Robert said, “Do we know the cause?”
Duncan answered quickly, “Yes, we believe so. We think the index patient was a travel guide in South America that lived here in Honolulu. We think he picked it up in the jungles of Peru.”
“How?”
“That we don’t know. It could be an interspecies jump or the virus simply could’ve existed in some hideaway we hadn’t discovered yet, like a cave or something.”
Robert noticed a young woman walk in. She was beautiful, in an exotic way, and she wore a T-shirt that showed off her muscled arms.
“This is Dr. Samantha Bower from the CDC,” Wilson said. “She’s been following up on our index patient.”
Samantha smiled to the group. “Nice to meet you all.”
“What have you found out, dear?”
Samantha cleared her throat. It appeared to Robert that it was involuntary and he realized she had been embarrassed by the use of the word dear.
“We located another patient in Iquitos, Peru. It’s a small town on the outskirts of the Amazon jungle. We think this patient was one of two people who may have infected our index. The most interesting news we received from hospital personnel there was that the patient is recovering. It’s a young woman, named Holly Fenstermac, who was on an expedition. Apparently another member of the same expedition had also fallen ill, Michael Pettrioli. However, he passed some time ago. Holly is a unique case; we don’t have any patients here that are showing any signs of a recovery. The CDC is mounting an expedition following our index’s route as well as spending time with Holly, running an analysis of the progression of the virus in her body.
“In the meantime, we’ve received ample shipments of the smallpox vaccine and are ready to begin distributing it to the population.”
“Hold on a sec,” a man that was tucked away in the corner, taking notes on a laptop, said. “You’re telling me we’re asking the population to trust us giving them smallpox vaccinations? Isn’t it true that a certain percentage of the population actually develops smallpox from the vaccination and becomes a host to the virus, infecting others?”
“That’s an extremely small risk consider-”
“During the first round of vaccinations fifty years ago, Dr. Bower, were the patients told that some of them would be developing smallpox from the vaccinations? I mean, did anyone actually tell them they might die?”
Duncan leaned over to Wilson and said, “Who is this guy?” loud enough that everybody could hear.
Wilson replied, “Ben Cornell. He works for the Center for Anti-Vaccination Studies.”
“You’re kidding me?” Duncan said, glancing back at him. “What the hell is he doing here?”
“I’m representing the people,” Ben said, “that may wanna voice some concerns before the government begins filling them with viruses.”
Wilson glanced back to him and then forward again. “He is here at the request of the governor’s office.” He cleared his throat, indicating that was the end of the issue. “Now, when the governor declares a state of emergency, all transportation to and from the island will be halted. We’ll be resupplied by cargo plane but because of quarantine procedure, it will be a long and slow process. Some resources are going to be scarce.” He turned to what appeared like a captain or chief of police. “Chief, that’s where we’re going to need a serious police presence. We’ve had instances like this spiral out of control before anybody even knew what was going on.”
“We pulled the greens out of training at the academy,” the chief replied, “and we’ll be putting them on the streets. I don’t think we’ll need them but having more police present will have the desired effect. I think we’ll be fine.”
Wilson nodded. “Grocery stores will run out of food once the governor makes his announcement. We’ll need to set up charity organizations and government kitchens to make sure everyone is getting enough to eat. During a state of emergency no one will be allowed public transportation so we’ll need to make sure we set up those kitchens as close as possible to population centers.”
A man in military uniform said, “The National Guard can help set that up but we’ll need men to run ‘em. I’ve got a skeleton crew here. Most a my boys is in Iraq and Afghanistan and we’ll have to put in a request for private troops if we want more help.”
Robert got a vision in his mind of Hurricane Katrina. He remembered seeing the soldiers in plain clothes with Ray-Ban sunglasses and automatic weapons. Mercenaries that made triple what US Army soldiers made and were better equipped.
“That’s fine,” Wilson said, “we can work out budgetary concerns with FEMA once they get here.”
“I wouldn’t hold your breath,” someone said. There was muted laughter in the room. Robert knew what he meant: during Katrina people were drowning in the streets waiting for help that never arrived.
Wilson didn’t laugh. “Let’s keep our humor to ourselves. I don’t know how much the families of the people that are dying upstairs would appreciate us down here cracking jokes.” He glanced around the table. “Any questions?…okay, let’s make sure all agencies are on the same page. The general has asked that we hold bi-weekly meetings at the Ritz-Carlton downtown and I’ve agreed. Anyone have any problem with that?…didn’t think so. Well, ladies and gents, that’s all for now. Please remember your protocols. And we are holding a seminar on proper barrier procedures in the auditorium at McKinley High School tonight at seven so please be there if at all possible.”
Everyone rose and started filing out. Robert stood and waited until Wilson was done speaking to someone in a doctor’s white coat and then approached him.
“You seem to have everything under control,” Robert said. “Don’t think I’m necessary out here.”
“I’m afraid if this goes where we think it will, we’ll need every man we’ve got.”
“And where do you think it will go, Dr. Wilson?”
“Hell, Agent Donner. This place will go to hell.”
CHAPTER 21
Jimmy Loanoai crouched over his toilet as the thick, black fluid spewed from his mouth and nose. It suffocated him and he began to cough as another fountain burst out of him. He had once been hospitalized for food poisoning from a Circle K convenience store hot dog that he had bought at two in morning, but it was nothing like this. The odd thing was it felt painless. The liquid that came out of him appeared like grape Crystal Light with coffee grounds in it and it tugged at his belly as if his organs were being ripped out, but he didn’t feel the pain.
He rose and washed out his mouth and wiped it with a towel. He was nude and he walked into his bedroom and changed into his Honolulu PD uniform, strapping his utility belt and holster to himself. He sat on the bed a long time, his face in his hands, as sweat poured down his face and soaked the collar of his uniform.
He took a few deep breaths and stood up, making his way out of the apartment and to the police cruiser waiting for him outside.
One thing he was grateful for was that the PD had sent a car to pick him up. The kid that drove was a rookie he had met a few times when they went out drinking after shifts but they’d never really talked. Jimmy had gotten the impression he was a fag and didn’t really try to be friendly. But now, he had never been happier to see anyone in his life. Jimmy climbed into the car and nodded to him as the car pulled away from the curb.
“You okay, Serg? You’re not looking too good.”
“Fine,” Jimmy said, mopping up sweat from his forehead with a wad of paper towels. “Even if I wasn’t, I gotta go. I can’t not be at my own birthday party.”
“Well you’re gonna be glad you came. I heard Captain Brogan got some strippers.”
Jimmy shook his head as he felt a wave of nausea roll through him. “That’s the last thing I need.”