Viral Misery (Book 1)

by Watson, Thomas A

  “Okay, how old are you and the others?” Arthur asked and Vicki flew at him, throwing her arms around his waist.

  “Thank you,” she wailed out.

  Dropping his hand down and stroking Vicki’s nasty and nappy brown hair, “Shh, it’s okay,” Arthur said softly as Nicole let out a loud long burp. Kirk and the boys laughed and then everyone joined in.

  Vicki looked up with a dirty tear-streaked face. “I’m ten, Jodi is seven, Robin is two and Pam is a six-month-old baby.”

  Hearing baby, Arthur wanted to just go home as he looked out the windows. “Where are they?”

  “At the daycare. We are out of food, but we have formula for Pam,” Vicki answered, still holding on to Arthur.

  “Shawn, can you drive a car?” Arthur asked, hearing Lucas cooing under his shirt.

  “Yes, sir. I drove the work truck at the salvage yard I worked at,” Shawn told him.

  Pulling Vicki off his waist, “Can you show us where the others are if you ride with us?” Arthur asked.

  “Yes, sir,” Vicki nodded.

  “Let’s go,” Arthur said, grabbing Vicki’s hand and leading them through the store. When they reached the storeroom, Vicki gave a gasp seeing Donald at the door.

  Never breaking his pace, “He’s with us,” Arthur told Vicki. “Kirk, Pat, Jim, put your packs in the back with the dogs,” Arthur said, opening the back up.

  “Shawn,” Arthur said and Shawn turned. “Passenger seat and get a bottle ready for Lucas.”

  “Have one,” Shawn said, heading around the Blazer with Beth.

  Taking Nicole from Kirk, Arthur just held her as the boys threw their packs in and just climbed in the cargo area. Arthur chuckled as he watched the boys just climb over the backseat. “Donald, Daisy, in,” Arthur commanded and they jumped in.

  “Where do you want me to sit?” Vicki asked, standing beside the driver’s door.

  “You will sit beside me,” Arthur said, managing to get his door open with two babies in his hands. “Beth, I need you to sit back with the boys. Boys, introduce yourselves,” Arthur said and Beth climbed over the seat to join them in the back.

  Arthur laid Nicole in his seat and then took Lucas out of his shirt and Lucas let out a small cry to let everyone know, he wanted back where it was warm. “Wrap him in this,” Arthur told Shawn, handing the blanket and then Lucas over.

  When Lucas was wrapped up, Shawn fed him the bottle and that made Lucas content.

  Putting Nicole back into the baby sling, Arthur picked up Vicki and put her in the middle on the car seat. “How far?” Arthur asked, climbing in.

  “Not far,” Vicki said. “I can’t go far and stay gone long because Robin starts crying and people hear it.”

  Nodding as he started the engine, Arthur put the shifter in drive and pulled around the store. “Turn right here,” Vicki told him at the next road.

  Pulling into a subdivision, Arthur noticed a few bodies lying around in yards and the road but then, he noticed there were dead birds also. “See that white sign? That’s the daycare,” Vicki said with a smile.

  When Arthur stopped, Vicki looked at him with a serious face. “You won’t leave, will you?” she asked with a trembling lip.

  Arthur turned off the Blazer and pulled the keys out. “I gave my word, little lady,” he smiled, reaching over and clipping the keys to her belt loop. He opened his door and let her out. “I don’t want to scare them, so we’ll wait here,” Arthur said, putting Vicki down.

  When her feet touched the ground, Vicki took off running and Arthur held his AR across his body, looking around. The smell was harsh, but if he breathed through his mouth he could taste the smell of death and that was worse. Turning as Vicki reached the door, Arthur watched her knock in a code on the door.

  When the door cracked open, Vicki pushed it open and ran inside. She soon came back out with a baby on her hip and holding the hand of a toddler, with seven-year-old Jodi following. Vicki ran around the front of the truck and stopped.

  Taking the keys off her belt, “Guys, it’s going to be crowded, but just hang on,” Arthur said, reaching for the baby. The baby pulled away so Arthur just picked up Vicki and turned, lifting his seat up to help Vicki into the back.

  He turned to see Robin, the toddler holding out her arms to him. Smiling as he picked her up, Arthur put her in the back and then watched Jodi climb in. “Won’t let me pick ‘em up, but will get in my ride,” Arthur chuckled.

  Climbing in, Arthur cranked up, put the shifter in drive, and pulled off. Hearing a small burp, he looked over to see Shawn patting Lucas on the back. “That sounded wimpy,” Arthur chuckled, hearing Jodi whispering to Vicki.

  Avoiding a body in the road, Arthur saw a nude woman standing in a yard. The woman’s face was emotionless as she watched him drive past, but did nothing else.

  Taking the next turn that would take him out of the subdivision, Arthur kept his head on a swivel. “You are looking, right, boys?” he asked, seeing several people walking on a side street.

  “Yes sir, people at nine o’clock,” Kirk said.

  “A man at six o’clock riding a bike,” Pat called out and Arthur glanced in his mirror and saw a man peddling fast behind them to catch up.

  “Hey, that’s the man who wanted my cat,” Vicki cried out and Arthur slammed on the brakes.

  In one motion, Arthur shifted into park, grabbed the AR pistol grip and jumped out as the man started to stop as he yelled, “Give me those kids! They’re mine!”

  Flipping the safety off, Arthur was already raising his AR up as the man reached for his waist. Arthur squeezed the trigger three times, watching the rounds impact across the man’s chest.

  A pistol fell from the man’s hand as he fell over with the bike crashing hard on the road. Giving a glance around, Arthur saw a young woman looking at him and a few others further away. Calmly, Arthur strolled over and aimed the AR like a pistol with his right arm and shot the man in the face.

  It wasn’t for dramatic Hollywood effect. The reason he’d aimed with one hand was Nicole was crying and his left was putting the pacifier in her mouth.

  Spinning on his heel, Arthur pulled a magazine from the pouch on his belt. Ejecting the partial, he slapped the full one in as he continued looking around. He climbed in, letting the AR hang from the sling propped on the seat. “Worthless cocksucker wasn’t sick,” Arthur growled, putting the Blazer in gear.

  “My mom would never let me have a cat,” Vicki said.

  “Um, that’s not what the man-,” Shawn stopped as Arthur spoke.

  “Shawn,” he snapped, patting Nicole with his left hand. “Not now, I’ll explain to her later. I’m mad enough as it is.”

  “Sorry, sir,” Shawn mumbled.

  “Shawn, you did nothing wrong. You did everything you could and people tried to hurt you. And that’s what has me pissed off like a madman,” Arthur growled. “Now people will know, screw with my kids and I’ll kill you, three of your best friends and your pet hamster.”

  “Car, three o’clock,” Kirk announced and Arthur spotted a car speeding out of a parking lot to the main road. They heard the squeal of tires as Arthur slowed to turn onto the main road and the car headed away from them.

  “Sir, I don’t want to sound like a sissy, but can we, like, leave town?” Shawn asked, feeling his mouth was bone dry.

  “We are, but we have to make one stop,” Arthur told him, pressing the accelerator and getting up to fifty.

  “That man was never that close to us,” Vicki said from the back.

  “He had tracked you down and was waiting on you to go back inside,” Arthur mumbled, but everyone heard him.

  “There are a lot of dead birds,” Kirk noted, but didn’t mention the dead bodies everywhere that dotted parking lots and the road.

  “Flu is killing a lot of them as well,” Arthur said, turning onto a bigger road and picking up speed while dodging a stalled car.

  “I thought you said to go slow,” Kirk called out, but did
n’t look away from his window.

  “Can’t here. Too many people. You shoot at something, you better hit it or it might hit you. Kids, I want you to get a little lower in the seat,” Arthur advised, seeing his destination ahead.

  When he started to slow down, Shawn looked around to see a car dealership on one side of the road and a building on the other. Glancing around, he didn’t see any people as Arthur turned into the dealership.

  Pulling up behind a row of brand new trucks, Arthur put the Blazer in park. “Can you drive that?” Arthur asked and Shawn followed his finger to a gray Suburban.

  “Holy shit, that’s big,” Shawn gasped. “Um, I’ve never driven anything but a truck. Can I just drive this?”

  “It’s pulling a trailer,” Arthur said and Shawn shrugged.

  “I’ve never driven a truck without one,” he admitted.

  “Boys, have your radios ready, I’ll be right back,” Arthur said, getting out.

  Walking around to the back of the Blazer, Arthur opened the cargo gate and grabbed the box with the protruding arm. “Donald,” he said and Donald jumped out.

  “Why’s he getting another car?” Jim asked.

  “Because there’s so many, goofy,” Kirk laughed, watching Arthur walk up to a door and shove the arm in it. The others watched as the arms popped the door open and Arthur walked inside with Donald.

  “That box is so cool,” Pat said in awe, looking around.

  “Are we going to get in trouble?” Jodi asked Vicki.

  “No, Arthur knows what he’s doing,” Vicki said, bouncing Pam in her lap.

  Only gone a few minutes, Arthur came back out the door and raised his hand at the massive Suburban and they heard it crank up. “Wow,” Kirk said.

  Walking over to the idling Suburban, Arthur pressed the fob and the back hatch opened up. He put the box inside and motioned for Donald to jump in. After Donald was in, he hit the button to close the hatch and walked around the Suburban.

  It was completely loaded with off road tires and lights, side bars, four-inch lift and a nice cattle guard and winch. When Arthur stopped at the passenger window, he gasped. “Six figures for a Suburban, are they insane? I better be able to push a button and get a blow job for that kind of money!”

  Continuing his walk around, he opened the driver’s door and saw a quarter of a tank. Knowing that was enough to get home, Arthur headed back to the Blazer. He opened Shawn’s door, “Give me Lucas and everyone but Kirk, get in the new truck,” Arthur told them.

  The kids piled out as Shawn scooted over and Kirk got in the front passenger seat. Reaching over, Arthur grabbed Kirk’s arm. “You are his eyes, so keep them open. Use your radio if you see anything, okay?”

  Nodding with a gulp, “I will,” Kirk promised.

  Arthur climbed in the Suburban and pulled out with Shawn following. Shawn and Kirk both jumped when the radio in Kirk’s hand went off. “We are taking a different route home Kirk, so don’t get worried,” Arthur called over the radio.

  “Okay,” Kirk answered.

  “Man, Arthur is cool,” Shawn said with a grin.

  “Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet. He has a huge house and all kinds of farm animals that he just hits with his knee and they run off,” Kirk cried out in wonder.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I may be weak but you’re dead

  May 11

  Feeling someone shaking her, Wendy cracked her eyes open. “Wendy, the power went off,” Jo Ann whispered. “We think Anthony did it.”

  Smiling as she sat up in the bed, “No, baby, the ship makes its own power and probably ran out of fuel,” Wendy said, seeing it was late in the afternoon. Waking up this morning, she had picked back up on doing simple exercises and knew she had pushed too hard. After lunch, she had only intended to let Ryan take a nap, but had passed out with him.

  Not leaving the room at all yesterday, Wendy would pace and do lunges while trying to clear her lungs. During the day between her limited exercises, they ate and played cards and then Wendy had the twins shower, then took one herself with Ryan. With all of them clean, they’d piled up in the bed together going to sleep. During the night, Wendy thought she heard something in the stairwell and got up to put another chair in front of the door.

  With the spear gun clutched in her hands and sitting on the edge of the bed, Wendy had waited up for over an hour but the sound never came back, so she’d gone back to bed.

  Still feeling weak but much better both mentally and physically, Wendy leaned over to check on Ryan on the floor, lying on a blanket. Ryan was kicking his legs as Sally sat beside him, shaking a stuffed doll over his face.

  “Are you sure?” Jo Ann asked, stepping back as Wendy stood up.

  Turning to the little girl, Wendy reached over and cupped Jo Ann’s face in her hand. “Yes, baby. He wouldn’t know how, for one. Only a member of the ship’s crew could do that and then, only a few of them would know how,” Wendy told her in a reassuring voice.

  Jo Ann gave a relaxing sigh and Wendy heard another come from Sally on the floor. “Sorry we woke you then,” Jo Ann said sheepishly.

  Giving a shrug as she let Jo Ann’s chin go, Wendy turned and saw they only had a few bottles of water left. “Is the water on?” Wendy asked.

  Nodding, “Yeah, but we didn’t drink any like you told us,” Jo Ann answered.

  Walking over to the small table, Wendy sat down and looked at the spear gun. “Guys, we need more bottled water,” Wendy told them. In normal times, she knew the ship’s water plant would and could put out drinkable water, but didn’t want to trust it. Wendy was sure it would be okay to wash in, but didn’t want to risk drinking any.

  Putting a pacifier in Ryan’s mouth, “They have some in the store beside the daycare,” Sally said, getting up.

  “That’s only a few levels down,” Wendy nodded, looking at the wall with an unfixed gaze as she thought. When she turned, Wendy saw the girls standing side by side, holding hands in front of her. Both had small trusting smiles on their faces.

  Reaching out, Wendy put a hand on each of their shoulders. “Jo Ann, Sally, I’m going out to get us some water,” Wendy said and the smiles fell off as both gasped, taking a breath to argue. “Hold on,” Wendy said and both girls closed their mouths.

  “Ryan can’t come and we can’t leave him alone. It takes both of you to look after him. This room is more or less soundproof unless you bang around. When I come back, I’ll give this knock,” Wendy said tapping the table three times, then two, followed by three more. “One of you will put your ear to the door and I’ll whisper ‘it’s me’. Then and only then, will you open the door.”

  “What if Anthony comes?” Sally blurted out with tears welling up in her eyes.

  “Sally, I won’t be that far away and if you keep the door locked, I’ll hear him trying to get in,” Wendy explained, taking her hands off their shoulders. Gently, she caressed each one’s cheek. “I’ll be back long before he could get in,” Wendy assured them.

  “What if you don’t come back?” Jo Ann asked with a few tears running down her cheeks.

  “Girls,” Wendy snorted with a chuckle. “If that virus didn’t kill me, Anthony doesn’t stand a chance.”

  Hearing certainty in Wendy’s voice, both girls visibly relaxed and the tears in their eyes dissipated. Jo Ann and Sally leaned over, hugging Wendy. “Please be back before dark,” Sally begged.

  “Girls, I’ll try, but I have to find us some flashlights,” Wendy told them, hugging them tight.

  Both girls leaned back and looked at each other. Unspoken thoughts passed between the twins, and then they turned to Wendy. “Okay, just bring us some,” Sally said with a serious face and Jo Ann nodded.

  “I will,” Wendy chuckled.

  Wearing only shorts and t-shirt, Wendy put on her shoes and then emptied out the backpack that had held all of Ryan’s supplies. “Need some more diaper wipes,” Wendy mumbled, putting the pack on.

  Grabbing the hard-plastic spea
r holster, Wendy strapped it to her left leg. She looked at the two shiny metal spears. The shaft of the spear that the gun fired, or what Wendy called the arrow, was twenty-eight inches long, with a large metal tip that was over an inch wide. Under the spear gun was the line connected to the arrow so you could pull fish that you’d shot back to you.

  Knowing the thing wouldn’t be very accurate, Wendy had taken the reel line off the spear shaft. She didn’t know how much power the two rubber bands had, but it’d taken her a lot of effort to pull them back. One was relatively easy, but the second one was very hard to pull back. “Gloria would’ve never been able to pull back that second rubber band,” Wendy mumbled.

  No sooner than her sister’s name escaped her lips, memories flooded Wendy’s mind, making her take a deep breath and push them away. “Keep your mind on the here and now,” Wendy reminded herself as she moved over and helped the twins remove the chairs from around the door.

  “When I’m gone, put the chairs back and the door stop,” she said, pointing to the wedge under the door. They had found it in the bathroom but since the bathroom door could be locked open, Wendy hadn’t known why it’d been there.

  “What if you need in fast?” Sally asked, kicking the door stop out from under the door.

  Glancing at the yellow hair barrette in Sally’s hair, “Sally,” Wendy said, resting her hand on the door. “I won’t need in fast, but you have to make sure nobody but me comes in.”

  “Okay,” Sally mumbled unconvinced.

  Undoing the privacy latch and unlocking the door, Wendy eased the door open and stuck her head out. The smell in the hall was much stronger today and Wendy was sure it was going to get much worse. With the emergency lights on in the hallway, Wendy poked her head out and didn’t see anything.

  Turning back to the twins, “I’m waiting here until you have the door locked, so give one light tap when you are ready for me to leave,” Wendy whispered. As one, Jo Ann and Sally nodded.

  Closing the door, Wendy checked the keycard attached to the bungee cord on her waist. Hearing the door lock Wendy turned, looking up and down the hall as the twins pushed the chairs back. Wendy glanced at the door, hearing one of the twins putting the door stop back.