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Georgia In My MInd	By : TheByronicMan Category: M through R > Newsflesh (trilogy) > Newsflesh (trilogy) Views: 2033 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Newsflesh Trilogy or any of the related works published by its creator. I do not make any money from this story.

Chapter List
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Painful Memories
Shaun and I woke up early. We got dressed and went into the kitchen, where the setting moon shined in through the rear windows. I suppressed a shudder, those windows were unnaturally large compared to modern buildings. Three zombies could have climbed in through one of them at the same time. Still, they let in sufficient moonlight that we didn't turn on any lamps. While I didn't need dim lighting anymore, the gloom was still comforting, a pleasant reminder of my previous life. After I escaped from the lab, being able to control my own lighting had seemed like the height of luxury. My brother started a pot of coffee while I grabbed a can of Coke and went into the living room to boot up our laptops. Bobbie had told us that her network's secure access to the net bounced through enough countries and proxy servers that it would take even the best hacker half an hour just to localize us to North America. She didn't warn us not to post anything revealing, for which I silently thanked her. The day before I felt that we had come across as poor lost baby birds in need of protection, and I hated it. Being trusted to understand operational security on our own made me feel better. Shaun joined me with a steaming mug, and after a few minutes he wordlessly turned his computer so that I could see the screen. It was an email to one of his anonymous accounts.

From: FightingCephalopods @ redacted.cn.com
To: Ash4127 @ dontevenask.org
Subject: Taking a trip?
Kid, I always wondered how you could have a psychosis that was smarter than you were. Now I know. A little birdie told me about your problem. Using my vast knowledge of the field of biomedical research and my cunning analysis of the psychology of yourself and your sister, I predict you will soon be making a trip to Texas. When you get to Texas Biomed, look up a Dr. Andrew Carrion. He owes me some favors, so tell him I gave you permission to redeem one of them. If he seems hesitant, mention Hawaii. Don't make any jokes about his name, he's heard them all. On the exceedingly rare chance that Dr. Kimberly has come up with a better idea, disregard this.
I wish we had a mind recording of Alexander Kellis. The documentation on Alpha-RC007 isn't quite as complete as that for Marburg-Amberlee. I'd love to be able to load him into one of my assistants and pick his brain to cover the gaps. Oddly enough, when I broached the idea at a staff meeting, no one volunteered.
Good luck. Your live sister was mouthy enough, it must really suck getting it in stereo.
Dr. Shannon L. Abbey

“You know, she's right. There were some clues.” He tapped the side of his skull, “She constantly had to explain things to me, and even knew that Becks was coming on to me long before I noticed.”
“I'm more worried that Dr. Abbey figured out where we're going. That means others could too.”
“They'd have to know what my 'problem' is. And they'd have to know that we know.”
“Right. Let me ask Dr. Kimberly how widely she's distributed that little factoid.”
I logged onto one of my own anon accounts and dashed off a not entirely polite question. We used the rest of our half hour checking out various news sites, browsing as guests even where we had paid subscriptions. We had just shut down our computers and leaned back to sip our preferred methods of caffeine delivery when the door to the other bedroom opened and the light in the kitchenette came on. I looked up to see Anna walking towards the counter, naked. She stopped when she saw the coffee already brewed, and turned to look around the room, spotting us on the couch.
“Oh! Good morning.”
“Good morning,” I replied. Shaun said nothing. I turned to look at him. He was plainly staring, mouth hanging open. I was surprised he wasn't drooling. The expression on his face was too funny for me to get angry. I looked back at Anna, careful to keep my eyes on her face. 'Hypno-boobs' was an apt term.
Anna briefly looked down at herself. “Sorry, didn't expect you to be up this soon. I tend to get a little casual about dressing around Rob and Bobbie, at least when the cameras are off.”
I laughed. “Don't worry about it.” Shaun remained mute. I elbowed him in the side, but he didn't react.
Anna poured a cup of coffee and set a tea kettle on the stove before hurrying back to the bedroom. A minute later our three traveling companions came back out, fully dressed. I was a little disappointed, as I wouldn't have minded comparing and contrasting Shaun and Rob. Purely for academic purposes, of course. This time Anna got busy in the kitchen while Rob and Bobbie sat drinking hot tea and coffee. Anna quickly got some crumbled turkey sausage and a couple of cans of sliced potatoes browning on the stove. I knew we had gotten some fresh potatoes the day before, but figured she was just saving some time. While that was cooking, she sliced and sauteed some mushrooms, then got out the leftover veggies from the night before. Seeing that she had her hands full, Bobbie started making toast.
Anna got a carton of eggs and three bags of shredded cheese out of the fridge, then handed each of us a small bowl. “It's omelets this morning. Put the fillings you want in your bowl.”
I went with Swiss, peppers, onions, and tomato. Shaun opted for sausage and all three cheeses. Anna deftly cracked the eggs and soon had our food ready. Jelly for the toast came from a Mason jar. I almost didn't get any, having been the butt of too many cruel jokes referencing my last name and home canning while I was in high school. I idly turned the jar to look at the label, which announced that it was made from prickly pear cactus fruit and produced near some town in Texas called Marathon.
Bobbie saw me looking. “Rob did a story years ago about families holding out on old homesteads in west Texas. Some of them supplement their incomes by selling preserves and honey. He makes sure to go out there at least once a year to pick up a few cases.”
The food was wonderful, and I was glad I had chosen to use the jelly after all. While we ate, Rob regaled us with stories of the hazards of collecting cactus fruit in the west Texas desert. If we were going to be eating like this the whole trip, I needed to get more exercise. Once the meal was done, I helped Rob with the dishes while the others went to pack.
“So, can all of you cook that well?”
“Pretty much. Anna paid her way through college as a short-order cook. She normally does breakfast. Bobbie was on her own at sixteen, barely scraping by while she built up her video editing business. She had to teach herself to cook or starve. As for me, I always wanted to help out in the kitchen growing up. If I hadn't wanted so badly to be a journalist, I might have become a chef.”
“Bobbie is lucky to have you, then.”
He chuckled. “She complains that I like to experiment too much. You haven't tried some of the failures. I only inflict those on family.”
“Do you think you could teach Shaun?”
“Sure, if he asks.”
Damn. I was pretty sure Shaun wouldn't ask. Maybe I could get some covert instruction from Bobbie and surprise him some day. A few minutes later we were ready to leave. Checking out was just a matter of handing in the keys, so we were soon back on the road. Bobbie asked me to take the first shift, so with some trepidation I slid behind the wheel. The Dilemma pulled out and I followed a reasonable distance behind. From the driver seat I could see a second shift knob that I hadn't noticed before.
“I didn't think they ever made hearses with four wheel drive.”
“Yeah, I had it modified so I could follow Rob almost anywhere. Four wheel drive, larger tires for a few inches of extra ground clearance, steel plates protecting the undercarriage, and a diesel engine so in a pinch we can siphon fuel from the LAV. Rob's sister Jenny has a semi-retired auto mechanic working for her who was glad to work on something other than sports cars for a change.”
I turned my full attention back to my driving. At least this hearse handled better than our van. The springs were stiffer, transmitting every bump in the road, but the seat was so comfortable I barely noticed. I guess Cadillac believed in building luxurious appointments into working vehicles as well as passenger cars.
I didn't realize I'd spoken that last thought aloud until Bobbie answered me. “Hah! If you were riding in the Dilemma you wouldn't think that. It was built by a division of Cadillac too.”
Just as she mentioned it, the Dilemma crested a small hill in front of us and stopped. I braked to a halt behind it and to one side so that we could see what the problem was. About a quarter mile ahead was a small herd of buffalo, maybe ten to twelve animals. Even at this distance I could see the blood matted in their fur, a sign that they were probably infected. The Dilemma started into motion again, turning off the road as though to go around the herd. I started to shift into drive when Bobbie laid a hand on my arm.
“Hold on. I know how Rob thinks, he's going to lead them off the road and put them down.”
I watched as Anna popped up through a roof hatch, shouting something I couldn't make out and waving her arms. That got the attention of the animals, and they started following in that odd half-trot half-shamble common to large infected quadrupeds. Rob stopped a few hundred yards off the road and Anna climbed out onto the roof carrying an old wood-stocked military rifle. Shaun followed her with the hunting rifle he insisted on bringing along even though he rarely used it. Rob stood up through a hatch over the driver seat holding a lever-action rifle of some sort. All three opened fire and the buffalo started dropping to the ground. Within ten seconds they were all down. While Anna and Shaun kept watch for more, Rob reached down through the hatch and brought out a CB mic. Bobbie hit a switch on the Meatwagon's radio and Rob's voice came over the speakers.
“M-town Lodge, M-Town Lodge, this is the Dilemma, come back.”
About fifteen seconds later there was an answer. “This is M-Town Lodge, I copy. Returning so soon?”
“That's a negatory. Advise you've got a dozen twice-baked buffalo about fifteen miles south of your 20.”
“They aren't in the road, are they?”
“Decoyed them off into a field first.”
“Got it. Thanks for the service, discount on your next visit. We'll handle disposal. M-Town Lodge out.”
“Dilemma out.”
Rob put the mic away and sat down. Anna and Shaun climbed back inside. I turned to Bobbie.
“Twice-baked?”
“Trucker lingo for infected that have been put down. Half-baked means they're still shambling around.”
“Ah.”
“Your brother is a good shot. Remington Model 700?”
“I think so.”
“Don't think I've ever seen him use it any of his reports.”
“He prefers his crossbow, says it fits his image better. But Mom gave him the rifle and insisted he learn to shoot it. He takes it out to the range often enough to keep in practice. I'm glad it finally came in handy.”
Rob drove around the carcasses and got back up on the road. I followed, keeping pace a little farther behind him than before in case of another abrupt stop. We turned off onto a smaller, even less traveled road. A profusion of weeds grew up through cracks in the pavement, sometimes so thick it was hard to tell there was a road at all. After about another hour, we arrived at what must have been Interstate 80. There was no access to the highway from where we were, but the road we were on continued under the Interstate. At this point the fence bordering 80 went up the embankment to the highway's shoulder, leaving our path unobstructed. I wasn't sure why they went to the extra trouble when it would have been easier to build the fence in a straight line. I was pondering how high the corruption would have to go to justify the extra expense of leaving a smuggling route open when the reason became clear. Ahead of me, Rob was passing under the eastbound lanes when a herd of deer bolted away from the Dilemma, white tails flashing as they disappeared into the brush. That explained it, the underpass was left open for the animals. We didn't have enough large animals left in our part of California to need it, and Canada doesn't bother fencing even the major highways in rural areas.
Once we were out of sight of I-80, Bobbie called Rob. “Hey, time for a bathroom break.”
“No problem,” Rob replied as he pulled the Dilemma to a stop.
I stopped behind him. I wasn't looking forward to squatting behind a bush out here, but I really needed to go. I was surprised to learn the Rob had a toilet in his LAV, an expensive model that incinerates the waste. Then I remembered that his reservoir condition was in one of his kidneys, making such facilities mandatory under public health laws. Since it wasn't private if there was anyone else in the vehicle, we all got out to go one at a time. It was good to get out and walk around a bit. I took the opportunity for a quick private chat with Anna.
“Look, I'm sorry for my brother's behavior this morning. He's not normally like that.”
“I know the effect I have on some men. I'm used to it. And he already apologized. The important thing is that when the guns came out, he trusted me to handle my part of the action. Few of my old colleagues at the DEA ever gave me that kind of consideration.”
“I've seen that tendency among men in law enforcement.”
“To be fair to some of them, because of my education I was an analyst rather than a field agent. I only got tapped to go on raids a few times a year. But yeah, most of them are just plain sexist.”
By then, everyone was done, and we started out again. Bobbie reclaimed the driver seat, and I could see the Dilemma clumsily jerk into motion. I wondered what the problem was until it went around a curve ahead of us and I could see Shaun's head sticking out of the hatch in front. He looked like he was having the time of his life. A few more hours went by, and we passed a sign lying face up on the shoulder that announced we were entering Utah. Shortly after that, a still standing sign of stone and wooden planks marked the boundary of the Ashley National Forest. We soon left even the remnants of paving behind, turning onto a narrow dirt road that was in surprisingly good shape. I soon saw the reason why. There had been a massive forest fire, probably within the past few months. The road must have been graded for the fire crews. We spent over an hour driving through the blackened landscape, with just hints of greenery starting to rise through the ashes. We finally reached the far edge of the burn zone only to be halted by a massive fire-damaged pine that had fallen, blocking the road. I couldn't see any way around it. I wasn't the only one, as Rob emerged from the Dilemma carrying a large chainsaw. Shaun and Anna followed him, and Bobbie and I soon joined them outside.
Rob finished fueling up the saw. “This is going to take awhile. Bobbie, why don't you come up with some lunch? It's about that time.”
Anna spoke up, “George and I will keep watch while you boys go and get sweaty.”
Shaun laughed at that, then he and Rob trudged towards the tree. The lowest branches were right where the tree was lying across the road, and Rob started cutting them away while Shaun dragged them off. With the branches gone it was clear they had a problem. The diameter of the trunk was nearly twice the length of the saw blade. They discussed it for a few minutes, then Shaun took over the chainsaw and began cutting wedges out of the log. When my brother was getting his electric chainsaw modified, he'd spent some time hanging out with the loggers. He must have picked up some useful tips along with that awful song they'd taught him. In fact, I could hear him singing “The Lumberjack Song” while he worked. Not exactly good for his macho image, but since the cameras weren't rolling it didn't matter. Twenty minutes and two saw refuelings later, he had cut through the tree.
They returned just as Bobbie spread a tarp on the ground and set out a stack of sandwiches, a bowl of potato salad, and a plate of sliced cantaloupe. We sat in a circle and passed the meal in idle chatter, each of us keeping an eye on a portion of the landscape around us. Once lunch was finished, Rob pulled the Dilemma off to the side of the road and he and Shaun dragged a cable from a winch mounted on the front. They wrapped it around the trunk right next to the cut, and when Rob turned on the winch the bare trunk of the tree easily pivoted on the root ball. With the road clear, my brother once again sat in the driver seat of the Dilemma and I spelled Bobbie driving the Meatwagon. Eventually we left the forest and returned to driving on something that might once have been a paved road. That respite lasted only a couple of hours, then we were back on dirt roads. However, these showed signs of more recent use. At the next bathroom break, Rob siphoned diesel from the LAV into the gas tank on the hearse, which was just about empty. Anna took over driving the Dilemma, showing more skill than Shaun, and Bobbie once again took the wheel of the Meatwagon. I took the opportunity to power up my laptop and check a map of the area. There were few paved roads in this part of the state, and all of those were still officially in service and therefore monitored by the government.
After checking with Bobbie, I took a quick look at my email. Dr. Kimberly had replied. She assured me that the only one outside of her team that she'd revealed anything to about Shaun was Dr. Abbey. The mad doctor was the only one she felt she could trust that had spent enough time with my brother to have an informed opinion about what was going on inside his head. I forwarded the email to Shaun.
Bobbie and I passed the next few hours talking about cooking, and I learned a lot. Maybe the next meal Shaun and I had back home wouldn't be quite so soul crushing. We were in the middle of talking about the best method of frying chicken when Interstate 70 came into view. Rather than crossing it, we turned to follow a service road running alongside a railroad track that paralleled the highway. About ten minutes later we turned towards the Interstate and arrived at a truck stop. We pulled up to the gas pumps, and the automated system was soon topping off Bobbie's car. It seemed to be having trouble finding the gas tank on the Dilemma, so Rob got out to talk to the attendant. Shaun walked back to where we were, and I rolled down the window so he could lean in.
“Rob says we can't be sure of having a kitchen at the next stop, so we're getting dinner here.”
“Is he sure no one will recognize us?”
“Oh, he has a plan for that.”
Bobbie said, “Oops, I forgot.” She reached behind her back to unsnap her bra, then reached into her sleeve and pulled the bra strap out and down over her elbow. She pulled her arm out, then easily slid the bra out through her other sleeve. Shaun looked impressed, and I made a note to practice that trick sometime when I was alone. Bobbie unbuttoned her blouse and tied it up to make a halter top. While not as awe-inspiring as Anna, she still had sufficient cleavage to pull off that look. She would definitely distract attention from us. When we finished fueling up and pulled around to the trucker side of the building, I could see the other half of the plan. Anna emerged from the Dilemma wearing a pair of hot pink shorts that fit her like a second skin, and a white tank top that was just as tight. The top must have had some kind of built in support, because she obviously wasn't wearing a bra. As we walked up to the truck stop, Shaun couldn't take his eyes off of Anna, even after I elbowed him in the ribs. We arrived at a long row of doors. Rob pulled a card from his wallet and swiped it through the readers on two of them, then told us to go through one of them. He, Anna, and Bobbie took the other. Inside the door was a decon shower.
Once the door was closed, I took my brother by the arm and turned him to face me. “Look, Shaun, I know Anna is hot, but you're embarrassing me.”
He flushed. “It's not that. It's just... Becks wore almost that exact same outfit once, to draw attention away from our faces.”
I suddenly realized that the look on his face wasn't lust, but pain. I hugged him fiercely until he insisted he felt better, then we dropped our clothes into the cleaner and took our turns in the shower. Once we were clean, dressed, and had passed the blood test to exit the shower room, we headed for the truck stop diner. There we found Rob scowling at the cashier as he and Bobbie showed him their left hands. We joined them just as the cashier finished apologizing for something we didn't catch, and he waved for us to go in. Rob led the way through an arch marked 'Truckers Only' and we took a table. A waitress quickly arrived to hand out menus and take our drink orders.
As she left, I asked Rob, “What was that all about?”
“Oh, until Bobbie and I showed him our wedding rings, he thought she and Anna were a couple of lot lizards.” Seeing my look of incomprehension he added, “Prostitutes who work truck stops. On the way out, you might see a little sticker with a circle-slash symbol over a lizard on some of the truck cabs.”
“But only on some of them.”
“To be fair, most of the trucks are owned by large corporations that disapprove of any extra decorations.”
Shaun was looking around at the almost uniformly burly truck drivers, male and female, seated at the tables around us. “Are you sure it's okay to sit here?”
Rob pulled out the card he'd used earlier, and I could see OOIDA emblazoned across the top. “About five years back I did ride-alongs with some independent truckers for a story. After I helped one of them fight off a pack of zombies, I was granted associate memberships in a couple of owner-operator groups. So I get trucker privileges.”
The waitress returned with our drinks and at Rob's suggestion we all opted for the buffet. It was pretty standard truck stop fare, but at least seemed to have all been cooked on-site. Come to think of it, a few days earlier I would have considered it pretty good. I guess the home cooked meals of the past 24 hours had spoiled me.
I looked around at our group. “You know, if we had another man along I think we'd blend in better. We'd look like three couples.”
Bobbie said, “I invited Ice, but he was under a deadline.”
“Another journalist?”
“No, he's a freelance computer security specialist.”
Shaun said, “Maybe I should wait outside. One man with three women ought to fit in just fine here in Utah.”
Rob scowled again. “Those damned 'Mormon' fringe cults are one of the biggest obstacles to legalizing polygamy.”
Shaun held his hands up. “Sorry, just making a bad joke. Though I'd think the churches would have lot to say about it.”
Shaun was so narrowly focused on his own specialty that he was largely ignorant of other newsworthy issues, so I had to correct him. “After legalized gay marriage spread across most of the country, the major churches pretty much pulled their horns in and decided to just concentrate on their own congregations.”
Anna spoke up, “What about those idiots in Kansas?”
I laughed. “You can't take them seriously. Sure, the 'good reverend' gets a lot of press by proclaiming that the Rising is God's wrath upon homosexuals like Dr. Kellis. Then he turns around the next day and says that Kellis deliberately caused the Rising because he's a minion of Satan. If the guy's parents hadn't had so many kids, you'd probably be able to count his congregation on one hand and still have a middle finger left over to wave at them.”
That drew a round of chuckles, including a few from the nearby truckers. We relaxed, sipping our drinks, and enjoyed the luxury of not moving for a while. I virtuously refrained from getting dessert. My abstinence was aided by what had to be the most comfortable restaurant chair in which I had ever planted my posterior. I found myself wondering if truckers in Canada got pampered like that and how I could get in on it.
Rob finally broke the silence. “Anna, what do you think about going through Arches?”
“Should be an easy drive. The Park Service is working on getting it re-opened by next spring, so most of the roads have been graded and some have been repaved.”
“Any chance of getting hassled?”
“It's Saturday so the road crews are home for the weekend. There are only six Rangers in the park, and maybe two on duty right now. A couple of years ago when Yellowstone was closed for the winter I spent a couple of months filling in for one of them, so I'll probably know any Ranger we see. I got along with them fine, so I can talk them into not reporting us.”
“Any infected to watch for?”
“A couple of times a year they have some careless free climber fall off of one of the formations. They're usually so broken up that they aren't very mobile. There are mule deer and bighorn sheep. Arches National Park also has the only known surviving population of red foxes in the world outside of zoos, but they never get above forty pounds.”
“How did they survive?” I asked. The Rising had pretty much spelled the end of mammalian carnivores that eat other mammals. Even in the ones too small to amplify, ingesting meat tainted with live state Kellis-Amberlee usually meant death.
“They haven't figured that out yet. One theory is that like the surviving coyotes, they adapted to a non-mammalian diet. Before the Rising, they were known to eat birds, lizards, insects, fish, and even fruit. Another theory that is gaining traction is that they're immune. All of the dead foxes that have been found and studied have shown signs of reservoir conditions. A few biologists think their ancestors may have been more genetically predisposed for them than the rest of the species.”
“Let me guess, that second theory has been around less than a year?”
“Yep. Ever since a certain couple who shall remain nameless broke the story that such immunity was possible.”
With an exchange of looks around the table, we all wordlessly agreed that we should not continue this line of discussion where we could be overheard. We got up to leave, and the cashier apologized again as Rob paid the bill. I thought about insisting that Shaun and I pay our share, but knew that would only spark another explanation of how much they thought they owed us. As we headed back to the cars, I saw that several of the trucks bore the 'No Lizards' stickers that Rob had mentioned. I wondered if there were lot lizards in Canada, and resolved that if there were I would do an article about them. Hanging around a few truck stops in the evening might get me some video that would draw more hits. Sex sells, after all.
Rob and Bobbie took the driving duties for what I presumed was the last stretch of the day. After less than twenty minutes on the road we entered Arches National Park. Not much to see at first, just more desert. At least it was a change from being hemmed in by trees. After a while, we started seeing some impressive rock formations. Then once we pulled onto a paved road, the impressive sandstone arches that give the park its name began appearing in the distance. I shamelessly played tourist, rolling down the side window to get clear video of the sights. Ahead of us, I noticed Shaun standing up in the roof hatch and looking around. As we approached what must have been the visitor center, a Park Ranger walked out to the roadside and waved for us to pull into the parking lot. As soon as Rob stopped, Anna emerged in her Park Service uniform, minus the hat. She talked with the other Ranger for a while, gave him a hug, and got back in the Dilemma. We were soon back on our way, enjoying the view until we exited the park and got to the main road. To the right, the road was well maintained. To the left, it was barricaded and crumbling. The flat terrain made it easy to get around the barrier.
Luckily, the bridge over the Colorado River was still intact, and we entered the burned out remains of Moab. Most of the damage was decades old, but some fresher scorch marks suggested that there had been a recent zombie sweep through the town. We passed through the center of town and into the outskirts where we stopped at a compound surrounded by a tall, rough sandstone wall. Through the gate I could see a campground. The campground office was a building I recognized. I'd seen identical structures decaying throughout California. They were all part of a nationwide chain of pre-Rising campgrounds, but I hadn't realized any of them were still open. Of course, this one probably wasn't open, not officially anyway. An armed guard met us at the gate with blood test units, and once we all showed green we drove inside. We stopped at the office, and Rob went inside, motioning for us to stay where we were. I raised a quizzical eyebrow at Bobbie.
She grinned. “At Marbleton Lodge the owner insists on eyeballing everyone who stays there. Here, as long as you pass the blood tests, they don't care.”
Rob came back out a few minutes later. “We're in luck, they have a deluxe cabin available. Two bedrooms, A/C, bathroom, and kitchen.”
I was relieved. I hadn't been looking forward to camping out in this heat. For that matter, I wasn't thrilled about camping out at all. We drove to the back of the campground, parking in front of something that looked more like a small cottage than a cabin. After we hauled our luggage inside, Anna suggested we take advantage of the remaining daylight to use the pool. We went to change and met up again in the main room. Bobbie wore a tiny yellow bikini that would have been just barely legal in California and probably violated a few laws in Utah. Anna wore a one-piece suit that would have been as demure and modest as mine if her body hadn't filled it out so spectacularly. Shaun and Rob both wore baggy trunks, mostly fulfilling my earlier wish to compare them. From the neck down they could almost have passed for twins, though Rob had a few more scars, including an old but nasty-looking bite mark on one shin. Only his face showed that he was around five years older than Shaun.
Grabbing our towels and handguns, we walked back to the office and the adjoining pool. Swimming had consistently remained one of the most popular sports for nearly three decades. Many people found comfort in being continually bathed in nice, disinfecting chlorine. Plus, zombies don't swim very well. Just walking in waist-deep water is a problem for them, and they still need to breathe. So even if someone has a heart attack and dies while swimming, they'll probably drown before they can attack anyone. We had the pool to ourselves and had a lot of fun splashing around until Shaun challenged Rob to a race. The rest of us got out to watch, enjoying the slight chill of the breeze across our wet skin. Still, I was feeling a little exposed so I wrapped a towel sarong-style around my waist.
As the guys swam their first lap, Anna quietly said, “Um, George? Shaun has been arguing with himself all day. And it sounded like he was losing. Is that normal?”
“Normal, no. Usual, yes. What was he arguing about?”
“Best as I could tell, it had something to do with my accidental exhibitionism this morning.”
“Ah, that explains it.” Both Bobbie and Anna turned to look at me, unvoiced questions dancing in their eyes. I sighed. “I guess it's time to give you the whole story, or at least the Reader's Digest version. After Shaun had to shoot me in the back of the neck, he started hearing my voice in his head. Later on, he even started seeing me. When he finally found me again, he didn't understand that I was real until he realized that Becks and Mahir could see me too.”
Bobbie asked, “Did he seek treatment?”
“Yes, and that was a mistake. You see, after he'd been seeing a therapist for a while, it wasn't an hallucination anymore. The same technique that was used to put my mind in this body was also used to put a copy of me into Shaun's brain. The therapist was an agent of the conspiracy within the CDC, and they had some half-assed plan to drive Shaun crazy. Crazier.”
“That's a little hard to believe.”
“If I hadn't heard it from a source I trusted, I wouldn't believe it either. Worse, the other me is a jealous bitch.” I looked at Anna. “The way Shaun keeps following you with his eyes is probably driving her up the wall. Sometimes when he is asleep, she can get enough control of his body to try to kill me. That's why we need to get to San Antonio. The Texas Biomedical Research Institute has the only remaining people we might be able to trust that have the facilities and expertise to help.” It occurred to me that I had obliquely revealed more about my relationship with Shaun than I had ever shown to almost anyone. Among the living, only Mahir knew as much. I supposed I was starting to really trust them.
Bobbie and Anna both took my hands. Bobbie said, “Whatever help you need, you've got it.”
Anna asked, “You want us to fill in Rob for you?”
I nodded. I didn't like having both of my hands held, but I heartily appreciated the gesture and the intended comfort. I endured it for almost a minute before trying to pull loose, and they let me. About then the race in the pool was on the tenth and final lap. As they neared the end, Shaun was a body length ahead until Rob grabbed him by the ankle and pulled him back. Rob reached the edge about half a second ahead of my brother.
Shaun came up sputtering. “Dude! No fair!”
“Age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm.”
“Not true, we proved the supremacy of youth last year.”
“As I understand it, you had some age and treachery behind the scenes on your side.”
“Okay, point. But it's still not fair. I appeal to the judges. Ladies?” Shaun turned towards us and we unanimously voted him the winner.
Rob pretended to scowl. “Hey, two of you are supposed to be on my side.”
“Sorry!” Anna and Bobbie chorused.
“Anyway, you had an unfair advantage. Every time I turned my head to take a breath, I got distracted looking at your sister.”
I had to laugh at that. “Really? With these two sitting here you were dazzled by my beauty?”
“What can I say, you look so right in a sarong.”
There was dead silence for about ten heartbeats. Then the rest of us let out a collective groan that should have rattled windows for miles around.
Shaun was the first to recover his composure. “Okay, Rob wins the pun fight on the first shot.”
The three of us jumped back into the pool with the guys. As the sun set, Rob, Bobbie, and Anna moved into one corner for a three-way make-out session. With a mental shrug and a silent “Why the hell not?” I swam over to Shaun and we followed their example, much to my brother's surprise and pleasure. After about fifteen minutes of that, we returned to the cabin. Shaun claimed the first shower as his prize for winning the race. When he was done he grabbed a cup of coffee while Rob went next.
When Shaun sat down on the couch, Bobbie leaned forward and looked first me and then my brother in the eyes. “If you two would like to join us for a while tonight, you would be welcome. Or if you don't want to make it a group thing, we're open to any combination you'd like to suggest.”
Shaun nervously looked towards the bathroom door. “Any combination?”
“Sure, if you swing that way. Rob does, and you're pretty much his type.”
Shaun and I looked at each other. I could see what he was thinking, and I agreed completely. I turned back to Bobbie. “Um, well....”
Bobbie settled back in her chair. “I didn't think so, but we had to make the offer. And not because we feel that we 'owe' it to you. If you change your minds, let us know. Otherwise, don't worry about it. We won't pressure you.”
Rob rejoined the group, and the rest of us took our turns in the shower. We sat around talking for about an hour, then went to bed. I was forced to admit to myself that the fantasy of watching Shaun with any of the three people in the other room got my motor revving, even though in reality he was mine and mine alone. My brother seemed a little out of sorts, but he soon responded as I licked his chest and played with his cock. When he was fully hard, I got up on my hands and knees, facing away from him. He slid into me with agonizing slowness until finally I felt his pubic hair brush against my clit. He fucked me slowly at first, gradually increasing the pace until my body was rocking with each thrust.
In my mind's eye I could see Anna in my place, her large breasts swaying each time my brother slammed into her from behind, nipples brushing against the sheets. Then I pictured Shaun entwined with Bobbie, his pale skin contrasting with her dark complexion, wrapped around each other like some kind of erotic vanilla-chocolate swirl. It was harder to visualize Shaun with Rob, because I knew my brother would never go there, but my brain gave me brief flashes of all that sexy male goodness in one place. I got so wet that it was running down my thighs. I reached between my legs and grabbed Shaun's cock, pulling it out of my pussy and moving it up between my butt cheeks.
This was something we had rarely done so Shaun hesitated. I pushed back, my tight hole easily opening up to engulf him. That ended his indecision, and I rested my head on my arms while my brother fucked my ass. In less than a minute I had to bury my face in the mattress to muffle my cries of pleasure. Before my own orgasm had ended I felt Shaun's begin. Exhausted, we barely had the strength to pull apart before falling asleep in each other's arms.

This trip is going better than I expected. Rob is more at home in the wilderness than any man I have ever met, an ideal guide for a covert journey across the country. Bobbie is his perfect complement, the yin to his yang. Their relationship reminds me of what Shaun and I have. More, they show us what we could have had, if not for events that killed me and nearly killed Shaun. We have a second chance, but I mourn the time we lost. And how can we grow together with this shadow hanging over us?
Anna is like the 'lancer' to Rob's 'hero.' Competent enough to be at his back, knowledge of the outdoors to augment his own, calm rationality to temper his exuberance.
Of course, Anna demonstrates a major way in which they are different from us. It's hard to imagine us allowing someone else to get that close. Maybe if Shaun hadn't messed up so thoroughly with Becks, and maybe if she had survived....
We do have another woman in our lives, but she brings nothing of benefit. If she were more like Anna and less like me, perhaps we could have remained happily living in Canada.
- From Expatriate Games, the blog of Georgia Mason
- July 26, 2042 (Unpublished)
George is right, I can't imagine a more ideal group of people to help us make this journey. That worries me. If they are so obviously the best choice, why did Mom try to steer us to someone else? Was she hoping to lay a trap for us?
Even worse, did she succeed? She had to know that George would instinctively avoid anything that Mom advocated. Did she manipulate us into choosing this course? And if so, why? Maybe she was honestly looking out for our best interests. Maybe she manipulated George into choosing the best option. I hope so.
- From Hail to the King, the blog of Shaun Mason
- July 26, 2042 (Unpublished)
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Georgia In My MInd