by P. T. Hylton
Jessica Bowen leaped from her seat. “Hang on, Stearns. If you’re trying to pass this off on me—”
“I’m not!” Stearns threw his hands in the air. “Please, everyone, if we could have some semblance of an orderly discussion. Time is too short to waste it bickering.”
CB took a deep breath and fought to maintain his composure. There was too much going on for him to waste his time here. But the general said he was needed, so here he sat.
“What I’d like to know,” the general said, “is how Director Bowen managed to be so wrong about the parts. I lost a good man down there.”
“I’m well aware, and I’m very sorry,” Jessica said. “Believe me when I tell you that no one feels the weight of my mistake more than I do. We just don’t have enough information about the nuclear facilities on the surface to understand whether or not the parts will work.”
The mood in the room was tense. Everyone was angry and looking for someone to blame, and there was plenty of blame to go around. First, everyone had blamed Jessica for sending the GMT for the wrong parts, then they’d blamed the GMT for leaving some parts on the surface—CB hadn’t even bothered to dignify that with a response—then they’d blamed the Council for voting against the will of the people. They’d also touched on Fleming, his supporters, and Captain Keller’s badges before circling around to Jessica again.
“As I’ve said time and time again, there’s no use debating the merits of our past actions,” Councilman Stearns said.
“Mighty convenient,” Horace muttered.
“What matters is the future. What do we do next, Director Bowen?”
The room fell silent. Every eye was on Jessica. CB admired the way she stood before them, unwavering, her jaw set. “My team is working around the clock to find the next most likely location for the parts. Once we do, we’ll send the GMT down to bring back the parts to see if they’ll work.”
“And my people risk their lives for nothing again?” the general said.
“Or to save humanity,” she said coolly. “If those parts don’t work, we try the next facility on the list.” She paused, reading the anger in the room. “I’m sorry, but it’s the best plan we have.”
“Come up with a better one,” Stearns said, “and do it quickly.”
***
After the meeting, CB approached Jessica. While her face was the picture of calmness, CB had spent his life in the GMT around hard cases who would rather face a horde of vampires than betray the slightest hint of their real emotions. He’d long ago learned to look past expressions and tones of voice and toward the smaller, unconscious things that might betray a person’s inner life. From the way she was gathering the paper in front of her and the way she was carefully not looking at anyone, he could tell she was furious.
“Hey, Director Bowen.”
She looked up sharply, defensively. Another dead giveaway.
“Listen,” he said, “I just want you to know that regardless of what these fools in here think, getting the wrong parts wasn’t your fault.”
She looked back down at her papers and resumed gathering them. “I’m well aware of that, Captain. But thank you.”
“The team doesn’t harbor you any ill will. They respect the hell out of you, every one of them. So do I.”
She paused for a moment when he said that. “Thank you, Captain. I admire your work as well.”
He put his hands on the table and leaned down, getting close enough that he was able to lower his voice a little. “You and I both know it’s not politicians that’ll save this city. It’s the boots on the ground. It’s us. So you figure out the most likely location for the parts you need, and my team will fight like hell to get them for you.”
“I will. Though there are no guarantees. The only alternative is to stop fighting, and we’re certainly not going to do that.”
“Yeah.” CB wished she’d look up at him again. There was something about her eyes, the way they seemed to dance with curious intensity. It made him ache in a way he hadn’t in a long time. “It’s a shame there’s not a way to get more information about the facilities on the surface. If we had that, we’d know exactly where to get parts, now and in the future.”
She paused, then stood up. “Thank you again for the kind words, Captain Brickman. I’ll be in touch as soon as we have a mission location.”
He caught just a glimpse of those eyes before she turned and headed for the door.
“CB,” the general said from behind him. “Let’s go.”
As they walked toward the exit, the general said, “That was a real shit show in there. Scary to think those people are in charge of the fate of humanity.”
“I couldn’t agree more, sir.”
“Listen, I know the team needs a break after everything they’ve been through, but we can’t afford to give it to them. Not right now. They have to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.”
CB agreed, but they’d already discussed this. “They’re ready, sir.”
“No, they’re not. You’re down a man. We need a full crew for the next mission.”
It took CB a moment to realize what General Craig was saying. “Forgive my bluntness, sir, but this is hardly the time to bring on a fresh recruit.”
“No one said fresh. You’ve got five qualified candidates. Pick one and get him working with the team. Today.”
CB clenched his jaw to keep from saying something he’d regret. Yes, five badges in Keller’s department had gone through initial GMT training and been identified as candidates for the next open position. They even ran training exercises with the team every couple months to stay ready. But there was a damn big difference between passing initial training and being ready to descend into the depths of a nuclear facility where they might once again be ambushed by a surprisingly strategic horde of vampires. Bringing an unqualified person on a mission like that could cost lives. It wasn’t just putting the recruit at risk; it was putting the whole team at risk.
“What’s the problem, CB?” the general asked.
“Sir, I’m of the opinion that the team is working together very well right now. I’m hesitant to take someone with no experience on a dangerous mission.”
“The missions are how they get experience.” The general took a deep breath, and his voice was softer when he spoke again. “Look, this is why we have the training program. So we’re ready when there’s a need. What happens if you lose someone else, or two someone elses, on the next mission? Then you have multiple positions to fill with inexperienced people. Fill Simmons’s role, and let the new guy or girl get some reps in on this next mission.”
CB didn’t like it, but he had to admit the general was right. “Yes, sir. I’ll have the spot filled by the end of the day.”
***
Firefly waited in the shadows at the bottom of the stairs outside Engineering. He’d pulled a few strings and called in a few favors to learn the schedule, and he’d learned that the person he was hoping to meet was supposed to be off work soon.
The first person who descended the stairs was a woman Firefly had never seen before. He busied himself with a garbage can lid, hoping she’d think he was a janitor. She walked by without comment.
Five minutes later, the man Firefly was looking for came down the steps. He paused at the sight of Firefly, his face suddenly pale. Firefly waited without acknowledging the man. When he reached the bottom, Firefly grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the shadows.
“What are you doing?” Steven hissed in a whisper. “You know we’re not supposed to be seen together.”
“I didn’t know who else to go to.” Sarah had been Firefly’s primary contact inside the opposition, and she was currently hanging on to life in a hospital bed. He would have gone straight to Fleming, but he was in no position to hold a discussion either. “Look, you know more people in the opposition than I do. You have to get a message to them.”
Steven shook his head. “You’re wrong. I’m just a concerned citizen like you. I don
’t even know who’s leading the opposition with Fleming and Sarah gone.”
Firefly tightened his grip on Steven’s arm. “Quit playing coy. I’m not trying to set you up here. I know you’ve been going to the meetings every night.”
Steven’s lips tightened in a frown. “Fine. What’s the message?”
“Tell them they have to call off the plan. The vampires are stronger than we thought. We have to wait.”
Steven shook his head in disbelief. “Are you kidding? After everything we went through to plan this?”
“We don’t have a choice, man. You have to tell them.”
Steven looked at Firefly for a long moment before replying. “I’ll tell them, but that’s all I can guarantee. It may be too late to stop it.” He shrugged off Firefly’s hand. “Don’t come here again.”
Firefly watched as he walked away, hoping it wasn’t too late.
Chapter 33
Alex and Drew were in the gym taking turns spotting one another for their afternoon workout when CB entered. A tall, gangly man in his early twenties followed close behind, running a hand through his unruly shock of blond hair.
Alex immediately knew what was happening. Apparently, Drew did too. He sat up and muttered, “You gotta be kidding me.”
CB nodded in greeting. “You two know Wesley Aaron. We’re calling him up to join the big show.”
“Hey Wesley,” Alex said.
“Welcome,” Drew said.
To Wesley’s credit, he looked a little sheepish about the whole situation. Alex understood. After she’d passed initial training, she’d waited nearly a year for a slot to open on the Ground Mission Team. During that time, she would have given just about anything for her shot, but she never once wanted a spot to open up because someone had died. Thankfully, her predecessor had retired peacefully, so she’d joined the team under better circumstances. Even still, she’d endured months of her teammates comparing her to the beloved teammates who’d come before. It would be much worse for Wesley, she knew. Until he put his life on the line to save their asses in the field, he wouldn’t hold a candle to Simmons in the team’s estimation.
Still, Alex had to admit he was the correct choice. Out of all five candidates, Wesley had struck the right balance in the training exercises between keeping his mouth shut and following orders and taking initiative. Plus, he showed aptitude as a sniper, so he could fill Simmons’s role on the team. As difficult as it was going to be, she promised herself she’d do her best to make him feel welcome.
“Thanks, guys,” Wesley said. “Working with you is a dream come true. I can’t wait to kill some vampires with you.”
Alex wasn’t sure how to respond to that. The gap between someone who’d never faced vampires and someone who’d been through what they had only one day prior was too wide.
“Well, you won’t have to wait long,” CB said. “We’re expecting orders any time. Alex, I want you to spend the afternoon with Wesley. Walk him through the mission prep procedures. Take him to R&D and have them gear him out.”
“Yes, sir,” she said. “Give me five minutes, Wes. I’ll hit the shower, and then we’ll get to work.”
“Thanks. And it’s Wesley. No big deal, I just, you know, prefer Wesley.”
She sighed and shook her head. GMT 101: Never let your teammates know you hate something. Drew would probably call him Wes for the next twenty years. “Okay, Wesley. I’ll be back in five.”
They spent the next hour on an in-depth tour of the facilities. He’d been here before and received the trainee’s tour, but this was different. She showed him the shortcuts between the briefing rooms, helped him pick out his locker, and showed him where to file reports. She also introduced him to the people he’d now be working with on a daily basis. The support staff, the medical team, and of course the other members of the GMT. He’d met most of them as a trainee, but, again, they acted differently toward him now. He was a teammate who might be assigned to watch their backs in the very near future. For the most part, they treated him professionally, if a bit coolly.
Out of everyone, the only person who came off downright hostile was Firefly. “They couldn’t let us grieve for forty-eight hours before they replace Simmons?”
“Don’t be an asshole,” Alex said. “We’ve got a mission coming up any time, and we need a full crew.”
“All the more reason I don’t want some badge who was writing tickets for littering yesterday watching my back.”
Wesley stepped up, a wide but cold smile on his face. “Actually, I was putting down a riot yesterday.”
The tough-guy act didn’t last long—he was still too intimidated by the GMT members—but both Alex and Firefly appreciated the guts it took for him to make the effort.
Alex took him to R&D last because she knew it would take most of the afternoon. Brian was the opposite of Firefly, immediately giving Wesley a warm welcome and asking him lots of questions about himself. He personally walked Wesley through the weapons-selection process, letting him try out a few models of assault rifles on the shooting range, and then tweaking his favorite to his exact preferences. He also selected his pistol, knife, and sword.
While Wesley was trying on his silvermail suit, Alex nudged Brian. “Where we at with those replacement Daylights?”
Brian shook his head. “It’s going to be at least a few more days before they’re ready.”
Alex sighed. She didn’t know where they’d be sent next, but she was pretty sure it would be less than a few days from now. Looked like they were back to the bad old days of fighting vampires the old fashioned way.
When they finished in R&D, Alex clapped Wesley on the back. “How you doing?”
He looked at her wide-eyed. “Fine. I mean, it’s a lot to take in, but in a good way.”
“All right, we’re done picking out toys. Let’s call it a day. Meet me in the gym at oh six hundred for some sparring.”
He raised a skeptical eyebrow as he looked down at her. “Against you?”
“Nah, we’ll start you out easy. You can spar against Drew and work your way up to me. In the meantime, I recommend you get some sleep. You’ll be glad you did.”
She was proven correct when the call came at five the next morning telling them all to head to the briefing room immediately.
***
The general, CB, and Director Bowen were standing in front of the room when Alex and Owl arrived. Drew and Firefly showed up together a few minutes later. Wesley was last. He walked in blurry-eyed, his hair still freshly mussed from a night of sleep. Clearly he hadn’t expected to be called in at five in the morning on his first full day on the job.
He looked around the room for a few seconds, apparently trying to detect whether seating was arranged by some sort of pecking order, before Alex took pity on him and waved him over to the empty seat next to her.
For Alex’s part, she was glad the waiting was over and it was time to get back to action. She wasn’t always the best at working through her emotions in a healthy way, and she felt like facing another swarm of undead monsters in some underground nuclear facility might do her mental health a lot of good.
Alex nodded to Director Bowen. “Director, I take it you’ve found another likely spot for the parts we need?”
“Actually, no.”
That made them all sit up a bit straighter. The room was silent now, all eyes on Bowen.
“Captain Brickman gave me an idea yesterday,” she said. “He said he wished there was a way we could get more information on the nuclear facilities on the surface. I believe I’ve found such a way.” She clicked on the overhead projector, and an image of a city appeared, shot from above. “This is Fort Meade, Maryland. Those giant glass buildings are the former headquarters of the National Security Agency, NSA for short. The NSA was an intelligence agency charged with gathering information about threats to the United States. We believe the most thorough information about the nuclear facilities in the United States is housed in this location.”
&nbs
p; The general tapped the building on the screen. “Your mission is to infiltrate that building, power up their computers, and download all information regarding nuclear facilities.”
“Wait,” Drew said, “we’re not going after the parts to fix the ship?”
“Not on this trip, no.” Director Bowen held up a stack of paper. “This is a list of the four hundred and fifty nuclear reactors in the world and the incredibly limited information we have on each of them. We can confidently rule out about forty-seven, but the other four hundred and ten are all potential candidates.”
“Rather than having you risk your lives at random reactors until we stumble across the right parts,” General Craig said, “we’re going to gather the information we need to know exactly where to go next.”
“This information will be valuable long after our current crisis,” Bowen said. “In all honesty, we should have done this years ago. We’ll be reaping the benefits of this mission for years to come.”
Owl raised her hand. “Um, maybe I’m missing something. I assume the NSA computers are fairly secure. I’m a pretty big nerd, but I’m not sure I’m up to squaring off against the guys who were literally in charge of computer security for the most powerful nation of the pre-vampire era.”
“He is,” CB said, pointing at Brian. “Tell them, Mr. McElroy.”
Brian stood up. “Thanks, Captain, but it didn’t take much effort. Many of the Remnants were former US government. Some of those original nerds you’re referring to were aboard this ship, Owl. So, using their records, I was able to put this together.” He held up a tablet computer. “Power up the computers in the data center, connect the tablet, and the rest is automatic. No nerding required.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Drew said.
General Craig stepped in front of the projector. The faint image of Fort Meade, Maryland, was visible on his dress shirt. “I don’t have to tell you what’s at stake here. You’re the best we have. That’s why we’re sending you. Do your jobs, come home safe, and bring us back the info. We roll out immediately.”
