The Infected 3: Cast Iron (40 page)

“She says that… It seems like Trivia is… on our side. Working against the others from inside their own operation.”

Marcia snorted.

“Great. We can use the help. Of course if that’s the case someone is going to need to come up with a cover story for her, or she’ll be found out instantly. We need to get with Hobbs on it. He’s the only one of us that really seems to have a handle on what to do about Braid’s kind of person. Of course, that’s provided the whole thing isn’t just a trick somehow.” It was probably that. Why would one of the enemy help them prevent a war they’d been working on bringing about for years? For decades.

Unless it was as simple as the woman realizing that Braid was a fruitcake. Powerful didn’t mean right, and war was bad. Always. For the little people it never made sense. On occasion it did to governments, but most of the time… no. It was just a way to get people killed for too little reason. Of course Trivia, who used to be called Know It All for a reason, had the sum of human information held in her head all the time. It was just possible that she’d worked out that she wasn’t really on the side of right.

Marcia hoped so, because otherwise they were going to lose so badly it wasn’t even funny.

Mike hugged her around the shoulders, getting a look from Brian. It wasn’t possessive, but he didn’t smile either. After a bit he just gestured at them with his fingers and looked toward the back where the prisoners were.

“So, you were all part of a group, back in the eighties?” It was an attempt to make conversation, to change the subject so that the prisoners couldn’t hear what was really going on. Not that they’d ever escape, but if they did, it wouldn’t do to let them have too much information. Not even the kids. They’d be freed eventually after all, which meant they couldn’t learn anything of value. The best thing would be to make sure they were dead, so they couldn’t talk, but that wouldn’t be happening either. She couldn’t stomach it.

Mic had that part right. It really was her weakness. The idea that people she knew and loved would die scared her more than the idea of dying herself. It always had. Not that she loved these particular kids, but they were children. You didn’t just kill kids because it was convenient at the time. The baby that the woman had shot on the porch still hung behind her eyes as they traveled. Sure it would eventually fade, but for now the idea of taking out these other kids was too much for her to think about.

So she didn’t. Instead she sat back and tried to answer Brian without feeling ancient.

“The nineties. I was in the CIA then, like Agent Wilson is now. I handled covert ops and was assigned to work with a team of Green Berets. This bunch. We worked together longer than most teams did. I’d just left to get married and settle into a desk job with the company when I popped. Kind of ruined my plans. I got divorced and then came to the IPB. No real choice given my background. They weren’t going to let me just walk around.” She didn’t explain the rest.

Penny sounded pleased enough though, as she chimed in.

“And now I get your ex-husband as my new trainer. What do you think, mom and dad, are you going to get back together? Please? It’s best for us kids.” The teasing went on for a few seconds while everyone laughed. Even Brian chuckled a bit, his eyes darker than she’d seen them in the last week.

The eye’s of someone who knew too much and couldn’t share it with the rest of them. Some pain just had to be held inside for the good of everyone.

Mike shook his head in response to Penny, but Marcia tilted hers.

“We’ll see. I don’t know if I’m grown up enough for a real relationship, but there’s no one else I’d rather have around.” She leaned into Conroy’s arm and looked up at him. It was a real moment, a point of connection that she’d never thought she’d get again.

No one spoke for a long time after that, but eventually Chris went back to work trying to get information and Brian started chatting with Penny and Mike about ways to improve communications with the invisible girl. Most of it would take some tech savvy, but Brian was certain that with a little help they could put it all together.

Marcia hoped so, because the next bit was going to have to be mainly on the girls shoulders. They didn’t have anyone else that could do what was needed. Not as well. She pulled out a pad and started taking notes on Brian’s ideas. It might just turn out to be the most important thing she’d ever do. Marcia didn’t know it for a fact, but she suspected it. For the moment, that was enough.

It would have to be.

Because if they’d won this round at all, it was due to an outside player and that was… A horrible feeling to have. How bad were things that their best hope was a woman that was in thick with the enemy? It would have been terrifying if she let herself think about it, so instead she fell back on old habits and planned instead.

They hadn’t lost yet, so they couldn’t stop fighting. If she didn’t keep going, she might lose everyone and that idea was the worst thing she could imagine, it would mean being all alone. So she’d keep on as well as she could, no matter what.

She’d fight until there was nothing left of the world if it came to it, to protect her friends. Marcia just hoped that would be enough.

She suspected it really wouldn’t, but it was what she’d do until something better came along.

Marcia just hoped that whatever that was came fast.

Otherwise she didn’t think they’d survive. Not most of them.

Sighing she leaned into Mikes arms and closed her eyes, just for a moment. She almost wished it would never end, but after a while she opened her eyes again and got back to work. It was her job to save the world after all. It was all of their jobs. Even if it wasn’t totally fair all the time. Someone had to do it and this time it looked like it was up to them.

Hopefully they’d be enough.