Rotter World (24 page)

Chapter Thirty-nine

Compton watched Robson and Natalie leave the infirmary, chastising himself for how he had mismanaged the entire situation. Rather than win their trust by getting them safely onto the compound, he had allowed his concern for Thompson to cloud his thinking, and had forgotten to warn them about the revenants isolated in his lab. He didn’t blame Robson for being furious. He could only imagine how unsettling it must have been to stumble across them in the manner he did. Robson and Natalie both seemed to accept his explanation of why the revenants were present within the facility, and why he had failed to mention it to them earlier. Even so, the damage had already been done. None of them understood his reluctance to accept their accommodation of the vampires, which generated a natural distrust between them. This incident only served to widen the rift between the two groups.

Compton shrugged and returned to the hospital bed to check on Thompson. There was nothing he could do about it now. Their distrust didn’t change his plans. It only made it slightly more difficult to carry them out. He still hoped to persuade them of the righteousness of his intentions. Robson and Natalie were smart, if somewhat misguided, and he still felt that once he presented his justification to them, they would come around to his way of thinking. If not, so be it. He had a contingency plan to deal with any intransigence.

Thompson checked out fine. His blood pressure was elevated, but that was understandable considering the physical trauma he had gone through. All of his other vital signs were normal. The intravenous drip would keep him sufficiently hydrated until he awoke, which should be in another six or seven hours once the sedatives wore off. The concussion was minor and would heal on its own. He would have a slight headache and some severely bruised muscles for the next few weeks, but nothing that a steady dose of mild pain killers wouldn’t take care off.

The doctor pulled the blanket up over Thompson’s shoulder, and then stepped over to his own bed. Thankfully the colonel would be all right. He would need him in the coming days to deal with the others. More importantly, the colonel was a decent man, one who had been willing to endure many sacrifices to bring the human race back from the brink of extinction. Compton already had lost too many good men and women in the cause.

As he stripped off his lab coat and removed his shoes, his mind wandered to the seventeen revenants isolated in his lab. All of them had put their faith in him and allowed themselves to be test subjects for the vaccine, even after the first tests of the serum failed miserably. Despite each failure, several stepped forward to try out the next variation of the serum, knowing full well the chances of success were small. He could not bring himself to reward such bravery by exterminating them like used lab rats. Besides, he always harbored the hope that a serum would be found that would reverse the effects of the infection and restore them to normal. Unfortunately, that hope turned out to be fleeting. The vaccine could prevent the Revenant Virus from infecting a host, but could not reverse the virus in those already infected. Compton made a mental note that before they left Site R for good, he would have to find a way to release his people from their hellish existence.

He removed the keys and lighter from his pocket and placed them on a metal table. Sliding into the bed opposite Thompson, Compton settled down to rest. In a few days, he would have four hundred doses of the vaccine ready to immunize those here and back at camp, and to begin vaccinating those in the government-in-exile. Once back at camp, the President would send a boat to take him to Guantanamo Bay where a long-range aircraft would fly him back to Omaha.

Then the world would hail him as its savior. Not only for saving mankind from the revenants, but also for eliminating the vampire threat once and for all.

Chapter Forty

The tour of the facility did not take Robson and Natalie as long as they had originally imagined. Thankfully, they didn’t find any unpleasant surprises waiting for them. Except for the swarmers in Compton’s private lab, there were no other zombies lurking anywhere else, nor would any find their way in. The underground complex was completely sealed off from the outside world with the exception of the air shaft and the entrance to the tunnel, both of which were now under constant surveillance. Since Site R was designed to house hundreds of people in the months following nuclear war, it would be more than adequate to keep the raiding party safe and comfortable for the next few days.

One pleasant discovery was that the Humvees parked near the main entrance were still in working order, which meant that when the convoy set out back to camp they would be able to add a few more vehicles to their number, which would increase the safety factor. In addition, each of the Humvees was equipped with four M-16 assault rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, which would be added to the convoy’s arsenal. Robson even stumbled across an Atchisson AA-12 assault shotgun, an automatic version of a shotgun that held twenty rounds in a drum magazine. Needless to say, he had commandeered this for himself.

Now back in the dormitory building, they walked the corridor looking for their sleeping quarters. Four rooms down on the right, Robson found a sheet of paper taped to the frame with the words “Robson’s room” scribbled in Dravko’s handwriting. He opened the door and flicked on the light switch. The ceiling-mounted fluorescent light came on, illuminating the two empty bunk beds. Robson stepped inside and looked around. The place was Spartan, but no more so than his container back at camp.

Natalie followed him inside, closing the door behind her.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m going to stay here tonight.”

“Shouldn’t you be bunking with the Angels?”

“You may have kept us alive these past eight months, but sometimes you really don’t have a clue.”

Natalie unzipped her leather jacket and slid it back over her shoulders. Robson couldn’t help but keep his gaze fixed on her breasts. He always thought Natalie was beautiful. But now, with her chest thrust forward, pushing against the white turtleneck and stretching the fabric so it contoured tightly around her, he found her irresistible. She let the jacket drop to the floor and glided over to him. Her left hand slid behind his neck and her right hand wrapped around his waist, drawing him into her. Before Robson could say anything, Natalie leaned up and kissed him. Her tongue slid into his mouth, the tip gently exploring his own. God, she felt so good. The warmth of her body set his skin on fire. Robson wanted her more than he had ever wanted a woman. But it wasn’t right.

Tenderly placing his hands on Natalie’s cheeks, he pushed her head back just enough to break the kiss. “I want to make love to you so badly. But this isn’t the time or place.”

Natalie looked up at him affectionately. “We just spent days driving through hell to get stuck in an underground bunker surrounded by hundreds of rotters. I can’t think of a better time.”

This time, when Natalie kissed him, Robson didn’t protest. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her into him.

As he grew hard against her, Natalie let out a throaty moan. “God, you’re hot.”

“What’d you expect? It’s been eight months.”

“Then let’s take care of that.” Natalie lowered herself onto her knees. Her hands caressed their way over his hips and to his front. She ran her right palm along the bulge in his pants, her fingers massaging him through the fabric. Robson moaned and thrust himself against her palm. Grabbing his belt with her left hand and holding it in place, Natalie unzipped him with her right. His erection pushed through the folds, pointing at her.

Natalie leaned forward. Parting her lips, she slid them over his erection and sucked him in, the warmth of her mouth engulfing him. She moved her silky lips back and forth along him, using her tongue to massage the underside of his shaft, and every few seconds sucking him in as deep as possible until he filled her mouth. He had never been so excited by a woman’s touch. Closing his eyes, Robson lost himself in the moment, enjoying the feeling of being throated. After only a few minutes, he felt his balls tighten. He exploded into her mouth. Natalie gulped greedily, swallowing. Only after his erection stopped spasming did she slowly pull him out, her right hand and lips milking out the last drops.

Natalie rose to her feet. She used the tip of her tongue to seductively lick a few drops of semen off her lips. “How was that?”

“Awesome.” Robson pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her waist as he kissed her. “Let me return the favor.”

Now it was his turn to drop to his knees. Robson unzipped Natalie’s leather pants and pulled them down over her hips. Her panties were soaked, and her thighs glistened. Leaning forward, he placed his mouth over her mound and exhaled. Natalie moaned and thrust herself against his face.

Lowering Natalie to the bottom bunk, Robson stripped off her leather pants and panties, placed his lips against her, and slid his tongue deep inside her. She gasped and fell back onto the bunk. She grabbed the back of his head with her right hand and pulled him tightly into her while she bucked against him. He explored Natalie with his mouth, enjoying the smell and taste of her sex and the warmth of her mound. Within minutes, he felt his erection pushing its way through his open zipper. Difficult as it was, he stripped out of his clothes while tonguing her.

Natalie moaned, a long, deep sigh. Robson climbed into the bunk and mounted her. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him in, bucking against him with every thrust. The two fucked for several minutes with a wild abandon, enjoying each other and their passion, and exorcising months of horror and fear. Suddenly, Natalie shoved hard against him, clutching her pelvis tight. Her head fell back and she cried out as an orgasm shuddered through her body. The sight of the woman he loved in such erotic beauty drove him over the edge. Robson drove his erection as deep into Natalie as possible just as he came inside of her.

Physically spent and emotionally satiated, he collapsed on top of Natalie. The two lovers shifted in the bunk, never breaking their embrace, and silently lay beside each other until they dozed off in each other’s arms.

* * *

Shit, the show’s over
. O’Bannon turned his attention away from the monitor showing Robson’s room and checked out the other screens. He had always thought Natalie was a hot number to look at, especially in her leather outfit. He just never realized what a slut she was until now. Maybe now the bitch wouldn’t be so uptight. Of course, he could say the same about Robson.

O’Bannon massaged his hard cock through his pants. He wished Tatyana was here so he could get his own rocks off. It had been over a week since he had last fucked her, and after watching Robson and Natalie he could use some relief. Unfortunately, she had decided to bunk down with the other bloodsuckers, so that was out of the question for now. No big deal. She was more than willing to take it whenever he wanted, so he’d tap her ass later. First, he would have to find a place so he could fuck her without anyone spying on them, which would be hard considering how inundated this place was with security cameras.

He locked into place the security camera for the vampire’s room, and the camera for Robson’s room if he and Natalie woke up horny, and then sat back to wait out the rest of his shift.

Chapter Forty-one

Stretching in his bunk, Robson felt his muscles groan and snap, protesting against last night’s strenuous activity. Not that he minded. A few aches and pains were a small price to pay for the contentment he felt. His eyes still closed, he rolled over and felt around the bunk for Natalie, but after several seconds realized she wasn’t there. He opened his eyes and scanned the room, hoping to find her sleeping in another bunk. Although it was difficult to see anything in the dim light emanating from the fluorescent ceiling lights glowing in the corner, he saw that she had left. Glancing at his watch, he noticed it was almost five o’clock. He had slept the whole day away. No wonder Natalie had ducked out.

Robson slid out of bed. The floor felt unusually cold against his bare feet. But then this whole facility was cold and damp despite the central heating. Thank God they wouldn’t be spending too much time in this place. Bending over, he picked up his clothes scattered across the floor, putting them on piecemeal. Only when he grabbed his shirt that was tossed under the bunk opposite did he notice the message Natalie had left him. Robson smiled when he saw the 8mm shells from her Mauser arranged on the mattress in the shape of a heart.

After getting dressed and using the bathroom, Robson headed out, figuring he would drop by the security office to see where the others were. However, upon entering the admin building he was attracted by an aroma drifting from the mess hall that he had nearly forgotten about since the outbreak. Bacon, eggs, bread. And coffee. Real, freshly-brewed coffee. Robson didn’t care if a hundred rotters were laying in wait. He had to get some of that.

As he entered the mess hall, Robson noticed that most everyone else had the same idea. A majority of the raiding party was seated around the room, eating and chatting amongst themselves. Natalie sat with some of the Angels along a table by the wall. She raised her mug of coffee and blew him a kiss. A second group of Angels and Caylee congregated around another table, intent on a sheet of paper spread out in front of them, presumably the schedule for sitting watch. O’Bannon and Daytona huddled at a third table, laughing at a shared joke. Dravko’s crew was nowhere to be seen, which wasn’t surprising considering they ate in private. Nor did he see Compton or his people, which made him feel a bit uneasy.

He made his way through the cafeteria, exchanging friendly greetings with everyone as he headed for the counter. Ari came out of the kitchen. She wore a white cloth apron, its front spotted with food stains. She had pulled her hair up in a bun. Robson grabbed an empty plate and stepped up to the grill.

“Morning, boss.”

“Morning.” Robson held out his plate. “Man, it smells good.”

“Thanks. I used to be a short order cook at a run-down greasy spoon near where I went to college.”

“Were you any good at it?”

Ari shrugged as she spooned a mound of scrambled eggs into his plate, followed by two slices of toast and six strips of bacon. “It beats an MRE.”

“No argument here.” Robson took back the plate. He picked up a strip of bacon and popped it in his mouth. He had forgotten how good it tasted. “Where’d you find all this stuff?”

“In the freezer. The military has enough supplies in here to feed us for months.”

“Sounds as if you like it here.”

“Screw that. It’s like living in a mausoleum. But at least we’ll eat well.” Ari nodded to the end of the counter. “Coffee’s down there.”

“Thanks.” Robson grabbed a mug and headed for the dining area. He noticed Thompson entering the mess hall, walking slow and unsteady. Jennifer strolled along beside him. She kept pace with the colonel but didn’t help him, although Robson assumed she hovered close to go to his assistance if he needed it. The colonel shuffled down the mess hall, finally grabbing a seat at a table near the half-way point. He sat down hard on the bench, wincing in the process. Jennifer bent over to help him swing his legs under the table, but he politely waved her off. One at a time, and with considerable effort, Thompson positioned his legs until he faced inward. Jennifer gently patted him on the shoulder, spoke quietly to him, and then headed for the counter to get his breakfast. As she passed by Robson, she greeted him with a cheery hello.

Robson took his plate over to where Thompson sat and slid into the bench opposite him. “Good morning.”

“That’s a matter of opinion.” The colonel tried to say it good naturedly. He took a deep breath and blanched.

“What’s wrong?”

“The smell of the bacon is making me nauseous.”

“You don’t like bacon?”

“I love it. But right now my stomach doesn’t.”

Robson shifted along sideways a foot, hoping to distance the aroma from Thompson. “Compton says you’ll be fine. Just a minor concussion and some banged up muscles.”

“He told me the same thing. Doesn’t change the fact that right now my head’s throbbing and my stomach’s doing flops.”

“You’ll be fine in a day or two.” Robson scooped a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth.

“I know. I just hate being on sick call when there’s so much to do.” Thompson leaned across the table. “What happened back in town?”

“Compton didn’t tell you?” asked Robson through a mouthful of food.

Thompson shook his head and winced.

“We were racing through Kenmar-Faxon. The place was overrun with rotters.”

“I remember that.”

“Our turn came up quickly. Dravko tried making it without slowing and flipped the armored car. You and Dravko got banged up pretty bad. You got a concussion. Dravko broke his arm, but at least it’ll regenerate quickly.”

“How did we get out?”

“Daytona pulled the school bus alongside and Tibor pulled us out.”

“Tibor?”

“Yeah.” Robson pushed another strip of bacon into his mouth.

“How many…? Did we lose anyone?”

“We lost Rashid. A rotter got between the bus and armored car. Rashid took it out, but the others got to him before we could save him.” Robson hesitated.

“Who else?”

“Mad Dog offed himself just before we entered Site R. While Compton was opening the rear gate near the housing area, he wandered off into one of the houses and shot himself.”

“Shit.” Thompson bowed his head and closed his eyes for a few seconds. “It was his house. He had left the compound to try and rescue his wife when we went into full lockdown. Poor bastard was stuck out there with all those rotters. It’s a miracle he made it to Maine.”

“He was a tough son of a bitch.”

“Tell me about it.”

“What was Mad Dog’s real name?”

“It doesn’t matter now.”

An uneasy silence passed between the two men, interrupted only when Jennifer arrived with a tray containing two plates of food and two cups of coffee. She placed the tray in front of Thompson, but did not notice him grimace.

“My God. Did you see the spread Ari cooked up?”

Robson raised a fork piled with scrambled eggs and slid it into his mouth. Thompson moaned and reached for one of the mugs.

“Just coffee for me.”

“You need to eat,” said Jennifer as she slid onto the bench beside him.

Thompson sighed and pulled the plate toward him. Picking up his fork, he swirled it around, pushing the eggs from one side to the other before finally taking a bite.

They ate and chatted idly. At least Robson and Jennifer did. Thompson spent most of his time rearranging his food, occasionally chewing on a small morsel of eggs or sipping at the coffee. Everyone else finished their meals and sauntered out of the dining hall in small groups, except for Natalie who joined them. After several minutes, Dravko and Tibor entered. The two vampires looked around and, spotting Robson, came over to the table.

As they approached, Thompson swung his legs over the bench and stood up to face them. Dravko slowed down and approached cautiously, with Tibor taking up a position to the left and just behind him, neither certain what to expect. Even Robson was prepared to intercede if need be. The colonel made his way toward Tibor, his eyes locking on the vampire. As Thompson drew closer he stopped in front of Tibor and extended his hand.

“I heard you saved my life back there in town. Thank you.”

Tibor hesitated for a moment, taken aback by the gesture. He finally grasped the colonel’s hand in his own and gave it a single pump. “You’re welcome.”

“I mean it. I owe you.” Thompson released Tibor’s hand. “Excuse me, I have to go. It’s not the company. I just need to get some rest.”

“I’ll go with you.” Jennifer placed her utensils on the plate.

“I’m all right. You stay here.” Thompson gave them all a half-hearted wave and sauntered off.

Tibor watched Thompson leave, and then turned to the others. “That was weird.”

“Damn unusual,” added Dravko.

“At least he no longer considers you a threat.” Robson drank a large sip of coffee. “How’s the arm?’

“Great.” Dravko held up his arm and flexed it several times. “Good as new.”

“Glad to hear it. But I’m surprised to see you here. You usually don’t eat with us.”

“I know.” Dravko sat on the bench opposite Robson as Tibor stood behind him. “I just wanted to touch base on what the game plan is.”

Robson grinned. “In a hurry to leave?”

“Hell yeah. I’ll take my chances up top in the sunlight rather than stay stuck in this glorified coffin surrounded by rotters.”

“Amen to that,” chimed in Jennifer.

“We should only be here for two or three days at most. Just long enough for Compton to prepare some doses of the vaccine and create back-up files for his research.” Robson finished off his coffee. “Once that’s done, we’ll head back to camp.”

Tibor huffed. “That’s not very comforting considering what we went through to get here.”

“We can bypass the populated areas. One of the routes Windows offered to me skirted most of the major population centers by running farther to the north and west. Problem was it added several hundred miles and another day to our travel. Considering what we went through to get here, I think the detour is worth it.”

“No argument here,” said Dravko.

“Do we have enough gas left?” asked Tibor.

“We do now. Natalie and I walked through the facility after we arrived and took inventory. Military has this place well stocked, including hundreds of gallons of gasoline. We can refill the fifty-five gallon drums and load up with some spare jerry cans we found in the motor pool. That should give us more than enough to get home. Dravko, I’d like you and your people to take care of that.”

“Can do.”

Robson nodded. “We also found a lot of other supplies. Non-perishables, medicines, clothes. And enough ammo to equip a small army. I want to take that with us rather than just abandon it here. The Angels will start loading that onto the bus and truck.”

“What if Compton disapproves?” asked Dravko.

“Fuck him.” Robson suddenly remembered that Jennifer was seated with them and turned to her. “Sorry. Nothing personal against your boss.”

“No need to apologize,” said Jennifer. “I’ve thrown my lot in with you all.”

“That’s good to know.” Robson turned back to the others. “We also found two Hummers parked by the main entrance. Daytona’s going to check them out. If they’re in working condition, we’re taking them with us so we’ll have back-up if the bus or truck breaks down.”

“What about sitting watch with the security cameras?” asked Dravko.

Natalie leaned forward. “My girls and Daytona have volunteered to sit most of the shifts, so we’re covered on that front.”

“Are you sure?”

Natalie nodded. “Thanks, though.”

“Besides,” added Robson. “I need you and Tibor to load the vehicles with supplies. With your strength, you two can get it done in half the time we could.”

“You really want to get out of here, don’t you?” asked Dravko.

“You have no idea how badly. Once Compton has everything ready, we’ll hit the road.” Robson looked around at the others. “Okay, gang. Let’s rock.”