The Virus

Chapter 1 The Virus

Atlanta, Georgia is a beautiful place to visit. It is truly the south and exhibits all of the southern charms we associate with the south. Great barbeque pork, beautiful women and Cheetah III, one of this countries best nude gentlemen's clubs. I was there on business visiting Atlanta for a couple of weeks when the holocaust hit the entire nation. It happened so fast and was so devastating that no one had a chance to determine how it happened or do anything about it.

Apparently some radical terrorist group had figured out how to deliver a fatal virus to the entire country. Within twenty-four hours 95% of the population came down with a very severe flu like virus that proved fatal within the next 48 to 72 hours. How it was delivered or spread they didn't have time to find out. It swept the country very fast. Overnight the hospitals were overwhelmed. People were dying in the streets; it was as though the end of the world had come. Anarchy erupted almost immediately. Looting, shootings, utter chaos prevailed. Virtually all infrastructures ceased to operate. With no one to operate the power, phones, water, you name it, they quite working. People were looting stores, stealing cars, robbing everything, all to no avail, as they couldn't take it with them when they got sick and died.

When I came down with this flu, I had no idea what was happening. I stayed in my hotel room in bed, watching TV the first day and then it quit. The phones went dead and the radio stations went down also. The Cell phone system also went down the second day. Unfortunately, before I had decided that I should call someone. All communications systems were dead. Late the second day the power went off. Sick as I was I now began to get worried. I was running a fever, throwing up and had diarrhea real bad. The only thing that I had with me was a bottle of extra strength Tylenol that seemed to ease my aching joints.

My hotel was near downtown Atlanta and my view out my third floor windows was shocking. Fires, looting, people running, sick people everywhere that I could see. This was very bad. How bad I had yet to understand. For the next three days I spent my time between the bed and the bathroom, mostly in the bathroom. It's a bitch when you need to sit on the stool and also hold a waste can to puke in at the same time. I had never had the flu so bad. My fifty-eight year old body was being hammered pretty hard. I must have lost at least 15 lbs. in those three days. That put me just under 200 lbs. I had intended to loose some weight, but not this way. After three days of being racked by this flu I started to feel better, not much, but a little. I was weak as hell and had no energy.

On the morning of the fourth day I got up and decided that I needed to go out and get something to eat. I was hungry, and needed a shower badly. I showered. The water was still running and evidently the gas was still working, as there was hot water. I took a long hot shower and felt much better. I dried, shaved and dressed and left my room. The elevators weren't working so I walked down three flights of stairs to the hotel lobby. There was no one there. I decided to have a look outside. Once outside it felt good to be out in the warm spring sun. I noticed a very distinct odor in the air. It was the smell of death and the dead. I had smelled it before in Viet Nam, so I knew what it was. There was also an eerie silence; there were no sounds of the city or people. I noticed a couple of bodies, but no other people. No movement, just silence. I walked down the street a couple of blocks. Store windows were broken out as they had been looted. I was getting hungrier by the minute. I needed to find something to eat. I decided to go back to the hotel and see if there was anything in the hotel kitchen. Back at the hotel I walked through the lobby into the coffee shop, again there was no one there. I went behind the counter to the grill and turned it on. The gas flame on the burner fired. I went into the prep kitchen and opened the refrigerator. It was not running, but having been closed and not opened the foodstuff inside was still cool. I gathered up some eggs, butter, ham, shredded potatoes and orange juice. I took these back out to the grill. I went back and found some bread and strawberry jam. I took these to the grill. I heated up a couple of frying pans and cooked the ham, hash brown and eggs. I toasted the bread over one of the burners and sat down to breakfast. I ate what I had cooked and got up and cooked a second helping. I was hungry and it tasted wonderful.

Once sated I decided to go back up to my room and take a nap. I was tired and my full belly was making me drowsy. When I got to the door of my room my magnetic key failed to open the door. Now wasn't this a hell of a deal. All my belongings were in my room and I couldn't get in. I went back down to the lobby and then toward the rear of the hotel. I found the janitors/maintenance room and got a crowbar and a hammer. I went back up to my room and pried and beat the door open. Those steel doors are tough. I finally got in by knocking off the door handle and then tripping the door latch with my finger. Once inside I lay down and dozed off immediately.

I awoke later hungry again. I went back down to the coffee shop kitchen area found some things to eat and prepared my dinner. I had found a steak, corn on the cob, potatoes and some asparagus that were all good. As I sat eating my dinner I contemplated my situation. I wasn't sure what had happened, but I was sure that it was catastrophic. Here I was in Atlanta, Georgia, 3500 miles from my home in Southern California.

I decided that I needed to get back to the west coast. Driving seemed to be the only way. I was sure that there were no airlines flying. I ruled out a motorcycle, a car or pickup seemed a logical choice. The pickup offered more capacity to haul what I would need to make the trip. I was weighing my options carefully. I didn't know what was out there and would need to prepare for any eventually. A thousand thoughts raced through my head as I tried to figure out what had happened and how extensive the virus had affected the whole country. Little did I realize that the effects of the virus were massive.

Chapter 2 Preparing For The Trip

I retired early as the next day was going to be busy. I rose early and went down to the coffee shop kitchen and made some breakfast. After breakfast I packed my belongings and left the hotel and started walking down the street. Looted stores were everywhere. There were a few bodies of the dead. The whole downtown landscape was devastated. Within a few blocks I found a car that still had the keys in it and loaded my baggage into the back seat of the Toyota and a headed out. As I drove around the city it became clear to me that the flu virus had wiped out virtually all of the population. I saw no living people. This was bad, very bad!

After thinking it over as I drove around I decided that a pickup wasn't going to work to get me home. I was not going to be able to haul enough to make the trip; especially if I was going to take enough with me to make the whole trip. There seemed to be only two viable choices. One was a tractor-trailer; this would allow me to take as much as I needed in the trailer. The other would be to get a large motor home and a trailer. This seemed to be the best choice. A motor home would proved me with self-contained living accommodations and the trailer enough space to haul extra fuel, and what tools I might need. I stopped at a convenience store and picked up a newspaper and looked up ads for motor home dealers. I also grabbed some maps of Atlanta, Georgia and the rest of the states that I thought I would be traveling through.

I picked out the RV dealer with the biggest ad and drove over to their location. There must have been over 200 motor homes in this place. I spent a couple of hours walking around the place looking. There was a lot to choose from. Eventually I selected a 40' 0' diesel pusher bus sized motor home with caterpillar power. The price tag on this window said $425,000 and it showed it. I thought I might as well steal the best if I was going to take one. The interior had a rear bedroom that was more luxurious than most hotel rooms. There were also two bunk beds just forward of the rear bedroom, with the bathroom across from the bunks. It also featured a full kitchen galley, and all leather furniture. This was real luxury. I also picked out a thirty foot three axle enclosed trailer. I found the keys to the units I wanted in the back room of the office. I hooked up the trailer, loaded my meger belongings into the motor home and pulled out.

The first problem that needed to be solved was fuel. As electrical power was out everywhere I would need to find a way to get fuel out of the in ground tanks at fuel stations and into the motor home. I located a fuel supply store and loaded a 750-gallon heating oil storage tank into the trailer and secured it. There was also an electric pump and hose that I could use to transfer the fuel. The motor home had a high output diesel generator that would supply power for the electric pump. I stopped at the first station that had diesel fuel and filled the 150-gallon tank in the motor home and the storage tank that was in the trailer. If my calculations were correct, at 7 MPG the 900 gallons of fuel that I had would be more than adequate to get me to California.

I found a Camping World store a short way from where I fueled up. Here I shopped for everything I could think of to supply and support the motor home including folding chairs and table for outside use. I also picked up a propane-fired barbeque along with several bottles of propane, which I loaded into the trailer.

Next stop was stop was at a grocery store. I turned on the refrigerator so it would be cool incase that I found any perishables that were still good. I spent the rest of the afternoon in the grocery store supplying the motor home with as much food stocks, cleaning supplies and personal hygiene goods as I could load into it. I also stocked up on what first aid supplies I could find. What supplies that wouldn't fit in the motor home cabinets I stored in the trailer. I spent that night in the grocery store parking lot.

I felt it would take me a couple more days to completely supply for the trip across country. I spent a little time listing the things that I would need and laid out a plan to obtain the things that I wanted to get.

I still had not seen any life about and this began to worry me. I wondered why and how I had survived when virtually everyone else seemed to have perished. I didn't have a good answer for that question at all. I also wondered about what it was that killed off most of the population and how it had happened. I retired early, as I was still not fully recovered from my bout with the flu. Tomorrow was another day; maybe I'd find some answers then.

I woke early as was my habit and pulled out to continue my requisitioning of things that I wanted for the trip. The next item on my list was to secure some tools. I stopped at the first car dealership that I passed. In the service area I selected the largest snap on toolbox that I could find and went through it to see what was there. As I pushed it out to the trailer I stopped at several other toolboxes and finished getting the tools I wanted. I loaded the toolbox into the trailer and secured it.

Next stop was at a mega hardware store. Here I got an air compressor, rope, some hammers, axe, saws, tie down straps, shovel, fuel cans, and other things that I thought that I might require.

I still didn't see any signs of life. The smell of dead decomposing bodies was everywhere. It was most prevalent in the residential areas of the city. I supposed that large numbers of people had died in their homes. There were a few bodies outside and in vehicles. This was a disaster of major proportions.

As I passed by a large mall I decided to stop and see if there was anything that I needed there. Once inside the mall I picked up what clothing I thought I would need along with a couple of pair of good boots. Doing laundry was not on my list of things to do. When my clothes got dirty I planned to just throw them away and put on new, as they were readily available. I also got linens and towels for the bed and bath. I passed all the jewelry stores as these items were of little value or use to me. As I passed Victoria's Secret I wondered if there were any women who had survived the flu. Once all my mall requisitions (I liked that term better than stolen) were stored and secured I fired up the motor home to find my next supply requisition stop.

I don't claim to be a boy scout, but I do believe in being prepared and arming myself seemed a prudent thing to do. I found the largest gun/sporting goods store in Atlanta. I didn't have to break in as someone had already done that. I knew what I wanted and proceeded to locate the firearms that I required. I found a shopping cart and started loading up the weapons that I wanted. First, I selected two Smith & Wesson 686 .357 caliber revolvers, then two Beretta 9mm semi auto pistols. While looking through the used guns for sale I found two matched highly modified 1911 Colt STS combat .45 semi automatics. Just for the hell of it I also picked up a Colt Single action revolver in .45 long colt. In the rifle section I took a Winchester model 194 lever action in 30-30, a Winchester model 70 in .306 with scope and a very nice Beretta 12 gauge semi auto shot gun. The real find for me though was an M14. I had carried one of these dudring my tour of duty in Viet Nam and loved this rifle. Just for the hell of it I also grabbed an AR15. This may seem like overkill, but as long as I wasn't paying for them I thought it a good idea to be well armed. I gathered up a 1000 rounds of ammunition for each weapon as well as a variety of leather for the pistols and revolvers so that they could be easily carried. I found extra magazines for all of the semiautomatic guns. I also got cleaning gear to cover all my requisitioned weapons. I stowed the weapons in the motor home. I loaded several and put them in easily accessed locations in both the motor home and the trailer. I strapped on one of the Colt 1911 government pistols and felt much more secure.

Now well armed, fueled and supplied I felt ready to depart Atlanta. As I headed out of town to US highway 20 to Birmingham, Alabama I spotted a Harley Davidson Dealer. An inspiration struck me and I pulled in. I thought it would nice to have a motorcycle to use for scouting around on and I had the space to put it in the trailer. I parked the motor home and went into the dealership. There were at least a hundred motorcycles to choose from. I spent a couple of hours looking at the bikes and finally decided on a new 1200cc Sportster. This would be good for what I intended to use it. I found several five-gallon full fuel cans in the service department. I fueled the Sportster up and made a few laps around the parking lot just make sure that it ran good. I loaded it in the back of the trailer and secured it with tie down straps.

Chapter 3 Betty

As I entered the motor home to leave a movement across the street in a convenience store caught my eye. I didn't start the motor home, but just sat there and watched. Within a few minutes a woman came out the store with two bags of stuff and headed down the street. I jumped out of the motor home and ran down the street after her. I must have scarred her as she took off running. This was the first live person that I had seen in a week and I wasn't going to let her get away before talking to her. She was pretty fast and it was all I could do to catch up to her. She cut off the sidewalk and through a park. I finally caught up with her and tackled her, as she would not stop at my calls to her. As I held her down on the grass she was screaming and shouting and fighting back as hard as she could. I held her down to subdue her until she gave up in exhaustion.

"I'm not going to hurt you I just want to talk to you. Please calm down and listen to me," I told her repeatedly. "My name is Jerry and all I want to do is talk to you, please listen to me."

Eventually she calmed a little. "What do you want with me, don't hurt me, just let me go," she yelled.

"Take it easy, all I want to do is talk. Please."

I released her and she moved away from me a couple of feet. We just set there on the grass in the park looking at each other.

"My name is Jerry and you are the first live person that I have seen in a week. Just talk to me then you can go."

She looked at me warily. Finally she spoke, "My name is Betty. And I saw two guys two days ago."

"Really, where were they? Did you speak to them?" I asked

"They were about two miles from here, and no I didn't really speak to them. They tried to rape me. I kicked one of them in the balls while the other one had his pants around his ankles and I got away."

"Are you ok?" I asked.

"Yea, I'm ok I guess. Mostly just scared," she replied. "What's happened to everyone? They are all dead."

"Did you get the flu?" I asked.

"Yes, I had it for about four days. It was pretty bad. When I recovered and went out was when I found that everyone had died. I was so scared, still am for that matter. Do you know what has happened?"

"I'm not sure, but I think the flu was what did it. Somehow I don't think it was a natural phenomenon. Some of us, a very few, had some kind of resistance to it killing us, most people did not and died. Do you live around here?" I asked.

"I live a couple of blocks from here."

I brushed some grass out of her hair, "I'm sorry that I scared you and tackled you, but I really wanted to talk to you. Please forgive me for scaring you."

"No apology necessary, I'm ok now. Do you live here?" she asked.

"No, I am here in Atlanta on business. I live in Southern California and I guess I'm stranded here. I was planning on driving back. In fact I was just getting ready to leave town when I saw you. Let me offer you a ride home. That's the least that I can do for you."

"Thanks, I'll take you up on that. It's not far from here," she accepted.

As we walked back to my motor home I couldn't help but check her out. She was a 30 to 35 year old brunette with a good figure. Her body was trim and fit, just very nice and attractive. She had a very pretty face that could have belonged to a much younger woman. She was only about 5'2" and she was very lucky that she had escaped her would be attackers.

Upon entering the motor home she was very impressed. "This is beautiful, absolutely gorgeous! Where did you get this?" she asked.

"I just picked it up at the local RV dealer, I didn't think they would mind considering the way things are. Do you have family here in Atlanta?" I asked.

"No, both parents died a few years ago, I'm an only child. Been divorced for almost eight years, and you."

Divorced for ten years now, both parents deceased. I have no ties at all here in Atlanta."

"I guess that I don't have any ties here really either. No job now, no family, no friends that I can find. Just so many gone," she said as she started to weep.

We pulled up in front of her home at that moment. After I shut the motor home down I held her as she wept. I couldn't make it all better or everything that had happened go away. The least I could do was comfort her in this moment. Soon she regained her composure and we went into her house. She went to the bathroom to clean up while I sat in the living room waiting for her.

I wanted to get on the road-heading west, but I also didn't really want to leave her here by herself. I thought the best thing that I could do was ask her to go with me. She came into the living room shortly, face washed, clothes changed and looking very attractive.