Free Land of the Dead (Book 1): Infected by Cian Campbell

we plan on seven, because I would hate to leave an armored vehicle there if we can put eight more people in it. Seven more vehicles would allow us to get a total of 108 people to the airport in one trip.”
    “But didn’t you say we couldn’t get more than 48 on a C-130?”
    “We can get 92 on if we reduce luggage to a single backpack per passenger.”
    “Do you think the plane will show up?”
    “I think the first one will. After that, I think that the infected AND the healthy will be crawling all over that airport. I need you, Doc, and Hannah on the first plane out.”
    “What about you?”
    “I’m considering it. I really am. None of it matters if we don’t get those vehicles. Do you have the master list of our folk?”
    “Right here.” Rick slid a list of names, written on college-ruled paper, across the table to Dillon.
    “Okay, this isn’t going to be fun. We need to highlight the names of everyone with weapons training in green, and anyone with essential skills in orange. Anyone with health issues that is a liability gets the yellow highlighter. Get Doc to help with that last list.”
    “How do I find all of this out?”
    “Ask. Don’t take anything for granted. The housewife could have firearms training. Okay?”
    “Yeah, I’ll ask. What do you consider essential skills?”
    “Things that help people survive the apocalypse – doctors and nurses, welders and carpenters, anyone who grew up on a farm….”
    “Dillon, there aren’t a lot of people like that in the State Department.”
    “I know, but there are a few. Nina Sobowski was a medic in the army. I’m betting a couple of the Facilities guys are welders or carpenters or architects. I think at least two of them have an engineering degree.”
    “Alright, I’ll have it to you by dark.”
    “I hope so, we only have so many candles around here.”
    “What time are we leaving tonight?”
    “We’ll go after midnight. Right now, I need to figure out how we’re going to get eleven passengers in my Suburban.”
    “That’s easy, you don’t. We only need three more suburbans.”
    “Huh?”
    “Four vans will hold 52 passengers. Four Suburbans, including yours, will hold another 28 passengers. That’s 80 passengers, plus the eight drivers. That’s 88 people. You only need to fit EIGHT people in your suburban tonight, because you only need to get the four buses and three additional Suburbans.”
    “That would be easier, but still scrunched. Plus, we will still need the eight drivers to turn around and come back here to pick up the second group if the military says they’re sending another plane.”
    “Dillon, I doubt those drivers are going to agree to drive back here when they are staring at an open C-130. I mean, I will, and you will, but it’s not even an easy choice for us. We’ve figured out that there might not be a second plane, so I’m sure everyone else has, or will.”
    “Damn. You’re right. I hate to say this, but we have to be more selective on our list.”
    “More selective? That’s going to be an issue. I already have people saying we should go by rank in the foreign service.”
    Dillon ran his hands through his hair. “That’s not going to happen. The most useful will get the first seats. The world will need craftsmen, soldiers, and teachers more than it will need office managers. Too many people are managers and too few are leaders, Rick.”
    “You’re probably right, but let’s save room for a few managers on that list, or you leader types won’t know how to implement anything more complex than breakfast.”
    Dillon laughed. It felt good to laugh. “You have a point. That’s why you’re going on the first plane.”
    “Nope. I need to stay here to give everyone not on the first plane some hope. Besides, I’m working on an alternate evacuation plan.”
    “I’d love to hear it.”
    “We need a riverboat.”
    “You’re crazy.” was Dillon’s gut instinct. There were dozens of flat-bottomed river