Independence Day Plague (26 page)

“
Okay, so what?”

“
So America’s losing its superiority economically and the military might is not far behind. Over the last eight years, China has pushed us in some form of conflict for years and we have backed down. First the incursions into South Korea; then the arming of rebels in Thailand. Now there’s this disastrous idea that they will hold hostage the orbital space above their country. And what do our leaders do? They offer peace treaties and trade sanctions. Americans are worn out by the fifteen years of conflict in the Middle East. They are afraid of war.”

“
So you wanted first strike capability.”

“
No. In the beginning, we wanted protection from first strike. In 2004, we had irrefutable proof that the Chinese had bio and chemical warfare development. They funded extensive research in several third world nations. On that basis alone, we created the original bio labs. We searched the graduate schools for the brightest minds of the time. In 2015, we showed President Henderson the results of those labs: clear vaccines, some cures, and weapons ready to go. The bastard said shut it all down. He went against the advice of every member of the Joint Chiefs and the State Department. Two members resigned on that decision alone. Most of those men wanted to quit because of that bastard president but they stayed in place to defuse the damage by so many ruinous decisions.

“
Several of us decided to reroute funds and keep some of the labs open. The military had ignored a presidential order that was ignored for the good of the nation. After all, those bastards only serve four or eight years. We signed up for life. We protect the country even from those that would carelessly destroy it from the inside. ” He wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead on his sleeve. “A few of us colluded to keep a few labs open and make sure the weapons were available when we needed them."

“
That’s treason.”

“
It depends on how you look at it. The government needs the weapons, and we plan to have them for the country as part of its arsenal. Once we provided proof that three of the labs were shut down, Congress took for granted that we stopped them all.”

“
Why shut us down now? Why kill us?

The general took another long drink. “My god, it’s hot in here.” He lolled with his head back resting for a few minutes before continuing. “Last month, using orbital laser technology, China shot down two satellites. One was an outdated communications satellite and the other was a weather station, only four years old. Our response was more urgent phone calls. More summit talks. We rerouted most of our satellites but we can’t keep continuing to move them. China knows that. At the same time, they put up three more satellites in direct orbit over the U.S. We think that at least some of them contain laser technology. It's a slap in our face and yet we do nothing. This new President Davison, we’ve shown him proof of Chinese buildups in fleet and air support. We’ve shown him increased activity along the Chinese-Russian border. They're preparing to make a move. We lost control and we need it back, decisively.”

“
So you want to start a war with them first.”

“
We’re at war now. War isn’t tank battles on your home front any more. It's fights and skirmishes of power in a dozen little shit-hole places across the globe. When the enemy changes the sphere of influence in a third world country, then you must counter it with supplies to terrorist organizations. Winning a war becomes the ability to destroy your enemy, plain and simple. The greatest weapon in the arsenal isn’t bombs or even your diseases; it is the fear factor of using them. You create the unthinkable weapon and let it slip to the enemy so he backs down. You push, he backs down.

"We had an older model destroyer go down within the Taiwan Strait. Our Pacific fleet had an ETA of less than an hour for rescue but the Chinese government denied access. We’ve got satellite film showing Chinese ships within a hundred yards of the wreck and refusing to help. They claimed our people were spying on their technology. Our people drown while they watched. What did we do? The President publicly admonished them. What bullshit! No, we are at war now, today and China is winning.”

He paused again, gasping slightly. After taking another sip of water, he continued, “We needed something to strike at their economic and political core but we’re not strong enough for an outright fight. What better than an epidemic? You said it yourself. Disease changed the course of human history. The flow of plague across Europe freed up money but it also added to the end of the Crusades. Sick people can’t fight and battling an epidemic takes resources. Disease changes history all over again.”

Mitchell stared at him. “You can’t control it. Biological weapons don’t stop at legal boundaries. They can’t be programmed for nationality.”

Talbot grinned weakly, “You’re right but modern medicine does work along boundaries and trade routes. We put the infection in one of the cities along a trade route. Some of the disease gets out of the country but not before it's rampant across the Chinese provinces. News leaks in the same way it did with the SARS virus and the haemmeragic fever. Stories create fear, which in turn, dictates politics. No one will trade with them.” Despite the sweat, Talbot’s eyes gleamed, his jaw set in a grim smile. “Ships will be sent back unloaded. Planes forced to turn around. The world will cut them off the way a surgeon cuts off a gangrenous hand to save the body. Some’ll die here but they’ll be isolated. We have vaccines. We’ll survive while China, losing fifty percent or more of its population and billions of dollars, will be damaged so badly, it’ll take years to recover economically and militarily.”

“
Where are the cryo-units now?”

“
It doesn’t matter. They’re safe at a base on the West Coast. Even if I die, my collaborators can see the plan through. There’s no stopping it now.”

“
Who’re your partners?”

Talbot grinned weakly. “Sorry. You can shoot me or we can settle in for a long wait while this disease kills me but I won’t tell you. I’ve been in combat, was tortured as a prisoner of war. I’ve seen worse than you can dish out. Yes, I’m afraid to die but there are things out there worth dying for.”

He stared unblinking at Mitchell until Mitchell turned off the digital recorder. “There’s enough here to stop you.”

“
I doubt it. Forester’s death alerted us to your presence. Even now, my people are working to eliminate and discredit you. If you get the recording to anyone else in time and if you get them to believe it, you may catch up with the units. That’s a lot of ifs. I don’t think you can do it.”

“
Let’s hope for the world’s sake, I can.”

Talbot coughed weakly, winced and put a hand to his head. “What you don’t understand, boy; what none of those damn presidents understood was that freedom costs. The price includes higher vigilance, better weaponry and being the better bastard. If we do not pay those costs, America falls. That’s not going to happen while I’m around.”

“
Fortunately for America sir, you won’t be around much longer.” Mitchell shook his head sadly, speaking low and quiet.

An hour later, Mitchell moved quietly as he finished his preparations. The disease and concussion had combined leaving the general asleep on the couch in the living room, his head lolling back. The note affixed outside of the door warned anyone approaching that the man had a dangerously contagious condition.

Mitchell had a harder time with the dog. Still groggy from the drugs, the terrier refused to walk and was awkward to carry down the street. His struggles with the awaking animal drew quite a few glances but Mitchell ignored them. Without bothering to knock, he deposited the animal on the front porch and tied its leash to the doorknob.

Brushing dog hair off his suit, Mitchell sauntered back to Talbot’s place, letting himself in through the front door. He pulled the small cell phone from his pocket and punched the buttons for 911. After two rings, the dispatcher responded. Mitchell launched into the speech he had practiced over and over the night before.

“
Hello? I found a man. He looks sick, real sick. I don’t think he’s breathing too well. I think he’s dying.” He gave the address and then turned the phone off before tossing it on the coffee table besides the General. When the first sirens sounded in the distance, he smiled and slipped out, garbage bag in hand through the back door.

Chapter 13

July 1, 2026

With the fourth only four days away, DC fills up to the limits with visitors and tourists are still arriving. DC and Park Police are reporting that tourists are sleeping in their cars and illegally camping in parks all over the metropolitan area. Hotels are booked to capacity as everyone arrives for the biggest celebration America has seen in years.

“
Off,” Dorado sighed as the vid-screen on the wall faded back to matching the pale yellow wall coloring. Sherrie’s apartment was much like her way of dress, elegant but simple arrangement in colors of pastel yellows, blues, and whites. The only real riot of color was coming from the dark red rose and white carnation flower arrangement on the small kitchen table. Her placed lacked the high level of technology often common in other DC homes. The small TV screen hung against the living room wall looked to be recent while the kitchen appliances ran on ten-year-old technology without computer chips. She lacked any of the voice-remote security and entertainment machines that had slowly become standard over the last seven years. His own kitchen in Maryland was technologically bleak too but more from lack of funds and caring than a conscious decision.

“
It amazes me that you don’t just buy the instant packages. It’s kind of hard to find the raw ingredients any more, isn’t it?” He watched her prepare the salad and pasta meal by hand. She treated it like a ritual, cleaning and cutting the food, cooking it over electronic coils rather than through the faster microwave.

She smiled and glanced at him sideways while chopping the carrot into neat little bites. “In the normal stores and the standard delivery ‘nets, yes. They have the hydroponics stuff that tastes bland to me. The greenies still run markets here and there during the growing season. They sell produce straight from the dirt. The flavor is more intense. I also have a few friends in the restaurant business who help me get some of the rarer spices and cheeses. Plus, I know about a few gourmet stores.”

“
Expensive?”

“
Yes, but worth it. It tastes better and is cheaper than eating out every night at the places I like. Also, I find there's something Zen-like in putting a meal together.”

He reached over and grabbed a carrot sliver from the pile. “The Fourth is going to be a true nutfest.”

“
I heard they raised the estimated crowd levels to over three and a half million throughout the city.”

Dorado nodded and frowned. “I think we’re covering everything but damn, what if we miss something.”

“
What happened with the anthrax case?” she replied quietly. She placed the carrots in a bowl and moved on to mincing onion with short, slashing motions.

“
The guy confessed after we grilled him for a while. He claims he grew the spores to sell but didn't have a customer lined up. We’ve found nothing that indicated any plans to distribute it, particularly on the Fourth. He’s named some of his potential customers but so far swears he hasn’t sold anything.”

“
You believe him?”

Dorado shrugged, “Doesn’t matter. The DA’s trying him and his mother under the Homeland Security Laws. The terrorism charges include a death sentence. Even the mother’s looking at something like ten years as an accessory to the fact.”

“
But the team only found anthrax?”

“
Yeah, that bothers me too. It looks like Noonan and the army’s case don't connect, which means we may have another bio-factory out there.”

Half an hour later, they sat at Sherrie’s pine wood table, the steaming clay pot of chicken curry between them. They ate in silence for a while. Dorado noticed how Sherrie stirred and flipped her food around her plate more than actually taking a bite. Her face was tight along her jaw lines and her lips pressed into a thin line.

“
What’s on your mind?” Dorado asked softly.

Sherrie sighed and put her fork down. She folded her hands in her lap and spoke. “I think I found another case.”

“
Shit!" he said softly. Dorado put his fork down and leaned back, Anthrax or botulism?”

“
The plague.”

“
What plague?”

“
Bubonic plague, also called the Black Death. An Army general checked into Bethesda with symptoms.”

Dorado sagged, rubbing his eyes and forehead with one hand. “Shit, this just doesn’t get any better. So there may be two more bug factories out there.”

“
I don’t think so.” Sherrie sat back, shoulders straight against the high back seat. “I think it is one guy. I hoped Noonan worked with a group or knew something about it but since you didn’t find any evidence that seems unlikely.”

“
What makes you think it's one person?”

She shrugged her thin shoulder slightly, “Both of the cases involve military men, both lived in Virginia; both have strong connections to the medical corps. The general’s in charge of the USAMRIDD.”

“
The what?”

“
The U. S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Most people refer to it as the Institute.”