“What is it?”
Bill shook his head and without further words, leaned down to Lexi and kissed her. Really kissed her for the first time ever. He pulled back. “I love you.”
Her lips quivered and, scared to death that she’d never see him again, she whispered that she loved him as well. She would have said it louder but her throat tensed up.
She stood there watching as they got in the car and pulled away. It was much more than going off to clean the lab. It wasn’t the old world where they could stop for gas, call for help if they needed it.
The world had transformed and it wasn’t for the better.
Hopefully, sealing the labs and destroying them was one step to changing all that for the future.
* * *
Lodi, OH
Henry looked at his watch. He couldn’t wait any longer. Nelson had an explosives expert from the Ohio National Guard come into Lodi and prepare for the trip with Ethan. Lars was nowhere to be found and the Kent trip needed to be completed. It would be, of all the lab missions, the first to be taken out, even if they weren’t the first to leave.
After an hour, the president finally gave his orders and the units in Texas prepared. All of them were given the same instructions.
“Remember to suit up two miles before Kent,” Henry told Ethan. “Do the buddy system. Check each other’s suits. Duct tape the vulnerable areas. Sleeves, legs, all that.”
“Got it,” Ethan nodded.
“The suits are heavy and will be awkward to move in so be careful. You got two hours in the tanks, and should be able to communicate with each other. Check for power outages, then signs of a breach, dead animals, birds, stuff like that. You may have trouble getting through the secure doors if power is on.”
“If that happens we’ll power down. We have this. We’ll be back before dark.”
“Be careful and good luck,” Henry said.
“Will you watch my mom? Check on her?” Ethan asked. “I’m worried since she’s only one of a few patients at the hospital and Lars never showed up.”
“I’m sure she’s fine, I’ll check on her.”
Henry wished him luck once more, then watched them walk away. He didn’t want to let on that he was worried. Something had to be happening at the clinic for Lars to have stayed away. He’d missed the early morning briefing and had never answered the phone.
After the jeep had rolled off for the mission, Henry spotted Kurt coming his way.
“You missed the send off as well,” Henry said.
“Sorry, I was at the clinic, checking on the patients.”
“Is Lars having problems?”
“Lars isn’t there,” Kurt said.
“Have you checked his home?”
Kurt nodded. “Not there either.”
“For crying out loud, I hope he isn’t dead or something. What about Tom, where’s he?”
“I’m guessing at the store.”
“This is odd.” Henry started to walk.
“Where are you going?”
“To the video store. Tom runs this town, why wasn’t he at the meeting? I’m telling you, something is up.”
* * *
Tom looked up only briefly when the bell on his door dinged and Henry walked in. “Hey, Henry.” He returned to skimming an old magazine. His stomach twitched as if he were in trouble.
“Tom.” Henry walked to the counter.
“Ross didn’t return that Tom Cruise film if that’s what you’re wondering,” Tom said, keeping his eyes on the magazine.
“That’s not why I’m here. Do you know where Lars is?”
“Nope.”
“He didn’t show at the clinic, he’s not home.”
“You don’t say?”
“He didn’t show for the meeting,” Henry said. “And neither did you. It was a strategy briefing.”
“Was that this morning?” Tom shook his head. “I must have slept in. Having a teenager living at the house stirred things up.”
“Tom, come on. Where’s Lars?”
Tom put down the magazine. He was ready to say he didn’t know, but his head dropped.
“What?”
“I can’t lie. I can’t. I was supposed to wait until tonight, but I can’t.”
“Where is he?” Henry pressed.
“About right now,” Tom looked at his watch, “he’s in Erie.”
* * *
Erie, PA
He arrived at the barricade and set the bar of expectations the second he stepped from the car. “My name is Lars Rayburn. Do not point those guns at me. Get whoever it is that is in charge, they are expecting me.”
The men didn’t respond. They looked at him mockingly. There were only six of them and Lars made a mental note of that.
“Are we done being juvenile? I will tell you one more time, inform whomever it is that controls you people that I have arrived. I assure you that any further delay will result in more than likely some sort of vile consequence and not by my hand.”
One of the men lifted his radio, asked for Lars’s name again, then whispered something to the others. Within minutes a man who identified himself as Ace arrived.
Lars outwardly projected the attitude that he couldn’t care less. They patted him down for weapons and opened his large duffle bag. He told Ace, “I will gladly remove all items from this bag, but I’d prefer you and your men’s filthy hands not to touch or contaminate my sterile items.”
Ace informed his two men to stop their search.
“Take me to Rose, then we’ll talk.”
“You’re awfully demanding,” Ace remarked.
“You have one of my friends here, you want to barter her for me. I’d say you are the one who is demanding. Where is Rose?”
Ace huffed and waved his hand. He instructed Lars to get into the car and he drove him about four blocks into the thick of things.
Lars spotted very few civilians. Most of those who hung around sat in front of abandoned stores, drinking, smoking and talking.
Another mental note.
They pulled in front of a Breast Care medical office with an old ‘Flu Aid Center’ sign still posted on the front. At the door, Lars paused. “Is she here?”
“Inside, yes,” Ace said, and opened the door.
“Do you have any children here that you have found?”
Ace shook his head.
“Let’s try this again. There is a woman in my town who says that a band of men, not far from here, shot her and took children from her camp. Do … you … have children here?”
“I’ll check on that.”
“Once you do, I would like to see them.” Lars walked in the door. As soon as he did, he saw Rose on an examining bed sitting in the middle of what once was a lobby of the building. He rushed toward her, setting down his bag next to her.
“Rose.”
She managed a gasp. “Lars! Lars, what are you doing here? I told you not to come!”
“And when do I listen to anyone?” He gripped her hand and turned his head to Ace. “She’s not going anywhere and neither am I. Can we have privacy please? I’d like to examine her.”
Ace gave them a disgruntled look, but he complied and left the room.
Rose leaned her head forward. “You should have stayed back, Lars. It’s bad here. These men aren’t good.”
“I kind of figured that.” He stood upright. “My goodness, Rose. What kind of mess have you gotten yourself into?” He pulled down the sheet and looked at the seeping bandages. “Who did the bandages?”
“I did, and a young girl named Lola.”
“They’re still seeping.”
“It’s bad.”
“Oh, you’re probably exaggerating. I know you.” He slowly removed the bandage from her side and drew a sharp breath. The wound was still open and he could clearly see the broken rib as it partially protruded. It seeped a yellowish pus and around it, her whole body was black from retained blood and bruising. He tried, with everything he had he tried not
to show a facial reaction, but Lars failed.
“Lars?”
“I’m not gonna lie to you, Rose, this … this is bad.” Lars had known Rose for many years. He knew her as a tough woman who could handle anything. It was apparent she was handling her injuries valiantly. What threw Lars for a loop was when Rose nodded and then began to sob.
“Rose?” Lars dropped to one knee to be close to her, face to face. He grabbed her hand again.
“I’m never gonna see my son again. I’m never gonna see my grandbabies am I?”
“Rose …”
“I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I’m sorry, nothing scares me more than never seeing them again.”
“That’s not gonna happen, Rose.” Lars stood up straight. “That’s why I came. If I have anything to do with it, you’ll be driving us all crazy again in Lodi, including teaching them boys to have the same foul mouth.”
“You said it was bad...”
“It is. But hey, I’m Lars Rayburn. I can fix this.”
“Do not tell anyone I was crying. I swear to God, if you get me better and tell people, I’ll fucking kill you.” She wiped her eyes.
“Never. Well,” Lars tilted his head, “I’ll hold it over your head and use it as blackmail.” He squeezed her hand firmly and spoke with seriousness. “We’ll get through this, Rose. I’m here now, and I’m not leaving until you are well enough to fight your way out of this door. And you will be, you will.”
Rose sniffed and nodded and Lars released her hand.
It was the best front Lars had ever put on in his life. He portrayed optimistic and arrogant, when Lars actually was worried and insecure about it. Her rib was so far out of place he was certain she had a punctured lung and possibly other internal injuries. Not to mention it was infected, and Rose was more than likely septic.
But Lars wasn’t a quitter, he had battled worse, that was for sure.
He wasn’t giving up. He couldn’t.
* * *
Glenn Grove, CA
Sixteen miles before his destination, Bill spotted the first body on the road. Another mile further, there were three more. They had apparently set up camp off the side of the road. It looked to Bill as if they’d pulled over because they were ill. All three were dead, their bodies decimated by disease and decomposition.
He found their target site with relative ease. It was like following a trial. Carcasses of animals, birds and several human beings paved a pathway. Unfortunately, the laboratory was located only a few miles east of a small town.
Anyone that had survived the flu in that small town didn’t survive the breach.
It was absolutely, without a doubt, a hot zone. Bill found it difficult to maneuver in the suit, worse than the one he wore when he battled the flu. Even though he never needed to wear one, it made others feel as if they were protected – from him.
Several times he had to stop and check to see if he had torn his suit. He hadn’t, but his delays ate up time. Perhaps he was just being neurotic, but it was better to be neurotic and safe than complacent and dead.
With time running out on their tanks, Bill and the other man set the C-4 explosives in the lab. They burned out what remained in the lab, the containers, the holding units and everything else, but what had already escaped into the air was too far beyond them.
It was the best they could do. They stayed until their tanks neared empty to make sure there was no flash fire that could get out of control, and then they left the town.
* * *
Damon, NY
“Jake is going to be just fine, it’s just a stomach flu, that’s all,” Mick told Chris.
“Then why can’t I see him? You don’t think he has one of them viruses that escaped, do you?”
“To be honest, Doc probably thought that,” Mick said, “but he doesn’t now.” He placed a plate of food at the table before Chris and then one before Tigger.
The table came to Tigger’s nose.
“You want me to make you a booster?” Mick asked.
“I’m not a baby,” Tigger said. “I drove a car.”
“What?” Chris laughed. “You tried to get away.” He turned to Mick. “When I hit Jonah Briggs, Tigger tried to leave me there. Good thing his pint sized body couldn’t reach the pedals or see over the steering wheel or I would have been abandoned.”
“I gave it my best shot,” Tigger replied as he adjusted to kneel on the bench. “How come you made eggs, Mick?”
“That’s what I wanted to make.”
Chris sniffed the food. “Smells good. Jonah Briggs said we could have anything. There’s beef in a can, you know.”
“I know. I wanted eggs.” Mick sat down at the table.
“You always make us eggs,” Chris said with a peaceful smile. “I remember when you used to come over in the morning, get us ready for school, and make us breakfast.”
“That’s because your mom used to think Ho Ho’s were a healthy meal.”
“I got more than that,” Tigger said. “You guys would leave for school and me and Mick would have a really cool lunch. We’d go to Medina a lot for lunch.”
“No way, that’s cheating.” Chris said. “Wasn’t that cheating, Mick?”
“Spoiling is more like it. Besides, your mom hated to cook.”
Chris paused with his fork to his mouth. “I miss her. I miss her and Dustin and Gram. I miss them so much, Mick.”
Mick reached over and grabbed Chris’ arm. “I miss them too. We will for a very long time.”
“Do you think about them a lot?”
“Every day, a hundred times a day. Everything and anything makes me think of them.”
“Me, too,” Chris said. “One day we’ll see them again, though.”
“Yes. But not for a long time.” Mick retracted his hand and started to eat.
Briggs’ voice entered the cafeteria before he did. “We have a man in,” he said. His boots squeaked as he skidded to a stop. “I’m sorry, you’re eating.”
Mick waved him to the table. “Join us. There’s plenty, grab a plate. Food’s on that counter.”
“I think I will.” Briggs took a look at the plates and walked to the counter to retrieve a meal. “Bacon and eggs. Nice. We had beef in a can you know.”
Chris lifted his hand. “That’s what I was telling him, Jonah Briggs. But he insisted on cooking a Mick meal. It’s good though, don’t worry, Mick can cook some eggs.”
Briggs joined them at the table. “It smells great. Thank you.”
“You were saying something?” Mick said. “About a man in?”
“Ah, yes,” Briggs said. “I spoke to Tom.” He looked at Chris. “You need to call your pap before you go to bed. He was saying that.”
Chris gave a thumbs up as he ate.
“Anyhow,” Briggs continued, “thought you’d want to hear the update. Tom’s a bit frazzled, seems he took in a teenager named Joey and a baby that you found.”
Mick sat back with a relief filled expression. “Ah, yes, Baby Doe. He must be doing well. Joey has to be the teenager that worked with him.”
“Don’t know,” Briggs said. “He couldn’t talk long, but long enough to say, ‘We have a man in there’. The ‘Rebels’, as I like to call them, wanted to barter for your mom. Seems she was in a motorcycle accident and was hurt, but will be okay, from what Tom said, because Lars is there.”
Mick dropped his fork. “My mother was in an accident?”
Briggs nodded. “I’m sorry. But this Lars is inside the rebel camp with her.”
“Lars is a famous doctor,” Chris said. “He’s the reason most of us in Lodi beat the flu. You know Rose will be fine if he’s there.”
“I’m sure …” Mick faltered, “ I’m sure he will take care of her.” He looked at Briggs. “Lars Rayburn was the trade?”
“Yes. Tom said he’ll get us the information we need about that camp. He may code it, but he’ll get it to us.”
“They aren’t gonna let him contact us.”
; “He already checked in to say he was with your mom, so that’s hopeful.”
“That is very hopeful,” Mick agreed. “Knowing that Lars is there makes me feel better until we can get in there. But Lars... why was he the trade?”
Chris answered that. “He’s the big celebrity, Mick. You know that. Everyone wants Lars. Maybe they have a sickness that no one can cure but him.”
Out of the mouths of babes, Mick thought. To Briggs he said, “Or something else.”
“Exactly,” Briggs said.
“What?” Chris asked. “Why are you guys looking at each other like that?”
“Sizing each other up,” Tigger said knowingly.
Briggs laughed. “That kid cracks me up. The vocabulary he has.”
“Wait until he swears,” Chris said. “You won’t be laughing then.”
Mick looked at Tigger. “And we’re not sizing each other up. Christ. You boys...”
“I think you two should,” Chris said. “Really, think about it. It would boost morale, having wrestling come back.”
“Chris,” Briggs said, “I don’t really think people are that concerned about it like you are.”
“Not yet, but tease them with the idea,” Chris said. “They’ll be rallying.”
“Well they aren’t rallying around us, Chris,” Mick said. “We’re not young men. We aren’t trained. We’ll both have a heart attack if we attempt to wrestle.”
“Aw,” Chris whined. “Fine. I was looking forward to it too.”
“They could arm wrestle without a heart attack,” Tigger suggested. “Can’t they?”
Chris’ eyes grew wide. “Yeah! Can you?”
“Chris, no,” Mick replied.
“Why? You scared, Mick? It’s okay if you’re scared of Jonah Briggs.”
“I’m not scared, Chris.”
“I won’t ask you again, if you’re scared.”
The Flu 2: Healing Page 19