John smiled slyly. “I live in an underground lair,” he replied. “At any rate, I plan on eating well from here. If we're leaving, I'll need the energy. My point is, Chimera gives living people several advantages they may not realize they've grown dependent on.”
Suddenly Kell knew where this was going. With a rising sense of dread, he asked, “What does this cure do to the dead?”
John winced. “I wasn't able to work this out with the plague itself,” he said. “I tried so many times. Instead I used pristine samples of Chimera, totally unaltered. Which, as Kell has already figured out, the cure has the capacity to mutate at hugely increased rates, as well as jump from species to species.”
“That sounds like a really terrible idea,” Kate said.
John nodded. “Yes, I know. So far only one of seven zombie subjects have survived the cure, and that one was left a shaking husk incapable of voluntary motion. The cure is itself another form of Chimera, carefully designed to attach to the plague and break it down. Without the years and resources I would need to be completely certain, I can't say it won't mutate into something as bad.”
“Or worse,” Kell said. “It took us years to create specific versions of Chimera, and even then there were always failures.”
John rested his head in his hands on the table, profoundly tired. “That's what I thought, too. I don't know what to do with it. It works, but is it worth the risk?”
“The question I'm asking myself,” Scotty said, “is whether it should be up to the four of us to make this call. Can't we just let every person decide if they want to try their luck?”
“No,” John said. “Doesn't work that way. To be effective against the masses it has to be airborne. It's all or nothing.”
Twenty-Three
“How sure are you they're going to find me?” John asked as he and Kell loaded the truck.
Two days of organizing and packing the military transport left Kell with aching muscles and a deficit of patience. It was down to the two of them to decide what was critical for their research, and the job of moving the information and equipment also fell to them. Chris and Scotty stayed busy moving the vehicles from the road, then draining their tanks of fuel. Aside from that they managed the logistics of survival; the facility had enormous stores of food and other goods John would need at his new home.
“Again, John, we're pretty certain. You said yourself they're looking for you.”
“Well, yeah, but they don't have directions like you did. They just know I'm here. Or that something is here.”
Kell sighed, setting down a box of notes. “It's a safe bet they know what this place is even if they don't know exactly where. They have a general idea. I've listened to the radio chatter too, don't forget. They'll end up here sooner or later. Then releasing the cure won't be up to you.”
“God, I don't even want to think about it,” John said quietly. “I mean, I know it could work, but the risks...”
“Yeah,” Kell said. They'd had this conversation many times over the previous two days, and it was starting to wear thin. “So, again; let's get this done so we can get you somewhere safe.”
Moving the research itself wasn't the worst part. As the group considered all the things John would need, the list of items they would need to take with them grew. Would John like to go to the bathroom? Check. Gather toilet paper. Would John need electricity to operate the various small devices he would need for even the rudimentary work he would do? Absolutely. Disassemble the smaller wind turbines and solar panels. Try to remember how it all goes together.
Which led to the question of how to store the energy, then a dozen other associated problems and concerns. The worst part for Kell were those details; his generally organized mind reeled at the constant need to reevaluate and amend their plans. It was impossible to simply create a static set of goals and meet them. The needs of a single man had, like Chimera, mutated into a major ordeal.
At least it felt that way to Kell. As he hauled box after box of equipment, he speculated on how much easier it would be to just go fight zombies.
Hours later, as Kell was hooking a small trailer they'd found up to their SUV, Kate returned.
“Hey! K!” she shouted. He looked up from his work sharply. Everyone had been using his name—whether he liked it or not—since arriving at the facility. His immediate reaction was to assume something was wrong, a theory not disproved by the three women walking motorcycles down the access road next to Kate.
“Nicole,” Kell said. “Juel, Emilia. You're back early. Really early.”
“Very observant,” Nicole said as she extended the kickstand and walked away from her bike. There was a hitch in her step. Kell offered her an arm but dropped it under Nicole's withering gaze.
“What happened?” Kell asked.
Kate led the other scouts through the gate, offering them food. A momentary pang of fear darted through his heart, but if they were here this early it meant trouble. Finding out about the research facility and his part in it was low on the priority list.
Nicole lowered herself onto the edge of the trailer with a sigh of relief. “We headed south to meet up with a contact and got caught by a patrol. Turns out these fuckers we've been looking for are keeping a close eye on this part of the country. They've got hunting camps, armed patrols, even supply depots set up south of here. We were lucky to get away.”
“How bad is the leg?”
Nicole stretched it out, though not straight. “Twisted my knee pretty hard. Can't extend it all the way. Our contact was with us when the patrol hit us. He jumped in front of a gun for me.”
“Is he...”
Nicole glanced up at him. “Dead? No. He was wearing a vest, and it was a hand gun. But he landed on my leg when he pushed me out of the way. He was cut off from his ride, so we brought him with us after the fight.”
The words were logical, ordered, but for a few seconds they didn't make sense to him. “What do you mean, you brought him with you? Brought him where?”
Nicole looked at him askance. “He's here. We left him down the road, sleeping in the back of a hummer one of your boys pushed to the side.”
“Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?” Kell said, cold fury in every word. “How do you know he's trustworthy? Do you even know what this place is?”
Nicole grimaced as she turned to face him. “First off, calm your ass down. I wouldn't have brought anyone dangerous here. Well, scratch that. He's a nightmare, but he's on our side. I've known him a long time. Second, I don't know exactly what this compound is for, but I'm not an idiot. Will sent us to find it the first time with orders not to tell a soul. Only to confirm its existence from long range and report home. It's important, I imagine. If you think for a second I'd put your lives in danger if I could avoid it, you're an idiot.”
Kell flinched. “Sorry. I'm running on fumes. And now you're telling me we're going to need to pick up the pace.”
Nicole cocked her head. “Kate told me some of what is going on here, but she was vague. I assume you're moving the material here back to New Haven?”
“No,” Kell said cautiously. “There's a man here who has been researching a cure. We want to put him in another location, somewhere away from everyone else.” He fervently hoped Kate would corner John and the rest to make sure no one mentioned Kell's identity to the scouts. “He says he's close, but that the cure itself is dangerous. Putting him in the middle of a population could be disastrous.”
Nicole chewed on her lip. “Makes sense. Well, if we're going to move him it has to be soon. Kate told me you've picked up radio chatter that they're looking for this place. As close as they are and with patrols moving at highway speeds, they could find us any time.”
“Wonderful,” Kell said, frustrated. “We're not ready. I wish we could buy a little time.”
Nicole slapped him on the shoulder. “Let's talk to our guest about that. He might have a few ideas. The guy used to be a SEAL.”
Eight hours later,
Kell was fending off Kate as he threw his personal gear into one of the military vehicles. The cargo hold was packed with fuel cans, enough to get the thing all the way to New Haven and supply all three motorcycles for the trip as well.
“This is a stupid plan,” Kate said. “You should come with us and let the other four handle the distraction.”
Kell, wedging his spear into the back of the armored Jeep, shook his head. “All our eggs in one basket, remember? I'll be with all three scouts and this guy they brought with them. Safe as I can be. John is closer—way closer—to figuring out a way to fix this thing than I am. I trust you to get him to safety and figure out a way to keep himself hidden. If something happens to your group and we're both with you, we'd be risking losing any chance for the cure.”
Kate sniffed. “Then you should get in this thing and drive straight back to New Haven,” she said. “Risking your life is still stupid.”
“Agreed,” he said with a smile. “But unless we tell the rest of the group who I am, it would look suspicious if I backed out. They need another body, and I'm the best choice.”
“Bullshit. What are you going to do that Chris or Scotty couldn't?”
Kell studied her. “You know, you're right. I don't know why I even try arguing this stuff with you. I want to go, Kate. I need to be out there making sure the rest of you aren't followed. I can't trust it to anyone else.”
Down the access road, Nicole whistled. “Time to go!” she shouted.
Kell was looking her way and as a result wasn't prepared for the crushing hug Kate hit him with. It was an act so out of character for her that he couldn't even react at first. Then long-ignored social instincts kicked in and he hugged her back. It was awkward at first, then powerful. Tears welled in his eyes.
“I love you, you know,” she said, voice muffled against his chest. “You're family, Kell. Be safe. This isn't like anything else you've done. You're not tricking anyone or being clever here. You're going to pick a head-on fight on purpose. Please come back alive.”
His hand ran gently across her hair. “No stupid risks, I promise. I love you too. Keep John safe, okay? He's the only thing I have left from before.”
They separated, and Kell looked away as Kate swiped a forearm across her eyes. “Don't worry. I'll get him there safe.”
Kell gave her one last smile before squeezing himself behind the wheel. He waved as the Jeep rolled down the now-clear road. A hundred yards away, he stopped. Nicole, Juel, Emilia, and their mysterious friend waited.
“Ready?” Nicole said, throwing a leg over her bike.
“Yeah,” Kell replied. The stranger, who hadn't given Kell a name, climbed into the passenger seat. The guy was big, even by Kell's own standard. Though a few inches shorter than Kell—which still put him squarely in the upper percentile of human height—he was much heavier. Though not a slim man himself, the stranger was broad across the shoulders and packed with muscle. Not showy bodybuilder fluff, but the flat, hard muscle of an athlete.
He was scarred. The man wore a pair of fatigue pants and an olive-green shirt, thick arms straining the short sleeves, and just the exposed skin was enough to make Kell wonder how he'd survived. Long, deep twists of scar tissue ran down his arms, crisscrossing his wrists and fingers. In several places the unmistakable slashes of claw marks swept across the longer lines. His face and neck were no better; deep grooves snaked up an across his cheek, over his eyebrow. It looked like he got into a fight with a man-sized blender and won.
“So, what should I call you?” Kell said as they trundled down the road.
The man took longer to reply than the question merited. “You good at keeping secrets?”
Kell forced down the laughter. Oh, if he only knew. “Sure.”
“Let me put it this way, then. I've been working deep inside this new group for a while now. I know a lot about them. I'm helping here because I owe a lot to New Haven. I have friends there. And it's imperative I be able to sneak back south with no one the wiser. Which means I don't exist, you understand? Your friend Kate already knows, Nicole had a talk with her. When you get back home, I was never here.”
Kell nodded. “I can do that.”
“Then call me Tim. It's my middle name,” the other man said. “Safer for both of us in case you slip up and accidentally mention me.”
“I won't,” Kell said. “But I get your caution.”
Tim smiled. “Then we're going to get along just fine.”
“There you are,” Tim said.
On their bellies, the two of them watched the camp below. Holding his binoculars with one hand, Kell pointed to the northern edge of the clearing. “Right there?”
“Yeah,” Tim said. “The rest are hunters or transport drivers. That truck and two bikes are the scouts. The leadership didn't tell them what they're looking for, exactly, but they know the bare bones of it. If they roll up on your friend's compound, they'll recognize it.”
Kell lowered his binoculars, turning his head to look at Tim. “How do you know all this?”
Still watching the men below, Tim smiled. “Told you, I've been inside their camps a lot over the last few months. I was in Nevada when the first bunker opened and made my way to Texas to check it out.”
“So others have opened? How many are there?”
“Three that we know of. Two are situated right next to each other. The third sits not half a mile from a reserve of oil large enough to give them all the fuel they'll need for the next ten years. There's a small refinery, too. First bunker runs out of food way faster than it should have, and the leadership figures they'll send people out to hunt. Then they get the idea to use their resources to trade. They barter with fuel, medical care, you name it.”
Watching the men and women working, Kell thought it all looked familiar. Normal. The distant people could have been anyone from his own group back in New Haven. “Doesn't sound so bad to me. That's what New Haven and the places they trade with do, isn't it?”
“Yes and no,” Tim said. “The difference is these people started making promises. You know there are a lot of politicians in those bunkers, right? They're running the deal. So instead of just offering trade, they'd hold back on some services, claiming a shortage, until they got commitments from people pouring in. Communities five hundred miles away were emptying out to join up, only to find out they were basically being pressed into service when they got there. Bait and switch.”
Kell's jaw clenched. On the surface it didn't sound especially terrible. Just manipulative and, frankly, the kind of behavior one should expect from politicians. But he knew better; the old world might have tolerated promising one thing but changing the terms at the last minute. The people flocking to the bunkers couldn't have done so lightly. Surviving in the wild took grit and a lot of work. For groups, even whole communities, to uproot and head for new frontiers would mean their need would have been dire, especially to leave behind all the hard work they'd done. Kell struggled to think of a word to describe the cruelty in taking advantage of those migrants.
“That's just fucking evil,” he finally said.
Tim nodded. “I'm with you on that. One of the promises those dicks made was protection, but you can see the truth below. There are, what, fifty people down there? Nine of them are scouts. And only two of the scouts are military. Just two out of all of them. Most of that camp is made up of immigrants from other communities, forced to leave their families back at the bunkers to move across the country, constantly hunting. Instead of the army of defenders they were promised, they get two guys who're put in charge. The rest they have to do for themselves.”
Kell felt pity for them. “Must have been a harsh wake-up call,” he said. “I can't imagine how bad it was, having their expectations crushed like that.”
Again Tim nodded. “Yeah. But now they're stuck with it, and they're doing what they're told. No matter how we feel about it, they're the enemy. Remember that over the next few days, you hear me?”
“I hear you,” Kel
l said.
Tim put a hand on Kell's arm. “I'm serious. I have no plans to die here.” He tilted his head at his own arm, and the scars it bore. “I've come close enough to that before. Won't do it again if I can help it. Which means when the shit goes down, I need to know you won't hesitate. These are people, man, but that can't stop you.”
Their eyes met, deep brown locking with light blue like the forest meeting the sky. “The day of the first outbreak, I killed a man in cold blood. Shot him in his face and walked away without batting an eye.”
If this news shocked or bothered Tim, the man didn't show it. “What'd he do?”
“Got my wife and daughter killed,” Kell said. “I was in Cincinnati that day.”
Tim smiled, a grim expression made darker by the way it twisted his facial scars. “He was an enemy, then. You did what you had to.”
“It made me a murderer,” Kell said. “The world was still in one piece, then.”
Tim's hand tightened, somehow comforting. “Not for you, it wasn't. What you did was illegal. Doesn't mean it was wrong.”
They watched the camp for another few minutes, then slowly wormed their way backward, below the crest of the hill. Tim led the way silently to the Jeep, traversing the grass and forest like a ghost. The man never seemed to touch anything other than the ground itself.
“We'll rest for a bit,” Tim said. “I'll take first watch, two hours. You nap, then cover me. If the scouts get moving while I'm out, wake me. Don't go after them alone. We're going to do this smart.”
Kell agreed, though he was unsure if sleep would come.
Twenty-Four
At dawn the enemy scouts moved out. Kell and Tim watched.
“Quit fidgeting,” Tim said without shifting his binoculars an inch. “The girls know what they're doing. Let them do it. We're the backup, remember?”
“Don't let them catch you calling them girls,” Kell said. “I'm pretty sure Nicole will stab you.”
The Fall (Book 2): Dead Will Rise Page 24