Chapter 7—Charlie

"I want my phone back, Ms. Larson." I wrap my hands around the bars of my cell, the one that I'm used to putting people in. Instead, I'm stuck in here.

"You chose to disregard a directive, Chief Swan. You were told not to contact the media, and yet we're the top story on the national news tonight." Ms. Larson barely looks at me from her paperwork. The team, my team, is working, albeit very reluctantly, for her.

"You aren't telling us everything. When you play with the lives of kids, especially my kid, I'm going to do what I have to do to protect her."

"Playing with lives?" She cocks her eyebrow. "This is not a game, Chief Swan. Until we are positive there is no direct threat to the population of this town, this state, and this country, the quarantine will stay in place. And if you can't behave yourself, so will you."

"I need to call my daughter."

"My sources tell me she has checked into her homeroom and seems to be in good health. If she's as tenacious as you, I suspect she'll handle herself just fine." Ms. Larson checks her watch. "I have a meeting I need to be at. Excuse me, please." She exits without letting me out of here, or giving me my phone back. I'm not one to name call, especially a woman. But what a...

"Chief," Deputy Smith whispers, keeping his eye on the conference room, where Ms. Larson has disappeared to for her so-called meeting.

"Yeah, Smith." I rest my forehead against the bars. They're cool and dry, a vast difference to my sweat covered skin.

"I..." He swallows hard. "Overhead some things. I don't think I was supposed to hear them."

"And?"

"I think they know more about this thing than they're letting on." He speaks in a low voice, so only I can hear. "Kept saying something about an increase in incubation time from before."

"Before?" I look up. "What did they mean before?"

"I don't know. That's all I heard."

"I want you to do something for me, Smith, but you can't let them know you're looking." I spot my phone sitting over by Ms. Larson's makeshift desk. The screen lights up and it vibrates against the wood.

"It's Bella again," he says.

I'm not an emotional person. Unfortunately, I think I passed that trait along to her. Fortunately, she's one of the only people who understands me that way. My kid, one of kind, I tell you. But, at that moment, all I want to do is rip through these bars and answer my damn phone.

"I need you to do some research. Look for blips," I say.

"Blips, Chief?" He asks, puzzled.

"Things that don't look right. Sometimes they don't look right for a reason."

"I understand." He nods. "Sure wish I could let you out of there."

"I do, too. But I don't want you getting in trouble with Larson. I need as many of you guys out there as I can. Have they sent in the suits yet?"

The suits aren't what you'd typically think of as a suit. Not a business type. I call them that because of the big hazmat type suits they wear around, looking like a God damn alien from another planet.

"Just getting ready to drop them in now. Word is they have a small group detained for the second tier quarantine."

Those poor kids. They're innocent in all this, whatever this is. None of them deserve it. Makes my blood boil just thinking about it.

"Well, let's cut the chit-chat and get to work on what I asked you to do," I say. "Git."

"Sure thing." Smith nods and walks slowly past my cell on his way to his desk. He leans down just in front, like he's going to tie his shoe, and slides my phone through the bars. I never even saw him take it from the desk. "I know if it were my kid in there, I'd be going crazy. Just, be smart about using it, if you know what I mean." He gestures to Ms. Larson, who seems to be yelling at someone on the phone in the conference room.

"Thanks, Smith." I hide the phone between my body and the wall and flip it open to send a text to Bella.

R U ok?

It doesn't take her long to respond.

I've been calling you!

I know, they took my phone away. Can't call.

Who took your phone away? She asks.

CDC lady

Are you okay?

I sigh. As long as you are. Ms. Larson opens the door to the conference room and storms out, directing the medical team to the helicopter. G2G

I close the phone and slide it into my pocket. Never thought I'd be so glad about Bella teaching me to text. Now, it might be my only lifeline to her.

A/N: Massive apologies for the longer than normal delay on this update and that it is a little shorter than the others. I went straight from having a stomach bug last week to a nasty cold this week, so I am not in the best state for writing/editing/posting. Hopefully once this passes, I'll be able to get back to a more normal posting schedule. Thanks for your patience!

So, we get a little taste of what's going on with Charlie on the outside! Something definitely seems uber fishy!