Chapter 7
The group of evacuees from the high school had finished decontamination and had gathered around me and Mrs. Hoffstedder. Private Benton approached us. “Follow me to debriefing everyone,” he said to the group and started leading them away.
“Private Benton,” I said, running to catch up with him. “My friend Harley was bitten by a zombie, and they took her away from decontamination in a truck. Where are they taking her? What will happen to her?”
Benton kept walking as he spoke. “She’ll be taken to the restricted area where the vaccine is being developed. The research team will do what they can to try to save her.”
“What do you mean? What can they do to help?”
“The research is classified. I don’t know exactly what they can do, but they are in the trial stages of vaccine development. If she can be saved, they are the only ones who can help her now.”
“So what will happen if she turns and they can’t save her?”
Benton’s expression was somber. “She will be humanely terminated.”
I felt sick. Something had to be done to help Harley and to get Jordan out of the restricted area. Not knowing what to do next, I followed the group to the debriefing tent and sat down beside nurse Hoffstedder. Private Benton noticed I was there, but thankfully he didn’t make me leave. Sergeant Spears started addressing the group while Benton began passing out the computer tablets to the evacuees. When he handed one to Mrs. Hoffstedder, I grabbed his arm. “Private Benton, is there any way that nurse Hoffstedder can be assigned to G14 with me? The two cots next to mine are open now that Jordan and Kyle are gone.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” he answered. “Several of the evacuees will be going to G14 anyway.”
“Where are Jordan and Kyle?” Mrs. Hoffstedder asked?
“Kyle has been assigned to sentry duty guarding the perimeter of the compound, and Jordan is in the restricted area participating in research.”
“Research?” Mrs. Hoffstedder questioned.
“Yeah. I’ll explain later,” I said, not wanting to discuss it where Benton and Spears might overhear.
Sergeant Spears continued finished explaining the rules and procedures of the compound. Benton collected the computer tablets. “Hoffstedder?” Spears called out.
“Yes?” Mrs. Hoffstedder answered.
“I understand you are a nurse,” he said.
“That’s right,” she said.
“We can use your help in the infirmary,” he said. “If you’re willing to serve, we can assign you there for a few hours a day.”
Nurse Hoffstedder looked pleased. “I would be glad to assist, Sergeant,” she said.
“Someone from the infirmary will see you later and discuss your assignment with you,” he said.
With the debriefing complete, Benton led the group around the compound for the tour. I followed the group, staying close to Mrs. Hoffstedder. After Benton showed everyone the location of the common areas, we walked around to various tents where he announced the names of the people assigned to them. When we arrived at H12, he called out Walker’s name. I turned and saw Walker for the first time since the day he wouldn’t let us back into the high school. For an instant, our eyes locked. His face was swollen and bruised. His arm was in a sling.
“What happened to Walker?” I asked, nudging Hoffstedder.
“When the men found out what he did to you, Matt, Jordan, and Kyle, several of them jumped him and beat him up. He was in real bad shape,” she said.
“Served him right,” I said. “If he had let us in, Matt might still be alive.”
“It was better than he deserved,” said a woman standing beside me. Her face was worn, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Her face was familiar, but I wasn’t quite sure what her name was.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I don’t remember your name.”
“It’s Pamela,” she said, taking my hand. “We all appreciate everything that you and the others did for us back at Carver. Because of you, we’re going to make it.”
I felt my face flush, embarrassed by her praise. We made it to G14, and Benton kept his word and assigned Hoffstedder to the tent with me. Pamela was assigned there as well.
“Why don’t you both come and take the cots beside mine?” I suggested to them. They agreed and followed me to the center of the tent. Surprisingly, clean linens sat waiting for them on the cots. Clearly, the staff here wasted no time getting people moved in and out. I helped Pamela and Hoffstedder make their beds. Both of them sat down on their cots. “You both look like you could use some rest,” I said. “You’ve got some time to sleep before lunch if you’d like.”
“I’d like that,” Hoffstedder said, lying down on the bed.
“Me too,” said Pamela.
“While you two rest up, I’m going to see if I can find Kyle,” I said. “I’ll be back to get you for lunch.”
I left the tent to find Kyle. I wasn’t sure which end he might be in, so I went to the north end of the compound first. All the tents looked alike, and I wasn’t sure where to go. I saw a soldier leaving one of the tents and stopped him. “How can I find a soldier?” I asked him.
He flashed a smile. “You’ve found one,” he said jokingly.
I smiled back. “I mean a specific soldier. I’m looking for my friend Kyle Carter.”
“I see,” he said. “You should check over there.” He pointed to a tent labeled I9. “That’s headquarters.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“Any time,” he called after me.
Inside I9 I found the tent filled with chairs, a projection screen, and an office area where several officers were crowded around a desk looking at maps. “Excuse me,” I said, walking up to them.
“Civilians are not supposed to be in here,” one of them said.
“I know, and I’m sorry,” I said. “But I’m looking for Kyle Carter. He was just assigned to sentry duty. Can you tell me where to find him?”
“I’m sorry,” the officer said. “But fraternization is prohibited.”
My hopes sank, but I had to convince him to tell me where to find Kyle. I batted my flirtiest eyes at him and pouted. “But I just have to see him,” I pleaded. “We’re very close.”
Another officer nudged him. “C’mon. What can it hurt?”
The officer looked reluctant but then grinned. “Okay,” he said, withdrawing a clip board from a rack beside the desk. He flipped through the pages. “Carter, Kyle is assigned to A4 on the south end.”
“Thank you,” I said as I rushed outside.
“You’re not allowed in his tent,” he called after me.
“Don’t worry, I won’t go in,” I called back over my shoulder, lying. I ran all the way to A4 and approached the entrance. I carefully peered inside. A few soldiers were asleep. Some sat on their cots reading and talking. In the far corner, I saw Kyle talking with two other soldiers. Kyle had changed out of his scrubs and was now wearing military gear. Bolstering my courage, I walked in. After all, the worst they could do would be to tell me to leave, I told myself. I walked quietly and casually past several soldiers who only looked at me and then went back to what they were doing before. Apparently I wasn’t the first civilian to sneak into their tent. I walked up to Kyle. He smiled at me and then turned serious as he looked at the two soldiers standing with him.
“You’re not supposed to be in here Casey,” he said.
The two soldiers turned to look at me. They looked back at Kyle and then exchanged knowing glances. “You two want to be alone?” one of them asked.
“Not that anybody can really be alone here,” the other one said, poking Kyle in the side. “Relax, Carter,” he said to Kyle. “Women sneak in here all the time.”
Relief washed over me as the two soldiers walked away, leaving me and Kyle somewhat alone. Kyle also looked relieved and even glad to see me. His gaze held mine for a l
ong moment.
“I was worried about you, Casey,” he said.
“I’m worried about all of us,” I responded. “Tell me about your assignment. What will you be doing?”
“I’ve been assigned night time guard duty,” he said. I’ll be patrolling the perimeter. My job is to check the fence and report any zombie sightings. I’ve been ordered to shoot any of them I see and then radio a crew from the restricted area to come and pick them up.”
“That’s it?” I asked.
“No, there’s more. I’m not shooting to kill. They’ve given me a tranquilizer gun. All of the guards have them, even the ones stationed on the towers out front.”
“Tranquilizer guns?” I asked. “You mean they’re taking them alive?”
“Yes,” he said. “They’re studying them in the restricted area.”
“Do you mean they’ve got living, virus-carrying zombies back there?”
“Yeah,” Kyle said. “That’s why we didn’t see any when we were walking in here. They’ve captured most of them in the area.”
“What can they be doing with them?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Kyle said, but I think you may be right that Jordan is in danger back there.”
“They’ve got Harley in the restricted area now too,” I told him. “She was bitten during the evacuation, and they took her to the restricted area right out of decontamination.” I told him what Benton said, that the research team would try to treat her.”
“Then it sounds like they’re close to a cure,” Kyle said.
“Maybe they are,” I said doubtfully. “But maybe they’re just going to experiment on her. Kyle, we’ve got to get her and Jordan out of there.”
“Casey, listen to yourself. If Harley is infected, there is nothing we can do to help her.”
“Maybe not,” I said. “But we can make sure they don’t make her suffer. No one deserves to be experimented on like a lab rat.”
Kyle’s expression was grave. He nodded in agreement. “What do you want me to do?” he asked.
“You’ve got to get me into the restricted area,” I said. “Nurse Hoffstedder is being assigned to the infirmary. Maybe she can help.”
“Casey, I already know the answer to what I am about to ask you, but are you really sure you want to do this? You could get infected. You may be too late to help Harley or Jordan.”
“I know,” I admitted. “But don’t you see that I have to try to help them? I have to get us out of here. As long as we’re here, any one of us could be taken at any time for this so called research. They’ve probably lied to us about relocating us. We’re all trapped in one big research lab. We’re the test subjects. You’ve got to get us into the restricted area tonight!”
“I’ll see what I can do,” he said, suddenly pulling me into his arms. He held me tightly for a long moment. “Come back and find me tonight. I’ll be patrolling the fence and will be near the front gates at sundown. I’ll try to have a way to get us into the restricted area by then.”
“Us?” I asked.
“Yes, us.” He said. “Now get out of here before you get caught by one of the officers.”
I could tell he did not want to let me go, but he relaxed his arms, and I left the tent. I raced back to G14 and found Pamela and Hoffstedder sleeping soundly. I lay down on my cot and plotted out a plan while they slept.
Lunch was announced on the public address system, and Pamela and Hoffstedder woke up. I helped the nurse to her feet. “We should probably go to the infirmary after lunch and get your knee looked at,” I told her.
“Yes, I could use a brace,” she said.
We ate lunch quickly and then walked to the back of the compound. Inside the infirmary tent, it looked like a small emergency room. There were about a dozen cots where evacuees were being treated. Some of the patients must have been seriously ill because they were hooked up to IVs and monitoring equipment. A young looking nurse walked up to us. “Can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m Verna Hoffstedder, and I’m a nurse,”
“Oh yes!” the other nurse said. “You’re going to be working with us.”
“Yes, I hope to,” Hoffstedder replied.
“I noticed you were limping,” the younger nurse said.
“Yes, I think I’ve torn a ligament or something, and I would like to get a brace and meds for the pain.”
“No problem,” the nurse said. “Stand on this scale so I can get your weight.” Hoffstedder stepped onto the scales while the nurse adjusted it to get an accurate reading. “Okay,” the nurse continued. “Sit down on that cot over there, and I’ll have the doctor see you.”
Pamela and I helped Hoffstedder onto the cot. The nurse came to take Hoffstedder’s blood pressure. A few minutes later, a female doctor approached her. She was quite thin, and her face was hollowed by fatigue.
“I’m Dr. Morris,” she said. “I understand you have a knee problem.”
While Hoffstedder talked to the doctor, I seized the opportunity to look around. I noticed an opening in the side of the tent, and I looked inside. There was a smaller tent attached to the infirmary, and inside there were several rows of shelves containing medical and surgical supplies, medicines, and IV supplies. I also spotted several shelves of uniforms and biohazard suits like the ones used by the staff in the decontamination unit and by the crew that picked up the tranquilized zombies. I moved back to Hoffstedder’s cot. The doctor was fitting her with a knee brace.
“We really need an MRI to see if you’ve torn a ligament. But, we don’t have one here. You’ll also need surgery to repair it, but we’re not equipped for those procedures here. The nearest hospital that can handle your case is at the army depot.”
“The army depot?” I asked. “Where the explosion was?”
“Yes,” she said. “I’m afraid that’s the only facility available to us.”
“But isn’t that area contaminated with the virus?” I asked.
“The virus is no longer airborne. They only way it can be transmitted is by direct infection through exchange of blood or saliva. She’ll be transported into and out of the facility by air, so there is no danger.” The doctor sent one of the nurses into the supply tent to get pain medication for Hoffstedder. “We’ve successfully sent all of our emergency surgeries there. We could arrange for you to go with them on the next stat flight,” the doctor said to Hoffstedder.
“When would that be?” Hoffstedder asked.
“I don’t know for sure,” the doctor said. “It will be whenever we have our next emergency. Lately we’ve had one every few days, but you can never tell for certain.”
“Why can’t she be flown to a hospital beyond the safe zone?” I asked. “Can’t she be taken to a hospital away from the virus?”
“We have to follow the security protocol,” the doctor replied. “We can’t take anyone outside the safe zone until they are formally relocated.” She turned to Hoffstedder. “Will you feel up to working tonight? We could really use your help on the night shift. I’m supposed to work it, but I haven’t slept in two days. You would be here alone, but frankly there won’t be much to do. But we have to have someone here observing the patients. You would be working mostly at the desk so you won’t have to be up on that knee very much. You’ll just need to keep an eye on the IVs and contact me by radio if there is a need.”
“Absolutely,” Hoffstedder said.
“Great then,” said Doctor Morris. “Report here after dinner.” The doctor disappeared into the supply tent and returned with a set of medical staff scrubs, which were olive green. “You’ll need to wear these while you’re on duty,” she said.
“Here’s your prescription,” a nurse said, handing a bottle of pills to Hoffstedder. “I’ve written the instructions on the label. These will ease the pain, but they won’t make you drowsy so you’ll be able to work.”
I couldn’t wait until we got back to
G14. I had a plan, and Hoffstedder was a part of it. When we reached the tent, I was thankful there were very few people inside. Pamela and I again helped Hoffstedder onto her cot.
“Mrs. Hoffstedder,” I began.
“Casey, I think after all we’ve been through, you can call me Verna,” she said.
“Okay, Verna,” I said. It felt awkward calling her anything other than Mrs. Hoffstedder. “I have something important to tell you. It’s about this place. I have reason to believe that Jordan was forced into participating in the research study and that he is in danger.” I expected her and Pamela to question what I said, but surprisingly, they both looked like they believed me. “I think they’re planning to use Jordan and Harley for experimentation.” They both listened closely as I told them everything that was happening. Pamela looked stunned. Verna looked angry.
“They can’t do that,” Verna said sternly. “We’ve got to stop them.”
“But what can we do?” Pamela asked. “We have no weapons. We’re completely enclosed by the fence, and there are guards.”
“I have a plan, and Kyle is going to help.”
“Just tell me what to do,” Verna said, looking determined.
“I need for you to report to work in the infirmary tonight. Pamela and I are going to pay you a visit shortly after dark.”
After dinner, Verna dressed in her olive green scrubs and left for the infirmary. Pamela and I waited for nightfall back in G14. As soon as the sun went down, we took off for the perimeter to find Kyle. The zombies began their nightly screaming. Kyle was standing by the front gates, just as he’d promised. He was holding two tranquilizer guns.
“Kyle,” I whispered, “I have a plan.”
“Not here,” he cautioned. “Walk with me. Look casual.”
We walked toward the south end of the compound. When we reached the back of the military tents, Kyle spoke. “I’ve got the code to the gate of the restricted area,” he whispered. He handed me one of the tranquilizer guns. “This works just like any other gun,” he said. He showed me how to use the sights to aim.
“Hoffstedder is working in the infirmary alone,” I told him. “There are biohazard suits in storage there. We can use them to get inside the restricted area.”
“What then?” asked Pamela. She looked nervous.
“We find Jordan and Harley. We’ll get them out if we can and then we’ll find a way out of here,” I said.
We followed the fence line to the back of the compound. When we reached the infirmary, I told Pamela and Kyle to wait while I checked to make sure Verna was alone. I looked into the tent, and Verna was seated at a desk recording notes in files. “Verna,” I whispered.
She looked up and motioned for me to come in. I signaled for Pamela and Kyle to join me. We quickly went into the tent and closed the door flap behind us. “We have to make this quick,” I said. I went into the supply room and brought out three biohazard suits. I handed one to Kyle and one to Pamela.
“Get one for me,” Verna said. “I’m going too.”
“You can’t run on that knee,” I said. “It will be too dangerous for you to go.”
She looked at me sternly. “And just who do you think is going to euthanize Harley if it has to be done?” she asked. She reached into her pocket and withdrew two syringes. “I am already prepared,” she said, showing them to us.
I looked at Kyle. “It would be more humane than shooting her,” he said.
“But what about your patients?” I asked Verna.
“I’ve replenished all of the IVs. Everyone is stable and sedated. We have enough time to get into the restricted area. Once we’re out of here, I’ll radio the doctor and let her know we’re gone. She’ll have to report into the infirmary and will be here to take care of the patients.”
“Sounds like you’ve thought of everything,” I said.
“That’s my job,” she said.
“You can have my suit,” Pamela told Verna, looking like she might throw up. “I don’t think I can do this. I knew Harley.”
“It’s okay,” I said, placing my hand on her shoulder. “Just go back to the tent. If anyone comes looking for us, you can tell them we’re in the multipurpose tent or something. You can stall for time for us.”
Pamela nodded her head and handed the biohazard suit to Verna. “Be careful,” she said as she left the tent.
We pulled the white suits on over our clothes and put on the masks. Kyle and I picked up the guns, and Verna grabbed her radio. We walked quickly to the gate to the restricted area. Kyle went to the keypad and punched in the code. The massive steel gate slid open noiselessly, and we slipped inside. In the restricted area, the zombies sounded closer. Verna was moving remarkably well. “Your knee,” I said. “You’re not limping.”
“I got myself some morphine,” she said.
“Good thinking,” I said.
Kyle punched in the code on the keypad inside the gate, and it slid closed. The research facility was a large white building ahead of us. It had the look of a prefabricated structure that was probably built quickly in response to the outbreak. A sign with the word “BioGenetics” on it was posted on the wall. It had windows, and a dim light showed from inside.
“We’ll have to go in,” Kyle said in a low voice. “If we see anyone inside, just keep going like you’re supposed to be here.”
We opened the door and found ourselves in a large room that looked like a cross between a hospital ward and a laboratory. There was a horrible stench in the air. I looked toward the center of the room and saw the source of the smell. A zombie body was chained to an operating table. It wasn’t moving, and I suspected it was dead. But it must have been alive before they did whatever they did to it, otherwise, it wouldn’t have been chained. I moved closer to inspect it. Kyle and Verna followed. An oxygen tube had been inserted into its mouth. IVs were inserted into its arm. Its ribcage had been cut open, and parts of its intestines and vital organs had been removed and placed on a nearby table.
“It looks like they’ve done an autopsy on it,” Verna said in a bewildered tone. “They’ve removed its intestines, apparently while it was still alive.”
I had no love for zombies, but this thing had been a person once, and I felt sorry for it. “We’ve got to find Jordan,” I said.
We walked through the operating room and into the corridor beyond. There were rooms on both sides of the hallway. “He’s got to be in one of these rooms,” Kyle said. We each began opening the doors, trying to find him. In each room, we found people, ordinary looking people who looked uninfected. In one of the rooms, I found the two girls we had met playing pool in the multipurpose tent. They were all restrained in their beds and unconscious. Each was hooked up to IVs.
Verna examined the bags of solution hanging above several of the beds. “They’re all sedated,” she said. “This is highly irregular.” She pulled a chart from a rack on the end of one of the beds. As she scanned through the pages, her expression became grim. “They’re using these people to test the vaccine!” she said. “They’ve been vaccinated and then deliberately injected with the virus!” Verna took several pages from the chart, folded them, and stuffed them into her pocket. "Evidence," she explained.
“We’ve got to keep looking for Jordan,” I said, pulling her into the hallway.
“Casey,” she said cautiously. “He may have already been injected.”
“I know, but we have to be sure,” I said.
We found Jordan in a room by himself near the end of the hall. He too was restrained, but unlike the others, he turned to look at us when we came in.
“No, not again,” he pleaded. “Please leave me alone.” He was shaking. There were bruises and needle marks all over his arms.
“Jordan,” I said. “It’s us. Casey, Kyle, and Hoffstedder. We’ve come to get you out of here.”
“Thank God!” he cried. “I
can’t take any more of this.”
Verna checked Jordan’s chart. “It looks like they’ve only been taking blood and tissue samples. I don’t see where he’s been injected with either the vaccine or the virus,” she said.
We loosened the Velcro straps that held his arms, midriff, and legs and helped him up from the bed.
“Jordan, do you know anything about Harley?” I asked.
“I know she’s here and that she’s very sick,” he answered.
“She must be in one of the last rooms,” I said. “Let’s find her!”
Harley’s frail body was restrained and sedated two doors down from where we had found Jordan. I ran to her side.
“Don’t touch her!” Verna said sternly. “Look at her arms.”
Harley’s arms were broken out with bleeding blisters. She was infected, and the virus was already beginning to take its terrible toll on her body. Seeing her there like that made me feel hollow inside. Verna began looking at her chart.
“What can we do?” Jordan asked.
“There’s nothing we can do,” Verna said. Her voice was heavy with sadness. “They’ve scheduled her for dissection tomorrow morning.”
“Their vaccine isn’t working,” I said. It had been my last hope for Harley. And now that was gone too.
“You know what you have to do, Verna,” Kyle said. “Do it now. We have to get out of here.”
Verna took the syringes from her pocket and injected them one after the other into Harley’s IV line. We stood quietly watching until she drew her last breath.
“We’ve got to go now,” Kyle said urgently.
But I hated leaving them all here.
“There’s nothing we can do for any of them if we don’t get out of here alive,” he said as if he’d been listening to my thoughts.
I took one last look at Harley’s face and then left the room.
“What now?” Verna asked.
“We’ll go out the back door at the end of the hallway and get one of the utility trucks. We’ll go out the back side of the compound,” Kyle said. “I’ve been watching the trucks going in and out of here, and there has to be another gate in the back.”
We walked quickly down the hallway and opened the back door. Outside the research facility, piercing zombie screams filled the air. In front of us, there was a walkway bordered by what looked like dog kennels on both sides. Inside the kennels were zombies clamoring at the bars. Some of them reached their decomposing arms through the bars and tried to grab us as we walked by. Others threw themselves against the steel frames in a futile attempt to break free. Many of them seemed not to notice that they were knocking off their own body parts as they slammed themselves against the bars. There was one, however, that stood out from the others. As we walked past its cage, it simply sat on the ground watching us as we walked by. Its blood streaked eyes met mine. It studied me intelligently and then looked away as if repulsed.
“Did you see that?” I asked Kyle. “It stared me down!”
“Yeah, the intelligent ones scare me more than the stupid ones,” he said.
Beyond the cages, there was a large, iron structure with a heavy looking door. It radiated heat and smelled like burned flesh. “That must be the incinerator,” I said. “Disgusting!”
“There are the trucks!” Kyle said.
The trucks sat across the compound about the distance of a football field. We ran toward them. Suddenly, large floodlights lit up the grounds. I heard voices yelling and turned to see that the front gate was opening. “They’re coming after us!” I yelled. I took Verna’s hand and pulled her along. “Run faster!” I screamed.
“I’m moving as fast as I can,” she panted.
We were almost to the trucks, and the pack of armed soldiers was gaining on us. Suddenly, I heard gunfire, and Verna fell to the ground. I looked down at her. She was holding her leg, where a red-tipped dart stuck out of her calf. Her eyes looked dazed.
“Kyle!” I screamed. “Help me!”
He ran back to us lifted Verna onto his shoulders. “Run!” he said.
Gunfire sounded again and again, and all around us, darts whizzed through the air. We reached the trucks, and Kyle heaved Verna into the back. Jordan jumped in with her. I ran around to the front of the truck with Kyle. I climbed in first and slung my gun into the seat. As Kyle was stepping into the cab, he fell forward. A dart was sticking out of his back. I pulled him into the cab and slammed the door.
“You’ve got to get us out of…” Kyle’s voice trailed off as the tranquilizer took effect.
The keys were in the ignition, and I frantically turned them to start the truck. Its engine growled powerfully and the entire truck bucked. The engine died. Crap! It was a stick shift! I hadn’t driven a standard in years. I looked out the windshield and saw the soldiers were closing in. I pulled the biohazard head gear off. There was no time for mistakes. I had to remember. I pushed in the clutch and tried to start the engine again. This time it started. I shifted the stick on the floor into first gear, and the truck jerked forward as I gave it gas and let out on the clutch. I floored the gas pedal, and the truck peeled out, raising a cloud of dust in the air. The soldiers were firing at the truck, and the darts were bouncing off. Not sure where to go, I turned the truck to the right and followed the tire prints in the field. Several hundred feet ahead, I saw a chain link fence with double gates like the ones at the front of the compound. I braced myself against the steering wheel and drove hard and fast into the gates. Metal grated against the sides of the truck as the gates burst open. I continued following the tire tracks. They led me around the compound and back to the front. The truck bounced over ruts in the ground.
I drove about a half a mile and then hit pavement. It was the Interstate. The abandoned cars were still blocking the road, so I drove down the shoulder until the roadway cleared. I steered back onto the road and sped into the darkness. I kept checking the rearview mirror, knowing they would be after us soon. I had to find a place to hide. There was only one place I knew of where we could hide a truck this size. I had to get to the truck stop.
I had no idea what time it was when I reached the truck stop. I swung onto the concourse. The headlights lit up the dining hall, and it looked deserted. Everyone must have been evacuated. I drove to the garage behind the building and eased the truck up to one of the doors. I put the truck in neutral and pulled the emergency brake. I picked up the tranquilizer gun and carefully got out of the truck. I kept the gun ready as I walked around to the back of the truck.
“Jordan?” I called out. “We’re at the truck stop.” When I reached the back of the truck, Jordan was climbing out. “I need you to drive the truck into the garage when I open the door,” I said. “Can you drive a stick shift?”
Jordan nodded. He didn’t look good.
“Okay, then,” I said. “Get in the truck, and I’ll go open the door.” I covered him with the gun while he climbed into the truck. I ran around toward the front of the building. The front door was unlocked and hanging open. I went inside and locked the door behind me. The dining room was dark, and I felt my way through the tables and chairs and walked toward the hallway that led to the garage. The garage was completely dark. I ran my hand along the wall, feeling for the controls to the overhead doors. I felt my way to the door where I’d parked the truck. I reached up and pushed the button, and the door went up. Jordan pulled the truck inside, and I lowered the door behind him. He turned off the ignition.
“Leave the lights on for a minute,” I called to him. I found the shop light and turned it on. I took off the rest of my white suit and flung it aside. “Okay, you can turn out the headlights now,” I said.
Jordan flipped the lights off and climbed out of the cab. He looked at me questioningly. “So what now?” he asked.
I didn’t know what to say. “I think we need to just take care of Verna and Kyle. W
hen they wake up, we can all decide on our next move.”
“I don’t think I can help you lift them,” Jordan said.
“Yeah,” I said. “You look weak. What did they do to you?”
“They took a lot of blood,” he answered. “They kept taking tissue samples. It was painful.”
“I think we should stay in the garage tonight,” I said. “Could you take Verna’s head gear off and sleep in the back with her? I’ll stay in the front of the truck with Kyle. We need to be with them when they wake up.”
Viral Dawn Page 7
