“Are you upset that Stryker saw her naked?”
“Pfftttt. She only did what she had to do to survive, and Stryker has seen naked women before, me included, so I suspect his view was not unlike my own. She needed to be saved, was willing to do what it took to get there, and that is that.”
“He pretty much dragged her back, and then carried her to the high ground,” Haley said.
“She was out of gas. She gave it everything she had, came up short, and Caleb filled in.” Erin paused for a moment. “I doubt we would have done any better.”
“I don’t think I could have made it across on my own,” Annie added. “That had to be a really tough swim. She looked away, again seeming timid, and Erin wondered who the hell the woman actually was: the imperial bitch or the timorous survivor. She would bear watching for a few days, and then Erin would decide whether to throw her out or take her home.
Annie handed her another plate, Erin dried it and placed it in the rack, and they finished the dishes without another word.
“I’m going to bed,” Haley said. “It’s dark and there’s nothing else to do, so we may as well get some sleep.”
“I’ll keep watch for an hour or two,” Erin replied.
“I’m with Haley.” Annie moved to one of the cots.
“Sleep tight, guys, and see you in the morning.” Erin grabbed her M-4 and headed out to the office area with one of the plastic chairs.
She listened as the women brushed their teeth and got ready for bed. She was not tired in the least and spent the time considering what they would do next. After a few minutes she realized she was filling in for Stryker – planning the next move and trying to anticipate troubles they might face. She barked a short laugh.
“My God, I am becoming him,” she murmured, shifting in the chair and wondering how she suddenly felt responsible when Stryker was out of commission.
“Next man up,” she whispered, suddenly understanding his description of how people had to step into leadership roles when the times called for it. She never saw herself as a leader or anyone who would take charge, but the responsibility didn’t bother her either.
When she heard no more movement coming from the lunch room, she shouldered her carbine, and walked back into the room. Everyone was sleeping and the only light in the room was the illumination from the office area of the building.
She moved to where Stryker lay sleeping, gently kissed his forehead and walked back out to the open area of the building, and sat back down in the chair she had dragged from the lunch area.
She never saw herself as a child of the privileged class. She went to college on an academic scholarship, worked hard, and was about to enter medical school when the die-off happened. Since that time, and their rescue, she had pretty much followed Stryker and Gramps mindlessly, obeying their orders and not really applying her own mind to the problems they faced.
Stryker’s exhaustion forced her to rethink that approach. What would happen if something happened to him? Who would take over and figure things out, plan their routes, anticipate problems, and come up with solutions?
Erin realized it would have to be her, and vowed to talk to him in the morning, to begin to understand how he approached problems, what his thought processes were, and how he navigated the maze of issues they had faced and overcome.
She could not imagine Stryker dying. He was a force of nature and indestructible, but the practical side of her understood that it needed to be something she planned for. In her heart-of-hearts, she knew that with the constant risks he took, his death was all but inevitable. It saddened her, but she knew there was no way to change the outcome. He would die fighting, sooner or later, and that was as predictable as the sunrise tomorrow.
Erin frowned as she thought about his death, and was overtaken by a heart wrenching darkness.
She heard a shuffling sound, looked up, and saw Caleb slowly shambling toward her.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Fine, I just have a lot of lactic acid in my muscles that is making me sore.” He grabbed another chair and dragged it over to where she sat.
“Don’t you need to sleep some more?”
“I’ll have all the time in the world to sleep when I die.” His face was drawn and his hair was tousled from his deep sleep.
“What woke you up?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I just felt like getting up.”
A long silence ensued, and Erin was reluctant to express her thoughts.
“We need to talk,” she finally said.
“I figured as much,” he replied. “You’re worried about what happens when I die, right? You want to make sure the rest of the group gets to San Diego and get a chance of living in a new world.”
“How did you know what I was thinking?”
“Because I was thinking the same thing.” He took Erin’s hand and stared into her eyes “It’s a practical matter and one we should talk about.”
“Tell me what you see right now.” She looked around the building.
“I see the threat of the quarter inch gap between the front door opening and the latch. I see the possibility of someone with a long ladder getting through one of those high windows. I see the threat of somebody hiding behind one of the crates in the back of the building. The back garage door is locked, but it wouldn’t take much to get it open.”
“Is that all you see?”
“I see the most gorgeous woman in the world, but we both know that’s not what we’re talking about.”
“We’re not,” she replied.
“Don’t write me off so quickly.”
“I’m not, but if something does happen to you, someone has to lead this ship of fools.”
Stryker thought for a moment, and then said, “All you have to do is see everything around you as a threat, and act accordingly. It’s not that complicated, and you can do it.”
“I’m not sure I can.”
“I know you can.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re smart and can figure it all out. I can start explaining what I’m thinking from now on and that’ll help you get the mind-set you need.” Stryker grinned at her. “I need to go back to bed. If you want to talk some more, let’s do it in the morning.”
“What about the front door?”
“It’ll be fine. If anyone breaches the door, the noise will wake me up and I’ll deal with it.”
“You’re sure?”
“I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t sure.”
“Okay, but I want you sleeping next to me.”
“The cot on my left is empty.”
CHAPTER TEN
Stryker stared glumly at the water that still surrounded their refuge. He sipped his coffee and stood, stretched on his tip-toes, and groaned softly. His back hurt, his muscles still felt tight and stiff, and he was generally in a foul mood.
“Feeling better?” Erin asked, joined him in the entrance to the warehouse. They both stared out the open door for a moment as Erin waited for his answer.
“I feel like crap.”
“I’m not surprised,” she replied in a quiet voice. “Everyone is getting up now. Why are you up?”
“We need to get ready to go, and I want to get a gauge on how fast the water will recede, so we can blow out of here.”
“Emily is in the shower again. She doesn’t look like she feels very well either.”
“It was a tough swim.”
“She only swam half of it.”
“It was enough to get us back here.” He was being unusually taciturn and she wondered what was on his mind. As usual, he anticipated her.
“I almost didn’t make it yesterday, and I can accept that, but I can’t live with the idea of leaving you guys on your own.” He paused, lost in thought for a moment. “Sometimes I take the whole hero thing too far. I have some need to prove myself all the time. It was fine when I had only myself to lose, but it’s not fine anymore. I have to be more responsible.” He paused again. “
I’m sorry for putting you all at risk.”
“You did the honorable thing. It’s what you’re about. It’s a part of you that comes with the package.”
“It’s greedy,” he replied. “It’s self-centered and self-serving.” His tone of voice left no room for argument. “I’m again thinking of myself first, and not the group. That has to change.”
“At what price to you?” Erin asked. “If Emily had died, what do you think you would feel like now?”
“Like crap,” he admitted.
“So, there you are. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t, so buck up. Make your choices, and live with them.” Erin’s voice also left no room for argument, and Stryker gave her a sheepish grin, then looked away.
“It’s never simple.” He sighed.
“No, and it probably shouldn’t be.” Erin looped an arm around his neck and pecked him on the cheek. “You’ve done fine so far, so just carry on.”
“I’ll do my best,”
“I do have some good news,” Erin said with a note of optimism. When Stryker remained silent, she continued, “Annie apologized for her crappy behavior the other day.” Stryker still said nothing, so she added, “But, I am going to keep an eye on her.”
Stryker nodded. “Can you get the other ladies out here and bring the lawn chairs?”
“Why don’t we just go inside?”
“It’s nice out here. The rain finally stopped, the sun is coming up, and I’d rather be outside.”
“Sure, I guess.”
“Bring me some more coffee?” Stryker asked hopefully.
“Will it make your mood any better?”
“Of course.”
The women all came out, carrying lawn chairs and coffee cups, arranged themselves in a semi-circle, and waited for him to speak with what appeared to be expectation.
Stryker blinked a few times and gazed around at each of them. “What?”
No reply. They continued to stare at him.
“What am I? An oracle who speaks in tongues? I just wanted to chat in the sunlight.”
“Oh, we thought this was a meeting or something,” Haley replied.
“Well, no, I just thought we could get Emily’s story and see where she wants to go. And, in case nobody noticed, the sun is shining for the first time in two days.” He raised his coffee mug in a toast, and the others raised theirs in a muted response.
“This is a tough crowd,” Stryker muttered, and then looked at Emily, who was dressed in clothing from the warehouse. Her face was drawn and she seemed even smaller today than she had during her rescue. She was waiflike and reminded Stryker of Peter Pan. He shook off the thought. “What’s your story?”
“I’m on my way there.” She pointed to the next small hill to the west.
“Is that close?” Erin asked.
Stryker sat back in his chair and let Erin take the lead.
“It’s over that hill. Maybe a mile or so.”
“Is that home?”
“Yes.”
“You could probably walk there by tomorrow when the water goes down.”
“I could, but I saw all the Humvees in the warehouse, my car is underwater, and I thought I would just wait for you guys to leave and go with you as far as the next section road. We aren’t going anywhere until the water goes down, so why push it?” She paused. “Do you have any problem with me taking one of the Humvees?”
“I guess not,” Haley replied. “We don’t need them all.”
“So what’s your story?” Erin asked. “We all have one, and you’re the newest member of the group, so what is it?”
“Not much of one. The plague hit. I was living in Amarillo, working as a teacher, and I came home and stayed with my parents on their ranch to wait things out. That was around two years ago. I was driving back from a farmers market in Artesia, New Mexico, where we get fresh produce, and the damn storm washed my car off the road.”
“So your parents are both alive?” Erin asked.
“Yes, but undoubtedly pretty worried.”
“We can probably take you home tomorrow,” Stryker murmured, seeming to come out of a trance. “The water will be down by then, and yes, we can get a Humvee running for you. You could probably wade over there now, but there may be some low spots where you would have to swim. Why take the chance?” He fell silent and looked away.
“Well, what’s your story?” Emily looked directly at Stryker with an inquisitive tone in her voice.
“My story is too long to even go into. We’ll take you home and you don’t really need to know more.”
He seemed to lapse into a trance, and turned his face to the sun. He smiled contentedly, and then appeared to fall asleep.
“Is he okay?” Annie asked.
“He’s fine. He just needs to rest,” Erin answered. The women continued chatting, Stryker continued sleeping, and they eventually moved inside. Erin got her M-4 and sat next to Stryker. The rest of the ladies stayed inside getting breakfast.
“My God, the man is mortal,” Erin whispered as he slept. She had never seen him so vulnerable and unaware. Her hands gripped the carbine a little more tightly, her eyes moved around the terrain that surrounded them, and she felt an increased awareness of their surroundings that was unusual in its acuity.
“Not on my watch,” she muttered, and then felt the crushing responsibility for keeping the group safe settling on her shoulders.
“You’ve been asleep for hours,” Erin said as Stryker struggled to his feet. The sun was setting, it was again getting cold, and he shivered for a moment before regaining situational awareness.
He glanced around, coming awake as he looked around, and then said, “What time is it?”
“It’s around 18:00.” Erin had learned military time from her gramps and knew it would be more familiar to him.
“How long was I out?”
“Close to twelve hours.”
Stryker blinked a few times. “I haven’t slept that long since the flight back from Iraq.”
“You probably need more sleep.”
“No, I need to get back in the saddle and make sure things are safe here,”
“I got that.”
Stryker blinked a few times and cleared his eyes with the back of his hand. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
He shrugged, turned toward the warehouse, and then stopped. He walked back to where Erin sat in the lawn chair with her M-4, and kissed her lightly on the lips. “I love you.” He wondered why she seemed so confident today, after expressing her doubt about herself earlier.
“Me too.” Erin watched him walk back into the warehouse.
He trudged into the building, disappeared, and she wondered if he would ever recover. What she had witnessed during the rescue was a feat of such strength and determination that she couldn’t comprehend how it was even possible, much less understand how one recovered from it.
“Amazing,” she muttered, then turned and followed him into the warehouse.
CHAPER ELEVEN
“Where is all the debris coming from?” Haley asked.
The group stood outside the building, watching the flood waters continue to recede and a moving yard sale float by. Lumber, a dead cow, and a small fishing boat were the current offering.
“Beats me,” Erin replied. “It must be from houses that sat on the flood plain. Nothing else makes sense.”
“Another day at least,” Stryker said with disgust in his voice. “Maybe tomorrow we can get the hell out of here. I’m not enjoying doing nothing.”
“That’s pretty much what I’ve been doing for the last two years.” Emily’s eyes pointed downward. She paused for a moment, then looked up. “Does anyone know what actually happened? How the plague started?”
“Sure,” Erin said. “It was started by a group of ISIS fighters who hid out somewhere in a remote location and let the plague kill everyone.”
“How do you know that?”
“We do because we ran into some of them in Te
xas and they admitted it.”
Emily and Annie looked at them with open disbelief.
“It’s true,” Haley said. “We killed them all.”
“No more discussion about the ISIS group right now. I don’t even want to have to recount all that,” Stryker said. “Let’s save that for another discussion.”
“Why would anyone do something like that?” Emily looked confused, but apparently was willing to stay on topic.
Stryker continued to watch the debris go by, and then looked at the group of women. “It was inevitable that somebody would use a biological weapon. Mankind has never developed a weapons system that didn’t eventually get used. Think about it. What means of killing people has never been deployed?”
“Well, nothing like this has happened before,” Annie said.
“Sure it has. The history of biological weapons goes back to before the Middle-Ages.”
Annie raised her brow. “I’ve never heard of them being used before.”
“Me either,” Haley added.
“Oh, boy. You set up that pitch perfectly. He’s going to hit it out of the park.” Erin said it seriously, but with a look of gaiety.
“What does that mean?” Emily asked.
“You are about to learn a lot more about biological weapons than you ever wanted to know.” She had witnessed Stryker exhibit a broad range of knowledge on some very arcane subjects, and she knew he was bored by their inactivity. Because he had a photographic memory, anything he saw or read was filed away somewhere in his brain.
He beamed as he rose to the bait. “They were first used by the Mongol Golden Horde. They would catapult the bodies of their warriors who died of the plague over their enemy’s city walls.” He paused for a moment. “British soldiers gave smallpox-infected blankets to the Native Americans during the early wars with the Indians. They were also used by the Japanese during WWII. They bombed Chinese cities with ceramic bombs filled with fleas that carried the bubonic plague.”
“You can’t compare that to what happened this time. Most of the world got wiped out,” Haley said.
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