Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 140965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
9
Draden waited in the shade of a tall dipterocarp tree as a helicopter landed in the clearing and a crate containing food and other supplies was set in the grass. Men in the military garb of the Indonesian army raced back to the helicopter, and Joe emerged wearing a hazmat suit. He let Joe come to him. He didn’t like being out in the open with so many soldiers carrying weapons, most loosely trained on him. He couldn’t blame them. Many had probably seen the effects of the virus and wanted to ensure he didn’t get anywhere near them. Even so, it was the first time he felt like he was truly infected and a danger to innocent people.
After Draden deposited the virus and blood samples in Joe’s container, the commander of his unit stood for a moment just looking at him. It wasn’t difficult to read the mixture of compassion and sorrow in his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Draden.”
Draden nodded. What was there to say? He knew how fucked-up it was to die from any hemorrhagic virus, the disease devouring his insides until every organ was nothing but liquid. “I’ve got a bullet. I’ll hold out as long as I can to give Trap and Wyatt and whoever else is working on this enough data to increase the chance of saving Shylah. She isn’t showing any symptoms and it’s possible she has more time than I do.”
Joe took the package from Draden. “We could airlift you both to a hospital. You’d get better care.”
Draden knew he wasn’t going to die like that, with everyone peering down at him like he was a science project. He’d seen it before, that undignified exit of life and he wasn’t about to go out that way. If he was in a hospital, he wasn’t going to be given a gun. “Not going to happen, Joe. You know me. I’d force these soldiers to kill me first. I’m not running around infecting anyone. I’m wearing a mask and gloves when I make kills. I had to go into the village in order to retrieve the virus, but I was careful not to contaminate anyone.”
“Stay close to the lab. The sicker you get, the more likely you are to have doubts about staying out here,” Joe cautioned.
“I won’t. You know me better than that. I do want you to give me a day to convince Shylah to go back with you. She won’t do it now, but I can convince her it’s best for mankind or some crap like that.”
“Draden …” Joe’s tone was even more cautionary.
“She might make it. I’m almost positive her blood is the one labeled P-one through -five. I think they were looking at her. Her given name is Peony. Whitney hired the three scientists to create viruses specific to each of the girls. Bellisia had one in her. Zara had two capsules placed in her. Shylah says she’s never gotten sick. Not ever. Not even with a cold.”
“You think this virus was designed to specifically target her immune system?”
“Yes. And that makes her all the more valuable to all of you. It’s possible she’s immune and you can create a vaccine and therapy for this virus using her blood.”
“Are you trying to convince yourself or me?”
Draden knew he wanted Shylah saved at any cost. It was possible he was convincing himself she was the answer because he was falling for her and didn’t want her to die in the worst possible way. He shrugged. “I don’t know the answer to that, but judging by the fact that not one person got out of that village alive, it has to have a fast replication cycle. Twenty-four to forty-eight hours tops, and I’m already showing signs. No one tried to get to the boats or to walk out. I made certain no one got out. I searched in every direction for miles. There were no tracks. I checked the infirmary where the MSS are holing up. No one was ill. There were no whispers of a terrifying disease. No rumors have gotten out yet.”
“We believe the attack on the doctors was an attempt to get the maximum publicity for the Milisi Separatis Sumatra so they could emerge as a terrorist organization that could strike fear in the hearts of every enemy. They had a virus capable of causing a pandemic and weren’t afraid to use it. It was decided not to give them that publicity and so far, they haven’t come forward to claim the deaths.”
“I killed their commander. The new one was reluctant to make himself and his men a worldwide target.”
Joe nodded. “It could be as simple as that.”
Draden shook his head. “I don’t think it’s simple. There’s more going on here than Whitney’s three crazy scientists getting pissed because he didn’t like the virus they created. Whitney sent Shylah to track them down and kill them. In the process of doing that, she found they were corresponding with a man by the name of Ethan Montgomery. He comes from Mississippi and went to school with the Williams brothers. He was purchasing the virus from them. Whitney may or may not have sent a hit team after him. I think Montgomery has been supplying his friends with money.”