Independence Day Plague
Read Independence Day Plague Online
Authors: Carla Lee Suson
| Independence Day Plague |
| Carla Lee Suson |
| Fireside Publications (2009) |
James Mitchell knew his family would live and work at the top secret Bio-Lab 4 military base for all of their careers. Twenty-three years later, the lab has become an embarrassment and the Army shuts it down. They decide to keep the government's dirty secrets safe by killing everyone. At the last celebration, the Army colonel, Forrester poisons the food with a deadly virus. Mitchell, the only survivor, watches his family and friends die writhing in agony from the virus he created. Now, with his sanity breaking, Mitchell wants revenge on the government that killed his family and stole his life.
On July 4th, 2026, three million people flood into Washinton DC for America's 250th birthday celebration. Veteran DC cop, Michael Dorado, heads the city's anti-terrorism taskforce for the biggest celebration of the decade. On that morning, Mitchell sends Dorado the message, "When the crowds are at their peak, I will detonate a biological weapon that will spray the nearby people with a deadly pathogen." Now Dorado is in a battle against time and the crowds to stop a madman before he unleashes the lethal virus on the world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Carla Lee Suson's education is in cellular and molecular biology and she worked in rheumatology and pediatric research for five years before moving to the coastal bend area of Texas. Once settled near the Gulf of Mexico, she switched to a career of writing and editing. She wrote magazine articles, internet material, short stories and standardized test materials for over ten years. Additionally, she edited books for local professors on the subjects of art, art history, climatology and global warming. During this time period, she spent twelve summers living in Washington, eventually becoming inspired to write this book.
In 2007, her family relocated to the Chicagoland area. Now she is the owner of North of the Red Writing Services in Northwest Indiana. Although a Texas girl in her heart, she lives in Crown Point, Indiana along with her husband, three kids, and three dogs.
INDEPENDENCE DAY
PLAGUE
A Novel
by
Carla Lee Suson
Fireside Publications
Lady Lake, Florida
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, events and incidences are either, the product of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
Published by:
Fireside Publications
1004 San Felipe Lane
Lady Lake, Florida 32159
Printed in the United States of America
Copyright © December 2009 by Carla Lee Suson
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, scanned, photocopied or distributed in any printed, or electronic, form without written permission of the author.
First Edition: December 2009
ISBN: 978-1-935517-05-4
This book is dedicated to:
My husband
who never gave up on my writing even when I did,
My parents
who gave me a love of great stories and
My children
who tried to get me arrested while helping me research this book.
Better luck next time, kids
.
Chapter 1
May 21, 2026
“
Here’s to the death of Bio-Lab 4.” Mitchell lifted his glass in mock salute. “It just hit me that this is quite probably the last time we will ever be together again. We’re all listed as officially dead to the world, deceased as of tomorrow.” He scanned the room filled with tuxedoed men and finely dressed women. “Most of us have worked together for more than fifteen years. Yet tomorrow, we don’t exist anymore and all of this,” he waved a hand vaguely around the hall, “this falls into obscure history.”
“
You’re fucking morbid today.” Clark’s face was flushed red and his breath was a haze of Jim Beams. “Got your new name yet?” He snorted, “Those asshole government types don’t care about us. They’re gonna stick us with some kind of asshole name and asshole job where we’ll rot to death.”
James Mitchell smiled down into his own champagne cocktail. “I think you’re the only one worried about names. What I don't care for is the name for our work. Doctor or veterinarian sounds better than the Deathmaker. I’m actually glad we’re moving into some more positive work. I’m tired of every experiment being a potential life or death experience.”
“
The outside world ain’t that pretty.” Clark growled. “Look at the news, man. Kids are wiring their brains up on the new drugs. They flip out, go postal and shoot everyone. Suicides are past five digits in the corporate world. Join the stressed-out freaks or the Greenies, eating rabbit food and bitching about how technology ruins everything. Not much choice either way.” He swallowed another mouthful. “Glad to get out of fucking cold North Dakota though.”
The news to close down Bio Lab-4 had been unexpected and with extremely short notice. Tonight’s party acted as the last hurrah for friends that lived, worked, and cared for each other in the isolated community. The smiling people mingled in and out of groups, glasses in hands. The room buzzed with tension about the closure. Colonel Forester had sent emails, assuring everyone that the plan included relocating them back into the mainstream society. That meant new names and new identities.
Mitchell looked out of the glass windows that filled the back walls of the cafeteria. The building was one of the last ones by the back barbed-wire topped fence. The land beyond was gently rolling prairie, now filled with brown, dead grass. The sun sat low in the horizon, giving off brilliant reds and yellows and casting red and pink hues across the skins of those nearest the wall.
Forester promised new names and jobs for everyone but the world had changed in twenty-three years. Mitchell knew he was a good vaccine man, in fact, probably the best one in the country although no one outside BL-4 knew that. Even after they left, he'd remain obscure. No one worked at other research centers after leaving the bio-labs.
“
Yep, one week from now, nothing will be left here except empty houses. I wonder what the Company will do with the base.” Mitchell tried to put a cheery note into his voice.
Clark slurred, “The ‘Company?’ Geez, Jim I thought you’d moved past that crap. Little shop of horrors is pretty appropriate.” He took another long drink of his cocktail.
James replied, “Katie calls it the bug factory, which is accurate too, I guess.” He sighed and watched the bubbles in his glass. Clark worked at BL-4 for the last thirteen years, but the two men never formed a strong friendship. “Why all the heavy drinking?”
“
Oh shit, not much. Just that my career is completely fucking over and I’m only thirty-five. Hell, you have Caroline and Katie. I haven’t got anyone. So the ‘Company,’ as you so delicately put it, is thrusting me into the world, nameless, careerless and just about as naked as the day I was born.”
Mitchell sighed, “They'll find good positions for all of us. It's hard shutting everything down though. Caroline spent the last week and a half systematically destroying all the animals and burning the bodies whether they’ve been exposed or not.”
“
Jeez, that’s a shitty job!”
“
Yeah, she’s comes home depressed every night.”
Raymond Geller, head of gene mapping, joined the small group. His black suit and tie offset the old-fashioned crisp white shirt and the gray in his hair. He held a plate heaped with cheese squares and fruit chunk appetizers with his right hand and a little girl’s hand with his left. The six-year-old stared at Mitchell with large brown eyes as she nibbled on a strawberry. Her face, normally pink and smiling, looked feverish. Mitchell stared at her as Geller talked, “You know the old nuke stockpiles are still in place, rotting in their cradles but ready to fire at a moment’s notice.”
“
Your point being?” Clark sneered.
“
The only reason we quit making better nukes is because we built a better weapon. Chemicals and biologicals take out people without large-scale damage. Bomb a city, wait for them to die, and then move your immunized people in. You’re up and running in no time.”
The three men turned towards the sound outside the window. A black car drove up and parked in the commander's space in front of the cafeteria. Three men got out of the car, full dress uniforms including gloves and ceremonial swords.
"Here comes the fucking bossman," Clark mumbled. He turned back towards Geller “So why are we shutting down if the world still needs weapons?”
Geller gave his daughter an apple slice in response to her tugging on his pants. “I don’t know. We’re the last one though. The first Bio Lab disappeared off the hypernet grid eight years ago.”
Mitchell watched Geller’s hands. Purplish bruising started appearing on the back and spread up the fingers. His heartbeat sped up. “Geller, what’s happening?”
The man continued addressing Clark. “Did you hear the news last night? China's announced that it plans on shooting down foreign satellites in its airspace in ten days.”
“
Oh shit, not the Chinese again!” Clark swallowed the last of his drink. “It’s always you and the damn Chinese. Just enjoy the party, man. Relax, grab a drink, and ponder your next life.” Clark staggered off towards the appetizer table.
Geller frowned, watching Clark weave between the party guests. “Sticking our heads in a vat of alcohol works for some but I’d rather keep my wits about me.”
“
Maybe it’s what he needs to get through this.” The voice was feminine and sultry. The men turned to the tall, blond woman in the royal blue satin dress. The dress hung in long A-line drape with a deep neckline set off with small white stones. She smiled and her honey brown eyes glowed with laughter. “Sorry, but the shutdown seems to be what everyone is talking about.”
Mitchell put an arm around her waist, “Hello dear.”
“
Good evening, Caroline. You look very lovely tonight.” Geller said smiling back. For a moment dark lines appeared under his eyes and his face looked thinner then the image faded again.
“
Thank you.” She smiled down at the pink and white lace ruffled girl, “Hi, Anita.”
Mouth full of cheese squares, the child wiggled upright fingers in response before grabbing another fruit slice off Geller’s plate. Caroline turned to Mitchell, “Clark is in rare rancid form tonight.”
He looked at her smooth face. She smiled back and, as he watched, the capillaries in her eyes swelled and burst, making her pupils swim in a sea of red. “Caroline, your eyes!”
Caroline turned away as if he hadn’t spoken. “Ray, Jim’s told me about some of your theories but I agree with him. After the outbreak in North Korea, people know how uncontrollable biowarfare is. What, about 6,000 people died in the North Korean lab leak? The UN hasn't repealed the travel ban yet. It’s time man evolved past his destructive nature.”