First Chapter of Black Hearts, HAVI Virus Book 2

Chapter 1

Day 55: 07/06/2019

This is my first day alone in a dying world. I’m not alone in the sense that there are no other humans left. Only that everyone I cared about before this started is dead and the one person I fell in love with during this plague is somewhere on the ocean. In this world, every time someone leaves, there is a good chance no one will see them ever again. My husband, Captain Keith Reynolds, is away on a mission to find the person responsible for creating and releasing the HAVI (Hemolytic Avem Vespertilio Influenza) Virus. He is on the USS Porter, the last remaining Navy ship that remains fully staffed.

We arrived here together, a few days ago, with a truck full of medical supplies. The General of the Army, General Williams, promised that if we brought the supplies, it would earn us some goodwill with the people at Fort McCoy. We got the supplies, but my shoulder paid the price. We met with him our second day here and the first thing he did was sent Keith away on a mission and give me the chance to take the oath and become an official soldier of the Army.

I wanted to be angry and suspicious of General Williams for separating us, but Keith had convinced me it was normal and being a soldier meant following orders. After much internal deliberation, I decided that I could follow orders if that meant that we could find the bastard that killed everyone I loved. It is now my life’s mission to make him answer for what he took from everyone.

Mark Dumas is the one that created this virus and unleashed it into the world. He was nice enough to make a cure, but cruel enough to keep it to himself. General Williams wants to find him and the cure he holds, but we cannot count on finding the cure. We still have to make one ourselves. With my degrees in science, I’m hoping that Fort McCoy is the place that I could help do that.

Today is my first day at the lab with Dr. Turner, the lead scientist at the Fort McCoy lab. My position was to be one of security and science. I would help work on the cure, but also help keep my fellow scientists safe. As of yet, I wasn’t sure what I was specifically supposed to do. The only orders I had received from General Williams was to find out if any of the scientists are trying to leave. I felt like I was being asked to be a spy and I didn’t like it.

Dr. Turner is the one in charge of finding a cure and/or a vaccine with the rest of the remaining scientists the military was able to save and bring to the base. The Fort McCoy lab represented our last hope at preventing more people from dying. If we fail, the only ones left will be those that have a natural immunity… but even that wasn’t a promise of life in this world. Gangs and warlords (who managed to survive) ran most of the cities now. Even if you were lucky enough to be immune, you could still be killed by thugs who think the world belongs to them now.

Since my arrival at Fort McCoy, I have not had a moment’s peace. There was so much that needed to be done but not near enough people left to do it. I thought this was going to where I helped save the world, but I’m already thinking that may not be the case. The atmosphere on base is thick with tension. It wouldn’t be long before something happened, and everything fell apart. Everyone could feel it, but nobody acknowledged it.

All these thoughts bounced around my mind as I ride the elevator in the hospital down to the “dark lab.” The “dark lab” is completely sealed off from the rest of the word and built to withstand a missile. It was surrounded by two feet of lead, which protected against radiation and provided added security. Even ground penetrating radar couldn’t see that the lab was down here.

It also came with a self-destruction failsafe to ensure that what happened in the lab, stayed in the lab. That was a fancy way of saying there was a bomb inside the lab that could be detonated to destroy everything inside to prevent infecting the rest of the world. It required a key to be activated, and there were only two keys. General Williams and Dr. Turner each had one. A place with this much security must have been designed for nefarious reasons, but many considered it a blessing now.

Dr. Turner waved from the other side of the elevator door as it opened. His salt-and-pepper hair was a mess and begged to be washed. He dressed in black slacks, a blue polo shirt, and his lab coat. His coat was speckled with a rainbow of colored stains, and there were large bags under his blue eyes. The pallor of skin indicated that he hadn’t seen sunlight in some time.

I waved back and gave him a warm smile. “I’m so excited to get started, Dr. Turner. Thank you again for letting me work with you.”

He grinned and momentarily placed his arm around my shoulders as if we were close friends. “I should be the one thanking you. I’ve made a lot of progress since you brought the supplies we needed.” He released me and waved his hand towards the door behind him.

The door sat in the center of a concrete wall. Embedded in the wall next to the handle is a plain black square. Yesterday, during my tour, Dr. Turner had added my information to the system and made me a badge with a key card. I had used it to get the elevator to take me to this floor.

The key card rested on a lanyard around my neck for safe keeping. He had given me explicit instructions not to lose the badge, because if I did, he would have to report it to General Williams. I got the feeling that General Williams would not be pleased about the inconvenience. I had already heard rumors that he was quick to violence. The front gates kept him busy night and day, and he did not have time to deal with incompetence from his soldiers.

I pulled the lanyard from under my shirt and waved the badge across the black square. The tiny red bulb on the top of the square flashed from red to green and then the door lock clicked. Dr. Turner pulled the door open and held it for me.

The door opened to a long hallway with many doors on each side. The first rooms are four labs; two on each side. The first one on the right is a BSL 2 (BioSafety Level) that worked with human and mammalian cells (Lab-2). The next lab on the right is the same biosafety level, but it is the animal lab (Lab-4). Monkeys, rats, and mice are kept there in preparation for animal trials of the vaccine and/or cure.

Following the labs on the right side is a break room, a storage room, and then the women’s restroom (complete with showers). On the left side of the hall is a BSL 4 lab (Lab-1). It has a decontamination chamber behind the door that had to passed through to get to the actual lab. Lab-4 is only lab to work with the live virus. Full suits with personalized air flow are required to be inside the lab (even for those considered immune).

The final lab on the left is for the patients (Lab-3). Inside are ten hospital beds and equipment for a wide range of testing. After the labs, there is two rooms with bunks and lockers. One for men and one for women. Next was Dr. Turner’s office, followed by the men’s bathroom (also with showers). Whoever designed the underground lab, provided everything a person would need to live inside it.

We walked to Dr. Turner’s office and closed the door behind us. I sat in front of his green metal desk in a matching folding chair and waited for him to sit across from me. I surveyed the room while he moseyed to his seat.

Two desks had been placed together in an “L” shape. The bottom of the “L” faced me, and the other desk extended to the side and had a desktop computer sitting on it. The computer was locked and a small box requesting an ID and password sat in the middle of the screen. Next to the computer was a pile of notebooks and several paper bins, overflowing with loose papers.

The only other things inside the office were two, five-drawer metal file cabinets, a black rolling chair, a small cot, and wire trash can. The cot was behind me against the wall. File cabinets were to my left along the wall. One was black, and the other was beige. The trashcan sat next to his desk, towards the file cabinets.

It wasn’t surprising that his office was just as plain as the rest of the lab. The entire lab was barebones and most of the furniture was metal (or plastic) and foldable. Even the cots in the bunk rooms were simple. Only a thin pad on top of metal weave. This place was not designed for comfort; only utility.

Dr. Turner sat across from me in the creaky rolling chair and folded his hands on top of the haphazard papers and notebooks covering his desk. “You have a lot of catching up to do. As you can see, I haven’t had time to get all this organized. But before we can get to that, I wanted to make sure you are still okay with doing the biopsies today.”

I was not looking forward to it. It required sedation. That was something I had never done before and I didn’t want to be one of those few people that had a terrible reaction. “Yes… I’m ready.” That’s a lie. No, I’m not. I gave him the best fake smile I could dig up.

He smiled. “Thank you. I’m sure it will go as smoothly as Captain Reynold’s did yesterday.”

Why did you have to say that name? Keith had been gone less than twenty-four hours and I already missed him terribly. I gave him a pained smiled and said, “I’m sure.” I cleared my throat. “Did you… uh… run that pregnancy test yet?”

Dr. Turner smiled but his eyes seemed oddly cold. “Yes, it’s negative. You don’t have to worry. I spoke to hospital, and they said they have some birth control options. You can visit them after the biopsies, and they will get you squared away.”

I let out a sigh and gave him a thin smile. “Thank you. Now is not the best time to be having babies.”

He shook his head. “No, it isn’t. You should be more careful in the future.”

My cheeks burned. I knew it was a stupid mistake to make, but that didn’t mean he had to rub it in. There was something about his tone that irked me. “I will, I promise.”

Dr. Turner reached into his drawer and handed me a stack of six forms. “I know you filled out some medical forms yesterday, but these are the releases for a few more biopsies. I’d like to include your liver, kidneys, and ovaries too. Please sign them.”

“Is this really necessary?” My ovaries? That seemed like an odd request.

He nodded his head. “Yes, I need to see how those tissue cells react to the virus. Your immune system has the fastest and most efficient system for killing the virus that I have ever seen. If I can understand why, then maybe I can use that to help make the cure.”

I didn’t completely believe him but decided to be agreeable to earn his trust. “Alright… I said I’d help, and I will. But I want to do more than be a lab rat.”

His smile was thin, but he nodded his head vigorously. “Of course. I remember. After this, I shouldn’t need any more samples from you, so you will be able to start helping with the research.”

I had told him I didn’t want to be a lab rat when we met the night arrived on base. It is good that he remembered, but I could tell he was irritated that I repeated it. I shrugged it off and looked down at the first page. It was a standard medical release form. I started to read it but glanced up when Dr. Turner checked his watch. He was busy… I didn’t need to read this. I trusted him not to do anything that would risk my life and the pages looked similar to the forms I had signed yesterday. I quickly scribbled my signature at the bottom of each page and handed it back to him.

“Thank you, I’ll file these and then we can go to Lab-3 to get you ready for the procedure.” He walked over to a black file cabinet, used the keys in his pocket to unlock it, and filed the papers in the top drawer.

I wasn’t close enough to read any of the file names and he locked the drawer before I could move closer. It wasn’t odd that he kept the records locked up, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was hiding something from me. Maybe I’ll sneak a quick look at the files when I get a chance. If only to stop the paranoia.

He turned around. “Ok, let’s go. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we may have a cure.”

I followed him out of the room and into Lab-3. Five hospital beds ran along each side of the room. He picked the one on the right at the very back of the room. As I laid down on the bed, I noticed an unmarked door on the back wall. “Where does that door go?”

Dr. Turner glanced at the door. “Uh-It’s just a storage room. I wouldn’t worry about it.” He patted my arm and then turned it so he could access the vein.

Next to him was a self-standing tray that contained everything needed for the procedure. The giant needles made my stomach clench, and I turned away to stare at the wall. Needles were always the worst part. I didn’t know how people could watch the needle slide inside their own arms.

There was a pinch and then it was over. I let out a long sigh of relief and tried to relax my body. Thank God he got it on the first try. I looked back, and he had attached an I.V. with a saline drip.

The door to lab opened and a woman in a lab coat speed-walked inside. Her face was flushed, and she was trying to catch her breath. “Sorry, I’m late. The software crashed again… It will take all day to get it back up and running. Just pray we didn’t lose any data.” She shook her head as she pulled nitrile gloves out of her pocket and pulled them on.

Dr. Turner shrugged. “You didn’t miss much… I know that DNA mapping software isn’t the greatest, but it’s all we have right now.” He looked at me and then added, “Dr. Simmons this is Paige-I mean Private Reynolds.”

She smiled down at me. “Nice to meet you. We should have lunch together later. There are not many women down here. The testosterone can be overbearing.” She chuckled and rolled an oxygen tank up next to the bed.

I grinned up at her. “Thanks, I’d love that. I don’t know many people here.” I studied her as she put a nasal cannula on me.

Dr. Simmons was of middle eastern descent and in her fifties. She had black hair that was cut short and curled around her face. Her eyes were a warm and inviting light brown. Her smile was genuine, and she instantly made me feel more comfortable. She reminded me of my mother.

Dr. Turner looked over at her and asked, “Are we ready?”

“Yes.” She picked up a syringe and then looked down at me. “This will put you to sleep. I want you to count back from one hundred.”

I nodded. “One hundred, ninety-nine, ninety-eight… ninety… seven… ninety…”

✽✽✽

I opened my eyes and couldn’t remember at first where I was or how I got here. It came flooding back as I looked around the room at the empty hospital beds. I didn’t remember dreaming and it seemed like only a few seconds had passed. Where is the clock in this place?

Running along each side of the room was a row of cabinets with glass windows. The counters and a sink split the top and bottom cabinets. Medical equipment, beakers, and bottles of solution filled the cabinets. Microscopes, micropipette stands, and lab machines dotted the counters. The room was a mix between an emergency room and a science lab.

Above the door to the lab was a digital clock with red numbers. It was almost twelve hundred hours. More than three hours had passed. Where was everyone? Was I just supposed to lay here until they came back?

I tried to sit up, but a wave of nausea hit me, and I fell back down. There were several small bandages on my chest and abdomen. I gingerly touched them and found them to be only slightly tender. Compared to my aching shoulder that was still healing from a gun-shot wound, it was no worse than a bug bite.

For over an hour, I studied the room, between mini naps, while I waited on someone to come back. My mind wondered at the possibilities of this place. What was this lab supposed to be before the scientists arrived here?

I was so relieved when the lab door finally opened, and Dr. Turner walked over to me. He smiled and asked, “How are you feeling?”

I gave him a weak grin. “I feel okay. A little nauseous at first, but I think it passed.”

“Good. You need to try to get some food in you. That’ll help put the nausea to bed. Everyone is in the break room if you want to try to eat some lunch.”

“I didn’t bring anything with me to eat.”

He chuckled. “That’s okay. We have our own stock of MREs. You get used to them. It’s all they will bring us down here.”

I groaned. Of course, it was more MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat). They were all I had eaten for weeks. “Thanks. Is Dr. Simmons there?”

He smiled as he took out my I.V. “Yeah, she is waiting for you.”

That made me feel better. Time to make a new friend. “Thanks. Did you get everything you needed?”

He cleared his throat and said, “Yes. I believe we did. Thank you again for agreeing to this.”

Why did I feel like he was hiding something? “When can I look at the samples?”

He glanced off to the side and scratched his head. “Uh… maybe in a couple of days. You are still recovering from being shot and you need to heal from the biopsies. Right now, just focus on reviewing my research. It never hurts to have another set of eyes on it. You might find something I missed.”

It would be awesome if I could find something to help. I wanted to feel more useful. “Ok, I’ll get started after lunch.”

He nodded. “Okay, just come to my office. I should be in there for another hour or so, taking down some notes.”

I nodded and followed him out of the lab and then headed into the break room. There were three, six-foot-long, white folding tables and approximately twenty brown metal folding chairs inside. Along the wall to the left was three feet of counter space with a sink. Above and below the counter were rows of white cabinets. Next to the counter was a stainless-steel refrigerator and then a door that I assumed was the pantry.

I immediately understood Dr. Simmons comment about testosterone. Out of the ten people sitting at the tables, she was the only female. She waved me over to her table. I took the seat across from her and she passed the unopened MRE next to her over towards me.

“It’s beef taco,” she said with a weary smile.

Ah. Intestinal rebellion, here I come. That flavor always irritated my stomach. “Thanks. Where do they keep these?”

She pointed behind her shoulder towards the door next to the refrigerator. “It’s in there. It leads into the storage room next to this room. There are several pallets of them. You can take whatever you need.”

“I guess if we want something else, we have to go to the Dining Facility?” I ripped open the box and started to prepare my food.

Her smile disappeared. “Dr. Turner doesn’t like it when we do that. Says it’s an unnecessary risk.”

“But it’s a restricted to green and purple wristbands only.” I glanced down at the purple wristband on my wrist.

The base used a wristband system to keep the infected people away from everyone else. Green wristbands meant that you haven’t been exposed to the virus. Purple meant that you had the virus and recovered, or you were immune (like me). There were also red wristbands that meant the person was infected with HAVI or under quarantine until they were tested.

She snorted. “That doesn’t stop people from stealing bracelets and sneaking in. Yesterday, I heard that they had to remove three civilians from the base.”

“Is that what they do if they break the rules?” I set the entrée aside to heat and started nibbling the crackers and cheese. It was a good start to calm my stomach.

“Yes, you are issued a lifetime ban and you no longer qualify for rations. In fact, if they attempt to come back, they will be shot on sight.”

“Really? They shoot them?” That seemed a bit harsh. Or maybe not… They were putting other people’s lives at risk.

She shook her head. “Yes, but I haven’t witnessed it. I only hear rumors.” She held up her wrist so I could see her green wristband. “I don’t leave here. I saw what happened to Dr. Turner. I’d rather sit here and eat the MREs then risk going up top.”

“What happened to Dr. Turner?”

“He was infected by someone who ignored the quarantine. He used up all of our stock of antibody treatment on himself… and even then, he barely made it through. He almost died. Since then, we all decided it was safer to live down here.”

So that’s why I haven’t seen any of the scientists yet. They were too afraid to leave. “Shooting them on-site, is that General William’s orders?”

She snorted again. “Yes, and General Williams is a cold-blooded psycho.” Her eyes darted to the door as Dr. Turner sauntered inside. She leaned forward and whispered. “Find me later, if you can, and I’ll tell you more.”

What was going on here? I looked around the room and noticed that nobody was smiling anymore. The conversation had stopped, and everyone shoveled food in their mouths while avoiding eye contact with Dr. Turner.

Dr. Simmons stood up and grabbed her trash. “I need to get back to work. We’ll talk later.” Without waiting for a response, she left.

I knew this place was too good to be true.

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Thank you for reading the first chapter of the upcoming second book in my series. Please keep in mind this is an early copy and some changes may occur before publication. Tentative release schedule of the second book is September, 2019.

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