by SD Tanner
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: Running blind (Bill)
With so many people arriving at the base there was no shortage of vehicles, and they’d left in one of the HUMVEEs they’d found parked near the building. The sound of gunfire had followed in their wake, and although he’d wanted to turn around and deal with it, his commonsense had prevailed and they’d kept driving. The base wasn’t the safe haven Jo had hoped it would be, and he looked at her stern face while she sat behind the wheel. She couldn’t be described as a typically attractive woman. Her body was solidly built, and the lines around her mouth and forehead told him her rank had been hard won. She had a steeliness to her manner and her words, and he doubted any of the men under her command had ever questioned her orders. Despite being told to think otherwise, he couldn’t help seeing women as being less able than a man, but he had a suspicion Jo would prove him wrong.
“Do you think the base fell?” He asked.
“Yes,” she replied curtly.
Sitting behind him were a man and woman dressed in fatigues, who’d only identified themselves as Curtis and Levy. He didn’t know either of them, but as they’d climbed into the truck to leave, the pair had asked to join them. No longer sure of his command, he hadn’t asked whether they were really in the military. Pointing out the miles per gallon on the HUMVEE were poor, Jo had said they would need to refuel regularly, and he’d gotten her unspoken message that the extra guns might be useful. No one had spoken much, and he guessed they just wanted to get out of the base before all hell broke loose. The situation really had disintegrated into every man for himself. So far they’d managed to fill the HUMVEE by siphoning gas from abandoned trucks and cars, but now they were getting closer to Johnsondale there were fewer cars on the road.
Continuing to keep an eye out for abandoned vehicles, he mused, “These freaks might have taken over and killed people, but we’ve still got a lot of equipment. All we need are the troops to use it.”
“Are you still going on about the missiles?”
“And helis.”
“My precinct had a coupla helis, but we lost contact with them early on,” she replied steadily. “I assume they went down, but I never did find out.”
“How could they have taken a heli out?”
“Maybe they can fly.”
Giving her a quizzical look, he wondered just what their enemy was capable of. Other than the dead one at the mall, all he’d seen were black, rubbery half-human creatures running around like maniacs, and with their rapid movement, it was hard to get a fix on what they else they might be able to do. The doctor had said they were solid, eyeless, and had no discernable organs, which matched his own observations. His experience had proven to him they could only be stopped with a .50-cal weapon or above. They’d obviously started as human, but had evolved into black creatures, and it was feasible they could continue to change.
“Is it a virus?” He asked.
Jo was travelling at thirty miles an hour trying to maximize their gas, and while they drove along the dusty road, it was hard to believe anything was wrong. The side of the road was covered in scrubby bushes, and occasionally he saw cans and other litter. Other than the lack of cars on the road, everything looked pretty much the same as it always had.
“Maybe, but then why are some people immune?” Jo asked in reply.
“Are they immune or have they just not contracted the virus yet?”
She pursed her lips, making her look even more stern than usual. “If it’s a virus then how’s it transmitted? If it’s by air then we should all have it, particularly in the cities. If it’s on contact, then why would they be killing people and not infecting them?”
They were good questions and he couldn’t answer them. “I don’t know. Regardless of how it’s transmitted, what’s the incubation period?”
Pursing her lips again, she replied, “The insanity appears to be immediate. When we first started getting reports, people thought they were being attacked by other people, not critters. They would have mentioned that in the 911 calls.”
“So, they don’t fully change immediately. They become lunatics first, and then they turn into black, rubbery critters?”
She nodded. “That stacks up. They said the nav could see them before they turned, so they’re giving off a different signal that the visor can read.”
“Why would they give off a different signal?”
Shrugging, she replied, “I don’t know what the visor reads, but I assume it could be electromagnetic or radiation. If that’s the case, then they’re not reading as human.”
“Or possibly even animal, but that would make them a very different species to anything we’ve seen before.”
“All the more reason not to assume they can’t fly. You can’t even assume they’ll all evolve into the same thing. Maybe there’s more than one type.”
Giving her an appraising look, he was impressed by her logical thinking. Jo was proving to be more capable than many of the men he’d worked with over the decades. “You’re pretty smart.”
“You mean for a woman?” She replied, with a slight edge of contempt in her voice.
He was skirting dangerous territory, and turned to stare out of the window at the passing scenery. There was nothing to look at, but he didn’t want to get this woman offside. Firstly, he liked her, and secondly, she could use a gun and they needed to work together.
“I could have joined the military,” she continued conversationally. “I just figured the police force was smaller and I’d have a better chance of climbing the ranks.”
Relieved she hadn’t taken deep offence, he replied, “You certainly did that. Commander is a pretty decent rank.”
She snorted. “You and I are pretty close to the same rank, Colonel, only there were a lot fewer positions in the police force at my level and even fewer women.”
“What’s your point?”
“Don’t underestimate me like everyone else has in the past and we’ll get along fine. I know what you are and the world you were part of. I’ll forgive you for being a little…out of touch, but don’t be an idiot about it.”
The two people behind him, who he now guessed really were in the military, snorted appreciatively at her point. “Yes, ma’am,” he replied sheepishly. It seemed to be the only response to such a bluntly made point.
They were entering the outskirts of a small town in Arizona and Jo said sharply, “Look lively, people.”
Any delusions he might have held that all was well were quickly lost. Several of the small buildings along the side of the road had clear signs of a gun battle. The glass in the shopfronts had been shot out, and a car had been driven through the wall of a single story building. When he looked closer, he could see some of the abandoned cars had bloody spray against the windows, and he didn’t doubt there were bodies inside. It was another lost town, and Jo slowly drove along the road, navigating around the vehicles. One they’d cleared the small town, there was a gas station with a faded diner next to it.
“We need gas,” she said firmly, and stopped the HUMVEE fifty yards from the entrance to the station.
While the engine idled loudly, they all peered through the windows looking for any sign of movement. The small forecourt had four old fashioned looking pumps, and the cashier’s window was a small booth under a dusty canopy. The sliding window to the booth was open, and he hoped there was still power to the pumps. A tired looking diner sat hunched a short distance from the station, and there were only a few cars parked in front of it. Surrounded by scrubby desert, the whole place had an abandoned feel to it, and given how small the town was, he suspected that was always true, end of the world or not.
“Let’s do it,” he said decisively.
Jo drove the truck up to the pump furthest from the diner and cashier window. The two troopers immediately climbed out and began to pull the hose towards the gas cap on the truck. One stood guard while the other put the nozzle into the open hole.
“We need to get inside and autho
rize the pump,” Jo said.
He was already outside the vehicle and looking across at the diner. The lack of movement inside bothered him and he peered back into the cab at Jo. “Stay at the wheel.”
With his weapon trained on the diner, he walked to the cashier window. Unsurprisingly, there was no one inside, and he reached through the window hoping to find the button that would switch the pumps on. Unlike the computerized counters in the city, it was a simple layout designed for staff with minimal training. Unsure which button would do what, he began to flick different ones. He was rewarded with the sound of the pump coming to life, and he assumed the troopers were filling the tank.
The diner would have supplies and water, and he looked across at it hopefully. The HUMVEE would take at least five minutes to fill, which meant he had some time to kill. With his weapon trained at the wide glass window, he walked across the station towards the diner. It might be empty and it might not be, but he was carrying a M26 shotgun and it could take down any critter or man. With only a five round magazine, it wasn’t designed for rapid fire, and he’d need to use his bullets conservatively. Across his other shoulder, he was carrying his M4A1. In his mind, he decided he would deal with human enemies with a regular gun, and would save the M26 for the critters.
Using one of the pumps as cover, he switched to his M4A1, and peered around the edge of the metal box. There was still no movement, and he could hear the heavy hum of the pump continuing to fill their tank. He really should wait with the truck, but after having to run from the bunker, the city and then the base, he was feeling a bit useless. Cutting across the fifty yards from the gas station to the diner was a no-man’s land, and he’d be an easy target. He needed to draw out anything that was inside. Firing high into the glass frontage, the window collapsed in on itself with a loud crash. It splintered the silence, and he flinched, now worried he might draw critters to their position.
Jo leaned from the window and called, “What are you doing?”
He didn’t need Jo telling him that shooting out a window to get food and water they could live without was a stupid thing to do. They might have only just met, but he could already hear her telling him to act his age and his rank. Not bothering to answer her, he waited to see if there was any response from the diner. When there wasn’t, he switched weapons to the M26, and ran forward in a crouch.
Reaching the outside of the diner door, he slammed into the wall next to the entrance. “Is anyone in there?”
To his surprise, a woman’s voice replied indignantly, “Why’d ya do that? Now them things can get in.”
“How many of you are there?”
“Jus’ the two of us. We was doin’ fine until ya shot the damn window.”
“We need supplies.”
“Well, ya coulda just asked like a normal person,” the woman replied, sounding increasingly offended.
Standing in the doorway, he finally saw the speaker. She was a short, plump woman, and she had a shotgun trained in his direction. “Who else is here?”
“That ain’t none of your business. You army or somethin’?”
“Yes and no.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Lower your weapon.”
“Lower yours first.”
He stared over his gun at the woman and she was glaring back at him. Her dry, yellowing blonde hair was pulled into an untidy bun, and she was wearing an apron over her jeans and t-shirt. Clearly she worked at the diner.
“We don’t have time for this.”
“Where are ya goin’?”
“Johnsondale. There’s a company there we need to get to.”
The woman lowered her shotgun. “You mean CaliTech.”
“Yeah, how do you know about it?”
“I don’t, but a lotta people come along this road on their way there. Why are ya goin’ there?”
“It’s secure and they have some tech we need to deal with the critters.”
The woman snorted. “Is that what you’re callin’ ‘em? Critters?”
“Do you know where the site is?”
“Based on what folk told me I know where it is in Johnsondale well enough.” The woman gave him a final appraising look and then turned. “Callie, get out here!”
A young woman emerged from the bathroom at the back of the diner. She looked about sixteen and was clearly very frightened. “This is my niece. If CaliTech is safe then I want her to go with ya.”
Lowering his weapon, he asked, “What about you? I’ve only got a rough map to CaliTech, and we could do with some help finding the place.”
The woman shrugged. “If you’ve got the room, then I’ll come too.” Finally dropping her shotgun to hip level, she added, “I’m Margie.”
The HUMVEE was only designed to seat four and it was a tight fit with six people. By the time they’d reached Route 178, they’d passed many small towns that appeared to be abandoned, but it was possible there were people hiding inside the buildings. Occasionally they saw other cars on the road, but no one seemed inclined to stop. He was well aware he had no army behind him, and was effectively just another civilian trying to survive Armageddon. Without the strength of the Army, there wasn’t much he could do, and he was rapidly losing confidence and direction. Who was he without his uniform and troops under his command? It was a question he’d never expected to answer until the day he retired.
He was driving and everyone else was asleep or dozing, when he saw a bloodied body lying in the middle of his side of the road. Unwilling to run over the corpse, he slowed the HUMVEE and veered to the middle of the two lanes. Nearing the body, he noticed it was a dark-haired woman with long legs hanging behind her, as if she’d been dragging herself by her arms. The human desire to survive always impressed him. People didn’t die willingly, and they would go to extraordinary lengths for even one more day of life. Slowly passing her, he peered out of the driver’s window, studying the area behind her feet. Just as he suspected, there were drag marks leading to a car that had obviously crashed into a building by the side of the road. There was another body lying on the hood of the car, and that man was dead too. The woman must have survived the accident, and dragged herself to the road, hoping to find help.
Slowing to a stop, he grabbed his M4A1 and opened the driver’s door.
“Where are you going?” Jo asked, opening one eye at him.
“There’s a body back there.”
Not waiting to hear Jo’s answer, he walked back to where the body was lying. The woman was stretched across the road with her heavy hiking boots lying in the dirt, and he could clearly follow the path she’d crawled from the car to the road. Crouching on one knee, he placed two fingers against her neck, feeling for a pulse. Her neck felt warm, and even without finding a heartbeat, he was fairly sure the woman was still alive. Rolling the woman onto her back, he gently patted her cheek, and her eyes fluttered open. There was crusted, brown blood on her dust-covered face, her mouth was split and dry, and she flicked a swollen tongue across her lips.
The woman tried to speak, but all he could hear was a croaking cough. Jo had appeared at his side, and was cautiously watching the road around them. “What are you doing, Bill?”
“She’s alive.”
Turning to face the HUMVEE, she called, “Curtis! Levy! Give us a hand.”
While Jo organized the troopers, he leaned down to the woman’s mouth. She was trying to say something, but her voice was no more than a whisper. “Ally.”
He didn’t understand what she was trying to say. “Is that your name? Ally?”
Her eyes fluttered, and she nodded her head slightly.
He was fed up with feeling out of control and unable to do what he was trained and paid for. If he was honest, he didn’t really know what he’d find at CaliTech, but it felt good to be able to help at least one person. Knowing he wasn’t being entirely truthful, he said soothingly, “Okay, Ally, hang in there. We’re heading somewhere safe. There’ll be help for you there.”
&n
bsp; CHAPTER THIRTY: New Army (Leon)
The road leading to the CaliTech site was well concealed, and they would have missed the turn off if Lexie hadn’t prodded him sharply in the ribs. The site was over a mile from the main road, along a winding single lane track. The first sign they had of CaliTech was a ten-foot high concrete wall painted a light green to blend in with the trees and grass surrounding it. There was a fifty-yard clearance around the perimeter, and cameras were mounted every fifty yards above the wall. The gates seemed to merge into the wall, and there was no speaker box to contact the people inside, but as they slowly drove up the driveway, the heavy barriers swung open.
The second set of gates were thirty yards from the first, and there was another equally high wall, only this one was painted white. Again, cameras were mounted every fifty yards, and there were black boxes at regular intervals along the wall.
“What are the black boxes for?” Trigger asked.
“Guns,” Lexie replied bluntly.
“Is that even legal?” Tuck asked skeptically.
She shrugged. “I dunno, but I guess it doesn’t matter if no one knows they’re here.”
“You’re not allowed to shoot people at will,” Tuck replied. “Believe me, I’ve asked and I’m always told no.”
Trigger chuckled. “Well, not here anyways.”
The second set of gates opened as unbidden as the first, and he assumed they were being watched. It was very tight security, and it made him wonder just how much clout the company had. “Who runs this outfit?”
“Dunk the Skunk…well, he did. I think Ark just took it over,” Lexie replied.
“What do you mean?”
“Ark sent him to his office like a naughty boy. Apparently he wasn’t being a team player.”
“Isn’t he the boss?”
Lexie laughed, and he’d noticed the closer they’d gotten to CaliTech the happier she was becoming. She had a pretty laugh and he smiled at her. Her mouth curved into a wide smile of her own and she said, “I don’t think anyone’s the boss anymore, but I trust Ark, so I’m glad he’s in charge.”
