by Dirk Patton
“Let’s go inside,” I said, standing and offering a helping hand.
42
“You’re out of your fucking mind! Sir.”
It was the following morning and Martinez was keeping me company at the base hospital while Rachel was having some additional tests performed. To be thorough, she’d said, assuring me that nothing was wrong and she was just making sure it stayed that way.
So, we’d dropped Mavis and Dog with Ziggy and driven across the base. To my surprise, Martinez had showed up while I was sitting in the waiting room. Rachel had called her before we’d left our quarters, and I realized there was a conspiracy to keep me from worrying too much.
Now, we were wandering around outside, sipping what passed for coffee these days. It was... well, let’s just say different. The only thing I was sure of was that I didn’t really want to know what it was. But it satisfied the desire for caffeine, kind of, and my cigarette masked most of the taste of the witch’s brew.
“You’re just now figuring that out? Must not have been paying attention,” I said in response.
“Oh, no,” she said, shaking her head. “I know you’re crazy. But crazy is different. This is just insane. Maybe we should go inside and get you shot up with something so the nice men can escort you to the rubber room.”
I narrowed my eyes and glared at her through a cloud of smoke. She stared right back, unblinking.
“Doesn’t work on me,” she said after several long seconds. “Know you too well.”
I shook my head and snorted. We had come to a stop, but began walking again, angling across a broad, manicured lawn.
“You weren’t there,” I said. “It was amazing. And it’s kind of poetic justice, too.”
“So you’ve said. I still think you’re off the deep end.”
“If you’ve got a better idea...”
“Didn’t say I did. Just said you were out of your fucking mind. But, I’m in.”
It took a few seconds for what she’d said to register.
“What? You’re not going!”
“Then how were you planning to get out? Walk?”
“I was thinking I’d find a car,” I said with a shrug.
“Uh huh. And what if you can’t find one that’ll run? It’s been... what? Year and a half since this all started?”
“Something like that.”
“So, your whole plan is hinging on finding transportation that will run. Never mind batteries that have died and gas that’s gone bad. That sum it up?”
“You’re a pain in the ass.”
“Because I’m right? You’re as stubborn as my grandfather’s mule, and not much brighter. You need me. The stealth transport is large enough to stuff a Black Hawk inside. That means you’ve not only got reliable transport, but a hell of a lot more firepower if needed.”
“And something that’ll attract the Russian’s attention.”
“Not if we take a Stealth Hawk.”
“You’ve got an answer for everything, don’t you?”
Martinez launched into a brief tirade of Spanish, speaking so fast I only managed to pick out a few words. None of them were complimentary to me or would be acceptable in polite company.
“You always talk that way to your superiors?” I asked.
“I’ll sir your ass off, sir, when there’re others around, sir, but forgive me, sir, if you need to hear this. Sir.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, then surprised both of us when I wrapped her up in a hug.
“Good to have you back,” I mumbled.
“Then listen to what I’m telling you. I’m right and you know I am.”
She was, but I didn’t want her to take the risk. But I couldn’t tell her that without offending her, which was the last thing I wanted to do.
“Am I interrupting something?”
We looked around in surprise, not having noticed Rachel approaching.
“He’s getting mushy in his old age,” Martinez said, sounding completely serious.
“I’ve noticed that. All touchy feely and sentimental. You know, we watched a movie with Mavis last night and he cried at the end.”
Martinez looked at me and I could see the excitement on her face at the thought of me crying over a movie. I sighed and shook my head, then before I could ask Rachel about the tests, the two of them were walking away and chatting brightly. With another sigh, I lit a fresh cigarette and trailed along as they discussed how I was really such a sensitive guy.
I probably should have interrupted them to find out if Rachel had any news after her tests, but also knew she would have led with that if something was wrong. So, I let them have their fun at my expense and went over the upcoming mission in my head.
We had just reached our parked Humvee when my phone beeped. It was a message confirming a meeting I’d set up. I needed to speak with someone who was a civilian and recruit their help on the mission to the mainland. Times had changed, but the military still couldn’t order a private citizen to go into harm’s way.
“If you two are done, Martinez and I need to go,” I called.
“What’s up?” Martinez asked, surprised.
“Time for you to meet the other team member,” I said before turning to Rachel. “Everything good in there?”
“So far. Should have the blood work results back tomorrow.”
“You okay getting home?”
“I think I’m capable of driving. If I’m not there when you get home, I’ll probably be with Ziggy at the park. Got to get the kids outside before they climb the walls.”
I nodded, gave her a quick kiss and held the driver’s door open as she got behind the wheel.
43
“No fucking way!”
Master Chief Gonzales glared at me and for a moment I thought he was going to come across the table.
“Stop!” Nicole said sharply.
I intentionally looked away from the man’s angry eyes because I didn’t want things to escalate. I’d come prepared for him to be opposed to my plan and didn’t blame him one bit.
“Let him talk. Okay?”
Nicole placed her hand on his shoulder and kept it there until he took a calming breath and leaned back in his chair. After a few more moments, she nodded for me to continue. I glanced at Gonzales, whose face resembled a storm cloud as he sat there with his thick arms crossed across his chest.
My phone beeped for attention, but I ignored it.
“Okay. So, it’s actually pretty simple. Last year, the Russians moved all the infected in the western US into Salt Lake City. Well, all that would respond to the beacon. Anyway, they’re still in the area. Not packed in like they were, but there are millions of them.”
“You’re talking about that sound I could hear?” Nicole asked.
“I guess,” I said, a little confused.
“When me and the LT rescued her in Seattle, she could hear the beacon once we were outside,” the Master Chief explained.
I nodded and turned back to Nicole. Wondered if I’d hear the beacon once we got to CONUS.
“That’s where you come in,” I said to Nicole. “You’re able to control the females, and I need you to do that again. Only, all of them this time, not just in small groups.”
“I...” she began to say but couldn’t finish her sentence.
“Why?” Gonzales asked. “What you gonna do with them?”
“We’re going to take them to LA and use them to wipe out the Russians.”
Gonzales forgot all about being angry as they both stared at me in surprise. The room was silent for several long seconds as the idea of finally destroying the enemy sank in.
“Are you serious?” the Master Chief was finally able to ask.
“Deadly. It’s the one thing they can’t defend against. No one can. There’s no stopping a herd once it gets moving.”
“I don’t know if I can do this,” Nicole said, sounding terrified.
“You had no troubles at Groom Lake then again in Vegas,” I reminded her.
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I could tell she was frightened, but I’d personally witnessed her overcome her fears and take control of infected females. No one understood it, least of all Nicole, but it was a real thing.
“What if it doesn’t work?” Gonzales asked. “She’ll be on the ground with them and won’t stand a chance if they turn on her.”
I didn’t have a good answer for that so instead of coming up with some bullshit, I kept my mouth shut.
“What happens when the Russians see the herd moving? They’ve still got some functioning satellites and lots of planes in the air. What’s to stop them from dropping a couple of nukes. Nothing much but wasteland between Salt Lake and LA. They aren’t going to be worried about the effects.”
“There are other parts of the plan,” I said, then turned to Nicole. “I can’t guarantee your safety. No one can. Anywhere. We’re going to have to leave the island very soon. Every single one of us. And if the Russians are still in control of the west coast and the Phoenix area, the only choice will be to put down our arms and allow ourselves to be subjugated. I, for one, am going to do everything I can to make sure my children don’t grow up as second class, Russian serfs.”
The room went silent as everyone digested what I’d said. Then Nicole and Gonzales traded a glance.
“I have to try,” she said, holding up a hand when he started to argue.
I stayed quiet as they looked at each other.
“You’ll be on the ground with her?” Gonzales asked without looking away from Nicole.
I took a deep breath before answering.
“No.” Both their heads snapped around. “I’ve got another mission. Besides, the females won’t accept me and it’ll only make it harder for Nicole to control them.”
“And if this doesn’t work? If the infected won’t do what she tells them?” Gonzales asked.
“Then we pull Nicole out.”
“As long as the infected haven’t already killed her, or the Russians haven’t dropped a nuke on top of her, or...”
He fell silent when Nicole again put her hand on his shoulder.
“How long do I have? When do you need an answer?”
“Today. I want to go tonight.”
“Tonight? And you’re just asking now?” Gonzales asked.
“Things have changed a bit after Barinov’s speech,” I said with a shrug.
“What about you?” Nicole asked.
I frowned, not understanding her question.
“You’re going into LA. Right?” I nodded. “Then what are you going to do when the herd shows up? You’ll be trapped!”
“No, he won’t,” Martinez said.
We turned to look at her and she smirked at me. I resisted the impulse to flip her off.
“Besides,” I said. “There’s plenty of time. It’s going to take at least five days for the infected to make it from Salt Lake to LA.”
I sighed when my phone beeped again. Digging it out of a pocket, I looked at the message and immediately dialed a number.
“What’s going on, Chief?” I asked when Jessica picked up.
“Barinov’s on the move. Watching him on sat imagery right now.”
“Where?”
“He’s in a Gulfstream, heading east. Direct course for Phoenix.”
“Son of a bitch,” I grumbled. “Any guess if this is a visit or a relocation?”
“No, sir. His senior staff are traveling with him. We’ll have to wait and see what he does when he gets there.”
“Okay, Chief. I’m heading your way,” I said, ending the call and tucking the phone away. “Barinov’s on his way to Phoenix.”
“Is that a problem?” Nicole asked. “Doesn’t really matter where he is, does it?”
“No, I guess not. Just not wild about the idea of bringing a few million infected into our new home. What if they remember where it is and decide to come back?”
44
When I walked into the secure cyber warfare center, I wasn’t surprised to see Admiral Packard standing behind Jessica’s station. Both were carefully watching a real-time satellite feed of a large Gulfstream jet landing at an airport. I recognized the area, identifying Scottsdale Airpark in Arizona.
“Barinov?” I asked.
Jessica glanced over her shoulder.
“Yes, sir. It’s only a forty-minute flight from LA. He just landed in Scottsdale. It’s right next to...”
“Yeah, I’m familiar with the area, Chief.”
We watched as the jet taxied to a waiting convoy of Russian military vehicles with a black Cadillac Escalade sitting in the middle. As soon as the aircraft came to a stop, the door was opened and Barinov exited into bright sunshine.
“Can you zoom on him, Chief?”
She didn’t respond, but a second later the image tightened in until it seemed I could count the liver spots on the old fucker’s forehead. He walked without assistance to the Cadillac, but it was obvious he wasn’t terribly steady on his feet. Once he was in the vehicle, the convoy went into motion and Jessica zoomed out as it headed for the airport exit.
“What did she say?” the Admiral asked while we were waiting to see where Barinov was going.
“She’s on board, but the Master Chief isn’t happy.”
“Do I need to speak with him?”
“No, sir. She’s a strong woman. He’s not going to talk her out of it. Besides, what would you say? Order him to let his civilian girlfriend go on a mission?”
“I’ve been known to be slightly subtler than that, Colonel,” Packard said with a strong note of sarcasm in his voice.
“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”
I did my best to keep the sarcasm out of my tone, but I still earned a glare from beneath his unruly brows.
“Chief, distance from Salt Lake to Phoenix?” I asked, happy to change the subject.
“Almost identical to LA, sir. Assuming the herd moves twenty-four hours a day, which is normal when the infected are herding, it will take about five days for them to arrive in the area.”
“Any luck with the beacon so Nicole isn’t needed?”
Jessica spun around in her chair to look at me.
“It’s not luck, sir. I breached their system months ago. The problem is, the instant I begin using it, they’ll know exactly where we’re trying to send the infected. If they have five days’ notice, Barinov can get clear and they’ll have the opportunity to prepare their defenses.”
“Timing is critical,” the Admiral interjected. “We can’t use the beacon, and we have to blind their satellites and draw their Combat Air Patrols away from the herd’s path. This must be a surprise when the infected start pouring into whichever city Barinov is in.”
“Okay, I get how you’ll blind the satellites,” I said, nodding at Jessica. “But how the hell are you going to pull their CAP off station so they don’t spot the movement?”
“We’re going to make them think we’re throwing everything we have left, directly at them. The Reagan is steaming like hell at the moment to get into position. They’ve already rounded the tip of South America and are making best possible speed for the west coast of CONUS.”
“They couldn’t get through the Panama Canal?” I asked, knowing full well just how far it is all the way to the bottom end of South America.
“Too big. The carriers we had during World War Two could fit. Barely. A Nimitz class supercarrier won’t. So, they go around.”
“Our last carrier,” I said softly.
“And with a little luck, the last time we’ll need one,” Packard said.
I looked at him, not surprised to see a pained expression on his face. I felt the same. We’d lost so much. Not as Americans, but as the human race. Technology we’d come to take for granted that would very likely never be produced again. But, if somehow our species could take a massive leap forward and move beyond being nothing more than a bunch of squabbling, warring tribes, just perhaps we’d be better off. Or not.
“How long until it’s off the coast?” I as
ked, shaking off the momentary fantasy of some utopian future that we’d most likely never achieve.
“Slightly less than three days,” Packard said. “The timing should be good if you leave tonight and...”
“Sirs, another aircraft!”
We both turned to Jessica, then leaned in for a better view of one of her monitors. The massive screen at the front of the room was still tracking the convoy carrying Barinov, but she’d kept a secondary view of the tarmac where he’d landed. A Russian military transport plane had just taxied to a stop where a small group of soldiers waited.
A set of portable stairs were positioned at the door and two prisoners were escorted out of the aircraft. One was obviously male and significantly larger than the woman whose blonde hair glowed in the sunlight.
“Better view, Chief!” I said, pushing closer.
She zoomed and I watched as Igor and Irina were escorted down the steps and into an armored personnel carrier.
“Don’t lose them, Chief!”
Jessica clicked her mouse, drawing a box around the APC. When it began to move, the system automatically tracked its location.
“Wasn’t there a SEAL with them?” I asked, glancing at the Admiral.
“Chief Strickland,” he said. “He’s supposed to be in Santa Barbara, trying to figure out why the Russians are so interested in a certain agricultural crop.
We stood silently for a few moments, watching the transport turn out of the airport and head in a direction opposite of Barinov’s convoy.
“I still think you should take a team with you, Colonel,” Packard said, moving away from Jessica’s station. “I’m not going to order you to, but I’m strongly urging you to reconsider.”
I stepped close and lowered my voice.
“Sir, I wouldn’t say this if you weren’t able to understand from firsthand experience with the virus. There’s no one that can keep up with me.”
He nodded acknowledgement of my statement but wasn’t ready to give up.
