Jacqueline Druga - Salvation

Marilee smiled, making eye contact with Nora.

“I’m so happy for you,” Nora said.

Marilee mouthed the words, ‘Thank you’ and followed the soldier.

Once inside, they were told to just hold on and someone would be with them in a moment. But Nora watched. The sheer plastic allowed for her to watch Marilee go into the former store and while it was still a distance, she could see clear enough when the reunion occurred between mother and son.

Her heart raced and she felt the emotions flood her chest. She stepped back into Jason, his hand squeezed her shoulder. He watched as well. For all that had gone wrong, at least something positive was happening.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” through the ventilator speaker the man spoke. “My name is Dr. Nelson. This is my team. We will be drawing blood samples. I promise it will be over soon. Results should be quick and we should know within an hour.”

Nora, like the others was nervous, Hunter put it in her mind it was all a trap and she had her doubts about Salvation’s true intentions. Even though they didn’t check them for weapons… a sign of trust, Nora was still leery. The mistrust seemed to go out the window when Marilee and Dillard embraced. They kept their word. Their end of the bargain. For as scary as it was for the carriers, an outcome unknown, the vision of mother and child through that window reaffirmed that Nora and the others needed to keep their word as well.

The blood work was finished. What was going on? Malcolm watched, his eyes only leaving that plastic unit to check on Marilee and her son, who still stood by that far corner window. She held him close to her, in front of her. Like Malcolm, they were watching the happenings in that bio room. Marilee more than likely was just waiting for them to be released, so they could all leave, like planned, to start a new life.

All appeared well and fine, but Malcolm knew better.

He thought back to earlier when he met with the colonel.

“Do me a favor?” Norris asked. “Shut that door and have a seat.”

Malcolm did.

Norris folded his hands on the desk. “I’m taking these papers and I’m keeping them safe.”

“Of course.”

“Listen, they are moving me and my men out. At first I thought it was in case of contamination. But another team, not my division, will be staying back. Something is going on.”

Something was going on, Malcolm felt it. But when was it going to happen and what exactly would it be?

There wasn’t a word spoken in the bio room in the near forty minutes in which they waited on results. Meredith paced, as did John. Nora watched Marilee and her son, then she’d turn back to look at Malcolm who just stood there.

“Why is he standing there?” Nora asked Jason.

“I don’t know,” Jason replied.

“He’s watching us like a lab experiment,” John added.

“Nora?” Meredith called out. “Is that Rick?”

Nora’s heart skipped a beat, especially when Jason said, “That has to be him.”

She spun hastily around to see Rick walking with a soldier. They kept their promise. They said he’d be there after she took the test and there he was.

“My God,” John said. “He looks fantastic for his age.”

To Nora he did. She expected a shock at seeing him older but there was no shock, only cheerful emotions that swept over her making her want to scream.

Rick walked to the one side of the tent and Nora rushed over.

“Nora, oh my God. Can you hear me?” he asked.

“Yes. It’s muffled, but I can hear you.”

He placed his hands on the plastic and the second Nora’s palms pressed against his, Rick’s knees buckled some, the solider caught him before he lost balance, and Rick lowered his head. “Oh God, I believed you were dead.”

“I’m sorry. I am so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I can’t wait to touch you and talk to you. I just need to see that you are real. You look exactly like I remember you.”

“You look the same too.”

“Nora, come on,” he smiled.

“No, Rick, you do. Is Lilly here?”

Rick shook his head. “I’m sorry. Lilly, she wasn’t ready for this. Not yet.”

“I understand. Please tell her, I love her.”

“I will and…” the solider tugged his arm. “I have to go.”

“But…”

“Listen, I’ll see you soon. They let me come out to say hi. We’ll talk later.”

“Okay.” Nora tried to touch him once more through the plastic, but the soldier led him away. She stood there watching as they took him into the old store and that was when she saw it. Her eyes widened. “What the hell? Guys? Marilee.”

Marilee backed up against the window, she grabbed on to Dillard, clutching him tight and protectively, it was apparent she was frightened and tried to back up with nowhere to go. Then she was grabbed and disappeared.

All nine in the tent vocally cried out their protest when Nelson entered the room.

“We have your results.”

Malcolm saw Richard enter the building and Marilee and her son vanish from sight. It was starting, just as Norris said.

Malcolm replayed his conversation in his mind.

“Why would they pull your team out?” Malcolm asked.

“So there would be no witnesses. I don’t think anyone is supposed to leave here alive. This is what I think, because the team that’s here are assassins for Salvation. The sweep team.”

“What about Rick? Marilee? Her son?”

“Again, this is my guess. I have no hardcore proof and I’m making a guess on what I see. Marilee and her son are expendable. Rick, well, in Salvation, when someone turns seventy, they are released from life. Rick turned seventy two days ago. His wife, daughter, family and friends already said goodbye to him. They think he was euthanized.”

“Oh my God.”

“Here’s what I know from what I have seen. Aside from the four man medical team, you have six soldiers on the sweep team. One at the gate, one in the bio room, two snipers on the roof, two inside the building, I believe to take care of Marilee, her son, and Rick. That’s all I know that are here.”

“I need to move the van to take a look.”

Norris agreed.

Hands and insides shaking, Malcolm hurried to the van. He peered around. “Okay, two soldiers inside I can’t see. I do see the one by the gate.” He slowly moved the van to be near the other trucks. “Two on the roof. Where? Where? I can’t see them.” Just as he parked the van, he spotted one, rifle aimed and ready. “There’s one. Oh my God.”

He returned to the tent, as Norris was packing up his things along with the evidence that Malcolm had given him.

“If you left, no one would stop you.” Norris told him. “But I know you won’t do that. You’re one man. I don’t know what you can do, but God Speed.”

Malcolm was as ready as he could be. He didn’t want to jump the gun any further and initiate something that wasn’t going to happen. There was still a chance that the sweep team was there in case they all tried to escape. He had to wait. That’s all he could do.

Nelson and his three colleagues had entered the tent with the soldier. Their announcement that they had the results did little to instantly calm those who questioned about Marilee.

Finally, in a stern voice, Nelson said. “If you want this over, we need to finish now.”

Nora and the others stood before them. All nine of them waiting, they all joined hands, like contestants on some reality talent show, waiting on elimination results.

“You’re trembling,” John whispered to Nora, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.