The Renegades (Book 4): Colony Read Free

surgery, pharmacy and clinics, golf club, gas station, hell, even a taxi service. Not that I could see anyone wanting to hail a cab in an apocalypse.
    We were driven up to a massive, cream-colored, official-looking building with lettering that said:

    UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
    AIR FORCE MATERIEL COMMAND
    HEADQUARTERS

    T here were six flags either side of the walkway, flapping in the wind. Each one was a different color with military insignia on it. We were going to be taken to the 88 th Air Base Wing, which was the host organization for the base itself.
    When the truck came to a halt, one of them brought down the steel flap and dragged us out.
    “Are the restraints necessary?” Ben asked.
    “Precaution until we get you cleared away.”
    “Cleared away. By that you mean being tucked into a bed and told a goodnight story?” Baja asked. “If so, I’d like to put in a request for The Three Little Pigs . I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for that one.”
    The officer who had previously slammed him in the face pushed him forward. That was the thing about Baja, the guy didn’t have an off switch.
    We were pushed forward through multiple doors. Military personnel stared at us like we were freaks from a traveling circus. With the amount of facial hair we were sporting it mustn’t have been a pretty sight.
    I really hoped that whoever was in charge of this setup wasn’t a complete dick. I was tired of running into egotistical lunatics carrying a chip on their shoulder. Finally they led us into an auditorium that was filled with computers and screens that were lit up with dots all over them. To anyone who worked here it probably made sense, to us it might as well have been the old Atari Pac-Man game as it was just a confusing display of colors, dots, and movement.
    A tall bald man wearing a dark navy-blue uniform with more badges than the Boy Scouts was engaged in a conversation when we were hustled into the building.
    “Hey, you want to stop shoving us before I shove something up your ass,” I said.
    “Actually I think he would like that,” Baja remarked. It must have been the final straw for the officer who had taken a disliking to us from the moment we’d shown up. He jabbed Baja in the gut hard, which enraged Elijah. While our hands were tied we still put up one hell of a fight.
    “Sergeant Banks, stand down,” the officer in blue bellowed. We now had a name for the prick. Banks. He was obviously lower down the chain of command. The officer approaching us had four silver stars on his shoulders and a gazillion medals on his left chest. Banks scowled at the officer but listened to him.
    “I’m General Jackson. We’ve heard a lot about you. The risk you took to obtain the cure has become quite the conversation piece around here.”
    He relieved the men of their duties. Banks scowled as he walked away.
    “I’m sorry about that, they have been a little high-strung since this outbreak.”
    “You think? Crackheads,” Baja muttered.
    I was about to ask where Jess and Izzy were when a door across from us opened and I spotted them. A sudden rush of hope flooded my being. Now I would like to say that Jess was all smiles, hugs, and kisses. But that wasn’t the case. If the others parting like the Red Sea was any indication of what was coming towards us, it would give you a rough idea of how she looked.
    The first slap she gave was to be expected. The second, was Jess being Jess and the third, well, Izzy stepped in at that point, saving me from being humiliated any further.
    “I think he’s got the point, Jess.”
    I blew out hard, feeling my cheeks sting. “Thanks.”
    Then Izzy turned and slapped me. “That’s for doing that to my friend.”
    Now I certainly wasn’t going to mention Danielle at that point otherwise I would have probably been picking my nuts off the floor, or at least what would have been left of them.
    After which Jess hugged me and planted a kiss that made all the shit before that point