This was far removed the mall and he felt a lump in his throat.
A large chalkboard in the hallway announced lunch as “Egg Sandwiches, homestyle fries, and chocolate milk shakes.”
“Eggs,” Thomas gasped behind Kevin. Nothing in this world was similar to his. His world was near starvation, mindless tasks to keep people moving, children dying of the flu, and zombies moaning endlessly outside the walls of the mall. It was power struggles. It was hell.
To his surprise, a group of people was seated in the hotel lobby with their luggage around them. When they saw him, they all rose to their feet and began to applaud.
“What the hell is this?” Valerie muttered. A middle-aged man rushed over. Kevin saw in his peripheral vision Travis sigh and rub his brow in embarrassment.
“It is so good to see you! We are ready to go! We have all our things,” the man said in a torrent of words as he grabbed Kevin’s hand.
“Um...why?” Kevin looked at the man clutching his hand and shaking it vigorously. The man blinked and his grip lessened. “Why what?”
“Why are you ready to go?”
“Yeah. And where to?” Valerie tilted her head and looked at the man curiously.
“To go to your base, of course. Away from here!”
The soldiers laughed and Kevin patted the man’s shoulder. “Trust me. You don’t want to leave here. You don’t want to go to where I came from.”
The people looked confused and began to whisper among themselves. Then an older black woman said loudly, “We want to go where it’s safer!”
“Ma’am, this is about as safe as you are going to get. Trust me. This is heaven compared to where I came from.” Kevin turned toward Travis and the blond woman and saw amused expressions on their faces. “Trust me, they don’t want to go there.” Travis led him down a hall, past the check-in desk, and into a large office that most likely had belonged to the hotel manager. There was a young man in a police officer uniform waiting along with a man that looked every inch the city official. The woman, who had stood outside of city hall looking suspiciously at them, came around from behind Kevin and took a seat. Travis motioned to the soldiers to sit down as he sat on the edge of the desk. The blond woman slid onto the desk next to him, her legs dangling, watching all of them curiously.
A little nervously, Kevin and his people took up seats in the creaky leather chairs, feeling awkward in their helmets and body armor. Kevin took off his helmet and the others followed his example. Next to him, Valerie shoved her weapon under her chair.
“My name is Nerit,” the older woman said. “And this is Katarina. We head up the fort security.”
“I’m Peggy. The fort secretary. I deal with making sure the people here are comfortable.”
“Curtis, I’m the last cop from the town’s force. I assist in law enforcement. Bill usually works with me on that.”
“Eric, fort planner and engineer,” the well-dressed man said. “Juan De La Torre is in charge of construction, but he is recovering right now in our clinic,” Travis said. “Katie, my wife, serves on the fort council. I’m Travis, the Mayor.”
“First Lieutenant Kevin Reynolds,” Kevin answered. “I have been serving at the Madison Mall Rescue Center since the first day.”
“Valerie. I don’t think my rank means much anymore,” Valerie, the perpetual smart-ass, said with a grin.
“Thomas. I was a Private,” Thomas said with a slight wave.
“Greta. That’s my copter out there,” came the surly response from the redhead.
“We’re taking care of it,” Nerit assured her.
Travis had his arms folded across his chest and looked very thoughtful. “So, what can we do for you folks?”
“Like I said, we were ordered to come here and demand you surrender the fort to our superiors. But we can’t agree with that.” Kevin sighed wearily.
“And why are we supposed to believe you?” Katie arched an eyebrow. Kevin pulled out a letter from his jacket. “This is from Police Chief Bruce Kiel. He was told his daughter is still alive and here at the fort. If she reads this, she’ll be able to vouch that what I am saying is true.”
The blond woman’s face paled and she reached for the letter. “Give that to me.” Travis reached out to lay a calming hand on her shoulder as Kevin handed over the folded bit of paper.
“You’re Katie Kiel?”
“Yes,” she answered, and unfolded it quickly. She let out a gasp as the familiar handwriting came into view. Covering her mouth with one trembling hand, she read quickly. Tears shimmered in her eyes and she handed the letter to her husband in silence. Travis bundled her up in his arms and read the letter over her shoulder.
“Katie-girl, It’s me, Dad. I’m alive and safe in the Madison Mall. Safe for now at least. Your friends Jenni and Bill told me you are alive and doing very well in the fort they came from. They tell me that you are even married and have a little one on the way. It makes me very happy to hear you are okay. I have lived these last months in sheer terror that you died with the rest of the world. Senator Brightman is in charge at the mall and wants your fort. Don’t let her have it. The way she treats people is despicable. I would never want her to have any say in your life or the lives of the people around you. Especially in the life of your baby. Listen to Kevin. He’s a good guy and know that what he says is the truth. Love you, baby. Your Dad.” Travis finished and kissed Katie’s forehead, holding her close. She was sobbing loudly and openly with relief.
Nerit stood up and Travis handed her the note. She looked it over. “It is good to know that ones we love survived.”
Kevin lowered his gaze. So far, he had not found one survivor of his former life. His family was long gone and he knew it. That is why he wanted to make sure these good people and the people at the mall had a chance.
“So what do you have to tell us?” Travis finally asked. Looking up, Kevin saw all eyes were on him. He felt old and tired, but knew he had to press on. Where should he start? What should he say?
“I guess I should start at the beginning,” Kevin finally said as the images of the first day horror unfolded in his mind and his hand slightly shook as he ran it over the top of his head.
“I woke up next to my wife with the phone ringing. We were being mobilized to deal with civic unrest. Of course, what I didn’t know then, was that it was the last day of everything…”
2. Kevin’s Story