Aftermath (Invasion of the Dead) - Part I by Owen Baillie Read Free Book Online Page B

Dylan knew they were all turning different questions over in their mind.  Answers would be difficult to find.  Some would emerge when they reached Albury, and their respective homes.  He tried to bury the secret Sherry had told him with the knowledge that it would sort itself.  Callan had never shown any concern for him, so why should he worry?  
    They spotted the checkpoint about fifteen miles out of Albury, just north of Table Top road.  They hadn’t passed a single car in either direction.  Callan stopped the car on a roadside patch of gravel and cut the engine.  On their left, a thin creek flowed in lazy, green pools, surrounded by more tussock grass leading to fences and undulating paddocks beyond.  About half a mile along the blacktop, two Army trucks touched noses at angles across the highway.  They sat watching the miniature scene in silence.  No soldiers were visible in the rain. 
    Dylan felt rumblings of concern.  An army blockade meant only one thing.  Either they would have to turn back, or the military were inspecting citizens for signs of the virus. 
    “ We could ram it,” Callan said. 
    “ Don’t even joke about that,” Kristy said. 
    Sherry said, “We’re not infected though.  They’ll have to let us through.”
    Callan said, “What if they don’t?  What if the town is infected and they won’t let us go back?”
    “ I doubt it.”  Whilst the old man had scared Dylan too, it didn’t mean the world had gone to hell just yet.  The army would know what was going on and they would have a suitable plan.  They would tell them exactly what had occurred along the east coast, and more importantly, in Albury.  The newspaper they found was weeks old.  Surely the government had control of the situation by now.  “They’ve probably cleaned up Albury and just want to make sure nobody brings the virus back in.”
    Callan said, “We’ll see.   Just remember there are forty-five thousand people in Albury and another thirty five thousand in Wodonga.  That’s a lot of people to get sick.”
    Kristy bumped Dylan’s leg.  “Sorry,” she said, but one finger remained resting against his hand. 
    He smiled, and looked away.  He had to consider her now.  Despite his father’s advice, he had promised himself nothing would happen whilst Callan was around.  Technically, it hadn’t.  They had never even kissed, but his feelings had developed into a deeper affection.  She was irresistible; smart, kind, a wonderful listener. Despite the danger, he’d admired how she had rushed to help the old man, deferring her safety for the welfare of another.  She was selfless.  Such a contrast to his ex-girlfriend, whose self-interest had been her predominant thought.  In hindsight, he didn’t know how the relationship had lasted.  Perhaps it had been the companionship.  He hated being alone.  That was one of the reasons he had agreed to the trip.  His roommate was travelling overseas and he detested coming home to an empty house.   
    “ Let’s see what they have to say,” Greg said.  “The worst they can do is turn us around.”  
    Dylan noted the absence of humour in Greg’s voice.  Until their roadside episode, he would have bet Greg was incapable of being serious.  It fortified his nerves.  When the joker stopped joking, it was time to worry.
    Sherry said, “If they turn us around, we can try another way.”
    “What if they arrest us?”  Callan said.
    “Why would they do that?”  Kristy said.
    “I dunno.  Just a crazy thought .”  He turned the key and the engine rumbled into life.  “Let’s do it then.”
    The car crept along at forty miles an hour, and Callan turned the windscreen wipers to full speed.  Greg laid the Remington beside the seat out of view, and passed the shotgun to Dylan, who pulled out a length of seatbelt and placed the weapon in the back compartment.
    As they approached, Callan slowed, waiting for a soldier to exit a truck and greet