Simon opened his mouth to tell her to keep walking, but she simply squatted, splattered the aisle across from them then sleepily made her way back to his side. Just when he thought the smell couldn’t get any worse she passed gas.
Simon gagged and had to force himself not to throw up across her neck and shoulders. She slid closer and he tried his best to lean away.
In the dark recesses of his mind, he knew the smell that permeated the store. He couldn’t remember how he knew, but somehow, he’d experienced it before.
His eyes popped open and a word echoed through the vacant recesses of his mind.
Parvo.
He barely recalled a black and tan dog that he’d had. His old lady had bought it for him as a gift. The pup was barely more than six months old when it got sick and the stench that came from it before it died was horrendous.
This was that smell.
Simon rolled away from the female and stared into the exposed beams of the grocery store. Had they all contracted a dog disease? Did they all have parvo now? Were they going to die the same horrible and painful death that his dog had?
He closed his eyes and tried to breathe through his mouth again. His body ached and demanded he rest. If they were all going to die of parvo, he wanted to make sure that he got his revenge first.
He had people to kill and now he had the army to make it a reality.
Chapter 8
“So much for keeping it under their hats,” Hatcher muttered to himself as people excitedly asked him about the planes and what they were spraying.
He pushed his office door closed for the sixth or seventh time then went to the security control panel. He grabbed the microphone, flipped on the intercom system, lifted the mic to his mouth then paused. “What exactly should I say?”
“Just tell them what you know.”
He spun and blinked rapidly at Cooper leaning against the other door jamb. “How did you get out?”
Cooper held a hand up to stop him. “Your sister, in her infinite wisdom, informed me that the sooner I got on my feet, the sooner I could start healing. So here I am.”
“No way.” Hatcher put the mic down and tucked himself under the older man’s shoulder. “Your old wrinkled ass is back in bed. Now.”
Vicky appeared in the doorway and glared at the old biker. “What the hell are you thinking?”
“You said to get moving. It would speed my healing.”
“I said you would have to, eventually. Your wounds are too fresh for you to be up and about like this.” She grabbed his other arm and the pair supported the old man as they slowly made their way back down the hallway.
“I knew you’d be in trouble.” Hatcher groaned softly. “She’s a bear when it comes to her patients.”
“I can hear you, dear brother.”
Cooper grunted in pain then gave Hatcher a crooked grin. “I sure am glad she doesn’t take after you.”
Vic squeezed him a little tighter. “We’re more alike than you’ll ever know.”
“I ain’t kissing him,” Cooper stated flatly. “I don’t care how much he begs, it ain’t happening.”
“Watch yourself,” Hatcher muttered. “I can drop your ass in the hallway and roll you the rest of the way with my foot.”
Cooper stifled a dry cough, bending slightly as he fought the urge to scream. “Listen to you. Threatening an old man that’s been gut shot.”
“You’re lucky I don’t let her have at ya,” Hatcher stated. “You think I’m the mean one. I could tell you stories about our childhood that—”
“Daniel Hatcher!” Vicky gave him a wide eyed stare. “Don’t you dare start.”
Hatcher clamped his mouth shut and shook his head. “Not even on his life.”
The trio entered the lounge of the nurse’s station and Vicky slipped out to open the door to Coop’s room. “Get your butt on that bed and you don’t get up again until I tell you to.”
“What if I need to pee?” Coop wagged his brows at her.
“Ooh, Vic. Give him a catheter. Run the end back to his IV.” Hatcher grinned at her. “That’ll teach him.”
“Like a self-watering plant?” Coop grinned at him. “That would be interesting.”
“Both of you knock it off.” Vic helped him back onto the mattress then pulled the covers up to his middle. “I swear, I don’t know what I’m gonna do with you two.”
“Ha ha. You got in trouble.” Hatcher pointed at the old biker. “You better listen to her.”
“I always do.” Coop finally exhaled hard and seemed to relax into the bed. “So what’s all the rumors about a cure?”
Hatcher gave Vicky a dirty look. “We don’t know what it was. We just saw a couple of big planes flying overhead.”
“Don’t glare at me like that. I haven’t told a soul.” Vicky lifted Coop’s head and shoved another pillow under it.
Hatcher sighed and leaned against the wall. “We really don’t know what, if anything, is going on. It’s all guessing right now.”
Coop nodded slowly, the rusty gears in his grey head turning. “At least we know that there’s somebody else out there, yeah?”
“Exactly.” Hatcher pushed off of the wall and reached for the door. “And I guess that’s what I’m going to tell people.”
Vic glanced at him. “Good luck.”
Hatcher shrugged. “I can’t tell them what I don’t know.” He stepped out of the room and shut the door quietly behind him.
Stella appeared in front of him, her eyes wide. “I’m hearing that there might be a cure?”
Hatcher held his hand up to stop her. “I’m about to make an announcement over the PA.” He watched her face drop. “Look, right now, all we know is that a couple of planes flew overhead. Stanton thought that the exhaust looked funny. That’s all.”
She nodded slowly and stepped out of his way. “Sorry. I was just hoping that maybe
