Isolation (Book 3): Starting Anew, page 16
part #3 of Isolation Series
Even though she'd taken the time to talk to her son as often as she could, he still spent the drive to the camp talking a mile a minute, a lot of it about stuff he'd already told her about. As if finally being with her in person made the experiences all new.
To her relief, Ricky talked to Hal just as much. He really seemed to be warming up to her new boyfriend, which was good to see. He was still talking up a storm when they pulled into the field near her administration tent and climbed out.
The reunion must've taken longer than Ellie had thought, because she found Johnny and Starr both waiting at the north gate of the camp for them. “Looks like you recruited a new helper!” Starr called cheerfully, giving Ricky a grandfatherly smile. Her son returned the hesitant smile of a child who has no idea who's talking to them or how they know them, but knows their parents know the person and so is gamely going along.
She quickly introduced the two camp leaders, then Johnny pulled her aside, expression concerned. “We need to talk supplies.”
Ellie gave him a wry smile. “When don't we?”
His return smile was brief as he got back to business. “Well the scuttlebutt is that Stanberry's going to give the Wensbrook survivors back some supplies. Not sure how much, but even some is more than we can spare.”
She'd heard that too. “They can give contaminated supplies, since Jay and his people are immune. We wouldn't have been able to use that stuff for a while anyway.”
“Even so, things are tight no matter how much we crunch the numbers.” Her liaison in camp shook his head grimly. “It's looking like we'll need another run down to the federal relief stockpile in a week or two.”
Ellie bit back a sigh, not enjoying the prospect of loading and unloading another semi-trailer in the confines of a hazmat suit. “Speaking of which, has there been any word from them about sending up relief workers and supplies?”
“Would I be talking a trip down if there had been?” Johnny grumbled.
She frowned; the soldier who'd talked to them had promised that someone would be coming to at least look at the camp in at most a week. They couldn't have forgotten, could they? “Have you heard about any problems at the stockpile?”
“We haven't heard anything about them from the people we're in contact with down there, and definitely no word from them directly.”
That was worrying; Ellie had heard enough horror stories from Cathy about Zolos outbreaks in government camps and facilities to know that even the best precautions could fail. In fact, from what she'd heard one of the main reasons the research on finding a cure was progressing so slowly was that the facilities kept losing containment, often getting some of the foremost experts in the world infected in the process.
It was hard to believe the relief stockpile she'd seen could possibly suffer an outbreak, given the seemingly foolproof precautionary measures, but it wasn't impossible. Which left her with the sobering thought that if even the best government containment efforts could fail, how much more likely was it in a quarantine camp like this one, where all the work was being done by halfhearted volunteers that weren't even being managed by official experts?
“I think we should hold off planning any more trips to the stockpile until we know how this situation with the Wensbrook survivors is going to pan out,” she said briskly. “In the meantime, I think it's past time that we go over the Zolos precautions for the camp again. And carry out some containment drills, ranging from isolated to camp-wide outbreaks.”
“In a way that doesn't cause a panic,” Johnny said dryly.
That was always a priority. “We'll start things off slow, focus on making sure everyone's following proper isolation measures.” Ellie turned to where Ricky and Hal were standing near Starr; the old man was juggling a few small items, much to her son's delight. “Did Starr also come about the supply problem?”
The camp liaison grimaced. “I think he wanted to talk about detainment in camp, and questions of legality and ethics.”
That was a reasonable point of concern for the leader of the camp's security volunteers. One that probably would've come up sooner if there'd been any need to detain anyone, which meant this was probably about Nick's scavengers.
Figured she hadn't heard the last of that.
Ellie bit back a sigh and made her way over to talk to Starr. It looked as if her afternoon was going to be as busy as the morning had been. At least Ricky would get a chance to see what she did here, and be a part of helping out instead of having to sit in his tent bored out of his mind.
Although hopefully things wouldn't get too exciting; Jay's ultimatum was tomorrow, and from what she'd heard the town was most likely going to be sending him supplies.
She hoped that would be the end of it. Of having to take turns on watch in the observation post they'd set up in a tree just outside the Norsons' yard, and waking up with a start in the night to any random noise, wondering if it was a threat. Of everyone in town tiptoeing around, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
It was amazing that a few dozen sickly people could cause so much worry. Ellie could empathize with their anger at finding their houses broken into, but the town and camp desperately needed supplies, and the simple truth was that there'd been far more in Wensbrook than the few survivors needed.
Besides, they had no claim to anything but their own property anyway. Surely they'd be able to see that, now that they'd calmed down a bit.
✽✽✽
The day's scavenging was even more awkward than when the group first started and everyone was still getting to know each other.
Not surprising, given what had happened the night before. The brothers were hungover, sullen, and Nick liked to hope guilty about their behavior. They mostly stayed to themselves and were quiet when they had to be around the group.
It was probably something he'd have to talk to them about, make some attempt to clear the air and get things back to normal. But after he'd relayed Darby's decision and got them to promise they'd behave until the situation was sorted out, he'd decided to give them a bit of space before pursuing the matter.
Or maybe he was just worried that if he pressed them, they'd blow up again.
On top of that there was Val. After thanking him that morning for being there for her, she'd completely dropped the subject and made it clear with her body language she didn't want to talk about it. It was obvious she was embarrassed about her display of vulnerability, and all day she'd been unusually quiet and reserved.
Nick wasn't quite sure how to handle that situation, either. He wanted to be there for her in her grief, but it felt like a lot of intimacy for a woman he hadn't known for long and wasn't romantically involved with.
Especially since, if he was being honest with himself, she was very attractive and he could see himself having a relationship with her. Which made him feel guilty about being with her or offering any sort of comfort, since it almost felt like he was betraying Gen by getting closer to another woman.
At the same time, he couldn't just turn Val away when she was obviously hurting. He was the closest friend she had in the camp with Lila gone.
And he did care about her as a friend; he didn't want her to suffer when he could help.
So when Nick finally called it a day, the scavenging slightly better than yesterday but nowhere near as good as Wensbrook had been, he was a bit worried Val would want to sit with him again. And not just because it would mean another uncomfortable, sleepless night.
So he wasn't sure whether to be relieved or concerned when she quietly said goodnight after dinner, which had been unusually subdued with nobody saying much, and disappeared into her tent.
Hopefully that meant she was in a better state tonight and would get a good night's rest. And he had to admit that he was more than ready to get a proper night's sleep himself. He turned in a few minutes later after saying his own goodnights, and as far as he could remember slept like a rock all night.
The glow of dawn was seeping through the tent when he woke up. Unfortunately, it was his least favorite way to be awakened: by Mayor Darby's insistent voice.
This time it turned out to be a radio, shoved through the door of his tent by a very surly-looking Charlie, whose turn it was to keep his radio on in case of an emergency.
“Thanks,” Nick told him, grabbing it. The older man just grunted and shuffled back towards his own tent to go back to bed. Nick raised the radio to his mouth. “Nick Statton here.”
“Finally!” Darby groused. “Been trying to reach you for almost fifteen minutes.”
“Yeah well that tends to happen when you call someone at the crack of dawn,” he said, trying to keep the curtness out of his voice.
“Sorry about that, Statton. I needed to make sure I reached you before you guys took off scavenging. You start early and work long hours.”
And the pay and recognition certainly reflects that, he thought sarcastically. “What did you need?”
“Well in case you haven't considered it, when we meet Jay's ultimatum we need someone to make the delivery. Someone Zolos immune to deliver contaminated supplies.”
Nick actually hadn't really thought about it, mostly because with all the debating Stanberry had done about whether or not to meet the Wensbrook survivors' demands, they hadn't bothered to consult him about how those supplies would be delivered. And if the scavengers were going to be expected to make that delivery, actually making that request of him.
Which just about fit with his perception of how he and his people were viewed by the town.
That, combined with the rude awakening, made him more surly than usual. “Well, I'm glad you planned for it and consulted with the volunteers making the delivery beforehand,” he said with forced cheerfulness. “Wish them luck for me, and I hope everything goes well with the delivery. Over and out.”
Darby let out a blistering oath. “Wait, Stat-”
Nick turned off the radio and started getting dressed, grumbling to himself. How long would it take the man to drive over and yell at him in person? Five minutes?
The Mayor must've been even more annoyed than he'd sounded, because maybe three minutes later Nick heard the sound of tires screeching to a halt out on the road. He ducked out of his tent and started towards the informally agreed upon Zolos vulnerable visitor's area.
Darby met him there. The man looked furious, but when he spoke it was in a carefully patient tone. “Statton, your spirit of industry and cooperation has led us to take it for granted that you'll be there to help us at a moment's notice. We were mistaken in not talking to you about what we needed from you beforehand, so you had time to prepare for it. Especially since it could be dangerous.”
“It could be, which is why I'm not ordering my people to do it,” Nick said firmly. He heard rustling from behind him and glanced back to see that just about all his scavengers had their heads poking out of their tents, staring at the two of them. Charlie was actually seated on one of the camp chairs, brushing his teeth.
The Mayor took a deep breath. “If you could ask-”
“I'm not asking that of them, either.” Nick took a deep breath, then continued before the man could say anything else. “Which is why I'll go myself. Taking multiple trips if needed.”
He didn't consider himself as being particularly noble for making that offer. If anything, it was his responsibility to try to make amends with Wensbrook. Whether or not he'd been under instructions from Darby and the city's leaders, Nick was the one who'd gone into the evacuated town and searched those people's houses. He'd fed his family and friends from the supplies he took from there.
The least he could do was drive the truck that delivered some supplies back to the aggrieved party.
“Oh.” Darby looked surprised, then relieved. “Well good.” Almost as if afraid he'd take back his offer, the Mayor hastily continued. “Multiple trips won't be necessary, since obviously we can't spare enough to give the Wensbrook survivors back everything we took. But we were thinking we'd give them as much as we can spare crammed into one moving truck, hoping it'll be enough to satisfy them.”
Nick had a sudden uneasy thought. “You're not planning to give them any of the guns or ammo we scavenged, are you?”
The man snorted. “Do I look stupid?” He waved in the direction of the town's stockpile in the storage unit complex. “I was thinking your team could empty out stockpiles 17 and 18 of food, basic medical supplies, and any simple survival gear like tents, sleeping bags, water purifiers, that sort of thing. Those stockpiles are the most recent ones, which means we'd have to wait longest before we could use them anyway.”
“They're also the smallest ones,” Nick pointed out. “You sure that'll be enough to satisfy Jay and his people?”
“It had better be, because that's all they're getting,” Darby growled. “They're not trying to support a quarantine camp of close to two thousand people, even though they've been exposed to Zolos so they could manage one without having to worry about being infected.”
Nick had serious doubts about that, assuming the Wensbrook survivors were still carriers. But he just shook his head. “I'll grab a couple people and get the truck loaded up, then drive it out. Where am I taking this stuff, anyway?”
The man grimaced. “Darrel's scouts report that Wensbrook has kept a truck with a few people parked ten miles south of town ever since they left. I'm assuming that's where they want the supplies delivered.”
They'd just been sitting around out there? That wasn't ominous at all. “Can Darrel send some guys to cover me?”
The Mayor shifted uncomfortably. “That far outside the town's limits? Even wearing hazmat suits that would be a hard sell for any of our volunteers.”
Figured . . . Nick idly wondered what it would take to get any of the residents hunkered down in Stanberry to leave the safety of the patrol borders.
He heard the sound of approaching people and turned to see the brothers joining him, while the rest of the scavengers stood farther back obviously listening in. “We'll cover you,” Chet said calmly. “We're decent shots by this point, enough to at least keep Jay and his people pinned down long enough for you to escape if they try anything.” He grinned. “Besides, you'll need someone immune to the virus to drive you back after you drop off the supplies anyway.”
The offer was surprisingly touching, especially considering the recent unpleasantness. “Thank you,” Nick said. “As long as you can do it without putting yourselves in danger. Maybe we can find a spot where you can set up in hiding before I go in.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Ben clapped him on the shoulder. “I wouldn't worry too much about danger, though. After all, you come bearing gifts . . . even if they're not pleased by the amount, at least it's something.”
“Sure.” Nick actually wasn't sure about that, but he certainly hoped so. “Let's go load up that truck,” he continued as confidently as he could, then headed to his tent to grab a few things.
After a moment's thought he also pulled the holster of his 9mm off his belt and set the gun aside; wearing it was almost second nature, now, but if he was going in as a representative of Stanberry he didn't want to give the wrong impression.
As he grabbed a pack of jerky to snack on as they worked, an alternative to a proper breakfast, he tossed Chet the keys to his car. Waving a curt goodbye to Darby, who was standing around as if making sure they actually went and did the job, he turned his back on the man and headed towards his moving truck.
Behind him he heard the Mayor start down the path towards his car, branches crashing underfoot. Not even a “thank you” or “good luck”.
You're not doing it for that ungrateful jerk, he told himself over a fresh flash of irritation, you're doing it for the town that's currently sheltering you and your loved ones, and the camp full of people who depend on you. And you're doing it for the Wensbrook survivors, to make up for some of what you did.
It didn't feel like enough, but hopefully Jay would be satisfied and that would be the end of it.
Val moved to walk beside him as he left the camp, eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” she murmured.
“Someone has to do it,” he replied. “Jay sounds like he intends to go to war if we don't send him these supplies.”
She obviously wasn't satisfied by that answer, but she just nodded and rested a hand on his arm as he opened the door to his truck. “Be careful.”
“I try to be.”
As Nick climbed behind the wheel he glumly pondered the fact that it would be the last time he used it, since he'd be giving it to the Wensbrook survivors; maybe they'd need to start scavenging more vehicles along with everything else.
That was a worry for after this business with Jay was settled. Shaking his head, he started the truck and headed towards the stockpile.
✽✽✽
An hour later, Nick left the brothers in a small copse of trees on a rise overlooking the road, maybe seventy yards from where the Wensbrook truck waited. His car was out of sight on the road behind the rise, ready to pick him up when this was done with.
Assuming everything went smoothly.
Nick drove his loaded moving truck down the road at what felt like a snail's pace, wanting to make sure whoever was waiting up ahead was well aware he was coming and didn't think he presented a threat. He spotted two men climbing out of the pickup's cab and pulled to a stop twenty yards away, with the driver's side facing the rise so his friends could cover him.
Fifty yards. That wasn't a difficult shot with a rifle, especially since Ben had his scope.
As he climbed out of the cab, watching the two Wensbrook survivors approach, he was surprised to see that it was none other than Jay himself, as well as the big man who'd been with him at the confrontation at the roadblock.
