Jacqueline Druga - Salvation

“Neither can I,” said Nora. “I’m with Jason. I vote we take the test.”

“I’ve had a good life,” John lifted his hand. “I also vote we get that test.”

“If it’s me,” Meredith said. “I’d rather die knowing I didn’t cause any more death, then live wondering.”

At that point, everyone had their hands lifted.

“No.” Malcolm shook his head. “No, we beat this thirty year bullshit. Someone did this to us. We didn’t ask for this.”

“Neither did Rantoul.” Nora reached for the Aldervice. “Let me make the call.”

As Malcolm handed her the device, Hunter’s hand came down on it. “No. This is mistake. A trap. Just pack. Leave. Do not bargain. They took children. Kill. They do not make deals with ease.”

“He’s right,” Malcolm said. “Thinking about it. She’s making a deal too easy and too fast.”

Nora removed Hunter’s hand from the device. “It’s a chance I’m willing to take.” Having learned from Malcolm how to use it, Nora connected a communication line. Her insides literally shook waiting for an answer.

“Yes,” Maggie answered.

“There’s a woman here from Rantoul….”

“Who is this?”

“My name is Nora Lane. Just listen to me. She is not sick, she never got sick. She’s immune. Two years ago you took her son. His name is Dillard Wanes. I want her reunited with her son. She gets her son back,” Nora said.

“Her son is in the system. He’s…”

“Find him. And find my family. I know you know them. I want one last goodbye. Promise these and you can have your carriers. We’re packed and ready to leave. You have an hour to let us know, or we hit the road.”

Without waiting for anymore to be said, Nora disconnected and she handed the device back to Malcolm.

Marilee just stared at her.

Jason walked up and placed his lips to her forehead.

Everyone waited in nervous silence, except Hunter who actually began gathering items. He expressed his hope they would not agree, because he didn’t trust them.

The return call came forty-two minutes later.

“I spoke to Salvation Council,” Maggie said. “It will take at least a day to find Dillard. But they agreed. Here’s how it will go down. The day after tomorrow we will meet in Jacksonville, Illinois. Off of old highway seventy-two there is a building that used to be a Walmart. It is now a field training center. We will meet at noon. Malcolm, because he is immune will show Colonel Norris the documentation. After he verifies the validity of it, all of you will be placed in a special holding and tested. After and only after we have you, the mother will be taken to her child and Nora will see her family.”

“Then what?” Malcolm asked.

“Dr. Nelson should know pretty quickly who is a carrier and who is not. We take the carrier, or carriers, the rest go on their way.”

“What happens to the carriers?” Malcolm questioned.

“They’ll be placed where they can’t be danger to anyone.”

“Thank you,” Malcolm said. “And Maggie. I truly hope you do not get this.”

“Yeah, me, too.”

The call ended and Malcolm put away the device. “Two days.”

Day Fifteen AR

Her face was pale and despite her fever, a thin line of perspiration formed on Maggie’s forehead. The sickness had ravaged her leaving her lips dry and blistered, and her neck so swollen she often times choked on her on saliva.

Trey helped her sit up and gave her water. The first sip she took just fine. The second one she coughed causing the liquid to seep from her mouth.

“Sorry,” she said.

“It’s fine. Lay back down.” Trey adjusted the pillow.

“Do you think the people that lived here would mind I am in their bed?”

“No, not at all. They did well in this town, I bet they were nice.”

“What time is it?”

“Eight.”

“You better get going it will take a couple hours to get there.”

“I’m not going, Maggie. I’m not leaving you.”

Maggie whimpered. “You don’t need to do that.”

“I don’t. I want to. Now rest. Okay? Don’t worry about anything.” Trey waited for her to close her eyes and then he slipped from the bedroom of the small trailer home. Once outside he lifted the Aldervice and after pressing an icon, brought it to his ear. “Come on, Dad, pick up, hear the chirp.” He had been trying to reach his father since the night before using the private channel, just in case Salvation monitored, but Malcolm hadn’t answered. Finally he did.

“Hello.”

“Dad, did you leave yet?”

“No. Not yet. We will in an hour. Where’s Maggie?”

“She’s sick. She’s real sick,” Trey said.

“I’m sorry.”

“Me, too. Listen… I’m giving you the heads up. I don’t know what’s going down. They cut Maggie out of the loop and haven’t contacted her since yesterday morning. Just don’t… just meet Norris first, alone. Be diligent.”

“I will, thank you.”

“And Dad, hopefully, I’ll see you soon.”

“Hopefully.”

Trey ended the call. He wanted to do more, he wanted to be there in case of trouble, but he couldn’t. He just didn’t have it in him to walk away and leave Maggie to die alone. He just hoped his call to his father would be enough.

“Good. Good,” Hunter told Nora. “You break but are fast.”

“Thank you.”

Hunter had them all lined up in some sort of final warrior training session, just in case trouble happened. They had been working since the day before.

He stepped to Meredith and stopped her when she clumsily pulled her weapon from under her larger shirt. “You must be quick and sure.”

“I don’t understand. If they attack they’ll slaughter us.”

“Enemy will be close in the place they test you. Like I am to you now. You go down with a fight.” Hunter nodded. “I will not be there to protect you.”

John groaned. “I hate that he stopped talking in third person.”

Meredith grabbed Hunter’s hand. “I wish you were going to be there. I’d feel safer. But Hunter you know, I feel I am the carrier, right?”

“Hunter… I will get you. I have hatch.”

“You’re sweet. We made a deal.”

“If they break deal?” Hunter asked.

“Then you can find me. I’m pretty sure the walls of Salvation are nothing for you.”

“Good. Now work.”

Nora felt confident in her training and was ready to go. Jason quit early to salvage the Salvation van because they were all pretty sure, Salvation would take it back.

“You’ve been busy,” Nora said to him.

“Just getting ready. Hopefully, if all goes as planned, we’ll be back here to make a long term plan.”

Nora smiled. “Well, you know, if we don’t want to have a shitty life, we should avoid the waste… land.”

Jason crinkled his nose and shook his head. ‘Oh, God, Nora.’

“Figured I’d give you one more joke before we hit the road.”

“It should have been better.” He placed his hands on her arms. “How are you?”

“Good. Nervous.”

“Listen, if they find me to be a carrier…”

“You’re not.”

“If I am,” Jason said. “It’s okay. I’m okay with it and I need you to know that.”

“It’s not okay if you are. If you are I will be with you. I’ll go into quarantine, or whatever with you.”

“Nora, no…”

“Jason, too bad.” Nora said. “We woke up out of stasis together. You were the first face I saw that day and the first face I have seen every day since. Face peeled or not. We started this long lost thirty year journey together. We’ll… end it together.”