Annaliese nodded. “There’s one of Shawcross’s emergency stashes over there. I’ve been using it for feed and veterinary drugs. It won’t be long until we have to go trekking through the woods to find that greenhouse, though. What we have won’t last forever.”
Mike nodded. “I’ll go see what we have. I’d rather feed mommy horse here a little more to keep her strength up.”
“Good idea. The stash is inside that green bin.” She pointed to a large, round receptacle made from plastic. She had helped Shawcross empty it, before storing additional supplies in there. There were dozens of similar stashes all over Ripley Heights.
Mike went over and pulled the lid off the bin. He reached down inside, but ended up pulling his hand away empty, with a confused look on his face. “Um, Anna?”
Anna was already looking at him so she frowned. “What is it?”
“You sure this is the stash?”
“Positive. I used it just yesterday. It was full.”
“Not anymore, it’s not,” Mike said. “Come look.”
Annaliese hurried over to the bin and looked inside. There was nothing, other than a few discarded medical supplies; bandages and a spare feeding bottle for the foal.
“What the? This was chock-a-block with stuff yesterday. There were weapons and water bottles.”
Mike chewed the inside of his cheek making his face look lopsided. “So, what then? Did somebody move it?”
Annaliese thought about it. “Or perhaps somebody stole it.”
“Who would be that much of an arsehole?”
Annaliese scratched at her chin and stared down at the empty space where the supplies should have been. “I’m not about to start accusing people just yet. It could be anyone. Let’s just go tell the others.”
Mike sighed. “Shawcross is going to flip his lid.”
“I know. Can’t say I’d blame him, if it turns out that we have a thief.”
Mike took Annaliese by her hand and began walking her away from the zoo. “Well, the only person I trust for sure is you.”
Annaliese laughed. “You don’t know it wasn’t me. I could be the thief.”
Mike shook his head. “You care too much about other people.”
“Me? I don’t care. People do nothing but disappoint me.”
“And yet you never stop trying to help. That’s why I know it wasn’t you. That’s why I’ve fallen in love with you the last couple weeks.”
Annaliese stopped and looked at him. She found it difficult to look him in the eye, but she made herself do it anyway. “You love me? Don’t be so silly.”
“I’m not being silly. This last week you and I have barely been apart. I’ve gotten to know you well. There’s no point hiding how I feel about you. Like I said, life’s too short.”
“You don’t know me well. None of us are really ourselves with all that’s happened.”
“I think the opposite. I think it takes a situation like this to show who people truly are. All of our bullshit – the vanity, the ego – is stripped away. The only thing left is who we really are deep down.”
Annaliese stared at Mike for a while, trying to find the right words. “Mike, I…”
“Can’t say you love me back. That’s okay,” he said. “I have time. Not much, maybe, but a little bit at least.”
Annaliese shook her head and giggled. “You’re always so dramatic. Come on, let’s go find Shawcross and give him the bad news.”
They headed out of the zoo and found Shawcross over by the cable car station. He had his hands cupped above his eyes and was staring down at the car park below.
“What are you doing?” Mike asked.
Shawcross spun around and studied them. “They’re back,” he said grimly. “Look.”
Annaliese peered down the side of the hill and saw that a few dozen infected people had found their way back to the car park that surrounded the Rainforest Cafe. More were wandering in from the distance.
“Oh, shit!” Mike said. “There’s almost a hundred of them down there.”