by J. W. Vohs
Jack just shook his head and quietly said, “Well, doc, as your world crumbles around you over the next few days just remember the crazy biker who warned you about what was coming.” Then he turned to Carey and snarled, “C’mon, we’re done here!”
When they walked back out into the crowd of reporters Jack grabbed a chair and jumped up on it, shouting out, “Everyone shut up! I have information about the D.C. victims!”
A hush fell over the crowd as Jack continued, “You folks stop taking no for an answer and get your cameras down to room 213. I just secured two of the creatures you’ve been seeing on the net for the past few days. This isn’t a hoax; proof is just down this hall. The virus IS being spread through bites, and if you get down there you’ll see it for yourself. Also, one of the nurses that works here was sent home after being bitten thirty-six hours ago; you people have to get the word out.”
Jack jumped off the chair as the room exploded into a cacophony of questions directed his way, reporters shouting out for his identity and wanting to know where his information came from. Jack just kept walking out of the hospital as Carey shouted over the mob, “You know you probably just set a major panic into motion in this town?”
Jack grimly declared, “The panic will come sooner or later. Might as well inform the people and hope some of them are ready for this. Put your helmet on big guy, we’re headed home.”
They arrived back at The Castle to find that Jack’s brother Tom, and sister, Sarah, with her husband and children in tow, had both settled in along with numerous other friends and relatives. Carter’s mom, Judy, had also driven up from Kentucky. She was seventy and had a touch of emphysema, but she was the type of person everyone instinctively trusted and loved. Additionally, Jack believed she would do a great job keeping an eye on the children at The Castle. All of the recent arrivals were happy to see Jack and Carey return from their Fort Wayne adventure, but disheartened, and a little bit scared, when they learned about the results of the trip. After greetings were exchanged most of the group gathered around the television to check on the progress of the virus. The news was not good. The major networks were finally acknowledging the nature of the outbreak, explaining that infected individuals were emerging from catatonic states as cannibalistic predators. The president was preparing to speak to the nation in a few hours, and viewers were advised that some of the news footage contained disturbing images.
The carnage revealed through the videos was not particularly graphic or gruesome, but the sight of groups of infected shuffling through D.C. streets in search of new victims was essentially unbelievable; the American consciousness was simply not prepared for such images. Washington was under martial law, and roadblocks had been erected across every conceivable route in or out of the city. With typical bureaucratic efficiency, the airport and train stations had been overlooked until the police reported to the military authorities that thousands were trying to escape the city through those portals. Jack knew that the best thing that could be done was to establish a quarantine rule that restricted all citizens to their homes, but from the news reports it seemed as if half the city was trying to evacuate or simply travel about town in search of supplies and/or weapons.
Everyone at The Castle gathered quietly in the TV room to hear the president speak at seven. All stations carried the national address from the worried-looking chief executive, who seemed to be protected by more security than normal. Carey was keeping an eye on the internet reports pouring in while listening to the president, and amateur footage from outside the White House showed massive crowds being held back by armored vehicles and hundreds of soldiers.
Finally the presidential address began, “My fellow Americans, as many of you know by now, a dangerous virus is affecting Washington D.C., with outbreaks also beginning in the surrounding areas of northern Virginia and central Maryland. The spread of this virus isn’t restricted to the United States; our intelligence sources report that Afghanistan and Pakistan are seeing the disease spread from mountainous regions into the more populous areas under their control. Unconfirmed reports are now being received that the virus may have spread to Paris, London, Rome, and several other cities around the world.
“In spite of these disturbing developments, I want to assure all of you that the United States military and other government agencies are taking strong actions to ensure that the virus is contained to the areas where it has already appeared. Heads of state from other affected nations have promised to control the spread of the disease with all means at their disposal, and early reports are quite encouraging. After extensive consultation with our friends around the world, the CDC and USAMRIID are certain that this virus can only be spread by contact with bodily fluids from an infected individual. In other words, this disease isn’t spread like the flu or common cold; you must come into physical contact with a carrier in order to contract this disease.
“In order to stop the spread of the virus I have ordered martial law in Washington D.C. and surrounding counties. Citizens living in these areas must stay in their homes until government medical officials declare it’s safe to go out into public. I must stress to all people living in affected regions that the military has been issued strict orders to enforce a complete, twenty-four-hour curfew. If you are apprehended outside of your home without pre-approved authority you will be arrested and detained for the duration of the crisis. If you have questions about whether you live in an area under martial law we have established a hotline manned by hundreds of operators as well as a web site that is updated as needed. In addition, every television and radio station will be regularly listing the affected areas. I urge all of you to remain calm and follow the rules that are being implemented for your protection, and thank you in advance for your cooperation.
“As I’m sure many of you are already aware, some of the victims of this virus have become extremely violent and have been sighted attacking people with their bare hands. In some of these attacks infected individuals have resorted to biting their victims. These incidents have led to unconfirmed reports of cannibalism, as irresponsible citizens with cell phones and internet access claim that some of the infected attempt to actually eat the flesh of the people they attack. I personally promise you that these reports are false. Some infected people have become violent at advanced stages of the disease, as it attacks the brain, and they appear to lose self-awareness and control. But speculation by irresponsible individuals spreading rumors arguing that we are experiencing some sort of zombie-like outbreak are outrageous as well as dangerous.
“The last thing we need is for people to panic and act without thinking. We need everyone to stay home, away from infected individuals and out of the way of officials working hard to contain the virus. Those who are infected need and deserve immediate medical attention, not threats of violence from misinformed citizens believing they are dealing with some sort of mythical monsters. The American people I have come to know and love are compassionate individuals, full of concern for their fellow citizens. Tonight I appeal to the higher nature of all Americans, trusting that you will behave responsibly in this time of crisis.
“Additional rumors are beginning to spread in almost every American city and town that infected individuals have appeared in their communities. I assure you that these rumors are false. We cannot guarantee at this time that a few infected individuals were not able to leave the D.C. area before the quarantine and martial law were put into effect, but reports that we are seeing the beginning of a nation-wide epidemic are completely unfounded. I give you my word as your president that we have no confirmed reports of the presence of this virus on American soil anywhere except the D.C. area.
“I want all of you to rest assured that this crisis has my complete attention, as well as the total effort of all federal agencies under my authority. As a precautionary measure, I have also ordered some military units currently deployed overseas to prepare to return to American soil in order to provide reinforcements for the troops currently working to con
tain the virus in the D.C. area. In addition, I have also asked some governors in neighboring states to place their National Guard units on alert. In short, we are providing layers of defenses against the spread of this virus to any other areas of the country. I want all of you to remember that; if you are not in the D.C. area you are in no danger. Please continue to live your lives normally; go to work as usual, go out to dinner or the mall and enjoy yourselves as you would do if there was no problem in the capitol. We do have this situation under control, and in a few weeks the virus will run its course and martial law will be lifted.
“At this time I will allow questions directed toward me; John Stevens, the head of the CDC; and General Matthew Barnes of USAMRIID. Both of these men have been working diligently to identify and contain the threat posed by the virus.”
Jack and Carter shared a long, disbelieving glance from across the room, then turned back to the TV as Julie Norwood of ABC asked General Barnes if there was any truth to the rumors that the virus had been released by the Taliban in an attempt to hasten the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.
Looking concerned with Norwood’s worries, Barnes replied, “That is the theory we are working with at this time. Now, what we don’t know is if this virus occurs naturally in the wild, virtually inaccessible regions often utilized by the Taliban to hide from coalition forces, or if it was somehow engineered for them by a nation seeking to further destabilize the region. All current intelligence indicates that the virus was initially spread by Taliban fighters attacking US and coalition troops in Afghanistan. I want to assure everyone that we are close to discovering the point of origin of this virus, and firmly believe we will find it in the areas inhabited by the Taliban and those supportive of them. Once we have the location we will move quickly to trace all of the paths by which the virus has managed to spread throughout the region. At that point our containment efforts will greatly improve, and we believe we will stop the spread of this disease in its tracks.”
Bob Thorson jumped to his feet, “General Barnes, how are the military forces on the ground dealing with attacks by infected individuals, and is there any truth to the claims that the infected can only be killed by destroying their brains?”
Barnes nodded as Thorson finished his double-question. “Well, our troops on the ground aren’t reporting very many attacks by infected individuals. In fact, the main problem our boys are facing is uncooperative citizens in the areas now under martial law. As to your question about killing infected attackers, I once again remind you that these people need medical attention. Those of you in the media asking such outrageous questions are contributing to the panic we’ve encountered in areas where infections have been reported. I ask all of you to conduct yourselves in a professional, responsible manner when reporting on this crisis. Civilian and military specialists are working around the clock to not only contain this virus, but to learn how to treat it and prevent it as well. We are Americans; we don’t turn on our neighbors when they are sick.”
A chastised Bob Thorson mumbled an apology and quickly returned to his seat, while Steve Pelton from NBC shouted, “General, is this the first time the military has faced this virus? What Americans want to know, sir, is if there is any truth to the internet rumors that the Army faced this virus in Afghanistan earlier in the war?”
General Barnes shook his head with an air of disbelief, “We live in a free country. Do you really believe that American soldiers would endanger the very people they have sworn to protect by covering something like that up? Journalists have been embedded with our forces since day one of the conflict in Afghanistan, and I am not aware of a single, credible claim that any elements of our military have faced this virus at any point before this outbreak was initially reported. You know as well as I do that you can find conspiracy theorists making virtually every claim imaginable on the internet, and I am frankly disappointed that you would even consider such outrageous accusations. You have my word as an officer of the United States Army that our military has at no time in the past even heard of this virus.”
The press conference continued but Jack stopped listening. He made his way over to Carter who asked, “Why is he lyin’ like that?”
Jack shrugged, “I can’t see how he has anything to gain by telling the truth. If I had any doubts before now that what happened in that village was the result of some crazy experiment of his they are long gone. What has me worried is that in ten years Barnes hasn’t discovered a way to prevent the spread of the virus, or at least learned how to treat the infected. Anyway, if he tells the truth now he’s ruined and the country will panic; easy to see why he’s lying up there.”
Carter quietly agreed then continued, “How much time ya think we have?”
“I think this whole area will be in full-blown panic mode within seventy-two hours, maybe less. Tonight we form up into small groups and brainstorm things we might have overlooked. Send out teams to procure our final supplies tomorrow. You and I will go around and talk to the neighbors and see if we can convince them to work with us on fighting the virus when it spreads out of Fort Wayne. We’ll tell all our neighbors what we believe; those that want to join us can come in, and we’ll run those old Army phone wires we picked up at the surplus to everyone who wants to be part of the defense of the area but stay in their homes. I don’t expect power or cell phones to be part of our lives for long once the virus really begins to spread.”
“Can’t we do anythin’ else? Why don’t we try postin’ videos or somethin’ on the net? This is gonna be a disaster!”
Jack just shook his head resignedly, “No, buddy, we’d just attract government attention we don’t want. The truth is already out there for people willing to believe; you and I aren’t going to convince the others of what they don’t want to accept. The best thing we can do is help our community, inside The Castle and nearby areas. We’ll see what’s left standing after the virus has run its course and reevaluate how we can help the people who make it through.”
Carter nodded and said, “Well, let’s get to it then. I’ll form up groups and get our people movin’; you better contact everyone who hasn’t made it in yet and try to get ‘em out here. It sure is gonna’ be a long night.”
The next twenty-four hours saw the various individuals gathered at The Castle begin to turn into a team, with people figuring out who they worked well with, in addition to discovering the skills and abilities each of them had brought to the retreat. Jack worked the phone and e-mail with the fervency of someone facing a life or death situation, because that’s exactly what it was. The three ex-Rangers he convinced to join them that day brought the number of former soldiers in The Castle to fourteen. They had a doctor, a dentist, three nurses, a very experienced oral hygienist, and almost thirty others gathered in the retreat. The youngest member of the group was two months-old, and the eldest was Carter’s mother, still spry and nurturing at seventy. But despite their success in convincing friends and family to join them at The Castle, Jack still felt a sense of failure over the situation with his brother David, who chose to remain in Cleveland with his job and girlfriend, Christy.
Jack finally threw caution to the wind and told his brother everything he had been through in Afghanistan, and how the world was about to experience the most devastating pandemic in history. David said he believed Jack was telling the truth as he knew it, but that he just couldn’t accept that the government wouldn’t get a handle on the virus before it wreaked the havoc his older brother was predicting. David explained that the law firm he worked for might accept him clamming up in his apartment while the authorities got the situation under control, but if he ran off to Fort Wayne they would probably fire him. He was also worried that he couldn’t convince Christy, another lawyer in his large firm, to leave her family. In the end Jack extracted a promise from David to accept the packages that would be overnighted to him and keep a watchful eye on the progression of the virus. Jack finally hung up the phone with sorrow and spent the next few hours packing
several shipping containers with the gear he knew would help David and Christy survive what was coming, then hurried in to Fedex and paid the hefty fee to send them to Cleveland that night.
The afternoon was spent visiting as many of the neighboring households as possible. Jack and Carter split up after realizing they weren’t going to make it to every home they wanted to reach if they stuck together. By five-o-clock Jack had reached the last of his assigned homesteads. Although most of the people he had spoken with believed he knew what he was talking about concerning the virus, all of them were determined to stay in their homes rather than come into The Castle.
Walking up to the door of the final house Jack could see that this was a more modest home than any of the others he had visited. The lot was small and the house was old, and the vehicle in the driveway was a ten-year-old minivan. A dog began to bark crazily as Jack knocked on the door. He could hear a young woman yelling at the pooch to shut up, then the lock rattled and the door opened to the most beautiful girl Jack had ever seen. She had strawberry-blond hair, large, sparkling blue eyes, and when she smiled he actually felt butterflies in his stomach.
She finally interrupted his inspection by asking, “Can I help you?”
Jack stuttered, “Um, yeah. I’m Jack Smith, and I live in the castle over on 900. I’ve spent the day talking with all of the neighbors about what I know about the viral outbreak in D.C., and this is the last house on my list.”
The woman surprised him by stepping back from the door and declaring, “C’mon in; I recognize you.”
Jack stammered, “You do?” as he walked into the living room.
“Yeah, you used to come into the Quickie-Mart once in a while.”
Jack looked embarrassed for a moment.
