Rotters_Alpha Contact Read online

  “I’m assuming you have some plan, Doctor Vogan,” Xiou suggested.

  “I’m a biologist, not a tactician. I had hoped that one of you might suggest some course of action, now that we know what we are dealing with. Don’t you two have connections with your respective militaries?”

  When neither man responded, he continued. “We need firepower; I was thinking along the lines of an air strike, maybe utilizing napalm. That would be optimal; we know fire destroys the cadavers and the virus, apparently. It would also cause the smallest amount of damage to the rain forest. We could hit all the villages inside our circle.” He tapped his finger on the map. “Most of the cadavers seem to stay near their place of origin. The villagers at Gatou kept returning there,” he concluded.

  “What about the ones who chased us?” Jerry inquired.

  “They were attracted to your communications array,” Vogan answered. “But once we lost them, I bet they just wandered back to wherever they came from. They aren’t intelligent; they seem to be just operating on some primal instinct when they aren’t attacking.”

  Jerry looked at Xiou before he spoke. “Vogan, I don’t have that kind of authority. I can’t just call up an air strike. Something like that has to go through some pretty serious chain of command hoops to happen.”

  Xiou smiled sadly. “I’m afraid Agent Foster is correct, Doctor Vogan. I only have the assets that we possess locally. We are a long way from the nearest Chinese air base.”

  “Shit,” Vogan cursed. “We need to act quickly; we’ve already wasted so much time.”

  “I may be able to do more if my government decides the threat is credible, but it will not happen quickly, I can assure you of that,” Xiou offered.

  “Wait a minute!” Jerry insisted. “You’ve been warning me all along that the cadavers are attracted to my SPC Array. Can’t we use it to lure them into some kind of ambush?”

  “I only have nine men left,” Xiou warned. “Three were killed just fighting a rear guard action at Gatou the last time we attracted them with my satellite phone. They cannot be killed quickly enough with gunfire. We would be overrun.”

  “What about Angel and Madduk? Don’t forget about them. We could fight, too,” Jerry offered, thinking quickly. “Maybe we could find a place that would be defensible enough to make it work.”

  “It is too risky,” Xiou countered. “I am responsible for my men; I do not wish to needlessly lose any more.”

  Vogan interrupted them. “Your plan wouldn’t work anyway. I think the signal from your comm gear is localized, Jerry. We were only attracting the cadavers closest to us, not all of them.”

  “Is there some way to boost the signal?” Jerry asked excitedly. “If we could get them all in one place…”

  Xiou called over one of his men. They discussed the problem in Chinese for a moment before Xiou explained. “My electronics specialist says it can be done, but the drain on the unit’s battery will be great. He does not know how long the signal could be continuously broadcast.”

  “Do you have any high explosives?” Jerry asked. “Grenades?”

  “My demolitions specialist has a small amount of explosive compound B, the equivalent of your C-4,” Xiou answered. “Why?”

  “If we could attract the cadavers to a central location, and rig that spot with high explosives…” Jerry suggested.

  “Then we could remotely detonate the charge and destroy the cadavers,” Xiou finished.

  “But we don’t have the explosives, do we?” Vogan asked.

  “I know where some are,” Jerry explained. “Roughly twelve hundred pounds of dynamite and blasting caps, if I remember the shipment details correctly.”

  “Where?” Vogan asked.

  “Where else would they be? Blue Mountain,” replied Jerry.

  “Point it out on the map,” Xiou suggested.

  “I’ll just lead you there,” Jerry countered. “That keeps everybody honest.”

  “How far?” Xiou grumbled.

  “Three days; maybe thirty, forty miles or so,” Jerry answered.

  Xiou looked down at the map, but the distance was too vague to guess the location, even for him. All he could deduce was that Blue Mountain was in the hills to the south.

  Xiou set his men to preparing for the mission with great alacrity. Jerry watched them apprehensively; he knew once he played his ace card, the Chinese wouldn’t need him anymore. He would have to depend on Xiou’s integrity and his own luck.

  He and Vogan stood alone for a moment, readying their own gear, and stowing water bottles into their packs. One of the Chinese brought Jerry an olive drab uniform like the ones they wore. Jerry happily put it on; his clothing was practically in rags.

  Vogan looked him over, a smirk on his face.

  “How do I look?” Jerry asked.

  “Well, you don’t look as good in that uniform as those guys do,” Vogan laughed, nodding towards the Special Forces soldiers.

  “Yea, pretty ironic really,” the agent agreed. “A CIA operative in a Chinese Special Forces uniform. Hell, I’m not even undercover.”

  “Are you really going to lead the Chinese to Blue Mountain?” Vogan asked him quietly.

  “Yea, I don’t think I really have a choice anymore. If we get a chance to escape though, I’m gone,” Jerry explained.

  “Do you think Angel will still help you?” Vogan asked.

  Jerry looked at the guides. They stood together laughing and smoking hand-rolled cigarettes. Angel had his rifle and machete back. The big man noticed Jerry and flipped him the bird with a wicked grin.

  “Yeah. He might be a little pissed, but we go way back,” Jerry replied.

  “You don’t really expect Xiou to keep his word and let us go, do you?” Vogan asked seriously.

  “No, I don’t,” Jerry retorted. “I think we’ll both end up shot in the back.”

  “Awesome,” Vogan said. “As long as they don’t shoot me in the face. I’m way too handsome for that.”

  “Don’t worry, pretty boy, I’ve got a plan.”

  Jerry approached Xiou and pulled him aside.

  “We need to use your sat-phone to attract the cadavers, not my SPC Array,” Jerry demanded.

  “And why is that, Agent Foster?” Xiou asked suspiciously.

  “A couple of reasons,” Jerry replied. “For starters, my array is worth about fifty thousand dollars. Your phone cost three dollars and some change. It’s cheap, Chinese junk. No offense,” Jerry added.

  Xiou frowned. “I bet most of your array came from either China or Japan.”

  “You’re probably right,” Jerry agreed, then quickly continued. “My array has more capability, and if my people decide to help us, I’ll need to be able to talk to them, real time. Our assets are closer. Also, you can replace your phone, I can’t,” Jerry argued.

  Xiou hesitated for a moment, obviously considering Jerry’s motives. Finally, he simply agreed and walked away. Vogan walked over and stood beside Jerry.

  “That was way too easy,” Vogan pointed out.

  “Not really. He plans on taking my array once I’m dead,” Jerry explained.

  Once Xiou was ready, the raft pulled in close to shore and a boarding plank was dropped to the bank. Everyone stepped off, one by one, and walked into the jungle. All of the Chinese soldiers left the boat. Xiou waited for Jerry and Vogan.

  “Well, we are waiting. Lead the way.” the Chinese agent demanded.

  “Not me, I couldn’t tell where I’m going in here,” Jerry explained. “We’ll do this in stages.”

  Before Xiou could complain, he approached Angel and Madduk. “Angel, I’ll need you to lead us back towards the Guma gold mines, but we need to be to the east,” Jerry explained.

  Angel looked him in the eye. “This is a very dangerous game you are playing, boss.”

  “Believe me, I know,” Jerry responded. “What wise old bush proverb would you offer for this mess?”

  “We have an old saying in the Congo for situations
just like this. You’re probably fucked,” Angel laughed.

  He and Madduk went out on point. They were to take great pains to avoid contact with the cadavers on the trip in. The two men spread out, keeping each other just in sight, and led the way. Half of the Special Forces soldiers followed in a rough, single file line. They had their rifles slung; everyone was under orders not to fire unless Xiou told them to.

  Xiou, Vogan, and Jerry traveled at the center of the line. Jerry noticed that the man following them had his rifle in hand. The implied threat was obvious; if they tried to flee, the man would shoot them. The other half of the force followed behind.

  Twice during the long morning’s travel, Madduk hastened back to stop the column so that Angel could lead a group of cadavers away from them. The fact that the corpses were moving went against Vogan’s theory that they would stay close to the place where they had died, but he had no answer to explain their erratic behavior.

  The column stopped half way through the day to rest. Angel and Madduk went out to the perimeter and kept watch. Jerry and Vogan had to eat raisins, bananas, and rice cakes, just like the Chinese. There was only warm water to wash them down. Vogan and Jerry talked quietly while they ate.

  “I found a big hole in your plan,” Vogan suggested.

  “I’m listening,” Jerry replied.

  “Once we rig up the sat-phone and start to broadcast, it will take the cadavers a while to reach us, and they won’t all arrive at once you know,” Vogan said softly. “Xiou must have thought of that, too. How are we supposed to get them all together?”

  “We’ll have to set up a defensive position and hold them off long enough for the majority of them to reach us. The sound of the gunfire will help bring in the cadavers. The last man alive blows the whole thing,” Jerry explained. “It’s not a perfect plan, but it’s the best we can do. Even if we don’t destroy them all, we’ll be drawing them deeper into the forest. It could buy us some time.”

  “Xiou will never go for that,” Vogan hissed. “As soon as he has the location, he’ll take off. Probably after he shoots us.”

  “Leave that to me,” Jerry retorted. “Xiou and I are playing each other, and the winner takes all.”

  Vogan looked at Jerry quizzically. “Where is all this machismo coming from? I thought that was my department.”

  “Yeah, it’s not really my style, but I don’t have much choice,” the agent explained. “I’m just making all this shit up as I go. Maybe it’s this bitchin’ new Chinese uniform.”

  They moved on quickly. Xiou was pushing them; he wanted to reach Blue Mountain. Jerry knew that discovering its location would be a huge victory for the Chinese agent. The ore deposit was one of the region’s most secret locations. Jerry had never been there, but he knew its rough location. He also knew that if he led the Chinese to it, he would be fucked. The agency would throw him in Leavenworth and lose the key. He’d be charged with treason or worse. Losing his job would be the absolute least of his worries.

  Jerry was trapped between the virus and the Chinese, and at least for now, he considered the virus to be the bigger threat. He knew that might change.

  As before, they walked quietly through the tall mahogany trees. Jerry noticed that the jungle was muted and strangely still. He took it as a bad sign that he was noticing it.

  “What’s going on with the animals and birds? Why is it so quiet?” Jerry asked Vogan.

  “I think it’s the cadavers moving around,” Vogan answered. “The animals are responding to a threat. Shit, I can even feel it. Didn’t you notice how jumpy our friends are?” Vogan asked, pointing to the soldiers ahead of them. The men seemed very tense.

  “I’ve been a bit distracted,” Jerry admitted. “Do you think the cadavers are close?”

  “I don’t know,” Vogan replied. “I guess we’ll find out.”

  Roughly an hour later, Madduk rushed back to them and led them silently back the way they had come. Jerry could hear Angel shouting in the distance, and then the sound of the dead reached him. Their ghastly moans echoed through the trees, and slowly receded as they moved away. Once they could no longer hear them, their guide stopped the group, and then led them forward again, back to the south but away from the dead.

  “That sounded like an awful lot of them,” Jerry pointed out.

  “Yeah, I noticed,” Vogan agreed.

  They pushed on through the jungle, with Madduk leading the way on point. Half an hour later, Angel rejoined them, a grim smile on his face. He was soaked with sweat, and slightly out of breath.

  “That was interesting,” he panted.

  “What happened?” Vogan asked; everyone listened eagerly.

  “I led the Kindu away, as before, but this time, there were many more of them,” he explained. “I had a much harder time escaping them.”

  “How many?” Xiou asked in a concerned voice.

  “I’m not sure. At least fifty, maybe more. I kept running into them; they were everywhere. They seem most angry,” Angel responded.

  Xiou addressed Vogan. “Why is this happening?”

  “I’m not sure,” Vogan answered. “But I can speculate. We are probably the only living humans left in the entire region. The virus drives the cadavers to seek out new hosts to infect; it seems most aggressive. We may be the only people available. Or perhaps we are witnessing some new stage in the virus’ progression. Rabid animals reach their most aggressive stage just before they die.”

  “Agent Foster, how many personnel at Blue Mountain?” Xiou asked.

  “It varies, but probably around twenty or so,” Jerry replied.

  “Are there any villages nearby?” the Chinese agent continued.

  “No,” Jerry responded.

  Xiou turned to Angel. “Are we near a village now, Mr. Jebo?”

  Angel looked from Xiou to Jerry, and then back again. “There is a hunting camp nearby. It is only temporary, but there may have been hunters there, before.”

  Xiou looked at the three men carefully. Finally, he frowned and said, “I hope you are not playing games, Agent Foster. If we do not reach Blue Mountain as you have promised, then I will be forced to change our agreement.”

  “I am taking you straight there,” Jerry assured him. He looked around uneasily. “We should push on through after dark. I don’t want to stop out here.”

  “Very well,” Xiou replied. “Lead us on, Mr. Jebo.”

  Angel went back out on point. He and Madduk led the column straight on until darkness began to settle over the jungle. They had just reached the foothills of the mountainous region to the south as the sun began to set in the west. Night came quickly in the jungle.

  Xiou stopped the column and allowed his men a short rest. Once again, they broke out food; foil packets of dehydrated meat and rice, oranges and bananas. Xiou had one of his men bring Jerry and Vogan the same. Jerry tried to pretend the cold crap he was stuffing into his mouth was a juicy hot steak and thick cut fries. He was almost too tired to chew. The PLA soldiers ate quickly, and then prepared to move on. Jerry was exhausted, but he knew they had to keep moving. The cadavers were out there, searching for them in the darkness.

  The Chinese soldiers broke out flashlights, and the column slowly moved forward through the murky gloom of the trees. Angel and Madduk pulled back close to the others.

  Angel led the way with a borrowed flashlight; Madduk brought up the rear to guard against the dead.

  They were moving much slower than they had in the daylight, and Jerry was deathly afraid that the cadavers would close with them. He was extremely tired and his nerves were shot. He desperately needed a drink.

  When they stopped to rest near midnight, he approached Xiou.

  “I think we should risk checking in. I want to fire up my SPC Array. I know it’s dangerous, but we’re on our own out here, and we’re playing blind. One of our agencies may have come to a decision on helping us out. We haven’t run into any cadavers for hours; maybe we are leaving them behind. What do you think?”
Jerry asked.

  Xiou hesitated for a moment before he replied, weighing the risk. “Let’s do it,” he finally replied. He yelled a warning to his men in Chinese and motioned over his communications officer. The man handed him his satellite phone.

  Jerry pulled out his array, opened the screen, and pushed in the power button. A message appeared on the screen.

  A/O Field Agent Foster.

  Company analysis of submitted video inconclusive, request all available data on possible reanimation previously reported.

  Advise Doctor Vogan to supply a complete analysis to this office ASAP.

  No aerials available of Junta DRC this time.

  Still awaiting confirmation of Chinese nationals your region.

  GPS TRIANGULATION INDICATES YOU ARE MOVING TOWARDS RESTRICTED AREA! PLEASE ADVISE THIS OFFICE OF YOUR INTENTIONS IMMEDIATELY! AWAITING YOUR REPLY!

  Johannesburg, SA, Regional Supervisor Sharpe.

  Chapter 12

  12:17 a.m. Zulu

  Haet-Mombou Region

  The Congo

  Jerry closed his screen and powered down the array. Xiou was still talking rapidly into his sat-phone. He paced nearby, arguing with someone on the other end. Of course, he had the advantage of being able to talk in Chinese; Jerry had to hope he was still working with him against the cadavers. Xiou ended the call and shut down the phone. He handed it off to his communications officer.

  “No help from my end,” Xiou reported. “They do not believe the footage to be authentic. Of course, I had to report it as probable. If I come out as you have, they will stop supporting my operations here. I must word my reports very carefully or I will lose credibility. What of your office?”

  Jerry frowned. “They want more data, and a report from Vogan. That’s good; it means they were at least somewhat impressed by the video. They couldn’t prove it was fake, so they have to proceed more carefully in case it turns out to be real. They’re not going to support me immediately though, and we are running out of time.”