The Orphans Series Vol. 1: The Orphans

by M. Evans

  "Don't worry about it." Michaels assured him. "We're going out the front door. Once he sees that it's us, he'll open a path so we can escape. We're the only ones who can help with this."

  "You know, I love your optimism sometimes. You're completely wrong, but what do we have to lose--stay in here and become a meal or risk letting a group of soldiers blow us to pieces with heavy artillery?"

  They headed up to the door, looking behind them at a bloody pack of men. There were far greater than twenty-five. They recognized the one armed orderly, his guts falling from his stomach, walking step for step with Moffenberg. There had to be a hundred of these things moving towards them. Michaels broke out into a run, not waiting for Christophers.

  A giant mob had gained on them and caught Christophers, dragging him to the ground. A mound of men crowded on top of him, tearing and pulling at his skin. His face distorted in a pain he'd never felt before, tears filling his eyes, praying to just pass out. He screamed, his arm outstretched for Michaels to come and save him. Michaels looked back but refused to stop--stopping was death.

  Or, from what he'd seen, it could be worse. Much worse.

  He made it to the front doors and slammed on the bar to open the door to the front entrance. It didn't give an inch and Michaels merely rammed into it, his head cracking open on the wired windows. A stream of blood dripped down his face.

  Major Stevenson and his team of Rangers were keeping the door shut so that they couldn't be forced open and the people inside couldn't push their way out.

  Michaels pounded his fists on the door. "I can help! I can help! Let me out of here! I know how to fix this! Please let me out!"

  Major Stevenson looked in at the man with tears falling from his face, pleading ... begging ... clawing at the doors to be let out ... pounding until his fists bled.

  A bloody hand came into view. It clutched his skull and slammed it into the mesh wired glass, breaking it. The pressure being applied to Michaels face was as if it was on a cheese grater--layers of cheek and eyelids being flayed into the wire. The monsters were pulling at Michaels until he sank from view.

  Christophers, or what was left of him, came up and started licking the window seal with a bloody tongue getting what was left from Michaels' face.

  Major Stevenson watched in terror, wishing he'd never asked these men to start this project in the first place. He signaled the head Ranger to come over to light the building ablaze. Death by fire would be more humane than forcing these savages to live in this state any longer. He couldn't let something like this get out. Not on his watch. The research could be looked at later, but, for right now, there was nothing useful in keeping these things alive.

  Chapter 12

  Day -1: May 29th, 2017. World Population 7,370,261,835

  Frank couldn't have anticipated it taking this long. He felt things should have gone quicker, already having a formula to start with. He was wrong, and it seemed like the further he got away from the original formula the worse he did. He had even gone so far as trying to contact some of the original team that he had worked with, but to no avail. They had either dropped off the edge of the Earth or were dead. Watching the woman he loved get sicker and weaker over the last four months did little for his optimism. Seeing the confidence she had in him to save her life and the hope in her eyes took a little piece of his heart each day.

  She never once complained, but periodically in their late night conversations, when he'd take a break from the lab, she would ask him how the conversion from the original formula to the new version was going.

  "It's hard to say, Karen. I promise I'm trying, with every ounce of will I have, to make it work. I just can't test it on you until it's right. In your state, I don't think your body would handle it if things didn't work, or God forbid they somehow sped up the cancer."

  Karen lay next to him quietly. "I just feel like we're beginning to run out of time, Frank. I'd rather try the drug and have it fail then never have tried anything. The end result will be the same. The doctors tell me I have a few months at best left."

  Frank sat up and slid his clothes back on.

  "Oh, Frank! I'm sorry! I know it's all we talk about, but it's just so scary! Don't leave, baby. I didn't mean to upset you. We can just rest for a while longer. It's fine."

  "You're not upsetting me, but you're right about time. If I don't get it figured out soon we'll have to tell Ellie and Shaun. Shaun knows that your papers said 'terminal'.”

  He bent down and kissed her lips and then kissed her forehead as she laid back on the pillow. "You will take care of Ellie if something--" she began.

  Frank reached down and put his finger to her lips. "Don't, Karen. You know I will, but please don't start these conversations yet. I'm going back to the lab. I'm going to call Rogers back in to check this last batch of data. It doesn't need to wait until morning. The results should be ready to analyze by now, I'd think. I made some drastic changes and want to see how the rats are doing with it."

  "God, I hope so Frank. More than anything, it's weird to be this age and have to worry about my mortality on a daily basis. To tell you the truth, I'm more worried about Ellie than I am myself. Is that strange?"

  Franks shook his head, looking out the door to make sure Ellie wasn't lingering. "It's not weird at all. It's just instinct. I won't stop until I have it, baby. I won't quit."

  "I love you, Frank. I think that I need some rest."

  Frank smiled, pulling the blankets up over her now thin, bony shoulders, and knew she wasn't tired.

  She was dying.

  They both knew it and Frank couldn't make the drug any faster. The cancer was winning, but he was about to change things if he had his way. He walked out to his truck with slow tears, thinking harder and harder. Thinking was all he did these days, besides worrying.

  ****

  Ellie looked out the window. The clock on her bedside cabinet showed it was eleven thirty. She looked at Tina. "Well, he didn't stay long."

  Tina sat her phone down and looked up, smiling. "Maybe he was just getting a quickie, you know ... refreshing the batteries."

  Ellie laughed. "That look on my face just then was a little puke in my mouth!"

  "Do you want to go check on your mom and make sure everything's okay?"

  Ellie shook her head, sat back on her bed, and watched Tina. She wanted to change the subject to something besides cancer--it had been the only subject in the house for months. "Who are you chatting with tonight?"

  Tina smiled. "The boys, of course!"

  Ellie leaned up on the bed trying to take a look at Tina's phone. "Well, that narrows it down to about half the people on Earth."

  "Well, if you must know, dear, I'm talking to the deliciously attractive Shawn and Greg. They're hanging out at Shaun's house tonight unsupervised."

  Ellie got uncomfortable hearing her talk that way about Shaun. She was still very interested in him but didn't think it fair with her mom being so sick. She also didn't want to tell him to wait because she didn't know who she'd be inside when this was finally over. "What do you mean 'the deliciously attractive' Shaun? I thought you liked that kid from Dallas Center from Shaun's wrestling camp tournament last month."

  Tina sunk into the bean bag chair, typing away. "Well, I did like him until I saw Shaun with his tight uniform painted on. Besides, he's like one of the only boys I can talk to who doesn't sit and stare at my boobs the entire conversation. He isn't gay, is he?"

  Ellie sat up. "That uniform's called a singlet, and he isn't gay!"

  Tina smiled at her. "I don't care what you call it--I think he looked amazing in it! What are you getting so uptight about?"

  Ellie rolled her eyes and sat up. "Shaun's free to date who he wants. I've been too busy with my mom to worry about anyone else."

  "I just wanted to make sure you're cool if we ended up dating. I don't even know if he's interested in me. Although I'm hoping maybe that little outfit I bought for this tomorrow’s volleyball homecoming rally will be enou
gh to grab his attention for once."

  "Yeah? I don't know if I'll be able to go. My mom needs me close by. If the three of you want to go, send me a picture from the rally."

  "It's been four months since she started those new drugs. I don't understand how she isn't looking any better yet. Do her doctors suck?"

  Ellie wiped at fresh tears. "I have no idea. Frank found the doctors. He's engaged to my mom now. He wouldn't get the woman he loves crappy doctors. She said she doesn't know, since it's a trial drug, how long it will take, but I don't know how much more she can handle, Tina. Really, what's the point of taking all that crap if it doesn't do anything?"

  Tina got up from the chair and set her phone down. She sat next to Ellie putting a arm around her. "Hey, she'll be okay. She's engaged to a doctor, and he won't let anything bad happen."

  ****

  Shaun looked over at Greg, "Dude, I'm telling you the internet is fine. My dad has a block on that kind of stuff. He set it up last week."

  Greg leaned back in the computer chair. "Doesn't your dad trust you?"

  "Yes, but he doesn't trust you. Remember I told you last week he picked up my phone by accident and saw a string of text messages from you? Believe it or not, he found it less than funny."

  Greg looked around the room. "He doesn't have much of a sense of humor these days, does he?"

  "I'm not sure he ever did. He lives in that lab trying to get a cure for her."

  "Really? Your dad thinks he's going to be the guy who finds the cure for cancer?"

  Shaun shrugged. "Well, they keep saying they don't know how long before the medicine she's on will start working, but I think maybe the reason for it is because she isn't taking anything more than vitamins. She's getting worse because she's dying."

  "Why isn't she taking any real drugs?"

  Shaun sat up on his elbow. "If I tell you something, you have to promise me you'll keep your mouth shut."

  "Sure."

  "No, I mean it! Like I'll break your damn head open if you tell Ellie or Tina. I don't care if they threaten you with your life!"

  "You mean like you're doing to me right now?"

  "Exactly."

  "I get it--don't tell anyone."

  Shaun looked him over before responding. "Ellie doesn't know, but the papers she had on her mom, when she explained them to me, mentioned she has stage five cancer."

  Greg nodded slowly, staring.

  "You have no idea what I'm saying, do you, Greg?"

  Greg shook his head, staring.

  "It means she's dying. In the cancer world, terminal means death. There is no cure so that's why she isn't taking drugs."

  "So ... your dad is doing everything he can to cure her. That's kind of cool, isn't it? I mean, you have to respect that, don't you?"

  Shaun thought of his mom and how he would have felt about his dad had he saved her. "Yeah, I guess. I just don't want to have to face Ellie if he doesn't come through. What she's going through now is minor compared to really losing someone."

  "Hey, if your dad cures cancer and whatever, think about it! You'd never have to work in your entire life! Think of the first car he'd buy you! Oh my God, the girls you'd have lined up! Tina would go crazy!"

  Shaun smiled loving how Greg could find a positive for every negative and somehow relate it to sex. "I don't know if I'm ready to date someone. I still like Ellie, but she's kind of busy right now."

  Greg slapped him on the chest. "Dude! Tina's totally into you! You told me yourself, Ellie and you had that one night and then lady luck shot your puppy. You're fourteen now. How can't you be ready to date? Your heart's beating, right?"

  Shaun lay back on his bed. "Don't remind me, Greg! I'm perfectly aware of what Tina looks like."

  ****

  Rogers had been going round and round about what to do or not do all week. If it worked he and Frank would be deemed biochemist gods with appreciation from all, and was more than happy to share the awards and fame and endless money with his boss. Until someone cured AIDS, there would be no one who could hold a candle to their achievement.

  He felt cancer was a bigger threat anyways. He got out of bed seeing it was only eight in the evening. He knew Dr. Fox had left for the night because he'd backed up his work online. He had planned on doing it on a Saturday or Sunday when the building would be least occupied. He knew Saturday night was either a church night, a family night, or, on a wonderful warm night like tonight, everyone would be sitting out by backyard fires. Being so close to summer, everyone wanted to enjoy the cool spring weather while they could.

  He powered down the laptop he used to check if the boss was there, and set off to make history. One day everyone would thank him for his insight, his initiative, and for being a risk taker--not scared to break a few eggs. The building would be almost empty at this time of night. Rogers was trying not to speed on the way. He was a huge music fan and was listening to the radio, tapping his hands on the steering wheel, and doing a wonderful job at singing off-key karaoke. He found a spot up front and tried not to run into the building.

  He entered a nine digit key code for late night access and opened the large glass door. He went by the security guard desk and swiped his badge across the reader, nodding to Chuck the night security guard. Chuck was looking at a guns and ammo magazine and set it down to observe the short pudgy man currently disturbing him. Chuck was a tall man in his early sixties, counting the days until he could retire at his weekend camper home by the lake with his wife, Evelyn. He was a retired infantry soldier without enough money to live day to day on his military pension. He was rubbing his thick gray handlebar mustache, watching that Rogers followed security protocol to a T. He finally acknowledged Rogers once his face popped up on his large, flat screen monitor. In a raspy smoker's voice he asked, "You burnin' the candle at both ends tonight, doc?"

  Rogers stopped. "Yes. Well, we won't get ahead if we don't put one foot in front of the other, will we?" He smiled a bright toothy grin full of confidence and saluted the guard with the wrong hand. It did about as much good as a smack in the face would have. He marched on to the elevator quickly, never looking back.

  Chuck picked back up the copy of his gun magazine, shaking his head at Rogers. Under his breath he muttered, "Pussy."

  Rogers entered the lab and looked around to making sure Frank was not sitting in the dark behind a laptop. His actions here tonight could not easily be explained. He walked around flicking on the different terminals and powering up all the computers. He was going to have hours of work to do in a short matter of time. He knew Frank was unpredictable, never staying away from the lab for long. He seemed more committed to this project than any assignment they had been tasked with before. It was a shame he hadn't found a way to make the cure he longed for work before now. Rogers had seen Frank's original notes last week and photocopied them when he'd been looking for some other documentation. He found the original formula for X-74 and the hand written notes describing a trial cure for soldiers suffering the effects of bio warfare.

  The previous week, he'd been studying the dynamics of the cure, looking at everything that was in it, and having a hard time getting his head around it. Compared to what they were currently using, he thought the formulae they developed looked like children's vitamins. He had sent a request down to the mixing lab to have a batch of the samples put together. If all went well, he'd be up in the CEO's office explaining exactly what they had been doing by the end of this week and smoking a celebratory cigar.

  At the medical plant, they tested on rats per the federal health regulations. They were required to prove a drug worked before clinical tests on humans could take place. He knew if he didn't have the research to prove it, he could be banned from medical jobs, though he did not know the entire picture.

  He had taken the X-74 and added a strong dose of Zometa, an aggressive cancer drug the company had created, but on its own it was not something that would cure terminal patients. He then added an additional calcium fortifying ag
ent as well. He was sure testing this would be easy, and hoping the results would be immediate. They had been experimenting with different strains mixed with a much tamer version of what Frank called X-74--mostly the vitamin strand of the drug. He had given it to fifteen rats exposed to bone cancer causing pesticides to prove the serum worked. He had labeled them with a different name and a different chemical make up as Frank would know immediately something was off with the strain he had asked him to give to the rats.

  Rogers was impressed with the injection method. He had always been taught to use injections into the blood stream, but, as he had learned after working with Frank, a vapor vaccination method can inoculate many people with the same distribution tool. Coming from a military background, it made perfect sense why Frank would consider this a good method. He turned on the lights to the animal cage room and went in to check out his specimens.

  He picked one up and was immediately bitten. He had never been bitten this hard by one before, and could not believe the chunk of skin it had taken out from his finger. He dropped it back in its cage. "Oh, you little bastard! That hurt! Good Lord!"

  He stumbled back out of the room, wrapping his hand with a handkerchief from his back pocket, and went to the first aid center. He doused it with a disinfectant foam and rinsed it with hot water. He examined it, thinking about that rat. He was actually glad to think he had been bitten. Only a few days ago the rat could barely lift its head to eat, let alone run up and take a giant bite out of his damn hand. He thought to himself it must have worked and he must be on the right path. He hurried to bandage it and create the fake reports proving that all of the necessary results had been submitted properly and filed with the Federal Board of Drug Approvals.

  As he was finishing up the last of the data, falling in love with the idea of X-74 and the little tweak that he had added to it, his cell phone rang. "Hello, this is Rogers."

  "Rogers, this is Frank. I need you to come to the lab. Are you available tonight?"