Apocalypse Empire (Book 1): Apocalypse Origins (14 page)

"True," Jackson said as he chuckled.

"Should we clean the dishes?"

"No point," Jackson said as he shook his head.
"We'll probably move on tomorrow. Our best bet is still to get out of the
city."

"Alright. It's really nice here though."

Jackson nodded. "It is. But the city isn't safe. And
we'd run out of food eventually."

Shirley nodded. "What's next then?"

"I'll take the rest of the meat out of the freezer and
cook it in the morning. After that, maybe we hit a few houses nearby for
supplies."

"What about Rick's Sporting Goods. I thought we were
going to go there."

"We still can but we won't be getting first pick at
this point. We were in the shelter for three days right?

Shirley thought for a moment. "Yeah, today's Thursday
and this all started on Monday. So yeah, three days."

"Alright, we've been down there three days. Other
people may have already grabbed anything worth taking."

"Alright, that makes sense."

Jackson nodded. "Okay, I'm thinking it's time to get
some rest. I'd like to get all that done tomorrow. We also need to find a
car."

Shirley nodded as they left the table and headed upstairs.
Jackson picked one of the bedrooms and headed inside. Shirley stood outside his
door and thought for a moment. She wondered if she should go in there. Jackson
was keeping her safe and she wanted to make sure he was motivated to keep doing
that. She entered Jackson's room a few minutes later and crept towards his bed.

"What are you doing?" he asked before she'd taken
more than a few steps.

"What's it look like I'm doing?" she asked as she
struck what she thought was a seductive pose.

Jackson sat up, there was just enough light from outside for
him to see her in all her glory. "You're naked."

"Well...yeah, that usually helps facilitate the
process."

Jackson chuckled. "Okay, true but that's not what I
meant. I meant, why are you naked?"

"Well I was planning on getting in bed with you,"
Shirley said suddenly uncertain. Was he not attracted to her? Had she been
reading all the signs wrong? What about all the flirting? And that kiss? That
couldn't have been just to piss Jeremy off could it?

"I'm not Jeremy," Jackson said.

"I know that," Shirley said. "Why would you
even say that?"

"Because maybe you seem to think you owe me something.
You don't. I’ll keep you safe because I'm a fairly decent human being that
protects the people he cares about. You don't have to do anything to earn my
protection."

"You don't want me?" she asked. "I
thought...why have you been flirting with me if you don't like me? And that
kiss earlier? What was that about?"

"Yes, I want you," Jackson replied, "but not
like this. Let me ask you a question. Are you in here because you want to be,
or because you think this is what you need to do to keep yourself safe?"

Shirley thought for a moment. She was attracted to Jackson.
She had been for a while if she was going to be completely honest with herself.
She wasn't sure if she'd have ever acted on it if this whole crisis hadn't
happened. She probably would have married Jeremy and been miserable for the
rest of her life. 

"I take it from your silence, it's the second
one," Jackson said.

"Why can't it be both?" Shirley asked.

"Because it doesn't need to be. An arrangement like
that, I'd feel like I'm forcing myself on you."

"I'm standing here because I choose too, Jackson."

"I don't want an arrangement with you, Shirley. I don't
want you to think you need to be in my bed in order for me to keep you safe. If
I did that, I might as well hold a gun to your head. It's the same thing to
me."

"Okay. Thanks, I think...can I still stay with you? I
won't try anything. I don't think I want to sleep alone."

"That's fine. But I need you to put some clothes on
first. I'm not gonna get any sleep if you're next to me like that."

Shirley chuckled. "I'll be right back."

A few minutes later she was dressed and laid down next to
Jackson. "Thanks," she said quietly.

"For what?" Jackson asked.

"Just being you I guess. For saying no."

"You're welcome. Night, Shirley."

"Goodnight, Jackson."

The next morning Shirley awoke to an empty bed. She felt around
with her arm and finally opened her eyes. She was in bed alone. She got out of
bed as she wondered where Jackson was. She took a moment to stretch then
noticed the smell of something cooking. Was that bacon? Shirley made her way
downstairs and saw Jackson in the kitchen.

"Hey there," she said.

"Hey," Jackson replied as he looked up from the
stove.

"You left me all alone."

Jackson smiled. "I like the idea of spending all day in
bed with you but we've got stuff to do today."

Shirley smiled at the thoughts Jackson's words invoked.
"You sure? A day of relaxing sounds pretty good right now."

Jackson laughed. "That does sound good but I don't feel
all that safe while we're still in the city." He left the stove and laid a
kiss on her forehead. 

"Tell you what, though. When we get somewhere safe, I
promise you I'll keep you in bed all day."

Shirley flushed at the thought. "Promise?"

"Yeah. But today, we've got things to do today."
He headed back towards the stove. "Breakfast will be ready in a few."

"Did I smell bacon?" Shirley asked.

"Yeah, found some in the bottom drawer of the fridge.
I'm making some eggs too."

"That sounds fantastic." Shirley smiled as the
thought of a great breakfast brought her the rest of the way into the land of
the living. 

Jackson finished with breakfast and they sat in the dining
room to eat. They ate at a slower pace this time, no longer starving due to the
good meal they'd had the night before. After breakfast, Jackson outlined their
plans for the day.

"I want to hit a few houses like I said last night. If
we get lucky, we won't have to risk a trip to Rick's."

"Why the change? You seemed okay with going their last
night?"

"I was thinking that the more time that passes, the
more dangerous the city gets. The infected have no doubt attacked a lot of
people. Also, enough time has passed that we'll have to worry about other
survivors."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember the shelter? People could easily be fighting
over whatever is left. We'll hit Rick's if we have too, but we're safer if we
can avoid some confrontations."

Shirley nodded. "Alright." She pushed her empty
plate aside. "Might as well start here then. I'll check upstairs for some
clothes that fit." She gestured towards her business suit. "Don't
think this is gonna cut it in the apocalypse."

Jackson chuckled. "Fair enough. I'll pack us a lunch so
we don't have to come back this way until we're done."

Shirley nodded as she headed upstairs. She started with the
master bedroom and searched through the clothes strewn around the room. She managed
to turn up a pair of jeans and some gym shoes that might fit. A search of the
other room turned up a t-shirt that would work. She changed into her new
clothes and found that the jeans fit well enough although the cut wasn't to her
liking. The shirt ended at her midriff but otherwise fit well enough, plus it
was clean. She was glad to get out of the blouse and skirt she'd been wearing
the last few days. The shoes were a little tight but would serve. They'd
definitely be better than the heels she's been running around in.

Shirley scrounged around a bit more and found a scrunchie
that she used to put her in a ponytail. She checked herself out in the mirror
and was more or less satisfied. She couldn't be terribly picky about her
clothes given the circumstances. Everything fit more or less so that would have
to be good enough. She headed downstairs and blushed when she heard a whistle.

"Nice," Jackson said with a smile. "You
ready?"

"Yeah, let's go."

Jackson led her to the glass doors and moved the blanket aside
to check the yard. Satisfied, he opened the door and stepped outside. He waited
for Shirley to close the door and headed for the gate in the wall. 

"Did you find anything in the house?" Shirley
asked.

"No," Jackson replied, "I checked the garage hoping
they had a second car or something but no luck. Did find some tools
though."

"At least they left some food."

"True." Jackson led the way down the alley to the
next town home. This gate proved to be locked as well and Jackson
retrieved a hammer and screwdriver from his belt. He set to work and had the
gate open in short order. A search of the house turned up some clothes that
Jackson could actually fit and a few more cans of food. Shirley found a bag
they could store their items in. 

The third townhouse revealed a working vehicle.
After finding the keys, they loaded everything into the backseat. They were on
their way back to their original town home when Jackson suddenly
pulled the car to a stop.

"What's wrong?" Shirley asked.

"I think I see smoke," Jackson replied as he
pointed in the direction of the disturbance.

Shirley craned her neck to see. "I think you're
right."

Jackson nodded. "Change of plans then. We're leaving
now. No telling how fast that'll spread without anyone to fight it."

Shirley nodded. "Alright, where to?"

Jackson looked at the smoke again. "That looks like the
south if I'm not mistaken. We'll head north."

Shirley nodded as Jackson put the car in gear and headed
north out of the city. She looked back as he drove and wondered if she would
ever see this place again. Thinking of the fire she wondered if there would be
anything left if she did manage to get back here someday. She was glad to be
alive but leaving your home was tough, no matter the circumstances. She figured
she might have to get used to that feeling. How far would they have to go
before they reached somewhere safe?

Henry opened his eyes and wondered what had woken him. Ah,
they were descending. The change in motion must have done it. Looking out the
window he saw they were arriving at some sort of fenced in facility. He could
see four buildings from his vantage point and he wondered what their purpose
was. He sighed as the helicopter touched down. Time to get back to work. He stretched
as much as the confines allowed. He'd gotten a few hours of sleep so he should
be able to start work as soon as the Captain's men got his specimens to the
lab.

He was directed to one of the large buildings and found
himself in a large open space separated into sections with large white
dividers. Looking closely, he saw that they appeared to be some sort of plastic
in a wheeled metal frame. He pushed one slightly and nodded when it moved. If
needed, he could rearrange the room. He didn't know if that would be necessary,
but it was nice to have that option. He explored the various sections until he
found what was meant to be his lab. He smiled as he stepped into the area.

It looked like the military had come through. It appeared as
if all the needed equipment was in place. If a treatment could be found, he
could do it here. Leaving the lab, he continued to explore. He found a section
that contained several cots and nodded. It was best if he and his techs could
stay on site. No time would be lost traveling to and from their quarters.
Exploring further he found a kitchen and even an area with some exercise
equipment. It looked as if the military had spared no expense.  The final
area he found contained what looked to be like several display cases. They were
approximately eight feet in height and five feet in the width. 

"I see you found our containment area," a voice
said behind him.

Henry turned and saw a man in a smart business suit. Henry
wondered who he was. He obviously wasn't military. The man smiled at Henry's
frown.

"Agent Terrence Matte," he said extending his
hand. 

"Doctor Henry Pendleton," Henry said as he gripped
the man's hand.

"I know who you are doctor. Everyone knows who you are
at this point. You're our only hope of stopping this mess."

"Surely there are others working on a treatment as
well."

"No one else has your qualifications," Terrence
replied. "There were some who were working on something. They either
failed or their location was compromised before we could extract them."

At Henry's frown Terrence waved a hand as if to dismiss his
concern. "We're safe here for the time being."

"The time being?"

"Yes," Terrence said with a nod, “I’m a realist,
doctor. I deal in what is, not what I hope to be and I make sure everyone around
me knows that. I could stand here and tell you that we're perfectly safe but
that would be a lie. When I say for the time being, I mean just that. This
facility is surrounded by a high voltage electric fence. In theory, that should
hold back any infected."

"Should?"

Terrence nodded again. "I like to prepare for various
scenarios. In the event that the fence does not hold, we'll evacuate to another
facility that's currently being prepared."

"How long can we keep that up? It's a lot to set up a
lab like this."

"That's true," Terrence replied. "Let's just
say it's in everyone's best interest if you solve this quickly."

Henry nodded. "I'd better get to work then."

Terrence nodded. "Your techs are here. I believe they
were in the kitchen area when I came this way."

"Thank you. I'll get to work right away."

"Excellent. Do you need anything? I followed the
specifications I was sent."

"No, everything looks to be here," Henry
replied. 

Terrence nodded. "Alright then, I'll leave you to your
work." He nodded towards the cages behind Henry. "The specimens
should be delivered shortly. There will be a detail of soldiers here at all
times to prevent any accidents."

Henry nodded. He thought of the first tech he'd lost and
wondered if he'd still be alive if they'd taken this precaution at the CDC.
There had been a few soldiers around for the first incident but maybe that had
worked out for the best. They'd gained valuable information and maybe having
more solider around would have meant that they wouldn't have held out for as
long as they did.

"Thank you," Henry replied, "that gives me
some peace of mind."

Terrence nodded and left the room. Henry stopped by the
kitchen for a quick bite to eat and then gathered up his techs. The first hour
or so was spent configuring the equipment to their specifications. By then, the
specimens had been delivered. Henry arranged for one of the specimens to be
strapped to a table so he could perform some tests.

Henry headed for the containment area where his guards had
strapped one of the specimens to a table. Henry looked down at it as it growled
at him. Under normal circumstances, he'd never get away with what he was about
to do. He wanted to perform an autopsy. Perhaps there was a clue in the
infected's brain that would give him a clue as to how he should proceed. There
was only so much information you could gain from a live specimen.

He nodded towards one of the guards. "Terminate it, if
you would."

The guard frowned. "Kill it? You sure? We've only got
three of these."

"Yes, I'm sure," Henry replied. "I need to
perform an autopsy on its brain and I can't very well do that while it’s still
breathing. Now, if you would. And not in the head, I need that."

The guard nodded and stepped forward, drawing his sidearm as
he moved. He glanced back toward the other guard. "Go let them know what's
happening so they don't panic."

The guard nodded and left the room. Henry frowned, he
probably should have thought of that. Oh well, he was brilliant but he couldn't
think of everything. Henry jumped as a single shot rang out. The guard had
delivered a perfect shot to the infected's chest.

"Thank you," Henry said.

The guard nodded and returned to his post near the cages.
Henry directed one of his techs to grab a bone saw and set to work. The tech
stepped back when he was finished, bits of bone fell to the ground from his
apron. Henry directed another tech to remove the brain. 

"Bring it to the lab when you're done," he said.
He left the room and returned to the lab. He didn't know what the autopsy would
reveal but he had to try something. He'd ruled out the possibility of a cure
earlier so what was left? He hoped for some way to stop the infection from
spreading. I wouldn't stop the infected from killing people but at least that
would stop this from spreading further. 

A few hours later he stepped away from the table in
frustration. The autopsy had been a waste of time. The brain revealed that the
infected had some form of rabies but he already knew that. What he really
needed was to see the infection first hand, from start to finish. Maybe
something in that process would reveal how he could fight it. He sighed at the
thought of the missed opportunity he'd already missed. If only they have put
that tech in observation instead of throwing it in the room with the other
infected.

He was stuck. There was no way to proceed without seeing the
infection first hand and there was no way that could happen. There was no way
they could purposely infect someone. Was there? A lot was on the line here. The
fate of the entire country rested in his hands. If he stop the infection from
spreading it would only be a matter of time before the military regained
control. These were desperate circumstances. Maybe that justified what he
thought. He called one of his techs over and ordered them to go get a guard.

Henry paced back and forth arguing with himself. The thought
of this went against everything he stood for. He was supposed to help people,
not hurt them. He certainly wasn't supposed to purposely infect someone with a
disease that would kill them. But if he didn't? He was at an impasse. Without
his treatment the infection would spread unchecked. 

"Doctor?" 

Henry turned and saw one of the soldiers standing in the
room. "I need to speak with Terrence Matt."

The guard nodded and spoke into his walkie. A few moments
later a response assured them that Terrence was on the way. Henry thanked the
guard and resumed his pacing. He couldn't believe what he was about to do but
he didn't see any other way. Better that one die so that everyone else might
live. Footsteps alerted him to Terrence's arrival.

"Hello, doctor. What do you need?"

Henry stopped pacing and looked at Terrence. "I have to
ask something terrible. I can't believe I'm even asking this but I don't see
another way."

"What's the problem?" Terrence asked.

"I can't go any further. The autopsy was useless. All
I've been able to do is confirm that the infection is a modified form of the
rabies virus. There are foreign elements in play that I've never seen
before."

"Where do we go from here, doctor? We're all counting
on you."

"I hate to ask it, but I need to see the infection
first hand."

"What do you mean? We've provided several samples for
your use."

Henry sighed. "I mean that I need to hook someone up to
monitoring equipment and see what happens when they get infected."

Terrence nodded. "That makes sense I suppose. I'll make
it happen. What do you need to run your tests?"

"An MRI, an ultrasound, and recording equipment."
Henry spent the next few minutes detailing all the equipment he felt would be
needed.

"Alright. I'll set men on it immediately. Thank you,
doctor. I know this is a hard decision for you but it's for the greater
good." Terrence nodded and left the room.

Henry sank onto a stool. He couldn't believe what he'd just
asked. He'd just signed someone's death warrant. But he simply didn't see
another way to stop this infection. He felt as if a weight settled onto his
soul. He'd have to deal with this for the rest of his life. He only hoped it
would be worth it. He didn't know how he'd live with himself if this turned out
to be another dead end. Henry thought of the bottle of whiskey sitting in his
bag. All he had to do was go to the sleeping area and get it. A little bit of
forgetfulness would be great right now.

He shook his head. No, not right now. He had to be at his
best when Terrence returned with the...with the specimen. That helped. Not
thinking of whoever came as human quieted the guild, if only a little bit. He
knew he was fooling himself but he'd do it if it got him through it. Henry
sighed as he stood up. It probably made sense to get a bite to eat now, before
Terrence returned.  Henry headed over to the kitchen area and made himself
a sandwich. He was hungrier than he thought as he quickly ate that sandwich and
was halfway through a third before he felt full. 

Leaving the kitchen, he directed his techs to rearrange the
space. They'd need an area to conduct the experiment. Yes, the experiment. It
helped to think of it that way. Once the space was prepared he decided to take
a nap so he could be fresh when Terrence returned. He left instructions with
his tech to wake him as soon as Terrence arrived. 

He awoke hours later to one of his techs shaking him
insistently. "I'm up," he said.

"Terrence is back, sir. They're setting up in the new
space we made."

Henry nodded and waved him off. He headed to the bathroom to
splash some water on his face and made his way to the new area. He entered the
room and saw ten people handcuffed and standing against the wall. Several guards
with rifles kept them in line. On the far side of the area, an MRI machine sat
waiting. There was also a table set up with a laptop which would be needed to
observe the results of the MRI. Terrence saw him and walked over.

"We've got what you need, doctor. How would you like to
proceed?"

Henry looked around the room in shock. "I didn't need
this many. Just the one."

Terrence looked at him patiently. "Doctor, would one
subject be enough to gather the data you need?"

"No, but this...I didn't ask for this."

"This isn't the time for cold feet doctor. You said you
needed live specimens so I've delivered. This is for the good of the country,
doctor. These men and women, their sacrifice will ensure our society
survives."

Henry sighed. Of course one subject wouldn't be enough. He'd
known that deep down but had hoped he'd only have to do this the one time. He
put his emotions aside as best he could, he'd face his demons later. Terrence
nodded as if he saw the change in the doctor's thoughts.

"How shall we proceed, Doctor?"

"I'd like two tables," he said. "Strap the
infected on one, and the live specimen on the other. Full straps, head, arms,
torso, and legs. The tables need to be close together. I'll need to administer
the infection quickly. Assuming it still shares some properties with the rabies
virus, it'll become dormant if it dries."

He looked towards the people still standing against the
wall. "I don't need the rest right now." The guards looked to
Terrence for confirmation and then escorted the remaining people from the room.

Terrence directed some guards to set things up according to
the doctor's specifications. Henry approached the tables when it was done. The
table on the left had an infected strapped to it. It growled impotently but
wasn't able to move. The second table had a young woman on it in a similar
position. She whimpered as Henry approached the table.

"Please..." she begged, "why are you doing
this to me? I didn't do anything. Please, let me go."

Henry stared into her eyes as something broke inside him. He
would do it. He would kill this woman. What was it that Terrence said? For the
greater good. Yes, that was it. He would damn his soul for the greater good.