Omega Pathogen: The Beginning (2 page)

For the next couple of hours, Jim tries to find more of the story on other news channels, and then goes back to the original channel. The only information available is just the same video he saw, and repeating of what he’s already heard. With no success, hearing the same theories from the news reporters, and the ‘experts’ suggesting that Russia has blocked broadcasting signals to hide some civil unrest, he gives up and gives in to sleep and joins his wife in slumber.

That's Not Right

The next day, Saturday, is much of the same. No new video, but some new reports filter in from field reporters. Expert talking heads are brought in front of cameras to give opinions, some the same as the night before, from civil unrest to the crowd being a bunch of mentally ill patients that escaped from a local asylum. The President of the United States and some other leaders from around the world appear at different times, offering assistance but denying knowledge of the cause
.
With the morning turning to early afternoon, Jim, Arzu, and the kids go visit Jim’s older sons at their apartment.

Jim and Linda had divorced when both boys were in their early teens. There were really no major arguments between Jim and Linda; they just fell out of love. Linda and the boys moved back to her home state of California, but once Chris and Jeremy finished high school, they returned to Texas.

Although Linda is short in stature, Chris and Jeremy have been given some of Linda’s parents’ height. Both young men are taller than their father, but the facial features are similar and their eyes are the same blue. Chris, the oldest, is a couple inches shorter than Jeremy--a fact Jeremy likes to point out from time to time. Chris has more of his dad's build, stocky, but not out of shape. Jeremy has a very lean frame to go along with his height.

The family discusses the events from the news in Russia. Plans then turn to Thanksgiving Day, the coming Thursday. The plan is for them all to gather at Jim and Arzu’s home for dinner and football. Chris and Jeremy accept the invitation to spend the night of Thanksgiving. Jim and the older sons decide to get a bushel of oysters the day before, to have some raw and grilled as part of the feast.

After goodbyes, hugs, and kisses--not from Berk, though--Jim, Arzu, Berk, and Kayra head back home after a stop at a store for some groceries and other items that Arzu decides she needs to have now for Thanksgiving dinner, instead of waiting for next week.

As Arzu pulls the Nissan into the garage, Jim’s cell phone rings. Seeing it’s his middle son Jeremy calling, he elects to answer before helping Arzu unload the groceries. “Hey, buddy. Can I call you back? We just got back from the store, and I need to help your stepmom unload the car.”

“
No problem, Dad, but hurry up! You’re not going to believe this crap on TV!”

Jim says goodbye and ends the call. After helping Arzu carry in the groceries and kids’ toys from the car that seem to multiply by the day, he calls Jeremy back while sitting down on the sofa
.
“
What’s up, Jeremy?
”
“
Have you turned on the TV yet?” Jeremy asks. Reaching for the remote, finding it, and turning it on, Jim replies, “OK, just did. What’s going on?” Jeremy answers, “turn it to one of the local stations and watch. There’s a bunch more people doing the same thing they were doing in Russia. There’sa bunch of crazies out there!
”
Turning on a local news station, Jim sees reports coming in from most of the major cities around the world and the US. Houston is included in the reports, with the initial problems beginning at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. More reports come in from other points of the compass in and around the city of Houston.

“Tell Dad to turn it to channel 9,” Jim hears Chris yell to Jeremy.
“
Dad . . .” Jeremy begins.  “I heard him, buddy,” Jim says. “What the hell is he doing to him?!” Jim asks, causing Arzu to stop putting away the groceries and come into the living room, looking between Jim and the TV. 
“
Holy shit, Dad! That dude is eating the guy’s face!” Jeremy exclaims, giving his narration of what they’re all seeing on the TV. “That’s not right!” Jim hears Chris yell in the background.

“Jeremy, you and Chris pack up what you need as fast as you can and get your asses over to our house as soon as possible.”
“
Okay, Dad. Will do.”
“
I mean now, Jeremy! Turn off the TV, pack up necessities and get your asses over here now!” Jim reiterates. “Yes, sir. We’re moving,” Jeremy answers.

Jeremy ends the call with his dad, and relays the message to Chris. Chris shuts off the TV, and they both move quickly to their rooms to get whatever they think they may need. A few moments go by, and Chris’s phone rings with a call from his dad.
“
Yeah, Dad?” Jim then asks “Chris, you still got that 3/4 inch plywood and those 2 x 4s in your work trailer?”
“
Yeah, I’ve got a bunch left over from the last job that I haven’t turned into our yard yet,” Chris answers.
“
Okay, good. Bring the trailer of lumber with you guys. I don’t know, but we may need it if things keep getting bad.”

“Dad, that’s kind of stealing isn’t it? My boss is a good guy, and I don’t want to just take it,” Chris says to his father.
“
Son, you saw that shit on TV. I think your boss will understand. I’ll pay him for it as soon as possible, but I don’t have enough wood here if we need to board up everything,” Jim replies.

“Okay, Dad. I hope it doesn’t get that bad, but we’ll bring the lumber. The trailer is still hooked up to my truck,” Chris says.
“
Good, and tell Jeremy don’t bother to bring his motorcycle right now. I want you two to stay as close together as you can,” Jim adds. “Okay, Dad, we’ll be there as soon as we can,” Chris says.
“
You guys be quick but be safe, Chris. I love you guys.”
“
Love you too, Dad.”

Ending this second call, Jim feels like the twelve miles separating them is more like twelve thousand
.
Getting up from the sofa, Jim notices Arzu staring at the images on the TV. “Turn it off,” she says, not averting her eyes. “The kids can see, turn it off,” this time in a whisper
.
Realizing Berk and Kayra can see the TV from the dining room table, Jim fumbles with the remote to turn off the TV.
“
What is wrong with them?” Arzu asks, and turns to him and leans into his arms. “I don’t know, baby. They’re sick or something.” Giving Arzu a quick but firm hug and kiss on her forehead, Jim releases her from their embrace.
“
Baby, I’ve got to get some stuff ready. We don’t know if this is going to get worse, but it sure looks like it will before it gets better. People are going crazy everywhere.”

With a nod from Arzu, Jim turns and goes into the garage to begin to make preparations. Although he’s not sure what exactly he’s preparing for, he knows he’ll need to have water. So he figures starting there is good. Jim begins by unpacking the three 300-gallon water storage bags in the garage, and after running water through a garden hose for a few moments, he attaches the hose to the first of three bags. While the first of the three bags is filling, Jim checks to ensure the four barbecue-sized propane tanks, along with the ten small
Coleman
tanks, are full.

Although he knows Chris and Jeremy will have their tools and screws in the trailer along with the lumber, Jim sets his up in a corner of the garage for easy access. Going back in the house, Jim begins to fill the upstairs and downstairs bathtubs with water. He also begins filling the collection of empty bleach jugs with water.

Although their home is heated by natural gas, it does require electricity for the thermostat to open the flow of gas into the furnace, as well as to activate the fan to blow the warm air through the vents throughout the house. With this in mind, Jim lights the gas fireplace. Jim continues preparing water while constantly checking his watch, thinking Chris and Jeremy should be here by now. Each time he looks, he realizes they’ve barely had time to gather supplies they need and begin the twelve-mile drive.

Not wanting to turn on the TV and expose Berk and Kayra to what images may be broadcast, Jim plugs in his ear buds to his phone and puts an ear bud in his left ear, the one he hears better from, and tunes to a news station. None of what he hears is good. Reports keep coming in from other large cities, and from around the world.
Come on boys, get your asses here.

Time To Hunker Down

Finally, Chris and Jeremy arrive, and Jim gives them a briefing on what he has planned, to try and prepare for the unknown. Berk and Kayra settle in on Mom and Dad’s bed, and watch cartoons.

Arzu continues filling the large water bags and all the spare containers she can. Jim, Chris, and Jeremy begin to pre-cut lumber and plywood to fortify the home.

Some people in the neighborhood begin to peek out of windows and doorways at the activity from the Matthews’ home. Annette, an elderly woman who lives across the street and to the left, walks over and approaches Jim.

“
Hi, Jim. What’s going on?”
“
Hi, Annette. We’re preparing our house in case things get worse.”
“
I hardly think things are that bad, Jim. I’m sure the police will get things under control soon enough.”
“
Annette, have you watched even a little bit of the news the past day and a half? Things are pretty bad right now and getting worse. I’ve seen people on TV getting beaten up, chewed on, and pieces eaten off them.”
“
Well, I still think the police will handle things,” Annette says, as she walks back to her home.

Not thinking it necessary, Jim and his sons decide to put the lumber to better use and decide not to board up the second story windows. The three men stand outside and stare at the house, looking for anything they may have missed or need to change. After walking around the house once more and not seeing any obvious problems they can correct without the use of ballistic glass and armor plating, Jim says, “Good job, guys. I think we’re done outside, let’s go in and hunker down.”

Inside, they find Arzu warming up dinner for them, with the TV on in the background. She’s filled twenty of the one-gallon bleach jugs with water, and stacked them in the corner of the dining room. “Come on and eat, you guys. You have to be starving, but wash your hands first.”

“
So what’s the news been like?” Jeremy asks. Arzu takes a deep breath and says, “They’re shooting people now, the police I mean. The National Guard has been called out too. It’s too much for the police. Some crazy people, they beat with batons and they stay down, but some keep trying to crawl after and attack someone until they get hit again or shot.” 

“
Do they know what the hell is going on? What’s wrong with these crazy people?” Chris asks Arzu and his dad.
“
The news reports say that they’re contagious, the ones that are attacking, hitting, biting and eating people,” Arzu replies, and then continues, “The news, well, the scientist on the news, say that it looks like the infected people pass the sickness by biting people. They think it’s a virus passed from body fluids.”

They move from the dining room to the living room to sit closer to the TV, to watch and listen to the newscasts. Normally, Jim and the boys inhale their food, but as they watch the events unfold in front of them, they seem to move their forks to their mouths in slow motion.

Clearing his throat and then speaking in almost a whisper, Jim says, “Okay guys
,
all the doctors and scientists seem to be saying the same things. The crazy people are crazy because they’re infected by some kind of virus that they say looks a lot like rabies, but worse. The infected are very contagious, like Arzu mentioned. Since they slobber and drool, and want to bite and eat anything not like them, we need to make sure we don’t screw around with them if we come across any,” he finishes
.

“What do you mean, not screw around with them if we come across any, Dad?” Jeremy asks. Before Jim can reply, Chris answers
,“
Dad means that we avoid them, but if we ca
n’
t we have to defend ourselves
.”
“
Jim
?”
Arzu asks
.
“Yes.
”
“
Yes, what, Jim?
”
“
Yes, we need to defend ourselves if we come across any of these infected people, by any means necessary.”

“Honey, you’ve seen the news, you’ve heard what they’ve said,” Jim says.
“
Yes, I have, but we can’t go around killing people!” “Arzu, I’m in no way saying we’re going to go around killing people. But I am saying that I will defend myself, my family, and if possible, my friends. I need to make sure each of you is clear on what that entails, and are prepared to defend yourself and each other,” Jim says while looking around the living room to Arzu, Chris, and Jeremy.

Looking away from Jim, eyes locked onto the TV, they all nod their heads in agreement.

Putting his hand gently on his wife’s shoulder, Jim says, “Arzu, let’s put the kids upstairs in their beds, okay? There’s a few things we need to do downstairs, and I don’t want to wake them.” “Yeah, okay. Chris, will you mute the TV so they won’t hear it? Never mind. Just turn it off until we get them upstairs, please?”
“
Sure, Arzu.”