Side Effects: Book Two: Visions of Despair

  Side Effects

  Book Two: Visions of Despair

  Dusti Dawn Rose

  Copy Right © 2017 by Dusti Dawn Rose

  All rights reserved.

  Cover design by Janiel Escueta Designs

  This is the second book in the Side Effects series and for optimal enjoyment should be read in that order, it is not a standalone.

  No part of this work may be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters and events described herein are a work of the authors imagination and are not intended to refer to specific places or to people alive or dead.

  For my Uncle, the Dreamer. I love you.

  Where to begin?

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Authors Note

  Where to begin?

  Mitch sat quietly in the moment trying to find peace within his emotions. He was afraid that once he told Emily what had happened at the school on that first day, she would see him differently. She wouldn’t place blame the way that Micah had, he was certain of that, but she would learn the truth. That he was just a man, not the superhero that she had always believed him to be. He finally met her piercing gaze and took a deep breath as he collected his thoughts.

  “Come on, Dad, out with it! Your obvious discomfort is kinda freaking me out,” Emily snapped at him, breaking the silence.

  “You’re right. I’m sorry,” he replied, offering a soft smile.

  “Just start at the beginning,” Emily sighed in the dramatic way she does when she’s impatient. She slapped the couch beside her, punctuating her irritation.

  There was nothing left to do but just tell her. He knew it would break her heart, just like it had his own, and Micah’s, but she deserved to know. He glanced back down at his son’s still hand, so small within his own. He closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and began to tell the story.

  Chapter One

  Mitch

  Mitch awoke with a start. He was late. He could feel it in the quiet that filled the air around him. Normally, the day started with all of the noise and clatter that came with a thirteen-year-old son. Micah must have already caught the bus. Of course he wouldn’t wake his dad; he’d been angry at him for the better part of a week. Mitch had to ground Micah when he caught him skipping school with his buddy, Joe. He still hadn’t figured out what they were up to. They were both such great kids; it wasn’t their normal behavior.

  He sat up and wiped the sleep from his eyes as he scanned the room. He could see his uniform draped across the chair. Last night was one of those shifts that seemed never ending. His crew had been the first responders at a crash site, but only the passenger was in the car. His girlfriend had been driving and just left the poor kid there, and even though Mitch knew that she had probably just done it out of fear, he was sickened by it. Despite the best efforts of his crew, and then the staff at the hospital, the kid didn’t make it. He crashed on the way in and they couldn’t bring him back. And that was just the first call of the night.

  He glanced at the clock and let out a groan. He had a class to teach today at the firehouse and it was scheduled to start in fifteen minutes. He dragged himself out of bed and put on last night’s uniform. With any luck, it wouldn’t smell too bad, he thought, shaking his head.

  If he left in the next five minutes, he might make it to the firehouse in time to pour himself a cup of coffee before the class began. He made a quick run to the bathroom, washed his face, and brushed his teeth. Better than nothing, he thought, as he straightened his collar and ran his fingers through his dark hair. “You’ve got this,” he told the tired face staring back at him from the mirror.

  Downstairs, he could hear someone pounding on the door. “Of course,” he muttered as he went to open it.

  He pulled open the door, “What are you doing here?” he asked, surprised to see his buddy, Mike, standing outside.

  “Let me guess, you just rolled out of bed, haven’t seen the news?” Mike said, walking into the house.

  “I don’t have time to discuss the news with you, Mike. I’ve got to get to the firehouse. I’m late for my class,” Mitch answered as he pulled his boots on.

  Mike gave him a smug look, pausing for effect. “Class is cancelled, my friend... indefinitely."

  Mitch looked up at him and let out a groan. He always hated it when Mike acted this way. Whatever he knew was big--life changing from the look on his face. He always reveled in knowing something that someone else didn’t, especially if the telling could be dramatic. Mitch just shook his head. Sometimes his friend could be more of a drama queen than his daughter.

  “Is that so,” he answered, standing to grab his keys.

  “You won’t be driving the truck today.”

  “Are we going to dance around this all day, or are you going to let me know what’s going on? Actually, I’ll just turn on the TV and find out for myself,” Mitch replied, setting his keys down as he walked to the couch in search of the remote.

  “Zombies,” Mike said, his voice raising a notch at the end of the word.

  “What the hell are you talking about, Mike?” Mitch laughed, raising an eyebrow. “I really am running late--don’t have time for you and your pranks. You just cost me my morning coffee."

  “No joke, Addie, this is the real deal. Go ahead and turn that on. See for yourself," Mike answered.

  A calm hit Mitch that he hadn’t felt in a long time. Mike hadn’t called him “Addie” in years--not since they were deep in the heart of the Panama Jungle on their last SEAL mission before his world fell apart. It was the nickname Mike had given him in basics when they trained together. A play on his last name: Adler.

  Mike had been Tank right from the start. Thinking back on it, Mitch could remember Sarge calling him that on the first day. He was built solid and strong, a true tank, and just as reliable.

  When Mitch returned home, he had put that persona away. He wasn’t that man anymore--the take charge leader he had been as a SEAL. Overnight, he was thrust into the unfamiliar territory of full-time mom and dad rolled into one. There was no room left in his life for Addie. Mike had always respected his need to just put the whole thing away and hadn’t called him that in years.

  “Are you feeling nostalgic?” he asked Mike, curious why he had pulled the name from the past.

  “Time to suit up, brother, because we’re going to war,” Mike replied, grabbing the remote from Mitch’s hand and turning on the television.

  Mitch sat on the edge of the couch feeling like he had been punched in the gut as he processed the images that were playing across the screen. “Where you going?” he asked Mike, who was ascending the stairs two at a time.

  “Going to grab everything that you and Micah are going to need. We gotta head out quick, and you nee
d to get caught up,” he answered, nodding toward the screen.

  Mitch turned his attention back to the TV. This was truly unbelievable. It looked like they were filming in Pioneer Square. He could tell that the cameraman was behind glass, filming the horror taking place on the other side. The scene that played out in front of him was devastating. People were running in every direction, many of them missing body parts. He watched silently as a deranged-looking woman caught a young girl and began tearing at her flesh, the screams caused goosebumps to ripple across his arms. “If you are just tuning in and seeing the madness taking place out there, this is not an isolated incident. We have reports from all over the city. People are dying, only to come back moments later and begin attacking anyone in reach. Authorities are advising that people stay in their homes. Whatever this is, it’s spreading like wildfire…”

  Mitch switched off the TV and threw the remote at the wall. “Son of a bitch,” he growled, as he strode to the kitchen and swiped his Humvee keys off the hook on the wall. He had bought it from an army auction a few years back; thought it would be fun to take up in the woods and play around in. Now it was proving to be a wise investment. It would be solid, safe, and there would be plenty of room for everyone.

  He wasn’t going to walk away from his house without first grabbing a few important things. He ran up the stairs just as Mike was walking out of Micah’s room with the boy’s bug out bag on his shoulder. Mitch could see one of the things he had come up for gripped in Mike’s hand--the old scruffy dog that Isabelle bought for their son before he was born. Micah had slept with him since he was a baby--a rare connection to the mother he never really had the chance to know.

  “Thanks for grabbing Scruffles. I’m gonna pack a few things from my room. You can load up and start the engine. I’ll be down in few,” he said, tossing Mike the keys.

  “On it,” Mike replied.

  Mitch walked into his room and started removing his uniform. He could allow a few moments to change into something more comfortable because from the looks of things, it was going to be a long day at best. He grabbed a well-worn pair of faded jeans from the pile on top of his dresser and pulled them on. If it wasn’t for his dear friend Kate, he would never have clean clothes. The woman was a saint and cared for his family as if they belonged to her. In a sense, he supposed they did.

  After the tragic accident that claimed the lives of her daughter, Beth, and son-in-law, Richard, along with Mitch’s wife, Isabelle, Kate stepped in and cared for Mitch and his children as well as her own grandson, Drew. She set her own heartbreak aside in order to mend all of theirs. She was their anchor in unpredictable stormy seas.

  He didn’t know what he would have done without her, especially in those first few months. To say he didn’t know how to care for a baby, let alone a young girl, was an understatement. Kate stepped in to help prepare meals, do laundry, and offer the comfort they all so desperately needed after the loss of Isabelle. She became family during that time.

  Mitch went to the closet and took down a dark grey long-sleeved henley, which he pulled on over his undershirt before sitting on the edge of the bed to put his boots back on. Standing, he walked to the dresser, picked up his Glock, checked the chamber, and clipped the holster to his belt. He was licensed to carry a concealed weapon and kept it on his person most of the time. This was the first time he had put it on to pick up his son from school, though. He pulled his t-shirt down to cover the weapon.

  Looking back up, his eyes locked on the small wooden box that sat on top of his dresser. His hand paused for a moment before he carefully picked it up. Opening the small latch on the front, he looked inside. Isabelle’s wedding ring was nestled safely there along with the silver combs she had worn in her hair the day they were married. One day these things would belong to his daughter, Emily. He tucked the box under his arm and took a final walk through the house that had been his home for nearly two decades.

  When he opened the front door, he could see Kate’s car parked beside Mike’s in the long driveway. Things were working out nicely so far. They would only need to pick up Micah before they began their journey to the cabin.

  “Mitch,” Kate said simply, grabbing him in a tight embrace. “Let’s go get our boy and get out of here before things get ugly."

  “Have you heard from Drew?” he asked, returning the embrace. Pulling back, he held her at arm's length and really looked at her. She was such a tiny woman, but so fierce and strong. Her blue eyes still held their sparkle despite the underlying fear and uncertainty he saw in them.

  “I’m sure he’ll call soon,” she said, digging in her purse until she found her phone. Pulling it out, she tapped the screen. “Snickerdoodles! I must have forgotten to charge it again," she let out a sigh.

  “It’s okay, Kate, we’ll hear from them soon," Mitch said, with a laugh at her euphemism, just as his own cell began to vibrate in his hand.

  He looked down to find his daughter’s face filling the screen. Good girl, he thought, thankful for the call. He gave a slight nod to Kate and answered the phone.

  “Hey, Em, glad you called,” he reached over and grabbed Kate’s hand. “You know the drill. You’ve got this, just head to the cabin. I’m picking up Micah now. We’ll meet you there. Everything that you need is in the pack. Stay smart and be careful... Love you too, kid," He ended the call and turned to Kate.

  “Did she say Drew was with her?” Kate asked, looking worried.

  “No, but you know they wouldn’t leave without each other. Trust me, Kate, they’ll be fine; we’ve trained for this. They’re smart kids. They know what to do,” he assured her, squeezing her hand tenderly before letting it go.

  “Alright, my boy,” she said with a hint of her German accent leaking into her words. It only came out when she was feeling emotional. He should have asked about Drew--he hated when she was upset.

  “Let’s get your things from the car. Do you need to go inside for anything before we leave?” he asked as he opened the back door of her dark blue Lincoln Continental. She had been driving this car as long as he had known her, and if he had to guess, he would say that she had probably been driving it long before then. He found her things right where he expected to--sitting on the seat directly behind the driver’s. Kate was always predictable.

  He picked up her duffle bag. Surprised, he asked, “What do you have in here?” pretending to be burdened by the weight of it.

  “All of our family photo albums. I knew I wouldn’t need more. I’m sure we will reach the cabin quickly and I have everything else I need there,” she answered, patting his face lovingly.

  It was true. They had stocked the cabin with plenty of clothes, books and food for each of them. They would all have everything that they could need. Home away from home. Mitch had been working on it since buying the property nearly twenty years ago.

  “We’ll load up and be on our way, then,” he said, taking the bag over to the Humvee.

  After he placed it inside, he turned and let out a long whistle. “Bentley!” he called. It was only a moment before he saw a flash of black come ripping out from behind the barn. The sight made him laugh. If only kids listened as well as their pets do, he thought, shaking his head.

  He got the dog settled in, then decided he better grab his medic bag before they left.

  “Why don’t you drive,” he called to Mike on his way back up the steps.

  As he stepped back inside to grab his bag, his gaze stopped on the clay bowl that sat on the table beside the door. Micah had made it for him for Father’s Day when he was in the fourth grade. At the bottom of the bowl it said, “Fill with Love." For months after he had given it to him, Micah had made it his mission to keep it endlessly full of Hershey’s Kisses.

  One day, Mitch had found Micah sitting on the couch looking sullen. “What’s the matter?” he had asked, as he walked into the room.

  “Dad, no matter how hard I try to keep the bowl full, every time I come in here I see that it needs more kisses,
” Micah answered, clearly discouraged.

  Mitch had thought about that for a moment as he sat beside his son. “I suppose that’s kind of the way our hearts hold love too, son. Sometimes you soak in so much that it feels as if it couldn’t possibly hold more, but it’s never quite full--not all the way. There will always be room for more love. Even if you have to give some away to make room for it. So, don’t feel bad if the bowl isn’t always full to the top. Sometimes you need to let others help fill it.”

  “Start buying more chocolate then, Dad, because if the bowl doesn’t have to stay all the way full then those kisses are fair game, and you know how much I love chocolate,” Micah had said with a mischievous grin as he had walked over to the bowl, grabbed a handful of candies, and skipped out of the room.

  Shaking away the memory, Mitch grabbed the bowl as well as his medic bag, and closed the unlocked door behind him. He found a small sense of peace knowing that maybe his home might offer safety to someone in need in this new nightmare reality.

  Chapter Two

  Mitch

  The Humvee pulled up outside of the school just a few minutes after Mitch and his friends left the house. The morning was still damp from dew, but the sun was shining brightly in the sky; a rare sighting in Castle Rock at this time of year. The rain was a constant from the end of September until the beginning of the summer months, and the sun came out only sporadically to lift the spirits of all of those who lived in the Pacific Northwest.

  “You stay here with Kate. It should only take me a few minutes,” Mitch told Mike as he opened his door.

  “Be careful, Mitchel,” Kate said from the back seat.

  “I always am,” he responded, turning toward the building.

  As he approached the front entry, he could see Kyle Watson pacing back and forth inside the double doors. “Hey, Kyle, you have to let me in brother,” Mitch said to the part-time security officer. Kyle was a good guy. He had been volunteering at the firehouse for the last few years.