Page 49 of A Wilderness Within

“Thank you.” She kissed him and tucked her head under his chin, quickly falling asleep. He lay there holding her for a long while before he followed her, drifting into dreams. Dreams filled with chaos, blood, and regret.

January 2020

He sat in the passenger seat of a Humvee, assault rifle propped against his shoulder as he watched the line of military tanks and vehicles form a convoy on the outskirts of Washington, DC. Congress and the Senate had all been given orders to remain in the Capitol. Families were notified that the representatives would not be coming home until things were declared safe.

“This is fucking messed up, Atwood,” Julian Holt muttered from the driver’s seat.

“Agreed.” Lincoln glanced at his friend. He’d been with Julian since they were both in their twenties and recruited into Delta Force.

“How long will everything be like this?” Julian asked, his light brown eyes full uncharacteristic worry.

“I have no idea. Adam says it could be months before the CDC works out a vaccine. The army’s testing samples from the O’Hare airport victims.” He remembered hearing about that one. One survivor after six days. All the other passengers trapped in the quarantined terminal had perished. One out of so many.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this, man. A real bad feeling, you know. Like when things went to hell in Syria. I still have nightmares about Cruz and Ross.”

Julian’s dark skin and soft eyes made a contradiction of solemnity and playfulness that Lincoln liked, but not today. Julian had the look of a man who’d seen death up close and personal.

Haven’t we all?Lincoln stared out across the sea of the military forces on the move. He and Julian were under strict orders to protect the president and vice president. Lincoln would be boarding a military transport flight to Omaha tonight. At least, that was the rumor. Julian was supposed to return to the Supreme Court and act as the justices’ protection detail.

“Fucking Omaha,” Lincoln muttered. The end of the line. The last plan during a national crisis. They watched as a civilian tried to escape by driving his car at the barriers in the distance. The soldiers guarding the barriers opened fire on the vehicle, but it kept coming until it crashed into the barriers and the car crunched like a tin can before exploding seconds later.

“Shit,” Julian cursed. “They should know there’s no way out.”

“There’s always a way in and out. Just a matter of finding the weak spot,” Lincoln reminded his friend.

Julian was silent a long moment. “You know, I gave up smoking for my girl. But man, I would do anything for a drag right now. I’d even take a fucking e-cigarette.”

“Me too.” Lincoln had never smoked before in his life, but now seemed as good a time as any to start.

“Delta Two to Delta One. Major Atwood, come in.” A voice came over the radio, and Lincoln picked it up.

“Delta One responding. Atwood here.”

“Major, we have a situation.” Lincoln recognized the voice as one of the newer members of the force, Jesse Poole.

“What is it?”

“Satellite footage is being sent to your phone, Major.”

Lincoln pulled out his secure phone. A video clip was uploading on the screen. He clicked on it, and Julian leaned over to watch. It was satellite footage of Russia, or what was left of it. Moscow was in ruins. Smoky black pits were all that was left.

“What the fuck?” Julian grabbed the radio and responded.

“Poole, what the hell is that?”

“Russia went nuclear to try to cut off the infection. Millions are estimated dead.Millions.”

Lincoln’s blood ran like ice water in his veins. This really was the end of the line. They were done. They were all done.

Lincoln jolted awake, his heart racing and his throat tight. He reached for Caroline.

She wasn’t there.

He scrambled to his feet, shoving the sleeping bag down his body. He scanned the dark library and saw a distant lantern light deep in the fiction section. Creeping closer, he heard Caroline speaking. When he saw the satellite radio in her hand, he knew what she was doing. He lingered in the shadows, listening to her speak.

“This is Caroline Kelly. I’m just outside Memphis. Still headed to Atlanta. Please join me there. The CDC needs blood samples to find a way to stop Hydra-1. I need you to join me. We are better than this. We can put aside our fears and distrust. We can work together to save each other and ourselves. I don’t know if any of you have ever read this, but there’s a poem calledIfby Rudyard Kipling thatmy father used to read to me. It’s gotten me through dark times, and I want to share it with you. It gives me hope. I hope it gives you hope too.” Then Caroline began to read:

If you can keep your head when all about you

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