Crucifixion - 02

by Dirk Patton

  Crucifixion

  Voodoo Plague Book Two

  Text Copyright © 2014 by Dirk Patton

  Copyright © 2014 by Dirk Patton

  All Rights Reserved

  This work may not be redistributed, copied or reproduced by any means for any purpose other than brief excerpts used as part of literary and critical reviews.

  Also by Dirk Patton

  Voodoo Plague Book One

  Rolling Thunder: Voodoo Plague Book Three

  The people, places and events depicted herein are fictitious and are purely from the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Author’s Note

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Acknowledgements

  Author’s Note

  Thank you for purchasing Crucifixion, Book 2 in the Voodoo Plague series. As you’ve probably already guessed from the title this is the second book in the series. If you haven’t read the first book I would encourage you to do so first, otherwise you may be lost as this book is intended to continue the story in a serialized format. I intentionally did not do much to explain comments and events that reference Book 1. Regardless, you have my heartfelt thanks for reading my work and I hope you’re enjoying the adventure as much as I am. As always, a good review on Amazon is greatly appreciated and the best way to ensure Book 3 happens.

  Chapter 1

  What a bag of dicks!

  Colonel Crawford, commanding officer of the Army’s 5th Special Operations Group, stood there and smiled at me. Smiling like the fucking cat that just ate the fucking canary. He’d just imparted the news on me that by Presidential order I was being reactivated into the US Army. I understand this can happen in times of national crisis, and the nuclear attacks on New York, DC and Los Angeles would certainly qualify all on their own, but the follow on nerve gas attacks that had created millions of homicidal maniacs out of the population was the larger crisis. Rachel and I hadn’t fought our way out of Atlanta, rescuing three downed Air Force personnel in the process and made it to Arnold Air Force Base in Tennessee just so I could become a cog in the big green machine again, even if I was a highly trained and very valuable cog that had ‘Delta Force Operator’ as part of my resume. My priority was to get to Arizona to find my wife Katie. I hadn’t talked to her since the day before the attacks, about two weeks ago, and I had no idea if she was even still alive.

  “Colonel, that’s going to be a real problem for me. I’ve got a wife in the Phoenix area that I’m trying to get to. I don’t know if she’s alive, infected…” I trailed off. Rachel, standing beside me took my hand in hers and gave it a squeeze to let me know she was on board with whatever I needed to do.

  Crawford rubbed a big callused hand across the brush cut hair on top of his head and suddenly looked very tired.

  “I understand your predicament, but this isn’t optional. Right now we need every experienced hand we can get. We’re trying to consolidate our resources and be ready to protect the remaining civilian population from the infected, and I can’t even go into what’s being planned as a response to the Chinese for attacking us.”

  He let out a long sigh and seemed to be wrestling with a decision. “For the moment, you two get some rest and I’ll see what I can do about helping you find your wife. We’ll talk in a few hours.”

  Crawford ordered the Air Force intel clerk that had run the background checks on us to get us some chow and some quarters. I was surprised he specified he wanted us in the visiting officers’ quarters, but didn’t question the gift.

  If the clerk wasn’t happy about taking orders from an Army Colonel he did a good job of hiding it, jumping to his feet and telling us to follow him. We exited the secure intel working area, leaving Crawford behind, and were escorted out of the building. Dog, a large German Shepherd that had adopted us during our escape from Atlanta, raced ahead of and us took full advantage of every tree and bush he could find. A short walk later we arrived at another large, brick building. Opening the door for us the clerk lead the way through a blackout curtain and we were immediately hit with the wonderful smell of baking bread. We passed a door labeled ‘Officers Mess’ and stopped at a small reception desk manned by an Air Force Senior Airman. The clerk explained the situation to him and soon we had a key and directions in hand to our room, the clerk wishing us a good evening and heading back to the intel building.

  The room was on the second floor and true to Air Force tradition was every bit as nice as any Hilton I had ever stayed in with a large king sized bed, flat screen TV and bathroom with oversized tub. Rachel let out a decidedly girlish squeal of delight and dashed to the tub and started it filling with steaming water. I smiled, picked up her pack and weapons where she had just let them fall on the floor and deposited them alongside my pack against the far wall of the room. When I returned to the bathroom door Rachel had already stripped off her grubby clothes and was brushing her teeth with a toothbrush from the plastic wrapped toiletry kit that had been waiting on the bathroom counter.

  “I’m going to get us some food,” I said, waiting to make sure she’d heard me. Apparently she did because she waved at me with her free hand and kept powering the brush across her teeth. Dog followed me out of the door and I momentarily thought about making him stay behind since I was going to the mess hall, but decided the hell with it and headed for the stairs at the end of the corridor.

  At the bottom of the stairs we stopped at the reception desk and I asked for clean clothes for Rachel and me, not surprised that the Air Force also had women’s underwear available. I took a guess at Rachel’s sizes and the Airman promised he would deliver them to our room within the hour. Thanking him I walked down the hallway to the mess, Dog’s nails clicking loudly on the highly polished linoleum covered floor.

  Pushing into the mess hall I wasn’t at all put off when the conversations at three separate tables stopped and every head in the room turned to stare at me and Dog. I had been fighting in the field for almost three weeks, had been shot and was exhausted from running and fighting. I was also well armed with an M4 rifle, pistol, fighting knife and a tactical vest loaded down with spare magazines and ammunition. Oh, and I was dirty as hell and smelled like an elephant’s ass as someone dear to my heart used to say.

  Ignoring the stares I walked up to the serving line, grabbed a large plastic tray and started loading it down with fresh baked biscuits, mounds of bacon and eggs, fresh fruit, a pile of sausage patties and a stack of pancakes that threatened to topple over every time I slid the tray down the shelf in front of the line. Adding flatware and two big glasses of orange juice to the tray I thanked the civilian food workers that were behind the serving line and tossed a sausage patty to Dog. He caught it in the air and swallowed after only chewing once, if at all, then followed me out of
the mess hall with his nose raised close to the tray.

  Back in our quarters I set the heavy tray of food down on a small table. Rachel was in the tub, water up to her neck. I piled food onto one of the plates I’d brought and took it along with one of the OJs into the bathroom and set it on the edge of the tub. Rachel thanked me without opening her eyes and I went back out and devoured every bite of food left on the tray. Well, not every bite. Dog got his share, too. Pushing the tray away I stood up and waddled to the door when there were three sharp knocks. It was the Airman from the reception desk delivering our new clothes. We each got two sets of standard issue Air Force uniform pants and blouses along with three sets of socks and underwear for each of us, including bras for Rachel. Separating the clothing I delivered hers to the bathroom and told her to get moving, it was my turn. A large splash of water was her answer, Dog getting the worst of it.

  Saying the hell with it I reached into the shower stall, cranked the water on hot, stripped out of my grimy clothes and stepped in. The hot water felt marvelous as it beat down on my head and shoulders. I had to soap and rinse twice to feel clean, shaved my head with a disposable razor that had been provided with the room, rinsed and turned off the water. A towel came flying over the top of the shower door and I snatched it out of the air and dried off. Towel wrapped around my waist I exited the shower and shaved my face after wiping the steam off the mirror. Rachel stood next to me, towel wrapped around her torso, forcing a comb through her long, wet hair accompanied by a steady string of curses as the comb worked out tangles.

  “So what’s the… ouch, shit… plan?” She asked, peering at me through wet hair that covered her face and hadn’t been combed out yet.

  “I’m deciding,” I answered, rinsing the razor and setting it aside for future use. I found a small tube of lotion and rubbed some into my freshly shaved scalp. “Suggestions?”

  “I’m with you whatever you decide,” she answered, pausing her combing and brushing hair out of her eyes to look at me. “You should know that by now. We’ve been through too much together for me to not help you. If you want to slip out of here and hit the road I can be dressed in five minutes.”

  I met her eyes and smiled, knowing she was serious and wouldn’t think twice about helping me become a deserter from the Army.

  “For now, we both need rest and another good meal, then we’ll decide. I’d much rather have the support the Army can provide, but I’m not going to start playing soldier and forget about Katie. And… thanks. I’m glad you’re with me.” I reached out and squeezed her hand before walking out of the bathroom. Digging through the clothes we’d been provided I found a pair of clean underwear, pulled them on and climbed into the bed. Dog jumped up on the foot of the bed and curled up into a big ball of fur. Rachel had taken to sleeping in the same bed with me, chastely, after being abducted and abused by a group of survivors and I wasn’t surprised when a few minutes later she crawled into the bed and stole most of the covers.

  Chapter 2

  “24 hours.” Colonel Crawford sat across from us in the Officer’s Mess, steaming cup of coffee gripped between his large hands. Rachel and I had just finished a late breakfast when he joined us, scratching Dog between the ears when he sat down.

  “What?” I asked, not sure I had heard him right.

  “So here’s what I can do for you. There’s an Air Force C-40 leaving tomorrow morning for DM – Davis Monthan Air Force Base – in Tucson. I can get you on that flight. There’s a C-130 departing from DM 24 hours after you land in Tucson, heading to New Mexico. There will be a five man Green Beret A-Team on that plane and I need you to lead them on a recovery mission to pick up two scientists. I’m told these two specialize in nerve and biological agent weapons. We need them at Fort Campbell. Give me your word that you’ll be on that return flight and I’ll give you 24 hours to find your wife. After that I need you back in harness and ready to lead a team.”

  Crawford held my eyes with his, waiting for my answer.

  “You have my word,” I said, holding my hand out to him. He shook it, my not so small hand nearly disappearing in his giant paw. “Thank you, Colonel.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot,” he said, sliding a large manila envelope across the table to me. I opened it and dumped a gold oak leaf into my hand. A thick sheaf of papers remained in the envelope. “Your reinstatement papers, which need to be signed and dropped off at the JAG’s office here on base. They’ll take care of forwarding to BUPERS – Army Bureau of Personnel.”

  I wasn’t interested in the papers, I was wondering what the hell a Major’s rank insignia was doing in my hand. Crawford continued, “You were reinstated at your old rank, Master Sergeant, but completion of a college degree qualified you for officer rank and you were bumped to Captain automatically. I exercised a field commander’s prerogative in time of war and promoted you to Major. I got the clearance to read most of your file last night and I need your leadership as much as I need your combat skills.”

  The Colonel reached out, took the insignia out of my hand and pinned it onto my uniform blouse in the center of my chest.

  “Now you need to know the situation on the ground in Arizona as well as the details of the recovery operation,” he said. “I’ve set you up for a briefing with one of the Air Force intel guys at 1300. He’ll bring you up to speed on what you need to know, then deliver you to the Quartermaster so you can draw the equipment you need.” He started to stand but I held up my hand.

  “Not that I don’t appreciate what you’re doing, but I’ve got to ask. Why?”

  Crawford stood the rest of the way with a long sigh and stared down into his coffee cup. After a long, uncomfortable silence he started speaking. “My wife and two daughters were visiting her sister in Los Angeles when the attacks happened. If I thought there was even the slightest chance that they were alive I’d be doing what you’re going to do. Besides, I need you, and if you’re head’s not on straight you won’t do me much good.”

  I stood, moved around the table and held out my hand again. Crawford shook it as I thanked him for everything he was doing then moved aside as Rachel stepped in and wrapped him up in a big hug. This took him by surprise and embarrassed him, but she didn’t let go until he returned the hug. When she stepped back he turned and walked quickly away, but not before I saw the moisture in his eyes. We watched him exit the mess area then Rachel turned to me and smiled as she squeezed my hand.

  It was over an hour until the intel briefing started so I sat back down and pulled the paperwork out of the envelope. I didn’t bother to read the reams of legalese, what did it really matter anyway? All of the places for signature were marked with little red stick-on flags and I quickly signed my life away and tucked the paper back into the envelope. Finishing our coffee, Rachel and I set out in search of the JAG office. Walking around the busy Air Force base it took me by surprise the first time a group of airmen saluted me as they approached. I returned their salutes, but it wasn’t as much fun as I had thought it was going to be. Kind of a pain in the ass to tell the truth.

  “What’s your wife going to say when you show up with me?” Rachel asked as we walked down a long street shaded by massive oak trees.

  “There won’t be a problem. We’ve been married a long time and she knows that I’m too afraid of her to mess around.” I answered with a grin. “Besides, you aren’t going. You aren’t trained for this and I’m going to have to move fast once I hit the ground in Arizona.”

  Rachel grabbed my arm and pulled me to a stop, yanking me around to face her. “Hey, Asshole! I’m coming with you whether you like it or not. I’ve saved your ass from infected, patched you up when you got shot… you need me.” Rachel’s eyes grew damp as she stepped forward and shoved her face into mine. “We’ve saved each other and like it or not we kind of belong to each other now. Get it through your head. You’re not going anywhere without me.”

  Sensing the tension Dog trotted over and pushed between us then sat down. Without thinking I put m
y hand on top of his head and started scratching his ears. I wanted to argue with Rachel but I had gotten to know her well enough to realize that it wouldn’t do any good. I’d have to lock her up to keep her from boarding that plane, and if I were to admit the truth I wanted her along. We had made a good team as we fought our way out of Georgia and I would be lying if I didn’t admit how fond and protective of her I had become.

  “OK, you win.” I said after a few moments of eye contact with her. Damn, she was like Katie in so many ways. Why did I always manage to wind up with such damn head strong women?

  Rachel looked into my eyes to satisfy herself that I wasn’t patronizing her. Happy with what she saw, she wiped her eyes before circling her arm through mine and starting us walking down the street again. She was at least gracious enough to not gloat over her victory. Much.

  We found the JAG office after asking for directions and getting lost twice. I dropped off the paperwork, then with Dog and Rachel in tow headed for the intel building we’d been in when we first arrived at Arnold the night before. Every 30 to 40 yards we had to pause so Dog could sniff up and pee on bushes, sign posts, trees, you name it and it got marked, but we eventually made it to the building. The two enlisted Security Forces guards at the entrance snapped to attention and saluted when they saw me, opening and holding the door for us. OK, so maybe this officer thing wasn’t so bad after all. Inside we made our way to the same door Crawford had led us through the previous night. I knocked and a moment later an Air Force Master Sergeant opened the door.

  “Major. I was expecting you. The lady…” He stopped when I cut him off.

  “The lady is with me,” I said, pushing through the door.

  He stepped back out of our way, looking at me, Rachel then Dog. After a moment he shrugged and let the spring loaded hinges slam the door shut.