Quarantine

14 years later

October 27th 2027

Sam

Quarantine Zone 1

I sat up from my bed inside the quarantine zone, not worried at all from the infection outside, since our military keeps them back. I got out of bed as uncle Alex walked inside the apartment I was assigned.

"Sam, you ready for the morning runs?" He asked.

"Sure, whatever." I said, pulling on my combat boots. We walked out of the apartment and down to the gates just outside where I live.

"Hey, did you hear, the Rebels attacked Quarantine Zone five just last week; they must really need supplies if they are desperate enough to attack there." I heard someone say. We walked to the gate and showed them our I.D's.

"And where are you going today?" The soldier asked.

"Visiting some family, we have a sick grandmother." Alex said.

"Alright go on thro-" An explosion from a supply truck sent all of us to the ground in fear.

"Go get out of here! Close the gates!" Soldiers yelled. We ran to a building and went inside.

"Alright, we can't get to the safe house from there, let's try out the tunnel." I said. We went over to a door and opened it, revealing a hole in the ground leading to our underground tunnel.

"Ladies first." Alex said. I jumped down and into our tunnel; I walked down it towards the safe house. I entered and saw two backpacks: my uncles and mine. I picked mine up and loaded it with a knife, and I walked off.

"Don't you want your crossbow?" Alex asked.

"Not today." I said. I walked out of the tunnel outside of the zone, in the mountains. I smelled the fresh air and walked down the mountain, picking my path carefully around the steep edge and loose rocks. I made it out of the steep edges and onto a path where Alex and I continued to walk towards the meeting place. We arrived in the old abandoned building and sat down, waiting for our new client who said they had a special mission for us. A knock on the door startled us from sleep as we opened the door to see our client, and a boy with her.

"Hello, my name is Renee Foster; this here is my son, Jacob Foster. I need you to escort him out of the Quarantine zone and to our old home in Indiana.” Renee said.

“Hello Renee, hello Jacob, come sit, we have much to discuss.” Alex said, inviting them in.

“So, what’s so important that we need to smuggle your sun out of Quarantine Zone 1 and to Indiana, why can’t you do it yourself?” I asked.

“Because I have other business to attend to.” She said.

“And that is?” Alex asked.

“I’m the Rebel leader.” She said.

“Oh, well that makes things interesting, what’s the reward if we get him to Montana?” I asked.

“The reward? I thought you were smugglers, you don’t need a reward, do you?” She asked.

“Yes, ma’am we do, if we don’t get a reward, you don’t get your boy to Montana.” Alex said.

“The reward….um, is there anything that you guys need?” She asked. I looked at Alex and he knew what I was about to say, he mouthed no to me and I just gave him puppy dog eyes, even though I was twenty-eight, he still was looking like he was going to give in. I continued to look at him and he just smiled and turned back to Renee.

“Can you make it to Indiana?” Alex asked.

“Yes.”

Renee left us with Jacob to decide when and how to leave. We went back through the tunnel and back to our apartments. Jacob stayed with Alex and I went to my room to lie down and go to sleep. Getting ready for tomorrow’s job. I woke up early and got up and made a cup of tea with herbs that I found outside the city. I sat down at my table looking outside the quarantine zone at the beautiful land that I used to call home. A knock on my door made me think that Jacob and Alex were there, but when I opened the door, two soldiers busted in and knocked me down.