Life Goes On by Tayell, Frank (large ebook reader txt) 📗

afford to waste any more time. Gentlemen, thank you. I’ll give Tess the orders, and I’d like you to be in Perth by dawn.”

Hawker stood, and saluted. “Ma’am. Commissioner.”

“Do you really think those two can make a weapon?” Tess asked when she and Anna were alone.

“I don’t know, Tess, and I’m in two minds whether I want them to,” Anna said. “What if it works, but mutates the undead into something worse?”

“Fast zombies,” Tess said. “I really have to stop watching movies with your dad. Is that why you’re sending the scientists away?”

“No. Politics is returning, Tess. I’ve told Oswald not to tell anyone anything about the weapon, but you know how O.O. likes to brag. He’ll tell people that it’s being developed, so word will spread, and everyone will want progress updates and demonstrations. It will still take months before we’ve something ready to deploy. We can’t be so distracted we take our attention away from everything else we need to do to survive. Do you know Clive Oakes?”

“He ran my unit in Sydney. Didn’t he run for office?”

“He was a state senator until a few hours ago. He’s now in charge of policing for all of Australia. The New South Wales delegation insisted. I wanted to give the post to you, but it wasn’t my choice.”

“He’s a better candidate,” Tess said. “He was always more of an administrator than an investigator. A bit too fond of long sentences, both in his speeches and from the judges, but he’s a good bloke. Visited me a few times in the hospital before I moved back home.”

“Good,” Anna said. “Yes, politics is returning. We should be grateful. I will be grateful when I’ve had more sleep, but it means we have to consider what the public needs as much as what they want. They want a victory. I’m sending the hero who stopped the coup on a mission to hunt down the people responsible for the outbreak. That’s the headline we’ll broadcast in a couple of days. On your return, we’ll broadcast how you destroyed the cartel’s base in Colombia.”

“So this is purely propaganda,” Tess said.

“Not entirely,” Anna said. “These sisters committed a true crime against humanity. We should attempt to serve justice. Honestly, what other use do we have for warships and Special Forces now? We’re in retreat. We’ve diagnosed malaria in Broome and cholera in Darwin. Radiation is rising everywhere we can record it, and we still don’t know if the last bomb has been dropped. Things are difficult and will get a lot worse before they get better.”

“Are you still going on your goodwill tour of the refugee camps?” Tess asked.

“Starting tomorrow,” Anna said.

“Take my team with you,” Tess said.

“I already have bodyguards,” Anna said.

“My people are your management team. They’re loyal to you, Anna. Have Mick fly you.”

“Don’t you think that’ll give the impression of me as the girl being taxied around by her dad?”

“Not if Dan Blaze is the bloke pushing your chair,” Tess said. “His voice is famous, even if his face isn’t. Not a bad-looking bloke, either, when he’s not scowling. And his voice is something to—” She stopped, and coughed.

“What?” Anna asked, leaning forward. “Go on, say it.”

“I’m just describing how others would see him,” Tess said quickly. “Who knows how they’d interpret him pushing your chair, but it’d be a good photo for them to gossip over. Distractions can be healthy.”

“I completely agree, Tess,” Anna said.

“Yeah, well, I’ll tell my team to find some suits. It’ll look like a political delegation rather than a paramilitary enforcement squad.”

“You don’t want to take them with you to the Atlantic?”

“I’ll have Bruce for company, Leo for entertainment, and Avalon to infuriate me,” Tess said. “The ships will be crowded with all those Rangers. My lot would only get in the way.”

“I’m promoting Bruce to colonel,” Anna said. “That should be sufficient rank to impress the Navy captains and the C.I.A. spooks, but you’re the government representative. You’ll have letters from Oswald, and from the U.N. Bruce will decide on the strategy, but there’ll be no contact until you return. I don’t know what decisions will have to be made, but they should be made by a civilian, not the military, or by the spies.”

“The C.I.A. can provide intel, Bruce will press the button, but I’ll pick the target,” Tess said. “I understand.”

“I’m sending you into the unknown,” Anna said “Look for ships, for people, for runways. Look for radiation and craters, too. Find out if we really are all that’s left of the world. But if you can’t come back with good news, just make sure you come back. Oh, and if I don’t see you before you depart, don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on Dan for you.”

Chapter 4 - Family Loyalties

Red Hill, Canberra, Australia

Outside Parliament House, Tess found Mick and her team next to the police cars in which they’d arrived. They were eating cake and drinking… she sniffed. “Is that coffee?” she asked.

“A gift from Mr Owen,” Mick said. “That bloke’s growing on me.”

“Where did you find cake?” Tess asked.

“That’s from O.O., too,” Mick said.

“For you?” Tess asked. “It’s not that I expect it’s poison, but if Oswald Owen wished you g’day, it’s guaranteed the invoice is already in the post.”

“Nah, it was a bulk order for all those politicos from Tassie,” Mick said.

“Here you go, Commish,” Elaina said. “There’s no coconut, but it’s not a bad way of ending a day.”

“Not bad at all,” Tess said, looking over her team. “Thank you all for your help in saving what’s left of civilisation.”

“Australian civilisation,” Mick added.

“The best kind of civilisation,” Clyde said.

“I’m serious,” Tess said.

“So am I,” Mick said.

“Yep, me too,” Clyde said.

Tess gave up, and took a