Two Alive, стр. 68

“What the fuck are you telling me right now?” Carver interrupted and stomped toward Julia in his heavy boots. “We’re going to take one of these cold-blooded killers, out into the woods so they can get us lost and then they’ll kill more of us? And you promised to pay them for that? Why don’t they just come back and kill us all when they’re done? What the fuck happened in the five minutes I left the room?” Carver spun around to look at everyone in the room, “Whatever drugs you guys got stashed away, please share some with me.” He coughed and spat on the floor, not bothering to stamp the spot with his boot.

“Major Carver, this isn’t a cut and dry situation.” Lesly said, but quickly regretted it when the major’s cold eyes found her.

“They just saved this compound from a fuck load of infected.” Julia’s eyes were low as she regarded all the facts. “They acted based on what they were taught about the infection and killed a man who was infected. And they have information on people we sent out days ago and haven’t come back and we haven’t heard from them. I know you got a stick up your ass about control and how you believe things should be run here, but with everything that’s happened up to this point, we have to adjust our intentions.”

“Baker. You sat back and listened to all this trash and went along with it?” Carver looked past the psychologist at his captain.

Baker sighed and closed his eyes. “Julia has a point. I saw how those kids operate out there and can tell they aren’t lying about having people waiting or about what they want. They’re soldiers just following orders some old man taught them. Maybe we can use them to help us in some way.”

The major scoffed. Before he could resume his ongoing rant, voices came shouting from the doorway to the store and Lance came barging into the security room with Castle trying to keep him out.

“No! I want some goddamn answers!” Lance was livid and snatched his arm from Castle’s hand. He locked eyes with Major Carver as soon as he entered the room. “I want answers! I want to know what’s going on and I won’t accept the same bullshit that you fed everyone else in the store! Where the hell is my wife and the other people from the search party?”

The grieving mother, Kayla, came into the security room next and old man Clint was right behind her, rubbing at his eyepatch under the brim of his hat. They were both there backing Lance and his sentiment.

Carver took a deep breath and ran a hand over his face. He was exhausted with the insanity that seemed to be plaguing everyone and spreading worse than the infection outside. He was losing the once-easy control he had had over the committee and the compound. Six months ago, no one in this room would have questioned any of his decisions and would have went along with whatever he said.

But now there was betrayal and second guessing everywhere Carver looked. He saw the small boy Miles cowering behind Julia but didn’t see fear in his eyes. Instead he saw a nervousness like he hoped things would work out. The kid only wanted to make a deal and he would just keep looking for ways to bargain.

“Major Carver, who is this kid? Where are our people? Does this kid know anything?” Clint was stammering as he blurted out his questions one after the other. Kayla was too much of a wreck, holding on to the old man for balance and believing the worst about her husband, who had led the search party.

Carver was already working out his plans to turn this situation. “Well, you all have perfect timing actually. This child does know about our people and from what he’s told us… they’re all dead.”

Lance, Clint and Kayla took the news exactly like the major thought they would. Different levels of devastation. Julia saw this and knew he was using a manipulation tactic. There was no reason to drop something like this on them unless he wanted them to turn on Antonio and Miles. It was a clever tactic. Get the grieving widows on your side and you could spin the story however you wanted. Everyone would believe whatever the major told them and would want to see Antonio and Miles punished for whatever crimes Carver blamed them for.

Julia immediately went into clean up mode. “The circumstances are more complicated than they seem, but please, if you’ll give us some time and let us go out to find out what happened--”

“Jesus. They’re all dead? All of ‘em?” Clint pulled his trucker hat from his head and looked at Miles; tears were forming in his one eye. Kayla had dropped to the floor next to him. He couldn’t bring himself to pick her back up.

Miles watched the woman sob and cry into her hands, and he felt his chest tighten with grief. “I’m sorry. Sorry,” he whispered.

“What happened to them? Did you kill ‘em?” Clint took two steps, but before Baker could move to stop him, the old man stumbled and grabbed the table to keep from toppling over.

“We were discussing that we should send Captain Baker and a few men to find out if this is really true,” Carver started again, his tone almost sounding genuine. “I personally think it’s too risky, but I also know that you all need closure…” The major trailed off, believing the damage had been done.

“I want to go,” Lance announced, and the attention in the room turned to him. “I want to go out there and find my wife. If she’s dead… I want to give her a proper burial.”

Carver was shocked to hear Lance take such an affirming stance. “Are you