“Can’t be. If Erway thought he was going to turn, they would have isolated him. They wouldn’t have let him down here with us,” I said.
“They wouldn’t have?”
I shook my head, but didn’t say a thing. Couldn’t, because I wasn’t positive. Thought about what Chatterton and his group talked about before everyone went to sleep. Why weren’t these particular military people zombies? The military is huge on vaccinating the shit out of its boys. Sounded so sarcastic, but in a time of crisis, who can you count on if not the military?
What do we do?
They’d get hungry and die off. The vaccination itself would gradually kill them. Undead would have to go back to being dead at some point. The virus already infected all those that could ever be infected through the vaccinations. It wouldn’t spread. It couldn’t spread. It couldn’t get worse.
What do we do?
I had the answer.
We don’t get bitten, that’s what. We don’t get scratched and we don’t get bitten.
Chapter Nine
Cedar Point State Park--NY Interment Camp, 2120 hours
Captain Keel ordered everyone back up on deck. Lieutenant Marfione gathered us, ushered us to the stairs.
“What’s going on?” I said. We needed answers and it was about time we got them. At this point, we deserved them. Being kept in the dark wasn’t going to cut it.
“I’m not sure, but I don’t like it,” Marf whispered. It was honest. I respected that. “Just stick together. We’re all in this, you know what I mean?”
“I do,” I said. “Thank you.”
We climbed the stairs. Couldn’t get closer if we’d been medically joined. Lights on the vessel helped. The boat seemed to be hovering in mist. Not floating on the river. The mist moved like water, rolling all around.
Sergeant Vitale stood among the six Coast Guard crew, along with Lieutenant Erway, and their captain. They were up by the helm. We filed in and faced them. They’d have to talk down to us. Had to be on purpose. A power play.
Cash and Charlene were in front of me. Allison, Dave and Sues stood beside me. Chatterton and Crystal were side-by-side. Spade, Spencer and Marfione huddled together, with hands on their rifles. Three other military people we hadn’t yet met were shoulder to shoulder by the edge of the boat.
I needed to know where everyone was, help keep track of things. Might be OCD. Could be, I just didn’t like surprises.
Keel cleared his throat. “Military is going to explore the compound. We’ve lost all radio contact. We’ve not seen any signs of people, or zombies for that matter. We need to know what’s happening out there before we all get off the boat.”
“What do you think is going on?” It was Dave. He’d raised his hand, but didn’t wait to be called on. I wanted to tell him this wasn’t school. We weren’t a part of any military branch, and the time for raising our hands before speaking had passed days ago, but I didn’t. Raising a hand seemed like the kind of thing that made Dave more comfortable, so let him.
“As soon as we know more, we’ll share that information,” Keel said. It was a snap-answer. Curt. Perhaps meant to dissuade questions.
“That wasn’t what he asked. He wanted to know, we all want to know, what you think is going on,” I said.
“Sir,” Keel said.
“Chase,” I said. “Chase McKinney.”
“Mr. McKinney, I wasn’t avoiding the question. Truth is that I don’t have an answer. I have no clue what’s going on. I’m not going to guess. Guessing doesn’t get us anywhere. It doesn’t help the situation one bit. What will help is actual intel. The longer we stand here talking about it, the longer it takes the soldiers to go and bring back actual, helpful and factual information.”
“Captain,” I said. “If the internment camp has been breached, the soldiers could be walking into a mess.”
“It’s what they’re trained for, Mr. McKinney. Now, please, can we let them do their jobs?”
“Sir,” Spencer said. “Do you know anything about the layout? That would help. I mean, anything you do have, we’d appreciate it.”
Keel removed his captain’s hat. Using both hands, he held it in front of his chest. “What I know is that the compound is surrounded by chain-link fence. Coiled barbed wire ran along the top. There is supposed to be watchtowers in each corner.”
A prison. It’s what it sounded like. Once inside, there was no getting out, unless allowed out. How long ago was it that this particular facility had been constructed? Why keep it all this time? Who was it the government worried they might have to incarcerate?
“Inside the fence?” Spencer said.
“Inside, what I’ve been told, there are roughly thirty houses. Each about twenty-by-one-hundred. Four —what they called them— apartments in each.”
“That’s a hundred and twenty homes we have to clear?” Spade said.
“Way I understand it, there are no walls between apartments. Imaginary lines are what have been explained. Each apartment is twenty-by-twenty-five feet. Tight living quarters, but it’s a camp, not meant to be luxurious, not by any means. There are also three separate mess halls. Buildings where people could congregate to eat, or hold meetings. There are also four military barracks, and a central stage area. The military barracks are at the four corners of the compound. The stage and mess halls are in the center. There is a mobile army surgical hospital. I believe it is also centrally located.”
“How many people are supposed to be here already?” Spade said.
“Roughly seventy. Between military, medical and civilian personnel.”
Vitale stepped forward. “I want three volunteers to explore the compound.”
Dave, along with six soldiers, raised their hand.
“Palmeri, Barron, Saylor, you three will maintain radio contact the entire time. Do not engage any hostiles if it can be avoided. Scope out the perimeter first. If you need to enter, enter. Gather as much information as you can, and then get back here. Is that understood?”
In unison, “Sir, yes, sir.”
“I’d like to go as well, sir,” Dave said. He sounded all military. Deep voice. Showed courage.
Chatterton stared at me. First time I couldn’t figure out what thoughts spun around inside his skull. Either he wanted me to rein in my guy, or he thought Dave’s volunteering was commendable. Couldn’t tell. Not for sure. It was one or the other, that much I was certain.
“That won’t be necessary,” Vitale said.
“I don’t want you to go.” Sues might have thought she whispered, but she hadn’t. The one arm at his side had both her hands wrapped around the wrist.
“I think I should,” Dave said.
“And I appreciate your bravery, but our soldiers are going to handle this.”
“We want our guns back,” Dave said.
“They were never your guns,” Vitale said.
Dave opened his mouth, but this time, I grabbed his arm. “Not now,” I said. No sense getting in a pissing match. Military wasn’t just going to hand over weapons. There had to be more on the vessel. More than just what we’d seen, with the soldiers and Coast Guard crew carried. Had to be, because if there wasn’t, we might be in some serious, serious trouble.
The three soldiers got off the boat, disappearing into the foggy mist. We gathered around Vitale’s radio. The remaining three soldiers seemed ready to spring into action. Any kind of action. They seemed upset that they hadn’t been picked to explore.
That was a soldier.
Even before the first transmission, we heard it. Not from the radio, but an echo in the distance. The gunfire was one thing. I had no problem with that. None. Unrealistic at this point in time not to expect it. Didn’t need to send out a recon team to realize the camp was fucked up.
It was an agonizing shrill. Someone screamed. And screamed. And screamed.