windows from the
condensation. The place was humid from the pools and smelled like sweat mixed
with seaweed and fish.
Shiro spoke to the others in Japanese,
explaining with hand motions what had unfolded in the bay and what he had
learned about their visitor. The other members never took their eyes off of
Shane.
“Forgive us—it has been a long time since
we’ve seen another person. Three months perhaps. We don’t get out much during
the day,” said Nora. She put her hands up to her lips and smiled. “And quite a
while since I’ve spoken so much English.”
“My name is Shane Colter. I’m out of Fort
Lewis, Washington.” He extended his hand and shook hers then did the same with
the others, who hesitantly responded.
Shane gazed around at the rest of the motley
bunch, noticing their pale skin from the lack of sunlight. Then he studied the
layout of the room, noticing the welded plates over the remaining exit doors,
the boarded-up windows, and the spring-fed pool. In the far corner were stacks
of canned goods and dried fish beside a propane stove and a makeshift kitchen.
“Looks like you’ve done well holing up
here.”
They all glanced at each other while Nora
translated.
“By the time we made it here, we had lost
seven of our people,” said Shiro.
“How many are at Fort Lewis?” said Nora.
Shane rubbed his chin. “Mmm—somewhere
around six hundred and forty with new groups of survivors arriving every week
or so. Then we have several outposts scattered around the state and a platoon
of troops at the dam which provides us with our electricity.”
Nora’s eyebrows arched up and her mouth
hung open. “Then the radio reports are true—there are areas that escaped the
virus.”
“Not escaped,” said Shane as a montage of
battle scenes and grisly images cycled through his mind from the past year. He
looked into the gaunt faces of those around him and realized just how desperate
their daily struggle to survive must have been. “We seem to have been blessed
with greater numbers and firepower than other places though.”
“Six hundred and forty people,” exclaimed
Nora. “I can’t imagine being around so many folks.”
Shiro motioned for him to follow as he led
them towards the kitchen area. The Yakuza handed Shane a bottle of water and
some dried wedges of mackerel while the rest of the group sat down on tatami
mats near the wall.
Shane raised the water up to his lips and
then paused. “No offense, but you’re mighty friendly towards a guy who was just
holding a gun to your friend’s head.”
“The mountain spirits directed you here. I
trust in their wisdom,” said Shiro.
Shane tilted his head in confusion and
then studied the enigma of a man before swigging down some water. “As much as
I’d like to stay in your spa, I need to get to the hospital. My people are
headed there now and we only have,” he paused, glancing down at his watch, “ten
hours to get what we came for and make it back to Osaka Bay.”
“Then where?” said Nora. “It sounds like
your plane is gone and the nearest islands are over four days from here.”
Shane sighed and looked at the inquiring
faces around him, save Shiro. It seemed like there was little point in
maintaining further operational security and he needed the help of these people
if their mission was going to succeed. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking
forward to the moment when he was reunited with Carlie and his friends,
agonizing over their fate in the tunnels. “One of our last remaining submarines
will be arriving in the bay this evening to pick up me, my team, and a device from
the hospital.”
“What could be so important that you would
fly all the way here from the U.S.?” said Yoshi.
Shane rolled up his left shirt sleeve,
revealing a quarter-sized red welt on his shoulder. “It may not look like much
but this is from a vaccination I received yesterday—a vaccination against the
virus.”
The others grew silent as they stared
condensation. The place was humid from the pools and smelled like sweat mixed
with seaweed and fish.
Shiro spoke to the others in Japanese,
explaining with hand motions what had unfolded in the bay and what he had
learned about their visitor. The other members never took their eyes off of
Shane.
“Forgive us—it has been a long time since
we’ve seen another person. Three months perhaps. We don’t get out much during
the day,” said Nora. She put her hands up to her lips and smiled. “And quite a
while since I’ve spoken so much English.”
“My name is Shane Colter. I’m out of Fort
Lewis, Washington.” He extended his hand and shook hers then did the same with
the others, who hesitantly responded.
Shane gazed around at the rest of the motley
bunch, noticing their pale skin from the lack of sunlight. Then he studied the
layout of the room, noticing the welded plates over the remaining exit doors,
the boarded-up windows, and the spring-fed pool. In the far corner were stacks
of canned goods and dried fish beside a propane stove and a makeshift kitchen.
“Looks like you’ve done well holing up
here.”
They all glanced at each other while Nora
translated.
“By the time we made it here, we had lost
seven of our people,” said Shiro.
“How many are at Fort Lewis?” said Nora.
Shane rubbed his chin. “Mmm—somewhere
around six hundred and forty with new groups of survivors arriving every week
or so. Then we have several outposts scattered around the state and a platoon
of troops at the dam which provides us with our electricity.”
Nora’s eyebrows arched up and her mouth
hung open. “Then the radio reports are true—there are areas that escaped the
virus.”
“Not escaped,” said Shane as a montage of
battle scenes and grisly images cycled through his mind from the past year. He
looked into the gaunt faces of those around him and realized just how desperate
their daily struggle to survive must have been. “We seem to have been blessed
with greater numbers and firepower than other places though.”
“Six hundred and forty people,” exclaimed
Nora. “I can’t imagine being around so many folks.”
Shiro motioned for him to follow as he led
them towards the kitchen area. The Yakuza handed Shane a bottle of water and
some dried wedges of mackerel while the rest of the group sat down on tatami
mats near the wall.
Shane raised the water up to his lips and
then paused. “No offense, but you’re mighty friendly towards a guy who was just
holding a gun to your friend’s head.”
“The mountain spirits directed you here. I
trust in their wisdom,” said Shiro.
Shane tilted his head in confusion and
then studied the enigma of a man before swigging down some water. “As much as
I’d like to stay in your spa, I need to get to the hospital. My people are
headed there now and we only have,” he paused, glancing down at his watch, “ten
hours to get what we came for and make it back to Osaka Bay.”
“Then where?” said Nora. “It sounds like
your plane is gone and the nearest islands are over four days from here.”
Shane sighed and looked at the inquiring
faces around him, save Shiro. It seemed like there was little point in
maintaining further operational security and he needed the help of these people
if their mission was going to succeed. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking
forward to the moment when he was reunited with Carlie and his friends,
agonizing over their fate in the tunnels. “One of our last remaining submarines
will be arriving in the bay this evening to pick up me, my team, and a device from
the hospital.”
“What could be so important that you would
fly all the way here from the U.S.?” said Yoshi.
Shane rolled up his left shirt sleeve,
revealing a quarter-sized red welt on his shoulder. “It may not look like much
but this is from a vaccination I received yesterday—a vaccination against the
virus.”
The others grew silent as they stared
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