Infection Z [Books 1-3]

by Chesla, Gary

  “I bet it has,” Tony laughed.

  Rogers finished his lasagna as Reynolds came over to the table and set down a tray with plates containing seconds of lasagna for everyone.

  Rogers took a plate and slid it over to Pete.

  “What did I just see?” Tony asked in astonishment.

  “Rogers lost a bet today,” Davis grinned.

  “Tony laughed and looked at Rogers, “What did you bet on today?”

  “You,” Rogers replied, looking humble.

  “You bet on me?” Tony asked.

  “No, he bet against you,” Pete smiled. “He bet that you couldn’t hit those three walkers from way over on the main terminal.”

  “You bet against Tony?” Linda asked.

  “Did you shoot them with your crossbow?” Mike asked. “I’ve seen him put an arrow in a guy’s ear from three hundred yards.”

  “He saved my ass in Iraq by taking out three bad guys that were on my ass,” Mason added. “He made the shots from over a mile away. I didn’t even know he had my back at that point, I thought I was a goner.”

  “No, I used a 22 caliber rifle,” Tony replied looking embarrassed.

  “How far away were these walkers?” Mike asked.

  “Twelve hundred yards?” Mason answered. “I remember the LT measuring the distance to the tanker when we arrived. I wish I would have known about that bet. It’s not often you get to bet on a sure thing.”

  “You should have seen Roger’s face when Tony put a round right in each of their ears,” Pete smiled.

  “How come I’m the only one here who never heard about how good Tony can shoot?” Rogers asked. “I’m getting the feeling that I’ve been set up.”

  “Here, take your lasagna back,” Pete said. “I hate watching a grown man cry.”

  “No, you won my second helping fair and square,” Rogers replied then he smiled and called out, “Hey Reynolds, could I have thirds tonight?”

  “Mommy said that me and George aren’t allowed to bet,” Jamie said. “George cheats.”

  Everyone broke out in to laughter.

  Rogers grinned as Reynolds put another helping of lasagna on the table in front of him.

  Chapter 11

  May 11th, Cheyenne Mountain

  Larsen had been sitting at his station for almost four hours.

  As he expected, it had been a long boring day.

  The radar screen in front of him, except for the sweeping arm that rotated around the screen every few minutes, was completely empty of any blips indicating area air traffic.

  The communication equipment was silent, but this wasn’t any surprise as they hadn’t had any communications for a week except for the brief notice telling them when the President would be arriving at Cheyenne Mountain.

  The motion detectors that monitored the area around the facility were also silent.

  “Dead silent,” Larsen thought. “How appropriate.”

  Larsen’s job was to monitor the equipment and alert someone up the chain of command in the event that anything showed up on the screens.

  He was told that the probability of any of the alarms going off was low, but if by any chance they did go off, it could mean that something important was about to happen.

  In Cheyenne Mountain’s depleted state, they needed to keep vigilant or they could face extinction just like the rest of the world.

  Command had a way of making it all sound important, but since the President was here, maybe they were right.

  Larsen did his best to do his job, but with what he had on his mind, he struggled to keep his attention focused on the monitors.

  The droning sound coming from the generators made it even more difficult.

  The constant sound of the generators was like a nagging itch that constantly irritated him, never letting his mind drift away from the irritating noise for very long.

  In a way, that was a good thing, but if it wasn’t the sound of the generators, the frustrating ideas running through his head would soon drive him crazy.

  “If only I could talk about this with someone,” Larsen thought. “Someone other than Johnson. The more I talk with Johnson, the crazier everything becomes. But everything I’ve seen only seems to verify what Johnson has said.”

  Larsen got up from his chair and paced across the room.

  It was bad enough that the world had been destroyed by the virus, you would think that things couldn’t get any worse.

  He knew that his life could be over at any minute, Larsen understood the severity of the situation, but to have to worry about being killed or experimented on by your own people, that was worse than what waited for him on the outside.

  It was frustrating to try and understand why.

  It just didn’t make any sense.

  Larsen didn’t know how the virus came to be or why it was able to do what he had heard, but he could understand what it meant.

  But after talking to Johnson and seeing what had happened to Bennet, Larsen was beginning to wonder if he was becoming as paranoid as Johnson.

  The military had been good for Larsen, it had brought discipline and order to what had been a chaotic life.

  That was until he was assigned to Cheyenne Mountain and met Johnson.

  But he couldn’t blame all the confusion he felt on Johnson.

  He had seen some strange things at Cheyenne Mountain with his own eyes.

  Larsen’s conversation with himself was interrupted when the door swung open and Senior Airman Landry stepped inside.

  “I hear the radar screen is acting up,” Landry said as he entered the room, closing the door behind him.

  “That’s news to me,” Larsen replied.

  “Jonesy said the screen was flickering earlier today,” Landry said. “This is the first chance I’ve had to come down and check it out. You haven’t noticed anything unusual?”

  “Not with the screen,” Larsen replied. “Of course I haven’t been glued to the screen all day. There hasn’t been anything to look at for days.”

  “Yeah, I can imagine it gets a little boring just sitting down here,” Landry said as he opened his tool kit and began to open the back of the monitor.

  “I think I’m starting to go crazy down here just thinking about everything that’s been happening,” Larsen replied.

  “This shit all came at us from out of nowhere,” Landry said. “I can’t believe what all has happened. I understand what you mean, it’s a miracle we all aren’t crazy.”

  Larsen thought for a second and decided to see what Landry knew about what was going on at Cheyenne Mountain.

  If it backfired on him, he guessed it didn’t really matter, especially if what he and Johnson had talked about was really going on.

  They were probably all screwed either way, at least this way maybe he could find out what was going on.

  “Landry, could I ask you a question?” Larsen asked.

  “What’s on your mind?” Landry replied.

  “Have you noticed anything unusual going on around here?” Larsen asked.

  “You’re shitting me, right?” Landry laughed. “The world is falling apart around us and you want to know if I’ve seen anything unusual going on?”

  “Not that,” Larsen replied. “I know about that. I mean anything unusual going on inside the facility?”

  “Like what?” Landry asked. “This place is fighting to stay alive and everyone is scared as hell, which you can’t blame them, we have one hell of a problem on our hands, like how the hell are we going to get through this?”

  “Let me ask you something specific,” Larsen said. “Were you around when Johnson was found?”

  “Yeah, I was double checking the controls down at the main barrier when he came in,” Landry replied.

  “Who found him?” Larsen asked.

  “No one found him,” Landry replied. “We saw Bennet pounding against the door on the monitor. He had Johnson draped over his shoulder. When we opened the doors, he told us about Johnson getting b
anged up when their helicopter crashed. He said they were walking back to the facility when Johnson passed out and he had to carry him the rest of the way.”

  “Did he say what they were doing outside the facility?” Larsen asked.

  “They were on a mission in Colorado Springs down at the power plant,” Landry replied. “The Captain sent them down to find out if there was any way to get the power plant back on line. We have generators to keep power in the facility, but they weren’t made to run forever. With what’s happened throughout the country, the Captain was trying to determine how long we might have to rely on our own power source. I think the Captain is thinking of sending a technical team down there to see what they can do while we still have time. If I remember right, we have enough fuel to keep power to the facility for six months. We’ll have big problems around here when our generators run out of fuel.”

  “So, you saw Bennet?” Larsen asked.

  “Of course I saw Bennet,” Landry replied. “I called the medics to come down and take a look at him and Johnson. Johnson looked like he had run into a brick wall and busted up his nose. He had blood all over him.”

  “What about Bennet?” Larsen asked.

  “He had a lot of blood on him too, I assumed that most of it was Johnson’s blood,” Landry replied. “He didn’t seem to be injured too badly, but he had a strange look in his eyes, so the medics took him down to be looked at. I heard they put him in isolation because they were afraid he might have been exposed to whatever that virus is that has been infecting everyone.”

  “Do you think he was infected?” Larsen asked.

  “How the hell would I know, I’m not a doctor,” Landry replied. “I’ve been in here with you guys the last few weeks. I haven’t seen what some of the others that have been out battling the infected have seen, but if I had to guess, I would say he was. His eyes looked strange, I hear that is the first clue to look for when you see anyone that’s been infected, but that’s just what I heard.”

  “Do you know what happens to someone when they become infected,” Larsen asked. “I mean what happens after they die?”

  “You mean how they come back to life and try to attack every living thing they can get their teeth into?” Landry replied. “That’s why they took Bennet over to the hospital and put him in isolation on the third floor until they saw whether he was infected or not. We get one of those infected zombies running around inside the facility and you might as well forget about any of us surviving this. I hear once the infection starts to spread, there isn’t any way to stop it. It could wipe us all out in a matter of a few hours.”

  “You know about what happens and about the third floor?” Larsen asked sounding surprised. “I just found out about all of this today. When did you learn all of this?”

  “Just like everyone else, I’ve been hearing rumors for a week,” Landry replied. “I guess it was when Bennet’s unit came in a few days ago that everything fell into place. You know his unit was up near St Louis when they were overrun by the infected. Those that were still alive were ordered to come here to Cheyenne Mountain. Man, the stories they told about their battles with the infected were unbelievable. What they’ve seen out there sounded like scenes from a damn horror film.”

  “I never heard them telling any stories,” Larsen said. “I didn’t even know they were here until I heard about Bennet from Johnson.”

  “You’re part of Sergeant Edwards’s unit, right?” Landry asked.

  “Yeah, why?” Larsen replied.

  “From what I understand, Edward’s unit was assigned to handle all the operations leading up to the President’s arrival while the rest of us worked to prepare the President’s and his medical teams facilities,” Larsen said. “You guys were constantly working up front while the rest of us handled all the duties down in the main area. I guess maybe that was why you didn’t hear as much as the rest of us, but I would have thought by now you would have heard everything that has been going around.”

  Landry looked at Larsen, “Is this why you are asking me all these crazy questions? If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that you were just transferred here after spending two years stationed in the Bahamas, either that or you just woke up from a long sleep like Rip Van Winkle.”

  “I guess so,” Larsen replied. “I knew there was some kind of virus spreading across the country, but I didn’t know all the crazy shit that had happened until I visited Johnson over at the hospital. When I left the hospital, I was convinced that there was some kind of conspiracy going on to keep us in the dark.”

  Landry laughed, “After what’s happened to our country, I would say it is a little late for any conspiracies to be spreading around. You do realize that in all probability we are all that is left. If there was anything else left out there, I don’t think the President would have come here. This cave in the mountains would be the last place I would come to if I had some place better to go.”

  “Larsen sighed, “Thanks, this makes me feel a hell of a lot better. You can’t imagine the things that were going through my mind.”

  “I guess I can, after seeing Johnson and Bennet the other day,” Landry replied. “They were both talking out of their minds. I didn’t pay it no mind because they had both been in a helicopter crash and I’m sure their minds had been scrambled. You know how it is sometimes when you get awakened out of a sound sleep, you’re half delirious. Johnson was really out of it when the medics brought him to. By the way, how is Johnson?”

  “He seemed better this morning when I stopped by,” Larsen replied. “Last night was a different story, he was talking crazy, but I understand he should be released tomorrow morning after the doctor removes his bandages and checks to see if his nose is back where it is supposed to be.”

  “That’s good,” Landry said. “I’m sorry about Bennet, I liked him, but I guess in today’s world, it could be any of us at any time. Who knows, with all those things outside, maybe he is better off where he is now.”

  “Unfortunately, you might be right,” Larsen replied.

  “When do you get off duty?” Landry asked.

  “In about thirty minutes,” Larsen replied.

  “Well, if you get a chance, go talk with some of the other units,” Landry said. “Get yourself caught up on all the scuttlebutt. You won’t feel so paranoid, it will probably scare the hell out of you but at least you will realize that there isn’t anything being kept from anyone.”

  “I just might do that,” Larsen smiled.

  “You might also get an update on the President’s plan to put together some away teams to go out and search the area for survivors,” Landry said. “As I understand it, the President’s medical team is close to a vaccine against the virus, so the President wants to go out and vaccinate any survivors that he can find in hopes of turning this thing around before it’s too late.”

  “Wow, that was fast,” Larsen replied, “They have only been here for a few days and they have discovered a vaccine already.”

  “The President was able to save and bring with him some of the best medical minds in the country,” Landry said. “I guess being inside the mountain and not having to worry about being overrun by the infected, they have been able to make good progress. From what I hear, they may be only one or two more experiments away from getting it right.”

  “Hopefully,” Larsen said. “Who knows, before I get the whole story about what happened, it could all be over.”

  “I think that is wishful thinking,” Landry grinned sadly, “Even if they have discovered a vaccine, it will take many decades for people to be able to make a comeback. Even if we can’t get infected anymore, there are so many of the infected out there roaming the country. We are so outnumbered that we can still be overrun at any time. The infected have a tendency to tear apart any living people that they can get their hands on and there isn’t any vaccine that will protect you from that.”

  Just then the door opened and Airman Wills stepped into the room.

  “What’
s wrong with the monitor,” Wills asked when he saw Landry with the back off the monitor and parts lying all over the top of the desk.

  “A bad circuit,” Landry replied. “It will be as good as new in a few minutes.”

  “There isn’t anything on it to see anyhow,” Larsen added.

  “I guess that’s good,” Wills grinned. “That is if there is anything that can be considered good anymore.”

  “As long as things don’t get any worse,” Landry said.

  “Good luck with that,” Larsen said. “I’ll see you guys in another four hours. Hope it stays quiet down here.”

  “Go talk to some of the guys from the other units,” Landry called out.

  “Thanks,” Larsen said as he left the room and closed the door behind him.

  Larsen left the control room and started back to his barracks.

  As Larsen thought about everything Landry had said, he felt relieved, a little.

  It didn’t make him feel better, the world was crawling with the walking dead and it was so bad that the only place the President could go with any hopes of surviving was here to Cheyenne Mountain.

  The virus or whatever had infected the world, was still active and could take his life at any time.

  Larsen, by being in Cheyenne Mountain was protected from the infected that roamed the world, but they were in danger of losing the power that ran everything in the facility within the next six months.

  It would be dark as hell in here when that would happen and unfortunately the light at the end of the tunnel would only mean trouble.

  But after talking to Landry, Larsen did have one good thought, “I’ve let my imagination get away from me.”

  Larsen laughed to himself,” That and I’ve been spending too much time around Johnson.”