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As soon as I knew I would be heard, I started talking.
“The plan is to remain in the aircraft with the doors shut as we refuel.” I pointed to the two male volunteers in our group. “If that door does open, I need both of you to close it behind us. Do not open it for any reason if we leave. Trust in Molev. He will keep you safe.”
The sounds faded further, and I moved to watch out the window.
The base was quiet. The other side of the distant fence was also empty. He’d told us that the infected were migrating west toward the barrier, but I hadn’t fully believed that would leave the interior so quiet.
Molev was standing on top of the cargo cube he’d disconnected, just watching and waiting as the final aircraft touched down.
As soon as it cut the engines, he went to his aircraft and opened the door. Several personnel emerged and pointed to a nearby building and tanker. Molev nodded and started in that direction at a jog. Though he was moving away from me, I could see the way he was scanning for infected.
“No infected in sight,” I said to everyone else. “That doesn’t mean they aren’t there, though. Sit tight while Molev does a sweep and moves the tanker closer.”
“Will we be able to get out here?” someone asked.
“Not if we can help it,” I said.
“The base has been deserted for a few weeks, and the infected like to hide now,” another soldier said. “It’s safer if we stay put.”
Molev reached the tanker and started it up. Nothing moved as he drove it toward us.
“This doesn’t feel right,” the soldier next to me said softly. “Where are they?”
I didn’t answer. Like him, I wasn’t sure if I believed what I was seeing.
Molev parked the tanker nearby and got out to talk to the men waiting. Under his close supervision, they got to work, getting everything into position to refuel. And then they just stopped and looked at each other. One went over to knock on the tank while another ran around to the other side of it.
The second Molev looked at me through the window and nodded, I understood what he wanted.
“They’re having problems fueling,” I said, looking at the two men. “As soon as we leave, close the door and don’t open it, no matter what happens. In here, the infected can’t get you. Out there, they can. It’s that simple.
“Don’t forget your training.”
One woman looked close to throwing up. The rest looked pale or stunned as the door opened, and the five of us jumped out. Once my feet hit the dirt, I was scanning for infected. Everything was quiet.
“Andie,” Molev called.
“Stay here,” I said to the soldiers as I jogged over to him. “The fuel is gone. They know where the rest is kept and will drive the tanker there.”
My gaze flicked over the fence and the nearby buildings.
“Even if this is a trap to split us up, we need that fuel to get out of here,” I said. “So, put Sid and a few others on that roof with a radio, keep one for yourself, and go with the tanker. They’ll radio if they see anything. The rest of us can stand guard.”
He exhaled heavily and nodded.
“Sid!” I called. If the sound of us landing hadn’t brought anything out to greet us, my voice wouldn’t either. But if it did, I preferred to have it happen when Molev was around.
Sid joined us a minute later. I found a set of radios and two other soldiers with decent long-range proficiency. As soon as Molev had them deposited on the roof, someone started the engine on the tanker.
The rest of the team joined me and a few other personnel as we watched them drive off.
“Guess I was so used to keeping our fueler’s tank full that I never thought this one would be empty,” Roland said.
“Same,” Roni agreed.
“Let’s just hope they can fill it quickly,” I said, watching it disappear behind a building. The sound of its engine faded.
After that, we were quiet, watching and listening. The light breeze couldn’t even muster up any sounds.
