Jesus, man, this is some heavy shit.” I said.
“I know man, believe me, I know.” Gabe said. He sounded tired. “Just do everything I told you to do, okay? Call me when you get the document printed so I that will know for sure that you have it. Handle whatever business you have to as quickly as you can, then get the fuck into your shelter.”
“Yeah, I got it.” I replied. “Hey Gabe?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for calling me, bro. I appreciate you trying to help me.”
“Forget about it. Just do what I asked you to do, okay?” he said impatiently.
“Alright, I will. I’ll call you to let you know when I get your email.”
“Okay. Good luck out there buddy. Before this is over, I think you’re going to need it.”
“I hope your wrong, man, but thanks anyway. Later.”
Chapter 3
Preparations
As I hung up the phone, I turned my attention back to the television. After half an hour or so of watching the destruction running rampant in Atlanta I turned the TV off. I had seen all that I could stand for the moment, and I needed to get moving. I called Vanessa’s cell phone as I fired up my computer and logged on to my email account. As I opened Gabe’s message, I got Vanessa’s voice mail.
Goddamnit Vanessa, answer your fucking phone for a change. I flipped my phone open to the keyboard and sent her a text message telling her to call me as soon as she could. I didn’t bother with leaving her a voice mail; she hardly ever checked it.
After sending the text, I downloaded Gabe’s message to my desktop and started printing it. Gabe had not been lying when he said it was a long document. The damn thing took ninety-three pages to print. I pulled a three hole punch out of a desk drawer and started punching holes in the margins a few pages at a time. My phone buzzed right as I finished punching holes in the paper. I picked it up and saw that it was Vanessa calling me back. I answered the phone as I rummaged in my file cabinet looking for a three ring binder.
“Hey, Vanessa? You there?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’m here. Have you been watching the news? What the heck is going on in Atlanta?” her voice sounded a little shaky. “I’ve been watching on the TV here at work, and it looks pretty bad. There are a lot of fires, and people running around panicking. Some of them are attacking other people. I know it sounds weird, but I think people are like, biting other people to death or something. I had to stop watching it, I was getting freaked out.”
“Babe, is there any chance you could maybe leave work early and come over to my place? There are some things I need to talk to you about.” I didn’t want to explain everything over the phone.
“Look, Eric, I’m really not in the mood to play around right now, okay. Don’t you ever think about anything other than sex?”
I paused. That one caught me completely off guard.
“I’m not...that’s not what...baby I’m not talking about sex. Believe me, sex is the furthest thing from my mind right about now. Listen, do you remember my friend Gabriel? The kind of tall, dark haired, rough looking guy?”
“You mean that creepy survivalist with all the scars? The guy that lives all alone in the woods, and is probably a serial killer or something? Yeah, I remember him. Why?”
I didn’t realize Vanessa had such a low opinion of Gabe.
“He called me today and told me some things I think you need to know. He used to work with the CDC in Atlanta, and he knows what is causing all the trouble down there. It’s pretty serious, babe. I think you should come over so we can talk about it. It’s the kind of thing that needs to be discussed face to face.”
“That guy used to work for the CDC? Is he a doctor or something?” She asked.
“No, he’s not.” I said. “He didn’t work for the CDC, he worked with them. He was a private security
“I know man, believe me, I know.” Gabe said. He sounded tired. “Just do everything I told you to do, okay? Call me when you get the document printed so I that will know for sure that you have it. Handle whatever business you have to as quickly as you can, then get the fuck into your shelter.”
“Yeah, I got it.” I replied. “Hey Gabe?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for calling me, bro. I appreciate you trying to help me.”
“Forget about it. Just do what I asked you to do, okay?” he said impatiently.
“Alright, I will. I’ll call you to let you know when I get your email.”
“Okay. Good luck out there buddy. Before this is over, I think you’re going to need it.”
“I hope your wrong, man, but thanks anyway. Later.”
Chapter 3
Preparations
As I hung up the phone, I turned my attention back to the television. After half an hour or so of watching the destruction running rampant in Atlanta I turned the TV off. I had seen all that I could stand for the moment, and I needed to get moving. I called Vanessa’s cell phone as I fired up my computer and logged on to my email account. As I opened Gabe’s message, I got Vanessa’s voice mail.
Goddamnit Vanessa, answer your fucking phone for a change. I flipped my phone open to the keyboard and sent her a text message telling her to call me as soon as she could. I didn’t bother with leaving her a voice mail; she hardly ever checked it.
After sending the text, I downloaded Gabe’s message to my desktop and started printing it. Gabe had not been lying when he said it was a long document. The damn thing took ninety-three pages to print. I pulled a three hole punch out of a desk drawer and started punching holes in the margins a few pages at a time. My phone buzzed right as I finished punching holes in the paper. I picked it up and saw that it was Vanessa calling me back. I answered the phone as I rummaged in my file cabinet looking for a three ring binder.
“Hey, Vanessa? You there?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’m here. Have you been watching the news? What the heck is going on in Atlanta?” her voice sounded a little shaky. “I’ve been watching on the TV here at work, and it looks pretty bad. There are a lot of fires, and people running around panicking. Some of them are attacking other people. I know it sounds weird, but I think people are like, biting other people to death or something. I had to stop watching it, I was getting freaked out.”
“Babe, is there any chance you could maybe leave work early and come over to my place? There are some things I need to talk to you about.” I didn’t want to explain everything over the phone.
“Look, Eric, I’m really not in the mood to play around right now, okay. Don’t you ever think about anything other than sex?”
I paused. That one caught me completely off guard.
“I’m not...that’s not what...baby I’m not talking about sex. Believe me, sex is the furthest thing from my mind right about now. Listen, do you remember my friend Gabriel? The kind of tall, dark haired, rough looking guy?”
“You mean that creepy survivalist with all the scars? The guy that lives all alone in the woods, and is probably a serial killer or something? Yeah, I remember him. Why?”
I didn’t realize Vanessa had such a low opinion of Gabe.
“He called me today and told me some things I think you need to know. He used to work with the CDC in Atlanta, and he knows what is causing all the trouble down there. It’s pretty serious, babe. I think you should come over so we can talk about it. It’s the kind of thing that needs to be discussed face to face.”
“That guy used to work for the CDC? Is he a doctor or something?” She asked.
“No, he’s not.” I said. “He didn’t work for the CDC, he worked with them. He was a private security
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