Chapter 2

Monday morning, I drove the four miles to Ed's house and picked him up. He threw a small case in the back of the cab for clothes where mine was. We had put the guns on the floor in back and were not wearing our pistols though they were in easy reach.

Ed and I had decided on our route a few days ago. We would take the interstate to town. I-85 would take us by the airport and we could see if there was any activity there. Going through south Atlanta should be fairly safe with all the sickness. The truck made for a good platform for watching up the road. We made it in uneventfully. There were no cars on the interstate which underscored to each of us that this situation was serious. We got off the interstate and rode into the airport area for a look around. Again, there was no one anywhere.

We returned to the interstate and continued into downtown Atlanta. When we got to the junction of eighty-five and seventy-five on the way into town, we saw our only vehicle, another pickup, and it was going the other way. Neither of us signaled to the other, we just kept on driving. I'm not sure what that meant.

We arrived downtown and got off for North Avenue and Tech. No one was out and about. This was not normal for Atlanta either. I was becoming worried that three percent was very optimistic. I had expected that there would have been more people around. We went on the campus and still found no one out and about. As we were leaving to go to my apartment, I heard a female voice and stopped. "Ed, watch out for an ambush," I said as I slowly got out of the truck. A coed who had been in one of my classes came running to me sobbing. She grabbed me in a hug that was more fear than anything.

"You're alive! You're alive!" She sobbed.

"Yes, calm down. It's okay. Is anyone with you?"

"No, they're all dead! Everybody's dead!"

"Take it easy. Things will be better now." I tried to calm her down.

"You-you're Professor Mathews, aren't you?"

"That's right. Now, who are you?"

"Shirley, Shirley Ames. I was in one of your classes last year."

"That's right. Now, Shirley, what do you know?" I asked emphasizing the word, know.

"I live in the Morris dorm. People kept getting sick and then they all died. Oh, it was terrible!"

"Are you sure no one is left alive in the dorm?"

"Y-yes, I checked all the rooms. When people started getting sick, we left the doors unlocked so others could help. After a while, I was the only one who could help and th-then there was no one left to be helped."

"Okay, Shirley. What about your parents?"

"They don't answer the phone."

"Where are they?"

"They live just outside Macon."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"They don't answer either. They must be dead!" She cried out and began to sob again. She hadn't let me go.

"Okay, Shirley. Climb up in the back seat of the truck and come with us. We were going to my apartment. We'll talk some more there."

"Okay," she replied and climbed in. We went the rest of the way to my apartment not seeing a person, alive or dead.

When we arrived, I saw no one outside. I hollered but only received echos in return. I tried knocking on doors of the few people there that I knew and still received no response. I wasn't sure I wanted to find out why quite yet.

I had sandwich makings at the apartment and made us all sandwiches. The bread was a little stale but still good. That got me to thinking. I called Dad on my cell phone which was all I had. I never had a line phone put in here. "Dad, we're at the apartment and having lunch. We picked up one survivor, Shirley Ames, a student here.

"Yes sir, I know. It's very quiet here. I thought of something that you might want to consider. The bread here is getting stale. Why don't you and Uncle Ed take your trucks, liberate a couple of freezers each, and fill them with perishables. Mom and Aunt Mary can help you pick out the right things.

"Yes sir. I don't think there will be any deliveries. The roads were totally empty. I think three percent may be optimistic."

"Yes sir, you are correct. That's what they said on the newscasts but I'm here and there is just no people anywhere."

"Yes sir, we'll be careful. You, too. Bye." I hung up.

Ed looked at me. "What did he have to say?"

"He wasn't happy but said that we're the ones out looking around. Unless your dad has some real objections, I expect they will do it. We might need that food."

"Good."

"What are you guys talking about?" Shirley asked.

"I talked to my dad. You heard what I said about fresh deliveries. There won't be any. Some things will go bad if we don't get them. We both live on farms but will need some food before they are converted to raising food for everyday living."

"Oh. What about me?"

"Shirley, that's up to you. We have family southwest of here and most of us are farmers. If you are willing, I would suggest you come with us. My mom would be glad to have another woman around while we figure out what's going to happen. We can figure out where your parents are and how they are doing."

'Okay, I really don't want to be left alone."

"I didn't think about it until now. Should we go back and get your clothes and anything else?"

"Yes," she answered slowly, "but I don't want to go into the dorm alone."

"I understand. We will stick together."

Ed said, "Do you shoot? Do you hike or anything like that?"

"As a matter of fact, I have a ten pointer hanging on a wall at my parent's house. I hauled it out by myself on foot." She smiled and then her eyes teared up at the thought of her house.

"Okay, let's plan out what we will be doing." I said. "We have a half day today and half of tomorrow before we are supposed to start back. Though I think our dads would be willing to extend a day, they won't like it and I'm not sure it will gain us anything."

"What was your plan originally?" Shirley asked.

"We were just to look around to see what and who is still functioning." Ed responded.

Shirley said, "Okay, let's start a list. First, we need to go back to the dorm and get some of my things. Second, we need to find out who might still be functioning and what they are doing. Ed, Jack, what else?"

I said, "Your first is good and should stay first. Your second is a bit nebulous and we need to talk through some ideas and develop some quick specifics and then act."

"Okay," Ed said, "let's think about communications. There are three network affiliates in Atlanta, the Weather Channel and CNN, to some extent. We are downtown. After we pick up Shirley's things, let's check out the big CNN building, then Channels Two and Eleven which are or were close together. That will give us a read on public communications."

"Sounds good to me. Hmm. What do we do when the phones quit?" I asked.

Shirley said, "I have an idea about that. First, we have the old CB radios. However, second and maybe more important, my dad's a ham, an amateur radio operator. He talks to people all over the world on his radios as well as locally."

"That's a great idea." I said. "Now, if everybody's finished eating, let's clean up and I'll pack a few things from here and we'll go to Shirley's dorm and then check out CNN and the television stations."

"Okay." Shirley said. Ed nodded.

"Ed, let's stay at your place tonight. It's bigger as I remember."

"Yeah, that'll work."

We went back to Shirley's dorm. She and I went inside to her room and she packed. Ed checked floors in a vain hope for survivors. We found no one though five doors were locked and we left them that way after banging on them.

We left and headed for the CNN headquarters. There was no one there alive but there were instructions for operating to make a tape and play it. We copied the instructions and took the copy with us. I decided it wasn't time to advertise yet. We then checked out the television stations and found nothing there. Tapes on a continuous loop seemed to be the rule. We had been riding with the windows rolled down and radio off to hear anything, literally. We heard one other car or truck but saw nothing.

When we arrived at Ed's apartment, we went inside. We found no one alive and outside. Ed wanted to check some friends. I made him take a gun and followed at a distance as cover for him. I reminded him that staying alive was more important than anything. Shirley was staying and preparing a light supper for the three of us.

I stayed back about fifty feet as Ed went from apartment to apartment checking on those he knew as well as a few others. In some apartments, there were dead people or pets. While, in others, there was nothing suggesting they had left for someplace else. We were headed back when a shot rang out. Both of us scrambled for cover. We didn't know if we were a target or if someone was trying to get attention. I inched closer to Ed so I could stage whisper to him.