Outbreak

by Paul Carberry

  The bullet proof vest was cumbersome, the straps dug deep into his ribs.

  A frosty windswept a wintery chill up the road, causing all the trees to buckle. The cold dark sky was full of clouds that hid the stars and the moon out of sight, there was nothing but darkness all around him. Eric closed the trunk of his car, it made an extra loud thud in the silence of the forest.

  Eric used the flashlight to guide his way down the gravel road, dirt scuffed under his shoes with every step. Leaves blew down the road like tumble weeds through an old western showdown.

  The lights from Frank’s cabin were hard to see through all of the thick, green trees, they enclosed the cabin. Eric turned off his flashlight so that Frank would not see him approaching. Eric looked at his cell phone, it was 9:20pm, he had ten minutes to think about what he should do. Jason’s life was at risk and it was up to Eric to save him, he would not do anything foolish or reckless. As he stepped into the driveway, Frank’s minivan was parked in the driveway.

  So who was driving his squad car? What was Gary getting himself into? What was he getting himself into? This was insane. Eric wondered what Dana was doing right now, his mind was racing and he couldn’t help but feel like something bad was about to happen.

  Eric put his hand on the wooden handle of his revolver, and drew it from the holster. He placed the barrel of the gun against his forehead, the cold metal felt like it was burning a hole right into his brain. For a moment, Eric tried to clear everything from his mind, it was no use. He lowered his gun to his side and placed his finger on the trigger. Eric started to advance towards the front door of Franks cabin.

  This was it. No turning back now.

  “Frank!” Eric yelled out as he stood in front of the door. “I’m coming in.”

  There was no answer on the other side. Eric reached down, half afraid to touch the doorknob, like it was some kind of booby trap waiting to be set off. He grabbed the knob, nothing but cold steel rested in his hand. He slowly turned the handle, easing the door open slowly. Peeking inside he could not see Frank in the short hallway, Eric pushed the door all the way open to reveal the empty corridor.

  “Frank! God Damn it, show yourself!” Eric felt the urge to turn around and leave. Eric suppressed that urge, and pushed forward step by step. With every step Eric took, it felt like the weight of the world was pressing him down, he struggled valiantly to keep his knees from buckling.

  Eric edged his way to the end of the hallway, it opened into the main room. With his revolver leading the way, Eric decided to check the left side first, and then the right. Eric began to breathe hard and fear took over.

  “Frank!”

  Eric whipped around the corner and aimed his gun to the left and scanned the room, nothing but an empty kitchen. The large oak table had four chairs tucked into it, the refrigerator hummed a low pitch, electric sound.

  Eric twisted to the left to scan the room, Frank was sitting in an old rocking chair with his head down, his fingers nestled in his grey hair. There was an empty chesterfield against the wall and a fireplace in the corner with a coat rack next to it. Two jackets hung from the rack. Frank’s police jacket hung off one peg, and a grey jacket with the Pharmakon logo hung from another.

  Before Eric had a chance to react, a blunt metal object thrust hard into the back of his head.

  “Put the gun down on the floor, and have a seat on that chesterfield over there.” The man pushed the weapon into the back of Eric’s head in the direction of the couch. Eric laid his revolver on the ground and walked over to the vacant couch. Eric turned his glance to look at Frank, who was holding a shotgun in his lap, but Frank had still refused to make eye contact. Eric sank into the couch, his eyes turned to look at the man hold the gun in his face.

  “Now, Officer Jones, I need to explain something to you.” Fred kept the gun fixed on Eric.

  ***

  Jason held the syringe in the palm of his hand, it was filled with a pale green liquid, bubbles seemed to be floating around inside the clear glass tube. Jason had contemplated about trying to save Tracy himself, but he couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if he failed. The ray of light from the window had faded hours ago, and the dull florescent light in the hallway cast deep, curious shadows into his cell. The temperature in the room dropped drastically, chilling him to the bone, it was getting extremely uncomfortable down here.

  Jason’s mind was racing with all of the possibilities that accompanied such a harsh decision. If he tried to rescue her himself, so much could go wrong. She could get killed before he ever reached her, he could get torn apart himself trying to rescue her and she would die anyways. What if he gave back the syringe, and they never kept their word? They could just let her die and there would be nothing he could do about it. What if they did keep their word, but Jason died trying to get out of this hallway? Gordon said that once the door was opened, all of the cells would open on Tracy’s floor unless he had the correct code. Would he be able to find the correct code, maybe he could beat it out of one of the workers? Could he go outside and call Eric for help? So much could go wrong, and it seemed like there was only a slim chance that things would work out.

  Jason was left with only one real choice.

  ***

  “Eric, would you do anything to keep your wife safe?” Frank questioned Eric.

  “Of course I would Frank. What the hell have you done?” Eric could not take his eyes off the barrel of the gun that Fred had jammed in his face.

  “I made a deal with the devil. I had no other choice.” A tear rolled down Frank’s face. “Mr. Purchase offered to save my family from the end of the world in exchange for me keeping the police out of Pharmakon’s business. I helped keep the Lazerous project a secret from those who could stop it.”

  “The end of the world?!” Eric had no idea what Frank was talking about.

  “Yeah I know. It sounds crazy. I have created a virus that turns humans into zombies, just like in the movies.” Fred kept the gun fixed on Eric.

  “Fucking Zombies! Have you lost your mind?” Eric was floored by what Fred was saying, he didn’t want to believe it. The image of the man from last night with his entrails hanging out, and jaws snapping at his flesh gave truth to what Fred was saying.

  “I let them carry out their research, and I even helped them. We are all infected, every last one of us… and I let it happen.” Frank stood up and held the shotgun at his side, his emotions affecting his voice. He still couldn’t look at Eric.

  “What do you mean?” Eric could see the anguish in Frank’s expression.

  “That shot that everyone got last month to prevent the new strain of bird flu was just a cover story. When everyone got their flu shot, they were injected with the virus. We are all carriers now. When you die, you turn into one of those monsters. The only way to stop it, is to destroy the brain. As long as the brain is intact… there is no stopping these creatures.”

  “So unless you die, you won’t turn. But how is this outbreak spreading so fast?” Eric’s heart skipped a beat. “I’ve seen the news. It spreads so fast!”

  “Most people were given a dose too small to turn them, but some people were given higher doses to make sure this thing spread. Not everyone will die, Pharmakon has safe houses all around the world to keep the rich and powerful safe from the zombies. We have developed the cure, and are going to sell it to anyone desperate enough. When this is all over Pharmakon will have control over everything! We will be able to do whatever we want.” Fred’s laugh was villainous.

  “So how do they keep the zombies from ripping the world apart?” Eric knew that this plan was insane. Too many things could go wrong and millions of people would die. No one was prepared to deal with this, the world would crumble and the only people left alive would be the only ones who deserved to die.

  “Secure locations around the world where the virus will never reach. I know my family will be in some underground medical base located here, somewhere on the island. They will stay in t
he underground shelters until it’s safe.” Tears continued to roll down Frank’s face. “They predict that in five years the majority of the earth’s population will have been wiped out. Once the zombies’ food source have been depleted, they will starve to death.”

  “You mean once everyone is dead?” Eric shook his head in disgust.

  “Yes. We know there will be survivors, but we will have so much power and wealth that no one could oppose us from taking control of the world!” Fred’s voice was full of pride.

  “Frank, where is Jason?” Eric nearly forgot about his best friend.

  “Fox Island. They are holding him and his wife prisoner. They are going to force Jason to either save her life, or let them take her underground, and forfeit his own life.” Frank released his left hand from the gun, it dangled by his leg. Eric thought that Frank was about to drop the shotgun, as if it suddenly had become too heavy to hold anymore. Frank pulled a plastic card out of his pants pocket. “Here.” Frank handed Eric the key card. “This will get you into the holding cells where they are being held.”

  Eric took the key card from Frank and held it in his hands to examine it. “Where did you get this?”

  “I swiped it out of Gordon’s office the last time I was there. I realized that I had made a big mistake, and I had thought that I would be able to sneak back onto the island and find the cure. Try and save as many people as I could. They say the cold will slow the zombies down. We could have a fighting chance Eric. We could survive here in Newfoundland if we are careful.” Frank picked Eric’s gun up off the floor and held it up to admire the revolver.

  “So, you’re going to help me?” Eric didn’t understand what was happening.

  “No one will be helping you. I will put you out of your misery so you don’t have to watch everyone you love get torn apart by those vile creatures.” Fred slid the chamber back and loaded a bullet into the gun.

  “Please, you don’t have to do this,” Eric pleaded, tears welling in his eyes.

  “You may not understand it right now, but it is a mercy,” Fred snarled grimly.

  “This wasn’t part of our deal. You said you would let us live. You said you would show my family mercy?” Frank raised the shotgun towards Fred.

  “I told you I would show them mercy, and I did. I never said I would let them live,” Fred’s voice crackled with amusement.

  BANG!

  Fred twisted towards Frank and fired a quick shot narrowly missing Frank’s head. The bullet impacted into the wall behind Frank, and sent splinters of wood showering the air.

  Eric tackled Fred to the ground, the two men wrestled on the floor. Eric managed to gain the top position easily, but as he looked down Fred’s face had a sly smile.

  He had the gun pressed into Eric’s chest. Eric quickly rolled off just before Fred pulled the trigger.

  BANG!

  This time the bullet burrowed into the ceiling, sending a shower of plaster and gyprock over them.

  Before Fred could pull the trigger again, Frank fired a shot.

  BANG!

  The bullet found its mark, digging into Fred’s chest. It made a dull, wet sound as it sent a thick splatter of blood across the floor. Fred stumbled backwards and braced himself against the wall, he tried to raise his weapon towards Frank.

  BANG!! BANNG!!!

  Frank sent two more rounds into Fred’s skull before he had a chance to raise the gun. Fred slid down the wall slowly, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he crumpled to the floor. Blood and brains ran down the wall where Fred had been standing.

  Frank held Eric’s gun in his hand, smoke still rising from the barrel. With his outstretched arm he offered the handle to Eric.

  “You need to save your family.”

  Eric reached out and took back his gun.

  “After tomorrow society will be in shambles. Your badge will be useless. There will be no law, no justice system.” Frank laid his shotgun down on the wooden coffee table. “You know it’s true. You won’t be able to save everyone Eric. Get your family out of town. The higher the population, the higher the risk will be!”

  Eric took the revolver from Frank, and placed it back in its holster.

  “I’m going to redeem myself. I’m going to try and save as many people as I can.” Frank paused for a moment. “I have to.”

  “You won’t be able to save enough lives to make up for all of the ones you destroyed.” Eric pushed past Frank. “You should have stopped them before this got out of hand. You’ll suffer for this!” Your family paid the price for your mistake!” Eric headed down the hallway towards the door, he was determined to save his friends from the clutches of this mad man on Fox Island.

  “I hope you make it to your friends in time,” Frank called out.

  Eric never said anything back, he slammed the door behind him and started to run to his squad car. He had to get to Fox Island as quickly as possible. He knew the helicopter was waiting for him in Deer Lake. He checked his cell phone, still no signal strength. He needed to call his wife, he needed to make sure she was at his parents’ cabin. She would be safe at home for now, but he would have to get her to the cabin as soon as possible.

  The apocalypse was on the horizon and he felt helpless to stop it. All he could do now was save those who meant the most to him. He would try to warn as many people as he could, but it was like Frank said, he had to save his loved ones.

  Chapter 17

  Nearing Midnight

  The knuckles on Eric’s hand had turned white from gripping the wheel so tightly. The highway was mostly vacant except for the occasional set of headlights heading out of town as they passed him. The flashing lights on the squad car lit up the shoulder of the road. Eric looked down at his cell phone and was angered to find that he still had not picked up a signal. He needed to warn Dana to get the hell out of town. He wanted to warn the other officers of what was going to happen, and get them patrolling the city.

  He wished he would wake up, and find out that this was all a nightmare, but this was his reality, and it was rapidly spiralling out of control.

  In all of the commotion, Eric had forgotten about the radio on his dash that was a direct line to the dispatch in Corner Brook.

  “Dispatch come in, this is Officer Jones.”

  “This is dispatch, Officer Jones,” Sasha’s voice came over the radio.

  “Sasha, call in all the available officers.” Eric’s voice was panicked.

  “Really? You know that’s not going to be easy,” Sasha questioned Eric.

  “Listen, we don’t have much time. Have you heard all the news reports, about the quarantined zones?” As the car climbed the hill the engine struggled to accelerate the car. Eric could see tail lights ahead of him for the first time, he was getting closer to the airport now.

  “Yes, I have.” Sasha paused.

  “Well, it’s about to happen here.” Eric pushed the gas pedal down to the floor and the car sped forward as he reached the top of the hill.

  “Shit! You know that for sure?” Sasha sounded hysterical.

  “Yes, it’s going to happen all around the world. I just wish I knew where to send everyone.” Eric had no idea how he could prevent this from happening, maybe Frank was right. There would be no way to stop the apocalypse from happening, it was too late. All they could do now was find a way to survive.

  “The hospital!” Sasha’s voice filled with enthusiasm.

  “That’s a good idea, we have to keep it safe.” It was an obvious choice, Eric was glad someone was thinking clearly.

  “No, in all the news reports the quarantined zones always included the local hospital. That’s where we need to start.” Sasha sounded sure of herself.

  “Great work Sasha.” Eric made the turn-off that led towards the airport. “Listen I gotta go, you take care of this. I’ll be in as soon as I can.” Eric could see the airport all lit up, like some beacon in the night guiding him. “Keep yourself safe.”

  “What, why aren’t you co
ming in? Gary and Elliot are already gone after Frank in Burgeo,” Sasha pleaded with Eric.

  “I need to get the man who did this. I only have one chance to bring him to justice,” Eric lied, he was going to save his friends, and if he did happen to find Mr. Purchase he would put a bullet in his guts, then he would watch as Mr. Purchase transformed into one of those monsters so he could put a bullet in his brain.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Sasha didn’t sound very impressed by Eric’s plan.

  “No, I’m not, but maybe stopping him will help solve this outbreak.”

  “Be careful,” Sasha said as they ended their conversation.

  Eric could see the helicopter on the helipad just behind the fence on the runway. As Eric pulled up to the fence, a man in a blue jump suit walked out of the terminal and waved Eric towards him.

  Eric got out of the car and grabbed his duffle bag out of the trunk. The pilot was waiting for Eric at the entrance, and he held out his hand to shake as Eric approached.

  “Name’s Kenny, I’ll be your pilot.” The two men shook hands. Kenny had long brown hair and it was slicked back with a full beard that he kept well trimmed. A long, discoloured scar that ran the length of his jaw line stood out under his beard.

  “Let’s go, we don’t have time to waste.” Eric and Kenny raced through the terminal and out the back exit onto the runway. The large black helicopter was an awe-inspiring sight. If the circumstances were different Eric would actually be thrilled to ride in a helicopter. They climbed into the cockpit and Kenny handed Eric a green helmet.

  “Put this on so we can talk. This thing gets loud.” Kenny put his helmet on his head. He looked like a pilot from one of those cool war movies Eric would have watched as a kid.

  “Hey, before we go, I need to call my wife.” Eric pulled out his cell phone.