Tainted Future (The Rememdium Series Book 3) (27 page)

“Go through that door, nice and easy. Try any fancy tricks and I’ll blow a hole through your heads. Guaranteed.”

“Where’s the rest of them?”

“Keep walkin’, hands up,” Martha said from behind the three men. Two were carrying the body of the third, who’d taken a bullet. “Set him on that cot, right there, then back away.”

“Rice, what happened to Winters?” Dirk asked from his spot on the floor.

“Took one to thigh. He’s bleeding out. Fast. Where’s Dr. Berning? We need him!”

“He ain’t here, so you best use your field trainin’,” Martha answered.

“What? You said—”

Martha stopped and pointed the rifle directly at the man named Rice. “I lied. Best not waste time worryin’ about why, just help your friend. Lamar? Get them the first aid kit.”

Lamar moved across the cave floor in quick strides. Grabbing the kit, he tossed it across the room.

“You okay, Kincannon? Denton?”

“They’re fine, I assure you. We ain’t killers like y’all are.”

The other man standing next to Rice snorted. “So, that comment about blowing our heads off was a joke, right?”

“Warton! You and Rice shut up and concentrate on Winters. Right now,” Dirk yelled.

“We just need a ride on your plane. Give us what we want, and everybody lives,” Martha answered.

“I knew something was wrong,” Denaryl said. “I knew it!”

Rice and Warton turned their attention to their friend. Martha backed up several steps toward Turner. “What’s takin’ them so long?”

“Probably had to pick up the supplies they dropped durin’ the ambush. They’ll be in directly, Ms. Martha,” Lamar answered.

Martha didn’t say another word while watching the five men in the cave. Her gaze bounced between the two tied up on the floor, and the three across the room at the last cot. Her heartbeat was erratic, and she felt lightheaded. A weird buzzing noise rang in her ears. Martha feared she’d vomit any second. She knew Turner was right—her blood pressure was sky high.

“Hey! They’re back!” Turner yelled, drawing Martha’s attention to the door. “Thank goodness! Oh, my God! Chief Hollingsworth? Is that you?”

Martha’s mouth went dry when only three people walked inside. She noticed Kyle’s clothes were covered in dried blood as he made his way toward her position. The haunted look on his face made chills scramble up her back. Turner’s question—and the answer staring back at her from across the room with a wound to his shoulder—made her breath come in short gasps.

“Kyle?” Martha whispered. “Where’s my husband? Reed?”

He was right in front of her now, tears running down his dirty face. Kyle didn’t need to say a word. The answer ripped from Martha’s chest, tearing a hole through her heart.

“No. God, no!” Martha screamed, falling to her knees.

“Dad?” Turner whimpered from across the room.

Martha tried to get up, go to her son. She couldn’t. The buzzing in her head increased as sobs shook her body. The room went dark.

Walter. No. My Walter. What am I going to do without you?

“What happened out there, Kyle?”

Kyle finished bandaging Cooper’s shoulder before answering Turner’s question. “Now’s not the time for that discussion, Turner. Just know your dad died a hero. He saved my life. We’ll talk about that later, once your mom wakes up. I don’t want to tell the story more than once, because I don’t think I can. Okay?”

Tears ran down Turner’s face, making Kyle feel worse than he already did. “She’s gonna be okay, right?”

“Yes, son. She just fainted. She’ll be fine.”

“Did Bailey and Allsop?” Lamar whispered, letting the words trail off.

Kyle shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know what happened to them. They decided to go it alone to get their families.”

“Pieces of shit,” Lamar muttered.

Kyle motioned toward the others. “Want to tell me why they’re here? And where’s Jesse and Jane?”

“They went with Dr. Berning to go get a map.”

“Who’s Dr. Berning?” Cooper asked.

Kyle’s mouth dropped open. “Come again? Did you say a map?”

Though Kyle knew Turner was heartbroken over the loss of his father, something else burned behind his eyes. Something beyond sorrow, or fear, or even terror. It took Kyle a few seconds to pinpoint the emotion.

Dread. Heavy, soul-crushing dread.

Taking a deep breath, Turner looked over at the other men. “We’ve got more problems than just the dead on the horizon.”

From the corner of his eye, Kyle noticed Teresa edge closer.

“What kind of problems?” Teresa asked.

“Radiation from the power plant in Russellville. Dr. Berning said meltdown will happen soon, and then the shit will come this way. They planned on leavin’ tomorrow in some plane they have access to. Someplace without a nuclear power plant close by.”

“Oh, shit,” Cooper whispered. “I’d forgotten all about Arkansas Nuclear One! It ain’t too far away.”

“Map? And why are those fools here?” Kyle urged.

“I heard two of them talkin’ in the woods about it the other day. When I came back and spread the news, we decided if they’re leavin’, so are we. Together. Figured we needed an ace in the hole to make them take us, so Jesse and Martha convinced Dr. Berning to come here and offer medical help to Turner.”

“Let me get this straight—y’all planned on holdin’ them hostage, forcin’ them to take us, yet they left to get a map? What the fuck?”

“Kyle, the doc said their plan was to go get a map that listed all the reactors around the world. That way, they’d know which location to head to that didn’t have one. Jesse figured if we had the doc and the map, they’d have no choice but to let us go with them.”

“I know a place where there’s not a nuclear power plant,” Teresa interrupted.

“Where?” Turner asked.

“El Salvador. It’s where I’m from.”

“That’s too far away! Besides, what the hell are we gonna do once we get there? Go live in the jungle?” Kyle snapped.

“My father has a big estate about thirty miles from San Salvador. Room for all of us, I swear. It’s surrounded by high walls—basically a fortress.”

Ignoring the stupid woman, Kyle addressed Turner. “How long have Jesse and the others been gone? And where were they headin’?”

“About three hours. They went to Clinton.”

“Son-of-a-bitch! That’s a fairly populated area! No tellin’ how many munchers!” Kyle shouted. He stood and walked across the room, stopping directly in front of Dirk Kincannon. “How many does it hold, and who’s flyin’ it?”

“The plane holds twelve. Denaryl Rice is our pilot,” Dirk answered.

“Is it true? About the radiation? Your plans to evacuate in the mornin’?”

Dirk nodded.

“Any more of your men left at the lab?”

“No. It’s just us and Dr. Berning.”

Kyle knelt down in front of Dirk. Lowering his voice so the others wouldn’t hear, he said, “Look, I won’t apologize for what they did to lure you here. I’m sure you understand their fears. My fears. Your own. We’ve been through hell and back, and I found out another terrifying tidbit I ain’t shared with them just yet. It will affect us all, no matter where we go.”

“And that would be?”

“It ain’t just humans affected by this. A pack of dead dogs took down Reed.”

“Holy shit,” Dirk whispered.

“Please, I’m beggin’ you. We’ve got a total of thirteen, countin’ us all. I can tell you’re a man of your word. Agree to take us with you, and we’ll all work as a team. That map must be of great importance if Dr. Berning and my friends decided to risk their lives to get it. They ain’t back yet, which means they’ve probably run into trouble. We’ll need all hands on deck to pack up what we can, and carry the wounded to the Humvees. You have my word my group will work with you. I ain’t got anyone’s life to swear on anymore, but I swear, if you help us, we’ll do the same.”

Dirk and Drake exchanged glances. Drake gave a slight nod of agreement. “Agreed.”

Kyle stood and addressed the room. “Looks like we’re headin’ out. We’ll all be workin’ as one unit now. They’ve agreed to let us come with them, as long as we agree to fight by their sides. Can y’all do that? Work as a team, put the past behind us, and go try to find someplace to live out our future in safety? Only aim at the dead, and not at each other?”

“If it means gettin’ out of this cave alive, hell yeah,” Turner yelled.

“Anyone got somethin’ to say? Now’s the time,” Kyle urged.

No one did.

Kyle leaned down and removed the ropes from Dirk and Drake. “Don’t make me regret this. I’m puttin’ a lot of lives in your hands. If this goes sour, I swear, I’ll come back and eat your faces off.”

“I gave you my word, Kyle. I don’t go back on it,” Dirk replied. “Now, let’s get to packing. Drake, you and Warton fix those cots into gurneys to carry out Winters and Turner. Tell Denaryl to come here and help us secure food. We leave in thirty.”

“I can’t leave without takin’ care of Mason first, and could use some help diggin’ a grave.”

“I’ll help you, Cooper,” Teresa said, rising to her feet. “Like you said, he was a good kid, and he deserves a final resting place.”

Kyle looked over at his chief. He could tell he wouldn’t budge on his idea. He’d been insistent to bury Reed and Walter back in Bentonville, too, despite the dangers of remaining out in the open. “There’s tools by the front door. Hurry, and be careful.”

“There’s no gas in the tank! Shit!”

“There’s a pump right over—oh, sorry. Forget there’s no power.”

“It’s okay, Dr. Berning. We’re all scatterbrained at the moment.”

“Okay, let’s think about this. We’ve been gone for what, four hours now?” Jane asked.

“Five,” Everett answered.

“They’ll come lookin’ for us. I know it. I say we just wait here.”

“And I’m sure the others at the lab didn’t like us being gone so long. I imagine they’re looking for me.”

Jesse stiffened. “Do they know where our camp is?”

“Yes. Kevin Warton followed Mr. Addison the first day they met.”

“Oh, shit! Will they—”

“Use deadly force? Most likely, if they feel threatened. They are former soldiers, you know.”

“Then we aren’t gonna just sit here and wait! There’s got to be some gas around here, or a way to get it from the pump. Jane? Hand me the flashlight, please.”

Jesse made a loop in the garage, searching every crook and crevice for signs of a gas can. “Look! There’s one,” she yelled, racing over to pick it up. “And it’s full!”

“Hallelujah!” Jane yelled.

Running back to the Humvee, Jesse hefted the can and filled the tank.

“I’ll get the keys,” Everett muttered, limping across the concrete floor. “That’s two problems solved, and just leaves one.”

“Which is?” Jesse asked, tossing the empty can on the ground.

“The door.”

“What?”

“The door. Which one of us is going to open it? Jane can’t run, and again, I can’t either.”

“Then I will. Jane? You get behind the wheel. Doc, you get in the passenger seat and roll down the window, rifle ready. Aim for their heads, not the body.”

“I’m not a very good shot,” Everett whispered.

“Tonight, you will be, or this is the end of the road for us,” Jesse admonished. “Leave the back door open. I’ll be in a big hurry to get back inside once I do this. Jane—the second I’m inside—you slam your foot to the floor.”

“Okay, but as soon as we can, we’ll need to switch places. I don’t think I can handle smashin’ into them like you did.”

“You can do it, Jane. I know you can. Start her up.”

Jane climbed into the driver’s seat, and Everett settled in on the passenger side. Jesse walked over to the garage door, hands hovering above the latch. She waited until the engine started. Jane turned on the headlights.

“One; two; three!” The sound of the metal door opening was loud. Jesse didn’t look out into the yard, afraid of what she might see. Instead, she turned and ran back to the Humvee, jumping inside. “Go!”

Jane floored it, and the Humvee shot out of the garage. The bright headlights and noise caught the attention of the dead roaming around the front yard. Jane screamed, yet kept driving.

“Just follow the road! Don’t veer from it! You’re doin’ just fine!”