Particle Z (Book 1)
Page 21
“I think we need to figure out what’s happening elsewhere in the county before we make any long-term clandestine plans,” Mike said, starting to come around to Julian’s way of thinking.
There came a smart rap on the door and, without waiting for a response, Davis opened the door and walked in with Marlee, Eric, and Reid in tow. When Marlee spotted Mike standing outside on the balcony with Julian she broke from the group and ran to him, giving him a hug that almost squeezed the breath from him. Eric calmly gave Mike a once-over to make sure he looked well, and Reid was more interested in the over-the-top furnishings and design of the suite. Davis hung back, keeping a wary eye on the entire group.
“They’re all doing well as you can see. Now can we get down to business?” Julian asked Mike.
“What kind of business are we discussing?” Eric asked as he came up and stood by Mike’s side looking squarely at Julian.
Mike answered before Julian got started. “Julian’s a huge prepper and wants to start his own country, but he needs us, Marlee to be exact, to get things going.”
Julian smiled at Mike’s oversimplification of his plans, partly because he was correct. “Mike is right in the sense I plan on taking control of my own destiny. My suggestion to all of you is to do the same, and yes, Marlee is vital to our survival.”
“How so?” Eric asked. Mike knew Eric enjoyed the back and forth of a negotiation and didn’t mind if he stepped in to drill down to what it was Julian wanted to accomplish, where they fit in and what was in it for them.
“Her change is considerably more advanced than mine, but make no mistake, we will encounter others that have similar enhancements. Some, like us, will be good people; others, like them, will be pure evil,” Julian said as he pointed at a point off in the distance.
“What’s more evil than the Changed?” Reid asked.
“For starters, the leader of the church band we encountered. They believe I’m some sort of Second Coming, so I’ve been able to use them to clear out the Greenbrier and the surrounding area. I spoke with Marcus and he seems to think Brattleboro’s founder was affected like Marlee and me. The problem is he considers his Change a gift directly from God.”
“How’s that our problem?” Mike asked.
“We need to pay a visit to D.C. and see what remains. If nothing, this is as good a place as any to start over, and a religious fanatic with even a small group will be nothing but trouble. Some of the people his followers cleansed were not even Changed; they simply didn’t accept his spiritual leadership. This makes him a very dangerous man, Mike, not only to us but to any survivors still in town or people passing through looking for safety.”
Marlee, who had been standing at the edge of the balcony looking off into the peaceful quiet of the morning, turned and looked at Mike and Julian. “Maybe he’ll leave us alone. We should let his people go before they figure out Julian isn’t what they think he is.”
Julian smiled. “That’s the kind of critical thinking I’m looking for. We let his people go earlier today; all except for Marcus, who surprisingly wanted to stay.”
“Can you trust him?” Mike asked.
“Not sure yet. I have supplies and equipment stashed everywhere, but one thing I don’t have is people. This isn’t the kind of event where most employees stick around afterwards looking for their paycheck. Most are dead for all I know, and we will need people, good people.”
“For what?” Reid asked.
“All the guns, provisions, and equipment in the world are worthless without people. Like it or not, safety will only be found in numbers from this point forward.” Julian paused before continuing, “The Changed, organized groups of people with bad intentions, will pick off individuals or small groups from here on out. It’s always that way after a disaster, and humanity has never experienced shit like this before; people will be as dangerous as the Changed. We need to find the good ones and save them because they will be what saves us.”
Julian’s words were brutally honest, hushing everyone for a moment as the reality of it all sank in. Mike was starting to develop an in-depth understanding of Julian’s motivations. What Julian wanted was no different from what the rest of them wanted.
Survival.
Julian was wealthy, but wealth meant nothing anymore. Julian was prepared but not for the extent of the chaos engulfing the world. Julian had resources but not enough people to accomplish his goals. Mike suddenly realized Julian’s offer wasn’t really an offer at all, it was a plea propositioned as a business offer from a man that was used to making things happen and getting whatever he wanted. This revelation leveled the playing field and cemented Mike’s decision.
“Julian, we’ll partner with you.”
Julian looked a bit surprised by Mike’s sudden statement, then smiled warmly, understanding Mike recognized his offer for what it truly was. “Partners then till the end.”
“Partners then till the end,” Mike replied evenly. Eric looked at Mike, but knew enough not to ask any questions at that moment.
Mike held up his hand and started ticking off their to do list. “So we need to deal with a religious fanatic who may have enhancements similar to or more advanced than Marlee’s, who is also likely on his way here as we speak. After dispatching that minor problem, we skip over to D.C. in a secret tunnel to check on what’s left of the government. We do all this while gathering people, stockpiles of supplies, and eventually establish our own self-governed safe zone while we combat the Changed and shitty people. Meanwhile, we hope whatever caused this mess, be it prophesy, Rapture, or shitty luck, doesn’t toss any more shit sandwiches our way.”
“So when do I get one of these fancy rooms now that we’re all chummy?” Reid asked impulsively, inciting laughter from everyone and breaking the tension in the room; sadly, they would all learn in the days ahead how rare moments like this would be.
~ The End ~
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tim Scott is a father of two, works full time in Tampa, Florida, and served in the United States Air Force for close to a decade prior to that. Tim is lucky to have met a wonderful woman after his move to Tampa and hopes to get married someday. Currently he is in a perpetual state of engagement while he works out some kinks in his personality (for her). Tim has always dreamed of writing a novel and in early 2015 decided to make it a reality. His first full-length novel, Particle Z, is waiting on you to read and enjoy. When Tim isn’t working, raising kids, or writing, he enjoys reading and looking for ways to avoid the honey-do list.