by J. W. Vohs
The guard smiled slightly. “Yeah, I’m actually standing right next to him. Hold on.” He handed the radio to Jack. “Guard commander wants to speak with you, General Smith.”
Jack still cringed when he heard his new title, realizing that he hadn’t managed to leave his brevet rank behind in Vicksburg. He accepted the radio, and with it, some measure of responsibility for whatever action was to come regarding the approaching boats. “Smith here.”
“Sir, this is Pete Henderson, guard commander tonight. We have no idea who’s on these yachts. We’ve never had much of a problem with new arrivals, but we always prepare for the worst. With two ships that big, we could easily be facing fifty armed fighters looking for trouble. I know your people have been through hell the past couple of days, but is there any way you could send a few squads down to the harbor to reinforce our response team? We only have twenty trained men for the job, and two of them are still recovering from that mess up in Sarnia.”
Jack’s people had been through hell, but that hadn’t changed who they were or how they operated. Two squads were guarding their billets throughout the night, and another was on standby, sleeping in one room with their gear on and weapons within reach. “No problem, Pete, I’ll have twenty fighters at the harbor within ten minutes. AR’s and a few M4s are pretty much all we have for firepower, and every soldier carries a suppressed .22 revolver. You have an over-watch team for these situations?”
“Yes, sir, three snipers with .308s and a .30-06 cover all landings.”
“Good enough,” Jack replied, though he thought it was far from good enough when considering the number of people those yachts could be carrying.
True to his word, Jack had reinforcements at the harbor within ten minutes. He had brought the backup guard squad, David’s band from Cleveland, and most of the former Rangers, who seemed to have a nose for danger. Todd Evans, with his .308 in hand, was sent to help out with the over-watch crew, while Jack, Carter, Marcus, and Bobby joined the Islanders who would be receiving the new arrivals. The last thing Jack wanted was a firefight with other humans. He’d spent long hours training his soldiers to fight the infected, especially the armies of hunters Barnes was using to destroy the settlements in his path. A gun battle with a tough band of survivors was not only counter-productive, given the nature of the world war currently taking place, but almost certain to produce casualties he couldn’t afford.
Pete Henderson was standing at the end of the longest pier, whispering to Jack that it was a good sign of the newcomers’ intentions that they’d only sent one of their boats into the harbor. Every light on the yacht was shining brightly as they approached the waiting guards, with five people standing huddled at the bow.
Pete finally called out when the craft was fifty meters out. “Send a boat in with no more than four representatives to state your business here. No weapons!”
“Thank you, sir,” a raspy voice shouted in reply. “We’ll be right in.”
The crew of the yacht must have had a motor boat ready to drop, because it came puttering around the stern less than five minutes after the verbal exchange. Three uniformed men and one woman wrapped in a huge fur coat were quickly searched before being led to a nearby building for debriefing. The strangers were seated at a long table, all facing Pete, who stood in the shadows before them.
“Well,” he demanded, “Who are you and why have you shown up here in the middle of the night?”
A stout, bearded man with military bearing answered in clipped sentences that indicated weariness and caution. “We’ve spent the past three months travelling the St. Lawrence from an island off the coast of Maine. I have forty-three fighters on the two yachts, and we’re just trying to reach Indiana as quickly as possible.”
As soon as the stranger began to speak, the Rangers gathered at the back of the room began to whisper excitedly among themselves. Pete looked sternly in their direction, made eye contact with Jack, who nodded his understanding that they were to keep quiet for the moment. Jack knew why the men were ready to storm the table, and he gestured for them to hold back. “Let him answer a few questions,” he whispered, “then we can surprise him.”
“What’s in Indiana?” Pete patiently inquired.
“A couple of former Rangers I once commanded had warned me that this outbreak was going to happen sooner or later; they even invited me to shelter in a compound they were building near Fort Wayne. I figured that if anyone could survive this mess, it’s them. They probably have other veterans with them, and I’m going to need all the backup I can get for a mission I’m planning.”
“Which is?” Pete continued.
The soldier peered intently into his inquisitor’s eyes before answering. “You heard of General Barnes? Or President Barnes—I hear he’s given himself a promotion.”
Pete spat before hissing, “Who hasn’t?”
“Well, I’m going to kill him and the rest of the bastards who created the virus that destroyed our world.”
“Plenty of folks wanna do that, sir; what makes you think that you’re the guy to do it?”
“I made a promise to a comrade that I would find Barnes and his cronies and cut their damn heads off. Then I shot him just before he turned. But that’s just about honor; I have a personal interest in seeing justice done here.”
Pete’s tone had changed to one of respect as the interview progressed. “Lost somebody you loved?”
The soldier nodded to his right, where the woman had pulled down her hood and now stared holes through Pete. Her dark hair framed a face that had regularly graced magazine covers before the apocalypse. She was still beautiful, but her eyes were haunted, and her visage was profoundly grim. “My husband was one of the main bankers behind Barnes’ work. I’m pretty sure the general infected the island to try to kill off the people who’d financed his operations over the past ten years. I guess he didn’t realize that rich bankers didn’t get where they are by being dumb. They suspected something, and graciously offered all of the vaccines sent out by USAMRIID to regular islanders, mostly women and children, rather than inoculate themselves with Barnes’ concoction. Good move for the bankers, bad for the island.
“My husband abandoned me and my daughter without a word of warning. I watched her bleed out after being attacked by our gardener.” She nodded toward the soldier who’d been doing all the talking. “This man and a couple of his friends saved me, and did everything they could do for my daughter after killing the monsters trying to eat us. We’ve grown rather fond of each other while crossing the continent, so yeah, it’s personal.”
Pete nodded like a scolded school-boy. “I understand, ma’am. I have a similar score to settle with Barnes and anyone helping him.”
He turned his attention back to the soldier. “Sir, what were the names of the Rangers you were trying to find in Indiana?”
“Jack Smith and Carter Jones.”
Pete nodded. “And you are . . .?”
Carter could contain his excitement no longer. “This is Colonel Chien Longstreet, the finest officer I ever served under!”
The soldier under questioning stood and turned just in time to be engulfed in a huge bear-hug from Carter, who in spite of all he’d endured in his life, couldn’t keep the tears at bay as he was reunited with the man who was like a father to him. Jack and the other Rangers were waiting their turn, and by the time all of the embraces were completed the colonel had tears streaming down his own cheeks.
He wiped at the moisture with feigned anger. “Look what you rookies have done; I haven’t cried since I was a little kid.”
The former model with the hollow eyes was smiling next to the colonel. “Yeah, go on and act all hard around the Rangers, tough guy,” she teased.
“Men, uh, this is my, umm, this is . . .”
“I’m Marie,” she finished for the flustered soldier. “I’m his girlfriend.”
Chien nearly choked, and his face turned red.
Marcus couldn’t help himself. “Ma’am, no
disrespect, but what do you see in the colonel here that would make you want to be his girlfriend?”
She shrugged as she flipped her hair back. “He’s kept me alive, and he’s pretty smart, too.” She glanced at Chien with affection before unsuccessfully trying to suppress a mischievous grin. “Plus, I really like, well, you know . . .”
Marcus and the rest of the Rangers laughed uproariously at that.
Chien looked offended. “What? I always told you men that I had a way with women.”
That brought even more laughter, until Carter caught his breath and offered a pointed retort. “Ya said a lot of things, sir, but we never saw ya with no woman.”
“We thought maybe you we’re some sort of monk,” Bobby loudly proclaimed.
Chien threw his hands into the air in mock exasperation. “I fight my way through hordes of infected and blizzards just to be made fun of by some former grunts?”
“What else did you expect, Colonel?” Jack asked with affection in his eyes. “Welcome home, sir, welcome home.”
“You know you’re a walking miracle, son,” Carlson noted as he studied Luke’s scar. “How do you feel?”
Luke shrugged. “Hungry, and a little worried about these, I don’t know what to call them—symptoms?”
“Is there anything besides your hand and your eyes? Do you feel like you’re thinking clearly?” Carlson’s questioning sounded like a concerned doctor interviewing a patient.
“Yeah, I’m not having any weird thoughts or anything. I feel like myself.” Luke glanced around the table and asked, “Have I said anything unusual or acted weird?”
Gracie stood behind Luke and wrapped her arms around him. “Other than trying to eat us out of house and home, you’ve been perfectly normal.”
Zach hesitated, then added, “You did make some really weird noises, like growling, before you woke up.”
“I know I was dreaming, but I can’t remember much, only bits and pieces . . .” his voice trailed off. “I think I was fighting helicopters.”
Zach snorted, “I bet you were flying, too.” He stood up and stretched. “I think I’ll see what I can dream about for a while—maybe I can turn into Wolverine and pay a little visit to General Barnes.” He wrapped himself in a blanket and curled up on the couch. He was snoring in less than two minutes.
“I know it’s the middle of the day, but I think you should all follow Zach’s lead and get some rest,” Carlson directed. “Luke, you’re still recovering, and once people know you’ve survived this thing, everyone is going to want to see you. For now, I’m going to post a few guards outside to protect your privacy. I’ll have them over here within the hour.”
“A nap sounds good to me.” Maddy wiggled in opposite Zach on the sofa.
Gracie gave Luke another squeeze as she handed him a plate of leftover steak. “Since you said you were still hungry, eat some more lunch and then we can cuddle for a while.”
“I think things are under control here,” Charlotte observed to Carlson. “I’d like to come with you and see if there’s any word from Jack, if that’s OK.”
Carlson nodded. “Of course.” He turned to Luke. “I’ll be back in later. Is there anything I can get for you?”
“Actually, there is. I think I’d like to talk to my Louisiana friends. Especially my new minister’s father.”
Carlson chuckled. “I guess celebrities like to stick together. You know they used to have their own television show. My men tell me that they were pretty famous.”
“I don’t know much about that,” Luke explained, “but the old man seemed to have a sense about me pulling through. He said I wasn’t done yet. I’d just like to talk to him.”
“I’ll bring him back with me. Anything else?”
Gracie sat a plate of cut-up, barely cooked steak in front of Luke. He dug in with enthusiasm. “Nope, I’m good for now.”
Gracie smiled at Carlson. “When you come back this evening, we’ll have dinner together. How does seven sound?”
Carlson couldn’t help but smile in return. “I’ll be here at seven. Hopefully your Louisiana friend likes steak, because that seems to be Luke’s favorite food.”
The recovering teen looked up guiltily, a dribble of juice sliding down his chin. “Hey,” he protested around a mouthful of beef. “I almost died.”
After finishing his meal, Luke curled up with Gracie. She quickly dozed off, but Luke wasn’t tired. He carefully extricated himself from her embrace and returned to the bathroom to stare in the mirror again. He still found his black eyes unsettling, but he thought he could get used to them if he had to. He reminded himself that he was lucky to be alive, and strange-looking eyes was a small price to pay. He knew he should be tired, but instead he was bursting with energy. He decided to bundle up and take a walk; he was craving fresh air and nature. He left a note on the table in case anyone awoke before he returned, and even though he planned to avoid people, he donned a pair of dark sunglasses before venturing outside and quietly closing the door behind him.
CHAPTER 20
By the time Barnes returned to dinner, Andi had finished her chicken guiltlessly and eaten most of the bread from the basket in the middle of the table. Barnes strode in confidently, but he seemed distracted. She sensed that he was less than pleased with whatever news he’d received. He sat down at the table and took several bites of food before he spoke.
“I’m afraid your friends on that rescue-train had succumbed to my soldiers—what do you call them?—hunters, before I got the chance to talk to my officers. I’m sure they were fully consumed; that pack’s been hungry lately.” He looked at Andi expectantly and picked up the wine. “More Chardonnay?”
Andi dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. “No, thank you.”
“Aren’t you worried that your fiancé, my good friend Jack, could have been eaten?”
Andi wondered whom he had spoken with, but she saw no reason to deviate from her original story. “I told you that Jack isn’t my fiancé, and I told you that I doubted he’d be on that train anyway. Are you usually so forgetful?”
“Are you usually so dishonest?”
She raised her eyebrows. “You are calling me dishonest? That’s actually sort of funny. You’re the only one lying right now.”
Barnes took a sip of wine and leaned back in his chair. “And how do you figure that?”
“Something’s got you annoyed. Is it that you would be upset to lose your good friend Jack under such impersonal circumstances? I think that would bother you, but neither one of us believes that Jack was on that train. If there even was a train at all.”
“Would you like to see pictures? That can be arranged, though I’m sure you’ll find them very upsetting.”
“I wouldn’t mind, but that doesn’t mean I’d believe you. Photos can be doctored.”
Barnes scoffed, “Why would I go to all that trouble just to fool someone as insignificant as you? This may be hard for you to grasp, but you’re not worth the effort.”
Andi smiled. “Sending a helicopter out in a blizzard to kidnap someone in the middle of an all-out hunter offensive is hardly effortless. But it is reasonable to assume that troops were heading north on the rails once they learned that Fort Wayne was under attack. Now, that little vein popping out on your forehead wasn’t there before you left to allegedly make a call. You’re angry. Why would you be angry if everything was going your way?”
“Ms. Carrell, you are being presumptuous. That is an unattractive trait, especially for a woman.”
“The way I see it, I don’t have time to waste on pleasantries. My life expectancy should probably be measured in days, if not hours. Since I expect you to kill me or have me killed in the not-too-distant future, why bother to lie to me? I doubt you have many people you can be honest with, and the social studies teacher in me is fascinated by how and why you’ve managed to manipulate the fate of humanity. You have caused more devastation than anyone in history.”
“Now you flatter me.”
“So what exactly would you like to know, Ms. Carrell?”
“I’d like to know why you think the creatures that resulted from your virus make the world a better place. I’d like to know how you envision this world five years from now, and ten years from now. And I’d really like to know what happened with that train in Iowa.”
Hiram had lost a lot of blood by the time he was gently loaded onto the train. He was still conscious, but fading fast.
“Stanley? Is Stanley here?” Hiram called out weakly.
Just as Stanley pulled himself into the boxcar, a young soldier replied, “He’s right behind you, sir.”
Hiram reached out for Stanley. “Stay with me; I don’t have long.” He winced as he propped himself up. “Did we kill them all?”
Stanley nodded. “Yup, we did.”
“How many did we lose?”
Stanley looked away. “Too many.”
“How many?” Hiram pressed.
“Utah division is probably at 50%. I think I lost about 10% of my Indiana fighters.”
Hiram sighed. “We can’t keep winning this way. You need to tell Carlson . . .” He paused as Stanley offered him some water. He took a drink, then smiled faintly. “Tell Carlson that Barnes suffered another defeat, but that we have to regroup and reinforce our home bases. We need to get back to Utah; it’s only a matter of time before he strikes there, and we need to be ready for him.”
“What about Fort Wayne?”
“You heard what the guys on the train from there said; I don’t see how we, I mean, you, could even get close anymore. The attack cost us more than our men; it cost us valuable time.”
Stanley knew he was right. “So we head back to Vicksburg?”
“You lead our troops back to Vicksburg. I have a reservation for a different journey.”