Particle Z (Book 1)

by Scott, Tim

  Without waiting for additional prodding, Reid and Eric took off. As soon as they were gone, Mike grabbed a few things he thought might come in handy and packed the backpack hanging behind his office door. He scanned his office one final time then made his way toward the elevator. On his way out he noticed the floor was already empty. You don’t need to tell a government worker more than once they can leave … it’s a cheery, organized and ridiculously fast mass exodus, Mike silently chuckled.

  On the elevator ride down, Mike hoped that the people Reid had seen in the lobby were more concerned with people coming in the building versus going into the parking garage. Located in a short hallway, the elevator bank was out of the line of sight of the main lobby. The elevator door opened with a soft ding. As he exited the lift, he could hear stern voices issuing curt orders over the sound of hurrying footsteps and equipment banging around.

  Time to put on my poker face, Mike thought as he stepped around the corner. He was shocked at the transformation of the lobby: from government drab to the staging area for the apocalypse. Stunned, Mike could only stare as groups of men dressed in black fatigues, some with polished weapons, set up barricades in front of the glass doors and windows. What the fuck, he thought, this has got to be related to the cruise ship.

  Within seconds, Mike was spotted. A man strode purposefully up to Mike. “Sir, this facility is under evacuation orders. Leave, now,” the man tersely instructed Mike.

  “I’m the Lead Engineer for the City. Who are you?” Mike calmly responded, handing the man his badge.

  Looking down at the badge, the man stated, “Mr. Sullivan, leave the building. Your superiors will contact you with instructions later.” He refused to acknowledge or answer Mike’s question.

  “What’s going on?” Mike asked as he took his badge back.

  “Nothing you need to be concerned with, Mr. Sullivan,” the man curtly responded.

  Mike looked closer at the man and noticed a company logo stitched just above the right breast pocket of his shirt. It was stitched with dark gray thread, so Mike hadn’t noticed it at first. It read, Terra Diversified Corporation, a private military contractor that Mike recognized from the media reports on the riots. Mercenaries? Here? Something is definitely going down. They must be expecting people to riot if Terra Corp is here, Mike thought.

  “My truck’s in the garage next door. I’m getting out of your way. Don’t worry,” Mike calmly told the man while fighting back the urge to ask more questions.

  “Move along,” the mercenary stated as his interest in Mike waned.

  Mike let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly made his way to the parking garage. Exiting the building, he noticed very little traffic in the immediate vicinity and only a few cars were trickling out of the parking garage. He did notice a black van with the letters TDC on the side, but it appeared empty. Mike assumed it was a Terra Corp vehicle so he didn’t stare too long. Things really seemed out of whack, but Mike had other issues to worry about right now. He could worry about Terra Corp’s sudden appearance later.

  Mike took the stairs when he reached the parking garage. From the protection of the stairwell, he could check each floor for stragglers and members of TDC. Luck was on his side, and the parking garage was clear. When he reached the ninth floor he headed to a maintenance bay hidden behind an unmarked, sturdy steel overhead door. City workers used the space to fix and store spare equipment, and Mike’s team went there to get away from the hustle and bustle of the main building. He noticed the door was about an inch off the floor, telling him that his team must already be inside. He lifted the door up and was happy to see his truck neatly backed into the garage bay. He could always count on Eric.

  The space was cramped with the truck pulled in, and other than some tool bins bolted to the gray concrete walls, the room looked like any other maintenance bay. Near the back of the bay was a heavy steel door that led to a climate-controlled warehouse which was unlikely to be noticed by people outside. Mike closed and locked the overhead door, quickly made his way to the door at the back and keyed in the unlock code.

  Mike was relieved to see Eric, Reid, and Ashley had already arrived. The warehouse they were taking refuge in was equipped with a television, laptop, a few folding chairs sitting around an old desk, and a bare-bones bathroom. A small, lone window looked out toward the cruise ship port. The room doubled as a storage area for items the city kept on hand in the event of an emergency. Everything from MREs, water, toilet paper, and even some backup communications equipment was stored here. Mike had every intention of being as prepared as possible when he went to get Marlee. How and when that would be accomplished needed to be worked out, and he hoped the solitude of this room would give them the time needed to develop a plan.

  After several vehicle break-ins targeting city officials, the city government had added a closed-circuit camera system that covered each level of the garage and all of the entrances and exits. Reid had logged into the system, and Mike noted that there was little activity to be seen.

  “It’s about time you got your lazy ass over here,” Eric joked. “Did you run into those Terra Corp guys?

  “Yep, strange happenings, and I’d like to know who they work for and why they’re in town,” Mike said, thinking it might provide a clue about the trouble aboard the cruise ship. “They’ve been on the news, and always at the center of the riots. I want to know why they’re here.”

  “I’ll Google the name and see what I find; at least try to get a company profile,” Ashley volunteered, immediately starting a search.

  “Looks like there is an unmarked black helicopter headed our way from the cruise ship, Mike. Reid caught a glimpse of a helicopter lifting off the cruise ship when the news helicopter restarted its live stream again a few minutes ago,” Eric said, bringing Mike up to speed.

  “Back up?” Mike asked

  “The live stream went dark for a few minutes on your way over. Odd, don’t you think?” Reid said in a questioning tone.

  “Mike, Marlee doesn’t seem to be on the upper deck anymore. The news helicopter’s cameraman was panning the camera back and forth searching for her. Maybe she went down to a lower deck,” Eric said, looking for something positive in this new development.

  Mike sat down on one of the rickety chairs and cupped his head in his hands. He didn’t know what a helicopter would be doing at the ship, and the lost news feed seemed a bit too convenient. Maybe Marlee had gone in search of a safer location like Eric suggested. Mike had to keep positive because the alternative wasn’t something he wanted to consider.

  “Mike, if we’re successful in getting Marlee back ourselves, we need to consider if she’s been exposed to something harmful,” Eric pointed out.

  Mike rocked back on his chair as he tried to process Eric’s concern. He had considered this possibility, but his need to have Marlee back in his arms had overridden his common sense. Eric was right; saving Marlee could expose everyone on his team to whatever made all those people go crazy. Mike sighed sadly as he considered the possibility that he would never see Marlee again.

  “You’re right, of course. She may be sick and I’ll have to take precautions if I can get her off that ship. You can all bug out. I don’t know how long this will take,” Mike told them. His team stared at Mike as the fluorescent light flickered overhead. No one made a move for the door.

  “We stay with you, Mike,” Eric answered for the group.

  “I’m the only one with a family, and my husband and son are in Seattle visiting my mother-in-law. I’ve got nowhere better to be,” Ashley added.

  Reid stood up. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world, boss. We’d be a shitty team if we didn’t help you.”

  The muffled sound of a helicopter filtered through the walls of the room. Eric jumped up and looked out the window. “Hey guys, does that helicopter look familiar to you?”

  “Yes, that’s the one from the live stream!” Ashley confirmed.

  “Hey, look at this!” Reid exclaim
ed as he glanced at the security cameras. “What the hell are they doing?”

  The others rushed over to see what had Reid so worked up. A group of people from Terra Corp could be seen escorting a team of people wearing full hazmat suits past the maintenance bay they were concealed in. They had missed the group enter the garage as they’d been so engrossed in Mike’s personal crisis and the approach of the helicopter.

  “Looks like they’re headed toward the stairs to the top deck,” Reid surmised.

  With the sound of the helicopter now directly above, it became apparent that the mercenaries were getting ready to unload whatever the helicopter had retrieved from the ship. By the look of the precautions, something serious had happened to the passengers aboard the Sunset Rose.

  Mike glanced at the TV for a moment. “Look at that, they’re towing the cruise ship now,” he said, startled. “None of this makes any sense. First people go crazy, then we’ve got mercenaries in hazmat suits getting something from a helicopter that had to land out of the public eye, and now they’re towing the cruise ship back into port?”

  “I think the government is under heavy pressure from the families who have people on the ship. They are clamoring for news about their family,” Eric guessed.

  “With no calls going through this close to land, people know the news isn’t good and there are crowds gathering at the Port. I think it’s going to get crazy down there soon,” Ashley said, taking a turn at the window looking down toward the Port’s terminal. “The cops are fencing off the perimeter near the ship’s berth. It looks like they will bring the Sunset Rose right to the terminal it departed from.”

  “Why would they bring a ship full of sick people in so close to the city?” Reid asked.

  “I can only guess that it’s because they don’t want to cause a panic or heighten the tension by leaving everyone’s loved ones floating on a ship in the Gulf,” Eric answered.

  Conversation was pointless now due to the roar of the helicopter on the roof. They all huddled around the security monitor and watched as the door to the helicopter slid open. “TDC” could be seen on the door facing the camera. Two Terra Corp personnel in hazmat suits hurriedly pulled a single person out of the helicopter.

  Damn, only one, Mike thought. He looked hard at the covered form. “OH MY GOD, THAT’S MARLEE,” he said harshly, knowing Marlee’s shape anywhere. They were taking her vitals and prodding her with all sorts of hi-tech medical equipment. Mike was so shocked to see her it hadn’t registered that she was back and just one floor above him. Eric put a hand on his shoulder. Mike realized it wasn’t simply for comfort; Eric wanted to make sure he didn’t rush off and do something stupid.

  The team that had looked over Marlee efficiently shoved her into a hazmat suit while the other Terra Corp personnel watched from a distance. Mike was sure this was a precaution to protect those around her.

  With a roar, the helicopter’s rotors spooled up as it tore itself from the roof, the powerful turbines easily overcoming gravity’s pull. Mike got a quick view of the pilot and he could see he was wearing a protective suit as well. The caution they were taking with Marlee felt like a blast of cold water. These guys weren’t taking any chances with anything or anyone that had been aboard the Sunset Rose.

  Mike breathed a sigh of relief. Marlee had looked stable and he hoped whoever had rescued her from the Sunset Rose would release her soon so he could find out why the people aboard the ship went crazy; at least he didn’t have to come up with a way to get her off of the ship.

  Moving next to the window, Mike looked down at the Port. The terminal parking lot was filled with local residents, gawkers, and family hoping to be reunited with loved ones. Most just wanted to watch the ship dock and see for themselves the mystery that shrouded the Sunset Rose. The shopping center’s overflow parking lot was filled with the vehicles of first responders. He looked out into the Gulf and could see the Sunset Rose’s enormous form as it entered the canal leading to the terminal. Towed by only a single pair of tug boats, it was a slow and precise process.

  Soon enough the ship would be moored and the process of offloading the poor souls would begin. Paramedics and first responders were ready to work through the night to rescue and transport the sick, injured, and deceased. As the crowd pressed into the fencing blocking the public from the terminal, yearning for a glimpse of their family and friends, no one could predict the chaos that would soon follow. Nothing would ever be the same.

  CHAPTER 3

  Debarkation

  The cruise ship’s mammoth bulk drifted to a gentle rest against the concrete pier. The tug crew’s expertise made the berthing of such a large ship look like child’s play. The Sunset Rose stood still, towering over a collection of boutique shops and various port facilities. Blocked from entering the terminal by a fence, hundreds upon hundreds of faces peered up at the silent ship. Empty balconies, portholes, and party decks stared silently back at the crowd. There were no streamers, no cheering, and no ship’s horn trumpeting the return of the Sunset Rose this time. Somewhere in the crowd a child started to cry.

  Marcus Dodson had planned on meeting his wife and son at the terminal today. He stood quietly within the crowd, waiting for word on when they would let him see his family. Marcus had enough sense to know something was wrong. He was feeling sick with worry with the delay. Patience and understanding had worn thin as the crowd of people started to shout at the port staff and police officers sprinkled throughout the crowd.

  “We need everyone to remain calm and allow the authorities to secure the ship. Please return to your vehicles. We will let you know when you can see your family and friends,” came a blasting announcement from the passenger intake kiosk off to Marcus’s right.

  In unison with the announcement, the officers stepped forward and directed the crowd to turn around and leave. The crowd stared and shouted as the emergency workers moved around behind the fence, preparing to breech the massive ship.

  “I WANT TO SEE MY DAUGHTER … ARE THEY ARE OKAY? … WHAT’S GOING ON?” Voices from the crowd clamored for attention.

  “I need to get to someone that can answer questions,” Marcus shouted to an older woman standing next to him. She could barely hear him over the outrage of the crowd.

  “I hope my daughter and her family are okay,” was the only response he got before she turned back toward the ship and scanned every inch looking for any sign of her loved ones.

  Marcus slowly moved toward the front of the crowd. He wanted to get a clear look at the ship to see if he could figure out what might have happened to his wife and son.

  “Return to your cars,” came the command again through the speaker system. Suddenly the sound of sirens, lots of sirens, started to blare throughout the area.

  Jostled by the crowd, Marcus could barely keep his footing as he clung to the fencing. He looked back up at the ship and was startled when he thought he saw a face peering out of a lower deck porthole.

  “Look at that!” Marcus exclaimed, pointing at a face framed within the porthole.

  “I don’t see anything, buddy, so stop freaking out my kids,” an angry man shot back.

  “I think I see it,” a pretty young woman in a halter top said hesitantly.

  People started to look in the direction Marcus was pointing. The crowd continued to press forward, testing the fence as more people caught sight of the face.

  Maybe this isn’t as bad as I thought, Marcus said to himself, desperate to cling to some form of hope. Pressed against the fence, he started to pray silently, Dear God, please let my wife and son be okay.

  There was a disturbance as a group of private-military-types dressed in black fatigues with “TDC Tactical” displayed on their BDU caps pushed through the crowd and joined the police. They attempted to maneuver the crowd back from the fence and toward the parking lot. Another group of mercenaries could be seen running toward the staging area behind the fence as medical personnel waited to breech the ship near the main loading door.
/>   Marcus was relieved when the crowd started to back up.

  “What’s going on?” Marcus asked a police officer working the crowd.

  “Please return to your vehicle,” was all the officer replied, looking distressed.

  Marcus looked around and spotted some in the crowd arguing with the police as they pushed back against the black-clad security team. Others were slowly moving toward the parking lot and their vehicles. Marcus looked back at the ship, but the face framed in the porthole was gone.

  As Marcus reluctantly turned toward the parking lot and his car, his eye caught movement again, this time further up the ship’s massive flank. As he turned around to take a closer look he was prodded again to move along by the same police officer.

  “Wait! I think I saw a door opening on one of the upper decks,” Marcus told the officer.

  “What?” the officer responded as he turned to look.

  Most cruise ships have exterior decks that run along the outside of the ship for scenic views, casual strolls, and moonlight dinners. A door leading out onto one such deck had caught Marcus’ full attention.

  Marcus watched as the door slowly swung open and a small form emerged from inside. Marcus froze in place as his brain recognized something familiar. The small form tottered over to the balcony and let out a primal scream.

  “I think that’s my son!” Marcus cried out, his face a mask of sheer horror.

  The police officer next to Marcus looked up in search of such an unsettling noise. With adrenaline kicking in, Marcus ran past the officer toward the ship. He climbed over the fencing and easily avoided the distracted security force.

  The child clambered over the balcony and launched off, plunging toward the concrete pier below. “Noooooo,” Marcus screamed as he ran to catch the boy. “Matthew, Matthew, MATTHEW!” he cried, desperate to save his son.

  Marcus stopped and reached up. The boy crashed hard and fast, right on top of his father. Feeling bones shatter, Marcus fell to the ground as he attempted to save his son from injury. Before Marcus could orient himself, he heard a guttural growl and felt a tearing sensation rip into the soft flesh of his neck. Pain and a strange heat radiated through his body. Paralyzed, Marcus could only stare helplessly as his son continued to maul him. Marcus noticed, as his vision grew dark, that Matthew’s eyes were imbued with a dull, red glow. The last thing Marcus saw was his son’s bloody, contorted face twisted into a look of malevolent violence. As Marcus’ mind sputtered his final thought of love for his son, the remaining passengers aboard the ship began to rain down around him. Hell had arrived, and it was pissed.