Omega Pathogen: Despair

by J. G. Hicks Jr

Kathy had avoided several bodies that lay on the asphalt around the store. She followed the hand signals from two people on the roof of the building that directed her to the middle bay that had begun to open. As soon as the MRAP cleared the open gate, it started closing behind them.

  Kathy, Chris, and Jeremy thought they had all the tools they would probably need for the task, and were offered the use of the other group’s if they found they lacked something. Three of the group’s men offered to assist in the repairs and Kathy accepted the help.

  “Jeremy, keep your radio and weapon on you. Keep a watch on things,” Jim quietly said as he tried to inconspicuously look around.

  “Got it," Jeremy said. He moved away where he could watch over his aunt and brother. Jeremy sat on an overturned five-gallon bucket and tried to look like he wasn’t suspiciously eyeing the people from Cooper’s group.

  “Can I show you around our place, Jim,” Sam asked.

  Since Jim would be little to no help to his sister and sons as they worked on the MRAP, he accepted the invitation and walked with Sam Cooper to take a tour of the store they had converted to their home. Both men shared parts of their experiences since the infection began as they toured the large building.

  The feeling seemed nearly mutual in both of the groups. The Matthews and Coopers; they wanted to trust each other but just couldn’t do it completely yet. The expressions on the faces that Jim saw were those of suspicion but courtesy. Mixed in with some of the people’s looks and glances was also that they were pleased. Many seemed pleasantly surprised that they were seeing other survivors. Like at the Yates’ compound, Cooper’s group had some radio contact with other groups but had not met many in person.

  “Y’all are welcome to spend the night if you like. We’ve got the room,” Sam said.

  “Thank you, but if they can get the vehicle running we’ll be on our way tonight,” Jim said.

  “Understandable. It seems like it’s gonna be pretty cold, you shouldn’t have as many of the diseased out there. Well, least not the fast ones,” Sam said.

  Sam introduced Jim to others as they walked through the store. He told Jim that they currently had fourteen survivors in their group. Like the survivors at the Yates’ compound, Cooper and his group had started with more but had lost many.

  As they walked Jim noticed a bulletin board hung on a wall with numerous pictures and drawings of people.

  Sam noticed Jim take an interest and said, “A lot of us put pictures of family and friends we’ve lost, and those that we’ll probably never know what happened. Pam, one of our members, is a very good artist. She did the portrait sketches you see. Those folks we didn’t have pictures of.”

  Jim nodded in reply as he looked at the pictures. In those faces of strangers he could see friends and family he too had lost. After the brief pause the men continued walking.

  Sam seemed relaxed as he took Jim all throughout the store to show what they’d done. He talked of ongoing projects and future plans their group had. Jim got some good ideas from the work Sam and his group were doing. Jim wanted to get back to his sons and sister and then back to the Yates’ compound as soon as possible, but he hid his impatience as best he could during the tour.

  On their way back to the garage, Sam invited Jim and his family to join his group for dinner.

  “If we – I should say – if my boys and sister get done in time, we just might take you up on the dinner. Thanks,” Jim said.

  They had wound their way back to the store’s automotive and garage area.

  Sam excused himself as the men reached the garage.

  As Jim approached the MRAP, he was about to ask how things were going, but he guessed from Kathy’s cursing that things were not going well. Kathy and Chris explained the issues they were having as they continued to work.

  Their diagnosis was not only that the fuel filter was an issue, but also the quality of fuel they had in the tank, and there was likely debris in fuel lines. As they spoke, Jim noticed the temperature had dropped quite a bit since they’d arrived about an hour ago. The garage’s bay doors were closed, but the remodeling that had been done to fit larger vehicles had left some gaps in the concrete blocks above the doors.

  The sun had set. Without the sunlight that had entered the garage through the skylight above them, more lights had been turned on around the MRAP so those working on the vehicle could see. Jim told them about the dinner invitation from Sam. Kathy, Chris, and Jeremy liked the idea and Jim felt they could use a break.

  “Lock the rifles in the MRAP but keep your pistols,” Jim said.

  After dinner, Jim went back to the garage and stayed with the Kathy and his sons. He was no mechanic but if one of them told him to turn a wrench or hold a light on something, he could do that. After several hours of work they were satisfied they had made the repairs.

  Jim went to find Sam and thank him while Kathy, Chris, and Jeremy cleaned up and put away tools. While on the way, Sam had already been on his way to see Jim.

  “They said you got her fixed,” Sam said and held up a walkie-talkie.

  Jim thanked Sam and his group for the help.

  The men headed back to the garage. They both offered to try and be of assistance to the other if needed.

  Jim stopped walking and talking in mid-conversation in front of the bulletin board. Jim stared at the photos and leaned closer to one of the sketches in particular. He pointed to one of the sketches.

  “I think I know this guy,” Jim said.

  Sam moved closer and looked at the one that had drawn Jim’s attention.

  “Unfortunate situation there, Jim. He’s no longer with us,” Sam said.

  Jim looked with a confused expression at Sam. “I know he’s not. He lives with us back at the Yates’ place,” Jim said. His finger still pointed at the paper.

  Sam cleared his throat. “Jim, we abandoned him at Camp Blanding. The man was schizophrenic. He became dangerous,” Sam replied. His facial expression was as confused as Jim’s.

  Jim turned toward Sam, his mouth open, and his facial expression had fear added to it. “We found him hiding in a tower. He worked for the CDC. He’s a laboratory technician,” Jim said.

  “No, Jim. He’s delusional. We thought he was just acting weird because . . . well, who could blame anyone for taking all this shit so hard. It can mess with anyone’s head. He tried to kill some of our folks,” Sam said. He went on to tell Jim that they had still felt pity for George even after his attempt to harm the people. Sam explained that they decided not to kill him but elected to abandon him. A team from Sam’s group had taken George along when they had gone to Camp Blanding in search of ammunition and supplies.

  “We lost some people up there from attacks by the diseased. They were all over that place. Before we left we convinced him to climb the tower and be a look out. We left him there to die,” Sam said.

  Jim pushed pass Sam and sprinted to the garage. The door just missed Jeremy when he burst through it. Jim saw Kathy in the driver seat looking at gauges as she tapped her foot on the accelerator.

  “Call them on the Ham!” Jim said as he approached the passenger side door.

  “Chris. Jeremy. Load up now!” Jim said as he yanked open the door and climbed in.

  While Jim gave a brief explanation to his sister and sons, Sam had some of his group start clearing out the exit of the garage of nearby infected and open the bay door.

  Chapter 32

  George felt he had waited long enough. Besides, he couldn’t take the damned voices any more. They grew louder and louder, urging him to act and heaving insults at him because he hadn’t begun his duty. He had to do it now. The fate of the world depended on his actions.

  George walked out of the RV and quietly closed the door behind him. He didn’t notice the freezing temperature as he crossed the soggy over-grown grass and mud puddles to the kitchen door of the house. He held the screwdriver in his left hand behind his back.

  George looked around and could vaguely make out
the parking lights of the pickup truck all the way at the opposite end of the farm. The truck couldn’t be further away unless it was outside the walls of the compound. Perfect.

  George reached the kitchen door and looked inside. He waited. He moved the screwdriver from hand to hand a few times before concealing it behind his back again. George calmly opened the door. Linda turned left toward him and gave a smile. George's expressionless face quickly changed into a toothy smile and he walked inside.

  Linda pointed in the direction of the children’s room and put her finger to her lips. George’s smile remained as he nodded and mimicked Linda. He pointed to his stomach and made motions of shoveling food into his mouth and then pointed to the kitchen. Linda smiled again and gave a thumbs-up before she turned her attention back to the video monitors.

  He felt he should eat something. His work might take a while and he was hungry. He would need the energy. George gathered some canned meat, sliced it and made a sandwich with Arzu’s homemade bread. He had never had bread this good. It was best when it just came out of the oven, but it was always delicious. He thought of how much would miss her bread.

  George stood at the sink and finished the sandwich. He washed it down with some water. George placed the cup on the counter and wiped breadcrumbs into the sink before he replaced the towel on the holder. George walked from the kitchen and closed the distance separating him from Linda’s back.

  Linda sat in the chair with the headphones covering both ears. She paused and listened for any communications as she adjusted the frequency dial of the Ham. After checking several, Linda turned the dial back to the frequency that the MRAP would use to contact them. She kept an eye on the monitors, watching each one for a few seconds for signs of intrusion and then on to the next.

  Through the part in the kitchen door curtains George could still see the pickup truck Royce used on his patrol. Royce was still far away. George grew within about six inches of Linda. How could she not notice me? I am the one chosen to do this. I am like a wraith, He thought.

  George stood there for a few seconds, in awe of his gifts and abilities. Then it was time. With a quick fluid motion he placed his right hand over Linda’s mouth and pulled her head backwards against his abdomen. Linda reached back with both hands and gripped his forearm. Her nails hurt him as they dug through his skin. Should I feel the scratching if I’m chosen? George wondered briefly.

  George thrust the steel of the six-inch Phillips head screwdriver into Linda’s left ear until it stopped at the handle. It went in much easier than he thought it would. He wiggled it around. He removed the screwdriver and immediately thrust it into her again, this time it entered a little below her ear. That time it was harder to push it in and seemed to change course as it went in and scraped skull. Again George wiggled the screwdriver.

  He noticed Linda had stopped struggling. George maintained his hold on Linda’s face and held her head up against him. He held the screwdriver’s handle while he leaned back to look through the window. Royce was still far enough away that he didn’t need to be concerned with him.

  George leaned down and listened. He didn’t hear breathing. “Liiindaaa,” George whispered like someone trying to gently wake a child. Nothing. George slowly lowered Linda’s head to the desk and looked down the hallway to his right. He tried to remember the layout of the home but he was pretty sure that Marlene and the children’s rooms were the closest.

  George noticed the pistol on Linda’s right hip and took it before he started to walk down the hall. He spun around to look back toward Linda to make sure she wasn’t trying to trick him. She still lay where he had left her so he returned to his important work.

  Arzu looked in disbelief. She could make out Linda’s features. She must just have fallen asleep. It was an optical illusion, she only thought she saw something sticking out of the side of Linda’s head. Still, she should wake Linda. She was on watch and that was no time to be sleeping. Arzu grew a little angry. She wondered how Linda could fall asleep with the responsibility she had to everyone. How long had she been asleep?

  Arzu was already in sweatpants and a t-shirt. She grabbed her jacket and slipped on her shoes. She checked on Berk and Kayra and left the camper. Arzu stopped. She turned around and went back inside to get her revolver. With it in her jacket pocket she left the camper again and made the short walk to the house.

  She crossed the twenty feet or so from the camper and entered the house through the sliding glass door. She stopped and stood just inside the house. Arzu no longer felt the physical effect of the cold weather when she could clearly see Linda and realization hit her. What she thought she had seen was reality.

  The sound of popping noises startled her out of her trancelike state with a jump. Arzu looked toward the hallway from where the noise had come and she realized the sound was gunshots from a pistol with a sound suppressor.

  Arzu moved to the radio and video monitoring station and reached over Linda’s lifeless form to call for Royce on the radio. As soon as he replied to his name being called Arzu said, “Come to the house. George killed Linda.” She heard him say he was on his way as she set down the radio to look for George.

  The others were in danger or would soon be dead. The poor children. Jen and Rob and Marlene. “George!” Arzu screamed. Her voice was unmistakably filled with rage. She tried to hold her fear and horror in check. Arzu tried to steady the revolver in front of her as she walked down the hall and neared Marlene and the children’s rooms.

  Rob walked out of the bedroom down the hall on the left. In one hand he held a pistol and with the other hand he scratched at his head. Rob rubbed sleep from his eyes. “Arzu, what’s going . . .” The sound of two low gunshots, Rob’s words were blown out of his throat with the first shot that went through his trachea. As he turned to where the shot came from on his left, the second round entered his forehead above his left eye and exploded out the right side of the back of his head. Rob fell against the wall then slid to the floor.

  Arzu brought up the muzzle of the revolver and got George in her sights for half a second, when he leapt over Rob’s body and into the room Rob had exited seconds earlier. The room Rob shared with Brent. She didn’t have a shot to take, but felt some relief that she didn’t fire. Jen’s room would have been in the path of the bullet. Arzu heard Brent yell out something and then two gunshots came from the dark room.

  Arzu moved toward the noise despite fear for herself, fear for her children and those that still lived drove her. And the anger she now had for George. Jen walked out of her room and looked down at Rob. “Get back!” Arzu yelled. As she spoke she saw the muzzle flash from the doorway where George was. Jen fell. Arzu fired twice into the wall where George should have been. She waited. She wondered if she should wait for Royce. She wondered about the children that had been sleeping inside the house. Had George killed them all? She couldn’t wait.

  She moved slowly down the hallway. She wasn’t sure she heard it with the ringing in her ears from the gunshots from her revolver, but she thought she heard George crying. Arzu froze as George threw the pistol out the bedroom door. “Come out, you bastard!” Arzu commanded. George stopped crying. He staggered out of the room and moved slowly toward Arzu. George held the right side of his abdomen with his left hand. Blood flowed around his hand and down his leg.

  Kathy pushed the MRAP harder than they ever had. She steered clear of most of the infected, some couldn’t be avoided and maintain their speed so they were clipped or outright run over. The cold had helped. Only a few of the faster infected were out to jump into the way. Those living infected that were out were slower. Jim continuously tried to try to reach someone on the radio. Chris and Jeremy stood behind the driver and passenger seats hoping for news.

  Jim switched to their police radio once they got within range. After several tries Royce answered. The distance distorted the reception so Jim just kept repeating, “George is dangerous. Find George.” After several broken transmissions they heard Royce throug
h the static say Arzu had called him and he was heading to the house.

  The MRAP was pulling up to the entrance as Royce was on his way to the house. He changed direction toward the gate. Royce hit the brake, threw the shifter in PARK and had jumped out as the truck still slid to a stop and opened the gate. Royce hurriedly closed the gate as the MRAP sped by.

  Royce jumped back into the pickup to follow the MRAP and noticed Chelsea emerge from her and Chris’ sleeping container. Understandably, she looked confused but had armed herself with a rifle as she looked around. Chelsea ran toward the house where she saw the vehicles were converging.

  “Put your hands up,” Arzu said.

  “You’re an idiot. Can’t you see what I’m doing is going to save this world? I am the savior. The protector,” George said so quietly Arzu could hardly hear him. He moved toward her slowly.

  Arzu pulled the hammer back on the revolver. “Stop now. Get on the floor!” she ordered.

  Jim burst through the door behind her. Arzu involuntarily flinched from being startled. Her revolver’s aim was now off by a few degrees.

  George jumped on Arzu and they fell to the floor. She landed on her back and George on top. The sound of the revolver blasted once more through the house.

  Arzu screamed out, a sound of pain.

  Jim had his rifle aimed at George, but Arzu had stood between them. With George on top of her, Jim couldn’t risk a shot.

  Arzu screamed again.

  Jim changed his grip on the M4. He held the foregrip like a baseball bat and swung the butt of the rifle as hard as he could at George. The swing found its mark, hitting George in the head. Jim grabbed George by his shirt collar and yanked him off of Arzu.

  George landed on his back and moaned. Blood streamed from the gaping wound to his right temple inflicted by Jim.

  Arzu groaned as she tried to move and felt the agony in her left shoulder.

  Chris and Jeremy had followed their father inside and checked their mother. It was quickly obvious to them that nothing could be done for her. She was dead.