He took a deep breath before continuing. “Ok what is it I’m trying to say. Make sense, Ern!” He berated himself. Then his eyes lit up with a thought. “Americans are a great independent people. And it is that independence that drives them to individual success, even at the cost of others.” He nodded, having finally found the right words to make his point.
“I’m worried that individuals will go to these supply drops, with intentions of hoarding all these... What did he call it? Goodies! For themselves.”
Joe nodded. “I think you’re right, Ern. If I’m to be honest, that’s probably what I would do.” Several people nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, me too, probably.” Craig added, looking at Joe appreciatively for his honesty. “And with no army to enforce the law...” He left the rest unsaid.
“So, what do we do? Can’t we trust anybody out there?” Shelley asked, her large dark eyes expressing fear and despondency in equal measures.
“I don’t know the answer to that question, Shelley. But I suggest we worry about the immediate concerns first. Safety, getting the solar panels going. That kind of stuff.” Craig replied.
“Let’s keep broadcasting on the radio, but with caution. Maybe we take a page out of Joe’s book, and not willy-nilly give away our location.” John added, with a nod to Joe. Joe acknowledged this with a broad grin.
“But we should always try to help others. In whatever way we can.” Ern’s speech wasn’t lost on Jack.
He looked flustered when all faces turned to him. It was clear that not everybody agreed. “One side of Ern’s story is that we need to be wary of others. But the part that I got out of it, is that we have a chance to be better. To take care of others. To do some good.”
He ran out of steam. It took willpower for Jack not to storm out of that room. He was sure that all the adults disagreed with him.
“Jack is right.” Maria spoke up. She eyed those around her angrily, daring anybody to disagree.
A small voice at the back of the room chose that moment to speak up.
“This could be our judgement. Our reckoning.” Everybody turned around. The heavily bruised and bandaged Rosa sat in a chair and faced them with a defiant look. She slowly got up from her chair, assisted by Shelley.
“I don’t know if any of you are religious. But even if you’re not... How do you want to live out your life?!” It was more an accusation than a question.
Several people started to say something, but Rosa lifted her hand for silence. That hand wrapped in bandages, with an empty space where the top portion of her pinky had been – that hand stopped all of them in their tracks.
“I’m not proud of everything I’ve done in my life.” Her blackened and swollen eyes scanned those in front of her as she spoke. Her visage was so powerful, that people were rooted in place.
“I’m ashamed of certain things. Maybe you call them sins. But whatever they are, it’s all I have been thinking of since yesterday. I feel like I almost died. Like I was on the edge. I could have died!” She blinked. “But you know what? I think all of us are on the edge. Every one of us.”
“And I know!” Her voice rose.
“I know that the only way we are going to survive is if we help each other. And by extension we need to help others – as many as we can. Because we have been given a chance... We can do good. We need to do good!” She considered her next words. “Because if we do not, we will be filled with regret and shame, as I have been.”
Her face dropped. “As I am.”
Rosa struggled for a moment. So much so that Shelley grabbed a tighter hold of her, and Christine moved in to support her other side. Rosa stood there, practically being held up by the two other women. But the vigor and the conviction in her eyes had not faded at all. It kept the rest of the group frozen in place.
“We have a chance. Maybe just one chance. To save our souls. Jack gets it. And Maria. And now I do too. If this group wants to hunker down, well that’s fine. But if there is a cry for help, we need to answer it. If this group refuses to help those in need... Well then I guess I don’t want to be a part of this group.”
It looked like she had more to say, but she swayed dangerously at that moment. Half a dozen people sprung into action. Rosa was gathered up and carried back down to the clinic. Jack watched her being carried out by Joe, Keith, Shelley and Christine; attended by Nancy and Claire. It reminded Jack of royalty being carried by loyalists.
Jack looked around and saw firsthand the effects of Rosa’s speech. One or two still looked confused. Several others were deep in contemplation.
And the rest... The rest was converted.
Chapter Sixty-one
Kevin
November 3, 1:15 P.M., Undisclosed location.
The projector turned on with a soft hum. Several moments later the bulb had warmed up enough to splash light on the far wall. Four men sat around a table and one was standing, leaning against the near wall.
With a few clicks, the light was replaced by a slide. The presenter started to speak but was interrupted almost immediately.
“Hold on.” The man leaning against the wall had spoken. His voice was soft yet full of authority. “Tell me again. How, exactly, did this happen? How did we create a zombie apocalypse?”
The presenter, uncertain how to answer, looked around at the other three men seated at the table. One
