“Come on, it’s me. I always keep my promises.” She grinned, wiping away raccoon tears.
“I love you, Dad,” she spoke softly as the song came to a close. I hugged her.
“I love you, too, sweetie.” We both sat and let Matthew dance with Jessica, which was amusing. He looked absolutely awkward, and Jessica was having a blast with that knowledge.
With the dances out of the way, thankfully, the food came and we all shuffled down the buffet with our plates. As I sat, though, Jessica leaned over to whisper in my ear.
“Ready for your speech?” I looked past her at Katherine, sitting at the head table and laughing at something Matthew said. I nodded, begrudgingly standing and tapping my glass. A hush fell over the room and all eyes landed on me, including the already-teary eyes of my daughter and her new husband.
“I guess it’s about that time for a speech, so I’m gonna give it a shot.” I cleared my throat, suddenly regretting my decision to improvise. “You know, it’s funny, you put me against a hundred zombies and I know exactly what to do, but this…” I cleared my throat again, knowing I was failing by the confused looks around me. Jessica nudged my leg, tapping her chest.
“She’s your daughter, Eric. For once, don’t think with your brain.” Ignoring the rest of the room, I focused on Katherine.
“Before I met Kat, I had lost…everything and everyone. I had pretty much given up, and then she came into my life and gave me a reason to keep going. I remember how much it drove me crazy that she wanted me to teach her how to use a gun, knowing what it would lead to, and I remember…Well, I remember how she became family. I remember sitting in a farmhouse sharing a can of peaches and feeling like I had a daughter, and how scared I was when I thought she was infected. Back then, she was naïve, which got her into all sorts of trouble, but I look before me and I see the strong, compassionate woman that she’s become. She gives me and everyone else hope that humanity can still survive as long as we keep it in our hearts and trust each other.” Kat burst into tears, Matthew quickly wrapping his arms around her.
“And I remember the first time I met the kid, in a town where no one was who they seemed.” I stared at him for a moment, seeing the hope and fear in his eyes. “I also remember what a mistake I made to not trust him at that gas station. It takes balls to be beaten to hell and still fight, especially next to a guy who left you behind. It was that day, though, that told me how much you cared about Katherine. And when I was down for the count, you kept her safe, you stayed with her and fought together. I hope you know how much that meant to me, and how much it means to see her smile. I misjudged you in the beginning,” My eyes shifted between them, “both of you, really. You’ve grown so much, and you’ve both become my family, so if everyone will join me,” I raised my glass, “I’d like to toast to their happiness and a future worth fighting for.” Clinking glass filled the room and we drank, but I held my glass out and nodded to Matthew, who returned the gesture.
The night concluded and we saw the couple off, climbing into the backseat of a Hum-Vee before being driven away to the honeymoon suite of a nice hotel. Harper pulled out all the stops for them, as a favor to me, but watching them leave left a hole in my stomach. Jessica patted my back, keeping her hand there.
“How do you feel?”
“Like I don’t know if I can leave again,” I replied, not taking my eyes away from the rear of the vehicle. She pulled my arm gently, leading me back inside.
“Come on, big guy, let’s get you a drink.” We walked up the flights of stairs until we reached our floor. I walked to my room, staring down at the key. Jessica was watching me, a look in her eyes that I didn’t recognize. “I’ve got a bottle of whiskey in here, if you want to help me with it? Courtesy of the management.” She winked, but I had trouble sharing her positivity.
“I think I just need to be alone for a minute, if that’s okay.” I caught the look of disappointment on her face, but she shrugged and tried to play it off.
“Alright, but the offer stands if you change your mind.” She went inside her room and shut the door behind her, leaving me alone to my thoughts. I had a lot going on in there, from the question of leaving again to…
“Screw it,” I muttered to myself, shoving the key in my pocket and knocking on her door. Say what you want, but sometimes you really did just have to think with your heart. She opened the door in a tank top and leggings, a heat lamp on in the corner of the room by the bed. “Still want to share that drink?”
She reached out and grabbed my hands, pulling me inside before shutting the door.
That, my dear reader, is where I’ll leave you for the night, because a gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.
Chapter 26
I woke to the sunlight pouring in through a crack in the blinds, my back aching like usual, but something was so different about this morning. A scent permeated the air, filling my nose with sweet air, and I looked down, finding Jessica’s head nestled against my chest. Realizing the previous night wasn’t a dream, I laid my head back against the pillow and basked in the comfort and relaxation.
Eventually, Mills woke with a, “Morning, partner,” a knowing grin across her face. Smiling back, we shared a simple breakfast of cereal in a cup, complete with fresh milk from a small farm that Harper had commissioned in our absence.
“Did you sleep well?” I asked, watching her grin return as she spun a strand of hair around her finger, something I had noticed she only did when she was nervous.
“Very,” she answered, forcing her hand down. “Eric,” she set her cereal down, “I understand if last night was just in the moment. I know emotions were high, so-”
“I don’t know about you, but I haven’t felt that good, this good, in a long time. Is that what you’re nervous about?” I pretended to play with my hair and she rolled her eyes.
“You’re an ass.”
“You have an ass,” I winked, flicking my eyes south. She rolled her eyes again and laughed, standing to get dressed. “How am I this lucky?” She glanced over her shoulder, pulling on her jacket.
“You were in the right place at the right time. Honestly, it could’ve been anyone coming through that gate.” I smiled, but she could tell I was serious. “You’re a pretty great guy, Eric, and I think I’m the lucky one to have you watching my back.” She leaned down and kissed me, finishing her morning routine as I did the same.
“Can I tell you something?” I asked, tying the laces of my boots. Jessica looked over her shoulder, brushing her hair. “I don’t think I want to leave this time. I mean,” I took a deep breath, hoping she felt the same, “I know the fight isn’t over, but…”
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I shared a look with Jessica, who was already on her feet.
“Hold that thought.” I cracked open the door, seeing a marine outside before opening the door fully. The look on his face was serious as he asked to escort us to the Alamo, so I turned to Mills. “Looks like we’ll have to finish this conversation later.”
Colonel Harper and Lieutenant Murphy were waiting with grim expressions. Standing in front of them was a man I didn’t recognize, a lab coat draped over his uniform, but he was no doctor. I’d bet my left one on that. Upon entering the central room, where the map from two years ago had been updated with more items and circles, Murphy nodded to us and jerked his head to come closer.
“Lieutenant Mills, Eric, this is Jackson. He was with the CDC, studying the outbreak until the situation got too bad.”
“Call me Douglas.” He held out his hand and we both shook it. He was shorter, around five-six, with a graying beard and glasses, but he was no slouch from the firm grip. “The lieutenant was trying to save my feelings, but this is no time for sheltering. My lab was attacked and my team suffered many casualties.” He paused, his eyes flickering to the ground for a moment of reflection before refocusing. “When we were able, the remaining members gathered our data and fled toward the last radio location of the military FOB. Here, we�
�ve been able to resume our research and gain first-hand intelligence on the infection.”
“Jackson, please tell them what you just told us, and ignore the classified speech. These people have seen more shit than we’ve ever covered up.” Douglas frowned, removing his glasses and nervously wiping them on his white shirt.
“I’m sure, as you’re clearly a field team, that you’ve noticed an increase in hostility by the infected.” I glanced at Jessica, and we both nodded. “Then the stories I heard of the Mississippi outpost are correct.” He was referring to Murray’s main base, the one that was under siege by zombies when we arrived. “I’m afraid that the infected host bodies are decomposing, causing those affected by the virus to become more aggressive out of a dormant survival instinct.”
“I’m sorry, ‘dormant?’ I thought the virus takes over entirely,” Jessica suggested, trying to reason that she hadn’t murdered countless people over the last few years.
“Oh, they’re no longer people, I assure you. However, certain parts of their subconscious remain intact, such as their hunger, or, in this case, the natural instinct to survive.”
“Would this have any correlation to the increase in ferals we’ve encountered?”
“It’s possible that the number of humans feeding on infected has also reduced their numbers, though I don’t have any research to support that.”
“Wait,” I interjected, wanting to clarify something, “if the host bodies are decomposing, does that mean the zombies are…dying?”
“With their food source, us, drastically limited, not to mention fighting back, and the effects of weather, especially the winter, the simple version is, yes.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” I looked at Harper, holding my hands open. “I feel like I’m missing something, because the idea of outlasting the infection and winning seems like it would have more of a positive reaction.”
“While the possibility of overcoming the outbreak is certainly in our grasp, survival may become obsolete before long if we don’t take immediate action.” Harper and Murphy both raised their eyebrows in tired frowns, and I let out an exasperated sigh.
“What the hell is it now?”
“We never considered surviving this long into an apocalypse, to be honest, so the possibility of having this conversation escaped us for a while.” Douglas moved to the map, planting his hands down. “Unfortunately, it’s become a necessity at this point, as we’re running out of time. Across the United States are several nuclear reactors, some decommissioned, some active.” I started to see where this was going.
“Would they still run without electricity?” Jessica asked, but Douglas shook his head.
“Nuclear reactors need a constant supply of coolant to function properly.”
“How long does coolant last?” Douglas shrugged.
“That’s not my field of expertise, but I’d say anywhere from one to three years, depending on the amount and the reactor, with location also playing a role.”
“Okay, million dollar question,” I leaned down, “what happens if the coolant runs out?” I suspected the answer, but I needed to hear it.
“When,” he corrected, “the reactor runs out of coolant completely, the result would be catastrophic.”
“A nuclear explosion?” He shook his head again.
“No, you have to think bigger. It would be a chain reaction of nuclear explosions, each compounding on the one before in an exponential yield. Think of Chernobyl, only on a much larger scale, like if it took out the entire eastern half of the United States. There are a few reactors to the west as well, but you get the picture.” What a picture it was, as if the zombie apocalypse wasn’t already bad enough. “We do have the decommissioned reactors going for us, as they wouldn’t contribute, but that still leaves a significant number of active problems.”
Seriously, I’ll say it again, Hollywood didn’t prepare us for shit.
“Is there any way to stop it?” Harper shared a look with Murphy, and I knew that meant I was about to get more bad news.
“Jackson here knows his way around a reactor, and we have the coolant. He just needs an escort to find out the coolant level at the nearest reactor and use that data to estimate a timeline for the rest of them.” That was the look, because Harper knew once he told me I would be hooked.
Jessica asked for a sidebar and pulled me to the side.
“Eric, what about what you were saying earlier?” I looked into her eyes.
“You heard Douglas, Jess. If we do nothing, there’s a good chance everyone will die, including Kat and Matthew. Everything we’ve done, everyone we’ve saved, will have been for nothing!”
“This would be more than just leaving again, though, Eric. This is huge. It’s one thing to fight on our terms, with bullets and knives, but these are nuclear explosions we’re talking about. If we leave, we might not come back this time.”
“I know.” I muttered, hating myself for what I had already decided. Mills knew my looks, so she knew my mind was made up. Sighing, she closed her eyes and set her head against my chest.
“Alright,” she whispered, “but you’re telling her.” We turned back to Harper as one, Jessica holding my hand.
“Where are we going, and when do we leave?”
Part VI
Chapter 27
The conversation with Katherine hadn’t been the happiest one, since she hated me leaving, but she understood why I had to go. Still, this time definitely felt different, with the stakes being higher. Like Jessica had said, it was one thing when we fought on our terms, but this was bigger.
Of course, on the flipside, we did get reinforcements for this mission, seeing as our success was deemed critical. They pulled out all the stops, lending us a transport vehicle for the coolant and a Humvee for scouting ahead.
“So, how have you two been?” that familiar accent asked with a wink from the backseat, where he sat next to Jessica.
“It’s nice to see you, again, too, Gabriel,” Jessica replied dryly. If he caught the sarcasm in her voice, he didn’t react.
“All joking aside,” his face grew serious, “I’m honestly glad to see both of you again. I’ll admit that I didn’t expect you to live this long, especially you.” He looked at me.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“No offense, mate, but you do almost die on a weekly basis.” I shrugged, unable to argue. “Oh, and I finally got a chance to read your book, Eric. Very compelling, though I thought the character of Gabriel came off as kind of a dick.”
“You seem pretty cheery for a man heading toward a nuclear reactor that could go off at any moment.”
“What can I say? I’m embracing life while I can. The three of us have learned all-too well how quickly the lights can go out.” We were silent for a moment with that sobering thought, letting it sink in. Death did seem to follow us around, but hopefully we could beat the odds one more time. “Anyway, since your audience will undoubtedly want to know about the devilishly-handsome Brit, why don’t I lighten the mood with a little catching up?”
As the rest of Gabriel’s team and Douglas rode with the coolant in the transport behind us, he told the tale of his adventures leading to this point. After being cleared of the criminal charges, Harper had put Gabriel in the field with a team, but their objective was much more difficult: live capture of the infected, including ferals, for testing. Having engaged in hand-to-hand combat with all of the above, it was understandable that they were down to five from the original nine members.
Our Humvee jerked, the driver, who was also from Gabriel’s original team, fighting the wheel to stay on the road.
“Shit! What was that?” Jessica yelled, looking out the back window. Luckily, the driver of the transport had stopped, but the culprit of our sudden excitement lay uncovered in the sand: a spike trap.
“Here we go,” Gabriel muttered, pulling back the slide on his M16 and kicking his door open. He stepped out, panning across the dunes surrounding the high
way to Houston. With little to no human intervention over two years, the Earth was reclaiming its land.
“You thinking ferals?” I kept my voice low as Jessica and I exited the vehicle and watched the right flank.
“That, or it’s like the one we hit on the way to Mississippi.”
“I don’t know.” My eyes weren’t seeing anything, but my gut was going crazy. “I’m gonna check something out.” M4 in hand, I jumped over the divider and trudged up the nearest dune. Over the crest, sundried red blended into the sand where several bodies lay brutalized. Limbs had been torn off, ribs had been cracked open, and sand-dusted organs were scattered around. It was a horrific scene, but it gave food for thought as Mills joined me, shuffling dust as she stopped short.
“What the hell is this?” She covered her mouth, but I didn’t answer, following the blood trail with my eyes.
“How far out are we to the reactor?”
“A few miles, I think.” The blood tracked in the direction we were headed, but I hoped whatever had done this had moved on. While I couldn’t be sure, the deteriorated skin and intact red eyes of one body led me to believe some of these had been ferals, waiting here to ambush survivors. The other bodies, though, were clearly zombies, their skin decomposed and cracked. How many zombies came through to take down at least three ferals and only lose two of their own?
“We need to do what we can with the tires and keep moving. If I’m right, we’re going toward whatever did this. It could be more ferals, or a shit-load of zombies, so keep your eyes peeled.”
Heading back down, we found Gabriel guarding the Humvee while the driver and two team members finished jacking the vehicle up and changing the front tires, though there weren’t enough spares to replace the back two. Filling him in, Gabriel shook his head.
“It’s never an easy day with you two around.” He smiled and patted my shoulder. “I’m glad, because I was starting to get bored.”
I dragged the spike strip off to the side and slid into the passenger seat of the Humvee, rejoining Jessica and Gabriel. The front wheel drive pulled the slack of the slashed back end, but we were more careful about watching the road itself for any more traps.
A Broken World (Book 3): Fractured Memories Page 10
