Part 28 (1/2)

May 26th

Like schoolchildren waiting for recess, they lined up in front of the only exit door that was viable. The clock counted down.

Edward seemed the most enthusiastic, waiting to go to find his family. It was a six-hour drive that he hoped to begin right away. He had to go first; he had gasoline stored at the house.

If, of course, the house was still there.

Andy stood with Del and carried a small pack over his shoulder. It was from Chad.

”There are sixty more days of the medication in there,” Chad told Andy. ”After that I can't guarantee if the stutter will come back or if you'll be able to get more. Perhaps you'll be lucky and find some marijuana.”

”Doesn't matter,” Andy replied. ”I'll deal.” He was excited. His stomach twitched in hopefulness and fear, and then the counter reached zero.

The buzz went through him like an electric shock. There was a hiss as Edward reached for the door. It opened.

The journey topside was no less than eighteen flights of stairs, a marathon of exercise Del and Andy were more than ready for.

The others were not. They stumbled and stopped, rested, then moved. Andy and Del ended up leading the way. The staircase led to the far end of the employee-parking garage. That was where Edward hoped the car would be, a car left there by Martha.

Andy wasn't even winded when he reached the top, Del right at his side. He looked over the banister and hollered down. ”I'm gonna go check it out. Stay put. We just don't know.” He then turned to Del and told him to hang tight, and Andy alone opened that final door.

There was a spring smell to the air, and it wasn't what Andy expected. He prepared for a raw smell, death, maybe even burning. But nothing.

The dead had pa.s.sed on long enough beforehand that they left no smell.

Dust was thick on the remaining cars in the lot. He ran his fingers across them as he raced toward the sunlit entrance of the garage.

Already, before he even arrived, the daylight hurt his eyes. He took a few steps, paused, moved, and paused again.

Inching his way into the sun, Andy let his eyes adjust. They watered and burned; soon the blurry vision left, and he stepped into the street.

It wasn't a wise move because Andy didn't know what awaited them.

Nothing.

Empty streets, quiet like he had never experienced. Not a bird, animal ... nothing.

”h.e.l.lo!” he called out loudly.

His voice echoed back.

He tried again. ”h.e.l.lo!”

Not a roll of a can, a scuffle of movement, only silence. The sky was blue, the early morning sun was bright, and the temperature warm. Andy went back to the garage.

It was time to tell the others they could come out; there was no danger because there was nothing.

Edward kept the battery as charged as he could in the facility and was able to start the car with ease. After it charged some, he jump-started other cars. They were the first to pull out of the garage. Andy drove, because Edward's eyes were having trouble adjusting.

Andy and Del said their goodbyes to Chad, and promised to return or find a way to contact him.

Chad had no idea where he'd end up, but he said he'd leave word at his home, and gave Andy and Del the address.

Edward didn't want to waste the gas to drive Andy and Del to the outskirts of Atlanta. They would try to find a vehicle outside of town; if unable to do so, they'd walk.

Andy was certain they'd find transportation eventually. Many people died. Many cars were left and gas buried in the ground at defunct fueling stations.

”Are you sure you don't want to go to Virginia with me?” Edward asked. ”It's wonderful property.”

Andy shook his head. ”No, I have to go to Lincoln. I left something there I have to get.”

”Nothing is left,” Edward told him.

”I'm certain that this is left,” Andy said.

”Del?” Edward asked.

”I go where he goes. As much as we hated each other, he's all I got.”

Edward nodded, and then he wished them good luck.

Andy and Del began their journey. They had food and water and would ration as best as they could. They walked all morning and into the afternoon.

Somewhere around three, a pickup truck stopped and asked them if they needed a ride. It was the survivor Andy and Del had seen since they left the facility!

When the older man asked where they were going, he laughed at the response of Montana.

He told Andy and Del he would take them as far as Alexandria, Virginia, but that was where he stopped.

They accepted and got in the truck.