The Journal (Book 5): Fault Line

by Deborah D. Moore

  ***

  John and Christine sat on one side of the big wooden desk in the branch manager’s office at the local bank.

  “Changing real estate titles are not something we normally do, Mr. Tiggs, especially when there are no liens on the property. As I understand it, you purchased the house outright, is that correct?”

  “Yes, I did. Who do we see to change it?” John asked.

  “I would suggest you take the deed to a real estate attorney and ask them. There is one across the street. It might be a simple matter; I just don’t have the answer for you.”

  ***

  “It’s easy, Mr. Tiggs,” the attorney said. “We fill out a Quit Claim Deed, you sign it in front of a notary, and I can file it with the Register of Deeds here in town.”

  “Great, let’s do it now. I have to go back to Michigan soon.”

  An hour later, the deed was signed, John paid the attorney plus the filing fees, and they left, mission accomplished.

  “Daddy, this is so generous of you. Thank you,” Christine said, tears forming in her eyes.

  “Just remember, there are still property taxes to pay, and of course all the usual utilities. As a married woman, I won’t be supporting you anymore.”

  “Yes, I know that, and I want you to know how much I appreciate all you’ve done for me over the years.”

  ***

  “Do you have to leave so soon, Daddy?” Christine said a few days later.

  “Yes, baby girl, you know my rotation is always limited.”

  “When you get back are you going to see Allexa and try to make up with her?”

  “I will give that some serious consideration. I don’t know if she’ll take me back though. I hurt her pretty bad.”

  “Then you need to take her a gift, Dad, a big gift, to say you’re sorry.”

  “What would you suggest?” He smiled at his daughter, thinking she might be right. He once again had access to his large bank accounts and an expensive gift would be easy to do now.

  “You mentioned before that she sacrificed a lot. What did she do without that maybe you could give her?” Christine questioned thoughtfully.

  Instantly John knew what he would get for Allex. Something she needed, something she had done without and something she could use: a new car.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Trevor whistled as he stocked the shelves. This time next month he would be married to the woman he loved. It was overwhelming him, in a good way. So much had happened in the past seven months and he knew that out of all the bad, good was there too.

  Trevor knew he had good business sense and had proved it by getting the two remaining stores functioning again and turning a profit. He and Christine had a house to live in thanks to her father, and their future looked bright. Even though the country was still teetering on the brink of collapsing, they would be fine. He had no doubt.

  Christine had been working hard to make sure their wedding would be perfect. Marion was over almost every day now as the plans took shape. Seth had readily agreed to perform the ceremony; the park had been reserved, as well as a tent canopy from a local rent-all happy to have the work; and they had already applied for the marriage license. Christine, Marion, and Janis would be working on the menu today, he was told. Simple items, but plenty of them.

  Finished with the restocking, Trevor lowered the security gates, emptied the register, and turned out the lights. As he locked the back door, he felt a sting in his neck and went down.

  ***

  “I see you’re awake now, Trevor. I didn’t think I shot you up with that much. My bad,” the voice giggled.

  Trevor’s head spun and his vision was blurred. He needed to concentrate. Focus on the voice he told himself. Something about it was familiar, but he couldn’t place it.

  An hour later he woke again, his vision cleared, although his brain was still a bit fuzzy, and he recognized where he was.

  ***

  “Marty? This is Christine, I’m worried about Trevor. He was supposed to be home almost two hours ago, and all my calls go to his voice mail. This isn’t like him.”

  “I’ll take a run by the store, Christine, see if maybe he’s working late,” Marty answered. He was already taking his turn at patrol and could be at the Main Street store in a few minutes.

  ***

  “Christine, this is Marty. Can you come down to the store and unlock the door?” He didn’t want to alarm her with what he’d found.

  Christine was at the store five minutes later, her anxiety level bubbling over with alarm. Marty was there, along with a deputy… and Trevor’s Mustang.

  “I found this on the ground by the car,” Marty said, handing Christine the bank bag. “I don’t know if it’s good or bad that this was not a robbery.” Christine punched in the code that opened the electronic lock. Marty and the deputy did a quick search of the store and found nothing out of place.

  “I don’t know what to make of this, Christine. There’s no sign of a break in, no sign of a struggle, and we already know it wasn’t a robbery gone bad.” Marty wiped his hand across his face in frustration. “Do you know if he has any enemies, or if he’s been threatened in any way?”

  “No, as far as I know everyone likes Trevor. You know he’s a good guy, even to the point of giving a few people credit if they were desperate for some food and couldn’t pay,” Christine said, panic creeping into her voice.

  Marty walked around outside again, looking around the Mustang and the back of the building. “Christine, when did Trevor install those surveillance cameras?” he asked, looking up.

  “I think they’ve always been there. Why?”

  “They might show us what happened. Do you know where the feed is saved?”

  Christine took Marty to Trevor’s office and opened a closet, exposing a bank of electronics. She booted up the desk computer and opened the camera program.

  “It’s a little fuzzy, but do you know that person?” Marty asked, watching a man walk around Trevor’s car.

  “I can’t see his face.”

  The feed continued, and showed the man now flat against the building behind the door, looking down. The door opened, Trevor emerged and the film showed him locking the door. Then the culprit looked up, lunged, and stabbed Trevor in the neck with something. Christine gasped.

  “That’s Dr. Hebert from the CDC!”

  “The CDC doctor that was air-lifted out of here back in March? I thought he was dead,” Marty said.

  “That’s him,” Christine said, looking closely at the freeze frame, “though he looks... different.”

  “If he kidnapped Trevor, where would he take him and why?” the deputy asked.

  “The closed CDC office!” Christine and Marty said together. They both got into the squad car, and with the deputy following them, headed for the vacant building, flashers and sirens going.

  ***

  Trevor was facing the back of the office, his arms taped to the chair. He heard the door behind him open.

  “Is that you, Hebert?” Trevor said with disdain.

  “Smart boy,” Dr. Herbert said, coming around into Trevor’s view. His once smooth, youthful face was now pockmarked. His left eyelid drooped, and the right side of his mouth angled downward, giving his face a distorted, lopsided look.

  Trevor stared. “What happened to you? And why am I here?”

  “Oh, so you noticed my change in appearance, have you? It’s all your fault!”

  “How is that my fault? I haven’t even seen you in months!” Trevor protested, although he had an idea where this was going.

  “I don’t know how you did it, but you gave me the new strain of flu I developed,” Hebert retorted. “I was sick, really sick, you bastard. When they got me back to Atlanta, my colleagues shot me up with some experimental drugs. They saved my life and left me looking like this.”

  “Let me get this straight: you’re blaming me for you catching the flu you developed and were passing around to an unsuspecting public?”
Trevor instantly knew he said too much.

  “Ha! How did you know I was passing it around, you little creep? Now it’s your turn …” Hebert hovered over Trevor with a syringe.

  “Before you do that, Hebert, at least tell me why you were infecting everyone?” Trevor asked, stalling for time.

  “I’m a scientist!” He jutted out his disfigured chin. “In order to fully track how a virus spreads, I had to have a controlled starting point. To have that point, I had to start the infection myself. Simple, really, and quite logical.”

  “Did you know that the recent virus got less aggressive as it mutated?”

  “Well of course I did! Do you think I wanted to kill people?” Hebert asked incredulously.

  “You did kill people. In fact, you killed a lot of innocent people. The first ones to die were a mother and her young son.”

  “Collateral damage, that’s all.” Hebert huffed, picking the syringe up again.

  ***

  Marty turned off the siren as they approached the closed office building that had housed the CDC crew.

  “Please stay out here, Christine,” Marty cautioned.

  “I know my way around in there, Marty, and I’m fairly sure of where Hebert may be keeping him,” Christine said, following the two officers into the building, their weapons drawn. She silently headed for Hebert’s office and pointed. Marty twisted the knob and edged the door open, to find an empty room. Christine motioned to the door that connected the office to the lab. Marty again silently opened the door.

  “Hold it right there, Doctor. Don’t move!” Marty commanded, seeing the needle poised above Trevor’s arm.

  Dr. Hebert turned in alarm. His face glowed red from rage and frustration and he ignored the police warning.

  Marty pulled the trigger.

  ***

  “Do you two want to tell me what’s going on?” Marty asked. The coroner’s wagon pulled away from the building with the body of the insane CDC doctor zipped into a body bag.

  “Remember when we suspected Dr. Hebert of starting the flu by passing money contaminated with the virus?” Trevor reminded Marty, and then explained what Trevor had done. “It was the only way to clear him or to stop him.”

  Marty stopped writing. “I don’t think that part needs to go into the report.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  “I’ll be back in five days,” John said, holding Allex tight. He didn’t want to leave, not again, even though he knew it would only be for a few days. She had taken him back and now he was leaving again.

  “You better be!” Allexa replied.

  He tossed his overnight bag into the front seat of the Green Way truck he still had, and headed for Sawyer Airport and to his daughter’s wedding. Many hours later he was dropped off at the house she and Trevor would share.

  ***

  “I still think I should get a room somewhere and let the two of you have the house to yourselves,” John protested.

  “That’s not necessary, John,” Trevor reassured him. “I already booked us a room at the best hotel in town for our wedding night.”

  “I can accept that,” John smiled. “The wedding is this afternoon. Having any second thoughts, Trevor?”

  “None whatsoever. Christine is a wonderful person and I feel lucky to be the one she has chosen to settle down with,” Trevor answered. “On that note, Marty wants me to stay at his house until the ceremony. He thinks it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding. I think that’s silly, since we’ve been living together for the last several months. I’m going to humor him though.” Trevor paused and turned back toward John. “I want to thank you for being here. It means a great deal to Christine.”

  “Hey, she’s my baby girl! I would do anything for her.”

  ***

  The early summer breezes gently rustled the edges of the blue and white striped canvas canopy that covered the tables at the community park, and brought with it the subtle fragrances of the nearby cherry and apple blossoms. By one o’clock in the afternoon the temperature had reached a pleasant eighty degrees and blue skies had replaced the early morning dark rain clouds.

  Marion put the final touches on the flower arrangements.

  “Those are so pretty, Marion,” Janis said.

  “I think I cut every flower I had blooming,” Marion laughed.

  “Those branches on the posts look really nice. What are they?”

  “Cherry blossoms. I just hope Marty doesn’t say anything about me cutting public property! Christine didn’t want an altar, but they didn’t say I couldn’t decorate the area,” Marion said.

  “When do you want me to set out the food?” Janis asked. Marion had been coaching the girl on simple catering, and she was pleased with how quickly Janis caught on.

  “After the ceremony will be soon enough to do that. For now it’s best the food stay in the coolers. It will only take a few minutes to put everything out. Janis, you’ve done a remarkable job with all of this. I’m very proud of you.”

  “Thank you, Marion. I’m so happy that Christine wanted me to help. It makes me feel… like part of a family again,” Janis said sadly.

  ***

  John drove Christine to the park at precisely two o’clock. He helped her out of the car and tucked her arm into his.

  “You look dashing in that suit and tie, Dad, very handsome.”

  “And you, baby girl, are stunning!” he said, kissing her cheek.

  Christine wore a long, cream colored dress and matching shoes. Marion came up to her, gave her a hug, and pinned a single blue carnation surrounded with baby’s breath flowers into her short blonde hair. Then she handed her a bouquet of blue and white mini-carnations tied with cream and blue ribbons, the same blue that would match Trevor’s tie.

  “Oh, Marion, they’re beautiful!”

  Marty and Trevor had arrived a few minutes earlier and were waiting with Seth beside the flowered barrier posts. John walked his daughter to her future husband, and placed her hand in Trevor’s.

  “You take good care of my baby girl, Trevor,” John warned him.

  “I will, sir.”

  Seth began his simple sermon. Partway through the ceremony, the roar of motorcycles drowned out the minister’s soft voice, bringing a halt to the proceedings.

  A dozen motorcycles stopped on the road adjacent to the park and the lead biker dismounted. John, Marty, Trevor, and Marty’s deputy turned as one, handguns drawn. The biker raised his hands, fingers spread wide in submission, and backed up to his waiting motorcycle. The gang took off as quickly as they arrived.

  “Now where was I?” Seth said. “Oh, yes, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The group of friends showered the newlyweds with birdseed, while Holly and Dot danced around them.

  Marion and Janis separated from the group and set out the food. When John saw the various pasta salads, deviled eggs, bread rolls, and raw vegetables, he was once again reminded of Allexa, and wondered if it was the right decision to not even tell her about this wedding.

  ***

  “We haven’t had a chance to talk much since you got back, Dad,” Christine said, accepting a glass of champagne from her father. “Did Allex take you back? What gift did you take her?”

  “Yes, she took me back, but she didn’t want the new car I bought her. You were right, she wanted me,” John said.

  Christine grinned. “A new car? Way cool gift, Dad! And I’m happy she was smart enough to see a good thing when it was right in her face – you!” Christine gave him yet another hug. She wanted to ask him why he hadn’t brought Allex with him, but she knew her father to be a very private person and if he wanted to tell her, he would.

  “She eventually accepted the car, though.” John grinned and sipped his scotch on the rocks. “Christine, when I go back, I’m going to take her another gift,” he showed her the emerald and diamond engagement ring he’d bought earlier, “and ask her to ask her to marry me.”

  Christine threw her arms around him and hugge
d him again. “I hope she makes you as happy as Trevor makes me.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  “Marion, the garden is looking good. I guess. I’m really not sure what to expect,” Christine said. “I did think we would be getting something after two months.”

  “Yes, we should. Last time I was here I noticed some green beans close to picking and that one mature tomato plant had something ripening. Let’s go take a look. Beans can sometimes be elusive.”

  Marion gently moved the bean plant leaves aside to find only some fresh blossoms. “That’s odd,” she murmured. “And where is that tomato I saw?”

  “Do you think someone is sneaking in and picking our vegetables?” Christine questioned. “That would be really rude. We’re doing all the work!” The two had spent hours weeding and cultivating every week since they dug up half of the yard.

  ***

  “I can spare one of the surveillance cameras from the Exit 31 store, and rig it over the garden,” Trevor suggested.

  “What will we do if we catch someone stealing?”

  “We call Marty. I know it seems minor, but food is still scarce, and this is still theft and shouldn’t be tolerated.”

  “What about an electric fence?” Christine asked.