Jacqueline Druga - Immune

Max walked over to Candice. “Hey.”

“My mom,” she wept.

“I know. But… we need to leave now.”

“We can’t leave her.”

“Candice, as much as I don’t want to, we have to. Your mom would kick my ass if I kept you here any longer and didn’t get you to out. I promised her, Candice.”

“She talked to you before she died?” Candice wiped her hand across her face.

“She did. She asked me to watch over you and to tell you that she loved you very much.” He held out his hand.

“I don’t want to go.”

“You have to. There is no choice. Come on. We’re gonna get on the bus, head to the airport, and hopefully, Eugene will fly us out of here.”

Candice leaned forward and kissed Grace’s mouth. “I love you, Mommy.” She kissed her again then with a hard sob, grabbed Max’s hand, stood, and threw herself into his embrace.

Max stayed there for a moment holding Candice. He hated to leave Grace and Myron, however there really was no other choice.

As they left that roof, he held on to Candice and the promise he made to Grace. That was all he could do.

Eugene took a moment to thank Myron. The brainchild of the young man would have paid off brilliantly, had their efforts not been thwarted. Despite the fact that there were only ten of them left, the fire ladder to the school bus route had worked.

No one really said anything on the bus, and that put pressure on Eugene. No arguments, no questions, they were placing their faith in him, trusting he’d drive the bus safely to the airport. To him, that was the hard part. He didn’t know the city. He relied on directions from a man named Sam who sat behind him on the bus.

Driving the school bus around the crowded and narrow streets was a challenge, though once he left the confines of the Caramount School area, it was easier.

They had pulled onto the main road when from the back of the bus, Max shouted, “Stop! Stop the bus!”

“What? Why?” Eugene asked, looking into the rearview mirror as Max made his way forward.

“Look.” Max pointed out the windshield where they saw Paul, attempting to start a car.

Eugene stopped the bus and Max grabbed the handle, swinging open the door.

“Shut this. There’s infected around.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Find out if he let them in.”

“For what purpose?” Eugene asked.

“So I feel more justified in killing him.”

“Max, no. Hasn’t there been enough death?”

“Yeah, so one more piece of shit isn’t going to matter.”

“Max—”

“Close this.” Max walked down the steps.

“Max, don’t do this. Max!” Eugene banged his hand on the steering wheel, and closed the door. He glanced in the mirror. Only one or two watched out the window. Candice stared outward not paying attention to anything. When Eugene looked back out the windshield, he saw Max approaching Paul. He wished he could hear the exchange, though he could only guess what was being said.

Paul appeared nervous and grabbed for the door. Max halted him, holding the driver’s door open. There was an exchange, then Max pulled Paul from the car.

No, Max, let it go, Eugene thought, despite the fact that if Paul was responsible, and Eugene was certain he was, a lot of unnecessary deaths had occurred. He imagined what was going through Max’s mind. How angry and hurt Max was. So was Eugene.

Their exchange was heated, and when Paul stepped up to Max, Max pushed him hard against the side of the car, held him by the collar, and slammed him into it several times. Then Max released him and turned.

Eugene released the breath he was holding and then reached for the bus door. When he did, he saw Max take a step, turn, and without hesitation, pull his gun and fire a single shot at Paul.

His back against the car, Paul slid down until he hit the ground and Max walked away.

Mortified at the actions of his new friend, Eugene hesitated and then opened the door.

“Let’s go,” Max said, stepping in.

“Did he admit it?”

Max didn’t answer.

“What did he say?” Eugene pressed.

Max walked by him and Eugene reached out, stopping him. “Max,” he said in a low voice, “you just killed a man in cold blood.”

“No, Eugene, it’s a new world. I killed a man for justice. Drive.”

Looking forward, Eugene placed the bus in gear and drove on.

Max found his seat in the back next to Candice. She didn’t say a word, only leaned against him. He didn’t know if she saw what he did. Eugene did not approve, that was obvious by how many times he looked back at Max in the mirror.

He didn’t need Eugene’s blessing. What he did, he felt right in doing. Max had always been a survivor. Most of his life he was on his own, and now, by way of a deathbed promise, he was responsible for someone else, a responsibility he would take seriously and uphold.

Max wasn’t sure what was ahead for the group, whether the airport would pan out or that they’d even make it to the safe zone. Arm around Candice, he was positive of one thing—no matter what, he and Candice would make it. Good or bad, they would survive in this world. It was a guarantee. It was in his soul to not quit, to push on, to live.

Max was a fighter and whatever it took, he’d fight for them to survive.

I am truly blessed to have the beta readers that I do. Dozens of people read my novels before they get published and provide vital feedback. This book, I provided them with three endings. They voted and these are the two endings they did not choose. I included them for your enjoyment.

Eugene’s voice was froggy from being tired. He had caught an hour sleep after they spoke to Tara. She and her people already had an escape plan, and they were waiting on word from Eugene on when to head to the airport.

It was almost time.

There was no coffee, and he desperately needed some. He and Myron ended up staying in the east wing after they rested. There wasn’t a choice, someone needed to keep an eye out. The sun had started to rise, and they sat on the roof listening to the sounds of the infected below. There were so many of them, it sounded like an orchestra of groans and squeals.

“Where are our soldiers?” Eugene asked. “Didn’t you say there were, like, eight?”

“When Stanton didn’t come back, they left.”

“Smart guys.”

“I thought we had one left.” Myron grunted and stood. “He was supposed to be up here. Are we going to tell Paul?”

“I hate to do it, but it’s only right.”

“I agree.”

“We can always knock him out if he….” Eugene walked to the edge of the roof and looked down. “Holy shit.”

Myron rushed over. ‘It wasn’t like this twenty minutes ago.”

“And it won’t be like this twenty minutes from now.”

A sea of infected had converged on the school property, a few still straggled on the street, but they crammed in. The barricade had completely collapsed from the weight of all of them pushing through.

“So much for five at a time,” Myron said. “We should move on this now.”

“Agreed. Let’s get Paul, radio Tara that we’re leaving, and get everyone to the roof to evacuate.” Eugene climbed in the hatch and down the ladder. “Max is getting them ready now.”

The last they had seen him, Paul was in the south hall. That was their first destination. A twenty foot walk was all. If Paul was sleeping, he had no idea what was going on. When they arrived at the south hall, the door to the science center was open.

“Paul?” Eugene called out.