Sundown Series (Book 4): Torment

by Konstantin, Courtney

  The sigh that came from Callahan's side of the conversation infuriated 'The Suit'.

  "Callahan, if you can't get this job done, I will find someone that can handle it. You are not the last military leader on this planet," 'The Suit' all but growled into the phone.

  "Understood, sir. We are going about this the smart way," Callahan replied.

  'The Suit' couldn't listen to the man any longer. He hit the end button on his phone, barely resisting the urge to throw the device through the window that he faced. Instead, his put it down and paced his office. He didn't care about barbed wire or research. He wanted results and he didn't care how they got handled. In his own mind he could admit where his strengths were and how they didn't revolve around military action. He had people for that. But what he did know is what needed to happen to control a situation. And getting rid of the Duncans was just one step in ensuring the country fell in line under his control.

  If there is any country left, he thought to himself. He looked down at the lab that he now had under his command. He could admit to himself that the pathogen that was released was more than he had anticipated. Granted, it wasn't released in a way he wanted or could control ahead of time. However, it was an opportunity to enact a plan that he had been working on for well over two years. When he made the commitment to open the black site that tested unknown pathogens, he was doing it for very specific reasons. One was biological warfare. It was coming and the US was not prepared for it. And two was to have a chemical in his pocket that could bring the country to its knees when he deemed it necessary. It all happened faster than he had wanted.

  Turning away from the doctors he found to be useless, 'The Suit' was nothing if not one to take advantage of a situation when he could. His plan had been to be in Washington DC at the time of whatever outbreak he started. He had wanted to be close to the President and the sitting members of the government. He wanted to watch them all die and be the last person standing. He would have spared anyone that agreed to fall under his rule. But the President and his cabinet had to go first. Now, he was stuck in a bunker near the California Coast, with scarce information coming from DC. He had silently rejoiced when he heard the news of the First Lady being bit, turning and killing her husband while they slept in the underground bunker they had been evacuated to.

  Washington went downhill from there. No one had realized how fast the illness would sweep through every person in its path. The First Lady had done 'The Suit' a favor, by hiding her bite and then her illness, until she died and went on a rampage. The last secret service agent in the bunker was believed to have committed suicide to escape the horrors of the attacks. No one was entering or exiting the bunker now. While the gruesome scene played out underground, the White House quickly fell to the illness. 'The Suit's' contact had long gone dark and 'The Suit' assumed the man had fallen to the same fate as the rest of the workers in one of the most secure buildings in the country.

  'The Suit' would only admit to himself that he felt the situation slipping from his control. Part of his plan had hinged on a cure being developed. His incompetent scientists insisted the infection was something they couldn't even begin to understand. Even after he executed one of them for not having any results, there was still nothing forthcoming. They were afraid of him, just the way he enjoyed it. However, that fear wasn't creating results. Without a cure, he didn't see an easy path to rebuilding the country and controlling how they moved forward.

  The headache took that moment to roar back into life in the front of his head. He went into the adjoining bathroom, rooting around the medicine cabinet until he found pain relievers. He downed a few of them with a glass of water. Looking up into the mirror, he stared at his pale reflection. The man had never had much color, but the pallor of his skin now was even a paler shade of white, if possible. 'The Suit' wasn't sure how long he could live underground without ever seeing the sun. When he entered his office again, he turned back to the monitors.

  It was sheer luck that the US satellites that circled the Earth were still useful. With his connection to them he was able to keep some monitoring live around the country. He could see the vague color of the sun in nearby San Francisco. He knew there were survivors in the large city. He had seen groups come and go from some of the larger high rises. At times when he stared out over the water, he would note the number of boats he saw wandering in the bay. There were survivors now. But how many would be left as this infection continued to rage through the population?

  Chapter Six

  "How did they all even get in there?" Marcus asked.

  They had just finished hiding the pickup truck with its heavy load of supplies off the highway. Using the camouflage of wrecked vehicles and tree limbs, the truck was barely visible from the road. Sitting in the Bronco, they finally opened up the bag that Margaret had sent for them. There were sandwiches, thick with cooked pork, arugula, mayonnaise, and mustard. She also had packed small bags of potato chips, granola bars, and her homemade brownies. Marcus, being the child at heart that he was, ate his brownie first.

  They had debated about the school and what they had seen since they pulled off the road to hide the truck. Alex was lost in her own thoughts, trying to put the situation into order. The danger kept them from staying to do an infected headcount, but Alex estimated no less than 100 bodies in the gym when she had swung her flashlight through. In the moments she stood there in shock she noticed things that looked like cots, iv poles, and a lot of broken glass. Now that they were in the Bronco, sitting in silence, they both were throwing out their ideas of how the school had fallen.

  "I think the gym was set up as a triage or quarantine, maybe?" Alex replied.

  "That plays. But why were all the doors shut? They weren't locked. Seems someone would have left something open."

  Alex shrugged as she chewed her bite of sandwich. If she had been in charge, the doors would never have been open except for doctors to come and go, or for the infected to be brought in. She tried to think cruelly, the way she knew Callahan functioned. The man knew how deadly the pathogen was. He would have known those bitten, but not dead, would turn.

  "I think they set them up that way on purpose. They knew those people weren't going to make it from the start. Putting them in a shut room ensured they stayed in. My guess is when they evacuated, no one even went to the gym, because those people were already considered a lost cause," Alex said, bringing her random thoughts to light.

  "They didn't even try to execute them, like they had done in other places," he replied.

  "No. Probably thought it was too much of a waste of ammo. They were leaving the area anyway, what did it matter to Callahan?"

  "Because he doesn't care about people dying. Just taking control," Marcus mused.

  "Exactly."

  The idea of just giving up on people made Alex feel sick. As the population was wiped out by a plague, the first priority had to be to save everyone they could. Someday the idea would be to repopulate. 'The Suit' and Callahan had a different plan entirely. And while they came after the Duncans, there was no cure for them to hide or create. Charlie had been working hard on it every day, but she was starting to become discouraged. Knowing that, Alex continued with the belief that the survival of the human race was up to them. She would never look at anyone as a lost cause.

  After they finished their lunches, Marcus worked to pack away the reusable Tupperware that Margaret had sent. Alex checked the map and looked at their plan. Though it was only one in the afternoon, she wanted to only check one more place before setting camp for the night. She’d pinpointed a small pharmacy that they had gone through a few times before. They had only taken what they needed at the time. Now Charlie wanted to stock up more of the basic pharmaceuticals. Having a doctor on the compound was a huge benefit to survival. She had already started files on the residents of the compound. Alex was grateful when they sat down to talk about Billie and her problem with strep throat. It gave Alex comfort to have a doctor capable of treating th
e illnesses the children could come down with.

  Marcus climbed back into the Bronco after double checking the hidden truck. Driving away from their hiding place, Alex moved the Bronco forward slowly. They both checked their surroundings carefully, making sure no one living was watching them. Alex wanted to help other people, but she didn't discount that people could be at their worst when in survival mode. They would share their supplies, but they wouldn't stand for being stolen from. Some respect and basic human decency needed to reign at times.

  Confident that their hiding place was secure, Alex finally picked up speed and headed back into town. The pharmacy they were heading for wasn't far into town, sitting in a small strip mall off in a residential area. When they pulled up to it, they waited in the running vehicle. It was the safest way of knowing if any dead were around versus stepping out and being ambushed. When nothing seemed to be moving, Alex shut off the engine, and they both listened as the silence flowed over them.

  "I'm not sure when I'll get used to that," Marcus commented, making Alex jump slightly.

  "What?"

  "The silence of the world now. Before the plague, can you remember the last time it was silent around you?"

  Alex thought back into her life. She remembered many silent nights spent in the forest at her father's bidding. Mitch Duncan thought camping in the elements was one of the first steps in being ready for survival. It took the fall of the world for Alex to finally agree with him. However, when she thought about that silence, she realized even then, there were far-off sounds of commercial aircraft or the random helicopter tour happening in the mountains. There was always something.

  "No, I can't remember anything like this silence. Thick enough to cut with a knife," Alex replied.

  Marcus nodded his reply. They fell back into the quiet, being very aware of their surroundings. Alex opened her door, as the signal to Marcus they were ready to go. She had her gun out as always, though the walk to the pharmacy glass door was only ten feet. When she reached it, she was pleased to see everything still intact. No one had forcibly broken into the pharmacy yet, giving them the chance to clear out the medications and supplies they needed. She stooped and used the card she brought to pop the lock. Any alarms that were on the doors were long gone and only a small bell sounded as they walked through the open door.

  Inside, Marcus locked the door immediately. Though they could be fairly certain there were no infected in the pharmacy, they still did a row by row clear of the store. Only then did they split up and start collecting the items on their lists. Alex went straight to the back, where the pharmaceutical medications were kept. She opened the small door that led the way behind the pharmacist counter. She avoided looking down to the floor, as she remembered well the bloody stains that were left after they had to handle the dead pharmacy tech. Alex's heart had hurt when she had to stab the young girl in the head weeks prior. The body had been taken out the back of the store to prevent her from rotting and creating putrid air inside.

  Alex sorted through medications. She found a locked area and knew she needed everything inside. She took out her knife and started to pry at the lock. But the sound of keys had her looking up. Marcus held a set of keys that were connected to an elastic wrist coil.

  "I grabbed them when we handled the tech the last time we were here," he said.

  "Failed to mention that," Alex muttered, but she stepped back and let him start trying keys.

  He found the one that worked, and they dumped all the pain medications that were under lock and key into Alex's bag. They also packed up all the antibiotics, decongestants, and allergy relief. After a longer search, Alex eventually found the blood pressure medication that Issac said he needed. She also grabbed the similar types that Charlie said could be used as back up. As long as they could continue getting people their normal medications, Alex wanted to provide them. Alex stepped back looking around the pharmacy area and felt she had taken everything they could need at the moment.

  While Alex was busy with the meds, Marcus had been tasked with first aid and medical equipment. The pharmacy was light on equipment, but had two aisles of over-the-counter medications and first aid supplies. His bag was overflowing when Alex met him. She noted the empty shelving as she walked by, approving of him grabbing everything. Once they were done with the pharmacy, it would be marked off their map as cleared.

  With a list in hand, Alex walked over to the feminine hygiene products. Most of the females on the compound needed one thing or another. She easily found the brands and products everyone needed and soon her bag wasn't closing either. The last things she wanted to grab weren't so much for survival but for entertainment. The pharmacy had a small DVD display, mostly low budget, never in the theatre movies. But survivors couldn't be picky. Alex grabbed a few that looked like romances and one that looked like teenage angst. Then she grabbed everything that was animated. She also walked down the makeup and nail aisles. She grabbed nail polish and an assortment of makeup for any of the women that wanted it. She knew Billie enjoyed having her nails painted at every possible opportunity.

  Checking the door, Marcus found the coast to still be clear. Alex was starting to feel that their luck was too good and knew it wouldn't stay that way. She turned to look back into the pharmacy and all her eyes saw were more things they needed to take.

  "One more run?" She said to Marcus.

  "Sure. Let's load our packs into the Bronco and grab some spare bags."

  An hour later they were loading up the third round of boxes and bags they had packed from the pharmacy. Alex finally felt comfortable enough to mark off the pharmacy. It wasn't that they couldn't come back to it, but she liked to have a clear picture of what they could scavenge from what location. They cleaned out the junk food, drinks, over-the-counter medications, and kids’ toys. The haul almost filled up the back of the Bronco and Alex had to think about where they were going to sleep that night as well as where they would put any additional things they got.

  "Our lists are doing pretty well now," Marcus said once they were back in the Bronco.

  "Yeah. I really want to find the seeds and gardening tools Rafe wants. Also, we need to get some clothes for Aiden and maybe the other kids as well. Maybe we’ll only go to Wal-Mart tomorrow," Alex replied.

  "Thought you wanted to check out Whitefish?"

  "I do. But look at the truck. There's barely room for us to sleep, let alone fit anything else."

  "Could just be a reconnaissance mission," he said.

  "True. Let's just see how tomorrow goes and we can decide."

  By five o'clock they had pulled the Bronco into a section of trees, working to hide themselves from any passing eyes. While the sun was still up, they built a small fire by the truck and boiled left-over rabbit soup to share. With their backs to the Bronco, they sat and ate in silence. They kept their eyes trained on the small parking lot that was a few feet away. In the far distance they could see movement, but if they were infected, they weren't close enough to see Alex and Marcus in the tree line. Quiet moments like this were what Alex didn't get too often being holed up on the compound. Anytime she tried to sit and just be calm someone was tracking her down for help, questions, or requests. She sighed and leaned back to get comfortable.

  "Penny for your thoughts?" Marcus asked.

  "Worth more than that," Alex responded, causing Marcus to grunt out a laugh.

  Though she knew he waited for her to answer, Alex didn't speak. She stared at the sky that was slowly darkening as the sun sank lower. She could hear her heartbeat, the call of far off birds, and the occasional gunshot. Without reacting her mind knew the shots were so far off there was nothing for them to do. The absence of life was becoming normal and Alex thought she should feel bothered by that. But the quiet was so enjoyable, she couldn't summon any other emotions.

  When darkness truly fell, they kicked dirt over their fire, ensuring no light would draw attention. They worked together to move the supplies around the inside of the Bronco, s
tacking boxes to cover a lot of the windows. They left strategic areas where they could look out if they were to hear anything. There was only enough room for their bed rolls and sleeping bags once they were done. Alex laid on the top of her sleeping bag, her boots and weapons removed. She would sleep with her boots right by her feet, but her weapons were always right by her hands for quick access. With a small penlight she read a book while she waited for sleep to come.

  "So, what is it, Alex?" Marcus's voice cutting into the pleasant silence.

  Without asking, Alex knew what he was trying to get at.

  "You aren't going to let this go?" She asked. His silence was all the answer she got.

  "I'm just tired, ok? I never get the chance to hear myself think, let alone read a book," she said, waving the book around in between them.

  "So, you decided to take a run so you could start that new romance novel you've had your eye on," Marcus replied sarcastically.

  "Me taking a run shouldn't be such a big deal. I'm not more important than anyone else at home. I need to do my fair share too."

  She was defensive, and she knew Marcus would play on that. But he made it sound like she was being flighty about a salvage run which couldn't be further from the truth. No one, except her siblings, were more serious about the outside world than Alex. Though she was always busy keeping the compound running, making sure no one bickered, and everyone was fed, her mind was always outside the walls. She was always wondering where all the living people were? Were they surviving? Did they need help? Her thoughts were always full of questions that couldn't be answered from inside the walls.

  "It's not about importance. It's about where you're needed," he said.

  "And I'm just needed to stay home and handle all the tasks there?" Alex demanded.

  "You're the strongest leader among us. It's your strength."

  "Maybe I don't want it!" Alex finally exclaimed. Then she sighed and looked over at Marcus in the dark Bronco. With the slight light from the flashlight she held she could see he was watching her.