“You’ll need to make your own beds,” he said. Clean linens are brought out each week. To get to the mess hall, you’ll walk straight out the front of this tent and pass two rows of green tents. It will be right in front of you. Meals are announced on the public address system at five in the morning, noon, and six o’clock in the evening. Dinner will be served in two hours. The closest service tent with showers and toilets is three rows directly behind this tent. Any questions?”
“What are we supposed to do?” I asked.
“I don’t understand what you mean,” Bell said.
“With our time,” I elaborated. “If we’re going to be here a while, we need something to keep us busy.”
“I understand. I would recommend that you speak with the staff in the mess tent. They usually require extra help. Remember, if you need anything, see whoever is on duty at the debriefing tent.” He nodded and then left.
“I could use some rest,” Kyle said. He began putting the sheets on one of the mattresses. Sleep sounded like a good idea to me, so I made my bed as well. Jordan followed suit. When the beds were made, we all settled in for a little sleep before dinner. The mattress was a thin covered with vinyl that crackled when I sat on it, but it was the most comfortable “bed” I’d had in what felt like forever. I nuzzled into my pillow and drifted to sleep.
I awoke to someone tapping my shoulder. A woman stood over me. “Sorry to wake you,” she said. “You slept through the dinner announcement, and I thought you would want to get something to eat.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I must have been completely out.” I was still tired and could have easily gone right back to sleep.
“Yes,” she said. “I’m sure you are all exhausted if you came from the outside.” She woke Jordan and Kyle.
“I’m Linda,” she told us. “That’s my family over there.” She pointed to a man and two children waiting for her near the door of the tent. “I’ll see you at dinner.” She went to join her family, and they left the structure.
“We need to go,” Jordan said. “I’m starving.”
We walked to the mess hall, and a line had formed. As the queue inched closer, I could smell the aroma of bread and some kind of meat. My mouth began to water. It was going to be a real meal and not just beans or tuna!
“Get a whiff of that,” Jordan said. “It smells good.”
Kyle sniffed the air. “Barbeque.”
When I reached the serving line, I could see he was right. They were serving barbeque, roasted potatoes, rolls, and a salad. The servers filled a Styrofoam food tray and handed it to me. I found plastic utensils and a bin filled with bottled water at the end of the line. When we all had our trays, we looked for some seats. I spotted Linda waving to us from one of the tables. She signaled for us to come and sit with her family. We walked over to them and sat down. Linda introduced her husband, Bill and her sons Andrew and David.
“How long have you been here, Linda?” I asked.
“We’re in our third week,” she said. “Like everyone else, we’re waiting for a placement.”
“They said it might be a month or more before we’re placed,” Bill added.
“Yes. It’s more difficult for them to place families,” Linda said. “They have to find a location where both Bill and I can get jobs.”
“What do you do?” Kyle asked. “I mean, what kind of jobs did you have before the outbreak?”
“Linda was an office manager, and I worked as an accountant,” Bill answered.
“The food here is good,” I said as I ate.
“Yes, it’s better than you would expect from a place like this,” Linda said.
Jordan was quiet, intensely focused on his food. “Guess you were starving,” I said.
“I’m doing much better now,” he said, finishing off the last of his potatoes. “Can we go back for seconds?”
Bill chuckled at Jordan. “Yes, they let us have all we want.”
Jordan went back to the serving line and returned with a heaping pile of barbeque and some rolls.
When we finished eating, Jordan, Kyle and I decided to go to the multi-purpose tent to see what was there. As we left the mess hall, five huge helicopters flew over the compound, headed east.
“There goes the first wave of your rescue mission,” a man’s voice called out. I turned and saw Sergeant Spears walking toward the mess hall. “Thank you,” I called back to him.
“With luck, they could start bringing people back here in a few hours,” Kyle said. I couldn’t wait to see Harley and Nurse Hoffstedder. Here, I was certain that Harley’s broken ankle could get the medical care it needed. Mrs. Hoffstedder could get her knee looked at too. I thought about Darrell and Susan and hoped that Susan would soon be well enough to join us with their baby girl.
“What are you smiling about?” Kyle asked.
“I feel hopeful,” I answered. For the first time in a long time, I actually felt hopeful.
We entered the multi-purpose tent. Inside, there were groups of people sitting around tables talking and playing games. A small library and reading area were off to one side. There was a large projection screen at one end showing a Disney movie. A good-sized group of children was gathered around it. At the opposite end of the tent, there were several teenagers playing at a couple of ping pong and pool tables.
“Do you guys want to play some pool?” I asked. Kyle and Jordan both nodded, and we went to wait for a turn at the tables. We sat on some chairs beside one of the tables where two girls, a blonde and a redhead, were playing.
“Hi,” the blonde one said. “I’m Tiffany, and this is Kristen,” she said, pointing to her friend.
Kristen waved, and we introduced ourselves. “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before,” Kristen mused. Her brows scrunched, and she looked up as if in deep thought.
“We just got here today,” Jordan explained. “What about you two? How long have you been here?”
“We’ve been here ever since the outbreak started,” Tiffany answered. That seemed like a long time, I thought. “Why so long?” I asked.
“They have to place us with someone who can be our guardian or who can adopt us
because we’re underage,” Kristen explained. “That’s what takes so long.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” I thought about the three of us and Harley and realized we may have the same problem.
“It’s okay,” Kristen said. “We’re fine here for now.” She returned to the table and lined up her next shot.
“And, we just found out that we get to be in the research study,” Tiffany added excitedly.
“Tell us about it,” Kyle urged.
Kristen scratched, and Tiffany withdrew the cue ball from the pocket and walked to the other end of the table. She eyed the remaining balls from different angles, attempting to decide which shot to take. “Well, we don’t know much about it yet,” she said. “but tomorrow we get to go to the restricted zone. We’ll learn more about it there.”
“Aren’t you nervous about going back there?” I asked. “Private Bell said they’re working with live viruses in that area.”
“Maybe a little bit,” Kristen admitted. “But we’ll be okay because we’re in the control group.”
Tiffany took a shot and knocked in a solid in a fairly impressive combo shot. “Besides, we’ll be working with some of the world’s greatest biological scientists!” she gushed. Her next shot was wildly off, and the cue missed the target ball by a good three inches. Apparently, the combo was a fluke.
“I’ve heard they’re some of the world’s foremost experts!” Kristen said, getting into position to sink her last stripe. “They say one of them is kind of cute.”
The girls made it sound as if they would be hanging out with rock stars. ‘I wouldn’t be so excited if it were me,’ I thought. “You can back out if you decide you don’t want to do it.
Right?” I asked.
Tiffany and Kristen looked at each other. Kristen’s eyes widened as if to say
she had no idea. “I’m sure we can quit if we want to,” she said.
“Yeah,” Tiffany agreed. She nodded her head and smiled in a way that made me think she was just speculating. “They wouldn’t make us stay in the study. They’ll lose us anyway if we get a placement.”
“I’m looking forward to a better place to stay,” Kristen added.
“A better place to stay?” I asked. “Do you mean you’ll be living back there too?”
“Yes,” Kristen answered. “They have trailers for us back there. They’re like little efficiency apartments.” She giggled with glee as if she was excited about getting her own place.
“And we’ll have television!” Tiffany beamed. “I’ve missed civilization.”
Kristen moved into position and lined up her last shot. She sunk the stripe in a corner pocket, and the cue drifted past it. She pumped her fist in the air and squealed out an emphatic “Yes!”
“It’s your table,” Tiffany announced. The two girls handed their cues to me and Jordan, said goodbye, and then left us. They joined a group of teenagers at a table on the other side of the tent.
Kyle took a third stick from a rack standing nearby. “What’ll it be?” he asked, chalking up his cue.
“How about Cutthroat?” Jordan suggested. “Casey can take one through five. I’ll take six through ten, and Kyle can take eleven through fifteen.” Kyle and I agreed.
“So how do we play?” I asked.
“Casey, since you have one through five, you break. If you get one of your balls in, you go again. If you don’t, it’s my turn. If I get one of my balls in, I go again. If not, it’s Kyle’s turn, and so on,” Jordan explained as he racked the balls. He removed the triangle from the balls and handed me the cue ball.
I placed it on the table and positioned myself for the break. I hit the cue ball, and it smacked into the others, spreading them across the table. “Nice break,” Kyle said.
“So, what do you think about Tiffany and Kristen being in the research study?” I asked as Jordan analyzed the positions of the balls on the table.
“I think it’s cool,” Jordan responded. “It sounds like a great way to help with the vaccine.”
“Why did you ask, Casey?” Kyle looked at me with his eyebrow slightly arched. I could tell he knew there was more going through my mind. I wondered if my worry showed.
“I don’t know,” I said. “It just sounds risky. I mean, do you remember our debriefing and how they told us that no civilians were allowed in the restricted area because they were working with live strains of the virus back there?”
“It would have to be in a controlled laboratory,” Kyle reassured me. “They won’t put them in harm’s way.”
“Maybe not,” I said doubtfully, “But what if there is an accident? After all, this whole outbreak was caused by an accident at what was supposed to be a secure army depot.”
“There’s always a risk with this type of work, but we have to continue the research,” a voice behind me said. I turned to see that Private Bell, who debriefed us, had walked up to the pool table. Something in his expression disturbed me. I wondered how much he had heard me say. Surely there were no rules against talking about the research. We were still in America, and I didn’t remember parking my right to free speech at the gates of this place. Still though, my inner voice told me it was time to change the subject.
“I’ve been looking for you,” he said to Jordan. “You’ve been selected to participate in the research study.”
“So quickly?” I asked. “We just got here!” I felt my stomach churning at the thought of Jordan going to the restricted zone.
“It turns out that Jordan has an AB negative blood type. It’s rare, and we need you for the study,” Private Bell explained. “I need you to come with me to learn about the study and to get your consent. If you decide to participate, a member of the research team will come for you in the morning.”
I grabbed Jordan’s arm as he started to follow Bell. “You can’t do this,” I said in a low voice.
“Take it easy, Casey,” Jordan said, grasping my hand. “It can’t hurt just to hear what they’ve got to say.” He pulled away from me and followed Bell out of the tent.
“I really don’t like this,” I said to Kyle.
Kyle wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gave me a gentle squeeze. “Casey,” he said. “You’ve worked so hard taking care of everyone and keeping them safe. You’ve done a terrific job. But we’re safe now. If Jordan decides to go forward with the study, they’ll treat him well. He’ll be okay.”
For a moment I stood there, feeling the comfort of Kyle’s warm embrace. “I hope you’re right,” I said quietly.
I didn’t feel like playing pool anymore, so we turned the table over to the next group waiting to play. “Let’s take a walk around the compound,” I suggested to Kyle. We strolled around the entire perimeter of the non-restricted area. The facility was enclosed on three sides by tall chain-link fencing topped with coils of razor wire. As we walked, we passed three armed guards who were patrolling the fence. It was getting dark as we reached the back boundary of the compound, and I could hear the cries of zombies beginning to scream in the distance, but some screams seemed closer. From the trajectory of the sound, the shrieks sounded as if they came from somewhere behind the restricted barrier.
We reached the green infirmary tent with a large red cross on the side. Behind the infirmary, the restricted area was hidden behind solid steel walls. It was impossible to see what was on the other side. Even the entry gate was solid. Seeing the electronic keypad that was mounted to the wall beside the gate, I felt even more concerned that Jordan might soon be behind that wall where we would have no way to get to him. There would be no way to talk to him and ensure that he was okay. I had to talk him out of this.
“I’m ready to head back to the tent,” I said to Kyle.
“Then let’s go,” he said.
Back in G14, we found Jordan sitting on his camp bed, reading. He looked up as we sat down on my cot. “Where have you two been?” he asked. “I’ve been waiting for you for a while.”
“We were checking out the compound,” Kyle answered.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “And we walked to the restricted area. It’s hidden behind a solid steel wall. You can’t see anything back there. They have electronic access too. Jordan, if you participate in the research, we will never see you. We won’t be able to talk to you. How will we know you’re okay?”
“Don’t you even want to know what they told me about the study?” Jordan asked.
“Honestly, no,” I admitted. “There’s nothing they could have told you that will change the fact that once you’re behind those walls, your life will be in their hands.”
Jordan looked at Kyle as if he wanted a show of support. “Kyle, you’re a soldier.
You’ve made sacrifices. You understand why I want to do this, don’t you? So many people that I cared about are dead, and I have the chance to do something that may help eliminate this virus.
I could make a difference.”
I wanted Kyle to side with me on this. If he did, maybe we could talk some sense into Jordan. I made eye contact with Kyle, hoping he would say something.
“I think both of you have a point,” Kyle said. “I don’t know whether you should do it or not.”
“You don’t have to tell them an answer until tomorrow morning, right?” I asked.
“Promise me you’ll at least consider what I’ve said before you make your decision.”
Jordan’s face was serious. “Okay,” he agreed. “I promise.” I went to sleep hoping it wouldn’t be the last night we have with Jordan.
I awoke to the sound of breakfast being announced on the loudspeaker. I bolted upright and moved immediately to Jordan’s side to wake him. “Jordan,” I called out, shaking him. He rolled over and looked at me. “Have you made your decision yet?”
He smiled. “You look so desperate,” he mused. “You can relax. I’ve deci
ded not to do it.” Relief didn’t begin to describe the way I felt. I tried to wake Kyle, but he was in a deep sleep. We decided to let him rest and went to the mess tent and had breakfast. It was your basic country breakfast with scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, biscuits, and different fruit juices. As we finished up, Jordan announced he was going to take a shower. I needed one too, so I went with him.
The service tent was divided into two sections, one for women, and one for men. “I’ll meet you here when I’m done,” I said to Jordan as I walked toward the women’s end. Just inside the structure, which had a floor of prefabricated plastic panels, there were four stalls with chemical toilets. I stopped to use the bathroom before stepping into the shower area.
Beyond the stalls, I found shelves with clean clothing. I selected some pants, a shirt, underwear, and socks and walked toward the showers. They were similar to the one in the decontamination trailer, small and reminiscent of the type you would find in a camper. Still, the water was warm and comforting. It felt good to finally wash my hair with actual shampoo that didn’t leave it feeling like straw. Don’t get me wrong, it was a far cry from anything even remotely close to the nicer brands from a store, but it didn’t smell like chemicals, and it seemed to replace some of the moisture stripped by the germicidal wash.
When I was finished, I dried off with a towel from a fresh stack on a shelf by the showers. I got dressed and went back outside to wait for Jordan. Several minutes passed, and I wondered what was taking Jordan so long. As I waited, I heard the deep, choppy sound of helicopter blades in the wind. I looked toward the east and saw that the helicopters were returning from the rescue mission. I walked around to the men’s side of the service tent and shouted through the entryway. “Jordan! The helicopters are back! Jordan!” There was no response. I suspected he might have gone back to the tent without me, so I ran back to G14 to get him and Kyle.
Viral Series (Book 1): Viral Dawn [Extended Edition] Page 24