Steve let the knob twist back into place. "You're probably right. I'll get up before sunrise and check LT's place," he said, removing the phone from his bag.
“Did you get a hold of them? Did they hear if Alex is okay?” Jenny asked, pulling out a chair to join him at the table.
“No, I didn’t. It might be too late, or maybe the bunker is too deep. We’ll try again in the morning.
“Do you think we should hide the phone just in case we get any surprise visitors?” asked Lisa.
“Good call,” Steve said, scanning the room for the best hiding spot.
“How about here?” Jenny suggested, pulling back a loose floorboard.
Steve set the phone underneath and then slid the board back. “Alright, we should try to get some sleep.”
Chapter 10
“The Unthinkable”
Outskirts of Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
December 3, 2009
1755 hours
It was dark on the mountain road. With no highway lighting in operation, it was even darker as the giant trees blocked the moon and stars.
Guided by vintage headlamps, the Pangton County school bus chugged along.
Heater full blast, frost clung to the corners of every window.
Agent Kim was behind the steering wheel speaking with Charlie and Matty, while the others attempted some form of rest on the cushiony, yet uncomfortably small black leather benches.
“No luck finding the sat phone,” Charlie said, returning from the pile of bags in the rear. “I checked every bag twice. Must still be in the mine.”
“It is what it is,” Kim said, eyes forward as to avoid the natural debris and abandoned vehicles. “We will just have to see if the bunker can use satellites to track West or hack into Jones’ satellites if that’s even possible.”
“It’s pretty ironic,” Matty began after a long silence, “For how crazy that Vincent dude was, he was right about the government, well, at least about the cure."
“Ya, I guess,” Kim replied, though his eyes and thoughts drifted to the rounded mirror. Reflecting back at him was Julianne sleeping upright with Beth and Emily in each arm.
“What is it?”
“Nothing…it’s just...without Drew’s help who knows where we’d be...and they might still have their father.”
“Keeping them safe is what Drew wanted. They’ll be fine once we get to the bunker.”
“Speaking of,” Matty interrupted, “What is the plan for when we get there, David?”
Coughing from Dylan delayed a reply. Charlie wiped the blood from Dylan’s lips and then inspected the bandages.
“How bad is it?”
“I can’t tell, David. I think there’s some internal bleeding, but there’s nothing I can do.”
“Ally said he woke up for a minute. Isn’t that a good sign?”
Charlie didn’t answer, nor did Matty press further.
“The plan is that we show Vice President Simmons the evidence and leave it up to him and whoever is left of the government to act,” Kim finally answered. He glanced back as the light from Matty’s booting laptop illuminated the interior. “Everything still intact?”
The artificial light silhouetted Matty’s face amidst the darkness. “Locating the files now...yup, everything is still here. I’m going to double check the backup as well.”
Agent Kim turned the bus off the main highway and made a quick right down an unmarked road. “Matty, after you’re done go wake everyone up. We’re almost there.”
By the time the bus crawled to stop, Ally, Alissa, and Meghan had awoken.
Matty hovered over Christopher and gently nudged him awake. “Hey, buddy, we’re here. Time to get up-”
But on the exact moment of contact, Christopher’s eyes popped open revealing dark, dilated pupils surrounded by fiery veins.
The boy who used to be Chris snapped at Matty’s hand.
"Guys!" Matty shouted, backing up. "Guys! Help!"
Beth and Emily yelped prompting Julianne to usher them out of the bus; Meghan and Alissa followed closely behind them. But as everyone attempted an escape, their combined bodies clogged the aisle, preventing both Charlie and David from helping.
“Guys!” Matty shouted again. Weaponless, he glanced to his seat, five rows behind Christopher. There rested his gun and knife.
“Trying, Matty!”
“Hold on!”
As he continued a steady backpedal, Matty clipped his heel on a bag protruding into the aisle. Instinctively, he braced for impact, but brought his hands up just in time as Chris landed on his chest.
One hand wrapped around the boy's throat and the other on his shoulder, Matty screamed, "HELP!"
“Almost there, Matty!” Charlie called back. “Move Julianne! Get out of the way!”
The widow was so deaf to panic that she was unable to follow instructions, so Charlie shoved them to the side with force. Emily and Beth toppled over one another, and to avoid crushing their young bodies, Julianne fell into the window.
Alissa grabbed Meghan and dove into one of the rows, allowing Charlie an uncontested path.
"Someone!" Matty screamed a final time.
Chris was relentless, snapping and drooling contaminated saliva all over Matty's arms and chest. Matty squeezed his lips together, closed his eyes and looked away.
"Chris!" Charlie shouted.
Almost as though responding to the name, Christopher lifted up his head and snarled.
In that moment, Charlie held himself up by two seats and flung his right foot forward in a devastating blow to Chris' nose.
The force knocked the boy back ten feet, where his head slammed into the back of the bus.
Charlie carried his momentum through the kick, vaulting himself over Matty's body, where he landed, steadied himself, and drew his sidearm.
Chris…he thought, hesitating, but only for a moment.I’m so sorry.
Charlie closed his eyes, and then came the pop.
The bullet entered Christopher's forehead, above the right eye. The boy’s head flew back against the metal emergency exit door, where his body slumped to the side, dead.
After the shot, the panic inside subsided. All that could be heard was the bullet casing as it danced on the floor before coming to a roll.
Matty had scrambled toward the front, taking off his shirt where the infected saliva had collected. Panicked, he tore through the bags until he found a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and doused his arms, face, and chest.
Charlie remained in a shooter’s stance, facing the back. Immobilized by the act, he could hear the others as they gossiped among themselves.
"Chris was infected?"
"When was he bitten?"
"He didn't say anything, did he?"
It was a long moment before David grabbed Charlie’s sunken shoulder. “You had no other choice. You did what you had to.”
But Charlie never responded, never turned around. The Canadian's face was filled with sorrow, and he didn't want the others to see his trembling lip or the tears that followed. As he stared at Christopher’s corpse, all he could feel was guilt associated with failure.
"We'll be outside when you're ready," Agent Kim said softly.
Hands cupped over her mouth, Ally was petrified. Eventually, she took timid steps toward Charlie and wrapped her arms around his.
"I don’t get it...but...when? H-how?"
"I don't know,” Ally whispered, "I don't know."
1820 hours
In front of the bus stood a barbed wire fence more than ten feet tall that disappeared in both directions. Welded to the chain links and posted all around were signs indicating government property and the authorized use of deadly force against trespassers.
At this particular access point, there were no guard booths or checkpoint, just a locked gate protecting a muddy road.
Agent Kim shifted the bus into drive and slowly rammed the gate until the fence buckled. “This is it. We walk from here.”
&n
bsp; “Why don’t we keep going with the bus?” suggested Matty.
“The road is too small and the tires won’t be able to navigate through the terrain. You’ll see. It gets rough,” Agent Kim declared while checking the straps on his backpack. “Charlie, Ally, Matty, we will carry Dylan’s stretcher. Julianne, you and the girls follow next. Alissa, I’ll need you and Meghan to guard our backs, okay?”
“Ya, you got it.”
“We only have a couple flashlights, so if you don’t have one, stick close to someone who does. Shouldn’t take us long. Come on, let’s move.”
The forest at night was equal parts eerie and creepy. Fear played tricks on the cold and hungry survivors. Thick, overhanging branches seemed to stretch fingers down and grab at the travelers. Phantom sounds suggested movement and activity where there was none.
But a half mile in to the trek, David Kim did hear something that prompted him to stop.
"What is it? Infected?" whispered Matty.
“No.”
Charlie squinted his good eye and scanned both sides of the trail. “I heard the same rustling you did, David. I think I know what you’re thinking.”
“We are getting close. Come on, let’s keep moving.”
“How can you be sure? I can’t see anything,” Julianne said, worried.
“Because we’ve been tagged,” Kim answered, but immediately clarified the jargon. “We are being watched.”
Nervous, Matty spun his head around. “Huh? By what?"
"Not what, who. There are cameras all around these parts, and I'm pretty sure there are men surrounding us as well. Alissa, Julianne, Matty, stop pointing guns out there. Holster ‘em, sling ‘em or put ‘em away. You can’t see them, but they can see you, and trust me when I say they are better shots than you are.”
Voice choked up, Julianne said, "There are men out there? H-how do you know? I thought those signs were just to scare people?"
"They are...becausethey will shoot. Just do what I said, and we’ll be alright.”
As the trek continued, snapping twigs and rustling leaves from the ghosts heightened the collective apprehension. But it was the following words that truly spooked the survivors.
"You are surrounded. Put your weapons down and do not make any sudden movements or you will be shot. You have entered into a restricted area. You must turn around and leave immediately."
Agent Kim kept his open palms at head height. "Negative, can't do that.”
"I will not ask again.”
Then came the proof.
More than a half-dozen green lights from automatic rifles lit up the group.
"Do not shoot. We are the survivors of Blue Springs. My name is Agent David Kim of the United States Secret Service. I was on Big Papa's detail. I am on urgent mission with time-sensitive information and need to speak with Vice President Simmons immediately,” he said in one breath "I repeat, I need to speak with the Vice President immediately!”
"Hold one," said the leader of the unknown number of men.
Kim and the others could hear a conversation going on, but the voices were too quiet to discern.
Seconds later, a man stepped forward from the darkness. Dressed in forest camouflage combat fatigues and a helmet strapped with night vision goggles, the soldier kept his M16 rifle trained on Kim’s chest.
"Drop your weapons. Keep on the road and follow me. Do not attempt to divert or engage in any hostile movement or you will be shot."
Kim identified the Staff Sergeant insignias and read off the Marine’s nametag. “Fikejs, is it?”
“Yup, like the Ficus tree only spelled different. Now I’m gonna take your question as a general interest in my name’s interesting spelling, and not the fact that you are trying to deflect and still have not dropped your weapons. So I will tell you again, drop your weapons and follow me. Now, are we gonna have a problem with that directive?”
“No, sir we are not; just trying to appeal to a fellow serviceman, and reiterate that me and my people are not a threat.” Kim looked back and said, “Do what he says, guys.”
1903 hours
After ten minutes of hiking through the dense forest, the Marine led the survivors to a structure that, by all outward appearances, resembled a hunting cabin. Exterior lighting was triggered by motion, and for the first time, the group was able to see the other eight Marines; some waited partially concealed by the tree line, while others stood in the open, confident in their abilities.
Moments later, a man exited the log cabin and met with the leader of the Marine detachment.
Dressed in a suit with the collared shirt undone and a tie sloppily loosened, the man appeared visibly grumpy, as though a permanent frown was written into his DNA. He had a beaked nose and parted his hair from left to right accentuating a receding hairline, while bags of stress and countless hours of lost sleep hung under his narrow eyes.
After the conversation, Grumpy nodded at the Marine and stepped down the stairs to meet the survivors.
“My name is Donald Quick. I’m the Vice President’s Chief of Staff,” he said in a tone that indicated a high level of annoyance. “You are trespassing on government soil, and should be arrested. But Staff Sergeant Fikejs tells me you claim to be with the government?”
Agent Kim extended his hand. "As I told the Staff Sergeant, we are survivors of Blue Springs. I am Service Agent David Kim and these are my friends. No offense, sir, but I need to speak with Vice President Simmons a day ago-”
"He’s a very busy man. I’m here, tell me what happened."
"Negative. I am on orders from the President himself to speak only with Vice President Simmons."
“Then you came a long way for nothing, because that is not going to happen,” Donald said, pitch escalating. “People don't just say they get to speak with the acting President. So, you talk to me and I talk to him. That’s how this works. Besides, you aren't in any position to negotiate."
Acting President, Kim thought he heard, but didn’t touch on it. He took a hard step forward and began to say, “You don’t understand, I have time-sensitive information-”
The move was taken as aggressive and all lasers went on David. He looked around at each of the Marines and lost his composure. "I'm Secret Service, damnit! Stop treating me like I’m a threat!"
Donald Quick held up a hand, which prompted the Marines to lower their weapons but not to relax completely. "Well, Agent Kim, you seem like a sensible man. Try looking at this picture from my point of view...I don't know who you are. I don't know for certain that you are Secret Service...So tell me, can you prove that you are, in fact, who you say you are and not some criminal impersonating a government official?"
Kim instinctively grabbed for his jacket pocket where a badge used to live, but he no longer had his government issued jacket, nor the badge. In fact, he possessed nothing to corroborate his identity.
“Look, I don’t have anything on me, but I swear I was on Big Papa’s detail! You want codenames? Phrases? I can tell you anything you want to hear.”
"So you maybe saw a few movies or knew some people who told you some things. Doesn't prove anything. Tell me, would you believe some dirty, grungy people who showed up in their front door demanding to be let in and given face time with heads of state?"
Would you believe some random group of survivors? No, probably not, but try David, try!
"You don't understand! The President gave me specific orders to only speak with Vice President Simmons and him alone!"
"You mean Acting President Simmons,” Donald corrected bluntly. “And that is not going to happen."
Kim’s head tilted back and to the side, surprised. "So, you know?"
"Yes, we heard about the infected compromising Blue Springs and President Tufase's death."
"Sir," Staff Sergeant Fikejs interrupted, "President Tufase is dead?"
"Yes, only the Vice President and I were privy to the information. We were waiting to confirm until we told everyone else.”
"That�
��s why you had me dispatch my men. You told me it was-"
"I know what I told you,” Donald replied acidly. “No, it wasn't to assist in the deployment of the vaccine…"
Fikejs’ frown suggested a strong dissatisfaction for not being informed of the truth as to why his men were being used.
"And as per the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution, Jared Simmons has ascended to the Presidency. We are waiting for the remaining cabinet members to convene andofficially swear him in…”
Donald turned and faced the group of Marines and continued.
“That was when we were going to inform you and the rest of the Free World. But since you now know, Staff Sergeant Fikejs, it goes without saying but keep this information to yourself and your team."
"Understood.”
"As I was saying, Mr. Kim, you do not get to speak alone with the President."
Charlie leaned in and whispered, “David, we aren’t getting anywhere with this guy, and Dylan needs medical attention. You have to do something.”
"I know. I’m going to try another way. The truth,” he whispered back, then raised his voice. “As I was saying, Mr. Quick,we came from Blue Springs. While you might know President Tufase is dead, I guarantee that you do not know what really happened.”
Donald Quick chuckled. “Oh ya? And whatreally happened?”
“The Blue Springs compound was not compromised by infected. The President was murdered by the LIFE Corporation! Same goes for the thousands of witnesses. The incident was a cover up to make it seem like infected had overrun the site, but that is not the truth. Elizabeth Baron and the LIFE Corporation are the ones responsible for this, and I have the evidence to prove it!"
For whatever reason, the news did not appear to be as stunning as Kim had thought it would be.
“That's a pretty big accusation."
“It’s the truth!” Matty blurted out. Though not being part of the conversation, his exclamation was not officially accepted.
“It is true, and like I said, we can prove it, but the President ordered me to speak with no one but Vice President Simmons about this."
The Longest Road (Book 3): The Other Side Page 55
