Outbreak

by Paul Carberry

  He traced the tracks back to the open area across from Phillip’s car.

  Clearly, a vehicle had been parked here as the ground had tire imprints sunk into the wet ground. Most likely a heavy truck by the depth and shape of the treads. Eric looked around where he figured the driver would have been, and from that spot he noticed you could see a car coming from far away as it left the town of Badger. He checked the ground more closely and it seemed there were skid marks on the ground that led right to the start of the skid marks from Phillips car. Why would someone be waiting here for Phillip? How would they even know he was coming? Did this have something to do with those missing teens he was looking for?

  “I saw what happened here!” A raspy voice appeared out of thin air and startled Eric. He whirled around but was unable to see anyone.

  “Deputy Jones with the Sheriff’s Department, come out with your hands up!”

  Eric grabbed his gun from its holster. It had been so long since he held it anywhere but the firing range. It felt strange in his hands, cold and heavy.

  A filthy looking man emerged from the woods next to the road. “I saw it all.”

  “What did you see?” Eric’s heart was pounding so hard he felt like his ribs would break against the relentless beating.

  The man’s clothes were tattered, weathered and old. His straggly, dirty hair obscured his face, dark eyes peered out from behind the matted hair. The man’s beard was long and unkempt. As the man spoke, Eric could see his yellow teeth.

  “Tell me what you saw.”

  “A black truck was parked right where you’re standing. It was parked there for hours. It was waiting. When that cop car came down the road the man started the engine. As it got close this truck’s tires spun out and then he ploughed into the side of that cop car. It forced it off the road. The cop had no chance, he never saw what hit him.”

  “Did you see the man who did this?”

  “Never saw the man, but he worked for that company on Fox Island.”

  “How do you know that?” Eric lowered his gun back to his holster.

  “The logo on the back.” All of a sudden Eric had a flashback of the truck on the highway he narrowly avoided having an accident with a few days ago. The logo on that truck was the Pharmakon Medical Research logo. Something horribly wrong was happening out on Fox Island. Even if he could prove they did this, they could make it all go away. He knew he would be risking his job to try and prove this, but he had to try.

  “Get in the car. I’m bringing you into the station. I am going to need your testimony.” Eric heard rumours of a man who lived out in the woods near Badger. This had to be that man. “What’s your name?”

  “Name’s Fred.” Fred walked into the headlights of the car and Eric could see the poor state that the man was in. The body odour was overwhelming as the man got closer. It was a rancid mix of sweat, filth and sour garbage. It was nauseating, Eric’s stomach churned.

  “Well, Fred, let’s go.” Eric walked to the squad car and opened the back door.

  “I’ll do this if I have a place to stay for the night and a hot meal.” Fred’s lips were cracked and sore looking. He obviously had not eaten well in a long time, his belly was bloated but the rest of his body was tiny and fragile.

  “You do this for me you can stay in the cell for a week and I’ll feed you whatever you want.” Eric knew Frank would not look the other way on an attempted murder charge. Even if Pharmakon did pay our wages, an attempt on another officer’s life could not be swept under the rug. Someone would have to answer for this crime, they crossed the line this time.

  He closed the door behind Fred as he sat in the back seat. Eric got in the driver’s seat and they drove back towards Corner Brook.

  Eric picked up the radio and called Frank.

  “Frank, it’s Eric. I got a witness. Looks like you were right about the hit and run.”

  “Good work Eric. Why wasn’t there a witness when the ambulance arrived?”

  “I don’t know sir. I’m on the way back now.”

  “Alright Deputy.”

  Eric hung up the receiver and adjusted the mirror so he could look at Fred. “Fred, what were you doing out here anyway?”

  Fred rested his head against the window and blankly stared off into the distance.

  “I was trying to get away.”

  “Away from what?”

  “Fox Island. Ever since they opened the medical research lab, strange things have been happening out here.”

  “Strange things? Like what?” Eric turned the high beams on as the last bit of sunlight faded away behind the mountains.

  “Animals acting strange. I used to hunt and eat them as my source of food, but it’s been harder and harder to find an animal out here. They scared all the animals away with what they are doing. They have been creating a monster over there. Strange noises can be heard at night if you listen close. I tell you something is going on over there!”

  Eric was starting to doubt this man now. Maybe he was losing his mind. Monsters? “What do you mean, monsters? What kind of noises?”

  “Horrible moans. Unlike anything you’ve ever heard before. No living man made those noises!”

  “How come no one else hears these noises Fred, someone would have reported hearing strange noises.” Eric knew that Pharmakon had something to do with what happened to Phillip, but was Fred telling the truth? Even if he was, who was going to believe him? Damn it! No one would believe him.

  “You have to get real close at night. They let them out to hunt late at night! Then they hide them away during the day.” Fred’s face was twisted with a terrified look on his face.

  “Alright Fred, get some rest. You’re safe now.”

  “Don’t bring me back there.”

  “I won’t. You have my word.” Eric felt bad for the man. He knew he needed help. Help that he would never get. He would have a few nights rest at the police station in one of the cells and a few solid meals, but would be forced to leave in a few days. The drive back to Corner Brook was a long one this late at night. As Eric looked in the rear-view mirror he could not help but recognize the face of the man. Had they met before? Eric was almost sure they had, but from where? Fred had fallen asleep almost instantly as Eric drove down the dark highway.

  Chapter 6

  The Super Soldier

  Nick pushed the stretcher down the hallway of the hospital, the wheels squeaked loudly as he tried to sneak down the hall. The pristine white floors and bright white walls of this building made it seem more like an insane asylum than a hospital, only the coloured lines indicating which direction to go offered any contrast. He was following the trail of blue dots laid out on the floor that led back to the ambulance bay. Nick had just delivered the victim of a heart attack to the emergency room.

  Nick never realized how hungry he had been until he heard his stomach growl. He had awoken from his sleep late last night, realizing that he was already late for work. He only had time to toss his uniform on before rushing to the hospital. When he arrived, he was immediately called to the senior’s home.

  Nick loaded the stretcher into the back of the ambulance, and decided to head to the cafeteria to grab something to eat.

  “Henry, I’m going to grab some food from the cafeteria!”

  “Alright buddy! I’ll page you if we have to go!” Henry called out from the back of ambulance.

  “Thanks bud!” Nick knew that Henry was going to take a nap on the stretcher while he was gone. Nick wished he could do the same but his stomach was not going to let him get any sleep.

  As Nick headed through the hospital he crossed paths with David Steele. David was a raging behemoth. They had often played hockey against each other. Nick couldn’t stand his guts. David only played hockey for the fights. On several occasions David had laid a terrible beating on Nick for no other reason than to get out some pent up aggression. David was like a raging bull on steroids. The man possessed strength that was inhuman. David’s whole body was made
up of large muscles and intimidating sinew. The size of his biceps were ludicrous, and his chest was grotesquely thick.

  Nick noticed that David was placing a needle into the biohazard waste bin on the wall.

  David’s steel jaw was part of a permanent scowl that resided on his face. Everything about David was angry, his eyes were cold and distant, he never showed any emotion, which was the scariest thing about him. David never even showed an expression on his face when he was pummeling somebody in the rink, just an evil grin on his lips.

  Nick tried to avoid eye contact with David as they passed each other in the hallway. David just stared straight ahead as he walked past, and never gave a sign that he acknowledged Nick’s existence in the world. David just sauntered to the end of the hallway, and pushed through the double doors at the end of the hallway open with such force they slammed off the walls. Nick was glad that he was gone.

  David worked security for the Pharmakon Medical Research company out on Fox Island. He had a reputation of violence both in the hockey rink, and in his professional life. David was a man to be respected, someone to fear.

  Out of nowhere, two nurses ran past Nick and surged through the doors, and into the emergency wing. Nick quickly followed to see if he could offer any assistance until the situation was under control. As he entered the hallway it was nothing but overwhelming chaos, an alarm was making a shrill buzzing noise in one of the patient’s rooms. Nick heard the familiar beep of a heartbeat monitor as it flat-lined. Nick hated to hear that ominous sound. Doctors and nurses scrambled into the room towards the source of the alarm. A nurse shoved a crash cart into the room, and another voice called out for people to give the doctors some space. Room 206 was the scene of all this frantic commotion. It was room 206 where officer Phillip Payne had been placed after his car accident.

  Chapter 7

  Bitten

  Eric and Gary sat across from an empty chair behind Mr. Purchase’s desk. Mr. Purchase ran the medical research facility on Fox Island. The office had a floor-to-ceiling glass window that overlooked the ocean. The waves were a never ending swell that crashed into the island, trying to tear away the rocks with relentless force. The expanse of the deep blue water reached every inch of the vast horizon.

  The office had a modern design. The desk had a silver steel frame with a glossy black glass surface, a stack of neat papers sat under a whale shaped paper weight. A big leather chair was nestled into the corner of the L-shaped desk. A stunning silver computer with the largest screen Eric had ever seen rested on the right hand side of his desk. It was obviously a high-tech piece of equipment that came with an exceedingly high price tag.

  “So, when Gordon comes in let me do the talking!” Gary half whispered to Eric, even though there was no one else in the room with them.

  “Sure thing, but when we finally arrest him, I’m the one who gets to cuff the bastard!”

  Eric could feel the anger boiling in the pit of his stomach. It began its journey in the pit of his very soul, and then as it travelled through his digestive track and up his throat, it started to feel like heartburn. Eric’s hands were clenched into fists. Eric knew that Gordon was somehow involved in Phillip’s accident. Eric was not going to let Pharmakon get away with this atrocity, he still remembered the time he had arrested a scientist from the company for assaulting a woman in a bar. Mr. Purchase had made one phone call to Frank, and all charges were dropped. Eric could feel his blood pressure rising as he thought about the culprit’s name. Fred Stevens.

  No one would get in Eric’s way, the hell with what Frank would say. Once he found the piece of evidence that could prove their guilt, it would only be a matter of time. Either they would be arrested, or Eric would be fired.

  “I can’t wait to catch him, it may not be today, but I will find out the truth.”

  “Eric, if he is involved we will bring him down, but we don’t have any other evidence. Other than what that hobo you brought in kept babbling about, and you know Frank isn’t going to accept his testimony.”

  “I know that, Gary.” Eric was glad Gary was there to keep him calm. Eric felt like he was about to explode into a fit of rage the moment he laid eyes on the son of a bitch. Gary was a great cop, and Eric respected him more than any other cop he had ever worked with.

  The door opened behind them, and Gordon strutted over to greet them, and held out his hand for them to shake. Gary stood up immediately to extend the courtesy but Eric was deliberately slower to reciprocate the gesture.

  “Officers, how may I help you?” Gordon sunk into the oversized leather chair. He was a lanky, frail looking individual. It seemed like a stiff breeze could blow him away like a kite, out into the ocean.

  “Well, Mr. Purchase we are here for two reasons. The two children who went missing were last seen camping near your facility. Their tent is still set up on the far south side of the island. Also, their boat is still on the beach, but no one can find them?” Gary questioned.

  Eric looked across the desk at Gordon. He wondered if Gary was looking into Gordon’s eyes, and seeing the same thing that he was. There was something seriously wrong going on behind those eyes. Something that tormented Gordon, driving him towards insanity. Gordon was hiding the demented, tortured mind of a twisted individual.

  “Yes, I heard about the Fewer children. A real tragedy if something were to happen to those poor children.” Gordon’s voice was void of any emotion, and Eric did not believe what he was saying. Somehow Gordon’s voice was calculated, almost robotic.

  “Yes, of course, but that wasn’t the question Gary was getting at. Do you know anything about it Mr. Purchase?” Eric did the best to hide the anger in his voice. Gary shot him a look that a parent gives their child when they swear for the first time.

  “Deputy Jones, you really are blunt aren’t you?” Gordon’s voice was still lacking any human empathy. “Still sour about getting your knuckles wrapped the last time you interfered in my affairs?” Gordon’s voice suddenly changed tone.

  “Mr. Purchase please forgive his bluntness, he’s just trying to do his job, and he lacks subtlety.” Gary was trying to defuse the situation before it took a momentous turn.

  “The children must have gotten the ferry back to the mainland. We have not seen them around at all.” Gordon pushed his intercom switch. “Deborah, can I have a record of all the tickets bought on yesterday’s ferry done up for the officers?” He never waited for a reply back. “Now, I’m sure you will find their names on that list.”

  “I’m sure we will.” Eric knew he would see the names on the list, but did they actually buy tickets or were they going to forge the tickets so they could cover something up?

  “There was also an eye witness that puts one of your vehicles at the scene of a hit and run involving an officer yesterday.” Gary interrogated Gordon.

  “A reliable witness I hope.” It was as if Gordon knew who the witness was. “I would not tolerate an employee of mine running from the scene of an accident.”

  “Who said it was an accident?” Eric grilled Gordon.

  “Are you accusing me of something, Deputy?” The room was full of tension. It seemed to Eric that Gordon’s eyes were challenging him, to try and oppose him. At this point it would be a mistake, because Eric knew that the witness would not be enough to convince anybody of an accusation as big as this one.

  “No sir!” Gary replied for Eric. Being the senior deputy, Gary felt like he needed to protect Eric.

  As the door opened, it broke the tension between Eric and Gordon’s fiery stare. “Record of yesterday’s ferry tickets sir.” The receptionist walked over and handed Gary the files.

  Gary thumbed through the files while the receptionist left the room as quietly as she entered. As soon as the door was closed the room felt heavy with tension again. The animosity was building like smoke in a confined space, and now that the door was closed it was becoming dangerously thick.

  “Now, I’m a busy man. I’m sure you would like to go out and f
ind those kids, now.” Gordon’s voice had returned to its robotic state.

  “Do you mind if we take a look at your vehicles? Just to rule out one of your employees being involved?” Eric studied Gordon’s eyes for a reaction. Gordon’s face was stern but Eric noticed the slightest change in his facial expression. It was only brief, but it was enough for Eric to know that he was on the right path now. Gary was still going through the files.

  “Of course not, deputy.” His voice remained calm but Eric could tell he lit a fuse. It would only be a matter of time before the bomb inside went off. Eric could see the fire spilling out of Gordon’s eyes.

  “Let me guess, we need a warrant?” Eric was trying to push Gordon’s buttons now, trying to break him.

  “Not necessary. I have nothing to hide. And if one of my employees did this they should be punished.”

  Eric was caught off guard by the response.

  “Here we go. A ticket was bought by the Fewer’s children late last night,” Gary interrupted. The hostility was reaching an alarming level between Eric and Gordon.

  “Well, that sounds like a good thing. At least they are not out somewhere on that island, in the cold weather.” The lack of emotion from Gordon’s voice was nerve rattling.

  “Yes, but now we still have to find them,” Gary replied. His pager started to go off. “Excuse me a moment.” He got up and walked over to the window. Just then Eric’s pager went off as well, but he just ignored it.

  “Well, Mr. Purchase, I’ll take a look at those vehicles now!” Eric demanded.

  “Of course, deputy. I’ll arrange for you to head down to the vehicle bay right now.”

  “SHIT! Eric we need to get back NOW!” Gary’s voice was full of panic and urgency. “It’s Phillip!”