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buddies.”
    The Captain sitting across the table said, “Actually General, reports have come out of Texas of kids doing exactly that.”
    “Shut up, Bill.” The General turned back to Daniel and Lisa. You two are going to stay here 24/7 until you have good news for me. If I have to, I’ll place armed guards at the door to keep you from leaving.” He took one more sip from his flask before placing it back in his briefcase and snapping the latches shut. “ Now, I have to go out there and give all those media clowns a load of official B.S.”
    * * *
    A large group of media and protesters gathered in the parking lot behind a line of armed soldiers. As General Brown stared at the ground and moved fast to avoid answering questions, the crowd moved across the lot with him. A young journalist with a microphone at the front of the crowd, and , standing next to his cameraman , called out, "General! Is it true the Zombie Sickness is a failed attempt at population control by the military?"
    Brown stopped in front of the man. "The what sickness?"
    "The Zombie Sickness."
    "Who the hell is calling it the Zombie Sickness?"
    The journalist gave a proud smile. "Actually, I'm the one who came up with the name. I'm hoping it starts to catch-"
    The General cut him off and continued his walk to his car. "They really need to make it legal to shoot the media. It would be such a great service to the country." One of his aides opened the backdoor to his waiting black sedan. Just as he put his briefcase on the seat, he heard a familiar voice from the crowd.
    "Are you really going to ignore me, Chris?"
    With a sense of dread, he turned and saw a woman in her late thirties, long sandy colored dreadlocks, leather sandals and a t-shirt which read, "ZOOM."
    "Hellion, damn it! I really hoped to get through this without you turning it into one of your movements du jour."
    "It's nice to see you too ." Hellion squeezed through the crowd to reach the front. One of the armed soldiers put his hand up to keep her from going any further . "This is bigger than you and me. It's the next step up the ladder of human evolution."
    "This has nothing to do with evolution an d in what bizarre hippie world of yours, do you think there's ever been any you and me?" He glanced at her shirt. "What the hell is ZOOM?"
    "It stands for Zombies and Others On the Move."
    The General moved back toward his car. "Go back to the Arctic and try and save those… what were you trying to save there?"
    "Caribou."
    "They're not even endangered! There's more c aribou, than people in the Arctic . Why do I waste my time talking to you?" He looked at one of his aides and pointed to the protester. "Shoot her and I'll promote you to Major."
    Hellion smiled and reached back into the crowd. "Don't be so army with me, Chris. Look who I brought."
    She pulled her friend to the front of the crowd. The General's eyes widened , his shoulders dropped, and his mouth opened slightly agape, which turned into a non-characteristic huge smile. He scanned up and down the woman with the darkish red hair and natural classic beauty. "How've you been, Pink? I didn't think it was possible, but you get even better looking each time I see you."
    Pink replied, "Wow, you used my actual name, instead of making up some cardboard cutout biblical moniker. I'm flattered."
    Hellion cut in, "Sorry to break up the lovefest , but the military really needs to leave these people alone. You are messing with the greatest event in human history since we stood upright. We need to let nature takes it's course."
    The General covered her face with his large hand and pushed her back, while still gazing at Pink. "Why do you insist on hanging out with her? She's going to get you into trouble, real trouble. The types of trouble, where I can't come rescue you."
    "This time, I agree with her." Pink replied, with a slight flirtatious glance and smile. "These people have been given a second chance at life by God or nature or whatever living