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“How far in the ever-living fuck is your head up your ass?”the lead man demanded as he strode toward us.“You just painted a bullseye on this base with this night-flying stunt.Every infected in miles is now shambling their way here.”
Patrick jumped out and faced him.
“Woodward has fallen.We have a person of interest we need to transport to Irwin ASAP.We need fuel, showers, and fresh fatigues if you have any.”
“And a medic,” I said.
Patrick nodded in acknowledgment without looking at me.The man’s gaze swept over us, taking in our state before locking on Molev.
Then he gestured to Patrick to step away with them.They conversed softly for several moments before the man motioned to two of his soldiers.
“Fuel them up and get them what they need.I want them gone in thirty.”
The majority of us went straight to the showers.Katie silently cried as she washed, and Roni and I shared a look.As soon as we finished, we found clean clothes waiting for us.Civilian clothes, which were fine with me.My riot gear fit over it just fine.
We headed out from the showers together, and I found Molev waiting for us, his hair dripping and bandages soaked but clean.Roland and Sid bookended him.
“He wouldn’t see the medic without you,” Sid said.
I didn’t comment but motioned that we should follow the soldier waiting to lead us.The halls were crawling with personnel that looked dead on their feet.
“Skeleton crew?”I asked.
“Waiting for reinforcements.Put in the request eight days ago.”
It was close to the same thing we’d heard in Woodward.
The medic looked pretty shocked to see Molev and wasn’t as excited to care for him as the previous one.He removed the bandages.He said everything looked good, skipped the salve, and rewrapped what had been bandaged with new gauze.
We walked out onto their tarmac within the allotted time and saw Patrick still speaking with the commander there.When he saw us, he nodded and broke away.
“Our next stop is the Cochiti Lake FOB, west of Sante Fe.The bombs reduced the population of the undead significantly, and the base was active as of twelve hours ago.It’s our next fuel point.Get in.”
We were greeted the same way at the next FOB.Yelling for jeopardizing the base, quiet words with Patrick, then a refuel.
From Cochiti Lake, we headed west again to another FOB near the Grand Canyon.The sky was finally starting to lighten with the approaching dawn when we landed there.Fewer personnel occupied the base.All able-bodied individuals had been relocated to watch the mountain passes.
We refueled with less commotion and were airborne again as the sun crested the horizon.
It felt like a lifetime since I’d left the west coast.I guessed it truly was a lifetime, though, since that life was gone and never coming back.
Instead of dozing like the rest of my team, I vacantly gazed at the brilliantly lit sunrise and let myself think about my family.I’d left believing the mission was a death sentence.Yet, I was returning.I would be able to hug little Zion goodbye and be there with Rachel as she handed over her three-year-old son to the transport personnel.The ticket I’d earned would be bittersweet but worth it.Zion would be safe with his sister and my brother.And who knew, maybe Apollo would even have a hand in creating the vaccine.
Holding onto those hopeful thoughts, I watched the approach to our final destination.
Sid motioned to the window as the helicopter started to descend over the motor pool’s now empty parking lots.The man next to Molev looked out then leaned over to shout in Molev’s ear.
“Looks like a welcoming committee.”
If he had super hearing, it had to have hurt since it had been loud enough for me to hear.But Molev didn’t acknowledge it in any way.
How would I be feeling if I suddenly landed where a bunch of his kind was waiting for me?
Nervous maybe, but only because Molev hadn’t given me any reason to doubt his intentions.However, we’d given him plenty.If I were in his place, I’d be terrified.Or maybe not.I’d witnessed how quickly he could move.And how he could take a bullet.My gaze flicked to the bandage on his shoulder then to Sid.He caught my eye and nodded.So did Roni, Roland, and the rest of the team.
When I looked at Patrick, he was watching Molev.
I hoped, for all our sakes, that he would prioritize Molev’s safety and treatment so we didn’t lose the chance we’d been given.
