The Host Arrives

Posted on Fri Nov 24th, 2023 @ 9:51pm by Hale Stratton & Ethan Thompson & Calista Sutton & Vienna Quinn & Killian Sutton & René Rouen
Edited on on Wed Jan 3rd, 2024 @ 5:24am

1,926 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Bangor or Bust
Location: Wynn Estate, Outskirts of Bangor, Maine
Timeline: 29 August 2010 - 06:00 p.m.

Mister Wynn, Courtney and Lieutenant Madison arrived in the dining room. Mister Wynn took his seat at the head of the table with Courtney sitting on his right and Lieutenant Madison on his left. He looked to the three adults in turn before speaking. "I wish to thank all of you for returning my daughter to me. You have no idea how I felt when communications went down a couple of days ago."

"No need for thanks. I think we all understand," Hale said, "to some degree how you must feel. And I appreciate your hospitality as well as a chance to contact the military authority in Bangor." He turned toward the group as he added, "they're sending a helicopter to transport us to the Bangor Safe Zone. From there, we can find out what happened to your families. Hopefully, you can reconnect."

Vic nodded her head, listening as she scrubbed Jasper's head beneath the table, the dog wearing the biggest derp face he could muster. “I have to say that it’s been an… interesting opportunity to travel with some of you and that I am glad you all have made it safely to this juncture. I hope that you all continue to maintain safety.”

Ethan said nothing. Silence had become habitual with him, hanging over him like a shroud, obscuring the outgoing, athletic kid he'd once been. Home. Safety. Those words didn't have meaning to him any longer nor did words like future and plans. The world have turned into a B-horror movie and that, as they say, was about that.

Jordan glanced around the room at the others. He was happy Courtney had found her dad alive and well, but he was worried about Vienna and René. "We going to talk about my missing friends?"

"Sure, Jordan," Hale said. "Let's talk about your friends."

Jordan opened his mouth to respond, but he was at a loss for words. He looked down at his plate of food. "Shouldn't someone go looking for them?"

"If they're not back in, say, an hour, I'll go myself," Hale said as he turned his attention back to his food. "I'll check the house and if they're not there, then we can check the safe zone."

Mr. Wynn looked about the table curiously. He locked eyes on Hale. "There are members of your party unaccounted for?" He looked at Charles and Vivian standing by the archway. "Why wasn't I informed?"

"They slipped off just as we were explaining ourselves to the Lieutenant," Hale said. "They live nearby. Probably couldn't wait any longer to get home." His expression remained neutral as he met and held their host's gaze. "Why? Is it your intention to take responsibility for them?"

"Who is it that's missing?" Mr. Wynn looked more curious than benevolent enough to take responsibility for teenagers.

Courtney answered her father with a slightly angry tone. "Vienna Quinn and her French exchange student that's staying with her family."

"Rene," Hale said. "Vienna and Rene. Don't know his last name."

"Rowan, I believe, Captain…. If it comes to being you doing the search I will join you. It will be safer with the two of us and our training.” Her own steely gaze fell upon Mr. Wynn as she spoke, meeting his with nothing more than an arched brow.

"Appreciated," Hale said as he too fixed their host with his own assessing gaze.

Mr. Wynn looked at each of the group members in turn. His gaze finally settling on Victoire. "What more would you have me do my dear? Take custody of more young men and women."

Her gaze didn’t falter, if possible it just intensified. “Seeing as how you have the backing of the military and the only secured place in miles… yes actually. It only seems right that that is exactly what you do; even if only for the short term until they can be relocated elsewhere that is secure.”

Mister Wynn quirked an eyebrow at Victoire. "Hmmm, I will consider your suggestion madam, but do not presume you have any authority to dictate to me what I must do. That being said, if you wish to discuss the matter further, I will be available after dinner in my study."

“I’ll happily see if I can help you figure out a plan that may be actionable within your means Mister Wynn” Vic replied, cordially and with a small straight military smile.

"Look around," Hale added, his own expression chill and assessing, "the world has changed and there are a lot of people in need. You could save a lot of lives."

Mister Wynn gestured at the uniformed persons in the room. "You're in the people saving business." He glanced at Father Dominic. "You save souls. I am a business man. I gather resources and luxuries for my family. I didn't become successful by giving it away to everyone less fortunate than myself."

Hale nodded and in deference to the man's hospitality, limited though it was, he said nothing. Privately, Hale was rapidly coming to the opinion that this wasn't going to be a short term problem and that Wynn was in for something of a rude awakening once he realized that his money wasn't going to get him anything. "I understand," he said. Course, he amended silently, I could be wrong. Maybe it'll all go back to normal in a month and this will just be some weird blip.

Mister Wynn took a sip of his brandy. "Now that we're all in an understanding. Let's enjoy the rest of our dinner."

Millinocket High School

Calista and Killian had taken refuge at the high school in Millinocket in the gymnasium with most of the others that were in town. The school was still operating on generator power when they could and it was a nice refuge from the weather that was starting to rapidly cool off. Their great plans to get on the road were dashed as Calista had started feeling ill again after everything that had gotten going on. The roads to Bangor were effectively locked down and gridlocked, and they had decided on the back woods scenic tour as their alternate route. Most of the stores were now starting to close due to the lack of power. They didn't have much by ways of what they had in their car or on themselves as it was supposed to be a retrieval of her friend and back to Tennessee they were going.

Road tripping snacks had already been consumed, and most of everything else, they ate what they could when they had done limited shopping as to not be hoarders. They decided that with the limited supplies they were encountering in town that it might behoove them to stop for a bit, enough for Calista to recover from their day of going through the hotel and trying to get supplies in town. It had been an exhausting day. As there was a curfew in the gym, Calista was nestled in Killian's arms.

She whispered quietly to him, "I got an uneasy feeling." Something one of the women had said earlier that was nagging on her conscience. She wasn't sure what it was, but she did what she could to console the woman as her child had disappeared.

A search party had gone out earlier for the child with no avail. The undead seemed to be making their way throughout the corners of the city. Thankfully, they were able to avoid them, hoping that they could be returned to their living state when the government came up with a cure for the virus. They both had hoped that something more would have been done already but it seemed that everything was within the states and cities powers for now.

Killian wrapped his arms around his wife more. Today had been an exhausting day for the both of them and landing here seemed to be the right call at the time. He felt uncomfortable with all the people located in one area. Kissing her head gently, he leaned in and whispered to her, "if it's still bad, we can leave in the morning."

His mind wandered to the day's events. 'It was the right call,' he reminded himself. There was no way that they were making it back the way they came through Bangor after they had gotten stopped by the blocked roadways trying to head into town. While they could have made their way through the maze of abandoned cars, they felt that it was a sign to turn around, so they did.

"Just try to get some sleep. It's been a day, and you'll want your rest before we get back on the road again."

She nuzzled his arm that was wrapped under her head affectionately. It definitely had been a crazy couple of days with the most unimaginable things going on. "Love you, Kil."

"Love you too, Cal; now sleep." He closed his eyes to allow his body enough to sleep. Between his mind racing and him listening to all the noises in the gym, sleep wasn't going to find him he felt. He had hoped that his wife would have been able to get some sleep though. At least they were able to get their first warm meal in days.

[Elsewhere in Millinocket]

Nowhere was safe. That much was clear. And it wasn't just the dead, shambling along, because as truly horrifying as that was, they at least were slow enough to outrun.

Nowhere was safe. Certainly not the treehouse. Not with them nearby. The leader had this long, lilting whistle that would summon the rest of his ... pack? ... gang? ... to him. Five of them.

She had been sitting up, listening, one eye to a crack in the makeshift curtain, and watched them moving about and she saw him, dressed in long black duster, stop and start looking around as though he sensed someone watching.

When he got distracted by something one of his men (f you could call them men) was doing, she slipped away. But it wasn't long after that she heard that long slow whistle and her heartbeat sped up.

She wasn't good at being quiet. Sneaking out of the foster parents' house, when things got bad, she could do that but moving through grass, over twigs, and around the detritus of suburban living in the dark? That wasn't in her wheelhouse.

She would stumble over a bike or a rock and cry out, hands shooting to her mouth as though to contain the sound. Closing the barn door after the horse was gone. Wasn't that what foster dad number three had said ... or was it number two. Hard to remember.

And then there would be that whistle, closer. She could almost imagine the sound of their breath on her neck.

No rest.
No chance to slow down.
Just keep moving.
Get away.
Far away.

Night again now and she was tired. So very tired. No whistling in awhile now. Maybe they had tired of the sport. Found someplace to sleep.

Sleep would be good.

If they had lost her trail, then maybe she could find a place to hide. Rest. She crept slowly around the corner of a small store, moving from shadow to shadow, and then ...

He stepped out of an alley to stand right in front of her, a wide grin on his face. "Got ya," he purred as he whistled long and slow. She felt arms close around her and then ... nothing.

 

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