CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Harmon felt like shit the next morning. He rolled over, staring at the small bedside clock and moaned. He never slept this late. He sat on the edge of the bed and gripped the sides of his head, the headache overwhelming him.
“Damn,” he muttered.
Slowly he stood and made his way to the sink, drinking two full glasses of water and taking some aspirin along with it.
“Coffee. I just need coffee” he mumbled.
He started the coffee pot and then went to the bathroom, took at quick hot shower, and returned to the living room in clean clothes feeling an inkling better.
With the hot coffee in his hand, he stepped out onto the porch to a clear, cold winter morning. Normally unfazed by the temperatures, he felt a chill creep into him and shook. Opening the door, he grabbed a jacket and wrapped himself tight. Still cold, he took the quilt that Shirley made off the back of the chair and set it over his lap.
“That’s better,” he said to himself. “Great. Now you’re talking to yourself.”
He wondered how Micah was doing this morning. He’d go check his cabin later if he didn’t hear from him. It was a shame losing Mack so suddenly. He remembered seeing a package coming out to him and he wondered if it was the usual monthly supply of coffee, filters, and powdered creamer. He should have delivered it himself.
Just as he was about to stand and go back inside, he heard the low rumble of an outboard motor.
“Must be Micah,” he whispered to himself.
Instead, a larger boat came around the bend with five men standing in it. These weren’t ordinary men. They were big. Bigger than big. They had serious expressions on their faces and for a moment, Harm considered grabbing his gun. But it was too late. They were right at his dock.
“Help you boys?” he asked cautiously.
“Yes, sir. Are you Harmon Blanchet?”
“Who wants to know?” he asked.
“The entire parish,” said Hex. Harm stared at the men as they got off the boat and walked up his dock.
“The parish? What on earth are you talkin’ about?” he asked.
“Mr. Blanchet, my name is Cam Dougall and these men and I work together for a security company called Gray Wolf Legacy or just Legacy.”
“Alright, just Legacy, what does that have to do with me?”
“Sir, you’ve been sick for quite a while now, right?” He eyed the men suspiciously but nodded. “Sir, everyone has been sick. We’re working with the clinic on River Road to try and find out where the virus started. They’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“All you boys came out here for me?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” said Quentin. “As Cam said, we all work together. We need to get you to put on a mask and gloves and come with us, sir.”
“You a doctor?” he asked.
“I was a medic and now I’m a registered nurse.” He nodded again, wobbling as he stood there in front of them. “Whoa, maybe you take a seat.”
“Yeah. It’s funny I’ve been thinking this is the worst allergy attack I’ve ever had. Been going on for weeks now. I was feeling better a few days ago, then came out here and started feeling worse again.”
Quentin looked around at the cabin and then sniffed the air.
“Do you guys smell that?” he asked.
Hex, Luke, Cam and Eric all sniffed the air like bloodhounds. Harmon stared at them, then sniffed the air as well.
“Oh, y’all are smelling the wood tar.”
“Wood tar?” asked Eric.
