CHAPTER 67
PART 1
Billy Melrose opened the door slowly, expecting to find sleeping people on the other side. What he found instead was a group of four people anxiously looking at him.
"Well," he said. "Looks like I've got an audience."
"Hello to you too," Lee replied.
Billy gave him a tired smile, then sat down on the remaining chair.
To Lee's eyes, his boss looked tired, drained. Of course, given the circumstances, Lee knew that he probably didn't look any better than his boss did at the present moment.
"I wanted to let you know that Leatherneck and crew contacted us just as the crossed into Pennsylvania, near a town called Breezewood. They should be close if not already to the cabin."
"That's wonderful," Jeannie quickly said.
"When will we know anything?" Amanda asked.
"It might be awhile. Leatherneck said that with the rural mountainous conditions he probably won't be able to get a signal on the mobile phone."
Melrose watched as Amanda's face quickly turned from joy to worry.
"Amanda, you know he'll contact us as soon as he's able. Try not to worry," he told her, his tone as reassuring as he could get.
She nodded, knowing all too well that there was nothing she could, except to sit and worry.
"They'll be fine Amanda," Francine added.
"Yeah," she whispered, before turning her face back against her husband's chest and clinging to him tightly.
PART 2
Claudia heard the footsteps come up behind her as she examined Joe King. Phillip King was sick, definitely with the plague, but his father was a much sicker patient.
She turned and found Leatherneck looking at her, an expectant look on his face. Since there was no way to avoid the necessity of what she needed, she stood up and moved closer to him.
When she spoke, it was in a hushed tone.
"Can you get me a medevac?" she asked him.
"Not good?"
"The sooner, the better," she told him before turning around and redirecting her attentions to her new patient.