“You do.”
“And we can leave anytime we want?”
“Nobody will stop you,” Nick said.
“What about our supplies?” she asked.
“You can keep it or trade it for other stuff you need, and if you decide to leave, I’ll even top you up.”
“Sounds okay, I guess. We’ll give it a shot, and in return, we’ll tell you everything we know about the zombies.”
“Deal,” Nick said. “You can follow me back to the base. I’m heading there now.”
“Got it,” Wanda said.
“See you there, Sergeant,” Big Joe said.
They returned to their vehicles while Nick did a quick U-turn. As he headed back to Fort Detrick, his mind whirled with a million and one thoughts. None of them were comforting. It seems we’re in for the fight of our lives. I only hope we emerge victorious.
Chapter 10 - Saul
Saul climbed out of the Humvee and handed the keys to Alex. The parking lot was in an uproar, and he hadn’t seen so many new faces in a long time. A queue of vehicles of every shape, size, and color waited at the gates for admittance, and the guards were hard-pressed to let everyone through. Inside, teens with flags directed the newcomers to an open corner of the lot. At the same time, Mandy Baker and a couple of other women sorted them into groups. “What in hell’s name is going on?”
“It’s the apocalypse all over again,” Alex answered with a somber look.
“Who are all these people?” Saul asked.
“Survivors streaming in ahead of the horde,” Alex said.
“So many?” Saul said. “I thought Nick alerted only those communities we’ve been in contact with.”
“He did, but the word is spreading. Nobody wants to face the horde on their own,” Alex said. “A few of them have seen it.”
“Seen the horde?” Saul said.
“Yeah, they escaped in the nick of time, and somehow ended up here,” Alex said. “Nick and Dylan got a bunch of volunteers to place them in shelters for the time being.”
“I can’t believe it,” Saul said, staring at the crowds of people that swarmed the base.
“I can hardly take it all in myself. I mean, where are we going to put them all? Do we have enough food, water, and electricity?”
“That’s for Nick to answer, I guess,” Saul replied. “Speaking of which, where is he?”
“He’s around here somewhere, and he asked me to tell you something the moment you got back,” Alex said.
“What’s that?”
“He called for a meeting at sixteen-hundred hours. Anyone who’s anyone has to be there, including you and Tara. Could you let her know, please? I don’t have the time to tell her myself, and she’s at the lab, I think.”
“Where else would she be?” Saul muttered. “Anyway, thanks for letting me know.”
“No problem, but you’ll have to excuse me. I’m prepping a fleet of motorcycles for the new scouting teams,” Alex said, wiping his hands on an oily rag.
“Motorbikes?”
“Yup, they’re fast and versatile,” Alex said. “The scouts can get in and out on them without getting bogged down.”
“Clever thinking,” Saul said.
“Thanks. It was my idea,” Alex said, hurrying toward his workshop.
Saul turned back to his team. They milled about in wide-eyed wonder, except for Jackson, who leaned against the Humvee as if nothing had changed. “Alright, everyone. The trip’s over for now. I’ll see you all later, I guess.”
Once he’d seen them on their way, he crossed the grounds toward the lab with long strides. Along the way, he saw more evidence of the changes taking place. Soldiers with loads of sandbags rushed past, and a line of excavators rumbled toward a nearby gate.
It seemed Nick had wasted no time setting things in motion when he got back, including recalling Saul and his team. While he was disappointed at being pulled back so early, Saul didn’t resist. He still had vivid memories of the night Fort Knox fell beneath the tramping feet of an undead horde. He knew what was at stake, and his place was here.
At the lab, he presented his ID to a guard he’d never seen before. The entry and lobby bristled with guns, and he searched for a familiar face. He found it in Greta, who performed her usual duties with calm precision. “Who are all the newbies?”
“Sergeant Dean sent them here when he got back. The lab is a vital structure and needs extra protection.”
“I see. Thanks for the update,” Saul murmured before continuing upstairs toward Tara’s office.
He found her in a state of nervous excitement, but not because of the approaching horde. “What’s going on?”
“You’ll never believe me,” Tara exclaimed. “I found it. At least, I think I did.”
“Found what?” he asked, confused.
“A vaccine.”
“For real?” he asked.
“The blood work proves it. I did it!” She jumped up and down, clapping her hands. “The tests are conclusive.”
“What’s next?”
“Now, I need to test it on living creatures,” Tara said.
“People?” Saul asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Hell, no. It’s way too soon for that. There are still a million things that could go wrong,” Tara said. She waved a hand at a couple of cages bolted to the wall of her lab. Inside, rats scurried about, their nose sniffing at the air.
“Ah, I see. You’re going to test it on the rodents,” Saul said, relieved.
“Exactly,” Tara said with keen enthusiasm. “I’d better get on it. I’ll see you later, my love.”
Saul grabbed her arms when she tried to kiss him goodbye. “Wait a minute, do you even know what’s going on outside?”
Tara shrugged. “Not really. I’ve been in here all day.”
“What about yesterday? Haven’t you heard about the horde?” Saul asked.
“What horde?” Tara said with a frown. She stared about her and pointed to a nearby couch. “I’ll be honest. You weren’t here, so I didn’t bother going home last night. I slept over there.”
“Let me get this straight. You haven’t left the lab since I left on my scouting trip yesterday morning?” Saul said.
Tara had the grace to look a little guilty. “I didn’t plan it that way, but I wanted to
