Free Pestilence: The Infection Begins by Craig A. McDonough

through the side entrance behind the counter; Tilford had a quick look for anything that might resemble a weapon, but without luck.
    “Maybe we use tranquilizers or a strong sedative on them?”
    “You want to get that close to administer it, Jenny?” Tilford’s answer ended that idea.
    “There,” Delaney saw a mop and knocked-over bucket outside the door of the male restroom, “we can use that!”
    “And just who is ‘we’?” Tilford knew he would be the designated jouster. It was better than the array of hole-punchers and staple guns on the counter; he would have some distance with the mop, which was wet, giving it more weight and hopefully impact.
    “Get in behind me, ladies, and when I says so, you run, just fucking run, okay?” Tilford said as, with mop held high in two hands, he approached the door. Not wanting to slip over, the four of them did their best to avoid the blood on the floor.
    “Ready?” Tilford asked Delaney, Sanders and Childs. He waited until he received a compliant nod from each before proceeding. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open one side of the double doors that led into the main corridor of the maternity unit.

Eight
    M oya received a call not long after he’d spoken with Thorncroft; the puppet master, as he now thought of him.
    “Moya.” He answered as he unpacked his suitcase. He decided to see it through to the end, there was no other choice.
    “Dr. Moya, I have some news for you on the current situation.” An upbeat Calgleef announced.
    “Good, I’m listening.” Moya grabbed another bottle of water, sat on the bed and listened to Calgleef’s summary of what was to take place, or at least what he was to be told.
    “I’ve sent a recommendation to the FDA and to the president demanding the current program be postponed due to a contamination in the vaccine, at least in the dosages found at the Riverside hospital.”
    “Excuse me, if I may.” Moya stood and walked to the sliding glass door and looked out onto the street below. Traffic flowed without incident while people walked or jogged along the side of the road or in the small park next to the hotel. Not one of these people knew, Moya reflected, that decisions which would affect their lives, were being made by a few select people—some of whom were on the other side of the world.
    “Certainly, by all means.”
    “As you know I’m Mr. Thorncroft’s representative here in the US for this program, and I was under the impression that Mr. Thorncroft expected something more temporary, he has a considerable investment in this you know. How is informing your government of a contamination going to assist in this manner?”
    “I understand that there is much at stake for Mr. Thorncroft, as well as his partners and you, but let me reassure you that I have quite an involvement as well. We are all partners in this business deal. What I’ve stated in my report is that some vials of the vaccine appeared to be affected, perhaps because they were improperly sealed and the cabin pressure from the plane may have led to the alteration. I also added that not all of the vaccines were affected, but to be on the safe side it would be best to abandon these vaccines until a locally manufactured version can be produced.” Moya wondered if the director of the CDC was reading this from a transcript, but Calgleef hadn’t finished. “This, as I assured Mr. Thorncroft, would not jeopardize the program, his contract or the initial purchase, as the decision not to use these supplied vaccines was ours, and therefore Thorn Bio-Tech would be fully compensated.”
    Moya looked at the traffic and people below and wondered how many of these people would end up infected, or dead, with the Baltic flu. He couldn’t do anything about it now if he tried, all he could do was think of the money once more. Yes, the money, that’s what it was all about wasn’t it? The corners of his mouth turned upward; yes, I’m a whore for sure, but not a cheap one!