The Plague Years (Book 1): Hell is Empty and All the Devils Are Here by Mark Rounds Read Free Book Online

Erskin,” said Dr. Riley interrupting him before he could get started, “but the cat is already out of the bag. There are epicenters for this disease in London, Paris, Saigon, Moscow, and Tokyo. The world knows and they know where it came from.
    “But if we allowed the disease to spread for a while from these locations,” continued Erskin smoothly, “we could cast enough doubt, especially if the situation became ... chaotic … later.”
    “I am going to pretend that I did not hear a representative of the Government of United States of America condemn thousands if not millions of innocent people to a serious illness and a very unpleasant death just to make us look good,” said General Buckley forcefully. His voice was not loud but the menace in it was clear.
    “I have also been to a rodeo and a county fair and not only do the at risk demographics described seem plausible, I can tell you from personal experience as a teenager with a twelve pack of beer in the back of a pickup truck that I may or may not have been old enough to have, that the number of back roads, jeep trails and open fields in a rural area are truly immeasurable and many aren’t on any maps. No way can you close them all and lots of folks know about them. It is also clear this is above my pay grade but it is clear that something has to happen soon.”
    “That’s what I have been trying to say …” began Mr. Macklin, but the general, who had been to contentious meetings before, spoke forcefully.
    “You sir,” said General Buckley pointing vigorously at Macklin, “have been trying to say any damned thing that will get us to soft pedal this internally and I now see via Erskin over there, that you want to keep it quiet internationally too.”
    General Buckley then fixed Chad with a stare.
    “Strickland, your work has riled up some folks. Do you stand by it?”
    “Yes Sir,” said Chad with a gulp.
    “You sound former military,” said the General. “Did I read that right?”
    Before Chad could speak, Colonel Antonopoulos spoke up.
    “He was sir,” he said. “He was my intel analyst back when we were both young in the First Special Ops Wing out at Hurlburt Field.”
    “And you let him get out?”
    “Guilty, sir.”
    “Riley,” said the General as he turned away from Chad, effectively dismissing him, “I will need a secure room with secure com, audio, and document transfer. Are you set up for that?”
    “I can do that and video as well if you need it.”
    “Good, is there anything else I need to know before I go bet my stars on this?”
    “We have some backup data for Strickland’s talking points.”
    “Give me the Readers Digest Condensed version.”
    “We have had our first three cases just outside of Kennewick last night. We have been able to identify two deceased individuals. They were a newlywed couple who had just graduated from Seattle Pacific University. They were on their honeymoon when they attended a Christian band concert in Portland; ‘Third Day’ was the name of the group. That was a week ago. Their families lost track of them two days before they ended up here. Apparently they were headed home and became symptomatic. We think they contracted the disease through contact rather than fluids exchange.”
    “You said three,” said the General pointedly.
    “Yes, there was a third case today. He is conscious and lucid enough to question. Apparently, he occasionally visits prostitutes. One bit him. Police are trying to trace her but, like Chad said, petty criminals like that move and know how to fade.
    “We are also monitoring the condition of a sheriff’s deputy who got bit attempting to apprehend one of the previous sufferers. She is not yet symptomatic but west coast data shows that the biting is not an uncommon behavior and that she will likely become symptomatic. Enforcement of any quarantine is going to generate casualties among those who are watching the roads.” 
    “Any more good news?” said General Buckley