Two Alive, стр. 88
Carver turned and started moving. “Let’s have a parade why don’t we. Hurry up.”
The small group started following Carver with no comment. Ben moved closer to the major.
“Carver,” Ben spoke low and tried to hide his words from Antonio, a step or two behind him, “We need to talk about what we’re going to do to send these boys home when the others come back.”.
Carver wasn’t as restrained, “We’ll hand them both a bag of rice and send them off. And of course, have someone follow them to make sure they don’t try to double back.”
“Ok. But what after that? We just let two kids continue living in the woods on their own? Out there with hives, and freaks, and sirens?”
“And lurkers. Don’t forget about the lurkers.” Antonio was loud with a smug expression.
Carver looked over his shoulder, “And they’ve done pretty well on their own with the lurkers and the boogiemen out there. No reason they can’t continue to do the same.”
“Ex-Zactly.” Antonio exaggerated the word and even gestured with his hands to add emphasis. “We can take care of ourselves. In fact, give us two bags of rice each, them big bags and boxes of them granola bars and some can shit. I know y’all can spare.”
Carver chuckled, “And cases of water too right?”
“Naw, we good on water. But I heard y’all got a garden, let us gets some seeds. And one of them chickens too.”
Carver threw his head back, roaring with laughter. “This boy has some nerve.”
“Eric… look.” Ben continued to argue his case as they went through the doorway that led to the security room. “I know this isn’t what you wanted, and Antonio may say he doesn’t either, but these boys can’t just stay out there. They need our help.”
“No, they don’t.” Carver said.
“No, we don’t.” Antonio also said.
Ben was left with a surprised expression on his face, but before he could keep on, Carver’s radio came on and Nadine’s voice was coming through it. “Major Carver, Major Carver. There’s someone approaching on the front cameras.” Nadine’s voice was hesitant.
Carver grabbed his radio and brought it to his lips, “What was that?!” He took off running down the hallway, followed by the others, and reached the security room in a heartbeat.
Nadine spun around in her chair at the monitor table, “Oh. Major, sir.” She was flustered when the small group came bursting in.
“Is it the search team, are they already back?” Baker asked.
“Did the hive come back?” Ben followed.
“Who is it Nadine?” Carver barked and the technician spun around to the monitors.
Nadine enlarged the image on screen to show a woman stumbling through the parking lot with a child in tow. They avoided the infected people in the lot and made their way to the front door of the store.
“Is that Julia?” Baker looked at the screen but knew the answer before he even asked it.
“No.” Carver growled.
“That’s… that’s Karen… and her son.” Ben put a hand up over his mouth.
Antonio looked at the screen then at the adults, “Who is that?”
***
“Say it ain’t soo-oh-oh! Your drug is a heart break-er!” Miles belted out as he rocked back and forth with his hands up, doing an awkward air guitar. Weezer’s Say it Ain’t So was blasting through the speakers of the van and the boy was in a one person concert as he sang along. “Say it ain’t soo-oh-ooh! My love is a life take-er!”
Julia looked in the rearview mirror and watched the boy with a smile on her face. She also noticed how annoyed Lance and Manson were, sitting next to the young teen. Castle was in the front seat, shaking his head and looking over his shoulder. But when he saw Julia looking, he just turned around and scrunched up his face.
Miles jumped up against the window of the van and pointed, “There! We gotta stop!”
Julia slammed on the brakes and everyone lurched forward. Before she could turn around, Miles was already pulling open the sliding door. “Miles, what is it this time?”
“Really, Julia? Again?” Manson took his glasses off and rubbed at his eyes.
“You gotta be kidding me!” Lance was at the end of his rope, “Are we going to stop every time he points out some shiny object?!”
“I got him!” Torrez went out the van and chased after Miles.
Julia sighed, “We don’t know what he’s pointing out, Lance, he isn’t exactly the best at communicating!” Julia undid her seat belt and jumped out the van. “It might be Franklin and the others.”
“Like it was the last three times?!” Lance had his fist balled at his side.
“We’ve barely gotten more than three miles from the store.” Manson put back on his glasses and moved to the driver seat of the van and leaned out the window, “We would’ve found them ourselves if they were this close, Julia. He’s wasting our time.”
“We ain’t gonna get nowhere if we keep stoppin’ every time like this.” Clint chimed in from the back.
“Maybe he’s lost.” Burrows threw in his two cents.
“Or maybe he knows exactly where he’s going and he’s leading us into a trap.” Manson smacked his lips and stared off down the road with a cold demeanor.
Julia saw Castle grab for his gun, and she flared her nostrils, “Alright, all of you calm the hell down. I’ll go get him.”
“Please do.” Manson looked back her way.
“And get the hell out of my seat Manson.” Julia’s flat eyes left no gleam for jest or sarcasm.
The scientist started moving, “Of course, of course. I have no intentions of driving.”
“Good.” Julia went off but stopped in front of the van. Then she went back to the