"Here we go," Crossley said, pulling back on the aircraft's yoke.
"Goodbye, zombie island," Jackson said as the big plane shuddered and lifted off the deader-filled runway. The plane rocked a little and powered up into the late afternoon sky. Suddenly, an alarm klaxon sounded.
"What the hell?"
"Nate, we have incoming," Jackson said, glancing down at their radar. "Two planes. Wait … fucking drones!"
"Shit. Give this baby some gas!" Crossley said, pushing the throttle forward. “We can’t get caught in the shock wave.”
“No, no,” Jackson said, watching the blips get closer on the radar. “Come on, baby!”
***
As the big plane lifted into the sky, two small drones came from out of the clouds behind them. The two flat, black, unmanned aircraft flew in perfect formation, oblivious of the cargo plane and all the hungry dead below. From thousands of miles away, two college graduates, who had never flown any real aircraft, sat behind a simulator, controlling them.
Both drones dropped their payloads and quickly zipped away. Seconds later, Eller Island and all its inhabitants ceased to exist as two gigantic fireballs cleansed the land of the evil virus.
***
The cargo plane's engines were pushed to the limit as Crossley tried to beat the shock wave from the island. He almost broke the throttle as he willed the plane higher and faster. The plane shook and rocked as it caught the tail end of the shock wave. The plane quickly lost altitude as one of the engines suddenly died.
"Lost number one … and two!" Jackson shouted, flicking several switches.
"Got it! Got it!" Crossley said, frantically trying to restart the engines. The plane started to lose more altitude. He knew it wasn’t an EMP burst because other systems were still working.
"God, please," Jackson said aloud as the plane dropped more. "I’ll give up tentacle porn if you save us."
"Tentacle porn?" Crossley continued to try and start the engines. "Is that a thing?"
"Please," Jackson said, still praying.
Suddenly the engines both roared to life, and the plane bounced then steadied itself. Crossley smiled and wiped the sweat from his face. "Hot damn, Jackson. The Lord does love ya!"
"Uh huh." Jackson sighed. "Thought that was it."
"Me too. Thankfully, we beat the EMP pulse. Damn!" He slapped the yoke with his hand. "This was a hard way to make five grand extra."
Jackson nodded and unstrapped himself. "I’ll go check on the passengers."
"Good idea. Hey, what the hell is tentacle porn anyway?"
"You don’t want to know," Jackson said, opening the cabin door.
CHAPTER 73: NOT EVEN IN COLLEGE
Once they had been in the air for little bit, Sister Anne was able to calm down the children and parents. Sanchez passed out a stack of MREs and a case of bottled water to the curious and excited little ones. The hungry kids cheered, thinking MREs were the greatest thing in the world. Sanchez laughed and thought,
Wait until that’s all you have to eat for six months
, but he just shook his head, happy to be alive and knowing they had at least been able to save these children. He finished distributing the chow and grabbed up a water bottle for himself. He popped the top and sat down in one of the jump seats.
"Gator," he said, raising up the bottle, "miss ya, partner. Hope you’re up there having a good time, driving around with the General Lee and that Daisy Dukes chick!" He took a drink then lay back in the seat. Hot, salty tears soon filled his eyes.
***
West had stripped off her blood-encrusted tac vest and harness. She pulled off her Strategic Securities shirt and tossed it in the pile with her other dirty gear. West still wore a sweat-drenched tank top, but it sure was a helluva lot more comfortable than everything else she’d been wearing.
"Here, Zoe." Jefferson handed her a pack of baby wipes. "Got a shit load of them in the medical locker."
"Cheers, mate," she said, taking the package. "I usually have one of these tucked in my kit." She ripped the seal open. "Didn’t think it would be one of those days." West quickly wiped her face and neck with the disposable cloth. She looked down at the wipe in her hand and couldn’t tell if it was black or dark red. Crumpling it up, she grabbed another and again wiped her face and neck.
"No one did." Jefferson pulled off his dirty shirt and dropped it to the floor. He reached into his pack and pulled out a clean Giants T-shirt. He glanced down at his stained and torn BDUs. "Can’t plan for everything."
"Sure can’t." West reached down and removed her right prosthetic. "Now, that feels bloody good."
"What the hell happened today, Zoe?"
"A lotta bullshit, mate." She pulled her other leg off and sighed. "I sure would like a go at that Russian bastard though. Let him hurt somethin' bad."
"I feel ya, Zoe. Someone needs to pay." He stood up. "I guess it won’t do much good stewin' on it right now."
"It won’t, Jeff." West started to rub some cream on her swollen legs. "Try and get some sleep before we hit stateside. It’s been one long and terrible day."
"Thanks, Zoe." Jefferson walked over to where Washington sat trying to sleep. His partner had a clean boonie hat pulled over his eyes. The big grunt was shirtless but still wearing his gore-encrusted pants. Jefferson sat down heavily in the jumpseat next to him. Washington pushed his hat back so he could see who had sat down. Hoping against hope that it was the nun, the shirtless soldier sat up, a little disappointed.
"Jeff, you okay, brotha?" he asked groggily.
"Hell, I don’t know. Guess I’m still spinning from all of today's shit."
"Yeah, it was a real number ten. I think this here will be my last mission, bro."
"What?"
"Yeah. Hell, they can’t pay me enough to do this shit again." He slapped Jefferson on the knee. "Think I’ll go work mall security or somethin'. Shit, ain't no deaders in a mall!" He chuckled.
"Well, we did a good thing today," Jefferson said, nodding over to the kids and parents.
"Did we, bro?"
"Shit, Wash, we probably saved the fucking world too."
"Well, hell.” He laughed. "If that is true, then I think I'm gonna use that line to get laid. Think it'll work?"
"Sure, Wash." Jefferson popped a stick of gum in his mouth. "Except we can’t tell anyone."
"Of course. Hey, can I get some gum, Jeff?" He leaned forward. "My mouth tastes like I’ve been sucking cock all day."
"Huh?" Jefferson sat back, a puzzled look on his face. "What?"
Stone-faced, Washington said, "You ain’t ever sucked dick before?"
"No. Hell no!"
"Not even in college?"
"Wash." Jefferson stood up, holding his palms open in front of him. "I seen some horrible, weird shit today, but … damn. Just damn!" He shook his head and walked off.
"What about the gum?" Washington laughed. "You’re too easy, Jeff!" He shook his head and pulled the hat down over his eyes.
"I don’t think the doctor's going to make it," Arkady chuckled as he watched Sergeant Wu bandage Orlac's bite wound. The scientist was still unconscious and laid out on a blanket on the floor. Brooks and Newman stood over the sergeant as he worked. The captain slid one of the biologic cases next to Wu.
"The anti-virus is in here. We just need him to tell us which is which," Brooks said, crossing her muscular arms. She was wearing one of Hale's clean, oversized company shirts. Brooks was glad it had never been worn by the major. It would have broken her heart to smell him on it.
"Captain, my captain." Arkady shook his head. He was now zip-tied by one cuff to an alloy railing. The Russian was starting to look a little pale, and more blood was soaking through the dirty bandages. "I told you, I have something important to tell you, and I do. May I have some water first?"
"Arkady …"
"Please. Pavel. Water?" Newman shook his head and handed him the bottle he had just been drinking out of. Arkady took it and simply shrugged. Germs. What did it matter now? He quickly downed the water and handed the empty back to Newman. "Thank you."
"So what is so important, Arkady?" Brooks asked.
"Do you really know what this mission was about?"
"Sure.” She nudged one of the cases with her boot. "The new antidote."
"No, no, that is not it at all." He sat up straight and leaned forward. "You have heard of the Blackthorne Corporation, I am sure."
"Yeah, it’s owned by that billionaire, Ian Black. So?"
"Mister Black loves money probably more than he loves his own cock. Black has a lot of money, but he wants all the money. You know where Mali is?"
"Yes?" Brooks nodded, intrigued.
"A vast new oil field was discovered there earlier in the year. More oil than has ever been discovered in the past ten years. Russia was in talks with them to buy it. Mister Black wanted it for himself, so he devised a plan to get it."
"What the hell are you saying, mate?" Newman asked.
"This whole thing was a power play. Black has powerful government friends who owe him big. They came up with a super strain of the zombie virus that was immune to any antidote." Arkady smirked. "Matol Industries is owned by Blackthorne. So is Strategic Securities, along with this shit bag on the floor."
"You’re lying, Arkady," Brooks said impatiently.
"Am I? Listen, they wanted to release the virus in Mali so they could have their private army sweep in and sanitize the whole country and steal its new wealth of oil reserves."
"Sounds like a lot of money going out," Wu said, watching the unconscious doctor.
"It is," the Russian agreed. "The reward would be billions of dollars and power into Black's pocket. A small country in quarantine. You know with the UN laws after the undead outbreak, it would be open to unquestioned invasion and occupation."
"So what is your hand in this?" Brooks asked.
"We had a money-loving rat on the inside." The Russian kicked Orlac in the side. "Well, not at first. Orlac was all about the money and his new super virus. Black and Orlac lied to all their investors and partners about there even being an antidote." Arkady coughed. "Orlac's scientist didn’t even have a clue there was no cure. The deeper Orlac got in, the more he grew afraid of Black. He was pretty sure once the billionaire got all his research and could replicate it on his own, he would be killed. And …" Arkady frowned and bobbed his head, "he was right. The scaredy cat came running to my government for help and of course money."
"So your country wanted the virus."
"Not the virus. Well, the virus and the doctor. See, we had an interest in Mali too. Only it was a profitable one for both sides. Black wanted to just take it for his own. Virus outbreak be damned." The Russian coughed again.
"The virus in anyone's hands is …"
"Is not safe, Captain. See, Mother Russia was hit harder than most countries during that terrible outbreak. Many, many good people died. We wanted to destroy the virus and the good doctor and his research so it never happens again. My country, my people, paid too high of a price for it to happen again. You, see I am a bastard. I am a bad man, but …" he waved a finger and coughed, "above all, I am still a patriot."
"So you were out to destroy the virus, not use it?" Brooks sighed and sat down across from Arkady. "How do I know you’re telling the truth?"
"Ask the brave doctor. He’s been awake this whole time."
"What?" Wu, who was kneeling down next to Orlac, grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him.
"Stop! Stop!" Orlac said, putting up a hand.
"Is this true, Doctor Orlac?" Brooks knelt down and grabbed the scientist by his shirt collar.
"Yes, yes!" Orlac pulled away. "All of it. There is no cure. Black knew that but funded the research anyway. Eller Island was supposed to happen. It was a testing ground."
The captain stood up and put her hand to her mouth. "They knew what was going on and sent us in."
Arkady nodded. "Yes, Captain, but Black didn’t expect us. If we hadn't shown up, you would have just gone in and out. Virus delivered to Satan himself."
"So," Wu looked up at Brooks, "we’re the bad guys?"
"More like dupes." Arkady laughed loudly. "Ironic, yes?"
"Fuck me." The captain looked over at Newman. "Those drones have cameras on them, right?"
"Far as I know."
"They do, Captain," Wu said. "Very good cameras."
"Shit. Listen. Cuff back up the doctor."
"What about the Russian?" Newman asked.
"Leave him cuffed. Gather the team away from the civilians and fill them in. I’ve got something I need the pilots to do."
"Aye, Captain."
"Captain." Arkady waved his free hand. "I need you to do me a favor."
"You killed my men," Brooks said, not bothering to suppress the venom in her voice.
"You killed mine." Arkady coughed into his hand. "Listen, does not matter. I am infected too. Fuckers bit me, so I am done. When you get back, I have good business proposition for you and your team. Go, but come back. We can help each other."