by J. W. Vohs
The mountain regions of the east and the areas around the Great Lakes were being avoided for now. The general realized that the infected couldn’t be used as effectively around water and other geographical barriers as they could be in agricultural areas. The pilots assumed that Barnes would next push up through western Tennessee and Kentucky into the farmlands of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The rogue officer was obsessed with the food-producing areas of the country, believing that whoever controlled agriculture in the future would control everything. The captives didn’t know anything about Barnes’ plans for the west.
When asked how people would rebuild in a land filled with hungry flesh-eaters, the soldiers just shrugged and admitted that they didn’t know. The helicopters had used what the pilots called transmitters to lead most of the infected away from the farm-camps where the survivors had relocated, but hunters continued to show up unexpectedly and people were regularly lost to the predators. Their own families were still quartered in a secure area of Fort Detrick, and the prisoners had been nervous about being ordered to set up camp in Fort Wayne for an extended period of time.
When the subject of families came up one of the pilots finally asked what Jack and the others planned to do with them once they had learned everything they wanted to know. Carter and Jack exchanged a long glance after the question was asked, and Hiram finally offered, “We still maintain a prison in Utah. I can take them west on the rails. That reminds me, were you boys flying the birds that set armies of infected on our trains in Cheyenne and Illinois?”
The USAMRIID officer shook his head, “Barnes has plenty of pilots these days. We had nothing to do with anything west of Indiana. Besides, that mission wouldn’t have matched this one in importance.”
“What do you mean by that?” Jack interrupted.
The officer shrugged, “Barnes seemed pretty obsessed with finding and eliminating any settlements in this area; he told us what to look for and where he thought we’d find it. You guys do have the most impressive fortifications we’ve seen since we started looking for survivors. And how the hell did you destroy that army we sent in from Auburn? They went into Chain-o-Lakes but they didn’t come out. What’d you do, drown ‘em?”
Carter smirked, “We’re real good at killin’ the infected, and I’m good at killin’ folks like you too.”
The officer shut up after looking at Carter’s expression and deciding he was indeed peering into the eyes of a deadly soldier. Jack realized that he now knew the most important aspects of what was happening in the east, and he was relieved to better understand the connection between the helicopters and the infected. But before he left the prisoners for the night he had a few more questions about his old friend at USAMRIID.
“Does Barnes have an antidote for the virus?”
All of the men shook their heads, and one of the pilots answered, “That’s the first question we all had, but he’s always said that the virus mutates so quickly there’s no way to develop an antidote for it.”
Jack wasn’t surprised at that answer, so he continued, “Did Barnes release the virus back into Afghanistan or did it just break loose on its own?”
Everyone looked at the USAMRIID officer for the answer, and he speculated, “I’m pretty sure the virus was spreading around in the mountains over there. Still, Barnes was the guy who introduced it ten years ago, and I’m sure he still had plenty of it stored somewhere for when he was ready to make his move. The main reason I think it broke free on its own is because Barnes wasn’t happy when he learned that the spread of the virus couldn’t be stopped; the evacuation to Detrick was confusing, and we didn’t have the all the rations and supplies in place that I know he wanted to have available.”
Jack grunted and thought back to his time as Barnes’ driver. One thing was certain, the man was a meticulous planner and a control freak. He scanned the captives and decided he’d had enough of these idiots for the night. He wiped the sweat from his face with a handkerchief, blew his nose, and leaned against a wall with a menacing expression on his face. “Well, we’re done for now. You men will be kept under guard, and I’ll expect you to answer more questions in the days ahead. As to your futures, I don’t have any answers yet; all of us here will have to talk about what to do with you. The guards will have shoot-to-kill orders if you try to escape, so don’t try it; I can’t risk having one of you let Barnes know we’re aware of what he’s doing.” He tossed the dirty handkerchief to the ground and stalked out.
Marcus and Bobby escorted the prisoners to a more easily secured holding area, and soon everyone else drifted out of the interrogation area. David was the last to leave. He took a plastic bag out of his pocket and carefully picked up Jack’s discarded handkerchief. Sealing it in the bag, he tucked it into his jacket and ducked out the door.
All of Jack’s main leaders and David’s team convened in what they assumed was an old meeting room inside the water plant. The last report from the bridge was that not a single hunter was trying to make it over the wall again, and that the infected seen in the distance seemed to be holed up in their buildings. Since there were almost twenty-thousand of the creatures, no one took much solace in the news. More comforting was the fact that recent rainfall had increased the normal depth of the rivers by several feet, and the palisade had been made even stronger since the timbers were first placed in front of the vehicles.
The northern defensive line was in no way ready for an assault by an army, but virtually no activity had been reported there and the RRTs deployed as scouts beyond Prospect Street could find no sign of large gatherings of hunters. The team leaders speculated that every infected creature that could get into the downtown area after the cattle had been brought in had already done so; the flesh-eaters that had taken up residence on the peninsula before the horde was lured into the city had mostly been gathered along the riverbank watching the feast take place. Jack’s shield-wall and the troops manning it had taken care of those frustrated hunters. For tonight, the people under Jack’s leadership were safe.
Plans were made to set up solar panels and generators in key locations, and Hiram made water purification and distribution a top priority for the people under his leadership. Deb and Sal embraced the enormous task of prioritizing and organizing the new settlement’s immediate needs such as food, sanitation, and a way of keeping track of who was living where. Everyone agreed to meet at 9 A.M. the following morning to finalize responsibilities after getting a full night’s rest.
Chapter 21
The next few days were tense. With thousands of hunters so close, a massive attack seemed imminent. The livestock supply left by Barnes and his men was lasting longer than Jack expected, probably because a good number of the infected had been killed in the initial battle. Apart from the short tempers due to living in a constant state of nervous apprehension, things in the city were shaping up nicely. Communication with The Castle was maintained by “runners” in order to avoid any radio transmissions emanating from Noble County. The small security force left behind reported that there had been no sign of hunters or soldiers anywhere near The Castle.
Doc Redders had insisted on staying with his newly set up lab, in part because he valued the equipment, and in part because moving what had once been the sheriff presented too many potential risks. Many people believed that the captive hunter should be put down anyway, but the doctor wasn’t ready to give up his valuable specimen. His wife said he was obsessed, and he didn’t disagree, but Redders knew that the best chance of stopping the infected was to figure out how stop the infection.
Vickie and Sarah set up a room in the water treatment plant as a small medical clinic. They were prepared for basic first aid, but not much else. With Sal and Deb swamped by the practical business of organizing an orderly settlement, and the boys collecting and filling water bottles with Jade and Tyler, Vickie was starting to feel useless. She hated waiting around for something to happen; participating in the train rendezvous had boosted her confidence, plus she missed the re
search she’d been working on with Doc Redders. She was thinking that she needed to find a way to keep busy soon or she’d lose her mind when David walked in.
“There’s one of my hero brothers,” Sarah teased. “We always expected Jack to be a macho big shot, but we used to call this one David the Drooler. Every morning his pillow was drenched, and if he fell asleep on the couch he left a puddle of drool on the cushion.”
David rolled his eyes, “Thanks for the memories; if I didn’t have this toothache I’d be more than happy to stand around here sharing embarrassing stories from our childhood. As it is, I’m looking for your husband—any idea where Dr. Mark the dentist is?”
“I think he’s with Carey and Tom taking a survey of the perimeter to identify any weak points that might have been overlooked. Do you want me to go find him? We’re not getting many patients, and I could use something to do.”
“You read my mind—could you just bring him back here?”
“Sure, but it might be a little while. Vickie, I hope you don’t mind being stuck with David.”
Vickie smiled. “We haven’t had much time to hang out since Cleveland; it will be good to catch up.”
As soon as Sarah left, David closed the door and turned serious. “Vickie, I need a favor. And no one can know. Not Sarah, not Sal, no one. Will you help me?”
Vickie was intrigued. “As long as we’re not putting anyone in danger, I can be discreet. What’s going on?”
David produced two sealed baggies from his pocket. “I need a paternity test. Can you do it?”
Vickie shook her head, “Not here I can’t, but I can at The Castle. I take it those are samples?”
David nodded. “Yeah, I need you to tell me if these samples are father and son.”
“Who did you get them from?”
After a brief hesitation, David sighed and explained, “Believe me, I know how crazy this sounds, but I have strong circumstantial evidence. I haven’t shared this with anyone, not even Christy. I need to be sure, but I need to talk to somebody . . .” He handed over the baggies, one contained a small travel toothbrush, and the other a wadded up handkerchief.
Vickie examined the baggies. “So talk to me. I’ll be objective, and I will get you the paternity test.”
David blurted out, “I think Luke may be Jack’s biological son.”
Jack, Marcus, and Lori interrogated the prisoners several times, but their efforts resulted in no new information. The more time Jack spent around the USAMRIID officer, the angrier he became at the man’s arrogance. That was one characteristic that reminded Jack of Barnes—arrogance as well as a total lack of ethics. Lori sensed Jack’s growing frustration and told him that he shouldn’t worry about the prisoners anymore—she promised she would personally keep an eye on them and would let him know if anything new came to light.
David had been impressed with Vickie’s initiative. She had made some helpful connections when she travelled with the soldiers to meet the group from Utah, and in less than half an hour after explaining why he was suspicious about Luke’s paternity, Vickie had arranged an unscheduled escort back to The Castle. She told David she’d have his answer in twenty-four hours. He couldn’t sleep that night, and Christy knew that something was on his mind.
“Listen, David, we don’t keep secrets from each other. What’s bothering you?”
Feeling defensive, David snapped, “Do you mean to say you tell me everything?”
Christy’s face went white, and she stammered, “How did you find out?”
David tried to hide the fact that he was totally caught off-guard by her response. Clearly, his wife had secrets of her own. He switched to attorney mode and evaded her question. “I think you’re the one with all the answers. Why don’t you fill me in.”
David was even more confused when Christy burst into tears. “I was afraid it was too soon, then I was afraid you wouldn’t be happy about it, then I was afraid you would worry too much and be distracted. I know I should have told you. How did you find out? Am I starting to show?” She pulled her shirt tight across her slightly rounded belly. “I am such an idiot . . .”
Time stopped for David as he realized what Christy was saying. He wanted to reach out and comfort her but he was frozen in place. His mind flooded with snippets of earlier conversations . . . If we ever have a son we should name him Jerald James . . . David had never seriously considered bringing a child into a world being overrun by the infected. A son. Or a daughter. He had never considered it, but for reasons he couldn’t begin to explain, now he wanted it more than anything he had ever wanted in his life. “Hope,” he whispered.
Christy blinked back her tears. “What?”
“If it’s a girl we’ll name her Hope. If it’s a boy he’ll be Jerald James, but we can call him J.J. since Jerald really is an old man’s name.”
Carter met up with Jack for a late breakfast on their fourth day in the city. “I think this waitin’ is worse than fightin’; I’ve never seen a jumpier group of folks.”
“I know what you mean, but we’re in a solid position here. We’re safer here now than we were at The Castle.”
“That may be, but it’s hard to believe when ya got thousands of hunters fer next door neighbors.”
“Don’t forget those neighbors will be running out of food pretty damn soon too.”
“Yeah, that makes me feel safer, butthead. So what’s our plan?”
“For right now, we dig in here, keep training, and try to figure out how we can get to Barnes. I’ll call a meeting of the team leaders after dinner tonight.”
Once again, all of Jack’s main leaders and David’s team convened for their planning session in the meeting room at the water plant. After everyone gathered for the meeting was updated on the status of the defenses, talk turned to what had been learned about the purpose of the helicopters and the reappearance of General Barnes. Carter felt the need to remind Jack, and inform everyone present, of a promise he’d made ten years earlier after watching many of his buddies die trying to contain the rogue USAMRIID officer’s first experiment with the virus.
“I’m gonna hunt Barnes down and kill him.”
Jack frowned and replied, “This is a group problem, needs a group solution.”
Carter ignored Jack, looking at Deb and explaining, “I made a promise before we got married, baby. I’ve taken three vows in my life: when I joined the Army, after I learned Barnes introduced the virus on purpose, and when I married ya. I’m sorry, Deb, but I gotta follow ‘em in the order I made ‘em.”
“Hey!” Jack nearly shouted, “You know there’s no way in hell you’re going after him without me.”
“I was there too,” Marcus declared. “I owe that son-of-a-bitch.”
“He killed a lot of people who trusted me to keep them safe,” Chad Greenburg grimly stated. “And for the record, I never liked that bastard when I was in the Army.”
In the middle of this heated discussion, Vickie showed up at the door and locked eyes with David. He knew the answer to his question in that instant, but he calmly walked over and took the envelope she held out to him. He carefully tore it open just as Luke stood up.
The teenager gazed around the room full of soldiers and old friends and raised his voice to be heard above the din. “I know this may sound crazy to some of you, but I need you to really listen to what I have to say.” The arguing slowly died down and all attention turned to Luke.
David glanced down at the paper in his hand: Paternity match, 99% positive. He glanced from Jack to Luke and wondered why he had ever doubted it. They shared more than a physical resemblance, they even had many of the same mannerisms. David wondered how that was possible given that the two had just recently met, but he stopped speculating to listen to his nephew speak.
“Anyone who knows me knows that in my heart I believe I’m alive for one reason. I KNOW that I was born to destroy the infected; I know that is my God-given purpose, and I know I will not fail. Ten years ago all of you Rangers fought
the wars our country asked you to fight, and I respect that as much as anyone here, but there comes a time when every generation has to pass that torch of responsibility. Barnes is an important piece of the puzzle, but he’s just one piece. We can’t lose focus. Whatever else you believe, you all know you can trust my instincts about the infected.”
Luke hesitated as he drew a deep breath and let it out. The young warrior was charismatic, yet humble as he continued, “One day David sat me down and explained an undeniable truth; he said that one Luke may kill dozens of monsters, or even hundreds, but if the pack is large enough they WILL kill Luke.”
He turned a compassionate yet determined gaze to Carter, “If you insist on heading out after Barnes on some one-man suicide mission, I’ll leave before you do. Nobody here can track me, nobody here can move as fast as I can, and nobody here knows how to avoid the hunters by instinct like I do. But you know what, brother, even if I find and kill Barnes the people who surround him will get me. There will still be hundreds of millions of hunters on earth, and I won’t be able to help the survivors defeat them.
“Carter, I’m half your age; I haven’t had the opportunity to take the vows you’ve taken, but I can see the day coming when I will.” He briefly looked at Gracie and smiled. She smiled back as a flush reddened her cheeks, but she kept her head high and held his gaze for a short moment.
“I don’t mean to be preachy or presumptuous, and I do understand that a vow is sacred, but I believe we also have a sacred duty to protect the innocent and always aim for the highest possible good for the greatest number of people.”
Luke looked around the room and saw that every eye was concentrated on him before he went on, “We will kill Barnes, but we can’t put one man’s death above our responsibilities to everyone else.”
