Cataclysm: V Plague Book 18 Page 4

  “My uniforms arrive?” I called.

  “In the closet.”

  I kept rinsing, looking around in surprise when the shower door opened. Rachel stepped in and pressed her naked body against mine and we kissed deeply.

  “Better hurry before they come back inside,” she said.

  I stared at her a moment.

  “But... you’re pregnant!”

  She looked at me, a bemused smile on her face, then burst out laughing.

  “You idiot! It’s fine. Good even. And you’re wasting time...”

  7

  “He’s probably on his bench, sir.”

  It was an hour later and I was standing in the Admiral’s reception area, decked out in a brand-spanking new uniform. I gave the efficient looking Petty Officer my confused face.

  “His bench?”

  “Sorry, sir,” she laughed in embarrassment. “Back downstairs, out the front, turn right and go about a hundred yards. Down the slope towards the water you’ll see a squad of Marines. His protective detail. His bench will be in the middle of wherever they are.”

  “Thanks,” I said as I turned and left.

  Bypassing an elevator that had probably been installed sometime before the Japanese had bombed the place, I pounded down a set of broad, stone steps and pushed out into bright sunshine. Following the Petty Officer’s directions, it wasn’t long before I saw several Marines in combat utilities, armed to the teeth. Looking around as I walked, I spotted two different sniper teams on rooftops that overlooked the area.

  Someone apparently gave Major Black a heads up that I was coming. He was waiting for me on the sidewalk, coming to attention and snapping up a salute. I casually returned it and came to a stop when he didn’t immediately lead the way to the Admiral.

  “Can’t trust you to stay out of trouble for even one day,” he said.

  “This from the guy who hid out with a sexy GRU officer, then shot up a convenience store to save her? Really?”

  He looked away and grinned.

  “The Admiral said Rachel and Mavis were okay?”

  I nodded.

  “Good,” he said. “You saw my men around the VOQ?”

  “I did and thank you. Mavis will probably know all their names by the end of the day.”

  “No doubt. So, was wondering what your plans are. Once this is all over, I mean.”

  “You talking about once we get to Arizona?”

  He nodded.

  “Hadn’t really thought that far, to tell you the truth. Why?”

  “I was thinking that since we’re going to be occupying civilian houses, it might be a good idea to have a bunch of us in the same neighborhood. Maybe even a compound so we can share watches. Make sure our families are always protected.”

  He had a really good point I hadn’t taken the time to think about. Being back in Hawaii, especially on a military base, it was easy to get lulled into a false sense of security. There weren’t any infected that could suddenly appear in the middle of the night. For that matter, there wasn’t anyone other than fellow service members that were around. It was going to be a much different situation once we arrived in Phoenix.

  “I think that’s a very good idea,” I said. “Mentioned it to the old man?”

  “Not yet. Thought I’d run it by you, first.”

  “Why me?” I asked with a frown.

  “You’ve already got a head start. Your buddy from Australia. Colonels Blanchard and Pointere. Some of the Rangers you’ve worked with. Can’t think of a group I’d be happier with.”

  I thought about that for a few moments before nodding.

  “I agree, Major. Makes sense for all of us.”

  “Hoped you’d see it that way,” he said, then gestured for me to walk with him.

  “What about Viktoriya? She with you?”

  “Not really sure,” he said with a laugh. “She’s not an easy woman to get a straight answer out of.”

  “Such a thing exists?”

  “I’ve been told there are.”

  “Same person probably told you that Bigfoot is real, too.”

  He chuckled, then we were at the bench and it was time to act like officers.

  “Hi, sir,” Jessica said brightly.

  She was seated next to the Admiral, both of them enjoying a cigarette. Major Black gave me a nod and drifted away to check the perimeter.

  “Hi, Chief. Thank you again for the wedding gift.”

  Admiral Packard froze with a lit cigarette halfway to his mouth.

  “My apologies, Colonel,” he said. “I was so caught up...”

  “No apologies necessary, sir. You conducting the ceremony was more than I could have hoped for.”

  He squinted at me a moment before taking a drag from his smoke.

  “You know, Chief. I’d forgotten just how much bullshit gets stuffed into a man when you pin an Eagle on his chest.”

  Jessica managed to suppress a laugh, but I still caught a hint of a smile as she field-stripped her cigarette and stood up.

  “Above my pay grade, sir. If you’ll excuse me? I should get back to work.”

  “Off with you, young lady,” he said, flapping a hand in the air.

  She gave me a smile before hustling away toward a non-descript building.

  “Thanks for this morning, sir,” I said, taking the seat Jessica had vacated.

  “In the future, Colonel, it would be best if you exercise a little restraint when you’re in the civilian world. Technically, that judge was correct. You committed a crime.”

  I took my time lighting a cigarette before responding.

  “You’re right, sir. About all of it.”

  “Christ, man! Don’t misunderstand me. I’d have done the same if the bastards had come after me and my family. What I meant to say is, when you’re in public. Pretty soon, that’s going to be the norm and we can’t go around executing people, even if they are the Russian mafia trying to kill us.”

  I puffed on the smoke for a few moments, thinking about his comments.

  “So, what’s going on with the election?” I asked, hoping he wouldn’t mind an abrupt subject change.

  “Don’t know,” he said. “But right now isn’t the time to have us at each other’s throats over politics. We’re weeks away from being ready to start moving strategic assets to CONUS, with civilian evacuees only a few days after.”

  “When are you going to make it public?”

  “At the last possible moment, for a variety of reasons which should all be readily apparent. But before I do, I’ll be declaring martial law and seizing control of all civilian agencies. They’ll be federalized, and we’re going to need their help. But first, we still have the little matter of the Russian occupation force in California to deal with.”

  “Are they still poking around in Arizona?” I asked.

  “More than poking. They’ve begun moving troops and equipment. Aren’t even trying to hide it. They know we can’t launch an offensive from here to push them out. The best we could hope to do would be a denial campaign. Burn Phoenix to the ground so there’s no infrastructure waiting for them.”

  “Hurts us as much as them.”

  “Agreed. That’s why your mission cannot fail. Barinov must be removed so we have a shot at a negotiated truce.”

  I smoked for a minute, watching the sunlight shimmer on the waters of the harbor below.

  “You really believe there’s a chance?”

  Packard nodded as he stripped the cherry off his cigarette.

  “Captain West is putting together a briefing document specifically for you. He should have it ready by fifteen-hundred.”

  “And Captain Vostov’s mission?”

  “We are not in communication with her or her team. Hopefully, she can make contact with the right officers and convince them to seize control and oust Barinov. But we cannot delay our efforts in hopes of her success. We still go as planned.”

  I nodded, glancing at my watch to see how much time I had before t
he briefing with Captain West.

  “I’m ready, sir.”

  “I know you are, Colonel. And I sincerely hope this is the last time I have to send you into harm’s way.”

  I didn’t have an answer to that.

  “Oh, and one more thing before you go. I made some calls after we returned this morning. That judge. Humphreys. He’s a real piece of work. Fancies himself as the last line of defense, or some such nonsense. Anyway, he could be a problem.”

  “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t get it. Thought that was done with.”

  “Would be nice if it was,” he said. “But the day is going to come when a civilian government is once again in charge. From what I’ve been told, this judge Humphreys is neither the kind to forgive or forget.”

  The Admiral looked at my face for a few moments then shook his head.

  “I can see you’re dismissing this, Colonel. You shouldn’t. I will do everything in my power to protect you, but the day is coming when I may once again have an elected politician as my commander in chief.”

  “Unless you win the election,” I said.

  He didn’t answer, just lit a fresh cigarette.

  8

  It was a beautiful tropical evening. The kind that makes you want to go for a dip in the ocean, then sit in the sand and enjoy a cocktail with friends. Well, it wasn’t a good idea for me to venture off base anytime soon, so the festivities were limited to drinks on the VIP suite’s lanai.

  Lucas, Ziggy and their kids were over, as were Major Black and Viktoriya. The adults were adulting with their favorite beverages while the kids, other than little John, were running around the lawn with Mavis and Dog. The front door stood wide open so as more guests arrived, they could just come on in.

  “Do they not realize those men were there to kidnap you?” Viktoriya asked.

  We were discussing the events of the morning and she had been surprised when I mentioned my possible legal troubles.

  “Doesn’t matter,” I said, taking a long pull on my drink. “Legally, I shouldn’t have shot the fucker once he was on the ground and disarmed.”

  “Language!” Ziggy snapped, bouncing her son on her knee.

  “Yes, ma’am. Sorry.”

  “I will never understand American’s sense of right and wrong,” Viktoriya continued. “And I have been here for several years and studied your culture extensively.”

  “We’re supposed to be the ones with the white hats.”

  “Hackers?” she asked, thoroughly confused.

  “Ah-ha!” I cried. “Something your Russian trainers missed, though I don’t blame them. It’s a pretty archaic term.”

  “Well, you are about as old as Methuselah,” Lucas quipped with a grin.

  I shot him the finger and continued.

  “Comes from old westerns. Movies about the American west in the eighteen hundreds. Good guys always wore white hats and bad guys always wore black.”

  “If it were only that easy,” Black said as he dug through a cooler for a fresh beer.

  “And what color would I wear, my love?” Viktoriya asked him with one eyebrow arched.

  “Anyone need a beer?” he asked smoothly as he jumped to his feet and headed inside.

  “Chicken-shi...” I started to say then saw Ziggy looking at me. “Chicken!”

  Viktoriya gave me a smile and a wink.

  “So, Arizona,” Lucas said, changing the subject.

  “What about it?”

  “Was talking to the Major before you got home. He mentioned something about a compound, or at least taking over a neighborhood.”

  “He’s got a good point,” I said, glancing at Black when he returned, empty handed. “Don’t really know what to expect once we get there, but it would be good to have help only a shout away.”

  “Worried about infected?” Rachel asked.

  I paused in thought, taking the time to light a cigarette.

  “Yes. And everyone else.”

  “You mean Russian?” Viktoriya asked, sounding as if she were prepared to be offended.

  “Not Russian, just people. You’ve got to remember something. Here in Hawaii, things have never gotten bad. Sure, food’s been rationed, there’s not a lot of gas for cars and people have had to make sacrifices, but for the most part it’s not that different than it was before the attacks.

  “There is still civilization. A society functioning mostly within the norms it’s always existed under. A cop or fireman is still a phone call away. People have an amazing capacity to fool themselves into thinking that if today isn’t too bad, then neither will tomorrow be. But everyone is about to get a hell of a shock to the system when the Admiral reveals what’s happening to the planet, and what is necessary for us to survive.

  “Close to a million people are suddenly going to be uprooted and taken to a harsh, hostile environment. And as the blight progresses, the deprivations they’ve experienced here will seem like the most minor of inconveniences. Food will be scarce. There will be few creature comforts. It’s going to finally drive home just how bad the immediate future is for many of them.

  “All of that is a recipe for anarchy. As soon as people start getting truly hungry, or doing without what most consider the basic necessities, things will have the potential to get ugly.”

  “That’s a pretty pessimistic outlook,” Ziggy said. “What about the goodness in people?”

  “Sure, there’re a few who will step up and help others, but it will only be a few. Not nearly enough to make a difference. Not when the majority of the population no longer abides by society’s rules.”

  “You mean like shooting a Mafiya bounty hunter in the head?”

  I looked around to see Colonel Blanchard standing behind me with a bottle of wine in his hand. Martinez was on his arm, smiling when I did a double take. Rachel took the bottle, gave Martinez a quick kiss on the cheek and went in search of a corkscrew.

  “Touché,” I said with a grin, holding my drink up to toast him.

  “I think you will be surprised,” Ziggy said confidently. “In times of crisis, people come together and help each other.”

  Everyone was quiet for a beat, looking at her.

  “What?” she finally asked.

  “Lucas,” I said. “How many third world shit holes we been in together? At least three, right?”

  “Yep,” he said with a nod.

  “What about you, Major?” I asked, looking at Black. “You’ve seen your share.”

  “Iraq. Afghanistan.”

  I didn’t bother asking Blanchard. He’d been there, too.

  “In every place, every single place, there was one common theme. There’s always some group that positions themselves to prey on everyone else. Seen it time and time again. And if you’re not prepared and able to fight, they’ll just roll right over you, take what they want and keep going. That’s what I’m talking about.”

  Ziggy looked like she wanted to keep arguing her point, but Rachel returned with Jessica. Both carried large platters of food for the grill and the topic quickly turned to a lighter subject.

  “Damn, mate,” Lucas said when Ziggy was out of earshot. “Don’t get invited to many parties, do ya?”

  “He’s always been like that,” Rachel said as she walked by.

  “Been like what?” Colonel Pointere asked from the doorway.

  “Debbie Downer,” she said with a smile and pressed a cold can of beer into his hand.

  From that point, things lightened up considerably. Of course, a few more drinks helped with my disposition and the smell of food hitting the hot grill didn’t hurt at all.

  Finally, everything was ready. The kids were called in, all of them trying to be the first to arrive, but Dog outran them by a mile. He skidded to a stop and plopped his ass down right next to me, panting like a steam engine. Rachel slid a bowl of water in front of him and he noisily slurped it up as dinner was put on the table.

  I was reaching for a plate of grilled pineapple rings when an eerie wailing s
hattered the peaceful night. The hair on my arms instantly stood on end, like it always does at the howl of air raid sirens. I was the first one on my feet, but my fellow warriors were only an instant behind me.

  “Fallout shelter in the basement!”

  I grabbed Mavis and the closest of Lucas’s kids and propelled them through the door. Ziggy charged through on their heels, Lucas following with his other kids tucked beneath his arms.

  “Go!” I said to Rachel. “Get them downstairs.”

  She looked at me for a beat, then nodded and raced inside, Dog running at her heels.

  “Be careful,” she called before disappearing through the front door.

  Viktoriya shouted for Major Black as he raced around the corner of the building. I had no doubt he was heading to wherever the Admiral was.

  “Go with them!” I said, grabbing her arm and giving her a push inside.

  She resisted for a moment, then turned and ran as the sirens continued to wail. Turning back, I wasn’t surprised to find both Blanchard and Pointere on their phones, trying to find out what was happening. Jessica was tapping furiously on a small tablet. We were suddenly plunged into darkness as the base cut power to all non-essential buildings in response to the raid.

  “Got it!” Jessica suddenly shouted. “A single Russian bomber just tripped the outer boundary of the air traffic exclusion zone.”

  We stared at her with our mouths open as she kept tapping. Blanchard and Pointere slowly lowered their phones, waiting for her to provide an update.

  “Just one?” Pointere asked.

  Jessica nodded and continued working. I traded a glance with the other two Colonels. Fuck me, this wasn’t good news. The Russians had just snuck a bomber across thousands of miles of ocean and gotten to the point that a nuke could be dropped right on top of our heads. Oahu isn’t that big, and anything of the thermonuclear variety would pretty much wipe out everyone and thing.

  “Chief?” I prompted. “Are we intercepting?”

  She just kept tapping, staring at the screen.