“They were going for blood.” A sentry huffed as he struggled to hold one man’s legs. “I have no idea what got into them.”
Hatcher bent over to see if he could tell who the offenders were. “Are these the same two that got into it the other day?”
Will Stanton nodded slowly. “They’re unresponsive to questions. They just continue to snarl and struggle to get free.”
Hatcher came to his full height and wiped a calloused hand over his face. “I have no idea what to do with them.”
“Toss ‘em out on their asses and let them finish what they started.” A sentry barked. A long, bloody line creased his cheek and he looked as if he had taken the brunt of at least one of the men’s anger. “Or let me put a bullet in the back of their heads.”
Hatcher shook his head slowly. “We need a place where we can keep them secure.”
Will leaned closer and lowered his voice. “They’re scaring the women and children. If we could get them away from the community…” His voice trailed off.
“For now, drag them to an empty room. Hog tie them if you have to and gag them to keep the noise down.” He huffed as he looked around the courtyard. “I take it that nobody saw what triggered this?”
The guards all shook their heads. Will hung his head as he spoke. “The fellow with the handcuffs was assisting me earlier. He kept twitching and looking about as if he expected something to attack him.”
“And you didn’t think to report this?” Hatcher asked.
Will gave him an exasperated look. “After the attack and fighting the fires, I assumed that it was a form of PTSD.” He sighed heavily. “I’m sorry Mr. Hatcher. I should have said something.”
“We’re positive that these are the same two guys who were fighting the other day?”
One of the guards nodded. “I knew Jacob from before Simon…‘found’ us.” He fought with the struggling man as he attempted to wriggle away. “The guy didn’t have a mean bone in his body.”
Hatcher groaned. “Are their eyes red?”
The guard snatched a handful of Jacob’s hair and pulled his head back. Hatcher bent low and shook his head. “They’re clear.” The guard let go and Jacob bounced his chin on the tile of the ground with no reaction. He continued to stare at the other man, growling and snarling.
“They don’t seem to be capable of rational thought at the moment,” Stanton said.
“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” Hatcher muttered. “For now, separate them. Lock ‘em down in different rooms.” He turned to Stanton. “Find Hank and Wally. I have a new mission for them.”
The guards picked the two feral men up from the ground and began to drag them away. Will lowered his voice. “What do you intend to do with them?”
“If they don’t snap out of this and have a damned good explanation for their actions, then I’ve got no choice.”
“And that is?”
Hatcher inhaled deeply and blew it out slowly. “Have Hank and Wally find a place far enough away and secure enough to dump them.”
“Dump them?” Stanton’s voice raised an octave. “Like, in a jail?”
“Probably.”
“And who would feed them?”
Hatcher gave him a deadpan look. “That’s not my problem.”
“You can’t leave them to starve!” Will exclaimed.
Hatcher paused and fought back a curse. “It’s either lock ‘em up, haul them off like garbage, or put ‘em down like mad dogs.” He raised a brow at the smaller man. “Which would you choose?”
Will stammered a moment then turned and looked him in the eye. “I’d rather see them released to their fates.”
Hatcher nodded slowly. “So they can come back and possibly attack somebody else? A child perhaps?”
Will’s face fell. “I, uh…I wouldn’t…” He gave Hatcher a defeated look. “I would hope that the walls and gates would keep them at bay.”
Hatcher gave him a pat on the back. “So, make our people prisoners because these two might decide to sneak in and hurt someone?”
Will swallowed hard. “But they weren’t infected. They aren’t Zulus. They’re…they’re ours.”
“Are they?” He turned and pointed to the bloody froth still on the tile. “One of them almost chewed his own tongue off snapping at the other guy.”
Will opened his mouth to argue then closed it. He looked to Hatcher, his eyes pleading. “There has to be something we can do.”
“Vic gave them the once over the last time they went off the reservation. She came up with nothing. I’d bet dollars to doughnuts that she wouldn’t find anything wrong this time either. They just went rabid.”
Will brightened momentarily. “Perhaps she could look at them again. See if she can find the cause.”
Hatcher shrugged. “If you can convince her to try without getting her hurt, go for it.” He turned and pointed a finger in Will’s face. “But I mean it. No risking my sister over these two. If she comes up with nothing, then we either jail ‘em, kill ‘em or dump ‘em.”
Will nodded slowly. “Agreed.”
Hatcher smirked. “I wasn’t asking for your agreement. I just need you to understand that we can’t take risks with the healthy people.” He glanced towards the gates and shook his head. “Especially now.”
Carol stepped off of the metal gangway and inhaled deeply. “Is it just me or does the air smell different when you’re ashore?”
“You’ve been back at sea for two days.” Broussard gave her a perturbed look. “You act as though you haven’t been on land in months.”
She turned and gave him a confused look. “What is wrong with you?” She stepped closer and tried to look him in the face. “You’ve been acting weird ever since I returned.”
Broussard raised a brow at her. “That’s your imagination.”
“Is it?” She stepped in front of him and looked up at him defiantly. “I don’t think so.” He huffed and stepped around her. She immediately stepped in his way again and shook her head at him. “You’ve been distant. Cold.”
“Cold?” He stared down at her. “I wouldn’t think you’d
