things.? I crossed the van, keeping my eyes away from the mess at my sister?s terminal and the surrounding walls. The beacon?a button that would trigger a broadcast loop to let any local CDC or law enforcement agents know that someone in the van had been infected, and that someone else was alive?was a switch on the wall next to what had been Buffy?s primary terminal, before she went and died on us.
First Buffy, now George. Two down, one to go, and the more I forced myself out of the comfort of my shock, the more I realized that the story wasn?t over. It didn?t have an ending. George would have hated that.
?It is, as you might say, our job,? Mahir said.
?Yeah, about that.? I flipped the switch. A distant, steady beeping began, the beacon?s signal being picked up and relayed by the illegal police scanner in the sealed-off front seat. ?Who are you working for right now??
?Ah no one. I suppose I?m a free agent.?
?Good, ?cause I want to hire you.?
Mahir?s surprise was entirely unfeigned as he demanded, ?What??
?This day can?t be good for your blood pressure,? I said, crossing to the weapons locker. The revolver wasn?t going to cut it. For one thing, it was probably contaminated, and they?d take it away when they let me out of the van. For another, it lacked class. You can?t go hunting United States governors with a generic revolver. It simply isn?t done. ?After the End Times has found itself with a sudden opening for a new Head of our Factual Reporting Department. I mean, I could hire Rick, but I don?t think he?s gonna have the guts for the job. He?s one of nature?s seconds. Besides, Georgia would?ve wanted me to give it to you.? We?d never discussed it?the topic of her dying was so ludicrous that it never came up?but I was sure of what I was saying. She would?ve hired him if she had any say in the matter. She would?ve hired him, and she would?ve trusted him to take over the site if my death followed hers. So that was all right.
?I I?m not sure what you ?
?Just say yes, Mahir. We have so many recorders running right now that you know a verbal contract will stand up in court, as long as I don?t test positive when they come to let me out of here.?
Mahir sighed, the sound seemingly summoned up from the very core of him. I glanced up from the process of loading bullets into Georgia?s favorite .40, and saw him nod. ?All right, Shaun. I accept.?
?Good. Welcome back onboard.? I?ve done my own hiring and firing from the start and I know what it takes to activate a new account or reactivate an old one. Leaning over the nearest blood-free keyboard, I called up an administrative panel and tapped in his user ID, followed by my own, my password, and my administrative override. ?It?ll take about ten minutes for your log-in to turn all the way back live.? Just about as long as it had taken Georgia?s typing to degrade. ?Once you can get in, get in. I want you monitoring every inch of the site. Draft any-damn-body you can get your hands on?I don?t care what department they belong to, you get them working the forums, watching the feeds, and making the goddamn news go. You need to hire people, you hire people. Until I come back, you?re in charge. Your word is law.?
?What?s the goal here, Shaun??
I looked toward the screen, teeth bared in a grin, and he recoiled. ?We?re not letting them kill my sister?s story the way they killed her. She gets buried. It doesn?t.?
For a moment, it looked as if he might protest, but only for a moment. It passed as quickly as it had come, and he nodded. ?I?ll get on that. Are you about to do something foolish??
?You could say that,? I agreed. ?Good night, Mahir.?
?Good luck,? he said, and the screen went black.
I had just finished loading Georgia?s gun when the intercom buzzed. ?Answer,? I said, pulling down my Kevlar vest and slamming the weapons locker shut before starting to fasten the buckles around my chest.
??there? I repeat: Shaun, are you in there??
?Steve, my man!? I didn?t have to feign my delight at the sound of his voice. ?Dude, you?re like a cat! How many lives you got, anyway??
?Not as many as you,? Steve replied, the rumble of his voice not quite hiding his concern.