Part 19 (1/2)

After all, everyone dies.

Everyone turns.

Maria didn't.

She was different.

That's why we needed to protect her at all costs. That's why we had to hand her over to the military when they came calling.

It was an easy decision to make.

Unfortunately, the military never came back.

Maybe they didn't believe the fact that Maria was immune. Maybe they didn't want to risk any more Special Forces soldiers on a rumor. Maybe they couldn't spare the men. There were a million possibilities.

The only certainty; it was up to me and Jack. We had to protect Maria at all costs.

We were on our own.

Going deeper into the city. Risking everything.

We continued to wait it out in the harbor cruise boat. Eventually, the sh.e.l.ling and the gunfire ceased. The city fell quiet. The silence was even more unnerving and terrifying then the constant gunfire.

It could only mean one thing. All the soldiers were dead.

No, I thought. They would've put up more of a fight. Maybe they've completely fallen back. Maybe they got out.

Then again maybe they were hiding. Keeping quiet, same as we were doing.

I could imagine what must be going through their minds at this point in time.

I could imagine it all too easily.

”Where's our G.o.dd.a.m.n aerial support?”

”Why is Command not responding? Is the radio broken?”

Confusion at first.

Then fear.

And panic.

And then the cold realization that they had been left behind.

A diversion. Collateral damage.

A sacrifice.

I took a deep, deep breath as I remembered being in that exact situation not too long ago. Less than a week ago, I thought. Again, I'm ashamed to admit it, but whoever was left, a squad of soldiers, maybe more, they were keeping the infected occupied. This made our lives a whole lot easier. Probably saved our lives.

”So what now?” Jack asked. ”We can't stay here forever.”

He was right. We were so exposed. Even though this section of the harbor seemed to be deserted for the moment, we knew it wouldn't stay that way.

The infected would come through here. It was only a matter of time. The reality of the situation was that we were in deep trouble. We were surrounded and ma.s.sively outnumbered. We were exhausted and hungry and dehydrated.

We needed to find shelter and then food and water. In order to do that we needed to head deeper into the city. I woke Maria because she needed to be a part of the planning process. Local knowledge is invaluable.

”We need to make our way deeper into the city,” I said. ”We need to find a secure place to rest and recover.”

They both nodded.

”Any suggestions?” I asked. ”You guys know the city. I've never been here before in my life.”

”I don't know,” Jack said. ”I mean, those things could be anywhere. And the soldiers. They'll shoot anything that moves.”

”That's why we need to be careful,” I said. ”Keep our eyes open. And our ears. But we're gonna have to make a move before it gets dark. It's no good moving around when we can't see.”

”Yeah, I don't want to be on the streets at night,” Maria said. ”Good point.”

”We need to find a suitable hiding place,” I continued. ”Secure it. Try and contact the military or someone. Explain that Maria is immune and needs to be rescued.”

Again Jack did not like the sound of that idea at all. ”But they'll kill us all. They'll shoot us on sight and they'll harvest her organs. It's a no win situation. We can't do it.”

”What the h.e.l.l else are we supposed to do? We need to get Maria out. She is all that matters.”

”I know that. But maybe we should at least wait until everything settles down.”

”Take a look around. This isn't going to settle down.”

”Guys,” Maria said.

We stopped arguing.

”We can talk about this later. After we secure a hiding spot. We need to prioritize. First things first. Staying alive. Then we can worry about getting rescued, all right? We need to get to a building. A solid building. One that we can fortify. And one that we can get the h.e.l.l out of in a hurry if we need to. Like the casino. But better.”

She looked at me then. ”Kenji we know the city, we can point you in the right direction but you have to lead us. If Jack or I take us into the city, we'll more than likely to lead everyone into a trap or a bunch of infected zombies or trigger happy soldiers. You have to keep us alive. You have to lead us.”

Maria continued to surprise me. She had been through so much today. She had come close to falling apart.

But she didn't.

She kept herself together.

She had a strength, an inner strength that I was envious of and amazed by and humbled by.

I loaded the second rifle I had scavenged and handed it to Jack. ”OK, you guys tell me where to go. And I'll lead us there. Do not fire your rifle unless absolutely necessary,” I said to Jack ”Stealth is our biggest advantage right now. If I had to take a guess, I'd say the infected are chasing the military as they fall back to the coast and to the airport. This gives us a small window of opportunity. If we hurry, if we go now, we should be able to make it.”

I told them to stay close. Stay behind me.