I fall back in the chair and sigh. Twice. No help. The weight of this task, the weight of our unknown fate, probably the antivirals they made us take again, it’s all making me want to crawl into a ball and sleep until this is over. I—
The tinkling noise from Doris stops my heart. My head whips up to her screen where the video chat window has popped up. What the fuck? Who has this…? My thinking is slow today. I accept the request, and Justin’s handsome face fills the screen. “Hello? I can’t see or hear you,” he says.
I plug in the microphone. “I don’t have a camera set-up,” I tell him. “How did you know how to contact us?”
“It’s my system, Jo,” he says. “I still have access. I saw you were on. Are you okay? Ryder’s name came up in an alert last night.”
“How much do you know?”
“I’ve read the reports. He’s dead? Really?”
Justin can’t hide his excitement. His hope. The man’s actually trying and failing to contain a smile. I understand it, I do, but I still want to reach through the screen and slap it off. “Yes,” I snap. “His body burned from the inside out for days like a roast pig and he drowned in his own blood and mucous after being tortured for weeks and injected with a virus that’s probably slowly killing us all. Time to party, no?”
The mirth drains from his face. “The bastard deserved it, Jo. You can’t deny the fact the world’s a better place without him wasting its oxygen.”
“Well, his oxygen left a parting gift. I’m saving the celebration for when we’re given a clean bill of health. Can we agree on that at least?” He nods. “You’re not in Galilee, are you?”
“I am. I’m at Jem’s. I followed you here. I—”
“Fuck,” I mutter. “Okay, look. There is a very, very good chance this virus was engineered to attack the uber-gene. You are not immune. There is also a chance Ryder infected a lot more people than just us. You need to leave town or at the very least avoid people and wear a damn HEPA mask.”
“Wait, targeting the…that wasn’t in the reports.”
“Because right now it’s speculation, but why else kidnap supers? Jem thinks the virus caused an autoimmune response in Ryder. His body attacked itself. And these adeno things have to be engineered. Someone did this deliberately.”
Justin lets this information sink in, his shoulders slumping as it does, until he’s all but slumping in his chair. “Shit. And Jem’s in there? Is he okay?”
“Fuck if I know. We don’t know anything, Justin. We don’t know what this is. If we can stop it. If there’s a cure. If we’re even infected. But Harry’s in here. Kowalski. Jem’s…” I shake my head. “This bug acts like a flu. It could have spread through the city, other countries by now.”
“But why go to all this trouble?”
“Because they can? Because it was a fluke like penicillin? We know nothing, and we’re running out of time. Hell, if this shit is airborne and already infected others, we didn’t have time to begin with. And I have no idea what I’m doing. I don’t understand any of this medical crap. Jem gave me pages of people and companies to investigate. Over a hundred names. And I can’t even pay attention to any of it because I can’t stop imagining holding Jem’s hand as he literally melts in front of me, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Nothing.”
“We are not going to let that happen,” Justin says with utter certainty. “Not to him, not to any of you. You are not alone in this, Jo. I-I’ll reach out to some people. You should have Jem do the same.”
“People?”
“Other supers. We all have connections. We’re all investigators or have access to people who are. Email me what you have now and have Jem send me anything else he can. We can have it all done in a day or two if we all pitch in.”
“That’s…a great idea. Okay. I’ll talk to him.”
Justin stares through the screen as if he can actually see me. “I know you’re scared. For them, for yourself. But you are going to be fine. So are they. You will be fine.”
When he says it, sure as spring will come, I believe him. “What does Lucy always say? ‘Pray to God but swim to shore?’”
“Well, you’re going to have the entire army and navy coming for you, Jo. Put up the list and I’ll start reaching out.”
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“Of course. Of course,” he says desperately.
I gaze at him on the screen, trying so hard to hide his own terror, it almost breaks my heart. He means it. Every word. My best friend, even after all we’ve been through. All the damage, all the anger I’ve directed and inflicted upon him, and here he is. He will do anything within his power to save me. It actually brings a smile to my face. “Glad to have you on the team. I’ll be in touch. Bye.” I end the chat.
An army. We have an army. It damn well better be enough.
It has to be.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
All or Nothing
“You’re all infected.”
I knew it before Dr. Vaugh said it. If the fact he and his assistant entered the house wearing the Hazmat suits, or that they made us all gather in the library and wouldn’t start talking until butts were in the seats, was. Yet the color drains from all our faces and the paramedic Gates bursts into tears. Her partner Hernandez wraps his arm around her. Kowalski begins taking deep breaths, and Devitt shakes his head. I glance at Jem, who stands near the doctors. He nods at me. Fuck. No. Him too.
“A-Are you sure?” Jackson asks.
“Yes,” Jem answers. “We developed an antibody test using a genetically similar virus, and we all tested positive.”
“Bu-But that could just mean we were exposed to the similar virus,” Hernandez says.
“We also examined your blood and lung secretions,” Dr. Vaugh says. “Our tests indicate the virus is aerosolized and can sustain in the air for an hour.”
“Jesus Christ,” Harry says.
“Now, I know this news may be frightening, but there really is no cause to panic yet,” Dr. Vaugh says.
“Yeah fucking right,” the patrol officer Handler says.
“As best we can glean, this virus is simply a highly virulent form of the flu,” the doctor continues.
“Tell that to Alkaline,” Kowalski says.
“There is absolutely no evidence that his reaction will be yours’,” Jem pipes up. “His body chemistry was abnormal. And just because you carry the virus does not mean you will exhibit any symptoms.”
“Or we’ll all melt on the floor,” Handler snaps.
This is getting us nowhere. “Alright, so what happens now?” I ask.
“You all remain in quarantine and we continue our tests,” the doctor says. “If necessary we move you to the Infectious Disease Unit at Our Lady Hospital for treatment.”
“What about the people Ryder exposed when he made the call?” I ask.
“That’s for us to worry about,” Dr. Vaugh says. “All you need to worry about is getting rest, drinking your fluids, and complying with all our tests.”
“Just generally be good guinea pigs. Got it,” I say with a shit eating grin.
“Really, it is far too early to panic,” the doctor continues, ignoring me. “Now, we’re going to bring you all in to the lab in groups for more tests and treatment. We were lucky to gain access to an experimental serum we wish to administer to you. Initial tests have shown it’s effective in fighting this type of flu virus, but it’s still experimental.”
“But it could cure us?” Gates sniffles.
“Possibly.”
Gates leaps off the love seat. “Then let’s go!”
Hernandez, Gates, and the two patrol officers follow the spacesuits out, leaving the adults to talk. “What are they doing about the people at the Metro station?” I ask Jem.
“Monitoring mostly. It’s all they can do at this stage. It’s flu season. They don’t want to cause a panic without more information. Alerts have been sent out to hospitals and GPs, and there are posters up at the Metro station for
people to call if they begin exhibiting symptoms, but Dr. Vaugh’s right. We still don’t have enough information about the virus or its effects yet.”
“So the people at the Metro station go home, infect others, who infect others,” Jackson says. “Great plan.”
“We have the best people on this,” Jem says. “Hundreds. Two government agencies. The greatest virologists and geneticists on the planet.”
“Not to mention I reached out to some of Captain Moonlight and Justice’s masked colleagues,” I say. “They’ve already spoke to some of their friends. They’re running down the virus and lab.”
“That’s great, but not to be a selfish bastard,” Kowalski says, “what good does that do us? We’re already infected. It could take weeks to locate the lab, and even if we do, we could be too far gone. Or there could be no cure.”
“He’s got a point,” Harry says.
“Whoever engineered this may have also engineered a serum,” Jem says. “I would in case I lost control of the virus. And even if they didn’t, with our research and knowing the steps they took, we could engineer a vaccine.”
“Which means we have to find the fuckers,” I say. “Everyone just keep doing what you’re doing. We are going to be fine.”
“Please just stay calm. Now please excuse me,” Jem says. “I need to return to the lab. Just wait here for the doctors to come get you. All of you,” he says to me.
He nods at us all before departing. I want to chase after him, ask a million questions, but instead begin to ask everyone else questions to get a conversation going otherwise we’d all go crazy waiting in here for our turns. Ten minutes later the next group is called in, myself included. More needles. Can’t wait.
And that is precisely what waits for us in the freezing cold, sterile, antiseptic airtight metal tube they call an exam room: needles. At least I’m getting a tan walking in and out of the lab what with the UV lights that kill the bug on our skin. The spacesuit draws three more vials of blood, swabs my tongue and throat, and makes me cough into a bag again. I get a few minutes of alone time before she returns with an IV stand and bag of what resembles orange juice in her hands.
“What the hell’s that?” I ask.
“The serum. As Dr. Vaugh said, it’s still experimental but Biodyne has conducted a preliminary study on its use against the N1F2 virus. The results were encouraging. There were some side effects including vertigo, upset stomach, nose bleeds, lethargy, and headaches. Knowing that do you consent it its use?”
“Sure. Yeah.” I hold out my arm. “Hook a girl up.”
I think she smiles, but I can’t tell with the thick plastic of her helmet in the way. “Lie back.” I obey, reclining on the exam table. At least they provided a pillow. The IV slides in like a painful dream. “This should take about ten minutes.”
“Do you think this stuff will work?”
“As I said, the results were encouraging,” she says, writing something down.
“And if it doesn’t work? What’s our next option?”
“We’re looking into other avenues,” she assures me.
“This is kind of a time sensitive matter,” I point out.
“This serum is the best option. We have faith in it.”
“Then thank you Biodyne.”
The spacesuit finishes her notes and shuts off the computer. “If you need anything please use the call button. I’ll be back.”
“Can you get Dr. Ambrose for me?”
“I—”
“Now,” I order with a hard glare.
“I’ll see if he’s available.”
I settle on the table as she leaves me in my cell. Biodyne. That name’s familiar. It has to be on the list, but isn’t one of the companies I researched. I’ll write to Justin about it when the juice runs out. I pull the blanket around my shoulders, but it does little to help the chill.
That’s how Jem finds me, wrapped up like a bug in a rug. “Hey.”
“Hello,” he says with a sad smile.
“How—” we both say in unison before chuckling.
“Me first,” I say. “I’m fine. How are you?”
“Fine.”
“So…you tested positive? Are you sure?”
“I looked at the results myself.”
“And do they know about…you?”
“Yes. I disclosed it when I tested positive.”
“Can you trust them?”
“I know Dr. Vaugh. I’ve worked with him. He’s promised to keep my name out of reports but…we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. A crisis for later,” he says with a lopsided, nervous smile.
I hold out my hand to him. He steps toward me, taking it, and I yank him against me, into my arms and squeezing tight. Without hesitation, he hugs me back. Oh, I’ve missed this. The sensation of him against my body. His scent. His steady heartbeat against mine. “We’re gonna be okay. I know it,” I whisper.
“Right,” he whispers, hugging tighter. “Right.” We just stay wrapped in one another’s arms for a few seconds before he chuckles. “If I knew it’d take a virus to get you back into my arms, I should of infected myself with the plague weeks ago. I—oh.”
He sways a little and pulls away, closing his eyes as if he were about to faint but uses the table to steady himself. My heart leaps into my throat nonetheless. “What is it? What’s the matter?”
“I-I’m fine. Just a bit lightheaded. I-I haven’t eaten and—”
“Bullshit.” I climb off the table and grab his upper arms. “Sit down. Sit,” I order as I help him do that very thing. He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Talk to me. Should I get—”
“No. No, if they know I’ve become symptomatic they’ll send me to the hospital and I can’t continue my research. It just began. But it’s almost impossible to…fly. I think that’s what caused the vertigo. My attempt. I’m fine when I’m sitting. I just need to conserve my strength.” I stare at him, my lower lip quivering as I try to hold back the tears. He smiles to reassure me and touches my traitor lip. “I’m fine. Truly.”
“Stop it,” I hiss. “Stop it. This is me, okay? Me. Fuck the brave face. Stop lying. Stop trying to be so goddamn selfless. You will take care of yourself first. Promise me you will. Promise.”
“I-I can’t Joanna,” he hisses back. “You’re in here too. Whatever happened to him can happen to you. I-I-I-I-As long as I draw breath, I will do all in my power to make sure it doesn’t.” Be it the exhaustion, my general emotional state, or just the absurdity of the situation, I burst into laughter. Jem’s eyes narrow at me. “What?”
“It-It’s just…you’re in your little room doing all this to save me when I’m in here thinking the exact same about you. How there is nothing—not murder, death, prison, not giving away billions of dollars—nothing I wouldn’t do to save you.” He finally smiles back. “So I guess we’ll just…save each other, huh? Old habits die hard.”
He cradles my cheek in his hand, caressing it with his thumb as I press my own hand to his face. “There’s so much I want to say to you. So much I—”
I stop his words with a kiss. I’m barely holding myself together now, and there’s so much still to do. I break apart first with a smile. “Not here, okay? Not now. We have all the time in the world, no? A million nights and a million more.”
He smiles back. “I better get back to work then.”
“My hero.” I give him another quick peck. “You damn well better take care of yourself or I’ll kill you before the bug gets a chance.”
“I will.” I raise an eyebrow. “I promise.” I raise it higher. “I promise!” he chuckles.
That gets him another kiss. “I’ll hold you to that. Now go save the world.”
“Yes, my love.” He slips off the table and after another brilliant smile my way, he leaves the room. I sit on the very spot he was, the only warmth in this place. The only comfort.
I’m going to save him. I am. Because if I can’t save him there’s no point in saving myself. If he goes, he
’s taking me with him. All or nothing. That’s how I am. How he is. How we always will be. No half measures. No excuses.
It’s the only way to be.
*
Since this is my circus, all the monkeys send me their reports on their targets. The supers do fast work. Two thirds of the doctors have published papers on their breakthroughs so they fall down the list, not totally eliminated but not a priority. My minions are getting there, just not fast enough for my liking. Me, when I’m not skimming their reports, I’m investigating vaccines and other viruses to counteract the one in Jem. A person would think it’d be simple, just whip up the opposite of whatever shut the gene off, put it in a new adenovirus, and spark the gene back to life. But from what little I understand of this medical crap without knowing everything, right down to the atoms of the original, it would take years to create. By then Jem, Justin, Lexie, even those who just carry the uber-gene would be dead if not the whole damn world. Maybe it’s just easier for me to concentrate and do what needs doing if I keep the fact I may be dying from this as well in the background. That serum made me lightheaded and nauseous, but otherwise I feel great. God knows what’ll happen tomorrow so I need to use every damn moment now to discover a way to save him. I’m just so glad I have people helping me.
“Jo, look at this,” Harry says beside me. He clicks the mouse and his own screen pops up on the main screen. He’s been on the very helpful Biodyne Sciences. I’ve always looked gift horses in their mouths. “I cross-referenced the doctor’s names with the company. One on our list works there, but he’s published last year.”
“Anything on that serum they gave us?”
The Galilee Falls Trilogy (Book 3): Fall of Heroes Page 22