A Darker Shade of Dead (3 page)

“No, Dad. We're strictly stateside.” For now, she added silently. She didn't know where this new mission would lead and if the problem somehow spread overseas, she'd go where she had to in order to do her job. But her father didn't need to know that. “In fact, I'll be on a military base. I'm going to be living at Fort Bragg for a few weeks. My new job is as a consultant to the military.”

She didn't specify which branch. He didn't need to know and the chain of command was convoluted. She reported to Commander Matt Sykes, U.S. Navy SEALs, but she was partnered with her new fiancé, Captain Xavier Beauvoir, a U.S. Army Green Beret. They both ultimately reported to the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) commander—the admiral in charge of joint Special Forces operations—and they were authorized from the highest levels in both the military and civilian government power structures.

“Consultant? I don't like that word, Sarah. That's what they call mercenaries, you know.” Her father's tone was suspicious.

She laughed outright. “You know as well as I do that I'm not a mercenary. Get real, Dad. The guys I'll be working with are soldiers, they don't know much about crime scene investigation. That's what I'm contributing to the team.”

“And they don't have their own investigators? As I recall, each branch of the armed forces has an investigative service, and there's always the FBI. I can't believe a county cop would know more than the federal experts.”

“Well, in this case, I do. I have firsthand knowledge that they need and I'm going to provide it. This really is a national security issue. If I could tell you what it's all about, you'd understand. Trust me.”

“You saw something, or heard something, when you were attacked, didn't you? That's what makes you the go-to person.”

“Yes, Dad.”

She saw no reason not to confirm his suspicions on that at least. He'd been a police detective for far too long not to pick up on what she wasn't saying and piece together a plausible scenario. In fact, she was banking on it, because she really couldn't tell him much outright.

When her father didn't say anything further, she thought it was safe to continue. She had lots to tell him and little time to do it.

“There's more, Dad. I met someone. He's the soldier who came to see me when I was in the hospital. The guy who ordered everyone out and took care of me. O'Hara's met him, so I guess he told you about Xavier, right?”

“Captain Xavier Beauvoir,” he confirmed. “O'Hara gave me his name and rank. I've tried to research him, but he's like a ghost. All I've been able to find out is that he's Special Forces and highly decorated.”

“He's a Green Beret, and he's going to be your son-in-law.”

“Good Lord, Sarah. Isn't this a bit sudden?” She heard the shocked outrage in her father's voice. She couldn't fault him for it. He had no idea what she and Xavier had been through together and she couldn't tell him. Not really.

“Dad, Xavier and I have been working together since he got me out of the hospital. He's saved my skin more than a few times. That kind of thing forms bonds quicker than usual…”

“You tell me not to worry, then you hint at the fact that this guy's saved your life not once but
a few times
already? Sarah, you're going to give me high blood pressure.”

He was actually reacting better than she'd thought he would. “I know it's a lot to take in. And I can't bring him home to meet you just yet. We have something urgent we have to do in North Carolina. We're on the trail of some seriously bad guys, Dad. There's a team of us working on the case. I learned today that Johnny will be part of it, too. I thought that would be comforting to you. After all, not only will Johnny be there, mother-henning me to death, but a big, strong Green Beret will be devoting all his skill and strength to protecting me. Between the two of them, it'll be amazing if I can manage to do my job.” Loving exasperation filled her voice. “I promise, I'll be safe. I can really contribute to this team and I want to be with Xavier. Johnny will meet him soon and he can give you a full report, okay? At least until we can get back up to New York so you can meet him in person.”

“I guess it'll have to do. Dammit, Sarah, I'm not happy about any of this.”

“I know, Dad. And I'm sorry. Things just happened. I've had very little control over anything since I got hit on the head and woke up to find Xavier at my bedside. But I wouldn't trade any of it. It's been scary and wonderful all at the same time.”

“Love is that way, sweetheart.” Her father's gentle tone touched her heart. “I want to hear from you more often, Sarah.” The stern note was back. “I want a phone call every other day.”

“I'll try, but we'll be on a night shift for a while. I promise to call at least once a week.”

“Three days a week, Sarah. No less.”

“Twice a week?”

“Done.” They both laughed at the familiar pattern of haggling. It was an old joke between them. “I'll expect to hear from you when you settle in at Fort Bragg. And you tell Johnny to call me at his earliest opportunity.”

“I should be seeing him later today at our first team briefing. I'm sure he'll call you tonight, if he can, with the full report on my fiancé.”

“Good Lord, my little girl is engaged.” A trace of wonder entered her father's tone. “Is he what you really want, Sarah? Is he a good man?”

“He's the best, Dad. You'll understand when you meet him. I think you'll get along well, once you get used to his Cajun way of speaking. It's deceptively calm, but underneath he's like a coiled spring, ready for anything.”

“That's a good quality in a soldier, but what about a husband?” He sounded skeptical.

“Xavier is a man of honor, Dad. Like you and my brothers. You'll see. I would never fall for a clunker.”

“Let's hope not.” Her father was clearly reserving judgment, but she hadn't expected anything less. “You tell him his first priority is keeping you safe. If he doesn't, he'll answer to me.”

That was so typical of the men in her family. She'd bet anything poor Xavier would hear the same thing from every one of her four brothers.

“I'll tell him. But Dad, seriously, he's even more protective of me than you are.”

The big difference with Xavier was that he also understood she was a skilled and intelligent woman. He let her do her job, but he was always there to back her up if she got into trouble, like any good partner. He knew she was there for him in the same way. That's what made them so perfect together.

“I'll take that as a good sign.”

“I have to go now, Dad.”

“All right, sweetie. You stay in touch and watch yourself. Those military boys play a lot rougher than us cops.”

“I know, Dad. I love you, too. Talk to you real soon.”

She pressed End on the encrypted mobile phone she'd been issued and stowed it in her utility belt as Xavier turned to look at her.

“Did he give you a rough time about me?”

“No rougher than I expected, but you're worth it.” She reached for his hand and squeezed his fingers. That was about as far as she'd go with the public displays of affection. She wasn't wearing her police uniform any longer, but Xavier was still in his army togs. They'd have to be discrete.

She liked the black fatigues she'd been issued. They felt good against her skin, and they had a lot more pockets than her old uniform. There were few insignia on the new clothes. Just enough to indicate that she was part of a team being formed at Fort Bragg. Anyone seeing her on base would know she belonged there and was not to be trifled with. That was good enough. They didn't need to know her rank, identity, or exact purpose on base.

It was all top secret, after all.

Nobody knew she and her new fiancé were zombie hunters.

“I
've had just about enough of being a guinea pig, doc,” Sam groused when he caught sight of her walking into his hospital room.

“I expected as much.” Dr. Sandra McCormick breezed into the room, leaving the wide door open behind her. “Which is why I'm springing you. Before you get too excited, I suggest you talk to Commander Sykes. He has new orders for you.”

Lieutenant Sam Archer, U.S. Army Green Beret, had been in the hospital for the past couple of days. He'd been infected with the zombie contagion in action on Long Island. His commanding officer had administered Sandra's experimental serum and it had actually worked. Instead of dying and reanimating as a zombie, Sam was still very much alive, and all indications were that he was now completely immune to the contagion.

Thank goodness, Sandra thought, he'd had the right mix of antigens and immune response to combat the contagion, with Sandra's serum, and to mutate it into something that gave him super fast healing and endurance. He hadn't been born with the natural immunity like Xavier Beauvoir and his girlfriend, Sarah Petit. The serum had given Sam the extra edge that, when combined with his blood chemistry, made him immune.

It was a scientific breakthrough, but Sandra's work hadn't been perfected yet. The same serum had been tried on another victim, Sandra's former colleague, Dr. Sellars, and it hadn't worked. He'd died, taking his despicable secrets with him.

“So when did you get here? Dr. Daniels has been in to check on me a few times, but she wouldn't tell me where you were.”

“You were stable but still unconscious most of the time when they transported you off Long Island. I was confident you were out of the woods, and I had a few loose ends to tie up there before I could leave. It didn't take long. I packed my belongings and drove down here. I got in about an hour ago. I had to get my I.D. card first, but I wanted to check on you as soon as possible.”

“Thanks, doc.” He grabbed her hand gently when she would have moved away. “I mean it. You and your magic serum saved my life. I can't thank you enough.”

She paused to meet his gaze. “I'm just glad it worked.” The moment stretched, and she understood from the seriousness of his expression how he felt. She truly was glad he'd been saved by her experimental serum, but it did little to eradicate the guilt she would carry the rest of her days for allowing the contagion to spread in the first place. “So tell me about Dr. Daniels.” She made an effort to lighten the mood as he released her arm. “I've spoken to her on the phone, but I've never met her.”

“She's great, but she's not you, doc. She's a lot more cavalier about my condition.” He put on a hurt puppy face that she wasn't buying. It was clear he was trying to make her laugh, and it worked.

“That's because Dr. Daniels is a researcher. She isn't used to dealing with big crybabies like you.” A cool brunette walked through the open door, joining their conversation. “I'm Mariana Daniels. You're Sandra, right? I recognized your voice from our phone conversations.”

They shook hands, and Sandra liked the other woman right off. She had a firm handshake and a no-nonsense manner that she respected.

“Thank you for taking such good care of Sam. I was sure he was all right when he left, but it's always helpful to have a skilled person to follow up.”

“You just passed me off to the next doctor, like an old, used-up guinea pig.” Sam's comically sad face made both women laugh.

“I wouldn't have let them load you on that transport plane if I hadn't been absolutely confident in the care you would receive down here, lieutenant. Dr. Daniels and I were in constant communication when you were first admitted to her care. Give me a little credit.”

“Don't let him fool you, Sandra,” Mariana said in a conversational tone. “These Special Forces guys are tough as nails. Sam's been trying to con me into letting him out of here since he first woke up.”

“Well, I reviewed the test results Mariana sent me by e-mail while I was on the road. Everything looks good. If I didn't know better, I'd assume you were one of the naturally immune people.” Sandra liked delivering good news. Doctors didn't always have that pleasure, which is part of the reason she'd opted for research instead of private practice. “Your end results are exactly the same as the few immune samples we have, Sam, so if they're fit for duty, so are you.”

“Hallelujah.” He flipped the sheet off his legs and sat up on the side of the bed. “So I can get out of here?”

“Not so fast, soldier.” She laughed, putting one hand on his solid shoulder to slow him down. “There's the little matter of clothing, and I'm reasonably certain there could be some paperwork involved.” She looked over at Mariana for confirmation. The other doctor nodded in agreement.

“I'll take care of all of that,” Mariana volunteered. “Pardon me for saying so, but you look awfully tired. I assume your trip down here took its toll on you. Why don't you grab a catnap in your quarters? The commander called a meeting for the entire team tomorrow. You're off duty until then. You might as well take advantage of it. Once the action starts picking up again, you probably won't have time to breathe.”

Sandra had been told Mariana had dealt with the fallout of the outbreak at Quantico. The military had taken all the research team members into custody as soon as they realized what had happened. They had been sequestered and only allowed to research ways to stop the creatures. A few days of intense work had created the toxin the soldiers used to destroy the zombies. That was it. That was the only thing they had been allowed to work on after the initial outbreak.

They hadn't been allowed to see any of the victims or study their remains. They hadn't even been told about the single survivor of the SEAL team. Mariana, a doctor at a small base clinic near the edge of the training grounds and forest that surrounded the base, had been the only military doctor to treat a survivor. She probably knew better than anyone how tough things could get when zombies were on the loose.

“I'll take that advice.” Sandra pushed her hair back from her face with a weary hand. “I'm beat. I like driving, but this trip was just a little too long for my tastes.”

“Why didn't you fly?” Sam asked, clearly curious.

“I wanted to pack up my personal belongings and bring some of them with me. Frankly, I'm not crazy about flying and I really wanted to have my own wheels here.” She didn't like to tell people the main reason—that she was afraid because of what had happened to her dad. That was too personal. And it made her feel like a ninny to admit her fear.

“I guess I can understand that. Good thing you have the rest of the day to recover though,” Mariana said with a friendly grin. “Things have been quiet around here for the past day or two, but I have a feeling things are going to start to pick up any minute now. Starting with the team meeting Commander Sykes called for tomorrow. I think it's the first time all of us will be in one place together. It'll be interesting to see the full cast of characters that are involved now.”

“I guess it's strange for you to have such a large and diversified team. You were one of the first to learn about the problem, weren't you?” Sandra asked conversationally.

“Yeah, I found out the hard way. Damn zombies showed up on my porch with Simon right behind them, darts flying.” She shuddered at the memory. “After I saw the first one disintegrate, he had to tell me what was going on. Simon tried to keep my involvement a secret, but when the contagion spread and they asked him to help, I couldn't let him do it alone. It's strange to be part of such a large team though. At Quantico, Simon was the only one actively hunting the zombies.”

“Really? I would've thought a lot more men would have been involved. They didn't tell us much, but I know the original six test subjects escaped and made more.”

“Oh, yeah. Those six decimated a platoon of Marines and then all of Simon's SEAL team. He was the only survivor.”

Sandra felt her heart clench in anguish. “That many?” she whispered.

“Yes, unfortunately.” Mariana's tone had grown solemn as well. “He took it hard. He'd worked with some of those guys for years. He lost a lot of friends to the contagion.”

“That's awful.” The guilt Sandra felt compounded with every word.

“But you're on the team now and I'm glad for it. I've been studying Simon's immunity but it'll be really helpful to pick your brain about how this all started and what you've already tried to neutralize it.”

“Yeah, I'm looking forward to working with you, too, Mariana.”

“Gee, I'm sorry. I've kept you talking when you're tuckered out from your trip. Tomorrow will be soon enough to start. I'm quartered with Simon in the same building you're in. There's a cafeteria two buildings down on the right. How about we meet you there tomorrow morning for breakfast and then we'll head down to the lab together?”

“Sounds perfect.” Sandra scrambled for her pocket and the slip of paper Matt had given her. “I'm supposed to call this number Commander Sykes gave me to get a ride back to my building.”

“Oh, don't worry. Simon's down the hall having blood drawn. I make him give me a sample every week so I can note any changes that might occur. He'll take you back.”

“Are you sure?”

“No problem.” She made a shooing gesture with one hand. “He can give you the lay of the land, too. This base is confusing until you get your bearings. He'll be glad to help you out.”

 

Sandra was impressed by Simon Blackwell. She would have been scared of him had she not seen him in the company of Mariana. He was different with Mariana around. His steely gaze softened with obvious love and caring for his fiancée.

He was quite helpful showing her around the base. He left her with polite courtesy at the building Matt had taken her to earlier in the day. She could tell he was skeptical about her—or maybe that was just his usual demeanor. She'd seen a similar hardness in many of the soldiers she had treated at Quantico, though she hadn't had much interaction with the Marines. Simon though, he took that toughness to a whole new level.

Of course, he was a retired Navy SEAL. Those Special Forces guys were rumored to be a cut above the regular soldier, and after meeting Simon and Matt, she was inclined to believe it. Sandra speculated on the various people she'd met today as she unpacked her belongings and settled into the rooms she'd been given. It was a small apartment, but clean and nice enough.

She'd had a hell of a day. First the drive, being run off the road and threatened by that slimeball, then her encounter with Matt Sykes and the men on his team. Yeah, all in all, it had been a banner day.

With any luck, tomorrow would be a lot simpler, not to mention calmer. She liked Mariana, as she'd expected. They'd worked together by phone for a little while now and seemed to have developed a good rapport. Sandra actually looked forward to working with her in the lab the next day, which was something new. She hadn't liked any of her coworkers since joining the original quasi-military team all those months ago.

Finishing her unpacking, Sandra was too tired to go looking for the cafeteria. She had a few snacks left over from her drive that made a makeshift dinner. She consumed the half sandwich, bag of chips, and can of pop, then headed straight to bed. It was early, but she was completely worn out from the excitement of the day.

 

Sandra felt a hundred percent better the next morning. She met Mariana and Simon for breakfast, surprised to find some of the other members of the team already there. Apparently the men woke up at zero-dark-thirty to do what they called PT. She soon learned that acronym translated to physical training. Judging by the rippling muscles all around, every last one of these guys was a fitness nut.

But good Lord, what a view.

Never one to attract hunks like these, Sandra sat quietly next to Mariana, enjoying watching the men interact, kidding each other and comparing prior duty stations. It was a varied group that seemed to have a wealth of experience. Sandra was more than a little intimidated just listening to the men talk among themselves.

Mariana engaged her in medical conversation, but the men really dominated the table. Sandra didn't mind. She was used to being the quiet one. The one people talked over or ignored. It was her lot in life.

Then Matt Sykes walked in and joined their table. The sheer wattage in the smile he turned on her was enough to make her toes curl. Suddenly everyone was looking in her direction as the commander made a beeline for the empty seat next to her.

“You're looking well rested this morning, Dr. McCormick,” Matt said by way of greeting as he sat down and arranged his tray in front of him.

“Thanks. I conked out last night and slept for about ten hours straight.”

The table had grown quieter as everyone watched their new commander interact with the newest member of the team. Maybe it was just the novelty of her first meal with the group that garnered so much attention. She hoped that was the case, because then it would wear off as soon as they got used to her. She didn't think she could stand this kind of scrutiny all the time.

“Glad to hear you're settling in.” Matt smiled again, and she had to catch her breath. The man was potent. In fact, all the men at the table were handsome, but none affected her as strongly as Matt Sykes.

Not good. For all intents and purposes, he was her boss, even if he wasn't a scientist. It wouldn't do to have a crush on her boss. No, not good at all.

She had to nip this in the bud. Matt Sykes—gorgeous Greek god of a man as he was—was not for her. He was just too…too handsome, too male…too much of everything.

Conversation picked up as the men started to talk again, including their new commander. Sandra went back to her usual role of observer as attention shifted away from her. She liked the way the men deferred to Matt yet seemed to feel a sort of common bond with him. It was clear they respected him.