Queen's Gambit

by M. Lorrox

  “WHAT?”

  “There’s a note, says they said she’s sick and that they’re hiding something and they’re going to the Pentagon!”

  “You’re in the suite?”

  “Yes!”

  “I’ll be there in a couple minutes.”

  “You want me to stay here? Someone took June!”

  “Eddy, I’m across the street. Stay put.”

  -click-

  Eddy takes a picture of the writing with his phone and sends it to his mom. He reads the note again, then one part a third time. They’re hiding something… Probably why she left a note like this, maybe they didn’t want her to tell anyone they were taking her. His eyes flash wide. They’ve kidnapped her! He runs over to June’s and Skip’s bedroom and busts through the door. Empty. Crap, worth a shot.

  He notices Charlie’s monk’s spade sticking out of the blanket it’s wrapped in, leaning up in the corner. Eddy grabs it and lifts it, then shakes his head. Way too heavy for me. He sets it back down and notices the wakizashi also leaning against the wall. He grabs it and carries it into his bedroom. He tosses it on the bed, then he turns and falls beside the sheathed blade, sitting and holding his head. Like I can waltz into the Pentagon with a sword and demand to know where she is. He looks at the door. Mom, what do we do?

  He swallows. We go and get her, maybe not with swords, but we go and get her.

  Rusty walks up to Eddy and brushes against his leg. Eddy looks down. “Rusty, why… Forget it.”

  He looks up at Eddy and tilts his head, then trots into the kitchen for a drink of water from a cereal bowl Charlie put on the floor for him.

  “Hello? Anyone back there? Talk to us!”

  Charlie shakes a little and stands up. He takes a satisfyingly deep, full breath. He grabs the radio handset, pulls it from its holder, and sits in the jump seat below it. “This is Colonel Costanza. Everyone that took the vaccine turned into zombies. They killed Aharon, and the hatch opened. First Lieutenant Tiger fell out, and I threw a chute after him. I’m the only one back here. Over.”

  He lets go of the transmit button and closes his eyes. How could this happen? Didn’t they test it? Maybe it was a bad batch? Unless they knew this would happen, but…that doesn’t make any sense.

  “Put McGee on, right now. Over.”

  “McGee is dead. Walker is dead. Lowe, uh, Mitchell... all of them. They’re all dead!”

  “How did zombies get on board? Over.”

  Charlie grits his teeth and lowers the handset to his lap. He fills his lungs and screams. “HAVEN’T YOU BEEN LISTENING TO ME!”

  “They’re all dead?”

  Charlie picks up the handset and holds down the transmit button. “Name and rank, soldier.”

  “Captain Payne, sir. Over.”

  “And are you the pilot, Captain Payne?”

  “Yes, sir. Over.”

  “Turn this plane around, right now. That’s an order from a senior officer and the new commander of this operation. Turn the plane back to DC immediately. Over.”

  “Yes sir. Over.”

  The plane banks hard to port for a few moments. Charlie watches the thickening pools of mess lean and roll. He takes the moment to think, and he thinks quick. When the plane levels out, he picks up the handset again. “Alright Payne, can we get a message to the other plane? Over.”

  “Kelly, what do you think? ...No, out of range, sir. Over.”

  “How about DC command? Over.”

  “No sir. Way too far out of range. Over.”

  “I don’t understand… Over.”

  “Sir, our radio signal can only travel so far, and everything west of The Line is knocked out. We don’t have any ATC’s or relay stations to repeat the signal. Over.”

  “How long until we can get a message through? Over.”

  “Kelly? ...Maybe forty-five to sixty minutes. Over.”

  Charlie considers his words carefully before he speaks into the handset again. “Alright everyone, this is the situation. The vaccine the soldiers took turned every single one of them into zombies. We should assume the same thing happened on the other plane. We need to alert command as soon as possible that the vaccine doesn’t work. Do you all understand the situation? Over.”

  “Yes, sir, we understand. Over.”

  “If possible, adjust the flight path to get back in contact with a signal repeater or whatever as soon as possible. That’s the priority, landing in DC will be secondary. Over.”

  “Standby… The closest relay is in Louisville, and that’s pretty much right on our path. Over.”

  “Any chance that forty-five to sixty minutes was to get a signal straight to DC, and that we can send one through Louisville sooner? Over.” Charlie holds his breath.

  “Negative, sir, that’s how long we’ve been out of radio contact. That’s the soonest we can get a message to anyone. Over.”

  Damn... Charlie holds the button down again. “Have any paper up there? I want to tell you what to say. Over.”

  “No need, sir, we can patch you through directly. We can let you know as soon as we pick up a ground-based signal, but until then, there’s no point in trying to send any communications. Over.”

  Charlie sighs. “Understood. Over.”

  A few minutes pass by while Charlie thinks about what the fuck went wrong and what the hell to do next. The radio kicks back in. “Sir?”

  “Costanza here. Over.”

  “McGee, the loadmaster, was part of our flight crew, remember? We were wondering how he died. Over.”

  McGee. Tiger must have taken care of him... But it doesn’t matter. “They all died in their sleep. The vaccine killed them. The zombies that came back were not your brothers and sisters in arms. Do you understand? Over.”

  “Yes. Thank you for reminding me—for reminding us. Over.”

  Charlie sets the handset down again and looks around at the putrid mess of playing cards, flesh, blood, and filth. He closes his eyes. When I find whoever is responsible for this... I’ll... Damn it! How the fuck did this happen?

  The tea is finished, and Candace leads June and Beatrice through the lab toward an examination room. Many other researchers fluster around, putting things away in a rush to leave. June extends her hand out to Beatrice and brushes her thigh. Beatrice takes her hand, and they continue, following Candace.

  June tries not to spill her tea as she walks. “Candace? What tests do you need to do?”

  “We need to take a very small blood sample to see if your hormone levels are still elevated and to check the toxicity of the plasma.”

  “Then what?”

  Candace shrugs and turns her head halfway back. “We’ll have to see. Like the doctor said at the hotel, you may need dialysis. We can also run some tests to see what type of medicine will help you sleep.”

  June watches a young man grab a stack of files and slip them under his arm. He walks past the group and gives an awkward smile to Candace as he passes. At the end of the hall, Michael steps out of a room. He sees the group coming, and then he sees a lab technician still working with a microscope, so he turns on his heel and heads over to shoo them out of the lab.

  Candace finally brings June and Beatrice into a room filled with cold, stainless steel tables and a gurney. “I’m sorry that we don’t have all the comforts that regular hospitals would, after all, most our…patients are already dead. But a regular hospital couldn’t shake a stick at our testing facility or diagnostic equipment.” She smiles as she presses a lever on the gurney and lifts the back of it up, so that one half of it is angled. “Give me a second, and I’ll get you a cushion, a gown, and some blankets.”

  Candace walks out of the room, and June turns to Beatrice and whispers, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

  Beatrice squeezes her hand. “Do you want to wait for your dad? We could wait
, and don’t worry, I’m not going to leave your side.” She smiles.

  “Thank you, Beatrice.”

  “You’re welcome.” Beatrice notices Lars walking in. “Doctor, do you have any updates from the security office? About June’s dad or her relatives arriving?”

  He frowns. “Nothing yet. The Pentagon’s main entrance has been alerted to look for them, and as soon as they arrive, they’ll be escorted straight to us.”

  June shivers again. She takes a sip of her hot tea. Although it tastes good and the heat from it is welcomed, she somehow doesn’t feel the least bit eased by it.

  Lars rubs his chin. “Miss June, it might be a good idea, as a precautionary measure, to have you put on a gown. In case the tests show anything, we’ll be able to move quickly. Besides, it would be a shame if we spilled any blood on your clothes.”

  June rubs her neck. “Candace, um, Dr. Baker mentioned something about a gown, but I kinda want to wait until my family arrives.”

  He nods. “I understand entirely, and we can wait.”

  Candace comes back with a bundle of blankets and a medical gown under one arm, and an additional cushion for the gurney under her other. She sets down the bundle and adds the cushion to the gurney.

  Lars takes a step to the side so he can see past Candace. “You know, June, I just had a thought. You look dehydrated, and that makes everything worse. Can we set you up with an IV? We can give you a saline solution with electrolytes, and even blood, if you need it. We can still wait for your family to do any testing.”

  Candace turns to June. “That’s a good idea, and it’ll likely make you feel better.”

  Lars smiles and waits.

  June looks at Candace. “Yeah, okay… I guess I’ll change now then, if I’m gonna have tubes in my arm.”

  Lars nods. “I’m so glad we’re able to help.” He steps toward a wall and pulls a curtain across one side of the room.

  Candace hands the medical gown to June. “You can put this on, and you can keep your underwear on. I’ve got plenty of blankets to keep you warm after.” She smiles and places her hand on June’s shoulder. “We’re going to fix this. You’re going to be healthy again.”

  June feels more warmth from Candace’s hand than from almost anything else in the room. She nods and takes the gown, then walks behind the divider curtain to change. Beatrice sighs and takes another sip of her tea.

  While Candace unfolds blankets and drapes them across the gurney, Lars sets up an IV stand with a saline drip. He glances up at Beatrice. “Ma’am, I’d like to thank you for coming along. When we noticed the levels in June’s blood, we were very worried.” He finishes what he’s doing. “I’m so pleased that you have been able to help her today.”

  Beatrice sips her tea. “I only want what’s best for her.”

  He blinks and nods, his lips forming a soft smile.

  June decides not to take off the necklace her grandfather gave her, nor the bracelet Eddy gave her. If they fell on this floor, they’d probably break. She walks back out wearing the white and green gown, holding her jeans, shirt, and shoes. “Can I get on the thing? The floor’s really cold!”

  Beatrice grabs her clothes, and Candace helps her up onto the gurney and under the blankets.

  “That’s better.” She sighs. “It’s so cold in here.”

  Candace frowns. “The temperature helps preserve the other patients.” Then she grabs June’s tea and hands it to her. “Here you are, dear.”

  “Thanks.”

  Michael walks in. “Dr. Melgaard, I’ve sent everyone away.”

  He nods. “Very good. Will you and Dr. Baker make sure that in their rush none of the researchers left a sample out?” He glances at Candace, then back at Michael. “That would be a tragedy.”

  June shakes and looks at Lars. “What are you doing?”

  He turns to her. “Just taking care of things, don’t worry.” He glances up to Michael, and motions with his head. Candace and Michael leave. Lars looks back down at June. “If you’re ready, I can start the IV line.”

  June looks at him and waits, although she’s not sure what she’s waiting for.

  “It’s your decision, my dear. But it will help delay any toxicity related issues. Then, when your dad arrives, we can talk about the tests and take things from there.”

  She takes a full breath while thinking, then nods.

  He grabs an IV needle and presses it into a vein on the back of her hand. She doesn’t even flinch. She looks and stares at Beatrice.

  I’m here, June. I know you’re worried.

  He twists on a connector, then starts the drip. “You’re quite a good patient, June. Are you comfortable?”

  She turns to look at him. She sees little wiggling flashes all around. She shakes her head quickly side to side and looks again. Gone... No, they’re back.

  “June?” Beatrice walks over to the gurney and takes her hand.

  She turns and looks at Beatrice. It looks like you’re glowing. She squeezes her eyes shut. “Beatrice, I’m scared.”

  Beatrice rubs June’s hand and strokes her hair. “It’ll be okay June, don’t worry. The doctors will take care of you.”

  June blinks and shakes her head again, then leans her head back against the cushion and closes her eyes.

  Lars sighs, gets Beatrice’s attention, and motions toward the door. “Can I speak to you alone for just a moment?”

  She looks at him. “Why?”

  He doesn’t answer, but walks toward the door. “Please come talk with me for just a moment.”

  June twitches her head again.

  Beatrice looks down at June, who looks back at her now with a blank stare. Beatrice strokes her hair again. “Don’t worry, I’ll be right back.” Then, she follows the doctor out of the room.

  June watches the door. She can hear Lars and Beatrice talking as they walk down the hallway. He’s telling her that June’s delayed reactions and problems with her vision may be signs of toxicity poisoning. He asks her what they should do if June requires emergency care before her guardians arrive. Beatrice says that they should wait for them to arrive unless it’s a life or death situation.

  They’re quieter now. They bump into something. Then there’s a chair sound. Then footsteps…coming back.

  Lars walks in and smiles at June. “Beatrice is going to make another cup of tea, she’ll be right back. Now, where were we?”

  June tries to jump out of the gurney. “What did you do to her?” Then she looks toward her legs, which barely shifted under the blanket. Why can’t I move? She tilts her head and glances at the IV bag Lars hooked up. Am I being drugged? She looks at the doctor and starts crying. “Beatrice?”

  He opens his mouth and yawns. “She’s dead, it was painless.”

  “No! How could you!”

  He wipes his eyes and looks back up at the bag. “I expected you to pass out immediately after the drip started, but…” He looks at her, curls his lips and squints his eyes. “You are remarkably resilient.” He reaches up and twists a knob on the apparatus. “A little extra should get this job done.”

  “You’re not—” Whhoooa. “Going to get…away with this.” June twitches and her head flops up and back. The lights in the room multiply and start to stretch up and down, spanning across her entire visual field.

  He snickers. “Stupid girl, you watch too many movies.”

  Mary, Hamid, Vincent, and a handful of other vampire elders and Council members are led on a tour of the Pentagon by a cheerful young Marine in a crisp, dress uniform. He explains the history of the building and how it serves as the headquarters for the United States Department of Defense. He shows them the different sections, and explains how they’re dedicated to different branches of the U.S. military. Finally, he describes the damage and loss that occurred during the 9/11 attacks.

  Sergeant G
raham of the United States Marine Corps brings the group around a corner and walks backward. “Behind me is our chapel. We’re going to walk through the chapel to the 9/11 Memorial Room. I ask that no one speaks while we’re inside the chapel. It is open 24/7 and welcomes anyone—practicing any religion or spirituality—to find peace within its walls. Once we all are through the chapel and inside the Memorial Room, I’ll tell you about the symbolism and other elements within that room.” He turns around and walks up to the chapel doors.

  Every other door the group has seen in the Pentagon has been solid and was painted the same color as the hallways. The double doors and door frames leading into the chapel are different; they’re made of a golden stained oak, and have patterned, stained glass windows.

  The group follows Sergeant Graham in, and he leads them down the aisle toward the opposite end of the chapel. A few people sit in the pews—thoughtful and somber—all but one has their eyes closed.

  Mary glances at the woman whose eyes are open. She is in her late twenties, and she holds a beaded necklace in her hands. When the woman glances up at the group and then to Mary, Mary smiles at her. The woman smiles back before closing her eyes.

  Mary looks away. I hope your prayers bring you peace… She shakes her head. I wish it were that easy. She sighs and turns with her group to walk through a second set of double doors.

  As they enter the 9/11 Memorial Room, the first thing they notice is the different lighting. Two large windows spill yellowish light into the room, across the floor, into a glass-partitioned section, and toward something that resembles an altar with a few books and pens sitting on top. To the left and right of the books are panels filled with names, some with military designations and some without.

  Once everyone has entered the room, Sergeant Graham clears his throat. “This room is dedicated to all those who lost their lives at the Pentagon during the attack of 9/11. Please take some time to read the names remembered here. If you care to leave a few words as prayer for them, or to leave thoughts for their families and for the American people, please write them into these books.” He motions with his arm into the section of the room with the books on the altar-like table. “When the books are filled, we scan the pages and post them online.