Adam tensed as he heard the faint rhythmic sounds of the lieutenant’s footsteps.It was a silent walk to others but to Adam’s sensitive ears, every scrape and move resounded like a gong.He knew the reason why the man had followed him.“Mr. Smith,” the lieutenant said politely as the others backed away to give him space at the entrance of the cubicle.The man on the other cot tried to raise himself to salute the lieutenant, but the latter waved his hand in dismissal and the man collapsed back on the bed.His eyes went to Adam in surprise when he saw that the latter had not bothered to turn when the lieutenant called him.Lieutenant Matteo let out an indiscernible sigh and tried again “Mr. Smith, I think we need to be reasonable here.”“The only reasonable thing would be you keeping my sister safe after you all left me out there to die! The reasonable thing would be getting her a doctor right now after failing to do what you are supposed to do! You want to talk about reasonableness, li

Lisa tearfully explained what she had done to Adam and Layla.For one crazy moment, Adam thought that whatever gave him the power to resist zombie bites had also happened to Lisa as well.In fact, he had entertained the thought that it might be a family thing.But then he was more shocked when she told them what happened before she met Shelby and the others talking about Adam.“Are you sure?” Layla asked with as much surprise in her tone as Adam was feeling.Lisa nodded as more tears squeezed out the sides of her eyes. “I am so sorry, Dr. Blair,” she whispered, almost to herself.Adam knew she would have to work out the guilt on her own, yet he laid his hand on her shoulder and said softly, “It wasn’t your fault, Lisa. You did what you thought was the best. And look, something good came out of it! It saved your life, didn’t it?! I have you back. Mom would also be so grateful when she wakes up and hears what you survived.”Lisa turned to him with a grimace and asked in a trembly voice,

It was a losing battle!Lieutenant Matteo looked on with increasing frustration and the feeling of inevitable doom.He clutched the phone in his hand and speed-dialled the number he had been trying since he got back from Alagan.Same result.The number rang just as it had done many times before.The disconnecting tone was like poker in the lieutenant’s gut.The supervisor had just informed him that they couldn’t keep powering the electric fence because they were low on gas.The shelter had been running on gas since the worldwide blackout a few weeks ago.“We need to preserve the power, sir,” the flustering supervisor said while mopping his sweaty face furiously.“How long can it last us?” Lt. Matteo asked.“Maybe up to 72 hours if we do it now. If we don't, at most the last power would be drained within twenty-four hours.”"After, what will happen?” Lt. Matteo asked.“The electric fence would stop working and we would have no chance at all to keep the shelter on lockdown. Power is nee

Adam had Lisa wheeled to the same cubicle that his mother was in.Marriane had been asking to see her since she woke up.And she had been decidedly saying nothing about Caleb.Lisa woke up just as Adam was wheeling her out of the room where she was.She was momentarily confused by the dim atmosphere and the sounds of the zombies sounding so near.Lisa excused herself to go check on her aunt, and Adam explained things to Lisa as he wheeled her away.He stepped aside and brought out one of every medication he had in the storehouse.The moment they entered the room, mother and daughter called out to each other with grieving voices.Adam put the gurney beside the other so they could touch each other.Lisa’s wince of pain was the perfect opportunity for Adam to show his mom the medication and ask her which of the medications she thought would reduce Lisa’s pain faster and keep the stitches from being infected.Marriane asked why he didn’t ask the doctors instead. “It is better this way, M

Not even the shrieks, snarls, and occasional thuds of the zombies and beasts outside could penetrate the gloom in the facility that evening.Layla had eventually overcome the shock she seemed to have gotten into.She shrugged off the lieutenant’s arms from around her and moved closer to her aunt’s body.She raised her hand and gently used it to close the colonel’s eyes and her opened mouth.With brimming eyes, she looked at the doctor and asked. “What will happen to her body?”The doctor looked at the lieutenant, who nodded, and then she looked back at Layla. “There is an underground tomb used for the past facility workers who died without burial arrangements or family members to claim them. I know the colonel can’t be classified as such, but given the situation, I think that would be a great place to bury her. We don’t have the facility to embalm her or..."Layla nodded woodenly. “Please take care of her,” she said slowly.“I will,” the doctor promised solemnly.Layla nodded again an