by RM Brewer
He looked confused. “Well, no, ma’am. We didn't even know you were there until you started swinging on that cable. We were just told to take out the bridge.”
Claire nodded, thinking she already knew that would be his answer. Someone had intercepted her conversation with Jodie and called off the rescue. They were probably counting on her being killed by the infected and having the evidence blown to bits by the military. “Can we keep this off the radar? I can’t tell you why, but I was on official FBI business and it’s important that I remain undercover.”
Sergeant Johnson nodded. “Well, that’s not protocol." He looked down for a moment and rubbed his chin. "But, we could delay our report until the end of our duty shift, if that helps.”
“When is that?” Claire asked. “The end of your duty shift?”
“The Truckee Bridge was our first stop.” Johnson looked at his watch. “So, in about eleven hours. That work for you?”
Claire nodded, thinking that in eleven hours, the world might not even exist. "Yeah. Yeah, that works just fine.”
* * *
Jimbo felt like he could run forever. He was strong, capable, invincible, amazing. Memories flashed through his mind, passing by like a slide show, slowly fading, then gone forever. He remembered reading something about a couple hundred people infected with some sort of super virus. Supposedly, they were on the loose in the desert around Las Vegas. But, hadn't he heard the military was taking care of that problem? For an instant, he understood that he and his horde were now part of the infected, part of a lethal force capable of destroying all human life on earth. Then, the thought was gone.
He wanted to remember, but recollections of everything he had been continued to escape from his mind. Jimbo froze in his tracks, the noisy horde skidding to a stop behind him. The faces of his wife and children, images of his house and the neighborhood he lived in, memories of the people he worked with, screamed to the front of his brain and were overwhelmed, consumed by the virus that continued to morph his body into a taut band of muscle, razor sharp teeth and claws. His personality and all that had made him what he was were replaced by an overpowering, insatiable need to kill.
Jimbo turned and eyed up the man behind him, who was gnawing on his own leg. In one swift movement, Jimbo cocked his arm back and swung his clawed hand forward, decapitating the man. The snapping, sniveling and growling echoing through the tunnel ceased. The only discernible noise beside the sound of sirens above was the drip, drip, drip of wastewater flowing into the tunnel.
He shrieked, signaling his delight as the sweet odor of a sanitary sewer line wafted up from a tunnel below. Deciding they could take a little detour, Jimbo directed his followers down the shaft. He punched through a concrete wall separating the two sewer lines. Slithering inside the gaping hole he'd created, he found he liked the filth, the raw smell of human waste, mixed with whatever foulness the good people of Las Vegas had chosen to flush down their toilets or grind in their garbage disposals. Jimbo stopped again and scooped up a handful of the brown muck, smearing it over his face and body. He directed those following him to do the same, not by shrieking at them, but by passing his thoughts on. Words weren't necessary anymore.
Jimbo led the horde down, through the maze of tunnels, deeper and deeper into the heart of the system, where the connection to the treatment plant was made. Above him the pump hummed and groaned, endlessly sucking on the solid waste. Jimbo could feel the force drawing him into the pipe. He let go and let it pull him in, willing his horde to follow.
Moments later, Jimbo was shot out into a giant mound of waste inside of a vat the size of an Olympic swimming pool. He reached up and punched his claws through the plastic dome cover, tearing a hole large enough to crawl through. Willing the horde to follow, Jimbo pulled himself up onto a concrete deck. One by one, his followers were excreted from the tank. When he’d counted over a thousand of them huddling together and heard the voices of at least ten thousand more running toward him through the tunnels below, Jimbo shrieked in ecstasy.
A dust cloud rose in the desert as the horde stampeded toward the tributary leading to Lake Mead. Jimbo could hear the sirens and feel the air buffeting as helicopters descended on Las Vegas, now miles behind them. He stumbled as an image forced itself into his mind, one of another world, of a link to a civilization he had no understanding of, a civilization formed by the Gypsum Corporation. Jimbo realized he was changed for good, not one with the human race anymore. What would become of him and his followers? Would they wipe out what was left of humanity? Then what? He had no ambition to lead a horde through the desert forever, searching for survivors, and then turning on themselves when the buffet ran dry.
Jimbo shook his head, trying to toss the negative thoughts out of his mind. After all, he was strong now, a lethal force, but what of his life before? The idea that he could never go back to who he was finally sunk in. He crawled up on top of a boulder and waved the horde by. Watching the young and old, boys, girls, men and women stumbling and staggering, spitting and heaving, an incomprehensibly strong, overwhelming rage built in his gut. He’d find the Gypsum Corporation and they would pay. They would pay with everything they were and everything they owned, just like he and his followers had.
CHAPTER 9
After attempting to interrogate the Gypsum man in the SUV and getting nowhere, Jodie decided they didn't have enough time to try and beat information out of him, so tied him to a tree with the other Gypsum man. Jodie watched, amused, as Fester ran a roll of duct tape dry, binding the two men together.
“You can never be too sure,” he said, circling the men, who were both conscious, mumbling underneath a loop of tape over their mouths. The man Fester had struck with the rock glared at him with hateful eyes.
“That looks good,” Jodie said, wanting to burst out laughing at the situation, had her mind not been focused on the danger they were in. “We should go.”
“Yeah, I’m done,” Fester said, holding up the depleted tape roll.
“C’mon, kid,” Debi said, grabbing Fester’s arm. “Oh,” Debi stopped and turned back to the bound men, “Don’t you worry too much about bears . . . or wolves . . . or coyotes. They don’t like the taste of duct tape.” Debi let out a sarcastic sounding laugh and stamped out her cigarette in front of the two men. “Let’s get the hell outa here.”
“Yes, let’s,” Jodie agreed, thinking that she'd better get Debi away from the Gypsum men before her anger got the best of her and she landed a few more kicks.
They jogged through the woods to the SUV, where Fester retrieved his backpack and Jodie’s bag. Jodie stopped at the tree line and held Fester back. “It’s almost light out, so we should stay under cover. Debi, turn your car around and drive slow. Try to stay under the tree canopy along the edge of the road. We’ll jump in when you start moving.”
Debi nodded and ran for the car. She started it up, made a u-turn and did as Jodie instructed. Fester and Jodie both jumped in the back seat and crouched on the floor as Debi drove along the rutted gravel road. At times, Jodie wondered if her teeth would rattle loose.
"Chuck seems to be feeling better today," Debi said. "I think your visit pulled him out of his depression."
Jodie pondered whether it was depression or if he was really sick. If Chuck had been exposed to more than the super-soldier virus, who knew what he was fighting off. "Do you think he's depressed or he's ill?" Jodie asked.
Debi sighed. "I think he's been through a lot, so who knows? He might just be scared like the rest of us . . . you know, after seeing all those things you guys described in the tunnels. He says they're loose now, in the desert."
"Chuck's not scared of anything," Fester said. "I'm telling you, he's probably just tired and really hungry."
Debi laughed. "Well, not anymore. He ate that entire box of candy bars Jodie brought him yesterday. I found all the empty wrappers in the garbage this morning. I had to give him another case before I left this morning."
Jodie wondered if Fe
ster was right. She sensed it was much more, though, and would need to talk to Chuck to find out if she could depend on him. If he wasn't up to the task of bringing down Gypsum, she certainly wouldn't be able to take Fester along.
"Well, we're here," Debi said. "I'll pull around the side of the barn. It's not completely hidden, but it's the best I can do." Debi stopped her car next to the door. "Okay, let's go."
Jodie and Fester slid out of the back seat and ran to the door in the early morning light. She said a silent prayer that Chuck was okay. They needed to move fast if they were going to elude Gypsum. It was only a matter of time before someone would come looking for the men they'd tied up in the forest. Besides that, Gypsum's reach extended into all levels of government, so they would need to stay off the grid for a while, and that wasn't going to be an easy task.
A warm blast of air hit Jodie as they entered the barn. Ahead, she could see Chuck, Debi's husband, Bill, and one of the farmhands. They appeared to be attending to the half dozen cows lining the stalls to the left. Bill looked up as they approached and waved off the farmhand, who grabbed a pail and left the barn.
"Hi hon," Debi said, reaching up to kiss Bill, who looked surprised to see her. Her hair hung in knots and her clothes were stained from her escape into the woods. "I ran into some folks on the way to work who needed a ride."
Bill laughed and reached over to pluck a leaf from Debi's hair. "What happened . . . what did they do to you?"
"We ran into some Gypsum people," Debi said, smirking. "Nice young men. One is missing a few teeth now and the other has a nasty bump on his forehead, but they're okay, otherwise."
Chuck stood, his skeleton beginning to glow underneath his skin. "Gypsum? Did they hurt you?" His hands were balled into fists.
Jodie reached out and put her hand on his arm. "We're okay, Chuck," she said, hoping he would calm down. "We can explain later, but right now, you need to keep your energy. We have to get you out of here."
Chuck nodded. "I can go by myself," he said. "You shouldn't be anywhere near me. I knew it was a mistake coming here." He slumped down onto a milking stool, looking defeated.
Jodie was searching for words when Fester sat down next to Chuck.
"No way," he said. "You have to help us. Jodie and me . . . err, I mean, Jodie and I are gonna go get Gypsum."
Chuck looked up at Jodie and shook his head. "Can I talk to you?"
Jodie nodded as Chuck stood and directed her to the other side of the barn. She noticed the frown forming on Fester's face, but knew she'd have to ignore his feelings for the time being. She turned away from Fester and looked up at Chuck. "I'm told you can converse with cows, now?"
Chuck nodded. "Yeah. I was telling Bill about it when you got here. I don't think those cows will be anything but pets from now on."
Nothing seemed impossible anymore, but talking to cows? That's a new one, Jodie thought.
When they got out of earshot of the others, Chuck tugged on Jodie's arm to make her face him. "I can hear them, Jodie. The infected. I can hear them all."
Jodie didn't know what to say. She briefly considered the thought that Chuck had gone off his rocker completely, but dismissed the idea. Maybe he really could do what he said he could. After all, no one knew what the alien DNA her mother had been experimenting with could do to a person. "What do you mean by that . . . you can hear them all?"
Chuck rubbed his neck and looked down. "There're thousands of them," he said, looking up at Jodie, his eyes intense. "A lot of them don't have thoughts. Their brains are mush, but there are leaders, too, and they're killing everyone they come across. Some of them are trying to find Gypsum . . . for revenge."
For a moment, Jodie felt as if she could see a light in the darkness surrounding them. Gypsum's own creation was out to destroy them.
"Yes, that's right," Chuck said.
Jodie was confused. "What's right?"
Chuck smiled. "What you just thought."
Jodie let his statement sink in. Chuck was saying he could read minds. "So, you can tell what the cows are thinking, the infected, and me, too?"
"Everyone," Chuck said, sounding exasperated. "I can't tell you how it happens, but I hear everyone. It's very tiring."
Jodie thought that must be quite an understatement. She certainly wouldn't want to know everyone's thoughts and immediately realized that skill must be a terrible burden to bear. Chuck would be able to eliminate all the rhetoric and obfuscation, making it easier to get to the truth. However, he would also be privy to the darkest thoughts people had.
"I know you're getting anxious about getting out of here, but we don't have to fear Gypsum right now. What we should be concerned about are the virals. They're moving in this direction and they're going to infect anyone who can help them along the way. I need to steer them away."
"It sounds like they've already done some serious damage," Jodie said. "A woman from my team said Reno was already filled with the infected. The army's waging a war there to keep them from moving across the city."
Chuck nodded. "They've already taken Las Vegas. Reno is only a matter of time. They're adding hundreds to the horde every minute." He put his hands on her shoulders. "You and Fester should stay here. You could go with Debi and Bill. You'll be safe if I can redirect the hordes."
Jodie shook her head. "I can't do that, Chuck. I have my team to think about and I need to get word to the President about this. We're coming with you."
Sighing, Chuck turned away. "There's no keeping you out of this, is there? Fester, either? I can hear him thinking all the way over here. If we don't take him, he'll run and we won't be there to protect him."
Jodie laughed, almost surprised to hear a happy sound come from her mouth. "You should've seen him with those Gypsum guys, Chuck. He doesn't really need protection." But, as she spoke, she wondered if anyone would live through the coming onslaught of virals. "We should go. Do you think Debi and Bill will be okay?"
Chuck glanced over to their friends, watching Bill scratch one of the cows behind the ears. "Yeah. I'll tell the hordes to stay away. We need to redirect them to Nellis Air Force Base. That's where the last of the Gypsum scientists are."
"Chuck, I was wondering . . . have you . . . well, since you mentioned the Gypsum scientists, I was thinking you might know what --"
Chuck shook his head. "No, I haven't heard anything about Mei. I think she's gone to the Dark Rift, Jodie," he said, taking her hand. "I'm sorry."
Tears burned Jodie's eyes and she gripped Chuck's hand. Gritting her teeth, she decided that before she would let the sadness overtake her, before she would allow the bitter sting of grief to fill her heart, she'd get them, every last one of them. She'd take Gypsum down if it was the last thing she ever did with the final breath she ever took. Thinking about it for a second, she realized it might actually come to that. The probability for failure was extremely high.
Chuck released her hand. "Little things like probabilities won't stop you, though, will they?" he asked, smiling.
It was going to take some time to get used to this mind reading. "Get out of my head, Chuck," Jodie said as nicely as she could. She turned toward Fester. "Time to go, kid."
* * *
The chopper circled the Reno airport, banking hard toward a landing pad. The infected were piled up against the fence surrounding the landing area on the north side of the field. From Claire’s vantage point, the south side of the airport looked clear yet but was lit up like a Christmas tree. Abutting roadways were blocked by what seemed to be an endless line of military vehicles, police cars, fire trucks and ambulances, all with lights flashing and sirens blasting.
The blinking of the lights and deafening noise seemed to be drawing the infected closer. They stacked up at the fence as the military opened fire. Bullets rained down on them, yet the infected thrust ahead, pushing each other forward.
The helicopter touched down amidst a rush of soldiers running toward a military transport. “Agent Hathaway?” Sergeant Johnson called
from the doorway. “This is your stop. I’ll give you a hand down.”
Claire wondered if she really wanted to get out of the helicopter, but this was her chance to slip out of town undetected. The chaos would cover her, but her yellow suit would make her stand out like a neon sign. She’d have to find clothes, and soon. “Thank you, Sergeant,” she said, letting him help her down to the windy tarmac. The sergeant gave her a thumbs up as she left him there, crouching under the rotating helicopter blades.
Claire ran for the terminal, hoping there would still be cars available to rent. As she approached the stairway, the faces of horrified airline passengers stared back at her through the tall windows overlooking the tarmac. Apparently, hundreds of people were waiting to depart Reno and it appeared that all aircraft, except military transports, had been grounded for the time being. When Claire walked through the gate, she saw that her estimate was way too low. Thousands of people were milling around inside the terminal, dragging their baggage, children, and pets behind them.
Armed guards were posted at the departure gates and a recording, cautioning people to remain calm, played continuously. These people were anything but calm, though. This was a crisis of epic proportions. Even though the recording told them flights would be leaving as soon as the imminent threat was over, Claire knew no one would be going anywhere anytime soon. She fully expected the CDC to swoop in and lock down the entire facility. She wanted to call Jodie to tell her about it, but then remembered she’d disposed of her phone. Rushing from gate to gate, she finally spotted an airport convenience store where she purchased a t-shirt, sweat pants, a pre-paid cell phone and a pair of house slippers, the only footwear she could find. Once she’d changed in the restroom, wrapped her clothing inside the contamination suit and disposed of the bundle, she hurried into the terminal and searched for the rental car area. Signs pointed down a long hallway.
The corridor leading to the rental car area was mostly vacant and Claire ran unobstructed toward the door to the garage. She pushed on it, finding it locked, with a sign indicating the area was temporarily closed. Claire sprinted for the stairs, coming face to face with a soldier guarding another door at the landing.