Caldera | Book 12 | Kingdom Come

by Stallcup, Heath

  She slinked back into the bedroom and collapsed onto the overstuffed mattress. She no sooner closed her eyes than she was asleep.

  She was surprised that she dreamt of Simon.

  13

  “So, if I’m understanding what you’re saying,” Rich began, “you’re pretty sure that it’s the same asshole you’ve been fighting in the past. But you’re not certain?”

  Roger groaned as he sat down. “Too many similarities for it not to be.”

  Hatcher swiveled back and forth in his chair and glanced at Buck. “Did they say what happened to the woman?”

  Buck shook his head. “I didn’t ask. Once they described her, it sounded almost exactly like the girl that got the drop on me.” He felt his face flush as he replayed the memory in his mind. He looked to Hatcher with soulful eyes. “She wanted Simon to kill me, but he wouldn’t do it. Even though I swore I was going to kill him.”

  “So we’re back to the new and improved mister nice guy version of Simon?” Hatcher scoffed as he leaned forward and grabbed his coffee mug. “I’m sorry, but our history tells me otherwise.”

  Buck nodded and averted his eyes as Hatcher contemplated what to do with the man. Roger came to his feet and peered out of the front window towards Vicky’s house. “Any word on how he’s doing?”

  Rich spoke when Hatcher chose to remain silent. “That little tiny thing with the pigtails…Stella? She said that they’ve used nearly four units of blood. There were enough volunteers that they shouldn’t run out.”

  Hatcher grunted. “Every time I think that our people are fighting to save that piece of…” He bit back the words he really wanted to use. “It just chaps my ass.”

  “To play Devil’s Advocate, we’re still not positive it’s the same guy,” Buck muttered.

  Roger squared his shoulders and turned to Hatcher. “Once he’s awake and can speak, I’ll know. I’ll never forget those dead eyes. And his voice is pretty unmistakable.”

  Hatcher chuckled as he emptied his cup. “It’s funny. I’ve argued with the guy and almost got my ticket punched by him, and I couldn’t tell you his voice from Adam’s.”

  “Who’s Adam?” Buck asked.

  “Just an expression,” Roger replied. He turned back to Hatcher. “I rode with him for months. I’ve seen him falling down drunk and I’ve seen him…well, less than that. I don’t think he was ever actually sober.”

  “And his own people said that he doesn’t drink,” Buck interjected. “If it is the same guy, then he’s definitely changed.”

  “Finding religion doesn’t clear you for past sins,” Hatcher deadpanned. “He’s got a lot to answer for.”

  “And he will,” Vicky replied, her voice sounding like she was about to pass out. She fell into the chair opposite her brother and planted both elbows on the table, sweeping a loose strand of hair from her face. “I pray I never have to attempt something like that ever again.”

  “How’d it go?” Buck asked, genuinely concerned.

  She glanced across the table then met her brother’s gaze. “Tell me you got something stronger than coffee and sodas.”

  Hatcher leaned over the counter and retrieved a bottle of scotch and slid it across to the table to her. She unceremoniously popped the cork and took a long draw straight from the bottle. “Gah! That’s nasty.” She popped the cork back onto the top and set the bottle down. She looked at the faces staring at her and nodded. “I think he’s going to make it.”

  “Did they tell you it was Simon?” Hatcher asked.

  She didn’t appear shocked at the name and slowly nodded. “During the middle of the procedure, the woman that came in with him…Veronica. She leaned over his face and told him to hang on or some such…” She made a tight lipped smile then sucked at her teeth. “When she said his name I nearly dropped the scalpel.”

  “But you remembered your oath to do no wrong, right?” Buck asked.

  She gave him a dead stare. “That’s doctors, Buck.”

  “And you were his.”

  She narrowed her gaze at him then slowly shook her head. “You sound a little too concerned for him. Why is that?”

  Buck lowered his head and she watched as his face flushed. “I just know what it’s like to do stuff you regret later.” He looked up at the people sitting around the table. “Sometimes people do things that…can’t be forgiven.”

  Hatcher narrowed his gaze at the young man. “I’m sure what you did was to survive, Buck. Simon did it because he’s not wired right in the head.”

  “Maybe,” Buck’s voice was barely a whisper.

  “But he’s out of the woods?” Roger asked.

  Vicky sighed heavily and shrugged. “I’d give him a fifty-fifty chance.” She reached for the scotch again then paused. “Maybe better than that, the way those two doctors are hovering over him.”

  “Could you tell for sure if it was him?” Hatcher asked.

  She shook her head. “I’m not sure I would know Simon if he walked in here and slapped me.” She popped the cork again and stared at the bottle. “The woman doctor is pregnant with his child.”

  The congregation stared at her open-mouthed as she took another pull from the bottle. When she corked it this time, she handed it to Rich. “Hide that, will ya?”

  “She’s pregnant?” Hatcher asked.

  Vicky nodded. “She was telling him to hang on for their baby. The baby will need his strength, that sort of crap.” She looked up and her eyes were reddening. “It took everything I had not to slice his renal artery and let him bleed him out on the table, and she’s over there cooing to him about…” she trailed off and turned her eyes from the others.

  “We can’t just kill him,” Buck stated flatly. “This changes things.”

  “It don’t bring back the dead, kid,” Roger deadpanned.

  “He’s got responsibilities now.” Buck pushed away from the table. “I don’t get it. I wanted him dead more than anyone and…I mean, if I can change my mind about him…”

  “We’ll decide what to do about him later.” Hatcher stood and stared down the young man. “For now, he’s not able to hurt anybody. There’s no rush.” He glanced at Roger. “But I want eyes on him.”

  “You got it, Hatch.” Roger stood and walked to the garage door. “What should I tell his people?”

  “Whatever you have to.”

  Davis pulled the overhead door down and took one last look at Molly. “You were a helluva truck, old girl.” He gave her a lopsided smile before he shut the door completely.

  “You’re leaving her in a good place, Lieutenant,” Carol said solemnly. “I know you have a soft spot for her.”

  Davis turned and looked at the repair shop for a tractor dealership and nodded. “I liked Doc’s idea of a car wash, but if the drone came in at an angle they’d spot her a mile away.”

  “She’ll be safe in there.” Carol patted his shoulder. “Shall we see what we can see?”

  Davis nodded and turned for the SUV. “Is everybody else ready?”

  Andre stepped out from beside the truck. “Fluids are all checked, tank is topped off, everybody has been fed and used the facilities, so…yes. I believe we are ready.”

  Davis sighed then pulled the door open to the truck. “I’ll take the first turn driving. In the off chance that we’re spotted—”

  “I have no doubts that you’ll know what to do,” Andre finished for him.

  Davis waited until everybody was buckled in then turned to Carol. “Any place in particular you’d like to take a look at?”

  She stared at the atlas then glanced up at the road. “We’re just north of Taos.”

  “Want to check out Vegas? We’re not that far.” Davis half-heartedly offered.

  She shook her head. “Heavens no. I would have wanted to avoid that place before people started eating each other. I have no desire to go there now.”

  Davis shrugged. “Santa Fe is a good-sized town and it’s not too far. Highway 68 is right there and will take us mos
t of the way.”

  Carol shrugged. “I’ll leave that to you.” She handed him the atlas and leaned back in the seat. “Just, slow down; maybe cruise through some of the small towns we run into along the way.”

  “Looking for signs of life?” he asked as he put the truck into gear.

  “Looking for…something.” She nodded, “If we see anything that gives us an obvious sign that people are rebuilding, I think we should stop and check it out.”

  “You’re the doc, Doc.” Davis let off the brake and pulled the big SUV onto the pavement. “Next stop, Podunk.”

  Veronica laid her head on the mattress next to Simon as he slept. Derek checked his vitals once more before writing them down then silently made his way towards the door.

  “You don’t have to leave.” Her voice was so soft that he almost missed it.

  He turned and gave her a weak smile. “I’m so sorry that I wasn’t more help.”

  She sat up slowly and rolled her head gently, trying to stretch out the soreness. “You weren’t the only one.” She felt her eyes begin to water at the thought of all the ways things could have gone wrong. “I had no idea what I was doing with that ether.” She sniffed back a tear and wiped at her eyes. “I’m surprised I didn’t send him into respiratory distress.”

  Derek stepped closer and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “He’s out of the woods now.” He nodded towards the drain tube. “There’s hardly any drainage, which tells me that our friendly neighborhood nurse knew a hell of a lot more than either of us did.”

  “Thank God.” Veronica tried to stand and found her legs shaking. “I haven’t been this exhausted in…” she chuckled, “ever?”

  “Vicky said to make ourselves at home.” Derek guided her back to the chair. “I’ll find us something to eat and maybe make some coffee. I’ll take the first round of watching him, if you want to rest.”

  She slowly shook her head. “I’m too exhausted to sleep.”

  Derek smiled, knowing that feeling all too well. “Just try. If you’re still awake when I get back, maybe some food will help you pass out.”

  She nodded weakly and eased herself back into the chair. She turned to Derek as he was stepping from the recovery room. “Thank you.”

  He gave her a lopsided smile. “You are most welcome.”

  He turned for the kitchen and found the coffee already made. Rifling through the refrigerator, he was excited to find milk. One taste told him that it was instant milk, but at least it was cold. He nearly giggled as he poured a glass and sucked it down. “A little chocolate syrup and that would have been heaven.”

  “There’s leftover pork in the bottom crisper. It was wild hunted, but it smoked up nicely.”

  He nearly jumped at Vicky’s voice and gave her a sheepish grin as he closed the door. “You startled me.” He held the milk glass up. “It’s been so long since I’ve had a cold glass of milk. Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.”

  She gave him a reassuring smile and sat at the kitchen table. “I meant it when I said make yourself at home. Besides, the milk is powdered, and I have to choke it down. It’s not the same as the real thing.”

  “Maybe one day, eh?” He sat across from her and met her gaze. “You were amazing in there last night.” She shook her head. “I mean it. Veronica and I were both impressed with your skills.”

  “I just tried to do what I’d seen real surgeons do in the past.”

  “Don’t kid yourself, Victoria. You are a real surgeon.”

  “It’s just Vicky.” She came to her feet and reached for the coffee pot. “Want some?”

  “Please.” He rinsed his milk glass and watched as she poured two cups of coffee. “We’re lucky you have the skillset you have.”

  She handed him the coffee and locked eyes with him. “We need to talk.”

  His face sobered and he took a half step back. “I really am sorry about the milk. I just couldn’t help myself.”

  She smiled briefly and motioned for him to sit. “That’s not what I mean.” She glanced around the corner and saw Veronica’s head lying next to Simon. “I mean, we need to talk about our patient.”

  Derek smiled. “I’m pretty sure he’s out of the woods now, thanks to you.”

  She shook her head. “You still don’t understand. You just met them, correct?” He nodded. “If that’s the Simon that we think it is, he’s a murdering bastard, a danger to everyone.” She sipped her coffee and let her words sink in.

  Derek cradled the cup in his hands and couldn’t enjoy the aroma of the brew as her words struck him. “I don’t follow.”

  “I’ve only met one Simon in my life. It’s not the most common of names.” She set her coffee down and gave him a look that he couldn’t read. “If that’s the same guy that I’ve dealt with before, then we may have saved him for nothing.”

  Derek felt the blood drain from his face. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that I’m about ninety percent sure that the man we saved last night…his life isn’t worth a plug nickel. Not around here, anyway.” She could see that he wasn’t following so she told him the story. She explained how they had first come to meet Simon and his band of marauders. How they tracked down her people and attacked them. How he’d somehow sent the infected to do his dirty work once the grand majority of his people had abandoned ship, and then how he’d attacked again. Over and over, Simon had done everything in his power to steal, maim, kill, and control everyone he ever met.

  “One of the women that donated blood to save him lost her husband because of him.” She gripped her cup so tightly that she feared it might shatter. “If she’d known it was him she would have hurt all of us to get to him.”

  Derek stared open mouthed as she spoke and finally looked away. “I can’t…I mean, I didn’t know.”

  “And even if you did, we both know that the oath prevents you from denying him lifesaving treatment.” She sighed as she drained her cup and pushed it aside. When she looked up at him again, her eyes were red. “I don’t have the heart to tell Veronica.”

  “Nor do I,” Derek replied, “but she’s bound to find out.” He glanced over his shoulder and relaxed that she wasn’t standing behind him. “I can’t believe I’m saying this,” he whispered, “but maybe we’ll get lucky and our best just won’t be good enough.”

  Vicky scoffed and leaned back in her chair. “I’m not that lucky.” She slowly pushed herself up to a standing position and leaned on the table. “I have to sleep. Are you good here?”

  Derek nodded weakly then met her gaze. “What do I say to her?”

  Vicky patted his shoulder as she trudged by. “Nothing. We’ve done what we can for now. I say we leave the bad news to those who think they’re in charge here.”

  Derek nodded weakly and watched as she stumbled out of the room and down the hallway. He slowly came to his feet and stood in the doorway of the recovery room. He stared at Veronica sleeping next to Simon, her hand holding his.

  He couldn’t allow them to just come in and kill this man. Otherwise, what was all of the frantic work trying to save him really for?

  He sighed heavily and watched as the pair slept. As he stared at them he made up his mind. The very moment that Simon was able to be moved, he was going to help them escape.

  14

  “It just seems odd,” Hatcher began. “Here we are gearing up for yet another attack.” He hefted the filled sandbag into the back of the truck. “Yet our worst enemy is sleeping under our roof.”

  Roger gave him a curious look. “You mean your sister’s roof.”

  “You know what I mean.” He bent and hefted the next sandbag.

  Hank paused and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Somebody please tell me why we’re building a sandbag barrier? If they’re infected, they ain’t gonna be shooting at us.”

  Roger paused and stretched his back. “To slow them down. Give our boys some kind of break as they go over or around it.”

  “Bottleneck,” Hatcher a
dded. “If we can make it steep enough, odds are they’ll go around. It’s easier to shoot them if they are all swarming through the same tight openings.”

  Wally stopped tying bags and gave them all a ‘duh’ look. “Then we just park cars in a pattern. Make them zig and zag to get through them. They slow down, they all come out through the same areas, my back survives to live another day.”

  “Cars are too easy to go over,” Hatcher said as he hefted another bag. “Or under.”

  Wally shook his head. “I ain’t above flipping a bus on its side.” He shrugged. “I’m just saying.”

  Hatcher gave him a look that he couldn’t read. “I’m not cleaning up after a bunch of tipped over buses.” He hefted the sandbag then turned to Wally. “This just takes a little effort and it’s not like we don’t have plenty of—”

  “We got incoming!” A rooftop sentry called. All heads turned to him and he pointed to the north. “A line of trucks and cars.”

  Rich smiled. “That will be the rest of the families arriving.” He gave Hatcher a knowing look. “Unless your infected learned how to drive cars?”

  “Open the gates!” Hatcher turned from the work and walked towards the gate guards. He turned back to Rich. “Come with me. I need you to ID your people.”

  Rich trotted up to him and walked along the outer edge of the wall, his eyes scanning the distance and the cars making their way towards them. “That’s them. I recognize Larry’s Jeep.” He glanced back to where the men were digging behind the housing complex. “This is a LOT of territory to try to block it with sandbag barricades. Aren’t you worried that they could use them to sneak up closer before we notice them?”

  Hatcher shook his head. “That’s why the tops are so wide. I plan to split the sentries, put one on top of the berm and the other at the wall.”

  “You’d think there’d be an easier way,” Rich said as he inspected the blisters on his hand. “Maybe chain link fence?”