The Complex (The Omega Protocol Chronicles Book 3)

by Courtney McPhail

  “Maybe.” Trey lifted up his whisk, the pancake batter dripping back into the bowl and made a disgusted face. “We’re supposed to get eggs today, right?”

  “That’s the deal we made,” Malcolm replied, flipping the pancakes that were on the griddle, “But there’s no guarantee. We don’t know how things have been going in Port Meyer.”

  After breakfast they would make another visit to Darren and his group as they had promised a month ago. If things worked out as they planned, they’d bring Quinton to look over the survivors there and they’d get the chickens Darren had promised them.

  Darren and his group might have a good set up at the mall but there was no guarantee that they hadn’t met a bad fate in the month since they had been there.

  He hoped he wasn’t jinxing the whole thing. Darren and his people had survived up until they met them, there was no reason to think they couldn’t keep doing it. Their own group had managed to thrive this last month.

  They had finished the watchtower two weeks ago and now had a wide view of the lake around the island. The garden was finally starting to produce and they had fresh green beans with dinner last night. They even had enough left over to bring with them to Port Meyer.

  Javier had taken measure of their solar power setup and had some suggestions to improve it but he needed certain parts that might be found at the Builder’s Yard in Port Meyer. Malcolm was hopeful that they’d be able to trade the veggies and some MREs for the parts.

  With all the big projects completed, they’d been able to dedicate their time to the smaller projects to improve their lives and to pass along their skills. Malcolm and Lorraine had taken turns taking the others out in the mornings to fish and he had to admit Lorraine had proved the better teacher. Each morning her group came back, they’d have a string of salmon and trout for dinner.

  With her success, he’d turned the focus of his own morning trips to teaching the others how to sail. Most of his students had been fast learners, Trey in particular proving to be top of the class. Quinton had unfortunately lagged way behind due to his constant seasickness.

  Malcolm had finally given up on him and sent him to work on putting away firewood for the winter. The sound of axes splitting wood had rung across the island for days now. They’d cleared out as much of the dead wood that they could find on the island. There had been a few downed trees that they had split and stacked up to use but their biggest hauls had been from the islands they had explored in the North Channel.

  Their days spent exploring the islands that surrounded them had been well spent. On their first day on recon, they’d circled Manitoulin. The marinas and docks along its waters were empty and when they had passed the bridge that connected it to the mainland, they’d found a tangle of burned out vehicles in the centre of the bridge, blocking any passage.

  They had left the large island and its inland towns unexplored. It was enough to know that if there were people there, they weren’t looking to attack a passing boat. Malcolm had moved their search to the North Channel and the smaller islands with their summer cottages. That was where they had proved most successful.

  The islands had been empty of freaks and people but they contained treasure troves for them. There had been a couple canoes on one island, a portable generator on another and even a couple of jet skis that had been wintered over. They’d also managed to find leftover firewood and more dead wood to haul back to be chopped.

  Though they had found many of the islands empty, there had been signs of life out there too. They had spotted strings of smoke trailing up into the sky from one of the larger islands but Malcolm had steered them away from it. They weren’t ready to meet up with anyone just yet and the island was far enough away from Sanctuary to prove no immediate threat. He would not force them into a fight unless it was absolutely necessary.

  He turned his focus back to the pancakes, scooping up the finished ones and placing them on a platter at his elbow.

  “Better get these out to the starving crew then grab a plate of your own. I’ll finish up here and then join you.”

  Trey replaced the platter with his bowl and carried it over to the serving window as Malcolm ladled out the batter onto the griddle. He watched the batter sizzle and pop as it hit the hot metal and his thoughts drifted to what was planned that day.

  On their recon, they’d spotted an island with a large fuel tank by its large boathouse. According to the Director’s files, the island was home to a summer resort that catered to fishermen with a hotel that had a maximum occupation of forty. There was a good possibility that the fuel tank was full.

  There was also the possibility that someone had staked their claim on the island and that tank. He’d had them pass by the island each morning for the last three days, looking for any signs that there were people there but they’d seen nothing. It had been enough for him to greenlight a group to go onto the island and check the status of the fuel tank.

  The only problem had been that it was just in time for their trip to Port Meyer. He didn’t want to miss their scheduled meeting. If they didn’t show up, Darren might believe they had backed out of their agreement and it could sour their relations.

  They were also running low on fuel from their recon trips and after this trip to Port Meyer, they would be even closer to empty tanks. The reality was they needed to get more fuel or find themselves more sailboats and he knew where they might find both. The tank on the other island and good old Skippy’s Boat Lot. There had been sailboats there, nice ones that wouldn’t be reliant on fuel.

  The only rub was they couldn’t reschedule their trip to Port Meyer and the longer they left that tank out there, the more likely it was that someone else would stumble on it and take it for their own.

  He’d been forced to admit the only choice was to send another group to the island. He didn’t like it but there wasn’t any other choice.

  The trip to the mainland was the riskiest and he would head that one. He’d put Mendez and Banks in charge of the other group. They were competent and knew what they were doing but the idea of the others out there without him bothered him.

  He’d considered switching out, letting Mendez and Banks take Quinton to Port Meyer but he wanted to touch base with Darren again to ensure their partnership. Besides, if he went to the island, he’d just be worrying about the group on the mainland. He had to accept that he couldn’t be in two places at once.

  So he would take Quinton, Kim, Trey, Nas and Javier to the town while Banks and Mendez would lead Veronica, Craig, Claudia and Audrey to the island.

  He’d been hesitant to have Veronica go but she had come to him the night before when he was working out plans with Mendez in the lodge.

  “I want to go with the island group tomorrow,” she said. “Before you say anything, hear me out. There’s going to come a time when I have to go out there and I need to know that I can trust myself. This is a small trip, as close to easy as going out there can be. I need to go.”

  “You’re sure you’re ready for this?” he asked.

  “Come on, Malcolm,” Mendez said. “She’s been armed on watch and hasn’t killed anyone. She can handle herself out there.”

  “It’s your group so it’s your call.”

  “I want to bring Audrey too. She needs to learn how to be comfortable out there. She did well back at the warehouse but she needs more practice. This trip is the perfect chance for that.”

  “She’s right, it’s time to take her out there,” Mendez said. “She’s ready now.”

  Mendez had been in charge of weapons training with the others and so he had deferred to her word.

  And Veronica was right to want to get the girl some field experience. Of all the places, this little island would be the easiest place to start. There would be enough people to look out for her and Veronica would make sure the girl was safe. Hopefully it would give them a bonus and help Veronica move on from what had happened.

  He shook off the thoughts. There was no point in worrying on
it, the plans were in place and once breakfast was over, both groups would load up and head out.

  He placed the finished pancakes on another platter and turned off the griddle. He brought the platter to the serving window just in time, the one Trey had put down nearly empty. He filled his own plate and joined the others in the dining hall. He took his usual place at a table with Kim and Trey, who had already managed to demolish most of his breakfast.

  “Looks like it will be a good day to go out,” Kim said as he dug into his breakfast.

  Two days ago they had woken up to grey skies and pouring rain that had kept up for most of the day. The rain had finally stopped overnight but the skies had remained overcast for another day. Today they had woken up to clear blue skies filled with fluffy white clouds.

  “I’m taking it as a good sign,” Malcolm said. “Though I’d prefer us putting off this visit to Port Meyer so we could go with the others.”

  “You need to stop micromanaging everyone,” Kim said and his eyes shot up from his plate to find her giving him a knowing look.

  “I don’t micromanage,” he tried to defend himself but Kim just laughed and shook her head. “I don’t!”

  “Honey, I love you but you are a control freak. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, it’s gotten us out of more than a few scrapes, but sometimes you have to let someone else take the reins. You’ve gotta trust that they know what they’re doing.”

  He knew she was right, and not just about the others knowing what they were doing. If he was honest with himself, he did have a control problem. If he could split himself in two, he’d do it in a heartbeat so he could be with both groups.

  It wasn’t because he thought the others weren’t capable, he knew they were and this was an easy job. No, it was because he couldn’t accept not being the one leading them.

  “Maybe you’re right,” he grudgingly admitted, forking up another serving of pancakes and chewing but not really tasting it. Facing his own faults had left a bitter taste in his mouth and made breakfast less enjoyable.

  “I know I’m right,” Kim replied before taking a sip of her coffee. He could feel her eyes on him as he did his best to clean his plate. “I didn’t mean for it to upset you. I told you it’s not a bad thing. You’re this way because you care and that’s wonderful, but it also makes me worry. Because if we’re out there and you’re thinking about the others, you’ll be distracted.”

  She had a point again. His selfish need to control everything could put all of them at risk. He needed to let go.

  “I guess we can consider today my first attempt at ceding control then.”

  Trey, who had been busy with his breakfast during the conversation, finally swallowed the last of his pancakes and joined in. “Mendez has been busting our asses in training.”

  “Language,” Kim said.

  “Sorry, Mom,” Trey replied trying to look contrite. “I just mean that she’s been working with all of us and we’re doing a good job. Even Audrey is pretty much as good as me. The others will be fine.”

  Malcolm had watched a couple of Mendez’s training lessons and Trey was right. Since they had gotten to the island, Mendez had taken over working with those less experienced with weapons. They’d set up a shooting range on the south side of the island and Mendez had been drilling them, not just with guns, but also in maneuvers and signals. They hadn’t gotten soft and lazy here on the island.

  “Well, we better finish up breakfast and get out there,” Kim said. “The sooner we get going, the sooner it will be over and then there will be no reason to worry.”

  They slipped back into silence as they ate and Malcolm let his gaze drift over the others in the dining room. Mendez, Angela, Banks and Craig were at one table, the four of them laughing at something Craig had said. They were relaxed, as if nothing else was happening today. Maybe that was good, he already had enough tension in him for twenty men.

  He looked over at Jackson and Veronica sitting at a table with their girls. Now there was someone who was just as tense as him.

  “Ya listen to what yer told when yer out there, alright,” Jackson told Audrey. “This is just a trial for ya. Ya don’t do what yer told or do anythin’ stupid, ya ain’t ever goin’ out there again, ya got that?”

  “I know,” Audrey replied with exasperation that told Malcolm this wasn’t the first time she was hearing this. “I’m not to go more than five feet from Veronica. I’m to keep the satellite phone on me at all times. I'm to listen to whatever Mendez tells me to do and if I don’t do all of those things, I’ll be stuck on the island for the rest of my life.”

  “Damn straight,” Jackson said and Audrey rolled her eyes.

  Veronica was looking at the two of them with a small smile but she must have felt his eyes on her because she turned and made eye contact with him. Her smile disappeared and her face turned serious as she held his gaze. She gave one firm nod in his direction, letting him know that she was good to go on this one.

  He nodded in return and offered her a reassuring smile. He had a feeling that Veronica would be okay. She needed to prove to herself that she was in control again and that the others could depend on her. With those kind of stakes, she would make it happen.

  Malcolm swiped up the last of his pancake and finished chewing it before he pushed his plate away. “We better get a move on.”

  He stood up and cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Everyone going out today should meet down at the dock in ten minutes. Do whatever last minute things you need to do, double check your packs too.”

  With that, the others began to clear their plates to the kitchen and file out of the lodge.

  “I’m going to go get Quinton,” Malcolm told Kim and Trey. “I’ll meet you down at the dock.”

  Kim nodded and took his plate from him, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek. “We’re going to be fine.”

  He knew she was right. They’d be fine and so would the others. It was time for him to let go and trust that things would be alright.

  Subject File #756

  Subject: You got any tricks to get over heartbreak?

  Administrator: Unfortunately the only advice I can give is wait it out. After some time, it won’t hurt so much.

  Subject: I guess I have something to look forward to then.

  Quinton checked the inventory list in the clinic supply room, comparing the notations he made to what he had put in his pack. Everything was just as it had been the last time he had checked the list ten minutes ago. In fact, it was the same it had been since he had first packed up what he had thought would be necessary for their trip to Port Meyer the night before.

  He was being a bit fastidious about the whole thing but he’d rather waste time checking than find something missing.

  At least that had been the reasoning that drew him to the clinic at daybreak. The reason as for why he was still here an hour later, quadruple checking the inventory was sadder than that. After he had checked the inventory, he had been hungry for breakfast but when he had started over to the lodge to grab some, he had spotted Janet coming up one of the paths with the children in tow.

  He had stepped back inside, hidden from their view as they crossed the lawn to the lodge. The twins were talking excitedly about getting to go to the beach today and making Janet repeat her promise that they could spend the whole day swimming.

  Since the breakup, he had been doing what Janet had wanted. He had avoided both her and her children as much as he could. The only time he was around them was when they were taking their meals in the lodge. She always sat as far away from him as could and refused to look at him, acting as if he wasn’t even there at all.

  It had hurt at first but after thinking about it, he realized it could be worse. The fact that she pretended he didn’t exist meant she wasn’t over what happened between them. If she didn’t feel anything for him, she wouldn’t need to keep punishing him.

  He still didn’t like the punishment. In the month since their break up he
had thrown himself into doing anything he could to distract himself. Thankfully, it had been easy to find a distraction here. There was always something to be done. He’d attempted to learn how to skipper a boat but his seasickness had sent him back to solid land to help put up firewood for the winter.

  He’d also thrown himself into helping Harold with his work. Together they had poured over the analysis of the last samples Harold had taken from Glenn. Harold had made another attempt at a trial with a new vaccine but the mice had succumbed to the virus again.

  That hadn’t deterred either one of them and Quinton found himself spending his nights in the lab with Harold, the two of them bouncing possible hypotheses off of each other. They had set up a large board to scrawl all their thoughts on, not just about a potential cure but theorizing on the changes they had seen in the infected.

  Though they hadn’t come up with anything concrete beyond the theory that Glenn’s death was likely due to a combination of malnutrition and a weakened immune system, it hadn’t been a waste. The work had been a good distraction for Quinton and gave him something else to think about other than Janet.

  Today would be another much needed distraction. The trip to Port Meyer would need all his focus and he could forget about his own fuck ups for a while.

  He heard the clinic door open and he put the clipboard on the hook by the door and went out to the main room to find Malcolm.

  “We’re ready to head out,” he told him. “You good to go?”

  Quinton nodded. “Everything is packed up in the bags there. I’ve got no idea what they’ve got there so I brought what I thought might be needed.”

  “We’re able to spare it?”

  “We’ll be fine.”

  He had already done the math long before he had packed the bags. Technically, the agreement they had struck with Darren had only involved Quinton’s diagnostic expertise. They had not agreed to also providing the necessary treatments but the idea that he would diagnose and not treat didn’t sit well with him.

  So he had made the call to bring what he could with them. Although it wasn’t complete selflessness. He had made sure that the medication and supplies he had packed up last night were from stores they had in abundance. He wouldn’t let their own people risk going without.