Rotter World (27 page)

Chapter Forty-seven

Robson woke up to find Natalie cuddled against him. He lay there for several minutes, admiring everything about her. How her chin rested on his chest and one arm draped over him, protecting him. How she breathed deeply yet sedately, a sign that she felt safe around him. How even though they were buried hundreds of feet underground and surrounded by rotters, she could still sleep with a smile on her face, content with what life had thrown her way. The other night when they made love was the first time he had been with a woman since the outbreak began, and he had almost forgotten how alive the touch of another person made you feel. His contentment went beyond the physical, which had been fantastic. Emotionally he felt more alive than he had in months. Despite having admitted that he had left Susan to die, Natalie still wanted to be with him, and trusted him enough to open her heart. Even more importantly, her faith had allowed him to forgive himself. With that heavy burden lifted from his shoulders, Robson could now begin to live again.

Natalie awoke a few minutes later. She greeted him with a warm grin and a good morning kiss, which led to a passionate embrace. They made love, this time slowly and sensually, savoring the moment, exploring each other physically and emotionally, and strengthening the bond between them.

After showering and getting dressed, they headed for the cafeteria. As they walked, Natalie clasped his hand, sliding her fingers between his and gently squeezing. Robson found the dichotomy striking. Over the past few months he had watched Natalie shoot down rotters with military precision, standing her ground against packs of the living dead without flinching. Now she acted like a teenager going to the prom. It made him adore her even more.

If he could find such happiness in a world as fucked up as this, there may be hope for what little remained of mankind.

As they entered the cafeteria, Robson noticed that everyone was already eating breakfast except for Compton, Thompson, Jennifer, and Tatyana. Everyone watched him and Natalie intently. A small band of Angels and Caylee were seated by the counter. They leaned closer and began chatting in hushed whispers. Dravko, who sat against the wall with Tibor, nodded his head to Robson as if giving him the thumbs up. Robson wasn’t sure why, but he felt extremely self conscious.

That feeling was intensified when they stepped up to the counter and grabbed some plates. Ari stuck the ladle into the scrambled eggs and asked, “I suppose you two will want an extra serving to keep your energy up?”

“Jesus,” said Robson as he felt his cheeks flush. “How many people know?”

“Everyone.” Ari began serving.

“How?”

Ari grinned broadly. “Thin walls and gossip.”

Robson stared at her, speechless.

“Relax,” said Ari as she dropped several strips of bacon on each plate. “We’re all happy for you.”

“Thanks.” Natalie beamed.

“It’s about time. What took you two so long to hook up?”

Natalie leaned to her right and gently nudged Robson in the arm. “He’s shy.”

Robson figured by now his complexion must be the same color as the tomato juice.

Grabbing some coffee and utensils, the two crossed the cafeteria and took a seat with Dravko.

“Morning, boss,” said Dravko. “Rough night?”

“Don’t you start.” Robson quickly scooped up a slice of bacon because, truth be known, he was famished after the morning round of lovemaking. “Where do we stand with the preparations?”

“We’re all set to roll once Compton’s ready. We finished packing the vehicles. There’s barely enough room in there for us, but we’re bringing so much stuff back with us we won’t need to make a supply run for months.”

“Good. Once we get back to camp, I want to stay put for awhile.”

“I’m sure you do,” Tibor said with a grin.

Before Robson could respond to the quip, Dravko continued. “Daytona checked out the vehicles before he went on shift. He says they’re fine. So once the vaccines are prepared, we’re set to go.”

“Good. The sooner we leave this place, the better I’ll feel.”

“I don’t blame you. This place makes me nervous.”

“Which route are we taking home?” asked Tibor.

Robson took a drink of coffee to wash down his bacon. “Natalie and I charted a way home that takes us north to upstate New York. Then we’ll swing east, cut across central Vermont and New Hampshire where rotter activity should be minimal, and return home via Portland. It’ll add a couple of hundred miles and a few days to the trip, but we’ll avoid major population centers.”

Everyone nodded uncomfortably, not wanting to remember what they had gone through outside of Harrisburg.

“Once we figure out who the drivers will be, we’ll sit down and go over the route. I have copies of all the maps in my room.”

The conversation devolved into small talk for the next ten minutes. The Angels finished their breakfast and filed out in small groups, most of them casting an approving glance at Robson and Natalie. She smiled back while he tried to hide his embarrassment. Soon the only ones who remained were those seated at their table and O’Bannon, who sat sullenly on the opposite end of the cafeteria, drinking coffee and staring at the wall.

Jennifer entered the cafeteria. She looked around and, upon seeing Robson, made her way to him.

“Good morning,” said Robson as she approached.

Jennifer looked at her watch. “Shit. It is morning. I’ve been working with Compton all night to copy his notes and formulas.”

“When will the vaccines be ready?” asked Natalie.

“They’re done. We finished the last batch about an hour ago. That’s why I’m here. The doctor wants you to join him and Thompson in the lab.”

“Now?”

Jennifer nodded. “If you can. They’re waiting for you.”

“Should I come along?” asked Dravko.

“I wouldn’t. Compton doesn’t want to be around you any more than you want to be around him. No offense.”

“None taken,” Dravko replied.

Robson stood to leave. Natalie wolfed down the last of her coffee. “Hang on. I’ll join you.”

As the two crossed the mess hall, O’Bannon rose from his chair and approached. “Mind if I come along? I’d like to hear what he has to say.”

“Be my guest.”

The three left the mess hall and headed for the lab.

Chapter Forty-eight

As Robson, Natalie, and O’Bannon walked down the hall of the laboratory building, the anticipation seemed palpable. With the last batch of vaccines completed, they could head back to camp, which suited Robson perfectly since he hated this facility. Once back in Maine, he could concentrate on ensuring that Compton and the vaccines reached Omaha so the remnants of the government could begin inoculating troops so they could take back the country from the rotters. And who knew? Maybe he and Natalie could one day actually live a normal live.

He knocked on the door to the medical lab. A few seconds later, Thompson opened the door and ushered them inside. Compton stood by a sink in the corner of the room, meticulously washing his hands. On a table in front of them sat four steel briefcases, each the length and width of a laptop computer and eight inches thick. Three were closed. The lid to the fourth lay open. Each half of the briefcase was filled with dark gray foam bedding. One hundred glass vials four inches in length sat in four rows of twenty-five, each inserted into holes equidistant from one another. Robson assumed these were to transport the vaccine. To the left of the briefcases stood a wooden stand holding another eighteen vials. Beside that sat a cloth pouch folded over and a Taser.

Compton finished washing up. He flipped off the excess water and wiped his hands on a towel. “Thank you for coming.”

“Jennifer said you’ve finished preparing the vaccines.”

“Finally, yes.” The doctor dropped the towel onto the counter by the sink and crossed over to the table. “Each of these cases contains one hundred doses of the vaccine. I’ve also made six copies of the formula and my notes. I’ll keep one each with me and Thompson. The others will accompany each case. We’ll put one in each vehicle in the convoy. I figure that way if we lose any vehicle on the way back, then we don’t lose all our work.”

“Good thinking.”

Compton moved over to the wooden stand. “These vials are for us. I’ll inoculate each of you just before we set out.”

“How much time do we need before the vaccine takes effect?” asked Natalie.

“An hour at most. Once the vaccine makes its way into the bloodstream you’ll be immune to infection if a revenant bites you.”

“Thank God,” said Natalie.

Robson counted the vials. “You’re three doses short. Have you already started the inoculations?”

“No. All the doses are prepared.”

“Who’s not getting inoculated?” asked Natalie.

“The vampires.”

Robson felt his chest tighten at the doctor’s cavalier answer. Instead of yelling at Compton, which was his initial reaction, he demanded in a sharp tone, “Why are they being left out?”

“Because the vaccine is not effective on vampires. Their physiology and blood type are too different to be compatible with any vaccine prepared for humans.”

“You knew this when you arrived at our camp?”

“Of course.”

“And you still allowed Dravko and his people to risk their lives on this mission without telling them the vaccine wouldn’t help them?”

Thompson stepped up beside the doctor, trying to diffuse the deteriorating situation. “Mike, before you get angry with us, remember that it wasn’t our decision to have Dravko’s people join us. We wanted to leave them behind. But when we first mentioned to Paul the idea of retrieving the vaccine, he insisted that it be a joint effort between humans and vampires. He wouldn’t even entertain the idea of a humans-only run down here.”

“Did you warn him that the vaccine was ineffective on vampires?”

Thompson shook his head. “We thought about it, but in the end we decided not to. We were afraid that if Paul found out, he wouldn’t sanction the mission.”

Robson was still furious. “Why didn’t you tell
us
?”

“Would you have gone on this mission if I had?” Compton asked the question honestly without trying to be condescending. He spread his hands out on either side of the cases, like a messiah calling forth his flock. “You have to understand that getting this vaccine safely to Omaha may be the only chance mankind has of surviving the Revenant Virus. I’ll do whatever it takes to accomplish that, especially if all it takes is keeping the truth from you and ruffling a few feathers.”

As angry as he was, Robson could not argue with the doctor’s reasoning.

Natalie stepped over and looked at the open case of vials. “Can you create a vaccine for the vampires?”

“It took months to create the vaccine for humans, and that was only after seventeen failed attempts at inoculation. They probably wouldn’t survive the trial stage.”

“I’m willing to take the risk,” snorted O’Bannon.

Robson glared at him furiously.

“This is what I have for them.” Compton moved over to the cloth pouch and pulled it toward him. He unfolded the flaps, revealing three medical hypodermic needles safely nestled in cloth slits. A dark red fluid filled each one. “Each hypodermic needle contains a highly concentrated dose of the Revenant Virus, enough to change them over in a matter of minutes. The transformation will be quick and relatively painless. We’ll administer the injection as if we were giving them a vaccine, and when they turn we’ll stun them with the Taser and dispose of them.”

Everyone stared at Compton in disbelief. It took Robson several seconds for the words to register. Before he could protest, Compton continued.

“I originally intended to use morphine or another sedative, but being uncertain about their physiology, I thought this was the best way to ensure success.”

Robson stepped up to the table across from Compton and stared directly into his eyes. “You… you’re talking about infecting Dravko and the others and executing them.”

“Of course,” replied Compton, as if he was responding to a student who could not grasp a simple theory. “We have to infect them first, otherwise they’ll fight back. This is the most humane way I could think of to euthanize them.”

“Euthanize?” Robson backed away from the table to rejoin Natalie and O’Bannon, all the while keeping his gaze fixed on Compton and the colonel. He suddenly wished he had brought his sidearm with him. “You’re talking genocide.”

Compton’s expression hardened, the pleasant features showing disapproval. “I take exception with that word. I’m not talking about killing anything human. The vampires are
things
. Ridding the world of them is no different than putting down a family pet.”

O’Bannon sneered. “Except we’d feel bad about putting down a pet.”

Robson stepped a little closer to Natalie, suddenly feeling outnumbered. He glared at the doctor. “And you thought I’d just go along with this?”

“I thought you were a reasonable man,” Compton shrugged. “Clearly I was mistaken.”

“How can you think this is reasonable?” asked Natalie.

“Because it is.” Compton spoke not as someone pleading his cause, but as someone attempting to get others to see the light. “The vampires have always been the enemy of mankind. They stole and released the Revenant Virus to keep us preoccupied with saving our own lives so we wouldn’t hunt them. They’re responsible for the murders of six billion people. The only reason they allied with you was to save themselves. Without you, the vampires would have become extinct months ago. I don’t see Paul as some visionary who is ushering a new era of peace with the vampires. Paul is the one who aided and abetted mass genocide, not me.”

“We’ve had no problems with the vampires since they joined us,” argued Natalie. “They’ve changed.”

“Have they?” Compton placed his hands on the table and leaned closer. “Once man has turned the tide on the revenants and defeated them, then what? Do you think Elena will still be willing to abide by your peace when the one thing that posed a threat to them is gone? Do you think the vampires will be content living off the blood of farm animals? Like us, they’ll want to rebuild their numbers. They’ll probably start with you and the others in your little camp. Maybe Paul and the rest of you are naïve and trusting, but not me. I have an opportunity to rid the world of two evils plaguing mankind, and I’m going to take advantage of it.”

“I’m with you, doc.” O’Bannon spoke with a conviction and enthusiasm Robson had never seen before.

He looked at Thompson. “Did you know about this?”

The colonel averted his eyes. “Yes.”

Since persuasion didn’t work, Robson tried the only tool he had left. His authority. “Sorry, doctor. I can’t allow this,”

Compton chuckled. “It’s not your decision.”

“I’m in charg—”

“No,” Compton cut him off. “You’re in charge when we’re on the road. In this facility,
I’m
in command.”

“But—”

“This discussion is closed.”

Robson noticed that O’Bannon had moved away from his group and now stood at the end of the table closer to Compton. Thompson remained behind the doctor, avoiding eye contact. Robson figured he had better get out of here now before one of them got the idea to detain him. He turned around and headed for the door, pushing Natalie along in front of him. As he opened the door leading into the hall, he glanced at the others, almost expecting to see them coming after him. Thankfully they stayed on their side of the table and watched him leave. Once in the hall, he grabbed Natalie by the hand and rushed for the building’s exit.

“I can’t believe I was stupid enough not to see this coming.”

“Do you think he’ll really go through with it?” asked Natalie.

“Yes. Which means we have to work quickly if we hope to stop him.”

“How?”

“I’m not sure yet.” As they exited the building, Robson looked over his shoulder toward the lab. No one was following them. “Call everyone together for an emergency meeting in the mess hall. And tell everyone to bring their weapons with them.”