“Marie was coming at me again. I guess my yelling got her attention. I got up in time and raised my machete over my head. She didn’t hesitate at all but kept coming. I jumped to the side at the last moment and she slammed into the wall. She was still on her feet though. I swung the machete with all my might and caught her below her ear. Right here.” Theo pointed at his own jaw.
Agatha cried in alarm at this. Bernard found himself on his feet, facing his friend with clenched fists. He looked at the other man, and for the first time noted the specks of blood all over him.
Theo went on as if nothing had happened.
“She was still standing. My machete was sticking out of her mouth, and she didn’t even flinch. She came at me and I grabbed the machete handle. I stepped around her and used the machete as leverage. She beat at me with her fists. I shoved her back with my foot, and the machete came loose as she fell. I stepped over her and swung the machete as she tried to hit me. Her hand flew across the room. I stabbed down, into her belly. ... I remember the smell of shit, as I pulled the machete out.” Theo swallowed and took a breath.
“Then Andre ran into me, screaming and crying. I swung the machete once, and he went down. Marie was trying to get back on her feet. She was on her hands and knees but couldn’t get her balance with one hand missing. I stepped up to her and swung down hard.”
Theo was silent then. Agatha had already backed out of the room. Bernard was reaching for his own machete as Theo’s eyes grew wide once more.
Chapter Fifteen
October 24, 1:00 P.M.
Anger.
People were caught up in fear. Some people were crippled by it. Fear renders the brilliant into blubbering idiots and the strongest of men into the meekest of babies. Some people responded to fear with anger. They sought to blame others – anybody – for their misfortune. They returned to old hatreds and prejudices. They resorted to violence as an answer to this thing they could not understand nor control.
THINGS WERE DEGRADING rapidly. The news this afternoon included the public announcement that hospitals and clinics were shut down. The truth staring everybody in the face was that social systems were collapsing. The carcasses of dead cattle lay rotting in rancher’s fields. The deaths of beloved pets almost went unnoticed as owners were feeling burning sensations in their bellies.
One message had been made clear: The government and health authorities had repeatedly called upon anybody that is infected, to stay at home and avoid all contact with other people. The infected were to lock themselves into their homes.
Do not look for help – was the message if you read between the lines.
Tammy joined the broadcast in the early afternoon. Her first topic was regarding the new ‘safe zones’.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Channel Eight News, along with all local television and radio stations, has received information regarding our local safe zone. Our government has asked for media cooperation with this initiative.”
“We have been provisioned with the following statement regarding the safe zones.”
The statement appears on the screen as Tammy reads it out.
By order of the President of the United States of America, Federal and State agencies have coordinated the set up of Safe Zones. These zones are to house healthy, uninfected individuals. No animals are allowed in the safe zones. All citizens are requested to stay in their residences and watch their local television stations or listen to their local radio stations for instructions. United States homeland security forces, Transportation Security Administration and various branches of intelligence agencies have put together a process of ‘contact, pick-up, and deliver’.
This process works as follows: Those persons not infected with HAPS are to wait until their geographic location is due for evacuation. The area or neighborhood name will be broadcast by local radio and television channels.
A telephone number will also be broadcast along with the location. Healthy individuals or families are asked to call in so that their location and names can be tallied.
Various branches of the armed forces will be leveraged to provide evacuation and protection services. They will travel to the locations of these healthy citizens, collect them, and transport them to the safe zones for processing.
We reiterate that only healthy persons, not suffering from HAPS, are to be evacuated and transported to the safe zones. We ask that all US citizens comply with this initiative, as this represents our effort to keep the healthy portion of our population segregated.
We assure those civilians suffering with the effects of HAPS that everything possible is being done to find the cure. Health agencies around the world are working together, with full support from their governments. The CDC has indicated that they are closing in on developing a vaccine.
The President of the United States of America has received bi-partisan support for this proactive approach to limiting the spread of HAPS. He wishes to express his confidence that our country is properly prepared to handle the HAPS epidemic and asks the people of our nation to remain calm.
The words faded and the camera zoomed in on Tammy. She waited for a moment to speak. Those piercing blue eyes never failed to hypnotize her audience.
“So once again ladies and gentlemen, please keep track of the locations and numbers we are currently broadcasting. Please call the corresponding number, if you are symptom free and you see the name of your neighborhood along the bottom of the screen.”
True to her word, a ticker travels across the bottom of the screen with various information.
Tammy continued with highlights of local, state, national and international news. Unsurprisingly, all highlights pertained to HAPS.
“The number of deaths in America attributed
