24 hours had passed since Jenner had briefed the President. Of those hours, Jim had only been asleep four of them. The images on the TV were growing worse by the hour. Every network seemed to be endlessly replaying footage of the Brooklyn and George Washington Bridges collapsing into the water as US Air Force jets screamed by. A planned protest outside the White House by people who had relatives trapped in New York has been called off after the Secret Service waved guns in their faces. They were not taking a chance with the Presidents safety.

The President lay alone in his bed. His wife and son had died in a car accident six months into his term. In a way he was glad they were not around to see the chaos parts of the country were descending into. Still, he missed them terribly...

There was no time to dwell on the past though. Robert, the Chief of Staff came in without knocking looking somewhat nervous.

"Mr President, it's Los Angeles." Robert said. Jim wanted badly to turn over and close his eyes and for everything to go away. He couldn't though. His country was counting on him.

"How bad?" Jim asked rubbing his eyes.

"Several cases of what the CDC is calling 'Wildfire' at Ceders-Sinai hospital. A man apparently took a train from Chicago to LA after sustaining a bite wound. Two attending paramedics and one policeman were bitten after he arrived at the station and started becoming aggressive, all of whom have been placed under quarantine. However CCTV also shows he bit a number of people on the platform before he was shot dead. LAPD are actively looking for everyone he came in contact with but some people appear to be trying to hide the fact that they were bitten for fear they will be shot. In addition to LA we are getting reports of cases in Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Denver and Seattle. It's no longer confined to the North East. This will get worse before it gets better." Robert said. "Cathy is doing a press conference in two hours to try and get people to calm down and promise them a vaccine."

Jim started to sit up in his bed feeling agitated.

"You think it's a good idea for the United States Secretary of Health to promise the public a vaccine that the CDC says may not happen for months or years? Or ever?" Jim shook his head. "No wonder people don't trust the government"

"People are freaking out sir. We need to calm them down before a riot starts" Robert said in his defence.

The President waved him away and went to get dressed. There was too much on his mind for him to get anymore sleep.

A little over two hours later Cathy Burke, US Secretary of State for Health, addressed a large crowd of reporters from around the world.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," she began as she fought back a yawn. Very few government officials had had much sleep in the past week. "I have some good news to report. The CDC have been in contact with myself and the President and promised that all of their resources are now going into finding a vaccine for the virus. It may take several weeks, but rest assured..." Her voice trailed off as someone stumbled onto the podium. The Deputy Communications Director for the White House seemed like he had something to add, which was odd, or maybe he had something important to tell the Secretary of Health. At least that was most peoples assumption until he lunged at her and battened his teeth down on her neck. A jet of blood immediately shot out everywhere and her eyes bulged wide with fear. The reporters screamed but the cameras kept rolling. Two gunshots rang out. One hitting the man in the neck, the second in the head, taking him down instantly. Secret Service agents began a thought sweep to make sure no more infected were inside the building.

The President, who was in the Oval Office and not watching the Health Secretary's speech, was more than bewildered when two Secret Service agents barged in and grabbed him by an arm each and almost dragged him down to the White House bunker.

"Asset secured, I repeat, Asset secured" one of the agents said as the approached the bunker.

"What the hell is going on?" Jim demanded as he entered the high tech underground bunker beneath the building.

"Cathy's dead!" Sarah, the National Security Adviser coming through the bunkers blast proof door moments after the President "Frank Mavis somehow caught the bug and killed her".

"I spoke with him an hour ago. He said he was having heart pains and I told him to go see a doctor. But he hadn't been bitten, at least not as far I'm aware" Jim said in bewilderment.

"That may just jibe with something I read in an email from the CDC." Said Sarah "They said they were investigating reports that some people had contracted the virus without being bitten. They had died of natural causes then come back and attacked people. Maybe that's what happened to Frank? A heart attack I'm guessing given what you just told me. Plus he had a history of heart trouble. Jesus does that mean that this thing could also be airborne?"

"There's going to be absolute panic on an unprecedented scale you know." The Chief of Staff, Robert said with his head in his hands at one of the desks. "Millions of people watching just saw a cabinet member murdered live on tv in the White House. If we can't even protect ourselves, people will feel like we can't protect them. This is bad. This is really fucking bad from a PR perspective!"

"Oh God..." Sarah groaned looking at her phone "just got a message here saying the Secret Service had to shoot Cathy after she got back up and tried to bite one of the reporters. She was killed before she could hurt anyone but still...I just can't believe this".

"Turn on the TV" the President said "let's see what the networks are making of this. And Robert sent a message of condolences to Cathie's family. Imagine seeing a loved one killed on live TV. Just horrible."

"Yes Mr President" Robert replied as he turned on the TV and went to make a call to Cathy's family

"...just shocking scenes in the White House a few minutes ago as Secretary of a Health Cathy Burke was murdered live on air by Deputy Communications Director Frank Mavis, who had somehow contracted the new virus that is sweeping the North East. This of course brings up many questions about the security of the White House itself. The Secret Service have assured us that the President is alive and well and that there are no other cases of the virus within the White House. A lockdown has been ordered and nobody is being allowed within a mile of the building until further notice. Unconfirmed reports suggest President Jim Stephens has been moved underground, but..."

"Goddamn the media move fast don't they? How do they know I'm underground already? " Jim said feeling the colour drain from his face. What a horrendous day. The virus that was devastating New York and most of New England and now even parts of the Midwest and California had even struck right at the heart of the Administration itself.