A World Reborn: The First Outbreak (2 page)

Her room was on the thirty-second floor, so
she pressed the relevant button on the gold coloured metal plate. Gold was the
general theme of the elevator; with a gold banister to hold onto, gold
coloured, metallic walls that created a soft, out of focus reflection of the
elevators occupants, and a kind of tan, fake marble, tiled floor. In actual
fact, Melissa mused, gold was used pretty extensively throughout the hotel,
rather like a trademark. The journey upwards was slow and Melissa stood in
silence the whole time. Once the doors opened, she exited and navigated the
white walled, brown-carpeted corridor of doors until she came to her own, where
she used the key card she was carrying in her small purse to gain entry.
Melissa shut the door behind her and sighed deeply. She crossed to the mini
fridge and opened it, considered taking out a small bottle of whiskey, but
resisted the urge and instead grabbed a bottle of water. After sipping it, she
put it down on the nearby coffee table. One of the four walls of the room was a
full window, showcasing the vista the hotel offered. The television sat
slightly out of place on a stand in the corner of the room, where the window
connected to the wall, with a white faux leather sofa aligned with it. The
bedroom and en suite bathroom was off to the left, with a small dining area to
the right. Melissa couldn’t help but think how much nicer this hotel room was,
and larger, than her apartment in London, and for the price she’d paid she was
more than a little pleased. There were economy rooms that ran centrally up each
floor, which were referred to as interior rooms that had no window or external
view. The discount was significant, and the website advertised them as perfect
for people who wanted to spend their time exploring everything the Seraph and
Las Vegas had to offer. Melissa had to admit, the promotion of those rooms was
well done, and considering how many people were happy to take them, they were a
popular option.

The air conditioning made the room
pleasantly cool too, and as the sun threatened to fall below the horizon,
inking the sky with reds and oranges, Melissa picked up her water and went and
stood as close to the window as she could possibly get. She looked down at the
city. The lights, the glamour and glitz on display made a feeling of melancholy
pass over her. She couldn’t help but think about the things that had brought
her here; her broken engagement was one of them, but her thoughts were also
inexorably drawn to the dark time, when she’d been forced to defend herself in
that little, African mining village.

Melissa took another drink. She continued
to watch and drink, wishing she’d grabbed the alcohol while she had the chance,
until the bottle was empty. She then decided not to go out that night. She
couldn’t bear the thought of having to fake politeness and niceness when her
heart lay broken. She was angry, she was sad, and she didn’t want to have to
care about hurting someone’s feelings. Melissa tossed the bottle into the trash
bin, and went into the bedroom. She grabbed one of her sleeping pills from her
travel bag, swallowed it dry and then lay down on the double bed on top of the
Egyptian cotton sheets, her skin revelling in the luxurious feeling, and closed
her eyes. She wanted to sleep for a while in the hope she would feel more at
peace with herself when she woke up; that when her eyes flickered and opened
again, this time the anger burning her soul would be gone.

Roy Snipes, Chief of Security at the Seraph
Hotel and Casino, strolled casually through the rows of slot machines, veering
to the left side of the casino floor towards the security door beside the
cashier’s desk, listening to the pleasing sounds of the machines as the
gamblers played; the sirens that blared when someone won and the tinkling of
coins falling into receptacles, which were eagerly scooped up by the winners,
were a strangely relaxing background sound. He had his large hands tucked
behind his back, and while enjoying the sounds of the casino, he also listened
to the chatter coming through the earpiece from his radio. Someone had puked in
the bar, it seemed, and a janitor was on the way. Someone else had tried to
start a fight in the sports bar after a bad bet. Simple things really, but they
were the high point of excitement in his day. He smiled at an elderly couple
who passed him, who returned the gesture, and he couldn’t help but think of his
wife, at home, getting ready for their night out as soon as his shift was over.
Roy was fifty-seven years old, a decorated police officer who had retired after
unceasing requests from his loving wife of over thirty years. He had walked
into his current position due to his years of experience, and the pay increase
provided by his career change allowed him and his wife to enjoy a more
comfortable lifestyle. She hadn’t always wanted him to retire, but recent events
had driven it home to her just how dangerous his line of work was. Obviously,
she had always been aware, Roy admitted upon reflection, but he understood why
she was suddenly a lot more concerned. She would also have been happier if he’d
stayed at home; his pension was sufficient for him to do just that, but he
didn’t want to just sit in an armchair reading the newspaper or watching quiz
shows on television all day long. He liked working and so, he was now
patrolling his new beat. It was certainly easier to get around than the city,
he thought to himself.

Roy absently stroked his bald head as he
made his way to the utility corridor access door beside the cashier’s desk. He
swiped his key card and the door unlocked, allowing him entrance to the back
passageways that ran throughout the ground floor of the hotel. One could get to
most places on the north side from here, and it allowed access to the south
side too, also serving as a quicker way for staff to get around, in addition to
allowing admission to the elevator leading down to the main security office,
counting rooms, and the vault proper. It wasn’t as glamorous as the other parts
of the hotel, but the harsh fluorescent lighting and general sense of security
that came from the solid, white painted, stone walls was certainly encouraging
for those who wished to come and make use of the vault. He turned right after
entering and followed the corridor, passing behind the cashier’s desk entrance
and turned left into the corridor that ended in the elevator which would
descend to the vault and security office. Once there, he swiped his key card
again and pressed the call button. A moment later, the reinforced steel
elevator doors opened. He stepped inside and rode it down, stepping out once it
reached his destination. He was presented with a short corridor with another
security card secured door at the end leading to the security room.

Upon entering, he crossed the wide space where the carts
bringing the casino's takings down to the counting rooms swung around to enter
the relevant door; hard count, coins, to the left and soft count, paper money,
on the right. The central part, where he and his team worked, was a reasonably
large space. A huge bank of screens dominated the wall to the left, with a pair
of wooden desks furnished with their own computers and monitors sitting before
the busy wall displays. To the right was an area with several desks and
computers, while a semi circular desk with three monitors on it had been placed
directly in front of the door. Behind this was the door that led into the wide
corridor that housed the vault, which terminated with a door at each end; one
from the hard count one from the soft count, so that the locked boxes could be
placed directly in the vault - a huge reinforced room where currency and other
valuables were stored. Each of the layers of security were secured by key card protected
doors and the vault itself could only be opened when Roy and the Chief Cashier
swiped their key cards simultaneously and entered their unique password; shared
only with the owner. Three of his security team were on duty within, two men
and one woman, each operating a separate computer station, the rest of his team
were out in the hotel and casino.

“Donna, Jim, Kyle.” Roy greeted as he
entered the security room.

“Chief.” They replied in unison.

“How are we looking?” Roy wanted to know.

“Well, there’s not a lot going on. There’s
a whale playing in one of the private rooms and the dealer wasn’t too happy
with how she was being treated so we switched her with one of our male
dealers.” Donna reported from behind the semi-circle. Roy remembered that a
whale was another term for a high roller, and was grateful that he was finally
learning some of the slang terms they used.

Roy moved behind Donna, a shapely, kind
looking woman in her thirties, with black hair that was cut short into a
somewhat masculine style, and looked over the small bank of monitors on the
semi-circular desk. They all showed cycling images fed from the multitude of
security cameras, and so far, everything seemed nice and calm.

“Looking like a quiet one, Chief.” Donna
informed him.

“Looks can be deceptive.” Roy responded
grimly, sliding back into his police mentality.

“Not around here.” Kyle piped up. Roy gazed
at him quizzically; he was young, just a little over twenty, and despite being
built like a linebacker, was one of the most soft-hearted people Roy had ever
met.

“Is that disappointment I hear in your
voice, Kyle?” Roy questioned.

“No, sir, I’m always happy when it’s
quiet.”

“Don’t believe him, Roy. Kyle’s desperate
to get into the action.” Jim commented, leaning back in his chair.

“Oh, I doubt that. Kyle just wants to get
on home and play that damn video game he’s trying to get me into.” Roy quipped.

“Well, my guild does have a raid scheduled
in a couple of hours.” Kyle admitted.

“And unless something goes wrong, you’ll be
clocking out in less than an hour.” Roy declared.

“Are you planning on working the night
shift, Chief?” Donna asked.

“Nope. It’s home for me. I’ve got a date
with my wife. We’re thinking of going out, getting a meal and taking in a show,
and I don’t intend to be late.”

“Well, I’m happy for you.” Donna said,
sounding vaguely rueful. Roy had noticed that she seemed to take on the same
shifts as him, sometimes even changing when he did. Perhaps he was reading too
much into it, but she’d dropped several hints he simply couldn’t ignore.
Although he found the idea that she was attracted to him flattering, he didn’t
intend to do or say anything that might encourage a closer liaison. Roy had
done a few bad things across his career, made a few personal choices he
regretted, but the one good thing he believed he’d done is his life was to
marry Sophia, and he would never, ever, betray the trust that existed between
them. He patted Donna paternally on the shoulder and moved away to stand
between Jim and Kyle.

“Thanks, Donna. Okay, guys and gal, let’s
keep an eye on things and just get through the next hour.” Roy instructed.
“Then, it’s someone else's problem.” He added with a chuckle.

Isabella had spent the past few days
staking out the Seraph. She thought the best place to carry out her part of the
plan was on the main casino floor, where the majority of people seemed to
assemble; other good options being the big stores upstairs and the theatre for
live shows. She had reported back and her comrades were going to take care of
them, with more of her associates ready to strike when people started
congregating in different sections of the hotel, fleeing the events which were
soon to unfold. Her chosen place was just across from the buffet section of the
casino, which was devoted to blackjack tables. Isabella clutched the syringe in
her jacket pocket, finding contact with it soothing. She was still a little
nervous, afraid she wouldn’t  find the courage to go through with what needed
to be done, but strangely, that piece of plastic made her feel stronger and
infinitely more confident. She strode past individuals, families, and staff,
oblivious to them all, and then she checked her watch for the third time. All
of them, her comrades in the hotel, in the city and across the country had a
plan that required precise timing. In ninety seconds, she needed to begin the
speech. Three minutes after that she needed to inject herself, and then, as the
Teacher said, the dominos would begin to fall. But just where should she give
the speech? No one had offered her any advice. If she just started talking
where she was standing not many people would hear her and those that did might
think it was just a stunt. No, she needed to do something attention grabbing.
She approached one of the blackjack tables and waited, looking nervously at her
watch.

“Ma’am? Would you like to take a seat and
be dealt in?” The dealer enquired courteously, while watching her suspicious
lurking carefully. Isabella shook her head, regarding the dealer with disdain.
She knew what the Teacher had told her, these were decadent people who might
try to tempt her with their filthy ways, and he was right. No, she couldn’t be
swayed from her path. Isabella would carry out the plan. She lingered a while
longer, and then stepped up onto the empty chair by the table, before mounting
the table itself.

“Ma’am!” The dealer called out in protest,
but didn’t do anything. The three gamblers at the table decried her, but she
was oblivious to their protestations.

“Silence!” Isabella yelled out, garnering
the full attention of not only those at the table, but passersby and those
playing at other tables. “Too long has the Earth been subject to people such as
you, to people who care not for Her needs and Her wants, Her cries of pain as
we plunder Her to build shopping malls and parking lots and places such as
this!” Isabella recited carefully, remembering each word the Teacher had told
her to say when the time was right.