Free Indestructible: V Plague Book 7 by Dirk Patton Page B

his mouth
open in awe.
    “But how the hell are they surviving?  There’s no water up
there and they’re still human.  They have to drink.”  He said in a frightened
voice.
    “Beats the hell out of me,” I said.  “They can do things and
endure injuries that would kill you and me.  You studied the virus that came
with the nerve gas.  You should know more about it than I do.”
    “Studied the virus, yes, but only to find a way to combat
it.  Not what its long term impacts on the human body are.  Jesus Christ!  How
the hell do we stop them?”
    “We kill every single one of them.  That’s all that’s worked
so far.  Like you said, they’re still human.  They will die.  It’s just a lot
harder to kill them than it is a normal person.”  I answered.
    “We need to get moving,” I finally said when Joe just sat
there, staring at the horizon.
    Urging my horse forward, I got her turned and circling the
bowl so we could head south to pick up the trail we’d had to abandon in pursuit
of water.  Soon Joe was riding beside me, the third horse following along
behind.  Once we had reached the southern edge of the depression I was able to
see the path we had left in the grass as we came north.  After a little coaxing
I got the appy moving at a trot.
    What had been an hour’s run for us was covered in less than
fifteen minutes on the horses, then we reached the dry river.  Two vultures
were intently tearing flesh off the corpse that had fouled the water, both of
them turning their ugly heads to look at us when we rode up.  I got the horse
stopped, watching them just standing there, unmoving, staring at us.
    Vultures were one thing I was accustomed to seeing in
Arizona.  I spent a lot of time out in the desert, and they were always
present, cleaning up the remains of any animal that had died.  They are loud,
raucous and always in motion.  If they’re not eating, they’re spreading their
large wings to scare away any competing scavengers, especially when approached
as we had done.
    But these two were just sitting there watching us.  No ear
grating cries.  No wings extended in an attempt to appear large and
intimidating.  Just still as statues.  With mounting concern I raised my rifle
and looked at them through the scope.  Red eyes.  They were infected.  Then it
struck me that these were the first scavengers I’d seen since this all started.
    Sure, I’d seen a bear in the Tennessee woods feeding on a
corpse, but bears don’t fall into the scavenger category even if they will help
themselves to an easy meal.  I remembered the truck stop in Arkansas where I’d
gotten the Lexus, and all the corpses lying around without a single scavenger
in sight other than insects.
    The larger of the two birds suddenly spread its wings,
extended its neck and hissed at us.  Before it could take flight I pulled the
trigger and put three rounds into it.  There was an explosion of feathers and
blood as it was punched back by the impact of the bullets.  The second one
continued to stare at us, not reacting in the slightest to the death of its
companion.  I put three rounds into it, following up with a single shot when it
didn’t die right away.
    “OK, just what the fuck was that?”  There was a note of
hysteria in Joe’s voice.  “They were infected?”
    I nodded, taking a moment to scan the horizon, then the sky
to make sure I didn’t see any circling buzzards that were about to swoop down
on us.
    “Seriously?”  He sounded like he was about to lose it, and
if I hadn’t seen everything I’d seen up to that point I’d probably have been
right there with him.
    “Let’s go and I’ll tell you while we ride.”  I said, getting
my horse moving in the right direction.

14
     
    Joe rode beside me and I talked as we worked our way east. 
I told him about the razorbacks, and the bats I’d seen in Texas.  As we moved
he calmed and began thinking about what I was saying.  He asked a lot of
questions I