"… continues as normal in some parts of the country this morning as growing violence develops in several cities. The government has issued a statement that all the violence has been isolated to only certain areas and that people should continue on with their lives. The violence in Austin, Texas this morning is being reported as the result of drunken rowdiness after a secret rave at a downtown nightclub and the National Guard has the situation under control. We are being told it is not associated in anyway with the race riots in New York, Detroit and Philadelphia nor the suspected terrorism in Chicago yesterday…" a very calm reporter droned on while the scenes of violence played out behind her.

"They're lying. This much rioting happening all at once. And look at those scenes. People are biting each other!" Eric's voice sounded odd to his ears. Too high pitched. And his stomach rolled once more.

"We're going. They said it’s under control and my sister is in the hospital and her drugged out buddy is being a shithead."

"You mean the guy you slept with?" The words slipped out before he could stop them.

Brandy was heaving her heavy suitcase off a chair and she hesitated at his words. "Fuck you."

"Well, evidently you're fucking someone else," Eric said defensively.

"My sister is in the hospital, dickwad!" She threw his shoes at him and his shirt from the day before. "If you love me, you'll come with me."

"Brandy, are you even watching the news. What is going on? Something is wrong. They put PCP in the water or something. Or some kind of chemical."

"Who?"

"Terrorists or something," Eric said. "Don't you see what is going on? Look at where the red dots are. They're around major cities. Being in a major city is a danger right now. Your sister is in the hospital and that's a safe place to be. We need to stay here until they figure out what the hell is going on!"

Brandy's lips set in a tight line and she shoved past him to barge out the door.

"Brandy, don't!"

Eric shoved his shoes on as fast as he could and ran out after her. Pulling his shirt on, he rushed down the stars as she dragged her suitcase down the stairs.

"You can't tell me not to go be with her. If you love me you'll go with me and stop being a jerk."

Brandy yanked the front door open and charged outside.

"Brandy, listen to me, honey. People are attacking each other, biting each other, they're rioting. You can't go back to Austin until they tell us for sure its over."

"The news said it was under control. I'm going to be with my sister and punch Paul in the face," Brandy snapped, barely glancing over her shoulder at him.

"Why? Because he's trying to sleep with your sister, too?"

"You were listening to my phone calls?" Brandy whirled around, her eyes burning bright with anger and her lips set into a tight, angry line.

"Yeah, I overheard you." Eric felt his anger fill him once more, but then it burst inside of him and he felt a sob in his throat. "But I love you and I don't care. We'll get counseling. We can work through this. I've been working too much. Neglecting you."

Brandy stared at him for a few seconds then turned around and continued her march toward the car. "Then if you love me, you'll come with me."

Eric hurried after her. "Brandy, listen to me, sweetheart. I think if we go back we might die. Do you understand? We stand a good chance of getting killed. Those red dots are over the cities, Brandy. Don t' you understand. The more people there are the more dangerous whatever this thing is becomes."

His girlfriend shoved her suitcase into the back of the car and once more turned to face him. "If you love me, you will come with me."

Tears were threatening and he reached out and touched her cheek gently. She slightly turned her head away from him and it hurt him. "Okay. Okay."

"Good." She pulled the driver side door open and leaned over and pulled out the small black case they kept their revolver in. They never traveled without it. "We've got this. We'll be fine. Let's go."

Eric wiped a tear away and felt his nose quivering. He felt overwhelmed and afraid. But somehow, through the chaotic swirl of his thoughts he heard Pepe's tiny yap. Obviously, the little dog was in the fenced in yard of the kennel and had heard their voices.

"Okay, but I need to get Pepe."

"Leave him," Brandy said in a cold voice.

"I can't," Eric protested.

"We can come back for him, but right now we got to go and we can't waste time dropping him off at home. My sister is in the fucking hospital, Eric!"

"And she's dead, Brandy. Isn't that what Paul said?" He regretted the words the minute he said them.

Brandy's face flushed red and she hissed, "No, she's not and if you love me, you'll get in this gawddamn car right now!"

Eric gripped the edge of the car door with his hand and struggled with his emotions. "I'll get Pepe, then we'll go."

"Leave the dog, Eric."

"No, I can't. I'll get him and be right back."

This one thing he could not do for her. He would not leave Pepe behind. Turning, he ran down the path away from the house and the covered parking lot toward the kennel just beyond the garden. He ran as fast as he could, tears slipping down his cheeks. Brandy and Pepe were everything to him and he would not lose either one of them. Somehow, this all had to work out.

The kennel came into view and Pepe was standing on his hind feet, his front paws resting on the fence as he barked anxiously. Eric rushed to the gate in the enclosure and fumbled with the latch until it opened. Pepe immediately ran and jumped into his arms. The feel of the warm, anxious little body in his arms soothed his shattered nerves a tad and he turned to hurry back to the parking lot.

The sleek dark blue car he had bought Brandy was already pulling out of the lot and heading down the driveway that wove just past the kennel. Evidently, she had decided to pick him up. Holding Pepe close, Eric ran across the yard toward the road.

Somehow, they would all be okay. They would get back to Austin and the army would have things under control and maybe Rachel really was alive and Paul was just strung out on drugs and…

The car roared past him. Brandy didn't even turn her head to look at him. Eric frantically waved after her, but the car kept going. The wheels kicked up a thick plume of dust that engulfed him and he staggered to halt and stood in the middle of the lane in shock. Instinctively he fumbled in his pocket for his phone so he could call her and beg her to turn around, but it wasn't there. Instead, there was the tiny velvet box that held the diamond engagement ring.

Pepe licked Eric's cheek and snuggled under his chin.

It wasn't even eight o'clock in the morning yet and his world was over.

And far beyond the tiny bed and breakfast, the world was entering its final death throes.

Eric sat on the front porch of the B & B in numb silence. Pepe sniffed around the steps, but stayed close. Eric couldn't even fully comprehend that Brandy had truly left him behind. He kept expecting the car to return once she calmed down, but the lane remained empty.

Chapter Five

Death on the Doorstop

After an hour, Eric slowly stood up, called Pepe to him, and moved to enter the B & B. As he opened the door, he noted the lack of cooking smells or any sound at all inside the building. Since they had arrived a few days ago, Brandy and Eric had been the only guests. Usually Mrs. Waskom was in the kitchen cooking a delicious breakfast that was set out on the table around eight-thirty. Curious, he strode through the foyer and hallway filled with antiques toward the back of the house where the refurbished kitchen was located. He found it empty.

Feeling uneasy, Eric walked back down the hall and checked in the parlor and the small office tucked off it. No one was in sight. The world seemed frighteningly empty and he walked over to the fireplace and snagged a poker from the ornate stand next to it. As he gazed down at the handle clutched tightly in his hand, he could see that he was trembling and he took several deep breaths. The unease he had felt the day before was swelling into an overwhelming fear and he struggled to gain control of it.

The front door of the house suddenly slammed open and he let out a yelp and almost fell backwards over a chair. Pepe began to bark furiously and Mrs. Waskom appeared in the doorway to the parlor looking flushed and agitated.

"You need to leave," she said bluntly. "Now. I'm leaving with my kids to join my husband at Fort Hood and I'm closing the bed and breakfast."

"My girlfriend left without me," Eric said softly.

Mrs. Waskom blinked then said, "Damn. You had a fight?"

"Something like that." Eric picked up Pepe, but held onto the poker. "Why are you leaving?"

"My husband called and told me its getting worse. It's spreading, whatever it is, people going crazy, attacking each other." She hesitated. "He said I needed to get to Fort Hood before this thing explodes. He says they can't get it under control."

His throat felt painfully dry and he swallowed hard. "I noticed on the TV that the higher population areas are having a lot more trouble. You might be safer out here."