Nash watched the ongoing mission on the second flat panel. The CH-47 pilot held the bird in a pinnacle hover above the overpass with the rear ramp yawning open, then the helo’s back wheels gently touching the guard rail. It was one of the most difficult maneuvers to perform in the big dual rotor helo and the pilot was making it look easy.
She couldn’t be sure but it appeared that the second nuclear device was wedged between the vehicles and the operators were trying to reach the hovering chopper on foot.
Z’s were crowding the men from both ends of the overpass. Flashes winked from the guns wielded by the brave men she was praying for.
“Springs, this is Gaines. The device is armed and we are on the move. How copy?”
“Nash here. Good copy... Good job and God’s speed boys.”
On the other screen Jedi One-One was just crossing the west fence.
Worried, Nash broke protocol and tried to hail Ari. “Jedi One-One I need a sit rep. How is the General?”
She was greeted with silence.
***
Schriever Air Force Base Research Tent
“That’s your story and you’re sticking to it?” Pug asked, disbelief coating his words.
“This is all of the antiserum we could produce. This isn’t Pfizer Laboratories,” Fuentes said scathingly, sweeping his arms at the vinyl-walled tent.
“Good,” Pug said as he swept the centrifuge still bristling with golden vials onto the rubberized floor. The machine bounced, shattering the test tubes into thousands of pieces and splashing the antiserum across the floor. Pug raised the silenced pistol and took a step closer to the wiry Doctor. “Any last words?”
Fuentes stood up straight and said, “If you destroy all that we have worked so hard to achieve... then I hope there is a special place in hell for you.”
The flat-faced killer smirked as he shot Doctor Fuentes once through his open mouth and again in his right eye. Eleven, twelve, I am going to hell.
While Pug searched for something flammable to “cleanse” the area, he heard a distant helicopter and also sensed the tent vibrating around him. He found several bottles of isopropyl alcohol and began emptying the contents on the computers and medical equipment arranged around the inside of the tent. The immobilized zombie received a few extra splashes of the fast-drying liquid. Pug hurriedly lit another book of matches and tossed them onto the creature’s chest, then stood transfixed as an ethereal blue flame danced around the monster and then raced down onto the floor following the trail of accelerant around the tent. Pug heard rapid footsteps approaching from the quarantine end of the hangar. He only had seconds to escape but he wanted to see the zombie burn. Go. Go. Go! the voices implored. He heeded their advice and trotted back to his civilian sleeping quarters. Along the way, mingled with the sounds of sirens and people running to and fro, he heard a female’s voice say “twelve minutes” over the base wide PA system.
Chapter 46
Outbreak - Day 9
Schriever Air Force Base
Colorado Springs, Colorado
With Desantos’ limp body draped over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry, Cade trudged along the walk heading for the research tent. Out of necessity and fearing for his friend’s life, Cade finally began seeing the glass as half full. The antiserum had better work, he said to himself, or Fuentes is going to have some explaining to do.
Cade rounded the corner, accidently dragging his friend’s head through the waist high shrubs lining the walk. Desantos reacted by letting out a guttural moan.
“Stop right where you are!” a voice barked, echoing off of the towering hangar walls.
Cade stopped walking and looked up, trying to determine who was shouting at him.
Three men dressed in white cleanroom suits fully blocked the walkway with their guns drawn.
Cade swayed back and forth under Desantos’ weight and said, “Put the guns down, I have an injured man here.” Just then, he noticed that the doorway in the far distance behind the men was belching flames and smoke.
The men approached cautiously, eyes scanning ahead, with their guns held at the ready. Upon noticing the Captain’s bars on Cade’s ACUs and that he easily outranked all three of them, the clean suit trio stood down and pointed their weapons towards the ground.
“Captain, have you seen anyone running this way?” the nearest man called out.
“No, but you might want to follow these,” Cade replied, gesturing to the wet boot prints leading off in the direction he had just come from. “Can one of you run ahead and alert Doctor Fuentes that General Desantos has been infected and needs the antiserum?”
“I’m sorry sir... but we’re pretty certain the doctor is dead... the whole tent is involved and it is burning hot. The person responsible is still on the loose.”
“How about the infirmary, is...” Cade searched his memory for the woman’s name and it finally came to him. “Is Doctor Hanson around? I am losing this man,” Cade sighed as he gently lowered Desantos’ body to the cement walk.
“The infirmary went up in flames first, Sir. We can’t find Doctor Hanson either. There is a good chance the same person started both fires.”
Cade instantly lost his legs and crumbled to the ground when the soldier mentioned infirmary and fire in the same breath. He feared for his family’s safety: Brook and the baby, Raven, Carl--they might have all been in there.
“Whoever started those fires just signed my friend’s death warrant and I want him to be held accountable!” Cade bellowed at the soldiers, frothy spittle flying from his mouth. “Go and find the motherfucker... and take him alive. That is a direct order!”
“Yes, Sir!” the men shouted in unison, before they tore off following the trail of sticky antiserum.
Chapter 47
Outbreak - Day 9
Schriever Air Force Base - 50th Space Wing
The Global Hawk continued to orbit ten miles from the stretch of I-25 soon to be reduced to one immense smoking crater, and hopefully with it a few hundred thousand living dead. If the two five-kiloton bombs did what they were designed to, Schriever wouldn’t have to be abandoned.
Major Freda Nash watched the scrolling red digital clock counting down the final few minutes. She had just witnessed the Chinook carrying the remainder of the Delta team along with her longtime colleague Agent Tice cross over the outer edge of the blast danger zone. The helicopter was flying low level at maximum speed and only minutes from touching down. Both of the fires on the base were almost under control but the full extent of the loss of life wouldn’t be known until the ashes were sifted through. Most troubling was the fact that she hadn’t yet received an update on the General’s condition.
***
Cade knelt on the ground and removed Mike’s tactical helmet, then he wrapped his arms around his friend’s muscular upper body and heaved him into a sitting position.
Desantos coughed violently, showering Cade’s chest with saliva. Beads of sweat cascaded from his face and Cade noticed that his body had changed temperature yet again. Minutes ago he had felt cool to the touch--now he was super hot--almost too hot to touch. Cade sighed, accepting the fact that his friend and mentor was going through the final stages prior to reanimation.
With his right hand cupping the back of Desantos’ head, Cade drew his face near enough to whisper in the dying man’s ear. “Remember our pact?” No response. “You took care of Brook... now I will do the same for Annie and the kids... to the best of my ability.”
An unintelligible groan escaped Desantos’ lips.
With his free hand Cade unsheathed the Gerber combat dagger. “I promised that I wouldn’t let you become one of them... and I promise that your death will be avenged. I love you brother...” Cade slid the razor sharp seven-inch blade effortlessly between the vertebrae at the base of Mike’s neck and pushed it deep into his brain. After a slight shudder, Mike “Cowboy” Desantos’ final breath caressed the side of Cade’s neck.
Cade stared at the rolling count
down on his Suunto until it reached zero. He didn’t expect to hear the bomb blast immediately, but continued holding Desantos’ lifeless body, with his friend’s hot blood coursing down his forearms fully turning his blouse dark crimson.
Three minutes and twenty-eight seconds after his watch zeroed and a distant claxon started blaring, a low rumble many times louder than thunder reverberated over the base.
“We did it friend,” Cade said and then he let the tears flow.
###
Thanks for reading In Harm’s Way. Look for Book 4: A Pound of Flesh, the forthcoming novel in the Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse series in the Fall of 2012. Please contact me on Facebook
In Harm's Way: Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse Page 27