He turned to the others. "I say we try to find an exit to the street and see where we are."
Grant nodded. "Good idea. Figure out what direction we need to go. We could be moving farther away from the base for all we know."
"We should at least find some shelter before night comes," Jen said.
Zeke brushed himself off. Covered in dust, his ninja uniform made him look more like a ghost than an assassin. He shined his flashlight down the sewer tunnel. "Follow me."
Twenty minutes later, the air became more breathable and the sounds of destruction faded into the distance.
"There." Grant pointed to a smaller manhole. Thin beams of light broke through the cover's holes.
Mark moved beneath it and put his foot on a rung. "I'll check it out. Stay here and I'll let you know if it's clear."
He climbed, the heels of his boots making each rung give off a muffled ring.
When he reached the cover, he pressed his shoulder against it. It lifted and sunlight hit his face, causing him to squint.
Sliding the cover out of his way, he stuck his head out of the manhole and looked around. Seconds later, he ducked his head inside. "All clear up here. Everybody up." He pulled himself up.
After everyone got out, Jen helped Grant slide the cover back into place. Zeke had his katana out and gave it a few practice swings. "How about I go scout?"
"I think we're better off sticking together." Mark had his mace in his hand. "Only close-combat weapons. No firearms."
Jen's watch showed ten minutes to noon. Can't tell direction from the sun yet. "Need to get our bearings. Follow me."
"How are we going to tell where we are?" Grant asked. "We don't know this city."
"I do." Sharon stepped forward.
Jen led the way to the alley entrance and peered out into the street. No sign of zombies. And no artillery. She waved Sharon forward and pointed to a street sign. "Second Street. What direction is the base?"
Sharon pointed behind them and to the left. "Interstate 90 is a couple of blocks behind us. If we follow it west to Highway 2, it'll take us to the base."
"Sounds like a plan," Mark said. "Let's head toward the interstate and grab a vehicle on the way."
Jen jogged to the other end of the alley and popped her head out just as a dozen zombies rushed by in a V formation. The leader, an unusually tall shirtless man with coarse autopsy stitches across his chest, whirled around and rushed at her with the rest on his heels.
15
Jen backpedaled into the alley. "Horde coming!"
A hand pressed on her back. "We're with you." Mark stepped next to her.
The zombies rushed into the alley, the leader nowhere in sight. Where the hell is he?
Jen reared her arm back, grasping the axe tight enough to turn her knuckles white. She timed her overhead swing and brought the blade down on the first zombie's head. A man in mechanic's overalls with the name Brad stitched over the pocket, he dropped at her feet.
Mark's mace was a blur as he bashed first one zombie, then another. One of them fell and the other staggered. Mark gave the second one another lick and it went down.
Zeke jumped past them, his katana blade slashing. "Leave some for me and Betty."
He spun and took out the next three in seconds.
Still the horde pushed forward. The narrowness of the alley prevented more than three from attacking at once.
Grant tapped Jen on the shoulder. "Fall back. I'll take a few."
Jen dropped back and Grant drove the tip of his sword under a fat zombie's jaw and into his brain. The zombie fell before Grant could pull his blade out, and the tall man took the sword down with him.
Jen grabbed Grant's collar and yanked him back just as an old woman sprung at him. Jen followed through with her axe and hit the zombie in the shoulder, knocking it over.
She stepped forward, split the skull of the next zombie in line, then planted the blade in the old woman's forehead.
Only three zombies left. Jen zeroed in on the leader, who stood back from the others and watched the battle.
Jen shoved past the other two undead and bulled her way to him. At the last second, he ducked and Jen's axe sailed over his head. She lost her balance, slammed against the wall, and fell to the ground. Her axe flew out of her grasp. The leader stood over her, his yellow eyes sizing her up.
Zeke finished off the last of the attackers and sprang for the leader, who sidestepped him and dashed out of the alley.
"Zeke," Mark yelled. "Hold up."
Zeke stopped at the end of the alley. "I can catch him."
Jen sat up and Grant helped her to her feet. "That was a leader," she said. "He'll probably take you right to another horde."
"And will probably bring them back here," Mark said.
Jen turned to see how Sharon was, but she'd disappeared. "Sharon?"
Grant looked back. "Shit." He ran to the other end of the alley and peered up and down the street. Walking back to Jen, he shook his head. "No sign of her."
"Must've gotten scared and took off," Mark said.
"We've got to go find her," Grant said.
"Can't," Jen said. "No time. We got lucky this was a small horde and they stacked up in the alley. We won't get that lucky a second time."
Mark sighed. "We did what we could. She survived long enough for us to find her. She might find a place to lay low and wait things out."
Jen patted Grant on the back. "Come on."
Grant nodded and they walked out onto the deserted street.
"She said the highway's a couple of blocks this way," Jen said. "Let's find a vehicle."
Cars were parked every which way along the street, with some crowding the middle. Jen opened the door of a large SUV and checked for keys. None.
An engine started and a minivan pulled out from the curb. Zeke stuck his head out of the driver's window. "Got one. Almost a full tank, too. Come on."
Jen raced to the van and slid the side door open. "You know how to drive?"
"Hell, yeah," Zeke said. He gunned the engine.
"I'm not talking about driving in a freaking computer game," Jen said.
Grant ran up. "Maybe I should drive. That's what I do."
Dashing over from the other side of the road, Mark yelled, "Get in. They're coming."
Sure enough, a huge horde zeroed in on them from two blocks away. They filled the whole damn street.
Jen jumped into the back and slid over. Grant took the passenger seat next to Zeke.
Mark dived in. "Go!"
Zeke hit the accelerator and left tire marks and black smoke in his wake.
Mark slammed the door closed and sat up. He glanced over his shoulder. "Keep going. We need to lose them."
Jen sat forward and pointed to the next street. "Take a right there."
The tires screeched as Zeke threw the van into a tight turn. It sideswiped a police car, tearing off its side-view mirror.
Zeke laughed. "Couldn't have gotten away with that a month ago."
Jen glanced behind them. The horde hadn't stopped, but had fallen back. "Take it easy, Zeke. We're outdistancing them, but if you get us in an accident, we're toast."
"There." Grant pointed at the interstate on-ramp.
Zeke took the van into the turn without Jen's heart jumping into her throat, and they entered the interstate. Abandoned vehicles littered the highway, and Zeke did a great job avoiding them and keeping speed. Jen watched the rear, but saw no sign of the horde.
Two miles farther, Grant pointed ahead. "Look at that. It's the cavalry."
A convoy of five Humvees headed their way. Mark tapped Zeke on the shoulder. "Pull over."
Zeke slowed the van and stopped. Mark and Jen got out and waved their arms. A gunner on the lead Humvee waved back, and the Humvees pulled up several yards in front of them.
The lead gunner yelled, "Who are you?"
Grant got out. "I'm assigned to Supply. These people are a scientific team studying the zombies. They report
to Colonel Butler."
The lead vehicle's driver's door opened and a sergeant stepped out. "Load up. One of you in each vehicle. I'll radio in and let them know we're coming."
Jen took the lead vehicle. The sergeant put the radio mic to his lips. "Echo Eight to Control. We've picked up one of our Supply Specialists and three civilians. Please inform Control One."
"Echo Eight, this is Control One. Bring them to my location immediately."
"Roger, Control One. En route."
The Humvee made a U turn and the convoy sped back to the base.
Sergeant Howell met them at the Headquarters building. "The colonel wants to see you right away."
Jen scowled. "I'd like to see him, too."
Howell led them into the building and to Butler's office door. He knocked.
"Enter," Butler said.
Howell opened the door and waved the group in. He closed the door, staying out in the hall.
Butler's desk stood in the corner. Made of an expensive-looking dark wood, the damn thing shined. Probably has some poor private first class wax it every day. The rest of the office was spartan, with a second door next to the desk, but not much else.
Mark stood with his fists clenched, while Grant stood at attention. Zeke studied the ceiling tiles.
Butler leaned back in his leather chair, with the American and Army flags flanking him. "I'm glad to see you've made it back in one piece. When are you leaving?"
Jen clenched her jaw. What an asshole. "Why? Don't want another chance to kill us?"
Butler's face turned bright crimson in an instant. "How dare you accuse me."
Mark bent forward with his fists on Butler's desk. "It wouldn't be the first time. How about Major Morris and his men in Afghanistan? Same thing, except this time you didn't just leave us, you tried to bomb the shit out of us."
Butler rose, his voice trembling. "I want you out of here now. All of you." He pointed at Grant. "Get back to your damn unit."
He turned to Jen. "And you're the worst of the bunch. I've half a mind to place you into custody."
Time to play the trump card. "What do you think Dr. Cartwright would have to say about that?"
Butler's lips pressed together and he said nothing.
Jen propped her hands on her hips. Let's make this even better. "Fuck you, Butler. We're going to finish our mission and you're going to support us. Screw with us again, and I'll recommend to Dr. Cartwright that you're removed from your position." She had no idea if Cartwright would support her on that, but neither did he.
Butler's eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists. "I will follow my orders." He pointed a finger at Jen. "But any of you step out of line and I'll lock your asses up and ship you out."
Jen patted Zeke on the shoulder. "I'm hungry. Anyone ready for lunch?" She glanced at Butler as she left the room. His face was turning color again.
16
Jen scooped a mouthful of mashed potatoes into her mouth. Zeke and Mark had been silent since they left Butler's office, only offering comments about the food selection in the chow hall.
Grant separated himself as soon as they walked in and sat with some soldiers on the other side of the hall.
Jen swallowed and took a sip of water. "I have an idea for next steps."
Mark wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. "If it's got something to do with taking Butler down, then I'm in."
Zeke picked up the top of his hamburger bun and examined the contents. "Two pickles? Cheap bastards."
"Zeke," Jen said. "Focus. Eat the damn burger as it is and listen up."
Zeke sighed and placed the top of the bun back in place. "I think we should go kill more zombies. Find their leaders and take them out."
Mark's eyebrow rose. "Not a bad tactical idea."
Jen leaned forward. "I need to talk to Cartwright first. Give her a full report."
"And then?" Mark asked.
"Butler's hiding something. Otherwise, why try to kill us? He doesn't want us around, and we won't leave."
Zeke took a bite of his hamburger. "So what's he hiding?" Pieces of chewed food fell onto his plate.
Jen made a face at him. "Don't ninjas have some sort of reputation for being neat and orderly?"
Zeke shook his head.
"Anyway," Jen said, "I don't know what he's up to, but it's pretty obvious it has to do with Area 51."
Mark shrugged. "Agreed. So what—" His face slackened. "You want to break into a guarded, probably alarmed, restricted area on a military base."
Jen grinned. "Glad we're on the same track."
"Look, Jen," Mark said. "I'm all for taking Butler down, but I want to get to my family."
"I'm in," Zeke said.
Jen stared at Mark. "I promised you I'd go with you to make sure your family's OK, and I plan on keeping that promise. But I'd feel a lot better if you joined me on this. I wouldn't have gotten out of Anchorage without you." She patted his arm. "You're like my good luck charm."
Mark squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. "You've saved me, too. But keeping up with you is a pain in the ass."
"This is the asshole that let soldiers die in Afghanistan and left us out to dry in Anchorage. I think the sky's the limit for his next backstab. Don't you?"
Mark opened his eyes. "Yeah, I'll do it. But on one condition."
"What's that?"
"You tell Cartwright what you're planning. If she tells you not to do it, then we don't."
No idea what Cartwright will say. "It's a deal."
Thirty minutes later, Jen stood in front of the conference room monitor, the screen filled with Cartwright sitting at her desk.
"Your observations about the leader zombies is intriguing," Cartwright said. "It leads me to believe the virus does something to the live human brain that it doesn't get a chance to do to a bitten victim before he dies. This adds a worrisome dimension to the situation. We'll begin experiments on that theory immediately."
She leaned forward. "I also agree with your assessment of Colonel Butler. He's shown signs of instability and the military hierarchy is concerned. My apprehension is that he'll try to kill you again. And if he really is unstable, he may not care if I find out. I think my influence with him is hanging by a thread."
"Do you think we should just cut our losses and get out of here?" Mark asked.
Jen shot him a glare.
Cartwright put a finger to the corner of her mouth and looked off camera. "It's a risk I don't want you to take." She peered over her glasses at the screen. "Tell me again about the restricted area."
"There's a guard at the front gate and another at the back gate that controls entry into the loading dock."
Cartwright waved her hand as if to shoo a fly. "No. The man. The civilian you saw. Describe him."
"Short, older guy," Jen said. "Big round glasses, what hair he still had is gray."
Typing sounds came from the speakers. "Just a minute," Cartwright said, turning her back to the monitor.
"Was this the man?" she asked, facing them again. She held up a sheet of paper with the picture of the civilian they'd seen.
"That's him," Jen said.
Cartwright looked at the monitor and lowered her voice. "Who's in the room with you?"
"Just me, Mark, and Zeke."
"His name is Dr. Jeffrey Morgan. He was once a respected research neurologist."
"Once?" Mark asked.
"Yes. Once, but no more. Not after being arrested for experimenting on humans."
"Shit," Jen said. "What kind of experiments?"
"Mind control, implanting memories, that kind of thing." Cartwright straightened. "I had information he was there, but not what he was up to."
"Information?" Mark said. "From who?"
"Another time," Cartwright said. "Just understand that whatever Dr. Morgan's working on is guaranteed to be a threat."
"How did he end up here?" Jen asked.
Cartwright adjusted her glasses. "Exactly what I'd like to know. He disappeared while out on b
ail awaiting trial, and there's been no trace of him until now."
Zeke cleared his throat. "Sounds like we need a ninja infiltration of Area 51 to see what's going on in there."
Jen jerked a thumb at Zeke. "Kung Fu Panda here is right. Someone has to see what's going on."
Cartwright sighed. "I have an asset on base who reports only to me, and has been in Area 51. There's a top floor that's heavily secured that Morgan disappears into. My asset doesn't have access to that floor."
"Who's the asset?" Jen asked.
Cartwright ignored her question and peered over her glasses. "And there's another issue. I need you back here to get more of your blood."
"You didn't get enough the first time?"
"We're running out of what Doc sent, and you're the only survivor of Point Wallace."
Mark cleared his throat. "What difference does that make? Pretty much everyone has been infected."
Cartwright steepled her fingers. "Jen received a higher concentration than anyone else, and I need to see if it affects her differently over time." She sat back. "It could lead to a dead end, or a significant breakthrough. I can't tell at this point, but I'm leaving no stone unturned."
"So we break into the top floor of Area 51, find out what's going on, and get Jen down to you," Zeke said. "Sounds simple enough to me."
"No," Cartwright said. "My asset can pursue Butler's plans. I need Jen here."
Mark sighed. "As much as I want to get out of here, your plan doesn't make sense, Doctor. Unless your asset is willing to blow his or her cover, we're the best shot you have of finding out what the hell's going on here."
Jen crossed her arms and stared at the floor. If they just left, who knows what Butler could pull? He'd already shown many times over that he'd sacrifice others for what he wanted. Besides, it's not guaranteed that studying my blood will actually help stop the zombies.
She looked up. "I think I can do both. A quick try to see what Butler's got up his sleeve, and then we leave. I'm tired of just reacting to shit. Time to go on the offensive."
"That would be unadvisable." Cartwright removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "But also valuable."
Zombie Uprising Series (Book 3): The Citadel Page 8
