“That’s not gonna happen,” Jason said. “Is there a compromise?”
“No. Some of you are carriers. There’s no compromise.”
“You realize, we can take off, right? This is a big country. We can disappear.”
“Then why are you even bothering to talk to me?” Maggie asked. “If you can disappear, go. It’s on you.”
“I’m calling because I want us to do the right thing.”
“The right thing is to turn yourself in.” Maggie ended the call.
Trey approached her. “Is there really no compromise?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t even tried. I’d have to call Council and tell them that they don’t want to turn themselves in. I don’t know what would happen. I’m just so angry right now,” she said. “Angry at them for bringing this back and angry at myself for not taking precautions when I went into Rantoul.”
“Maybe you aren’t infected.”
“Maybe.” Maggie sighed. “Tomorrow will tell. Actually… tomorrow will tell a lot.”
Sitting with the others around the fire, Malcolm went through the contents of the envelope Nora grabbed from his office. “This is unbelievable. This…” he told the others. “Proves that none of us were willing participants. The screen captures from the video. It’s all here.” He smiled.
“We had no idea,” Nora said. “I saw your son’s name on it.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.” He stood up with the folder.
“Where are you going?” Nora asked.
“Jason said they wouldn’t compromise. Maybe hearing about this…” Malcolm lifted the folder and the Aldervice. “Maybe they’ll be willing to talk.”
After he walked off, Nora looked at Marilee. She stared at the fire, looking so lost. Nora sat beside her. “Hey, I haven’t had a chance to talk to you. I am… I am so sorry. We are so sorry. You welcomed us and we caused this.”
“You didn’t know,” she said. “Even if you suspected you still didn’t know.”
“It took a lot for you to face us,” Nora said.
“Where else am I gonna go? I have no one. Everyone I knew and loved is gone.”
Nora felt her words, the pain in them, and they cut through her as she clutched Marilee’s hand. “If I can figure out a way to make this up to you, I will.”
“There’s no way.”
“I’ll try.” Nora told her, then noticed Malcolm was back. She stood. “That was fast. What did they say?”
Malcolm looked at everyone. “They’ll take the papers and they’ll let us live out our lives out here if… we all submit to a blood test and we give up the carrier, or carriers.”
John spoke up. “And one of us is a carrier. So we condemn this person to death, or whatever they choose to do with us.”
Malcolm nodded.
Meredith said. “Freedom for all comes at a price. A high price.”
“I say we go,” Malcolm said. “Let’s head east like Hunter said. They don’t go into the wasteland. It’s our best option.”
“No,” Jason said. “It’s not. It’s noble of you Malcolm because you know for a fact you aren’t a carrier, but I don’t know if I am, or not. And I can’t live with the fact that I feel fine but can easily cause death everywhere I go. We can hide, stay clear, but what if one of us has a child? What if we stumble upon a group, or they stumble upon us. I can’t take that chance.”
“Neither can I,” said Nora. “I’m with Jason. I vote we take the test.”
“I’ve had a good life,” John lifted his hand. “I also vote we get that test.”
“If it’s me,” Meredith said. “I’d rather die knowing I didn’t cause any more death, then live wondering.”
At that point, everyone had their hands lifted.
“No.” Malcolm shook his head. “No, we beat this thirty year bullshit. Someone did this to us. We didn’t ask for this.”
“Neither did Rantoul.” Nora reached for the Aldervice. “Let me make the call.”
As Malcolm handed her the device, Hunter’s hand came down on it. “No. This is mistake. A trap. Just pack. Leave. Do not bargain. They took children. Kill. They do not make deals with ease.”
“He’s right,” Malcolm said. “Thinking about it. She’s making a deal too easy and too fast.”
Nora removed Hunter’s hand from the device. “It’s a chance I’m willing to take.” Having learned from Malcolm how to use it, Nora connected a communication line. Her insides literally shook waiting for an answer.
“Yes,” Maggie answered.
“There’s a woman here from Rantoul….”
“Who is this?”
“My name is Nora Lane. Just listen to me. She is not sick, she never got sick. She’s immune. Two years ago you took her son. His name is Dillard Wanes. I want her reunited with her son. She gets her son back,” Nora said.
“Her son is in the system. He’s…”
“Find him. And find my family. I know you know them. I want one last goodbye. Promise these and you can have your carriers. We’re packed and ready to leave. You have an hour to let us know, or we hit the road.”
Without waiting for anymore to be said, Nora disconnected and she handed the device back to Malcolm.
Marilee just stared at her.
Jason walked up and placed his lips to her forehead.
Everyone waited in nervous silence, except Hunter who actually began gathering items. He expressed his hope they would not agree, because he didn’t trust them.
The return call came forty-two minutes later.
“I spoke to Salvation Council,” Maggie said. “It will take at least a day to find Dillard. But they agreed. Here’s how it will go down. The day after tomorrow we will meet in Jacksonville, Illinois. Off of old highway seventy-two there is a building that used to be a Walmart. It is now a field training center. We will meet at noon. Malcolm, because he is immune will show Colonel Norris the documentation. After he verifies the validity of it, all of you will be placed in a special holding and tested. After and only after we have you, the mother will be taken to her child and Nora will see her family.”
“Then what?” Malcolm asked.
“Dr. Nelson should know pretty quickly who is a carrier and who is not. We take the carrier, or carriers, the rest go on their way.”
“What happens to the carriers?” Malcolm questioned.
“They’ll be placed where they can’t be danger to anyone.”
“Thank you,” Malcolm said. “And Maggie. I truly hope you do not get this.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
The call ended and Malcolm put away the device. “Two days.”
TWENTY – THE MEET
Day Fifteen AR
Her face was pale and despite her fever, a thin line of perspiration formed on Maggie’s forehead. The sickness had ravaged her leaving her lips dry and blistered, and her neck so swollen she often times choked on her on saliva.
Trey helped her sit up and gave her water. The first sip she took just fine. The second one she coughed causing the liquid to seep from her mouth.
“Sorry,” she said.
“It’s fine. Lay back down.” Trey adjusted the pillow.
“Do you think the people that lived here would mind I am in their bed?”
“No, not at all. They did well in this town, I bet they were nice.”
“What time is it?”
“Eight.”
“You better get going it will take a couple hours to get there.”
“I’m not going, Maggie. I’m not leaving you.”
Maggie whimpered. “You don’t need to do that.”
“I don’t. I want to. Now rest. Okay? Don’t worry about anything.” Trey waited for her to close her eyes and then he slipped from the bedroom of the small trailer home. Once outside he lifted the Aldervice and after pressing an icon, brought it to his ear. “Come on, Dad, pick up, hear the chirp.” He had been trying to reach his father since the night before using the private channel, just in case Salvation monitored, but Malcolm hadn’t answered. Finally he did.