The Strain Read online

  When news finally did come, General Bane delivered it. Janice gasped when he called himself the president. Apparently, the president had succumbed to one of the deadly diseases that had been released.

  Had they survived a nuclear bomb only to die of a supervirus?

  “Your arrival is unfortunate,” his voice boomed.

  Janice gritted her teeth, anger roaring to life in her heart. Unfortunate? The viruses, bombs, and selfishness of the people in charge were unfortunate. Not the survival of the people around her.

  He continued, “But what’s done is done.” His smile was grim. “You’re now three hundred and seven people we didn’t account for when designing the bunker. When the biodome was built, we ensured that it could sustain a growing population, but our models were based on the people who were approved to live here.” He blew out a breath. “We now have a population of six-hundred and one. That’s a problem.

  “Our resources and living space are limited at this time, but we’ve spent the last three days coming up with a plan. Life isn’t what it used to be, ladies and gentlemen. We’re what’s left. In order to survive, we have to work and sacrifice together.” He eyed the group and held up a document. “We’ve drafted up a treaty that explains your living arrangements. If you wish to remain in the Nest, please choose a representative to sign.”

  President Bane and his small entourage left the hangar, leaving the crowd to sort out who would represent them. Janice wasn’t surprised when it was James. He had been the one to lead them here and tried to protect them the best way he knew how. He met her gaze and inhaled deeply.

  “You’re more qualified than I am. Would you come with me? I don’t think this is a decision I should make alone.”

  Janice swallowed hard and handed Bella off to Mrs. John, her elderly neighbor who managed to bring her grandchildren up the mountain safely.

  Guards ran them through a vigorous decontamination process that left her skin raw and her eyes burning. She slipped a gray t-shirt over her head and quickly slid a pair of large sweatpants up her legs. Janice ruthlessly shoved down her embarrassment as the men guarding them never looked away. She patted James’ shoulder as she turned around to slip on a pair of cheap sandals. Tension radiated through his shoulders.

  “Calm down,” she whispered.

  “They should’ve turned around,” he gritted out.

  “Now is not the time to get angry over something stupid. It’s over.”

  He swallowed and nodded, his jaw ticking.

  Anxiety bubbled in her belly as armed guards led them from the decontamination area to an office outside their makeshift home. President Bane sat behind a huge wooden desk, the treaty open and waiting to be signed. He raised an eyebrow as Janice sat across from him.

  “Two representatives?”

  “It seemed a wise decision to have our group represented completely. A man and a woman, one in youth and one in wisdom,” she murmured.

  The president nodded. “Wise, indeed.” He gestured toward a shiny black pen on his desk. “Please sign.”

  Janice leaned closer and pulled the treaty to her side, meeting Bane’s gaze. “May I at least read it before we sign?”

  “Yes,” Bane said curtly. “But it makes no difference. You sign, or you leave.”

  Stars above, she hated the man already. She locked down her feelings and began to read.

  The treaty designated a place called the Grotto for the townspeople to occupy. Living quarters would be fabricated as soon as possible, and everyone would be given food and water rations. In return for their place in the Nest, they would mine coal. The crude resource would be refined into a liquid, which was needed to run the entire place, until solar power could be harvested.

  Her brow rose. “How long until solar power can be harvested?”

  “That depends on if we’re dealing with a nuclear winter or not.”

  Her stomach dropped and she lifted her chin. “So it wasn’t a firestorm, but nuclear?”

  “Yes.”

  If that was the case, then they really had no choice. If they left the Nest, they would all die from radiation poisoning. She swallowed hard and began reading.

  Janice gasped when she read the last part of the treaty. It stated that the elderly, defined as anyone fifty-five years of age or over, and anyone incapable or not willing to participate in the functioning of the Nest, would be subjected to the annual cull in order to control population of those considered a drain on society.

  Her shocked gaze met the steely grey eyes of Bane. “You can’t possibly think we would agree to this?”

  The president’s smile was chilling. “Population control is a priority.” His tone bit like ice.

  James’ gaze narrowed on Bane’s own gray hair. “So the same rule applies to everyone in the Nest?”

  If possible, the president’s countenance chilled further. “It’s not your concern on how I run the Nest. Your only concern right now is signing that treaty. If you don’t, you’ll all be out today.”

  Janice stiffened as James’ hands curled into fists. She eyed the president’s guards, who zeroed in on her son. These were the men who’d shot into an unarmed crowd. They’d shoot him if he resisted. “Easy,” she murmured.

  James flashed her a black look and then glared at Bane. It seemed like an impossible choice. How could she sign? She was fifty-five. It was suicide. Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember how many people looked older, but all she could see was James and Bella and all the children. They were everything. If she didn’t sign, then they’d die. All the children’s faces swam in her mind. Her decision decided their future. They hadn’t even had a chance to live. At least those over the age of fifty-five had lived some semblance of life.

  She blew out a breath, her decision made. Slowly, she placed her hand on top of her son’s. His enraged gaze snapped to hers, and she held it steadily even though she wanted to fall apart.

  “Mom, no…” he whispered.

  “What would you do for Bella?”

  Pain filled his eyes, but also understanding. “Anything. Everything.”

  “Exactly.” Janice turned back to the president, hating his smug face. “Will it be painless?”

  He dipped his chin and held the pen out to her. “They’ll go to sleep happy.”

  She swallowed hard and plucked it from his hand, avoiding the touch of his skin. With a flourish, she signed the document and handed the pen to James. He stared at her, his face a mask of warring emotions.

  “Do it.” Two little words sealed everyone’s fate.

  His breath hitched and he hesitated, but James signed the document. He slapped the pen against the desk and stood. “This is wrong and you know it.”

  Bane smiled thinly. “Our sense of right and wrong has changed. The world has changed and so have our morals.”

  Three

  His words sickened her. Some principles would never change and should never change, no matter what he believed.

  Once their agreement was formalized, Janice returned to the hangar on wooden legs. James slipped his hand into hers, and she appreciated the comfort. The masked soldier waved at the people.

  “Time to see you through decontamination and to your new abodes.”

  Panic fluttered in her breast as Janice retrieved Bella from her old neighbor and pulled the sweet baby into her arms. She placed her lips against her granddaughter’s forehead and breathed in deeply, Bella’s sweet baby smell curling around her. She followed behind the group, soaking in each moment with what was left of her family. She blinked hard as they were led through the massive, modern main floor of the Nest. Bright lights seemed to simulate the sun, warming her skin.

  “Where are the apartments?” one person asked.

  One soldier gestured to the door. “The Grotto’s just past that door.” He wrapped his hand around the knob and opened the door.

  James stepped forward and looked through the door into the dark. His shoulders tensed and he spun around, his whole body vi
brating in anger. “That’s a cave.”

  The soldier’s expression blanked. “Yep.”

  “Your president promised us living quarters,” James stated.

  “And you’ll get them as soon as they can be replicated.” The soldier sighed. “The sooner you start mining, the sooner we can start fabricating what you need. We’re doing what we can.”

  James nodded, his jaw ticking, and strode back to Janice’s side. He glanced between Bella and her. “Did we do the right thing?”

  “I don’t think there was a right thing.”

  A group of soldiers marched in and stopped. One stepped forward and began calling out the names of those fifty-five years of age and over. Her stomach dropped. They were coming for them so soon? She cuddled Bella close and pressed kisses along her brow.

  “I love you so much, baby girl. You’re going to grow up strong like your nana and your mama.”

  Carefully, as tears dripped down her cheeks, she handed Bella to James, then cupped her son’s face and smiled. “I’m so proud of you. The day you were born changed my life. You and Bella are my greatest joy and love.”

  Tears flooded her son’s eyes as he grabbed her up into a tight hug. “Mom, this isn’t right … it isn’t right.”

  “I know, baby, I know. It will be okay. I love you. Take care of Bella.”

  She squeezed him as tight as she could without disturbing Bella and stepped back. The soldiers began herding the people into the Grotto.

  Janice blew James a kiss, and locked her knees as he disappeared through the door. All she wanted to do was fall to the floor in grief, but instead, she held her head high.

  “Please follow us, and then we’ll show you to your new homes.” A young soldier smiled at an elderly woman shuffling with a cane, and offered her his arm.

  Janice kept her face blank. Did that soldier know he was leading the old woman to her death? Her gaze swept the group of older folks around her and a wave of nausea rolled through her. All these people would die. She’d sentenced them to death.

  She was a murderer.

  Bane’s words floated through her memory. Our sense of right and wrong has changed. The world has changed and so have our morals. Emotion lodged in her throat. Maybe he was right. She’d made a decision that would haunt her until her final breath.

  Glancing at the steel door, her mind flashed to Graham Bresh. Tears flooded her eyes and she dashed them away quickly. He’d have told her she’d made the best decision possible at the time and protected those who couldn’t protect themselves. Stars above, did she miss him. It was hard to think that they’d planned to marry at the end of the year. Sorrow echoed inside her chest, but she was thankful for the time she was able to spend with him and his family. He’d healed her a little, bit by bit, with his friendship and love.

  Janice said a silent prayer that he and his family stayed safe and found happiness amongst the death and devastation that now surrounded them. She couldn’t ask for much more than that. But as she watched the group of people shuffle after the soldiers, a small part of her wanted to take a baseball bat to the newly-appointed president. And a large part wondered if all of them would have been better off outside these walls.

  She pushed her shoulders back and held her head high as she followed the group. She’d saved her family, she’d lived a full life; Graham and his family were safe. That was everything that truly mattered.

  * * *

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  THE TAINTED: DOMINION OF ASH

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  Happy reading!

  Frost Kay xoxo

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  Thank you for reading THE STRAIN. I hope you enjoyed it! If you liked this book, please review it BECAUSE the review rating determines which series I prioritize. If you want the next book in this series soon, review this book❤ Thank you!

  About the Author

  If you’d like to know more about me, my books, or to connect with me online, you can visit my webpage https://www.frostkay.net/, check out my Facebook group Frost Fiends, or follow me on Bookbub to receive news about my new releases.

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  You’ve just read a book in my DOMINION OF ASH series. Other books in this series include THE TAINTED.

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  If you love TWILIGHT ZONE, ALIENS, and SEXY VILLIANS, check out my other series MIXOLOGISTS & PIRATES on the next page!

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