The Infected 1: Proxy

by P. S. Power

  Stepping forward, Brian suggested they test everyone that took part in the fight for tampering too. Rather than complain it was too big a task Ellen smiled sweetly and stepped forward, taking his hand.

  "Tampering... yes, medical on many occasions, severe mental manipulation dozens of times, another person living in your head, separate from you... In this case, clear..."

  She hadn't been present for any part of the fight so had to be steered to the people that actually attacked. She separated them into two groups, one with only a few people, Charles the team two leader, Tobin and a much recovered Crandall who'd come over slowly and was cleared by Ellen just as slowly, as if she was avoiding talking about some of the tampering she found in him, censoring herself. The other group kept growing and finally she stopped and held up a hand.

  "This group over here, the small one, has all been influenced in some way today, varied, suggestion, input, and raw manipulation of emotion..." She walked over to the other, much larger group.

  "This group has all been influenced very clearly, and by a single person. The message was so strong and clear it still resonates in most of them, that being "Prime is guilty". Clear, but not directive in nature. With the evidence given, the video from earlier, it was probably enough to get them to believe they were correct. It didn't force the fight or even suggest it however."

  Ellen folded her hands in front of her loose sweater and walked away from the people in both groups, her shoes clicking slightly on the hard ground. No one said anything for a minute, but Prime stood up and started walking away, Charlot following. After a few seconds Bridget ran to catch up. They walked toward the front gate together, heads held high. Brian walked after them, quickly, reaching them just before they all got to the front gate.

  "All right... we still have cars around here, let's get you one and enough cash to get a hotel room or two in town. Or at least some food to take with you, if you all want to camp out, but it's awfully cold for that if you don't have to. For that matter we need to get most of the people out of here for a few days. The cooks and service staff... Sorry, not your problem right now. Still, you don't have to just walk out into the wilderness. These people owe you, so don't let this be just another indignity, all right? Give me a few minutes to arrange things?"

  Charlot, the right side of her face having bruised and swollen impressively nodded stiffly. Scott's nostrils flared but he nodded too, Bridget grinned, a sad look that didn't reach her eyes. A tear glimmered and then fell, leaving a track down her face. She shook her head, not telling him no, but trying to negate the whole situation.

  "This is the only home I've ever had. I... what am I going to do Brian? I don't know anything else, not really..."

  Holding out an arm he took her into a hug for a while, until her parents started to shift uneasily. Laughing he let the girl go and turned to see Director Moore and several other people walking toward them, Karen and Robert were in the group, as well as Charles. They all looked like it just dawned on them that the Chambers might actually be leaving, possibly forever.

  Moore spoke first. "Charlot, Scott... I know that this wasn't a good experience for any of us, but don't you think that we should wait and let calmer heads prevail?"

  Brian stepped in front of Prime, an aura of black pooling around his whole body, but he faced the other group and shook his head.

  "No. Really, right now, we're not going to get cooler heads. If they stay the night somebody's probably going to die, since I keep stepping in front of people like this, that's probably going to be me. So... I'm just deciding that's not going to happen. We need transportation, a hotel room, make that two hotel rooms and cash. I don't care if you have to take up a collection from people's pockets. Don't argue with me on this one." He didn't sound any particular way, he could hear himself. If anything he sounded a bit flat, almost emotionless. Certainly not angry or anything.

  All of the men in the other group took a step back from him, only Karen holding her ground, knowing that he wouldn't hurt them just for being annoying, at least he hoped that's why she didn't back up. She looked at the others, standing almost dead even with her now, since she'd been slightly back before.

  "I think we can manage that. Let's see what we can come up with, all right? It should only take a bit." Turning to the others she waved them back with both hands and went to search for phone numbers and the needed funds.

  Charlot looked at Brian, her eyes hooding a little bit, a sense of a predator stalking him for a moment came and went. Moving to him carefully she pulled him into a hug, which Bridget joined after a moment, to his surprise Scott, wrapping them all in his arms. They all held this for a couple of minutes, Charlot and Bridget crying softly and clinging as if their lives depended on it. Finally they all let go when a car pulled around, an agent Brian had talked to earlier, but didn't know by name. He got out and left the door of the car open.

  "There are two hotel rooms for you at the Ridgemont in town. On the front seat is two thousand cash, and of course your credit line is still open, Director Moore didn't know if any of you would have your own cards on you, so he sent his. If you need anything, you have my number. Lancaster sent his card along too, specifically for Bridget," He passed her a business card. "If you need anything, ask. We're still your people Scott, Charlot, as pissed as you all are. Don't forget that." The man held out a hand, which each of them shook in turn, then walked away, more than a bit stiff and uncomfortable looking.

  A small hand found his.

  "Brian... come with us?" Bridget's voice sounded as meek as any he'd ever heard, but he had to shake his head.

  "Sorry, I have some things to clean up here. Do me a favor and try to stay local for a few days? We aren't even halfway to finding who did this yet and may need your help, all of you. Scott... your mom, is she around at all?" He hesitated to ask this, not certain if the woman was even still alive.

  "Arizona. Why?"

  "Well, I can't tell you just yet, but she may be able to help us get to the bottom of who did this, maybe not but... I guess I just wanted to check and make sure that everything is all right between you. I mean, if she comes here, is that OK?" Knowing his own parents wouldn't come if he needed them, Brian didn't want to presume anything about anyone else's.

  Scott looked at him, confusion on his face for a bit, then let his golden face relax.

  "Yeah, it might be good to have her around for a bit. I don't have the number on me, and my address book is in on my desk, under the collapsed part of the building I'd bet."

  Bridget knew it by heart. "I call her every week, sometimes more. We talk about stuff, boys and what I want to be when I grow up, knife fighting, things like that."

  Sighing he watched them leave, making sure he kept the phone number in mind clearly the whole time, a trick he'd learned as a kid that had served him well in life. Brian walked back into the compound and found Karen and Marcia with Lancaster next to the director, who spoke on the phone about arranging housing for as many people as possible. Even though Brian had never seen them before, seven buses, white with blue trim on them and dark tinted windows drove up and parked, waiting for people to load up. The first round was all made up of civilian employees, with only a few staying behind with the agents and trainers, all of whom were also agents it turned out, the key staff, whatever that was, and of course, all of the operatives. In general no one wanted to try and send nearly eighty Infected anywhere at once right now, even if they could find accommodations. It was doable with the Chambers, but they looked "good". Trying it with Lobo, Dave and Lauren would probably cause a scene.

  They'd have to sleep outside. Some of the people wanted to go use their own beds but Brian stepped forward and told them all they couldn't do that.

  "Look, the building is probably fine - unless it isn't - in that case the whole thing could collapse at any time. Someone sneezes in the wrong place or someone bumps into a wall or something. We have to stay out as much as possible until a structural engineer or better yet a team
of them, tell us it's safe. If we have to go in for anything we should send as few people as possible and if my vote counts we only send in Mark."

  Time not passing for him meant a building simply couldn't fall down around his ears when in stasis time. It could become important. There were some drawbacks, computers and machines didn't run at all and objects couldn't move unless Mark got close to them and used mental tricks to allow himself to relax enough to extend his field away from his body. He'd learned, from what he'd told Brian about it at least, to bend and shape this field a bit, but it still wasn't right for taking any other people with him yet. Mark could carry them like luggage, but he couldn't let them walk on their own. Which was a bit of a shame really. Everyone around them either knew this already or simply agreed that they personally shouldn't have to go into the unstable structure, but Mark didn't seem to mind overly, even if it did mean walking up and down all those stairs.

  After a few minutes, the Director got off the phone finally and walked over to Brian, not looking overly pleased.

  "Brian, you're being a little... bossy for one of the new people here, don't you think?" His voice sounded serious, but his eyes held a hint of a smile.

  "Yeah, I am. Sorry about that. I'm going to be doing that for a bit longer though. You mentioned Scott's mom, she may be able to help us with... Well, things. I don't know what I'm allowed to say or not. What you and I talked about in the hospital room? Plus, if we bring her in it may allow those three to feel a little more comfortable here with us. Not that I blame them for leaving, but I don't think we can afford to let them go without at least trying to fix things. So, if that seems like a good idea, can I borrow your phone?"

  The older man handed it over, a tiny phone that didn't even have buttons, just a touch screen, it took Brian a second, and three tries, but finally the phone rang, and after three rings a sultry voice answered.

  "Hello?"

  14

  The voice sounded smoky and warm, relaxed and at home with itself, even if the phone call came from a stranger. It sure as heck beat the rasp that his own voice had become over the last few months. It didn't have any magic quality, but sounded a little like what Brian would have expected from a phone sex operator. Sexy or sultry, one of those kind of things that he'd almost forgotten could exist in the world. For a second he wondered if he'd accidentally gotten the wrong number.

  "Um, hi, this is Brian Yi, I'm not sure if I got the right number... is this..." Brian realized that the woman's name wouldn't really be Foggy, but he'd never heard another one for her. Becky chuckled in his ear, standing beside him suddenly.

  "Rachel Chambers" The ghost girl smiled and gave him a wink, probably because she once again knew something he didn't.

  "Um, Rachel Chambers? Bridget's grandmother?"

  "Oh! Yes, you must be that Brian then! Bridgies told me a lot about you. Is everything all right?" Her voice sounded a bit concerned, which given everything made a lot of sense, and sent Brian scrambling.

  "Oh! Important stuff first, sorry! Yes, everyone is all right. Scott, Bridget and Charlot are all a little banged up, but nothing that needs a hospital, I don't think. There's been a problem here..."

  The voice took a deep sounding breath that shuddered on the way out and went silent for a minute.

  "Is anyone dead?" The words were soft and dark, as if fearing the worse.

  "Not today. In fact the first half of things seem to have been cleared up, they're all staying at a hotel in town, The Ridgemont I think I heard, I can double check that for you in a minute. The thing is, well, there's two things really, first they kind of need a friendly face right now, which really is the most important thing right now, but... I don't know what I can say about the next bit over the phone and I can't provide any proof at all, but I think it's possible that some... old friends of yours might be behind this..."

  She hesitated and then fished for more information, until finally Director Moore took the phone.

  "Foggy? This is Less. It's them. This reeks of them..." Then the man immediately put the phone back in his hand.

  "Right, so, it's them. At least it might be. What I'd like, if your able and willing, is to have you come up and visit as soon as possible. I'll cover your expenses myself if you want. Again, I can't prove anything, but even if it's just coming up for Bridget and Scott, it's worth it."

  Diving in he told the whole story, the suspicions, the video, the fight and the damage from it. The line went silent as he spoke. A rustling and crackling sound on the other side, as if something was being shifted, a sound of fabric and fasteners. After a few moments the line came alive again, the voice sounding a lot more practical suddenly.

  "I'll be there in six hours. Can I get a car from there to this hotel?"

  "I'll make it happen. Thank you..."

  The line went dead suddenly. Handing the phone back to Moore, Brian told him the situation and requested a car be ready for them to take the woman to the Ridgemont when she got in as directly as possible. A man standing next to Moore raised an eyebrow, but made a note of it on a small hand held computer. He'd started out in a suit, clearly, but had taken the tie off and loosened the top button, smudges of dust and grease or something on his jacket, which he kept on, for warmth most likely, the night air starting to get a bit cool.

  Thank god it's not raining, Brian thought, then not wanting to jinx things glanced up at the sky and saw with relief that it really was clear. Thinking about the situation and how cool it was likely to get he looked around at the people left, the ones that hadn't been bussed out already. They could keep most of them in the outbuildings, if people were willing to sleep on the floors, he realized, working the math as well as he could by approximation.

  "We need to get rid of more people, about a third of them, if everyone's going to be sleeping inside tonight. Are there any hotel rooms left, or can, I don't know, people double up or something?"

  The man that had made the note about the car hit the pad in his hands a couple of times and looked at him directly.

  "We can't find any more rooms in town, but we think we can double up for enough people to do that. A few people will end up being cuddly or sleeping outside... can't be helped. We do have enough sleeping bags for everyone and food for about four days. Water's fine, we have well water here anyway and the power for it hasn't been disrupted at all, the generator complex is outside. We can even have showers, if a water hose hanging from a building roof counts as a shower in your book at least."

  That sounded well planned out to Brian, so he decided to leave it in the man's obviously capable hands. He asked his name, just in case something came up, since he seemed to be the go to guy for this kind of thing.

  "Sam. Sam Morris. Pleased to meet you..." He obviously searched for a name to go with Brian's face, holding out his hand, the shake a little weak, and the hand much softer than expected, even though the guy looked at least average in fitness level. Then, he was an admin type. That he looked as hard as he did probably meant a lot more work than most people would have bothered with. Then that was just part of the IPB wasn't it? Even the cooks looked a little hard really.

  Smiling he let the man have his hand back, speaking just a little later than would be normal he knew, tired from the day's events even if it wasn't that late yet. It threw off his timing.

  "Brian. Thanks, I appreciate all the help on this stuff."

  Marcia sat on the spread sleeping bag next to Penny, both of them watching him closely. Not that he'd be that entertaining he knew, but with this little going on anything probably seemed interesting about now. It was a major problem with potentially life threatening events, they got you all amped up, but that effect would often last a lot longer than whatever needed to be dealt with. That meant sitting around being bored for a while after things calmed down, no matter how important it might be to stay ready.

  He walked over and asked if he could sit too, since he didn't have anything left to do for a bit at least. Brian's stomach told him he could e
at, not having had a chance, but that he didn't need to yet, not really. Carefully he settled on the blanket, close to Penny, his leg gently touching hers, enjoying the feeling of warmth and closeness. She took his hand for a few seconds and patted his leg, but didn't move away from him.

  Marcia looked at him and grinned.

  "Damn Brian. Pulled it out again didn't you? Everyone even got out alive. I heard that Denis made a pain of himself earlier and almost got Crandall killed. We should just sneak over and off him when it gets dark. That guy's just going to keep being a problem until he's stopped. You can't keep a class four locked up forever if they're hostile. Speaking of which," She turned her whole body, the loose sweat pants pulling halfway off in the movement, she looked annoyed and pulled them back up, then stared into Brian's face, her own going hard and slightly angry.

  "What's the deal with letting Clark go? I'll give you Peggy, she shouldn't have ever been locked up anyway, that was all politics and public image, but Clark? He was sleeping with a twelve year old! That's pedophilia... I mean, OK, granted, other guys did too, but waking up with a girl on top of you in the dark might give them a pass, once, maybe even twice, but Clark was doing it on purpose... a lot!"

  Brian nodded and went over what the Director told him the psych profile said.

  "It's not good and the guy deserved to be locked up for it, but supposedly he's not into kids, just desperate for sex. Not," holding up a hand to stop Marcia from hitting him before finishing - even though she hadn't really started to even protest yet - Brian paused briefly. For her the time between mild reaction and beat down could be very small, hence the nickname, so he wanted to make sure she didn't overreact. "That being desperate is an excuse for what he did. But he's not likely to re-offend with anyone but Bridget and I told him that if he touched her or even got too close, I'd kill him. Not that I intend to, but the Director OK'd it, we just have to make the body disappear. I think he was even serious... Still, let's give Clark a chance... So far the one potential meeting he had with Bridget ended with him running off in the other direction as fast as he could, so... good sign, right?"