Chapter 65 The First Sign
1886words
Leo speaks from the back seat: "Where are all the people? The place gives me the creeps. Look, all the cars are neatly parked but I haven't seen a soul all the way down the main street."
Recce also thinks it is strange: "Where are all the gangs of man-eating monsters of whom the helicopter team had spoken? According to them from the roof of this building they had been all over the streets. These shops all look locked up and I don't even see a broken window. It just doesn't make sense!"
Spyker tries a possible explanation: "Well, it's clear, boys, these monsters hide from the light and they probably sleep at daytime and only come out when it is dark to hunt for human flesh. That's why nothing is broken and all the windows are intact. The fucking things are only interested to devour human flesh and suck human blood. I'm telling you now, that sickness makes them sensitive for light and insane. They are hiding somewhere in the dark. If we find a place with an open door, maybe there will be a crowd of them like a nest of cockroaches. Most probably in those fucking flats on top of the shops and the owners of these cars parked so neatly in the street, probably hide there. They lost their senses and don't know how to drive and do normal things and they are ruled by their instinct that those fucking Saviors had written into their DNA. I'm telling you, be prepared when we go into a dark place. It will be shit all over!"
Joss like lightning smacks him on his head. "Fuck' it! You always hit the nail right on its head, you genius!"
They all split their sides while Recce once again scrutinizes the shops and flats with his binoculars and wonders: "I've inspected the surroundings to pieces but I don't see anything unlocked or open."
Joss takes the lead: "Maybe we will find something open when we go nearer. Tell you what: leave the action for now and concentrate on the butchery only and stealthily load up everything we can lay our hands on. When we are finished and ready to fuck off, we will go and have a look in those flats and see if your theory is worth a dime. I am starving to kill! I want to crush someone big time, okay?"
Excited Recce slaps Joss on the shoulder. "I can't wait for action. For too long I haven't seen blood."
Silently Deon sits motionless between Leo and Recce. He hasn't uttered a sound from the time they left the farm. They brought him with so that he can see what is happening in town. They also gave him protective gear but no weapons. They told him just to keep quiet and sit in the cab. They left two women with Yolandi and with Deon joining them they know it is unlikely she and the workers will try anything.
Joss turns and looks at Deon: "Sit dead still like a sweet puppy here with Spyker and just watch us, okay chum? Try shit and we leave you here after we have fucked you up badly." Playfully he slaps him lightly on the cheek as if he is a little boy.
Joss now takes his microphone and talks to the other team members in their 4x4s waiting for his orders. "Okay, confirm that you all have heard me when I'm finished. We think the man-eaters are crazy and light-sensitive and hide in the flats upstairs or maybe in some of the buildings that are still open. Our first priority is to enter the butchery as stealthily as possible and to take everything we can use and load it. Bravo, bring the bolt cutter, tommy bars, sledge hammer, wire chisel, and the chain tong. I don't want to struggle to get in. You open up and then put the tools back in your cab immediately, okay? I don't want something remaining behind or get lost if shit strikes. The rest follow us. Alfa will go in first and show you what loot to take out. Drivers, you wait ready in your cabs and keep the fort and warn us by radio if you see any movement. Stay away from your hooters. Okay? Everyone ready, over!"
One by one they confirm. Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, and Foxtrot are ready and understand everything. Joss jumps out first and trots with Leo and Recce straight towards the butchery's front door. There they wait for Bravo coming with the tools while Leo touches the chain on the security gate.
"It's loose!" he yells surprised and throws it down on the pavement. He opens the security gate and the door easily.
Surprised Recce frowns. "It seems as if someone was here already. Be careful, guys."
Joss gestures to Bravo to stop. "Take back the tools! The place is open."
They enter the place with their headlamps shining through the empty butchery. No one. They find the neatly packed bags, some with meat slightly off, in the cold storage but no carcasses.
Recce surmises: "Someone beat us to this. They took the best meat with them and the rest of the products they couldn't take away they stored here until next time. That is why the gate is open, of course, but they left it with the chain attached so it looked if it was still locked. Quite clever, I must say. We have competition, guys, and I don't like it at all! We have probably missed out on much valuable meat. I think we should set a trap for our competition."
Suddenly Joss kicks the heavy door of the cold storage so hard that it hit the wall with the sound of a cannon shot. Out of rage he yells and aims at the wall to hit it with his fist but stops himself just in time. Now he brutally kicks the corridor wall rapidly and continuously with his right heavy boot. When he does a hefty side kick the building vibrates.
"Fuck ...fuck ...fuck ... I will kill them! Kill them!"
The nearest soldiers cautiously retreat and wonder whether the wall is going to last. They are all waiting for him to cool down. Some of them wonder how he is able to kick the solid wall that hard. There is no flexibility and if one of them should suffer such a kick, it would definitely instantly result in quite a few broken ribs. This man really is a monster. They all are familiar with his erratic temper and they also know it cools down as quickly as it is inflamed.
Suddenly he stops, smiles, and cool and calm as if nothing has happened just now, speaks: "We can arrange a party for those fuckers later on. Let's get the goods in the cabs and then have a look at what is going on in the flats overhead."
He looks at his soldiers and it is if something inflames his temper again and aggressively he addresses them. "Come, move your bloody asses and get the things loaded. At least it is packed already. Get a move on before I kill someone!"
They quickly jump into action while his eyes burn on them as those of a predator that is eager to jump on one moving too slow. It always looks as if he is drugged after the frenzy of anger and he steps from one foot to the other like a wild animal that smelled blood and wants to break out of his cage.
Leo gestures that they must wait. "Wait! Stand still! Don't make any noise! What was that?"
Joss is edgy and wants to speak but Leo silences him. "Wait, be quiet and listen! I have just heard something."
They all stand still and listen attentively and then they hear something fiddling at the backdoor.
~*~*~
Billy and Kadin are walking towards Martie and Michael who are sitting in the leisure room talking at a round table.
Courteously Billy asks: "May we join you?"
Michael rises and pulls two chairs form an adjacent table nearer and politely keeps one ready for Kadin and Billy sits down next to Martie.
Kadin grabs Martie's hand resting on the table and attentively looks into her eyes: "Martie, you share everything with Michael but nothing with us. We are curious about all the things you said about the Saviors and the Elite. It is already late in the evening and the grown-ups are all in bed. Tomorrow at ten the helicopter will come and fetch us. It is late but we are burning with curiosity. Please tell us what is going on."
Martie smiles. "Okay, but I don't know where to start, there are hopelessly too much to tell you in such a short time. I wanted to tell you earlier but I realized my granddad is around me like a fly when I am alone with you. I promised him I will never discuss the things I learned from the Saviors."
Billy doesn't understand. "But why not, Martie?"
"Different reasons, he believes most people would think we're insane and he has this mission to fulfill and will have to take the lead and then people won't follow a madman."
Billy's eyes widen. "Oh, to me it seems he believes in what the Saviors taught you?"
Martie smiles. "Of course! He saw and experienced it himself."
Kadin frowns: "What did you see? I don't understand. He even said the Saviors indoctrinated you and Colonel Morrison will protect us against the cruel world outside. It didn't sound to me that he believes in the Saviors at all, but only in his mission and to fulfill it he has no choice as to work with them. Are you sure you know what you are talking about, Martie?"
Martie sighs. "To tell you the truth, I don't understand my granddad completely, but I know what we saw and experienced, thus I cannot understand and believe that he doubts the Saviors. I guess that he has difficulty to make peace with the fact that the only way to bring on a new world order was to bring this terrible virus."
Billy frowns. "It looks like a terribly complex situation in which your grandfather finds himself, Martie, but he is always so positive, determined and in control of everything."
"My granddad is a perfectionist and nothing gets him down and out. Nothing is going to get in his way to make a success of our mission and the sooner we get it right, the sooner the Saviors can bring on the new world. They have all the knowledge but some insights are beyond them like the natural code in the DNA of a person with natural immunity against the virus. Mathematically it is incalculable but if you get a rare healthy carrier of the virus, they can easily analyze its genomes and manipulate stem cells to find a cure and end the plague."
Kadin's impatience boils over. "Oh no, Martie! We are only talking in circles and you have not enlightened us a bit! What did the Saviors show you and who is the Elite?"
