CHAPTER ONE

“Wait for me…”

The thought touched briefly in Jason’s mind and he looked up at the blazing sun. Who had said that? And when? Just as quickly, the thought was gone and he looked down at the road again, his feet scraping against the concrete. It hurt to move. The sun was too hot against his sunburned skin and his eyes felt too dry. Two days ago someone had shot him-not too bad, just a scratch against his leg, but a small cloud of flies were starting to gather around the wound, irritating the skin. He wanted to brush them away, but most of the time he couldn’t communicate the simple thought to his brain. Part of him wanted to sit down and do nothing, but hunger kept his legs moving shakily forwards. 

There were others on the road, some in front of him and others behind. All of them were moving in the same sluggish pace. Most of them looked worse than he did-at the back of the group, a man with glasses was crawling, his two legs having been crushed to paste after a building fell on him. That same building had also fallen on a twelve-year-old girl. Shards of glass were tangled in her brown hair, making them sparkle in the sun. A long wooden beam was also protruding from her chest. All of them had an understanding-not a rapport, or even a conversation, but an understanding. They could still feel pain, in a dull kind of way, and they knew there were things that still wanted to hurt them. It was better to stay together. As the days wore on, more people would join them, sometimes from the side of the road, or in the wreckage of a car.

Jason had no idea who these people were. He knew there was a word for what they were, a word that was said mockingly. He couldn’t remember. There was a constant buzzing in his mind, one that cancelled all thought.

A man at the front of the pack suddenly drifted to the left towards a building. Jason didn’t know who this man was, and a few seconds later he would have forgotten anyway. But then the man pounded against a door, which perked his interest.

“Han,” the man said, which could have meant anything. Somehow, though, Jason understood it, and stumbled forwards. The door wasn’t locked, but something was blocking it. The smell of food was drifting through the metal. Drool ran down Jason’s lips as he slammed his fists. His stomach lurched and a moan escaped his lips. Eventually, other people joined them, and their combined mass was enough to send the door flying open. Jason tumbled to the floor with several others joining him. He struggled to his feet through a tangled mass of limbs.

Jason took a quick look at the building. There was a word for what it was, and another dim thought flashed through his mind-it was a place that made people happy. He could see several dark alcoves and barred doorways. Seeing no immediate threat, he focused on what lay in front of them-a dead woman, with blond hair wearing a green shirt and jeans. Jason tumbled towards her. It wasn’t clear how she died, but it was recently. He touched a wound in her shoulder, and fresh blood squirted out. He licked his lips in anticipation.

All too soon the other joined him, and the woman’s body shortly disintegrated into a mess of flesh and blood. Jason ate his fill, and fell to the cold floor afterwards. Now that the hunger was gone, there was simply no reason to continue moving. He closed his eyes, and slept.

###

“Let’s go to the club.”

Jason’s eyes snapped open as a familiar dull pang of hunger ran through his body. Around him the pack of people had fallen asleep. None of them stirred.

“Let’s go meet Steve,” a female voice said, followed by laughter. It came from below.

It was rare for Jason to feel anything besides hunger, but curiosity prompted him to struggle to his knees, then to his feet. He stepped over the torso of a man with missing arms, and made his way to an escalator that was turned off. He couldn’t quite figure out how to navigate the stairs, and landed in a tumbled heap on the ground. He felt a small amount of pain in his arms. A second later it was gone, and Jason struggled to his feet. He observed a massive fountain that was empty and cracked. There were three levels of stores, and to his left an elevator was suspended on the second floor. He didn’t see any sign of movement anywhere.

“Let’s go bake cookies.”

Jason turned around. One of the stores was open and full of toys. Children’s toys. The girl with a beam in her chest was sitting on the counter, swinging her legs. In her hands was a doll. As he watched, she pulled back the string, and the doll spoke in a mechanical voice.

“You can do it. I believe in you!”

The girl threw her head back, laughing. Her face and teeth were covered in blood.

Jason reached his hand out, then stopped. He wasn’t sure what he was doing. He had an emotion that fled too fast for him to identify. He lowered his arm and suddenly felt tired again.

Suddenly, gunshots rang out, and everything in Jason changed. His instincts took over and he whirled around, faster than he ever moved before. Likewise, the girl snarled, her red eyes shining brightly. They both bolted out of the store. There was someone still alive upstairs. His stomach, which had only been stated moments before, rumbled hungrily. Fresh meat!

The second they ran out of the store, a flashlight shined down on them. “Male looks like a newb. Repeat, male is a newb!” a voice rang out.

“What about the girl?”

“Kill her.”

Jason could hear them, but he couldn’t comprehend what they were saying. He did realize, however, that there were a lot of them up there, and guns could kill him. The girl, on the other hand, ran screaming up the stairwell. A split second later she flew backwards, a bullet hole in her forehead.

He had a rare flash of intelligence and he backed away, expecting the bullets to hit him, but they didn’t. He spotted an open vent and hurled himself inside. The vent itself turned sharply to the right before abruptly ending in a closed vent that simple pounding wouldn’t open. Jason was suddenly aware of how cramped the vent was. As a dim flashlight flashed near his hand, he hissed angrily.

“Can you see him?” a male voice asked.

“Yeah, I see them. I just can’t get to him. Not without him chewing my face off anyway. Is it just me, or do the newbs seem a bit smarter?”

“Susan seems to think so. More memory, more instinct. Speaking of-”

Jason could hear footsteps. “Oh just fucking terrific. Why didn’t you shoot him when he was standing at the bottom of the escalator? It’s going to take us all day to get him out!”

“No, it’s not,” the first voice said calmly. “I got my cat out the same way. Hand me that…okay, get ready!”

Something landed with a clang next to Jason, and the whole vent exploded in sound. He completely forget about everything, except the need to get out of the vent immediately. He bolted out, running right into two men, one dark skinned and the other young and Caucasian. As he fell into the younger man’s arms, he instantly bit him on the collarbone. With a cry the man shoved him away with his free hand. Jason landed gracefully on the ground, fuelled by unexpected rage. His eyes shifted to an older female with grey hair and he growled, a long growl from the base of his soul. Nervously she backed away as he advanced.

Suddenly, the dark-skinned man was in front of her, holding some kind of gun to his head. “Surprise, mother fucker,” he said, and fired.

Jason’s world suddenly exploded in white and he couldn’t stop himself from falling. He wanted to kill them, but he couldn’t get up. The world was switching from white to dark so fast. Jason closed his eyes.

“He bit me,” the younger man groaned. “The son of a bitch bit me.”

“Oh, grow a pair, Dennis,” the female snapped.

###

Pain wrecked and curled through his body as he opened his eyes. On some instinctual level he lashed out, desiring to peel off the flesh of those that would dare do this to him. Something held him back-a strap. He was on a metal table, and two people were towering over him.

“Shit, why isn’t this working?”

“It’s working. Give it time,” another said.

Jason shuddered and his eyes rolled back in his head. Something spat out of his mouth, but he wasn’t sure what. In the distance he heard a beeping start to increase.

“There it is,” a male voice said. “Secondary wave should kick in any second now-”

Jason screamed as his mind exploded with images, color, and voices. Suddenly, he understood the answer, but a split second later it was gone as a cold, black emptiness dripped into his brain. It was too much. He closed his eyes and welcomed it.

Daddy? I can see you.

What did it mean? What did any of it mean?

“Shit, shit, shit,” one voice whispered, one that was very dim. “What’s happening?”

“His brain is short-circuiting. It happens to everybody.”

They continued talking, but Jason couldn’t hear them.

###

Hours, or perhaps days later Jason woke up again. He was lying in a hard cot, and it was dark. He could hear talking, followed by screaming. Painfully he turned his head.

He could see dozens of cots to his left, full of people. His view was partially blocked by two men with white coats standing in front of the cot nearest to him, struggling to hold down a thrashing man.

“I thought you said he was stable!” one of them shouted.

“He was when they brought him in!”

Jason couldn’t see the man too clearly except for the fact that he had blond hair. The man opened his mouth, and a second later the white sheet was covered in red specks. In the adjacent cot a small boy was hyperventilating and holding something in his hands. Jason wasn’t sure what it was, but it flashed once. Perhaps a cross? Some people were sobbing. Others were shrieking. A chill ran up and down Jason’s body, followed by the desire to sleep. It wasn’t a natural urge, but rather the urge one has after taking too much nightquill or some other medication. A drugged sleep. Jason watched his neighbour with a detached curiosity, and nothing more.

“Fucking medics,” the first one grumbled. “Looks like internal damage.”

“Should we wheel him back?”

“Oh god!” Someone in the distance screamed. “Help us!”

The first white coat took out a pistol and fired once at the man, who abruptly went still. “No.”

Jason closed his eyes, and surrendered to peaceful oblivion.

CHAPTER TWO

When he next opened his eyes, it was daylight, and a woman was sitting on a chair next to him. She had grey hair and wore a blue sweater and black pants. Jason blinked once, realizing that whoever this woman was, she had far too much make-up on her face, as though trying to hide her age. In her hands was a book-he wasn’t sure what. As soon as she noticed him staring, she closed the book with a solid snap. “How are you feeling, Jason?”

Jason blinked again, realizing that he couldn’t remember anything. Not any part of his life. He swallowed a dry lump in his throat. “Is that my name? Jason?” he whispered.

“Yes,” the woman replied. “How are you feeling?”

Before Jason could reply, his stomach suddenly twisted. He glanced to the left and, spotting a silver bucket, grabbed it and threw up.

The woman raised an eyebrow. “That good, I guess. It happens to everyone when they wake up.”

“Who are you?” Jason demanded once he was done. “Where am I?”

“My name is Susan. Susan Richelle. You’re in San Francisco. The Mayor is going to come by in an hour that will explain the situation to everyone, but he’s a little…abrupt. My version’s a little nicer.”

Jason coughed. “I can’t remember…anything. But there are people here. In pain.”

Susan smirked. “They should be happy. Two days ago most of these people couldn’t feel anything at all. Pain is a good thing.” She tilted her head. “There are only five doctors here, trying to tend to five hundred people. We have made sure that these people won’t die, but beyond that the rest is up to them.”

“How do you know me?”

Susan paused. “We used to know each other. Your memory loss is a common side-effect.”

“Of what?”

“Of being dead,” Susan said flatly, leaning back in her chair. “For the last two years, your brain wasn’t technically dead, but it was only working on minimum power. We simply jump-started it again, along with your heart.”

“I don’t understand,” Jason said.

“You were a zombie, Jason, along with everyone else.” She looked away. “The infection began two years ago. No one is really sure how it started, but it swept through each city like a fire that couldn’t be put out. Within a few months, almost the entire world was infected.”

Jason shook his head. “No,” he said. “This can’t be real.”

Susan smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “We’ve all seen zombie movies plenty of times, laughed at them, but when it really happens…nothing can prepare you for the real thing.”

Jason waited for her to continue, but she seemed to be lost in thought. “Then what happened?”

Susan waved a dismissing hand. “Our top scientists in the world found a cure.” She sighed. “Unfortunately, two years is a little too late. Most of the zombies we see nowadays are missing several limbs, or they’ve been shot at or impaled too many times. Out of all the zombies in San Francisco, I’d say that ninety percent of them are beyond saving.”

“Jesus,” Jason said.

“You were the first newb we’ve seen in a while, which is even rarer.”

“Newb?” Jason echoed.

“Someone who is barely fucked up. In most cases, that happens because you were smart enough to stay alive, until very recently.” She paused. “Do you remember how you died yet?”

Jason searched, but came up with a blank. “No. I can’t remember anything.”

“You’ve barely used your brain lately. Give it time.” She patted his arm. “When the mayor arrives, he’s not going to be very polite. He has his reasons, most of which are very foolish. Do what he says. It’s the way we work around here. The only way we can work.” She stood, the book in her arms. “When you feel better, come and see me again. I think we have a lot to talk about.”

###

As Susan had predicted, an hour later the mayor came around. He was much too thin, with grey hair and pale skin. He looked at the talking patients and frowned. “All right, listen up, because I’m only going to say this once,” he shouted. Everyone instantly fell silent. They were that desperate for an answer.

“A day ago, you were zombies. The walking undead. Whatever the hell you want to call yourselves. You were lucky enough to be cured and airlifted here. I know that most of you are confused and are suffering from loss of memory. That’s understandable, but we do not have the necessary people to help you through your trauma. In two hours, you will be escorted from the recovery area and you will be assigned lodgings in the city. Do not attempt to retrieve your finances. There are no workable banks left in the United States, and we will assign our own tickets to you for food and supplies. Within three weeks a social worker will be assigned to attempt to locate your family. Do not attempt to track them on your own. There are only three recovery centers in the United States, and everyone will be registered. If your family is not on the register, they are currently deceased. Finally, do not attempt to leave the city.” The Mayor paused, holding the clipboard in his arms. “This idea is both suicidal and very selfish. Every person in this city is considered essential. No one is getting a free ride out of this. You will be required to tell the social worker your former occupation. If your memory does not return in that time, a task will be assigned to you.” The mayor smiled, and there was no warmth in it. “Welcome to San Francisco.”

Jason gripped his pillow tightly, only barely able to comprehend what the mayor was saying. Other voices started to ask questions, some of them terrified, others angry. The mayor waved a dismissing hand and left.

“Can you believe that guy?” someone to his left muttered.

“This is outrageous. When I get out of here I’m going to call-”

Jason lowered his head, trying desperately to tune everyone out.

An hour later three trolleys was wheeled between the beds. A scowling old woman glanced once at Jason, as though sizing him up.

“What?” Jason asked.

Without replying, she rummaged through the trolley and threw a black sweater, jeans, and shoes at Jason. “Put those on. You’re leaving in ten minutes,” she said, then proceeded to the next bed.

###

For a few minutes Jason stood in a long line-up of people that were gradually being loaded into cars. Finally it was his turn. He sat in the backseat with two other people, both pale and looking terrified. Neither of them spoke to each other.

The social worker drove them out of the building, and Jason peered out of the window. He couldn’t see too much-it was the middle of the night and there wasn’t a street light anywhere.

The social worker drove them for a few blocks, then stopped the jeep in front of a two-story house that was dark inside inside. He glanced at Jason. “You’re first.”

Jason got out of the jeep and followed the worker up the driveway and up three steps. He turned his head and noticed that the garden was full of dead flowers. The social worker took a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door.

“Who lives here?” Jason asked.

“Nobody. Except for you,” the man replied and handed him a plastic bag. “This is to help get you started. We don’t have a communication network set up yet, but the capital building is only a few blocks away. There are neighbours on both sides if you need anything.” The social worker gestured, and handed him a flashlight. “Here.” He turned around and headed back to the jeep.

“Wait-” Jason began, but the worker ignored him and drove away. Jason hesitantly looked at the door again, then opened it.

Inside was a living room that was almost pitch-black. Jason automatically fumbled for the light switch, which didn’t work. No electricity. He turned on the flashlight and ran it slowly across the room. It felt like he was breaking and entering. There were two green couches, a coffee table, and a flat screen t.v. Next to it was a collection of movies.

“Hello?” Jason called out, and silence answered back. He shivered once, then entered the living room and sat on the couch. He looked at the bag, which had some basic supplies-toothpaste, a toothbrush, shampoo, soap, band-aids, and five blue tickets which Jason realized was for food. Jason tossed the bag on the coffee table. “Fuck,” he whispered and looked at the open doorway which led to the kitchen. Part of him was terrified to look. This wasn’t his house. Why couldn’t he remember anything?

All of a sudden, he heard a scuttling above his head, making him grab his flashlight. Was that a rat? Another noise made him jump-a knock on the door.

He opened the door, and a woman with brown hair stood in the doorway. She was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. “Hi,” she said awkwardly. “I’m your neighbour next door. Sorry to bug you, but I only just arrived and I could really use some company.”

“God, that sounds like a good idea. Come in, my name’s Jason.”

“Tracey,” the woman replied.

“Are you starting to remember?”

“No.” Tracey blinked rapidly, struggling to hold back tears. “I just gave myself that name hours ago.”

Jason reacted automatically and hugged her as she burst into tears. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “We’re going to get through this, Tracey. Okay?”

He led her to the couch, and found a blanket right beside it on the floor. He shook it once, releasing the dust, before wrapping it around her. “Have you had anything to eat or drink?”

Tracey shook her head. ‘No,” she said. “I haven’t been hungry since…well…” More tears fell down her cheeks.

“I’m going to find us something to eat anyway.” Jason turned and entered the pitch-black kitchen. He opened the fridge door and instantly retched. Three trays of rotting food looked back at him. He should have known. Jason almost closed the door, when something caught his eyes. At least six bottles of beer were nested in the side drawer. In the cupboard he located some very mouldy bread, and a bag of chips that were probably stale. He took the chips and two bottles and headed back to the living room.

To his surprise, Tracey was standing in the open doorway. “I’m sorry, I just don’t know,” she said, and glanced behind her.

A kid who was sixteen years old was standing in the doorway, wearing a long black sweater which covered both of his arms. “Sorry to bug you. My name’s Brad. I just got here and-”

“Come in,” Jason said automatically. “I think we’re all in the same boat.”

Within half an hour two more people joined them-another woman with blond hair and an older man wearing an eye patch. Jason moved the coffee table, and they formed a ring on the floor.

“Does anyone remember anything?” Jason asked.

“A little bit is coming back,” the blond woman whose name was Lisa replied. “I was a cashier…I think.”

“Where did you get bit?” an older man wearing an eye patch asked. His name was Sam.

Tracey lifted her shirt, revealing a scar next to her belly button. Jason looked at his hands, but saw no scars anywhere. He didn’t have a lot of time to look, anyway.

“Dude, at least you still have a hand,” Brad said, lifting his sleeve to reveal a bandaged stump. “Those assholes only gave me two aspirin and told me to leave.”

“G.A is stretched to the max,” Sam said.

“G.A?” Lisa inquired.

“Government aid. I’ve been here for a day, and I see choppers coming in every two hours. I’ve heard talk that San Francisco was never meant to be a recovery center, but this was the one area least infected.”

“How’s the beer, by the way?” Jason asked.

“A little off,” Tracey replied. “But right now, it’s the best thing in the world.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Sam agreed.

All five of them looked up as they heard a scuttling across the roof.

“What is that?” Tracey asked in a hushed whisper.

“I heard that earlier too,” Jason said, standing up. “Be right back.”

“Oh hell no,” Brad replied, standing up. Scott followed behind him. “You’re not going anywhere alone.”

In the kitchen Jason’s flashlight could just make out a wooden staircase. He could hear another scuttle above, followed by something crashing. Jason looked behind him as the door knocked again.

“You’re going to have the whole neighbourhood here within an hour,” Sam remarked.

“They’re probably seeing all the flashlights in the window,” Jason replied as they proceeded up the staircase. A long, narrow hallway was above. Most of the other doors in the hallway were closed. Jason glanced at one that was slightly ajar, leading to a dark bedroom. He fumbled for the light switch.

A thud made all three jump. Jason whirled around. A small, black cat hissed at them from the opposite end of the hallway.

Brad breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s just a cat.” He stepped forwards and snapped his fingers. “Here puss puss…”

The cat made a strange whine at him. As Jason stepped forwards he noticed that clumps of fur were missing. The cat was also hissing and trembling. “Brad, wait-”

“Huh?” Brad said, just as the cat launched into the air right at him.

Jason stepped back oh crap oh crap–

Suddenly, a loud explosion tore through the hallway, and the cat exploded into blood and fur. Jason turned, and saw a man dressed in black with short black hair and blue eyes. He was holding a gun.

“You don’t want to pet anything in here, trust me. That’s how the virus spread so fast two years ago-animals, birds, bugs. We have cleared out these houses before, but it looks like we missed this one.”

“Who are you?” Sam demanded.

“Dennis. Street patrol. I wanted to see how you were all doing,” the man replied, then abruptly turned around and headed back down the stairs. The three exchanged a look, and hastily followed him.

“Can we get infected again?” Brad demanded.

“Nope. The cure is in your system, and it’s there to stay. Believe me, that was tested several times.” Dennis regarded Tracey and Lisa, then turned around. “Folks, I understand that you don’t want to be alone, but tomorrow morning you should try to sleep your new homes. The sooner you get adjusted to them the better.”

“What if someone comes back to claim them?” Lisa asked.

“They won’t,” he assured her. “The people that owned these houses are marked as dead and beyond saving.”

“Look, dude, I really need some painkillers or I can’t get any sleep tonight,” Brad said.

“Yeah, the kid needs some painkillers,” Sam echoed.

Dennis raised his hands. “Any questions should be directed to the capital. I don’t have the authority to do anything. I’m sorry.” Without waiting for a reply he left the house.

No way Jason was going to let that go. He opened the door and stormed after him. “Wait.”

Dennis was standing in front of a motorcycle. He reached forwards and grabbed a black helmet. “Look, any questions you have-”

“Why hasn’t the cure been adapted to aerosol form yet?” the words blurted out of Jason before he could stop them.

Dennis hesitated, then turned to face him. “Because the government says so, that’s why. It would cause more problems than it would solve.”

“How so?” Jason demanded.

“Imagine a world where millions of people are suddenly cured. Without any food, resources, or a fucking clue what’s going on. That could have happened to you in the mall. There was a guy who had his legs chewed off who was with you, and a girl missing half her face. They would have died a long, lingering death. Thankfully we were there to put them out of their misery.”

Jason frowned. “How did you know I was in a mall?”

“Because you were the one who bit me, motherfucker,” Dennis replied, pulling down on his shirt and revealing a bite mark.

“Oh,” Jason said. “Sorry.”

Silently Dennis got onto his motorcycle and started it up. He drove away.

Jason placed his hands in his pocket. “All right then. Thanks,” he muttered sarcastically.

Brad joined him, holding a beer. “Back to the slumber party?” he asked.

“Yeah, sure.”

CHAPTER THREE

A few days later Jason ducked his head under the shower faucet, wincing as the cold water trickled down his face. Hot water was something that they had yet to restore, but he didn’t mind. It was a warm enough day that the cold actually provided a little relief.

It had been three days since he had left the hospital, and they had passed by like a blur. Most of that time had been spent cleaning out the house. He had removed a lot of the personal items such as photos, letters, trinkets, a baby’s cradle, and stored them in the attic. Jason supposed he could destroy them, but even though Dennis had assured him that the owners were dead, he still felt guilty. For the past three nights he fully expected the door to slam open and two strangers to scream at him to get out. He also cleaned out the fridge, which removed the foul smell drifting from the kitchen.

After a few minutes, Jason exited the shower and towelled off his pale body. He glanced at the white bite scar on his shoulder, not for the first time. He had been hoping for some memory to come back, but so far, nothing.

His stomach rumbled hungrily. He really needed to buy some groceries. Jason brushed his teeth, then struggled into a pair of jeans and a blue shirt that he found in the closest earlier. He opened the door and stepped outside.

It was a bright, sunny day, and several people were walking on the sidewalk. Jason looked to the left, and noticed Tracey in the garden, trying to pull out some weeds. He couldn’t help but notice that she was wearing a nice white summer dress which showed off her curves nicely. “Morning.”

“Morning,” Tracey returned, standing up and brushing dirt from her gloves.

He nodded at the garden. “Any luck with that?”

“Ah…no.” Tracey laughed. “I’m going to try and get some seeds from government aid. I’m sure other people have asked. You’ll never believe it, but they actually rescued a psychiatrist yesterday.”

“Really? That’s great news!”

“Yeah, but don’t expect to see her anytime soon. I hear she’s already booked for six months.”

“Oh.” Jason paused. “Do you remember anything?”

Tracey frowned. She brushed the dirt from her shorts and walked forwards. “No, but I’m pretty sure my name’s not Tracey anymore.” She stepped closer until they were almost eye-to-eye. “What are you doing tonight?”

“Um…nothing. Why?”

She lowered her voice. “It’s Brad.”

“The kid?”

“He couldn’t stop screaming last night. We’re going to find a pharmacy.” Tracey waited until someone crossed the street, before resuming. “Sam did some investigating. Government aid completely cleaned out one, but there’s another in red territory.”

“Red?” Jason inquired.

“Haven’t you been checking your mail box?” Tracy asked, amused.

“It’s not my mailbox,” Jason retorted.

Tracey flushed. “Anyway, G.A has been giving us maps of where to go. Red territory is an area of the city not cleaned out yet. There could be zombies in there, but we’re going. Tonight.”

“And you want me to help?” Jason asked. “What the hell are we supposed to do if there are zombies?”

“Sam has a gun. We’ll be fine.” Tracy’s lower lip trembled. “I can’t sleep either. I’m surprised you don’t hear it.”

Jason shrugged. “I guess I can sleep through anything.” He paused. “Brad’s really suffering, isn’t he?”

“So is Sam, although he hides it a lot better.” She stared at him. “So are you coming or not?”

“Fuck yeah,” Jason replied. “I’ll meet you here later tonight.”

Tracey nodded. “Good.”

Jason flashed her a smile before walking down the street. The smile quickly faded. There were several people on the open road, but most of them were shuffling down the street. All of them looked like they were lost. Jason took a long look around and finally walked towards one of the only grocery stores still open.

He entered the store and grabbed a few essentials-cans of soup, dry pasta, and candy. No vegetables, at least not until the gardens produced something. Definitely no meat. Jason wasn’t sure if he could eat meat ever again. He walked up to the counter.

The grocery clerk, a skinny man with grey hair, gave a sigh as he put down his book and reached for Jason’s ticket. He placed Jason’s groceries in a plastic bag.

“Thanks.” Jason turned around, and bumped into a man with a missing arm. “Sorry.”

“You’re sorry?” the man exploded. “For what, bumping into me? Or are you sorry we’re all murderers? Or maybe because you have more limbs than I do?” He shook his head. “Cocksucker.”

Jason stared at him, fairly astonished. Then he left the store.

###

Later that night Jason exited his house, and was startled to find a string of lights tied to the street posts. They were plastic pumpkins, the ones you could easily find in a dollar store during Halloween, but it was a start. A great start.

Tracey, Brad, and Sam were already waiting outside on the sidewalk. Tracey was yawning.

Jason locked the door and quickly joined them.

“Thanks for doing this,” Brad said, and lifted his wrist. “The pain…I really can’t stand it anymore.”

“No problem.” Jason looked around. “Should we wait for Lisa?”

“I didn’t invite her,” Sam said.

“Why not?”

Sam shrugged and zipped up his orange jacket. “There’s something about her I don’t like.”

“She wasn’t being very neighbourly to Sam,” Brad supplied with a smirk.

“What happened?” Tracey asked.

Sam waved his hand. “Really, it was my fault. I wanted to borrow a cup of sugar and I entered her house, looking for her. Next thing I know, Lisa’s screaming her head off at me to get out.”

“That’s lame,” Jason said.

“It doesn’t matter,” Sam said, and stared at all of them with his one good eye. “Shall we go?”

They started to walk down the road. At this time of night Jason couldn’t see anyone else around, and it was eerily quiet. Occasionally he could see the flicker of a flashlight or a candle in the window.

“I hope they restore the power soon,” Tracy remarked.

“G.A doesn’t want to get off their asses and do anything,” Brad replied bitterly.

For the next few minutes they proceeded in silence, and the string of Halloween lights abruptly ended. Sam lifted his flashlight at a row of dark, empty houses. “These houses haven’t been occupied yet. Soon they will, then apartment buildings, and then poor houses. We’re bringing in about fifty people everyday. It’s going to fill up fast,” Sam remarked.

They passed by an apartment building, and Jason paused. A giant, blue ‘X’ was sprayed on the front door. “What is that?”

“Uninhabitable, at least without some serious repair work,” Sam said. “These buildings have been unattended for two years. Some damage was bound to occur.”

“Tell me about it. My roof has some serious holes in it,” Brad said.

Jason shined his flashlight through the glass door. Most of the stairwell had collapsed.

“You know an awful lot about this, Sam,” Tracey said as they resumed walking.

Sam blushed. “Well, I’m part of a neighbourhood watch, you could call it. Once a week we talk about stuff that’s happening, and we try to keep everyone informed. You’re welcome to join us, if you like.”

Brad stopped. “We’re here.”

At first, Jason wasn’t sure what he was talking about. Then he saw two signs on the road. Both were white with a red rectangle. ‘RED ZONE-DO NOT ENTER!’

Jason studied the area with his flashlight, but couldn’t see any sign of movement. Just more empty buildings. “It doesn’t seem so bad,” he declared.

“I wonder why this area isn’t guarded?” Tracey pondered. “If there are zombies around, shouldn’t there be…someone?”

“Who cares?” Brad snapped. “According to the map the pharmacy is only a few blocks away. We’ll be in and out before anyone notices.”

They resumed walking, but Jason was more aware of his surroundings this time. He listed for any noise, but all he could hear was the silent tapping of their feet against concrete.

“Oh my god!” Tracey whispered suddenly, pointing just ahead. Jason followed with his flashlight, and could see a male body slumped next to the dumpster. He wasn’t moving, but there was a visible bite mark on his cheek.

Sam slowly took out the pistol from his jacket.

“Shoot him!” Tracey hissed.

“Why isn’t he attacking us?”

“Because he’s already fed,” Jason said slowly, drawing on some memory that was almost hidden from him. “He won’t get up again until he’s hungry.”

“What the fuck are you waiting for?” Brad snapped, turning to Sam. “Tomorrow night he might wake up and attack someone! There are people only a few blocks away! We only live a few blocks away!”

Sam slowly lowered the gun. “The noise might attract others. Let’s go to the pharmacy first. Then we’ll deal with this.”

Brad stepped forwards and pointed to the right. “I think it’s that building over there.”

Jason followed his gaze and saw a store with a neon sign that wasn’t turned on. He followed the sign with his flashlight, which spelled out ‘WELLSPRING PHARMACY’.

Brad entered the building first and automatically turned on the lights. Much to Jason’s amazement, they actually worked. Seven aisles of medicine looked back at them. To his left he could see three cash registers with a snack tray. There was no sign of any zombies.

“They must have their own generator,” Sam remarked. He quickly scanned down the aisles before walking back. “I don’t see anyone here.”

Tracey’s eyes lit up at the last two rows of chips and pop. “Food.” She immediately ran to those aisles.

Even though he was just as hungry, he took his time, slowly scanning the aisles for any painkiller. “Tracey, do you see any Paracetamol?”

“What?” Tracey asked from her aisle.

“Paracetamol. I’m trying to find Tylenol.”

Next to him Sam stared at him with a puzzled look. “Jason, how did you know Tylenol was called Paracetamol?”

Jason shrugged. “Doesn’t everyone?”

“No, not usually. What do you call Asprin?”

“Acetylsalicylic acid,” Jason said automatically, and shrugged at his look. “What?”

“Jason?” Tracey asked with a tremor in her voice.

Sam lifted his hand. “Tracey, grab a bottle. Any bottle. Tell me what the technical name for it is.”

Tracey lifted one. “This is…geez, I’m not if I’m not pronouncing it right-Cyclobenzaprine.”

“You did. It’s a muscle relaxant,” Jason said.

Tracy nodded slowly. “I found the Tylenol,” she said quietly.

“Great, so Jason is a pharmacy translator. If the human race ever restarts Jeopardy I’ll remember that, but for now can we get out of here?” Brad asked through clenched teeth.

Jeopardy…as soon as Brad said that a spike of pain went through Jason’s mind. He winced and touched his forehead as something, a memory, finally came back. “My wife and I…we quizzed each other every week. It was a game. Pick a bottle, remember the name for it.” He cried out as pain dripped into his mind-

He had never planned to be a parent. He was on a promising career at the university, and had no time for children. At least, that’s what he told others. Secretly he was terrified that he would not be a good father.

All of that changed the moment his baby girl was born. The first time he stared at her in the hospital, he realized that this was the most important moment in his entire life, as he discovered a vital part of himself that had been missing…

Jason blinked the memory away. “I have a daughter,” he said, to no one in particular. Nearby, Brad gave a cry of agony as a blood-stained zombie bit into his neck, tearing away the vocal cords as though they were nothing but long cords of spaghetti. Jason suddenly heard a small growl nearby. He turned around, and saw a woman standing at the end of the aisle. She had long, dirty-blond hair and her skin was a nasty shade of grey. She was naked except for a pair of boots, and a visible chunk was missing from her arm. He couldn’t see any blood spilling from her arm, but rather a kind of black liquid. The woman continued to growl at him.

“Did I used to be like that?” he whispered. It felt like part of his brain had shut off, and he couldn’t figure out how to move. How did they even come in? He didn’t hear them.

Suddenly, two arms wrapped around his waist, and he was dragged backwards. He offered no resistance and was limply hauled over the counter by Sam. He crashed to the ground, several bottles falling with him. Tracey was shaking him and saying something, but he couldn’t her. Above him Sam was firing his pistol.

“My daughter,” Jason whispered, then suddenly everything came crashing back, and he realized where he was. He thrashed wildly, hitting more bottles in the process. “Sam, do you have another gun!”

“No!” Sam snapped. “Now stay down and try not to-argh!” He gave a startled scream as the female zombie suddenly launched herself at him and slashed at his chest, spraying blood. Tracey screamed.

Reacting entirely on impulse, Jason reached forwards, grabbed the gun, and shot her through the head, wincing from the noise. Sam gave a choked noise and lay still. A pool of blood was rapidly forming around him. Jason straightened and glanced behind him.

Five more zombies were standing at the front of the store, looking at him. “Oh God-“ Jason said, and lifted the gun with a trembling hand.

With a scream the zombies ran towards them. Abruptly they stopped and shuddered as bullets exploded out of nowhere. Jason blinked in astonishment as Dennis and several men and black were standing behind them.

“Great,” Dennis said, lowering his assault rifle. “Just fucking fantastic.”

###

Five minutes later Jason and Tracey stood outside the pharmacy. Tracey shivered, and he gripped her tightly. She buried her face in his shoulder, not looking as Brad’s body was carried out in a black bag. Sam was unconscious and being carried out in a stretcher.

After a few more minutes, the door to the pharmacy opened, and Dennis walked casually to the cop car. He lit up a cigarette. “So which one of you morons turned on the light?”

“What?” Tracy asked.

Dennis gestured at the dark street. “Have you noticed a significant lack of lighting everywhere? As soon as you turned the pharmacy lights on, it acted as a beacon for any zombies within a five-block radius. You might as well have put on a neon sign on the roof-‘fresh meat’ here.”

“That was Brad,” Jason said, and paused. “How did you know we were here?”

“The same way patrols used to guard the US border. Sensors in the road,” Dennis replied. “So why were you here? Are you junkies?”

“They were for Brad,” Tracy snapped. “Since you assholes weren’t going to give him anything for the pain.”

Dennis stared at Brad’s body. “Well, it’s really going to help him now.” He glanced at both of them and pitched his cigarette. “We do have a jail system set up, believe it or not. It’s a crummy one, and it’s already overflowing with idiots trying to steal other people’s supplies. Even so, I’m very tempted to arrest the both of you right now. But I think this is a suitable lesson about why it might be a smart idea to stay inside the green zone. Don’t you?” He shook his head and turned to exit the store. “Go back to your homes.”

Jason hurried after him, followed by Tracey. Dennis was starting to talk quietly into the radio. “We need a clean-up crew at 6480 Calvin Road. Bring a spatula.”

“Hey, wait a minute,” Jason said.

“Look, buddy, I’m busy-“

“This is the second time you’ve saved my life. I think I know why. It’s because Susan told you to keep an eye on me, right? Because I’m betting you don’t have too many scientists still alive and hanging around in San Francisco.”

Tracy gaped at him. Dennis paused. He turned off his radio, and turned around. “Maybe she did. Maybe that’s why I’m cutting you more slack than I should. But that-” Abruptly he poked Jason in the chest, making him stumble backwards into the car. “-only goes so far with me. I’m not your fairy godmother, Jason, and this is a big city. The next time you try to get yourself killed, I won’t be here to clean up the mess. And believe me, I don’t care either way.” He stared at them. “I mean it. Go home.”

Tracey looked like she was going to say something further, but Jason gripped her arm. “Come on.”

###

One of Dennis’s men drove them back. Wordlessly Jason and Tracey got out of the vehicle and walked up to his house. Jason opened the door with his key, never feeling more miserable in his life. He turned around. “I’m-“

He was shocked as Tracey kissed him hungrily on the lips. He returned it. More than anything he wanted to kiss her, and do more. Then he released her. “I can’t, Tracey. I think I’m married.”

“I don’t care,” Tracy whispered, but Jason put his hand on her lips.

“I’m sorry-but I do.” He gripped her elbows. “Believe me, I want to. But I need to figure out who I am first. If there is a woman out there, looking for our daughter…it’s not fair of me to do this.”

Tracey stared at him, tears in her eyes. She wiped them away and turned around. He couldn’t look at her as she slammed the door shut.

CHAPTER FOUR

The next morning Jason studied his reflection in the mirror, and ran a hand against the brown stubble of his chin. He needed a shave. How old was his daughter? Five years? Ten years? What did she look like? Why couldn’t he fucking remember anything?

Jason closed his eyes and released a breath. He had a sense that he used to live near San Francisco. Maybe they weren’t too far away. He needed to find her, and his wife. He needed to find out who he was. And the only way to do that was to try the capital building.  Jason grabbed his green jacket and left his house. Tracey was outside tending to her garden. She didn’t even look at him.

Over the next four hours, Jason couldn’t even get close to the capital building. A long line stretched from there to Wicket’s street, which was eight blocks away. He could see dozens of people, looking worried. Jason waited in the hot sun, fidgeting impatiently. As each moment passed, he tried to picture his daughter, without any success.

The line-up slowly moved forwards and he made his way to the front of the capital building. It was five-stories high, with a long gate around it. Even though the building appeared to be old, he could definitely see electricity inside it. There were also several guards patrolling the gate. One of them gave him a nod as he eventually made his way inside.

The wait inside seemed even longer than the one outside, but at least there was air conditioning. He passed by the medical room, where several people were laying in cots crying. Jason blinked. Not long again, he had been in that room.

Finally, the line ended in a reception area where eight people wearing business suits were working behind a computer. Jason joined one of the line-ups and glanced around. Some people were shaking their heads. One man was shouting angrily at the receptionist. Eventually a woman wearing black led him away.

A receptionist with red hair stared coldly at him. “Yes, sir, can I help you?”

“I’m looking for my daughter,” Jason said.

“Name?” the receptionist asked.

“Jason. Jason Burns.”

The woman fixed her cold, icy stare at him. “Your daughter’s name.”

“Um…Rachel. Rachel Burns.” Jason blinked in surprise. Only minutes ago, he couldn’t remember a single detail about her. But now that he was under pressure….

She started typing on the keyboard. “She is not registered at our other treatment centres, but I will add a note for you to be contacted if she is brought in.”

“So wait…that’s it?” Jason asked. “What about my address? Where did I live? I know it was around here. In Castro Valley, I think.”

“I don’t have access to that information, sir,” the woman replied. “Please leave. You’re holding up the line.”

“But-I’ve waited hours-“

“Sir-“

“She’s sick, okay!” Jason exploded, shocking himself. “I need to help her!”

“Jason?” Susan asked in surprise as she walked by, then glanced at the receptionist. “I’ll take it from here.” She gestured at him. “What are you doing here?”

Jason stepped out of the line. “Susan, I’m looking for my daughter. Please, I need to find her.”

“I see,” Susan said, concerned. “Come with me. We’ll go to my office.”

Jason followed her to another room and up the stairwell.

“These fucking morons,” the mayor said from an office to his right. “Why did they have to bring another fifty in? I specifically told them not to fly this morning-“

“What is his problem, anyway?” Jason asked her.

Susan laughed a little as he walked up another stairwell. “Before he died, Mayor Odlum was a very greedy man. He isn’t exactly thrilled to be in charge of a rehabilitation center.” They reached her office, and Susan opened the door. It looked cozy enough. Inside was a desk, a bookcase, and two leather couches. “Would you like some tea?”

Jason released a sigh. “Yeah. Sure.”

Susan plugged in a kettle, and then sat down again. “How are you feeling, Jason?”

Jason shrugged, remembering the argument he and Tracey had. “I’ve been better.”

“Have you remembered anything?”

He sighed and ran a hand through his brown hair. “Bits and pieces, here and there. Like I said, I’ve lost my daughter-”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Susan said. “But she’s not on the list, Jason. You have to be patient. If she is out there, eventually we will find her.”

“I just see flashes of her,” Jason said, standing up. “I know that she’s sick. If she is still alive, she can’t be left alone for long.” He turned around. “You knew, didn’t you? That I had a family. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Susan shook her head. “Everyone in San Francisco has lost someone. I’m still looking for my husband myself.”

“I’m sorry,” Jason muttered.

“You haven’t asked me about your wife yet,” Susan remarked.

Jason frowned. It was true. Why did that feel so…trivial? “Okay, what about my wife? Who was she?”

Susan considered. “I haven’t seen her.” She stood as the kettle started to whistle. “Then again, I haven’t been keeping track of every person who arrives in the city. Did you try her name on the list?”

“I can’t remember it.” Jason looked down. “I can’t remember any detail about her. Not even her face.”

“Cheryl. That was her name,” Susan replied, grabbing two green cups from the cupboard. She poured water into both of them with a teabag, and handed a cup to Jason. She sat down in the chair, staring at him intently. Her pink fingernails tapped against the desk. “I heard about what happened at the pharmacy. There are rules, Jason. It is critical that you follow them. For your safety and the safety of others.”

“So what if I decide to find my daughter?” Jason asked, sipping from the tea. His eyes never left her face, which showed no reaction.

“I would say that would be most unwise.”

“I know that I used to live In Castro Valley. I can leave this place and be back within a day.”

“Out of the question.”

“You don’t need a fucking scientist, okay?” Jason snapped, his temper breaking. “You already have a goddam cure. I’m probably the most…the most useless…” He couldn’t finish.

Susan watched him, then set her tea down on the table. She reached forwards and touched his hand. “There are only four treatment centres in the world, Jason. We are getting dozens of people everyday, but what is that compared to the six billion we once had? We have no surgeons, no technicians, no plumbers. Take this building for instance. It’s powered by several generators, but once those die out…we won’t have any electricity. No one is working the plants anymore. For this city to survive, everyone here is vital, especially you.”

“Why?” Jason snapped, tears in his eyes.

Susan didn’t reply, stirring her tea. “I’ve already said more then I should.”

Jason stood. “Then I’m going to find her. My daughter.” He touched his forehead, feeling suddenly dizzy.

“I was afraid you were going to say that, Jason. But then, you’ve always been a stubborn man. Everything has to be done your way. Do you know why there was a treatment center set up in San Francisco to being with?”

Jason took a step forwards, staggered, and fell backwards, crashing against the table. The teacup fell next to him and splashed against the carpet. Shit, I only took a sip of that, he thought. He struggled to talk. “Because…near the coast…less zombies…”

“No, Jason, that is a lie. The truth is, we set up a centre here because San Francisco was your last known location. We spent a considerable amount of resources looking for you. And now that we’ve found you, I’m afraid we can’t let you leave.” Susan calmly walked past him and left the room.

Jason closed his eyes, and the room went black.

###

Tay-Sachs disease.

Before his daughter was born, he didn’t know the term at all. Then Rachel had trouble hearing, and was more irritable than usual. She would barely make eye contact. Concerned, Jason had taken her to the doctor.

And he was then told that Rachel would die by age four. First paralysis would set in, then she would develop seizures. It would get any worse after that.

There was no cure. When Jason asked what he could do, the doctor advised him to make her as comfortable as possible, and to simply prepare for the worst.

As soon as he heard the news, he sat outside the medical room for some time. His wife was at work, and he still needed to break the news to her. Gradually he rocked back and forth, tears flowing from his eyes. Then he grew calm, and resolved.

He was going to fight this.

Jason opened his eyes and found himself lying on a cot. He turned his head, and noticed bars to his right. He was in some kind of cell. Was this the jail Dennis was talking about?

He stood. No. That jail was apparently overcrowded. A long, long hallway stretched from his cell to a door, and he couldn’t hear any noise at all. Not a whisper. “Help! Help me!”

There was no answer.

Jason lost track of how long he was in his cell. Every so often a bald man would give him a can of food and a bottle of water. He passed by enough times that Jason was able to piece together some answers. Apparently he was the basement of some abandoned clothing store. The store itself was considered to be somewhere in the red zone which was cleared out a few years ago, and no one had bothered to switch the signs around. His guard, Gerald, used to be a former cop. He practically lived upstairs and was being compensated for his services. At first Jason couldn’t understand how…until Gerald had brought him his food one night reeking of pot.

He didn’t know how many days passed by, but he had no more memory flashes. At some point he was rustled out of a nap by the sound of footsteps echoing down the hall. Jason rubbed the sleep from his eyes. According to his internal clock, it was nowhere near feeding time, but then again Gerald was making a recent habit of coming downstairs just to socialize. He couldn’t imagine it was very entertaining in a clothing store.

After a moment, a female walked into the light. It was Susan. “Hello, Jason,” she said. “I am so sorry to put you through this.”

Jason stood from the cot. “Why?” he demanded. “Susan, why have you done this?”

“Because you were going to leave, and I couldn’t let that happen,” Susan replied as though it should have been obvious. “I didn’t want to escalate to this, but you left me no choice.”

“Why do you need me, Susan?” Jason asked through gritted teeth. How many times did he have to say this? “You don’t need a scientist. You already have your goddam cure!”

Susan stared at him, her eyes revealing nothing. “Do you remember anything else?”

“No.”

“Curious. You should have by now. If you had your memory back, you wouldn’t need to ask that question.” She frowned. “It really is pointless to talk to you until then. Jason Burns, the man I remember, isn’t you.”

Jason touched the bars. “And what if I don’t? What if I stay like this for the rest of my life? Please, my daughter is very sick. She might be alone out there. You don’t need me.” He paused. “Please.”

Susan didn’t reply. She turned around and left.

###

Another day passed.

“Man, this job is boring,” Gerald said, sitting next to the cell door. He was smoking a joint. “What did you do to piss our local government off, anyway?”

“I have a daughter,” Jason stated, sitting on the bed. With no ventilation, the smoke was drifting into his cell, and he was getting a little high off the fumes himself. “I wanted to leave the city, but they wouldn’t let me.”

“Ha. Good thing I’m divorced with no kids. I’ve got nothing to worry about.” Gerald spat. “Could you maybe apologize to them, so I don’t have to keep doing this for the rest of my life?”

“Hey, at least you can leave the building,” Jason protested. “Would it kill you to bring me down a book or something?”

“Nope. Don’t have any books. But I got about eight skids of clothing you can try if you want.” Gerald laughed again.

“That smells like some good shit,” Jason remarked.

Gerald lifted the joint. “Forget money, kid. This is the main currency.”

Jason straightened. “Do you think I can have a puff?”

“Sure,” Gerald said, reaching through the bars with the join.

Jason stood and walked towards it. At the last second he yanked Gerald’s wrist fowards and wrapped his arms around Gerald’s neck.

Unprepared for it, the chair fell to the ground with a clatter. Gerald gagged and fumbled at his arm. Jason squeezed, not wanting to kill the guy, but knock him out instead. He let go of Gerald’s wrist and reached for his belt.

His belt which had no keys on it.

Jason had just enough time to realize that Gerald hadn’t bothered to bring the keys down with him just as Gerald bit his arm. Hard. All the way to the bone. Jason screamed and released him. Gerald moved away, grinning. Blood dripping from his mouth.

“You know what? I think I missed this. The taste of blood.” His eyes glanced at him. “You’re going to regret this asshole. I have a taser, a baton, and a gun upstairs. Which one should I use?”

“I don’t know. I bought all three,” Tracey said from behind him.

Gerald whirled around, just as she tasered him. His mouth erupted in spit as his body trembled. A second later he collapsed to the ground. With a gasp Tracey dropped the taser.

“Tracey?” Jason whispered, astonished.

Tracey walked forwards and unlocked the door with a set of keys. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

Jason grabbed her arm. “Why?” he asked. “Why did you come back for me? You already know how I feel.”

“I know,” Tracey said. “It doesn’t make a difference. If you’re married…if you’re not…we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” She paused. “I do have my memories back. For the record, I am single.”

For a long moment, all he could focus on was how beautiful she was. Then a moan from Gerald brought him back to the present. He winced and looked at his arm. “Let’s go.”

They ran upstairs into a store full of several mannequins and boxes. In the center was a small desk with a lamp and a bag of weed on top. Jason paused only to grab a needle and thread from the nearby shelf. The front of the store had sliding glass doors, which he pushed open.

###

It didn’t take them long to find a car.

It was sometime in the middle of the night. Jason’s internal clock was guessing one a.m, but it was also a full moon, giving them plenty of light to see. The street was empty of any noise, not dissimilar to the pharmacy. They both walked quickly on the sidewalk. Every time they passed by a car, Jason would try the door.

The fifth car was unlocked. Inside, gripping the steering wheel in a death pose was a skeleton. The living flesh had been picked clean, and the skull was looking at the ceiling, as though to say, ‘Ah ha! Take that world! I have a car!’

Jason opened the driver door, grabbed the skeleton, and tossed it to the ground. The car reeked of blood and death. “Can you drive us out of the city?”

“Are we coming back?” Tracey asked, and Jason felt a pang of guilt. This was the only glimmer of stability either of them had known for the last week, and he was asking her to abandon it.

“Of course we are,” he assured her. “Once we find my daughter we’ll come back here. No one will have any problem with us afterwards. I know I don’t live far from here. A couple of hours-maybe a day, tops.”

Tracey stared at him for a moment, uncertain. Then she got into the car. “And you want me to drive?”

“Only for a little bit. When we leave the city I’ll take over,” Jason said, sitting next to her. Tracey turned the ignition. Much to his relief, there was petrol in the tank.

The car lurched forwards. “I know a way out of the city,” Tracey said. “It’s still in the green zone but we shouldn’t have any trouble.”

Jason took a bottle of disinfectant out of the medical kit. He twisted the lid and splashed the green liquid over his bite. Agony seared through his wound and he doubled over, gasping.

Tracey stared at him in concern, then with a startled shriek slammed on the brakes just as a woman darted in front of them. The figure had blond hair and a white dress. At first Jason assumed that they had narrowly missed a zombie, but then the woman lifted her head and Jason could see that it was Lisa.

“What…the fuck?” Tracey whispered as Lisa opened the side door.

“You’re getting out of here, right? I want to come with you,” she said, plopping herself into the back seat.

“Why?” Jason demanded.

Lisa fixed an icy stare at him. “Because you’re not the only one who lost someone, Jason.”

CHAPTER FIVE

They rode through the dark city in silence. Tracey opened the window and was smoking a cigarette she had found in the glove compartment. Jason stared at the side mirror, half-expecting to see a jeep behind him with armed soldiers. Tracey was driving the car as slowly and quietly as she could. Maybe no one would notice. He focused back to stitching his wound and winced as the needle poked through his skin. The sooner he could do this, the sooner the bleeding would stop.

“How’s Sam?” Tracey asked.

“I didn’t check,” Lisa replied, focused on her fingernails.

“You said you were looking for someone,” Jason mentioned. “Who?”

“My husband,” Lisa hesitated, then said, “Do you have a spare smoke?”

As Tracey handed her one, Jason turned in his seat. “So you remember too, right?”

“Yes. Every goddam memory,” Lisa said, her voice bitter. She lit her cigarette. “You?”

“Almost,” Jason replied, and his eyes narrowed. It felt like the answers were there, just beyond the edges of his mind. “Almost.”

###

Thankfully, no one stopped them as they left San Francisco. They drove several hours into the night. Eventually the paved road gave way to even more potholes, then the road disappeared entirely. Jason knew they were headed somewhere towards Castro Valley, but without landmarks it was almost impossible to tell. He could see several abandoned buildings, and sometimes dead bodies on the road. Sometimes the buildings themselves would disappear and they would only see unkempt wilderness. Jason would occasionally get a glimpse of a road sign, indicating they were going in the right direction. The one thing they didn’t see were any zombies, which was a minor miracle in itself.

Eventually, they agreed to pull over for the rest of the night. Jason pulled over into what appeared to be a park. Fortunately there were a couple of blanks in the trunk. Lisa sat calmly on a log and Tracey leaned casually against the car.

Jason dug the blankets out, and noticed Lisa shivering slightly. “Here,” he said, handing her the blanket.

Lisa took it without comment. She was still staring at the sky.

Jason followed her gaze, but only for a moment. Lisa was an enigma to him. Usually he could get a good handle of people, but he couldn’t quite understand her. “Your husband? What was he like?”

Lisa didn’t follow his gaze. “He was an asshole,” she stated. “There are days when he was perfectly fine. Other days he would snap at me, or hit me.”

Jason stared at her in astonishment. “So why are you trying to find him? He sounds like a loser.”

“He wasn’t always like that,” Lisa replied quietly, taking a drag with a shaking hand. “Besides, I know that he would try to find me, if he could.” She glanced at him. “But when I do find him, Jason, you can be sure we’ll have a few words.” Then she smiled.

A little nervous, Jason stood and joined Tracey, who was standing next to the car. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Tracey returned.

“Look, I never had a chance to thank you. For rescuing me. It couldn’t have been easy to find me,” Jason said. “And, you’ve given up so much for me.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Tracey said. “What were they doing to you?”

“Mostly getting me high,” Jason said, and rolled his eyes. “Don’t ask.” He glanced at the stars silently for a moment. “We’re close to my house. I can feel it. This is where I lived.”

“You remember?” Tracey said.

Jason leaned back against the car. “Yeah, I lived in a cheap house. One-story with a broken fence. Pretty lame. I can see it though. I can see it really clearly.”

“I hope you find the answers you’re looking for,” Tracey said, holding his hand.

Suddenly Lisa gave a strangled squawk. Jason turned around, just in time to see a grubby, muscular man with blond hair pull her off the log by her hair. ‘Zombies,’ he instantly thought as he pulled out his gun. A second later he doubted it. This man’s movements were too fluid.

The man grinned at him. “I wouldn’t. Not unless you want me to snap her pretty neck.”

“Who are you?” Jason demanded.

“Name’s Fred,” the man said. “Me and my mates were brought back a couple of months ago.”

“Mates?”

“The ones behind you pointing bigger guns at your head.”

Jason turned around and saw two skinny men behind them. One had a shotgun. The other had a machine gun. “Fuck,” he whispered, and dropped his pistol. He kicked it away.

“What do you want?” Tracey demanded.

The man grinned and gave Lisa’s head a yank. “Well, first I want to rape her. Then I’m going to rape you. As for the guy-yeah, I’ll probably just kill him.” He winked at Jason. “No offense, but I’m not into dudes.”

Lisa’s eyes were silent and pleading.

Jason raised his hands, stalling for time. “Why are you doing this? The city’s only a few kilometres from here!”

Fred laughed. “The city threw us out! After they cured us, they learned about our criminal records. We’re murderers. Thieves. They didn’t even give us a chance to explain. They just kicked us out like dogs and expected us to die. But we won’t die. Not now-and not fucking ever!” he bellowed, raising his hands.

Suddenly Tracey leapt at Fred, her lips drawn back in a snarl. Fred was so surprised that he did nothing as he toppled over backwards. Tracey made a strange whine in her throat as she bit into his throat, drawing blood. Fred screeched in agony. Tracey yanked his shirt up, exposing his stomach.

The other two dropped their guns. “She’s a zombie!” one of them shouted. “Let’s get out of here!”

Tracey ran after them, but Jason stepped forwards and grabbed her by the mid-section. “Run!” he shouted at the two men, who nodded and took off. Like a frightened deer, Lisa bolted into the car and slammed the door shut.

Snarling, her mouth coated in blood, Tracey twisted around, and for a second Jason was terrified she would bite him. Then something clicked, and she stopped fighting. “Oh…oh my god…” she whispered.

Jason glanced at Fred, who wasn’t moving. Alive or dead, he wasn’t sure. “Come on. Let’s get back to the car.”

###

Neither of the ladies spoke a word as the sun started to rise. Lisa was pale and visibly shaken. Tracey was moving her mouth but no sounds came out. Every few seconds Jason would stare at her in concern, not really noticing the road.

Suddenly, the car started to sputter. Jason glanced at the fuel gage, which was reading ‘empty’. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he whispered. “We’re going to need to find another car.”

“Do you remember where you lived?” Lisa asked.

Jason gripped the steering wheel tighter.

He used to have a three-story house, but he lost it. All the money had gone down the drain fast, having been spent keeping his daughter alive. The hospital trips, the tests, the experimental treatments that went nowhere. Eventually they had to sell the house, and move into a small, shabby one story house.

“Jason…” Tracey whispered, looking at the windshield. Jason followed her gaze, and saw three zombies stumbling towards them.

“Oh shit,” Jason said. “Get out of the car now!”

“Why? We’re safer in here-“ Lisa gave a startled scream as a female launched projected herself straight at the windshield, cracking it. Blood soaked against the glass, and all three of them screamed. Without waiting for her to get off, a second zombie launched himself at the window, smashing it. By that time all three vacated the car.

Jason grabbed Tracey and Lisa’s hands, and they fled into the night. The sun was coming up.

“Jason,” Tracey said haltingly. “I didn’t know what I was doing…”

“We’ll worry about it later,” Jason replied. He recognized this neighbourhood. He recognized it so clearly. “Shit-my house is only a couple of blocks from here.”

“Good,” Lisa said, and smiled. A smile he couldn’t quite understand.

Jason looked down the hall. He could see several people lying down on the open road. Zombies. At least thirty of them. Quickly he looked around and grabbed a steel pipe. He really, really hoped Dennis was right when he said they couldn’t be infected again.

“They look like they’re asleep,” Tracey whispered.

“Yeah,” Jason whispered back. “Let’s just walk around them…quietly.”

They slowly walked across the minefield of bodies. There wasn’t too many open spaces. Jason swallowed as he stepped in between someone’s head and outstretched arm. The woman was covered in blood. Tracey and Lisa was just a little further behind. He winced as his sneaker scraped very slightly against the concrete. Thankfully the zombie didn’t stir.

Lisa suddenly screamed in disgust as she touched one of them. It instantly leapt up at her, scrambling for her dress. A zombie grabbed his leg, snarling. Jason slammed the lead pipe against the zombie, again and again. More were starting to rise. Tracey tasered one of them, and Lisa lifted a gun, a leftover from Gerald. She shot one that was behind Jason.

He slammed the lead pipe against another zombie, and gasped when one slashed at his chest. They couldn’t last for long against this. “Come on!” he shouted at Lisa and Tracey. All three of them ran. Jason led them for one more block to his house, the zombies behind him in hot pursuit. He jumped over the metal fence and stopped only to grab a plant in front of the door. He threw it against the wall, and picked up a key from the dirt. He unlocked the door. “Get inside!”

Both Tracey and Lisa scrambled inside, and he slammed the door shut, and locked it. Would that hold them for long? With a sigh he turned around.

And for the first time, looked at his own house. Most of it was in shambles. The bookcase was overturned, and the t.v was smashed in. Several photos were also smashed, with himself and his daughter. They were both outside, playing in the park.

There were no photos of his wife. Jason touched the wall in wonderment. His daughter looked so beautiful…

“That door’s not going to hold them forever,” Tracey said nervously.

Jason turned around, and nodded. “Check the bedrooms. I’ll check the basement.”

“Right,” Tracey said, and Lisa followed her.

In the kitchen there was a staircase. He climbed down the steps which led to a dark, concrete passageway. “Shit,” he said, and took out a flashlight. “Rachel? Are you down here?”

There was no response. Jason continued down the passageway, which led to a steel door. Experimentally he tried the door, which was locked. “Oh no,” he whispered. “Come on. Please don’t do this.” Jason pounded on the door, and a dull clang answered back. He doubted that he would be able to break it down. Tears started to form from his eyes.

“You’ll need this,” a voice said calmly. Jason whirled around and saw Lisa standing in front of him. She was holding a key from a silver chain.

“Where did you get that?” Jason demanded, snatching it from her.

Lisa shrugged. “Go ahead. Open it.”

Jason gave her an uncertain glance, before unlocked the door with the key. He rushed inside and turned on the light switch.

Inside was a small room with a couch and a empty metal table with clamps on all sides. Beyond the table was a whiteboard with several equations. Behind it was a dead computer and a small refrigerator. There was no sign of his daughter, or anyone else.

Jason whirled around. “Where is she?”

“It should be obvious, Jason. Try to remember,” Lisa said.

Jason stared at her with hopeless eyes. “I can’t.”

“Can’t? Or won’t?” Lisa said. “Well, let me fill in the gaps. You gave up everything to find a cure to Tay-Sach’sdisease. Including me.”

The answer was out there, teasing him. He just couldn’t find it.

For three years he had tried, pouring his heart and soul into the project. He had quit his job at the university. He didn’t have time for other projects. He stared angrily at the whiteboard.

Lisa walked downstairs, holding a tray of food in her hands, a tray that was shaking. “I brought you some food.”

Jason barely glanced at her. Most of her time Lisa spent working. He hardly cared. It had been weeks since they had a decent conversation. Truthfully, he hated the woman. He couldn’t help but feel that she was responsible for this, for his only daughter contracting Tay-Sach’s disease. Even though he knew it was scientifically impossible…or was it? Hadn’t she been drinking just before Rachel was born? Hadn’t she been smoking?

Suddenly there was a crash, and the coffee cup spilled over his papers.

Jason slapped her without any real though, and with a startled cry Lisa fell backwards. He wasn’t going to beat her. He only saved that for when he was angry, and it felt so wonderful when he did it. For now, though, he was too busy. “Fuck off.”

Sniffling, Lisa ran out of the rom.

“I almost like seeing you like this,” Lisa said, bringing him back to the present. “It reminds me of the man I married. The man I used to love.”

Jason closed his eyes as a tear fell from them. He didn’t want to remember, but the memories were starting to pound back against his skull. “I worked for days, weeks. My daughter was my one and only priority. Everything else was nothing.” He looked up at Lisa. “Including you.” He paused. “Did I do it? Did I save her?”

“You mean, was the last four years of your life worth anything?” Lisa asked in disgust. “She wasn’t even a daughter to you at the end. She was an obsession, a problem you couldn’t solve.”

Jason gripped her shoulders. Hard. “Did I save her?” he repeated angrily. God, he was starting to remember how much he hated this woman.

Lisa gasped in pain, and then her eyes became hard. “You were a brilliant man. I was a scientist of my own, but you were leagues above me. You were running out of time, but yes, you did it.”

“Wait for me,” Jason pleaded as Rachel’s breath pitched higher in her chest. She was only four years old, and her eyes had ruby-red spots. She was burning from infection. He knew with a sinking feeling that this might be her last day on Earth. Still, he kept calm. In the background Lisa was sitting on the couch, looking terrified. She knew better than to interfere.“Rachel, wait for me!”

Rachel closed her eyes and gave an agonized groan. She had lost the ability to swallow several weeks ago and was now forced to eat from a feeding tube. Her eyes stared at Jason with confusion and pain.

It was now or never. He plunged the red vial into her arm, and watched as her vital signs plummeted. He felt for a pulse, and got nothing.

Lisa gave an agonized wail. Suddenly Rachel’s eyes opened and she gave a vicious snarl. The clamps kept her held down.

Jason ignored the side-effects. He plunged another vial, this one blue, into her arm. Gradually Rachel’s heart-rate started to increase. Jason looked at the readings and grinned.

There was a pause, and Lisa hesitantly stepped forwards, next to the table. They held hands.

Rachel opened her eyes, and focused on them. “Daddy? I can see you.”

It was the happiest moment of his life.

Jason turned white at this revelation. “Rachel got better. But…the zombies. All around the world. I created them.”

“That’s right,” Lisa said. “The living undead. What a fucking laugh. At the same time, you created an antidote. A cure.” Calmly she wrote a formula down on the chalkboard. “You turned our daughter into a monster in order to cure her. And you thought it was safe.”

Jason didn’t reply. Lisa threw the marker away.

“I’ll cut you some slack, however. You never intended for this plague to ever leave this house. No, you can thank your friend Susan for that, the one you had confided everything to.” Lisa looked away, her eyes watering. “She stormed this house one night while we were out celebrating, and took everything. We saw her car leave just as we pulled in.”

“Why did she do that?” Jason asked, honestly perplexed.

Lisa shrugged. “You never paid any attention to the news. Tensions between American and the Middle East escalated. The Middle East were threatening to launch nuclear weapons, but it was America who struck first with your disease, and denied ever doing it. Half of the world wiped out, within days. Too bad this little weapon rebounded. Birds, flies, fish, they all became infected and brought it right back in their faces.”

Jason slumped to the ground. He felt sick. “How long have you remembered?”

“Almost from the start,” Lisa said. “I was quick enough to change my name before anyone in that city recognized me. It wasn’t long before I saw you, but by that time you were in the arms of that….woman.”

“Tracey.” Jason’s eyes widened and he bolted towards the house. “Tracey!” He slammed the front door open and ran up the stairs. Quickly he entered the bedroom.

Tracey was lying in the bed, in a pool of her own blood. She was still alive, making gurgling noises in her throat.

Jason whirled around. Lisa was holding a gun. “Why?” he demanded.

“I asked her if she loved you, and she said yes,” Lisa said, and pointed the gun at him. “I will not permit you to spend your last day with that tramp. You should be here, with your family.”

“Last day? What?” Jason asked, moving in front of Tracey.

Lisa gestured to the left. “Open the closet.”

Jason raised his hands. “I-just, whatever you want, I’ll do it. Just let Tracey go.”

“Open the fucking closet!” Lisa snapped.

Still keeping his hands raised, Jason did so. As soon as he did, his heart plummeted in his chest.

A blond-haired six-year old girl was chained to the wall, a girl he recognized. Rachel stared at him with raw hunger. Blood covered her mouth, and most of her dress.

“The cure didn’t work,” Jason whispered.

“Well, it did work. Just only temporarily. A couple of months, maybe. Then she turned right back into this abomination,” Lisa said.

Jason slammed the door shut. He sank into the carpet, tears flowing from his eyes. “I can…I can still save her…”

“You tried, but by that time, the entire world…” Lisa smirked. “Eventually you shot yourself, in this room. I let her nibble on you for a little bit. So, here we finally are.”

Jason stared at her with tearful eyes. He didn’t move. He didn’t want to move.

Lisa crouched down, and smiled. Her eyes were sparkling. “I still love you, Jason. So this is how things are going to play out. You’re going to open the door and let her out. I’m going to give you the gun, and you are going to shoot your daughter. I figure that’s the least you can do, considering you created her. If you want her to eat your friend first, that’s fine.” She paused for breath. “Then I’ll take the gun, and shot you through the head. And then I’ll shoot myself. We’ll die together, like a family. Maybe we’ll see each other in the afterlife.”

“No,” Jason whispered. “I can’t do that.”

Lisa fired her gun. Jason shouted in surprise as it narrowly missed his right ear. “Yes, you will, or else I’m afraid things are going to become very painful for you. But it would be a little payback for every time you laid your hands on me-“

Suddenly gunfire rang out, and Lisa’s body shuddered, her mouth twisted in surprise. Abruptly the gunfire ended. Lisa fell to her knees, trying to point the gun at Jason. She fell to the carpet, dead.

Dennis was standing behind her. He shot into the closet, and killed Rachel. “Fuck, I really am a guardian angel,” he said to Jason.

Jason’s eyes widened. Dennis was looking very pale. It all suddenly clicked into place. “My cure never worked,” he said calmly. “But you used it anyway.”

Dennis nodded in agreement, shaking a little. “That’s right. Your shitty formula gives us a few months, and after that we’re toast. You have to help us, doc. Some of us are beginning to turn back.”

Jason turned around, smiling a little. His memories had finally, finally returned, and so did the personality attached to those memories. His daughter was dead. Lisa, his darling wife, had understood it all, and wanted to kill them both. Better to die now then face becoming a zombie, becoming lost again. He combed a hand through his hair. “I suppose you’re feeling the symptoms right now. Trembling, an inability to focus.” He casually moved beside Tracey, and poked his finger near the bullet hole. Blood squirted out.

Seeing this, Dennis licked his lips and moaned a little.

“And that,” Jason said, and folded his arms. “Why should I work on the cure? Your friend in San Francisco caused all of this. What could you possibly offer me, Dennis? Money? A mansion somewhere?” He grinned, unable to help but enjoy this. “You understand that I need some compensation of course.”

“You…dick,” Dennis whispered. “I just saved your life! I saved your life several times!”

“I’ll buy you some meat,” Jason said, still smiling. “You saved my life only because I have to save everyone else.” He lifted his head. “Ah, the possibilities. “I think-”

Suddenly he heard a moan to the left. His eyes widened as he gradually remembered all the times he was with her, and how happy he was. It was almost another life. His smile deepened into a snarl. “I’ll do it. If you save her.”

“Yeah,” Dennis said, nodding eagerly. “Of course we will.”

“Good.”

CHAPTER SIX

Two hours later they drove back to the city. Dennis patched Tracey as best as he could, but she was pale. So, so pale. Jason squeezed her hand once. She didn’t open her eyes.

A medic waited for them as they entered the city. Quickly they loaded Tracey into the ambulance. Jason moved to follow, but Dennis stopped him with one hand to the shoulder.

“Fix the human race. Then you can visit your girlfriend.”

Jason swore under his breath, but nodded. “We need to go to Lisa’s house.”

Dennis increased the car’s speed. Within a couple of minutes they were there. Jason ran out of the car and into her house. He barely glanced at her living room and headed downstairs towards the basement.

“What are you looking for?” Dennis asked.

Without responding, Jason removed two white sheets from two whiteboards. Underneath were different string of equations. He released a breath. This is why she didn’t want anyone in the house. In case they saw this…and understood. “Lisa knew what was going to happen. She was trying to find a cure with my original formula.”

“And did she?” Dennis asked eagerly.

Jason pointed at the bottom of one board, where the word ‘FUCK!’ was written at the very bottom. “What do you think?” He released a short laugh. “God, the woman was useless.”

Dennis released a deep breath and lowered himself onto a chair. His skin was chalk-white, as were his lips. “Doc…you gotta help me.”

Jason stretched a little. “I wanted to save my daughter, but couldn’t. Your life means considerably less to me.” Still, he picked up the marker and started to write. “But I will see what I can do.”

###

As he turned out, he did save Dennis’ life.

It took him only four hours to find a cure. Frankly he couldn’t believe that he hadn’t spotted the formula before. He theorized that at the time of his daughter’s infection he had been desperate, in a rush. He had missed even the most obvious of chemicals he could have tried.

His daughter. That made him pause. If only he had known as soon as he entered the house…if only he had stopped to think for one miserable second. His eyes closed. He was responsible for her death in so many ways.

A cough from Dennis brought him back to the present. He took a blue vial from the incubator and applied it to the syringe. Without any warning he stabbed it into Dennis’s shoulder. “Try that.”

“This will cure me?” Dennis asked, his teeth chattered.

“Either that or it will kill you,” Jason said. He applied a bandage and shined a light in Dennis’s arm, who flinched. The green rim seemed to be reduced. “Huh. Looks like it’s working.”

“For how long?” Dennis demanded.

“Forever, of course. This will completely purge your system of the virus, unlike the last one which made it only temporarily dormant.”

They suddenly heard footsteps walking down the stairwell. Jason looked up, and saw Susan with a smile on her face. “I’m glad to hear it,” she said. “How are you feeling, Dennis?”

Seeing her, Jason felt a surge of anger. He wanted to kill her, but also knew that doing so would probably result in his death. If not from Dennis then from someone in the city. How far would he make it? A block? Two blocks? Ignoring her, he grabbed a stethoscope, lifted Dennis’ shirt, and listened to his heartbeat.

“I feel like crap. But…more human. If that makes more sense. Before…I was so hungry and dizzy. Now, not so much, thanks to the Doc.”

Susan smiled her dazzling smile. “Jason, you’ve done so much for us.”

“And you’ve done so little for me,” Jason retorted. “The cure’s on the board.” With those words, he turned to leave.

Susan stepped in front of him, blocking his exit. “I would like to offer you a job, Jason. In the government. You would be given far more food and benefits than anyone other citizen-”

“You stole my research, and brought this plague to the Earth,” Jason stated. “I don’t want anything from you. Get the fuck away from me.”

Susan sighed. “I’m sorry you’ve made that choice.”

Jason didn’t reply as he left.

###

It took them two days to find him again, long enough for Jason to half-believe they would leave him alone.

He had tried to be smart. Instead of living at his normal house, he stayed at the abandoned apartment building instead. The building was wretched-only one room wasn’t flooded, and there was a horrible smell that made him constantly want to hurl. He shopped for food at night, in a district far away from the apartment.

In the end, though, he couldn’t stay away from Tracey for long. In the middle of the night he visited her in the hospital. Much to his dismay, she was still unconscious, and her skin was pale. He felt her pulse, and to his relief found it pretty steady.

He knew he didn’t have much time. An orderly could be checking up on her at any moment. He sighed and sat down in the chair. She was the only few bright spots he had left. For one, a brief time with her, he was a better person.“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “If I could take any of this back-“

He suddenly heard a click behind him, and turned around to face Dennis holding a gun.

“You knew this was only going to be a matter of time, buddy,” Dennis said.

Jason blinked. “I saved your life,” he stated.

“Appreciate it. Really. But you know too much,” he gestured. “Say your goodbyes and let’s go.”

Jason turned back to Tracey, who still hadn’t woken up. He caressed her hair, and left, with Dennis right behind him.

###

Dennis drove him to the edge of town, deep into the red zone. Jason silently looked down at his hands. He knew that he was going to die. Words didn’t seem necessary.

Finally, Dennis stopped the car. “Get out.”

They walked about fifteen paces, until Dennis told him to stop and pointed at the ground. “Kneel.”

Jason kneeled down in the dirty concrete. It seemed like a fitting end. At least he wouldn’t come back as a monster. His only regret was that he wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to Tracey. “All I wanted to do was save my daughter.”

“Yeah, you’re a real fucking hero.” He heard another click behind him as Dennis pulled back the safety. Jason jumped as he heard an explosion.

Dennis fell to the ground, a bullet hole in his forehead. He gave a choked gurgle and fell to the concrete.

Surprised, Jason turned around, and saw two grubby men looking at back at him. It took a moment to recognize them. Fred’s former goons. One of them was holding a bag of food.

“You saved our lives,” one of them said, then gestured to the right. “It’s not the most glamorous life. You’ll do some stuff you might regret later. But it’s a life.”

Jason didn’t think twice. He stood up, and looked at the road leading back to the city. Maybe someday he could go back. Maybe one day he could see Tracey again. For the first time in his life, he had been happy with her. There was a chance he could still be happy, if he didn’t think about his past. Easier said than done.

Jason stuffed his hands in his pockets and hurried after the scavengers.

THE END.