Viral Misery | Book 3 | Revelations

by Watson, Thomas A.

  In the truck, Arthur looked at the throng of kids and a few adults and saw several dozen of the older kids and everyone but Sarah wearing a black fedora. “I’m so going to hurt LL,” Arthur groaned because LL was the only one who could’ve gotten them. He led patrols on his own with his mini-mes and one other adult to ‘show them the ropes’, as LL put it.

  Jason jumped out of the Blazer, “You’d better have one for me!” he shouted over the hood, and Wendy laughed.

  “I think it’s cute,” she informed Arthur.

  Turning around until he could see her, “LL isn’t doing it to emulate me, babe. He’s doing it so nobody can target me,” Arthur told her.

  Leaning up and shoving her face in the chicken wire over Arthur’s window, “You’d better have a fucking hat for me!” Wendy shouted and Samantha chuckled, pushing the passenger seat up and climbing out.

  Not in the mood, Arthur climbed out with his towel wrapped around his waist and headed straight for LL. Before he spoke, LL raised his palm. “I’m a man and make my own choices. Those with hats go out on patrols and make their own choices. I’m warning you now, if we have to step to the side, I’m bringing Wendy as my backup,” LL let him know.

  Gasping at the blatant threat, “Dude, that’s just cold,” Arthur moaned.

  “You got shot at?!” Jo Ann and Sally cried out, and Arthur turned to them seeing fear etched on their faces as they looked at the truck.

  Moving over to the twins, “No, girls. Tigers attacked us,” Arthur told them.

  In abject horror, they locked eyes with Arthur. “Tigers use guns?!” they screamed.

  Looking off and wondering how they’d jumped to that reasoning, Arthur gave up and faced them. “No, a tiger was trying to get in the truck, so we shot out of the truck to let the motherfucking tiger know we didn’t have room for the whore.”

  “Did you kick that whore’s ass?” they asked together.

  Tucking her towel around her, Wendy sighed, “My sweet little girls have been corrupted.”

  Shaking his head, “Nope. Like a punk ass bitch, I jumped out of my seat into Jason’s lap and started sucking on his tit like a little baby,” Arthur declared, and everyone on the porch but Joseph looked at Arthur in shock.

  Barefoot and with a towel around his waist, Jason walked over chuckling. “He did jump in my lap, but a tiger was trying to get in his window, and Arthur wasn’t sucking my tit. He was slinging lead to let that tiger know we don’t pick up hitchhikers.”

  Making sure her towel was tucked, Samantha put her arm over Wendy’s shoulders. “Jo Ann and Sally are still your sweet little girls,” she assured Wendy.

  “Did you hear them?” Wendy gasped.

  Stopping and turning Wendy to her, “Wendy, they weren’t emulating Arthur, they were emulating you,” Samantha told her with a grin. “You may have watched your mouth when Joseph was little, but you don’t so much now. I will say, Arthur is the most potty-mouthed person I’ve ever met, and being in the medical field, that’s a statement. The only ones who curse more than we do are soldiers. Now, your language is harsher when the kids aren’t around, but you curse more than you realize.”

  With a long sigh, “Yeah, I won’t punch him in the face,” Wendy droned, realizing Samantha was right.

  Arthur hugged the twins and looking over the back porch, was about to move through the kids and hug them all when his eyes stopped. Letting the twins go, he moved over to Shawn, spun him around, and yanked Shawn’s XD-M from his thigh holster. With death in his eyes, he started for the porch and everyone cleared a path.

  Leveling the pistol, a green laser shot out landing between Kong’s eyes. “You told your big friends where to find us, didn’t you?” Arthur shouted at Kong and Joseph groaned.

  Clutching her towel so it wouldn’t fall off, “You leave Kong alone!” Wendy shouted and took off with her flip flops sounding like machine guns.

  “He told them where we were! Didn’t you see Red Dawn? This is how you deal with traitors!” Arthur shouted back as Wendy reached him. Grabbing Arthur’s arm, she pushed it until he was aiming at the sky.

  “Kong is my bitch. He’s a good bitch. That’s why I got him a bitch that’s my new bitch,” Wendy stated.

  Arthur rolled his eyes up, thinking out what Wendy said and trying to follow who was who’s bitch, then replaying it, he jerked, dropping his eyes to Wendy. “What the fuck do you mean, ‘got him a bitch’?!” Arthur shouted as the door opened and everyone else came out, filling the back porch. Seeing Pops, Robin almost took off for him but stopped, seeing Momma and Pops looking at each other mad.

  Bobbing her head side to side, “Just what the fuck I said. I got him a bitch because Kong has been a good bitch. You reward your bitches,” Wendy growled. “I saw the one you named ‘Medusa’ at the Kercher farm when I was there with a group finishing off where you hid the road. I called to her nicely and the cat hissed at me then tried to bite me,” Wendy told him narrowing her eyes.

  From the back of the group, Joseph let out a low whistle. “Oh, Medusa is mom’s bitch for life.”

  Dropping his arm that was still aiming the gun at the sky, “Come on! We already have one mutant fucking psycho cat! I don’t want another,” Arthur moaned then stopped. “Is that where my leather welding stuff went?”

  Nodding, “Yep. I put that leather jacket, chaps, and gloves on and chased Medusa half a mile till I caught her. Then I beat the shit out of her and took her to the creek and kept dunking her in the water till she acknowledged me as the queen bitch! I put her down, and every time she ran away I caught her and we started over,” Wendy told him.

  Handing Shawn’s pistol back, “Hold up. Someone would’ve told me this,” Arthur stated.

  Squaring off with Arthur, “I sent everyone back because I had a bitch to break. Don’t start on safety, you were a mile away on patrol and I had my dogs and guns, I was fine. I don’t say shit when you go out alone, so don’t say shit when I’m right outside the fence breaking in my new bitch,” Wendy replied as she tensed up. Seeing Wendy bow up at Arthur, for some reason, Jason didn’t want Wendy to teach Samantha hand-to-hand combat.

  Pushing his fedora up to tilt it back on his head, “I’m telling you now, I have another big ass cat try to climb in my truck, I’m killing one of your bitches. Seems their species doesn’t like you making some of them your slave bitches and they want to take it out on me,” Arthur reasoned.

  For a brief second Wendy looked off then turned back, “You can kill one if that happens,” Wendy offered. “But I get to decide which one and when.”

  “Keep on and we won’t have the next Date Night till next year,” Arthur threatened.

  “Bullshit!” Joseph shouted and Wendy grinned at Arthur.

  “Fine,” Arthur said then grinned. “Find some whipped cream because you owe me.”

  Moving up and standing on her toes, Wendy kissed him. “You know I don’t like it when I want an animal to come to me and they don’t,” she reminded him.

  Knowing that very well, Arthur didn’t even reply, he just turned and started hugging kids. Seeing Pops hugging others, Robin squealed out, pushing through legs, biting one knee and two ankles until everyone parted, allowing the three-year-old through. Nearly yanking Arthur’s towel off, Robin let him know he hadn’t picked her up.

  Looking down at Robin, in pink boots only, “It’s fifty degrees,” Arthur informed her.

  “Up,” Robin moaned, holding her arms up.

  Picking her up, Arthur continued through the crowd until he hugged all the kids. When he was done, Robin informed Arthur that he could put her down and she headed inside with the others. Arthur moved over to Sarah, looking at Nicole who was smiling at him.

  “Are you pregnant?” Arthur asked and Sarah groaned.

  “No!”

  Taking Nicole, “You two can take the day off and get busy since you had all the kids last night,” Arthur suggested.

  For a brief second Sarah was tempted, but a little voice in her m
ind told her if she did, Arthur would make her pee on a stick in the morning in front of everyone. “Pops, it’s Sunday. Since everyone volunteered for work on the day off, I declared no work,” Sarah informed him, crossing her arms over her chest. “I said there will be no work done until after lunch. Then I’ll let crews continue on the concrete wall and the Tomb.” Then a grin sprang upon her face. “I told Skannish he was playing after breakfast.”

  Arthur, Wendy, Jason, Samantha, and LL all busted out laughing. A week after LL had arrived, Skannish, at long last had saved the slut princess. He’d jumped up and down cheering his accomplishment as Sarah left the room. Everyone congratulated Skannish until Sarah had come back in carrying a Super Nintendo. She hooked it up and turned it on and Skannish let out a cry seeing ‘Super Mario Bros. 2’. Handing the controller to Skannish, Sarah told him, “Bowser said you’re a punk.” And so began a new war for Skannish. Even though he could play as the princess, Skannish still called her a slut because of the hell she put him through.

  “Where are Sutton and Skannish? I need to talk to them,” Arthur asked as Wendy moved over and under his left arm.

  “In the dining hall,” Vicki answered, and everyone turned to see her standing beside Joseph with her arms around his waist. “I told them to help watch the babies with Chloe.”

  Biting her lip, “I’m going to get some clothes on,” Wendy snickered.

  Carrying Nicole and looking down, talking to her as he walked inside, “Did Joseph make my baby sleep all alone in the crib last night?” Arthur asked in a baby voice.

  “No, he didn’t,” Sarah announced behind them as they walked in the dining hall.

  Spinning around, Arthur kissed Sarah on the head. “You can be such a sweet girl,” he smiled, then dropped the smile. “Get pregnant,” he stated flatly.

  Stomping her foot, “Will you stop?” Sarah whined. There wasn’t a doubt in Sarah’s mind now, she didn’t want to kill Joseph, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Known only to Joseph, Sarah still had six months before her implant wore off and she could even get pregnant. Joseph told her that nobody, not even Doc, was to know because Mom and Dad would dig that shit out of her arm and would feel completely justified to amputate Sarah’s left arm below the elbow. Never in her life had Sarah even thought about getting married or having kids, she’d planned to be a professional woman. That had changed the instant she’d been forced to kiss Joseph. All she could think about now was growing old with him and having kids, just not being asked every fucking morning if she was pregnant.

  “Dad!” Joseph barked. “You and Mom didn’t have me right away so give us time!”

  “You two owe me!” Arthur declared to one and all. “For thirty-eight days you two drove me fucking insane, and I had a fight with Wendy twenty-three of those motherfucking days after I had a fight with both of you! Seventeen of those days I had to break you up from killing each other more than once! You two will not be forgiven until I have four,” he shouted then held up four fingers. “Four grandkids who are sitting on my lap! You aged me more in those thirty-eight days than Wendy has in nearly thirty years!”

  Both were staring at him with open mouths as many in the hall snickered. “You have over two hundred kids now, Pops,” Sarah pointed out.

  “Yeah, they are my kids! And guess what, when they get older, they’d better give me grandkids! But you two… it’ll take four just to get me to forgive you! Any extra you two have will be to resolve any hard feelings I still have,” he added finally lowering his voice.

  Meekly, “We were that bad?” Sarah asked and everyone in the hall spoke up.

  “Yes!”

  Tilting her head to look up at Joseph, Sarah turned back to Arthur. “We’re sorry, Pops. We’ll give you lots of grandbabies, just let us get settled first. I promise you,” she told him.

  Walking in and adjusting some jogging pants she had put on, “You’re not making her pee on a stick every morning, Arthur, so drop it,” Wendy educated him and Sarah went pale hearing it from someone other than Joseph. Noticing Sarah getting pale, “I wouldn’t let him do that to you, Sarah baby,” Wendy smiled.

  “I’ll lock your ass in one of those shipping containers, Wendy. Then how will you stop me?!” Arthur barked and spun around. With his bare feet slapping the concrete he stopped, looking at Sutton and Skannish as Vicki took the babies they were holding. Arthur had to admit, the two were getting good with the kids.

  “How long would it take to get that lab set up and crank out a vaccine?” he asked, and Sutton just balked.

  “Arthur, we haven’t even started, and Wendy wanted us to start on medicine. We will have to start over, but we do have a map with our research. I’m just guessing, but at the soonest would be a year,” Sutton told him, and Skannish tried to speak but Sutton shushed him.

  “No, this takes priority. We found a group that hasn’t been exposed to Rudolph. They’ve been living in isolation, hazmat suits and respirators since March,” Arthur told him.

  “Whoa,” Sutton gasped.

  “Yes, make a list as soon as you can if you need anything, and get me the best timeline,” Arthur said.

  “How many are there?” Skannish asked, and Sutton nodded because he was about to shush him again.

  “Seventy-four total. They’re intact families,” Arthur answered, and everyone in the hall mumbled in excitement.

  “We would need to give one a dose to make sure he developed antibodies-,” Skannish started, but Sutton cut him off.

  “We have to make the vaccine first!”

  “We’ve already developed one!” Skannish shouted back.

  “Are you senile? Even with our full lab we had at the bunker, and it was the best we ever had, with the information it would take us six months starting from scratch! If you remember, we weren’t starting from scratch, we brought our culture batches from the CDC!”

  “That’s why I said we would have to test one! I’m sure what I brought was stored correctly, but I want to make sure!” Skannish shouted and Sutton stumbled over, dropping in a chair.

  “You said you were going to get your watch when I went to get some of our medicines,” he mumbled.

  Holding up his wrist to display a gold watch, “I did, but the media I set up was still producing. The attack only destroyed the ventilation system, not the power,” Skannish told him, then turned to Arthur. “My wife gave me this watch. It was her last present to me before she passed,” he mumbled.

  Putting his hand on Skannish’s shoulder, “I’m glad you got your watch. Even now with that group needing the vaccine, I’m glad you got your last gift more than I’m glad you got the vaccine,” Arthur smiled. “Those we remember, never die.”

  “How much did you get?” Sutton asked.

  Shrugging, “I don’t know, I didn’t measure it. I couldn’t just leave it. I’m sure it’s between a hundred and fifty to two hundred doses,” Skannish answered and Sutton just stared at him. “It’s two, fifty cc multi-dose vials, but they’re ‘almost’ full. I know we were down there over forty days and the cultures should’ve put out four doses a day, but I think the nutrient injectors malfunctioned.”

  Knowing Skannish would, and have no trouble, going on for an hour or more, Arthur cleared his throat. “Ahem, how long will it take you to set up to test antibodies?”

  “Two days,” Sutton answered and Skannish nodded. “That’s a very easy part.”

  Turning to Arthur, “I’m 99.9% sure the vaccine is viable. It can be stored at room temperature, but I kept it in a cooler on the ride down until you brought us over here. Then I got a room with a little refrigerator in it,” Skannish explained. “I want to test it on one because with this vaccine, Scott and I can use it even if it’s not viable as a better map to develop one using some of your chickens.”

  Arthur grinned because even Skannish avoided saying Alicia’s name or bringing up anything remotely associated with her. It wasn’t because of Sutton, it was because of Wendy. Wendy just couldn’t be
lieve Alicia could be a member, much less one of the main ones in charge of the Heavenly Disciples. Wendy didn’t doubt Jason, Samantha, or LL. In Wendy’s mind, Alicia had been brainwashed. On the other hand, Arthur had no fucking trouble believing Alicia was a Heavenly Disciple. He knew Wendy had gone to talk with Sutton the morning there’d been a hard frost, but she just couldn’t do it. In his heart, Arthur knew Wendy had interacted with Alicia because she’d felt sorry for her. Despite how tough she’d become, Wendy still had a tender heart for some. Arthur didn’t, and had no trouble telling anyone he hated the bitch, including her own brother.

  Bringing his mind to the here and now, Arthur looked around with a grin. “Let me get on the radio and deliver some good news,” he said and headed out of the hall. Pulling Nicole up to his chest, Arthur couldn’t help but chuckle seeing Joseph and Sarah sitting together at the table, cuddling. “Thank you for watching the kids,” he told them leaving the dining hall.

  “We need to tell them about my implant,” she whispered to Joseph.

  “No, I like you having two hands. They can wait,” Joseph told her.

  “It’s not you he’s going to make piss on a stick in front of everyone,” Sarah replied. In her mind’s eye, Sarah could see Arthur holding her down and tickling her with one hand every morning as his other hand held a pregnancy test, waiting.

  “What the hell are you worried about? Mom has your back,” Joseph scoffed, and that put Sarah at ease.

  Chapter Six

  What am I going to wear?

  Getting up an hour earlier than normal and after working out, Arthur was sitting in his spot at the table with a map, satellite photos, and notebooks spread out on the table. In his lap, Nicole, now ten months, was grabbing at the map and notebooks trying to help. “Give me that,” Arthur grinned, taking the notebook that was heading for Nicole’s mouth. “You aren’t a billy goat.” In the dining hall, tables were in neat rows side by side and could seat everyone at the same time.

  Seeing Nicole wanted him to talk Arthur just talked, saying random words as he studied the map and others started coming in. With so many people, the gym was hit in shifts, which was why Arthur got up early. There was plenty of space in the gym but not enough equipment, but that was being addressed and solved in the months ahead. The kids loved the gym, even the little ones, because Arthur had made Joseph appropriately-sized dumbbells, weight benches, and other exercise equipment when Joseph had been a kid. When Joseph outgrew one set, Arthur would make another set a little bigger. The only equipment Arthur had never made Joseph was a treadmill. If he wasn’t in school, Joseph was running around the property, so Arthur figured Joseph got all the cardio he needed.