IN THE END: A Quarantine Romance

  IN THE END

  A Quarantine Romance

  Tarrah Anders

  COPYRIGHT © 2020– TARRAH ANDERS

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the email address below.

  Tarrah Anders | Tarrah Anders, LLC Tarrah.anders@gmail.com |www.tarrahanders.com

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Book Formatting: Tarrah Anders, LLC

  Cover: GermanCreative

  Ordering Information: IN THE END

  ASIN: B0866CN57Y

  To those on the front lines, those in essential positions and the superheroes in the hospitals— many thanks to you.

  To the first responders, thank you for keeping us safe and for protecting those who cannot.

  To the social services, for thinking of others and making sure that they’re well-being is just as important as your own.

  And to you, the readers, for wanting to see the good within the bad.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  Also by Tarrah Anders

  Dear Friends,

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  1

  Kendall

  There are several reasons why I shouldn’t stop and go inside the store that has it all. But the most important reason I am is who is inside and the fact that my best friend would have my ass if I didn’t stop by, even with the world going through so much as it is now.

  I park my car, grab my backpack and head to the front doors.

  “Ma’am, can I see your membership card?” the pimply teen asks when I attempt to barrel past him. I stop in my tracks and rummage through my backpack for my oversized wallet.

  I flash him the card and he waves me through.

  I pass by people with carts full of cough syrup, toilet paper and… water?

  Really? Why are people buying water? All of the plastic that is going to be thrown away after use, with so many issues breaking down, our world is already fucked up with climate control.

  Oh yeah, and the current pandemic that has taken over the world.

  Yes, there is a pandemic and here I am doing what the government is telling us not to do.

  Travel and be out in the public.

  Either way, I am on my way home from visiting my dad and I didn’t want to stay in Texas any longer than I had to.

  A month ago, when the virus took its first victims, people called it a hoax. They called it fake and not something outside the common cold.

  That was the first month.

  That’s when I made the decision to go visit my dad, just in case something happened. He’s the only person that I have left in the world that is related to me by blood, and I needed to see him. My mother died when I was young, I have no siblings and both my grandparents have passed, so my dad is the only person that I have left that I’m related to, that I need to keep in contact with.

  Currently, states are closing its borders, government officials are doing interviews from a bomb shelter with full shelves behind them with supplies that the common person cannot seem to get no matter how fast stores stock their shelves.

  There is a limit now for how much and what you can purchase to assure that people who actually need items can obtain them.

  But here I am today, trying to keep up with tradition and make a stop that I take each time.

  Janelle, my best friend, moved from Phoenix to New Mexico the year after we graduated high school. She worked at the super store in Phoenix back in the day and was able to transfer, so she could move. Since I travel back and forth between Phoenix and Texas every other month to visit, my father—she knows my schedule well enough to know that if I don’t pass through, she will indeed leave me a voicemail with enough anger that I will be able to feel it through the receiver. Every time I’ve driven through this part of the country, I stop here, because it’s just a promise that I’ve made. .

  I take my time walking through the front of the store, straight to the staff break room and when I don’t see her, I take a deep breath with my hand grasping my strap of my backpack.

  Where is she? I was hoping that I would find her right away, and that I wouldn’t have to wait around here any longer than needed. A simple, hello and maybe a hot dog, then get back on the road, type of thing. She would understand, after all, it’s tough times.

  “Attention shoppers, attention shoppers! May I have your attention please?” A large sound of doors sliding closed and then a few additional lights turn on overhead. The excited voices throughout the space hush and everyone that I can see around me looks up as if there’s someone, other than speakers looking down and speaking to us.

  “We apologize for this in advance, however the military has shut down this facility effective immediately. Just within the last hour, there has been several community-based occurrences of infection. For your safety, we will be confined in this space until further notice.” The voice says.

  Several gasps echo through the quiet and I’m stunned, I really wasn’t expecting this.

  “For your protection and safety, we will have members of the local military to serve you. The quarantine has now begun. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause to you and your families. You will have full access to these facilities, and you will have several individuals that you will be able to ask questions of and receive up to date information of the status during our time here. We ask that you please remain calm and know that this is just a precaution.”

  Suddenly, my attention diverts to several individuals who are both wearing suits and military fatigues that I didn’t notice before. I see my best friend, looking solemn as she looks out into the crowd standing in between uniforms. She passes over the crowd and passes over me, but she must have registered my face while in passing and with a shocked expression she comes back to me.

  I give her a small wave with an awkward smile and she gives me a forced smile with a shake of the head that basically says ‘damn you’.

  I’m eager to talk to her, but I know that she needs to remain professional and stand up there with the rest of management and the other scary looking people with guns.

  I scan the perimeter of the store that I can see immediately and that’s when my eyes land on him.

  He has a beard, it’s short and manicured. His expression gives nothing away, none
of his internal thoughts and he just looks… deadly and sexy as sin.

  He stands with one hand on his hip and the other on his gun. His eyes roam the room, on alert for anyone to start throwing a fit or storm the closed doors behind his peers. He’s ready for anything.

  He looks calm, and I’m definitely wondering if that’s how he’s feeling.

  2

  Levi

  When I finished my afternoon workout, dressed in my fatigues and hit the concrete for my next shift—I wasn’t expecting that we would be given orders to close off and guard a new quarantine site in New Mexico, just an hour away.

  We were told that we are to maintain a big boxed store, to make sure no one got out, because one person has shown signs for the virus. The person, we were told doesn’t even know they have the virus, or if they do, they haven’t said anything and didn’t give a crap about anyone that they infect, as they decided to go to the store today.

  It pisses me off and scares the shit out of me, at the same time.

  The government doesn’t even know if the freaking vaccine that they’re working on will help us, but right now we’re the next best thing. We’re bringing our best doctor and he’s jam packed with whatever the hospitals are using on people with the disease. I should be more fearful, but I was more scared when I was in the desert running from bullets and trying to figure out where I could catch a breath. I’m not afraid of dying, not by any means.

  Hell, I joined the military right out of high school with a death wish, so, a little war and a little virus doesn’t scare me one bit.

  But there is something to be said about being in a space, confined with over two hundred people who had no clue that this would happen to them today. Some people are now separated from their loved ones and some people were inches away from the exit when the doors slid to close, trapping them.

  I see the looks of frustration, concern, sadness, and pure hatred for all of us who are standing here and making decisions on their behalf. Then I pass by a striking honey-blonde who has the look of curiosity on her face. She looks over the situation standing before her with no real worry. She waved to someone standing in line alongside myself, and as much as I’m curious as to who, I cannot see out of the peripheral of my sight to see who it is.

  I resume my scan over the room, but my eyes keep reverting back to stare at her and the last time that I did, she was staring at me.

  A woman in front raises her hand, “Excuse me, you say until further notice—what does it really mean?”

  I know the answer is not going to be as simple as most people will want.

  We don’t know. You may never be released from here. We all could die here.

  The thought bothers me.

  I prefer concrete answers, not guesses, but I know that we cannot provide all the information that we have to people who have no reaction training.

  It is possible that some of these people in this facility have not been in contact with the infected person. But we don’t know how it is transmitted, we don’t know if it is airborne or through person to person contact. Either way, the thermal-cam that this building has doesn’t lie and that was a major concern to security when they reported the person.

  “We will start out with reading everyone’s temperatures and making sure that there are no individuals who are unknowingly with the virus.” The commander points at someone else with their hand up.

  “If we are expected to be here overnight, is there anything in place for meals and sleeping?” A woman holding her son in her arms, his body clinging to her as a Koala would, asks.

  A young woman, who was introduced earlier as the store manager steps forward with her hand outstretched for the microphone.

  “This building is perfectly equipped for emergency circumstances such as this. We’re lucky to be in a place where food is of abundance. You will not be liable to pay for the food that is eaten during this time, the bill will be handled by the government. We have a kitchen and depending on how long we are here, we will work together as a unit to make three meals a day. As for bedding, we as well as these fine gentlemen surrounding us have you covered. We will be clearing out areas within the store which will be sleeping quarters. We don’t know what will happen or how long we will be here, but as long as we remain calm, work together and respect one another—we will overcome this obstacle.” She sounds professional and definitely not as freaked out as she is, with the way that her hands are shaking.

  The woman smiles to the crowd, nods to the commander and steps back.

  More talking ensues, and my gaze returns to the curious woman. She’s smiling and looking in the direction of the woman who was just speaking. I hear the commander answering more questions and the rise of voices and cries. People understandably loathe that this is happening to them.

  “The soldiers beside me are not here to hurt you, they are here to make sure that we contain the situation. My men are trained for situations such as this and I stress that you do not see them as the enemy. We’re all here to help you.”

  “Then why do they have guns?” a man asks.

  “Safety, sir. My guys usually carry much larger guns than what you see. Again, please do not see these folks as the enemy. We are here to protect you.”

  “Is there someone sick here? Where are they? Come out!” An angry older man asks.

  “Sir, we cannot confirm or deny that. We will be taking vitals of every person here. If there is someone here at risk, we will take those measures if they should present. Now, I ask for a line to be formed to the right side directly across from me, by the pharmacy. We will begin with vitals there.” The commander turns off the microphone and turns to speak with the woman who spoke on behalf of the store and a few other employees.

  I take a deep breath and look to the area where the woman who has kept me captivated since seeing her stands.

  And she’s looking at me.

  3

  Kendall

  “Looks like you’ve got your hands full,” I smile as Janelle walks up to me with her arms out for a hug.

  “God, you’re a sight for sore eyes. I’m so sorry that you are here, but I am damn glad to see your face and that I’m not here alone. But damn, it looks like you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time. Another trip to visit your dad?” She asks.

  “I drove out as soon as I could. By the time that I was leaving, his community was no longer letting any more visitors in.”

  “Is that legal?” She asks.

  “I don’t know what is or what isn’t anymore.” I shake my head. “And it looks like this is something serious, what’s really going on? I’m pretty sure half of whatever that mean looking hulk-like man was saying was a lot of steam to blow up our asses.”

  “I think he has some sort of secret, but I’m not entirely sure what it is. He keeps saying something about an asset, then stops himself, remembers who is around and changes the subject. I swear, if I hear the word classified one more time, I might throw a tomato at his head!”

  “We may need to eat that tomato, don’t waste it.”

  She smiles and drapes her arm over my shoulder leaning her head against mine.

  “I’ll say it again, I’m sorry that you’re stuck in here, but selfishly, I’m glad. There would be no other person that I would rather be stuck inside here with.”

  “Not even any of those military guys, there’s a few who aren’t too sore on the eyes.” I playfully nudge her while wiggling my eyebrows to lighten the mood.

  “There sure as hell are.” She fans herself. “I’ve got my eyes on that delicious chocolate fountain that was standing by me, trust me. If I’m going to die in here, I might as well climb that.”

  We laugh together and hug.

  “Now, that’s what I like to see, happiness. Ms. Walters, may I speak to you in private?” The man in charge asks.

  “With all due respect sir, anything that you say to me, you can say to her. She’s my family and will know as soon as I step away from you, sir.” Janelle
says squaring her shoulders.

  “The, may I speak to you… both, in your office?” he asks. If he’s annoyed, he doesn’t show it, but I’m pretty sure that he is.

  She leads him to the staff break and closes the door behind me.

  “Is this your office?” He asks.

  “No, sir. This is a break room, the manager office is quite small and further away. I figure, what you wanted to speak about is a little more important, and we should just speak in here,” Janelle tells him.

  “I plan to set up a space for my unit briefings and an all-around command center where I can operate out of.”

  “Okay, well, you have free rein of this entire space. I would suggest using the customer service area up front, it’s a large enough space and has clear access lines to technology should you need it.”

  “Very well. I would like the staff to be tested as well,” he tells her.

  “Is there something that you are not telling us?” She asks.

  He hesitates and looks at me. “We’re not able to say anything at this time, ma’am. I ask to please practice a little distance when customers approach you. We still do not know the basis of how this virus is transmitted and I want to make sure everyone stays as safe as possible.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “May I ask a question?” I speak up as he turns to me with a frown on his face before nodding. “If there is someone here who has the virus, will everyone be notified, or will you secretly quarantine even further?”