She turned away from him, moving to the far wall. James shrugged and moved past her, setting his rifle near his pack, which he opened to return the NVGs to an inside pocket. Duke moved to the stove and shook off the wet snow before lying in his spot. James noticed the skillet of potatoes on the stove and pointed.
“Help yourself,” Rogers said.
Using a nearby mitt, James lifted the entire thing from the hot stove. He sat at the edge of the bed, hungrily scarfing down the food, tossing every other bite to the dog.
“You all are up early,” he said, looking to the others. “It’s a cold morning.”
Eve nodded. “We’re going into town. See how things look.”
James glanced up at her and, through a mouth full of potatoes, said, “Gimme a sec. I’ll go with you.”
Jacob stood, grabbed his pack and rifle, and swung open the door to the small cabin, walking out to the brisk morning air. He carried his loaded pack over his left shoulder; his rifle slung over the other. The smell of wood smoke and cordite was still heavy in the air. A thick white-gray mist hung low, covering the ground and limiting his visibility. He moved down the steps and looked over the property. Delta bodies were everywhere. They would have to do something about them soon. Rogers and Eve stepped down beside him, followed by Duke and James. Eve walked away from the porch and moved to the trail, the others following close behind her.
“How was the hunting? Did you find what you were looking for?” Rogers asked, not looking back at James.
James coughed, clearing his throat then spitting to the side of the trail. “Wasn’t much sport to it; these things are messed up. The ones I saw were wandering around blind. A few were clawing and fighting at each other. Didn’t see a single healthy one. The dioxin must be in the air or something 'cause it’s still affecting them.”
“I don’t think that’s it,” Eve said from the front. “I’ve watched them. They rely on the ponds. I think it’s how they feed. This being their local spot, they return to it on a regular basis. If they were animals, I’d tag and track their movements. Hell, maybe I will anyway. Poison or not, we killed off the entire colony when we introduced the dioxin to that lake.”
“Did you work with animals?” Jacob asked.
“I’m… I was a research assistant with the Department of Natural Resources. I tracked the movements of white-tailed deer. I could do the same with these things.”
“So they just keep returning to the nest, poisoning themselves? You don’t think they’ll wise up to it?” Jacob said.
Eve looked at him. “I don’t know. That’s just my best guess.”
She led them farther from the cabin. As they entered the forest, she took a different route, completely avoiding the death surrounding the ambush site. Jacob thought it was for their benefit, but maybe it was a shortcut. Either way, Eve wasn’t the type to explain herself. Even walking wide, the wind carried the unmistakable stench of death. The team pulled up scarves and wrapped them around their faces. Eve moved them faster to high ground, merging with the lake view trail further west and dropping in just above the lake town.
From their high vantage point, they could clearly see down the small lake-town’s main approach. Grand homes with long wooden docks lined the water’s edge. The far side of the street was interspersed with small shops, restaurants, a post office, and other businesses. The road was congested with abandoned vehicles, most parked at the curb, some in the center of the street. A tree had fallen across the town’s only intersection and lay across a bright red fire truck.
Eve walked them to an overlook, where she knelt down and used a pair of binoculars to survey the distant streets. She pointed to a well-used hiking trail and indicated a number of small shops where they might find some needed supplies.
“Where is the state police post?” Rogers asked.
“One more street up,” she said. “It occupies an entire street corner.” Eve got back to her feet. She unslung her rifle, holding it at the ready, and approached the descending trail. Before she could move down, James and Duke moved ahead of her to the front.
“Let me take point for a bit; Duke needs to stretch his legs.” James let the dog run out ahead while he kept an eye on him, looking for any signs of trouble.
Chapter Forty-Nine
The team dropped off the trail onto a small gravel road that snaked between homes before merging with the main street. The road curved around, following the lake, its views disappearing beyond every sharp curve. The houses on the lake side were destroyed, front doors missing and every window shattered. The businesses on the land side shared the same fate. James moved the group to the side of the road, leading Duke off the sidewalks, worried about the dog’s feet and the shards of broken glass.
They spotted the first one sitting against the trunk of a large oak tree, its arms and face covered with the broken blisters. A black oily gel leaked from its mouth and eyes, forming a dried cake that stained its clothing. James moved close to the body, while Duke held back, showing his teeth. James lifted his boot and kicked the Delta. He watched it fall onto its side, the body already rigid.
James let out a low grunting sound that resembled a laugh. “This one is good… good and dead,” he said.
He turned away and continued to hike them toward the western side of the town. Looking up, Jacob could see the hill to their south, steep and wooded with the overlook at the top. The ground was blanketed with snow; in places, deep piles of leaves covered the sidewalks and banked
