“Ugh.” Hatcher groaned. “Could there be something in the water?”
Will froze then turned to him, fear evident on his face. “Is somebody sick? Oh my…I can’t believe we didn’t test the water first before—”
“No!” Hatcher cut him off. “Nobody’s sick.” He glanced to the side and muttered, “They’re just horny as hell.”
“Ah,” Will smiled, holding a finger up. “While I’m no psychologist, I can state that evidence exists for people’s libidos to increase after going from a heightened state of vigilance to one of a more relaxed nature. Coming from the stresses of the industrial district to here, with the, err, amenities available—”
“I get it, doc. I get it.”
“Oh, I’m not a doctor, but I do have a masters degree in—”
“Talk like a doc, get called a doc.” Hatcher held a hand up to stop him. “Let’s just say that I trust you. You don’t have to explain.” He sighed as he marched off. “Maybe Ida can put salt peter in the soup or something.”
“I’ll notify you when we’re ready to hang the fence fabric. It should go up quickly!” Will watched him walk off and shook his head. “We’ll be ready for your moat before you know it.” He laughed to himself as he went back to work.
“Preparing to breach.” The operator nodded to the tech holding the torch. “Do it.”
The tech dropped the torch and tugged the dog ear latch upward, pulling the door open. The operators who were stacked on either side tossed in a flash bang and waited for the report. The lead operator stepped inside and activated his night vision goggles.
“On me.” He waved the team forward, each man covering his assigned grid.
Carol, Kevin, and Broussard observed the activities through the integrated helmet cameras from the safety of their new laboratory. “I couldn’t do that,” Kevin muttered.
“That’s why you’re a biologist and not a NAVY SEAL,” Carol mumbled. She watched the men advance then pointed to the corner of the screen. “There’s the lab.”
“They know.” The chief petty officer watched from over their shoulders, his arms crossed over his thick chest. “They have the layout of that ship committed to memory.”
The researchers continued to study the screen and all jumped when a pale blue shot across their field of vision.
“Contact!”
The staccato of weapons fire echoed through the speaker and Carol had to look away. She opened her eyes and saw the Chief staring at her, his face stoic.
“Can you please ask them not to shoot everybody? If there are any people who are asymptomatic, it could go a long way towards finding a cure.”
The chief nodded. “They’re aware ma’am.” He lowered his voice as if taking her into his confidence. “Trust me, ma’am, these guys are professionals.”
“I have no doubts. I just wouldn’t want a potential cure killed in the heat of the moment.”
“Carol, please.” Broussard cautioned. “Let them do their job. If nothing else, we get most of our equipment back.”
“And my experiments,” Kevin shrugged, “for whatever they’re worth now.”
She glanced back at the chief petty officer. “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t mean to imply…” she trailed off.
The chief broke character and patted her shoulder gently. “I understand, ma’am.”
The weapons fire died down and Carol chanced to look at the screen again. “Oh, my.” She held a hand to her mouth. “Look at the changes that have occurred just since we left.”
Broussard nodded, leaning closer to the screen. “The mottled appearance indicates a lack of melanin– perhaps even a total loss.” He glanced over his shoulder at the chief. “Once the danger has passed, would it be possible to get a closeup of one of the infected’s eyes?”
The chief nodded. “I’ll see to it.”
Carol continued to watch as the operators cleared room after room, deck after deck. She found herself chewing absently at her thumb nail. “Are they done?”
The chief nodded. “They’ve cleared each deck.” He glanced at his watch and shook his head. “They’ve gone over on their time.” He leaned back and keyed his coms. “Delta Actual, be advised, marker plus twenty-two.”
“Copy that.” The lead operator motioned to his men. “Double time. Get the grunts down here to clear this gear, NOW!”
“What’s with the rush?” Carol asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.
The chief glanced over his shoulder then nodded toward the screen. “They set charges along the hull before boarding. They’re on a timer.” He gave her a look that she didn’t expect. “On the off chance that their mission was compromised.”
Her eyes widened and she stared at him open mouthed. “They’re going to sink the ship?”
The chief nodded. “In less than thirty minutes, the USS Kauffman will be scuttled.”
“Is that enough time to strip the lab?” Kevin asked, panic rising in his voice.
The chief shrugged. “I suppose we’ll find out.”
Trevor cradled little Patricia as the sun pushed the shadows away. He could feel the concrete under the overpass warming and he felt total exhaustion from the night’s activities. He glanced out from under the bridge and sighed at the dilapidated houses in the area.
He knew from experience that any of them could be a shelter for more of the infected. He also knew that the odds of finding one as docile as Patricia were slim to none.
He laid her gently to the side, her rapid breathing a telling sign that she was sleeping, although fitfully. Trevor stepped out from the shadow of the bridge and walked down the steep concrete embankment. He glanced back to check on Patricia once more before exploring the immediate area.
He found an old conversion van parked in the driveway of one house and he tried the door. The musty smell that wafted out told him that the old truck probably hadn’t run in years. Still, he checked the visor, the ashtray, and the glove box to see if there might be a spare key.
He quietly shut the door and walked the overgrown roadside to the next house. A Volkswagen Beetle that sat on blocks with
