Read Online Blood Apocalypse - 04 by Heath Stallcup - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Heath Stallcup
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ndred thousand or more all told.”
Major Flemings’ eyes widened and her jaw slowly went slack. “You need to house close to a half million people, sir?”
“Or more.”
“Please tell me you’re joking…”
“I wish.” He blew out a hard breath and put his arm around her shoulder, escorting her out to the hallway. “Mr. Thorn, whom you’ve yet to meet, has about three hundred thousand vampires heading this way. We need to be able to keep them out of the sun during the day. Maxwell Verissimo, that is…well, he’s a key player as well, he’s sent out some kind of supernatural invite to every werewolf in the world. God only knows how many that is. We just need to keep them under cover and out of eyesight.”
Major Flemings’ head was spinning. “God, Matt, I still can’t wrap my mind around this whole ‘vampire-werewolf’ thing.” She fought to catch her breath. “But okay. Umm, the vampires, I think I may have a place where we can put them. It isn’t exactly the Ritz, but it should do. The werewolves? Wow, I just can’t think of…wait! We just need to keep them out of view, right?”
“Yes, in case the Sicarii sends a spy to see what our forces look like. Plus we have all of the other Monster Squads flying in from all over, and they should be arriving any time now,” he added.
“Oh, joy,” she groaned. “So, a few hundred thousand va mpires, maybe another couple hundred thousand werewolves and, what, a few hundred monster hunters?”
Matt nodded. “Something like that.”
“Would you like mints on their pillows as well?” Her sarcasm wasn’t missed.
“Nah, I think just asking for a miracle is enough, don’t you?”
She nodded. “Well, I might have a place for the bloodsuckers.” She tapped her chin in thought. “I’m not so sure about the wolves, though, we’ll have to run a few tests first.”
“Tests?”
She nodded and pulled him down the hall, leading him out of the bunker. “A very long time ago, the military used to do underground nuclear testing near here. Hence the bunker that you’re calling home,” she explained. “There are quite a few underground chambers still here. More than just a few.”
“Like how many?” he asked slowly.
“Like…a lot . Some are right under our feet, but they weren’t finished.”
“Why in God’s name would they put one under the base?” His eyes rounded in wonder.
“The one under us wasn’t for testing.” She struggled to find the right words. “It was supposed to be…something else.”
Matt gave her a hard stare. “Like…?”
“Like a fallback area for our government to go to if we ever came to blows in a nuclear war. They started on this whole underground complex, but then stopped it before it was finished.”
Matt thought a moment. “How far along did they get?”
“Pretty much bare walls,” she replied. “Oh, there’s plumbing down there and a bathroom facility, but it makes military showers look like a four star hotel.” She grinned at her own humor. “Matt, we’re talking an underground concrete shell , that’s all it is.”
“But there are bathroom facilities, right?”
“Barely, but I wouldn’t put people down there.”
“Is there ventilation?” he asked. “Is there fresh air?”
Diane bounced the idea around. “Yeah, I mean, we have a way to pump fresh air there, but…Matt, you can’t possibly think of…we’d need facilities for them.”
“I can get facilities. FEMA trailers if I have to. Lord knows there are enough of them after Katrina. But is there room for them down there?”
“You could put the Mall of America down there and have room for expansion,” she said flatly. “Follow me.”
Matt grabbed his two-way and radioed for Laura and Tufo to meet him at the campus center. When Diane shot him a qui zzical look, he explained, “She’s the XO of the squad and Tufo…well, he’s more than likely going to be taking over for one of us.” To her credit, Diane didn’t
Major Flemings’ eyes widened and her jaw slowly went slack. “You need to house close to a half million people, sir?”
“Or more.”
“Please tell me you’re joking…”
“I wish.” He blew out a hard breath and put his arm around her shoulder, escorting her out to the hallway. “Mr. Thorn, whom you’ve yet to meet, has about three hundred thousand vampires heading this way. We need to be able to keep them out of the sun during the day. Maxwell Verissimo, that is…well, he’s a key player as well, he’s sent out some kind of supernatural invite to every werewolf in the world. God only knows how many that is. We just need to keep them under cover and out of eyesight.”
Major Flemings’ head was spinning. “God, Matt, I still can’t wrap my mind around this whole ‘vampire-werewolf’ thing.” She fought to catch her breath. “But okay. Umm, the vampires, I think I may have a place where we can put them. It isn’t exactly the Ritz, but it should do. The werewolves? Wow, I just can’t think of…wait! We just need to keep them out of view, right?”
“Yes, in case the Sicarii sends a spy to see what our forces look like. Plus we have all of the other Monster Squads flying in from all over, and they should be arriving any time now,” he added.
“Oh, joy,” she groaned. “So, a few hundred thousand va mpires, maybe another couple hundred thousand werewolves and, what, a few hundred monster hunters?”
Matt nodded. “Something like that.”
“Would you like mints on their pillows as well?” Her sarcasm wasn’t missed.
“Nah, I think just asking for a miracle is enough, don’t you?”
She nodded. “Well, I might have a place for the bloodsuckers.” She tapped her chin in thought. “I’m not so sure about the wolves, though, we’ll have to run a few tests first.”
“Tests?”
She nodded and pulled him down the hall, leading him out of the bunker. “A very long time ago, the military used to do underground nuclear testing near here. Hence the bunker that you’re calling home,” she explained. “There are quite a few underground chambers still here. More than just a few.”
“Like how many?” he asked slowly.
“Like…a lot . Some are right under our feet, but they weren’t finished.”
“Why in God’s name would they put one under the base?” His eyes rounded in wonder.
“The one under us wasn’t for testing.” She struggled to find the right words. “It was supposed to be…something else.”
Matt gave her a hard stare. “Like…?”
“Like a fallback area for our government to go to if we ever came to blows in a nuclear war. They started on this whole underground complex, but then stopped it before it was finished.”
Matt thought a moment. “How far along did they get?”
“Pretty much bare walls,” she replied. “Oh, there’s plumbing down there and a bathroom facility, but it makes military showers look like a four star hotel.” She grinned at her own humor. “Matt, we’re talking an underground concrete shell , that’s all it is.”
“But there are bathroom facilities, right?”
“Barely, but I wouldn’t put people down there.”
“Is there ventilation?” he asked. “Is there fresh air?”
Diane bounced the idea around. “Yeah, I mean, we have a way to pump fresh air there, but…Matt, you can’t possibly think of…we’d need facilities for them.”
“I can get facilities. FEMA trailers if I have to. Lord knows there are enough of them after Katrina. But is there room for them down there?”
“You could put the Mall of America down there and have room for expansion,” she said flatly. “Follow me.”
Matt grabbed his two-way and radioed for Laura and Tufo to meet him at the campus center. When Diane shot him a qui zzical look, he explained, “She’s the XO of the squad and Tufo…well, he’s more than likely going to be taking over for one of us.” To her credit, Diane didn’t
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