by AJ Newman
✼
Chapter 18
Home
Ecuador
The city of Quito was at over 9,000 feet of elevation, and even our slow trip up from the Colombian coast didn’t help get us used to the thin air. We had our driver take us to several stores to purchase clothes and personal items. The city was neat, clean, and orderly. You could still see some buildings that had burned during the riots and mass chaos during the Flare; however, the government with the assistance of the Israelis recovered law and order quickly and got over half of the shops back in operation.
There were still a lot of items that were in scarce supply, but several countries and the New USA were manufacturing goods as fast as possible. Crops hadn’t been affected, so the stores had plenty of food even though carts pulled by donkeys were delivering much of it.
We had lunch at an authentic Ecuadorian Restaurant then headed back to our rooms where I held our first family meeting.
“I plan to conduct weekly meetings to make sure that everyone in our family is up to date on family issues, change, and any new rules. This will be your chance to voice your opinion. The current rules are; you obey Mary and me. We make the rules. Don’t lie, cheat, or, steal. You can’t smoke, drink, take drugs, or have sex until you are 35.”
All three laughed at the 35-year-old age limit.
“Seriously, Mary and I are new to this parenting thing and will probably be too strict until we get the hang of it. Now the real reason for the meeting. We need to decide where to live. Mary and I planned to live on the ocean close to the city of Montanita. I don’t like big cities. What do you think?”
They all answered that they preferred the beach as long as they could visit their friends every once in a while.
“Okay, it’s the beach. We will drive down to the beach on the day after tomorrow. I have a job offer and will take it if I can live on the coast.”
“Oscar thanks so much for helping us with our relocation. You have been too generous, and I plan to pay you back.”
“Matt, don’t be so modest. You were a great help to my company and me, and I hope we became friends. Then I find that you saved my daughter. How does one ever pay back someone for saving such a precious young lady’s life? I owe you more than I could ever pay you, my friend.”
“Well, thanks again and I am happy that I was in the right place at the right time to help her.”
“You are welcome and just let me know if I can do anything to help you or Mary.”
“Thanks again; I will. Oscar, you made me a job offer. Do you have time to discuss it today? I’m really interested and need to get some questions answered.”
“That’s great; I’m actually in Ecuador now and can be in Quito in about two to three hours. I’m out on the coast meeting with a new shipping and commodities supplier.”
“Where on the coast?”
“I’m visiting Monteverde and several other cities with ports up and down the coast. Why do you ask?”
“That’s one of my questions concerning taking the job. Mary the kids and I want to live on the beach, and a good friend of mine highly recommended Montanito.”
“I was there this morning. My New friend and supplier Brett Starnes is buying a house there.”
“I know Brett. Brett Starnes was with Captain Ivanovich the last time I saw him, and they were on the Atlantic Coast of South America starting a trading and shipping business. Brett and the Captain are my good friends.”
“Well it’s a small world. I knew that you know the Captain. I’ve been with them and Brett’s wife Meg the last two days firming up our business with them in Ecuador.”
“Oscar, they are my good friends. Can I have the driver bring us out to the coast? Don’t tell Brett that you know me. I want to surprise them.”
“I’m good with that. Tell me how you met Brett and does this mean you are taking the job?”
“We need to iron out some details, but yes I want the job. Now for the short story on how I met Brett and the Captain.”
Oscar was thrilled that I had a great relationship with these new vendors and partners in his new venture. It took twenty minutes to fill him in on the story.
At the end of the story, Oscar said, “It just dawned on me that you said you had kids.”
“Yes, Mary and I adopted three of the kids from the group that we brought down from the USA. We became very close and didn’t want to lose them.”
“Fantastic. I’ll send my helicopter up to you in the morning. Can all of you make an 8:00 am flight?”
“We will be glad to. Thanks.”
Montanita, Ecuador
I returned to Mary and told her about my conversation with Oscar.
“Hon, Oscar appears to be a decent man. Take the job if you want to and give it the best you have to offer. If he mistreats you or tries to get you to do something against your morals, then you can find another job and resign.”
“I think that is good advice.”
Mary and the kids were excited about flying out to the coast and visiting the area where we would live. I liked what Oscar had to say, and I accepted the job. We stayed as Oscar’s guests for a week, found a gorgeous beach house, and have lived there happily since then.
Most of the Earth is now covered in ice and snow fifty feet thick, billions of people died, and countries disappeared. Many animals and plants became extinct, wars continued on the other side of the world, but here in South America, things are almost back to normal. I also thought that Post -Apocalyptic meant the end of the world but for Mary and me it meant a new start with the person and family we loved the most.
Well, I like happy endings, and this true story has the best happy ending for my family. Most of the Post -Apocalyptic stories end in disaster and everyone dead. This is my story and the story of the many brave people that helped me survive. Have a happy life.
The End
Thanks for reading my adventures – Matt Jones
Don’t Stop! - Please read the first chapter of Terror in the USA -Virus: Strain of Islam starting on the on the next page.
If you like my novel, please post a great review on Amazon and recommend them to your friends.
Thanks, A J Newman
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Terror in the USA
Virus: Strain of Islam
by
AJ Newman & Cliff Deane
Chapter 1
April 1st 0942 hours
John F Kennedy International Airport
New Your City
A wraithlike figure shrouded in a black Hijab had deliberately walked past numerous A/C intake vents releasing an invisible vapor into each one.
She needed to make frequent stops to rest as her strength began to fail. Her bowels had bec0me uncontrollable as the morning wore on. Finally, she made her way to a long TSA inspection line. She appeared to be somewhat unsteady on her feet.
She was trying to push through her pain and loss of bodily functions. She thought I must stay on my feet until Omar returns to give me the antidote. Where can he be?
At that point, Omar was exiting the Holland Tunnel and getting as far from New York City as he could, though it would do him no good…
She had arrived at JFK at 6:30 a.m. and immediately began releasing a fine aerosol mist into the air and into several A/C intake ducts located along her way to the TSA baggage inspection. In just a few minutes, she had released a new weaponized airborne version of Ebola. She then returned to the TSA inspection line while waiting for her husband, Omar.
She had no idea that what she was really waiting for was no antidote, but rather she unwittingly waited for the meth-amphetamines, and anti-diarrhea medications, which had kept her going to wear off.
As the woman reached the line, several nearby passengers,
also waiting in the TSA line, became highly offended by the horrible smell usually associated with diarrhea, which was now emanating from this woman in black.
One angry man went to the nearest Security Officer and complained about the smell. The Officer made a call on his radio, and as he turned to look at the woman in the Hijab, he saw her fall to her knees vomiting in painful cramping heaves. Those passengers around her scrambled back, except for a few good Samaritans who tried to help her.
The Security Officer called for the EMTs to come running, but before they could get to her, she fell onto her face…dead.
Several passengers began to kneel beside her to remove her head covering but quickly retreated when the Security Officers ordered everyone to back away so the EMTs could get to her. The smell was beyond description and began spreading down the corridor, as was an invisibly fine mist that continued to emanate from the A/C ducts.
Airport Security moved the crowd back well away from the scene as three EMTs wearing masks and gloves completely removed her head covering and discovered blood seeping from the woman’s eyes. A closer examination revealed that additional blood had escaped from every orifice of her head.
While the EMTs were tending to the woman, a security officer opened the victim’s bag he found two stainless steel containers each about the size of a whipped cream spray can. Each cylinder was three inches wide with a two-inch cylinder sticking out that had perforated sides. Both were covered with a dull white powder.
He immediately took one of the canisters to the Head of EMT/Medical Operations at JFK, Dr. Emile Dawkins, and said, “Doctor, you have to see this.”
“Kinda busy here Hoss, is it important?”
“Oh yes sir,” and he presented the can to Doctor Dawkins.”
“Yes sir, we found two of these canisters in her carry-on luggage, and they are empty. We immediately began searching trashcans and have found several others all over the terminal. We have Airport Security checking trash cans in every public area.”
“What the… aerosol canisters? All right let’s get the residue on these cans tested, now!”
He looked at his fellow EMTs and asked, “You don’t think this shit is airborne, do you? I mean, is that even possible?”
“Holy shit Doc, think about it. The victim wasn’t a victim. She’s a terrorist.”
The medic looked at his partner and whispered, “Oh shit, this is Ebola, she has Ebola!” Doctor Dawkins stood and walked over to his friend, Captain Eugene Cates, the Deputy Director of Airport Security at the John F. Kennedy International Airport. The Captain was observing the Security Officers who were keeping the passengers away from the possible crime scene.
Together they walked over to a quiet spot, and the EMT said, “Oh man, this is bad. Now, I want you to keep a straight professional face. You ready?”
“Oh shit, this is gonna’ be bad, isn’t it, but yeah, no reaction so go ahead.”
“Captain, she is dead, she has Ebola, and it appears that it might be airborne.”
Captain Cates was nothing if not professional. He maintained his composure on the outside and said, “Are you sure, absolutely sure? If it is we have to lock the entire airport down.”
“Yeah Gene, if it’s not Ebola it’s one of the other Hemorrhagic diseases.
Cates motioned to his deputy to come with him to a spot about twenty feet away and said, “Lockdown this area and don’t let anyone come in or leave. If this really is Ebola, it must be highly contagious. I need to call the Big Guy. This could be terror related.”
Captain Cates saw the fear in the officer’s eyes and said, “Look, dickhead, I see the panic in your eyes, so don’t you even think about jumpin’ ship. As long as we stay away and wear our masks, we’ll be fine. So, relax and get to work.”
Dawkins said, “On my authority alone, I am making the call to initiate the Ebola Protocols now, at, let’s see 10:13 a.m.
I’ll contact the CDC, and you get in touch with Airport Management. They need to get a move on to get this place cordoned off and locked down right now.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know, but if we’re wrong it’s our jobs, and oh man; the lawsuits. You’re really sure?”
“Damn it, Cates, I’m sure, so get moving.”
“Yeah, okay, sure, I’m on it.”
“Good,” said Emile Dawkins, GS-16, the Director of the Emergency Medical Treatment unit at the JFK International Airport as he placed a call to the CDC to request assistance.
***
April 1st, 1014 hours
Director’s Office, JFK Int’l Airport
New York City, NY
Answering his direct line to the Security Branch of JFK the Director saw the call was coming from Captain Cates.
“Hello, Eugene, your call must be important to use this line.”
Captain Cates took a deep breath and said, “Yes sir, it is important. At approximately 1005 hours, a woman wearing an Iranian Hijab died at the TSA checkpoint to the European Airline corridor.
At 1010 hours, the Director of the EMT Unit informed me that a woman had died from either Ebola or one of the other Hemorrhagic Diseases. We also have found convincing evidence that this strain is airborne, so based on this evidence, at 1013 hours he has ordered the lockdown of the entire airport as per the Ebola Protocol manual.”
The Director slumped down into his chair and said, “Oh Dear God, he had better be right. Okay, on his authority alone begin the procedures. Has he contacted the CDC? Has your boss been notified?”
“Yes sir, he’s on the line with the CDC now, and as soon as I hang up, I’ll contact the Director.”
“Good, good, all right contact the NYPD and the NYFD. I’ll get on my portion immediately.”
The Director then placed calls to Air Traffic Control and ordered that all planes return to the jetways and to hold passengers until further notice. He also ordered all flights that had originated at JFK after 0700 hours to return to JFK and await instructions.
***
April 1s 1014 hours
Office of the Director CDC
Atlanta, GA.
“Sir,” said the Director’s Secretary, “I have an emergency call from JFK International Airport. It’s about Ebola. Can you take the call?”
“Ebola?” asked Director Hardin, “Of course, put them through.
Hello, this is Director Hardin of the CDC, please identify yourself.”
“Sir, my names is Emile Dawkins; I am the Director of Emergency Medical Treatment Operations at JFK.
This morning at approximately 9:45 a.m. an apparent Muslim woman dressed in the traditional Hijab died from either Ebola or one of the other Hemorrhagics.
We have also found eight aerosol cans coated in a white powder in both the woman’s luggage and in several trashcans in each terminal. Our initial estimate is that this strain is airborne.
I have initiated the Ebola Lockdown Protocol as outlined in the Medical Emergency manual. Please get your people up here ASAP.
Security is currently contacting the Airport Director, informing him of the Protocol Lockdown procedure effective at 10:13 a.m. local time.”
“Airborne?” shouted Doctor Hardin. “I cannot imagine a worse scenario, anyway very good decision on the protocol lockdown. Let’s stick strictly to the plan with no deviations. We’ll brief the Commander at Fort Detrick and get him moving on providing a Mobile Level P4 Hospital for setting up in whatever hanger space they may need. May I assume that you have sufficient hanger space for the CDC and the Fort Detrick folks?”
“Yes, of course, and if they need more, we’ll clear out hangers until they have all the space they need.”
“At this time, approximately how many passengers and workers are being detained?”
“This is, of course only an educated guess, but I believe we are talking nearly twenty-four thousand, perhaps more.”
“Twenty-four thousand, oh my,” said Director Hardin, “how can there be that many?”
“JFK has approximately ninet
een thousand employees on duty at this time of day, and we have roughly five thousand passengers.”
The CDC Director Hardin said, “We’d better bring every hospital in the inventory. Sweet Mary, Mother of God, please help us here.
I’ll see to it that the hospitals in New York are notified and direct them to activate their Ebola Protocol facilities.
I anticipate that we can have our initial team onsite at JFK by 1300 hours, today.
Is there anything else for me?”
“No sir, not at this moment; just, please hurry.”
“We’re on the way, goodbye,” said Director Hardin as he hung up the phone.
Calling his secretary, he said, “Get the standby Mobile Response Team leader up here now! Then get out the Ebola Protocol manual and get to work.”
“Yes sir, I’m already on it.”
***
April 1st, 1020 hours
Office of the Mayor,
New York City, NY
“Sir, I have the Police Commissioner on the line with an emergency call. Are you in?”
“Yes, of course, put him on.”
“Hello Will, what’s going on?”
“Sir, we have Ebola at JFK…,” said the Commissioner as he briefed the Mayor of the largest city in the United States of America.
“Ebola, oh my God, but you say it’s only one case and isolated to one departure area. Did he really need to close down the entire airport?”
The NYPD Commissioner said, “Mr. Mayor, what I am about to relay to you must not go further than you I have no doubt that the President will not want this information released to the public at this time. Sir, they have found definitive evidence that this strain is airborne.”
The Mayor added the Director of Public Health to the call so that he could also hear what the Top Cop had to say...
