The Complete Lethal Infection Trilogy

by Tony Battista

  “I'm not giving up on us, Jake,” Vickie insisted. “We'll get through this, I know we will!”

  . . .

  “Is that why you've been so distant lately,” Vickie asked Jake later that night, lying next to him in bed for the first time in what seemed forever to her.

  “I'm sorry for shutting you out. I've had a lot on my mind, worrying about this.”

  “You know you can tell me anything, Jake,” Vickie looked lovingly into his eyes. “We are, I don't know exactly how to say it, but we're both parts of each other. Am I making sense? What affects you affects me.”

  “It makes perfect sense,” Jake smiled. “I shouldn't have kept this from you, from any of you. There's some old adage about a burden shared being so much lighter... I guess I just didn't want you to have to carry any of that burden.”

  “What was that Churchill quote? Something about it not being the beginning of the end but the end of the beginning?”

  “Something like that.”

  “I still believe everything is going to finally work out, Jake. I know it is,” she promised, nestling a little closer to him, comfortable and content in his embrace.

  Chapter 35: The Country Club

  “Where was it Carpenter said we could find them?” Carolyn asked Jake the next morning.

  “Off the Holling Road exit is what he said. I'm going to take along another couple thousand rounds of 5.56. After taking a full inventory of what we got from Camp Bravo, we can easily afford to spare that and a few rifles besides. I'm thinking that since most of the snow’s melted, if we got started early tomorrow, we could be there late the next day or early the day after. Maybe they could put us up overnight and we could be back home in just a few days.”

  “Well, I'm going with you for sure,” Vickie, stated.

  “I'm going along, too,” Carolyn put in.

  “Well, where you go, I go,” Pete said.

  “We go, too,” Kim said, touching Kate's shoulder.

  “Hold on here,” Jake protested. “Kim and Kate, I’d like you to stay behind to help defend the house, if need be. I know Tom and Liz and Eve can hold their own, maybe Hannah and Susan, but I'd feel a lot better if the two of you stayed behind. I know I can depend on you.”

  “I'm going,” Eve flatly declared. “There might be somebody else my age there. It'd be nice talking to someone who isn't an old fogy.”

  “Hey! I am only twenty two,” Kim protested, indignantly.

  “No offense, but you're still a long way from being a teenager. I'm going.”

  “I've got no objections if your folks don't,” Jake said, looking at Tom and Liz who both nodded. “You're pretty good with a rifle and you've shown you can handle yourself. Okay. We'll take the Hummer and the 350; they're already familiar with those vehicles. Eve will ride in the Hummer with us and Pete and Carolyn can take the 350.”

  They packed enough rations for four days plus some more medical supplies Carolyn figured they could spare for the other group and thirteen M-4s; one apiece and another eight to pass on to Phil. Jake took two pistols and the others at least one apiece plus Vickie's .38 and her bow, two twelve gauge pumps and enough ammo to fight a small war. Pete had developed a fondness for the Colt .40 and he took two with him. They had a light breakfast and set out just before seven o'clock the following morning.

  With temperatures as high as the mid-fifties with bright sunshine often enough in the past week or so, the roads were clear except in some few areas and they had an easy time driving. They sighted the pitiful remains of hundreds of bodies near or along the road, all the corpses having been well picked over by predators and broken down by wind and weather. Happily, even the vast hordes of black flies had dwindled to nearly nothing, though it was still early in the season. Here and there sat an abandoned vehicle, doors, hoods, trunk lids standing open, many missing tires, batteries, some hoses and belts and a few even having the seats removed. Some looked at this in a positive light, as evidence there were still people surviving out there. To others, it bespoke of peril for the same reason. Once they saw a pack of dogs, six or seven, feasting on a small mound of something unidentifiable, and probably just as well so. The pack stared boldly at them as they went by, teeth bared, snarling out a warning to keep their distance.

  Spending the night under a highway bridge, they made good time after having breakfast and coffee, reaching the exit ramp in the late afternoon of the next day and waited. Jake sat on the hood of the Hummer, in plain sight, and lit a cigarette; Vickie perched next to him, the others all in ready positions close to the vehicles.

  Half an hour later, Jake was just reaching for his cigarette pack when a black Tahoe drove into view, cautiously approaching from the west. It stopped only a dozen yards away and Ted Marsh and another man stepped out, Ted waving to Jake.

  “Ted, right? Jake asked.

  “That's right, Jake. This is Joaquin Santiago.”

  Introductions were made all around and Ted, after he and Joaquin unobtrusively eyeballed the vehicles and people, told them to follow him and he'd lead them to Phil and the others. Another twenty minutes of driving brought them to a compound surrounded by an eight-foot stone wall topped with wire, encompassing a large, resort-type building and several smaller utility buildings, garages, cabanas and roofed patios. An Olympic sized pool sat drained and neglected near the main building and, along with tennis courts and other gaming areas, now all dug up, plowed and turned into vegetable gardens, made up the rest of the twelve enclosed acres. Beyond the walls lay an eighteen-hole golf course, now largely given over to plowed fields. At regular intervals along the inside of the walls, steps had been built leading up to roofed platforms, every third one with an armed guard on watch. Parked near one of the larger utility buildings were three tanker trucks and Jake could hear the steady thrum of a generator running. Most of the roofs held solar panels of varying sizes and types and there were three tall windmills arranged near the far wall.

  “Welcome to the Hollington Country Club,” Phil called out as he emerged from the main building to shake hands all around. “I didn't expect to see you again, at least not so soon.”

  “You have one hell of a setup here, Phil,” Jake said, clearly impressed.

  “All the comforts of home,” Phil smiled. “What brings you here, Jake?”

  “Right down to business, I like that. First, after we inventoried what we had in those two deuce-and-a-half trucks, we figured we could spare a couple thousand more rounds of 5.56 and a few of our M-4s. We also brought a thousand .22 LRs and a couple hundred more twelve gauge. Carolyn sorted through the medical supplies and we brought along a few more boxes we could spare.”

  “That's... well, welcome! Come on in and we'll get some hot food ready, maybe a drink or two to celebrate!”

  Pete showed some of the men from the compound what needed to be brought in and joined the others in the dining room, where there was plenty of venison, wild turkey, steamed vegetables and freshly baked bread for them to feast upon. A number of the residents came by to introduce themselves and thank them for the ammunition and supplies, so many Jake couldn't keep track of all the names. One, in particular, was Brooke Davis, the redhead who'd kissed him at their last meeting. She was clearly attracted to him and sat next to him; laying her hand atop his while Vickie silently fumed at his other side, Jake trying to remain friendly, but aloof.

  After eating, they retired to a bar-lounge, Brooke trying to steer Jake to a sofa where she could sit with him but he maneuvered his way to an oversized leather easy chair, Vickie pointedly squeezing in tightly beside him, and Phil offered cigars, which Jake and Pete happily accepted, and glasses of brandy for all.

  “I could get used to this,” Pete sighed after sipping the excellent brandy.

  “Well, we don't have all these amenities every day, obviously, but your visit and your gifts make it a special occasion.”

  “Have you had much trouble with the infected here, trying to get into the compound?” Jake asked, trying t
o avoid Brooke's eyes.

  “Mostly they've come by in ones and twos, occasionally small groups, but twice this past fall they came at us en-masse, at least sixty the first time and well over a hundred the second. None of them made it through the gates or over the walls, but we did use up a lot of ammunition, which is why we appreciate what you brought us.”

  “Did you happen to notice any that sort of hung back and watched what was happening, looking like they were waiting for an opportunity?”

  “Yeah, remember, Phil? I told you they looked like they were in charge,” Brooke answered excitedly.

  “Yeah, I remember. There were three of them the first time. Brooke, she's our best marksman, took the top of the head off one of them with a scoped rifle and the other two retreated into the woods. Those same two, we think, were there again for the second attack, but kept behind cover most of the time and we never got another clear shot at them. So, this has happened with you, too?”

  “We've had more than our share of run-ins with them. We call them the alpha infected. These alphas are much more coordinated than the run of the mill drone, as we’ve labeled them, and seem to be capable of at least some sort of reasoning and planning,” Jake detailed. “Luckily, they seem to be in the minority, maybe one out of every hundred or more altogether, or we'd be in serious trouble.”

  “Is that the other reason you made contact with us, to warn us about these alphas?” Phil asked.

  “One of the reasons. We'd like to talk to Dr. Vargas, pick his brain on an issue we've been having at our camp,” Carolyn put in.

  Jake and the others couldn’t help but notice Phil’s comfortable expression deflate and the obvious dread that spread over Brooke’s face.

  “Brooke, would you go see if the doctor is done with Charlie yet?” Brooke looked very disappointed, but dutifully left to seek out the doctor. “Charlie fell off the ladder while climbing one of the guard towers earlier today,” Phil explained. “Broke an arm and a leg, a couple ribs, concussion. He's in pretty bad shape, but doc thinks he'll pull through okay. And don't worry too much about Brooke,” he added, looking at Vickie. “Been a long time since we've seen any new faces here and she really is a good person. Likes to flirt, but she'll back off once she sees how serious the two of you are.”

  “Is it that obvious,” Vickie asked, reddening.

  “Afraid so,” Phil laughed.

  Brooke returned with Dr. Vargas a few minutes later and he greeted their guests, accepted a glass of brandy from Phil and sat down.

  “How's Charlie,” Phil asked.

  “He will recover. I don't believe he's done any permanent harm to himself.”

  “Great, he's a good man. Doc, Jake and his company want to pick your brain about something.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, doctor,” Jake began hesitantly. “We've been having this problem...”

  “Impotency,” Vargas stated flatly.

  “So, you know about that, then?”

  “It's happening here, too?” Vickie's voice was dismayed.

  “I'm afraid so. The older men were affected first, but, over the last month or so, it has progressed to the point where even the youngest of us has become impotent. I’ve tried several types of treatment, medications, but I am lacking in knowledge. I was just finishing my final term of internship when everything broke down. I don't know what to do about it or if, indeed, anything at all can be done.”

  “Well, that isn't what we wanted to hear at all,” Pete said, squeezing Carolyn's hand.

  “I wish I had better news for you, for us all, but I just don't have the expertise in that area.”

  “Do you think this is permanent, or is the disease likely to mutate again, like the way it's no longer infectious?” Pete asked hopefully.

  “I wish I had an answer for you but, again, I just don't know enough about it. I doubt anyone does.”

  “Well, it's not like we aren't used to disappointments,” Jake sighed. “At least we know we aren't alone now, that there are other good people who survived.”

  “With the ammo and medical supplies you've brought us, our chances of continuing to survive have gone up dramatically,” Phil held his hand out to shake and Jake clasped it firmly, smiling a little sadly.

  “I hesitate to ask,” Dr. Vargas spoke up, “given how generous you've been, but, there is one more thing, if I may.”

  “Speak up, Doc, we're all friends here now,” Jake encouraged.

  “If you have no objections, I would like to have a closer look at your bite wound, maybe take a blood sample also. I, none of us, have ever seen a bite that has not infected the victim.”

  “No objections; I’ll show you both of them.”

  “Both? You've been bitten twice?”

  “Yeah, twice in the same day, lucky me.”

  “Would you come with me to my examination room? We have an infirmary set up across the hall.”

  “I'm coming, too,” Carolyn said.

  “Is that all right with you?” Vargas asked Jake after a moment of hesitation.

  “Sure. Carolyn's the closest we have to a doctor in our own group. Anything you might be able to teach her would help us out.”

  “Well, I'm coming along, too,” Vickie put in. “I'd like Dr. Vargas to look at your other wounds as well as the bites.”

  “Anybody else?” Jake laughed.

  “Not you,” Phil told Brooke emphatically.

  “I'll pass,” Eve said.

  “Really?” teased Carolyn. “You're going to pass up a chance to see Jake naked? It's quite impressive.”

  “Oh?” Brooke said, voice full of disappointment.

  “I'm leaving,” Eve said as she headed for the door.

  “Just what the hell went on before I joined up with you guys?” Pete asked.

  “Oh, just the usual,” Carolyn teased, “threesomes, orgies, naked bodies in a pile with a bottle of olive oil.”

  Eve covered her ears with her hands and chanted “La, la, la” as she left the room and Carolyn and Vickie both burst out laughing at the look of astonishment on Pete's face.

  “She's just messing with you, Pete,” Jake assured him. “Nothing she's ever told you about what went on before you arrived is true.”

  “Well,” Vickie brashly put in, “there was the nude sunbathing.”

  “Wait up, Eve, I'm coming with you,” Pete called as he got up and followed her through the door.

  . . .

  Jake stripped to the waist in the examination room and Dr. Vargas carefully studied the scars that marred his torso.

  “Two bites, many cuts and gouges, a puncture wound in the left shoulder and a bullet wound in the right side. What was this, three stitches on your cheek?”

  “I put those in,” Carolyn offered.

  “You've been through a lot in the last few months.”

  “That's just above the waist, Doctor. Take off your pants, Jake, and show him the rest,” Carolyn urged.

  Dr. Vargas made a face at the ugly scar on Jake's thigh, clucking and shaking his head, noting too the numerous cuts and abrasions that had mostly healed over.

  “This was very badly done,” he said in a disapproving tone. “You did the stitching?” he asked Carolyn.

  “I had to re-stitch it. He sewed it up himself the first time.”

  “Obviously you'd never put stitches in before, Mr. Harper,” Vargas shook his head. “What did you use to anesthetize it?”

  “He didn't use anything,” Vickie said in an accusatory tone. “Mr. Macho here just sneaked off into another room and sewed it up himself.”

  “Well, I strongly encourage you to let Ms. Henson do any stitching that might need done in the future.”

  “It's Carolyn, Doctor. Please just call me Carolyn.”

  “I said we were all friends, Doc,” Jake added. “No need to be so formal. First names are fine. If I have to try to remember everyone's last names, too...”

  “All right, then,” Vargas smiled. “Carolyn, Vickie and Jake,
the leg wound will never be pretty, but of the major wounds, it seems to be the least serious. The puncture wound in the left shoulder still troubles you?”

  “On occasion. It's not that bad.”

  “Hmm. I think you are lying, Jake. This gives you pain every day, does it not? It looks to have been very deep and, in that position, any substantial effort must be quite painful. The damage from the bites, too, must add considerably to the pain whenever you must lift or move any sort of weight.”

  “That macho bullshit again?” Vickie scolded.

  “This bullet wound, it could have been quite serious if the angle had been a few degrees off.”

  “It was only a .22, Doc,” Jake protested.

  “Yeah, like no one has ever been killed by a .22,” Carolyn scoffed.

  “It appears to have just missed your kidney. You almost certainly would have died, not having access to a hospital emergency room, if it had struck your kidney. Of all your injuries, I am still mostly concerned about the puncture and the bite wounds. How much use of your left arm do you retain?”

  “It does bother me sometimes, but nothing I can’t work through.”

  “Hmm! Again, I am afraid I doubt you are being completely honest. The rest of the wounds for the most part are superficial. The shoulder and the bite wounds I fear will cause some discomfort for years to come. I will take the blood sample now, with your permission.”

  “What will you do with the sample, Doctor? Do you have the facilities here to analyze it?” Carolyn asked.

  “No, not here. We were planning a trip into Cincinnati the day after tomorrow. I'll give it to the research lab there for analysis.”

  “Wait! There's a research lab there?” Jake asked. “Is there some form of government set up there, the military?”

  “I know what you're thinking. They are terribly overcrowded as it is, or we would have moved there ourselves. They aren't taking anyone else in. We check in with them every month or so, just to let them know we're still alive, to get whatever official information we can, pass on anything we can tell them about conditions out here in the field, so to speak.”

  “How big is this setup?” Vickie wanted to know.