First Activation

“Come on, Bernie,” Jack said, “we don’t even have to hang around in Manhattan if it’s too dangerous. I can’t decide if many killers would actually be there anyway. Remember, their mission is not to get killed by somebody else. If we make it in, Harry and I can have a quick check for Andy and Dave as well. Don’t worry, we won’t be messing around.”

“I’d go where I thought I had the best chance of success,” Bernie said. “There are lots of places to hide in Manhattan and over a million people would have been there yesterday. Think about how many killers we could be exposing ourselves to? There are thousands of windows in the city that look onto the streets. All anyone would need was a gun and a bit of patience.”

“This debate might be pointless anyway,” I said. “We might not even get a response. We can make our minds up tomorrow morning after checking online.”

The mixture of vodka and lack of sleep was starting to loosen me up, and I started speculating on the motivation behind whatever was going on.

“Maybe all of this is the result of a secretly developed weapon. If you wanted to destroy your enemies, would there be a better way to do it? Divide and conquer, you get to keep your hands clean while they wipe themselves out. An invasion afterwards, would simply be a case of rounding up stragglers.”

“Why not just get people to kill themselves? Why bother making them kill somebody else first?” Jack asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe to ensure those who weren’t affected would face terrible odds? Or to take care of anyone who was incapable of finding a way to complete their own mission?”

The more I thought about it, the more it seemed as a chillingly, effective idea to spread.

“How would the terrorists keep themselves immune from the effect?” Bernie said.

“Maybe they all got into planes. If it was airborne, they could have put on respirators. Or perhaps there’s an antidote, or they just didn’t expose their own geographic area.”

“I hadn’t thought about an invasion before. Who would do something like that?” Jack replied, shifting uneasily in his seat.

We chatted for another half an hour, going around in circles. The only thing that made sense was that it couldn’t have been an accident. Who did it, how they did it, and what they planned to do next, was a mystery. Jack suggested that we all get some sleep, Bernie and I agreed. I stretched out on one of the couches and closed my eyes.

Jack nudged me awake.

“Harry, get up. We’ve got a reply!”

I was disorientated for a few seconds, but quickly recognised Bernie’s apartment and heard Jack behind me tapping on a keyboard. I must have managed a few good hours of sleep, as it was now light outside.

“What does it say?”

“Come and look.”

Bernie appeared from the bedroom in a white vest and briefs; he plodded over to peer at the monitor.

Direct messages from @Lea Ash

Where did you fly from? How can we trust you? There are only 2 of us now.

“How do we know we can trust her? She could be anyone,” Bernie grunted.

“We don’t know,” I said. “At the moment, this is our most realistic chance of making contact with someone who isn’t a killer. Maybe whoever it is, will know where the other passengers from Newark are heading. An organised group would have a far better chance of fighting off the killers’ attacks, once a base has been established.”

“A larger group provides a bigger target as well.”

“True, but let’s try one more message and see what we get back.” I sat at the computer and hit the reply button. “Bernie, where can we see each other from a reasonably safe distance?”

“The Queensboro Bridge I suppose, it’s close to here and leads over into Manhattan. We could stand at either end. If they don’t show, then we come back here. Deal?”

Jack and I both nodded.

Direct messages to @LeaAsh

We left Manchester in England, you will have to trust us as much as we will you. Come to the Queensboro Bridge at 11, we’ll be on the other side.

We had three hours to have something to eat, have a wash, and get to the bridge. I usually showered every day as a routine, although I didn’t shave as regularly, so the hot water and soap left me feeling revitalised for the first time in days. Unfortunately, Bernie was a few sizes smaller than me so I put my old clothes back on with a grimace. I left the door of the bathroom open for Jack who eagerly walked in and closed the door. Bernie said he wasn’t going to bother, instead he warmed up cans of beans and made some coffee.