Alive (Sundown Series Book 3)

by Courtney Konstantin

  'The Suit' tapped his chin as he watched the infected humans wander down the halls and part of him wished he had the ability to open doors with a button. If Charlotte and the security guard were killed, 'The Suit's worries would die with them.

  The Mars Project, playing off of the name of the Roman God of War, was the secret project of a faction of the US Government. 'The Suit' was part of that faction and ran the biological division of their efforts. Those efforts were to create new and deadlier ways to handle their enemies. Enemies that this faction believed needed to be handled swiftly and immediately. They didn’t believe in talks and summits. Instead, they felt the ultimate goal was to eradicate everyone that opposed the United States. Not even the President knew what happened in the black sites that the faction owned and ran.

  'The Suit's eyes were glued to the screen, watching the security guard wandering the lab. He picked things up and looked at them. 'The Suit' knew the man didn’t have a clue of what he was looking at. For a moment, 'The Suit' turned away from the video screen and pulled up the file on the outside contracting company he had hired for security at the facility. He scrolled through the photos of the guards hired and finally found the one that matched the man with Charlotte. Rafe Duncan. He read his file quickly, not finding any red flags he felt he had to worry about. He did, however, find his address and that would be useful information. 'The Suit' had already been informed by his inside man that Charlotte seemed to be staying with the Duncan man, arriving to work together and leaving together.

  Movement on the video screen pulled 'The Suit' back to the happenings in the lab. It was clear that Duncan and Charlotte were arguing about going out into the hall. Duncan clearly winning his argument entered the air shower alone, leaving Charlotte to watch. 'The Suit' had to admit he was impressed with the movements of the man. He easily dispatched three infected, one with a throwing knife, which made 'The Suit' wonder more about the background of the man. As he watched Duncan finish the last infected, 'The Suit' caught sight of the fourth infected wandering toward Duncan. He held his breath, hoping the infected would get Duncan before he could get away. 'The Suit' cursed when Charlotte appeared from the air shower and killed the infected herself.

  “Damn it,” 'The Suit' breathed as he drummed his fingers on his desk.

  The Duncan man seemed to be a more formidable opponent than 'The Suit' had originally assumed. He followed the pair through the halls of the facility. Instead of leaving directly, Duncan led the way to the security vestibule. He retrieved the medical bag and a badge, which 'The Suit' was sure would be a problem. But as he watched, it seemed Duncan was scavenging supplies that could come in handy in the future. They stopped in the locker room where no official camera was positioned due to questions of privacy. However, after a few clicks, 'The Suit' had the hidden camera pulled up. It wasn’t that 'The Suit' was a voyeur. The camera was placed for the safety of The Mars Project.

  Duncan and Charlotte seemed to find nothing of importance in the locker room, except Charlotte’s personal items that were left behind in her locker. The pair exited quickly, only to be faced by another infected. This one was a woman, a security officer, 'The Suit' guessed from her uniform. The hesitation in Duncan only confirmed his suspicions. It was someone he knew and had trouble killing. Charlotte was saying something, and 'The Suit' wished he had audio on the cameras. She seemed to step forward toward the woman before Duncan did, but the man grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Hesitation over, Duncan pulled one of his knives from his shoulder harness and let it fly. As before 'The Suit' found himself grudgingly impressed by his skill and accuracy. The infected woman hit the wall and slid down into a heap.

  'The Suit' watched as Duncan pulled the knife from the face of the woman. He carefully wiped it on her shirt before putting it back in its place on his belt. He stood looking down at the woman for a long moment. 'The Suit' sat forward watching. Duncan had deadly accuracy, but his weakness had to be the people around him. 'The Suit' wondered, who was Charlotte to this man. Before the recent issue in her lab, 'The Suit' had never had an indication that she was involved with anyone at the facility. And 'The Suit' was very good at keeping tabs on his people.

  He turned then and began to flip through the file he had on Charlotte Brewer. She was alone in the world, one of the reasons she was chosen for this project. No husband, no children, her parents both died in a car crash when she was twenty-one. She was an only child and didn’t spend time with any extended family. She moved to Montana without much, just a small trailer hooked to her car. This indicated to 'The Suit' she didn’t have much sentiment. As far as they knew, she hadn’t dated or done anything outside of drinks with her co-workers since she came to work at the facility. 'The Suit' looked back at the screen just in time to see Charlotte put her hand on Duncan’s shoulder, the two sharing a small intimate glance as she was clearly consoling him. When had this happened, 'The Suit' thought to himself.

  Duncan led the way back through the halls for them to exit where they had started. Pulling up an exterior camera 'The Suit' confirmed they were driving together. They sat in the truck and seemed to be discussing something before they eventually pulled away. 'The Suit' watched the truck until it disappeared from his visual on the last camera on the property. He spun away in his chair, checking the footage he had on a different system. These views were pulled from all of the cameras around Kalispell. Deep in his bunker, 'The Suit' watched as people attacked others, blood was spilled, and the plague raged. It took a moment, but he finally picked up the truck Duncan drove pulling into a camping store. He picked up his phone.

  “Yes,” a voice came across to answer 'The Suit's call.

  “We have a complication,” 'The Suit' said.

  “Something different than what is already happening?” The voice was thick with accusation and annoyance.

  “Listen here, Callahan, you answer to me in this hierarchy. You will handle the things I tell you to handle, without complaint,” 'The Suit' shot back. The line quieted for a moment.

  “Yes, sir,” Callahan answered.

  Major Callahan was the military muscle of the government faction 'The Suit' was a part of. He was their inside man in the military, making decisions that were for the good of the faction and not the general government. When processes in war zones needed to be fulfilled, Callahan was the one to be called. He could infiltrate the troops on the ground and arrange for them to complete the missions the faction needed for their goals. Callahan liked being known as the faction’s fixer and that wasn’t far from the truth.

  “Good. The Mars Project. There’s evidence that has been taken from the facility. I need your men to get it back.”

  “Yes, sir. Where is it?” Callahan asked.

  'The Suit' switched back to the folder with the hiring details for Duncan.

  “I have an address. Callahan, this man Duncan, tell your men to watch for him. He’s a fair adversary.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The truck came to an easy stop at the camping supply store. Charlie didn’t really want to stay in town. Her fear had ratcheted up while they were at the lab. The enclosed space with the infected wandering the area made her feel uncomfortable. Being back in the place where she had assisted in creating the virus that now was killing everyone, made her feel sick to her core. She was sure they were being watched and she mentioned it to Rafe a few times. His attention was so divided that he didn’t really acknowledge her feeling.

  She looked over at his silent form now. He had barely spoken since he had to kill Liza. Charlie felt sadness for him. She wasn’t sure what Liza was to him, but his emotions were clearly intense after seeing her as an infected and having to end her. Charlie wanted to console him somehow, but she didn’t know him well enough to reach out in that way. Instead, she just waited for him to make a move and tell her why he insisted on coming to the camping supply store.

  Charlie surveyed the area, mimicking the way Rafe looked all around them before making a move, In the dista
nce, movement could be seen everywhere. But unlike before, no infected came out of hiding at the sound of Rafe’s truck. The glass in the store was broken in. From where they sat she couldn’t tell if it was vandals or looting. She suspected a little of both. The sound of Rafe readying his weapons made her turn toward him and watch.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Charlie asked suddenly. She hadn’t meant to ask, but she couldn’t stop herself from caring. Rafe had taken care of her, been there for her and given her a safe haven.

  “About what?” Rafe asked. His voice was quieter than usual.

  “Your friend. You had to kill your friend. We should talk about it,” Charlie said bluntly.

  “Liza. Her name was Liza. We weren’t really friends. Just co-workers.”

  “Someone you saw every day at the facility. I know it bothers you that you had to do that. I would have done it for you.”

  “It’s only right that I took care of her,” Rafe said. His eyes still scanning the surroundings, without landing on her.

  “Maybe. And I understand that. But if you want to talk, well I’m here. I’m kinda the only one here,” Charlie replied.

  “I think we’re in the clear. You ready to go in?” Rafe asked, avoiding the subject for now.

  Charlie held up the crowbar that she wielded and just nodded her head. She knew that Rafe wanted to get whatever they could while they were in town, so they didn’t have to leave the compound often. She agreed with that and wanted to follow his lead. It was clear to her that Rafe had skills and knowledge she had no idea of. She trusted him. That was a big thing for her after discovering what she did at the facility. She had trusted the job, the government, the people around her. She shouldn’t have. It was a mistake to believe in any of that. Now she was with a man she only truly met less than a week before and she trusted him with her life. It was baffling to her but felt natural and she didn’t question it.

  She followed Rafe out of the truck. Once outside sounds reached their ears. Sounds of fighting, groaning infected, screaming, and crying. Rafe hesitated next to Charlie, looking toward the noise. She watched his face, waiting for a decision. Without asking, she knew he was warring with the need to help those that might be trapped and under attack.

  “If I asked you to wait in the truck, would you?’ Rafe asked.

  “Probably not,” Charlie answered honestly. That got a grunt of laughter out of Rafe.

  “At least I know what to expect with you. I want to check out what’s happening. Maybe we can help,” Rafe said.

  “I’m with you. If you think it’s the right move, I’ll follow.”

  That caused Rafe to look at her strangely for a moment as if he didn’t believe her words. The look quickly changed to determination and he turned toward the turmoil. Charlie stayed close on his heels, not wanting to be separated from the man with the gun and knives. When he started throwing knives she had been in absolute shock. His accuracy had been perfect. She wondered if there would be a day when something Rafe did, wouldn’t surprise her. She looked at his knife sheath now, the metal of the knives glinting in the sun as he moved. They looked small, but they were deadly in his hands.

  They rounded the end of the strip of stores, coming to a small alley between buildings. Charlie gasped in shock, her mind trying to comprehend what they were seeing. The first thing she knew was, they were too late. It was a group of survivors that somehow ended up in a dead-end alley. They weren’t able to defend themselves because they all fell to the infected. Now over a dozen infected were bent over bodies of their victims, gorging themselves on fresh flesh. Rafe groaned a pained noise before he used his 9mm on the nearest infected. The loud echo of the shot brought attention to the living pair in the alley.

  Groans, hissing, and growling began from the infected as they dropped their fresh kills, to follow the newest additions. Charlie began to back up, but Rafe stood his ground. In her fear, she missed the noise of an actual animal nearby. As she watched Rafe prepare to engage the infected coming at him, a white streak of fur flew past Charlie. The fur was snarling and attacking the infected, the noises it made so similar to those of the zombies. Black gore flew and Rafe called out to the animal trying to protect it from the infected. Rafe’s calls went unheeded as the animal continued its unrelenting attack.

  Charlie finally focused and realized it was a dog. A large dog, attacking the infected with no concern for its own safety. In her mind she found herself thinking odd thoughts, wondering if the dog even knew it was in danger. And how hard would it be to clean its fur once it was soaked in the gore from the infected. Rafe was fighting his way to the dog, clearly wanting to save someone or something from the infected that had come into the alley.

  Rafe reached the dog, only to have to jump back because the dog was so absorbed in the fight he didn’t recognize friend from foe. Charlie spurred into action, as she watched infected trying to circle back behind Rafe. She cried his name as she ran in to smash the crowbar across the skull of a nearby infected. Her voice brought Rafe around to see how the infected were circling him. He cursed aloud and grabbed for his throwing knives. A few moments later two knives were embedded in two skulls and the infected nearest to Charlie fell. Even in the midst of survival, Rafe was defending her. She was both parts pleased and aggravated. She was trying to take care of herself too, but Rafe wouldn’t allow it.

  Resorting to gunfire, Rafe finished the situation, leaving two alive humans and one dog gasping for breath in the alleyway. Rafe regarded the dog warily and the dog watched him for any sudden movements. Charlie, on the other hand, was attracted to the beauty of the dog immediately. She dropped the crowbar and knelt down cooing to the dog and calling it to her.

  “Come here, pup. You did such a good job. Who do you belong to?” Charlie said softly. The dog cocked an ear her way and he seemed to relax when she spoke. It occurred to her that he probably knew she wasn’t an infected because she spoke to him. He slowly came to her, head down in submission. When he got close to Charlie he stopped and looked at her again.

  “It’s ok, baby. You are such a good pup. Come here,” she continued to coax, keeping her body relaxed and easy to not scare the dog.

  “Charlie, you don’t know this dog. Didn’t anyone tell you not to pet other people’s animals?” Rafe asked. He inched their way as well, gun still at his side. Charlie guessed he thought he would need to protect her from the dog.

  “Rafe, stay back. He’s scared. But he’s not dangerous,” Charlie said softly, keeping her voice low and calm. She could see Rafe go stiff trying to fight his basic instincts.

  The dog was gorgeous, a husky, with white and gray fur. His eyes were deep and full of emotion, as he looked into Charlie’s face, one blue and one brown. His coat was splashed with blood and gore from his vicious attack. But now that he didn’t find an obvious threat, he whined softly at Charlie and came to sniff her outstretched fingers. He licked her once before putting his head under her hand. Charlie took that as an approval for a pet, and she sunk her fingers deep into his fur. She ran her hand to his neck and encountered a collar. She turned it and read the tags.

  “Storm. Your name is Storm.” At the sound of his name Storm let out a little yip, as if agreeing. It made Charlie smile. Then Storm did what she didn’t want him to do, he turned and leaned his filthy body against her. Charlie let out her own yip and Rafe stifled a laugh.

  “Ok, Storm, you are clearly in a need of a bath. Maybe we could help you with that,” Charlie said to the dog as she stood up and looked at Rafe. Her face held the question and she waited for his decision.

  “If he wants to come with us, we can bring him home and clean him up. He’ll have to behave around the other animals,” Rafe said.

  “Yay!” Charlie cheered, and Storm did a little prance around her feet as if he knew exactly why she was happy. Rafe just shook his head and retrieved the knives he had used during the fight.

  As Charlie and Rafe walked away from the alley, Storm followed close to Charlie’s
heel. She could tell he was a well taken care of dog, his coat—without the gore—was shiny and well brushed. As he followed without instruction, he was clearly trained and loyal. Charlie wondered where his family was. She was saddened thinking they must have been dead, or he would have been with them, protecting them from the infected.

  Suddenly, Storm stopped, his hackles rising as a low growl left his lips. Charlie and Rafe froze and looked at him. For a moment Charlie wondered if she was wrong and Storm was going to turn on them. But the thought disappeared as soon as the hissing and growling came from the camping gear shop they were approaching. Storm stalked ahead of Charlie, ignoring her whispered calls to come back. Rafe followed closely with Storm, his hunting knife pulled. They entered the shop as a team, Charlie following up behind them with her crowbar. Storm shot off to the left and his growling became louder than the infected that he jumped and took down. Rafe quickly ran after the dog and used his hunting knife to stop the infected from attacking.

  Charlie came around the corner to find Rafe pulling his knife clear and patting Storm on the head.

  “He’s a good watchdog,” Charlie said. Storm trotted to her, tongue lolling out of his mouth. She smiled down at him and gave him a quick rub for the job well done.

  Now that the camping store was cleared of the infected, Rafe got to work collecting the items he thought were useful. Charlie picked up a new, larger bag for her bug out bag. When she came across a section of food, she ripped open a beef jerky and threw a piece to Storm. The beautiful dog jumped and snapped it out of the air. He seemed pleased with the taste, so she filled her bag with all of the jerkies from the rack. Dehydrated foods, a mess kit, a thermal blanket, and a dog bowl for water followed. Rafe called her over to add a few knives, a multitool, and ammo to her pack.