Bob Masters inched the bus slowly forward, he was not pleased at his orders, but Dr. Jones had been given control so he did what he was told. Under his expert driving the bus slowly pushed the military machines out of the way and where quickly on their way again. Bob let out a deep sigh, but it was a few miles to the next outpost- he began a careful lookout for unusual things.
Dr Harman looked carefully down at Dr Jones in the front stairwell seat. The young lady was scratching at her palm. Harman did not know all the details of the virus but had seen Gabby rub some sort of fluid from her palm. Plus he knew the whole experience at outpost Beta was causing distress amongst the other, civilian passengers.
“Dr Jones” he whispered down to the young cleaner. She looked up from the stair well seat shocked. Had he seen her?
“Yes” she whispered back.
“You have been infected?” Harman said asked carefully.
“I…..I….think so sir yes” she said.
“Are you sure?”
“No sire I am not, just my palm is itching like mad. Now I cut it during our assent up the stair well so I simply may have infected it, but I do not know for sure.
“Well at Outpost Charlie I want you off the bus for checks. I will get Commander Hale to give us an escort”
“But sir, if I am infected then Dr Noc may be my only hope”
“Sorry to tell you Gabby, but your best hope is somewhere in the forest. Only Dr. Morsie or one of his team may be able to reverse it. Either way I want you off the bus so you don’t become a danger to the people on it or the town of Otter Falls. Understand me?” Dr Jones looked into Dr. Harman’s eyes; from here she could have him dead in 2 moves. He knew it, she knew it- but he was her boss.
“Yes sir.” She said and lowered her head.
“Good. I am going to make an announcement.” He stood and moved over to Bob’s side. “Give me the mike please Bob” Bob unclipped the mike and past it to Dr. Harman.
“Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please” his opening was unnecessary, as soon as he had got to his feet, the coach had gone quiet, every eye on him.
“You may have noticed that Check point Beta was empty. I have to inform you that the situation is a little more serious than we told you. There has been a leak of a mutagenic” there was a collective gasp in the bus “it has a water borne vector and provided we remain isolated from it then we will be fine. Control post Beta is on the main supply form the infected stream and would of drunk the contaminated water, therefore they were changed and the command post was empty. I am assured by other sources that Posts Charlie and Delta, and Otter Falls itself will be fine” He sat down again. There was a roar of questions. Dr. Harman did not get up again as the hubbub died away.
Anthony’s phone bleeped making him jump. They where 20 minutes form the last outpost- the conversation on the bus had turned to speculation and worry about what was going on. Anthony fished out his phone- the bleep had been the GPS system telling him he was coming up on the co-ordinates that had been fed in what seemed a life time ago. Anthony began to stare straight ahead, his hand on the fire exit door- the second he saw his contacts he was so out of here!
Bob slowed as he approached Outpost Charlie- it was set in a clearing which incorporated a viewpoint car park. There was barely space for a military chopper, some tents, and the men. The whole thing lit by arc lights. Several armed figures appeared as they slowly approached. Bob noted they where wearing masks. Guns where trained on them from several directions; including a position on top of a Hummer, and the chopper.
Dr Jones watched as they rolled up. Something was wrong here but she could not put her finger on it. She pulled her pistol and waited.
Anthony could not believe it. Could TransGene have taken one of the Companies outposts?
Bob sat impassive as the leading solider a huge man in combats waved the bus to a stop. Covered by his friends the solder then came round to the drivers’ side and indicated Bob open the window.
“Where you going?” the voice was distorted by the heavy mask.
“Taking civvies down to Otter Falls” Bob responded.
“We need to be sure you are not infected. We are going to empty the bus one at a time and check you all before you will be allowed to continue. Open the doors” Bob shrugged.
“What’s going on?” Dr Jones asked
“They want us all off the bus for checks we are not infected” Bob said
“Shit” Gabby swore and turned to face Harman.
“Run for it” he whispered. “Head for the mobile lab at sector 122/8A that’s where it started I think. It’s your best bet” Dr Jones nodded.
“Open the doors Bob!” Dr Harman commanded. Bob slipped open the doors.
Two soldiers approached the bus, guns raised. Dr Jones walked down the steps, debating her options, the slope over the edge of the road was steep but survivable, or alternatively she could take down these goons, run along the bus, across the road and into the tree line. Her hand and arm where itching badly now. She could swear there was fine black hair growing from the back of her hand.
“Outside, one at a time” the masked man said. Gabby readied herself and walked down the steps. The goon, big as he was would be no challenge.
As she descended Gabby noticed something on the masks- a small logo of a butterfly- TransGene’s logo. She half turned back towards the coach, the big soldier nudged her with his gun
“Forw…..” he said then fell screaming with a gun shot to his groin.
“TransGene” Gabby mouthed at Dr. Harman’s shocked face before incapacitating the second guard and running along the bus and away into the trees.
The shots brought more soldiers over. A huge black Sergeant boarded the bus as medics took care of his men.
“Who was that?” he demanded of the occupants.
“That was Dr Gabby Jones of the Special Strike Squad” Harman said proudly. He recognised the logo on the masks too.
“And you are?” the Sergeant asked with a hiss of malice.
“I am Dr Harman of the institute. I am second in command and the people in this bus are my responsibility”
“Indeed?” the soldier said “well I guess you can take responsibility for my men. If either of them die, or more die because of your operatives actions I will order one of your people here killed”
“You cannot be serious about holding us to ransom! Do you know what is going on out there!?” Dr Harman’s voice was rising.
“I don’t care” the man said. He turned his gun on Bob “you will drive at walking pace until I say stop. Any heroics get you and a random person here shot. Understand?” Bob nodded and started the motor. The bus roared into life- a strangely loud noise on such a clear night. He rolled it forward as instructed until the Sergeant said stop.
“You will all come off one by one” the sergeant barked at the bus. “You will walk to the tent I indicate. You will get further instructions in there. Please take all bags and luggage with you” He seemed to stare directly at Anthony as he said it, but Anthony could not be sure.
A slow exodus took place, the passengers, starting with Harman where taken from the bus and ‘processed’ through a tent; personal processions where searched. Laptops, phones, pagers, and disks where taken from them by uncommunicative soldiers. No one said a word or offered resistance. They where then cycled back round the car park and made to wait next to the bus. Anthony was the last off the bus nearly an hour after they arrived. He was processed in the normal way- expect as the soldier took the hard drives from his bag he looked up at Anthony and said
“Best place to be?”
“Family Man” Anthony said the pass code with ease. The solder smiled at him
“Welcome home sir. The commander will want to see you immediately.” The man moved from behind the desk, picked up the hard drives and escorted Anthony from the tent, but away from the others.