V Plague (Book 11): Merciless (34 page)

The squad of Marines were already on their feet, the back door whining as the ramp lowered.  Cool, dry air flowed through the opening, flushing out the funk of too many fighting men crammed into a tight space.  It also woke me up.

The Marines were down the ramp and out of the aircraft quickly, the rest of us following more slowly.  I was anxious to see Katie, but at the same time wasn’t in a hurry to continue the nightmare. 

Dog squeezed between Rachel and me, walking down the ramp with us.  At the bottom, waiting on the tarmac, was Blanchard and Joe Revard.  The Colonel smiled when he saw us, stepping forward to shake my hand.

“Good to see you again, Major.”

“Good to be seen, sir,” I said, shaking his hand before passing over the unread folder and the pack full of papers we’d taken off the Russians.  “I believe Admiral Packard is rather anxious to see this.”

“I’ve already heard from his aide.  Three times.”

Blanchard grinned as he accepted the file and pack.  I glanced around at the stark landscape that reminded me of Arizona, then focused on Joe.

“Hello, Injun Joe,” I said.

“Stupid fucking white man,” he grinned, stepping forward to shake my hand.

“How’s my wife?”  I asked, the question wiping the smile from his face.

“Let’s talk,” he said, gesturing towards the entrance to a low building a hundred yards away.

I told Dog to stay with Igor, but he was having none of it.  Refused to obey.  Just stuck to my side as I began walking with Joe.  I paused and turned when Rachel didn’t follow.

“Coming?”  I asked.

“I don’t think so,” she shook her head.  “I’m here if you need to talk.”

I looked at her for a moment, nodded and followed Joe towards the building.  Dog hesitated, looking between Rachel and me.  I told him to stay with her in a firm voice, and this time he listened. 

“So, tell me,” I said as we strode across the tarmac.

“Let’s find Dr. Kanger,” he said.

“It’s bad, isn’t it?”  I asked.

“It’s not bad, but it’s not good, either,” Joe answered.  “Sorry.  I’m not trying to be evasive.”

We didn’t have anything else to say.  Entering the building, he led me through a maze of corridors, then we took an elevator several levels down.  Stepping out of the car, we were in a well lit hall with a shiny linoleum floor.

“Through here,” he said, indicating a large door labeled
Conference 7A
.

I stepped through and recoiled, whipping my rifle up when I came face to face with a female infected.

“WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!”  Joe shouted and grabbed my arm, pulling the rifle off target.  “She’s not an infected!”

I glanced at him then back at the woman.  She had the blood red eyes, but shrank back in fear when I’d pointed a weapon at her.

“She’s OK,” Joe said, still holding my arm.  “Trust me.”

“I’m not dangerous.  Really,” the woman said.

I stared at her for a moment, slowly lowering my rifle, but not taking my eyes off of her.

“What the hell, Joe?”  I asked.

“Long story,” he said, taking a deep breath.  “She’s got the eyes, and is strong as hell, but there’s no mental impairment or rage.  We’re still trying to figure out why.”

“I see you’ve met Nicole,” a voice said from behind me. 

I didn’t look, not ready to take my focus off the woman.  After a moment, the new arrival pushed past and turned to face me, extending his hand.

“I’m Dr. Kanger,” he said.

After a long moment I shook his hand and let myself be directed to a seat at the table.  Kanger, Joe and the woman took seats at the opposite end, all facing me.

“Where’s my wife?”  I asked.

“She’s in an isolation room under heavy sedation,” Kanger answered.  “It’s better for her, and much safer for us when we need to perform an examination or run a test.”

“Is she OK?”

“She’s being well cared for, if that’s what you mean.  Being fed intravenously.  But she’s infected.”

“Can you cure her?  Help her?”  I finally succeeded in tearing my eyes away from the woman and focusing on Kanger.

The group exchanged a glance, then Kanger began talking.  Told me about the Terminator virus he’d created.  And the cure.

“So if you cure her, she’ll be brain damaged.  Is that what you’re saying?”

“That is a distinct possibility,” he nodded.  “However, we have some hope.  It was actually Nicole’s suggestion.  Induced hypothermia.  We cool her body in advance of administering the cure.  The belief is that this will prevent the damaging fever from reaching a level that can cause a deficit.”

“Have you tried it yet?”  I asked, hope flaring anew.

“No.  We haven’t had an opportunity.  Test subjects have been brought in and are currently in the cooling phase.  It takes several hours.  But I have spoken with some imminent physicians in Australia and Hawaii over the past few hours.  They believe that as long as the cognizant deficit is not the result of damage from the plague virus, there is a good chance this will work.”

“When will you know?”  I asked.

“Several days, I’m afraid.  The subjects’ bodies are almost cool enough.  Once they reach 32 degrees Celsius, I will administer the cure.  It will take 48 hours for it to burn out the plague.  Then another four to six hours to slowly raise the subjects’ body temperature back to normal.”

I took a deep breath, trying to restrain the hope that was surging in my chest.

“John.”  I looked up and met Joe’s eyes.  “You need to understand.  We have no idea if this will work.  I’m sorry.  I just don’t want you to get your hopes up prematurely.”

At first I was angry at Joe for the admonishment, then realized he was right.  After a bit, I nodded. 

“I want to see her,” I said.

“She’s unconscious,” Kanger said.

“I don’t care.  Take me to her.”

He nodded after a pause, looking over at Joe who got to his feet.

“I’ll take you,” he said.

45

Katie and I held hands as we walked across a grassy field.  It was a glorious, sunny day.  Birds were singing in the trees and butterflies were flitting from flower to flower.  Ahead, Dog nosed along the ground, following the scent trail of some animal who had passed through earlier.  Just beyond where he hunted, a crystal blue lake reflected a handful of small, puffy white clouds.

“We should build a cabin here,” Katie said, stopping and looking around the meadow.  “There’re probably fish in the lake, and I’ll bet there are deer in the woods.”

I looked around, agreeing with her.  It was the perfect spot for a home.

“And a garden right over there,” she continued, pointing out the location.  “Easy to water from the lake, and we’d have fresh produce in the summer.  Canned in the winter.”

She was excited, her mood infectious and placing a big smile on my face as I pictured the two of us living here.  Well, more than the two of us.  Facing her, I placed my hand on her swollen belly.  Was sure I felt the baby kick.

I turned when Dog barked, seeing him jump in the air as a large, yellow butterfly flapped around his head.  Katie laughed at his antics, then pulled me down into a long kiss.  Dog ran over and began shoving his muzzle against my hand.  I tried to ignore him, but he was insistent.

Opening my eyes, I came face to face with him.  With a start, I looked around the Spartan room deep beneath the Nevada desert.  I was lying on a single bunk, Dog having awakened me from a dream. 

The hypothermia method had worked on the test subjects.  They had awakened after the cure had time to work, apparently with all faculties intact.  But they were damaged.  Not in any physical way, but emotionally.  Psychologically. 

Some part of their minds remembered what they had become and the things they’d done.  It wasn’t long before each fell into a catatonic state.  Prior to slipping away, several of them begged Kanger and Joe to kill them.  They were unable to live with the memories of having been in an infected rage.

Dog nuzzled me again, then grabbed the thin blanket covering my body in his teeth and dragged it onto the floor.  He needed to go out.

“Should have taken care of that when I told you, dumbass,” I grumbled, swinging my feet to the floor.

I dressed quickly, laced up my boots and grabbed my rifle.  Dog was already standing at the door, dancing in urgency to go.  He raced out the moment it was open far enough for him to fit, stopping at the elevator down the hall.

Taking pity on him, I hurried to where he waited and pushed the call button.  It came quickly, and we rode up, then worked our way through the maze and out into the darkness of a cool, desert night.  As soon as we stepped out of the building, Dog raced away, heading for a broad stretch of sand that bordered the tarmac.

Taking a look around, I noted the Rangers and Marines spread out on sentry duty.  One of them waved before turning back to his area of responsibility.  Lighting a cigarette, I slowly strolled across the pavement in Dog’s wake.

It was chilly, a breeze blowing from the north.  The cloudless sky was filled with stars and my mind quickly went to all the times Katie and I had sat outside at night, watching the heavens.  Not talking, just enjoying being close to each other.

“Can’t sleep?”

I jumped when Colonel Blanchard spoke behind me.

“Probably better I don’t,” I said, remembering the dream.  “Besides. 
Somebody
had to go.”

I gestured in Dog’s direction and he chuckled.

“Just got off the phone with Pearl,” he said, moving to walk with me.  “We’re pulling out tomorrow.”

“Hawaii?”  I asked.

“Yes.  The Russians have retreated.  They’re consolidating their forces, and it looks like they’re getting ready to go home.”

“I thought we hit them with the infection,” I said, surprised before I remembered the entry in the diary I’d found on the dead Russian.

“No.  Just the nerve agent.  It’s only viable for 48 hours.  Their country is decimated, corpses filling the streets, but the agent is burned out.  Other than radiation from the reactors we destroyed, the environment is safe.”

“So what now?  The VIPs live in luxury in Australia while their troops go in and clean up the mess at home?  And they get away with it?”

“Above my pay grade.”  Blanchard shrugged.

We had reached the edge of the pavement.  I could faintly see Dog as he nosed around.  Never satisfied with just taking care of his biological needs, he’d taken to hunting the small ground squirrels that populated the area.  I didn’t think he had a chance in hell of actually catching one, but he never gave up trying.  Maybe that’s why I love dogs so much.  They’re the ultimate, eternal optimist.

“What are you going to do?”  Blanchard asked in a tentative voice.

“I don’t know,” I said.  “Thought I’d have more time to decide.  Did you talk to the Admiral?”

“I did.  And the answer is the same.  No known infected person will be allowed to enter Hawaii.  The medical community is firm in their opinion that it poses too great a risk.  They’re concerned about a mutation in the virus that would negate the protection of the vaccine.  We’re going to be in isolation and decontamination for the first 30 days once we arrive.  They’ve prepared a special location, just for us.”

“So Nicole can’t go either?”  I asked.

Blanchard shook his head.  I checked on Dog, then lit another cigarette.  I was smoking too much, but didn’t really care.

“Lieutenant Sam and Master Chief Gonzales are staying behind with her.  Hoping Kanger can come up with something new once he gets set up in Hawaii, and there’s also people in Australia working on the problem.”

“They aren’t optimistic,” I groused, having been updated by Joe after dinner the previous evening.

“No.  They aren’t,” Blanchard agreed.

We looked when the door into the building across the tarmac banged as someone closed it too hard.  A figure stood in the dark, looking around, then began approaching.  I recognized the walk, the long hair blowing in the night breeze.  It was Rachel.

“Well, I’d better get some rack time,” Blanchard said. 

He turned and headed for the building.  Rachel exchanged greetings with him as they passed at the half way point.  Dog flashed past me a second later, running to escort her the rest of the way to where I was standing.  She walked up and took the cigarette from my hand.

“You could just ask for one,” I grumbled.

“I prefer yours,” she smiled.

I humphed and pulled out a new one. 

“I don’t know what to do,” I said after getting it lit.  “Especially now.  Everyone’s pulling out in the morning.  Heading to Hawaii.”

“You can’t keep her sedated,” Rachel said. 

“I know that,” I snapped, taking her hand and apologizing for my tone.

We stood there for several minutes, smoking.  Dog, bored with hunting, sat near us and kept watch on the closest sentry.

“Let her go,” Rachel finally said in a timid voice.

“What?  You mean…”

“No!  I didn’t mean that.  I was being literal.  Set her free.  She’s at the top of the food chain.  She’ll survive.  If the researchers come up with something, then come get her.  Until then, what other choice do you have?”

“Is that what you’d want if you were infected?”  I asked.

“It doesn’t matter what I’d want,” Rachel said.  “This isn’t about me.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“You don’t want my answer,” she said, field stripping the butt of her smoke and shoving it in her pocket.

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t,” I said.

Rachel stared off into the darkness for a bit, then heaved a sigh before facing me.

“If I ever become infected, I want you to put a bullet right between my eyes,” she said with total conviction.  “After seeing those poor women that fell into a catatonic state, I don’t want to live if I’m one of them.”

“Why?”

“They remember what they were!  That most likely means there was a part of them that was aware of what had happened.  Was horrified at the raging monsters they’d become, but were unable to do anything other than witness the hideous acts they committed.  I don’t want that.”

I was quiet for a long time.  Thinking about what Rachel had just said.  Putting myself into the scenario, and realizing I agreed with her.  I wouldn’t want to live with it either.