by Bradley,CD
“We are working on it. I don’t feel like we are making a lot of progress though. I mean we are collecting a lot of samples so they should help back at the lab but, I don’t know I still don’t understand how the virus changed so rapidly.”
He was leaning against a tree listening and smiling at her while she worked. “No Bueno?” He asked raising his dark eyebrows.
“You probably can’t understand a thing I am ranting about can you. I’m sorry…” She tried hard to remember how to apologize in Spanish. “Perdon.” She said slowly not sure if that was coming out right.
He laughed heartily and winked at her. “You’re doing ok. Maybe what you are looking for isn’t in the traps. Maybe it’s deeper in the jungle. Or maybe it’s just right in front of you and you need to open your eyes.” He spoke in almost perfect English. Kira was startled by the sudden change in his voice, but before she could say anything he slipped back through the jungle in the direction of the village. Kira watched him walk away and it dawned on her that she knew nothing of this man. Could he be trusted? Was he really the kid brother of a drug lord or someone else entirely? She started to track down Holt but thought better of it. For some reason Javier didn’t want everyone to know that he could speak English that fluently so for now she would keep that little detail to herself.
Commotion in the area of the village caught her attention and she made her way back there to find troops in bright yellow hazmat suits with full respirator masks, thick green gloves and boots spraying larvicide everywhere including the drinking water. Kira was stopped by another soldier before she reached the village.
“Sorry Ma’am you can’t go in there. The area is being sprayed with pyriproxyfen. No one is allowed in.” She watched the toxic ghostbusters spraying every possible source of fresh drinking water.
“Has this village been sprayed before?” Kira was puzzled at how they could be allowed to spray poison everywhere like that.
“No not this one.” The soldier looked annoyed.
“Ok wait a minute” Kira began cocking her head to one side trying to wrap her head around the idea. “So you spray the larvicide in the drinking water and we aren’t allowed in because it’s toxic but the people that live here still have to drink it. How can that be safe? Where the heck is Erin Brockovich?” She looked at the soldier keeping them all back waiting for an answer.
“It’s not my job to question ma’am. Someone way higher than my pay grade said that it was fine and my orders are to make sure it is sprayed everywhere that mosquitos can breed.” His gruff voice snapped at her in annoyance.
“But didn’t you hear them when we were in Callao? This part of the Jungle holds 70 % of all life on earth. ALL LIFE! Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” Kira struggled to maintain her cool.
“Ma’am like I said its way above my pay grade and if you don’t mind me saying yours too. Now I have a job to do to make sure this gets done and you have a job to as well.” He dismissed her by turning back to his work. Kira took off to find Holt. There was no way to reach Brooke from this part of the jungle to ask about it. She found Holt working with two assistants doing his best to check the traps without having to actually touch any mosquitos.
“Captain Holt. Did you know they were spraying that larvicide all over the jungle and the drinking water? All potential mosquito breeding grounds?” Kira could hear her voice rising an octave.
“You don’t say?” Holt retorted, “’Bout fucking time. Fry all the little bastards and let’s get the hell out of this maggot infested sauna.”
“You can’t possibly mean that. This could kill entire ecosystems. Whole parts of the jungle devastated.” Kira was losing her patience.
“What I’m hearing is they are getting rid of all the flesh eating vermin and you are whining about it.” Holt paused to look at her. His face was plastered with annoyance and whelps.
“What happened to your face?” Kira gasped. “Are you allergic to something?’
“I am being eaten alive. Holt. It’s what’s for dinner.” He frowned at her and went back to work.
Kira winced and tried not to stare directly at the mountainous hives. “Ouch! Are you not wearing your bug spray? They gave us loads of it when we started.”
He shot her a look raising his right eyebrow. “I told you princess Deet for days and it doesn’t matter. Some of us are sweeter than others.” He tried to laugh in his misery.
“Well I guess honey does draw more flies than vinegar.” She offered back.
“Yeah well shit draws a hell of a lot more than honey or vinegar so don’t go digging up a shit storm if you don’t have to. Kira just follow orders. If you have concerns right it in your report. Turn it in with your samples when we go back to Iquitos. I am sure they aren’t spraying something that hasn’t been approved and tested. Research it when we get back. Let’s just get this done and get the hell out of here.” He turned and began swatting at a group of biting flies. “What I want to know is why the hell there are grazing cattle in the damn jungle. Fucking mosquitos, biting flies. This is the hotbed of petulance.” She could tell from his tone that her fears were falling on deaf ears. They had learned that the cattle grazed in every available space. Brazil had much larger areas of grasslands than Peru.
Kira followed orders but to be safe she also collected water from each of the sprayed areas for testing back in the lab. She couldn’t shake the feeling that playing God was going to come back and bite them in the ass. She knew it wasn’t directly part of her objective but the overall mission was for the health and wellbeing of mankind right? She opted to keep a low profile so she could get at much information as possible. She also took note of any animals or insects that seemed to be killed by the sprays and collected as many of them as possible.
The next evening as they prepared for the Trek back to the river and then back to Iquitos Kira saw Javier alone tending a camp fire. He was always somewhere in the periphery keeping a watchful eye on the group. She wondered if he were actually there to protect them or if he had another purpose. She walked over and sat down close enough to talk to him but far enough away that to the casual onlooker it looked as though she was just sitting by the fire. She still wasn’t sure exactly what she thought of Javier but she decided just to go for it.
“What do you think of the spraying that they are doing? Do you think it has anything to do with people getting sick? I mean it can’t be good for the environment right?” Kira started and watched his expression trying to gauge this stranger.
“What do you think?” He answered her question with a question. “You are the doctor right? Would you drink the water?” He was right she wouldn’t drink it. Even if this wasn’t the missing piece to the puzzle Kira knew she had to do more digging.
“You’ve got me; from what I’ve seen the last few days hell no I wouldn’t drink it. But…” Kira paused. Did she really want to confess her suspicions to a perfect stranger who may very well be connected to a drug lord? “Do you know anyone with the virus? Or who has been effected by it? I mean you live here so I was just wondering if it has affected you or your family?” Kira watched his jaw tighten. He wrung his hands around the stick he had been using to tend the fire.
“We need to get ready to head to the boat.” His voice was flat and void. No emotion. Kira suddenly regretted her decision and made a mental note never to mention his family again. If she was going to get an insider view of how this virus was affecting people it would not be from him.
Kira spent the rest of the trip pondering over what she had seen. She couldn’t wait to get back to Iquitos and check in with Brooke. She hoped that she could find some answers with the samples she recovered. She was also very anxious to check in with Stark. She wondered if he was having any luck with Paige and the man they had seen on the video. Kira had managed to put that out of her mind somewhat to be focused on the mission but thoughts of Paige and Stark were always with her. Though they had started out on difficult terms Paige had become one of her closest friend
s. Kira cringed at the thought that Paige was missing because of her. Please be ok Paige. Where ever you are, you have to be ok.
***
When the boat docked in Iquitos, Kira practically ran back to her barracks and attempted to satellite phone Stark. Nothing. She tried Zoe who let her know that Stark had taken off in search of Paige. She didn’t have much to offer except that Stark had seen something he recognized in one of the videos and went searching for more answers. Kira hoped and prayed that he and Paige would be safe. What was he walking into? Zoe’s anxious tone and evasiveness worried her. What the hell are you involved in now? She hoped that maybe, just maybe, he was working with the police. But her gut told her it had nothing to do with the law. Kira was starting to understand how frustrating it must feel for Owen to be a world away and unable to take care of things at home. She still had a mission to accomplish. Kira had to put her worries and fears for Paige aside. She said a silent prayer for Paige and took off to the base to catalog her samples write her brief notes and hopefully talk with Brooke.
Holt had already reached the lab when Kira got there. He was posting and labeling samples. The tedious task made easier by the lovely Peruvian assistants hanging on his every word. Kira rolled her eyes and smiled at him. Ah back in his element. The welts had faded and the lovely ladies were tending to his every need. “Have you seen Brooke? I wanted to consult with her on some of the samples we found.” Kira did her best to sound casual. She really wanted to ask Brooke what sort of testing had been done on the larvicide already and if there could be any correlation to the neurotoxic effects in human development.
“I think she’s down in Lab four.” He paused his panty dropping tale of bravery to answer her question, then turned back to his adoring audience.
“Thanks, I’ll be back in a few to help.” Kira followed the brick hallway to Laboratory Four. The door was locked and required a pass code. Kira didn’t have the proper clearance but found an intercom where she could buzz the patrons inside. After a few attempts she heard Brooke’s voice.
“Can I help you?” She replied in rushed tone that indicated she was in the middle of something.
“This is Kira Riley. We just returned from our assignment and I wanted to ask a few questions when you have time.” Kira spoke loudly into the mic. The door clicked and then opened. Kira was welcomed into a decon tent and then allowed access into the heart of the lab.
“Hey how did your first mission go?” Brooke inquired, welcoming her into the lab. Brooke sat opposite a large microscope examining a water sample. She looked up and smiled but then went back to her work while they talked.
“We collected everything we went after I believe so in that respect I think it went well. However, the spray that they are using on everything including the water is frightening. Is that safe?” Kira kept her voice cool and professional. The last thing she wanted was to come across overly emotional to this experienced professional. “Have they studied the long term effects of that spray on the ecosystem and the people who are drinking it?”
“Those are both very good questions. I am afraid the answer is no, not long term at least. There have been trials on giving doses to rats and rabbits in order to determine safety for use in drinking water. Although it has been deemed safe for use in drinking water the long term effects have not been studied.” Brooke paused and looked up at Kira. She seemed to be studying her like she was trying to decide if she could talk to her or not but then went back to her work. “A few scientists in Argentina brought up similar questions as well as some in Brazil. There are some articles that outline their concerns that may be a place to start.”
“I brought you some water samples before and after they sprayed. I know that wasn’t what was requested but would you care to check the extra samples if you have time.” Kira ventured hoping she wasn’t going to make Brooke angry.
Brooke looked up again and this time her satisfied smile said she had gotten the answer she was looking for. “I’ll be glad to.”
She gave Kira the sites to start looking for more information and Wi-Fi access. Kira returned to Holt to help finish cataloging samples but he was gone. She sat down at the tables and began the long process of bagging and tagging everything they brought back. Live specimens had to be either set up in habitats or preserved. This was going to be a long process. But somewhere on this table the answers where there. Right in front of me. If I can just see it.
Chapter 13
Stark and the D214 Motorcycle Club roared across the Colorado back country. The sound reverberated into the mountains. A motley crew tightly bound by the scars of the past, they had fought, bled and some of their ranks had died along the way. The D214 Motor Cycle club was made up mostly of ex-military who had been at one time or another abandoned by the system. They operated under the radar in the badlands of Colorado and into Nevada. These men had all walked in the fires of hell for a country that turned their back on them when they got home. Now they rode as one bad ass fucking tribe. No force in Heaven or on Earth could stand in the way of this relentless crew. It’s damn hard to kill a man that’s already dead.
Stark lead the way. His flat black Harley Davidson Night Train screamed down the desert road. Wind blowing, he was on a mission. Each man was locked and loaded, armed to the teeth. They had ridden into battle before. If it took a war they would bring her home. It’s hard to respect the laws of a land that left you for dead.
Six years ago the leader of this crew Jayce Blades was injured in a serious fire fight in Afghanistan. Stark helped get him out of the line of fire and drug his wounded ass back to safety while fighting off insurgents. Jayce had been injured severely and though he lived he was medically retired from the military and dumped back into civilian life. He struggled with severe PTSD and still this day remembers everything about those he lost. Coming back to the US should be a celebrated home coming. War hero. Parades. Hordes of pussy parading your way. Well not if you are broken. It’s a long damn road when you are walking alone. Stark had run into him in a dusty bar after a serious self-deprecating bender. He sat half alive but already dead on the inside.
Stark stopped at the end of the road. Dust swirled around their feet. They sat at a crossroads in the middle of fucking nowhere. Suddenly in the distance a cloud of dust and a rumble that would make your mamma cry thundered out of the desert. The ground trembled, shaking everything. The metal of their bikes rattled but Stark and the men stood firm. The cloud grew larger as the horde grew near. They roared to a stop directly across from Stark. The dust settled and revealed a group of rat rods. Rust bucket model Ts and 1950s trucks, chopped and stocked with fat tires and even bigger personalities. The leader of the group climbed out of his train truck and put his leather goggles on his head. The desert bikers in full camo armed to the teeth stepped off their bikes to guard their leader. Stark got off his bike and walked toward the man. They stood eye to eye staring. Like two men on either side of the looking glass of time. One still active duty, sacrificing every day for a country that left the other behind.
Dusty once blond hair spiked out of all angles from goggles that had been pushed up on his head. Sharp features, hardened by a life walking the edge of hell, were unflinching. He had a jagged scar on the left side of his face from his nose to almost his chin. He wore no shirt but had on two vests one dark leather and the other ratty fur aged and weathered with time. His arms were tattooed in full sleeves lovingly crafted by Paige. Her artwork was unmistakable. There wasn’t a soldier here that didn’t bear her mark. Not a soul that wouldn’t give their last breath to bring her home.
Cyrus Kern was always a wild card. After eight tours in Iraq and Afghanistan he was medically discharged against his will when a fire fight sent a bullet through his face and into his head. The traumatic brain injury, they said, made him a liability. Stark knew he had always been fucking crazy. Cyrus lived now deep in the Badlands. King of the wasteland trapped in a war that would play on forever in his head. The outlaw crew made up their own rules
. “They said it was you.” Cyrus’ gravelly voice rang out across the desert, devoid of all emotion. “What happened to Paige?”
“The Sinaloa Cartel has her.” Stark was determined to take this battle to their fucking front door if he had to.
“How the fuck did she get mixed up with them?” Cyrus’ eyes flew open wide at the mention of the international drug cartel.
“I’m not sure they were even after her or if she got ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. She knew they guy who took her though she did his tattoo. The enforcer scorpion on his left forearm. That’s been a couple years ago though.”
“Has fucking Lysander been buying drugs from him? Did you question that kinky fucker?” Cyrus narrowed his eyes. They shared a mutual distrust of Lysander.
“He’s clean like his life depends on it… Because it does.” Stark couldn’t hide the chill in his voice. “I remember the guy from when he got the tattoo. He was part of a MC club in Moab. I’m riding up to find her and bring her home.”
“Have they asked for anything? What makes you think she is still alive?” Cyrus cocked his head to the side testing Stark.
“You know Paige. That girl’s got skills. She’s still alive.” Stark’s confidence was not unfounded.
Cyrus gave a half smile and nodded. If anyone could wrap a man or men around her finger it was Paige. “I know the place. There is a rally in two days about 40 miles into the desert near there. Some of their crew will be there for sure. We can find out where she is for sure before we kick down their door.” Cyrus looked at his weathered watch. “We need to group up and get ready. Let’s head up the road I’ve got a place”.
It was settled. Cyrus turned to his crew raised his hand in the air in a circle to round up and pointed up the road. Both groups fell into line behind Cyrus and Stark like a deck of cards.
They rolled into the ghost town of Silver Creek, Colorado. Dust blew in the empty streets. Some of the buildings looked as though they could fall over any minute. Cyrus stopped in front of an old hotel and went inside. Stark, Jayce and the rest of the crew waited in the dark. After a few minutes Cyrus returned “What the hell are you waiting for ladies? There ain’t no fucking bell service.” He turned and stormed back into the building. Stark looked the structure over. Cyrus had definitely lost his mind.
