The Survivalist - 02 Read Free Page A

butter.
    “And I still firmly believe that it remains necessary,” he said. “While there is some resistance to it among the broader population—”
    ”That is an understatement,” said General Carr.
    She turned to look at the general.
    “Tell me.”
    “By all accounts, the Viral Defense Corps is viewed as the brutal arm of a suppressive regime. No different than the Khmer Rouge or Battalion-316.”
    “We’re a suppressive regime?”
    “When a government sends out hit squads, one could see how the term might be seen as applicable.”
    She stared at him, surprised by the directness of his words.
    He continued. “Madam President, exterminating people for any reason is a distasteful task, one that many of us find to go against our convictions and even the rule of law. I’ve been outspoken from the beginning that this executive order was a mistake.” Several people at the table murmured in agreement.
    “Yet, you offered no alternative,” interjected the vice president.
    President Glass turned back to face him.
    “Look,” he said, “despite the distastefulness of the task, it is truly necessary. We’ll lose our nation if we don’t stop the maniacal behavior of these . . . these . . .”
    “People. They’re people, Lincoln.”
    “Are they?” He shuffled through papers in a folder with the words Top Secret stamped across the front. “The latest CDC reports show that the infected are undergoing all sorts of physiological changes. Not only to their brains, which, let’s face it, make Charles Manson look like Mahatma Gandhi, but also to their bodies. Here,” he said, pulling out a page. “This one states that they’re experiencing calcification of their bones as well as significant increase in their muscle mass. Christ, they’re all but turning superhuman.” He slapped the page. “Who knows where this ends.”
    She looked to General Carr for his response.
    “What the vice president says is true. Some are becoming stronger and more violent, and that is indeed worrisome. However, he is conveniently leaving out the fact that many of the infected are not experiencing these changes. In fact, many have stabilized and are viewed as able to safely reintegrate with society.”
    “Let me get this straight,” she said. “Are you saying that some of those infected are turning into monsters in every sense of the word, and the rest are basically staying human?” She looked to Vice President Pike and then to General Carr for their confirmation.
    Both men nodded.
    “The question,” said the vice president, “is whether we want to be reactive or proactive. Are we going to wait until these crazies are banging on our front door before we take action? If we do, it’s going to be too late.”
    “I don’t think that’s the question at all,” argued the general. “The real question is whether we want to trade one form of violence for another. With your order, the government essentially declared war on a significant portion of our remaining population. Worse yet is that it also bred a sense of fear and hate in those who were not infected. Believe me when I say that, if we continue down this path, the government will be overthrown. Of that, I have no doubt.”
    After a long moment, President Glass said, “All right. Let’s stop this madness.”
    “That would be a terrible mistake,” said the vice president, leaning forward across the table. “If anything, we need more aggressive action. If we don’t—”
    President Glass held up her hand. “I mean it, Lincoln. By the end of the day, you will have a retraction of the executive order on my desk. Are we clear?”
    He stared at her for a full five seconds before answering.
    “Fine, for what good that will do.”
    She cocked her head.
    “Explain yourself.”
    “The VDC rules of operation will prevent any interruption in their mission for many months.”
    “What are you talking about?” she said, her voice rising. “What rules of operation?”
    “Madam