The Complete Lee West Post-Apocalyptic Box Set, page 46
part #1 of The Complete Lee West Post-Apocalyptic Box Set Series
Something Father Roy had said to Charlie came to mind. The priest mentioned that his friend Father Mackey in Evansville could use more supplies. At the time, Charlie let the comment go past him. Now he wondered how Father Roy would know what was happening in Evansville.
“Penny for your thoughts. You look like you’re a million miles away. What’s on your mind?” asked Gayle.
“Just thinking of something Father Roy said. Sorry to eat and run, but I need to see if I can track him down. Do you mind doing the dishes?” said Charlie as he kissed Gayle goodbye.
“Not at all. I think I can manage a couple of paper plates. Go to it.”
Charlie quickly ran through town to the church. Although he hadn’t seen Father Roy today, the priest rarely left the church grounds.
Spotting him, Charlie yelled, “Father Roy! Got a minute?”
“Of course, what’s on your mind?”
“A while ago I thought you mentioned that another priest in Evansville needed supplies. Am I recalling that correctly?”
“Of course. I was talking about Father Mackey. He’s a friend in a sister parish in Evansville. We would often meet for dinner or attend each other’s functions. Why do you ask?”
“How do you know what he’s up to? Have you been in contact with each other since the lights went out?”
“Of course we have. Father Mackey, John, and I try to meet every few days or so. In fact, I’m planning to see him tomorrow.”
“How do you get there? With the New Order patrols?”
“I just walk down the road. No one bothers me. It’s the power of the cloth. A lot of those guys are from Mexican families. They might not be practicing their religion, but they have a healthy dose of fear when it comes to the Almighty.”
“Would you mind if I send a few officers with you tomorrow? We need to see what we’re up against. I’d like to know how many New Order men still exist as a cohesive group and how they are fixed as far as weapons.”
“Sure, I’d love the company. However, if I’m walking with one of your men, I’m sure they’d stop us. The only reason I’ve been sort of invisible to them is because of this,” said Father Roy, touching his collar.
“Any chance you have extra uniforms that you wouldn’t mind sharing?”
“Sure, that’s a good idea. I’ll see what I can find. I know I have at least one other uniform, maybe two.”
“Thanks, Father. What time do you plan to leave tomorrow?”
“I usually head out around eight. We meet halfway along Route 46.”
“Perfect. This could work. I’ll send over someone early tomorrow morning to get fitted. Thanks very much. This will help a lot.”
Charlie jogged away from the church with a renewed spring in his step. He was sure this would work. The New Order would not suspect that the police were hiding in the church in Evansville. Smiling, Charlie knew he had them.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Mark sat in the crowded police station conference room, eager to share what they’d learned from the blacksmith, Max.
“We made really good time getting back here,” Mark said to Bill.
“Sure did. You finally got it in gear,” said Bill, slapping his shoulder.
“Nice.”
“Welcome back,” said Charlie.
“Thanks. Thought we’d never make it running with this guy,” said Bill, hitching his thumb toward Mark. “The guy runs like he’s eighty.”
“Now you’re pushing it,” Mark said, smiling.
“Glad you guys made it back so quickly. And sorry to do this, but, Mark, I need you out in the field again,” said Charlie.
“Sure, what’s up?”
“I was talking to Father Roy earlier. Apparently he and his friend Father Mackey, from the sister parish in Evansville, have been meeting this entire time, right under the New Order’s nose. Father says the New Order won’t touch either of them because harming a priest is likely a sin or something like that. In any case, that works for us. We need eyes on the New Order so we know what we’re up against. I’d like to send Mark and Sergeant Dale to Evansville for surveillance.”
“How will we get past the New Order? They have to be watching the roads into Evansville, as they did in Porter,” asked Sergeant Dale.
“Father Roy said they meet roughly halfway to Evansville. The plan will be to dress Sergeant Dale in a priest’s uniform and have him swap places with Father Mackey. They will merely see one priest walking back and forth, nothing different than what they are used to.”
“Where do I fit in?” asked Mark.
“Mark, I need you to stay concealed and shadow Sergeant Dale and Father Roy en route to the meeting location. Once the switch happens, stay with Sergeant Dale as he approaches town, but stay out of sight. I don’t want the cover blown, endangering Sergeant Dale. Once you guys get to the edge of town, Mark will turn back while Sergeant Dale continues. Sergeant Dale, learn as much as possible for a couple of days and then walk back to the meeting spot. At that point, you and Father Mackey will switch places again.”
“If they suspect anything, they’ll kill him. We all know that,” said Mark.
Mark wished he hadn’t said that. He knew everyone in the room was thinking the same thing, but still, he could have kept that comment to himself. Sergeant Dale’s face turned white as soon as he brought this to light, as though the man had managed to force that out of his mind until now.
“They won’t. One priest in. One priest out. If I’m correct, because the two have been meeting so frequently, the New Order probably doesn’t pay much attention to them anymore. Sergeant Dale, I selected you because you’re approximately the same size as Father Roy. Mark will ghost you the entire way to ensure that nothing happens to you. Once in town, lie low and observe as much as you can from a distance. No heroics. We need you back here.”
“I can do that,” said Sergeant Dale.
“I want to go with Mark,” said Sergeant Ray Ross.
Mark figured the two young officers were close. They always hung out together and worked as a team.
“I don’t have a problem with that. It’d be nice to have backup,” said Mark.
“Then it’s settled. Tomorrow morning, meet with Father Roy to get suited up. Mark, why don’t you update the team on where we stand with getting new bullets made,” said Charlie.
“Max, the blacksmith, thinks it’ll be no problem to create more bullets. He has plenty of raw materials. He said it would take a few days to harvest the lead and then pour the bullets. After that, they cool and we’re in business.”
“That’s excellent! How many do you think he can make?” asked Charlie.
“As many as we need, or should I say as many as we have casings and gunpowder for. He seemed willing to work on the project, and like I said, he has the resources. I’d say we drive down to grab the first batch in a few days and then ask him to keep ’em coming,” said Mark.
“Glad you said drive. I had no intention of running lead bullets all the way back to Porter,” said Bill to a round of laughter.
“No need for that. We have eleven usable vehicles and plenty of fuel for the run. After we pick those up, we’ll need to run some to the hospital. Jane Archer’s team will need the supplies. The New Order has been active in that area, and I have no intention of letting them take the hospital,” said Charlie.
“Neither do we,” said Jane seriously.
When the meeting was over, Mark went to the temporary home he shared with a local family. Numerous people in town had opened their homes to the “refugees,” as they were now called. The Evansville and Grant police and families were given temporary shelter in their homes. The families even shared their limited supplies. It was the kindness of others that made Mark want to believe that they would all make it through this. However, thoughts of the New Order kept him from truly believing the cheery narrative.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Sam and Jane lay entwined in bed, not wanting the night to end. Jane knew the run to the hospital would be dangerous and didn’t relish the thought of Sam being with her during the ride. The New Order could be waiting on the road for all they knew. When the injured officers had been brought to the hospital, it seemed like the New Order was just arriving to the point where the guards were waiting for them. However, they could have just gotten lucky. The New Order’s arrival might have been delayed that morning by something unknown to the police. Jane knew that the previous team might have gotten lucky or could have tipped off the New Order to the necessity for hitting the road leading to the hospital with their men. Either way, they’d find out tomorrow.
“Charlie wants us to leave before dawn, like the last team. I think that’s a good idea, do you?” said Sam, interrupting her thoughts.
“Absolutely, if we know one thing about the New Order, it’s that none of them are morning people. The quicker we get into the hospital, the better.”
“Exactly. Do you want me riding in your vehicle or the other one?”
“I think we should ride together. Either option has its advantages and disadvantages, but on balance, I think we’re better off being close. Otherwise we risk seeking each other when we should be protecting ourselves.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
“I’m hoping we don’t need to stay at the hospital for too long. Once we make sure they’re properly fortified, I think we can cycle out. Maybe the chief will put our teams on a rotation so that no one is separated from their family for too long. It’s stressful on everyone, not just us.”
“That’s not a bad idea. Then we can go back to Lea or at least one of us can.”
“I’ve been thinking, when all of this is over, I want to go back to our home in Evansville. I know we talked about leaving, but it’s still our home.”
“I’m not sure Lea will be willing to go back to that house after what happened between her and Tank there. She said she’ll never feel safe there again,” he said.
“I’m hoping that changes once the New Order is driven out of town. I think it will take time, but eventually she’ll come around. The New Order and Tank have taken so much from us. I just can’t allow them to permanently take our home too.”
“I agree. It’d be a real shame. We’ve been in that house for so long, raised Lea there. It would be hard to just walk away. Speaking of Tank, where do you think he is?”
“Not sure. I was really hoping he would have been in the pile of New Order men they buried up at the camp. The guy seems to have nine lives, that’s for sure.”
“Or maybe he’s gone. Maybe he left the area for greener pastures.”
“We can only hope,” said Jane sleepily.
Jane nuzzled into Sam’s shoulder, trying to get as close as possible. She was thankful that the Swansons let them use their daughter’s room for a couple of nights until they left for the hospital. The bed was cozy and warm against the cool night. Jane enjoyed every minute, trying to preserve the feeling of love and comfort before drifting to sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jane drove the lead SUV to the hospital, her small convoy of two vehicles loaded down with ten officers, five in each vehicle. Charlie had outfitted the team with body armor, helmets and military-style rifles, giving each officer as much ammunition as he felt the town could spare—without compromising Porter’s safety. Everyone was counting on the blacksmith to restock their dwindling supplies. Once the new rounds were tested, Charlie would send another team to the hospital for a resupply.
“You might want to ease your grip on the steering wheel; I think you might crack it,” said Officer Jensen from the passenger seat.
“Thanks, just a little tense. We’re almost there,” said Jane.
The officers went quiet after her announcement, focusing on their assigned defensive sectors around the SUV. Looking in the rearview mirror, she saw that Sam looked stressed.
“You still happy you volunteered to go with us?” she said to him.
“Never been happier.”
The hospital came into view, perched on a small rise above the adjacent town. Not seeing any signs of the New Order, Jane picked up speed, heading around the back of the building to the loading area. The team at the hospital said they would be able to pull their trucks inside the loading bay in the back, which would give them some cover from prying eyes around the hospital.
As they made the turn around the corner toward the back of the building, an immense white metal overhead door opened, exposing an empty parking bay. Based on the erratic, jerky movement of the door, it seemed as though there were people lifting the door manually. When it had risen far enough to squeeze underneath, she quickly pulled into the bay, leaving room for vehicle number two to pull up next to her.
Almost immediately, the door was pulled down behind them. It crashed to the ground with a loud metallic clatter, catapulting them into darkness and rattling her already frayed nerves. The hospital team and the officers in the vehicles quickly illuminated their flashlights, giving the large loading bay an eerie feeling. She killed the engine and stepped out of the SUV.
“Welcome to Memorial! I’m Beth Pultie, hospital administrator. I’m here with our head of security, Jerry Marsh. Once you’re ready, we’ll take you upstairs,” said the faceless woman.
Jane quickly grabbed her weapon and small bag from the back of the truck. She really didn’t have much to bring with her. They were out of nearly everything. The group followed Beth up a pitch-dark stairwell. The sounds of their heavy boots hitting the cement and metal-tipped stairs created a thunderous roar in an otherwise spookily silent building.
“Good thing we aren’t trying to sneak up on them. I think they’d know we’re here by now,” said one of the younger officers, to a round of laughter.
The moment of levity eased Jane’s nerves as she made her way in the darkness up several flights of stairs. The information from the hospital had been spotty at best. No one knew what to expect from the place.
“Here we are. Home sweet home,” said Beth.
“Wow! Nice bunker,” said Officer Richards to Beth.
“I can’t take any credit for the bunker. The security has been one hundred percent Jerry’s job. I’m just keeping people fed,” said Beth.
“Thanks! So far we’ve been okay. But the bunker hasn’t been tested against a large-scale attack. If you come with me, I’ll show you what we did downstairs,” said Jerry, motioning for them to follow.
The group descended one flight of stairs to the front of the building. Jane could see the vacant, dusty reception desk, where she’d checked in when visiting people in the hospital. Sunlight barely penetrated the vast, cavernous room despite the floor-to-ceiling windows.
“The first thing we did was fortify this area,” said Jerry, pointing to the windows. “A hospital is not only a place where people come for refuge, it’s also one of the first places people will steal from when they need supplies. When it was obvious the lights were not going to be restored within the immediate future, we quickly brought operations upstairs and shored up these walls.”
“What are you using to cover the windows?” asked one of the officers.
“We first took all of the lead out of the radiation wing of the hospital. Those lead-lined divider walls have been nailed down where we could secure them along the top edge of the windows. The next layer consists of three thick mattresses standing the long way and side by side in order to maximize their covering potential. The last layer, as you can see, is old filing cabinets. We pulled those old files from the basement one by one. They weigh a ton, so it took a while. Between the lead, mattresses and two feet of paper, we’re pretty confident New Order bullets won’t get through.”
“Nice work. This place really is like a fortress,” said one of the officers.
“But how did you let the injured in? It seems like a permanent wall,” asked Sam.
“Come to the emergency room entrance around back. I’ll show you,” he said.
The group followed Jerry through a dark corridor to the back side of the building. As they passed vacant rooms, Jane could see they’d managed to cover all of the windows with an assortment of mattresses and filing cabinets.
“Behind those cabinets is where the ER room would accept ambulance drop-offs. We used the same materials but didn’t nail anything down. Instead, we put everything on rollers so they could be moved aside when needed.”
“Ingenious. Very nicely done,” admired one of the officers.
“Where is everyone? The place seems deserted. How many people are still here?” asked Jane.
“I can answer that if you’re done, Jerry,” said Beth.
“Sure thing. Let’s head back to the second floor, which we call the bunker,” he said.
Jane held Sam’s hand tightly as they moved through the silent, dark hospital. The place was giving her the creeps. She couldn’t stop her mind from considering how many bodies were now housed in the morgue and how many people recently died here because of the electrical situation. Sam leaned into her and whispered, “You okay?”
“I will be once we’re in the light again. Seeing the main floor like that freaked me out a little,” she whispered back.
“I think we’re all feeling it. I’ve never seen Wheeler so quiet,” Sam joked, squeezing her hand.
“As Jerry mentioned, once we were fairly certain the lack of ready power was our new norm, we changed things around here dramatically. All families and patients were moved to the top floors. The ill are housed on the fourth and fifth floors, while the well individuals are on the floors above them all the way to the ninth floor. The rest of the hospital is empty. However, if more people come, we will open more floors to house them,” said Beth.
“It was easier for us to group them up high in order to keep them safe and out of the way. If the hospital is overrun, the groups are prepared to barricade the stairwells, effectively trapping the New Order and preventing them from moving past the second floor,” said Jerry.
