Yesterday's Gone: Season One

either not noticing or trying to hide the spasms.
    Brent’s heart pounded hard as he glanced around at the gunmen, each of their rifles aimed at him and Luis. If something went down, they couldn’t do a thing. No Rambo-like theatrics or last stands in Times Square. They’d be shot down like prisoners in old war footage Brent had seen years ago.  
    “Okay, you’re next,” the man in charge said, using his rifle to point at Luis, and then to the man with the light.
    Brent swallowed.
    Luis glanced back at Brent. “Keep believing,” he said to Brent.
    “Sir, please step forward.”
    Keep believing? That he’ll be okay? Or is that a goodbye message, to keep believing I’ll find my family?
    This was all happening too fast. Brent glanced at Jane and Emily, standing helpless, rifles aimed at them, the girl crying and clutching her mother, who could do nothing to truly protect her against men with guns.
    Luis stepped toward the man in the light, but before he got there, he stopped, turned to the man in charge, and said, “I’ve been bitten.”
    Brent felt his stomach drop.
    The soldiers all aimed their rifles at Luis in unison. The man in charge yelled into a radio in his mask, “We’ve got an infected!”
    On the ferry, Brent saw four more men with guns appear, forming a barrier to prevent anyone from rushing onto the boat.
    “When were you bitten?” the man with the light asked, keeping his distance from Luis.
    “Yesterday, mid-morning.”
    “Jesus!” one of the soldiers said.
    “Code red!” the man in charge yelled, panic in his eyes, and two soldiers rushed at Luis, rifles aimed, then shot him. Once in the head, a second shot ripped through his chest. Luis fell to the ground before anyone had a chance to protest. Another man in black came from the boat holding a large device which Brent didn’t recognize until it shot flames which engulfed Luis’s body.
    Brent stared in horror, helpless, stunned, tears flooding his eyes, mouth agape.  
    Jane and Emily screamed, as the gunmen turned to Brent. He barely saw them, eyes transfixed on the fire.
    “Have you been bitten?” the man in charge asked, snapping Brent’s attention back to the threat before him.
    “No,” Brent shook his head, taking a deep breath. “I swear.”
    “Move forward.”
    Brent moved to the man with the light. As the man ran the light over Brent’s feet, Brent stared at the burning man that had been his friend. And who had saved his life.
    I’m so sorry.
    A creeping fear burrowed into Brent’s brain.  
    What if I somehow got infected by Luis? They’ll just shoot me dead right here. No questions asked.  
    And I’ll never see Ben or Gina again.
    And that’s when he remembered the truck in his pants pocket, which was now gone with the clothes, sealed up in a bag, destined for God knows where.
    Stanley Train!  
    Tears now flowed down his face as his last physical tether to his child and the world before had been severed.
    The light moved up, now at his knees. Brent held his breath, dreading the red lights or buzzing sound. The light was now at his waist, and the device made a noise that sounded like interference. Emily cried out. Brent closed his eyes.
    Please, God, don’t let me die here. Please, I beg you. I just want to see my family again.
    The interference grew louder and Brent swallowed, certain he was drawing his final breath as he stared at the fire that might soon take him.
    The man lowered the light, then went back over the spot. No noise. He finished the sweep, then told Brent to join the others.
    Brent released a sigh of relief as he walked to Jane and Emily and was given a blanket.
    “We’re going to Black Island Research Facility,” the man in charge said. “You will not bring any belongings with you. You will be checked once every eight hours for infection for the next three days. If you show positive, you will be shot and incinerated. We cannot allow any infection at the facility, is that understood?”
    Brent and Jane said yes. Emily continued crying.
    “Let’s get out of here,” the man said.
    As they moved forward, Brent looked back one last time at the burning corpse.
    You were right, buddy.

      * * * *

JIM MARTIN

    Jim was surprised to find himself missing television. Not that he’d regularly watched much TV to begin with. Though the blue light beamed from thin black boxes in nearly every room in his old house, he’d never held much of an interest, even as a kid.
    Sure, he loved the best