Rotter World

by Scott M. Baker

  Dravko nodded slightly.

  “Now get some rest and regenerate that arm. We’re going to need you at full capacity tomorrow.”

  Robson waited until everyone had drifted off to find a place to bunk down before turning to Natalie. “It’s time we talk to Compton.”

  * * *

  Robson led the way to the infirmary. He knew which room to go to because the Angels milled around the door. Ari leaned against the wall. Emily sat on the floor. Bethany crouched between them, her wrist now in a cast and her arm in a sling. When they saw Robson and Natalie approaching, the three stood to greet them.

  Natalie waved at them to stand down. “Is Compton still in there?”

  Ari nodded. “He’s with Thompson. Looks like the colonel will be okay.”

  “Not if I have anything to say about it.”

  The tone of Robson’s voice took the Angels by surprise. Ari looked to the other Angels, then back to Robson. “What’s up?”

  “I’ll explain later,” said Natalie. “We’ll take it from here. Join the others in the dormitory and find yourselves a place to sleep.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Robson waited until the Angels had left before he and Natalie entered the infirmary. Twenty hospital beds filled the ward. Thompson rested comfortably on the one opposite the doorway, an IV drip inserted into his inner elbow. Compton stood by him, jotting notes onto a clipboard. The doctor looked up as they entered, and then went back to scribbling.

  “I can tell by the look on your face that you’re not here to check up on the colonel’s health.”

  “Why didn’t you warn us about the swarmers locked away in your private lab?” demanded Robson.

  “Forgive me,” Compton said with sincerity. “I was concerned with getting Bethany and the colonel medical care and forget to mention it.” He inserted his pen between the clip and the board, and hung it on a hook at the end of Thompson’s bed. “How did you find out about them?”

  “While I was checking out your private lab they charged the Plexiglas cage. Scared the shit out of me.”

  “I’m truly sorry about that. I planned to warn you about the revenants when we arrived at Site R, but as I said, I was preoccupied with the colonel’s health.”

  “Why didn’t you warn us back at camp?”

  Compton answered with the shrug of someone who never questioned his original decision, but now had second thoughts. “You’re right, of course. I guess I never mentioned them earlier because I don’t see them as a threat.”

  Before Robson could argue that point, Natalie jumped in. “Who are they? Why are they all dressed in military fatigues?”

  “They’re some of the bravest men and women I’ll ever know.” Compton leaned against the hospital bed opposite the colonel’s. “Each one of them agreed to try out the variations of the vaccine. Unfortunately, as you saw, I had several failures before I was able to perfect the serum.”

  Natalie was aghast. “You mean they were guinea pigs?”

  “Volunteers. Every single one was a willing participant. They were fully aware of the risks before I injected them.”

  “Couldn’t you have experimented on animals instead?” asked Robson.

  “The results would have been inconclusive. A far as we know, animals are not affected by the Revenant Virus. I required human test subjects.”

  “What about their families?” Natalie could not let go of the horror of it all.

  Compton pulled up the sleeve of his lab coat and began unbuttoning his shirt sleeve as he responded. “Everyone who joined me at Site R was selected because they had no immediate family members. It was necessary if we wanted to concentrate on finding a cure for this virus. And before you think I’m some type of monster, remember that I even volunteered to be a test subject.” Compton raised his shirt sleeve, showing them his scarred-over bite wounds.

  Though he did not necessarily agree with the doctor’s methods, he understood why he had taken that course of action. “Why didn’t you dispose of them as they turned?”

  “I was hoping to find a serum that not only prevented humans from catching the Revenant Virus but that could reverse the effects for someone newly infected. Unfortunately, there’s no such miracle cure. By that time, there were too many to risk exterminating them. The colonel and I felt it better to leave them in the containment cell to deal with later.” Compton pushed himself off the bed. “I admit that was an error in judgment.”

  Robson couldn’t argue that point. God knows he had made quite a few bad calls since the outbreak began. “Is the vaccine ready to go?”

  “Not yet. I planned on getting some rest before I begin.”

  “How long will it take?”

  “I have to make enough serum for all of us, plus extra for those at camp. I also need to make back-ups of all my notes. Everything should be ready in the next thirty-six hours or so.”

  “Good. I want to get out of here and back to camp as soon as possible.”

  “Understandable.”

  “Everyone is bunking down in the dormitory. I’ll have them save a room for you.”

  “If you don’t mind, I’d rather stay here tonight in case the colonel takes a turn for the worse.”

  Robson thought about it for a moment. “Makes sense. I’ll have one of the Angels join you for protection.”

  “No need to bother any of them. I’m perfectly safe. Besides, I have a radio if I need help.”

  “Have it your way. I’ve posted someone in the security room to keep an eye on things. Call them if you need anything.”

  “I will.”

  Robson and Natalie left the doctor in the infirmary and headed back to where they had parked the convoy. Once they were far enough away so they couldn’t be heard, Natalie asked, “Do you buy his story?”

  “About forgetting to tell us about the swarmers? It sounds legit.”

  “Maybe.” Natalie shrugged. “I still don’t trust him.”

  “He’s definitely holding out on us. I’ll check out what tomorrow.”

  “I hate to tell you,” said Natalie as she looked at her watch. “It’s already tomorrow.”

  “What time is it?”

  “A little after eight.”

  “Shit. We’ve been on the go for fourteen hours. “

  “You need to get some rest.”

  “I will. First I want to take a look around the facility and get my bearings. I don’t want any more surprises.”

  “I’ll go with you,” offered Natalie.

  “No need for that. I’ll be fine.”

  “I can’t let you do that.” Her smile bordered on flirtatious. “No one’s supposed to go off on their own. Remember?”

  “I’m too tired to argue.” Truth be known, Robson appreciated her company. “Come on. Let’s make this quick so we can get some rest.”

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  Compton watched Robson and Natalie leave the infirmary, chastising himself for how he had mismanaged the entire situation. Rather than win their trust by getting them safely onto the compound, he had allowed his concern for Thompson to cloud his thinking, and had forgotten to warn them about the revenants isolated in his lab. He didn’t blame Robson for being furious. He could only imagine how unsettling it must have been to stumble across them in the manner he did. Robson and Natalie both seemed to accept his explanation of why the revenants were present within the facility, and why he had failed to mention it to them earlier. Even so, the damage had already been done. None of them understood his reluctance to accept their accommodation of the vampires, which generated a natural distrust between them. This incident only served to widen the rift between the two groups.

  Compton shrugged and returned to the hospital bed to check on Thompson. There was nothing he could do about it now. Their distrust didn’t change his plans. It only made it slightly more difficult to carry them out. He still hoped to persuade them of the righteousness of his intentions. Robson and Natalie were smart, if somewhat misguided, and he still fe
lt that once he presented his justification to them, they would come around to his way of thinking. If not, so be it. He had a contingency plan to deal with any intransigence.

  Thompson checked out fine. His blood pressure was elevated, but that was understandable considering the physical trauma he had gone through. All of his other vital signs were normal. The intravenous drip would keep him sufficiently hydrated until he awoke, which should be in another six or seven hours once the sedatives wore off. The concussion was minor and would heal on its own. He would have a slight headache and some severely bruised muscles for the next few weeks, but nothing that a steady dose of mild pain killers wouldn’t take care off.

  The doctor pulled the blanket up over Thompson’s shoulder, and then stepped over to his own bed. Thankfully the colonel would be all right. He would need him in the coming days to deal with the others. More importantly, the colonel was a decent man, one who had been willing to endure many sacrifices to bring the human race back from the brink of extinction. Compton already had lost too many good men and women in the cause.

  As he stripped off his lab coat and removed his shoes, his mind wandered to the seventeen revenants isolated in his lab. All of them had put their faith in him and allowed themselves to be test subjects for the vaccine, even after the first tests of the serum failed miserably. Despite each failure, several stepped forward to try out the next variation of the serum, knowing full well the chances of success were small. He could not bring himself to reward such bravery by exterminating them like used lab rats. Besides, he always harbored the hope that a serum would be found that would reverse the effects of the infection and restore them to normal. Unfortunately, that hope turned out to be fleeting. The vaccine could prevent the Revenant Virus from infecting a host, but could not reverse the virus in those already infected. Compton made a mental note that before they left Site R for good, he would have to find a way to release his people from their hellish existence.

  He removed the keys and lighter from his pocket and placed them on a metal table. Sliding into the bed opposite Thompson, Compton settled down to rest. In a few days, he would have four hundred doses of the vaccine ready to immunize those here and back at camp, and to begin vaccinating those in the government-in-exile. Once back at camp, the President would send a boat to take him to Guantanamo Bay where a long-range aircraft would fly him back to Omaha.

  Then the world would hail him as its savior. Not only for saving mankind from the revenants, but also for eliminating the vampire threat once and for all.

  Chapter Forty

  The tour of the facility did not take Robson and Natalie as long as they had originally imagined. Thankfully, they didn’t find any unpleasant surprises waiting for them. Except for the swarmers in Compton’s private lab, there were no other zombies lurking anywhere else, nor would any find their way in. The underground complex was completely sealed off from the outside world with the exception of the air shaft and the entrance to the tunnel, both of which were now under constant surveillance. Since Site R was designed to house hundreds of people in the months following nuclear war, it would be more than adequate to keep the raiding party safe and comfortable for the next few days.

  One pleasant discovery was that the Humvees parked near the main entrance were still in working order, which meant that when the convoy set out back to camp they would be able to add a few more vehicles to their number, which would increase the safety factor. In addition, each of the Humvees was equipped with four M-16 assault rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, which would be added to the convoy’s arsenal. Robson even stumbled across an Atchisson AA-12 assault shotgun, an automatic version of a shotgun that held twenty rounds in a drum magazine. Needless to say, he had commandeered this for himself.

  Now back in the dormitory building, they walked the corridor looking for their sleeping quarters. Four rooms down on the right, Robson found a sheet of paper taped to the frame with the words “Robson’s room” scribbled in Dravko’s handwriting. He opened the door and flicked on the light switch. The ceiling-mounted fluorescent light came on, illuminating the two empty bunk beds. Robson stepped inside and looked around. The place was Spartan, but no more so than his container back at camp.

  Natalie followed him inside, closing the door behind her.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “I’m going to stay here tonight.”

  “Shouldn’t you be bunking with the Angels?”

  “You may have kept us alive these past eight months, but sometimes you really don’t have a clue.”

  Natalie unzipped her leather jacket and slid it back over her shoulders. Robson couldn’t help but keep his gaze fixed on her breasts. He always thought Natalie was beautiful. But now, with her chest thrust forward, pushing against the white turtleneck and stretching the fabric so it contoured tightly around her, he found her irresistible. She let the jacket drop to the floor and glided over to him. Her left hand slid behind his neck and her right hand wrapped around his waist, drawing him into her. Before Robson could say anything, Natalie leaned up and kissed him. Her tongue slid into his mouth, the tip gently exploring his own. God, she felt so good. The warmth of her body set his skin on fire. Robson wanted her more than he had ever wanted a woman. But it wasn’t right.

  Tenderly placing his hands on Natalie’s cheeks, he pushed her head back just enough to break the kiss. “I want to make love to you so badly. But this isn’t the time or place.”

  Natalie looked up at him affectionately. “We just spent days driving through hell to get stuck in an underground bunker surrounded by hundreds of rotters. I can’t think of a better time.”

  This time, when Natalie kissed him, Robson didn’t protest. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her into him.

  As he grew hard against her, Natalie let out a throaty moan. “God, you’re hot.”

  “What’d you expect? It’s been eight months.”

  “Then let’s take care of that.” Natalie lowered herself onto her knees. Her hands caressed their way over his hips and to his front. She ran her right palm along the bulge in his pants, her fingers massaging him through the fabric. Robson moaned and thrust himself against her palm. Grabbing his belt with her left hand and holding it in place, Natalie unzipped him with her right. His erection pushed through the folds, pointing at her.

  Natalie leaned forward. Parting her lips, she slid them over his erection and sucked him in, the warmth of her mouth engulfing him. She moved her silky lips back and forth along him, using her tongue to massage the underside of his shaft, and every few seconds sucking him in as deep as possible until he filled her mouth. He had never been so excited by a woman’s touch. Closing his eyes, Robson lost himself in the moment, enjoying the feeling of being throated. After only a few minutes, he felt his balls tighten. He exploded into her mouth. Natalie gulped greedily, swallowing. Only after his erection stopped spasming did she slowly pull him out, her right hand and lips milking out the last drops.

  Natalie rose to her feet. She used the tip of her tongue to seductively lick a few drops of semen off her lips. “How was that?”

  “Awesome.” Robson pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her waist as he kissed her. “Let me return the favor.”

  Now it was his turn to drop to his knees. Robson unzipped Natalie’s leather pants and pulled them down over her hips. Her panties were soaked, and her thighs glistened. Leaning forward, he placed his mouth over her mound and exhaled. Natalie moaned and thrust herself against his face.

  Lowering Natalie to the bottom bunk, Robson stripped off her leather pants and panties, placed his lips against her, and slid his tongue deep inside her. She gasped and fell back onto the bunk. She grabbed the back of his head with her right hand and pulled him tightly into her while she bucked against him. He explored Natalie with his mouth, enjoying the smell and taste of her sex and the warmth of her mound. Within minutes, he felt his erection pushing its way through his open zipper. Difficult as it was, he st
ripped out of his clothes while tonguing her.

  Natalie moaned, a long, deep sigh. Robson climbed into the bunk and mounted her. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him in, bucking against him with every thrust. The two fucked for several minutes with a wild abandon, enjoying each other and their passion, and exorcising months of horror and fear. Suddenly, Natalie shoved hard against him, clutching her pelvis tight. Her head fell back and she cried out as an orgasm shuddered through her body. The sight of the woman he loved in such erotic beauty drove him over the edge. Robson drove his erection as deep into Natalie as possible just as he came inside of her.

  Physically spent and emotionally satiated, he collapsed on top of Natalie. The two lovers shifted in the bunk, never breaking their embrace, and silently lay beside each other until they dozed off in each other’s arms.

  * * *

  Shit, the show’s over. O’Bannon turned his attention away from the monitor showing Robson’s room and checked out the other screens. He had always thought Natalie was a hot number to look at, especially in her leather outfit. He just never realized what a slut she was until now. Maybe now the bitch wouldn’t be so uptight. Of course, he could say the same about Robson.

  O’Bannon massaged his hard cock through his pants. He wished Tatyana was here so he could get his own rocks off. It had been over a week since he had last fucked her, and after watching Robson and Natalie he could use some relief. Unfortunately, she had decided to bunk down with the other bloodsuckers, so that was out of the question for now. No big deal. She was more than willing to take it whenever he wanted, so he’d tap her ass later. First, he would have to find a place so he could fuck her without anyone spying on them, which would be hard considering how inundated this place was with security cameras.

  He locked into place the security camera for the vampire’s room, and the camera for Robson’s room if he and Natalie woke up horny, and then sat back to wait out the rest of his shift.