They think the Cough came out of a government lab, that everything that’s happened is part of some massive conspiracy.”
“Is it?” Red asked.
“Of course not,” Sirois said.
“Just the part about parasites that explode out of humans and then become something that chews off my brother’s legs,” Red said. “And the part where you’re covering it up.”
“The point is that the Cough isn’t because of anything we did,” Sirois said.
“How do you know?”
“What?”
“How do you know?” Red repeated each word slowly, enunciating every consonant. “If the CDC brewed up something in their lab and it accidentally was let loose in the world, do you think they would tell you?”
Sirois frowned, opened his mouth, closed it again.
“Yeah, you’re thinking about it now,” Red said. “Fine, there’s no massive conspiracy but there are a load of conspiracy theorists with weapons trying to eliminate your whole battalion or patrol or whatever you are.”
“Platoon,” Sirois corrected absently. “And I need to find Regan, because he’s the CO and he’s needed right now.”
“I’m sorry to say that I think he’s been eaten up by whatever is behind this door,” Red said. “Adam told me not to open it, so I am not going to do that. If you insist on doing that so you can visually confirm the death of Lieutenant Regan then feel free, but give me a ten-minute head start first because getting eaten alive is not on my agenda for the day.”
Sirois’s eyes went from Adam to the door and back to Red.
“You’re telling me one of those things is behind that door?”
“One, twenty, who knows?” Red said. “All I know is that I was told not to open it and I am going to take my brother’s advice on that score.”
She was flippant now because it was the only defense she had, for the longer she stayed in that place with Adam’s body the more she felt she might just break down or crack up or start screaming to high heaven and never stop. There was no time now for grief, for curling into a little ball and crying all the water from her eyes.
Sirois stood there. Red saw him thinking, saw his eyes flicker as he turned over the possibilities.
“I’m going to take your brother’s advice, too,” Sirois said. “He seemed sensible, even if you don’t all the time.”
“You’re only saying that because he submitted to your tracker gun without an argument,” Red said. “So now what? You’re going to run outside to join the fray?”
“Yes,” Sirois said. “It’s my duty to do what I can, especially since the lieutenant is . . . missing.”
“And what is it that you think I should do?” Red asked. “Stay in here and cower like a good little woman until you suppress the insurgents?”
“I’d like you to use some degree of care and caution, yes,” Sirois said. “I feel responsible for you.”
“That’s a dumb thing to feel,” Red said. “It’s a free country, or at least it used to be. Go do whatever you think you need to do and don’t think about me again.”
“But your brother . . .”
“You don’t think Adam was the one doing the planning and decision making, do you?” Red laughed. The laugh had a hard, hysterical edge to it and she stopped right away. “I’m more cautious than Adam ever was. I promise you that.”
“Even you can’t think it’s a smart thing to try to escape with everything going on outside,” Sirois said.
“Sure it is. I can use the chaos to my advantage and slip away in a cloud of smoke.”
“And what will you do if you get caught by them? I don’t think they are the type that will be kind to a woman alone.”
“Do you think I don’t know what kind of men this world has wrought?” Red said. “Every woman knows. And those men existed before everything fell apart.”
She turned away from him then, because they were only going in circles and above all things she needed to