Caldera 10: Brave New World

by Stallcup, Heath

  “Fine,” Lana spat out. She crossed her arms under her breasts and gave him a hateful look. “But we need to start doing whatever it is we have to do to get these people to love us.” She leaned forward, narrowing her gaze at him. “That is what you said, wasn’t it? Make them love us?”

  He nodded slowly. “Or at least realize that they need us.” He glanced out to the other campers still parked in a large circle. “Either way, we have to do this slow and easy. You can’t force people to change their minds.”

  Lana rolled her eyes. “I hate waiting.”

  Simon slowly smiled. “Nothing worth having ever came easily, my love.” He came to his feet and headed for the door. “I’m going to mingle. Kiss hands and shake babies.” He grinned at his own joke. “Like a politician. I need to plant the seeds.”

  “Go. Just be careful.”

  “Always.” He shut the door behind him and sighed heavily. He glanced at the campers and RVs then back at Lana. He was growing increasingly uncomfortable with her penchant for violence, and it was becoming more and more difficult to pacify her.

  He dragged his folding chair to the embers of the campfire in the middle of the circle and sat down, hoping some of the others might join him. It would be much easier to “chat somebody up” if it were a mutual decision to gather. As he poked at the embers with a stick, he pondered his options.

  He glanced back at the RV where Lana was and wondered if he wouldn’t be better off just abandoning her and…no. He couldn’t allow himself to think that way.

  For better or for worse.

  That’s what he kept telling himself. He just really hoped that things would start being “better,” and soon.

  25

  Hatcher shut the door to the truck and grinned at the old outpost. “You’ve been living here since the beginning?”

  She nodded as she slipped the key into the lock and pushed the door open. “Yes, sir. I nearly shit myself when they blew the top off the mountain, and it wasn’t easy at first, trying to scavenge for food with all of the Snappers running around.”

  “Snappers?”

  She shrugged as she lit a kerosene lamp. “The infected. I just started calling them Snappers because...well, they snap at you.”

  “Gotcha.” Hatcher pulled out a chair and sat down. “You lock the door here?”

  She nodded, unashamed. “There were more of them running around than I cared to deal with. I sealed the place off, blacked out the windows and kept my head down.”

  Hatcher crossed his legs and studied her. “This is ground zero, you realize that, right?” He watched her nod as she began to dig through her cabinets. “I have a feeling you might be immune.”

  Missy glanced at him, her brows raised. “I never had direct physical contact with them. I wasn’t bit or scratched so I—”

  “It became airborne,” he stated flatly. “Spread all over the world.”

  She slowly set the can down and turned to him. “Seriously?”

  He nodded. “It’s estimated that eighty-five percent of the population was either dead or infected.” He raised a brow at her. “That was the last word I’d heard, anyway.”

  She felt her legs grow weak and slowly sat in the chair at the dinette. “That’s billions of people.”

  He nodded and sat forward. “I met a woman who was immune. She’d been scratched.” Their eyes locked and he could tell she wanted to ask. “I got her to the CDC. No idea what happened after that, but…” He trailed off, a slow smile forming. “It wasn’t too long ago that they started releasing a cure.” He gave a slight shrug. “I’m guessing that she helped them find it.”

  “Wow.” Missy’s voice was soft and low. “So, it’s over now?”

  Hatcher sighed as he leaned his head back. “I wouldn’t say that, though it’s improving. Unfortunately, now something else has popped up that’s just as bad.”

  Missy groaned. “Great. And what is it this time? Godzilla come out of the ocean and start radiating everything?”

  Hatcher snorted as he shook his head. “No, there’s another kind of…” He looked at her. “Snapper.”

  “Oh. Joy. A new and improved version. Just what we needed.” She scoffed. “Let me guess, these can’t be killed or they’re bulletproof or…” She trailed off. She tried to make light of it, but her mind was incapable of considering something worse than what had already happened.

  “No, they’re about the same as the others.” He crossed his arms and blew his breath out slowly. “But they appeared out of nowhere. We had a couple of guys in our compound get it. My sister thinks it might be a side effect of the cure.”

  Her brows rose and she stared at him. “A side effect?” She spoke slowly. “And here I thought all of the ridiculous pharmaceutical commercials were bad with their endless list of side effects. I’d take that anal leakage any time over becoming a Snapper.”

  Hatcher laughed as he came up from the recliner and pulled out the chair opposite her. “You have an offbeat sense of humor. I can see why Mitch hired you.”

  She smiled as she recalled their late night talks. “He was really something. Just when I thought I’d heard everything, he’d come up with something off the cuff and have us both laughing.”

  Hatcher nodded solemnly. “I miss him, too.”

  She took a deep, cleansing breath and turned to him. “So, tell me about your friend. Shelly?”

  He nodded and leaned forward. “We were together investigating…something. I don’t recall.” He sat back and had that faraway look in his eyes. “She got scratched. The next thing I knew, she just ran off.”

  Missy stared at him a moment. “Probably to save you from herself.” She seemed to snap out of her reverie and smiled. “If I were to guess.”

  Hatcher shrugged. “If she knew what was happening to her, then yeah. It’s more than likely.”

  “I’m sorry.” Missy stood from the chair and reached for the canned goods. “I haven’t seen anybody running around in a ranger uniform.”

  “That’s okay.” He sat back and crossed his legs again as she began to open the cans. “I promised myself I’d either find her or try to find her remains. She deserves a decent burial.”

  Missy froze and slowly turned to him. “I…may know where you could look.” She swallowed hard. “I mean, if you really think she could be dead.”

  Hatcher sat up, his curiosity piqued. “What do you mean?”

  She set the can down and turned to him. “I came across a gully…a rainwater wash. There were a lot of dead Snappers there.” She gave him a sheepish smile. “I only remember because I thought it was odd that they’d lay their dead out in one area. Like a graveyard.”

  Hatcher’s eyes widened. “Yeah, that is…odd.” He looked up at her. “Where is it?”

  Miss Winegard walked tentatively through the steel blast doors and tugged at the hospital scrubs she wore. “They wouldn’t let me get to my own clothes.” She glanced back at the female guards and the anger in her eyes was obvious. She turned to Broussard, “Why can’t I wear my own clothes?”

  He extended his arm and walked her back into the lab. “It’s just a precaution, I assure you.”

  “A precaution?”

  He sighed as he pulled the acrylic door shut. “In the event that our treatment isn’t permanent. You wouldn’t want to ruin your nice wardrobe, would you?”

  She grunted as she walked past him. “I look like a janitor. I’d much rather have my Prada.”

  “All in due time,” Carol replied as she ushered her deeper into the lab. “If you’d sit on the exam table…”

  Ms. Winegard cringed and shook her head. “I was filthy when I was on there.”

  “And it’s been cleaned and sanitized, taken care of the moment you left.” She gave the woman a confident nod and ushered up onto the table.

  “Why can’t I go back to my own room?”

  “We have tests to run,” Tammy stated gently. “We’d like to get some blood.”

  Deborah pulled he
r arm tight to her chest. “I saw the bruises up and down my arms from the last times you drew blood.” She narrowed her eyes at the younger woman.

  Tammy sighed and cupped her hands together. “The bruises are only because you were struggling violently.” She gave the woman a soft smile and held her hand out. “I promise, we’ll be much more careful.”

  Slowly she extended her arm and looked away as the researcher wrapped a rubber band around her bicep. “You may feel a slight pinch.”

  The older woman held her breath until Tammy announced that she was done and removed the rubber band. She pressed a cotton ball to the injection sight and taped it in place. “There. That wasn’t too terrible, was it?”

  She slowly shook her head. “No. I didn’t feel a thing.” She held the cotton ball in place and slowly looked around the lab. “Is this it?”

  “Excuse me?” Carol asked.

  “This is all you have to work with?” She nodded toward the equipment along the perimeter. “I think my doctor’s office was better equipped.”

  Broussard stepped closer and peered into her eyes, a penlight in his hand. “I assure you, we have everything that we need.” He turned to Carol. “Pupillary reaction is positive.”

  Carol smiled as she dotted the notes. “That’s better than last time.”

  “We’ll check your reflexes next.” Broussard had her dangle her legs off of the edge of the table and tapped at her quadriceps tendon. Her leg bounced outward and he gave Carol a nod. “All good.”

  “I should hope so,” Deborah said as she continued to tug at the oversized top. “How much longer will this take? I’d really like to be able to go back to my room and—”

  “You won’t be going back to your room,” Broussard stated flatly. He turned and gave her a serious look. “Until we are certain that you are in complete control of your emotions and that the violent tendencies have subsided, you’re stuck with us.”

  She slowly smiled and it didn’t reach her eyes. “Apparently, doctor, you have no idea who I am.”

  He shook his head. “I honestly do not care, madam.”

  “I am a United States Senator.” She slowly crossed her arms and all but sneered at the man. “I was a bitch before I was ever elected and graduated to Super Bitch after my first term. I was BORN with violent tendencies.”

  Broussard hung his stethoscope around his neck and sighed. “So you’re telling me that it’s going to be that much more difficult to know if the treatment was successful.” It was more a statement than a question. Slowly his own smile formed. “I guess you’ll be staying with us for quite some time, then, won’t you?”

  Simon chuckled politely as the other campers told their stories. He continued to poke at the fire as more people came to sit around it, slowly adding fuel until a small bonfire had formed.

  He was listening to one of the hippie fellows recite how he was able to get away from a Rager when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Expecting Lana, he glanced up and saw Hammer peering down at him. “We should talk.”

  Simon excused himself and pushed up from the folding chair. He let Hammer use his shoulder as a brace as the two walked toward his fifth wheel trailer. “Some of the other guys and I have been spitballing.”

  Simon nodded. “About?”

  Hammer leaned on the front of his trailer and slowly turned to face him. “We still want to leave.” He winced as his body attempted to cramp on him. “Trent may have planted the seeds of hitting the open road, but it took root. There’s about a half dozen of us that want to go.” He glanced at the others in the camp. “These people aren’t our scene.”

  Simon sighed then glanced back at the boring folk laughing and telling stories around the bonfire. “I agree.”

  “So you’ll come with us?”

  Simon slowly shook his head. “Look, I just came from out there. There’s nothing left.” He met Hammer’s gaze and gave him a tight-lipped smile. “No people, anyway.”

  “We don’t give two shits about people,” Hammer replied. “We just need a change of scenery.”

  Simon nodded. “I understand completely.” He lowered his gaze and tried to find the right words. “But for right now, I need to decompress.”

  “So you’re staying.”

  Simon nodded. “I wouldn’t dream of trying to stop you, though.” He looked up at Hammer and their eyes locked. “If you need to go, I understand.”

  “Why do I sense a ‘but’ coming?”

  Simon chuckled. “Yeah. But…if you stay, just a bit longer, I think things will change around here.”

  Hammer’s eyes narrowed. “How so?”

  “My man is gonna take charge,” Lana stated flatly, appearing out of the shadows. “Isn’t that right, my love?” She slid up alongside Simon, purring as she ran her hands across his chest.

  Simon seemed to waver for just a moment then nodded. “I wasn’t going to put it that bluntly, but…” He turned back to Hammer. “All the shit you’ve heard about me is true. But that violent streak that ran through me?” He shook his head slowly. “Let’s just say that I’ve mellowed a bit.”

  “You? Mellowed?” Hammer laughed. “Man, I’ve heard stories about you and your people.”

  Simon nodded slowly. “And all those people are dead or gone.” He glanced at Lana and smiled. “Now it’s just the two of us.”

  “But a leader’s gotta lead,” Lana insisted. “And my Simon, he’s a leader.”

  Hammer sucked at his teeth as the wheels turned in his head. “What do you have in mind?”

  Simon glanced back at the people before he locked eyes with Hammer again. “We both know that Trent is too stupid to stay away.”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “So, we wait. And when the squirrelly fucker shows up again, I blow his fool head off.”

  Hammer raised a brow. “And what will that accomplish?”

  Simon smiled and it didn’t reach his eyes. “It will show the lambs that this old wolf don’t play.” He wrapped his arm around Lana’s shoulder. “They’ll know that their world has taken a serious turn.”

  “For the worse?” Hammer asked, a slow smile forming.

  Simon shook his head. “Just…changed. For better or worse is up to them.” He pulled Lana close and she ran her hand down his back, gripping his ass. “They’ll know who’s in charge without anybody saying a word.”

  Hammer crossed his arms and stared down at the smaller man. “And you want us here…just in case?”

  Simon shrugged slightly. “Like I said, I’m not gonna stop you from doing your own thing. But it would be nice if I had backup, should one of the beta males down there decided to try something behind my back.”

  Hammer slowly nodded. “I can see that.” He glanced to the far end of the circle and the campers that his boys stayed in. “I’ll talk to the others. If they want to take off though…”

  Simon nodded. “Then I wish you safe travels, my friend.” He extended his good hand and Hammer gripped it.

  Hammer winked at him. “I think that once they know you’re about to pull a power play, they’ll want to stay.” His smile widened. “To watch, if nothing else.”

  “My man has a way of fucking people up that don’t play by his rules,” Lana purred. “Don’tcha honey?”

  Simon gave her a gentle smile then pulled her to him for a kiss. “You know it, baby.”

  Hammer slapped his shoulder as he turned, putting his weight on the thick walking stick. “I’ll get back to you.”

  The pair watched him hobble off and Lana spun around, facing him. “You’re not gonna wait, are you?”

  Simon continued to stare over the top of her head. “That’s up to Trent.” He glanced down at her and smiled again. “But something tells me he’s too stupid to stay gone long.” He pulled her tightly to him. “I’d bet good money that it’ll go down a lot sooner than you think.”

  26

  At first light Hatcher and Missy began to load supplies. They drove back to the station and prepped the second ATV
, loading it with their gear as the engine idled, slowly charging the battery.

  Hatcher held up a survival shovel. “Will we need to dig?”

  She shook her head. “They were just laid out the last time I went by there.” She paused and set the duffel bag down. “What’s strange is, I know there’s some wildlife left, but nothing had predated the bodies.” She met his surprised look and shrugged. “Not even the buzzards.”

  Hatcher set the short handled shovel in the rear storage anyway and latched it. He picked up the 30.30 lever action rifle and slipped it into the scabbard. “Okay, I’m loaded.”

  Missy slapped at her body, checking that she had her personal items then double-checked her bags. “I think I’m ready.” She lifted the helmet and began to strap it on as Hatcher straddled the saddle and started his four wheeler. She did a double take as he zipped by her, no helmet.

  “Hey!” she called and pointed to her head. “Safety first!”

  Hatcher smiled at her then motioned her forward. “I’ll be alright.”

  She pulled alongside and idled. “Afraid you’ll mess up your hair?”

  He gave her an innocent smile and shook his head. “They give me headaches. Besides, I don’t want the distraction.”

  She tsk’d at him then pulled ahead, taking the lead.

  Hatcher goosed the accelerator and caught up with her, doing his best to avoid the dust and debris kicked up by the rear tires as they drove deeper into the park.

  She slowed and motioned him alongside, pointing to the right. “There are a number of downed bison down there. I found their remains the last time I was up in this area.”

  “How many?” he asked.

  She gave him a slow shrug. “Maybe seven.”

  His eyes widened as he tried to consider the number of people it would take to bring down and kill seven of the huge creatures. They weren’t gentle, and they were all as strong as…well, an ox.