Torn (35 page)

Martin Myers never planned his life to turn out the way it did. In his mind, even as a young boy, he watched his parents and envisioned
for
himself a similar future.

He’d be like his father, a
professor
at a local college,
with
a degree in some field of
science
, because Martin loved
science
, even as a kid.

He’d
have a perfect wife, two kids,
and a
house with a fence. And maybe even a dog, because studies showed that an animal or pet in a house made
for
a happier
family.

His wife didn’t have to be the picture of beauty externally, but internally she would be the supportive being every man needed.

That was his plan.

The wife and marriage topped of
his
list of things he wanted most. He saw the happiness in his parents
’ marriage
and wanted to emulate
that in
his own life.

But that was youthful thinking.

Everything
started out that way. He met Janet in
high s
c
h
ool
and married
her his second year of college.

Money was tight, so they moved in with
h
is parents while Martin went to school.

Janet and his mother had this fighting thing
. Figuring it was typical m
other-in law
,
daughter-in-law bullshit, he just tried to remain neutral, wanting not to disturb the balance of relationship with either woman.

His mother
warned
Janet was no good, w
as
u
p to something.

Yeah. Yeah.

Janet
warned
h
is mother was over
bearing and jealous.

Yeah. Yeah.

His father said it was
an
estrogen
im
balance in
the household.

Bingo.

The
n
he found out his mother was right. The day before graduation, just as Martin was getting ready to move into
the
teaching phase
of his life
, Janet
left him
for someone else. Someone older.

Martin was crushed.

Degree in Molecular Biology in hand, Mart
in
decided he was going to purs
u
e another passion.
Something
that would make him study and concentrate only on school. He could get his personal life back on track, after he graduate
d
, so he
thought
.

He found a drive for virology and planned to further his studies, possibly be a research doctor
.

Two years into that with failing grades, at twenty-four years old, his parents were killed in a car accident and Martin had nothing.

An Army recruiter found him on a bridge one night readying to take his life.

Driving by the recruiter saw him, stopped,
and
hung
out on
the edge and talked to him.

The rest was history.

Life saved.

With a degree
he was
able
to get into Officer’s
Candidate
S
chool, and Martin focused from that moment on, on building a career.

At the age of forty-nine he received his first star as a general. One year later, he
celebrated
his
fiftieth
birthday on the banks of
Thailand
m
onitoring the
Avian
Flu situation.

Shared world knowledge of outbreaks is often
minimal
.
Out of
fear, many
countries
do
n’t release
information about
outbreaks. That’s
why he was in the hotspot: To watch, t
o
border
control, to
check
reports of bird flu within the
communities
and investigate. If the report was viable, he would
monitor
and let the US government know.

Although
many
believed
the
world's
end if delivered by plague would begin in Africa
, Martin knew better;
so
did
the World Health O
rganization.

The next pandemic, if any, would
without
a doubt begin o
n the heavily populated continent of Asia.

Martin was there.

He
loved his appointment, His first real
Theater
of Operation. He
weeded
through
the rumor mills of the nearby village
s
and found many facts.

The
wom
e
n
often
brought
him
homemade
treats, and often farmer
s
brought him their
daughters
to examine for
marriage
.

He
found
it funny.

Unfortunately he was only there
for
eight months.
In fact, he w
as watching the news on a live blog
regarding
the
Paris flare when he heard the
helicopter
approach.

A military
b
ird
that
he wasn’t expecting.

He wasn’t even in uniform. The uniform often intimidate
d
th
e nearby villagers, and they trusted him more in
civilian
clothes
.

In the distance the chopper stopped, and after peering out his office window,
Martin
watched the blades slow
and the door open.

He closed out his Internet connection and walked from his
office
.

It was hot.
Grabbing the handkerchief from his back pocket, he wiped the sweat
from
his neck and approached the bird, stopping at a distance.

The
Captain
of the bird opened the side door
,
and out stepped a three
-
star general.

Martin stood taller,
his
eyes shifting to the
captain
as he removed bags from the back of the helicopter.

The general approached.

It was General Hemming. Martin knew him from the
P
entagon.

“General
Hemming
,
sir.” Martin greeted him with a
respectable salute
.

After
returning
the salute, General Grant Hemming shook his hand. “Martin.”

“This is a
surprise
visit,” Martin said.

“It’s an emergency visit, Martin. I’m here to relieve you.
”

“Sir?” Martin asked confused.

“I can’t tell you more than that. You just need to pack your gear and be on that bird in 30 minutes.”

“But, sir
.
There’s so much to show you
. . . .
”

“I’m sure your chain of command knows enough to inform
me. Besides,
” Grant winked. “You’re a phone call away. Good luck. You better start packing. Bu
t first, get me in contact with
. . .
”
he pulled a notepad forth, “Sgt. Major Blackwell.”

Blackwell was his right
-
hand man.  Martin nodded at the order. “Right away. This way.” He held out his hand. “Sir, do you at least know where I’m going?”

Grant did not, o
r at least was not at liberty to say.

The only way to find out was to pack up and go. And that was what Martin did.

Four satellite dishes were erected in the open field forty feet behind the barrack
-
style structure in Texas.

The heat had subsided some, and Virginia was
hopeful the temperatures would continue to drop
. The
air conditioning
worked below in the shelter, but she had no desig
ns to stay down there the
entire time.

A
n
air conditioning unit
for the ground floor
was due to arrive in the afternoon. It couldn’t be soon enough. Amazing how she was able to get a local chain store to come to the property and erect a security fence around the perimeter in two days, but an air conditioning unit?

The wind blew her auburn hair, tossing the curls. Usually it wasn’t that curly, but it was too hot and she had little ambition to straighten it.

Returning from the satellite dishes, she waved to one of the six security men she had hired to watch the property
. Did they wonder what was going on out there? What she was doing?

She was grateful that the problem with dish four was only a small wind
-
blown bundle that landed on it. Virginia didn’t want to take a chance on missing another geological event, like the solar flare. It wasn’t
t
hat she missed it
;
it happened so fast, by the time the sun turned her way, the flare had shot.

There was no pre
liminary
data to
alert them. And that frightened her, m
ore than she cared to admit. If it happened once, it could happen again. Only the next time it might not be the other
side
of the world.

Inside, her husband
Rob
was sweeping the floor.

“Kids spilled some cereal,” he said.

Virginia smiled.

“All fixed?”

“Just a spur. Did Sears call about the air
unit
?”

“
Oh
, yeah.” He said bright
ly
, placed the push broom against the wall and walked to her. “They’ll be here shortly.”

“Thank God.”

He ran his finger down the trickle of sweat on her neck. “Not much longer.”

“Where are the kids?”

“Watching TV in the other room.
”

The other room, Virginia thought. She looked around the barracks
-
style building. She didn’t know why it was
;
it wasn’t small, but the separated walls, the living and eating area in one room, the hot dusty air, it made her think of the Depression. That made her think how much life wouldn’t be different from that when all went to hell.

“Something wrong?” Rob asked.

“Just concerned. The Paris flare just has me concerned. What if we stop seeing signs? Wh
at if things just start happening
without warning
, what if
. . .
”

“What if.” Rob silenced her. “Then there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“I just worry about the kids, you know.”

He nodded.

Virginia sighed out. “All right, I’m off. Heading down to the bunker. Find me when Sears shows up?”

“You got it.”

Virginia started to walk away.

“What are you working on? You need me to help?”

“Data. Collecting data to send to Colin.”

“He wants in that conference badly, huh?”

“Yeah, but I don’t think they’ll let him.”

“Why’s that?”

“Colin will deliver the truth. They’ll know it’s the truth. If he goes to the conference
,
the truth is public. I don’t think the conference is about finding out what to do,” Virginia said. “I think the conference is keeping the real truth from the public.” She planted a soft kiss to his cheek, wiped her hand across where her lips pressed, then walked away.