Jacob's Odyssey (The Berne Project Book 1)

by Melrose, Russ

  *****

  It wasn't long after I'd awakened that I first heard him. I had awakened adrift in a haze and several moments passed before I realized where I was. I'd slept for a solid three hours and was surprised to have slept for so long. I attributed the deep sleep to feeling completely safe for the first time in a long time.

  Though his strident yell was severely muted by the thick walls of the building, I knew it was him. The sound came from the street side of the building opposite the offices. More infected would be coming, drawn by his hypnotic call, but I wasn't worried. Being in the building gave me a sense of security. It was as if we were no longer a part of his world.

  I had been standing in Sarah and Becky's room when I heard him. Becky had glanced in the direction of the sounds but she either didn't hear them clearly enough or didn't connect them to the Swimmer. At least she didn't look concerned. Sarah didn't seem to notice at all.

  An hour later Sarah and I were sitting on a couch in a medical room on the second floor. She had found a first aid kit in one of the cabinets and was ministering to my arm. Before she tended to the wound itself, Sarah had tested the range of motion in my shoulder. Even though my shoulder was still sore, I managed to rotate it a full 360 degrees. I did feel some pain when I raised it up all the way, but at least I had full range of motion with it.

  After she'd tested my range of motion, she cleaned the wounded area and tended to the splinters still embedded in my arm. Turns out the three splinters I'd pulled out earlier weren't alone. Sarah had found a pair of tweezers and a needle and doused them in alcohol and pulled a few splinters from my arm. Then she inspected the wounds closely with the needle, carefully separating the skin to find any leftover slivers hiding in the wounds.

  I did my best not to flinch as she pulled them out.

  Becky wasn't with us. The door to the medical room was open and I could see Becky looking through a microscope. She had made friends with the younger virologist and was being entertained by the scientist out in one of the labs. All the labs had glass walls except for a few feet of drywall at their base.

  Before Sarah and I had made our way to the medical room, Melzer introduced us to Drs. Nardone and Flanagan. Both specialized in virology and immunology, and the two scientists were as different as night and day.

  Dr. Nardone looked to be in her fifties. She had dusty brown hair well on its way to gray and wore reading glasses with braided chums. And while she wasn't overweight, her body seemed to have settled and become sluggish from decades of sedentary lab work. During the introductions, Dr. Nardone stood stiffly in her white lab coat, looking impatient. Her thin lips were shut tight as if she had lockjaw, and occasionally her eyes would dart here and there around the room. She seemed uncomfortable, and as soon as the introductions were over, she quietly went back to work without so much as a word.

  The other virologist's name was Dr. Amy Flanagan. She had wavy light red hair and a smattering of freckles below her eyes. Her freckles were so light, they were barely distinguishable from her facial skin. She looked to be in her mid-thirties. She was fresh and friendly and had an infectious smile and hit it off with Becky right away.

  Sarah was studying my wound closely, her face no more than a few inches away. She had located another sliver and moved the tweezers into the wound with exacting precision.

  "I heard him," she said casually.

  I wasn't sure what she was talking about. "Heard who?" I asked.

  She squeezed the splinter, pulled it out steadily and examined it. "I heard Raj," she said quietly. "I know he let them in."

  Sarah dropped the sliver into a waste basket she'd set next to the couch.

  I didn't say anything. What could I say?

  "Why do you think he would do that?" she asked. Then she pulled away from her handiwork and I could feel her eyes on me. I turned to face her. Sarah's face was smooth and calm, yet I could sense an underlying angst behind the calm exterior.

  "I don't really know, Sarah. Maybe he thought he needed to prove something to himself."

  I thought it was as close to the truth as I could come.

  "He was being selfish," she said peevishly.

  Then she broke eye contact with me and looked into her lap. Her hands had settled there in a meek posture. Her shoulders were slumped and huddled tight into her body as if she were cold. She seemed lost somewhere in her thoughts. Then her lips curled inward and the veneer of calm that had defined her face just moments ago began to break apart. The wavy worry line came first, then her eyes became crimped and narrow, and I could see the pain clearly written in them. And her chin began to tremble as it had so many times in the past twenty-four hours, and she started crying in a low, soft whine.

  I instinctively reached for her and put my hand on her shoulder and she leaned softly into me. Her body shook and the whines soon turned into a soul-rending howl. Its intensity unnerved me. I wasn't used to overt displays of emotion and felt ill-equipped to deal with them. I could feel myself stiffen and I did the only thing I could think of—I placed my injured arm lightly across her shoulders.

  Becky appeared in the doorway of the office, her face twisted in concern. She ran to the couch and sat behind her mother and embraced her lightly from behind and began to lovingly rub her mother's back.

  We comforted Sarah for maybe twenty minutes. After a while, her cries turned into soft sobs. Eventually, she became quiet other than an occasional sniffle. Then she straightened herself and brushed the tears back from her face.

  "I need to finish treating your arm," she said, as if nothing had just happened.

  "Okay."

  A sudden, familiar awkwardness cropped up between us.

  Becky stretched out on the couch and settled her head onto her mother's leg.

  Sarah cleaned the wound again and applied some Polysporin to it. Then she bandaged it up with gauze and tape and unfurled my rolled-up sleeve back down over the bandage.

  "If there are any slivers left, they'll work themselves out in the next week or so." Her voice had taken on a professional tone.

  "All right," I told her.

  I stretched my arm and turned it up and down to test it out. I didn't do it for any logical reason. I knew removing a few splinters and bandaging my arm wasn't suddenly going to make my arm and shoulder feel better. But moving my arm gave me something to do, and I felt like I needed to do something.

  Sarah put everything neatly back into the first aid kit. Her face was still rosy and wet from crying.

  "I don't know your last name," she suddenly mused aloud. She said it as if the realization of it had occurred to her for the first time.

  "It's Henricksen," I told her. "Jacob Henricksen."

  I didn't know why I had included my given Christian name in my answer.

  "Oh," she said, smiling weakly. "Henricksen is a nice name." And I thought she said it as a way of being polite.

  She looked at me curiously. "Does anyone ever call you Jacob?"

  I didn't really want to answer her, but I did. "Only my mother," I told her. "She called me Jacob when she was upset with me or wanted to get my attention."

  Then we fell into silence. Neither of us seemed especially adept at small talk. I felt awkward with it and Sarah seemed to labor with it too.

  Sarah seemed to have recovered from the crying jag and had regained her composure.

  She smiled to herself as if the discovery of my given name had momentarily lifted her spirits. She held the first aid kit in her hands and toyed unconsciously with it, looking thoughtful.

  "What will you do now?" she asked me.

  I didn't know what to tell her. I had made a promise to Raj, though I wasn't sure exactly what my promise entailed. I'd delivered them here safely, and I wondered if that ended my obligation. I felt confused, but I knew a part of me wanted to be with them. But that's not what I told her.

  "I'm not sure," I said, unwilling to make any kind of commitment.

  Then I gladly changed the subject. "It's aft
er eleven o'clock. Maybe we should get something to eat."

  Just the suggestion of eating put everyone at ease. Becky brightened and Sarah nodded her approval, and the three of us headed down to the cafeteria.

  *****

  It was a roomy cafeteria with plenty of round four-seat tables and colorful plastic chairs. Several vending machines, a refrigerator, a sink, a countertop with a microwave and a hotplate stood against one wall. The fridge was well stocked and had a couple of loaves of wheat bread along with slices of smoked ham and cheese—medium cheddar and Swiss. I opened the freezer and found several types of meat and frozen vegetables. We made ourselves sandwiches and sat down at one of the tables and started to eat. I'd found a Coke to drink and Sarah and Becky had bottled water.

  Sarah chewed thoughtfully on a bite of her sandwich. Something appeared to be vexing her, as if she were trying to work something out in her mind but couldn't quite put it together.

  She looked up at me. "Dr. Nardone," she started. "Did she seem a little off to you?"

  "I don't know. She seemed distracted. Why do you ask?"

  "Well, it's just..." and she paused reflectively for a moment. "She seemed different from the first time I talked to her on the phone."

  I shrugged noncommittally.

  Sarah made a face as if she were annoyed with my reaction and then went back to her sandwich.

  I felt strangely contented sitting there with them. I'd often had the same feeling sitting by the stream near the cabin. I drank greedily from the Coke can and the Cola gurgled softly in my throat.

  Sarah smiled broadly and Becky tittered.

  I smiled back at them and felt my face redden. And for the first time, I entertained the thought of leaving with Sarah and Becky, though I didn't say anything to them.

  Lukas Melzer strolled into the room. He came up to our table and smiled cheerfully. He wanted to know if we had everything we needed.

  We let him know we were fine. Then I asked him where they would be taking us. Sarah looked surprised by my question.

  Melzer pulled up a chair and seated himself.

  "Well," he started. "There's an underground government facility near Routt National Forest in Northern Colorado. It's quite an amazing complex. You'll have your own rooms there. They're very nice. There's plenty of food and supplies. You can stay there till this is all over with. You'll have everything you need to be comfortable. And it's perfectly safe."

  Melzer spoke with a quiet assurance. He sat relaxed, one leg crossed over the other, hands cupping his knee.

  "I happened to be there with some Homeland Security personnel when all this started. We were extremely lucky. We were conducting a special training exercise. Ironically, the training was centered on establishing and coordinating communications during a national emergency. And as it turns out, that's just what we've been doing. I'm an advisor and consultant for the project. We've been coordinating communications with the CDC and CNN, trying to keep everyone informed.

  "There's military personnel stationed there who handle security for the facility. There's a science lab there too. They're working as hard as they possibly can to create a vaccine. We're hoping Becky can help with that."

  Becky smiled sheepishly and her face reddened.

  Melzer winked at her and gave her a reassuring smile.

  "What will they need Becky to do?" Sarah asked.

  "I believe they'll just need to draw some blood and possibly take a tissue sample. Nothing too invasive. To my understanding, it'll be quite simple."

  "I'm not afraid of needles," Becky said.

  "I see. You're quite the brave little girl. Personally, I'm terrified of them," Melzer joked with her.

  Sarah and Becky both smiled.

  "Would it be all right if you showed me where you were bitten?" Melzer asked. He looked to Sarah to see if it was okay, and Sarah, in turn, looked to Becky.

  Becky shrugged and pulled up her sleeve, exposing her bite wound.

  Melzer mimicked a painful face. "Ooh, that looks like it hurts," he said.

  "Nope, not anymore," she told him. "It used to hurt, but it's okay now." And then Becky pulled her sleeve back down.

  "Well, that's good," Melzer added. And then he looked thoughtful for a moment.

  "There's one thing I can tell you, Becky. People are going to appreciate what you're doing. Your willingness to help out could save a lot of lives." He said it sincerely and with a hint of passion. "I believe people will be inspired by your willingness to help, and you'll give a lot of people hope. It's really important we all work together to help each other out. After all, we're all human beings and we all share this planet. And the only way we'll survive this crisis is if we all work together as if we're all part of one family."

  The words teased my memory, and I knew it was important I remember where I'd heard them. And then I did. They were the same words that had been spoken toward the end of the recording I'd listened to, almost verbatim. I felt confused for a moment. Then I became aware my Coke can was suspended halfway to my mouth. I finished raising the Coke to my lips as inconspicuously as I could and took a sip. Had Melzer noticed my hesitation? He kept his attention focused on Becky the entire time and his disarming smile never wavered.

  During the last couple sentences he'd spoken, his voice had taken on the same passionate timbre I'd heard in the recording and the words were nearly identical.

  I decided to act normally as if nothing had happened. And then it occurred to me that in all likelihood nothing had happened. Anyone could have spoken those words. Melzer's thoughts were hardly out of the ordinary.

  "Who's in charge of the facility?" I asked him.

  "There's a Colonel Hopkins," Melzer said, turning his head attentively toward me. "I would say he's in charge. I believe originally the intention was to have civilian authority in charge of the complex, someone from the government. But the virus struck so quickly, I don't think they ever had the chance to execute the plan that was in place. But everything's running smoothly at the complex. There's nothing to worry about."

  He glanced at his watch and then looked around the table at each of us. "Any more questions?"

  No one said anything.

  Sarah and Becky had already finished eating their sandwiches. Sarah nudged Becky with her elbow. "C'mon, sweetie. Time for a nap."

  They got up and took their bottles of water with them. Melzer smiled and nodded as they left.

  I took another sip of my Coke. The liquid was ice cold and I had a buzz going from the caffeine. It gave me a lift and I felt more alert. I couldn't help but wonder if Melzer was the whistle blower, though he didn't seem the type. I couldn't put the possibility of it together in my mind. It didn't make any sense. What would have been his motivation? I knew there was a good chance I was overreacting. It was even likely. I could have been making all this up in my mind. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time.

  Melzer stood up and slowly pushed his chair back in till it was flush with the edge of the table. Then he settled into the chair directly across from me. "I like to look people in the eye when I talk to them," he said. "I had been hoping we might get a chance to talk. I don't very often have an opportunity to talk to survivors."

  I nodded as if it were fine with me. Melzer's easy, cordial smile persisted, but I had the distinct impression he was scrutinizing me.

  Melzer placed his hands on the table palms down. "They're quite nice. Sarah and Becky. You're fond of them, aren't you?"

  "Yes, I am."

  "Have you known them long?"

  "No. I've only known them a few days."

  I didn't know what to make of Melzer, but I had already decided I wouldn't lie to him. There was no point to it. He would know if I lied. Sticking to the truth was the simplest thing I could do. Just stick to the truth and say as little as possible.

  Alvaro walked in before Melzer could ask me another question. It was the first time I'd seen him and he made an impression. Coleman had looked like just another s
oldier, Alvaro looked menacing. An angular, whitish scar sliced through his left eyebrow. Alvaro was in his mid-forties, stout, not too tall, with thick-muscled shoulders and forearms. He wasn't in a uniform. He wore tan cargo pants and a Hawaiian shirt patterned with large green frond leaves. Alvaro's eyes were alert, but there was a flat, emotionless quality to them. He sported a dark week-old beard and his bushy hair was a mix of dark gray shades. He walked with a relaxed, agile gait and toted his automatic weapon casually by the barrel.

  He addressed Melzer directly and paid no attention to me. "That same alpha is hanging around outside. He's limping around, checking the building out. And now he's got company with him. Maybe twenty of them. He seems interested in the truck they came in. Want me to take him out?"

  "No. That'll just attract more of them," Melzer told him. "They can't get in. Just keep an eye on him."

  I suddenly realized Melzer was a chameleon where his demeanor was concerned. The changes were subtle, but they were there. He spoke to Alvaro with a casual authority, and he obviously didn't feel the need to assert himself. I thought Melzer was likely accustomed to being obeyed without question. And it struck me that the two of them communicated familiarly as if they'd been together a long time.

  "He may have spotted me," Alvaro said, his voice colorless and dry as a bone. "Seems to be hiding now."

  "Just keep an eye out. I want you and Coleman to alternate roof duty. I want someone up there all the time."

  Alvaro took his cue and walked away. Melzer waited patiently till Alvaro was out of the room. "Do you know what an alpha is, Jake?" he asked.

  "Yes," I told him.

  "This one a friend of yours?"

  "Not exactly."

  "But you know him, right?"

  "Yes, I know him."

  "You mind telling me what happened?" he asked. Melzer seemed to have a keen interest in the Swimmer.

  "Five or six days ago, he came after me, chased me down. I hit him with a baseball bat. Yesterday, I shot him." I kept my comments as concise as I could.

  "Could you tell me about him?" Melzer asked.

  "Well, he's tall, well built, like a swimmer. He can run full out and he can climb fences. He's intense and he's brutal, and he enjoys killing."