128 (Operation Armageddon: Book 1)

Epilogue

Five years later...

Megan Stewart's P.O.V

I walked with George, Matthew, his sister-in-law, and his niece as we moved through the busy station. Strong gusts of air blew past us as trains began decelerating as they approached their respective platforms, something we all had experienced back in New York.

The station was packed with so many people that the noise around us was rather overwhelming. It became harder to hear one another's speech as we neared the platform, but that was all right. Through the crowd of travellers, we slowly approached the platform we were all going towards.

Well, the one that Matthew was heading for.

Unlike New York, L.A. had barely been affected by the BMEV-2 outbreak and purge. Thus, regular life continued without fear of any creatures being within reach of locals here. Something that anyone would wish to have, which was also a reason for my permanent move to the West.

To find peace and a new life.

After two years of rebuilding and cleaning up, New York had become completely habitable again. No more bodies. No more damaged skyscrapers. A few artefacts from the debris of damaged structures, like the Manhattan Bridge, may have been preserved in museums, but that was all that remained of the outbreak. A final reminder of what could have been the end for every city in the East, and if not, the country.

I was contented to have finally finished my job. Fulfilling what seemed to be my purpose and having helped Matthew in taking down Yael paid off after all. Life could have been better if I had rejected his offer, but as a friend, I couldn't say no.

With Daniel incarcerated, the chairwoman and Palmer dead, and the corrupt Yael employees involved taken into custody, there was no one left to continue the unethical legacy of the greedy corporation. I tried not to remember them, but every now and then, they would come back to my head. The fact that I was involved in such a situation would always linger in my mind, and these thoughts would come about as a result.

Then again, I would just focus on my life in a new city. A new life, a new job, a new family and a new purpose. A lateral transfer from the NYPD to the LAPD wasn't easy, but I still got back my role as a detective anyway, and I thus didn't need to move back to New York. I didn't want to, after all.

But Matthew thought about it differently. When he said that he was going to use Los Angeles as a temporary break for him, I thought he wasn't serious. I assumed that he, like me, would want to enjoy the freedom of being in another place that wouldn't remind him of past traumatic situations. But when he told Captain Watkins in the NYPD five years ago that he would be back one day, he wasn't kidding.

That was how he ended up at a train station, preparing to depart for New York. And, as supportive friends and family, we decided to follow him along to see him off. To watch as he would leave to return to the old life that he once had.

As Matthew stepped in line to board the soon-approaching train, I tapped his shoulder. Even though I wasn't the one leaving, I felt nervous. Anxiety built up in me as I began feeling uneasy for him. I wasn't quite sure why, but I still got his attention anyway. "Matthew," I said as I nudged him.

He turned to look at me, wondering what I had wanted to say. I hesitated for a moment, but I could tell he was waiting for me to talk. He stayed silent, and it quickly became awkward. As such, I spoke. "Are you really sure you want to return there alone?" I asked for the last time, worried.

Instead of taking it seriously, however, he chuckled. I wondered what was so funny about my statements of concern, but it seemed clear to him why it was so humorous.

"Attention. The 7 am New York-bound NY-LA Express is arriving in two minutes. Please queue up at your designated carriage-number arranged queues," the P.A. system announced, cutting into our conversation halfway.

This, however, didn't stop Matthew from continuing. "You could have asked me that a week ago before I had booked the tickets, and I would have probably said no," he joked as he turned away from me and stared at the approaching train.

That was when I knew that he had his own best interests in his heart. And I couldn't get in the way of what he wanted to decide for his own life and future. So, I stepped back a little and reminded myself that seeing him off was the purpose of this whole thing after all.

Soon, the sound of the bullet train slowing down and stopping at the station reached our ears. It had arrived, and it was time for Matthew to leave. After the train came to a complete halt, the doors automatically shuffled open, signalling to everyone in the queue that it was time for them, including Matthew, to board. He picked up his haversack, not saying a word as there was too much noise from the other commuters, who were bidding farewell to their loved ones as well. He gave us one last wave before entering the train, going out of sight.

After fifteen minutes, the train began to depart. Fifteen minutes passed faster than I had expected, and I already noticed the change in the atmosphere without him. Despite this, at least we all thought we would get to see him soon.

With him gone, it meant a change for not just himself but for everyone else too. For me, it was one less friend to have. For Brooke and Amelia, it was one less family member. And for George, it was one less brother figure for him.

We watched the train move away until it was almost unseeable in the distance. Just as we were about to leave the platform, however, a strange burst of light emerged from what seemed to be either the train or the buildings around it. However, the orange bulb of light kept moving for a bit, and I knew it couldn't be from the surrounding buildings.

I looked down at my feet, recalling what Matthew had told me about Daniel. About what he had imagined Daniel saying after he had been driven off from Yael Tower. After he had been brought into custody. The three words lingered in my mind, and for some reason, I could hear Daniel muttering those words clearly for once.

As I looked back up, a piercing sound hit my ears. And I focused on the disappearing light that was being emitted from the distant train. The light quickly transformed into a dark cloud of smoke that kept rising without any stop. And as I watched in shock as the smoke erupted into the sky, the three words rang through my head once more.

"It isn't over."