He wouldn’t hurt anyone else.
King’s first priority was Kate. He crossed to where she lay curdled in a ball on the floor, sobbing softly. He lifted her to her feet and wrapped both arms around her, holding her close, kissing her hair, letting her know everything was going to be alright.
‘I’m so sorry you had to experience that,’ he whispered.
When they separated, Kate walked to the old guy’s lifeless body and kicked him harder than King thought possible. In the stomach, in the face, in the throat. She let out all the rage and fear until there was nothing left, then came back and hugged King again, burying her face in his chest.
Kitchener watched patiently while they embraced.
‘How did you find us?’ King said.
‘I’ve been driving around aimlessly for the past hour. I was stopped by the side of the road and saw your sedan go past.’
‘Driving aimlessly?’ he said. ‘What happened at Rafael Constructions?’
She looked at him, and he saw something in her eyes. He sensed that nothing would be the same for her again.
‘Helen went outside first and they shot her down like it was nothing,’ she said. ‘I don’t know if they realised I was still alive. Everyone disappeared. Gone, just like that. I went back to the station… and the two officers there were both dead. Gunned down at their desks. I’m…’
She trailed off.
‘You’re…?’ King said.
She looked up at him, terrified. ‘I’m the only police officer left in Jameson.’
‘It’s my old handler from Black Force doing all this,’ he said. ‘He told me to come here when I retired. I took his bait. That’s why everything has been revolving around me.’
‘What is this place?’ Kitchener said, staring in awe at her surroundings.
‘It’s an anthrax production facility.’
‘Anthrax… like the—?’
‘Yes, like the virus. Lars has manufactured a shitload of it.’
‘That’s precise.’
‘I don’t know how much exactly. I just know he plans to use it. And he left with the supply ten minutes ago.’
‘I saw them. Two big military trucks, right?’
He nodded. ‘Do you know which way they were headed?’
She shook her head. ‘I waited for them to pass then continued on. Walked here all the way through the forest. Left my car in one of the pastures, because I knew I’d be spotted otherwise. I think they were heading for the main road.’
‘I can’t thank you enough for helping us out.’
She shrugged. ‘You’ve been helping us out for the last three days and none of us realised.’
‘We can’t go back into town,’ Kate said. ‘They’ll kill us.’
Kitchener nodded. ‘I agree. We need a place to hole up for the night. It’s getting dark. I was thinking the motel, but it’s the centre of attention right now. An entire crew came in to install new windows.’
‘What about the one in Hurst?’ Kate said.
‘No,’ King said. ‘Too far. I know a place.’
‘You do?’
He nodded. ‘You just have to promise not to look in one of the machines.’
CHAPTER 33
The metal work factory stood out against the darkening sky as Kitchener pulled up to its bulk. King sat in the back, one arm around Kate’s shoulder, holding her close. Their bellies were full. On the way through Jameson, Kitchener had stopped at the convenience store and loaded up on supplies. They hadn’t eaten all day. The hot pies and protein bars made him sleepy, and he’d almost drifted off, but the sudden stop jolted him awake. Kate stirred and touched his cheek. The one that wasn’t swollen.
‘You okay?’ she whispered.
He nodded, and kissed her forehead.
They got out of the old Nissan and Kitchener went to the boot. She lifted it up and brought out two large flashlights, high-power, designed for camping. She gave one to King. Kate gathered the two M4 carbine rifles from the back seat that they’d taken off the dead mercenaries, and the three of them left the car behind.
They headed into the factory floor. It was just as decrepit and abandoned as seemingly every building around here was. King glanced at the machine in the far corner — home to eight dead bodies — and led them away from it, into a hallway branching off from the main area. It ran into the depths of the building, leading to a number of empty rooms. They were all sparsely furnished with various discarded chairs and desks. He guessed they used to be offices. He found one that was warm enough to hold back the shivers, insulated by the thousands of tons of steel all around them. They settled on the dusty floor and propped the flashlights in the corner, leaving them on for added comfort.
For a long while, no-one spoke. All three of them had a lot to process. There had been little time for reflection over the past few days, and King took the time to rest his head against the plywood wall and attempt to deal with the waves of discomfort coursing through him.
I need a holiday.
A real holiday.
‘What’s going to happen?’ Kate said, breaking the silence. He noticed her tone quivered. Her voice was laced with worry. ‘What could that much anthrax do?’
King closed his eyes and grimaced. He’d been trying to keep his mind off that problem.
‘A hell of a lot,’ he answered honestly. ‘I did a lot of research on it before Kuwait. If they manage to weaponise the entire lot in aerosol form… it could be devastating.’
‘How bad are we talking?’ Kitchener said.
‘The worst part is that no-one will know they’re infected until it’s too late,’ he said. ‘If they release it over a populated city, hundreds of thousands of people would be incubated.’
‘Incubated?’
‘They’ll inhale it, and become infected, but show no symptoms. It’ll all start to kick in at once. Fever, vomiting, coughing, that first. But an attack of that size… any responses that the government has prepared aren’t going to work. All the serious problems will start at the same time. Headaches, seizures, deaths. Across an entire city. It’ll be total fucking chaos if Lars has the amount I think he has.’
‘So what do we do?’ Kate said.
‘I don’t think they’re leaving the area just yet. We go searching in the morning.’
‘What makes you say that?’
‘Instinct. Past experience.’
‘What made you get into the military?’ Kitchener asked out of nowhere. The question took King by surprise.
‘What?’
‘Why did you join up?’
‘That’s an odd question.’
‘I’m just curious.’
‘Sorry, Kitchener, but I’ve talked enough about my past lately,’ he said, glancing at Kate. ‘I’d rather not get into it. In fact I’d be happy to never address it again.’
‘I’m just thinking about why I signed up to be an officer in the first place.’
‘Why did you?’
‘I don’t know,’ she said, staring vacantly at the wall. ‘Because it was stable, I guess. A good means of employment in these parts. I was dirt poor.’
‘And now?’
‘I’m still dirt poor, and I’m also holed up in an abandoned factory hoping I don’t get murdered overnight.’
‘You from around here?’
She nodded. ‘I was born a couple of towns over. In Waterford. Haven’t seen the world. Haven’t seen anything.’
King reached over and gripped her shoulder. ‘Is that what this is? You think you won’t have an opportunity to in the future?’
‘What future?’ she said. ‘We’re sitting here while they run rampart around the countryside, doing who-knows-what. They’ll kill us if we try to stop them.’