The others, who were busy screaming and shoving, looked like they had been randomly selected and given a uniform just because they were all that remained.
Even if Homeland Security really did augment whatever was left of the military and local agencies, Teddy knew that there couldn’t be that many first responders left alive to fill the rank and file of an entire national FEMA police battalion. He figured that most of the FEMA officers had to have once been just ordinary survivors from other quarantine centers before they got scooped up and handed guns along with their marching orders.
It was the only explanation that made sense in Teddy’s mind. These officers looked exceptionally jumpy; they reminded him of some of the rookie guards with whom he’d had the displeasure of dealing with back at the prison.
Most of the crowd had now been seated, and those who remained were escorted toward the door at the back of the carriage.
One of the officers stopped at Teddy’s row and glared down at him with beady, brown eyes. The officer probably did his best to look intimidating, but it took everything in Teddy to smother the laughter that was bubbling up inside him as he stared at the man. His riot helmet was askew. Pimples and sores covered his portly cheeks, and a single bead of sweat clung to the very edge of his red, bulbous nose. A black balaclava covered his mouth.
Teddy stared back at the man; he knew firsthand how dangerous fear combined with inexperience was: it surprised him that the people in charge of Homeland Security hadn’t figured that out yet. Maybe, Teddy thought, they just didn’t care anymore.
“What are you looking at, punk?!” The chubby FEMA officer clenched his baton tightly. “Eyes forward!”
Teddy turned his head and fixed his eyes on the headrest in front of him.
Satisfied, the officer snorted and walked away.
“Jesus,” Ein whispered as he kept his eyes down. “Could you stop bringing us unwanted attention?” He wiped the sweat off his forehead and sighed. “What is it with you and cops?”
Teddy glanced over at Ein. “I don’t know who these people are, but I can tell that most of them weren’t anything even remotely close to a cop before the virus struck.”
A few minutes after the officers escorted the stragglers into the next carriage, the air brakes disengaged, and the train began to creep forward.
Teddy heard the people shouting from the platform outside. It sounded as though there were a lot of them still in the pens. They were crying, begging for help.
Their cries faded as the train gained momentum and left what remained of Las Vegas behind.
As the train barreled onward at full speed, Teddy closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headrest.
Ein sat leaning forward, nervously glancing over his shoulder. He dug his nails into the seat’s armrests.
“Relax, already,” Teddy said, his eyes still closed. “You’re fidgeting so much, you’re shaking the whole damn train.”
Ein scoffed. “Relax!? Well, I’m sure glad that you’re comfortable! Back when we left Tucson, you acted like you were ready to lead a revolution! Now you’re telling me to relax…like we’re on vacation! Remember what you told me? There are more of us than there are of them.”
“I haven’t slept for days, kid,” Teddy muttered. “Get off my ass and let me sleep.”
Ein looked at Teddy with disgust. “So all that stuff you were saying was just talk." He continued, his voice heavy with disappointment. “You know, I actually believed you. Now I see that you’re just like those other guys back at the stadium who talked a bunch of shit but ended up doing nothing. You’re—”
Cutting him off mid-sentence, Teddy reached over, snatched Ein’s shirt collar, and, peering into his eyes, yanked him in close.
Ein’s eyes grew wide as he stared back, terrified.
The other passengers seated nearby pretended not to notice.
“Listen, you goddamn kid!” Teddy brought his face close to Ein’s. “If you want to survive, you’d better learn how to pick your battles! We don’t have any idea of what we’re headed toward or what kind of support we’ll have when we get there, but you’re ready to go all-in against a bunch of trigger-happy thugs?”
“I was just saying that maybe we—”
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen little punks like you get their skulls smashed just because they came into prison with a chip on their shoulder and had something to prove!”
Ein, shaking, held up his hands.
“I—I’m sorry. I didn’t—”
“Learn to sit down, shut up, and figure out the lay of the land before you do something stupid that gets us both killed. Got it?”
Ein gave a quick nod. His typically sallow face had turned an unattractive shade of white.
The rear door opened, and an armed FEMA officer started to walk down the middle of the aisle, evidently on patrol.
Teddy let go of Ein’s shirt before the officer reached their row and calmly went back to resting his head against the headrest with his eyes shut.
In his seat, Ein was still trembling.
They kept silent as the officer passed and finally disappeared through the door at the front of the carriage.
Ein looked over at Teddy and nervously cleared his throat. “I want to survive this.” He leaned closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. “I want to help you. What these people are doing isn’t right.”
“Then you need to listen to what I say.” Teddy’s eyes were still closed. “It’s going to take us a little while to figure out the situation and where we’re headed, but we’ll figure it out. I know my old ass doesn’t look like it, but I’ve been around long enough to learn a few things.” He paused and yawned. “Once we get to where we’re going, we can plan our next step. Sound good?”
“Yeah…” Ein said as he anxiously scratched the back of his neck. “What do I do in the meantime, though?”
“I already told you,” Teddy mumbled. “Relax. Go to sleep.”
“Teddy?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you promise to get me out of here? I don’t want to die in some cage…”
An image of Jane and Danny flashed in Teddy’s mind—his pig headed plan to get to the stadium at any cost had led both of them to their deaths. Teddy had vowed never to make that mistake again. He opened his bloodshot eyes and fixed Ein with a sober look. “Kid, I promise you that no matter what…I’m getting us out of this place.”
“I appreciate that,” Ein said with a weak smile. He paused and thought for a moment. “If you think I’d slow you down, though, you can go on your own. I’ll figure something out.” He paused. “After all, you don’t owe me anything.”
“No, I don’t, but I owe them everything,” Teddy quickly answered.
“Who?” Ein asked, confused.
Teddy didn’t answer. He sniffed, closed his eyes, and leaned his head back against the headrest. After a moment, he added, “I’ll get us out of here. Just be patient.”
They sat in silence as the train continued onward.
Teddy shut his eyes and slipped into a dreamless, uneasy slumber as the memory of holding Danny’s cold corpse in his arms haunted his subconscious mind.
Ein closed his eyes, but he couldn’t ignore the anxiety that twisted his stomach into knots and made any attempt at sleeping impossible.
CHAPTER 2
NOVEMBER 24th
Outside the train, the full moon illuminated overgrown cornfields that seemed to stretch out for miles. The moonlight glistened off the small ice crystals covering the stalks; a thin layer of frost covered everything.
Teddy stared dispassionately out of his window as the train barreled onward. As exhausted as he was, real sleep remained elusive—his own unsteady mind made sure of that.
The train turned a bend in the tracks, and Teddy caught a passing glimpse of a glowing compound far in the distance. Whatever the compound was, the train was headed directly toward it. He sat up and checked out the other passengers. It didn’
t look like he was the only one who’d had trouble sleeping—most everyone appeared to be on edge.
Hell, he couldn’t blame them.
Ein sat slouched over with his arms wrapped around his stomach. He had a sour expression on his face. The black circles under his eyes seemed to have darkened over the course of the last few hours.
Just as Teddy was about to speak, the squeal of the train’s air brakes reverberated through the carriage, and the train slowed to a crawl.
The other passengers looked around and opened their window shutters to peer outside, but no one could see anything past the towering frozen stalks of corn.
Suddenly, bright white light shone through the windows as the train passed through a chain-link sally port and came to a stop in an area of tracks surrounded by fencing topped with razor wire and an array of spotlights. The FEMA banner on the fence had fallen and exposed the faded sign it had been covering. It read United States Customs and Border Protection – Region VII Detention Center.
Overhead nozzles spritzed the outside of the train with blue chemical disinfectant.
With their windows obscured by the murky blue substance, the passengers looked away from the windows and stared at the carriage doors. Nervous chatter and confused murmurs echoed throughout.
“Are we at another quarantine center?” Ein asked.
“No, kid—I think this is something different,” Teddy said.
The front door of the carriage slid open, and four police officers entered; all of them carried batons. They wore long, black peacoats, black tactical pants, leather gloves, and calf-length jackboots. Their jackets had FEMA insignias on them, but no nametags or badges were visible. Their faces were obscured by black balaclavas—only their eyes were showing.
“Everyone, up!” one of the officers shouted, his voice muffled by the balaclava. “Make your way to the front and head out in an orderly fashion!”
The officers started pulling passengers out of their seats by the scruff of their necks and shoved them down the aisle toward the door. “Move! Now!”
A woman in the back started to cry, and some of the men grew vocal in their protests, but the officers didn’t pay them any mind and continued to prod them ahead as though they were nothing more than cattle.
Teddy and Ein got up and followed the others as they stepped out of their rows as everyone hurried down the aisle and out the door.
It was bitterly cold and damp outside. Spotlights bathed the area in harsh white light, and searchlights mounted on a nearby watchtower scanned the group as they emerged from the train. Chemical foggers were pointed toward the disembarking passengers and covered the area in a white haze.
Teddy, his breath escaping in small white puffs of condensation, crossed his arms over his chest as he walked.
Ein stood next to him and cupped his hands over his mouth to warm them with his breath.
The group slowly funneled through a long narrow chain-link corridor that led to a windowless building with a large television screen mounted above the door. A biting breeze whistled through the chain-link and made the group shiver as they shuffled forward.
Their assault rifles ready to shoot at the first sign of unrest, FEMA officers with mirrored visors and heavy winter coats stood on both sides of the chain-link.
Once the group got halfway down the corridor, the television above the door turned on and displayed the image of a well-dressed man standing in front of the Department of Homeland Security emblem.
Welcome! the man said into the camera with a tight smile. My name is Mark Hammond, camp administrator. It is my great pleasure to welcome you to our facility.
At this facility, it is our goal to help fulfill the agency’s critical mission: to repair the national infrastructure, to clean and rebuild the cities, and to repopulate this great country.
I understand that this task is not one that you may have taken willingly, but I assure you that your work is vital for the survival of our great nation. Future generations will benefit from what you do here, and all of you will be remembered as heroes—not just survivors.
Of course, the abled-bodied will be expected to contribute and will be assigned appropriate work details. No matter what your trade or level of education, we will find the right job for you.
In exchange for your vital contribution, we will provide you with safety, hot meals, medical care, and humane, comfortable living quarters. No longer will you have to forage for your next meal, search for clean water, or fight against desperate odds just to survive. Here, you are safe.
That being said, these amenities and protection do come at a price. Any civil disobedience or crime will be punished harshly. If we don’t all work together, all of this—our recovery—will fall apart.
As you step through the door, you, the chosen ones, will begin your repatriation process and become a part of the new world—a better world—a world in which we all work toward one common goal. I look forward to working with you, and I thank you for your contribution to this great, noble cause.
The screen flickered briefly, and the recorded message looped again as people continued to trickle from the train and walk down the corridor: Welcome! My name is Mark Hammond, camp administrator. It is my great pleasure to welcome you to our facility. At this facility, it is our goal to—
Teddy passed through the doorway and entered a long, windowless room with multiple stalls lining the walls on both sides of the room; none of the stalls had doors, just moldy shower curtains that were pulled open. Gymnasium lights dangled from the ceiling, and air ducts were suspended from the exposed steel rafters. The biting cold outside was replaced with a musky heat generated by the growing crowd and the gymnasium’s high-power bulbs.
People from the train wandered into the room, confused and frightened; everyone talked over each other, unsure of what to do.
A handful of FEMA officers wearing peacoats and balaclavas barked orders at the crowd from the middle of the room. The officers, who looked just as frightened and confused as the passengers, formed a circle as more and more people came in, shouting questions at them.
“What a clusterfuck,” Teddy said to Ein, who stood close beside him.
The officers became increasingly outnumbered and looked around anxiously as the crowd swarmed around them aimlessly. One of the officers bore sergeant insignias on his uniform jacket lapels. He lowered his balaclava and brought a megaphone to his lips with a trembling hand. After clearing his throat and keying the mic, he spoke into the megaphone. This is Sergeant Mayville speaking! Everyone stop talking and make your way to one of the stalls! A medical staff member will—
The officer was interrupted by a man who was frantically scanning the crowd. “Where’s my wife?! We were together at the station, but now I can’t find her!”
Others followed suit and started to shout over each other as they screamed questions at the officers.
Some of the officers pulled out their batons and stood in defensive positions as the crowd grew more agitated.
Mayville continued. A medical staff member will be with you shortly. You need to—
Even amplified with the megaphone, his voice was drowned out by the crowd.
Mayville cleared his throat once more, turned the volume up, and keyed the mic again. You need to find an open stall and enter it right now!
The man who was searching for his wife pushed between two officers and stepped toward the sergeant.
“I’m not going anywhere without Mary!” he shouted as the officers pushed him back with their batons.
Mayville pulled out his pistol and fired toward the ceiling.
People screamed and ducked down.
Teddy crouched down with Ein and stared at the officer.
Mayville kept his smoking pistol pointed at the ceiling as he gritted his teeth and glared out at the crowd. A trickle of plaster dust fluttered down from the rafters and landed on his head.
After the gunshot, the crowd had fallen silent.
Everyone—shut up
and stay back, or I’ll shoot! Get to an empty stall! Beads of sweat rolled down Mayville’s forehead. He waved his pistol toward the crowd. Move! Now! One person per stall!
The crowd quickly and quietly dispersed toward the stalls, bumping and stumbling against one another as they moved.
The officers spread out and brandished their batons, shouting at their charges to hurry up.
“See you in a bit,” Teddy told Ein. “Don’t start any shit.”
“That goes double for you,” Ein said.
Teddy and Ein split up and moved toward some of the last remaining empty stalls on opposite sides of the room.
“Hurry up! Get in there!” a young female officer told Teddy as she pointed her baton at one of the empty stalls.
Teddy frowned and stepped into the small concrete space. He turned around and watched as the rest of the group filled the remaining stalls. He couldn’t see which one Ein had taken.
Mayville relaxed, wiped the sweat off of his brow, and holstered his pistol. He pulled his balaclava back up over his nose and mouth and keyed the megaphone once again. Remain standing in your stall until Medical screens you! Do not talk to others!
FEMA officers walked along both sides of the room and pulled the curtains closed on each of the stalls.
Teddy glared at a short, fat officer as he passed in front of his stall. The officer glared back and yanked the curtain shut.
Teddy sighed and sat down against the wall, his feet spread out in front of him. He pressed the back of his head against the wall and stared up vacantly at the ceiling. He wasn’t sure exactly what he’d walked into, but it sure as hell felt awfully similar to when he’d been processed into USP Tucson so many years ago. He closed his eyes and waited.
After a few minutes, he heard muffled screams and the sound of people getting knocked around. The chatter on the officer’s Motorola radios amped up.
Instinctively, Teddy jumped back to his feet, balled his fists, and prepared to defend himself. He narrowed his eyes at the closed curtain…waiting.
Whatever was happening out there, it didn’t sound anything like routine intake medical screening.
H7N9: The Complete Series [Books 1-3] Page 35
