by Dirk Patton
Cursing, I came to a stop, watching her continue putting distance between us. That didn’t provide me with any comfort. Not for a second did I believe she was giving up. She was too smart for that. Still spewing a long string of invective, I turned and ran back toward the road, pushing hard. I had to get there and secure the pistol before she did.
Following the path I’d churned up in the packed sand, I was surprised at just how much of my blood stained the desert. This was something that would normally have been a serious concern, but I’d learned that the virus would protect me from about everything other than the most serious of injuries. Still, it was something I didn’t think was smart to ignore.
Reaching the pavement, I spotted the pistol and scooped it up. Took a moment to look for Viktoriya but didn’t see any sign that she’d followed me. But then I hadn’t known she was there earlier until she’d attacked, so it didn’t really make me feel any better.
Hurrying to the tablet, I picked it up but not only was it still dead, the casing was cracked and the screen was shattered. Unable to control my frustration, I flung it as far into the desert as I could. Standing there in the dark, I ground my teeth as I looked to the south, hoping to catch a glimpse of Viktoriya.
I’d lost my only way of knowing if Rachel, Mavis and Dog were still alive and well. A sense of dread descended over me as I admitted to myself that Viktoriya had probably already made the call and ordered the snipers to kill them. Suddenly, all of the rage that had flowed through me evaporated and I was left feeling listless and defeated.
If Rachel and Mavis were gone, it was my fault. I should have handled Viktoriya differently. Should have ensured my family was safe and secure before leaving. But I’d done none of that. I’d sacrificed them, and for what? Why was I still fighting this battle?
A wave of heat flushed through me and I staggered to the side a step as my stomach turned several flops. The world tilted and the pistol slipped out of my hand, clattering loudly on the road. I noticed but couldn’t do anything about it. It took all my concentration to not fall to my knees as pain stabbed through my chest. It was hard to breathe. The thought that I was having a heart attack flashed through my mind, but there was nothing I could do.
Slowly, I lay down in the middle of the road. The pain overwhelmed me and I rolled onto my back, gasping for breath. Suddenly, all I could think about was returning to the safety of the plane. Inch by painful inch, I forced myself to scoop up the pistol and get back on my feet. I started walking west as delirium descended.
22
Rachel and Mavis were slumped into their seats, not really paying attention to the movie that was playing. The first of the two films had been exciting and they’d thoroughly enjoyed the escape from reality, but the second one wasn’t nearly as good. It had failed to hold their interest and both were occasionally nodding off, startling awake when their chins hit their chests. But even a boring movie with a dull plot and lame cast was better than having sat around their quarters, worrying about John.
Rachel’s eyes were closing as the lead actor professed his love for the lead actress, for the fifth time in twenty minutes. As much as she didn’t want to go climb into an empty bed, the thought of escaping the mindless drivel that was being projected onto the screen was quickly becoming much more enticing.
Besides, it wouldn’t be an empty bed. She knew that even before she could slip beneath the covers, both Dog and Mavis would be staking out a section of the large mattress. Deciding it was time to go get some rest, Rachel told herself to stand up, but was so close to the edge of sleep her body didn’t want to move. Until Mavis suddenly leapt up, startling her to full alertness.
“John’s in trouble!”
Mavis nearly shouted, drawing the attention of almost the entire theater. Before Rachel could shush her, she turned and bolted, heading for the exit. Rachel scrambled to her feet and followed, unconcerned with the half-full tub of popcorn that spilled off her lap and across the floor.
Mavis was in the lobby, a distressed look on her face as she bounced impatiently on the balls of her feet. Protectively holding her belly, Rachel rushed to her but the smaller girl pushed away when she tried to wrap her into her arms.
“We have to help him!” Mavis cried.
“Honey, he’s on the mainland,” Rachel said, unsure what had Mavis so upset. “You know John. He’s fine.”
Despite her words, a thrill of fear for her husband’s safety passed through her.
“You don’t understand,” Mavis said, nearly in tears. “I know! He needs our help!”
Rachel looked at her for a long moment, doing her best to dismiss Mavis’s angst as separation anxiety. The girl was so attached to John that it didn’t really surprise her, but at the same time she was also aware of a bond between the two of them that she was unable to understand.
“Explain it to me,” Rachel said as patiently as she could. “What’s wrong and how do you know?”
“He’s in some kind of trouble! He’s hurt or lost or something. He’s giving up.”
“What?” Rachel asked in shock. “John give up? You know him better than that!”
“I can feel it!” Mavis shouted, staring at Rachel with damp eyes. “I can feel it.”
Rachel looked at her a moment, the girl’s certainty sending creeping gooseflesh along her arms. There was no doubt in her mind that Mavis sincerely believed something was wrong with John, and she couldn’t dismiss the concern that had been sparked in her own heart.
“Let’s go see Jessica,” Rachel said. “If there’s anything wrong, she’ll know.”
Mavis nodded and rushed in to wrap her arms around Rachel. She could feel the girl’s small body shaking as she held her.
“Come on,” she said gently, standing and taking Mavis’s hand.
Stepping outside, Rachel looked around the parking lot. She hadn’t told the Marines guarding the Visiting Officers’ Quarter that they were leaving. The walk to the theater with Mavis had been relaxing. But now they were on foot and it was a long way to the building where Jessica worked.
Rachel was turning to go back inside, planning to use a phone, when the roar of an engine and the screeching of tires caused her to whirl. She automatically pushed Mavis slightly behind her as her right hand darted into a large purse and tightly gripped a pistol.
A Humvee raced toward where they stood, but she didn’t relax. One hand holding the weapon out of sight, she used the other to usher Mavis closer to the theater entrance as she retreated a step.
“If I have to shoot, you run,” she said to Mavis, taking another step. “Find a Marine and tell him to take you to Admiral Packard.”
Mavis’s reply was lost in the sound of the Hummer sliding to a stop in front of them. Rachel couldn’t see beyond the bright headlights and when the door slammed open, she brought the pistol out into the open and gripped it with both hands. She relaxed when Dog raced into the headlights and bumped his nose against her hip. The man who’d leapt out of the vehicle spotted the weapon and came to an abrupt stop, but Rachel could only see a vague outline.
“Rachel, it’s Lucas!” he shouted.
“Goddamn it, Lucas! I could’ve shot you!”
She lowered the pistol and tucked it back into her purse as he hurried forward, surprising her when he gathered her and Mavis into a hug.
“Figured you wouldn’t shoot once you saw the big fur ball.”
“What are you doing here? You went to the mainland with John.”
“Long story,” he said, releasing them and moving towards the idling Hummer. “Right now, we need to go.”
“Go? Go where? What the hell is going on?”
Mavis stepped between them before Lucas could answer.
“John needs help!”
“Aye, he probably does,” Lucas said. “That’s why I’m here. Now, get in the bleedin’ car and quit wasting time and I’ll tell you all about it.”
“Are you taking us to John?” Mavis asked suspiciously.
Lucas traded a look with Rachel before stepping closer to Mavis and taking a knee.
“Feel somethin’, don’t you?”
Mavis nodded. After a moment, Lucas nodded in understanding and got to his feet.
“Then we need to figure out what the big idiot’s gone and got hisself into this time,” he said with a smile intended to reassure her.
He went to the Humvee and opened the passenger side doors, holding them for Rachel and Mavis. They rushed forward and climbed in, Dog leaping into the back seat and putting his head in Mavis’s lap.
“What happened when you got to the mainland?” Rachel asked once Lucas had the Hummer in motion.
He told her everything as he drove.
“I’m going to kill that fucking cunt,” Rachel said when he was finished.
After a beat, she realized what she’d said and turned to look at Mavis in the backseat.
“I shouldn’t have used that word.”
“Yes, you should have, because that’s what she is,” Mavis said firmly. “And if you don’t kill her, I’m going to.”
Lucas glanced in the mirror, momentarily taken aback by the expression on Mavis’s face. She might have been a little girl, but there was no mistaking her resolve. Despite the circumstances, he grinned.
“What?” Mavis challenged, eyes boring into his.
“Just thinking ‘bout those babies.” He tilted his head at Rachel’s stomach. “They’re about the luckiest two kids ever. You’re gonna make one hell of a big sister!”
Mavis thought about that for a moment before leaning back in her seat. She didn’t say anything, but she and Rachel traded a look and a knowing smile spread across both their faces.
23
Jessica worked in a high-security building that was well protected by multiple layers of security. Lucas, Rachel, Dog and Mavis weren’t allowed to pass the first checkpoint, but one of the Marines on duty recognized Rachel and made a call. Two minutes later, Captain West emerged from an elevator and they were quickly provided temporary security badges.
“Is John in trouble?” Rachel asked as the elevator began to descend below ground level.
“I don’t know, ma’am,” West said. “I’ve been dealing with other issues, but I’m willing to wager Chief Simmons will know if he is.”
“Who’s that?” Mavis asked as they continued to descend.
“Jessica,” Rachel said.
“Oh. I like her! She helps John!” Mavis said as the car came to a gentle stop and the elevator doors opened.
They stepped out into the giant room, Mavis coming to a stop and looking around in awe at the displays covering two of the four walls showing satellite images of various locations on the mainland. West escorted Rachel to Jessica’s station, then excused himself. Lucas gave Mavis a nudge to get her moving. Jessica looked up and leapt to her feet to hug Rachel, then Mavis when she saw them.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” she said, smiling at them.
“John’s in trouble,” Mavis announced with complete certainty.
Jessica looked at her then flicked her eyes to Rachel.
“Is he?” Rachel asked.
Jessica hesitated a moment then sighed and resumed her seat at the station.
“I don’t know what’s wrong,” she said, fingers flying across a keyboard.
The large monitor integrated into her station changed from showing multiple windows of computer code to an overhead view of a business jet sitting on a freeway in the middle of the desert.
“It looked like he was about to collapse, then he just staggered to the plane and got in.”
“What the bloody hell happened?” Lucas asked, gently placing his hands on Mavis’s shoulders.
“He was in that plane, being transported from Edwards Air Force Base in California. Looked like they were going to Phoenix. They made an emergency landing on the freeway. That’s Interstate 10, about thirty miles west of the city.
“Viktoriya got out and took off. The Colonel chased after her a couple of minutes later. She ambushed him and they fought, and he chased her into the desert, but she got away. Then he just walked back to the road and lay down. Stayed there for minute, then got up and returned to the jet. Hasn’t come outside since.”
“Is he hurt? Did she shoot or stab him?” Rachel asked.
“Don’t think so,” Jessica said. “Hard to tell for sure because they were wrestling around on the ground for a bit, but he seemed perfectly fine when he walked back out of the desert.”
Lucas stared at his friend for several seconds, frowning.
“Jessica, you said he fought with Viktoriya?”
“Yes.”
“Wrestled with her? And she got away?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“And he couldn’t catch her?”
“What’s your point?” Rachel asked.
“How the hell does a woman the size of Viktoriya, or any woman for that matter, considering John’s infected and strong as an ox--- well, how the hell did she survive? And then outrun him?”
Jessica’s eyes opened wide in understanding and she quickly rewound the video until they saw Viktoriya rush in from the desert and tackle John. They fought and he delivered several hard blows which she absorbed without any noticeable damage.
“Bitch is infected,” Lucas growled.
“Or she got his blood,” Rachel said.
“Either way,” Lucas said, nodding.
“Then what the hell is wrong? It’s like...”
“Something suddenly happened,” Jessica finished for her.
Jessica spun back to her terminal and manipulated the view. Wound to John walking out of the desert. He picked up a dropped pistol, then snatched a tablet computer off the pavement. Looked at it for a few moments then threw it far out into the desert.
“That had to be what she was using to keep him under control,” Jessica said, letting the footage play as John sank to his knees. “Showing him the image of the sniper’s scope targeting you.”
“Oh, my God,” Rachel breathed, eyes locked on the image of John lying in the road.
“He’s okay,” Lucas said softly.
“No, he’s not!” Rachel snapped, turning to face him. “You don’t know what the long-term effects of the virus may be!”
Lucas looked at her then traded a glance with Jessica who was as worried as he was. Rachel stared at him, then took a deep breath as tears appeared in her eyes.
“What if he’s dying?”
“Not John,” Lucas said firmly. “Strongest son of a bitch I’ve ever met.”
“You don’t know that!”
Tears were rolling down Rachel’s face when their attention was torn away by a distressed noise. Mavis’s eyes were rolled up in her head, only the whites showing. A moaning sound came from her mouth. Lucas and Rachel dropped to their knees in front of her. Rachel carefully grasped her shoulders as Dog whined and gently pressed against her small body.
“What’s wrong with her?” Jessica asked.
“I don’t know,” Rachel said softly as Mavis continued to moan.
“Should I call the medics?” Jessica asked.
“No,” Lucas said, surprising them. “Never seen this but heard about it from an Abo mate of mine in the regiment. I keep tellin’ you. They ain’t like the rest of us. There’s something... more, about ‘em.”
“What?” Rachel asked, fear for Mavis making her voice harsh.
“She’s talkin’ to him.”
“What? To who?”
“John. Don’t know that I believe it, but I’ve seen too much to say it can’t happen.”
“Don’t give me any mumbo jumbo crap, Lucas,” Rachel snapped as she gently stroked Mavis’s face. “Jessica, call the medics.”
24
Martinez flinched in surprise when Strickland suddenly grabbed her arm. Whipping her head around, she froze when she saw the expression on his face. Moving slowly, he raised two fingers to his eyes then pointed at a spot to their front. She looked carefull
y, cursing silently when she saw a group of females. Glancing back at the SEAL, she nodded when he signed and began following him back in the direction they’d come from.
They’d been walking for a long time in the soft, shifting sand. The fog was even thicker and both were soaked to the skin, but they were close to the beach. An hour ago, the canyon’s walls had begun to recede until now it was little more than a very broad fold in the terrain.
Strickland headed laterally, coming to a stop next to a massive rock that protruded from the sandy slope that formed the edge of the rift. They were concealed from the females and he peeked around the edge.
“They see us?” Martinez mumbled close to his ear.
“Don’t know,” he answered after a long moment. “All I can see is the goddamn fog. Least the bitches can’t smell us in this. Too much water in the air.”
“You are a bit ripe.”
“Turn you on, does it?” Strickland shot back without missing a beat.
“In your dreams, squid boy. And you do realize I’m an officer, right?”
“Sorry. Turn you on, does it, ma’am?”
Despite the situation, Martinez had to suppress a snort of laughter, then got serious when he raised a hand for silence. Opening a little space between them, she drew her knife and held it at the ready with her eyes focused on him. Nearly a minute later, he signaled that there were three females approaching and drew his own blade.
He signed some more, telling her he would take the two targets on the left and for her to take the one on the right. She thought about arguing the point, well aware of her own skills, but mentally shrugged. Preparing to meet the enemy when they’re almost close enough to touch isn’t the time to be arguing about who was going to kill how many of them.
Strickland signed again, alerting her to be ready. She lightly touched his shoulder to confirm, then he was suddenly in motion, flowing around the rock. Martinez followed, running lightly as she sought her first target. She spotted the females, who were nothing more than vague shapes in the mist. Angling to the right as the SEAL had instructed, her heart rate smoothed out in anticipation of battle. The infected still hadn’t seen or scented them.