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He turned up the radio. Jason Aldean was singing “My Kinda Party. ”
“Yes, sirree,” he said to the radio. Homer put the car back into drive and kept going.
CHAPTER NINETY-SIX
THE WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM
“We have another video from Billy Trout,” said Scott Blair.
The president swiveled his chair to face the monitors. “Let me see it. ”
Blair hesitated. “Sir, this is pretty delicate stuff. This is going to be a political nightmare. ”
“Run it,” said the president firmly.
The YouTube video played. It showed the same female officer standing in a hallway filled with corpses of the infected.
“She obtained a walkie-talkie from a National Guardsman that she attacked. ”
“Did she kill him?”
“No-o-o,” Blair said, dragging it out. “Three soldiers required medical treatment and she wrecked their Humvee. ”
The president shushed him as the audio played. They sat and watched the one-sided conversation Dez Fox had with Lieutenant Colonel Macklin Dietrich.
Colonel Dietrich, you are incorrect, sir, when you say that we are unaware of the nature of this event. We are very goddamn aware. And we are asking how you intend to help.
There’s nothing we can do. If you’re in the thick of this then you should be able to comprehend that.
I comprehend some of it, Colonel. What I don’t comprehend is why you’re not even trying to rescue or protect the uninfected. This isn’t an airborne disease. It’s spread through spit or a bite or some other fluid contact.
Blair leaned closed. “This is the crucial bit. ”
I’m asking you—telling you—to get in touch with your boss and tell him to get in touch with his, as far up the line as you have to go. Tell them that we know who let this monster off the chain and who’s responsible for killing an entire town … and who now wants to try and cover it all up by pretending that the surviving witnesses are infected just so you can slaughter us all. You tell them that.
There was a few seconds more silence as Fox waited for a reply that was not going to come. Then she looked straight into the camera and said:
They’re going to let us die here. God … they’re going to murder all these kids.
Tears broke and rolled down her cheeks, and the tape ended.
Blair flapped his arms. “This was just posted and it’s already burning up the Internet. It’s everywhere. It’s on CNN and FOX and everywhere. ”
“God…”
“And I take it you heard that one line?”
“About her knowing who let the monster off the chain? Yes. Do you think they know about Lucifer 113?”
“I … don’t know, sir. I can’t see how they could know. ”
An aide came hurrying into the room. “Excuse me, Mr. President … the helos have crossed into Stebbins airspace. ”
CHAPTER NINETY-SEVEN
STEBBINS LITTLE SCHOOL
They went up the stairs. Dez first, with her Glock held in both hands; JT was right behind her with a Mossberg 500 Bullpup with dual pistol grips, including one on the pump. Eight steps from the top they paused to listen.
