Page 54 of Viral Justice

What was she missing?

“Where’s Bull?” she asked.

“He went out to call the base and arrange for a food and supply drop.” Max’s head came up and he paused in his packing. “Wait. He should be back by now.”

“Be ready to run,” Ali told him calmly.

She trotted toward the front entry and met Tom coming in.

“We’ve got company,” he said, voice low. “At least four, armed with Russian rifles. Older models, but they look like they shoot just fine.”

“Shit. We need to go now.” Ali turned around and ran back to grab Max’s backpack. “Max,” she said sharply.

He looked at her. “What?”

“Catch.” She threw the backpack at him, but he let it hit his chest.

“What the hell—”

“Now, Max,” she growled at him.

Tom raced past them both and attacked one of the windows. He broke the latch on it and shoved it open.

He climbed out of the window, with Max right behind. Ali slipped out just as gunfire erupted at the front of the house.

What were they doing? Shooting the sick?Assholes.

“Masks off,” Ali whispered to the two men in front of her. She whipped her own off and shoved it into a pants pocket.

They walked through the village and out into the tents, trying not to draw attention by hurrying. Max would have increased the pace, but Tom put his hand on Max’s shoulder and held him back. They took a right, then found a fairly busy area and sat with their backs to a tent.

No one said anything for a few seconds.

“Where’s Bull?” Tom asked quietly.

“He should have reported in a while ago,” Max said.

The smell of smoke, present because of open cooking fires, became much stronger. A small explosion had them all on their feet, along with many other people who came out of tents to look in the direction of the noise.

They let the crowd of people surround and carry them toward the noise and commotion.

Black smoke billowed out of the house they’d left and flames devoured the canvas that had enlarged the amount of space for the sick. And the dead.

The heat shattered the glass in the windows, allowing screams to rise above the flames. There were people still alive in there?

Ali took a step toward the building, but a heavy hand on her shoulder kept her from moving any farther. Max’s eyes had gone hard and flat. It was the kind of expression an officer wore when he made a command decision between equally bad options.

Someone bumped into her and pain radiated out from her side, enough to make her gasp.

Max’s hand tightened and he looked at her with his brows low over his eyes.

She shrugged.

He gave her a little yank and pushed at Tom to get him moving away from the burning house.

At least the screaming had stopped.

They retreated into the tents until they were standing with no one close enough to overhear.

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