at them in the rearview mirror.
“I'm starting to wonder if that was a good decision myself.”
Jilly grinned. “See? We're bonding.”
Carolyn shook her head, but there was still the faintest hint of a smile.
Her expression grew more serious as she checked the road ahead. “There’s one place I want to try before we go any farther. Ludlow Airbase. I was on leave when this happened. If the military is still operating, someone there might know what we’re dealing with.”
Rob turned toward her. “My best friend works at Ludlow. He’s a computer programmer for their security systems.”
“Then maybe we’ll find him there,” Carolyn said. “Or someone who can tell us what happened.”
They took the next connector ramp and headed towards for Ludlow. When they reached the airbase, the place looked deserted. The gates were shut, and no one answered when Carolyn called out. They circled the perimeter, searching for another way in, but the base was locked tight. No movement, no lights, no sign of anyone.
Rob stared at the gates, thinking about his friend on the other side—if he was even there. There was no safe way to force their way in, and Carolyn wasn’t willing to risk the group for a guess. The airbase had been the sensible place to check, but it gave them no answers.
Carolyn turned them back toward the highway. They would have to keep looking.
For a few minutes, they drove in silence.
Then Carolyn pointed toward the side of the road. “Do you see that?”
Lucas leaned forward. “What?”
“That marking.”
They all looked.
A red arrow had been spray-painted on the back of a road sign, pointing west.
“I've seen a few of those,” Carolyn said.
Rob glanced at her. “How many?”
Carolyn glanced at the road ahead. “About a half dozen. They're always pointing the same direction.”
Lucas frowned. “And you think someone put them there?”
“I think someone wants people to follow them.”
Nobody said anything for a moment.
Jilly settled back into her seat. “Well. That’s not creepy at all. We’ve got invisible walls, not-people people, and now secret signs.”
Rob nodded. “Seems reasonable, considering the current climate.”
The sun was starting to go down, so they knew they had to find a place to stay for the night. No one wanted to be out after dark. They turned into a neighborhood and headed several blocks in, putting some distance between themselves and the main road. If anyone was watching, they didn’t want their lights giving them away.
They found a house with an unlocked side door and once they got inside, Jilly looked around, noticing the closet doors left open and things strewn across the floor. “…we’re not the first ones here.”
“No,” Lucas said quietly. “We’re just the latest.”
Carolyn moved farther into the house, checking each room before returning to the front room.
“No one here,” she said. “At least not now.”
The neighborhood still had lights and running water, which meant someone, somewhere, was keeping the utilities going.
And most importantly, it meant showers.
Lucas checked the bathroom and immediately frowned. “No shampoo. No soap. And even worse—no toilet paper.” He sighed deeply as he came back into the front room.
Rob stepped in behind him… and silently held up the partially crushed roll from his backpack, dangling it in front of him.
Lucas lit up, grabbed the it, did a small, ridiculous happy dance, and hurried back into the bathroom with it.
Carolyn stared after him.
“Is he always like that?”
“Pretty much.” Jilly nodded.
Carolyn shook her head, but there was the faintest hint of a smile.
Rob moved into the kitchen and found the cabinets in there were also open and already picked clean.
“I’ll check next door,” he said, slipping out the back and hopping the low hedge.
Jilly searched the cabinets anyway. Empty. Empty. Then “Ha!” She held up a bottle of dish soap.
“Hey, Lucas,” she called, “if you keep it out of your eyes, this works as body wash and shampoo.”
Lucas wandered back in. “Do I look like a dinner plate?”
Jilly stuck out her tongue. “Well, I’m going to smell amazing.”
Lucas muttered something about not wanting to survive the apocalypse smelling like artificial lemons.
Carolyn glanced at the bottle. “I suppose that's better than nothing.”
Jilly looked at her. “See? You're getting the hang of this.”
Carolyn gave her a look. “I'm not sure this is something I want to get the hang of.”
A few minutes later, Rob came back carrying a plastic grocery bag and dropped it onto the counter with a dull thud.
“Not much. A few cans… and a half-open pack of cookies. But it’s something.”
Jilly grabbed the cookies before anyone else could react. "Dibs!"
“All yours,” Lucas said.
After they ate, they each took turns in the shower with actual hot water, standing there longer than they needed to, letting it wash away the days of dirt.
Before settling in, Carolyn checked the locks and pulled the curtains closed. She made one last pass through the house, checking the windows.
“Everything's secure,” she said.
Jilly yawned. “Good. I'm exhausted.”
Carolyn nodded toward the bedrooms. “Get some sleep.”
One by one, they drifted into actual beds, clean and warm.
Carolyn waited until the others had settled before taking the couch, where she could hear the front and back doors.
Morning came quietly. They ate what was left of their food, packed their things, and checked the house one last time before heading out.
“Where are we headed?” Rob asked.
Carolyn glanced down the road. “West.”
Jilly climbed into the car. “Good. West is survivable.”
Lucas shook his head. “You're still doing that?”
“It worked yesterday.”
Over the next couple of days, they followed the arrows west, stopping to scavenge what they could and sleeping in houses they checked before settling in. At a sporting goods store, they found a small cache of firearms and ammunition, along with two walkie-talkies. Carolyn secured the weapons in the car and made it clear that carrying a gun wasn’t the same as knowing how to use one. She would teach them when they had a safe place to practice.
The neighborhood gave way to wider roads lined with abandoned cars and empty storefronts. They passed houses with doors standing open, yards scattered with belongings, and driveways where vehicles had simply been left behind.
For a while, nobody said much. Then Jilly spotted something on a telephone pole.
A red arrow with the same symbol had been painted across the bottom, pointing west.
“There’s another one,” Jilly said.
Carolyn glanced at it as they passed. “Same as the others.”
Lucas looked back through the rear window. “How many have we seen now?”
“Enough that I stopped thinking maybe they were random.”
Rob leaned forward. “So somebody's definitely leaving these.”
Carolyn nodded. “That's what I think.”
Another appeared on the side of a concrete barrier.
The road stretched ahead, and a few miles later there was another painted across the side of an overturned truck. Same symbol. Same color. Same deliberate placement.
Carolyn slowed this time, just enough to study it as they rolled past.
“They’re getting closer together,” she noted.
Lucas leaned forward. “Maybe we’re getting closer to whoever’s leaving them.”
Jilly pressed her face to the glass. “Or we’re getting closer to something that eats people who follow signs.”
“Love that option,” Rob said under his breath.
“Look, there,” Carolyn said quietly.
She slowed the car and this time, stopped.
Two vehicles sat angled across the road blocking the way.
“Someone put those there on purpose,” Rob said.
“Yes,” Carolyn agreed. Her hand shifted subtly toward her gun.
“No one gets out of the car.”
Lucas didn’t argue but Jilly immediately reached for the handle.
“What did I just say?” Carolyn snapped.
Jilly froze. “…fine.”
A man stepped out from behind the nearest car. Then another. And another. Each had weapons clearly visible. One of them smiled but it wasn't friendly.
“Afternoon,” he called. Carolyn didn’t respond.
The man took a few steps closer anyway. “Road’s blocked,” he said. “You want through—you gotta pay.”
Lucas and Jilly sat frozen in the back seat.
Carolyn’s voice was calm and flat. “Move the cars.”
The man laughed. “Yeah,” he said. “That’s not how this works.”
For half a second, no one moved. Then his smile dropped. His hand came up with his gun raised.
Carolyn moved first. She flung the door open and was out with her gun up.
“DOWN!” she yelled.
Rob reacted instantly, lunging out of the door, catching his foot on the seat edge, and going down hard, his shoulder slamming into the pavement.
“OW—”
A shot cracked through the air.
Lucas yanked Jilly out of the back seat and dragged her down behind the open door.
Carolyn fired once—clean and controlled.
She hit the man in the shoulder. He staggered back.
The others didn’t run. They spread out, one moving wide, another circling toward the rear of the car like they’d done this before.
“Get behind something!” Carolyn shouted.
Rob, still half-sprawled on the pavement, scrambled back toward the side of the car.
“I’m working on it!”
Another shot cracked, and the side mirror exploded inches from him.
“Okay, I officially hate this,” Jilly said, covering her head.
“Now is not the time for personal reviews!” Lucas shot back.
Rob tried to get his footing and immediately slipped on loose gravel, catching himself against the car with a dull thud.
“I’m really nailing this,” he muttered.
Another shot snapped past them.
Carolyn stepped out from behind the door just enough—fired once—then moved again before they could return fire.
Precise. Efficient. Practiced.
“They’re not backing off,” Lucas said.
“No,” Carolyn replied. “They think we’re easy.”
Jilly frowned. “Are we?”
“No.”
One of them tried to move in behind her, thinking he wasn’t seen. Carolyn spun and dropped him before he could finish.
“Now!” she snapped. “In the car!”
Rob didn’t argue and he dove into the passenger seat.
Lucas shoved Jilly in, then scrambled in after her.
Carolyn was already in the driver’s seat when the next shot rang out.
The windshield cracked. Jilly screamed.
“GO!” Lucas yelled.
“Working on it!”
Carolyn slammed it into gear, swerved hard around the blocking vehicles, metal scraping loudly against metal.
And then they were through.
The road opened ahead of them and Carolyn floored it. Her hands stayed tight on the wheel, eyes scanning like it wasn’t over yet.
No one spoke. Just breathing—fast, uneven.
“…okay,” Jilly said finally, her voice a little shaky. “I did not like that. At all.”
Lucas ran a hand through his hair. “That makes two of us.”
Rob leaned back, wincing as he shifted position. “Pretty sure I lost a fight with the ground.”
“You absolutely did,” Jilly said.
Carolyn didn’t smile.
“Next time,” she said, “don’t just lie there. Move.”
Rob glanced at her. “Next time I’d like to stay upright.”
“Start there.”
They drove another couple of miles before Carolyn was satisfied no one was following them. She checked the mirrors one last time, then pulled off onto a side road and stopped.
She killed the engine. The sudden quiet rang in Rob’s ears.
She turned in her seat to face him.
“You got lucky they didn’t shoot you while you were lying there,” she said, looking directly at him. There was no softness or buffer to her voice. “Lucky doesn’t happen twice. Not out here.”
Jilly straightened. Lucas gave a small, knowing nod.
Rob sighed. “Yeah. I had a feeling this part was coming.”
Carolyn reached back, pulled a second firearm from her pack, checked it quickly, then held it out to him.
“Now we fix that.”
Rob stared at it before taking it carefully. “…you’re trusting me with this?”
“No,” she said. “I’m keeping you from getting killed.”
Jilly grinned. “Look, she cares!” Rob frowned.
Carolyn was already opening her door. “Out.”
Lucas slid out. Jilly hopped out after him. Rob hesitated half a second, then followed. Carolyn scanned the road once more before turning back.
“Rule one,” she said. “If you’re holding it, you need to know how to use it.”
No one joked this time.
“Because the next time,” she added, “they won’t miss.” No one argued.
Jilly raised a hand slightly. “…is this the part where we learn how not to die?”
Carolyn nodded once. “Yes. So pay attention.”
She motioned to Rob. “Grip it firmly.”
He looked down at the gun in his hands and adjusted his grip.
“Like this?”
“No. Like this.” She stepped closer and repositioned his hands.
“Not like you’re holding a sandwich. Like it matters.”
“It does matter,” he said.
“Then act like it.”
Lucas watched closely. Jilly did too—quiet for once, taking it all in.
“Stance,” Carolyn said, nudging Rob’s shoulder, shifting his foot. “Balance. If you fall again, that’s on you.”
She stepped back. “Point it downrange.”
Rob raised the gun too fast.
“Slow,” she said. “You’re not swatting a fly.”
He tried again. Better.
“Safety off.” She leaned over and clicked it.
The sound felt louder than it should have.
“Aim for that sign,” she said, pointing.
Rob exhaled. “Should I breathe?”
“If you don’t want to pass out, yes.”
He took a breath in and steadied himself.
“Fire.”
He hesitated, then the shot cracked through the empty air. The recoil kicked harder than he expected, jerking his arms. The bullet missed the sign completely and hit the window of the little store behind it.
Rob blinked. “About as good as I expected.”
Jilly clapped. “Ten out of ten. Very inspiring.”
“Your turn,” Carolyn said.
Jilly lit up. “Oh, I got this!”
Lucas shook his head. “You really don’t.”
Jilly ignored him and stepped forward, copying Rob’s stance, badly.
“See? I know what I’m doing.”
“You’re not helping your case,” Lucas muttered.
Carolyn adjusted her. “Feet. Shoulders. Focus.”
Jilly squinted downrange like she could intimidate the target.
“Okay,” she said. “Now I’m ready.”
“You’re not,” Carolyn said. “But do it anyway.”
The shot went wide, but closer than Rob’s.
Jilly lowered the gun slowly. “…that wasn’t terrible.”
Lucas stepped up next. No commentary—just focus. His shot clipped the edge of the sign.
Carolyn gave a small nod. “Better.”
Lucas didn’t smile, but he stood a little straighter.
Carolyn held out her hand. Lucas handed the gun back.
Rob rubbed his shoulder. “How many times do I have to do this before I reach level two in the ‘How Not to Die’ lessons?”
“As soon as you hit a target,” Carolyn said.
“I'm level two!” Lucas sang.
“Don't get cocky,” Carolyn warned.
Jilly pointed back toward the car. “…speaking of not dying,” she said, “that thing is not exactly confidence-inspiring anymore.”
They all looked back at the car with its cracked windshield and dented side.
Lucas frowned. “It still runs.”
“For now,” Carolyn said.
Rob nodded. “Also, if we run into those guys again, they’re going to recognize us immediately.”
Jilly tilted her head. “To be fair, we are very memorable.”
Carolyn glanced at the damaged car. “We’re going to need to switch vehicles.”
Lucas glanced around. “To what?”
She nodded back the way they’d come. “There was a service road about half a mile back. I saw a truck.”
Jilly perked up immediately. “Truck means more space. Maybe more supplies. Possibly snacks.”
Lucas sighed. “What is it with you and snacks?”
“I told you, the apocalypse makes me hungry.”
Carolyn was already heading back to the car. “Let’s go.”
She opened the passenger door, and set the gun on the seat next to her.
As Rob climbed in, he glanced down at it. It was still unfamiliar, but it didn't feel quite as strange as it had before. Which was progress. Maybe level two was actually a possibility.
Carolyn pulled them back onto the road, turning around.
Jilly leaned forward again. “If this trucks works out,” she said, “I’m calling this a win for Team Us.”
Rob nodded. “That sounds like famous last words.”
Lucas stared straight ahead. “Please stop talking.”
Jilly grinned.
Carolyn slowed as the service road came into view. It was barely a road—just a strip of cracked pavement half-swallowed by dirt and weeds.
“Down there,” she said.
Rob leaned forward. “I’m not seeing...” Then he did.
A truck sat angled off to the side, partially hidden behind overgrown brush. Older model. Dust-covered, but intact.
Carolyn stopped short, engine still idling.
“Why are we stopping here?” Jilly asked.
“Because you don't just drive up to something like this without checking it out first.”
“Probably right,” Rob sighed.
They sat for a moment, waiting. No movement anywhere.
“Alright,” Carolyn said. “Lucas, you’re with me.” She handed him the gun.
Jilly reached for the door.
“You stay here.”
She froze. “…you keep saying that.”
“And you keep ignoring it.”
Jilly slumped back, arms crossed.
Lucas took the gun, more controlled this time, and stepped out.
He kept it raised as he scanned the area. Carolyn moved with him, then motioned him to one side while she took the other. Up close, the truck looked solid. No obvious damage. Tires intact. Windows dusty but unbroken.
Lucas reached the driver’s side and paused, glancing at Carolyn. She gave a small nod. He opened the door. Nothing inside.
He exhaled. “Clear.”
He leaned in, pulled down the visor. “…I found keys.”
Rob perked up. “That feels like a win.”
Carolyn checked behind the seat and under the dash. No surprises.
She stepped back. “Looks clean.”
Jilly was already out of the car. “FINALLY!”
They grabbed their gear. Rob slung his pack over his shoulder and glanced once at their old car with its cracked windshield and dented frame.
“Thanks for the memories,” he said.
Jilly climbed into the truck and bounced once in the seat.
“Oh, this is nice. So much room. I can stretch. I can dramatically react with space.”
“Oh no you don’t,” Lucas said, grabbing her by the waistband and hauling her out. “You’re riding in the back.”
She yelped as he helped shove her into the truck bed. Rob climbed over the side and dropped in beside her.
“I’ll keep you company back here.”
Jilly beamed. “Thank you, Rob. You are so much nicer than my brother.”
She stuck her tongue out at Lucas and flopped onto a rolled sleeping bag. Lucas ignored her. Barely.
Carolyn slid into the driver’s seat. It felt different from the sedan, higher, heavier. She adjusted her seat, then turned the key. The engine rumbled to life, deep and solid.
“…okay,” Rob said. “That’s significantly better.”
Jilly grinned. “Win for Team Us!”
Carolyn checked the mirrors, then pulled the truck back onto the road. Once on the highway, they passed another sign almost immediately. Then another and another.
Jilly pointed. “That’s the third one in, like, ten minutes.”
“They want to be found,” Lucas said.
“Or they want to find us,” Rob added.
Carolyn didn’t disagree.
Empty storefronts and parking lots gave way to massive, overgrown fields with unharvested crops rotting in the sun.
After a few miles without a sign, they started to wonder if they’d missed something, until they saw it. A wooden, hand-painted sign nailed to a thick pine tree. A bold red arrow and the same familiar symbol pointed down a narrow, rutted dirt road.
Carolyn hit the brakes. The truck idled loudly in the silence as they stared at it.
“Should we follow it?” Lucas asked, leaning forward.
“We’ve come this far,” Carolyn said, hands tight on the wheel. “What do we have to lose?”
"Just our lives," Rob sighed.
“I vote we go!” Jilly called from the truck bed, banging on the roof.
Rob glanced at the dense woods closing in around the path. He already knew he was outvoted.
“…yeah,” he muttered. “Sure. Great. Into the horror woods. Love that for us.”
Carolyn turned the wheel and guided the truck onto the trail. Branches scraped along the sides as sunlight filtered through the canopy in thin beams, catching dust in the air. For a moment, it almost felt peaceful. It reminded her of running barefoot behind her childhood home, racing her brothers down to the creek, digging through the mud for crawdads, collecting polliwogs in glass jars.
Her mother made her keep them out on the back porch in an old aquarium, where she would watch them slowly turn into tiny frogs. They’d climb onto the rocks as they grew legs, then hop up to the rim of the glass and disappear.
She missed how simple it had been. The truck jolted hard over a rut and reality snapped back.
In the bed, Jilly and Rob ducked as branches whipped across the rails.
“This can’t be right!” Rob shouted.
Carolyn was already easing off the gas, considering turning back, when two men stepped out of the brush ahead, rifles raised.
She slammed the brakes. Jilly and Rob were thrown forward in the truck bed. Up front, Carolyn and Lucas raised their hands immediately.
In the back, Rob groaned. “Okay—yep—bad call. This was a bad call. No one listens to me.”
“What can we do for you?” the larger man called. He was tall, bald, with light brown skin, wearing military fatigues under a tactical vest.
Before anyone else could speak, Jilly untangled herself and popped up over the roof.
“I’m Jilly!” she announced brightly. “This is Rob back here with me—he’s fine, mostly—and up front is Carolyn and my brother Lucas. We’ve been following your signs.”
Rob gave an awkward thumbs-up from the floor. “Mostly fine.”
The man raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
“It is exactly so,” Jilly said, completely unfazed.
He looked at Carolyn. “You got weapons?”
She met his eyes. “Yes.”
As she reached for the door handle, his rifle snapped up, aimed at her chest.
“I’d stay put,” the man said calmly.
Carolyn froze, then slowly raised her hands again. “Understood.”
“We’re not here for trouble,” she added evenly. “We’re looking for people like us, who weren't affected by whatever it was that happened to the others.”
The man approached, rifle still trained on her. He checked the cab then the truck bed.
“If you want to go any further,” he said, “you leave any weapons here. Frankie will decide what happens next.”
“Who’s Frankie?” Jilly asked.
“The one in charge.”
Lucas leaned slightly toward Carolyn, voice low. “Thoughts?”
Carolyn didn’t take her eyes off the men.
“I don’t like it,” she murmured. “We’d be walking in defenseless.”
Rob finally managed to sit up, staring at the rifles like they might go off on their own.
“For all we know,” he added quietly, “this is just a very organized trap.”
Carolyn looked back at the guard.
“Two of us go,” she said. “The others stay here. That’s as far as we’re willing to bend.”
The man studied her, then glanced at his partner, who hesitated before nodding—like he was following instructions, not making a decision.
“Fine,” the bald man said. “Two go in. The other two stay. Right here.”
“Fair,” Carolyn replied.
She turned toward the truck bed. “Rob, you’re with me. Lucas, Jilly, stay with the truck. Watch our gear. Call if you see anything.”
She grabbed the walkie-talkies, tossed one to Lucas, clipped the other to her pack, and stepped onto the dirt path.
Rob didn’t move.
“…Wait. Me?” His voice cracked. “Why me? Are you sure you don’t want Lucas? Or Jilly? She’s great with people. Extremely likable. Honestly, she thrives in chaos, Carolyn...”
She was already walking.
“Come on, Rob,” she called over her shoulder. “Try not to get lost. Or fall down.”
The guard motioned his partner to stay behind, then started down the trail.
Rob looked at the armed man. Then at the woods. “…This is how I die.”
He scrambled over the tailgate and jogged after her.
“Carolyn—Carrie—please reconsider—”
They disappeared around the bend. The trail was longer than it looked and by the time they reached the clearing, Rob was wheezing, bent at the waist.
Ahead, a small compound emerged from the trees—low concrete buildings surrounded by a tall chain-link fence, coils of rusted barbed wire crowning the top. More guards waited at the gate. They recognized the bald man immediately and opened the chain without a word.
“What is this, Fort Knox?” Carolyn said lightly. No response. Not even a glance.
Carolyn leaned toward Rob. “I always did like the strong, silent type.”
“If I’d known my future life was going to require this much exercise, I would’ve taken those corporate gym passes more seriously,” he managed between gasping breaths.
Carolyn glanced back at him. “You’re doing a great job. Just keep your eyes open and be ready to run if we have to,” she whispered.
“If we have to run, you go ahead. I’ll create a distraction by falling down. They can trip over me while they chase you. Tell Lucas and Jilly I said goodbye.”
“Oh, hush. You’ll be fine. Adrenaline will kick in and you’ll probably outrun me.”
“I think you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
They reached a heavy steel door. The guard keyed in a code.
Click.
Inside—another door. Another code.
Click.
Rob swallowed. They walked inside where it was pleasantly cool and they could hear people talking down the hallway. Carolyn could tell that this was an old military base, probably decommissioned only a few years ago because it still looked in generally good shape
They followed the guard down the hall to the last door. He stepped aside. “Here.” He inclined his head.
Carolyn didn’t move right away. Rob glanced at her. For the first time since he’d met her, she hesitated.
Just for a second. Then she stepped inside.
The office was unexpectedly normal.
A large window looked out onto the compound. Filing cabinets lined one wall, with a healthy green spider plant hanging from one side. An older wooden desk sat beneath the window, buried in paperwork. Behind it, an older woman looked up from a yellow legal pad, smiled warmly, and stood.
“Hello, hello! Welcome,” she said. “I’m Franklin Owens. Yes, I know—the name doesn’t match the face. My father was hoping for a boy. Everyone calls me Frankie.”
She motioned toward the chairs. “And don’t let George scare you. I just need some big muscle around here to keep out anyone looking for trouble. He’s really a giant pussycat.”
George grunted from the doorway.
Frankie smiled. “See? He agrees.”
“So, tell me about yourselves.”
Frankie sat back down behind the desk.
“I’m Major Carolyn Beckett,” she said, her posture straightening automatically. “Air Force pilot. I was on leave when everything started. We’ve been looking for answers and trying to figure out where to go from here.”
“I knew you were military right away by the way you carry yourself,” Frankie said. “I’m retired Army. Colonel.”
“Wonderful to make your acquaintance, ma’am,” Carolyn said as she sat down.
“Likewise,” Rob said. He settled into the chair across from the desk. “I’m Rob. Computer programmer. Nothing as fancy as Carolyn. We’ve got two others with us—Lucas and Jilly. Brother and sister. They’re waiting out with our truck.”
“A programmer? Oh, wonderful. We’re trying to get some of these old computers up and running, and no one around here seems to know what’s what. Maybe you can give us a hand.”
“I can help,” Rob said quickly. “Probably. Hopefully.”
“Excellent."
"So what are you all doing here?” Carolyn asked.
Frankie folded her hands on the desk. “We’re trying to understand what exactly is happening in the world. Who is in those ships, what they released into the atmosphere, why some of us were unaffected, what the people in the city are doing, and why there’s a perimeter around downtown.”
“That about covers our list as well,” Carolyn said. “Have you learned anything concrete?”
“Very little about the invaders themselves,” Frankie admitted. She tapped her pen against the legal pad. “The gas appears to be some sort of highly advanced neurotoxin. It induces a catatonic state, along with a strong compulsion to migrate toward a central location. In our case—downtown.”
Rob shifted in his seat. “Those people in there…” he said quietly. “They were smiling. Like they were happy to be there.”
Frankie nodded. “We’ve managed to establish long-range radio contact with other survivor pockets and it’s the same story everywhere.”
Carolyn leaned forward. “Any idea why some of us are immune?”
“Immune is an accurate label,” Frankie said. “Our medical staff suspects a rare genetic component, given the high number of intact families among the survivors. But beyond that…” She exhaled. “We’re guessing.”
She glanced down at her notes.
“As for why this happened in the first place, we don’t have a clue. We’re trying to coordinate what we’ve learned through the radio network, but most of them are just as stymied as we are.”
“What are your plans moving forward?” Carolyn asked.
“We’ve been sending reconnaissance teams to the city line, trying to find a breach. Five teams so far. None have made it through.”
She paused. “And as of this morning… I’m out of volunteers.”
Carolyn didn’t hesitate. “We’ll do it. I know none of us want to sit around waiting for the sky to open up again and drop something on us that we’re not immune to.”
Rob’s head snapped toward her so fast his neck popped.
“Wait, what?” Rob couldn't get the words out fast enough. “Who doesn't want to sit around? I'm not sure that's exactly accurate. Shouldn't we check with Lucas and Jilly first before volunteering them?”
Frankie gave him a sympathetic smile. “We certainly aren't asking anyone to do anything when there is no guarantee of safety. But if your group thinks it might be able to do what no one else has, we can give you some supplies and all the information we have so far. We can use all the help we can get.”
“Fantastic,” Carolyn said, standing. “We’ll do it.”
Rob closed his eyes briefly. Of course we will.
Frankie stood up and headed toward the door.
“We’ll get your other people inside and get you some food and rest. You can deploy at first light. In the meantime”—she turned to Rob—“let’s see what you can do with our systems.”
“Sure,” Rob muttered, pushing himself up. “Why not. I will happily be useful while I still possess a pulse.”
“That’s the spirit,” Frankie said warmly, patting him on the shoulder. “George!”
The massive guard appeared in the doorway.
“George, tell whoever's outside to pull the Majors truck up to the back gate and bring it inside, then escort her to retrieve her team. And drop Rob at the computer lab.”
George grunted. “Follow me.”
Carolyn punched George in the arm. “Look at you, you've got a name and everything.” George scowled at her and turned and headed down the hallway.“Come on, Rob!” she called, already moving.
Rob offered Frankie a weak smile. “Thank you, ma’am. I hope I can help.”
“I know you can, son. I can see it in your eyes. You’re going to be an asset to us all.”
Rob hurried down the hall, trying to catch up to George and Carolyn. He felt like he spent the better part of his day hurrying after other people.
They wound through the complex until they reached a room with glass walls. Inside, computers hummed as a handful of people sat staring at screens and typing away. None of them looked particularly happy.
George motioned toward the room. “In here for computers.” Then he kept walking without looking back.
Rob stopped at the door and watched the inside group for a moment. The space was packed tight—rows of humming server racks, cables snaking across the floor, green-lit monitors flickering with lines of data.
He took a breath and stepped inside. “Um, hello. Frankie sent me to help.”
Everyone in the room practically jumped out of their seats.
“Oh, sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you,” he stammered. “I’m Rob. Computer programmer by trade. Frankie thought maybe I could help out in here.”
A small, balding man with glasses stood up from the closest computer and extended his hand. “I’m Ethan. And thank goodness—someone who actually knows something. Frankie saw ‘works with computers’ on our files and she put us in here. Which would be great if any of us knew how to do anything beyond opening spreadsheets.”
“That’s not true,” someone called from across the room. “I can also close spreadsheets.”
“Thank you, Kyle,” Ethan said flatly. “And by way of introduction—that is my brother, Kyle, and those two over there are Sylvia and Pat.”
Kyle stood up and hurried forward, offering his hand. He immediately tripped over the edge of a rolling desk chair, sending it skating across the room.
“Oops,” he laughed. “Good to meet you, Rob.”
He was small and wore glasses like Ethan, but had a full head of bright red hair.
Rob shook his hand. “Likewise.”
Sylvia came forward next. She was in her mid-thirties, about five inches shorter than Rob, with light brown skin and striking green eyes. Her hair was pulled into two puffy ponytails on either side of her head.
Rob couldn't help noticing what a beautiful smile she had as she came up and shook his hand. Hers was soft and warm, and his insides went a little woozy.
He quickly pulled his gaze away when Pat came up and slapped him on the shoulder.
“Hey there, buddy!”
Pat was tall, almost as tall as Rob, and of indeterminate gender. The name didn’t help either. Rob staggered slightly from the impact and offered a hand.
“Nope, don't do handshakes,” Pat said, laughing. “Not my thing.”
Pat thrust a fist toward him. Rob stared at it for a moment before realizing he was supposed to bump it with his own.
"That's my boy" Pat exclaimed, drawing the fist back after the bump while simultaneously waggling fingers in the air then headed back to his or her seat.
Rob took a deep breath. Maybe he could actually accomplish something useful here.
“So what are we trying to do?” he asked, sitting down at the closest computer.
Ethan pulled up a chair next to him.
“We’ve been talking to other people over ham radios, but it would be so much easier to communicate and send information to them over the internet, which still seems to be up and running in a limited fashion. But we haven't been able to establish a connection to anyone else.”
He pointed toward the computers.
“So until we can do that, we’ve been going through all the old government files we can access from here, trying to find any information that might give us a clue about what’s happening. But most of the files are password protected, and none of us know how to get around that either. Maybe you can help us.”
“Well, alrighty then,” Rob said, adjusting his keyboard. “If I can access my office computer, assuming it’s still running, then I can probably figure out how to find the other people, as well as get into the protected files.”
The others gathered around and watched as Rob began typing.
For the first time in a while, he felt more relaxed. This, at least, was something he knew how to do.
*******
Meanwhile, George strode quickly down the hall with Carolyn trying to keep up behind him.
“My legs have to take twice as many steps as yours to keep up with you, ya know.”
“Yep.”
“You could slow down a bit.”
“Yep.”
“But I’m guessing you’re not going to.”
“Yep.”
“Lovely.”
They looped all the way around the inside of the building until they reached the back door. George opened it and waved toward the truck, which was now parked inside the gate with Lucas and Jilly waiting beside it.
“I guess you talked them into letting us stay?” Jilly asked when they reached the building.
“We’re staying,” Carolyn said. “And we’ve got a job. I’ll tell you inside.”
They followed George the opposite way down the hall until they reached a large open area with couches, TVs, and tables.
“This is the rec area. Down the hall are bedrooms on each side and a bathroom further down. There are food rations in the kitchen area. Make yourself at home. Frankie will be out shortly. The other residents are all in the conference room.”
He turned and left too quickly for anyone to ask any questions.
“That was more words all at one time than he said the whole afternoon,” Carolyn noted.
Lucas looked around. “So what’s up? What are they doing here?”
“The woman in charge is a retired Army colonel,” Carolyn said. “She’s organizing fact-finding missions, trying to piece together what happened. I volunteered us to head toward the city and see if we can get behind the invisible wall. It’s better to get ahead of the game than sit around doing nothing and become sitting ducks.”
“Oh, excellent!” Jilly exclaimed. “When are we leaving?”
Lucas sighed. “What is it with the women in this group? Do you both have a death wish? Where’s Rob—and how badly is he panicking right now? Does he even know?”
“He knows. Frankie sent him to the computer room to help with their systems. I think he’d rather dance naked down the middle of the road than head toward the city on purpose, but he’ll deal with it. He’s braver than he thinks he is. Frankie is going to give us supplies so we can be as well prepared as possible.”
Lucas rubbed a hand over his face. “Great. Just what I always wanted. A trip into the middle of an alien-controlled city.” He glanced at Jilly. “But I’m going. Somebody’s gotta keep you two out of trouble. Now let’s raid the kitchen.”
They each grabbed a snack and settled onto the sofa, waiting for Frankie to come in and brief them.
“What do you think we’re going to find?” Jilly asked between bites. “Will the people still be zombies? And how are we even going to get inside? Do you think Rob can figure it out? He’s so good at computer stuff.”
“I don’t know,” Carolyn said. “We don’t know what’s making it so we can’t get inside that barrier. It might not be computer stuff at all. And if it is, it might not be any kind of computer that Rob knows how to figure out.”
“Oh, I bet he’ll know,” Jilly said. “He can figure out everything.”
“Well, I’ll let him know that you have complete confidence in him. And tell him if he doesn’t figure it out, we’re all going to be very disappointed.”
“That might not help,” Lucas laughed.
“True,” Carolyn sighed. “But we’ll figure it out as we go along.”
As they sat on the sofas, lost in thought about what might lie ahead of them, Frankie bustled into the room.
“Hello, hello!” she said, hurrying toward the seating area and dropping onto one of the couches. “Oh, these are so much softer than that damn chair in my office. I gotta have George drag one of these down there. I’m sure he won’t, but it’s a thought.”
She looked around at them and smiled.
“Anyway, as I said, hello, hello. I’m Frankie, and you must be the brother and sister I heard about.”
Jilly opened her mouth to talk, but Lucas beat her to it.
“I’m Lucas, and this is my sister, Jilly.”
Jilly frowned at Lucas, but he kept going.
“It’s good to meet you. We were just talking about how we’re going to help. It’ll be good to have a direction and purpose beyond just trying to stay alive.”
“Excellent, wonderful. We’ve got some really great people who have shown up here. They’ve been compiling all the intel they gathered before they arrived, along with what other people and our scouts have brought back. We still have several groups out and about, hoping to find something or someone who may be able to shed some light on what’s happening.”
Frankie paused, then continued.
“But we still have no idea why this is happening. Or even who the perpetrators are. We haven’t had any luck getting beyond the force field. No one has seen anyone go through, and there doesn’t appear to be a doorway anywhere. I’m sure you’ve seen the smaller ships taking off and landing. Either there’s no top to this barrier, or they have the technology to pass through it.”
Jilly jumped right in before Lucas could respond.
“Well, that’s us for sure! We’re willing and able to do whatever we can. I always wanted to be an alien hunter, but I never thought I’d get a real chance to do it. I was going to college next year for astronomy, so this is kinda like that, right?”
Frankie laughed. “We need more people with your enthusiasm, Jilly! So let’s see what we can get your group that will help your expedition. We’ve got a number of large military trucks out back. Complete with keys. We can supply better guns and ammo, and we’ve got more MREs than you can shake a stick at.”
“MREs?” Lucas asked.
“Meals, Ready to Eat,” Frankie said. “Military standard. Ten-year shelf life. Not glamorous, but they’ll keep you alive. I’ll send enough so you won’t have to scavenge while you’re out there.”
“Wow, freeze-dried food. I can’t wait.” Lucas grimaced.
“No, they aren’t that bad,” Carolyn said. “I’ve eaten them dozens of times when we were away from the base. You get used to them.”
She turned toward Frankie. “Anything at all will be so helpful. Thank you.”
“Oh, it’s me who thanks you. If you can help us, then you are worth everything we give you. I’ll have George gas up a truck for you and load the guns, food, and supplies. It’ll be ready in the morning.”
She glanced toward the hallway. “Rob is down in the computer lab helping out the people down there. When they’re done, they’ll all come back here and you all can get some sleep before heading out. The rest of the group that’s here should be heading in from the conference room in about an hour or so.”
They all thanked her as she hurried off to some other duties she had to look into.
They settled back into the couches, relaxing in a way they hadn’t been able to in quite awhile.
No one was watching the doors or worrying about someone breaking into wherever they were staying. No one was wondering if someone was following them, waiting for a chance to take their supplies.
It was a wonderful respite. The good kind of quiet. Heavy and safe, for the first time in awhile.
Just as all three were beginning to nod off, a commotion started down the hallway. At least half a dozen people bustled through the doors, talking and gesturing enthusiastically until they noticed the three of them stretched out on the sofas.
They hurried over and introduced themselves.
Within minutes, everyone was exchanging stories and giving their own thoughts about what was happening.
About 10 minutes later, the others from the computer lab headed in as well. Ethan and Kyle came over to Carolyn and introduced themselves, smiling and falling all over themselves as they listened to her tell them about herself.
Pat came in and immediately noticed Jilly, and called out, “Yo, girlfriend!” Pat held up a fist, and Jilly, without thinking, bumped it. They plopped down in the corner of one of the sofas and started getting to know each other.
Carolyn noticed Rob talking with Sylvia, his pale blue eyes fixed on her as he hung on every word.
“Well, would you look at that,” Carolyn muttered to Lucas.
He glanced at her, breaking off his conversation with another young man about how much he missed video games.
“I think Rob has a crush,” she said with a laugh.
Rob looked over and caught her watching at him. He blushed from the roots of his light blond hair all the way down to his toes.
“Leave the guy alone,” Lucas said, turning back to his conversation about his favorite console.
Carolyn smiled and turned back toward the room.
As everyone was getting too tired to talk anymore, they slowly started trickling toward the bedrooms.
Rob, Lucas, Carolyn, and Jilly picked out two rooms, one for the girls and one for the guys. After a warm shower, they each fell into bed and slept better than they had in quite some time.
Though each was certain that after today, things probably wouldn’t be nearly as comfortable and safe as they felt right now.