This Green Hell

deep in the Paraguayan jungle. Many of the world’s satellites would be conveniently turned away; false data on earth tremors was already manufactured and awaiting distribution to any interested media outlets. Now, it all came down to her.

She sighed, feeling dead inside. She turned her head to look out the greasy window. It was never meant to get this bad, she thought.

Dusk usually triggered the sensors that switched on the lights around the camp’s perimeter. Tonight, however, instead of their white halos, the lights glowed a dull yellow for a few minutes then weakened to a shadowy golden-brown.

Maria grabbed a flashlight and rose wearily to her feet. She felt at least a hundred years old; dead tired but unable to switch off and sleep.

There’ll be plenty of that soon enough, she thought grimly.

She walked down the steps from her cabin and, like a ghost, Casey Franks appeared behind her. A man trotted towards them, the one who had organised the laying of the mat of fronds. He looked from Maria to Franks and seemed to decide that Maria was the point of authority.

‘Ahh, senora, many of the men will not come out of their tents. Those that do cannot find the dry wood, for the fires. Repelente contra insectos — you understand?’

She kept walking. ‘Yes, I understand. Use the wood from the cabins.’

It doesn’t matter, she thought. There’s only one way to stop it.

He frowned. ‘Las cabanas?’

‘Yes. Si, si.’ She waved him away and squelched on. The matting was seriously taking on water now.

She made her way to the refrigeration unit, stopping a few feet short of the metal box. There was no hum emanating from it. She squared her shoulders and flipped the lid open quickly.

She backed away involuntarily, into Casey Franks, and a shivery gasp escaped her lips. Michael was still there — but not all of him. He should have remained comatose from the drugs she had given him, but at some point he must have woken as his head was thrown back and his mouth open in a silent scream. The ice was gone, along with his extremities. His remains floated in a grey soup, and she was glad for the small mercy of the murky water.

She leaned forward to touch his forehead one last time, or at least close his dark, oily eyes. As a contagious disease specialist, she knew it was wrong even as she was reaching to do it. Her hand was inches away when a powerful grip on her forearm stopped her. Casey Franks pulled her back quickly, the force nearly spinning her around. The lid of the now useless refrigeration unit banged shut.

Maria collapsed into the powerful young woman’s arms and sobbed. Franks held her close, and Maria was grateful for the physical contact.

After a while, she stepped back and pushed the tangled hair from her face. ‘He was my only child,’ she said to the ground, unable to meet the HAWC’s gaze.

‘I liked him,’ was all Casey said.

Maria managed to look up and into the woman’s face. ‘Thank you.’

She turned and headed to her cabin. The decision was made. There was more at stake than just a few miserable lives in a jungle.

THIRTY-ONE

Alex walked just ahead of Aimee and the boys. He could sense danger looming up around them like an evil maelstrom. A continual background noise filled his ears: a cross between the mewling of an infant and a boiling swarm of locusts — continuous, hungry and getting louder with each passing moment. Alex was now sure that the thing they knew as Gonzalez was its focal point; and the infection spreading throughout the camp was somehow linked to the priest.

He saw Sam was holding the journal open as he walked. He dropped back to his second-in-command. ‘Anything more about our friend?’

Sam gave a small shrug. ‘Seems this Gonzalez got hit in the eye and blinded by something — but our man seems to have two good eyes. Anyway, soon after he went from being at death’s door to making a miraculous recovery.’ He gave Alex a half-smile. ‘God works in mysterious ways.’ Sam closed the book. ‘Oh, one more thing — seems all the animals disappeared from around their camp.’

Alex turned quickly. ‘What?’

‘Yeah, the Guarani Indians were complaining the hunting had gone bad, then their domesticated animals went missing as well.’

Alex’s expression became darker. ‘That’s exactly what Aimee told me happened at the camp — the animals in the forest disappeared … and then the men.’

‘Great,’ said Sam. ‘Anyone else see a recurring pattern here?’

Alex nodded at the journal. ‘Keep reading, but one eye only. I get the feeling our friend’s not far away.’

He was looking back to check on Garmadia’s position when his ear stud gave the double vibration that indicated a message from headquarters. He frowned and slowed, gave his call sign and listened.

Hammerson spoke quickly. ‘Arcadian, I have an urgent update. Can you receive?’

Alex dropped back a step. ‘Go ahead, sir.’

‘We may have a significant problem. Are either of the CDC representatives carrying any radioactive material?’

‘Yes. Maria Vargis has stated she is carrying X-ray-grade isotopes. I can verify the radioactive material, but cannot substantiate its primary use or design.’

He heard Hammerson exhale. ‘Shit damn — as I suspected. Alex, you asked about Protocol 9, and I’ve found it. In effect, it’s an instruction manual on how to deal with everything from alien invasion and meteor strikes to a potential bio-terminal event. Be advised that the Protocol 9-nominated action for a significant terminal outbreak is a total site cleanse.’ Hammerson paused for a second. ‘I’m afraid the recommended cleanser is nuclear, or a scaled incendiary instrument. Arcadian, I believe that radioactive equipment they are carrying is likely to be a single- megaton nuclear device.’

Alex rubbed his forehead. ‘Jesus Christ, Jack, wha—’

Hammerson cut him off. ‘That’s not all. She’s sought immediate authorisation for a burn. I believe she’ll get it … very soon.’

Alex looked over to where Aimee and the boys were standing. Chaco gave him a thumbs-up and Alex winked in return.

‘Can you stop it?’ he asked Hammerson.

‘Negative, Arcadian, I’ve already tried. This is way above my pay grade — they literally told me to go to hell. There’s no time to go skating over people’s heads. Are you clear of the camp?’

Alex turned his back on Aimee who was watching him closely. ‘No, not all of us; Franks is still there. How much time do you think we have?’

‘I’m not sure. Vargis should get authorisation for initiation within a few hours, and then it’s up to her — could be anything from immediate detonation to several hours. You’ll need to be at least five miles from the blast zone. Alex, if I were a betting man, I’d say you have between two and four hours.’

Alex thought over the options before he spoke again. ‘I can have Franks delay the outcome; maybe even stop Vargis. Give us time to get everyone clear of—’

‘I say again: negative, Arcadian,’ Hammerson interrupted. ‘This has presidential authorisation. And, unfortunately, Vargis is the right person to make the call. Her brief also authorises her to use deadly force to execute a ratified cleanse. Franks would have to kill her to stop her … and we don’t want that. Arcadian, on my command, all other orders are rescinded. I’ve already dispatched a V22. We can’t put it down anywhere close, but it’ll drop some air hooks to pull you out. It’ll be coming in from the north-east coast. But be advised, I cannot order