Altered Genes: Genesis

by Mark Kelly

  Mei stood by the van’s door and looked. She didn’t see anything except a parked car, but the younger woman was adamant.

  “Right there, he moved,” Emma exclaimed and pointed.

  “Let’s drive past,” Mei said to Lucia as she climbed in and shut the door. Lucia nodded. She started the van and drove down the street.

  “There, right there,” Emma cried as she leaned over the front seat and pointed. Mei pressed her face against the glass and stared. The car’s windows were tinted. The glare of the late afternoon sun made it impossible to see through them.

  “Anything?” Lucia asked

  “I saw him, he’s there,” Emma said.

  Mei shrugged and looked in the passenger-side mirror as they passed the car. “Maybe—it’s hard to say. Let’s just keep going.”

  They continued down the street and turned left. Lucia slowed to see if the other car followed, but it didn’t. She rolled the window down and listened for the sound of traffic. It was coming from the south.

  “Do you know how to get out of here?” Mei asked her.

  She nodded and pointed the van towards the noise.

  “Which way are you going?” Emma asked.

  “This way,” Lucia muttered under her breath as she twisted the steering wheel. They cut in front of a blue minivan and the driver honked his horn. She swore back at him in Spanish.

  As they slowly made their way out of the city, Emma talked incessantly, offering comments on everything they passed. Mei glanced at Lucia who clenched her teeth. The girl was wearing on her.

  Two hours later, they came to a complete stop near a bridge.

  “Mierda!” Lucia swore. She pointed at the jumble of cars on the other side of the intersection. The road was completely blocked with vehicles turned every which way.

  “What now?” Mei asked.

  “The bridge,” Lucia said simply as she inched the van into the left-most lane. The van brushed against another car. Mei cringed at the angry honks sent their way. She’s going to get us shot.

  They headed onto the viaduct that crossed the Potomac river connecting Washington and Virginia. They needed a new route. As Mei pulled up directions on the GPS, Emma leaned forward and draped herself over the seat.

  “It’s not so bad,” the girl offered without being asked. “Once we cross the bridge, we can go up the George Washington Parkway and then cross back over at the Legion Bridge.” She fiddled with the GPS and toggled through more options. “See, or maybe even up the Pike to Seven and onto Fifteen.“

  Annoyed, Mei pushed her hands away. “The Parkway to Legion Bridge is fine.” She’s going to drive me crazy.

  By late afternoon, they had reached the on-ramp to the Legion Bridge only to find it closed. A few minutes later, they discovered why.

  “Wow,” Emma exclaimed as she looked down from the overpass. “That’s freaking insane. There must be thousands of cars down there.”

  The highway below was in a state of bedlam. Without police to control the traffic and tow-trucks to move the abandoned vehicles, it had become a giant parking lot. Hundreds of people milled around, some partied while others shouted and fought.

  “Keep going,” Mei said in a worried voice as she watched a group of men climb up from the road below. They stepped over the guardrail onto the shoulder and waved their hands, signaling for the van to stop.

  Lucia nodded and swerved quickly to the left as one of them moved further on to the road. Mei looked in the mirror. She watched him give them the finger.

  They turned onto the Georgetown Pike. The tree-lined road with its stately country homes smelled of money. Mei looked out the window at a colonial-style mansion and wondered what life was like behind the gates and stone walls.

  She saw a man clad in black watch the van as it approached. He stood by a closed gate. His eyes were hidden behind mirrored sunglasses. The stock of his rifle was tucked under his armpit. He relaxed when they passed by.

  I wonder what he’ll do when things get desperate? Will he take from his employers or from others?

  The forested landscape gave way to rolling fields of green pasture. Emma pointed at a chestnut-colored Arabian horse that stood by a white wooden fence. Its silky tail flickered back and forth as it contently munched on the grass that grew along the base of the posts.

  “She’s beautiful. Look, another one.”

  The majestic white stallion that galloped across the field was a stunning horse, nearly sixteen hands tall. Its hind quarter muscles rippled with each stride. They watched as it joined the other horse and muzzled it aside to get at the grass.

  As the horses grazed, a girl appeared over the top of a nearby hill. She ran desperately towards the road—towards them. Mei watched her stumble and fall to the ground. Her face hit the turf with a force that snapped her head back. Disoriented, she staggered to her feet, looked over her shoulder and began to run again.

  A man, carrying a rifle, chased her. Startled by the commotion, the chestnut Arabian scampered away while the stallion raised its head and snorted.

  The girl screamed.

  “Something’s wrong,” Mei said. “Pull in there.” She pointed to the lane way up ahead.

  Lucia turned without looking. “Mierda!”

  A pickup truck blocked the road. She slammed on the brakes, knocking Emma forward and onto the floor.

  “What is it?” the girl asked in a concerned voice as she dusted herself off.

  “Trouble,” Mei and Lucia said at the same time.

  Two men stood by the side of the truck. They menacingly pointing their rifles at the van.

  Lucia lifted her hands from the steering wheel. She slowly raised her left one in the air and motioned at Mei with her right. “Give me a gun,” she whispered through closed lips.

  Mei took a pistol from the glove compartment and placed it in Lucia’s open hand. “Stay here, I’ll see what’s going on.” She opened the door, slid off the seat and was on the pavement before anyone could stop her. She didn’t dare turn to check but prayed Lucia had the gun and was ready—just in case.

  She took a couple of tentative steps towards the men who grinned when they saw the van’s occupants were all women. She motioned towards the girl in the field and spoke in a tight voice. “Does she need help? Is everything alright?”

  The older man laughed a mocking little laugh and elbowed the man beside him. “Things are good, even better now. Ain’t that so, Jimmy?”

  The younger man, Jimmy, smirked and licked his lips as he adjusted the ball cap that covered his greasy hair. “Yeah, things are good.”

  The girl in the field cried out and Mei watched helplessly as she was knocked to the ground by the man who chased her. Before she could climb to her feet, he jumped on top of her and pinned her with his substantial weight. When she struggled to free herself, he slapped her face and yelled at her to shut-up.

  “Go help him with that silly bitch,” the older man said. The younger man placed his rifle in the bed of the pickup and began to climb the fence that lined the driveway. When he reached the top of the fence, the older man turned his attention back to Mei.

  “I think I’ll take you up to the house for some fun, but first, let’s see you dance.” He lowered his rifle and pulled the trigger. The sharp bark of the gunshot came at the same time as the chips of asphalt peppered her legs. She flinched and cried out, certain she’d been hit.

  The next two gunshots surprised her even more. She watched the older man drop to the ground, blood hemorrhaging from the wounds in his chest.

  “Pops!” The younger man cried out. He jumped from the fence and began to run towards his father’s crumpled body but stopped and grabbed his rifle from the back of the pickup truck.

  Another flurry of gunshots erupted. Mei dropped to the ground, unsure who was shooting at who. She felt hands on her.

  “Are you okay?” It was Lucia asking.

  She nodded.

  Another shot rang out. They watched the younger man fall by the si
de of the truck. His rifle clattered uselessly to the ground near him.

  Mei turned her head to see an Asian man make his way up the driveway towards them. He held his pistol loosely and pointed down to show he wasn’t a threat.

  “It’s him,” Emma cried out from inside the van, “It’s the man who followed Professor Simmons and me.”

  Lucia pointed her gun at him. He froze and then slowly placed his weapon on the pavement by his feet.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said in a calm voice.

  Mei placed her hand on Lucia’s arm. “It’s okay, I think.”

  Lucia slowly lowered her arm. He picked his gun up and walked cautiously towards them.

  The girl in the field began to scream. Mei jerked her head towards the sound. The man who had been chasing the girl lay on the ground moaning in pain. When he moved, the girl screamed even louder.

  Mei climbed to her feet and ran to the fence. She stepped on the bottom rail and threw her body over the top. She fell to the ground on the other side and slipped in the mud as she clambered to her feet.

  “It’s okay,” she called out to the girl. “You’re safe.”

  The white stallion reared up. It tossed its head and snorted through its nose. It pawed at the ground as she approached the girl. Mei held her hand out and spoke gently to the horse. “It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt her.” It reared up one final time before galloping away.

  The girl who was fourteen or fifteen years old had bruises all over her face. Their deep purple color was offset against her dark brown skin. Eyes wide, she stared at Mei and backed away.

  “I’m a doctor, let me help you,” Mei said. “I’m not going to hurt you.” She held out her hand. The girl studied it for a moment before nodding. She trembled when Mei touched her.

  Aside from the bruises and ripped blouse, Mei couldn’t see any physical wounds but the girl was petrified. “Let’s get you patched up. I have a medical kit in the van.” She took the girl’s hand and guided her across the field. Lucia and Emma helped her over the fence.

  She ran back to the man in the field. He had stopped moving and was dead.

  She returned to the girl. They had sat her down on the ground in front of the van. She crouched down beside her. “I’m Mei, what’s your name?”

  “S-s-saanvi,”the girl said with a quiver as her body shook from the adrenaline that coursed through it. She grabbed desperately at Mei and cried out. “She’s dead…The teachers too.”

  “Who is dead?“ Mei asked gently.

  Before the girl could answer, the younger man groaned. Mei glared angrily in his direction. She wanted to ignore him, but her conscience wouldn’t let her.

  “Get a blanket and the medical kit,” she said to Lucia. She turned to Emma. “Stay with her, cover her with the blanket and keep her talking.”

  They both nodded and she jogged over to the younger man. His rifle lay on the ground. She kicked it away before kneeling down to examine him. The bullet was lodged in his shoulder. The wound probably hurt, but it wouldn’t kill him. “I’ll get a bandage on that and you’ll be fine.”

  He glared at her with soulless eyes and spat, “You’re dead…You’re all fucking dead.”

  Lucia returned with the medical kit and gave it to her. “Are you sure he’s worth it?”

  He heard her. “You fucking spic bitch, just wait ’til the rest of them get here. They’ll fuck you over good.” Spit bubbled and foamed from his mouth as he screamed at her.

  The Asian man was beside them in seconds. “We must leave. There are more. You heard him.” He spoke without emotion but held his gun in his hand.

  Mei stared at him and then looked at Lucia who nodded and spoke. “He’s right, why else would they have blocked the road and chased her down?”

  Mei stood and looked down the long lane way to the roofs of the buildings in the distance. The man on the ground wouldn’t die but they might.

  “Okay.”

  The Asian man tilted his head towards Saanvi. “I think I know her. Let me talk to her.” Without waiting for permission, he walked over and squatted next to her. “Hello, do you remember me”

  She looked at him blankly.

  “From Heathrow airport. I sat near you.…there was a man who tripped on your luggage.”

  She nodded, a glimmer of recognition in her eyes.

  He smiled. “Good. Where are the other men?”

  Her lips trembled and she began to shake. He placed a hand on each of her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “I will protect you, but you must tell me where the other men are?”

  “At the school…a lot of them.” Her voice broke. “They came yesterday…said the school was theirs. They killed the teachers—Dishita too.” Her chest heaved as she sobbed.

  Mei pushed him aside and took the girl’s hands into her own. She spoke softly. “Did they hurt you? Did they do things to you…things you didn’t want them to do?” The girl turned away and looked at the ground.

  “We need to go now,” The Asian man said as he stood. “They may have heard the shots.”

  “What about the people up there? The students? We can’t leave them.” Mei pleaded.

  He shook his head. “There is nothing we can do.”

  Lucia stepped in front of her and stared her in the eye. “He’s right. We can’t stop them and they’ll kill us.” She pointed at the dead man on the pavement. “Especially now.”

  Mei looked at the two of them. “What about the police?”

  “What police? There are no police. You saw the highway,” Lucia spat. “If we see help, we’ll send it,” she added.

  Mei pressed her lips together and nodded. She bent down to help the girl up. As she did, the wounded man near the truck began to curse at them.

  The Asian man took a step towards him. Lucia caught his arm and spoke. “Never mind him, I’ll take care of it.” She pointed to Mei and Saanvi. “Take them and we’ll follow.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes—take them and go now!”

  LUCIA WATCHED as he herded Mei and the girl to his car. As they drove away, she jumped in the van and turned it around. They were gone from sight when she climbed out,

  “Come with me,” she said to Emma who stood dazed by the side of the van. “We have to find a way to slow them down.”

  The girl followed her to the pickup truck. A large box of roofing nails sat pushed up tight against the truck’s cab.

  “What about those?”

  Lucia nodded and jumped onto the bed. She slid the box to the tailgate and jumped down. The man on the ground saw what they intended to do and jeered at them.

  “That ain’t gonna do jack-shit,” he yelled as they spread the nails on the pavement.

  Wide-eyed, Emma stopped and stared at him. Lucia grabbed her arm and yanked her away.

  “Ignore him.”

  They finished spreading the nails and she looked around. A hunting knife hung from the dead man’s belt. She took it and used it to cut all four tires on the truck.

  “Stupid spic,” the wounded man spat as he watched her. “We’ve got other cars.”

  When she finished, she pushed Emma towards the van. “Go and get in. I’ll be a minute.”

  She waited until the college student was in the van and then walked to the back of the pick-up. She stood above the man and looked down at him.

  His face was contorted in an ugly expression. Spit flew from his mouth as he spewed his hatred. “You’re lucky I can’t get up, else I’d hurt you—hurt you bad.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so. You’re not going to hurt anyone—ever again.” She pulled the pistol from her pants and shot him in the head.

  When she returned to the van, Emma stared at her, her face ashen with horror. “What did you do?”

  She stared at the stunned girl. “I did what had to be done. If they catch us, they will kill us—or worse.”

  She turned away and put the van in gear. They drove off
with a squeal of the tires.

  28

  WE’RE COMING

  April 8th, 21h15 GMT : McLean, Virginia

  Mei looked nervously out the back window, just as she had for the last twenty minutes, alternating her attention between the girl, Saanvi, who sat shell-shocked in the back seat, and the cars lined up in the traffic behind them.

  “We aren’t being followed,” the Asian man said.

  She turned to face him. His eyes were fixed on the road in front of them but she had seen him checking the rear-view mirror as he drove.

  She was going to thank him for helping them but remembered Emma’s cries when the college girl first saw him walk up the laneway.

  “Were you following us?” She blurted the words out. He didn’t answer immediately and she added, “Emma, the girl with us said you followed her from the university.”

  “I didn’t follow her.”

  He spoke calmly and without any emotion. She studied his profile. He was ordinary looking, slightly disheveled but so was she, everyone was.

  “Are you with the police or military?”

  “I’m nobody—just a man. My name is Chen Gong.”

  He turned and gave her a quick look. “What’s your name?”

  “I’m Mei…Mei Ling.”

  She stole a glance at the girl in the backseat who stared listlessly out the window. “How do you know her?”

  “I don’t know her,” he replied. “I saw her at Heathrow airport a few weeks ago. We sat near each other.”

  She raised an eyebrow skeptically. “And you remembered her?”

  “She reminds me of my daughter.”

  She opened her mouth to ask more but closed it, afraid of what she might hear. He sounded forlorn. She watched as he glanced in the rear view mirror and spoke to Saanvi.

  “I’m sorry there is so little room back there. I wasn’t expecting guests today.” When the girl looked up, he smiled.

  Mei leaned over the seat. She hadn’t noticed when they first climbed into the car but it was filled with supplies. There were boxes of energy bars, bottled water, rolls of toilet paper, a mix of other things—including medical supplies, she noted. Even the floor space was filled, packages of baby wipes sat next to five or six boxes of ammunition.“