by M. D. Massey
“We are still investigating the strange events at a doctor’s office this morning. The witnesses who are still alive and weren’t harmed have told us exactly what happened. Marcia, do you have the report?”
“Yes, Bill. Standing in front of me are the witnesses. They’re saying the doctor was taking a smoke break by the back door when suddenly, he was attacked by a man walking by. The man used his fingers to scratch at the doctor, and then proceeded to bite him. Before he could harm anyone else, a bystander who was carrying a gun shot him. The paramedics arrived to help the wounded man, but he attacked them as well.”
“Marcia, how many were wounded in total?”
“Bill, we don’t actually know what the total is because we had to relocate into the van and drive a few streets over. Those who found safety with us were able to give us some insight into what happened, but so far, most of it is just conjecture at this point. We should be able to have the full story by the evening news…excuse me, Bill. We were just told to caution people in the area to refrain from helping anyone who seems to be injured or sick. Dial 9-1-1 and let the professionals handle the situation until we know how these individuals have become sick.”
“Be careful out there. Well, ladies and gentleman, you heard it here. Some kind of incident that sounds, well, almost too crazy to be true. Stay tuned for updates as our investigative team finds out more about the situation.”
The station resumes playing music.
I honestly don’t know which is more disturbing: the fact that my baby was near this illness, or that they don’t know what exactly is happening to people.
Considering Brad had called me, this isn’t just a single case. It has to be happening overseas as well, or they had gotten orders, but couldn’t say because it’s top secret.
He wouldn’t have been able to call if it was classified, but knowing my husband, if it would save mine and baby Pierce’s life, then he would break any rules necessary.
There’s only about an hour and a half left until I make it to Nana and Pop’s.
“Oh, crap. I forgot to call them and let them know I’m coming.”
Not that they really need to be warned we’re on the way, but a heads-up would be a nice gesture.
“Dial Nana.” The van fills with the tones of the phone dialing, but it goes straight to a busy tone.
I hit the disconnect button on the phone more forcefully than I intended. “Dial Nana’s cell.”
“All circuits are busy at the moment. Please try your call again later.”
“Well, baby, I guess we made it out of the city just in time. We’ll try them again when we get a little closer.”
The towers nearer to Nana’s might not have the city’s overflow, and we might be able to use that the further into the mountains we go.
I try to comfort myself with the thought that they’re still playing music and not an emergency alert. Maybe things aren’t that terrible yet.
Chapter 2
Trish
“Mom, did I do good at the dentist?” Six-year-old Nicole asks, hoping she’ll get a treat.
“Yes, dear. Everyone gets a treat this evening at dinner.”
“Even Trevor? He screamed when they were cleaning his teeth.” Nicole asks, concerned he might get something he doesn’t deserve.
“Sweetie, Trevor is only two. It was his first visit to the dentist.” I smile in the rearview mirror at my little guy. “He will do much better next time since he knows what to expect. Won’t you, Trev?”
He simply nods his head around his sippy cup of Kool-Aid.
The doctor’s complex isn’t hard to navigate, but suddenly, there seems to be a traffic jam leading out of the area.
Nicole chooses that moment to shove her sister, Joy.
“Mom!” Joy exclaims, holding her elbow. “She pushed me into the car seat again.”
I try to ignore the situation, but with the SUV sitting still in a line waiting to exit, I turn slightly.
“Nicole, keep your hands in your lap and don’t touch your sister.” Holding up a finger to ward off Joy’s protests, I continue. “Nicole, you need to apologize to your sister for hurting her. Girls, we have too much traffic—”
A shrill scream erupts from Nicole’s side of the car. I twist around to see a face pressed against the window.
I start to lower my window to speak to the person, until I notice the blood covering the side of him…or her. Oh, it’s definitely a her. I can see the big hoop earring on the normal side of her face.
I hate to leave someone in need, but I can’t take a chance that whoever did such a thing to her would find us.
My protective nature takes over and I throw the SUV into gear and pull out into the incoming lane, screeching my tires, leaving the poor woman stumbling after us in a crazy, weaving manner.
Carson, my son, is speechless because I never drive like this. I always caution him to drive safely to avoid accidents. At the moment, I don’t care who or what is in my way; I need to get us out of the complex in a hurry.
Others seeing my quick exit have followed my example, and suddenly the road is filled on both sides with people trying to leave.
I manage to pull out into a slightly empty space, but realize the holdup is from the cars out on the main roads, managing to bring everyone to a standstill.
There’s no way I’ll get stuck again with three children crying and one scared silent, so I cross over into the turn area and nudge my way right into the neighborhood across the way.
Every neighborhood has a front entrance, and at least one back entrance to them. I’m betting there will be less traffic on the other side. I don’t bother with stop signs or going only thirty miles an hour. This is an emergency.
“Mom?” Carson questions in fear. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure, honey, but we need to get home quick.”
The back seat has gone quiet as the seriousness of the situation sinks in, and the children watch in amazement as their mother tears through the neighborhood toward their home.
“Listen to what I’m going to tell you, kids, it’s very important. When we arrive home in a minute, I want you get out of the car and go straight to your rooms. Joy, unbuckle Trevor and make sure he gets to his room. Does everyone understand?”
Four heads nod in unison.
“All right. Once I get us in the house, I’ll make a few phone calls. I need you to find a backpack and fill it with clothes. Sturdy clothes, Joy.” Knowing how she always tries to wear flip flops to the gym, it needs to be said as a reminder. “I’m going to call your father and see what he thinks is going on and what we should do.”
I pull into the drive and stop quickly. All four children get out and hurry into the house while I try to calm my nerves.
Maybe I just imagined the person was injured, and my overworked brain was simply seeing things.
Prying my fingers from the steering wheel, I glance up to see Carson standing in the doorway, waiting to make sure I make it inside okay. He’s going to grow up to be such a gentleman.
Psyching myself up, I get out and close the door, only to find the handle covered in blood from the person smearing it all over my car.
I walk into the house and Carson shuts the door behind me as I head for the sink.
“Carson, could you please bring me the bleach from the laundry room and pour it over my hands?” I manage to ask calmly.
Blood doesn’t normally bother me, but this is from someone who’s not related to me, and I’m still a little freaked out.
“Should I just pour it over your hands?” Carson asks cautiously.
“Yes, and turn the water on as hot as it will go.”
I rinse my hands. “Honey, you can stop. Now, take the soap bottle and cover my hands with it.” Seeing his evil grin slip into place, I say, “Only my hands and nothing else, young man.”
“Aw, Mom. How did you know?” Carson grins.
“I’m the mom.” I grin back. “Go outside and hose down the c
ar so the younger kids don’t see that, okay?”
“Sure thing.” Whistling, he goes toward the door, but stops to look back. “Do you think that was just an isolated incident?” Shaking my head at him, I try to keep my fears from showing through. “Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of. I’ll be careful out there, and if I see anything I’ll run inside.” The door closes behind him, and before I can gather my wits, Joy and Nicole come into the kitchen.
“Hey, Mom?”
“Yes, sweetie?”
“We’re both packed and Trevor’s asleep. I packed him a bag of clothes as well. Do you know where we’re going?”
“Not yet, honey. I still have to call your dad and see what the news has to say about what happened. Why don’t you both take a soda into the playroom and watch something until I find out if we need to go?”
Subdued, both girls quietly go to the playroom without any argument.
Astonished, I think the world must have just ended because that never happens.
As I try to figure out where Carson would have put my purse, the phone starts ringing with the Imperial March, my hubby’s own tone. “Hey, Honey—” I begin, but I’m cut off by a high-pitched voice that can’t possibly be my husband.
“Umm…I’m headed home as quickly as I can. I’m not sure what you’ve heard, but downtown is in rush hour traffic as the entire workforce is trying to leave all at once.”
“Why on earth would everyone come home in the middle of the day?” I question, but I have a feeling that the situation at the doctor’s complex isn’t the only one in our area.
“There was an incident, and everyone is in a panic because while there’s only one here, they think it will spread all over the country in the next twenty-four hours.”
“Are we going to stay here, or should we try to make it out to the farm?” I don’t want to make the trip, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
“Babe, I’ve gotta go, but pack up the house and kids. I’ll call you back in a few.”
Looking at the phone in my hand as it goes silent, I slide to the floor in frustration as the situation sinks in.
The end of the world is here, and not all of us are going to make it.
Cooper
* * *
The idea of getting out of here seems to diminish by the minute. Another car forces its way into line as everyone creeps along toward the exit from the five levels of cars, all in a hurry to leave.
I don’t see this going anywhere, and once I hit the street level, the chaos will be worse as the entire downtown tries to squeeze onto the already narrow streets.
Yanking the idling car from the line going nowhere, I head back up to the roof where no one is at.
Sitting here, I consider the dumb move I just made by leaving the line. Already the air smells better, though, and I can think without the enclosed honking of horns echoing in my ears.
I have an overnight bag in my trunk, and the refrigerator in the lunchroom will have enough food to last me the night. While I hate the idea of leaving my wife and children to fend for themselves, they have a much better chance of leaving town now, and I can catch up with them later.
Not seeing much choice at the moment, I climb out of the car and head back downstairs, knowing the elevators will still be full of people trying to leave. There were always the last ones who were determined to finish their paperwork before the world ended.
I work for a company that develops programs. Some for data entry, being the simplest programs, and then more complex programs that are classified. If the world is truly over, then we’ll only have computer access for a short while.
I cross through the now empty cubicles strewn with meaningless papers and reports, waiting for their owners to return. The silence is completely deafening in a place that rarely sleeps, which only intensifies the fact that it’s over—the world has ended.
Resisting the urge to right overturned chairs, I head straight for my office in the corner. It’s one of the few enclosed spaces on the entire floor, so that those in charge can see who isn’t working hard enough.
A door slams behind me. I’ve just come from there and I crouch down, not really understanding the instinct to hide.
I can hear the words they are speaking as they get a little closer to where I’m hidden from view beside the water cooler. As the footsteps approach, I scramble to move further back into the corner where the older file cabinets collect dust, but provide a better cover.
“I’m glad that everyone believed those reports we fabricated. Now the entire downtown will be empty and the police will be busy running to answer all the calls about possible zombie sightings instead of securing the buildings.
“I know, dude. I can’t believe our good fortune. All these classified documents just waiting to be uploaded, and we walk out of here free men.
“I hope the other groups are having the same kind of luck. Otherwise, it will all be for nothing.”
My phone starts to vibrate and I reach in my pocket to silence it.
Bypassing my office, they move into my boss’s office and turn on his computer.
I can barely see into the other room, but both guys have machine guns and are wearing ninja suits, so there won’t be a way to identify them.
Holding my breath and staying quiet seems to be the best course of action until they get what they’re here for. I don’t have any weapons nearby.
If I could get to my office, there’s a gun hidden at the bottom of my files, but these guys move like they’ve had military training, and I wouldn’t be able to do anything against them. Probably wearing Kevlar material under their ninja suits, I try to convince myself not to act as our secrets are stolen right in front of me.
“Ugh! Coward. Why couldn’t I be one of those guys that race into danger instead of away from it?” I groan out loud, then clap a hand over my mouth. “Of course I’m the idiot that gets caught and dies as well.”
Thankfully, they didn’t hear me, or if they did, they’re too engrossed in stealing to care.
I peek out from my hiding place to see them both bent over my boss’s desk, gesturing to each other. The taller one grabs the USB and makes for the door as I duck back behind the file cabinet.
“Gary, there’s no need to cover our tracks. They won’t even know what hit them when they realize the world isn’t ending.”
“I get that, but there will be a huge investigation, and I don’t want to take a chance of that coming back to haunt us. After all the work we did this morning, putting the makeup on those guys to be realistic zombies, the only thing haunting us will be the videos of the chaos embedded in history.”
“Still, can you wipe the keyboard down again?”
“Steven, you are such a worrier. We’re wearing gloves for God’s sake. Let’s go. We still have another building to hit up.”
“I have the urge to leave something behind. You know, when you steal from one house, then leave it at the next in place of what you stole?” Gary is interrupted when a loud noise erupts from the break room.
“What the hell is that?” Both men take off running toward the source of the sound.
Deciding to take advantage of their distraction, I crawl the few feet to my office door and around the desk before I stop to listen for sounds that either man had seen me.
The sound of a gunshot rings out and I slowly slide the drawer out and reach below my files for the pistol at the bottom. Trying to feel around in the semi dark room without making noise is more difficult than I thought.
The voices drift closer again, just as my hand makes contact with the cold metal of my gun. Carefully lifting it out, I pull the clip taped to the bottom of my desk. I barely make it into the knee hole before the door opens.
“All clear in here,” Steven calls out.
I can hear the other doors being opened and shut throughout the complex.
“Look, we’ve gotta go. The timeframe on the other building being empty is getting shorter. The actors can only keep it going f
or a certain amount of time. There was only the one in the break room and we took care of her.” Gary begins to walk back toward the main stairway exit door.
“I just have the feeling we’re being watched. I’m sure it’s nothing. Even if there was someone, we covered our tracks, and who’s going to believe them anyway.” Steven glances around the cubicles, hoping to dismiss his fears.
Even when the doors slam closed, I wait at least ten minutes before pushing the desk chair out. Stealthily checking from the window to make sure there’s no movement, I cautiously open the door and step outside.
The office is once again silent, so I head toward the break room, dreading what I’m about to see. I know one of my co-workers is dead, but I really thought everyone had left already.
“Crap!” Startling myself when it slips through my lips, I survey the bullet hole in Judith’s forehead. There was nothing I could have done to save her, but now I need to make sure these guys don’t hurt anyone else.
Running a hand through my hair, I start pacing outside the break room until it dawns on me what is going on with this surreal situation.
They were after the prototype for the Protection Project. It would be a great coup to make it to the market before our company did, and we would probably only allow governmental agencies access. If these guys took it to the next level, they could have private bidders from all over the world ready for any kind of major disaster or potential company takeover.
They hadn’t locked my boss’s office, so I think to confirm my suspicions before I call in help.
Not only is the computer on, but there’s a paper sticking out from under the keyboard with file names and passwords for quick access to those specific files.
That means my boss, Jack, knew they would be coming to find stuff on his computer because the only passwords written are for the Protection Project. None of our other projects with high security are listed.
“Crap. Double Crap.” My children aren’t around to hear me, and this is serious. I have no idea how far up the chain of command this breach goes or who I can trust.
