Deadlocked 7 (32 page)

“That’s right,” said Jerald’s voice through the intercom before he started laughing.

Hero rolled his eyes and sighed. He shook his head and muttered as if he’d become a tired old man, “Fuck.”

Two years after the apocalypse

Billy is escaping the Nederland facility with Reagan’s help.

“Stay here,” said Reagan. “There’re a few soldiers patrolling the hall past the next door. Just stay where you are for now.”

Billy tried to look like he belonged there as he leaned against the wall, his legs crossed as he held the camera that Reagan was speaking through. The soldier he had killed
was a few sizes larger than Billy, and his clothes barely fit. Billy had rolled the sleeves and pant legs to make them more comfortable, but he still looked ridiculous.

“How do we know you’re the only one watching the security cameras?” asked Billy.

“We don’t,” said Reagan. “The ones in the cells are shut down. We’ll just have to hope that you can pull off looking like a soldier – God help us.”

“I don’t look so bad,” said Billy.

“You look like a baby in his Daddy’s jacket.”

“What can I say? That guy was like a giant.”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Reagan. “Okay, go ahead. Follow that hall to the third door on the right. Hero’s in there. There’s a guard in there with him, so you’re either going to have to convince him you’re there to relieve him, or put a bullet in his head. One or the other.”

Billy walked down the hall, conscious of the cameras that watched him.

“You’re going to want to hurry,” said Reagan.

“I thought you wanted me to look inconspicuous,” said Billy.

“I don’t think it’s going to matter in a minute.”

“Why?” asked Billy.

“Because a soldier just went into your room,” said Reagan. Then a shrill alarm went off as the lights in the hall turned red and began flashing. “Okay, time to run.”

“Oh shit, shit, shit,” said Billy as he moved to Hero’s door. He knocked and then opened it. “Hey there,” he said as he waved to the startled soldier inside. “How’s the big black pain in the ass?”

“What?” asked the soldier.

“Hey, I’ve got one of those,” said Billy as he pointed to the camera on the small table just inside of the room. It was the same as the one he was carrying, that
was connected to Reagan.

“Yeah, so?” asked the soldier, but when he looked b
ack up Billy was already pointing his gun at him.

“Put your hands up,” said Billy.

The soldier went for his gun. Billy had no choice but to shoot. The guard was dead instantly, a large chunk of his bloodied hair now splattered on the wall in front of Hero.

“Billy?” asked Hero as he hung with his back to the door.

“It’s your knight in shining armor,” said Billy.

“Holy shit,” said Hero. “How did you get out?”

“I’m a badass,” said Billy. “Didn’t you know that already?”

“Quit bragging and get me down. I feel like a damn side of beef up here.”

“You guys need to hurry,” said Reagan.

“What the fuck?” asked Hero. “Where’s he at?”

“He’s watching us through the security cameras,” said Billy.

“So that creepy old bastard’s been staring at my ass since I got in here?” asked Hero. “How’s the full moon treating you?”

Billy laughed as he started to turn the gear that lowered Hero’s chains. “I said the same thing.”

They could hear someone pounding on a door from somewhere in the hall outside of the cell.

“I’m serious, guys,” said Reagan. “You need to move, now.”

“At least let me put some damn pants on,” said Hero as Billy searched the dead guard for the keys to Hero’s chains. “If I try to run out of here with my dick loose, flapping all over the place, I’m liable to knock us both out with it.”

“Here,” said Billy as he found the keys. “Okay, let’s get the clothes off this guy for you to wear.”

They could hear Reagan clattering around in the room he was locked in.

“What are you doing in there?” asked Billy.

“They’ve got some chemicals in here,” said Reagan. “I’m trying to find something that we can use to light a fire.”

“The old man’s pyromaniac now,” said Hero.

“Hurry up and get those clothes on,” said Billy. “Reagan, tell us how to get to where they’re holding you.”

“I will,” said Reagan, although Billy couldn’t see him on the screen anymore. “Just get out of that room and head to the right.”

“Look at this shit, man,” said Hero as he put the soldier’s shirt on. It was woefully small on him. “I can’t even button it up.”

Billy ignored him as he stood beside the door, his gun in one hand and the camera in the other. “Are they outside this door?”

Reagan picked his tablet back up and started to fiddle with it. “No, not yet. It won’t take them long to get there though. They found the other guy’s body, so I’m sure they’ll be headed your way next.”

“Man, this is bullshit,” said Hero.

Billy looked back at his friend and saw that the pants didn’t fit any better than the shirt. The waistband was half a foot lower than Hero’s waist, revealing most of the tight boxers he’d stolen from the soldier.

“What?” asked Billy. “Isn’t that how black guys like to wear their pants?”

“Mother fucker,” said Hero. “Look who’s got jokes. I didn’t know this was racist comedy hour. Give me your clothes. You’re practically swimming in them.”

“No time,” said Billy. “Come on.”

“God damn it,” said Hero as Billy opened the door and went into the hall.

“To the right?” asked Billy.

“Yes,” said Reagan, although he was far from the computer now. It sounded like there were other voices in the room with him, muffled but distinctive. Then Billy heard banging.

“You okay in there?” asked Hero.

“Fine,” said Reagan. “Just get moving! This place is full of soldiers and they’re all looking for you.”

“Are there soldiers outside your door or something?” asked Billy. “Should we be ready to shoot them?”

An intercom echoed through the halls, “Red alert. Red alert. We need men at the lab immediately. Any soldiers near the lab need to report there immediately.”

“Is that where we’re headed?” asked Hero.

“You’re going to be fine,” said Reagan. “Just hurry up and get here. Go straight down the hall until you see a red arrow painted on the floor. Follow the arrows. They’ll lead you right to me.”

“Really?” asked Hero.

“Wait a fucking second,” said Billy as they ran down the corridor, following the arrows to a set of double doors.

Hero opened the doors, revealing daylight.

*   *   *

August 24
th
, 20 years after the apocalypse

Jerald is waiting for Hero, Beatrice, and Jeff to walk out of the facility.

The false wall that hid the transfer facility opened, revealing the hallway within. Hero stood beside Beatrice Dell, and the soldier that had defected from Jerald’s group was standing behind them. They all had their hands on their heads, just like they were told to do.

Jerald clapped as they walked out. “Congratulations, you’re not going to burn to death. That’s got to make you happy.” He pointed to the soldier that had defected to join them. “Jeff, come here.”

“Leave him alone,” said Hero.

Jerald glanced at the tall black man and winced, as if the man’s words had the ability to strike him. “I’d hush up if I were you, fellow. I’ll get to you in a minute. You see, I don’t really give a shit about either of you guys. I just need the old bitch.”

“You need him as well,”
said Beatrice as she nodded in Hero’s direction.

“Do I?” asked Jerald. “And why is that?” Then he pointed at Jeff and beckoned him over. “I still want you over here, Jeff.”

“You need him because he has the cure in him,” said Beatrice. “Show him your leg, Levon.”

Hero slowly knelt down to lift his pant leg and reveal the fresh bite.

“He was bit by the zombies in this facility that were infected with the new virus, but he’s cured now. We had the formula, and were able to save him. You can check his blood for yourself if you want. The virus is dying off inside of him right now. And, not only that, but he was one of the men that spent time with Reagan. He’s your best chance of developing the cure you’ve been looking for.”

“Really?” asked Jerald with his brow raised. His pock marked face, replete with wrinkles from a long, hard life, looked pleasantly surprised. “Is that true?”

“Yes,” said Hero. “You’re going to want to keep me alive and happy, you piece of shit.”

“Alive, yes. Happy?” Jerald wavered his hand as he walked over to stand in front of Hero. “Not so much.”

Hero moved too fast for Jerald to defend himself. The strong black man hit Jerald so hard that the old man staggered back and fell against the kitchen counter. The members of the Wolf Pack in the room tensed, ready to react if Jerald wanted them to.

“See, you’re already making me happy,” said Hero.

Jerald touched his bloodied lip and then laughed. “Well, look at you.” He took his pistol out of his holster and shot Jeff in the head. The attack was so sudden and unexpected that Beatrice yelled in shock and Hero staggered backward. Jeff fell dead as Jerald laughed.

Jerald looked at Hero and then his expression softened. “Oh, what’s wrong? Did you like him? Did I make you sad again? I guess that’s nothing compared to what’s coming next. Because if she’s right, and we can duplicate the results, then I don’t need to protect your precious Rollers anymore.”

“You want to pretend you’ve been protecting them?” asked Hero. “After what you just showed me?”

“The only reason you’re all still alive is thanks to me,” said Jerald. “I was trying to keep you a secret from her,” he motioned to Beatrice. “They’re the ones that wanted you dead. For me, you were an insurance policy. I would’ve liked to capture you sooner, but you’re not easy to track down. Not that I didn’t do my best. I’ve got satellite photos of all your campsites. I could’ve crushed you any time I wanted by just ordering an airstrike.”

“You’re lying,” said Hero.

Jerald laughed as he paced in front of them. “Me? No, sir. I’m sure you’ve been down there getting lied to by our resident cunt here, but you need to recognize the truth when you hear it. Beatrice and the others working with her have been planning a new apocalypse. In fact,
the first groups that were sent here were supposed to set up towns, and then hide containment units under them with corpses infected with a new virus. That was until they discovered Reagan was here, and possibly even the girl that had been experimented on by one of their scientists. Then the game changed, because they couldn’t risk putting survivors here, where they might get infected, so to speak, by the cure.”

Hero looked at Beatrice, and then back to Jerald. “So why did you let us live?”

“Because I understood that, even though these mother fuckers were promising that I’d be one of the survivors, they never planned on saving any of us. I’m no fool. They were going to use us, and then kill us. But I had one thing going for me.” He pointed at the ground. “This was where they set up their precious Dawn program. They needed me here to protect them, and as long as I could feign a war with your group, they left me alone. We lied to them and said we didn’t know where you were, and we never told them about the settlements here, otherwise they would’ve wiped those towns out years ago, just like they did everywhere else. Hell, some of their twisted fucking experiments snuck into this area too. Remember when baby zombies were popping out of their mother’s stomachs?”

“Yes,” said Hero.

Jerald pointed at Beatrice. “You have her and her friends to thank for that. You’re lucky you weren’t a few hundred miles east of here where that virus was released originally.”

“Then why did you poison Hanger and Juniper, and try to kill everyone in Vineyard?” asked Hero.

“Because we’re reaching the end date,” said Jerald. “That’s when these pukes planned on releasing their super virus. That’s when the last few of them completed the final transfer to their Dawns. After that, everyone else was toast. We’ve been letting the towns out here live as a sort of huge Petri dish. We knew Reagan had contact with all of them, and we were waiting to see if his immunity had been transferred to any of them. Of course, you fuckers kept making our lives harder by burning your dead, but we still managed to kidnap a few people from time to time to see if our experiment was working.”

Jerald
wiped the blood from his lip and smiled at Hero. “Turns out it was working, but it was moving damn slow. We kept finding that people in the towns out here were immune to various diseases that only someone in the original Dawn program would’ve been, but we couldn’t find anyone immune to the Tempest strain of the virus yet. We left you all alone, hoping that eventually that immunity would transfer as well. Only, we were running out of time.”