Free Infected (Book 2): The Flight by Caleb Cleek

resumed speaking.
    “The uncensored carnage you have just witnessed is not isolated to the airport.  It has been spreading across the country, popping up here and there in isolated incidents which are growing more and more frequent.  People all over the United States are coming down with a mystery illness.  Within hours, the virus proves to be fatal.  On an average of thirty minutes later, the dead are coming back to life as you have just witnessed. 
    “Early reports are indicating that these outbreaks of violence are caused by a highly contagious disease.  So far every reported case has led to death. 
    “Additional reports are stating that the only way to stop the infected is to inflict massive head trauma.  Officials are advising that everybody avoid the infected at all costs.
    “If someone you know becomes infected, notify the police and immediately get away from him.  We are being asked to advise the public to stay where they are.  If you are at home, stay there.  If you are at work, remain there.  We don’t have official confirmation, but unofficially the sickness is airborne and is highly contagious.
    “Coming up next will be Doctor Clark at the Centers for Disease Control. He will fill us in on the details of the infection and recommend precautions against it.”  The image on the screen returned to video of violence and carnage from across the country.  All the clips showed the infected attacking and ravaging terrified citizens.

Chapte r 11
    Zeke stood motionless for five minutes, spellbound by the images of death and mutilation flashing across the screen.  Although the droning of the commentator’s voice filled his ears, he didn’t register what was being said.  Her words had no meaning to him.  He was so disturbingly drawn into the visual stimulus, the audio was lost.  Finally, he broke free from the hypnotic trance that had held him and looked at the others.  None of them had spoken.  They, too, were in a state of mesmerized hypnosis.
    Zeke hesitated, afraid to speak, almost as if doing so would break some unknown etiquette.  Finally the words came out, shaky and unsure, which was unusual for him. “Is the disease here?” he asked.
    Meagan, the receptionist, turned, noticing him for the first time since he walked into the room. “I don’t know,” she said hesitantly.  “It sounds like it’s everywhere, but they haven’t specifically said anything about Atlanta.  I came in ten minutes ago, for coffee.  They may have said something about it before I got here.”
    “It’s here,” James said, without turning away from the screen. James was a broker who had been with the company for about a year. “Before Meagan came in, they put up a map of the country with reported cases shown as red dots. It isn’t as bad here as on the west coast because they are quarantining people from the flights that landed last night, but a few flights landed before the quarantine went into effect.  As of a couple hours ago, they shut down air travel, and most states have put up roadblocks along their borders.”
    “Do they think they can contain it?” Zeke asked hopefully.
    “I don’t know,” James stated flatly.  “They say they’re trying, but who knows.  There hasn’t been much information at this point.  It’s caused by some sort of disease, but beyond that, they either don’t know or won’t say.  Some people are saying it’s a virus, some are saying it’s a bacterial infection.  Others are saying it is a terrorist chemical attack.  My impression is nobody knows what’s causing it.  The only thing everybody seems to be agreeing on is that it’s best to stay wherever you are.”
    The screen changed to a small stage with blue curtains in the background.  A man with thinning gray hair approached an oak podium emblazoned with a blue graphic containing the letters CDC.  His wrinkled button-down shirt and the puffy, dark colored skin behind his large frame glasses suggested he