The Walking Plague Trilogy Read online

  “Lieutenant commanders are never completely off-duty.”

  Joe Carter remembered that he was supposed to be on leave. “I know. It was a mistake.”

  “So, what did it look like?”

  Joe looked longingly at the water. He lit a cigarette instead. He raised his bloodshot eyes to the Agent in Black. “It looked like a sphere, I told you. About the size of a football...” Joe trailed off. No, that wasn’t right.

  “A football?” The Agent in Black was right on it.

  “No, that’s not what I meant.” Joe Carter’s brain felt like jelly. He felt truly ill. He frowned. He concentrated. “A basketball. I meant it was the size of a basketball.”

  “You just said football. Which was it?”

  “A basketball. It was round. I got my words mixed up. I’m sorry.”

  The Agent in Black regarded his detainee, for a detainee was exactly what Lieutenant Commander Joseph Carter was. For the moment, anyhow. The Agent in Black studied the man below him, and figured the man was either withholding information, or was coming down with something. Or hung-over, which the agent doubted. After all, Carter had been under surveillance for the last forty-three hours, ever since “The Incident.”

  In fact, both Lieutenant Commanders Joseph Carter and Mike Mendoza had been watched closely—followed, even, from San Diego to Seal Beach. The Agent in Black was slightly surprised that they hadn’t been aware of it. At least, they hadn’t given any indication of knowing that they were being tailed, other than nearly missing their freeway exit.

  The agent sipped his coffee, and glanced at Carter’s untouched water. “You thirsty?” he asked.

  “No.”

  Silence.

  “What did you do when you reached the fallen object?”

  Carter sighed. “Like I said, we got to it and...we looked around to see where it came from. It just fell out of the sky. We didn’t see any aircraft, and no, the wind wasn’t blowing, and no, the thing wasn’t hot, and yes, it looked like a round rock. Gray in color, but that impression might have been due to the moonlight.”

  While the agent watched him closely, the lieutenant commander stood and crossed over to the room’s only window. The guards watched him closely, too. Carter tried to close the blinds just a little more, but couldn’t seem to make the damn things work. Blast it! The light was just too damn bright.

  “What happened next?” the agent calmly asked.

  Frustrated, Carter gave up and faced the Agent in Black. “I...I don’t remember. Wait. Yes, I bent down to touch it. I know, I know, I know I wasn’t supposed to. I was just so curious, you know? So, I touched it. I’m sorry. I touched it and a piece broke off in my hand. I showed it to Mike.”

  “Lieutenant Commander Mendoza?”

  “Yes.”

  “And he touched it, too?”

  “Yes.”

  “And that’s when you decided it might be time to report the incident?”

  “Yes. I called my commanding officer from my cell phone.” But you dicks showed up first, Joe thought to himself. Aloud, he said, “You know the drill from there.”

  The Agent in Black knew. His CREW had tracked several such “Incidents.” Over the past two days, small objects had landed on various military sites worldwide. The CREW was on the spot in most locations before anyone else. Lieutenant Commanders Carter and Mendoza were two of the six in the world who’d seen the landings firsthand. As well as these two LCs, three witnesses in Mexico City and one in Istanbul were being interrogated.

  There was a knock on the door.

  “Excuse me.” The Agent in Black left Carter with his own thoughts.

  Carter and Mendoza got a glimpse of the goon in the hallway and exchanged glances before the door closed.

  In the hall, the agent met with what could have been his clone. “You get anything?” he asked.

  “Not much. Same story.”

  The Agent in Black nodded. These two unfortunate LCs knew next to nothing. Neither had top-secret clearance. Even if they had, they wouldn’t have had any access to The CREW’s intelligence information. “What should we do with them?”

  The clone spoke. “They don’t know anything.”

  “They’ve seen the crash.”

  The clone nodded. “True, but they aren’t aware of anything else.”

  The Agent in Black’s first priority was to contain this information. No matter what.

  The clone read his mind. “Any additional attention to this could be catastrophic.”

  The Agent in Black nodded and considered the whole picture. These two had spotless records. Obviously, they were potential “lifers” for the Navy. Containment of these events also meant silence. The Agent in Black had the authority to lock them up. Hell, he had the authority to make them disappear, too. Few knew the agent’s real name, and he liked it that way. He was known simply as the Agent in Black, a name that struck fear in those he crossed paths with. Fear was a good thing in his line of business. He and his CREW were above Top Secret; that is, they didn’t officially exist. Indeed, few knew of the CREW’s existence, including the president. A cabal of intelligence leaders had created the CREW, along with other shadow agencies, to clean up messes just like this one.

  And it’s a helluva mess, thought the Agent in Black.

  But their disappearance would attract attention. Families didn’t need to know, but military colleagues would wonder, even in private. Besides, both men looked ill. Additionally, both men were supposed to be on leave.

  He sighed and made his first mistake. His biggest mistake. “Have them sign a confidentiality agreement. Then they can go.”

  The clone hid his disagreement. He would never contradict his superior. Or so he thought at the time. “I’ll draw up the papers.”

  Chapter Three

  Anna Carter focused her left eye into the great telescope atop the Griffith Observatory. Her right eye, trained over the last year, phased out as she scrutinized the night sky. Her hands automatically found their way to the attached laptop, adjusting the lens.

  Nothing else existed for Anna in this moment except for the view into another galaxy. She didn’t feel the chilled night air, and she didn’t hear the music blasting from her iPod. She connected with the dark matter, billions of miles away—and tried to shrug off the fog coming up the hills of Los Feliz.

  Out of frustration, she’d kept herself away for nearly two weeks. The astronomical changes were so slight that they couldn’t be tracked every day. Now, she gasped at the dark matter’s miniscule structural development. Pen in hand, she took notes.

  Anna knew she had it pretty good compared to most kids, but her project at the Griffith Observatory meant more to her than almost anything else. Her time was usually divided between home school, working with her father at the Los Angeles Zoo, and here at the observatory.

  Recently, she’d made a few friends her own age. Her father didn’t like it, she knew. He’d been particularly alarmed that one of her new friends was a boy. He constantly immersed Anna in conversations of “getting older” and making “good choices.” Anna took it all in with the normal impatience of a fourteen year old. She was getting pretty good at rolling her eyes.

  These thoughts flickered in and out of her concentration as she alternately entered data on the laptop and took hand notes. The dark matter she’d been tracking over the last six months was changing in both size and shape. She knew they were changes that only a handful of people on Earth would be able to discern. Few public telescopes equaled the observatory’s strength.

  Her stomach rumbled; this she did notice but chose to ignore it. Just a few minutes more, that was all she wanted. She didn’t really need more time. Her data was recorded, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sky view.

  A tap on the shoulder made her jump, the celestial connection suddenly severed as a hand tugged on her earphones.

  “Daddy!”

  Jack Carter’s heart skipped a beat. Anna hardly ever called him “Daddy” an
ymore. Now, it was merely “Dad.” He tried to relish the moment but ruined it instead. “Do you know how long you’ve been up here?” It wasn’t a question. Her surprise changed to defense as he continued. “And why don’t you answer your phone? I’ve been calling you.”

  Anna glanced down at her notes. “Sorry, Dad. I was listening to music.”

  Jack put his worry behind him. Let it go. He wanted peace. Sparks flew between them too often now.

  He smiled and handed Anna her jacket. “Got a surprise for you.”

  Anna attempted a smile. What now? Popcorn and a movie? With Dad? Borrring. She said, “What’s up?”

  Jack ignored this irritating lingo. “Your uncle called. He’s probably at the house now. I thought we’d go out. Want to tag along?”

  “Uncle Joe’s here?” Anna’s face brightened. Her uncle was more like an older brother. Anna always loved his visits, but she seldom saw him now that he’d become a lieutenant commander. “Sure,” she said, hopping down from her post.

  “He’s got a friend with him,” Jack announced.

  “That’s okay.”

  “I’ve got a couple of rounds to make before heading home. You want a ride?”

  They descended the short stairway to the roof. Anna glanced out at the fog and shivered. She did want a ride but... “No, thanks. I’ve got to synch this data. It won’t take long.”

  Jack Carter almost insisted. If they hadn’t caught that cougar, he would have. He fought the impulse. He had to let her grow up. They descended the stairs and entered the building. Anna headed for the back offices, Jack for the front door. “Okay, then. See you at home in about an hour?”

  Anna forced her mind off the thickening fog. It’s just fog, she reminded herself. She smiled brightly at her father, perhaps a little too brightly and a little too forced. “I’ll be careful. I’ll hold my cell in my hand.” She reached up and kissed his cheek. “See you soon.”

  * * *

  Anna let herself out of the observatory’s back door and sniffed the air.

  Fog covered the grounds just below the large building. She thought it was strange how the fog crept up the hills and surrounded the observatory, but never rose further. She looked around. The fog spread through the grounds, but left the grand building alone. Standing at the top of the stairs that led to the lawns she could no longer see, Anna glanced up at the clear sky above her, the stars and moon, and then down at the mist that blanketed the Los Feliz neighborhood and most of Los Angeles.

  She loved the night view of the City of Angels when it was clear. It reminded her of Christmas lights, a metropolis of lights to delight anyone lucky enough to see them.

  But when it was foggy like this, there was no view. Only fog. Clouds, she supposed. A layer of mist was just a few steps down. Anna felt as if she were floating in the sky on these nights. She was safe as long as she stayed up here.

  She took a deep breath and took the first step down into the thick mist.

  It was darker than she’d anticipated. Anna glanced at the time on her cell, then quickened her pace. The hike down to their home just above Los Feliz seemed to take longer than normal. She should have taken the main route, but this way was shorter. The little-known trail cut the trek by almost a half-mile.

  Still, it was darker than she’d anticipated. And quieter than she remembered. Anna could hear her breath. She moved silently, but her footsteps sounded loud to her. A twig snapped nearby. Just a squirrel. Right? She checked her cell phone again, this time to ensure that she had reception.

  Anna had one secret that she’d kept from everyone. It was dumb, really, but she was afraid of fog. A stupid fear. She knew fog didn’t change anything. Every tree, rock and path was the same, clear or foggy. Still, Anna likened this fear to swimming in the ocean. Not being able to see what was moving around underneath her scared her. It didn’t mean anything. That’s what she usually told herself.

  This fog, however, was becoming seriously dense. She tried to shake off her growing anxiety. Anna knew that she only had about fifteen more minutes of fog, and then she would be under it and come onto the main road where there were houses.

  Her heart was beating fast, though, and she was only fourteen. Anna imagined she was being followed. She stopped abruptly to listen. Nothing. She held her breath, invisible on the steep trail. At the edge of her peripheral vision, she caught another movement off to her right. Anna looked, even though she could not see.

  There it was again. A little closer. Anna’s brain knew it was a raccoon or perhaps a deer. But in her mind’s eye, she could see long, cold, slimy arms reaching out to grab her ankle or maybe even her hair.

  Arms reaching slowly though the mist.

  Arms waiting for her.

  Arms grabbing for her.

  Despite herself, Anna yelped and took off running.

  Chapter Four

  Joe strode to the car and Mike hurried to keep pace.

  After a total of six hours of questioning, plus the two hours driving from San Diego, he was exhausted. He and Mendoza had signed the confidentiality, top-secret papers without even reading them. He wanted to get the hell out of there, if only to have the privacy to vomit. They beat feet before the Agent in Black changed his mind.

  In the car, Mike cranked up the air conditioner.

  Joe forced his foot to ease up on the gas pedal until they exited the base. He drove to a local taco place and parked. He really felt like shit. Every bone and muscle in his body ached. He realized that he’d forgotten to go see a doctor and ask for antibiotics. He tried to think straight, concentrate. He took off his shades and winced as he eyed himself in the rearview mirror. He frowned at the reflection. He was pale, his lips chapped, his eyes bloodshot.

  Mendoza was dozing already. Joe nudged him. “Take off your shades,” he said.

  Despite the warm day, Mendoza shuddered. “Why?”

  “Do your eyes look like mine?” Joe asked.

  Mendoza reluctantly removed his sunglasses and the two regarded one another.

  “I guess so,” Joe said, answering his own question. “How do you feel?”

  “Like my stomach is full of worms or something, man. And I’m fuckin’ tired.”

  “And thirsty?”

  “Yeah, but I can’t drink anything, or I’ll vomit. Not even a beer.”

  “We were damned lucky to get out of there,” Joe said.

  “No shit.”

  “I mean, if you went through what I did, something big must be going on.”

  Mendoza nodded, then looked like he was going to puke. He opened the car door. Put his shades on again and bent over. Retched. His stomach emptied quickly.

  Joe tried to think straight. Whatever they’d found the other night was big. It was important, so important that he doubted anyone knew exactly how to respond. He knew very well that he and Mendoza could have been locked up, just to keep them quiet. Joe guessed rightly that the Agent in Black and his Clone had made the least conspicuous choice by letting them go. He also felt they were being followed. Was the car bugged?

  Joe held his hand low and signaled for Mendoza to stay quiet. No one watching could have seen this. “Let’s try to eat,” he said, motioning for Mendoza to bring his small duffel bag and cell phone. “Let’s wash up, eat, and find a place to stay.”

  * * *

  AWOL.

  An hour later, Lieutenant Commanders Joseph Carter and Michael Mendoza sped up the 605 Freeway. They’d changed into civilian clothing and hotwired a nearby car. Joe knew these actions were serious offenses, but he wasn’t thinking totally straight. He didn’t think the Agent in Black had caught on, but one could never be too careful.

  “So, why are we doing this?” Mendoza asked again.

  “I think we’re in trouble, either way. I don’t want to be locked up. We may never get out.”

  “That thing from the sky. What the hell was it?”

  “I don’t know, but I think it’s making us sick.”

  “Sick,” Mendoza
echoed.

  Joe was a good driver, which was a good thing. The light traffic helped. Joe kept careful watch; he really didn’t think they were being followed. Much as he hated to, though, he did zig-zag across the Los Angeles freeways for a while before entering the Los Feliz area.

  “Where we going again?” Mike’s voice was weak.

  “My brother’s.”

  “And why, again? Sorry, hermano, I can’t think straight.”

  “We agreed that we don’t want to be locked up. Something is happening.”

  “That meteor.”

  “Right.”

  “We fucked up by touching it.”

  “I suppose so.”

  “Are we...infected or something?”

  Joe paused. “I think so.” Finally, he exited the 5 Freeway. It took all of his concentration to maneuver through traffic. “I don’t think we’re contagious.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Our interrogators didn’t wear masks.”

  Chapter Five

  I was making dinner when Joe arrived.

  I’d made my rounds at the observatory. Around this time of year, when night came early, Goths, troublemakers, and a few gang members always frequented the place—part of my job was to work with the police to keep these punks in line.

  I was a little disappointed that Carla wasn’t on duty. She was a great cop. Smart, intuitive. Someday, she’d probably wind up as a detective. More than that, she was a little flirt. As I sautéed onions and garlic for my killer spaghetti, I wondered if she flashed that sexy smile for everyone or just for me. I hadn’t dated much since the divorce. Being a single dad came with more responsibilities than I’d ever imagined. But I wouldn’t trade raising Anna for anything.

  I frowned a little. Anna was getting older. I knew she was making friends, mostly at the zoo. Some of those friends were boys. I blew a deep breath as I mixed spicy Italian sausage into the pan and checked the pot of water for the pasta. It was inevitable, I knew. Growing up. I thought about the hell I’d put my own parents through. At least I was savvy enough to keep Anna safe and in line. I hoped so.