SPECTRE

CHAPTER XII

AJ peaked out and looked up and down the street. Empty without a single convoy coming. Across the street was a large stretch of open field and the hospital right in the middle. There were no soldiers stationed guard on the roof of the building. With only a handful of soldiers, Carter had to station them in more important places.

There was another flash of lightning followed by the loud crackle of thunder. Sev looked up and smelled the moist air. It had a metallic stench to it.

“Plague rain is coming,” he said.

“Yeah, I guess that why we haven’t seen too many soldier around or people,” AJ said. “They’re all probably somewhere in a bunker or something.”

The plague rains was nothing like normal rain. Carried inside each droplet was the plague itself and if it touched anyone they were dead. Without a cure death would occur in twelve days or less. The plague could only survive in water so once the area dried, it was safe to come out.

“Come on let’s move, don’t want to get trapped out here,” Sev said.

AJ held back Sev as he tried to run out and pulled him back into the alley. The streets grew bright and a rumbling convoy came passing through. Both of them ducked behind a dumpster waiting for the convoy to pass. They held their breath, not out of fear but because the dumpster had a strong rotten odor.

The rumbling of tanks and trucks grew quiet. AJ and Sev then ran out, hunched over and taking light steps across the road. Once they were acrossed they made a beeline for the hospital. They then stopped outside of the left wing. AJ looked up, it wasn’t much of a jump to get up.

“Hey, Sev you mind getting me up there?”

“I don’t know man, I’ve been working out but you’re kind of heavy.”

AJ shoved Sev. “Just shut up and throw me up there.”

Sev laughed as he grabbed AJ by the waist. With one toss, he sent AJ up into the air, just high enough that he landed on the roof with ease.

AJ kneeled down and surveyed the area with his pistol. He aimed down the sights and when he was sure it was clear; whistled for Sev to come up and join him. Unlike Sev, AJ wasn’t physically strong. He couldn’t pick up trucks or leap over buildings with a single bound like Sev. Hitek was his speciality and he used it with relative ease, something that Sev didn’t have the skill for.

“Ok AJ, where do we go now?”

AJ saw an opening where the roof had collapsed. “We go through there. Once in we look for someone who’d know where Harlot’s body is.”

“I’m pretty sure Mike knows, that’s who took it.”

“Alright, I know where Mike’s room is. Also we should find a way to communicate with East. I’m sure Carter has a telegraph line somewhere in his office.”

With most satellites down, radio communication was long gone. Commanders from bases across the United States relied on landlines to communicate to one another. This meant that communication stations were fought over constantly by the remaining countries.

AJ and Sev ran to the hole and jumped down into it. They landed in a hallway on the fifth floor of the left wing. There was no sign of enemy soldiers anywhere. Sand covered the floors with wires hanging overhead. AJ pointed his gun down the hall, looking along the sights.

“Sev, you should go to Carter’s office on third floor,” AJ said. “I’m going to go find Mike’s room and get him to talk.”

“What if Victor and Carter are in there?”