LZR-1143 (Book 4): Desolation by Bryan James

and unfulfilling.  
    The sun was still weak through the vent in the ceiling when I woke, and I ate a small meal quietly, staring aimlessly at the wall. I glanced at the others, seeing the rise and fall of chests in a deep sleep.   The events of the day before were still shaking my confidence, and after the last few months, I didn’t need to dwell on the things that could keep us away from our goal. Like the potential for a destroyed Vancouver, or the lack of roads or other semblances of normalcy as we moved north.
    No, I needed to look ahead. And I needed to somehow convince myself that what we were doing—our mission and our goal—were realistic.  
    Kate was the first to stir, and she awakened to my zoned-out stare. She smiled uneasily.  
    “Whatcha doin’?” she asked warily, rubbing her eyes and checking her watch.
    “Just waiting for you guys to wake up,” I said in a quiet voice, grunting as I pushed myself into a standing position. “I’ve been up for a while. Can’t sleep.”
    She untangled herself from the pile of bodies and Romeo whimpered once as she pushed his paw off her chest and stood.  
    “He’s getting a little full of himself,” she said, glancing at the dog who had now draped himself over Ky.
    “Entitlement complex. We should make him run behind the truck for a few miles,” I joked, giving her a hug and taking in the remarkable smell of her hair. Despite the apocalypse, it was still amazing.
    “He’d probably like that,” she whispered.  
    “Sleep okay?” I asked.  
    She shrugged and made a face.  
    “Just a recurring dream. Memories, more like. Of Liz and … of before.” She yawned widely and I nodded. My face must have betrayed my discomfort and she furrowed her brow.  
    “How about you?”
    I shrugged and kissed her lightly on the cheek, knowing that my fitful sleep was no match for her memories of her daughter.
    “Get something to eat,” I stepped back. “I’ll check the street again before she wakes up. I think we need to get moving. That herd made me nervous for some reason. And I don’t know what to make of that body we found. I would feel better if this whole area were behind us.”
    The soft rolling peal of what sounded like thunder—but which we knew was the belching volcano to the south—made a strong point in my favor.
    “Agreed. What do you think it is? People moved out early? Headed to the city? Maybe that body was just a fight. Or maybe he killed himself.”
    I shook my head, still whispering softly as Ky stirred.
    “No, he was holding a .357 and the bullet holes were too small. Someone killed him. Maybe it was just an argument, but until the tidal wave and earthquake, we hadn’t seen many humans or zombies—that means either that we’ve been in the right place at the right time consistently—“
    “—Which of course isn’t our style.”
    “—Or something else is going on. Either way, I think we should keep moving.”
    She nodded again, face serious. Her gaze drifted to the doorway and she rubbed her eyes again, this time not in weariness, but in emotion.
    “Mike, is this … Are we wasting our time? Is it possible that she’s alive? With the virus, and now the earthquake and tsunami, and …It seems impossible. I just can’t shake this feeling that …”  
    “We’re alive, aren’t we?” I asked softly, interrupting the stream of consciousness.
    “Yes, but that’s different.”  
    I shook my head emphatically.  
    “No. No, it’s no different at all. In the beginning, when we met each other in that hallway, we were facing some tall odds. We had no weapons, no clue, and no destination. We were flailing helplessly, but somehow we made it. A crazy person, a kid,” I paused with a smile, “and me.”  
    The tears escaped her eyes as she shook her head and wiped her cheeks, all while laughing despite herself.
    “I know, but she’s just a little girl. She’s …” Her voice caught again in her throat. “She turned eleven