Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse (Book 3): Salvation (33 page)

Chapter XI

“Flowers!”

Asher
squealed with delight as the young woman greeting us placed a lei around his
neck.

“Those
are for decoration, not eating,” cautioned Briana.

You
would think, being three years old, our son would be well past the stage where
he put everything in his mouth. Well, toys and rocks and sticks no longer went
there – thank goodness – but if Asher thought something might possibly be
candy, no matter how unlikely that seemed, he would take a bite.

“Look at
the waves,” exclaimed Mary, pointing. “They’re so big, How come we don’t live
at the beach?”

“Because
we started out in the middle of the country,” I replied. “Besides, heading for
the ocean would have been pointless and just gotten us killed.”

“Hawaii
is one of the few places where the water is relatively safe,” confirmed Major
Briggs. “Most shorelines need to be avoided.”

The
major had accompanied us on this trip, along with a pair of representatives
from the council running Yellowstone’s day to day affairs. Additionally, he was
among the first originally relocated to Hawaii, having been stationed on the
west coast when it all began. Briggs remained there before eventually being
transferred back to the mainland.

“Most
are covered with trash, industrial waste, and oil spills. The scientists
believe all will recover on their own in time, but that might take centuries in
some cases. Nowhere will it be fast.”

“But
this beach is nice,” continued Mary, “and I want to go swimming.”

“If you
will follow me,” began a lieutenant who had been among those waiting for the
plane to land, “I’ll take you to your hotel.”

“Does it
have a pool?” asked Mary. “Is it on the beach? What about surf boards? I want
to try that too. Do you have some we can use?”

“One of
the large resort hotels has been repaired and is fully operational,” explained
the young officer – he was trying hard not to laugh. “This is where we place
visiting dignitaries. It has all the amenities.”

“Woo Hoo!
I’m a dignitary. Does that mean I get diplomatic immunity? Can I speed
everywhere and not get a ticket, like the UN people did way back when in New
York City?”

Oh yeah,
Mary was enjoying herself big time.

“There
are numerous meetings scheduled, beginning tomorrow at lunch time,” finished
the man. “An itinerary will be provided. You have until then to relax and
recover from any jet lag.”

“I’ll be
feeling that,” muttered Briana. “I’m already tired, and the sun is way up
there. What time is it?” She did not expect an answer, glancing at her watch
which had already been set to the local time zone. “Damn.”

“Stop
the whining,” demanded Mary. “You don’t see Tara and Dale complaining, do you?”

The
twins had trailed out after us, separating so one was on each side of our
party. The major, Mary, Briana, and myself all had pistols on our hips. Tara
and Dale Zablocki, on the other hand, had a pair each, and that was on top of
the M-16s with grenade launchers cradled in their arms. They hadn’t even
bothered to sling the rifles over their shoulders. Add in the impressive collection
of knives, along with their blank expressions, and the pair was truly
disturbing.

“They’re
happy to be here,” continued my daughter. “You two like the beach, right?”

Tara and
Dale looked at each other.

“Have
either of you been to a beach before?” I asked.

“No,”
said Dale.

“Well,”
stated Mary, firmly and with lots of confidence, “you’re going to like it. I
promise.”

*
* *

An hour
later we were strolling past the pool on our way to the ocean. The suite of
rooms provided for our use was impressive with three bedrooms, a spacious
living room, and a kitchenette. There were also functioning showers, complete
with hot water. We had a brief debate as to what we should do with our ample
free time, the consensus being to enjoy the afternoon and turn in early. Asher
might be on an adrenaline rush at the moment, but he would be ready to collapse
by dinner time. Briana and I would likely follow in short order.

“Almost
no people!” shouted Mary. She was prancing about in front of us. “We
practically get it all to ourselves.”

There
were a few other guests. At least, I assumed that was the case. One couple
appeared to be Japanese, maybe real diplomats. There were also some Brits.
Those I identified from their accent. Other than that, I saw no one, save some
children playing in the water a quarter mile away. Those had to be locals.

“Briggs
said that there are only thirty five thousand people on Oahu altogether and
that most are in the small towns where they’re growing food,” commented Briana.
“I wouldn’t think we’d see all that many.”

The few who
were present turned to regard us as we approached. Most eyes went directly to
Mary. When I first met her, she was thirteen, five foot five, and weighed maybe
ninety five pounds. Now, at seventeen, she had added a couple of inches and adult
curves but still remained as slender as ever. Even so, with the skimpy red
bikini she was wearing, you could tell Mary was anything but soft or anorexic.
Every muscle was well defined, and she had a six pack stomach. Constant
marching, physical labor, and her seemingly infinite desire to go dancing,
horseback riding, and rock climbing anytime there was an opportunity had
resulted in a physique that was without compare.

She also
had her gun belt on, with a 9mm in the holster. It clashed with her outfit
something fierce, but Mary was a product of our world. We went nowhere without
weapons. I was likewise armed, even if I was wearing swim trunks and a T-shirt.
Briana had on a sun dress with her own weapon belt. Tara and Dale had not
changed, clearly having no desire to go into the water, and they were carting
about their entire arsenal. We had to be a sight.

My
worries about going around armed proved unfounded, for the most part. The
islands had been cleared of zombies long before, but the process was difficult
and time consuming. The residents remembered the horror vividly, and all had
guns of their own. However, while allowed to carry freely, with only a handful
of exceptions, few did so. We were well within the law but outside of custom.
Like I cared.

Taking a
seat on one of the lounge chairs, Briana applied yet more sunscreen to Asher.
We’d all lathered up in the hotel with Mary being the most conscientious. She
had naturally fair skin free of blotches and sun damage, and the girl was
determined to keep it that way. The women back in the Black Hills who had
mottled hides – her words – from too many years of tanning were all the reason
she needed. Mary was determined to never look like that.

“Come on,
Asher,” she said, “I’ll take you swimming.”

I handed
her the floaties, and she put them about both his arms.

“Watch
out for sharks,” I cautioned.

She
snorted and turned away.

“Are
there sharks?” asked Briana, looking a little alarmed.

“No
clue,” I replied.

Tara
pulled a pair of binoculars from my wife’s beach bag and began to scan the
water.

“I don’t
think that’s necessary,” I said.

She
ignored me.

“Here
you go,” laughed Mary, unslinging her gun belt and handing it to Dale. “If you
shoot anyone with my pistol, you have to clean it.”

One of
the British guys had been heading our way, likely to flirt with Mary, but he hesitated
upon hearing that. Then my daughter was running into the waves carrying Asher.
His chance gone, he made his way back to his companions. The man might try
again later, but the way Mary was with Michael, he would almost certainly get a
quick brush off. If not, I’d be having words with my daughter.

*
* *

We were
up early, very early, the next day. I felt rested, and other than my internal
clock being off I wasn’t feeling at all out of sorts. However, Briana started
with the puking almost immediately. It was so bad that Mary joined her in the
bathroom to see if she could do anything to help. My wife waved her off, saying
it was just the pregnancy. Overall, the morning passed by quietly. We hung
around the suite. Mary and Asher played with his toys. The twins wasted some
time with cards, and Briana rested. Eventually though, it was time to link up
with Major Briggs so we could meet the president and senators at a, supposedly,
informal luncheon.

I’m going
to give some background on how the American government is currently structured.
I realize that I’ve neglected to do so previously, but don’t take it personal.
There really was not an appropriate or relevant time prior to now. Anyway, you
have the executive branch with the president who is elected by majority vote.
If no single candidate takes over fifty percent, the top two have a runoff. The
current president is James Lawson, a former businessman.

The
legislative branch consists of the Senate and only the Senate. This body has a
mere fourteen members, two each from the current administrative districts.
Those were created for ease of governance but won’t last more than a few years.
The plan is to reinstitute states with a separate district to contain the
capital. These will not be based on the old map, at least not specifically. New
lines will be drawn to reflect realities on the ground, and sometime after this
occurs, the traditional, constitutional form of government will be restored.

Finally,
there is a judicial branch. Three individuals, all of whom were either judges
pre-end of the world or attorneys who spent a great deal of time in the
courtroom, make up the Supreme Court. Their appointments are temporary, unlike
the real things who serve for life, but they have similar responsibilities. I’m
not all that certain how they are balancing the need to stay alive with
essential freedoms, but since it does not apply to me, I’m not going to expend
much time worrying or trying to research their rulings.

Excluding
the major, I didn’t know anyone present. I had spoken with the pair from
Yellowstone previously, but never at length. Likewise, my prior interactions
with Senator Doug Fletchle were limited to a brief meeting at the airstrip in Montana.
Adding to my discomfort was the fact that Tara and Dale were not at all happy.
Carrying guns on the beach or while on planes was something no one cared about,
but this was prohibited in the presence of the president and all fourteen
senators. Really, as if the twins couldn’t snap a neck or crush a larynx in a
heartbeat. They might not get everyone, but they could kill any single man,
probably four or five, before security stopped them. You don’t need a gun to be
deadly.

Briana
was having an easier time of it. She immediately clicked with Christine Lawson,
the president’s wife. The woman was also pregnant, giving them something in
common, and she had two children already, a four year old and a two year old.
Those were playing with Asher under the watchful eyes of both mothers. Briana
had a new friend, one who didn’t seem the least bit perturbed to have the twins
hovering about – I told them to watch Briana in case she suffered one of her
sudden bouts of morning sickness. Then again, there was a burly fellow staying
close to Christine Lawson as well.

Following
some tedious, pointless small talk – how I hate that sort of thing – Mary,
Major Briggs, and I ended up in a corner. Nothing important had happened. There
were no discussions of policy matters, no plans for the future. This was just a
meet and greet. In other words, my time was being wasted.

*
* *

“So,
Jacob,” began the president – he joined us a little over an hour into the
luncheon – “how do you like Hawaii?”

“It’s
sunny,” I replied. “There’s a nice breeze going all the time too. Gotta say
that the weather is pleasant.”

“And
beaches,” added Mary, with enthusiasm. “You can’t forget the beaches. Of course
we now own Mount Rushmore, which we aren’t going to share, and that makes up
for us not having an ocean.”

James
Lawson laughed easily.

“We want
pineapples to take back too,” she added, “or we really won’t share Mount
Rushmore, not ever.”

“That
can be arranged. We still produce a sizeable amount, although nowhere near the
historical highs. Much of the land had to be put to other use or left alone due
to manpower shortages.”

Dreadful,
absolutely dreadful.

“I’ll
see to it that you go back with plenty of cane sugar as well.”

Mary’s
eyes twinkled. That would be nice, and it would certainly brighten Steph’s day.
Sugar was one of the things we largely did without.

“I do
have some questions for you, small things before the real meetings start.”

“Ask
away,” I said. I’d been expecting this.

“How
soon can you receive troops, in the range of ten thousand?”