The Gauntlet_Book Two in the Zombie Uprising Series Read online

Doc stepped to the side and put his arm out. "Of course. After you."

  Jen walked out the door and into the bright hallway lights. Mark stood next to her.

  "You can take a break," she said.

  Doc walked past her, heading down the left corridor. "Where you go, he goes. That's part of the deal I made with Hatcher."

  "I thought you were in charge," Jen said.

  "I am, but I still have to answer to the CDC, and they're the ones who sent Hatcher when this all started."

  Jen shrugged and followed him. If it took having a shadow to get out of solitary confinement, then so be it.

  A man and a woman dressed in scrubs and engaged in deep conversation walked past as Doc led Jen around a corner and to an elevator. The doors opened and she followed him in. The indicator showed they were on the third floor and Doc punched the four. He turned to her. "You'll have the run of the facility except for the first floor and any door marked authorized personnel only."

  "Why the first floor? Don't want me making a run for it?"

  Mark shook his head. "You'd never get out the first floor. We evacuated it and welded all the doors shut two days ago."

  "What the hell for?"

  "It's the only floor with windows," Mark said. "The creatures appear to be attracted by sight and sound. No people visible, no zombies."

  The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Doc strode into the hall and to the right. Jen followed. Mark's footsteps echoed behind her as they walked down the hall.

  Doc stopped at a door with a red sign that said "Authorized Personnel Only." To the right was a large window with blinds.

  He turned to her. "Your dad—"

  "My dad's in there? I want to see him now. No more delays."

  Doc nodded, then gestured to Mark. Mark walked to the end of the window and opened the blinds.

  Strapped in a standing position to a vertical table was her father, his head bowed, clothed in faded green hospital pants and a shirt.

  Doc knocked on the glass and her dad's head jerked up, his yellow eyes burning into Jen's. She stepped back, covering her mouth with her hand, and let out a gasp.

  Her dad let out an ear-piercing shriek.

  5

  Heart racing, Jen stumbled back from the window. Mark dropped the blinds into place.

  Doc put out a hand. "Are you all right?"

  "Dad? He—he was bitten?"

  "No. He was infected, as you are, but he died and was reanimated."

  Mark reached out as if he were going to put an arm around her shoulder, but hesitated and awkwardly dropped it to his side. "I didn't know that was your dad."

  Jen's knees collapsed. Mark caught her and propped her against the wall. Her dad's shrieks died off. She closed her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks and her body shaking. "What did he die from?"

  "We did an MRI, and his left coronary artery was blocked. He died from a heart attack."

  Recent memories flooded Jen's mind. Her dad holding his left arm close to his body. Him curled up at the bottom of the boat.

  Doc's voice lowered. "I'm sorry, but I didn't know how else to tell you. My granny always said that the best way to remove a bandage is to just yank it off."

  Jen took a deep breath and let it out. Wiping her eyes, she straightened. "Is there somewhere I can sit?"

  "Of course," Doc said. "My lab." He led them down two doors and into a large room filled with expensive-looking electronic equipment Jen couldn't identify, as well as microscopes and Bunsen burners. A sixty-inch monitor, affixed to the wall above a cluttered desk, displayed updated time and weather information.

  Doc led her to a desk near the door and Mark eased her into the chair. He filled a glass from a sink and gave it to her.

  Grateful, she took a sip, then tilted her head back and emptied the glass. "So how the hell did my dad become infected without being bitten? Is the virus airborne?"

  Doc leaned against a counter. "We believe so, although by what mechanism we're not sure. What we have learned is when the virus is transferred through saliva or blood, the effects are almost instantaneous. But when delivered through the lungs, the virus lies dormant until the host is deceased." He frowned. "It takes a little longer for them to turn, but I don't know why yet."

  Something was niggling at the back of her mind. Something that happened recently, but she couldn't quite remember. "What are you doing with my dad?"

  Doc straightened. "First off, we're keeping him as comfortable as possible. We feed him raw meat several times a day." He sighed. "But we needed him. We took blood samples and sent them back to the CDC, where they extracted the virus to use in researching a vaccine."

  Mark took the empty glass from Jen. Her heart leapt. "So you think you can cure him?"

  Doc shook his head. "Dead is dead. But the hope is we can cure the virus that's dormant in the living so they don't reanimate upon death."

  "So you're a virologist?"

  "I'm a behavioral scientist," Doc said. "More of an observer than a doer."

  Jen's head swam. Her father was a zombie, and she would become one someday unless the CDC could find a cure. What a damn nightmare.

  A beeping sound came from the cluttered desk. Doc logged onto the computer and clicked an icon. A blue light blinked above the monitor and the screen filled with the video image of a thin gray-haired woman with intense dark eyes. "Status report."

  Doc rolled his chair back and looked up at the screen. "We have the infected survivors of Point Wallace. The father, Devin Reed, has transformed and is secured." He hitched a thumb over his shoulder. "This is Jen Reed, his daughter."

  The gray-haired woman gave Jen a smile that didn't quite reach the corners of her eyes. "Miss Reed, I'm Dr. Cartwright, Director of Operations for the Center for Disease Control. I hope we can secure your cooperation."

  Jen stepped closer. Even over video the lady reeked of bureaucracy. "I guess it depends on what cooperation you're looking for."

  Dr. Cartwright's lips pressed together to form a thin line. Doc cut in. "I haven't had a chance to brief her yet."

  "See that you do." Dr. Cartwright's face disappeared from the screen and the time and weather displayed.

  Jen crossed her arms. "She isn't by chance searching for ruby slippers, is she?"

  A grin crossed Mark's face.

  Doc chuckled. "I heard you were a bit of a spitfire."

  Jen wanted to like Doc. His laid-back attitude put her at ease. But first she had to get the full picture. "How about that briefing you mentioned?"

  Doc fidgeted with a pen on the desk. "I need your blood, too."

  "Mine? Why?"

  "We suspect there are different properties of the virus when it's dormant, like it is with you, and active, like your father's. They need to study the differences to attempt a cure."

  Jen rolled up her sleeve. "Then take my blood."

  Doc opened a cabinet and pulled out a box of syringes. He selected one and placed it on the desk.

  "What are the chances of finding the answer?" Jen asked.

  Doc tied off her upper arm with a rubber tourniquet. "The virus isn't that sophisticated, it's just very efficient and arrived without warning. There are no guarantees, but they've already made good progress. With your blood, I expect they'll be able to do animal tests by next week."

  Jen's eyes widened. "That's amazing."

  Doc jabbed the needle in Jen's arm and untied the tourniquet. Blood flowed into the cylinder. "There's a lot of motivation," he said. "Normally, this process would be off like a herd of turtles, but all the FDA rules have been suspended."

  He removed the needle from her arm and placed a small bandage on the wound. "You should go back to your room and rest. This will go out to the CDC immediately. It might be the last package out to Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson for transport. Things are getting mighty dicey out there."

  Jen wasn't going to argue. The shock of seeing her father had taken a lot out of her. She stood, and Mark moved to her side. "I'll take you back,
" he said.

  Doc filled a vial with the blood. "When you're rested, I'd like to talk to you about your experience in Point Wallace, if you've a mind to."

  Jen nodded. "Sure, Doc."

  Mark led her into the hallway. When they arrived at her room, Jen sat on the bed and Mark turned to leave, but Jen reached out and touched his arm. "Could you stay for a few minutes?"

  Mark turned back. He towered over her, considering her with his soft brown eyes. "Sure."

  Jen struggled with a question she had for him. She didn't want to piss him off, but she had to know. She looked him straight in the eye. "Why are you here? Why are you involved in this?"

  Mark rubbed his chin. After a few seconds, he gave a slight nod as if he'd made a decision. "This was supposed to be an easy assignment. Doc and his team were setting up to perform winter experiments on human survival in the cold. They didn't need much for security, so I planned on being here for only a few days, then I could monitor the systems remotely from home."

  "Where's that? Home, I mean."

  "Biloxi, Mississippi."

  Jen sighed. "So then Point Wallace happened."

  "Yeah," Mark said. "Doc got a call and he brought his staff into his lab. Hatcher showed up and was assigned as second-in-command after Doc. My orders were to secure the building and follow Hatcher's directions. I had no idea what the hell was going on, but I did as I was told." He gestured toward her. "You came in the next day."

  "And my dad."

  "I didn't know about him until yesterday, the first time I saw him. And like I said, I had no idea he was your father until you said it."

  Jen lay back in bed. Mark seemed sincere, but he was part of the whole government deal that was keeping her prisoner. And keeping her safe, it seemed.

  Mark walked to the door. "You better get some rest. I'll be right outside."

  He closed the door. Jen waited for the clunk of the lock's tumblers. It didn't come. A minute later soft whistling came from the other side of the door. The tune was slightly familiar. Something classical.

  She laid her head on her arms and stared at the ceiling. Even if Doc comes up with a cure, he can't help Dad. He has no future.

  His words from Point Wallace ran through her mind.

  I would rather someone kill me than live as a monster. Would you do that for me if the time comes?

  After an hour of rest, she got up and tried the TV again. Nothing on the airwaves. She walked to the door and opened it just as the lights went out again. The dim emergency lighting in the hall let her see a shadowed figure to the right of the door.

  "You OK?" Mark asked.

  "I'm good."

  They stood there in the dark and said nothing. A few minutes later the lights came back on.

  "That took a while," Jen said.

  Mark looked up at the fluorescent overheads. "The Anchorage power grid is out."

  "Then why do we have lights?"

  "We have arrays of batteries in the basement. They've taken over."

  Jen frowned. "It's got to be a real mess out there if the power's out. How long will the batteries last?"

  "We've got solar panels on the roof. They'll keep the batteries charged until we hit the short days in winter."

  I'll be damned if I'm staying that long. I'll help Doc and take care of Dad, then I'm out of here. "I'd like to see my dad."

  Mark searched her eyes. "You sure?"

  She nodded. "The first time was a shock. I'm ready this time."

  He shrugged. "OK." He led her upstairs to the window with the blinds. "Want me to open them?"

  "No." She lifted a blind and peeked through. Her father was still strapped upright to the table as she'd first seen him, his head down.

  Again, the memory of her promise flooded in. She pressed her lips tightly together and tears burned her eyes. I'll keep my promise, Dad.

  6

  Jen stood in the hallway the next day, peeking through a blind at her father again. He had his head raised and sniffed the air as if he knew someone was nearby. Low, rumbling growls came from his lips. Jen squelched the urge to lift the blind higher and make it easier to watch him. No doubt he'd see her and go apeshit.

  It was getting harder and harder for her to see her father in the face of the undead monster before her. Her resolve to kill the creature and release her father continued to grow. Is he trapped in there, or is he already gone? No matter, she'd make sure he had the chance to rest in peace.

  She glanced behind her. Mark leaned against the wall, studying his cell phone and whistling that tune again. It was beginning to play in her head when he wasn't around.

  Thanks, Mark.

  She lowered the blind and turned. "Have you been able to talk to your family?"

  Mark shrugged without looking up. "Not yet. But I'm sure they're OK."

  Clipped footsteps echoed down the hallway from the direction of the elevator. Hatcher.

  "What are you doing out of your room?" he said.

  I've had enough of this asshole. "None of your damn business."

  Mark moved to her side and faced Hatcher. "Doc said it was OK."

  Doc sauntered down the hallway behind Hatcher. "Is there a problem here?"

  Hatcher pointed at Jen. "She's a security risk. She shouldn't be anywhere near the dead subject."

  "Dead subject?" Jen said. "That's my father."

  "Oh, no." Hatcher crossed his arms. "He was no longer your father the minute he turned. He's now government property."

  Jen balled her hands into fists and took a step toward Hatcher. "Like hell."

  Mark grabbed her arm and held her back. "This isn't the time," he whispered into her ear.

  Doc stopped beside Hatcher. "We have no need for the zombie. His blood's been collected and shipped to the CDC." He nodded at Jen. "She's next of kin and should be allowed to determine what happens to him."

  "And I'm going to give him peace," she said.

  Hatcher's face grew red. He faced Doc. "I understand you're in charge here, but you have to answer to your superiors, too. I'm not trying to be the bad guy here, but the country's in a deadly situation and if it isn't handled properly, it could mean the end of everything."

  Doc's voice softened, and he put a hand on Hatcher's shoulder. "I know you're doing your best under sorry circumstances, but being a hard-ass with Jen won't accomplish anything. The loss of one zombie won't hurt the cause." He peered over his glasses. "Let her give her father peace."

  Hatcher looked at Jen, then back at Doc. "I can't stop you, but I will make a full report once we're evacuated. I would be derelict in my duties if I didn't."

  Doc nodded. "Yes, you would. I understand your position, but Jen gets to determine what happens to her father, and she gets the freedom to move around. So I suggest y'all chill."

  Hatcher glared, then strode off down the hallway.

  Doc smiled at Jen. "Well, now that that's over, would you mind coming to my office and assisting me?"

  "Sure," Jen said.

  She and Mark followed Doc to his lab. He pointed to a faux leather swivel chair. "Please have a seat."

  Jen sat, and Doc pulled up a chair. Mark leaned on the counter behind her. Doc reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small capped plastic vial half filled with brown powder.

  "The spores," Jen said. "Where'd you get them?"

  Doc placed the vial on the desk. "Your pants pocket, when they brought you in. So you know about the spores. What about the mycovirus?"

  Jen tilted her head. "Mycovirus? What? On those spores?"

  Doc nodded.

  "We didn't have the equipment to magnify them enough to see the virus," she said.

  "What's a mycovirus?" Mark asked.

  Jen turned in her chair. "It's a virus that infects fungi." She swung back to Doc. "What do they have to do with anything?"

  "Where'd you find the spores?" Doc asked.

  "Inside the coat of one of the sailors. Why?"

  Doc waved his hand dismissively. "I'll get
to that. Please just answer my questions for now."

  Jen shrugged. "OK."

  "How much did you find in the coat?" Doc asked.

  "It was full of spores. There had to be billions of them."

  Doc sighed, removed his glasses, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Did the other sailors have the spores as well?"

  Jen thought back. She'd run into plenty of the sailors and had killed more than a few, but none of their coats had been open. "I don't know. The only reason we discovered them was we examined that one seamen before he thawed."

  Doc stood and paced. "And there was severe weather when the sailors rose. Wind gusts to seventy miles an hour according to the weather reports."

  Jen nodded.

  "What do you think that did to the spores?" Doc asked.

  Jen squinted. What the hell was Doc getting at? A mycovirus and the spores being blown into the air and carried away? "Oh, shit."

  "Are you saying the zombie virus is a mycovirus?" Jen asked. "But they only infect fungi."

  "True," Doc said. "Normally. But what we're dealing with here has been far from normal."

  "So that's how the virus has spread," Mark said.

  Doc placed a hand on Mark's shoulder. "I believe so." He turned back to the desk and opened a drawer, retrieving a thumb drive. "I've done as much research and analysis on it as I can here. Our data link with the CDC went down this morning and I've had only limited satellite communications with them. When we leave, I'll take this data with me so it can be studied further with their state-of-the-art equipment."

  He put the drive and vial in the drawer. "But there's something else I need your help with, Jen." Doc pulled the computer keyboard toward him. "We've been running drones, both from here and Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson."

  "We just call it JBER," Jen said. "It's easier."

  "Jay Bear?"

  "Yeah. J-B-E-R. JBER."

  Doc shrugged. "OK. So we've been running a couple of drones from here, and the Air Force has been running a dozen or so from JBER. I've merged all the footage and have been analyzing it."

  "For what?" Jen asked.

  Doc smiled. "I'm a behavioral scientist. Even if we had a cure in place right now, we'd still need to figure out how to deal with the zombies we already have."