She and several other teachers had gone to lunch the previous day and she ran through the entire meal in her mind. She remembered that someone had ordered spinach dip and she had had two bites with tortilla chips.
Then again, she had briefly seen officials from the Department of Health on the news, discussing a new outbreak of some viral infection. She wasn’t sure exactly what it had been since she had changed the channel. It seemed like every day some disease affected a sliver of the population and the media blew it out of proportion. Swine flu, avian flu, Korean whopping cough…each time the media called it a pandemic, and each time almost nothing would come of it.
“Mrs. Greaton.”
She turned to see a young girl with a long black ponytail and pink sandals standing beside her.
“What is it, Annie?”
“Jacob puked all over the desk.”
She looked over to see a young boy who had begun to cry near the back of the room. She rose and walked over to him to make sure he was all right, but stopped when she noticed the color of the vomit: it was black, with what looked like bits of meat or coffee grounds mixed in. She hurried to her desk and grabbed her cell phone, dialing the number to the school nurse.
Dale Baer sat latched to a telephone pole thirty-five feet in the air. He was splicing a wire that had been damaged during last night’s rainstorm and he leaned back, letting his lower legs take the brunt of his weight, and pulled out a bottle of water. He mixed in two Alka-Seltzers and drank down a few sips. He had been feeling hot today and a migraine pounded in his head like a drum. But no one else could provide for his family. His wife stayed home and they had six children under the age of ten. Sugar Cane Electric, the company he worked for, which had received a private contract from the utility company for the repair of damaged power lines, allowed only a few days of paid sick time and he had used them already when he had broken a rib playing football with his brothers.
Dale looked down to the street and watched the passing cars. He had a difficult time focusing on the ground and it suddenly dawned on him that he was experiencing something he had never experienced in nineteen years of work: vertigo. For the first time in his life, heights were unmanageable.
He began his slow descent back to the sidewalk, and as he did so, he acutely felt the fatigue that had been nagging him the past few days. It made his limbs feel heavy, like he was moving through water, and his thoughts were muddled and clouded. He would have to go home; he wasn’t about to risk a fall. He would just have to figure out a way to work a double some time down the line to make up for it. He got to the ground and unhooked himself from the safety belt.
A few people on the sidewalk were waiting for a bus. Dale smiled at a woman that was listening to an iPod and noticed that she had dropped what looked like a credit card on the ground.
“Excuse me,” he said, “I think you dropped this.”
He bent down to retrieve it and felt pressure in his head, like it was too heavy to keep up anymore and his neck had lost strength. It was so sudden that it flung him forward onto his stomach on the pavement. He heard someone yell for help.
How odd, he thought. He’d clearly just lost his balance. As he lifted his face from the pavement, he felt the warm slick of blood and saw that it was spewing out of his mouth and nose and pooling in a large puddle around him.
The paramedics did not arrive until eleven minutes later. By that time, Dale Baer had bled to death.
CHAPTER 22
Samantha Bower stood at the entrance to the gymnasium and looked over the patients that were huddled onto cheap gray cots. There were over two hundred with only ten staff to look after them but it was impressive how much that small number of staff could really do.
She glanced over toward the other entrance and saw Duncan Adams interviewing one of the patients. He was wearing a full smock with mask and gloves as all the staff were. But he was still joking around and making the patients laugh. He noticed her looking and waved. She waved back.
The governor was expected to take to the airwaves in about five minutes and a mac had been set up on a desk in one of the other rooms of the rec center. Duncan walked over a few minutes later having already thrown his mask and latex gloves in the trash. He sat down on a stool near the desk.
“We’re starting to see a lot of kids.”
Samantha was a quiet a moment. “I know.”
“When’s the trip to Peru?”
“I have it booked for five days from now.”
“Who else is going?”
“A lot of people it seems. Ralph is coming. He never comes on field assignments like this so I’m guessing he thinks it’s either going to be an adventure he can tell stories about at parties or he thinks he can write a book about it. Then some people from the CDC and one guy from the FBI. They seem to think this is a matter of national security.”
“It’s not totally far fetched. Smallpox could’ve been sold to the North Koreans or any number of countries. I wouldn’t put it past the Russians at this point. They’ve become a criminal state.”
“I really hope you’re wrong.”
“Why? Because you don’t want to believe humanity can be so inhuman? I’ll give you a tip: never underestimate how cruel people can be to each other.”
There was commotion on the mac’s screen and they saw the governor come to the podium among flashes of photography.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “thank you for being here. I would first like to thank the efforts of Police Chief Talona, and our friends from the Army Medical Unit and the Centers for Disease Control. I know each and every one of them is working tirelessly to ensure that our citizens remain protected and that this crisis will soon be a memory.
“As it has been made public, we are facing a public health scare unlike any our state has faced before. I know many of you have been praying and sending contributions or even volunteering on the island to lend a hand to your fellow Hawaiians and I want you to know that I am eternally grateful. None of us should stand alone, and as Darwin once remarked, ‘a weakened animal is never alone.’ Together, I know we can overcome any tragedy that befalls us.
“We have faced war, we have faced famine, invasion, pestilence, and deadly storms throughout our history. They have been painful episodes, but episodes nonetheless. They, like all things, have passed and we have moved on. Perhaps a little stronger and a little wiser for the wear.
“I know that in times of uncertainty there is fear. You are all worried about your families and friends, as am I. But I can assure you that everything is being done to guarantee that this episode in our history is like every other: evanescent. In the meantime, we must be cautious. As of this moment, all transportation to and from the island of Oahu is halted. Employers on the island have been notified that all businesses are to be closed by tomorrow morning along with public facilities such as schools and other government buildings, parks, and beaches. I know this will be hard. Many of you live in our great state for the sole purpose of being out in wondrous nature. However, we must keep our fellow citizens in mind at this time of need and I ask that you remain home with your families, only traveling out if absolutely necessary.
“All the physicians and biologists and public health experts have assured us that the quickest way for this illness to pass is to end daily public life for a while. We must be vigilant and accept the fact that, for at least the foreseeable future, our lives will be altered. But I have no doubt that we will soon be out on our fine beaches, eating at our wonderful restaurants, and enjoying the natural beauty of our largest island.
“I thank you for your time, for your patience, and for your efforts in helping your fellow citizens. God bless Hawaii, and God bless the United States of America. Thank you.”
Samantha looked to Duncan who whistled through his teeth. “All transportation?” he said. “That’s pretty crazy.”
“There’s no other way to keep it from the mainland.”
“It’s going to get there anyway.”
“I think we’ve done a pretty good job of keeping it out.”
“Doesn’t matter. This is nature we’re talking about. It’s fluid, constantly adapting. Viruses are nature in its purest form. They have one purpose, one burning desire and they will do anything to achieve that desire. Nature’s ends tend to get accomplished. The virus wants to spread. It’ll spread until it can’t anymore.”
“I think you give viruses too much credit.”
He shrugged. “I don’t have a girlfriend so I think about viruses all day.” She smiled and he grinned. “We never got to have dinner. Have it with me tonight.”
“I don’t think tonight’s a good time.”
“It’s the perfect time. You heard the gov, they’re closing all the businesses tomorrow so I’m assuming they mean restaurants too. Come on, we’ll go to the best restaurant on the island and then tomorrow you can start eating Army food and Top Ramen.”
She closed her mac and sat down. “All right. Dinner. But it’ll have to be a little later. I have a meeting with Ralph.”
“No sweat,” he said, standing up. “I’ll swing by and pick you up from Queen’s Medical.”
“They meet at the Ritz-Carlton now. Pick me up from there in a couple of hours.”
“You got it. I’m gonna go hit the showers.”
“Okay. And Duncan? Maybe we shouldn’t go anywhere too crowded?”
CHAPTER 23
The Ritz-Carlton sat on three acres of beachfront property and looked like a photo out of a tourist magazine. Normally, crowds swamped the hotel’s two pools and half a dozen tennis courts. A restaurant there named Ice served lush Hawaiian inspired cuisine on a large veranda that was open year round.
But that’s not what it appeared like now. As Samantha pulled up on her Ducati and parked, she thought it looked like a crime scene. News crews had set up on every inch of property they were legally entitled to and the rest of the space was taken up with military and police vehicles. Sam’s parking spot was across the street in a paid lot and she jogged over to the hotel. The concierge informed her that they were not allowed to take any more guests.
“No,” she said, “I’m with the CDC; the government. Please call Ralph Wilson and let him know I’m here.”
“Certainly. One moment.”
Samantha stepped back from reception and watched as a man spoke to another concierge, asking him if there was any way off the island. The concierge said there wasn’t and the man began to grow upset and swear at him. The concierge glanced to a group of police officers that were standing by the door and Sam could see him suddenly fill with courage.
“Sir,” he told the man, “I really don’t give a damn what you think. You can take your attitude and blow it out your ass for all I care. Now either get out of my face or leave my fucking hotel.”
Nerves were frazzled, Sam thought. This situation was frustrating enough but throw on top of that a looming food shortage and the closure of all businesses and you had a populace on the verge of violence. Attempting to be a courteous customer service rep for your company at that point was nearly impossible.
“Ma’am?” the concierge said to Sam. She turned and walked back to reception.
“Yes?”
“Dr. Wilson stated that he would like you to meet him at his table inside Ice. It is the restaurant at the end of that hallway and to the right.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Samantha made her way down the hallway and to the plush restaurant decorated in gold and black. The hostess pointed her right to Wilson’s table. He was seated indoors though the veranda looked much more pleasant. The table he was sitting at had views of the parking lot out the windows and his back was against a wall as he ate pasta out of an ornately decorated bowl.
“This place looks nice,” she said, sitting down across from him.
“Expensive as all hell. But I figured I wouldn’t be getting a decent meal after tomorrow. How’s everything at the recreation center?”
“A little over two hundred patients. We seem to average one new admittee per hour.”
“I looked over the list. Have you noticed how many were police officers?”
“No, I haven’t had time to go through it.”
“Honolulu Police have small numbers, around nineteen hundred officers. Over a hundred of them are in your rec center. And those are only the ones that have actually sought medical attention. I’m betting a fair number have stayed home.”
“It’s something to keep an eye on I suppose.”
“It’s more than that,” Wilson said, taking a sip of the red wine that was on his table. “There are certain professions that a society cannot survive without. The first is maintenance crews. Our infrastructures require constant maintenance. Projections have shown that, without maintenance crews, the city would not be able to function within one month. Within three months, nature will have taken back what we took from it. The city would be in ruins, just like what you’d find in Rome or Constantinople. Just with taller buildings.
“The second profession a society cannot survive without is police officers. If the police force is disabled it’ll mean chaos for this island.”
“It’s just a small percentage now. I’ll call the chief and make sure he switches up the crews and has them protected for their shifts.”
“That won’t be enough. He needs to run on a skeleton crew of volunteers. As the outbreak spreads the police will be more fearful of contact. They’ll be as good as on vacation anyway.”
“I thought you wanted to maintain order?”
Wilson took a large bite of pasta and finished chewing before speaking again. “There was a fascinating study conducted at UCLA. It was done by graduate students in the sociology department. They wanted to test enticement of crime in minority populations, but that’s not what the study became famous for.
“They would park luxury cars in high foot traffic areas and leave the doors ajar. Not wide open, but far enough that anyone walking by would notice. They left Cadillacs and BMWs and Lexuses on this abandoned strip of land next to an empty retail shop with no one around, so that the pedestrians felt that they wouldn’t be caught if they felt like rummaging through the cars or taking them. For days, nothing happened. Not a single person even opened the car door to see what was inside. One day some kids were playing outside and they hit a baseball through a window of the retail shop that was about twenty feet away from the car. Within three hours, seven people had rummaged through the car and one tried to steal it. The next day, they had to abandon the experiment because too many people were attempting to steal the car.
“It was perception, Sam; that was the point of the study’s findings. Society itself is a perception. When the people saw the broken window they perceived the car as abandoned rather than simply stopped there. They saw chaos and responded appropriately. If the police presence is strong, the perception will be that there are a lot of police officers. If the presence isn’t strong and the perception is that there isn’t enough police, people will revert to the state of nature and turn into animals.
“What the chief needs to do is have a minimum number of officers driving around the cities, parking in high crime areas. They don’t have to do anything, just park there. It will be enough to create the perception we’re looking for.”
The waiter came by and asked if Sam wanted anything. She asked for a Perrier and fiddled with the fork and napkin that was laid out in front of her. “I can’t believe we’re even discussing this.”
“I know. Lack of order is a difficult thing to grasp when you’re accustomed to having order, but that’s the way it is. By the way, the governor’s orders don’t apply to us. You can freely leave the island if you need to but you have to travel by military plane.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
He smiled. “The first time we met, you had stayed up for two days straight preparing a report on the contamination of a well in a small town in Oklahoma. Do you remember that? I was so impressed
with you that I knew you would be the type of person that would rise in the CDC, if you wanted to. I think one day, Sam, you’ll be handed my job. When that day comes, I want you to ask yourself one question: can you handle not having anyone in your life? I have no wife, no children. I’m away from home over two hundred days out of the year. It’s not a life everyone can handle. You need to decide if this is the path you want to take. Don’t take that decision lightly.”
He suddenly appeared melancholy and Samantha didn’t follow up with any questions. She figured it was something he would discuss when he felt the urge, although he had once mentioned in an offhanded comment that not having children was the biggest regret of his life.
“Anyway,” he said, taking in a large breath, “why don’t you stay and have dinner with me? Then decide if you want to stay or leave the island.”
“I have plans.”
“Oh, that Duncan fellow, correct?”
“How could you tell?”
“His face lights up when you enter a room. I’ve dealt with him a few times; he’s a decent man.”
The waiter brought her Perrier and she opened it as Wilson sipped more of his wine. They sat in silence a while, enjoying the calm atmosphere of the restaurant. She couldn’t tell if it was really calm or if it was just comparatively calm to the chaos and tension that were building outside of these walls, but it was relaxing nonetheless.
“I better go,” she said. “Thanks for the drink.”
“Samantha, in a few days, when the data’s compiled and digested, I’ll have a much better picture of what’s going on here. If it turns out to be what I think it is, I’ll be having you sent back to Atlanta.”
“What? Ralph, I’m fine. I can take care of myself.”
“This isn’t about that. You don’t know what can be unleashed here. This will become a fully military-run operation and there’ll be no need for us anyway. But we’re not to that point yet. I was hoping you’d go back voluntarily but I had a hunch you wouldn’t. I just wanted to tell you so there are no surprises. Now go have fun before they close everything.”
Plague Page 11
