"That is Ishan Street."
"That's what I was afraid of."
"Don't you see what this means, Alex?" Jo said, her face flushed. "The infected must be looking for Victor's stash, too."
"Not necessarily. They could just have wandered into this neighborhood."
"Freshly infected, and with a plan of attack against intruders? Come on."
"You may be right, Jo. But that means there's no chance to search for the stash. If I'm right, we can come back later and start all over again. If you're right, we might as well forget it."
Jo looked back toward Ishan Street. "We have to try."
"Then let's lie low for a while. We'll check it out in a few days. If they're still here, we'll know they're looking for Victor's stash. And if they are looking for it, how did they learn about it in the first place?"
"I don't know, but I'd really like to find out what he hid down there."
"Wouldn't we both?" They were walking toward the river. There was no sense in staying in West Philadelphia under the circumstances.
"What about Samuel?" Jo asked, as they reached the tunnel mouth.
Alex turned and glanced at the older man, who walked behind them solemnly. "Well, he got along all right without us before. I guess he can do it again."
"But he helped us find what we were looking for, Alex," Jo said. "We can't just leave him to fend for himself. We might not have been able to fight our way out if he hadn't been with us."
Alex had his doubts about that. It seemed to him that the Ingram had made the difference. But he had seen the old man swinging his pipe like Barry Bonds; Samuel's support hadn't hurt them. Still, there were certain considerations to be made. They were living from moment to moment, with barely enough food for themselves, much less another person.
"Do you really think it's a good idea?" he said. "I know he said you were the Chosen One, but we've still gotta eat."
Jo glared at him, and Alex decided that it was no good to object. Reason was clearly not what would determine this decision. He shrugged, overruled. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. There would be strength in numbers, and Samuel probably wouldn't eat very much.
Alex turned and said, "So, Samuel, do you want to come with us?"
Samuel shook his gray head. "I cannot join you. My mission is to return to the wilderness, where I shall remain until I receive further signs from God."
Somehow, this announcement did not tempt Alex to laugh. Leaving Samuel alone seemed tantamount to a death sentence, with the infected roaming these streets. But Alex remembered what the schizophrenics had been like at the hospital. There was no arguing with them.
"Thank you for what you did," Alex said.
Sternly, Samuel nodded in acknowledgment of their gratitude. He turned and, using the pipe as a walking stick, made his way back through the endless maze of wrecked houses, whence he had come.
Alex and Jo shifted some of the trash around and entered the tunnel. There was enough light so that they didn't have to use the lantern for the first hundred feet or so, as they passed under the river.
"Do you think we'll ever see him again?" said Jo.
"I don't know."
A couple of hours later they had made their way through the steam vents and sewers, and were approaching their nest.
"There's no place like home," Jo said.
Alex laughed. He helped Jo up into the shaft and they divested themselves of their equipment and clothing. Lust came over them suddenly, perhaps as a result of the danger they had faced this afternoon. The notion that there's nothing like the proximity of death to make one appreciate life flitted briefly through Alex's mind. But soon he was preoccupied with less philosophical matters.
As Alex kissed her deeply, Jo slowly descended on him. Moving languorously at first, they locked together in a hot love embrace, rocking back and forth with increasing speed. He kneaded her soft skin as she ran her fingers through his hair with one hand and caressed his back with the other. Some time later, they
"That's what I was afraid of."
"Don't you see what this means, Alex?" Jo said, her face flushed. "The infected must be looking for Victor's stash, too."
"Not necessarily. They could just have wandered into this neighborhood."
"Freshly infected, and with a plan of attack against intruders? Come on."
"You may be right, Jo. But that means there's no chance to search for the stash. If I'm right, we can come back later and start all over again. If you're right, we might as well forget it."
Jo looked back toward Ishan Street. "We have to try."
"Then let's lie low for a while. We'll check it out in a few days. If they're still here, we'll know they're looking for Victor's stash. And if they are looking for it, how did they learn about it in the first place?"
"I don't know, but I'd really like to find out what he hid down there."
"Wouldn't we both?" They were walking toward the river. There was no sense in staying in West Philadelphia under the circumstances.
"What about Samuel?" Jo asked, as they reached the tunnel mouth.
Alex turned and glanced at the older man, who walked behind them solemnly. "Well, he got along all right without us before. I guess he can do it again."
"But he helped us find what we were looking for, Alex," Jo said. "We can't just leave him to fend for himself. We might not have been able to fight our way out if he hadn't been with us."
Alex had his doubts about that. It seemed to him that the Ingram had made the difference. But he had seen the old man swinging his pipe like Barry Bonds; Samuel's support hadn't hurt them. Still, there were certain considerations to be made. They were living from moment to moment, with barely enough food for themselves, much less another person.
"Do you really think it's a good idea?" he said. "I know he said you were the Chosen One, but we've still gotta eat."
Jo glared at him, and Alex decided that it was no good to object. Reason was clearly not what would determine this decision. He shrugged, overruled. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. There would be strength in numbers, and Samuel probably wouldn't eat very much.
Alex turned and said, "So, Samuel, do you want to come with us?"
Samuel shook his gray head. "I cannot join you. My mission is to return to the wilderness, where I shall remain until I receive further signs from God."
Somehow, this announcement did not tempt Alex to laugh. Leaving Samuel alone seemed tantamount to a death sentence, with the infected roaming these streets. But Alex remembered what the schizophrenics had been like at the hospital. There was no arguing with them.
"Thank you for what you did," Alex said.
Sternly, Samuel nodded in acknowledgment of their gratitude. He turned and, using the pipe as a walking stick, made his way back through the endless maze of wrecked houses, whence he had come.
Alex and Jo shifted some of the trash around and entered the tunnel. There was enough light so that they didn't have to use the lantern for the first hundred feet or so, as they passed under the river.
"Do you think we'll ever see him again?" said Jo.
"I don't know."
A couple of hours later they had made their way through the steam vents and sewers, and were approaching their nest.
"There's no place like home," Jo said.
Alex laughed. He helped Jo up into the shaft and they divested themselves of their equipment and clothing. Lust came over them suddenly, perhaps as a result of the danger they had faced this afternoon. The notion that there's nothing like the proximity of death to make one appreciate life flitted briefly through Alex's mind. But soon he was preoccupied with less philosophical matters.
As Alex kissed her deeply, Jo slowly descended on him. Moving languorously at first, they locked together in a hot love embrace, rocking back and forth with increasing speed. He kneaded her soft skin as she ran her fingers through his hair with one hand and caressed his back with the other. Some time later, they
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