Z-Virus (6 page)

"I don’t know. I think it’s funny how early man described things where they came from, it’s not entirely accurate."

"Why I am not surprised." I added.

"There was once a religious group during Corpernicus time used to threaten to kill anyone who spread false information. In the case of Corpernicus, he was murdered for telling public that the world is in the shape of sphere and that the earth circling the sun and not the sun circling the earth. All his books about his theory and his finding regarding to astronomy were burnt by some fanatic religious group."

"Such injustice I couldn’t even imagined."

"I’m not a fan either." added Claire. She closed the book and put it back onto the shelf. Then she walked to me with her arms folded on her breasts. "Would you do me a favour?" she said.

"Sure, if I can help you any with it."

"Would you company me to go to Bartson Street?" She asked.

"Yeah not a problem Claire, not at all."

"Thank you." Then she walked away from the room, followed by me down the stairs going outside.

Chapter 12 

In The Shadow

As usual Claire was wearing her black leather outfit. Belt armed with weapons and strange gadgets. I did not wear my SWAT uniform. I have decided to wear something casual, with my black cap, abstract red square pattern long sleeves shirt that I folded down to my elbow, brown vest, blue jeans and my leather cowboy boots. In my head, only God knew what I was thinking right now, that I imagined myself going out with Claire for a date. Silly me. I headed to my truck, but Claire insisted to go to Bartson Street by walking. Without wanting to argue more, I just followed what she said. I was only worried that if we went there by walking we might be chased by them, which I prayed not going to happen on this beautiful day. I took two of my guns from my truck and bring them with me. Bartson Street was just about several hundred meters from my apartment. The road was quiet, dried brown blood everywhere and even decomposing dead bodies lying horribly here and there. During our way to Bartson Street I saw something moving around the bushes near the roadside, but I took not so much care about it, thinking it might be just a lost living dead. I only worried if they came in groups. Soon after, I saw in front of me Bartson Street sign at the entrance of the road junctions. Claire moved a bit faster and faster till she ran away leaving me few meters behind. I had to yell and told her to wait for me but she ignored me. She seemed so excited. I had to run to keep the pace between us balanced. Then she stopped between two junctions where a bungalow painted in soft emerald paint visible in front of us. The house was surrounded by some average size oak trees. All the windows were broken shattered of glasses lying about the grass and the door was wide opened. It was obviously that we were not the first visitor after the tragedy.

"That’s my home, where I used to live with my father." She said.

"Oh." I exclaimed.

"I am going in, this could be my last visit here." Claire asked me to go with her inside the house. I nodded and just followed her like I did before. Once we entered the house, we were shocked to see how cleaned it was inside. "Somebody lives here." Claire said.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"The house is kept clean, electricity is switched off when not needed, wet clothes are hung outside at the backyard, the radio is on and there is a hot coffee on the table." She answered. What she said was true but who could have lived here? Then suddenly someone shot toward us missed an inch right side of Claire and hit the vast on the cupboard against the wall. Both of us ducked behind the sofa, the shot came from one of the windows around the living room. We had our guns ready to shoot back just in case if that someone shot us. Then that mysterious person yelled at us from his place.

"Who are you?! Why do you come here?! Why do you want me dead?" He sounded like a young boy age around seventeen or eighteen. I immediately answered his question, "We don’t mean you any harm. We just want to come and visit this place and search for survivors if any were left!”

"You lied!" He replied angrily.

"No, we don’t! We mean you good!" Then he went out slowly from his hiding place still holding his shotgun pointing at us.

"Put down your guns and the lady too, who’s hiding behind the sofa, now!" I put down my guns and all Claire’s weapon down and slide it ahead in front far from us.

"You can trust us now, we don’t have our weapons on our side." I pleaded him.

"You bitch, yes you lady! You tried to kill me twice this month, killing my little brother isn’t enough for you?! What do you want from me?!" He cried and shivering at the same time."I wont miss this time I got you in my hand!" He added in such a vengeful tone.

I was dumbstruck. I faced Claire.

"What is this Claire? What are you hiding from me?" I asked her. Claire was confused. I've never seen her like that before.

"Wait! I tried to kill you? I don’t know what you’re talking about!" Claire said.

"Still trying to act dumb when you are already an inch from death? I swear I'll pull this trigger and blow up your head! You killed my brother with that lethal static whip. You strangled him till he breathe his last breath! Same outfit, and same blonde hair there’s no mistaken that it was you!!!” He cried and anytime will pull the trigger.

"Static whip?" Claire puzzled.

"Yes you evil witch!" He shouted.

"Wait! That’s not me. I can explain!"

"I don’t want to hear anything from you liar!"

"Hold on kid, give her the chance to explain, please. In this game you will win because we don’t have our weapons with us. Hearing what she's about to say won't hurt a thing." I told the boy. He agreed but still holding his shotgun pointed directly to us.

"That wasn't me. I know who she is. But I have no relation with her for so many years now. We are rivals. Her name is Viana. Another assassin like me trained by our master. She is my senior, agent twelve. I have no idea that she is still alive. She surpassed me in everything. She is so cold, killed many innocent lives if they didn’t cooperate with her, I don’t know entirely what was her goal or what she wants to achieve. If my mission was to assassinate world leaders, her mission is much more evil, but she never failed."

"What was her mission?" I interrupted.

"Her original mission was to destroyed any cures made to neutralize any disease on earth but since she ran away from our spy organisation, she's been spotted taking down all world’s best martial artist masters down to their knees, they become her apprentice, if any rejected her, they and their entire family generation will be executed."

"I thought you were the best." 

"It would take five of me to beat her alone." she said. The boy after hearing her story he slowly lowered his weapon and went away sitting to where his coffee was. Still crying but not wanting to talk to anyone. I picked up back my guns and Claire’s weapon on the floor. I sat next to the boy and tried to calm him.

"We are sorry for your lost. Claire might be an assassin but she has a good heart. She came back here because she wants to be home. She used to live here when she was small, smaller than you are when her father died protecting her from some gang of criminals." I told the boy.

"He does not deserved such cruel death! If I ever find that woman again I’ll rip her to pieces mercilessly!" Yelled the boy.

"I promise you we will do this together. We will stop her evil actions and have her paid in blood the same, but not drive by revenge." By now, Claire had went upstair. She visited her old bedroom. I looked for her upstairs and found her kneeling in the room holding and embracing something to her chest. It was a photo of her and her father. She cried when only few minutes ago I saw her smiling and excited to be back. I came slowly to her and hold her hand and hugged her to ease her invisible pain.

Chapter 13 

A New Hope

"Are you okay?" I asked the boy.

"Never been better." He answered.

"I understand. You know, you are very strong. You can still live on without your family around. When I was a young boy like you I still had my parents and all of my family with me. I must say that I am very lucky, but I have no idea if they were gone at that time. I'd be lost in the darkness of pain, sadness and loneliness." I said this while reaching for an empty cup and have the coffee poured inside from the glass jar.

"We were happy," said the boy. "We were on our way to another town for there was yearly festival called Corn Cup Gold. My little brother and I sat playfully at the backseat playing rock, paper and scissor. Then it happened." He stopped, as it was a hard one to tell.

"What happened?" I interrupted.

"Another car in front of us suddenly stop, my dad didn’t make it to stop in time, we crashed, then another car in the back hit and crashed our car at its fastest speed causing our car to be uplifted and thrown to the left side of the road. My mom and dad died instantly at the scene. It was a miracle that we were survived. My little brother Daniel, broke his right leg and I only got scratches and cuts from the shattered windshield." The boy inhaled and slowly released his breath. He continued, "My brother Dan, was crying he was only six at that time and I was ten. I lifted him up and tried to get out of the car. The car was already caught in fire. With all my strength left, I rushed to the road and to my surprised, the whole car in our lane were all crashed. Then I saw people screaming and running. They look scared. Soon I saw something eating a woman in group, at first I thought my eyes deceived me but no it was real. One of them look at me and started running trying to get me and my brother. I ran as fast as I could, and saw another car stopping trying his best to change his direction from where he came from. I took the chance, I knocked on the door and he let me and my little brother in and we drove away. I asked the man to stop at Bartson Street, since then, I live here with my brother, before that witch took him away from me."

"I’m sorry again for your loss. By the way my name is Travis, Travis Williams" I said.

"I’m Roger, Roger McKenzie." He replied.

"Hi Roger nice to meet you." I said.

"Me too."

"You know what Roger, my mother used to tell me to be strong and never gave up. Whatever the situation are, there must be something about it that we can learn. We learn something from our past mistakes but different for those who were born as genius. They never failed, they always get what they wanted, they win everyone’s heart and they never wanted to lose. Sometimes they become obnoxious, selfish, greedy, and hungry for power but they failed to look someone who are less fortunate that are part of the society. They think they are a burden, a failure, low class people and many more negative views. They think a failure was born to be a failure and a genius was meant to be a genius. But they forget one thing. Hardwork can change a failure to genius and even surpasses the geniuses themselves. Why? Because they experienced how hard was it to be a failure and used it to change their destiny. The struggles to make the world a better place."

"Thank you Travis. I felt better. But I’ll never forgive that monster!" Roger said in such a vengeful tone.

"You need to find time to calm your mind and heart Roger. Sometimes revenge is not the answer. The only solution to all problems is to forgive. I know this is very difficult for you. Revenge wont bring the dead back to life. You are not a murderer. If you seek revenge and kill her, it makes you no different than her. A killer. She will have her punishment, maybe not sooner or later. Believe in God, He will do what is the best for us. His help will come not that early and not that late, but it will come at the right time. Believe in yourself what is right and believe in Him." I was glad to see him much more at ease this time. Maybe what I said to him affected the way he thinks. Claire was still busy looking at her old stuff in her bedroom and her late father’s bedroom. She missed those moments with her father and by visiting this place it would probably cure the longing to remember those sweet memories. I am sure she got what she wanted now and treasure every moments while she was here. "So Roger do you want to come with us? I mean I want you to stay with us. It wouldn’t good if you stay here all alone. We don’t know if she’s still around here, it’s best to stick together." I offered Roger a nice welcoming invitation to have him stay with us. He was still hesitating. "What do you say? I have a dog at home and his name is Prince. Am sure he will be a good friend to you." His face expression changed the moment I told him about the dog.

"Sure! Thank you Travis. Beside what you said is true, this house has been my next stop since few years ago. Only that I have no one here anymore." Roger smiled while swallowing something as the gulp on his throat moving up and down. "Give me few minutes while I pack up my clothes and other stuff." He jumped from the sofa to the back side and up the stairs to settle his things. I was happy to have a new member in the family. This count as four, including Prince.

"He’s joining us?" asked Claire.

"Yeah he is, he’s a very high spirited boy. Remind me when I was younger."

"That’s great, at least we have more hands on our team." She said while folding her arms.

"He’ll be good. Will you train him?" I asked.

"Am sorry, but I don’t train anyone or take any student. He’s on his own. Knows how to shoot is good enough already."

"I knew you would say that." I giggled mischievously when suddenly Claire hit me on the head. She’s one hell of a lady. Not long after Claire gone outside, Roger went downstairs complete with his luggage, bag and some medium size boxes. "Excuse me, what are those?" I pointed to the boxes Roger brought down.

"Oh these… These are my ammunition for shotguns and some extra weapons."

"Oh! Well let me help you with those. Bad news, I don’t have my car with me so we just need to carry this, I live not that far from here."

"Are you kidding me?" Roger said.

"We are going with my Lambo."

"You have Lambo?" I was surprised like a little boy receiving his first christmas present! Then Roger push the button on the remote key and the garage next to the house was opened slowly. There, laid a black Lamborghini Gallardo.