Sealed In Part 23

Buzz.

He was hovered over the computer when Chad walked in.

"You look like a man on a mission," Chad said.

"I ... I am." Andy stood. He held up a finger, took a moment, and then spoke. "H-h-have you watched the n-n-news?"

"Unfortunately, yes, I have. It's frustrating."

"The virus ... is o-o-only a blip. Is it d ... d-done?"

"No, not at all. Steady at eight states today, but after the holiday, I don't think that will hold. The world, Mr. Jenkins, doesn't stop for much. It stops for Christmas," Chad said. "Despite our recommendations, air travel has not been suspended. They only increased awareness at the airports. That is not going to help. People believe that if they got their flu shots, they are infallible."

Andy shook his head.

"I think after Christmas this will really break, especially ... in light of things. We are actively red. We've sealed this facility until the threat of the pandemic is over or time runs out. I'm going to quote you from your Ice Age book. Civilizations and empires died because of stupidity."

"I ... I ... have said th ... that a lot."

"I bet. Well, not shutting down air travel is stupid. I suspect that will change. We are burning out Hartworth."

Andy tilted his head. "Ex ... explain."

"The virus is heat resistant. So in order to kill it, we have to burn it and radiate it. Unfortunately, this was a weapon, and the source is still alive and breeding in Hartworth."

Andy's head lowered and he closed his eyes. "L ... Lincoln?"

"The weapon will be positioned over Hartworth; that town will be flattened as well."

"What ... size?"

Chad squinted his eyes and conveyed a look of curiosity. "15 kiloton. Small by nuclear standards, but enough to do the job. No one is alive there, Mr. Jenkins. No worries."

Andy nodded. "T...target Har ... Har ...."

"Hartworth, yes. Airburst. Hand delivered."

Again, Andy nodded and exhaled.

"Why do you have a look of relief?"

"J-Just worried."

"I see. Anyhow, your seal is lifted. You are free to move about the facility. We have a late pool game starting at ten. You're welcome to join us. We're having pizza."

"Th ... thank you."

"Did you take the meds I gave you?"

Andy nodded.

"Good. They'll take about a week to kick in. You had a head injury, so I am confident in their ability. Then after, we'll talk. I have a lot of questions. Dr. Neil and I are both curious about some things, and we're hoping you can share your story."

Andy forced a closed-mouth smile and pointed to the computer. "I ... st ... st ... started writing it." He twitched his head. "I ... wr ... wrote a lot-lot."

"Send it to me, please?" Chad walked to the desk, grabbed a pen, and wrote his email address. "Please. I'm curious, and we can discuss it further later on."

"Yes."

"Excellent. I'll leave you be. See you at pool?" Chad walked to the door.

"May ... maybe."

After a nod, Chad left.

Andy settled at the computer, pulled the file, and emailed it immediately to Chad. Then following that, while he still had internet, Andy researched nuclear explosions.

Emmett Morgan staggered into the street. He was an old man and he waved his hand as best he could as he called out my name for help.

"Andy. Andy, that you?"

Chad read to Edward through the intercom what Andy had written.

It was obvious that he was sick. He could barely move. I just parked my truck in front of the diner. I wanted to get to my apartment, get my gun, and head to Hartworth. There were people there I knew. People I cared about. People I had to find.

I wanted to go to him, and I debated it. One more moment in Lincoln could cost me. Already I had walked away from someone I loved to help another. I walked away, never fully comprehending that I would possibly never see this woman again.

I wanted to see the other people, hope that they were alive, but Emmett called for me.

I did the best I could. I helped him back to his house, gave him water, and helped him back into bed. He was strong, very strong, but the sickness was destroying him. He had scratched his belly so badly that I could see tendons.

The sickness eats through the skin like acid. Moreover, it drives them mad. I saw that.

It was when I tried to make Emmet comfortable that he said something to me. He said, "Andy, don't let me rot right here. Don't let me be forgotten."

I didn't understand that until I left his house.

After I left Emmett, I went to a few other houses. Emmett was one of four people alive. To be in that situation, to see that, is a nightmare. It's like a movie, and you wait for the ending. Everyone I knew and loved was dead.

I drove to Hartworth; I specifically went to find people I knew, people whose whereabouts I wasn't sure of.

But all I found was death.

I saw the makes.h.i.+ft hospital at the fire hall, and I knew when I walked in there that those people hadn't died from the virus. I saw the bodies that died from the virus. The people in the fire hall weren't all black. The heater was blasting; I shut it down and opened the doors.

I noticed that every one of those people in there had a bracelet with their name on it.

That's when I realized that they would not be forgotten. One day, someone would find the town, would find the bodies, and the people that did would have to figure out who was who.

I didn't know all the people in Hartworth, but I knew a lot. So I went to the houses of the folks I knew; I loaded their bodies in the truck, took them to the fire hall, and put one of the bracelets on each of them. They wouldn't be forgotten. Someone would know their names.

I went back to Lincoln. I wanted to come up with a plan for my town. I had lived there all my life. I knew all four hundred people there. When I was in my apartment, I saw all the toys we bought for the baby.

The presents.

The ring I got for her. It wasn't much, but she would never want much.

All I wanted was to spend the rest of my life with her.

That killed me. It killed me because we were planning on the best Christmas ever.

But there wouldn't be a Christmas. For me, there'd never be a Christmas again. I took care and pride in hanging the decorations around town on Black Friday, and I tore them all down that night. Every light, every tree, every bit of tinsel.

While I did that, I came up with a plan of what to do for my town and the people that lived and died there.

"That's as far as he got," Chad said. "We'll get more."

"So the mystery of how the bodies got into the fire hall is now solved," Edward stated.

"Yes. He brought the ones he knew in there and tagged them."

"But one question isn't answered," Edward said.

On that, Chad turned. The door behind him opened, and Andy walked in.

"Andy," Edward spoke. "We were just going over your story."

Chad said, "I asked Andy to come here so we can ask him the question, because it's not in here."

"Wh ... what?" Andy asked.

Edward had the honors. "Andy, on the night of the twentieth, you would have been at the Burton home, correct?"

"Yes."

"A phone call was placed to you. You were the last person to receive a call from Hartworth. What was said?" Edward questioned.

"Goodbye," Andy said. "He ... called to say ... say good b-bye."

Chad looked at Edward then to Andy. "It was Lawrence Meadows. The sheriff. Why would he call you?"

"He ... he said he d-did something. D-didn't say wh ... what. He was f-finished. And good ... goodbye."

Chad gave a look to Edward. "Bet that was the fire hall cleansing. Andy ... but why you? Why did he call you?"

"He ... he's my ... uncle."

Chad immediately jumped to his feet. "Your uncle didn't have the virus."

"I ... kn... know. I saw. He k-killed himself."

"So we either have a family immunity or ..." Chad stated. "Take off your s.h.i.+rt."

After a curious look and with some hesitation, Andy did.

Chad looked at his shoulder. It was there, the black scar. "Your uncle had this same one."

Andy nodded. "My g-g-grandfather, too. It was a sp-special t-teta.n.u.s shot we all g-got."

"Doctor Paltrov?" Chad asked.

Andy nodded.

"This isn't a special teta.n.u.s shot, Andy. He gave you an inoculation to this virus. You, your uncle, and your grandfather. The doctor inoculated you. That's why you didn't get sick. You had the vaccine."

Andy looked confused as he pulled on his s.h.i.+rt.

"This means," Chad explained, "if you and your uncle didn't get sick, then there is a viable vaccine recipe out there somewhere. And we can stop this thing. We have a shot."

"We just have to find it," Edward added. "Before it's too late."

Chapter Fifteen.

Atlanta, GA

December 26th

"Sorry about this," Edward said as he wrote on the final tube of blood.

"No, th... that's fine." Andy pulled down his sleeve. "Take what you n-need. Glad to help."