Chapter 26
Hatcher watched as the sun slowly set. He turned worried eyes to the sentry in the tower. “Any movement?”
“Negative, Hatch.” He gave him a crooked grin. “Clear as the eye can see.”
“Let’s pray it stays that way.” Hatcher turned back to the main entrance and spotted Cooper at the gates. “Anything out front?”
“One of the guards thought he heard something earlier but…” He shrugged. “It could have been anything.”
“Keep sharp out here. Remember to—”
“I know, boss.” Coop interrupted. “This ain’t my first rodeo.”
Hatcher clapped the man’s shoulder as he marched back to his office. He sat down heavily in the chair and groaned as his ribs protested. He leaned back slowly and grimaced, his hand cupping the ACE wrap around his chest.
“You okay?”
He looked up as Roger stepped into the office. “I’ll live.” He hiked a brow at the man. “I’m guessing Candy said yes since you’re still amongst the living.”
Roger smiled as he sat down. “She wanted to argue, but I told her that I’d have asked her regardless. Just, maybe not quite this quick.”
Hatcher nodded knowingly. “You ever been married before?”
Roger’s face fell solemn and he nodded gently. “Yeah. She uh…didn’t survive the storm when this thing started.”
Hatcher’s face fell and he stared at the man across from him. “That wasn’t so long ago.”
“Feels like a lifetime.” Roger ran a hand over his face and sniffed back an unshed tear. “She was my life.”
“Sorry man. I didn’t mean to drudge up old memories.”
Roger shook his head. “As you said, they’re still fresh.” He turned and gave Hatcher a lopsided grin. “Need to put all that behind us, don’t we? Hey, if things were reversed, I’d wish her the best of luck.”
Hatcher reached into his desk drawer and searched for the bottle he used to keep hidden there. He closed the drawer and gave Roger a shrug. “I guess we can toast your upcoming nuptials with coffee.”
Roger snorted as he stood. “I forgot that Vicky swiped your stash.”
Hatcher groaned as he sat back. “Probably for the best.” He watched as Roger poured two cups of the dark liquid. “I guess I kind of went sideways on you all, didn’t I?”
Roger shrugged. “Everybody is entitled to a minor meltdown now and then.” He handed Hatcher his cup and sat down across from him. “You should have seen me when they assigned me to Simon’s gang. I was not happy with that one.” He sipped the coffee and grimaced.
“Yeah, that’s left from this morning.” Hatcher held the cup up and gave him a mock salute. “Waste not want not.”
Roger set his cup down and shook his head. “I’ll stick with the want not. That’s nasty.”
Hatcher laughed as he choked down the bitter brew. “I was about to—”
His words were cut short as another explosion rocked the walls, rattled windows and elicited more than one scream from the building.
Hatcher and Roger’s eyes met. “That was closer than the first one.” Hatcher pushed up from his chair and tried his best to keep up with Roger as they darted to the courtyard. Hatcher looked up to the tower and the sentry pointed to the west again.
“It’s out that way, Hatch.”
Hatcher turned and stared as a column of dust rose into the air. He noted the dimming light and ground his teeth. “I think we’re about to have company.”
Roger keyed the radio in his hand. “Lock and load boys. It’s about to get real.”
Carol stepped down from the helicopter and waited while Broussard dismounted, his bag dropping to the flat roof beside her. The pair covered their eyes as the craft lifted up again and turned to the north, ferrying the rest of the party parallel to the coast and to the next site.
“It’s a bit risky doing a night operation, isn’t it?” she asked the soldier assigned to them. She wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or worried that it was a different man.
“We have night vision, ma’am. The last crew set out proximity sensors. We’ll know if anything larger than a house cat is moving around down there.” He pointed off the edge of the office building.
Carol looked to Broussard, who had shouldered his bag. He handed over her duffel and walked to the roof access. “We’ll be down below if you need us,” he stated casually.
“Hey!” The soldier stiffened. “I can’t let you go alone. I’m assigned to—”
Broussard held a hand up to quell his argument. “My good man, where can we possibly go but down to the lobby. We simply need to observe as closely as possible.”
“Then I’m coming with you.”
Carol stepped between the man and the door. “We need you up here. To radio to us if and when any of the infected begin to show up. Surely the noise from the chopper will attract them.” She pressed her palm to his chest as if to reassure him. “We’ve got solid glass security doors between us and them if we’re seen. Hopefully we won’t be.” She shrugged and smiled up at him. “We don’t want them stirred up any more than you do.”
“But, ma’am, my orders are clear.”
“I understand that, but right now, we need you to assist us in our task. And that assistance comes in the form of you informing us of their movements before they actually arrive. You can do that, can’t you, sergeant?”
He drew back his head, slowly shaking it. “I don’t think—”
“My boy, you don’t need to think. You simply need to report the activity you see.” Broussard gave him his best disarming smile. “If you are down there with us, you can’t report their arrival and if they get riled up by accidentally seeing you, you’ll feel the need to shoot at them. We are actually hoping
