The X Collective

By Bonnie Taylor

An ugly divorce behind her, Kat Anderson moves her two children to her home town in upstate New York. Her new veterinary practice is thriving and all seems well in her new world. Then, the unthinkable; the animals begin acting strangely.

The rodents are first:
They begin moving about in daylight, losing all fear of human interaction. Later, they become aggressive. The news reports warn that people who are bitten also become violent. When the government takes over, the threat appears to be contained.

Kat is thrown headfirst in to the action when Travis, the game warden, brings her an infected coyote and a local hunter makes a frantic call for help with his hunting dogs. It's a brain parasite. It's killing the animals, then reanimating them.

It's a zombie outbreak but these aren't your movie zombies. The parasite is cunning, acting on the direction of a hive mind. They can think, learn, and employ very human tactics to infect the living and fulfill their biological imperative.

They are the X Collective - subterfuge, camouflage, cunning, coercive, collective....

Kat learns that the dead are not the only threat in this new world and must navigate a lawless land while trying to keep her children safe.

With a small group of survivors, Kat sets out to find a way to defeat the organism. To not simply survive, but to end the outbreak with both the odds and the numbers against them.

How can one woman end a global pandemic?

For Kat, the choice is clear. She will do whatever it takes to make the world safe for her family or she will die trying.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bonnie Taylor
• Release date: Nov 28, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463817537

Bonnie Taylor

About the AuthorBonnie Taylor is the author of the Not Forgotten paranormal seriesBonnie resides in central Louisiana with her three children, five dogs, a cat, and a parrot who frequently pulls the keys off her keyboard, (talk about an intense critic!)Bonnie writes about subjects that she is passionate about. As an avid horror/paranormal fan and having experienced unexplained phenomena first hand, Bonnie has done extensive research on the subject and has made a personal connection with several noted psychics and paranormal investigators.

Book preview

The X Collective

By Bonnie Taylor

©CPP Publishing 2018

Prologue

Who could know that one small parasite infecting the rodent populations of the world could be capable of changing life on this planet forever? In the beginning, it just seemed to upset their circadian rhythms. Nocturnal animals, mostly mice, rats, and opossums could be seen running around in the daytime. Some thought they might be rabid and quickly disposed of any opossums that crossed their paths. Then, the rodents acted as if they no longer saw mankind as a predator. The internet was flooded with videos of rats coming up to people to beg for scraps of food. In one viral clip, a rat limped up to a man who was working behind the counter in a fast food restaurant. Once the man fed it, however, it ran away with no signs of injury. The man said, I was just punked by a rat! It made for a funny video, but all signs pointed to it being true. The rodents were experimenting with people; figuring out how best to get what they wanted from them. As they got sicker, they got smarter. Their observation skills, their reasoning ability, even their memories seemed to improve at a very rapid pace. If a rat in Cambodia used one tactic to successfully coerce a scrap of bread from a traveler, within days, rats in New York would be implementing the same scheme.

Veterinarians and biologists were just touching the surface of the illness when it seemed to reach its next, more violent stage. The rodent s became aggressive. No longer putting on a show for a scrap of bread, they were hiding in the trees and dropping on people backs. Scratching, biting, and clawing as if intent on killing the giant foe. There were hundreds of human fatalities caused by hoards of mice and rats attacking people while they slept. The homeless, the old and the very young made for easy targets.

A global extermination plan was set in motion by the World Health Organization but by the time they deployed, the illness had reached its final stage. It was terminal. Rodents all over the world simply died.

Three things were learned from the rodent strain. First, the outbreak was parasitic in nature. The parasite lived in the brain stem of the rodent. The eventual deaths of the rodents were caused by the buildup of fluid on the brain. Second, the reptiles and birds that fed on these infected rodents did not become infected by the parasites. Instead, they simply died within hours of ingestion. Third, and finally, we learned that humans who were bitten by the rodents also died, but not for long. Driven by the parasites, some of their brain functions would be restored. They were alive enough to breath, move, and see but their humanity was exchanged for an insatiable desire to kill and eat other people. The news of the infected humans was closely monitored by government organizations. The media could show the horrific acts that were taking place, they just couldn’t know, or report, that the perpetrators were dead.

With the death of the rodents and the secret eradication of the humans who were bitten, what could have been a global pandemic shrouded in fear and panic appeared have been controlled. The scientific community surmised that the parasites would simply die off for lack of a suitable host. As with lymes disease, people were warned to layer their clothing when visiting wooded areas and government’s flushed sewer systems and sanitized the streets of the cities. Based on the hypothesis of one group of scientists crop dusters were hired to drop chemical cocktails of pesticides on the land. If this action didn’t eliminate the problem, it would at minimum put the population at ease. The end goal, after all, was to prevent panic and maintain order.

Mankind became cocky, as he’s been known to do. We got in front of the next possible global extinction event and quickly took our victory. That’s what we thought but our victory dance would end before the band could play the second verse.

We were clueless and unprepared for the destructive capabilities of this organism. We underestimated its place in the hierarchy of species. That misstep was one that we might not live to regret.

Chapter One

Hamilton was the post card picture east coast town. It’s historic downtown area managed to stay alive despite the allure of internet shopping with free delivery. The people of the community were loyal to their small businesses and it maintained a steady flow of tourists from rafting season through ski season as it was at the foot of the Catskill Mountains.

It was as if the town had dropped from the sky and landed perfectly in a tree lined gap between the Delaware River and the cascading rock wall where the mountains began. It was a town frozen in time with its giant clock in the town square and neighbors who stood on the sidewalk chatting. It was a safe place for kids to run and play. For Kat, it was home.

Born and raised in Hamilton, Kat Anderson returned there to raise her two children after a very ugly divorce. She told herself that she did it for the children but while that was true, she did it just as much for herself.

Kat, like her father before her, was a veterinarian but being a city vet was a far cry from the work that she had watched her father do when she was a child. Her city clientele consisted mostly of the next popular breed of designer dog whose owner did no research on the breed before forking out thousands of dollars and couldn’t understand why the dog has so many expensive health problems and cats; some hairless, and some with too much hair and an owner who lost her mind when Kitty spit a mushy hairball on the carpet.

She wanted to provide spay and neuter services to low income pet owners. She wanted to provide care for the pets that were discarded like trash on the street, but she couldn’t afford to start her own practice in the city so she was just one of several staff vets in an upscale clinic that would never allow her to do that kind of work. With two kids to care for and no help from her husband, she would never be able to do this kind of work on her own time.

Her share of the profit from selling their condo in the city had provided her enough capital to purchase a house outside Hamilton with enough left over to set up a clinic downtown. It was her clinic and she could finally do the kinds of work that made her want to be a vet in the first place.

The kids were being good sports but acclimating to the country life was hard for Kelly. At seventeen, she thought she had her life all figured out until her mother threw this giant wrench in her plans. Matty, on the other hand, was fascinated by the giant park he now called his own backyard. At seven, he didn’t face the same social insecurities as his sister.

The kids took the rural bus to school in the morning giving Kat time to run her errands before work. She’d rather sacrifice some extra sleep in the morning than miss the opportunity to have dinner with the kids each night so, this morning, she was headed to the pharmacy on Main Street.

How is there nowhere to park? She said to herself as she slowed her Jeep on the cobblestone road. The parking spaces on both sides of the street by the pharmacy were full so she drove the extra four blocks to her office and walked back to the pharmacy from there.

The pharmacy looked like a city bookstore when Stephen King was there for a signing. She pushed her way through the crowd of milling people to the front counter. When the clerk was free she caught her attention. What’s going on in here today? She asked the woman who already appeared frazzled at seven-thirty in the morning.

Must be a bug going around or something. Most of them were outside waiting for me to open the door. She answered.

They’re all sick? Kat asked, looking around for any sign of symptoms.

By the looks of the scripts coming in, they were all at the ER last night. Tom Walker said the police department is over there doing crowd control. The woman replied.

I think I’ll come back. This pick up isn’t a priority. Kat said, and she knew it was true. She was there to pick up birth control pills. They were one-hundred percent effective even when she didn’t take them, she thought. There was no one in her life to provide the extra set of chromosomes.

She walked back to the clinic and walked directly to the radio. She tuned it to the local station and picked up John Carter, the local news correspondent. He was reporting live outside Mercy General where countless members of the outlying communities were waiting for care. According to John, the patients symptoms ranged from flu-like congestion and chest pain to severe headaches, nausea, and high fevers.

He said that schools are going to close at eleven. They would have done it already but they needed time for parents to make arrangements for the kids. Becca, the receptionist, told her.

Thanks, Becca, I’ll text Kelly and tell her to bring Matty here. Kat replied, What do we have on the books today?

Most of our appointments are calling to cancel. I guess those people are sick, too. We have the two post-op’s from yesterday. They haven’t been picked up yet. Becca replied, That’s good, right? The news says the city is considering shutting down early and setting a curfew.

Kat rolled her eyes, Yes, Becca. If things don’t pick up, you can go home early.

Thanks, Kat! Becca smiled.

Danny and Laura , the other two members of Kat’s staff, came out of exam room one and walked to the reception desk.

What’s up, Doc? Danny said, Any idea what this bug is?

I’m a vet, not an MD, but from what the radio said and what I gathered from the pharmacy clerk this morning, I’m guessing it’s just an early flu outbreak. Kat replied.

So, you don’t think it’s that rat parasite again? Laura asked.

I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion. People have flu symptoms, not the kind of symptoms they had with the X parasite. Kat told her, trying to deny that the thought had already crossed her mind.

Becca, holding the phone receiver in her hand, interrupted her thought. Doc, Billy Mills is on the phone. He’s talking crazy! I can’t understand him at all! She said.

Kat took the phone and wasn’t surprised to find that Becca had forgotten to place the call on hold. She cleared her throat and gave the girl a matronly glare, Hello? Bill, I’m sorry for…

The man on the other end of the phone cut her off, Doc! There’s something wrong with my dogs. You gotta come out here. He shouted.

Which dogs are we talking about, Bill? She asked because Billy Mills had hunting dogs that lived outside in a kennel but his wife also had two little beagles that lived inside.

All of them, Doc! I can’t bring em’ all in and with this flu, I’m too sick to drive anyway. You have to come out here, now! He begged.

All right, Bill. Calm down. I have a few things to take of here and I’ll be on my way as soon as I can. She said, trying to calm him.

Thanks, Doc, but really, hurry. I think they’re all gonna die. The man sobbed.

What’s going on? Danny asked. You want me to ride out there with you?

No, it’s an hour drive there and another back. Someone has to be here. If my kids get here before I get back, you make them stay here. She replied.

What if the town shuts down for curfew? Becca asked.

Danny, can you take them home if they impose a curfew? She asked.

Yeah, no problem, Doc. The young man replied.

She pulled her keys from her pocket. The office door key and my house keys are on here. Don’t lose them! She said, tossing them to him.

She was walking to the back to check on the two dogs in the kennel when she heard the bell on the door signal someone’s arrival. She turned to see Travis, a local forest ranger dragging a coyote through the door. Danny rushed to the door to help him.

Hey, wildlife comes in the back, remember? Kat called out, but her words were lost on them.

Kat, I need you to look at this animal. It bit my partner and now she’s sick as hell. Travis panted.

I have an emergency in Mills Creek. I was just on my way out. Kat replied.

We had to call her an ambulance! She just fell on the ground and started twitching. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life! Travis cried.

Travis, nothing that she could have contracted from a bite would trigger that sort of reaction. Is it possible that she had a heart attack or stroke? Kat asked. She could be in shock.

The EMT said she was in shock, but heart attack? She’s a thirty year old healthy woman! Travis replied.

That’s what she is on the outside, Travis, and that’s exactly how a heart problem sneaks up on young people. They don’t get checked because they don’t think it can happen to them. Us. Kat said, hoping a quick dose of logic would calm the situation.

It’s sedated, Doc. I’d like to get it out of my arms before it wakes up. Danny interrupted.

Go put it in a kennel. In the back! We have people’s pets here and they don’t need to be exposed to anything. She answered.

Laura had already set a gurney on the floor beside them and Danny and Travis dropped the animal on to it. Laura and Danny strapped it down and carried it back out the front door. The wildlife kennels were in a separate building behind the clinic.

Are there tests you need to do? I have to have something to tell the hospital, don’t I? Travis asked.

Travis, anything we could test for would have to be sent off to the lab. It could take days to weeks to get some of those results. It’s not rabies. I can tell you that for sure. If it was, she wouldn’t have had that sudden and violent reaction. The best thing to do, is let the doctors do their jobs. In the meantime, we’ll hold the animal. When I get back, it will be conscious. We can make our observations and take action from there. She told him, squeezing his left arm.

What’s going on at Mills Creek? He asked, looking down at her hand on him.

I don’t know. Billy Mills called and said all of his dogs are sick. He’s sick too, so, I have to make a house call. Kat replied.

I’m coming with you. Travis said, opening the door for her.

Why? She asked.

Because that coyote that bit Susan came out of the woods on the edge of Mills Creek. I need to know if there’s a connection. He replied.

I don’t think you’ll find any answers there, but you’re welcome to ride along. She told him.

The first twenty minutes of the hour long drive were grueling. Kat spent the time trying to come up with something to talk about. She didn’t think that people were her strong suit. Empathy for animals came naturally. She just felt it. Trying to empathize with Travis, however, when she believed that his fears were confounded was a totally different matter. She didn’t want to come across as uncaring, but an insincere gesture just wasn’t her style.

Finally, it was Travis who broke the silence. How do you like being back here? he asked.

So far, it’s been great. I’ll let you know if that changes after today. She replied.

I remember you from school. He said.

I remember you, too. I don’t think there were enough of us for anyone to be forgotten. She laughed.

Do you remember when Mr. Kennedy’s car got stolen on senior prank day? Travis asked.

Yes! Was that you? Kat smiled, anticipating an epic story.

No, are you kidding? I was a dork! Travis said, and the car exploded in laughter.

Kat liked Travis. They may not have been friends when they were kids, but age has a way of blurring all the pressures and stereotypes that prevent you from venturing outside the preselected subculture that you fell in to in high school. He’d been to her office several times since the opening. Until she opened shop, the nearest