January 21
4:50 p.m.
Mexico

Tenajo was definitely NOT paradise.

It looked like a town left to bake in the sun. If I looked hard enough I could see a fountain good enough for picture taking in the center surrounded by three adobe buildings. And at the far end of the plaza was a small church.

“Oh it’s so pretty!” Quatre chimed. “My hammock is almost in sight!”

“I doubt you could sleep with all that noise… Quatre you shoulda mentioned there were going to be coyotes around. I don’t think that-“ I stiffened. Those weren’t coyotes.

Dogs.

I had heard that sound before.

Those dogs were howling, dozens of them. And the mournful call was coming from below them near the town. I feel myself begin to shake.

Quatre looked at me worriedly, “What’s wrong? What is it?”

“N-nothing.” It just couldn’t be! I mean how many times had I awoken to the sounds of those phantom dogs?

“Don’t give me that, are you sick?” Quatre insisted.

“L2…” I manage to say. “It may sound crazy… but we have to hurry. Hurry Quatre!!!”

Quatre without a second thought floored the pedal leaping faster toward the town.

***************

We didn’t see the first body until we reached the fountain. A woman lay in its shadows.

“Why isn’t anyone helping her?” Quatre asked frantically as he leaped out over to her. “S-she’s dead.”

I had already known she would be.

“What’s happening?”

I blink. “I dunno.” It was the truth… this wasn’t L2. What happened there COULDN’T happen here, could it? “How did she die?” I turned back to Quatre

“I don’t know… disease maybe? It don’t look like there was a struggle. What do you know about this?”

“I don’t know anything!” I squeak. “But I believe there will be others… come on!” I grabbed Quatre’s wrist and dragged him toward the cantina.

We found four bodies inside of the cantina. Quatre went to each one.

“All dead?” I whisper. Quatre nodded. “Is it contagious?”

“It doesn’t seem to be.” Quatre said. “How did you know?”

“The dogs. In L2 we heard dogs from miles away. Everyone had been butchered by guerillas.”

“Everyone…?” Quatre looked haunted. “Lets check all the houses. I fail to think that everyone is dead because dogs are howling. Maybe we can find someone who can help.”

There were two dead in the shop next door. A woman behind the counter and a child that had chocolate smeared on his face. Children love sweets, I thought dully.

“What are you doing?” Quatre asked.

I look down at the camera that I had just taken a picture of the little boy with.

Focus.
Shoot.
L2 again.

But I wouldn’t have to take pictures here. There wouldn’t be any secrets or hidden mass graves. “I don’t know.” I mutter and stuff the camera away again.

“Duo don’t cry…”

I hadn’t even realized I was. I wiped my tears on the back of my hand. “What do you figure it was?” I asked.

Quatre looked thoughtful for a minute. “Its hard to say, there’s all kinds of viruses springing up. It could just as easily be something in their water. Cholera is a frequent outbreak in Mexico. Whatever it is we’ll need help.” He picked up the phone. “No dial tone. I guess we’ll have to try the next house.”

The next house had no dead and the telephone didn’t work either.

“Maybe you should leave Tenajo Duo.”

“The HELL I am! I’m not leaving you here!”

Quatre smiled and nodded. “It was only a thought. Lets look and see if we can find any survivors.”

During the next few hours we found 43 dead. Many were in their own homes. And then we came across the church. Where we found the priest gasping for breath.

“Duo! Get some water! Hey can you tell me what happened here? Do you know if anyone else is alive?”

The priest eyes opened. “The root… the root…” Was he saying they had been poisoned?

“What happened? What killed those people?”

“The root…” the priest gasped again.

“Duo?! Where’s the water?!?”

“It doesn’t matter.” I mumble. “He’s dead.”

The priest’s eyes were open staring up at me. Death. So much horror and death. Shuddering I walked out of the church. I sank down on the porch and wrapped my arms around myself. I just couldn’t stop shaking. I looked up. The sun was beginning to descend. It was Blood-red. Death red.

Would those dogs ever stop their wailing?

L2. This wasn’t L2. But what if it was?

A town without communication. That was the first thing the guerillas had done in L2… cut the phone lines. But this was a small town there was no reason for it to have been destroyed.

But had there been a reason for L2?

Maybe just a few pictures… Just in case.

I pulled out my camera again. Just a few pictures, then I’d find Quatre.

The woman by the fountain.

Focus.
Shoot.

The bartender at the cantina.

Focus.
Shoot.

The old woman curled up by her rosebush in her garden.

Focus.
Shoot.

Dead. So many had died.

Why was I taking pictures? It was as if the shutter clicked according to its own desires. I wanted to stop. But I couldn’t. It seemed as if the entire world was dead. But Quatre and I were alive. I had to hold onto that truth.

I went back out into the street. It was dark now.

Silence.

I walked one block, two.

“Quatre?”

Another dog howled. Did that dog belong to the little boy in the store? No, I mustn’t think that way. It was easier not to think of them as individuals. I had learned that after L2. “Quatre?”

Where was he? Panic soared through me. What if something had happened to him? “QUATRE?!”

“I’m in here.”

Relief poured through me as I hurried over to my friend.

“I’ve found a baby Duo. Everyone else in the house is dead. Come on.”

The baby was a plump little girl, not over 12 months with curly black hair and tiny gold hoops in her ears.

“And the baby’s not sick?”

Quatre shrugged. “She woke up a minute ago and smiled at me.” Quatre smiled down at the little girl. “I thought you needed to see her.”

I nodded gratefully. “I did.”

We stared down at the baby for several moments.

“Gomen Quatre…. I shouldn’t have brought you here.”

“Its not your fault.”

“How are we going to keep her alive?”

“No choice. We have to get her out of town.” Quatre frowned.

“Well we didn’t finish searching stay with her while I see if there’s someone else.”

Quatre smiled, “Its not logical… but if it’ll make you feel better be back in forty minutes, there’s only three blocks left. I want to get Iris out as soon as possible.”

I blink. “Iris?”

“Yeah” Quatre chuckles “We couldn’t call her ‘that one’ now could we? That and I kinda like the sound of it”

I flashed a smile before exiting through the door. But I was certain I was only going to find more horror.

Unless there was another Iris.

I willed myself not to think about. Just do it. I clenched my fists and trudged down the street.

***************

There were no more Irises.

Just death and the howling dogs.

I took a step onto the porch of the last house and took a deep breath, and that’s when I saw the string of lights heading toward the town.

Cars? No they were too big. Trucks then, and they were coming fast. They would be here any moment.

Thank God.

Three trucks roared by me, army trucks headed for the plaza. I could feel the fear ice through me.

There had been army trucks in L2 too…

I was being paranoid. It could be help. Or could it be-?

I had to get back to Quatre.

I flew down the steps, through the gate and down a block.

Quatre looked up as I ran through the door, “What is it? I heard the-“

“You’ve got to get out! Take her away from here!”

“Duo! What are you talking about?!”

“The army trucks have arrived but they’re too soon!”

“You don’t know that! They could be-“

“Quatre it doesn’t feel right. Leave now. Run up into the hills. I’ll check everything out and if it’s ok I’ll come up and get you. Please?!?” I pleaded.

“Duo I’m not going to leave you here!”

“Quatre… they could HURT her.”

I could see he was battling by the way he swayed back and forth.

“Christ Quatre just go! And don’t you DARE follow me. Just get out.”

I ran through the door toward the plaza and prayed he wouldn’t follow me. Run Quatre. Be safe.

Men were pouring from the army trucks. Men dressed in white decontamination suits and helmets, gleaming in the darkness. One was moving toward the fountain. The others fanned out entering the houses on the three sides of the square. One stood silent beside the back of the truck.

It could still be all right I reasoned. Taking a deep breath I hurried toward the truck.

“You’ve come too late!” I called. “They’re all dead. Everyone is-“

The man who had reached the fountain was pouring something into the water.

“What are you doing? It’s too late to-“

The man by the truck turned toward me and I gasped as the headlights illuminated his face behind the transparent visor. I instinctively turned to run away. He laid one of his gloved hands on my shoulder.

“You’re right… it IS too late.”

That was the last thing I saw before his fist came arching toward my face.