Riposte (The Redivivus Trilogy Book 2) (29 page)

Anthony saw the fear and disbelief on Garza’s face, and said, “That’s one of the ways Charon has helped keep me alive. He can smell the infected way before I could, even if I had perfect smell.”

Much to his relief, Garza discovered that one of the skylights opened several inches. Lin and Montes cleared a small area for a couple additional sleeping spaces. The adults decided to rotate watch despite Anthony’s assurance that Charon would sense danger long before any of them.

“Trust me, I believe you. But old habits die hard,” Garza said.

Lin took first watch, while Garza and Montes tried to get some rest. Having been without anyone to talk to aside from Charon, Anthony was in no hurry to go to sleep. He sat with Lin, asking her about the virus as well as how it was affecting the rest of the world. With a sigh, she told the boy what she knew about the origin of the plague, the extent of its spread, and the reason they were in the United States in the first place. Pulling the small rectangular object from her pocket, she said, “This little disk drive contains the files of the men responsible for creating this infection. I was evacuated here with the hope of being able to use this information to help find a cure. For one reason or another, it was felt that the CDC would be the best place to go, though I’m not sure the officials in Brazil truly knew how bad things were here,” Lin said, eyeing the drive with something akin to reverence.

Anthony, on the other hand, regarded it with contempt, as though it were a thing composed of concentrated evil. In a sense, it was.

Anthony spoke; breaking the spell the drive seemed to hold over Lin, “I was playing with Charon and a couple of kids from the neighborhood near a stream that runs by my house. When it started getting dark, Charon and I started home. I don’t think I will ever be able forget what I saw when we got there.” He stared at his hands in his lap, as tears began to flood his eyes.

“Ant, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Lin said.

Shaking his head, Anthony took a steadying breath, and continued, “Somehow my older sister, Beatrice, must have been infected, because she was tearing into mom and dad with her teeth. Neither of them was moving, and there was blood everywhere in the house. Before I could stop him, Charon lunged at her. I couldn’t do anything.”

Lin felt her heart breaking into a million pieces as she listened to Anthony’s story. As much as she wanted him to stop, she could see that getting it off of his chest was something he needed to do. In all likelihood, the weight of it had been crushing him, and she was the first person he encountered that might share in the burden. If she could help him in that way, she knew she would listen to anything and everything the boy needed to say. “I’m so sorry that happened…that you had to see that,” Lin said as she fought to contain her tears.

Sniffing hard, he continued, “After Charon took care of Beatrice, I tried to check on my parents but Charon stood in my way, growling viciously. He had never growled at me before, and I was so frightened that I just stood there. At first, I thought he was being protective of my parents. When they got up and started coming toward me, I realized he was being protective of me. Somehow, he sensed what they had become and was keeping me safe the only way he knew how.”

“He truly is an amazing dog. You’re lucky to have him, and he’s lucky to have you,” Lin said. Anthony immediately threw his arms around her, sobbing loudly into her shoulder. She held him tightly and wished all of his pain could flow onto her with his tears.

Lin and Anthony talked for another hour before he fell asleep next to the dog. He told her about his experience since fleeing his house that first day. When he and Charon happened across the ambush, it was only the second time they had ventured out of the storeroom. For that reason, his account of what had occurred in Atlanta was incomplete. Anthony knew there had been a lot of fighting initially as he heard screams, sirens, guns, and explosions for days on end. He recalled how the night sky lit up like the 4
th
of July as he stared through the skylights trying to pretend he was watching fireworks instead of the end of the world.

Even though he stayed hidden in the upstairs room, he heard plenty of people outside and in the store below. He heard fighting, yelling, and even murder he was sure. Many people entered the grocery below looking for food despite the fact the store had been heavily looted in the first days. Anthony curled into a ball when he heard the awful voices coming from outside. They always sounded mean and angry. The worst was when he awoke to the muffled voices of a man and a woman sneaking through the rubble of the store below. Before they gave up their search, an argument broke out in which the man accused the woman of
holding out on him
. She kept insisting it was not true, but the man only grew angrier. A small whimper had escaped Anthony’s throat when the sharp crack of a pistol punctuated the night. He prayed the man did not hear him, and he curled into a ball to make himself even smaller.

Before the man left the store, Anthony heard him say something about
leaving the woman for the infected
. As he listened to the weak cries and feeble movements of the gut-shot woman, Anthony knew the right thing to do would be to try to help her. He also knew there was not much he could do for her; at least, that is what he told himself. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep only to awake to snarls and growls that were soon joined by the woman’s screams. In his confusion, he thought that his sister had come to the store looking for him. As horrible as it was, he was glad when the woman’s cries of agony finally ceased.

On several occasions, people came to the storeroom’s door. Anthony and Charon remained quiet to see if the person would simply give up and move on in favor of more appealing, low-hanging fruit. When someone was particularly persistent in their efforts to breech the door, a low growl from Charon was all it took to discourage any further attempt by the individual.

As Lin sat next to the sleeping boy, she marveled at how well adjusted he seemed despite all of the horrors he had witnessed at such a young age. Not only had he seen humanity at its worst, but he had also watched his entire family die at the hands of one another. If that was not enough, his own mother and father had tried to attack him before the family dog took them both down. The dog’s eyes fluttered under their closed lids, and he let out a rapid series of soft whimpers as he slept. Placing a comforting hand on the dog’s head, Lin wondered if the horrible nightmares caused by this new world also afflicted dogs.

When General Montes relieved her of watch duty, she, Anthony, and Charon moved to the makeshift sleeping area. Snuggled between the two, Lin felt a warmth that was far more than their combined body heat. The soft sounds of their gentle breathing lulled her to sleep almost instantly.

21

October 6, 2015

Fulton County, GA

The following morning they awoke to find Garza sitting under the partially open skylight. He listened intently to the world outside, but the usual sounds of a city coming to life were absent, replaced by an eerie nothingness. Once, he thought he heard the sound of heavy footfalls, as if someone was running, but they passed quickly and did not return. Aside from that the only sounds he heard were rare, distant
cracks
, which he assumed to be gunfire somewhere in the city. Garza wondered if it was possible for the entire city to be this dead, or if the phenomenon was merely localized to this area.

“Good morning, Sergeant Garza. How are things?” General Montes called from the far side of the storeroom.

“All’s quiet, sir. Way too quiet. I thought I heard someone running about a half hour ago, and I’m hearing occasional gunshots in the distance, but that’s it,” Garza replied.

“You should come listen to what Lin and Anthony are talking about,” Montes said.

Garza climbed down from the crates he stacked under the skylight. Walking over to where the group sat, he said, “Lin, Anthony…how did you sleep?”

“Fine, thank you,” they answered.

“Anthony was telling us what he knows about the initial response to the outbreak. Will you tell Sergeant Garza what you were telling us?” Lin asked.

“Sure. I heard some people talking about quarantine zones set up throughout the city. They were supposed to be places where everyone was already infected. I also heard them talk about places called
pats
, or something like that. I think they were supposed to be safe places or treatment centers. One guy said they weren’t safe, though, and that they should be avoided.”

Garza gave a knowing nod, as if he was familiar with what the boy was talking about, before adding, “During the first stages of the outbreak, the governor declared a state of emergency and called up the National Guard. The CERFP team stationed in Marietta, Georgia, was tasked with the immediate response including assessment, isolation and containment, and administration of medical care. CERFP stands for
CBNRE enhanced response force package.
They are a specialized group of around two hundred soldiers trained in chemical, biological, nuclear, radiological, explosives, and other catastrophic emergencies. Several civil support teams as well as other elements from the 201
st
stationed at Dobbins were also called up to provide support,” Garza said.

He eyed each of them in turn before continuing, “That was fine in theory, but this thing proved to be bigger—so much more than anyone expected. The 201
st
Regional Support Group, formerly the Georgia Homeland Response Force, is responsible for providing support to several states, so the decision was made to divide the personnel. By all reports, the end result was
marginally controlled chaos
, at best. Communication between the involved elements was horrible, and it was rumored that the PAT centers, or
Population Assessment and Treatment centers
, were nearly as bad as the quarantine zones.”

Thinking back to the government’s response in Brazil, General Montes said, “I don’t think anyone was prepared for a catastrophe on such a global scale.”

“Yeah, well, we would probably be well served to steer clear of any place where people were gathered in any significant number—quarantine zones and PAT centers included,” Garza said.

They spent the next half hour discussing the best way to get Lin to the CDC labs safely. While Garza knew they weren’t far from the facility, he was unsure of the exact distance. In addition, he was unfamiliar with the surrounding roads, having never spent any time in this particular area. Given the conditions on the outskirts of the city, they knew that travel by road was going to be difficult at best. “Our alternate routes need alternate routes. What we need is a map,” Garza said.

“Why not check the store downstairs?” Anthony said.

“That’s a great idea, son,” General Montes said.

Nodding in agreement, Garza said, “We also need transportation. I’m not sure how far we can travel by vehicle, but if it’s even half of the way, that’s half of the way we’re not on foot. I think I should head out and have a look around now that it’s light outside. We need information about the situation on the ground, and I’ll try to find transportation.”

Montes looked concerned, but could not think of a better option. “I can go with you. It will be safer with someone watching your back.”

“With all due respect, you need to stay with Dr. San, General. I’ll be fine,” Garza said.

Lin noticed he referred to her as
Dr. San
rather than by her first name, and wondered if there was a reason behind the change. She started to protest, but was abruptly cut off as Anthony spoke:

“Charon and I can go with you, sir. I know the area well. I can stay quiet and out of sight. And you’ve seen what Charon can do.”

Garza immediately opened his mouth to refuse but something in the boy’s eyes made him falter. His unwavering stare made him look far more like a man than a boy of thirteen.
I guess you can’t help but grow up fast being on your own in a world like this, and I can’t deny they saved our asses at the ambush yesterday.

Garza turned to gauge General Montes’ reaction to the boy’s words. He shrugged, and said, “It
would
be safer with someone watching your back, and they handled themselves pretty well yesterday.”

“No way! He is just a child,” Lin said vehemently. “You can’t send him out there to play soldier!” She certainly did not want Garza heading out alone, but sending a child as back up was not an acceptable alternative in her mind.

They all turned to regard the fuming doctor, who stood with chest heaving.

Anthony put a placating hand on her arm, and said, “It’s okay. I can help. I want to help. I don’t want to stay in this room forever. I want to go with you all when you leave. I know these alleys like the back of my hand, and Charon isn’t going to let anything happen to me.”

While she clearly didn’t like the idea, Lin seemed to deflate somewhat at Anthony’s words. After all, no one was sending him anywhere—he wanted to go.
What right do I have to dictate what he can and can’t do?
She dropped her head, and spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, “Please be careful. I can’t take any more death.”

* * *

The creak of the rusty door made Garza’s hair stand on end. Against the absolute quiet of the morning, it sounded like the clarion cry of some prehistoric dinosaur. He paused as if waiting for a seething horde of infected to round the corner. Given that the door had not made a sound the day before, he hoped the remainder of their mission would not be cursed with such luck. Garza remembered what Anthony said about Charon’s uncanny ability to sense danger, and while he did not know if it was true, the fact that the dog seemed perfectly calm definitely made him feel less uneasy as he stepped out onto the staircase.

With his rifle at the ready, Garza crept down the stairs in a low crouch. Anthony followed close behind with Charon on his heels. The boy tapped Garza on the shoulder and motioned for him to head toward an alley leading in the direction of the city. A thin veil of patchy fog hung in the cool morning air, making the bleak urban landscape look like a blurry photograph of itself. Muffled only by the light fog, their footsteps seemed unimaginably loud as they echoed off the concrete and steel surroundings.

All around them lay the remains of a civilization that had become too arrogant for its own good. It was everything they had seen when they arrived the previous day, multiplied by a thousand. Garza felt sick as he took in the desolation that had settled over the world he had always believed to be permanent and indestructible. Now the empty streets were sprawled across the land like the skeletal bones of humanity. As they slipped from shadow to shadow, they did not see a single living person. Aside from one another, the gentle breeze was the only sound they heard.

Block after block, the scene was the same—nothing but death and destruction everywhere. After walking for what seemed like a couple of miles, things began to change, though not for the better. Garza was glad to see that Charon did not appear alarmed, because the world around him was making him increasingly uncomfortable. Broken storefronts presumably laid waste by desperate looters lined the streets. Nearly every surface was riddled with bullet holes, and empty shell casings coated the cracked sidewalks and roadways. The corpses, and the stench accompanying them, became noticeably thicker. Everything pointed to the fact that a tremendous firefight had occurred there in the recent past.

“My God. What the hell happened here?” Garza asked rhetorically. Standing with his mouth agape, Anthony could not have replied even if he had known the answer to the question. The scene before them was one of absolute carnage. Bodies, or at least parts of bodies, were everywhere. Soldiers, civilians, and many that could not be categorized one way or the other were scattered across the intersection. If Garza were honest with himself, many were in such bad shape that he could not be certain they had been human at all.

“Anthony, we should go back. You don’t need to see this. I’m sorry. I had no idea,” Garza stammered. When Anthony did not respond, Garza turned to face the boy and was surprised to find he was fixing him with a hard gaze.

“We can’t go back. We still need to find a car,” Anthony said in a serious tone more fitting for a grown man. “And I know I don’t need to see this.
No one
needs to see this, but we have to. This is what the world looks like now, Mr. Garza. Even though I’m just about to turn fourteen, I’m not a kid anymore. I don’t really think there are any kids left,” Anthony added, his tone taking a darker turn.

Garza was at a loss for words. He hated what the plague had done to Anthony. No child should have his or her innocence stripped away so violently. Before he could open his mouth to reply, Garza saw Charon’s body stiffen and his hackles shoot up in alarm. The dog’s low growl chilled him to his soul.

Immediately, both he and Anthony scanned the area for any sign of danger but saw nothing. Just when Garza was beginning to think the dog was overreacting, the wind shifted and he was assaulted by a smell like that of rotten cabbage and rancid chicken fat slow cooked in baby shit. A moment later, he heard the first faint sound of the infected in the distance.

“Easy, boy. Stay,” Anthony said as he put a calming hand on Charon’s huge head. The dog did not move, nor did his attention waver. Anthony looked at Garza, who wore a concerned expression as he followed the dog’s line of sight.

Although Garza still saw nothing, the fact that he could smell the infected told him they were close. He was about to mention this to Anthony when he remembered that the boy was unable to smell.

“What should we do, Mr. Garza?” Anthony asked. Garza could hear the moans of the infected echoing between the buildings, making it difficult to pinpoint their exact location. Given that Charon’s gaze never faltered, he had a good idea about their approximate position. The more he thought about the situation, the thing that left him the most perplexed was why the infected seemed to be staying in one location. Ultimately, it was that question that led to his answer.

“I’m thinking maybe we should scout ahead a little further to see what’s making the infected stay put. The only time I’ve ever seen them stay in one place for long is when there are people around. Do you think Charon can keep quiet?” Garza asked.

“Yes, sir,” Anthony replied.

Once again, Garza was amazed by the boy’s courage. Anthony’s eyes looked calm despite the fact that he had just recommended they move
toward
the infected rather than away from them. Seeing no reason to doubt the boy, Garza nodded his head before detailing the plan to investigate the situation ahead.

They wove between the destroyed and abandoned vehicles in the street, keeping a cautious eye out for any disabled but otherwise still deadly infected in their path. When they reached the intersection, Garza saw two things that made his jaw drop. The first was an armored personnel carrier parked less than a block away. According to its insignia, the Bearcat belonged to Atlanta SWAT. The second and more problematic thing was that the truck was surrounded by no less than thirty infected all trying to claw their way in. Something was holding their attention, and Garza assumed that meant there was someone alive inside the vehicle.

As he considered their options, Garza decided the best course of action would be to try to reach a higher elevation in the hope of being able to see inside the vehicle. While he scanned the surrounding area for a suitable building, Anthony spoke up:

“I have an idea. What if Charon lured the infected away from the truck so we could get a look inside?” Anthony saw the doubt surface in the soldier’s eyes. “Mr. Garza, he can do it. I promise,” Anthony added before Garza could respond.

He considered the idea and decided it would be a far better plan than his own if it were possible. “Kid, you’re telling me that your dog can just waltz out there and lure those things away?” Garza asked incredulously.

Ignoring the sarcastic tone in his voice when he called him
kid
, Anthony said, “Charon, herd!” The dog was moving almost before he finished the command.