The MRAP’s rear door opened and Terra Corp’s tactical team emptied out and started to search the immediate area for any signs of danger. When Mike emerged from the MRAP he found Julian talking with Aggeles, who had just returned from scouting the area.
“They must have headed straight for Greenbrier,” Aggeles was saying as Mike walked up.
“We need to get into that bunker,” Julian said to Aggeles.
“Why is the bunker so important?” Mike asked.
Julian and Aggeles remained silent as if Mike would just forget his question and move on with his day.
“Wow, we’ve traveled all this way and now things are top secret?” Mike said with an edge to his voice.
Julian dismissed Aggeles with a flick of his chin then looked back at Mike. “I think the shit hasn’t really hit the fan yet.”
Mike looked at Julian as if he had two heads and almost screamed, “What are you talking about? The world has gone to shit. How can it not have hit the fan yet?”
In a manner meant to calm, Julian said, “It’s hard to tell. I have no idea if the natural disasters the Mayan’s prophesied will come to pass or if the altered particles in the Changed may lead to unexpected developments.
“Unexpected developments?” Mike asked ominously.
“Ecological or environmental enhancements of sorts. It depends on how the cells adapt in each person and what they have been exposed to. Most will be like the ones we have already experienced. Others may have environmental reactions. For instance, someone bit by a dog may take on canine characteristics or instincts. Remember, Mike, they screwed with the God Particle so anything is possible.”
Mike shook his head and decided he would have to roll with the punches from this point forward. The world was a scary place and he feared for himself and his friends deeply.
“So why is the bunker important?” Mike asked again.
“Safety for now; we need to re-group get some rest then figure out our next move. I need to take a closer look at your girlfriend to see if her change has progressed or stabilized. There’s a medical facility with equipment in the bunker as well as communication gear. We need to get in,” Julian said empathetically.
“Then let’s get in,” Mike said, safety and rest enough to convince him.
“Aggeles!” Julian called.
Aggeles came running back up to Mike and Julian.
“Yes, sir.”
“Get the drone ready for recon while we have some sunlight left to work with. Put Shrader on top of the MRAP for the first watch and everyone else that isn’t active or on watch stays in or on top of the vehicles. I don’t want to lose anyone else today,” Julian instructed him.
“Drone?” Mike asked.
“Standard load-out for my team; much safer than sending a live body into harm’s way. Get your people together and get back into the MRAP, let’s get some rest while we can.”
Mike woke up as if it was just another morning, forgetting for a moment where he was and the shit storm life had become. The morning sun streamed in through the MRAP’s small windows, providing a subdued yet pleasing light inside the vehicle’s sparse interior. He looked down at his watch and realized he’d slept longer than expected; it was almost ten in the morning. He felt refreshed and was amazed at what a few hours of sleep had done for him. The others must have gotten up earlier and let Mike sleep a while longer. He unwound his body and tossed off the cover he had used to ward off the chilly mountain air. Mike was again struck by the difference a day can make. Yesterday morning he was getting ready for work, today he was preparing for battle against monsters that knew nothing but hunger and death.
As Mike stepped down and out of the MRAP, Marlee, who seemed to be in better spirts today, greeted him. The sun was shining and the rolling green countryside in which they had hunkered down for the night was postcard perfect. In the sunlight, the red glint deep in Marlee’s eyes was barely visible, and she looked almost normal. Mike could not help but notice she was looking fine in a white sport top and jeans, her long wavy brown hair up in a ponytail. Her physical beauty always stunned Mike.
“Love you,” she said, giving him a big smile, showing off what he considered a perfect smile.
“Love you too,” came his customary reply.
Mike pulled Marlee to him and gave her a long bear hug that conveyed just how happy he was they had survived at least the first day together. Julian’s dire explanation concerning the Mayan’s eerie prophecy and the fuck-up the scientific community had delivered to the world as a whole was almost more than he could wrap his head around. For now, he would take these fleeting moments of peace and tranquility and enjoy.
“Julian asked that you see him when you’re up,” Marlee informed him.
“Ugh, what does he want now, are undead kittens attacking now?” he said, only partly kidding.
“Not yet; just go see him and then join us for breakfast. I’m making your favorite, eggs and beef jerky,” she said with a giggle and walked off toward the front of the MRAP.
Mike had been so entranced by Marlee that he almost missed Davis waving at him from the top of the MRAP; if Mike didn’t know better he would swear Davis was glued to that chain-gun around the clock. The other hired guns were spread out around the makeshift camp, keeping an eye out for any threats.
Mike found Julian at the back of the Humvee with Aggeles. They were unloading a large olive-green case marked “UAV” on top.
Julian looked up at Mike as he approached. “Glad you’re up, sunshine; we’re gonna to take a peek at what’s in store for us at the Greenbrier.”
“I’ve seen those at the mall; pretty neat toys.”
“This, Mike, is a military-grade recon drone and nothing like any toy at a mall,” Julian said, shaking his head and chuckling.
Aggeles unlatched the crate top and pulled the mini-drone out. It was painted flat black like a stealth fighter and had small rotor blades at each of its four corners. The body was block-shaped and somewhat bulky. Protruding from the bottom were two rails similar to those used on a helicopter for landing. Tucked up under the center and pointed down was a small rotating multi-lens camera. Painted on the side in a flat gray paint was the likeness of a mosquito with oversized pointy teeth and a logo under it proclaiming this drone’s name: BUZZ KILL.
Aggeles pulled out a kid’s dream controller and mumbled, “Give me ten minutes to go over everything and make sure it’s ready for flight.”
Mike, seeing an opportunity to grab some of that breakfast Marlee had offered, nodded his head in agreement and walked off to find her and, more importantly, a hot meal. He was starving and needed to get something into his stomach while he had the chance. Julian said something about checking on his men and walked off in the opposite direction.
Mike finished off his sparse breakfast and quickly found his way back to Aggeles, who was finishing up his pre-flight inspection.
“Let’s do this in the MRAP, less glare on the screen,” Aggeles suggested.
“You’re the expert,” Mike replied without argument.
Mike and Aggeles walked over to the MRAP, climbed in, and found a comfortable place to sit. Mike couldn’t help but notice the interior was starting to get ripe now with people basically living in the vehicle.
“Let’s see what we’re up against,” Julian said from just outside the MRAP, having finished his rounds with the others.
Within minutes, Aggeles had the drone buzzing along the treetops toward a large white building in the distance. The display on the control panel was showing brilliant high-definition shots of everything the drone flew over. A few minutes later the drone slowed under Aggeles’ expert manipulation of the controls and went higher for a bird’s eye view of the Greenbrier Resort.
From this distance the grounds were easy to make out. There were manicured gardens and many ancillary buildings located on the property adjacent to the Resort itself. The Greenbrier was a sprawling establishment with wings snaking out in both directions from the main building. Aggeles flew the drone toward the oval drive at what they guessed was the main entrance. Mike understood why the Greenbrier was popular with Congress as the drone slowly dropped down and the camera swiveled toward the main entrance. They were looking at a grand example of early American architecture that bore a striking resemblance to the White House. It was impressive both visually and in sheer scale of size. Without saying a word, Mike saw the look of consternation on both Julian’s and Aggeles’ face. Getting to the bunker would not be a simple task. Complicating matters were the next images the drone revealed.
It looked like a massacre had taken place outside the main entrance, except the victims were up milling around looking for anyone they could get their bloody hands on. Many peered up at the drone as it buzzed overhead, just out of reach. Some swiped at the drone but never had a chance of damaging the high tech annoyance disturbing their miserable existence. Aggeles brought the drone to a motionless hover then used the camera to take a closer look at the Changed. Male, female, or child, they all looked the same. Gashes, fresh wounds, signs of extreme violence and trauma riddled each body, and all had that dull red glow barely visible in their eyes. It was like a car wreck; immensely unsettling to look at yet impossible to rip your eyes away from the savage results of science gone wrong.
Aggeles took the drone up higher for a better vantage point. They could see vehicles jammed everywhere. It was obvious locals and visitors alike had sought the safety of the infamous Greenbrier bunker when the shit had hit the fan. The Changed were getting stirred up over the buzzy drone now. A quick downward tilt to the camera showed many angry eyes looking up.
“Let’s take a look at the rear of the resort along the west side,” Julian instructed Aggeles.
Silently acknowledging Julian’s order, Aggeles brought the drone up and moved it toward the area Julian wanted to see. They noticed an upscale neighborhood situated just past the tree line behind the Resort as the drone made its way to the west side.
“Aghh,” Aggeles grunted suddenly, “What the fuck was that?”
“What?” both Mike and Julian said at the same time.
“Something flew past the drone, something big,” he said, seeming somewhat disturbed.
“Bird,” Mike offered.
“Probably,” Aggeles said, sounding unconvinced.
As the drone slowed and dropped to about fifteen feet off the ground, the camera swiveled and the back side of the west end of the Resort came into view. Aggeles carefully guided it toward the first window that came into the drone’s sight line and brought it to a steady hover just outside the window. The camera zoomed into the interior of the building, showing what looked to be a large meeting room. The devastation inside was epic. Bodies were everywhere, most permanently deceased and beyond reanimation. Two or three of the Changed were perched on top of some unlucky soul here or there, digging into entrails and soft tissue like it was play sand.
“No way in through that,” Julian said grimly.
Aggeles moved the drone to the next window. This time the camera revealed an administrative office that must have been secured from the inside because they didn’t see signs of any carnage. The room was clean and a lamp on the desk was still burning brightly, left on by someone who would never return to turn it off.
“Mark it,” Julian said, and Aggeles tapped the screen. Mike assumed they were tagging the video so they could review it later.
As the drone drifted from window to window, it revealed a reoccurring theme. People had sought safety in any nook and cranny they had been able to find. It had been a fruitless pursuit as there wasn’t a survivor to be seen.
Aggeles brought the drone up a floor higher, revealing plush luxury hotel rooms. Most empty. Mike assumed the guests had fled to the basement in search of the safety the bunker promised.
“Julian, is the bunker that important? This place is crawling with those freaks and even if we get inside and make it to the bunker, how will we get in? I’m sure whoever’s inside isn’t going to open the door just because we ask politely,” Mike asked him.
“We have two choices. We get into that bunker and the safety it will provide …” Julian started, but Mike cut him off.
“Why risk lives for a bunker when we can fortify any number of places in the area if all we need is a safe place to ride this out?” Mike asked, cutting to the chase.
He could see the wheels turning inside Julian’s head; Mike was sure he was deciding how or what he should disclose. Mike realized his assumption was dead on when Julian finally answered, “Mike, I have access to the bunker regardless of its current situation. What we really need is access to the rail system under the bunker that connects it to a number of secure facilities on the East Coast, Washington D.C. being one of them.”
“Why do we need access to a rail system that goes to D.C.?” Mike asked, beginning to suspect Julian still had more to tell.
“We need access to a hospital and research facility to determine what is going on with Marlee. I need to determine whether or not she holds the key to immunization for the rest of us,” Julian said with a bit of hesitation in his voice.
“So if we can get into the bunker it will give us a straight shot to D.C., thereby avoiding all the hazards we would face overland,” Mike said, acting as if that was all there was to it.
“Exactly, now you’re seeing my point,” Julian said. “Map the approach then bring it home,” he said to Aggeles as he rose and headed outside. “Let’s meet in an hour to figure out how we get inside then access the bunker. We head out after dusk,” he called back, then was gone.
As a random thought crossed Mike’s mind, he asked Aggeles, “How long have you worked for Julian?”
“Couple of years now,” he replied.
“Would you take a bullet for him?” Mike knew he was stepping over a line with that question, but he wanted to see how deep the man’s loyalty went.
Aggeles, without hesitating or looking away, responded with a firm, “I would, as would the other men. Mr. Fairchild takes care of his people.”
Mike knew this kind of loyalty could stem from two different wells. One was pure leadership combined with humanity, while the other ran along the lines of fascist adoration. Mike could only hope it was not the latter.
Sensing Mike’s inner thoughts, Aggeles leaned in and said, “You and your people have nothing to fear from Mr. Fairchild. His focus is centered on figuring this mess out, if possible, and finding a way to get things back to some semblance of normal. We will do what we can, but from the look of things mankind is in for one hell of a struggle.”
Mike sat back, thought about it, and decided most people were fucked but it appeared for now at least that Marlee’s condition and falling in with Julian and Terra Corp might have been their lucky break. If not for Julian, they would have been a nameless, faceless group of survivors hiding out in a parking garage with little to no hope other than making it day-by-day.
Mike thanked Aggeles for his reassuring words then headed outside to get some air and relax. As he exited the MRAP, the sun blinded him for a moment; when his eyes adjusted the natural beauty of the rolling hills and grassy knoll they had found refuge behind struck him again.
It was hard to believe they were in the middle of a prophesied rapture, or so Julian had convinced himself. Worse yet was the fact man had brought himself to the brink of extinction or worse. Mike felt as if humanity had outdone even what the Mayans had predicted. He was convinced the phrase ‘half would eat” would have left the person scribing the prophetic event thinking mass starvation, not reengineered and reanimated monsters perpetrating unspeakable acts upon their fellow man. That was the funny thing about interpreting written word. Ofttimes the actual event was not as bad as it was made out to be, but on occasion, and this seemed to be one such occasion, the results were far worse than anyone could ever have imagined.
Mike spotted Eric and called him over. “Looks like Julian is hell bent on getting into that bunker, and I’ll be honest, it’s gonna be a bitch.” Mike shared everything Julian had said and what the drone flight had revealed about the Greenbrier. Eric listened intently to everything Mike had to say before saying a word.