Tainted Cure (The Rememdium Series Book 1) (19 page)

Walt started the truck and smiled as the engine roared to life. Pushing the button on the opener, the metal door rose, exposing the brush-covered trail leading deep into the woods. Gunning the engine, the Ram shot out into the bright sun. In seconds, the beams of morning light disappeared as Walt drove them deeper into the thick woods.

Martha reached over and turned on the CB, fiddling with the button until she landed on the police channel. The sounds of static filled up the truck.

“That’s odd. With all this mess goin’ on, you’d think the radio would be full of chatter,” Martha said.

Walt could see from his periphery Martha twist the knob, attempting to locate anything. The odd silence spoke volumes.

“Try channel CB 3AM. See if you can raise Curt or Lamar,” Walt urged.

Martha cocked her head and gave Walt an irritated smirk. “I know the protocol, Walt. If silent, I move to CB 37U.  If neither channel is operable, I switch over to the ARES to channel 34.90 so we can listen to what the National Guard is up to. I had a thorough teacher, remember?”

Walt heard the tension in his wife’s voice. Instead of snapping back, he concentrated on the bumpy road.

They were about one mile away from Bailey Hill, which meant they’d pop out from under the cover of the woods soon. The only part of the journey that worried him was the short jaunt over the interstate. They would be exposed until they crossed over to the other side, and the thought made Walt’s stomach roll. He slowed down as the truck approached an old creek bed.

“Why don’t you go ahead and switch over to the ham? I’d like to know if the troops are still in transit or already set up in town. I’m hopin’ for the latter, because I ain’t lookin’ forward to tryin’ to sneak past them. Ol’ Bubba here is a beast on the backroads, but sorta easy to spot in the open.”

“How far are…oh, less than a mile,” Martha responded after glancing up. “There, got it!”

What they heard made them both blanch in fright.

“Sector A from Moss through Stone cleared. One casualty to report.”

A different male voice responded, “Was casualty clear or contaminated?”

“Unknown. Squadron C handled it. They are right behind us, though their radio is on the fritz. They’ll give a full report upon arrival.”

“ETA and number of passengers?”

“Ten, tops. We’re bringing in three—one female, two males. Elder male may be a problem. Former Border Patrol and related to local law enforcement. He’s asking a lot of questions, and I don’t think he’ll remain cooperative for too much longer.”

“Roger that. We’ll be ready to handle him.”

Walt stepped on the brakes and brought the truck to a halt in the middle of the creek bed. He turned and faced Martha. The look on her face told him she was thinking the same thing he was.

“Moss Street. That’s the one Jesse lives on,” Martha whispered while staring out the window. Walt could tell she was scanning the woods for any signs of movement.

“Yeah. Looks like Turner won’t be heading to the cave after all.”

Martha’s jaw clenched and Walt saw her body tense up. She reached behind her and grabbed an assault rifle. Hauling it over the seat back, she turned off the safety. “Like hell he won’t.”

Walt couldn’t help but smile. Hell, high water, an armed soldier, or the hand of God himself didn’t stand a chance at deterring his wife once her mind was made up.

Shifting the truck into reverse, Walt backed up and changed destinations. As he drove back through the deep, muddy tracks he made minutes before, he wondered if the trip into downtown Malvern would be the last one they ever made.

The truck lumbered through the brush for less than fifty yards when the radio crackled to life.

“Big Bear, you there? Come back.”

Martha snatched the mic up. “Lamar? Is that you?”

“Use our codes, Martha!” Walt admonished.

“Please. Like it matters at this point!” Martha snapped back.

“Yes ma’am. Y’all already left?” Lamar asked, out of breath. Walt could hear the fear in his friend’s voice.

“No. We had…a slight detour to make. Why?”

“We’re about to be overrun by these things. I just stopped to catch my breath from runnin’ up the hill. I ain’t even kiddin’ when I say enough of them monsters are comin’ to fill up the parking lot of two Walmarts! They’re movin’ in from the freeway, headed straight into town.”

Motioning for Martha to hand him the mic, Walt asked, “You comin’ up Bailey Hill?”

“Yeah. About a quarter mile from the top.”

“Stay put,” Walt said. He stopped and put the truck into reverse after handing the mic to Martha. “I’m almost there.”

“Is that your truck I hear?” Lamar asked.

“Yep. Can you see me yet?”

“Praise God!”

The radio went silent as Lamar burst from a clump of pine trees. Walt stopped and Martha opened her door and let Lamar in. Once seated, Walt put the truck in drive and headed back to town.

“All those people stuck in the traffic…Jesus, they were trapped! They overran the emergency personnel, too. The whole lot of them! Ain’t never seen such in all my days!” Lamar said, clearly shaken by the disturbing events.

Walt and Martha exchanged glances. Though worried, there was a spark of adrenaline-fueled excitement thrumming inside Walt’s body. From the gleam behind Martha’s eyes, she felt it too.

“What mile marker, Lamar?”

“Ninety-eight.”

“How fast they movin’?”

“For dead people—pretty damned quick.”

“Dead people? What are you sayin’, Lamar? I thought this was a bio attack? Contagious type outbreak of some sorts?”

“Ms. Martha, I ain’t no doctor or expert on diseases-n-such. I just know what I saw out there on I-30.”

“Which was?” Martha urged, doubt creeping into her voice.

“People who were dead stalkin’ the livin’ then eatin’ them when they caught em. That’s what.”

Walt asked, “How do you know for sure they were dead, Lamar? I mean, you were quite a distance away. Maybe they just were…”

“I see just fine through these,” Lamar said, holding up a pair of binoculars. “And I’m pretty fuckin’ sure when someone’s neck is snapped and their guts are hangin’ outta their body, they’re dead. Even if they are still technically alive, I doubt they would be interested in eatin’ the flesh off of another person, don’t you?”

“Dear God in Heaven,” Martha whispered.

Walt had made it to the edge of his property line. He slowed and pulled the truck over, shutting it down. Without having to give instructions, they all exited the truck. Walt and Martha opened the crew cab door on their respective sides and grabbed their weapons.

“Time to change our outfits,” Walt said. He unzipped the large backpack on the floorboard. Inside sat three Kevlar vests and military fatigues. Glancing over at Lamar, he sized him up. “Turner is a bit thinner than you and the vest might be snug, but I don’t think being uncomfortable really matters at this point, right?”

Lamar shook his head and smiled. “Hell no.”

They changed quickly. Once all three were fully armed, wearing similar outfits of their enemy, and masks in place, Walt moved to the front of the truck. He motioned for them to come closer while leaning over and hiding the key under the front tire.

“We’ll leave the truck here. Martha and I are gonna let the military handle the situation from the freeway. We were just headin’ back to get Turner when you hit us up, so if you want to go fight with…”

Lamar gave Walt a disgusted look. “If we weren’t in the middle of a shit-storm, I’d punch you for that comment. I’ve been preppin’ my entire adult life to fight against the government. Ain’t no way I’d get on their side now! It’s bad enough I’m wearin’ clothes that make me look like I’m one of them. Hell, hope Curt ain’t out there somewhere, hidin’ in the shadows just waitin’ to pick them off. With my luck, he’d shoot me! So, you say they got your boy? How do you know for sure?”

“We heard it on the ham. They’re takin’ Turner, Jesse Parker and Reed Newberry to the high school for testin.’ I don’t like the idea of my boy bein’ a pin cushion for the U.S. Military,” Martha answered.

Walt huffed and patted the AR-10 resting by his side. “Darlin’, we got this. Ain’t nothin’ more that scares the government than armed rednecks. Let’s go get our boy and the others.”

Martha smiled but Lamar remained cautious as he followed. “That used to be true until the dead started eatin’ the livin’.”

The trio only made it to the side of Walt and Martha’s house when gunfire from across town shattered the stillness of the morning.

ADDRESSING THE NATION - Saturday - December 20
^th
– 9:25 a.m. – Eastern Standard Time

President Arthur Thompson closed his eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath. He was a jumbled mass of fear on the inside but couldn’t let the terror shine through on his countenance. After a thorough debriefing by all his upper-level staff members earlier, and the reports he’d reviewed about the worldwide catastrophe, remaining calm was beyond difficult.

Press Secretary Ari Newburg stood next to him in the ready room. President Thompson could actually smell the fear wafting from his most trusted advisor. Ari’s normally arrogant attitude had disappeared, along with his impeccable attire. The rotund man’s gray suit was disheveled and beads of sweat glistened on his bald head and brow.

After the last three hours of briefings from across the globe, and the horrifying reports flooding in, President Thompson worried Ari was close to suffering another heart attack.

“They are ready for you, sir. Here are your notes.”

President Thompson adjusted his tie. The sweat pooling under his shirt made his neck itch. Taking the sheets of paper, he nodded and opened the door.

The White House Press Room erupted with noise as reporters shouted questions from the galley. Unaccustomed to such behavior, President Thompson forced himself not to wince at the onslaught. A sea of familiar faces—and a few new ones—screamed for his attention.  The room was packed and no one sat in the chairs. Two men near the front were covered in sweat, their faces pale, as they struggled to hold off the others from taking over their positions.

Holding up his hands in an attempt to silence the crowd, President Thompson stepped up to the podium. It took several seconds for the shouting voices to quiet down.

Looking down at the prepared notes, President Thompson grimaced. Something inside his mind told him now was not the time to be politically correct. People were dying in droves across the world, and survivors didn’t need to have the news sugar-coated. They needed solid, real answers and leadership to guide them through the unexpected, global crisis.

So, instead of reading the prepared speech, he turned the notes over.

“Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Americans, and citizens of our world. It is with immense sadness I come to you today as not only our great nation, but the entire world, mourns the losses of so many lives. The terrifying events happening across the globe during the last twenty-four hours have left us all shell-shocked and fearful. We have witnessed scenes we never thought possible across the globe, and the images have caused us all to be scared.

“I am here today to assure you that the United States government is working diligently with the governments of every country around the world affected by the outbreak. What you need to know is the pandemic affecting the world is not terrorist related. Though scientists across the globe have yet to isolate the cause, we do know what we are facing was not released upon humanity by any particular group. Now is not the time to let old prejudices and fears pervade our thoughts and attitudes toward others. Now is the time to unite as one collective group of humanity.

“Precautions need to be taken to stem the spread of the disease. Researchers at the CDC have discovered the disease is only spread through contact with bodily fluids such as blood and saliva. This contagion is not airborne, and can only be contracted through contact with an infected individual, which includes being bitten.

“To ensure the safety of all citizens of our country, at nine a.m. this morning, all fifty states are now under martial law. All international and national air travel has been suspended, as well as interstate travel from state to state through any other means. As you have been informed by the Emergency Broadcast System, every single person must report to their local county seat where testing facilities have been erected. If you are traveling and not in your home state, please proceed to the closest county seat and present your identification for testing. Once tested and cleared, you will be required to remain inside the boundaries of the county until everyone has been tested. Please know we are working on a cure…”

President Thompson’s words were drowned out by a barrage of questions. Some of the staff writers from various news agencies around the world tried to push their way to the podium. Though he attempted to regain control of the room, President Thompson failed.

The voices from the crowd grew louder, demanding answers. President Thompson could see they were more than panicked—they were hysterical. Some tried to even push their way past the Secret Service agents standing in front of the podium.