Containment_A Zombie Novel

by B. A. Hippsley

  Carmille stared at the desk top.

  “Poor kid. What about the infected people from today, are they gonna change? Can you answer that, doctor?” His tone was terse as he looked directly at her.

  “Judge, she’s doing her best. We just need to let her get on with it.”

  Eastman walked over to the door and looked back at Carmille.

  “We all got a lot to get on with.”

  Carmille rose from his seat and moved to the door.

  “I’d best leave you to it then. I’ll find somebody suitable for the vacancy. If not then it might have to be me.”

  Eastman looked at Carmille. “That’s not how it works and you know it.”

  “We’ll see about that. Brad, Doctor.” He nodded towards them and left the room.

  “That man is a dinosaur. He’s wrong on so many levels. Sorry Brad, I know he’s your hero but...”

  Eastman looked at the door then looked at Anne, a deep frown cut into his face. “There was a time when I’d have said yes: now I’m not so sure.”

  ****

  The night was drawing in. Taylor turned the plastic key card over in his hand and studied the I.D. The small photo card displayed a picture of a pretty dark haired woman, about twenty-five or so: Mary Bakewell - Assistant Researcher. Then he dropped his gaze to look at the putrefying mess sprawled out in front of him.

  It was almost impossible to imagine that this ‘thing’ was the girl on the card and yet he knew it was. He’d taken the damn thing off her. Her? In all this time he’d never really thought of them as people. He never regarded them as being someone’s loved one or friend, with all the aspirations and hopes of the living. She had an engagement ring on her finger but that’s all he knew about her.

  The body was dressed in a filthy lab coat, so he guessed she must have worked on the project at some point. Just how she’d come to be here on the surface was beyond him. She’d been dead only a few hours, judging from the way her blood was still soaking into the ground.

  Three neat bullet holes in her chest with a fourth just below her right eye, told him how she’d died. He’d never seen one like this before; sure he’d seen dead ones but never had the time to ‘really’ look at them. Mary Bakewell seemed at rest now. Hell, was he going soft?

  He put the card into his pocket. There were other things he needed to look at. JJ. King for a start. He’d been the last person Taylor had imagined to have been here. It mystified Taylor as to why King had been so damn slack in allowing the escape.

  Taylor had re-worked his time in the base over and over. It was almost as if King had wanted him to get away. King was well aware of Taylor’s abilities and yet the guards seemed oblivious as to whom they were escorting. As soon as they’d left the room Taylor had sought the opening to escape. Was it that King had compassion for his old army buddy? Fat chance! King’s people skills consisted of ‘interviewing’ while using a power drill on people. The guy was a certified nut. Whatever the reason, he was free and he wanted to stay that way.

  A few hundred yards away, reaching high into the sunset was the Ranger tower. There was no way he was going to risk being spotted by that parks guy. Taylor was well aware that these people had the experience and resources to spot anything. That would put him a short radio call away from Eastman and his mob but even closer was good old JJ. He was someone Taylor wanted to keep well away from.

  Taylor studied his options: Complete his mission? Escape to Canada? Find out what King was up to? Warn the town?

  He had no resources to access the underground base and it would be suicide to do so on his lonesome. He’d only just escaped from the camp and in all probability he would either get captured or killed. As for the town, they’d done him no favours and he was not about to do them any. With the Level Three Containment situation, Stone could vaporise the whole damn place at any moment. Yeah, he could definitely hear Canada calling out his name.

  Chapter - Twenty

  General Marcus Stone marched into the small command room flanked by Colonel Steedman. Stone was a large impressive man with grey cropped hair. He glowered at the arrogant man standing before him. Stone had seen his type so many times during his long military career. King was a damn black ops spook, and he hated them. They got involved in all sorts of situations, most of which had nothing to do with them. The field operatives regarded themselves as soldiers and that was the part he hated the most. Real soldiers had to follow a code of conduct, with strict rules; these individuals just made it up as they went along. It was a kind of cheating.

  “Mr King, to say I’m unhappy at your efforts would be an understatement. If I thought you’d anything to do with this man’s escape, you’d be in the brig.”

  He scowled at the other man, finding it hard to control his anger. But people like this sack of pus were always well connected and after all, Stone was a little under a year off retirement.

  “Now hold up there General. I can’t be held responsible if your goons lost him.”

  If you were one of my men, your ass wouldn’t touch the ground.

  “You knew this man and you fought alongside him. That creates a bond. Could it be you were looking out for him?”

  King gave the General a disagreeable sneer. “I don’t do friends. I look after my own interests.”

  Where the hell do they make you damn people?

  “Never the less, if you look as though you’re going to compromise this operation, I’ll throw you on the next chopper out of here. Are we clear on that?”

  King snapped him a drill book salute. “Sir yes sir. General Sir!”

  Insubordinate punk!

  Steedman moved forward and spoke to King.

  “Where’s he likely to go now?”

  Steedman was a tall athletic man with blonde hair. The decorations on his chest and his Airborne shoulder flash told their own story.

  “He’s unpredictable, there’s no telling what he’d do next. But I’ll say this; he’s like a dog with a stick. He’ll do everything possible to bring Tellermine down.”

  “Is he likely to try getting into that base?”

  “He has no resources and he’s out of time. I hardly think that’s a possibility.”

  King scratched his head and looked back at Stone. “Crap like that never deterred a Ranger before. If he wants that creep, he’ll get him. But like I said, he’s not dumb.”

  And you’re up to no damn good, I just don’t know what.

  “Colonel, what’s Lieutenant Baker got for me?”

  Steedman walked over to the table and switched on the laptop. A schematic of the base appeared on the Whiteboard and he pointed to a highlighted section.

  “This is a thermal map of the base, Baker’s detected ‘hot spots’ all along this area. He believes they’re fires.”

  Steedman looked at the other two before pressing on. “These hot spots or fires are headed to this point here.” He jabbed his finger at a yellow box on the plan.

  “And what’s so important about that?”

  “That, Mr King is where the fuel cell for the whole base is located.”

  King clicked his fingers and let out a loud laugh.

  “That’s good news. It’ll save us having to do the job.”

  Stone looked at King and nodded in agreement. “He has a point. What’s the proximity to the infected zone Colonel?”

  “It’s too far to cause any direct damage to the town, but right above that cell is one of the town’s electrical sub – stations.”

  “What effect would that have on the infected zone?”

  Steedman shook his head. “Minimal. It’d knock the power off, but they’d re – boot in hours.”

  Stone brought up a satellite map of the area and highlighted the base and Armstrong. They could use this as a diversion and fire the missile in the confusion. If the town had to go then perhaps this would be the best way to do it. They’d never know what hit them. It was decision time and there was no easy option for anybody.

  “Colonel,
start preparation for missile firing!”

  Stone watched as Steedman’s face dropped. The guy was a good soldier, one of the best he’d ever met. But he had a massive problem. He was too compassionate and this was a downright liability. The events of Mercy Creek had taught Stone all about the drawbacks of compassion. That situation had deteriorated so fast there’d been precious little time for hand- holding. It had needed fast and decisive action. He drew solace from the fact that he’d followed protocol and done what was needed. But that notion did nothing for the nightmares he’d endured ever since.

  “I’ll get on it ASAP, Sir.”

  King circled his finger on the map and nodded his head as if in answer to an unspoken question. “As a point of interest here, is this firework display going to work?”

  Firework display! Arrogant little creep for half a dime, I’d...

  “The M900 is state of the art weapons tech Mr King.”

  “Yeah, I knew the guy who stole the firing system. I just want to know how you plan to use the damn thing.”

  “Colonel perhaps you’d like to fill Mr King in on that?”

  “Since you obviously know so much about the system I’ll skip to the deployment.”

  King sat on the edge of the desk and peering at his watch briefly shut his eyes. “Oh yes Colonel, please do.”

  “The device will airburst at five hundred feet above the town. The heat wave will incinerate everything in a three-click kill radius. It’ll wipe out the town, the base and all the surrounding farms.”

  Stone looked at Steedman: it was a tough call but it wasn’t Steedman who needed to make it.

  “See Mr King, all our problems taken care of in one go. End of emergency.”

  “No it won’t.”

  King rose from the desk and quietly walked to the centre of the small room. He stared at the other men, almost daring them to challenge him.

  What else are you keeping from us?

  “It would seem Mr King has some information that we don’t. Well the floor is yours.”

  “This base,” said King pointing at the airbase “was part of the NORAD defence system. It’s over ninety foot down through rock, reinforced concrete and steel. The place was built to withstand an over burst by a ten megaton bomb. Your Molotov is barely going to warm a Hershey Bar down there.”

  “Steedman, what’s he talking about here?”

  Steedman clasped his hands behind his neck and nodded at King in agreement.

  “I’m afraid I have to agree with him, Sir. The M900 uses the oxygen to burn its target. It’s a surface weapon. It would be impossible to penetrate to such a depth.”

  Stone could not believe his ears. It was as if everything was conspiring against him. This damn bomb was supposed to be the best invention since the wheel, yet in all reality the device was useless against the underground defence. He’d have to find something else.

  “Colonel, we’ll use the second device on the base after we take out the infected zone.”

  “You got two bombs? Now that’s where my tax goes.” King whistled loudly. “You need to take out the base first then the town.”

  And you need to watch your step boy. You’re living on borrowed time!

  “Are you telling me how to run this operation?”

  “General, that warhead may not be powerful enough to reach the underside of that base, but it’s going to level the topside. You’d need to dig through tons of crap to get at the door.”

  “We have enough manpower to shift a few cinder blocks,” replied Steedman with contempt.

  King looked from one man to the other. “What you don’t have is time. As soon as people notice that thing busting up the atmosphere, you’re going to be knee deep in media and eggheads. So we nuke that after the town, right!”

  Stone looked at King. As much as this irritating pile of dog vomit needed to be taken down, he was right. An explosion of that size would be picked up in China. That much attention, Stone could do without. They’d have to play it King’s way. Stone was more than aware that he had to cooperate with this idiot but it was a military operation.

  “We’ll set off the second device after the first. I don’t want a moment’s delay in this. That town must be eradicated. Colonel, prepare both missiles for use. Get a detail to open that door as soon as the first missile is ready.”

  “The missile will need to be transported into the base for maximum effect. That means exposing the men to whatever is in there, Sir.”

  Stone didn’t want to put his men in that kind of danger but there was no option. The M900 had to be placed in the best possible spot before it was exploded, and that meant going down into that hell-hole.

  “I’ll lead the team myself and you blow that thing when I say so.”

  Steedman shook his head. “Sir, with respect you’re needed up here. I’ll do it.”

  “If you’re done with all this hero bull, I’m best suited for this mission.”

  Stone raised his eyebrow and shot King a cynical look. This kind of guy never put others before themselves unless of course, there was something in it for them. What could be down there?

  “That’s very civic of you, yeah okay. But I’ll pick the team and you follow my orders to the letter. Are we clear on that?” King nodded his agreement.

  “You don’t need the whole missile for that. I’ll get weapons tech to remove the warhead. It’ll be easier to lug about.”

  King looked at Steedman. “Thanks. You got some kind of trolley I can use for this?”

  “I’m sure we can find something for you even if I have to tie it to your back.”

  There was no humour in Stone’s remark, in fact that seemed a fair idea to him. This guy was certainly up to something. Stone was uneasy at the prospect of placing his troops under him.

  “How long till the devices are ready for use?”

  “We’ll get on it ASAP. But this will take some time to put together. Why don’t you have a coffee and finish your book.”

  “Can’t stand coffee and I finished the book. The General did it with a big red button.” King took a last look at the map, nodded to the others and left the room.

  “Sir, can that man be trusted with this? I’m getting a bad feeling about him.”

  “That individual gave me a bad feeling the minute I met him. The team will have eyes on him all the time. If he tries anything they can blow his pecker neck head off. Colonel, I want everybody withdrawn to the safety zone. Pull all surveillance and patrols back to the camp. If we got to fire those things I don’t want any of our people in the way.”

  “Yes Sir.”

  Steedman saluted and left Stone gazing at the map on the whiteboard deep in thought.

  Stone had been around long enough to smell trouble and this Spook gave off a stench to rival the dirtiest latrine. They’d have to keep an eye on him. This operation was top-level stuff with no margin for error; everything had to fit together. This contamination had to be contained; there was no time to waste on this guy.

  ****

  Something was happening and it sounded ugly. Mary Firth stood uneasily in the kitchen. Her husband was in the other room on the phone. It was difficult to hear the exact words because he’d slammed the door shut. She could tell it wasn’t good. He’d arrived about half an hour ago, in a foul mood. He’d ranted on about how Carmille was supporting Brad over the killings. Peter still blamed him, but it had got worse and she feared he’d do something dumb.

  She needed to find out what was going on, but she knew from past experience that poking her nose in was both unwise and painful. However, she had to know. Mary selected a yellow duster from the drawer, tipping even more junk onto the cluttered floor as she moved warily into the hallway. At least the duster would help mask her mission, even if she rarely ever used one. As she edged nearer the scuffed old door, her heart beat so loudly she feared he’d hear it. She licked at her dry lips and moved ever closer to the door.

  He was talking to Barney Branigan. How she hated that
man. After the collapse of their marriage Branigan had taken to calling over when Peter had been out. Then one night he’d called drunk and things had gotten out of hand. He’d tried to kiss her but she’d warned him off with Peter. Thankfully it had been enough and he never tried that again.

  “Look Barney, I already told you I’m positive Eastman and the others are in on this whole thing... because they’re helping to cover it up. Who’s gonna argue with the cops and Lenski? It’s all a cover up.”

  This was utter nonsense! Brad and Anne would never be a party to such a thing. She’d known Brad since forever and he didn’t work that way.

  “What? Because Tony found out and that’s the only way they could shut him up... Well it’s obvious Bridget and Conrad knew too much... Look when you’re in charge like that, you can make up what the hell you want to... Do you think I’m about to let this go? That shmuck killed my brother...Well all I want is a bit of extra muscle...Yeah, that’s right... Well, I kinda thought you, Kolp and maybe Don Breck and Murray Scott... He’s out of town, up at the tower right now...Yeah, of course we gotta be careful but I know what I’ve got in mind... Don’t talk crap! How the hell would it look like an accident? It’s more like a dreadful case of mistaken identity...Well yeah; of course someone obviously thought he was one of them creatures.”

  Mary drew back, sick to her stomach. Had Peter finally gone mad?

  “Yeah, I know it’s risky. But with him outta the way you and me can run this damn town... I take it you like that then? Trust me, nothing can go wrong if we do this right...”

  Suddenly Peter Firth’s sneering face replaced the section of battered door she’d been staring at. She shrank away from him in utter terror.

  “What you hear, baby?” His lips curled upwards in a cruel smile.

  “Nothing, I never heard nothing. I was just dusting that’s all.”

  He reached out and closed his fist over the yellow duster in her hand and squeezed until she let out a painful scream.

  “Peter, you’re hurting me!”

  “I’ve never seen you use one of these, you lazy sow.”