Breakout Page 9

  “Well at least now I know why you were never interested in Jack,” Lindy said. “I always wondered, I mean, he’s so handsome. And sweet.”

  Monarch studied her friend, whose large brown eyes, which normally reflected only sadness, now told a slightly different story. How had she never seen it before? Lindy liked Jack.

  As her thoughts turned to Jack, Monarch watched him catch a pass, making it look effortless. They had not spoken since Friday, when she had confronted him about the whole him-calling-her-his-girlfriend thing.

  “I’m not your girlfriend,” She’d snapped the moment he walked up, wiping the smile right from his face. “And you can’t go around telling people that I am.”

  His expression betrayed several emotions; confusion, anger, and finally, defeat. “I’m sorry, Monarch, I just thought that—”

  “I know what you thought, Jack,” Monarch interrupted. She met his eyes with hers, so there would be no misunderstanding. “It’s no secret you want our relationship to be something more. I’m sorry. I should have put my foot down sooner. You are a nice guy and you deserve to find someone. But that someone will never be me.”

  Jack stepped back from her, his demeanor cooling. “I just don’t understand you. It’s not like there’s a ton of fish in the sea, Monarch.”

  She didn’t bother to explain herself because A, she didn’t have to and B, she couldn’t if she wanted to. “I’d like to be friends, Jack. But if you don’t want that, I understand.”

  “Is this about Carter?”

  Monarch wasn’t able to hide her stricken look. “Uh…no. Why on earth would you think that?”

  “I saw the way you looked at him.”

  Transparent much?

  “This has nothing to do with anyone else.”

  “So I’m just supposed to take your rejection like a man and pretend we’re friends?”

  Monarch had never seen Jack show a hint of negative emotion before, but it was to be expected. His pride smarted, so she let his venomous tone go. “I don’t expect you to do anything. If you want to be friends, I’d like that. If not, that’s okay too. I respect it—”

  “Whatever. Get over yourself.” Jack had turned around and stalked off.

  In the light of the day, Monarch still hated to hurt him, but maybe it was for the best, especially if Lindy had feelings for him. This way he would move on quicker. Obviously, it was even quicker than she expected, as he hadn’t even so much as glanced her way the entire game. Of course, Corbin hadn’t glanced her way either.

  Screw both of them, the big babies.

  No sooner had that thought crossed her mind when Corbin threw a Hail Mary pass to Jack, who dodged two defenders and raced into the end zone. The game was over and the big babies just won.

  There was a chorus of both cheers and boos from the crowd. Jordan was irate at Ian’s defeat, until he joined them on the blanket and she occupied herself with consoling him. He didn’t look that upset about being on the losing team, but he was content to let Jordan fawn all over him.

  While Jordan and Ian continued with the public displays of affection, Monarch laid backward, resting on her elbows, and closed her eyes. The warmth of the sun felt fantastic, and with her eyes shut she could almost pretend that everything was normal, that the P virus never existed. She was at a park with friends, hanging out and enjoying the weekend, not at a military camp with fellow refugees.

  “Hey, Monarch.”

  Monarch was still half dozing, hanging out in her dream park, when she answered the deep voice. It seemed so right that he would be there since he haunted her every dream for months. “Hey Corbin,” she purred in greeting, keeping her eyes closed

  “Who’s Corbin?” She heard her niece ask in a confused tone, her voice carrying over the sound of Cabernet’s wagging tail, beating against the blanket at the arrival of her owner.

  Monarch’s eyes flew open at that. Corbin was standing over her, his expression inscrutable. “Oh, s-sorry, Carter! I forgot…your name. Um…Good game.”

  Her niece gave her yet another one of those looks, this one said Are you an alien?

  Lindy gave her a look too and leaned forward. “Carter has quite an arm, doesn’t he?”

  Both of his arms are remarkable. His hands too. And his…

  “Y-yes, he does. Did you play in high school or college?” she asked, making another attempt at cool and aloof. Small talk seemed like the only course of action to avoid awkwardness, it also might get her a glimpse into his enigmatic past.

  “Didn’t go to college,” Corbin said, continuing to stand and stare down at everyone sitting on the blanket. His sleeveless t-shirt was damp with sweat, and Monarch once again was grateful for the sunglasses because she couldn’t stop staring at him. He had shaved the beard, but his hair was still slightly longer than before, the golden blonde strands glinting in the sunlight. “I did play a little in high school.”

  “Where did you go to high school, Carter?” Lindy asked, looking back and forth between Monarch and Corbin with a puzzled expression.

  Corbin’s eyes never left Monarch as he answered. “Small town, you’ve never heard of it.” He was giving her the once over, and she felt self-conscious in her cut off shorts and tank top.

  Lindy didn’t want to be ignored. “Well you look like a natural out there. I’m Lindy by the way, it’s nice to meet you.” She stuck out her hand.

  Corbin leaned over and shook it, lingering. “Carter. It’s a pleasure.”

  Monarch wanted to murder them both. She stiffened and Corbin took notice, like a shark scenting blood in the water.

  “You okay?”

  “I’m fine. Just, uh, had something in my eye.”

  Corbin’s expression was a mixture of amusement and triumph and Monarch had to fight the urge to kick him in the shin.

  Lindy looked at Monarch and Corbin and back again and then said, “What’s going on? Why are you guys acting like you don’t know each other?”

  Corbin narrowed his eyes in confusion at Lindy. “What?”

  “Well, I mean you guys know each other from…before. Monarch said that you two were…” Lindy trailed off, quickly discerning from Corbin’s expression and Monarch’s posture that she’d said too much.

  If Monarch could have breathed fire on her friend at that moment she would have. Does she not know girl code? What is told on the blanket stays on the blanket. Monarch tried to signal Lindy with her eyes, but then realized she was still wearing sunglasses. She wanted to sink through the ground and smack her friend in one swoop.

  “Did she now?” Corbin drawled, turning to study Monarch once again.

  Monarch leaned her head back, forcing herself to face him. “Yeah, I told them how we met. You know, the night you, how should I say it, dropped in on me?”

  The light in Corbin’s eyes went out. He straightened. “I’m gonna go, I need a shower. It was nice to meet you, Lindy. Come on, Cabernet.”

  The dog shot up in an instant, obediently trotting after her master.

  And Monarch spent the rest of the afternoon picturing Corbin in the shower.

  And feeling like a huge ass.

  Post-apocalyptic life was becoming a broken record.

  Chapter 9

  It began as a restless feeling she couldn’t shake. By mid-morning on Tuesday, Monarch tried very hard to concentrate on something as simple as filing. In her defense, even on her sharpest day filing made her want to scream. But today it was about to make her come right out of her skin. She felt frazzled, the proper order of letters of the alphabet beginning to blur.

  She needed to dart outside, take a brisk jog on the track or something. Anything to soothe her nerves. But she’d put the filing off far too long and the precariously tall stack mocked her the second she hit her desk chair. Organization was very important in their old school system. They didn’t have hard drives to save important data. All they had were files.

  Monarch might have followed through on the morning jog, just to burn off some n
ervous energy, if she weren’t so freakin’ exhausted. But this restlessness started plaguing her the night before and it robbed her of any semblance of sleep. Which was why she now sat here, trying to decipher an alphabet she’d memorized in kindergarten.

  The prior evening got off to a relaxing start. She’d been lying on her bunk, doing a crossword puzzle by candlelight. Jordan had gone out with Ian and a few other teenagers to walk the track before curfew, doing whatever it was teenagers did to occupy themselves in the absence of smart phones and reality TV. So Monarch was enjoying a quiet night by herself, chilling in her yoga pants. She even splurged earlier in the day, spending extra credits at the exchange to buy a bottle of wine, for old times’ sake.

  She was only about half way through the puzzle, congratulating herself for going a solid hour without thinking about Corbin, when she heard a rustling at the open door. The night was warm and humid, and she left the door open to allow more ventilation, already dreading the dog days of summer just around the corner, scorching and relentless. Monarch turned at the sound, and found Cabernet trotting over the threshold.

  “Well, hi there, baby girl!” Monarch met the dog in the doorway, kneeling and giggling as Cabernet gave her face an exuberant licking. She was over the moon at the unexpected visit from the dog but swallowed a nervous lump, wondering if Corbin was going to follow behind. He didn’t materialize.

  At least Cabernet hasn’t forgotten me…

  Once the greetings were done Cabernet investigated the room, sniffing and checking out the new environment. Monarch watched her for a minute, noticing how much Cabernet had filled out. Corbin was feeding her well, maybe too well if her thickened waistline was any indication.

  Why does even the bastard being sweet to the dog have to make me melt?

  “You’re a long way from the garage, sweetie,” Monarch admonished softly, petting Cabernet’s brindle coat as the dog buried her nose in a small pile of Jordan’s clothes. “What are you doing loose?”

  Cabernet paced around, panting. At the dog’s expectant look Monarch said. “Okay, you can hang out for a little bit, but then we have to take you back.”

  Monarch sat on the bunk so Cabernet was at her feet in easy petting distance and sipped her wine. The dog never settled down, moving about the room, occasionally whining. Monarch grew concerned a few times at her nervous behavior, but Cabernet would then give her a lick and tail wag, contradicting the pacing and crying.

  Stop reading too much in to it. Cabernet is just in new surroundings without her master, that’s all.

  Monarch downed her wine and stood, ready to begin the trek over to the garage to take Cabernet home. Her stomach somersaulted at the thought, her brain dreading it even while other parts of her quickened in excitement. She grabbed her flashlight and headed toward the door but before she made it, the dog almost tripped her in a sprint over the threshold. She looked back at Monarch once, giving an alarmed bark before taking off out the door.

  Monarch ran out after her, her heart in her throat. Yes, the camp was fenced in, but there was a lot of ground to cover and she didn’t want Cabernet to get lost. She didn’t get too far before she saw the bulky figure of a man in the distance, the beam of a flashlight bouncing in his hand.

  “Cabby, come!” The all-too-familiar voice carried the command on the wind as the dog bounded up to him, barking again in exuberance.

  Monarch froze and ducked into the shadows, seeing Cabernet clearly reunited with her master. She watched as Corbin’s outline paused and then turned back toward the garage with Cabernet in tow, the beam of his flashlight swirling around to guide their way. The dog’s strange behavior earlier gave Monarch the creeps, for reasons she couldn’t fathom, and as she watched the comforting figures of man and beast heading home to the auto garage, she felt a fierce urge to join them. To run toward them as if she was being chased and bask in the shelter of their nearness.

  You’re being bat shit crazy, she admonished herself, chalking her weird mood up to good, old-fashioned loneliness. But the tranquility she’d savored not too long before was gone, replaced by an edge. She gave up on the crossword and turned in not long after, sleep eluding her for hours, even after Jordan returned, readied for bed, and began snoring in rapid succession.

  Monarch paid the price for last night now. She was not a morning person on her best day. But after only snippets of sleep her filing moved along at a snail’s pace. She’d downed a warm Dr. Pepper in hopes of a kickstart earlier but so far nothing.

  At least she didn’t have Lieutenant Waters underfoot yet. He was one of those people with what her late mother always called a “loud aura”. Everything he did was noisy. Whether it was chewing, walking, working, or talking, he was a constant distraction when he was there. With his shuffling and mumbling from the next office, Monarch would get a big fat goose egg done today. She said a quick thank you to the universe for his unusual tardiness and once again tried to concentrate on the filing.

  Her commitment was short-lived.

  ****

  “Something’s wrong.”

  Monarch felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up at the ominous words. Jordan stood in the office doorway, her brown eyes wide and lost. Monarch tossed the pesky filing aside like so much trash and came around the desk to meet her niece. Jordan’s voice was shrill which was very unusual for the aloof young woman. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you at work?”

  “Jessie’s sick,” Jordan said, her chin quivering. Jessie was a young man she barely knew who worked the cafeteria with Jordan. Monarch couldn’t figure out why this was a big deal until Jordan said, “There are…lots of people sick.”

  Monarch swallowed an ice cold lump of dread. “What do you mean ‘sick’?”

  “You know what I mean, Monie,” Jordan croaked, reaching for Monarch.

  Monarch wrapped her arms around her niece for a brief moment and then pulled back, gripping Jordan’s arms and forcing her niece to meet her eyes. “Are you sure?”

  Jordan nodded.

  This can’t be happening again! The wheels in Monarch’s brain whined as they began churning, trying to rev up to crisis mode despite the low fuel in her tank. “How many? Did you come in to contact with anyone?”

  “No, no, Pete sent me away before I really saw anyone. He said they were about to call for a base-wide quarantine,” Jordan whimpered.

  Monarch cursed and rubbed her brow, sheer will keeping her from losing her shit. “How could this have happened?” To ensure safety, anyone who found the camp was put in mandatory two-day quarantine before they were allowed to assimilate in with the rest of the population.

  “Apparently some of the teens made a hole in the fence near the creek to sneak out at night, you know, just bored and looking for fun. I think they ran into someone who was…looked sick. I heard Rosa say the virus could have mutated.”

  Jesus. This was bad. Rosa was a registered nurse, one of the few people on base with medical knowledge.

  Stoic Jordan was quickly losing it. Her face crumpled. “I need to find Ian.”

  “No!” Monarch yelled, and then forced herself to calm down, the auto-pilot setting she used to survive before Camp Malloy settling in. “Jordan, listen to me. I want you to go back to our room and pack. Pack for both of us and get plenty of food. Can you do that?”

  Jordan nodded. “Yes but—”

  “I’ll find Ian. Then I’ll get a car from the auto pool. When I come for you, we’re leaving. Okay?”

  “But—”

  “Jordan, go now! And don’t talk to anyone!”

  Her niece fled in the direction of their room as Monarch rounded the desk again. She grabbed a small canvas bag and began throwing things inside, anything within easy reach that might come in handy: flashlight, batteries, tape.

  Just as she was ready to bail out of the office she heard shuffling in the hallway. Dammit! Lieutenant Waters finally decided to show up at the worst possible moment. She had no choice but to deal with him before she could le
ave and she didn’t have much time. They would lock down the base soon. She had to get a car and if she didn’t find Ian then Jordan wouldn’t leave.

  And then there was Corbin. Jordan wasn’t going to leave her man and Monarch didn’t plan to leave hers either. When exactly she started thinking of him as “hers” she didn’t know, but she would guess it was about two minutes ago, when the world went to shit for the second time. Corbin was coming with her; he didn’t have a say in the matter. If she had to club him over the head and throw him in the trunk so be it. Cabernet was obviously in agreement with her. Monarch now knew why the dog exhibited such odd behavior the night before. She was smart enough to know then that trouble was coming and they needed to leave.

  Together.

  She met Waters in the doorway, prepared to play dumb and bolt. “Hey, Lieutenant.”

  Waters leaned into her personal space, much closer than he ever had before. “H-hello. Wh-where are you going?”

  “I have to inventory the cafeteria today and…” Monarch’s words trailed off as she looked up at her boss. He was leaning in even more heavily now, so much so that she had to back up a step to keep them from touching.

  What the hell?

  Waters shook, beads of sweat apparent on his brow, which was creased with confusion. He was pale and white froth lined his mouth in a thick crust.

  Monarch scrambled backwards so fast she almost fell.

  This can’t be happening

  She backed into her desk, sending the now unimportant filing scattering to the floor.

  Waters was sick and his symptoms were chillingly undeniable. “You need to go to medical! Sir, you’re really sick!” Monarch managed to rasp.

  The confusion on the man’s face deepened and Monarch’s heart clenched. Lieutenant Waters was a good man, he shouldn’t go out this way. It wasn’t fair.

  “But I…” he began and then stumbled, falling to one knee as he reached out to her. Monarch pulled her leg out of reach, feeling like an asshole as she did so. Her throat burned raw with fear and grief.

  Monarch felt as if this was all a nightmare. Only in a nightmare did the four soldiers, wearing gas masks and carrying guns, who now swarmed the room, make sense.