Particle Z (Book 1)

by Scott, Tim

  When Mike’s vision cleared, he was looking directly into Julian’s face. Someone must have dragged a small metal table and a single chair into the room while Mike was out. Julian was studying Mike intently, all the while tapping a silver pen against the surface of the table he was seated at.

  “What have you done with Marlee, Eric, and Reid?” Mike croaked out, his throat dry and parched. “Who the fuck are you really?”

  “I’m whoever I need to be to get what I want, Mike. I’m Julian to you or the Judge to those mindless assholes we recently made the acquaintance of. In actuality, at the basest level I’m simply an entrepreneur, the ultimate capitalist, and a rabid prepper.”

  “I don’t understand. What about the new era and the Mayan prophecy, the Collider? Was that all bullshit?” Mike asked, angry with himself for being such a fool to have allowed himself to become mired so deep in this mess.

  “Oh no, to the contrary. The prophecy was markedly accurate and the Collider absolutely was the catalyst for ending the world. How else do you think the things you have witnessed were possible? A smart businessman understands market trends and keeps his ear to the ground so he isn’t caught off-guard when people’s needs or desires change. I watched hundreds of small outbreaks occur for weeks before anyone put it together. Even then they would not accept the reality of the situation because it was too fantastical. I started to track the outbreaks then sent a team to look into the circumstances to determine if the situation was exploitable or if I needed to hunker down. It was during one of these expeditions when I was attacked and bitten by one of the Changed, but somehow I didn’t change or go mad like the rest. A few weeks passed before I discovered my new sensory abilities and could modify them, if just slightly, as well as my appearance.” He hesitated for a moment to reach up and open his shirt, exposing his chest. Mike was flabbergasted. The tattoos he had clearly seen outside the Walmart were gone now.

  “The tattoos are gone! How did you pull off that trick?”

  “Watch carefully, Mike,” Julian said as he closed his eyes. Seconds later, faint lines of scripture like text began to reappear on his chest. “I found that if I can think it sometimes my body will respond. I can’t grow tits or anything great like that, but minor adjustments are possible. This is, after all, an apocalypse, not a miracle,” he said, smirking at his own wit. Mike didn’t want to admit it but he was impressed and also somewhat disturbed.

  “Where is everybody and where do we fit into this?”

  “They’re safe and secure. You’ll be with me as they are revived and I need you by my side so they don’t panic when they wake up.”

  “Why me? Why not just wake them up like you did me?”

  “Because you’re the leader of the pack and soon I hope to make you an offer that can’t be refused, but primarily because I need you to convince Marlee to help me.”

  “Help you with what?” Mike didn’t like the sound of this one bit, and the shit Julian spewed just seemed to keep getting deeper.

  “All in good time, Mike, but please understand one thing: For now, anyways, you and your friends are safe and no harm will come to you. I ‘m a businessman and soon business will be better than ever if I have any say in the matter. You, thanks to that magical creature of yours, may be a stakeholder in one of the most profitable companies the planet has ever witnessed. You were a business owner once, Mike, you feed a need and the rest takes care of itself, right?”

  Mike understood business and profiteering on the misery of the world’s population wasn’t something he was interested in doing. “I don’t know what you’ve got planned, but I do know business, and whatever you want will be of no value if you think I will have anything to do with making people even more miserable than they already are.”

  “You do understand business, so you must know then that I will make you a remarkable offer that you will not refuse. I understand what makes you tick and think you will be pleasantly surprised by my offer.”

  In an effort to change the subject, Mike changed the line of questioning. “What about those church people? Are they on your payroll then?”

  “The Brattleboro idiots? I need people around me to keep the Changed at bay, and religious fanatics actually seek them out. Morons. The good news is they will do whatever I ask all in the name of something that isn’t really happening. Rapture, my ass.”

  Mike couldn’t argue this subject with Julian as he loathed that type of blind faith. Mike believed in God, or at least before the apocalypse he did, but fanatics, regardless of their specific faith, were repugnant to Mike.

  “So what’s first, Julian?”

  “Well for starters we can dispense with the captor slash captive dynamics of the situation since we’ll be working together. I think we need to start being more open and honest with each other.”

  Mike almost choked at that last comment. He started to sputter out an offended response about how he had been honest and it was Julian who possessed honesty issues, but before he could collect his thoughts Julian said, “Just fucking with you, Mike, calm down.”

  That only incensed Mike further until he realized that was exactly what Julian was after, so he quickly checked his emotions and just stared at the man sitting across from him.

  “Mike, you’re a smart guy, you possess excellent situational awareness and can check your emotions when the need arises. These are all invaluable qualities if we are going to work together and be successful.”

  “Back to working together, are we.” Mike sighed. “I haven’t seen my friends, I don’t even know where we are, so I’m not sure why you continue to think we’ll be working tougher on anything, and if you hadn’t noticed the world was just ass-fucked into oblivion. There are no more people, just dead shells ambling around looking to turn more into the same. Who the fuck would we doing business with anyway, and what would someone have to offer these days?” Mike was irritated. He had followed this man in hopes of a cure for Marlee only to find out he wasn’t interested in leading them to a cure, he was looking to leverage Marlee and the rest of them for some sick business venture.

  “Mike, if I simply needed Marlee and placed no value on you or your friends, why haven’t I just disposed of you and taken what I need?”

  “I’m sure you need me for something, don’t think that thought hasn’t crossed my mind.”

  “Like I said, you think on your feet. I need those traits. We need those traits. Most of all, the world needs those traits. Rest for a while and get the cobwebs out of your head. I’ll send someone to show you where you can get cleaned up and find a change of clothes, and then I’ll take you to your friends.”

  Julian understood Mike’s silence as the affirmative it was intended to be, stood and walked from the room, leaving Mike alone with his thoughts once again. He realized he had much thinking to do, but seeing Marlee and his friends was his top priority. He would have to play along with Julian for now until he could figure a way out of this mess. Deep down, he wondered what kind of an offer Julian was going to make. If it wasn’t immoral and he could protect Marlee from the dangers of the world, he might have to put his personal feelings aside for now. It was, after all, a new world and the rules had changed.

  Hours later, Mike was up again and more restless than ever. As Julian predicted, he felt much better now. His head was clear and he was anxious to be reunited with his friends. He stepped over to the door and gently tapped on the glass. A face appeared, one he had never seen before, then quickly disappeared. This was followed by a sharp click as the lock was pulled back, and the door swung open, revealing a neatly dressed middle-aged man with remarkably good posture.

  The newcomer’s greeting was warm, friendly, and completely non-threatening. “Please follow me, Mr. Sullivan, and I’ll show you where a shower and change of clothes can be found.”

  Mike was unable to even start a conversation or even ask the man his name before his mystery host was off, walking down a long hallway. Mike looked down the hall after him, seeing doors
spaced at even intervals on each side. The tile in the hallway outside the rooms was a rich brown and looked to be in good shape. The walls were a soothing earth tone but devoid of any decorative features. The place had the feel of an apartment building or hotel. Lending support for this theory were the small placards with numbers painted onto them neatly identifying each room. They all started with 10, so Mike assumed he was on the tenth floor of the building in which he now found himself.

  As he drew closer to the end of the hall, an elevator came into sight as well as a sign above the door adjacent to the elevator that boldly stated “STAIRS” in block letters. Mike’s host walked past both and stopped at another door just beyond, numbered 1001. Fishing a key from his coat pocket, he smoothly slid it into the door handle then pushed the door open with minimal effort.

  “This will be yours while you remain with us; everything you need is inside along with the gear you had on you when we arrived. If you should require something additional, dial zero on the phone and I will see to your needs. Julian will be up to see you shortly.” Mike had stepped into the room, and before he was able to respond or ask the man anything about his whereabouts he had already closed the door and was gone. Weird, Mike thought.

  The room was nicely furnished and was indeed a hotel guest room as Mike had suspected. Scanning the room, he noted the room contained a king-sized bed and a small sitting room just beyond the bedroom. The phone was on a night table to the right of the bed, and there was a television on the dresser across from the bed. The sitting room was inviting, with a small cozy sofa and a desk.

  Mike walked over to the closet and pulled the bi-fold door open revealing shoes, shirts, and a few pairs of jeans. This Julian guy was either well-connected or one hell of a planner. All Mike could think about was pinning Julian down on what the hell was really going on. The last few weeks had been crazy, with no end to the crazy in sight.

  He took his time cleaning up and felt better than he had for quite some time after showering and putting on fresh clothing. As if on cue, there came a light tap on the door. Mike figured the place must be bugged and that was how these people always seemed to know exactly when to show up. “Hold on, I’m just about ready.”

  Mike opened the door, revealing the same man from before. Much like his last encounter, he was unable to get a thought articulated before he was told to “follow me” and his host, for lack of a better description, was off once again. Mike was getting tired of the games.

  This time his strange host led him to the elevator. When they boarded Mike was surprised to learn they were going up and not down. The elevator stopped on the twelfth floor, according to the antique brass indicator mounted above the door. Mike was experiencing a feeling of familiarity, which did not diminish as they stepped from the elevator onto a richly appointed landing.

  “Julian is just outside, Mr. Sullivan. Please don’t keep him waiting; he is most anxious to speak with you.”

  Determined to get a name, Mike asked, “Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”

  “I’m known as the Butler to those who know me, nothing more, nothing less. I will return to take you to your room when you are finished with today’s business, Mr. Sullivan. Best be quick before he grows impatient.”

  “The Butler.”

  “Yes.”

  “You can call me Mike, nothing more, nothing less.”

  Acknowledging Mike’s quip with a slight twitch that one might construe as a smile from someone as formal as the Butler was all Mike got in return. The Butler then turned and made his way back onto the elevator and was gone within seconds. The sound of the elevator retreating back down its predestined track faded into oblivion the further it moved away, until finally he was left standing in absolute silence. That was until he heard what sounded like gunfire coming from the distance. Mike sighed heavily and turned back to the doors and the individual awaiting his presence.

  Mike presumed Julian and whatever scheme he was cooking up was waiting for him and his commitment or rejection. What could a man like Julian really want? He reached down to turn the door’s knob. Was he opening the door to his future or his end of days? Ironic, he thought; when one door closes another opens.

  It wasn’t supposed to be this literal, he chuckled to himself at the thought of it all.

  CHAPTER 24

  Partners and New Horizons

  The door opened, revealing a decadent and expansive room. The far wall was comprised entirely of glass, revealing a lush outdoor patio with breathtaking mountain views. Mike was now confident of his current location. It was on this patio, with his back turned, where Mike found Julian staring out into the early morning mist of a shrouded tree line. Hearing Mike approach, Julian cocked his head and silently waved him over to stand by his side.

  “I trust you’re rested and ready to listen to my offer?”

  “What choice do I have?” Mike replied, thinking Julian’s statement rhetorical considering he was a captive audience.

  “If you had no choice would I be standing here about to let you in on what I’m planning and be asking for your help?”

  Mike paused for a moment, thinking over Julian’s words. The man had a point. If he were going to use them, he would simply leverage each against the other to obtain his desired outcome. “Okay, you have my attention. I have no idea if we can trust you, and before we go any further I want to see Marlee and my friends.”

  “Of course, Mike, I would have it no other way. It’s that loyalty to your people that makes you the perfect person to stand by my side during these difficult times.”

  Mike’s eyebrows raised at that statement. Not so much the loyalty comment, more that Julian considered the end of the world as simply difficult times. “Where are they?”

  “Davis,” Julian barked.

  Mike bristled at the name. Davis had knocked him senseless and Mike felt betrayed by someone he had considered a brother-in-arms. Davis walked into the room, careful to avoid Mike’s withering gaze.

  “Please bring Mike’s people up. He needs reassurance they’re being well-cared for,” Julian ordered Davis, who was clearly uncomfortable and would not look directly at Mike.

  “Yes, and don’t hit me in the back of the head with anything on your way out,” Mike said, angrily glowering at the man. For his part, Davis looked really sorry and started to say something to Mike, but must have decided bringing Marlee and the others back should be the first order of business.

  “Don’t be angry with him, Mike. He was only doing what was required and honestly, it was necessary to save your life. Everyone’s, in fact. You know as well as I, no matter how well an operation is planned there are always outliers that shift the objective and sometimes the outcome itself. Losing the medical and scientific staff after landing was a major setback, as was running into such a well-organized group of fanatics the other day.”

  “It seems you have things well under control now,” Mike said, waving his hand around at the opulent suite.

  “We’re secure for now, and we have the bunker, but my objective isn’t to bury myself in a fortified tomb for the remainder of my days. We have a rare opportunity here, one that almost never occurs in the history of a species.”

  Mike wasn’t a stupid man, but he thought it better to let Julian continue speaking. He wanted to know what he was really after. “I’m listening,” was all he said.

  Julian took Mike’s apparent interest as a positive sign and did just that. “Like I was saying, we have an opportunity to build a new society on moral and sound principals. This will not happen overnight and without opposition. The first thing we need to do is secure the area around the bunker before we make our next move.”

  “The place looks pretty secure from where I’m sitting. What next move?”

  “The bunker itself is almost impenetrable, as you’re aware, but if we don’t secure the surrounding area what good will that do us? Again, I have no interest in spending my days locked underground. Dream big, Mike … always drea
m big. I plan to take the underground rail into D.C. to see what talent still exists and look for any semblance of a functional centralized government.”

  “If there is?”

  “Then we see what direction our remaining political class is headed and what we can do to assist, if deserved. If not, or if they are undeserving, then we decide where to settle, claim the land, and start a new America.”

  “All the secrecy and that’s it? That’s the plan; rebuild America in your image of how it should be?” Mike said incredulously. He wasn’t sure if the guy was serious or had lost his mind. Wealthy people were crazy, Mike decided.

  “So you think I’m crazy, do you?”

  Mike laughed at that; his private thoughts must’ve been painted all over his face, “What makes you think you get to decide something like that for others? We still have laws and a Constitution even if the government’s decimated. There’s a succession plan and I have no doubt some officials survived. They’re like cockroaches.”

  “You want some career politician who’s done nothing other than propagate their own slimy and corrupt existence each and every election cycle taking the lead in protecting you and those you care about? Rationing life-sustaining supplies, providing security? Rebuilding this great nation and deciding your future?”

  Mike paused. He really had not thought about it that way. The scary thing about this conversation was the fact Julian was making a shit-load of sense. The last election cycle was particularly brutal. The Conservatives melted down when an outsider attempted to insert himself into a system of professional cronyism and back-door deal-making. Then Candidate Crowder persevered, cementing a long-shot bid to become President Crowder even after enduring an intensive smear campaign funded by just about everyone within the political spectrum regardless of party affiliation. President Crowder had just been entering his second year in office when the assassination occurred. They eventually arrested a radical who spent his days as a professor at the University of Kentucky. It was a bloody execution as executions go. They hit President Crowder while he was visiting an elementary school in Texas, blowing the entire school to oblivion. Thank God the school wasn’t in session yet or the carnage would have been catastrophic. Mike recalled the headlines as if it were yesterday. The Vice President was elevated to the Presidency, where he made an effort to quell further violence, primarily by caving on many of the opposition’s demands, gun control a primary target. Many heavily democratic-leaning states such as New York and Californian saw guns banned entirely. The country settled down with President Schott winning a halfhearted reelection bid. He was the sitting President when the apocalyptic shit hit the fan, and no word of his survival was made public before media started to falter and go dark.