The Dead Series (Book 2): Dead Is All You Get Read online

  “But I’m not supposed to …”

  “We trust you.” I checked with Holly, who nodded her approval.

  Licking her lips, Griffin checked to see that the safety was off, took aim and fired once at each of the draggers, hitting both cleanly in the head. They dropped in the street in two heaps. Holly released Greta with a command, and she trotted over and sniffed the bodies.

  “Easy peasy,” I said. “If anybody asks, it was me who took them down.”

  “Where’ve you guys been?” Springer said as we got out of our Humvee.

  “What’s going on?” I said.

  “Dr. Fallow came by here insisting that someone get him permission to visit that freak show in the forest.”

  “What does Pederman say?”

  “He’s not in charge, remember?”

  “Has anyone approached Captain O’Brien about it?”

  “I think Warnick tried to.”

  “Where is he?”

  “In the administration building.”

  We found Warnick sitting in one of the offices, reading through some reports.

  “Hey,” I said. “So, I heard you spoke to O’Brien. I’m guessing he said no.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Did he give a reason for denying Doctor Fallow’s request?”

  “He said that until the investigation is concluded, we are not to get involved with Robbin-Sear.”

  “I don’t see what one has to do with the other,” Holly said.

  “Exactly,” I said. “What does Pederman say? ‘Unofficially’?”

  “His advice is for us to wait.”

  “But time is running out. We need a vaccine!”

  Warnick avoided my eyes. He knew I was right. “We have to hope that the Vollmer twins can come up with something.”

  “Not good enough,” I said.

  “Here we go.”

  “Warnick, this whole thing stinks and you know it.”

  “I know, but—”

  “We can’t sit here and hope everything works itself out. Isaac and the Vollmer twins are flying blind.”

  Warnick shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m asking this. So what exactly do you have in mind, Dave?”

  “Ever heard of a stakeout?”

  Warnick, Springer and I sat in our Humvee, chomping on beef jerky. Our vehicle was hidden among the trees along the road that led to Robbin-Sear. It was a long shot, but we hoped that eventually either Larry or Judith would come in or out before we had to get back.

  “Any more Dew?” I said.

  Springer tossed me another can of Mountain Dew. “That stuff makes me pee like a horse.”

  “Nice.”

  A chill wind moved through the forest under a darkening sky. Rain was on the way. Thunder rumbled, then the first few drops hit the windshield. In a few minutes, a light drizzle became a downpour. Warnick read his bible and Springer played a game on his phone. I kept watch, my weapon in my lap. Movement up ahead—draggers, drenched and wandering down the road like a parade of shadows. I nudged Warnick. We kept watching as they passed, unaware of our vehicle. We could have dispatched them, but then we’d risk blowing the mission. Better to let them move on.

  Half an hour later, the rumble of an engine broke the quiet. I grabbed my weapon, jumped out and moved closer to the road, keeping to the brush for cover. A van approached, heading in the direction of the research facility. I thought I recognized Judith in the front seat, so I ran through the mud and leaves into the road and waved my arms frantically.

  Larry was driving. I could barely make him out behind the beating windshield wipers. He must have seen me, because he slowed and pulled off the road. I stuck two fingers in my mouth and whistled loudly. Warnick and Springer came running, carrying their weapons.

  “Thanks for stopping,” I said as Larry and Judith got out of the van.

  Larry kept glancing up and down the road. “What are you guys doing out here?”

  “We need your help,” Warnick said.

  We explained the situation to the Evanses. Though they understood, they were reluctant to get involved.

  “We were told specifically not to meet with anyone outside our company,” Judith said. “I’m sorry.”

  I grabbed Larry’s arm, making him wince. “There was a time when you guys wanted to help us. What’s changed?”

  “A lot. We can’t talk about it.”

  We stood there getting soaked. The only sounds were the rain and the wind. “We know you’ve been injecting people with a new form of the virus,” Warnick said.

  Judith moved closer to her husband. “No, we …”

  “You kidnapped our people and turned them into something … grotesque.”

  “It wasn’t us, it was Bob, he—”

  “It’s time to end the experiment,” I said.

  Larry and Judith exchanged a frightened look. My gut told me they were basically good people caught in a bad situation.

  “How would we work this?” Larry said to Warnick.

  “We want to bring our researchers over tomorrow, along with Doctor Fallow. He feels that if you work together, you can stop this thing.”

  “Stop it?”

  “If Bob finds out,” Judith said, taking her husband’s hand. “I never wanted things to get this far. Larry?”

  “I don’t know …”

  “You need to do the right thing,” I said, looking them both in the eye.

  “I’m not sure what that is anymore,” Larry said. Then he and Judith headed back to their van and drove off.

  WARNICK, SPRINGER AND I drove out to Robbin-Sear in our Humvee, along with Isaac and the Vollmer twins. I was afraid for Holly, so I didn’t tell her what we were doing. I knew I would hear about it later, but I didn’t care. Larry and Judith were waiting for us when we entered the facility. They were both skittish and wouldn’t make eye contact.

  After the introductions, Warnick got to the point. “Does Creasy know about this?”

  “We didn’t have a choice,” Judith said.

  The three of us looked at each other. Warnick sighed, but he went on as if everything was in order. “Anyone else?”

  “Not that we’re aware of,” Larry said. “Look, we’ll share our research with you, but I must warn you. What we’re doing is very dangerous.”

  “It can’t be more dangerous than what you people have done to this town,” Isaac said. I’d never seen him so fired up. “Let’s get started.”

  Warnick turned to Springer. “Go outside and have a look around. Make sure we aren’t interrupted.”

  “Hooah!”

  The code name for the virus was RS-6160. We sat in a conference room, Warnick and I utterly lost as the researchers talked through everything they’d done. The Vollmer twins leafed through the research Royce had worked on prior to the accident, then shared their own. When they asked to see the actual virus, Larry told them that all of the samples were stored offsite. So they spent the rest of the time looking at computer simulations. Two hours later, after everyone finished geeking out, Isaac updated Larry and Judith on Ariel.

  “So you’re saying her condition alternated between morbid and normal?” Larry said.

  Isaac leafed through the chart he was holding. “Yes. We witnessed a profound change in her. During an examination, her irises changed color and she became violent.”

  “And incredibly strong,” Warnick said.

  “Right. She tore through her restraints and tried to attack us.”

  “I’d like to examine her,” Judith said. “Is she at the isolation facility?”

  Isaac hesitated. “I’m afraid she’s dead.”

  “She would have killed us all,” I said.

  Isaac handed Judith the manila file folder. “This is a copy of my autopsy report. You can keep it.”

  “Thanks. This should help.”

  “I’d like to see the lab now.”

  Larry and Judith led us into the large laboratory, where once again Doctor Royce stood working behi
nd the wall of Plexiglas.

  “How’s he holding up?” Warnick said.

  “He no longer sleeps,” Judith said. I could hear the concern in her voice. “We have to continually make sure he eats.”

  “What exactly does he eat?” I said.

  She cleared her throat. “I’ll show you.”

  They led us across the room to a small refrigerator. Her husband opened it, revealing stacks of raw, bloody steaks. “It’s the only food he’s interested in.”

  “I think we should continue,” Isaac said.

  “As I said, we don’t keep samples of the virus here,” Larry said, “but I can show you some brain tissue stains we made.”

  Isaac and the Vollmer twins spent the next half-hour peering through microscopes while Royce continued to work. Warnick decided it was probably best to get out of their way. We were about to leave when Nancy turned to Judith.

  “So you engineered the virus here?”

  “Yes. We’ve been working on it for more than two years.”

  “And how long have you been working on the vaccine?” Bud said.

  Larry seemed surprised. “Vaccine? We’re not.”

  “Are you serious?” I said. “We thought you guys were trying to stop this thing.”

  “Then what are we doing here?” Warnick said.

  Judith and Larry avoided looking directly at us. There was something they weren’t telling us. Larry fidgeted for a moment. “I’m sorry we misled you. You see, the experiment is at the stage where …”

  A door banged open behind us and Bob Creasy walked in, accompanied by two cops. “What my colleague meant to say is that we’ve almost perfected the virus.” Creasy looked bad. If I had to guess, he was strung out. His skin was pasty, his pupils like pinpoints and his lids red-rimmed. He repeatedly wiped at a runny nose.

  Isaac stepped forward. “Are you the one responsible for this madness?”

  “I’m in charge of the project,” Creasy said. “And all of you are trespassing.” He turned towards the cops, who drew their weapons.

  “Weapons on the floor,” one of them said to Warnick and me.

  I looked at Warnick. There was a chance we could out-gun them. But it could go the other way, too, and innocent people might die. His eyes told me he’d come to the same conclusion. We complied.

  “Is this some kind of sick joke?” Isaac said.

  “No joke,” the cop said.

  His eyes betraying no emotion, he shot my friend. I grabbed Isaac as he collapsed, bleeding, and eased him to the floor. I looked up. Bud and Nancy stared straight ahead in frozen twin horror.

  “You were warned, Pulaski,” Creasy said. “But you couldn’t leave it alone. Did you honestly think you could stop this?”

  He signaled for Larry and Judith to join him, which they did, meekly.

  I glared at the two researchers. Judith examined her clenched hands and Larry stared at a spot on the floor. “You never intended to help us.”

  Creasy headed for the door and on his way out said to the cops, “Kill them all.”

  One of the police officers pointed his weapon at the Vollmer twins while the other trained his on Warnick and me. Our rifles lay on the floor out of reach. We were going to die. I was grateful Holly wasn’t here. I started to close my eyes, but the sound of breaking glass and gunfire echoed through the building, distracting the cops. Warnick and I hit the floor and scrambled behind a counter in a hail of bullets. I turned towards the Plexiglas and watched a reflection of the two cops firing point blank at the twins, dropping them in an instant. Quickly, we worked our way backwards one aisle at a time till we reached a wall.

  Behind us was a supply closet and, next to it on the wall, a bank of light switches. I flung my hand up and turned them off. Warnick opened the door and we went inside. We only had a few seconds. I flicked on the light and we searched desperately for something useful. I spotted gallon plastic jugs of hydrochloric acid.

  Warnick grabbed two beakers off a nearby shelf. I opened one of the jugs and, hands trembling, filled both beakers with the toxic liquid. A drop hit my hand and I bit down on a scream as it burned through layers of skin. I shelved the jug, turned off the light and stood in darkness, listening. A faint click reached us and a band of white appeared at the bottom of the door. Warnick handed me a beaker. We waited.

  Silence.

  Shouting voices echoed outside, followed by gunshots and the dull thud of something heavy hitting the floor. The voices were closer now—someone else was in the room.

  “Warnick! Pulaski!” It was Pederman.

  We opened the door slowly and found the supervisor, Springer and several other soldiers standing there, guns drawn.

  “What’s that?” Pederman said, nodding at the beakers.

  “Desperation,” I said. “How did you know?”

  “I’m starting to think like you—God help me. I thought I made myself clear the last time about keeping me in the loop.”

  “This just sort of happened.” I said. “We—”

  “Save it. We need to get out of here.”

  “Any more cops outside?” Warnick said.

  “None that we saw.”

  We left the beakers on a counter. Then Warnick checked the Vollmer twins for pulses while I checked Isaac.

  Isaac’s pulse was weak, but it was there. “He’s alive!” Blood leaked from his side and pooled on the floor. I knew what to do, but I couldn’t move.

  “Need … to apply … pressure,” Isaac said, coughing.

  “Use the heel of your hand and press down,” Warnick said.

  As I knelt there, feeling the life draining out of my friend, Warnick gestured to another soldier. “First aid kit!”

  The soldier trotted up and laid down a backpack. He dug around inside and pulled out a box of QuikClot gauze pads. Warnick took one and ripped open the packaging.

  “This will stop the bleeding,” he said. “We’ll need to get his shirt open so I can apply it.”

  I unbuttoned Isaac’s shirt and inspected the wound. “Looks like the bullet went clean through,” I said. “What about the twins?”

  “Dead,” Warnick said.

  As we worked to get the bleeding stopped, an explosion rocked the building and sent us flying.

  “What the hell?” Springer said as we picked ourselves up. “Booby trap?”

  “Grenades,” Pederman said. “We need to get out of here. Come on!” Another explosion knocked us down and toxic smoke began to fill the room, burning my eyes and throat. “Tear gas!”

  A high-pitched alarm sounded and white emergency lights flashed through the haze. Then the fire sprinkler system activated, drenching us.

  “Let’s go!” Warnick said.

  As I got to my feet, the shape of a man appeared in the smoke. He took a couple of steps towards me.

  It was Doctor Royce.

  I couldn’t see the others—I was alone. Someone far away called my name. Royce swatted at a fly. In an instant his eyes became an iridescent purple and he lurched at me, grinning hideously.

  I shoved him away, choking on gas. Coughing, I tried to call out to Warnick or Pederman, but I couldn’t speak. Royce was incredibly strong and easily dominated me, the smoke having no effect on him. I dropped to the floor and tried to roll away, but he grabbed my ankle and dragged me towards him like I was a rag doll. As I got closer, I kicked at his face, breaking his nose. He lost his grip but kept coming.

  I glanced behind me and spotted the two beakers of acid on the counter. Scrambling backwards, I got to my feet, grabbed them both and hurled the liquid at Royce. In a puff of smoke and a sickening sizzle, the flesh of his face and neck melted away, exposing raw muscle and bone.

  Blind now, his eyelids burned off, Royce lunged at me. I turned to my left—an AR-15 lay on the ground a few feet away. As I went for it, another explosion threw me to the floor. Royce was on me again, dragging me inexorably towards his chomping bare teeth in a mouth with no lips. With every bit of strength in me, I inched my
way over to the gun, stretching my fingers. I touched the barrel. Soon I’d have the weapon in my hand.

  Got it!

  As I raised it, Royce flung himself forward. I didn’t have time to think. I shot him in the face. Wailing, he fell back as I got to my feet. I crawled over to where Isaac lay coughing and helped him up.

  “Don’t think I’ll make it,” Isaac said.

  “What do you know? You’re a doctor.”

  I found the exit and helped Isaac out of the room. Pederman, Warnick and Springer, and around twenty other Black Dragon soldiers met me in the corridor, where two more dead cops lay dead in expanding pools of blood. Toxic smoke billowed out from every doorway. Everyone was coughing.

  “Thought we lost you,” Pederman said. “You okay?”

  “Never better.”

  “We need to get out of here. My guess is they’re waiting for us to come crawling out.”

  “We have to surrender,” Warnick said.

  We removed our shirts and tied them around our mouths the best we could. My eyes burned as we made our way to the front entrance. Pederman, Warnick and Springer shielded Isaac and me as the other soldiers went out first, their hands up.

  “Hold your fire!” one of them said as he went out.

  A torrent of automatic gunfire cut them down like matchsticks. Body armor protected his torso, but Pederman took a bullet in the arm and fell back. We dragged the others inside. Gunfire rained down on us as we scrambled away from the exit. Police cruisers filled the area inside the gate, and armed cops crouched behind the open car doors.

  “I thought you said there weren’t any other cops,” I said.

  Pederman sucked in air. “Hold your fire!” The gunfire continued.

  “Why are they shooting?” Springer said.

  “Don’t know,” Warnick said, “but this isn’t going to work.”

  “Need to bring … the research,” Isaac said and passed out.

  “He’s not going to make it,” Springer said.

  “Shut up,” I said. “He’ll make it.” Then to Pederman, “Can’t we radio for a helicopter?”