Caldera 9: From The Ashes Page 12

  “I remember somebody being heartbroken when children were killed attacking us.”

  She nodded solemnly. “They might have been infected, but they were kids, not adults.”

  “And they were all infected by the same virus. None of them were in their right minds, Candy.”

  “I know.” Her voice was a whisper. “It’s going to be tough to think of them as people again, Hatch.”

  “I know.” He inhaled deeply and blew it out slowly. “And it’s going to be even tougher to know which ones are trustworthy.”

  Carol dropped her bag on the narrow bed and looked around the tiny cabin. “I swear, everything is smaller than I remember.”

  “You’ll adapt.” Broussard stated. He glanced around the room then gave her a curt nod. “I’ll leave you to it.”

  She stepped forward and took his hand. “I didn’t thank you for coming back for me.”

  He shook his head, his face blushing. “It wasn’t anything I did. Dr. Miller swayed the higher ups to make that happen.”

  “You convinced him that I was needed.” She looked up at him and he looked away.

  “You were.” He cleared his throat. “I mean, you are.”

  She pulled him closer and kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Broussard felt his face flush. “You are most welcome, chéri.”

  A knock at her door broke up their moment and both turned to watch it open slowly. “Are you decent?”

  “Of course,” Carol stated as she stepped forward, pulling the door open. “Dr. Miller.”

  Miller stepped inside and barely glanced at Broussard. “I was just curious if you’d eaten? They’re about to clear the mess decks, and while we may be scraping the bottom of the proverbial barrel, it might be the last hot meal for a while.”

  She nodded. “I could definitely refuel.” She looked to Broussard. “Care to join us?”

  He shook his head and stepped into the hallway. “Go ahead.” He looked away, trying to think of an appropriate thing to say. “I’ll, uh…I’ll meet you at the lab in the morning.”

  She watched him slip away and felt a momentary pang of regret.

  “Shall we?” Miller held his arm out to her.

  She gave him a false smile and took his arm. “Thank you for thinking of me.”

  “I just assumed that your selection out there was rather limited.”

  She shrugged as she pulled her door shut. “Mostly canned goods.”

  He chuckled. “Well, depending on what magic the cooks have whipped up, canned goods might be better.” He led her down the hall toward the smell of food.

  Andre Broussard slipped around the far corner and caught a glimpse of the pair before they rounded the other end of the hallway. He silently cursed himself for being less than debonair and fought the urge to follow them. He stepped back into the shadows and opted to find his bed.

  He had a lot to think about.

  Lana stood at the upstairs balcony and breathed in the cool evening air. “I can see why you chose this place.”

  Simon looked down the hill and across the abandoned town. “It gave me a view of the cagers.”

  Lana gave him a confused look then he pointed to the small compound. “The lights are just starting to come on.”

  Her eyes widened and she smiled. “They have power.”

  Simon nodded. “And running water and everything else we used to have before the world went to hell.”

  “Oh, running water,” she cooed. “I can see why you’d want to take it over.”

  Simon shook his head and stepped closer to her. “I didn’t want to take what they had.” He lowered his voice, a twinge of guilt in his tone. “I just wanted to kill them.”

  “What did they do to humiliate you?”

  He lowered his head and scoffed. “They freed my people.” He looked up at her and she saw the sadness in his eyes. “I told you…I wasn’t a good guy before.”

  “You had them captured?”

  “More like slaves.” He winced at the words. “I ruled them with fear.”

  “Like the Quee.”

  Simon shook his head slowly. “I’m not proud of who I was.”

  Lana turned slowly and wrapped her arms around his middle. “And who are you now, Simon?”

  He sighed heavily as he peered into her eyes. “I’m still trying to figure that out.”

  She chuckled. “You never give a straight answer, do you?”

  “I might if I had one.” He stepped back and pulled her away from the window. “I don’t know who this ‘kinder, gentler’ version of me is yet.” He stepped closer to her and brushed a kiss across the tip of her nose. “All I know is, I’m starting to really like it.”

  She cupped his face and kissed him. When she pulled back she scrunched her nose at him. “You need a shave.”

  He laughed and wiped his hand across his chin. “And a shower.”

  “Let’s do some shopping for you.” She pulled him towards the stairs. “We’ll get you a change of clothes and scrub you down and you’ll be a brand new man all over again.”

  Simon pulled back against her and pulled her to him. “I love you.”

  She stared at him for a moment, her eyes wide. “You don’t really know me….”

  “I know you better than you think.” He lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. “I could wake up every day for the rest of my life and as long as I could look into those eyes, I’d be happy.”

  She felt the corners of her mouth pull into a smile and she tugged him back towards the stairs. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up, doped up, and we both can get some much needed rest.”

  “Big day tomorrow?” he asked as she led him down to the main floor.

  “Of course.” She pulled the door open and stepped out into the fading light. “Tomorrow we search for a new house.” She spun and narrowed her eyes at him. “One that is ours and not some old hideout you shared with a bunch of smelly brutes.”

  Simon laughed as she led him across the street. “Clean clothes and a sponge bath.”

  She giggled as he pushed open the door of the neighboring house. “Chicken soup for the soul!”

  19

  Buck rolled over and grimaced at the sound of power tools. “What time is it? he groaned.

  “Too early,” Skeeter moaned as she rolled over. “Stay in bed with me.”

  Buck sat on the edge of the mattress and wiped a hand over his face. “I have things to do today.”

  Skeeter sat up and ran a hand up his back, settling at his neck. “Are you going back to bury that old man?”

  Buck nodded slowly. “Hatcher didn’t think it necessary, but…” He shook his head, trying to jumpstart his brain. “It just seems right.”

  “I understand.” She sat up and wrapped herself around his back. “Want me to come along and help?”

  Buck shook his head. “It’s not that warm yet, but I’d bet the smell won’t be nice.” He turned slightly and kissed her cheek. “I’ll take care of it.”

  “Be careful out there.”

  He nodded slowly. “I think the cure is doing its job. At least, judging by Nick, I’d say it is.”

  “Still.” She pulled him close. “I like snuggling with you too much.”

  “Oh, is that all?” He laughed as he began to dress. “I’m just a snuggle buddy?”

  She punched him in the arm. “Just come home safe.”

  Buck slipped his boots on and stood, stretching. “I will.” He peered through the blinds at the men already at work in the courtyard, the sun barely over the horizon. “I never was an early bird. I just don’t understand people who are.”

  “Then wait a while. Come back to bed and go later.”

  Buck sighed and gave her a knowing look. “It just doesn’t feel right leaving him there like that. He may have been infected, but he was a person. He had kids. A wife.”

  “I know, sweetie.” She sat on the edge of the bed and he couldn’t help but stare at her naked form. �
�And I think you’re a better person for wanting to do this.” She stood and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

  “I will.” He kissed the tip of her nose and leaned back to stare at her. Even with bedhead, she was still beautiful to him. “Maybe I’ll bring you back a surprise.”

  “Ooh. That would be nice.” She fell back onto the bed and pulled the blanket over her. “Don’t stay out too late.”

  “I’ll hurry.” He grabbed a ball cap and pulled it over his unruly curls. “Love you.”

  “Love you more,” she muttered as he pulled the door closed.

  Buck went through the motions of eating then checking out a truck and digging tools. His mind was on Nick, laid out on his bed, clutching the photo of his wife. If he’d been responsible for her death, could he blame him for what he did?

  Buck started the truck and pulled away from the retirement home, his mind still on the task at hand. Should he say some words after he buried the couple? Should he bury them together? Should he make some kind of marker?

  He drove across town, his attention distracted by what he had planned. He slowed at each intersection, checking briefly that the roads were clear. Before he realized it, he’d arrived at the house.

  He pulled the truck into the driveway and stepped out. Grabbing a shovel and pickaxe from the bed, he walked through the house, carefully avoiding the covered body parts on the floor.

  He opened the sliding glass door and was relieved that there was a slight breeze. Laying the tools by the door, he checked the backyard. “Where would be the best place to do this?”

  He stepped into the yard and found a small tree growing near the corner of the property. “That would be a nice spot.”

  Buck stepped off the area and dug a small bald spot with the heel of his boot. He stepped back and nodded approvingly. “No time like the present.”

  Turning to retrieve the shovel, Buck froze. A bald, pale-skinned man stood in the open doorway, his eyes wide. He glared at Buck, his fists clenched.

  Buck took a half step back, his adrenaline spiking. The man’s lip curled into a snarl and Buck suddenly felt naked without a weapon.

  Dr. Broussard pushed open the door of the lab and found Miller and Carol were already there. Both were laughing at something that he’d missed. He stepped into the lab and lifted his lab coat from the hook. “Sorry I’m late.”

  “Oh, you’re not late,” Carol chuckled. “We decided to come in early.”

  Miller gave her a grin that Broussard couldn’t read. “We didn’t get much sleep last night so we decided to just come in and get as much done as we could before we passed out.”

  She laughed again and came to her feet. “I’ve already started isolating Kelly’s viral DNA profile.” She pointed to the incubator. “The media is cooking as we speak.”

  Broussard opened his mouth to speak then quickly closed it. “Well. It looks like there isn’t much more for me to do, except wait.”

  Miller glanced at his watch then came to his feet. “I should get the after action report to the Duty Officer.” He gave a mock bow to Carol then turned. “I will see you later.” His tone sounded as if the statement was loaded.

  He patted Andre on the shoulder as he stepped past him and into the hall. Broussard watched him go and felt a peculiar feeling in the pit of his stomach. He took a deep breath and forced these unusual feelings down. “I suppose I’m late to the party. Again.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Carol chided as she jotted notes in her notebook. “None of this would be possible without you.” She glanced up and gave him a smile. She appeared to be glowing.

  Broussard fought the insane emotions coursing through him and turned his back on her, pretending to calibrate some arcane piece of equipment. “You seem awfully chipper for somebody who didn’t sleep.”

  She nodded, her ponytail bobbing. “Way too much coffee.” She wrote furiously in her notebook then pushed away from the bench, the wheels on her chair clacking against the floor. She caught herself at the other workstation and read the numbers on the incubator. “I’m sure I’ll crash any moment. Sugar and caffeine does that, you know.”

  She pushed herself back to the workbench and jotted the numbers down. “There.” She slammed her notebook closed and gave him a satisfied smile. “I’m all caught up.”

  Broussard sighed heavily and avoided looking at her. “Good.” He stood and squared his shoulders. “I can’t think of anything else that needs doing at the moment.” He turned and pulled his lab coat off, tossing it towards the hook in the corner. “I think I’ll find myself some of that caffeine.”

  She gave him a confused look and opened her mouth to say something, but he’d all but run out of the lab, leaving her alone. She watched him practically dart down the hallway, and she shook her head. “What’s gotten into him?”

  Simon lay on the mattress and stared at the top of Lana’s head. He smiled as he inhaled deeply, smelling the lilac scent she had sprayed the night before.

  He closed his eyes and remembered the events. She had led him house to house until she found clothes that would fit him. She’d rifled through countless kitchens until she found a few gallons jugs of water then she used a metal bucket and a propane BBQ grill to warm the water.

  She carefully sponged his wounded arm and scrubbed at the rest of him. She didn’t let him lift a finger as she scrubbed every inch of him clean.

  She also didn’t say a word as his body reacted to her touch, and after she toweled him dry, they did their best to break the neighbor’s bed.

  He smiled as he remembered how her face twisted as she climaxed. He ran his hand over her entire body, his mind doing its level best to memorize every inch of her form. He wondered how he kept from breaking her. She felt so lean and thin to his touch. He actually imagined her with a bit more weight, her hair grown out and her face fuller. He didn’t care. He wanted her however she was.

  He had pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. He had muttered the words, “I love you” again, and it didn’t escape him that she didn’t say it back. It didn’t matter, though. He knew that at that very moment, she did. She loved every inch of him. Vigorously.

  Afterward, he held her and they both drifted off. She woke him later and helped him get dressed. They made their way back to the house that he knew and crawled onto the king-sized mattress. She cradled her head in the crook of his good arm and it was there that she stayed.

  He used that good arm to pull her closer, relishing the warmth of her body as she slept. He watched her chest rise and fall with each breath and he knew that she was the one for him.

  Simon opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

  He couldn’t comprehend how he’d been so selfish in his previous life. So hateful. So…mean. He shook the memories from his mind and rubbed at her back.

  She was his second chance. She was his love. She was his salvation. And no matter what he did, he’d do everything in his power to make this last.

  20

  “What are you doing here?”

  Buck froze, his mouth agape. He swallowed hard as his mind tried to unwrap itself from the situation he was in. Just a fraction of a second ago, he thought he was about to be attacked by a Zulu. Now he was afraid he was about to be attacked by a cured Zulu.

  “I…I came to bury the…bodies.”

  The crazy-eyed man glared at him, unsure if he should believe a word. “Why here?” He stepped out of the house and onto the concrete patio. “Who are these people to you?”

  Buck slowly shook his head, his hands still held in a surrender position. “They…” He glanced at the yard then back at the man. “I had only met the man yesterday.”

  “Where is he?” The crazy-eyed man stepped off of the patio and into the tall brown grass.

  Buck glanced upward to the second floor of the house. “We brought him home yesterday. We thought he was just getting a few personal items.”

  The crazy-eyed man’s face fell. “He’s
dead, isn’t he?”

  Buck nodded. “Holding a picture of his wife.”

  The Zulu collapsed to the ground, his hands trembling as he cradled his head. “I was too late.”

  Buck lowered his hands and stepped forward. He could feel the gut wrenching sobs coming from the pasty man. He reached out tentatively and put a hand on his shoulder. “They were family?”

  The man nodded between sobs. “My parents.”

  Buck sat down beside the man and pulled his knees up close, resting a hand on the fellow’s back. “I’m sorry.” He kept his voice low and sympathetic. “I’d only just met Nick, but he seemed like a nice enough fellow.”

  The man looked up at him and through the tear streaked crust of dirt, he recognized him from the photo in the house. “You’re Mathew, aren’t you?”

  Matt nodded. “As soon as I could think straight, I went home.” He sniffed back a tear and wiped at his face. “Then I came here.”

  Buck hung his head low as Mathew sobbed. “I think maybe your dad felt guilty for what happened to your mom.”

  Matt looked up at him and slowly shook his head. “It wasn’t dad.” He leaned his head back and squeezed his eyes shut. “Mom was watching my son, Derek.” He cupped his face in his hands and took deep breaths. “Dad had called to tell me that Derek was acting out and had bitten mom. The news had all of these warnings about…” He choked on his own words. “I tried to warn dad to call the cops, but he insisted on going himself.”

  “I’m sorry,” Buck whispered.

  “Who were you to them?” Matt asked.

  “I’d only just met your dad, but it didn’t seem right not to give them a decent burial.”

  Matt wiped his face with the back of his arm. Tears, snot and slobber smeared the filth into a dark stain. He pushed himself up and leaned on the side of the house. “I should help.” He took a deep breath and blew it out shakily. “They were my parents.”

  He glanced back into the house then turned to Buck. “Did you find a little boy?”