'No, you're not entirely right. You've fallen for what I hope will very soon be classified as an urban legend. The infected are not dead. They've undergone some kind of basal metabolic change, something that depresses their vital signs but they're not dead. I have a team from Fort Detrick looking into it right now. If I'm being reassigned I just wanted to get that fact on the record.' He began to stand up.
'Sit down. You're off the case, yes.' The civilian stood up instead. He peeled one of his Peeps away from its fellows and held it in his hairy hand as if he were cradling an actual baby chicken. 'But you're not done. I like you, Bannerman. I like your first name, I think it's funny, and I like people with funny names.' He walked over to stand behind Clark and slowly, deliberately, placed his yellow candy on top of Clark's cover. 'I also think you're a wonk and the President loves wonks. You were the first responder, the early adapter on this mess. I want you to be my go-to guy.'
Clark inhaled slowly and folded his hands in his lap. 'In what capacity?' he asked.
'As my wonk, I just said that. I don't care what you're called. The President doesn't care what you're called. You can make up your own MOS for this. You can have what you need'I'll rubber stamp anything because I know you, I've read your dossier so many times I know you would die, physically die before you would requisition a Bic pen that wasn't job-vital. What do you say, Bannerman? Are you my wonk or are you my wonk?'
It would mean reporting to this civilian. It meant operating as a free agent, without standing orders'something unthinkable to a career soldier like Clark. It also meant he would have carte blanche to find the girl and maybe bring resolution to the biggest public health crisis since the influenza of 1918.
Clark reached forward and picked up the yellow sugar bomb sitting on his cover. Without hesitation he put it on his tongue as if he were taking communion and bit down. The answer was yes.
Monster Nation
Chapter Seven
Infectuated individuals are known to be of a highly dangerous nature. Under no circumstances should you, as civilians, attempt to subdue or take them out. The police are trained for this. Let's let them do your job. [Televised speech delivered by the President of the United States, 3/31/05]
Kirsty Lang on the BBC World News channel, looking grave while a xylophone played a rising crescendo: 'Growing fears in America tonight as the Epidemic spreads to the Pacific Northwest. Our Reginald Forless is in Spokane tonight where city officials and law enforce''
A reporter with his head down in front of a line of cars, their headlights washing out his features as they passed in slow motion: ''scene of chaos behind me, this small town where nobody ever went anywhere has been mobilized tonight. Evacuees are heading south, toward San Diego, and''
Two balding men faced each other in oversized chairs, their ties undone: ''can't just disregard what the Army is saying, they have the people and the equipment to''
'Bullshit! That thing we just saw was dead!'
Emeril LaGasse came running down a set of stairs, his fists pumping in the air, a towel over the shoulder of his chef whites. 'Tonight we're talking tenderloin, we're talking beef bourguignon, and look at this cabbage, huh? Look at it! I'm makin' a slaw!'
Charles sprawled across the bed, with his shirt off, one foot waving back and forth in an agitated rhythm. 'Nothing fucking on,' he moaned, but he didn't switch off the television. 'How do you get the porn and shit? You know what I'm saying?'
In a corner Shar squatted against the wall and held one hand over her ear. The other held the handset of a princess phone. 'Mom? I can't get through to Uncle Phil. Well how many times have you tried? Me? I'm safe, I'm in some kind of motel''