The Omega Protocol Chronicles (Book 1): Exodus (3 page)

She had gotten a call from her late husband’s army buddy Mike, urging her to come to the base for safety but by the time she had been packed up to go, the radio had been broadcasting that FEMA would be evacuating people in the county to Fort Lee. They had a bit of a head start on other civilians but all that meant was it put them less than ten miles from the base when traffic had come to a stand still.

Word had trickled down the highway that the influx of cars was too much for the base to handle. They had stopped allowing cars onto the base two days ago and a day later, people on foot were banned entry as well. Now a military escort was required and the transports were slowly making their way down the highway. Civilians had been told to remain patient by the National Guardsmen that had passed by that morning.

However, with the sun close to setting, patience was wearing thin, and loud, angry voices were becoming a common sound on the highway.  

Thankfully the people Janet had come to Fort Lee with were good at keeping calm in stressful situations. As she approached their impromptu camp, she could see Ana and her husband Jose sitting with the twins, Matthew and Mark, flipping through one of the activity books they had brought with them. The elderly couple had been a Godsend to Janet, and not just during their time on the highway.

The Garcias had moved into the house next door to Janet seven years ago when they had both retired. They had become like grandparents to her children, helping her during the times when Eric had been deployed and when he had been killed in Iraq, they had been there to help her through her grief.

When Mike had called and told her to evacuate, it hadn’t even been a question to bring them with her. If the military were telling their families and friends to come to the base, things were getting bad and she wouldn’t leave them behind. Now, however, she felt guilty that she had led them here to sit on the open highway and wait.

“You hungry, Ruthie?”

Kim Hastings came towards them, holding out a plastic cup of fruit cocktail and Ruthie nodded, reaching out to Kim. Janet passed her over, smiling as Kim expertly shifted Ruthie to her hip and opened the fruit cup.

“Thank you, Miss Kim,” Ruthie said before digging into the fruit.

“You’re welcome, sweet pea,” Kim replied with an affectionate smile. Kim had been a wonderful help these past three days and Janet felt guilty for not getting to know her better before this. Truth was, she found the woman incredibly intimidating.

She was absolutely gorgeous, tall and slender with legs that went on forever. She kept her hair in a short afro that only emphasised her exquisite cheekbones and pouty lips. Her dark skin was flawless, not a wrinkle or blemish to tell her age. And it wasn’t just the fact that she made Janet feel like troll next to her that made her so intimidating.

When Kim had moved into the neighbourhood with her teenaged son, Ana had been the first one to go and welcome them. She had later related to Janet what she had learned about Kim. She was a single mother who had worked her way through college while raising her son, Trey. She worked as a social worker, helping families in need while working towards her Masters in her spare time. The woman got more done before breakfast than Janet did during the whole day.

Janet had forgotten about all of that though when she had been packing up to head out and saw Kim standing on her porch with her son. Janet felt she owed her, mother to mother, to tell her what was going on. She had crossed the street and urged her to follow them to the base. Kim had agreed and together they had made their exodus from the neighbourhood to the base.

“Thank you, Kim,” Janet said and Kim shook her head.

“It was actually Jenny who gave it to me. Looks like she finally wore down her husband when it comes to sharing.”

Janet looked towards the camp where Jenny Wakefield was having an animated conversation with her husband Alan. It was clear by the wild gestures that he was angry but Jenny did not seem fazed by it, unwilling to back down as he raged, her hands sitting primly on top of her pregnant belly.

Watching the two of them from a few yards away was Travis, Alan’s younger brother, who had accompanied the couple to Fort Lee. The three of them had been in the jeep next to Janet’s van when they came to a stop on the highway and they had ended up making their acquaintance as they waited.  

“I can’t really blame him,” Janet said, “He’s got a pregnant wife to think about.”

“It doesn’t seem he’s too concerned right now about how she feels,” Kim said as Alan’s voice raised another notch in volume. “Something just doesn’t sit right with me when it comes to him.”

“Do you think he’s dangerous?” Janet asked, worry seeping into her voice as she looked to Jenny. She hadn’t seen or heard anything that would lead her to believe that Alan was mistreating his wife.

“No, not dangerous,” Kim said with a shake of her head. “He just sets off my sleazebag radar.”

“Ah, I know what you mean,” Janet replied. She had caught Alan sizing her up like a piece of meat more than a few times. It was clear the man had a wandering eye and he didn’t seem too concerned that his wife might catch him.

Janet’s attention was pulled away from the fighting couple when Ruthie slurped up the last of her fruit cup rather noisily and began to bounce in Kim’s arms.

“Mama, can I go play?” she asked and Janet nodded. Kim put her down on the ground and she took off to join the twins on the blanket with Jose and Ana. Their group had been lucky with where they had been forced to stop on the highway. They were within a stone’s throw of an overpass and the grassy knoll gave the children a place to play. The overpass had also provided some much needed shade during the day as the summer sun beat down on the black pavement.

“Janet!”

The sound of her name had her attention turning down the highway, eyes scanning over the cars and people clogging up the road. She moved a little ways down the road when she heard her name called again. A figure appeared, weaving in and out of the cars and people, head swivelling from side to side in a frantic search. She shaded her eyes from the glare of the setting sun and as the man came closer, she finally recognised him.

“Malcolm!”

The ball of anxiety that had made its home in her stomach since the news reports first started shriveled up at the sight of her big brother. There had always been something reassuring about his presence, not the least of which being the fact that he was several inches over six feet and built like a linebacker. He had always looked out for her, a pillar of strength through her darkest times. He was exactly who she needed right now.

He spotted her and bolted in her direction, other people literally jumping out of the way as the big black man barrelled past. When he reached her, she threw her arms around him and he picked her up, hugging her to his chest tightly.

“Are the kids okay?” he asked, looking around the area desperately. “Where are they?”

“Everyone is fine, they’re over there with Ana and Jose,” she said, pulling away from him and pointing to the embankment. “How did you find us?”

“I got your note. I hit the traffic snarl and walked the highway looking for you. I figured I’d find you eventually.”

And that right there was why he was her hero.

Only he would walk what had to be miles looking for them and he would have kept going too, until his feet cracked and bled, in order to find them. Her vision blurred with tears and he pulled her in for another hug.

“It’s okay, little one,” he said, stroking her hair as her tears fell against his chest. “We’re together now. It’ll be okay.”

She believed him. It would be okay now that he was here. They were together and that was all they needed. She took a deep breath and pushed herself away from him, exhaling evenly as she wiped away her tears and offered him a small smile so he would know she was okay now.

“It’s awful what’s happened, Malcolm,” she said. “People are getting sick and losing their minds. They showed New York and Washington on the news…they were like war zones. We’ve been waiting three days to get into the base but there are just too many people.”

“I know, I saw,” he said and then glanced around before leaning into her and speaking in a low voice. “Listen Janet, we need to get out of here ASAP. It’s not safe here.”

“What do you mean? It wasn’t just Mike who said to come here. The radio said it too. This is where we’re supposed to go.”

“There are too many people here. They will start turning people away before long and when that happens, they’re going to riot. And that’s if the infection hasn’t already gotten inside. The base, this highway, it’s a powder keg waiting to explode. You, me and the kids, we’ve got to get out of here before it blows.”

“Malcolm, I don’t--”

“Janet, I told you I worked a desk job for the CIA. You’re smart enough to know I was lying. Paperwork isn’t what I did for them,” he said, staring at her earnestly.

She had always known there was more to his job than he told her, things that he
couldn’t
 tell her. His claim that he worked a desk job at Langley had always rang false. He had been a decorated Marine when they had recruited him. You didn’t put a man like that to work pushing paper.

“I got a message from my old boss. We have to get out of here. It’s bad,
real bad
.”

She saw a flash of fear in his eyes that chilled her to the bone. Malcolm
never
 got scared.

“How are we going to get out of here?” she said, gesturing to the family van that was boxed in on the highway.

“We climb up to the overpass, walk out on that road. We’ll figure things out from there but we need to get away from this highway now.”

“But what about the others? Jose, Ana, Kim, Trey, I can’t just leave them here. They’re my neighbours, my friends. They’ll be in danger if they stay.”

“They can come if they want but they have to agree to listen to whatever I say,” he told her. “And you have to understand that taking care of you and the kids is priority one. If they cause a problem or put us in danger, I’ll cut them loose.”

It was an ultimatum she was willing to accept but she sent up a silent prayer that it wouldn’t come to that.

“We better get moving then. The kids will be happy to see you at any rate.”

She linked her arm through his and they headed back to where the group had gathered. Kim was standing on the edge of the road where Janet had left her, watching their approach curiously.

“Kim, this is my brother Malcolm. Malcolm, this is Kim, she lives across the street with her son Trey.” Janet nodded to where the teenager was sitting by Ana and Jose, his head bent over a hand held video game.

“Nice to meet you,” Malcolm said with a nod of his head.

“Likewise,” Kim replied as they headed to where the kids were sitting with the others.

“Uncle Malcolm!”

The twins ran to Malcolm, Ruthie toddling behind them, all smiles at seeing their uncle. Malcolm picked up both boys and gave them a bear hug before putting them down and swinging Ruthie around as she squealed in delight.

“Uncle Malcolm, are you here to take us home?” Matthew asked.

“We can’t go home just yet but we are gonna get out of here,” Malcolm replied, “So I’m going to need you and Mark to step up. We’ll need you two to help us carry some stuff. Can you both do that for me?”

Both their heads bobbed in agreement and Malcolm turned to Janet. “Tell the others to only take what they can carry and they better make it quick. Me and the boys will pack up your stuff.”

She nodded as he passed Ruthie to her and headed to the van with the boys in tow. She turned to see the others watching her. Even the Wakefields had stopped their fighting to listen in on what was happening.

“You’re leaving?” Jose asked, his brow creased with concern.

“Malcolm says it’s not safe here. He says we need to get off the highway,” Janet said. “You can come with us. Take only what you can carry and we’ll head out on the overpass road up there.”

“Are you
crazy
?”

It was Alan who had broken the silence, his mouth pulled up in a sneer as he stepped forward, arms crossed over his chest.

“You want us to go
away
 from the military base? You’ve lost your damn mind.”

He laughed, looking to the others to join him but they just looked at her with a mix of confusion and trepidation.

“Jose, Ana, you’ve known us for years,” Janet said. “My brother isn’t crazy and neither am I.”

At the very least, she needed the Garcias to listen to her. They were like family and she wasn’t going to abandon them. “You know that he served in the Marines. We
have
 to listen to him. If he says we should leave, we
need
 to leave.”

She didn’t want to tell them what Malcolm had predicted. Panic would be her enemy in convincing them to come. Their fear would make them reject the idea out right and she knew that Malcolm wouldn’t give her more time to convince them.

Her attention switched to Kim, who had moved to stand beside her son. “Kim, mother to mother, you have to trust me. Come with us.
Please
.”