The Phoenix Trilogy (Book 1): World On Fire (31 page)

    More
propaganda. I guess I should have expected this.
Natalie sighed to herself before smiling
broadly, doing her part to convince the masses that things were surely taking a
turn for the better! It was a sickening thing to need to do, but sometimes
people needed hope more than truth.

    Though,
shit... that means there is something worth hiding, doesn’t it?
Natalie didn’t like thinking about where
this conversation might be headed, but she knew it was something she’d need to
hear sooner or later.
After glancing around to ensure that the passersby
were placated with their little white lie and that nobody would overhear him,
he leaned in close.

    “BJ
said he’d showed you his map, the one where he kept a record of all the places
we’ve lost, and when?” Natalie nodded, keeping her face as neutral as possible
while Rico talked. The undead, or their supposed handlers, had been destroying
one facility every five days exactly for quite some time. Dropping his voice to
a whisper, Rico continued.

    “Well
they missed their schedule twice now. Most outposts haven’t seen a single biter
for days, either. It all sounds like good news, if you don’t know that somebody
is using these things. The only reason they’d be pulling back like this is if
they had a plan, and I don’t care who you are, everybody knows that any plan
they come up with is bad news for us.” Rico broke away abruptly, cheerfully
waving at a nearby woman who appeared to have recognized him. Whoever she was,
she smiled brightly before calling out.

    “Got
more good news for us, Rico?” Like a master con artist, Rico played his part
without missing a beat.

    “Things
are remarkably quiet out there, so we’re doing a scav run to take advantage of
the peace. Should be a good one! I might even be able to snag a new dress for
you today.” Rico’s accompanying grin was equal parts friendly and flirtatious,
the perfect accent for his little play.
He’s certainly good at keeping up
appearances, I’ll give him that. Wonder how many times I’ve fallen for the same
trick since we met.

    
The woman chuckled, Rico did too, and he
walked the last hundred feet to the exit checkpoint with a big fake smile glued
to his face. The instant they stepped inside the tent together, it faded, but
Rico continued with his story while BJ checked out with the guard.

    “Yeup.
Going to be able to get out to some unexplored places today for looting, since
the dead have fallen back. Might even get some real privacy for once.” Natalie
almost asked what the Hell was going on before Rico winked suggestively at her.

    It
was obvious that he did it, and another soldier nearby laughed under his breath
at the implication, but Natalie knew it had nothing to do with flirting. For
whatever reason, he was putting on another show and he wanted her to play
along. Natalie tittered before bouncing her head in the affirmative.

    “It’s
true, I’ve been hoping to find some private time for us. What do you think BJ
likes to talk about, anyway?” On cue, Rico looked suitably crestfallen, and the
soldier who had laughed before practically roared with amusement.
Idiot.
Hurry up, BJ.

    Whether
he had heard her silent request or not, BJ finished his exchange with the guard
and beckoned for the rest of them to follow him outside. Rico exchanged one
last sorry look with the soldier, who assured him that he’d have better luck
next time, before the gates were closed behind them.

    The
reports had been right about the undead not being sighted for days. There was a
great deal of blood and gore that coated the ground around the walls, but all
of it was old. Even though she had been told to expect this, it came as a
surprise.

    “They
really haven’t been around… that’s so strange. This place makes a fair amount
of noise, and they’re ruthless enough. Even if they’re controlled sometimes,
are they really smart enough to avoid coming here on their own?” Natalie wasn’t
speaking to anyone in particular, and certainly wasn’t expecting an answer, but
for the first time since they were reunited, Marco spoke.

    “They’ve
always been smarter than they should have been.” He shrugged at that, caught on
his own words. “Though, shit, what’s the standard supposed to be? Not like
zombies have ever been real before. Who can say what they’re ‘supposed’ to be
like. Best to just accept that we’re getting lucky for now.”

    Marco
still wouldn’t look directly at her, but Natalie wondered if maybe whatever had
been bothering him was subsiding. Like Rico, however, his words had been too
loud, leaving her to wonder if his response was more for the guards watching
them from the towers than her.

    Something
was going on, that much was obvious, but Natalie trusted the others. They had a
reason for their actions, which she was sure she’d be filled in on as soon as
they were out of earshot. Whatever they were doing involved the guards just as
much as the civilians, which was strange.
Maybe the soldiers are just as in
the dark as everyone else?

    They
marched to silence, BJ leading them on toward their destination with an
unnatural carelessness. He was making no attempt to hide his location,
barreling along down the center of the street without worry, and didn’t seem to
care that he was making unnecessary noise as he did. Marco and Rico were
following suit, though they at least looked uncomfortable. They were clearly
ignoring what their reflexes were telling them to do, and Natalie glanced
uneasily back the way they’d come.

    
They’re
doing this
because we’re still in sight of the main gate. Why the Hell
are they this concerned about appearances?
Natalie’s skin was prickling,
her own instincts screaming at her to be more careful. This was too much to be
a simple lie for the sake of maintaining hope.

    The
only reason Natalie could think of that would make BJ risk themselves like this
was if he believed they were taking the safest course available to them.
So
maybe BJ and the military aren’t on the same page anymore. What happened back
in town?

    BJ’s
path veered left, taking them down another road and away from the watchful
presence of the camp. The moment they were out of sight, the men released a
frustrated sigh in unison before ducking down into cover behind a nearby stoop.

    “Tell
me we’re done playing good soldier, B. I can’t handle any more of that shit. I
thought I was going to have a meltdown.” Rico kept rolling his shoulders as if
he were trying to buck off an invisible demon, the irritation plain on his face
as he addressed BJ.

    While
Marco remained quiet, it was clear from the vein pulsing in his neck that he
shared his cousin’s feelings on the matter. BJ snapped his teeth in a rare show
of temper, and both of the other men promptly fell back.

    “You
both know that we have to keep up appearances. Bitching about it won’t make a
difference.” It took him a moment to regain his composure, but as soon as he
did, BJ turned to address Natalie personally.

    “You’ve
got questions, and we’ve only got a little bit of time to answer. Talk fast; I don’t
want to stop here, no matter what those assholes try to tell me is ‘safe.’” BJ
was practically snarling by the time he’d finished his sentence, his anger
bubbling to the surface and causing him to lose focus. Natalie decided not to
risk provoking him further, and unsure of where to start, simply blurted out
what was on her mind.

    “What
in the Hell is going on here? Why did Rico make all that crap up about scavving
instead of recon? Why did we just casually walk down the street like we’re
going for a pleasant Sunday stroll when we know how stupid that is?” Natalie’s
voice came out louder than she intended, her frustration being fueled by the
mutual unrest in the group and overtaking her judgment.

    It
wasn’t the lying or the uncertainty that had gotten to her, as much as the
implications that those actions had. Any reason they had to lie to the
soldiers, combined with Rico and BJ’s obvious distaste for them, left Natalie
feeling sour. Things were already bad enough; they didn’t need another excuse to
get worse. Unfortunately for her, BJ was gearing up for a second growling
tirade.

    “The
boys in charge don’t believe the zombies are being controlled. They think there
are human enemies, and that they’re responsible for this, but that’s it. More
specifically, they’re so goddamn ‘insistent’ that the two are totally separate
that they’re practically crucifying anyone who says otherwise. I spoke up a
handful too many times, nearly got us on a shitlist, and so now we’ve got to be
good little boys and girls.” BJ was nearly frothing, and even the cousins were
seething quietly. Natalie was dumbfounded.

    “This
isn’t a recon mission, not on paper. There’s ‘no reason to authorize’ one of
those, so we made something up. Those fucking pricks want to talk about how
safe the surrounding area is now that the biters are out of sight, fine. What
better time to scavenge some goods, then.” Natalie felt a small spike of
amusement at the triumphant look on BJ’s face as he recounted what happened.
Rico was smirking so smugly that Natalie could have mistaken him for Marco, who
was chuckling darkly to himself.

    “Wesley
nearly shit a brick when BJ told him that. Jackass. Took some of the wind out
of him, I’ll say that much.” Rico and BJ both nodded along contentedly with Marco’s
words. Whoever this Wesley was, it sounded like he might be BJ’s boss. It was
hard to imagine anybody ordering the giant veteran around, but Natalie supposed
everybody had someone above them on the food chain.

    The
fact that the people in charge would deny the obvious implications of the
seemingly organized undead was eating at Natalie, so she found it hard to join
the men in their little celebration of tongue-in-cheek rebellion.

     “BJ,
have you shown them our evidence? I know we can’t say for sure that we’re right
about this, but come on. Even they have to admit it looks like we might be on
to something, right?” Natalie’s questions struck a sobering chord with the men,
dousing their mood and causing them to cast conspiratorial glances at one another.

    “I
showed them. They even took my map, though it was only a copy. I’d known enough
by then to suspect that something was off.” BJ’s voice was thick with hate, and
it made Natalie’s skin crawl.

    “The
level of denial we’re seeing, it’s borderline traitorous. The only reason you’d
be this against the facts at hand is if you had a vested interest in keeping
people unprepared. We’re out here to prove it.” Marco and Rico grunted their
approval in a fashion that was taken straight from BJ’s own mannerisms, while
the big man himself took a moment to focus his intensity on Natalie.

    “Either
we find a connection that shows the folks back home don’t have our best
interests at heart, or we find irrefutable evidence that the zombies are more
complicated than they keep saying. Either way, their bullshit stops.” The way
his eyes were fixed on her, Natalie was sure BJ was waiting for her to confirm
that she was on board. Then it hit her.

    This
was why the others had been acting so strangely around her admission to the
team. They knew they were going to be breaking orders. BJ had been upset
because he knew she didn’t understand what she was getting into, Rico had been
trying to keep her from questioning it while they traveled in the outpost, and
Marco…

    Well,
Marco probably thought bringing her along was a bad idea, so he’d been upset
about her joining in the first place. It made sense. The only other time she’d
seen him this bitter was when she had corrected his hand signals.

    The
thought of reporting BJ, or even disagreeing with his plan, was so absurdly
comical to Natalie that she almost laughed aloud. Marco might be a pain in the
ass, but these were her people now. Her loyalty belonged to them.

    “So,
if that’s the plan, then I’m guessing we’re off to investigate the gunshots
that got reported because it might have involved the undead. We find them,
maybe we find the link we’re after. Makes sense. Ready to go?” Natalie shrugged
her shotgun into her hands, familiarizing herself with its feeling once again.
It also served to answer BJ’s unspoken question; she was with them for the long
haul.

    Predictably,
BJ rumbled to new life, content with her response. What Natalie found more
interesting was the sly smirk Rico cast at Marco; an action that screamed
I
told you so!
She was careful to hide her smile, but it satisfied her to
know that Rico had been vouching for her.
Plus, anything to stick it to
Marco. Dick.

    
Now that they were safely out of range of
the outpost, their movement reverted back to the steady and cautious gait that
Natalie had become accustomed to. Though she was now a full member of the crew,
little had actually changed. BJ took point, Marco brought up the rear, and Rico
kept Natalie company in the center.

    The
largest difference was Natalie’s weapon. It was the same shotgun that she had
been gifted at the start of her journey, but she had opted to wear her crowbar
on a loop off the shoulder of her backpack in favor of the gun. It was an
awkward change, and she felt unsure of herself while she held it, but the added
utility was necessary. If she was going to be a soldier, she’d have to get
accustomed to the arms.

    “How
do we know where we’re headed? Gunshots can’t be that easy to trace back,
especially in the city like this.” Natalie spoke in a whisper, leaning into
Rico as she did. She had been content to follow along behind BJ’s confident
stride for a while, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized
how aimless their quest might actually be.

    “We
had more than one report come in from different checkpoints. It was enough to
give us a decent idea of direction, but we’re going to have to get our hands
dirty searching at some point.” Rico had taken to holding his rifle at the
ready, his attention almost completely glued to the scope mounted to its frame.
Natalie glanced down at her own gun, bare of frills save for the prom-tip
attached securely at its barrel, and fell back to her march in silence.

    
A
shotgun isn’t going to do much good for scouting. If I’m going to be part of
the team, I’m going to need to find something more to do than sit back on
stand-by while I wait for somebody to get mauled.
The thought of her
newfound skills brought another wave of disappointment.

    First-aid
was an invaluable thing, once upon a time. Here, it had lost much of its
utility. Natalie knew she wasn’t without her abilities, and that she was far
from dead weight, but she needed more. Maybe while they were hunting for proof
to take back to the outpost she would discover some hidden talent, though she
had little faith in the idea. At a loss for purpose, Natalie returned her
attention to watching the path ahead. It felt inefficient, but it was better
than nothing.

    All
at once, BJ, Rico, and Natalie spotted the same blundering body wander out into
the road ahead of them. Though it was early in the day and the sky was
overcast, the group had sighted their guest the moment it had come into view,
allowing them enough time to duck into the alley of a nearby building. As was
normal, BJ peered through his scope and raised his hand, seconds away from
signaling what they were dealing with to the rest of the group.

    Only
this time, he was hesitating. Hidden as they were, BJ was the one person
capable of getting a good look at their target without giving away their
position, but something had made him pause. After what felt like an eternity of
contemplation, he lowered one finger point down before raising it upward. That
should have meant there was one human ahead of them, but BJ’s usually brisk and
confident demeanor seemed unsteady.

    Slowly,
BJ pressed them back further into cover. Whatever they were dealing with, it
was headed in their direction and BJ was content to remain in hiding. Natalie
couldn’t say she would have done things any differently. She still had vivid
memories of their escape from the mysterious trapmaster who had attempted to
herd them to their deaths, and that had happened not much further from the
outpost than they were now.

    There
was no reason to believe the lone wanderer who had their attention now was
connected to their enemy from before, and truthfully, Natalie didn’t believe it
likely. It was enough to satisfy her paranoia that this newcomer was an unknown
factor in a dangerous place, just as likely to help as to hurt. Until they knew
more, she saw no point in throwing themselves into a potentially risky
situation by pursuing the stranger.

    It
took a few minutes, but eventually the figure meandered into view of the
alleyway. They were close enough now that Natalie could understand a small part
of BJ’s uncertainty; the man, as he did appear to be male, was heavily bandaged
and walking with a noticeable limp. What Natalie had initially mistaken as
being a bandana of some kind was clearly wet with something, a glistening
substance that reflected what little daylight was breaking through the cloudy
sky.

    The
sole reason Natalie hadn’t immediately written him off as a zombie was because
BJ had identified him as otherwise. His walk was unusual, whatever was on his
bandages resembled the same infection that came off of the undead, and he
didn’t seem to be paying any attention to where he was or what he was doing. It
was only when she noticed his continued unconscious touching of his wounds that
she found the first trace of humanity in him.

    BJ
exchanged a nod with Rico, and before Natalie recognized what was happening,
the cousin had taken to the street at an alarmingly fast pace. In a matter of
seconds he was on the stranger, now snapped out of his reverie and attempting
to panic at Rico’s sudden aggressive presence. With brutal efficiency, Rico
bore him to the ground.

    Natalie
could see only kicking feet as the man struggled under Rico’s hold. Aside from
the scuffing of his shoe against the road, no sound emanated from the two men.
Rico was quiet as he worked, and Natalie could only assume he had taken care to
prevent his victim from screaming. Moments later, the fight slowed, then
stopped.

    
Jesus
Christ, did Rico just kill him? Is that what he’s here for? Marco watches the
back, BJ takes the lead, and Rico takes care of whoever is in the way?
A
memory of Rico executing a zombie back at the gas station came unbidden to her
mind, and Natalie realized this shouldn’t have been a surprise. She knew what he
was capable of. She just hadn’t anticipated this turn of events, especially
regarding someone that may not have actually been a threat.

    Natalie
nearly whooped when Rico stood up, dragging a very scared and extremely
cooperative man along with him. Whatever Rico had done had made the man soil
himself, that much was immediately clear. Beyond that, he seemed no worse for
wear, at least physically. She suspected there might be some emotional scarring
thanks to Rico’s sudden kidnapping, but it was better that than death.

    Unceremoniously,
their impromptu prisoner was shoved down to the ground before them. Whatever
fear he had felt at Rico’s intrusion was forgotten at the sight of BJ looming
above him. A low whimper escaped his lips, but he couldn’t bring himself to
look away. Given that BJ had evidently cranked his intimidation factor to
eleven, Natalie could sympathize with the man.

    “You
two watch the exits, and you’re with me.” BJ wasted no time, jerking his head
toward each of the crew in turn as he gave his orders, his eyes never leaving
their new company. As he sent the cousins off to watch the alley entrances, he
gestured to Natalie’s crowbar.

    “If
he does anything stupid, brain him.” Natalie was lucky that BJ’s flat statement
elicited a cascade of whining and pleading from their captive, because it
perfectly covered her choked bark of surprise.

    “‘Stupid’
includes making too much noise. There are dangerous things about, and I can’t
guarantee you’d die quickly if you happened to get their attention.” BJ held no
emotion in his tone, the words steely and unforgiving as they rumbled from his
chest as casually as if he were discussing the weather.

    Natalie
regained her composure quickly, slinging her shotgun back over her shoulder and
drawing her crowbar from its loop on her pack, going so far as to
“accidentally” scrape the metal on a buckle. Between BJ’s threats and Natalie’s
motion to carry them out, the man before them collapsed into a fit of barely
audible whimpering.

    Measuring
out threats and intimidating the stranger into cooperation were not things that
Natalie enjoyed, but as always, she understood how wickedly necessary it was.
No matter if he was good or evil, they required absolute cooperation from him,
and in that regard fear was a uniquely powerful motivator.

    Plying
him with care and soothing words would do nothing to stop him from screaming,
should the undead make an appearance. Threaten his life so completely that it
becomes instinct to stay quiet, however, and the odds of a messy interrogation
drop considerably. Judging by the panicked whispering coming from their
prisoner, Natalie would say they’d succeeded in making their point.

    “Please,
just please, don’t kill me. I don’t have anything to take, it’s all gone already,
I’m sorry. All I’m trying to do is get to the military, that’s it, that’s all I
was trying to do, I swear to God. I just have to talk to them.” He had buried
his face in the dirt as he prattled, completely oblivious as BJ and Natalie
exchanged a glance.
A connection already?

    “Why
do you need to talk to them? What business could you possibly have?” BJ’s voice
betrayed no hint of the true depth of his interest in the subject, and Natalie
quietly applauded him. If anything, it had taken on a growing hint of
disbelief.

    The
man’s reaction was not what Natalie expected. Instead of keeling over and
spilling his guts to them, he froze, and she caught the unmistakable sound of
muffled sobbing. Slowly, he raised his head. Tears were bright in his eyes,
rolling down over his bandages and leaving trails in the filth that had coated
them while he groveled.

    “It...
I’m so sorry, so so sorry, I… I didn’t even try. I have to tell them. I have to
do something this time, I can’t… I should have helped!” Pain was clear in the
man’s voice, giving it a sharp pitch as his sobs began to form a wail.

    Mercilessly,
BJ backhanded him, a less than gentle reminder of the dangerous situation he
was in. Natalie had no doubt that the man would have screamed if he had the power,
and regret at BJ’s treatment overtook her as she got a better look at him.

    BJ’s
blow had torn away some of the patchwork first-aid that covered their
prisoner’s face, and Natalie immediately understood why his bandages had looked
wet. He was burned, badly, and lack of access to a proper medical facility had
caused his wounds to begin weeping excessively. The cloth he had wrapped his
burns in had been soaked through with discharge, effectively adhering it to his
head.

    The
amount of pain he must be in made Natalie cringe further, and the thought of
BJ’s hit tearing the wrappings free from his flesh was nearly too much. BJ, on
seeing the man’s state, remained cold.

    It’s
necessary, Natalie. If he screams, we all get thrown into hot water. We have to
keep him quiet. We have to.
The only good thing that she felt was an almost meaningless sense
of relief as their victim regained his composure. He was sobbing openly now,
but was obviously keeping his pain and misery restrained as he attempted to continue
telling his story.