Free Voodoo Plague - 01 by Dirk Patton

anything we
thought the truck might need and got it all stowed securely in the bed of the
pick-up.  I found a couple of cans of pressurized tire inflator/sealer and
threw them in with the haul.
    We filled every
bottle we could find with water from the small sink in the bathroom off the
garage office and secured it in the back seat.  Two tool boxes full of tools I
picked out went into the bed and were strapped down tightly. 
    Finally I
searched the entire building for weapons, but found nothing except a rusting
filet knife.  Never knowing what use it could be put too, I tossed it into the
truck and headed to the bathroom to clean up as best I could.
    Exhausted, but
cleaner, I returned to the truck to find Rachel curled up on the back seat fast
asleep.  Careful so as not to wake her I crawled into the front and lay across
the seat on my back.  I fell asleep in seconds, the pistol resting on my stomach
with my right hand lying on top of it.
     
     
     
     
     
     

11
     
     
    “Max here again
with the truth about what’s happening.  Information is sketchy, but I’ll tell
you what I know and what I think I know.
    “First, don’t
approach cities.  The cities that were attacked are death traps.  The effects
of the nerve agent that was released are deadly to both those exposed to it as
well as those who were not initially infected.  The exposed are coming out of
comas in a hyper aggressive state and will attack anyone not already exposed. 
I don’t know how or why this is happening, but I’ve got dozens of reports of
people being attacked and ripped to shreds by their friends, family or
neighbors. 
    “I’ve also
personally seen women that have been exposed, infected I guess, so aggressive
that I can only compare them to a lioness.  They are fast, don’t seem to feel
pain, and are nearly unstoppable.  The infected men I’ve seen are just as
dangerous, but slower and much less coordinated.  I can’t explain it, but I’m
sure there’s some scientist somewhere that can.
    “As far as I
know the infected aren’t contagious, but I think it’s a safe bet that if they
have any of the nerve agent on their skin or clothing you would be infected by
coming into contact with them.  Reports are that the infection is spreading.
    “The government
continues to remain absent and reports are that the entire command structure of
the US Government has retreated to hardened bunkers and is communicating with
the military via secure satellite links.  Civilian communications of all sorts
remain offline.
    “There is severe
civil unrest in the cities that were not attacked.  Rioting, looting, fires
burning out of control.  Avoid the cities at all costs.  It’s only going to get
worse.
    “More missiles
have been launched, some going north which can only mean Russian targets, but
most going west.  There have been no reports of retaliation and so far I’ve had
no luck in reaching anyone outside the continental US to find out what’s
happening in the rest of the world.
    “We’ve had to
move twice in the last twelve hours.  Once to avoid military forces that were
tracking our signal, and again to escape a large group of infected.  We’re
ready to move again before the military triangulates our signal and we get a
visit from one of the drones they so love to use.
    “Again, avoid
the cities.  Avoid the infected at all costs, and don’t trust the authorities. 
I don’t know why they’ve abandoned us, but at this point they can’t be
trusted.  Until my next broadcast, be safe.”
    The signal cut
off before Max finished speaking the word safe and was replaced with the sound
of static.
    I had awakened
to a hot and humid Georgia morning and turned on the truck’s radio to see if
there was anything broadcasting.  As before there was only static as I scrolled
through both the FM and AM bands so I had left the radio on the frequency I’d
first heard Max on and when I returned from the bathroom was rewarded with