Carol pulled the handle and pushed the door open. “Have you seen Dr. Broussard?”
“Wouldn’t know him if I shot him, ma’am.” The soldier pointed to Kevin crawling out of the cabinet. “Who’s the hero?”
“I am Doctor Kevin McAlester.” He pulled himself to his full height and brushed at his labcoat. “I have some experiments going on at the moment that—”
“No time, doc. Move it!” The soldier pushed the pair and scanned the room one last time before ushering them out of the lab.
“But…my experiments. They’re crucial to finding a cure!”
“Move!” The soldier shoved the doctor harder, sending him out of the shattered glass door. “Turn left, top of the ladder. Hustle it up or get sealed in.”
“What is going on?” Carol asked. “Why are they welding the doors shut?”
“Last ditch effort to clear the uninfected from the ship.”
She fell into step behind Kevin and tried to keep up. “But, what about the people that were scratched or bitten? Have they manifested any—”
“If we find ‘em we shoot ‘em,” the man said. He pushed her farther down the hallway. “Orders are orders, ma’am.”
Carol forced herself to continue. Her body felt drained as she grabbed the handrails on the stairs and pulled herself up to the next level. “Dr. Broussard thinks that the infected might be traveling through the air ducts. Would it be possible for her to go up a level?”
“Not my job code, ma’am. All I know is if we see somebody infected, we kill ‘em.” He pointed through the open door. “Move.”
Carol stepped through the doorway and into the bright light of day. The salty sea air rose to greet her and she sighed heavily as she watched others milling around the deck of the ship. Her eyes scanned for Broussard but she couldn’t see him in the crowd.
She turned and caught the soldier as he pulled the dog ears on the steel door, sealing it behind him. “Is this all there is? Where are the others?”
The man backed away from the door and motioned to a sailor holding a welding mask and stinger. He turned and gave her a solemn look. “If they’re not topside, then they’re dead.” He watched her face pale, then he glanced to the side. “There’s another group aft of here. You might look there.”
Carol stifled her rising panic and nodded. “Thank you.” She turned to work her way to the rear of the ship when a blood curdling scream was heard beyond the steel door. The sailor wasted no time striking an arc and beginning the weld.
Simon stared at the pistol in his hand and Stinky glared at him.
“You were going to shoot me!”
“I still might.” Simon shook the gun then racked the slide. “What the hell?” He picked up the unfired bullet and stared at it. A prominent dimple on the primer indicated the firing pin had done its job.
Simon tossed the bullet in the air and Stinky barely caught it. “That’s your lucky charm there, Stink. It should have put a hole through your middle. I guess today ain’t your day to die after all.”
“What the hell?” Shooter asked as he stepped into the room. “You were gonna shoot your own man?”
Stinky tossed him the bullet. “Why not? He stabbed Savage.”
Simon spun, his finger pointing at the two of them. “Savage was a traitor. You saw what he did. He ran straight to the locals and they took him in like he was one of their own.”
“Will you bitches quit whining?” Sinner groaned as he tried to sit up. “Can’t a guy get any sleep around here?”
“Hey, buddy! You’re alive.” Stinky turned and took his hand.
Sinner pushed him away. “Get off me.” He looked from man to man, his brain trying to process what had happened. “What the hell are you pussies all whining about now?”
“Glad to see you’re still breathing,” Simon said as he walked up and stared at the man still laying on the table. “You up to a little recon?”
Stinky stepped between the two and glared at Simon. “You have got to be shitting me. He’s lost too much blood to be up and moving so soon. He’s liable to reopen his wounds.”
Sinner pushed himself up to a seated position and shook his head slightly. “I feel like I was hit by a train.”
“Rifle round, actually.” Shooter said, stepping closer. “From last night’s attack. Stinky there patched you up. Probably saved your life.”
Sinner glanced at the man and nodded slightly. “Thanks.” His hand came up and he ran it gingerly over the bandages. “How bad was it?”
Stinky shrugged as Simon pushed past him and into the garage. “I really couldn’t tell. I could see that it was an in and out; I didn’t see any bone fragments so I’m really hoping it just traveled through the meat.”
Shooter handed him a couple of pills and a water bottle. “You said you had pain pills in your stash. I took the liberty of digging you out some.”
Sinner gave him a cautious stare. “I know how many were in there, man.”
Shooter grunted a laugh as he pulled out the dining room chair and sat beside the big man. “And they’re all still there. Minus two, now.”
Sinner popped the pain pills and chewed them quickly. After he washed them down with water he tried to push off of the table. Stinky was there in an instant. “No way. You need rest. You shouldn’t be moving around.”
Sinner nodded at him. “That’s all well and good, but if I’m gonna be down, I’d much rather be down on a bed than the table.”
Stinky nodded. “Good point. Give me a hand.” Shooter stepped up and the pair helped walk him back to the first bedroom. As soon as Sinner was down, the two reentered the common room and found Simon sucking on another bottle
