The Extinction Series | Book 4 | Spread of Extinction

by Ellis, Tara

  Having unpacked the interesting morsels of information that afternoon, led Madeline to a new appreciation of Peta’s messy intervention. If it hadn’t been for their timely arrival, she’d already be stewing behind an observation window somewhere underground. The woman may have unknowingly helped her out in the best way possible, the missing documentation notwithstanding.

  While the lack of internet connection and more current updates reduced Madeline’s ability to have a complete picture of what was going on in the world, it was only a minor setback. She had to assume those avenues of information were in essence, permanently cut off. But as she shifted her focus to the Libi Nati and her next move, none of that really mattered. She had what she needed.

  Standing, Madeline turned up the volume on the radio before heading down to the basement lab. With the door propped open, she shouldn’t have a problem hearing it.

  Pausing at her wall of information, she plucked the newest addition off to take downstairs with her. She wanted to read it again, as it might be one of the few things of late that could offer new insight into The Kuru.

  At first glance, the headline about a probable cross-species transmission might not provoke too much attention. However, Madeline found it extremely relevant. It was largely agreed upon amongst the scientific community that rapid mutations played an important role in a pathogen’s ability to make a species jump. The widespread reports of felines and some other wild animals behaving erratically over the past few days, had the potential for monumental implications. Mad cow disease, and wasting disease in deer, elk, and Moose across North America, were both variations of already-present prion infections. The introduction of The Kuru into those populations was a most-interesting development.

  Tsking, Madeline moved with a newfound energy down the stairs to her lab, in spite of the unrelenting stiffness. The overhead fluorescents crackled to life, flickering as she walked beneath them, and giving the room a momentarily fun-house effect. Blinking, she switched on the electron microscope to give it time to warm up as she prepared new slides.

  Moving methodically about the stark, organized space, Madeline retrieved the necessary items to draw her own blood. With flawless technique, she found a vein in the back of her left hand and filled two tubes. One for her own studies, and another to pack on ice.

  First, she sat down to her regular microscope and began scribbling notes as she peered through the viewfinder. After several minutes, she leaned away and sat up, frowning down at her hand. Flexing the fingers to rid herself of a persistent cramp, she then made a fist and considered whether she needed to give in and take an anti-inflammatory.

  Interesting.

  Tabling the thought for later deciphering, Madeline moved on to the electron microscope. There was already another notepad on the counter near it, half-filled with her earlier observations from that morning. Next to it was a print out of the research article on the connection between Alzheimer’s and a double-prion disease. She placed the news report about the animals alongside it, scowling.

  She was missing something. She could feel it. Brows furrowed, Madeline tapped her foot for a moment before stopping herself and taking a step back from the counter.

  The bloodstain. Re-reading the email, and constantly checking what she’d written down. Her current state of introspection. They were all bordering dangerously close to her previous habits of obsessive behaviors and thoughts. But—

  The Libi Nati. The sample was the original source of the infection.

  All of the pieces fell into place then, and Madeline cocked her head, examining the thought process for flaws. She couldn’t find any. The progression of the disease could be mapped, and she was at the top of the pyramid.

  Her blood, her brain could hold the key to understanding the disease process of The Kuru. But she needed other samples for comparison, from people both near the source as well as separated by time and distance. She would also need infected animals in order to isolate the mutation.

  The main issue with Madeline’s rapidly developing wants was her likely inability to conduct the required research. What she was contemplating was outside her scope of expertise and practice, but it wouldn’t stop her from trying to orchestrate it, and she couldn’t do that from her present location.

  As if on cue, there was a loud chirp from the radio upstairs. Madeline’s head jerked up and she was already in motion before completing her next thought. By the time she grabbed at the handset, the speaker had fallen silent, so she cued it up and announced her own call sign. “Kilo six mike sierra. Listening.”

  There were some more chirps and clicks and after a brief burst of static, a man’s voice answered. “Sierra uniform two lima November. Go ahead.”

  Ignoring the slight uptick in her heartrate and the small bead of perspiration that formed on her brow, Madeline had no doubts that any risk involved in leaving the sanctity of her home was warranted. “Am I speaking with Dr. Davies from the Libi Nati? This is Dr. Madeline Schaeffer. We have a lot to discuss.”

  There was another long pregnant pause as the relays and repeaters moved her voice to the other side of the world, and Madeline waited patiently for the answer. More clicks, and static, and then the rest of her fate was firmly sealed with the words she’d been expecting.

  “Hello, Dr. Schaeffer. We’ve been waiting for you.”

  Chapter 17

  JESS

  Amazon Jungle near Kumalu, Suriname

  Northeast interior of South America

  The scraping of utensils against their bowls made Jess want to scream. To throw her stew down, run from the table, and yell hysterically at the top of her lungs. It was the normalcy of it. The common, ordinary act of scraping the gravy from the dish in spite of how messed up everything was, that threatened to push her past the breaking point.

  Staring at her spoon, Jess was perilously close to losing it. Closing her eyes, she attempted to dial back her emotions, but that only made her think of her dad again, and how it might be easier to live in the new world as one of the Cured.

  “How about I take Pikin down to the house and get her ready for bed before it’s time for me to go out on patrol again?” Paul suggested, breaking into Jess’s thoughts and bringing her back to the current reality.

  They were all congregated in the main house for a late communal dinner, minus Kavish and Slaider, who hadn’t returned yet. While they’d managed to get the bulk of the chores done, it was a struggle and they were all exhausted. Jess understood that the physical stress, on top of everything else, was likely the main cause for her momentary lapse in sanity.

  “I’ll help clean up and be down in a little bit,” Amisha promised, scraping her bowl again.

  Jess tried not to flinch, and even managed a smile at the little girl as Paul took her by the hand to lead her away from the table. To everyone’s surprise, Pikin stopped to give Jess a hug, her small hands taking hold of her braids for a moment before letting go and walking away.

  Jess wondered if maybe the girl had lost an older sister who wore her hair the same way, or maybe even her mom. The simple gesture was enough to override her weariness and remind her of what they were fighting for. Pikin deserved a chance to grow up in a place where she could still laugh and play, and feel loved. Jess deserved that, too.

  Jess was still turned toward the back door, watching the unlikely pair walk across the lawn, when Akuba scooped another helping of stew in her bowl. “You need to eat more,” she admonished with a grin. “You don’t have any fat to spare, Lobiwan.”

  Turning back to the steaming food, Jess found that she’d lost her desire to scream. Her new acceptance had caused the hate she’d been harboring for her dad the past few days to be replaced with a feeling of regret. He was gone.

  “I wanted to believe he still felt something for me,” she said, scooping up a fresh spoonful of meat and vegetables. Glancing at Akuba and Amisha, she realized she felt safe with them. That it was okay to share her innermost thoughts and put it out there, making
it real and impossible to take back. “I thought maybe that was why at first, he said he was responsible for me, and why he let us stay here. Now…well, now we know it’s only because he thinks we’re serving a purpose.”

  Chewing her food, Jess waited for Akuba or Amisha to disagree, or offer some sort of argument. When they both remained silent, watching her, she sighed and nodded slowly. “What do you think will happen once he has enough Kra Puru, and doesn’t need us as his personal farmers or servants anymore?”

  Amisha’s eyes widened and she looked at Akuba. “Is there something you didn’t tell me?”

  A brief crinkle in her forehead revealed Akuba’s slight annoyance, but she rubbed the lines away with her hands and then looked at both of the younger girls with acceptance. “When Maya was here earlier today, and explained what’s…required of us, it was implied that if we didn’t make ourselves useful, there would be consequences.”

  Amisha balked, clearly confused. “But you made it sound like we were all just going to be working together—”

  “I didn’t see the need to alarm Paul and Pikin,” Akuba interrupted, lowering her hands. “For now, I think that’s how we should handle this—arrangement. There aren’t any other options at the moment. We don’t have the means to refuse, and technically, this preserve does belong to Dr. Davies.”

  “Or, we’ll end up like Mr. Van?” Amisha asked, turning to Jess. “We know what we saw and heard.”

  Jess leaned back, her food forgotten again. “I had almost convinced myself that the crude headstone on his grave meant they were showing Mr. Van some sort of compassion. You know, a way to acknowledge him. Except now, I don’t think it was anything more than a marker. Maybe so they can keep track of who they’ve buried.”

  Amisha stood abruptly, a hand fluttering to her throat. “I, uh…I better go and see if Pikin needs help getting to bed.”

  Jess watched her leave before she and Akuba went about clearing the dishes from the table in a mutual silence, neither of them feeling the need to add anything more to the conversation. Akuba was right, and they were short on options. If they wanted to survive, they’d do what they had to, and Jess figured there were worse things than working on the preserve. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what other people in different parts of the world were going through.

  Before they even had the plates rinsed, Amisha came running in through the open screen door, out of breath and flushed. “It’s Kavish and Slaider!” she called out, already heading back outside. “They’re pulling up the driveway right now, and it looks like there’s other people with them!”

  Drying her hands on her T-shirt as she ran after Amisha, Jess felt a rush of hope and belonging. They might be an unlikely group of semi-strangers, but they were all in it together.

  Kavish was the first to get out of his car, and Jess saw right away that Slaider was driving a truck she hadn’t seen before. A woman sat in the back of it with two goats, and what looked like a large wire-cage full of chickens.

  Two indigenous, middle-aged men got out of the car, and Akuba raised a hand in greeting to one of them, who waved back. “I believe he’s a cousin to Slaider,” Akuba explained to Jess as they grew closer.

  Kavish was smiling, but looked absolutely exhausted. “We found two of Slaider’s tribe members,” he said happily. “As well as a woman walking down the street on our way there. She lives on a small farm, and has more animals we’ll go back for tomorrow.”

  “I’m Kamla,” the woman announced from the bed of the truck, where she was busy coaxing one of the small goats out. She paused to take a shaky breath and set her lips in a thin, firm line. “Thank you for having me. My family is…gone. I have no one.”

  Akuba was the first to reach her, and took the rope from her hands. “I’m Akuba. Welcome to the Libi Nati.” Glancing at Jess, she then looked at the other men to include them in her greeting. “None of you are alone anymore.”

  Kavish clapped his hands together once, and then opened his arms wide to include everyone in his announcement. “We need to get these animals settled, and then I’ll show our new guests to the living quarters before we eat. It’s been a long day, and I’d like to finish introductions over a good meal. If that’s okay with you, Akuba?”

  Nodding, Akuba was already leading the first goat away. “Amisha, will you please go heat up the other pot of stew? And Jess, why don’t you go get some feed from the barn. We need to make sure the animals have their meal, too.”

  Jess hung around while Kavish and Slaider helped the other men gather the rest of the animals and belongings, then followed the group as far as the barn. Watching them all head for the fields beyond the Van’s old house, she was even more hopeful that their situation was improving. With the extra help and animals, they could continue to protect the preserve while expanding the production. She’d be content just to have a week or two where she could lose herself in the daily chores and pretend nothing else mattered.

  A cricket chirping was the first indication that night was approaching. Jess scrutinized the sky and fading light of another stunning sunset. It was later than she’d thought, and the realization of the looming darkness dampened her improved mood. Kicking at a rock, she moved purposefully toward the barn.

  Pushing at one of the large, double-doors, she cringed at the loud creaking sound it made. There was a separate, smaller generator for the barn. It wasn’t running, so the interior was already muddy as she stepped inside. But Jess was used to the dark interior, and didn’t need any extra light to find her way to where the extra chicken feed was stored.

  She grabbed a wheelbarrow, and scooped out several servings. After some thought, she added a small bag of grain for the goats. There was plenty of grass left in the field where they would be turned out to graze, but Jess figured a special treat might go a long way to help them settle in.

  As she was getting a good grip on the handles of the wheelbarrow, there was an odd thumping noise over near the doors. Jess froze, and slowly turned to study the entry where one door stood open, and the other was closed.

  Thump!

  She definitely wasn’t imaging it. Something was hitting against the closed door of the barn. It wasn’t big, but rather similar in size to a small bird. It reminded her of a time when a finch kept smacking against her bedroom window.

  Thump! Thump!

  Jess flinched with each additional sound, and there was also a soft pattering, like whatever it was had fallen to the ground. More curious than alarmed, she crept forward, expecting to find a misguided bat, or perhaps some of the giant moths that sometimes freaked her out with their kamikaze flights near twilight.

  Peeking her head outside the door, what Jess saw was so unexpected that she gasped and leapt through the opening while eagerly looking around. Lying on the ground were three large chunks of mango. The same kind of treat she’d spent the last four years handing out to Goldie.

  Confused, excited, and a little scared all at the same time, Jess bent over and picked up one of the pieces. “Goldie?” she called tentatively, not really sure if she was hoping for a response. She hadn’t seen the little golden lion tamarin monkey since their last encounter in the backyard over a week ago, when he was eating the rabbit.

  While she didn’t hear the telltale chirp or squeal from her old friend, she spotted another piece of mango. It was about twenty feet away, left in the middle of the trail. Her feet seemed to move of their own will, as Jess found herself approaching what she had an overwhelming feeling amounted to bait.

  Her anxiety grew when she saw yet another piece, positioned exactly the same way and at a similar distance. Jess glanced back at the barn, then the house where comforting lights were burning in the windows, and then out to the fields where Akuba and the others were. The next piece of mango veered off the main pathway and onto the smaller one that lead to her trail. Their trail, where Jess and Goldie used to spend hours almost every day running and playing.

  Jess walked forward and stepped over the frui
t without bothering to pick it up. She didn’t need the breadcrumbs. She knew where he was taking her, only she didn’t understand why. Although a primal fear she’d only experienced a few times before in her life burned hot in her stomach, Jess had to know. She had to find out what had happened to her monkey, and she was afraid that it might be her only chance to get any answers. She could at least confirm that he was still alive, and if he was still acting weird. Or, if he’d recovered the same as her dad.

  That thought made her step falter, and Jess hesitated.

  A high-pitched chittering called to her from the jungle, less than fifty-feet ahead.

  “Goldie?” Jess tried again. But she already knew it was him. She recognized his unique sounds the same as she would her father or Akuba’s voice.

  The dense canopy of the jungle cast thick shadows over the trail as Jess stepped across its threshold, and that was when she knew it was a mistake. She shouldn’t be there. Not then, and definitely not alone.

  Her emotions were a jumble of opposites as Jess took several steps backwards. It felt like her instincts were pushing her to follow the breadcrumbs Goldie was leaving. Except her gut was screaming at her to stop and run away. It wasn’t right, it didn’t make any sense, and she needed to get as far away from there as she could.

  The bile rising in her throat finally broke through her trance, and Jess swallowed hard as she spun around and started to run. She’d only made it a few steps when she heard the first shriek.

  Skidding to a stop, the hair rose on the back of Jess’s neck and her body went cold. The scream hadn’t come from the jungle. It came from the fields, and it wasn’t a monkey. It was a woman.