Page 351 of Hell Hath No Fury
HURT ME
A NAMELESS SOULS MC PREQUEL
EVIE MITCHELL
CHAPTER ONE
Jules
"Those who are pregnant, living with underlying health conditions, female or under the age of thirteen are disproportionately impacted by the virus." The newscaster paused, audibly swallowing. "Early figures reveal a survival rate for those in the at-risk categories of less than two percent. To recap tonight's earlier press conference, the Prime Minister has declared a state of emergency. The state borders will be shut and all Australians are to go into lockdown from 11pm tonight. Women are to be—"
The television in the corner of the bar switched off, silence falling like a grim fog over the already morose crowd.
The mourners had piled into the bar, three and four deep, each determined to see off a woman who'd been taken from us far too soon. The threat of a pandemic—a virus that killed indiscriminately—loomed large and unknown, a feeling of melancholy panic beginning to ripple through the worn biker bar.
A cluster of women sat at the table to my left, their heads bent as they whispered frantically, their pitch rising with the tide of their anxiety.
I didn't blame them for their concern. We'd already witnessed the inevitability of death earlier that day as we'd said goodbye to a young person we’d held dear. The impending virus simply drove home the fragility of life.
I glanced around my own table, taking in the expressions of my friends as they absorbed the news. Dressed for a church funeral, we were a far cry from the roughened men and women around us.
"It hasn't made it down this far," I said, forcing optimism into my voice. "The closest reported case is Campbelltown, and that's hours away."
Audrey's leg began to jiggle up and down, her dark gaze unfocused. A certified genius, she was a master of probability, her mind always three hundred steps ahead of the rest of us.
"Audrey?" I lay a hand on her knee. "Babe?"
I could feel the tension rolling off her as she processed our emerging situation.
"Shh," she said distractedly, shoving a delicate hand in my face. "I'm thinking."
Used to her single-minded focus, I sat back, giving her space. Abruptly she leaned forward, her straight black hair falling free of its tie as she dug through the bag at her feet.
"Where's my phone?"
I exchanged a glance over her head with Lilith. "In your pocket."
Audrey grunted, pulling it free. "Right. Of course."
She muttered to herself as her fingers flew over the keypad, the note app capturing her thoughts.
"First Jennifer, and now this?" On my other side, Elliot stared down at her lap, her tightly clasped hands white at the knuckles. "It's too much, it's far too much." Her voice broke, thick with unshed tears.
I squeezed her hand. "It's okay, Ellie. We'll get through this."
She lifted her head, forcing a smile. "I know. It's just… hard to see the light when the world feels like it's moving into the dark."
I opened my mouth to respond but found myself terrified of what might emerge.
Over the last month, the virus had rampaged through the Americas before jumping across to the UK, then Europe and Asia. From there, it had spread rapidly, finally reaching Australia's shore via a repatriation flight in Queensland last week. Within days, it had crossed the border, infiltrating New South Wales and heading down the east coast. The world had ground to a halt. Borders closing, doors locking, toilet paper stripped from grocery shelves.
And through it all, I'd been wrapped in raging grief, watching my beautiful friend slip from this world one agonising breath at a time.
The barkeeper, Jen's uncle, rang the bell hanging from the roof of the bar. Holding up individual beer bottles, he called, "In honour of Jen, ladies drink free!"
Around us, the morbid crowd cheered, their spirits rallying despite the difficulty of the evening. My heart ached knowing Jen would have loved the opportunity to bring a little cheer to people in their time of grief.
I miss you. I miss you so much.
