A New World 10 - Storm (31 page)

The return trip is just how I like it boring. We land before noon and drive back to Cabela’s. The compound seems almost abandoned. The bustle, the sound of trucks pulling in and leaving that I’ve become used to is gone. There are only a few people remaining in the camp. It won’t be too much longer before the third convoy pulls out of the lot, and we depart for the last time. Our sanctuary has held up well, and kept us safe. I’ll miss its crowded interior, but there is nothing to be done. We can’t take the chance of staying.

Leonard is en route to resupply and we’ll meet to talk over his plans once he arrives. He hasn’t given any indication what those might be. We won’t be able to hoist his subs overland, and he may be hesitant to leave them behind. I wouldn’t blame him. With the multitude of night runners in the area, it might not be safe for them, even at the sub base. However, if he decides to come with us, we have plenty of room for his crew, and the others with him. He’s aware of our move, but hasn’t said much one way or the other.

After a little downtime to get something to eat, we take off to hit more buildings to the north. We only get a single run in before dusk. Returning to rearm and refuel, we take off for one more night run. I’m exhausted and can barely keep my eyes open during the flight. By their sluggish replies, I know everyone else is feeling the same. Ten more days of this and I’ll call for some real downtime to recuperate. Tomorrow, however, we’ll use the morning to pay a visit to the University of Washington to get Jan her equipment. If Harold can’t come up with a solution, then hopefully she’ll be able to figure something out.

After gathering a few hours of rest, Frank, Jan, Lynn, Robert, Bri, and I gather downstairs.

“Frank, do you have any video of the UW Medical Center?” I ask.

“That’s farther north than where I’ve been concentrating our efforts, but we should have some images. They may be a couple of days old, though.” Frank opens a laptop and looks through several files.

“Ah, here we go,” he says, spinning the portable around so we can all see the screen.

“Whoa,” I blare, “that’s way too big. Do you have any video?”

After another search, Frank shows video of several packs emerging as darkness settles.

“Well, that’s a no-go,” I state.

“I also know the Seattle Children’s Hospital, which is associated with the medical center. It’s a smaller place that will have the equipment I need,” Jan says.

Frank pulls up another image with accompanying video.

“You call that smaller? It’s still huge. Don’t you know of any place smaller?” I pause, looking more closely. “On a positive note, it doesn’t appear, at least on the video, that there are night runners laired there.”

“I’m sure there are smaller facilities, but those are the two in the area that I’m familiar with. We could try other places, but it would be hit or miss as to whether they have the equipment I need. Also, without knowing the layout, we’d have to search through the building to locate the lab,” Jan replies.

“Okay, I get it. I’m assuming this is unique equipment that is important to have for your research; that we couldn’t find substitutes.”

“Well, if you want me to do any worthwhile research, then it’s important. If no, then not so much,” Jan answers, shrugging.

“All right, we’ll head up and take a look, but I can’t make any promises. How much and how big is the equipment we’ll be bringing out?” I ask.

“I would say a shopping cart should suffice. However, keep in mind that some of the equipment is rather sensitive, so we couldn’t just toss it out a window to pick up later.”

“A shopping cart?! This just gets better and better,” I say, shaking my head. “Okay, Lynn, we’ll be bringing Red and Black Teams. If we go into the facility, Jan will have to enter with us, so you and your team are now permanently attached to her. We’ll see what we see when we arrive. Let’s be ready to go in thirty minutes.”

Taking two Strykers, we head north along the interstate, passing through the urban areas that spread out to either side. Business and residential buildings stretch everywhere I look. Although I’ve taken this drive many times before the world died, it looks alien like I’m passing through it for the first time. It certainly looks different by the light of the day, compared to being overhead during the nighttime hours. It’s a weird feeling as we transit through, gazing at all of the windows that stare back, knowing that more than a half million night runners lurk within the buildings. The streets that head off to the sides quickly pass by. At night, they are filled with night runners on the hunt, but now, there isn’t anything moving.

As we drive into Seattle, I see the wide bay in the distance, its waters sparkling in the sunshine. Near the waterfront, several ferries are docked. One lies canted on the shoreline, having apparently broken free. Ships are anchored offshore, their chains stretched tight against the tide. Cranes, rising high into the air, sit silently on the docks. We pass Safeco Field, where I enjoyed many summer days and evenings. Across the street is the football stadium, where I watched my poor Cowboys take a beating.

Downtown Seattle slides slowly by. I can’t imagine the mayhem that must have been prevalent during the early days. The fear and the panic that rode the streets. Crossing over the bridge into the northern part of the large city, we exit the interstate and pass by the University of Washington campus. Passing the large structure of the medical center we originally thought about entering, I’m glad we aren’t going in. According to satellite footage, most of the night runners have fled the city, but many still remain,. Knowing that several packs reside within the hospital complex, there’s no way I’d venture inside.

We turn into the children’s hospital, proceeding a short way up a tree-lined entrance. It’s still a large facility, but it’s nowhere near the size of the medical center. Jan guides us up a wide concrete walkway to the main entrance of the inpatient wing.

Exiting the vehicle, I look over the concrete and glass structure. The front section is two stories tall, quickly rising behind to four levels. Large windows encompass a lot of the floors on all sides. The entrance itself is under a large colonnade. More importantly, the windows and doors on the ground level appear intact.

“I’m going to take a look around the perimeter. Lynn, stay here with Jan,” I say, gathering Red Team.

Robert and Bri look at me with questioning expressions. I nod to them, letting them know that it’s okay for them to accompany us. I’ve told them numerous times that they are a part of Red Team, but have left them behind on a lot of the missions. I still have reservations about taking them inside buildings, and I’m not sure what I’ll do here. There is still an internal fight regarding building their experience versus keeping them safe. However, this is just a recon of the building, so I’ll hold off on a decision until later.

Walking around the perimeter of the wing we mean to enter, I don’t see any evidence of a break-in. Broken glass and tracks have been one of the chief indicators that night runners occupy a building. I open up and am immediately met with the sensation of many packs in the surrounding area. Within the building, I can’t sense anything, but it does feel a little fuzzy for some reason. That’s the best way I can describe it. I ask Robert to do the same. He reports a similar impression. The images that fill my mind from those in the area are almost overwhelming. I shut it down after only seconds.

The lack of breakage, not being able to sense any night runners in the building, and the video footage shown by Frank all reassure me that the building may not be infested. Again, I don’t want to take anything for granted and will proceed with caution, but I feel better about entering.

Returning, I have the teams gather wood from the nearby bushes and trees. Starting a fire on a circular walkway directly in front, we begin smoking ourselves. While we set about concealing our scent, I brief them.

“I don’t see any evidence of broken doors or windows. Nor do I sense any night runners. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t any within, but…” I begin.

“What do you mean by ‘sense any?’” Jan asks.

I sigh. I had meant to tell her, but one thing after another kept cropping up. Plus, it’s just not something that I like to talk about. “Yes, I can sense night runners. It’s a little hazy at times, but there it is.”

“Wait, wait, wait! You can sense night runners…like where they are?” Jan asks, incredulous.

Another sigh. “Yes, something like that.”

“How do you do it? I mean, did you have the vaccine? How is that even possible?”

“I was scratched in an encounter, and their blood entered the wound,” I reply.

“You might as well tell her the whole thing, Jack. After all, if she’s going to conduct research, she might as well know everything,” Lynn states, turning to Jan. “He can also talk to them and understand them. So can Robert.”

Jan shakes her head, trying to assimilate the information, as if we just told her that aliens have landed. I tell her how the night runners communicate telepathically, and how the sensory aspect works.

“And you’ve actually communicated with them?” she asks.

“Well, let’s just say that I’ve tried. They weren’t very interested in listening,” I answer.

“But you can understand them?”

I nod.

“And you?” she asks, turning to Robert, who also nods.

“I’ll be damned. So, you two,” she points at Robert and me, “can communicate with each other using that method?”

“Yes, in two ways actually. It’s like two separate parts. One that conveys imagery, and another that we share with words,” I respond.

“Can you also sense each other?”

“Yes.”

“Doesn’t that get overwhelming?”

“We can turn it off.”

She looks at me oddly.

“You are not sticking any damn needles in me,” I state.

She continues to stare at me with a strange expression, one hand on her chin, tapping her cheek with a finger.

“I fucking mean it!”

“Hmmm…” is all she says.

“The building?” Lynn says, steering us back to our reason for being here.

“The lab that will have the needed equipment is on the second floor, near the core of the wing,” Jan responds.

“Of course it is,” I mutter.

“First of all, are we going in? If we are, how do you want to do this?” Lynn queries.

“Red Team will lead. Lynn, you will follow with your team, keeping Jan safe. Robert and Bri, you stay with the Strykers,” I say.

“Why are we staying?” Robert asks, frustration evident in his tone. “I mean, I get the reasons for having to stay with the aircraft, but that doesn’t apply here.”

“Someone has to stay with the vehicles. If they aren’t here when we return, we’ll be stranded in the middle of night runner territory with nowhere safe to go before night falls,” I answer.

“Who is around that is going to drive two
Strykers
away? And, if that happens, we can call the base and have someone come pick us up,” he states. “You said we were full members of the team, but we’re always left out.”

“The radios to contact the compound are in the vehicles. Our personal radios won’t reach. Look, I know you think that I’m being unreasonable, but this has to do with our security more than being a parent,” I reply, ignoring his question of who is around.

He looks toward Jan, and back to me. I know what’s going through his mind. If it wasn’t about trying to keep them safe, then why would I take in someone without combat training? Why wouldn’t I leave her as well?

“Because she’s the only one that can identify what we need,” I say, answering his unasked question.

In truth, it’s all about wanting to keep them safe. I could easily have left two others and had them accompany the teams. Lynn gets my attention and nods to the side.

“Jack, I never thought that I’d be saying this, but they do need experience,” she says, once we’re alone.

“What are you saying?” I ask, fully aware of what is coming and not liking it one bit.

“I could leave two of Black Team with the vehicles. Robert and Bri could accompany my team.”

“You’re kidding, right? Please tell me that you’re joking.”

“The building seems unoccupied and we’re not going that far in,” Lynn says.

“I can’t believe that you’re saying this. You are asking me to take the kids into a huge facility, when we have no idea what lies inside. No, Lynn, they stay outside!”

“Look at them. They’re not kids anymore. We have soldiers near their age. And, whatever you think, they are trained. You trained them yourself. Just look at what Bri and Robert have done. They’re able to take care of themselves, but only if you let them.”

I stand, my hands clenched. I’m angry, frustrated, and confused. Inside, I feel the two sides warring. It seems that my lot in life lately has been to deal with situations that have no right answer.

“You and your team already have one person to babysit,” I say through clenched teeth.

“What’s two more, then? And we’ll be in the back,” Lynn responds.

“There is no
back
inside a building like this. You know that,” I state.

She just stands in front of me, looking into my eyes.