VIRAL
MISERY
Book One
.
THOMAS A WATSON
TINA D WATSON
Copyright © October 4, 2017
THOMAS A WATSON
TINA D WATSON
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Credits
EDITED BY SABRINA JEAN
www.fasttrackediting.com
COVER ART BY NICHOLAS A WATSON
This book is a work of Fiction. People, places, events, and situations are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or historical events, is purely coincidental.
This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the written consent of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
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Viral Misery Cast
^Arthur Steele (poppa) – 44
^Wendy Steele – 43
Joseph Steele – 24 Naval pilot
Kit(M) and Kat – Black labs.
Donald and Daisy – Rottweilers.
Mickey and Minnie – Persian cats
Gloria – Wendy’s baby sister
Alicia – Wendy’s friend
^Shawn (14) & Beth Byrd (5) Lucas (4mo) - neighbor of Shawn
^Kirk (10), Pat (8), Jim (6) Willis –had older sister and younger brother.
^Andrea Fox (dirty blonde) 18 Shelia Meyer (red head) 13 Betty Owens 10 Tony Johnson 11
^Nicole Bryant (blue eyes, very blonde) 2 months first with Arthur
Tammy & Ted- Sara’s parents
^Vicki (10 Little Momma) Jodi (7) Robin (brown hair) (2) ^Pam (6mo)
^Joann & ^Sally Payne (8) twins
^Ryan (7 months) Wendy pulls info sheet in nursery
^Noah- (2) Wendy finds searching houses.
All kids: 8 Boys – *Tony (11) *Kirk(10) *Pat(8) Jim(6) *Shawn(14) Noah(2) Lucas (6mo) Ryan(7 mo)
11 Girls- *Andrea(18) *Shelia(13) *Betty(10) Beth(5) Joann & Sally(8) Nicole(2mo) *Vicki(10) Jodi (7) Robin (2) Pam (6mo)
Rudy – neighbor
Starlie & Jack Wright – closest neighbors
^Dr. Scott Sutton – CDC assistant director
Winston Vander- secretary of commerce
Surgeon General – Jackson
Secretary of Defense – Kenner
Secretary of Treasury – Temple
Secretary of Labor – Kasich
Secretary Homeland- Paterson
Secretary of HHS- Ginger Stringer
Director CDC – Ernie Ostimer
Leading Virologist- ^Dr. Richard Skannish.
^Sarah- intern assigned to Sutton.
Kercher Farm- where they hide road
Logan Lancaster LL-
Dean-16yo evil kid that tried to join
Dedicated to the Memory Of
This book is dedicated in memory of Larry O. Watson and Starlie Dyer. The world is a little darker without these two in it.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to all of you that helped with this one: Dana Rice, Sabrina Jean, Leslie Bryant, Yalonda Butler, Denise Keef, William Beedie, Jim Broach, Leora Kipmio, William Allen, Deb Serres and Cora Burke. Tina has helped with all my books in one way or the other, this one we did together. I’m so proud of her.
Viral Misery
Chapter One
Unleashed
March 27
Climbing out of his BMW over a hundred miles north of Hong Kong, Zhang Wei smiled to see his father walking out of the small farm house he’d grown up in. Zhang was under no illusions. He knew how much his parents had sacrificed for him to go to school. Walking over, Zhang noticed his father’s eyes were red. “Hello, father,” Zhang said, tilting his head and then engulfing his father in a hug.
His father, Lei, pushed back, “No, son, I just came from the fields and your suit is too nice,” his father said, dragging his forearm across his nose. Looking hard at his son’s gray suit, Lei grinned. “Silk, very nice.”
Reaching in his suit, Zhang pulled out an envelope. “Here is money for the family; don’t tell mom,” Zhang said, shoving the envelope into his father’s hands.
Trying to push the envelope back, “No, son, you keep this,” Lei said, but Zhang pulled his hands away.
“Father, I got the promotion,” Zhang cried out with a big grin.
Lei froze, holding the thick envelope. Slowly, a smile filled his face as he lunged forward and hugged his son tight. “We are so proud of you,” Lei said, fighting back tears. Realizing he was dirty and hugging his son, Lei stepped back. “I don’t want to get your suit dirty, sorry.”
“Please,” Zhang laughed. “I can afford more and now you can. The others can fix up the house.”
Looking down at the envelope stuffed with money, Lei gave a sigh. “I always knew you would make it, son.”
Looking at the ducks in the rice fields, Zhang nodded. “I learned everything I needed to know from you and mom on this farm.”
“Let’s go tell your mom,” Lei said and Zhang put his arm over his father’s shoulders.
When his father tried to pull away, Zhang held him tight. “I know you love to farm, but now you can do it as a hobby,” Zhang said, watching his father wipe his nose again with his wrist but paid it no mind.
Working in the rice paddies with the ducks, Lei had contracted a visitor. From the loving embrace of his father, one of the deadliest viruses ever dreamed of had latched onto Zhang’s hand. This invisible killer was known to science, but had never been transmitted human to human. But like viruses do, a small change had occurred to HAPI A (H5N1) or in other terms, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus Type A H5N1. All the right changes had been made to the small piece of genetic material that would unleash misery on the world as never seen or dreamed of before.
Lei would find several of his chickens and ducks dead the next day, but would brush it off. As the virus multiplied slowly in his body overloading his symptoms, Lei
