The Dying of the Light (Book 2): Interval

by Jason Kristopher

  “So what happened to the rest of them? Did you all kill each other off?”

  “Hardly. To the best of my knowledge, the rest of them are still there. He had somehow locked the exits of the bunker before setting off the bomb. I was… selected… earlier, as a guinea pig, a sample, if you will. He thought to correct the unfortunate side-effects of my own creation with a modified version.”

  I froze, the words ringing in my ears. Maxwell had thought that might be the case, but none of us had taken it seriously. A bunker full of Driebachs? The implications were horrifying, to say the least.

  “Ah, I see you did not have all the information, after all.”

  “Actually, I knew about that, but I just needed your confirmation. The question I have is how it worked at all. The bunker’s air filters are designed to screen out biological weapons.”

  Driebach shrugged. “I’m not a biologist, I’m afraid. From what little I was told, I gather that the mutated version of the prion he was using spread rather rapidly, infecting those in the bunker in a matter of hours, starting from only a handful of subjects. For what it’s worth, I don’t think he actually intended to create a bunker full of… well, me… but rather wanted to see how hard we would be to put down. A ‘field test,’ so to speak.”

  “One that got way out of hand.”

  “So it would seem.”

  I glanced over at Kim, knowing she was thinking the same thing I was: a bunker full of Driebachs, and all of them super-infectious. This just keeps getting better and better. At least they’re all contained… for the moment, anyway.

  “After Bunker Nine, McMillan tested the bomb once more,” I said.

  Driebach nodded. “Yes, though again, imperfectly. The mutation that created me and the others was much too dangerous to use effectively, so he tried again. The bomb was detonated above the mountain, with a dispersal pattern carefully calculated to affect the maximum number of nearby uninfected people. Again, he had no intention of killing those inside, but in this case, those air filters you mentioned weren’t functioning correctly at that installation. I don’t know why or how they were compromised. We only discovered this somewhat later, after realizing that the entirety of the bunker’s population had been turned in the span of a few days.”

  There was a scrape behind me, and I turned to see Kim leaving the room quickly. I didn’t go after her, though, even if my mind was also filling in the horrific images of what it must have been like to be one of the last ones turned in that bunker. Running, trying to hide, yet knowing you have no way to escape…

  I shook it off and forced myself to get back to the topic. “Do you know his next target?”

  “He had been discussing starting at the top and working his way down.”

  “So he’ll start here?”

  “The top, Mr. Blake. Not Bunker One, but rather your Bunker Five, in Pennsylvania.”

  “He wants the government bunker.”

  “Indeed, and the president to run it.”

  I snorted. “Marnes? He can have him.”

  Driebach shook his head and smiled. “Not Marnes. The president. He’s a symbol, something people recognized. With the proper leverage—which a determined person like MacMillan can always find—he could control the whole kit and caboodle with much less effort than it would take otherwise. The sheep will follow the man they recognize, even if his orders don’t make sense.”

  I leaned forward. “Wait a minute. The president is alive?”

  “So McMillan’s spies tell him, though they’re unable to give a clear picture of his exact location. Apparently, he’s not actually in the bunker, but nearby, hence why McMillan’s waiting. He wants final confirmation first, rather than accidentally turn the president.”

  “What else can you tell me?”

  “Rather a lot, actually.”

  The interrogation was over, and I was in Ops with Kim, going over what we’d learned with the governor. Driebach was being transported to the main door of the bunker for his release, and had been a model prisoner the entire time. Neither Kim nor I were particularly happy with letting him go, but the information we’d received was well worth it.

  “This McMillan guy,” said Gates as we waited for Driebach to appear. “He’s actually Malcolm Dagger? And Dagger has killed Yarborough and taken over? And he took out two bunkers full of people?”

  “Yeah,” I replied. “Given the description Driebach gave us, he fits virtually perfectly our files on Dagger, and various other things Driebach was able to tell us from overheard conversations confirmed the rest of it.”

  “I guess this also explains why Marnes moved to take over the presidency. Maybe he knows something we don’t about the actual president’s whereabouts.” Gates put a hand to her head. “I thought we were doing OK, but this… this is all so much new crap to deal with.”

  I kept my voice low. “An aerial-dispersal prion bomb, a bunker full of Driebachs, and a psychotic madman out to take over what’s left of the US. Wonderful. This just gets better and better.”

  “Governor, Colonel, he’s leaving now.”

  We stepped forward to view the main monitor, and Driebach walked onscreen, moving carefully through the minefield, the twisted remains of the electrified fence, and past the now-useless sentry guns. I took Kim’s hand as we watched, squeezing it gently. It’s not a perfect solution, but at least we got some—

  There was a collective gasp as Driebach’s head disappeared, his body stumbling forward and collapsing a few seconds later. I looked at Kim to find her looking at me. I shook my head, as she did hers, and we both turned to look at the governor as she spoke, easily heard as the entire Ops team went silent.

  “Acknowledged,” she said. “Target down. You’re clear to return.” She touched her Bluetooth, ending the call, and regarded us without expression. “You said it yourself, both of you: it was not an ideal solution, letting him go. Fortunately, I did not make him any promises, and I’m not about to let a monster like that loose in the world.”

  “But how… who…” I stood there for at least a minute or two like a bumbling idiot, trying to wrap my brain around the idea that the nice, sweet Angela Gates had just ordered an assassination. Kim was equally nonplussed.

  We had no surprise left in us when a moment later the Ops door opened and Daniel strode in, a sniper rifle slung across his back. I looked back and forth from him to Gates as he crossed the intervening distance and gave her a peck on the cheek, then turned to us with one of his ultra-rare smiles.

  “You didn’t think they’d assign just anyone to be at the governor’s side, did you?”

  Kim and I had returned to our quarters, ready for a few days off. The governor had declared a three-day rest period for the entire bunker in celebration of our victory over Beoshane. Given all that we had learned, it seemed a hollow victory, at best. Still, there are a few things to look forward to, I thought as I sat on the couch, my arm wrapped through Kim’s as we held hands, her head on my lap.

  My wife had never looked more beautiful to me, and I realized that, despite all the other things we were soon going to have to worry about, despite all the horrors we’d seen and the nastiness we’d been through, the new life growing inside her was bright enough to light our way forward. I will not let the rest of the world kill my happiness, I vowed, and leaned down to kiss Kim lightly on the forehead as she looked up at me sleepily.

  “What was that for?” she asked with a smile.

  “Nothing in particular,” I answered, then had an idea. “Just haven’t done it in a while. And with you glowing the way you are, you’ve never looked more beautiful.” I grinned hugely at her. “I guess that happens to all women, you know, cause of the baby.”

  She sat up and twisted around, one hand covering her mouth in surprise. “What? How? You know? How long have you known?” She continued peppering me with questions, slapping at my arm and shoulder in frustration until I finally had to take her hands in mine, locking them down. I laughed and leaned forward,
kissing her soundly, and she snatched one of her hands back to run it through my hair. When we parted, there were tears in her eyes.

  “So you’re OK with this?”

  “How could I not be? You’re beautiful, of course I’m beautiful, how could our baby be anything else?” She snorted and laughed, all the tension leaving the room. “Besides, Mary told me everything was absolutely fine, and that she’s a little fighter, just like her mom.”

  “Mary! She told you! Why that little no-good, double-crossing—”

  “Whoa, there, Peggy Sue,” I said. “It was actually George who told me, though I guess Mary shouldn’t have told him.”

  Kim laughed and swatted me again for good measure. “Did she also tell you the best news?”

  “Er, no, what?”

  “She’s immune.”

  “Really? Like us?”

  “Fully immune. The prion has no effect on her blood. Mary tested it four times.”

  I sighed, not even realizing what a weight that fear had been on me until it lifted. “But how?”

  “Something to do with our immunity. She and Atkins are looking into it.”

  “Well, I have another surprise for you.”

  “Oh? What’s that?” She raised her eyebrows at me.

  “I have a name for her. I think you’ll like it.”

  “I’m sure I will.”

  I smiled as I drew her close. “Eden.”

  She smiled back, nuzzling into my chest. “Oh, David, that’s perfect.”

  For a moment, just a moment, we were both able to forget everything but the joy that we were sharing right then. The rest of the world, with all its troubles, its fears, and even its hopes, all paled in comparison to the journey that lay before us.

  I couldn’t wait to take our next step.

  Epilogue

  Kostanay, Kazakhstan

  Sven Fagerhölm stretched his tall frame as they disembarked from the small plane They’d left half their number on the outskirts of the ruins of Nagasaki, leaving only eleven people on board. At least they were on their way home.

  Well, to Tati’s home, anyway, he thought, then glanced around as she came down the steps after him, sliding one hand into his. I had all but given up hope, but now, at least for a little while, she is mine. And I will take it.

  They breathed deep of the cold air in the medium-sized town near the Russian border. They had come a long way from the small island in the South Pacific, and still had far to go, but they were getting close.

  “I think we will be there tomorrow,” he said, as he kept a watchful eye out for walkers. They hadn’t seen any on their way in, but that meant nothing, as he knew from experience. Tatiana had her pistol ready, just in case. “It is only six or seven hundred kilometers from here.”

  She smiled at him. “It will be good to see Moskva once more,” she said, then frowned. “We will need to find more weapons, more people, to access the records.”

  He patted her hand, wrapped in his, then leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Worry not, lyubov. We will find what and who we need, then we shall find the list of bunkers. And Vasily.”

  She bowed her head. “I know you do not want me to find him, Sven.”

  “Do not worry so much about what I want and don’t want. This is a good goal for us to have.” He waved a hand toward the others. “For all of us to have.”

  Together, they watched the sun setting to the north, the tall grass of the plains sweeping in waves, lending a peaceful feeling to the moment.

  Perhaps, just perhaps, things will all work out.

  Naval Station Norfolk

  Norfolk, Virginia

  The USS Texas slid quietly through the choppy waters of Chesapeake Bay, headed for the naval station. Captain Graves stood at the observation post on the sail, the motion of the waves bothering him not at all. He raised the binoculars once more, sweeping past the end of the Hampton Roads Beltway where it became a tunnel, and sighed again.

  “It looks like we were right, Commander,” he said to the man standing next to him. “I can’t quite make out what ship it is, but that destroyer is definitely finished. If there’s anybody left alive on her, I’m betting they’re wishing they were dead.”

  “That bad, Captain?”

  “Take a look for yourself,” Graves replied, handing the binocs to his second-in-command, who whistled softly. Graves knew what he was seeing—the smoke and fire damage hadn’t been contained to a small portion of the ship, it had been ship-wide. The destroyer had clearly been gutted by fire, and it was only a minor miracle that she still floated. Or a curse, he thought.

  Graves ran a hand through his hair, doffing his cap and wishing yet again it was a bit cooler. Virginia had never been his favorite place, but with the humidity this high, it felt like he was back in Hawaii, without the beautiful beaches, women and drinks to distract him.

  Though Anderson had ordered him to come here to Virginia first, Graves had decided to go home—to Washington, D.C.—first, just to see it. Like every other major city they’d seen, zombies had overrun every part of the city they’d been able to see from the water. Though nothing still burned, as far as they could see the once-proud city lay in ruin. There were even chunks of stone missing from the Washington Monument, the holes standing in mute testament to an earthquake or major tremor that had damaged the city even further sometime in the last ten years.

  It was a ghost town, populated only by the dead, and had reminded him of San Diego. He felt a momentary pang for the men they’d lost there, but he’d seen no reason to stay in D.C. So, they’d set sail for Norfolk, and it appeared their luck had held true, at least this far. The destroyer ahead of them was blocking almost the entire entrance to the shelter of the main naval station and harbor.

  “We might have room on the port side, sir. It’ll be tight, but I think we can do it. Have to submerge, though.”

  “Any idea what might be in dock?”

  “No, sir. Can’t see from here, sir.”

  “Shit. Well, let’s take her down, then. Hopefully, we’ll find something we can use. And some way to get these people off my boat.”

  “Yes, sir,” said the commander, heading down the ladder first.

  Graves turned to the east, the roiling grey clouds of the oncoming storm stretching to the horizon. Beyond lay his mission: London, France, Europe. They needed to know what had happened in Europe, and he was the only one who could help. He still wondered about Anderson and Blake’s questions the night before their departure from McMurdo, though.

  What possible purpose would a Tomahawk missile serve now? Shaking his head, he descended the ladder, securing the hatch above him. No point in worrying about it now. We’ve got a needle to thread. He strode confidently onto the bridge and began giving orders. Who knew a SEAL would be a sub captain one day? Damn, if this world isn’t a different place. I kinda like it.

  AEGIS Bunker One

  Mount Rainier, Washington

  Five years later; Z-Day + 15 years

  Her red hair flying out behind her, the young girl came racing around the bush and threw herself on the ground, holding the stick out in front of her and crying out “Blam! Blam! Blam!” I held my hands to my chest, the make-believe wounds causing me to shudder and shake before falling to the ground, pretending to be still and lifeless. The girl stood up slowly, looking around, then crept quietly up to me as I watched from mostly-closed eyes, out of arm’s reach, and pointed the stick at my head. With one last “Blam!,” she threw down the stick and ran over to her mother.

  “Did I do good, Mama?” she asked, grinning and reaching skyward, signaling her desire to be picked up.

  Her mother bent down and hoisted the girl onto her hip with a smile in return. “You sure did, baby girl. You’ll be a fine walker-killer.”

  “Yay!” The girl leaned down and patted her mother’s growing abdomen. “Maybe when he’s big enough, he can help!”

  I laughed as I rolled over, propping my head up on an arm as I looked at my tw
o favorite women in the world. “How are you so sure it’s a boy, Eden?” I asked.

  With the expression of wisdom she’d been studiously copying from her mother, Eden Blake folded her arms across her chest. “Because he is! I want a brother.”

  Kim grinned down at her husband as I shook my head, laughing. “There you go, David. From the mouths of babes.”

  It pained me that my daughter was learning how to kill walkers at such a young age. She should be playing with dolls and stealing her mom’s makeup. But even though she would never become one of them, a walker could still do her a lot of damage.

  This world has changed everything about us, and ended innocence as we once knew it. I just hope I can give her a happy life.

  I glanced up when the light rotor wash of a Skycrane flew over us, headed for the city. A cargo container was swinging slightly below the giant chopper. “More supplies for JBLM?” I asked Kim, and she nodded.

  “Yep. Marcie and Dalton have been working at expanding their territory.”

  It had taken longer than she would’ve wanted, but Marcie Thompson had finally gotten through to the sergeant, and was soon to become Marcie Gaines. Kim and I were both quite happy with that particular turn of events, and how happy they had made each other.

  So happy, in fact, that Kim had set Gaines up as the head of the new Expeditionary Forces, or ExForce, headquartered at the old airstrip.

  “Good,” I said. “Maybe now we can concentrate on other things.” Kim sighed, and I smiled to take the sting out of my words. We’d been taking our time in developing the intelligence and a strong plan for dealing with Dagger once and for all. Using Maxwell’s network of spies and saboteurs, we’d just about put the finishing touches on our strategy.

  And there was always Bunker Nine, the one full of monsters that were, at least for the moment, contained. We’d convinced Bunker Ten to send out a recon party to check out Nine, although convincing them they couldn’t open the bunker without telling them why had been a challenge and a half. They’d confirmed that the bunker was still sealed and didn’t appear to have been opened in years. Somewhere, amidst everything else, we were going to have to find a way to take care of them, too.