"Wait, wait." Foster held up his hand. "I thought our scientists developed a cure about five years after people started getting sick. How could they have the cure two years before people got sick if that was the case?"
"Because the virus was created by the government," Frankie said. "We just don't think they expected quite so many people to die or that the mechs would attack when we were at our most vulnerable."
"Whatever their intentions," Roark said, "I can't approve of their actions, and that's why I'm resigning from the ADF. Some of the same bastards who started this mess are still in charge." Roark glanced at the man pressed to his side and grimaced. "After what they did to Frankie, I can't work for them."
"So, what are you going to do?" Sawyer asked.
"Well, that depends on you, Sawyer."
"Me?"
"Frankie and I would like to stay here with you, if you don't mind."
"No, I don't mind," Sawyer said without a hint of hesitation. "You know you're welcome to stay here for as long as you like."
"And us?" Dahl asked. There was a grim set to his lips. "If Roark's leaving the ADF, I'm not going to stay. I'd probably end up with Lake as my commanding officer or some such shit like that."
Sawyer shot Roark a quick glance then looked at Frankie. He knew Roark had had a one-night fling with Lake a couple of years back. He wondered if Frankie knew about it. He was guessing from the way Frankie's jaw clenched that he did.
"Yeah, you're welcome to stay, too. All of you are."
"Then I guess the rest of us will be leaving the ADF, as well," Dahl said. "Command isn't going to be real happy about that."
"I dare them to fight me on this." Roark's hands fisted. "I've got enough shit on them to sink the entire ADF. If they fuck with me, I'll…well…they won't like it."
"What are you going to do with the information you found, Roark?" Stefan asked. "Are you going to tell people?"
"I'm not sure what good it will do," Roark replied. "The world isn't like it was back when they started this shit storm. I guess that they need every man, woman, and child to rebuild our society, and while I agree with that, I just can't continue to work for people who tried to kill Frankie."
"You don't think you have an obligation to tell people what they did?" Sam asked.
"To what point, son?" Ralph asked. "If what you're saying about this new world is true, destroying whatever government is now in place isn't going to fix anything. In fact, it just might cause more harm than good."
"It would," Roark agreed, "and it gains us nothing. It's better if we just leave."
"And if they try something like this again?" Dahl asked. "What then?"
Roark grimaced as if he'd swallowed something foul. "Then we tell the world what we know."
Chapter Fifteen
Sawyer jerked up and looked around. His jaw slowly dropped as he realized he could see everything. The entire bunker was lit up. There was even a radio playing somewhere in the background. He set down the cans he'd been stacking on the bottom shelf of the pantry and stood.
The lights were on.
How?
Grabbing his gun, he walked through the bunker. "Ralph? Tim?"
They were the only other people there. The others had gone back to Mesa Verde to resign from the ADF. They'd been gone for almost a week. Sawyer was really hoping they'd get back soon. He'd say he was starting to worry, but that ship sailed the second they stepped out of the complex.
"In here, Sawyer," Ralph called out from down one of the corridors.
Sawyer walked toward where he'd heard Ralph, still a little amazed that he was walking anywhere without a lamp. He was seeing more of the facility than he'd been able to since he arrived, and there was a lot more work to be done than even he had imagined.
"Hey, did you guys…" Sawyer frowned as he glanced around the large room. "Is this a maintenance room?"
"Generator room," Ralph corrected him as he wiped his greasy hands on a rag. Tim stepped up beside him and took the rag his father held out.
