I managed to drag the doctor to the side and handed him some of my clothes and instructed him to put them into good us. His humility was one was one to admire as he bowed out of respect and the surprisingly tore the clothes to bits.
I did not understand why until I saw him wrap each one of the torn pieces on his wrists, around his neck and his ankles. These were the main points he noticed the zombies attacked when they pounced on their next victims. Who would have thought I would have learnt something from him.
* * *
The helicopters had taken off a few minutes back after two of the five helicopters had jammed but managed to leave the ground soon after being assessed. Up in the sky was the perfect place to show the view of the disaster that had dawned. Cars were being driven at high speeds and carelessly, whereas other places had been under total lockdown with barriers placed in different checkpoints.
The better part of china was still peaceful, businesses continuing as usual since the news had not broken out into the crowds as a matter of national emergency. The China airport nonetheless was busy than usual with various government motorcades docking its field. It was clear to me the government was still holding the actual news from its citizens, otherwise everyone would be running riot on the borders.
Numerous checkpoints had been put in place and this was only beefed up for the local people. If you thought smuggling was difficult, you are definitely right, it is difficult up until the people in the higher ranks are involved.
Back in the days you would find it difficult to smuggle even an ounce of cocaine, and with this magnitude of a pandemic, the business was set to rise. Even the richest would pay whatever it cost to flee to safety and this was the business that was already picking up, that explains the small airplane fields I spotted deep in the outcasts of the city.
Initially, the penalties for smuggling were so severe with almost various security measures put in place; the borders strengthened with the police and their watch dogs used as sniffers to detect any hidden drugs. Drug lords and smugglers had their businesses rough; having been at the fore front in the Narco world before rolling back the years, I understand how tough it is.
The brave make a killing out of it, especially if your bribes are 30% times more than their regular pay, who would say No!? Even the rich want to become richer and would never reject that kind of money. With all the necessary obstacles taken care of, smuggling by air has evolved over the years.
Don't get me wrong, all the necessary precautions were always looked and re-assessed carefully, one would easily sabotage your plans, even though you gave them the millions of dollars you had promised, of course this was part of business and someone always has a better deal to offer.
And here was a plaque of waking zombies the public knew nothing of, the flights of their leaders arranged with both the state agencies and some by the underground cartels. The rich always have the most to loose and that was what they were trying to prevent according to them.
The United States of America, the land where I belonged, welcomed me with a breath of fresh air. I never felt any closer to my two girls than I did the minute I landed. As usual, the press were always on the lookout, trying to twist any story to grace their newspapers. This time they had been locked out in order to transport the zombies into their new home for more research, in confidentiality.
You would not want to know what would happen if the news of the very monsters people are running from were delivered into the country first hand. If anything happened to leak to the press, the government would fully be under criticism.
"I'm glad you are back safe," Ava was always there to meet me, even back in the days. She had not changed much with her broad smile and deep eyes helped by the glasses she put on which made her more beautiful.
"Yes! I'm glad too. Nice to see you again, you look taller," she did look taller as I watched her move towards me. "How long has it been since we saw each other, 3 years!?."
"Actually it has been 5 years Bradley Cooper," she said as though she had memorized the exact date of when we last met. I already knew it had been 5 years and I want to down play it and make it less awkward of how I had kept track of the years too and how much I wished to make this better again as good friends.
On the other hand, the airport had been completely shut down and only government cars and know business men oozed in every minute that passed. They had all been summoned and some appeared to get the grip of the state of the nation, not to save humanity, but to secure themselves, their wealth and the safety of their families.
"Sergeant Burrows!"
"Bradley Cooper! you are finally here. I wanted to personally congratulate you and your bravery to help with this discovery."
"I'm just doing my job sir," I answered, as my superior approached to shake my hands.
"Now we need you and your colleague Ava to get to the bottom of this and see if a cure can be found; I believe you two know each other already, even more than I do," we all knew what meant by that as he took off to be part of the meeting that was chaired by the president.
Two hours passed and they were adjourned, no one mummered any constructive that I could take with me as they moved passed us, seated on the waiting bench right outside the boardroom.
The sergeant approached us at the corridor of the offices which was inside the airport and he too said nothing other than asking him to take our discussions to his main office. The things they had been discussing might have been serious to attract various wealthy people and leaders from different parts of the country and outside. It was clear to us there was more to this tale and we were being kept in the dark.