No Dawn without Darkness: No Safety In Numbers: Book 3 (13 page)

TRANSCRIPT

WSCL Channel 9 News

November 22, 20— 09:30 A.M. EST

KYRA HUNTLEY, WSCL REPORTER:
Good morning, I’m here at the Shops at Stonecliff to witness the demolition of what was once the twenty-
fi
fth-largest mall in the country. With me are hundreds of observers, including some of the people who only three weeks ago were trapped inside this gigantic structure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP: Exterior Perimeter, Shops at Stonecliff 11/22/-- 08:34 A.M. EST)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I had to come back. I had to see the end of this.

HUNTLEY: Did you lose someone inside?

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Didn’t we all?

(END CLIP)

The quarantine inside the mall officially ended on Tuesday, November first, after nearly three weeks of continuous confinement for the thousands of innocent workers and shoppers who were inside when a bomb went off, releasing a deadly virus. Government officials terminated the quarantine after being notified that a fire was burning out of control in the top floor of the complex. Families camped outside the perimeter fence, this twenty-foot tall, electrified and razor-wire topped wall behind me, were uprooted to allow entry to scores of fire trucks and emergency vehicles. Helicopters dumped water on the roof above Baxter’s Books, where authorities indicated the fire started. The government maintains its denial that this fire was part of a plan to exterminate the quarantined people, thereby eliminating the deadly flu.

Even as fire and rescue teams attempted to control the blaze, teams from the Centers for Disease Control worked to save the people trapped inside.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP: Helicopter footage, Exterior Shops at Stonecliff 11/1/-- 2:00 P.M. EST)

The mall’s original entrances were sealed at the start of the quarantine, and so narrow openings had to be punched into the concrete bunkers. Representatives from the CDC donned hazmat suits to receive each person as they were evacuated. Individuals were stripped of their ragged clothing, then escorted into showers where they were sprayed with disinfectant. After leaving the showers, survivors were conducted under a large pavilion of tents set up on the parking lot grounds.

Onlookers were astonished to see the haggard shoppers stagger out into the afternoon sun. Many of those released held hands up to their eyes, as if they’d been in darkness for an extended period of time. The survivors’ skin also looked dirty, like they were covered in soot, and their clothes were black and torn.

(END CLIP)

HUNTLEY: I have here with me Jillian Foster, who survived the mall and came back to witness its demolition. Good morning, Ms. Foster.

JILLIAN FOSTER: Good morning.

HUNTLEY: What brought you back here today?

FOSTER: I needed to see it destroyed. I needed to be here, to witness it for myself. I think it will help me feel like I’m really out of there.

HUNTLEY: Are you saying you still feel like you’re inside the mall?

FOSTER: Some part of me will always be inside that mall.

HUNTLEY: Thank you. Here is another man who has come to witness the demolition. Sir, were you confined in the mall?

KEITH ROSENMAN: (
Unintelligible, staring off-camera
.)

HUNTLEY: I’m sorry, could you repeat that?

KEITH ROSENMAN: It’s such a big place. They say they searched everywhere, but it’s so big.

HUNTLEY: Yes . . . sir . . . Thank you. (
Walks away
.)

For an additional two weeks, the survivors were held for treatment and processing on site in the parking lot surrounding the mall. CDC officials, including Director Lillian Knight, claimed that they were being monitored for any signs of infection. She had this to say at the time:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP: Press Tent, Perimeter – Shops at Stonecliff 11/1/-- 1:55 P.M. EST)

LILLIAN KNIGHT, DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: Although we have deemed it safe to allow the quarantined individuals to leave the confines of the mall itself, we are not yet ready to allow them to have contact with the outside world. Doctors on the premises will monitor all the survivors for signs of infection over the next fourteen days, which is the maximum incubation period observed for this virus.

In addition, any individuals exhibiting signs of illness or injury will be held indefinitely until our doctors clear them for reentry into the general population.

(END CLIP)

HUNTLEY: During this time, visitors were denied contact with the survivors, which led to several altercations with the National Guard who maintained the perimeter around the mall. Many families were angry that the government failed to release the names of the dead as soon as they were identified. Others complained that anyone who had been injured during the course of the quarantine should be visited by legal counsel before treatment so that the extent of their injury could be documented for future lawsuits.

This complaint was addressed by John Fletcher, Deputy Director of the Department of Homeland Security and point person for the quarantine management team.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP: Press Tent, Perimeter – Shops at Stonecliff 11/5/-- 2:30 P.M. EST)

DEPUTY FLETCHER: All of those recorded as having been a part of this quarantine, whether detained in the primary quarantine site, or held under house arrest, have been offered a settlement with respect to any and all legal claims associated with their internment. These reparations are being given on the condition that the individual or their estate waive any and all claims against the government and its agents, and the mall and individual stores, regarding the quarantine, and that the survivors sign a non-disclosure agreement.

In offering these reparations, we hope to compensate these innocent victims of terrorism for any lost wages or other costs incurred as a result of the quarantine, bringing a swift resolution to a trying time in the nation’s history.

In addition, the events of the actual quarantine have been classified as a matter of national security. Participants in the quarantine have been apprised of the sensitive nature of the procedures employed during the quarantine. These procedures will be reviewed to prepare us in the event of another attack of this nature. Maintaining a level of security around this information may help us in that unfortunate event.

(END CLIP)

HUNTLEY: When those quarantined were finally let out of the perimeter, one week ago, it was a scene of overwhelming joy for those families reunited with their loved ones. For the survivors, it was a long-overdue trip home, though some individuals who required continued care were instead transferred to permanent medical facilities for the duration of their recovery. For many, however, the day brought nothing but grief.

Before the detainees were released, families of those who did not survive were contacted privately. A complete list of casualties was later distributed to the public. We will be running the list of those dead at the end of this broadcast.

The list provoked confusion and outright denial, much of this fueled by the CDC’s decision not to release the remains of the victims. Lillian Knight again:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP: Press Tent, Perimeter – Shops at Stonecliff 11/15/-- 12:35 P.M. EST)

DIRECTOR KNIGHT: Unfortunately, to ensure that the original Stonecliff Flu virus remains contained, we have determined that none of the bodies can be removed from the premises. Any individuals who passed away either during the quarantine or post-quarantine detainment period will be cremated on site. The quarantine facility, formerly the Shops at Stonecliff, will be destroyed in its entirety. Given the public health risk, it will not be possible to individually confirm the identities of the dead.

I understand that this will be difficult for many of you. This was a difficult choice for us to make. But the safety of the population at large is of paramount importance. I extend my condolences to all the families receiving bad tidings today.

(END CLIP)

HUNTLEY: I have with me Keith and Debbie Rosenman. They lost their daughter, Diane, during the quarantine. In lieu of a funeral, the Rosenmans invited family and friends to witness the demolition.

(
Turns to Rosenmans
) I’m so sorry for your loss. I understand your daughter was a college student at a nearby university?

DEBORAH ROSENMAN: Yes, she was studying fashion design. She came to the mall every weekend. She called it studying, and even if it wasn’t the cheapest course of study for us, it allowed her to express her passions. She had her own style, and she was never afraid to show it. (
Shows framed portrait
.)

My husband and I decided to hold the funeral today, here, seeing as this will be her last resting place. But it was also a special place to her. We wanted to be here for her, to say good-bye.

HUNTLEY: The Rosenmans are not alone in this sentiment. We have confirmed that at least seventy-five different funeral services have been conducted this morning on the grounds.

KEITH ROSENMAN: (
Interrupting
) Diane played hockey. She was a tough girl—gentle, still Daddy’s girl, but tough. And she never got sick. Diane was a survivor. I can’t believe she wouldn’t have survived.

HUNTLEY: I’m so sorry, Mr. Rosenman. Thank you for your time.

John Fletcher, Deputy Director of the Department of Homeland Security, has stepped up to the press podium.

DEPUTY FLETCHER: Good morning. Since the beginning of the quarantine, the FBI has been coordinating with local and state law enforcement in the investigation of the attack on the mall. Early on, all relevant evidence was recovered from the scene, including the bomb used in the attack and samples of the virus taken from inside the mall’s ventilation ducts, as well as surveillance tapes from both the mall and surrounding buildings. This evidence has been under evaluation by top investigative teams. Preliminary findings have resulted in promising leads that are being pursued by teams in the field.

After the end of the quarantine and the mall’s evacuation, teams in protective suits initiated a room-by-room search of the entire facility with assistance from rescue dogs and thermal-imaging technology. Any survivors were identified and removed from the building. We have confirmed that any and all living people have been evacuated from the structure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can’t be sure!

HUNTLEY: I believe that was Keith Rosenman?

DEPUTY FLETCHER: Sir, please do not interrupt. Yes, we are sure. We have taken every measure to ensure that every living being has been removed from the building.

With respect to the demolition of the structure itself, the process is two-fold. To ensure that all biological remains within the mall are incinerated, a powerful incendiary device will be set off inside the mall. To demolish the building itself, a second series of explosives will be detonated. These explosives are the more common ones used in the demolition of structures.

To honor those who lost their lives during the quarantine, we invite New York State Senator Dorothy Ross to initiate the detonation. Senator Ross was instrumental in both containing the initial threat posed by the bomb, and in maintaining order during the course of the quarantine. We thank you for your service. The demolition will now commence.

HUNTLEY: The clock behind Deputy Fletcher has lit up with a countdown. Ten seconds, nine.

Wait, Charlie, change the shot, over there! A car has just crashed through the fence near the gate!

MECHANICAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
FIVE, FOUR

HUNTLEY: Someone, stop the countdown!

THREE

There’s a man in the

TWO

perimeter!

ONE

(END CLIP)

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