Page 16 of Resolution
What do you think? Melly asked Jeff.
RF could mean the research facility up north the general’s girlfriend runs, he replied, handing her the rolls. Or it could mean running free or rainbows forever for all we know. I assume the worst though. And I don’t like that they’re hiding the fact people are being sent there.
Or the point there’s no further communication from anyone who’s gone. Melly shuddered and Les gave her a curious glance. “Getting chilly out,” she said, rubbing her arms and feeling foolish. Can we tell him the truth about why we’re here?
No need to know. Jeff’s reply was crisp.
Melly’s reaction was all the residents needed to know what Devora had learned but what good would it do to cause a panic in the camp? And if General Quantike and his team were engaged in nefarious activities, there’d be suppression of the unsettling news and she and Jeff and Tamsyn would be in deep trouble. She decided to have another discussion with Jeff later about whether they could leave yet. It seemed to her they’d learned all they were going to here at Glastine and the next step would be to locate the research facility.
As it happened, however, Jeff and Les were called away by Captain Briskinn to help process a new group of refugees which had commed they were on their way to the gates. By the time her husband returned to their cramped quarters she was sound asleep and barely woke up to give him a kiss before rolling over, punching her pillow and going back to her unsettled dreams.
* * *
In the morning they ate a quick breakfast at the military commissary, including generous cups of synthcaff, and parted with a hug and a kiss. “I want to talk later,” Melly said, adding via the com, About us leaving. I want to get out of here—I’m apprehensive about lingering and pushing our luck.
“All right,” Jeff said. No argument from me. Another day or two perhaps. There are a few loose ends I want to check out but nothing major.
“We’re pushing our luck,” she said out loud.
A passerby gave her a quizzical look and she bit her lip. Jeff always stressed how important operations security was but she was at the end of her tether when it came to being a spy inside Glastine. Every nerve in her body was screaming at her to get out while the getting was good.
“My luck has been good ever since the day I met you, doc,” Jeff said with a grin, gathering her into another hug. “Love you.”
“Love you too.” Giving him s kiss on the cheek she checked the time on her handheld and squawked. “I’m going to be late and Dr. Sharpton abhors tardiness. Gotta run.”
“He’s not going to fire you,” Jeff said, clearly amused at how frazzled she sounded. “It’s not like there are any other doctors around to take your place.”
“It’s like being an intern again,” she said ruefully. “He barely lets me handle my own case load. He’s micromanaging and when he isn’t his damn nurses are watching me like hawks. If it wasn’t for Tamsyn I’d probably blow up and cause an unfortunate incident.”
“Tell me all about it tonight,” he replied, squeezing her hand. “Feel free to vent.” I’ll work on our exfil strategy, I promise. Two days maximum.
“I will.” With a smile, Melly headed for the medical building at a fast walk. And yes, please prioritize our escape plan! She had no idea how they were going to get out but she had confidence in Jeff and his team. Arriving at the medical facility she was in a good mood, contemplating the end of her stressful time as a resident of Glastine. And at least she had been able to do some good while here, taking care of patients.
When she walked inside she found the nurses huddled in a circle, talking intently. They broke apart as she closed the door, each woman going in a different direction, guiltily, mot meeting her eyes. While the behavior was certainly odd, she’d found the staff to be quite standoffish in general so she didn’t worry about it. The next strange occurrence was running into Dr. Sharpton in the hallway, whistling an upbeat tune and practically smiling. “You’re certainly in a good mood,” she said.
He waved a data cube. “Got excellent news from the research facility. Yes indeed they’re very happy with us this morning.”
She watched him walk toward his office and wished she’d been able to find out more about the research facility and what was going on there. From what Devora had said last night people were being sent there but for what purpose? Was progress being made on solving the Western Flu crisis? She hoped so but the whole thing had ominous overtones in her mind.
After stopping in her cubbyhole office to get her jacket, she went to check on their single overnight patient, Frawkins, and there the day took a turn.
Frawkins is dead, she sent to Jeff an hour or so later. She was shaking, in her office with the door closed. No one seems upset about it. He shouldn’t have died—his injuries from the fall were serious but not life threatening, not when he was under medical surveillance.
How did he die?
His heart stopped as best I can tell. They’ve already placed him in the morgue here and I guess we’re waiting for the general to decide what to do with the body. He didn’t have any family in the camp.
Be careful today. This smells like a murder to me. Jeff’s tone was harsh. Don’t ask questions and tell Tamsyn to walk softly too. I’d com her but she doesn’t do well with it yet. I’m moving up our exfil schedule.
All right. Keep me posted. Love you.
Melly knew Jeff had identified several weak points in the camp’s perimeter where the three of them could slip out and with the APC’s and the team close at hand to provide covering fire they could manage a short dash to the safety of the vehicles. After that it would be a high speed race to get away before the camp’s forces could be scrambled to chase them and Jeff was sure the APC’s could win any battle which ensued if they couldn’t outrun the pursuers. He didn’t think the General would expend much effort to capture or kill them, arguing he had no idea of their true purpose in entering Glastine and would be just as glad to see them gone.
“He doesn’t patrol the area, he doesn’t send out scavenging parties, he stays pretty much inside the boundaries of Glastine,” Jeff had said. “From what Cody has observed the only traffic are these once a month truck runs to the research facility, which we now know are carrying people and bringing back supplies.”
Cody had been tasked with figuring out how to extend the range of his drones, since they’d been unable to follow the trucks to wherever their destination might be, far to the north.
Melly kept busy, seeing a wide variety of patients, including several having side effects from taking various illicit feelgoods. She and Tamsyn worked well together and it was soothing to lose herself in the routine of providing medical care. It was too busy to get away for lunch.
