Age of Decay (Book 1): Contagion (2 page)

Vancouver, British Columbia, is one of the most beautiful cities you could ever hope to live in. There are the mountains shaped like two lions’ heads, Whistler for skiing, a mild climate, and a general laidback atmosphere that makes the city so charming. You might say it was the perfect place to live in, that is until now. In fact, there was no place on earth that you would want to live in, as those days were fast becoming a distant memory. The virus had started about one month ago with the first cases, but it spread like wildfire across the entire globe. Millions were now infected in North America, and the numbers were climbing to astronomical amounts worldwide. In the last week, the death toll had been steadily climbing, and no one knew how to stop it. Africa was a virtual warzone, far worse than a recent Ebola crisis. Thousands had already died in bloody warfare and starvation from this insidious plague. The U.N. had been called in to control the situation in Africa, but it was spiraling out of control. The infected simply overran the hospital facilities and were dying in the streets.

In cities and towns across the world, life was grinding to a halt. Commerce was down by a wide margin and there was a growing fear of a complete economic collapse. There were simply not enough workers to fill jobs and business was suffering as a result of the virus. The talk in many circles was that this virus was something new. The talking heads on the box discussed the virus every day, with their typical experts who knew absolutely nothing about this new, horrific plague. Online, people read reports of conspiracies and the like, but unlike the days of old, this was one conspiracy people were now believing. The news ran constant stories of the deaths of famous celebrities, politicians, sports stars, and others who had already succumbed to the virus. There were solemn ceremonies and speeches, but nothing mattered because no one knew how to contain it. No one, regardless of status or health, was safe from the virus as its tentacles seeped into all walks of life. Despite the talk and discussion that a cure was on the horizon, people kept dying. The glimmer of hope faded with each passing day. The once busy city of Vancouver was slowing down day after day as more people stayed home, or even worse, buried a family member. The world sat on the edge of something entirely new, and no one knew where it was going to lead.

Trevor Blake shoved the paperwork out of his way, then got up to stretch his six foot frame. The thirty-six year old was well-muscled and in good shape as a roofing construction worker. He had dark short brown hair and two-day stubble on his face, which he scratched with his finger. He felt tired from working on the bills and needed a cold beer. Alcohol was becoming something he relied on more often as he worried about the current state of the world, his job, and his family. It’s not like his finances mattered anymore, because things had begun to fall apart with this new flu going around. It was hard to believe, but there were now close to two billion infected worldwide with the new flu strain. The numbers varied from day to day. It seemed to happen so fast, over the period of several weeks since the first announcement, it just kept growing and swamping the health care systems of the world along with it. There wasn’t much roofing work now for Trevor, so he stayed home, along with his wife Lauren and their seventeen-year-old son, Jason. The schools were closed due to the flu, and Lauren’s marketing firm had laid her off, there was no work to be done. The only ones with real jobs now were gravediggers, counselors, and doctors. Suicide rates had skyrocketed as people simply didn’t want to live any more after the loss of work or a loved one. No one wanted to work, they wanted to stay home with their families as there was great fear growing with this new flu, called H1N1-ZX. Governments seemed powerless to stop it, or even understand what was happening. This new flu made the Spanish outbreak of 1918 seem pale in comparison.

Trevor went into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and took out a beer, popping the cap to take a good long pull. Lauren stood by the sink washing plates and glasses. She had nice long legs and she was still in decent shape at thirty-eight years old. With her long blonde hair and a nice figure, she made most men look twice.

Since the flu outbreak, Lauren had stayed closer to Trevor. He could sense the fear growing in her. He felt it, too, the dread that something terrible was happening. He brought the beer to his lips and let the liquid slide down.
I’m drinking more than I should, can’t let my fear out and show them. God this is so horrid, so many people dead or dying and it’s spreading! Maybe this is the end. Maybe—

“I thought you might be watching the news,” she said. “Not like there’s anything good these days. Susan and Rebecca from work have it now, I was talking to the both of them on the phone earlier. Susan sounds terrible, I hope she is going to be okay. She tried to get into the hospital, but they are turning people away, she had to go home.”
I hope we all are going to be okay. This virus scares me, I have never been this scared before in my life. What is happening?

Trevor took another long pull on his beer. “It may just burn itself out. Most flu viruses seem to do that over time.”
But what if it doesn’t? Trevor, what then?

Lauren sighed. “I’m glad none of us has this thing, if Jason got it—”

Jason came trudging down the stairs and burst into the kitchen, interrupting his mother. Like many teen boys, he was tall, as well as a bit skinny. Some recent weightlifting had put a bit of bulk on his arms that he was proud of. He had light sandy brown hair, but kept it longer and untidy much to the annoyance of his mother. With school closed, he just hung out at home as many of his friends were now sick with the new flu. Four classmates from school had already died, but the funerals had been private out of fear of spreading it to others. He opened the fridge, grabbed the milk, and then slammed the door shut. “Samantha’s mom has it. I just talked to her on my phone. She’s so upset.”

Trevor put his hand on his son’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear that. I know how much you care about her.” Trevor raised his beer to take a swig. “I always liked that girl, you know. She’s a keeper.”

“It’s not that serious, we only dated a couple of times. We’re really just good friends.”

Lauren put down her dish towel. “Your father and I started out as just friends, too.”

Trevor raised his beer again and toasted his wife. “Now we are friends with benefits.”

“Trevor,” said Lauren as she grabbed the towel and flung it at him.

Jason took a glass and poured his milk. “Like I needed to hear that.” He sat down at the kitchen table. “I am worried about her, though. This flu is hitting everyone I know hard. I hope she doesn’t get it. I can’t believe Steve and Ryan are gone, they were on the basketball team.”

“I tell you what, Son. I know everything is crazy right now, but maybe we could go hunting this weekend or something. It might get your mind off of everything. You can bring Samantha with us, if she would like to go.”

“Yeah, I would like that. Well, I guess there’s one good point about it, at least I don’t have to go to school.” Jason scratched the back of his head, then ran his hand through his hair.

Lauren came over to the table. “Oh you won’t get away that easy. Once this is all over, you’re going to get back to studying, is that clear?”

“Hey, I have always been a good student, haven’t I?”

Trevor drained the rest of his beer. “Your grades have been slipping some, so you need to get back to it once school reopens again.”

“I will.” Jason finished the milk then left the kitchen.

Trevor went over to his wife and put his arm around her. “They grow up so fast, don’t they?”
Just don’t catch that damn flu, Son.

Lauren gave him a kiss. “I don’t want the two of you going hunting this weekend. I don’t think it’s safe out there anymore. You saw the riots down in Atlanta on the news last night. People are getting desperate for supplies, there’s shortages. I just want you here with me. How many are infected now, when is it going to end?” Lauren ran her hand through her locks. “I’m getting scared, dammit. I don’t want to be without you, not now. We are safe here at home, less people to run into, less chances of getting this horrible flu.”

Trevor put his hand on his wife’s arm. “It’s okay, we will all stay home this weekend. How about a movie night? I got plenty on my external drive. Just the three of us, if Jason isn’t doing anything.” Trevor grabbed another beer from the fridge. “I’m going to watch the news, see what’s new, care to join me?”

“Yeah, let’s go hear what they have to say. Is it going to be okay? Things seem to be happening so fast.”

Trevor popped the cap and took a long pull on the beer. The liquid keeping the fear building up inside of him from coming out.
I got to stay strong I can’t let her know how I really feel, she needs me now, more than ever.
He swallowed another mouthful of beer.

“It will be fine babe, trust me.”

Sandra Richards coughed a little and spit into her Kleenex. She sat at the kitchen table sipping tea with her husband, Phillip. Like so many others, she was coming down with the new flu, and she was scared for her family. Sandra was a tough woman, always went to work even with a bit of a cold. She had fought through a lot of sicknesses, even the flu
—
but this was different, it knocked the hell out of her. She felt like complete shit, but many were far worse off than her, they were dead. She worked in the shipping and receiving of a local warehouse, but today she stayed home. So many of her fellow employees had already contracted it, and two had already died.

Sandra took a long sip of her tea.
We’ll pull through, this flu will burn out sooner or later, I can take it
. She pulled her light blue robe around herself.
Christ, so cold. Maybe I should go to bed.

“Can I fix you a sandwich, baby?” she said.

Phillip looked up from the newspaper. “Just go to bed, you look like pure crap. Don’t give it to me, okay? Don’t know how you got it so quick, you were fine last night. You know I told you yesterday to stay home from work, after those employees died. How can you be so stupid?”

“You know, you could be a little more supportive, I didn’t ask for this.”

“Supportive? Look, everyone is getting sick. I got no one at the shop to work. Do you know, I had one customer yesterday? No one needs hardware supplies anymore. Maybe I should open a damn Pharmasave. I may have to close the store, then what are we going to do? You’re not working now, who knows when you’ll get better. Fuck this god forsaken flu!”

“I’m sorry about Dan, honey. I know he was a good friend.”

“Yeah, Dan. Now, you. Am I gonna lose you, too?”

Sandra put her arm out to Phillip, but he flinched, pulling his arm away. He put the paper down. “I’m gonna go into my shop, maybe tinker a bit. You should go to bed.”

“I’ll rest, hon.”

“Yeah, it looks like you need it. Just take care of yourself, dammit.”

Samantha, their sixteen-year-old daughter came into the kitchen, thumbing her smartphone. She had long light brown hair and wore jeans and a gray T-shirt. Like many teens, she spent countless hours on her phone, but now more than ever as news about the flu spread around the world.
It’s crazy so many have it, now Mom, not her. God, I’m so worried
.

“Mom? What are you doing up? You should be resting. Let me make you some tea.”

“I just had some, sweetheart, but I could use some more.” She coughed heavily. “Might loosen up this phlegm.”

Samantha stepped back. “Geez, that’s a scary cough. You need to rest. Please, Mom.”

“Oh, leave me be. I’ve been sicker than this before. I can handle a little flu. What have you been doing? Were you up there talking to that boy again? Will be good when you can go back to school.”

“Jason, Mom. You met him once, remember?”

Sandra let out a deep cough. “Right, I remember now. Sorry.”

“Well, you shouldn’t be up.” Samantha looked at her mom’s slippers, those old ragged slippers.
God Mom, get some fashion sense
! “Are you ever gonna get rid of those slippers? They look like dead rats.”

Sandra laughed. “They are comfy on my feet.”

“I can’t see how those are the least bit comfy.”

She drank the last of her tea. “This flu isn’t that bad. It’s something I can handle, trust me.”

“You can handle the same flu that’s killing people all over the place?”

You have to be strong for your daughter, Sandra. Don’t make her worry about you. Dammit, why did I get this horrid flu? Can’t stand to watch the news, so depressing. I feel like I could sleep for a fucking week.

“It’s going to be fine. I’ll be fine.” Sandra coughed again. “How about that tea?”

Erica Sanders worked at Vancouver General Hospital as an RN. Like most of her co-workers, she was overworked, tired, and rundown from the incredible amount of flu cases that just streamed into the hospital. All the hospitals in the lower mainland were taxed to the limit, and most people were being sent home, the hall was full of patients on beds. They had been trying to get more beds from various suppliers, but the flu had made deliveries virtually non-existent. She wiped a bit of sweat from her forehead and adjusted her mask. Erica was twenty-eight and pretty for her age with a nice figure, but wasn’t super skinny like some of the other girls that worked with her. When it wasn’t done up for work, she kept her light brown hair long. Erica adjusted the picture on her station of Chris, her late husband, who like so many other had recently died from the devastating flu.
I miss you, baby. I got to keep working to keep my mind off of it. It’s so hard at night without you, so damn hard. They need me here, so many do.

She worked at her station and entered a bunch of data into the computer. Another worker wheeled someone in on a stretcher. Many police officers were already at the hospital trying to maintain order, as many patients were frustrated by the lack of care. One had even stabbed and killed a nurse when he brandished a knife just the other day. The nurses and doctors did their best, but the hospital was at critical capacity, and they just kept coming.

“Put him over there,” said Jessica, the nurse that sat near her. Jessica was about twenty-four with auburn hair. She had all the curves of a young woman with above average looks. Her hair was tied back, and she wore light makeup. Jessica was the kind of girl that never had problems getting dates. She hollered into a room. “Doctor, there’s another one.”

Dr. Vickers rushed out of the room and took a look at the patient. He was in his mid-thirties with short black hair, receding at the temples with an average build. He took the pulse, then frowned. “Just like the others today, all with rapid heartbeats. Get this man into the ICU ward, why is he here?” he said.

“Doctor,” said Erica, “there’s no more room in the ICU. They are just leaving the patients wherever there’s room, there are so many. Most of the floors are full.”

“Well, get them to make room!”

“Doctor?” said Jessica.

“Dammit,” said Dr. Vickers. “We can’t do anything. We just can’t do anything, they are dying. Whatever this is, it’s accelerating fast. We lost twelve in the last hour. They just died. Most of them were just brought in here today or yesterday.”

“This flu wasn’t like that a couple of weeks ago, we weren’t losing that many patients. I thought this outbreak could be contained?” said Erica.
You really think that? No, I’m scared to death. All these people.

“But since then it’s accelerated, and now it’s going into a new phase. All of these people are just dying.” The doctor wiped sweat away from his forehead.

Jessica stood up. “Did you hear that? It came from the far end of the ward, was that a scream?”

Eric pushed a button at her station, “I’ll have someone check on it. A lot of these patients are delirious with this virus. I’ve never seen anything like this, that’s for sure.”

Vickers cleared his throat. “Yes, it’s turning into something I don’t even understand. I don’t think… anyone does. Damn frog, need some water.”

“Doctor, take five, will you?” Erica motioned to a free chair. ‘You’re going to run yourself into the ground.”

“Nurse’s orders?”

Erica pointed to the chair. “Sit down.”

“My grandfather has got it now,” said Jessica, “so does Mike’s brother. I made him spaghetti last night to ease his mind. It’s his favorite.”

“Yeah, it’s bad,” said Erica.

“So sorry about Chris. You should take more days off.”

“I did already, I need to get back to work.”

“Well, I’m here if you need anything,” said Jessica.

“Thanks.”

Dr. Vickers began to cough, he shook his head, then stood up for a moment. The doctor put his finger on his neck for a pulse, but he stumbled forward. “Oh, Christ.” He pitched forward then collapsed onto the ground.

“Doctor!” cried Erica. She rushed to his aid to help him up. There was no pulse, no anything. She turned back to Jessica. “He’s dead!”

Jessica stood up. “I don’t know about you, girl, but this flu is scaring the hell out of me. This isn’t normal. Dr. Vickers was fine this morning, he didn’t even have the flu. Now he’s dead?”

“Maybe he had a heart attack?” said Erica.

“He’s thirty-six. Do you know any doctors who are in good shape at his age that drop dead from a heart attack?”

“Come to think of it—“

The scream chilled them to the bone. Down the ward a nurse staggered out of a room, blood pouring form a wound in her shoulder. A man followed closely behind her, his mouth covered in gore. He reached for the woman and bit into her again, tearing flesh from her neck this time. She screamed again before she toppled over, her throat spewing blood all over the floor of the hospital ward. Erica fumbled for the phone, desperate for security. Two more hospital workers tried to subdue the man, but he wouldn’t budge. He lunged for one of the men, ripping flesh from his arm, chewing on it like a slice of steak. Another patient staggered out of a room, then began to weave across the floor in a shambling gait toward them. Erica noticed his eyes, which appeared white and vacant. The man moved like a drunk, grabbing the nearest nurse, and shredded her arm, splashing blood all over the wall. The nurse screamed, trying to run away, but the man kept biting into her, tearing off chunks of her flesh. The nurse collapsed and twitched as the man bent down and continued to devour her. The woman reached her arm up and wailed as her ripped-open stomach spewed out blood. She screamed for a few more minutes, and then was silent. Other patients bent down to her and tore off chunks of her flesh and devoured them. It all seemed to happen so fast, the ward was now a place of complete chaos and bloody murder. The two nurses had forgotten about Dr. Vickers fallen beside them. As they had their backs turned to him, he simply stood up. At the last second, Erica caught a glimpse of him behind them. With only seconds to spare, she quickly grabbed hold of the hospital gurney and pushed it into him. The patient on the gurney moaned and turned his head. He sat up on the gurney, his eyes were white.

Jessica screamed as the doctor moved around the gurney. “How the hell can he move?”

Erica grabbed hold of Jessica’s arm. “Come on. We have to get out of here!”

“What’s happening?” asked Jessica, as she gripped Erica’s arm.

“The flu patients are going crazy, I don’t understand it, nor want to. All I want to do is get the fuck out of here!”

The two of them ran down the ward as more of the crazed patients came out of various rooms. Screams and chaos erupted around them as more hospital staff were attacked and bitten. The floor was slick with blood as people lay dead or dying while others staggered around crying, unable to comprehend the madness in front of them. They came up to a nurse who had one breast ripped from her chest, leaving a hole of bloody gore. She moved towards them in a slow, awkward gait, her mouth dropped open with fluid flowing from the jaw. Jessica shrieked as they ran past, fleeing the carnage of the ward. The ghoul barely missed catching the back of Erica’s nursing outfit with her gray, dead hand. As they reached the elevator of the ward, they rushed down the stairs along with several others who had escaped the bloodshed to the second floor of the hospital. People ran in all directions, trying to escape in any way they could.

They ducked into an office room and closed the door behind them before going behind a desk. Outside in the hallway, they heard more screams and the sounds of gunfire.

Jessica was shaking. “This is some crazy shit.” She peered through the window of the room. “I don’t see any of them near us.”

“Did you see the way they move?” said Erica. “It’s really slow, whatever is infecting them took away most of their motor skills. I can’t say the same for strength though. God, those people up there were torn to pieces.”

“What do we do? There’s RCMP out there, maybe we can get some help?” said Jessica.

“We don’t know how many of them are out there or what exactly is going on. We should stay here. Just let me think for a minute.”

The two women huddled together, kneeling on the floor. They winced and held on tighter as gunfire erupted rapidly outside. The screams intensified, as well as well as sounds that could have come from the pits of hell.

Jessica sobbed. “What the fuck are we gonna do?”

They both jumped back as the door burst open. Another nurse staggered in, holding her arm which dripped blood. She fought to catch her breath. “It’s crazy out there. Saw one patient get shot in the chest, and he just got up again. Cop said it’s happening everywhere in the city. How does a person get up after being shot in the chest?”

Jessica jumped back to reality, and her nursing skills took over. She had a look at the woman’s arm. “We need to get pressure on this wound.” She picked up a letter opener off the desk and used that to shred the arm of her nurse’s uniform. She tore off a strip and wrapped the fabric around the wound.

Jessica helped the woman over to a chair, and she sat down. “It’s gonna be alright.”

“I was helping a flu patient. He just sat up and bit me. His eyes, I can’t forget the eyes. It’s like he… wasn’t there.” The nurse began to cough heavily. “I’m Tricia.”

“We’ll get out of this, girl. The cops will take care of whatever is going on.” Jessica heard more shouts and gunfire erupt. Another shriek tore through the hospital in a blood-curdling fashion, causing her to jump.

Tricia coughed more and put her head back. “God, what a nightmare. I tried calling home, but no signal, lines must be tied up.”

They waited for several minutes as the sounds of gunfire and shrieks began to die down. They jumped as something banged into the door, but it went down the hallway.

“Maybe we should go out and have a look?” said Jessica. “This floor might be clear now.”

“Yeah, the sooner... we get out of this hospital... the better,” said Tricia as she bent over with another coughing fit.

“Alright, let’s get down to the first floor and get out of here. Stay close, we don’t want to get separated.”

Erica put her hand on the door and opened it slowly. The three of them stepped out into the hallway. They could smell the scent of death around them. Scattered around the floor of the hospital hallway were several patients already dead with bullet holes in their chests and head. Blood smeared the walls in several locations, along with a bloody handprint. One gurney lay overturned with an officer lying against it. Half of his arm was gone, the stump stuck out in a grisly fashion with shreds of skin hanging from it. Blood pooled all over the floor, the air was thick with the smell of it. His legs had several deep wounds in both thighs, as well as the bottom of his leg where someone had ripped away chunks of flesh. His hand still gripped his service pistol. A dead patient lay across from him against the blood smeared wall, her head a ruin with her long brown hair matted in blood. Scarlet gore covered her mouth, the hospital gown she wore, ripped down the side. Bullet casings were everywhere on the floor next to the officer as well as several empty magazines.

“Holy hell,” said Tricia. She wiped sweat away from her forehead.

Erica covered her mouth, but took the pistol out of the officer’s hand. She removed a couple of magazines from his uniform and reloaded the gun.

“You know how to shoot?” said Jessica. “You never said anything before.”

“Yeah, I can shoot a little. Chis wasn’t into it. He used to tease me and call me his little Annie Oakley.”

Jessica stood there her eyes wide. She took a step backwards, gripping hard on Erica’s arm as the officer opened his white eyes. His shredded arm moved as he tried to stand up. “Uh, Annie… You better start shootin.”

“What?” Erica jumped back as the thing that used to be an RCMP officer lunged at her leg with its bloody, bony stump. Erica brought the gun up and fired two rounds into his chest, but all the thing did was jerk back some. The three of them moved back as it tried to get to its knees. Its ruined stump slipped on the slick floor, leaving a bloody trail as it pushed the gurney backwards with its other hand.

Tricia tried to scream, but it came out more as a gurgle, and she tumbled backwards a few more steps as she coughed in an endless wave

“Shouldn’t he be dead now?” said Jessica. “Shoot him again!”

Erica raised the pistol and fired point blank into the skull of the grisly ghoul, which shattered its head in a spray. It fell back sliding down against the gurney and was silent.

Tricia bent over and threw up all over the floor. Her face now a pale gray. She coughed in a wave of spasms. “Feel like… fuckin… hell…” She feel to her knees and puked again. Spraying the floor in yellow vomit.

Erica grabbed Jessica’s arm. “She’s changing.”

The two of them stood there and watched as what was left of Tricia’s humanity was claimed by the virus. She coughed in huge fits as spit flew from her mouth. She tried to stand up, but the effort was too much. She gurgled between her coughing. “Please… help…” the veins bulged on her neck, and her head flopped downwards.