by Lara Nance
Ria groaned. “Oh, Linc, that is so good. You’ll have to try it. But I’m stuffed.”
He rubbed his distended abdomen. “I’m full, too, but I’d love to have some later.”
“All right, I’ll put it in the cool storage.” Ginger headed for the kitchen.
Ria took empty plates from her father and Linc. “Conner, bring your plate.”
“Ria, I need to check the SatNet link for messages. I told Jeff to use that to contact me.” He rose and followed her. “I doubt my pad will work on your wireless.”
“Oh, we’ll use mine then. I need to check it, as well.” She fed the dishes into the washer then motioned him to the booth. “Let me log in.”
“Do you think Manson will find anything that will help us?” He slid into the seat opposite her.
She stared at the screen a few seconds then replied, “If there’s anything to find, he’s the best person to look for it. That’s all I can say. If his suspicion that the virus caused the mutation is correct, we’ll have to find a way to kill the virus, or at least stop it from replicating.”
“Any news?” He pointed to the pad.
She shook her head. “Just a broadcast that we made it back with the samples. It was sent to all members. No individual messages. Do you think it’s a good idea to give Jeff your password to the private group? It’s supposed to be for the joint team.”
She signed off and handed the device to him. A message from Jeff popped up immediately.
“I trust him to be discrete. Plus, it was the only way I could think of at a moment’s notice to allow him to communicate with me up here.”
“I guess that’s true. I didn’t think about the problems of communicating across The Divide.”
“Damn.” He read Jeff’s note and his gut clenched.
“What?” She leaned forward.
“A body from the Cameron massacre is missing. He thinks the Wrath of Freedom may have stolen it.”
Her hands curled into fists on the tabletop. “No! That’s a disaster. Encapsulated in the plas-mold, there could still be live parasites in the tissue.”
“I know.” He typed a reply.
“Does your government know?”
“Yes. They’re investigating, but they have no leads at this point.”
“And the three men who escaped?”
“Still not found, but there are half-eaten bodies showing up on the route from Cameron to New Orleans. Hungry buggers.” He finished his message and sent it. “Mind if I check my other mail accounts?”
She waved a hand, biting her bottom lip. “This keeps getting worse. The WOF group adds another level of danger.”
He went through his university mail and his personal account. Nothing of great importance other than government alerts about the dangers. Nothing he didn’t already know. He returned the pad to her. “I think they’re capable of anything. We should assume they will.”
“I’ll send an alert to the group,” she said.
“Ria, honey, we’re going to head home,” her mother said. “I left the extra food in the cold storage. Make sure Linc gets a slice of cake later.”
“Good to meet you,” Juan said, extending his hand for a shake. “I hope you guys are able to rest before you head out again.”
“Nice to meet both of you. The food was great” Linc said. “I hope so, too. I’m beat.”
“When can I come over again, Aunt Ria?” Conner asked, hugging her thighs.
“I’ll call you tomorrow, scamp,” she said, clasping him against her. “But I’ll be very busy the next few days working on this problem, okay?”
“I know. But I could still come over here.”
“We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” she said, kissing his cheek.
“Don’t forget about the puppy,” he said in a loud whisper that had his grandparents smiling sadly over his head.
“I won’t,” Ria promised.
The three left, and Ria yawned. “Ready for cake?”
“Might as well.” His stomach had aggressively processed his meal already. “You have nice parents.”
She sliced two hunks of the thick, white layer cake and placed them on saucers. “Yeah, They have their issues like everyone else, but overall, they’re pretty great.”
“Your sister and Conner were living with you?”
She placed the two portions on the table and handed him a fork. “She had been out of work for a while. The truth is, she hadn’t had a regular job her whole life, just hopped from one dead-end to another. As an artist, she bored easily and never found a place that utilized her talent to her satisfaction.”
“Did she paint that?” He pointed to a painting on the wall of Conner as a baby.
The child sat on sand, mouth open on a delighted grin, playing with toys as the ocean rippled blue-green in the background. Gulls swooped against a blue sky over his head. It was done so well, he half expected to hear the chubby kid break into laughter.
Ria registered a nostalgic smile as she stared past him. “We went to the beach in Sector Three about a year after he was born. Mom and Dad went with us, and we had a wonderful time. Conner was the best baby, always happy and smiling. I’ll never forget that trip.”
“What about the father?”
Ria’s gaze returned to meet his. “She never told us who he was. Fortunately, Mom was thrilled to have a baby in the family no matter how it occurred. She’d always wanted a grandchild. Of course, she thought I, being the stable and responsible one, would have one first. She didn’t count on the distraction of school, though. Lola went away shortly after her nineteenth birthday and came home eight months pregnant. She had Conner, stayed a couple of years, and disappeared again. Then last year, the two came to live with me. She never said anything about where she’d been or what she’d been doing. I took her in because she was my sister and Conner is the greatest kid ever.”
“He is pretty awesome.”
“Since then, Mom has reminded me daily that I need to take advantage of the freedom to have a child. She fears I’ll never settle down.”
He smiled. “There’s plenty of time for you.”
“I don’t know. It’s true it’s getting harder. The government says they’ll have to impose a rationing schedule for children in a couple of years due to the overcrowding. Right now, a person or couple can only have one child. When rationing begins, they’ll grant allowance based only on genetic testing to produce the attributes needed in society without overburdening our already stretched natural resources.”
“Really?” He’d heard rumors to that effect, but news between the two countries wasn’t always dependable. That must explain the tall apartment buildings on the way here, and Ria’s surprise at the idea of individual houses in Cameron. “We don’t have issues like that in the South, but there is a law that says only married couples can have children.”
“My mother constantly reminds me my time is running out. Constantly.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s so annoying.”
“Mothers are good at that sort of thing,” he said ruefully. “My mother wants grandchildren, too. She’s always setting up dinners that happen to include single daughters of her friends. You can’t imagine how awkward that is.”
She laughed, and her eyes lit a sparkling green like emeralds in the sun. Funny, he’d never noticed the unusual shade of her eyes. Had they darkened by tragedy since they first met? The green was a beautiful splash of color against her olive skin and black hair. If not for the fatigue and bruises tinting her face, he’d say she was one of the best looking women he’d ever seen. From everything they’d been through, he’d say she was as beautiful inside, as well.
“How’s that cake?” she asked.
“Fantastic.” He forked the final bite into his mouth. “Tell your mother I’m impressed.”
“She’ll like that.”
“Everything was delicious. Please give her my thanks again when you talk to her.”
She stood and carried the small plates to the washer inpu
t. “Thanks. And by the way, I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your saving me from that lion.”
He chuckled. “I can’t wait to tell my friends I fought a lion and won to save a beautiful woman.”
She turned pink and averted her gaze. “Um, I’m ready for bed. How about you?”
“I was ready yesterday,” he said. Her blush only made her prettier. A stirring of attraction swirled through him.
“I know what you mean. Let me make sure everything is okay for you in Lola’s room.”
He trailed her to the second bedroom. She inspected the bed and folded down the decorative purple therma-spread and sheets.
“If you need anything, please let me know.” She turned to him. “Although you’ll probably have a hard time waking me up.”
“Here’s to a night with no disruptions. I’m sure we’ll have plenty tomorrow.”
“I’m afraid you’re right.” With a wave, she left and closed the door behind her.
He scanned eclectic art covering the walls, the spirit of Lola thick in their presence. A small picture of Conner sat on a table by the bed. He picked it up. About three years old in this photo, the boy still smiled like the great child he’d become. Poor kid. He’d had an unsettled life, and now he’d lost his mother. Linc hoped his troubles had come to an end, and that the issue with the parasite would never make it here to threaten him. Sadly, that didn’t seem likely.
Chapter Fourteen
Ria attempted to quell her anxiety as she sipped her coffee and stared out the window behind her galley booth. Rain fell in heavy sheets, obscuring the sun and sky. A dark grayness hung over the city as daylight struggled to arrive. She breathed in the rich aroma of her coffee, thankful to be home. However, she couldn’t stop worrying that three infected cannibals wandered in the South, hungry for human flesh.
A little before six, and she couldn’t believe she didn’t still sleep. Apparently her brain decided she should work on the parasite problem. She’d called the lab, but no one answered. Manson must have gone home for the night. That surprised her. Usually when he had a problem to solve, he worked non-stop. She couldn’t count the times she’d had to deliver food to the lab and force him to eat.
Thinking of food, she retrieved her mother’s cake and sliced off a piece then programmed the vend panel for another cup of coffee. Not her usual breakfast, the cake reminded her of good times with her family, and she needed that right now.
“Good morning.” Link came into the kitchen, already dressed. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. “Despite being wiped out, I woke up at my normal time.”
“Yeah, me, too. Coffee?”
“Absolutely.” He eyed the cake. “And some of that.”
She laughed. “Ah-ha, another tres leche addict.”
“May I use your pad to check my mail?”
“Sure, it’s on the table.” She pointed to the booth.
He slid into a seat and picked it up.
“I wish we’d receive some good news for once.” She placed his plate and coffee in front of him.
“The newest e-mail from Jeff says they found the person who broke into the lab, but he didn’t have the samples on him and he’s not talking. Still no sign of the three escapees.”
“I wonder if they’re traveling together, like forming a tribe.” She savored the creamy sweetness of the cake.
“According to Jeff, the trail of bodies is a single one.” He handed her the pad and dug into his breakfast. A night of sleep had benefited him. The lines in his face were less pronounced and he didn’t seem quite so pale.
“We should head to the lab. I can’t wait to hear if Manson made any new discoveries.”
“Man, this cake is good,” he said between bites. “Would she give me her recipe?”
“Do you like to cook?” She stared at him in surprise. He looked like the manly, outdoorsy type that didn’t know his way around a kitchen.
“I do. You should taste my lasagna, it’s an old family recipe.”
“Okay, when this mess is over, you have to make me some lasagna. I need something to look forward to.”
“Deal,” he said. “And you have to bring your mother’s cake.”
She reached for his hand. “Deal.”
A musical tone alerted her to an incoming call from the lab. She pressed the receive button for open speaker on her wrist-comm so Linc could here. “Hello?”
“Ria? This is Louis. There’s been an outbreak in Sector Three on the Atlantic coast. Major human involvement. You and Dr. Butler will have to go right away. The South wants him there as their representative.”
“Sector Three?” Her heart skipped a beat. The parasite had invaded in the North.
Linc lowered his coffee cup and frowned. “Where?”
“A place called Deltaville. It’s on a peninsula between two rivers off of the Chesapeake Bay.” Dr. Manson’s deep voice boomed over the comm, making the room seem small. “National security has already quarantined the area and closed it off from the rest of the country.”
The sweet cake turned sour in her stomach, and she pressed a hand to her belly. Death had arrived on their shores. “We’ll need a transport.”
“I’ve already contacted my liaison with the military. They have one waiting. I’ll instruct one of the students to bring over new containment equipment and sample kits.”
“All right. We’re leaving now.”
“And Ria.” His voice went even lower. “This thing is mutating quickly. The virus has basically created a new parasite.” He paused and muttered, “I wasn’t expecting this.”
“Can we stop it?”
“Dr. Patel and the rest of our team are headed in. We’ll work on it until we find something. Get those samples back as soon as you can.”
She tuned off the comm, meeting Linc’s gaze, unable to move for a few seconds as the horror sunk in.
“This is an unwelcome development,” he said, rising from the booth. “I’ll get my bag.”
***
When they arrived at the military airport, Linc was surprised how quickly they passed him through security even with his pistol. Fear seemed to have trumped concerns for political division. They hustled aboard a large copter and barely buckled into their seats before the craft rose from the tarmac.
Ria ended a call to her parents, and leaned over to check the delivery of bags Manson had sent. “Looks like he didn’t forget anything.”
He pressed a button on his armrest to reach the pilots. “What’s our ETA?”
A female voice from the cockpit said, “Two hours, Dr. Butler. Hold on…I have a vid call coming in for you and Miss Moralez. I’ll put it on the holo-screen.”
“Thank you.” He focused on a flat silver oval atop a pedestal across from them. A halo of light rose above it and swirled, then coalesced into an image from the university lab with Dr. Manson and the others from the team behind him.
“Ria, Dr. Butler, we have grave news.” The big man swiped a hand across his brow, a frantic light in his eyes. “The report from Sector Three says they have at least eighty people dead and twenty infected victims captured. At this point, they’re canvassing the area to determine if everyone involved have been contained. There’s the possibility some of the earlier infected individuals escaped before they erected the blockade.”
“Twenty infected?” Ria exclaimed.
“Yes, and there are piles of wildlife on the beaches, washed ashore. Some of the seagulls began attacking people and were shot. This is a completely new development.”
“What about sea life?” Linc asked.
“Whales, dolphins, too many to account for as of yet.” Manson shook his head. “It’s huge. And that’s not all. Two more towns in the South just reported. A place south of Galveston, and Wilmington, North Carolina.
“The two countries have issued countrywide alerts for a state of emergency and are blockading the coastal areas for the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. I’ve forwarded the list of edicts to you on the SatNet link
so you’ll know what’s involved. There’s talk of evacuating the coastal cities, as well.”
Ria’s lips formed a silent, Wow. He couldn’t agree more. Despite their unprecedented cooperation across The Divide and quick response, this crisis had moved into the out-of-control category fast.
Dr. K moved to stand beside Manson. “Be careful. We don’t know how easily this parasite is transmitted. So far, we’ve assumed it has to be ingested. I’m not so sure anymore.”
“Are you saying it could be airborne?” Linc asked, incredulous.
“It doesn’t seem likely, but we can’t be certain. Take every precaution when you arrive.”
“Suit up before you leave the transport,” Manson said. “I want you two safe.”
The link faded, and a sense of impending doom enveloped him like a cold fog. Ria remained fixated on the holo-screen oval, her eyes wide and lips parted.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She blinked and looked at her lap. “This is frightening. I’ve never imagined something so devastating would happen. It’s like those movies where a killer virus almost wipes out humanity.”
“I know what you mean. It’s almost too appalling to believe.” He reached for his bag, took out the pistol he’d taken from the pilot of the crashed copter, and checked the charge.
“Are you taking that with you when we land?”
“Oh, hell yeah. I’ll put a belt around my containment suit and tuck it there. I’m not taking any chances with possible escapees around.”
She appeared thoughtful for a moment then sighed. “At least they caught that tanker. The only thing that would make this worse is if it went international.”
Knowledge of ocean currents and the passages of sea creatures flooded his brain. “I wish you hadn’t said that.”
***
“Ma’am, the bodies have been plas-sealed and placed in containment pods.” A captain of the National Security forces faced Ria and Linc as they entered the command center. He also wore containment equipment over his gray uniform and knee-high boots.
It reassured her that even the military took precautions. Sometimes they didn’t take scientific warning seriously until it was too late. That had happened with the Margula virus twenty years ago. Thousands of soldiers had died before they listened to the health department and added zinc supplements to their diets.
