The Infected [Books 1-6]

by P. S. Power

  The press tried to ask him questions too, but those, fortunately were all the normal stupid things they tried to pull on Prime all the time. Who was he dating, which was still Karen. Was he planning on doing any movie work soon, which made him laugh at them, of course. Then someone asked if there were any truth to the rumors.

  That's where he messed up, because he didn't know what rumors those would be at all.

  "I'm... I don't know what you mean."

  One of the men at the back called out loudly, a local guy that Brian remembered as a weatherman the last time he'd seen him. Channel two he thought.

  "Is it true that there's an Infected here that is causing other people to become Infected too?"

  That was a good question, wasn't it? Really insightful and showing a lot more information had leaked than Brian had figured possible. He didn't have an answer ready at all. His normal fallback was to just tell the truth, but he really didn't want to warn Carla, who was the most likely suspect for that, if it was a real thing at all. He knew it was, but having her run wouldn't help.

  Instead he shook his head, smiling the whole time, and lied through his teeth.

  "No. I can see why someone might be afraid of that, after the Canadian event, but the truth is that Specific Infectors are very rare and they always cause the identical things to crop up in different people. There is no indication of that happening here at all. People shouldn't be going around thinking they're going to 'catch' being Infected. It doesn't work that way, which we all learned in high school health class. Don't let fear get in the way of common sense here. I know that rumors get started when people get bored, but there's so much more to be interested in. For instance, I hear rumors of a "Steinberg and Friends" holiday special. Now that sounds like something to investigate doesn't it? Maybe we can get Mark to sing the dreidel song? I'm thinking it could be a huge event." It was just something he made up on the fly, but he actually got some questions on it. After all it was one of the most popular cooking shows and at the same time the most reviled thing on the air.

  Hooking them up for a holiday special was huge, wasn't it? Especially after the attacks on the IPB base and Washington D.C. the week before. The first lady had died in that attack, which was mentioned, but Brian didn't let that stop him.

  "I know, it... I was there. We all mourn for her loss, she was a great lady, and a personal friend. But she'd want us to go on and not let the terrorists win. I mean that too. I'm not a politician, so I can't spin things like this, but she was a lot stronger than most people think. Mary Lawrence would want us all to stand together and make sure that..." A tear started to trickle down his face, which shocked him and got the low buzz from the press to stop dead.

  Proxy was a killer after all, right? He didn't cry for the dead. Except for the fact that sometimes he did. They'd just never seen it happen in public before. He didn't wipe it away, raising his chin instead.

  "She'd want us to go on, no matter how hard it is. A lot of people died, but we have to pull together and stop the hate. Our country needs this. I hope that we can all do that."

  Then he walked back into the house, escaping the crowd. After a while, and a few attempts to knock on the door, they left. It was a relief. After all, he'd run out of things to say and had been about to start knifing people. It was his fallback plan for television interviews.

  Ten minutes later he got a call, on Jay's phone, which was handed to him with a smile. A big one that didn't seem to fit the morning at all. At first he figured it would be Marcia, or maybe the Director, calling to bitch him out, but it wasn't. Instead it was Mark, calling from D.C.

  "Hey Brian... So... holiday special? This is news to everyone at the network here. Unfortunately, you did a little too good of a job selling the idea, so now we have half the Food Network trying to get in on it. I'm telling them to go to you for the sign up roster. Who are you going to get for it? You can't just have a cooking show staff, you need celebrities, and they, as a rule, want to be paid." He sounded calm and relaxed about it all, but he always did. The fact that he called meant he thought it was a big deal though.

  Probably because it impacted his show directly. Kind of a big deal then, in hindsight.

  He sighed and didn't say anything for a moment.

  "Um, sign up people from the other shows, to cook or sing, or dance. Whatever they can do. I'll... Let me see if I can get anyone else in on it?"

  The slightly dreamy voice came back then sounding almost hopeful.

  "All right. Make it fast though, if you can? The press will be here in an hour no doubt, wanting to know all about it. I need to be able to tell them something. My other fall back is to tell everyone that you've gone insane and are imagining things."

  That sounded plausible to him, so Brian agreed to eat that if he had to. After all, no one cared if he was doing things like that, did they?

  It took about ten minutes to work up the courage to make the first phone call. He needed Karen's help for it too, since she had the needed numbers. She offered to make the call, but he decided to do it himself, since it was his mess and she just might not want to be involved if things fell apart. It took about five more minutes to get to the man himself, since the secretary actually recognized his name.

  "Senator Roberts? This is Brian Yi, I don't know if you remember me... we met at IPB headquarters once? You and the Liberian Ambassador helped me get to my room?" Because that was one of his prouder moments in life, needing to be tucked in by strangers like that.

  "After you spent a week fighting an army of class five's if I recall. I know we were both happy to be of service. What can I do for you Brian?" The tone moved into "professional" rapidly, because no one called on a Senator for a party did they? Not a real one.

  "The Food Network is having a holiday special and we need some names for the show. I've signed you up of course. You can sing, right?" He said it playfully, and it actually came out about right, but the man chuckled.

  "Like a bird. So you want me to arrange some people for you? A patriotic thing then? I know some celebrities that might be interested too. I suppose you want this to be bi-partisan?" The words weren't disapproving or anything, which had to take skill.

  Some of the Republicans would simply not be showing up to a show with Infected people on it.

  "Of course. So you'll help? I'm calling the President next, but... Yeah, you know." His wife had just died. He was a strong man, but that had to be hard.

  Brian should have called him just to check in already, but he'd been putting it off. Dealing with death of someone close wasn't something he'd done before himself. They might not talk to him, but both his parents were still alive. They even lived in town still.

  The Senator, who insisted he call him "Tom" got him a list of names and numbers for him to try. Mainly celebrities, but most of them were people that Brian didn't recognize by at all. Hardly surprising really, he hadn't been paying attention to that kind of thing for a long time, had he? Even before the whole Proxy thing he'd been kind of distracted, having weird things happen to him and all for a while, nearly a month. So a year out of the common culture almost.

  Plus he suspected a lot of the names were of older stars that might not mind working during July to help bring the country together. He was tempted to hurry up and call everyone else, before calling President Lawrence, but he knew that he really needed to get that done. He dialed the number from memory. Technically it was the emergency number, the one that went to the man directly, but it was a special circumstance, wasn't it?

  It rang for a half minute before the line picked up, which wasn't that different than most times he'd called. The guy was busy after all.

  "Hello?" The voice wasn't one he recognized, being both young and female. Too young to be a staffer or intern.

  "Um, hi. This is Brian Yi, calling for President Lawrence?" For a second he wondered if he'd misdialed. That could happen after all, it wasn't his phone or anything and he was working from memory. He was almost certain it was
right though.

  "Oh! One sec." The phone got muffled, probably by a hand rather than a mute button.

  "Dad, it's Mr. Yi..." There was a bit of noise then and a second later he heard the man's voice. It sounded pretty bad. Dark and filled with pain.

  So about like he would have expected.

  "Mr. Yi... Brian. Is there an emergency?"

  "No. How are you doing? Do you need anything?" It was what you said to people when they lost someone right? Normally they'd just play it off, not needed a casserole or whatever you could actually provide. Still, you asked. It was the way things were done.

  "Oh... Yes." The line went silent for a long time then, as if the man was debating asking for whatever it was. When he finally spoke Brian could tell why he hesitated.

  "Could you have a Senator removed for me?"

  As far as he could tell the man was serious. Totally. After a while of being silent himself Brian shrugged. Odds were he could, one way or the other.

  "Which one?" He just hoped it wasn't Roberts, that would be awkward, wouldn't it?

  "Hooper. It has to be... I don't want him harmed, just removed from office. Have you heard what he's been saying about Mary?" The voice was bleak and angry at the same time. So much so that Brian nearly offered to fly out and take care of the whole thing that day.

  "No. I'll look into it. Other than that, whatever it is, you and Maggie are OK? I was just calling to see if you wanted in on the holiday special the Food Network is putting on. It will probably shoot in July. I know the timing is all off, being so soon, but... it's politics. You need to be seen as strong and to be out leading the American 'family'. Maggie should be there too, but I'll understand if you two can't do it."

  Again there was a long pause, a tired sounding thing that held the weight of the world.

  "We can be there. Is it just a sit in the audience kind of thing? I don't know if I'd be comfortable with more yet."

  Brian considered it and nodded, knowing that he couldn't be heard.

  "Maybe something onstage, but nothing big. You won't have to practice for it or anything. I'll see to that other thing if I can." He didn't want to promise more on that, but it was a great idea if it could be pulled off.

  It would have been simpler for him to just off the guy, or have it done, but... there had to be something. Maybe Christian could find his secret vices, and the rest of them could plant evidence of them someplace they could be found? It was a good idea. The guy was the driving force behind the Infected hate movement. On the government side at least. Taking him down in a scandal would be just about the best thing possible. Killing the man would create a martyr to the "cause". Pictures showing him raping a troop of Boy Scouts or something would be a lot more effective in ruining him.

  Hopefully that wasn't what the man was into though.

  If it was, Brian would just kill him for it, even if it started a war. There had to be limits after all, things you wouldn't put up with, no matter what it cost to stop it.

  He got off the phone then, took a breath and then started calling people he didn't know, not getting through to about half of them, just leaving messages. One, an older man with a Scottish accent just chuckled at him, asked what it paid and then accepted when Brian told him that it would probably be room, board... and the good will of the nation.

  "We're talking about cots in a back room here though, not five star hotels or anything fancy like that. Sandwiches made by other people working on it, instead of it being catered and all that. It's actually important though. If you sign on you'll be the first name on the list, which means I can guarantee a prime spot. Come in tenth and you'll be next to Robin Wilson singing jingle bells off key in the chorus." He thought that was the name. It got the man to laugh again.

  "Fine, but I'm singing a Christmas carol, none of that non-denominational crap. Holly Jolly Christmas at least."

  Brian tilted his head back and forth.

  "Can you sing? Let's hear it? I don't want to promise anything if you can't." He was actually joking, but the guy started in on white Christmas. He was good. Very much so.

  "OK, you've got my vote. So you're in?"

  "Why the hell not? It's not like I have a real career anymore. When your country needs you, you don't puss out, right?"

  "That's pretty much my take on it, yes."

  They chatted for a few more minutes, making something close to plans. Brian actually got the guy to agree to help direct parts of it. The song and dance numbers. The network could pull the plug on that, but if they did Brian promised to go and pout at them.

  That got another laugh.

  "Oh, do you think that will work?"

  "I actually do. Me pouting isn't a pretty sight. We'll see though, right?"

  Before he could dial the next number down on the list the phone rang again, this time it was someone he didn't know at all. It took him a few seconds to understand that Mark was standing right there with the other man and that he was some kind of food guy.

  "Brian? This is Alan Brown, calling on behalf of the Food Network. We met at the conference?" He sounded like he didn't expect to be remembered, since they weren't really introduced, but the man had been all over the thing. He even had his own show, though Brian didn't know it's name or anything.

  "Hey, how are things going there?" He was kind of in charge of the Food Network's emergency relief program there, Brian thought. Sure, they were milking a disaster for ratings, but they were also making sure that about ten thousand people were being fed each day and the network was footing the bill for it. Really good food too. No one seemed to mind that they were doing it while on the air for several hours a day.

  "Good. A minor supply issue, but I think I have that worked out. Anyway, Mark was just being grilled about the upcoming holiday show? How much time do you want for that? I was thinking that a two hour block seems about right. Do you have anyone lined up?"

  He was glad he'd bothered to make the calls he had now.

  "Um, The President and his daughter will be there, Senator Roberts, and... Glen Gillis? He's going to sing and offered to help direct the song and dance numbers if we want. I said he could. I'm working on some other people now."

  There was a sudden intake of air that sounded shocked.

  "You... Have Glen Gillis? The Glen Gillis? He doesn't even talk to anyone anymore. He only reads scripts given to him by family members and all of them have been sworn to give him no more than one a year... what did you promise him?" He sounded awe struck. Apparently it was a good thing though.

  "Um..." He fought to remember exactly. "No pay, crummy accommodations and a chance to help hold our country together? We don't have a budget that I know of. It's why he offered to help put things together. Seems like a good guy."

  "I... see. I'll spread the word on that then. The President too, or were you just saying that?"

  "He volunteered. At least to sit in the audience."

  "OK... So... I'll have to talk to some people, can I call you back?"

  They agreed that he could, which Brian couldn't actually stop at all. After the man hung up he got a whole minute to try and get the next number in when someone else called. This time it was a female comedian that used to have a talk show. He'd actually seen it a few times. It was almost like talking to someone he knew, compared to the others.

  "So a holiday thing? I'm Jewish, that a problem?"

  "Nope. Holiday. Not strictly Christmas. Mark Steinberg is Jewish too and he's going to be front and center on it. There are also Infected people and some homosexuals, is that all right with you?" He was trying to be upfront about that part. He didn't want people backing out later or anything.

  "Oh, sure. I mean as long as there are hot chic's, I'm in."

  Then he got to explain that it didn't pay anything, but she could do extra work, if that helped. For some reason she thought he was being funny. Not about the payment, she got that part, but the extra work.

  "Yeah, well, there are lots of cooking show people, but we
need set designers, or at least people to help them, lighting crew, sound people. All that. Whatever you can do."

  "Well... I know a few folks. Union people, so they need to be paid at least something, but... Let me see who wants in on this? I suppose I could kick in a few bucks, if it's needed."

  The rest of the afternoon went about like that. A few people just told him no, but two of those called back a few hours later. One pretending that he'd been kidding before and a woman that sounded young who just changed her mind. She was apparently a country singer and figured that it would be good for her image even if she didn't get paid for it. More to the point, her mother had told her that if she passed up getting her a chance to meet Glen Gillis she'd get coal in her stocking.

  At about four in the afternoon Dharma stepped out into the room, looking more than a little baffled.

  "Um, hey... Bri... Something's coming. Another exchange. It's... I don't know, a lot different this time. I, the person you're trading with seems familiar..."

  She had him lead with a low punch, which landed on someone familiar to him from the base. Crandall from Team Two. There was a serving line behind him as he reeled a bit, his sword coming out fast, which Brian blocked with his arm, the nano armor stopping it perfectly. Then he lashed out with a foot, taking the man in the knee.

  The exchange was fast, since the man was enhanced that way, his white eyes blank, not telling Brian where he wanted to attack next. He tried to bring the sword back around, so Proxy just reached up and pushed on the tip of it, making the man stab himself in the face. It shocked the guy enough for him to land an open palm blow under the chin, pushing him back. He healed really fast, so it wouldn't hurt him long term. Short of killing him, nothing would.

  That meant he could poke the man in the eye too. It got a response, a bellow of pain, which meant Brian could use the distraction to pry the sword from the super strong fingers. Turning the blade he started beating the man with the back of it, mainly around the head, until he fell down and stopped moving. He wouldn't have been there if the guy wasn't about to kill someone that was innocent after all. Or who at least didn't deserve to die.