Cryptophobia (Book 1): Outbreak [Fear The Unknown]

by Henderson, G. D.

  Daniel knew then that he had seconds to decide what to do, seconds that determined life or death. He didn't want to die this way, not to these crazies, he would escape, he would get away from these fuckers. He wouldn't allow the world to go on without him, he wouldn't allow Natasha to be with anyone else in his stead, especially not Terry. He would never let that fucking happen.

  Just as that thought passed through his mind, another head smashed through the side window closest to his head.

  CHAPTER 11 - GEORGE: 2:24pm - 2 Hours, 39 Minutes since outbreak

  George, his father, his sister and the kind lady who had offered them a lift, Charlotte, sat in the hospital waiting room awaiting their check-up. Their injuries weren't heavy, although his father appeared to have quite a nasty cut to the head that would probably need stitching.

  There was no mistaking the air of tension in the hospital, things were definitely awry and George was willing to bet it was to do with what he had seen.

  He still didn't know what to make of what he had seen. Sure, it terrified him, but how could he properly convey how fearful he felt? What was the right reaction? Cry? What good would that do, his dad was clearly trying his best and he wanted to be as brave as his father, despite being confronted with images and sounds that would remain with him forever, this was the greatest test of his courage. This was a dog eat dog world as Daniel would always say, only the strongest would survive. Based on his words, George knew he had to remain strong, but if strong meant pretending nothing had ever happened, he was as weak as it could get. Outside he was only just able to maintain a calm persona, but inside he was falling apart, cracking at every point and those cracks would eventually appear on the outside, there was no stopping them, he was losing his cool and the memories of what he has seen and experienced were plaguing him.

  "Are you okay, kiddo?" His father asked, sitting opposite from him and snapping George out of his thoughts. His face was wrought with concern.

  "I'm okay".

  "You don't look so great. You don't have to hide it, if what you saw is still bothering you, I'm here, tell me. Come, we'll talk".

  "He said he's okay, Terry", George’s sister grumbled. She sat with her arms crossed looking up at the news bulletin on the waiting room TV screen.

  "I'm okay dad", George assured his father.

  "Okay, but I saw what you saw too, I experienced what you experienced, so I understand, I'm here for you".

  Ria glanced over, but said nothing. It looked as though what George’s father had said might have struck a chord with her.

  "Yes dad", George replied coyly. His father turned to Charlotte.

  "So, what were your plans today... actually that's invasive, you don't need to answer that. Ignore me, I'm just a bucket of nerves now and anything is better than silence"

  “That's okay, I don't mind answering the question. I was on my way to see my boyfriend, he lives in East London. He's been in Boston for two weeks, so we hadn’t had the chance to see each other until today”.

  "Sorry to hear that. Have you called him?"

  "He called me whilst we were driving, I called him back after parking the car. He's okay, but he's just worried sick about me and a little shaken up about everything going on, he's watching it all on television".

  "I can only imagine".

  "I guess some sort of force of nature is trying to keep us apart".

  "Yeah, if you believe in all that spiritual pixie dust, smoke and mirrors crap". He laughed.

  “There's nothing you believe might be true? Like fate? Destiny? That sort of thing?”

  “Nope, I don't believe anything is predetermined. Take our meeting for example, I believe it was sheer coincidence, a convenient and pleasant coincidence, but a coincidence all the same. All you two need is love, love is far reaching, doesn't matter what's in between". Charlotte smiled.

  "Look at you", she teased, "you must have the most perfect relationship".

  "Actually...”

  "My mum and Terry split up. She's off with her new guy and dad is all alone", Ria interjected.

  "Ria!" George's father snapped.

  "If you didn't want your business spread out, you shouldn't go meddling in other people's business".

  Charlotte waved her hands trying to fan the flames.

  "It's okay, I really don't mind and I'm sorry to hear that, Terry".

  "It's okay, it just didn't work out".

  "Such is life".

  No more than five minutes later their names were called. Standing up, they followed a female doctor towards a small room where Ria and Charlotte were politely asked to remain outside.

  George and his father stepped into the room and the doctor immediately approached his father’s wound.

  "Check my son first, I'll be okay", he insisted and so she did, finding nothing out of the ordinary that was of immediate concern, but to be on the safe side, she had him checked over by another assistant doctor in a separate room whilst she addressed his father’s wound.

  "Most, if not all you have is superficial, nothing a few plasters won't fix".

  "That's good", George replied, knowing that just surviving that crash with mere scrapes and bruises was something of a miracle.

  She began tending to him and making small talk as he lay on his back facing the ceiling.

  "So, what happened to you, little mister?"

  "We were in a crash", George replied.

  "That much I know, it must have been terrifying".

  "It was, but...”

  "But?"

  "There was more scary stuff".

  "Oh? Like what?"

  "A woman's head was pulled off on the bus and the blood was everywhere". The doctor stopped checking him over and stared at him in disbelief. Did she not believe him?

  "Pulled off?"

  "Yes, those people tried to pull her through the window, but they couldn't, they could only pull her head off".

  "Is this some kind of joke, it's not funny". Clearly this woman hadn't seen what was going on outside.

  "I'm not joking, it really was. The people also attacked other people as well".

  "Which people?"

  "The bad people, they chased my dad and I down the road onto the bus, then the bus driver was scared and he started driving really fast and he crashed".

  "How did you get here?"

  "We came here, Charlotte gave us a lift in her car. We had to pick up Ria first".

  "Girls names, are the two girls you speak of outside?'"

  "Yes", I replied.

  "Your sister and mother?"

  "Charlotte isn't my mum, my mum is at work, Charlotte just gave us a lift in her car".

  "Okay. So, these people you say chased you, what did they say, or do, or look like?"

  "They were swearing and...”

  "And?"

  "Attacking people. They looked normal, but they were being very strange".

  "And they chased you and your dad? What about your sister and the woman you call Charlotte?"

  "No, they weren't with us".

  "That's good news. Did these people chase others?"

  "Yes, there was lots of blood". She stared at him in silence. It was made abundantly clear that she didn't quite know what to believe. She stood up.

  "Wait here for me, okay dear", she instructed.

  "Okay", George replied. She stepped out of the room for a few minutes, leaving George glancing around the room. Basic check-up utilities sat on drawers and posters pertaining to health were pasted across the walls. At 8, George was already not fond of hospitals, there was always something creepy about them.

  The doctor returned with a disconcerting expression upon her face.

  "Did any of those people touch you?" She asked straight away. George shook his head, he would probably be dead if they had.

  "No". George shook his head.

  "Are you sure? You can let us know if they did, don't worry, you'll be okay". George shook his head again.

  "Nuh uh".

>   "Okay, to be on the safe side, we need to monitor you and your father ", she insisted. With that, they were escorted to another room, secluded from the rest of the patients and there, told to stay put. George's father was most unhappy with these circumstances.

  "You think we are infected with something?" He demanded.

  "That's not what we are saying, we are just taking precautions".

  "Precautions from what? Just come out and say it, you think we are one of them?"

  "That's not the case".

  "The least you could do is tell us what we are dealing with, before sticking us in a room and locking the door".

  "It's an infection and it's highly contagious".

  "What... like Ebola or swine flu?"

  "Worse than that if what I saw on television is anything to go by, bear with me, I've only just gotten details on this, we've had no patients from central London, you two are the first, so naturally everyone here is a little on edge, we have sick vulnerable patients, so it's the perfect cesspool and breeding ground for infection. On top of that, they don't even know how exactly it is spreading or who brought it here first, so please try to understand our dilemma".

  George’s father slumped into a chair whilst George sat at the edge of one of the two beds in the room. But they weren't alone, for having been in contact with us long enough, Charlotte and Ria were told to stay in the same room and there they remained for all of twenty minutes without word. George’s father grew impatient and went to demand an explanation. Banging at the door, he demanded attention and soon enough he was answered from behind the door.

  "Sorry sir, we have the CEU response team coming to check you and the doctors who tended to you".

  "CE... what?”

  “CEU, containment and evacuation unit”.

  “Come off it, wouldn't we have shown symptoms by now? How many times do I have to say that we had no contact with them whatsoever!"

  "Please try to understand, sir, we have to take every necessary precaution to ensure this infection does not spread further. As it stands, we don't know yet how it is spreading and as such, there is very much the possibility that you have been infected, but the symptoms are delayed due to your immunity system, or you could be host to the infection, but it doesn't affect you due to genetics. There could be any number of possibilities, so please be patient a little longer and we'll try to have you out of there soon enough".

  "How much longer?"

  "I can't say exactly".

  Exasperated, George’s father sighed and conceded.

  They could be here forever for all they knew.

  "Is a state of emergency being planned? This all kind of came out of nowhere, what happens now?"

  "I... I honestly can't say, that's not my jurisdiction nor to my knowledge. What I know is limited".

  "My wife... The mother of my children is still in the centre of London, what happens to her?"

  "From what I know, the police, CEU and British army are handling the situation".

  "The frigging army? How bad is this thing? Was this some sort of terrorist attack?"

  "It's all up in the air at the moment, all there is, is speculation and as you know, speculation alone is no grounds for legitimacy, regardless of how convincing it may seem. I do however understand your dilemma; do you need a phone? You are more than welcome to contact her".

  "We have mobiles".

  "Then I suggest calling her and telling her to leave central London for her own safety. It may not be required and the situation may be resolved before we know it, but as these things go, I'd be on the safe side".

  "I'll do that, but what about us, are we safe here? All of that is happening just across the bridge, right?"

  "The bridge has been blocked and barricaded by the CEU, nothing is forcefully breaking through that blockade".

  George's father sighed again.

  "Fine, could you at least give us food and drink, we're hungry and thirsty".

  "I can't risk opening the door, sir".

  "So, we are to starve here?"

  "No, just be patient, the CEU will inform us of what we can and can't do, we can make a risky decision like that ourselves".

  "So, you're going to keep us locked in here like animals? Dammit, who the hell are you?" George’s father snapped, banging on the door.

  "Dad!" George cried. His father turned to look at him and immediately calmed down. Composing himself, he turned towards the door.

  "We're waiting", was all he said, "Don't keep us waiting too long".

  "Yes sir", she replied and he came back to sit down.

  "I'm calling your mother".

  CHAPTER 12 - NATASHA: 3:28pm - 3 Hours, 43 Minutes since outbreak

  Natasha considered leaving the office, in fact, everyone was and who could blame them? Nobody felt safe, nobody felt secure and with family caught in the midst of the anarchy, it was torture just being here.

  Natasha for one had everything to worry about, her kids and their father in hospital, not exactly too far away enough from the chaos, she had a fiancé who was now no longer answering his phone and her blood pressure wasn't benefitting from any of this.

  Stress had her stomach in a knot and her heart thumping harder than ever before.

  Why wasn't Daniel answering his bloody phone, why? Did something happen to him? She dreaded to think it, but had to face the dire possibility that that could very much be the case, since this was unusual for him. Try as she might, she was only able to reach his voicemail.

  "Fuck, maybe this is a hint to get out of here", a colleague behind her suggested.

  "They'll get control of it; the army is pushing in there. You know how the media is, it probably ain't as bad as it seems. Besides, if we start panicking, that ain't solving nothing", Elmira replied.

  "Fuck that, there are people packing up and leaving already".

  "They have family in there, Natasha too. Are you going Natasha?" Elmira asked, turning to her.

  "I am, though they're at the hospital".

  "Here's hoping they're okay". Just as Elmira said that, an email popped up from the office manager.

  'To all employees, due to the events occurring in London, it has come to our attention that some of you will have family members within or close to the scene, we understand your concerns and let it be known that our thoughts are with you. In light of this situation, many of you will want to leave, as such we formally allow you to leave, not only that, should the situation not improve by tomorrow, it will be understood if you choose to remain at home, you will be paid for this day. Everything else beyond this will be left until further notice. I hope you get home safely and that you family members and friends are safe and well. Thank you, Bishop'.

  It was a considerate message, even granting them leeway for tomorrow and Natasha couldn't have appreciated it more right about now.

  "We can leave, just got an email from Bishop. You can also stay home tomorrow if the situation doesn't improve", Natasha alerted the others.

  "And not get paid? No thanks, I'll be here 9 am sharp, this company is already stingy enough as it is, why would I voluntarily miss a day worth of pay?"

  "It states that they are willing to pay us tomorrow as though we'll be here".

  "In that case...” she got up and begun packing. Natasha joined her as others departed the two women's cubicle to return to their own and prepare to leave.

  "You heading over to the hospital now?" Elmira asked.

  "That's the plan".

  "What about Daniel? Is he there yet?"

  "He isn't answering".

  "What the fuck is up with these men today?"

  "To be honest, I'm worried that something happened to him, it's not like him to ignore me and his phone automatically connects to CINdyGo for vehicles the moment he gets near it, so he wouldn't have to even touch the phone".

  "Well I hope he calls you back. In the meantime, let's get out of here".

  Having packed their things, they made their way out of the cubicle se
ction of the office towards the elevator and stairway. They weren't the only ones standing there, quite a few people on their floor were also using the opportunity to make a hasty exit, some conceding to impatience and taking the stairs.

  As the door to the elevator opened and everyone poured in, Natasha's phone rang.

  The elevator was quite a squeeze with Natasha and Elmira having stepped in first, unfortunately resorting to them being crammed into a tight space at the back like sardines; this made the attempt to reach her phone in her handbag quite the challenge. It was only as they had almost reached the bottom did she manage to slip her fingers around it, pull it out and answer it.

  "Hello?"

  "Natasha, it's Terry".

  "Terry, what's happening? Are the kids okay?"

  "They're fine, staff have quarantined us at the hospital, they're waiting for the CEU to make the next move".

  "CEU?"

  "Yeah, they deal with outbreaks. We were at the epicentre of this shit, so naturally they're not taking any chances".

  "Okay, well I'm just making my way there now".

  "Whatever you do, don't travel through London, take the long way around, it might take longer, but it's safer and it's the only way you'll make it across the river, they have all the bridges within the radius of South Kensington blocked and it wouldn't be farfetched to think raised. It would be suicide travelling that direction".

  "Okay", Natasha replied, feeling even more concerned about Daniel now. The elevator arrived at the bottom floor to the sound of a chime.

  "It's spreading pretty fast, so be careful".

  "I know that, Terry! I'm not...” Her sentence was cut off midway, as the doors parted, allowing for the receptionist and a security guard waiting for its arrival to pour in, lunge at and drag the man standing closest to the front out. In the confusion, those watching could do nothing but gasp and stare in horror, as a man was brought to the ground and savagely mauled, fighting for his life. It wasn't until the security guard, leaving the receptionist to attack the man, lunged at the rest of them, did anyone start screaming.