This Green Hell

THIRTY-ONE

Alex walked just ahead of Aimee and the boys. He could sense danger looming up around them like an evil maelstrom. A continual background noise filled his ears: a cross between the mewling of an infant and a boiling swarm of locusts — continuous, hungry and getting louder with each passing moment. Alex was now sure that the thing they knew as González was its focal point; and the infection spreading throughout the camp was somehow linked to the priest.

He saw Sam was holding the journal open as he walked. He dropped back to his second-in-command. ‘Anything more about our friend?’

Sam gave a small shrug. ‘Seems this González got hit in the eye and blinded by something — but our man seems to have two good eyes. Anyway, soon after he went from being at death’s door to making a miraculous recovery.’ He gave Alex a half-smile. ‘God works in mysterious ways.’ Sam closed the book. ‘Oh, one more thing — seems all the animals disappeared from around their camp.’

Alex turned quickly. ‘What?’

‘Yeah, the Guarani Indians were complaining the hunting had gone bad, then their domesticated animals went missing as well.’

Alex’s expression became darker. ‘That’s exactly what Aimee told me happened at the camp — the animals in the forest disappeared … and then the men.’

‘Great,’ said Sam. ‘Anyone else see a recurring pattern here?’

Alex nodded at the journal. ‘Keep reading, but one eye only. I get the feeling our friend’s not far away.’

He was looking back to check on Garmadia’s position when his ear stud gave the double vibration that indicated a message from headquarters. He frowned and slowed, gave his call sign and listened.

Hammerson spoke quickly. ‘Arcadian, I have an urgent update. Can you receive?’

Alex dropped back a step. ‘Go ahead, sir.’

‘We may have a significant problem. Are either of the CDC representatives carrying any radioactive material?’

‘Yes. Maria Vargis has stated she is carrying X-ray-grade isotopes. I can verify the radioactive material, but cannot substantiate its primary use or design.’

He heard Hammerson exhale. ‘Shit damn — as I suspected. Alex, you asked about Protocol 9, and I’ve found it. In effect, it’s an instruction manual on how to deal with everything from alien invasion and meteor strikes to a potential bio-terminal event. Be advised that the Protocol 9-nominated action for a significant terminal outbreak is a total site cleanse.’ Hammerson paused for a second. ‘I’m afraid the recommended cleanser is nuclear, or a scaled incendiary instrument. Arcadian, I believe that radioactive equipment they are carrying is likely to be a single-megaton nuclear device.’

Alex rubbed his forehead. ‘Jesus Christ, Jack, wha—’

Hammerson cut him off. ‘That’s not all. She’s sought immediate authorisation for a burn. I believe she’ll get it … very soon.’

Alex looked over to where Aimee and the boys were standing. Chaco gave him a thumbs-up and Alex winked in return.

‘Can you stop it?’ he asked Hammerson.

‘Negative, Arcadian, I’ve already tried. This is way above my pay grade — they literally told me to go to hell. There’s no time to go skating over people’s heads. Are you clear of the camp?’

Alex turned his back on Aimee who was watching him closely. ‘No, not all of us; Franks is still there. How much time do you think we have?’

‘I’m not sure. Vargis should get authorisation for initiation within a few hours, and then it’s up to her — could be anything from immediate detonation to several hours. You’ll need to be at least five miles from the blast zone. Alex, if I were a betting man, I’d say you have between two and four hours.’

Alex thought over the options before he spoke again. ‘I can have Franks delay the outcome; maybe even stop Vargis. Give us time to get everyone clear of—’

‘I say again: negative, Arcadian,’ Hammerson interrupted. ‘This has presidential authorisation. And, unfortunately, Vargis is the right person to make the call. Her brief also authorises her to use deadly force to execute a ratified cleanse. Franks would have to kill her to stop her … and we don’t want that. Arcadian, on my command, all other orders are rescinded. I’ve already dispatched a V22. We can’t put it down anywhere close, but it’ll drop some air hooks to pull you out. It’ll be coming in from the north-east coast. But be advised, I cannot order those men to place themselves within five miles of ground zero. I’ll send the pick-up coordinates, but you’ll have to get to them. God speed, Arcadian. Over.’

Alex turned back to Aimee, who mouthed, what’s up? He tried to think, but too many problems and options spun in his head. He just stared at her, like a robot temporarily stuck between gears. He needed more time. They had been travelling all day, and the sun was starting to set. Travelling all day — and they hadn’t gone that far. Certainly nothing like five miles from the detonation zone.

He’d call Franks and tell her to evac immediately. She was injured, but she was tough; she’d run till she dropped if he ordered it.

Aimee spoke his name and he focused on her face, noticing the creases of worry etched into it. He nodded and smiled at her, but his mind still raced. He couldn’t do anything for anyone else at the camp, and he shouldn’t try. Still, even though he personally couldn’t buy them more time, he could get Casey Franks to ask Maria Vargis to allow a few extra hours to get clear. Then he and Sam needed to start steering their group away from the blast zone and towards their rendezvous point without their Paraguayan chaperone realising what was going on. Alex could imagine the response of any soldier if they found out a foreigner was planning to detonate a nuke in their backyard. It’d get ugly, and he had enough problems.

He’d update Sam, but that was all; he’d need the big man’s calm intellect if they were all going to make it out alive.

He called his second-in-command over, then pulled his GPS unit from his pocket pouch and checked their coordinates. If they changed course now, they’d make it.

Casey Franks listened calmly to Alex’s clinical briefing on the situation. She’d experienced all manner of things in her career with the HAWCs, and currently being in the vicinity of some wild necrotising bug, an insane priest and a potential nuclear explosion was just another situation to be dealt with.

‘Got the coordinates, boss,’ she confirmed. ‘By the by, Michael Vargis is dead, and Maria Vargis is zoning out. I’ll try to buy us some time and then move to rendezvous with you at …’ She checked her watch: it was just on 1800 hours. ‘Approximately 2200 hours. But you know what traffic’s like around these parts.’

She allowed herself a small smile. Alex would know what she meant: Don’t wait around. The chances of her making it were slim.

She didn’t need to pack; she didn’t need food, more water or further armaments. If need be, she could live off the land. But she didn’t expect to be out there for long. The only thing she really needed was time. Her first call would be to Maria.

Maria wiped her eyes and sniffed. Any moment she expected to hear the peep of her secure comm device informing her that the initiation codes had been received. Then it was a matter of plugging them in and setting a countdown.

She felt a knot in her stomach and wondered whether she’d have the strength and courage to detonate. There would be innocent casualties. She wiped the steamy window to look out across the darkening camp. The braziers were glowing dark red and smoke was once again curling along the ground — it looked Gothic. If not for the heat, she might have expected Dracula to appear out of the mist.

This waiting was excruciating.

She got slowly to her feet. Maybe she’d take a walk over to say goodbye to Michael. It’d be her last chance.

Casey Franks spotted Maria standing in front of one of the isolation cabins. She wondered why; its last patient had long since succumbed to the foul disease.

Casey walked closer, and was about to clear her throat so as not to give the woman a start when the CDC scientist spoke without turning — as if expecting her.

‘I shouldn’t tell you this but you need to get out of here … now.’

Casey kept her expression flat as Maria turned to face her. The scientist’s hair hung in dripping bundles of rats’ tails and her face looked to have aged a generation in a day.

‘I’m going to burn it all,’ she said. ‘You need to be a long way away.’

Casey didn’t move. ‘I know.’

Maria frowned for a moment, then closed her eyes briefly and nodded in understanding. She turned back to look at the cabin.

Casey spoke as gently as she knew how. ‘How much time can you give me?’

Maria snorted. ‘Unfortunately, that’s not up to me anymore. I’m afraid the question should be: how much time will it give us.’ She nodded towards the rounded beams that kept the cabin raised up above the muddy ground.

At first Casey couldn’t see anything in the camp’s gloomy lighting, but then she detected movement. There was a black, jelly-like substance inching its way up the support beams. ‘What the fuck is that?’

‘Seems our little Hades Bug is quite sociable — likes to join with its family. It’s not content to wait for a chance interaction with its food source anymore; I believe it’s about to start looking for it.’

The jelly bulged in dozens of places to form small black globes like glistening, dark grapes. They split vertically to reveal opaque pupils that bulged obscenely towards the women.

Maria turned back to Casey. ‘I can give you four hours. After that, everything will be ash. God speed, Lieutenant Franks.’

Casey looked from the slime to Maria and back again. She’d seen what that stuff could do to a human being when it was microscopic. If it was now growing and about to go hunting — bring on the fucking nuke, she thought.

She had her extra time; now to use it. She turned away, bumping into Tomás who had come up behind her.

‘Señora, the men that are not sick have all gone now. They would not wait for your amigos to return.’

Casey grabbed the little man by the shoulders and looked hard into his face. ‘Doesn’t matter — you need to go home now too, Tomás. You need to go fast. Understand?’

He frowned. ‘Go home, señora … now?’

Casey gestured around the camp, then made two fists and opened them with an explosion sound. ‘Big bang coming — go home now!’

Tomás looked around the camp too, confusion showing on his face.

‘Oh, come on, Friday,’ Casey muttered, more to herself than to the little man in front of her. ‘Ahh, el grande dangera. Explodea… Oh, fuck it. Just go. Go!’ She pushed him towards the jungle.

He walked slowly towards the green wall but kept looking back over his shoulder at her. She nodded, made shooing motions with her hands, and gave a final wave goodbye.

She pulled her GPS from her pocket and used it to locate Alex. Hmm, lot of miles, she thought.

She sucked in a deep breath and winced at the pain in her throat. She tied a bandana cloth around the bandage, pulled out her longest knife, and then jogged to the edge of the clearing. She looked back at the scientist still standing in front of the hut. She waved, but couldn’t tell if Maria Vargis hadn’t seen her or was choosing to ignore her.

Casey Franks began to run, bullocking branches and fronds out of the way, and slashing at others with the razor sharp blade, as she picked up speed. Her feet kicked up sodden debris and mud as she sprinted through the darkening jungle. The mud stuck to her boots, some of it red … and some of it black.

After the strange soldier woman had left, Tomás stepped back into the clearing. He looked around and saw the other doctor woman standing in the drizzle. He decided not to interrupt her; she frightened him a little. It was just him and her now. All the men who were physically able to leave had over the last few hours. He would have left with them, but he knew that when señora Aimee returned she would need him.

He smoothed out the now illegible piece of paper pinned to his chest. He’d wait for her. She would want that.