The Last Outbreak- The Complete Box Set

by Jeff Olah

  “So Team One failed?” Goodwin now turned back to face Dalton. “I would imagine Daniels is either dead or has taken one of ours and is on his way back home.”

  “That appears correct. He may also have some help.”

  Running his hand through his salt and pepper, two-week-old facial hair, a smile slid across Goodwin’s face. “Does the Skatt have enough fuel to reach Blackmore?”

  Dalton nodded, knowing exactly what Goodwin was going to say next. “Yes sir?”

  “Perfect,” Goodwin said, “fly it directly into the front door of Building One.”

  Dalton had begun selling Goodwin on the idea less than twenty-four hours before. The only spot in the entire facility where he was absolutely sure that the loss of life would be zero.

  “Yes Mr. Goodwin, it will just take a few minutes to redirect the Skatt.”

  “I’ll be briefing Mr. Jefferson aboard the chopper. Once you’ve finished, we’ll depart.”

  Dalton scanned the video feeds from eight of the cameras within Building One and then locked down all possible routes leading to the entrance. He again counted to be sure he had a visual confirmation of each person’s location, before temporarily disabling their access and moving back to the Skatt.

  “Come on, come on, just one more minute.”

  He double checked the coordinates and then quickly reconfigured the fuel consumption indicators in the event he needed proof of his claims. Either way, Goodwin would have had him destroy the Skatt, but at least this way there’d be no evidence of his deceit.

  Switching to the drone’s camera, Dalton brought into view the mountainous terrain. As he watched the snow-capped trees pass underneath at breakneck speed, the visual was addicting. Growing closer to his destination, he slowed the Skatt’s speed and ascended to three-hundred feet above Blackmore’s front gates.

  The area held an eerie calm, and although the massive spruce encircling the facility bent gently under the forceful winds of the mounting storm, nothing else moved.

  Dalton took one last look around Blackmore’s massive grounds. He spotted the helicopter that the family of Major Richard Daniels had somehow landed just inside the gates and the fragmented branches they had obviously shredded upon entry. Aside from the minimal destruction the group of five had caused, nothing else appeared out of place.

  And within thirty seconds, all of that was going to change.

  Keying his final three commands, Dalton started toward the waiting chopper and Marcus Goodwin. He quickly wrote out the two lines of code that would assure every trace of what he’d done could never be tracked back to the device or to him. And as his last act, he again switched to camera mode and counted down from five.

  Four …

  Three …

  Two …

  For less than a fraction of a second a bright orange flash flickered across the screen, and as fast as it had happened, it was now over. He’d done exactly as he was instructed, and for his own sanity, assured that there was no loss of life. He also gave those who remained at Blackmore a chance, a head start. He needed them to understand the lengths that Marcus Goodwin was willing to go to, while also affording them the opportunity to leave before things got out of control.

  Stepping aboard the chopper, Dalton offered Goodwin a quick nod and a thumbs up. He set aside the tablet, strapped in, and slipped a pair of headphones over his ears. Goodwin’s voice was the first thing he heard as the outside world faded away.

  “The Skatt, did it reach its intended destination?”

  “Yes Mr. Goodwin, without a hitch.”

  Goodwin turned his focus out the left side of the helicopter. He stared in the direction they’d be traveling, almost as if he was expecting to see the damage from hundreds of miles away.

  “Our friends, any details from the ground?”

  He needed to be careful with how he navigated the next few minutes. Even though Dalton had covered his tracks well, he had to be absolutely sure he didn’t leave a trail. And over the past several years, he learned to live by one simple rule when it came to Marcus Goodwin.

  Give him only what he asks for, nothing more.

  “No, not yet sir. We’ve obviously lost all communication with the Skatt and have had a slight delay with our remote connectivity. Once we’re airborne, I should have the ability to regain access.”

  Goodwin was lost in thought for a moment, looking over Dalton’s shoulder and into the cabin. He breathed out heavily and then turned back. “Just be sure that you have everything squared away prior to us touching down, no excuses.”

  Dalton dipped his head and powered on his device. “Yes Mr. Goodwin, everything will be just as you have instructed.”

  165

  Three empty boxes littered the floor to her left. Four more were laid on their side near the open doorway, and another eight were stacked along the four shelves she still intended to go through. With her back against the wall, Emma tossed aside yet another empty wrapper and let out a heavy sigh.

  “Did your friends leave anything at all?”

  Tom looked up from the box he was digging through and offered her a smile. “Yeah, this place was pretty much picked through before we got here. But hey, we still have a few boxes of crackers to go through.”

  Emma fought the urge to laugh. “Well,” she said, “unless we find some water, I’m going to have to pass.”

  Tom pulled free a stack of hand towels, set them near the window, and just stared at her for a long moment.

  “What?”

  “Just trying to think.”

  “Of what?” Emma asked.

  “Well, let me ask you first. What do you think you’re going to miss the most?”

  She knew the answer to that question without even having to think. It was her mother, her father, and her brother. Although they lived nearly a half a continent away, she always imagined that they would one day close the distance. Looking back, she wished it had been sooner rather than later. But the slight grin that Tom still wore told her that wasn’t really the question he was asking.

  “I’d have to say … wait, are we talking everyday conveniences or—”

  “I don’t know,” Tom said. “How about we start with something you may have taken for granted before two weeks ago, something that you’d die for today.”

  He was making it hard to focus on anything but her family, although the look on his face told her that his mind was somewhere else. He was trying to do something fun, take her mind off their new reality, and as hard as it was, Emma reminded herself to stay with him.

  “Okay, what about just being able to step out the door and go for a walk?”

  “That’s your answer? Going for a walk?”

  Emma shot him a stern but playful look. “Okay Mister, how about you, and it better be good.”

  Tom scrunched his lip to the side and looked out the window toward the city, as if contemplating the perfect answer.

  “Hey,” Emma said, “this is your game, I thought you’d have had at least one answer ready to go.”

  “You know, the thing I’m going to miss the most is peanut butter, no wait, it’s gonna be—”

  “Peanut butter, really? We lose the freedom to even walk out the door, to pick up the phone and talk to our friends, our family, and all you can come up with is peanut butter?”

  “No,” Tom said. “You’re right, peanut butter is a silly thing to miss. I think I’m going to have to say Twinkies. But before you go all nuclear, you’ve got to hear me out.”

  Emma narrowed her eyes. “I’m waiting.”

  “You want the whole story or just the condensed version?”

  She motioned toward the window and the growing storm. “It’s not like we’re going anywhere, anytime soon.”

  “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Emma sat back and folded her arms. “This better be good.”

  “I grew up in a tiny little town outside Tallahassee. My parents were both national level athletes in college and
really into sports for most of their lives. They never allowed any food in our house that was processed or what they thought was unhealthy. I never even knew Twinkies existed before three years ago.”

  “So because you were deprived as a child, you decided to go crazy trying everything as an adult?”

  “Not exactly,” Tom said. “The story of how I had my first little golden piece of heaven is much less dramatic.”

  “Really?”

  “It was my agent and the part I never got.”

  “Your big break?”

  “It could have been, well maybe, I don’t know. What happened was that my agent called and said there was a pretty big part—a starring role in a feature film that I was being looked at for. She gave me a few vague details about the story and said that the character had a strange addiction to Twinkies.”

  “So you finally tried one?”

  “Yes I did, and boy was it a mistake.”

  “What do you mean, why?”

  “I actually ended up getting really addicted to those little things. At first I’d just grab a few when I’d stop for gas, or if I ran across them at the grocery store. But then I started going out of my way just to get them, and after a while, I’d buy an entire box and keep them at home.”

  Emma’s eyes widened. “Wow.”

  “Yeah,” Tom said, “it became a problem, even after I found out I didn’t get the part. There were nights when I’d eat the last one in the box, and even though I knew I wouldn’t eat another one until the next day, I’d have to jump back in the car and go buy another box.”

  Emma held back her laughter. “Then how are you not three-hundred pounds?”

  “Work, lots and lots of work. I saw that I had gained like ten or fifteen pounds, so I stopped going to that store. I stopped going to that specific gas station. I even made sure to change my entire morning routine.”

  “I’m impressed.”

  “There’s nothing to be …” Tom’s voice trailed off as he quickly turned and looked out the window.

  “What is it?”

  “Go,” Tom said, “get to the end of the hall and get in the closet.”

  Emma’s heart began to race. She stood, pushed away from the shelves, and moved to the opposite side of the window. “What’s going on, Tom?”

  “I’m not sure, I just—”

  “You just what? You’re worrying me, come on.”

  Tom wiped the window with the sleeve of his jacket. “It’s too dark out there, and with the storm, I just can’t …”

  Emma moved to his side and stood on her toes looking out over his shoulder.

  “The crowds?” she asked. “Are they—”

  Tom used the back of his arm to gently nudge her toward the door. “It’s not the crowds,” he said. “I think Blake’s men might have found us.”

  166

  With the storm outside pounding the bleak landscape, Ethan sat back and watched as his friends moved about in the candlelit courtyard. Six tables away, Griffin and Frank were positioned on either side of Boone, the three men deep in conversation. To their left, Shannon, Zach, and Carly all appeared deeply engrossed in whatever overly embellished story Mayor Gil Walker was now recounting.

  Ethan rested his hands on his head, sat back against the blue plastic chair, and scanned the remainder of the expansive food court.

  If he had to guess, he’d have said there were many more than the forty-six people Jonah had described as occupying the outlet mall. Most were now seated around the remaining tables eating and talking as if they hadn’t a care in the world. A few milled about, moving from table to table, assisting in the post-meal clean up.

  Over his left shoulder, Ethan noticed his mother and Ben coming from the alcove that led to the bathrooms. They kept their heads low and spoke quietly to one another. Ben continued to look toward the table every few seconds and smiled evenly when he realized Ethan was watching.

  As they approached, Ethan sat forward, offered them a seat, and looked first to his mother. “You okay?”

  “Ethan … that little boy, why is he—”

  She was avoiding the two real questions she wanted and needed to ask him, which was evident in her rushed and emotionless tone. Ethan interrupted, hoping to keep the conversation quiet and brief.

  “He lost his family and needs our help, that’s all.”

  “That’s not what I was asking.”

  “Yes mother, I know. But that’s also not why you came to talk to me either.” Ethan turned quickly to Ben and offered him a reprieve. “You sure you want to stick around for this?”

  Ben now looked more serious than at any time since the first day of the infection. “We’ve been talking and …”

  “Wait,” Ethan said, his face now beginning to harden. “You’ve been talking with my mother about what, about me? Let me guess … everyone’s still having a hard time understanding why I left?”

  His mother rested her hands on the table and reached for Ethan’s arm. “We all know why you did what you did, but what we’re still trying to understand is why that man is traveling with us? I mean he was with them.”

  “Boone?”

  “Yes, why is he here?”

  Ethan turned away from his mother and looked at Ben with narrowed eyes. “You asking the same question?”

  “I just don’t think he’s being honest.”

  “Bottom line is that I haven’t had any way to reach Emma in the last few days, and it doesn’t look like I ever will again. She could be anywhere and he’s the only one who knows how to find her.”

  Helen sat forward in her seat. “How do you know he isn’t lying?”

  “He knew exactly where she was the last time I received a text from her, and also found me at that grocery store. He may not be honest about his intentions, but he does know some things, and so far, he hasn’t tried anything.”

  “Yeah,” Ben said, “but didn’t he try to shoot you?”

  “He fired a warning shot … wanted to make a statement. I did the same exact thing to him.”

  “Still doesn’t make it right.”

  “I’ve got my eye on him as does Griffin and Frank. He won’t make a single move without one of us telling him to make it first. No one needs to worry about him, I promise you that.”

  Ethan looked up from the table and noticed the food court beginning to clear. He managed to catch Griffin’s eye and gave him a quick tilt of the chin. Griffin nodded back and gave a thumbs up from across the room. With his two friends watching Boone’s every move, he could take care of a few overdue conversations.

  Back to his mother and Ben, Ethan said, “I need to get with the people here, figure out what they need from us, and how we go about getting out of here in the morning. You both okay?”

  They looked at one another and then back at Ethan. He hadn’t really answered their questions or adequately addressed their concerns, but they already knew that there was no way he could. The only alternative was to toss Boone out on the side of the road and then somehow manage to find Emma on their own.

  For Ethan, that scenario wasn’t even up for discussion.

  Ethan lifted his head and again watched as the residents of Stateline quickly cleared their tables and then scurried off deeper into the outlet mall. He was able to make eye contact with one of the men from earlier in the day, held up his hand, and waved.

  The man acknowledged Ethan’s gesture, turned back, and started toward him.

  “Mother, can you and Ben check on Zach, let him know I’ll be right back?”

  “Ethan …”

  “I’ll just be a few minutes.” Ethan stood and started toward the man, offering a quick nod and smile to those he passed along the way. He quickly weaved his way through the maze of tables, sliding chairs back into their proper places as he moved. He not only wanted to get to Jonah, but also away from the current line of questioning.

  Ten feet from the man, Ethan searched his mind. He knew that he’d been told the man’s name, but in the rush to ge
t his friends inside, he hadn’t given Jonah his complete attention.

  Was it John? No that wasn’t it. Maybe Tim, no that wasn’t it either. But as Ethan stepped past the last table and extended his hand, the smaller man with thick arms let him off the hook.

  “Todd … you’re Ethan, right?”

  “Yes sir, you know where I can find Jonah?”

  “He’s in the control room. We’ve got a few stragglers out near the west end. He’s trying to decide what he wants to do with them.”

  “Is he okay with me going to see him?”

  “He actually asked me to come and get you. I guess you two have a few things to work out.”

  167

  Out of the dimly lit food court and into the hall, Ethan was finally alone. He powered up the flashlight Todd had given him and started up the long narrow corridor. Another twenty seconds and as he passed the pair of recycling bins he was told to look for, he pointed the flashlight toward the open doorway thirty feet ahead. Even over his echoed footfalls, he could clearly make out Jonah’s booming voice.

  “Maybe an hour, maybe less. But we don’t really want to if we don’t have to, you good with that?”

  Another man’s voice escaped the open door just as Ethan powered off the flashlight. “Yeah, I’ll get Sam and Gwen to drive out there.”

  Ethan stopped just outside the room and leaning into the wall, peered into the room. “Jonah?”

  “Yes Ethan, come on in.”

  He stepped aside and allowed the second man to pass into the hall and then took a seat beside a bank of three video monitors. “You wanted to see me?”

  “Yes, there are a few things I wanted to run by you before we lock everything down tonight.”

  Ethan stared at the trio of backlit screens as if they’d give him a clue as to what it was that this man wanted. Like somehow the black and white images would tell him why he was here, and other than the handful of Feeders wandering the rear lot, what else there could be to discuss.