When they reached the interstate, Arthur pulled on and held up his hand to stop Alicia’s babbling; she hadn’t stopped in the last half hour. “Sorry, but we are on the interstate and I have to have music,” Arthur barked and turned on the radio.
“Yeah, I have to listen to music when I drive a long way also,” Alicia shouted over the music.
Squeezing Arthur’s hand, Wendy waited until he turned to her and she mouthed ‘Thank you’. “Hey, you’re going to be on a plane with her,” Arthur mumbled, but Wendy read his lips.
“Why do you think I paid for first class?” Wendy snorted and Arthur barely heard her.
“Oh, you are so smart,” Arthur grinned, but Wendy couldn’t tell what he said and just looked out the window.
Reaching Little Rock, Arthur followed the directions on the navigator screen. If he’d thought Alicia would keep her mouth shut, he would’ve turned down the radio to listen to the directions. Having known Alicia for over five years, Arthur was convinced Alicia hated silence and loved the sound of her own voice.
When Arthur pulled up to the airport, Wendy turned the radio down. “Just pull up to the door,” she said. “We have to check in and it’s no use for you to pay and park.”
Nodding, because Alicia had started talking as soon as Wendy finished, Arthur was thinking about having a cocktail when he got home. By the time he’d pulled up to the curb, Arthur was thinking about drinking a bottle.
Getting out, Arthur yanked the back door open and fought the urge to throw Alicia’s suitcase on a passing car, in the hopes that she would chase it down. Opening the trunk, he put Alicia’s suitcase on the curb and grabbed Wendy’s suitcases. “I wish we were sharing a cabin,” Alicia sang out as she and Wendy got out of the car.
“I would jump off the goddamn ship and tie bricks to my own ankles just so I couldn’t be rescued,” Arthur vowed, grabbing Alicia’s two suitcases from the trunk.
“Sorry, but that’s the only way I could get my sister to come,” Wendy smiled, stacking one of her suitcases on her rolling case.
As Alicia fought with her luggage, Wendy stepped over to Arthur and wrapped her arms around him. “Miss you,” she said and then kissed him.
“Miss you more,” Arthur smiled, hugging her tight. “Call me and let me know you got there all right.”
“I will,” Wendy smiled and hugged Arthur again.
Letting her go, Arthur watched Wendy lead a babbling Alicia into the airport. None of them knew that lethal visitors were close. Arthur had even passed people with the virus in the city of Clarksville. In the large airport, there were many people that were disgorging the visitors. It was sheer luck, but Wendy and Alicia made their plane without picking up an unwanted visitor. But they would find it waiting on the cruise ship.
That evening as Arthur was having his second cocktail, still trying to get Alicia’s voice out of his head, the visitor had made it to his valley. When his neighbor, Starlie, had grabbed a shopping cart at the store, the visitor had latched on.
Chapter Six
The unimportant masses don’t need to know
April 24
Pulling up to the White House, Sutton jumped out of his car as a security officer came around the car. “They are waiting on you, Dr. Sutton,” the guard said.
Reaching inside, Sutton grabbed a tote bag and handed it to the guard. “Hold this,” he said, grabbing another one and his briefcase. Turning to the driver, “Go park and I’ll call when this is done,” Sutton said and the driver nodded.
No sooner had he closed his door, than the driver pulled off. Grabbing the tote bag from the guard, Sutton threw one on each shoulder and followed the guard through the doors. “Just put your bags on the scanner,” the guard said.
Tossing the bags on the conveyor, Sutton walked through the metal detector only to hear it buzz. “Just let him through!” a voice shouted and Sutton turned and saw Paterson, the Secretary of Homeland, charging down the hall.
“Sir, we have to scan everyone,” one of the guards said, pulling out a metal detecting wand.
“The day you wand me, by the next day you’ll be taking orders at a drive-thru window,” Paterson snapped, walking over and grabbing the bags off the conveyor belt. When the guards went to speak, Paterson raised his hand and stopped them. “Keep on, and the only job you will be able to get will be cleaning porta potties at a county fair.”
Both guards clamped their mouths shut as Paterson handed Sutton his bags. “Come on,” Paterson said, spinning around and walking briskly away. Keeping up with Paterson’s power walk, Sutton almost had to jog.
Leading him to the conference room, Paterson nodded at agents standing outside the door and they held it open. When Sutton walked in, he found the room was packed and almost every person was on a phone talking. Walking to the end of the table he sighed with relief, seeing Jackson, the Surgeon General was sitting next to him.
Dropping his bags, Sutton started pulling out bound reports and Paterson grabbed some and tossed them in front of people as he walked to his chair. “Yeah, they understand now,” Jackson said, hanging up his phone. “Your team finish the last numbers?”
“Yeah,” Sutton groaned, handing a stack of reports to Jackson who took one and passed it down. Grabbing the other tote, Sutton pulled out several folders to set at his spot and then pulled out a laptop.
“How much longer do you need, Dr. Sutton?” the President shouted out and Sutton looked down at the other end of the
