III - Same People
Tears ran down from the eyelids to the cheeks down to the concrete floor. Luna and Sam were hugging each other, keeping their eyes closed as Calvin whistled while he removed his latex gloves and apron.
"I thought I lost you," whispered Luna.
They released each other and allowed the other to breathe as they tried wiping their tears away. Sam lifted her head and was surprised as she suddenly found herself wrapped under Lori's arms. She hugged Lori back before she released her. Lori then hugged Becky, who hesitated a bit before embracing her back. She released her and looked at the girls.
"We're gonna find a way out of this. I promise."
Calvin walked up to the 'HEN' cell, removing his goggles with small red traces. Lori walked towards the corner, standing eye to eye with Calvin as the mesh fence kept them apart.
"Why would you come here?" asked Calvin. "You really had that much faith that the government would've survived?"
Lori remained silent.
"I don't blame you. When the world's gone to shit, the only thing you really have is hope, right? Matter of fact, we all have hope in something, even me. Had to let you know– just in case you thought we're just trying to survive like animals. No, we're making this place work. Outsiders are just not included in what we're trying to do."
"What you already do is sick," said Lori.
"It's our nature to survive," said Calvin. "Want to know what happened in New York City?"
"It's been nuked to hell."
"Yes!" gasped Calvin. "So you know! Must've been there, right?"
Lori glared at him.
"Of course you have," said Calvin. "What happened there was probably one of the biggest screwups that the U.S. military has ever made. They failed to prevent a nuclear catastrophe. And as a result, I and millions of others paid for it. I survived, but not without losing people I cared about. I still remember trying to rub lotion on my wife's burnt back… and trying to stitch my daughter's head wound. The fact that such an explosion happened, the aftermath of it– it created a very, very hostile environment."
Calvin looked at his buck knife.
"I headed to DC sometime after. Originally, it was just Guillermo, Beatrice, and I. Then a couple of the survivors from New York joined us. It was a hard trek. We continued to meet people– survivors that lost everything they loved. And I gave them purpose."
Calvin placed his buck knife back into his holster.
"I arrived here, in Washington. And can you imagine my surprise when I found all the bodies lying in the street?"
Calvin let out a soft, uncontrolled laugh. He sighed and shook his head.
"The biggest failure of the United States. Nora and Moose actually witnessed the enemy soldiers shoot and kill American soldiers. They saw them invade and destroy the capital, decimating all the soldiers on sight. They took shelter on the hospital outside. And that's where I found them, at the brink of losing their lives, losing their minds. And I gave them purpose."
"So, you're a cult leader?" said Lori. "Is that what this is?"
"Not at all. Just the leader of a small society that works. And we all understand each other. I came here not because I had faith in the government. I came here because I knew other people did. The fact that DC radiates false hope is what lured people here. It's how we survived. And it could've been more if it weren't for the people that shot you– The Service. That's what they call themselves."
"Cannibalism never disturbed you?" asked Lori.
"It makes me feel better knowing I'm getting rid of scum. Want to know why we even eat people? Because humans are scum. Some people are evil just for the sake of being evil. I do realize that killing you seems evil, but it's just for our survival."
Calvin placed his hands on his pockets.
"My wife and daughter were raped before they were beaten and shot to death. And for what? I killed the murderers and ate them. I didn't feel bad. Why should I? And when scum like them exist, why would a cure help anyone? Damage had already been done, and it would only help the monsters who took over this world. A cure will never solve the main problem. Trust me, the main problem isn't the infection of the dead."
Lori placed her hands against the mesh fence and looked into Calvin's eyes.
"I'm still alive, which means you still have faith," she said. "You don't think a cure is useless."
"Never said a cure would be useless," said Calvin. "Who knows maybe I do have faith. Faith in my own people. Or perhaps you're alive because you're someone who listens. Someone who would understand why I do what I do."
"What happened to your family is no excuse for all of this!" exclaimed George.
Calvin turned around. Lori held her breath as Calvin began to walk to the 'BULL' cell across the parking garage.
"Oh? It's not an excuse?" scoffed Calvin. "The way I see it, it perfectly justifies everything I've done. Humanity is so rotten. I'm just cleaning up the world one person at a time."
"In what world does it justify any of this?" said George. "You're eating members of your own species! We, humans, are trying to survive the shit this world's throwing at us, and you are one of the people making it worse!"
"If you've seen what I've seen…"
"My family was murdered too! I had a wife and daughter! Both of them shot in their own home. Our home. I've seen my own partner die… my colleagues… even my own boss. All killed by the group that terrorized a good portion of my life. A bunch of aquatic-loving bastards."
George slammed the mesh fence, though Calvin didn't flinch.
"And I killed them all," added George. "No one else had to die. Just them. I was angry. But I didn't direct my anger to everyone I met. I placed the blame on the people that deserved the blame. I even protected the daughter of the group's leader. I didn't do anything but take care of her- because she didn't kill my family. Just like we didn't kill your family."
Calvin sighed.
"You got a point. You really do," said Calvin. "But there's obviously more to the story that you aren't telling me. I really don't think that you didn't want to harm people that didn't belong to this group. Something stopped you along the way. Perhaps you made a mistake. Maybe someone close to you guided you. Me? I was on my own. I was with people whose lives have been ruined by a nuclear bomb."
Calvin looked down at George's vest before looking back up.
"I know you guys have been trained to spot a liar," he said. "Makes you think you got an advantage over us, right?"
The metallic door opened. Guillermo and his men walked in.
"You want me to go to Richmond and meet up with the rest of the X freaks?" asked Guillermo.
"Yes, I do. And you have to do it. Call them what you want. They do good stuff for us. Goods and services."
Guillermo grumbled.
"By the way…" said Calvin, "...did you happen to lift anything off this man? The FBI guy?"
Guillermo took out a wallet and waved it before tossing it over to Calvin. Calvin opened it up and looked at it for a few seconds.
"Agent Cane," he said. "You lived in New York too? You were talking about the Piranhas. Aquatic-loving bastards indeed. I used to work on a dock under their control before the FBI busted them and took our jobs away. We didn't do anything. But they couldn't give a shit either. I heard talks. I read the news. I knew some things about a certain May Hannas… and a George Cane. Pretty wild stuff that Cane guy did. Sounds like the things you didn't mention."
George remained silent as he walked away from the mesh fence.
"We share more similarities than you would like to think," said Calvin. "We both had our wives and daughters killed. Killed by assholes. We killed said assholes. Hey, we even lived in the same state."
Guillermo smiled as he stood behind Calvin.
"Did the military ever fuck you over?" asked Calvin.
George did not say a word.
"Of course they did," said Calvin. "You killed to survive? I know you did. You barely sleep. You would kill for your group. The moment your family died… that's when nothing mattered. You lost your humanity at that moment. Just like I did in that deli shop. Difference between you and I? You're not good at surviving. That's why you're in there. And that's why I'm out here."
George's eyes widened.
"That was the shop…" whispered George. "The little roamer girl. The one eye. I was there. You were the one who drew all those X's, weren't you?"
Calvin smiled and began chuckling. He reached into his left pocket and took out a small ring box. He opened it and revealed a golden eye, glowing against the reflection of the light.
"We were even in the same place," said Calvin as he began to walk away.
The overcast clouds hovered above the roof the hotel building where David, Hana, Kotaro, Jace, and Vonda stood. They saw the white semi-truck parked inside the Circle Park, which was across the street from the hotel.
"You all understand the plan?" asked David.
"Sure do," said Jace. "Are you sure you three can handle it on your own? There are a lot of people inside the hospital. And if the prisoners aren't in that parking garage, and if they overwhelm you guys… then that's it. Game over."
"If it is, then go back home," said David. "Save yourselves."
"We're not going to leave you guys," said Kotaro. "We're gonna make sure everyone comes home."
David nodded. He looked over at the Circle Park with his binoculars before noticing a hidden survivor a block away.
"Is that Lori?" he said.
Jace looked into his sniper rifle and gasped.
"It's Carol," he said. "She's placing some stuff in some van. Looks like bombs."
"What is she doing…" sighed David before he turned towards the group. "Stick with the plan. As much as I hate to say this… Carol's on her own."
Carol grabbed a brick and shattered the window of a white van. She grabbed the keys from the inside and opened the doors. She tossed the brick inside and panted as she placed C4s inside a white van. She then tossed the detonator inside and sat inside the driver's seat. She looked ahead at the large mesh fences with barbed wires on top. Her van was two blocks away from the hospital. She closed her eyes and whispered to herself before placing the car keys into the ignition switch. She pressed the gas pedal and moved ahead, towards the gates.
Inside the parking garage, Nora handed Calvin a shish kebab with juicy and tender meat. Calvin held a napkin and wiped his mouth after each bite. Nora smiled as she handed around more shish kebabs to the cannibals.
"No one makes them better than Raphael, right?" giggled Nora.
Calvin smiled and nodded. The prisoners all looked at the cannibals eating in front of them. Luna shuddered and looked away. Lincoln gulped and paced around, while Clyde sat on the corner, shaking and crying.
"That's absolutely disgusting," said Sheila. "You people are animals. You know what it's doing to us. You fucking enjoy this shit!"
"It actually tastes very good," said Calvin. "Much better than canned food and packaged shit that you guys may have scavenged. Seriously. Can't knock it 'till you try it."
"I have," said Luna. "And I will never eat human meat again. Your friend, Woodrow, fed me that. I don't know how you buggers can live with yourselves."
"Do you have any idea what it's like to be hungry? To nearly starve to death? Not only does it hurt physically- the mental and emotional pain- it would drive you mad."
"I almost starved," said Sheila. "A couple times actually. It's hard to find food in this city. But I still wouldn't eat human meat like you monsters. I'd rather starve to death. You animals!"
"So annoying," whispered Beatrice.
"Can someone shut this girl up?" hissed Guillermo.
"Why don't you make me?" asked Sheila.
Guillermo looked at Calvin. Calvin shrugged.
"Exactly," said Sheila. "Fuck you. Eat your shit somewhere else."
Guillermo walked over to the 'COW' cell. Calvin walked over to a trash can and tossed his stick into it. He rubbed his hands with his napkin as he chewed his last bite. He then wiped his mouth and tossed the napkin into the trash can.
"You're not protected by the deal that Lori and I made," said Calvin.
"Then end me now," said Sheila. "Go ahead. So you can eat my ass."
"Your mother is also not protected."
Sheila's eyes widened. Guillermo dragged Sheila's mother towards the 'HEN' cell and shoved her against the mesh fence.
"Mom!" exclaimed Sheila. "I said eat me! Don't drag my mother into this!"
"Hey!" shouted Lincoln. "Stop this! Let her go!"
Beatrice slammed her knife against the fence.
"Shut up!" she exclaimed.
Guillermo took out a carving knife and pulled Sheila's mother back. Lincoln lowered himself and placed his hands on his legs. Sheila ran ahead and placed her face against the mesh fence.
"Don't you fuckin-!"
Guillermo placed the blade against her mother's throat and quickly sliced it across. She gasped as blood squirted onto the mesh fence, traces of it landing on a crying Sheila. Guillermo placed his arms over her arms, locking them against his ribs as the cut remained open, more blood squirting out. The mother attempted to turn her head away, though Guillermo grabbed her hair and forced her to look at Sheila. She continued to cry.
Lincoln fell to his knees and grabbed the fence, his sorrowful face watching with regretful eyes. Ronnie Anne got in front of Sheila and made her look away as Guillermo dragged the mother's lifeless corpse away towards the chains.
"You're all gonna burn for this," said Ronnie Anne.
"You guys just don't learn!" chuckled Calvin. "Moose! Get this girl into the chains! Prepare her for slaughter!"
Moose opened the mesh gate and grabbed Ronnie Anne's arm.
"Hey, wait! Wait!" yelled Lori as she grabbed Moose's arms. "You can't kill her! Don't!"
Moose pushed Lori's hands away and closed the cell, before dragging Ronnie Anne away. Bobby looked at her and began shaking the fences.
"Hey! HEY! LET HER GO!" he screamed.
Lincoln joined him and began shaking the fence, screaming in protest as Ronnie Anne flailed around. Moose removed Ronnie Anne's sweater as Beatrice walked over to the chains. Nora laughed.
"She's just a lil' girl! You'll forget about her!" she laughed.
"Niní!" screamed Bobby.
"That's my sister!" yelled Lori. "She's family! Our deal, Calvin! Remember our fuckin' deal!"
"Oh, you'll give me the cure regardless," said Calvin, grabbing his goggles. "I'll force you to."
Timothy began to rev up the chainsaw as Guillermo's men and some of the other cannibals began walking out of the parking garage.
"Jesus, I can't stand the caterwauling," said Guillermo as he began walking out.
"Lori! Bobby!" yelled Ronnie Anne. "Please, help me! Please!"
Lincoln walked back and saw Lori and Bobby shouting at Calvin. He lowered himself and pulled up his left pant. He took out his M1911 tied to his calf and slid the hammer back. He placed his finger on the trigger and raised it.
The white van roared as the wheels began accelerating. Carol placed the brick on the gas pedal and opened the driver's seat door, hopping out and rolling on the ground. She quickly picked herself up and ran in the opposite direction, towards the Cadillac One that she parked a block away. The white van crashed through the fences, speeding up as it aimed at the entrance of the George Washington University Hospital, next to the parking garage. It ran over the front flower pots and through the entrance door, passing by an armed woman before a huge fireball engulfed the interior of the ground floor and the floors above it. The nearby windows shattered as the fireball consumed the flower pots and the woman outside. Thousands of tiny shrapnel and debris rocketed out of the entrance section of the hospital.