Sleepers (Book 6)

by Jacqueline Druga

  Larry was on tower watch. He got the call from Steve, who stated that it began when Javier was talking to Patty while she cleaned the lobby and Levi had attacked him. Word was that Levi pummeled Javier with a stack of folders, and in an attempt to defend himself, Javier grabbed Patty’s mop.

  When he smacked Levi with the mop, Noah, who was watching, jumped in, shoulder ramming the much bigger Javier, and both of them slid across Patty’s just mopped floor.

  Patty, who was angry, blasted the three men, telling them to take it outside, retrieved her mop, and began to hit the men with it to scoot them away.

  That was what Steve reported. He’d witnessed the whole thing.

  “Why didn’t you intervene?” Beck asked.

  “I did. See my eye?” He pointed to his swollen and bloodied left eye. “I got hit with the bucket.”

  “How did you get hit with the bucket?”

  “Patty grabbed it to throw it, and when she swung back, it flew from her hand. Clunk.”

  Clunk. Yeah. That’s what he said.

  We arrived as the fighting trio made their way from Building C to the open area. Even Beck’s huge roaring voice didn’t stop them. Suddenly, the two future men versus the present man fight turned into an ‘everyone hates everyone’ and fists flailed.

  It was pretty entertaining. I mean, Levi and Noah were not big men. Levi was kind of stout. But man, were they strong. Little Noah picked Javier up and body slammed him. A part of me wanted to cheer. Not that I didn’t like Javier, I did, however, it was entertainment.

  “Alex, do something,” Beck ordered.

  “Sorry, big guy, I still have busted ribs.” Beck growled and jumped in the middle of the fray, trying like hell to break it up. However, a wayward fist caught Beck on the left side of the face. I guess the fear of big, bad Beck hit all three and they took off running.

  That’s when I saw Danny flying across the courtyard, sailing his body into Levi, who trailed the pack, knocking him to the ground

  “Knock it off!” Danny shouted.

  At that point I thought, we were good, until Noah came over grabbed Danny from behind and before Levi could take a swing, Javier jumped on Levi’s back.

  Here we ago, again.

  Fists went flying. Poor Danny, on hands and knees, inched his way out.

  I lifted my radio. “Randy, you anywhere near the main building?”

  “I’m in the kitchen. What’s up?”

  “You aren’t hearing security?”

  “I don’t listen to that channel. What’s going on?”

  “There’s a fight. I need….hold on…. Um, heads up.”

  “Heads up?” he echoed.

  The three men burst through the back door of the cafeteria.

  “Shit, Alex.”

  Finally, I heard over the radio that Miles was on scene and I waved to Beck and Danny that the fight had spilled over into the cafeteria.

  I kept laughing. It was time for Beck to consider putting these guys on some sort of security detail. Man, were they tough.

  We raced into the cafeteria and it was an all-out brawl. Levi fought with Javier, who fought with Noah. Randy was a punching bag, getting hit left and right. Every time Miles stepped in, he got thrown back out.

  The woman Renee, well, apparently she was pissed because someone tagged her love bunny Randy and she just started wailing with an egg turner, smacking anyone she could. Poor Bonnie raced about, pulling away furniture, trying to preserve what she could.

  Chairs flew, tables turned, and in the center of the dining room, our three doctors were buried in the middle of the scuffle that also had, Beck, Miles, Randy, Danny, and two other men.

  Injured, I could do nothing but watch.

  It was loud and violent until… two shots rang out.

  They echoed across the room and brought a complete stop to everything.

  Each man and woman, battle worn and weary, looked up.

  Michael held a gun in the air. He then looked at me. “Alex, you just stood there?”

  “Sorry, Padre, I’m injured.”

  Mera made her way over to me. “What the hell happened?” she asked.

  “I don’t know,” I replied. “But it was great.”

  Two seconds later, almost as if the pause button was released, the battle began again. Michael fired one more shot then shouted. “Enough! I am a God fearing man, but I am not a human fearing man. Keep fighting, destroy our home, and I will shoot one of you.”

  I cocked back with a dramatic cringe and whispered to Mera. “I see he’s grasping that dark side.”

  She nudged me. “Stop it.”

  “Ow.”

  “I haven’t even told him yet.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  Michael went over to the pack, pulling people and moving them back. In the center, for some reason, was Beck. “Beck, do we need to start counseling?” Michael asked. “What would make you take on all these men?”

  I laughed.

  Michael shot a glare at me. “What’s so funny Alex?”

  “Sorry, I was glad someone finally recognized Beck’s anger management issues.”

  “Alex!” Beck roared.

  “Alex!” Michael yelled at me.

  Again, I laughed. “Sorry. Padre, may I fill you in? It wasn’t Beck. Beck, Danny, and everyone else was trying to stop a fight between the members of our scientific community.”

  “Is that true?” Michael asked Beck.

  Beck nodded.

  “There was no need for all of this. This is our home,” Michael scolded. “The children do not need to see this.” He snatched the egg turner from Renee’s hand. “I am sorely disappointed in you. All of you.”

  Renee whimpered out, “Sorry, Reverend.”

  In fact it echoed across the room. Everyone said they were sorry.

  “This will not start again.” Michael replaced his revolver. “Shake hands, make up, and clean this place up!” He motioned to Mera and both of them left the cafeteria.

  In the silent aftermath, no one wanted to admit defeat or wrongdoing. They all started picking up the furniture and replacing it as if a children’s game had ended.

  “Wait. Stop,” Beck said. “This obviously began with Levi, Javier, and Noah.”

  The three of them started vocally defending themselves, so much so their voices meshed together.

  Beck whistled sharply. It hurt my ears.

  “Enough! Can one of you just tell me what started it?” Beck asked.

  "He came after me,” Javier said of Levi. “Unprovoked.”

  “I was defending my friend,” Noah added.

  Javier pointed to Levi. “He started it.”

  “I did,” Levi admitted. “I started it.”

  “Over what?” Beck asked.

  “It… it might be better to ask who started it.”

  Beck had a puffy eye, a swollen lip, and a cut on his cheek. Man, I was jealous, I couldn’t do that to him.

  After Levi’s revelation, the big guy and I headed out of the main building, to Building C, and to the second floor.

  Sonny sat perched in bed, sipping through a straw that was in a tiny juice box. It took all I had not to laugh.

  Beck wasn’t amused. He looked like a father ready to scold.

  Straw still semi in his mouth, Sonny, with the most innocent expression, glanced up. “What?” he asked. “What did I do?”

  ELEVEN – MERA STEVENS

  “That was very brave of you,” I said to Michael as we headed back to the chapel.

  That was the nice thing about Indian River Correction Facility. It had a church. Michael made it his own, kept it impeccably clean, and I loved his back office. It was warm and cozy and we returned to having our tea.

  “Still warm,” Michael stated after taking a sip.

  “So I was saying, that was brave of you.”

  “It was what I had to do.”

  “Did it feel like it wasn’t you?”

  Michael gav
e me a quirky look. “What are you talking about?”

  “I mean, when you went in there gun blazing, did you wonder, like, whoa where did this come from?”

  “That is such an odd question.”

  “True.”

  “Is this on the lines of your earlier odd questioning?” Michael asked. “I mean, I thought we had something important to talk about. Yet you have proceeded to show me you hang around Alex too much by asking me if I noticed any strange body hair or recently grown muscles.”

  I cringed. “I’m sorry. My way of beating around the bush.”

  “About?”

  “You.”

  Michael sat back behind his desk. Obviously comfortable in the preacher’s chair. “I see. This doesn’t have to do with the Doctrines by any chance, does it?”

  “No, it had to do with what Ed told me.”

  “Okay….”

  “Ed is grown up Phoenix.”

  Michael snapped forward. “So he did kidnap you.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “He talked to me, told me things, showed me proof, and I left on my own accord with him.”

  “There was reason to believe that Sonny, Alex, and Danny were drugged. Danny went on his own?”

  “Oh, no. I kidnapped my son. I actually was the one who drugged Alex and Sonny, but don’t tell them.”

  “Oh, God, Mera.” Michael closed his eyes. “You stole the drugs.”

  “No. No, don’t be silly, that would be wrong.”

  “And drugging Alex and Sonny wasn’t?”

  “No. Javier was in on it too.”

  Michael’s hands went to his face. “Why ... why didn’t you tell me anything?”

  “Because I was told not to tell anyone and when Ed informed me, I realized why. See, in four months, an attack happens here. Something horrible happens. We lose a lot of people, something happens to me, I don’t die, but it’s horrible. Because of the attack, Beck gives up the Reckoning, Javier can’t cure the Sleeper virus, and from that moment on we are constantly running. Ed pulled me out for my own safety.”

  “So why did you come back?” Michael asked.

  “Aside from the obvious, you and the others, we want to stop what happened and continue the Reckoning to eventually defeat the Sleeper virus.”

  “What’s that have to do with me?”

  I hesitated then replied. “You’re calling them.”

  “What?” He laughed. “I am doing no such thing.”

  “Not on purpose and it’s unknowing, still, you are calling them. They determined that in Phoenix’s future. You have a form of the virus that mutates. You remain the same and then something in you turns and you end up leading the Sleepers.”

  “That’s absurd.”

  “That’s what I am told is the truth.”

  “So… what?” Michael questioned. “Am I blacklisted, kicked out, scheduled to be killed?”

  “Oh my God, no. We need to figure out a way to stop it. In the future, we never knew. We do now. We can fix this.”

  “How? If it’s true about me, I should just leave to keep you protected.”

  I shook my head. “Michael, you’re only hearing the bad. You didn’t hear the good.”

  “What good could I be?”

  “You can stop this in your own way. Another bit of information we didn’t know,” I said. “You may be calling them, but you, Michael, are the cure.”

  It was hard to read how Michael took the information. Perhaps I didn’t convey it as best as I could. He seemed shocked, rightfully so, and maybe even in disbelief.

  I had laid the ground work, gave him the knowledge. I did my part.

  The rest was up to Alex, Beck, Sonny, and the others. They would get more into detail at the meeting.

  TWELVE – SONNY WILSON

  There was no compassion whatsoever.

  “Get out of bed, get dressed, here’s a bucket if you have to puke. If you can start trouble, you can be at the meeting.”

  Those were Beck’s words.

  Apparently, some sort of fight broke out and they were blaming me. How it was my fault, I would never know.

  I went with my little red garbage pail to Beck’s secret meeting in his library war room. I hoped there was some food, even though I was advised not to eat. I was hungry. The three doctors were there along with Beck, Alex, Miles, Michael, and Randy. Danny had gone to help Mera with the kids.

  Funny thing, I was the only person in the room without some sort of facial injury. Well, Alex had injuries but his weren’t as fresh. This prompted me to wonder even more how I had anything to do with a fight.

  I was the scapegoat.

  Just as we sat down, Ed walked into the meeting.

  “Finally,” Beck stated. “Where have you been? You disappeared.”

  “Um, I actually did,” Ed replied and took a seat between me and Alex. “I needed to find out if we messed up and how things were going so I went back to the future.”

  Levi huffed. “So you cheated. Are you sure you aren’t related to Sonny somehow?”

  “Hey,” I snapped. “Knock it off. No wonder Javier kicked your ass.”

  Levi jumped up from the table and lunged my way, and I did the only thing I could. I pushed back my chair and called out, “Beck!”

  “Stop,” Beck ordered. “Levi, that was uncalled for. Ed said he went back to the future.”

  “So, Michael J. Fox,” Alex taunted, “what did you learn?”

  “Aside from the fact that Keller can be a dick? Nothing.” Ed sulked. “He sent me right back. Problem was, I couldn’t remember the exact time I left so there was a lull.” He peered around the table. “I apparently missed either a football game or an attack.”

  “Fight,” Alex clarified. “Our science community had an all out brawl. Even our top security guys couldn’t stop them.”

  Ed laughed.

  Beck huffed. “You laugh at that and say you call me Dad and not him.” He pointed to Alex.

  “If we may get on with this meeting please?” Javier chimed in. “I have been briefed and I have to say I have a hard time believing, medically, that Michael morphs into some sort of, as Alex calls in, Super Shredder or Incredible Hulk. It just doesn’t work that way.”

  “Then explain,” Ed stated. “What happens to Michael?”

  “It’s not Michael,” Javier stated.

  Ed chuckled. “We tested his blood.”

  “Really? According to the Gospel of Alex, I’m dead. Who did the testing?”

  “Levi,” Ed answered.

  “There you have it,” Javier stated. “He made a mistake.”

  Levi jumped up and Javier rushed his way.

  “Gentlemen!” Beck blasted. “Oh my God, stop.”

  “You know Michael has future Sleeper blood,” I said. “He didn’t catch the virus, he is a tenth generation if not more, Sleeper. That could be why he morphs. You don’t know what happens in the future.”

  “It doesn’t happen that way,” Javier argued. “He could change as he gets older, a slow process, but he doesn’t change because he had a heart attack.”

  “I have a heart attack?” Michael asked.

  “Well, Padre,” Alex said, “Mera must have left some things out.”

  “Maybe,” Beck suggested. “He didn’t die, but went into some sort of stasis.”

  That seemed to shut Javier up.

  Beck turned to Levi. “Does that happen?”

  Levi shook his head. “Not to my knowledge.”

  “If I may,” Javier held up his hand.

  “No, you may not,” Levis quipped.

  “Shut up,” Javier turned to him.

  “No, you shut up.”

  Alex laughed.

  Beck whistled. “Enough. Javier, what were you going to say?”

  “Simply, that it has never happened, three future beings at one table. All of whom are from a different time of Sleepers. Maybe, each could shed light on how the Sleepers are and the progression and we can see where Michael fits in. We�
�re obviously at the infancy stage.”

  “That is a really good idea,” Beck said. “Ed, you are the next phase. Twenty-five years?”

  “Thirty,” Ed corrected. “This is first generation right now. Aimless, mindless, move on violence. Although they get smarter, they still are driven only to kill and attack. In my time, some second generation Sleepers are growing. They are faster, adaptable, and are like animals in the wild. They kill and run in large packs. Their goal is to survive and dominate.”

  Randy spoke next. “I’m three hundred years from now. The Sleepers do dominate but in their sectors. They control sections of the country. We rebuilt society, technology, brought it all back nearly to where it was. For a time there were no Sleepers, just the virus. And that killed half of all babies, and then half of those who lived died before their fourteenth birthday. That is a way of life for mankind— facing the fact that you will lose a child. However, while we crafted a world far from the dead zone, we avoided it. Unfortunately, that was where the Sleepers grew.”

  I asked, “Dead zone?”

  “Nuclear wasteland. Before the turn of the twenty-third century, supposedly there was a pied piper plan that led the Sleepers back over to the east and a second cleaning took place. That was supposedly the cleansing that finished off the original Reckoning. Only they nuked the country. Some of us theorized that it never happened. It was a ploy to keep us way from the Sleeper area.”

  “No one went?” Alex asked. “I mean, like I can’t see me not being tempted to go into a dead zone just to see.”

  “Things changed, Alex,” Randy said. “People become obedient. A mild form of the virus affected the emotional state of many. Many surviving humans didn’t have anger or hate or passion.”

  “That sucks,” Alex commented.

  Randy nodded. “I didn’t know how badly it sucked until I got to see a world where everyone felt everything. The Sleepers, though, look like a refined version of what we see. Pale, eyes black, they are smarter and they attack. They’re faster but they aren’t evolved too much physically.”

  “The virus eventually left or we became immune,” Levi said. “I’m in the next millennium and we, as men, were the last of the human race. We are cattle on a farm. Bred to be food. At the rate they were consuming us, they would be without a main source of food at some point. The Sleepers are monsters. They are large beings, in bulk and height. These dark eyes you see now are dark, but large and round. Noses flat, no hair, skin white but leathery. Mouths large, jaws wide, with small chins.”