The Tide (Book 3): Salvage

by Anthony J Melchiorri

  He crept through the short alleyway, flitting between dumpsters and abandoned vehicles, surrounded on both sides by the tall redbrick walls of the Mass Gen buildings. The distant scratch of claws and moans of the crazies caught his ears. A breeze carried the smell of death and decay through the alley. He spotted an ambulance parked near the chain-link fence separating the alley from Charles Street and Storrow Drive, which ran parallel to the Charles River.

  The ambulance’s rear doors lay open, and a gurney hung halfway out. Whatever patient had been in there was long gone, but two bloodied sacks of navy-blue cloth stuffed with bones still remained. As Navid drew closer, he realized those gore-filled lumps had once been the paramedics, probably attacked by the patient they’d been trying to save. His stomach lurched for a moment, but the nausea passed quickly. He was already growing used to this grisly new world. How long would it be before he grew numb to the horror?

  For now, the best he could do was survive, so he needed somewhere safer than the hospital. He hoisted himself to the top of the ambulance and lay flat across it. He army-crawled to the edge of its roof and peered across the street, careful not to make any swift motions lest he attract any crazies rambling about the streets.

  And crazies there were aplenty.

  They lumbered between the burned-out husks of police cars and Humvees. Some stared straight ahead as they meandered over sidewalks filled with refuse, spent shell casings, and corpses. Others hung their heads low, shuffling their feet. Across the street in Lederman Park, they swerved among the trunks of trees and crunched over dried, brown leaves. He saw one crazy with a battered Red Sox jersey and another with a shirt proudly proclaiming MIT in bold, blocky letters between the spikes that tore through the fabric. Navid’s stomach twisted when he saw another, smaller figure still wearing a backpack sporting a yellow Saturday-morning cartoon character. He inhaled sharply and inched back from the top of the ambulance, shielding himself from view.

  Apparently he could still feel something. He felt pity for the people whose lives had been torn apart by this insane biological agent.

  He surveyed the roadway again. There was no way he was going back into the hospital he’d barely escaped with his life. The lethargic throng of crazies ahead prevented him from any easy escape to the river or streets beyond.

  The mere thought of all those maddened, flesh-hungry creatures in the street chasing him sent a barrage of shivers creeping through his spine. He shrank back, away from the roof of the ambulance, and lowered himself inside the vehicle. He almost gagged as he stepped over the remains of the paramedics and trembled in a corner.

  No, he told himself, you can’t do this, Navid.

  Fear might keep him alive. But cowardice wouldn’t save him.

  He clenched his jaw and let out a long exhalation then opened the hatch to the cab of the ambulance and lowered himself into the front seat. The keys were still dangling from the ignition.

  Maybe he wouldn’t have to run after all.

  -4-

  Dom strode across the cargo bay toward Lauren. His nerves still sparked with pre-mission excitement. He’d never grown entirely accustomed to it over his decades of service. He figured that might actually be a good thing. It reminded him he was human and not a covert killing machine.

  “Got that list ready?” he asked as he approached Lauren.

  A look of uncertainty spread across her face for a moment. “Yes,” she said hesitantly. “Chao’s going to upload it to your team’s smartwatches.”

  “Excellent,” he said. “It’ll be a huge help knowing what we’re looking for in those labs.”

  “That’s what I thought, too, which is why I don’t think giving you all a grocery list is good enough.”

  “What are you getting at?”

  “You and the rest of the team are good at a lot of things. You’re good at dealing with hostiles, and when we have solid intel, you’re good at bringing back exactly what we need to run analyses and tests in the lab.”

  “I take it you’re about to tell me what we’re not good at.”

  Lauren tugged the sleeves of her white coat. “I want you to take one of us along.”

  Dom stared at her for a second, nonplussed. “Someone from the medical team?”

  “We need someone on your team who knows—I mean really knows—exactly what to look for in the labs.”

  “Lauren, I can’t risk anyone else’s life.” After already losing five of the Hunters—three killed on missions and two still suffering the effects of the Oni Agent—their team seemed to be growing ever thinner. “Boston’s overrun. The hospital and research facilities will be deathtraps.”

  “Which is why having someone from my team is crucial.” Lauren brushed a hand through her hair and stole a sideways glance at a group of Hunters. “Look, I’ve given this a lot of thought. I think your team needs someone that can quickly identify what samples and chemicals and experimental drugs we want. You’ll get in and out quicker without wasting time trying to consult with us through the comm station or scanning through your smartwatches to figure out if some complex chemical’s name is on your list or not.”

  “I appreciate the concern, but we can handle this.”

  “Please, Dom. We need to make sure this mission goes off without a hitch. We need everything Mass Gen can give us, and my team knows what that is better than anyone. And if we lose Detrick...”

  Lauren let the words hang in the air. Dom understood her fear. General Kinsey had ordered a tactical retreat and was amassing what remained of the US military under his command. Kinsey had chosen not to reinforce Detrick, the sole surviving medical research laboratory facility that might help them in their quest to combat the Oni Agent.

  “If we lose Detrick,” Dom said, finishing Lauren’s thought, “then every surviving medical scientist becomes that much more important. That includes your team.”

  “But if we don’t have anything to work with, then there’s not much we can do,” Lauren countered. “I already talked to my team, and we agreed it’ll be a boon to the mission. Divya already volunteered.”

  “Divya? She’s barely had a chance to recover from when Ivan attacked her.”

  “All her health panels show she’s good to go. Plus, she worked in warzones before the outbreak. She knows how to keep her head down.”

  Dom cracked his knuckles, slowly shaking his head. He pointed to the massive door of the cargo bay. “That world out there is not a warzone. It’s not two sides fighting against each other for politics or religion. Christ, that world out there—it’s straight-up hell.”

  “I understand, Captain. I do. The world’s different, you’re right. But Divya knows how to stay out of the way. You do your job while she does hers. That’s what your team needs, and that’s what we need to make sure we actually get the samples for our research. Otherwise, if you all come back here without finding what we were looking for, then what’s the point?” Lauren held out her open palms in an imploring gesture.

  Dom didn’t answer for a moment. He turned on his smartwatch and scrolled through the list Chao had uploaded. A bevy of unfamiliar chemical names scrolled across the tiny screen along with the titles of various laboratories and research project titles. Lauren was right. As much as he hated to admit it, the sheer number of potential candidate drugs and molecules that might be housed at Mass Gen made his team’s job all the more difficult.

  “Fine,” Dom said in a low voice. He locked eyes with Lauren. “Divya might actually be helpful.”

  “I usually like being right, but not like this.”

  “Got any other curveballs you want to throw at me?”

  Lauren shook her head. “My throwing arm’s tired. Back to the lab for me.”

  Dom stood. “I’m going to join you. Got to say goodbye to the girls before heading out.”

  ***

  Lauren watched Dom say farewell to his daughters. This wasn’t the first time she’d witnessed an emotional exchange between the captain and his family. She f
igured that was the problem with working on a small ship—barely any privacy.

  She tried to ignore Sadie’s quiet sobs and Kara’s choked goodbye. A heavy pair of footsteps sounded, and Lauren spun. Glenn Walsh, a multilingual former Green Beret, grinned at her, sauntering in, swarthy and confident. He glanced sidelong at Dom before locking eyes with Lauren.

  “Just wanted to say arrivederci.” Glenn held out a hand to shake hers. “And say a brief thank you to the doctor who got my ass well enough to go on missions again.”

  Lauren gave him an awkward half shake. Then Glenn held her hand for a moment longer, and his eyes went slightly glassy.

  Screw it¸ Lauren thought. So much for privacy.

  She wrapped her arms around Glenn’s thick neck and brought his face down for a kiss. She didn’t care if Dom or anyone else knew they’d rekindled their relationship. As far as she could tell, it was the end of the world, and she doubted the captain would prohibit intra-crew relationships when human bonds might be the only thing left on this earth worth salvaging.

  When she pulled away from Glenn, Dom gave her a quick wink before turning his attention back to his daughters. It was a small gesture that spoke volumes. He didn’t give her or Glenn a second glance, and she knew he also wouldn’t give them flack for what he’d seen. Once again, Lauren’s instincts about Dom were correct.

  “Divya’s going with you,” Lauren said, still holding onto Glenn’s elbows.

  His broad hands rested on her sides just above her hips. “I heard.”

  “Take care of her, won’t you?”

  “Of course. I won’t let a damn Skull so much as look at her funny.”

  “Thanks.” She craned her neck and stood on her toes, meeting his lips with hers once again.

  They parted, and Glenn stepped away. “I’ll bring your doctor back safe and sound.”

  Lauren watched him duck through the hatch to the passageway. A tingle of fear crept through her. But it wasn’t that she worried about Glenn’s promise of bringing Divya back alive. She knew the former Green Beret would do everything in his power to ensure the doctor’s safety. And that was exactly what scared her most. He’d saved Divya’s life once, throwing himself directly in harm’s way to subdue Ivan when he’d been riddled with the Oni Agent. Lauren had needed to return the favor by using everything in her medical arsenal to preserve Glenn’s life, and she didn’t want to have to go through that again.

  It was a selfish notion. She knew that. But all the same, she couldn’t help the way she felt. She tried to distract herself by poring through the medical literature in an attempt to identify more chemicals and drugs for her medical team and Kara to test in their computer simulations.

  The medical bay quieted again when Dom left, though it was far from the usual calm quiet of the lab. Maggie whined, seated between Kara and Sadie. Kara held Sadie close as the younger girl sobbed into Kara’s shoulder.

  “It’s okay, Sadie. It’s okay. They’ll be back here before you know it.”

  Lauren caught Kara’s eyes and gave her a reassuring nod. She turned back to her computer monitor. But Kara’s words repeated in her head. They’ll be back before you know it. Her mind drifted toward the Hunters, toward Glenn, once more. She prayed Kara was right.

  ***

  The last fiery rays of the setting sun disappeared beyond the Boston skyline. A chilling wind swept the deck, bringing with it the salty scent of the bay. Dom adjusted the strap on his SCAR-H as he slung it over his back and glanced across the port gunwale of the Huntress.

  Renee led the group with former SEAL Spencer Barret at the tiller and Andris and Meredith along for the ride. He’d given them a head start so they could establish a secondary evac route should the helipad atop Mass Gen be compromised during their foray into the hospital. The group planned to moor at one of the boathouses lining the river near Mass Gen. Through satellite images, they had already seen most of the boathouses were devoid of the usual small sailboats and rowing craft. Unlike the Chesapeake Bay around Annapolis and Baltimore, there were no watercraft carrying survivors from the city to the safety of the open water. Dom felt a sting of fear as he considered what that meant: fewer survivors equaled more Skulls.

  Behind him, the AW109’s blades thumped the air. The rotor wash rolled over Dom and the rest of Alpha team.

  “Captain Holland, party of five, your helicopter’s ready,” the chopper’s pilot, Frank, called over the comm link.

  “All right, you heard him!” Dom yelled. “Load up!”

  “Aye, aye, Captain!” the Hunters called.

  He waved an arm, directing them toward the open fuselage door of the chopper. Miguel ducked and ran to the bird, with Terrence following. Divya ran beside Glenn and Jenna. Dom jumped in last and slammed the door shut.

  “Ready to roll,” Dom said.

  Frank shot him a thumbs-up. “Tonight’s special is Skull, charbroiled and served with a fine sauce of kickass.”

  The bird ascended and banked over the murky waves. The chopper shuddered for a second when a rough seaward wind caught it. Frank jockeyed with the cyclic and steadied them. The purple sky along the horizon soon turned black, and darkness bathed Boston. Clouds obscured the stars, and the moon was barely a sliver, unable to fully pierce that blanket. A few fires burned in the city, but no other lights pinpricked the concrete-and-steel structures below.

  “NVGs on,” Dom said.

  “You got it, Chief,” Miguel replied. The others uttered a series of affirmatives, and Dom heard the click of their NVGs on their helmets.

  The city lit up in splotches of black and green. One bright dot marked the IR signal attached to the Zodiac on an otherwise pitch-black river.

  “Bravo, Alpha, any contacts?” Dom asked.

  “Affirmative, Alpha,” Renee responded in a low voice. “We got swarms of ‘em lining the river. We’re coming in quiet, so I don’t think we’ve riled ‘em up...but yeah, contacts everywhere.”

  “Copy, Bravo. Stay quiet, stay out of sight, and keep that boat floating. If we’re lucky, you won’t even see any action.”

  “You call that lucky, Captain? I didn’t come out tonight for a scenic cruise.”

  Dom wanted to grin at Renee’s bravado, but he could hear the uncertainty in her voice. The Hunters may have cut their teeth battling the Skulls through Maryland, but he doubted they’d ever grow accustomed to fighting for their lives against creatures straight out of some twisted madman’s fantasy. “Just keep your asses in the boat until we call, Bravo.”

  “Affirmative, Alpha.”

  Dom leaned forward against his harness. “Divya?”

  The doctor gulped. “Yes, Captain?”

  “The survivor on Mass Gen’s roof looked to be in rough shape. He’ll probably need medical attention.” He glanced around the cabin at his team. “We’re going in first to secure the landing site. Make sure Divya gets to the survivor, and we’ll form a perimeter around her.”

  “What if...what if he’s too hurt to go with us into the labs?” Divya asked.

  “Then we load him in here with Frank,” Dom said.

  Jenna’s brow furrowed. “What if we find other survivors?”

  “We’ll get them to the chopper, and Frank will ferry them out,” Dom said. They started descending toward Mass Gen. Humanoid black shapes lumbered between the storefronts and restaurants, climbing over abandoned vehicles like ants seeking out food. Dom thought again about Jenna’s question. “But I don’t think finding too many survivors is going to be our problem.”

  -5-

  Navid stared out into the darkness. He sat in the front seat of the ambulance, unable to move his hands enough to turn the keys in the ignition. It had seemed so simple. Start the engine, put the ambulance in drive, and hit the pedal. But then he realized he had no idea where to go. What place would be safe in this new world?

  His stomach twisted and growled. Sitting here and wallowing in self-pity and uncertainty wouldn’t feed him. He shrank into the seat and massaged his
temples. The low moans of the crazies and the scrape of their claws along the asphalt cut into the ambulance’s cabin. He needed to leave and, goddammit, it didn’t matter where the hell he went. Get out of the city. That was all he needed to do. Head westward, escape Boston. Flee the overpopulated urban landscape crawling with monsters.

  Maybe there were smaller towns left untouched by this nightmarish plague. Maybe there was government help out there. Either way, he’d never find out unless he left this hellhole.

  Navid twisted the key. The engine lurched and ground. Two crazies on the street spun toward him and ran at the chain-link fence at the end of the alley. Their howls echoed against the brick walls on either side of the ambulance. They hoisted themselves over the fence, and their feet slapped against the pavement. Their bony faces creased in snarls as they charged.

  Oh, God, come on! Navid turned the key again. The ambulance sparked to life, and he pumped the gas pedal. His heart fluttered as he waited in dread for it to die again. But the engine revved with a throaty growl.

  Four more crazies jumped at the fence and started to climb over. Navid flipped on the headlights. The white light illuminated the swath of crazies—and the road at the end of the alley. The first two crazies were closing in, long shadows cast by the headlights trailing behind them. Through the rear of the ambulance, he saw a pickup truck, a police sedan, and a Honda blocking the alley. There was only one way out, and that was straight through the fence and the crazies.

  Navid slammed his foot down. Rubber screeched on concrete as he shot forward. He didn’t let up on the pedal, and the first crazy crashed against the windshield. Blood splattered across the glass. A jagged lightning bolt of a crack formed, and the creature rolled over the top of the ambulance. He flicked on the wipers, smearing the blood and making it even harder to see. The vehicle jolted each time it crashed into another body, accompanied by a sickening sound as bones crunched and flesh squished. The wheel shook with every impact, setting his injured hand afire with pain.