Desolate The Complete Trilogy

13



As more men grew sick, Howard and Carl’s celebrity status as the men who searched the ship quickly faded. The mining stopped so the men had no work duties during the day and they stayed in the barracks. At first, it was dismissed as a bad outbreak of the flu, but when men weren’t returning from the infirmary, the inmates got concerned and rumors spread like wildfire.

The symptoms started out like a bad cold accompanied by frequent nose bleeds. After a day or so of fever and congestion, the patient took a considerable turn for the worse. His neck grew dark and swollen and his coughs more thick and moist. His high fever drove him into a state of delirium as his bowels and bladder betrayed him, followed by coughing out generous amounts of blood and phlegm. A day or two later, the hemorrhaging began and the victim drown in his own blood-filled lungs.

In just barely over a week, the farm fell into a state of anarchy. The disease made no distinctions between inmates and guards. Both sides grew sick and died.

The scared and sick inmates stormed the infirmary in vain for help they wouldn’t receive. They were turned back by beatings and shootings from the guards. As the number of guards diminished from the sickness, a group of rebels tried to take over one of the guardhouses. They managed to kill the two weakened officers inside, but the whole building was riddled with bullets from one of the gun towers. Twelve men were instantly slaughtered. The guard who pulled the trigger in the tower put the barrel of his sidearm in his mouth barely an hour later. He felt sick that morning and when his nose started bleeding he knew it was only a matter of time before he experienced a miserable and painful death.

As a final blow to the men who thought they might actually make it, a fire started in the mess hall. The building burned to the ground along with the camp’s food and water supply.

Even the mighty Warden Scott and Sergeant Cottrell fell to the mysterious disease. Deeming themselves as the two most important men on the island, they abandoned their men and responsibilities and barricaded themselves in the warden’s office. All seemed well until Cottrell started showing symptoms. Scott panicked and ran from his office with the satellite phone. His internal debate was over, he’d call for help and worry about the consequences later. But before he could even turn the phone on, Scott was greeted by a mob of inmates in the yard. The warden was spared from the disease. He was beaten to death instead.

As for Howard, he felt completely fine except for being hungry, cold, and scared out of his mind. When things started to get bad, Carl made a suggestion. Hide out in the spaceship. It was actually a good idea and Howard was surprised that Carl had thought of it. The barracks weren’t safe anymore and the ship just might have been their best bet.

“We can probably close the door behind us and lay low for a while,” Howard said. “We don’t have any food, though.”

“The hell with food, those screws are crazy. I seen one of them start to shoot everybody, sick or not. I think it’s just a matter of time before they come in here and start blasting.”

“Wot are you blokes planning?” Reg the shoe thief sat down on Carl’s bunk. “I’ll tag along too, eh?”

“Piss off,” said Carl. “You can stay here and rot as far as I’m concerned.”

“Come on mate, no hard feelings. You boys can trust me.”

“Take it easy Carl,” said Howard. “You feeling okay, Reg?”

“Never better. I reckon you fellas can use a man like me.”

“Okay.” Howard looked around and lowered his voice. “We’re going to hide out in the ship for a while until things blow over.”

“For christsake, Howie.” Carl fumed. “Don’t you remember what this little prick tried to do to you? What the hell you telling him for?”

“Settle down, red neck.” Reg jabbed his finger at Carl’s chest. “Let the boys with a proper brain discuss business over here.”

Carl raised his fist and Reg flinched, practically hiding behind Howard.

“Dammit, guys, knock it off,” said Howard. “We have enough to worry about without this stupid bickering. Reg, can we trust you or not?”

“No problem, mate. Like I said before, you boys can use a guy like me.”

“Yeah, whatever. And you know Carl will beat the shit out of you again if you’re lying, right?”

Carl smiled and cracked his knuckles.

“All right then, we make a break for it tonight after it gets dark.”

They slipped out of the barracks once it was dark enough to cover their movement and found the mine unguarded. The man in charge of keeping curious inmates away from the ship no doubt left his post long ago to go die somewhere else. They closed the door behind them and took refuge in the crew’s quarters where they were somewhat comfortable. The faint power supply of the ship kept the interior lit and at least they were warm.

They waited for two uneventful and boring days. Nobody came looking for them. Eventually their empty stomachs and parched throats took their toll and the three men carefully walked to the end of the tunnel.

They strained their eyes and ears at the buildings of the farm nearly a quarter of a mile away. A few thin trails of smoke rose from different parts of the camp. They couldn’t make out any other movement or sounds.

“What do you think, Howie?”

“Well, we can’t stay here much longer, that’s for sure,” replied Howard.

“I’m starving for real, that’s what’s for sure,” Reg added. “I say we creep in real quiet and have a look about.”

They walked back and found the camp mostly in ruins. Bodies were everywhere. Some of the buildings were burned and destroyed. Most of the dead were covered in blood from their hemorrhaging lungs. Carl found the warden with most of his face caved in and let out an obnoxious laugh that irritated Howard.

They checked all of the barracks and didn’t find one survivor.

“Jesus Mary,” muttered Reg. “Can we be the only ones left?”