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| Carrier Syndrome | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Part Six: road rage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The ride across what used to be a heavily populated downtown area was bumpy at best. Julie constantly checked the mirrors to make sure that Greg and Mark were still with her as their seat wasn't as sturdy as the rest of the car. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The gauge is almost on the E," one of the rats pointed out. Julie groaned and shook her head. The irony alone - even in this day and age - there was still backseat drivers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Unless you want to walk - shut up," she warned. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You can't talk to us," another rat began. Mark armed his rifle - interrupting the train of thought. I am liking them less and less in that seat," he muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you want to switch spots be my guest. Should warn you though - the seat isn't all that sturdy - plus it is out in the open. Lovely view of the sun," Mark remarked smugly. The rat looked over his shoulder and glared at the mechanic with the rifle. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If at any time we feel that you will fail - we will kill you," the other rat remarked. Julie brought the car to a screeching halt. "What are you doing?" a rat demanded. Julie turned around and had a gun to one rat's nose - Greg and Mark had their weapons aimed at the other two. "We - die - so do your friends," he muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Perhaps. But you are a long way from your tunnels - and you are at our mercy here - not the other way around. Pull any of that lording shit on me one more time - and I will strap you to the roof of the car and duct tape your eyes open. Are we understanding each other you piece of shit?" she asked coldly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Answer the lady when she talks to you," Greg added. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It is so rude to ignore your hostess," Mark stated with a smirk. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Perfectly," the rat stated calmly. Julie put her weapon away and resumed driving. "The others will learn of your treatment of us - and your threat," he added calmly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh - it wasn't a threat. It was a fact. Remember - I don't need you up here. You on the other hand need me. So please don't go out of your way to piss me off," she stated - keeping her eyes on what passed for a road. It was then that something in the mirror caught her attention. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Problem?" Mark asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Over your shoulder - tell me what you see?" she rebutted - keeping focused on the terrain ahead. Mark looked over his shoulder and saw the dust cloud that seemed to be following them. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Company," Mark stated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Anyone we know?" she asked hesitantly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It isn't Lora's people - vehicles are smaller," Mark began as he looked through the sniper scope on the rifle. It was then that he saw the thirty some odd motor cyclists. "Angels - and a whole lot of them," he answered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Greg - we outstanding with their faction?" she asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - not even a territory dispute. We stayed clear of them - they never gave a rat's ass about us. Far as I know they have no beef with us at all," Greg replied. Julie looked in the mirror and saw them getting closer. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Why does it feel like we are slowing down?" a rat asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Because we are running out of fuel and we won't be able to outrun that many of them. Just keep quiet and let me do the talking," she replied as they slowly pulled over. "In fact - stay in the car. Angels don't like rats - for some reason they think you people are untrustworthy," she added as everyone save the three rats exited the vehicle. They watched as the motorbikes slowly surrounded them. Julie watched as the leader - a surly biker rode ahead of the group that was before her. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hello mechanic," he said calmly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'd stay where you are if I were you," she replied coolly. The statement made the bikers laugh. The leader of the Angels slowly removed his sunglasses and looked over at Julie. He could tell by the look in her eye that she was serious. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You either have ice in your veins - or you think that you and your crew - and your pet rats can take us down before you get the drop on us," he began as he looked around the relatively open area. "And as I know - you don't have any people here - we both know you grease monkeys ain't that good," he added. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You're very right on that. Why are you following us?" she asked seriously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "One of my boys saw you fix up a car that should have been a paperweight. That tells me that you are someone from Lora's prestigious stable. She headhunts the best - and you and your boys - well - you are definitely up there," he began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Flattery will get you everywhere. What does A have to do with B?" she asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The fact that someone from her stable - bedding with rats - well - got me thinking," he began. Julie smirked and rolled her eyes. "I know something is going down at these supposed peace talks. And it must be big if it includes the Fallen City. So tell me why I'm following you," he remarked coolly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If I had to guess - I would say that you sent a scout to the capital to fish. They liked what you dangled in front of them and offered you a bigger piece of the pie. But - if that is the case - you are a fool - and she sent you out here to die," she stated seriously. Instantly weapons were raised and aimed at her. "She wants the boy alive - a stray bullet would seriously fuck that up," she pointed out. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "My boys are crack shots," he pointed out. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Then shoot," she offered - stepping away from the boy. "She most likely wants me dead anyway right?" she asked. A biker near the leader was going to shoot when he lowered the gun. Slowly the other weapons began to lower. "Did she tell you why she wanted the boy so bad?" she asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Something about him knowing too much. If he got to the wrong people - her plans for the peace talks would be fucked up the ass," he stated. Julie quietly laughed and shook her head. "You had better not be laughing at me bitch," he warned. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh no. Never - but I will give you some advise - turn around and leave. She sent you here - to die. The boy knows nothing. He was a guinea pig in one of their labs. I don't know his life story paragraph by paragraph - but I do know that he is carrying a disease - one that will make aids and the plague look like the common cold," she stated seriously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You expect me to believe that?" he asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Riddle me this - what do I have to gain by lying? If I am - you will kill the others and me and take the boy anyway. But what if I'm not? You would be handling this carrier - infecting one of her most potent dissident factions," she replied. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The boy? He looks pretty healthy to me," he remarked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He's supposed to. He is most likely immune to the poison he spreads. All I know - is that I am infected - as are my boys here - and a good portion of the rats under the capital. And if you get too close to the boy - you'll be infected too," she replied calmly. The leader looked over at the car where the rats were and then over at Julie. The story she was weaving made a disturbing amount of sense. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Would explain when she jumped at the idea of us fetching the boy for her," he muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "She would have promised you just about anything. When he escaped her lab - he accidentally infected her too. According to what the rats know - she doesn't have the cure to what the boy spreads. That is why she needs him alive - and why time is of the essence," she added. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If I find out you are lying," he began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The timeline that she believes fits this bug - gives her a week tops to live - and me and my crew less as we have been exposed to him since we busted loose of her happy home," Julie pointed out. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm going to kill that conniving bitch," the leader began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - don't go near the capital. And make sure that none of her people get out. After a week - her and most of her sect will be dead," she pointed out. The leader looked over at the car again. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What about the rats?" he asked - almost spiting with disgust. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "They are holding three of my boys. It's the only reason I'd travel with their kind. Lesser of two evils. Who would you rather deal with? Lora and her stables - or the rats?" she asked curiously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We'd all be better off if the Fallen City was cleansed," he rebutted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You hear me arguing?" she agreed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How contagious is that thing the boy spreads?" he hesitantly asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "To be honest - I don't know. I know that all of us got it. But if you come no closer - you and the others should be safe. Just be wary of any sickly people you see staggering around the capital," she warned. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Point taken," he muttered. "Oh there is one thing. If I find out that all of this is just a big stinky pile of horse shit - you will wish - in a bad - bad way - that we just killed you. Are we understanding each other?" he added seriously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't fuck around like that with people. Especially people with your kind of influence," she admitted. The leader put his shades back on and shook his head. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Gear up boys - something about all this stinks. If something is too good to be true as the old saying goes or some shit like that," he began as he revved up his bike. He then looked over at Julie. "If I find out that you infected me or any of my crew," he added. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We are striving to find a cure as we speak. Although on an empty tank we won't have much luck," she not so subtly hinted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Grease! Lefty! Leave your wheels. When you get that fucking cure - we are stop number one - clear?" he stated seriously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Loud and," she reassured. He nodded and looked over at the car. "I saw that car. It was upside down and radiation baked. You managed to get it up and running?" he asked seriously. She nodded. "Impressive - if you are ever looking to contract out," he began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You trusted me - point one. You giving me fuel for my car to help me out - point two. When all of this is done - you let me into your garage - and I'll fix up what isn't running as best I can. Just what is there when I get there - no add ins after the fact," she offered. He rubbed his chin as he thought about it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Deal. I should warn you though - some of these clowns really abuse their toys," he warned. Julie smirked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I have yet to meet a man that doesn't abuse his - toys?" she remarked. The leader quietly laughed and shook his head as he waved for the others to follow him away. Within seconds they were watching the dust cloud riding away. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Quite the gamble you took," Mark muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I had another option?" she rebutted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If they didn't believe it?" Greg asked. Julie was going to remark when she felt dizzy. She almost fell over. Mark and Greg caught her. "You okay?" he hesitantly asked. She all but shoved them away. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm fine. Just all the fucking dust and that sun," she rebutted. Mark touched the back of his hand to her forehead. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You a doctor now grease monkey?" she asked sternly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You have a bit of a fever - but I'm wagering you knew that," he stated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Duh," she muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How bad is it?" Mark asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Nothing I can't deal with. I've worked feeling far worse," she stated as she motioned for them to get the gas from the bikes into the car. Reluctantly they did as she asked. Julie sighed and looked back towards the capital. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I hope you weren't being optimistic when you said a week. She thought as she made her way back to the driver's seat. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To be continued... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||