Chapter 12: 12

“A parting gift, it has a revolver with a few extra rounds, a knife, a radio, a flashlight, a first aid kit and a couple days of food and water. If anything goes wrong, I need you to bring your family back here. If you get close here, we’re always at channel 9. You’re gonna be pretty far so I need you to stay alert at all times and explain to her family properly what is going on. Stay safe and aim for the head if anything happens.” I said as I waved them goodbye after a strong handshake.

His wife doesn’t seem to care about me and I think she doesn’t believe what I said. I really found it surprising that he managed to convince his wife into packing up and moving, that woman is really a hard-head.

“Uh, h-hey boss.” I heard behind me.

I looked at him and saw Ariel, he’s scratching his bald head and he’s still sweating from unloading the truck.

“I’m also of thinking of leaving…” he said.

One of my workers heard him say that and he immediately walked up to us. It was Mark, he has long hair and about a full head shorter than me.

“Dude! I’m telling you, It’s an eight-hour drive there. You don’t even know if she’s still there, or even if she would come with you.” Mark argued.

“I know, but I’d still need to try.” Ariel said.

“Dumb f.u.c.k.” Mark storms off.

Ariel is talking about his daughter that he left with his relatives when he was still young. He’s been sending money to them to support her so he needs to make sure that she’s safe.

“Boss, if she comes with me can she stay here?” Ariel looked at me.

“That’s hard to say, I think it would be better for you to go further north. Head to the Quezon province, remember my Uncle Junior and Aunt Michelle? Head to their house, I’m sure they’ll let you in. If you go there from your relatives, it would be a shorter distance to travel instead of going back here. I’ll draw you a map.” I explained as I marked the direction he needs to go. After that I gave him a bag that contained the same gear as earlier except the radio.

A few hours of checking everything, Aunt Sharon’s Husband, Conrad, came home bringing more supplies and a few cases of hard liquor which was heavily welcomed by some of the group. I saw Rin saw the stacks and she flipped her notebook to previous pages to write some stuff down. She saw me checking my phone and she approached me.

“Umm, excuse me sir. I’ve finished listing everything you have in the bas.e.m.e.nt and on the other houses. What I’ve done is I’ve made separate sheets for each house and each room and a master list for everything. Sir Oscar helped me with naming the weapons and vehicles properly and the only thing not on the list is everything on your room sir. Or should I not include it?” she said as she handed me her notebook.

I take a quick glance and I was astonished. My smile is so wide, it almost ripped my cheek straight into my ear. What she did in the notebook is an artwork. I gave her a pat in the back as I handed her the keys to my room.

“Here, list everything but keep a tight lid on the number of our guns and ammunition. Keep that in a separate list and don’t show it to anyone.” I instructed as she nodded.

4:00 PM

Everyone seems to be busy doing their own thing so I took a seat on the stairs as Zeus followed me as he rested his head on my lap. “Everything is almost ready.” I muttered as I stared at everyone. Kaley sat down to my other side then she placed her arm over my shoulder.

“It still looks like what happened earlier didn’t happen.” she said.

“Yeah, I-” before I finished what I was saying, a loud siren started ringing in our ears.

*WONGGGGG~* *WONGGGGG~* *WONGGGGG~* *WONGGGGG~* *WONGGGGG~* *WONGGGGG~*

The sirens that would sound for emergency situations like when the super typhoon Ondoy came in 2009. It rang for a full minute before it stopped then the door behind us opened and Olivia rushed out.

“Guys come here! Check the TV!” she shouted.

We followed her in the house as we stared at the screen. The President is on the screen geared in full combat attire with an M16 hung on his shoulders with soldiers at his back.

“This is the president speaking, I hereby declare the country, effective immediately in Martial Law! In a few hours, military personnel and the DDR or the Department of Disaster Resilience will be deployed and stationed at select places in every city and province. Several countries have already declared a state of emergency and they have set up FEMA camps like our DDRs. All concerned civilians are required to head to these places for the military’s protection. It will have food, water, housing and emergency medical services.”

“The military is doing it’s best to defeat this…this… pandemic…those who are infected is ordered to be put down immediately! The information that the US has given us is that signs that a person is infected is its erratic movement, bloodshot eyes, high fever, violent behavior, dark veins on the skin and its increased strength and speed on a few cases. We are constantly monitoring and studying the infected to get more information. Do not, I repeat, do not! Attempt to save or try to talk to the infected! If you see any signs or any doubts that someone is, inform us immediately or try to take care of it yourself. Or, if there is too many, avoid the danger and run!”

“The CDC advised to gather your supplies and reinforce your doors if you are not able to go to our DDR camps. Conserve what you have and stay level-headed at all times. Avoid going out at all cost to avoid contact with the infected. If any chance you encounter one, a gunshot or a strong blow to the head immediately kills these sons of bitches! A mention of a cure or a vaccine is not apparent but they have started to work on it. They said to always keep yourself healthy, not just a bite or scratch will infect you, there have been reports of people dying of natural causes rising up from the dead. So, if you are staying near a cemetery, leave that place immediately! Those who have special cases like needing Insulin or other shots similar, I suggest you to stockpile on it or head to our DDR camps for it.”

He gave a proper salute to everyone then the broadcast is replaced with reporters repeating what the president said and different instruction to get to the DDR camps and basic survival guides.

Everyone is silent, just glued to the screen. Some of the group got weak on the knees, some hugged their families tight and a few has the same sharp eyes as mine.

I immediately stood up and said, “It’s starting now! We got little time left before we lockdown, is everybody here?”

My uncle Zeidrick rose up and said, “My son is still in the gas station and my wife and daughter is still at work at the noodle factory.” We grabbed the sedan and drove outside, you could feel the weight in the air, there is a lot of shouting and sounds of running everywhere. I saw a few shops immediately closing down, a few cars speeding off and a few outside still watching the broadcast on the TV that one of the bakeries hung up on their shop.

My uncle dropped me off at the gas station to look for Russel, his son, because he works here. A few numbers of people are now swarming their small convenience store either buying everything they could carry, or stealing as they grab what they could. My uncle immediately drove to the direction where his wife is at and I saw Russel in a scuffle with a shoplifter, I pulled him out of the guy and the guy runs off with a few packs of ramen.