Outbreak

by Paul Carberry

  They both jumped into Phillip’s squad car, and the rain pelted the car’s roof and windshield with great ferocity. “Turn on the heat.” Eric looked out the window across to his car. He wished he had a remote start installed on his squad car so he could heat it up before he had to make a break for it.

  “Holy shit, I’ve never seen it rain like that before.” Phillip cranked up the heat in the car and picked up the car’s radio. “Come in, this is Officer Payne.”

  “Yes, Phillip,” the voice on the other end of the radio quickly responded.

  “We didn’t find him. Now the rain is washing it all away. Did the crew from St. John’s arrive?”

  “Yes, they did, but they can’t work in this weather. They said it’s too dangerous to be dragging a river with this much rain. They are hoping they will be able to do it tomorrow.”

  “They may be too late, the river is going to wash away whatever evidence is in it out to the ocean.”

  “Well, let’s hope you’re wrong.”

  “Yeah, let’s hope. Well, I should go tell Mrs. Bartlett what we know.”

  “Good luck.”

  “Eric, I’ll drive you over to your car then I will head out to see Mrs. Bartlett in Burgeo, to break the bad news. Not much we can do in this rain now.”

  “No, I guess not. I wonder what point there will be to contact Jason. No chance of tracking an animal now.” Eric was kind of pissed off with the weather. Just as they found some real evidence it was washed away.

  Phillip pulled up alongside Eric’s car. “Thanks Phillip, I’ll be in touch with you.”

  “Thanks for coming out. We’ll find him, it’s just a matter of when.”

  Eric jumped out of the car and hopped into his own. He was still soaking wet and was glad that he was heading into Stephenville to grab a coffee. He was very cold and the thought of a hot coffee warmed his soul.

  As Eric turned his car onto the highway he never saw the truck barrelling down the road. He narrowly avoided the vehicle as it sped past him. He thought about chasing the truck for speeding but didn’t bother since he’d just pulled in front of him and nearly caused a big accident. As Eric looked in the truck’s direction he noticed an ATV in the back of the truck. The truck was black with a white logo printed on the tailgate that Eric could not pick out. He couldn’t help but think of the logo that he had seen in the shoe print in the mud as the truck accelerated down the highway towards Burgeo.

  Chapter 3

  Black Coffee

  Eric pulled alongside of Jason’s work truck in the parking lot at the locally owned coffee shop in Stephenville. The old white Ford pickup with a big green stripe that ran along either side had seen better days. Mud and filth coated the bed of the truck, and the words Environmental Patrol that was written in black on both doors, was barely legible. The bed of the truck had a black cover over it to keep his work tools out of the elements but Eric could tell it was a mess underneath that cover.

  Eric dreaded the walk from his car to the building. The icy grey sky actively grumbled as the winds moved more heavy clouds overhead. The rain poured down with a loud roar. Eric had just managed to get a little warmth back into his body on the car ride over, and the thought of going back into the rain made him want to cry out in anguish. The only thing that got him up and going was the thought of a hot, black coffee.

  Eric looked up and down the deserted street. Most of the other businesses in town were closed for Thanksgiving, but not O’Brien’s Donut Shop. As Eric looked at the flashing neon sign on the door that read Open he looked at the gentleman in all black smoking a cigarette under the awning. The man had a five o’clock shadow on his face and the wrinkles around his eyes suggested he was up late last night. He wasn’t a very tall man but he was a well built man. His arms seemed to be pushing the fabric of his jacket to the limit. Eric couldn’t help think he must have been one of those body builders you see at the gym because he had an enormous chest and bulging neck muscles.

  Something about the man emitted a sense of authority. The man discarded his empty coffee cup into the garbage and snuffed out a cigarette on the pavement with his large black boots. Eric watched as the man pulled his jacket up over his head and strutted over to his black truck. The engine came to life with a loud rumble, and as it pulled out of the parking lot Eric saw a white logo on the truck. The logo was all white with a blue pill in the middle that seemed to be inside of a red bottle. The bottom of the logo read Phramakon Medical Research As the truck began to pick up speed and head down the road, Eric could only think about the other truck he had almost hit on the highway. The logo seemed to be the same but Eric did not get a good enough look at the other vehicle as it narrowly missed crashing into him back near Black Duck Siding.

  Eric stepped out of his squad car and walked to the back to grab a dry jacket out of the trunk. After he pulled on his dry jacket he walked into the building and couldn’t help but notice the air was thick with the fragrance of coffee.

  Beautiful.

  “Let’s just get a dozen donuts, the wives aren’t here so we don’t have to pretend like one is enough.” Jason stood up from a nearby booth, and walked over to the display case. He placed his hands on the glass that kept him from snatching the donut straight off the shelf.

  Jason was an intimidating man. Standing well over six feet tall, and built like a bear. His beige work shirt and green pants that were part of his uniform would look silly on any other man, but Jason looked every bit the authority figure that Eric was. Maybe even more so. He kept his head shaved because he did not want to be one of those people who held on to the last strain of hair that they still had. He hated the comb-over look and refused to be one of those desperate men who held on far too long. He was not ashamed of being bald, the look actually suited him. He kept a full, thick black beard with sideburns that began where his hairline used to be.

  “What do you say, bud?”

  “Sounds like a plan. Coffee?” Eric pointed to the silver jugs of coffee that sat on the edge of the counter.

  “Well, I’m going to need something to wash down these donuts.” He laughed as he eyed the case, stalking his prey with his large finger. “This place makes a deadly Boston Cream, make sure you get at least two if you want one.”

  Eric walked up to the cash and the clerk behind the counter made his way over slowly. He looked like a typical employee of a fast food place, not overly enthused to be working there. “Half a dozen donuts please, two Boston Cream and whatever you would recommend for the others.” The clerk went over and started to pick out the donuts. “And two mugs for the coffee please!”

  “Yes, sir.” The clerk walked over to the counter and pulled out two mugs from below the counter and placed them on the tray in front of Eric.

  “Milk and sugar in mine!” Jason called out to Eric from the booth.

  The young man pointed in the direction of the milk and sugar that was next to the giant, shiny jugs of coffee. “Is that everything sir?”

  “Yes, that is everything.” Eric withdrew his wallet from his pants. “How much do I owe you?”

  “$9.25, sir.” Eric took out a ten dollar bill and the clerk handed Eric the box of donuts. The clerk let the change rattle on the counter. Eric decided to leave the change as a tip and walked over to the large metal jugs of coffee. He slowly poured two cups from the jug labelled Dark Roast. The smell was very woodsy, not a typical donut house brew, but the way Eric liked it. Jason sure did know his donut shops.

  Eric joined Jason in the booth and the seat was surprisingly comfortable. Eric sank deep down into the fabric of the red cushion. The table had a white cloth pulled over it that had seen its fair share of spilt coffee. Eric looked into the colourful box and couldn’t help but smell the fresh pastries. He looked the box over and couldn’t decide which one he wanted to try first. He only had five to choose from as Jason was already eating the Honey Crueller Eric had hoped to get. He picked a Chocolate-Dipped donut out of the box and took a bite. The chocolate on top
was still a little sticky, a sure sign that the donut was freshly baked.

  “So how’s work?” Eric asked in between bites of his donut.

  “Busy, we had two moose accidents just outside of town. Something got the animals spooked, must be the weather.” Jason sipped on his coffee and picked up another donut.

  “You ever see a bear out this way?”

  “Deep in the woods years ago. They stay far away from town. Why?” Jason dunked his donut into his coffee and looked out the window as the rain pounded down the glass.

  “Well, I didn’t see any tracks in the general area but I don’t know what else could have caused the incident.” Eric bit into the Boston Cream donut, the chocolate on top was thick. Jason was right, this was the best donut Eric had in years. The warm, flaky pastry complemented the cream perfectly.

  “This have something to do with that missing man up in Black Duck Siding?”

  “Yeah, it does. You know of much animal activity up that way?”

  “Well, a few people hunting have been claiming that all the moose have left the woods near town. They say something has been spooking them. Most of them are blaming that hermit, Fred. I don’t know what he could be doing to spook the animals.” Jason looked back at Eric. “I have seen signs of coyotes around, but not recently. How’s the donut? Good, huh?”

  “Sure is.” Eric looked down at his coffee cup and it was already empty. He was so cold he needed that cup just to warm himself up. Now he needed one to keep him awake.

  “Well, I won’t be able to track anything in this rain today. Maybe if the weather clears up tomorrow!”

  “Yeah, thanks man. I guess we’ll just have to keep our ears open for any sightings around town.”

  “If it’s a pack of coyotes, and they attacked a person you got a big problem on your hands. If it was a bear, even you should have been able to see those tracks.”

  “So, you don’t think it was a bear?”

  “No, but I’d have to take a look around. If it’s a bear I’ll quickly find some sign of him in the area. I’m more concerned for coyotes. They may have made a den near the area and if they did we’ll have to do something about that. They are very territorial and dangerous around their own den.” Jason looked back out the window for a moment, and then emptied his coffee cup. “I will take a look tomorrow. If you got time you should come, I could teach you a few things.”

  “I will definitely go with you. Be nice to know what I’m looking for out there.” Eric felt reassured that Jason would look into it, but he was also worried. A coyote den this close to town would be horrible, and it would have to be dealt with right away.

  “Well, I should get back to work. I’ll call you in the morning. I’ll meet you at the trail bright and early. Got my own work to do without doing your job too.” Jason smiled as he stood up.

  “Sure thing man. I will be waiting for you, nature boy.”

  Jason left the coffee shop and got into his truck. Eric walked back to the counter and ordered another coffee, for the drive home.

  ***

  Amanda slumped down in her chair at her workstation. She had been out late last night and been called in to work extremely early this morning. Amanda fought off sleep with all of her might, but it seemed like she would soon lose the battle. She tried to rub the sleep from her eyes but all that did was make them sore.

  What she had seen this morning made her cringe. In all of her years working as a crime scene investigator she had never encountered such a gruesome sight. Many of her classes in school had dealt with such horrific imagery but it was entirely different when you seen it in person. Pictures in a book just didn’t do justice to what it was like to witness such a terrible crime in person. For one thing the smell of blood was so overwhelming it made her sick to her stomach. The most unsettling thing about the whole situation was they could not find the man’s body. Albert had gathered most of the evidence as he was the senior investigator and this morning Amanda was glad for it.

  When they got back they logged most of the evidence together, but when it came time to analyze the blood Amanda had gotten stuck waiting for the results. Albert said he had to drop his kids off at school, leaving her to wait for the computer to finish analyzing the collected data. The printer started to power up and Amanda knew that once the paper printed they would know who the blood belonged to. As she picked up the paper the results on the page baffled her. She stood alone in silence staring at the analysis on the paper in disbelief.

  ***

  Dana sat on the big comfy couch at her in-laws’ house. The blue, woven fabric was very comfortable and it stayed warm even though the room was cold. She had told Eric she was going down to his parents’ house to help them cook dinner, but they had everything under control. She was able to sit back and relax the whole day.

  “Do you want anything?” Eric’s mother Stella called out to Dana from inside the fridge.

  “I’ll have a Pepsi.” Dana grabbed the remote control for the TV, and began to search for something interesting to watch.

  “Thanks Stella.” Stella handed the Pepsi to Dana and sat in her lazy-boy recliner next to Dana.

  Eric’s mother had short, grey hair when they met, but she did not seem to age at all since that first day. She had asked Eric how long his mother had grey hair, and he had said since he could remember. She had only recently begun to wear glasses. The thick red frames sat awkwardly on her face. She was a very generous person, both of his parents were for that matter.

  “Anything good on?” Stella asked as she made herself comfortable in her recliner. The recliner had blue cushions that covered the dark wooden frame. She pulled a colourful, knitted blanket from the top of the chair around her in an effort to get warm.

  “Not really, just an Indiana Jones movie marathon on all day. Other than that it’s just the news, or daytime talk shows.” Dana kept changing the channels hoping to come across some hidden gem. If Eric had been there he would’ve wanted those damn Indiana Jones movies on, but she was determined to find something better to watch. The phone in the living room began to ring and Eric’s father Jack answered.

  “Eric just called, he is just getting back to the station. He said he had some paperwork to catch up on and he needed to change. Must have gotten caught out in the rain,” Jack called out to Dana as he walked in from the kitchen.

  “Poor thing. I must make him a cup of coffee shortly. I’d say he’s cold if he got caught out in this weather.” Dana looked out the window next to her. The rain was pouring down fiercely outside. The heat from the kitchen was causing the windows to fog up, making it difficult to see much more than the rain outside.

  “Stella, did you put the potatoes on yet?” Jack had wandered back out into the kitchen.

  “Yes, I did, they went in the pot about 15 minutes ago.” Stella looked out towards the kitchen with an annoyed look on her face, and expected a response or another question that did not get asked.

  “Here we go.” Dana stopped the channel on a game show she had not seen before, but it seemed interesting.

  “What’s this one called?”

  “I don’t know, never seen it before.” Dana could see Jack out in the kitchen. He was an amazing cook. Jack watched cooking shows all day long, and it certainly showed as he was always cooking new dishes for everyone to try.

  “When does Eric have a day off? Jack needs some help out in the shed.” Stella asked Dana.

  “He should be off Wednesday.” Dana could hear the oven door open and close. The clang of pots and spoons as Jack raced around in the kitchen. Dana had quickly lost interest in the game show on TV, and started flicking through the channels again in an effort to find something better to watch. Stella loved the murder mystery shows. She would often watch the show through her fingers as they covered her eyes when it got too scary or bloody.

  As she was flicking through the channels she crossed a news update on the national channel about a quarantined town in South Africa.

  “Hey, p
ut the channel back to the news for a moment.” Stella noticed the news update and was intrigued.

  Dana put the news back on and caught the tail end of a report about how the CDC had quarantined a small village in South Africa. It seemed that a virus had broken out in the small village, they didn’t know what caused it, but it was aggressive and deadly. No word on what caused the virus or how it was contracted, but they believed it was some new strain of the Ebola virus. The woman they were interviewing assured the public that it would not spread any further, and that they had it under quarantine. She would not confirm if there had been any deaths from the disease, only that people were very sick when they first arrived and they were doing everything they could. The CDC wanted to make it abundantly clear to everyone that things were under control, and that the virus was contained in the village. Images of giant yellow tents that housed a mobile hospital kept panning over the screen. Glimpses of people laying in the beds could be seen through the opening of the door. Dana thought they looked very sick.

  “Wow. I hope they do have it contained. That’s all we need now is a deadly virus running through this world.”

  “I’m sure it won’t affect us over here,” Dana said, reassuringly.

  Dana imagined that the virus was caused by the poor living conditions, and felt bad for the people affected by the disease. The village was clearly poor, and underdeveloped as all of the houses were merely huts made from damaged tarps, old wooden boards and the occasional scrap of sheet metal. Dana looked over at Stella and noticed that her eyes were glued to the TV, fascinated by the story unfolding in front of them. The reporter promised more details to follow during the evening news hour.