Project Integrate Series Boxed Set

by Campbell, Jamie

  “I’m going to work. See you tonight,” I called out to the kitchen, receiving a few mumbled goodbyes in response. I resumed my position around Lochie and helped him to my car where he collapsed into the front seat.

  “You don’t need to drive me home. Your driving will kill me quicker than this flu,” he spluttered out. At least he was trying to be difficult. I didn’t know what to do with a completely compliant Lochie.

  “Yes, I do. Just quit complaining, you’re getting full taxi service today.”

  “But my car-”

  “Will still be here later. It’s parked out the front of a house owned by two former FBI agents, nobody is going to steal it. Trust me.”

  “I wasn’t worried about that,” he countered, coughing on the last word. “I was about to say your parents will know it’s mine. How are you going to explain that?” Oh, right. I hadn’t thought about that.

  “I’ll make something up if the interrogation comes.”

  “Like what? That it magically materialized overnight?”

  “Something like that.”

  I caught him smiling out of the corner of my eye. He was doing a good job of covering how he really felt. I dropped him off at home, even offering to walk him to the door but he refused. He was probably too tired for a mother/girlfriend showdown. I was too, to be honest.

  The two hour drive to the Department was getting monotonous. The entire way all I could do was worry about Lochie. To distract myself, I turned on the radio just in time to hear one of my favorite songs.

  The news update came on when the hour struck. I almost ran off the road when I heard the headline story. A highly contagious illness was sweeping the country. It wasn’t just Lochie’s university that had closed, it was nearly all of them. Not to mention schools, factories, anywhere large groups of people gathered. They were desperately trying to stop the spread but were obviously failing miserably.

  And thousands of people had already died.

  CHAPTER 9

  Thousands of people? Dead? Overnight? Lochie was sick. What was to say he didn’t have the same illness that killed all those people? My hands shook on the steering wheel at the thought.

  I couldn’t lose Lochie. He didn’t deserve to die from the flu. He said it was just a cold, that it was nothing. And now people were dying?

  I turned the radio dial up, needing to hear everything they had to say about the situation. The CDC was investigating, trying to isolate the possible causes. It had to be the same matter the Department were helping to investigate. After all, what were the chances of having two major disease outbreaks in the space of a month?

  The next sound bite from the news was Alonso Ferguson, the leader of the Originals. I cringed with whatever good news he was going to spout on about.

  “The writing is on the wall, it is crystal clear that this fatal disease has alien origins. It cannot be a coincidence that the outbreak is perfectly timed with the arrival of those filthy Truconians. They have had ample opportunity to move amongst us and plant this disease.”

  That couldn’t be a good thing.

  “The government has allowed this to happen by permitting the aliens to live with us. We were wrong, they don’t just want to breed. They have wanted nothing more than to destroy the human population and this disease is doing just that. Think about that while everyone you know and love drops dead around you while you stand powerless.”

  And that was the kicker. The Originals were basically telling the human race that aliens were going to kill all their loved ones. With the shocking news of all the deaths overnight, it wouldn’t take long for everyone to jump on board and blame us. People could handle a bad situation more when they had someone to blame. The Truconians were that someone.

  I was impatient to get to work after hearing the news. I skated on the speed limits, wishing I could get there faster. I needed to speak with Krom and get his take on the situation. I needed to know he was taking some sort of action. We couldn’t let the Originals keep going without some kind of counteraction.

  The building was way too big when I was in such a hurry. I cleared security and ran down the corridor, not caring who gave me strange looks along the way.

  I hurried straight into Krom’s office with barely a knock. He seemed a bit surprised to see me. “Member Amery, what is your problem?”

  “The illness outbreak, what do you know about it?” I puffed out.

  “I know it’s serious. I know the humans are having a terrible time trying to control it,” he replied.

  “Can we help? Is there any of our technology that we can provide to assist them?” The technology on Trucon was far more advanced than on Earth. If there was some magical cure, now was the time to showcase it.

  “And what makes you think we have something like that?” He was being glib and it was driving me crazy. Surely he had to understand the seriousness of the situation.

  “Call it ridiculous hope. Do we? Can we help?”

  Krom sat at his desk, his chair groaning as it took his weight. “Tell me something, Member Amery, why would we want to help them? Wouldn’t it be better for our kind if we let them die a natural death? What do the humans call it… survival of the fittest?”

  My mouth literally dropped open as he spoke. Not for the first time in my life, I seriously questioned whether I was living in an alternate universe where nothing was supposed to make sense. “Are you serious?”

  He gave me a nonchalant shrug. My brain was about to explode with how frustrating he was.

  I tried to keep my voice steady and calm. Failed miserably. “Please tell me the Originals weren’t right and our people didn’t do this. Please Krom, please tell me it wasn’t us.”

  “Would it change anything?”

  “Of course it would. It would change everything.”

  He leaned back in his chair, eliciting another round of groans. “Oh, relax. Gosh, you’re not exactly in a good mood this morning. We had nothing to do with this, it’s a purely human endeavor.”

  His reassurance, somehow, didn’t make me feel any better. “Are you sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure. I would know if one of my people had caused this.”

  But would he? Really? Krom had no idea what Senph and all her followers were up to. He had no clue how they were mastering their powers again to fight against the human race. If he was clueless to all that, surely anything could have slipped by him? Krom’s word was not the assurance he thought it was.

  Of course I couldn’t tell him that though. I wasn’t about to spill everything about Senph when I didn’t know all the details yet. I had to bide my time.

  I must not have looked convinced because Krom continued on. “If we wanted to knock out the human race, we would just do it with our weapons. I wouldn’t bother with disease, it’s too slow to go through everyone.”

  That was supposed to make me feel better? I guessed there was some kind of honor in killing people directly rather than covertly. As twisted as that sounded.

  “Fine. But you’re certain we can’t help in any way?” I asked. All my thoughts were consumed with Lochie. If he had the same disease that had killed all those thousands of people…

  “We can’t help. All we can do is make sure people don’t waste time blaming us when they should be searching for a cure,” Krom replied. It was probably one of the most sensible things I had ever heard him say.

  I finally took a seat. I just wanted the day to be over so I could get home and check on Lochie. I trusted his mother to look after him, but I also knew how pigheaded he was. He wouldn’t rest like he needed and someone had to force him to.

  Krom gave me an update on his actions and I switched to autopilot to take them down. I prepared my report and dutifully collated it together.

  When I was done, I started the long walk through the building. It was even quieter than it normally was. I waited outside of Rob’s office, getting the gossip from his assistant.

  “It’s all those horrible illnesses,” she sai
d gravely. “Every person possible has been allocated to the investigation of its cause. The CDC is beside themselves trying to get a handle on it all.”

  “Does that mean they think someone actually spread it on purpose?” I couldn’t think of any other reason why there would need to be Department involvement. It should have been a medical thing, dealt with by doctors and people that know what they’re talking about.

  She nodded, her eyes wide open. “Between you, me, and the door, the disease is something nobody has ever seen before. It’s not naturally occurring, it was created by someone. I heard it was the aliens, that’s what the Originals are saying.”

  I turned my arm around so she could see my triangle tattoo. She blanched, her face blushing with embarrassment. At least she felt a little bad about just writing off my entire race. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean that.”

  “It’s okay,” I said, even though it really wasn’t. Her reaction was typical of everyone who blindly believed what was said on the news. People didn’t need to think too hard when they could just echo someone else’s words.

  The wait to see Rob was more awkward than the word described. Time seemed to crawl by as he finished his conversation and finally called me in. His assistant never said another word, making a point of absorbing herself in her work.

  I placed my report on Rob’s desk. “All done. Everything is in there, according to Krom.”

  “Did he sound like he was lying?” Rob asked. He trusted Krom about as much as I did. That was the problem with our fearless leader, his actions always spoke much louder than his words. And that was saying something considering his volume level.

  “I think it was as close to the truth as Krom can get.”

  Rob shrugged, satisfied. “Thank you very much then. I’ll make sure it’s issued around to the right people.” When I didn’t leave, Rob raised his eyebrows. “Was there something else?”

  I blurted out my burning question. I had meant to be a bit more subtle about it. Clearly that wasn’t going to happen. “What do you know about the illness going around?”

  He studied me carefully, having his usual internal conflict about how much to tell me. “Not much.”

  “Do you know if they’re close to treating it?” I could feel Lochie’s burning hands in my own, the memory seared into my brain.

  “They don’t even know what it is. The symptoms are like the flu but it’s not influenza. It’s too early to say. I wish I knew more, but I don’t.”

  I nodded and left him. I spent the afternoon staring at the clock and willing it to go faster. Five o’clock came too slowly and I was out of there the moment it ticked over.

  I turned the radio on and listened to it all the way home, desperate for more news on the illness. But there was nothing new. It only made me angrier when Alonso Ferguson kept blaming aliens for introducing the illness.

  My plan was to go home, change out of my work clothes, and then head over to Lochie’s house. I had hoped to spend only a few minutes in the detour so I could get to him as quickly as possible.

  When I pulled up, Lochie’s car was still parked outside, he hadn’t collected it. I wasn’t sure yet if that was a bad sign or not. He might just not have bothered to pick it up.

  “Hey, honey,” Adoptive Mom greeted me. “How was work?”

  “The usual. Everything here okay?”

  “We’ve got a visitor.” She nodded toward the kitchen. I looked around her to see Lochie sitting at the dining table. That wasn’t resting, that wasn’t looking after himself.

  I sighed. “How long’s he been here?”

  “Long enough to get the third degree from Malia and Galen. You might want to rescue him before they start water boarding him.” She chuckled. At least someone thought it was funny, good old Mom.

  “Thanks,” I said before going to spring my boyfriend from the clutches of the aliens. I plastered on a smile. “Hey, everyone. Lochie, what are you doing here?”

  “Waiting for you.” His grin was sugary sweet as he stood. His shoulders were hunched slightly, as much as he tried to cover it. I knew every curve and outline of his body, he couldn’t hide anything from me.

  “You should be in bed,” I pointed out.

  His eyes sparkled with mischief but he wasn’t game enough to say anything with an audience. He didn’t have to though, I could guess what was going on in his mind. Us, in bed, together.

  “So, tell me, what was so important you had to come over here instead of focusing on getting better?” I couldn’t wait to hear his pathetic excuse.

  “You’re so important.” Damn it. One point for Lochie. Why’d he have to be so sweet when I was trying to be mad at him?

  “That’s not good enough.”

  He forced himself to stand taller, almost looking well. Almost. “I’ve come to take you out on a date. Your parents have kindly agreed to let me woo you.”

  “Woo me?” I asked with disbelief. It seemed we had gone back a hundred years in time. Next thing he would ask about would be a dowry.

  He took a step closer, entwining his fingers with mine. “Yes, woo you. Let me woo you. Tonight. Now.” I knew I should refuse and insist he go back home. I would drive him there myself and hand him over to his mother for scolding if I had to.

  But I couldn’t. I had missed him so much that I would probably have agreed to anything by that stage. And he did look a little better. He hadn’t coughed once since I arrived home. Maybe it was just the flu after all. “Fine,” I groaned, hoping I wouldn’t regret the decision.

  Lochie waited patiently with my parents while I quickly threw on a red cotton dress. It wasn’t fancy but it did accentuate my curves and Lochie loved the color. I ran downstairs again.

  “I’m going to drive,” I said, grabbing my keys.

  “Nope,” Lochie replied.

  “Yes.”

  “Nope.”

  “Lochie, you’re not well. If you are going to be idiotic enough to go out tonight, at least do me a favor and not kill us by driving.”

  He smiled, shaking his head slowly like an amusement park clown game. He gently took the keys from my hand and hung them back up on the hook. He slid his hand into mine. “If I’m idiotic enough to be with you, I’m idiotic enough to drive. Even sick, I’m safer than you. You look beautiful, by the way.”

  He led me out before I could argue any more. He wouldn’t tell me where we were going so I stared out the window as we moved. The lights reflected on the windscreen, dancing as we drove.

  Lochie pulled up outside Adele’s. It was his favorite, I should have known he wouldn’t stray too far from what he loved.

  “All that secrecy and you choose Adele’s?” I teased. “I could have guessed that.”

  “But you didn’t.”

  “Because I didn’t think you’d be so obvious.”

  He climbed out and hurried to get around the car to open my door for me. I loved it when he did that. Unfortunately, it sent him into a coughing fit. His first for the evening. I rubbed his back, knowing it wasn’t really helping but needing to do something.

  We were seated straight away. It wasn’t like the burger joint had a long waiting line or anything. Pretty much the only patrons were a few high school students.

  Our usual waitress served us, remembering our order. She gave Lochie an extra wide smile, leaning over a little to make sure he got a good look at her boobs. I refrained from rolling my eyes as much as I wanted to.

  “What?” Lochie asked, looking at me curiously.

  “Nothing,” I replied.

  He finally got it. “She’s just being friendly. Do I sense some jealousy, Jones?”

  “Me? Jealous? She can have you, you never listen to a word I say and you certainly don’t do as you’re told.” I may still have been a bit snippy about him not being at home tucked up in bed.

  He slid his hand across the table and grabbed both of my hands in his one. “I listen to every word you say. I just choose not to action your suggestions.”

&nb
sp; “They aren’t suggestions. They are orders.”

  “You’re so mean tonight,” he said, joking. At least, I hoped he was only teasing.

  I took a few deep breaths and tried to be nicer. After spending all day worrying about him, it was hard just letting it go. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

  “What did you just say?” He held his free hand to his ear, pretending he couldn’t hear a thing.

  “You know what I said.” I wasn’t going to repeat admitting he was right. I changed the subject instead. “So what did you do all day?”

  “You will be happy to know I spent the day watching movies and eating chicken soup.” I was really happy to know that. Perhaps that was why he didn’t look like death warmed up like he did that morning.

  “So you’re feeling a little better then? It helped?”

  He nodded. I wasn’t going to be completely fooled though, his hands were still burning hot. He had to be running an impressive temperature. “I am. Perhaps I was just homesick.”

  “You scared me last night. I thought you were going to keel over,” I admitted.

  “As I recall, Jones, you kept me hostage in your bed all night. I wouldn’t miss that by keeling over.” He gave me the smile that always made the butterflies in my stomach go crazy. How he could still have that affect on me after so long was beyond me.

  “I hardly kept you hostage. You could have left if you wanted to.”

  “You took my shoes.”

  Okay, so I had done that. But it didn’t prove anything. Thankfully, the waitress brought our food over and let me out of the discussion.

  While I tucked into my chicken, Lochie picked at his meal. Normally, he practically inhaled it. The butterflies turned into a nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach.

  He filled me in on his college classes as we ate and I told him how everything was going with Senph and the Department. He listened intently, just as I had him. We had a lot to catch up on, despite having talked on the phone nearly every day while he was gone.