Deadrise 2: Deadwar (34 page)

Patty had gone over all of this a hundred times in her mind, maybe even a thousand, but she continued to look at it from every possible angle until her head was throbbing. She needed a drink. There was some vodka in her office. A few nips would take the edge off her headache and a few more wipe it out completely. And even a few more to act as a bit of liquid courage to bolster her nerves for what she had to do tonight.

She cast one last, long glance out across the still water of the lake before turning back toward the Main House…

CHAPTER 53

Sunday, July 7, 2002

Rainbow Lake, UT

8:51 PM

“It's going to be a bitch, General.” Captain Turner told him frankly. “Its a long leap to that island. Ya, Zack can transport us twenty at a time, but there are nearly eight hundred people between Mountain View and us. The Albatross will only carry ninety tops and it will be arriving to the island on fumes.” They were standing in his office, going over final preparations.

“It can be done, goddamnit! Zack has already agreed to work non-stop until everyone is relocated. David has run the numbers a thousand times. It will take less than a week. We just have to make sure the way is clear for them.” Jenkins turned away in frustration and took a sip from his coffee cup. There was very little coffee in the mug but it was still one quarter full of whiskey.

“I don’t doubt it can be done, General. After everything we’ve accomplished here… It's just an all or nothing gamble sir.”

“You don’t approve of the plan, then?” Jenkins asked a bit harsher than necessary.

“Of course I do, General. It's just that everyone has grown comfortable here. They are beginning to feel safe. And now we want to relocate them all again. But the Councilwoman doesn’t want to relocate and neither do many of her supporters.”

Jenkins wanted to snarl at Turner, to lash out and berate him, but he only sighed and nodded his head.

“Your right, Captain. But what are we to do about it? We are all going to die if we stay here. It is as simple as that. That baby is a magnet for trouble. It will be a non-stop assault, one faction after another coming to possess her. Sooner or later one of them will succeed. The only way to protect her is to isolate her far away where nobody can reach her.”

Jenkins fought back the bitterness that was eating away at him. Bitterness at having to abandon everything they had worked so hard for here, that so many had died for, bitterness at the fools who thought staying here was the better option. He took another swallow from his cup.

Patty walked in, slowly, looking about. There was something about her…he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. More than likely she had come to discuss community politics with him.

Ever since the hangings she had been an insufferable bitch.

Jenkins sighed. This was the last thing he needed right now. He drained his cup in one last gulp.

“What can I do for you?” he asked as she approached.

“I-I was wondering if we could talk?” She cast a look at Captain Turner. “Privately.”

“The Captain and I are very busy planning the relocation. Maybe later…”

“It is very important, Blake.” The way she said his name, soft and sensual, the way her eyes held his, full of warmth.

“I don’t want to discuss politics, Patty.” Jenkins said, turning away from her. “I know you hate me because of the hangings, and I’m sorry for that. I truly am.”

“I don’t hate you!” she spat, full of venom. “I hate your methods. The way you control peoples lives.”

“Not this fucking conversation again!” Jenkins anger flared. He walked away from her, moving toward his desk.

“You are a bastard! A cold, murderous, tyrant bastard!” she shouted at his back. Jenkins was opening his mouth to retort when a shout from Captain Turner cut him off. As Jenkins spun around he heard a pistol fire, the noise deafening in the confines of his office. He turned to see Colonel Turner falling to the ground, blood pouring from his face. Patty held a 9mm pistol in her hand, her face a mask of insane hatred.

Then it all became slow motion.

She turned her eyes upon him and began swinging her gun arm around. She was shouting something at him, but his ears were filled with the ringing of gunfire.

She fired at him but her hand was still wide and the bullet missed by a mile. She fired again, the bullet passing to his right, but close enough for him to feel the air pressure as it whizzed past him.

A third shot and the bullet nicked his right ear as it passed, shearing off the lower lobe. There was no pain, only a deep, shocking numbness that engulfed his entire head. He landed unceremoniously on his ass then fell to his back.

Well I’ll be goddamned.

He was going to die. Murdered by his lover. Right here, right now, it all came crumbling down.

Jenkins could only laugh; a cold, empty, tired laugh.

There was more gunfire, of a much larger caliber than 9mm, then silence… A pair of soldiers came into view, their AK-47’s raised to fire. Seeing the General lying on the floor laughing, they hesitated, unsure of what to do.

“Help me up.” He said softly, bringing his laughter under control.

They lowered their guns and helped him to his feet. He put a hand to his right ear, probing with his finger. There was pain. His hand came away wet with blood. His head still rang from the gunfire and the bullet. He looked across the room and saw Patty’s body lying facedown on the floor; her body riddled with bullet holes, leaking blood everywhere.

Patty…

He had loved the woman. No matter how hard he tried to deny it to himself, he has fallen in love with her and her death hurt him…badly. But the Deadrise had forged Jenkins into a hard, cold man. His breakdown a minute ago had been a long time coming, but it was over and he was back in control.

Captain Turner lay face down in a pool of his own blood, his brains blown out the side of his head.

Goddamnit!

He had liked Turner. He had been a good, loyal soldier.

And Patty had murdered him.

And she meant to murder you as well!

He had loved her, but the bitch had cracked, just like Mac. He had trusted Mac, but the bastard had betrayed the community, murdered Jimenez and gotten several other people killed. He was a traitor. He had deserved to die.

And Patty was no exception. She'd murdered Captain Turner in cold blood. Had shot off Jenkins own ear and would have killed him had his militiamen not arrived and taken her out.

There was no telling when it was going to happen…what it was that would send someone over the edge like that. For Mac, it had been that evil cunt disciple of Mordecai Necrotura who had infiltrated the community and seduced her way into Macs bed.

For Patty, it had been the hangings.

Jenkins continued to stare at Patty’s body. This would push the civilian population over the edge. Patty had been well liked amongst the citizens of Rainbow Lake and Mountain View. After a rocky start she had become a very hands on leader and the people loved and respected her for it.

He would be lucky to quell things without more bloodshed.

The numbness was beginning to fade from his head, replaced with a searing pain where his right ear used to be. More Militiamen had entered his office carrying heavy blankets to wrap up the bodies. He needed a drink. But there were too many soldiers present for him to pull out his bottle and start drinking.

He looked to the nearest soldier…Captain Jordan. He had been on duty in the war room.

“I want the Lake and Mountain View on complete lockdown. All civilians are to remain indoors and all Militia to report to their emergency stations. And I don’t want anybody talking about this. Not yet.”

“Yes, General.” Captain Jordan hurried out of the office to carry out his orders. Jenkins sat at his desk, leaning back in the chair, putting a hand to his missing ear lobe. The pain flared white-hot when he touched it, and the blood was still flowing. The intercom on his desk buzzed to life.

“Jenkins, what is going on?” it was David.

“Its bad Kid…real bad…”

Despite his orders to keep the incident quiet, word of Patty’s death spread through the community in a hurried whisper and by midnight everyone in both Rainbow Lake and Mountain View knew she was dead. What nobody knew were the exact details, so the moments leading up to, and the method of Patty’s death had been left to speculation and interpretation resulting in a dozen different versions of events. The Lockdown was still in effect and all civilians remained inside, but reports from various Militiamen said they were starting to get restless. They wanted to speak to members of the Council. Sooner or later, it would turn to violence.

Jenkins was in the War Room, as was the ever present Captain Jordan. Colonel Farrell was present as well acting as his personal security. David was there via cameras and intercom, tucked away upstairs.

“It's going to boil over.” Jenkins said. “I can feel it.”

“Lift the lockdown.” David said. “It makes them feel like prisoners.”

“I don’t want a mob gathered here at the Main House demanding answers. That's a recipe for disaster.”

“They deserve answers.” David said. “It was self defense. A security camera caught the entire thing. Just show everyone the footage.”

“Self defense isn’t the point. She didn’t just arrive at this decision. She has been thinking about it for some time. And I don’t think she acted alone. Patty wasn’t suicidal. That didn’t go down as planned for her.”

“Why would she snap? Do you think she was an agent of Mordecai?”

“No. She was just an activist who finally got a taste of how the real world works, and it overwhelmed her.” Jenkins voice was full of melancholy.

“Who do you think was helping her?” Colonel Farrell asked.

“Who wouldn’t have helped her?” Jenkins asked. “Everyone loved her…”

“Broadcast the security tape!” David urged. “With that kind of evidence, any supporters of hers wouldn’t dare to move against you.”

“What about supporters in the Council?” Jenkins asked.

“Who are you talking about, Jenkins? The Sheriff? Doc? Lucas? None of them are disloyal to us. Only the Sheriff doesn’t want to leave…” David trailed off.

“If there was a traitor that is who I would suspect.” Jenkins said.

“Jenkins… We are talking crazy talk here.” David sounded scared.

“Are we kid?”

“So what are we going to do? Arrest the Sheriff?”

Before Jenkins could answer, Captain Jordan interrupted them.

“Sir! I am getting multiple reports that Sentinels have entered the perimeter. Alpha Two Squad has engaged.”

“How many are there?”

“Unknown sir…” Captain Jordan said, awaiting the General’s command.

“Go to Red Alert!” Jenkins barked. He had known the Sentinels would be the next to strike. After their last attack a couple of weeks ago, having only been driven away instead of destroyed, he knew they would return. And in larger numbers. Zack had said the leader of this particular band of Sentinels was different than the others…more self-aware. He could sense its dark, twisted ambitions reeking from its mind.

“I’ve contacted Zack.” David exclaimed over the intercom.

“Where is he?” Jenkins asked.

“Two hundred miles away, scouting out near Wendover. But he’s on his way and will be here in a few minutes.”

“You get ready to evacuate, David. If this shit turns bad we are going to have to cut out immediately!”

“Are we ready for that?”

“Ready to relocate the entire community at a moments notice? Hell no! But the Executive Plan? We better be. You get your shit together and be ready to move on a moments notice. If I give that order, you have the baby, your wife and your mother out to the chopper in two minutes.”

“Got it…” David signed off from the intercom.

“Talk to me, Jordan!” Jenkins barked.

“I’m not getting any response from Sgt. Miller or any of his men…”

Jenkins took a deep breath. This could be it. When planning the evacuation, they had run the numbers for a general evacuation of the entire community, but they had also planned for something he and David called the Executive Plan. The Executive Plan was a smaller, secretive evacuation consisting of Jenkins, David and his family, Doc Norris, Lucas Casey, Major Farrell, Captain Jordan and thirty other Militiamen and their families. Nearly one hundred people, packed aboard a plane designed to carry seventy comfortably. Upon receiving the code they had two hours to rendezvous at the B314 before it lifted off for the island. It was a cold, methodical plan that knowingly left the a good portion of the Rainbow Lake and all of the Mountain View population to their own devices, and most likely their deaths.

But what could he do? If it became that desperate there was no way he could save everyone. He had tried to, this past year at Rainbow Lake. He had tried to provide a safety zone where the people could take on some semblance of a normal life. But it had all been an illusion, a fantasy world constructed by himself and his Militia and perpetuated by the people of the community. He had always known it was a sham, but he kept himself occupied with raiding and plunder while the fools here at the lake, safe in their little fantasy world played silly games like electing a Council. He chuckled to himself at the foolishness of it all.