by Mark Tufo
I mistakenly thought she was talking to me. “Yeah, I know there’s a cure. It involves you sticking the landing from ten thousand feet—or not—doesn’t make much of a difference to me how you land. The sweet spot might be the crown of your head.”
“Lieutenant!” Turns out Overland had called to me four times before he broke through the cloud of anger I was feeling. Deneaux’s feet were hanging ten on the lip of the hatch and I was pushing her; most of her weight was leaning back. Funny woman. She didn’t have her hands wrapped around mine or even gripping the lip of the doorway; she was going to live or die solely by my actions. Fairly trusting, if I do say so myself.
“Little busy, sir,” I told him without looking back.
“Unhand that woman.”
“Precisely my plan, sir.”
“Inside, Lieutenant. Unhand her inside.”
“Well sure thing, sir! I mean, I wasn’t planning on joining her on what I’m sure is going to be an epic freefall.”
I felt the barrel of a pistol pressed firmly to the back of my skull. “Bring her in nice and easy.”
I couldn’t see it; I barely heard it due to the wind, but I was pretty sure there were a whole bunch of weapons pointing all over the place. Eastman’s plane was very much in danger of being taken down from the inside.
“I’m doing the world a favor right now. I was expecting a parade, not a bullet.” I’d not moved.
“I want to hear what she has to say, and last I checked, we don’t summarily execute people without a trial.”
“A trial?” I laughed, might have come out as a snort. “You know she’d either own or coerce any jury. A trial. You’re a funny one, Major.”
“Fine. I don’t give a shit about her or a trial, but the cure she’s talking about, that means something.”
“It’s a lie, Major. Just like eighty percent of what comes out of her mouth.”
“Eighty percent? Little low, don’t you think?” BT was close. “We’ve got your back and I’m mostly behind what you’re doing.”
“Thanks, man,” I told him. “Overland, don’t you think it suspicious that all of a sudden she knows about a cure the moment she needs it? She’s playing you. I need you to trust me on this, as one that has been fiddle-strummed for a good long while now.”
“Strummed!” BT echoed.
“This isn’t church; you don’t need to echo the preacher.”
“Just letting the major know that she has duped you on numerous occasions.”
“So fucking helpful.”
The major left the gun to my head and moved to the side so he could look at Deneaux without me in the way. “This cure, it will help my man?”
I will swear until the day my bones disintegrate into dust that she gave me the briefest of glances and let a smile pull those thin lips up. She had one on the hook.
“He’ll be right as rain.”
“Pull her in,” Overland demanded.
“She’s lying. I realize you’re upset about Forsyth, you should be. She’s just using that against you. I’m telling you, there is no cure for him.”
He pulled the hammer back.
“What the fuck good is that going to do? You kill me, pretty sure we both go tumbling out.”
“Just do it.”
“No.” I let her go. That fucking smirk faltered as she pinwheeled her arms. Overland’s arm shot out and grabbed her. I moved away as he reeled her in.
“I’m not gracious, Major. Trust me when I tell you that I’m going to be looking over your body, and as that knife in your back slowly drains your life away, I’m going to tell you I told you so.”
Overland ignored me as he dragged her in. BT shut the door.
“Cat’s envy the number of lives she has,” he said as he engaged the safety.
“So many good people have been lost along the way, and this reptile survives.” I was still angry and was contemplating shooting her where she stood, but if I did that, a gun battle would ensue, and as much as I wanted her dead, I didn’t want anyone else on this plane to meet that fate. “Put the guns down. The moment is passed. I’m going to have nightmares about this for years.”
“It’s okay, sir; you didn’t kill her,” Rose said.
“It’s because I didn’t, that will haunt me.”
“Oh,” was her confused reply.
“Touching down in five. Please shut off all electronic devices, put your tray tables away and return your seats to their upright position,” Eastman announced over the PA.
Doubtful he’d missed the festivities; probably just trying to loosen the tension. It might have worked if it weren’t for the fact we were landing in a hot zone—or one that was soon to be hot. We had other things to kill besides each other.
“Live to lie another day, huh, Deneaux?” I asked as I walked past her. Overland looked like he wanted to place a protective shield over her. “What are you going to do with her once you realize she’s lying?” I asked him. Wasn’t expecting an answer and none was given. Nice when expectations are met.
7
Mike Journal Entry 6
It would have been difficult to be any more surprised than I was when we landed and there weren’t a dozen MPs waiting, guns drawn. Overland and his squad took off quickly with Deneaux in tow. I was left there with my squad.
“I’m going somewhere to get some rest; I suggest you all do the same. That might be in short supply soon.”
“We’re not in trouble?” Kirby asked.
“I realize that’s an unnatural state for you, but it would appear that way,” I told him.
“Well, isn’t that the tail wagging the dog,” BT added.
“Where do you suggest we go?” Stenzel asked.
If Deneaux had indeed wired the base, which was a safer bet than the zombie cure, where would be the safest place? Would she hit soft-targets, like the school or the hospital? Or would she try to make a statement by taking out headquarters or maybe the supply depot? There was no way of knowing.
“I hate to say this. Get some food and whatever supplies you can grab for an extended stay, and we’ll meet up at the Barrows in a couple of hours.”
The groans would have been worthy of an extremely haunted house. The Barrows were what the far north-western corner of Etna was called. It had been an old, dilapidated industrial area long before the zombies had come, and it had received no love since then. It was once a haven for drug users and the homeless; thankfully, Bennington had cleaned it up somewhat, getting rid of all the needles, drug paraphernalia and all manner of sleeping material that I am sure housed the next super-virus. But it was still just a massive ugly collection of structures with broken-out windows and falling chunks of cement. It would not be comfortable lodgings, though there would be a measure of safety from Deneaux’s madness. My guess was, if she even knew the place existed, she’d never bothered to check it out.
“I was on the detail that picked up that place. Are you sure, sir?” Grimm asked. “There were cockroaches bigger than Kirby’s brain there.”
“So, gnat sized then?” BT asked, we fist-bumped; it was nice for once not being the target of his wit.
“Damn, Gunny.” Rose was smiling.
“You too?” Kirby asked.
“Go get stuff—get more than you think we’ll need. Got a feeling we’re going to be there longer than we want to be,” I told them. The group quickly dispersed. It was just me, BT and Gary left. “Hey brother, can you grab a troop transport truck and meet us over at the jail?”
He clacked his tongue once, snapped his fingers and left.
“Your parents must have realized they were detracting from the gene pool, right?” BT asked.
Eastman walked over, saving me from trying to defend my family’s honor; I most likely would have fallen short of that goal.
“Really figured we’d be spending the night in jail,” he said.
“That makes all of us,” I told him.
“I don’t know what the next few days are going to ent
ail, Lieutenant, but if you need me for anything, including an escape, you come find me.” He shook my hand and walked off.
“Why do people do that?” BT asked.
“What’s that?”
“They practically bend over backward to help you, like they can’t help themselves; me included.”
“It’s my winning personality and charm.”
“I’m sure that’s what you tell yourself at night. You up to walking?”
I nodded. Everything hurt and would for a while, but pain meant I was still alive. Shitty indicator, but it was what I had. Now I had to keep my squad busy enough that they didn’t question how I was already up on my feet. Didn’t think I had to worry about Overland too much, as his mind was occupied elsewhere.
“Come on, let’s go break the news to our significant others that we’re shacking up in a shantytown.”
We started walking. The base, while always a busy place, was now frenetic. Vehicles were whizzing by, soldiers and civilians alike were loaded with supplies. A storm was forecast, and somehow I didn’t think this was going to be the traditional doom and gloom that meteorologists used to predict, sending throngs to the grocery store for milk, bread, beer and diapers. More times than not, those amounted to nothing, and even if a big one hit, no one was socked in for more than a day or two. Were so many people that ill-prepared that they couldn’t ride out a couple of days without stocking up? Sure, the beer was a necessity, and if push came to shove, no one wants a baby with shitty diapers, but other than that, holy fuck.
Got to the jailhouse; Wassau was standing outside. “Good to see you. I’m about done entertaining people.”
“Thank you,” I told him as I went in. First person I saw was Avalyn; she was standing on Sergeant Sorrens’ desk, reading a book out loud. She had a captive audience as she spoke. She was no Sean Runnette, but someday she could be a great narrator. Like she had a sixth sense, Tracy looked up and came over. She was followed by our menagerie, except for Patches, who was curled up by Avalyn’s feet, making sure she was at least indirectly the center of attention.
“Everything all right?”
“It is now,” I told her as I wrapped her up in my arms. Henry banged his head up into my knee until I bent down and petted behind his ear. I quickly gave all of the dogs a greeting; it was when I stood back up that I had the unfortunate view of watching BT swallow my sister up. “Could you take that somewhere else?”
Somehow my sister was able to shoot up everyone’s favorite finger so that I could see it.
“How bad is it out there? We’re not getting much information in here,” Tracy said.
“When did Avalyn come back?”
“Are you avoiding the question?”
“How about: I am slowly building up?”
“Let’s get started then. Bennington brought her here right after our evacuation. Your turn.”
“There’s a crap ton of zombies amassing outside the gate.”
“Going to need more than that; I’m already privy to that information.”
“I can up the ante; Deneaux is here.”
A spark flared in her eyes and immediately shot down to her fists, balling them up tight. “Why?” was all she managed to get out.
“Well, first, I was going to use her like a bomb-sniffing dog and clear the base, then I had a serious dose of fuck it and was just about to give her the literal send-off she deserved…” I paused.
“Then?” she prompted.
“Overland’s man is infected; she promised a cure.”
“Forsyth is a zombie?”
“Not quite. Right now, he’s a carrier.”
She gave me a confused look.
“Dewey did something; he has some sort of control over the virus. It’s latent but rigged to detonate by remote.”
“This is horrible!”
“You’re telling me. And now I’m going to have to deal with Deneaux once Overland realizes she’s full of shit, but by then she will have amassed her allies. It could get messy.”
“I don’t think you’re seeing the bigger picture, Mike.”
“I’m looking at the whole damn ugly impressionist thing. What am I missing?”
“You’re saying Forsyth is a zombie in waiting?”
“Yeaaah…” I answered slowly, not sure where this was going, and I figured if I pronounced the word long enough, I might stumble across an answer. I didn’t, though I should have.
“How many others could be like him?”
“Huh?”
“Don’t you think it’s weird that a condom company named their product after something that was snuck in?” Trip said as he let out a plume of vapor. “Raspberry salmon flavored!”
“What?” Trip’s off-hand remark necessitated a response.
“He gets it,” Tracy said.
“Feel free to tell me.”
“If Forsyth is a Trojan Horse, it’s a possibility there are others.”
“Is that irony? The whole condom thing?” I asked.
“Mike!”
Her calling my name loosed up the part of my mind that could make a cognitive connection, like a hysterical person being slapped to shut up. Although, I’m not sure if that actually works. “Shit.” The dawning should have illuminated my mind, instead, it darkened it. “You’re right. There’s a good bet he gets as many of them in here as he can before he throws the switch. Okay, that’s going to make what I’m about to say a little easier.”
“I doubt that.”
“I’m setting us up to move to the Barrows.”
I’m sure she wanted to lead off with a hearty fuck you or are you kidding, but she couldn’t deny that our little corner of the world was heading south in a hurry, and despite its distasteful past and eyesore of a present, the Barrows offered the best place to set up a defense against all enemies, both foreign and domestic.
“When?”
“Now.”
“We can’t have the kids sleeping on concrete floors.”
“The squad is scavenging for everything we need as we speak.”
“I wonder if we should have just left when you first suggested it.”
“No sense in backtracking. For all I know we could have ended up in a worse situation.”
“You think?”
“Funny. I’m going to say hi to everyone and then we should get going.” I’d given hugs to everyone except Trip, who quite literally smelled like low tide in New Jersey. I’m not entirely sure what that reeks of, but I’m figuring old fish and mafia-linked dead bodies with large cement shoes stuck to their feet.
Gary pulled up in an open-air bed transport. “All I could find.”
I would have preferred no one knowing what was happening or where we were going, but when things began to happen, it was going to go down quick, and I wasn’t going to be caught in the open with my pants down. Although, why your pants would be down in the open brings up a whole different slew of problems and, I would imagine, some sort of registry.
“Wassau, you’re more than welcome to join us. Bring Major Dylan too,” I said as everyone loaded up.
“It’s going to get that bad?”
“And worse.”
“I’ll let Tabitha know, but these kinds of things bring out the worst in people, and I can’t leave.”
“Going to the far side of the base, not Ohio.”
“I’m trying to tell you nicely, Lieutenant, I like my bed, and I’m not so keen to give it up just yet.”
“That I understand. Want me to drive?” I asked my brother, who was getting ready to get back into the driver’s seat.
“With your track record?”
“What’s that mean?”
“You hit a moose, Mike.”
“To be fair, he hit me.”
“How many totaled vehicles do you have to your name?”
“What’s that got to do with anything? They were all during hostile situations, mostly!” He kept staring at me. “Okay, a good number of them were during hostile events.�
� He kept looking. “Fine, you drive.” I climbed into the back. It was good to see everyone together like this, yet I could not help but also see the holes where good people were missing. There was good in this world but it tended to be fleeting, while bad hung around like a chronic case of bursting herpes, always ready to dribble pus down your lip and ruin everything. “The moment, Talbot,” I said quietly but with a tremor in my voice. No one could hear me over the sound of the large diesel engine. “Be in the moment. You cannot change what has happened, and you cannot predict what will. This moment is the only measure of control that you have.”
“You all right, dad?” Nicole had extended her hand to me. I looked at her and the young one she had in her arms.
“I’m fine. Just sometimes need a reminder.” The smile was forced, at first, and then eased into something much more natural as I looked at my daughter and what we were fighting for.
I wanted to be morose; I felt it sliding along the bottom of my psyche, ready to drag me down into its oily embrace, smothering me in its quagmire. I said I wanted to be; Trip had other ideas. He had stood up in the middle of the truck bed and was dancing—oh, not like a river dance or a flash dance—but rather the hippie, I’m tripping my balls off, type of dance. Hands above his thrown back head, his whole body wriggling around like a moth trying to escape its shiny chrysalis. It was uncomfortable to watch and somewhat hilarious. Somewhere in that brain of his, I’m sure he was listening to the Grateful Dead and doing some serious grooving. BT looked like he was trying to be annoyed, but I could see the mirth he was suppressing. It was all fun and games, right up until Gary turned the corner and we were looking at the Barrows: abandoned, stark. A forbidding row of dilapidated commercial buildings.
“Home sweet, home,” I mumbled.
Tracy shouldered me. “As you go, so do the rest.”
I wanted to say something that I’m sure would have necessitated another elbow or shoulder or straight out punch to the nose; I wisely refrained. I stood to smack the top of the cabin, Gary slowed then stopped. BT and I got down to take a look at the offerings. Comfort was not nearly as high on the list as was the need to secure a place that was as defendable as possible. It seemed insane to think that Etna could fall, but if Dewey had been active, then we could already be lost. Cannot tell you how much I wanted to take everyone, grab Eastman and get the hell out of here. Conscience, honor, stubbornness—maybe just flat out stupidity—was keeping me from that.
