Episode 14

Abdul al Assam had reached Montreal on flight 243 whilst darkness still reigned. A tall but cold individual, he had not realised that his flight had passed over the quiet hamlet that he was destined to visit.

After passing passport control, he had found a convenient taxi that would take him on the long drive north. As he sat in the rear, evil thoughts flooded his tortured mind.

The sun had just risen when he checked into the small hotel, the porter showing him up to the second floor room. After paying the young man, Abdul sat upon the single bed and opened his knapsack carefully.

His eyes fell upon the small leather pouch and shaking it lightly, he saw the small red pill plop into his sweating palm.

“I just hope it does what it is meant to do.”

He swallowed it easily, wet saliva doing most of the job before he counted off the hour.

He sat there staring into space, as his temperature began to rise rapidly, as his eyes turned bloodshot.

As the sudden fever escalated, he became rapidly dizzy, his fading vision watching pinpricks of blood appearing across his skin.

He staggered into the washroom now, gazing into the small wall mirror. He could not believe how red his eyes had become. Even as blood trickled from them. His stomach suddenly convulsed and bending over, wretched violently.

The thick bloody sputum spattered the floor before Abdul collapsed at last.

It was morning once more when the manager enquired of the bellboy about the sleepy guest.

“Did you see him yesterday?”

“No sir. Not since he entered the room.”

“That is rather odd. I just hope he is all right. I better do one of my courtesy calls.”

He took the lift to the second floor and was soon knocking upon room forty-nine.

“Hello? Mr Assam...Are you alright sir?”

When silence greeted him, the manager removed his passkey and entered slowly.

“He does not appear to be here.”

He glanced around and headed for the washroom.

“Oh crikey!”

His guest lay upon the floor quite dead. Around him lay a large pool of congealed blood.

The manager backed away in rising alarm and dashing to the phone, called for an ambulance.

The Memorial Hospital had been quiet that morning as Abdula was brought inside.

He was taken at once to the morgue and the crew continued with their essential job of transporting the sick and injured.

“So what do we have here?” the mortician said as she drew back the sheet.

She scanned the corpse and checked off the nametag attached to the big toe. She proceeded with the initial exam slowly. She noted the dried blood upon the cheeks as well as the patch at the ears.

“This is really strange. I better check the tongue.”

She forced the mouth open and saw the thickly bloated organ, now a distinctive green colour due to putrefaction.

“It can’t be. Only one way to check this now.”

She forced the body onto its cold shoulder and inserted a gloved finger inside the anus. As it withdrew, fresh livid blood was clearly visible. The mortician turned rigid with absolute terror.

She washed the gloved hands carefully before discarding them and
picked up the waiting phone. When the director answered, she whispered the awful truth.

“I have just examined a case of Ebola sir. You will have to inform the mayor and bring that ambulance crew back.”

She heard the exasperated response and nodded.

“I strongly suggest full quarantine procedures at once. If this gets out, the entire town will suffer.”

She replaced the handset and muttered, “Now get a grip my dear.”

She found a roll of plastic sheeting and began to wrap the infected corpse up.

Like all politicians, Tim was full of hot air and bluster, but today he had been smart enough to activate emergency plans.

Now he sat with reps of the police, army, and health department, wondering whether his town would survive the experience.

“So what do we know about Ebola?”

The health rep took a long breath and opened this important meeting.

“It originated in Zaire during the fifties and raises its head from time to time. Within a week of incubation, a fever develops with resulting headache. Within forty-eight hours, the victim collapses after bleeding out. Infection rates are high sir.”

“So how did he travel from Montreal to here? Surely he should have collapsed down there?”

“We are looking into that sir.”

“How about the ambulance crew and mortician?”

“They have been isolated and we are awaiting test results for infection.”

“At least that looks okay. That hotel needs to be isolated by armed police. At least the hospital has sealed itself off.”

The police rep spoke up.

“I simply do not have enough staff to seal of the town mayor. The army will have to assist us.”

“Do we need to go that far?”

The health rep nodded grimly.

“Okay major, call the troops out but lethal force is not required at this stage. A simple weapon should put the populace off.”

“I’ll arrange it sir.”

“Anything else we need to do at this stage?”

“I want the school closed and a public broadcast to advise people to remain at home.”

The mayor thought this over.

“That smacks of an over response to me. People need to shop but I will close the picture house.”

“That could be a serious mistake sir. We really don’t want the infected walking around.”

“Your option would lead to panic in my view. I’ll order the closure of the garages. That at least will secure the fuel supply.”

The meeting had reached a natural conclusion and as it broke up, the mayor said a silent prayer.

At the Bugel, Ben had been typing up his story concerning the recent deaths. He had of course left the vamps out of it. He had only just typed the final line when his editor wandered over.

“I just got a weird call from a member of the public. She says that armed police are sealing off the Bear Hotel on Palace Road.”

Ben knew it well.

“Sounds like a hostage situation to me. Want to check it out?”

“You can do that but keep in touch eh? Is that your piece?”

He handed it over as the editor read the report.

“You and that woman were damn lucky to escape the blast. The fire service reported a huge crater.”

“Luck seems to be my middle name sir. Only my car was trashed.”

The editor smiled and tossed him a set of keys.

“You can use one of the press cars. Take a peek at the hotel but try not to get shot.”

Ben pulled his trench coat around his shoulders and wandered out to the car park. He was soon making his way to the south ring road where the hotel was located.

As he pulled into the car park, he spotted the two heavily armed police.

“Those are automatics. Something else is going on.”

He scribbled a description onto his pad before climbing out. He had hardly moved when an officer shouted a grisly warning.

“That is far enough sir. We have our orders.”

Ben found his pass and waived it at them.

“I’m press. Can you at least...?”

He suddenly stopped in mid sentence as a weapon was trained upon him.

“Now wait a minute.”

“Back in the car sir. We won’t warn you again!”

The puzzled reporter turned slowly and did so. As he sat there sweating he phoned his boss.

“I was nearly shot sir. No sign of other activity though. This is certainly not a hostage situation.”

“What do you want to do Ben?”

“I have an idea sir. This may take some time to piece together.”

As he drove off into the glaring sun, within that hotel the bellboy was not feeling well.

“I seem to have a temperature sir.”

The manager looked at him grimly.

“I’ll get that medic to check you over.”

Without Ben’s knowledge an isolation team had arrived with the police, each man dressed in a full NBC suit. As the manager approached, the senior officer turned to greet him.

“I told you before sir, no one leaves.”

“My boy feels ill. Can you check him out?”

The officer nodded and found the young man sitting in the manager’s office.

“Open your mouth.”

When the boy did so, the officer gazed at his red but swollen tongue.

“I’ll have him removed sir.”

“You mean I have this?”

The medic shook his head.

“Just a precaution. We still need to isolate you though.”

The medic called a special ambulance and waited its arrival with some concern.

Ben had now stopped the car outside the police station. He called a familiar number and heard Harris respond.

“Do you know anything about the Bear Hotel incident?”

This was news to the detective.

“I have not been informed. What’s up?”

“Two armed bozos threatened to shoot me. The premises have been sealed off.”

“Hold it a second. My boss is calling a meeting. I’ll phone you back.”

When the phone went dead, Ben shook his head.

“Perhaps it’s about the hotel? There is another way to check this.”

He smiled at his smart mind and swung the car back toward the south ring road, happily whistling to himself.

As he approached it, Ben was astonished to see military trucks blocking the slip road. Each one was in the process of disgorging heavily armed troops. Ben brought the car to a halt and stared in disbelief.

“They are sealing the town off. What the hell is going on?”

His mobile rang and the voice of Harris interrupted his train of thought.

“I’ve just come from that meeting Ben. We have a major public health emergency.”

“I can see that. The army are closing off the southern ring road. Do you know what we are dealing with?”

There was a short pause before the detective said, “It’s Ebola my friend.”

The call disconnected as the shocked reporter absorbed the awful news.