Project Terminus by Nathan Combs Read Free Book Online Page A

survivors. Adjacent areas not directly affected by the nuclear detonations were in chaos, and, like everywhere else in the Western world, there was no food and armed gangs were raping, pillaging, and plundering at will. What had once been the USA was now a dangerous and inhospitable place.
    On July 3 rd , Highlander found Wade sitting with Adam by the fire-pit, teaching him how to sharpen a knife, and asked if he could have a minute of Wade’s time.
    “Go to your mother, Son. She’s in the mess tent. Put the knife away for now.”
    Walking with Highlander to the supply tent, Wade said, “What’s up?”
    Highlander’s face was grim. “I didn’t think it could get any worse, but,” nodding towards the notes on the radio table he said, “take a look.”
    Wade sat down and read. When he finished he just shook his head.
    The two men walked in silence to the armory where Randal was cleaning their backup weapons and checking the condition of the det-cord primers.
    Wade said, “Randal, we have a new problem. Read this.”
    Randal took the piece of paper, read, then nodded and said, “We’re going to have to institute special protocols for this, Dad.”
    “Yeah. Take over the Observation Post and send Sean back here. You can work on the security changes there. I’ll consult with Maggie. When you have the new protocols figured out, we’ll disseminate the info and how we’re going to implement the changes.”
    Wade went to the mess tent and motioned for Maggie to come outside. Seeing the look on Wade’s face, she immediately excused herself to Becky and followed him.
    “Honey, what’s wrong?”
    “Maggie, we’ve talked about diseases of various types that might present themselves during this catastrophe. And we’ve talked about the possibility of a plague or even a pandemic occurring at some point in time. We always knew those were possibili—”
    “Wade, you’re scaring me.”
    The frightened face of his beautiful wife was heart wrenching. Wade placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and said, “Sorry, Maggie. I’ll cut to the chase. Reports are coming in from all over the world, including here in the US, of a virus no one has ever seen. It acts a lot like Ebola, but it’s not. It’s worse. What we’re hearing is that it’s airborne and has a mortality rate of around ninety percent. The incubation period is about a week. Death follows in less than forty-eight hours. It’s rampant all over the world.”
    Maggie was dumb-founded. “That’s impossible, Wade. There’s no such virus. It has to be a mistake. It simply can’t be true.”
    “No, Mags, it’s not impossible. Without doubt this is a man-made virus. It can’t be anything else.”
    “But, how? Why?”
    “How is simple,” he said. “I doubt anyone would notice an ICBM filled with this bug and conventional explosives blowing up in their area. They’d probably attribute it to just another explosion. And even if they were suspicious, there’s no one for them to report it to. As for why, does it really matter?”
    Maggie was genuinely terrified. “My God, Wade, what do we do?”
    Taking her in his arms, he gently stroked her face and coaxed her to look into his eyes. “We survive it, Maggie, just like we’ve survived everything else. I need you to break out the containment suits and masks, and get everyone together in the chapel in an hour. I have to talk with Randal.”
    When Wade arrived at the OP, Randal pulled him to the side and said, “We have to send out daily patrols, Dad. We can’t allow anyone to get close to Fort-T. And we’re going to have to initiate extreme options against anyone who does. I know you know what we have to do. I’ll explain it in more detail to the family after I get it worked up. Who do you think’s responsible for this?”
    “Russia. They’re the only country other than us with the ability to create an effective biological agent. Maggie has everyone in the mess tent. Who do you want manning the OP