Chapter Thirteen

We have enough to leave the country, what have you done?

It does not matter we need to leave now, we can't leave. What about the kids schooling?

There is no school Justine, he snaps everything is shutdown this place is a warzone!

Come hurry and put on those mask I brought, they hurry out of the house as Jack start up the car. While driving they reach towards the mountain, the sun is blazing hot. Joseph and Josephine is 12 years old.

Mom, "where are we going says Josephine"

" On a little trip honey"

Where to? I feels like we never getting there.

Jack is sweating, as the raging sun is in his face, switch on the aircon Justine insists, "we can't since we driving on gravel it will consume more gas"

Jack, you are being absurd what is the rush?

And we can't roll down the windows because of this virus; "you can roll down the windows, but then we have to wear masks."

Fine, let's do so. At least our bodies will be more relaxed,

The dour of them put on their mask and roll down the window; alongside the path of the mountain is a bear. Joseph and his sister is happy to see the bear, without the parents knowing she removes her mask, Jack looks up in the mirror.

He then breaks what have you done, he jumps out without the realization of the bear being closely, what have you done?

He immediately checks her eyes and feels her body temperature but everything is fine, he is confused why did she not get sick?

Her pulse and breath is normal and it's over ten minutes, he slowly removes his mask and feels perfectly normal.

He waits for another 10 minutes and still they are fine, she is definitely not immune to this virus neither am I, looking at Justine he indicates she can remove her mask, it's over forty degrees maybe the airborne virus is not able to spread in this heat, he then lets a sigh of relieve.

They can all remove there mask, being away from everything and everyone no one insight they are free.

Dad? Yes, the bears are approaching us Jack pulls out his gun as the bear becomes bewildered and rage towards to attack them, "no don't shoot it"Josephine pleads,

It's to close it will damage the car and we stuck here as he ask the kids to cover there eyes and he shoots the bear in the arm it is still running towards them barely two feet away as Jack shoots the bear in the head, the bear falls to the ground.

Jack then grabs his two kids and hold them against him.

" At times we need to do things we do not want to"

The sun will be going down soon, and lucky for us the temperature is not going to change.

Do not tell me we are going to stay out here all night, Jack heads to the trunk of the car Justine follows him, he opens the trunk and she notices all the blacks bags.

What is this? She leans in closer and opens it before he can her, all this money? What's have you done?

"I did not have a choice, they were going to kill us all one for one"

What are you saying? There is only so much antidotes, so everyone is fighting for it so what they are doing is killing people so that the antidote does not run out.

"What antidote? I thought they have not found a cure for it?"

" I will explain to you later let's move the car away from the open area and move it under a tree they will be sending choppers to try and spot us"

Jack now opens the one black bag and it's Kathy? "You are kidnapping Julia's daughter?"

Kathy now hugs Jack as he lets her out, "what's going on? "

They were going to do experiments on this girl, the antidote is in front of you honey, Justine is confused? Kathy is special and carries the antidote in her blood.

Before they conducted the experiments Thomas let me know that Kathy has is antidote.

"Pass me your phone he says to Justine", handing her phone to him he calls Julia, her phone is going straight to voicemail as he attempts multiple times.

"Does her dad know?" No I never got a chance to tell him, I set him free so we can both go looking for his daughter when I found her he was no longer there.

"Do you think they caught him?"

"I do not know, but what I do know is they are all out looking for me."

Let's move the car under a tree, the there kids are playing with each other as Jack now tells them to play under the tree, "we would probably have to make a fire, yes Julia agree, and I have brought plenty of canned food.

After moving the car under the tree Jack plans his next move on a map while Julia prepares dinner, he then gets the tent out the trunk, this is one big tent and luckily for it being black it won't be visible from far.

"Okay, the safest route right now is alongside the mountain, we can't risk being seen, but first we need to get hold of Julia, I do not have a passport for Kathy."

Justine looks at Jack, "why are you so concerned over her?" is it because you were prom king and Queen? Now you are being absurd honey.

"Am I? You are protective over her are you not?"

Jack looks over at Justine, I am not getting into this we got a lot to do before sunrise.

Justine walks over to he kids and hands them a plate of beans Kathy has her hair in two ponies with red ribbons. Kathy looks a lot like her mom Justine thinks to herself.

Justine now takes Kathy, s hand " you will be fine" Jack looks over at Justine, she is getting attached to Kathy.

Justine then sits crossed legs on the ground feeding Kathy the beans, as her two kids is watching her. Jack notices and calls the kids to come and sit with him.

Justine, stands up after feeding her and realises her family is sitting on the rock eating while they by the tree, " why are you guys sitting so far?" Jack looks annoyed as he answers, "no reason Justine, "

He only ever calls her by her name when he is annoyed.

So what's next?" We calling her mom to come and get her and then we leave the country. " Why doesn't she just come with us?"

"Are you crazy? That is kidnapping, well with everything happening in the world we can kidnapping is the least of anyone's concern."

"No, that is final she is going home to her mother where she belongs. "

"Remember we always wanted three kids and it will be great because what if one our own gets ill she is right here with the antidote?"

No, what about Julia? What about her? Are you going to miss her? Jack snaps, no but she will want her daughter back and she will come after us.

Well if she does I am sure you can protect us? Or can't you?

Julia is a highly trained agent who will do anything for her family and trust me I have seen what she is capable of, you are welcome to be her enemy but I am not going down that path.

Kathy, walks up to Jack and touches Jacks hand her eyes turns glossy, as Jack goes into a complete trance, and says "yes she is coming with us"

"See I knew you would understand says Justine holding Jack"

Joseph and Josephine walks up to their parents. Go and play, says Jack " but we tired of playing says Joseph" Okay now go to bed and go sleep the tent is up.

There parents has never spoke like this to them before. They would usually tuck them in and read them a bedtime story."What about our story?"

Go to sleep snaps Justine, Kathy places her palms over Justines eyes as Justine stands up and takes her hand and agrees to telling a story.

The kids are confused at how there parents are acting they never act like this before, what story do you want says Justine, the same one my Mom reads to me.

Justine's eyes turns glossy as she starts reading the princess and the pea, "how did you know her mom read her that story mom?" Keel quiet you are interrupting the story says Jack.

Tomorrow will be a new day says Kathy as the four is asleep she stands up and covers them with a blanket opening the tent and walking up to the dead bear touching the bear where it was shot as the bear suddenly wakes up eyes is glossy, and walks away. Go home now. She whispers before returning to the tent, and laying in the centre falling asleep.