The Walking Plague Trilogy Read online

  I considered her request. “Carla’s downstairs making some steaks now. I suppose you can see him when we bring down their food. But Anna, I don’t want you to touch him.”

  “But if he’s getting better—”

  “Until I know for sure this isn’t contagious, you’re not coming into contact with him.”

  “But didn’t you come into contact with him?”

  I had, of course, and it was something I was doing my damndest to ignore. Especially considering that I was feeling worse and worse.

  “Let’s not talk about that now, baby.”

  “Uh, sir?” Jared spoke up. “Is there any more steak left? We haven’t eaten yet.”

  “Of course,” I answered. Where was my head? “Do your parents know where you are?”

  He held up his phone. “They know I’m okay.”

  “Do they know you’re here?”

  He blushed a little. “No, sir. Not really. I told them I was with another friend.” He looked at Anna and blushed some more, then looked at me again. “It seemed too complicated to try to explain. I’m sorry I lied.”

  My thoughts were getting fuzzier and fuzzier. “Don’t you think you should go home? Won’t they want to see you?” My voice drifted. I had lost my train of thought. What the hell was wrong with me?

  “It’s okay,” said Jared. “They work a lot, you know, at the zoo. We hardly see each other anyway.”

  “Jared?”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “You don’t have to call me sir all the time. I appreciate your respect, though. Call me Jack.”

  “Thank you, um, Jack.”

  “Let’s go!” Anna was smiling now. “We’re hungry and I want to see Uncle Joe!”

  “All right, all right. But remember your promise. You can talk, but no touching—and don’t get too close, either. Can I trust you?”

  “Yes, Dad. Geeeez!”

  * * *

  The two infected men sat now, facing each other. They’d been given wet cloths to clean themselves up, toothbrushes and a comb. They’d washed their faces and felt fairly decent. Except for the hunger.

  “So, you told him about the heightened senses?” Mike asked. They were alone in the basement. Their voices echoed, and sometimes they heard critters rustling around in the shadows. Rats. Joe was mildly disturbed that his stomach actually growled when he thought of the rats. They could hear footsteps above, and the sound of someone cooking in the kitchen.

  “Yeah. It is kind of cool, don’t you think?”

  “Hell, yes. I feel better than I’ve ever felt. Like I could take on an army.”

  “Me, too.”

  They had a sort of kindred connection now, these two. Neither knew what to expect next, but whatever happened, they were in this mess together. Joe had briefed Mike on the information that Anna had found on the Internet. They understood that Anna had probably only skimmed the surface of the similar incidents happening around the world. Military communications were separate from Internet news. They knew that. It was clear to both of them that something serious was going down. What they didn’t know—and what wouldn’t come to light for a few days, as more about the infection was understood—was that they were in their most lucid, most intelligent stage of the illness. They, like the others who were infected, had good intentions, despite a growing appetite.

  “We’ve got to get out of here,” Joe said quietly. “My brother cares about me, but I want to get back to the base.”

  Mike wasn’t too sure what he wanted. He understood his precarious position, protected from the Agents at the home of his friend’s brother. What a miracle that was. How they hadn’t been tracked down, he didn’t know. He was sure it was only a matter of time. Mostly, he didn’t want to be a guinea pig for the military.

  “I don’t know about that, man,” he said. “Don’t you think military prison would be worse than this? We’d be poked and prodded every way to Friday. The interrogations...Jesus. It might be better to stay low.”

  Joe Carter regarded his longtime friend. “Mike. I know we’re better. But do you feel, uh, somehow different? Aside from the ‘super power’ feeling?”

  Mike cocked his head to make sure no one was listening from the kitchen door upstairs. “A little. A kind of...craving.”

  As he spoke those words, an image came to Mendoza—an image of what he was craving most—and his stomach growled.

  Perhaps it was courage that kept them from speaking truthfully. Perhaps it was self-protection. Selfishness, maybe. It didn’t matter, though. They didn’t need to say it out loud. They now understood one another. The cravings they felt were only quenched by their hyper-comprehensive minds.

  “Yeah.”

  Joe Carter and Mike Mendoza, both infected 48 hours earlier, were about another 48 hours away from total insanity, but they didn’t know it. They had the craving, yes, but Joe still felt love. For his brother. For his niece. It was a different kind of love. He recognized it, even through his illness.

  He leaned as close as he could to his friend. “If you touch them, I will kill you.”

  “Even the girl?”

  “Especially the girl, goddammit.”

  Mike nodded, hearing his friend. There was a whole world of humans aside from those in this house. For now, he said, “I promise you.” His sincerity seemed genuine, and Joe accepted it.

  Mike was getting to the point where he didn’t care about Joe’s threats. Mike was getting to the point where he didn’t care much about Joe either.

  Fuck him, he thought.

  Joe closed his eyes and focused his mind within. Weighed the situation.

  Mike waited.

  Joe said, “When the time is right, we go.”

  Excitement bloomed on Mike’s face. “All right.”

  “I’m not sure whether we’ll go back to the base or not. You can come with me if you want, or you can go your own way. But you can’t stay here.”

  “I understand, brother,” Mike Mendoza answered truthfully. They were brothers now. Perhaps they were closer than blood, closer than Joe was with Jack. They were comrades with a common but unspoken goal. But Joe’s gut told him he had to watch Mike. After all, Mike had been standing outside of Anna’s room earlier, watching.

  And waiting. And hungry. Very, very hungry.

  And I’m hungry, too, Joe thought. God help me, I’m hungry.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  It happened quickly.

  Stetson was feeling much better, and he was very smart. He knew very well that he was a prime case. He knew that he was being closely monitored. So, he calmly let them take his vital signs and carefully answered all of their questions. Yes, he had heightened senses. Yes, he now craved water and food like a normal person. He ate what they brought him, although it was not nearly enough meat for his hungry new body. He flirted with the nurse. He bonded with the new doctor, and talked about family and children and empathized with the tremendous stress that the doctor was under.

  Stetson made subtle inquiries about the Agent in Black, the man he’d bitten in a fit of rage. He knew that the Agent in Black had ordered him killed, and that he, Stetson, had resisted the deadly cocktail. Stetson knew it was only a matter of time before another attempt was made on his life...one that Stetson might not ward off this time. One that might finally kill him.

  The scientist in him was intrigued by the possibilities of his powerful new body. But the scientist had taken a distant back seat to the Hunger, as he now thought of it.

  The overwhelming hunger...

  And the need to preserve his own life.

  So, when PA Cheryl Parker came in to give him his meds and take his vitals yet again, Stetson decided that now was the time to make his move.

  “How are we feeling now, David?” Cheryl’s voice was a combination of cheerfulness and professionalism.

  “About the same,” Stetson answered. “I’m hungry again.”

  Cheryl chuckled. “That’s a good sign. Anything in particular you’d like?
”

  David Stetson would have liked nothing better than fresh meat. Human meat. It didn’t seem strange to him now. It was just the way he was.

  Yes, just the way I am. The new me. The powerful new me.

  But he lied, of course. “Anything and everything. I just want to get better, you know?”

  PA Cheryl nodded and checked his chart. “Well, it looks like you can have a regular diet again. I’ll see if I can get you something special from the cafeteria.”

  “Thank you, Cheryl.”

  PA Cheryl Parker entered notes on the computer. Stetson was still handcuffed to his hospital bed. He knew he had the power to break them, but he thought there was an easier way.

  She turned to go, but David stopped her. “Cheryl?”

  “Yes?” She faced him again.

  “I hate to bother you, but...”

  “What? What is it?”

  David Stetson glanced sheepishly down to his handcuffs. “It’s not really a big deal. But my wrist is chafed. Can you just look at it?”

  “Well, that’s not good,” said PA Cheryl as she knelt down to take a look.

  David Stetson, CREW scientist and top clearance Agent, grabbed her jaw and held it with his left cuffed hand. He tore his right hand from its clasp and reached over to choke her.

  PA Cheryl looked up at him in pain and surprise as her jaw snapped. Terror and panic changed her expression from disbelief to panic when he grasped her neck. She struggled a minute or more, but he was strong now. So strong. He held her neck, squeezing harder and harder, until she quit struggling.

  David Stetson’s amplified strength allowed him to lift her limp body on top of him. He wanted to feed, yes. But he couldn’t afford it now. He searched her pockets and found the keys to his freedom.

  * * *

  Moments later, Stetson emerged from his room dressed as a janitor. The guards outside nodded to him. Janitors often came and went; the guards didn’t keep track of them. They were assigned to watch Stetson, after all. Not janitors. David Stetson used PA Cheryl’s smock to carry an array of blood vials. They let him pass.

  * * *

  Stetson slipped silently up to one of the two guards stationed outside the Agent in Black’s office/hospital room. He’d commandeered a fire extinguisher from a hallway and, without hesitation, brought it down hard at the back of the guard’s head. Fully utilizing his heightened reflexes, he simultaneously pulled the guard’s semi-automatic from his hip holster, and before the second guard could turn around, David Stetson shot him behind his right ear.

  * * *

  Dr. Robert Kaplan heard the commotion.

  He panicked and ignored protocol. The Agent in Black was extremely ill, yes, but Kaplan took it upon himself to open the office door.

  Mercifully, Kaplan died instantaneously from the bullet Stetson put between his eyes.

  The infected scientist knew there was no time to waste. He crossed the room, lifted the Agent in Black onto his shoulders, and jumped through the office window.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  We were in the basement.

  I watched as my brother and friend devoured two heaping plates of top sirloin, hash browns, eggs and toast. Jared and Anna weren’t too far behind, wolfing theirs down as well. Just one big, freaky family eating in the basement with two of its guests handcuffed to support beams.

  I even sat down in the cellar and enjoyed Carla’s great breakfast. Until now, I hadn’t realized just how hungry I was.

  Anna sat at the bottom of the stairs, peppering her Uncle Joe and Mike with questions about their well-being. Carla and I listened carefully to their answers, but the two Navy men revealed little. Yes, they were feeling better. Yes, they felt a little weird still, but also super alive. Mike let it slip that he felt stronger than ever, which I should have taken as a good sign, but for some reason, it didn’t sit well with me. Mostly because, a few hours ago he didn’t look fine. He looked murderous.

  When Anna was satisfied about their well-being, she started in with a discussion of the space rock. I was pretty sure they told her the truth. Their story was wild, yes, but it made sense.

  After breakfast, Carla and I coordinated a trip to the showers for the two LCs. They were filthy, and it was the least we could do. Anna couldn’t watch as we took them back to the cellar, but she blew her uncle a kiss and he caught it, smiling.

  I decided that I’d missed enough work. I certainly didn’t feel like working, but I kept my sickness to myself, for now. Also, I knew that someone would put two-and-two together if Anna and Jared didn’t soon show up at the zoo where they both worked and studied.

  I promised my brother I’d be back in a few hours, and with more food. He smiled, I thought, a bit too cheerily. Either way, I felt like crap leaving them down there in the basement.

  He still wasn’t right. Something was off. I had to be sure he was safe.

  Worst brother ever, I thought, as I locked up the house.

  Since Carla’s personal car was parked a few blocks away, we parted ways at the driveway, and Anna, Jared and I would hike back up to the observatory. I was tempted to give Carla a hug, but two things stopped me: one, my own awkwardness in front of my daughter, and, two, the fact that I wasn’t feeling well.

  After all, whatever I had, I didn’t want to give it to Carla.

  * * *

  The morning was cool and sunny.

  Almost too sunny. I averted my eyes, wishing I had remembered to grab my sunglasses. Birds filled the surrounding trees, twittering loudly. A strong scent of juniper filled the air. I loved juniper. As we hiked, we went over our story should anyone ask. We were all getting over some kind of bug. In a way, this was the truth. Anna agreed not to talk with any more government agents if any approached. She promised to stay with Brice or any one of the other zoo employees, even while doing her homework.

  * * *

  It was a busy day for everyone.

  Carla was emotionally exhausted, but thankful that she had a day shift. She had a feeling she’d be at Jack Carter’s that night. Despite the crazy circumstances, he was growing on her. Big time.

  Anna had some work to do at the zoo. She really wanted to go to the observatory, but she’d been given the responsibility of cleaning some of the snakes’ environments. She loved snakes, although Jared did not. He’d gone home to shower and change, making her promise him not to do anything stupid. For once, she kept her promise.

  It was a good thing for her that she did.

  * * *

  I worked a long day inspecting various grounds at both the zoo and the observatory. I also took the time to check my simple living quarters at both places. Both places seemed undisturbed. But that really didn’t mean anything, did it? Not when you were dealing with elite government agents.

  Mostly, I felt watched. Maybe it was paranoia, or lack of sleep, or both. I was also feeling progressively worse, and it was all I could do to finish my shift.

  I ate ravenously, despite my sickness. It may have been paranoia, too, that cautioned me to use cash. People were tracked all the time by credit card usage, weren’t they?

  * * *

  Joe and Mike had waited just long enough for everyone to leave the house in Los Feliz. Then Joe pulled a couple of bobby pins out of his pocket that he’d swiped while showering. Years ago, he’d studied to be a locksmith before joining the military. As Joe liked to tell people: there were no locked doors. At least, not with him around. Five minutes later, sweat dripping from his brow, the handcuffs snapped off.

  He did the same for Mike, and the two were gone before Lieutenant Commander Joseph Carter’s older brother came back to check on them.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  I left my truck at the observatory and hiked down.

  Yes, I liked hiking down from the observatory. It cleared my head after a long day of work. And it wasn’t so far that it was exhausting, but it was just long enough to unwind and enjoy nature. I was a park ranger for a reason. I loved being outdoors, imm
ersing myself in the natural world. Except the hike now seemed to take longer than usual. At one point, I actually thought I was lost.

  Lost? On trails I had hiked for years?

  Anyway, when I got home, the cellar was empty, and the handcuffs were scattered on the ground. They’d been opened. Next to them, I saw the twisted bobby pin.

  Joseph, of course. Shit.

  Holding my gun with both hands, I worked my way through my house, checking rooms. But they were gone—probably long gone.

  God, I was tired. I had to think logically, clearly. I poured about a third of a cup of instant coffee into a mug of water. I drank it down and forced it to stay down. If the coffee didn’t do the trick, nothing legal would.

  Anna would be devastated. I paced in my kitchen, feeling like shit, and feeling stupid that my brother had duped me. Then again, what had I expected? I’d locked him up like a goddamn criminal.

  I continued pacing, running my hand through my hair. I felt awful, worse than I had in some time.

  Where had my brother gone? We were in the hills of Los Feliz, just a hop, skip and jump from Los Angeles. They could be anywhere.

  And they were infected. They were still sick.

  My every instinct told me they’d put on a show for me. Christ, I was an idiot. Meanwhile, I wasn’t thinking straight myself. They needed help, except I hadn’t figured out how to help them. No one had found an antidote, not yet anyway. Not from the reports I was hearing.

  And they were wanted.

  Yes, it had been better to keep them on the down low. Maybe they could ride out the sickness. Maybe all of this would blow over.

  Or maybe the world was going to hell in a hand basket.

  It was late evening. I’d had a long day. I would have been tired anyway. Today, I’d found a pot farm in the back woods, which we were going to wipe clean later in the week. I’d also found a dead deer. It had been thoroughly mangled, and that had concerned me. It had been torn from limb to limb, and eaten. In particular, something had cracked its skull open, and eaten its...