Caldera | Book 12 | Kingdom Come Read online

  Hatcher stepped gingerly over the shattered remains of their former home as he made his way through the ashes. “Vic?”

  “I’m here.” She stood and wiped a black smear across her forehead. “I’ve got one survivor, but I don’t think she’ll make it.”

  “Did she say what happened?” He looked around at the remains and slowly shook his head.

  “She came to for a moment and said that Zulus attacked. I asked her about Simon, and she shook her head ‘no,’ but then she blacked out. My guess would be from the pain.”

  “He was probably leading from the rear again.” He gave her a knowing look. “He’s as cowardly as he is evil.”

  She pulled him to the side and lowered her voice. “I doubt she would survive this under the best of conditions, Danny. Probably sixty to seventy percent of her body is covered in burns.”

  “What do you do then?”

  Vic sighed and pushed her hair up out of her eyes. “Make her as comfortable as we can. Try to push antibiotics to prevent infection.” She turned her face to meet his eyes and gave him a solemn look. “I’ve never dealt with burns, but I’ve heard other nurses tell me about it. They soak them in saline water then scrub the wounds to keep them from infecting.”

  “Ouch.” Hatcher’s face puckered. “That sounds worse than the burns.”

  Vicky slowly nodded. “The burn actually stops hurting once the nerves are seared. But the deeper nerves are…” She swallowed hard and sighed. “It’s like rubbing lemon juice and salt into an open wound. And the scrubbing…”

  He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Are you even going to try?”

  She shrugged. “If she survives the next twenty-four hours, then we may have to.” She stepped towards the greenhouse. “I had them place her in here to rest. It’s warmer and…” her voice trailed off as she stared at the woman, her eyes open, staring into nothingness. “I guess that was a lot of worry for nothing.”

  “I’m sorry, Vic.”

  Vicky stepped away and found one of the men. “She’s gone. Place her with the others.”

  Hatch appeared at her side again. “What do you have planned?”

  “I’d hoped to give them all burials,” she fought to hold back a sob, “but the men suggested a mass grave.”

  Hatcher peered past the ruins to the surrounding area. “I don’t guess you’ve heard or seen anybody outside the walls?”

  She shook her head and tried to stuff her emotions back where she needed them to be. “Nobody.”

  “Okay.” He hitched his pants up and glanced back towards the truck. “I’ve got things to attend to. Radio if anything happens.”

  She pulled him to her and hugged him quickly. “Be careful, Danny.”

  “You too, sis.”

  Dr. Broussard stepped through the front doors and cradled the steaming cup of coffee in his hands. He watched as the soldiers spun the tires of their vehicle on the slope leading to the fence, the chain taught as they attempted to pull the poles back to an upright position. Other soldiers stood inside the compound and attempted to push the fence up as the vehicle dug ruts.

  Davis ordered a full stop before having the men unhook the vehicle. He waved through the gate to the two-and-a-half ton truck and a soldier brought the big diesel to life, black smoke belching from its twin stacks.

  Andre approached Lieutenant Davis as he continued to wave the truck through. “Difficulties, I take it?”

  “The Jeep was too light to pull the posts straight.” He gave Andre a crooked grin. “This one will either pull them straight or jerk them right out of the ground.”

  The pair watched as the truck backed up the slope, its dual axles bouncing on the ruts made by the Jeep. The air brakes hissed and soldiers dragged the heavy chain to the thick steel bumper, hooking it securely through a tow ring.

  With a whistle and a wave, the heavy deuce and a half inched forward, pulling the chain taught. Once the slack was pulled out, a soldier waved at the driver and he inched the truck forward, pulling the fence up by giving gentle tugs.

  “Remarkable,” Andre mumbled as he took a sip of the coffee.

  That’s a lot of weight pulling those thin poles,” Davis replied. He pulled his radio and keyed the driver. “Whoa! It’s upright. Back up a little and we’ll see if it stays.”

  The brakes hissed again then the reverse lights came on as the driver eased the clutch, giving the chains some slack. The fenced bowed slightly back but remained upright. “Good enough.” Davis keyed the radio again. “Unhook Molly and bring her inside the compound. I want her as close to the fence as you can get her.”

  The driver radioed back an affirmative, and, once the chains were disconnected, rolled the beast back around to the paved road and towards the gate.

  Andre glanced to Davis. “Molly?”

  He fought the urge to smile. “Good Golly, Miss Molly.” He shrugged. “The men called her that when she pulled two broken down deuces up the hill to NORAD. All three were fully loaded, and Molly danced up the hill like there was nothing hooked to her.”

  Andre nodded appreciatively. “Impressive.”

  “They’re tough old trucks.” Davis waved the soldier closer and stepped onto the running board beside the driver’s window. “Back her right up there. Let the canopy frame push the rest of the fence back upright, but don’t let the bumper stress the fabric too much. We want to support, not weaken it.”

  “Roger that, sir.”

  Davis stepped down and walked along beside the truck, waving the driver back. He slowed the motion of his hand until the fence was pushed upright then held his fist in the air.

  The driver set the parking brakes then shut down the engine. As he climbed down from the cab he sighed. “I hate to keep her sidelined, LT.”

  “So do I, but she’s the tallest thing we have.” He turned and began walking up the hill. “Once we get out and about in the area, we’ll find something to replace her fence propping duties.”

  “Copy that, sir.”

  Davis marched up to Andre and raised a brow. “You still want to send your people into town looking for flower seeds?”

  Andre nodded slowly, his eyes scanning the area. “I do. But I need as many men as you can spare.”

  Davis rubbed at his chin then glanced at his watch. “Army engineers could be here as early as tonight. If you want to send people out this morning, I can spare a few men.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Davis.” Andre held his cup up in salute. “I’ll pass the word to the others.”

  “Let’s try to keep this foray into town brief, Doc. I realize you’re in charge of the shop here, but I’m on the line for your security.” Davis sighed as he glanced at the blood stains on the concrete. “You know I can’t guarantee that safety once we leave this facility.”

  “Understood, Lieutenant. Believe me, I don’t want to test the situation any more than we absolutely have to.”

  Veronica patted a wet cloth over Simon’s forehead, mopping up the sweat. “He’s burning up already.” She fell into the chair beside him and wiped at her own eyes, willing them to be more alert.

  “You need rest.” Darla rubbed at her back as she handed her a cup of coffee. “If you won’t sleep, at least drink this.”

  Veronica gave her a wan smile and shook her head. “I can’t.” She pushed the cup back towards Darla. “I’m pregnant.”

  Darla’s mouth fell open and she stared at her with wide eyes. “Trent’s?”

  Veronica shook her head then glanced toward Simon’s sleeping form. “His.”

  “Oh. My. God,” Darla whispered. “Does he know?”

  She nodded solemnly, her mouth a tight line. “That’s what caused all of this.” She swiped at a tear as she leaned back. “He knew that Lana would flip out and try to hurt me and the baby. That was why he ordered Tony and her to leave.” She sniffed back the tears as they breached her defenses. “He knew the risk was high that this would happen, but he felt it was the only way to keep us safe.” She glance
d back at Darla and smiled, her eyes reddened with tears. “All of us.”

  Darla fell to the floor and lay her head in Veronica’s lap. “He’s gonna make it, Vee. I know he will.”

  Veronica sobbed as she stroked Darla’s hair. “I don’t know if he will.” She inhaled deeply and her voice cracked as she spoke. “I’m not a surgeon. Hell, I’m barely a family practitioner anymore.” She glanced at his still form on the table. “It’s just…he’s lost so much blood.”

  “I’m so sorry I couldn’t do more,” Darla whispered. She lifted her head and cupped Veronica’s face. “But I know he’s a fighter. If anybody can survive this, it’s him.”

  Veronica nodded as the tears fell. “I just pray that I didn’t cause more harm than good.”

  Darla gave her a reassuring smile as she came to her feet. “I’ll bet money he makes it.” She stepped over to the end of the table and dabbed at his forehead. “Look at him. He’s breathing steady now. He’s got a pulse…and you know how many times his heart stopped last night.”

  “Don’t remind me.” Veronica stood and paced the small room, avoiding the blood stained wads of gauze and cotton cloth. “I was never so scared in my life.”

  Darla reached out and took her hand. “Please, Vee. For the baby, if nothing else. Go lay down. Try to rest. I’ll watch him, and if he so much as burps or farts, I’ll call you.”

  Vee snickered at the joke then nodded slowly. “I’ll try.”

  “You’ll do it,” Darla ordered. “You’re running on pure adrenaline right now. Once your head hits that pillow, you’ll be out.” She turned and picked up the coffee. “And as long as this holds out, I’ll be okay.”

  She shooed her away from the small living room and all but pushed her towards the bedroom. Veronica stepped around her and placed a gentle kiss on Simon’s forehead then turned back to Darla. “Anything happens and you get me, promise?”

  “I promise.” She waved her off. “Now go.”

  Veronica trudged towards her bed, exhaustion already setting in as she pushed open the door. The sunshine assaulted her, and she quickly closed the blinds. It was just then that she got a view of her reflection. Her arms were covered in dried blood to her elbows, wide smears of rusty brown ran up to her shoulders and speckled her face.

  She felt herself about to lose it. She turned away from the mirror, fell onto the mattress, and bounced toward her pillow. “It can wash off tomorrow,” she muttered to herself as she pulled the pillow up under her head.

  Darla was right. She passed out almost immediately after her head hit the pillow. She fell into a rhythmic breathing and dreamt of ways to hunt down and hurt Lana.

  Jedidiah felt the heat of the sun beat down on him from the rooftop and lowered the binoculars from his eyes. This is the place but…

  He scratched at his chin then lifted his eyes skyward. “Lord, I know that this is Your army I’m leading, but truth be told, I don’t have the words. What am I to say to them?”

  He lowered his face and felt shame for questioning the will of the Lord. If this was truly God’s will, then words meant nothing. Nobody could stand against his troops.

  He lifted the binoculars again and scanned the area. “This is definitely the place, and it’s obvious they use these roads.” He continued to stare then lowered the spy glasses again. “I have to find their leader and figure out a way to separate him…” His voice trailed off as a plan came to mind.

  He slipped back over the ridge of roof and slid to the edge, slowly came to his feet, and glanced over the edge of the roof for the ladder.

  Once both feet were back on terra firma, he made his way through the overgrown yard and pushed out to the road. He ensured that nobody was out and about as he crossed, slipping between the buildings, keeping mainly to the shadows. He made his way back to the city center, staying hidden until he was safely back to the movie theater.

  His soldiers were still sleeping off the feast from the night before, but soon they would grow restless. He would have to formulate his plan with utmost precision if it was ever going to work. He needed the solitude and shadows of his office so he could rest his mind and allow the angel of the Lord to assist him.

  3

  Hatcher collapsed onto his couch and sighed heavily as Rich stepped into the house. “Some mess, huh?”

  “You could call it that.” Hatcher slid to the side and rested his head on the armrest. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

  Rich sat lightly on the edge of the chair opposite him and studied the man for a moment. “You know, I had other intentions when I came here.”

  “You don’t say,” Hatcher mumbled as his eyes slipped closed and he stifled a yawn.

  “Yeah.” Rich leaned back into the chair and continued to watch him. “I came here to check out your setup…”

  “What do you think?” he asked without truly caring.

  “It’s nice.” Rich leaned forward. “But my people were considering making a move for this place.”

  Hatcher mumbled something and sighed, his body about to slip into sleep. When the words registered, his eyes shot open and he sat up. “Say again?”

  Rich lowered his eyes and nodded. “You’d said that there were more buildings than your people could ever occupy.” He glanced up at him and gave him a solemn stare. “Willie thought that if it was as good as you said, it might be nice to join your merry band of misfits.”

  Hatcher’s face relaxed and he fell back against the couch. “You mean…join us, not…”

  Rich’s face twisted in confusion. “Not what?”

  “Take it.”

  His eyes widened and Rich came to his feet. “Good lord, no.” He paced slowly, his face unreadable. “That’s not our way.”

  “You wouldn’t be the first group of survivors who thought that way.” Hatcher crossed his arms over his chest and studied the larger man.

  “Maybe others, but not us.” Rich forced himself to stop pacing and sat back down. “Willie wasn’t sure if you were full of shit or if…” he paused, his mind trying to find the right words, “or if you had really collected the right kind of people to create this.”

  Hatcher raised a brow. “I didn’t collect anybody.”

  “You know what I mean.” Rich threw his hands in the air and fell back into the chair. “You guys have everything here. It’s almost like it didn’t happen.”

  Hatcher slowly nodded. “And Willie wants to uproot everybody and just move them here?”

  Rich nodded. “They’re sick of the constant camping. His only real concern was your security. We just couldn’t imagine anybody living in city limits on purpose. We were worried about the infected.” He sighed and leaned forward. “But, from the looks of things, it’s this Simon guy that you could use a few extra hands in dealing with.” He looked up at Hatcher and raised a brow. “I can have them on their way in a matter of days.”

  Hatcher’s eyes narrowed. “How so?”

  Rich reached to his side and pulled out the handheld two way radio. “We stationed a man between our camp and here.”

  Hatcher’s gaze narrowed and he shot Rich an accusatory stare. “Really?”

  Rich’s face flushed. “We had no idea if you were on the up and up. If you weren’t, they’d only risk losing me.” Rich lowered the radio. “But you know where we live.” It was his turn to shoot an accusatory stare.

  Hatcher allowed his sleep deprived mind a moment to absorb the man’s words then slowly nodded. “Point taken.”

  “So how about it?” Rich asked. “Are you willing to trade our fighters for the empty houses?”

  Hatcher stared at him expressionless for a moment. “You’re prepared to move all of your people based on a few days’ worth of observation?”

  Rich gave him a half-assed grin. “I have a way of reading folks.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “And I’ve met your people.”

  Hatcher fell back into the couch and slowly nodded. “You and yours are more than welcome to join forces with us.
”

  “In exchange for residency…” Rich added.

  Hatcher nodded. “Welcome to the neighborhood.”

  Andre pushed open the doors and stood in the entry as the dual rotor heavy helicopter lowered just outside the security fence. He watched as Lieutenant Davis trotted toward the craft and snapped to attention when the side door slid open and another uniformed man stepped out.

  Broussard stared as the two had a brief exchange, the overhead rotors slowing with each turn. He watched as Davis listened then countered briefly before the man pointedly jabbed him in the chest. Mr. Davis seemed to deflate with each jab.

  “What’s going on?” Carol asked as she slipped an arm around his middle.

  “Nothing good, I fear.” Andre nodded toward the pair of uniformed men. “They’ve only been speaking for a few minutes, but apparently Mr. Davis does not like what he hears.”

  “They’re coming this way,” Carol stated the obvious. “And you’re right. He doesn’t look happy.”

  Andre stepped out and opened the outer doors for the men. “Welcome to the CDC.” He gave the newcomer a courteous smile.

  Lieutenant Davis sidestepped the pair and stood at the inner doorway, holding it open for their visitor. “Dr. Broussard, Dr. Chaplain, this is Major Newsome.”

  The major nodded toward the pair. “I’m afraid I have some news that may be less than welcome.” The major removed his cover and stood at ease. “I’ve been ordered to transfer you and your people to New Washington.”

  Andre’s eyes widened briefly. “Excuse me?”

  “The president and his staff feel that it would be best to have you and your team closer to civilization.” The major’s eyes shifted away for a moment and he quickly gathered himself. “You and your people are to relocate to—”

  “Pardon me, Major,” Broussard interrupted, “but the president himself authorized us to be here.”

  “I understand that, sir. But circumstances have changed.” The major stiffened and squared his shoulders. “You and yours are to gather your personal belongings and whatever equipment you feel is too rare to be found at any other research lab and report to the valley.”