Invasion of America

Chapter 97 Trapped
"Victor, do we need to buy food?" Lucy stood on the side of the road, her arms folded across her chest, her brows slightly frowned.

She watched Zhou Qingfeng unload several bags of flour, butter, sugar and other ingredients from a freight truck, looking puzzled and a little helpless.

There were many people watching on the blocked road. Everyone was extremely curious about Zhou Qingfeng's actions and couldn't help but talk about it.

In the eyes of everyone, Zhou Qingfeng's actions were a bit of an exaggeration - thousands of dollars just to buy these ordinary ingredients?

For most people, seeing the National Guard blocking roads is at most strange; learning that the virus is spreading is just a sign that society and the economy will be under tremendous pressure.

As for the shelter? That's more like a weird Cold War idea, too outrageous and long since abandoned.

However, for Zhou Qingfeng, seeing the National Guard blocking the road immediately sounded alarm bells in his mind.

His instinct told him that he must collect food and fuel as quickly as possible to prepare for the coming crisis.

When he unloaded the fifth bag of flour from the truck, the driver's face looked a little ugly, obviously feeling that he had carried too much.

Zhou Qingfeng didn't say much, but simply pulled out two thousand dollars from his pocket and handed it to the driver. The driver's expression instantly changed from gloomy to cheerful, and his mouth almost stretched to his ears.

"Sir, you are so generous!" The driver smiled and took the initiative to help Zhou Qingfeng carry several large buckets of milk, two baskets of vegetables, and even condiments such as salad dressing.

After the incident, the driver patted Zhou Qingfeng on the shoulder enthusiastically, his tone laden with compliments: "You are truly the most crisis-aware person I have ever met."

Zhou Qingfeng glanced at the driver coldly, "I'm not short of money. I'd rather be prepared than go hungry when necessary."

The pickup truck was back on the road, the back of the truck filled with food and supplies.

Zhou Qingfeng looked ahead at the road, trying to find other possible ways to leave Washington, DC.

However, both the radio and the shortwave radio brought disturbing news.

The radio host was relaying a special executive order issued by the White House: From now on, Washington, DC will be in lockdown, and the entry and exit of people will be strictly controlled.

Everyone must find accommodation such as hotels and apartments as soon as possible and stock up on sufficient daily necessities to deal with a possible "emergency".

However, the radio station didn't mention what exactly this "state of emergency" was. This vague wording only made people more uneasy.

Since the telephone and Internet were disconnected, Zhou Qingfeng could only contact Chen Rui using the shortwave radio in the car.

Chen Rui also sensed something was amiss. "Communications with the outside world were still normal, but I was extremely shocked by the blockade in Washington, D.C.

All kinds of news are flying around on the Internet, and the most popular one is that someone has launched a military coup.

But no military personnel have come forward to claim responsibility, and the Pentagon has remained completely silent."

"By the way, the president, who loves posting messages online, has also disappeared. It's believed that he may have hidden in the bunker under the White House."

After listening to this, Zhou Qingfeng frowned and denied the possibility of a "military coup". Instead, he put forward his own speculation.

"Virus 'X' has a strong ability to evade the immune system, and RNA vaccines are not 100% effective. If the president had been less lucky, he might have gotten sick."
-
The pickup truck continued driving south, and after entering the city, the road seemed empty.

Zhou Qingfeng glanced at the roadside signs and slowed down in front of a gray-white museum.

"Why are you stopping the car?" Lucy looked around and found that there was almost no one in front of the usually bustling museum.

"Okay, let's buy a map." Zhou Qingfeng got out of the car and walked to the side of the museum's lobby. A vending machine stood alone in the corner, selling city tourist and transportation maps.

After paying with coins to buy the map, Zhou Qingfeng returned to the car, ran his finger across the map, and quickly scanned the densely packed streets and signs.

The fingertips finally stopped at the Potomac River. Across the river was the Arlington community, which, although now part of Virginia, was still within the restricted area.

He closed the map, restarted the engine, and drove towards the river.

"Where are we going now?" asked Lucy.

"Go to Thomas's house." Zhou Qingfeng relied on the map and memory, stepped on the accelerator and increased speed.

"Thomas from the Efficiency Department? Isn't he dead?" Lucy's voice suddenly rose with obvious surprise.

"Yes, he's dead, but his house won't run away, so it's just vacant." Zhou Qingfeng said, "We need a place to stay now, so we can't be too picky."

None of the three people in the car were suitable for staying in hotels, but they had to find a place to settle down as soon as possible, otherwise the road closures would be intensified and they would be unable to move.

As the car drove onto the bridge over the Potomac River, a series of rapid "beep beep" sounds were heard, and several ambulances rushed past from the opposite lane, with the warning lights on the roofs flashing dazzling red lights.

After crossing the river, the scene on both sides of the street was even more disturbing.

From time to time, medical staff in white protective suits rushed into an apartment building, and some even came out carrying stretchers.

There is often an elderly person lying on the stretcher with a sick face, weak breathing and an oxygen mask on his face.

Although white people in the United States control the country, the aging problem is becoming increasingly serious.

Especially in power centers like Washington, D.C., the elderly enjoy the best medical resources and live longer. However, they also die more often when an epidemic occurs.

"Lucy, look, it's you, Grandpa Pluto." Old man Hammer's voice suddenly came from the back seat, pointing outside the car window.

Lucy turned her head and through the car window saw medical staff carrying a white-haired old man into the ambulance.

The old man's head drooped limply on the edge of the stretcher, his breathing mask covering most of his face, leaving only a pair of tightly closed eyes exposed.

"Grandpa Pluto...he doesn't seem to be in good condition." Lucy's voice was so low that it was almost inaudible.

"Remove the word 'seems'. He's just not doing well. He might be dead." Old man Hammer was quite open-minded and didn't shy away from talking about 'life and death'.

The medical staff outside the car were fully armed and wearing heavy protective clothing. Their masks completely covered their faces, leaving only a pair of cold eyes exposed.

They moved quickly and mechanically, as if they were a group of emotionless robots completing the moving work, pursuing only efficiency.

Zhou Qingfeng stepped on the accelerator and quickly drove out of the neighborhood. Ten minutes later, he stopped outside Thomas's townhouse.
-
As a senior agent of the Efficiency Department, Thomas did live a very comfortable life.

His residence is a modern two-and-a-half-story villa in an upscale residential area in the Arlington community.
The red brick exterior is matched with white columns, and there is a small fountain on the neatly trimmed lawn in the front yard. The backyard is surrounded by tall oak trees, making it private and quiet.

Opening the garage door, the couple's two cars were still parked inside, and the car keys were still hanging on the hook on the wall, as if the owner would come back and take them away at any time.

Entering the villa from the garage, there was still a faint smell of blood in the air.

The police had placed yellow evidence markers on the living room floor, outlining where the body had fallen. The leather of the sofa was spattered with dark brown blood, and there were several striking splatter marks on the wall.

On the dining table was still half-prepared dinner by Thomas's wife - an uncut salad, a steak marinated and waiting to be grilled, and a half-finished glass of red wine next to it.

The food has gone bad.

"Just make do with it." Zhou Qingfeng swept all the smelly things into the trash can, opened the refrigerator door, and the cold air hit him in the face.

The freezer was crammed with fresh produce—milk, eggs, vegetables, fruit, even boxes of premium steaks.

The freezer was filled with frozen foods and semi-finished products. He estimated that this food would be enough for the three of them to survive for six or seven days.

The water and electricity supply are all normal, all home appliances are still usable, the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom are all clean, as if the owner of this house is just out for a short time and will be back at any time.

Old man Hammer sank into the sofa in the living room, grabbed the remote control as usual and pressed the power button.

The TV screen lit up, and the CNN news anchor was solemnly reporting the latest news:
"The White House has just issued a special executive order, and the Vice President has declared a national emergency..."

The scene switched, and the vice president, nicknamed "the redneck" by the media, appeared in front of the camera. He had a serious expression and spoke in a low voice:
"Due to a public health emergency, Washington, D.C. is under a complete lockdown effective immediately. All non-essential personnel are prohibited from entering or leaving..."

reason?

The president is sick.

More than two dozen senior staff members and workers inside the White House have shown severe symptoms of illness.

The situation in Congress was even worse - more than a dozen members of the House and Senate were rushed to the hospital, and the number of staff members who asked for leave exceeded three digits.

The entire administrative system in Washington, D.C. was almost paralyzed, and panic spread rapidly.

Large numbers of government employees were told to work from home, but they tried to flee and were stopped by military and police within the cordon.

Power has been transferred to the vice president, who assured on television: "The lockdown is to control the situation."

But what is strange is that no official agency has come forward to explain why so many politicians and civil servants suddenly fell ill.

The American people have always been keen on conspiracy theories, and social media has exploded.

"Democratic counterattack?" "Deep state coup?" "The military is supporting the vice president as a puppet!"

All kinds of outrageous speculations are rampant, but no one seriously discusses the possibility of a "virus outbreak" and everyone thinks it is an illusion.

Zhou Qingfeng stared at the TV screen, his brow furrowed. He pulled out his phone, but the signal bar still showed "No Service." The public communication network was paralyzed.

"Victor, what should we do now?" Lucy finally realized that the situation was far beyond her expectations, and the shelter she had set up before might not be an unfounded worry.

"What else can we do? We'll just live here first." Zhou Qingfeng shrugged calmly, "The Vice President can't keep Washington, D.C. sealed off forever, right?
This is where the most powerful people in the United States are concentrated, and there are also people from embassies of various countries. Just letting these people go hungry is enough to make the government suffer.

They are not in a hurry, so why should we be in a hurry? "

Outside the window, night falls and the sirens of ambulances sound in the distance. The order of this city and even this country is collapsing bit by bit.
-
Shortly after nightfall, Zhou Qingfeng squatted in the toolbox in the garage and dug out some copper wire. He then found a few aluminum beverage cans in the trash can at the door and assembled a simple Yagi antenna.

After fixing the antenna on the roof of the pickup truck and adjusting the frequency band of the shortwave radio, the crackling noise of the electric current gradually became clearer, and communication with Chen Rui and even the "Gray Shark" became more convenient.

For the safety of himself and his mother, 'Gray Shark' really ran to an abandoned nuclear missile silo in Montana, more than 2,000 kilometers away from Washington, DC.

In the kitchen, Lucy was busy preparing dinner. The steak sizzled in the pan, and the aroma of fat filled the air.

Old man Hammer slumped on the sofa in the living room, his eyelids drooping heavily, the remote control in his hand slipping to the floor. When he woke up again, he would probably forget who he was again.

On TV, the news anchors continued to drone on about the political turmoil.

The Vice President's portrait filled half the screen as he announced the names of his interim cabinet. America's administrative machinery struggled to maintain a semblance of order amidst the chaos.
-
Meanwhile, only a desk lamp was on in Dias's study.

He stared at the computer screen. In the video conference window, the faces of several colleagues were blurry and their voices were intermittent.

This way of working remotely made him irritated - there was no face-to-face deterrence, his subordinates' reports were perfunctory, his colleagues' responses were careless, and even he himself couldn't muster up the energy.

“Is the president really ill?”

This thought lingered in his mind. Dias was very skeptical about it. He knew very well that the government was in a difficult situation facing the epidemic, and it was something that he could neither admit nor shirk.

If you ignore it, you will only waste your precious time.

The top government officials have all been vaccinated, so how could they possibly fall down en masse?

But from a political perspective, this "disease" came too cleverly - the president avoided responsibility and even became a victim.

The vice president took over, but the real crisis was still buried under layers of lies.

"Those idiots in the military screwed up the research, and now we're the ones to clean up the mess..."

No politician will admit that the virus outbreak was caused by the US military. Even if the military’s secret research institute has admitted that it messed up, the government will never publicize it.

"This dirty water still needs to be poured out."

One of the responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security is to relieve the president of his worries. Even if there is no evidence, they have to create it.

Putting the blame on 'Todai' is still the best solution.

Diaz's eyes fell on a file on the desk - Zhou Qingfeng's photo looked at him coldly.

The phone on the desk suddenly rang, interrupting Diaz's thoughts.

Monica's voice came from the receiver, with unbridled excitement: "Diaz, I found the person who was sheltering that kid."

In the country villa where Zhou Qingfeng once lived, old lady Grey was roughly pushed into the kitchen sink by a strong man.

The cold tap water poured into her nasal cavity, choking her and causing her to cough violently. Her old fingers clung tightly to the edge of the stainless steel sink.

The strong man grabbed her white hair and kept pushing her face into the water and pulling it out of the water.

The old lady trembled all over, tears mixed with water drops falling. She regretted it - she shouldn't have hesitated during the day. If she had left with Zhou Qingfeng, why would she have suffered such torture?
"That's enough, I say..." the old lady screamed miserably, "Victor drove away in a pickup truck. He's probably stuck in Washington, D.C."

(End of this chapter)