“Right!” Dodger took off.
As Highbrow and Nomad reached the first floor, they saw the faces of a hundred strangers, twisted and mangled, crowding the front doors of the hotel. At the back, they saw a mob of zombies moving across the field in the direction of Seven Falls, as if they could smell meat a mile away.
Smack, Blaze, and Dodger hit the first floor running. Dodger skidded and slammed into a wall, laughing. All three had picked up bags on their way and filled them with all manner of goodies. Blaze was wrapped in a gaudy feather boa with gold and silver chains beneath. Rings circled each of her fingers. Smack was holding a black mink hat to her head, and Dodger held up his arm to show Highbrow his new collection of watches.
“You guys are nuts,” said Highbrow. “You get through to Whisper?”
Dodger nodded. “Yep, my walkie works fine. They’re driving around to pick us up. Said they saw someone on the sixth floor we didn’t see.”
Heavy gunfire indicated the vehicle’s location. Highbrow led them outside to see a throng of zombies in pursuit. The team fired on the creatures and helped clear a line to the Jeep.
“Hey, Cap,” yelled Dodger. “I have a present for you.”
“I don’t want a watch.”
“I snagged a few comic books for you back at the pharmacy. One is a Superman.”
Highbrow didn’t think Dodger remembered stealing his comics in high school, much less caring about it now. He felt petty holding a grudge all this time. Being in a life and death situation brings perspective like nothing else, thought Highbrow. Whisper pulled up close to the team, the motorcycles were surrounded by advancing zombies.
“After you, Captain,” said Dodger.
Highbrow climbed in back as the others squeezed in over top of each other. As Whisper began to drive away, Nomad noticed someone he recognized waving from a sixth floor window.
“That’s my Betsy. We have to wait,” shouted Nomad.
The Tigers continuing firing as zombies multiplied around the corner of the hotel. Stragglers appeared in the field behind their position. Freeborn fired the big gun until it whirred empty of ammo, then picked up her shotgun and never missed a beat.
“They better hurry and get down here,” shouted Highbrow. “Circle the parking lot and give them some more time. These creatures are getting too close and we’re running low on ammo.”
The zombies’ putrid march never ceased. Whisper drove around the large herd that was limping across the parking lot. Gunfire from inside the hotel alerted the Tigers. They spun around to see Betsy and a group of armed scavengers making their way toward the vehicles in the lot. A man wearing a long, black leather coat walked toward the Hummer. He carried an extended barrel revolver in each hand and shot anything near him. In what seemed like slow motion, he reached the Hummer and slid behind the wheel.
“That’s Logan.”
Nomad waved his arms and shouted, attracting the attention of every zombie in the vicinity.
Whisper wheeled out leading a caravan of six vehicles across the field. Logan brought up the rear of the convoy. The Tigers reserved ammunition as they passed the few zombies stumbling toward them. Whisper drove through the fence separating the field and main road, merging onto Cheyenne Boulevard and leading the group to Seven Falls.
* * * * *
Chapter Seventeen
“Make way!” Star shouted. “We’ve got wounded!”
Cadence broke from a crowd playing football and met the group of girls descending the long flight of narrow stairs. Star and Raven had joined the Amazons and Head Hunters scouting the Midnight Falls area, but it was clear they had taken some time to go swimming while there. Two girls bleeding and crying were being carried by their friends. Barbarella was limping. A fourth was carried between Xena and Phoenix, the strongest of the Amazons. The girl they carried was covered by a towel, but Cadence could see by the white curls cascading down that it was Luna. Cadence sent the injured to her cabin. Raven was sobbing and remained with Luna’s body as it was carried past.
“Puma,” said Barbarella, limping by Cadence. “It got away.”
Unbridled tears streamed from Star’s eyes and she was covered in dirt. Someone had notified the Professor, and Cadence saw him running to her cabin with the soldiers that were picked up earlier at mid-camp, med kits in hand.
“What happened, Star?” asked Cadence. “Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not. Luna is dead. It was on us before we realized we were being hunted.” Star heaved for air. “Barbarella tried to chase the puma off, but it tore into Luna and Calypso. It dragged Calypso off into the trees. I think it has rabies, Cadence. It was frothing at the mouth and its eyes were blood red.”
“What’s wrong?” shouted Thor. He and Dragon ran to meet the girls, followed by the newly formed Elite.
“It’s Luna,” said Star. “We were attacked by a mountain lion at the pond. Calypso is dead, too. Barbarella was bitten, and so were Sheena and Skye.”
Thor stepped toward Star. Dragon grabbed his arm, shaking his head.
“We will find time for comfort later,” said Dragon. “We have a job to do. Commander, do we have permission to take the Elite and look for the puma?”
“Get on it and be careful,” said Cadence.
She watched the young men, and the newly formed Elite ascend the stairs. It was strange, yet satisfying for Cadence to watch a new force under her command move into action. The Elite were led by Uther, and had adopted Freedom Army uniforms as their own. Cadence turned back to Star.
“Thor and Dragon will get the job done.”
“They can’t go up there. It’s not safe.” Star gasped for air again and wiped her face. “Something was wrong with that cat. We were all in the water, but it attacked us anyway. It swam out to attack Luna and Calypso, and it was strong, Cadence. Way too strong for a normal cat.”
“It must be infected with the virus,” said Cadence. She lifted her voice. “Thor!” He turned to acknowledge her. “The mountain lion is infected with the virus! Not rabies!”
“Got it!” Thor yelled. He stormed the stairs, followed by Dragon, Uther, and the Elite.
Cadence embraced Star and saw that many had gathered on the porch. Teams still wore their old caps, which made it easy to identify them.
“This is a Code 2, people. We have a perimeter breach. If you see a wild cat, shoot to kill,” said Cadence. “I want the Blue Devils and Bulldogs walking the road. Panthers, take a vehicle and go tell everyone at the entrance what’s happened. Black Beard, take the Buccaneers and guard the stairs. Make sure that cat doesn’t get down here. Get moving people. You have your orders!”
“It’s all my fault,” said Star. “I’m the one who wanted to go up to the Midnight Falls.”
“We didn’t know until now that animals can be infected,” Cadence said. “I’m just glad you’re okay. Why would you go swimming when you know the camp isn’t secure yet? Didn’t you post a lookout?”
Cadence received no answer, and she knew her questioning was making it worse. Star was in shock. Cadence instructed someone nearby to get Star something to drink and find the rest of China Six, then walked Star to a bench to sit down. Some members from the Monster Squad joined them. They were the youngest patrol in the camp and struggled to find their place in all the fighting and tension.
“Hey guys, stay here with Star,” said Cadence. “She needs some friends right now.” She looked to Star, “I’ll be right back. Stay here and take a minute to gather your thoughts. We’re going to get through this somehow.”
Cadence found the Green Hornets standing guard at HQ. She entered expecting to see Luna’s body. People lined the sides of the room as Sterling, Wizard, and Dill cared for the wounded. The Professor, Xena, and Phoenix stood over Luna’s body. Raven crouched in a corner, sobbing. Cadence pushed in to stand beside the Professor, watching as the beach towel was pulled back from Luna’s body. Her torso was ripped open, exposing what remained. Sterling quickly covered her body again.<
br />
“She’s dead,” howled Raven. “Luna is dead!”
“I tried to keep Raven out,” said the Professor. He put his arm around Cadence. “I’m so sorry this has happened. I don’t know much about mountain lions, but I’ve never heard of one attacking without reason. Did any of you notice any cubs about? A mother might protect her young and attack out of fear.”
“I don’t think that was the problem,” said Cadence.
The Professor released Cadence and put his hand on Xena’s shoulder. “Tell us what happened. No one is angry with you, Xena,” said the Professor. “We just want to know about the cat that attacked you.”
Cadence knelt and put her hand on Luna’s arm. It was still warm.
“Barbarella, what happened up there?” asked Cadence. “Star said the puma had rabies, but it sounds like it had the virus.”
The leader of the Amazons wasn’t quick to answer. She was not easily rattled. “I don’t know, commander. We were all swimming when we heard this horrible roar. The cat swam out and attacked Luna, first, then Calypso. Raven and I both shot it. It started dragging Calypso into the trees and then attacked me. Sheena and Skye got in the damn way trying to help me. The thing bit all three of us and then dragged Calypso’s body away. I know Raven and I shot it more than once. I don’t know if it had rabies or something else. We didn’t stick around to find out. That’s all I know.”
“The cat was messed up,” said Sheena. “Rabies or something. We didn’t do anything to make it attack and there weren’t any cubs.” She slapped Dill’s head as he bandaged her leg. “Ouch! That hurts, you know.”
He apologized and finished the binding.
“Is that it?” asked a worried Skye. She pushed back a strand of hair from her eyes. “Don’t we get a rabies shot?”
Barbarella glared at her teammate. “Your voice is piercing, Skye. Bring it down a notch.” She turned back to Cadence. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Back home I used to go hunting with my dad and brothers all the time. This animal moved like it was possessed. We’re lucky any of us survived.”
“Thor and Dragon went to hunt the cat,” said Cadence. She put her hand on the big girl’s shoulder. “You need to rest, Barb. We’ll get this sorted out. The rest of you girls don’t need to be in here. Xena, Phoenix, take charge and clear this room. I’ll leave the Green Hornets outside as guards. Go get cleaned up and find me later to fill out a report.”
“Thanks, commander.” Barbarella collapsed in a chair and hung her head.
Sterling approached Cadence and gestured for her to walk with him outside. They walked to where Star sat, and seeing her team surrounding her, gave the group a wave and continued on to the snack shop.
“Corporal Sterling, I’m glad you’re here. I didn’t know you were a medic.”
“That’s right,” he said. “I want to help. I figure I owe you. You did me a favor up on the Peak.”
“If you can call saving your life a favor, then yes, that’s what I did. I hope your name means you’re of sterling character, trustworthy.”
“Nightshadow thought so. If a man can’t be honest, he’s nothing in my opinion. I try to live up to it.”
Cadence liked his response. “What did you want to tell me, Corporal Sterling?”
“Everything we touch is toxic. We need to be more careful. The slightest cut or blister can be a gateway to infection. The Professor told me the virus is mutating. Of course he asked me not to tell anyone, but seeing you’re the new commander . . . ”
“I already know,” Cadence said. “We can’t be sure of anything until Thor brings back the carcass.”
“My point is that three girls were bitten, and two are dead. The injured won’t die of the bites, but there’s still risk of infection. If its rabies, I can treat them. If it’s anything else, I’m not sure they’ll recover. I’m also not sure they won’t show signs of aggressive behavior and attack like the puma. I heard you put Freeborn in charge of security. You may want someone with a little more experience to have that job.”
She narrowed her eyes. “And I suppose you want the job.”
“I’m not only a medic. I’m also a soldier.” Sterling’s dark eyes were intense. It was no wonder he had survived the Peak to live another day. “People are starting to drop around here, commander. What are you going to do about it? Pass out aspirin and disinfectant wipes?”
Cadence was shocked by his assertiveness. “An infected puma attacked my friends. It’s not like I could plan on something like that occurring.”
“As the leader you have to plan for everything, especially the unthinkable. You have to be ready for an attack at any moment of every day. There’s no rest for those in command. The Captain did his best, but didn’t survive. He was the best of us and now he’s dead.”
“Look, I bust my butt around here, in case you haven’t noticed,” said Cadence. “If you want me to start thinking of everything, then we might as well shoot every animal we see. The Captain was a good man and I’m sorry he’s dead. If you believe you can handle security better and make this place safer, let’s hear your ideas.”
“Placing guards at key strategic points twenty-four-seven would be a good start. When guards break for meals, no one takes that duty. That has to stop. And no more hikes or swims. We all stay at the camp. A team can stand guard at the top of Midnight Falls. Station teams in shifts. When we get the electric fence up, we can adjust. Sound good?”
Cadence nodded. “Yeah, it sounds good.”
Sterling was right about everything he said. The loss of life was unacceptable. Cadence was responsible. Plan for the unthinkable. An impossible task, she thought. Being in command was difficult, but Sterling seemed willing to help.
“Anything else?” Cadence asked.
“Some of you have seen more combat than a lot of vets. I was in Afghanistan for three years and I knew men like Sarge. Now that he and the Captain are gone, I’m the one on your team with the most experience. I can help Captain Highbrow with the patrols and assigning new officers in the Freedom Army.”
“I’ll bring it to Highbrow and let him decide how to best use your skills. I appreciate you stepping forward. I’m sure this flip-flop in command is difficult for you.”
The sound of vehicles approaching alerted them both the scout patrol was returning. Cadence and Sterling rounded the building and headed toward the path. The Vikings and the Green Hornets formed a defensive line behind their commander. Cadence watched Highbrow as he approached. As always, seeing Highbrow made Cadence relax and she wished she could throw her arms around him.
“We got everything on your list and more,” said Highbrow. He looked around, noting the guards and met her gaze. “What happened?”
“A lot.”
Cadence tried her best to sound normal. Nomad walked up behind Highbrow and held up a backpack.
“Great,” said Cadence. “Take those to my cabin, Nomad. The Professor needs whatever you’ve brought us.” She took Highbrow by the hand. “I don’t know how to say this, so I’ll just say it. Luna is dead. So is Calypso. They were killed by a mountain lion. Luna is in my cabin, but the puma dragged Calypso off. Three other girls were injured, including Barbarella.”
“What? I’m so sorry,” Highbrow said. “Luna was your friend.”
“The puma is infected,” interrupted Corporal Sterling.
Cadence dropped Highbrow’s hand and gestured toward the soldier. “You met Corporal Sterling last night. I’m putting him in charge of security. He’s a combat veteran with more experience than any of us. I believe he can help us in that area. I’ll inform Freeborn.”
“We saw a little action ourselves,” said Highbrow. “You might want to send Sterling to the front entrance. We were followed, and not just by zombies. We’ve brought a few people into camp. They’re scavengers, Cadence. We found them holed up at the Broadmoor Hotel. Their leader, Logan, came with us.”
The convoy of vehicles pulled up. Cadence watched a tall man climb out of a Hum
mer. There were about ten scavengers in total. Sterling bristled at the sight of them.
“Is this their leader?” Cadence kept her voice low.
“Yep, that’s Logan,” said Highbrow. “He’s a friend of Nomad’s. He says we can trust him.”
“Trust the man who led the attack against our camp because one of his men said he’s trustworthy? Highbrow, how could you bring them here?” Cadence let out a sigh. “What am I saying? Of course you rescued them and brought them here where it’s safe. I won’t ask what happened. I’m sure you did the right thing.”
Cadence looked at Sterling. Logan and Sterling were sizing each other up. Both were tall men and powerfully built, but arrogance seized Logan and made its presence known.
“Corporal Sterling, take the Vikings to the entrance,” said Cadence. “Secure the barricade. Recruit whoever you need.”
He nodded. The Vikings lined up with a few more strong recruits and they moved out. Cadence watched as they made their way to the entrance, and then turned to face the scavengers.
* * * * *
Chapter Eighteen
“So this is the famous warrior girl!”
Cadence stood her ground. She discerned the man was conceited, unpredictable, and therefore dangerous. His eyes were full of malice, and she disliked him at once.
“You’re Logan, right?”
“This is Commander Cadence,” said Highbrow, “and I’m Captain High….”
“I’m sure you are,” Logan interrupted. He extended his hand, adorned with a silver skull ring. “Not going to shake? I don’t bite.” He lowered his hand. “You’re a little young to be in charge, but then, most of your soldiers are nothing more than kids. I expected someone other than a pretty little girl.”
Cadence glared at Logan, unimpressed. “You must not get it, Logan. Because of you, a lot of people have died. Our camp was destroyed and now we’ve got zombies coming to our new site. Honestly, I’d like nothing better than to shoot you. All you had to do was contact our captain and ask him to let you through the gate. Cross me or try to injure anyone in this camp and I will decimate you.”
Dead Hearts (Book 1): Morbid Hearts Page 17