The Flu 2: Healing (31 page)

“Mick,” Briggs walked by him. “We’re ready.”

Mick nodded. He stood with the boys.

“You’re scared, aren’t you Mick?” Chris asked. “It’s okay. Maybe scared isn’t a good word.”

“Yeah, I’m scared,” Mick told him honestly. “Scared can be a good thing. We’re going into battle, there’s always a risk. You know that right?”

“Yeah,” Chris waved his hand dismissively, “but it’s you. You’re the mighty Mick Owens. I’m not worried. And just to show you how much I have faith in you …” He reached into his pocket and handed Mick the coin. “I didn’t give it to you when you went for the virus. Didn’t want a virus attached to it. But this is for you.”

Mick’s hand closed around the coin. “Oh, God. Chris.”

“What?”

Mick shook his head. “This means a lot. And just in case ... you know …” Mick hugged Chris into him. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Mick.”

Mick looked down to Tigger. “I know you hate it, but can I lift you up, one more time for a good hug?”

Tigger raised his arms. “I’m sure it’s not gonna be the last.” He wrapped his arms tight around Mick’s neck.

“I love you, Tig. Be good.” Mick closed his eyes, one arm holding tight to Tigger, the other wrapped around Chris. He didn’t want to let go. He didn’t want to walk away. But his internal clock was ticking. “I …I gotta go boys.” He tried hard to keep his emotions in check. “I’m sorry.”

“Why you apologizing, Mick?” Chris asked. “Gosh, don’t do that. We understand. We’ll see ya soon.”

Mick kissed his sons one last time.

Just as he turned, Chris called out. “Hey, Mick?”

Mick looked over his shoulder.

“Remember, you got this. You’re our hero, you know.”

Every muscle in Mick’s face tensed up and his throat closed. That was it. The last he’d hear Chris’ voice, the last he’d see his boys. He lifted his hand in acknowledgment and turned around.

His guts swirled with an echoing, screaming pounding to get out with every step he took. His eyes welled and glossed with tears and his face grew red and hot. Mick was in agony. He said his last goodbye.

He wanted to look back one more time but he didn’t. He couldn’t. He just kept walking.

* * *

Las Vegas, NV

“I can’t thank you enough,” Matt told Lexi after stepping from his mother’s room. “She is doing great. Both of you, I thank you.”

Bill looked to Lexi then to Matt. “We need to talk, Matt.”

A look of worry immediately crossed his face. “You’re leaving. That’s what it is, isn’t it? Is there anything I can do to get you to stay?”

Lexi said, “I have no plans to leave. We have too many that are ill. But Matt, is there anything we can do to get
you
to leave?”

He produced a half smile. “Why would I leave?”

“Not just you,” Lexi said.”Everyone. This whole damn place.”

“What? That’s insane.”

Bill added. “And it’s insane to stay here. Eventually we can all return, but for now, it’s too dangerous.”

“SARS is highly contagious,” Lexi said. “It’s carried by animals, insects, rodents, you name it.”

“But you shut the lab down,” Matt said.

“Animals, birds, they all got through,” Lexi explained. “I know this is your home. And you know what? Come back. It could be crazy to leave here and you could very well wait it out. But in the last two days we have had nine more cases of SARS.”

“What if we all have it?” Matt asked. “We’ll carry it wherever we go.”

“Start packing,” Bill suggested. “Isolate the sick, care for the sick. Start moving. Most incubation periods are a week to ten days. We move further east, away from the threat. Wait. Then move again, until the time frame has passed and no one is sick.”

“That really sounds kind of crazy,” Matt said.

“Your choice,” Lexi said. “As a health professional in this field, I recommend we all go. Bill and I will stay the course with you. We’ll travel with you.”

“Go where?” Matt asked. “Do you know how much we have?”

Bill nodded. “It’ll be a big move. Heck, send scouts out now, look for a town, a place, one that’s vacant. Staying here is not the answer.”

“Do you honestly think it isn’t safe?” Matt asked. “With everything you believe, is it dangerous?”

“I wouldn’t say go,” Lexi told him. “Your pilgrimages will eventually stop. The location of that lab will carry everything west with the wind and the animals and so forth will bring it here. So much escaped that lab. The only way to stop this thing from going any further is for all of us to leave. Leave it behind.”

“Sad as it sounds,” Bill interjected, “the painful truth is, the west is a biological wasteland right now and we need to leave.”

* * *

12 Miles West of Erie, PA

Dylan’s eyes were bright and smiling as she held on to Dustin in the picture taken on the Fourth of July.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Mick whispered as he stared at the picture. “I wanted to raise the boys, I wanted to be here for them. I’m sorry. But I’ll see you soon. Both of you.” Mick brought his lips to the phone, looked once more, then powered it down.

The convoy had pulled over.

It was the point where Mick and Briggs parted ways. Mick’s squad was ready, and before he veered off with them, he approached Briggs.

Briggs inhaled and lowered his head. “Are you sure?” he asked Mick.

“Yeah. It has to be done. Got my weapon, got the incendiary grenades. I’m ready. This is where you and I say goodbye.”

“Radio when you’re in and have your mother and Lars. We’ll start timing the coordinated attack once you search for Ace and the weapon. Weapon first.”

“I got it,” Mick said. “Listen, there’s something I need you do to.”

“What’s that?”

Mick grabbed Briggs’ hand and placed the phone in it, along with the coin. “Give those to Chris. I don’t want them on me any longer. Can’t take a chance I’ll contaminate them. And this …” He reached to his back pocket and handed Briggs the letter. “You give this to them tomorrow or the day after, okay? Not today. Not … today.”

Briggs swallowed. “I will. We all owe you a debt of gratitude for this.”

“Don’t give me credit yet.” Mick said, his voice coarse with sorrow. “When it’s done, then you can say thanks.” He winked and extended his hand to Briggs. “You’re a good man, Jonah Briggs. Get my boys back to Lodi and then if you can, keep an eye on them for me.”

“It would be my honor, Mick Owens.”

Sniffing hard through his nostrils, Mick gave one last look to Briggs, locking eye contact and conveying gratitude and respect. Then Mick joined his eight man squad. Their route to battle would be on foot, and Mick led the way.

* * *

Lodi, OH

“It’s pretty cool here, Pap. I started school again. I’m not having school today,” Chris rambled fast in a conversation with Tom. ‘It’s like a big praying day. I think I’ll join them. Tigger made a friend. Speaking of which, we’re bringing two kids home with us. I know you’re like the community dad now. You’ll like them.”

“Wow, Chris, you sound excited. Now, when do I get to see you? When you guys coming home? Any idea?”

“Oh, sure, Pap, soon. They’re having, like, a war not far from Lodi. You know that, right? Bunch of bad guys taking everyone hostage. Of course you know that they have Rose. Anyhow, as soon as that’s done we’ll be home. When Mick comes back we leave.”

“When Mick what?” Tom asked.

“Comes back. He went and fought with them, you know.”

“No, I didn’t,” Tom said and then changed the subject, silently seething over Mick’s leaving and going off to fight. Tom finished talking and said his goodbye, then he had Joey keep an eye on Doe and headed down to the war room. Not for a meeting but to vent.

Henry was there and so was Kurt. As expected, they were monitoring everything. Tom didn’t say hello, he stormed in complaining.

“Did you two know?”

“Know what?” Henry asked.

“That Mick went into battle with them.”

Henry looked at Kurt then back to Tom. “No, we didn’t.”

“Son of a bitch bastard!” Tom barked. “I don’t like to swear, but this just gets my goat. He leaves them and they are on the run, he leaves again, taking a chance to go to the labs in Maryland. But darn it, leave the fighting to the others. He doesn’t need to go in there. What the hell are those boys gonna do if something happens to him?” He literally growled. “Oh, wait. I am gonna kick his big ass for leaving them boys alone again. He didn’t need to take them from home. When he gets back, I’m killing him.”

“Tom,” Henry’s voice cracked. “Mick won’t be coming back to Lodi.”

“What do you mean?”

“We didn’t know he went,” Kurt explained, “but it makes sense. This is all more than likely a suicide mission for Mick.”

“What? Why is he going if it’s a suicide mission?” Tom asked.

“Mick’s dying, Tom,” Henry answered. “There was a breach in Maryland, his suit ripped and he was exposed. No one knows. The boys don’t know. Mick’s infected with the superbug. I think he’s probably doing this so the boys won’t see him get sick.”

“Oh my God.” Tom dropped to a chair and his whole being sank. “Can’t you fix this? Can’t you help him?”

Kurt shook his head. “Not with this, no. I’m sorry.”

Tom’s hands shot immediately to his face. As angry as he was, that was how quickly he became sad. Tom was devastated. He didn’t know what to say or if he even could speak.

It was Mick.
Mick.
It couldn’t be. It wasn’t fair. He had known Mick his entire life. To Tom, he was losing yet another child.

* * *

Erie, PA

According to the scout report, four men were posted at the northwest blockade. When Mick arrived there were six men and four trucks were horizontally parked, blocking the road. Ten yards from that blockade, Mick and his eight men took positions. They all, including Mick, had crossbows.

No guns. No gunfire. A silent hit.

“Again, repeating,” Mick whispered, “on my call fire. Then we charge. We don’t want to give them time to radio for help or pull their guns. Disarm them, detain them, kill them if they are a threat. Then you and you …” he pointed to two men, “will go in with me. You two will head north toward the city. I’m heading to the southern tip where we think the hostages are located. I need two more of you to stay at this blockade, and the rest will meet up with Briggs. Got that?” He got their agreement. “Be accurate, gentlemen and be careful. Engage weapons.”

They knelt in a line and all of them set their crossbows.

“Take your target.” Mick called quietly. “On my call. One … two … fire.”

There was a synchronized line of clicks followed by a single whistle sound as the arrows sailed through the air fast and furious.

Quietly, the nine arrows hit five of the men in deadly areas, the sixth took a shot to his leg and dropped forward.

“Charge!” Mick ordered and they all raced forward. Except Mick. He reloaded, aimed, and shot at the sixth man, taking him out.

He motioned to the two men to go in with him and as Mick crossed the barricade, he noticed one man reaching for his rifle. Mick kicked the weapon, bent down, covered the man’s mouth, and ripped the arrow from his chest. The arrow pulled ligaments and blood flowed upward in a rush. Quickly, Mick shifted and stabbed the man in the throat.

At that point, he didn’t have time to think ‘humanity’ and Mick charged through the barricade.

It was quiet. No one was around. The sneak attack had sounded no alarms and Mick waved his hand for the two men to go on.

“I’m in,” Mick whispered into the radio as he ran. “All good. Six down. No one the wiser.”

“We’ll wait. Let us know when you get a position.”

“Actually,” Mick spotted the golden arches, “quarter mile. I think I see our fast food restaurant. Be back.” Holding tight against the buildings, Mick followed the bright yellow ‘M’ as if it were the North Star. But staying out of sight was increasingly difficult as the buildings and businesses were further and further apart.

He came around a back street through a car wash and halted, his back against a wall, and peeked. Men carrying guns walked down the street. They weren’t patrolling, they were walking. In fact, every man carried a weapon.

Mick pulled his radio to his mouth. “Don’t respond, just listen. We have hostiles up and down the main street. They are armed but not in any ready position.” Mick’s eyes shifted to the blue sign above his head on the building. It read: ‘Patient Parking only,’. “I think I found it. Hang tight.”

He inched his way forward. Would the men even notice him? No one seemed to pay any attention to what was going on. As he hit the main sidewalk, he looked to his right and up.