“Follow me,” he said, making a run for it when the helicopter was momentarily out of sight.
His luck ran out when he found the back door locked. Backing up, he raised his foot and slammed his heel into the door. It took two more tries before the door finally sprang open, the lock broken. Dan rushed in, followed closely by Rayburn.
“You really think we can lose them in here?” Rayburn asked, eying the interior of the residence.
“Our chances are better in here than out in the open,” Hixson said. “At least well be able to see them coming.”
“Uh, Dan,” Rayburn interrupted.
Hixson turned to see a man standing in the hallway. He was wearing camouflage pants and was pointing a rifle in their direction.
~*~
Lansing Compound
“Reynolds, we really need your help,” the old man said. “We need the immune person brought here, no matter what it takes.”
“Believe me, I understand how important a cure is,” Lee said. “I talked to Lindsey, and she didn’t volunteer anything. I didn’t push it, but she just wasn’t opening up to me like she did before. She seemed distant. Something’s changed.”
“I told you, it’s those bikers,” the old man said, leaning closer. “They’re warping her mind. You need to get her away from there. If you bring her here, you could actually converse with her like you used to, without them around, listening to your every word.”
“I tried. She doesn’t want to leave the hospital. I don’t know what else I can do.”
“Lee, I don’t think you realize quite how important this vaccine is,” Henry said. “People are dying out there by the millions. Every minute counts. While you take your time thinking about how to handle the problem, lives are ending.”
Lee stood and paced, frustrated. They’d had the same conversation before, and he was feeling guilt and pressure.
“You’re sure they have someone who’s immune?” Reynolds asked.
“I was told that,” Henry said. He hesitated for a moment then added, “They called a doctor at one of our other colonies. The person was a patient of his.”
“But they didn’t say who this person was?”
“No. It could be anybody.”
“I could talk to Lindsey again, but I have my doubts that she’ll be any more receptive than she was the last time we spoke.”
“I’d make it worth your while if you could get this information,” Henry added.
Lee turned to look at the old man. “You’ve given me a house I never could have afforded in the old world, and I have hired help to take care of everything for me. I appreciate everything you’ve done, but I accepted this piloting job with you because I thought I could bring Lindsey here and keep her safe. Without her here, it all feels kind of hollow.”
“That’s what you want, more than anything?” Henry asked, a slow smile moving over his face. “You just want her here?”
“Yes,” Lee said, sitting back down. “That’s the only thing I want.”
“I think we just may be able to work something out that will be beneficial to both of us,” Henry said.
~*~
Barstow, California
“Our apologies,” Rayburn said. “We didn’t realize anyone was home.”
“Hands on your heads,” the man said, alternating the attention of the barrel between Rayburn and Hixson. “Interlock your fingers.”
When both men complied, he asked, “Why is a military chopper after you?”
“It’s a long story,” Rayburn said, unconsciously lowering his hands to speak.
The man raised his rifle to Rayburn’s chest, which reminded the doctor to comply. Turning to Hixson, the armed man asked, “You a soldier?”
“I was,” Dan replied, assuming that the military haircut he was sporting gave him away.
“He’s a deserter,” Rayburn blurted out.
“I’m not a deserter,” Dan said, indignant.
“Technically, you are,” Rayburn corrected him. “You disobeyed orders and left your post.”
“Yeah, and if I had obeyed those orders, you’d be dead right now,” Dan said, his voice rising.
“That may be true, but it doesn’t negate the fact that you deserted. Why are you so defensive about that?”
Their captor’s eyes shifted back and forth as each man spoke. “Wait,” he said. “So they’re shooting deserters now?”
Dan shook his head. “I don’t even know who they are anymore. It’s hard to tell who’s in charge. It seems that some of the top brass have relinquished their authority to a large civilian group, to whom I owe no allegiance.”
“We have some information that could really damage them,” Rayburn interrupted. “That’s why they’re shooting at us.”
Hixson shot Rayburn a look.
“What? Wasn’t I supposed to say anything?” George asked.
“I hate to be rude,” Dan said to the man holding the rifle, “but we need to get the hell out of here. If those guys catch us, we’re dead.”
“It sounds like they left,” Rayburn said.
“Not likely,” Dan told him. “If anything, they’re looking for a place to land.”
The man hesitated for a moment then motioned to the back door. “Name’s Ryan. Follow me. I’ll take you someplace safer.”
“Dan and George,” Hixson said, following.
There were voices somewhere outside the house, followed by the sound of boots on pavement. The men quickly slipped out the open back door into the yard. Ryan opened the back gate and led the others into the desert. “Watch for snakes,” he said, “the brush is crawling with them.”
Rayburn stopped in his tracks.
“Come on, George,” Dan said, grabbing the doctor by the collar. “Snakes are the least of our worries right now.”
They ran past several residences until they came to a rundown mobile home.
“Here we are,” Ryan said.
Dan looked at the dilapidated double-wide trailer. “I don’t mean to be picky, but how is this better than the place we just left? The rounds they’re firing will punch right through these walls.”
“You’ll see,” Ryan said, opening the flimsy back door. He hurried to a corner of the room and lifted up on an end table. A section of the floor came up with it, revealing a small shaft leading underground. “Hurry,” he said pointing to the hole. “Get down there.”
Having little other option, the duo followed, climbing down a ladder which opened into a small concrete tunnel. Ryan descended behind them after closing the hatch. When he reached the bottom, he illuminated the space with a small flashlight which he pointed toward a door at the end of the tunnel.
“Pull the lever,” he said.
Dan complied, exposing a dimly lit room. Crawling down another small ladder, he turned at the bottom to find himself staring down the barrel of another gun, this one held by a very nervous-looking woman.
~*~
St. Mary’s Hospital, Lansing
Most of the bikers had spent the day picking crops. Taking Dustin’s advice, they’d started at the edge of the city and moved from house to house, raiding gardens where it was obvious that the property had been abandoned. They still planned to move deeper into farm country, but while Billy continued to work on the road, they’d been able to fill the three trucks with sweet corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and other vegetables. They had brought the produce to Theresa with the promise of getting more the next day. They’d worked hard from dawn until early afternoon, so Snake had told them to take the rest of the day off. One of the bikers suggested a movie marathon and most of the others liked the idea.
“Are you going to watch the movie?” Wombat asked Lindsey.
“I might,” she said, yawning. “I don’t have the energy to go all the way up to my room right now.”
She was about to sit down when Snake stopped her to ask about having Claire and Autumn make some more flyers. He wanted to add more information, and they talked about it for a while.
As they spoke, Helga spotted them and began watching with her usual unbridled hostility. When Lindsey turned to sit down, Wombat pulled her onto his lap.
“Helga’s been giving you death-glares,” he whispered. “You owe me for saving your life again.”
Lindsey gave him a smile. “I’d talk to her, but I don’t think she’d believe me,” she said, “or maybe it just doesn’t matter to her. Maybe any female that ever talks to Snake is going to get the same treatment. Thanks for the help, anyway.”
She was about to move to the seat next to him when it was taken by someone else.
“I guess you’ll just have to stay where you are,” Wombat whispered.
She shivered as his lips brushed her ear, and she wondered if he even realized that he’d done it.
“I guess I will,” she said, laying her head against his shoulder. It had been a long day and Lindsey found herself nodding off almost as soon as the movie started. When she woke a while later, it was to the feel of Wombat’s hand rubbing her back. That could only mean one thing.
Lindsey opened her eyes slowly, saying, “I take it we’re still being watched?”
“No,” Wombat replied.
Lindsey looked around and saw no sign of Helga, but Wombat’s hand was still on her back, keeping up the charade. “Helga’s not here?”
“She left,” he said.
“Then why . . .” Lindsey wondered if the feelings she was having toward him were being reciprocated. There was no doubt that she and Wombat enjoyed each other’s company, but sometimes she got mixed signals from him that left her confused. When they’d been together on the roof a couple of nights earlier, she’d been certain that their friendship was going to change into something else, but since that time he’d gone back to treating her as a friend. She assumed that he’d acted impulsively that night and had second thoughts later. Now she wasn’t so sure.
“Wombat?” she said, not sure how to even begin to ask the question that was on her mind. She lifted her head to look at him.
“David,” he said quietly. He reached over to brush a strand of hair from her face. “Look, I know it’s not me that you want, but . . .” he started.
Swallowing hard, she opened her mouth to tell him that he was wrong, but she was stopped by the sound of a helicopter in the distance. As the noise grew louder, Wombat’s eyes shifted upward, and he frowned before looking at her again.
“It’s probably Lee,” she said, sitting up straighter. She was not looking forward to seeing him after their last encounter. It would be even more difficult to talk to him now.
“Don’t go, Lindsey,” Wombat said.
“I have to go talk to him.”
She glanced up toward the ceiling, knowing the helicopter was almost at the roof.
“He’ll try to get you to leave,” Wombat told her. “I don’t want you to go.”
“I won’t go,” she said, her eyes shifting back to his. “This is where I want to be.”
His eyes stayed fixed on hers for a moment longer then he pulled his hand away so that she could stand. She stopped at the doorway of the ER and glanced back once more before leaving the room.
~*~
Snake walked over to Wombat as he saw Lindsey leave the room.
“Is Xena going to talk to Reynolds?” he asked.
“Yes,” Wombat said. “She said she’s not going to go with him, but who knows?”
“I don’t think she’ll go,” Snake said. “It don’t take a rocket scientist to see you two have taken a shine to each other.”
Wombat glanced at Snake. “It is that obvious?”
Snake grinned. “We’ve been taking bets on how long it takes you to both quit being so dang stubborn and admit it.”
“I’ve been kind of reluctant to put myself out there when she’s still got a thing for the pilot,” Wombat said.
“What makes you think that?” Snake asked.
“Just a few things I’ve heard,” Wombat said.
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Snake said, giving him a grin before walking away.
~*^*~
~38~
St. Mary’s Hospital, Lansing
By the time Lindsey reached the roof, the chopper had already landed. Lee got out and walked around to her, though the usual smile was not on his face. Again, he stopped before reaching her, forcing Lindsey to walk to him. She stopped a few feet in front of him.
“How are you, Lee?” she asked.
“Come here,” he said, motioning with his hands for her to come closer.
She shook her head, staying where she was. “Look, Lee . . .”
“Are you ready to come with me yet?” he asked, cutting her off.
“No. Nothing’s changed. This is where I need to be. We’re still bringing in survivors almost every day, but there are more of them out there.”
“So don’t tell me the others can’t handle it without you, Lindsey,” he said, frowning.
“I’m sure they could,” she said, “but we all do our part. I’m smaller than most of the others, and I can run. There are times when I’m needed for those reasons.”
“Oh, yes, I remember,” he snapped. “They had you act as bait to lure zombies out of the office building shortly before it was bombed. They obviously don’t value your life, Lindsey. I do. Come with me.”
“It’s not like that,” she said, needing to make him understand. “We all care about each other. We’re a team. But we all take some chances. That’s just part of it.”
“It shouldn’t be. I hate thinking about you being in danger out there!” he said, running a hand over his short, dark hair. “Look, I get it that you feel like you’re helping here, but there are things you could be doing at the place where I am, and it’s so much safer than this hospital.”
“Would you have room for everybody?” she asked, knowing that a few people might consider it.
“Everybody?” he repeated, as though he didn’t understand.
“All of us in the hospital. Can you take us all in if we decide to go?”
“Oh,” he said, looking away. “Probably not. It seems to be an invitation-only kind of situation.”
“I see,” she said.
He sighed and looked away. “What are they supposed to do? They can’t save the whole world, so they bring in the ones who will be helpful in keeping us all alive and rebuilding the human race.”
“And you don’t have a problem with that?”
“I’m not happy with all of their policies. I agreed to go there because I hoped you’d be going with me,” he said. “It’s perfect, Lindsey. People like me, who can be of help to them, are treated like kings. I have everything I could ever want, except you. I want you there with me. We even have a minister, so we can get married legally. They’re encouraging us to have children, and I’d rather have them with you than someone else. You’re young, healthy, and intelligent; just the kind of person they want me to choose.”
“Marriage? Lee, no, that’s not going to happen,” she said. “I’m not ready to get married.”
And he wasn’t the one she wanted to be with. She knew that now. So much had changed in such a short time, but she realized that whatever they’d once had, it was over.
“I’m sorry,” she added. “This just isn’t going to work between us.”
“You can’t just throw away our relationship. I’m doing this for you, for us,” he insisted.
“What relationship?” she asked. “We’ve only spent a few hours together over the last few weeks. We’ve barely had a chance to get to know each other.”
“I know you well enough to know this is what I want,” he said. “I thought you felt the same way. What changed?”
“You did,” she said. “I’ll admit that I thought there could be something between us, but you changed. Now I understand that we don’t have the same priorities.”
The roof-access door opened, and Hawk walked out, nodding to Lindsey briefly before going to light a cigarette.
“H
im again?” Lee asked, eyes narrowing. “I guess you’re going to tell me it’s a coincidence.”
“Please don’t start this. He’s up here almost every hour for a cigarette when he’s not working outside,” she told him. “I’m going back in. This conversation is over.”
“No!” he said, stepping closer. “Don’t do this to me, Lindsey.”
“I’m sure you won’t have a problem finding someone who wants to live in this place you’re talking about. It sounds great, but it’s not going to be me. I’m sorry.”
She saw a mix of anger and desperation on his face.
“Watch your step, Lindsey,” he said, keeping his voice low. “You have no idea just how powerful these people are where I’m living now.”
“I know they’re powerful. We already had a visit from some of them, remember? They wanted to take all our weapons away when your rescue missions ended.”
“That was the military. This has nothing to do with them. There is no military. There is no government. It’s all gone. We’re the ones in power now, and you’re either with us or against us. Which is it?”
His words gave her pause as she wondered about the group he was with. Just how powerful were these friends of his? Would they retaliate if they felt that she and the others at the hospital were not on their side?
He looked away for a moment, and when he turned back, his face was hard.
“I’m going to give you a little time to think about this,” he said. “I’ll be back in a week to pick you up. It’ll be in your best interest to come with me.”
“Don’t count on it,” she said.
“Be here, same time, one week from today. Have your things packed and ready to go.”
He turned and walked away without another word.
Lindsey folded her arms, mainly because they were shaking. She stayed on the roof as the helicopter left, but she didn’t watch it. Her mind was miles away.
“Everything all right?” Hawk asked, walking over.
Dead, But Not For Long (Book 2): Pestilence and Promise Page 33
