Read The Inner Struggle: Beginnings Series Book 7 for Free Online

“It’s eating at me, because my own flesh and blood is involved in this. He’s smack dab in the middle of a major problem.”
    Frank’s attention was grasped. “What happened with Robbie?”
    “As you know,” Joe said, “we received a communication signal right outside of Boise. Robbie and his men, on their way back from the latest series of runs stopped by to investigate the signal. They encountered an attack. Not a SUT attack but they were hit by savages. Not a problem, a little different than what they were dealing with, but they took them out. Unfortunately, that’s not our problem. Robbie found the basis for the communication signal. A busted radio and . . . eight dead SUTs all hanging from a tree, all half eaten. Typical savage pillaging.” Joe’s voice took a saddened effect. “Then they found more savages. Those ones were dead, not by the hands of the SUTs but by an illness Robbie could only describe as . . .” He took a deep breath. “Plague like symptoms.” Like a well-rehearsed move, Joe watched all three men close their eyes and lean back. “Problem. Robbie believes that some of his men may have been exposed, not only to the bodies but perhaps infected savages as well. That’s where you three come in. What do we do? They have to stay out there till it’s an all clear, I suppose. Dean, how long?”
    “Why?” Dean questioned, “do they have to stay out there? Let them come home. They’re our men.”
    “Yes, I agree,” Joe said, “and I’ll answer that. Two reasons. One, they could very well be the future you went into and two, we have to keep this under wraps from general population. It will cause a panic and you know it. If they make it through the plague stages, are they safe to come back?”
    “Yes,” Dean nodded, “but bring them in anyhow for research purposes to stop this thing . . .”
    “Aren’t you listening?” Joe walked closer to Dean. “Research to stop this? How in Christ name do you know that they aren’t what starts this? You don’t. You don’t know that in that future you went into, Robbie and our men weren't the one who brought it in. We can’t take that chance and you know it. Besides, can you safely quarantine sixteen men with a guarantee that what they may or may not have, will not spread?”
    Dean shook his head. “Not with a hundred percent certainty. We can try.”
    “Trying isn’t good enough. We have a community to worry about. Unless you can absolutely guarantee me that sixteen men can be quarantined, I don’t want to hear about it. Dean, I’d love to know my son will walk through those gates, but I have an entire community to concern myself with. How does it go? The needs of many outweigh the needs of one?” Joe took on a thinking look. “What Bible reference is that?”
    Henry raised his head some. “Uh Joe? I believe that was Star Trek, Mr. Spock.”
    “You’re shitting me?” Joe shrugged. “You would know, Henry. Anyhow, back to what I was saying. Dean, you know what I mean. You understand don’t you?”
    “I understand.” Dean dropped his head. “No, sixteen is way too many to handle. We don’t have the facilities at the mobile lab.”
    “That’s what I thought,” Joe continued. “How long should they stay away from Beginnings?”
    Dean thought about it. “There’s a four to five day incubation period. Day six, if they aren’t exhibiting signs of the plague, they’ll be safe. But Joe, they could be out there a while. The plague symptoms we have data on, if it’s the same one, run for two weeks. Others may avoid exposure for that long, but they still may get it. If only a few come down with it at a time, we can be looking at up to eight weeks.”
    “This I know,” Joe agreed, “but it’s a chance we have to take. Frank, you’ve been speaking to Robbie regularly on what he and his men have used as far as ammo goes. How do they stand right now protection wise? Did you bring that info?”
    “Yeah.” Frank checked out his