Seven Point Eight (24 page)

“Did you….have sex with that photographer?” he asked, this time with humility.

She met his concerned gaze and replied, “No, I didn’t.”

He seemed satisfied with the answer and left. She sat on her bed, contemplating a new future. It compensated for the grievous past two days and gave her a sense of hope, however, what did Max expect of her? Was she prepared to return his feelings? Would they just fight? For a while, it would be just the two of them, in the States. Tahra decided she couldn’t give in to him, she just couldn’t.

10

Blood

Friday 10
^th
April 1992

Since the appearance of an entity in her bedroom one night a few years ago, Ava had secured a new job at a biological research lab, like the being had suggested. The entity had referred to it being the right path and that it wasn’t charity, it was necessary. She preferred to carve her path independently, but her uncle had made such an enticing proposition, she couldn’t refuse.

For about a year now, she’d worked in a biological research lab, studying the genetic structure of a whole range of pernicious and destructive viruses such as Ebola, AIDS, and SARS, plus high level security biological agents and potential weapons of terrorism. It necessitated full biohazard suits at times, and security doors that could only be accessed by a code.

Due to her uncle’s connections, a highly significant long term contract lay on the horizon, working on a new and ambitious initiative. The Human Genome Project sought to identify all the estimated twenty to twenty five thousand genes in human DNA, and determine the sequences of the three billion chemical base pairs. Because she’d studied genetics, it almost seemed like she was tailor made for the project. However, it was business as usual at the lab.

The virus team were a decent bunch of people who all lived near the research lab, which was in Cambridgeshire. They often socialised after work, and had a dark sense of humour at times.
Gary
, the team’s newbie, had been the victim of a few practical jokes. Pretending to accidently release tuberculosis may sound childish, but it was the crew’s way of extending their welcome, and the humour took the edge off the seriousness of their research.

Ava tried to hide the fact she was the boss’s niece. Derek, the team leader, had shrugged it off as it made no difference to him, although some begrudged how easily she’d walked into the job at first.
 
Thankfully, her easy going nature had won them over within a month, and they accepted her as part of the team. When
Gary
started at the lab, he became particularly interested in her connection to the boss, but she answered his questions succinctly and changed the subject.

Most significantly, the hallucinations had been subdued. She just wanted a normal life, although it soon became clear to Ava that would never happen. Friday the 10
^th
of April changed that.

Ava and Gary were on the late shift, which involved clearing away and accounting for the viral samples, which lived in the secure refrigerators. As they tidied up, they discussed the virus and bacteria league table, which were the most destructive. New staff had to partake in what was, in essence, Bio-Science Top Trumps.

“I’d give AIDS the top score,” Ava said. “It doesn’t kill you but lets everything else do its dirty work. AIDS leaves you completely helpless against even the common cold.”

She keyed in the door code and they both entered the lobby area, where they put on their biohazard suits. They kitted up, including the head gear and the gloves, then keyed in the code for the storage room and entered. Once inside, they headed for the refrigerators and opened them up.

Gary
begged to differ in the debate.

“There’s a little known bug called Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, originally linked to the consumption of brains. It’s rare but fatal, dementia progresses very rapidly and there’s no treatment.”

“Well,” Ava countered, “the only people who could become infected are cannibals, and I don’t know many of those.”

“Unless you count the current animal feeding strategies in the farming industry. What are cattle really fed? If they consume brains in their feed and we eat the beef, there’s nothing to stop us contracting the disease.”

Ava returned the volley, giving it a little spin.

“True, but consider Black Death, a disease of squalor with the potential to decimate a population. Bubonic plague affects the lymph system, causing swellings known as buboes. Eventually, the infection overwhelms the nervous system, inducing neurological and psychological disorders. The septicaemic form attacks the bloodstream, producing a rash within hours and death within a day. Remember the nursery rhyme ‘
ring o ring o roses, a pocket full of poesies, atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down’?
The ring of roses referred to the rash and the sneezing to some of the symptoms.
We all fall down,
well, that’s obvious…”

“However, you need an infectious rodent population riddled with fleas, unless of course you want to unleash it as an act of terrorism. I think Ebola beats them all hands down,”
Gary
declared with confidence. “It starts with a fever, and joint and muscle aches, bit like the flu really but it clearly isn’t flu, it’s something far worse. Your throat gets sore, you feel weak, followed by diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach pains. Then your body starts to haemorrhage, you bleed out of the nose, mouth, and even your anus. Ebola dissolves your organs, literally eating you from the inside out. Can you imagine the horror of bleeding out of your eyes because your brain was liquefying?”

Ava shuddered at the thought of it.

“Very prolific in Africa today,”
Gary
added.

Gary
took hold of a vial of Ebola from the fridge, and looked at it with a mixture of awe and dread.

“Nasty little bastard, isn’t it?” he said, keeping it in his hand. “There’s no approved vaccine or treatment for this baby. Sure, we’re experimenting, but we haven’t got the antidote yet. We wouldn’t want this to get out, would we?”

He gave the vial a little shake, in awe of its destructive power. After a moment of contemplation, he replaced the vial and began to count the samples of bubonic plague, while Ava counted the Ebola. In fact, she counted twice.

“Aren’t we supposed to have twenty one vials in this refrigerator?” she asked him, puzzled.

“Yes. Aren’t there twenty one in there?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Double check,” he insisted.

She pulled the rack further forward and found one hadn’t been replaced properly, it was lying down at the back, as if someone had been in a hurry. On checking the seal, she found no leakage and placed it securely in the rack.

“We got twenty one,” she confirmed.

They breathed a sigh of relief, closed up, de-suited, and locked up the lab for the weekend. They slipped on their jackets, Ava still attached to wearing the red silk scarf she’d mysteriously found a few years ago in her handbag, and they headed for their respective cars.
Gary
seemed to change his mind, and made his way over to her.

“Say,” he began, slightly nervous, “do you fancy grabbing a bite to eat?”

Was this a date or just a social invitation? His manner didn’t make it clear either way, and although she didn’t find him attractive, she did enjoy his company. What was the harm?

“Okay,” she agreed.

They found a reasonably priced Indian restaurant, chatting about work, music, and the team over a delicious Tikka Masala.
Gary
raised the subject of her uncle again, so she artfully deflected the topic of conversation to something less controversial. After the meal, she assumed they’d go their separate ways, but he surprised her again.

“Do you wanna pop back to mine for a coffee?” he suggested.

Ava seemed a little reticent, and lowered her eyes, unsure of his intentions.

“Just to be sociable,” he added, “no pressure, like. I live close to the lab, so you can easily return to your car.”

This sealed the deal for her, and she decided not to refuse an offer to extend her social life outside work.

Gary
lived in a flat above a shop, located on the main road leading to the centre of town. It was furnished to a basic standard and looked like he couldn’t be bothered to settle in on a permanent basis. He had few possessions to his name, except for a good quality sound system and piles of CDs. On entering the room, he selected a CD, twiddled the volume dial, and checked the sound. He put the kettle on and made conversation from the kitchen, while she browsed his CD collection.

“Your music taste is very eclectic,” she said, loud enough for him to hear.

“Yeah, I guess, I take a little something from all the different people I meet. Sugar?”

“No thanks,” she called out.

Before long, he emerged from the kitchen with two mugs and they stood chatting next to the CD collection.

“My cousin adores music,” she said. “He plays the guitar and piano. One day, I might find his work in your collection!”

Gary
seemed interested.

“Cousin? Would that be your uncle’s son?”

Gary
’s obsession with her uncle returned to haunt the conversation. However, something else began to alarm her even more. She swayed suddenly on her feet, feeling quite dizzy.
Gary
fixed her with an unconcerned stare.

“I think I’m going to have to sit down,” she said, stumbling towards the sofa.

“Oh don’t worry,”
Gary
said. “That’ll just be the sedative I put in your coffee.”

“What?” Ava mumbled, feeling afraid.

 
“To ensure I can carry out what I’m going to do next. I need to incapacitate you.”

Oh my God, the team has recruited a nutcase. What’s he going to do, rape me? Kill me?

Ava felt a wave of dread wash over her. Her legs felt like jelly, her vision blurred, and her heart hammered in her chest.

Gary
produced a syringe from a box near the CD collection and held it up, removing the stopper from the end of the needle. As he made his way towards her, she tried to head for the door in her drugged stupor, but fell over a box. Ava hit the floor and in her panic, she rolled onto her back.
Gary
stood over her.

“I’ve been planning this moment very carefully,” he said.

Finally, Ava spoke.

“What’s got into you? What have I ever done to you?”

“Nothing,” he replied. “It’s more a case of, what did your uncle do to my family? I can’t gain retribution by harming him due to lack of access, but I can get the next best thing. I know how precious you are to him, you’re the favourite. I mean, he gave you a job, and a flat, and a car. Most people would have to fuck him to get those privileges. I came here to target him, but then I discovered your connection… My plan finally started to fall into place.”

“I’m…adopted,” she said, although her voice faltered.

“It doesn’t matter. What matters is the love he feels for you, above all others. Why are you so special, Ava?”

She didn’t know. Her uncle had always been protective of her, right from the beginning, after she’d lost her parents…

Ava tried to escape by turning over onto her hands and knees, starting to crawl towards the door. Hopefully either she could either make it out, or he didn’t have the guts to go through with it.