Read Online The Last Bastion of the Living: A Futuristic Zombie Novel by Rhiannon Frater - Free Book Online Page B

stores percolated in the old coffee maker and the remains of her monthly rations were packed in a box near the door. She planned to give it to the Roses before she left her flat for the last time.
    It felt odd packing up and preparing to leave, but when her duty was complete she wouldn ’ t be living in the city. Instead a house near the lake would be waiting for her. She had already reviewed the designs on her personal pad. Dwayne had sat at her side as she had studied the various floor plans before making her final choice. He ’ d left the decision entirely up to her. Again, she was reminded of why she loved him.
    “You ’ re fighting for it. It ’ s your house. Just give me a recliner, a vid-screen, a beer, and I ’ ll be fine,” he promised her.
    A long tendril of hair fell into her face as she finished rinsing out the sink and she pushed it back with a damp hand. Looking over her shoulder, she surveyed the flat one more time.
    All of her uniforms were neatly packed in one small bag and her person al items were in another. She ’ d never decorated her tiny space and her personal possessions were meager. She was allowed only a few small mementos out in the field, but she was fine with keeping her possessions in storage until her return. As long as she had a life to return to that was all that truly mattered.
    Straightening, she tossed the sponge she was using into the recycle bin and set her hands on her hips. She considered changing her clothes before calling her mother, but decided against it. Her final change of clothes before she left the flat would be into her uniform, and her mother had never approved of her enlisting.
    Angling the vid-screen to face the bed, she slid her personal pad into the port in its side and dialed her mother. Sitting at the edge of the bed, she tucked her hair back from her face and took a deep breath. This was not a conversation she was looking forward to. The “Call Connecting” screen remained much longer than she expected. When it flickered alive, her brother appeared.
    “Hey, Mariano,” Maria exclaimed in surprise, not expecting to see him.
    “What you up to, sis?” Her brother ’ s dark kinky hair, big dark eyes, and charming smile were a welcome sight. He was the oldest in her family and strongly resembled her father. Like Maria, he was also named after their father.
    “I need to speak to Mama. It ’ s important. Is she around?”
    “Yeah. Give me a second.”
    Her brother vanished from the screen. The camera transmitted a good view of her mother ’ s living room. The furniture was old, overly stuffed, and covered with brightly colored throws. A huge block of ice sat in a basin slowly melting as a fan whirred behind it. The wall was decorated with pictures of the family arranged around an enormous picture of the Virgin Mary. It was familiar and comforting . Maria felt a little tension leave her shoulders. Her mother entered the scene, sat down in her recliner and fussed with the fan so it would blow icy air over her.
    “Hey, Mama!”
    “It ’ s not Sunday. Why are you calling early? Are you okay?” Her mother frowned at her, her shapely lips turning downward. Lourdes Martinez ’ s hair was just as dark, thick, and beautiful as Maria ’ s, but with fine strands of silver. It was braided and coiled into a fancy bun on the top of her head. The resemblance between Maria and her mother was quite strong, down to the stubborn set of their chin.
    “No, Mama. Nothing is wrong. I just wanted to call to let you know that I am going on a special assignment for around six months. I am not going to be able to contact you and I just wanted-”
    “Where are you going?” Lourdes demanded, her eyes flashing.
    “Hey, sis, what ’ s up?” Mariano leaned into view.
    “All I am allowed to say is that I am on a special assignment authorized by President Cabot ,” Maria answered truthfully.
    “I don ’ t like it,” Lourdes decided. “Tell him no.”
    “I can ’ t, Mama, I