by K. S. Black
“I am now.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the box.
CHAPTER 43
June 5 – North American Continent Underground Headquarters for the WFN – Bluemont, VA
Captain Allen McGrath adjusted his retro-frame glasses on his nose and stepped into General Kiefer’s outer office. He caught his reflection in the glass that encased a photograph by Sebastião Salgado. The signed print hung on the wall behind the secretary’s desk. His mother had picked it out. He was sure of it.
The first lieutenant behind the desk spoke into a wireless intercom. “He’s here, sir.”
“Enter!” The general’s voice boomed behind the door.
McGrath reached for the levered knob, but before he opened the door, he took a breath and threw his shoulders back. Halfway to the general’s desk, he stopped and saluted. “Good afternoon, sir!”
Kiefer nodded. “I haven’t spoken to your mother for a few days. I trust that she’s settled comfortably in her new quarters.”
“Yes, sir.” He kept his gaze forward, his body rigid, and arms held tightly against his side, disgusted by the way Kiefer was always insinuating himself into his mother’s life.
“Have a seat Captain. Tell me what you’ve learned.”
“They’re in the U.S., sir.” He sat on the edge of the chair, his back straight as a board.
“I could have told you that myself. Do you have the coordinates?”
Arrogant son of a bitch. He handed the General a piece of paper. “They’re in the Southwest using a satellite internet connection. We haven’t pin pointed their exact location, but we’re getting close, sir.” He clenched his teeth together.
“Is your CSDC Unit mobile?”
“They can be mobilized in less than six hours.”
* * *
He hadn’t spoken to his mother about how he had gotten this assignment, but he felt her hand in this somehow. No one would say he hadn’t paid his dues: two hellish tours in the sandbox, not to mention four years at West Point, paid for by tax payers’ money shoved up his ass one nickel at a time. He could have breezed his way through the Ivy League college of his choice instead. It might have been easier but probably less gratifying once he received his diploma.
He didn’t want to think about what she did to persuade Col. Kiefer to make him commander of the Cyber Security, Detection, and Countermeasure Unit (CSDCU). But he relished the opportunity this appointment afforded him. This was the first real rung on his climb to the top of the ladder.
His team consisted of six pilots, fifteen aircrew, three communication officers, eighteen cybernetically enhanced communication soldiers (CECS), and sixteen enhanced soldiers. The unit also included three C-5 Galaxies, one of the world’s largest transport aircraft; six Tatrapans, a 6x6 wheeled, armored off-road vehicle; a mobile command module that could be offloaded and stationed practically anywhere; and the base command located at the WFN HQ.
Most of the research that went into creating the CECS, and the enhanced soldiers, came out of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, better known as DARPA.
Veterans injured in various conflicts in Afghanistan and the Middle East were recruited, but more often conscripted into the program, by members of the WFN while they were receiving treatment in field hospitals. He had done some of the recruiting himself. These broken soldiers could be of use this way, instead of taking up space and valuable resources.
Their personal effects were sent home to their families with an official letter of condolence thanking them for their sacrifice but letting them know their loved ones’ bodies were unrecoverable. They were given full military funeral honors but without a body to put in the ground.
The CECS and the enhanced soldiers retained some of their human qualities but most of their functions were cybernetically controlled through a brain to computer interface technology, more commonly known as wetware. Depending upon the unit, they could override certain pre-programed applications to resolve issues that required more of a human touch.
Visual and auditory implants allowed them to process stimuli much quicker than even the best soldiers. Their accuracy with weapons was superior as well, and they possessed early warning capabilities.
The duty requirements for CECS involved long hours of sitting in front of computers and other communications equipment and configuring and disseminating battle strike plans. They wore lifesuits. The lightweight armored suit fit tightly against the body and allowed the wearer to stay in one position for up to forty-eight hours with no fatigue or the need to move. It provided low impulse, electrical stimulation to all the major muscle groups.
The lifesuit monitored heart rate, respiration, hydration levels, and other biological functions. Feeding tubes delivered optimal levels of the required nutrients and water. Waste was collected inside a small receptacle inside the suit and was converted to an odorless powder. If the wearer received an injury, the suit would apply pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding.
The enhanced soldiers also wore lifesuits but with heavier body armor. Because of their duty requirements, they needed to possess the strength and precision to protect the CECS and their equipment.
Over the lifesuit, they wore an advanced version of the publicly known Tactical Assault Light Operator Suits (TALOS). The lightweight robotic exoskeleton supported the soldier's body, delayed the onset of fatigue, provided protection from injuries, and increased his strength threefold. Using wide-area networking and surveillance drones, the wearer had increased situational awareness of the surrounding area as well as his own body.
* * *
“Get your team ready, Captain. We need to find whoever hacked into our system and get rid of them permanently. And we need to do it now before they can do any real damage.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll get right on it.” He exited the office and smiled broadly as he pulled a bottle of hand sanitizer out of his pants pocket.
CHAPTER 44
June 5 – Tucson
The gray SUV and the Behemoth trailed the Humvee as Cooper drove onto the gravel driveway. They parked, and everyone got out, except Kevin.
Hayley held Julie’s hand and led her over to Cooper. Julie’s eyes were red and her face puffy, but she had stopped crying.
A man about six feet tall with short jet-black hair approached Cooper with an outstretched hand, his t-shirt taut against his muscle-bound torso.
“Let’s dispense with formalities until we’re all decontaminated.”
The man dropped his hand to his side. “I didn’t get close to any of those zombies.”
His companion stepped up and touched Julie on the shoulder. “You okay?”
She nodded her head yes, but didn’t move.
“We need to get the vehicles decontaminated. Everyone also needs a shower and a change of clothes. We set up a decontamination station a couple of houses down with showers and a place to wash the vehicles. You’ll find everything you need over there. Hayley, you and Julie hit the showers first. When you’re done, take Julie home and see that she gets what she needs. Make sure you each have a weapon with you at all times.”
Julie moved as if every step was an effort. Kevin emerged from the Behemoth, and he and Cooper watched until she and Hayley disappeared around the house.
“What do you want me to do first?” Kevin asked, fixing his eyes on the bloody handprints on the Humvee’s windows.
“Take the Behemoth to the carport decontamination station and get started. I’ll be over to help shortly. Stay alert.”
“You two, what did you say your names were?” He looked over at the men. Right off the bat, he didn’t like them, even though they were Julie’s friends.
“We didn’t.” the smaller man said. “I’m Ray Sutton and this is my partner Mark Chance.” He gestured to Mark who nodded his head. “We used to work with Julie before she moved back to Blythe. I take it you’re the Cooper she’s been talking about? You sure made an impression on her.”
&n
bsp; “That’s right. I’m Cooper, and Kevin is the guy with the big truck. When he’s done, you need to wash your vehicle. The fifty-gallon drums contain bleach water. Use the gloves and get all the surfaces wet and scrub any blood off. After that, you can take a shower out back on the patio. Did you bring any clean clothes?”
* * *
Ray parked the SUV in the driveway. It was wet but clean. He and Mark walked over to the Humvee. Without touching it, they peered inside the windows.
“Do you see what I’m seeing?” Mark pointed to three custom AK-47’s in their brackets.
The Humvee rocked as Cooper, wet and stinking of bleach and disinfectant, climbed on top. “Ray, could you help me out?”
He looked up as Cooper handed down the Barrett M107. “Where do you want it?”
“Just put it off to the side, I need to clean it.”
“Mark, would you grab this?” Cooper lowered the machine gun.
“What is it?” Mark asked.
From behind him, Kevin answered. “It’s an XM806 lightweight .50 caliber machine gun.” He looked up at the Cooper who was climbing down from the roof. “How’d it shoot?”
“Perfect. Not a single jam. I had no problem keeping it on target. The recoil wasn’t bad at all.”
“Kevin took the weapon from Mark without looking at him.
“How’s the Behemoth? Any damage?” Cooper asked.
“She’s great except for a small scrape on the bumper.”
Mark joined Ray behind the Humvee. They inspected the back of the Humvee.
“Are these the .50 caliber impacts that Julie was telling us about?” Ray asked.
“Yep.We were chased by a Stryker.” Cooper said.
They’re more likely 7.62 mm or .357 caliber impacts. Or maybe .44 mag? A .50 Caliber round would tear right through a Humvee, even an armored one.” Ray said.
“Think what you like.” Cooper turned away and walked to the front of the Humvee.
Mark leaned over to Ray. “What’s his problem?”
Kevin stepped in closer and pointed. “That’s from a .357 magnum round about six feet away. Those are from an M2 .50 caliber machine gun. The dude doesn’t lie.”
* * *
“Hey, Dad! You need to check out Kevin’s truck. It’s incredible.” Hayley jumped down from the back of the Behemoth.
Cooper had noticed the exterior earlier. He jogged over from the house, passing Mark and Ray who remained seated on a stone bench underneath a large mesquite tree.
“How’s Julie doing?” Cooper asked Hayley. “I didn’t want to disturb her. She looked like she was trying to rest.”
“She said she wasn’t feeling well, so I gave her some aspirin and water. Don’t bug your eyes out. Geesh. It’s only a headache. I told her she could lie down on my bed.”
“I’ll go look in on her in a little while.” He turned to Kevin. “Let me take a look at this beast.”
Cooper had seen the Zombie Response Team decal in tan across the back windows when the Behemoth drove past him near Costco. As he walked around the truck, he saw Behemoth spelled out on another large, tan decal on the side of the hood. When he stepped in front of the truck, his face lit up. Kevin had installed a heavy duty bull bar on the front bumper made from train rails, thick steel plate, and heavy duty tubing with a bank of lights.
“You should get Kevin to make one of those whatchamacallits for the Humvee.” Hayley looked from her father to Kevin.
“I designed it to push cars out of the road and to ram barricades. It worked pretty well to move the infected out of the way, too.”
“Impressive. And you did a great job on the welding. How’d you get that on all by yourself?”
“It wasn’t easy.” Kevin put his hands inside his pockets.
Cooper walked around to the driver’s side. A decal with the word Reefer was underneath the driver’s window.
“I thought it was funny because yours says Reaper.” Kevin broke out his thousand-watt smile.
Cooper shook his head.
Two tan colored tanks, each approximately four feet long and fourteen inches in diameter, were attached to the roof. “What are those for?” He pointed to the tanks.
“Those are my reserve fuel tanks. They’ll hold fifty gallons. The two on the other side are filled with propane. What you can’t see is a large solar panel and a rain collector in between the two sets of tanks.”
“You sound like a prepper.” He winked at Kevin.
They walked to the rear. Kevin climbed up and opened the doors. He held out his hand to Hayley and helped her up while Cooper climbed in behind her. On the right hand side was a bench seat that looked like a futon covered with throw pillows. Behind the front passenger seat and few feet away from the bench, Cooper opened the doors to a compact refrigerator and a separate compact freezer. A rush of cool air hit his jeans. “Nice.” Both looked custom made.
On the opposite side of the bench were cabinets and a counter top with a flat screen television bolted to it. Inside one of the cabinets was a game console with a couple of controllers and a stack of video games. Kevin had successfully converted an armored SWAT truck into a small luxury RV.
“This is comfy.” Hayley plopped onto the bench.
Kevin reached under the edge of the seat. With a metallic click, the bench slid out and converted to a bed with Hayley still on it. With another click, it slid back into place.
“Wow! This is so cool.” She jumped up and threw her arms around his waist and hugged him.
“You do good work.” Cooper patted him on the back.
When they had all climbed out, he looked from Hayley to Kevin. “When are you leaving?”
“How’d you know?” After a few seconds of silence, Kevin looked down at the ground.
Hayley stared at him, her lips pressed tightly together.
“Day after tomorrow. First thing in the morning, after I get some more supplies.”
Hayley’s face dropped, and she ran back toward the house.
An awkward silence filled the space between them before Cooper spoke. “You’re going to have to talk to her.”
“I don’t know what to say to her.” Kevin looked down at his feet. “But thank you for treating me like family. It’s meant a lot.”
“You’ll always have a place with us if you decide to come back.” He extended his hand, and Kevin shook it. “I’m going to see what Mark and Ray are up to.” He used his thumb to point to them. They were still sitting on the bench under the mesquite tree.
When he spotted Julie walking out of the front door, he smiled and altered his direction. She smiled back, but as he got closer, he could see tears getting ready to spill out of her eyes again.
Without thinking, he grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything to you earlier, but things needed to get done first. Do you need anything?”
“You don’t need to apologize. You saved us.” She squeezed his hand. After an awkward couple of seconds, they both let go. “I’m going to be okay. I’m a crier. Always have been. I could use a glass of wine if you have it. I can’t seem to calm down.” The tears spilled onto her cheek. She wiped them away with her fingers.
“I have a whole case of cabernet from Napa Valley that I never got around to drinking. I think I can spare a bottle.” He smiled at her and stopped himself from reaching over and wiping away a stray tear.
When she smiled back, some color returned to her face. Her hair was loose and hung past the middle of her back. She was prettier than he remembered. The same twinge of attraction that had snuck up on him at the coffee shop returned.
“You’re welcome to stay here with Haley and me. Unfortunately, Kevin’s decided to head out for Bisbee the day after tomorrow. You can take his room.” The moment after the words came out of his mouth, he wanted to take them back. Could she see it in his face?
Before she could say anything, he continued. “There are other houses nearby if you don’t want to say here. The house across the street is safe. We c
leared it out, boarded up all the windows, and it’s stocked with supplies.”
“I’d like to stay here with you and Hayley. I feel safe here. I’ll sleep on the couch until Kevin leaves.”
“You can sleep in my room.” Cooper hesitated for a couple of seconds rethinking his words. “I meant that you could take my room, and I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“Relax Cooper. I know what you meant. Why don’t you tell Mark and Ray about the other house and get them settled in. When you’re done, you can get me that glass of wine or tell me where to find it.”
Mark and Ray had gotten off the bench, but Cooper hadn’t noticed until Mark interrupted them.
“Julie—you doing okay? You look like you’ve been crying. Did he say something to you?”
“Don’t be an idiot. Cooper had nothing to do with why I was crying.” She put a hand on his back and guided him away from Cooper. “See that house across the street? That’s where you and Ray can stay if you want, or you can find your own place.”
“Where are you staying?”
“I’m staying with Cooper, Hayley, and Kevin tonight.”
“You talked to that asshole for a couple of hours and you’re going to move in with him?” A red flush crept up Mark’s face.
“Stop it, Mark.”
He grabbed her wrist, but she yanked it away.
Cooper took a step forward waiting for her reaction.
Kevin stepped up beside him.
“Don’t you ever do that again.” Julie’s words came out like a hiss. “Take Ray and get settled in across the street.” She took a breath. “Kevin, would you show them the house across the street. Cooper said they could stay there.”
CHAPTER 45
June 6 –Tucson
The sun had been up for less than an hour and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the house. Not having a cup of coffee to get him started in the morning was unthinkable, but Cooper had started limiting himself to half a pot a day. Soon he’d have to cut down to one cup. He dreaded the thought.
Julie padded into the kitchen wearing jeans and an old t-shirt. Dark circles had formed under her eyes, but it didn’t matter. He couldn’t stop looking at her.