CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The man claiming to be the United States Government carried himself as if he alone ran the country. His gray hair seemed to glint in the light that spilled from the headlights. His eyes seemed to bore into the car, staring at each of them until they were fighting the need to squirm in their seats. Max could see Griffin sit a little straighter and alert in his seat, the command of the man reaching into his Army training.
Max had no such training. Her mind was set the moment the man started to order them around. She didn't like him and he couldn't tell her what to do. Her stubbornness rose up her spine, causing her to tighten her hands on the steering wheel as she stared at the man with the gun aimed at her face. She eyed him expectantly, waiting for him to make a move, but he just looked at her, meeting her defiant gaze. And then, to Max's utter shock, he smirked at her.
"I think he's a Major," Griffin muttered. Max glanced at him quickly, shooting him a look like he was crazy. That didn't mean anything to her, and it wouldn't change how she felt about someone telling her to get out of her own vehicle.
"That means, Max, he probably leads this group, or is the leader of this government area," Turner explained from the backseat, apparently picking up on her annoyance with Griffin.
Without a word, Griffin opened the door and stepped out of the car. Max had to bite back a number of curses she wanted to hurl at him, knowing now she couldn't just drive away like she had partially planned. Griffin held his hands up where they could be seen, but the Major didn't look away from Max. He seemed to be reading her, and immediately realized she was probably the one that was the most trouble inside the vehicle. She knew he wouldn't be wrong about that assumption. Her general distrust of the military at that time was only going to make it harder for her to do anything the man said.
"Name is Griffin Wells, retired Army, Sir," Griffin said loudly. His voice rose and carried into the car and over to the ears of the men holding their rifles on their car still. The moment was tense and threatening but hearing that one of the men in the car was retired Army, Max could see some of the flashlights waver slightly.
"Rank?" The Major asked.
"Sergeant First Class Wells, Sir,' Griffin replied tightly.
"Well this is going to get interesting," Turner mumbled from behind Max. He was now leaning forward watching Griffin and the Major.
"Why?" Max asked.
"Well, if this guy is a Major, which I think he is, he can press Griff and I into service if he wants to. Now that he knows Griff's rank, he'll likely be thinking of how he can use him," Turner explained.
The additional information seemed to change the way Max perceived the interaction happening in front of their car. The Major was cool, calm, and collected. He held the gun almost passively at Max while watching her with sharp eyes. At the same time, he seemed to see Griffin and was able to weigh his choices. The wheels in the man's head were moving and it could almost be heard in the car.
"Your group needs to exit the vehicle, Sergeant Wells," the man said. He lowered the gun finally from Max and seemed to dismiss her as he turned to Griffin, who stood at attention. "I'm Major Callahan, the top ranking officer in this government safe zone. We will be searching your vehicle before you enter the city."
"I'll speak with them, Sir," Griffin replied and turned to walk back to the door he left open.
"You do that, Sergeant, and you let them know there is no choice."
Climbing back into the car, Griffin turned to Max. His face was set in determined lines, realizing he had a fight on his hands. Her face looked back at him, impassive and blank to hide her true feelings.
"Max, we should stop here for the night. It'll be safe and there's probably food," Griffin started.
"I don't like that guy."
"Because he pointed a gun at you? I guess I can understand that," Griffin replied hesitantly.
"Can't we just go around the city? I'll just drive at night," Max continued.
"We need to stop, Max. We don't have enough gas to get us through the night. We can't look for gas in the dark. This isn't a bad time to stop. There are other living people here."
"Is this some need to be loyal to your military brothers or something?" Max demanded. "I'm not putting my daughter in an unsafe situation because you have some unnecessary need to obey orders."
"Your daughter? How about OUR daughter," Griffin bit out. His words stung, and Max sat back slightly. "I wouldn't put her in danger knowingly, Max."
"Guys, we need to make a decision. That Major Callahan doesn't look to be someone with much patience," Turner cut in from the backseat.
Max turned to look out the windshield again. She saw that Callahan had not called off the troops that were still pointing rifles at their car. She found the whole scene to be absurd. Five living people in a small sedan. To this military establishment that seemed to be the biggest threat to them currently. Callahan hadn't moved from his spot near the front of the car as if he was daring Max to run him down. Her hand itched to grab the steering wheel and do just that.
"Max, let's go. We don't have anything to hide. Let them search the car," Griffin said.
Deciding it was easier to just agree with him, Max opened her door. It signaled the rest of the group that they were staying. Griffin got out of the car again and went to the back with Max to get their bags. As soon as they popped open the trunk men came around the car and started taking their bags and pushing Max and Griffin out of the way.
"Momma!" Jack called as she was pulled from the car and pushed in a different direction. Turner was climbing out of the opposite side of the car, and his head swung wildly when he heard Jack yell. Cliff had been pushed against the side of the car and was being frisked, but his eyes followed Jack's movements, his jaw tight, fists balled on the top of the sedan. Max noticed none of this, seeing only her daughter being pulled and maneuvered away from the car.
"Hey, jackass! Get your hands off my daughter!" Max exclaimed as she went toward Jack. She was stopped by an arm to her chest. She stopped and looked over at the man that had stopped her. The sneer on her face gave Griffin warning of what she was about to do. He yelled her name and tried to make a grab for her, but he was too late. Max had already dipped low and threw a straight punch at the soldier's groin. As he bent with a groan, she raised her knee and pulled his head to meet it. The crunch she heard was satisfying, as she pushed him back, blood coming from his now broken nose.
She advanced toward her daughter, who was being detained by two soldiers. Max's vision was red seeing the men holding her back. Her attack on the first soldier had seemed so sudden it took a moment for any of the additional soldiers to react. She easily evaded the next that tried to grab her. It took less than 10 seconds for Max to reach the men that were holding onto her daughter.
"I said, jackass," Max said as she shoved the first soldier. "Get your damn hands off my daughter!"
Her shouts drew more attention from the men surrounding the car and searching it. Max absently noted how they searched the car as if there could be a bomb attached, not just an infected person. The second soldier that was holding Jack, released her and stepped toward Max, who stepped to her left, letting his arm pass her shoulder. She pushed his arm further across his body and with her left, and her less strong arm, she swung a fist directly at his jaw.
The soldier stepped back dazed. Griffin arrived just in time to catch him before he tripped and fell on his ass. Max stood in front of Jack, her hand on her arm, the look on her face pure savage mother. Griffin stepped to her side and tried to calm the frenzy that was happening. Max Duncan was usually a surprise to most people, especially those that thought they could easily take her. She had trained for years as an adult to fight hand to hand, which only added to the survival lessons her father had given her.
"What in the living hell is going on here?" Major Callahan broke into the circle that was beginning to form around Max, Jack, and Griffin. His demand was loud and booming, causing the soldiers to immediat
ely fall in line and back up slightly until they were given orders.
"Sir, my companion," Griffin started but Max cut him off.
"His companion can speak for herself," she said, shooting Griffin a look that said she didn't need his help.
"So, you have a smart mouth, we can remedy that," Callahan said.
"Really? Well, the one thing you can do to remedy that is tell your goons to keep their paws off my daughter," Max said defiantly. Callahan stood over a head taller than her. He was broad, a man who had taken great pride in his physical appearance for many years. And Max could care less. She raised her chin, her gaze meeting Callahan's filled with bold contempt.
"No one would manhandle a child here. They were keeping her safe," Callahan said. His gaze was cold and calculating as if he were weighing his vegetables at the grocery store. Nothing to worry about, just going about his normal business. Max wasn't sure if she should be offended or not.
"I beg to differ. She's safe with me. So, if we can just be shown to where we can sleep, we'll be out of your hair first thing tomorrow," Max said. Her hand tightened on Jack, keeping her close to her body, in the chance someone tried to grab her again.
"Private Smith!" Callahan suddenly bellowed, the loud noise causing even Max to jump a little. The quick smirk on Callahan's face said he saw her reaction to his yell, and that he didn't think she was a problem at all. I'll show him a problem if someone touches my daughter again, Max thought to herself as she just sneered back at the Major.
A young man came running to Callahan's side, his face red from exertion. He huffed out his breath, trying to look capable in front of the officer. Max looked at him with raised eyebrows, judging the boy to only be around eighteen or nineteen-years-old. She glanced over at Griffin, who was standing near Jack, straight-backed and at attention. He was also looking at the young boy with surprise on his face. He couldn't have been a day out of boot camp if that.
"Yes, Sir," Private Smith said, standing at attention to await his orders.
"Take the newcomers to be processed at the welcome tent," Callahan said. "Any guns will have to be turned over, but you can keep your other things, like your ax." He gestured absently at Max's hip.
"It's a tactical tomahawk, thanks," Max replied sweetly, sarcasm dripping from her words. She could hear the barely audible groan from Griffin. It reminded her of old times, getting in trouble at school. Max could never keep her mouth shut, while Griffin always just wanted to avoid getting into deeper.
"Yes, well, you can keep it on you. I assume you aren't planning on using it on any of the living people inside?" The Major said as he started to turn away. Callahan's question was rhetorical, and Max knew it. However, she could rarely stop herself.
"Depends I suppose," she replied.
Callahan stopped and turned back to Max. He looked down his nose at her, which only irritated her further. His eyes studied her again, but as before he judged her as no concern and moved on with his men following him. Watching as he went, Max was reminded of sharks with the little shark suckers that follow them. Callahan was cunning and quick like a shark, while his little minions were busy trying to suck off him to earn their place at his table.
Private Smith led the group to an entrance gate. There were towers on either side, manned with men and guns. Looking along the fencing, Max spotted a few additional towers that were most likely manned as well. The defenses were prepared at this facility, unlike those in North Carolina. The fencing wasn't much more than chainlink and cement barriers, but there were many more armed military personnel to protect against an oncoming threat.
They walked through the gate and Max was taken aback by the number of people inside. Beyond the first tent, the shelter bustled like a busy Main Street. People were carrying buckets, baskets, and bags from tent to tent. The people doing the manual labor were dressed in civilian clothes, Max noted, pressed into service by the Major. There were smiles on some faces, which also caught Max off guard. What was there really to smile about?
The first tent near the gate was the welcome tent, and Private Smith led them through unceremoniously. There were long tables facing the entrance, with file cabinets lined up behind. The tables were manned by a few in military fatigues. When Max and her group walked in, there was no one else being checked in at the time, so the tent was quiet compared to the outside. Private Smith stood off to one side and pointed toward the tables, as if it was all the most normal in the world.
Approaching a table, Max looked down at the seated man, Quick according to his name tag.
"We don't really need to register," Max began.
"Everyone that enters and stays here has to register, ma'am," Quick replied.
"We aren't really staying. Just trying to pass through."
"Your car is out on the freeway beyond the gate, correct?" Quick asked the question and poised with a pen over a form he was ready to fill out.
"Sure. And if we can just move through the city in that car, we will be on our way," Max replied. Griffin nudged her with his shoulder for a moment and gave her a knowing look. She looked away before they argued in front of the strangers. She had no trust in the military. Major Callahan had rubbed her wrong the moment he pointed a gun at her face. She didn't want to stay. Given the choice, she would rather sleep in the sedan on the side of the freeway.
"We only need to stay one night," Griffin interjected, clearly ignoring Max and her feelings. Jack pressed to Max's left side, unnerved by the tension.
"Registration then will need to happen," Quick replied. With that, he began to run through the questions with Griffin and fill out his paperwork. Max listened casually but she was busy studying the movements within the tent. There was a lot of paperwork for a shelter like this. It was really well organized for something that had come together just a week ago. The preparedness made Max wonder. Why was this group so ready, and yet multiple centers in North Carolina were understaffed and unable to withstand the infected?
Max's attention was pulled back to Griffin and his conversation with the registration man Quick. They were speaking about Jack now. The little girl was pushing into Max, even more, making herself look small to the side and behind Max. The fear coming from her, made Max tune into the conversation.
"So, she's your daughter?" Quick was asking.
"Yes."
"All children are being taken to a safe facility," Quick began.
"She is safe with us," Griffin cut him off, his tone brokering no debate on the matter.
"You said you are military, so you understand how the government works. We need to protect our people, the survival of humans lies with the children of the world right now," Quick was saying, reciting something he had clearly said a number of times before.
"Being military doesn't make it ok in my mind for you to take my daughter from our care. If she were alone, I could understand transporting her. But she's not. She's with us," Griffin motioned to the group of adults that were standing around Jack. Cliff stood behind Max now, his face a stone wall, watching over her head to see what was about to unfold. Turner moved from foot to foot, swinging his gaze between Quick and Griffin. Max could imagine his loyalties were torn and he was trying to take his cues from Griffin in the situation.
"The government has decreed that the children are to be transported to the facilities that have been created for their protection," Quick replied, relentless in his message.
"Listen, as her father just told you, you are not taking our daughter from us. I am her mother. He's her father. There is no legal right for you to touch a hair on her head," Max said, stepping up closer to the table, to stand next to Griffin.
"Actually, we do," a voice boomed from behind them. Without turning Max knew that Major Callahan had decided to join the tent and add to the argument.
"Has the government fallen so far that they are separating children from their parents now? Their legal guardians no longer hold sway?" Griffin said, turning toward the Major. He was quickly forgetting his military
training and caring much less than the man deserved his respect.
"The United States Government is doing what it can to not only protect its citizens but also ensure we will not be wiped from its lands," Callahan replied. He casually walked around the group and behind the long tables. He stood behind Quick, who had quickly jumped to attention when the Major had entered.
"Well then, we no longer recognize that government entity, and we will be leaving the way we came in," Max said. She turned and took Jack's hand in hers. Cliff turned to walk toward the entrance and Max was hot on his heels with Jack. Suddenly two men stepped between Cliff and Max, cutting off her exit. She stood for a moment evaluating, and then went to step around them as if they weren't there. She was yanked back by the arm she was holding Jack with, and Jack was yanked from her grip.
Griffin was at her side a moment later, arguing with the man that had grabbed Jack. Callahan stood calmly behind the table he was at, motioning men with flicks of his hands. Max was roughly grabbed from behind and yanked backward. Her arms were pinned to her side as she could do nothing but watch Griffin yell at the soldiers trying to take Jack. Turner was with him, trying to mediate but trying to get Jack back. At the same time, he was preventing Cliff from attacking the soldiers, realizing that wouldn't help anything,
Max wasn't of the same mind. She didn't like being manhandled. And the last thing she could handle was someone trying to take her daughter. Jack's screams rung in her ears, calling for Max, begging her to help her. Max tested the arms that were holding her and found them strong. Looking over at Callahan she felt rage rise as she found him just watching the scene with no emotion on his face.
"I warned you," Max called out to him. Once his eyes met hers she continued, "I told you to keep your minions' grubby hands off my daughter." With that, she swung her head back and collided with the nose of the man holding her. She didn't have enough space for much momentum, the blow wasn't hard enough to break the bone. However, it was hard enough to bring tears to the soldier's eyes and make him hesitate in his hold. That hesitation was all she needed.
Survive (Sundown Series Book 2) Page 25
