With swift precision, she put away her research and locked up behind her. While none of the other scientists would mess with her space, she had to be careful, nonetheless. There were rules to follow and protocols to observe. Stored inside the building were some of the earth’s most dangerous diseases, and it wouldn’t do for any of them to get out.
Once finished, she grabbed her stuff before heading to the exit. Along the way, she greeted the other scientists who were still laboring over their tasks. There weren’t many left—a few handfuls, at the most.
It suited Tara, especially when Nick placed her in charge of the facility. She much preferred working with a smaller, more intimate team. Still, if you took into account the security guards, cleaners, lab assistants, scientists, and maintenance workers, she had close to a hundred souls under her command. At first, she’d felt uncomfortable issuing orders and being the boss, but the position was growing on her.
It seems power is addictive; Tara mused as she made her way to the exit.
“Good day, Serena,” Tara said, waving at another scientist occupied with the study of the common flu.
“Bye,” Serena answered.
“See you tomorrow, Gareth,” she said to a young lab assistant in the making. Ordinarily, he’d be a senior preparing for prom. In their post-apocalyptic world, he was proving his worth to science instead.
“Bye, Dr. Lee,” he answered with a shy wave.
After making her way to the ground floor, Tara submitted to a pat-down by a female security guard called Greta. It was standard procedure to ensure nobody smuggled anything out of the building.
“Thanks, Greta. See you tomorrow,” Tara said.
Greta grinned. “If you’re able to make it.”
“What do you mean?” Tara asked.
“By the looks of that lot outside, you’re in for a wild time tonight,” Greta replied.
Tara sighed. “Oh, boy. I’m regretting this already.”
“Don’t. Have fun, Dr. Lee. This place will cope without you for a day or two,” Greta urged. “You deserve a break. We all know how much you’ve done for us.”
“Thank you, Greta. That’s kind of you to say,” Tara said, heading for the exit.
She heard them before she saw them. Wild laughter filled the air, followed by hoots and whistles. Dylan spotted her first.
“Tara!” Dylan cried, throwing her arms around her. “You’re here.”
“Well, I wasn’t given much of a choice,” Tara said with a pointed look at Saul.
He threw his hands up in surrender. “Don’t shoot the messenger.”
“Come on, Tara. Don’t be a grumpy bear,” Amanda added.
“That’s right. Tonight, we forget all our troubles,” Rita cried.
Surrounded by her cheering friends, Tara could do nothing but give in to their demands. There was no escape.
Saul waved at her. “See you later, sweetheart.”
She threw him a glare. “You owe me for this, Saul Dhlamini.”
“You’re welcome,” he answered with a mocking grin.
As Dylan dragged her away by the arm, Tara reflected on an old saying. In this case, it might just prove to be true. If you can’t beat them, join them.
Chapter 5 - Saul
Saul left Tara to the tender mercy of the girls, certain he’d pay for it later. He wasn’t too bothered by it, however. It was time she left the laboratory and had a bit of fun. She’ll work herself into the ground if I let her.
A light breeze tugged at his jacket as he walked, and he found himself lifting his face toward the warmth of the sun. It was a balmy afternoon, the kind meant for beach sand and margaritas, but it also woke a new fear within him—the return of the zombies.
Saul snorted. “That sounds like a line from a bad B-Grade movie.”
It didn’t change how he felt, though, and he knew many others shared his worries, including Nick. It’s time we put our heads together and come up with a plan of action before it’s too late.
He crossed the parking lot and cut through the warehouse they used for vehicle repairs. Along the way, he spotted Alex and called out, “Hey there! Good to see you.”
Alex greeted him with a firm handshake. “Good to see you too, Sergeant. It’s been a while.”
“It has,” Saul agreed. “How do you feel?”
“Much better. I do believe I’m ready to return to work,” Alex said.
Saul heaved a sigh of relief. “You don’t know how glad we’ll be to have you back. Things have been a mess lately.”
“Amanda mentioned as much earlier,” Alex said.
“Yes, the constant patrols and raids are taking their toll on our vehicle fleet, and the other mechanics aren’t as experienced as you are,” Saul added.
Alex nodded. “I took a quick look at the available supplies for repairs, and I’m not surprised they’re struggling. We’re running low on everything, even motor oil.”
“You should talk to Nick about that,” Saul said. “I’m on my way there now. Want to join me?”
“Sure, I’ll tag along.”
Together, Saul and Alex went in search of Nick. They found him at the supply warehouses wrapping up a round of inspections.
“Hey, Nick. Look who I found,” Saul said.
“Alex, you’re up and about, I see,” Nick said.
“Yeah, I’m feeling much better these days,” Alex replied.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Nick said. “Are you ready to resume your duties? We could use you.”
“That’s why I’m here. Not only do I want to start working again, but I wanted to talk to you about our supplies.”
“Let me guess. You’re running low,” Nick said, his shoulders drooping.
“That’s right. We need more of just about everything. Motor oil, fuel, spares, tools, you name it.”
“I thought so. It’s the same everywhere else as well,” Nick said. “The problem is, we’ve stripped everything in the city to its bare bones. If we want more supplies, we’ll have to go further out.”
“And the further out we go, the more supplies we use and the more danger we face,” Saul finished with a grim look.
“It’s an evil cycle,” Nick said.
“We need to become more self-sustaining,” Alex said. “We can’t live off
