by Jon Schafer
Imagined scenes of his torture in the cellar of the farmhouse suddenly crept into Tom’s mind. Stopping to consider again who really had the power in the camp and who could protect him, he hesitated. In the silence of the office, Fagan’s question was answered by the faint sound of aircraft engines.
***
Sitting in his private quarters on the third floor of the farmhouse, Professor Hawkins read through the notes before asking his second in command, “Has anyone else seen these?”
“Only my man and the radio operator,” Cain answered.
“The radio operator,” Hawkins said with disgust. “So that means that everyone in the camp knows what’s going on by now.”
“My man couldn’t kill him in the comm-shack,” Cain explained. “Too many people knew he was in there alone. He had to settle for threatening him to keep his mouth shut.”
“Do you think he’ll remain silent?” Hawkins asked.
Cain thought about it for a second before answering, “He’s a conscript, so he doesn’t have any love for the Army. My guess is he’ll eventually say something, though. My man had the radio guy tell the people on the plane that we would have someone meet them when they landed.”
Dropping the notes onto the top of his desk, Hawkins said, “Then we have to move quickly. I want you to get a squad together and head out to the airport as fast as you can. I want the little girl alive if you can manage it, since I’d like to eventually examine her. If that proves to be impossible, you may kill her, along with her escort. This way, we keep the focus on the Malectron and not on a cure to the HWNW virus.”
Cain was about to ask a question when the faint sound of aircraft engines caused him move to the window. Joined by Hawkins, the two men watched as a small plane passed by in the distance. Looking down, they saw that this was no cause for interest to any of the men and women in sight. Planes and helicopters occasionally flew by, but the only aircraft that drew their attention was the resupply chopper.
“That’s got to be them,” Cain pointed out.
“Then you need to get moving,” Hawkins ordered him.
As he was about to turn from the window, movement caught Cain’s eye. Looking toward Major Cage’s office, he could see him standing in front of it with Staff Sergeant Fagan and the radio operator. Fagan pointed toward the airplane and said something to Cage. As he watched, the Major gave orders to three of his men, who started double-timing it toward the motor pool.
“Shit,” Cain cursed. “Now it’s going to be a race to see who can get to the girl first.”
As he started to move toward the door, Hawkins halted him by saying, “Don’t bother, they’ve got a head start, so there’s no way you can beat them. The best you can hope to do is to show up second and try to kill everyone. We both know that there’s little chance of that since you will be outgunned. On top of that, the minute they see you getting ready to go out, they’ll know something’s up.”
“So what do we do?” Cain almost whined.
Hawkins thought for a moment before asking, “What’s the news from Washington, D.C.?”
“Not too good,” Cain answered. “It looks like the Chairman is going to lose.”
Hawkins waved this off and said, “Then we need to approach whoever ends up in charge. It doesn’t matter if they’re right wing, left wing or a chicken wing, they will want the Malectron. If they’re fighting each other for power, the winner will want the ultimate weapon at their disposal.”
“But what about Connors and her anti-virus?” Cain asked. “She can complete it now that she has someone that’s immune to the disease. We can’t be completely sure the new leaders will choose the Malectron over a way to eradicate the dead, and with no dead to control, we lose our power base.”
A sick smile twisted across Hawkins’ features as he said, “Then we need to keep that from happening. Contact Washington, D.C. on behalf of Doctor Connors and report that the anti-virus is ineffective and all further testing is being suspended. In addition, tell them that foreign troops have been spotted in the area and I request immediate evacuation, lest the Malectron fall into enemy hands. This will get them moving since the Malectron will be their only option. Once you have confirmation that we are to be picked up, I want you to destroy the radio. Make it look like an accident, we don’t need to tip our hand too soon.”
Warily, Cain said, “But Cage and his men control the camp. When the evac team shows up, they’ll find out that there is an anti-virus. We don’t know who’s going to be in charge, and they may decide to go with a way to wipe out the dead rather than control them.”
Making a tsking noise, Hawkins shook his head in mock sadness as he said, “Ye of little faith. By the time they arrive, there won’t be an anti-virus.”
Russellville Regional Airport:
Jimmy McPherson came to with a buzzing in his ears. In the fuzzy state between being asleep and awake, he waved his hands at the gnats he imagined flying around them. As he became more aware, he realized that it was still to cool out for flies. Shrugging it off, he didn’t care what it was as long as it went away. Pulling his field jacket up over his head to block whatever was annoying him, seconds later he pulled it away when the buzzing grew into a loud drone.
Popping up from the rear seat of the abandoned helicopter, he looked up just in time to see a two-engine plane fly low over the airfield. Watching as it banked gracefully to line up with the end of the runway, he squinted his eyes to see its markings. If they were military, he would run. If they were civilian, he would lay low. The reasoning behind this was that while the military would check out everything in the area, while civilians would take one look at the wreck of a helicopter he was hiding in and dismiss it as holding anything useful. With its engine, rotor and fuel tank missing, it was nothing but a shell. And while it would never fly again, with doors that locked from the inside, it suited Jimmy’s needs perfectly.
The plane grew in size as it approached, sunlight glinting off its aluminum fuselage. This told Jimmy what he needed to know. From his own personal experience, he knew that anything and everything the Army bought, borrowed, appropriated or stole was immediately blotched with earth tone paint to break up its outline. He could never figure out why they did this with aircraft, though, since it made them stick out.
The airplane slowly dropped out of the sky to land gracefully on the runway. Ducking down, Jimmy watched as it taxied to the center of a large concrete parking apron a hundred feet away. After rolling to a stop, its engines continued to idle.
Smart move, Jimmy thought to himself. They just dropped into an unknown situation, so they’re keeping ready to take off at a second’s notice.
The hatch dropped from the side of the fuselage, and a man jumped down to scan his surroundings. He was followed quickly by a woman and a younger man, who spread out to join him in checking the area. Jimmy was pleased in his assessment of his hiding place, as none of them paid it any attention beyond an uninterested glance. They weren’t the Army, but whenever their gaze did turn in his direction, he ducked down. Your average group of looters and brigands didn’t usually land in an airplane, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
***
After restraining the urge to kiss the ground when he exited the airplane, Steve focused on the immediate area as he checked for threats coming toward them from the hangars and maintenance buildings that made up the airfield. The nearest structures had their huge sliding doors open, revealing a scattering of equipment and aircraft inside, while the buildings that were further away looked like they were closed up tight. He wasn’t too concerned about the ones that were further away since if anything came at them from that direction, they would have plenty of warning. Switching his attention to a long, low building, he guessed it had once been the main terminal. It was hard to tell, though, since its floor-to-ceiling windows had all been smashed out by looters before a fire had gutted its interior. He was relieved that the airfield was too small to have a control tower, knowing it would mak
e the perfect spot for a sniper.
The dead were not the only thing they had to be cautious about.
From his right, Heather called out, “I’m clear all the way out to the woods.”
“What about Brain?” Steve asked.
Turning so that she could see him on the other side of the airplane, she got a thumbs up from the tech.
“He’s good,” she relayed.
Returning to the hatch, Steve called inside, “Shut it down, but Stacey stays at the controls. You can all get out and stretch if you want to. I want everyone to stay close to the plane, though.”
The engines wound down, making it easier for him to hear as Heather asked, “How long do you think it will take for them to get here?”
Steve shrugged and replied, “I’m guessing an hour, tops.”
Coming down the stairs with Pep, Cindy said, “But it only took us a few minutes to get here.”
Standing next to Igor as they waited for her, Linda laughed and said, “But they have to take the roads, honey.” Seeing her disappointment, she added, “Don’t worry, we’re almost there.”
The words ‘almost there’ echoed in Steve’s head as he scanned the area for threats. It was hard to believe that after making their way out of Clearwater, across the Gulf of Mexico and then through a deserted wasteland where everything wanted to kill them that they were ‘almost there’. He wanted to relax and let relief wash over him at making it, but until they were safe inside a secure area, he knew he couldn’t.
“Well, I hope they get here soon,” Cindy said. “I ate something at breakfast that’s giving me a Hasidic stomach.”
Everyone laughed while Steve corrected, “That’s acidic, kiddo.”
“Whatever it is,” she continued without missing a beat, “someone needs to give me a Valium.”
Their laughter grew louder at her mimicry of Steve.
Connie came down the steps last, her head swiveling as she took in the deserted airfield. After a few seconds, she said, “This place gives me the creeps. Why couldn’t we stay in the air until the people from the Army get here?”
“Not enough fuel to keep circling,” Steve told her. “Besides, we’ve got good line of sight at anything coming for us, so we’re safe until the cavalry arrives.”
“And there they are,” Linda said with glee as she pointed toward a two and a half ton military truck turning from the highway onto a frontage road that led to the end of the runway.
“That was fast,” Heather commented. She smiled and added in Steve’s direction, “And I thought the cavalry was supposed to show up in the nick of time.”
“Maybe they were out on patrol and got a call to come pick us up,” Steve surmised. “Whatever the case, I don’t want to hang around here any longer than we have to.” Turning to Connie, he said, “You and Linda grab the packs from the plane.”
Her voice rising in excitement as she headed for the hatch of the airplane, Connie said, “Oh my God, I never thought I would live to see this day.” After a few seconds, she added, “Literally.” Before climbing the stairs, she crouched down and called out to Brain, “They’re here to pick us up, babe. We made it.”
Brain’s reply was lost on Steve as he studied the approaching truck. It was obviously military issue, but there was something wrong with it. As it came closer, he realized that it wasn’t the truck itself, but the people piled in back of it that had caught his attention. Wearing a collection of colored T-shirts, tank tops or nothing but skin, they looked anything but military. Wondering if discipline had dropped to the point where the officers couldn’t even keep their people in uniform, he resolved to keep his weapon with him at all times. Once the little things began to get thrown by the wayside, the bigger things like theft and murder were easier to get away with.
The truck slowed and turned sideways when it was fifty feet from them. This was when Steve saw that everyone in the bed had some kind of weapon pointing at them.
***
Jimmy’s fear rose as he watched the truck approach. Now that soldiers from the base were here, he would have to move. He knew they would spread out in a defensive perimeter when they stopped, and this meant they would search any place that might hold a threat. Since the helicopter he was hiding in was only a short distance away, it would definitely get a once over. Looking back over his shoulder, he could see the tree line only a short distance away. He had planned numerous escape routes in his mind, but now he would have to see how they panned out in real life.
“Keep it simple, like you planned,” he said to himself. “Get out of the far side of this wreck. Start walking backward toward the woods while keeping the chopper between you and them, and if anyone sees you, run like hell.”
Calmed by his own voice, he watched the truck as it neared, readying his body to move as soon as he saw he was clear. Recognizing the vehicle as the same one that had passed him yesterday, he reconsidered making a break for it. He knew that the brigands had seen the plane land and had come to investigate, so why would they bother with a broken down wreck of a helicopter when they had what they came for right in front of them?
The truck slewed sideways and came to a halt, finalizing his decision to stay put. With the airplane, helicopter and truck making a large triangle with him at the bottom, either the people from the plane or the brigands would spot him before he was a quarter of the way to the woods.
Having heard stories from the survivors of gang raids, Jimmy knew they stuck to a pretty simple mode of operation. They would steal, rape, kill, and then move on. Knowing that rape wasn’t only for women, he slid further down in the foot well of the helicopter and hoped they didn’t spot him.
***
Steve started to raise his assault rifle when a voice called out from the cab of the truck, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Let’s keep this a robbery, and not a homicide. We’ve got every one of you in the kill zone, and there’s nothing you can do about it. All we want is your food, supplies and guns. If you cooperate, we’ll be on our way in a few minutes. I want all of you to set your guns on the ground in front of you and back away from them. Don’t worry, we got no plans to hurt you.”
Laughter from the back of the truck told Steve otherwise. Knowing they weren’t in a good position for an all-out firefight, he slowly lowered his M4 but didn’t set it down. Wanting the attention on him so he could give Linda and Igor time to get Cindy out of the line of fire, he said, “How can we trust you?”
“You can’t,” the voice answered. “But if you don’t drop your weapons, we’ll kill you where you stand.”
Eyeing the numerous automatic rifles and three M60 machine guns aimed at them, Steve wondered why they hadn’t gone ahead and killed them when they rolled up. With the firepower they had, they could have shredded everyone in his group before any of them had a chance to shoot back. Looking closely at one of the machine guns, his eyes moved to the other two before scanning the heavy machine guns mounted on the front and back of the truck. Now he knew the reason.
Raising his M4 and pointing it directly into the cab of the truck, Steve smiled evilly as he said, “How about this: if you don’t drop your weapons, we’ll cut you down.”
The voice from the cab asked, “Are you crazy? We’ve got the drop on you.”
Knowing he had called it right by the slight tone of fear in the man’s voice, Steve gave a half-laugh and said, “Those M60s are belt fed, and I don’t see any belts in them. The .50 calibers don’t even have an ammo box attached to them. If you’re going to bluff, at least make it realistic. Some of your guys in the back of the truck might have a few rounds in their magazines, but none of your heavy weapons have any bullets. That evens the odds up enough for me.”
Turning his head to the right, Steve could see that Heather had her CAR-15 aimed at the men in the back of the truck. Beyond her, he spotted Brain crouched behind the landing gear of the airplane, his rifle at the ready. Looking up, he saw two shadowy figures in the hatch. He couldn’t tell which one was Conn
ie and which one was Stacey, but the outline of their rifles was unmistakable. Slowly spinning his head to his left, he spotted Igor and Linda standing in front of Cindy, their weapons at the ready. Pep crouched next to them, baring her teeth.
The voice from the cab called out angrily, “The heavy guns might be out of ammo, but we have more than enough firepower without them to blow you away. Now drop your weapons.”
Steve straightened his posture and said, “I don’t believe you. You drop your weapons.”
“You drop your guns, I told you first,” the voice bullied.
“And I told you second, and two’s bigger than one,” Steve retorted. Wanting to break the impasse, he added, “Let’s start out like this: you lower your weapons, and we’ll lower ours. Everyone is nervous, and I don’t want any accidents.”
Exaggerating his movements, Steve slowly moved his M4 from where he had it shouldered to port arms. A few of the men in the truck mimicked him, giving him hope that they could find a peaceful end to this situation. Motioning to Heather, he watched out of the corner of his eye as she lowered her rifle to point at the ground. One by one, everyone on both sides pointed the barrel of their weapon away from human flesh.
Steve knew this was a risk, but he had to defuse the situation. The situation still might turn into the Wild West in half a heartbeat, but he consoled himself with the knowledge that Stacey and Connie were still on target. Hidden in the darkness of the plane, they were practically invisible.
“Now why don’t you put your truck in gear and take off,” Steve suggested. “No harm, no foul. You go your way, and we’ll go ours. Just so you know, we were in contact with the Army before we landed and they should be here any minute now to pick us up.”
No reply came from the cab, and the vehicle stayed where it was. Steve noted that the men in the bed of the truck who had been manning the heavier machine guns had backed away from them and picked up rifles. Not automatic rifles, but hunting rifles. Seeing their bluff had been called, the others in the back had set their automatic rifles down and picked up pistols and small rifles. This told him that they did have some ammunition, just not enough for the rapid fire weapons. The question now was if their leader was crazy enough to put his men up against a well-armed group.