“It is Friday, Latoya,” Jerry said. “What happened next?”
“He was tearing Henry’s face off. Pulling it from his skull like you’d peel old paint from a wall. He was smiling the whole time like that is what made him the most happy.”
“Who? Latoya? Who was doing that?”
“I’ve never seen him before. He was wearing an expensive suit, hair done real nice, fancy shoes and watch. Henry was already dead. Snuggled up in his favorite blankets. He was the nicest person I ever met. He had so little but he was happy with that.”
“And then what happened?”
“I was terrified. I stayed in my car and called the police. They came in a few minutes. The man that had done that to Henry ran off.”
“There you have it, Karen,” Jerry’s voice took over. No sympathy echoed in his words, only firm, matter-of-fact tone. “Madness in the streets of Los Angeles.”
Jason turned the volume dial down. Pulling out his phone, he pressed a single button and waited. The ringing of his phone on speaker filled the car. Nothing.
“Why aren’t they answering?” he asked.
Taylor shrugged. “I don’t know. We won’t have to wait long to find out. We’re only a few minutes away.”
“Are you freaking out right now? Because this is my first time in the field and I’m really starting to freak out. It would be nice if I wasn’t the only one freaking out.”
“I am too. Your overuse of the phrase ‘freaking out’ isn’t helping.”
CHAPTER 12
Lazarus Pharmaceuticals was a scene of controlled chaos. When Taylor and Jason had left no more than two hours previously, it was business as usual. A single guard at the outer gatehouse provided access. A few guards patrolling the grounds and inner facility with a casual gait that said nothing was ever going to happen rounded out the security staff.
When Taylor pulled into the long driveway, dozens of guards were busy fortifying the stainless steel fences with barbed wire. Heavy brown work gloves strapped on their hands, they unstrung yards of heavy-duty razor wire. The industrial size security component reminded Taylor of a lethal slinky.
The gatehouse was secured tighter than most government checkpoints. Six guards decked in full body armor and assault rifles waved them to a stop. A red bar that would raise and lower to allow cars into the facility grounds was now joined by a wicked looking spike strip. An oversized black SUV positioned to block any access also hindered their forward progress.
Taylor brought her car to a stop as a security guard approached them with a wary stride, his right finger hovering over the weapon’s trigger. Even with what she had seen in the last fourteen hours, with what was happening to the world, there was no reason for a professional of any kind to approach a car window with his finger already on the trigger of his weapon.
“Name and business?” he asked like a pissed off bouncer guarding the entrance to an exclusive nightclub. He eyed the child-sized red handprints on the window as well as the cracked windshield.
“Taylor Hart. I’m employed by Lazarus Pharmaceuticals. We’re coming in at Wade Treadstone’s direct request.”
The guard stood erect at the mention of Wade’s name. His finger didn’t move from the trigger position but he motioned with his left hand. “That’s a big name to drop, little lady. Let’s see your company ID card and driver’s license.”
Taylor’s temper rose. Here they were in the middle of a serious outbreak, maybe even one that would mark the end of Lazarus Pharmaceuticals, perhaps even involve the government, and this guy outside her window was asking her for credentials. What’s more, he committed an unforgivable sin. He used a degrading name. Taylor dug through her pockets for the requested material but she couldn’t stop the sarcasm from pushing past her lips.
“Little lady? That’s a nice thing to call someone who could disarm you in a second and shove that—”
Jason leaned over from his passenger side seat to look at the guard. “Brad, is this really necessary?”
The guard’s hand left his weapon and he squatted down with a smile. “Jason, is that you? I can’t believe they let you out. Aren’t you supposed to be shackled to a desk somewhere punching in codes and algorithms?”
Jason smiled. “I know, they let me out for a field trip under this woman’s supervision. I promised I’d behave.”
The man outside chuckled. “I see. Well, I can let you by this checkpoint without hassling you but you’re going to have to check in with the tent. We have strict orders no matter who you are.”
“What’s going on here?” Jason asked.
The guard shrugged. “It’s a full lockdown. We’ve trained to enact these security measures but we’ve never been ordered to execute them. My guess is that it’s an exercise.”
Jason and Taylor exchanged a quick look. News of the truth behind the outbreaks had not only failed to reach the general population but it seemed Lazarus Pharmaceuticals was also holding information from their own.
“Go ahead, you’re fine,” Brad said with a wave. “Stay out of trouble, kids.”
Jason waved and leaned back in his seat. The pole separating them from the facility was raised, the spike strip pulled back, and the SUV blocking their path reversed.
“Unbelievable,” Taylor said.
“I know. If you were a tiny bit more approachable maybe people would—”
“I’m not talking about that. I mean how little they know. They think this is some kind of drill?”
Jason nodded. “Lazarus hasn’t given up yet. If these events are tied to the drug, which all signs say ‘yes’ to, then Lazarus is facing lawsuits, forced closure, and even prison time.”
Taylor followed a maze of security guards waving her through to the company’s front parking lot. A sea of cars spread out in every direction covering the area like a giant quilt. So many cars in one spot reminded Taylor of a visit to a large entertainment venue like an amusement park or concert. The automatic weapons slung over every shoulder reminded Taylor of where they really were.
On the other side of the parking lot stood a gigantic white tent the size of a small building. Two large flaps opened, displaying white lab coated technicians wearing facemasks and gloves. Taylor and Jason were directed to an empty parking space.
“I’ll need your car keys, ma’am,” a guard asked Taylor as she exited the car.
Taylor tossed him the keys. No matter how much she hated the idea of being left without transportation, she wanted to get to Wade as fast as possible. If things went bad, she could always “borrow” a set of wheels.
Taylor and Jason crossed the asphalt to the large tent. A woman at the front entrance stood with a handheld tablet and a poor attempt at a smile. Her eyes told Taylor she wasn’t angry. The fake smile wasn’t there to hide a temper; it was there to mask her fear. For those willing to look past the packaged idea of an exercise, there was the possibility that something very wrong was happening.
“Names please?” the woman asked.
“Taylor Hart.”
“Jason Waters.”
The woman punched a few buttons on her digital display and waved them inside.
“We’ll need to take a quick—” the woman stopped mid-sentence when she noticed for the first time the amount of blood on their clothing. Although she didn’t take a step back, the woman recoiled with a shudder. “Are—are either of you wounded?”
“No. No, we aren’t,” Jason said, taking a step forward. “It’s not our blood. We do have important information for Wade Treadstone.”
The woman bit her lower lip and nodded.
“Shouldn’t we have been asked that question at the gate?” Taylor asked. “I mean, whether we were wounded or not?”
The woman took Taylor’s meaning and frustration soon replaced fear. “Yes, you should have.”
“Well, there’s a guard back there that is not doing his job. His name is Brad and he likes to call women ‘little lady’.”
Jason looked back at Taylor wit
h an expression saying, What are you doing?
Taylor knew that people worked better when they had something on which to direct their attention. This woman was no different.
“Thank you for bringing that to my attention. He will be dealt with immediately. Will you two please step inside? We’ll need saliva swabs and you’ll be on your way.”
Taylor stepped inside where she was met with a technician ready to scrape the inside of her mouth with what looked like Q-tip. Déjà vu hit her from the events of the night just past. Jason was treated the same way and both were instructed to wait for their results in a side room.
It really wasn’t a room. It was a sectioned off cube of the larger tent. Only flimsy, clear plastic sheets, hanging from ceiling to floor, separated them from the rest of the area.
There were multiple plastic cubes like this equipped with examining tables and chairs. The rest of the tent was fitted with large humming machines and enough hardware to fill the inside of a large warehouse.
“You probably got Brad in a lot of trouble,” Jason remarked.
Taylor shrugged. “Well, Brad should be doing a better job. He thinks this is an exercise.”
“Can you blame him? He hasn’t been through what we have. I don’t know if I would believe what is happening out there if I hadn’t seen it for myself.”
Taylor raised her eyebrows. “I don’t blame him for anything. I don’t really care, to be honest with you. What matters most is that we jump through all these hoops and get to Wade.”
“Have you always been like this?”
“Like what?”
Jason opened both palms and waved them up and down taking in Taylor’s frame. “This cold and calculating?”
Taylor hated herself for choosing this moment to remember back to a time she was “normal”. There was a time in her life when she was as happy and carefree as the next college student. The night when her best friend was randomly kidnapped and murdered changed her outlook on life forever.
“What happened to you?” Jason asked.
“Someone close to me died. I woke up.”
“You woke up? What does that even mean?”
“It means that the world is cruel place. Anybody that tells you different is either lying or selling something.”
Jason was about to reply when a technician approached the plastic. With one hand the female technician parted the see-through material with a soft crinkling sound. “You two are cleared to go. Mr. Treadstone sent down a message saying he wants to see you right away.”
CHAPTER 13
“Sweet Mary,” Wade said. He sat in his chair rubbing his temples while Taylor and Jason finished relaying their story. “How long were the boyfriend and the other girl on the field unconscious before they showed symptoms?”
“Minutes,” Jason said.
Wade sat quiet, his eyes moving between Taylor and Jason. He wasn’t simply digesting the new information. Taylor knew he was deciding what to do with them now. If Lazarus was trying to keep a lid on what was really happening, then they were liabilities.
Taylor was comfortable with the silence. She sat in her seat giving every indication she was at ease and waiting to be told what to do next. Her hands were folded in her lap like a student waiting for instruction.
This was all an act. As the trio sat in the air-conditioned office, the clean scent of varnish permeating the area around Wade’s bookcases and desk, Taylor sat coiled. One of two things was about to happen. Either they would be deemed as assets to the company and kept around to be used as such, or they would be labeled as loose ends and snipped off.
“What happened to the other teams?” Jason asked. He gave off all the same physical hints of relaxation as she was, but Taylor knew he wasn’t acting, he actually was relaxing.
Taylor played out the events in her mind in slow motion. Wade would reach into his pocket to pull out a concealed handgun. That or his hand would disappear into a desk drawer under the false pretense of showing them a file.
Taylor’s plan was simple. In one motion she would grab the chair behind her and use the gathered momentum of standing to fling the wooden seat at Wade. It would buy her a second, maybe two. That would be enough. A second was all she needed to be over the desk slamming her fist into his face. He wouldn’t get a shot off.
All of this flashed through Taylor’s mind as she sat with a tentative expression on her face. Wade drew a deep, tired breath. Instead of reaching for a concealed weapon, he placed both hands on the desk and answered Jason’s question.
“No other team came back. You’re it.”
“No other Cleaner or Operator made it back?” Taylor asked in shock.
Wade shook his head slowly, his eyes somewhere else. He stared behind them into a nightmare world he had a hand in creating.
“We’ve lost contact with them all. We need every asset cooperating on deck for what is coming next. I know you must have a dozen questions about Vanidrum—what it’s doing, how to stop it—and I’ll answer them all. The Board is issuing a statement to the government now.” Wade ran a hand through his thick hair. “How did we let it get this far?” he muttered to himself.
Taylor and Jason sat quiet. They knew the question was rhetorical. The past decisions Wade was recalling would be his to carry forever.
“We need both of you,” Wade said, snapping out of whatever dream he was in and back to the nightmare they all called reality.
“What needs to be done?” Jason asked.
Taylor practically heard the Boy Scout in his voice. In the short time she had spent with Jason, Taylor knew he was a true believer, a diligent subscriber to the morals and ethics she’d abandoned long ago.
Wade nodded to Jason, then looked to Taylor, “And you, Ms. Hart? Prior to divulging any further information I need to know you are with us in this. All the way to the end.”
“My income for a year. I’ll need that entire amount for this one job, but…” Taylor paused to do the math. She was the only Cleaner they had left. She was the best at what they did. Wade Treadstone would give her whatever she wanted, she was sure of that. “…tripled.”
Jason leaned away from her in shock. A look of disappointment Taylor hadn’t witnessed in years, usually coming from a parent, twisted his face. “Taylor, how could you think of money at a time like this? There are people out there dy—”
“Done,” Wade said, a smile penetrating through the layers of worry and responsibility. “I would have given you more if you’d asked.”
“I know,” Taylor said, “I didn’t want to take advantage of the situation.”
Wade chuckled. He stood from his desk with a wave of his gnarled hand. “You two follow me. We have a full briefing scheduled with the Board and everyone else who is going to be part of what happens next.”
“What is going to happen next?” Jason asked.
Wade opened the door to his office and walked out, not looking back to confirm they would follow. “Our last best chance of beating this thing before it destroys society as we know it.”
“Oh,” Jason said in a low tone, “is that all?”
Taylor followed Wade and Jason through Lazarus’ massive headquarters. Compared to that morning, the place was as silent as the inside of a church. Employees moved around the steel and glass but it seemed everyone was too wrapped up in their own thoughts to talk even to one another. Where groups of two or three passed, no words were exchanged. Everyone wore the same look, one Taylor had become accustomed to seeing over the years. It was a look of dread, a look of defeat.
Past lonely corridors, empty offices, and long halls the silence between herself and her companions lengthened. The weight of what was happening was falling on their shoulders just as it had to those Taylor saw passing. Each person was left alone to doubt and wonder.
This was a dangerous place for Taylor. Her past haunted her like a shadow. She was hard because she had to be. Because she refused to be a statistic, she refused to be another two-minute segment on the news
. She had chosen this life at an early age because of the darkness in humankind she had been exposed to through the events surrounding her friend’s kidnapping and eventual death. She had done things since then to survive and she would survive this. The past happened the only way it could. Thinking about it wouldn’t change anything. All there was, was to move on. Taylor cleared her mind of the events that made her the person she was today.
“We’re here,” Wade said. He stopped in front of a pair of armed guards and waved his badge.
Both guards stepped aside, allowing the group entrance to two large stainless steel doors. The gray metal doors were massive; rivets outlined the perimeter of each door like a frame expertly designed for a painting. Wade reached for a handle and hesitated. His glance back confirmed what Taylor expected. Wade had enough guilt on his plate to last a lifetime. He was trying to relieve his stressed conscious as much as he could.
“What you are about to witness, I wouldn’t ask either of you to see if we didn’t need your help. It will be difficult to grasp. Please keep an open mind.”
Taylor nodded, Jason licked his lips and adjusted his glasses. Wade opened the door.
CHAPTER 14
The room reminded Taylor of a college lecture room. Stadium-style seating digressed into a pit where a wooden podium was placed below four large monitors.
The lecture hall was lit with halogen lamps set deep into the vaulted ceiling. The room was already full. It was no surprise to Taylor that she didn’t recognize anyone, but Jason gave a few upward chin jerks and sad smiles to several of the room’s occupants.
“Take a seat,” Wade said. “I’m going to start now. We can’t waste a single moment.”
He walked down the stairs to the bottom platform. The dull chatter in the room hushed. Attentions were honed to razor sharp tips as they witnessed their leader stride with determined steps to the front of the room. Taylor and Jason found seats halfway down the rows of scared yet eager employees. Taylor sat beside Jason and a young boy she thought at first might be lost.
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