'We're leaving the car,' Jesse said.
'We are?' Jonathan asked. He was shocked. It was his parents' car.
'Damn right we are,' Jesse said. 'Let's go!'
They got to the baggage cart without incident. Everyone was tempted to look up into the windows, but no one did.
Jesse started the engine while the others climbed aboard. They were thankful for Jesse's decisive authority. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the baggage train twisted around like a snake and then headed for terminal A.
They passed a few airline workers, but no one challenged Jesse's performance. They arrived at terminal A baggage claim without incident. There, they again benefited from Jesse's knowledge of the airport layout and procedure. Within minutes they were outside on the arrival level waiting for the airport bus.
'We'll take the bus back to the city center,' Jesse said. 'I can get my car from there.'
'What about my parents' van?' Jonathan asked.
'I'll take care of it tomorrow,' Jesse said. The sound of a huge jet thundered overhead, making conversation momentarily impossible.
'That must have been them,' Jonathan said as soon as he could be heard above the din.
'Now if they can only find receptive people at the CDC,' Pitt said.
'They have to,' Cassy said. 'It could be our only chance.'
Beau was occupying the master suite at the chateau. There were French doors over a balcony that looked down on the terrace and the swimming pool. The doors were ajar and a soft night breeze rustled the papers on the desk. Randy Nile and a few of his more senior people were there, going over the work that had been accomplished that day.
'I'm really pleased,' Randy said.
'So am I,' Beau said. 'Things couldn't be going better.' He ran his hand through his hair and his fingers touched the area of altered skin behind his right ear. He scratched it, and it felt good.
The phone rang and one of Randy's assistants answered. After a quick conversation he handed the phone to Beau.
'Captain Hernandez,' Beau said happily. 'Good of you to call.'
Randy tried to hear what the captain was saying, but he couldn't.
'So they are on their way to the CDC in Atlanta,' Beau said. 'I'm glad you called to let us know, but I assure you there won't be a problem.'
Beau disconnected but did not hang up the receiver. Instead he dialed another number with a 404 area code. When the call was answered Beau said: 'Dr. Clyde Horn, this is Beau Stark. That group of people I told you about today is on their way to Atlanta as we speak. I imagine they'll be at the CDC tomorrow so handle them as we discussed.'
Beau replaced the receiver.
'Do you expect any trouble?' Randy asked.
Beau smiled. 'Of course not. Don't be silly.'
'Are you sure you should have let that Cassy Winthrope leave today?' Randy asked.
'Goodness, you are a worry wart tonight,' Beau said. 'But yes, I'm sure. She's been rather special to me, and I decided I didn't want to force her. I want her to embrace the cause voluntarily.'
'I don't understand why you care,' Randy said.
'I'm not sure why I do either,' Beau admitted. 'But enough of this talk. Come outside! It's almost time.'
Beau and Randy stepped out onto the balcony. After a glance up at the night sky, Beau stuck his head back inside the room and asked one of the assistants to go down and turn off the underwater lights in the pool.
A few minutes later the pool lights went out. The effect was dramatic. The stars were much more intense, especially those in the galactic core of the Milky Way.
'How much longer?' Randy asked.
'Two seconds,' Beau said.
No sooner had the words escaped from Beau's lips that the sky lit up with a profusion of shooting stars. Literally thousands of them rained down like a gigantic firework display.
'Beautiful, isn't it?' Beau said.
'Marvelous,' Randy said.
'It's the final wave,' Beau said. 'The final wave!'
14
8:15 A.M.
'I've never seen anything like this,' Jesse said.
'You know what I'm saying. I mean, how long does it take three young people to get themselves together to go out for breakfast?'
'It's Cassy's fault,' Pitt said. 'She was in the bathroom for eight years.'
'That's untrue,' Cassy said, taking immediate umbrage. 'I didn't take as long as Jonathan here. Besides, I had to wash my hair.'
'I didn't take long,' Jonathan said.
'You most certainly did,' Cassy said.
'All right, enough already,' Jesse shouted. Then in a more moderate tone he added: 'I've just forgotten what it's like having kids around.'
They had stayed the night at Pitt's second cousin's apartment, thinking it was the safest place. It had worked out fine with Pitt and Jonathan sharing a bedroom. The only minor problem had been the single bathroom.
'Where should we eat?' Jesse asked.
'We usually eat at Costa's,' Cassy said. 'But I think the waitress there is an infected person.'
'There's going to be infected people no matter where we go,' Jesse said. 'Let's go to Costa's. I don't want to go anyplace where I might run into any of my fellow officers.'
It was a beautiful morning as they emerged into the sunlight. Jesse had them wait by the front door a few minutes while he went out to reconnoiter his car. When he saw no evidence of it having been tampered with, he waved them over. They piled in.
'I got to stop for gas,' Jesse informed them as he pulled out into the street.
'There's still a lot of people walking around,' Jonathan said. 'Just like last night. And they all have that weird shit-eating grin.'
'Foul language is no longer cool,' Cassy admonished.
'Jeez, you sound like my mother,' Jonathan said.
They drove into a gas station. Jesse got out to pump the gas. Pitt got out to keep him company.
'Have you been noticing what I have?' Jesse asked when the tank was almost full. The gas station was very busy at that time in the morning.
'Are you referring to the fact that everybody seems to have the flu?' Pitt commented.
'That's exactly what I'm referring to,' Jesse said. Most everyone they saw was either coughing, sneezing, or looking pale.
A few blocks away from the diner, Jesse pulled over to the curb at a newsstand and asked Pitt to get a paper. Pitt got out and waited his turn. Like the gas station, the newsstand was busy. As Pitt got closer to the stacks of papers, he noticed that each was being held down with a black disc!
Pitt asked the proprietor about his paperweights.
'Cute little things, ain't they?' he said.
'Where did you get them?' Pitt asked.
'They were all over my yard this morning,' the man said.
Pitt ducked back into the car with the paper and told the others about the black discs.
'Wonderful!' Jesse said sarcastically. He glanced at the headlines: Mild Flu Spreading. 'As if we didn't know that already,' he added.
Cassy took the paper in the back seat and read the article as Jesse drove on to Costa's.
