“Clear!” he yelled at the other doctors. Joseph stuck the paddles on either end of Richard’s heart, and the machine squealed a high-pitched scream as it prepared to put the heart back into rhythm. Bump. Richard’s body bounced on the table as far as his restraints would allow.
The heart monitor showed a single flat line. “Again,” Joseph said, if only to himself.
Bump. Richard’s body leapt off the table. “Again,” Joseph screamed. The paddles warmed up, and he placed them around Richard’s heart.
“Let him go. He’s suffered enough,” Byrnes said. He laid a hand on Joseph’s shoulder.
“Don’t touch me.” Joseph shrugged off his hand. He rubbed the paddles together as much to distribute the gel as for good luck. “One more time, you infected bastard,” he growled. Patient Zero laid unmoving.
Joseph placed the paddles on the unresponding man’s chest. “Clear,” he shouted at Byrnes. He made sure to stare the man in his eyes, not caring what he thought.
Bump.
Beep-beep. Beep-beep.
The heart rate monitor clucked away.
“I want you off my project,” Byrnes growled into his ear.
Joseph hooked the paddles back on the machine. “I couldn’t be happier than to leave a team full of goddamn quacks,” he said to Byrnes with a finishing glower for Dr. Nguyen.
***
Hours later, he found himself in Dr. Weinroth’s room. Her reclinable hospital bed sat perpendicular with the white wall. A stainless steel sink and a door leading to a bathroom lined the wall. A white dresser sat next to her bed. Her research tablet laid on it. She could make notes and access data files from the doctors on the network.
Joseph pulled up a black metal chair that could be burned or just as easily sprayed down for disease.
He adjusted his surgical mask on his face.
She awoke as he shifted in his chair. Her eyes encrusted with sleep, her head rolled toward him. “You’re back,” she whispered in a tired voice. Her brown eyes were softer than normal. Their pigment was changing as the disease took hold.
“There’s no other place I’d rather be,” he said with a smile beneath his mask. He could tell she was smiling beneath hers even if it was faint. The honesty of his words struck him. Is this true? I would rather be spending my time with a terminally ill patient who will die and rise again and try to kill me? But he spoke the God’s honest truth. Being with her made him feel weird, warm, and fuzzy at the same time. It felt as if he had just discovered the sweet taste of chocolate and craved its sweetness more and more. Chocolate that he would never taste again.
“I was only taking a nap. I’ve been so tired lately.” Her eyes drifted down at her body as if it betrayed her. He reached out and touched her hand. She was still warm. She flinched beneath him but let him hold it. He spun her wrist looking at it.
A thick kevlar band wrapped around her wrist topped off by a plastic brick. “What’s that?” he asked.
Her eyes regarded the plastic brick in shame. “It’s a sensor that goes off if I try to leave this room. They don’t want me wandering around and succumbing to the virus in an area with people.” He released her hand. How dare they? But can I blame them?
She peered down at her chest. “I have to make sure I keep my heart rate monitors on. If my heartbeat stops, the room locks down.”
“I have a feeling you aren’t the first one they’ve done this too,” he said.
“No,” she said sheepishly.
“Richard flatlined today.”
Fear, anger, and pain crossed her eyes. “Did you bring him back?”
“Yes.” He rubbed a finger underneath his glasses. “Colonel Byrnes didn’t want to. He wanted to pull the plug.”
“That man is infuriating. He wasn’t like this when I was at Detrick. He has changed, I fear, for the worse.”
“He wants me off the team.”
She coughed into her hand in exasperation. “He can’t. He wouldn’t do that.”
Joseph flattened his mouth. “Well, he’s trying. I will apologize to him so we can carry on, but I don’t think it will be long before I need to find a new place of employment, probably outside this mountain fortress.”
“Have faith, Joseph. We’ll find a way.” Her eyes believed every word she said. Blind faith had gotten lesser people through more. Joseph didn’t believe her, but he continued to soak in her image as if he would never see her again. She stared back, blinking. They sat in silence. He wanted to rip her mask off and kiss her, even if it meant his own death.
She coughed a bit and reached over, grabbing the tablet. How can I be falling for a woman that is about to die?
“When I don’t feel like hell, I’ve been studying these genomes.” He could tell she was giving a weak smile underneath her mask. “I’m basically trying to do the work that would take a team of doctors years in about a week. There’s so much data. But look here.” She turned a tablet toward him and clicked play on a video.
“The monkeypox uses multiple viral ligands and cell surface receptors to fuse to the membrane of healthy cells here. The monkeypox virus is partially absorbed by the healthy cell. The central sheath penetrates the final part of the membrane like a cattle farm compression gun and injects its genetic material with its phage along with the satellite virus here. Once in the cell cytoplasm, the virus unpackages new DNA here, but here, look.”
A buckshot of the monkeypox virus DNA sprayed into the cell. The satellite virus released along with the monkeypox DNA, almost floating like a lazy balloon. Monkeypox went to work in the retooling of the host cell.
“Here the human body is attempting to defeat the monkeypox virus, but the satellite is still hiding in all the cells both dead and alive. The body isn’t recognizing it. I can’t figure it out. It’s almost as if the satellite virus didn’t do anything. At least not in Patient Zero. It’s lysogenic, or lying dormant in his cells, but not active.”
“The monkeypox virus is doing all the heavy lifting,” Joseph said.
“Correct, but if you look here.” She swept to the side and brought up another video. In the corner, it read Patient Four. “Look, the satellite virus is raging in this host.”
“But that host is dead,” he said.
“That’s correct. It doesn’t make sense but look. The satellite virus has reprogrammed the cells that the monkeypox has commandeered, creating its own new viruses.”
“I can’t wrap my mind around it either, but I will upload our new data from Patient Zero’s biopsies for your review.”
“I’ll take a look,” she said with a sigh. “But I need a nap.”
“I’ll let you sleep.” Please don’t turn. Not yet. Not ever.
TESS
Little Sable Point, MI
The cracks of gunshots sent an odd tingling down her spine. She watched Steele and Ahmed in action. Witnessing Steele rapid fire from atop the camper gave her a feeling of euphoria. It was as if she watched a human machine that had a systematic successive fire almost like a computer operated semi-automatic rifle.
In one minute it was over, and Garrett and Lenny ran for the perimeter, guns in hand, but the shooting was done. Steele and Ahmed climbed down from their perch, and she watched as he embraced Gwen, both rugged and gentle at the same time. A pang of jealousy stabbed her gut.
“Did you see a boy?” Gwen said into his chest. He pushed her away and held her outward from himself. His eyes read her for answers.
“What boy?” His head jerked toward the beach.
Gwen shrugged his arms away. “He was about four or five. He was out there when they came out of the shallows.”
“No,” he said quietly.
Tess interrupted. “About this high and black hair?” she said, holding a hand to her chest.
“No, shorter with blond hair,” she sniffled.
“No one was there,” he said. He looked to her for confirmation.
“I can’t think of any children here that look like that, but people come and go
. Garrett, can you call everyone together? I have an announcement to make,” she said, eying Steele. He stared back and nodded. Good, he’s ready. But what if we don’t get Pagan back?
Garrett’s voice boomed like metal scraping over concrete. “Everyone to the semi. Everyone to the food truck.” Most people had been hiding in their tents and campers. Blinds shifted in windows. Tents unzipped. Car doors opened, revealing the scared, tired faces of Little Sable Point waiting to die or run.
They were a disorganized herd of sheep with only a pack of wild dogs that could bolt at any time to keep the wolves at bay. Thunder had a good heart, but she also knew that he would do just about anything to survive, and if that meant abandoning Little Sable Point, then so be it. If any man can do this, Steele can.
The people gathered around the food trailer. Big Bessie watched from nearby, beady eyes scrutinizing the crowd. No food would leave here without some sort of payment or at least a broken hand. She twirled a tire iron in her meaty paws, ready to lash out if the crowd made a rush for her stash. Tess grabbed a handrail and hauled herself onto the edge of the trailer.
“Is everyone here? Are we missing anyone?” she called out. People turned to one another, shaking their heads.
“Gwen, come up,” she commanded. The beautiful blonde stepped up next to her. “This is Gwen. She’s worried about a missing child. So please hear her out.” I know why he picked her. Look at her. Her hair is spun from gold. Her cheekbones and nose are regal. She is more of a damn queen than a woman.
“I’m new to Little Sable Point, so I don’t know everyone.” People shifted, watching her impatiently.
“I saw a little boy earlier. I don’t know his name.” Her voice quivered. “He was playing with the other children near the edge of camp. He’s about five years old, blond, blue eyes, about this tall.”
People glanced at one another. Some rested hands on their own children. Gwen was met with the chirp of crickets. Tess glanced worriedly at the woman. Someone must know whose child it was. “He was wearing a red star shirt and was outside the camp before the dead came.”
Gwen peered out, reading the crowd for anything, desperate for something. “Is anyone missing a child?” she called out, her voice rising an octave by itself. The people spoke in low tones to one another.
“Please, he went down to the water. The infected came out of the shallows and we couldn’t find him.” She was met with silence.
“You think we would know if one of our kids was gone, lady,” Jack shouted from the crowd. He was tall, bald, and annoyed the hell out of Tess on multiple occasions.
“Get off the food truck,” shouted another. Several other choruses of voices exclaimed their dissatisfaction with Gwen.
Tess lifted her hands off her shoulder harnessed 1911 and raised her hands up, calling for calm. “Now, now. We have to be sure. No one is missing boys, girls, or otherwise.” She was met with a chorus of nos. She gave Gwen a sympathetic look.
“I’m sure Gwen was only confused. We’re all under a lot of stress here. She’s no different.” The crowd listened and quieted down. She gave Gwen a pat on the back. The woman’s lip trembled a bit, resting into a face of unhappiness. “Go get some rest. It was a misunderstanding.” She had empathy for the woman, but Steele looked like he had a mess on his hands with her. He’s probably looking for an easy way out.
“I know what I saw,” Gwen mumbled, stepping down from the back of the trailer.
“I know you did,” Tess said, watching her go.
She and Steele argued in hushed tones next to the trailer, Gwen’s arms holding her stomach. Steele gestured outward with his hands.
“I’m glad everyone’s accounted for,” Tess said. The people of Little Sable nodded their agreement.
“The missing child is not the only reason I called you all together today.” She stepped from side to side, speaking loud so everyone could hear her.
“As you know, Pagan and I have stood up for Little Sable Point since the beginning. We have kept our doors open. Most stay because it’s safer than out there and because of the gracious protection of Thunder and the Red Stripes.” She gave Thunder a nod. He smiled back at her, a red bandana holding his long gray hair.
“We found Pagan.” People murmured. She nodded and a rumble ran through the ranks.
“Where is he?” shouted Jack, head and shoulders above the rest.
“He’s at a power plant about fifteen miles from here. He’s a captive of a large group.” They talked nervously amongst themselves.
“Let’s get him back,” shouted Trent. The goateed hunter held up a bolt-action rifle.
“What do they want with us?” asked Joey. She was a young mother with dirty short blonde hair and a scared look on her face at all times.
“I’m not sure. But there are a good number more of them than us.” This sent them into a tizzy, all of it related to fear.
“Why would they take him?” yelled Nathan. He was a tall African-American man wearing a dirty white-collared shirt.
“How do we know they won’t come here?” shouted Margaret. The older woman’s brow creased in concern. She had shown up at the camp two weeks ago, alone with only a shovel in hand.
“We should join them.” All their voices talked over one another. Confusion. Chaos. Fear ruled the crowd, threatening to quickly turn them into a mob. Boots hit the metal back of the trailer. She glanced over at Steele, his shoulders wide beneath his tactical vest, gun slung across his chest. She noticed he had put his badge out on top of the vest. Do you think that holds power over these people still? Underneath his beard, she could see his jaw tensing.
“Thanks for the great intro,” he said out of the side of his mouth.
“I thought I would give you a taste of what is to come.” He gave her a dark glare as the people argued amongst themselves.
After a few moments, the crowd settled down, all eyes drawn to the warrior before them. He stood quiet, looking back at them as if he were judging them as much as they were him. The last person quieted down, and he spoke.
“People of Little Sable Point, I’m Mark Steele.”
“Yeah. Who cares?” Jack shouted, and the crowd laughed.
Steele pointed at Tess. “Your leader Tess cares. Thunder cares. But to be frank, I don’t care if you care.”
Jack shut his mouth as others snickered around him.
“I am a former counterterrorism agent with the Division.”
“What the hell is that?” said Linda. The short woman had only been there for less than a week and didn’t trust a soul.
“We hunt terrorists,” he said.
“Where’s your little ‘Division’ now?” Jack piped up.
“As far as I know, gone.” The words seemed to almost sting him, but he kept it in. “My entire team is gone.” He grimaced while he said that. “I came all the way from Virginia back to Michigan to find a man, Patient Zero, the originator of the virus.”
“You find him?” shouted Nathan.
“Yes, and after we found him, we turned him over to the military.”
“Where’s the military now?” asked a pale man, Jason. He had been a hand at a nearby dairy farm before the outbreak.
“I’m not sure. Maybe Colorado? There’s no telling.”
“A lotta help you government pukes are. Me and my family were in a FEMA camp near Van Andel Arena when it was overrun. I lost my mother and father because those bastards couldn’t keep the dead away. Why should I trust anything you say?” Jack said.
“Well, you’ll have to take me at my word. I’ve lost people too. A lot of people.”
Jack snorted. “Then what good are you?”
“I saw him take down twenty infected in thirty seconds earlier today,” Tess interjected. All eyes turned to her. “I saw him go out of his way to search for Pagan when he could have stayed here safe.” Steele glanced over at her, eyes thanking her. “I’ve seen what he can do, and I trust him to help keep us going until Pagan returns. Steele will help me
lead Little Sable.” He nodded thanks to her.
“What do you mean?” Harriet shouted, brown curls bouncing on her shoulders. “What about Pagan?”
“Steele will step in for Pagan until we can get him back,” Tess said.
Steele chimed in. “We aren’t the only people out there. People took Pagan and killed members of the Red Stripes. We need to prepare for the fact that they might come for us.”
The people were quiet.
“I’m allowing Steele to take charge of all security matters at Little Sable. I will assist him and hold him accountable and he will do the same for me. He has given me his word that he will maintain our customs,” she called to them.
“We’ve trusted people like him before, and all it got us was dead. Go fuck yourself,” Jack said.
“It’s not just the rival group we have to worry about. Do you know how many infected march this way as we speak?”
“No,” Jack said.
“The East Coast has been eradicated. The Pentagon has fallen. The only thing coming this way is a wall of dead a hundred miles long.”
Children cried. People’s eyes went wide. Mouths dropped open.
“Millions of the dead are coming west.”
“How can you say that?” Joey said. The young mother clutched a bald baby to her chest.
“It’s the truth. We must be honest with what we are dealing with. I don’t think they will come this way en masse because Michigan is a peninsula, but thousands will come as people flee ahead of them, and we have to be ready. I will help prepare you for what is to come until Pagan can be released. No one will be left behind, not even Pagan. We’ll get him out.”
“Why don’t we join the other group?” shouted Steve.
“Would you want to join a group that kills our members and holds the other hostage?” he said.
“Well, of course not.”
“I agree. It may be a misunderstanding, but we can’t give away our position or numbers.”
“How will you protect us any better than Pagan?” Jack said. He turned, looking at the people around with his hands out.
The End Time Saga Box Set [Books 1-3] Page 90