Afflicted

by Susanne Valenti

  There were several people in purple shirts handing out the packs of bottled water and as I reached the front of the queue a girl stepped forward to pass me a pack. She had dark skin and braids which were twisted with blue thread. She was wearing shorts which showed off her long legs and had tied a knot in the purple shirt, revealing her toned stomach.

  She paused as she caught sight of me, letting her eyes drop to my bare chest before swerving back up to meet my gaze. I gave her a wide smile which she couldn't help but return as she handed the water over.

  “Been for a run?” she asked, letting her fingers brush mine as I took the heavy pack of bottles and lifted them onto my shoulder.

  “It's a nice day for it,” I replied with a nod. She was pretty and when she smiled her eyes danced with hidden laughter.

  “I'm hoping to get out when I finish my shift. Take a few laps around the park while the sun’s still shining.” One of her colleagues gave her an annoyed glare as he continued handing out water to the rest of the queue but she either didn't notice or didn't care.

  “It's a nice place for it. I should really come down here more often while I'm in town.” I wondered if I should ask her out. I wasn't going to be here very long but that didn't mean I shouldn't have any fun while I was here. And it'd be a nice distraction.

  “You should,” she agreed, smiling wider as she saw where the conversation was headed. “Maybe you could join me later?”

  “Heads up!” a guy yelled and I glanced up just as a football came slamming down in the middle of the water bottles.

  The girl jumped a little, her smile dropping in fright.

  “Sorry!” the guy yelled as he ran to retrieve his ball. He was tall and blonde, all smiles and apologies as he weaved between the crowd and bottles to find the ball.

  “Spencer!” another boy shouted from the park as he raised his hands.

  Spencer grabbed the ball and launched it back to the other boy who caught it neatly and ran back to the rest of his friends. As I watched, I suddenly spotted Katy. She was laughing with her friends as she ate an ice cream. The sun gleamed off of her long, dark hair as she tossed it over her shoulder.

  “So will I see you later?” the girl asked, jolting me back to my surroundings.

  “Oh, maybe,” I agreed vaguely as I turned away from her.

  I glanced back across the park where Katy and her friends were still playing. It made me feel strangely sad. I'd never really had any time like that, carefree with my friends and endless possibilities ahead of me. I was weirdly tempted to take her up on her earlier offer and join them.

  I shook my head as I dismissed the idea and headed away down the street. I needed to drop the water back to the house before going into town. If I wasn't careful I'd end up being late to met with Kai.

  By the time I made it into town, collected my truck and picked up the groceries, I knew I was going to be late.

  I had one more stop to make before meeting Kai and I couldn't put it off any longer.

  I pulled up outside the funeral parlour, letting my truck’s engine idle. I was pleased to hear that the annoying ticking sound had stopped since its trip to the shop.

  I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel, frowning up at the black and gold shopfront. ‘Hoffman and Sons’ was scrawled across the sign. I wondered if I'd be meeting Mr Hoffman or one of the sons. With a sigh, I shut off the engine and got out of my truck, locking it behind me.

  I moved into the shop, setting off a small bell above the door as I entered. There was a black sofa to the right of the counter and a door which led to something labelled ‘family room’ on my left. I strolled up to the counter and waited for someone to appear.

  After a few minutes, a woman hurried out to greet me, patting her dark hair down as she arrived. Not Mr Hoffman or his sons then.

  “I'm so sorry, I was on lunch,” she explained as she wiped at her face, obviously worrying she may have some food there.

  “No problem, I won't hold you up. I've come to collect some ashes,” I said briskly, glad to have an excuse not to linger.

  Her face slipped into a mask of condolence and sympathy that she had obviously spent years perfecting. “Of course, Mr…”

  “Walsh. I'm here for Nathaniel Walsh.” I confirmed, trying to convey that I didn't need any sympathy.

  Presumably she wasn't used to that and laid a hand on my arm, gazing at me in a very understanding way. “Would you like some time with him in the family room?” she asked in a soothing voice. “It can be a very emotional moment.”

  I couldn't help but bark out a laugh. “Thanks but no. I can assure you that the only emotion I'm feeling is relief. Besides, I'm a little late for my own lunch so if you could just bring it out.”

  The woman bit her lip, clearly choosing whether to say anything in response. She obviously decided against it as she ducked back out of the room with a slight nod.

  I pulled my cellphone from my pocket and quickly tapped a message to Kai.

  12:37 - I'm running late as you've probably gathered. Feel free to order and I'll be there asap

  The seconds dragged on, defined by a large grandfather clock which was tucked into a corner and made a loud ticking sound.

  Kai 12:38 - Already ordered. If you don't hurry we'll eat yours

  I smirked at the message and glanced up as the woman reentered carrying a silver urn.

  “I'm so sorry for your loss,” she said sincerely as she passed it over.

  “Don't be, he was no loss,” I replied as I reached out to take it from her. I hesitated for a moment, somehow reluctant to hold it.

  The little box which used to be my father felt heavier than I expected. I frowned at it for a moment, half considering dumping it in the nearest trash can.

  “If you need a moment-“ the woman began softly.

  “I don't. What do I owe you?” I looked up at her, intending to smile but finding my mouth didn't want to cooperate.

  “The account has already been settled-“

  “Great. Goodbye.” I turned my back on her and walked outside, setting off the tinkling bell again as I went.

  I headed straight for my truck and dumped the urn into the bed on the back.

  I jogged around the hood and jumped in the cab, starting the engine quickly. I let out a deep breath I hadn't realised I’d been holding and gripped the steering wheel tightly. I stared at my knuckles as they started to turn white.

  A prickle on the back of my neck made me look up at the shop window where the woman was staring out at me, her face etched in pity. My lip curled back as I shoved the truck into gear and I pulled away, leaving her behind.

  I sped down the road, forcing myself to ease off the accelerator as the speedo started to tick up much higher than it should.

  I pulled into the parking lot for Donny’s Pizza Palace, jerking the truck around into a space. I could hear the urn banging against the sides of the truck as it rolled around in the back.

  “It looks like it's my turn to knock you about,” I muttered as I jumped out of the truck and jogged into the restaurant.

  I spotted Kai and Hawker in a secluded booth at the back of the restaurant. Kai was half way through a pizza the size of a car tyre and Hawker was well into hers too. There were two empty spots opposite them with a pizza before each. I guessed that meant Santos was coming as well but I couldn't see her anywhere.

  I made my way over to them, waving off the waitress as she spotted me.

  I dropped down into the seat opposite Kai and he looked up at me with a grin. He was Korean and his dark hair was pushed back, growing slightly longer than regulations allowed. No doubt he'd get it cut soon but he never could resist pushing the boundaries.

  “You're lucky. I had my eye on yours once I'd made it through this bad boy.” He shoved some more pizza into his mouth and I rolled my eyes. I wouldn't be surprised if he did order more food, he never seemed to stop eating.

  Hawker gave me a knowing smile over her own food. Her mousy hair was held
back in a long braid as usual and her piercing blue eyes surveyed me with a little too much scrutiny.

  “How are you doing Walsh?” she asked, her tone far from casual.

  I shifted uncomfortably under her gaze and picked up a slice of pizza before answering. “Fine. I'm looking forward to getting back but I guess I've got a lot to keep me busy. Where's Santos?” I asked, trying to shift her attention off of me.

  “Behind you,” Santos said happily as she threw her arms around me. I laughed as I pulled her close for a second before she dropped into the booth beside me. “You need to hurry back Walsh, Kai is trying to take over without you standing in his way.”

  I laughed again as Kai beamed. “It's been forty eight hours, you've got a few weeks to get through yet. I'll have to trust the two of you to keep him in check.”

  “You can't hold me back,” Kai replied, his mouth full of pizza. “I was just born to lead.”

  Hawker rolled her eyes and I relaxed as I felt her attention moving on. She was too good at reading people and I really didn't need to be psycho-analysed while I was trying to work through the turmoil of my past.

  “So you said you knew something about the water being switched off?” I asked as I started shovelling food down. I hadn't realised how hungry I was.

  “That's confidential information,” Hawker said quickly as she eyed the other patrons of Donny’s Pizza Palace.

  “As if anyone is listening to us,” Santos replied, rolling her eyes.

  Kai glanced around, clearly uncomfortable ignoring Hawker’s advice entirely but also willing to tell me if he thought we couldn't be overheard. We were well away from anyone else and there was plenty of noise in the restaurant to cover anything we might discuss.

  “It's fine, no one’s near enough to eavesdrop,” he said.

  Hawker pursed her lips, clearly disagreeing but not strongly enough to offer further objection.

  “There's been a bit of an issue with some of the farms,” Kai said in a low voice.

  “Farms?” I asked with a frown. “I thought we'd be talking about terrorism-“

  “No this is more of an accidental issue. With contamination.”

  “So the farms have contaminated the water? With what?” I asked.

  “It's the chemicals they've been using to bump up the crops,” Santos said loudly. Hawker shushed her, glancing about nervously.

  “It turns out the food crisis has actually gotten a lot worse than they made out on the news,” Hawker said, taking over the explanation. She'd always been the best at remembering details.

  “You're talking about the grain shortages from the last few years?” I asked feeling out of step with the turn of the conversation. I'd thought we'd be discussing covert ops against terrorists not farm issues.

  “Yes. It turns out it was a lot worse than they admitted. We were dropping dangerously close to unsustainable population to food ratios. There's a real risk that there's going to be a food shortage.”

  “So what does this have to do with the water?” I asked, feeling like I was missing something.

  “She's getting to it,” Santos said dramatically.

  Kai finished his pizza and reached for a slice of mine. I slapped his hand away and he laughed as he sat back in his seat.

  “So in order to avoid a food shortage,” Hawker continued. “They decided to tamper with nature a bit.”

  “Like genetic engineering?” I asked, my knowledge on the subject was limited at best and she was already losing me.

  “Exactly. They came up with this new kind of genetic engineering which seemed to produce bumper crops. The plants could grow ten times faster than usual and produce at least five times the amount of food.”

  “This all sounds like a good thing so far,” I said as I finished my pizza and sat back like Kai.

  “It should have been,” Hawker said impatiently. “But like I said, they were desperate. We were running out of food and they wanted a miracle cure. So they rolled out the chemicals to the farms without completing the required testing periods.”

  “So what, is it making people sick or something?” I asked.

  “Well it's not contained to the farms. They've realised that it's spreading from the plants it was meant to affect into the plants surrounding them. And the insects and any animals that eat the insects and so on,” Hawker said slowly.

  “And what does it do to an insect if it makes a plant grow bigger and faster?”

  “We haven't been allowed access to that information,” Hawker hedged but I could tell she'd managed to find out more.

  The waitress descended on us, smiling brightly at Kai as she refilled our drinks. He gave her a huge grin and she blushed as she moved away. Santos rolled her eyes at him and I couldn't help but laugh.

  “Give me a pen Hawker,” Kai said as he grabbed a napkin from the centre of the table.

  “Why don't you just carry your own pen?” she sighed as she pulled one from her pocket.

  “Because I've got you.” Kai winked as he took it and jotted his cell number down on the napkin. He stood, pulling his dog tags out from under his shirt and clambered over Hawker to get out of the booth. We all watched as he cornered the waitress at the bar and she started giggling as he handed her the napkin.

  “Why do so many women fall for his act?” Santos asked, rolling her eyes.

  “Because he's charming, handsome and a Marine. Face it Santos, to most women he's a catch,” Hawker said analytically.

  Santos pretended to vomit. “Yeah if what you're looking to catch is an STI.”

  I almost spat out a mouthful of soda as I laughed.

  Kai returned, smirking triumphantly as he squeezed past Hawker to get back into his seat.

  “You should have been a sailor,” Santos said as he stole a slice of her leftover pizza.

  “Why?” Kai asked around a mouthful of food.

  “Different girl in every port.”

  We all laughed and Hawker retrieved her pen before Kai could pocket it.

  The waitress walked past, blushing faintly as she locked eyes with Kai. We waited for her to leave and I fixed my gaze back on Hawker.

  “Go on,” I prompted once we were alone again. “You were telling me what this chemical does.”

  “From what I can gather, anything that comes into contact with the contamination changes. It varies between species but it seems to trigger a leap in evolution and survival genes.” She took a look at my blank expression and explained further. “So a bee that used to be easy to swat now has an exoskeleton so hard that it's practically made out of stone. Nothing can eat or crush it anymore - it's better at surviving.”

  “That's really happened?” I asked, raising my eyebrows in disbelief.

  Kai nodded and Santos beamed. She seemed to think this was exciting.

  “So what happens if a human comes into contact with it?” I asked.

  “That information is harder to come by,” Hawker sighed. “But they are determined to contain any contamination at all costs so it can't be good. And there has been a surge in domestic violence issues over the last twenty four hours. People have been attacking loved ones or strangers out of the blue. No official word from higher up that this is to do with the contamination though-“

  “But it's a pretty suspicious coincidence,” Santos added with a grin.

  I ran a hand across the stubble on my chin as I considered what she was saying. It didn't sound like something that could be real. I wondered why I hadn't been recalled to the unit yet. I guessed it would only be a matter of time if they couldn't contain this quickly and remove it from the environment.

  “So you said I've gotta have a satphone?” I asked.

  “Yeah they're being rolled out to everyone. There's no official reason for it,” Kai replied as he handed the phone over.

  “But unofficially?” I asked as I shoved the phone into my pocket.

  Kai looked to Hawker for an answer.

  “There are whispers about the Monitor seeing som
ething coming. I'm not sure if this is connected to this contamination issue or something else. Word is they'll have to shut off the cellphones at some point. I guess they want us to be able to keep up communications,” she replied, adding a small shrug as if she wasn't sure. I knew better; Hawker never dished out information unless she was confident in it.

  “But if the Monitor can see it coming then surely we’ll be able to stop it?” Santos argued. She always talked about the Monitor system like it was a god. The rest of us didn't really agree but getting into a disagreement with her was like trying to talk a dog out of chewing a bone.

  I could see Hawker struggling to bite her tongue. She was obviously confident in her intel and didn't want to let Santos dismiss it. Kai caught my eye, quirking half a smile at me as we both felt the argument coming.

  The silence stretched for several seconds before Hawker snapped.

  “The Monitor is just a computer programme. It can be fooled and just because it picks up on things that are happening that doesn't mean it will always be able to get warnings out in time to-“

  “That's exactly what it does!” Santos cut in, her nostrils flaring.

  Hawker pursed her lips angrily before launching into her explanation again and Kai let out a snort of laughter. I felt a smile tugging at my lips too as I let their argument wash over me. This was my family now and I just needed to hold on to that while I got through the next few weeks.

  It wouldn't take long for me to get Diane's life back in order and then I could leave again. And this time, I didn't intend to come back.

  Chapter Nine

  Kaitlyn

  The doorbell finally rang at eight that evening and I jumped up to let Lacey in.

  Before I even made it out of my room, I heard Reese thundering down the stairs.

  "It's for me!" I called irritably as he threw the door open.

  "Not everything is about you!" he shouted back as I got to the top of the stairs and spotted Jason entering.

  "Hi Kaitlyn," he said, his cheeks glowing red as usual. "Are you getting takeout with us?"