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“Did you give them something to siphon gas out of cars?” Travis asked.

“Sure did and loaded them up with mostly MREs. Gave them hunting rifles for protection and some spears. ”

“Sounds good,” Travis decided, crossing his arms over his chest. “Is that young family still going with them?”

“Yeah,” Bill answered sadly. “Yeah, they are. Can’t change their mind.

Father keeps saying that if they stay their kids will surely die. If they go, God will show them the way. ”

“Let’s hope He does,” Travis answered grimly.

“They’re leaving tonight,” Bill added. “I tried to get them to stay until morning, but they just want to go. It’s like they think God’s about to hurl lightning bolts down on us. ”

“Wasn’t that Zeus, not Jesus?” Travis said with a wry smile.

“You know how Fundies are,” Bill responded. “Hellfire and brimstone, God is gonna getcha. ”

“Yeah, unfortunately, yeah,” he sighed.

Mary walked up to join them. Her blue skirt and pale blouse were heavily starched and very neat. Her hair was swept into a chignon on top of her head and Travis thought she looked a little like Peggy from King of the Hill in that moment.

“We’re leaving now, Travis. I felt it best to give you one more chance to repent your sins and do what is right. Cleanse the fort and return to godly ways,” she said.

Her towering beanpole of a husband stood behind her looking rather fierce.

“If that means casting out the people you consider undesirable, I think I’ll stay with my sinner ways,” Travis answered.

Mary’s face darkened. “A proud heart belongs to the fool,” she responded tersely.

“Yeah,” Travis said significantly, looking at her pointedly. “It does. ”

The elevator doors slid open behind them and Travis paled as he saw Kevin stumble out with Nerit in his arms.

“No,” Katie exclaimed from nearby as Bill instantly rushed forward.

“God is already striking down the sinners,” Mary said to her husband with a vindictive gleam in her eye and a smug smile.

“Get the hell out of the fort,” Travis snarled at her before rushing to where people were gathering around Kevin as he carried Nerit toward the clinic.

“What happened to her?” Katie asked as she kept pace with Kevin’s heavy footfalls.

“I don’t know. I found her on the floor of her room,” Kevin answered, tears gleaming in his eyes.

“Is she. . . is she. . ” Bill’s voice cracked.

“I think I felt a pulse. I’m not sure,” Kevin responded in a voice thick with emotion.

Travis moved ahead of the small throng and flung open the clinic door to let them in. Bette looked up from where she sat reading a book. She was the night shift nurse for the week.

“Oh, shit!”

Bette was instantly at their side, guiding Kevin with a hand on his arm.

Switching into full nurse mode, she quickly began to check Nerit’s vitals even before she was completely on the bed.

Travis stood next to Katie, his arms crossed over his chest, swallowing hard.

“Is she…Is she…” Bill whispered again.