Chapter 18: No Rest

Anne felt a profound sense of relief as she concluded their tale, quickly followed by an overwhelming wave of grief. Her husband was gone, taken by the undead. The idea seemed preposterous, even in the midst of their grim reality. A part of her mind struggled to comprehend it, teetering on the edge of a vast, dark abyss.

Just as she was about to succumb to her despair, she felt Kai’s small hand on hers, pulling her back from the precipice. She forced a smile at her son, her only son, who was still alive and by her side. She covered his hand with hers, squeezed it gently. “Let’s do our best, okay?” she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Kai’s gaze hardened, an understanding flickering in his young eyes. He could sense the change in his mother, but he needed to believe that she was going to be okay. “Yeah, we’ll keep that promise and move forward,” he affirmed, his voice strong and steady.

Jane rose to her feet and addressed Macky. “They need bedding. Find them something to rest on. They’ve been through as much as us.” Macky started to protest, but Jane silenced him with a stern look. “And stop that childish grumbling. Do you understand me?” she commanded. Macky acquiesced with a reluctant “Yes, boss,” and led Kai and Anne to a makeshift resting area.

Once they were alone, Jane turned to Doc. “A 10-foot zombie? Is that even possible?”

Doc considered the question. “There’s a possibility that a small giant could have been in Boston.”

Jane scoffed, “I doubt there’s anyone that tall, let alone as massive as she suggested.”

“Jane, we have… no, let me be frank. We have no fucking idea what’s going on. Is this a virus? A mutation? Biological warfare? The only thing I know for sure is that if you’re bitten, there’s an 80 to 100 percent chance you’ll turn into one of them. You were lucky,” Doc said, his gaze drifting to the bandage on Jane’s arm.

Jane touched the bandage, a stark reminder of her close encounter. “I know, Doc. I’m so grateful. I don’t know if I could’ve left my little brother behind.”

Doc nodded. “Yeah… But that kid, he’s the first I’ve seen alive so far. He’s lucky.”

Jane pondered his words. “Maybe. But we have to consider if these Z’s are changing. Have we heard anything from the WBZ?”

“Hmm… Last thing we heard was that something had changed with the behavior of a Z they saw through their monitor and they asked for help. But the only people who can help them are the National Guard,” Doc replied.

Jane thought for a moment. “Something in a Z’s behavior changed, huh? Sounds familiar?”

Doc looked thoughtful, a spark of realization lighting up his eyes. “Wait, I do recall something,” he stated, his voice picking up pace. “In the initial stages, people in the hotel transformed without any visible bite marks. Specifically, those on the upper levels fell victim first. Then came the shamblers, the Z’s we encounter now.”

Jane nodded, her gaze distant, lost in her own memories. “I remember too. The one that bit me… I mistook her for a little girl searching for her mother. I didn’t imagine I’d be her next meal.”

Doc, ever the worrier, especially when it came to Jane, retorted, “Jane, cut out the humor! Damn it, this is serious. Focus!”

Jane, the ever-defiant, shrugged, a small smirk playing at her lips. “Fine, Doc. I’m alive, in a bit of pain, but still kicking. But you’re onto something. What is the distinction? If people turned before getting bitten, what catalyzed their transformation? You’re the medical expert here, any educated guesses?”

Doc sighed, his frustration evident. “Jane, how many times do I have to remind you? I’m not a full-fledged doctor, I’m a medical resident. I’m learning to become a doctor. And even if I was one, it’s not like I specialized in ‘zombie-ology.’ Can we get a line to the National Guard yet?”

Jane shook her head, her eyes gleaming with a hint of excitement. “Not yet. But Jacky’s been fiddling with that ham radio of hers. She said she’s close to getting it operational. Let’s go check on her progress.” With a shared sense of purpose, they left the booth, their minds wrestling with the macabre mysteries of their apocalyptic existence.

Jane and Doc entered the makeshift workshop, a transformed lobby cluttered with scattered electronics and tools. “Jacky?” Jane called out, her voice echoing slightly in the large space.

A cheerful voice responded from behind a pile of dismantled devices, “In the flesh, boss lady! What’s up?” Emerging was Jacky, a petite redhead with sparkling green eyes obscured by protective goggles. She pushed them up onto her forehead, revealing a constellation of freckles across her nose and cheeks. Her lips, painted a playful pink, curved into a grin when her eyes landed on Doc.

Jane eyed the radio on the table, its wires spilling out like tendrils. “Any luck with that thing?” she asked, nodding towards the device.

Jacky’s grin widened, a spark of excitement lighting her eyes. “Janey, you gotta have more faith in me. Of course, it’s working! Actually, I managed to get the National Guard, though it’s only in Morse code for now.”

Before Jane could respond, a series of beeps emitted from the radio. “Shhh,” Jacky hushed, her fingers dancing over the buttons as she donned an earpiece. She picked up a pen and began to jot down the incoming Morse code.

“… . -. -.. .. -. –. / …- ..- .-. .–. / .-. . …- ..- -.-. . / – — / .– -… –.. / ..- -. -… .-.. . / -… .- .. -.. / .– .. .-.. .-.. / ..- .–. .- – – . .-. / .- -… .-. -.-. ..- … . / .– .. .-.. .-.. / ..- -.. .–. .- – . .-. / .- -… .-. -.-. ..- … . / ..- .–. .- – – . .-. / .– .- .-.. .-.. / .-.. ..- -.. . -.-. ..- . -.– / .-.. .- -..- . . / -.-. .- .. … . — …- . / .- -… .-.. ..- -… / .- .-.. .–. .-.-.- / -..-. … .. …- .. – .. -.-. – / .. -. -… .-.. . / ..- .–. -.. .- – . / .– .. .-.. .-.. / .– .. .-.. .-.. / .- -.. -.-. . -. -.– / .-.. .- -.. .-.. / .– .- – . -.-. . / .- -… .-. -.-. ..- … . / ..- .–. .- – – . .-.”

Once the message ended, Jacky took a moment to decode it, then read it out loud, her voice serious. “Sending support and rescue to WBZ. Unable to provide aid for Encore Casino. Will update again. Survive.” The room fell silent as they absorbed the message’s implications.

Upon Jane’s orders, the lobby was instantly filled with the frantic sounds of a news broadcast. A nearby survivor, a young man with dark hair, had managed to tune into the WBZ channel. The television screen flickered, revealing live CCTV footage of the newsroom.

The sight was horrifying. The once bustling newsroom had been overrun by Z’s. Some of them were still wearing the torn remnants of business suits, the remnants of a normal day turned nightmare. Jane’s fists clenched at the sight, her knuckles white. The anger was raw in her voice as she muttered, “These fucking things…”

Her grip tightened so much that the bandage on her arm started to tear, revealing the healed bite underneath. Her jaw tightened, the muscles there twitching with suppressed emotion.

Suddenly, the feed switched, showing a beautiful skyline view of Boston at sunset. The warm hues of the setting sun bathed the city, a stark contrast to the terror happening within its borders.

Then, a deafening sound echoed through the speakers – the unmistakable sound of a M134 unloading. Jane’s head snapped towards the television, her eyes wide. “What the hell is that?” she demanded, her voice cutting through the chaos of the gunfire.

Macky, who had been quietly watching the scene unfold, spoke up, “That’s gunfire. Military-grade gunfire.” The camera feed changed again, this time revealing a military helicopter moving away from the WBZ building, unloading a shower of bullets onto the roof below.

Jacky, who had been silently observing the whole scene, finally broke her silence, “Well, I guess they made it.” The relief in her voice was palpable, but it was also tinged with uncertainty. They had survived, yes, but at what cost? And for how long? The questions hung heavy in the air as they watched the helicopter disappear into the sunset.