?Stop where you are!? shouted Carlos. I looked toward his voice and watched as he and Heidi stepped out from behind the shed, both bristling with weapons. I clucked my tongue disapprovingly. Sure, it looked good, but you can?t intimidate a zombie, and they had so many things piled overlapping that they?d have trouble drawing much of anything when their primary guns ran out of bullets.
?Overkill,? I muttered. ?Amateurs.?
?Stand down,? barked Steve. ?It?s me and the Mason kid. He tested clean when I picked him up.?
?Beg your pardon, sir, but how do we know you test clean now?? Heidi asked.
Smart girl. Maybe she could live. ?You don?t,? I said, ?but if you let us through the fence and keep us backed against it while you run blood tests, you?ll have the opportunity to shoot before either of us can reach you.?
She and Carlos exchanged a look. Carlos nodded. ?All right,? he said. ?Step back from the gate.?
We did as we were told, Steve giving me a thoughtful look as the gate slid open. ?You?re good at this.?
?Top of my field,? I said, and followed him into the motor pool.
Carlos chucked us blood testing units while Heidi reported on the status of the other units, still remaining at a safe distance. Susan was confirmed as infected; she?d been tagged by a political analyst as she was helping Mike evacuate a group of survivors to a rooftop. She stayed on the ground after she was bitten, shooting everything in sight before taking out the ladder and shooting herself. About the best ending you could hope for if you got infected in a combat zone. Mike was fine. So, surprisingly, was Paolo. There was still no word from Andres, and three more groups of security agents and survivors were expected to reach the motor pool at any time. Steve absorbed the news without changing his expression; he didn?t even flinch when the needles on his testing unit bit into his hand. I flinched. After the number of blood tests I?d had recently, I was getting seriously tired of being punctured.
Heidi and Carlos relaxed when our tests flashed clean. ?Sorry, sir,? said Carlos, walking over with the biohazard bags. ?We needed to be sure.?
?Standard outbreak protocol,? Steve said, dismissing the apology with a wave of his hand. ?Keep holding this ground??
??while we break quarantine,? I said, almost cheerfully. George snorted amusement in the back of my head. All for you, George. All for you. ?Steve-o and I need to take a little trip. Loan us a car, give us some ammo, and open the gates??
?Sir?? Heidi sounded uncertain; the idea of leaving a quarantine zone without military or CDC clearance is pretty much anathema to most people. It?s just not done, ever. ?What is he talking about??
?One of the armored SUVs should do,? said Steve. ?Find the fastest one that?s still on the grounds.? Carlos and Heidi stared at him like he?d just gone into spontaneous amplification. ?Move!? he barked, and they moved, scattering for the guard station where the keys to the parked vehicles were stored. Steve ignored their burst of activity, leading me to the weapons locker and keying open the lock. ?Candy store is open.?
?So all you have to do to break quarantine is shout ?move??? I asked, beginning to load my pockets with ammunition. I considered grabbing a new gun, but dismissed the idea. Nothing but George?s .40 was going to feel right in my hand. ?Wow. Normally, I need a pair of wire cutters and some night-vision goggles.?
?Gonna pretend you never said that.?
?Probably for the best.?
Carlos emerged from the guard station and tossed a set of keys to Steve, who caught them in an easy underhand. ?We can unlock the rear gate, but once the central computer realizes the seal?s been broken??
?How long can we have??
?Thirty seconds.?
?That?s long enough. You two hold your ground. Keep anyone who makes it here safe. Mason, you?re with me.?
?Yes sir!? I said, with a mocking salute. Steve shook his head and pressed the signal button on the key fob. One of the SUVs turned its lights on. Showtime.
Once we were inside, belts fastened and weapons secured, Steve started the engine and drove us to the gate. Carlos was already waiting, ready to hit the manual override. The manual exits exist in case of accidental or ineffective lockdown, to give the uninfected a chance to escape. They require a blood test and a retinal scan, and breaking quarantine without a damn good reason is a quick way to get yourself sent to prison for a long time. Carlos was risking a lot on Steve?s order.
?That?s what I call a chain of command,? I said to myself, as the gate slid open.
?What?s that?? asked Steve.
?Nothing. Just go.?
We went.