by SD Tanner
‘Listen, mate,’ he said earnestly. ‘I gotta set up a convoy of at least a thousand armed men, plus I need at least half a dozen super hunters and four helis to take into the attack. The helis will fly over the bases and drop at least six hunters into each base and the super hunters will need to be in position outside the bases to call more hunters to attack if we need ‘em. Once the hunters have done their job, I’ll bring in the human army and the super hunters can control all the hunters on the base.’
With a sour face, Gray nodded and asked, ‘So what do you want me to do?’
‘You need to brief Ruler and make sure he controls his super hunters,’ he replied bluntly. ‘I’ve got the heli engineers, so I can drop the hunters on the bases. My main problem is gonna be getting enough transport and weapons for a thousand men and then getting them to the area without being seen.’
‘Why is that a problem?’ Gray asked sounding frustrated. ‘You’re surrounded by weapons and transport.’
He shrugged and said, ‘It’s a discipline, knowledge and experience issue. The men don’t have the knowledge about the gear, experience as soldiers and the discipline to gain either. If you want a real army, I need real soldiers, not the bunch of lazy bastards I got. And it don’t help when you let ‘em go mad over in your barracks. The shit you’ve got going on over there is fucking with their heads and they’re turning into crazy bastards.’
Looking at him grimly, Gray said bluntly, ‘Ruler dictates what goes on there, not me. It isn’t going to stop and if anything, it’ll probably get worse. If it’s causing you a problem I suggest you move your barracks.’
Shaking his head in disgust, he asked, ‘To where?’
Gray shrugged and said, ‘It’s a big base. Take your pick. And, if you have discipline problems, then put your men under tighter control.’ Smirking, Gray added, ‘Maybe you need your own Pretorian Guard.’
He’d always been considered a brutal man in his lifetime and this was the first time anyone ever implied he was soft. Knowing that he hadn’t changed, it meant the world had gotten more hostile than even he ever thought it could be. He knew if he was going to stay with Gray and Ruler, he’d need to adapt and become like them or he wouldn’t be able to deliver what they wanted. For as much as he believed in fighting fire with fire, he wasn’t sure Gears and his brothers were his enemy, but they weren’t his friends either. For lack of another path to follow, he would attack the bases, but he knew he was supporting an agenda he didn’t understand. Mentally shrugging, he thought, nothing new about that.
‘Yeah, alright,’ he replied. ‘I’ll move the barracks, but you need to stop using my fighters to guard your prisoners.’
‘Prisoners?’ Gray asked in surprise. ‘You mean the refugees.’
He shook his head and said candidly, ‘You can tell them that’s what they are, but you and I both know they’re prisoners. They can’t leave. You and Ruler control them, but we need a different group to guard them. I need soldiers not animals.’
‘Can’t you run both the army and the guards?’ Gray asked.
Shaking his head firmly, he said, ‘No, I don’t wanna be doing that. You need your own special forces to do your own special work.’
Gray smiled and said, ‘I like that idea. Send me a hundred men you think could do that job.’
It was a deal with the devil and he knew it. He could supply Gray with men to do his dirty work and he could quarantine his men from their antics, but he couldn’t deny he was supporting a deeply corrupted regime. For all his bad reputation, he always believed he was a badass and not a bad man, but now he was being tested, he wasn’t sure which he was.
Nodding, he said, ‘Yeah, alright. I’ll send them to you and you need to take control of ‘em. I don’t want ‘em back.’
‘Fine. I’ll let you know when I need more of them,’ Gray said plainly. ‘When can you attack the bases?’
‘I need to talk to my guys and find out how long it’ll take to get the convoy ready,’ he replied.
‘Well, don’t take too long,’ Gray said bluntly. ‘You know what Ruler is like when he gets bored.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: A little slice of heaven (Gears)
It had been a busy few months. With the Infected now willing to support them, they cleared the island and moved five thousand people there. Overall, they now had about 28,000 people, with two thousand on one island and five thousand on the island they cleared with the infected. They could still put another ten thousand on the new island, which would leave about eleven thousand split across four bases on the mainland. Unfortunately, if they continued to attract survivors at the rate they were, they would soon reach capacity again. Worse still, supplies were becoming a problem. Now almost a year since the outbreak, they were finding it harder to scavenge for enough food. He’d always known they needed to start growing and farming food and originally it was a quality issue, but it was fast becoming a quantity problem.
They weren’t sure how to proceed. If the land was free of hunters, they would set up small colonies and have each colony grow and farm their own food, but the hunters meant there was limited safe land they could use to farm. It meant they needed to set up larger islands, but every time they did, they immediately ran out of capacity as more people joined them. He knew ultimately they would run out of everything and they also needed manufacturing capability. If they didn’t get manufacturing up and running again soon, they would lose the skills and sites and rebuilding that capability could take decades, possibly centuries. While they struggled to get control of the mainland, he thought the idea of taking control of the UK was becoming more and more appealing. He made a mental note to catch up with Philip and see how the planned recon was progressing.
All these issues were big problems and he didn’t want to think about them today. Today, he and his brothers, along with Lydia, Nelson, Isaac and Captain Ted, were visiting the newly rebuilt Ranch. As he expected, Pop insisted on leading the rebuild and worked diligently for several months. With a team of over sixty people working hard, Pop assured them the Ranch was now finished and the Infected had a home to call their own.
Ip flew out to the Ranch a week earlier and he was looking forward to seeing her again. Having known her previous self well, he and his brothers believed this new woman was Ip. With that belief, all his love and concern for Ip seamlessly transitioned to this new woman. His relationship with the reborn Ip remained platonic, but he trusted her love for him was real and given time, she would find her way back to him. It was never his way to push her where she wasn’t ready to go.
Flying low over the Ranch, he could see it was fully restored. There was a new house similar to the last, although larger and clearly newer. There were several buildings used as barns and stables, three large greenhouses, some land was cleared and ploughed and they were already growing vegetables. In addition to horses, he saw sheep, pigs, cattle and a large chicken run. In rows, were fifty trailer homes, each with their own small garden and a path leading to the road they lined. Around the neat and well-kept trailers were four-wheel drives and ATVs and seeing lines of drying washing, people were clearly already living in their new homes.
‘Looks amazing,’ TL said appreciatively.
Pax was practically hanging out of the bird and he resisted the urge to drag his wayward brother back inside. Ducking back inside the bird, Pax declared excitedly, ‘It’s betta than it was. Bigga and fancier.’
Once landed, they made their way to the house. Ip bounced down the steps, ran over to them and, throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him enthusiastically and said happily, ‘You are here!’
Frowning, Pax said, ‘It weren’t hard, Ip. Hatch flew us here.’
‘I did not mean you,’ Ip replied.
Pax’s face fell, but Ip smiled and she hugged him and said, ‘Do not sulk. I am happy to see you.’
Returning her hug, Pax brightened and asked, ‘So, ya gonna show us around?’
‘No, I’ll give ya boys the tour,’ Po
p replied, as he walked up.
The Ranch was definitely improved. Pop fulfilled every ambition he’d ever had to make it self-sufficient, including a large underground bunker similar to the one Baldy had on his island. Everything at the Ranch was transported to the site and he wondered how Pop pulled off the build so quickly.
‘How did ya move all this stuff here?’ He asked curiously. ‘And get it built.’
Pop laughed and said, ‘Ya sent me over sixty people, son. What did ya think they were gonna do all day?’
‘Guard the Ranch?’ He suggested doubtfully.
‘From what?’ Pop asked. ‘There’s nobody left out here and the hunters are no problem. Between the people ya sent and the people already here, I’ve had nearly a hundred people workin’ for two months. Ya can do a lot with highly motivated people and unlimited resources.’
‘Well you’ve certainly done a lot, Pop,’ TL said.
Lydia added, ‘I love it. It’s perfect. A little slice of heaven in a world gone to hell.’
Mom was in charge of the kitchen and with a working farm, dinner was a rare treat of fresh vegetable and meats. Once again the kitchen had a large table and mismatched chairs, only now it could seat over twenty people and tonight it was being used as a buffet for the hundred people at the Ranch. With the warmth of the people eating and chatting and the genuine contentment he could feel in the room, it was hard to believe Ruler was ever there. Every trace of his presence was removed and overlaid with the hard work of people determined to return peace to their land.
At the end of the evening, he found himself sitting at the kitchen table with Mom, Pop, Ip, Nelson, Isaac, Georgia, Lydia, Captain Ted and his brothers. Sensing they needed time to talk, everyone else drifted away, leaving them alone in the large room that also had a generous lounge and fireplace.
‘You’re worried, Bob,’ Mom said, calling him by his real name as she always did.
He was worried, but he wasn’t entirely sure what he was worried about and he said honestly, ‘Yeah, I am.’
‘What the hell ya worried about, Gears?’ Pax asked incredulously. ‘Everythin’ is goin’ good.’
Rubbing the scar on his face, he said plainly, ‘Today maybe, but we got nearly 30,000 people to keep supplied and it’s gettin’ harder to find food and weapons. That little shit Ruler, has been quiet for several months now and that ain’t like him. Makes me wonder what the little shit is up to. And speakin’ of that, we still ain’t reconned the POTUS.’
‘But I thought we were doing that when we get back from here,’ Captain Ted said.
‘Yeah, we are, but we shoulda got to it earlier,’ he replied bluntly.
TL was sitting next to Lydia with his arm across her shoulders and her hand resting on his knee, and he said, ‘You’re too hard on yourself, bro’. We cleared and set up the large island, got the Navy Submarine base cleared and set up, moved people to the new sites, plus the Ranch has been rebuilt and we’ve been getting the plane and plans ready to recon the UK. We’ve all been busy and no one believes that guy is the POTUS, so what’s the rush.’
Lydia added, ‘Plus we’ve been getting ready to infect more people. Logan is still recovering at the CDC, but he’s pretty much well enough to start work now.’
‘And we hadda teach the Infected how to work with us, plus we’ve hadda learn how to work with new Ip,’ Pax said. ‘She’s might be a super hunter now, but she knows less than she did before.’
Captain Ted said, ‘And don’t forget we’ve got scavengers going out further for supplies now. It’s making it harder work and it’s taking longer to get it done.’
He was well aware of how busy they were and he sighed and said dourly, ‘I know all that. I was there doin’ it all with ya. I jus’ feel we’re still so caught up runnin’ the sites that we ain’t got time to deal with the real problem, which is that little shit Ruler.’
‘Is he the real problem, Gears?’ Lydia asked. ‘Maybe he’s just some crazy that got lucky, but he’s got no real power.’
He was about to set Lydia straight on exactly how dangerous Ruler was to them when he caught TL fire a warning look his way. Remembering Lydia was pregnant, he decided to keep his big mouth shut and grunting, he said, ‘Maybe, but I still got Mark workin’ out how to use them nukes.’
Mom looked at him in horror and said firmly, ‘Now, Bob, you know I don’t get involved in what you boys get up to, but I absolutely insist you don’t use nuclear weapons. There’s just no cause for that sort of thing.’
Captain Ted chortled happily and said, ‘Yeah, Bob, do as you’re told or Mom’ll make you stand in the corner until you learn to play nicely with the other kids.’
Giving Captain Ted a stern look, Mom said, ‘Don’t be cheeky. You’re as bad as they are.’
‘Sorry, Mom,’ Captain Ted said looking sheepish.
Pax chuckled happily and said, ‘Yer both been told now. No nukes and no playin’ rough.’
Changing the subject, Lydia said, ‘The Infected have asked me to stop infecting people at the CDC. They want me to do it here, so they can take care of their own people.’
Georgia added sadly, ‘And bury the ones who don’t survive. They belong with us.’
He hadn’t heard anything about this and asked, ‘Are ya happy to do it here, Lydia?’
Lydia nodded and said, ‘Actually I’d prefer it. I want to move here soon anyway.’
Surprised, he looked at TL and asked, ‘Err, is that a good plan?’
‘Don’t look at TL, Gears,’ Lydia said bluntly. ‘This is my life and I get to choose.’
Shaking his head, he said equally as bluntly, ‘That’s not entirely true anymore, Lydia.’
Sounding annoyed, TL snapped, ‘Shaddup Gears.’
Now frustrated, he said firmly, ‘No, TL, I will not shaddup. The Ranch is not secure enough and she needs to be somewhere safe.’
‘What’s it got to do with you?’ Lydia asked angrily.
Without thinking, he blurted, ‘Whether ya like it or not, Lydia, me and my brothers come as a package deal. That baby has three men who will protect it with their lives and that’s jus’ the way it is. No point getting’ all feminist on me about it either, ‘cos that’s jus’ words and it won’t change how we feel and what we’ll do.’
With his face creased in confusion, Captain Ted asked, ‘What baby?’
‘Oh that’s lovely, Lydia,’ Mom said with delight. ‘Did you hear that, Pop? TL and Lydia are havin’ a baby.’
Pax started laughing and said, ‘Oh it’s never that simple, Mom.’
Lydia shook her head and glaring at Pax, she said sarcastically, ‘Thank you for that, Pax.’ Turning to him, she added equally as sarcastically, ‘And thank you for sharing, Gears.’
Now looking worried, Captain Ted again asked, ‘What baby?’
Looking at Captain Ted, Lydia said, ‘I’m nearly four months pregnant, and yes it could be yours or TL’s. Is everybody happy now?’
‘Oh who cares about that?’ Mom asked, with a dismissive flick of her hand. ‘Almost everyone in the world is dead. I’m just happy babies are still being born.’
‘It’s true, Lydia,’ he said sincerely. ‘A life is a life. There’s been nothing but death around us and I’m grateful there’s still life to be had.’
Ip smiled happily and said, ‘A new soul is good.’
Studying TL and Lydia, Captain Ted nodded and said steadily, ‘That’s true. Congratulations. Guess the baby has four men to take care of it. Count me in.’
Smiling and nodding at Captain Ted, Lydia said, ‘Thank you, Ted. I’m sorry you had to find out like this, but Gears has a big mouth.’
Captain Ted shrugged and said, ‘It doesn’t matter, Lydia. Gears is right. We’ll all get to play daddy. It’s all good.’
He figured the subject had to be raised sometime and they weren’t together as a family that often. He wasn’t sorry about opening his big mouth and shrugging, he turned to Ip and asked, ‘Do ya know what happened to Macke
nzie and Max?’
Once he recovered from his injuries, Mackenzie left the CDC and Max chose to go with him. She said he needed someone to take care of him when he had his visions. No one knew where they went and although he repeatedly asked Ip about them, she always said she didn’t know. Ip was quite guileless and he believed her, but it bothered him they were out there somewhere, alone and vulnerable.
‘He wants to be away,’ Ip replied bluntly.
‘But ya know where he is?’ Pax asked.
Ip shook her head and said, ‘No, but they are well.’
‘Why won’t he come back?’ Pax asked plaintively. ‘Gears won’t kill him. He promised. Didn’t ya, Gears?’
‘I don’t wanna kill him,’ he replied blandly. ‘But if he kills Ip one more time, I make no promises.’
With her blue on blue eyes, reborn Ip was hard to read, but she said sternly, ‘He will not kill me again.’ Turning to Pax, she said, ‘His mind is different. He lives in other places.’
They’d learned that although Ip was able to talk, she seemed to have limited ability to use language and tended to be a bit literal. He assumed she was referring to Mackenzie’s precognition and he supposed in a sense, Mackenzie did live in other futures.
It was late and they decided to turn in for the night. The house had six double rooms including a large dormitory with beds for eight people. Having spent very little time at the Ranch, Ip slept in the large dormitory where they would all spend the night. He suspected Ip planned to continue working with them and she hadn’t asked to have a room to herself otherwise, no doubt, they would’ve happily given her one. It turned out Lydia had already been assigned a room in the house and he realized her plans to relocate to the Ranch were well advanced. He would save that argument for another day, as he still wasn’t happy about it.