Deadly Epidemic Chapter 8 & Epilogue

My breathing was shallow and I could hear the pounding of my heart as I gazed up into the cold eyes of Russell Chatman. He was dead serious. He wanted me for himself and he wanted Luther dead. I had taken Judo lessons before and even karate. I couldn't do much in my wedding dress though. I felt my palms become sweaty. Any moment he expected Luther dead and I couldn't find it in my heart to kill my own husband. I wasn't weak. My parents had taught me better than that.

I looked up at him one last time before putting the dagger straight through his left leg. I reached up on the table and took a plain butter knife. I stabbed his other leg and he came toppling to the floor. I grabbed Luther up and we ran to the kitchen. I was nonstop looking for Russell. I hid Luther outside the meat cooler. I quickly tore the wedding gown bottom off revealing just a quarter of fabric. I finally took off the heels and grabbed a fire extinguisher from the wall.

I was panting by the time I heard the kitchen doors spring open. I could hear Russell calling my name, "Virgin-ia! Come out wherever you are! I just want to talk to you...I don't want anything!" He was panting and grunting. I looked into the stainless steel door of the refrigerator and saw him limping towards me. I moved to the other side and could not see him anymore. My heart and adrenaline was pumping madly through my veins.

I reached in my bra and took out my cell phone. I dialed the distress button letting the White House know I needed backup. It would take them awhile to send out someone. In the meantime I had to hold off the psycho Dr. Chatman had become. I looked into a door across the walkway and saw an axe laying down on the inside of the door. I knew Dr. Chatman had a gun but I couldn't chance him hurting me at all. The next thing I knew he was angrily coming towards me having already spotted me.

I screamed and threw the axe at him. The gun he held flew out of his hands and clattered onto the floor. I scrambled towards it and caught it with a swiping gesture. I pointed it towards Russell and shot him straight through the head. I sighed with relief once he crumpled to the ground dead. He stared up at the ceiling in a dead stare. I began to cry feeling relief and justice had been served to my sister for her death. I looked at the ceiling for the longest and what brought me back to earth was the sound of the president's voice.

"Dr. Byrant are you alright?"

I got up seeing myself in the stainless steel door. My eyeshadow and eyeliner were smeared and my voice was crackly. "I'm fine...I'm sorry sir. This is all so new to me. I can't believe that I am still alive. Did you find Dr. Chatman's body? I didn't mean to kill him...but he came after me and threatened me." He smiled, "Please...it is alright, Dr. Byrant. Everything is going to be fine now. We found Luther in the cooler. He has been given medical attention and we are waiting on the helicopter to come and get you."

I nodded and was given a warm blanket. When I was in the helicopter the president looked at me as we journeyed over Mississippi, "You were brave during your trials and will be rewarded handsomely soon. So will Luther."

I could only nod. I was in so much shock that I couldn't come back down to earth. When I got to the hospital I had several guys from the FBI to come in and talk with me. One of then was Bently. He asked, "Did you know that he killed your sister?" I nodded slowly, "Yeah somewhat knew I guess you could say. I read his journals but had no verbal account that he did it."

Bently told me that they had the journals in their possession. I smiled then knowing that Carrie had got her justice. Luther came in hours later and sat down on the edge of the bed. "How about us getting us a real house after this? Supposedly far away from New Orleans!"

I couldn't help but laugh. I smiled through my swollen lips, "You know that couldn't sound better. Carrie has her justice now and the army is ridding New Orleans of the disease...and I found the cure on my own with Dr. Chatman's ingredients. It's been worth everything to get here though." He nodded his head in agreement. He kissed my brow and I fell into sleep feeling safe and secure.

Epilogue:

Dr. Elena Morris was the one performing the autopsy on Russell Chatman's body. Elena needed more money for this and they agreed to give it to her. As she was about to take out her surgical saw, she thought she saw his lips move. It wasn't uncommon for some of the nerves to twitch in the body. She continued to whistle and work away. When she turned back around the body wasn't on the table. It was lying on the floor next to the table.

Dr. Elena sighed rather frustrated at how something could move that far. She went around and stared down into the face and all of a sudden the eyes opened! Elena screamed and it was as if time stood still. She stopped and couldn't move. It was as if her limbs were cemented to the ground.

Russell Chatman carried a maddening look in his eyes. He grabbed Elena by the throat and slung her at least ten feet in the air. She came crashing to the floor breaking her left hip. She screamed for security and they came running in, guns drawn. Firing a round of ammunition into Dr. Chatman, he finally came to rest in a pool of fresh blood.

Elena looked at Gentry, a graying old security guard, "Thank you!" He nodded and they gathered the remnants of Dr. Chatman's body.