“Nothing like a workout first thing in the morning, eh?” Eric said, nudging Caleb in the arm as they trudged along the path.

Caleb thought about the last ghoul he killed, and the way it seemed almost relieved as it died, and shook his head.

He was silent for the rest of the march.

*****

The situation at Fort McCray, as per usual, followed the ages-old pattern of activity known to every army since the dawn of warfare.

Hurry up and wait.

While Caleb and the rest of his platoon awaited orders in the mess hall, Eric stayed busy. His first order of business was to corral a radioman and bribe him into sending a message to the sheriff’s office. It was a coded message, the cypher of which only he and a few other people in Hollow Rock knew. The gist of the message was that something big was going down with Echo Company, and Mayor Stone needed to contact Captain Harlow at her earliest opportunity.

Next, he waited in the shade of an oak tree outside the headquarters building where he could be easily found. Less than ten minutes later, an earnest young MP approached him and politely asked if he would accompany him to Captain Harlow’s office.

The best way Eric could describe Captain Harlow would be to say he was medium. Medium height, medium build, voice a solemn tenor, black hair carefully trimmed and combed to the side, uniform immaculate, shoe shine impeccable, as neatly put together as anyone Eric had ever met.

He had a hard time picturing Captain Harlow in combat attire, rifle in hand, leading men into battle. He would have looked more at home in a suit and tie selling tax-free municipals to Florida retirees. But upon closer inspection, Eric detected a certain firmness to the set of his jaw, a clarity in the chilly gray eyes, a surprising strength in the proffered handshake, his movements brisk and efficient, his demeanor possessed of an air of assured authority that belied of his youthful appearance.

“It’s good to see you again Mr. Riordan,” Harlow said. “Please, have a seat.”

“Thank you, Captain.” Eric sat in one of two folding chairs in front of Harlow’s plain metal desk.

“Mayor Stone contacted my staff a short while ago. It seems she’s concerned as to why I’ve called First Platoon to headquarters.”

Eric nodded. “And the Ninth TVM.”

“I’m sure the mayor understands why I can’t contact her by radio. Operational security. I’ll need to speak with her in person.”

“Of course. In the mayor’s message, did she appoint a representative in her absence?”

Eric detected a slight narrowing of Harlow’s eyes. “Yes. That would be you.”

“I thought as much. So, would you mind telling me exactly what’s going on?”

“You have to understand, Mr. Riordan, the nature of that information is very sensitive.”

“I understand completely.”

“Then you understand I can’t divulge information about ongoing operations to civilians simply because they drop by and ask me to.”

Eric sat forward in his seat, not caring for Harlow’s tone. “You do realize you’re talking to the guy who infiltrated the Free Legion, right?”

“Yes, I am aware of that. And I certainly appreciate everything you’ve done for your country, but-”

“And you do realize that General Phillip Jacobs, head of Army Special Operations Command, is a good friend of mine, right?”

Harlow stared, but said nothing.

“Furthermore, the treaty between the free community of Hollow Rock and Central Command stipulates that the mayor’s office is to be briefed on any military operations which might affect the safety of the community’s citizenry. Were you aware of that?”

A few seconds ticked by. “I’m afraid I haven’t read the treaty yet, Mr. Riordan.”

“Well, you should. It’s a bit dry, but once you get past the boilerplate there’s some important information there.”

Harlow steepled his fingers under his chin. “Tell me, Mr. Riordan. What did you do before the Outbreak? I’m guessing … lawyer.”

“Financial analyst, actually. Now let me ask you a question, Captain. Is there a possibility these ongoing operations you referred to could adversely affect the people of Hollow Rock in any way?”

A muscle in Harlow’s jaw twitched a few times before he answered. “Yes. That is a possibility. Which is exactly why we have to keep a tight lid on what’s going on.”

Eric sat back in his seat. “I’m listening.”

Harlow let out a slow breath and placed his hands flat on the desk. Eric had the distinct impression the young captain would have liked nothing better at that moment than to gut him with a rusty machete. When he spoke, his tone was frosty.

“You understand any information I share with you is classified, and is to be shared only with Mayor Stone, correct?”

“Of course.”

“And you are aware of the penalties for leaking this information, correct?”

“Correct. And I am duly intimidated. Now can we get on with it?”

Harlow scowled. “I’m sure you’ve kept up to date on the trouble we’ve been having with the Midwest Alliance.”

Eric nodded. “Allow me to summarize: What was once a loose affiliation of independent city states came together nearly a year ago under a centralized government and declared their independence from the Union. While the federal government has not officially recognized their independence, they haven’t attempted to bring them to heel either. In the interim, the Alliance has been fighting a shadow war against the Union and its interests, including but not limited to supplying arms and personnel to anti-Union militant groups. There is also evidence to suggest the Alliance is in cahoots with the Republic of California, which is really just a puppet government under the control of foreign forces who have invaded and subdued a large section of Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. Did I touch on all the major points, Captain?”

“Yes, you did. Are you also aware of the problems we’ve been having with marauders harassing border communities in Kentucky and Kansas?”

“I’ve heard a rumor or two. Some people think the Alliance is behind it.”

Harlow nodded. “A few months ago, a special operations task group was deployed to the border to assess the severity of the problem and determine if the Alliance was indeed involved. Long story short, the answer is yes, although we can’t prove it beyond plausible deniability on the Alliance’s part. However, the problem is much worse than we thought.”

“How so?”

“What they’re doing goes far beyond simple harassment. It’s a land grab. They’re trying to get the people living in these border communities to flee south and abandon their territory.”

“And how are they doing that?”

“I’ll give you an example. What used to be the town of Kevil, Kentucky is now known as Fort Carter. Like many towns that survived the Outbreak, it’s population has grown significantly in recent years as survivors from nearby areas have filtered in. Fort Carter is surrounded by fertile farmland, grows enough crops to feed its population and then some, and until recently, the town’s principle export was livestock. Goats and chickens, mostly.”

“So what happened?”

“These so-called marauders happened. They showed up with a horde of about two-thousand revenants and unleashed them on the town. While the town’s defenders were busy trying to keep the undead from beating down their walls, the marauders went to work on the fields and livestock. They didn’t destroy everything, but the damage was pretty severe. Fort Carter will need federal assistance to make it through the winter this year. And that’s just one example; this is happening to towns all along the border.”

“Jesus. I didn’t realize it was that bad.”

“No one did. Not until the task group got there.”

“And now that the Army knows, you have to do something about it.”

“Exactly.”

“And unless I miss my guess, Fort McCray is the nearest FOB to the border.”