“They found your son,” she said.
Their skeletal faces lit up with pure joy and relief. Tears rolled from Tammy’s eyes—something that would have been impossible not long ago, in her severely dehydrated state.
“Thank you,” she said. “Thank you so much.”
Rich’s bottom lip quivered. “I can’t begin...I don’t know...”
Lauren held up her hands. “Captain Holland’s team is headed toward their evac point. If all goes well, you’ll see your son within the hour.”
Rich reached out his right hand; his arm shook with the effort. Tammy interlaced her fingers with his, and Lauren left them to share this intimate moment. She was glad to have delivered some good news, but she reminded herself Connor wasn’t back yet and these people were still in critical condition. Hope might give them a reason to live, but it wouldn’t keep them alive—that was her job. Their EKGs maintained a stable rhythm, and all other vital signs pointed toward good health for now. Satisfied, she walked over to Alex Li, the third survivor they’d rescued. The man tried to smile, and his scruffy beard twitched with the movement. His dirty scrubs had been replaced with a clean patient gown.
“Doctor,” he said in a low, rasping voice. He extended a hand, and Lauren took it as delicately as she could. “I appreciate—” He coughed. “Thank you. Your team, those soldiers...without you all...” He closed his deep-brown eyes, his chest moving up and down with a deliberate, slow breath. His eyelids peeled back again. “I didn’t know there were people left in this world like you. The police, the Army—they abandoned Boston. Left us to die.”
Lauren patted Alex’s hand. “We’re here now. And there are still good people out there.” She thought of Shepherd at Detrick and his scientists waging their own form of war on the Oni Agent. General Kinsey, too, she knew had plans, though she couldn’t be sure what his long-term vision for this new America was. “Things will change. I promise.”
“I hope you’re right,” Alex said. “I’m done hiding. I’m done running from those creatures.”
“As long as you’re with us, you won’t have to.”
“Good. I want to help.”
Lauren had hoped the survivors would say that. The Huntress’s mission needed people like them. Those with medical backgrounds were vital to the development of a vaccine against the Oni Agent. Not to mention their skills and abilities would help when the team inevitably dealt with the casualties that came from this prolonged engagement with an enemy as ruthless and relentless as the Skulls.
“I’m sure we can find a place for you.” She thought of Kent Island, where they’d left Rachel Kaufman and the other midshipmen. The former Naval Academy cadets had been tasked with helping to defend the newly established civilian stronghold, a final bastion to protect those survivors who managed to escape the mainland around the Chesapeake Bay. “There’s certainly plenty of room here or at the safe haven we established nearby. Especially for a doctor.”
Alex’s left eyebrow twitched up. “Doctor? Did I manage to take four years of medical school while I was unconscious?”
“Oh, I saw you in scrubs when you got here and just assumed...”
“No worries. I was an attending nurse in surgery,” Alex said. “Think I’ll still be useful?”
Most definitely, Lauren thought. The unfortunate reality was that combat surgery had become more common on the ship than it ever had in their times of service before the outbreak. But all she said was, “We can probably find something.”
The comm pad near the medical bay’s entrance buzzed. Coming from the laboratory, Divya reached it first. “Lauren, Chao wants you in the workshop.” She gestured toward Peter, who was across the room looking at the patients’ charts. “We can take care of these three.”
“Thanks.” Lauren jogged out of the hatch and into the passageway. The buzz and crackle of radio chatter greeted her when she entered the electronics workshop. Chao was focused on his monitor. The blue glow washed over his face, and he appeared to be reading something, mouthing it aloud to himself. He didn’t notice her enter.
“Lauren!” Samantha said, standing from behind her desk. She waved a tattooed arm to beckon the doctor. “I’ve got something for you.”
Lauren strode across the room, and Samantha rotated one of her monitors. Adam joined them, adjusting his glasses and leaning over Samantha’s station.
“We’ve got all kinds of new therapeutic molecules and drugs from Mass Gen,” Samantha said. “I just uploaded everything onto the ship’s intranet. You and the rest of the team should be able to access it all.”
“Alpha team sent back loads of unpublished research, too,” Adam said. “There’s bound to be something useful for your medical staff.”
“Perfect,” Lauren said, optimism bubbling through her. They’d saved four people, counting Navid—maybe five if Dom brought Connor back. And now they might actually have a few promising leads on something that could prove to be useful against the prion component of the Oni Agent. “This will help tremendously. Did you pass the information along to Detrick?”
Chao turned from his monitor. His expression appeared grim. “I’m afraid there may not be anyone left to tell.”
***
Kara sat cross-legged on her berth with the computer resting in her lap. She leaned forward, squinting at the screen. The ship swayed slightly, but she never lost focus on the task at hand. Her body felt weak, but she couldn’t stop. Not now. With her mouse, she dragged another long spiral dangling from the model of the chemical structure on her screen. She watched the points add up. The FoldIt program reported a high score, and for a moment she wondered if that would translate to a successful vaccine.
She clicked a button labeled Simulate. The laptop wasn’t powerful enough to handle the entire molecular simulation, so it was run with the added power of the ship’s dedicated servers. A progress bar crept across the screen at a painfully slow rate. She glanced over at the neighboring berth. Sadie lay on her belly with Maggie sleeping at her side. But the girl wasn’t napping. She too had dedicated herself to FoldIt and was trying to bend the molecules Lauren had provided in an attempt to solve the game’s puzzle.
“Any luck?” Kara asked.
It was the first time either of the girls had spoken in, maybe, a couple of hours. The dog groaned, stretching out her front paws, and Sadie followed suit, stretching her balled fists into the air.
“The simulation said I got a sixty-five. Is that good?”
Kara shrugged. “I think so, but...”
“But we need one hundred, don’t we?”
“Yeah,” Kara said. “Then again, maybe the molecules Lauren gave us aren’t good enough to be part of the cure.”
“Why would Lauren do that?”
“She wouldn’t do it on purpose,” Kara said. “But there are so many different ones to test, and if scientists knew which one would work, then we wouldn’t be doing this.”
“Oh,” Sadie said, frowning. She didn’t appear convinced. A ping sounded from both of their laptops. “Look!”
Kara read the brief message that flashed across her screen. The gray box reported more files had been uploaded to the ship’s intranet. She clicked through one of the folders, and her eyes went wide. There were dozens of different molecules. She and Sadie had each chosen one molecule to test from the list Lauren had originally given them. They’d already spent hours working on their selections.
“Kara, does this mean we have to test all of these?”
“I guess so.”
Maggie slunk from Sadie’s berth and propped her head on Kara’s. Her tail waved like a fan, and her slobbery tongue slurped over Kara’s hand. Kara scratched the dog between her ears.
“Okay,” Sadie said. “Then I guess we better get to work, huh?”
“That’s right.” Kara focused on her screen and loaded one of the new molecules. A dialogue box popped up claiming the molecule was an experimental therapeutic developed in one of the labs at the Massachusetts General Ho
spital.
There was a long pause, and then Sadie said, “If we find the right one, does that mean we can save Mom?”
Kara gulped, knowing their mother was probably all Skull now. Nothing would be left of the woman who used to tuck them in at night or take Kara to Tae Kwon Do lessons and Sadie to ballet classes. Nothing they did now could help her. But she didn’t dare shatter her sister’s hope. At least not yet.
“Yeah,” she said. “Maybe we can help Mom.”
-17-
Shepherd’s radio barked to life. Frantic chatter broke amid the static. He couldn’t make out the words against the Skulls’ cries. And he was resigned to the fact that it didn’t much matter what happened. He’d failed himself. He’d failed the men and women who served him. He’d failed the goddamned human race, letting this base fall, letting the hopes of developing a vaccine against the Oni Agent spill from between his fingers like so many grains of sand.
A distant, low roar began to displace the Skulls’ voices. What the hell?
The Goliath continued toward him, bounding over the fuselage of a Black Hawk. But several of the smaller Skulls paused, their faces turned up to the sky. A loud, screaming whistle tore through the din. Even the Goliath stopped. Its monstrous face appeared confused for a split second before its body tore apart in a burst of fire and flesh. The explosion sent the smaller Skulls around it flying, lifeless before their bodies hit the ground. Shepherd’s heart leapt, and Bard let out a whoop.
“Commander?” Jackson managed, craning his neck toward the stars.
Shepherd’s gaze followed, and he slowly shook his head. “You fucking bastard, Kinsey. You fucking bastard.”
Three AH-64 Apache attacker helicopters whooshed overhead. They spit Hellfire rockets into the Skulls. Blast after blast sent the monsters’ bony appendages into the air. The Skulls shrieked, confused by the sensory overload. Shepherd took advantage of the chaos and began picking off the closest Skulls still standing. Bard was quick to follow his commander’s lead.
More Apaches followed the first trio. The choppers hunted down the main waves of Skulls. The creatures’ bodies continued to fly into the air like rag dolls. Two Apaches hovered near the breached walls. Hellfire missiles flew from under the stub wings. A whine like a saw blade sounded as their chain guns spewed 30mm rounds into the Skulls.
The creatures didn’t stand a chance.
Shepherd lowered his M16. There were no more Skulls nearby to shoot, and the choppers were making short work of the monsters elsewhere. He watched his men and women come out of their hiding spots. Relief filled him as the living took back their base.
“Command, this is Shepherd,” he said into his radio. “Looks like our guard’s being relieved. Muster all remaining units to their respective stations at the NEC or the shelter.”
“Roger, Shepherd. And so glad to hear your voice, sir,” Lieutenant Ramos said.
Shepherd and Bard helped Jackson limp to the NEC. The Apaches continued to zigzag over the base. Another wave of choppers flew overhead. This time, Black Hawks and Chinooks zoomed in and started landing.
“Sir, I thought we weren’t getting reinforcements,” Bard said.
“That makes two of us, Private.”
Once they reached the command center, medics set to work patching Jackson’s wounds. Shepherd grabbed Bard’s hand and clasped it in a stiff handshake. “Thank you.” He wanted to say more, wanted to acknowledge Bard’s courage and mourn the loss of Wesson. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t say more without acknowledging everything and everyone they’d lost this night. He had to carry that weight alone for the sake of everyone under his command.
“Thank you,” he said again and let Bard’s hand go.
“Yes, sir.” Bard saluted. “Anytime you need me to kick some bony ass, I’ll do it, sir.”
“I have no doubt you will. You’ve done an enormous service.” He made himself appear stolid. “And we will not soon forget Wesson’s sacrifice.”
Bard seemed to stand a bit straighter. “No, sir. We will not.”
Shepherd made his way through halls bustling with activity. The injured let out pained moans as all those who’d been lucky enough to avoid becoming a casualty now attended to the victims of the Skulls. He skirted between the wounded and those helping them on his way to the command center.
As he burst into the room, Lieutenant Ramos shot him a worried look. But she said nothing. Six unfamiliar men in fatigues with MP armbands stepped toward him.
“Commander Shepherd?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Come with us. Kinsey’s orders.”
Shepherd’s eyes narrowed. “Your people took their sweet-ass time helping us. I’m going to make sure my men and women are safe. You got a problem with that, you can wait.”
The man took another step forward and pointed an M9 Beretta at Shepherd. Lieutenant Ramos rose from her seat and reached toward her side holster. Shepherd shook his head. He didn’t need more deaths on his account tonight.
“What the hell is this about?” Shepherd asked. “My people need me.”
The man jabbed the handgun into Shepherd’s chest. Two of the flanking military police grabbed his arms. They forced his hands behind his back and cuffed him.
The leader met Shepherd’s furious gaze with a cold stare. “You will be coming with us. Now move.”
***
Meredith used her binos to survey the Charles River Dam. She could make out one of the massive halls of the Museum of Science, topped with a tower and spire. A white dome sprouted from a lower roof. Trees lined the complex—and Skulls lumbered along the bulwarks.
“Looks like we’ve got maybe a couple dozen on the bridge alone,” she said.
“Got it,” Renee said. “Andris?”
“Maybe thirty near the Science Park T station.”
“Alpha’s going to be encumbered by the kid,” Spencer said. “We need to make sure there aren’t too many Skulls up there for them to handle.”
“You got that right,” Renee said. “If there are, we need to clear a path.” She spoke into her comm link. “Frank, what’s the Science Station look like to you?”
“Most of it’s covered by trees. Hard for me to see from up here.”
“Damn,” Renee said, tapping on her smartwatch. “We need to check this out ourselves. Frank, any chance you can pick them up near the station’s exit?”
“LZ’s probably too hot for me do it safely. The bridge is a little better, but as soon as I get close, those fuckers are going to be on me like Spencer at an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. Over.”
“Thanks for that,” Spencer muttered.
Renee showed Bravo a map of the Charles River and the surrounding areas of Boston on her smartwatch. She pointed toward the winding blue snake across the watch’s face. “With the dam and the complex above us, there’s not much we can do to get a better sightline from here.”
“Then maybe it’s time we get off the Zodiac,” Meredith said.
Renee was silent for a moment, apparently considering the suggestion.
“Do we really want to be risking our asses up there?” Spencer said.
“And what?” Andris asked. “We stay here and let Dom, Alpha, and the kid get blindsided by the Skulls?”
Spencer glared. “That’s not what I’m saying.” He pointed toward the tall redbrick walls of the museum and the bridge. “We go up there and get ourselves killed, what the fuck happens to the Zodiac? How is Alpha going to escape then?”
“Spencer’s right,” Renee said.
Meredith opened her mouth, ready to protest. There was no way she’d let Dom escape from one swarm of Skulls only to head straight into another horde of the monsters.
But Renee cut her off before she could say anything. “We can’t all abandon the Zodiac, and it’d be suicide to try and scout out that bridge at ground level. Meredith, Andris, you two will scale the museum. Avoid hostiles if at all possible. Keep a low profile, and tell us what you see up there.”
“Happy to do it,” Meredith said.
“You got it,” Andris said, already packing his sniper rifle. “I could go for a little exercise.”
“You heard ‘em, Spence.” Renee pointed toward a set of stainless-steel stairs leading from the bridge down to a platform along the water. “Take us in. But don’t get too close. Seems like the buffets here are all closed anyway.”
“You, too?” Spencer rolled his eyes and then throttled the motor, careful to keep it at a low burble.
Meredith situated herself at the prow. The spray of choppy waves kicked up in her face, but she kept her gaze straight ahead. The Zodiac slowed when they neared the small platform. She hopped off the craft and held out a hand to help Andris.
“Godspeed and good luck,” Renee said in a low voice.
Meredith and Andris made their way up the stairs. Her gloved fingers tightened around her SCAR-H, ready at any moment to take on one of the monstrosities lurking above them. She chose each step carefully, determined to avoid attracting any undue attention because of a groaning stair. They made it to a sidewalk that encircled the museum. Above, a brick wall stretched up several stories. Atop it, the huge white dome of the planetarium seemed to rise like a hot air balloon. Meredith and Andris scanned the back of the museum. A few trees sprouted up around it, but there would be no easy way up to the roof from here.
“The front,” Meredith whispered. She checked her smartwatch and zoomed in on a satellite image of the museum before the outbreak. A few trees appeared to reach toward a lower roof above a loading bay. That secondary roof seemed to provide an access point to a bank of windows on an upper floor of the museum. It was as good a place as they would find to scout the area.
They sprinted toward the north side of the building. She stopped at the corner, and Andris joined her. She held out two fingers to gesture to her eyes, then around the corner. Andris nodded and shouldered his rifle. Staying low, Meredith maneuvered around the wall. She snuck behind a line of evergreen bushes until she reached the next corner. Peering from above the foliage, she surveyed the scene.
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