‘Hey,’ he said.
‘What do you want?’ Crawford said.
‘Don’t worry. There’s no fire. I was just passing.’
‘Passing, huh? That’s why I moved way out in the cheap seats—so I wouldn’t get passing visits.’
‘I figured you’d still be wired after our trip.’
‘That what you’d call it?’ Crawford said.
‘I brought a peace offering.’ McCaffrey raised the whisky bottle above his waist so Crawford could read the label more easily. ‘I lifted it from Grant’s private stash.’
‘Y’know, he’s likely to kick you out of here for stealing a bottle that good,’ Crawford said.
‘He’s too preoccupied right now, and when he gets his breakthrough and looks for it to celebrate, he’ll be too happy to care.’
Crawford frowned, half-closing the door on him. ‘There’s nothing I feel like celebrating tonight.’
McCaffrey placed the toe of his boot in the frame before she could close it any further. ‘Come on, Crawford. You’re not gonna turn down a forty-year-old single malt. I don’t care how pissed at me you are.’
She rolled her eyes and McCaffrey still wasn’t sure if she was going to slam the door whether his foot was in the way or not.
‘Take those dirty fucking boots off.’
Leaving the door ajar, she wandered to the back of the room where the radio was situated.
McCaffrey followed her in. The faux log fire was blazing and the smell of fresh cigar smoke filled the air.
‘Just got our new friends squared away. They did good out there tonight,’ McCaffrey said, taking a seat next to his colleague. ‘They could turn out to be a real asset.’
‘The kid was useful? He seemed flat out like he was shitting his pants to me,’ Crawford said.
‘He has his own way of dealing with things.’
‘If you say so,’ Crawford said.
‘He helped us find you, anyway.’ McCaffrey set the expensive bottle of whisky down on the desktop. ‘Seems like you must have covered an awful lot of ground looking for us.’
Crawford sighed and looked at him. She knew instantly what was behind his comment, and in turn, the real purpose of his late-night visit.
‘When my CO first called me into his office and told me about the project, I jumped at the opportunity without hesitation. Although I was his first choice, there were two other candidates he had in mind. I never allowed him to consider them any further… Did you know my son had Down Syndrome?’
‘You never mentioned it,’ McCaffrey said.
‘He needed pretty much around-the-clock supervision. When the outbreak reached the US, my husband quit his job and took him on fulltime. There was no way either of us were going to leave him in the hands of a carer with folks dropping like flies. You could try to tell him how dangerous things had gotten, and he’d understand too. But he was impulsive. Something would capture his attention—petting a dog, tasting some ice cream, and then that would be all that mattered to him. He always lived in the moment, y’know. My family were as vulnerable as anyone and I still chose to leave them and come here because I believed there was a chance we could turn things around. I thought that doing this could save my boy, but all it did was rob me of the last precious weeks I had left with him and my husband.’
‘It’s not over yet, Major. We’re still here,’ McCaffrey said.
‘And what is it exactly that we’ve achieved? Nothing’s changed in months, apart from there being a lot less of us than when we started.’
‘Grant’s close to something big. He’s really close.’
Crawford snorted at his comment.
‘I’ve seen the way you and Foster look at him during meetings, all doe-eyed and expectant whenever he trips out words with more than three syllables. Have you noticed Osgood lately? He still says all the right things, but I see it in his eyes. He looks at Grant the same way I do now. He wants to believe, but he knows, deep down, not even the great Isiah Grant has the answers this time.’
‘The last samples they synthesised were almost there. The information we recovered from the hard drive could be the final piece in the puzzle. We just need to give them a little more time.’
‘The Lazarus is another false dawn, Donny. Even if they can get it to stabilise, what good is it ultimately gonna do? It won’t make the millions of dead suddenly lie down again. Hope’s a real kicker. The longer you hold out for it, the more you come to feel contempt for the notion of it. Maybe we’ve been hoping for far too long. Maybe our time really is up.’
Crawford’s words seemed to stick in McCaffrey’s throat and his expression soured, as if he was struggling not to choke on them.
‘If you do decide to run, you know I’ll be duty-bound to stop you, right?’ he said.
Crawford broke out in a brief, ironic smile.
‘I bet you’re wishing you’d taken me up on my offer for those flying lessons,’ she said.
McCaffrey held back on saying any more. He gathered himself and stood up again.
‘I better be goin’. It’s late.’
‘Yeah. I think you better.’ Crawford snatched the whisky bottle from the desk. ‘And take this with you. I’ve lost the taste for it all of a sudden.’
McCaffrey made his way to the cabin door and she followed.
‘Just remember what I said,’ McCaffrey said.
She’d heard enough for one night and closed the door.
4
‘I really can’t thank you enough for agreeing to do this,’ Osgood said as he walked the long corridor alongside Salty and Jason.
‘Not a problem, doctor. You’ve given us shelter here. It’s only fair that we pull our weight,’ Salty said.
‘I hear that,’ Jason added.
All three men were still puffy-eyed, fresh out of bed.
‘It’s just that I didn’t want to wake our people after the night they had and Doctor Grant insisted on getting this done first thing,’ Osgood said.
‘What the boss wants, he gets, huh?’ Salty said.
‘He’s very particular about how things work around here.’
‘Yeah. That’s crystal clear already.’
Osgood glanced back and notice that Father Edwards still followed them, clutching his bible lovingly.
‘It really isn’t necessary to accompany us. Father. An extra two men will be enough to cover for Crawford and McCaffrey.’
‘It’s my pleasure, doctor. Think of me as more of a guiding presence,’ Edwards said.
‘Why don’t you do us all a favour and guide yourself back to the living quarters,’ Salty said.
It didn’t escape Salty how the preacher resembled a much different man to the neurotic shell they’d encountered on the road. He had a spring in his step. He was clean-shaven, his collar seemed straight and starched. His grey, wavy hair had been tamed, slicked right back with a liberal amount of water.
Edwards shrugged off Salty’s jibe and quickened his pace to catch up to Jason.
‘What about you, Mr. Schaffer? Are you a man of faith?’ he said.
‘I guess you could say that. I mean, my family and I used to go to church on Sundays before… before everything.’ The man’s eyes glazed over and he looked at the floor to supress his sudden surge of grief.
‘In other words, Reverend, Schaffer ain’t buyin’ what you’re sellin’ right now either. Religion and work just don’t mix in my experience, and what we’re about to do may be dirty work, but it’s still work,’ Salty said.
‘I’d say your experience of God has been largely sheltered,’ Edwards replied.
‘Be that as it may, you’re outnumbered three to one. Ain’t that right, doc?’
‘Erm, yes, of course,’ Osgood said, only partially hearing the question. He was focussed on the left turn in the corridor up ahead.
As they got closer, they could hear the groans and murmurs of the dead trapped in the holding area.
/>
When they eventually turned the corner, Grant and Foster were already there, on their knees, unpacking some expensive-looking equipment. Both scientists had their sleeves rolled up and Foster had tied her long brown hair up in a bun.
‘Ah, the cavalry has arrived at last,’ Grant said, peering over his glasses at the four men. ‘Doctor Osgood, if you would like to assist me with this.’ He waved Osgood over and the doctor duly knelt down to help him attach what looked like a metal collar to a metre-long pole.
‘That’s some heavy-duty gear you got there,’ Salty said.
‘It took our engineers weeks to design this equipment especially for purpose. It has become even more precious now, seeing as there are no engineers around to maintain it anymore,’ Grant said. He stood up and removed his glasses to wipe away the moisture around his eyes. ‘Have you briefed these gentlemen on how we usually do this?’
‘Not yet,’ Osgood said.
‘Follow me.’ Grant led Salty and Jason down the corridor to the entrance of the holding area. It was almost a solid steel door, but for a middle section where there was a two-foot gap sealed with vertical bars. Three or more creatures were already pressed up against them, hissing at the approaching men, arms reaching through.
Salty and Jason hesitated as they were hit by the potent stench of death.
‘We have a tried and tested system for this. We let one specimen out and close the door. We then subdue it, clip on the collar, and lead it away so we can get the next one out. We also have these for a little extra security.’ Grant showed them the muzzle in his hand. It had leather straps that fastened together with a buckle, but the muzzle itself was metal.
Salty got closer to the door and peered in through the gaps, which riled up the creatures inside even more.
‘Alright then. I guess I’ll do the subduing,’ Salty said. ‘Jason, you’re first up.’
Jason nodded, accepting the first pole from Foster.
‘I’ll take the second one,’ Osgood said, readying his equipment.
‘You’re gonna want to step back now, doc. Very technical work, you understand,’ Salty said, taking the muzzle from Grant.
‘Of course. Carry on.’ Grant retreated further down the corridor.
Salty took a breath to set himself and pulled the sliding locks to the door. He opened it out and two creatures attempted to force their way to freedom. He allowed one to get through, kicking the other in its chest and slamming the door shut again.
The freed creature lurched towards him, snapping its shredded jaws.
Jason fidgeted about on the balls of his feet, trying to keep steady hands on the pole.
Salty charged at the incoming creature with his shoulder, knocking it back into the corner. He wasted no time in pouncing on it to pin it against the wall, jamming his forearm under its chin to protect himself from its bite.
‘OK, Schaffer. You’re up,’ he said.
Jason moved in and thrust the pole towards it. Salty moved away at the last second, and although the collar didn’t connect clearly with its neck, Jason managed to get it to go around and lock at the second time of asking.
The reanimated woman immediately turned its bulging eyes to its captor. Jason braced himself against the pressure as it went for him, protected by the distance of the sturdy pole.
‘Good job. Now back up so we’ve got room for the next one,’ Salty said.
Jason followed his instruction and shuffled backwards, careful to keep the specimen away from the others.
Osgood put his back to the wall and sidestepped past him to the door with the second pole, and Foster prepared the muzzle for the first creature.
‘OK, doc. Next one. You ready?’ Salty asked, as he gripped the door’s handle.
‘Go ahead,’ Osgood said. He squinted behind his glasses and bent his knees to absorb the impact he was about to feel.
The second creature to spill out of the holding area made it easier for them. It was so eager for release, it tripped and fell at their feet.
Salty jammed his foot into its back so it couldn’t stand and Osgood secured the collar from behind. Once it stood up, he was able to spin the collar on its neck so that the pole was at the front where it should be.
Salty moved behind it and checked the collar had been locked properly. He then raised the muzzle up to the creature’s face.
Foster was just about to lift her muzzle over the head of the first specimen when Jason stepped on the spare pole the scientists had forgotten to pack away. He lost his balance, falling flat on his back. His natural reaction was to let go of his own pole in order to brace himself, and with no one else currently in front of the situation, the creature was loose.
As it headed for Jason, he tried to gather his wits and grab hold of the pole again, but it was out of his reach and he was forced to lift both legs to push his feet into its chest and fend off its advances.
‘Jake, help me,’ he screamed.
All Salty could see was the dead woman on top of him. He pushed Foster to one side and unhooked his hatchet from his belt, ready to crack its skull. As he raised the weapon above his head to swing the killing blow, Doctor Grant inexplicably put himself between Salty and the creature, his arms out at either side to protect it.
‘No. We can’t lose it,’ he said.
‘Get out of the goddamn way,’ Salty said, gritting his teeth.
The creature felt Grant’s back against its own body and lost interest in Jason, swivelling around to its new target.
Foster screamed when she saw the monster about to take a chunk of flesh from Grant’s shoulder.
Osgood saw it too, but he was helpless to stop it because he was holding the other specimen at bay.
Before it could sink its teeth, the creature was tugged from behind and its rotten jaw snapped shut, missing Grant by less than an inch. Jason had managed to get a hold of the pole again and he shepherded it away from the others.
The danger now over, Salty lowered his hatchet and glared at Grant. Before he could let loose, Foster did it for him.
‘Sir!’ She grabbed her boss by his lab coat and shook him. ‘Isiah, for heaven’s sake, what were you thinking?’
‘We can’t afford to lose any more—not without getting the information we need from them,’ he said.
‘You were almost bitten.’
His lips shaped into a strange, unwelcoming smile and his eyes rolled in a way that suggested a broken thought. ‘There, there, doctor,’ he said. ‘It wouldn’t be the end of the world.’
Annoyed by what had transpired, Salty stepped around them to check on Jason.
‘You good?’ he said.
Sweaty and shaken by the ordeal, Jason had the pole and the creature on the end of it under control.
‘I am now,’ he said.
Salty knelt down and picked up the discarded pole that had caused Jason to fall over.
‘Leaving your toys on the floor after playtime? You folks might be the finest minds left in the world, but there ain’t no scientific explanation for how you’ve survived this long.’
5
Back in the lab area, Osgood and Jason held the two specimens steady with the poles while Foster attached coupling links to metal loops situated at the back of their collars.
Once sure that the safety closure mechanism had locked in place, she stepped over the cables they were attached to and gave the signal to Grant.
He stood at the back of the room next to a holding pen fixed to the wall.
‘We can detach now,’ Osgood said, showing Jason how to unhook the poles from the collars again.
Grant pushed a button on the control panel. It initiated a motor and the wire cables began to retract, pulling the creatures backwards until they were inside the pen and could only move a foot in either direction. Both specimens fell silent and gazed around, seemingly bewildered by the machinery that had suddenly controlled and confined them.
Grant walked away fr
om the pen sporting a satisfied grin.
‘That didn’t exactly go swimmingly, but the others will be back on duty this afternoon,’ he said.
‘What the doctor is trying to say is, thank you for your assistance today. We couldn’t have done it without you,’ Osgood said.
‘Yes, of course. That’s what I meant,’ Grant said.
‘Don’t take this the wrong way, but your “system” leaves a lot to be desired,’ Salty said. He adjusted his tattered cap, and now they were secured, examined the specimens they had captured a little more closely. He’d already noted that one creature had been wearing a uniform, but on inspection he realised it wasn’t just any uniform. It belonged to the facility’s own security team. ‘I’m goin’ crazy, right? You’re really usin’ one of your former employees as a test subject?’
‘During the early days, we did have one or two accidents. We did the best we could for them, but the virus never fails to serve its purpose in the end,’ Grant said as he stared into the yellow-tinged eyes of the former security guard, now drooling and tugging at its restraints.
‘So, instead of putting them out of their misery, you let them come back and then tossed them into that cell with the others?’ Salty said.
‘We came to realise very quickly that we didn’t have either the time or the capacity for mercy. We had to work with what we had,’ Grant said. ‘Waste not, want not, Mr. Masterson. Waste not, want not.’
‘Hey, where did Edwards get to?’ Jason said.
‘Who?’ Grant said.
‘The priest. He was with us when we were on our way to the holding area. It must have been too much for him and he returned to the living quarters,’ Osgood said.
6
Bible pressed against his body, Father Edwards dared himself to venture further into the lab area. He’d strayed beyond the initial rooms that he’d already seen when they had been introduced to Grant. The next section of rooms at the far northeast corner of the science block were where the really important work was conducted.
Most of the lights were out and the shadows closed in around him. He did his best to avoid them and walk within the small avenues of the fluorescents.
Everything Dies [Season Two] Page 13