“You don’t want me to go with you is what it is. Have I ever given you any doubt about anything Atlas. Why do you doubt me now,” Aurora yelled.
“No, that isn’t it. I do not doubt you, and that is why I need you here to watch over everyone,” I said. “You keeping Kiere here and watching over everyone would help me not worry as I’m out there.”
“Is this because of those two assholes I killed? I did it for you. Everything I do is for you and Kiere,” Aurora explained.
“I know baby. I know. You had to do it and that is why I know you can protect these people. You will do whatever it takes to keep people safe.” As those words exited my voice, I feared I added fuel to what seems to be happening to her.
“Okay, I understand. Just be careful,” she said as I could only notice the red in her eyes becoming darker.
Aurora placed a kiss on my lips, and I stared at her as she went to Amelia to give her a blood sample.
“Lord, if you’re still there, please help me find out what is going on.”
I began gathering guns as Chase’s people watched. Damian walked over and began helping me.
“So, what do you think is actually going on around here,” Damian asked while looking busy.
“I don’t know, but I will find out,” I replied. “For Aurora.”
“I’m not a medical professional, but it seems as if all of these people are acting on desires more than anything. It seems like its unbalanced chemicals in their brains. Chase seems like he craves power, so he succeeded and went against all of you to do so. Aurora craves the protection of you and Kiere. She will do anything to make sure that happens. Some of the others crave a leader, someone to follow and that is why we are divided as such. Some see Chase as a leader while others see you as one,” Damian explained.
“What would cause that? What would make people act more on desire than common sense,” I whispered.
“I’m not sure, but we need to find out. Maybe the blood samples will help us find the answer,” Damian said as he placed an automatic rifle on his shoulder. “Let’s go find out.”
I closed the door to the armory and the team followed me outside. Kiere was standing next to the barn door. I stopped next to her to explain what was going on. “You look after mom while I’m gone okay? I need you to be my eyes and ears around this place,” I said as I placed my hand on Kiere’s shoulder.
“I will. Just figure out what is wrong with mom,” Kiere said.
“I will sweetheart. I promise. I love you baby girl,” I said as I planted a kiss on Kiere’s forehead and walked onto the bus.
Riley shut the door and reversed out of the barn. Cortez and Piper stayed towards the back of the bus so no one could sit behind them. They didn’t speak one word to each other. They just watched us. Shaun and Brock sat across from each other discussing something secretive with Selest. Mark and Amelia were staring out of the window. I don’t know what they were visualizing but they seemed happy. Emmitt, Seth, Sloan, and David were going over a map in case we needed a different escape route than the one we had planned. Vincent and Mara sat in the middle of the bus. Ever since that night they were in the kitchen talking, I’m sure they never stopped. Damian kept staring out of the side emergency exit searching for something, but I never knew what it was. My dad sat next to me, gripping my hand as a slight tear came from his eyes. Something was bothering him.
“What is it dad,” I asked.
He patted my knee before he reached into his pocket and pulled out his old white bandanna. As it unfolded blood was splattered in multiple spots. I looked back at his face and more tears began to stream from his eyes.
“What’s going on,” I asked.
After a deep breath he answered. “I’m dying son.”
Chapter 9
Riley parked the bus towards the emergency entrance of the hospital. The entire town was ghostly eerie and abandoned. The zombies that once resided in this town had long disappeared. Buildings had crumbled and streets were littered with garbage and turned over cars. The yellow lines on the road had faded to a pale green as blue tinted the air.
My dad swore me to secrecy to not tell Laura or my brothers about what he showed me. He used his famous slogan. “Everyone has their own burdens. I’m not putting mine on someone else.” I never understood why he wanted me to hide it from them. It wasn’t his burden. It was our burden. He wanted me to test his blood to see what was going on before telling anyone. It felt wrong not sharing the news with my brothers, but I wanted to know exactly what it was as much as he did.
I patted my dad on the shoulder before walking towards the front of the bus. Everyone was at attention. “This is how we are going to do this. Mara, David, and Vincent are going to stay behind with Cortez and Piper to keep the stragglers from the bus if some should appear. They are also going to keep an eye on you two.” I said pointing to Cortez and Piper. Piper began to stand. “You will set your ass down and listen. I don’t trust either of you, and you’re only here because Chase wanted you here. If you don’t like my orders, then start walking.” Piper lowered herself back to her seat. “Emmitt, Sloan, and Seth are going to pack the generator to the lab. Mark and Selest will cover them. Brock, Shaun, Damian, and Riley will assist dad and me with clearing the hospital. We are going to make sure we won’t have any surprises. I will then send Shaun, Brock, and Riley back down to escort Amelia, Emmitt, Seth, and Sloan to the lab. Is everybody clear on that?”
They all agreed except for Piper and Cortez. They sat in the back, staring at each other. Shaun and I exited the bus first. Following us was my dad and Brock. Riley brought up the rear. We approached the door and noticed the chains around the handles.
“Someone was trying to keep someone in,” Damian said before he shot the lock off of the chains.
“Stay sharp everyone and watch your six,” I said as we opened the doors and walked into the darkness of the hospital.
I signaled for Brock, Shaun, and Riley to stay towards the left wall as Damian, my dad and I followed the right wall. There wasn’t any movement coming from any room as we passed them. Our flashlights illuminated most of the dark corridors and presented a visual for unwelcomed intruders. We stumbled upon a separated hallway that led in three different directions. I held up my hand to signal everyone to halt. An enlarged map of the hospital was encased in broken glass standing in the middle of the split. I pulled it from its case and placed it on the floor to observe.
“From the projection of this layout we are here. We are going to go in groups of two and canvas for extra medicine and supplies for the group. What we get we will not show Cortez or Piper. We will keep it hidden. Mark and Riley, you take the West hallway. It says the pharmacy is only two turns down that hallway.” They nodded. “Shaun and Brock will take the North hallway to the cafeteria. See if there are any non-perishables still available.” They nodded and agreed as well. “Dad, Damian and I will scope out the way to the lab and make sure it is clear for them to come up. Come to where we are in ten minutes so I can send for Amelia. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
We separated to our paths. Being cautious with each step we took; we aimed our guns in every room with an open door. They were full of empty beds and blood-stained floors. Overturned medical equipment spread throughout the hallway. As we passed another corner, I noticed that we were crossing the nursery wing. The boarder had pink and blue ducks resting in bonnets with a mom and dad duck standing next to them. Pacifiers and bottles were drawn by a local artist across the walls. Each of the cribs were empty with blankets thrown all over the floor.
My dad stopped me and said, “I remember walking you down this hallway. You were a heavy baby too. They would push this button inside the nurses’ station that signaled to everyone that a father was carrying his son. A beautiful lullaby. I believe it was Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. You and all your brothers took that journey with me down this hallway. Those were the best moments of my life.”
He walked on down the hallway w
ith Damian and I stared into the nursery room a little longer. I wondered if there would be a time Aurora and I would have a kid together. We have Kiere, and she is a blessing, but I wondered if there would ever be a time I will get that tune of a father carrying his baby down the hall. In a small clearing of the shadow from the room I noticed movement. I shined my flashlight through the glass, but the image disappeared. I lowered the flashlight again and the movement began again. In a confused state, I turned to look behind me when a pair of arms gripped my shirt. Teeth began chomping at me, black slime dripped from the mouth while I struggled to loosen the zombie’s grip.
My gun fell to the floor, and I grabbed the wrists of the zombie. I pushed its arms up and shoved it away from me. It stumbled a couple of steps away, and I reached for my knife. Before it could get closer a loud gunshot came from my left and the zombie disappeared to the floor. I knew Damian and my dad walked in the opposite direction which forced my attention to whoever used a gun to save me. A dark figure stood staring at me. I picked up my gun and pointed the flashlight in that direction.
“Really Julian. How did you get here,” I asked while lowering my gun.
Julian walked over to me and said, “I heard of your journey to this place. I had to come too.” Julian paused for a moment and looked around the hallway. “This is where Warren Cross found me.”
“What?”
“In this very hospital, I lost my son and my wife the day it started. I didn’t want to leave their side, so I stayed. For weeks and weeks, I hid inside this hospital until Warren Cross found me,” Julian explained.
“I’m sorry about your family. Was it the virus that killed them,” I asked.
Julian leaned against the glass with his hand holding him up. “They were attacked while I was at the church I preached. When I came home, I found them unconscious in the living room floor with bite marks on their arms. They didn’t transform as quickly as most do. It took it awhile to take over. Eventually they became one of them. No matter how hard I tried. I couldn’t save them.”
I stared at Julian for a moment as he kept looking around. “I’m so sorry.”
“They are in a better place now. Away from all of this madness,” Julian replied.
“Well, if you keep saving my life Julian, I won’t be able to repay the debt,” I explained.
His eyes averted from the room to me and he said, “I’m the one seeking redemption. My debt to you and your people will never be paid.”
Damian and my dad came back around the corner with their guns aimed towards Julian and me.
“How did he get here,” my dad asked.
I displayed a slight smirk and said, “He is a ninja, that’s how.”
My dad looked at me and cracked a smile while he said, “Sometimes I don’t understand the randomness of my kids. We found the lab, so if you want to send the squad to get the rest of them go for it. It is clear up ahead.”
I gripped the radio at my side and held it up to my mouth, “Shaun.” I paused for a moment. “We’re clear. It’s a go.”
“On it, Atlas. We are heading out,” Shaun replied.
“Damian, stay here and wait for them to come in, then guide them to the lab,” I commanded.
With Julian joining us, we walked down the hall into the lab. There weren’t any windows allowing natural light to come in. Our flashlights illuminated all of the equipment. The room was silent except for our footsteps. The ominous tone with dark shadows and a smell of rotting creatures surrounded the area. Julian walked towards the far wall as my dad walked through the middle of the room. I stayed close to the wall. Shining the light on the floor, I noticed dried blood splatter cascaded across the floor leading to the walls. I stepped around a corner and saw a pair of lifeless legs resting on the tile floor. Hesitant to check on the body, my gun was aimed towards it. I kneeled next to a plastic tube carrier. I gripped the handle and swung it towards the body. Creatures ran from behind the counter and scattered across the room. I caught glimpse of some as they ran through the beam from my flashlight. Blood mouthed raccoons and opossums ran in fright.
My dad came running from the room and asked, “Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” I replied. “I almost started shooting some hungry animals.”
We walked towards the body and most of the flesh from the face was removed. There were missing fingers and a gun resting next to the body. I searched around the desk with my flashlight. A laptop stood open with a black screen, a piece of paper was placed on the keyboard and a box of 9mm bullets was opened with one taken out of its place. I grabbed the piece of paper from the keyboard and it was a handwritten note.
To whoever may find this note,
My name is Dr. Sheryl Bronson and I tried. I have never been the one to even accept a coward’s way out, but I had no choice. Everyone left. I have been here alone for a week and the company mini fridge doesn’t have enough food for me to last another week. The security guard that came in before he jumped out the window left me his weapon. If you find the gun, I hope you can use it for more than what I did. It honestly was a last resort. The cannibals never knew I was in here because I worked in silence and covered the glass on the door with old newspaper. I was too scared to walk out the door and run into those things so I stayed here, hoping someone would find me. But no one ever came. My husband never came. Wherever he is I hope he is safe. I hope he is alive. If you find Josh Bronson let him know his wife went her own way. Tell him I love him and I’m sorry.
The first encounter I had with this new disease seemed to be just an advanced case of Rabies. I ran every test I could, but this disease has no cure. Not that I could find. Also, when it flourished to its maximum state, other diseases seem to form with it. It attacks the brain and controls the hunger aspect. The virus allows muscle movement and vocal response. As far as I could tell there is no function to memory or humanity within the virus as it latches on to its host. The only way effective to stopping the spread is destroying the brain in which the virus as infected. I guess all of the zombie movies were right.
There was something interesting I found within the structure of the virus. A small contaminant that has no identifying marker within our data is allowing the virus to form. The virus is chemically enhanced, but this small strain has a different type of coding. Unfortunately, before I could explore more, the power had been lost. If it is possible, I logged all the data on my laptop so someone can continue my research. I have just run out of time. The grid is down, and I have no way of powering my equipment. Please, whoever finds this, continue my research and fight this. Survive this. So, for all of those who are still alive, I hope you survive. Good Luck and God Bless.
Sincerely,
Dr. Sheryl Bronson
I looked towards the body and turned towards my dad.
“What’s it say son,” my dad asked.
“It’s a suicide note,” I replied as I placed the note in my pocket.
The doors behind us were rushed open and Amelia walked through the door with Shaun and Brock. Behind them my brothers carried the generator with Damian and Mark following.
Amelia walked up to me and asked, “Is there any way we can focus all of the power to just this room?”
“We will find the breaker. Give us a little bit of time to get to the access panel and we will flip the switches,” Sloan said.
“There should be a grid attached to the box. Turn off every switch except the one that says Geno Lab. It should be marked.”
“Shaun and dad will stay with us, the rest of you go and find the box,” I said.
They left the room and Shaun stood next to the door. Amelia walked over to the transparent shelf and opened the door to grab a syringe and a tube.
“Okay, Mr. Conrad. Sit here and let me take your blood,” Amelia said.
“You can call me Robert,” my dad said.
“Where is Aurora and Chase’s blood,” I asked Amelia.
“They are in my black bag on the counter,” Amelia replied.
I walked over to the counter and Shaun stared at me.
“Why is she checking your dad’s blood,” he asked.
“Something is wrong with him and we need to figure out what it is.”
“Is it the virus? If it is then you know it won’t be long until he turns,” Shaun replied.
“He wasn’t bit or scratched Shaun. He is just becoming sick and we are going to try to figure out what it is,” I said.
I walked back towards Amelia as she slid the syringe from my dad’s arm and placed a band-aide over the puncture wound.
Emmitt’s voice came over the radio. “We have made it to the basement. Seth is working on finding the switch. Hang tight.”
“Copy that Emmitt. We are standing by,” Shaun replied.
My dad sat there holding his arm as Amelia began setting up the equipment, patiently waiting for power. I picked up the laptop from the counter and placed it in front of Amelia.
“This computer may have some answers were looking for,” I informed.
“How do you know that,” Amelia asked.
I handed her the note written by the doctor and a smirk came across her face.
“This is good. I mean not the suicide part, but it seems she began to understand part of the disease so maybe we will have some help with figuring out what is going on. I never suspected it to be a form of Rabies, but that truly makes sense; the uncontrollable hunger, elevated anger and fever, and the ability to not feel pain. It all points to Rabies. The brain is its own computer which will do whatever it takes to survive. Rabies triggers many different aspects of the brain, but uncontrollable anger and hunger are two main signs.”
“So, are you telling me that there could be a cure for this? If it is a form of Rabies, then it can be treated,” I said.
“We will see what her research says,” Amelia replied. “She seemed to think that it is a far more advanced case than just the Rabies we know, but if it is a form of it then we may have a link to stopping it.”
Z.E.D.S. Series (Book 2): Z.E.D.S. Wayward Son Page 6
