“Nothing really. I didn’t look at those files. He was in a cell next to Yates driving him nuts. Plus, he was arrested for killing a stiff. I thought it would be funny to annoy Yates and obviously, he knew what he was doing.”
“Well, you made the right choice.” Rigs pushed the folder toward her. “He’s pretty qualified. And … it says in there that he got his experience on that cruise line tossing the stiffs overboard.”
Rachel flipped through the folder. “Can you imagine?”
“I think we should talk to Liz about those ships out there. I asked around. The government put people on them to secure their survival. They had plans to bring them back.”
“Just like they did in the remake of I am Legend. Put them on boats and everyone died.”
“But they haven’t, not from what they said in Command. They’re out there floating. Trying to get back. I just think it would be an interesting change of pace to do a cruise elimination,” Rigs said.
“Or monitor a town if the infected are using Yates bracelets?” Rachel said. “Can you imagine having to find the turned before they cause damage. It would be a test of skill.”
“Like the guys tonight.”
“Do you know how many security are in this town, by chance?”
“No. It’s not a lot though.”
“And they’re all concentrated on the borders. It leaves them weak, Rigs. This is a disaster waiting to happen.”
“What do you mean?” Rigs asked.
“I mean …” Rachel took a drink and stood. “Tens of thousands of people here. Most of your security is posted around town and they don’t have more than a thousand. Liz said this is like thirty square miles.” She walked to the railing of the deck, looking out to the open area behind the yard. The lights of homes in the distance. “How do you keep this big of an area safe? I saw that stiff just wandering the streets. The dead are out there. A lot of them.”
“They’ll never go away, Rach, not until the virus is cured.”
“I know. But here, it’s scary. People have a false sense of security. I hate the thought we’re leaving Barry, Fred and Sandy behind.”
Rigs stood and walked to the railing to join her. “It’s a ticking time bomb.”
“Yep and I just have this feeling,” Rachel said. “It won’t be long before it goes off.”
NINE – RABID FIRE
April 21 – Day 367
It was his new team. Zeus had been on two other teams the previous year and he honestly, already felt like he fit in. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that his Aunt Sandy was a founding member. The team, so far, was solid.
He wouldn’t wait for his aunt to be on the road with them, or Barry Bick. Zeus was excited when he learned he was the founder and owner of Big Barry’s Beef.
He had yet to meet Kasper, but heard lots about him. The jury was still out on Yates, and Zeus could see himself constantly at battle with him. However, he was a worthy chess player so that made up for any short comings he had as a human being.
Rachel, he would never have anything bad to say about her. If it weren’t for her he’d be in that cell and not reunited with his family.
Rigs visually, to Zeus, didn’t fit the commanders he had before. Usually they looked hardened, bigger and stern. Rigs was just some everyday average guy, who wore his hair short and probably never combed it with more than his fingers.
The big bonus was the team name. He didn’t tell the others but when he found out they were The Flaming Saffrons, inside he freaked because he was always a closet boyband fan.
They were about to hit the road and were getting the EPEV ready. It was an awesome high tech piece of machinery and the envy of any Eliminator who heard about it or saw it.
Zeus said his farewell to his Aunt Sandy, she was getting settled into her temporary home. She seemed to like it and Zeus didn’t have the heart to tell her the place was only two steps above a nursing home. It had warmer lights, a cooler recreation room and didn’t smell quite as bad as other nursing homes he had been in.
His Aunt and Barry didn’t really fit in, they were youngsters there and Sandy was mobile.
He closed the hatch to the storage area of the EPEV. He and Yates had picked up the food, Rigs had already hit the armory, and was at a meeting with the president.
“Okay, any time now,” Yates said looking at his watch.
“Was that for me?”
“Was what for you?”
“The ‘any time’ comment.”
“No, don’t get so defensive. It’s in regard to Rigs and Rachel. We still have to pick up Kasper from behind the labs.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Zeus said.
“Did they tell you about him?”
“No.”
Yates snickered. “Well, let me have the honors.”
<><><><>
“There are,” Liz said as she sat at an outdoor table at Starbucks with Rigs. “That was all part of my predecessor’s movement. Put as many people on ships as they could to clear the area, slow the infection.”
“But wouldn’t it spread faster on the ships?”
“We assumed. We lost contact with many of them. We know of three that are still moving.”
“So Zeus was right.”
“They’re out there, yes.”
“And did you think about what I suggested in regard to putting trained eliminator teams on site at the infected towns?” Rigs asked.
“We prefer to call them ACC’s. Asymptomatic Centered Communities,” Liz answered. “Remember, there are people in those towns not infected and immune. They choose to be with their families. And I’ll get to that as soon as … ah … here she is.” Liz lifted her head.
“Sorry, I’m late,” Rachel sat down. “This is nice. So normal.”
Rigs pushed a drink her way. “I got you a cold drink, since it’s warm today.”
“Wow, thank you, that’s so nice.” Rachel smiled and sipped it. “So good. I wonder if they’ll sell me some of that mocha syrup.” She faced Liz. “Yates has an espresso machine on the EPEV.”
“Rach,” Rigs said. “Don’t you think that’s a bit much?”
“No, Rigs, no I don’t, but thank you for expressing your opinion.”
Liz chuckled and opened a folder. “Okay, now that I have you both, I’ll give you the run down so you can be on your way and …”
“Madam President.” A male Eliminator stopped at the table. “Sorry to interrupt. I’m Commander Stowell of the Triumphants. I just wanted to congratulate you on becoming president. This is our first time back in a while ma’am.”
“Thank you very much,” Liz replied. “Did you have a safe trip back?”
“We did, ma’am. Although I have to speak to Command about the Eliminator Team D-One, Unit Seven.”
“The Hallmarks?” Liz asked.
“Makes sense for the name,” he replied.
“What happened?”
“Apparently, they Eliminated in a town called Minerva and left a bunch of Zids,” Stowell said. “Whole groups of them running around, and the town was marked clean. Excuse my language, but that was an asshole move. Leaving it to someone else.”
Rigs and Rachel looked at each other.
“We were in Minerva two days ago,” Rachel said. “Passed through to pose with the cow. But we didn’t see any kids.”
“Lucky you, those little bastards are fast. Anyhow, I’ll leave you to your Starbucks. I want to check in with the animal unit before I start my R and R. See about getting a Virus sniffing dog for the next outing.”
Liz cringed. “Not sure that’s possible. One of the dogs was shot. He’s injured and recovering. Someone shot him while he was sniffing out an infected.”
“Who does that?” the man asked annoyed. “I mean what kind of person shoots a dog?”
“In the ass,” Rachel said and sipped her drink.
“Sick. Just sick. I’d like to get my hands on that person.”
“Man,” Rachel replied. �
��It was a man. Maybe I’ll point him out if I see him.”
“Rach,” Rigs warned.
“Please do, and … wait.” Stowell stopped. “You’re an Eliminator,” he spoke to Rachel.
“I am.”
Liz added. “Probably one of the best.”
“I just don’t see many women Eliminators,” Stowell said. “If you are ever looking to change teams—”
“She’s not,” Rigs cut him off.
“Does he always speak for you?” Stowell asked.
“No,” Rachel replied. “But sometimes the sexist in him slips out and he thinks it’s 1955. But thank you Commander for the offer, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Ma’am.” He nodded at Liz then Rachel. “Ma’am.”
“Okay.” Rigs exhaled. “Now that he’s gone. We can get back to this so we can hit the road.”
Liz nodded. “Agreed. Rachel, is Kasper ready to go?”
“He is,” Rachel replied. “He has his things. I have the med case and I stopped to pick up his medical marijuana.”
“Good.”
“What?” Rigs blasted with a laugh. “Why does he need his medical marijuana? I thought for sure that habit would have died when he almost did. He doesn’t need it. It’s bad enough we’re bringing him in his condition, we don’t need him stoned.”
“You stopped complaining about that,” Rachel told him. “What’s the issue with it now? You like Kasper.”
“I liked him better before.”
Rachel gasp. “My god, you are a bigot.”
“How is saying that bigoted?” Rigs asked.
“You don’t like Kasper anymore because he’s a humbie.”
“A humbie?” Rigs asked. “What the hell is a humbie?”
“Part human, part zombie. And you don’t like him because he became one. It would be the same thing if I converted to being Jewish and you stopped liking me.”
“No. No.” Rigs shook his head. “It’s not the same thing. Bigoted is hatred or intolerance based on age, sexual orientation, nationality, religion. Those sorts of things.”
“Then you’re racist.”
Rigs laughed. “I hardly think a … Humbie is a new race.”
“You don’t think?” Rachel asked. “You know, there are more of him out there. You wait. You’ll see. Just like in the one TV series, the one main guy was a Humbie. Shoot. I have to tell Kasper he’s like that guy. He’ll love it.”
Rigs shook his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Rachel waved out her hand.
Liz continued. “If we’re done fighting. Rigs, you had mentioned putting an Eliminator team on site of the ACCs. I am thinking of having Kasper monitor a town. He would be very beneficial. One of the reasons you’re taking him is to see how he fares around a lot of people.”
“What happens if he doesn’t?” Rigs asked. “Do we shoot him?”
“What the hell!” Rachel blasted. “That’s my friend.”
“We don’t think he will,” Liz stated. “And if Rachel is right and there are other humbies then we can station them at ACCs as well. But it is our hope it won’t be long. The mission isn’t just to escort any survivors who want to leave from the town and take them to Moundsville, it’s to retrieve a doctor … or rather a scientist there. A scientist who has, what we hope is the cure.”
Rachel nearly shrieked. “Oh shit! For real?”
Liz smiled and nodded. “Not many know this. But from all data it is promising. This person was top in the virology field who just so happened to be visiting family when the outbreak occurred. I mean, I even heard of Stephanie Levine’s work.”
“It’s a woman?” Rigs asked.
“Problem with that?” Rachel asked.
“No, I just assumed …”
“It was a man because Liz said it was a doctor top in the field.” Rachel shook her head. “Such a sexist. Sounds like she might be Jewish, wanna play that card, too?”
“Rach, enough,” Rigs said.
“Anyhow,” Liz spoke brightly. “If it is a viable cure. Then the mission of a lot of Eliminators may change. Some will continue to clean towns, others will go out distributing the cure.”
“Oh. Oh!” Rachel snapped her finger. “Like the TV show the Last Ship. Only we’ll stay on task and not veer way off the course and go to China or something.”
Both Liz and Rigs stared at her.
“It really isn’t fun talking end of the world movies and shows when no one knows what I’m talking about other than …” Rachel jumped up, as did Rigs and Liz when a blood curdling, woman’s scream rang out. One cut off in what seemed mid cry.
“Stay here,” Rigs told Liz and along with Rachel, they followed the scream.
<><><><>
Yates actually heard it before he even comprehended the woman’s scream. In the middle of arguing with Zeus over what was considered technically cheating in chess, Yates caught just a snippet of the sound.
Perhaps it was some sort of post traumatic disorder that tuned him in, or just a connection, but as soon as he recognized it, his hand went to his gun.
“What is it?” Zeus asked.
“Where? Where? Where?” Yates spoke to himself stepping out farther from the EPEV to get a view of the town.
“What are you talking about?”
“We’re in the middle of a goddamn town. It can’t be.”
“Yates, you’re worrying me. You’re not making sense.”
His eyes shifted left to right, hoping to hear it again. And then he did. It was a low snarl, something no one else would have thought twice about, but Yates knew. “There.” He spotted it, but as soon as he did, the transformed dog sprang forward toward a woman.
The woman screamed, but not for long. The growler locked its jaws onto her throat and tore it away quickly, causing her instant death.
It was so fast, Yates didn’t see the growler until it attacked the woman, but he set his sights and aimed on the undead animal before it could take its next victim.
The growler, flesh from the woman still dangling in its mouth, jumped for its next victim. An unsuspecting man, who looked like an Eliminator walking out of Starbucks.
The man turned and Yates fired.
It took one shot, he hit the growler in the head and it dropped to the man’s feet.
“Holy shit,” Zeus said. “You’re fast.”
“I’ve had practice with them.” Yates walked toward Starbucks.
Rachel and Rigs raced out.
Rigs looked down to the growler and then to Yates. “You?”
Yates nodded. “Yeah.”
“Good job.”
“So, Stowell,” Rachel nudged the stunned man. “Bet you’re thinking twice about the man who shot the dog in the ass.”
“Him?” Stowell asked.
“Yep.”
Liz emerged from Starbucks with a shocking gasp. Her hand shot to her mouth when she saw the dog and the woman nearby. “Was this one of ours?”
“Yes,” Yates said. “This is why you don’t have virus sniffing dogs. This could have been worse. Next time it will be. Put them down. All of them. Get rid of them now.” Yates turned, took a step and saw the woman on the ground began to rise. Without missing a beat or breaking stride, he fired a single shot into her head and kept on walking.
<><><><>
“He’s all yours,” Sheriff Norton said, stepping from the back. “Good luck.”
Rigs nodded, standing with folded arms, trying to look intimidating and firm.
Yates stepped from the back room. “Thank God.”
“You have got to stop getting arrested in this town,” Rigs said.
“Tell me about it. They have the strangest laws.”
“I was actually worried.” Rigs told him as they began to leave. “They had you down for two violations. I had to speak to a judge.”
“For real?”
“Yep. You are officially banned from this town.”
“Oh, please, I highly doubt th
at will stick. They’ll need our team. A dog nearly attacked an Eliminator commander and he didn’t react.”
“I can believe that. It was the same guy that asked Rachel to join his team right in front of me.”
“I wonder why?” Yates said. “I mean, like she’s really great at what she does because she likes cheating death, but to look at her she looks like a soccer mom with Captain Marvel hair.”
“I know.” Rigs pushed open the door. The EPEV was parked right there. “We’re ready to roll. Couple hours of red tape getting you out, we may have to stop for the night, but not a big deal.”
“It will be good to get on the road.”
“Oh, yeah, Kasper is already on board. Just prepare yourself.”
“I’m fine.” Yates stepped inside the EPEV and absolutely froze when he saw Kasper.
“We’re ready,” Rigs clapped his hands once. “I’ll take first leg.” He looked at Yates who didn’t move. He was just locked into a stare with Kasper. “Hey.”
Rachel introduced. “Kasper, this is Yates. Yates, this is my friend Kasper.”
No response.
Rigs chuckled. “This is the quietest I have ever seen him.”
“Yates. “Rachel snapped her finger. “Why are you staring at my friend?”
“I’m just … taken aback,” Yates replied. “I didn’t expect him to be so … so … white.”
“That’s really rude, too, staring at someone with a disability.”
That snapped Yates out of it. “What? He doesn’t have a disability.”
“Yeah,” Rigs said. “He’s dead.”
“Dead-ish,” said Yates.
“No,” Rachel argued. “He’s a Humbie.”
Zeus stated. “A human and Zombie mix. A hybrid.”
“Yes.” Rachel nodded. “Exactly.”
“Um … no.” Yates shook his head. “To have a hybrid something would have to be created merging two different breeds or species.”
“Maybe Dr. Stevens is a mad scientist,” Rachel said. “Either case, he’s a hybrid. Thank you, Zeus. Just like Murphy.”
The Eliminators | Volume 3 Page 8
