Strengthen What Remains (Book 2): A Time to Endure (16 page)

“Yes,
a teenage girl. She says she’s his sister.”

“How
do you know?”

He
shrugged. “I don’t know, but prisoners can have visitors.”

Caden
looked skeptical. “Do you have a visitor log?”

The
officer retrieved a green journal from a nearby drawer. It showed a ‘Carina
Cruz’ visiting every other day.

“What
can she do?” the deputy asked. “A nurse searches her going in and out and we
have a monitor on the room.”

“I
don’t know,” Caden said as he walked away. As he left the hospital, Caden
looked at the refugees along the edge of the parking lot and wondered how many
were in town.
Are any of them
gang
members? How many are friends of Cruz?
He sighed.
I’ll be glad when he’s in jail.
Caden
rubbed his chin.
Hoover should know this
Bo character.
He would stop by the sheriff’s office and tell him what he’d
learned this morning.
Even if I don’t
have enough evidence to convict Bo, I’m going to issue an arrest order. It may
stop Zach from doing something stupid.

Monday
morning was hours away—and there was no coffee. Caden sighed and then said his
goodbyes to both his mom and dad. Looking at them, standing in robes and old
slippers, he said, “You didn’t have to see me off.”

“Yes
we did,” his mother said.

After
hugging her, Caden joined Maria and Lisa near the front door. They were about
to leave when he heard the slow waddle of Sue as she came down the creaky stairs.

Caden
walked over and hugged her. “You shouldn’t have gotten up.”

“I
had to.” Sue handed him several sheets of folded paper. “It’s our home address,
in Kent, a map of the neighborhood, the address of the police station,
everything I could think of. Please find him or…well, I’ve got to know.” Tears
rolled down her cheeks.

He
wasn’t sure how long he embraced her.

As
they walked out onto the porch Maria said, “I’ll drive.”

Caden,
carrying his helmet in one hand and adjusting his holster with the other, did
not object.

Lisa
rode along in the backseat.

Caden
wasn’t sure why an uneasy silence hung over the car. Perhaps they were all
tired, or were focused on private thoughts. He didn’t know, but the quiet
remained unbroken.

When
they rounded the final curve to the armory, every light seemed to be on. Truck
engines roared and a hundred men scurried about the post. Some loaded supplies
into every available
vehicle,
others seemed to be part
of choreographed chaos.

“I
thought this operation was a secret,” Lisa said.

“We
could have been quieter, but the homes around here would have still heard us
and the whole operation is going to begin, ah…” Caden looked at his watch,
“soon.”

The
guard waved Maria past. She pulled into the lot and parked in Caden’s spot,
beside Brooks’ pickup.

Lisa
jumped out and trotted toward the building.

Maria
smiled in her direction and then looked at Caden with a serious expression.
“I’m glad Brooks isn’t going with you. I like Lisa, and don’t want to see her
hurt if something happened to him.”

“Nothing
is going to happen to me.”

“You
can’t promise that.”

“We
are only supporting….”

Maria
shook her head. “I’ve never had much to do with the military, but this feels
bigger than supplies and medicine.”

He
pursed his lips and tried to figure out what he could say that wasn’t
classified. “Our orders are to support other units.” He didn’t want to leave
her this way, but it was all he could say.

Maria
stared at him with sad eyes and then pulled him toward her and kissed him.

Caden
grinned. “I’ll be back soon—for more of that. He put his helmet on and headed
toward the building.

The
numerous lights around the armory blocked his view of most stars, but the sky
appeared clear. A chill in the air prompted him to zip up his jacket. He looked
for Brooks, but found Lisa sitting in the office looking bored.

“He’s
on that big lawn to the north of the building.”

“Parade
ground.”

“What?”

“It’s
called a parade ground.”

“Do
you parade around on it?”

“Sort
of. It’s an old military term.”

She
shrugged.

With
a handful of papers, the XO stood on the edge of the grass with First Sergeant
Fletcher. Brooks talked while pointing at different trucks. “Oh, I didn’t see
you,” he said when Caden was beside him. “Here is the roster and supply list.
Eighty men leave with you. I’ll keep ten here with me. MOPP gear has been
issued, but winds are to the east away from your area, so there should be no
new fallout. The squad leaders have done the pre-combat inspection.”

Caden
flipped through the pages. “Good job XO. Assemble the men. I want to address them
before we leave.”

Brooks
notified Fletcher and soon the men formed ranks on the parade ground. When they
were ready, First Sergeant Fletcher called, “Company!”

The
Platoon Sergeants called, “Platoon!”

As
Fletcher called the men to attention, Caden came out of the shadows.

The
two saluted and then Caden waited for everyone to jog to their final places.

“At
ease.” Caden scanned the assembled soldiers. In the rear, at the edge of the
shadows, he noticed both Maria and Lisa. He sighed, not wanting them to hear
now, what he wouldn’t say earlier to the whole family.
 

Family.
Even though they
weren’t married, in his mind he included Maria in that statement.
It is the way I think of her.

Caden
smiled at her, even though she wouldn’t see it from across the parade ground. He
chose his words carefully, knowing Maria, and through her, the rest of the
family, would hear what he was about to say.

“As
you know, we have been ordered to provide logistics and medical support for
units engaging gang and other criminals in and around the southern portion of
the yellow zone. At this time I do not expect that we will see combat, but I
cannot, will not, rule it out.

“We
serve a troubled, divided nation and many are seeking to take advantage of our
time of need. All of us must be ready for whatever may come. Focus on your
duties, be aware of your surroundings and anticipate what might go wrong. That
way you come home on your feet, instead of on your back in a body bag.” He
slowly looked over the men. Maria and Lisa still stood at the edge of the
grass. He hoped his words reassured both them and the soldiers. “Mount up.”

Before
they headed north, Caden sought out Maria. Taking her hand when he found her, he
said, “I feared you might have left.”

She
gave him a knowing grin. “I thought you were only supporting the operation.”

“We
are.”

She
shook her head. “That wasn’t what you were preparing the men for.”

He
took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “No, it wasn’t. What I told you
was the truth of my orders, but I’ve learned…well, sometimes words conceal as
much as they reveal. I hope I’m wrong.”

She
stepped close and pulled him closer. Speaking just inches from his lips she
said, “Don’t be afraid to tell me what you’re thinking. The truth from you
protects me more than a lie or silence ever could.”

She
kissed him. “Stay safe.”

“Yes,
to everything you said.” He smiled. “And you stay safe too.”

“Me?
The Westmore farmhouse is the safest home for a hundred miles.”

*
              
*
              
*

Nearly
an hour later as the convoy rolled along highway 12 on its way out of Hansen,
Caden thought about his conversation with Maria. He hadn’t told her about the
operation, but she had figured out enough and, in the process, he was reminded
of her strength.

He
caught a glimpse of movement in the stream along the highway.
It must be Zach and his sister.
But, as
he passed he thought he saw two girls.
Vicki,
and the other girl I met yesterday?
He shrugged.
Doubtful, she seemed a little too posh for waders, fish and mud.

He
looked to the other side of the road and, through the trees, glimpsed light
from home.

The
convoy rumbled along for several miles. Ahead a lighted sign outside the church
by the freeway caught his attention. He had been reunited with Sue there and
fought a gunfight in the lobby, but he never knew the name of the church. Now,
for the first time since he returned home, the sign blazed in digital colors,
‘Welcome to Zion Church.’

His
eyes lingered on the sign as the driver turned onto the freeway.
It’s another hopeful indication that life is
returning to normal.

They
drove north along a nearly deserted freeway, through a quiet, but well lit,
Olympia. Every light seemed to be on at Lewis-McCord, but as they continued
north out of Tacoma the suburbs turned dark.

At
the end of a two hour drive they arrived at a five-story brick medical building
surrounded on three sides by a large parking lot. Smaller professional
buildings, shops and offices lined the edges. On the opposite side of the
street was another parking lot with flanking apartment buildings and a
smattering of fir and maple trees.

Caden
set the map on his lap and spoke into the radio. “This is the location, First
Sergeant.” When his vehicle pulled to a stop, Caden jumped out, eager to
stretch his legs. Fletcher deployed the men to secure the perimeter.

The
faint smell of smoke hung in the air. The glass in the door of the medical building
had been broken, along with several nearby windows. More than a dozen cars
dotted the parking lot. Some were stripped of parts, some were burned out
hulks, but a few were nice and intact, as if waiting for their owner’s return.

They
were only a half-mile from the freeway, close enough to hear traffic during a
normal rush hour, but the world this day was silent. Sunlight peeked between
nearby towers casting an early morning glow between dark shadows.

Caden
walked over to Fletcher. “The place looks nice.”

“Yeah,
if you like eerily quiet and deserted cities.” He shook his head. “I’m waiting
for a horde of zombies to pour across the parking lot.”

“Well,
if they do First Sergeant, let’s be ready.”

“Yes,
sir.”

Caden
pointed to the central structure. “Have some soldiers search it.”

He
nodded. “Already done. They’re checking all the rooms and will set up an
observation post on the roof.” Fletcher pointed to three nearby buildings. “Men
will setup in those places also.”

“Has
anyone checked for radiation yet?”

“The
medic said, ‘don’t buy a home here.’ The air is clear, but he’s already found
several hot spots.”

A
cold wind blew across the lot.

“It’s
from the east.” Caden said flatly. “We’re okay.”

“Yes,
but when the winds blow from the north…?”

He
nodded. “Set up hourly checks for radiation. If the readings climb, let me know
immediately.

Satisfied
that Fletcher was securing the perimeter, Caden walked to the main building and
carefully stepped through the shattered door glass.

Inside
the powerless building, deep shadows hid much of the entrance. The smell of
death hung heavy in the air. He pulled out his flashlight and swept the dark
corners just inside. Within moments the beam found a badly decayed body slumped
across a seat in the corner. The stench moved him onward.

Beyond
the lobby two medics, and several other soldiers, were dividing up the building
for a thorough search.

           
Caden continued on. The structure was
designed for doctors of various specialties. Each had a separate lobby, exam
rooms, administrative and doctor offices and all were colored in various pastel
shades. It would now serve as a forward medical and logistics center.

A
sign on the wall pointed to a pharmacy.
I
need to make sure that is secure.
He walked along a dark hallway, past stairs
and useless elevators.

As
he neared, the foul odor of death once again greeted him. Two large metal doors
once secured the room, now they hung broken and open. Inside was a waiting area
with a large counter. Behind it were the typical white shelves and myriad of
bottles. Pills, bottles and broken glass littered the floor.

Peering
over the counter, he spotted the body on the floor. He figured that all the
narcotics had either been removed when the doctors evacuated or had been stolen
afterwards, but he couldn’t be sure.

He
called over the radio to Fletcher and reported the bodies. “I need someone to secure
the pharmacy doors. I want only the medics inside for now.”

“Yes,
sir. I’ll get someone on it.”

Caden
continued up the stairs, inspecting rooms and talking with most soldiers.
Nearly an hour later he reached the fourth floor.

Again
he encountered one of the medics. “What have you got to report, Sergeant?”

“We’ve
found fourteen bodies in the building. It looks like three died of gunshot
wounds. The other eleven were located in a makeshift morgue. They were all radioactive
and probably died of acute radiation sickness. We’ve started removing them.
Later we’ll dig a mass grave in one of the grassy areas at the edge of the
parking lot.”

“Good
job.” There was nothing more for Caden to do there so he continued on,
inspected the fifth floor and then went to the roof.
 

Exiting
to the flat top of the building, he had a clear view of the surrounding area.
He shook his head in dismay at the once proud cities of the Seattle metro area.
A tall structure about three miles west burned like a torch. Smoke from smaller
fires dotted the view. To the north the hills were scorched black by the
wildfire after the blast. Looking through binoculars, Caden saw streaks of gray
ash and brown mingled in the dead black earth. But it was the quiet that struck
Caden. There was no pulse of human activity. The streets did not flow like arteries
this way and that. All was stillness and silence. Caden recalled the cliché,
‘quiet as the grave.’ It was appropriate. The only sound was the rustle of the
breeze in his ears. Finally, in the distance, a crow squawked.