Chapter 3

The pair talked until a car showed for Dr. Grey at dawn the next day. After a tearful departure Kayla felt cold and lost as she walked back into her home. She gave wistful one glance to the television, thinking she should check the news, but decided sleep was a more immediate priority.

When she woke at mid-afternoon she wished she'd checked the television. While she and her father had stayed up talking the U.S. had launched a massive assault into the heart of Russia. Lawmakers, with no military experience, had declared war upon Russia in hopes of securing the only known vaccine's necessary ingredients.

"The results have been devastating to both sides," yet another news reporter told his audience. The man was young, barely out of his teens, and Kayla guessed that the station was putting anyone who knew which end of the microphone to hold in front of the cameras. The young man shuffled his papers, "Reports say that the initial wave of attacks cost us almost every resource, which I take to mean both equipment and personnel-"

"Of course it does, idiot," Kayla snapped at the television.

"And we have unconfirmed reports that the Russians took similar losses.

"Congress has officially declared war on Russia and vows that we will not cease until we have secured the vital ingredients, whether through diplomatic means or force." He took a deep breath which Kayla echoed, feeling frustrated. "In other news, the vaccine we are now struggling for has proven to be extremely effective. Reports say that over sixty percent of our military forces at home and fifty percent abroad have been inoculated. Those inoculated have shown to be immune to the disease. Efforts are now being made to give the remaining to immunizations to critical political, agricultural, commercial and industrial leaders.

"Rioting continues to spread from not just our major cities but to minor cities and towns as well as the large loss of life has begun to halt the transportation of goods and services. Almost two hundred million deaths have been reported worldwide but the World Health Organization postulates that the death toll is much higher due to potentially no reports a lack of reports from areas where the devastation may be total." The man's face was replaced with grainy video of damaged buildings, flaming cars, and looters entering a grocery store. Kayla clicked off the television, disgusted and fearful.

A week later the news had grown grimmer still. Kayla sat curled up in her father's chair as she watched only peripherally aware that there were no other lights on in her neighborhood as darkness fell. The news agencies no longer bothered putting anchors before a camera, instead favoring a steam of information below shoddy video of violence in the major cities, most likely captured by cellphones.

Kayla hugged her knees and watched the screen with bloodshot eyes, rimmed by dark circles. Terrified that she would be overrun by the looters and rioters she saw on the news she had only slept a few fitful hours each day. The slightest noise caused her to tense and run her hand over the handgun strapped to her side.

She hadn't heard from her father since his departure and the lack of information, with open war upon them, made her fear the worst. Had his project been successful? With over a billion people now dead, was it worth it? She could only speculate as she worked daily to keep herself fed and sane. Kayla blinked slowly and her head drooped as the news streamed by. She slowly slumped into the chair, hoping to finally let sleep claim her, when the video cut and the scene cut to something new.

A middle aged man in a blue military uniform adorned with ribbons and insignia stood in front of a logo proclaiming him to be at the Pentagon. He leaned heavily on his wooden podium and stared to the right of the screen. With a nod to the people off-screen he turned to face the camera.

"My fellow Americans, good evening. Tonight I bring you grave news. With the death toll now at two billion human lives lost worldwide, seventy million alone here in America, there has still been no resolution with Russia to secure what is possibly the only way to halt this terrible pandemic."