The Outbreak

by Shetty, Krishan

  “You are a disgrace Stefan. Not only did you betray me, but you dare lecture me now?”

  “Sh-Sharyn no!” Stefan cried as he reached out to her. She yanked the trigger back, hard. Stefan’s extended arm froze for a moment before both his hands limply dropped to the ground, blood gushing freely, robbing him of his life. The Colonel clutched his chair’s armrest as tightly as he could. His seething anger visible for all to see. His heart pounded furiously at the sight. Even though Stefan had betrayed the state he definitely didn’t deserve to die. “Faggots like him need to know their place. Darned vermin,” Lou drawled in his Southern accent appreciating the sight. Sharyn’s eyes became damp. Something that surprised her. Without turning back she silently handed Lou his pistol, who accepted it with glee. Clearing her throat she turned around carefully avoiding the Colonel’s gaze. He however, noticed the dampness glimmering from her eyes. The dampness had now robbed her eyes of emotion, devoid of anything to do with feelings. A thunder crackled in the distance forcing the windows to shiver. He turned his gaze to look at Stefan. He laid lifelessly, the floor draining him off his blood. Sharyn set into her chair silently, swivelling vaguely.

  “Colonel,” Sharyn started. Mathers didn’t respond. “I want you to convince your higher ups that we have created a biological weapon, a weapon of mass destruction that can turn a country against itself.”

  He listened choosing not to respond.

  “She’s talking to you Colonel,” Lou repeated almost mocking his accent.

  “You essentially want the military to buy a weapon that can create black holes in countries?” He said ignoring Lou.

  She remained silent. He continued, “What makes you think I can convince them?”

  “What makes you think you have a choice?” she replied calmly. Her voice absent of feeling. Sharyn pushed a telephone on the large table towards Mathers. He hesitated for a moment before reluctantly picking up the receiver and dialling a combination of numbers. He spoke with distinct clarity as everyone else in the room looked on. After a few minutes or so he said, “They are open for negotiations,” putting the phone down.

  “Good. Set up a meeting at the earliest.”

  ***

  Uneasiness shrouded the bright lab as Greg paced up and down. “What do we do now?” Chester asked his eyes trailing the pacing Greg. He didn’t respond trying to shut out Chester’s voice. “Hey! I’m talking to you!” he bellowed. “Shut up! I’m trying to think!” Greg answered visibly annoyed. “Let’s go to Harbinger,” Dana said. Everyone looked at her as if she were crazy. “That’s a brilliant idea,” Greg said snapping his fingers. “There were a couple of those campus police cars. We could definitely use those.”

  “We’ve been here for too long. The Colonel must be in trouble as well,” Roland supported.

  “I don’t think they’d want me back,” Mark smiled sheepishly.

  “No but you can help us get in,” Roland peered at him.

  “What if this alpha thing attacks us?” Sean asked.

  “We kill it,” Roland said cocking his gun.

  “It’s not that easy. You guys haven’t seen that thing. It’s like a boss battle where you have no retries and the boss is too damn strong,” Randy said monotonously.

  Mark after hearing this stepped up towards the Sergeant. “What did you see exactly?” he enquired.

  “I don’t know doc. It was just-different. Nothing I’ve ever seen before. It nearly took Josh’s head off before-” Hastings paused and turned towards Josh as if struck by a bolt of sudden realization. “You-you called that thing ‘dad’ didn’t you?” Hastings asked pointing at Josh almost accusingly.

  Greg looked up, “Wait, what did you say?”

  “He-he called that thing dad!” Hastings said turning towards Greg, his fingers still pointing at Josh.

  “What aren’t you telling us Josh?” Greg asked warily. Josh gripped the blanket wrapped around him tighter. The chattering of his teeth had subsided. His lips twitched nervously.

  “Josh?” Mark asked again warmly. “Is it true what the Sergeant said?”

  He blinked furiously upon hearing the question. Blood rushed to his head bringing immense heat, reddening his ears. He nodded slowly.

  “How?” was Mark’s next question.

  “Answer him son,” Roland said losing the warmth in his voice.

  “Shall I wring it out of him?” Chester asked cracking his knuckles. Roland shook his head prompting him to stand down.

  This weasel! He’s been hiding something from us since the very beginning! Greg’s thoughts pounded against his skull.

  “How can that thing possibly be his dad?” Sean asked.

  “W-wait,” Randy interjected, “The man I saw that day wore a whitecoat, like you guys,” he said pointing at Kaz and his colleagues. He continued “It had a logo of some sort. But it was smeared with blood.”

  “Why do you think that thing is your father?” Mark asked soothingly.

  His lips quivered but then he said, “D-dad didn’t come home the night before...the outbreak. It wasn’t unusual but...the next day when Randy screamed and when we went out into the hallway to check. It was him. The coat, the dress. I just knew it had to be him.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us?” Greg shouted.

  “What was I supposed to tell you? That thing eating professor squeaky is my dad?” he cried.

  “You could have still told us Josh,” Joanne said softly.

  “I thought about it. When we reached the mechanical lab, I nearly collapsed when I saw him,” he said glancing at Mark.

  “Why?” Mark asked puzzled.

  “I knew you worked at Harbinger. You may not remember, but we met when I was younger, with my father.”

  Mark narrowed his eyebrows, “I-I don’t remember.”

  “It was a long time ago. But I knew you. I th-thought that if I were to tell them, you would get us all killed.”

  The puzzled look on Mark’s face remained fixed. “You being a part of Harbinger and all. I thought they would come for you,” he continued.

  “That’s why you were rambling about those conspiracies. You were leaving us breadcrumbs!” Greg said putting a piece into the puzzle. “You were afraid Mark would get us all killed when Harbinger came for him.”

  Josh nodded. “When Harbinger had forsaken him, I didn’t know what to do. I honestly didn’t think we’d be running into it-him.”

  “Your father, did he have some sort of an abnormality?” Mark asked clearing the cobwebs in his mind.

  Turning his gaze swiftly to look at Mark he said, “Huh?” he blinked repeatedly. “Uhh, he had an extra finger on his right hand. Th-that’s all I know.”

  Greg looked up. The blue sea discovered something buried deep within. “Your dad! Didn’t he work at Harbinger?” he asked.

  “He did? What’s his name?” Mark asked, his eyes narrowing to slits.

  Josh bit his lip.

  “Matthew Tait.”

  Chapter 10

  Gently placing the phone back in it’s place, he sighed with weary eyes. He rested his tired head against the softness of his leather chair. “Something bothering you sir?” asked a middle aged man dressed in a smart suit with curious eyes.

  “Where do I begin, Desmond?” said the man in the chair. Desmond watched his boss close his eyes and drift into deep contemplation.

  “Sharyn screwed up,” he said suddenly, his eyes spiking with his choiced words. Desmond watched as his boss continued, “And this time I think I can do nothing about it.”

  “That bad?” Desmond asked.

  He simply responded with a silent hmm. Gracefully rising from the chair, the old man ran his index finger along the length of the heavy Oakwood table, just in front of a wall of glass. Majestic skyscrapers behind the glass wall signified unfettered power. Desmond watched as his boss; a man dressed in an expensive, crisp three piece suit with a pure white shirt paired with a tie with a subdued shade of blue. A lapel pin bearing the stylized H gl
istened in the generous light. His shoes were so well polished; Desmond could see his face on it. Delicate wisps of silver hair slicked back complemented his thick fair moustache and a golden complexion. His gait was soft yet firm, his voice measured and calm with a sharp edge.

  “She has fallen into a hole she cannot get out of,” he said.

  “Sir, I pulled security feeds from the biotech division.”

  “And?”

  “It’s bad.”

  “This...sibling rivalry has turned into a...menace,” he said. “Sharyn has long since forsaken her innocence. This-is not what I wanted for her,” he continued shaking his head.

  “I don’t quite follow,” Desmond said, his face not quite matching up with his words.

  “You see, between Meryl and Sharyn, I always thought Sharyn, being the more intelligent and level headed one would pave her own way, be sensible; responsible,” he said as he strode towards frames of photographs that adorned a wall. He observed the photographs, some were black and white and some were in colour. Examining a black and white photograph of a young man with a fishing line in his hand he said, “I founded this business so as to not just support my family, but also to help my country-and the people. So innocent and naive was I. The cut throat competition of the corporate world changes people. I did things I never dreamt of. I didn’t want that for my daughters,” he said almost sullenly.

  “Both the Biotech division and the Applied Sciences division have thrived under your daughters, sir,” he pointed out in a hope that it would make the elderly man feel better. The old man stood staring at the photograph, gliding his gaze from one picture to another.

  “Harbinger.”

  “Sir?” Desmond asked confused.

  “Do you know why I named the company Harbinger?”

  He shook his head beginning to wonder himself.

  “When I started, I wanted this company to be the coming of something wonderful; like the Harbinger of prosperity or happiness,” he said as if he saw Desmond shake his head. “Unfortunately, It’s now en route to becoming the Harbinger of death.”

  Sighing and turning away from the photographs when he finished gazing down memory lane, he said, “Sharyn has done something absolutely dreadful. Hale City has become a warzone.”

  “Shall I order the deployment of our PMC?”

  The old man simply shook his head in disdain, “Mobilizing a PMC domestically will immediately garner the government’s attention. Plus Colonel Mathers is there. It’s a recipe for disaster.”

  “What shall we do?” Desmond asked curiously.

  “The way I see it, two things will happen; either the military intervene and quarantine Hale or whatever those creatures are, they will consume us.”

  “It would be preferable for military action then?”

  The old man once again shook his head. Looking Desmond straight in the eyes he said, “There is no silver lining son. If and when the government intervenes, we will be the scapegoat for Operation PANGEA. We are looking at life imprisonment or the chair,” he said emphasising on the latter. “The other option is a death sentence as well. The axe looms over us Desmond.” Desmond swallowed letting the seniors words sink in. “But didn’t the Biotech division undertake the project without prior consent from HQ?”

  “Each division is free to undertake anything as long as it yields profits. What irks me is that Sharyn kept this under wraps for as long as she did. Finding out through Stefan doesn’t particularly leave a good taste in my mouth. The government isn’t going to happy either.”

  “If we could convince them perhaps?”

  The elderly man smiled meekly. “It could be done. The oldest trick in the book. However that doesn’t guarantee safe passage. Remember Desmond, the odds are stacked against us. The government has a sticky finger in the pie as well. Let us say the world learns of the government’s plan of world domination. Would the world remain silent?” He shook his head, his smile a constant. “The entire world would unite against us. This isn’t the first time the government has been wallowing in the darkness. They already have a backdoor ready. I’m quite certain Colonel Mathers is just a pawn as well. If things were to go south, the government can easily point fingers at a certain below the table collaboration between a rogue company and Harbinger,” he said his face morphing into a frown, “This entire twisting the arm of the government happens only on television. In reality, the government is an immensely powerful body with a god complex.”

  Desmond thought about the words of wisdom his boss had to share. A large phone on the table beeped and a voice spoke, “There are some men here to see you, sir.”

  The old man strode towards the phone and pressing an orange button said, “Tell them I’m unavailable. Let nobody in,” he said with a soft firmness.

  “Yes, Mr. Draxler.”

  Desmond shot the elder Draxler a concerned look. He acknowledged his gaze. “They are rather quick aren’t they?” he said calmly reaching for a bottle of scotch on his table. He carefully poured the contents into an immaculate crystal glass. The golden liquid relished the company of the sunlight and the glass. Swirling the fluid smoothly in it’s confines, he took it all in. Even the simple act of drinking whiskey looked elegant courtesy of Mr. Draxler. The doors to his massive office were thrown open and one man stormed in with another man hot on his heels.

  “Draxler,” he snarled.

  “Just in time Kerry, shall I pour you one as well? It’s a century old. Absolutely delightful,” he said raising the bottle for Kerry to see.

  “Cut the bullshit Draxler, you know why I’m here,” he said moving towards the table.

  “Sir, I’m so sorry, he wouldn’t listen,” said a neatly dressed woman in utter exasperation.

  “It’s quite alright Claire. This time make sure that nobody disturbs me.”

  Claire carefully closed the door and Kerry glared at Desmond deciding to ignore his existence. Desmond was quite clearly taken aback with Kerry’s brash attitude, mainly because the Chief of Staff appeared to be a calm and cheerful person on numerous television broadcasts.

  “I just got out of a joint staff meeting. They tell me that Harbinger is trying to sell us a biological weapon that can turn a nation against itself?” he said slamming his hands on the large table. The elderly Draxler poured himself another glass of whiskey as he listened.

  “What about it?”

  “That wasn’t the deal Gerald,” he said closing his eyes as if to subdue his anger. “I hear Colonel Mathers and his men went missing.”

  “Desertion?” he said taking a sip from the glass.

  “I think not,” he said clearly stressing on the latter.

  “Are you accusing us Kerry?”

  “What do you think?”

  Gerald sighed as he took a big sip, emptying the glass. “Kerry, we’ve known each other for a long time. Have I ever done anything to antagonize you?”

  “You? No. Your daughters? Perhaps.”

  Gerald shot him a warning glare. A glare that Desmond had seldom seen. The old wolf was not someone who took kindly to people who mentioned his daughters in such manner.

  “Don’t gimme that look Gerald. I pulled the feeds from HU. In today’s world where surveillance is everything, we can access anything-anywhere.”

  “The Generals aren’t ready to take up the offer. And they aren’t happy about the Colonel being taken hostage. And those things? Jesus Christ, what are those?” he said with worried creases.

  Gerald shrugged.

  “Now look, here’s how it’s going to go down. The government is going to mobilize the army and they are going to march down to Hale and secure the city and Harbinger.”

  “You mean secure the serum?” Gerald chimed.

  “Don’t be coy with me Gerald. Your daughter shoved the whole situation down the shitter. If she thinks the government is going to sit on it’s ass, then she’s god damned wrong.”

  “I didn’t know the government really cared about people. I’m impressed.�
�

  Kerry slammed the table again. Before he could speak, Gerald cut him off and leaned forward, “Sharyn has made a mistake, I know. But she’s a child. She probably got a little carried away.”

  Kerry stared at Gerald dumbstruck. “Child? She’s responsible for the massacre of Hale City. She’s a murderer.”

  Gerald tightly gripped the glass. “We can still sweep it under the rug Kerry. What you have now instead of an enhancement serum is a biological weapon that can transform warfare as we know it. Imagine never having to set foot in a foreign land again to wipe out our enemies. Just like Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We take the world by surprise.”

  Kerry sighed. “We’ve already received a distress call from Hale. We will respond.”

  “Word spreads like wildfire wouldn’t you agree?” Gerald said settling into his seat.

  Kerry snorted. “First the daughter, now the father too? You know what happens if word gets out don’t you?”

  “Indeed I do. Whatever happens to us is far less compared to what will happen to you.”

  Desmond watched in awe as the two men engaged in a verbal boxing match. Both were on their knees, yet he saw no signs of them quitting.

  Leaning in Kerry said, “Since you are an old friend, I’ll give you a word of advice. Don’t try and contact Sharyn. The walls have ears.”

  Kerry pirouetted on his feet and briskly walked towards the door, “You’ve been warned Gerald. Don’t blame me.” He left the room, with his aide to close the door on his way out.

  Desmond hesitated before speaking, “Sir, shall I-?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. That would be the last nail on the coffin,” he said tapping the wood rhythmically. “He is right though, the situation has gone down the shitter.”

  “Does Miss Meryl know of the situation?” Desmond asked.

  “I’m sure she’s learned by now,” Gerald said peering at the bottle of whiskey. “I’m quite sure she believes it’s a one horse race now.” Creases formed on Gerald’s delicate forehead. “Perhaps I am to blame as well. If I would’ve stopped their ludicrous rivalry, none of this would have occurred in the first place.”