by Bobby Akart
Only once did she look up at Hunter during her inspection, and that was when she found an enamel camp coffee pot. She managed a smile and put it back into the cart.
Hunter completed the checkout and graciously received a hearty thanks from the store manager. The young salesclerk who’d been so helpful advised Hunter that the canoe was safely strapped to the roof of his truck.
After exiting the store, Hunter and Mac casually strolled down the sidewalk toward the Defender when she took him by the arm and whispered into his ear, “As soon as we get in the truck, you’re gonna explain this to me, right?”
Hunter tensed up. “Um, okay.”
Chapter 40
Day Forty-One
Interstate 25 Northbound
Fort Collins
“You didn’t stop by here because you wanted to buy camping gear for a long, romantic weekend with me, did you?” asked Mac as soon as Hunter started the truck. He quickly navigated traffic and entered the on-ramp, where they were met with bumper-to-bumper traffic during rush hour.
Mac patiently waited for an answer. She wasn’t mad about what Hunter was doing, but she didn’t like being kept in the dark. Mac didn’t need coddling. She expected Hunter to give it to her straight and she’d deal with his way of thinking accordingly.
“Okay, with this traffic, we’ve got plenty of time to talk, obviously,” started Hunter nervously. “I wanna preface what I’m thinking with a promise to you that the things I’ve done have nothing to do with me doubting your abilities to find a cure or a vaccine for the plague. Do you believe me when I say I’ve got a hundred percent confidence in your capabilities to fight this disease?”
Mac reached across the console and squeezed his hand. “Of course, Hunter. I’ve never thought otherwise. What’s this all about?”
“I’m not a pessimist by nature,” said Hunter. “When I go on an operation, I know I’ll succeed and come home alive. Dying never crosses my mind. Getting hurt does, as my scars attest, but the possibility of dying is never one of my concerns when I do what I do.”
“Good to know,” said Mac with a giggle. She was trying to lighten the mood and let Hunter know she wasn’t angry with him. After all, the money he’d just spent was his. It wasn’t about the purchases, but rather his agenda. He clearly had a plan when he walked into REI and Mac was upset she wasn’t a part of it.
“Okay, here’s the deal,” he continued. “I’ve never truly loved anyone before, Mac. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“Are you about to propose? If all that camping gear is a wedding gift, you can take a hike, buddy!”
Hunter erupted in laughter. It was good for Mac to see him release the stress he was holding inside. She laughed as well until he had to slam on the brakes because someone whipped into their lane without warning, forcing Hunter to react.
“No, I’m not about to propose, although, well …” he began to stammer. She’d thrown him off his game and she loved it.
“Spit it out, soldier!”
“Okay, will you let me finish. Jeez, I’m tryin’ to be serious here,” said Hunter.
“Spit! Spit! Spit!” shouted Mac as she slammed the dashboard with the palm of her hand.
Hunter shook his head and grinned. “I’m afraid that despite your herculean efforts, this disease might be incurable or, even if you discover a cure or vaccine, it’ll be too late. Things are falling apart in Europe. There was a riot in Greece as the government kicked out fifteen hundred refugees who were showing symptoms of the flu. Even European nations are starting to close their borders. Ironic, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is,” said Mac, allowing Hunter to continue.
“I’ve been getting ready for the inevitable, Mac. Every day, I’ve gone to Sam’s Club, Walmart, and Home Depot to stock up on food and supplies. This trip to REI was part of my overall plan to get us ready.”
“For what?” she asked.
“Collapse, Mac. Both economic and societal. I believe that in a matter of weeks, or even days, the world is literally going to become unhinged.”
Mac thought for a moment and tried to stifle her laugh. She loved this man so much and never imagined him buying into conspiracy theories or movies about a dystopian world like Mad Max. She studied his face and realized he was serious.
“Hunter, I have no love for the government for obvious reasons. But I have to believe they’ll never let it come to that. I mean, they have resources beyond our wildest imaginations in storage facilities all over the world. Don’t you think they’ll step in to control the population and make sure we have what we need until we either find a cure or it burns itself out, whichever comes first?”
Hunter found an opening in the left lane and squeezed in so that he could travel at a faster speed. “Here’s the way I see it, and it really has nothing to do with a conspiratorial outlook. The plague is spreading faster now. Each day that passes, hospitals will be overrun and the media will run wild with the stories. I honestly believe this will cause a panic.”
“What does that panic look like?” asked Mac.
“First of all, people will make a run on grocery stores, the banks, and gas stations. Look at the recent examples following hurricanes. Two women practically beat each other to death in that Florida Walmart over the last case of Enfamil. A child was run over in Mobile, Alabama, when a driver forced his way in line at a gas pump.”
“I remember both of those things in the news,” added Mac.
“Today, you saw the beginnings of the collapse,” continued Hunter. “People were crowded into the hospital, seeking treatment. The Outbreak Ward was overwhelmed within hours. What will tomorrow bring? Hundreds or even thousands more? What happens when those thousands are told that the hospital can’t treat them today, or maybe even tomorrow? What happens when the news breaks that this plague strain is antibiotic resistant?”
“People will freak out,” replied Mac.
“Exactly. Their first stop will be the grocery store. When a hurricane is coming, they all rush down to buy water, batteries, flashlights, and plywood. The smart ones might stock up on gasoline and medical supplies, or even weapons. I’m just saying that we need to beat the rush.”
“Okay, I think I get it,” said Mac, who was still processing what societal collapse looked like. Her mind wandered to images from Venezuela and Brazil as those countries descended into economic collapse. There was lawlessness in the streets.
“Let me add one more thing about the economy,” said Hunter. “At some point, the CDC and the White House have to issue warnings to the public. When that happens, people will stay at home out of fear. They won’t shop, eat out, or go to movies because they don’t want to catch the disease. It won’t take long for the ripple effect to lead to major shutdowns of services and retail outlets. And then there’s the banking system.”
“What about the banks?” asked Mac.
“Every day, I’ve stopped by Wells Fargo Bank and made cash withdrawals. When people panic, they’ll begin to hoard cash. I contacted the trustee of my parents’ estate and asked him to tap into my emergency reserve fund provided by my father. He agreed and I’ve systematically made withdrawals each day.”
“How much cash?” asked Mac. “If the economy collapses, will it be worth anything? In South America, Venezuelan money is worthless.”
“I’ve pulled eighty thousand so far,” replied Hunter.
Mac turned and leaned against the passenger door. Hunter continued.
“However, I’ve already placed an order with Rocky Mountain Coin to buy gold bullion and pre-1964 silver coins. When the economy collapses, a barter system may be established that will accept precious metals as payment. In the meantime, I’ll charge as much as I can on credit cards until that method of payment comes to an end.”
Mac folded her arms and looked out of the window as the city of Denver grew smaller in the side-view mirror. She and her colleagues always knew it was a matter of time before a global pandemic woul
d wipe out millions of people. Secretly, she knew that time had come. She didn’t want to admit it aloud because it would be acknowledging she couldn’t do anything to stop it.
“Sounds like you’ve been planning this for a while,” said Mac. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It’s been killing me not to let you in on what I was doing,” replied Hunter. “I don’t want to have any secrets between us because I love you. I just didn’t want to distract you, and more importantly, I didn’t want you to give up trying to find a solution.”
“Hunter, I have to try,” said Mac quietly. “I was there when we discovered that village. It’s been part of my life for six weeks. I can’t abandon my post now.”
“I’m not saying that you should. Keep your nose to the grindstone, Mac. Let me worry about this other stuff, okay?”
“Agreed,” she replied, grasping his hand again and leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.
Hunter touched her face and wiped away a tear. “We’ll survive whatever is thrown at us, Mac. My job is to protect you now. I’ve known this for weeks. So I have to bring up one more thing.”
“What?” asked Mac.
“With each passing day, more and more people will become symptomatic and infectious. Anyone we come in contact with, whether at the lab or the FBI field offices, could be contagious. At some point we have to lock ourselves away from the world for our own safety. That time may be coming soon. I just want you to know that.”
Hunter drove on in silence for several more miles. Just before they reached Fort Collins, he asked Mac one more question.
“Mac, you’re the expert. You need to ask yourself, how close are we to going off the cliff?”
Mac leaned back in her seat and looked toward the mountains on her left. On the other side were her mother and father, alone in Coos Bay, Oregon. Then her mind raced to her friends back in Atlanta, especially Janie, who’d been such an integral part of her career for the past few years.
What about them? If I can’t save the world, can I at least save the ones I love the most?
Chapter 41
Day Forty-Two
White House Oval Office
Washington, DC
President Garcia paced the floor of the Oval Office as his advisors huddled in groups throughout the spacious room, discussing various aspects of his upcoming press conference. President Garcia insisted upon a question and answer setting in the Rose Garden as opposed to a presidential address from the Oval Office. He planned on issuing a statement followed by taking only a few questions. The exchange would reach cable news outlets, but he didn’t think the major news networks would break away from their regular programming for a press conference.
“Mr. President, I think we’re ready to finalize your opening remarks,” said Chief of Staff Morse. “There aren’t any significant changes other than we’ve added several actions to be announced to provide the public a sense of security so they may go about their daily routines. It will also send a signal to the stock markets that the administration is in command of the situation.”
“Okay, good,” said President Garcia, his mind faraway on the situation in Europe and the death of Chancellor Müller. It had been three weeks since her arrival in Washington and their White House meetings. Her death was a blow to the political ideology the two of them shared, but with the passage of time, President Garcia became more relieved.
She didn’t pass along the plague to him or anyone in his staff. The same couldn’t be said for those within her charge in Germany. Almost all of her residence and office staff had contracted the disease, as well as several members of the German Parliament who were frequent visitors of hers.
“Sir?” asked Morse, drawing President Garcia out of his trance. “Do you agree that we should avoid any questions that deal with Bill Gates’s and Chelsea Clinton’s recent remarks?”
“What? Yes, absolutely,” the President replied. “Bill’s always trying to raise more money for his foundation and this is his latest fund-raising scheme. As for Chelsea, she wants to accomplish what her mother couldn’t—occupy this office.”
Morse conferred with the White House press secretary to make sure those questions weren’t fed to the media. He then instructed everyone to sit for last minute preparations. The President would enter the Rose Garden shortly.
“Mr. President,” started Morse, “the solutions you’ll be announcing are just Band-Aids to the bigger problem. According to the CDC, there are millions of Americans who are infected and don’t even know it. Each day, the number of diagnosed cases will quadruple. Airport screening, mandatory quarantines, and enhanced border security will provide comfort to the public for a few days. However, the bigger story will begin to emerge after this twenty-four-hour news cycle.”
“And that is?” asked the President, his voice trailing off.
“Insufficient medical treatment facilities, for starters,” replied Morse. “Veterans Administration hospitals are overwhelmed, as are most public health facilities in major cities. We have more than enough antibiotics to treat the ill patients, we just don’t have enough beds and trained personnel to handle them all.”
“Let’s get through this day first and then I want you to call in the surgeon general and the director of Veterans Affairs to consider our options. I’ll calm the public today, and tomorrow we’ll show them they’ll be taken care of by their government.”
Morse nodded and sent his assistant out to notify the press the President would be appearing in the Rose Garden in a few minutes. The other aides left the room, leaving the two men alone.
“Mr. President, we’ve been walking a fine line between advising the public of the threat of a global pandemic and creating a panic. I’m afraid we’re at that point when the public’s best interest needs to be tantamount to our political ambitions.”
The President bristled at the implications from his Chief of Staff, although he knew them to be true. “Well, Andrew, what would you have me do? Tell them the truth?”
“Sir, I didn’t mean …” replied Morse defensively.
“Listen, we all agreed that a panicked populace is much worse than one that is controlled by us feeding them what they need to hear,” said the President. “We have lots of constituencies to satisfy in order to keep our jobs while at the same time protecting the American people. I agree, we have to adopt a different tack now, but under no circumstances will I use fearmongering in the process.”
“Sir, I’m not suggesting fearmongering, but—” said Morse before the President interrupted him.
“Andrew, that’s enough for now,” said the President dismissively. “Leave me alone for a moment while I gather my thoughts. Would you, please?”
“Yes, Mr. President,” said Morse with an imperceptible bow as he exited the Oval Office.
President Garcia took a deep breath and exhaled as he looked across the White House lawn. He was about to open the door when he spied the continuously refilled bottle of brandy to his right. Perhaps a little taste would steady his nerves, he thought. He quickly poured a glass and swallowed it in one gulp. He looked around the room again, as if the eyes of Washington and Churchill would disapprove. He poured a half glass and quickly finished it. He was ready.
*****
During the President’s opening remarks, he urged calm among American citizens. While the plague outbreaks were a serious matter in other countries, the United States had not seen the quantity of ill patients as elsewhere.
To insure the safety of the American people without formally closing the borders, as his political opponents demanded, the President adopted several policies.
The Transportation Security Administration in coordination with Homeland Security would begin to interview and medically clear all foreign nationals and Americans returning from foreign countries. The President assured future passengers coming from international destinations that the screening measures would be the least invasive possible.
The President stated Customs and Border a
gents at international terminals would be issued Exergen Temporal Thermometers, which were fast, safe and comfortable. If a traveler had a fever in excess of one hundred one degrees, they would be escorted to a cordoned-off, secure part of the airport for additional medical screening.
In addition, the President proudly announced he’d given fast-track authorization to the Food and Drug Administration for a new flu breathalyzer, which would detect the flu in anyone entering the country. With this device, the President explained, sensors smaller than a grain of rice analyzed the passenger’s breath to identify chemicals that were indicators of the flu. With this tool, medical personnel and the TSA could separate flu-stricken passengers from those who might have the plague bacteria.
Third, in conjunction with the United Nations, the CDC, and the Mexican Secretariat of Health, the President announced a Council of Territorial Epidemiologists, who would man the major border crossings along Mexico. Working with the current Border Infectious Disease Surveillance Project established in 1997, this multinational team of scientists and health care providers would establish secondary and tertiary clinical facilities to complement local primary care clinics. Before visitors or migrants could enter the country, they would have to subject themselves to the same testing required of airline passengers.
When asked about these measures by the media, the President stated the enhanced airport screenings would be in place within three to five days and the border program within ten to fourteen days.
Finally, when pressed about the slow response to the outbreaks overseas and in Central America, the President responded and gave this advice to the American people. “In retrospect, we could’ve responded faster, so I’m prepared to take some criticism on this. I think, however, that we need to get some things in perspective.
“These outbreaks have a dynamic that’s unlike anything the modern world has experienced before and as a result has caught every organization unaware—including our own CDC. Listen, this situation has exposed a disconnect between global health officials and the reality of infectious disease control. While strategy sessions are being conducted in Europe and Africa about this or other diseases, like Ebola, citizens are being kept in the dark about the realities these diseases pose for them.
