Plague War: Pandemic

by Alister Hodge

  The boat completed a tight turn, coming back to the same spot again then cut the engine. The water was remarkably clear with only a gentle swell disturbing the surface. Two metres below, light yellow sand showed between green clumps of seaweed and rock.

  ‘Got him! Off there, to the right,’ said the marine, pointing downwards.

  Steph followed his direction and within moments caught sight of it herself. A Carrier was on the bottom, rotted clothes hanging in ribbons that trailed with the current. It walked clumsily on the sandy base toward the beach, less than an arm’s reach under the surface. As it drew closer to the boat, Steph could see small fish darting about the ghoul’s face and neck, gouging out small bites of tissue. The marine lifted his rifle and fired a single shot into the water, compensating for the light’s refraction as he aimed. A thin line of bubbles gave evidence of the bullet’s passage as a small hole appeared in the corpse’s forehead. The back of the skull exploded in a haze of brain tissue and bone fragments, and the Carrier slumped slowly to lie face down on the sand. The tiny fish swarmed through the mess of tissue, snatching up the scraps of flesh, as others burrowed into the easy pickings at the back of the corpse’s skull.

  An awful thought suddenly entered Steph’s mind. ‘The soldier who got attacked this morning, it wasn’t a teenage boy was it?’ Jai had been loaded onto one of the first transports two hours earlier.

  ‘Nah. It was some older guy,’ answered the marine, who was looking pleased with himself after his shot.

  Steph breathed a sigh of relief. The training Sergeant had stayed true to his word in Jindabyne by recommending them for deployment away from the alpine town. Within days, the two had found themselves on the Navy Frigate in Port Phillip Bay. At a distance, the small town of Queenscliff looked perfectly harmless, making it hard to believe it was infested with thousands of Carriers. Jai had been in one of the first boatloads at dawn, the two rigid-hulled inflatables speeding back and forth across the bay to transfer 100 new soldiers to reinforce Queenscliff Fort. The helicopter had been left inactive to avoid drawing unwanted attention from the town’s Infected earlier than desired. Steph had drawn the short straw, being allocated a position in one of the last two boat trips.

  ‘I reckon that’s the area clear for the moment,’ said the marine. The marine driving the boat nodded and pulled on the throttle. The engine growled underneath as the craft scooted the last distance into the beach. On the headland above, Steph could make out part of the Fort’s brick wall, but her eyes were drawn to a tall black lighthouse that reared up out of the north end of the Fort complex.

  As the boat crunched into the sand, she gave the surrounding water a quick inspection for danger, then jumped overboard holding her rifle tightly in both hands. Steph waded out of the knee-deep water until she reached dry sand, then stopped and looked back offshore. The Navy Frigate blended into the grey water of the bay. Her boots squelched damply underfoot as she turned back to the beach and trudged up to join the others.

  A corporal was waiting for them with a small contingent of soldiers to guard the path up to the Fort. He did a headcount, confirming all were present.

  ‘Good to see you guys all made it out of the water this time,’ he said, hooking his finger for them to follow behind. ‘The rest of the reinforcements are beyond the fence line inside the Fort. You’ll be allocated to platoons once your whole contingent is together.’

  A five-minute walk brought them to the back fence of the Fort, a high barrier constructed of cyclone wire. A gate was swung open, giving access to the grassed area beyond.

  ‘Hey Steph! Over here!’ called out Jai, holding up his hand to get her attention.

  Steph smiled as she recognised her young friend. He was sitting on his pack, rifle resting on his knees as he waited. They’d done a lot of that since being informed of their redeployment the previous week. It turned out that the army even had its own saying – ‘hurry up and wait’. Wait for transport. Wait for gear and weapons to be issued. The boredom during these times gave Steph too much time to think, and she’d found herself at times hard pressed to shut down the anxious whispers in her mind and keep her thoughts positive. After all, she was still alive and fighting – more than could be said for much of the country – and other countries for that matter. Word had come that the plague was ripping through Southeast Asia in an irrepressible tide of violence. Once a foothold had been gained in Indonesia, its spread had been horrendously quick.

  ‘Were you on the last boat?’ asked Jai.

  Steph grunted with effort as she shrugged off her backpack to thump on the grass. ‘Yep. I don’t know how I managed to get left to the end, just lucky I guess.’ She rubbed at her right shoulder where the strap had dug into the muscle painfully as she turned to look at the original brick buildings of the Fort. ‘Do you think we’ll find Harry and Mark here?’

  ‘Well it’s where Harry said he was being posted, but your guess is as good as mine about Mark,’ said Jai with a slight shrug of his shoulders. ‘I hope so.’

  A shout from behind drew Jai’s attention. ‘Looks like we’re being moved somewhere,’ he said.

  ‘For Pete’s sake, I just got my bloody pack off,’ said Steph, her face screwed up in annoyance.

  Jai chuckled at her expression. ‘You need a mirror to see yourself. That’s quite the pout you’ve got going there.’

  ‘Fuck off, squirt. You need to learn some respect for your elders,’ she replied, a wry smile defusing any anger from her own words. Steph grabbed a strap of her pack, hoisted it onto one shoulder and turned to follow the group towards one of the larger buildings. ‘Are you coming, or what?’ she said as she walked away.

  Jai just smiled, yanked his stuff off the ground and joined his mate at the back of the line.

  Three officers were standing beside the entrance of the building as the reinforcements walked inside. As Steph and Jai drew close, a gruff voice called them aside.

  ‘Oi, you two.’

  Steph and Jai looked up, surprised to have been singled out.

  ‘That’s right, the last two in line, I want a quick word with you before you go in,’ the officer said before turning to the other lieutenants. ‘I’ll be inside in a moment; I just have a message to pass on to these soldiers first.’

  The two officers gave him a puzzled look, then shrugged and walked through the door, leaving him alone with Steph and Jai.

  A large grin cracked open on Mark’s face as he gave Steph a tight hug and shook Jai’s hand. ‘Now what the hell are you two doing here?’ he said, still smiling.

  ‘The recruitment camp couldn’t last forever,’ said Jai. ‘They’ve sent us back into the real world.’

  Mark pushed Steph back to arm’s length, his eyes now creased with concern as he glanced between his two friends. ‘How did training go? I’ve heard about some stupid shit going on that’s already having to be phased out.’

  ‘Let’s just say, I’m glad it’s over and done with,’ said Steph. ‘Now, what’s with the officer’s pips on your shoulder?’

  Mark glanced down at the Lieutenant insignia on his uniform then back at them both. ‘Not my choice, obviously. I think they just threw the commission at me for managing to stay alive.’

  ‘I take it you’ve got some stories to tell then,’ said Jai, his eyebrow raised in question.

  Mark’s face became grim as he nodded. ‘Yeah, but they can wait until later. We better get inside before things kick off. The reinforcements here will be seeded into new platoons, half and half with the existing soldiers in the Fort. I know how you guys fight, and I couldn’t think of any other soldiers I’d rather have by my side when we fight those bastards. I know I fucked up at the farm, but are you willing to give me another chance if I can get you into my platoon?’

  ‘Don’t be stupid, Mark,’ said Steph with a smile on her face. ‘You already know the answer to that question.’

  ‘Damn right,’ echoed Jai. ‘Count me in.’

  Mark grinned, ‘Good stuff. L
et’s get in there and sort this shit out.’

  Chapter Thirteen

  Erin opened the door of her demountable and poked her head outside, furtively looking back and forth to ensure none of the camp guards were nearby. She’d noticed a continual movement of people past her window, all heading towards the beach. It could only mean one thing, something was happening with the cruise liner that had anchored off the coast.

  It had turned up the morning following Rachael’s murder. Unsurprisingly, the navy had refused to board the ship, claiming the risk was too high and chances of success miniscule. Even at distance, the despair of the crew had been palpable, as a plea for help had been painted on bedsheets and hung from the ship’s bridge within sight of the camp.

  Few people on the island had much sympathy for the ship’s crew. Most were plain furious that they had escaped the terror of the mainland, only to have plague brought straight to their new doorstep. Erin could understand the crew’s desperation, but she too looked at the massive floating coffin with trepidation.

  Last night had brought a huge storm to the island, battering the small demountables with sudden gusts that had threatened to tear the simple structures apart. The ferocity of the previous night had lessened with the coming of dawn, however, a prevailing wind still drove white capped surf against their slim strip of beach.

  Erin joined a crowd of people at the fence line, hooking gloved fingers through the wire. She looked over to where the cruise ship had been anchored. Her heart skipped a beat. It was gone. Erin’s gaze now followed to where many of the people around her were pointing, north to the rocky headland at the end of their beach. The storm had dragged the ship’s anchor, driving it up against the rocks. It listed heavily to the side, exposing stained hull that never usually saw the light of day. Even from her viewpoint, a hundred metres away, tortured groans could be heard from the metal hull as it threatened to tear apart.

  Erin felt a ball of anxiety build in her chest as her heart rate jumped. If the cruise liner broke apart, it would empty thousands of Carriers into the surf. She’d be stuck on a tiny island with nowhere to escape the Infected. Unconsciously, she gripped the handle of the knife within her pocket. Since her confrontation with Jeremy, it hadn’t left her side for a minute.

  ‘Is there any news on what the Navy’s planning to do?’ asked Erin of the woman standing next to her.

  ‘Nothing I’ve heard, and there’s no way our useless guards would be able to save us, not the grots they’ve sent so far anyway. Unless they land proper marines to protect the camp, that shipwreck is making me very nervous.’

  ‘What do you think we should do if it starts to break apart?’ asked Erin.

  ‘Same as we did on the mainland, darling,’ said the woman, her words slow and features slack, as if she was resigned to inevitability.

  ‘So, we stand and fight?’

  The woman looked at Erin abruptly, eyes widening in surprise, ‘You’ve fought them before?’ then her eyes darted away again. ‘No, we run as far away as possible and hide.’

  A flare of anger sparked within Erin at her words. Who the hell was going to protect the many small children within the camp if the adults weren’t even willing to fight?

  ‘Fine. But when you eventually run out of ground on this tiny island, that choice isn’t going to help you,’ said Erin, bitterness clear in her voice. She turned away from the woman and walked further along the fence to get a closer look at the ship.

  Erin was forced to stop at the far corner of the camp’s enclosure. From this point, the ship was less than 200 metres away. A room on the third deck was on fire, black smoke pouring from a smashed window. A deafening screech of tearing metal assaulted her ears as the hull shifted on the rocks, and a ten-metre split appeared.

  Something small and hard shoved painfully into the back of her left shoulder. Erin flinched to the side and turned around. Jeremy held a long nightstick in his hand, the end of which pointed at her chest. Behind him was a group of five guards.

  ‘I haven’t seen you around over the last few days. I almost thought someone had made you disappear,’ he said with a smirk on his face. ‘Not that anyone would miss such an annoyance as you.’

  Erin scowled, but she stayed quiet, biting back a smart arse reply on the tip of her tongue. Jeremy moved forward, bringing his face down close to hers. With the fence at her back, Erin had nowhere to go.

  ‘What, nothing to say? Good. That’s the way I like the bitches on this island – quiet and compliant,’ he said under his breath.

  Erin saw red. She brought her knee up savagely into his groin, crushing his testicles. Jeremy’s eyes bulged with agony, a sharp intake of breath the only sound escaping his mouth.

  Erin brought her mouth next to his ear and muttered, ‘I’m not a bitch. And I’m not going to stay quiet – you’re going to pay for what you did to Rachael.’

  She suddenly remembered the other guards and looked up to see if they were coming for her. She needn’t have worried. They were laughing at their mate, barely standing as tears rolled down their faces.

  Jeremy’s face went scarlet at the sound. ‘You’re fucked, do you hear me?’ he rasped. ‘I’m going to kill you like your stupid slut friend!’

  Erin froze at his words, but he failed to follow through, slumping to the ground with his knees drawn up to his belly. She took her chance before the other guards finally decided to help out, and darted away, her right hand tucked into her coat as she ran.

  Once she was certain she’d lost the guards and was alone, she ran to one of the numerous hiding places she had discovered around the grounds of the camp. After another look back and forth to ensure she was by herself, she quickly ducked down and through a space between the branches of a tall hedge. Within the plant wall was a dry layer of leaves, protected from the worst of the rain and wind. She shimmied back away from the entrance, cocooned in a room of green leaves and twiggy branches. Her limbs shook at the enormity of what she had just done as she pulled her right hand out of her coat and looked at the Glock pistol in her hand. She still couldn’t believe that she’d succeeded, that Jeremy hadn’t noticed her remove it as she whispered in his ear.

  Erin slowed her breathing and focused on relaxing. She didn’t want to be mucking around with a weapon like this with shaking hands. Five minutes later she felt ready to run through a check. She had been included in the weapon drills back on the farm, and Penny had once run through how to use her police issue Glock a few times. First, she checked the chamber was empty, then popped the magazine out; she was in luck, it was fully loaded. Erin clicked it back home again, then wrapped the pistol in a t-shirt. She placed the package against the trunk of the plant and brushed a pile of dead leaves over it.

  The true storm was yet to break, and she was determined to be ready for when it hit. Jeremy was dangerous, but if the ship split open on the rocks, he was going to be the least of her worries. Erin brushed the leaves and dirt from her clothes, trying to make herself look relatively presentable before she left the hiding spot. She couldn’t afford to be alone and wanted other people to be around when Jeremy eventually found her. After a quick check that no-one was within sight, she climbed out of the hedge and ran towards the kitchens, hoping that the head cook would allow her to pick up a random shift.

  ***

  Erin was clearing dirty plates when Jeremy walked through the door followed closely by his posse of guards. The dining hall was still relatively full after lunch, with people happy to remain inside for the warmth. Jeremy spotted Erin almost immediately and headed straight for her. She couldn’t help but smile as she saw the way he walked. Jeremy still looked in pain, his gait wider than usual as he moved gingerly.

  ‘I’ve been looking for you. Where the fuck is my gun, you little thief!’ he shouted.

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Erin said, keeping her face blank of expression as she avoided eye contact and continued clearing the next table.

  Jeremy grabbed her shoulder
, and roughly forced her to turn and face him. ‘Don’t fucking walk away when I’m speaking, you rude little bitch! Hand it over, I know you took it back at the fence line after you…’

  Erin met his eye for the first time, the slightest smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, ‘After I what, Jeremy? Oh, that’s right, after I pancaked your balls with my knee. And yet here you go, calling me a bitch again. For an adult, you don’t learn very fast, do you?’

  Jeremy went red in the face, his mouth forming soundless words as rage overcame him. Erin was suddenly worried that she’d pushed him too far and backed away a step, then realised she was trapped against the wall. She reached into her pocket, slipping the sheath off her knife with her thumb before holding it ready within her jumper’s pocket. Jeremy was oblivious to the crowd watching as he closed the distance between them, reaching his hands up to Erin’s neck.

  ‘Stop right there!’ shouted an enormous voice. Jeremy froze, consciousness coming back to his eyes as his hands dropped to his side. All noise in the room ceased as a large hand dropped heavily onto Jeremy’s shoulder, forcibly moving him backwards. It was Lieutenant Bourke.

  ‘What’s going on here?’ he asked.

  Jeremy stared at Erin, his jaw clenched in fury.

  ‘I’m waiting for an answer, soldier,’ said Bourke.

  ‘This girl stole my pistol earlier in the day. I’m here to get it back again.’

  ‘Bullshit,’ said Bourke, looking over to Erin. ‘How old are you?’

  ‘Thirteen.’

  Bourke looked back at Jeremy, pure scorn showing on his face. ‘So, you’re telling me, a thirteen-year-old civilian, with no military training somehow managed to disarm you. I’d be careful how you answer that, because in my books, that would demonstrate gross incompetence on your part.’

  Jeremy said nothing.

  ‘I take by your silence you’ve decided you were mistaken?’