Jayson emerged from the basement to find Julia in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee wrapped in Ellen's bathrobe. She was sobering up. Jay leaned and gave her a kiss. Julia mentioned he smelled like Jess's pussy as she licked her lips. "Did you have fun, babe?" She asked, pushing his hair behind his ears. He'd let his hair down for her.
"She fucked my dick raw." Jay answered, taking a seat next to her. He dropped her cell phone on the table. Cal had called twice, but he wasn't getting out of new pussy to answer any phone.
Jay looked in the living room to the sofa. "He's out." He observed.
"He is." Julia answered. "Babe, wanna talk about this or no?"
"If you're going to say we fucked up, then no."
"Oh, no. Nothing like that." She said, taking a sip of her coffee. "I think we all wanted to go there. It was fun." She admitted. "But..." She paused nervously. She drummed her fingers on the table.
"But what? Just tell me."
"I might want to...umm...try things out with Jess again. I didn't exactly get the full experience with her. I mean, if she wanted to."
"Ok. I'm cool with that."
"I mean, if Chess is ok with it...without you guys, just me and Jess."
"Ok, Julia. I won't argue if you wanna eat pussy in your spare time." Jay smiled.
Julia stood up to go get dressed. She gave Jay a kiss, then licked around his lips, tasting remnants of Jess on his flesh. She told Jay to go scrub her off of him. He followed her to the basement.
"Shower." She smiled, pointing toward the bathroom.
Julia called Cal's phone when she got back upstairs.
"I've been calling you. Why didn't you answer?"
"We were having this huge orgy, dad. Would you answer the phone?" Julia replied with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"Ha ha, funny." He mumbled, stifling a cough. He informed her that Ellen was looking grim. The docs didn't know if she could be saved or not. He wanted to talk to Andy. Julia jogged upstairs with her phone and knocked on Andy's door before opening it. She went inside. They were awake, snuggling beneath Andy's blanket.
"Andy, it's my dad and he needs to talk with you."
Cal told her to put her on speaker phone.
"Are you both there?"
"Yeah, dad, go ahead."
"Andy, your mom isn't looking so hot. They have her on IV's and some medicine, but the doctor says she's not looking good."
"I want to be there with her. I knew I should have gone to the hospital. I'm getting dressed now."
"No, you can't. It's not looking good here. The emergency room is full. Half of Maverick is here. They're not letting anyone else in or out of here and the national guard is setting up a perimeter around the hospital." Cal told them. "I'm not allowed out of here or I'd have left by now, with your mother, Andy."
"Can I talk to her?"
"No." He said flatly. "You can't but she loves you."
Cal paused. In the background there was moaning and some screaming. "Dad, what's going on?"
"You, all of you, need to get out of that house now."
"But, dad." Julia grumbled.
"Julia,listen." He yelled at her. "You need to get out now. Get yourselves out and do it quickly. And the rest of you. Whoever else you have there. I told them you were with friends since we got sick. But they're coming. I'll call you again when I can."
"I'll go to Jay's then." Julia said. "We both will."
"No, they may look for you there. Julia, go home. Take Andy and go home."
"Home. Yes, we will go home."
There was noise in the background. Voices approaching and questioning Cal. There was a scuffle and the phone went dead.
Andy and Rey sat staring at each other, then at Julia. Andy was scared, shaking, so many thoughts running through his head about his mom, running, going home wherever home was.
"Julia, we are home. What was he talking about?"
"Home. He wants me to go home. Get up, get a bag together. Do as he said."
Julia tread downstairs and turned the news on in her room as she tried to explain to Jay what her dad had said. Jay didn't know whether to believe her or not because her dad said to go home. He reminded her that there was a family now living in her house. But Julia dismissed him, reminding him that the house where he lived with his grandmother was empty. How long she'd stay there hiding out with her step brother and what would happen from there was a mystery. Maybe they'd wait til her dad got there to them or wait til things blew over and then return home. Julia's dad was serious and meant for her to get her herself and Andy to a safe place.
Julia packed a bag, gathering some sweats. Heavy clothes. Jay urged her to come to his house with Chess and him. That she'd be safe there. She urged Jay to be quiet as the news showed the state of emergency their local and regional hospitals faced. The local news journalists had been forced to a distance from the hospital entrance. There will be no interviews and no press conferences, they were told. The virus in the hospital is contained. Family members and anyone in close contact with those that have the virus need to be quarantined until further notice, until cleared by a physician.
The camera panned the troops standing in front of the hospital, someone at that moment ran, then another followed by several patients in hospital gowns. There was blood on the patients, on their faces and gowns. The troops raised their guns and cut them all down, shooting at each one. The patients didn't go down as easily as the persons running ahead of them.
"Shit, Jay, does that look contained to you?" Julia yelled pointing at the tv.
Julia let out a gasp as the bullets penetrated the patients at her local hospital on live tv. Jay turned his face, looking away. The camera man and the reporter ran away from the fracas, but the camera tried to stay focused on the ensuing melee of people screaming and crying. The camera zoomed in and focused on the bodies motionless on the cold and damp ground.
"Julia, I think if we leave, we might not be coming back."
"That's fucking crazy, Jayson."
"You saw what I saw, Julia."
"On foot? We're rolling outta here to god knows where with nothing and two kids? To where? We're screwed."
"For now. We go home, Julia. The five of us. We'll think of something else there. We need a plan in case your dad doesn't make it out of there."
Jay and Julia packed the Prius to the gills with blankets, food, water bottles, candles, flashlights. They packed like they were going camping. In a prius. Then they packed all of them in the car atop all the belongings. Rey took the driver's seat. He had a learner's permit. He had the most experience and he was going home to Luz. He gave Jayson a crash course in how to drive as he maneuvered the streets to his apartment. The minivan was parked at the curb in front of the building. He left the car running in park as Jay moved from the passenger to the driver's seat. He adjusted the seat and the mirrors. Rey leaned in the back window to Andy and gave him a kiss good bye.
Rey leaned in the window of the car, talking with Jayson. Jay nodded a couple times, then Rey left and head to the apartment building.
Jay went slow at first with the car. Fortunately on a Saturday morning at 4am there wasn't much vehicular or foot traffic on the local streets. He tested out the brake too hard and the gas too hard til he eventually figured it out as he pulled up to the curb on Chess's street. The houses were all dark and no signs of life on the street were evident. Julia and Andy went in the house first. They closed the door behind them and Julia went to check on the kids. Both were asleep and peacefully so in their room. Julia opened the drawers and with Andy's assist had the kids and Jay's bags packed. Andy took their belongings downstairs and then waited in the living room. Jay accompanied Chess and Jess to her mom's house. Jess wanted to wake her mother and then tell her about the hospital, what they'd seen on the news.
Julia went to Ray's room next, knocking lightly on the door. She wondered if he was home after the dance or whether he'd gone with friends. When she tried the knob, the door opened and no one was in the room.
"Andy, check the basement. See if Ray's down there. He crashes there sometimes." Julia said as she pulled her ringing cell from her pocket. She didn't care that it was from Pittsburgh or that was the special ring tone only for him. She answered the phone, her heart pounding. "Tav? Are you guys ok there?"
"Red, it's fucked up here. It's so fucking bad it's not funny." Tavin said, his voiced stressed to say the least. "The city, it's bad. I'm leaving here. It's fucking burning. Are you alright there?"
Julia's voice was stifling the panic inside. She turned the living room tv on and watched as what Tavin told her was unfolding. "Tav, we're ok, but we don't know what to do." She said crying, she told him that her father had called. She told him what was happening in Maverick.
"Do not go near a hospital. Your dad is right. If you go in, you're not coming out. Do not go to any area for people who may be sick set up by any government agency. Whether it's for medical or food supplies. It's over run with people and infection." He paused. "Are you hearing me, Julia?"
"Yes."
"Where's Jayson?"
"He's with Chess and Jess. They went to tell her mom. He's coming back."
"Tell him to call me as soon as he comes back there."
"Where are you? What are you doing? You said you were leaving."
"I am. I'm going to get Callie."
Jess didn't get a chance to put the key in the lock. In the darkness in the house noise could be heard, muffled by the closed door and windows. There was scratching at the front door.
"Do you have a dog?" Jay asked.
"No." Jess answered as the scratching became louder at the bottom of the door. The three crouched in front of the door, peering into darkness behind a curtained glass panel of the door. Jay pulled his cell out and turned the flashlight app on, shining directly at the glass.
"Mom," Jess called as she saw the curtain moving slightly, the door knob was jostled but not turning. "Mom!"
The flashlight beamed on a pale face, eyes grayed over and heavily blood shot. She had blood on her chin, in her mouth. The curtain moved aside and Louann started banging her head on the glass panel. Her face appeared a light grayish-green and the blood dripped in small clots from her mouth.
"Don't open that door, Jess." Chess yelled, swatting the key from her hand. Her key chain scraped across the porch cement, rattling. Jess left out a scream that could wake the neighborhood, but Chess covered her mouth.
"Shh, stop yelling." Jay urged as he turned off the flashlight.
Jess fought Chess, trying to pull away from him. "No, no, no!" Jess mumbled from beneath Chess's hand. She struggled with Chess and separated, going for her keys. "She needs to go to a hospital." Jess cried, fumbling the keys in her hand as she looked for the one to the door.
"You will not open that door, Jesslyn." Jay whispered frantically.
Chess snatched the keys and hurled them into the night over her shoulder, which pissed her off. She slapped at him, but he caught her and grabbed the small girl around her shoulders, holding her arms down as he dragged her off the porch and toward his house. Once at home he urged her to calm down, he pushed through the front door and dropped her in a heap on the floor inside the door. She curled up, drawing her legs to her chest and sobbed as Chess tried to comfort her.
Jay looked for Julia who was in the kitchen with Andy standing by the closed basement door. Andy was crying similar to Jess, leaning on the counter top in the kitchen, his face in his hands.
"Jayson, we have problems."
"The kids alright?"
"They're sleeping."
"What's wrong now?"
"It's Ray. Andy went to the basement, but he couldn't get near the bottom of the stairs. They tried to attack him. They're bleeding. They've been vomiting blood. They're in pain. They're moaning."
"Did they touch you?" Jay asked Andy. He shook his head, but couldn't reply. He was too distraught. Thoughts of his mom like that and Cal and those people at the hospital that were 'contained'. Julia opened the basement door and flipped on the light switch. There were at least 5 people at the bottom of the steps, bloodied and moaning. But they winced when the light shined in their blood shot eyes. They stood still there. Jay knew the boys from school, the ones with Ray.
"Close the door." Jay muttered. "Why aren't they coming up the steps?"
"I don't know, Jay. I think they're still alive."
"But Jess's mom tried to get through the fucking door at us. She looked just like that."
"And your brother called. You need to call him."
"Fuck that shit, we need to get the hell out of here before they come upstairs."
"Chess needs to know." Julia whispered.
"Chess, come here." Jay called. "Go wake up the kids. You got their stuff ready right? And mine?"
"Yeah. I did." Julia answered, heading out of the kitchen, passing Chess.
Jay opened the basement door for Chess. His twin stared back at him through red eyes. A bloody hand reached for him. Chess slammed the door shut. He stood silent and still as the boys at the bottom of the stairs. He moved, shoving Andy away from the counter, then vomited in the sink.
Julia brought the kids downstairs dressed with their winter coats in her hands. Tatia had her blankie in hand and Julia also had Tatia's backpack stuffed full of extra things she'd thought of taking along with her. She set it near the door with the other bags. Half the people were emotionally devastated and numb, which unsettled the kids. Julia made them sandwiches to eat before they decided what they were doing. She turned off the news and turned on cartoons to distract them as they ate. She pulled Jess into the kitchen from her spot by the door.
"We need to get our shit together." Julia announced. "We have to stop being emotional, we need to focus and think."
"That's not your fucking brother, Julia. Or your mom." Chess said, trembling.
"My dad's out there too remember. This isn't helping us." Julia spat at them. "We need to get out of here. We need to focus, like I said. When we're safe, we can fucking cry."
"Where will we go?" Jess said, her voice barely audible. "Where is safe?"
"For right now, we're going home. Stick to the plan."
"That fucking Prius is pretty full, Julia."
"Ok, not now. We'll deal with it later. Right now we need to stick to the plan."
"Andy, call Rey and find out what's up with him and Luz. Make sure he didn't walk into what you walked into. Warn them not to come outside, it's not safe. And keep his phone charged. We'll let him know if and when we're leaving again." He turned to Chess. "You, go pack a bag." He turned to Jess. "You go sit with the kids and keep them in the dark."
He took Julia's hand and head outside. He took her into the garage. Uncle John's SUV was gone, he was still on the road and hopefully safe. He handed Julia some boards and he grabbed his uncles nail gun before going back to the kitchen. Jay started nailing the door shut that led to the basement. With Tatia's crayon he wrote on the basement door to keep out.
Andy looked at Jay and Julia. His face for a moment read relief as he told them Rey and Luz were safe and in the apartment. They had the news on. They told them to be safe.
"We need to leave now."
Everyone jammed into the Prius. Jay ordered. Before Jay left, he went through the house again. He left a note stuck to Sandy's pillow for his uncle who needed to know that they were going home. He signed it with his and Chess's initials.
They drove the alley behind Green Street. Jay's only speed was slow because he was scared he'd wreck the car if he went fast. Jay and Chess scanned the houses and picked the one that they thought would be easiest to break into. He backed the Prius into the short drive in the alleyway four doors down from the leveled pad of earth that had once been home to Caleb Downing. He and Chess broke into the kitchen door. Jess led the kids inside and upstairs to one of the bedrooms with their special bag that Julia had packed for them with activities and books and games. A battery run lamp went with them. Whatever she thought would occupy them and fit into the bag in their room went inside it. Alex had a million questions about their 'adventure'. They unloaded the car into the kitchen and Andy was in charge of moving everything upstairs. Jay ordered them all to turn off their cell phones to conserved their battery power. Julia left hers on vibrate in case Cal called.
Jay and Chess left them all in the house and left in the Prius.
"Where are you going?" Julia asked as she started helping Andy move their belongings upstairs.
"Food, water and heat." Jay answered. "Do not leave this house. Get upstairs and stay there, Julia. Till we get back."
Jay parked the prius behind Mr G's store. He opened the rear door with the key he had still on his ring and he and Chess went inside. He doubted that Mr G would be opening the store today or any other day for a while. He and Chess started emptying out the store, as much as they could into the small car. Water, canned goods, food, disposable cups and silverware, baby wipes and cleaning supplies. They used the empty boxes behind the counter to store all the stuff they could take. They kept quiet and moved quickly, avoiding the windows and front door. Jay pushed into the office where Mr G watched tv at night before heading home. He'd spent many nights at the store doing inventory and paperwork. Jay and Chess carried out the heater and placed it in the rear of the car.
"We can get more in there if I walk back."
"No. We stay together. From here on out, we stay together."
"It's down the block, Jay. I can make it there on foot before you do in the car." Chess argued.
The boys went back inside and did one final sweep of the store. They stopped in the aisle they'd overlooked earlier. The one they never needed to go down. "Jesus. Gimme another bag. We have girls with us." Jay muttered. Chess held open the last bag and every feminine product on the shelf was stuffed inside. Chess took the condoms too. "You never know, Jay." He shrugged, the they both returned to the Prius.
"We're gonna need a bigger vehicle, you know." Chess said, squeezing his small frame into the passenger seat with his bag of feminine products in his lap.
"Later. We have to empty this car and there's one more thing I'm going to need to do. Cause I think we're fucked, Chess. We're royally fucked."
Jay left the prius in the drive as the Andy and Julia unloaded the car. He and Chess went to the wood at the bottom of Green Street. Chess asked what they were doing as Jay wandered in the dawn. He had to find the tree and get back, he thought. Every minute he spent away from the group he worried. They were defenseless. They all were really. Jay started digging by the evergreen. Chess got on his knees and looked at the dirt he'd removed from below the tree. He told Chess to start digging, pointing to the ground.
"For what? What are we doing? What are we looking for?"
"A box, you'll know it when you see it. Hurry. It's getting light and they're alone."
Chess found it first., pulling it out of the ground. The key was taped to the top of the box. Jay grabbed it and they ran back to the house. Chess took it inside and waited for Jay to return from moving the car away from their 'home'.
As the sun was rising, Jay boarded up the kitchen door with the nail gun he'd brought from Chess's garage and some plywood he'd found on his run back to the house.
They all stood in the kitchen where a bit of natural light peeked in through the gaps in the plywood. Jay was running on empty. Julia was just as drained.
"You two got some sleep." Julia said, stretching her body.
"We got a couple hours, yeah." Chess nodded, pulling himself onto the counter. Jess stood in front of him with her head on his chest. She'd started to cry again. This time quietly and softly.
"We didn't." She said, taking hold of Jay's hand. We need to lay down. We've been up for 24 hours. Andy's already out."
"Go ahead." Chess agreed.
"There's way too much that we need to do and we-"
"Jay, not now. We can't function if we aren't rested."
The four of them went upstairs. The master bedroom had the sleeping kids and Andy in there. Under every blanket in the car. All the supplies and belongings were scattered around the room still packed.
"It's a god damn mess, babe."
"I'll deal with it after we sleep. You need to rest, Jay." She urged him. "Chess if there's a problem or when the kids wake up. Come get us."
Julia snagged a pillow and a throw blanket and they went in the middle bedroom. The space heater was sitting in the hall way, but Jay noticed it hadn't been turned on. He turned the dial on low and looked at his cousin, at his crying girlfriend, at his own girlfriend.
"Stay inside and out of sight, please."
Jay and Julia went into the middle bedroom. Remnants of past dwellers still existed. There was usable furniture if they needed it. Julia had a million thoughts running through her mind and all of them met with exhaustion.
She and Jay curled up close together and before they could even get comfy, they fell asleep.
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