“Move faster! Miguel, take the lead!”
Miguel ran ahead of everyone, including me, while I stood guard to ensure everyone made it out.
“We’ll discuss your stupidity later,” Emery hissed as she ran by.
I grinned after her. I looked forward to that discussion. Even more if I could arrange for it to end with her begging. I followed after them, and for the most part, we didn’t run into any trouble. Most zombies were headed toward the sound of the gunshot, so as long as we kept out of their sight and quiet, they continued past us. At one point, we had to hide on the subway stairs to let a slightly larger group go by. As much as I loved taking down as many as we could, sometimes the smarter strategy was to evade, especially when not everyone in the group could fight.
Once the coast was clear, we were able to continue our trek to the tunnel at a slower pace. We’d made it about halfway from where we’d stopped for lunch when another transmission came through the radio.
All parties, please be advised that all personnel are accounted for.
Copy that. Commence Operation Night Night.
“What the fuck is Operation Night Night, and why do I have a feeling it isn’t as cozy as it sounds?” Miguel asked. Before any of us could hazard a guess, another message came.
Attention all citizens still residing in New York City. Please be advised that to contain the virus, all bridges and tunnels from Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs will be destroyed at zero-six hundred hours. Any remaining survivors within those areas should evacuate by any means necessary.
The message repeated itself on a loop.
“Holy shit,” Emery said. “They’re going to bomb the bridges and tunnels.”
“Let’s make sure we’re on the other side when they do,” I replied.
“Does anyone have the time?” Luis asked. “My phone’s been dead for a while.”
I checked my phone and then looked at Emery, who shook her head. Our phones were dead now, too.
“You kids and your technology,” Mr. Higgins scoffed. He held up his arm to show off the analog watch on his wrist. “We have about thirteen hours until it’s bombs away. Plenty of time to get out.”
“Even so, let’s hustle,” I ordered.
We started moving again, everyone moving a little faster than before, now that we had Operation Night Night looming over us. Clever name. If we made it out of the city, I might even chuckle at it. When we arrived at the tunnel, the sun was already setting.
“I propose that we find somewhere to eat and get some rest before we tackle the tunnel. We’re going to have to do it in the dark no matter what, so we may as well rest first.”
“We don’t have time,” Emery argued.
“Being worn out won’t do us any favors, Em,” I replied, looking pointedly at Mr. Higgins and her visibly tired parents. “I’m not saying a full night’s rest, just a few hours to let us recharge.”
“Plus, we still need to find flashlights,” Miguel reminded us. “Why don’t Luis and I do that while you guys settle in and rest. It shouldn’t take us long to find a place.”
“Good idea,” I replied. “Let’s find a place first.”
We settled on a mattress shop a few blocks from the tunnel. It would give everyone a comfortable place to rest, and the chances of other humans finding us were slim. Not much to loot in a mattress shop. Camila demanded that Luis and Miguel eat before they went out, so we ate the rest of the food we had. Food would be another challenge we’d have to face, but if we didn’t make it out of the city, it wouldn’t matter much. We could swim the Hudson if push came to shove, but it would be unbelievably risky.
The mattress dipped beside me as Emery joined me at the front of the shop. “What’s on your mind?”
I shrugged. “Just thinking through our next moves. Food. Shelter. Ya know, the usual stuff.”
“Things might be different outside of the city. Why else would they spend the resources to cut the city off from the rest of the world?”
She had a point. “Do you think everything outside of the city is normal?”
“It could be, though, for how long, I’m not sure. I think this could be the beginning of the end of civilization, or at least society as we know it. Even if it hasn’t touched all corners of the world yet, I don’t think it can be stopped. I mean, we’ve seen this infection firsthand. If it were containable, they would have already done so.”
“So what do we do?” I asked.
Emery side-eyed me with a smirk. “You’re asking me, fearless leader?”
