“Yes?” Bannock asked.
“Won’t the guards be suspicious if we try to leave?” Tara asked.
“Of course. That’s why you need to bring the case with the samples of the cure,” Bannock replied. “I’ll tell them that King requested your presence. A few of the men were infected by stray undead, and they need the cure.”
“You think they’ll buy that excuse?”
Bannock shrugged. “I don’t see why not. You’re the only one with any knowledge of the cure and the ways to administer it. Besides, I’m King’s man, remember?”
“Oh, I’ve never forgotten,” Tara replied, grabbing the case that held the cures. “Let’s go then.”
“After you,” Bannock said, unlocking the lab door. As they stepped through the opening, he sent up a silent prayer that his plan would work. If it didn’t, they were both dead.
Chapter 24 - Tara
“Just stay behind me and keep your mouth shut,” Bannock ordered as they left the lab.
Tara didn’t bother to answer. If she did, it would be something nasty that might derail her deal with Bannock. Or, maybe not. The man was desperate, and she was his only hope of survival. I’m sure he’ll take whatever I dish out. “Show the way, asshole.”
He flashed her a mean look but didn’t reply.
They passed the first few checkpoints without mishap. During King’s absence, the guards were far more relaxed, and one of the security points was completely abandoned. With rising hope, Tara eyed the guard at the main entrance. He was a big man with a graying beard and piercing green eyes. His arms were covered in ink, and his head shone bald beneath the fluorescent lights.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded as Bannock and Tara approached.
“We…err…we’ve been summoned by Lieutenant King,” Bannock said with a marked stutter.
“Really?” the guard replied.
“Yes, really,” Bannock said, shifting from one foot to the other.
Tara cursed beneath her breath. The success of their mission relied on Bannock’s ability to sell his position and authority, and he was failing miserably. She eyed the gun tucked into his pants, and her hands itched to grab it.
“Summoned by the lieutenant? I thought he was at Fort Detrick?” the guard said in a gruff voice.
“He was, I…I mean…he is,” Bannock said, faltering once more. “They won, didn’t you hear?”
“Good for them,” the guard said, his lips quirking.
Tara rolled her eyes. Good God, the man is useless. We’re dead meat.
“But…he told me to go there with the cure. Some of the men have been infected,” Bannock continued.
“Infected?” the guard repeated. “By what? Aliens?” He let loose a loud laugh, rocking back on his heels.
Bannock hesitated, and a bead of sweat rolled down his temple. Tara bit on her lower lip and shifted forward, hoping she wasn’t about to make things worse. In a low whisper, she said, “Dr. Bannock, Sir. I need to administer the cure within the next few hours, or it might be too late.”
Bannock nodded, bolstered by her statement. “Yes, of course.” He turned back to the guard and spoke in a firmer tone of voice. “During the attack, a group of undead showed up, no doubt drawn by the noise. A couple of our men were bitten, and they’re waiting for the cure.”
“The cure? So, it’s real?” the guard asked, his eyes flitting to the case Tara carried.
Bannock nodded. “It’s real.”
“Why is she going with you? Shouldn’t she be in the lab working?” The guard’s gaze roved over Tara’s figure from top to toe, not bothering to hide the lust within.
“Dr. Lee is the only person who knows how to administer the cure. King specifically asked for her,” Bannock replied.
“Yeah? He did?” the guard said. “How do I know you’re not bullshitting me?”
“You don’t, but you’re welcome to try and contact him,” Bannock said with false bravado. “Just remember, the longer you delay us, the more of our men will die.”
The guard shrugged. “What do I care?”
“You might not, but King does. Or, would you like me to tell him you’re the reason he lost half of his fighting force?” Bannock asked.
The guard hesitated, and Tara prayed he’d give in. Please, please, please. Make him listen. I can’t spend another minute in this shit hole.
To her immense relief, the guard capitulated. “Fine. I’ll let you pass, but if I find out you’re lying to me, you’re a dead man.”
“Of course,” Bannock said with a curt nod.
“The same goes to you,” the guard said to Tara.
She didn’t answer and kept her gaze fixed to the floor. Her knuckles turned white around the handle of the case she carried, the only outward indication of her anger.
“What? Nothing to say?” the guard asked. “You’re not nearly as fierce as the guys told me you were, little mouse.”
“Let’s go, Dr. Lee,” Bannock said, pushing the door open, and she followed with an inward sigh of relief.
But, the guard wasn’t done with her yet. He chuckled as she walked past and reached out to pinch her ass. “I might decide to keep you for myself when you get back. Beautiful women are in short supply these days. Hell, any woman is a find these days!”
Tara gritted her teeth and walked faster. Just go. Don’t say anything.
“Hurry back, little mouse. I’ll be waiting for you!” His laughter rang in her ears. Just when she thought she was going to burst, Bannock gripped her arm and whispered. “Keep it together, Dr. Lee. We’re almost there.”
She nodded. He was right. Keep it together.
He pointed at a truck to their right. It was an old one with a couple of rust spots, but its sheer size was comforting. Not much could stop them once they got going. “That one. Get in. I’ll drive.”
“Alright.” She climbed into the passenger side and held the case with the cure on her lap.
Bannock got into the driver’s side and started the engine. For several minutes, he fiddled with the gears until she felt compelled to ask. “Can you even drive this thing?”
“Sort of,” he muttered, his balding pate gleaming in the light.
“Sort of?”
“I got a crash course from Perez the other day, but these things aren’t exactly easy to maneuver, you know?” he replied, visibly irritated. “Just leave me be.”
Tara shrugged, but her stomach churned. “Fine, whatever. It’s not like we have all day.”
After another minute or so, Bannock got them moving, much to her relief. He cruised down the road and halted at the gate. Two guards approached, each carrying a rifle, and Tara sank deeper into her seat.
“Let me do the talking,” Bannock muttered.
“Sure, because you’ve done such a stellar job so far,” she shot back.
“Just for once, keep quiet, Dr. Lee. I’m trying to help you,” Bannock replied, straightening his shirt collar.
“Help yourself, you mean,” Tara growled beneath her breath.
Bannock opened his window half-way and nodded at the guards. “Good day. I’m just on my way out. Could you open the gate, please?”
The nearest one stopped and surveyed them both with a blank expression. “We’ve got strict orders not to let anyone out. You’ll have to turn around.”
“I received orders from Dr. King,” Bannock countered. “Several of the men were infected by stray undead drawn to the fight at Fort Detrick, and he needs the cure.”
“He said that?” the guard asked. “I find that interesting.”
Bannock nodded. “I spoke to him barely twenty minutes ago.”
The guard shrugged. “I didn’t receive any such orders from the Lieutenant.”
“This is a matter of the utmost urgency,” Bannock said. “If those men don’t get the cure on time, they’ll die.”
“I said no,” the guard replied, shaking his head. “I was ordered to let no one in or out, and that’s that.�
�
“Can’t you just check with him over the radio?” Bannock said.
“Maybe, but I’m not in the mood,” the guard replied with a smile playing around his lips.
“If those men die, King’s going to be pretty pissed,” Bannock said with growing desperation.
“Only if he finds out.”
While the two argued, Tara studied the gate. It was closed, and a chain was looped through the center, holding the two sides in place. But…it wasn’t locked. The chain hung loosely while the padlock dangled to the side.
She shifted closer to Bannock while keeping a close eye on the two guards. It was apparent the two were not going to let them through. Every fiber of her being told her she and Bannock were in serious trouble.
There was something off in the way the two cons looked at each other like they knew something Bannock and Tara didn’t. It was also obvious in their amused attitudes, and the way they’d encircled the truck. This is a game to them. They’re playing with us.
“Please, let us do our duty,” Bannock pleaded. “I don’t want to get into trouble with King.”
“You hear that, Joe?” the guard called to his companion. “He’s scared of getting into trouble.”
The other guard laughed. “A little late for that, isn’t it?
Together, they broke into loud laughter, and Tara nudged Bannock. “They know about King.”
Bannock flashed her a panicked look. “What?”
“They know,” she repeated, nudging him again. “Go!”
“I can’t go. The gates are closed,” he protested.
“They’re not locked, and this is a truck. Drive through them before the guards try to stop us.”
“I…I…” Bannock stuttered.
“If you don’t do it, we’re both dead,” Tara insisted. “Now, go!”
The guard stepped closer to Bannocks window, his laughter fading away. “Why don’t you get out of the vehicle Dr. Bannock? Then we can have a nice little chat. The woman too.”
“Er, I’d rather not,” Bannock said, his face pale.
“Don’t make me ask again,” the guard warned, lifting his rifle.
“Bannock, go!” Tara screamed as the guard on her side reached for her door.
“Hold on,” he cried and jammed his foot on the gas.
The truck lurched forward and crashed into the gate. It swung open as the chain went flying. The guards yelled at them to stop, but Bannock kept going, and they shot into the open with a roar of the engine.
Tara held on for dear life as the truck bounced and rattled over the uneven terrain. Time and poor weather had eroded the road to a semblance of its former self, and it was filled with giant potholes. Bannock swerved around them, and she was convinced they’d crash. “Be careful!”
“I’m trying,” he reacted, wrestling with the steering wheel. The front tire hit a ditch, and they launched into the air, suspended for a brief moment. The truck crashed back to the ground, and Bannock lost control. They careened off the road and did a one-eighty before smashing into a tree. A cloud of dust enveloped the truck in a yellow haze.
“Get us out of here, Bannock,” Tara screamed, her eyes wide as she faced back the way they’d come. The two guards were running toward them, and the first shots punched into their vehicle. The rounds ricocheted off the body, and she ducked below the dashboard.
Somehow, Bannock managed to get the truck back on the road, the wheels spinning. He raced toward the open road with his hands white-knuckling the wheel. The gears grated whenever he shifted, but he kept going.
Tara remained huddled in the footwell, her eyes closed. Her heart pounded in her chest, and the sour taste of fear stung her lips. The only thing she cared about was escaping, and it grated on her nerves that she had to rely on Bannock. I hate him, and I hate what he did to me. He doesn’t deserve a second chance. He doesn’t deserve anything from me.
“It’s okay. We made it,” Bannock said at last.
Tara sat upright, burying her venomous feelings deep within her chest. “Holy shit, I can’t believe you did it.”
Bannock managed a faint smile. “I did, didn’t I?”
Tara snorted. “Who’d have thought?”
“Give me a little credit, will you?” he asked.
She smiled at him with gritted teeth. “Fine, what happens now?”
“Now, we go to Fort Detrick, but we dare not take the straight road,” he said. “We wouldn’t want to run into any stragglers from King’s party.”
Tara nodded, forcing herself to relax in her seat. “Alright. That makes sense.”
She waited as they took a roundabout route back to Fort Detrick, the scenery flashing by the windows in dull browns and greens. The minutes ticked by until she was confident they were in the clear with no signs of pursuit. This is it—time to make my move.
Raising her hand, she asked, “What’s that?”
He peered in the direction she pointed. “What’s what? I don’t see anything.”
Moving faster than he could blink, Tara leaned over and grabbed the gun from his belt. She pointed the barrel at his head and commanded in an icy tone of voice, “Stop.”
He threw her a panicked look. “What are you doing?”
“I said, stop the truck.” She thrust the gun at Bannock when he hesitated. “Now!”
He jammed his foot on the brakes, and they slid to a stop in the middle of the road. With smoke from the tires swirling around the vehicle, Bannock stared at her. “What’s going on?”
Tara didn’t answer. Instead, she jabbed the gun at the door. “Get out. Now.”
“What? No!” Bannock protested, shaking his head.
“Get out, or I’ll shoot you,” Tara said, her expression stony.
“No,” Bannock said, remaining in his seat. “You can’t do this.”
“I can, and I will. Get out before I kill you, Dr. Bannock,” Tara repeated.
“You promised to grant me sanctuary,” Bannock cried. “You swore.”
“I lied.”
“No. This isn’t you, Dr. Lee. You’re not a killer,” Bannock said, his cheeks the color of curdled milk.
“You know nothing about me, you sad sack of shit,” Tara hissed through gritted teeth as anger exploded through her veins. Her blood boiled when she thought about everything he’d done to her, and her finger tightened on the trigger. “I swear, if you don’t get out of this truck right now, I’ll blow your brains out and dump your corpse by the side of the road.”
Something in her manner must have convinced him because Bannock reached for his door with trembling fingers. “Dr. Lee, please. Don’t do this. I’m begging you. Give me a chance.”
“Move,” Tara said, waving the gun at his face.
He blanched and opened the door, stepping out with the greatest reluctance. “I’ll be a better man, I promise. I’ll do anything you want. Anything.”
Tara scooted over until she sat behind the wheel and stared down at the quivering Dr. Bannock. “You are a murderer and a coward. You lied and cheated, stepping on the backs of others to ensure your survival. You conspired to kidnap me and keep me hostage, and you tried to steal my work. You are nothing but a cockroach, and you don’t deserve a second chance.”
“I won’t do anything like that ever again; I swear it,” Bannock said, raising his hands to her.
She spat at his feet, contempt oozing from every pore in her body. “Goodbye, Dr. Bannock.”
“If you leave me here, I’ll die,” he cried.
“That’s the idea, asshole, and I hope you suffer,” Tara replied as deep satisfaction washed over her. “Oh, and by the way, that crap you told me about James Dean? It was all a lie. I found his cellphone on the floor of the lab when you made me clean up his mess. I charged it last night and guess what I found? A message from his aunt disowning him for the murder and rape of three innocent girls.”
Bannock paled, his lips flapping as he tried to formulate a reply. “I…”
“Save your
excuses, Dr. Bannock,” Tara said. “You delighted in causing me pain, and I’m only returning the favor. May you burn in hell.”
She slammed the door in his face and drove away without a backward glance. To her mind, Dr. Bannock no longer existed.
The miles swept by, and Tara handled the truck with the ease of long hours of practice. Saul had taught her weeks ago how to drive just about anything she might encounter. It was all part of surviving in the new world. You never knew when a school bus, three-wheeler, or motorcycle presented your only means of escape.
Time ceased to have meaning as she drew closer to the fort. Nothing mattered but the fact that she was headed home. A song hovered on her lips, a tuneless expression of pure joy. I’m on my way, love. Just a little longer.
She spotted the mess caused by King’s attack before she reached the gates. The smoking remains of trucks, and the lifeless bodies of men littered the grounds. A convoy of three vehicles was parked just outside the fort, and a small group of people milled about in the open. Among them, she spotted a familiar figure, and laughter bubbled up her throat. “Saul!”
She slid to an abrupt stop and jumped out with a whoop of joy. “Saul, it’s me!”
His gaze widened when he saw her, and he broke into a swift run. “Tara, you’re back.”
She jumped the last three paces, and he caught her mid-air. Clinging to him like a monkey, she rained down kisses upon his lips. “Yes, it’s me. I’m back. I missed you so much.”
“I can’t believe it,” he cried, wrapping her up in a bear hug. “I was on my way to get you. I never thought…”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m here now,” she murmured, her head tucked against his chest. With her eyes closed, she breathed in his warmth and allowed it to melt the icy cap around her heart. “Just promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“That we’ll never be separated again,” she said.
Saul laughed and drew her even closer. “That’s a promise.”
Epilogue I - Alex
Alex tilted back his head to catch the last rays of dying sunlight. Its golden warmth felt good on his skin, and he sucked in a deep breath of fresh air. His lungs twinged as they expanded, and the bandages around his chest were constrictive, but he was grateful to be home. Though far from healed, Ethan had discharged him with strict instructions to take his medicine on time and to get plenty of rest. Alex was only too happy to oblige. It felt good to be his own man again.
Rise of the Undead (Book 5): Apocalypse Z Page 14