V-Virus Infected 1

by Dahlhaus, Jacky

  “The infected should not be able to walk in daylight. Nobody would ever be safe anymore from the likes of Caleb, Sasha, and Duncan.”

  “And Julie,” Charlie said quietly.

  “And Julie.”

  Where would she be now?

  I hadn’t thought about Julie that much lately. My fear for the infected mainly focused on the other three. I tried to suppress acknowledging that Julie was the same, that she also killed. How else was I to deal with this? Julie was my sister. She was family to me, but not to others. They would all see her for the only relevant thing she was to them; an infected. And I had no doubt she would kill in daylight, too, if she was given the chance.

  “Sasha and Caleb will soon figure out how we did it. Then all hell will break loose.” I made up my mind there and then. “I have to warn the army.” I turned around to face Charlie as I wanted to know his thoughts on the matter.

  Charlie didn’t say anything. His was expression blank. He just continued to gaze at the garden and nodded. I figured he probably also realized the army wouldn’t let me go after I walked into their arms, being too much of a threat to let go. I didn’t want to think of what they’d do to me, but there was no other option. Too many lives were at risk.

  “Charlie …” I said and waited until he looked at me. It took a long time. When he finally turned his head, his eyes were red and rimmed with tears. His pupils were so big, I could almost reach into his soul through them and touch his sorrow.

  I was touched by his display of emotion on the thought of losing me, impressed by his calmness considering the situation. He had done so much to be with me, yet now he appeared to agree to let me go, for the common good. The pain this caused him echoed my pain. I didn’t want to lose him either. A lump formed in my throat, and tears welled up in my eyes as well.

  Charlie didn’t say anything.

  I already knew what his feelings were for me, but I found it necessary to speak mine out loud. Swallowing didn’t get rid of that lump in my throat. I took a breath with my mouth open, forcing air into my lungs so I could speak.

  “I do love you, Charlie,” I finally managed to say.

  As I blinked, a tear escaped, rolling over my cheek. Charlie wiped it away with his thumb and hugged me.

  “You do pick your moments,” he whispered.

  He made me laugh and cry at the same time.

  Chapter 54

  “No!” Rhona yelled.

  Charlie and I had just told her and Harry of our intentions; that we planned to warn the army. Charlie had been adamant about coming with me.

  “You can’t do this. They’ll kill you. Are you insane?” Rhona kept on shouting, pacing around the room.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Harry asked both of us, without taking his eyes off Rhona.

  “Yes, I have no choice,” I said. For a change, I didn’t have the urge to bite my nails.

  “Can’t Charlie go on his own?” Rhona blurted out.

  “No, they won’t believe him without evidence,” I said.

  “What do you want us to do?” Harry asked, ignoring Rhona’s continued tirade for a moment.

  I supposed he wanted to know if I expected Rhona to turn herself in as well.

  “I want you two to get out, get as far away as possible, as soon as possible,” I said. “Now that Rhona can move in daylight, it’ll be easier to mask her condition. As a medical student, I’m sure you’ll find a way to get her the blood she needs in the future without killing anyone.”

  Harry nodded. “Thank you.”

  I smiled at him. “I’m glad I could do something for you for a change.”

  We helped Rhona and Harry pack. I gave them the food that was left over, toilet paper, towels, and the like. I put it all in one of my suitcases. We agreed the hearse was still too conspicuous, and they didn’t need the blackout windows anymore, anyway.

  As I looked at the hearse, I saw Mrs. Babcock’s garage from the corner of my eye. The thought occurred to me that Mrs. Babcock could still be there, that she somehow, miraculously, survived the attack.

  When we went to her house, we found her front door forced open. Her beautiful home was trashed. I had to assume she hadn’t survived and wouldn’t need transport anymore, so I told Harry to take the old lady's car.

  We didn’t want to upset Rhona more than necessary, so we kept our goodbyes short. Rhona refused to wave as they drove off. Charlie and I did wave. I really hoped they could have a relatively normal future. A mobilized army suggested there was still hope for the human race.

  Fingers crossed.

  After their car disappeared around the corner, the fact that we’d been up all night kicked in. I couldn’t suppress a big yawn. I suggested to Charlie we had a rest before leaving, as it was likely we’d be kept up for a long time once we faced the army. Charlie agreed, and we went inside and lay on my bed.

  It was about noon when I felt Charlie stroke my arm like the time he had done in the motel. I turned around to face him. He stroked my arm again.

  This time I didn’t turn away. I moved closer and kissed him. His lips responded in sync. Happy that we were finally together, with mutual consent, I made a trail of kisses over this nose, his eye, his cheek. Charlie kept caressing my arm in the meantime. It gave me goosebumps. When my kissing trail arrived back at his lips, we began kissing each other again. His lips were so soft, and his tongue twisted with mine.

  Without a word, I began unbuttoning his shirt. I was about halfway down when Charlie put his hand on mine, stopping me from going any further. I opened my eyes.

  Not again?

  “Is this what you really want?” Charlie whispered.

  “What do you mean?” I frowned. “Yes, of course it is.”

  “I mean, you’re not doing this because I’m second best or because you feel sorry for me?” He lowered his eyes.

  I felt for Charlie. There hadn’t been any time to express my true feelings for him, to talk about it. I wanted him to know I had always loved him, exactly the way he was. I wanted him to know that his physical appearance was part of the package I had fallen in love with.

  “No, of course not, silly. Don’t you get it? I’ve always loved you. I just didn’t know it then.” I let my hand slide under his shirt, around his waist, and pulled myself close as I kissed him.

  Charlie backed away again. “I know I’m not prince charming.”

  I couldn’t take it anymore.

  Enough with being gentle.

  “Oh, shut up and kiss me, you idiot.” I giggled as I grabbed his wrists, rolled him onto his back, and straddled him. After a long kiss, I sat up and unbuttoned the rest of his shirt. This time, he didn’t stop me.

  I lifted his T-shirt and let my hands go over his hairy chest. I’d never had a lover with a hairy chest before. Charlie’s hands rubbed my thighs, his thumbs putting pressure on the insides. When they moved up, it made me wish he could go a little bit further as I was getting an itch that needed to be scratched.

  After a few minutes of contemplating my next move, I took my top off and unhooked my bra, theatrically throwing it into the corner of the room. I leaned forward to kiss Charlie again. Kissing and having my breast fondled at the same time was certainly something worthy of repeat in the future.

  I rolled off Charlie and slowly we took the remaining clothes off each other. I was pleasantly surprised not all his extremities were short.

  Nothing small in that department.

  His hands wandered over my body. Emotions that had been built up were finally unleashed and every touch, every sensation, was experienced exponentially. Goosebumps exploded wherever Charlie caressed me. Shivers ran over my skin like ripples over still water.

  I worried about hurting Charlie in our lovemaking as my strength had increased dramatically since my last feed, but it was for nothing. Being with Charlie came so naturally. Each move was anticipated and reacted upon. We caressed each other’s bodies until we were so aroused, we couldn’t take it any longer.<
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  Charlie looked me in the eye. There were no words needed to know we both wanted to go all the way. He entered me, and it took my breath away. I thought I would drown in my happiness. He was gentle at first, taking it slow. Not soon after, I urged him to move faster, and we climaxed together. Tears ran from my eyes, my emotions so raw, I screamed. I clutched at his body, making sure he didn’t move away while the feeling lasted.

  Afterward, we lay together for what seemed like an eternity as neither of us wanted the experience to end. As we cuddled, I took in his closeness, his smell, his warmth. I didn’t want to let go of this moment, ever. But I knew I had to, so I finally took a deep breath.

  “Let’s go,” I said.

  Chapter 55

  Soon we went on our way. We decided a direct approach was probably the best and went to the school as this appeared where most of the army vehicles were going and coming from. Charlie held my hand as we walked up to a soldier standing on guard duty. My heart began beating noticeably in my chest.

  “Halt!” the guard yelled, aiming his gun at us. A flashlight was strapped to the barrel, but the light wasn’t on. We stopped walking about ten feet away from him.

  “State your name and business,” he said.

  “We would like to speak to your superior officer,” I said. “We have important information.”

  The soldier lowered his gun and operated his walkie-talkie. When he finished, he said, “Civilians need to leave this area as soon as possible. Busses will take you to Portland. They leave from the town square.” He pointed in the square’s direction.

  I decided to give him a nice smile and proudly showed off my fangs.

  “Holy shit!” he yelled and picked up his gun again. He fumbled to flip the switch on the flashlight.

  Charlie and I stood and waited until he was done. When he had finally flicked the light switch on, it emitted a faint purplish-blue light. He aimed the light at us and looked puzzled when he noticed nothing happened.

  I pointed at the sun.

  He realized the black light held no power.

  His cheeks turned red, and I imagined how sweet the blood in them would taste.

  “We mean you no harm, but we really have important information to share with your superior officer,” I said again.

  The soldier stepped back a few paces and did some more frantic talking into his walkie-talkie, not lowering his gun this time. “Wait here,” he said when he’d finished his conversation.

  Four soldiers came running, all armed with guns and switched-on black lights. They obviously weren’t taking any chances. Charlie and I were escorted into the main school building. I was glad to see they had disposed of the pile of bodies in the schoolyard.

  The army had set up headquarters in the teachers’ staffroom, rearranging the whole room. It now looked like a busy office, with people sitting behind desks piled with paperwork. There was a long row of old-fashioned radios on desks against one of the walls, each with their own operator.

  Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

  The commanding officer had set up his command post in Mr. Finkle’s room. He looked very much like a typical soldier, with the same hairstyle and build as Duncan, Harry, and Ben. The distinctive difference was his big mustache. He was the first soldier with facial hair I had ever met. Not that I’d met many soldiers before, but it still seemed unusual. I didn’t particularly like mustaches, but somehow, I instantly liked this man. I gave the credit to his blue eyes. They were happy eyes.

  The sign on his desk stated he was Major Moore, and he took a moment to study us with interest. His eyes glittered in the beam of sunlight that shone through the window which had been repaired. The whole room had improved, in my opinion, now Mr. Finkle wasn’t the occupant anymore.

  The four soldiers who’d accompanied us were not dismissed. Finally, the Major spoke.

  “I’ve been told you’re infected who can walk in daylight. Is this true?” he asked. His voice was low, with a pleasant timbre.

  “Only me, sir. My name is Kate. This is Charlie, he’s uninfected,” I said. The Major didn’t respond, so we both showed him our teeth.

  “I’m not sure I can believe you. Having fangs doesn’t mean anything,” he said.

  This was a blow to my plan. I had to find a way to prove that I was truly an infected before this man would believe anything I had to say. My gaze darted all over the place, looking for a solution. Going for the jugular of one of the soldiers wouldn’t be a good move, nor would throwing Charlie through the window be.

  Not sure if they would appreciate having to repair it again, and I don’t think Charlie would approve of the move.

  I decided to grab the edge of the heavy, wooden desk with one hand and lifted it as easy as if it was made of cardboard. The paperwork and lamp began sliding off the desk. All four soldiers at once stepped forward and put their guns to my head. I dropped the desk.

  “Stand down,” Major Moore commanded the soldiers, and, after rearranging the lamp and paperwork, directed his attention back to me. “Can you tell me how this is possible?”

  “It’s why we’re here, sir. We only discovered how ourselves last night, and we fear that other infected, who we accidentally met, now know about it too and will use it to attack humans in daylight.”

  Major Moore’s eyes squinted, and his cheeks rose ever so slightly. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

  So, I told him what had happened to me. I did my best not to mention Harry and Rhona as I didn’t want to involve them in this.

  “Hmm …” He looked at Charlie. “Why are you here?”

  “I love Kate, sir,” Charlie said.

  Aw.

  I had to bite the inside of my lip to suppress a smile. Charlie’s answer had sounded so funny. I had just told the Major, risking my own life in the process, that I was an infected able to walk in daylight and was here to warn the army of a possible impending attack of daywalking infected. And Charlie was here because he loved me. To Major Moore, we may have seemed like an unlikely couple who were acting like two silly teenagers in love. To me, however, Charlie’s confession of his love for me in this situation meant more than any kiss he could have given me. I glanced at him, trying to convey my love for him through my eyes. I took his hand to prove to Major Moore that the feeling of love was mutual.

  Against my expectations, Major Moore didn’t react to Charlie’s answer.

  “What about the need for blood?” The Major directed the question at me again. “Is that any less?”

  “No, unfortunately not,” I replied.

  “Did you kill anybody?” he asked in a more serious tone.

  I couldn’t blame him for asking. He was only doing his job.

  “I drank Charlie’s blood, which he offered me in a cup voluntarily, and some blood from the medical practice.”

  “Ah, that was you.” He smiled behind the mustache.

  And Rhona, and Sasha, and Caleb.

  “Look, sir, as soon as those infected I told you about know how to be immune to daylight, they’ll be able to attack at any time of day. You need to find them before more lives are lost.”

  I was getting a bit impatient with all the questions. We needed action, not discussion. Caleb and Sasha had to be found.

  How I wish Charlie and I hadn’t wasted precious time by making love before coming here.

  Really?

  Oh, shut up. You know what I mean.

  “We will do our job. Don’t you worry about that,” and with that, he signaled to the soldiers. “Take care of them.”

  Uh oh. That doesn’t sound good.

  I was one step away from the door when I turned around. “Please, sir …”

  Major Moore looked up from his paperwork.

  “Could I ask you to find out if my sister’s okay? She’s married to a naval officer.”

  Major Moore said he could try, and I gave him my sister and her husband’s names and last known location. I hoped he would keep his promise. It w
as the least he could do for me after what I had done for him.

  The soldiers took us out of Mr. Finkle’s office and escorted us down the hallway.

  Chapter 56

  I don’t know what I had expected to happen next. I wanted to be let free, having done my duty, but that was wishful thinking. At the very least, I wanted to stay together with Charlie. Instead, two of the soldiers pushed me up the stairs and the other two continued to escort Charlie out the door.

  “No, no, no, Charlie is staying with me,” I said, struggling to hold on to his hand.

  “You’re going upstairs, Ma’am,” one of the soldiers said.

  I had no idea when they had decided this, whether the Major had given the orders before we talked to him or whether this was standard procedure with all the infected they had caught. The other two soldiers continued to push Charlie out the door.

  “Kate!” Charlie yelled as they kept pushing us further apart. Our hands separated. I lost control. A surge of power went through my body that needed a release. I grabbed one of the soldiers pushing me and threw him into the air. He landed at least fifteen feet away and slid for a couple more over the slippery, yellow tiles.

  Without hesitation, the other three let go of us. Instead, I had three guns pointed at my head. How I hated these weapons. I lifted my upper lip and showed off my fangs. I could smell the soldiers’ perspiration and their fear in it.

  “Kate,” I heard Charlie say.

  I whipped my head around and saw Charlie stepping between me and one of the soldiers.

  “Kate, it’s okay. I’ll be okay. Just do what they want for now.”

  Charlie was an ocean of calmness in my world of turmoil. An instant headache accompanied the frustration of feeling utterly helpless. I was so strong and yet so powerless. Charlie was right, though. I knew he’d be okay, that they wouldn’t hurt him, as he was still one of ‘them.’ I took a deep breath and collected myself.

  “Okay, okay, I can do that.” The surge of power left, and with it my will to fight.

  Charlie, seeing that I had calmed down, nodded to me once. I returned the nod.