by Nathan Combs
“I’m giving her another exam tomorrow. I’ll check.”
Sara nodded but was quiet. As Maggie turned to leave, Sara reached out and grabbed her arm. “Do me a favor? If the birthmark and the filling’s there, let me know before you tell Wade.”
“Why?”
“I’d like to talk to her first.”
“I’m not sure that would be wise, Sara.”
“Maggie, if she is Nina, she’s changed. And she’s pregnant. I’d just like to have a few moments with her before you tell Wade. Please?”
Maggie thought about it and then nodded. “Okay.”
Randal led the procession through a steadily intensifying snowstorm. The convoy was heading south, but so was the temperature.
Wade stood with the remaining 1,499 residents watching the procession leave. When the trailing Humvee was out of sight, he ordered the gates closed, the watchtowers manned, and the residents to start prepping Fort Hope for shutdown. He turned to Chris and said, “I thought the storm was going to stop. Looks like I was wrong. We might lose some livestock because of it.” Picking up a clipboard, he shuffled through papers. “We have 2 Humvees, 17 M928s, 1 fuel truck, 2 Gator ATVs, 20 pickups, and 300 horses to move 1500 people and the remainder of the gear.”
“If the cargo trucks don’t make it back, Dad, that won’t be enough.”
“I know. But we may be forced to make it work. Recompile the what’s left list into an absolute have-to-go category in case they can’t make it back.”
“Okay.”
That night, the storm grew in ferocity, and at 0300 on August 1st, Anna went into labor. Noah woke Maggie and together they hustled Anna through howling winds and six inches of new snow to the medical facility. On the table, feet in stirrups, the pain of giving birth ebbed and flowed with the contractions. Sweating and exhausted, her eyes never left Noah’s face. She never complained.
The labor was short. At 0707, Anna gave birth to a six-week premature but completely healthy baby girl. Weight five pounds, six ounces. She beamed while holding the baby at arm’s length, her mouth opened in a huge silent ‘O.’ Tears filled her eyes. She lowered the baby to her breast, grabbed Noah’s hand, and said, “Thank you, Noah. She is sooo beautiful.”
As she did with Sara, Maggie stopped at the name line on the birth certificate. “Have you decided on a name, Anna?”
“Yeah. Daniel.” She grinned. “Because Noah just knew she was a boy.” They laughed. “I think Stormy would be appropriate, don’t you?” She looked at Noah.
Noah smiled. “Stormy it is.”
Maggie said, “Stormy Wallace! Has a nice ring to it. Now, you just relax, Anna. I’ll take care of everything. Let’s get her cleaned up and then you can feed her.”
While Stormy suckled Anna’s breast, Maggie retreated to a corner of the room and pretended to be busy. Anna is so beautiful and so sweet and gentle. Turning sideways, she subtly watched Anna and the baby. Tears welled in her eyes for conflicting reasons. The mark of the beast was exactly where Sara said it would be. And her lower left molar contained a silver filling.
Anna was Nina.
Chapter Eighteen
Confrontation
Interstate 75 wasn’t snowbound, but the going was tough. Though the larger vehicles created a packed path for those walking, the footing was treacherous, and before they reached Atlanta, there were several twisted ankles and an assortment of cuts and bruises.
When they stopped for the night, Randal called Wade and gave a status report. “We ran out of snow between Chattanooga and Atlanta. Clear sailing after Kennesaw, Georgia. We’re spending the night near Stockbridge. It’s forty degrees.”
Wade acknowledged and relayed that it was still snowing hard at Fort Hope. The returning trucks might not be able to make it back. “I’m considering moving another group in a day or two. They’re packing now. Contact Bill when you get to the Florida line.”
“Have you heard from him since the initial call?”
“Yeah. Things are good in Florida. Let’s get this over with.”
The remainder of the trip to the Florida-Georgia border was uneventful and the convoy pulled into the Florida Welcome Center on Interstate 75 five days later. Randal called Bill and told him he was staying there but that Wilkerson would be leaving with the vehicles.
“Well, SEALs don’t need to rest, but… oh wait… you’re not a SEAL.”
“Jesus, Bill, you’re relentless.”
“I am. Stay safe. We’ll leave the light on for ya.” He disconnected.
Randal supervised a partial reloading and, accompanied by one of the Hummers and fifty riders, Joe Wilkerson and the cargo trucks left for Glades County, Florida.
Bill didn’t like what he saw in Clewiston. Instead, he’d selected Moore Haven fifteen miles west. The Moore Haven Correctional Facility and adjacent Glades County Sheriff’s and Health Department complexes would house the ops center, armory, medical facilities, and other important sections. A watchtower could be built that would provide unobstructed views to a thousand yards. Horst, or any other morons, would not be sneaking up on them here. The adjacent town of Moore Haven included homes that, while needing significant work, would provide a baseline for a new settlement and ample locations for tents, and shelter for the animals was plentiful. Lake Okeechobee and the hamlet of Lakeport were less than twelve miles distant. Fertile fields stretched to the horizon in every direction and, when cleared of years of brush, would soon provide life-sustaining crops.
Bill stood on the roof of the corrections center and looked out over their new domain. It was good. Well, it will be one day soon.
Twenty-five miles out, Joe called with their ETA, and Bill sent a Hummer to escort them in. Five hours later, they were unloaded; the cargo trucks switched drivers and left to pick up those at the rest area. Twenty hours later, Randal and the second wave arrived, and 3,300 plus people pitched in and continued the work of the first wave; organizing, cleaning, repairing homes, pitching tents, and clearing the fields.
Randal called Wade.
There was no answer.
“Jesus, Bill.” He gritted his teeth and shook his head.
“Probably a comm glitch. You know damned well nothing happened Wade couldn’t handle. But just in case, I think one of us should go back with the trucks.”
“Yeah. I agree. I’ll go. You stay here and keep doing what you’re doing. I like the location. Good choice. Watch out for the gators.”
“Don’t laugh. We killed a big sucker yesterday. Tried to take up residence in the chicken pen.”
“It’s a coop. Not a pen.”
“Who gives a shit? We’re havin’ gator kebabs for supper. On a more serious note, do you remember the python problem they had in the glades before the collapse?”
“Yeah. I do. Why?”
“’Cause those suckers are here. Big. Nasty. I hate fuckin’ snakes. Any ideas?”
Randal snorted. “I hate snakes too, man… especially big, nasty ones. Don’t look at me, just come up with a solution before I get back.”
The next morning, the refueling truck transferred half of its diesel to the other refueler, and thirty cargo trucks, six horses, four riders, and one Hummer with four rangers left for Fort Hope. Randal tried numerous times without success to raise Wade on the sat-phone, and silently fretted. Goddamn thing’s probably on the fritz. We’ll take the trucks as far as we can and if necessary I’ll ride in.
After Stormy was born, Anna was moved to a private room in the medical facility. Large blanks in her memory were rapidly filling in. Nina’s childhood. The relentless molestations by her stepfathers. Others. The beatings. She recalled playing the piano for the Philadelphia Symphony. Images of the journey from Philly to Chattanooga flashed before her eyes, and she recalled the first time Nina killed someone. The massive orga
sms. Snapshots of Saadeh, Horst, and Cougar rummaged around in her mind, searching, seeking an exit. The Roasting Ceremonies! Vivid recollections of the beheadings; a kaleidoscope of colors, sounds, and odors rippled through her consciousness. She remembered Heather. The feel of her smooth, tight body pressed against hers. She could smell her. Taste her.
As her baby suckled her breast, the knowledge of who and what she was caused Anna to gasp and tremble. Stormy stopped feeding and looked at her mother with an innocent baby smile. Memories kept searing her brain. Sara! She remembered everything connected to her: the blackberries, the sex, the diarrhea, and the explosion; Sara topping the knoll where Coltrane waited. Her breathing came faster as the images ravaged her; the ride with Heather through the housing development. Desperately trying to make it to the river, her horse stumbling… her body weightless, flying through the air. Then blackness. Light. Covered by branches. The blinding headache. Lurching through a neighborhood. Disoriented. The campground. Noah.
Oh my God. I AM Nina! Her eyes filled with tears, and they trickled down her cheeks, dripping onto Stormy’s tiny face. She looked down, pure horror etched on her face. She looked toward the door and cried, “Noah!”
He was beside her in an instant. “Anna… what is it?”
“Don’t let them kill my baby.”
“What?”
She shook her head. Fear-etched lines aged her twenty years. Her eyes were abnormally large. Her mouth hung open. She drooled. Spittle flew from her mouth as she screamed, “I have to get out of here!” She mewed. “Please. Please, Noah… take me home.”
Maggie was in the hallway trying to decide what to do with her newfound information. Should she tell Sara first? Or should she tell Wade? Anna’s scream startled her, and she ran to the room. Anna was trying to rise. Noah was restraining her. She was obviously terrified. Hurrying to her side, she said, “Anna. Please. Everything’s fine. Relax.”
Anna looked at Maggie. Breathing hard, she said, “No, Maggie. Everything is not fine. Please. Please. I’m begging you. Don’t let them kill my baby.”
Noah and Maggie exchanged a concerned look. “Anna. No one is going to hurt your baby. Or you. You’re safe here. You know that. You have to calm down. What’s wrong?”
How can I tell her? How can I tell Noah? How can I live with this? If they find out I’m Nina, they’ll kill me. And Stormy.
Sudden calmness. That is not gonna happen.
She looked at Maggie. A switch was thrown. She shook her head, relaxed, and smiled sheepishly. In a calm voice, she said, “I’m sorry, Maggie. Noah, I don’t know what came over me. I—I just panicked. I don’t know why.”
Maggie said, “Would you like a sedative?”
“No. I’m fine now. Thank you, Maggie.” The sheepish grin spread across her face. “Noah? Forgive me?”
Both Maggie and Noah smiled, and Noah said, “There’s nothing to forgive. Why don’t you try and get some sleep? I’ll be right here. Okay?”
Anna nodded.
Maggie left, heading straight to see Sara.
“Your suspicions were justified. Anna is Nina. The birthmark is right where you said it would be. The filling too.”
“Fuck! Sorry, Maggie. I was hoping I was wrong. What do we do now? I genuinely like her.”
“So do I. I’m just guessing, but it’s possible she has amnesia. Maybe she doesn’t know she’s Nina.”
Sara reflected. “What happens if she remembers?”
Maggie shrugged. “I don’t know. I have to tell Wade.”
“Of course. But I’d still like to talk to her privately before you do.”
“Sara. I can’t condone that.”
“There’s no danger. She just had a baby. I can handle it.”
Maggie didn’t answer right away. After several seconds, she reluctantly said, “Okay. I’ll send Noah on a cafeteria run for the ops center. You can see her for ten minutes. I’ll wait right outside the door. Then I’m telling Wade. I can’t keep this from him.”
The trip back to Fort Hope was quick until they ran into the snow. When the convoy reached Kingston, it was too deep to continue and they were forced to stop.
Randal took Wilkerson aside. “Joe, go to the county shops and see if there’s a truck with a snowplow. They must have had at least one. Try to get it running. If nothing else, see if the plow can be mounted on one of our vehicles. We’re going to have to plow the road from here to Fort Hope or we’re screwed. I’m riding in. You have the sat-phone. Let me know right away.”
Randal cautiously approached Fort Hope and paused to glass the gates. He could see guards in the watchtowers, but there was no movement. It was quiet. Dead.
He tried his squad radio. “Zeus, this is Thor. Do you copy? Over.”
The response was immediate. “Roger, Thor. We have eyes on. Enter.”
Wade met him at the gate and they embraced.
“What’s up with the sat-phone, Dad?”
“Sorry about that. It’s toast. I have another group ready to go. What’s the status of Operation Gator?”
“Everything’s fine. No sign of Horst, or any other morons for that matter. And it’s warm. Bill chose a great location.”
After listening to the particulars, Wade said, “Another storm’s coming. This might be our only chance. We need to move the remainder of the people now.”
Randal shook his head. “Unless Joe finds a snowplow, we’re not getting these trucks out or the others in.”
Wade nodded. “Call Bill and get a status update. Let me know when you hear from Joe. We can’t pack the remainder of Fort Hope until those trucks get here, but I’ll get them to finish up what we can.”
The ops center was stripped of everything except essential items, which wasn’t much. Just a small desk and a few chairs remained. Wade sat in one and Randal in the other. As they looked at the list of people and gear to be moved, Randal said, “If we can get those trucks here, it’ll be tight but I’m pretty sure we can move everything—”
He was interrupted by the trill of the sat-phone. It was Wilkerson. “Found a plow, Randal, but we need to clean the fuel system. Give me an hour.”
Randal hung up and, grinning, turned to Wade. “Joe found a plow, Dad. If anyone can get it running, he can. One way or the other the trucks will be here. Let’s assume they arrive by dark. We can light up the parking lot and work through the night. I think we’re loaded by daybreak.”
Wade was grim-faced. “Okay.”
Joe called again thirty minutes later. “Purring like a kitten. We’re on the way. Be there in about an hour.”
Wade told Stuart to pass the word. “Let’s get to work.”
They organized a snow brigade, and hundreds of people using a wide variety of utensils frantically removed snow from around the loaded cargo trucks and the sides of the main gate. When the convoy arrived, the snowplow could clear the parking lot for the new trucks.
Long before they were visible, the growl of the approaching convoy could be heard in the cold Tennessee evening. The plow led the pack, and after passing the gate, the driver was directed to the main parking lot. A cheer went up as the lead vehicle followed the plow inside. It took just under an hour to clear the parking lot and line up the trucks. People began loading while the drivers took a short break in the cafeteria.
Chris said, “We should be loaded by midnight, actually. And, with any luck, we’ll have the medical facility and the other critical stations broken down and loaded by dawn. When are we shutting down the reactor?”
Wade said, “They already started. It’s a process. It’ll be completed before first light. Randal, call Bill and update him.”
Anna couldn’t sleep. Not in a million years. Her brain was at warp-factor ten as she searched for a solution. I can never admit to them I know who I am. Bu
t… am I still Nina or am I Anna? Her recall was total now. The knowledge that she was Nina caused her intense emotional discomfort. She also acknowledged she was different. Her thoughts turned to Noah. Anna loved him. She thought about Heather. Nina loved her. She thought about Sara and Maggie. About Captain Coltrane and Randal. Anna liked all of them. Nina wanted to kill every one of them. She thought about eating human flesh. The thought revolted Anna. It made her want to chuck. Nina licked her lips.
This is so fucked up.
She gently laid the baby on the bed and got up to retrieve her clothes hanging on a hook next to the door. Damn, that hurts. She felt around in her clothing and found her Glock and Gerber LMF-II still in her chest rig. She looked at the door. Decision made, she ripped her clothing from the hook and dressed, pulled on her boots, put on her parka, and wrapped Stormy in a blanket. She walked to the window and attempted to open it. It was stuck and she didn’t have the strength to force it. Using the butt end of the survival knife, she broke the pane, cleared the broken glass with her elbow, and looked out. She was on the backside of the facility and through the heavy snow could see the fence less than one hundred yards away.
The door opened. She turned.
Sara and Anna locked eyes.
“Hello, Nina.”
Nina said, “Hello, Sara.”
They stared silently at each other.
Finally, Nina smiled and said, “Life is definitely fucked up, isn’t it?”
Sara didn’t return the smile. “Are you going somewhere?”
Anna said, “I have to protect my baby. I know you know that, Sara. I like you. A lot. I think we could have been good friends, but… you know… there’s this bitch that keeps getting in the way.”