“And what did your million dollar ears detect?” She slid further and stomped as the ground leveled out.
“Nothing.” He gave her a flat look. “Not a damned thing.”
“So, that was a wasted effort.”
“You’re still not understanding.” He reached for her arm and spun her back around. He pointed over their shoulders. “There was nothing back there. No ‘sounds of nature’. No bugs, no birds…nothing.”
She raised a brow at him. “What does that mean?”
“Either a large predator was watching us, or…”
“Or the herd was in those woods on the other side of the clearing.”
He nodded. “And if it is a herd of cured folks, you’d think they would want help. Or food. Or news, or…something.”
“You think they’re still infected?”
He gave her a low shrug then peered towards the horizon. “Either way, the sun is dropping fast.”
“It tends to do that in the Fall.”
He nodded slowly. “We can sit and wait to see what comes out of those woods, or…”
Her face dropped and the color faded from her cheeks. “Or we haul ass for the station and barricade the doors.”
He gave her a tight lipped smile. “You know, we could outrun them on those machines.”
“That’s if luck is on our side.” She shook her head. “One blow out, a broken fuel line…any number of ‘oopsies’ could cost us more than a four wheeler.”
Hatcher sighed and lowered his head. “I just wish we could know.” He turned and peered back at the hill they’d just climbed. “If it was a bear or a mountain lion…”
“Or a herd of crazed cannibals,” she added quickly.
He nodded again. “At least we’d know.”
“I say we come back tomorrow. We go into that little valley and we look for sign.” She tugged at his arm. “Just not now. Like you said, the sun is going down and we still have a long way to go to get behind solid walls.”
He smirked as he straddled the seat of the ATV. “You really think that they couldn’t get in either of the stations if they wanted?”
“Placate me, for shit’s sake.” She straddled the ATV and pressed the start button. “At least at the station we have weapons.”
“Fine.” Hatcher started the ATV and looked up. She had already left. He goosed the accelerator and slid in behind her. He wasn’t sure where she was headed, but there was no sense in being late.
Carol sipped at her coffee and jotted notes from the printouts in front of her. “Where are yesterday’s tests?”
“Hilliard took them,” Broussard answered as he slipped in beside her. “We had a little talk, he and I.”
“About?” she replied absently.
“About whether Green would allow us to live when all of this is over.”
Carol froze and turned slowly to him. “You asked him outright?”
Andre nodded. “Let’s just say we engaged in a little heart to heart.”
“What did he say?”
Broussard inhaled deeply and held his breath for a moment. “Basically, that Green is a son of a bitch, but an honest one. If he says he’ll let us go, then he will.”
She continued to stare at him disbelievingly. “And you think he was telling the truth?”
He shrugged. “He had no reason to lie.”
“But—”
“Wait, I haven’t told you the best part.” He glanced over his shoulder at the other researchers milling about. “He claims that Green is planning some type of survivor compound. A city that they’re going to commandeer to begin rebuilding the United States.”
Her brows rose and she glanced through the acrylic walls. “Why do I have this sickening feeling in my gut?”
“I had the same feeling.” He bent low and whispered, “I seemed to recall why you wanted to flee the warship we were on.” He raised a brow at her. “The whole male-to-female ratio being skewed.”
She swallowed hard and realized her mouth had gone dry. She picked up her coffee and took a long pull, swishing the bitter brew before swallowing. “So, he wants to ‘rebuild’ the country in some secluded little town somewhere?”
Broussard shrugged. “He said it was nestled in a valley, good land for crops, and blah blah blah.” He sighed and rested his hands on the table beside her. “Apparently they’ve put a lot of effort into this place.”
“They?”
He nodded. “I’m certain that he’s working with President Walters. Now that communications are back up…” He shrugged.
Carol sat back and squeezed the bridge of her nose. “Let me guess. We are required to move there once this is done?”
He shook his head. “He said we’d be free to go. Though, to where…I’ve no idea.”
“Excuse me,” Dr. Benedict interrupted. “I must apologize, but I overheard part of your conversation.”
Andre stood up and eyed the man warily. “You have thoughts on the matter?”
William cleared his throat and glanced at the other researchers. “Just…an observation.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “If you’ll recall the general’s demeanor when I arrived and offered to assist? Something tells me that cured people won’t be welcome in their little paradise.”
Carol held a hand to her mouth. “He’s right.” She turned to Broussard and shook her head. “They were ready to shoot him on sight.”
Andre nodded slightly. “There have to be other groups out there. Other…communities.”
Carol lowered her face, still eyeing the other researchers. “How would we find them?”
“We’d have to have a way to communicate,” William replied.
Broussard nodded and glanced around the lab. “They said we could have any equipment we needed, correct?”
Carol nodded. “Yeah. Anything they didn’t have, they’d get.”
“I think we need a radio.”
“I’m surprised you can still walk,” Veronica deadpanned.
Simon leaned on the corner of her trailer and gave her a sheepish smile. “Sorry about that.” He spun around the prop to the awning mounted to the side and slid a folding chair closer with his foot. “That was all her doing.”
Veronica raised a brow at him. “I’m supposed to believe that you just stood there and watched while she did…whatever it was that caused all of that screaming?”
Simon felt his cheeks flush. “No.” He stepped in front of the
