Rise of the Plague (Book 0): The Sickness (Monte's Story) by Jeannie Rae Page A

grandparents. She’ll never get off that bus, if I tell her I have a hunch that things aren’t what they seem.
    Looking behind me, I see that no one has come after me. A sharp pain surges from my scabbed wrist and shoots all the way up my arm. I keep jogging. I can’t do this, I can’t leave without Annabelle. She needs me and I need her—I have to go back for her . With my eyes on my wrist, I reach for the sleeve but my momentum suddenly stops. It feels like I have run into a wall. Stumbling backward I look at obstacle and see the very soldier from the bus ride here, the one that told me about the bus to Blue Falls. Lieutenant Lunatic. I open my mouth to speak, but he already has me at the elbow escorting me back around the building.
    “I was just—” I whisper breathlessly.
    “Trying to find the bus?” He says. “That’s alright, I’m sure you got turned around. Here, let me take you there—personally,” his voice sounds more like a growl.
    I don’t know what to say, so I say nothing. His tight grip on my elbow conveys the message that he knew what I was attempting. How did he know I made it out? He must have seen me leave and sprinted out one of the other exits to cut me off.
    The buildings and businesses surrounding the arena do look empty. It’s Saturday, these places should be abuzz with shoppers. Aside from the vacant streets, all of the businesses look closed. As Lieutenant Lunatic leads me toward the bus, I notice that there are no cars. None parked on the street, nor driving around—even the parking structure across from the parked bus, is empty.
    My mind goes back to the conversation I’d overheard in the ladies room. Those women were right, it’s like the whole area has been evacuated or something. Why would they clear out this area? We all went through decontamination and are okay.
    My wrist itches again and my whole arm aches. I can’t understand why it’s bothering me, but then again, I haven’t been able to look at it. The shooting pain that began behind the building subsided right after I had my run in with Lieutenant Lunatic, but I still feel discomfort in it. I can’t look at my arm or show any favor to my injury—while he is here—or it will be the end of me.
    There’s only one bus ahead, it’s a tour bus. Like the one I’d taken on my eighth grade trip to Funland, three hours away. Definitely a step up from the school bus we used to get here, this one will have a bathroom in the back and reclining seats with confetti upholstery. I haven’t even boarded it yet, but I already know.
    “What happened to the school bus?” I ask softly.
    “The school busses are for local transport,” he says officially. “It’s a long ride to Blue Falls—this bus will get us there with no stops.”
    As Lieutenant Lunatic and I approach the bus, he escorts me up the steps and forces me to sit in the first seat behind the driver.
    “Monte,” Annabelle calls out from the rear of the bus.
    “I’m gonna go sit with my friend,” I say, rising from my seat.
    He shoves me back by my shoulder into my seat, without a word. Waving at Annabelle to come forward, he reviews a clipboard that hangs behind the driver’s seat.
    “Hey—” I say, rubbing my shoulder. He can’t push me like that or make me sit here. There has to be someone I can report this psycho to.
    “Listen, you are not going to be a problem on this bus,” he kneels down and whispers to me. “Do you understand? I remember you. We were on the same bus over here. If you become a problem, I’ll take you out behind a bush. Got it?”
    He stands back up and looks at his clip board once more. Did he just threaten to kill me if I didn’t behave? He can’t do that. But he already did—to the old lady. No one even asked questions except the driver, who really didn’t push the issue. This guy could probably kill us all and not even get in trouble for it. He could tell the cops or his boss that we all had the sickness. I’m starting