Rodriguez entered the eating hall with a wide grin upon his face.

“You seem to have cheered up,” Maria commented.

“Your committee has decided to pay up after all. Our payment is en route.”

“They gave in?”

The bandit nodded.

“It seems that you are much more valuable than you thought mam.”

“What about my pilots?”

“They are safe. Once the money arrives and has been properly counted, we will allow you and them to leave.”

“When I return to Havana I’ll order your arrest.”

The bandit laughed loudly.

“By the time your people arrive we shall be long gone mam.”

He sat beside her then and turned the subject back to politics.

“You are much different from Fidel.”

“His blood runs through my veins,” she insisted.

“I don’t doubt it. Take a bit of advice from me and change your people.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Instead of wasting time on me, rebuild this island as a proper republic.”

“We have no monarchy here.”

The bandit disagreed.

“You are the monarchy mam. That is why your committee gave in without a fight.”

“I really cannot accept that judgement.”

“It is staring you in the face mam. Back in Fidel’s day you would have been left to rot.”

Maria shook her head violently.

“Many of his fighters were women my friend. You are pretty ignorant of our history.”

He gave her a dark look.

“I am not ignorant of your American education mam. It has heavily influenced you.”

“My people don’t think so.”

“Most of your people are fools mam.”

Maria became quite incensed by the insult. She suddenly stood and slapped him hard across the cheeks.”

He wiped the pain away as one of his thugs ran inside.

“It is here Rodriguez. The damn money is here.”

The bandit smiled broadly and followed him out of the room.

Maria sat back down and waited to see what would happen next.

When Rodriguez stepped outside, he noted the darkening clouds and the heavy rain.

“Where is it?”

His thug led the way to the road and pointed to the small vehicle and the rather nervous driver.

Rodriguez walked over to the nervous chap and smiled sweetly.

“Give me the ransom now.”

The driver led him to the boot and opened it quickly. The bandit stared at the four heavy leather bags and smiled. Turning to one of his men he snapped, “Take it inside, and we will check it.”

“Can I go now?” the driver asked.

“Get your sorry arse out of here and thank the committee for me.”

He waited until the vehicle vanished into the gloom before returning to the warmth of the monastery.

The bags had been taken to the reception area, and the bandits were greedily running their fingers through it.

“Get your mutts off that,” the leader warned. “We need to count it you fool's.”

He watched as the bundles were carefully laid out, before the counting process began.

Rodriguez began to rub his palms at the prospect of untold riches.
...
“That pie was fabulous,” Cheryl said.

“It should be,” Pauline replied. “I got the recipe from my mother.”

“What will you do now?” the former cop asked.

“Continue as a nurse here for a while. After all within a week, we should all have at least some protection.”

“Even after this latest outbreak? Perhaps this solution simply failed.”

“Well if it has, we are all up the creek without a paddle my dear. How about you?”

Cheryl thought for a moment.

“I brought my friends here to escape the horrors of America. Look how it ended.”

“That was not your fault.”

“It’s more than just a run of bad luck Pauline. First the storm, then the hurricane. To top that off, my friend gets killed fighting a few rebels and a trooper contracts the disease.”

“I know how you feel Cheryl but if we are truly at the tail end of this thing, other opportunities will come along.”

Cheryl shook her head.

“What of the remains? Every city, town, and village must be full of them. You don’t think we will simply sweep them under the carpet do you?”

“Of course not my dear. Okay, clearing that out may take a year or two but the rebuilding will restart.”

“What makes you so sure?” Cheryl asked.

“It’s called human nature. After each and every catastrophe, we have rebuilt. This firepox thing nearly did for us, but not quite eh?”

Cheryl folded her arms across her waist and thought this over.

“I think we will be lucky if things are half decent ten years from now.”

She suddenly started coughing again, and the nurse became just a little more concerned.

“Are you sure that is just a frog in your throat?”

“It started when they fired the block. Must have inhaled some smoke or soot perhaps?”

“You just sit there a moment.”

The nurse rose and wandered into the lounge. A moment later, she returned with a thermometer.

“Pop this into your mouth for me.”

She counted down and then glanced at the gauge.

“Just a snitch above normal my dear. You should be okay.”

Overhead, the rainstorm lashed the dark streets as the water put the fire out for good.

“I may return to the states,” Cheryl muttered. “My cop experience should give me an edge.”

“Like my nursing life, you have a valuable asset.”

The women were enjoying each other’s company as the nurse glanced at the time.

“It’s nearly midnight. We should get to bed.”

“I hope that you have a spare room here.”

Pauline smiled.

“Of course I have.”
...
Maria woke at three that morning to the sound of violent coughing. She crept across the floor and put her ear against it. After listening for a moment, she started banging loudly.

“Hey! Let me out.”

She stepped back as footsteps came her way. Rodriguez entered coughing quite heavily.

“What’s up with you?”

“Many of my men are like this mam. I don’t think it is serious though.”

“Finished counting the ransom yet?”

The head bandit shook his head.

“None of us are well enough.”

He seemed to have a problem standing and began coughing once more.

“Whatever you have, try and keep it away from me.”

He suddenly suffered a violent spasm and the skin across his face began turning a crisp dark colour. The head of Cuba watched in fascination as the gun dropped to the floor, before the body collapsed.

Maria dashed to the door and glanced outside. Here and there, lay undamaged clothes and bits of intact flesh. She crossed herself before making a run for freedom.

She found the pilots tied to the interior of a copter and quickly released them.

“Just get us out of here at once.”

The pilot turned the key and hit the button, activating the blades of the craft. If any of the bandits were still alive, none ran out to stop them.

The copter rose into the dark sky and turning slowly, began its long trek back toward Havana.

“How did you get out?” one of the pilots asked.

“I think the ruddy virus got them. As long as none of us contracted it.”

The pilot increased their speed, putting distance between themselves and the scene of the recent outbreak.
...
Cheryl could not sleep as dawn approached. She felt terribly hot and when she at last stroked her own forehead, she sat up with shock.

“I’m not sweating!”

She threw the sheets off and dashed across the passage and into Pauline’s room.

“I’ve got the damn thing!”

The nurse sat up and simply stared. After a few moments she said, “Get the thermometer from the lounge and take a reading.”

Cheryl dashed into the lounge and found the device easily enough. She popped it inside her mouth as Pauline entered.

“Count fifty and check it for me.”

When Cheryl glanced at the gauge, she reeled.

“It’s a hundred and eight!”

The temperature was far too high.

“I’ll run the damn bath and shove you into cold water.”

As Cheryl frantically stripped, a violent coughing spasm made her bend over.

“Are you okay?”

“I’ll be there in a moment,” the cop said.

As she removed her undies, another spasm tore across her body and this time it did not stop.

“Help me!”

Pauline ran inside and stopped dead.

Cheryl was gazing down at her normally pale thighs. Her terrified eyes saw the skin slowly darken.

“It’s starting!” the cop screamed.

The nurse did not attempt to help but kept a respectful distance.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered. “There is nothing I can do.”

Cheryl watched the darkness reach her belly button before she felt her breathing cease abruptly. As her vision failed, the lower half of her corpse gave way.

The horrified nurse watched, as the upper portion hit the floor with a loud thud.

Cheryl was never to know it, but she was indeed the final victim of the firepox virus.

The End...

The follow up is around 151 parts long and 1186 pages..So each part will appear once 15 views are recorded for the previous one.

Basically, it's a sci-fi/fantasy..Very dark in places with a fearless moggy at the helm..Watch out when the Grim Reaper appears!
Not forgetting the killer Teddy bears!

Quite a few parts set in UK..Triad is heavily involved there..

So, if you like the idea of a cat with 9 lives battering the hell out of aliens,tune in...

Trust me..It won't be a gentle walk in the park..Plenty of hankie scenes...A few heart srings will snap!

Be brave and follow what is coming up on Sunday..Earth time of course..

waiting with great anticipation, :)

Ta...It will be worth it...