The next morning

Nigel shook Ralphie.

“I’m awake.”

Ralphie rubbed the sleep from his eyes as rays of sunlight shone through the window. Blanka was lying on a cot; she looked much worse than she did the last time Ralphie saw her.

Her skin is gray! No wonder why Nigel is worried.

His brother handed him an energy bar and a bottle of water. Ralphie’s stomach lurched at the food. He couldn’t remember the last time he ate anything. He opened the energy bar and consumed it like the best earthly meal.

“When you’re ready, we will head out. I want to get the medical supplies and then get back here before... “

Nigel trailed off. He put a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“We’ll get help for Blanka—and for Sally.”

Ralphie saw a determination that he’d never seen in his brother before. He’d thought Nigel was in love if he didn’t know better. He was happy for his brother and wanted the best for him. Ralphie didn’t have much experience with love, but had developed feelings for Sally. He only hoped that she felt the same. Benson entered the infirmary with two backpacks.

“We put together some supplies for you. To get to the hospital, travel east for a couple of hours. You’ll find a highway that runs along a river. That will take you most of the way to the hospital. But be careful. Last time we sent scouts, they didn’t come back.”

“We’ll be careful,” Nigel said as he loaded the rifle.

“I know you’re young, but do you know how to handle this?” Benson, handing a 22 caliber pistol to Ralphie.

“Our dad taught us to shoot when we were young,” Nigel said.

Dad didn’t reach me to shoot. I was too young.

“If you see a gray-looking building with antennas all over it, go around it. You don’t want anything to do with that nonsense,” the old man said.

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“Why not?” Ralphie asked.

“Everyone that has come in contact with that place has gotten killed or nearly so. After contacting that place, Marla was the only survivor during our last attempt to reach the hospital.”

No one said anything for a long moment.

“We will be okay. Blanka is counting on us, and that’s all that matters.”

Marla gave Nigel a hug. “Take care of yourself, kid.

Nigel gave Blanka a tender kiss before she dosed off. Ralphie wanted to give Sally a similar send-off but thought better of it. Instead, he ran his hand through her blond hair.

Two hours later

Ralphie was never so happy to reach the highway. After so much time in the forest, he became sick of it. The road had seen better days. Potholes and debris filled the road. The pavement bore scorch marks and cars had overturned. Ralphie thought of that James Bond move where a laser threatened to cut the spy in half.

What was happening to the world?

Ralphie often asked himself the same meaningly questions. Who programmed the robots? What about those crazy people spouting all of that gibberish in the streets? Those were questions that Ralphie needed answers to. He wouldn’t rest until he found and reunited with the rest of his family. His mother was out there and needed to find out what happened to her.

“Get down,” Nigel yelled.

Ralphie was pulled into the bushes by Nigel. A swishing sound of a helicopter hovered overhead.

“Who is that?”

“I don’t know, but it looks like an army.”

“Did they see us?” Ralphie asked.

“I don’t... think so,” Nigel replied.

His brother got into position behind a rotting stump. Ralphie didn’t dare move from his hiding position behind the tree. Several men jumped out of the helicopter, automatic weapons in hand. Ralphie held his breath as the men searched the burned-out vehicles. From his vantage point, he could see a few more vehicles. A turned-over ambulance and a car that resembled a hearse looked like they had collided. Movement from the other side of the road caught his eyes. Two shapes leaped out of the high grass before he could register what it might have been. One resembled an older man with long white hair, while the other looked much younger. They both moved like the wind. The older man jumped, straddled the soldier, and bit into his neck. He screamed and the other soldiers opened fire. Until the old crazy man or whatever that was down.

“Stop, hold your fire,” a female voice said.

Ralphie moved to get a better look. A woman dressed in a white lab coat held a bullhorn. Several soldiers and an old man who resembled Mr. Tage accompanied her. A local billionaire that practically owned Milford, his hometown. The woman pointed at the dead old man and soldier, and the troops picked up the corpses and loaded them into the helicopter. Moments later, the younger man was pushed toward the chopper. Bound and gagged, one of the doctor’s guards pushed the younger man toward the woman in the white coat. She reached for something in her pocket and then injected the man with something. He dropped to the ground, and then the guards picked him up and loaded him into the helicopter. A few seconds later, Nigel and Ralphie were alone.

“Who are those guys?” Ralphie asked.

“The people who think they are the saviors of the people.”

“Who?”

“I will explain, but we must search that ambulance first.”