by Tara Ellis
He’d already watched his mom die because of what she’d gotten caught up in, and had inadvertently pulled him and his dad into. But the irony was that without her position in the secret ICONS group, Tyler and his dad would have died back on Madagascar. As he held on to Jason and stared into his glassy, feverish eyes, he refused to believe that it was all for nothing: that he’d left his own dad alone, back at the CDC lab to die without him by his side; that they’d buried Hernandez in some unmarked grave along the road for no reason; or that Jess had lost her own father to some nonsensical cosmic order that couldn’t be undone.
“No,” Tyler growled. Pulling up under Jason’s arms, he grunted with the effort, acutely aware that his back was to the jungle. “You can’t stop now,” he said into Jason’s ear. “Not when the village is so close. You told me we’d get there, Jason, now get up!”
Jason groaned in response, but his muscles clenched and his back became rigid. He was still in there…aware. He was still fighting The Kuru. Jess moved to take over for Tyler, and she managed that time to keep him upright when Jason held some of his own weight. “I’ve got him,” she said with a nod at Tyler.
He wanted to say something more to Jess, to tell her it would all be okay, but couldn’t bring himself to lie. She would know, and it would only make her mad. The thought caused a corner of Tyler’s lip to turn up as he moved back to Peta’s side.
“This isn’t over,” she shouted, racking the chamber of the fresh gun. “Here, Kitty, Kitty,” she taunted, waving the gun in a wide arc from side to side. “Come on!”
“You know how I said once earlier this year that I thought you were boring?” Devon said nervously to Peta as they continued to advance up the trail. “Yeah, I take that back. You’re not boring, you’re crazy. But I guess if I’m going to get disemboweled in the middle of the jungle during the apocalypse, I’m glad that it’s with you.”
Peta laughed in response and it was a sound Tyler didn’t think he’d ever heard before. He was trying to decide if that was good or bad, when she suddenly stopped. “Here we go,” she whispered.
Four cats stood on the trail just ahead, unmoving.
“Uh, guys,” Devon breathed. “I’m not going to have enough bullets.”
Tyler didn’t dare look back, but he heard Jess move and then slide the bolt-action on her rifle. Jason landed with a thud at their feet, in the middle of the group, but no one could move to help him.
Time was up.
“They’re all around us,” Slaider hissed.
“My dad is coming,” Jess added, her voice sounding hollow and eerily calm. “I can see the lights.”
Tyler supposed she was in survival mode and the only way to cope after all they’d been through was to shut down emotionally. In a way, they were being forced to become more like The Cured, and the irony of that wasn’t lost on Tyler.
“Make every shot count,” Peta directed. “I have the one in the middle.”
“I’ve got the one on the left,” Tyler snapped as he lined up the sight. They weren’t moving yet, but he was done waiting. His finger was on the trigger, about to pull it back, when an unusual sound distracted him.
Thwack!
Flinching, Tyler yanked his head back, confused by what he’d seen in the scope.
Thwack! Thwack!
“What the—” Peta shouted, looking around wildly.
Arrows. There were arrows embedded deep in the necks of all four cats, dropping them where they stood.
Barking.
“Marty,” Jason moaned from where he lay on the ground.
His confusion growing, Tyler spun around and saw Marty bounding through the trees, and there were several men running close behind him. They were indigenous and dressed in normal clothes, unlike The Cured with Davies.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Arrows continued to fly around them from every direction as Marty slammed into Jason and began covering his face in kisses. Tyler ignored Jason’s slobbery mauling and watched with growing amazement as the predators of the Amazon either fell under the onslaught or ran away.
The Lokono. It had to be the Lokono.
They’d found the village. Or rather, Akuba’s people had found them.
“Akuba!” A man shouted as he rushed forward ahead of the rest. While the older man was wearing a pair of blue jeans and modern t-shirt, he wore a colorful headband, and what looked like some sort of ceremonial necklace. Based on how both Akuba and Jess reacted, it was obvious that he was a friend.
“Viresh!” Akuba gasped while reaching for him. “How did you know we were here?”
Setting a hand on Jess’s shoulder, he used the other to grasp Akuba’s forearm. “We’ve had scouts posted since Kavish and Slaider left us,” he explained. “When they heard the first gunshots, we gathered a party and came looking. The dog led us to you,” he added, smiling down at Marty. His expression changed when he saw Jason, and he looked back at Akuba with alarm. “What is this? Why are you traveling through the jungle at night when there is so much at odds? It isn’t safe.”
Peta chortled and then looked apologetically at the man. “You’re right. It certainly isn’t safe, and we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t need your help.”
“You must take us to the Tan Presi Rutu,” Akuba urged, placing her other hand overtop of his. “Please, Viresh. You have to trust me. Take me to my mother and I will explain everything.” She gestured to where the lights from Davies were becoming visible. “We must hurry. The cats are not the only threat out here tonight.”
Tyler held his breath. Saving them from the cats was one thing, but leading a bunch of strangers, one of them sick, to their sacred and ancient city was the real test, and Viresh was understandably hesitant.
Jess moved closer to the man, looking up at him with such pleading that Tyler resisted the urge to put an arm protectively around her. “It’s my dad,” she whispered, pointing back into the jungle. “He’s been touched by the Kra Puru and now he’s leading his followers to your village, just like the story that’s written there in the caves.” When Viresh gasped, she took another step closer. “It’s your duty to stop them, and we can help you. These people know how to stop the Kra Puru!”
The dozen or so Lokono gathered around all spoke urgently among themselves in a language Tyler didn’t understand, but he didn’t need to. Jess had said precisely the right thing.
Viresh glanced around at his people before giving a sharp nod to Akuba and Jess. “Come,” he shouted, waving at them all. “We will take you to the Tan Presi Rutu.”
Chapter 6
MADELINE
Suriname, South America
Deep in the Amazon, near the Tan Presi Rutu
Madeline approached the fire, flanked by a handful of late arrivals. They’d shown up at her impromptu camp in the middle of the night, adding to the already sizable army Davies was amassing outside the Tan Presi Rutu.
“Dr. Schaefer,” Davies said when he spotted her. “I trust you slept well.”
He made no attempt to hide his disdain, but it was of no concern to Madeline. His ridiculous trek through the dark jungle was an unnecessary risk and she already made her opinion clear by refusing to go any further the night before, and had insisted on making her own camp. Now that she’d caught up to him before the sun had fully risen only served to prove her point, though she would refrain from gloating too much. She still needed the man and his followers.
Resting her hands on her hips, she said just enough to make it apparent that she was not one of his lackeys. “There was no sense in both of us staying up all night playing hide-n-seek with Peta and these—” she wrinkled her nose at a large chunk of oily flesh sizzling on the fire. “What are they, jaguars? Is it wise to eat them?”
“They’re actually very tasty,” Eddy said, as he stepped forward to cut a wedge of meat free from the leg bone. “Just make sure it’s cooked well.”
Madeline studied the man for a moment as he moved about, handing out food to first Davi
es and then a few others. She found him intriguing for several reasons, most of all that he’d arrived at Suriname with Peta, and had some rather interesting ideas about The Kuru. Waiting for the right time to speak privately with him wasn’t an easy task, since Davies didn’t trust him enough to carry a weapon or to be left unattended. While Eddy did a fair job of portraying himself as a typical Cured, Madeline saw flashes of…characteristics, that made her think the man’s infection more closely resembled her own experience. For that reason alone, she was compelled to study him, but had to do so in a way that didn’t reveal her own differences to Davies. The man was already behaving more like a zealot, and the only reason he was giving her latitude was because he believed she was special, like him.
Madeline was special, but not because she believed she was the next evolutionary advancement for mankind. And The Cured didn’t need a false godlike leader to command them, but rather some basic structure and attainable goals, which she was more than happy to help construct. Rebuilding the world with her at the top of the hierarchy was going to be a long-term endeavor, and laying the proper foundation was important. If that meant crawling around in the primordial basement for a few days, then so be it.
“Clearly, animal behaviors here in the Amazon are also being impacted,” she said, gesturing to what looked to be two or three other carcasses piled nearby.
“Yes,” Davies answered, taking his portion without comment from Eddy. “Although we were only forced to dispatch two of these creatures. Their primary focus was on the other group. The Immunes,” he added with more emphasis.
When several of The Cured nodded in agreement and muttered amongst themselves, Madeline cocked her head in curiosity. It seemed that slowly, the pack mentality was growing, where emotions were being replaced by instinct and other group dynamics.
Though along with it came other “anomalies”, as Davies had described it when she first arrived. Aggression. The blind kind, driven by something other than emotions, and it had led to a few scattered brutal fights amongst The Cured. She compared it to the disparity in the cats, and the unknown element didn’t sit well with Madeline.
They aren’t so unlike yourself. Turn you loose and you’ll devour anyone in your way. Right, Mads?
Madeline’s hand jerked to her forehead automatically in response to the random thought, and she covered up the gesture by scratching at an itch that did not exist. Ignoring her internal voice that was continuing to get louder over the past few days, she focused on the more manageable, real discussion in front of her.
“And why is it, do you think,” she asked Davies, “that these animals chose to methodically hunt those who are immune, while leaving us alone?” She made sure to make a point of including herself with the privileged.
Looking down his nose at her with a clear sense of superiority, he took a bite of meat and began to chew before answering. “Because they recognize us as the apex hunter. They went for the easier prey.”
“I don’t believe it’s quite that simple,” Eddy interrupted, earning a raised eyebrow from Davies. Ignoring the subtle sign of displeasure, he continued as if he hadn’t noticed. “Though I imagine the conclusion is the same, I believe the physiological cause is due to our lack of fear response.”
“You’re talking about a chemical reaction,” Madeline interjected, immediately understanding his conclusions and that he was most likely accurate.
Davies waved his hand in the air dismissively. “As I said, Dr. Chase. In the animal kingdom, chemicals, instinct, compulsion…those are what it revolves around. On the contrary, I find it to be rather simple. It’s the natural order of things.”
“The natural order of things,” Madeline echoed with a nod. “Order is what I specialize in, Dr. Davies, and frankly, it’s why I came here. And while I appreciate the tour, you’ve yet to enlighten me as to what you hope to achieve by this excursion.” She stared again at the grotesque barbeque. “Other than marking your territory.”
With a huff, Davies tore another chunk of meat from the bone in his hand, though he didn’t look put off by the remark. “In a way, you aren’t that far off.”
Madeline carefully considered his words. “The ancient city,” she guessed, and then continued when he nodded in approval. “By eliminating that piece from the board, you remove any possible uprising, or serious opposition to the position you’re establishing.” Glancing around at the impressive number of Cured, Madeline could appreciate his methods.
“We’re taking care of several issues at once, while also eradicating a source of division for those who are still immune,” Davies confirmed. “By shutting down Dr. Peta Kelly, we’ll be effectively blocking the CDC’s last desperate hope, and the only other possible hurdle to completing the prophecy.”
Prophecy?
Madeline managed to keep her expression neutral, and instead filed the information away for later review.
Tossing the bone into the fire, Davies gestured for Madeline to sit next to him on a fallen log. “While a show of force is tempting, the Lokono are a large group. If handled properly, I think they can be put to use in many ways, in addition to helping solidify our proper places.”
“Slave labor?” Madeline asked, looking over at the man called Kavish. One of the aforementioned Lokono, he’d remained bound and subdued since her arrival, and based on the ongoing fresh marks and injuries to his face and body, was a victim to some of the more…primal Cured.
What would Henry think?
Madeline winced as the thought was accompanied by a sharp pain in her left temple.
“You disapprove?” Davies was staring openly at her, his hands folded calmy in his lap.
“No,” she snapped, unable to keep herself from rubbing at the source of her ongoing pain. “I have a headache. Likely due to dehydration from being forced to march incessantly through this sauna.” Dropping her hand, she shifted to face him more directly and show him that she wasn’t intimidated. “However, I do fail to see how you’d benefit from forcing anyone into servitude.”
Madeline flung her hands around at the bustling campground. “It looks like you have plenty of help.”
Davies gestured for one of the “help” to bring Madeline some water, and then dismissed the woman with a flick of his wrist before addressing Madeline again. “We’ve “recruited” for lack of a better word, all of those touched by the Kra Puru from all of our nearby villages, as well as some of the larger cities at a greater distance. However, to maintain these growing numbers while furthering our primary objectives beyond South America, will require us to incorporate the functionality of the Immunes. Those who remain resistant to the new strain will serve other, necessary purposes.”
It wasn’t enough for Davies to establish dominancy, he wanted complete control.
Madeline considered that for a moment, and how she could incorporate the knowledge to work for her benefit. Davies essentially viewed the Immune as those being left behind in the evolutionary ladder, and therefore an inferior race meant to serve The Cured. She could work with that.
Of course, you can. Mad Madeline can always get what she wants.
Madeline took a deep breath and tried to focus her thoughts. Images of past, questionable endeavors tumbled around, mixed in with her own accusatory voice so that she was having a hard time remembering where she was.
“Dr. Schaefer?” Davies complacent tone had a calming effect.
Madeline sipped at the water she’d been given, and began tapping her foot in a motion so small that no one else would notice. It was a self-centering technique she’d learned as a young adult, when she first started having problems with obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
“I don’t think it’s a different strain,” Madeline said, jumping at the one subject that anchored her.
Davies regarded her coolly. “Excuse me?”
“The prions. The Kuru and Kra Puru,” Madeline said with a small amount of exasperation. She reminded herself that while the original Dr. Eric Davies was a renowned
researcher, his specialty wasn’t virology and he certainly wasn’t a genius. “I believe that the difference between the two illnesses doesn’t lay with the prions, but the mode of infection.”
Several heartbeats passed as Davies squinted at her, clearly processing the information. “I’ve told you of the different rate of infection here in Suriname. The higher number of Cured can’t be denied. Nor can the cognitive differences derived from the pure source.”
Pure source.
It was then that Madeline understood one of the advantages she already had over the other man. He was too stupid to realize it, and she’d be happy to go along with it. He regarded Madeline as an equal to himself, not only because of her unique position of knowledge about the MOHO and spread of the disease, but because of her exposure to what he considered the purest form of the prions, which had been sent directly to her from the Libi Nati, only days after it first erupted. In his flawed understanding of how the disease was spread, he hadn’t considered that the pathogen’s vector had already mutated prior to her being exposed to it.
Madeline thought back to the leaking jar of sulfur-rich water, and the damp box it arrived in. She’d likely been infected when she first took it from the Zippy delivery boy, after it had already been out in a new environment for days, being exposed to various elements that could have forced any number of mutations in the ancient thermophile that had bound itself to the prions.
You’re not the only one who knows…
Madeline rubbed again at her temple. She would silence that part of her. The weak, overachiever always searching for approval and never getting enough. That woman was gone. Mads was gone. And she would never allow her to come back.
“The pure source,” she said back to Davies, allowing a hint of a smile to tug at her mouth. “Of course. And that is what we will use to help secure our rightful place.”
