Defiant: Quantic Dreams Book 2 by Elizabeth McLaughlin (reading list txt) 📗

“And in the mean time? It’s barely been a full week and people are already starting to break quarantine. I caught two people out earlier today...” I shut my mouth. Nobody else needed to know about the conversation I had overheard. Spreading news of dissent would only worry her, and Phoebe had enough weighing on her.

“You did? What were they doing?”

“It’s nothing. I’m sure they were just airing their frustrations. Anyway. So what do you recommend as an overall strategy?”

“Keep people inside. In lieu of regular socializing, perhaps we can use the athletic fields as a gathering place. People would have to wear masks and keep their distance from each other, but I don’t think it would pose too great a risk. If anyone gets belligerent, hell, lock them up in the pod room for all I care. Let them get a taste of what real isolation looks like while being taunted by the memory of a normal life.” Phoebe’s words surprised me. Her suggestions were reasonable and her recommendations something that I would take under heavy advisement. What surprised me was the vitriol I heard in her voice at referring to those who would flout the new rules. I couldn’t blame her. While I was busy running around like a chicken with my head cut off, Phoebe and her team had been fighting for their lives. I couldn’t blame her for venting a little anger towards people who didn’t take this seriously.

“Phoebe, do you need to tag out for a while? I know your team is stretched thin but I can honestly sit there and hang an IV bag or two.”

She raised her arm as if she were going to rub her face but stopped and sighed heavily. “I really do need a rest. The other doctors have been looking to me this whole time and the only other person with as extensive medical training is watching her daughter foam at the mouth in four point restraints.” The image chilled me. If only I had kept Daisy and Sophia out of the infirmary. In truth it probably wouldn’t have done any good. Still, guilt gnawed at me. There were a million “if onlys”.

“Can I do anything?”

“Have you suddenly gained extensive education in triaging rapidly failing patients?”

“No.”

“Then you can’t do much. I figure that you can manage sitting there to make sure a patient is still breathing, but I don’t think it would be the best optics for you. Sir.” Her tone turned cold.

“Go get your rest, Phoebe. I’ll figure something out.”

While noble in intention, I had shit all idea of what I should do. When I inquired at the field hospital, I was staunchly refused entrance by multiple people. Throwing my weight around as leader didn’t do a thing. If anything, it only served to piss people off further.

Chapter Fourteen

What had started as whispers had grown into a full blown roar. News—real or imagined—about the virus spread by the hour and as another full day passed even the people who had voted to keep me as the leader of the shelter grew panicked. I decided against my better judgment to gather the shelter on the former athletic fields. There wasn’t enough room to space everyone out evenly to truly mitigate risk of the virus spreading but I felt that if anyone had grievances with me, they deserved to air them to my face.

It went about as horribly as possible.

“We want to go back!” The resounding cry came from various points in the crowd. “You can’t leave us to die here!” It’s easy to forget that at the end of the day, we are herd animals. Humans like to think of themselves as the great and mighty hunters of this world but introduce a threat into the crowd and the very smell of fear from each other drove us to drastic deeds. Gabriel had taken full advantage of the epidemic and my distraction to cement the idea of returning to the virtual world among the populous. He hadn’t provided any details about how he would do so, but the suggestion was enough to break the fragile trust anyone still held in my leadership. As I stumbled through a coherent response to their cries I spied Gabriel leaning up against the back wall, his arms crossed. He met my gaze and held it, pulling down his mask to reveal a slow grin spreading across his broad face. Was it me, or could I see a reflective orange glint in his eyes, even across a room this large? Ever so slowly, as to not attract the attention of anyone around him, he uncrossed his arms, held up a finger, and tapped his left wrist.

Tick, tock.

“We are scant weeks away from a vaccine!” I shouted, “We have a plan in place to keep you safe!” It was no use. Weeks were too long for these people. There was no plan that would calm their frenzied minds. They were terrified of losing their loved ones, terrified of succumbing to a horrible death themselves. I had ripped them from comfort and security only to throw them into chaos. The whole thing was becoming surreal; it was as if I had been thrown into the plot of a movie.

“STOP!” Gabriel bellowed. I was brought back to earth by the outburst. Every head in the room turned to look at him. I shut my mouth and lowered my arms, stunned in mid sentence by the outburst. Gabriel left his perch and started to make his way through the crowd. It didn’t take much. Groups that had gathered moved themselves out of his way before he got within three feet of them. Being two-hundred and fifty pounds of hulking muscle didn’t hurt. When he reached me, he held out a hand to the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen! I beg your attention! Please! It is imperative that you listen to our leader!” I raised an eyebrow and tried