“Yeah, man. They absolutely can.” Banks’ face was hard as stone. “They can do whatever they want. You think it’s a coincidence they mobilized our units into shelters just before Icarus hit? That even though it was a drill, we just happened to end up with all the weapons, food, and supplies we would need for this mission?”
“Shit.” Fletcher rubbed his hand down his face.
“Exactly,” Banks said in a hushed voice. “You helped load the trucks right?”
“Yeah,” said Fletcher.
“Of all the crates and shit you loaded, how many of them were labeled medicine?” Banks crossed his arms over his chest.
“You’re telling me it’s a burn?” Fletcher nearly dropped his weapon to the ground. “But there are survivors up there, Banks— uninfected survivors.”
“Which is none of your concern, soldier,” said a tall figure emerging from behind the guards’ truck.
“Corporal Metz,” Fletcher choked out, as both men straightened. Each clasped their arms behind their backs, squaring their shoulders in parade rest.
“Looks like you are getting your wish, Fletch.” Though he spoke to Fletcher, Corporal Metz’s eyes never left Banks. “You and the other competent members of your unit are being reassigned to MCH. Find the rest of your squad on the east checkpoint and be ready to move out in five, understood?”
The tall soldier’s voice was so commanding, I nearly followed the order, myself. Fletcher nodded and took off at a dead run, straight down the middle of the dark street. Banks stared straight ahead, as Metz slowly circled him.
“Private Banks,” he said, a look of clear disgust on his face.
“Corporal Metz,” Banks nodded, his eyes glued straight ahead, unblinking.
“Once again, your big mouth gets you in trouble,” Metz growled. “You have not stopped running your mouth since the day you darkened my doorstep, have you, Banks?”
“No, Corporal,” Banks bit out, watching as Metz walked over to the nearby truck. “I suppose I haven’t.”
“That may be the most intelligent thing I have ever heard come out of your mouth, Private Banks,” Metz laughed.
He shook his head as he stepped onto the footboard and reached into the cab through the driver’s side window. Banks, still silent, clenched his jaw in response. The animosity between the two soldiers was palpable. The mutual hatred rolled off of them in waves, barely kept in check by the fragile boundaries of military protocol.
“Private Banks,” Metz said, smirking as he shook a can of spray paint and walked back to where Banks stood. “Look down at your feet.”
“Corporal?” Banks arched a brow in confusion.
“Go ahead, Banks. Look down,” he said, with mock sweetness.
The young soldier obeyed, tilting his chin to look down. Metz laughed and walked in a circle around him as he slowly painted a ring on the pavement around his feet.
“Do you see that circle Banks?” Metz stood and crossed his arms, a smug grin on his face.
“Yes, Corporal,” Banks said, his anger barely in check.
“This pretty red circle here is your new home,” Metz said, tossing the can into the air and catching it. “I made it special, just for you. Do you like your new home, Banks? ”
Banks nodded, his nostrils flaring.
“Wonderful,” Metz said, grabbing the pack of smokes from Banks’ front pocket and replacing it with the can of spray paint.
“Corporal?” Banks spat the other man’s rank at him like acid.
“Okay Banks, from this point on, you will not leave your home unless I directly order you to do so,” Metz said, lighting up one of Banks’ cigarettes. He waved the pack in front of him and blew the smoke into Banks’ face. “If you take a shit, it had better land in this circle. If you fall asleep, you will snore in this circle. If you are attacked, by a fucking gamma freak I had better not find a single piece of your worthless carcass outside of this goddamn circle. Are we clear, Private Banks?”
Metz was an inch from Banks’ face, challenging him.
“Crystal,” Banks ground out, staring straight ahead.
“Perfect,” Corporal Metz said, his voice dripping with false cheerfulness.
He patted Banks on the head as if he were a child, did an about-face, and laughed to himself as he made his way back toward the truck. Banks stood in his circle, his jaw clenched and his hands in tight fists, staring daggers at the back of Metz’s head. Metz stopped just as he reached the front of the carrier and looked back over his shoulder at Banks.
“You know, you really shouldn’t smoke, Banks.” Thick gray smoke billowed past his lips, as he tossed the half-full pack of cigarettes onto the hood of the truck. “These things will kill you.”
“Asshole,” Banks muttered, flipping Metz off, long after he had gone.
After a while, the soldier grew restless in his circle and shifted his focus to getting his smokes back. He was careful not to step out of bounds though that was most likely out of spite. After a few failed attempts, he had the brilliant idea to use the butt of his rifle to knock his cigarettes from the hood of the truck. When they landed on the pavement in front of the vehicle, he used the gun to rake them across the pavement until they were within range.
We managed to sneak away while Banks was distracted with his nicotine retrieval. Rather than going back the way we came, we cut across a couple yards and dodged behind a little brown house, a half a block away from the checkpoint.
“This is bad,” Jake said, as he rounded the corner of the house. “I mean, this is like, really bad.”
“Breathe, Jake, we’ll figure it out,” I said, putting my hand on his shoulder.
“No,” he said, shrugging away. “There’s no time to figure it out, Liv. They are sending in reinforcements already. We have to get to the hospital and we need to go now!”
“Calm down, Jake,” Riley gasped, hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.
“Don’t tell me to calm down,” he said, pacing back and forth with his hands clasped behind his head. “The CDC and the U.S. Army are rounding people up like its Nazi-fucking-Germany, and you want me to calm down?”
“Jake, we will go after them, I swear,” I said, undeterred.
“But, my mom. My little sister—Jesus, you guys, we have to do something,” Jake said, raking his trembling fingers through his hair as he leaned back against canary yellow siding of a neighboring house.
“He’s right, y’all,” Falisha said. “We need to get there before shit gets messy.”
“But we are already here,” I said, “and we need to get that information. I don’t know what, but this salvation thing, and the connection between Zander’s dad and Gunther…it means something. Something important.”
“Seriously?” Jake waved his hands wildly. “You are talking about files and maps. This is my family, Liv. Those soldiers are not going to wait, and neither can we.”
“I know, but we need—,” I started, at the same time Jake said, “You need to listen to—,”
“What we need is to split up,” Zander said, effectively silencing us both.
Chapter 37
Recon and Redemption
“You can’t be serious,” I said, turning on Zander.
“I’m sorry, Liv, it’s the only thing that makes sense,” he said, squeezing my hand.
“We should stay together,” I said, panic washing over the knot in my chest. “We have to stay together.”
“I can handle this one, myself,” Zander said. “You should take them to the hospital and help Jake get his family back.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head.
“Those people have no idea what’s about to happen to them.” Zander’s eyes implored me. “Liv, someone needs to get them out.”
“I won’t leave you, Zander,” I said, surprising even myself when I didn’t have to think twice about it.
“It’s the right thing to do and you know it,” Zander said, addressing the group.
�
�You’re wrong, Z,” Micah said, finally joining the conversation. “This is all wrong.”
He pushed himself off the wall of the house and slowly made his way over to us. He had hardened his features, but I could tell he was in a lot of pain. His breathing was labored and his skin hung loose on his bones. He took a deep breath, gave me a slight nod and fashioned a scowl.
“You are being an idiot,” Micah spat at Zander. “Jesus Christ, Z, Liv is infected. She’s one of them, just like you.”
“Go to hell, Micah,” Zander said, glaring back at him.
“Lie to yourself all you want but the truth won’t change,” Micah snorted. “If you send her to the hospital, you are signing her death warrant. When those guys catch her, and they will catch her, she will end up in quarantine with the rest of the gamma virus victims and anyone else they decide to take out. Better yet, maybe they will use her as a test subject, poking and prodding, and testing her into a hole in the ground. Great freaking plan, Cuz.”
“You don’t know what you are talking about,” Zander said. “Liv is smart. She will—.”
“She’ll what, Z?” Micah said, shoving against Zander’s chest. “If you think there is anything that any of us can do about any of this then you are an even bigger idiot than I thought. Tara was right. If any of you were smart, you would get as far away from all of this as possible.”
“It’s not that simple, Micah,” Riley said, stepping towards him. “Not all problems can be solved by walking away.”
“Maybe not, Ry, but this one can,” Micah said, stripping his black sweatshirt off and throwing it on the ground. “Fuck this, Z, and fuck you.”
“That’s enough,” Jake said, stepping closer as if to defend Zander. Micah gave him a disbelieving look, then laughed, and rolled his eyes.
“You know what? Fuck all of you. I am done,” he said, kicking the sweatshirt across the dusty ground.
“Micah, wait,” Riley said, reaching out to him.
“No! I am done waiting,” he said. “In the last three days, I have been baked alive in that dump of a school, nearly electrocuted, physically attacked by my own mother, and forced to watch her die at the hands of a so-called friend. And now…now you want me to invade a heavily armed military outpost, with nothing but a goddamn steak knife? And for what? You can’t possibly believe I would want to have anything to do with saving Jake’s precious mommy after he killed mine?”
“Micah,” Zander growled, stepping between him and Jake.
“I can’t do it, Z and more importantly, I won’t. I did not sign on for any of this super-hero crap you are spouting,” Micah said meeting Zander’s stare. “I’m out.”
“You can’t just leave!” Riley said as tears filled her eyes.
“Why?” Micah said, wheeling around to face her. “Because we went to homecoming or because you lost your virginity to me and think that should mean something? Maybe you just want to keep me around until something better comes along.”
“I—” Riley’s voice cracked, her eyes pleading with him. “Micah, we—.”
“Come on, Riley. You know this was all just high school bullshit, right? What we had was fun, but it wasn’t real. Look around you, baby.” Micah flung his arms wide and spun in a circle. “People are dying, people are sick, and nobody— not even the fucking government, has any answers. There’s no help, no cure, and no hope.”
“No,” her voice barely came out.
“This…us?” Micah gestured back and forth between them. “None of it matters anymore, Riley.”
“You don’t mean that,” Riley choked, her hand clutching her necklace
“Trust me, I do,” he said, stiffening his jaw as he took a step back.
“Micah, wait,” Zander said, stepping toward him, but Micah continued to back away. “Don’t go, we can work this out, man.”
“No, Z. There’s nothing to work out, this time. It’s over. Best of luck on your little suicide mission but I think I’ll find my dad on my own.” Micah turned away.
“Micah, please?” Riley said, running after him. Tears spilling past her long lashes. She grabbed his arm; he stopped but didn’t turn around. “I— I love you.”
“Sorry, Ry, but it’s just not worth it,” Micah said, his back still turned. “You are not worth it.”
Micah yanked out of her grasp and stumbled off into the shadows.
“No!” Riley collapsed into a sobbing pile on the ground and Falisha and Jake quickly closed ranks to offer her comfort.
I could still see Micah’s lumbering form deep in the shadows. When he reached the end of the block he finally turned to face me, tears streaming down his face. He held his finger to his lips, a final reminder of the oath I had sworn to him. It was far better for Riley to hate him than to spend the rest of her life grieving his death. I knew better than most the strength in anger.
So, instead of stopping him, I watched him go. I barely held back my tears as he limped away out of view with his arms clutched tightly around himself as if they were all that held him together. When I could no longer see him, I sank to the ground at Riley’s side and let the dam burst.
The world was never going to be simple again. His words had been cold and cruel and he willingly abandoned her. I stayed silent while Micah ripped Riley’s heart right out of her chest and stomped it into the ground. He had been so cruel, and yet my hart shattered for him, even as my best friend was falling to pieces before me. Destroying Riley love for him had been the kindest, most selfless, thing Micah could have ever done for her.
***
It was decided.
Falisha and Jake would head to the hospital on recon while the rest of us stayed behind and found a way into Zander’s house. Riley had insisted on staying with me and I didn’t have the heart to fight her on it. Though her tears had dried, she still looked lost and broken after Micah’s angry departure. Jake and Falisha would station themselves on the hill at the baseball diamonds across the street from the hospital. Their one and only objective was to observe from afar and ascertain a safe entry point.
They were not, under any circumstances, to engage.
Thanks to Banks and Fletcher, we already knew the hospital would be overrun by military. We had to play it smart and find a quiet way in and out. As soon as we retrieved what we needed from Zander’s dad’s office (whatever that may be), we would join them and reassess the situation together before attempting any type of search and rescue.
“Please, just be careful,” I said, hugging Jake so tight he grunted. I looked over his shoulder at Falisha and locked her in a stare. “You better keep him out of trouble, Soldier.”
“You got it, Sarge,” she laughed, saluting as she clicked her heels together. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to his scrawny ass.”
“I’m sorry, but we gotta go, Liv,” Zander said.
“You guys remember the rendezvous point, right?” It felt wrong letting them walk away.
“We only went over it, like, a hundred times,” Falisha said, tossing her robe to the ground.
“Okay, fine,” I said, finally releasing Jake. “You two! Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Psssht…we got this.” Falisha rolled her eyes, hooked her arm through Jake’s, and dragged him along, her ponytail swinging behind her as she walked away. At the end of the block, she turned and waved. “See you soon!”
Minutes later, we were back beneath the carport, watching as Banks lit yet another cigarette. Our plan was, at best, half-baked. It was rash and hastily thrown together, but given the time crunch we were under and our lack of resources, it was the best we could hope for.
“How do I look?” I asked, smoothing my hair back.
“Wait,” Riley said, grabbing my arm. “It should be me. I should go. ”
“I thought we agreed I would do it,” I said.
“Hear me out,” she said, holding her hands up. “You are stronger, faster, and smarter than me. This whole thing with Zander’s house, I have no idea what to even look
for, Liv, or what this Salvation Army craziness is even about. I won’t be any help in there, but this? This I can handle. I mean, how hard can it be to flirt with a guy, right?”
“Riley, no,” I said, crossing my arms. “It’s too dangerous.”
“What if there are more soldiers inside the house? What then? Am I going to cute them to death?” She batted her eyelashes at me and then scowled with her hands on her hips. “Zander needs you in there, not me. I’ll only slow him down.”
“Liv, she kind of has a point—no offense, Ry,” Zander said, reluctantly. “Besides, after what she did to Tara, I have no doubt that Riley can handle the likes of Banks.”
“Please, Liv?” Riley begged. “I need this. Let me do this?”
“Liv?” Zander said, urging me softly.
Two sets of eyes locked on me. Both reflected the glow of nearby flames as they pleaded with me to see reason and both had too much power over me.
“Fine,” I said, throwing my hands up, “but you had damn well better be careful. If anything, and I mean anything, goes wrong, you get the hell out of there, understood?”
“I will. I swear,” Riley said, crossing her broken heart as she started stripping off the extra layers of dark clothing.
“I can’t believe I am going along with this,” I said, raking my hair out of my face.
“I’ll be fine, Liv,” Riley shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. “The guy can’t leave his circle, remember?”
She smiled over at me, but the grin fell short of her eyes as she stripped off the cardigan and tossed it to the ground. She smoothed back her dark hair, hiked up the hem on her T-shirt, and tied it in a knot behind her back creating a very tight half-top. It exposed not only her perfectly flat stomach, but also a belly-button piercing I was not aware she had gotten.
“Umm,” I said, arching a brow.
“I got it done on Friday while you were at work. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing,” she shrugged. “I was gonna tell you, I swear. I guess it slipped my mind, what with the exploding sun thing and all.”
Killshot (Icarus Series Book 1) Page 35