As crazy as it sounded in her head, it was true. Maybe there were others out there who were immune, but to date, none had been identified as such and safely made it to one of the Protective Zones.
‘Later today, Isabella will be in Oklahoma City, with Doctor Reed and the other doctors, where they can work to build a vaccine that will help us survive, and maybe help things get back to some semblance of what things once were,’ she thought. ‘But we need to make sure whoever’s sending these messages doesn’t get a chance to kidnap Izzie,’ she added.
Pulling up to the guard shack in front of the Operations Center, Daniel quickly showed his badge to the guard.
“Good morning, Sir,” the young woman said, saluting.
“Good morning, soldier,” he replied, pressing down on the accelerator lightly. No matter how much of a hurry they were in, speeding within the P.Z. wasn’t an option. Fortunately, the main building was close, and in less than a minute, they were pulling into a parking spot near the main entrance.
Inside, they rushed to the elevator, then breathed a sigh of relief when its doors opened immediately. Seconds later, they stepped out of the elevator onto the fourth floor of the building. Daniel led the two of them to Major Kincaid’s office, where they found the man sitting back in his chair, reading a paperback copy of World War Z.
“Mike, we’ve got trouble,” Daniel said as he entered the room.
The look on his face must have signalled his level of concern adequately, for the man sat forward immediately, setting aside the book without bothering to mark the page he’d been on.
“What is it Dan?” he asked, his brow furrowing in concern.
Pointing at the phone in Serafina’s hand, he said, “Someone’s planning on trying to take Isabella. We’ve got to let the General know.”
The Major’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
Daniel nodded. “Pretty damn sure. I can explain it, but I’d rather only explain it once.” Locking eyes with the other man, he said, “Trust me on this one, Michael.”
Kincaid hesitated for a second, then nodded and stood up from his chair. “Alright. Let’s go.”
As the three of them left his office, the phone buzzed in Serafina’s hand. A feeling of dread came over her as she lifted the phone to read it. It was another text:
42 20 51 41 90 71 31 22 42 62 63 71 63 53 61 61 71 81 53 30 93 52 83 71 31 23 00 74 33 41 63 73 10 20 51 50 51 30 74 93 42 42 43 21 00 41 51 41 61 81 81 62 32 21 10 83 71 22 94 81 82 33 10 94 63 71 41 81 42 41 00 94 40 43 51 20 62 52 63 91 73 51 42 60 90 73 53 53 62 61 51 71 00 94 62 71 83 62 63 10 42 63 33 62 71 30 33 82 91 92 41 40
74
“Shit,” she muttered, shaking her head.
“What is it?” Daniel asked looking over his shoulder.
“Another text,” she replied, her face filled with worry. “When we get to the General’s office, I’ll decrypt it while you explain.”
“Okay.”
Standing in front of General Armstead, Daniel worked through the details of what they’d discovered, methodically explaining how the texts had been initially viewed as gibberish, then partially decrypted using the keypad of a phone. Both Armstead and Kincaid followed his explanations intently, quickly grasping the method he’d described. When he told them about how he’d gotten stuck at that point, they’d nodded in agreement, making him feel better.
‘At least I wasn’t missing something obvious,’ he thought.
Both men shook their heads.
“Damn,” the General muttered. “So how’d you break it?”
Daniel pointed at his chest. “Actually, it was this shirt.”
“What?”
Daniel explained how his CISSP study guide described the method used by the Spartans to encrypt messages, then pointed at the two trailing digits on each text. “The number of columns, followed by the column that holds the message. We had to count the number of two-digit combos,then divide that number by the number of columns to know how to set up the cryptogram.”
He pointed at the first message. “There are 84 combinations here. The key is seventy-three, so there are seven columns of twelve two digit numbers.”
He moved his finger back to the number four at the end of the message. “Fourth column.” He pointed at the cryptogram on the paper, then at the extracted numbers at the bottom.
5 S T O 4 0 E 5 D A Y S
General Armstead read the message, his voice low and grave. “Five South to Forty East, Five Days.” He looked up at Daniel, meeting his eyes. “Holy crap. Someone’s telling an enemy what route they’ll be taking.”
Daniel nodded. “Exactly, sir. There are other messages here, too, all leading to this,” he said, moving his hand to point at the final message.
1 P I L 1 A H 6 4 2 H V 1 0 M E N
“Someone asked for a pilot to fly an AH-64 -”
“A goddamn Apache…” he muttered, shaking his head.
“Yes, Sir, plus two Humvees and ten men.”
“Shit, they’re gonna take her, aren’t they?” Major Kincaid asked.
Daniel nodded. “We believe so.”
“When?” Armstead asked.
From behind the three men, Serafina spoke: “Now.” In her hand, a piece of paper held the cryptogram and deciphered message:
42 20 51 41 90 71 31 22 42 62 63 71 63 53 61 61 71 81 53 30 93 52 83 71 31 23 00 74 33 41 63 73 10 20 51 50 51 30 74 93 42 42 43 21 00 41 51 41 61 81 81 62 32 21 10 83 71 22 94 81 82 33 10 94 63 71 41 81 42 41 00 94 40 43 51 20 62 52 63 91 73 51 42 60 90 73 53 53 62 61 51 71 00 94 62 71 83 62 63 10 42 63 33 62 71 30 33 82 91 92 41 40
74
Became:
H 2 J G 9 P D
B H N O P O L
M M P T L 3 Y
K V P D C 0 S
F G O R 1 2 J
5 J 3 S Y H H
I A 0 G J G M
T T N E A 1 V
P B Z T U F 1
Z O P G T H G
0 Z 4 I J 2 N
K O W R J H 6
9 R L L N M J
P 0 Z N P V N
O 1 H O F N P
3 F U W X G 4
Which revealed:
GOT 2 DRS GET GIRL NOW
“Oh fuck…” Daniel muttered.
“When did you receive this message?” General Armstead asked.
“Right as we left the Major’s office.”
Crossing the room to his desk in long, powerful strides, the massive man grabbed the phone on his desk and punched in two numbers. After waiting a second, he spoke into the receiver. His voice came over the speakers throughout the building.
“THIS IS GENERAL ARMSTEAD. LOCK DOWN THE BUILDING. I REPEAT, LOCK DOWN THE BUILDING. NO ONE IN, NO ONE OUT. NO EXCEPTIONS. VIOLATORS ARE TO BE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY. THIS ORDER REMAINS IN PLACE UNTIL I PERSONALLY WITHDRAW IT.”
Turning back to the others, he met each of their gazes. “We need to find this traitor ASAP.”
The three of them nodded in agreement. Those involved were working against the country’s interests. Treason was an accurate description of what had and was occurring.
The sound of footsteps rapidly approaching drew their attention to the doorway. Seconds later, a man burst into the room. It was Lieutenant Colonel Juarez.
General Armstead frowned.
“Colonel Juarez! You’re still here?”
Juarez nodded. ‘Think, Michael,’ he said to himself. ‘Give as little information as necessary.’ Keeping the look of excitement on his face, he nodded. “Yes, Sir.” Glancing at the two civilians, he added, “I had to see Doctor McMillan.” His eyes moved to the table, taking in sheets of paper spread out there. The grid of printed two digit numbers told him everything he needed to know: they were copies of the messages he’d sent.
How the hell did they get them?
Careful to ensure that his face didn’t betray him, Juarez could think of only one word to describe this situation. Shit.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
Pointing to the
papers, Armstead replied, “Someone’s trying to help people kidnap the girl.”
“What?” he replied.
Major Kincaid interrupted. “Sir, we’re going to head back to my office so that I can get my firearm.” Using his thumb, he gestured towards Daniel and Serafina. “After that, we’re gonna head to the comms center so we can try to hail Team Whiskey.”
‘Shit. Shit, shit, shit,’ Juarez thought. ‘We’re so close…’
Armstead waved at the man. “Sounds good,” he replied. The three of them left, leaving him alone with Juarez. Looking up at the man, he asked, “Is everything okay, Mike?”
Juarez was caught off-guard by the question. “I, uh, what do you mean, Sir?”
Looking back down to study the papers on the table, the General said, “You said you went to see Doctor McMillan. Is everything okay?”
‘Oh, thank God. Okay, think, Michael. You’ve got to give him something believable,’ he told himself.
If you want a lie involving you to be believable, make it self-deprecating.
“I, uh, haven’t been able to, you know, go.”
The General looked up at him, his eyes widening. “You’re constipated?”
“Yes, Sir,” he replied, nodding. “Been backed up for nearly a week.”
Armstead shook his head. “Was the doctor able to help?”
“I hope so,” he replied, shaking his head as well. “Not looking forward to it, though. They’re suppositories.”
The big, black man recoiled. “TMI, Colonel.”
“Sorry, Sir.” Seizing on the opportunity, he said, “Sir, why don’t I head down to the ACP and take charge of the security forces there? Make sure they’re organized and understand your orders.”
Armstead nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good, Colonel. When you get to the Access Control Point, make sure no one enters or exits. Anyone insists on trying, let me know ASAP..”
“Yes, Sir.”
After the man left, Armstead frowned. Something was off. Something didn’t make sense. Frowning, he stood up and went back to his desk.
Where was it?
There was a note here…
There it is!
It was scribbled in the typical sloppy fashion doctors were noted for.
General, I’ll be at the main hospital today. Need to stay current with my qualifications. I can be reached via the hospital main line if needed.
Thanks.
Very Respectfully,
Doctor McMillan
“Son of a bitch…” General Armstead growled, crumpling the paper in his hand.
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
Oklahoma City Protective Zone, Oklahoma
Day 5
Taking a long drink from the plastic bottle, Evan savored the feeling of the liquid moistening his throat. The afternoon run he’d done had been long and arduous, and the subsequent martial arts workout he’d put himself through had left him, hot, winded, and parched. Though Oklahoma City was similar in climate to that of Cameron, Texas, it somehow felt different. A little cooler, but just as dry. He theorized that the slightly cooler air made him feel as if he could push himself a little harder, only to find out that the dry air still sapped his strength as his sweat evaporated off his skin.
He was halfway through the bottle when he caught himself, lowering it quickly and wiping his mouth with his free hand.
“I’m sorry, here, please have some,” he said, offering the bottle.
“I’m fine, silly,” Judith replied, bringing up her hand to stop him. “You’re the one who’s out here working up a sweat. I’m just sitting on the bleachers, watching.” She smiled at him, showing her perfect teeth as the gesture lit up her entire face.
‘Jesus help me,’ Evan thought to himself, looking away quickly. At times, being near the young, dark-haired beauty was torture, as he longed with all of his heart to reach out and take her into his arms, to feel her softness of her supple body against him as he wrapped her in his embrace with his powerful muscles. Even now, as her body changed in response to the pregnancy, those changes had done nothing to diminish her beauty. Instead, they seemed to make her more appealing to him.
It was crazy.
And yet, it made perfect sense.
“Well, don’t just stand there, you dork. Drink your water. And here,” she said, passing him a towel, “wipe yourself off before you get your sweat on me.”
Accepting the dingy, previously-white-now-grey towel from her, he used it to wipe his brow, then the back of his neck before taking another drink of water. Looking out across the perfectly green, perfectly lined football field that he’d circled during his sprints, he wondered how much the high school had spent on installing the state-of-the-art synthetic turf. The still-sharp lines and numbers on its surface indicated to him that summer football camp had been well underway when the virus hit.
Seems like years ago.
Of course, it hadn’t been that long ago. It had been less than two months, no matter how crazy and desperate time’s passage had seemed as they fought for their survival. If only he could go back. If only they could go back-
“Earth to Evan.”
Blinking, he turned and looked back at Judith. She was smiling at him again, making his heart swell inside his chest.
“Sorry, I - ”
“Was thinking about better times?”
“Something like that.”
Standing up, she stepped down from the metal bleachers and walked up to him until she was a mere two feet from him. Craning her neck, she looked up at him, her almond eyes wide with wonder. “What was it, then?” she asked, smiling mischievously.
“Judith…” he protested, stepping back.
“Come on, tell me!” she pleaded, stepping forward.
“I - ”
“Evan!” a loud voice called out.
Snapping his head up and towards the bleachers, Evan spotted the tall, muscled form of Jeff Rivet approaching from behind the metal structure.
“Yeah!” he answered, sidestepping Judith to move towards the man. Being in close proximity to any of Jeremiah’s wives was sure to raise eyebrows. He hoped the man hadn’t observed how close the young woman had gotten to him.
Evan walked towards the dark-haired man that stood a full two inches taller than his own six-foot-three inch frame, crossing the distance between them. The other man’s eyes darted towards Judith, then back to meet Evan’s.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“I, uh, she wanted to go for a walk. I guess it helps her blood flow and is good for the baby’s development,” he offered, before adding, “She was heading out on her own, but I didn’t think that was a good idea, so I insisted on accompanying her.”
The other man’s eyes narrowed as they locked onto his, searching for signs that he was telling the truth. After a moment, he broke his gaze and brought his hand up, jerking his thumb back towards the bleachers. “We need to go. Jeremiah wants to have a meeting.”
“What about?”
“Not sure. He said something about next steps and a ‘special mission.’”
“Hunh.”
Rivet shrugged. “You know he’s been working on this for a while. He wants to expand his influence. You know that.”
“I know.”
“So it’s on us to support him.”
“I know,” Evan replied, looking past the other man, towards the residential towers to the south, where so many new residents were being placed after their quarantine period had been completed.
The other man stared at him once more, as if he was daring him to object. “So let’s go.”
Evan nodded. “Of course.”
“Good.” Jeff replied. Looking out of the side of his eye towards Judith, he added, “don’t forget your...charge.”
Evan stared at the man for a moment, anger brewing inside him at the manner in which the other man had referred to Judith as some ‘assignment.’ Even if the story about her wanting to go for a walk was only half true (they’d gone for
a walk before his workout), accompanying her was something the did voluntarily, not because she was an assignment.
‘Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil,’ he thought, recalling the verse from Psalms 37. After a moment, he exhaled as calmness returned to him. Looking over his shoulder, he made eye contact with Judtih.
“I need to head back. Do you mind going back now?”
“Of course,” she replied, before correcting herself. “I mean, I don’t mind at all. Let’s go.”
Walking forward, she fell in alongside him as he walked with the other man, headed back towards the Homewood Suites, where they’d likely meet with Jeremiah in what had previously been the ‘business center.’
What, exactly, was this ‘special mission’ he was planning?
CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN
San Francisco Protective Zone, California
Day 5
Shit, shit, shit, shit!
Walking quickly, but not so quickly that it would arouse suspicion, Lieutenant Colonel Juarez went to the end of the hall, bypassed the elevators, and stepped into the stairwell. Closing the door behind him, he leaned against the wall and tried to calm himself. His heart was pounding in his chest, threatening to shake his whole body in place as he stood there.
‘Think, Michael,’ he told himself. He had several concerns: Kincaid and the two civilians going to warn the team with the girl, the laptop he kept stashed in the equipment room above, but most of all, the man he’d received the radio from revealing his identity.
Without a doubt, that was the biggest issue.
He couldn’t stop Kincaid and the others from reaching out to the team without making it obvious that he was working against them. His laptop would present problems if found, but externally there was nothing to tie it to him, and it was nearly impossible to break into.
Surviving Rage | Book 5 Page 35
