The Last Bastion of the Living (The Last Bastion #1)(68)

"It feels like we’ve been out here an eternity already," Denman’s voice said.

She opened her eyes and cast her gaze in his direction. He was kneeling next to her, fussing with his med-kit.

"We have a long way to go," she answered, jerking her chin toward the crowd of Scourge that started a few hundred yards away.

"Yes," Denman said, his voice painted with sorrow. "We do."

"Then we go home, get cured, and start a new life."

"A better life. My children will be thrilled to live outside the walls. I’ve asked for a farm near the gate actually."

"Already planning to get married and have kids?" Maria asked. She was glad he was speaking to her. It directed her thoughts away from the burning corpses.

"I am married and I have children," Denman replied.

"I thought all of us were unattached. I thought that was the recruiting requirement." Maria was surprised at his proclamation.

"Well, for my position they decided to make an exception."

"And you agreed to come out here away from your family?"

Denman nodded his head vigorously. "Absolutely. There are four of us living in a two room flat. The kids don’t have a place to play." Denman sighed. "I just felt I didn’t have a choice." Reaching out, he said, "Let me see your hands."

"Why?"

"Omondi is watching," Denman answered.

Yanking off her glove, Maria extended one hand. The atmosphere around them was suddenly conspiratorial.

Denman took her hand and studied it. "There is some concern that the virus will not keep the body in exactly the same condition it was in when we technically died. There is a possibility of skin breaks, blisters, and other concerns."

"Scrags don’t get sick," Maria pointed out.

"They don’t talk either," Denman replied. He took out some ointment and rubbed it on her knuckles.

"You heard it speak, didn’t you?" Maria whispered.

A slight nod was followed by him gesturing for her other hand.

Maria complied quickly. "Why didn’t you say anything?"

“What did the Chief Defender say?”

“He’s not sure he believes me,” she answered, shrugging.

Denman’s brown eyes lifted to stare into hers. "I don’t know anyone out here very well. I don’t know you at all. But I watched you today. All of this bothers you more than it does the others. It bothers you like it bothers me. You and I heard that Scrag speak. He said he was hungry. He was wearing Constabulary armor."

"What do you think it means?"

"That the SWD is hiding something."

Maria tucked her treated hands back into her gloves and stood up. Denman followed suit, fastening his med-pack to his belt.

"They’re not going to tell us. They want us to just do the job," Maria said at last. "So that’s what we’ll do."

Maria caught sight of Omondi studying their interaction and she flexed her hands, then gave him the thumbs up.

Recognizing they were under scrutiny, Denman said, "Good as new. Nothing major. If you notice any peeling around the knuckles, let me know." He sauntered off toward Mikado.

Maria smiled briefly at Omondi, then sat back down. Pulling out her pad, she couldn’t wait to speak with Dwayne.



*



Dwayne stared at Maria’s visage in disbelief. She had managed to slip away and turn on her pad to illuminate her face while they spoke. It was well past midnight and he was exhausted, but he didn’t want to miss speaking with her. He could see the strain in her face and hear it in her voice.

“Are you sure it was constabulary armor?”

“Positive. Omondi and I wondered if he was from the last push, but neither of us recognized him. It’s so odd. He didn’t have any insignia or anything on his armor that would identify him.”

“And he bit Jameson? That doesn’t make sense.”

“None of the other Scrags attacked us today. Even after the attack, they ignored us. After the last two days, I believe the Scrags respond to visual stimulus. If they perceive that a human victim is nearby it heightens their awareness. And once that happens, sound can draw them into attacking. The Scrags we were dealing with were docile today and then, this man, this...thing...just appeared and went after the two of us that were not in armor. He went for the vulnerable ones.”

Dwayne sat at the edge of his bed, dumbfounded by what he was hearing. None of it made sense. “But why would it bite if you’re obviously…a Scrag?”

Maria winced at his words and he instantly regretted what he had said. Shaking her head, she said, “He not only bit Jameson’s hand, he ate what he tore off. Denman and I both saw him do it. And I’m not sure if Denman heard or not, but I know that the attacker said the word hungry.”

“The Scrags don’t eat their victims. They just infect,” Dwayne said, mystified by what she was saying.

“I saw a Scrag bite and eat a piece of Stillson. I reported it, but no one believed me.” Maria frowned. “Dwayne, I think the Scrag I saw bite Stillson was...I think it was in uniform.”

Dwayne rubbed his chin with one hand while pondering her words. “None of this sounds right. At all. The Scrags don’t eat us like those zombie monsters in the old vids. They bite to infect, not eat.”