“Bruce you have not been listening,” Stephanie said then enunciated, “the-virus-infects-every- cell.”
“Yes I’ve been listening and I know that. Every cell last for a real long time, but how long?” Bruce asked.
“Bruce, they can reproduce,” Stephanie told him and everyone just stared at her as it hit home. Man was no longer the dominate species.
Bruce broke the silence first, “Well fuck me.”
“Sideways,” Debbie added.
“With a monkey holding a broom,” Angela added.
“And wearing high heels,” Mike added shaking his head.
“Yes it’s bad. They artificially inseminated one female in the lab with infected sperm. Human sperm was not genetically compatible believe it or not. Not that a human male could mate with her because she would tear him apart,” Stephanie said.
“Where did this virus come from?” Nancy asked.
“The outbreak began in the Congo but I can tell you one thing, this virus did not come from nature,” Stephanie stated with certainty.
“You said that before. What makes you think that?” Debbie asked.
“The CDC and USAMRID, the army version of the CDC, started to break down the virus. They found gene sequences in infected DNA that come from several other species. Humans use twenty percent of our DNA, infected use fifty percent. Let me just list some of the infected viral makeup. Super healing, age regression, strengthened immune system, boundless energy and super strength what comes to your mind,” Stephanie asked her.
“Genetic research for the fountain of youth,” Mike answered.
“Exactly,” Stephanie said.
“Why not a bio weapon?” Angela asked.
“My director at the CDC said the same thing. Do you really want to infect your enemy with something that makes them age slower, heal faster, run fast, have super strength, is a carnivore and has an infection rate of 99.9%? Meaning if it gets in your bloodstream, you will get it. When you develop a bio weapon you find a cure while you develop it,” Stephanie told her.
“What about drugs?” Maria asked.
“It would take at least a decade to find a drug to stop the infection if you got bit. We do not have the understanding to reverse the process. It would be like me trying to make a drug to give you blue eyes. The infected have been changed at the genetic level,” Stephanie stated.
“You mean someone made this virus but can’t undo it?” Danny almost shouted.
“Danny, just because you can do something, is not a good reason to do it. Genetic research is the most dangerous thing in the world. Screw nanotechnology and atomic weapons. This is how life was formed and screwing with DNA is wielding God like powers,” Stephanie answered looking at her.
“How long does the virus last outside the body?” Nancy asked.
“Not long, it’s very fragile. If it is kept warm, out of light, and moist the virus has been recorded to stay viable for five hours. That is the extreme limit. The virus usually is not viable after ten minutes when exposed to the element. Direct UV light kills it. It must enter the body quickly, through blood or mucus membrane exposure,” Stephanie told her.
“Ok, so what can we expect the infected to do? I just want your best guess,” Bruce said.
“In China and India the infected are not staying in huge groups but are breaking down in groups of several hundred to hunt. They will converge in mass on a large target of humans to kill them. I feel we will be seeing that soon here. They will then try to just kill us, not infect us, we will be seen as competition. We are hearing fewer reports over the radio of infected breaking into groups and infecting people. I pray that they will start to fight each other for resources but as long as we’re here, I don’t see that happening. Humanity is on the verge of extinction,” Stephanie told Bruce what she had been holding close to her heart.
“Mankind may be going extinct but let’s get one thing straight. One thing mankind has proven time and time again, we can kill shit on an astronomical scale. Starting tomorrow we start hunt and kill patrols. Let’s start makin’ a dent here,” Bruce said standing up.
“Bruce, we may have almost a million rounds here now, but that’s not even enough to make a dent in North Louisiana much less America,” Nancy told him, trying to rein him in.
“The military orders over two billion rounds each year of 5.56 and the civilian market produces half that much. The government stockpiles several billion rounds of 5.56 not to mention everything else, we just have to get it. We aren’t gonna just sit here holding our dicks waitin’ on a mob of infected or a gang of raiders to hit us. I want ideas on how to strengthen the fence fast. Training is to be three hours every day including hand to hand starting tomorrow. This is a war and we’re gonna fuck something up,” Bruce said looking around.
“Hell yeah let’s get some,” Jake yelled jumping up. Danny jumped up with him and gave him a high five. The rest of the clan started jumping up with excitement.
“Ok Bruce, but don’t you think this might be inviting trouble here?” Nancy asked him. Everyone got quiet as she spoke.
“Trouble has already gotten an invitation. All that matters now is how we fight it when it gets here. Let’s make everyone and everything fear us,” Bruce told her smiling.
Nancy looked at him knowing he was right but scared for the battles that were coming and what they would cost. Then it hit her, sitting here doing nothing they had no chance; by fighting they at least had a small hope.
Looking Bruce in the eye she grinned and said, “Let’s get some.”
Chapter 5
While the family was listening to Stephanie, forty-seven men were walking around the checkpoint at the dam, with five sitting in pickup trucks. One was kicking bodies and yelling at the top of his lungs.
“Warren what happened to the stuff, it was here just’a few weeks ago?” a man asked the one kicking bodies.
“You dumb fuck someone came here an took it. Do’ya think it just disappeared Ed?” Warren yelled at him.
“I know someone took it, but who?” Ed asked his older brother.
“Oh, I know who took the stuff, I’m just not gonna tell ya. How in tha hell am I supposed to know who took tha shit,” Warren told him walking toward Ed. Then Warren punched Ed in the mouth knocking his little brother down.
A man came running over to Warren and looked down at Ed. “The patrol cars are empty too. We found some drugs in the cars parked together and the only gun we found was that machine gun under the pile of bodies,” the man told Warren sending him into another yelling fit.
“What’cha you want us to do Warren,” the man asked Warren.
“Carl, I’m fixing to hit you,” Warren told his brother.
“Warren, you’re the one who said we can’t stay out in the open long because the blues will start gathering.” Carl told him. Warren was the oldest, smallest and the meanest. Carl was the biggest and he was the middle brother.
“Tell everyone we’re leaving,” Warren said.
Looking around Warren was mad as hell. They had driven sixty miles from the hunting camp on Toledo Bend Lake and had nothing to show for this trip. He and Ed had driven up here several weeks ago after the checkpoint was over run. From the east end of the dam they had seen thousands of infected at the checkpoint running around. Pulling back Warren told Ed that they would come back in a few weeks, after they went to Fort Polk, and collect the stuff at the checkpoint.
Warren told Ed to drive to his house he wanted to get some more stuff when they came back to see the checkpoint. He didn’t think he had killed Pam with her beating and if she was there then he could beat her again. If she was dead he didn’t care, there were dozens of bitches at camp. When they got to the house, and didn’t find her body, he knew where she had gone. Grabbing the stuff he came after, Warren got back into the truck. Then, they went in search of that shaved headed son of a bitch’s place.
Warren had never been to Bruce’s farm, but had an idea where it was. When Warren started
thinking of that shaved headed fucker, it made him mad enough to kill. Warren wanted to kill him but first he was going to hurt Bruce by torturing and raping his family. How dare he judge Warren and interfere with his family. Pam had to be beaten regularly because she tried to tell him what he could and couldn’t do. That bitch could not even give him a son.
That day years ago, when Bruce had come over, Pam had stopped Warren from fucking Tonya. She was his daughter and he could do whatever he wanted to her. Pam had jumped on his back while Tonya had run out of the house, heading to Steve’s house. Warren beat the hell out of Pam that afternoon after Tonya left. Then the asshole showed up. After Warren got out of jail and finished going to counseling, Pam continued to threaten Warren with calling Bruce to the house.
It had taken them an hour that night driving around, but they finally found the farm, then Warren told Ed to head back to the camp. Now Warren knew where to find them.
The next week Warren had taken sixty men to Fort Polk but it was still manned by the military. Warren had lost a lot of men just trying to get away alive and did not get any weapons. They were down to a hundred and seven men at the camp, who were mostly drinking and hunting buddies and friends of friends. They had scored a lot of food and hit several police stations and pawn shops but had only a few military weapons. He had not worried about returning to Fort Polk because he knew the checkpoint was still there. But everything was now gone and he had wasted a lot of gas getting this crew up here for nothing.
He was pretty sure the biker gang at the state park on the north end of the lake had taken everything. Warren’s group had come across them twice, each time his crew had gotten the better in the fire fight. The plan was: when they got the military weapons they were just going to roll over there and wipe out the bikers. There were only so many women left and he didn’t want to share. Now the other gang had all the weapons.
On the way back to the camp, he saw a gas station on the left and told Ed to pull in they would refuel here. Pulling in, his convoy followed him. Warren got out grabbing his shotgun and looked around for blues, not seeing any, he walked to the store. He stopped looking at seven decomposing bodies lying in front of the door. Each had its hands and feet bound. Walking into the store, he saw bodies everywhere and bullet holes on the walls. The shelves were empty of food but the liquor behind the counter was still there.
Warren ran back outside then walked around looking at the ground. Warren called Ed and Carl over. He was the boss and they were his captains. They hurried over to Warren stopping in front of him.
“How many men do we have with us now Carl?” Warren asked still looking at the ground.
“Fifty-two includin’ us,” Carl answered. Of the three brothers he was the smartest. That was why Warren hit him a lot, to remind him who was boss.
“I want ten people on guard duty while we fill up, then we’re leavin’,” Warren told them looking around the gas station again.
“What’s wrong Warren? We can empty the store and get a lot’a fuel here-“Carl started to say until Warren kicked him in the stomach. Carl fell to the ground holding his stomach. None of the other gang members even liked getting close to Warren. He just shot them when they pissed him off. One man had tried to kill him after Fort Polk and Warren had tortured him for three days until he died. Warren had made every person in camp watch. After that he had no problems from anyone.
“Don’t ever question me in front of the others again. You may be my brother but I’ll kill ya.” Warren told Carl standing over him.
“It’s ok Warren. What’s wrong?” Ed asked, wanting Warren to quit hitting Carl.
“The military or police have been here, not that there is any difference between’em now. Those at the door were bound hand and foot with ties. All those at the corner were taken out by snipers like that man on the roof. Inside it looks like a team rushed’em. I put the number here over thirty, that means the attackers were double that.” Warren had watched a lot of programs on the military channel. “These are military tire tracks and shell casings are everywhere. You can still see jail house tattoo’s on several of the bodies, so they weren’t civilians. The military came through here a few weeks ago and wiped this gang out. If it would’ve been a gang that wiped them out then the liquor would be gone along with tha smokes. We need to leave here fast,” Warren told Ed.
Ed was getting scared and replied, “Ok, I’ll get some guys out. It shouldn’t take long to fill up.” Ed trotted over to the vehicles and sent men to stand watch.
Warren looked down at Carl, “Get up,” he told him. Carl got up hoping not to get hit again.
“Get a couple of guys to get the liquor and tobacco out of the store while we fuel up. No one is to use the CB’s for any reason unless they see something. Ya understand?” Warren asked Carl as he stood up and Carl just nodded. “Then go,” Warren told him.
As Carl ran to do what was told, Warren stood by the road watching the guards take up positions. If the military showed up, it would not be much of a fight. All Warren could hope for would be to out run them. They had the one machine gun that they had found at the checkpoint but no belted ammunition for it. Out of the one hundred and seven men he had they only had nine M-16s which they had gotten from cops. They did have a lot of the civilian knock off weapons taken from pawn shops and a fair bit of ammo. He had an AK-47 in the truck, but it too was a civilian model. They needed machine guns to fight the blues, other gangs and the military.
Warren knew if the military caught them here or at the camp they were dead no matter what. Someone whistled and said they were finished. He watched as they pulled the hose out of the ground tank that was connected to a hand pump. He ran for his truck and jumped in, only to find Ed was already at the wheel. They would hit the gang at the state park in a few months unless the military hit them first. Then he would take care of his wife and daughter. Those thoughts made him happy running through his mind as Ed drove them back to camp. Warren would never forget Bruce and had a score to settle with him.
There were other places to get weapons and they would find them. Warren would get more men for his growing army. He truly loved this new world. Never would he have believed that he would control this many men and he could have any bitch he wanted. If someone pissed him off he could kill them and not have to worry about anything.
“Yes, I’ll find some weapons then we’re coming back. He’ll be sorry he ever messed with me and he will be scared of me before he dies,” Warren said out loud smiling as Ed drove the truck back to camp. Ed just drove, praying Warren wasn’t talking about him.
Chapter 6
Leading his patrol Bruce held up his hand for the group to stop as he looked and listened to the area around him. They were twenty miles south of the farm looking at a clearing with several trailers in it. He motioned for the team to spread out along the tree line but not to enter the clearing yet. Matt had told them there was over forty blues on the other side of the trailers.
They had crossed the land bridge between Saline Lake and Black Lake at 9 a.m. This was the largest group not near a town or a village. The populated areas were full of infected but Bruce was not quite ready to take them on just yet. So they stayed out in the country and slaughtered any infected they could find. On patrols, the group maintained a five mile an hour pace, which was moving on foot. Especially when you were carrying a fully loaded tactical vest, weapons, a backpack full of ammo plus water. The family could do this because of the physical condition they stayed in. Conner and Buffy were holding up pretty good. Granted the family never believed they would have to do what they were doing now. They had stayed in shape to enjoy an adventurous life style but they were all glad they had trained for it now.
It was now October only two weeks after Stephanie had given her presentation. Danny and Mary had birthday parties the last week in September and gotten presents. The first week of October the family threw a birthday party for Buffy each giving her presents. Bruce had given her a small ghillie suit he h
ad made for her so she could train as a sniper.
They were going out every morning between four-five a.m. in five man patrols that stayed out all day. Jake or Matt would guide them onto any infected in the area. They had already killed a little over two thousand infected, all in small groups. They no longer tried to avoid them, they hunted infected. Bruce led patrols on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with Mike leading a patrol on Wednesday. It was Friday so after today Bruce could rest for two days.
Thinking about his two days off coming up, Bruce wiped the sweat off of his face grinning. It was only ten a.m. but it was already over eighty degrees. It would stay in the ninety’s until November if the weather stayed true to form for Louisiana. It was real bad when you called ninety degrees a cold spell.
Bruce looked down the line at his patrol. Today it was Danny, Debbie, Jake and Conner. He never counted Buffy because as far as she was concerned she was part of him. The only time she was not at his side was when she was with Danny. Looking at her on his left side, her face was covered in face paint like everyone on the patrol. He had made her take an M-4 with a suppressor and get used to it. The weapon did look big across her little chest but Bruce didn’t think she should carry a submachine gun for her primary weapon. With the stock opened only half way it fit her reasonably well and unlike the submachine gun she could hit take out targets far away. After she had fired a thousand rounds through it Buffy could hit a head sized target at fifty yards with ease. She could hit a target at hundred yards but it usually took several shots and a lot of steadying herself. Buffy, like everyone else, had been learning to speed shoot targets with both her rifle and pistol. Infected provided real life target practice and everyone on the farm was using it. Today Buffy was keeping up very well, just like Conner was. But, a five mile an hour pace was a good jog for her. Her little legs just kept moving in a jog and she never complained.
Bringing his self to the here and now Bruce called Jake on the radio, “Spook one, what do you see.”
Blue Plague Survival Page 8