HAYWIRE: A Pandemic Thriller (The F.A.S.T. Series Book 2) (7 page)

King and Marlin had been like brothers.

In fact, they were closer than many brothers.

King was Godfather to Marlin’s baby daughter, Emerald Martinez. After Marlin’s death, King had stepped into the role, helping to raise Emerald and support Marlin’s family in every way he could.

Like Coleman and Forest, King had a tattoo of a blue marlin leaping from the water on his shoulder.

They would never forget their brother, but with King it went deeper.

King pretended to have his anger issues under control, but Coleman knew otherwise. King’s fuse was dangerously short. Coleman and Forest needed to watch him constantly.

Across the chopper sat the three Marines Coleman had chosen as provisional candidates for his Critical Response Team. Privates Craigson, Myers and Easterbrook were all first-class Marines.

He studied the three new candidates.

Today could make or break them.

The pilot called back, ‘Two minutes!’

Neve Kershaw had one wish.

She wished her son was off the ship.

He looks more like Geoffrey every day.
Justin had inherited her dark hair and eyes, but at fourteen he already stood as tall as Geoffrey. He would be handsome like Geoffrey.

I can’t let my son die on this ship.

He’d avoided the infection, but that was only the start.

A nightmare was engulfing the ship.

Should I tell him?

He sat watching her, waiting for her explanation.

He’s a young man now. He just saved a woman’s life. He deserves to know what is happening.

‘Well?’ prompted Justin. ‘What the hell is happening out there?’

Neve took a deep breath. ‘Around 11pm last night the bridge detected a distress signal.’

‘From who?’

‘Unknown. It wasn’t a message. It was a beacon.’

Justin nodded, prompting his mother to continue. ‘And?’

‘The Captain sent a boat to help. They found the emergency beacon inside an inflatable life raft.’

‘Were there any people?’

‘Just one. A woman.’

‘Is she alive?’

‘Barely. They brought her back around midnight. Only the bridge crew and doctors know about it so far. Other problems suddenly became more important.’

Neve waited for Justin to make the connection.

‘She carried the disease on board!’ he blurted.

Neve nodded. ‘It seems that way.’

Justin sat silently a moment. ‘What was she doing in the middle of the ocean?’

‘That’s what the Captain tried to discover. But then he fell sick.’

‘The Captain has this?’ asked Justin, standing up and pointing outside their cabin.

‘Keep your voice down,’ hissed Neve. ‘Yes. The Captain and a great deal more.’

Justin began pacing their small kitchen area.

‘Who’s sailing the ship then?’

‘First Officer Bryant. He’s the Acting Captain now.’

‘Can she speak?’ asked Justin. ‘The woman on the raft.’

‘No. The doctor doubted she’d survive the night. I’m not sure if—’

Brrrng...Brrrng
!

Justin spun toward their cabin phone.

‘Get it!’ hissed Neve, but Justin already had the receiver.

He listened and then pointed the phone at her. ‘It’s the hospital.’

Neve rolled to the phone. ‘This is Neve Kershaw.’

She recognized the voice.

‘Neve, this is Doctor Reeves. We need you in the hospital right now.’

Neve sighed into the phone, frustrated. ‘I can’t reach the hospital. I can’t even leave my cabin. People are killing each other up here.’

‘I know,’ replied Reeves. ‘That’s why we need you. I’ve run the tests you wanted. You won’t believe it. It’s...it’s incredible.’

‘Just tell me what you’ve found,’ insisted Neve. ‘Or email me the results. Why do you need me in the hospital?’

‘Because we need your help. I can’t even describe it. You need to see it. You won’t believe me otherwise.’

Neve lowered the phone a moment.

Doctor Reeves plainly needed her help, but today she wasn’t a scientist. Today she was a parent. Her son came first.

She had an idea.

The hospital
had better security than their cabin.

Maybe I can protect Justin and help Reeves at the same time.

‘Listen,’ she told Reeves. ‘I want an armed escort to the hospital for Justin and myself.’

‘Yes. Okay,’ agreed Reeves quickly. ‘Expect them soon.’

Neve hung up, hoping she hadn’t made a mistake.

Justin watched her. His face looked white.

‘Have a glass of water and sit down, Justin.’

‘I’m not thirsty.’

‘Do it for me.’

Justin obeyed. His hands shook while he filled the glass.

The shock of what happened is hitting him,
Neve realized.

As Justin turned, the glass slipped from his fingers and shattered on the tiles.

Smash!

‘Damn it,’ said Justin, stepping back.

‘Quiet,’ hissed Neve. ‘Keep your voice down.’

 
Thump!

Neve and Justin both jumped in fright.

They looked at their cabin door.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Someone was bashing on their door!

Oh, God no
, thought Neve.
One of the crazies heard the glass break! They’re trying to break in here!

Neve indicated for Justin to be silent.

Justin nodded and stared at the door.

The intruder began launching his entire body at the door.

The door jolted on its hinges.

Neve heard the sound of cracking wood.

‘It won’t hold,’ Justin hissed. ‘They’re breaking in!’

Erin’s team tore off their headgear, exhausted from the constant fighting.

This is ridiculous,
thought Erin.
We can’t keep this up
.

In her peripheral vision she glimpsed movement in the corridor. She spun, hyper-alert.

It’s just an old man.

‘Go back to your cabin,’ ordered Erin. ‘It’s not safe out here. Just stay in your cabin.’

The man wore long blue pajamas with a gold letter ‘L’ monogramed on his shirt pocket. Lonely tuffs of white hair sprouted above his ears. His slippers matched his pajamas.

He began ambling toward them.

Erin shook her head, frustrated.

He broke into a jog.

‘No,’ yelled Erin. ‘Go back to your cabin or up to deck ten.’

The old man began sprinting toward them. His slippers flew off.

No man that old can run like that.

He sprinted like a teenager being chased by hungry lions.

Erin and her fire team realized at the same time.

‘He’s hot!’ yelled one of her team.

‘He’s got a knife,’ yelled another.

Erin was closest.

The knife sped toward her neck.

Clang!

She barely lifted her arm in time.

The knife collided with her fire extinguisher.

The man collided with her.

Erin felt like she’d been struck by a charging bull.

Tangled, they hit the deck and slid on the carpet.

The knife flew from his hand, but he still landed on top of her. Erin covered her head as the old man began pounding on her like a deranged ape. Between his blows Erin saw spittle foaming in the corners of his mouth.

Why aren’t they helping me?

Then she saw why.

They were under attack too.

While they had been watching the old man, no one was watching their backs.

Erin heard smashing glass and yelling, but didn’t have time for anything but fighting for her own life. Red liquid splashed all over her. She tried to kick the man away, but her shoes slid off his hips. She scrambled backward, desperate to get out from under him. He lunged back onto her, pinning her again, but now trying to push his fingers into her eye sockets.

Erin thrashed her head around, avoiding his eye gouging, fighting back with every bit of strength she—

Clonk!

A big red fire extinguisher swung through Erin’s field of vision and collected the man’s head on the way past.

The impact knocked the man clean off Erin and into the corridor wall.

From the sound alone, Erin knew he wasn’t getting up.

She rolled away from him, just in case, but she’d been right.

The man’s head rested at an unnatural angle.

His neck is broken.

Erin suddenly remembered the red liquid splashing all over her.

She staggered to her feet, panting, bracing one hand against the wall.

‘Who’s hurt?’