The Last Bastion of the Living (The Last Bastion #1)(80)

It had been nearly a week since the Chief Defender had departed. The first day or two had been quiet, but on the third day it was if the pall of grim anxiety had lifted. Without Omondi’s dour presence and the reclusive SWD soldiers shadowing them, the Constabulary soldiers were in higher spirits than before. It was a relief to see them smiling and engaging in fun banter again.

Their duty was taxing on their minds, but every day the valley showed the results of their hard work. Maria had lost count of how many of the Scourge she had personally killed. The totals were transmitted from their weapons to the SWD and some of the soldiers kept a manual count. McKinney and Holm had tracked their every kill, but Maria really didn’t want to know her number. She was tired of death.

“Clear the area around the carrier,” Maria ordered.

Dragging the bodies away from the carrier was an easier task now that the area was cleared of most of the Scourge. Only a few straggler packs remained. By nightfall, they would be gone. Joining the rest of the squad, she helped gather the corpses into piles.

“Sir, I should get in there and make sure nothing is too fouled up,” Cormier said. Her frame was virtually vibrating with the need to check out the vehicle.

“Give me a full systems report,” Maria answered.

“Yes, sir!” Cormier grinned and darted away.

Holm and McKinney appeared to be in a competition as they dragged four Scourge each over to the burn piles. Amused, Maria smiled at their cajoling. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Cormier enter the vehicle.

“Let’s take a break,” Maria called out.

It was unscheduled, but she needed a moment. They were working harder than ever to destroy the Scourge. Even with half the squad gone, they were making enormous progress. Omondi was pleased with her nightly reports, but never relayed the actions of his own squad. The secrecy was beginning to annoy and frighten her.

The soldiers clustered together in small groups talking and relaxing. She noted Mikado and Cruz sitting aside from everyone else, discreetly holding hands. A few times they had sneaked off together, but they weren’t the only ones. Since Omondi had departed, she had noticed a few clandestine hookups happening. A few jokes about necrophilia had been dropped in the early days, but now people craved to feel connected, to feel human. She didn’t blame them. Her longing for Dwayne seemed to increase every day without him.

Mentally exhausted, Maria didn’t feel like engaging in small talk. She strolled a short distance away, pulling her hair out of her braid and running her fingers through the silky waves. She was thankful for their recent dip in a pond. They discovered the Scourge avoided water and had been able to spend time washing up and relaxing instead of dragging the depths for the dead.

Squatting down, she ran her palm lightly over the soft grass and wildflowers that were growing now that the Scourge had been cleared. In the darkness of her days, the returning beauty of nature was a salve on her tortured thoughts. At times she felt like a ghost drifting through the valley. Separated from her family, friends and Dwayne, she was trapped in her own mind day in and out. Sometimes her mental fatigue was too much to endure. It was the small moments of respite that helped her survive emotionally through the long days.

A shadow fell over her and she looked up to see Denman smiling down at her. Crouching, he lightly touched the lavender petals of a wildflower. “Life is returning.”

“It gives me hope,” Maria admitted.

“Considering how much we’re accomplishing out here, I would think you would feel very hopeful and excited.” Denman cocked his head and stared at her thoughtfully. “More than three-quarters of the valley are cleared.”

She directed her gaze at the fields of green spreading out behind them. “I’m tired of killing. None of this has felt right since the beginning. Omondi leaving after Ryan attacked has me on edge.”

Denman nodded solemnly. “About that…”

“You’re done with your analysis of your scans?”

Drawing in a breath so he could speak, Denman again nodded. “Ryan had been partially eaten. His ribs showed distinct bite marks. Human teeth. At first I thought that maybe when the Scourge tried to infect him they had mangled him, but I am pretty sure he was being consumed when he died.”

“He said he was hungry. And I saw Vanguard Stillson have a piece of flesh torn off of him. I swear the Scrag was chewing it.” Maria frowned, her fingers lightly brushing over the grass.

“He was even missing three ribs. They were broken and torn out of his body. The Scrags were never reported to consume their victims. I remember from history class that in the first days they were nicknamed zombies because they bit their victims and it was the bite that turned them. But they were never reported as consuming their victims. Never. Something out here has changed some of them.”

“Maybe they’re evolving into a more dangerous breed.” Maria frowned. “Is that even possible?”

“Maybe. Maybe the virus mutated.” Denman shrugged his shoulders. “Hard to say. It’s not like we have proper equipment out here to make a proper analysis.”

“True.”

“Are you going to tell Omondi?”

Maria could feel Denman’s worried gaze resting on her. “No,” she said after a long pause. “No. I have a feeling he already knows anyway. I don’t want him to know that you scanned the body.”