Free Plagued: The Ironville Zombie Quarantine Retraction Experiment (Plagued States of America Book 3) by Better Hero Army Page A

reporter retreated.
    “Mostly,” Tom said.
    “How’s your shoulder?”
    “Healing,” Tom replied dryly. “What’s all this crap on the news this morning about you wanting to lift Quarantine?”
    “We found the cure, son,” the Senator said proudly.
    “That’s old news. I thought we had a cure six months ago.”
    “ It was untested then,” the Senator replied.
    “You could have at least called me before you made an announcement.”
    “ I didn’t need your input on this one, son,” the Senator said with a grin. “Your old man can take care of himself, you know.”
    “I meant you could have at least warned me. Everyone on station wants to see you dead. They’re all saying you’re trying to ruin their livelihoods. If they knew I was your son, I’d be dead, too.”
    “I considered that. It’s the only time since you asked me to get you the job out here that I’ve been glad you chose to take your mother’s name.”
    “Dad, do we have to go into that again?”
    “No,” the Senator said mildly. “It doesn’t matter anymore, anyway, son. You’re coming home with me. We’re going to close the EPS.”
    “What? When?”
    “As soon as I can get congressional buy-in. I’ve already got the full backing of the Senate, but the liberals in Congress are being obstinate. Liberals, of all people! You’d think they’d be on board, with all that PETZ and PETA and human rights crap they stick in our faces.”
    “Dad, why are you closing the EPS?”
    “Because there’s no need for it. Even if they don’t lift Quarantine, I’m introducing a bill to retract the Rezoning Act. We’re changing tactics.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “We’re taking back America, son.”
    “Yeah, I heard you say that on TV this morning. What does that mean ?”
    “It means you’re out of a job, and it means we’re letting people go back in. To take back the land.”
    “But,” Tom said, stunned. “They’ll be killed.”
    “We’re not going to let just anyone in, son. Developers. Companies like Breckenrock, who know how to work inside. The more area they clear, the more area they get to keep.”
    “Clear?”
    “Decolonize. Oust the native population, by whatever means necessary.”
    “You mean they’ll kill them.”
    “There’ll be casualties, yes. We’re putting an incentive program in place for capture, and regular audits to prevent wholesale slaughter, but this is war, son, and we have to win it. Once and for all, we need to put an end to this plague.”
    “And what about Larissa?” Tom asked. The name gripped Penelope. Even the Senator stiffened at its mention. “Dad, what about Larissa?”
    “When I thought I lost you, son, I—” He took a deep breath, straightening his suit while looking around the crowded lobby of the hotel where the reception was being held. “I began to question—”
    “ Dad. She’s still out there.”
    “It doesn’t matter now, son. This is for the good of the nation.”
    “But she’s still out there.”
    “I know,” the Senator said with his chin held high, taking a deep breat h. “I cling to that dream, too. There’s not a day that goes by—”
    “No, Dad, I mean , I know where she is .”
     

Twelve
    Tom unlocked the cargo container and pushed the door open. Inside were the four snowmobiles and two sleds that Penelope remembered seeing the first week Tom and she arrived at the EPS. It was during an orientation walk-through of the complex with the Game Warden. The Warden had a way of turning his eye her way that bothered Penelope, like he was undressing her in his mind. No wonder she had forgotten everything he showed them. She spent more time hiding from him behind Tom than paying attention to what he said or showed them. She didn’t even know what the snowmobiles were used for.
    “We’ll dig out the drift and make ourselves a ramp right here,” Tom instructed Hank and Jones. “We can just drive them right off and go. Each snowmobile can carry two or three,