by W. J. Lundy
Gunner nodded. “Hunter it is then!”
CHAPTER 28
“We need to find a place to hold up,” Brooks said, looking wearily at the gauges.
They’d been driving a couple hours, following the Sedan in front of them and not knowing where they were going. The car was overheating and they could barely make thirty miles an hour before the wheel would begin shaking so bad, Brooks couldn’t control it. Brooks was growing frustrated trying to keep up with the sedan. He would speed up and listen to the engine squeal as the belts rubbed and blue smoke shot from the exhaust.
“I’m serious, man; this thing is barely holding together,” Brooks said.
“Flash your lights and see if you can get their attention,” Sean answered.
Brad was riding in the back of the car behind Brooks, his rucksack on his lap. He wasn’t paying attention to the conversation in the front. He had his head turned, looking at the dilapidated and abandoned homes on the side of the road. He’d seen this all before, but that was far from home. Now things were setting in. The US was affected; things really had fallen apart here and his family may not be okay. Parker’s head dropped and hit Brad’s arm. He shrugged, waking Parker who jumped up, looking in both directions before laying his head back and drifting off again.
It was frustrating not knowing where they were headed. He thought they would race back to Charleston or back to the river and take the quickest route back to Sumter.
Why south?
After they located the girl, they loaded up in the cars and drove south. At the time, it seemed logical; they’d just fought off the horde on the road to the north. But still, he thought sooner or later, they would loop back around toward the river, contact Kelli, and wait for evac. They took several turns when roads became blocked or a bridge was out; always moving south-west away from the river. They kept an eye open for other vehicles, something they could upgrade to, but most things with wheels were already cannibalized, pushed off the road into ditches, or deadlocked in massive pileups.
Brooks cautiously sped up and drove close to the sedan in front of them. He tapped his horn and flashed his lights. The lead vehicle pulled slightly to the side and Gunner lowered his window. Brooks pulled up alongside as Sean leaned out an open window.
“This thing is about to shit the bed. We need to find someplace solid to hold up before we get stranded on the road.”
Gunner nodded in agreement. “Meyers’ map shows a town ahead. We can hold up there.”
Gunner put the sedan back in gear and pulled back ahead. Before long, they were passing signs pointing to a town a few miles ahead. Brooks slapped the dash. “Come on, baby, we’re almost there.”
The country road grew more congested as they approached the town. Cars blocked the center of the road and barriers were set up at intersections. Long since abandoned police roadblocks were marked with decomposed bodies and deserted police cruisers. Brooks eased the car onto the shoulder, following the sedan, and drove through the tall grass, avoiding roadblocks and disabled cars. The sedan approached a rolled over, burnt out bus blocking the road and turned onto a residential street, searching for a way around it. The area they entered was devastated. The entire block had burned to the ground; only charred skeletons of homes remained.
The sedan in front slowed as they spotted an old brick school building at the end of the street. One story and shaped like a shoe box, the building was fenced in and its heavy, wooden double doors still remained closed at the entrance. The rest of the doors appeared closed, as well, and the windows unbroken. The sedan pulled along the fence and followed it around, to an access road that ran to a blacktop parking lot and back entrance. The sedan stopped, then backed up slightly before the engine shut off. Brooks parked farther away, turned off the key, and listened to the motor sputter to death.
Brad and the others exited the broken car and gathered at a small sidewalk that led to a chained fire door. Brad turned in a slow 360, surveying the area. They were in the center of a small neighborhood that was clearly abandoned—presumably because of the fire that had swept the area and consumed every home within eyesight. A row of destroyed storefronts sat on a far street, windows shattered, doors removed. Looking closer, the school sat alone surrounded by tall grass. The brick-faced elementary building filled an entire block and was set back from the road on all sides—probably the only reason it was spared as the fire leapt from home to home. Brad could see the sky was beginning to darken; a wind had picked up and black clouds were on the horizon
Gunner and the others approached from the sedan. Brad saw the soldier carrying the girl and walking between the doctor and Chelsea. “Let’s get inside,” Gunner said.
Sean grunted and looked at Brad and Brooks. “We’re up. Joey, you and Parker have rear security. Once we clear the entrance, get everyone inside while we clear the building.”
“Aye, Chief,” Joey answered.
They moved to the chained door with a large combination lock attached. Brooks pulled out his tomahawk and placed the spike into the hasp attached to the building rather than the chain. He pulled down using his weight, causing the hasp to bend, twist, creak away, and then pull out of the door frame with its long screws still attached. With the chain removed, Sean stepped forward and, using a lock pick, quickly opened the door. It clunked; an old rusty spring protested as it was used for the first time in months. Brooks shrugged his shoulders, stretched his back, then brought his MP5 up to his eye and stepped into the hallway. Brad followed him through next, then Sean.
Brooks stepped, looking to the right while Brad took the left. The hallway was still dimly lit by the fading light, but they would have to move quickly. Soon it would be too dark inside for the unaided eye. The hallway was spotless; no sign that anyone had walked the halls in months. Classroom doors on both sides of the hallway were closed. A tall window sat dark with blinds covering the glass. Brad moved to a wall and kept his rifle up, looking down the long hallway while the rest of the team filed in. Joey moved up next to Brad, then took a knee next to a wall filled with lockers. “I got ya, Bro,” Joey whispered.
Brad slapped him on the shoulder before turning to meet up with Brooks and Sean. They moved down the hallway to one end, checking rooms as they passed. The classroom doors were all locked so they looked through the glass and spotted empty classrooms with chairs up on the desks. They checked every classroom on one end then turned and walked back in the other direction, doing the same. They met a dark intersecting hallway where Sean ordered them to turn on their lights. They moved down at a slight angle. Near the midpoint of the hallway was another tall double fire door. Brooks quietly moved to it and pushed on the operating bar; the door clunked and swung in, revealing a large, open gymnasium with a cafeteria window on the back wall.
Brooks turned to look at Sean who gave him a thumbs up. They continued down the hall to where the front entrance was. The tall double doors were also secured and, looking through the window, Brad could see there were chains on the outside. They turned and walked back up the hallway, passing the long glass window of what was the front office. A large banner was hung in the window, encouraging passersby to enjoy your summer! The office door was locked and they didn’t bother attempting to gain entry.
They returned to the back entrance where the rest of the group was waiting. Sean moved up alongside Gunner and spoke to him quietly. “Okay,” Gunner said, “there’s a gymnasium and a cafeteria up front, let’s get settled in there.”
Brad stood by the wall as the others picked up their weapons and moved past him. He checked the back entrance and found it locked. “What are you doing?” Chelsea said.
Brad turned around to look at her in the dark. “I just wanted to make sure the door was locked before we left the hallway… and to grab some quiet time.” Brad walked to the opposite wall and sat on the floor, his back pushing against the lockers. Chelsea removed her rucksack and sat next to him.
“What happens now?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Did Gu
nner say where we’re going?”
“Savannah,” she said.
“The Ranger base? We aren’t going back to Sumter?”
“Shane—the soldier—said he was headed there; he thought there may be something left.”
“What did you think of him—Shane?”
“He’s a mess, same as the girl. She didn’t speak the entire way here. He mumbled a bit and has that look like he’s lost inside.”
A rumble of thunder sounded from far in the distance. They sat and listened as the wind picked up and a hard rain started to fall. Gusts rattled the door, causing Chelsea to jump. Brad put his hand on her knee and she slid closer.
“Did you see Joey during the fight,” Chelsea asked.
“Yeah. He turned things around for us.”
“Is it always like that?”
“It’s never the same.”
Brad got back to his feet and pulled Chelsea up. “Let’s join to the others before rumors starts,” he joked.
“I’ve missed you, Brad.”
“I know; I missed you too.”
CHAPTER 29
The school was dark and from where they were gathered in the gymnasium, only the sounds of the howling wind and rain beating on the flat roof above them could be heard. The small school cafeteria was searched but found empty. They weren’t really surprised; the school was closed up for the summer session so the pantries and storage rooms were bare. Once settled in, they broke into the office and set up an observation post behind the pane glass windows. Sean posted them in separate teams of two with a roving guard making rounds every fifteen minutes. Brooks and Joey were in the front office, with Parker and Brad holding position in a back classroom that overlooked the parking lot and their vehicles.
Sean moved between the posts, switching off with Gunner and Meyers when needed. The observation teams would hold in position until dawn, one of them being allowed to sleep while the other would stay on the IR scope, making sure nothing snuck up on them. Using a GPS and Meyers’ map, they were able to pinpoint their location; still a good hour’s drive from Savannah by car. They checked in with the submarine using an encrypted satellite phone that Meyers guaranteed couldn’t be tracked. The sub, in turn, would relay a message to Kelli at the fort and warn her of the CNRT.
Shane stood guard in a corner of the gymnasium. It took some convincing, but he finally agreed to allow the doctor to give Ella a thorough examination—as long as the female marine stayed close by and kept an eye on things. He had his back to them as they undressed her and went over every inch of her body. The sun had completely dropped now. The only light coming into the room was from the sharp bolts of lightning and a low battery-powered light they allowed the doctor to use.
He began to meet some of the team; they were an odd and mixed group. Sailors, soldiers, Marines, even some sort of British Special Forces guy, then the doctor, and who knew what the crusty old soldier was. Shane figured him for a black water type, one of the seasoned contractors he’d seen doing special project work for the government in Iraq. Regardless, they all seemed friendly and took a special interest in keeping the girl safe.
The day he found her, he thought he would turn her over to the first trustworthy group he found. That he’d be happy to be rid of her and back on his own to continue his death wish, as others would see it. Shane touched his hand to his shirt pocket and pulled out the photo. Carefully, he unfolded it; the image had faded but he could still see their faces, He knew all of their names. He didn’t consider himself suicidal; he just didn’t give a shit anymore. Or, he used to feel that way. Since Ella, he had a new purpose, he felt energized again… needed. She saved him.
Shane knew she was special, but was having a hard time digesting the story that the doctor told him. That she could be used as a cure. The healed bite marks and the fact that she never turned was undeniable. Shane couldn’t explain it, why she didn’t turn. He was never a big picture kind of guy; he didn’t concern himself with such issues, and he never tried to. In Shane’s mind, he counted the girl as blessed, lucky, maybe it wasn’t a Primal bite. Maybe they were wrong and maybe something else happened to her. He asked her about the wound before, but she didn’t remember or refused to talk about it. Shane didn’t press her; in the end he didn’t care. It didn’t matter to him.
Shane heard Ella whine and he spun around. The doctor held a syringe in his hand and was trying to restrain Ella’s arm. She was crying and pulling away. The female was kneeling, holding Ella’s other hand, stroking her back, and speaking to her calmly. The doctor was startled by Shane’s quick movement and pulled back the hand holding the syringe.
“What are you doing?” Shane asked, stepping forward.
“It’s okay, Shane. The doctor just needs a blood sample,” Chelsea answered in a low voice.
“I’ll decide what’s okay. Why does he need a sample? I don’t see a lab here.”
The doctor stopped and looked at Shane. Speaking clinically, he said, “We need a complete medical record on her in the event we fail to deliver her to the facility in Ohio.”
“You what?!” Shane said, stepping forward. He snatched the syringe from the doctor’s hand and dropped it to the floor, then crushed it with his boot. “You need me to smash anything else, or can we end this conversation?” Shane put up a closed fist as if he was ready to hit the doctor. He slowly lowered his hand and walked to Ella who jumped from the chair and climbed into his arms. Shane turned to walk away and find their spot near the table with the others.
Howard chased off after him. “Are you mad? Don’t you understand that this girl’s blood could save the world?” Howard said, becoming enraged.
Shane spun around and pushed forward, looking the doctor in the eye. “Do you understand that this little girl is my world, that she’s all I care about? If you need a sample, you better help me get her to Ohio.”
Hearing the discussion, Meyers woke from where he was resting on a cafeteria table. He yawned intentionally loud to catch the others’ attention. “Problem, mates?” he said, providing the break Shane needed to walk away. He moved across the room and sat Ella on his pack, then pulled the rolled green blanket from the side carrier and wrapped it around her shoulders.
Howard stepped away from the examination area, glaring at Shane and walked quickly to Meyers. “Your friend here is refusing to allow me to take a contingency sample!” he gasped.
Meyers stretched and prepared to answer, but before he had the chance, the gymnasium doors opened; Brad and the Navy chief poured in. Shane looked up, watching the men close and secure the door behind them.
“We have a problem,” the Seal Team chief exclaimed.
Gunner yawned and pushed himself up to his feet. “I knew I should have slept with my boots on, what is it?”
“We are being watched. Brooks and the others are keeping eyes on them,” Sean announced. “They must have found us, or followed us… who the hell knows how.”
“Drones,” Howard answered, not being asked.
Gunner chuckled and looked at Howard patronizingly. “Doc, if they had drones, they would have parked a Hellfire up our asses hours ago.”
“No, I assure you they have drones; they are limited, and not many left, but I promise you they have them. If they called in the recovery teams, it would make sense they would have a drone watching. I’ve seen the imagery. What they are short of is munitions. Most of it was expended weeks ago, but as long as there is fuel and spare parts, they can keep the drones in the air. They’ve probably seen everything since the bird went down.”
Gunner put his hand up, silencing Howard. “Chief, what did you see?”
“We spotted one, but if there is one, there will certainly be two. He’s in the rubble of a home across the street. And before you ask, it’s not a Primal, and he’s definitely not a random survivor. He’s dug in and packing good equipment, but he’s no pro. He used an IR flashlight. It gave away his position and lit up his hide. He only did it for a second and must have been awar
e of the error because he hasn’t done it again since.
“He knows we’re in the school, but I don’t think he’s aware that we’re onto him. If he did, he would have improved his position, but this guy is staying put. Recon element I figure, scouting for a larger team holding back someplace, waiting for the opportunity to move on us. My guess is they will babysit us through the night then hit at dawn while the Primals sleep. That’s what I would do.”
“Suggestions?” Gunner asked.
“Hoping the drone was pulled off its surveillance,” Sean said skeptically looking at Howard, “I’d like to go out there and snatch his ass, then cut on him until he tells me everything about his unit and what they have planned for us. But the fucker picked his position well, he’s sitting tight on the cross streets. If we move on him, he would see us crossing the danger areas. If I took the stealthy route, it would be daylight before I reached him. Plan B, I’ll go up to the roof and put a suppressed round through his skull. Wait for someone to check on him, and kill that one—mix, stir, and repeat.”
“Won’t that force their hand?” Gunner asked. “They’ll know we’re on to them when their scouts don’t check in—“
“I’m putting my money on them rolling in hard once they realize we’re on to them, but by then… you’ll all be far away from here.”
CHAPTER 30
“Chief, you can’t expect them to go cross country in the dark and on foot,” Brooks whispered.
The trio had gathered in a far corner of the gymnasium. Brad watched as Chelsea and the others repacked their gear and prepared to move out. There was a lot of fuss about the girl. Parker used a k-bar and a roll of duct tape to cut down his rain parka so that it would fit her. She was giggling as he tried to get it over her head. Rain pounded the metal roof over their heads; it would help them to evade the Primals. One thing they learned was that Primals shared the irrational fear of water with the symptoms of rabies. It wasn’t a fool-proof theory, but they were less likely to show themselves in rain.
