Carol suddenly sat up and stared at him. “Wait a minute. If you can neuter the virus, can you also make it more virulent?”
Broussard’s brows knit in confusion. “Explain.”
“Make it airborne.” She came to her feet, her mind racing. “Make it more aggressive so that it tries to reinfect those that are already infected.”
Broussard felt a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. “Infect the infected, this would overwrite the existing infection?”
“Exactly.”
He nodded slowly. “Oui. I believe this can be done.”
“Then make me a shopping list and I’ll get it to our little go-between.” She fought the urge to whoop as she slid a pad of paper and a pen toward him. “Be precise. Whoever goes out to find this stuff needs to know exactly what they’re looking for.”
Trevor stood at the window, studying the darkening sky. He wanted to wait until he was certain it was safe for Patricia to be outside before he woke her.
He watched as the last licks of color faded from the evening; he could feel the temperature drop through the double-pane glass. He closed the curtain and turned to wake her, only to find her standing beside him, her eyes trained on his every movement.
“It’s time.” He bent low and lifted her to the dining chair. He slipped one of her sneakers on and was tying it when he noticed she was studying his actions. “You want to try?” He held the shoestrings out to her.
She stared at him blankly.
“Yeah, maybe another day.” He quickly tied her shoes then pulled her hoodie over her arms. He zipped it partially up then stood her beside the door. “Okay, darlin’. This is it.”
He turned the knob and actually enjoyed the cool breeze as it washed inside the tiny motel room. He slung his pack then pulled the AR sling over his other shoulder. “Let’s go.” He felt her warm fingers wrap around his hand as they stepped out into the twilight.
Trevor paused and listened. The night was eerily quiet; their footsteps practically boomed across the parking lot. He could hear the crunch of each step and he froze at the edge of the road.
“There’s no crickets.” He turned slowly, straining his ears. “I don’t hear anything. No birds…cicadas…nothing.”
Patricia stared up at him, unfazed.
He tugged at her and she fell into step with him. He slipped between buildings and darted through alleyways, continually making their way eastward, hoping he could find the warehouse again.
He thought he heard her stomach growl, and he paused. He bent low and whispered, “Are you hungry? Want something to eat?”
She stared at him blankly. For a moment, he wondered if she were a different child than the one he had played hide-and-seek with earlier.
He pulled her into an empty garage and they took refuge behind a counter. He pulled his trusty zippo and flashed it just long enough to read the label on a tin in his pack.
He pulled the key from the top and opened the small canned ham. “This is the last one,” he whispered to her. “Try to eat it slowly. Enjoy it some, okay?”
He fished the jelly covered smoked pork from the can and held it out to her. She opened her mouth to snap at it when he held a finger up, catching her attention. He made exaggerated chewing motions with his jaw. “Slowly. Chew it this time. Try to actually taste it, okay?” He handed her the canned meat and she practically inhaled it. He shook his head and smiled at her as she licked her fingers clean.
Trevor dug in his jacket pocket and pulled out a small bag of gummy candy. He ripped the corner off and poured the small package out into her hand. “I was saving this for a special occasion. I guess tonight is as good as any.”
She sniffed at the rubbery candies then turned a puzzled face to him. “Go ahead,” he said. “Yummmm…. They’re good.”
She turned her hand over and dropped them to the ground.
He stared at her open mouthed. “Really?” He flicked his zippo to life once more and quickly picked the candy from the ground. “I didn’t know we were so well off that you can just throw out perfectly good gummies.” He popped one into his mouth and his face puckered.
He quickly lifted the wrapper and read it in the dim moon light. “Sour Bears.” He spat the gooey mess to the ground and shook his head. “I guess I should have listened to you the first time, huh?”
She chuckled quietly at the face he made then stared as he pulled the last can from his satchel. “Apricots. Not my favorite, but at least they’re in heavy syrup.” He leaned close and whispered, “That used to mean they’d make you fat, but these days? It just means you can go a little longer before you have a sugar crash.”
He pulled up the poptop and dropped the lid then drank some of the syrup, sucking an apricot into his mouth. “Feast fit for a king.” He handed her the can and this time she tilted it back and sucked the contents down without swallowing.
“I guess I’m the one to blame for your table manners, huh?” He pulled the can from her as she finished slurping the liquid out.
Trevor sighed heavily and glanced through the shattered doors. “We may have to hit a few houses on our trek across town. That was the last of the groceries.” He gave her a slight shrug. “The cupboard’s bare.”
She continued to stare at him, but no sign of understanding crossed her features. Trevor slung his pack and shouldered the AR again. “Okay, kiddo. Let’s do this.”
She took his hand once more and the pair stepped out into the cold, dark night.
Chapter 18
Hatcher gave a nod and Roger flipped the main breaker. He could almost hear the shouts of joy as lights came to life throughout the facility.
“This is a good thing, Hatch.” Candy patted his shoulder.
