Chapter 21: Honor, or Desperation?

After they settled the girls in their new home in the trailer, David took Maggie to her husband's pharmacy so she could get what she needed of his. He'd planned to take Ellen but she'd begged off, saying she wanted to be there to watch over the girls and make sure they didn't get so overwrought over what had happened to Erica, Julie and Sara that they'd expose themselves. When she said that, Linda spoke up, saying that she'd like to go. Although both Alice and Amy wanted to go, preparing to take their new M4s in case they encountered any trouble again, David pointed out they only had room for one, so he chose Alice, since she'd likely need to say her own goodbyes to Reggie's memory. However he promised to take Amy on their next trip.

Although they had plenty of masks, they only had so many of the stronger filters, so David and Maggie took one, leaving one for Ellen in case she might be needed in the trailer for some reason. Everyone else got the much thinner surgical masks.

Before leaving, they'd gotten a radio call from Sheriff Benjamin Adams asking them to stop by. He told them that he hadn't been feeling well and suspected he'd been infected. He was planning on quitting after they got there to return home and try to weather out whatever came, however he wanted to give David a 'few things' to take care of for him. David gladly accepted, knowing how hard this was for Ben, and also knowing it likely meant this would be the last time he'd see his friend.

Ben explained that there was a single policeman who'd be working after he left, and that their duties would be severely cut back as a result. There was a receptionist who'd remained, having come back after her family died, who would handle the radio, allowing the single policeman to travel without fear of being out of contact. David didn't bother to update them on their circumstances, figuring Ben really didn't need even more bad news on top of his impending death sentence.

The foursome set out, finding the streets nearly empty. The few people they saw on the streets looked to be taking a few essentials as they abandoned their homes, and those they'd left dead inside, to join other nearby family members so they'd be able to watch out for each other. It was a sobering ride, and drove home just how serious the situation was.

Arriving at the pharmacy they found it sealed, just as Ben had said, with police tape warning everyone off and a handwritten notice telling anyone curious that the pharmacy was closed indefinitely, and to contact the sheriff if they needed any medical supplies.

Maggie let herself in with her key and David accompanied her inside. Linda and Alice remained outside due to David's fear of exposure from the infected interior since they didn't have strong enough masks.

Inside, Maggie got busy and worked steadily, even though she silently cried much of the time since there was so much to remind her of Reggie there. She handed David several boxes of items to carry out while she got the rest of the stuff organized, so David spent most of the time marching boxes from the pharmacy to the entrance, where Alice would carry them to the SUV. Linda seemed to have wandered off, probably considering where she stood in life now that everything in that life had changed so much. David knew he'd have to talk to her about it, but that probably that night would be the best time for that.

The final items to be carried out were a couple of boxes of personal mementos and the promissory notes that Reggie had collected over the past couple of weeks. David had no idea whether it would be useful or not, since he was sure most of the signatories were probably already dead, but he didn't try to dissuade Maggie, knowing how difficult this was for her. If it was important enough for her to bring along, he'd take them without questioning it.

Linda rejoined them as they were packing everything away and they got underway again, no one being in the mood to discuss what they'd been through. After a few miles, though, Maggie felt compelled to say something.

"Thanks for that, David. It was important to protect that stuff, and I'm sure it'll come in handy. What's more, it really was helpful for me. It was like a final goodbye, reminding me that Reggie really is gone and isn't likely to be returning home. I don't think I'm quite ready to visit our house yet, so if we survive this, I'll go there later to pick up a few private things like photo albums and such, but I now consider your house to be my home, and everything I need is there now."

David didn't bother responding, simply taking her hand in his and squeezing it to show her how much she meant to him. Linda didn't offer anything, but Alice felt driven to say something of her own.

"That's understandable, as you and the rest of the girls are now part of our extended family. I don't think any of us will ever return to our old lives, and I'm sure everyone will form new family relationships, with everyone treasuring who's remaining that much more. I'm glad you're going to be staying with us, and I want you to know that I'd do anything for you, just as I would for everyone in the house."

"Thanks, I appreciate that. It really means a lot to belong to others who care for you at this point," Maggie told her.

Nearing the police station, they were shocked to hear gunfire. Fearing the worst, David stopped a short distance away. Without a word they each got out—except for Linda—grabbed their guns, and David pointed where he wanted everyone to go. They spread out, seeking shelter until they could figure out just what was happening. Before he left, David handed Linda a spare pistol, just in case the gunfight shifted in her direction, but he didn't expect she'd either know how or have any desire to use it.

A group was firing on the police station from between a couple of parked cars. It looked like they'd pulled up behind the cars that had been abandoned on the other side of the street for some time, and was now using their car and the others as a protected firing position. It looked like the Sheriff, or whoever was still inside, was trying to fire back, but the attackers took turns firing, so those inside really didn't have much hope of getting a clear shot because as soon as they'd pop up someone would take a shot.

Since David could tell where the shots were coming from, he'd parked in a sheltered spot, so he wasn't worried about Linda being struck accidentally. He and Maggie tried to surround the shooters, while Alice had been instructed to take up a supportive position which would allow her to block their escape.

After several shots rang out over the course of several long moments, they were ready to act. David fired a shot over the attacker's car and called out.

"All right, lay down your arms, you're surrounded. You've got nowhere to go, and you can't hope to hold out for long."

"Fuck you!" someone shouted as they took a pot shot at him. The attackers then started looking around to see who they were up against.

They appeared to be three or four separate individuals, spread across a couple of vehicles, so it would be difficult to fire at them without the others returning fire.

David, Maggie and Alice were each protected behind a car, and while the shooters knew where David was from his gunshot, they had no idea where Maggie and Alice were, which was David's intent.

"You don't fool us, there's no one else. There's only one of you," someone called out. "It's you who'd better leave. We're just here for the guns. We don't want to kill anyone, but we need to protect ourselves."

"George, is that you?" David called out.

"Who wants to know? Stick your head up, and we can 'discuss' it," the man answered.

"This is David, I've been authorized as a police officer. What the hell are you doing? You're a god damn plumber, why the fuck are you attacking the police?"

"In case you haven't noticed, the world has changed. When this is over, everyone is going to be fighting for what's left. We want enough guns to defend ourselves with."

"You seem to have plenty of guns as it is, and you're trying to kill officers of the law counters your claims to be defending yoursel—"

Just then another shot was fired which struck the car that David was hiding behind, and another shot struck the ground beside him, having been fired under the car trying to strike his legs. These people, while not having any combat experience, were playing for keeps.

Maggie fired off a single shot, meant to distract those shooting at David, but not give them enough time to identify where the shot originated from. Everyone was silent for a moment as they tried to figure out what their next move was.

"You really don't want to be doing this, George. Right now, the only people you're being threatened by are those you're trying to kill. Just go home and let us take care of any crimes."

"Fuck, you'll be dead by the end of the week. Anyone that survives will have to—" George never finished, as another shot rang out.

George's 'gang' had been scanning the cars surround them, trying to identify who else may be surrounding them. When Alice raised her head to locate where everyone was, and whether she could help out, one of them took a shot, shooting out the window above her as she dove down behind the car once again. Neither David nor Maggie knew what had happened, simply hearing the gun and the shattered glass, however Linda, who'd been watching from nearby where she'd hidden so she could also observe what was going on, didn't react as calmly.

Taking the gun David had given her, she ran out, rushing the people who'd fired at her daughter. After clearing the cars she'd been hiding behind, she started screaming like a banshee as she ran, wildly firing one shot after another at the people she was chasing. She made it almost all the way there before they responded, and when they did she was only about ten feet away. Two different people stood up to fire at her, but David and Maggie were ready. They had drawn and sighted on them, and were about to pull their triggers when two shots rang out simultaneously as the two women fired at Linda, their bodies jerking slightly from their rifle's recoil. David wanted to swear, despite his best intent he hadn't acted fast enough, but he couldn't worry about Linda quite yet. David and Maggie fired almost instantly after they shot, each having picked a separate target. Both crumpled immediately, David's shot had struck the furthest person's side just under their arm. He figured the bullet had likely traveled through both lungs, possibly hitting the heart on its way through their body. He didn't think they'd be getting up again, and he was sure that Maggie's shot had been just as efficient.

"SHIT! Stop shooting already," George Winters called out. "You killed both my wives. I surrender."

"Throw your guns out, and if you try to take a shot at us you'll be next," David called back. He and Maggie both continued to stand, watching for any signs of movement. All David wanted was to run to Linda's side, but he had to secure the area first. A rifle clattered to the ground in front of them, and the man stood up with his hands up.

"Mom!" Alice screamed, now that their immediate danger was apparently over.

"ALICE, Don't!" David shouted, warning her off. He didn't want to deal with whatever Alice may find when she encountered her mother. "Come support me while Maggie checks on her."

Alice looked hesitantly between her father and where she'd last seen her mother, even though she couldn't see her, then jogged to her father, holding her gun ready for whatever she ran into.

Once Alice was in a position to cover him, David moved forward, potentially exposing himself. However, his assumptions were correct. George was standing still, with both hands up, while both women lay crumbled and bleeding behind him. Once he was in position he motioned Alice up.

"Keep him covered, I'll check on his companions," he told her.

"Just hurry, I'm worried about Mom."

"If she needs help, Maggie's better equipped to help her than we are," he told her as he moved forward and rolled the bodies over, checking to see whether they were still alive.

"Shit, Debbie Peters too?" David asked rhetorically.

"Who's she?" Alice asked, wondering how her father knew these people.

"She's my dental hygienist. I saw her whenever I went to my dentist. What the hell made you people into violent killers?"

"We were just preparing for the violence that's coming," George insisted.

"Well, if you're trying to protect against people like yourself, then you might have a point. But seeing as one of the most dangerous people I've encountered is you, excuse me if I don't take your argument seriously. Now get down on your knees and put your hands behind your head."

Grumbling, George did as he instructed.

"Alice, keep your eyes on him. If he makes any moves shoot him, and shoot to kill," David instructed.

She did as he asked, but was surprised when a shot rang out. George's head jerked around, and Alice almost shot him as a result. Glancing quickly at her father, she saw he'd shot the women in the forehead, even though she was already dead. She was shocked by that, but jumped when she realized she'd let her attention wander, refocusing her attention on their prisoner.

"What the fuck are you doing?" George demanded.

"I'm leaving a message. I want to ensure that everyone near here knows what happens when people decide to shoot at the law."

There was another gunshot, and Alice jerked, but never took her eyes off of her target this time.

"Is everything OK, David?" Maggie called.

"Yeah, we're OK here," David called back. "How's Linda?"

"Not good, but don't come over, and don't allow Alice to, either."

Alice almost took her eyes off of George as she really wanted to rush to see what shape her mother was in.

"Keep your eyes on him," her father warned her before he took off to see how she was, despite Maggie's warning.

When he got there, he found Maggie leaning over his ex-wife trying to staunch the flow of blood. He started to head off for their emergency supplies, but Maggie called him back.

"Don't bother. I've stopped the bleeding, but I'm not sure she's going to last much longer. If you want to say goodbye, you'd best do it now."

"I'd better—"

"Don't you dare call Alice over," Maggie warned him in an insistent whisper. "If you do, she won't be able to resist touching her. We don't need anyone else infected."

With that David moved forward and looked more closely at the two women. Linda had a chest and stomach wounds, which while still bleeding, were at least crudely wrapped. However, when he looked more closely, he saw that Maggie had stripped off Linda's top and used her undershirt to bind her wounds. That revealed the marks on her body that he hadn't noticed before. She had a number of open sores on her torso, revealing she'd been concealing the fact she'd not only been exposed to the plague, but that she was already suffering from it.

"How are you?" he asked his ex.

"Not good, obviously," she responded, struggling to speak as a thin trickle of blood seeped out of her mouth.

"What the heck was that about? An attempted suicide?"

"Or she was trying to defend her daughter, take your pick," Maggie suggested.

"Please, I don't have much time," Linda gasped out. "Take care of Alice. You're all she has now. And David," she said, pausing to get her breath as she began to shake, going into shock, "take care of yourself. I really really love you, and I want you to know that coming back here and reconnecting with you ... was the best thing I ever..." The rest of her sentiment was hidden by her gurgling, as blood began flowing more freely from her mouth.

"Mom?" Alice called worriedly.

"Stay there," David called. "She's in trouble, but we can't afford for you to see her now."

David had to do everything he could to not move closer and cradle her against him. He wanted to reach out to her, to tell her how much he loved her, and how much she'd meant to him all their years together, and how he'd come to love her all over again once Ellen had gotten them back together again. But he also wanted to ask so many more questions. Like what she'd been thinking, both when she ran into the assailants' gunfire, and when she hid her illness. But it was clear she was never going to answer his unasked questions. She struggled, trying to breathe with the blood pouring from her mouth, then David could see her stop struggling, and he could almost swear he saw her life pass before his eyes.

"I'm sorry, she's gone," Maggie assured him.

"Yeah, I gathered that," he answered shortly. "Did you know she was ill?"

"No, none of us had any clue. I was wondering where she was last night."

"She was probably afraid of scaring Alice and the other girls, and knowing how quickly gossip travels in the house, figured the only way to protect her was to hide it from us."

"I really don't think she was committing suicide, David. I really think she was just trying to protect Alice."

"Or she figured she didn't have much longer, and the best way to protect all of us was to draw their fire," David suggested before he turned and regarded Maggie, who was covered in her blood.

"You've been exposed," he observed stupidly.

"Duh! I wasn't about to stop to put on gloves while she was bleeding to death," she answered. "But yeah, I'm infected. So it looks like you're down to two girlfriends now."

"Look, leave her there and wash yourself off. Maybe if you scrub yourself down with some antibiotic wipes you can—"

"David, with this much bodily fluids covering me, there's no way I could have escaped being exposed. Julie and Sara may have missed it, but I haven't. I'll move out to the trailer when we get back. I likely only have a few more days."

"Still, clean yourself up in the hopes you can minimize it. There's no sense giving in to pessimism. We're assuming some of us can fight this disease, so it's important we resist as much as we can."

David got up but resisted the impulse to help Maggie to her feet. He left Maggie to find a hose, hurrying back to Alice.

When he got there, he found someone he didn't know.

"I'm Nancy Evens," she told him. "I'm helping here since they're so short staffed. I've seen you before, but we never talked. I brought restraints to hold George, but your daughter wasn't going to leave him on his own."

"That's good," he said, pointing his own weapon at the man still on his knees. "Alice, I'm sorry to have to tell you, but your mother died. There was nothing we could do. You can go say goodbye, but DON'T touch her. She's been infected, and touching either her or coming in contact with her blood will kill you as well, so be careful."

Alice simply stood there looking like a bomb had just dropped in her lap, so David turned on her. "Go. Now! You need to deal with this."

As Alice took off at a run David turned to Nancy. "You probably don't want to be here for this," he warned her.

"I'll head back inside. Ben was hit, and while I've bandaged him he's hurt fairly badly."

"I'll send Maggie in to look at him after she's managed to clean up," David told her. She looked back as she headed back in, then turned and walked steadily back to the police station.

"What are you planning?" George asked.

"We're in a difficult position," David explained. "You've shown that you have no compunction about killing anyone who gets in your way, which makes you a public menace. However I can't very well toss you in jail, since I can't guarantee we won't all get ill leaving you unguarded and uncared for. You could either starve, or your friends might decide to break you out, killing someone else in the process. Thus I'm going to do the only thing that's guaranteed to protect everyone you might otherwise encounter."

"You, you can't do that. There are laws. You're a lawman now, you can't—"

"Right now, there's no judges handy, no courts, and I probably couldn't find enough people to sit on a jury, and even if I could, they probably wouldn't all survive to the end of it."

"But killing me would be murder," he stated in disbelief. "Cold blooded murder."

"Which is just what you were trying to do to both Ben and Nancy, so don't try to play off of any sense of righteous indignation."

"But you're not a murderer," George said, searching for any argument he could think of.

"And neither were you until today, at least that I know of. If things stabilize and the law gets reestablished, then I'll submit to any investigations or punishments they chose to apply to me, but until then I'm in charge of preserving the rule of law and order. If I let you live, I might as well declare open season on anyone and everyone you or anyone else happens to stumble across."

With that David raised his rifle, quickly aiming, and pulled the trigger, burying a bullet directly in the man's forehead, hitting him slightly off center and causing blood to splatter, covering his face as his body was slammed backwards into the ground. It was fairly gruesome so he was glad he sent Alice away, but as he knew, there wasn't enough blood to risk any further infection on the off chance he may have been infected himself.