by Franz Bates
Prepper
A Story of the Future Collapse
a non-stop action prepare fiction story by “Above Average Joe” Frank Bates
© This ebook is licensed for your personal use only. The book is a work of fiction. People, places, events, and situations are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, historical events, is purely coincidental. This ebook may not be sold or gifted to other people. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. No part of this book may be re-printed, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written consent of the author.
Copyright © 2017 Above Average Joe Frank Bates.
All rights reserved.
About The Author:
Frank Bates is a master of many trades; from survivalist fisherman and outdoors enthusiast to expert published wordsmith. His real-world experiences working with NASA and consulting with Cosmonauts, colors his fictional work, adding a dynamic sense of realism to every scene. The result: fame! Frank Bates has been covered in various forums including Time Magazine, Wall Street Journal and TechCrunch.
I always like to be emailed feedback, comments, and remarks. I love your questions. If you don’t understand something in the story, please email me and I will clarify anything you want to know in the novel. You can reach me at [email protected]
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter One
The airport was full packed and people are rushing back and forth. They are like molecules of air trapped inside a tire in a heated temperature, bouncing into different directions. Dr. Tim decided to focus on the health-related magazine he is reading, the article discusses natural cure to viruses. His attention was abruptly distracted when he heard his flight number being called. He stood up, carried his small luggage and slowly made his way to the beeline. His tired eyes are looking at the long queue of people whom, in his personal opinion has carried more than enough baggage. Being a frequent traveler that he is, as he has already attended hundreds of conferences in his entire medical career, he is always irritated with people who don’t know how to travel light. Being a minimalist person that he is, Dr. Tim is known for being just a simple person, from the way he dresses up, the arrangement of his personal room and his belongings are all pretty simple, which is almost opposite to his being a highly profiled specialist doctor that resolves complicated medical cases. He is not socialite person. He mostly skipped all the social gatherings of medical doctors and he is focused on his work. He goes home straight after his duty to his suite, a fifteen-minute drive from the prestigious hospital.
He is a man of few words but of unlimited ideas. Ever since he was a child, he was already a wide reader of science books. He is fascinated with microorganisms and the ideas surrounding them. He owns a microscope as early as seven years old and he has a small room that his parents labeled as Timothy’s Mini Library” that contains about fifty books about microbiology. His parents have been very supportive of him. He grew up with only a few friends and spends most of his time in study labs and his parents are perfectly fine with it.
After few minutes of waiting in the queue and a few baggage checks, Dr.Tim was already seated. He stared at the window and wandered his sight at the city lights. He thought about how ironic the beauty of this scenery is. The city looks astounding at night, but at day time, hundreds of deaths are everywhere as the virus is spreading rapidly. Everybody is a target regardless of your status and role in the society.
Dr.Timothy Frankel is a genius is in virology. He knows exactly what cure is needed. He knows exactly that his ideas will work, and that it is the answer to the virus breakout slowly destroying and eating the world alive. Whoever owns the voice in his head, it is talking to him to get his ideas materialized as soon as possible.
After about an hour of flight, he boarded the plane and headed directly to the airport’s paid parking area where he left his car. He opened the passenger seat and loaded his suitcase and he positioned himself for a longer drive. He is expecting a heavy traffic as some areas of the state were closed for quarantine. Some roads are closed and not passable due to the becoming uncontrollable situation of the state. He turned the radio on to get some news updates about the virus outbreak. Even though he just came from a big conference that discussed the virus, he is interested to know how the outbreak is being handled from a non-medical point of view.
“An important news just came in, our medical experts have found that the infection that shook our country and the world has developed once more, and can now be transmitted through the air, we strictly advise every one of you to remain inside your homes and to refrain from leaving after nightfall, the air is to an extent degree unsafe, if an instance of the Viral infection is discovered in your present city or town, you are to contact the government quickly keeping in mind the end goal to attempt to contain the contamination, remain safe.”
While the radio announcer presents another virus related news, Dr.Tim’s mind floats back into an old research he has done three years ago about a similar virus. Two weeks ago, when this virus was discovered, he knew exactly that this would happen. The development stage of this virus is faster than usual and that’s what Dr.Tim is mostly worried about. He is concerned that even before they get to develop the vaccine for the first stage, the virus has already developed to stage two or three. It’s a race against time. No advanced technology has ever created a vaccine for this parasite. Dr.Tim knows it by heart when he warned his fellow microbiologists. They agreed to his statement, however, none of these fellow medical geniuses know any faster way.
Dr. Frankel is staring at the blank space, he has something in mind but he can’t seem to put it into words. He knew it would help all of these experts in white scrubs around him. He tried to form the words to say, but they didn’t come out. His thoughts of that discovery day were again interrupted as he heard the reporter read the current statistics.
“In the last hourly report by the Department of Health and Records, about 90% of New York City population is already showing symptoms of the virus. Only 1% percent is considered immune and about 9% is still unaccounted for, The U.S president is contemplating on putting the city in quarantine to prevent a larger spread.”
He took a deep breath and turned his vehicle to the street where he lives. He took the elevator to his suite at the eight floor of the building. He turned the door knob, opened the door and the lights. He went straight ahead to his bedroom and changed his clothes. He is anticipating a long night, pondering on what’s about to happen in the next few days. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his tired muscles. After all, he is the one and only Doctor. Timothy Frankel, he needs a good night sleep, he needs to be prepared for tomorrow's battle with this parasite that’s slowly destroying the mankind.
Chapter Two
Seth Andrews took a deep breath as he maneuvers the car slowly into the parking area. It has been a while since he visited this part of the w
oods. His eyes wandered in the view in front of him. The cabin is looking older and older as his visits here are becoming less frequent. Seth can still remember clearly how his family’s dream cabin came into a reality. His father built this entire cabin from scratch, with the use of whatever available resources are around the woods. He had been taking care of this precious family property ever since his parents passed on the responsibility to him. He cannot count the years anymore of how long he had been living away from his mother and only sister. He takes a deep breathe once again as he can still picture their happy moments together as a family in this very cabin.
The sound of the trees swaying with the winds took him away from his afternoon thoughts. He slowly jumped off his black Ford F150 truck and walked to the cabin. He inhaled the familiar natural wood cabin scent that he had been missing. It’s as if all the stress that his body has been carrying were automatically released. And just like a tradition of his previous visits here, he made himself a cup of coffee, sat in the rocking chair of his father and prepared to doze off to dreamland. Who would have thought that a Federal Law Enforcement Training Centre’s reputable firearms trainer would find contentment in solace?
Seth Andrews is veteran firearms trainer and as a high caliber Deputy U.S Marshal, he has gone through a lot performing security, rescue, and recovery activities for natural disasters and civil disturbances. He has been working closely with fugitive task forces and special cases with local, state, Federal, and international law enforcement agencies. Seth has served the United States in important law enforcement activities. He conducted training and seminars to the new breeds of law enforcement.
While in his almost asleep state, Seth heard three consecutive gun shots. He was never bothered at all as he was very familiar with hunters chasing wild animals in the wood. Seth Andrews is a firm believer that the world is a jungle battle and a survival of the fittest scheme. He has carried this mantra ever since he entered the law enforcement. He is starting to feel cold as the afternoon fog starts to melt down. He opened his bag to look for his old thick sweater. His mother gave this as a Christmas present a few years back. She knew that Seth is a fan of camping in the woods and would make a good use of this sweater when it gets cold. Seth decided that it’s time to get some sleep. He positioned himself again in the rocking chair and listened the natural sound of the birds chirping. After few more minutes, he is already dozing off.
Meanwhile, on the other part of the state, the U.S President Hillary White and her constituents are in a heated debate. The office is torn between setting quarantine for New York City to prevent further spread of the virus. The business sector would not be happy as the plan will affect the entire business district of the city. New York is an important center for international agencies and a headquarters to the United Nations. This is so far one of the most critical decisions that the president will do in connection with the virus outbreak. In just merely two days, the virus has taken about nine thousand lives, and handling mass graves alone is already a tough task to carry out, what more for preventing exponential death toll.
The Department of Health and CDC reiterated that the government needs to decide and act fast, as the virus is spreading exponentially fast. If they did not act fast, the entire city will be washed out by the virus and it will lead to a bigger disaster in the country. Some reports have been received that five other cities and states are starting to show the symptoms of the virus outbreak. Nobody has the idea how the virus started more so of how it could be killed. The number of deaths reported is continuously increasing rapidly.
The U.S Marshals will be called for a meeting, as the situation has become uncontrollable and now calls for special recovery and law enforcement. A special task force group will be formed to quickly respond to the growing chaos that the state is now facing. The experts warned the president that in a span of two weeks, the virus can spread and kill the entire nation. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) called for an emergency meeting of all the virologist and microbiologist in the entire state in order to discuss the possible abrupt prevention of this virus outbreak. They had a brainstorming session about creating a vaccine that could kill the virus. They are all aware that no technology has ever created such vaccine, but they are hoping for any survivors that could provide antibodies, the only hope, and resolution they have as of the moment.
Back in the cabin, Seth was busy. He has fixed all small parts of the cabin that needed some repair. He assured that the cabin can withstand strong winds, storms and natural weather conditions even without his visit for the last six months. He also spent time training with his precious firearms. Seth always makes sure that he maximizes all his days in the cabin, assures that he have gathered enough energy before going back to the busy streets of the city. He has no idea of the killer virus breakout in the states that’s starting to kill the growing population of the country. He is leaving the cabin again to face another busy life as Deputy Marshal of the State, carrying out law enforcement duties. He thought about how wonderful it would be, bringing his mom and his little sister on his next visit.
Chapter Three
“That virus can wipe a nation is nearly twenty-four hours. A single puff of that in the air could mean an end to many lives. There is no cure discovered yet, I doubt there will be any in many more years. I am telling this to you now before you make your decision.” A man’s said from the other line.
“I cannot just say no with that kind of reason, they will question the government’s capability to run a simple laboratory with enough safety precautions.” President Hillary answered.
President Hillary White kept replaying the words of his brother in one of their late-night phone conversation. She should have listened when her step brother warned her about this danger. A few moments later, the VH-60N helicopter known as Marine One slowly descended onto the White House, she will be transported to what they could only hope to be a safer place. She will stay and continue her operations command center in Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center in Bluemont, Virginia. A few hours ago her chief of staff called and delivered what seems to be horrible news for her. An accidental release of a contagion occurred in Army’s Biological Warfare Lab in Fort Detrick, Maryland. It was inhaled by one of the researchers. Despite very strict precautionary measures and consistent orientation to all the lab personnel, the researcher opted to hide the incident. The laboratory found out only after seven days. He was immediately placed in a quarantine unit at Roberts Hopkins in Baltimore. The researcher has demonstrated all the possible symptoms and is not expected to survive the next few hours. They have been monitoring all his vital conditions in the hopes of any improvement, but they failed.
The virus was called Superpox-99 and it is similar to that of smallpox. Some symptoms include respiratory malfunction, limb deformation, blisters, and blindness.
As the name suggests, only 1% of those infected by this virus will have the chance to survive. In nearly sixteen hours after they discovered the accidental release, the death toll is continuously rising to thirteen thousand. Despite the best efforts to contain the virus breakout, the government, and the CDC cannot do anything as of yet to control the spread and the situation becomes harder now that the Superpox-99 has contaminated the air. The president knew all of these possibilities a few months back.
Despite the United States’ public signing of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention in 1972, advanced research had continued to identify and isolate a superbug that might prove the ultimate deterrent and thus tip the balance of modern warfare.
While on board with Marine One, traveling to Bluemont, the president did not waste any minute. She started sending orders to the National Security and armed forces so close all the areas with reported cases of the infection. She ordered road closures and stock control of the medicines. She made a few phone calls to the CDC Headquarters and ordered a full concentration of all the virologists in the creation of the vaccine. She also called all media stations to monitor
and report directly to her, any instance of a survivor across all states. They will hold on to the 1% survival rate of the virus. After doing everything that she could to take the situation under control, she knew she needs to do one more call and this is the most important of all. The helicopter landed at the top of an isolated but well-secured building. She boarded off the helicopter and a middle aged man in black suite and a doctor in white scrub welcomed him.
Chapter Four
“Welcome to the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, Mrs. President.” The man in black suit shook her hand.
We have everything set up for continuous monitoring of the situations in all states. All the equipment and machines are connected to the media stations, ready to receive reports as per your order. The communication lines are set to the maximum capacity to send orders to the National Security, Armed Forces and Marine Unit. We are also in constant communication with the CDC for the updates regarding the vaccine development. He added.
Back in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Seth Andrews stayed in the cabin for three weeks. Since then he has not communicated to anyone in the city. He spends his days practicing with his 1911 semi-automatic pistol which is a Wilson Combat Tactical Supergrade in .45 calibers. His avid gun buff friend Marshal Norton Sivers gave this precious piece to him. On the fourth week, Seth decided to continue with his duty as Deputy Marshal. Sunday morning, he packed all his stuff and assured that the cabin is well maintained. With his schedule of work, he is expecting not to have any time for a vacation in the next six months. The long drive from the cabin to his first coffee stop in Boone is a slim scenic road with very little traffic during an offseason. Seth concentrated in driving as he is fully aware that wild animals like turkeys, deer and possums often cross this part of the road, especially at this early morning. He experienced almost hitting them many times during his previous visits to the cabin. For some unexplainable reason, Seth really felt odd in this part of the road. His senses are telling him that something is wrong but he still continued driving.