The Last Bastion of the Living: A Futuristic Zombie Novel (38 page)

“
There won
’
t be,
”
Dr. Curran said quickly.

“
Let us drop weapons to our people.
”
Commandant Pierce leaned toward President Cabot.
“
Let us do our job efficiently and with proper weaponry.
”

“
We can
’
t risk drawing the
Inferi Scourge
away from the wall.
”
Mr. Petersen gave Dr. Curran a withering look.
“
Don
’
t you agree?
”

“
The Anomalies need to be our concern,
”
Dr. Curran argued.
“
They have already breached the subway and sewer systems.
They
’
re
a real threat to this city
’
s security. Arm the
Inferi Boon
and let them deal with the situation. If the aircraft does draw
Inferi Scourge
away from the wall, let the
Inferi Boon
deal with them.
”

“
If we end up extending the mission, the food crisis will not be avoided,
”
Vice President April Sims said, daring to finally speak up.
“
We
’
re already gambling with the belief that we can start producing crops as soon as the valley is cleared and safe.
”

President Cabot gave her a withering look.

Dwayne couldn
’
t keep his silence on the matter anymore.
“
Instead of preparing for Section A and potential food riots, we should have warned the citizens long before now. If there is a delay in this mission, there will be serious ramifications because this administration ha
s
not been forthcoming with the populace.
”

“
I will remember your words,
”
the president said crossly.

Caitlyn
shot a worried look at her father and he winked at her reassuringly.
Caitlyn
had yet to understand how truly messy things could be at the upper levels of government, but she was certainly learning swiftly.

“
He
’
s right,
”
Commandant Peirce spoke up.
“
We
’
re teetering on the edge of extinction, our only hope resting on the people we killed and made into
Inferi Boon
to do our bidding and we won
’
t even arm them against the Anomalies?
”

“
We already had to deal with one delay by pulling Special Constable Jameson out of the field. That tiltrotor pulled an estimated twenty thousand
Inferi Scourge
a
way from the city walls. We can
’
t afford to do that again.
”
Mr. Petersen
’
s bland face was becoming eerily calm.

“
At the rate the
Inferi Boon
have been killing, that is not even a half day delay.
At one point the
squads were
killing eight hundred
Inferi Scourge
a minute.
”
Dwayne was well-acquainted with all the numbers since the
c
ommandant had insisted on his inclusion at the meeting.

“
That was when the
Inferi Scourge
were packed so tightly together that our people had to hardly move to be within killing reach of the next one.
Now they
’
re more scattered and it takes much longer. The kill counts have decreased. Especially since they lost Jameson. He was a blood-thirsty one.
”
Mr. Petersen
’
s voice was calm and accommodating, but his smile was shark-like.

“
He
was
a blood thirsty one?
”
Commandant Pierce
’
s voice was like knives, sharp and cruel.

“
He died unexpectedly yesterday,
”
Dr. Curran said, averting her eyes.

“
A sad loss.
A true hero,
”
the President said. His words sounded well-rehearsed and empty.

“
The point is that we cannot
afford
delays. Our fuel, food, and ammunition stores are nearly depleted. If we do not clear the valley within the next week, we will have to implement Section A,
”
Mr. Petersen said.
“
And that is not acceptable.
”

“
And you
’
re not on the evacuation list, are you?
”
Dwayne gave the man a mirthless smile.

Mr. Petersen rewarded him with a bland look and a slight shrug.
“
I have the city
’
s interests at heart.
”

“
If the
Inferi Boon
don
’
t have sufficient weaponry to fight off the Anomalies, this conversation will be moot. They will fail. We will fail and the Section A evacuation will commence,
”
Commandant Pierce said. The sharp beauty of her face only added to the power of her words.
“
If the
Inferi Boon
are our only hope, then give them the damn weapons.
”

“
If there is a delay-
”
Mr. Petersen started.

“
Give them the weapons,
”
the president said. His glum face was turned toward the hologram of the valley.
“
One aircraft. Air drop the weapons. But after the
Inferi Boon
destroy the Anomalies, we will launch our final assault on the
Inferi Scourge
.
”

“
The pockets of
Inferi Scourge
along the eastern edge of the valley-
”

“
Mr. Petersen, you said that we had the weaponry for one final assault, so plan to eliminate those pockets of
Inferi Scourge
as well.
I do not want any more delays. I
’
m done with this
Inferi Boon
,
Inferi Anomaly
,
Inferi
-fucking-Scourge business! Clean it up! Give the city a gawddamn show and keep us from starving to death. You said you could do it. Then fucking do it.
”
The president glowered at the silent people gathered around the table then turned his scorching gaze to Mr. Petersen.
“
Am I clear?
”

“
Absolutely,
”
Mr. Petersen answered.

Dwayne noticed he wasn
’
t the only one suppressing a smile.

“
Then
w
e
’
re
done here,
”
the president said, rising to his feet.

Dwayne and the commandant swiftly moved to intercept the departing leader as he entered the corridor.
His staff looked nervous and sufficiently cowed by the president
’
s outburst.
He was well-known for his temper away from the news cameras and his face was flushed, the veins in his neck standing out sharply.

“
President Cabot, a word please,
”
Commandant Pierce called out, trying to edge around a security officer.

The handsome man with the killer looks and wide grin that was so pleasing to the public fastened a glower upon the commandant that was far removed from his public face.
“
The meeting is over, Commandant Pierce.
”

“
Yet the Constabulary continues to play a secondary role in this infamous finale the SWD has planned. I have towed the line and done as you wished for months now, but I know if I had been included in this mission from its inception we would be much closer to success instead of a potential disaster.
”
Commandant Pierce met the president
’
s stare without fear and with a touch of defiance.

“
The Constabulary was responsible for one of the worst losses of life and resources
The Bastion
has endured since the gate failed.
Your final push was a disaster.
”

“
Yes, and my predecessor resigned in the aftermath. I am not Commandant Young.
”

The president chuckled.
“
You
’
ll have to do better than that.
”

“
I
’
m sworn to protect this city,
”
Dwayne said.
“
That
’
s the role I play.
I should have been included in the planning of this mission and its implementation.
The SWD has security officers, not trained military men and women.
There is a huge difference in their training. Why else would have the SWD asked for the best of the Constabulary soldiers?
”

The president motioned his security aside as the vice president lingered just behind him.
A small smile on her lips revealed clearly how much she enjoyed seeing the president put on the spot.
Caitlyn
stood just behind her
,
watching with keen interest.

“
You do have a point there.
And I do commend you for the performance of your soldiers out in the field. It
’
s obvious from the number of
Inferi Scourge
that they have killed in the last few months that
they
’
re
strong and capable men and women.
Whereas the SWD security forces suffered a painful loss today, your people are still in play. So well done. But that doesn
’
t take away the fact that both of you have been a part of the dismal failures of the
C
onstabulary i
n the past and the SWD has impleme
nted a successful plan of action.
Let me repeat that in case both of you hard heads didn
’
t catch that. The Constabulary failed in its plan for a final push.
Failed.
Yes, you were both lower
-
ranking officers at that time
,
but you had a part in the planning of that mission.
I don
’
t trust failures.
”
The president was smiling, but his tone was lethal.
“
That is why you weren
’
t given a seat on the
planning
council and the SWD has taken point on this mission.
”

“
This mission is on the verge of failure because we were not included,
”
Commandant Pierce protested.
“
The SWD
has made
grandiose
plans to eradicate the
Inferi Scourge
in one big show for the city to relish, but we have not been consulted.
In fact, we just received the bare details of the planned action today.
”

“
We
’
re still reviewing the plans the SWD has proposed to determine if they will be effective,
”
Dwayne added.

The president folded his arms and smirked slightly.
“
You
’
re involved in this operation at this point only because Commandant Pierce and Dr. Curran pushed for it. I don
’
t like including people who have a personal stake in an operation.
”

“
Excuse me, but we all have a personal stake in this mission,
”
Commandant Pierce protested.
“
If it fails, we all die.
”

Dwayne knew what was coming before the president directed his gaze toward him.

“
But you
’
re not fucking Vanguard Martinez.
”