Chapter 24


"Incoming, three SUVs" Wolf announced over the radio.

Danny stood next to Captain Chandler as they waited for the entourage from the Milwaukee Regency to arrive. Danny was genuinely surprised and relieved when the Captain stepped off the ramp of the Hercules plane with Cruz, Kudelski, Wallace and Flores in tow. All dressed in Kevlar and armed for a bad time. The flight crew with Miller's direction had off loaded the supplies and what little of the cure they had in stock into a nice pile on the landing strip ready for their guests to pack away.

It seemed the Captain wasn't expecting this meeting to go down well given he's already given the pilot orders to keep the engines running incase they needed to make a quick exit. Mrs Miller was already safely inside the plane just waiting for the meeting to be over. Miller was inside the plane with her trying to keep her calm as she was definitely not excited about flying on a non commercial airplane. Danny had to admit as a first fly, Hercules was not the best as it didn't come with nice seats and in flight entertainment. He was half tempted to tell Miller to go with his Mom but he was sure the man wanted to stay with them and help them find their families in kindness for them joining him.

The three SUV's travelled across the tarmac towards them and slowed to a stop. They watched as 8 police officers in riot gear jumped out of the vehicles and set up their own perimeter around their vehicles before a man dressed immaculately in a suit stepped out. His hair quaffed back like Elvis, he pulled on his shirt cuffs, preening himself like they were on camera. Danny and the Captain exchanged looks at the man who was basically a peacock as he strutted over to them like he were a man of important business. then three more men stepped out but they looked more like laborers as they wore basic workmen clothing of hi-vis clothing and dark pants with workmen boots.

"Captain Chandler?" the Peacock of a man asked as he stopped in front of them.

"That's me." The Captain said to him as he held out his hand for the man to shake.

"I am Eli Gallagher, I represent the Regency of Illinois. I also do not shake hands. It's nothing personal, I just prefer not to." Eli told him.

"The cure is transmitted via touch or close proximity." The Captain told him, Eli narrowed his eyes at the Captain as if assessing him before he pointed at one of the laborers and snapped his fingers. The man who'd been about to pick up one of the boxes came over to them.

"Transmit it to him. I was however assured that you'd be giving us something a little more tangible than a handshake and a promise." Eli said to him, the Captain turned to the Laborer and held out his hand to the man as he had no issue passing the cure on; no matter their status. The Laborer looked slightly confused but took the Captain's hand.

"Now, we've given you injectable doses of the cure. It will make whoever you inject contagious with the cure for 5-8 days." The Captain said but he spoke more to the Laborer than Eli as he held onto the man's hand. "The cure is passed along in your sweat and saliva and anyone you come into close contact with will catch the cure and become contagious themselves." the Captain explained. He released the man's hand and turned to Eli. "It's why you only need a small amount of the vaccine." he told Eli.

"The rest?" Eli asked.

"Food and medical supplies, in exchange we had a list of people who are looking for their families." The Captain told him, he pulled an envelope from his back pocket and held out to Eli. "The names of our people and who they are looking for. We just want to reunite them and give people closure." The Captain said.

"Well-" Eli started to say but was cut off as one of his SUV's behind him exploded.


"Is this Lieutenant Granderson?" The Doctor asked Commander Slattery, he looked at injured Larrin Taylor, Wolf's little sister. He remembered her from the Inauguration ball when she smacked Wright around. Something that tended to stick in a man's memory that and how she seemed to have a schoolgirl crush on Miller of all the single men on the Nathan James. He had to admit he didn't understand that attraction but then everyone had their tastes and hell, it wasn't like Miller didn't deserve a beautiful woman. But what he didn't understand was why Larrin was trying to impersonate Lt Granderson or why the Doctor had called him away from his work for this.

"What is the issue here?" Slattery asked the Doctor.

"Sir, Lt Granderson was mugged and they wouldn't treat her in the civilian hospital." Kara said interrupting the Doctor which was real impertinence given the Doctor outranked her even if he was the Air Force not Navy. But Slattery let it slide as he could sense the desperate state Kara was in but also that she was telling the truth.

"She doesn't have her I.D. or remember her social security number let alone her service number. In fact she hasn't said a word and I cannot treat a person without at least those identifier points." The Doctor told him. Slattery narrowed his eyes at the man as something about the situation didn't sit right with him.

"So, I've been called down here from my work to identify a member of my crew because you didn't believe my Lieutenant?" Slattery asked in an annoyed manner which wasn't a show as he really was annoyed. Annoyed his time was being wasted, annoyed that they were standing around talking while the poor girl sat there looking traumatised.

He could tell by the amount of swelling to Larrin's arm and face, the darkening of the bruises that the injuries had been left to worsen than be treated. He wondered why they didn't even throw her an ice bag. He also could see Kara panicking as the woman had a terrible poker face, so the whole situation piqued him even if he knew it was going to be a mountain of paperwork.

"Sir, it's procedure." The Doctor told him. Slattery looked to Larrin with a droll look.

"Yes, it's Lt Granderson. Will you take my word or should I go get Senior Chief Rios our medic who has served as ship's doctor?" Slattery asked in an impatient manner.

"No, your word is sufficient. Sir." The Doctor told him,

"Fantastic, now could you do your job; so that I can get back to mine or do you need me to stay and hold your hand?" Slattery asked the doctor in a patronising tone. He figured if he dressed down the doctor then he'd just get to work and he did as the doctor shook his head and immediately called for a nurse. Once Larrin was admitted into the emergency ward; Slattery turned to Kara. "Explain yourself." he ordered her in a no nonsense manner.

"Sir, permission to speak freely." Kara asked.

"By all means." Slattery said folding his arms across his chest.

"They refused to treat her at the other hospital because she's not an American citizen but they didn't tell her that. They just made her sit and wait in the state she's in." Kara said.

"Emergency rooms have their own systems." Slattery said trying to be understanding of the situation even though he really didn't get it given that most people had to wait ages in the ER for a doctor unless they were at death's door.

"I know, and I know that people have to wait their turn but the nurse told me that she'd be tossed outside the state lines in a couple weeks. That if I wanted to delay the inevitable then I was better off hiding her away as she's 'Sport'." Kara told him.

"Sport?" Slattery asked with a frown as he didn't understand what Kara was saying let alone the context of it. He couldn't think of any kind of sport that would include beaten up women and having them tossed over state lines.

"Yes, I don't know what it means and she wouldn't tell me. She told me to stop pretending like I should already know Sir. So I brought her here-" Kara started and Slattery cut off finishing off the rest of the story as he knew it.

"Hoping to slide in under Granderson's name. You couldn't pick another female crewmember that she actually looked like?" Slattery asked as he knew the Doctor only had to do his due diligence and pull Lt Granderson's medical records from the ship to know Larrin was not a 27 yr old African American woman.

"I wasn't thinking past getting her proper medical attention. Sir, I'm sorry you were dragged into it and put you in the position that you had to lie." Kara said sincerely.

"Let's not dwell on that." Slattery said to her, he wasn't entirely ready to let her off the hook as his earlier curiosity annoyingly became interest given the detective in him that just hated question marks had to find out why. Larrin wasn't even Navy or his responsibility but Wolf was one of them which made her by extension family. Not that he'd tell Kara but he would have vouched for girl no matter what. "Just get her out of here as soon as the Docs release her and then get Rios to do the follow up because the hospital will get our medical records." he told her.

"Yes, Sir." Kara said.


"What you've done here is amazing." Michener said to Senator Pierce. He was truly impressed at how much of the old world the Senator had retained in not just St Louis but most of the state of Missouri. They were walking the hallways of the old courthouse that the Senator had suggested be the new 'White House' given it was at the centre of the city and held historic meaning. Michener was incredibly impressed. The portly man 5ft 6 man with snow white hair in his early 50s smiled to Michener and waved a dismissive hand, completely self effacing of his feat.

"It was a communal effort." Senator Pierce told him.

"Don't undersell yourself Senator." A very athletic man in his late 30's, with light brown, deeply tan skin and striking hazel eyes said interrupting their conversation. He wore a well cut suit and polished shoes, it told Michener this man was someone to take note of as he walked to them with a quiet strength.

"Mr President, please meet Julian Heidt. Mr Heidt has helped St Louis flourish into the safe haven that it is today." Senator Pierce said making the introductions.

"Mr President, it's an honour." Julian Heidt said holding out his hand to the President. Michener took his hand and shook it.

"I think the honour is mine given that St Louis is rather well put together given how the pandemic has effected the country. I'm sorry to be rude but what happened?" he asked as he gestured to Julian's neck where he had jagged scar from behind his right ear down his neck. It looked like it only happened a couple months ago; if that.

"Ah yes, just a souvenir from the wilds of the dead zones." Julian told him with a smile not even perturbed at Michener's question.

"Dead zones?" Michener asked with curiosity as he didn't know what the man meant.

"The lands that are occupied by the remains of plague victims and wild animals. Not many people care to trespass through them as they can be very dangerous for the naive and unprepared." Julian told him in good humour.

"Yes, of course. I just hadn't heard it referred to as Dead Zones." Michener said with a smile trying to cover up his lack of knowledge. He'd been cloistered in with Sean Ramsey and his people that he never really knew what was going on outside of what he was told.

"They have many names. I heard that you were trying to distribute the cure North. It's a little rude to bypass the current infrastructure that holds the regional areas intact don't you think?" Julian asked changing the topic as he came here not to kiss the President's ring but the remind Senator Pierce of their deal.

"Excuse me?" Michener asked in confusion once again. Julian quirked his lips in a faint smile as Michener was an oblivious fool which would work in his favour.

"Mr Heidt employs many people to run transport of goods and resources between the regions I was informing you of earlier." Senator Pierce reminded Michener.

"So you have an established relationship with the regional leaders." Michener said as more of statement than question.

"Yes, I'm the middle man of sorts and I have established trade routes to those territories." Julian supplied for the President as he knew Senator Pierce would want his image to remain clean.

"What exactly do you get out of the trade?" Michener asked him.

"The satisfaction of good sports and a cut of the supplies to hand out to smaller safe zones. I'm just a good Samaritan doing God's work of helping the weak." Julian said, he looked to Pierce in pointed manner. "I was actually here to talk to the Senator about a game I saw today." he added.

"What kind of game?" Michener asked with interest as he assumed that they were talking sports game like baseball or tennis.

"Mr President, would you excuse us?" Senator Pierce asked him. Michener gave nod and Senator Pierce looked to Julian and motioned for them to walk. Julian followed.

"What are you doing here?" Senator Pierce demanded in a low voice when he and Julian were alone in an empty corridor.

"Oh don't want me to get chummy with your new Leader? I always knew you were a bottom. I'm here because you owe me." Julian told him in a mocking manner at first but making clear he was deadly serious about Pierce owing him because he did. Without Julian, St Louis would just be another empty husk of a city.

"I'm procuring them as we speak. They will be delivered on time as they always are. Two weeks time." Senator Pierce told him. Julian clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"I want this one." He said as he pulled an Australian passport from inside his jacket pocket and opened it to show Pierce the photo page.

"You do know there are over 10,000 people in this zone." Senator Pierce told him.

"Hmm, I ran into her earlier today. So I'm sure it won't be hard for your police to track her down. If she's not in the next shipment then I'll have to bring the hunt to your precious city and you wouldn't want that." Julian told him as he snapped the passport shut. He opened the Senator's jacket and tucked the passport into inside pocket. He then closed the man's jacket and tugged on it making sure it sat perfectly before he walked away.