David saw Rose, dressed in one of those flowery dresses that she seemed to like so much.
'Baby, you must be so tired. Let me make it better.'
She was kneeling over him, holding his hands in her own. He reached out to caress her hair, and then he saw that her hair had come out in clumps in his hand. He looked up to see her face. It wasn't his Rose anymore. The impish smile and blue eyes had been replaced by a feral grin, white sockets where her eyes should have been and yellowed skin.
'Baby, come to me', the creature who had been Rose crooned again.
David woke up, covered in sweat and shaking. He took a minute to calm down and remind himself where he was. As much as he tried to reassure himself that Rose was okay, his mind kept replaying the nightmare he had just seen. Suddenly he heard the sound of a car approaching. He looked at his watch-it was now almost one in the morning and only someone very stupid or very desperate would be out at this time with the hordes of infected all around. For a split second he considered whether they might have learned to drive a car, and then dismissed the thought. He put his eye to the scope of his assault rifle and turned the night vision optics on. About a kilometer away, plainly visible in the greenish glow of the night-vision, he saw a car driving slowly down the road. It had its headlights off, which perhaps explained the driver's caution.
David involuntarily shrunk back as he saw four figures leap out from the side of the road and jump onto the car. One was on the hood, two on the right side and one on the left. The car swerved from left to right, either in an attempt to shake off the attackers, or because the driver had given into absolute panic. Out of instinct more than anything else, David tracked in on one of the attackers clinging to the car with his M4 rifle. With the car moving erratically, it was far from an easy shot, and he certainly could not guarantee a head shot, but he knew he would not miss. Then he stopped himself. What was he thinking? This was not his fight. All he wanted to do was to wait the night out in his hiding place and then get to the Embassy in the morning. Just then the car braked hard and the man clinging onto the hood was thrown hard to the ground. The car accelerated, running over his prone body and continuing down the road. Another form clinging to the left door, the billowing embroidered saree looking incongruous on the mindless killer's body, was thrown off. That left one attacker hanging onto either side of the car.
David watched through his scope as the car came closer, now no more than fifty meters away. The driver had done well so far, and something in him thought it would be a terrible waste of a brave person if the attackers got to whoever was inside. He caught a glimpse of the driver now. It was a woman, and she had a young man next to her. Perhaps a mother and son.
To serve and protect.
He had sworn to defend the innocent, and now all his training took over any thought of self-preservation. Whether it was his fight or not, he could not sit back and watch the family be slaughtered. He already knew that the infected brutally killed those who resisted, and before he had even consciously decided to join the fight, his finger pressed lightly on the trigger.
Hina was now screaming at the top of her lungs. All the bravery or desperation that had kept her going till now had dissipated. Seeing the two yellow, decayed faces with their deformed teeth and features glaring at her from each side, she felt that her time was over. Mayukh was still in shock, and had not even recovered enough control over his senses to try and use the gun that was lying uselessly by his side. Hina hadn't even bothered to reach for it. She had never held a gun in her hands, and didn't think she would do anything to increase their chances of survival by trying to use one for the first time when under attack by these fiends.
She realized she was running out of road and turned to face the attacker on her right. He had lost his turban in the chase, and his head was half bald, patches of yellow scalp showing. He looked no more than fifteen. A boy, who had perhaps been playing games with his friends a day earlier. What a waste of a life. What a waste of all the lives. Before she could think any further, the boy fell off the car as if an invisible flyswatter had swatted him away. She looked behind to see him sitting up, and then another hammer blow knocked him flat. When she turned to her left, the same fate had befallen the attacker there. She had been so transfixed by the sight that she noticed too late that she was about to crash into the parked cars just ahead.
Hina was thrown forward by the impact, hitting her head on the dashboard. She reeled back in pain, and her hand came away wet with her blood when she put it to her forehead. She looked behind her to see if the attackers had followed them, but in the darkness, she could only see their prone bodies lying on the road some fifty meters behind. Then the door opened and before she could scream, strong hands wrapped around her mouth and pulled her out.
Mayukh was huddled in a corner of the room. He had little recollection of what had happened over the last few minutes. He had hit the windshield and then blacked out. As he came to he heard some voices whispering a few feet away from him. He tried to make out the words.
'Captain, what's your plan?'
'Ma'am, just call me David. I'm on my way to the US Embassy tomorrow at first light when these creatures aren't about. You could come with me till there. I wish I could do more for you, but I do need to get out and back to my family.'
'You've done more than enough for us, young man. And you can call me Hina.'
Mayukh tried to clear the cobwebs of his mind, trying to remember where he was. Was he having a bad dream? Would his mother come and wake him up now, reminding him that once again he was going to be late for school?
His mother.
He sat up with a jolt, as all that had happened in the day came back to him. As it all sank in, he slumped against the wall. He had no more tears to cry, but just sat there, looking blankly at the floor. He sensed a man sit down next to him. He was holding something that he pressed into Mayukh's hand.
'Young man, that's a fine gun you have there. I picked it up from the car. Would be a shame to leave it there.'
Mayukh looked down to see his father's pistol in his hand. He then felt strong hands grip his arm.
'Look, I've lost a lot of good men recently. Men who were like brothers to me, but none of that compares to your loss.'
The man then got up and walked to the open window, through which Mayukh could see the faint light of daybreak. Hina was now by his side. She had a bandage on her forehead, and was trying hard to smile, though Mayukh could see her eyes creased with fatigue and stress.
'Here, have some breakfast.'
She held some cold French fries and a burger. Mayukh wolfed it down. He was so famished that it tasted like the best meal he had ever had. She ran her hand through his hair, and as Mayukh looked at her he was reminded of his grandmother. The same kind eyes, the same smile.
'That man there is an American soldier. He saved us last night and he'll help us get to the American Embassy. Once there, we can contact someone in the government and find out where we can go to be safe.'
Mayukh nodded mutely, the thoughts of what he had gone through the previous day still fresh in his mind. As David announced that they were leaving, Mayukh followed him out, his body going through the motions, but his mind totally numb and blank.
David examined the car that he had rescued Hina and Mayukh from. It had been a close call. They had made it back into the shop moments before the attackers he had shot had regained consciousness. He opened the boot and whistled at all the canned food stuffed into it.
'Kid, your folks sure were well prepared. No telling what we run into, so help me carry this stuff into another car. I guess today people will forgive us for borrowing their car.'
David chose an SUV, and started to load the things into the back when Hina turned to him.
'David, wouldn't we be able to move through the streets easier in a smaller car. There are cars and things….'
She couldn't bring herself to say bodies but it was clear what she meant. David shrugged.
'Maybe, but if I have run through or over things, this will come in handy.'
Mayukh had hardly helped, standing by the side, and David whispered to Hina.
'I hope the kid gets his senses back. He's in shock, and I understand that, but he will get himself killed real fast if he doesn't snap out of it soon.'
'The poor boy has been through Hell.'
David finished loading the last of the cans and took the wheel.
'Hina, I think we haven't begun to see what Hell looks like yet.'
***
As they drove through the city, Hina realized that what truly scared her was the opposite of what she had expected. After the events of the previous night, she had feared that they would see signs of carnage and death all around. Instead, what was even more unsettling was the fact that the city was deserted. There was not a sign of a single living soul around, nor any signs of bodies. There were just cars and bikes scattered all around where their drivers had left them, and dark patches that indicated where people had been brought down. She had never heard the city this quiet. No cars honking their horns, no rumble of traffic, no people chattering away on their mobile phones. She longed for all the things that she may have once complained about. She saw that Mayukh, sitting in the back seat, was still quiet, but at least seemed to be coming out of the shock he had been in. The young heal fast, she reasoned, and then took her first close look at their driver. In the darkness of night, she had barely had a chance to see who their savior was.
Her first reaction was that he looked so young. He had close-cropped blonde hair, and a face that made him look no older than a kid just graduating from college. She knew better, after having seen what he had done the previous night, and the only real hint to the fact that he was a trained killer lay in his eyes. They seemed ever alert, constantly scanning their surroundings for any sign of trouble. Hina knew that he would probably be on his way to the US soon enough, but was glad to have his company while it lasted. Between a boy in shock and an old Professor, she and Mayukh didn't have too many chances of survival on their own.
David spotted some movement to their right and his hands tightened on the steering wheel. He didn't know if the infected could be out in daylight, but he was not about to find out the hard way. The road ahead was blocked by cars, and resembled a surreal maze that he was trying to pick his way through, so there was no question of driving any faster than a slow trot. He pushed aside a bike using the bulk of the SUV he was driving, but would have no option but to weave around the cars in front of him.
Again, he spotted some movement on his right. It seemed to be a small shopping complex, with broken signs that announced a salon, an Internet Café and a Pharmacy, among other signs in Hindi. He had a working knowledge of Urdu but hardly had the time he would have needed to decipher all the signs. He was now sure of it-there were at least two people moving inside what remained of the Internet Café on the ground floor. The door was closed but the windows were shattered and he could see shadows moving in the darkness inside. He turned to Mayukh.
'Kid, see that Net Café there fifty meters to the right?'
He didn't get a response but not wanting to take his eyes off a potential threat by turning towards Mayukh, he continued.
'I think I saw someone moving inside there. No idea who it could be, but just take out your gun and cover that area. I don't want to stop or take my attention off the road.'
He didn't hear any response, but assumed Mayukh would be doing as he had asked, so he returned his attention to the road ahead. A split second later, he saw a head peek out from behind the shattered windows of the Internet Café and caught a glint of something that may well have been a weapon. He turned to see Mayukh slumped in the rear seat, the gun lying uselessly by his side.
'Dammit!'
David stopped the SUV and brought up his M4, scanning the area to his right for any imminent threat. With the crowded road ahead, if they were up against attackers with weapons, he would never be able to get away in time. He had far better chances sticking around and counting on his training and firepower. A tuft of silvery hair showed and a face emerged and he could hear Hina gasp behind him. He had his sight trained on the head. At any sign of trouble, he would put a round through the forehead. As the man emerged, David put his finger on the trigger and then brought his gun down, exhaling loudly in relief.
'What's going on? Who are they?'
David had his head back against the seat, thankful that he had not fired. Hina looked over his shoulder and saw who had been hiding in the shop. They were an ancient couple, perhaps no younger than eighty, dressed in rags. It was likely they had lived in one of the nearby slums, and when the chaos began, had sough refuge in the shops. Both the man and woman looked around uncomprehendingly, with blank, terrified eyes. Hina guessed that they perhaps had no idea of what had happened, just that one day, ordinary people had turned into bloodthirsty monsters. The old couple stumbled towards them, holding out their hands as if seeking help. Hina started to say something, and David cut her off, guessing what she was going to say.
'No we can't take them with us.'
'But look at them…'
In response, David got out of the vehicle and opened the back, taking out a handful of canned and packaged food, which he handed over to the old man. The man began crying tears of gratitude and then looked on as David climbed back in and drove away.
'That was a nice thing you did.'
David just grunted at Hina's words and kept his focus on the road. Without looking back, he addressed Mayukh.
'Kid, you need to decide whether you want to stay alive or not. If they had been attackers, we could have been in big trouble. In a few minutes, I'll be on my way, and won't see you again. But here's some friendly advice-snap out of it, otherwise you'll get yourself and Hina in big trouble.'
As they drove into the heart of Delhi, past India Gate and then onwards towards the Diplomatic Enclaves, they saw signs of other survivors. A family walking on the roadside, a group of young men carrying rods and swords, two policemen walking around as if wondering what they should do. The entire city seemed to be in shock, but there was no sign of the infected attackers who had wreaked so much havoc the previous night. It was as if they had disappeared at first light.
They drove by the Prime Minister's residence, and saw it totally deserted. There was not a single policeman in sight. Hina wondered whether that was because the Prime Minister had been evacuated or because even he had not escaped the chaos.
'We're here, folks.'
Hina looked up at David's words to see the high walls of the US Embassy. The gate was shut, but there was no sign of anyone around. David drove right up to the gate, when pandemonium erupted all around them.
'Freeze. Stop the vehicle and keep your hands where I can see them!'
David did as he was told, and Hina followed suit. A second later, a fully armed US Marine appeared, assault rifle at the ready. He seemed awfully young, and his rifle shook unsteadily in his hands. He looked at David and took in his uniform and stripes.
'You in the US Army?'
David snorted dismissively, looking at the soldier's name tag.
'Private Shafer, I'm a SEAL. And that's Sir to you.'
The man stood straight and saluted, as if relieved to have someone who could take charge. He pointed at Hina and Mayukh.
'What about them?'
'They're with me, for now.'
The Marine opened the gates and David drove in. As soon as he got out, the Marine ran up, eager to learn what had happened outside. David asked incredulously.
'Where are the others? Don't tell me you're the only one around.'
The Marine answered, his voice now betraying his fear.
'Sir, all the senior diplomats and families left day before. They left me here to guard the last diplomat here. They told me we'd be evacuated yesterday, and then everything went to Hell. We just turned off all the lights and hid in the basement.'
'That's the best anyone could have done. So don't be too hard on yourself, soldier. Now, where's the diplomat?'
David was led inside where he saw man crouched behind a desk, burning documents in a fireplace.
'Excuse me, Sir. I'm Captain David Bremsak, US Navy SEALs. I was told you're the ranking diplomat here. Could you tell me what our plans for evacuation are?'
David was shocked when the man turned to face him. He was balding, red-faced and visibly drunk as he struggled to get up. As he came closer, David could smell the alcohol on his breath.
'Captain, I'm Jeremy Abbot. I'm the frigging Cultural Attache here, which means I'm the CIA spook.'
The man laughed and David wondered just how unhinged the man had been by the pressure to talk so loosely.
'Captain, if you're here to get help, I'm afraid this is the only help I can provide.'
David saw that he was motioning to a half empty bottle of Black Label on the table behind him, as Abbot continued.
'Just got a transmission. No help coming our way. They asked me to stay behind and ensure all our dirty work is destroyed. It seems those bloody secrets of whom we're spying on are more valuable than expendable old me. And now they realize they can't get any of us out.'
David was shattered by the news, but something in what the man said gave him a surge of hope.
'Your radio's working? Someone's still transmitting?'
Abbot shrugged and took a swig straight from the bottle.
'Don't get your hopes up. Just a burst this morning, telling all overseas personnel to stay where they are, and that people are working on plans. Basically, we've been left to rot.'
David walked out, and Hina immediately saw his downcast expression.
'David, what's wrong?'
'Looks like we're on our own.'
***
David had asked the Marine if he wanted to come along, but the young soldier had said he'd stay by his post. David thought he was being stupid but had to admire his courage. They drove around for a few minutes, all of them silent, trying to reconcile to the fact that there did not seem to be any help headed their way. If there was a government in control anywhere, it had given up on this corner of the world. Finally, Hina broke the silence.
'David, it's past noon now. We need to have a plan for how to survive the night.'
David stopped the car and when Hina looked at him, she was truly frightened for the first time since she had met him. So far, he had exuded nothing but quiet confidence, and with his obvious training and firepower, she had come to regard him as something of a safety blanket. But now she saw that his eyes were downcast, his shoulders slumped, and he slammed his fist against the steering wheel in frustration. Hina looked on, ever more afraid as she saw the first cracks appear in David's confidence. Then, as if with a conscious effort of will, David took a deep breath, and his settled, calm look was back.
'Let's take it one step at a time. First, we need a place to stay where we can be safe.'
They were now driving past Delhi's Connaught Place, and Hina saw the Imperial Hotel to her left.
'How about a hotel?'
David shook his head, with a slight smile.
'I'm sure we could get a room or two. I doubt they're fully booked. But it's not a good place to hide in. Too many entry points, and if we're cornered, we've got no place to run.'
They drove around at a slow crawl, turning around the cars left abandoned haphazardly on the road. Hina saw the Oxford Bookstore and lingered on it, a part of her mind wondering how her new novel was faring. Writing had been such an integral part of her life, yet after just one day, it seemed like it had been a totally different life altogether. David saw what she was looking at and misinterpreted what was going through her mind.
'Hina, you should have been in the Army! That's a perfect place-slightly off the main road; just one main entrance and that too through a staircase, and I'm sure they have a back exit in case we need it.'
Hina didn't bother correcting him, happy that they seemed to have a refuge, and also because she thought being near books would in some way bring back her life the way it had been.
David decided that leaving all their supplies in the vehicle was too risky, so they carried all the cans and bags inside. Mayukh did his part in silence, but when they were inside, he retreated to a corner and sat down. Hina stood in front of the Bestseller rack, looking at her novel, currently placed in fifth place. She took a copy and felt the soft edges, ruffled the paper, and it was almost easy to believe that the world had not been transformed into a place roamed by bloodthirsty maniacs infected by some unknown disease; that people still had the time and luxury to spend hours reading stories like the one she had written-of an English traveler finding adventure and love in Mughal India. David walked up behind her, and looked at the novel she had in her hand, with its cover of a topless man and a voluptuous woman in a torn saree.
'I was never much of a reader, but I could never figure out how anyone could read trashy romances like that. Some dirty old man must be sitting somewhere churning out stories like that.'
Hina almost choked at the words, and David wondered what he had said to set her off like that. She looked at him, a broad smile on her face.
'Captain, the trashy novel I hold in my hand was written by a very dirty old woman. Me.'
He looked at Hina, sure that she was pulling his leg. When she didn't flinch, he exclaimed.
'No frigging way!'
When she told him her secret, he doubled over laughing, and she joined in, the two of them laughing so hard they thought their stomachs would burst. David spent the next few minutes barricading the rear exit and satisfying himself that the front entrance could be secured. The store's main door could not be the primary point of defence since it was set some feet away from the head of the stairs. So he decided to leave the main door open, which would likely serve to make anyone feel that nobody was inside. Instead, he set up a firing position just outside and to the left of the main door-a podium stacked with books, with enough space in between for him to fire through. He also placed his single Claymore anti-personnel mine just outside the main door, facing outwards, but did not activate it. That would be the last resort in case they were faced with a last ditch defence situation. When he came back in, he found Hina curled up with a book in her hand. So far, he had been very impressed with how well she had coped with the situation, given her age and what she had been through. But then he spotted Mayukh sitting glumly in a corner. He remembered the scene back in the SUV when Mayukh had failed to cover them, and trying hard to control his anger, walked over to the boy, sitting down next to him.
'How are you doing?'
No response.
David took a deep breath, trying to control himself. He had no kids, and in the company of hard men in the SEALs, the way to deal with a young rookie who was losing it involved several push ups, runs with a heavy pack, and throwing them out if they could not make it. None of those were options before David, so he tried to see if he could get through to the boy next to him.
'Look, kid, I know you've been through a lot, but now we need to pull together if we have to survive.'
Mayukh looked towards him and simply said.
'I'm not a kid. Stop calling me that. My name is Mayukh.'
David wanted to reach out and slap him, but he controlled himself.
'Okay, Mayukh. You do realize we aren't in a normal situation, don't you? What you did in the car could have got us all killed. Do your realize that? We've all been through crap-but now, we have to stick together and you need to help out.'
Mayukh hid his head in his hands, and when he raised his head, David saw that his eyes with beginning to well up with tears.
'David, do you know the last thing my father told me? He said he hoped I could be the man he had always dreamt I would be.'
David watched in silence and Mayukh continued, finally opening up, finally coming to grips with what he had gone through.
'Forget being a man, I couldn't even protect my mother. She's gone because of me. I've always been useless. What the hell am I good for anyways? You're the big, bad soldier who knows what to do. I'm just a screwed up kid. Maybe I should just take my gun and kill myself.'
It finally dawned on David just what demons the boy was dealing with, and he held him gently by the shoulder.
'Mayukh, I don't have a son, so I can't begin to understand everything you're going through. But my Dad passed when I was about your age, and I've been holding a gun and going into harm's way since I was not much older than you. I've led young men like you into battle, and I've been young and scared enough to wet my pants when I first saw combat.'
Mayukh was now listening.
'Look, I'm no braver than you are. But what I've learnt is that being a man boils down to one simple thing-watching out for the guy next to you. That's what kept me and my boys going even when the shit the fan. And now, whether we like it or not, this is our unit. We need to look out for each other, even if we hardly know or even like each other, but just because we have nothing or nobody else. I can fight, but I don't know the city or the language that well, so I need you as much as you need me. Think about that.'
David walked over to another corner, leaving Mayukh alone to consider what he had just heard.
It was now five in the evening, and Hina and David conferred and decided that they would not risk any light at night, and would have an early dinner. Dinner was a can of baked beans and some potato chips, washed down with apple juice, and when they finished, David turned to Hina.
'You guys rest inside. I'll be outside watching the road.'
He knelt behind the podium, with his rifle ready, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
It was Mayukh.
'David, why don't you rest for a change? I'll watch for a while.'
David looked over Mayukh's shoulder to see a slight grin on Hina's face.
'Sure. Look, right now we can still see with the naked eye. Once it gets dark enough that we need to use the night vision scope, I'll replace you. Cool?'
Mayukh nodded, and with his handgun beside him, took up position.
David passed Hina as he went inside the bookstore.
'The kid's tougher than I thought.'
Hina smiled in reply.
'David, none of us is tough till we are tested. I think he'll be okay. Get some rest now.'
As David went inside, she heard him chuckling.
'What's so funny?'
David turned, trying not to laugh.
'I can't get over the fact that you write that stuff. Man, I flicked through a few pages. He ripped open her saree and enveloped her in the pleasures of Kama. Yikes, you are a dirty old woman!'
Hina laughed as the soldier curled up in a corner and in less than five minutes was sound asleep. Hina herself read for a while, and then when the light got too dim, she also decided to rest. She had no idea what the hours or days ahead held for her, but at least for the first time in two days, she felt relatively secure.
David had been dreaming of Rosa and of talking to his own son, telling him to be a man. David knew Rosa wanted kids, and he had always been noncommittal, and in his dream, he remembered swearing that if he got back to her, they would have an army of kids.
That was when he was awakened by the sounds of screaming outside.