Free LZR-1143: Redemption by Bryan James Page A

couple bolts. We had to get through a bunch between the Metro and the terminal, but the way they have those access doors and tunnels and crap set up, all that security—not as many as you’d think. We saw a few more on the tarmac, but… all in all, piece of cake.” She leaned back and tossed her bolt into the air again.
    This time, the turbulence was heavy, and we were all tossed from our seats to the floor. Her bolt landed on the floor and rolled away. I picked it up from where I stood, now safely ten feet away from the two women.
    Rhodes stumbled back after several seconds, the cabin shaking up and down.
    “T-storm,” he said. “No weather radar up, just ran into it. We’re having to go around, but we need to refuel soon, and the colonel says we might have some damage on the tail section from the take off. He’s trying to find an airport now.”
    I nodded, looking at the airman who was shadowing Rhodes. Behind both of them, the surviving sailor sat staring at the wall.
    “Sorry guys, what are your names? I hate to be rude, but this kid was a little bit of a surprise on take off.”
    The airman looked shocked but then shook it off.
    “Granger. Steve Granger, airman first class.” Then he got the look. Oh sweet Jesus the look. I thought we were past that.
    “I have seen all your movies, Mr. McKnight. Huge fan. I never believed the stuff about you. Not once. I knew you were innocent.”
    Rhodes guffawed once, whether at the sentiment or at the facts.
    I smiled, despite myself.
    “Yeah, thanks buddy. But… technically speaking, I wasn’t actually innocent. I did ultimately end it for my wife. I just wasn’t the one that killed her. This virus did that. I just helped her move on, even though I didn’t know that was what I was doing. But I appreciate your faith.”
    He looked momentarily confused, then smiled quickly as the plane dropped suddenly in another spot of turbulence.
    Behind him, the sailor hadn’t moved. He sat against the bulkhead, staring forward, rocking slightly.
    “He’s a little shook up,” said Rhodes, understating the facts slightly as he leaned back against the outer wall. Taking out a flip knife from somewhere in his kit, he began to dig underneath his nails, not sparing another glance.
    “Granger, what happened at your airbase? What made you guys bug out?”
    He lost his smile and shook his head.
    “I don’t rightly know. I was racking out in the plane—we were on long shifts, and you know, it was just easier. All of a sudden, the colonels were in the cabin, running to the flight deck. The doors shut up, and I was by myself back here. They said those things had come from nowhere.”
    “Where did they come from? Didn’t the base have walls?”
    He shook his head. “Not on the lake side. It was like back there, in D.C.,” he said softly. “They came out of the water, the lake next to our runway. We didn’t have a fence or a wall. Just some towers for visual watch, but it was night, and we didn’t like to burn spots unless we had to ‘cause it just excites ‘em, so we couldn’t see.”
    “You had refugees at the camp, didn’t you?” asked Kate softly, switching into her doctor voice. “Women and children and older people?”
    “Yes ma’am,” he replied. “We had a lot of those folks.”
    He paused, as if fighting the memories.
    “It didn’t go well for them. We couldn’t do anything. You know that, right?” He didn’t wait for an answer, just went quiet and turned to the sailor who was still rocking himself against the plane’s vibrating wall.
    “I’m gonna go check on Mr. Watts—that’s his name, it’s on his uniform.”
    “I’ll go with you, I might be able to help.” Kate said, her anger with Ky still affecting the tone in her voice.
    I watched them move toward the young man, and turned to Ky.
    “Seriously, what the hell?”
    “You tried to leave me behind.”
    “Of course we did, you idiot child. We were trying to keep you safe.”
    “How’d that