Extinction Age

-25-

A cold draft of air blew on Kate as she sat waiting at the war table in the command center. She shivered, wrapped her arms across her chest, and sank a few inches in her chair.

“It’s going to be okay,” Ellis said.

Kate wanted to believe him. God, she wanted to. Beckham had surprised her in the past. She’d thought he was dead so many times before and then—because of a miracle, luck, or divine intervention—he’d come home. Battered and bloody, but alive. This time, though, she wasn’t just worried about her own happiness. If she was carrying his child, she couldn’t bear the thought of raising it alone. Especially in this new world.

She sat there with her head lowered, feeling defeated. The chatter of voices sounded in the hallway outside the room. She wasn’t listening to the discussion. Part of her didn’t care anymore. After thirty minutes of waiting, the doors finally swung open and Colonel Wood entered the room. Ellis stood, but Kate remained in her chair.

Wood walked to the observation window as his team sat around the table. Jensen took a seat next to Kate.

“Beckham will be back,” he said quietly. “He’s a hard man to kill.”

Kate simply nodded.

“Everyone knows by now that Central Command has fallen,” Wood said from the window. “That’s the bad news.”

Wood turned and then slowly strolled over to the table. Raising a finger, he said, “But there’s good news too. Early reports indicate that the first stage of Operation Extinction has been an overwhelming success. We have recovered payloads of chemotherapeutics from around the country.” Wood turned to look at Kate. “Dr. Lovato, am I boring you? I presumed you would be pleased to learn that our men secured the drugs you asked for.”

“Good news,” Kate managed to reply. She looked ahead, afraid to say anything else that might make her look even weaker than she did now. Despite her despair, she had to remain strong. Humanity was still counting on her. It was a burden she no longer wanted, a burden she would gladly hand to anyone—anyone, that is, except the man who stood in front of her.

“I’m told you have an update on Kryptonite,” Wood said.

“We do,” Ellis replied when Kate didn’t answer. “Patients 1 and 2 succumbed to the drugs a few hours ago.”

“Excellent,” Wood said, sounding pleased for the first time since the briefing began. “How about the human testing?”

“I was injected this morning,” Ellis replied, faking a grin. “And I’m still here.”

Wood’s eyes flicked to Kate again. “Do you have anything to add, Dr. Lovato?”

“The weapon will work, Colonel. All I need is time to produce the batches of antibodies and for you to help coordinate the production before it’s deployed,” Kate said.

“Confidence,” Wood replied. “Nice to finally see that you have a backbone under that lab coat.” He scratched his cheek and said, “As for the deployment. There’s been a change—”

A rap on the door cut him off mid-sentence. Kate whirled to see Cooper and Berg enter the room.

“Sorry to interrupt, sir,” Berg said. “But we just got word from Echo 2 and Echo 3. They’re en route to the island.”

Wood looked at the men like they were stupid. “We’re in the middle of a briefing here,” he snarled.

“But, sir,” Berg said. “Bravo and Charlie teams found survivors at Raven Rock. I’m told they have the Secretary of State with them.”

Kate’s heart thumped hard. So hard she felt dizzy. She wanted to ask if Beckham was on one of the birds, but she knew he had to be. She couldn’t accept the alternative.

Wood’s blue eyes widened ever so slightly. He looked to the floor and then back to Berg. “Prepare your men. We’ll meet Madam Secretary Ringgold on the tarmac.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were the Secretary of State?” Beckham asked the woman sitting opposite him.

Secretary Ringgold shivered in the cold wind and wrapped her arms across a white dress shirt caked with dried blood. Beckham focused on the US flag pin on her lapel. He’d known she was important, but he’d had no idea she was next in line to the presidency.

“I’ve never liked preferential treatment. Besides, what would you have done? Given me a bulletproof vest? Carried me over your shoulder?” she said.

Beckham felt his lips forming a smile, but he didn’t let them. It would have felt like a betrayal to Lombardi and everyone else they lost at Raven Rock. He reached inside his rucksack and pulled out a rain jacket.

“It’s not a bullet proof vest, but it might help with the cold, ma’am,” Beckham said. “Glad to have you with us.”

“Thank you,” she said with a warm, sincere smile.

“Plum Island, ETA ten minutes,” one of the pilots said over the comm.

Beckham worked his way to the open door and took a seat next to Horn. His best friend sat at the edge of the troop hold, his M249 angled into the darkness. Chow was camped against the wall behind them, a toothpick flicking back and forth in his mouth.

None of them said a single word for the rest of the flight. Beckham listened to the whoosh of the blades and stared at the empty cities, wondering just how many people were left to save down there.

Kate and Ellis stopped by Building 1 to pick up Tasha and Jenny on their way to the tarmac. Word had traveled fast about the homecoming of Echo 2 and Echo 3. By the time they arrived, a crowd had gathered. Riley and Meg were there. Red and Donna were standing next to them with Bo perched on his father’s shoulders. It looked like every civilian at the post had emerged from their quarters to see the troops return.

It should have been a happy occasion, but Wood’s men patrolled the area, their eyes hidden by the shadows their black helmets cast. She counted a half dozen of them, all carrying the same model of weapon. Berg and Cooper continued to tail Kate and Ellis, and she was beginning to feel like a prisoner. She pushed the anger aside, focusing on how good it would feel to wrap her arms around Beckham.

“Miss Kate, do you know when my dad is gonna be home?” Tasha asked.

Riley wheeled over to them and gave Kate a meaningful look. Neither of them seemed to know what to say. Kate leaned down and brushed the hair out of Tasha’s face.

“Come here,” Kate said. She scooped Tasha up and carried her. Kate could feel the small girl’s heart beating against her arm.

“What’s with all the firepower?” Meg asked. “Those two goons with the mustaches keep looking at your butt, by the way.”

“Wood’s men,” Kate replied. “With Central Command gone, he’s pretty high up on the ladder now.”

Riley’s hand shifted toward the pistol he had tucked into his pants. His boyish features took on a hard cast.

“There,” Meg said. She kept her crutches tucked under her armpits and pointed at the incoming helicopters.

“Daddy,” Jenny chirped.

Wood, Jensen, Smith, and Valentine pushed past the crowd. Berg and Cooper followed them onto the tarmac.

Kate put Tasha on the ground and said, “Stay here, okay?”

Ellis took Jenny and Tasha’s hands, and Kate ran after Wood and his men. Halfway across she saw Fitz and Apollo walking down a path leading from the beach. He flung his rifle over his shoulder as he continued toward the buildings.

Kate caught up to the group and stood next to Jensen. He nodded at her and gave his mustache a quick, nervous swipe as the choppers descended. A blast of wind slammed into the group a second later. Kate shielded her face from the gust, her eyes searching the troop holds anxiously. She couldn’t hold back a smile when she finally saw Beckham. He raised a hand and dropped it as the landing skids connected with asphalt.

Beckham, Chow, and Horn jumped out of the first bird and turned to help a middle-aged woman who Kate assumed was Secretary Ringgold. Five civilians and an injured soldier poured out of the other bird. Her heart skipped when she saw Lombardi was not amongst them.

The pilots shut the Blackhawks down a moment later. Kate couldn’t hold herself back any longer. She raced forward, ducking under the slowing blades, and wrapped her arms around Beckham. He kissed her on the cheek and then pulled from her grasp.

“Later,” he whispered. “I need to know what the hell is going on. I heard that Central…” His voice trailed off as Wood approached.

“Welcome to Plum Island, Secretary Ringgold,” Wood said, reaching out a hand. He didn’t even look at Beckham or the other soldiers. “I’m Colonel Wood. I’m in charge of this facility.”

‘Thank you, Colonel,” Ringgold said, shaking his hand. “You have no idea how happy I am to be here.”

Wood waved two more of his soldiers away from the barriers. The men came running across the pavement. “And we’re happy to have you. I’ll make sure you have escorts at all times. My men will personally ensure your safety.”

“I’d like an update. I’ve been trapped inside that tomb for far too long,” she said. “What’s the status of Central Command? I heard it was attacked.”

“The Variants overran Command earlier today. I was there. Not many of us made it out.”

“My god,” she said.

“It was a real tragedy,” Wood replied with a rueful nod. “But the good news is that the first stage of Operation Extinction has been an overwhelming success.”

“Operation Extinction?”

Wood ran a finger over his chin. “The operation to take back the country from the Variants. Our very own team of medical geniuses has designed a weapon that will be deployed all across the United States in the coming weeks.”

He acknowledged Kate with a wave. Kate wasn’t sure she understood him correctly and said, “Just the United States?”

Wood frowned slightly. “That’s right, Doctor. As I was saying earlier, there’s been a change of plans. We’ll be deploying the weapon over our nation and select territories. I’m sure you understand. It’s a matter of resources and priorities.”

Kate thought of her parents, who could still be alive in Europe. “No, I don’t understand, Colonel.”

Wood addressed Secretary Ringgold as if Kate hadn’t spoken. “My men will escort you to Building 1, where you will find a hot shower, a change of clothes, and a meal waiting for you.”

“Thank you, Colonel,” Ringgold replied. She glanced over at Kate, her keen eyes questioning, before two Medical Corps soldiers led her away.

Wood turned on Kate. “Doctor, if you ever undermine me like that again…”

Beckham took a step forward and Wood froze, his eyes flicking to the operator. He seemed to think better of threatening Kate with Beckham standing between them.

“Lieutenant Colonel Jensen,” Wood said. “I want you to load a chopper with half of the drugs and prepare them for a flight.”

“A flight to where?” Jensen asked.

“That’s classified,” Wood said.

“I’m not sure I understand, sir.”

“Did I ask you to understand, or did I order you to load that chopper?”

“Sir,” Jensen said, “Operation Extinction was to be a worldwide effort. Am I correct in that understanding, sir?”

Wood glared at Jensen. “Rest assured, Lieutenant Colonel. The weapon will be deployed according to priority over cities in the US and then our more rural areas. Now load—”

“What about our allies, sir?” Beckham asked.

“Did you not hear me earlier? They’re on their own,” Wood snapped. “What’s wrong with you people? You sound like the late General Kennor. Did you really think that we would send help to someplace like North Korea or Iraq? This is our chance to end all wars. We’ll wait until the enemy nations are overrun and then deploy the weapon.”

“There are people there,” Jensen said. “Innocent people. They aren’t our enemies. The Variants are. The wars we were fighting with each other ended the day the Hemorrhage virus got out of the fucking lab.”

“A lab you helped run, isn’t that right?” Kate asked in a sharp voice.

Wood shot her a venomous glare. “Cooper, Berg, escort the doctor back to her quarters. If she tries to resist, take her to a holding cell instead.”

“Lay a hand on her and it’s the last thing you do,” Beckham growled.

Jensen shook his head. “This is all wrong. We’re supposed to be saving people, not serving our own interests. When did you forget that, Wood? When did you become a monster?”

“I’m giving you a direct order,” Wood said, his blue eyes like chips of ice. “Load those choppers or you will be arrested and dealt with accordingly.”

Jensen didn’t budge. He spat a wad of tobacco on the ground and folded his arms across his chest. “You don’t get to decide who lives and who dies.”

“Wrong,” Wood said. In a swift motion, he drew his pistol and fired two shots into Jensen’s chest.

“No!” Beckham shouted. He pulled the strap of his rifle from his back and swung the muzzle toward Wood as Jensen crashed to the ground.

Major Smith dropped to his knees, yelling, “Jesus Christ! You shot him! You fucking shot him!”

Horn and Chow centered their guns on Berg and Cooper. The Medical Corps soldiers were taken off guard but recovered quickly and aimed their own weapons at the operators. Between Valentine, Wood, and the twins, Beckham and his men were outnumbered.

“You son of a fucking bitch,” Beckham said. He shifted his gaze from Wood to Jensen. The lieutenant colonel was bleeding out, blood gushing from his chest as Smith tried to apply pressure on the wounds.

“I would think very carefully about what you’re doing right now, son,” Wood said.

“I’m not your ‘son,’” Beckham snarled. “Step down, Wood. Step down before we take you down.”

Kate cupped her hand over her mouth as Berg and Cooper circled in. Four more Medical Corps soldiers came running from the post.

“Beckham, lower your weapon,” Valentine said. “You don’t want to do this.”

“You’re on the wrong side,” Beckham said. “And I will give no quarter when the bullets start flying.”

Jensen choked on his own blood, his chest heaving as he took in raspy, gurgling breaths. Kate wasn’t an expert, but it sounded like he had a collapsed lung. If they didn’t help him in the next few minutes, there was no way he’d make it.

“Get him a medic!” Beckham shouted.

Major Smith raised fingers slimy with blood and reached for his radio.

“You will do no such thing,” Wood said. “Smith, you’ve done admirable work here, but your loyalty to your former CO will earn you nothing but a court martial at this point. Make the right choice now, and I can promise you’ll go far. With Central gone, we need men like you in the upper ranks.”

Smith froze, his eyes dancing from Beckham to Wood. For a moment, he seemed to consider Wood’s offer, but then he lifted the radio.

Before he could speak, Valentine and the other six medical corps soldiers closed in. Kate watched in horror as they pointed their weapons at Smith and Beckham. The sudden crack of a rifle shot made them all flinch.

Wood’s face disappeared in a spray of bone, blood, and teeth.

Beckham pushed Kate to the ground and dropped to a knee as Wood’s body slumped to the asphalt. He fired at Berg in a blink of an eye. The rounds pierced Berg’s neck, and he slumped to the ground, clutching the holes. Scarlet poured through his fingers like a waterfall.

Kate’s world slowed to an agonizing pace as all hell broke loose. Two more distant cracks sounded, and two more of Wood’s men fell limply to the pavement. Screams of panic broke out from the crowd as the civilians ran for cover.

Valentine was firing wildly, not seeming to care where he aimed. Two shots snagged Horn, sending him flying backward. Chow let out a scream and fired a volley of rounds into Valentine’s gut. The sergeant fell to his knees, clutching his stomach and staring at Chow incredulously.

“You shot Horn, you son of a bitch!” Chow yelled as he put a bullet in Valentine’s skull.

Another crack sounded in the distance and Cooper dropped, leaving only two of Wood’s henchmen. One of them had centered his gun on Beckham before he was knocked to the ground by a blur of black and tan fur.

Apollo ripped out the man’s jugular vein and then turned on the final guard. Chow took the man out with a shot between the eyes before the dog could get to him.

In less than twenty seconds, it was over. Kate rose to her feet, trembling as she surveyed the damage. Wood and all seven of his men lay in puddles of their own blood. The only one still twitching was the man Apollo had attacked.

Chow fired a three-round burst into the fallen man’s body armor, painting the asphalt with crimson.

“Medic! I need a fucking medic,” Smith yelled over and over again into the radio. He pushed down on Jensen’s chest. “Lovato, you’re a doctor! Get over here and help him.”

Kate didn’t know how to explain that unless they got him to an emergency room, he wasn’t going to make it. She could build weapons to take a billion lives, but she couldn’t do anything to save Jensen from bleeding out in front of her. She rushed to his side nonetheless and did the only thing she could—she grabbed his hand to comfort him.

Distantly, she heard Reed shouting her name. She turned to see him fall to his knees beside Horn. Chow was already there, gripping the huge operator’s hand. Blood blossomed across his right bicep, but he seemed more shocked than hurt.

“I’m fine,” he grunted, struggling to sit up. He patted his flak jacket and then pressed a paw over the wound on his arm. Chow helped Horn up as Beckham hustled over and knelt by Jensen’s side. He squeezed next to Kate and took over compression from Major Smith, who slumped back onto the asphalt, his uniform stained up to the elbows with his commanding officer’s blood.

“Hang in there, sir. We’re going to get you help,” Beckham said.

“Beckham,” Jensen choked.

“I’m here.”

“You have to…” Jensen coughed, blood gurgling at his lips.

“Sir, just hang on,” Beckham said. He glanced up and yelled, “Where the fuck is that medic?”

Jensen fumbled with his holster and pulled a revolver. He didn’t have the strength to lift it, and his hand flopped back onto the ground. “I want… I want you to have this.”

Beckham looked down at the gun, and after a second of hesitation, he took it.

“I told you… she’s my girl,” Jensen said. “Take her. Defend the island. And make sure…” He gasped, choking as blood filled his lungs. When he spoke again, his once-powerful voice was barely a whisper. “Make sure Kryptonite gets deployed worldwide. Do the right thing. I know you will.”

“I will, sir. I promise you,” Beckham said.

By the time Doctor Hill arrived, Jensen was already dead, his dark eyes staring blankly at the sky.

Beckham slowly placed Jensen’s empty hand on his chest and then stood. Apollo, his snout still bloody, pressed his side against Beckham’s leg. The dog let out a low, melancholy whine like he understood what they had all just lost.

Beckham wanted to scream. He wanted to take Jensen’s gun and unload it into Wood’s corpse, but even that wouldn’t make him feel better. Jensen hadn’t just been a friend; he had been one of the only good officers left. Now they were leaderless, and for the first time in his life, Beckham wasn’t sure what to do.

The sound of raised voices pulled Beckham’s attention to the concrete barriers where the rest of Wood’s men had gathered. The remaining Marines from Bragg were already disarming the Medical Corps soldiers. Riley had his pistol aimed at a man on the ground. Meg was by his side, her knife drawn and one of her crutches pushed down on the fallen soldier’s neck. The only member of Beckham’s team missing was Fitz.

He realized then it was the Marine who had saved their lives. Only he could have nailed those headshots. He saw Fitz rushing over to aid Riley and the other men that had been loyal to Jensen.

Beckham bent down and closed Jensen’s eyes. “Dr. Hill, get us a stretcher. I don’t want to leave him out here like this.”

“My God,” Hill said, looking at the other bodies. “What do we do with them?”

“For now, we leave Wood and his men here. I’ll bury the bastard in an unmarked grave next to Gibson. They can spend the rest of eternity rotting together,” Beckham said.

Hill nodded, radioed for a stretcher, and then ran toward the buildings with Smith. Beckham rose to his feet and looked for Kate. She was checking Horn’s arm.

“Keep pressure on the wound,” Kate said.

“I know the routine,” Horn said. “I better get to my girls.”

“I’ll go too,” Chow said.

The men took off at a trot, leaving Beckham alone with Kate. He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the death.

“I’m sorry,” Kate said. “I’m so sorry, Reed.”

Beckham shook his head and looked toward the horizon. He’d gotten his revenge on Wood and his men, but it did nothing to relieve the pain of losing Jensen.

They stood there in silence, Kate’s hand in his. Seconds turned into minutes as neither of them moved.

“What happens now?” Kate finally whispered.

Beckham stared into the dark sky, watching a cloud drift across an ocean of flickering stars. “We get Kryptonite ready and send it over every corner of the goddamn earth.”

Kate rested her head on his shoulder. “And after that?”

“We keep fighting,” he said. “And we never stop.”

Look for Book 4, Extinction Evolution, coming fall of 2015! For updates on the series, information on new releases, and exclusive giveaways, join Nicholas’s mailing list here.