Chapter XIX

CHAPTER XIX
OFF THE DEEP END
DAY 2

An impasse had been reached inside the church. Captain Logan cracked his knuckles in a gruesome fashion, poorly masquerading his emotional ties to his late friend, Lieutenant John Garrison.
Garrison’s last acts of bravery would be his true legacy. His words of impending doom incited Logan to pull the trigger on the operation. Interwoven inside this treacherous tapestry of life and death was John’s cautionary wisdom. John’s static filled last words were brought to Logan in a fading conversation over the malfunctioning walkie-talkie.
As the sun finally rose over the embittered colony, it warmly illuminated the previous night’s carnage, scouring the drenched fields that were littered with dozens of fresh, dead bodies, including John Garrison and Zartan.
“Our time is now,” Logan bitterly addressed Alethea. “Katy’s going to be on the short end of the leash on this particular mission.”
“I understand you’ve lost your friend,” Alethea attempted to coolly sooth the Captain’s burgeoning angst. “But, I have also lost many friends and family during this outbreak.” She paced around the inside of the once proud mosaic floor. The church was at one time a rich monument of worship and gathering, offering Dantu a reason to raid and pillage the church’s costly treasures, hereby financing his rebel army.
“John warned us that this virus could possibly be advancing itself at an alarming rate.” Logan’s teeth gnashed together grinding away at remnants of his last decent meal before he arrived. He had a delicious entree at his neighboring Chili’s. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peppered corn on the cob. He had a terse feeling inside his wavering gut that those days had come to a grinding halt. “I need to find that detonator out in the graveyard if we are to have any success at eliminating this threat.”
“Anyway I can help,” Alethea offered the Captain.
“How’s the boy doing?” Logan asked.
“Stable.”
“The chopper will be here in less than two days. I’m going to pray that some of us will be going back along with the antidote’s formula. That way, the United States can reproduce the remedy and we can come back and cure the others that might have been infected.” Logan’s words were twisted and loaded with bullshit. He had a firm plan in place to blow this thing sky high, killing everything and everyone in its wake. Logan really wanted to make it back to the chopper alive, but he had solemnly promised the President that he would personally take care of business down here. And Logan was always a man of his word.
****
“This hot fucking sun is starting to annoy me,” Judas griped back at the wilting soldiers. “Keep up!” he barked.
“Sir, we’ve been marching for more than four hours,” they complained in unison.
“I promise you this.” Judas began to sweat profusely as his madness continued to consume him. “Once we get back to the colony, they will forever remember my name.” His hands tautly gripped the pistol, as it swayed alongside his briskly moving body.
“And why will they remember your name?” Judas was being contested by one of the ignorant rebels.
“I will offer them the antidote, cure their ills, and be recognized as a medical genius.” Judas proudly offered his master plan.
“That’s the plan?”
“Well, if they don’t welcome me back with open arms and suffice it to say, hear my wisdom,” Judas jiggled the gun. “Then, I will formally introduce the colony’s inhabitants to my new collection of ardent bodyguards.”
“We continue on in Commander Dantu’s memory,” the rebel chatted up the sinking morale.
“Excuse me?” Judas jerked his head around to face the defiant rebel. His hands shook the gun violently around, ready to prove his point if necessary. “Your Commander is now a decomposing mound of flesh at the bottom of the river. He’s the main course for all those hungry piranhas, crocodiles and any other ravenous creature lurking beneath the deep waters. I’ll be more than happy to offer you the same thing.” Judas squeezed his eyes, glaring down his ignorant opposition.
“I understand Mr. Judas,” he acknowledged his new domineering leader. “I will not question your motives again.” The soldier promptly saluted Judas and returned to rigid fashion, ready to march straight through the dense thicket, his weapon firmly in place. “What about the loud noises last night?”
“Ah, probably the wind that’s all.” Judas noticed the firm salute. “That’s much better.” Judas crackled with a sly demeanor. “We should arrive shortly.” He could see the fading black plume of smoke still smoldering from inside the colony. “It’s only a matter of time now,” he softly mumbled.
****
Logan, filled with remorse over Garrison‘s death, trudged across the church floor, a meager shuffling of his feet until he had reached the arched doorway.
“I’m going out to the graveyard and retrieve the detonator,” he said, looking over in Alethea’s direction. “Here,” he tossed a secondary communication device over to her. “You can contact me on this. Just clip this around your ear and speak into it.” Logan demonstrated for her. “Attach the small box onto your belt loop. Use it for the volume control and to change frequencies. The chopper’s frequency is number seventy-six.”
“Seventy-six,” Alethea repeated.
“If anything goes wrong, simply turn the dial to that number and communicate with the pilot.” Logan turned to step outside.
“I will stay here and wait for Katy,” Alethea affirmed. “And, if Judas returns as well, I will contact you.”
Logan had already started his brisk pace over to the muddied graveyard by the time Ally had finished her sentence.
“John,” Logan’s words trailed off once he located Garrison’s corpse embedded into the muddy surface. Garrison’s body was twisted and turned into a pretzel type of formation. Logan painfully observed Garrison’s traumatic head wound. The gaping hole in the side of the Lieutenant’s head had emptied a significant amount of blood and brain matter across the colony’s soil. Garrison’s eyes were left open, in an eerie, fixated position. Logan ran his dirty fingers across his friend’s face, gently closing Garrison’s eyes. “Rest in peace my friend.” Logan actually shed a brief tear, displaying a random moment of affection.
“Where’s that damn detonator?” Logan anxiously scoured the area, diverting his immediate attention away from his deceased friend.
For several yards, Logan stared in horror at the collection of misshapen, gnarled, and mangled colonists scattered about the graveyard. There was no sign of the black detonator that Garrison had within his grasp seconds before his death.
“It has to be here somewhere.” Logan nervously paced around, rotating his jaw in disgust. “I’m losing precious time.”
Katy meanwhile, had already begun her study of the blood samples, in the hope that some answer could be found.
Her nimble fingers slid the small slide of blood underneath the last remaining operational microscope. Blinking her eyes, she turned the magnifier to enlarge the minuscule speck of blood.
Katy would have to decipher many slides that Quentin and Alethea had collected. She was running out of time. Logan promised her a time to deliver upon her word.
Retrieving Dr. Forsythe’s sample, after his incident at Dantu’s camp, Katy peered down upon the fragile specimen. She was hoping to find some answers within Forsythe’s blood. Dantu had the full antidote injected into his own body, forcing Quentin to withdraw the Commander’s blood. Katy speculated that Quentin had time to analyze his own blood and come up a medical blueprint to reconstruct the crucial antidote.
Time was the common enemy, hours faded into minutes, that eventually eroded into seconds. Against the clock, Katy’s eyes strained to find the answer buried deep inside Quentin’s blood. A conglomeration of red blood cells amidst a larger collection of white blood cells indicated Quentin was attempting to stave off the combination of Leprosy and Ebola. However, Katy had noticed the new Leprosy/Ebola virus was aligning itself for a larger battle, possibly reinventing itself to storm through Quentin’s unsuspecting body at a later time.
Quentin was indeed infected with the super virus, as his increased white blood cells indicated some sort of fight was being waged. Katy stared deeper into the devil’s disease and found out that it had already mutated since Quentin’s arrival.
The previous samples taken from patients during the previous doctor’s stay indicated that this virus was strictly one-dimensional.
Quentin had ingested a new concoction, one that had distinctly changed it formation and prepared to ravage Quentin’s body.
Katy realized the virus changed gears in a small time frame, and that Zartan and the others could have been infected with an ever stronger strain, rendering this new antidote utterly useless. Of course, Quentin’s healthy immune system assisted in the minimal damage incurred. Katy nevertheless, had her doubts that Quentin would be able to survive the oncoming wrath of this new disease. And, that meant Logan’s plan to send the colony into the depths of hell would be the only choice.
*****
“Ahem,” his craggy voice pierced the muted atmosphere.
“What are you doing in my colony?”
Logan snapped his head up staring into the barrel of Dr. Judas Sturgis’ gun. Logan’s knees felt the wet saturation through his fatigues. He crawled and clawed his way through endless feet of muck in a dire attempt to find the missing detonator.
“It looks like we have ourselves a perilous situation here G.I. Joe,” Judas sneered down upon his pinned adversary. “Care to explain?”
“I was wondering when the hell you were going to return.” Logan’s free hand slipped behind his back, unlatching the Glock from the black belt. “You must be Dr. Strugis?”
“Stay right there.” Judas clucked his tongue. “I came for the missing page.”
“What?” Logan bickered back. His fingers clanged against the butt of the Glock. It would only be a matter of moments before Logan could turn the table.
“Listen to me G.I. Joe,” Judas snickered as he parlayed his powerful stand into a righteous sermon.
“My name is Captain Nathaniel Logan. U.S. Army.” Logan seemed impressed with the small band of men that Judas had brought with him.
“I don’t care,” Judas seethed, rolling his tongue around his mouth. “I want the antidote. And, if I don’t get it, my men here will make sure that I do.”
“You’re not in the right mind to be making haste demands,” Logan almost had the Glock in his grasp.
“Shut your trap.”
“Hey, where’s the other doctor? Was it Forsythe?” Logan peered around.
Judas took the bait and also turned his head. “He had an unfortunate run in with some poisonous spiders.”
Logan grabbed the Glock and enabled a nimble move, kicking the legs right out from underneath the unsuspecting doctor. The darting move took Judas by surprise and he stumbled onto the ground. Logan quickly drew his weapon and aimed downward at the wriggling doctor.
“Now, it’s your turn to answer some questions.” Logan peered into those daunting eyeballs.
Judas snorted a piece of spit into the fatigues of Captain Logan. “Fuck you G.I. Joe.”
“I’m running out of patience with your arrogant attitude,” Logan’s slimy tone had started to permeate into the conversation. “You’re not getting up until you tell me why you want the antidote.”
“Quentin Forsythe was the leading medical man in the entire field.” Judas gripped his gun tightly. “He had it all.”
“So?” Logan raised his brow.
“The women, the book deals, these trips into the impoverished areas of the world.” Judas griped with anger.
“So, jealously is your motive here? Along with fame and money?” Logan asked.
“I want to be the one that the world looks to for advice, heroics and humanitarian assistance.”
“You have some serious issues,” Logan responded tautly holding the Glock in a defensive position. “Are you going to cash in when you obtain the cure?”
“Money would be nice. I would like to keep it out of the hands of the government. I don’t trust them when it comes to administering the antidote to those that are infected. I’ve watched too many episodes of the X-Files to feel secure about my government’s true intentions. So, I will ask you again to hand over the missing page to the journal and let me return back to the States.”
“It’s not that simple,” Logan stated. “The U.S. Army surely wants to assist in any capacity to assure that the infected are treated with the cure.”
“Oh, I beg to differ with you G.I. Joe.” Judas smugness began to wear on the Captain. Judas reached into the sticky muck and pulled out the small dinged up black detonator.
“Hey, now. I need that.” Logan readied the shot. “Hand it over.”
“Screw you,” Judas snapped back. “It seems we have an old-fashioned standoff here.”
“The journal’s missing pages for the detonator?” Logan offered a truce.
“I take it from the looks of things,” Judas said as he whirled his head around. “That all of these dead bodies have stepped up your suicide plan to blow up the colony and the virus.”
“That’s the plan Sherlock,” growled Logan. “Now, give me the box.” He shook the Glock at Judas’s wriggling body.
“Nah. I’d rather not.” Judas aimed his weapon directly at Logan’s mid-section. “The missing page. You have three minutes. Otherwise, this whole place goes up in one gigantic fireball.” He waved the black box around like a kid operating the controls to a train set.
“How do you know that’s not what I want?” Logan tried to call Judas’s bluff.
“Because if you did, the colony would be burning right now. Obviously, someone or something has clouded your judgment.”
“I see.”
“And, I want a safe return back to your pick-up point.”
“No,” Logan sternly addressed the demand.
“I know you have some sort of plan arranged to either pick you up or perhaps me or,” Judas’s words trailed off as he became partly distracted. “By the way, where’s my Katy,” He peered around Logan, trying to catch sight of his girlfriend.
“She’s working right now.” Logan’s finger flicked off the safety.
“Bring her to me,” Judas said as he waved the box in front of Logan.
“All of us are infected. There’s no way that you’re going back to the States carrying the disease.” Logan stoic and taut, refused to budge an inch.
“Correction. I will administer the antidote and completely heal and move on to helping millions of people across the globe. If you don’t help me, then I’ll let you slowly rot out here with all the other miscreants.” Judas shifted in the mud gaining a better angle on Logan.
“Logan!” Katy called out the distracted Captain.
“Ah, speak of the devil,” Dr. Judas Sturgis’ sarcasm was evident as he poked his head around Logan.
“We have a dire situation on our hands,” Katy’s dim voice caused great concern for Logan.
“Which is?” Logan couldn’t take his eyes off the wormlike doctor.
“The virus has mutated and Quentin’s virus could be useless. I’ve drawn a blood sample of Zartan’s son, who according to Alethea seemed to battle back the disease in its early stages. I think his young immune system couldn’t handle the rapid movement of the virus. Ultimately, it led
to Duke’s premature death.”
“What do you suggest?” Logan bellowed back.
“Judas?” Katy instantly recognized her lover, sprawled out on the ground. “Why are you aiming a gun at the Captain?”
“Because he’s aiming one at me, Honey. It’s a simplistic tactic actually,” Judas evilly sneered.
“Why? And where’s Quentin.” Katy looked around. Much to her chagrin, she was unable to locate Forsythe.
“He’s dead, Dear,” Judas responded with a chuckle. “And, he deserved it. All the shit he put me through, it was time for someone to take his place. Quentin had pulled the proverbial wool over my eyes. I’m doing all of this to rectify Quentin’s mistakes.”
“And, you think it’s your place to do that?” Katy was surprised at Judas’ aggressive arrogant demeanor. “I’m starting to see your ultimate plan. Ever since we met back at Quentin’s conference, you played me from the start.” Katy’s blood started to boil underneath her slick skin.
Judas carelessly shrugged his shoulders in response.
“This was all a game to get back at Quentin? You were always aiming to be the hero that saved the colony, and in the process discredit Forsythe?” Katy was becoming irritated at falling for such a dupe.
“That’s my plan.” Judas’ hands began to tremor, indirectly waving his gun around the air.
“Well, this antidote won’t work Judas.” Katy shot a nasty glare in his direction. “So, give up your crusade.”
“I really don’t want to hear that.” Judas shook the gun violently. His headaches had come back with a terrorizing aftermath. Judas brandished the gun wildly around taking it off Logan momentarily to clutch his spinning head.
“You are sick Judas. Let us help you.” Katy offered to her ailing lover.
“Do you have the missing page to Quentin’s journal?” Judas again demanded for the item.
“No.” Katy shook her head. “Why? Do you have one of his journals?” Katy curiously interrogated him.
“Yes Einstein. It’s in my backpack. But, the crafty son-of-a-bitch ripped out the page that contains the antidote’s construction.” Judas lowered his vocal tonality, indicating his growing impatience with the situation.
“You didn’t bother to read the preceding pages? They might hold a clue,” Katy responded with a promising suggestion.
“I don’t have the time to argue this point with you Katy.” By now Judas was completely pissed off with the outcome of things and motioned for his second in command to raise his shotgun. One of the men stood close to Katy, off to her left. “Logan is it?”
“I’ll kill you where you lie, dog.” Logan’s face narrowed with anger. Logan professionally analyzed the situation. He would have one shot to take.
Katy was caught off guard by the soldier’s quick reaction.
“We can make this very peaceful. Or, it can get ugly in a hurry,” Judas informed the trio. “Your call, G.I. Joe.”
“We’re all going to die out here Judas,” Logan readied his shot. “This virus has already infected our bodies. It’s only a matter of time before we all succumb.”
“Not if you get me that page,” Judas again raised his gun, aiming it directly at Logan once more. “I can save all of you. Then again, if you don’t comply with my simple
request I will kill Katy.”
“You bastard,” Katy scowled. “I loved you.”
“Your first mistake. And now, you’re going to make another costly blunder. I’ll tear through the colony and find the journal’s missing page myself. Or, I can also kill you and pry that vial of blood from your dead cold fingers.”
“Fuck off, Judas.” Katy clenched the vial and squeezed it until the contents exploded inside her hands. “There’s your God Damn antidote asshole,” Katy’s emotion roared with anger as she hurled the broken vial to the ground, burying it deep into the mud with the heel of her foot.
“Bitch,” Judas growled raising his arm to incite his order.
Logan’s peripheral vision was his greatest asset as a decorated Army Captain. He could feel the battle from all angles. Logan knew his window would be small to save Katy. Nevertheless, he enacted his plan. Logan realized that he had started to have feelings for Katy. He never considered the possibility of falling for someone all over again.
Acting with the force of a hurricane, Logan’s right foot smacked directly into Judas’ jutted jaw sending the doctor reeling flat to the ground. Logan then pivoted on his left foot wheeling around and unloading upon Katy’s shooter, squeezing off round after round. The stunned soldier’s body absorbed the incoming shots, sending random sprays of blood into the air. Staggering, the solider keeled over face-first, silently quaking his way into a cold death. The ensuing madness consumed Logan.
“Anyone else?” Logan prepared for a fight. To his surprise the other soldiers released their weapons, letting them drop harmlessly to the ground.
“Katy,” Logan called out to her. “Katy are you all right?”
Her lips quivered. A warm sensation poured through her fingers as she clamored to pressurize the wound.
Logan turned around and witnessed Katy’s horrifying condition. “Katy, no!” He ran to her aid.
Logan caught a brief picture of the smoking barrel from Judas’s fired weapon.
Katy fell to her knees. The bullet had embedded into her chest, nicking one of her lungs. Gasping for breath, Katy fought hard to sustain consciousness.
Logan skidded across the mud and caught her in his arms. Her face losing the fire that had once burned brightly in her eyes. Flickering, her eyes met Logan’s.
“I’m sorry,” her words were quiet and feebly coherent.
“Don’t be.” Logan pressed his hand against her wound attempting to stop the bleeding. “You did your best.”
“I wish we could’ve had more time together,” Katy’s words tugged at Logan.
“We will. You were just about to crack through my shell.” Logan kissed her clammy forehead. “You made me feel again. For that, I’m eternally grateful to you.” He cradled her face in his careful hands. “You need to rest. It looks like the bullet hit one of your lungs. I will come back for you Katy Madison.” Logan pressed his lips firmly against hers.
“I’ll wait for you.” Katy cradled herself in Logan’s arms. Her eyes gently closed, dreaming of Logan’s warm embrace.
Logan let a steady stream of tears streak down his weathered face, definitely an emotion he hadn’t felt since his wife died many years ago.
Logan carefully laid Katy down to rest, folding her arms across her chest. Logan gripped his weapon and feverishly headed across the field to encounter Judas once and for all.