CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  A small group were gathered around Callum’s monitors. A handsome man with teeth that were too white, and a haircut from a commercial smiled back at those looking at Meditech’s website.

  “So they got a website,” said Tyrus. “How’s that help me find my son?” It was a question posed to the other six in the room, but it was Brad that responded.

  He nudged Callum out of the way and put his hand on the mouse, navigating to the about page, which showed a glass tower in the center of Chicago. “This is the corporate headquarters. But I don’t think your son will be there.”

  “Where then?”

  Brad looked at Callum. “You got google earth on this thing?”

  Now it was Callum’s turn to push Brad out of the way. “Of course I got that. Got more than that.” He tapped on a program on the desktop, bringing up a satellite view of the city. He sneered at the younger man to his side. “You want to see the Meditech secret labs, right?” Before Brad could respond, Callum scrolled and zoomed to a location twenty miles to the west of the city, bringing the view lower to where just a blurred out area of forest could be seen.

  Brad nodded. “That’s one of the—”

  Callum clicked on the missing piece of geography, and the blur disappeared, revealing a complex of pyramid shapes. He looked at Brad with a smile.

  “Could have done with you in college.”

  Tyrus leaned forward. “You’re saying that’s where my son is?”

  Brad nodded. “I don’t know for sure, but that’s the closet black site that my father’s company has to the city. Maybe he’s somewhere else. But that would be the first place I’d look.”

  Tyrus turned, nodding to the muscular individual by his side.

  August took the opportunity to speak up for the first time while in the room. “We should do this together.”

  “I appreciate the help, but I don’t need anymore of it.”

  “It’s not about that. You forget they have one of my people too…”

  Tyrus’s face became tight, he stood closer to August. “He’s not your son. I don’t need your people getting in the way.”

  August remained placid. “I’m offering my people to help rescue your son, from a heavily armed and I presume well guarded location. You don’t know, what you don’t know. And what you do know. I provided…”

  Tyrus groaned a little, letting out a sigh. “Fine.”

  *****

  “Patient 2505b. Please look into the screen and speak out what you see.”

  Noah’s vision was a blur of color and odd shapes. As it sharpened into whiteness, he slowly remembered running from the apartment block and feeling an insect bite in his neck. “What… where… am I”

  His head felt heavy. There was something strapped to his eyes. Some kind of goggles, which were showing him a digital screen. Showing him… images of horror… blood, intestines, bodies that oozed liquid. He felt sick.

  “Please voice what you see. You will not be reminded again.”

  His thoughts were now coherent enough to provide anger. He fought against the restraints. “Who the fuck are you! Let me—”

  Pain.

  Electricity flowed through him, burning his insides and the skin where the electrodes were attached, but worse, far worse was the axe that had cleaved his skull in two and set fire to what was left. Or that was how Noah Johnson would have described the indescribable pain which was cascading through him.

  Just as suddenly as it began, it stopped and he promptly threw up. He had no idea where the contents of his stomach had landed for all he could see was the white digital screens in front of his eyes, but he could sure smell what had just left his mouth.

  “Patient 2505b. Look at the screen and speak out, what you see. You shall not be—”

  “Yes! I… get it!” He focused on the scenes of torn bodies. “I… don’t know. Death… dead people. Parts of people… why are you showing me—”

  Pain.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Todd tried to open his injured eye as per Morgan’s request but it wasn’t having it. It remained resolutely closed.

  She shook her head. “If I was an actual doctor, I would be telling you, you should rest. Most definitely not be going on some mission to break into a highly guarded compound. I find that goes better when you can see out of both eyes.”

  He smiled, which also hurt.

  “Roll up your shirt.”

  He did and she frowned again at the red tint to the skin around his laceration. As she gently touched the wound with her surgical glove, he winced once more.

  “It’s infected, I know.”

  “It’s healing, but that won’t matter if the infection continues. I’ve seen people die for less from smaller cuts. Largely comes down to the individual, and how strong their immune system is. If you’re one of the immunes, which Brad talks about then I’m guessing, yours is pretty good.”

  Todd wasn’t sure what that meant, and didn’t really care. He dropped his shirt back down.

  She turned away, moving to a nearby cupboard and pulled out a small bottle of pills, throwing them to him, which he completely failed to catch. “Zero depth perception,” she said. “Great.”

  He got off the stool and retrieved the bottle, unscrewing the lid and looked around for a glass.

  “I’ll get you some water.” She filled up a beaker. “When you return, I’ll need to get more blood from you.”

  “For Evelyn…”

  She walked over and handed him the plastic cup. “Yes. I don’t know how long the anti-bodies stay in their system, but I’d rather not push it too long. Better to give them a new dose each day. Although Brad says he just takes a pill. He’s got a whole stash of them at his penthouse apartment, a few blocks from here. Hasn’t given us the exact location, of course. Can’t blame him, but I’d be interest to take a look at the chemical breakdown of what’s in those pills. Which reminds me. If you see any laptops, or documents when you’re in that compound. I’ll be real pleased if you can bring them back.”

  He nodded as she handed him the water and he took two of the pills.

  “About Evelyn and what happened last night,” he said. “The things didn’t regard her as one of their own. If anything, they seemed drawn to her?”

  Morgan took the beaker and nodded. “That was the risk of her having your blood, immune blood in her. Somehow, they detected it and were drawn to her like bees to honey.” She nodded to the bottle in his hand. “You should have a few weeks’ supply in that. But if I were you I’d try my best to keep the wound clean and if you can, don’t put too much strain on that side. Who knows what damage is beneath the first few layers of skin.”

  “Will do.”

  The door to the lab opened. And a man he had managed to avoid for a while entered.

  Morgan looked shocked to see Amos, standing with a AK-47 in his hands. “Do you want to die?”

  The stocky older man, smirked. “You think I’m going to sit down here, while everyone else is having all the fun?”

  “It might not be possible to stop the internal bleeding next time…”

  He shook his head. “We all gotta die one day, right?” He looked at Todd. “We’re leaving. You coming, or want to stay and chat to the good doctor, some more?”

  Todd, placed his jacket back on, picked up his rifle and followed the shorter man into the corridor. The rustle of clothes, boots and magazines being checked was obvious as he approached the large room and counted twelve people ready to leave. At least half of which were from New York.

  A man he had come to learn was one of Tyrus’s lieutenants, pointed towards the elevator, taking seven people with him, whereas the remaining six, including Todd gathered around August.

  “With Brad’s help, Callum managed to pierce some of the security Meditech had in place and has given us—” He held up a printout. “Some idea of where to go, once we get to the compound. We have to assume they have security cameras, everywhere. Which is why our New York friends have spent the last hour, finding van’s similar to what have been seen on the streets. They won’t get us all the way, but they will get us a chance of getting close, before they open fire. They got three vans in the parking garage above.” He gave the A4 sheets of printout to those around him as the elevator doors closed and it started to rise. “These are marked with where we’re looking first, then the second most likely location and so on.”

  “If he’s not at any of those spots?” said Amos, looking at the elevator. “The New Yorker won’t be happy.”

  “If his son is not there, then there will probably be someone in the compound who knows where he is. And the same for Noah.”

  Callum looked at the others. “Umm, take as many as the computers as you can. Server boxes would be great, but any laptop you find.”

  Everyone nodded and headed towards the elevator which was heading back down.

  *****

  Karl was burning. His arms and legs were aflame as he ran through the smoke infested street, trying desperately for any cover from the sun. He grabbed at a handle to a building, but the metal held onto his skin as he pulled away. He screamed in pain, turning, staggering only a few more yards before he watched his fingers disintegrate, and drop to the sidewalk as ash…

  He awoke with his feet and hands flailing by his sides. Maybe he had been screaming in his sleep. If he had, it hadn’t woken his mother and sister who were still soundly sleeping in front of him. He let out a breath and let his head fall back on the crate he was leaned up against. His clothes were drenched with sweat and his limbs felt their weight. He wanted to stand, to lift his hands from his sides, but that too was beyond his abilities. Why was it so warm in the room? He had always thought it cold within the bunker rooms, especially this one, which he guessed, used to be a janitor’s storeroom of some kind.

  His mind flittered back to what happened in the tunnels. He wanted an explanation as to what took place. Why he felt as if the floor was sliding from beneath him. Why the air smelled so sweat, despite what he knew to be down there. Down where light dared not go. To where Daryl has been seated at the machine gun. Guarding… no, waiting… he was waiting for Karl to go back. Had to be. Karl wanted to return to where the bodies were. He had no idea why. But he knew he should see them again. Problem was, the heat was unbearable. Instead, it was better to sleep. Sleep until the hateful star above hid from those that wanted to be free.

  Yes, sleep.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Todd looked at those opposite him, in the van. To his left was a toolbox and a heap of wiring. Evidently just a few days ago it belonged to a cable repair person. He wondered where they were now. If they were hiding in a basement somewhere, waiting for the sun to sink below the horizon. Waiting to feed. It wasn’t fair. Those that they were traveling towards had taken everyone’s choices from them. That was one of the things he loved about being on the street. It might have been a daily hell, but it was his choice to reside there. He chose that pain because he couldn’t bear the other. That he was no longer a father. And that ultimately, that was his fault. He might not had caused the drunk driver to end any chance of seeing his kid and ex-wife again, but he certainly created the conditions that led to it. And for that there was no forgiveness.

  From his rough judgment of how long they had been on the road, he figured they were on the outskirts of West Chicago. And as if to confirm that, the repeated thud beneath the tires told him they passing across a bridge, probably over the Fox river. He had been out this way a few times when he was married and loved the area. He pushed the thoughts away, and was glad when Ramses spoke up.

  “Angel’s taking overwatch as usual. I’ll be point.” He looked at the man that looked every bit like he had survived the end of the world. “You capable of covering our rear?”

  Todd nodded, then regretted the movement, as it caused his eye to throb again.

  Daryl looked perturbed. “I don’t know how I feel about him covering anything.”

  “I’m fine.”

  Ramses nodded, looking at Daryl. “You heard the man, he’s fine. But if you want, Daryl, we can stop right here and let you out.”

  The younger man frowned. “I’m good.” He looked at the man with the one good eye, again. “You see the tall kid, before you leave?”

  “No. Why?”

  “Caught him in the cellars a few hours back, acting weird.”

  “He’s a teen, and the world just ended.”

  Daryl shrugged his shoulders.

  A bang came on the small window which separated the back from the cabin. “Five minutes out,” said Amos.

  “Ammo check,” said Ramses. Everyone duly obliged.

  If Todd was honest, he wasn’t sure how ready he was. Every joint and muscle was reminding him that he was no longer the twenty-eight year old, on his second tour. A man that could run a six-minute mile. A man that knew how to handle himself. And had on many occasions. But that was fine. Those that were responsible for the madness of the last few days, needed to pay. And he was going to see to it they did.

  The van briefly slowed, turning then picked up speed.

  “Here we go,” said Ramses.

  A jolt shuddered through the van, knocking everyone towards the cabin then back as the vehicle picked up speed again. The sky suddenly appeared through a hole above Daryl’s head, one that he wasn’t even aware of.

  Todd lunged forward, grabbing and dragging him to the floor. “They’re firing!” he shouted as everyone was thrown one way than the other. The van skidded to a stop and Todd kicked open the rear doors. Pings rained down as more holes appeared in the side and ceiling.

  “Everyone out!” shouted Ramses and they all threw themselves out the back, scrambling for any wall or obstacle to block the tuffs of dirt being thrown as the clatter of gunfire filled the air.

  They were in a parking lot, with a few cars and more silver vans. One of which the imposters cowered behind. The New Yorkers were behind some cars and a wall, which ran along the edge of the area, but had little protection from those that were firing down on them from the towering building they were facing.

  Todd had seen many secure locations during his service days and immediately recognized the sloped walls and lack of windows. It was a bunker of sorts, but not one he had ever seen before. He also knew that unless those inside opened up, they were not getting in. Which left them one other option, the forest behind the lot and the just visible roofs of other buildings. He moved to Ramses who was busy trying to find a target to hit with his M41A rifle, but the gaps in the structure were perfectly designed to fire from and not be hit.

  “We’re not getting in there!” Todd shouted to him. He nodded. Todd pointed to the trees. “We need to go in that direction. Check out those buildings!” Ramses agreed and passed on the idea as best he could through his radio to the others fighting.

  Todd tapped Daryl and Amos on their shoulders and with Ramses they scurried behind other vehicles, keeping low, ignoring the shower of glass from the cars’ windows as bullets flew just over their heads and once they had run out of cover, scrambled into the bushes and between the trunks, wood splintering, inches away.

  As the battle raged behind them, they ran deeper in. Todd darted down a narrow concrete path then heard the sound of heavy boots up ahead. He immediately crouched, then quickly creeped into the thick foliage. The others behind him doing the same.

  A small group of four men and one woman, all in body armor, ran past. Ramses let them move out of range then told the others in the parking lot that they were about to be attacked from their rear. Todd pulled the map of the area out of his pocket and scanned the shapes. There were a series of buildings at the end of the paths they were near. He rose up from the bushes then beckoned the others to follow. They ran down the path, the roar of gunfire growing quieter but now a new sound was making itself known to them. An incessant low rumbling was coming from the white, rectangular one story building, just twenty yards away. It was one of another four they could see stretching across a field, shrouded by large heavy trees, making it impossible to see from any roads or even probably from the sky.

  The group ran to its entrance. Todd swore on seeing the keypad.

  “Stand back,” said Ramses who placed a small white block of something which looked to the untrained eye as a lump of clay, but Todd knew otherwise. A small silver rod was then placed into it, and with a twist of the top, lit up. He turned and followed the others who were already backing away to the trees, but the explosion beat them, showering them all in a wave of heat.

  The low rumbling had risen in volume, so much so that they could now hear texture within it and Todd realized what the building and probably the others as well, consisted off.

  A burst of static came from Ramses’ radio. “You nearby?” said Tyrus’s second in command. “We can’t get into the building. We’re pinned down. Can’t hold this position for much longer! Over.”

  “They’re holding pens,” said Todd to the big guy.

  Ramses looked at him, shocked, then to the building. Within the shadows, beyond what was left of the entrance, bodies creeped forward, then darted back from the light. “They’re keeping vamps…”

  “Must be thousands of them in these buildings.”

  “Doing crazy scientist experiments on them, I bet,” said Daryl.

  “If Noah’s in there, we got a problem,” said Amos.

  “Pull back, pull back!” came from Ramses’ radio.

  “I think it’s fair to say, the whole operation has gone to shit,” said Amos.

  Todd agreed, but he wasn’t about to die out here. Silence fell upon the area a mile to their north. The battle was over.

  Ramses switched channels. “Frosty. You see an extraction. Over.”

  “Nope. And I’ve not got enough shells to take down all the bad guys that are about to descend on you. I suggest you find a place to hide, real quick. Radio silence until I find you an out. Over.”