Chapter 5

Tessa stood inside a medical fortress that had been equipped with everything and anything that was needed to survive the incoming pathogen outbreak.

It was a sealed, medically capable fortress with water, food, power redundancy, surgical capacity, and quarantine protocols.

She smiled, feeling satisfied with this achievement.

Before, she was left at the mercy of her so called husband and his family, now she had a better chance at survival.

{Mission build a fortress accomplished – priority asset is still stable}

Soon her phone started buzzing as repeated texts and calls came in at once.

She checked the phone unhurriedly; news had gone wild about her building a vast fortress on the city’s edge. It was the first to be heard of in the whole of Chicago.

No one knew what was inside and she kept it that way.

She scrolled down and the next post she saw was Vanessa and Helen crying on the media about how heartless she was.

“I simply wanted to be closer to my children, but Tessa didn’t want that and went ahead to steal all of the Whitmore asset. At least she should think about the kids, what did they do to deserve this?” Vanessa cried out.

Helena wasn’t faking anything, she was always brute. “Who cares about her, she was always the temporary wife. We were good to her by giving her kids because she is barren. She owes us her life!”

Varieties of hashtags blew up as people started to curse her, calling her out as a barren woman who abandons kids.

She scoffed. The only reason why they still had the Whitmore mansion was because she thought about the kids.

She clicked her phone off.

“Early infection node mapped – one week to pathogen outbreak.” The system announced.

In her past life, tomorrow will be the first time the anomalous heat-illness appears in Chicago.

She breathed out steadily; she had to get ready.

As soon as she left the fortress, she drove straight to the hospital.

“Tessa,” Dr. Anya Nebraska calls out as she waved, walking towards her.

“You still have the courage to show up? I would be hiding away till everyone forgets I even exist.”

Tessa laughed lightly. What was the need to prioritising those irrelevant people when the world might end in a week.

There were more important things to worry about.

She pulled Anya along till they were in her office. She stared at her seriously.

“You are a specialist in infectious diseases… there will be a pathogen outbreak soon. I need your help in building medical protocols.”

Dr. Anya glanced around the room before facing Tessa again, then she laughed, “Tessa, are you trying to pull a prank on me?”

Tessa’s face remained serious.

Anya’s laugh died down slowly, “You… are you serious?” Her eyes widened. “That is why you built the fortress?”

Tessa nodded her head once, “Are you in?”

She needed more hands to build a stronger and more effective medical protocol before the main outbreak and Dr. Anya was more than capable.

Anya knotted her brows together and her face became serious, “Yes, I am. How did you find out about this? It isn’t even in the news yet.”

“It doesn’t matter. There will be a first strike tomorrow and they will wave it off as a normal heat wave. Pick anything you might need within the next few days, we need to leave.”

Anya nodded, “Yes, okay… let me ask for a few days off first.”

“Trust me, that won’t matter in a few days.”

The next day, the temperature was indeed terribly hot; stores were selling out fast on ice and air conditioning.

Like she had predicted, the news carried it up as a normal heat wave that would end in a few days and urged the citizens to remain calm and inside till the weather returns to normal.

In the Whitmore mansion, they were still livid about Tessa’s behaviour. She neither answered their calls, replied their texts nor rebutted their media posts.

“What is she thinking? This is a bad image for her, how come she hasn’t said anything till now?” Vanessa complained as she walked to and fro in the living room while dialling Tessa’s number again.

No answer.

She screamed and threw the phone away.

Helena laid on the sofa in discomfort, fanning herself. “Is all the air conditioning on? Why is the heat so much today?” her body was soaked throughout with her own sweat.

Vanessa felt even more irritated by this. She stomped her feet on the floor and left.

“I want to know what makes that woman think she is better than me.”

Back in the fortress, an intercom rang.

“Madam Tessa, someone by the name Vanessa—“

“Send her away. Don’t call me for irrelevant things like this.” She ended the call immediately.

The heat stretched on for days till one day, women suddenly started to collapse or go crazy at random.

“Many have been pronounced either dead or have become crazy and aggressive because of a disease scientists have discovered as ‘Neurojondis’ caused by a pathogen.”

“The pathogen is a rapid-onset, prion-like agent that rewrites nervous systems and, crucially, accelerates sterility and neurological collapse in most fertile women.”

“Those affected by this pathogen are called the infected, we are advised to stay safe out there till a solution is found for this crisis.”

“We have never seen anything like this before.”

“This is a terrible crisis. God help us all.”

Different media channels buzzed over the outbreak; showing clips of the disaster.

The hospitals were suddenly filled up as many infected stormed in; begging for help.

Most that weren’t able to find any space turned aggressive as they started to break things; running wild all over the place.

As Dr. Anya watched the news, she was beyond shocked. “This affects only women?” She looked at Tessa in dismay. “How are we going to survive this?”

They were yet to find a cure.

Tessa was speechless. Even though she had seen this before, seeing it again was incredulous.

{Priority asset unstable – advised to calm down and focus on the next mission. Trauma Centres are collapsing – admit only those who can contribute or who are medically critical}

“Contact the hospital, we have spaces available for those whose conditions are medically critical. Let them also send more trauma and disease experts.” She ordered.

Anya nodded and hurried away.

Tessa’s phone rang at this moment and she answered the call, “What?” she snapped in irritation.

Mark’s voice came almost immediately. “Tessa, it is all over the news that you built a fortress with lots of medicals. How can you lock yourself in there and leave your own family to die?”

“What do you suggest I do?”

His voice faltered for a second; obviously shocked by her quick submission. He smiled, feeling prideful.

“I know you were only doing all that to get my attention. Sign over the fortress rights to me and come back home and I’ll forgive you. We can start over then.” He skillfully bargained.

She remained silent for five seconds before opening her mouth, “Attention? Vanessa needs it more than I do.” She cut the call and blocked his number instantly.

An hour later, the huge doors of the fortress parted open as many infecteds were rolled into it with experts following along.

The fortress turned busy as everyone worked together, analysing and admistering aid. Tessa was actively moving from one bed to another as she took their scans; carefully recording their severity.

“Tessa William?” a voice called out, a bit uncertain.

Tessa was forced to turn around; curious to know who still knew her as a William even after she had married into the Whitmore family.

Her brows shot up, “Dr. Chase Worthington.”

He was the trauma surgeon who had trained her years earlier even as he was three years older, but he had suddenly disappeared till now.

Dr. Chase smiled in acknowledgement, he nodded his head before returning back to the task at hand.