“Yep,” he said as he fell back on his mattress.
“So why would you want to go?” I asked, still sitting straight up.
He seemed to ponder a moment. “If I tell you, will you shut up and go to bed?”
“Yeah,” I nodded.
“I feel like I’m treading water here, kid. One day, I’m going to get caught and end up zombie or scab food. Chances are that is what is going to happen on the road, too. The difference is, here, I’m just surviving. I would rather die trying to get that doctor to where she needs to be. You know, go out fighting this war rather than just scavenging some batteries and chicken noodle soup. If that’s the price for salvation, I’d rather pay it than watch it go by.”
“I’ll go with you,” I stated.
“The hell you will. I didn’t save your ass ten times to have you die on the road. No, you’re going to stay put. Besides, the Major already hates Boomer. He said the only thing that dog attracts more than fleas is zombies.”
“How the hell would he know? You know Boomer is a better runner than most humans we have here in camp! You told him, right?”
“Think he’d listen to me? I’m sure the Major looks at Boomer like a walking dinner rather than useful. He doesn’t know any better. But, like I said, I don’t want you going.”
That didn’t make me feel too good. I know when Fish and I met, I was a green pogue who didn’t know how to survive, but I wasn’t that guy anymore. I had been on as many runs into the city as anyone else. Hell, more than most. I thought he was saying that he didn’t trust me to cover his back.
“Fish,” I began to say, but he cut me off.
“We had a deal, kid. Shut the damn light off and go to bed. Mission briefing at 0700 hours tomorrow. You’ll want to be fresh in the morning.”
I sighed and turned off the lamp.
So we were going to go ahead with the raid on the veterinary clinic in the morning. Not just to save Sergeant Pitman, but Rachel needed meds too. I wasn’t sure what Rich thought they had at an animal hospital that would help a pregnant woman. But that was for brighter minds than mine. I had my own issues to focus on.
I laid there and stared at the dark ceiling for over an hour before sleep overtook me again.
Chapter 18
Pulling Teeth
June 24th Morning
Fish woke me up early the next morning. The sun was still an hour away from rising when he left the shack. I don’t understand how he did it. Drunk the night before yet ready to go to war before sunrise the next day? The man’s stamina at his age was astounding.
Butterflies filled my stomach as I thought of what today was going to bring. I wasn’t thinking about the mission we were going on. I had been on enough runs where the ‘nervousness’ usually only struck when we were approaching the city. But the nauseous feeling came from the thought that I would be telling Doctor Tripp about my immunity. I didn’t know her that well and wasn’t sure how she would react. How would the others react when she told them? I was sure her scientific mind wouldn’t allow anyone to kill me out of fear that I was a carrier.
I put all of the gear I thought I would be taking on the run on my bed and headed out to grab breakfast. Boomer ran out into the yard to do his business while I continued to walk to the main hall.
It was still dark outside but, like every day, most of the camp was already awake. I passed various people, some carrying their breakfast while others were changing guard shifts. There were so many new faces and I hadn’t had enough time to memorize all of their names yet.
I saw Chad and Karina standing in the breakfast line just outside the main hall and snuck in between them.
“Morning Christian,” Karina said tiredly. Her hair was a mess and she looked as if she had just crawled out of bed.
“Good morning, twerp. Big plans today?” I asked.
“I get to learn gardening today. Yay me,” she complained.
“I’ll trade ya, kid,” Chad remarked.
“Okay!” she said, smiling.
“I don’t think that is going to happen,” I said, clasping a hand on Karina’s shoulder.
“Did you hear what the teams are?” Chad groaned. “They got me with Cecil’s pig ass. It’s bullshit.”
“Who told you who was on what teams?” I asked.
“Daniel,” Chad scoffed. “He said he and I are going with Cecil to some dental office. I guess Rich stopped by to give Daniel a list of meds we need to get.” Chad followed Karina into the main hall where breakfast was self-served oatmeal and a hardboiled egg.
We took our breakfast and the three of us found a picnic table outside.
“Check this out,” Chad said after he scarfed down his breakfast. He handed me a plastic cell phone case. After a quick examination, I noticed Velcro had been taped to one side.
“What’s this?” I asked, handing it back.
Chad took out the cell phone he used to record his ‘documentary’ and slid it into the case. After, he pinned it to his chest.
“I put Velcro on my ammo vest,” he stated. “I can record when we bust into places. People will see how we take care of the dead-heads.”
“You’re silly, Chad,” Karina laughed. “You know that the chances of anyone seeing your videos are pretty low.”
“You never know,” I countered. “With that doctor, we might be able to find a vaccine and get this world right again.”
Karina eyed me. I could tell by the look on her face she had already heard the rumors about the people we rescued the day before. The glare she was giving me was about me not coming clean about my immunity.
“And have you talked to that doctor yet?” she asked.
“Why would he need to talk to that old hag?” Chad chuckled.
“He knows why—”
“Enough, Karina,” I cut her off.
Chad shook his head. “You two are weird. I’ll see you at the meeting, Christian.” Chad stood up and headed off toward the motor pool.
I turned to Karina and whispered, “I plan on talking to her when we get back from this run. It has to be the right time, you know?”
“You’ve been saying that for the last two months,” she countered.
“I know,” I sighed. “But I am going to, I promise.”
She gave me a look of suspicion and I just smiled at her reassuringly.
“Come on, Boomer,” I called out and he came running up to the table. I stood up and nodded a farewell to Karina.
“Be safe Christian. Take care of him, Boomer!” she said as he and I walked back to my shack.
Once inside, I fitted Boomer’s harness around his back and legs and then began to put on my gear. Within five minutes, I was marching off to the meeting.
The motor pool soon filled up with Runners and Hunters. Fish never went over the details of the plan with me, not that it really mattered. I usually knew my role. With Boomer, I would usually lead an entry team into whatever building we were looting.
The sun had started to rise, revealing a crisp, clear sky without a cloud in site.
Other than the usual band of people that went on the dangerous runs into the city, I saw Rich, Doctor Tripp, and Major Dobson standing near Fish and the Captain.
“Attention everyone,” Campbell began, stepping in the middle of a quickly forming circle, “this will be short. We need to grab some desperately needed meds, both for one of the people we rescued yesterday, and… and Rachel.”
He hesitated, but from the looks I saw on most faces, the news of Rachel’s pregnancy had already made its way around the camp.
“We have two objectives,” Campbell continued. “Primary Objective is a veterinary hospital just inside Melbourne. Secondary is a dental office not too far from the Primary. I will lead the mission. Fish will head Alpha Team, which will hit the Primary. Cecil will lead Bravo Team and observe the Secondary. If it seems viable, they will make entry and clear the store. Alpha will support if they finish in time. It is good running weather, so the danger of runnin
g into a mob or herd of dead-heads is slim.”
Campbell nodded to Fish and exited the circle. Fish took his place.
“Alright girls, Alpha team will be broken into three groups. Alpha One is the Captain, myself, Christian, Gardner, and Rich. We will make entry into the building. Alpha Two will be Big Red’s crew. Enrique will be the driver, Private Trent and Major Dobson will have suppressed rifles and pull over-watch on the back. Alpha Three will be our backup, consisting of Kolin and Raymond in my truck.”
I didn’t really know Raymond too well. We rescued him a few weeks prior, and he had only been on a few runs. Kolin, our lead hunter, had been on plenty of runs. He was an outdoorsman to the bone, and hated being stuck in camp.
Fish clasped his hands together. “Suppressed weapons only. You can bring your rifles, but if I hear one go off without the Captain’s or my permission, I’ll personally shove it up your rectum. Got it? The Major and Private Trent will have our suppressed rifles.”
DJ had only made a couple of additional suppressors for rifles. He planned on making more, but his time was limited with all of his other duties.
“Cecil.” Fish waved to the former detective as he stepped away from the circle.
Cecil stepped in. “Bravo team will be a little lighter. Like Fish said, only suppressed weapons. This is good running weather and we don’t want to wake the dead,” he said without a smile. The phrase was literal in this case.
“Bravo One will be Chad and I. We will observe the dental office and make entry if we think we can do it without any issues. Bravo Two, which is Jenna, Sam, and Daniel, will be hanging back with Alpha Three. Once we clear the place, Bravo Two will bring Daniel to us and we’ll start gathering what’s on his list. And if we’re lucky, we won’t need Alpha to come help us,” Cecil said, grinning.
“One hour until we leave,” Campbell said, taking center stage again. “Everyone carry a few poppers on you, just in case. Molotov cocktails will be with Alpha Three and Bravo Two. Last resort only. I don’t think it’s going to rain today and we don’t want to burn down the city just yet.”
Campbell considered what he just said, scrunching his brow. He turned to Doctor Tripp. “Doctor, why do the dead-heads react to fire?”
Doctor Tripp seemed unprepared to answer any questions, and cleared her throat. “Probably for the same reason they are not too fond of the sun.”
“And that is?” DJ asked.
“I’m not sure. Maybe due to the metabolism slowing down while exposed to too much heat. That is on a long list of questions I have.” She sighed.
“Feel sorry for those assholes up north,” Chad chuckled.
“Can it, convict,” Fish barked, and then turned to face the group again. “Okay, like the Captain said, we leave in one hour. Get your gear, grab your maxi-pads, and be back in forty-five mikes.”
The hour passed pretty fast, and before I knew it, I was riding in the back of Big Red’s cab. The backup teams Alpha Three and Bravo Two stayed at the highway overpass leading into the city. It was only a mile and a half away from our Primary Objective. That area was relatively clear of zombies and considered a safe spot for them to wait until we called.
The bright sun had proved to be our ally. Zombies were few and far between on the short trip. Right before the veterinary hospital, Cecil and Chad pulled Vader off and headed toward their objective. It was about a half a mile away from the vet clinic and down a side street.
The veterinary hospital was an L shaped building. Two zombies were hanging out under the shade of the roof near the front doors, but were quickly dispatched by Major Dobson and Trent who were pulling over-watch on the back of Big Red.
“This might be easier than I thought,” Campbell commented as he stared around the area.
“Famous last words, sir,” Fish grunted.
“You have fun in there,” Enrique smiled as Alpha One exited the cab.
Rich was dressed in full body armor, including a helmet with a face shield. Campbell wasn’t taking any chances with our best medical person in the camp. He carried a small .22 caliber pistol, similar to my .22 Ruger that I carried as a backup pistol. Everyone in camp had been trained by Fish and DJ on weapon use, though I think Rich could have used a few more classes. Evidently, Fish agreed.
“Rich, keep your pistol holstered,” he ordered.
“And if I need it?” Rich asked with a raised eyebrow.
“You’ll need it when the rest of us are dead,” Fish replied.
“Don’t worry, Rich, we have your back,” Gardner chuckled.
“Yeah, you do,” Fish agreed. “Gardner, you are Rich’s shadow. Christian, take the lead.”
Boomer had started his patrol as soon as he exited the cab, and wasn’t showing any major alerts.
“Come on, Boomer,” I called to him, and the canine galloped over to me.
We approached the front door of the animal hospital. I noticed none of the windows were busted in or outward. That was always a good sign. It meant no zombies had been in the building, and that there was a good chance no one had looted it yet.
Boomer sniffed around the front door, and thankfully didn’t give any zombie or scab sign.
I turned my head back. “Seems clear.”
“Try it,” Fish ordered. Just as he did, we heard suppressed fire coming from Big Red.
“Trouble?” Campbell asked into the radio.
“Negative,” Major Dobson replied. “Just a couple of Zulus.”
“His panties still in a wad, sir?” Fish asked. Of course, the mic was off.
Campbell grinned. “He doesn’t like sitting on the side lines. But with that ankle, he would just be a liability.”
Rich had looked at Dobson’s ankle and told him it was a bad sprain. I overheard the argument between the Major and Campbell about being stuck on over-watch. Rich, however, mentioned that if it was up to him, Dobson wouldn’t be going on the mission altogether.
“Eh, PJ’s aren’t pussies,” Fish said as he moved up next to me and checked the doorknob. He grunted in disappointment when the door didn’t open. “They’re used to doing shit alone. Probably pissed that an Intel Officer is ordering him around.”
“What’s a PJ?” I asked.
“Pararescue. The Air Force’s Special Forces. They go behind enemy lines and rescue downed pilots, grab vital Intel, and shit like that.” Fish took out a small crowbar and started to work it in between the double doors.
“Are all Special Forces assholes?” I smirked.
“Comes with the training,” Fish said evenly. The door popped open and revealed a dark reception area. “Go, kid.”
I nodded and Boomer and I went in. I held my suppressed Glock 9mm out in front of me. Boomer took the lead and was sniffing like crazy. At first I thought he caught a scent, but then realized we were in an animal hospital. His senses must have been going crazy.
The office itself was untouched. No one had raided it or broken in. A thick layer of dust covered just about every surface.
Campbell was right. It ended up being an easy raid. No zombies or scabs were on Boomer’s radar, and the only dead things we found were rotted birds and two dog corpses, still trapped in their cages.
Even better was they were fully stocked on medical supplies. We were in the middle of carrying out a second load when Cecil called over the radio.
“Sir, this is Bravo One.”
“Go ahead, Cecil,” Campbell replied.
“We’ve circled the building. Only a couple of dead-heads in sight. I recommend Chad and I check it out,” Cecil reported.
“Roger that. Go ahead. Keep me updated.” Campbell turned to Fish. “If we hurry, we could help them clear out the dentist office.”
Fish nodded and then glared back at Gardner and me. “Come on girls, get your asses moving.”
We continued to move medical gear to Big Red for the next few minutes. The mood was good, as it seemed the run was going according to plan. Then Cecil’s voice blared over the radio.
> “Shit! We have multiple dead-heads in the building!”
Campbell dropped the box he was carrying and pressed his transmit button. “Get out of there!”
“Shit, shit shit!” Cecil cursed over and over through my earpiece. “We’re surrounded. Oh no…”
“Get your asses out of there!” Fish all but shouted back.
“Chad’s been bit!” Cecil said dreadfully. “Shit, they’re pulling him through—”
The radio cut off for a moment.
“Alpha Three and Bravo Two. Move to the Secondary Objective immediately and evaluate!” Campbell ordered.
My heart was pounding. Chad was bit? I should have been there. I was supposed to have his back.
“Enrique, get the engine fired up!” Fish ordered.
I threw what items I had into the back of Big Red and jumped inside.
“Bravo One, status?” Campbell asked over the crackling airwaves. Jenna and Kolin responded, acknowledging and telling him they were in route.
“Status, Cecil?” Campbell repeated.
“I… I can see Chad. He’s fighting two dead-heads. What do I do?” Cecil responded frantically.
“Can you confirm that he is infected?” Fish asked.
“Roger that, Fish. Damn thing took a chunk off the back of his neck!”
“Let’s go now!” I yelled to Enrique.
I was being irrational. Everyone hadn’t even loaded up into Big Red yet. All I knew was I wanted to help Chad. I refused to believe he had been infected.
Everyone finished getting into the fire truck. Fish gave Campbell a grave look.
“Do you want me to…?” Cecil’s voice trailed off.
Campbell nodded to Fish, a somber look on his face.
“Do it,” Fish said coldly.
“Say again?” Cecil asked.
“Finish him. We can’t have him going scab on us.” Fish turned to me. He had to see the hate in my eyes.
“No!” I shouted, but just as I did, I could clearly hear the suppressed sound of Cecil’s gun expending rounds through my earpiece.
“It’s done. But I’m not… Shit!” Cecil’s transmission cut off.
The Hunt Chronicles (Book 2): Revelation Page 24