No Good Beginning

Seth cried. Monica cried too, but for different reasons. Cole sat in rigid unbelief, his heart shattering with every beat. His blood pressure beat like a drum in his ears and finally a desperate howl erupted from deep inside. Len and Hollis stood clustered around him, holding his shaking body as the wracking sobs jolted his husky frame. The unrequited grief took its toll on everyone who had been close to Mark, Sherri and Bretta. Even Len shed the tears that had been pent up inside since the tragic deaths of those they had loved. It hadn't seemed real at first, but the truth was, none of this had seemed real, even as the stories came out and the coincidences became clear, the facts Nate and Lara had discovered were beyond remorse. They were cruel, in the darkest sort of way.

Everyone was gathered in the small dining room of Spruce Tree Terrace, where Nate and Lara sat at a table surrounded by the others with the opened briefcase in front of them. Their emotions spent, an uncomfortable silence ensued, which Len broke by saying they needed to hold a funeral.

Of course, it was agreed, and then Nate stood up.

"I'm just going to start this, because there is no good beginning. Everyone here without a Native American Bloodline, is subject to MCHVc. Don't ask me why, or how. The science is foreign to both Lara and me. Like we said before back at my mother's it was a bio-virus incubated in North Africa. Babies were injected with the virus, killing them within twenty-four hours." Nate hated to have to tell them how it got here, but it was in the notes so studiously kept by Claira Lottridge.

"They tested it in babies?" Keith asked with an unbelieving scowl.

"That would be true," Nathan replied reluctantly.

"Sick muther fuckers," Keith mumbled beneath his breath.

"It was never survivable, it was created in underground labs, somewhere in North Africa. An unknown patient zero contracted it and the virus was spread unknowingly in a matter of days. No one could do anything to stop it. It's a thousand times more volatile than any flu-like disease. It spreads through the bodily fluids but unlike a virus this spreads through a bite. The incubation period is the time it takes for the victim to die. Then, they change. Become rabid."

"When you do begin to show symptoms, death comes quick. Within hours," Keith added. "I saw it with my own eyes. We couldn't successfully save one patient and every single one turned into one of those things."

Lara nodded. "But Sherri was bitten. Now maybe her bite barely broke the skin, I don't know because she and Mark hid it from us."

"The bite acts differently Lara," Keith told her. "Native Americans may be immune, from the catalyst, which was the virus, but as for being immune from the bite, I'm not sure that's the case and I wouldn't place any bets on it right now."

"Now," Lara took a deep breath, "we have an issue to solve. Haven told us the Pregnancy Center residents were made to receive some kind of vaccine but she didn't get it because she had been staying with Seth. Sadly there is no way for us to know what happened to any of those girls. We have here what we believe they were injected with, but we don't know for sure. There are many more pages of documents to sift through.

Specifically, any documentation of the quarantine center. In the meantime, we have to keep strict health practices. Rois and Neala are quarantined and Haven as well. Only because the three of them were in contact with the people directly involved. Len decided it would be safer for us all to move up to Far View Lodge, then we can separate into rooms and take better care to avoid infection until I figure this out."

"This is what we'll do," Len provided. "Later today we'll have a service for Mark, Sherri and Bretta, and then we head up to Far View."

Everyone nodded in agreement, looking around. Ed Brody raised his hand. "I have a question though."

"Alright," Lara addressed him, "go ahead."

"If the children and this young lady are kept in quarantine, why don't you take them over to Far View now?"

"Ed," Nate answered, "they are kept in strict protocol. Haven knows the rules and the children are too young to understand. Its just safer to keep them separate. Deag takes care of them."

"Well, I think those particular people should all be kept away from the rest of us." Ed went on.

"So, that's why were moving to the lodge. It's bigger and we can separate like it has been said," Nathan tried to placate him.

"Well now that I know more of what is happening, I think they should be taken up there right away. Why should we be expected to take the chance of becoming infected Nathan," Ed shot back.

"Look," Len interrupted. "I will go ahead and take them up, if it will make things better. I can help them get situated and come back later."

Nathan gave Ed a hard look and shook his head. "Fine Len. I'll round up Deag and the kids."

Seth stood up then and announced he was going too. "I'm gonna stay with Haven. She'll need my help."

"Seth, do you think that's a wise idea," Lara asked. "I don't really think you should be putting yourself at risk."

"I don't give a damn. I'm going. We both have these protective suits, we'll be fine. Besides, she can't be alone in her condition, I can't believe you don't know that," Seth told her sarcastically.

"I do know it Seth, but what kind of help will you be. You aren't a doctor," Ed butted in, becoming annoyed with his stupidity.

Keith put his arm out. "Look, I will go up with them. It will be fine. I will help get her settled in and keep an eye on things," he assured Lara. "Besides it won't do anyone any good if we all keep arguing."

"Wow. I just can't believe he's so stubborn," Verbena whispered to Hollis. "I thought it was just a crush, but I guess I was wrong."

"It's alright, I promise I won't let him do anything stupid, okay?" Keith said again.

"Okay," Lara sighed. "You're right. We should have you there anyway, Keith, I should have thought of that right off."

"No problem, Lara. Don't even worry about a thing. We'll all be back together by tonight and things will work themselves out. I can give her a medical check-up as well and find out when she's due to give birth."

Lara and Donelle both nodded. "That's a good idea Keith."

"If Ya'll are ready, I'm ready," Len told them.

Ed watched from the back of the dining room as they all left, and then he went and found Nate.

"Look Nathan, I'm sorry I just don't see taking a chance with this is a good idea for me. If it's all the same to you, I think I would just as soon leave."

Nate looked long and hard at Ed. "If that's what you want to do, I won't stop you, but I think your making a mistake. We have things under control."

Ed Brody was already shaking his head. "I don't see that at all. Your sitting here with what could be an antidote at the very least and it seems like you're just ignoring that very fact."

"We aren't ignoring it Ed; dammit we just don't know yet. What do you want to do? Shoot yourself up with an unknown agent that could kill you if we're wrong."

"I think you do know. I think you're holding out because there isn't enough to go around. Makes sense to me. There are more of us than there are of those injections. Why wouldn't you save them for yourselves?"

"Oh my god Ed. I think you do need to be on your way, if that's how you feel. The last thing we need is dissention."

Ed gave Nate a strange contorted smile. "Exactly. So, hand over one of those syringes and I'll be on my way."

"No, Ed. You get supplies and a vehicle. Nothing else." Nathan said slowly to the man he once thought he knew well.

"Wrong answer, Nathan." Ed whispered back as he produced a small hand gun from his pocket. "You're going to get me one of those syringes, and right now."

"Ed, listen," Nate tried to reason with Ed. "You don't have to do this. I swear if I knew that's what they were I would give you one. There could be enough for one person in a single syringe or enough for an army. We do not know yet."

Ed raised the gun and leveled it on Nathans face. "I could fuck you up with one shot. I don't want to, but I will. And I don't give a damn about the dosage. Now walk over there and get one."

Nathan turned and Ed turned with him, right into the barrel of a shotgun held by Buck.

"I'll drop you like a gnat on a horses' ass, asshole. Now throw down the piece and start walking."

Ed's arm dropped to his side and the pistol clattered as it hit the floor.

Nathan went straight over to Lara and hustled her into the kitchen as Buck kept aim on the back of Ed Brody's head. Ed shuffled to the door that led to the veranda.

"Stay in here Lara," he told her as he went, picked up the pistol and followed Buck out the door.

Hollis, Verbena, Cole and Monica ran over and stood with Lara and they watched out the window as Nathan proceeded to beat the hell out of Ed Brody.

Buck stood back and kept the shotgun raised but said nothing as Nathan kicked Ed's ass and hammered him to the floor.

"You sorry ass, son-of-a-bitch," Nate grunted, picking him up.

He threw one more fist which hit Ed square in the eye and then drug him off the veranda and down the steps to where all the vehicles were parked. He handed him the keys to the SUV Mark and Sherri had driven there. "Get the hell out, and make sure you don't come back. If I see you from any where on this property, I'll kill you."

Nathan and Buck backed up as Ed got in the little black Sportage and drove away.

Suddenly Lara was beside Nathan and she put her arm around his waist. "Come on, lets get you cleaned up."

Nate followed her without a word, of which she was thankful. Inside she took him through the restaurant kitchen and back to the restroom, grabbing a first aid kit as she went.

"Dammit Nate what were you thinking out there."

Nathan jerked around to face her. "I'll tell you what I was thinking Halburg," he said pulling her against his chest. "I was thinking I didn't want to die before having a chance to kiss your lips," he declared huskily as his mouth crushed hers passionately.

He savored the red smile that had taunted him on so many levels and his hands wrestled through her brunette waves clenching the back of her head and holding her close.

His lips played across hers, hard and unrelenting but gently nipping and he deepened the pressure with the taste of her in his mouth and the scent of her in his nostrils.

He ran his tongue across her lower lip and she opened her mouth to him with a faint cry of some kind of need which he recognized as feeling himself and then he was tenderly kissing her, slowly, sweetly, he kissed her cheeks, forehead, chin and eyebrows before finding his way back to those red lips.

She returned his ardor with her own, finding his ponytail and hanging on, pouring herself into his body as if tomorrow might not find them alive.

He caressed her back and reluctantly pulled away from her, while keeping her encircled in his arms. Even that short distance from him was shocking to her soul and she knew she wanted to stay there forever.

"I want to be with you Lara," he whispered into her hair.

The words pierced her like a fast-moving bullet from a long way off and she nodded. "I know."

He looked at the dancing sparkle in the blue endless deep of her eyes and smiled. "Good. It will keep me from having to explain myself when it happens. Now go on, I can handle this, cause I'm afraid if you touch me anymore, I'll make good on my threat," he said lightly.