As the wounded infected limps away back to the barricade at the town's border, Archie breathes a sigh of relief as he watches Danny and Jen continue their journey to the Gullet of Xir. Having Clay send the duo there had always been a calculated risk, there was no guarantee that their conscious minds would be strong enough to resist the pull of Xir's influence there. But it was the only way to retrieve whatever Xir had secreted away in the Gullet. For all of Archie's research into Xir, the amount of actual firsthand knowledge he possessed about the mysterious creature was depressingly little. Most of what he knew was gleaned from myths, legends and the occasional drunk rambling into his cups at a bar. A very meager haul considering how many years of his life Archie had sunk into this task.

If Archie had been a braver man, he would have taken on these risks by himself. In the past, he would have been ashamed of being such a coward. But ever since Archie reconciled himself to abandoning Joey and the sordid past they shared together, he positively welcomed his nature as a coward. Better to let someone else die on your behalf. After all, this was the path Archie had started to walk ever since Joey and him were dumping the bodies of their friends in the swamp. People had died so that he could live. It would be a shame for all their sacrifices, willing or not, to go to waste.

A man can live his life as a coward, but he can never, ever be weak. Its just a rule of nature. An eagle is an apex predator, but knows when to run when it is outmatched. Live to fight another day. And preferably against opponents that are actually beatable.

Then why did Archie come to Maine and more specifically, to this town? The yarn Archie spun was that he was fleeing the plague, and eventually lured here by Xir. Archie was surprised that Xir never ever recognized him, but then again, the Archie of today looks dramatically different from how he looked as early as a year ago. But while Archie might be a liar, there was one person he would never lie to.

Himself.

Archie came to this town to get justice for Joey, the friend (lover?) that he had abandoned. A surprisingly generous and brave act for a coward. But in reality this act costs Archie nothing. Its easy to be generous when the end approaches for you.

Archie slips out from the shadows concealing him and begins making his way back to the store. The infected are moving cautiously, sticking close to the barricade for fear of the town discovering their nature. Just because they had gone feral did not mean the infected were stupid. If anything, it had become common knowledge thanks to past events that the virus was guided by a singularly malicious intelligence. An intelligence completely devoted to devouring others and spreading itself, but intelligence nonetheless. But that monomania made it easy to lure the virus here and -

"Agh." Archie groans in pain as his breath hitches, a fiery pain spreading across his lungs. Pressure begins to build in his chest, begging to be released.

"Shut up Frank." Archie whispers from between gritted teeth, "I'm in charge, not you."

Archie's lungs begin to itch terribly and he knows what's coming. A coof. But not this day. He had absorbed Frank for a reason and was still strong enough to enforce his will. Frank might be eating away Archie from inside, but the former NYSE broker had no answer to the Smithian Art.

"Be quiet." Archie hisses out a command and snorts a handful ashes he brings out from his pocket. The pain immediately vanishes and Archie sinks to his knees in pure relief. Frank had been getting more rebellious lately, a sign of Archie's growing weakness. Archie suspected that he had overdrawn on the debt Frank owed him, that was probably why his control over the dead man was slipping. But there was nothing to be done. Archie needed Frank. At least until this terrible business is finished.

....

New York City, before the Great Collapse

Archie idly looks out from the window his chauffeured limo, watching the graffiti spray painted over the once posh building housing his office blur past. The graffiti had first started as a single line that had been cleaned up regularly by the building's maintenance. Then that single line became two lines, then three. When the maintenance people one day decided not to show for work and never came back, the graffiti had become a part of the building's facade.

NO CURE

NO VACCINE

NO HOPE

Now with the restrictions in place and the virus spreading out of control, there was no one to hire even if you had the money for it. People were either to scared to leave their houses, or had joined the swelling ranks of the Herd, a group of crazies that advocated spreading the virus far and wide in the name of universal immunity. Archie had heard that the Herd first started off with spitting on food or licking toilet seats, but they had since graduated to full blown rioting, fighting against 'the Man' and 'Immunity Nazis'. Riots had grown so common in NYC that the press never bothered reporting about them anymore.

After the Herd tore apart a contingent of the NYPD's finest in an orgy of violence during their takeover of the Bronx, National Guardsmen had become a common sight all over NYC. Archie could hear choppers flying overhead everyday, apparently deployed by the National Guard to spot where Herd rioters are gathering. And ever since the Herd started rampaging and killing police, the authorities had responded in kind. Anyone wandering about in a designated red zone would be shot, no questions asked.

NYC was going to hell and Archie was not going to go down with the once great city. Archie's stomping grounds were still declared as green zones, but the virus was spreading rapidly. The talk circulating in the rumor mill was that the State Governor and Mayor of NYC were preparing to skedaddle while they still could. Archie knew this wasn't just a rumor though. He had not become a prominent financier without getting a few contacts in high places and the news from them was grim. NYC was finished. The only thing left to do was to move your money out and flee for your life.

And Archie had made plenty of money thanks to the virus. The invisible hand had been good to him, guiding him to first place his money in companies that manufactured medical equipment. Then he had hoarded PPE and hygiene supplies, releasing them into the black market at inflated rates. The last few months were spent liquidating his holdings and turning them into gold. With that nice sum in his hands and the remaining hoard of medical supplies, Archie planned to make a break straight across the state border. With the bully boys he recruited, Archie planned to set up shop in Vermont and start dealing in medical supplies again.

Come rain or shine, the inexorable force of the invisible hand could not be denied.

But before he could do any of that, Archie needed to retrieve something very important. Something that could make or break his future in the new America that would emerge from the chaos.

"We're here sir." the limo's driver informs Archie nervously.

The driver had failed to take Archie all the way to his destination, but not because of negligence or laziness. Archie peers out through the cars windscreen, admiring the iconic pillars of the NYSE before frowning at the mob of Herd blocking the way. Ever since immunity passes had become a thing, certain professions of national interest recruited only people carrying such passes. The NYSE was naturally, one such institution that recruited only virus immune folks. The equity market needed to keep running, come rain or shine. Of course, this meant that the NYSE was the equivalent of a matador's cape for the Herd. All those immunity nazis gathered in one location were a target too juicy to resist.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The sound of gunfire fills the air as the National Guard protecting the NYSE desperately attempts to fend off the encroaching mob. The Herd had been attacking the NYSE nonstop for the past few days without relent. Guns could intimidate regular people into obedience, but the Herd are completely fearless. As the graffiti on the wall so helpfully reminds Archie everyday, there really isn't any hope left for NYC or the infected. When a person's death is all but guaranteed, the only thing left for him to do is go out in a blaze of glory. There's an eruption of flame as a petrol bomb explodes in the middle of the fortifications set up by the Guard, setting several men alight.

The line will not hold. Archie had to retrieve his investment now, or all would be lost.

"Are you ready?" Archie asks the pair of bodyguards seated with him, "Do you have the fake immunity passes on hand?"

The bodyguards nod and put on their gas masks before disembarking from the car. The bogus papers should be enough to convince the Guard to let his people through. At least that's what Archie hoped. Things were spiraling out of control too quickly. The invisible hand could only divine the course of a civilized society. As that civilization breaks down and reverts to utter barbarism, the grasp of the invisible hand slips away. But there was nothing Archie could do about that. The die had been cast. Archie's phone rings and he accepts the call.

"Yes, Frank?" Archie answers.

"Where are your people?" the man on the other side of the line blubbers in fear, "I can see the rioters from the window, Archie! They're coming and they want to kill us all!"

"Just stay at your cubicle." Archie reassures, "My men are on their way right now. You'll be in my car and away from all this mess in a jiffy."

"Just retrieve me quickly. Oh God, I don't want to die." Frank moans before he hangs up.

Frank had been one of the clerks Archie had employed in the office. Frank wasn't a spectacular performer by any means, and like many New Yorkers, he had fallen victim to the virus. However, Frank did manage to recover after several days in hospital and netted himself a immunity pass in the bargain. Archie had resisted the temptation to furlough Frank during his hospitalization, paying the man his salary officially on compassionate grounds. The small money he spent on Frank netted a return when Frank decided to take up a position as a broker in the NYSE. The gratitude Frank had for his former employer meant that Archie had a toehold into one of the most secure institutions in the country.

And now with the situation turning ugly, Frank represented something far more valuable.

Minutes pass and eventually Archie's bodyguards return, escorting a fat, sweating man with them. The mismatched trio literally throw themselves into the limo and the driver peels off down the street away from the Herd.

"Good to see you again Frank." Archie greets as the fat man wipes his brow with a wrinkled handkerchief.

"Thanks for coming Archie." Frank gasps, "We're going to get my family next right?"

"Another team is handling that." Archie lies smoothly, "We're going back to my office. There's something I need to do there before leaving New York."

"Great. Great." Frank sighs in relief, "Just as long as we are away from this awful place. How did things come to this point?"

"I honestly have no idea." Archie admits, "Everything seemed under control just a week or two ago."

"You heard about India?" Frank blurts out, "The Herd is active there too. Well, they don't call themselves that of course, but the mobs there have organized into an apocalyptic cult, stoning doctors and setting hospitals on fire."

"Fascinating." Archie murmurs as the limo turns into the basement parking area of the office, "We'll be safe soon Frank, so just relax."

The limo passes multiple trucks being loaded with crates before coming to a stop before a private elevator. Frank looks dumbfounded at all the activity around him as he follows Archie into the elevator.

"What was all that?" Frank asks in awe.

"My merchandise Frank." Archie smiles, "I'm moving out of the equity market and getting into cash and carry. There's opportunity in crisis after all."

"You were always good with this sort of thing." Frank answers admiringly.

The elevator dings cheerfully as it deposits the pair at Archie's office. The remaining staff in Archie's employ are busy packing documents up and hardly have time to mind Frank gawking about.

"This way." Archie guides Frank into a meeting room and the moment the pair are inside, Archie discreetly locks the door while the bodyguards stand outside.

"Safe at last!" Frank exclaims, the tension releasing all at once.

"Frank, I have something for you." Archie says as he hands over an attache case left on the table to his former employee. Frank opens the case and immediately goes bug eyed.

"Archie, this is ..." Frank mutters.

"Gold bullion." Archie smiles modestly, "A little something for you. I was thinking that you and your family might need it for the times ahead."

"I can't ... I can't accept this Archie ..." Frank stutters incoherently.

"Sure you can." Archie insists, "Think about your family."

"OK." Frank nods happily, "I owe you Archie, I really do."

"Well, if you want to pay me back," Archie hums, "there is a little something you could do for me."

"Sure." Frank shrugs, "Can't be worse than what's going on out there right now."

Archie approaches Frank from behind and clasps both hands on to Frank's shoulders. He then leans close and whispers into Frank's ear.

"I need you inside me."

"I, uh, don't swing that way Archie." Frank answers nervously, "But I'm flattered! Really."

"Oh no, you misunderstand." Archie chuckles, "Did you know there's a cure for the virus?"

"There is?" Frank queries, "But all the news reports were saying something else?"

"Plasma." Archie smirks as his fingers sink into Frank's fat shoulders.

"Uh?" Frank stupidly grunts, "Like those TVs?"

"No. Blood plasma." Archie says almost lovingly, "Immune people have antibodies against the virus. That's why they can't fall sick to it again."

"Archie, you're scaring me." Frank protests and tries to struggle, but his limbs refuse to respond.

"Now, now. Didn't you agree to pay me back?" Archie leers at the helpless man before him, eyeing Frank's neck like a piece of meat.

"Archie, please ..." Frank wails, as horrible understanding dawns on him.

"I need you inside me, Frank." Archie declares triumphantly, "I also won't be taking no for an answer."

And with that said, Archie's teeth tears his victim's neck open in a flash of crimson.