The Beginning of the End (Book 1): Toward the Brink Read Free Page A

I
don’t
know where they take them.”
    “Shouldn’t someone from the government or the police be informed?”
    “The CDC is a government body, and we have been told not to involve the police in these matters. Giving birth prematurely to a deformed child is horrifying to say the least, but it’s hardly a crime.”
    “But surely if a link between the growth hormone and the births could be shown, that would be enough for a criminal investigation, wouldn’t it?”
    Bronden could see that this young nurse needed more convincing; to see the secret government agents whisking children off into the night wasn’t good enough. It was time to put the fear of God into her as it had been done to herself not so long ago.
    “The thing is, my dear, the producers of the growth hormone own more than half of the potato farms in the country now and certainly all the large ones. They have controlling interests in all the fast food chains, the chip companies, the frozen markets, you name it. It has found its way into many other food sources through potato byproducts. Even the meat we eat will soon contain the growth hormone as the animals will be fed from a potato-dominated grain mixture. They have so much money and power that they decide who makes it to Congress, which judge gets elected; they even decide on who the local sheriff will be and which hospitals get the funding they need. Now, if normal people like you and I wanted to inform the law or make a public complaint, we would disappear like the deformed children.” Bronden raised her hand in front of the wide-eyed nurse’s face and snapped her fingers. “Just like that!”
    The young nurse visually flinched when Bronden snapped her fingers. Bronden was sure she got her point across. The experienced nurse kept an eye on her younger colleague as she left the supply room. When she was out of hearing range, Bronden made a call on her cell phone.
    “It’s me,” she whispered. “I had a good, long talk with her, and I’m sure she understands. She won’t be any trouble. I’ll keep my eye on her nevertheless.”
    She paused while she listened to her instructions.
    “Yes, yes I will. You can count on me.”
    Pleased with herself, Nurse Bronden went back to her duties. She wondered for a moment whether or not she’d sounded too enthusiastic then shrugged it off. As long as she did what was required of her, it didn’t matter how she sounded, did it? And she didn’t feel bad for lying because she had told the curious young nurse the truth … well, basically. She’d only left out that many doctors, senior nurses, law enforcement, and government officials were a part of the whole sordid mess.
    She got back to the nurses’ station when it hit her like a bucket of water in the face.
How long before people start dying from this?
she asked herself.
And what will I do then?
“Oh, my Lord,” she said aloud.

Three
    Three months later, a calm had descended upon Twin Falls. A new school year had started, the weather was pleasant, and no deformed infants had been born. Hospitals, medical centers, and clinics had very few incidents of anyone displaying symptoms as before. The three friends that had spent their last close moments together at a burger joint had each started on new journeys. Allan was in college studying for his degree in network design. Elliot and his father had opened up their surplus store practically in the center of Twin Falls. The Goodwins had found the extra hours they put in at the start kept their minds occupied, and that helped. Roger, on the other hand, was not able to follow his desired course. He had been rejected by the Army on health issues, and his dream of becoming a deputy in his home town lay in tatters.
    Nurse Bronden, too, found she slept better at night. Less sick people puking up green or delivering deformed children had a way of doing that. Being able to resume her normal duties again was a key factor as well. She had begun to feel like a spy, a