by Damon Hunter
“You have a name?” Donna asked.
“Yes, but you can call me Fan.”
“Why would an agent of an unknown government be in the quarantine zone hiding out with a conspiracy nut and a bunch of gun toting redneck idiots?” Vance asked.
“Excellent question,” Fan replied.
“How about an answer then.”
“Not everyone in charge in my region is always connected to reality. Some think Mr. Carson is actually telling the truth when he goes on the air.”
“You believe him?”
“No. I thought he was an idiot before I ever even met him and now I am sure of it. Saying so, however, would have offended some men I do not wish to offend. When I was sent here to contact Mr. Carson I did as I was told to do.”
“Why were you told to contact Carson?”
“I don’t suppose you have heard him rant about some kind of nuclear exchange between the U.S. and region in the east suffering epidemics of the rot?”
“I actually have,” Vance replied.
“Turns out he is right.”
“He knew?!” Donna asked.
“No, of course not. Like a stopped clock he is right at certain times. Not as often as a broken clock by any stretch of the imagination, but every once in awhile he stumbles onto some truth. This is one of those times. Of course, some of our more like minded leaders thought he had an actual source of information beyond what they had, thus my presence.”
“So, they sent you to find out what Carson knew?”
“Yes, right before the quarantine, which trapped me here. Not that I would be leaving anyway.”
“Why is that?” Vance asked.
“I want to stop the nuclear exchange. I assume you would like to help me.”
“I’m guessing we are sitting in one of the areas due to be blown up?”
“Hard to say, but we are definitely in the running.”
“How long until this is supposed to take place?”
“Not today, but possibly tomorrow. I will have an exact time soon.”
Vance shook his head, “I have other plans.”
“What they have in mind will ruin them.”
“Maybe, but I don’t see what I can do here to stop an ICBM.”
“Intercontinental ballistic missiles leave a trail which is impossible to hide and the perpetrators of this exchange prefer that they remain anonymous.”
“Then how?”
“Our version of the TMRT will be setting off a bomb in the Chinese version of the quarantine zone. Your version will be doing the same here. Once the first bombs goes off, the finger pointing can begin and the involved parties can fire at will. The truth is that who actually fired the first shot will be impossible to prove and both sides can blame the other for all of eternity.”
“You know that sound insane?” Donna asked.
“Of course it is. Keep in mind one of the parties involved thinks Cam Carson knows what he is talking about.”
“Even if you are right, the QZ covers almost all of California,” Vance said, “How will we be able to find where they are going to set off the first bomb so we can stop them?”
Fan smiled, “Turns out Carson is not the only asset I have cultivated here in the U.S.”
“You have someone inside the TMRT?”
Fan smiled again, “I’d rather not confirm or deny that. Let’s just say I have gathered some credible information.”
“How good? Like when and where?”
“Yes.”
“What exactly do you want me to do?” Vance asked.
“Help me stop them.”
“Why me? This may sound selfish, but I’d rather get my family and my people out of the area. If I have my way what happens inside the quarantine zone can be someone else’s problem.”
“I think it will be everyone’s problem soon enough. Plus, according to my information it is completely unnecessary.”
“How do you figure?” Vance asked, “I don’t want to argue for my own death, but nothing else has stopped it.”
“Containment should work. The shelf life for the infected should be short. They don’t eat, they don’t drink, and they don’t sleep. They can’t completely defy the laws of basic biology.”
“They’ve been going strong for awhile without signs of stopping though.”
“When they go it will be fast,” Fan told them.
“How do you know this?” Donna asked.
“Common sense.”
“Bullshit.”
Fan smiled, “I know things. It is better for all of us if I don’t discuss how. I should point out that the people planning the nuclear exchange are aware of this as well. I think Mr. Vance might agree with me that once nuclear bombs start going off things may become harder to control than our leaders think. I, for one, believe the possibility of this spiraling into what Mr. Dolan might call armageddon is very real.”
“You think once one goes off every asshole with a nuke will see it as signal to fire away?” Vance asked.
“You’ve been around the world and seen some things Mr. Vance, do you think my hypothesis is that far fetched?”
“No,” Vance replied, “I do not.”
“Then you see why we must act.”
“Okay, but why us?” Vance asked him, “Seems you have a small army at your disposal already.”
“You may have noticed, that while the militia Carson has employed do not lack enthusiasm, they do lack just about everything else. Thus, why when I heard you were stuck in the QZ I wanted them to find you. The fate of the world needs to be in better hands than the Sacred Sons of American Idiots.”
“It’s Sacred Sons of …” Dolan began.
“I know,” Fan interrupted, “Your ability to be quiet while the adults are talking was starting to impress me Mr. Dolan. Don’t ruin it.”
Dolan stayed silent.
“So where is this going to happen?” Donna asked.
“Just north of here last I heard,” Fan told her.
“Last you heard?” Donna asked.
“As your ex-husband could tell you there are no guarantees in this business. I will get a call when the TMRT team enters quarantine and once they are in we will know, both when and where. Until then even the best intel is ultimately just speculation.”
“I guess I’m in,” Vance said, “On a few conditions.”
“You’re putting conditions on helping the human race survive?”
“Damn right I am.”
“The conditions?”
“First get my people, including my daughter out of that holding pen.”
Fan looked at Dolan. When Dolan did not respond right away Fan said, “This is your area. You may speak.”
“They have been bitten,” Dolan replied.
“If they were going to turn they would have by now. Keep them locked down in quarters if it makes you feel better, but they are not staying in some corral,” Vance told him.
“The men won’t like it.”
“If you aren’t in charge who should we talk to?” Fan asked.
“All right, I’ll have them confined to quarters,” Dolan said.
“Anything else?” Fan asked.
Vance looked at Dolan, “Return out weapons, every single one.”
“I don’t know. After what happened to Norris people are kind of sore at you guys.”
“All the more reason for us to be armed. Besides when the shit outside reaches this compound we are going to need to defend ourselves. You have been lucky so far, but it won’t last forever. ”
“This compound is secure. We will keep your people safe.”
“No it’s not, and if things go down like they did with your recon party it will be us keeping you safe.”
“I think you’re forgetting who saved who,” Dolan said.
“I think you are forgetting who had a gun to the back of their head when all the saving took place.”
“Look,” Donna interrupted, “we appreciate all you have done for us Mr.
Dolan. If and when the time comes let us return the favor. How does Ana and my daughter put it? We are all team human here.”
“Team human,” Fan repeated, “I like that. It’s a lot easier to say than Sacred Son’s of America’s True Idiots.”
“Patriots,” Dolan corrected, before saying, “I guess that can be arranged too. Anything else?”
“Not from you. Thanks.”
“I take that means you want something from me?” Fan asked.
“After I help you save the world I want my group of people taken out of the QZ.”
“That’s all?”
“Yep.”
“Consider it done.”
“Does this mean we have until tomorrow before we have to do anything?” Donna asked.
“It might,” Fan replied, “I suggest you enjoy the downtime.”
Chapter 4 - Southeastern Checkpoint - Escondido, CA
“Two minutes to midnight Loyal Listeners? More like ten seconds. My sources say the illegal occultist immigrants from the planet Mars, that’s right the Satanic Martians, have conspired with hostile communist forces in the orient to bring nuclear war to our shores in the guise of stopping the spread of the rot. A disease I for one, loyal listeners, am almost one hundred percent certaint was developed as a biological weapon by satanic mongolian monks and sold off to the highest bidder among the enemies of freedom and the American way so they could destroy our way of life.”
“Can we please turn that shit off?” Dr. Talbot said to the soldier manning the holding pen. The area was a much more high tech version of the area where Jennifer, Katelin, and Bo were being held. Although, it served the same purpose.
Even TMRT vehicles staffed by high ranking doctors and soldiers had to be checked out thoroughly in the barb wire enclosed area between the quarantine zone and the rest of the United States. Men in hazard suits were unloading the cargo while others scoured the vehicle for any signs of the rot. Even though the only means of spreading the disease so far seemed to be bites from the infected, the vehicles would be cleaned thoroughly.
The soldiers were going through even more thorough examinations. Dr. Talbot and Major Novak had passed the initial exams, but they remained in the pen so they could monitor the unloading of the samples they had risked their lives to collect.
“Careful with that,” Dr.Talbot said as he moved closer to the men unloading the aluminum boxes filled with the liquefied remains of the immune they had collected in the QZ. Dr. Talbot was sure the rare person immune to the rot held the key to a cure.
The soldier pointed at the now silent radio, said to Novak, “Can you believe the shit this Carson guy is saying?”
“You were listening to him?” Novak said.
“It’s the only thing on since we took down all the towers. Doesn’t mean I believe him.”
Novak pointed at the refrigerated truck the men in hazmat suits were unloading, “That transport is filled with human beings we turned to soup in hopes to find a cure for a disease that randomly turns people into zombies or apex predators. Satanic Communist Martians doesn’t sound as far fetched as it did before.”
“I don’t think the Satanic Martians are communist. From what I understand they want a devil worshipping theocracy. They would be anyway, if they were real, which they’re not.”
“You sure?”
“Not as much as I used to be.”
“Exactly,” Novak said as he put a cigarette between his lips.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to smoke in here.”
“I look like I give a shit?” Novak said as he lit up.
The soldier suddenly stiffened, stood up straight and turned to salute someone.
Novak looked over to see General Doctor Thompson and his assistant Torrance come into the pen. Novak did not bother to stand, let alone salute.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to smoke in here.” Torrance said to Novak.
Novak took a drag, blew out some smoke and said, “I look like I give a shit?”
“No you don’t,” Torrance said, “Where is Dr. Talbot?”
Novak pointed to the transport where Dr. Talbot was closely supervising the handling of his samples.
Thompson and Torrance went over to Talbot while Novak finished his cigarette.
“You know when you told me you didn’t give a shit I just figured you were pulling rank. You don’t outrank Torrance, and you sure as hell don’t outrank Thompson,’ the soldier said.
“No I don’t. Although, it’s like I said, I don’t give a shit.”
Thompson and Torrance returned after a brief conversation with Dr. Talbot.
“We will have a much more thorough de-briefing later,” Thompson said to Novak, “What I need now is confirmation of Eric Vance’s death.”
“Is it that important to you he be dead?” Novak said.
“Among the many things I hate Major Novak is when someone answers my question with a question.”
“Is that so?”
“You need to fix your attitude soldier.”
“Or what? You’ll drum me out of the TMRT? You’d be doing me a favor.”
“I’m going to give you some latitude soldier. I have no doubts your experiences in the quarantine zone have affected your judgement. I would still like my question answered.”
“Talbot tell you he was dead?”
“You did it again, but the answer is yes.”
“Then he’s dead.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It wasn’t a question.”
“Let me try again. In your professional opinion did Eric Vance die in the quarantine zone?”
“In my professional opinion, yes.”
“I get the feeling you are not telling me the whole story. We will talk again later soldier,” Thompson said as he and Torrance began to leave.
“How about you answer my question. Do you want him to be dead?”
“At this point, I’m not sure what I want.”
“At some point you will?”
“I’m not ruling anything out.”
“Here is what I know then. Odds are Eric Vance and his family died in a burning bunker surrounded by infected, but I didn’t see a body.”
Thompson nodded, said, “Thank you soldier,” before he and Torrance left.
“Damn,” the soldier said as the two men running TMRT Southeastern compound left the pen, “You really don’t give a shit. You know you are done in the TMRT after that.”
“Yeah, well maybe the Satanic Martians are hiring.”
Chapter 5 - Cam Carson’s Compound - Fallbrook, CA
Donna looked at her ex-husband trying to walk without letting on he had an huge gash in his leg that may have severed something he needed to be attached, as they walked through Carson’s sprawling compound on the way to free the others from the holding pen. She got close and waited until Dolan had moved ahead of them before whispering, “Are you sure you are up for another mission with only one leg?”
“It’s getting better.”
“Bullshit.”
“Who do you propose go instead? Katelin?”
“She would go. She might be mad that she’s not, but no, I don’t want her to go. There has to be someone else though. What about Bo or Corrigan’s kid? What is his name?”
“Ben. I’m not sure how much we can count on him. Keep in mind he is the son of two crazy people.”
“His mom was crazy too?”
“You see a sane person having a long term relationship with Corrigan?”
“Fair point.”
“It’s a military operation. The only military we have left is Clay and I.”
Donna wished she could argue that point, but the fact was she couldn’t. She and Vance may never get back together, but she did not want Katelin to lose her father. He was by no one’s definition a good dad, but he was still better than no dad at all.
Vance sensed her concern and said, “There are no guarantees, but I’m going to do everything I can to come back.�
��
“I know,” Donna replied, “I’m just sick and tired of losing people.”
“You liked the old sailor, Bar?”
“I didn’t know him long, but I was starting too. Without him we would have never made it this far. I hate we had to leave him behind.”
“Even if he lived through the attack he isn’t Bar anymore.”
“I know, but it still sucks.”
Vance nodded. He understood perfectly. She was not the only one to lose someone close to her in the last twenty four hours.
Dolan slowed down and looked back at them. “What are you guys talking about?” he asked.
“Just friends we lost,” Donna told him.
Dolan nodded as he said, “I know the feeling.”
There was a beat of silence as they approached the entrance to the holding pen. Dolan motioned to the Cletus who still had guard duty.
“On my orders and Carson’s they are free to leave the pen,” Dolan told him, “Go give them the good news and help them gather any belongings. Carson is setting up quarters for them in the main house.”
“Main house?” Cletus asked, “We don’t get to stay in the main house.”
“This isn’t about you,” Dolan told him.
Cletus didn’t seem satisfied with this answer, but he did not seem to have an argument against either. He gave a lazy salute and went to do as he was told.
“Do you think there really is a limit to how long the rotters can last?” Dolan asked Vance as they waited for Cletus and the members of their group to come back.
“It makes sense.”
“Sure, it does,” Donna said, “but making sense is not enough to make something happen. Things that don’t make sense happen all the time, especially here. He didn’t say it like it was something that made sense. He said it like he knew.”
“Maybe. He is an intelligence officer of some sort, which means maybe he does know,” Vance replied.
“Which would mean Carson is probably right about another conspiracy. The rot is a weapon.”
“I knew the communist were somehow responsible,” Dolan said.
“Maybe, maybe not,” Vance told them, “Him being an intelligence officer is a double edged sword. He may have access to information, but he also is a trained liar who is going to say what he needs to say to manipulate us into doing what he wants.”