“Watch who you’re calling a sociopath.” Sean snarled back.
“I’m calling the guy whose ass I kicked and then handcuffed a sociopath.”
The men glowered at each other for a moment. Kevin was certain the moment he was presented with an opportunity the man he would try to kill him. He sighed in a tired way and rubbed at his brow with his free hand.
“So what do you know about the Witness?”
“Some blonde English girl.”
“No idea what the plans for her are?”
“I never asked.” Sean replied sarcastically.
“Well, thanks for all the help. How about we go back to not talking and waiting until you try to kill me?” Kevin asked rhetorically.
“There’s something helpful I can tell you.”
“I doubt that.”
“Truthfully. It’s something that might help you.”
“So tell me.” Kevin instructed.
“The ones in charge of this attack have been planning this for decades; there are plans within plans and sleeper agents just waiting to be activated, not to mention those that are being leveraged into helping.”
“Leveraged?”
“Anyone with a family can be twisted into helping. Roy’s got a wife, DeWitt had a daughter. Both of them could’ve been manipulated into helping. You’ve got a sister, isn’t that right?” Sean asked, a darkness in his eyes as an evil smile began to twist the corners of his mouth.
“If I find any of you within a dozen miles of her I’ll kill... ” Kevin started, a flash of white hot anger overriding his training and professionalism.
“Oh, be quiet, boy. I don’t know for sure whether anyone’s been after your sister. I just know how these people do things. Those they can’t convince of their cause they try to buy, those they can’t buy they find a weakness and exploit it, and if all else fails they kill whoever is standing in their way.”
Kevin took a second to calm himself before considering what the Reborn agent was telling him and probing for more information.
“So what kind of people do they have under their influence?”
Sean laughed.
“Like I said, it’s all very compartmentalized. I know only what I need to know to do my job.”
“So why bring it up at all? Why hint at things you apparently know nothing about?”
“Because like any organization there’s talk amongst the lower ranks. If even a fraction of the stories passed around are true, then the outcome of the Reborn attack is a foregone conclusion. From politicians to captains of industry, cops to that cute girl on the street, they’ve been building their empire and now that the time is right, now that the virus is ready, it’s game over for you. You’re going to lose, and unless you prove yourself to them you’re going to die or be infected, which is about the same.”
Kevin swallowed. Sean spoke with conviction; not that of a hardened believer or even someone who tangentially believed in the cause, but someone who had seen the facts of the situation and made the best possible choice for themselves. Kevin didn’t know if he believed it, and wasn’t sure he would want to live in a world where the future was so bleak.
“Listen, if you let me go then I’ll take you to my squad leader; he’s a real believer. I’ll tell him how you beat me down, and if you pass along some useful information then I’m sure I can get you on one of the helicopters out of here. What do you say?” Sean asked, doing his best to sound sincere and concerned for Kevin’s wellbeing. Kevin considered what he said for only a few seconds before making his decision.
Kevin, faster and with more power than he’d ever hit someone in his life, slammed his fist against the side of Sean’s head. He’d heard enough of what Sean had to say and didn’t care to hear anymore. He needed Sean alive to buy as much time with his active collar as possible, but he didn’t need him conscious.
Chapter Nine
The streets surrounding Charlie’s apartment were by turns simple to pass through or almost impassable. The sounds of the Reborn helicopters were drawing the infected towards them, and while they would become docile and bottlenecked when they neared the Reborn camp, it meant the streets Melissa and Rochelle were traversing contained significant numbers of the infected who were still active and seeking the source of the sound. When they spotted or sensed Melissa and Rochelle, they would turn off and begin to growl in excitement, which would inevitably draw in more infected.
Melissa and Rochelle were jogging rather than running, but managed to keep a safe distance between them and the nearest infected. They were conserving energy in case they needed to make a dash for safety; fortunately, that particular need hadn’t arisen yet. Some streets were completely devoid of threats, simply containing the remains of the slaughter which had devastated the city: crashed cars, skeletal remains daubed in dried blood where someone had fallen victim to the infected horde, and destroyed doors and windows where the infected had forced their way inside buildings to continue their rampage. Hiding from the infected was difficult, if not impossible, once they caught your scent. All a person could do was run - unless you were part of a well armed group and had sufficient experience with weapons to cut them down while you made an orderly retreat, but Melissa doubted the latter was an option for most people. Even the town’s police had been overpowered, although the infected had had some assistance from the Reborn soldiers. Fighting the infected seemed easy: they move slowly and predictably, operating on a purely instinctive level. However, if they were in a large enough group and they were incensed by the smell of blood, then they were a mobile wall of teeth and claws. Melissa had seen firsthand what happened when a group of them descended on people and it still churned her stomach.
Melissa and Rochelle slowed to a brisk walk; the former ensuring Rochelle kept pace with her and didn’t fall behind, her assault rifle half readied. In addition to the infected threat, Melissa kept an eye on the street signs, pausing when necessary to double check Charlie’s map for known Reborn positions. They avoided those streets entirely, doubling back and sometimes going considerably out of their way to do so. This kept them out of the crosshairs of the enemy and the teeth of the infected, but the constant need to change course was confusing, and made it increasingly more difficult to decide which way they should proceed in order to return to the police station while still remaining safe. Melissa had a decent sense of direction, but the city was completely unknown territory and the more turns and twists they made, the more difficult it was for her to guarantee they were moving in the right direction without constantly referring to the map; because for all the help it gave, it didn’t show a route back to the police station. All she knew for sure was roughly what compass direction she was heading in and that she had travelled south east to go to help Rochelle. At that point, the only thing to do was break radio silence and contact Roy for further directions. Melissa and Rochelle hunkered down beside a car with a smashed windscreen, doing their best to avert their gaze from the blood sprayed over the hood and dashboard. Checking quickly around them to ensure no infected were nearby, Melissa grabbed her radio and attempted to make contact.
“Roy!” Melissa said. She waited for a few seconds before repeating his name. She looked back the way she and Rochelle had been travelling and saw a pair of infected stiffly moving out from an alleyway, their undead faces turning to look at the meal half a street away from them.
“Melissa, I’m here.” Roy came back after a torturously long time.
“We’re getting lost out here. Can you see if there’s a map in the police station? Maybe pinned on the wall or on the computer or something. We need to know some of the street names or numbers to watch out for.”
“Let me check.” Roy responded. He went silent while he was presumably in search of what Melissa requested. It took a couple of minutes, and in the time it took for him to return a dozen more infected had stumbled out from the alleyway and were moving with unnerving precision towards Melissa and Rochelle. They had another few minutes before th
e closest of the infected would be on top of them and they’d need to run. Melissa flexed her fingers on the radio and then gripped it white-knuckle tight as she watched the hungry undead closing in on her position.
“I think I found something.” Roy came back, the suddenness of his voice over the radio jarring Melissa as she had been staring into the dead eyes of the nearest encroaching infected.
“Good. How big a map is it?”
“It seems to show the area surrounding the police station and I’ve got the map of the city up on a computer. What street are you on now?”
Melissa realized she hadn’t seen a sign when she first came into the street and looked wildly up and down it for any indication of where she was. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a sign within readable distance, so she stood up, Rochelle mimicking her movements, and jogged up the street to where she could see a sign at an intersection - thankfully leaving the group of infected behind, as they were getting a little too close for comfort.
“I’m at the corner of West Thirty Second Street.” Melissa reported as soon as she could see it, stopping short of the intersection and scanning what she could see of the rooftops, upper stories, and the streets to the left and right; searching for any indication of either the Reborn or the infected while she waited for Roy to communicate with her again. He was, however, silent for so long Melissa wasn’t sure he’d heard her. She glanced back and saw the infected slowly approaching, and when she scanned left and right, saw another twenty or more coming at them from the either side. Very distantly, Melissa could hear another helicopter, and she was fearful this would drive a horde towards them.
“Roy? Did you hear me?”
“Hold on a minute, I’m trying to figure it out!”
“Damn it Roy, I don’t have a minute!” Melissa snapped back.
Roy was silent for a few more moments and Melissa’s impatience grew.
“Roy... ” Melissa started, but Roy cut her off.
“Listen, maybe you shouldn’t come back here. Maybe you should just find a way out of the city and get as far from here as you can.”
Melissa was totally mystified; why would Roy suggest such a thing?
“Why? Are we really that far away?” Melissa quizzed sharply.
“No, it’s not that. It’s just...” Roy’s voice trailed off.
“Just what? Roy, you’re acting really damn weird and I can’t deal with that right now, so just speak plainly. Are we far away and is your position still safe?”
Roy was once again silent for a few seconds.
“Yeah, it’s still secure, and no, you’re not unreasonably far from here.” Roy replied curtly. “Is that person you rescued still with you?”
“Yes, Rochelle’s still with me. So, are you going to give me some directions or do you have more questions?”
“Let me check the route.” Roy replied, almost sulkily. It was so out of character that Melissa became more certain than ever that something was wrong. What it was Melissa had no way of knowing, but she knew Roy had been left alone in the same building as the Ancillary and felt certain she was the cause of his uncharacteristic behavior.
Roy quickly began describing a direct route to Melissa, and as she listened she retrieved Charlie’s map. She discovered she was near the edge of the area Charlie had scouted out, but the first part of the route Roy had outlined led her through an avenue Charlie had marked off with an X, suggesting it was blocked in some way - perhaps with crashed vehicles. Melissa informed Roy of this and he made an adjustment, suggesting a different street they could take which would eventually link up to the next street in his plan. Melissa listened and nodded, repeating the street names and asking Rochelle to help her to remember them while watching the undead encroaching from the rear and sides.
“Okay, so we just need to keep moving north west basically.” Melissa summarized once Roy had finished speaking. They needed to move forward through the intersection while staying ahead of the approaching infected - who Melissa thought were moving a little faster, but suspected it was just her concern over the growing numbers pursuing them.
“North west confirmed, Melissa.” Roy reported.
“Okay.” Melissa started moving, but didn’t put the radio away.
“Contact me when you’re getting close.” Roy said finally, and Melissa thought he was about to sign off so she spoke up quickly.
“Roy, are you okay? Has something happened?”
“I’m fine, Melissa. I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong it’s just been a long few days.”
Melissa looked back and urged Rochelle to stay close to her, as she forged along the path she and Roy had laid out.
“You could tell me if something was wrong. Have you been talking to the Ancillary?”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because you’ve been acting more and more weird when we speak, Roy. If it were anyone else I’d think you were up to something. Don’t lie to me Roy; not today, not ever.”
A few silent seconds later, Roy responded.
“I don’t think I’m going to see my wife again.”
“Of course you will, Roy. We’re going to get to Vegas, find our way to the FBI field office and then you’ll be reunited.”
“I don’t think that’ll be the case. I think if I want to see her again I’d have to do something Tammy wouldn’t approve of.”
“And what would that be?”
“I... don’t know. I’m... I’m just tired. I’m rambling.”
Melissa glanced at Rochelle and saw the other woman was doing her best not to look at Melissa or appear interested in what she was overhearing.
“I’ve got no idea what’s going on with you Roy, and I’m starting to think you’re not being honest with me, but maybe that’s because you don’t want to talk about it over the radio. I’m fine with that, up to a point, but when I get there you need to tell me or we’re going to have a problem, and in this situation, the last person I want to have a problem with is you. So keep your head on straight and don’t... Don’t make any decisions.” Melissa concluded.
“See you soon.” Roy responded noncommittally.
Melissa clipped the radio back onto her vest and sighed heavily. The concern that Melissa felt over Roy’s possible duplicity was starting to make her feel a little sick. He was one of the very few people she trusted, and yet the doubts were solidifying in her mind that she was going to have trouble with him. The implication he had to do something he didn’t want to lead her to a possibility that he might have considered trading her for his wife. It made sense that that would be the offer the Reborn would make if they had somehow taken his wife prisoner. The million dollar question in Melissa’s mind was whether Roy would - or could - go through with it? She knew him to be honorable to a fault, but it was his wife they were talking about - the love of his life. Melissa doubted she meant as much to him as Tammy did.
“Are you...” Rochelle started but hesitated before continuing. “Are you sure this is the best plan?”
“Well, you can stay here and wait for the infected if you’d prefer.” Melissa responded acidly.
“I mean... well, it just sounds like this Roy guy has got some stuff going on. Maybe we should find somewhere else to go like he suggested initially.”
“If Roy’s talking that way then it means he’s in trouble, and if he’s in trouble then I need to help him.”
“What if he’s working with those people who shot at us? What if he’s not your friend anymore?”
“Shut the hell up! You’ve no idea what you’re talking about.” Melissa shot back. She wasn’t angry with Rochelle, but hearing someone else voice doubts as well as the uneasiness she was already feeling herself somehow made the situation worse.
“I’m sorry, I don’t want to upset you or make you angry it’s just... well, you killed Charlie because he was a threat. If Roy has, you know... changed sides, would you be willing...”
Melissa spun around and glared at Rochelle fiercely, anger making her face f
lush. The deathly look she gave Rochelle compelled the other woman to fall silent instantly.
“Whatever’s going on with Roy, whatever’s happened I’ll deal with it my way, but I’m not going to damn him before I’ve even spoken to him. Now, I don’t want to take you somewhere you don’t want to go, so if we need to part ways then I understand and I wish you the best of luck.” Melissa declared forcefully. Rochelle looked at her, an expression of apprehension mixed with doubt on her face.
“I’ll come with you, but I need you to promise me you’ll keep us safe if he is working for them.” Rochelle responded. Strangely, she seemed stronger and more certain of herself than she had previously and Melissa felt forced to answer her question.
“If Roy puts us in danger, then I’ll do what needs to be done. Whatever needs to be done.” Melissa concluded; the intention of her message crystal clear without stating it directly. “Now, if you’ve got nothing more to say, I suggest we keep moving and do so quietly.”
Melissa didn’t wait for Rochelle’s reply; turning, she started up the street. Melissa heard the other woman’s footsteps falling in behind hers after a moment, barely audible over the drifting sounds of the undead moans and growls in the streets surrounding them.
The slow, difficult return journey to the police station was made worse by the constant, ever increasing numbers of infected shuffling after them. There was no way for Melissa to know whether there were other people still alive in the city, but with the number of infected in pursuit she couldn’t help but imagine that the number of those still alive was exceptionally low. As Melissa cautiously led the way, she thought back to some fragments of conversation she’d overheard between DeWitt and the other agents in the FBI convoy. The casualties incurred within the first week of the assault had been staggering. She’d heard numbers in the millions being passed between the agents; whether that was confirmed dead or missing she had no idea, but considering how quickly the outbreak had overtaken Brownwater, Melissa could easily believe it was the total number of dead - the vast majority of which had become the undead.
A World Reborn (Book 2): Global Outbreak Page 17
