Free Genesis by Michael McCarthy Page B

without something drastic. This is the last, best hope
for man on this Earth. If mankind won’t change their destructive ways on their
own, then we must act on behalf of the planet and force them to take that first
step back into the natural world. Force mankind back into the food chain, not
above it.”
    “I’m not feeling so good.”
    Cooper looked at his watch, wondering what
was taking the poison he put into her tea so long to take effect.
    “Maybe you should lie down.”
    “Cooper, what are you going to do to that
man downstairs?”
    “I need to find out the truth. I need to
find out if he is Agency, or if he really is just some dip-shit Deputy-do-good
U.S. Marshal who is here to try and rescue me.”
    “Coop, I’m scared.”
    “Don’t be, everything is under control. You
will be safe. I promise. I love you.”
    And the fog rolled in thick.
    Ilsa was out, but not completely out, and
she had no sense of time, nor could she open her eyes or move a muscle, but she
could hear screams and pleading. Was this a nightmare? Or was it real?
    Her entire reality was quickly turning into
a nightmare anyway, so did it really matter either way?
     

Screams of pain from somewhere far off in the
distance…
     

Ilsa’s mind was foggy, but still clear enough that she
could work through some things although the screams that kept interrupting her
thoughts were making it difficult. Still, she was able to reason out that it
had to be some sort of poison. Probably in the tea or champagne.
    Those screams, were they real?
    A sharp prick.
    A burning sensation in her neck.
    An injection. The fog was lifting.
    Ilsa opened her eyes, and Cooper was
standing watch over her.
    “Oh Coop, what have you done? I heard
screaming.”
    Cooper sat on the edge of her bed and wiped
her mouth with a damp cloth.
    “Sorry about that. I didn’t know you could
still hear what was going on around you.”
    “It faded in and out. Coop, did you kill
that man?”
    “No, I questioned him for hours, but he
stuck to his story. It’s possible he’s telling the truth. But I can’t take that
chance. We can’t let him go. He needs to stay locked up in the attic. He’ll be
safe there.”
    Ilsa nodded in understanding then took an
offensive tone with Cooper. “I can’t believe you drugged me with the baby.”
    “Well, with everything going on, I gave you
a light sedative, to help you sleep. You needed the rest. The baby needed the
rest. It was perfectly safe. Trust me. I’m a doctor,” Cooper smiled.
    “Yeah, but not a medical one.” Ilsa looked
in her purse for her pills again, found one, and then took it. “I think we need
to leave.”
    “We can’t. Look out the window.”
    Ilsa got up from the bed and crossed to the
window, pulling back the shade and taking a look outside.
    “I only see one…no wait…two of those
things.”
    “It’s the ones you don’t see that get you. There’s
a lot more of them out there than you can see up close to the house, trust me.”
    “How do you know that?”
    “It’s complicated.”
    “I think we need to get what we can and
head someplace safe. Before more of those things arrive.“
    “We can’t leave yet. I still have some work
to finish.”
    “When can we leave?”
    “Not much longer. I promise. He may not be
Agency, but now that the virus is out, it won’t take them long to figure out
who did it. In short time, they’ll be here, and when they arrive, I have no
intention of being here.”
    From outside the room, another voice called
out.
    “Grandpa! I’m home!”
    “Excuse me!” Cooper turned and rushed out
of the bedroom.
    Cooper came down the foyer stairs swiftly,
ignoring his grandson completely and instead going directly up to the young man
who accompanied him.
    “Are you Riley Williams?” Cooper asked
directly to the young boy.
    The boy was clearly scared, but nodded yes to
the question.
    “Riley Williams, son of Levi and April
Williams of Loveland, Colorado?”
    “Yes, is my mom still