The Last Bastion of the Living: A Futuristic Zombie Novel (6 page)

“
You
’
re
questioning now,” Mr. Petersen pointed out.

Maria pressed her lips together, considered her words, then said, “You want truthful answers. So do I.”

Slightly arching one brow, Mr. Petersen slowly set his stylus down. Clasping his hands together, he leaned toward her. “What I am looking for, Vanguard Martinez, are soldiers that will be willing to spend an extended period of time on a special mission. If
they
’
re
single with not many attachments, they will fare much better than someone with closer familial ties.”

Maria narrowed her eyes slightly, but didn
’
t respond.

“You fit those criteria.” Mr. Petersen
’
s intense gaze
didn
’
t
falter. “Don
’
t you?”

Reluctantly, Maria answered, “Yes, sir.”

Mr. Petersen picked up his stylus and made another notation. He waited a few moments and then Maria caught sight of a communiqué flashing across his screen. Opening it, Mr. Petersen read it, and then set his stylus aside. Raising his eyes, he said, “Would you be interested in volunteering for a mission that will save the city and all its inhabitants and let us reclaim the valley from the
Inferi Scourge
?”

Maria hesitated as visions of Ryan being overwhelmed by the
undead
churned in her mind.

“I see
you
’
re
a
little hesitant
.
” Mr. Petersen gave her a tight
lipped
smile. “You were involved in the last great battle against the
Inferi Scourge
, Vanguard Martinez. You were almost killed. You were rendered infertile. Don
’
t yo
u wish to seek revenge upon them
?”

“I would like to see them destroyed. I would like for humanity to be free again.”

“That isn
’
t an answer to my question.” Mr. Petersen leaned toward her, narrowing his eyes. “Or is it not the
Inferi Scourge
you blame for your losses? Perhaps you blame your superiors for an ill-conceived battle plan?”

Maria flicked her gaze away from the man with the uncomfortable stare and carefully formed an answer. “I did what I was ordered.”

“But you feel the battle plan was faulty, no?”

Maria
’
s mind lingered on the mobile walls getting stuck the in the mushy ground and the steel mesh ripping free. She remained silent.

“You can speak freely with me. In fact, I insist on it.
It
’
s
vital that I understand you, Vanguard Martinez.”

Lifting her eyes, Maria answered carefully, “I believe that certain factors were not taken into consideration when the battle plan was formalized.”

Mr. Petersen gave her an unexpected smile, bobbing his head. “I concur! The SWD never supported the battle plan
and was absolutely opposed.
Commandant
Young
and the President
’
s council were adamant that a seventy-two percent probability of success was more than acceptable. We disagreed. In fact, we asked for more time to perfect our own plan to eliminate the
Inferi Scourge
from the valley and restore order.”

“If the plan was faulty, why did they do it?”

Mr. Petersen tilted his head and gave her an amused look. “You
’
re a very smart young woman. Why do you think they did it?”

“We
’
re running out of resources and time.”

“Exactly. It
’
s not so hard to surmise. Just walk through the streets of the city and see how much has been lost just in the last twenty years. Soon the city will go dark and humanity will be lost.”

“How is your plan any different?” Maria asked pointedly. “What makes the SWD believe they can be successful?”

“Simple.” Mr. Petersen flashed a wide, unexpected smile. “We found a way to allow our soldiers to walk among the
Inferi Scourge
without fear of attack or infection. We have found a
way to deceive them into believing
you
’
re
one of them.”

Maria gasped and slumped back in her chair
in shock
.

“Our newly developed serum requires the healthiest of bodies. Our plan demands the
strongest of
minds. Once the serum is administered, you will leave the city and systematically clear the valley and close the gate.”

Maria let out a breath she hadn
’
t realized she was holding. “Oh, my God.”

“Amazing, isn
’
t it? Just when it seems
w
e
’
re
on the verge of extinction
,
science
has delivered us from evil.” Mr. Petersen picked up his stylus. “Now, would you be interested in volunteering for a mission that will save the city and all its inhabitants and let us reclaim the valley from the
Inferi Scourge
?”

Maria nodded her head adamantly. “Yes, absolutely.”

Mr. Petersen smiled.

Chapter 4

Maria was dozing lightly when Dwayne crawled into bed with her. The fans around the bed hummed softly, and her body was cool beneath the thin sheets. As Dwayne
’
s naked body stretched out next to hers, she rolled over and kissed him.

“You
’
re awake,” he said, surprised, and wrapped his arms around her.

“You
’
re late,” Maria replied. She ran her fingers down over his face, feeling the light poke of his stubble against her skin.

“You got my message, didn
’
t you?” Dwayne asked worriedly.

“Uh huh. Dinner with the kids.”

“The twins wanted to see me.” Dwayne
’
s hands gently pushed her hair back from her face, his fingers gentle as always. “Even Caitlyn joined us.”

Maria knew that Dwayne
’
s eldest daughter was usually unavailable. She was an assistant to one of the
p
resident
’
s
council members
. “How was she?”

“Argumentative as always. I felt like I was on trial. She should have been a lawyer. It was exhausting
.
I just wanted to get back here and see you.”

“Just see me?” Climbing on top of him, she whispered softly to him in Spanish, knowing he loved it.

“I don
’
t know what the hell you
’
re saying, but it sounds great,” he said with a little moan as she rubbed her bare breasts over his chest and kissed his neck.

Soon he was hard and inside her and they gasped as their bodies rode together. Dwayne wrapped his fingers in her hair and kissed her deeply as they came together, perfectly matched as always.

“I like that greeting,” he finally whispered in a husky voice.

Resting her forehead against his, she smiled slightly. “Me
too.”

“I should get delayed more often,” he teased as his hands slid over her hips.

Maria
’
s hands traced over his muscled chest lightly, the light smattering of hair tickling her palms. She could sense Dwayne tensing as his expression grew concerned.

“Maria, why are you awake?”

“I have something to tell you.”

“Okay,” he said cautiously.

Sliding off of him and tucking herself into his side, she drew a breath, then said, “I volunteered today for a new program with the Science Warfare Division.”

“What? With the SWD? Why?” Sitting up, Dwayne frowned. “Explain it to me.”

“Technically, I
’
m not supposed to,” Maria replied, pushing herself up to face him.

Dwayne narrowed his eyes, his gaze growing steely. It was a look she remembered from when he had once been her commanding officer. It used to terrify her, but now it just made her want to comfort him.

“Cut the bullshit, Maria. We both know the SWD hasn
’
t done anything effective in years. If they want you for some sort of special ops, I want to know what
it i
s
. Petra was busting her ass all day trying to find out what is up with the SWD and the secret meetings today, and she came up empty. If you know something, I want to know. Not just because it concerns you, but because upper
echelon
has a tendency to leave me out of the loop when it matters most to our people. We already break enough rules being together, so spill it.”

Maria shoved her hair back from her face and sat cross legged in front of him. Pulling the sheet over her legs, she took a deep breath. “Fine. Fine. It
’
s a big operation and it has the full support of the
p
resident. It
’
s huge, Dwayne. I think this is why the
p
resident is so optimistic about finally beating back the
Scrags
.”

“Tell me more.” His voice was like steel and his gaze was intense.

Maria hesitated, knowing that what she was about to relate would only antagonize him more. “They asked me to volunteer because I
’
m physically fit, unattached as far as they know, and I
’
m not
‘
breeding stock
’
and therefore, not important to maintaining our population.”

“That
’
s a shitty way to put it.”

“I didn
’
t care much for his wording either. But the really big news is this, Dwayne,” she said, reaching out to take his hand, “they think they found a way to fool the
Scrags
into not attacking the living. It
’
s like an antidote. They said even if the
Scrags
did bite me, I
wouldn
’
t
get infected.”

“If they swarm you, that won
’
t matter. You
’
ll die.” Dwayne
’
s voice was clipped, his expression concerned.

“But if they think I
’
m one of them...” She flicked her dark eyes up to meet his vivid blue ones. “...they won
’
t swarm me.”

“They never attack each other,” Dwayne admitted, realizing where the conversation was leading.

“I could walk among them, kill them, and walk away without being attacked.” Hearing the words coming from her own lips made her shiver, but the excitement of being able to fight the
Inferi Scourge
without fear was like electricity in her blood. “I
’
m going to help clear the valley and close the gate.”

“So they forcibly conscripted you into doing this.” Dwayne shook his head.

“No. It
’
s volunteer only. They didn
’
t tell me the mission until I volunteered.”

“I should have known.” He leaned back on the pillows, covering his face with one hand.
“The canceled meetings, the aircraft
, the SWD being involved, and you being late back from your patrol.”

Maria
tenderly rested her hand
his chest. “I have to do this. They
’
ll give me a plot of land once the valley is cleared and the gate is repaired and shut. I can pick anywhere I want. I
’
ll get a standard settlement deal - one prefab house and furniture.” She leaned her chin on his shoulder and stared at him. “I want out of this city, Dwayne. I want those fuckers gone. I want a life with you. Maybe we can
’
t have kids, but we could have a good life if those things aren
’
t out there.”

Lifting his hand, he settled it against her cheek. “How long?”

“The serum will give us
four to
six months to clear the valley. They think I
’
m unattached, so...”

Dwayne held her tenderly against him. “Other people will do it. You don
’
t have to go.”

She was silent, unsure of how to answer.

Dwayne chuckle
d, shaking
his head. “What am I saying? Of course, you do. You
’
ve been going batshit crazy with the rolling blackouts and shortages just like the rest of us.” He kissed her brow, smoothing her hair back from her face. “The one thing you can
’
t stand is not being able to
do
anything.”

“Exactly. So now that I
can
do something...”

“Once you
’
re back, the divorce will be settled, the twins will have graduated from high school, and we can concentrate on us. We
will
get married.”

“And move out to a nice prefab house near the lake,” Maria added.

“Absolutely.” He swept her hair back from her face. “I
’
ll miss you.”

“I
’
m doing this for us.”

“I know, but I
’
ll still miss you and worry about you every second
you
’
re
gone.” He sighed, then asked, “When are you going to leave?”

“In forty-eight hours,” she answered, her voice catching. Rubbing her palm against his chest, she struggled not to cry. “I love you, Dwayne Reichardt.”

“I love you, Maria Martinez.” He slightly frowned. “Forty-eight hours, huh?”

“Uh huh.”

“You won
’
t be doing much sleeping,” he decided and dragged her over on top of him.

* * *

The small flat was refreshingly cool in the early hours of Maria
’
s last morning in her home. The air conditioner whispered
above her head as she scrubbed
the counters and sink. The last of her coffee stores percolated in the old coffee maker and the remains of her monthly rations were packed in a box near the door. She planned to give it to the Roses before she left her flat for the last time.

It felt odd packing up and preparing to leave, but when her duty was complete she
wouldn
’
t
be living in the city.
Instead a
house near the lake would be waiting for her. She had already reviewed the designs on her personal pad. Dwayne had sat at her side as she had studied the various floor plans before making her final choice. He
’
d
left the decision entirely up to her. Again, she was reminded of why she loved him.

“You
’
re fighting for it. It
’
s your house. Just give me a recliner, a vid-screen, a beer, and I
’
ll be fine,” he promised her.

A long tendril of hair fell into her face as she finished rinsing out the sink and she pushed it back with a damp hand. Looking over her shoulder, she surveyed the flat one more time.

All of her uniforms were neatly packed in one small bag and her person
al items were in another. She
’
d never decorated her tiny space and her personal possessions were meager. She
was
allowed only a few small mementos out in the field, but she was fine with keeping her possessions in storage until her return. As long as she had a life to return to that was all that truly mattered.

Straightening, she tossed the sponge she was using into the
recycle
bin and set her hands on her hips. She considered changing her clothes before calling her mother, but decided against it. Her final change of clothes before she left the flat would be into her uniform, and her mother had never approved of her enlisting.

Angling the vid-screen to face the bed, she slid her personal pad into the port in its side and dialed her mother. Sitting at the edge of the bed, she tucked her hair back from her face and took a deep breath. This was not a conversation she was looking forward to. The “Call Connecting” screen remained much longer than she
expected. When
it flickered
alive,
her brother appeared.

“Hey, Mariano,” Maria exclaimed in surprise, not expecting to see him.

“What you up to, sis?” Her brother
’
s dark kinky hair, big dark eyes, and charming smile were a welcome sight. He was the oldest in her family and strongly resembled her father. Like Maria, he was
also
named after their father.

“I need to speak to Mama. It
’
s important. Is she around?”

“Yeah. Give me a second.”

Her brother vanished from the screen. The camera
transmitted
a good view of her mother
’
s living room. The furniture was old, overly stuffed, and covered with brightly colored throws. A huge block of ice sat in a basin slowly melting as a fan whirred behind it. The wall was decorated with pictures of the family arranged around an enormous picture of the Virgin Mary. It was familiar and comforting
.
Maria felt a little tension leave her shoulders. Her mother entered the scene, sat down in her recliner and fussed with the fan so it would blow icy air over her.

“Hey, Mama!”

“It
’
s not Sunday. Why are you calling early? Are you okay?” Her mother frowned at her, her
shapely
lips turning downward. Lourdes Martinez
’
s hair was just as dark, thick, and beautiful as Maria
’
s, but with fine strands of silver. It was braided and coiled into a fancy bun on the top of her head. The resemblance between Maria and her mother was quite strong, down to the stubborn set of their chin.