Viral Misery (Book 1)

by Watson, Thomas A

  Shaking his head, “No,” Sutton answered and Jackson felt the weight of the world press down on him. “The Chinese reported that, but this virus has a hemagglutinin sequence we’ve never seen before. Several of the virologists that are working on it now said this virus shouldn’t exist.”

  Reaching out and grabbing Sutton’s arm, “They don’t think it is a created bioweapon, do they?” Jackson gasped.

  Shaking his head rapidly, “No, this is nature’s creation. We are positive on that,” Sutton answered confidently.

  “Damn, a part of me was kind of hoping because that would mean a vaccine was already prepared,” Jackson said, letting Sutton’s arm go. “If it reaches our shores, I really feel this can turn into a doomsday scenario.”

  “Like our leading virologist Dr. Skannish told me, nature creates the ultimate viruses, not man,” Sutton said. “Jackson, it already is a doomsday scenario unless we keep it off or contained early on this continent.”

  Nodding, “I’d have to agree with him on viruses, and you on that,” Jackson said as a Secret Service agent opened the door behind them.

  “Sirs, I should tell you, this room is recorded for security,” the agent said in a serious voice. “I can show you a room where you can talk privately.”

  Jackson turned to the agent, “Have your supervisor mark this recording classified.”

  “Yes sir,” the agent nodded. “The room across the hall is cleared.”

  Turning back to Sutton, “Keep me updated,” Jackson said, holding out his hand.

  “I will,” Sutton promised, shaking his hand and grabbing his briefcase.

  “We won’t need the room,” Jackson said, heading to the door that the agent was holding open.

  Following Jackson out into the hall, “Will you talk to the President and explain that money will help, but action would do more?” Sutton almost begged.

  Stopping at the door, Jackson glanced back at Sutton. “I’ll try, but you have to realize that everyone in that room has been bought and paid for, and I’m not talking about the citizens of America,” Jackson said and the agent snorted, trying to hide a grin. “They answer to corporations and banks. Sutton, you have to understand, that’s who will be losing money and that’s who will be calling the shots.”

  Giving a sigh, “Yeah, the director told me the same,” Sutton sighed.

  “Why isn’t he here?” Jackson grinned.

  “Visiting drug company executives and to be honest, I think his doctorate is honorary only,” Sutton groaned. “He doesn’t understand anything we talk about.”

  Laughing as he walked out into the hall, “That could be said for many here in Washington,” Jackson said as the agent closed the door.

  Following Jackson down the hall, “Aren’t you going back in?” Sutton asked.

  “What they’re talking about now doesn’t concern me,” Jackson shrugged, leading Sutton out. “Besides it usually pisses me off, so I leave now and don’t get stressed out.”

  Giving a curt nod, “I’ve never heard of money in the millions and billions talked about so casually,” Sutton admitted.

  “That’s why I’m leaving,” Jackson grinned.

  As the two stepped outside they parted ways as the silent killer started picking up speed at a lightning pace and more people picked up unwanted guests as James Taylor’s hobby flooded the world.

  Chapter Five

  A destroyer in the air

  April 23

  Sitting at the table and eating breakfast, Arthur looked over at Wendy and could tell she was excited about the trip. “You make sure to have fun,” Arthur grinned after finishing his plate.

  As Arthur got up, Wendy nodded. “I will and if you need help, you call Starlie and Jack,” she said. Starlie and Jack Wright were their closest neighbors. They were both in their sixties but had an active ranch. To Arthur and Wendy’s envy, they had six kids all grown now with kids of their own. The ranch they owned next to them up the valley used to be a hobby but now, Jack raised cattle full time after retiring from construction.

  “Shit, Jack calls me once a week to do something for him, so I know he stays busy,” Arthur said, rinsing his plate off and putting it in the dishwasher. He moved over to the back door and a large touchpad screen mounted on the wall. A list of daily chores was listed on the screen and Arthur started tapping the ones they had done, making them drop off the list. Because he was driving Wendy to the airport today, they had started earlier than they normally did.

  “Well, you can always call Rudy,” Wendy laughed out as she got up.

  Tapping ‘workout’, Arthur watched it drop off the screen and then turned around as Wendy put her dishes in the dishwasher. “If I call Rudy, it will be to tell his bitch ass to bring back my shit,” Arthur snapped.

  Closing the dishwasher, “Do you even know what he has?” Wendy chuckled.

  “Log splitter, chainsaw, riding mower, half inch electric drill, jig saw, shovel, and posthole diggers,” Arthur answered, counting them off on his fingers.

  Walking over and wrapping her arms around Arthur, “Yeah, he brings one thing back but borrows two other items,” Wendy smiled. “I thought he was going to cry last week when you told him he couldn’t borrow anything else until he brought everything back.”

  “Cocksucker tried to load the wheelbarrow up he’d brought back because I wouldn’t let him use the plumbing snake,” Arthur snapped. “If I didn’t have duplicates of what he’s borrowed, I’d go to his shack and stomp his ass.”

  Holding her arms around Arthur’s waist, Wendy looked up at his face. “You wait till I get back if you do that, I want to watch this beat down.”

  “You going to help hide the body?”

  “Oh, hell yeah,” Wendy laughed, letting Arthur go. “Remember to take the two pies in the refrigerator to church on Sunday for the raffle.”

  Scoffing, “They might get one,” Arthur mumbled. “I spent over a hundred hours building that fellowship hall and they are raffling stuff to pay for it.”

  “Arthur,” Wendy snapped. “It’s to buy the stuff they are putting in it, you know that.”

  Looking at Wendy with a grin, “Yeah, I know,” he said. “Just like rousing your dander at times.”

  Laughing as she headed to the den where her luggage sat by the stairs, “Will you take the BMW?” she asked.

  Letting out a long groan, “Oh, come on,” Arthur whined. “Can’t we take my truck?”

  Turning around, Wendy stomped her foot. “I don’t like riding for over an hour in your truck,” she moaned. “My car rides a thousand times better.”

  “Fine,” Arthur said, walking over and grabbing two suitcases. “I’ll look like a fucking yuppie.”

  Grabbing the large rolling suitcase, “Hun, nobody would ever think you were a yuppie,” Wendy told him. “You’re wearing jeans, boots, and a long plaid shirt.”

  Heading for the front door, Arthur looked down at the thin blue plaid shirt. “I have to wear something to conceal my pistol,” he said, setting down the suitcase in his right hand.

  “Yes, and we all know the only shirts that do that are plaid,” Wendy laughed out as Arthur opened the door and picked the suitcase back up.

  “Just for that, I’m not feeding your damn silkworms,” Arthur snarled jokingly.

  “Fine, I have more in the fridge,” Wendy shrugged as the dogs ran over. She stopped in the door and stood the rolling suitcase up as she leaned over loving on the dogs. “You four better leave the cats alone.”

  “Babe, they haven’t chased Mickey or Minnie since they were puppies,” Arthur said, walking off the porch and heading for the garage He stopped, looking at the two open doors. The first held Wendy’s light gray BMW. The next held his 1984 Blazer. Parked outside the garage next to the house was his truck. A 1986 quad cab Chevy diesel that was jacked up six inches with monster forty-inch tires.

  “I don’t want to ride in that,” Wendy sang out, seeing Arthur looking at the truck.

  Letting out a l
ong sigh, Arthur carried the suitcases to the BMW. “I like my big truck,” Arthur mumbled, opening the trunk and putting the cases in.

  “Oh, I like it, but not riding for long periods,” Wendy said. “If you want, we can take the Blazer, it doesn’t beat me to death as bad.”

  “Nah, my girl likes her Kraut car,” Arthur sang out, turning around and grabbing the rolling suitcase to put it in the trunk.

  As Arthur closed the trunk, Wendy leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’m so spoiled,” she whispered.

  “Yeah, but you’re worth it,” Arthur laughed.

  They climbed in and Arthur backed out, hitting the remote to close the garage doors. Driving down the driveway, Arthur got comfortable in his seat as he buckled his seatbelt. “Did you fix the gate camera yesterday? I still saw it on the list,” Wendy asked as Arthur hit the remote to open the gate.

  “Yeah, I fixed it but didn’t put it up, so I didn’t mark it off,” Arthur answered, driving through the gate. There were cameras everywhere across their property. Like everything else, most were reclaimed by Arthur. The main reason for most cameras was to let them know if wildlife was on the property. Arthur was certain the raccoons were regrouping for a major counterattack any day.

  There were cameras around the house, but they were to see if deer were eating the flower beds. The barns had cameras to watch for dreaded coons and opossums. All the greenhouses and gardens had cameras just because there were beehives inside them now and the bears really liked the honeybees. The only cameras that could be considered security cameras were the ones on Arthur’s shop, the gate, and the root cellar that was behind the barn, buried into the rise.

  Those had been added because of Rudy.

  Glancing at the backseat, “How much luggage is Alicia bringing?” Arthur asked.

  “I don’t know,” Wendy shrugged as Arthur honked the horn, waving at Jack and Starlie as they passed in front of their house. “Wonder where they are going?” Wendy asked, seeing Jack and Starlie climbing in Jack’s truck.

  “You know they shop at the end of the month,” Arthur said, weaving around a deep pothole. “You see? They took his truck.”

  “I ride in your truck to town all the time,” Wendy popped off and Arthur just glanced at her, grinning. “You going to shop since you’re going to be in Little Rock?”

  “Not in your car,” Arthur chortled.

  Rolling her eyes, “I should’ve known. You wanted to take your truck so you could’ve gone to the dump,” Wendy groaned.

  “Landfill,” Arthur corrected. “Don’t see what the problem is, we go to garage sales all the time. What people don’t sell at their garage sales ends up in the landfill. I just skip paying them for it.”

  Reaching over and patting Arthur’s leg, “Next time we go to the big city, you can go to the dump,” Wendy snickered.

  “I’m changing your ticket to one way,” Arthur sighed.

  “I don’t care, I have credit cards and know my address,” Wendy said, leaving her hand on Arthur’s leg. Glancing out as they passed a small house, Wendy waved at a young couple on the porch, holding a small baby. “Make sure you take Joseph down to Tammy and Ted’s,” Wendy sighed, waving and saw both wave back. “Little Nicole is so precious.”

  Letting his right hand drop off the steering wheel, Arthur held her hand as he drove down the valley. Arthur smiled at the tiny bundle in Tammy’s arms as they passed. “I offered to babysit,” Arthur mumbled.

  “Please,” Wendy chuckled as Arthur turned at the Y at the end of the valley. “They are new parents and won’t let that baby out of their sight until she’s two.” Ten miles later, they reached the small paved county road. Hearing a ring and buzz, Wendy pulled her hand from Arthur’s lap and grabbed her cellphone.

  Before looking at the screen, they both said, “It’s Alicia.”

  “Hey, Alicia,” Wendy answered the phone, never even looking at the screen.

  “Are you on the way?” Arthur heard Alicia moan.

  “Yes, we should be at your house in a few minutes,” Wendy laughed.

  “Okay, I’ll be outside,” Alicia cheered and then hung up.

  Tapping her screen, “I hope Alicia finds herself a new husband soon,” Wendy said, setting her phone down.

  “As much as that woman bitches, she won’t keep him for long,” Arthur pointed out and Wendy reached over, popping his arm.

  “She’s not that bad,” Wendy snapped and reached down to hold Arthur’s hand again.

  “Oh yeah,” Arthur said. “There are four other women going from church, but we were the only ones stupid enough to agree to take Alicia.”

  “Okay, I’ll go so far as to say Alicia can be annoying at times and she may not have a husband now, but she divorces nicely,” Wendy chuckled.

  Nodding with wide eyes, “If I ever had to pay that much in alimony, you would disappear, I’m just saying,” Arthur said.

  “Not able to argue against that,” Wendy agreed.

  Twenty minutes later, Arthur pulled up to a nice house and saw Alicia standing in her driveway next to three suitcases. In her late thirties, Alicia was a hefty woman with short brown hair. “Only three? I’m shocked,” Arthur said, putting the car in park.

  Opening the trunk as he climbed out, Arthur watched Alicia run around the car and jump in behind Wendy. “Sure, I’ll get your suitcases,” Arthur said as Alicia shut the door.

  Only able to get two in the trunk, Arthur opened the back door putting the last one in the backseat and heard Alicia talking nine hundred miles an hour. “Oh, we are so listening to rock and roll when we hit the interstate,” he mumbled, closing the door.

  Climbing back in, Arthur tried to block Alicia’s voice, but he figured he would have better luck turning lead into gold. “What do you think about that flu they are reporting in China?” Alicia asked, buckling up as Arthur started the car.

  “All I’ve heard on the internet is it was a bird flu,” Wendy answered as Arthur pulled out.

  “I get my flu shot every year,” Alicia announced like she deserved a cookie.

  Wendy squeezed Arthur’s hand wanting him to join the conversation, but Arthur just looked ahead as he drove. “You hear anything else, Hun?” Wendy finally asked, so Arthur would talk and Alicia wouldn’t.

  “Just what you and I’ve talked about,” Arthur answered curtly and Alicia filled them in on what she had heard. Not about the flu, but all the gossip. Arthur sighed, convinced Alicia knew dirt on every person in the state of Arkansas.

  When they reached the interstate, Arthur pulled on and held up his hand to stop Alicia’s babbling; she hadn’t stopped in the last half hour. “Sorry, but we are on the interstate and I have to have music,” Arthur barked and turned on the radio.

  “Yeah, I have to listen to music when I drive a long way also,” Alicia shouted over the music.

  Squeezing Arthur’s hand, Wendy waited until he turned to her and she mouthed ‘Thank you’. “Hey, you’re going to be on a plane with her,” Arthur mumbled, but Wendy read his lips.

  “Why do you think I paid for first class?” Wendy snorted and Arthur barely heard her.

  “Oh, you are so smart,” Arthur grinned, but Wendy couldn’t tell what he said and just looked out the window.

  Reaching Little Rock, Arthur followed the directions on the navigator screen. If he’d thought Alicia would keep her mouth shut, he would’ve turned down the radio to listen to the directions. Having known Alicia for over five years, Arthur was convinced Alicia hated silence and loved the sound of her own voice.

  When Arthur pulled up to the airport, Wendy turned the radio down. “Just pull up to the door,” she said. “We have to check in and it’s no use for you to pay and park.”

  Nodding, because Alicia had started talking as soon as Wendy finished, Arthur was thinking about having a cocktail when he got home. By the time he’d pulled up to the curb, Arthur was thinking about drinking a bottle.

  Getting out, Arthur yanked the back door open and fough
t the urge to throw Alicia’s suitcase on a passing car, in the hopes that she would chase it down. Opening the trunk, he put Alicia’s suitcase on the curb and grabbed Wendy’s suitcases. “I wish we were sharing a cabin,” Alicia sang out as she and Wendy got out of the car.

  “I would jump off the goddamn ship and tie bricks to my own ankles just so I couldn’t be rescued,” Arthur vowed, grabbing Alicia’s two suitcases from the trunk.

  “Sorry, but that’s the only way I could get my sister to come,” Wendy smiled, stacking one of her suitcases on her rolling case.

  As Alicia fought with her luggage, Wendy stepped over to Arthur and wrapped her arms around him. “Miss you,” she said and then kissed him.

  “Miss you more,” Arthur smiled, hugging her tight. “Call me and let me know you got there all right.”

  “I will,” Wendy smiled and hugged Arthur again.

  Letting her go, Arthur watched Wendy lead a babbling Alicia into the airport. None of them knew that lethal visitors were close. Arthur had even passed people with the virus in the city of Clarksville. In the large airport, there were many people that were disgorging the visitors. It was sheer luck, but Wendy and Alicia made their plane without picking up an unwanted visitor. But they would find it waiting on the cruise ship.

  That evening as Arthur was having his second cocktail, still trying to get Alicia’s voice out of his head, the visitor had made it to his valley. When his neighbor, Starlie, had grabbed a shopping cart at the store, the visitor had latched on.

  Chapter Six

  The unimportant masses don’t need to know

  April 24

  Pulling up to the White House, Sutton jumped out of his car as a security officer came around the car. “They are waiting on you, Dr. Sutton,” the guard said.

  Reaching inside, Sutton grabbed a tote bag and handed it to the guard. “Hold this,” he said, grabbing another one and his briefcase. Turning to the driver, “Go park and I’ll call when this is done,” Sutton said and the driver nodded.

  No sooner had he closed his door, than the driver pulled off. Grabbing the tote bag from the guard, Sutton threw one on each shoulder and followed the guard through the doors. “Just put your bags on the scanner,” the guard said.