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“Is that how you got stuck on the bridge?”

The cameras flashed off and on and off and on. Unbidden, unwelcomed the bridge returned for me...

I blinked.

And the bridge was gone.

A man dressed in khakis and a polo shirt spoke. His words came out in a near whisper and I had to strain to hear him speak.

“I’m sorry,” I said, “Can you please repeat that?”

“The bridge,” he began and then paused to wet his lips. He seemed to weigh the questions and it reminded me so much of Jack. Except Jack always had a playful expression, as if he were aware of some great inside joke.

The man’s gaze sharpened.

“Are you aware, Sandy, that the attack on the bridge was orchestrated by former colleagues? And are you aware that witnesses place you on the bridge?”

For a moment, the room was too bright and out of the corner of my eye I saw the flicker of movement. I turned my head, slapping myself with my own ponytail, but there was nothing there.

Everyone turned to look.

“Ms. Mingle?” The man said, looking more irritated. “The bridge? Were you on the bridge?”

A flood of questions ensued.

“Were you friends with Jeri Mayweather?”

My heart pounded.

“Did you know she also survived the outbreak?”

I felt my throat tightening.

“Is it true that Jeri signed a gag order?”

Where had the question come from? How did he know about the gag order? What else had Jeri told them? Did they know about the brochure? My gag order?

I tried to pinpoint the source, but every time I turned to look, I was bombarded by camera flashes.

“Is it true that her entire team died?”

“They didn’t die,” I said and the room went silent. Even I was surprised I had answered.

Sighing, I repeated, “They didn’t die. Our two teams just sort of wound up in the foyer together at the same time. You have to understand that at that point, things were still confusing. Not all of us believed in the zombie outbreak. We still thought it was a training exercise. Jeri and her team were fully armed. Even used duct tape. Eventually, we were all rescued at the same time.”

Let’s just leave out the part where Jeri’s team almost smashed in all of our heads. If it hadn’t been for Ileum...I don’t think I would be the company’s face right now. I don’t think I’d have a face right now!

“The prank on the bridge...I didn’t think anyone who had survived that day could do something like that. Not after what we went through.”

“Can you think of a reason why she would do that?”

“What were they protesting?”

“What do the water bottles have to do with E.O.W. Prep?”

“Is it true that they’re whistleblowers who were fired?"

“What are they trying to say?”

“Do you know the truth?”

“The water bottles? What do they mean?”

“Is it true that you’re being held hostage by E.O.W. Prep?”

“Is it true that Jeri designed the plan but you stole the credit?”

“What?” I sputtered. “Jeri designed what?” I looked around but couldn’t figure out who asked the question.

Ileum shook his head. He might as well have covered my mic with his hand.

“Jeri Mayweather worked in the archive department,” began Cynthia. “We have already answered questions about her before in a public statement, but allow me to clarify this misunderstanding. Jeri Mayweather worked in archives. In fact, she was the director of the archive department. We have fully cooperated with the investigation and the police have documentation that proves this. Now then,” she said and smiled a slick smile. Her fingers came up together, pressed into prayer hands, “We do not know the motive behind this attack. It is our speculation that Jeri Mayweather and a few other employees have been recruited by Armageddon Affiliation. Perhaps our dental isn’t as attractive as we thought.”

The room chuckled.

Cynthia hit them again with another slick smile. I missed the warm smiles that were filled with sunsets and crickets chirping. Or was it cicadas?

Anyway, this Cynthia, this smile, was menacing.

“Again our employees are not whistleblowers because, ladies and gentlemen, there is nothing to say. The attack on the bridge was disgusting and E.O.W. Prep is on the record as saying that we have nothing to do with this horrible assault and are in fact ready to pursue legal action against the defamation to our companies’ reputation.”

Cynthia leaned back and pressed her lips together. It was a show of disappointment.

I was about to add on, but Ileum shook his head again.

A man in a suit leaned into the microphone. He had tremendous eyebrows and very little hair. His expression was etched into the deep lines of his face.

It was about time someone else said something.

“What we do have, ladies and gentlemen, is a hypothesis. However, until we have verified the hypothesis, we will refrain from stirring the masses. We are working closely with our local police force and the C.D.C. to determine the origin of the outbreak. As for the water bottles,” he paused and picked up the bottle in front of him. “We believe it was a distraction. A way to create mass hysteria.”

“How so?”

“Can you elaborate?”

“Do you think the contaminant is in our water source?”

“Are you implying that Armageddon Affiliation deliberately frightened civilians?”

“Do you believe that A.A. is the source of the virus? Is the virus man made?”

“Does E.O.W. Prep plan on reducing plastic consumption? Is this some kind of environmental movement?”

Eyebrows, the man in the suit, waved a dismissive hand. “We have just as many questions as you do, I’m afraid,” he said.

“Sandy, Sandy, over here. Do you have a plan for ensuring that water is safe to drink?”

“Water?” I mumbled.

“Did your coworker, Jack, drink a lot of bottled water?”

“Do you believe A.A. is trying to communicate with you?”

“How many plans does E.O.W. Prep intend to roll out?”

“Isn’t this just a ploy to get more money?”

“Is it true that the Secretary of Defense is working with E.O.W. Prep?”

Cynthia tapped her microphone, “E.O.W. Prep is a company. We have been a family owned and run for three generations now and our product ratings are some of the best out there. It’s only natural for us to continue to make improvements as we face a new crisis. We have no intention of price gouging and every intention of continuing to be a family brand. Essentially, we don’t create the tornados, we react to them.”

“I can prove you were on that bridge,” yelled the man in the polo shirt.

There was a tiny hiccup as everyone turned to look at him.

“I have proof,” he said and held out his phone.