Indestructible: V Plague Book 7

by Dirk Patton

  “Every single one of my Marines is staying behind,” Pointere said, pride obvious in his voice.

  “Not a bit surprised,” Crawford replied with a wry smile. “My Captain couldn’t be talked out of it. I’m still not happy I let you talk me out of it.”

  “Forget it, Jack.” Pointere said, fishing around in a cargo pocket. Finding what he was looking for he pulled out two cigars, handing one to Crawford. “These people are going to need you to survive when they get to Nassau. Who the hell else is going to take charge?”

  The conversation paused as the two men got their cigars lit. Crawford drew on his, exhaling with a satisfied sigh. “I know, I know. I don’t have to like it; I just have to do it. Right?”

  “That’s what I’ve heard a certain thick headed grunt of my acquaintance say a few times.” Pointere moved so he could watch his men preparing as they talked.

  “We’re leaving the Ospreys with you,” Crawford said. “Get as many men on them as you can after we get the last of the civvies out. They won’t make the Bahamas, but if you head that way I can send a C-130 to pick you up. Maybe in Alabama or Georgia somewhere.”

  “Pipe dream, Jack. You know as well as I do that won’t happen. Maybe the pilots, once there’s no longer a reason for them to stay in the area, but none of us on the ground are going to make it. I accept that. Have made peace with it. You just get all these fucking people out of here. We’ll buy you as much time as we can.” Pointere said.

  They stood there for a long time, not saying anything, just watching the fighting men prepare for the coming battle. Weapons were being checked. Ammunition was being distributed. Vehicles were being gone over to make sure there wouldn’t be a problem at a critical moment.

  “Jim, it’s been an honor.” Crawford finally said, turning, coming to attention and raising a salute to the Marine Colonel.

  Pointere returned the salute then the two men shook hands. After a long moment Crawford turned and started walking to the waiting Hummer, cigar smoke trailing in his wake.

  45

  I woke up, disoriented as hell, with a head that felt like Snoop Dog had taken up residence and turned the bass all the way to 10. The sun was shining brightly, but I was in the shade of a tree and could hear burbling water close by. An arm was draped across my chest, a shapely, bare leg thrown over mine. At first I thought it was Rachel, then my mind began creaking along when I recognized the improvised moccasin I had fashioned for Katie out of my shirt.

  She was asleep, head pillowed on my shoulder. Raising my head slightly, I kissed her gently on the forehead, turning when I heard a grunt. It was Dog, sitting between a lazy river and me, keeping watch. He was looking at me, tongue hanging out of his mouth as he panted in the heat of what seemed to be the morning.

  “How’s your head?” Katie asked.

  “I’m fine,” I said, turning to look at her. “How long have I been out?”

  “A few hours,” she said.

  Sitting up she crossed her legs and looked down at me.

  “Got you down here after you went all berserker on the infected, then you passed out.” She reached out and gently touched my head, examining something. “You’ve got one hell of a knot on the side of your head to go along with that gash.”

  I reached up and touched a spot that was tender enough to send a jolt of pain through my entire body. Must have been where I hit my head in the underground river.

  “How bad you think?” She asked.

  “Don’t know, but I’m conscious and I can remember what happened last night, so that’s probably a good sign. No more infected since the last attack?” I rose up onto my elbows, my head pounding hard enough to make my vision blur, but it passed quickly.

  “Two males a couple of hours ago. Your friend there took care of them. Rachel told me about him.” Katie nodded at Dog, who looked back at us, slobber dripping off his tongue.

  “That’s Dog,” I said. “He’s been with me since Atlanta and probably has as much or more to do with me making it as Rachel does.”

  Hearing his name, Dog got up and walked over, shoving his nose against my arm for petting.

  “He doesn’t seem to like me much,” Katie said. She reached out to pet him, but Dog pulled away. He didn’t growl, but he kept his eyes focused on her hand.

  What the hell? I’d never seen him act like that with someone I was OK with. I called him, but he wouldn’t approach me until Katie moved her hand back.

  “I’ve never seen him do that,” I said. “He hasn’t growled at you, has he?”

  “No, nothing like that. Just doesn’t want me close to him. I was afraid I was going to have a problem being close to you, but he just hangs back a few feet and keeps a close eye on me. Maybe it’s because I’m not Rachel.”

  Maybe she was right, but I wasn’t convinced. Not that it was a big deal, but I made a mental note to keep a close eye on him. I remembered the conversation Rachel and I had about the virus jumping to animals and her saying that it was possible it could infect dogs.

  The virus! I had suspected yesterday that Katie was healing fast because of the virus, even though she wasn’t “infected”. Maybe Dog could smell or sense something different and he was confirming my idea. Deciding this was best kept to myself, I sat the rest of the way up.

  “So what’s our plan?” Katie asked, standing and stretching. For probably the thousandth time in my life I couldn’t help but admire the way the shirt stretched across her breasts.

  “Would you focus on the problem at hand and not my tits,” she said when she saw where I was looking.

  “Sorry,” I said, not the least bit sorry. I’d really missed her.

  This was one of the few times in my life that I didn’t know what to do. I knew where Tinker Air Force Base was. Knew we could reach it in a few days on foot, or even faster if we came across a running vehicle. But there was the approaching herd that Joe and I had seen. I had no doubt about where they were heading and didn’t like the idea of being anywhere near them as they pushed into the Oklahoma City area.

  I relayed the thought to Katie, watching as she stripped off the few rags of clothing she was wearing and waded into the river. Dog gave her a wide berth as she walked past him, also watching as she submerged her head in the water, vigorously rubbing her fingers through her hair. A couple of minutes later she walked out of the water and stood in the sun, naked, letting her body dry before putting the shirt and foot coverings back on.

  “OK, so Oklahoma City is out. What else is around here? We’ve got no food and you’re down to less than fifty rounds for that rifle. I checked after you passed out.” She said.

  I sat thinking, but I didn’t have an intimate knowledge of Oklahoma. What I did know was that there was a lot of open space, just like Arizona. You could walk for days without coming across civilization. And to make matters worse, I didn’t have a very good idea of exactly where we were. Somewhere northeast of Oklahoma City was the best I could come up with.

  Food was going to be a real problem. I hadn’t eaten in I couldn’t remember when. I had no idea when the last time Katie had eaten, but knew there was no point in asking. She’d just lie to keep me from worrying about her. Not that the human body can’t go for a long period without food, but food is the fuel that keeps us running and fighting. Katie didn’t have any extra body fat to live on, and after the past couple of months, neither did I.

  Water was a bigger concern, but I seemed to keep coming across rivers and streams. I wasn’t as worried about finding water as I was food. As much of the prairie as I’d run across, I couldn’t recall seeing any wildlife. Nothing that I could shoot and make a meal of. We needed a destination, relatively close, where we could find food, shelter and weapons. But exactly where the hell was that?

  Standing, I swayed a little, but the dizziness retreated and I felt more or less good enough to travel. We were under a tree on the banks of the river, a gentle slope leading to a small hill to the west. Climbing up I looked out across miles and mi
les of nothing. Well, not nothing. Southwest of where we stood there was a massive dust cloud that obscured the horizon. At least I knew where the herd was.

  Turning a slow circle I scanned in every direction, hoping to see any indication of civilization. Seeing nothing I sighed and walked back to where Katie sat in the shade of the tree.

  “We’re going east,” I said, staring off into my proposed direction of travel.

  “Why east?” She asked, not challenging, just wanting to know my reasoning.

  “My parents grew up here.” Katie nodded. “I remember visiting my grandparents when I was a kid. We’d drive up to somewhere close to Amarillo, then head east. Maybe I’m wrong, since that was a long time ago, but what I recall is that everything west of here is pretty much desolate grass lands until you bump up against the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and New Mexico. East of here is water, trees and a lot of towns.”

  Katie stood up and moved next to me, looking to the east. “I trust your memory. Let’s get moving.” She said, taking my hand in hers.

  46

  We drank as much water from the river as we could force down, not knowing how long before we’d come across another source. Setting off across the grasslands, Dog fell in on the opposite side of me from Katie. He maintained position a few feet in front, ears at full alert. I was glad to have him along, even if he was acting weird.

  I guessed it was mid to late morning when we began walking. The sun was already high and it was hot. A breeze was blowing in our faces, but it seemed there was always wind moving in this area. I kept a close eye out for any movement as I walked, frequently checking our rear.

  I wasn’t just watching for infected, I was hoping to see something we could make a meal of. But as we kept pushing east I didn’t see anything. No rabbits, which really surprised me, and no birds, which was a relief after the infected vultures I’d shot.

  Several hours later we reached a stream. There wasn’t much water in it, I could easily step across it without getting my feet wet, but the water was running and clear. We stopped long enough to drink our fill, Dog lapping noisily until I thought his stomach would either rupture or drag the ground when he walked.

  By late afternoon we still hadn’t seen a single indication that we were even close to a town or city. I still hadn’t spotted any wildlife either. The prairie was completely empty, other than the three of us and the dust cloud that was still visible to our rear. As the sun began to sink towards the horizon its rays turned the dust a fantastical shade of orange. A color that I’ve seen artists try to recreate, but it’s one of those things in nature that man just can’t duplicate.

  “Reminds me of home,” Katie said, referring to some of the sunsets we had watched together in Arizona.

  She was turning back to face east, freezing in place and reaching out to get my attention.

  “Do you see that?” She asked.

  “What?” I asked, looking intently in the direction she was facing. I started to raise the rifle, then remembered the scope had broken and I’d discarded it.

  “I just got a glint of light. Hold on,” Katie said, stepping to the side to get a slightly different angle.

  “There!” She pointed. “Power lines. The big ones.”

  I moved to stand behind her, looking over her head. Far in the distance, just catching the rays of the setting sun I could make out what looked like strands of silver stretched across the horizon. She was right. High voltage, power transmission lines.

  “They’re running east and west,” she said. “Will there be a town at one end?”

  “Yes,” I answered, already heading in that direction. “A generating station at one end and a town at the other.”

  “But which way?” Katie asked, rushing to catch up with me.

  “Doesn’t matter. Either end will have shelter, and a generating station is a big place. There might be vehicles and food there. We’ll follow them east and see where they go.”

  We kept walking as the sun continued to drop. I was going to miss the daylight that let us see for miles in every direction, but I wasn’t going to miss the heat. It had been another scorching day and we were feeling the effects. We hadn’t found water since the small stream several hours earlier, and my mouth felt as dry as the Sahara.

  Two hours after sunset we reached the base of a massive, steel girder tower. Eight thick power lines were suspended from a cross arm that had to be a hundred feet off the ground. A large metal plate was riveted to the tower at eye level, a series of numbers painted on it. There was just enough moonlight to read it.

  “Any idea what they mean?” Katie asked me.

  “Nope. Probably would tell us how far we are from the end of the line, but I’ve got no clue.” I said.

  Under the lines was a narrow dirt track carved out of the grasslands by the utility. It was hardly smooth, but it was easier walking so we moved onto it. Dog continued to stay on the far side of me from Katie, only coming up to me for attention if she wasn’t close.

  I’d had plenty of time to think as we’d walked, and I’d come to the conclusion that there was nothing wrong with him. Katie had to have some degree of infection from the virus. Between the rapid healing of her wound and Dog’s mysterious behavior that was the only logical answer. Frankly, that scared the hell out of me.

  What if Katie was going to turn, and just hadn’t done so. Would I be able to shoot her? To save myself? No. I didn’t even have to give that any thought. If she turned… well, then I guess it would be my time.

  An hour later we moved into slightly more rolling terrain. I wouldn’t exactly call them hills, but the ground we walked across was no longer billiard table flat either. The power line towers marched away from us into the distance, and we followed them, feet kicking up small clouds of dust from the dirt road.

  We climbed a series of hills, each slightly higher than the last but none more than a couple of dozen feet above their surroundings. Ahead a tower occupied the crown of the tallest hill yet and when we crested we came to a stop under the skeletal structure. Below us was a broad, shallow valley and it was occupied by a small city.

  Water glistened in the moonlight at several points, marking rivers and lakes scattered around the valley. There were a few lights strewn in the darkness, all of them looking like campfires. A few others, far in the distance, had the whiter look of electric lights, but it was hard to tell.

  “That’s not Oklahoma City, is it?” Katie asked quietly.

  “No, it can’t be.” I said. “Wrong direction and it doesn’t look right. I’ve got no idea what this one is, but it looks big, which means I’m betting we can find what we need.”

  “Right now I need water,” Katie said.

  I nodded and headed down the slope towards a residential neighborhood when Dog turned his head and growled. He was looking behind us and I spun, raising the rifle. On the crest of the hill where we’d just been standing was a lone figure, silhouetted by the moon. It was definitely female and I almost pulled the trigger, not really sure what stayed my hand.

  Dog stopped growling and moved to stand beside me, opposite of where Katie stood. A few moments later the female walked forward, stopping twenty yards away. She was nothing more than a dark form against the lighter sky.

  “Imagine meeting you here,” she said.

  “Martinez?” I asked, lowering the rifle in surprise.

  47

  Irina saw the chain link gate restricting access to the airport well before they reached it. Not bothering to slow, she wrenched the Bradley into a hard turn, blasting through the gate as if it wasn’t there. Reducing speed, she drove through a maintenance lot, across a curb and between rows of hangars.

  After the hangars was a long line of small, private planes that were tied down under a metal shelter resembling the roof over covered parking spaces at office buildings. Reaching the end, she slowed further and turned onto the sole runway and came to a stop.

  “Drive the runway,” Scott said. “Let’s make sure it�
�s clear before the Navy shows up.”

  Irina nodded. The Bradley accelerated to five miles an hour and held there. Driving along the edge of the long strip of pavement, she kept her attention focused on the smooth asphalt. She knew Scott was concerned about debris that could damage landing gear or be sucked into a jet engine, so she drove slow and looked carefully.

  The turret whined as they moved, Igor keeping their gun trained in the direction of the shattered gate. He stayed quiet, and Rachel hoped they wouldn’t have any more problems before her flight showed up.

  She still wasn’t happy about leaving for Seattle, but understood the necessity. She had also finally accepted that she didn’t have the first idea where to start searching for John. If he had survived, she knew he’d be nowhere near the canyons. He would have gotten out of there as fast as he could.

  If he were still down in the caverns, trapped by infected or still searching for Katie, she’d have no way of knowing and wouldn’t be able to find him. He was lost to her and her heart ached. She’d always known this day might come, but had been so caught up in her own dreams of being with him that she’d not prepared for it.

  Igor barked out something, Irina translating a beat later. “They’re coming again.”

  Scott adjusted the direction he was looking and groaned. A massive, yellow bulldozer was trundling into view from behind the hangars they had passed. It was easily the size of the Bradley, probably more like two times. It had to be stopped before it made it onto the runway. They couldn’t risk anything that would jeopardize Rachel and Joe getting on that plane.

  Speaking to Irina, he issued orders for Igor. She translated rapidly, Igor nodding and grinning. He adjusted the turret slightly as he activated a laser targeting system. Satisfied with the results, he lifted a protective flap and stabbed a red button with his index finger. There was a pop then a roar as a TOW missile shot out of the launcher mounted on the left side of the turret.