Nation 27

CH 41: A Dreaded Reply

[Jared]

[18 November 2021, Thursday--- that evening]

The flames of the campfire flickered as its embers emitted warmth in the midst of the cool night air. The flames cast a soft glow in the clearing of the forest that was plunged into an almost pitch darkness. The small group was huddled together, their faces illuminated by the flames of the campfire as they awaited for the rabbit stew to cook over the fire. 

The quiet settled over the group like a heavy blanket. It was not unsettling nor unnerving in any sense, but rather a shared acknowledgment of the challenges that lay ahead. Earlier in the day, there had been scattered conversations as they foraged for supplies or tended to their makeshift shelter. But now, as the darkness enveloped the landscape, a somber mood descended upon the group.

Jared glanced at the small group gathered around the fire.

David was busy filing off the makeshift spear he had carved out of a long branch earlier that day, while Mike continued to watch over the flames as the rabbit stew cooked in a medium-sized pot over the campfire. Clara seemed to be in a world entirely of her own as she scribbled in a notebook that was different from the one she used back at the facility.

‘I’m sure that the notebook back at the facility easily had a hundred to two hundred pages… Did she lose it in the fire?’ Jared thought as he watched her fervently scribble, ‘...Or did she use up the pages that quickly?’

A smile nearly touched Jared’s lips when he noticed Adam’s expressions of shock and horror upon looking at what Clara was scribbling in the notebook. From what Jared had learned about Clara, the one trope that she often wrote which was disapproved by her brother was that of cheesy and cringey romance.

‘I won’t be so surprised if he had goosebumps running up his arms too,’ Jared mused, ‘Honestly, despite everything, some things just remained the same. Ah, that reminds me, with all that happened between yesterday up till now, I still haven’t caught up with a couple of matters with the group,’ he turned to look at the last person of their little group, Brien, ‘Especially when I saw…’ 

Jared’s eyes widen.

His gaze met the old man’s and he was caught off guard by the intensity of the stare. Brien’s penetrating gaze seemed to be fixed on Jared the entire time. Finding out that he had been silently observed sent a shiver down Jared’s spine.

Brien smiled slightly.

“Jared,” Brien spoke, his voice breaking the quietude, “When everything that was going on, I failed to ask you… How did you get out of the facility, and how did you manage to survive for two weeks in the dense forest?”

Jared could feel all eyes on him.

“Oh… I woke up to the facility’s alarms blaring, and after leaving my room to see what was going on, I started to realize that I was the only person on the fifth floor. I heard faint noises and descended the stairs to look for you guys, but I only made it as far as the fourth floor due to the zombies… I was basically surrounded by zombies to the point that I had no choice but to jump off the fourth-floor balcony onto a nearby tree branch.”

“Oh my… That was awful! We barely got out of there ourselves,” Clara whimpered softly and hugged her brother.

“Yes, it was thanks to Brien, Mike, and David that Clara and I survived.”

“Oh? That’s good. Do you know if-”

“No, we got out by the skin of our teeth. We were unable to see if your friend, Louis, managed to escape the horde or not. I’m sorry, son,” Brien replied.

Jared noticed David’s jawline tic at Brien’s reply but decided to say nothing.

“I see… Do you guys know how it happened?” Jared asked.

Silence.

The air was suddenly thick with an unspoken tension as each person stared into the flickering embers of the campfire, lost in their own thoughts. The shadows cast by the flames danced on their faces, highlighting the lines of doubt and worry that were etched into their expressions. No one seemed to be in the mood for conversation anymore. The abrupt silence spoke volumes of the anxiety they felt swelling within them.

All except one.

Brien, with his weathered face, continued to watch Jared with a leveled gaze. Unless the others, Brien wore an expression that betrayed nothing- a mask of inscrutability that left Jared searching for answers. As the silence stretched on, a slight breeze carried the whispers of rustling leaves, a reminder that they were out in the open. That, along with Brien’s watchful gaze, made Jared feel a sense of vulnerability. Yet, somehow, the sense of vulnerability felt different than that when Jared had to undergo Doctor Heine’s special therapies.

Even so, Jared was not keen on being watched as if he were either a lab rat or a suspect.

‘Or does he think that I’m insane? No, it couldn’t be. It’s a very normal thing to ask for anyone who is in my position… So, why is everyone acting like this?’

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Brien replied, “We don’t know for certain. The zombies were already swarming into the facility by the time the alarm sounded. However, as we collectively check for security malfunction and possible breaches, the delayed activation of the alarm is quite… troubling.”

“So, you’re thinking that it was intentional and quite possibly an inside job.”

Brien only nodded solemnly at Jared’s statement. Jared could have sworn that he even heard David click his tongue in irritation.

“But… what’s the plan now?” Clara asked meekly.

“As we’ve been doing for the last 2 weeks, survive and get out of this damn forest,” David grumbled.

“I see… How about you, Jared?” Adam asked.

“If it’s the same, let’s all travel together. It would be better that way,” Clara said.

“Yes, it is a good idea but I’d like to head towards the North,’ Jared replied.

“Oh? What’s there?” 

“Home.”

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[Much later that night when everyone else other than Mike and Brien, who were on watch duty, have gotten to sleep…]

“Brien, I have something to discuss…” Jared said in a low and serious tone.

“Mike, you continue watching the area over on the other side. Just give us a few minutes.”

Mike nodded silently and left the two together.

“Brien, I don’t know who to be subtle or gentle about this… But just as I was about to escape the facility, I came into close contact with two zombies. Despite the deterioration, I could make out that one of them was my friend, Samantha… The other zombie… He looked to be an Asian man about 5 feet 6 inches tall, I think… He stood out to me because of his outfit. It was all black, but somehow, it didn’t look like something any of the facility’s staff, patients, or visitors would wear… Plus, Samantha did go missing around the same time as Boyan… So, I was wondering… Was Boyan a Chinese man of that description?”

For the first time since knowing Brien, Jared saw pure emotion on the former militant’s face. 

Immense sorrow.

“Yes,” Brien’s reply was barely audible, “This picture of him was taken a few years ago but he looked the same. Do you think this is who you saw?”

Brien handed Jared a photo of a Chinese man. Unlike how Jared saw on the balcony, the man in the picture was full of life. Even so, the facial structure and features were undeniable.

Jared gazed into Brien’s eyes and gave the dreaded reply.

“Yes, it was him.”