Omega Virus (Book 1): Beta Hour (26 page)

“Dammit
Dave, why did you have to be right?” Jeff groaned.

Dave
shook his head. “I told you, it's a trap! It's always a trap!”

LEVEL 33 – HARDLINE

“Well kiddies,
it's time to go!” Wesley sang as he jumped into the SUV.

He
didn't need to tell any of us twice. A blaring siren could only mean trouble.
We piled in, and I took the passenger seat.

Wesley
put the car in drive, and the tires squealed as we were off
;
the siren still singing its song of doom.

“What’s
going on?” Jessie asked with a shaky voice.

I
kept my eyes on the road ahead. “Let's not find out.”

Despite
the direness of our situation, Dave ripped open the nacho container and went to
work. In between bites, he said, “I think I know what it is!”

Jeff
sighed. “No, Dave. It’s not because you stole food.”

“I
prefer the term bootlegged,” Dave said smugly.

“That
doesn't even make sense,” Jessie said.

The
wailing continued as I looked around. I expected a dangerous new threat to come
barreling out of every alley, but as we went no such thing happened. Still, I
didn't like the
fog horn
siren.

As
we passed by a few businesses, Jeff pointed to the buildings. “Do you see that?”

The
lights inside were flickering madly.

“What
the heck does it mean?” I asked.

“It’s
a trap,” Wesley said.

“See?
See?” Dave mumbled. “I told you!”

“What
do you mean?” Jessie asked.

“Look
closer,” Wesley told us.

I
peered out the window and then spied an electrical spark jolting off of a door
handle.

“Why
would they electrify doors?” I asked, confused.

“Maybe
it’s a timed thing? Some kind of curfew!” Dave suggested.

“What
time is it?” I spied the dashboard clock. “8:30.”

“Good
to know,” Jeff said. “So we avoid the doors at that hour.”

“We
won’t be here that long.” I hoped aloud.

“What
if we can secure this place?” Jessie asked. “It’s so nice here otherwise.”

In
the distance, we could see the beach on the Gulf of Mexico. What a sight to
see. I'd never actually seen it before.

Jeff
leaned forward. “Jessie’s right. We can have a home here.”

“I
don’t plan on sticking around.” Wesley shrugged. “Once we get rid of Grandson
there's more to do.”

“What
do you mean?” Dave asked. “Won’t it be over once we take care of G.O.D. Mode?”

“It’s
a group,” Wesley said. “An entire family of psychopaths.”

I
spoke up. “I saw them. Not their faces except for Grandson's. When I snuck into
the base, I saw five people sitting around a table all dressed in black hooded
cloaks. Another person was on the other end of the conference call.”

“Six?”
Wesley asked. “Should've been one more.”

“Seven?”
I opened my mouth to say, but the siren cut off and Wesley stopped the car.

I
looked out to see a stone building surrounded by more walls. A machine gun
turret sat on each corner.

“Maybe
someone should stay out here and keep watch?” I asked.

“I
will if you give me a flamethrower!” Dave lifted his hand.

Wesley
chuckled and opened the car door. He looked at me as if I were an idiot. “Worried
about grand theft auto?”

“No!”
I said. “But if Corpses come—”

“And
everyone did vanish, so I'd wager something is lurking here,” Jeff added.

“It
was a joke.” Wesley rolled his eyes. “Lighten up. This is the barracks, so come
on!”

“He’s
got a point.” Jessie agreed. “There are turrets on each side of the building.
We can handle anything.”

“Point
taken.” Jeff pushed his door open.

As
we got out, I looked the barracks up and down. A staircase led up to two iron
doors, and small slitted windows were carved into the wall.

“You
think anyone’s in there?” Dave asked.

“No,”
Jeff replied. “Or you would have taken an arrow to the knee.”

“And
you told me to cut out those jokes.”

“There’s
a time and place.” Jeff chuckled.

Wesley
walked up the stairs. “Shut up, stooges.”

“There
are only two of us!” Dave argued.

Wesley
laughed. “Three including Zach.”

“Who
does that make me?” Jessie screwed up her face.

“Betty
Boop
.” Wesley shrugged.

“That
was easy,” Jeff said as Wesley pushed open the doors.

“Almost...
too easy,” Dave added.

Wesley
sighed. “Zach, how do you put up with these guys?”

“I’m
still getting used to them.” I shrugged.

We
all entered and closed the doors behind us. Inside the building we didn't find
much, not even any furniture; only a map of Rockport decorated a single wall,
and another door leading presumably outside to the walls. Wesley leaned in
close, examining the map.

“See
anything useful?” I asked.

“Not
yet.”

Jeff
pulled open the only other door, and daylight poured in.

“What’s
out there?” Jessie asked.

“Not
much.”

“Something
is strange about this place too,” I said.

“Yeah,
there’s nothing here,” Jeff said. “Outside there's just an empty yard.”

“Oh
well.” I shrugged. “Let’s go.”

A
sudden, annoying itch ran up and down my arm. I scratched it without paying
much attention, but then it started itching again. I dug my nails in
;
scratching harder.

“Got
fleas?” Wesley eyed me.

“No,”
I asked. “Why?”

“You’re
distracting me.” He said.

Jeff
walked up to the wall with the map and tore it down to find a hole in the wall.
“Aha! A missing brick.”

Before
I could comment, I started feeling really cold, as if I had jumped into a
freezing pool. I rubbed my arms, but when I touched my skin, it felt burning
hot. I didn’t feel weak, or out of it; nothing like Jessie’s spells. But the
time grew ever nearer, and I knew it.

“I
guess I gotta stick my hand in the hole in the wall,” Jeff muttered.

“It’ll
cut your hand off,” Dave said, matter-of-factly.

“You’re
a bastard!” Jeff sounded annoyed. “I should make you put your hand in there.”

“You
two need to quit bitching.” Wesley walked over and shoved his hand in the hole.

A
loud click followed, and the floor vanished, replaced by a glowing white light.
We all looked down to see we stood on a large computer screen.

“Leon?”
I asked.

“Yes.”
The computerized voice answered. “This is the AI unit codenamed Leon.”

“It’s
me, Zachary Mastiff,” I said.

Everyone’s
eyes watched the floor as an image of me appeared. It started out as
a 2D
but then rose up into the air, forming into a 3D
hologram.

“Zachary.”
Leon said. “I have recognized your DNA pattern. Have you forgotten something?
You returned so soon.”

“Returned?”
I cocked an eyebrow. “This is my first time here.”

“Negative,
sir,” it said. “You were here twenty minutes ago. You left after firing a
missile at an incoming helicopter.”

Everyone
stared at me; Wesley didn't look shocked.

“It
had to be Grandson,” I said.

“But
you can’t have the same DNA!” Jessie argued. “That would mean your identical
twins.”

“Correction,
madam.” Leon said. “There are more ways to have the same DNA.”

“How?”
I asked.

“Permission
not authorized,” Leon replied.

“Again?”
I grew frustrated. “Where are the citizens of Rockport?”

“You’ve
been shipping them to the Gulf Base.” Leon said. “For processing.”

Jessie
gasped, and covered her mouth. “Zach, ask what happened to them!”

So
I did. “What happens to them once they’re at the base?”

“Permission
not authorized.”

I
cursed loudly.

“You
gave me the orders to not tell you anything else.” Leon said.

Grandson
had impersonated me and tricked Leon into thinking we were the same person. We
also apparently had the same DNA. But what could that mean?

“What
about the G.O.D. Report Part 2?” I asked. “Can you play it?”

“No,
sir,” Leon answered.

“Why?”

“You
took the G.O.D. Report Part 2 with you when you left, then deleted the backup
files,” it said. “If you bring it back here, I can play it for you.”

I
clenched my fists. How had he known about the report? So that meant we had to
come back to Rockport after taking care of Grandson.

“Tell
me who Beauregard is in relation to me!” I shouted.

“Permission
not granted,” Leon said again.

“Okay,
I’m pissed.” I swung a fist at the air.

“Zach,
calm down,” Jessie said. “There’s nothing we can do.”

“Leon.”
Wesley cut in. “Do you recognize Wesley James?”

The
AI unit buzzed, and the floor flipped through images.

“Affirmative.”
A 3D hologram of Wesley popped up in the middle of the room next to mine. It
wore the trench coat and the zombie-killing fedora, complete with the red
feather.

“Can
you tell me where Zach went?” He asked.

“Affirmative.
He went to the Gulf Base.” Leon said.

“And
he has the G.O.D. Report?”

“Affirmative.”

I
nodded to Wesley. “Beauregard.”

“Tell
me who Beauregard is,” Wesley asked.

“Beauregard
White.” the AI said, and images began flipping through on the floor. A moment
later in the center of the room stood a 3D hologram of a heavyset man in a
white lab coat. He had puffy white hair and a huge white beard.

“He
looks familiar,” I whispered. Something about him seemed to tug at the back of
my mind. I'd seen him somewhere before, but where?

Wesley
looked at me. “Are you sure you want to go further with this? Who knows what
there is to tell about this guy.”

Did
he know something?

“I'm
ready to hear anything,” I said.

Wesley
spoke. “All information on Beauregard.”

The
AI hummed and then began to speak.

“Beauregard
White. He's a Virologist and Quantum Physics engineer.

Beauregard
has participated in many of the top secret experiments performed around the
world. He's responsible for creating the vaccine for the Omega Virus. His
whereabouts are currently known.”

“Can
you tell us how to make the vaccine?” I asked.

“Permission
not granted.” Leon said. “Attempted voice recognitions have exceeded the
maximum limit. Shutting down.”

“Wait!”
I cried as the screen fizzled back to the image of the stone floor.

Wesley
looked at me and shook his head. “You blew it. But why are you so interested in
the vaccine again? None of us are infected.”

I
shrugged. “It’s useful. You know in case one of us get bit or something.”

Wesley
slowly nodded his head but looked me up and down.

“We
didn’t really get anything out of the stupid computer,” Dave said. “Can we go?”
Jessie asked.

“Let’s
try again?” I asked. “Maybe we can wait twenty minutes and make another attempt!
Isn’t that how these things work?”

Wesley
walked past me towards the exit.

“You
were in such a hurry,” Wesley said. “Now you want to stay. You’re right. We
don’t have the time.”

A
sinking feeling told me that Wesley had found me out.

“Let’s
go,” I said. “Once we finish off Grandson, we’ll get our answers.”

Jessie
came up and wrapped her arms around me. She let go instantly and whispered. “Do
you have a fever?”

I
shook my head quickly. “I just feel a little under the weather.”

“Are
you sure you’re okay?” Jessie's eyes grew concerned.

“Y-yes,”
I said. “100%!”

Wesley
reached for the door just as the long wail of the siren started again.

“Crap!”
He snatched back his hand; electricity flowed through the handle.

“Maybe
the yard?” I suggested. “Can we get out there?”

“There’s
nothing out there,” Jeff argued.

The
second door's handle didn’t look to be electrified. With a deep breath, I
grabbed and pulled it open. Outside we found a large yard, but the tall
stone walls
were blocking our escape. Anger simmered inside;
I'd grown tired of being trapped. Outside, a ladder climbed up to the top of
the walls. I heard a heavy sound.
Like the groaning of
Corpses, but much
much
deeper and stronger.
I
swallowed hard.