“He’s alive!” Preacher proclaimed.
“Put him in the bus!” Fish shouted at them and then turned back to Daniel.
Campbell jogged over and stopped. Horror washed over his face as he saw the bloodbath.
“Shit!” I heard Coleman say. “Reggie’s dead.”
“We should put them all down,” Campbell said.
“Fuck that, sir!” Fish growled, not taking his eyes off Daniel. “Let them rise and feed on the local scab population.”
I was grateful that Fish said that. I did not relish smashing my friends’ heads in.
“What about Daniel?” I asked, staring back down at the medic. “He’s…he’s suffering.”
Daniel, fighting through the pain, returned my look. Somehow, he was able to squeeze out a single word.
“J-Jenna…?”
I nodded and took a knee next to him.
“She’s okay, man. You protected her. You saved her,” I assured him.
He gurgled, trying to speak again.
“F-F-Fish,” he choked.
“Go, kid,” he said gruffly, taking my place next to Daniel.
I put my hand to Daniel’s face.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
I stood and headed to where Jenna was. I didn’t turn when I heard the muffled discharge of Fish’s .45.
I wanted to mourn. I wanted to stop everything and shout and scream and cry, but there wasn’t time. I picked Jenna up and Karina and I helped her into the Stryker. After laying her down, I returned outside where Preacher and Coleman were tending to Pittman.
“Is he alive?” I asked hopefully.
Preacher nodded.
“Yes, just out cold. We need help!”
“Put him in the Stryker!” Campbell ordered. “Fish, get back to Big Red. We need to move!”
Fish nodded and jogged over to me.
“Give me the arm, kid,” Fish ordered.
I reached in my pack and handed him the tarp containing Tikel’s arm.
He raced over to Doctor Tripp, who was walking to the CDC bus with Karina.
“Here, Doc,” Fish said, shoving the tarp into her hands. “Make yourself useful. Tell me why it was so hard to kill that bastard.”
I helped Preacher and Coleman drag Pittman’s large frame into the Stryker and laid him next to Jenna. Preacher ran over with Karina to the CDC bus. DJ was lining the fire engine back up to cross the bridge when Fish climbed through the passenger door of Big Red.
The intercom came to life with Campbell’s voice.
“Move out, DJ,” he ordered. “Without the shovel, traps are going to be an issue. Preacher is driving the bus while I scan with the drones for ambushes. Enrique, stay behind the bus. Coleman, get the 50-cal reloaded with a fresh ammunition can. I don’t want to reload on the fly if we don’t have to.”
Coleman winced as he climbed through the hatch and exchanged ammo canisters. The motion of the Stryker as it barreled over the bridge only added to the punishment his broken ribs were taking.
Jenna started to moan a few minutes after we crossed the bridge.
“What…happened…?” she mumbled.
“Your truck flipped. You barely made it,” I replied softly.
“Where is…Daniel?”
“He…” I lost my words, unable to finish. She passed out again and I was relieved. I wasn’t ready to answer those questions yet. I hadn’t come to terms myself with everything that had transpired.
We drove on without stopping, leaving the approaching army of scabs far behind.
It ended up that Dobson was right. Most of the scabs in the area had gathered at the canal crossings, and we saw only a handful for the rest of the journey through Scab Country. Campbell was able to guide us around any area with scab traps.
By 4 PM, we were well out of Dixie County and the area the scabs controlled. Pittman groggily woke. He had a massive headache from the bruising and swelling on the side of his head. I watched him clean his wound and give himself stitches where Tikel’s bladed chain had slashed his arm. It was quite the feat considering we were in a moving vehicle. We headed north, further away from any civilization. Campbell scouted a small bridge that crossed over a marsh and we decided to make camp there.
The nearest town was miles away making it unlikely we would be surprised by any zombies. Even so, we used our available fencing to block off both sides.
As we began to set up camp, I learned that another scab had crawled through the top hatch on the CDC bus. Doctor Tripp shot and killed it with the shotgun Fish had later used against Tikel. Apparently, the blast knocked the Doctor back so hard she dislocated her shoulder.
We were beaten and battered. Sheriff Green was a mess, though at least coherent. Pittman and Jenna were suffering from concussions among other injuries, and we had lost Reggie, Daniel, and our leader, Major Dobson.
There was going to be no quick recovery. The feeling of pain and loss was suffocating as night fell over our broken and shattered group.
CHAPTER 17
A Pause in the Storm
August 16th Evening
There is something about surviving a traumatic encounter that brings people together. The loss of Daniel, Reggie, and Major Dobson had that effect as most of us gathered inside the cramped Stryker.
Jenna, who had a severe concussion, was recovering in the CDC bus with Karina keeping a close eye on her.
Enrique and Coleman were pulling guard. I didn’t envy them. The mosquitos around the bridge were atrocious, forcing them to cover as much of their bodies as possible, despite the sweltering heat.
In addition to the heat and mosquitoes, Coleman was dealing with broken ribs which affected his every move his tired body made. He toughed it out thanks to the Lortabs that Doctor Tripp gave him. Pulling guard duty while stoned wasn’t ideal, but we were not exactly in ideal conditions.
As an added measure of protection, Boomer stayed in the CDC bus. The armor was not nearly as thick as the Stryker’s. That allowed the canine’s hearing to detect any danger in our general vicinity.
The rest of us were meeting to see where we stood, where to go, and how we were holding up.
Pittman and Nate sat near the rear hatch. Campbell and Fish sat in the driver and gunner seats, with Doctor Tripp, DJ, Preacher and me in the middle.
Pittman’s face was bruised and swollen, but otherwise he was fine. The gash on his arm, according to him, looked worse than it was. The scrap metal Tikel had used on his chain was jagged, ripping the skin rather than slicing through it.
Sheriff Green’s face was literally smashed. His nose was broken and both of his front teeth had been knocked out when he face planted onto the road. Both of his eyes were beginning to blacken, and Pittman was sure he had a fractured mandible.
Fish set Doctor Tripp’s dislocated shoulder. He didn’t mix bones when he told her how much it would hurt. She screamed when he relocated the joint, but she didn’t complain.
The mood was somber when Captain Campbell began to speak.
“Pittman, Sheriff… how are you two holding up?”
Pittman raised his head. One of his eyes was almost completely swollen shut.
“I feel like I got hit with a cement truck,” he grumbled.
“Heh,” Nate scoffed, “then it bounced off him and hit me.”
Nate was speaking with a slight, uncontrollable lisp. I wasn’t sure if it was because his front two teeth were missing, or because his upper lip had swollen to the size of a hot dog. The bridge of his nose had been taped to hold it in place, and dark circles surrounded his eyes.
Campbell sighed and turned to the rest of us.
“How’s everyone else doing?”
“Considering we lost three people, one of them our leader?” DJ asked. “We’re feeling pretty shitty, sir.”
Silence swept the compartment for a few seconds until Doctor Tripp turned to the Captain.
“What now?”
“That’s a stupid question,” Fish grunted. “We finish the mission
.”
“That goes without saying,” Doctor Tripp countered, “but Dobson was calling the shots.”
“Well, lady, in the military, command usually goes to the next ranking officer,” Fish retorted. “Or do you civi’s do it differently?”
“Calm down, Fish,” Campbell said, laying a hand on Fish’s shoulder. “These are valid questions.”
“Look,” I said, speaking up, “the mission is the same. The Captain is in charge. But…we need time sir.”
“Time?” Fish mocked. “Time for what?”
“Time to recover,” Preacher said, stepping into the conversation and gesturing to Pittman and Nate. “These two are pretty bad off and Jenna is in and out.”
“We have trucks and fuel. It’s not like we’re on foot,” Fish countered.
“Hold on,” DJ said. “Preacher has a point. We get into another fight with some of our best people down, we might as well call it a day. Not to mention Big Red took a beating. We don’t have a shovel or ram on the front anymore. We need time to collect ourselves.”
“I wouldn’t mind finding a dentist,” Nate added.
“I’m fine,” Pittman claimed. “Don’t let these good looks fool you.”
“Every day we wait, is one less day we have to make a vaccine,” Doctor Tripp said.
“Well, it won’t matter worth a damn if we don’t make it, will it?” DJ argued.
Campbell raised his hands.
“I hear a lot of what we should be doing. But not what we have to do. Preacher and DJ are right. We need a pause. Let Jenna, Pittman, and Nate heal. Big Red needs a good overhaul. Maybe make a run to the nearest town for a shovel replacement.”
Doctor Tripp was about to argue, but Campbell put his hand up, silencing her.
“Doctor, you can still continue your research. Maybe take a look at that arm Fish gave you. We will scout the area and try and find some equipment to fix Big Red. Meanwhile, you two,” he said, pointing at Pittman and Nate, “will take it easy.”
“Can’t have my legs going weak, sir,” Pittman grumbled.
“Don’t worry, big guy, those tree trunks aren’t going anywhere,” Fish chuckled.
Everyone shared in the light humor. It soon grew silent, as the severity of the situation hit everyone again.
“I’m tired,” Campbell said slowly. “I’m tired of losing people, but we knew it was going to happen.”
“It is still going to happen,” DJ said under his breath.
Campbell shot him a look, but then relaxed.
DJ’s mood had been deteriorating since we left Camp Holly. We all knew why. He missed his family. There was no sense in letting it spark an argument, though, and Campbell brushed off the comment.
“The three men we lost today, they died protecting the rest of us. We can honor that by going forward, but going forward smartly,” the Captain said with determination.
“You’re the boss,” Fish said. He half stood in the cramped compartment. “I’m going to do my rounds. Make sure Pablo hasn’t set up a burrito shop somewhere.”
“I’m out, too, sir,” DJ said. “I’m going to call Camp Holly, or, at least, try, it’s been a few days.”
Campbell nodded as DJ and Fish left the Stryker.
Pittman, Campbell, and Sheriff Green soon followed, leaving only Preacher, Doctor Tripp and me.
“I’m sorry I disagreed with you, Doctor,” Preacher apologized.
“It’s okay, Preacher,” she said, slumping back into her seat. “I just don’t like the idea of stopping.”
“I understand,” Preacher replied. “Getting this virus cured is important.”
She shook her head.
“It’s not just that…” she said rubbing her temples. “It’s just… well, there is safety at Hoover Dam. The climate is not ideal for the Zulus, not to mention a large military contingent that protects the facility. I may not show it, but I’m scared, especially after today.”
I stayed silent, recounting the deaths of Daniel and Dobson. Dobson died saving my life. Regardless of my ever-shifting feelings of the Major, he died a hero. And Daniel? He stood toe-to-toe with the biggest and toughest scab I had ever seen, just to protect Jenna. He had come so far from the man that didn’t want to go into the Ace Hardware store to hunt a scab months before.
There wasn’t going to be some big funeral or wake to talk about their deeds. They were just more fodder for the grinder the world had become.
My thoughts took me away from their conversation, until Doctor Tripp mentioned my name.
“Christian is still safe, and that’s what matters,” she was saying.
“We’re not safe,” I mumbled.
“No,” she agreed. “But we’re not dead, either.”
“We still have to get past Tallahassee,” Preacher pointed out. “But after that, it’s a straight shot out of Florida.”
A straight shot through Crestview, the home of my parents, I thought.
“Doctor…?” I said, raising my head.
“Yes?”
I gathered myself, not wanting to make it appear as if I was taking advantage of Major Dobson’s death.
“Do you think… do you think the Captain would be willing to… well, willing to revisit the idea of going to my parents’ home?”
Doctor Tripp stared at me for a moment and chewed her lip.
“You still want to see if your sister is alive,” she stated.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “I mean, we’re going right by there.”
“Major Dobson already said it was a bad idea,” Preacher reminded us, but then added. “But I understand your dilemma.”
“I was going to ask him again when we got closer. Now…he’s gone. I don’t want anyone to think I’m just asking because he died. It’s not that.”
Doctor Tripp clasped her hands together, frowning.
“I don’t know, Christian. I mean, I am interested to see if she is immune like you, but we’re talking about trying to find a needle in a haystack. And that is only if she isn’t dead and hasn’t left the area.”
I rubbed my face in frustration.
“And if I decide to go anyways?” I said, testing the waters. It isn’t something I would say outright to Campbell or Fish, but the thought had crossed my mind.
“You would endanger yourself, ergo the entire human race, just for a fleeting chance of her being alive?” she raised an eyebrow.
Those words made me feel guilty for a moment. But that moment didn’t last long.
“Doctor, the day before the Awakening, I found out my mother was in the hospital. You know what I thought when I heard about that?”
“How you wished you were there with her?”
I laughed mockingly.
“No, I didn’t. In fact, I thought the opposite. I was happy that I was three hundred miles away and didn’t have to go sit in a waiting room.” I strained, holding back tears that were beginning to fall. “I was being selfish. I know there was no way I could have been there, but just that shitty thought I had…I regret it. Now, we’re going within twenty miles of my home. I do not want to look back and regret that I had the chance to find my sister, and I passed it up.”
“This is bigger than your sister,” Doctor Tripp countered.
“To you! To everyone else. But not to me.”
“Actually, Christian, I fought to try and find your sister,” she pointed out.
“And…you no longer feel that way?”
She took in a deep breath and then released it.
“It’s not that. Just…after what we just went through? I’m not sure it is a good idea to take extra risks.”
Preacher, who had stayed silent, cleared his throat.
“Doctor, maybe we could suggest it to the Captain. I agree with you, the risk may not be worth it. But, perhaps they can evaluate it as we get closer. For all we know, it could be a walk in the park.”
I glanced over to Preacher, and he shot me a wink.
“Maybe…” she said, and then looked at
Preacher. “I will have a talk with Campbell in the morning. If he’s partial to the idea, we’ll go from there.”
Doctor Tripp excused herself and made her way to the CDC bus.
“Thank you, Preacher,” I said softly.
“For?”
“For having my back.”
He smiled.
“Christian, family is important. But I think it’s more than family. Something in my heart is telling me we have to go. Like I said, God speaks to us, we just have to listen.”
I had never been that religious, but at that point, I was rooting for God.
“I hope God is right…” I said as a pit began to form in my stomach.
“What do you mean?”
“What if we go to find her, and things go bad? Someone gets killed?”
“Christian, there is one thing I have learned since I decided to drop everything and become a servant of God. It is that love, be it for your sister, or the love your parents shared, will never result in evil. His plan may bring heartache, and maybe even death, but it will all turn out for the greater good if love is the driving factor.”
They were beautiful words. I wished I could believe them.
Later that night I checked on Jenna. She was doing fine as was Boomer and Karina. Doctor Tripp chose to sleep in the passenger seat since Jenna took the only cot in the bus.
I told Karina to stay in the bus with Boomer and I would sleep in the Stryker. Campbell still didn’t want me pulling guard shifts outside, but told me I could do regular scans of the area at the gunner console in the Stryker.
It was almost midnight when I returned to the armored vehicle. Fish was there, napping.
“Thanks for waking me, kid,” he grumbled, rolling on his side and facing me.
“Sorry,” I muttered as I made myself comfortable in front of the monitor.
I flicked it on and rotated the FLIR image. Everything was cold black, except Coleman who was sitting on top of Big Red.
“Hell of a day,” he murmured as he sat up.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“You did good out there. I’m proud of you.”
“Good? If I did good, then Daniel and the Major would still be alive. I could have even saved Reggie. I shot the scab next to the one that killed him.”
The Hunt Chronicles (Volume 3): Crusade Page 29
