Resurrection America

by Jeff Gunhus

  “If there are any anti-vaccine folks out there, this isn’t your day. Everyone gets a shot. Everyone. If it helps, this is technically not a vaccine but an antidote, so they’ll still let you in the anti-vaccine meetings or conventions or whatever it is you people do.” This got a slow trickle of laughter from the crowd. “There is only one risk and that is that we miss vaccinating everyone,” Bertie continued. “And that can only happen if we don’t follow the plan. If we keep our heads and just follow instructions, everyone will be vaccinated in plenty of time.”

  Hazmat troops moved through the crowd, distributing wristbands. It was Keefer who spoke next.

  “The wristbands you are being given tell you which tent to go to. Numbers one through four. It will be scanned when you are vaccinated so we can track it. Because your mayor is only half-right. The risk of not following the plan and missing someone is not just that someone here would get sick. It’s that once sick, that person would become highly contagious. They could infect everyone around them, even if they’ve gotten the shot.”

  “How is that possible?” a man near the front shouted.

  “Because when the virus turns active in the host, it mutates. The vaccine you’re getting doesn’t protect against that.”

  A rumble rolled through the crowd.

  “Why don’t you give us a vaccine for the mutated virus too? Why chance it?” a woman shouted. A chorus of voices rose, supporting the idea.

  Keefer held up his hands for quiet. “We don’t have the vaccine for the mutated version.”

  The crowd noise increased. It started as small, concerned conversations, but it quickly turned more aggressive. Shouting came from the area near the stage. Rick couldn’t make out the words, but he didn’t need to. People were angry. Voices rose all across the square, piling on and turning mean.

  “He’s losing them,” Rick said to Dahlia. He eyed the snipers again. They looked ready for action. He pushed Dahlia and Charlie toward one of the large trees and had them crouch down next to it. If the crowd panicked and stampeded, the tree would at least give them some protection.

  On stage, Keefer waved his arms for quiet. He spoke into the microphone but his voice was drowned out by the crowd. The soldiers standing guard in front of the stage raised their guns. Even so, the more agitated people in the crowd started to push forward.

  Keefer pulled a gun from his side, raised it into the air and fired three quick shots.

  The crowd froze. The angry cries stopped and the square fell silent.

  Slowly, Keefer lowered the gun, scowling at the people in front of him.

  “I’ll tell you one thing we’re not going to do,” he said, his measured cadence adding a level of menace to his words. “We’re not going to panic. We’re not going to lose our focus on the job we have to do. Because, losing our focus means we all die. Every last one of us. And I will not let that happen, understand?”

  He had their attention. Everyone stood silent, collectively looking guilty.

  “We can blame people later. We can get mad later. Right now we’re just going to get everyone taken care of so we can all go home tomorrow.”

  He paused again, and then pointed to the soldiers around him and the snipers on the rooftops.

  “Take a look around you. This is serious business, people. Deadly serious. No one can leave the area until the inoculations are complete. If someone were to leave the area and become contagious, we wouldn’t be able to stop it from spreading across the entire country. Any attempts to leave will be dealt with by lethal force. Hear me when I say this. There won’t be any questions asked. If one of these soldiers even thinks you’re trying to leave, God as my witness, they will stop you. These men didn’t sign up to hurt Americans, but do not doubt for a second that they won’t pull the trigger if it means saving the country.”

  Keefer looked across the crowd, letting that last sentence sink in. Slowly, he held the mic out to Bertie. As the mayor took the mic, Dahlia leaned in to Rick and he pulled her and Charlie in tight to him.

  Bertie adjusted the microphone, giving herself time to collect her thoughts. Finally, she cleared her throat. “I know everyone’s scared. Heck, I am too. But that’s okay. It’s okay. It’s … it’s …” She paused and looked down at the ground in front of her. Rick thought she wasn’t going to be able to continue.

  “C’mon, Bertie,” he whispered.

  Then she looked up and, even from a distance, Rick could see her square her shoulders to the crowd as she leaned into the microphone.

  “Raise your hand if you want to go home safely tomorrow.” She raised her own hand in the air. Only a few in the crowd followed her lead. “Go on, raise your hand if you want to get out of here safely.”

  Rick smiled. He’d seen her do this same thing dozens of times at school assemblies when he was a kid. Only then it was, Raise your hand if you want to make a difference in the world or raise your hand if you want to be proud of what you do with your life. All around him, the crowd of two thousand people raised their hands. He saw Dahlia and Charlie had already raised theirs and were looking at him. He put his own hand up and gave Charlie a wink.

  “OK,” Bertie said. “Everyone with their hand up is getting out of here safe and sound.” Her voice rang with such authority that even Rick felt a surge of relief from the words. That was Bertie’s gift; she could make people believe.

  “Here’s how we’re going to do it. Once you get your wristband the soldiers are passing out, put it on and go to the tent as indicated by the number one through four. You can see there are big numbers on the tents to direct you. Once you get there, you’ll be in a holding area until the troops here get a final head count.”

  She looked to Keefer for affirmation and he nodded. It was brilliant, Rick thought, to have her give the instructions. A kind old woman, beloved by the locals, made it feel like they were getting directions to where the apple dunking and three-legged races were being held.

  “Once you get your vaccine, you’ll get a green wristband to show you’re done. Again, there is plenty of the vaccine to go around and more than enough time for everyone to get one. You’ll be released into the general area by the stage once you have a green wristband. We’re working on food and drinks for everyone.”

  “When do we get to go home?”

  Keefer took the mic back. “Once we finish the inoculations, we’ll then need to stay here under observation for twenty-four hours as a precaution.”

  A collective groan passed through the crowd. Rick couldn’t help but find it funny. Two thousand people had an untreated lethal virus in their body, and they were upset at the inconvenience of staying in the square overnight. He wasn’t looking forward to it either, two thousand stressed out people in a small area didn’t sound like a fun Saturday night, but if it meant that they all survived, it was a small price to pay.

  “If I could have Sheriff Johnson and Cassie Baker meet me at the stage please?” Keefer said. “The rest of you, please begin moving to your appropriate area. Thank you.”

  Dahlia looked at him oddly.

  “What’s Cassie got to do with all this?” Dahlia said.

  “I have no idea.” He waved over a hazmat soldier. “Can I get three of those, soldier?”

  The yellow-suited trooper came over and gave him a nod. “The colonel just called your name, Sheriff.”

  “I know. I just want to be sure I’m in the same holding area as these two.”

  The soldier dug through the bag of wristbands he carried and handed him three. All of them had the number one next to a bar code. “I suggest you get up there, sir. The colonel doesn’t like to wait.”

  Rick thanked the soldier and helped Dahlia attach her wristband. It was thick plastic with one end sliding into a hole like a zip tie. Once it was on, it wasn’t going anywhere.

  “We’re going to need gardening shears to get this off later.” Dahlia laughed nervously.

  Rick heard the stress in her voice but saw that she was being brave for Charli
e. He attached Charlie’s wristband and then his own. He put his wrist next to Charlie’s, pointing to the two number ones. Dahlia lowered her wrist next to theirs.

  “See? We all match,” Rick said. “So, we’re going to be together.”

  “Can we come with you now?” Charlie asked.

  Rick crouched down so he was eye level with Charlie. “I need to go help make sure everyone’s okay. You stay here and watch your mom for me.” He unsnapped his sheriff’s badge from his chest and put it on Charlie’s shirt.

  “Don’t you kind of need that?” Dahlia asked.

  “People saw me up on stage.” Rick shrugged. “And if they didn’t, I think the rest of the uniform will tip them off. Besides, my deputy needs a badge, right?”

  “Deputy?” Charlie said, turning the badge so he could see its face. “So cool. Does that mean I get to boss people around?”

  “Just your mom.”

  Dahlia playfully tugged on one of Charlie’s ears. “Just you try it.”

  Rick stood and gave Dahlia a wink. “I’ll be back soon. If you need something, you send one of these soldiers to get me.”

  She hugged him and the strength in her arms surprised him. She was terrified, they all were on some level, but the composure she had in place for Charlie had been nearly perfect. Now, in his embrace for only a few seconds, he felt her body heave with two quick, ragged sobs. Then, just as fast, she reached up with her hand to wipe her eyes. When she stepped away from him, her smile was back in place.

  “Go get ’em, cowboy,” she said. “Go save the world.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  As he walked away he pointed to Charlie, then to his own eyes, then to Dahlia. He mouthed the words, “Watch her.”

  Charlie gave him a thumbs-up.

  The crowd moving toward the nearest tent crossed in front of him and his view of Dahlia and Charlie was cut off. He turned and made his way to the stage, fighting down the premonition that leaving them alone was a terrible mistake.

  22

  “Why did he call you up here?” Rick asked, walking up to Cassie who stood waiting twenty yards in front of the stage. “How does he even know who you are?”

  “You knew about this, didn’t you?” she said, ignoring his question. “That’s why you didn’t want me going up to the mine.”

  Rick pushed past her and she fell into step next to him. “I knew there was a mining operation up there. Nothing like this. Now why are you here?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, nodding toward Keefer walking toward them. “But I don’t trust this guy one bit.”

  Keefer walked down the stairs. Gone was the uncertainty Rick had seen in the man’s movements when he first addressed the crowd. The assertive alpha man asshole he’d met on the mountain was back.

  “Dr. Baker,” he said, holding out his hand. “I was both happy and disappointed to hear you were here.”

  Cassie looked confused. She didn’t reach out to shake his hand. “Have we met before?”

  “We have mutual friends,” he said, pulling his hand back awkwardly. “And I’m a fan of your work. What you’ve created is truly transformative. Your technology will change the world in more ways than you can imagine.”

  “And what exactly is it that you do, Colonel?” she said. “When you’re not poisoning entire towns with lethal viruses, that is?”

  Keefer grimaced. It took Rick a second to realize it was the man’s attempt at a smile.

  “I’m from the Special Weapons Division, so I’ve worked with your boss, Brandon Morris.”

  “Genysis doesn’t do any weapons contracting,” she said, looking uncertain at the mention of Morris’s name. “The only defense contracts we have are the integrated prosthetics.” She looked at Rick’s arm on reflex.

  Keefer’s grin was genuine this time. “You get my soldiers put back together so they can return to the fight. That means weapon to me.”

  “The intention of the program isn’t––”

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Rick said. “But there are a couple of thousand people who don’t give a shit whether you two have met or not. Or what Brandon Morris is doing to make his next billion dollars. All they want to do is get home safe.”

  “I still want to know how you knew I was here,” Cassie said, undeterred by Rick’s outburst and unwavering under the colonel’s stare.

  “You’re smart, you put it together,” Keefer said.

  Cassie looked around the square and then up toward the mine. Rick could physically see the moment when she reached her conclusion. “Son of a bitch. This whole thing is Genysis,” she said, her voice taking on a distant quality. “You are working with Brandon. He told you I was coming up here. What is he spying on me?”

  “See, you are smart,” Keefer said. “That might come in useful.” He paused as a group of people passed by, attaching their wristbands. “Let’s talk somewhere private.”

  Rick felt his stomach turn over. A private talk connoted bad news. Given the situation they were in, any bad news had the potential of being catastrophic. The options marched through his head.

  There really isn’t a vaccine.

  There isn’t actually enough of the vaccine to go around.

  There isn’t enough time to logistically make it all work.

  Rick pointed behind tent number two. “My office is right over there.”

  “I know where it’s at. Unfortunately, we’ve already needed to use it today.” Keefer turned to a member of his personal detail. “Have the mayor brought over to the sheriff’s station.” He waved to the other hazmat troops next to him. “Let’s go.”

  The soldiers formed a protective bubble around Keefer, two in front, two on either side and one to the rear, and marched through the crowd. Rick and Cassie had to hustle to keep up, falling in behind the rear soldier.

  “Nice that Genysis could make an impact on the town again,” Rick said.

  “I didn’t know anything about this. Genysis doesn’t do defense contracts. You’ve seen the public stance. You have to believe me.”

  Rick shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. In some ways it’s better.”

  “How so?”

  “Because as long as what Keefer promised actually happens, the people in this town are going to end up owning a chunk of the company once the lawsuits start flying.”

  They followed the armed guard in silence for a while. A few people called out to Rick to ask if everything was okay. He assured them it was and kept moving.

  Finally, Cassie spoke up, but when she did, she raised her hand to her mouth and whispered to him. “Anything strike you as odd about all this?”

  He looked at her like she was crazy. “Cassie, everything is odd about this. What are you talking about?”

  “I mean, yeah, the whole thing is nuts,” she said. “But everything seems staged perfectly for this town. The four tents, the wristbands, setting up the perimeter in the square.”

  “That’s the part you find hard to believe about all of this? That they were prepared for this to happen?” he said. “They knew what they had up there. And that there might be a breach. I just thank God they were ready.”

  “Yeah but––”

  The soldier in front of them cocked his head to one side. What may have been a discreet motion without the hazmat helmet on was an obvious attempt to listen in on their conversation. Cassie slowed her pace and pulled on Rick’s arm to get some distance between them and the soldier.

  “Yeah but what?” Rick said.

  “Resurrection has a population of under five hundred people. There hasn’t been this many people here in years.”

  Rick looked around, getting the idea of where she was going.

  “But they had supplies for over two thousand people,” she said.

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying,” she whispered, looking around cautiously. “I can’t get over the sense that they not only knew this was going to happen. But they knew it was going to happen today.”

&nb
sp; 23

  “We’ve got a problem,” Keefer said once they were all in the sheriff’s office with the door shut behind them.

  Bertie had joined them at the end of their walk across the square, having picked up her own protective detail of two soldiers in hazmat suits. They’d exchanged worried looks, but not said anything. Now Rick braced himself for the bad news.

  “What is it?” Rick asked. “Is it the vaccine?”

  Keefer shook his head. “No, everything I said on that stage was true. I owe the people out there that much.”

  “Guilty conscience?” Cassie asked.

  Keefer whipped around and stared at her. Rick tensed, reading the man’s body language. The man was coiled up like he was ready to spring.

  “Cassie, not helpful,” Bertie said.

  “I agree,” Rick said. “There’ll be time for that later.”

  “It’s all right,” Keefer said. “If I was on the other side of this, I’d feel the same way. What you don’t know is that I was one hundred percent opposed to this operation. I lodged formal complaints up the chain of command regarding safety protocols, installation security, and proximity to a civilian population.”

  “I notice an ethical objection to creating a weaponized, communicable virus with one hundred percent mortality rate didn’t make your list,” Cassie said.

  Keefer addressed Bertie. “After this is over, I’ll be the one sitting in front of the House Armed Services Committee with my hand on a Bible telling the world what a mistake this was. It’ll end my career, but I didn’t sign up to put Americans at risk.”

  Bertie nodded. She looked older than she had just a few hours ago. The rush of seeing her town come alive, and that had filled her eyes with such joy, was gone, replaced by a weariness that stooped her shoulders and made her lean against the desk nearest to her. Rick thought about getting her a chair and a glass of water, but he knew she wouldn’t put up with him fussing after her.

  “I appreciate that, but you said there’s a problem,” Bertie probed.

  Keefer walked to the back of the office to the single door that led to the back.