The Z Contingency

Chapter 64

5:28AM. Bubba, Simon, and the others had been gone for an hour. Natalie and Gary both knew they wouldn't be able to get any rest until the group returned safely. They figured they might as well be comfortable so they stirred the embers in the fire pit and put on a few more pieces of wood. Natalie nestled into her sleeping bag in front of the fire and stared at the flickering flames. Should she have let the group go after the backpack? It's too dangerous. What if they're not successful? What if something happens to Bubba? It occurred to Natalie that her first thought wasn't about Tyler. This trip was certainly an eye opener for her relationship but there were more important issues at hand so she filed that thought away for another time, for a certain necessary "talk" she'd have to have with Tyler. Her thoughts wandered back to her friends. They had to be successful. There was no other option. But if the ramps only slow the progression of the virus, how are we going to stop this thing?

Natalie turned her gaze towards Gary who was standing by the truck at the edge of the firelight, staring out into the night. He stood with his back partly to her, but the glow from the moon was enough to expose the concern on his face.

To comfort him, Natalie spoke. "They'll be okay. Bubba can be very convincing when he wants, and Simon... well, he seems to really know what he's doing. They'll get the ramps and we'll be on our way again," Natalie was also trying to convince herself with these words.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I hope so."

"Gary, I've been thinking. Even if Simon gets us to the lab, it'll take months to isolate and manufacture enough of the ramp compound, let alone figure out how to distribute the treatment. By that time the entire country could be...." Natalie trailed off not wanting to speak the unthinkable. There would be no one left except for the lucky ones who had a natural immunity. And how lucky could you be having to live in fear and hiding, finding a way to survive while fighting off the infected.

"Natalie, you mentioned ramps slowing progression of the virus. People could either eat ramps or take doses of the compound every so often, but for those who've progressed to organ failure and tissue necrosis... is there a way to heal and reverse this?" Gary wondered out loud.

"I don't know. I've read about the properties of some plants but have never heard of anything like that. Maybe once we get to the lab we can contact others for help." Assuming there's anyone left out there.

"I guess we don't have a choice. At least we'll be able to tell them what this is. You know if things ever get back to normal, we're gonna have to face our part in this whole thing. People are dead. We could get charged with a crime. Jesus." The gravity of the situation was settling in again.

Before Natalie could answer, someone shouted, "They're back!"

Natalie hurriedly got up and stood near Gary, as Bubba and Earl appeared, supporting Tyler between them. Simon soon appeared as well, with Clarence's backpack in hand.

"We need to get him onto that picnic table, quickly, and get the bleeding stopped," Bubba called out.

A worried, female voice spoke behind Natalie. "What's wrong? Is everyone alright?" Natalie turned to see that Mary had awoke and joined them from the next site.

"Earl's fine Mary," Bubba said while looking towards Natalie. "Tyler got himself caught up in a trap." Bubba quickly gave a report as he made his way to the other side of the table. "There were shots exchanged. We had to make a run for it to get away, and they had some traps set in the surrounding area. Probably protecting moonshine near the compound. It was dark and we were in a hurry. There was no way we could have seen it. Tyler hit a trip wire and a bunch of logs with nails and pointy whittled branches came rolling down the hillside. One of them got him pretty good in the leg."