Redaction: The Meltdown Part II

by Andrews, Linda

  “I’ll take Lieutenant Rogers to the general, just give me their direction.”

  The Marine’s ruddy complexion paled. His mouth opened and closed twice. “Ma’am?”

  Interesting. Now both her hair and stomach reacted. What was going on? Had Trent already made a preemptive strike? No. If that were the case, the soldiers wouldn’t be on morgue duty but on the hunt. Then what? “Where can I find General Lister?”

  Had they not awakened her because it was a minor problem. God knew, both David and Lister were protective of her. She was the woman with the plan.

  The Marine blinked, wiping away the shock. “I—I can take you to him, Ma’am.”

  Sally straightened. “We can find our way, Lance Corporal.”

  Hmm. This was getting interesting. The men were protecting her. Her heart lurched. Damn! What if it was about Sunnie? She tromped down her rising panic. No, she’d just talked to her niece. Everything was fine. Then why was there a serpent writhing through her belly?

  Because the general and David would lie about Sunnie to make sure Mavis did her part and saved everyone from the anthrax, from the meltdown, from anarchy.

  Her fingers curled into fists under her arms. Right. Time to find out what they were hiding. “Please tell us where to find Lister and Dawson.”

  The lance corporal clasped his hands behind his back and stared over Mavis’s shoulder.

  “You can take that as an order.” There. That should absolve him of any guilt or retribution. Thanks to the Redaction and biological attack, she was the Commander-in-Chief of the US Military.

  Some of the square left the Marine’s shoulders as he pointed to the southwest. “At the end of the camp, there’s a small brick building that the military had commandeered.”

  Poor kid. That bit of information practically killed him to relay. God only knew what the divided loyalties were doing to David. She’d have to deal with it. Now. She inhaled through the pain. If she didn’t deal with the conflict, it would fester and destroy them. Better make her expectations clear now before she became too accustomed to having him around.

  “Please grab us some breakfast MREs and coffee, then join us.” She wanted him tied up so they could arrive unannounced, but she wouldn’t allow him to be punished because of her actions.

  “Yes, Ma’am.” With parade ground precision, he turned and marched to the canteen.

  Mavis hooked her arm through Sally’s. Damn, but the lieutenant was warm. Must be the age. She certainly never remembered being this cold. Then again, most of her time had been spent in deserts. “Let’s go.”

  “I don’t understand why the lance corporal acted the way he did.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” She would do all the worrying. Somehow, she was at the heart of the matter and Sunnie influenced her orbit. Perhaps, she needed to set the record straight on another matter as well. Mavis hopped over the obstacle course of tent lines in the alley between the barracks. The canvas wobbled like dark green gelatin with each gust.

  “You won’t report him for insubordination, will you, Ma’am?” Sally glanced back at the canteen as they turned the corner. “I’m sure he was only following orders.”

  “I’m sure he was.” Which was why she wanted to reach the headquarters and maybe do a little eavesdropping. Having the Lance Corporal around would be like sneaking into an enemy camp with a herd of elephants. Sally’s stomping made her loyalties apparent as well.

  The Marine Corps rarely bred any other kind.

  A small building squatted in the distance. In the camp’s stadium lighting, she made out the blue and pink graffiti spray painted on its side. Metal screens secured the narrow windows. Broad-shouldered shadows glided across the dirt. Back and forth. Back and forth.

  Something had the brass agitated and angry. “I hope they don’t mind me crashing the party.”

  Too bad if they did.

  Sally increased her pace. “This doesn’t look good.”

  Mavis kept up. At least the exercise defrosted her bones. She rubbed her hands together, barely resisting the urge to blow on them. Now if only the rest of her would follow suit.

  “I know we lost more people in the trucks that washed away then we did overnight to the anthrax.”

  “We did?” Mavis didn’t know that. Then again, the lieutenant had been up all night. She was bound to hear other choice tidbits.

  “Yeah. And the medicos haven’t diagnosed any new cases.”

  “That was good.” But the incubation period was up to forty-five days or more. And they’d only made it through eight. Plus, Sally made it certain there’d be no eavesdropping. Ah well, deception wasn’t Mavis’s specialty.

  Ten yards away from the headquarters, the door banged open. The light inside formed a halo around Lister’s buzz cut. “Lieutenant, I was beginning to fear that you’d been swept away in the flood.”

  From the tilt of the general’s head, Mavis knew he stared at her not Sally. Uncrossing her arms, she held them firmly at her side. “Sorry to cause you concern. But if you remember, you assigned her to look after me. Perhaps, you should have checked my tent first.”

  Take that, you four starred fox. She pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. Playing mental games with Lister would help pass the time to Colorado. After all, they both wanted the same thing: survival.

  Lister stepped back as she approached. “I’ll remember that next time.”

  I just bet you will. And to throw him off the scent…

  “She finished up the task I assigned her, regarding the good Reverend Trent. I knew you’d be interested in hearing the results.” Mavis avoided touching him as she stepped inside. An office chair missing its back pad listed to the side under a warped metal desk. Metal blinds lay in heaps under bare windows, their slats fanning out. Semper Fi scrolled across the screen saver of the sleek computer on the desk. A single black cord crawled up the wall to connect to the satellite dish wedged between the metal grill and the outside wall.

  Two colonels in Air Force blue, one in Army green and three junior officers stood in front of a yellowing wall. The names of David’s men and several others were written in black marker. Twelve names out of the two hundred on those four trucks. Thirteen if you counted Sunnie’s, which was written to the right of the column.

  She’s alright. You just talked to her. Mavis rubbed her red fingers together, wincing as the blood flow resumed. She faced her panel of servicemen. Many didn’t meet her eye. Well, hell. Pinning a smile, she tucked her hands into her back pocket. “Oh, good, everyone’s already here. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”

  Everyone but David.

  Had he been sent to delay her arrival to the little war council? Probably. Except this was her war, too. She flexed then relaxed her fingers, holding her hand out for the marker. “I’ll fill-in the names of those I know traveled with Sunnie while Lieutenant Rogers fills you in on what she’s found.”

  The lieutenant jumped when Lister slammed the door behind her.

  No other officer moved.

  “Perhaps, we should wait for Sergeant-Major Dawson as this affects him too.” Mavis almost felt sorry for them. Almost. The sneaky bastards. At least, she didn’t get the ‘I’m feeling a coup vibe’. She quickly penciled in the names of her neighbors as well as a few of the survivors David’s men had rescued after the ambush. She sincerely hoped the flash flood hadn’t traumatized them further.

  “What affects Dawson?” Lister growled over the squeak of the marker.

  Mavis looked over her shoulder. The lieutenant stood statue still by the door, frantically tapping on her computer. “Sally?”

  Blinking, the woman seemed to give herself a shake. Sally gave the final tap and mentally rejoined them. “Yes, Ma’am. Sirs.” She turned on the computer and joined Mavis by the far wall. “Doctor Spanner asked me to check into the man we know as Reverend Trent.”

  The door banged open and the wind shoved a bunch of dried Mesquite needles across the cement-stained floor. Dav
id carried a tray of styrofoam cups and an insulated carafe. Steam dipped and dance above each offering.

  “Perfect timing.” Capping the marker, Mavis rushed across the room. Her fingers scissor walked above the cups. Tar. Black tar. Really black tar. God only knows what that one contained. She settled over a ebony liquid with a bit of brown in it. Not a creamer or sugar in sight. She lifted her choice free, grabbed the next lightest one, then shuffled back to the desk and handed the brew to Sally.

  “Thank you, Ma’am.”

  “No need.” Mavis brushed off the gratitude. God only knew what the stuff would do to their insides. But given the men who liked it, she’d have to check her esophagus for hair. “Wait until they’re settled. Men aren’t multi-taskers.”

  The lance-corporal who’d told them where to find the headquarters shut the door behind him. He hefted two bags in his hand, one of water bottles and one with the tan Meals-Ready-to-Eat bags. He started toward the general before veering toward her. “Ma’am.”

  Closing her eyes, Mavis reached inside the bag. Plastic scratched her hand as she rooted through them. She pulled one out, turned it over and looked at the name stamped on it. “Yes! The pork sausage patty.”

  A few men chuckled.

  “My favorite.” Which only tasted a little more rubbery than the apple oatmeal. If she never ate oatmeal again, it would be too soon. Tucking it under her chin, she plucked a water bottle from the other bag. Now she just had to figure out how to open the pouch and heat it up.

  When she turned around, David was there. “Allow me.”

  She handed first the water bottle then the MRE to him. “Thanks.”

  A shadow crossed his eyes. “No problem.”

  They definitely needed to talk.

  “Get to cooking, Lance Corporal. Lieutenant, tell us what you found on that bastard.”

  Every officer gave Sally her undivided attention. “When he registered, the Reverend gave his name as Benjamin Trent. Later, when Doctor Spanner asked his name, he gave it as Trent P Franklin.”

  Mavis blew on her coffee. Steam wafted back at her. She carefully took a sip. Bitterness flooded her mouth. Bleah, it was even worse than she imagined. She lowered her hand to the desk when the coffee kicked in. Heat settled in her gut and radiated outward. Maybe there was something to this coffee thing. She took another sip then scraped the grounds off her tongue. This would be so much better if her tastebuds didn’t work.

  “Can’t shoot a man for lying about his name, can we?” Lister rubbed his bloodshot eyes. “Even if it’s martial law.”

  The Air Force Colonel shook his head. “Now if he’d impersonated an Army chaplain or officer, I think we’d have grounds.”

  “Are you a lawyer?” Mavis plugged her nose and forced down another sip.

  “No, Ma’am.”

  She scratched her nose then set the cup on the table. Liquid lapped at the lip from the tilt. “Too bad, we could use one.”

  The young Marine and David slit open the MRE pouches, added water to the heaters and combined the two bags.

  “Oh!” Lister’s face brightened. “The good Reverend has been a naughty boy?”

  And then some. Mavis watched David’s face. Would he recognize Trent? “Sally.”

  “Trent Powers is not a reverend.” The lieutenant scrolled through the screens then turned Trent’s smirking face toward her audience. “He sells insurance.”

  David’s attention whipped from his task. Water poured onto the table before he caught himself.

  “Hell, I knew I didn’t like him.” Lister frowned at his empty cup while striding to the desk and the carafe. “But that’s not a crime either.”

  “Now if he was selling used cars…” the Air Force Colonel joked.

  David waited until Sally showed him the picture. “I know that man.”

  “You should.” The lieutenant spun the tablet around in her hands, switching screens. “You flagged him as a prime suspect in a double homicide.”

  “Fucking bastard.” David swore as Sally showed everyone the crime scene pictures.

  Lister choked on his coffee. He wiped a drop off his lip and grinned. “Hot damn! Now that we can shoot him for.”

  Yes, they could. Mavis smiled. “But we need to try him first. He’ll pretend to be a Holy man to his last breath and the evidence can damn the military if he spins it right.”

  And he would. This predator was very cunning.

  “My last JAG lawyer died yesterday.” The Air Force Colonel shook his head.

  That might not be a bad thing. Mavis took another sip of her coffee. Gah! It didn’t improve by cooling off. She returned it to the desk. “Hopefully, there’ll be one among the civilians.”

  An incompetent bumbling boob who was interested in justice more than the letter of the law.

  “Sally can you search for one?”

  The lieutenant stared at her screen and bit her bottom lip.

  Why did the woman persist in looking at the pictures if they disturbed her so much?

  “Lieutenant Rogers!” General Lister barked.

  Sally started. “Sorry, Sir. We have a bit of a problem.” The lieutenant cleared her throat. “When I noticed the names on the wall, I realized that you were trying to figure out who was on those four trucks.”

  Mavis’s stomach clenched. The coffee she swallowed threatened to repeat. “Trent Powers is over there with Sunnie, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  Lister exchanged a look with David.

  Mavis caught the warning and the worry. Ah, she’d been right. “Let’s get one thing clear.”

  The officer’s swiveled their heads, giving her their undivided attention.

  “Sunnie is my main concern, but not yours.”

  David opened his mouth to speak.

  She raised a hand to quiet him. “I know we have people over there. I know that the Sergeant-Major’s men will die to protect my niece. If they should fail…” Pain banded her chest and she struggled to drag in a breath. “I give you my word, that come Hell or more high water,” she gestured to the swollen river less than half a mile away, “I’ll guide everyone through the fun and excitement of surviving in a mine.”

  She owed David that.

  She owed Lister and the rest that promise. The military could have taken over at any time, and they hadn’t.

  Lister stroked his chin. Silent communication passed between the officers.

  She felt the weight of her promise and their judgment press down on her. Words in her defense bubbled through her. She clamped her lips together. The foundation of trust had to be laid on solid bedrock. They didn’t know it, but life in the mines would be where the real treachery began.

  This was the easy part.

  Lister looked at David, jerking his head in her direction.

  A muscle ticked in his jaw. “So if your niece dies, you’re going to abandon her body in a shallow grave and go live a long happy life with us?”

  She flinched at the harsh words, knowing they were part of the test. “I don’t know about the happy part, but, yes, I’ll die in Colorado.”

  Color washed up David’s cheeks.

  Mavis offered him no comfort. Grief over losing her husband and son within months of each other had turned her into a raving bitch. She’d probably drive him away, if her words about his divided loyalties didn’t shatter their fragile relationship. Her attention skittered away from his and focused on Lister. “Any more questions?”

  “Nope.” The general held out his hand. “Welcome to the survivor’s club, Doc.”

  She slid her hand into his, felt the large callus on his trigger finger. “Now let’s bag some rabid wolves. Sally, is there a Dirk Benedict on those trucks?”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” The Lieutenant flashed the obese man’s picture at them.

  Mavis wrote Trent and Dirk’s name on the board, far away from Sunnie’s. “What is his occupation?”

  The lieutenant frowned down at her tablet. “He was a mechanic unt
il an accident put him on workman’s comp.”

  “Son of a bitch!” Lister crumpled his empty coffee. “That’s our saboteur.”

  Ah, they’re finally going to let her in on the big secret. “What did he sabotage?”

  After a nod from Lister, David filled her in. “The brake lines of one of the trucks.”

  Mavis set her hand over her chest, writing on her chin with the marker. “Is anyone injured?”

  Lister’s eyes narrowed.

  She glared at him. She promised to help them, not to stop worrying about her niece.

  “They were able to stop using the bumper of Sunnie’s truck. No injuries reported.” David held up his hands. “Sunnie called after it happened and she never said she was hurt, did she?”

  “No.” But the medic might have told her not to. Damn, she hated knowing they lied to her. “Any more sabotage?”

  “Robertson’s truck suffered two flat tires. He conveniently ran over boards with nails.” David held up two fingers. “Two, only on the passenger’s side and all but one of the comms have dead batteries.”

  “Let me guess, the two damaged trucks were the last in the convoy.” Separating the civilians from the military would make it easier to take control. “Were the people rearranged?”

  “Yes and yes.”

  Very clever. She chewed on the marker’s cap. “Sally, bring up the photos of all the men between forty and fifty on those trucks.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “What are you thinking, Doc?”

  The same thing the bastard was, she hoped. “Trent would want more than one henchman and I snapped four men at the funeral that had Dirk’s thumbs up. What do you want to bet, they’re together?”

  “I don’t like to lose.” Using his teeth, Lister ripped open the plastic encasing his fork.

  “It’s ready, Ma’am.” Sally handed her the tablet.