by Rounds, Mark
“I heard a wise man say once that you should never turn down hot coffee or a cold beer”, said Chad.
“You should listen to him more,” said Dave. “OK, the last time I heard the blues at night, Connor had an accident with that hot rod 68 Camaro you hide in the garage. Did you give Fi a driving lesson in it?”
They both laughed. Fiona had told her Dad that she was going to take her driving test in the Camaro. She had made the statement when she was eight.
“No, Fi is much more focused on soccer and dogs right now than driving. No, it was just a hell of a day. I can’t tell you any details but that subject we discussed yesterday is big news in some quarters. My NDA got thrown out the window and I am now subject to the Espionage Act and the Patriot Act provisions if I fart wrong. Say what does, ORCON and NOFORN mean in English?”
“That went with Top Secret didn’t it?” said Dave as he cracked open his beer.
“Yeah.”
“You just farted wrong, you are not even supposed to say that. ORCON means that only the originating command can authorize dissemination of the data. NOFORN means that no foreign nationals can be made aware of whatever it is you talked about. This is serious shit. We probably better change the subject.”
“OK, you remember me telling you stories about Captain Antonopoulos who headed up the intel section I worked for at Hurlburt?”
“Yeah, he was a tanker toad wasn’t he?”
“Close, trash haulers, he was doing a staff rotation in intel. He was a straight shooter and could drink Ouzo like it was water. I met up with him today.”
“Why do I think it wasn’t a social call?”
“He has the 62nd Airlift Wing at McChord. We had a drink after the briefing I can’t tell you about.”
“So you talked about your kids and the stock market?”
“Ha! Well some of that, his oldest is Connor’s age, but the five minutes that mattered were on the way in. He said the military has, for the last two weeks been canceling leaves, restricting people to bases for various exercises, and generally has been upping security. They have also been using discretionary funds to pick up food, ammo, gasoline, and other things they might need. He said prices are going up soon so I better get while the getting is good.”
“They think it is real then and have for a while,” said Dave.
“Yeah, this is just speculation mind you, but we do this kind of work all the time and our group is at least a month late getting into the game. I am not supposed to tell you that we were late getting real stuff and the first data set from Homeland Security was bogus.”
“You just farted again,” said Dave taking a pull on his beer. “I will keep this under my hat, but at the classification level we are discussing, they monitor people, plant bugs, interview their friends.”
“You are right, change of subject, I also gave Colonel Antonopoulos all the dope we have on vectors, transmission rates, and therapies. All the stuff that Terry Grieb was working on and I have a copy for you too,” said Chad as he handed Dave a thick manila folder. “I figured you ought to know about everything I haven’t had a chance to brief you on it.”
“Chad, you just went from farting to diarrhea,” said Dave as he looked over the material. “This is interesting and damned useful but don’t say anything about this to anybody. I mean it. This means jail time if you are caught. This subject is officially closed.”
Ok, Ok, on another topic Mary is also really pissed,” said Chad. “She hasn’t answered her phone all afternoon; I was hoping I could fix things up with a dinner out or something. The kids are off with their friends; Connor and his friends are off to see a movie and Fi is at a sleepover birthday party, I thought maybe ….”
“That’s a different kind of classification pal, but I get where you are at,” said Dave wistfully. “My Kathy had a hell of a temper too …”
“Geez Dave, I am sorry, I didn’t mean ….”
“Da Nada, I need to start talking about life with her more. It was a big part of me and besides all I was going to say was that, yeah, we had our moments, but getting back together made it worth it. I suspect that when her mad blows over, things will improve,” said Dave with a leer and a smile.
“I think that was Mary’s car in the driveway,” said Dave with hope and dread all at once.
“I think I’ll use this moment to make a quick exit,” said Dave as he gathered both beers and the briefing papers as it wouldn’t do to leave evidence and headed back across the patio.
Chad headed for the garage and found Mary sitting in her car in tears.
“I am so done for,” thought Chad as he knocked on the window.
Mary looked startled and then recognized Chad. She threw open the car door and was in his arms.
“I had one hell of a day Chad,” said Mary between sobs.
“What happened love?”
“We had that big wedding reception, the one I told you about with the buffet, a band, open bar and dancing, the works. Well the father of the bride came and we thought he was drunk.”
“That’s happened more than once,” said Chad who was relieved he wasn’t the proximate cause of the tears.
“Yeah, so I didn’t get too upset. But when I shook his hand, he felt like he was burning up and real shortly afterward, he collapsed right there at the doorway to the restaurant.”
“So he was really lit then?”
“That’s what I thought but he had this big bleeding wound that was soaking though a bandage and his shirt.”
Alarm bells started to go off in Chad’s head.
“So what happened?” said Chad warily.
“Heather called the ambulance and the police, we still thought he was drunk or maybe on something, and he struggled with the ambulance folks who strapped him down and hauled him away. The police took our statement and I thought that was the end of it. I started seeing what we could salvage from the buffet but we still ended up tossing a thousand dollars’ worth of food into the dumpster.
“I thought that was the end of it until about two hours later, the police were back and they were really picky about what this guy touched and took it away, including a tray of shrimp he was eating. For evidence they said. They asked a whole bunch of questions and then, and then …” Mary trailed off and began sobbing again.
“What happened love?” asked Chad as a cold fear started to eat at his heart.
“This had to be the third case they briefed us on,” Chad thought with alarm.
“They found out I had touched him; you know, I shook his hand and then when he collapsed and I eased him to the floor. Next thing you know, I was in an ambulance. I couldn’t even call you! They took my phone. I was rushed to an emergency room where they asked a bunch more questions and then they took my clothes! Even my underwear …,” said Mary as she began to sob.
Chad couldn’t contain himself anymore.
“Honey, did you touch the wound?”
Mary pushed out of his arms and was again all fiery Irish redhead, her finger stabbing into Chad’s chest hard.
“You know something Chad Strickland! That is just what they asked and for your information, the answer is no, I got him to the floor, saw that the bleeding wasn’t arterial and called for the pros. Now you tell me what you know?!”
“Dear, I promise I will tell you all I can, but what happened?”
“They disinfected the crap out of me is what happened. And then they sent me home in some paper hospital clothes. They said mine were ‘evidence’; for what, they still wouldn’t tell me. Then when I got back to work to get some clothes, you know I keep a set of extra clothes at work in case of spills or what not; well the place was closed and there was yellow police tape all around it. There was that nice police officer who had been Connor’s assistant scout master in charge, and he let me go in and get my personal stuff and change. And then I came home and I still don’t have my cell phone!”
Mary again began to cry and was in Chad’s arms.
“Everything is OK honey …..
” said Chad trying to be soothing.
“It is not! What do you know, that NDA be damned?!”
“Ok honey, I have been working on a communicable disease that sounds like what you went through. I swear, the closest case as of yesterday was Bend, Oregon, two hundred and fifty miles from here. Then early this morning, there were two more at the I-82 interchange. This is the one that is on the news, that whole washing hands and not sharing food is part of this.
“Now I need to ask you a question,” said Chad. “You know more about this most recent case than I do. Who is he? Where did he come from?”
“I am sorry, but that is private information. We can’t go around blabbing details about our customers now can we?”
There were still tears in Mary’s eyes but there was also some of the twinkle and laughter that had brought them together twenty-two years ago.
“Ouch! Point,” said Chad with a smile.
“Just for you, the guy was in the movie business some way, one of those hyphenated titles like writer-producer-director or something. He had a house on the beach north of LA and another in wine country near Zillah, Washington, just down the road from here.”
“Hmmmm …” said Chad.
“And what does that mean?” said Mary. “No secrets now.”
“OK, if he came up via road …”
“He did. He and his wife did a wine tasting tour up through Napa through the Oregon wine country and then over here.”
“He traveled right through the epicenter of the disease then. You mentioned a wound …”
“Yeah, on his side, just above the hip.”
“If it is the same guy they briefed us on, he was bitten by a prostitute.”
“That fits. He was a sleaze.”
“As best we know, this disease is primarily transmitted by fluid exchange like AIDS but recently, there have been some cases where contact appears to be the only vector. That is probably why all the disinfectants.”
“Oh. My. God! Heather! Quick, give me your phone!”
“What? Why? ….”
“Stopping looking like a fish out of water, she took one the trays of shrimp home for her kids! I have to call her!”
“But the police …”
“She left right after the ambulance did to pick up her kids from school before the cops came back all hyper. She snagged one of the trays, I don’t know which one. We do it all the time when the food is going to waste, heck I’ve done it! Now give me the phone!”
Chad wordlessly handed her the phone. She dialed and they waited wordlessly for Heather to answer. She picked up on the third ring, Mary didn’t give her a chance to say anything.”
“Heather, this is Mary, get rid of that tray you got from work, right now!”
In the quiet of the garage, Chad could hear every word Heather said.
“Hi Mary, what’s the matter? Does it have typhoid or something?”
“I can’t say why,” said Mary looking at Chad who nodded. “But don’t you eat the shrimp and don’t let anyone else eat it either.”
“Too late.”
“What….”
“My ex was over trying to make up. Apparently his ‘new love’ has gotten tired of him. We were sitting at the table and I had just brought the tray home from work, I hadn’t even taken my coat off. Well, he started nibbling on the shrimp. He ate four or five, then his cell went off and low and behold it was ‘what’s her slut’ saying all was better and he was all lovey dovey.”
“What did you do?” ask Mary, momentarily forgetting the reason for the call.
“What do you think I did? I threw the shrimp at him. The cocktail sauce got him right in the face too. Then I told him to get out and stay out and was able to kick him a couple times as he went for the door. It was the most fun I’ve had in weeks!”
Mary started to laugh but Chad was gesturing for the phone.
“Heather, this is Chad. That shrimp may be infected with …”
“I poisoned him too! Oh this is getting better and better, I hope he pukes his guts out!”
“Heather, stop and listen. Clean up every surface that shrimp touched with the strongest disinfectant you have. Be really thorough.”
“I already used Lysol and scrubbed. I don’t want anything of him in my life ever again and sprayed the air with Lysol spray too. That cologne he uses makes me gag. This is serious isn’t it? Not just about me?”
“Heather, this is very serious but I can’t talk about why and I have probably broken a couple of laws saying this much. Look, don’t have anything to do with him. Don’t touch him. Don’t let the kids touch him, and for God’s sake don’t have sex with him!”
“Like I’d ever!”
“Heather, we need to stop this discussion. Come over for dinner Sunday afternoon and we will talk more about it, I promise.”
“Are the kids ok and I?” asked Heather suddenly timid.
“You did everything exactly right. I think you’re fine,” said Chad with more certainty than he actually felt.
“Ok, Katy has a soccer game so we won’t able to come until after 3:00, is that alright?” asked Heather.
“Sure, we’ll barbecue.”
Sounds great! See you at three or a bit after.”
“Is this why you gave all that money to Dave?” asked Mary contritely after Heather had hung up.
“It is.”
“Exactly what did Dave buy with it?”
“I dunno. I left it to his judgment. I haven’t been home all that long either and what with feeding kids and getting them to their various events, I had only just sat down. I suppose we could go over and check it out, I was just chatting with Dave …”
Mary pocketed the phone and flowed into his arms.
“You are almost as dumb as you look,” said Mary with a smile. “I have just realized that you are in the process of saving me and the kids, you just put your job and God knows what else on the line to help my best friend, and you think I want to go over to Dave’s and look at a bunch of boxes? They will be there tomorrow.” Said Mary and then she kissed him.
May 7th, Sunday, 2:45 pm PDT
Chad leaned back on the rail of the deck and took a pull on his beer. The coals were just about perfect in his brick and stone barbecue. He had built it ten years ago when they had remodeled and he had a bunch of used bricks and other pieces of stone left after they had demolished and replaced the foundation under the old part of the house. His wife had called it Chad’s Folly because he was obsessively focused on using all the left over bits of brick and stone for something other than a rock garden. The finished product had turned out well, looking for all the world like a wood fired Italian pizza oven. It made a decent pizza and, like now, was great for ribs and corn on the cob.
Chad had to work most of the day, not getting home until after 2:00 pm so this
Dinner was mainly Mary’s doing. Not that he complained. When your wife is a catering manager, the food at home tended to be pretty darned good. Chad had spent the day refining his spread estimates and incorporating new data which was now, thankfully, was coming real time. Then there had been a press conference. Chad tended to dodge those things but his boss had insisted because he was the only one who could really explain the models he had worked up.
Most of what he had to say was explaining flow and growth rates which he assumed were for background. The real bombshell occurred when the real infection rates were mentioned by Dr. Riley. General Buckley’s back channel call to his former Academy classmate and current Army Chief of Staff had gotten results. Classifications were adjusted and the decision for a limited release of information had been made late Saturday. This morning, there were several Department of Health officials that had to be briefed and then there was the press.
It was all soft pedaled of course, and the officials said that they were monitoring the situation. The good news was that they had also requested people limit travel, begin basic infection control issues like hand washing, avoiding physical contact wit
h strangers, and using condoms, all these would have an effect. It was not enforced legally but Chad’s group was assured that there would be a special meeting with the Surgeon General and key members of Congress on Monday to start drafting appropriately worded legislation to enforce these rules. Other things were in the works and it had all swirled above Chad’s head. It was out of the bag and that is what mattered.
Dave came across his yard and over to the barbecue. He was carrying a bowl of homemade potato salad which was his contribution to the dinner.
“There’s cold beer in the cooler Dave,” said Chad as he put the rack of marinated pork ribs on the grill. “Help yourself.”
Dave put the bowl down on the picnic table and snagged a beer from the cooler. “You are a mind reader,” he said as he opened his own beer.
“I saw you on TV,” said Dave.
“I know, I thought I was briefing background but they used the footage. Mary was upset. She has always said I should dress better at work, but then, how was I to know they were going to film it? Then the whole thing went viral on You Tube.”
“I gotta admit, the Grateful Dead T-shirt and jeans did make quite a fashion statement,” said Dave with a smile. When he taught, Dave was ‘encouraged’ to wear a tie and slacks. Chad had often gloated over the fact that he could wear most anything to work as long as it was clean.
“It still sounded worse than what we had talked about,” continued Dave.
“Well, I didn’t know everything I know now about the cases around the west. The east coast data is only a few days old too.”
“That guy Dr. Grieb seemed to know his stuff,” said Dave. “Is all that infection control stuff and seven signs of infection readily available?”
“It’s a handout we gave to the media folks,” said Chad. “I think it’s posted on our web site now and various Public Health sites. I also forwarded to my friend, Colonel Antonopoulos. It is apparently the basis for their new protocols.”
“I think we better sit down and do a little planning” said Dave.
“That’s why we are having the barbecue.”
“Great, I do my best work after two beers when I can use greasy fingers to draw diagrams on Mary’s white table cloth.”