The Vanishing (The End of Time Chronicles Book 1)

by Heath Jannusch

  A couple of hours later Alfonso found Lex and Cleo sitting at a table, getting to know each other better. The old Mexican approached the young couple, clearing his throat to get their attention. They were deep in conversation and didn’t seem to notice his approach.

  “Excuse me,” said Alfonso, “Shiloh decided to stay in town tonight and I’m driving back to the ranch now. Do you need a ride?”

  “Why yes a ride would be wonderful Alfonso, thank you,” replied Lex.

  “Sí Señor, no problem. I’ll go get the truck and pull it around.”

  “Thanks,” Cleo called after Alfonso, as he walked away. “What a sweet man!”

  The drive back to the Evan’s Ranch seemed to fly by, as Lex and Cleo gazed into each other’s eyes while Alfonso drove. The full moon was bright and high up in the sky. Arriving back on the ranch they all three congregated in the living room, where Alfonso immediately built a fire in the stone fireplace.

  “I’m tired,” yawned the old Mexican, as the flames grew higher and higher. “I’m gonna hit the sack, you two have a pleasant evening.”

  “Goodnight Alfonso,” said Lex, poking at the fire.

  “Goodnight,” smiled Cleo. “Thank you so much for letting me stay here and for building us a fire.”

  “No problem, it’s my pleasure,” the old man smiled down at Cleo and made a slight formal bow, before turning and leaving the room.

  “It’s a beautiful fire,” said Cleo, as she sat down on the couch and watched Lex poke at the flames. “Why don’t you come and join me on the sofa?”

  “Of course,” grinned Lex, setting down the poker and sitting down next to Cleo. He wanted so badly to reach out, take her in his arms and kiss her soft lips.

  “Brrrr,” she whispered, rubbing her arms with her hands to keep warm.

  “Are you cold?” asked Lex, with genuine concern.

  “A little,” she admitted, scooting closer to him on the couch.

  Lex wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her even closer. His body heat immediately began to warm Cleo’s small, yet curvy frame. She curled her legs up on the couch and snuggled up next to him. She loved the way that he smelled; even though he didn’t seem to be wearing any cologne.

  Cleo leaned back against Lex’s body and rested her head on his chest. She could feel herself rise up a little and then lower back down with each breath that he took. Taking his hand in hers, she squeezed it and pulled his arm tighter around her body. Feeling completely protected, her eyes grew heavy and slowly closed.

  Only minutes had passed before Lex realized that Cleo had faded off to sleep. Her breathing was slow and deep as she lay there, wrapped safely in his arms. Not wanting to wake Cleo from her deep slumber, Lex was careful not to move around too much.

  Noticing a blanket on the back of the sofa, he gently reached over with his free hand and pulled it over Cleo, before drifting off to sleep. The two of them spent the night there snuggled together on the sofa.

  The next morning Lex woke up to the smell of bacon frying and fresh coffee brewing. His stomach was grumbling but he dare not move for fear of waking Cleo. They’d moved around a little throughout the night and she was now lying almost completely on top of him. Their stomachs were flat against each other and her head was resting peacefully on his chest.

  After a particularly loud rumble from Lex’s gurgling stomach, Cleo began to stir. Her eye’s opened slowly and blinked a couple of times as she took in her surroundings. Rubbing her eyes gently, she suddenly sat up; immediately realizing that she was lying on top of Lex.

  “Oh, good morning,” she said with a smile. “You make a bloody fine mattress.”

  “Thank you, and you my darling make a wonderful blanket,” teased Lex. “Of course that’s once you get past the snoring.”

  “I don’t snore!” she exclaimed, with a defiant and stubborn smirk.

  “Maybe just a little?” encouraged Lex.

  “Okay, maybe a little. What was that loud rumbling sound that woke me up?”

  “Probably my stomach,” laughed Lex. “I’m starving!”

  “Buenos Dias!” called Alfonso from the kitchen, as he cracked some eggs into a frying pan. “Breakfast is almost ready.”

  “Good morning Alfonso,” greeted Cleo, as she stood up from the sofa and began trying to fix her hair. “Can I help?”

  “No, you’re the guest,” insisted Alfonso. “How do you like your eggs cooked?”

  “Over medium please and thank you,” she replied, walking into the kitchen.

  Lex stood up from the couch and began stretching all of his limbs, which had fallen asleep under Cleo’s body. Despite the tingling sensation in his leg, he’d never felt more rested.

  “Please, sit,” said Alfonso, handing Cleo a cup of hot coffee.

  She sat down at the kitchen table and watched Alfonso while he finished preparing breakfast. He moved around the kitchen like a man who knew what he was doing. Before her coffee had cooled enough to drink, Alfonso placed a plate of food in front of her. It was a true American breakfast; complete with two eggs, two slices of crispy bacon, two slices of sourdough toast, a pile of home fries and three pancakes.

  Lex entered the kitchen sleepily, after stretching out the kinks and sat down across from Cleo. Alfonso immediately placed a steaming cup of hot coffee down in front of the younger man. He already knew the way that Lex liked his eggs and didn’t need to ask. After a moment he placed a large plate of food in front of Lex, piled twice as high as Cleo’s.

  “Wow!” said Lex, staring down at the food in front of him. “You really outdid yourself today, thanks!”

  Alfonso didn’t respond, he just placed three glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice on the table and then pulled up a chair to join them.

  “It’s bloody delicious,” said Cleo, after taking a bite of her eggs and washing them down with some fresh brewed coffee.

  “I agree,” added Lex, chewing on a mouthful of eggs, potatoes and bacon. “You sure can cook Alfonso!”

  “Gracias,” smiled Alfonso, “my mother taught me.” He then bowed his head for a quick and silent prayer, before drowning his pancakes in syrup.

  When the three of them had finished eating, Alfonso gulped down the remainder of his coffee and stood up. “I’ve many chores to do.” he said, excusing himself.

  Lex grinned and glanced devilishly across the table at Cleo. He was excited at the prospect of them being alone. He very much wanted to pick up where they’d left off the night before.

  “Can we help?” offered Cleo, trying to ignore Lex’s gaze. She couldn’t help but smile when the huge grin on his face turned into a frown.

  “Sure,” said Alfonso, as he pulled on his coat. “The cows in the barn need to be milked and the chickens need to be fed.”

  “No problem mate!” Cleo stood up, patted Lex on the shoulder and winked at Alfonso. “We’d be glad to help out, right Alexander?”

  “Oh sure, no problem,” mumbled Lex, as he stood up from the kitchen table.

  Alfonso led them out of the house and into the barn, showing them where everything was located. “Any questions?” he asked, when he was finished.

  “No, I think we’ve got it,” said Lex, anxious to be left alone with Cleo. Another devilish grin spread across his face as Alfonso turned and left the barn. “So, what do you want to do first?”

  “I’ll feed the chickens,” smiled Cleo, knowing that wasn’t what he’d meant. She handed him the milk bucket and added, “You can milk the cows. Perhaps that will help get it out of your system?” she teased, as she headed for the chicken coop.

  When Cleo had finished feeding the chickens, she filled a bucket with cold water from the manual pump outside the barn. “Thank God technology hasn’t taken over everything!” she thought. With the water bucket full, she went back into the barn and stood over Lex to see how he was doing with the cows.

  Lex noticed her shadow on the ground beside him and was impressed that she’d been able to sneak up on
him. Not many people could and this made him like her even more. “Care to grab a bucket and start squeezing some cow teats?” he asked. “After all, you’re the one who volunteered us!”

  Without hesitation Cleo dumped the bucket of cold water over his head and began laughing. Lex slowly stood up, drenched from head to toe and turned to face his assailant. A grin slowly spread across his face as he peeled off his wet shirt. Cleo couldn’t help but admire his flat stomach and wide broad shoulders.

  “You looked like you needed that more than the chickens!” she teased, egging him on.

  “You shouldn’t have done that,” he said, crouching and slowly walking toward her. As he drew close he spread out his large arms, as though he was about to pounce at any moment.

  Cleo continued to laugh as she slowly backed away. Suddenly Lex made his move and sprang toward her. As she turned to run, he grabbed hold of her waist with an impressive speed. They immediately fell onto a large pile of hay, laughing and tickling each other, as they rolled around.

  Suddenly the barn door swung open revealing Mason and Shiloh. The grim look on Mason’s face told Cleo that something was desperately wrong.

  Chimaera Outbreak

  The Vanishing – Day 13

  Clearview, Nevada

  The day after the homecoming party found Shiloh fast asleep on Rupert’s couch. The festivities had lasted till the early morning hours and Shiloh accepted Rupert’s offer to sleep in town.

  He was startled awake by the sound of someone pounding on Rupert’s front door. Standing up and stretching, he let out a huge yawn. The pounding ceased for a brief moment and then continued.

  “I’m coming,” called Shiloh, as he strolled sluggishly toward the sound pulling his t-shirt over his head. When he opened the door he found Ian standing on the other side, with a strained look on his face. “Ian, what is it, what’s wrong?”

  “Hey Shiloh, I didn’t know you were here. Have you seen Rupert?”

  “I think he’s still asleep in the other room. Why? What’s going on?”

  “We have a big problem. They’re sick, really sick and neither Doc July or Jessie know what’s wrong with them.”

  “Who’s sick?” asked Shiloh, still waking up and not quite sure what to think.

  “Everyone,” exclaimed Ian, “or so it seems. More and more people keep showing up with the same symptoms.”

  “What symptoms?”

  “Well,” Ian scratched his head, “it starts with a headache and fever, and then within hours it becomes hard to swallow. Those that were inflicted first have small, dark spots breaking out under their arms. People continue to arrive with the same symptoms, so we moved the sick to the library to make enough room for everyone.”

  “How long have I been asleep?” Asked Shiloh. “What time is it?”

  “It’s almost two in the afternoon,” replied Ian. “Listen, the doc is concerned that some of the people are going to die and he asked me to come and get Rupert.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Rupert is the closest thing this town has to a preacher. Ya mind if I come in and wake him?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry…I’m still half asleep. Please come in,” Shiloh stepped back into the house making way for Ian to enter. He quickly got dressed as Ian woke Rupert. Within minutes the three men were walking down Main Street on their way to the library.

  “How many cases have there been?” asked Rupert. The three men hurried along as quickly as they could, without actually running.

  “It started with Mr. and Mrs. Thompson,” answered Ian, “but then slowly, more and more people kept showing up with the same symptoms. We now have over fifty people infected.”

  “But infected with what?” asked Rupert.

  “We don’t know,” Ian shook his head helplessly, “that’s what’s so scary. I’m afraid we might have an epidemic on our hands. Some of the folks have mentioned a disease called Chimaera after seeing a story about it on the news. It has been spreading all over the world at an alarming rate. Apparently it started in Germany and has a one hundred percent kill rate, but Doc doesn’t know for sure if that’s what we’re dealing with.”

  Arriving at the library a few minutes later, Shiloh and Rupert were shocked by what they saw. They’d both just been here mere hours ago and now make-shift beds and cots filled the space that used to be occupied with tables and book shelves. Cole Higgins was there walking back and forth among the sick, offering pillows, blankets and his hand rolled cigarettes, trying to help ease the pain and discomfort of those inflicted.

  In the far corner of the room, Shiloh saw Mason and Savannah arguing about something. It sounded as though Mason didn’t like the idea of his wife tending to the ill and possibly catching the disease, but Savannah was having none of it. She was a stubborn woman and refused to stand by while others were in need.

  Jessie was walking around the room with a bucket of water and a damp wash cloth. Shiloh watched as she dabbed the forehead of a young girl and helped her to drink some water. Dr. July was sitting alone, with a dozen books opened up on the desk in front of him. He relentlessly thumbed through the pages searching for any information he could find on the outbreak.

  Mason looked up when Shiloh and Rupert entered the room with Ian. He watched the three men walk over to where Dr. July was sitting, with his head held between his hands. Mason knew that he wouldn’t be able to stop his wife, so he gave up and made his way across the room, toward the small group of men huddled around the doctor’s desk. When he was only a few feet away he could hear the doctor talking.

  “I’ve tried to contact the Center for Disease Control but I’ve had no luck. They must be swamped dealing with this disease and I’ve no idea how to cure it.”

  “It looks like the same disease that’s been racing across Europe,” offered Mason, joining the discussion. “They’re calling it Chimaera, and the last I heard, thousands of people had already died from it. It’s believed to have originated from a research laboratory in Germany, where scientists were conducting gene splicing experiments.”

  “What else can you tell me?” asked July. “I haven’t seen any of the news broadcasts that everyone’s talking about.”

  “I’m afraid that’s all I know right now,” said Mason. “I’m gonna try and get you some more reliable information. Continue to do what you can for these people and I’ll see what I can find out.”

  “Alright,” agreed Dr. July, “but hurry or I won’t have any patients left to treat.”

  “I’ll go with you,” offered Shiloh, following Mason from the library. “So where are we going?” he asked, when they were outside.

  “To my Hummer,” answered Mason, “I need to contact someone.” When they reached the Hummer Mason quickly opened the back door and withdrew a hard, black case. He put the case down on the backseat of the Hummer and opened it.

  “Where’d you get that?” asked Shiloh, surprised to see a highly advance satellite computer system.

  “From the company that I work for,” answered Mason, as he powered on the unit. He then typed a quick email to Snowflake in Alexandria.

  “Now what?” Asked Shiloh, a little disappointed. He was expecting more than just sending an email when he first saw the case.

  “Now we wait.” A few minutes passed by before the empty monitor screen began to blink in response.

  “What’s that? Did you get a reply?” asked Shiloh, surprised at the quick response.

  “An incoming call,” answered Mason. “Please be quiet, I’ll do the talking.” He then hit one of the keys and the blinking stopped. The monitor came to life with a pale faced man who had no hair and white eyes with small pupils.

  “Thanks for getting back to me so soon Snowflake, I need your help,” said Mason.

  “When don’t you these days?” coughed Snowflake.

  “Are you okay?” asked Mason, immediately concerned. “You don’t look so good.”

  “You were right to leave when you did,” smiled Snowflake, without real
ly answering the question. “I’m glad you made it. Did you find your family?”

  “Just my wife,” answered Mason, “my kids have vanished.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that Condor. Oh by the way, Snake Eyes is looking for you.”

  “I figured he might be,” replied Mason. “Thanks for the heads up.”

  “So what can I do for you this time my friend, it may be the last favor I’m able to repay?” Snowflake coughed for a few minutes, before catching his breath.

  “I need to know more about this disease called Chimaera,” answered Mason. “Is there a cure and if so, where’s it being manufactured?”

  “Of course,” coughed Snowflake, with beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. “That seems to be what everyone is interested in these days. I know that the drive you brought me mentioned it. You should take another look at it. I heard rumors that there’s an antidote but you have to get an RFID chip implanted in your hand to get it. Plus they’re only giving it to people who pass background checks. They’re not releasing any information on where to go yet.”

  “What’s the antidote called?” asked Mason.

  “It’s called NC666. I’m afraid that it’s impossible to find my friend. Although you have surprised me in the past,” added Snowflake with a weak smile.

  “And I shall do so again. Thanks for all of your help, I owe you.”

  “No my friend it’s I who still owes you, but I regret that I may never repay that debt,” coughed Snowflake.

  “You’ve been infected with it,” realized Mason.

  “Yes,” answered Snowflake, when his coughing fit had finally subsided, “but don’t worry about me. With Snake Eyes after you, I wouldn’t be surprised if I outlive you!” Snowflake flashed a feeble smile. “I’ve gotta go now Condor, take care of yourself and be careful.”

  “I will, and thanks for everything.” The screen went black as Snowflake disconnected.

  “Drive?” asked Shiloh, with a knowing smile. “Snowflake, Snake Eyes, Condor, what are those supposed to be, code names?”

  “Another time,” replied Mason, “you need to tell the doctor what we found out and I need to do some research. I’ll meet you back at the library.”