Brushfire Plague Page 21

After an hour, Cooper was down to the last person. His head hurt from the wide range of emotion he had encountered. Some cried, some yelled, and most begged him. In addition to Angela, he had decided to let four others in.

  Frank Stephens was a former career Marine infantry officer who, although in his early sixties, was still in excellent shape. Cooper felt that if he could put a cigar in his mouth and an M16 in his hand, he would have had a spitting image of Clint Eastwood in Heartbreak Ridge standing in front of him. Gus had cursed his late wife for making him get rid of his firearms. “I coulda taken those punks with one good rifle and thirty rounds,” he’d grunted when first meeting Cooper. Cooper believed him too.

  Michaela Evans worked as a trained botanist by day and hobbied as a competition pistol shooter by night. She wore her hair short, had smooth, ebony skin, and a no-nonsense attitude that Cooper liked immediately. Allowing her in was an easy decision because he needed anyone with weapons experience.

  Betty Gray was his charity case. The old woman reminded him too much of his long-dead grandmother. He couldn’t turn her away, even though he knew she didn’t bring too much. She knew how to can, but that was the only practical skill he could identify.

  Miko Martoulis was a recent immigrant who had served in the Greek army for several years. He had been a cook, but had been under fire a few times during their brief, but bloody, civil war that followed their economic collapse a few years ago. He worked as an auto mechanic at a local shop.

  But, it was the last interview that changed everything.

  *****

  After the long session, Cooper shouted, “Last,” and grinned at his own joke.

  A short man with fidgeting hands ambled towards him. He was young, but prematurely bald. His steps were haphazard and Cooper kept thinking he was going to stumble and fall down. Nervously, he looked in all directions. Cooper thought he might be high.

  Cooper stood up, angry, “Don’t waste my time if you’re on something!”

  The man’s eyes, suddenly alert, zeroed in on Cooper’s, “I’m not on anything. I swear.”

  As he drew closer, Cooper saw dark stains under his arms, despite the chill air, “Then why are you as nervous as a flea on a skillet?”

  He gripped Cooper’s jacket collar, his eyes darted back and forth, “Because, they are after me.” The man’s breath reeked with fear.

  Cooper pushed him to arm’s length, grabbing his collar in turn, “What? Who?”

  The man’s eyes pleaded, “Look. I know something. That gang that attacked us wasn’t random. They were looking for me.”

  Cooper’s eyes buzzed in confusion, “Slow down. What the hell are you talking about?”

  “No one will listen to me. They were coming for me, but they must not have had the full address, so they attacked our whole block.”

  Cooper was growing impatient, “Why would anyone be looking for you?”

  “Because I know how all of this,” he waved his hands in a wide arc, “got started.”

  Cooper relaxed his grip and took an involuntary step back, “You mean…”

  “Yes, that’s what I mean. I worked at Admonitus for God’s sake. I was just a lab rat, low on the food chain. But, I heard things. I knew what they were working on. It…”

  The man’s head exploded in a flash of red. Blood splashed wholesale across Cooper’s face, plastering his mouth, and burning his eyes. Cooper was on the ground before the man’s body had time to slump to the ground. Everyone was screaming as bursts of weapons fire sprayed the barricade in a wild fusillade. The roar of engines coming to life completed the cacophony.

  Cooper had his rifle at the ready position as he rolled to take cover next to the car he had been leaning against most of the day. A gaggle of vans and SUVs were racing from left to right, heading north. He was only able to get off two hasty shots at the last of them. His bullets disappeared into a green van and a black SUV to unknown effect.

  They were gone as quickly as they had appeared.

  Cooper waited a few seconds, but the engines continued to fade into the distance. The screams and moans of the wounded and dying were the loudest noise now.

  As he clambered back onto his feet, Mark came running over to him.

  “What the hell was that?”

  Cooper looked at the man lying at his feet, “I think it was a hit.”

  Mark looked at him in confusion, “A what?”

  “An assassination. They hit him with a long-range rifle head shot. The vehicles and gunfire were just a diversion. To make it look random. But, he was the target.”

  “Who would want him dead and why?”

  “I don’t know. But, I’m going to find out.” He’d remembered that Julianne had worked at Admonitus, as well.

  Cooper moved to tend to the injured.

  Chapter 20

  Cooper discovered his charity had been short-lived. Betty Gray had been mowed down by a burst from a submachine gun and lay dead in the street. The old woman appeared markedly smaller in death. Three others had been killed from close-in shotgun blasts or handguns. A half-dozen had been injured, most severely.

  Others from the neighborhood were coming up after the gunfire had subsided. Cooper barked orders at them to go and get first aid supplies as quickly as possible. As they ran off, Cooper saw Calvin coming straight at him. He looked like an angry bull, taking long, deliberate strides toward him. As soon as he was within earshot, he yelled at Cooper.

  “What the hell is going on here?”

  Cooper waved his hands in a wide arc, indicating the dozen bodies strewn about him, “We were just attacked.”

  Calvin was now within arm’s length, “Who are these people?” Cooper could see his face flushed a shade darker and his neck muscles as taut as a piano wire.

  “Ah, refugees from several blocks over. They were driven from their homes by the same gang that just attacked them here,” Cooper, confused, saw the rage in Calvin’s eyes. “Look, why are you so angry?”

  Calvin stood eye to eye with him, “Is it true that you were deciding to let some in?” Specks of spittle flew from his lips.

  “Sure I was. I was figuring out who had skills that we could…”

  Calvin poked him in the chest with the four fingers of his right hand, “You aren’t in charge Mr. Adams. What gives you the right to do this without consulting anyone else?”

  Now, Cooper’s patience burst. This is what he’s upset about? His ego being bruised? Christ. Cooper pushed him back to arm’s length with the flat palm of hand, striking Calvin just hard enough to cause some pain, “You mean you, don’t you?”

  Calvin’s eyes burned brighter and his fists balled up, “You’re damn right! I’m the President of our Association and the Captain of our Guard! Have you forgotten?”

  Cooper cut him off, clipping his words to stay just on the shy side of yelling, “I don’t have time for this. I was called by those at this barricade to deal with an emerging situation. And, I dealt with it. No decision I made here was irreversible. I was clear that anyone’s admittance was temporary.”

  Calvin’s fist relaxed and he took a half-step back, “That’s good to hear. But that doesn’t change the fact that you over-stepped your authority.”

  Cooper interrupted, “Exactly. It was a new, unknown, situation. I acted. So, what, are you and Gus going to do, sue me?”

  Calvin exploded, “Cooper, I’ve had enough of you. You constantly undermine me. You made decisions of import with zero consultation! I’ve worked hard for every ounce of responsibility I have in my life. I will not stand by while you tear it down.” Veins crept across his neck, bulging.

  Cooper remained speechless as Calvin continued, “You don’t know where I’ve come from or what I’ve overcome. It’s time you respected my role here!”

  Cooper, taken aback, lowered his head and nodded, “You’re right.” His voice was scarcely more than a murmur.

  Calvin cocked his eyebrows and leaned in to hear him, “What?”

  He looked hi
m in the eye, “I said you’re right. I’m sorry. I get it now.”

  Now, it was Calvin’s turn to be taken off guard, “Really?”

  Cooper cracked a grin, “Yeah, I’ve been too overbearing. You earned your place here. I need to honor that.”

  Calvin returned the smile, “Thank you, Cooper. To be fair, I’ve been on edge. This situation we’re dealing is out of my realm of experience.”

  “It’s out of everyone’s realm of experience,” Cooper chuckled.

  Calvin turned to the wounded, “Let’s get to work and help these folks out. I need you to get things done, Cooper.” He extended his hand. Cooper took it and the two men clasped hands firmly.

  Mark and the other guards had begun tending to the wounded and had already helped the most serious cases. As he helped bandage the victims with torn-up sheets that someone had brought, Cooper noted that most of those wounded wouldn’t make it through the night.

  He called Calvin over and pulled him away from the group. “You wanted decisions? I got one for you. Most of these wounded won’t live until morning. Bleeding in ways we can’t stop.”

  “What’s the decision?”

  Cooper pulled his face close, “We should think about putting them down.”

  Calvin recoiled and pulled away, “What? Kill them? Like dogs at the pound?”

  Cooper exhaled, whispering, “Calvin, they’re already dead. The question is whether we let them suffer through the night in pain. That’s the decision.”

  He paced in a tight circle, “I can’t believe this. How is this happening?”

  Cooper stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder, “It’s happening because the world got turned upside down. You gotta make the call on this. I’ve got to send the unwounded away before it gets dark.”

  He turned and walked back to the main group. Cooper reassembled the non-wounded people who had been displaced from their homes earlier that day. He made sure Mark had the small bundles of food gathered nearby, ready to hand out. He grabbed one and held it above his head.

  “I want to remind everyone of our agreement from earlier today. Because we are decent people here, we are modifying it. We will take the wounded in until they can travel or we can find alternative care. As I said, we have interviewed everyone. I will announce who we have accepted, but I wish to remind you, if anyone argues about our decision, they will forego this bundle of food that we will give to everyone who we do not accept. We do this from the goodness of our heart.”

  He let his words sink in to the group. He heard some disgruntled mumbles. He knew the attack had everyone on edge.

  “There is one more thing. If anyone gets threatening towards us or tries to sneak into our community later, they will be shot. No questions asked. So, think very hard before you react. I know those who are not accepted will be disappointed and maybe angry. But, we are giving you food to last you a few days. That’s more than anyone else has offered you. I hope you’ll remember that.”

  He turned to Mark. “You ready?”

  “Yes.”

  He looked over at Peter Garcia, who held a shotgun at the ready, “You ready?”

  “Yes, sir!”

  Cooper positioned himself to face the group once more, “If I gave you an odd number, please stand over to my left. If you received an even number, please step to my right.”

  As the much larger group moved to his left, a few people quickly figured out they were in the wrong group. Two of these tried to move back to his right. Cooper saw them and gave them a firm shake of his head and put his hand on the butt of his pistol. They quickly rejoined the larger group.

  “OK, those on my right can step across the barricade. You are welcome to our neighborhood. Mark, please start handing out the supplies to those on my left.”

  Cooper watched the unaccepted group very closely. He expected an outburst, or worse. He noted several faces that screwed themselves up in anger. However, they did nothing. He was shocked at the resignation that overtook the group once he had spoken. They dejectedly queued up behind Mark to accept the meager bundles that they had to offer. He swallowed hard to stiffen his resolve in the face of such heartbreak and despair. We can’t save everyone, he reminded himself.

  A woman with a young child in hand tried to rush past Mark. He stopped her with a firm hand. She yelled to catch Cooper’s attention.

  “Please, help us. It’s almost dark. We cannot sleep on the streets for God’s sake. Please let us stay, just one night.”

  Cooper had dealt with desperation worse than this in Iraq. But this was different. In Iraq the victimized had been strangers, oddly dressed, foreign customs and tongue. Here, they were his people. He’d probably seen this woman and her child at the grocery store or the park. Cooper’s stomach grew tight. He averted the woman’s eyes and didn’t respond. Mark shoved a bag of goods into her hands and told her to move on. She did so, after spitting at the ground in contempt.

  Cooper grabbed his walkie-talkie, “Dranko, you there?”

  After a moment’s pause, “Yes, what’s up?”

  “We need to relieve the west guard, they’ve been through a rough spell. Also, let’s put an additional guard on each post tonight and put another patrol out. I want to be ready if the attackers return or any of these refugees try to come back,” Cooper raised his voice so that the second half of what he said could be heard by the departing refugees.

  “Got it. We are low on men, but I’ll do what I can. You coming back?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute. There are three more I’m bringing with me who we can arm and put on rotation.”

  Cooper left Mark in charge until he was relieved. He quickly assigned the new residents to be housed for the night with those from the neighborhood who had gathered to help. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Calvin dealing with the wounded and the dead lying in the street. Calvin saw him and stood up, holding a towel and nodding somberly to him. Cooper nodded heavily in response, then turned to walk back home. Angela, Frank, Michaela, and Miko fell in step several paces behind him.

  They had taken only a few steps when he heard the first pistol shot ring out. The others jerked their heads around. Cooper didn’t. He knew what it was. Calvin, I knew you were big enough to make the right call. Sure enough, another crack followed a few seconds later.

  Cooper continued walking home. His slow, plodding steps reflected the exhaustion that had overtaken him.. His rifle felt like a suitcase loaded with rocks. He had to make a conscious effort to keep it from banging into the ground. I didn’t sign up for this. He could hear his father’s voice in response, “We don’t volunteer for responsibility, son. It finds those who can handle it and then it bites you in the ankle and holds on like a wolverine.” His father had lived his life in service to others. The stress, scars, and his eventual death could all be traced to that choice. His father had chosen the cause of the average working stiff. Cooper had tried to choose no cause at all. He was worried that one had finally found him. Absently, he kicked his leg out, as if to shake something from his ankle.

  Chapter 21

  Cooper found himself awake as the first rays of sunlight came streaming into his bedroom. Jake lay curled up against him, in the fetal position. Cooper carefully got up so that his son could continue sleeping. He made his way downstairs, taking the FAL with him and strapping on the holster.

  Within a half-hour, he had a full breakfast made from his nearly-depleted freezer supply of sausages and orange juice. He had cooked up a healthy pile of pancakes with frozen blueberries thrown in. They’d run out of eggs this morning. Cooper had reflexively reached into the fridge to grab a carton, but was surprised when his hand returned empty. He was thankful he had some pancake mix on hand that only required adding water. He wondered how long it’d be before he tasted eggs again. He knew Portland had some people with chickens in their backyards, but that couldn’t supply an entire city. He shook the thoughts from his head, no use worrying about that now.

  He put Jake’s p
ortion aside, covered. He ate ravenously, like a prisoner getting his first homemade meal after a long stretch in stir. Within minutes, the food was gone and he leaned back, patting his belly in satisfaction. Ah, I feel like a new man, now. He was surprised at his rapacity and it hit him just how much the previous day had taken from him.

  He was just starting his second cup of coffee when he heard a light rap on his front door. Not a moment’s peace. He tread lightly across the floor so as not to cause the floorboards to creak, his hand on the hilt of his pistol. Looking out, he saw the ponytail-bobbed hair that belonged to Angela. The intent look on her face instantly made him smile.

  He forced his lips together in a straight line as he opened the door, “Good morning.”

  Her face lit up as the door came open, “Good Morning, Mr. Adams. I was hoping I could have a word with you. I hope it’s not too early, but I saw you moving around, making your breakfast.” Her friendly, open face was difficult to resist, even if he’d wanted to try.

  “Oh, sure. Come on in,” he motioned her in with a sweep of his arm. “Can I get you a cup of coffee?”

  “Sure, that would be great.”

  She sat down at his kitchen table while Cooper poured another cup. He called to her from the kitchen, “Cream? Sugar?”

  “Nope, I like it straight up,” she responded. He smiled inwardly.

  He had barely landed back into his chair when she began, “I’m going to be direct because that’s just how I am. I hope you can handle it.”

  He stared intently back at her, his dark eyes staring at her over the rim of his coffee cup, “Try me.”

  “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see things are going to be…ah…unstable…for a while. I want in here. Fully in, until things go back to normal. I don’t want to be a refugee here.”

  Cooper bristled and leaned forward like a leopard getting ready to pounce. She stopped him with a hand gesture, “Just let me finish. I know what you said about us not being second-class citizens, and I believe you. But, I want more than that. I want people to forget that I didn’t live here when this all started. That’s how far I want to be ‘in’.”