by Kyle Pratt
Caden sat in an old wooden chair.
His dad picked up a screwdriver. “That wasn’t an exercise last night.”
“No.” Caden explained what he could about the soldiers surrounding the armory and trying to guide a missile in. “But Zach shot the laser targeting device and we were able to stage a counter attack. Some got away, but we captured a few.”
His father put down the screw driver and rubbed his chin. “What I can’t figure out is why they attacked here and no place else in the state.”
“I don’t think I can explain that part.”
“Are you telling me you know, but can’t say?” His father measured the bottom width of the door.
“I know why we were attacked.” The chair creaked loudly as Caden leaned back.
His father nodded and changed the subject. “The news on the radio said Kern flu spread out of St. Louis to the surrounding counties. Durant forces attacked Missouri this morning. Do you think all these events are somehow connected?”
“Yes, they are, but that’s all I can say.” Caden wished he had a cup of coffee.
“Well, aren’t you a fount of information.”
“Sorry. You’re asking good questions.”
That seemed to please his dad.
Caden rubbed his face. “Attacking now won’t work to Durant’s advantage for long, but it will spread the disease and misery quicker.”
“Well at least those Chinese ships off the coast turned around.” His father sanded the edge of the door.
“I hadn’t heard. That is good news.” But he wondered why the ships had been there to begin with.
“You better get inside and tell Maria about this morning. It was all I could do to keep her from phoning you right in the middle of the shooting.”
As Caden entered the house he felt something wrap around his leg. Looking down he saw Adam gazing up at him with a wide-mouth grin, both arms wrapped around his leg. Caden reached down and lifted him. “Hi, little guy.”
Maria burst from the kitchen. “Oh, there he is.” Then her tired eyes settled on Caden. “I was worried about you.”
He nodded. “Come sit with me and I’ll tell you everything I can.” He felt he would be explaining for the next few days. As he started his story Adam fell asleep in his arms. Minutes later, as the baby stirred, Caden finished.
“Why did those soldiers attack the armory?”
He shifted Adam to Maria. “That’s the part I can’t tell you.”
“And you still haven’t found Zach?”
“No.” He shook his head. “We’re looking. Some of the soldiers got away on a helicopter. I hope they didn’t take him with them. If they did, we may never know what happened to him.”
Maria stared at the floor. “The news reported that the Chinese ships turned around this morning. Could the helo have flown out to them?”
“No. They were still too far away.”
“Everybody was watching those ships, but they turned out to be nothing.” She shook her head. “Sort of like the magician who says, ‘Watch here,’ but then tricks you with the other hand.”
Caden’s jaw dropped and then he laughed.
Adam awoke.
Maria frowned.
“Sorry, but I think you might have figured it out. The ships may have been a distraction.” While he thought Maria had the right idea he wondered why the Chinese would mount such a big, expensive, diversion. If this were a huge sleight-of-hand was the trick complete or would there be another?
* * *
Brennon Trailer, Rural Lewis County, Monday, September 28th
A scream roused Zach from blissful darkness. His eyes opened, but were unable to focus. Frightened voices of two girls, both somehow familiar, came to him. He wondered what scared them. Then darkness returned.
* * *
DeLynn gasped at the smell of vomit and the sight of Zach so deathly pale. He looked dead, but then his eyes fluttered.
Vicki screamed and tried to push by.
DeLynn grabbed her arm. “No!”
“He’s hurt or sick. All that gunfire this morning! He could be dying.”
DeLynn shut the door and blocked the knob with her body. “I didn’t see any blood. I’m guessing he has that Kern flu everyone’s talking about.”
“But we’ve got to do something.”
“We will.” DeLynn didn’t budge from the door. “Find a towel and wet it so it’s damp, not dripping, and bring it to me.”
Vicki still looked confused, but did as requested.
With the damp towel wrapped around her nose, mouth and head, DeLynn cautiously approached Zach. His skin felt cool and clammy. She turned his head and discovered a nasty cut along one cheek. It would require stitches, but wasn’t life threatening. Moments later she discovered a bloodstain on his hip. It felt weird to unbutton and pull down his jeans, but she needed to see the wound. She found another bad cut, but not the cause of his comatose state.
Next she struggled to roll his limp body to one side and check his back. He felt damp, but no blood stained her fingers. DeLynn moved toward the door. “He’s sick. There’re two wounds, but neither are serious. I think he got in a fight with someone who had the flu.”
“Should we take him to the hospital or call an ambulance?” Vicki asked from the doorway.
DeLynn dropped the towel just inside the bedroom, exited and shut the door. She pulled her phone from a pocket and dialed 911. She expected an ambulance to come with siren blaring but, several minutes later, two Humvees rolled up the driveway. Four soldiers wearing gas masks and peculiar raincoats jumped out. They grabbed a stretcher and first-aid kits and hurried to the trailer.
DeLynn stepped toward the door to open it, but before she could they burst in.
“Where’s Zach Brennon?” the lead soldier asked.
Vicki pointed to the bedroom.
DeLynn followed the strangely-dressed soldiers. She wanted answers, but they were frightening in those outfits and didn’t seem inclined to respond to questions. She heard another vehicle drive up and looked out the window. Caden Westmore stepped out of an old farm pickup. Zach told her he was some sort of high-ranking officer, and his boss when he worked at the armory. His familiar face and standard camouflage uniform made him less intimidating than the alien looking soldiers in the house. Intent on asking him why the military showed up at a 911 call, she strode across the living room.
Caden stepped just inside the trailer and motioned for her and Vicki to join him outside. “If Zach has been exposed to Kern flu it’s probably best to keep as much distance as possible. I’m very glad you found him. We’ve been searching since the battle yesterday.”
DeLynn gazed toward the bedroom door. “Why?”
“That young man saved everyone at the armory yesterday.”
“Huh?” DeLynn shook her head confused. “He went hunting.”
“Yesss.” Caden smiled. “At just the right place to save a lot of people.” He told her how Zach spotted the soldiers, passed intel, and shot the laser device.
The medic stepped into the doorway. “He’s weak, but we’re ready to transport.”
“Do so.” Caden turned back to them. “We’ll make sure he has the best of care.”
“Thank you.” DeLynn grabbed Vicki’s hand. “We’ll follow them to the hospital in my car.”
* * *
Zach awoke flat on his back as they wheeled him down a pastel blue hall on a gurney. Everyone around him wore either Mopp gear or a biohazard suit. Harsh lights blazed in his eyes and a methodical beeping throbbed in his ears. Everything hurt. Intravenous bags hung on either side of him.
A man in a white smock pointed. “Get him in treatment room one.”
An alarm roared as the darkness fought to engulf him.
A woman shouted, “His blood pressure’s falling.”
Chapter Twenty Three
Westmore Farm, Rural Lewis County, Saturday, October 3rd
Caden sat in the living room after breakfast liste
ning to the radio.
“… those already infected. Wash often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rubs … if you can find them. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Cover your mouth with a tissue … again if you can find some … and then throw the tissue away. If you experience nausea or vomiting and your temperature is over 100 degrees stay inside. Avoid contact with others, and call 911 for medical assistance.”
When he heard the voice of Becky, his former fiancée, speaking as Durant’s press secretary, he turned the radio off and tried to think of something else. In the last few days Caden made several trips to the hospital, first with Zach, and then a growing number of ill soldiers. When they lost control of the checkpoints several thousand refugees poured into Hansen. Perhaps only a few hundred were sick, but the flu spread. The hospital seemed darker now, a place where death lingered.
Caden’s attention drifted back to the radio.
“Yesterday, Dr. Scott, chief physician at Hansen General Hospital, announced that until further notice the facility would only handle Kern flu cases and other life-threatening emergencies. The Morton hospital has closed as of this morning. All personnel and patients have been transferred to Hansen.”
Caden walked outside in the cool morning air. He’d taken the weekend off to relax and try to forget about matters of life and death.
He’d done a lousy job of it so far.
He strolled aimlessly around the barn, past the chicken yard, and paused at the greenhouse he and his father rebuilt earlier in the year. Caden ran his fingers along several of the boards he’d cut and nailed into place. Their family had eaten well from the bounty of the building.
Nikki galloped over the nearby hill, with tail wagging, followed by his father. Caden wondered where they had gone so early in the morning. Standing in the shadows of the greenhouse, his father didn’t appear to see him.
At first Caden thought his dad had been on a walk with the dog, but they didn’t return to the house. Instead his father went to the man cave in the barn.
Caden stepped into the converted tack room. “Hi Dad. What’re you up to?”
“Making a new gate. Some cows pushed down the one by the creek.” He picked up a 2 x 4.
“Some cows? Not our two?”
“No. They must be from a neighboring farm, but I’m not sure which.”
“Where are they now?” Caden asked sitting in the old wooden chair. Nikki curled up on a blanket in the corner.
“Last I saw the four of them were chomping grass along the stream. When I’ve finished the gate I’ll try to find their owner.” He turned on a small radio and grabbed the tape measure.
“… mass burials and burial at sea will now be conducted by the Texas National Guard and the Coast Guard.”
His father turned to him with a worried look “Will you be doing that? Is that what will happen here?”
“I have no idea.” But he feared they would soon.
* * *
Hollister Hotel, Saturday, October 3rd
DeLynn heard the door squeak and turned to see Vicki enter the room.
“Any change?”
She shook her head. “No, but he’s breathing well and his temperature is normal. I just wish he’d wake up.”
Only Zach’s shoulders and head stuck out from the covers. Stubble of his red beard covered much of his face.
Vicki nodded. “I heard on the radio that the school is closed until the flu crisis is over. That’ll make it easier to care for him.”
Delynn stared at Zach and prayed that he would soon wake. Still seated, she squeezed Vicki’s arm. “Well, you better go set the fish traps or none of us will eat tonight.” As Vicki trotted off, DeLynn slid down in the chair. Already exhausted from a night of fitful dozing, she quickly fell asleep.
* * *
Zach’s eyes fluttered open. He moved his head from side to side taking in his surroundings. Two large windows let ample sunlight flow into the spacious room. Freshly painted white walls reflected the light, giving the room a bright appearance.
DeLynn sat beside him, softly snoring. He remembered going to the trailer home, so how did he get to his bedroom in the Hollister Hotel?
Zach sat up, feeling dizzy as he did. He thought about waking DeLynn and asking how he got there, but decided to let her sleep. Besides, he had more urgent business. He slid his feet out from the covers and noticed a clean bandage on his hip and one ankle wrapped in gauze. Above the window hung a homemade banner declaring, ‘Happy Birthday.’ Two colorfully wrapped presents sat on a nearby table.
He smiled, and stood, slowly testing both his balance and stance. The joint still hurt, but not as much as it had. He limped to the bathroom wearing just a T-shirt and underwear.
He flushed the toilet after completing the most critical task and then downed a glass of water. Zach recalled his most recent clear memory, falling and vomiting on the carpet at the trailer. He still felt weak and a bit unsure on his feet, but decided he would live.
As he made his way to the kitchen he wondered how long he had been unconscious. His recovery certainly took more than a day, but beyond that he had no idea. He opened the fridge looking for food and found one fish fillet. Zach shook his head. He neither wanted to cook fish nor eat it, so his search continued. After finding bread and a half eaten apple he sat at the counter to eat.
A stifled scream came from the bedroom.
* * *
Westmore Farm, Rural Lewis County, Saturday, October 3rd
The gate consisted of a 2 x 4 frame with wire mesh fencing attached to one side. Caden smiled as he finished helping his father make it. The last three weeks had been tense, but at that moment he felt reinvigorated. Most days he moved papers across his desk, but today he had created something for the farm. It was just a gate, but he and his father had made it. “Are we going to stain the wood?”
“I’ll do that later. Right now we need to hang it. I’ve just got a few strands of barbed wire closing the gap at the moment. After I find the owner of the cattle I’ll stain the thing.”
With a laugh, Caden grabbed one end of the gate. “Okay, let’s get going.”
Leaving Nikki behind, they climbed into the farm truck.
As his father drove to where cattle had broken the old gate, Caden checked the time and decided to call Brooks. “What’s our status this morning?”
“Two possible new cases of flu and three deaths last night.” Brooks listed the names. “Otherwise all is normal and calm.”
They had lost two or three soldiers every day since the refugees flooded in from nearby towns. Caden had expected just such a report. “Call me if anything changes.” With a sigh he slid the phone back in his pocket.
“You better give that young man a few days off or Lisa will be livid.” His father smiled at him.
“Brooks is going out with her on Monday—if things don’t go crazy between now and then.”
His father stopped the truck and the two quickly hung the gate. His dad pointed toward the nearby creek. “See our two Jersey cows there and the four on the other side of the stream munching away?”
“A nice little herd.” Caden climbed back in the truck. “Which farm do we visit first?”
* * *
Hollister Hotel, Saturday, October 3rd
Zach ran toward the bedroom as fast as he could with a sore ankle, but before he got to the door it burst open.
DeLynn stared at him with wide eyes. “You disappeared. Where were you?”
“Ah, the bathroom.”
She continued to stare at him.
“And then the kitchen.”
“You’re awake!” DeLynn ran to him and hugged tight.
She leaned so hard on him he stumbled backward, putting more weight on the sore ankle. He grimaced. “How long was I asleep?”
“Four? No, this is the fifth day.”
“Wow. That would explain the need for the bathroom.”
She laughed.
He recalled walking away from the hotel
so he wouldn’t infect anyone. “How did I get here?” Worried and weak, Zach slumped in a nearby chair. “Are Vicki and your parents okay?”
“Everyone in the building is fine.” DeLynn sat beside him. “We heard the shooting around the armory that day and expected you to come home right away. After the battle, when you didn’t return, we went looking for you. Eventually, Vicki and I found you at the trailer.”
“And you’re all okay?”
“I was careful.” She explained how she used a damp towel around her mouth and nose.
“How did you know to do that?”
She shrugged. “I saw it in a movie. Then we called 911, but your old boss, Mr. Westmore, and others with gas masks and weird ponchos, showed up.”
Zach smiled at her description of MOPP gear.
“They had you in the isolation ward but moved you here last night. The doctor said you would live and weren’t contagious.”
“Really?” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m surprised they sent me home while still unconscious.”
“Mr. Westmore said a medic would come by and check on you twice a day. Oh, and the hospital needed the bed. The place is full of Kern flu patients.”
He nodded slowly considering all that he heard. “Just one more thing, would you bring me my pants?”
* * *
Rural Lewis County, Saturday, October 3rd
“Third time’s a charm, isn’t that what they say?”
Caden wasn’t sure that applied to finding the owner of lost cattle. “Or we could have a really nice barbecue.”
His father glanced at him with a suspicious eye.
“Just kidding, dad.”
“Yeah.” His father grinned and then pointed ahead. “I’ve been meaning to go by the Wilson place. I haven’t seen Bob in several days and, well, he’s getting up there in years.”
“I don’t remember him as anything but old. How old is he?”
“Eighty-seven, I think.”
“Yeah, that’s starting to get up there.”
“His wife has dementia.”
Caden shook his head. “I’m surprised he’s still on the farm.” But what options did he have? There were no assisted living facilities or residential care homes still operating. The people in them were either dead or back with relatives. He looked at his father, glad that family surrounded him and his mother, and that they were still healthy.