Spore Series | Book 5 | Torch

by Soward, Kenny

  “We did,” Bishop nodded.

  “Do you know what you’ve got up there?”

  He shrugged. “I thought it was a .50 caliber, but I really have no clue.”

  “Did it fire slow?”

  “No, fast,” Trevor replied.

  “You’re probably right then. .50 caliber.”

  “All we know is that it ate through a couple cars,” Bishop added, remembering the way the rounds pierced the metal like butter.

  “And two people,” his son blurted.

  Bishop fired a frown toward him. “That was an unfortunate part of it.”

  “It’s a dangerous weapon,” Bryant agreed. “You must be careful with it. What’s your ammunition indicator read.”

  “It shows three quarters full,” Trevor replied.

  “Okay, good. I’ll check the compartments when I get there. You should have more stowed away.”

  “We’re coming up on the blockage.” Bishop squinted ahead. “Looks like a half dozen cars piled up on the road. Three stuck together in the center. Another flipped onto its roof on the median. The jam is lighter on the right side. Should I go around?”

  “No, you can push right through that,” Bryant said.

  “Are you sure?” Bishop swallowed dry as he angled toward the right. “We bypassed another pileup farther north. I didn’t want to damage the vehicle.”

  “You’ll be fine,” the soldier assured them. “That’s a 450hp Caterpillar engine.”

  “What if I run over sharp debris? Won’t the tires pop?”

  “The tires are designed to take direct rifle fire. I’m not saying you can’t damage them, but they have thick inner tubes that will stay inflated. You can drive it on eight flats if you have to.”

  “I didn’t realize that,” Bishop said.

  “Yeah, don’t be shy. Punch it through.”

  “Okay, here goes.”

  Bishop gripped the wheel and gassed the engine, aiming to split a pair of cars. One partially rested on the other. The armored vehicle hit it at thirty miles per hour, swatting the top vehicle to the side while shoving the second car along the road.

  The Stryker’s front end suddenly flew up, throwing Bishop back as it tilted at a hard-left angle. They rolled up and over the car, tons of armor smashing it down. He whipped the wheel to the left, and the truck landed on all eight tires with a bone-jarring jolt.

  Trevor let out a loud whoop as a thrill coursed through Bishop’s body. His pulse raced, adrenaline surging at the powerful ease at which the armored vehicle moved.

  “That was amazing.” He was breathless as he focused on the road again.

  “You’ve only seen a quarter of its capabilities.” Bryant chuckled, seeming to enjoy their elation.

  A half mile later, they reached another wreck. Bishop confidently punched through it and came out the other side without a mark. He made a note to widen the gaps on their return trip so the bus could fit.

  “The junction is coming up,” Trevor announced.

  Bishop took the left lane and climbed the swooping ramp east toward Memphis, stopping when he reached the highest point. He squinted in the direction of the smoke pillars but couldn’t make anything solid out.

  “Can you see any buildings straight ahead?”

  “Yeah, right up the top floors.”

  Bishop leaned back to see his son’s camera view. He gaped as Trevor panned the Memphis skyline above a row of trees. Flames licked from the windows of two of the tallest structures, and he described the scene to Bryant.

  “That city sounds like trouble,” the soldier said. “We appreciate the heads up on that. You spared us some pain.”

  “No problem at all,” Bishop replied. “We’re a team now, right?”

  “Absolutely.”

  He leaned back in his seat with a grin. “Okay, walk me through how to activate the driver’s camera. I’m ready to do some serious exploring.”

  Chapter 7

  Randy, Indianapolis, Indiana

  Randy strolled down the plastic-lined hall with bold steps. His boots clunked heavily on the floor, eyes focused on the door at the end of the passageway.

  True to his word, John had given him something to do. A task. A mission to complete in his last days on Earth besides laying in his hospital bed and waiting to die.

  The camp leader had generously provided Randy the gear necessary for the job. He wore black military fatigues, heavy boots, and a tactical vest with his ammunition, carbon blade, and three flashlights. His AR-15 hung on his back by a thick strap, and a Beretta 92g Elite pistol was holstered at his hip.

  As a side, he carried an air filtration mask on his belt. While he couldn’t keep the infection from eating him alive from the inside out, John had suggested he wear respiratory protection outside to avoid breathing more spores.

  It could buy him a few extra days, or a week.

  Randy’s nurse walked a solid seven feet behind him with her face covered in the standard issue mask. Their relationship had been short and professional, polite but not overly friendly.

  He only knew her name was Marissa from her badge. Neither had bothered to learn the other’s surname. It wasn’t like they’d see each other again. Randy lowered his chin and strode faster, causing the nurse to break into a light jog to keep up.

  Ten feet from the end of the passage, a door on his right flew open. Hands pressed against the plastic sheeting. They cut it with a knife and pulled it apart.

  Corporal Tricia Ames shoved her way through the split and staggered into the hall, followed by a slight-framed girl with a mane of red hair.

  Jenny.

  Tricia squared up to him with a look of hurt and anger on her face. “Just what do you think you’re doing?”

  “Yeah, Randy.” His sister stared at him with accusatory eyes above her surgical mask. “Why are you dressed like an assassin when you should be upstairs getting some rest?”

  He backed away, looking between the two. At first, his eyes were hard, but his expression softened just as quickly. “John promised to give me something to do before I got too sick. A job.”

  Marissa raised her hand. “Ladies keep your distance. At least six feet.”

  Tricia ignored the woman and rested her fists on her hips. “What’s the job?”

  “A weapons depot in Ft. Leonard Wood.”

  The corporal blinked. “That’s all the way in Missouri. Over four hundred miles away. That’s a long mission.”

  “I know.” His eyes fell to the floor.

  “You could be...” Her expression of hurt deepened.

  “Dead by then?” Randy nodded. “It’s okay. You can say it.”

  Her face hardened. “That’s right. Dead. You could be dead by then. What do you expect me and your sister to do?”

  He shrugged. “Be happy for me?”

  “What?” Jenny took an angry step forward.

  “Ladies,” Marissa warned. “At least six feet. Obey the rules, please.”

  His sister retreated, but her eyes lost none of their fire. “Why would we be happy you’re leaving us? Robbing us of the time we have left with you.”

  “Because I won’t be dying in a hospital room feeling sad and miserable. I’ll be out there with my team, getting weapons for the Major. For you.”

  Tricia’s eyes pleaded with him. “I get it. I understand that you want to kick ass one more time before you go. But if you stay here, rest, and take the antibiotics like the doctors say, you can beat this thing. Then you can fight as much as you want.” Her voice lowered. “We can fight together.”

  Randy shot a glance over his shoulder. “Marissa, would you care to tell them what the prognosis is for someone infected with spores.” When the nurse didn’t reply right away, he turned a little more and scowled. “Go ahead. Tell them.”

  She stared at the back of his head before finally relenting. “Zero percent. The chance of recovery is zero percent.”

  Randy straightened, his posture resolute. Part of him wanted to stay a
nd spend every last waking moment with them, but he’d die faster that way. He’d waste away until the disease hollowed him out.

  “That hospital room back there?” He jerked his thumb. “It’s my coffin.” His eyes stung with tears as he made them face the truth. He’d tried to escape the Major without telling them, but he’d not been quick enough. “I’m not dying in there, Trish.”

  She stared at him, lip quivering, the rims of her hazel eyes filling with tears. She took a step forward and released a long sigh. “Oh, Randy. It’s such a jerk move, but I get it. I really do.”

  Of course, she did. Tricia was a soldier. She was trained to fight. And if their situations were reversed, she would have done the same thing.

  A smile creased Randy’s cheeks, and he shook his head in admiration.

  “What’s that for?”

  “You’re so beautiful. That’s how I’ll remember this moment.” His eyes shifted to Jenny. “I’ll remember both of you.”

  “If you don’t back away,” Marissa pointed to Tricia, “I’ll assign you to quarantine. That’s ten days to two weeks locked down.”

  She glanced at the nurse, shrugged, and flew into Randy’s arms. He turned his cheek as he caught her. They hugged, faces cast aside. He closed his eyes as they breathed together, hearts hammering in their chests. He caught the pleasant scent of her hair and cursed himself a hundred times for leaving her behind.

  He could stay, but the last time she’d see him would be on a hospital bed, suffocating while they dosed him with drugs to ease his passing.

  No, it was better if she remembered him tall and strong with all his senses intact. If he made it back alive from this mission, there’d be another, then another. He’d go until he couldn’t stand on his own two feet any longer.

  Jenny’s hands snaked around them, her arms stretching wide to embrace them.

  “Okay, that’s both of you,” Marissa said, pointedly. “Quarantine.”

  They ignored the Nurse and squeezed all the harder. When they broke off, Randy locked eyes with his sister. Then he shifted them to Tricia.

  With a final nod, he pushed between them and finished his long walk.

  Behind him, Marissa clattered on. “Okay, ladies. Follow me. Right this way.”

  With a sideways grin, Randy shoved through the door and then a sheet of plastic. He strode across a storeroom and out the other side where he stood in an underground lot.

  Two vans waited for him surrounded by milling troops. They were all dressed the same as Randy, with black fatigues and tactical vests. One waved to him and pointed to their van.

  He took his mask off his belt and pulled it over his head. He broke into a jog, bumped fists with the driver, and hopped in back with the others.

  Doors slammed shut. Engines started. The vans turned and roared toward the lot entrance before tearing into the street.

  Chapter 8

  Jessie, Dyersburg, Tennessee

  Bryant cruised the smooth-driving RV along Highway 412. The Western Tennessee landscape stretched out around them flat and open, broken by large patches of oak and pine forests. They flew past farmsteads, truck stops, and subdivisions.

  Jessie leaned back in the passenger seat, feet up with a tablet in her lap. She’d used her password to access the RV’s central computer and had spent the past few hours teaching herself the vehicle’s specifications.

  It boasted a defense system to detect nearby intruders. The outer shell was a polymer mixture that made it bulletproof against small arms fire. It was radiation and blast resistant. The interior was fireproof, backed up by foam sprayers.

  She looked over the engine specs, noting the hybrid fuel types it ran on and where the inputs were. She learned the location of every pull-down seat and storage area and checked them to see what was inside.

  She found weapons, clothing, and an ultra-thin laptop. Three computer tablets and two more handheld devices were tucked in a cubbyhole.

  Jessie could start the RV remotely or lock it down. She could get a status on the engine, fuel, decontamination fluids, internal air quality, and radiation levels.

  The first thing she’d done was change all the passwords. She wanted to keep access limited to just herself and Bryant. Kim could have security clearance after they met up, since it required a retinal scan to enable it.

  The past hour she’d been studying information on Burke’s facility at Little Rock. Pictures, schematics, and staff members.

  “That place looks crazy.” Dex stood behind Jessie, leaning on the back of her seat with shaky arms.

  “It’s called Redpine.” She adjusted the tablet in her lap as she used her finger to flip through the images. “It’s cut right into the side of a hill on the south bank of the Arkansas River.” She showed him the road leading up to the entrance. Striated stone walls crowded in, topped with paved walkways and lookout towers. The road ended in a wide courtyard fronted by two massive doors.

  “It looks creepy,” Dex shook his head.

  “Those doors are supposedly the only way in or out of the facility. But I’ve studied the schematics and found other entrances on the back side. In any case, the place is nearly impregnable.”

  “Not surprising.”

  “Right. Burke wanted full control over who came and went. Probably to cover up his dirty deeds. And if the authorities ever tried to raid the place, he’d have plenty of time to clear his labs and computers of any evidence.”

  The corporal nodded. “How do we know the place is still running? Is anyone there? Do they even have power?”

  “According to this device, they’re all there.” Jessie flipped to another screen with a schematic view of the facility. Tiny green dots moved through the hallways and in rooms.

  “Are those...”

  “People. Yes.” Jessie scoffed. “He must have every person in there chipped, and its reporting vital signs and locations to this device. I’ve been following this guy around for the past fifteen minutes.”

  She clicked on one dot, and the image of a middle-aged man with bright blue eyes behind wire-framed spectacles appeared in the top right corner of the screen.

  “Anthony Brewer, Chief Scientist,” Dex read the man’s vital information.

  “That’s right.” She flashed him a guilty look. “I don’t feel good about doing this. I’m just curious. Anyway, he’s not in the lab a lot. He hangs out in the dormitory with this person.” Jessie clicked another dot, and the image of a middle-aged woman with a short bob of red hair popped into the top right corner.

  “Bonnie Brewer. Also, a scientist.”

  “Yeah, I can see more information in their files, but I feel too guilty to do that yet.”

  “Wow,” Dex scratched his head. “Burke really had his thumb on them.”

  “It only confirms my suspicions about why anyone would work for him. It’s like, he was the dictator of his own little country.”

  “Now we’re the dictators.”

  Jessie laughed. “Not really, but I do feel creepy spying on them. Unfortunately, we don’t have time to become friends. I’m only doing this so we know what to expect when we get there.”

  “How are you even connecting?”

  She shrugged. “No clue. He must have his own secure satellite feed, something the military isn’t aware of. I can contact them if I want.”

  “Give them a ring.”

  “Not yet.” Jessie shook her head. “I want to find out everything about them. When we show up, it will be from a place of authority.”

  “Do they have what we need to make the serum and vaccine?”

  Jessie flipped through more pictures, showing him long sterile hallways, chambers with chemical vats, and laboratory gear like she’d never seen.

  “Based on the data sheet, this place is a state-of-the-art facility. It has three full-sized labs, large bio reactors, and enough supplies to create vaccines and other medicines on a massive scale. I’m talking, for entire countries. I’m honestly just cracking the surface.”
r />   “How many personnel are on sight,” Dex said.

  “I’m looking down the list now.” Jessie flipped to a current roster. “There’s Anthony and Bonnie. Captain Jens Mueller is Chief of Security. They have ninety others on site, twenty-five of them on the security detail.”

  Dex shook his head. “Twenty-five guards. It’s going to be tense when we show up with Burke in chains.”

  “We want it to be intense,” Bryant said. “For them. We want to waltz in there like we own the place. They need to be on their heels before they know what hit them.”

  “We should be fine if we keep close tabs on Burke,” she added. “We can’t let him out of our sight. I already know where we’ll hold him.”

  “Away from the others,” Dex said.

  “We want him to speak as little as possible,” Jessie nodded. “Preferably never.”

  Jessie’s stomach sank at the thought of taking over Redpine. She wasn’t naturally authoritative, but they’d all need to look the part if they were going to pull it off. She rubbed her eyes and peered ahead to the road. “Garcia is on Burke in the storage room?”

  “I’m about to relieve him,” Dex said. “Weissman’s sleeping in back. Fiona’s curled up with her tablet.”

  “Good.” While the RV’s entertainment system lacked kid programming, Jessie had logged in with Pauline’s user account and saw she’d stockpiled gigabytes of old sitcoms and games. Fiona had enough viewing material to keep busy for days. She was certain once the girl met the other kids from Kim’s bus, she’d forget all about the tablet. “Try to get some rest before you go on shift.”

  “Got it.” The soldier turned and dropped into a bucket seat.

  Jessie’s thoughts drifted back to her brother. She barely believed his luck. Asphyxia immunity. While they no longer required his blood to further advance the cure, she would have loved to have him along. And maybe his blood held other secrets that would help to defeat the disease.

  But she knew him. If he didn’t want to come, he wouldn’t. He wasn’t the type of person to make hasty decisions. The fact that he wallowed in a mental funk after losing their parents and his girlfriend certainly didn’t help.