Page 59 of Viral Justice

“Leaving is out of the question. Tom said he watched a few people try to leave, but they were forced back by armed men. He also reported seeing dead people in the streets.” He shook his head. “The number of deadinsidepeople’s homes has to be even greater.”

“Holy shit,” Ali breathed.

“Nothing holy about this.” He frowned. “I’ve never seen a flu infect so many people, then kill them so fast. Identifying it is my top priority.”

“No argument here.” She shrugged. “Order a supply drop.”

“It would have to be unobserved and possibly snuck in by someone on the ground.”

“Tonight?”

That was their only option. “I’ll make the call.”

He contacted the base, and after a couple of conversations was able to arrange for a modified supply drop. General Stone also insisted on four more Green Berets to help with operations on the ground.

More soldiers to worry about.

Max didn’t want more people, but with Bull missing and the violence a huge barrier to getting anything worthwhile accomplished, no one was listening.

He ended his call and gave Ali a sigh. “Company’s coming.”

“Sweet,” she said. “How many?”

“Four of your favorite cousins.”

“Sounds like a party.”

“More like a disaster waiting to happen.”

She fell silent, and Max wondered what she was thinking.

A lot of things had gone wrong since they had arrived. Discovering his contact was dead and the flu virus had a mortality rate far above the norm. The presence of armed fighters who seemed to know there were Americans in the village and were willing to kill to find them. Ali becoming injured in a fight. Bull’s disappearance. A fire that destroyed their equipment and killed several people. And lastly, they were currently hiding out in an old basement.

“We can’t stay here,” he said, breaking the silence.

“Why not?”

“We’re putting this family in danger.” His radio crackled in his ear. He held up a hand to Ali then replied to the caller, “Hello.”

“Dad, you need to come up here.” Tom’s voice was no louder than his last call, but it held an unmistakable note of fear and anger in it. Something had gone horribly wrong.

“How do we get to the roof?” Max asked.

“One of the kids will show you.”

“Tom needs us on the roof,” Max said to Ali.

She preceded him out of the basement and when they got to the kitchen, the older boy was there to show them the ladder on hinges that took them up to the roof.

Ali stayed low as she exited the hole, so Max followed her example.

Tom lay on his front, sighting down his scope at something some distance away, given the narrow incline of his rifle. Ali took up the same position on Tom’s left. Max did the same on his right.

Ali had her own rifle out and was using her scope. Max didn’t have a rifle, but he carried a scope for just this purpose. He pulled it out of a pocket and sighted in the same direction as Tom.

No, his problem was with shooting people. Looking at them didn’t hurt anything.

What he saw made his heart falter.

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