Dr. Harker furrowed her brows. “You were with the CDC, weren’t you? I hardly think they would’ve countenanced this type of work.”
Cummings grimaced. “I’d rather not go into the details, but I did a rather unpleasant job for the government. Not the CDC, but other parts of the alphabet soup that was Washington. So this job is a kind of penance for me.”
Amita narrowed her eyes at the man. “You still haven’t explained what ‘this job’ is. What were you trying to accomplish?”
“I created a vaccine.”
She shook her head. “A vaccine? For a mild flu virus that nobody needed a vaccine for until you began messing around with its surface proteins?”
Dr. Cummings smiled but without warmth. “It will take some explaining. A while back, well before the director closed this compound, the government discovered a new pathogen already infecting people across the country. They were keeping it a secret as they searched for a cure, or at least some treatment to ameliorate its effects. But then everything began falling apart. As far as I know they never got around to giving it a proper scientific name. Director Miles calls it the Gravity Bug. But then he’s a politician.”
“What kind of virus is it? And what does it have to do with this flu strain you engineered?”
“Not a virus. A microscopic parasite. And I just took a mild form of influenza and changed the proteins on its surface to mimic the profile of the bug.”
Amita nodded. “To try to trick the immune system into attacking the parasite, which means it fails to recognize the parasite as an invader. It’s a protozoan? How does it spread?”
“Mostly through contaminated water. It hasn’t gotten into the FURC water supply yet, but it’s also transmissible through bodily fluids, and apparently people who’d already been infected brought the bug into the compound before it was sealed. Ever since then the parasite has slowly been spreading to more and more people. As soon as it was discovered here the director started me working on a cure, a vaccine to stop the spread—though hopefully it will also aid those already infected. To find out if it works, it was arranged for twenty test subjects to be injected with my modified strain—half who had been infected by the bug already and half who hadn’t—together with a compound that mimics flu symptoms. To help get the subjects into isolation as fast as possible.”
Thanks to all the study he had been doing lately, David thought he understood the general drift of all of that. “But how were we injected?”
“The virus and the compound were added to the vitamin shot people are often given.”
Amita gave David a look. He shrugged—he had not given that shot a second thought, or mentioned it to her even. But her questions were still for Cummings. “Alright, I can see how you thought to fight this parasite, but you haven’t yet said how it affects people, that you’d go to these lengths.”
Dr. Cummings sat back on his stool with a sigh. “It’s a very nasty creature. It migrates to the hypothalamus, where it stimulates the sympathetic nervous system to play havoc with a person’s hormones. It feeds on the stress hormones—adrenaline, norepinephrine, cortisol and the like, you see. It also has a depressive effect on the nervous system impairing judgment, causing those infected to engage in risky behavior that increases the levels of those hormones the parasite needs to thrive. Of course, those behavioral effects vary according to the individual.”
Dr. Harker pursed her lips. “People would have noticed before now.”
“They have, but because it acts so slowly, and its effects aren’t so extraordinary in and of themselves, that no one puts it down to an outside agency. Or an inside one, to be more accurate.”
“Impaired judgment, rapid breathing, elevated blood pressure, and an increased heart rate…”
“Even an increased sexual drive. But the worst effect is the long-term damage on the body from the increased hormone levels. It’s a slow-acting poison that will eventually start shutting the organs down.”
Trying to translate what they were saying in his own mind, it sounded like this parasite turned people into raging drunks, and that was something they were seeing a lot of lately—and David said so.
Dr. Cummings squinted at him. “That’s a gross oversimplification, but an apt description nonetheless. It makes it a question of what will kill a person first, the toxic effect of those hormones or their own behavior prompted by the parasite.”
Amita asked the obvious question. “Is there no way to kill this thing?”
“So far none’s been found. Unless the vaccine I created works, and we’ve yet to see if it does.”
“If it does what you hope, stimulates the body’s own immune system to attack the organism, then it should help even those already infected. How soon will we know?”
Cummings grimaced. “The better question is—will we know? I chose a mild type C strain of the flu not only to reduce the ill effects on the test subjects, but also so the virus wouldn’t mutate. But somehow it has, and the surface proteins were altered again as well. I don’t know if the antigen profile changed too much to have the desired effect, and since the original patients were all reinfected by that new strain, I can’t say if my version would have either.”
Dr. Harker nodded. “That’s the test that got included in our blood panels, a reactive protein test to indicate the presence of the parasite.”
David knew what that meant. He’d tested positive for this Gravity Bug, and no one had told him—and he wasn’t the only one.
Dr. Cummings sighed wearily. “I know it’s not a precise test, but it’s still useful. And I couldn’t really examine everyone’s blood under a microscope looking for the bug, not and keep it all secret, which was what the administration wanted. Now, since you’ve had the test removed from the routine blood panels, I’ve been flying blind.”
Amita smiled. “Well, now that I know what the problem is, we can do better. We still have blood we took from the original patients from before they got infected with the new strain, and we’ve got samples from those who’ve already recovered from this new flu, and from both versions. Now all we need to do, Doctor, is start putting some of these samples under the microscope to see. It’ll take time, but it ought to give us answers.”
“But if they’re the wrong answers, we’ll be back at square one.”
“And if this more virulent version of your virus stimulates the right immune response, then we can stop trying to keep it from spreading. We can focus our attention on taking care of the sick, and let this flu take care of your Gravity Bug. Even a severe case of influenza sounds like it would be preferable to the parasite continuing to control its host. And with the proper care, most patients should pull through the flu. Hopefully all of them.”
David found himself nodding. He just hoped it actually worked in the end.
Chapter 18
Acting without Thinking
8:45 p.m. Saturday, May 24th
KAT sat and stared out the window with increasing anxiety. The moment her mother had left the room, she’d pulled a chair over next to the sill and cracked the window so she could hear. She had experienced a sense of expectancy as she waited, and waited, for Caroline to make her appearance. Once her mother had taken the stage, Kat had even been able to enjoy the performance. At first. She’d wished for a bowl of popcorn to munch on, though she doubted she’d have been able to keep it down. Instead she had indulged in some chocolates and a glass of milk.
But as dusk had descended, and the throng had continued to grow, she had grown increasingly concerned. Enough to send a text alert to Security with a plea for help, but she had yet to see any sign of the cavalry. Not that they could do much when nobody had been violent. It would still be nice if somebody was around—perhaps their mere presence might be sufficient to prevent an incident, and at least they’d be close if something did happen. That looked more likely all the time, and still her mother kept on talking to them.
Kat levered herself out of the chair with a heavy sigh, though no one w
as watching, and grabbed her mask for her mother’s sake, and a handful of tissues to wipe her runny nose, and started out of the room. She had to pause for a moment with her hand on the doorknob as a dizzy spell overtook her, and that was followed by a bout of nausea. Thankfully, she managed to keep the milk down.
Making her way down the hall toward the front door, she had no illusions that she was in any shape to fight off an angry mob, which these people hadn’t become, yet, but hopefully she could convince Caroline to come inside. I’ll drag her back into the house if I have to. Even if she ended up giving her mother the flu in the process.
She paused in the foyer to grab a long umbrella from the stand in the corner, but then she needed to lean against the jamb and rest for a couple minutes before she was ready to open the door and walk out onto the porch. The sun had finished setting by that time, and the glare from the porch light was putting Caroline, and now Kat, on the spot. The lamps dotting the neighborhood also provided some illumination. Enough to make out some of the people in the crowd and see they were getting really riled up.
Shouts were now drowning out her mother, and Kat knew Caroline could project. Even so, it would be a pleasure to interrupt the woman’s speech. “It’s getting late, Mother. Shouldn’t you come on in and get some rest, especially for your voice.”
Caroline glanced back and noticed her daughter standing there. “You shouldn’t have come out. You need your rest a lot more than I do.” She flashed her a look of irritation before turning back to survey the crowd. “But I believe I’ve done all I can here.” Just then a man lunged out of the throng, running up the short steps and launching himself at Caroline.
Kat slipped around her mother, lifting the handle of the umbrella into the fellow’s face as her other hand pushed Caroline behind her. Turning with the man’s momentum, Kat rotated the umbrella underneath his shoulder and sent him sprawling off to the side as she continued to turn. He crashed hard into a beautiful wooden bench no one ever seemed to sit on anyway.
The next moment she saw Lisa and Paul climbing over the railing on either end of the porch, Paul propelling Caroline through the front door and into the house as Lisa zip-tied the hands of the man who was sprawled across the bench. Then they turned to face Kat, who hoped they could tell she was smiling.
“Thanks for that.”
Paul shook his head. “For what? I thought you were doing alright for an invalid.”
Lisa shot him a glare before turning a frown on Kat. “You should get inside too and leave dispelling this crowd to us.”
Already feeling woozy from her one little dance, Kat knew she wouldn’t be much use to Lisa and Paul out here. Not that she’d be able to do much for Caroline inside either, but still. “Of course. But if there is anything I can do to help…”
As her words trailed off, Kat happened to glance out at the crowd just as somebody lifted a brick and prepared to throw. Before she knew it she was diving off the porch and heading straight for the woman with the brick, opening the umbrella as she went and pushing it ahead of her like a shield—not to protect herself, but to block the woman’s view. Already off balance, as she’d lifted the brick above her head and behind her, the woman was falling backward by the time Kat reached her.
Closing the umbrella and looking around, none of the protesters looked like they were getting ready to storm the house—and when she glanced back and saw Lisa and Paul standing on the porch, with their weapons drawn, she understood why. But then the people around her seemed to realize they had a target right in their midst—Kat.
Since she could sense the throng would turn on her any moment, she launched herself toward a guy she’d already noted subconsciously as an aggressive sort. Holding a big sign in his hands, he brought the thing down in a diagonal chop at her as she came at him. Kat held the umbrella in both hands and lifted the shaft up and under his elbows as his arms came crashing down, pushing her down but also bringing her closer in. Then she was turning and lifting with her hip and swiveling the umbrella in an arc to toss him over and onto his back. Then the others rushed her.
She sent the mangled umbrella spinning at eye level toward one bunch, then felt a woman grabbing her shoulder from behind. As she was being pulled toward the woman, Kat used that and let herself fall into her, knocking her back and into others running up behind her.
Skewing to one side, she bounced her elbow off a man’s nose, and used that to help propel her away again at another angle. Then she found herself slipping on the grass and used that, turning to scissor a man’s legs out from under him as she fell and sending him flailing to the ground in an awkward pile of limbs. Then someone else grabbed her hand to haul her to her feet.
She had a moment to grin in surprise as she saw Tony standing there, smiling and unmasked. “Took you long enough.”
He reached out and pulled the mask down from her face. “And you are handling these people gently as babies. At least give them the flu—it’s likely to be the only way they’ll end up in the hospital, if you’re going to treat them so tenderly.”
Then Tony was stepping to the side to bring his elbow up and back in an arc to smash into the face of a man who’d come flying at him from behind.
Kat looked around and saw a number of people were fleeing into the night, but a dozen or more remained. They were spreading out in a circle around her and Tony and closing in, cautiously. She talked to Tony over her shoulder as she turned her back to him. “You’re not doing too bad yourself.”
She felt him turn to face the enemy in the other direction, but not to wait. Neither of them would be standing still until the next attack came, so Kat cast Tony from her thoughts and picked her next target. She felt him moving away as they both ran forward, into the fray.
The man Kat had launched herself at swung belatedly at her face with his fist—which she slid past, sinking the point of her elbow into his sternum. As he doubled over she turned, rotating her arm under his shoulder and using his own momentum to throw him in the direction he’d been so intent on traveling in anyway.
The next nearest adversary was a young woman with a stone in her hand. But as Kat stalked toward her, the girl dropped the rock, turned, and ran away. Kat let her go and focused on a brawny man waving a broken off stick he must’ve taken from one of the signs. She grinned as wide as she could, then ran at him.
He lifted the piece of wood like he was going to swing at her but changed his mind. He flung it out at her and fled like the woman before him. Ducking the flying stick, Kat dove for his retreating legs. She grabbed his shins and slammed him down face first into the grass.
She started to stand but dizzily dropped back to one knee. Then Paul was there, zip-tying the man’s hands behind his back, and she rose carefully to her feet to look around for Tony.
The crowd had completely dispersed, while several people lay on the ground, bound and bleating in the night air. And Tony was walking toward her, the look in his eyes as severe a reprimand as she’d ever seen.
“What in the world got into you? You shouldn’t even be out of bed, much less confronting a mob.”
Planting her fists firmly on her hips—which did help her feel more stable—Kat met his disapproving look with the best glare she had. “Where were you? My mother was out there all alone with no one from Security to protect her. What else would I do?”
Tony shook his head at her. “Even if you didn’t see, the protection was there. Your mother wanted us to stay invisible unless things turned ugly, but we were ready. By now you ought to be able to trust me to do my job properly.”
“I was only trying to get her to stop and come in the house already, before it became a situation. You should have shown yourself. As it was, this one man rushed the porch and—”
“I know, Kat. I saw the whole thing.”
“Then don’t lecture me. I was only doing what I was trained to do, by you, you know. And you can’t deny I was a big help to you.”
From the expression on his face he would’ve den
ied it if he could. “We would’ve handled it all fine without you.”
“I’m sure. This time, here and now, maybe.” He looked tired. “But there’s only one of you and only a few officers, and things keep getting worse, and who knows when it will get better. After the election? I could work for Security again—just for the duration of this crisis.” However long it lasted. “Chief Cameron doesn’t need me as badly as you do.”
Tony had listened with a frown on his face. “If I thought you could behave yourself—” She could see he was thinking of Thursday night. “It wouldn’t be any good having you around unless you were acting professionally. I don’t need more distractions.”
Kat smiled blandly and nodded. She had gotten to him, but a repeat performance wouldn’t help her now. She’d decided she needed a way to spend time around him, wear down his defenses gradually, and this would be the perfect opportunity. If he let her. Her presence should be enough, to keep reminding him of his feelings for her. And she missed hanging around with him.
“Alright. I’ll promise to behave myself perfectly professionally. Nothing personal, nothing about us. Just the job.”
He looked at her askance. “Anything untoward and I’d toss you out on your ear.”
She tried to keep the smile from her eyes. He’d tried that line last time, but then he hadn’t followed through on the threat. “You would only have to say the word, Tony, and I’d go.”
He seemed to be relieved at whatever he saw in her face. “I admit we could use your help, but you’re still sick. You’d need to be in better shape before I’d let you go out patrolling, even with a partner.”
“If nothing else I could sit around at headquarters and watch things there, freeing up an officer to be out on patrol or responding to emergencies.” He had to know what a waste that would be. Having her out on patrol would be worth three of his best officers on the job. “But I’m getting better fast—witness how I handled myself just now.”
Starting the Slowpocalypse (Books 1-3 Omnibus) Page 60
