“We need to know if we’re setting up camp or hitting the road, Scud. We got kids that ain’t et all day.” The comment came from a worn and filthy woman, her rags hanging from her frail form.
Scud turned and stared at the woman. “If I knew, I’d tell ya.”
“Screw this.” Savage stood up and squared his shoulders. He was by far the largest and scariest looking of the group. Many had wondered how he had ever allowed Simon to run roughshod over him. “We gotta get our shit together.”
Scud watched the man follow Simon and feared that it was about to get real. He trotted after Savage and yelled for him. “Hey! Wait up, man.” He caught up with him and fell into step alongside. “What you got in mind?”
“I’m flat-out gonna ask him.” He paused and looked for which direction Simon may have gone. “We need direction. Either we’re gonna set up camp or we’re gonna keep moving.”
“He may not be sure yet, Savage. I mean, this is a pretty big thing to have to process and—”
“The fuck it is!” Savage spun on him, a finger in his face. “He’s the leader. We need him to lead.”
“What the fuck is your problem?” Simon stepped out from behind a box van.
Savage turned and stared at the man. If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. He stepped toward Simon and lowered his voice. “We need you to step up right now.” He pointed back at the crowd. “They need to know what to do. Either they pack up and prepare to move out or we find a spot to set camp.”
Simon raised a brow. “And if I don’t decide?”
Savage squared his shoulders and crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Then maybe somebody makes the decision for you.”
Scud groaned and stepped between the two. “He didn’t mean that to sound like it did, boss. He’s not demanding nothin’.”
Savage turned a hateful glare at Scud. “Don’t be telling me what I mean, muthafucker. I’m a grown-assed man and can talk for myself.” He pushed Scud hard enough to knock him to the ground. He turned back to Simon. “I don’t give two shits what you think I’m doing.” He pointed to the crowd of people waiting to know what to do. “But they damned sure expect you to do your job.”
Simon gave Savage a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “And you? Are you expecting me to do my god damned job?”
Savage growled low in his throat. “This ain’t no pissing contest. I’ve had your back since this shit started, and you know I still have it. But you stomping off to have a pity party ain’t the way to show them you’re their leader.” He bent low and lowered his voice. “You got families out there. They need to know that you’re gonna step up.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Simon stepped forward and poked Savage in the chest. “You think I’m not aware of what’s happening?” He turned and glared at Scud. “What about you, dick breath? You gonna question my ability, too?”
Scud shook his head. “Nobody’s questioning you, boss. They just need to know what you want them to do.”
Simon shot him a tight-lipped smile. “Fine. Tell them to set up camp. Do what they got to do. Send some boys out to scrounge up food while they do.”
“What about the bones?” Savage asked, his eyes narrowing. “They were our foot soldiers. They deserve a decent burial.”
Simon turned and glared at him. “Then fucking bury them. I don’t care if you toss ’em to the damned dogs.” He threw his hands into the air. “If they’d done their fucking jobs, we wouldn’t have to deal with any of this shit.”
He turned and marched off again.
Scud looked to Savage and shook his head. “Man, I knew you shouldn’t have—”
Savage pushed him down again. “Shut up, Shitstain.”
Scud rolled to his side and watched both men march away in different directions. “Join a motorcycle club, they said. It’ll be fun, they said…”
“There is no way I’m going to allow a civilian to go on a military operation.” Colonel Vickers stood behind his desk, his finger jabbing into the fake wood top.
“I understand that, sir, but she’s adamant.” The duty officer stood at attention. “While I agree it goes against procedure, she is correct in her assumption.”
Vickers raised a brow. “And what assumption might that be?”
“That she would be best suited to determine what was relevant research and what wasn’t.”
Vickers eyed the man as he sat. “What about Captain Hollis? Isn’t he assisting in her duties?”
The duty officer shook his head slightly. “She claims that he’s in the way more than anything. He’s not skilled in the work they do, and his laboratory procedures are…less than desirable.”
Vickers snorted. “Beggars can’t be choosers.” He leaned back in his chair and rocked slightly, his mind working. “These are…troubling times, to say the least. We’re literally scraping together what we can to keep things going. We can’t expect experts in every—”
“Sir? If I may?” The duty officer interrupted. “I understand your misgivings about allowing her to go. Honestly, sir, I share those same misgivings. But after rethinking the situation, I think it might not be such a bad idea.”
Vickers raised a brow at him and leaned forward. “You can’t possibly agree with her?”
“Permission to speak freely, sir?”
Vickers waved the man on. “These aren’t the times to stand on protocol, lieutenant.”
The man smiled. “Exactly, sir. That’s exactly my reasoning.”
“I’m not following you.”
“Colonel, she’s worked in the field for decades and now she’s trapped on a ship. Her only human interaction has been with other…eggheads.” Vickers smiled slightly at the expression. “Allowing her out into the field gives her a break, and we can be assured that the mission would be carried out as quickly as possible.”
Vickers pursed his lips as he mulled the idea. “I still don’t like it, but you make good points. Allowing our lead researcher a field trip might not be such a bad idea.” He turned empty eyes to the command duty officer. “Maybe if she gets a taste of something else, she’ll redouble her efforts to find an answer to this plague.”
“Exactly, sir.”
Vickers stood and the CDO jumped to attention. “Very well, lieutenant. Inform the good doctor her request has been granted. We’ll send her out on a chopper to check on Hollis and his people. But she is to remain inside the transport at all times until they reach Fort Collins. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Dismissed.” Vickers watched the man do an about-face and exit his office. He stepped to the small wet bar and poured himself a whiskey. As he savored the drink he tried not to imagine where they’d be if anything happened to LaRue.
He swirled the dark amber liquid in the glass and threw it back quickly. “Do not let us down, doctor. Too much is at stake now.”
“Is this really necessary?” Roger asked as he peeled his shirt off.
“Unfortunately, yes.” Vicky swallowed hard, her eyes shooting over her shoulder and behind the curtain that Candy was pacing behind.
“I’m obviously not infected.” Roger pulled first one boot off, then the other.
“By all rights, we should have done this the moment you walked in here.” Vicky scribbled something on her chart and kept her back turned to him. “We check everybody new that comes in. You just…slipped through the cracks.” She swallowed hard and watched Candy’s shadow pace back and forth.
“If I was infected, I’m pretty sure I’d have indications by now.” Roger tossed his pants onto the stool and sighed.
Vicky nodded. “I’m sure. But we did find a young lady not too long ago that had been scratched and didn’t turn. We believe she is immune.” She cleared her throat and pretended to write more in her chart. “That’s who Hatcher was escorting north when he ran into…well…your people.”
“You mean Simon’s people. I was just…” He trailed off. “Right. My people.”
Vicky gla
nced at the pants on the stool. “You’ll have to be…uh…completely…”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m ready doc.” Roger sighed.
Vicky turned and had to catch her breath. “You, um…certainly…” She averted her eyes.
Roger leaned to the side and waved his hand in front of her face. “Doc? I’m over here. I’m sure I ain’t got nothing you ain’t seen before.”
She nodded, her face flushing. “You’re correct. I just haven’t seen it put together quite like this before.”
Roger shrugged. “I’m naturally lean. I get it from my mom’s side of the family.” He gave her his best smile, then slowly turned around. “See? No bites, no scratches.” He glanced over at the curtain and noticed that Candy was no longer pacing. “No hickies, either.”
Vicky snorted as she glanced over her shoulder and could nearly see Candy freeze. “I hate to ask, but…” Roger gave her a questioning look. She swallowed hard and tried not to blush. “Could you lift…your…” She pointed.
Roger grinned at her and shook his head. “Sorry, doc. My last doctor told me not to lift anything heavy. Bad back, ya know.”
Vicky flustered and Roger chuckled to himself. “Sorry. Bad joke.” He lifted and allowed her to inspect.
Vicky quickly turned away. “All done. There’s a basin with warm water and soap if you’d like to wash. Fresh towels are right behind you.”
Roger shook his head. “I didn’t bring a change of clothes.”
Candy raised her voice, even though it was a sheer curtain between them, “We can have some brought in for you. We have a community clothes stash.”
Roger shrugged. “Okay, then. Why not.” He picked up the hotel-sized soap and flashed Vicky another brilliant smile. “Any chance for a razor, too?”
She flushed and nodded. “I’ll have one brought in for you.”
As she exited the exam area, Candy fell into step with her. She waited until the door was closed before stopping her. “Well?”
Vicky’s face flushed and she waved at her face with her hand. “Oh. My. God.”
Candy’s eyes bulged. “What?”
“He’s…perfect.” She whispered breathlessly. “I’m talking romance novel cover boy perfect. Thick chest, abs that go all the way down to his…” She blushed again and held her hands up.
“I meant, that he cleared your check up.” Candy gave her a deadpan stare.
“Oh!” Vicky’s eyes widened. “Yes, of course. Clear as a bell.”
Candy couldn’t hold her face any longer and slowly cracked into a grin. She pulled Vicky toward where the spare clothes were stored. “So, tell me,” she said seductively, “what kind of clothes should I get him?”
“Big.” Vicky nodded. “Long. And big.”
Candy’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“At least a 2X. The man has a chest as wide as my office.” She gave her an impish grin. “Let’s dress him like a lumberjack.”
“Ooh. I love flannel.”
Chapter 8
“And pull the trucks into a semi-circle around the front entrance. If we have to bug out, I want them close and ready to roll.” Hollis lifted the aluminum case and carried it with him into the house. “No matter what else happens, this case is priority one. It has to be delivered back to the research ship.”
He stepped into the cool darkness of the house and slumped against the counter. Hatcher approached slowly. “What’s going on out there?”
“My guys are seeing shadows everywhere.” He turned worried eyes to Hatcher. “They’re battle hardened, but they’re starting to spook.”
Hatcher glanced over his shoulder to the men working outside. “If they’re rattled, I can’t tell it.”
Hollis nodded. “Like I said, they’re seasoned vets. They won’t show it, but I can see it in their eyes.”
Hatcher tried to think of something positive to change the subject. “Well, if worse comes to worse, we have a couple more days’ worth of food.” He shrugged. “If you count Spam as food.”
Hollis groaned. “That’s almost as bad as MRE’s.” He pushed off the counter and stepped to the window to stare out at his men reinforcing the perimeter. “Sticking around might not have been such a grand idea.”
Hatcher nodded slowly, his mind trying to find the right words. He settled on, “I’m sorry.”
Hollis turned and gave him a questioning look. “What for?”
“This was my idea. Sticking around and praying that a second transport comes for us.”
Hollis turned back to the window. “I gave the order. The decision was mine.” He pulled the window open and waved a soldier over, “I want gunners on the first and last trucks. Double the men on the roof.”
The man barked a Yes, sir and disappeared.
Hatcher appeared by his side. “If you really think it’s going to be that hairy, I can take a shift up there as well.”
Hollis shook his head. “I’m counting on you to get this case back to the ship in the event me or my men…can’t.” He poked Hatcher in the chest. “That means you stay alive. No matter what.”
Hollis turned and marched back outside, barking orders as he went. Buck silently appeared behind Hatcher. “I think he likes you.”
“He just thinks I can be useful.” Hatcher groaned as he sat in the wooden dining chair. “There’s a big difference.”
Buck sat on the other side of the table and stared at the case. “Do you really think they can find a cure with that crap?”
Hatcher shrugged. “That’s why we’re here, kid. They must think this muck is pretty important to risk coming back here.”
Buck ran his hand along the smooth outer shell. “Sorta makes you wonder, doesn’t it?” Hatcher gave him a questioning stare. “Where it comes from. I mean, is it something that Mother Nature whipped up in her kitchen to kill off an overpopulated species, or was it man-made?”
“I can’t imagine anybody in their right mind making this stuff on purpose.” Hatcher stared at the case and wished it was locked up somewhere else. “If Mother Nature cooked this stuff up, she is one twisted mother.”
Buck nodded. “Sorta makes you wonder about things like the dinosaurs. Was it really a meteor that took them out, or were they exposed to something like this?”
Hatcher started to laugh until he really thought about a Zulu T-Rex. He was pretty certain those creatures were mean enough without being infected by a rage virus.
“How do you think of this stuff?”
Buck shrugged. “When you’re stuck with nobody to talk to and have to stay quiet to keep from being eaten, all sorts of weird thoughts run through your head.”
Hollis burst through the front doors. “We have one!”
Hatcher was on his feet and following him, Buck in tow. “Did they track down one of the wounded?”
Hollis shook his head. “This one is alive.”
Simon paced the tent he called home. His mind kept going over the digital photos his men took at the scene. He couldn’t imagine the force necessary to overtake a half-dozen of his men.
“Why didn’t they jump the second group?” He tugged at his beard while his mind played tricks with him.
“Maybe they were still full from the first attack.” Scud suggested.
Simon shook his head. “They don’t need a reason to attack. They’re simple-minded animals. Like a rabid dog. Or a shark. They’ll bite just because they can.” He continued pacing. “No, there was something else going on.”
His remaining lieutenants lined the interior walls of his tent. They tried not to watch him as he paced and tugged at his beard, two things that Simon always seemed to do when distraught.
“There had to be something else going on…something distracted the men. Got them caught in the trap.” He began kicking up dust in the dry packed earth as he marched back and forth. “Something that pulled the ragers attention from the trap while the other boys sniffed around…” He stopped pacing and turned hate-filled eyes to his men. “Something stinks here.”
Slasher turned and stared at the man they called Swamp Donkey. “I think that’s code for take a bath, you smelly fucker.” He grinned at him through stained teeth.
“Cut the bullshit!” Simon barked. “We lost six of our own here.”
The men fidgeted uncomfortably, avoiding his glare. “It’s a big town, boss. Them ragers could be anywhere,” Scrub replied. “They mighta been a roving pack just happened to catch our boys off guard. Or they might have stomping grounds they protect.”
Simon glared at the man. “Then maybe we should find out. We’re owed a pound of flesh!” Spittle flew from his lips as he screamed.
Scrub nodded, knowing better than to speak.
Savage finally stood and pointed to two of the men. “You two are with me.”
Simon stepped in front of him, his eyes still filled with anger. “Where the hell are you off to?”
Savage never batted an eye. “We’re going back to where the boys got eaten. If the ragers are still out there, we’ll find them.”
Simon shook his head. “It’s near dark. And if they can get the jump on six of our boys—”
“They didn’t expect them,” Savage interrupted. “We will.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “You two gear up. We ride in ten.”
He turned to leave when Simon stepped in front of him. “I didn’t dismiss you!”
Savage looked down at the man and it almost appeared as though he were bored. “You sorta did. You said we needed to find out what happened. I’m volunteering.” He pointed at the two men standing by the entry to the tent, eyes wide as they watched the two. “And they were voluntold.” He gave Simon a cheesy grin.
Simon nodded slowly. “Okay, then.” He turned back to his remaining lieutenants. “That’s a man of action! You all should be more like Savage.”
“We’ll be careful not to lead any back,” Savage added, noticing how the possibility slowly sunk in with the others. The thought of ragers attacking while they slept suddenly filled their minds. He chuckled to himself as he marched toward his bike.
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