Jacqueline Druga - Omnicide

“Me too.” Cass rolled the beer bottle between her hands, then set it down. “Hey, Kit.”

“Yeah.”

“Kiss me.”

Kit nearly choked on his beer with a laugh. “What?” He faced her.

“Kiss me. Let’s see if I feel anything. See if you do.”

“Cass, if you’re wanting to deliberately prove you’re emotionally dead, us kissing is the way to do it.”

“Way to make me feel wanted.”

“It’s not about being wanted,” Kit said. “It’s about chemistry. Attraction. You wanting to see if you feel anything has to be tested with someone you’re more than friends with.”

“Yeah, you’re right. We’re too good of friends.”

“It would be weird.”

“Oh my God, Kit, okay, I get it.” She reached for her beer again.

“You know what? Fine.”

“Fine?”

“Yeah, let’s try. Can’t promise it will be any good.”

“Simple would work.” Cass turned and faced him.

Kit put down his beer and rubbed his hands together. He took a breath and cleared his throat.

“Why are you clearing your throat for a kiss?”

“You’re not making this easy, Cass.”

“It’s not supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to awkward and strange because it’s us. And we’ll never mention it again,” Cass said.

“Never mention it again?” Kit asked.

“Never.”

“It’s like we’re kids playing spin the bottle or something.”

“Kit, don’t make me come in for the kiss.”

“Okay.” Kit tilted his head left to right as if warming up for an exercise.

“Oh my God.”

Then, tilting his head to the right, he leaned into Cass and gently and ever so apprehensive, touched his lips to hers. The kiss was quick and he pulled back, but only a little.

Cass wanted to laugh. She wanted to giggle, but she couldn’t. She glanced up, her eyes meeting his and again, slowly Kit leaned into her.

The second kiss started out just as slow, but he didn’t pull back or stop and neither did Cass.

Within a moment, Kit took control, taking it from innocent to widening his mouth for a gentle sweeping kiss. It was nice, sweet, but it didn’t last long before something happened.

Bam.

The intensity instantly erupted.

For both of them.

Kit’s hand rested on her cheek, locking his fingers within her hair. He pulled her closer and Cass grabbed onto him. The kisses were deep, filled with an unexpected passion while their bodies clumsily tried to figure out what to do.

Cass pulled Kit into her, and he grasped her tight. The weight of Kit pressed her against the railing of the porch. His hand squeezed her thigh as he delivered every kiss as if he were trying to breathe her in.

Then a throat cleared, loud and long, causing them to spring apart.

After a second clearing of his throat, Art smiled. “I did not see that coming. Excuse me, I just need to get through you two to get a soft drink.”

Kit and Cass both slid opposite ways, each grabbing their beers and sitting apart.

Art walked through them. “I’ll be right back out. Just in case.”

There was an awkward silence, both Kit and Cass brought their beer to their mouths.

“I don’t know…” Kit showed his bottle. “How these didn’t spill.”

“Tell me about it. Good position and placement.”

Kit chuckled as he tipped the beer into his mouth. After his drink, he slowly brought it down. “Hey, Cass. You know how we said kiss and never mention it again?”

“Yep. And I swear I meant it. I won’t mention it again.”

“Can we not do that. Can we not… not mention it.”

Cass looked at him curiously. “What do you mean?”

“I’d like very much to not forget that happened. To be honest, I’m surprised by it, very pleasantly surprised.”

Cass smiled. “Me too.”

Just as they leaned back in toward each other, the door opened again.

“Told you I’d be right back out.” Art stepped between them and off the porch. “You may continue.”

Cass shook her head, blushing some. She brought in her bottom lip and leaned back to Kit. Only this time, he stopped. He sat upright, his eyes moving away from her.

“What is it?” Cass asked.

He stood, reaching to the porch for the rifle. “Headlights.”

Cass stood and Art stopped walking and turned around.

“You don’t need to aim that,” Cass said. “It’s Eb.”

“Eb?” asked Kit.

“Eb?” repeated Art. “Wow, this just got a whole lot more interesting.”

Cass stepped farther into the road as the truck slowed down and stopped.

Headlights still blaring, the driver’s side opened and Eb stepped out.

“Eb?” Cass walked to him. “What the hell?”

“Eb,” Kit said. “Why are you out here so late?”

“No one could get ahold of you. I was worried, Cass,” Eb said. “I was worried about you.”

“Eb,” Kit said. “She’s fine. I’m here. It’s awesome that you’re worried but you didn’t need to come out.”

“Actually…” Eb stepped back and turned when the passenger door opened. “It was one of two things. Either you guys were in trouble or you had sick people from that plane. Doctor Craig figured you’d need supplies.”

Craig stepped from the passenger side, lifting his hand in a wave.

Art walked to Eb. “We were stabilizing them and bringing them back in the morning.”

“We get that, but there’s not gonna be time to get the patients situated, so we’re jumping on it now. Craig brought IVs and stuff,” Eb explained. “Tomorrow morning at dawn Mark has us all assigned to teams. We’re spreading out. North, south, east, west. All directions to survey and see how close this thing is to us and from where it’s coming.”

“Kit was using spray paint,” Cass said. “Marking lines. This stuff moves fast.”

“We know. We just can’t figure out how fast. A lot of factors play into the spread,” Eb said. “But if we don’t move tomorrow and figure out a way to stay alive, like now… it will be too late. This is our Alamo. Our last stand.” Eb looked at Cass, then to Kit and Art. “We’re out of time.”

May 10

Griffin, AZ

“Honestly, Mr. Mayor,” Art said, “had Craig not come out last night and brought the IVs, we would have lost three of these people. It was a good call.”

Mark looked tired, the sun had just started poking in the sky and all he’d had was a nap at the station. He peered around the makeshift hospital bingo hall watching as Niles, Cass, and Craig help the new people into the beds. “I’d like to take credit for sending him but that was Eb. He was being a little protective over his ex-wife.”

“She was fine.”

“No doubt. Well, let’s get these people well and strong. We’ll find them a place to live, get them what they need. I have the crews going out today. Twelve of them. I want them to go as far as they can. Report what they see. We’ll have a big meeting tomorrow to figure it out. I need you guys working on this fungus. We can’t have it reach Griffin.”

“It’s not deadly. It’s destructive. It might come down to how we live with it.”

“That’s unacceptable,” said Mark. “We need to learn how Griffin can live without it. Thanks, Doc.” He gave a swat to Art’s arm and walked over to Cass. She had just finished covering a woman with a blanket. Cass stepped back, looking as if she needed a break. She wiped the sweat from her brow and stood almost defeated, with her shoulders slumped.

“Get some sleep,” Mark said as he approached her.

“What?” Cass laughed as she turned around. “I’m fine.”

“You look beat. Sleep would help.”