Free Outbreak: Boston by Robert Van Dusen Page A

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    pointed his pistol at her and flicked the weapon’s safety catch off. The radio squawked, startling him into snapping the M9 back into its holster as he felt around for the handset. It seemed that everybody and their brother were falling back. However, where exactly they were falling back to seemed to be anybody's guess.
    “We're joining them!” Frays called over the radio. The Humvee's wheels squealed as the vehicle spun around. Lacey could not quite maneuver the Five Ton as well; the truck smashed into a light pole and backed into a parked car. The light pole groaned and fell, shattering the window of a storefront. He glanced in the rear view mirror and saw what had changed Amy's mind. Dozens of figures lurched towards the trucks, the air filling with a low moan. Lacey wished Eamon would hurry up and drive.
    Fifteen or twenty blocks went by when the Humvee slowed. “Any station this net, Any station this net, this is um...break... hey, Lacey can you read me the bumper number off this Humvee?.” Amy said as calmly as she could manage into the radio's handset.
    “HQ Five Niner.” said Lacey. He somehow managed to keep the growing frustration roiling around in his stomach out of his voice.
    “This is HQ Five Niner.” Amy said quickly. Eamon knocked a stalled sedan out of his way, making Frays' head snap back. She winced and squeezed her eyes shut for a second, biting back a shout. “Where is the rally point, over?”
    A voice cut through the babble. “This is Liberty Six.” it said, taking Amy by surprise. Whoever Liberty Six was, he was at least a brigade commander or higher. “How did you get that Humvee, HQ Five Niner?”
    A chill ran down Amy's spine. He did not sound happy. “This is HQ Five Niner, sir.” she said, her mind racing to search for the right way to put what could be sensitive information over relatively open communications. She decided on the direct approach. “There was nothing we could do, sir. The assigned personnel are KIA.”
    The radio was silent for a moment. “Roger that, HQ Five Seven.” said Liberty Six. Somebody, probably Liberty Six, keyed their mike two or three times. “This really is a soup sandwich. The rally point is Hanscomb Air Force Base. I say again, all personnel on this net fall back to Hanscomb Air Force Base.”
    Amy got Eamon to hurry along, the Five Ton keeping pace. Once they were about a mile and half or so from the edge of the city, Frays called their little convoy to halt. “Group meeting, everybody.” she said, motioning for Lacey to join the two of them near the Humvee. Once the Marine got there, Frays looked around nervously. “Okay, the way I see it, we've got two options.
    “We can go to the AFB with everyone else” she said, still looking around. “Or we can make for my parent’s hunting camp about ten or twelve miles north of Holden. It's back in the woods and well off the road.” Amy leaned against the cupola, though still keeping an eye on their surroundings.
    Eamon looked at the two soldiers. “I think we should go to your hunting camp thing.” he said carefully. There was something strange in the man's voice.
    Amy sighed. “Just to let you know, when this mess gets sorted out, we'd all be in a lot of trouble.” she said gravely. The woman wiped at a drop of sweat rolling down her forehead. “Lacey and I could be charged with desertion and hung.”
    “That sucks for you, but I'm a civilian.” Eamon said quickly. “I don't have to do anything I don't want to.”
    Amy gave the EMT a wry smile. “Don't worry.” she said, pausing to maneuver the straw of her hydration bladder into her mouth and take a drink. “Technically, you're stealing government property right now. Get caught driving this thing without us and I hope you don't have any plans for the next ten years or so. If you’re not shot on sight for looting. I don’t know if they’ve change the ROE regarding that yet.”
    “So, why did you call a stop?” Lacey asked.