“It’s not good, is it?” he asked, his eyes were still closed.
“No, it isn’t,” Irene said with a sigh. “It’s not good at all. What really has me worried is that all these reports indicate that it’s spreading faster than the Russians are admitting. At that rate, it really makes me think that it’s airborne. The problem is, there’s no data as of right now to support that theory…or any other kind of theory.” She looked over at Michael and frowned. “Oh, and by the way, did you see all that equipment that was in the cargo hold?” she whispered as she pointed at the floor of the cabin. “It looked like there was an entire surgical ward down there.”
“I know,” Michael said. “It’s kind of freaky…right?”
“Well, you can blame the Russians for the obvious lack of information,” said a gravel voice from behind them. Irene and Michael turned and saw a middle-aged man wearing pressed military fatigues. He was approaching them with a swagger in his walk and Irene immediately detected an arrogance about him. He swung himself into a seat behind them, being very careful not to spill the Styrofoam cup of coffee he was holding.
“Well Major Roberts, I’m sure you and the rest of the Army can deal with the Russians,” said Michael. The sarcasm in his response gave away his disdain for Roberts and what he represented. He didn’t feel comfortable having to answer to the military, and he never cared for anything to do with government bureaucrats—military or civilian.
“I don’t exactly know what it is that you think I do for a living, but before you start judging me, I don’t do the whole guns and bombs thing. I’m in charge of biology research…a medical professional—just like you—it just so happens that I work for the Army.” After pausing for a moment to see if his attempt to connect with the doctors was successful, he continued. “Anyway, I’m sure right now the Russians don’t feel like talking to anyone, especially if this turns out to be what we think it is. I’m sure that if we poked our noses anywhere near that fiasco, they’d make sure we met with some sort of unfortunate accident.” Roberts sipped at his cup and winked at the couple. “But, we do have a little more information on what’s going on. Oh, were you able to use those reports that were loaded onto your laptop back at the base?”
“That’s a pleasant thought, meeting with some sort of accident,” Irene grumbled. “We’re going over there to help…and we have to worry about crap like that. And yes, I saw the reports, but it doesn’t do us any good if we can’t access the internet to get some real-time updates.”
Roberts leaned back in his seat and looked up at the ceiling of the cabin. Damn civilians. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “You know the drill. No internet, no cell phones, no contact with anyone outside of this mission. National security reasons and all.”
“You think I want to blog about this or post to my Facebook?” she asked.
Irritated, Roberts paused for a second to frown at Irene for her overdramatic statement. He then took another careful sip from his cup and sighed. He shot her a look of displeasure and decided not to reply to her last comment. “Hopefully we can get a better idea of what we’re looking at once we arrive in Kostanay. The Kazakhs say that they have six infected individuals in quarantine at a hospital there. They are in various states of infection, but what the people on the ground are telling us doesn’t make much sense at all. Now, as far as the Russians go, they aren’t saying anything about this either, and you can bet that they’re gonna stay silent about everything. Based on all the other information we’ve received so far, which isn’t much, it sounds like whatever it is that’s spreading over there might be some type of weaponized agent.”
“Uh, did you say ‘weaponized?’ ” Irene asked.
“Great, please don’t tell me that this is some man-made killer bug that was ‘accidentally’ released,” Michael chimed in. “I thought we were going over there because of an outbreak of some new super strain of rabies.” He shook his head in disbelief and gave a sarcastic chuckle.
“It has to be,” Roberts said. “Look, about two weeks ago, there were reports about some kind of accident at a secret town in southern Russia. Just outside of that town there is a large industrial facility. They still make military grade plutonium there…you know…for nuclear bombs. Also, there have been intelligence reports and briefings indicating that chemical and biological weapons were still being researched and manufactured at that same facility. As soon as the accident happened and shit started falling apart over there, the Russians quickly closed down everything around that place and they clamped down on the media.
Now, that alone says a lot, especially when their government news agency put out some vague, lame report about having to quarantine the area because of a rabies outbreak. We’re not sure if there’s any truth to that, but there’s a shit load of activity in that area that indicates that something more is going on there. Our satellites have picked up on several large fires burning across the entire region, all the way down to a city named Chelyabinsk. They’ve got major evacuations going on in that area, and the populace seems to be fleeing in every direction. Something is definitely going on over there. If they were working on things that they shouldn’t have been working on, like some real nasty and heinous shit, there’s no way that they would want anyone to find out about what they were doing, especially when it flies in the face of all of the treaties banning chemical and biological weapons research.”
“And that’s what makes you think that it’s a military project that went awry?” Irene asked.
“That, and…well,” Roberts paused for a moment, “the stuff the Kazakhs have been reporting to us.”
“What kind of stuff?” Irene asked in an uncertain voice. She could tell that Roberts was holding something back. She also didn’t care for the fact that she and Michael were basically conversing with a voice instead of a face because Roberts had sat behind him. She felt as if she was sitting is some sort of interrogation room having to answer questions from someone who was on the other side of a two-way mirror.
“The infected that the authorities have come into contact with have exhibited some rather strange characteristics that indicate that they have been exposed to something. It’s the only possible explanation based on what they’ve been telling us.”
“That sounds like a bunch of government bullshit,” Michael grunted. “What in the hell are they, and what in the hell are you talking about?”
“We would really appreciate it if you would tell us what we’re about to get into,” Irene said as she slammed her laptop shut. She was growing irritated with Roberts’ evasiveness. “Everything we’ve been told has only been half-truths. How are we supposed to formulate a plan if we don’t know what’s really going on?”
“Look, the reason you guys weren’t told everything prior to leaving the ground was because we weren’t even sure ourselves of what to make of the reports coming in from the area. The whole situation is fluid and is evolving as we speak.”
“You keep referring to these ‘reports’ from there. Why don’t you just tell us what’s going on? I think Michael and I have a right to know what we’re facing.”
Roberts took a long drink of his now lukewarm coffee. He looked tense as he chewed at his bottom lip. Irene thought that she could see the veins in his scalp protruding through his receding hairline. “We know that the Russians were working on trying to create a weapons version of rabies. There’s a possibility that through some sort of accident, that weapon version was released.” Roberts looked down at his cup and rubbed his thumb along the rim. “Super rabies. That’s what this might be. So yes Michael, as you said earlier, we’re going over there to investigate a new strain of rabies…but a man-made version.”
Michael shook his head and chortled. “Shit, this is the stuff they make movies about.”
“It’s happened before,” explained Roberts. “Back when everyone was rushing to develop the latest and greatest bio-weapon, the Russians had an accidental release of anthrax at a production facility in Sverdlo
vsk. Over a hundred people were killed. And the town where this shit is going on right now…we’ll they’ve been having accident after accident for years now.”
“Man, this is so far out there—like unbelievable—next , you’ll be telling us that we’re gonna go hunting for vampires out in Transylvania,” Michael intoned.
“Well, the infected aren’t acting like vampires but they are exhibiting violent behavior. They’re running around and attacking everyone that they come into contact with. They are aggressive, I mean very aggressive…and very dangerous.” Roberts looked off to the side and sighed out loud. “There are even reports of murder and…acts of cannibalism…being committed by the infected.”
“What did you just say?” Michael asked as he sat up straight in his seat. “You’re kidding, right?”
Irene leaned back in her chair in disbelief. “What do you mean by ‘cannibalism?’ ”
That’s what the Kazakh authorities are reporting,” Roberts said. “There have been some partially devoured human remains found near the Russian border. Chewed down to the bone.”
Michael shook his head in disbelief and looked straight ahead, not knowing what to say. Trying to dilute the terror that Roberts’s words had just filled her with, Irene gazed out of the small portal window. The moon, with its yellow neon haze, made the clouds look like dark giant cotton balls floating across the black horizon.
She began to think about her mother and father back in Seattle and how it had been almost six months since she had last seen them. But then, that was typical of her though, always busy with work—never taking time to see her family and never taking time for her own personal life.
Her dedication to her career had always kept her away from marriage and a family, and for the most part, she was alright with that, but as the ongoing conversation sank into her mind, she found herself wishing that she could say that she did have someone special in her life. The dread that was building up in her made her wish that she had someone to turn to, someone to hold onto…someone to seek refuge with. She looked over at the wedding band on Michael’s hand and she envied him.
She tried to recollect the events of the past week, but it was now just one big blur. Just a few days ago she and Michael were out in southern Arizona conducting an investigation on a rabies outbreak in the local coyote population. Although the Arizona outbreak was nothing unusual, they were unexpectedly recalled back to the Centers for Disease Control before they could conclude their investigation. Irene thought that their recall was related directly to their Arizona case, but within twelve hours of their return to Atlanta, a group of government and military officials had shown up and were recruiting Irene and Michael for a goodwill mission to Kazakhstan. They were given a short briefing on what was taking place—while they were in Arizona, she had already seen some reports on CNN about a possible rabies outbreak of some sort over in Russia—and before she knew it, they were hurtling across the globe to confront some unknown calamity in a country she knew very little about.
As Irene looked out through the window, she could sense Roberts hovering over her neck, and it made her feel uncomfortable. She could hear the slight whistle of air flowing through his nostrils and the heat from his breath made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. The smell of his aftershave was heavy and it dated him.
His creepiness was unnerving, and she found herself feeling grateful that she had chosen to wear her utility pants instead of a skirt—but she felt like Roberts was still undressing her with his eyes. Deep down inside, Irene knew that the military officer wasn’t telling them the whole story, but then again, she knew that he couldn’t be forthcoming with everything. It was common knowledge that if the military ever came around the CDC, you were sure to be kept in the dark until the last possible moment. It was as simple as that.
Irene knew that she and Michael were two of the most respected epidemiologists in the country, and in a way, she felt honored that they had been chosen for this mission, but she couldn’t understand why there were no other military doctors or scientists aboard the flight. The only thing she could conclude was that the government wanted to keep the military presence down to a minimum in Kazakhstan.
The high pitch of the engines filled the cabin and brought Irene out of her thoughts. She realized that the three of them were sitting in silence. Sensing that Roberts was still staring at her, she turned to look at him in an attempt to express her displeasure with him.
Sensing that he had made Irene feel uncomfortable, he sat back in his seat and tugged at his military blouse. “I know it sounds crazy…all of this,” he said, “but it’s all we have to work with for right now.”
“Uh, go back to the whole cannibalism part,” Michael said. “What’s that all about?’
“Without getting into too much classified military intelligence, that’s what really makes us believe that it’s a weapon that somehow got loose,” Roberts said. “Normal rabies doesn’t generally cause its host to turn into a cannibal, but an enhanced version…well, maybe so?”
“Okay, so if there is a media blackout going on over there, then how do you know so much about this?” Michael asked in an annoyed tone.
“Right after we received the first report of a possible accident, we dispatched a team to Kazakhstan and they infiltrated their way north past the border and into Russia. They were able to observe a few things and get off a couple of reports, but we stopped hearing from them two days ago.”
“Uh, this team…was it a civilian team, or some military, special forces, C.I.A. type shit?” Michael asked.
“What difference does it make?” Roberts replied in an agitated voice. He was losing his patience with Michael…again. “What matters is that we’ve lost our real-time intelligence, so now we have to get over there and figure out what the hell is going on.”
Irene, who had remained silent for most of the exchange between Michael and Roberts, blurted out, “You mean to tell me that there are chemical weapons out there that can turn people into cannibals?”
Roberts leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Not specifically into cannibals, but into raging, uncontrollable lunatics. Back during the Cold War, both the Soviets and NATO had weapons that were designed to cause this kind of havoc amongst civilian populations.”
“That’s madness, pure madness,” Michael said. “That’s typical military-industrial complex thinking, the same type of thinking that preached we could actually win a nuclear war.”
“No, not madness, Doctor Robinson. It’s tactical. What better way to weaken your enemy? You hit his populace with an agent that causes total anarchy, and the only way the country can regain control of its own streets is to pull forces from the front line and send them home. A weaponized version of rabies could cause all that chaos and disorder if it was deployed against an enemy.”
“And you think that’s what’s going on right now?” asked Irene.
“Yes, I think so.” Roberts leaned forward, almost as if he were going to tell them something in secret. “We stopped working on that stuff when the Berlin Wall fell. The Russians, on the other hand, kept their research going. There are many in the intelligence community who believe that they were on the verge of developing a perfect weapon—a weapon that would change the face of warfare as we know it. Supposedly, one of its main developers tried to destroy the program when he saw the potential danger it could pose to the world. Unfortunately for him, he was executed shortly after that.”
“God, this is just way beyond belief.” Irene rubbed her forehead with her palm, somehow hoping to relieve the tension that was building up in her head. “Do you really expect us to believe all of this? That sounds like some cover-up story, like the stories of mutilated cattle and bright lights in the desert sky.”
Roberts drew back and in an offended tone said, “Lady, I really don’t give a shit what you want or don’t want to believe.” The major was through with trying to be diplomatic on the issue. His voice was now raised. “I’m not here to tell you fairy
tales. Christ, I’ve already told you more than I should have. If indeed it is a weapon, we need to get as much information about it as we can…so we can start to develop a defense against it.”
“A defense against it?” Michael asked.
“Yes, a defense. In case a foe of the United States has already procured it.”
“Jesus, you don’t even care about what’s happening to the people over there, do you?” Michael asked incredulously. “You could care less about how many people are dying over there or what’s happening to that country.”
“This is an issue of national security. I could care less about Kazakhstan or any other fucking Stan! We’re not going there for them, we’re going there for us.”
“That is so wrong!” Irene moaned. “Those people think we’re going there to help them. They put their trust in us because we are the most powerful country in the world with the best science and technology. They think that we can really help them.”
“I really don’t care what they think. I just know what needs to be done. Let’s not lose ourselves in needless debate over what’s right and what’s wrong because the only important thing is making sure that we get the job done. Anyway, the people we are going to meet in Kazakhstan have the same suspicions that we have. They don’t want to make a bunch of noise either about the incident in Russia, but they do think that it does have something to do with all of the shit they are starting to see.”
“You’re just a bureaucratic robot,” Michael said chuckling. “You’re not what my country is about.”
“Just make sure you have your shit together when we hit the ground and do what you’re told,” Roberts replied in a dry, flat tone.
“Hold on there,” Michael said in objection, “you might be in the military, but we’re not. We’re not a couple of privates you can just boss around.”
A Glimpse Of Decay (Book 1): Red Storm) Page 6