Particle Z (Book 1) (3 page)
Eric broke the uncomfortable silence. “Mike, we should call the cruise line and see what they can tell us.”
“Thanks, good idea,” Mike agreed tersely. “Let’s get back to my office and see what we can find out. Grab your stuff on the way,” he practically barked as he strode off with determination and fear driving each step.
More city-workers had arrived by this time and many were staring at Mike, wondering what had gotten into him. Others were looking at cell phones as local news alerts started to ping. As soon as the team was inside Mike’s office they grabbed chairs and fired up their laptops and cell phones.
“I’ll check the cruise line’s website,” Ashley volunteered. She pulled her blonde hair back into a ponytail and set to work.
“While she checks their website, I’ll call and see what I can find out,” Reid said.
They were already slipping into their mission personas. Eric pulled a chair up close to Mike’s desk. He would provide the moral support Mike would need. Reid looked for the main number to the cruise line so he could make his call while Ashley banged away on her laptop, searching for any nugget of info she could find. Mike knew Eric was looking at him and guessed he was trying to figure out if Mike wanted to be left alone or talk through the situation. Eric must have decided he needed a few minutes to himself, because he got up and walked over to see how Ashley and Reid were coming along with their tasks.
Ashley looked up at Eric as he walked up to her. She shook her head, indicating no new information.
Eric turned to see if Reid was faring any better.
Reid looked back at Mike and silently mouthed the words, “All circuits busy.”
Mike picked up the remote from his desk and flipped on the large television bolted to the office wall. The media was still covering the drama unfolding in the Gulf, and they now had a helicopter airing detailed footage of the various decks along the
Sunset Rose’s
sizable flanks. One immediate and eerie abnormality that caught Mike’s attention was the lack of passengers visible anywhere. His next thought was how quickly the helicopter had arrived on location. That could only mean the
Sunset Rose
wasn’t far offshore.
“Do either of you have anything yet?” Mike asked again, looking at Ashley and Reid.
“Can’t get through on the landline, Mike,” Reid told him.
“The cruise line website has nothing related to the
Sunset Rose
posted, Mike,” Ashley said, sounding perplexed.
Mike knew full well that in this case, no news was bad news. As Mike glanced back at the television, the loud booming thrust of multiple F-16 fighters taking off from MacDill Air Force Base brought them all to their feet, and they rushed to the window.
“What the …” Reid and Eric exclaimed at the same time.
“Why the fuck are F-16s taking off from MacDill?” Mike said, sounding alarmed.
“Yeah, this shit is getting real serious real fast if the military is now involved,” Reid said, echoing the thoughts coursing through everyone’s mind.
“Mike, those F-16s are headed into the Gulf,” Eric said, stating the obvious yet worrisome truth of the situation.
“Maybe she is okay if this is a hostage situation. Do you think the sickness report was inaccurate?” Mike asked, hoping to trade real bad news for incrementally better bad news.
“Maybe,” Eric said slowly, not convinced of anything at this moment.
Too many things are happening,
Mike thought. Coast Guard LRIs and F-16s? And worst of all was the total lack of communication coming from the ship’s crew or passengers. It meant nothing good. Maybe the
Sunset Rose
was within the range of the mainland’s cell towers. On a whim, Mike took out his cell phone and called Marlee.
“Hello, you have reached Marlee. Please leave a message,” her voicemail message cheerily informed him. He hung up in disgust. Mike and the rest of the group looked back at the television and within minutes the news crew on the helicopter was tracking the F-16s as they buzzed the
Sunset Rose
.
“Sitting just offshore as suspected, Mike,” Eric said.
“Might as well be on the moon,” Reid gently stated.
Mike could only nod his agreement as he stared out the window in the direction the F-16s had zipped off in. Without warning, the television went dark with a message stating the channel was offline.
“That’s odd. What caused that?” Ashley said, her face twisting into confusion as her brain refused to process what her eyes had seen.
At that precise moment, Mike’s cell phone started to ring. He immediately dug into his pocket for his phone. “It’s Marlee!” he shouted to the group when he saw the number. “Marlee, what the hell is going on out there, are you okay?”
“MIKE,” Marlee sobbed into the phone. “EVERYONE STARTED ATTACKING EACH OTHER!”
“ATTACKING? Who is attacking people, Marlee … terrorists?” Mike asked, his voice betraying his concern. Marlee was sobbing hysterically as she tried to speak and Mike couldn’t understand a word she was saying.
“Marlee, calm down, please sweetheart, please calm down and tell me what is going on,” Mike tried to say as calmly as he could, hoping it would in turn quiet her down.
“No Mike, not terrorists, people just started to go crazy,” she wailed.
“What happened, are you alone, where are you?” Mike asked, peppering Marlee with questions. His urgent tone and line of questioning had gained the rapt attention of Eric, Ashley, and Reid.
“I don’t know what’s happening, Mike. A few hours ago people just started to act funny and then started attacking each other,” Marlee said again.
Mike could hear her sniffling and sucking air in ragged gasps, a clear attempt to calm herself down before she spoke again. “I’m on the top deck near the adult pool. I barred the door so no one can get in,” she said in a slightly steadier voice. “People are going crazy everywhere, Mike, please get me off this ship,” she pleaded.
“I will,” Mike promised, not knowing how he would keep a promise like that. He then heard the unmistakable sound of a jet fighter in the background, then a click and the call ended suddenly.
“Marlee!” Mike yelled into the phone, but he knew the call was already lost. He slowly placed the phone on the desktop and looked into the eyes of each of his friends.
“What now, Mike?” Ashley asked.
“Now we get Marlee off that fucking ship,” Mike said with a calm he wasn’t feeling.
The office phone rang. “Hello,” Mike answered as he brought the receiver to his ear.
“Hey Mike, Chief Travis here and I need a hell of a big favor.”
“Shoot.”
“I need a place to land a helicopter that’s away from the prying eyes of the press,” Chief Travis asked him. Mike knew that something was up; Travis never asked for favors. Mike understood the chief well enough to know he would be tight-lipped with any information he might have access to, so he didn’t pry.
“They can use the roof of the City Government parking garage; it’s wide enough to land a helicopter and we can control access,” Mike suggested.
“You sure a big ass helicopter will have enough space to land?” the chief asked.
“Yep, it’s the backup for Tampa General’s Life Flight’s,” Mike reassured him.
“I’ll be in touch. Thanks big time, Mike,” the chief said as he hung up.
Knowing Reid was familiar with the inner workings of the system, Mike turned to him. “Reid, go over and make sure the top deck of the parking garage is clear and that the landing strobes are working,” he requested.
Mike shifted his focus to Ashley. “Ash, hunt down any supervisors in the building and get them in here. We need to prepare for road closures and whatever else hits the fan.”
Ashley and Reid nodded and stated in unison, “Yes sir!” as they hurried out of the office.
Mike wasn’t clear on what was occurring aboard the ship.
What in the hell could make an entire ship full of people go nuts and start attacking each other?
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that no known chemical or biological agent would cause a reaction like that. Deep in thought, Mike was jarred back to reality as three short, uncomfortably loud tones sounded from the building’s intercom system.
“ATTENTION: All employees must immediately shut down their work stations and leave for the day. Follow standard recall procedures for future reporting instructions.”
Startled, Mike looked over at Eric, who shrugged his shoulders. “Who knows, Mike, that’s a first!”
Reid ran back into Mike’s office. “Strange shit is going down in the lobby. There are a bunch of guys down there making sure everyone leaves. I had to duck into the stairwell so they didn’t see me,” he gasped, out of breath from his quick ascent. Mike and Eric shared a quick glance and Mike gave him a barely perceptible nod.
“Eric, grab the go bags, load my truck, and move it next to the secure area in the parking garage across the street.” Mike tossed him the keys. He then looked at Reid and said, “Find Ashley and meet Eric at the truck.”
Without waiting for additional prodding, Reid and Eric took off. As soon as they were gone, Mike grabbed a few things he thought might come in handy and packed the backpack hanging behind his office door. He scanned his office one final time then made his way toward the elevator. On his way out he noticed the floor was already empty.
You don’t need to tell a government worker more than once they can leave … it’s a cheery, organized and ridiculously fast mass exodus
, Mike silently chuckled.
On the elevator ride down, Mike hoped that the people Reid had seen in the lobby were more concerned with people coming in the building versus going into the parking garage. Located in a short hallway, the elevator bank was out of the line of sight of the main lobby. The elevator door opened with a soft ding. As he exited the lift, he could hear stern voices issuing curt orders over the sound of hurrying footsteps and equipment banging around.
Time to put on my poker face
, Mike thought as he stepped around the corner. He was shocked at the transformation of the lobby: from government drab to the staging area for the apocalypse. Stunned, Mike could only stare as groups of men dressed in black fatigues, some with polished weapons, set up barricades in front of the glass doors and windows.
What the fuck,
he thought,
this has got to be related to the cruise ship.
Within seconds, Mike was spotted. A man strode purposefully up to Mike. “Sir, this facility is under evacuation orders. Leave, now,” the man tersely instructed Mike.
“I’m the Lead Engineer for the City. Who are you?” Mike calmly responded, handing the man his badge.
Looking down at the badge, the man stated, “Mr. Sullivan, leave the building. Your superiors will contact you with instructions later.” He refused to acknowledge or answer Mike’s question.
“What’s going on?” Mike asked as he took his badge back.
“Nothing you need to be concerned with, Mr. Sullivan,” the man curtly responded.
Mike looked closer at the man and noticed a company logo stitched just above the right breast pocket of his shirt. It was stitched with dark gray thread, so Mike hadn’t noticed it at first. It read,
Terra Diversified Corporation
, a private military contractor that Mike recognized from the media reports on the riots.
Mercenaries? Here? Something is definitely going down. They must be expecting people to riot if Terra Corp is here
, Mike thought.
“My truck’s in the garage next door. I’m getting out of your way. Don’t worry,” Mike calmly told the man while fighting back the urge to ask more questions.
“Move along,” the mercenary stated as his interest in Mike waned.
Mike let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly made his way to the parking garage. Exiting the building, he noticed very little traffic in the immediate vicinity and only a few cars were trickling out of the parking garage. He did notice a black van with the letters TDC on the side, but it appeared empty. Mike assumed it was a Terra Corp vehicle so he didn’t stare too long. Things really seemed out of whack, but Mike had other issues to worry about right now. He could worry about Terra Corp’s sudden appearance later.
Mike took the stairs when he reached the parking garage. From the protection of the stairwell, he could check each floor for stragglers and members of TDC. Luck was on his side, and the parking garage was clear. When he reached the ninth floor he headed to a maintenance bay hidden behind an unmarked, sturdy steel overhead door. City workers used the space to fix and store spare equipment, and Mike’s team went there to get away from the hustle and bustle of the main building. He noticed the door was about an inch off the floor, telling him that his team must already be inside. He lifted the door up and was happy to see his truck neatly backed into the garage bay. He could always count on Eric.
The space was cramped with the truck pulled in, and other than some tool bins bolted to the gray concrete walls, the room looked like any other maintenance bay. Near the back of the bay was a heavy steel door that led to a climate-controlled warehouse which was unlikely to be noticed by people outside. Mike closed and locked the overhead door, quickly made his way to the door at the back and keyed in the unlock code.
Mike was relieved to see Eric, Reid, and Ashley had already arrived. The warehouse they were taking refuge in was equipped with a television, laptop, a few folding chairs sitting around an old desk, and a bare-bones bathroom. A small, lone window looked out toward the cruise ship port. The room doubled as a storage area for items the city kept on hand in the event of an emergency. Everything from MREs, water, toilet paper, and even some backup communications equipment was stored here. Mike had every intention of being as prepared as possible when he went to get Marlee. How and when that would be accomplished needed to be worked out, and he hoped the solitude of this room would give them the time needed to develop a plan.
After several vehicle break-ins targeting city officials, the city government had added a closed-circuit camera system that covered each level of the garage and all of the entrances and exits. Reid had logged into the system, and Mike noted that there was little activity to be seen.
“It’s about time you got your lazy ass over here,” Eric joked. “Did you run into those Terra Corp guys?
“Yep, strange happenings, and I’d like to know who they work for and why they’re in town,” Mike said, thinking it might provide a clue about the trouble aboard the cruise ship. “They’ve been on the news, and always at the center of the riots. I want to know why they’re here.”
“I’ll Google the name and see what I find; at least try to get a company profile,” Ashley volunteered, immediately starting a search.
“Looks like there is an unmarked black helicopter headed our way from the cruise ship, Mike. Reid caught a glimpse of a helicopter lifting off the cruise ship when the news helicopter restarted its live stream again a few minutes ago,” Eric said, bringing Mike up to speed.
“Back up?” Mike asked
“The live stream went dark for a few minutes on your way over. Odd, don’t you think?” Reid said in a questioning tone.
“Mike, Marlee doesn’t seem to be on the upper deck anymore. The news helicopter’s cameraman was panning the camera back and forth searching for her. Maybe she went down to a lower deck,” Eric said, looking for something positive in this new development.
Mike sat down on one of the rickety chairs and cupped his head in his hands. He didn’t know what a helicopter would be doing at the ship, and the lost news feed seemed a bit too convenient. Maybe Marlee had gone in search of a safer location like Eric suggested. Mike had to keep positive because the alternative wasn’t something he wanted to consider.
“Mike, if we’re successful in getting Marlee back ourselves, we need to consider if she’s been exposed to something harmful,” Eric pointed out.
Mike rocked back on his chair as he tried to process Eric’s concern. He had considered this possibility, but his need to have Marlee back in his arms had overridden his common sense. Eric was right; saving Marlee could expose everyone on his team to whatever made all those people go crazy. Mike sighed sadly as he considered the possibility that he would never see Marlee again.
“You’re right, of course. She may be sick and I’ll have to take precautions if I can get her off that ship. You can all bug out. I don’t know how long this will take,” Mike told them. His team stared at Mike as the fluorescent light flickered overhead. No one made a move for the door.
“We stay with you, Mike,” Eric answered for the group.
“I’m the only one with a family, and my husband and son are in Seattle visiting my mother-in-law. I’ve got nowhere better to be,” Ashley added.
Reid stood up. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world, boss. We’d be a shitty team if we didn’t help you.”
The muffled sound of a helicopter filtered through the walls of the room. Eric jumped up and looked out the window. “Hey guys, does that helicopter look familiar to you?”
“Yes, that’s the one from the live stream!” Ashley confirmed.
“Hey, look at this!” Reid exclaimed as he glanced at the security cameras. “What the hell are they doing?”
The others rushed over to see what had Reid so worked up. A group of people from Terra Corp
could be seen escorting a team of people wearing full hazmat suits past the maintenance bay they were concealed in. They had missed the group enter the garage as they’d been so engrossed in Mike’s personal crisis and the approach of the helicopter.
“Looks like they’re headed toward the stairs to the top deck,” Reid surmised.
With the sound of the helicopter now directly above, it became apparent that the mercenaries were getting ready to unload whatever the helicopter had retrieved from the ship. By the look of the precautions, something serious had happened to the passengers aboard the
Sunset Rose
.
Mike glanced at the TV for a moment. “Look at that, they’re towing the cruise ship now,” he said, startled. “None of this makes any sense. First people go crazy, then we’ve got mercenaries in hazmat suits getting something from a helicopter that had to land out of the public eye, and now they’re towing the cruise ship back into port?”
“I think the government is under heavy pressure from the families who have people on the ship. They are clamoring for news about their family,” Eric guessed.
“With no calls going through this close to land, people know the news isn’t good and there are crowds gathering at the Port. I think it’s going to get crazy down there soon,” Ashley said, taking a turn at the window looking down toward the Port’s terminal. “The cops are fencing off the perimeter near the ship’s berth. It looks like they will bring the
Sunset Rose
right to the terminal it departed from.”
“Why would they bring a ship full of sick people in so close to the city?” Reid asked.
“I can only guess that it’s because they don’t want to cause a panic or heighten the tension by leaving everyone’s loved ones floating on a ship in the Gulf,” Eric answered.
Conversation was pointless now due to the roar of the helicopter on the roof. They all huddled around the security monitor and watched as the door to the helicopter slid open. “TDC” could be seen on the door facing the camera. Two Terra Corp personnel in hazmat suits hurriedly pulled a single person out of the helicopter.
Damn
, o
nly one,
Mike thought. He looked hard at the covered form. “OH MY GOD, THAT’S MARLEE,” he said harshly, knowing Marlee’s shape anywhere. They were taking her vitals and prodding her with all sorts of hi-tech medical equipment. Mike was so shocked to see her it hadn’t registered that she was back and just one floor above him. Eric put a hand on his shoulder. Mike realized it wasn’t simply for comfort; Eric wanted to make sure he didn’t rush off and do something stupid.