Chapter 6
The soldier walked us to a tent a few yards away. “This is the debriefing room,” he said. Inside the tent, he saluted an officer seated at a desk, and then went toward some crates on a table at the back of the tent.
“Come in,” the officer said in a calming voice. “Please, sit down. I’m sergeant Spears. I am in charge of evacuee affairs, so if you need anything while you’re here, you are to come to me.”
There were several rows of empty chairs facing the desk, and we sat down in the first row. The soldier came back, carrying three wireless computer tablets with styluses. He handed one to each of us.
“First we’ll need to get some information from you for our database. Just tap the tablet, and our intake form will appear. Use the stylus to write in your personal information,” sergeant Spears said.
I tapped the tablet, and the form appeared. It looked like the kind of form I’d filled out at my doctor’s office before. It required our names, addresses, and contact information. The contact information made me smirk. It wasn’t like I had a phone number to give them or anything. Then the form asked for information on medical history. It wanted to know if I’d had any surgeries or if I had any chronic medical conditions. It also asked if I’d had any transfusions. It even asked for my immunization history. I glanced at Jordan and Kyle, wondering if they thought it was odd that we were being asked questions like these.
“Do you have a question?” the officer asked.
“Actually, I was wondering why you needed all of this information. I don’t even remember some of this. I don’t know what to put down.” I said.
“We need the information as part of our research on the virus outbreak,” sergeant Spears said. “Just answer as many of the questions as you can. If you don’t know the answers, just leave them blank.”
“But what does my medical history have to do with the virus?” I asked. “I’m not infected.”
I thought I saw a flash of annoyance in the officer’s eyes, but when he spoke; it was in that same calm tone. “What you may not know is that we are very close to developing a vaccine against the virus. Having a control group in our study, a group of healthy people who are not infected with the virus, is important. We need your information to determine if you can be a part of that group.”
I glanced quickly at Kyle and Jordan. “We can’t be a part of your study group,” I said. “We only came here to tell you about our friends who are trapped back there. There’s a group in the Carver High School, maybe 50 or so. There are also people at a truck stop, about 25 of them. There are also survivors at hospital about five or six miles outside of Ransdell. You’ve got to send a rescue team immediately. They can’t live on their own much longer.”
“There are that many uninfected survivors?” the officer asked, sounding surprised.
“Yes,” Jordan said. “And the ones at the high school only have a few days’ food supply. You’ve got to move fast.”
“I assure you we will,” he said, standing up. “Private,” he said to the soldier. “Finish the briefing here. I’ve got to tell the general right away.”
“Yes, sir!” the soldier responded, walking to the desk in the front.
The officer left the tent, walking quickly. I felt a wave of relief. “Finally! Help will be on the way,” I said.
“Sir, wait!” the soldier called after the officer. He picked up a hand-held radio from the desk. “You left your radio,” he said as he went after the officer. The soldier came back into the tent. “Have you all completed the intake form?” he asked. “If you’re done, hand me your tablets.”
We each handed our computer tablets to the soldier. He looked over our forms, reading them carefully. “You’re enlisted?” he said to Kyle.
“Yes,” Kyle replied.
“Then we will try to find an assignment for you while you are here.” He placed the tablets on the desk. “Now we will go over procedures for living in the safe zone.”
“Living in the safe zone?” I asked. “You mean we have to stay here?”
“Temporarily, yes,” he replied. “The amount of time each person spends here varies, but we provide food, shelter, medical care, and even some entertainment until a more permanent placement can be found. We try to relocate individuals and families to places where there is housing and where jobs can be found. We’ve processed a very large number of people through here, and placements are sometimes difficult to identify.”
His words sunk in. I hadn’t given much thought to life after the virus outbreak. Technically, we were all homeless. My family was dead. I had no relatives I could go live with. I had just graduated from high school and didn’t have a job. Kyle would probably go back to the military, and what about Jordan? Suddenly, I panicked at the thought of being separated from them. They were all I had.
“Can we get a placement together?” I asked.
“Are you related?” the soldier asked.
“No,” Jordan said. “But we don’t have anyone else. Our families are gone.”
The soldier nodded, understanding. “I’ll see what I can do.” He pulled a clipboard out of the desk drawer. “Now we need to go over the rules for living on the compound,” he said. He began reading items and checking them off as he went down the list of rules. “While you are here, you must follow all instructions given by any military or police personnel. You are to remain only in the main area of the compound.”
“Excuse me,” I interrupted. “But how do we know what is the main compound? Everything looks alike to me.”
“When you have the opportunity to tour the grounds, you will see mostly green tents in the non-restricted area. You will be assigned to a green tent for sleeping purposes. This is the only green tent you are permitted to enter because the others are occupied by other evacuees and the enlisted personnel. The enlisted personnel are housed on both ends of the compound. There are white service tents spaced throughout the grounds. These tents contain showers and chemical toilet facilities. There are two very large, white tents in the center of the grounds. One is the mess hall where you will eat all your meals. The other tent is a multi-purpose facility where we hold meetings and gather for entertainment. Behind the back row of green tents, there is an infirmary. Behind it, there is a wall. Beyond that wall is the restricted area. Only authorized military personnel are permitted there,” he explained.
“What’s in the restricted area?” I asked. Kyle jabbed me in the ribs with a finger.
Kyle was clearly irritated that I was asking questions, but the soldier was unfazed. “That is where the research on the virus is being conducted. Work is being done there with the live strain, so the area must be kept completely sterile. It is not safe for civilians,” he said. “Now I’ll show you to your tent.”
He guided us through the maze of green tents and stopped at one that said G14 on the door flap. “This is your tent,” he said as he walked inside. The tent was about half full of men, women, and children. Most were sitting around talking quietly. Some of the children were playing in groups. The soldier steered us toward the middle of the tent where there were three cots with mattresses. Clean blankets, sheets, and a pillow were placed neatly on each cot. “You’ll need to make your own beds,” he said. Clean linens will be delivered to you each week. To get to the mess hall, you’ll walk straight out the front of this tent and pass two rows of green tents. It will be right in front of you. Meals are announced on the public address system at five in the morning, noon, and six o’clock in the evening. Dinner will be served in two hours. The closest service tent with showers and toilets is three rows directly behind this tent. Any questions?”
“What about clean clothes?” Jordan asked.
“You’ll find those near the showers in the service tents,” the soldier said. “Anything else?”
“What are we supposed to do?” I asked.
“I don’t u
nderstand what you mean,” the soldier said.
“With our time,” I explained. “If we’re going to be here awhile, we need something to keep us busy. If there’s nothing to do, we’ll go stir crazy.”
“I see,” the soldier said. “I would recommend that you see the staff in the mess tent. They may be able to use some help. Remember, if you need anything, see whoever is on duty at the debriefing tent.” He nodded and then left.
“I could use some rest,” Kyle said. He began putting the sheets on one of the mattresses. Sleep sounded like a good idea to me, so I began making my bed as well. Jordan followed suit. When the beds were made, we all settled in for a little sleep before dinner. The mattress was a little thin, but it was the most comfortable “bed” I’d had in what felt like forever. I nuzzled into my pillow and drifted to sleep.
I awoke to someone tapping my shoulder. A woman stood over me. “Sorry to wake you,” she said. “You slept through the dinner announcement, and I thought you would want to get something to eat.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I must have been in a really deep sleep.” I was still really tired.
“Yes,” she said. “I’m sure you are all exhausted.” She woke Jordan and Kyle.
“I’m Linda,” she said. “That’s my family over there.” She pointed to a man and two children waiting for her near the door of the tent. “I’ll see you at dinner.” She went to join her family, and they left the tent.
“We need to go,” Jordan said. “I’m starving.”
We walked to the mess hall, and a line had formed. As the line inched closer, I could smell the aroma of bread and some kind of meat. My mouth began to water. It was going to be a real meal and not just beans or tuna!
“Get a whiff of that,” Jordan said. “It smells good.”
“Barbeque,” Kyle said.
When I reached the serving line, I could see he was right. They were serving barbeque, roasted potatoes, rolls, and a salad. The servers filled a Styrofoam food tray and handed it to me. I found plastic utensils and a bin filled with bottled water at the end of the line. When we all had our trays, we looked for some seats. I spotted Linda waving to us from one of the tables. She signaled for us to come and sit with her family. We walked over to them and sat down. Linda introduced her husband, Bill and her sons Andrew and David.
“How long have you been here, Linda?” I asked.
“We’re in our third week,” she said. “Like everyone else, we’re waiting for a placement.”
“They said it may be a month or more before we’re placed,” Bill added.
“Yes. It’s more difficult for them to place families,” Linda said. “They have to find a placement where both Bill and I can get jobs.”
“What do you do?” Kyle asked. “I mean, what kind of jobs did you have before the outbreak?”
“Linda was an office manager, and I worked as an accountant,” Bill answered.
“The food here is good,” I said as I ate.
“Yes, it’s better than you would expect from a place like this,” Linda said.
Jordan was quite, intensely focused on his food. “Guess you were starving,” I said.
“I’m doing much better now,” he said, finishing off the last of his potatoes. “Can we go back for seconds?”
Bill chuckled at Jordan. “Yes, they let us have all we want.”
Jordan went back to the serving line and returned with a heaping pile of barbeque and some rolls.
When we finished eating, Jordan, Kyle and I decided to go to the multi-purpose tent to see what was there. As we left the mess hall, five huge helicopters flew over the compound, headed east.
“There goes your rescue mission,” a man’s voice called out. I turned and saw sergeant Spears walking toward the mess hall.
“Thank you,” I called back to him.
“With luck they could start bringing people back here in a few hours,” Kyle said.
I couldn’t wait to see Harley and Nurse Hoffstedder. Here, I was certain that Harley’s broken ankle could get the medical care it needed. Mrs. Hoffstedder could get her knee looked at too. I thought about Darrell and Susan and hoped that Susan would soon be well enough to join us.
“What are you smiling about?” Kyle asked.
“I feel hopeful,” I answered. For the first time in a long time, I actually felt hopeful.
We entered the multi-purpose tent. Inside, there were groups of people sitting around tables talking and playing games. A small library and reading area was off to one side. There was a large projection screen at one end showing a Disney movie. A good sized group of children was gathered around it. At the opposite end of the tent, there were several teenagers playing at a couple of ping pong tables and pool tables. “Do you guys want to play some pool?” I asked. Kyle and Jordan both nodded, and we went to wait for a turn at the tables. We sat on some chairs beside one of the tables where two girls, a blonde and a red head, were playing.
“Hi,” the blonde one said. “I’m Tiffany, and this is Kristen,” she said, pointing to her friend.
Kristen waved, and we introduced ourselves.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you here before,” Kristen said.
“We just got here today,” said Jordan. “What about you two? How long have you been here?”
“We’ve been here ever since the outbreak started,” Tiffany answered.
That seemed like a long time, I thought. “Why so long?” I asked.
“They have to place us with someone who can be our guardian or who can adopt us because we’re underage,” Kristen explained. “That’s what takes so long.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said.
“It’s okay,” Kristen said. “We’re fine here for now.”
“And, we just found out that we get to be in the research study,” Tiffany added excitedly.
“Tell us about it,” Kyle urged.
“Well, we don’t know much about it yet,” Tiffany said. “Tomorrow we get to go to the restricted zone! We’ll learn more about it there.”
“Aren’t you nervous about going to the restricted zone?” I asked.
“Maybe a little bit,” Kristen admitted. “But we’ll be okay because we’re in the control group.”
“Besides, we’ll be working with some of the world’s greatest biological scientists!” Tiffany gushed.
They made it sound as if they would be hanging out with rock stars. I wouldn’t be so excited if it were me, I thought. “You can back out if you decide you don’t want to do it. Right?” I asked.
Tiffany and Kristen looked at each other. “I’m sure we can quit if we want to,” Kristen said.
“Yeah,” Tiffany said. “They wouldn’t make us stay in the study. They’ll lose us anyway if we get a placement.”
“I’m looking forward to a better place to stay,” Kristen added.
“Better place to stay?” I asked. “Do you mean you’ll be living back there too?”
“Yes,” Kristen answered. “They have trailers for us back there. They’re like little efficiency apartments.”
“And we’ll have television!” Tiffany beamed. “I’ve missed civilization.”
Tiffany and Kristen finished their game and handed us their cues. Then they left to join a table of other teenagers.
Kyle took a third cue from a rack standing nearby. “What’ll it be?” he asked, chalking up his cue.
“How about Cutthroat?” Jordan suggested. “Casey can take one through five. I’ll take six through ten, and Kyle can take eleven through fifteen.”
Kyle and I agreed. “So how do we play?” I asked.
“Casey, since you have one through five, you break. If you get one of your balls in, you go again. If you don’t, it’s my turn. If I get one of my balls in, I go again. If not, it’s Kyle’s turn, and so on,” Jordan explained as he racked the balls. He removed the triangle from the balls an
d handed me the cue ball.
I placed it on the table and positioned myself for the break. I hit the cue ball, and it smacked into the others, spreading them across the table.
“Nice break,” Kyle said.
“So what do you think about Tiffany and Kristen being in the research study?” I asked as Jordan analyzed the positions of the balls on the table.
“I think it’s cool,” Jordan said. “It sounds like a great way to help with the vaccine.”
“Why did you ask, Casey?” Kyle looked at me with his eyebrow slightly arched. He was perceptive and could tell I was worried.
“I don’t know,” I said. “It just sounds risky. I mean remember our debriefing and how they told us that no civilians were allowed in the restricted area because they were working with live strains of the virus back there?”
“It will be in a controlled laboratory,” Kyle reassured me. “They won’t put them in harm’s way.”
“Maybe not,” I said doubtfully, “But what if there is an accident? After all, this whole outbreak was caused by an accident at what was supposed to be a secure army depot.”
“There’s always a risk with this type of work, but we have to continue the research,” a voice behind me said. I turned to see that the soldier who debriefed us had walked up to the pool table. Something in his expression disturbed me. I wondered how much he had heard me say. Surely there were no rules against talking about the research. We were still in America, and I didn’t remember parking my right to free speech at the gates of this place. Still, though, my inner voice told me it was time to change the subject.
“I never got your name earlier,” I said to him. I extended my hand.
“Private Benton,” he responded, shaking my hand. “I’ve been looking for you,” he said to Jordan. “You’ve been selected to participate in the research study.”
“So quickly?” I asked. “We just got here!” I felt my stomach churning at the thought of Jordan going to the restricted zone.
“It turns out that Jordan has an AB negative blood type. It’s rare, and we need you for the study,” Private Benton explained. “I need you to come with me to learn about the study and to get your consent. If you decide to participate, a member of the research team will come for you in the morning.”
I grabbed Jordan’s arm as he started to follow Benton. “You can’t do this,” I said in a low voice.
“Take it easy, Casey,” Jordan said, grasping my hand. “It can’t hurt just to hear what they’ve got to say.” He pulled away from me and followed Benton out of the tent.
“I really don’t like this,” I said to Kyle.
Kyle wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gave me a gentle squeeze. “Casey,” he said. “You’ve worked so hard taking care of everyone and keeping them safe. You’ve done a terrific job. But we’re safe now. If Jordan decides to go forward with the study, they’ll treat him well. He’ll be okay.”
For a moment I stood there, feeling the comfort of Kyle’s warm embrace. “I hope you’re right,” I said quietly.
I didn’t feel like playing pool anymore, so we turned the table over to the next group waiting to play. “Let’s take a walk around the compound,” I suggested to Kyle. We walked around the entire perimeter of the non-restricted compound. The area was enclosed on three sides by tall chain-link fencing toped with coils of razor wire. As we walked, we passed three armed guards who were patrolling the fence. It was getting dark as we reached the back boundary of the compound, and I could hear the zombies beginning to scream. There was a white infirmary tent with a red cross on the side. Behind the infirmary, the restricted area was hidden behind solid steel walls. It was impossible to see what was on the other side. Even the entry gate was solid. Seeing the electronic keypad that was mounted to the wall beside the gate, I felt even more concerned that Jordan might soon be behind that wall where we would have no way to get to him. There would be no way to talk to him and ensure that he was okay. I had to talk him out of this. “I’m ready to head back to the tent,” I said to Kyle.
“Then let’s go,” he said.
Back in our tent, we found Jordan sitting on his cot reading. He looked up as we sat down on my cot. “Where have you two been?” he said. “I’ve been waiting for you for awhile.”
“We were checking out the compound,” Kyle answered.
“Yes,” I said. “And we walked to the restricted area. It’s hidden behind a solid steel wall. You can’t see anything back there. They have electronic access too. Jordan, if you participate in the research, we will never see you. We won’t be able to talk to you. How will we know you’re okay?”
“Don’t you even want to know what they told me about the study?” Jordan asked.
“Honestly, no,” I said. “There’s nothing they could have told you that will change the fact that once you’re behind those walls, your life will be in their hands.”
Jordan looked at Kyle as if he wanted a show of support. “Kyle, you’re a soldier. You’ve made sacrifices. You understand why I want to do this, don’t you? So many people that I cared about are dead, and I have the chance to do something that may help eliminate this virus. I could make a difference.”
I wanted Kyle to side with me on this. If he did, maybe we could talk some sense into Jordan. I made eye contact with Kyle, hoping he would say something.
“I think both of you have a point,” Kyle said. “I don’t know whether you should do it or not.”
“You don’t have to tell them an answer until tomorrow morning, right?” I asked. “Promise me you’ll at least consider what I’ve said before you make your decision.”
Jordan’s face was serious. “Okay,” he said. “I promise.” I went to sleep hoping it wouldn’t be the last time we would see Jordan.
I awoke to the sound of breakfast being announced on the loudspeaker. I bolted upright and moved immediately to Jordan’s side to wake him. “Jordan,” I said, shaking him. He rolled over and looked at me through bleary eyes. “Have you made your decision yet?”
He smiled. “You look so desperate,” he said. “You can relax. I’ve decided not to do it.”
Relief doesn’t begin to describe the way I felt. I tried to wake Kyle, but he was in deep sleep. We decided to let him rest and went to the mess tent and had breakfast. It was your basic country breakfast with scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, biscuits, and different fruit juices. As we finished up, Jordan announced he was going to take a shower. I needed one too, so I went with him. The service tent was divided into two sections, one for women, and one for men. “I’ll meet you here when I’m done,” I said to Jordan as I walked toward the women’s end. Just inside the tent, which had a floor of prefabricated panels, there were four stalls with chemical toilets. I stopped to use the bathroom.
Beyond the stalls, I found shelves with clean clothing. I selected some pants, a shirt, underwear, and socks and walked toward the shower stalls. They were similar to the shower in the decontamination trailer, small and reminiscent of one you would find in a camper. Still, the water was warm and comforting. It felt good to finally wash my hair well. When I was finished, I dried off with a towel from a fresh stack on a shelf by the showers. I got dressed and went back outside to wait for Jordan. Several minutes passed, and I wondered what was taking Jordan so long. As I waited, I heard the deep, choppy sound of helicopter blades in the wind. I looked toward the east and saw that the helicopters were returning from the rescue mission. I walked around to the men’s side of the service tent and shouted through the entry way. “Jordan! The helicopters are back! Jordan!” There was no response. I suspected he may have gone back to the tent without me, so I ran back to G14 to get him and Kyle.
Back at the tent, I found Kyle still sleeping and no sign of Jordan. “Kyle, wake up,” I said, patting him on the back.
“What is it?” he said, sitting up.
The helicopter
s are back, and I can’t find Jordan.
“What?” he said, rubbing his eyes.
“Jordan and I went to take a shower, and now he’s gone.”
“I’m sure he’s around here somewhere,” Kyle said yawning. “The helicopters are back?”
“Yes,” I said. “We need to go find Jordan and meet the people getting off the helicopters. I hope Harley and Mrs. Hoffstedder are with them.”
Lazily, Kyle got to his feet and followed me as I led him to the front of the compound. The helicopters had landed just outside the main gates, and armed soldiers were waiting for them. One by one, people started emerging from the helicopters. They bent low in the swirling dust as they moved away from the helicopters. I could see that they were already restrained. I hated that our friends had to go through this. Decontamination was humiliating. I saw two soldiers carrying someone on a stretcher. I ran to the fence to get a closer look. It was Harley! A moment later, I saw Mrs. Hoffstedder’s unmistakable white uniform flapping in the wind. She was still limping. As the evacuees were herded into the holding area, screams pierced the air. A group of zombies seemed to come from nowhere and rushed toward the helicopters. The sound of rifles filled the air. The sharpshooters stationed atop the towers at the gate were firing on them. The zombies started dropping. In seconds they were all down on the ground. I watched as a truck drove out from behind the compound. It stopped by the bodies of the zombies. Several workers in biohazard suits got out and started lifting the bodies. They carried them to the truck and tossed them into the back end.
“Garbage detail, I guess,” Kyle smirked. “I hope I don’t get assigned to that job.”
“Me too,” I agreed. “I wonder what they do with them.”
“They probably incinerate them to keep the virus from spreading,” Kyle answered.
As we stood waiting, I kept looking around, hoping to see Jordan. I saw Benton walking toward the debriefing tent and called out to him. He stopped and looked in my direction. “I’ll be right back,” I said to Kyle and jogged over to the private. “Private Benton, have you seen Jordan this morning? He’s disappeared. I know you wanted him to meet with the research team.”
“He has reported to the restricted area for the study,” Benton said.
“Oh, he’s decided against that,” I said.
“No, I believe he has agreed to participate,” Benton said, flipping through some pages on his clipboard. “Yes, he signed the consent form.” He tilted the clipboard and showed me a carbon copied form with Jordan’s signature scrawled across the bottom.
“No!” I shouted. “That can’t be right. Just this morning he told me he wasn’t going to do it!”
“What’s wrong,” Kyle said, walking up to us.
“Private Benton said that Jordan agreed to do the study,” I said.
“I thought he probably would,” Kyle said.
“I’ve got to go get ready to debrief the new evacuees,” Benton said. “I’m sorry you didn’t know.” With that he left us standing there.
“It will be okay,” Kyle tried to reassure me.
“No Kyle! It won’t be okay. Jordan told me this morning that he decided not to do the study, and now he’s disappeared!”
“Maybe he just told you what he thought you wanted to hear and then sneaked away when he had the chance. Maybe he couldn’t tell you to your face.”
“No. Jordan would never do that to me. He always told me what he was thinking whether he thought I would like it or not.”
“Are you suggesting he was taken by force?” Kyle whispered, leaning close.
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m suggesting,” I whispered back.
“Kyle Carter?” A soldier was walking toward us.
“Yes?” Kyle said. “I’m Kyle Carter.”
“Come with me. You’ve been assigned to sentry duty to guard the perimeter of the compound,” the soldier said.
Kyle looked at me with concern in his eyes. “It will be okay, Casey,” he said. “I’ll talk to you later. I have to go report for duty.” He kissed me gently on the forehead. “Stay strong,” he whispered. Then he turned and followed the soldier walking toward the enlisted personnel tents.
My eyes burned, but no tears came. There was no time for them. I had to find a way to get to Jordan. For that I would need help. I went to stand by the exit ramps of the decontamination trailers to wait for my friends. They would understand, and they would help. After several long minutes, Mrs. Hoffstedder, now in the scrubs, limped her way down one of the ramps. She looked exhausted. I ran to her and threw my arms around her.
“I knew you would somehow get help to us. They came just in time Casey,” she said. “Thank you for all you’ve done for us.”
I swallowed hard. I was certain now that I hadn’t done them any favors by having them brought here. Something sinister was going on, and we were trapped here. “How is Harley doing?” I asked. Nurse Hoffstedder’s expression grew serious.
“What is it? Is something wrong?” She didn’t answer me, and I saw that she was staring over my shoulder. I turned to see what she was looking at and saw movement inside one of the sealed tubes coming out of the back of a decontamination trailer. There were two people in biohazard suits carrying Harley on the stretcher. They opened the back door of the truck sitting at the bottom of the tube and carried her inside. The door slid shut, and the truck pulled away.
“What’s wrong with Harley?” I yelled.
“Calm down, Casey,” Nurse Hoffstedder said as she placed her hands squarely on my shoulders. “Harley was bitten during the evacuation.”