HAYWIRE: A Pandemic Thriller (The F.A.S.T. Series Book 2) (4 page)

A riot?

Coleman’s team had managed security on hundreds of civilian assets, but never to protect it from the civilians already inside.

‘What are your orders, sir?’

‘Our closest friendly asset is the Australian Navy Frigate
Pegasus
. It’s on route to intercept, but we need you there first.’

‘Yes, sir.’

The Admiral continued, ‘I’m sending you floor plans. Board the ship and secure the bridge so the
Pegasus
can rendezvous without delay. Understood?’

Coleman’s eyes went to the bags stowed under their seats.

‘Sir, are you aware of our current deployment?’

‘Yes, Captain. I assigned that task to you myself. You’re field-testing the new less-lethal weapon systems.’

Coleman hadn’t been told why his team was chosen to test the new weapons. Field testing new equipment was a highly-coveted task.

‘The less-lethal weapons are all we have, sir. No actual firearms except my sidearm and the pilots’ weapons.’

‘You’re perfectly equipped,’ snapped the Admiral. ‘I want only less-lethal weapons deployed. Your options would be very limited with standard firearms. This is the perfect test for the new weapons, Captain.’

‘Understood, sir. We’re ready.’

‘Good. Let me speak with the pilot.’

Coleman handed back the headset.

His team stared at him.

‘Change of plans?’ asked Corporal Forest.

Coleman didn’t need to answer.

The Black Hawk helicopter answered for him.

Putting on a burst of speed, the chopper tilted under their boots as it swung toward their new objective.

Justin abandoned his search for sharks in the aquarium.

He glanced around for the nearest restroom.

Why do I drink so much orange juice?

Every meal had become a personal challenge to Justin. He couldn’t break the habit of all-you-can-eat gorging. He’d never eaten so much bacon in his life. His mother said at the rate he was eating, the trip would pay for itself.

He began walking back toward his cabin.

Where is everyone? The ship feels deserted.

One young couple hurried past him, arguing about food poisoning.

Justin watched them over his shoulder. It sounded like lots of people were sick.

His mother would know more.

I wonder if Mom’s back in our cabin yet.

She’d been called away around 3am. Justin was used to that with her job, but not on vacation.

‘It’s nothing to worry about,’ she reassured him on her way out. ‘It’s probably just influenza. They want me to take a look. I’ll be back in an hour. Go back to sleep.’

Justin checked his watch. That was four hours ago.

She should be relaxing on her vacation and completely avoiding germs and laboratories.

Justin paused mid step.

Was that a scream?

He’d heard the sound of crashing plates. Then a scream. The scream had cut off quickly.

Where did that come from?

He couldn’t tell.

Maybe a pile of plates broke in the food court and gave someone a fright.

It certainly gave Justin a fright; his neck hairs still tingled.

He shrugged.

A sign pointed to nearby restrooms.

His bladder redoubled its efforts.

Jesus, I have to go. I’ll burst in a minute.

He strode like a man on a mission.

His mother insisted he avoid the public restrooms. She said hygiene posed the biggest risk on cruise ships. Infections spread rapidly in confined spaces. She warned him about touching restroom door handles or elevator buttons.

Justin agreed to only use their cabin toilet.

Well, this is an emergency. I can’t reach the cabin. Mission impossible. If I don’t go soon my bladder will burst.

Justin pushed through the restroom door with his hip, avoiding the germy door handle. That same trick wouldn’t work on his way out, but he could use a paper towel to cover his fingers.

Wow.

It didn’t look germy at all.

It looked like a sparkling white and gold paradise.

All the stall doors stood slightly ajar.

Justin rushed past the fancy sinks. They worked automatically. No need to touch them.

I’ll have to tell Mom.

He found what resembled a flowing, stone-lined stream. A huge LCD screen provided a peaceful forest background.

This is cool. It’s like peeing in the woods.

His mother bought him new clothes for the trip, including jeans with
buttons
instead of a zipper.

Damn it - I hate these stupid jeans.

Justin fumbled with the buttons, just undoing the bare minimum to get the job done.

A wave of warm relief engulfed him.

That felt better. Much better.

Crack!

A cubicle door slammed behind him.

Justin was in a pee-trance. He barely kept his aim.

Jesus! I thought I was alone.

He twisted to scan the cubicle doors.

None were shut. One door moved very slowly.

As Justin watched, suddenly that door slammed against its frame again.

Crack!

Someone is kicking it.

Justin had heard a shoe strike the door before the door hit the frame.

It wasn’t just a kid being stupid. School holidays hadn’t begun. He’d only spotted two other teenagers on the ship, and no younger kids.

Something came sailing over the cubicle door and landed on the tiles.

Justin spotted a name tag.

That’s a crew member’s shirt.

Public restrooms always made Justin feel vulnerable, and this freak slamming the door and throwing his clothes around didn’t help one bit. Justin held his breath and listened. He heard labored breathing coming from the cubicle.

That guy’s freaking out. He could be dangerous. I’m getting out of here.

Justin paused as the ship-wide intercom sounded:

‘Attention, please. This is First Officer Benjamin Bryant. We are experiencing a medical emergency. As a precaution, all guests must return to their quarters immediately. No exceptions. Our medical staff is addressing this problem. I will provide an update in thirty minutes.’

The message played again.

Medical emergency? I hope Mom’s all right. She’s probably involved.

 Justin stared at the cubicle with the crazy guy inside.

He might be sick!

Justin ran to the restroom door and yanked it open.

As he stepped into the corridor, a woman screamed.

‘Help! Somebody please help us!’

The screaming came from the opposite direction Justin needed to go.

He only hesitated a second.

He dashed toward the cries for help, finding the woman just one corner away.

He almost ran right into her.

She stood in tiny pink frilly pajamas, with one hand over her mouth and the other pointing into her cabin.

‘Help her!’ she yelled at Justin.

Justin looked in, not knowing what to expect. An old person having a heart attack? Someone having an epileptic fit?

Neither.

One woman was killing another woman.

The first sat astride the second, choking her to death.

The one underneath looked down to her last gasps.

Blood covered the woman on top. She grimaced with effort. Her front teeth were missing.

‘Help her!’ the woman yelled in his ear. ‘She’s killing her!’

Justin stepped in and desperately scanned the cabin.

He couldn’t risk touching the women. The one on top was clearly sick.

I need to get her off.

‘Hurry!’

‘How?’ Justin yelled back in frustration.

‘Hit her with something. Anything!’

There is nothing. Wait!

Justin dodged around them and grabbed the chair from the writing desk.

Spinning, he swung the chair two-handed.

He expected the chair to shatter like in a cowboy movie.

It didn’t.

It hit the woman’s head with a resounding -
thump
.

The crazy woman face-planted the carpet.

The terrified victim kicked herself free and scrambled away, gulping breaths of air and clutching her throat. She began coughing and pointing at the same time.

‘I can’t understand you,’ said Justin, dropping the chair. ‘Just breathe.’

‘Tie her up!’ the woman managed to say after gasping a few breaths. ‘Before she wakes up again!’

The woman in frilly pink pajamas finally began to help. ‘I’ve got something.’

From a bag she pulled out a long spool of cord.

‘
It’s for drying clothes,’ she explained.

Justin helped tie the unconscious woman’s hands to the bedpost. He did his best to avoid touching her, but it was practically impossible to avoid contact.

I can’t believe this is happening
, Justin thought.
I’m tying somebody up.

Justin stood. The woman he’d saved hugged him.

‘Thank you...thank you...thank you,’ she repeated. ‘She was so strong. I couldn’t move her hands.’

Justin felt awkward until the woman let him go.

He looked down.
She got blood all over me! It’s on my clothes! It’s on my arms! It’s everywhere!

The woman grabbed Justin’s arm. ‘I’m Amy. This is Kim.’

Justin wished Amy would just let him go.

‘Did you hear the announcement?’

Both women shook their heads.

‘We’re all supposed to return to our cabins. I think people are sick all over the ship. Look, I need to quickly wash this blood off me. So should you.’

Justin stepped toward the bathroom.

‘Don’t!’ Amy blurted. ‘Don’t go in there.’

‘I need to wash this blood off.’

‘Not in there.’

‘I need to,’ Justin insisted.