Page 70 of Viral Justice

“Who’s it going to damage worse if everyone knows you’re knocking boots with the colonel?”

It was a kick to the head. “You know what? Fuck you. Fuck you for thinking either one of us would be thinking about that shit right now. Fuck you for spending too much of your time and limited brain power looking for that shit. And, fuck you for jerking my chain with that shit.” She was so angry she could have choked him. She settled for squeezing her rifle hard enough to leave finger impressions. “Now get the fuck out of my face.”

He looked at her for a moment and didn’t say anything.

She ignored his stupid ass because she’d wasted enough energy on the moron as it was.

He wiped his face with one hand. “Ah shit, I’m sorry.”

“Like I said before,” Ali growled, “fuck off.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.” He got up and went down the ladder.

Ali didn’t relax until she heard the hatch close behind him.

Asshole.

She’d thought him a decent guy until now. What the hell was wrong with him? She and Max hadn’t done anything even remotely improper since they left on this mission.

Improper.Listen to her, going all British.

His little observation had pulled her focus off the shitty situation they were in. Something none of them could afford to do.

It took conscious effort to settle in and use her scope to scan the village, tents, and surrounding area. Not a lot of movement inside the village. There were a few people moving around in the tents and she could hear the distant sound of many people coughing. Crying too.

No gunshots from beyond the tents, but it didn’t take long to see people moving around in the distance.

This was a shitty situation. Trapped in a village filled with sick and dying people, with armed men preventing anyone from leaving.

Fish in a barrel.

Max probably thought he was in exactly the right place to do the most good.

She really had to come up with a superhero name for him.

The hatch behind her opened again and she glanced back to see who it was.

Max. He should still be sleeping.

He crouched down and came over to where she was lying down, keeping watch. “We can’t stay here,” he said without preamble. “We need to find another place to set up my new lab that’s reasonably easy to defend.”

“We’ve got no friends here, but the man whose home we’re sitting on.”

“So, let’s ask him.”

“Just remember what happened to the last house we tried to use as a lab and hospital. The people who are trying to pick a fight with us enjoy setting things on fire.” She scanned the village through her scope. “And there are a lot more people trying to find a safe place to sleep than there are houses.”

“I’ll be back.” Max scrambled away and she shook her head. The guy had more energy than a damned bunny.

Max was back within a couple of minutes.

“That didn’t take long,” she said when he joined her at the edge of the roof.

“He says he has the best place to set up a hospital.”

“Oh yeah? Where?”

“The village hospital.”

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