by N. M. Black
As I prepare the coffee in a to-go mug, also part of my looting, I can’t help the giddy feeling of being able to give him something he needs and being the one who provides it for him, just like he’s been doing for me. I’m sure we’re gonna get a lot of looks and hear a lot of whispers at what’s transpired, but we already talked about it last night, and neither of us gives a shit.
We choose us, no matter what.
Stepping through the front doors of the station, I can hear voices coming from the room where we met last time before I was bitten, and try to be as quiet as possible. I didn’t realize they had a meeting, so I’ll just sit here and wait until they finish then head back out to the shop to finish assessing the truck Chris’s team demolished yesterday before I go sit with Bea.
I haven’t been here for more than a minute when the sound of my name catches my attention. No one saw me come in, so I know they aren’t talking to me, but about me. I inch my way down the corridor and stop a few feet down from the door, waiting to hear what prompted the use of my name.
Standing in the hall I can hear everything as they discuss the supply situation and the dire circumstances we’re in, but when the mention of sending me out comes up, I can’t help the excitement that builds at being able to go out on runs and contribute again.
I know I can get the supplies we need to get us caught back up and the equipment to help Bea and everyone else with the right team. Maybe Chris and a few other guys can come with me and we can do it together. I get lost in my own thoughts of mapping out how we could go about getting everything when their voices break through again.
“Do you really think Lucie’s capable of something like that?” I hear Lochlan ask. Cleary, I’ve missed a crucial point in the conversation while plotting out my mission, but all that comes to a halt when I hear the next words leave the conference room from a voice I know all too well.
“Ya, I do. I wouldn’t want to be stuck out there with her in a confined truck when shit hits the fan.”
WHAT. THE. FUCK!
Chris’s words affect me like a poison as his betrayal embeds itself in my system, overshadowing any other feeling I have towards him. Had towards him.
I guess now I know how he truly feels about me. I just heard it directly from his mouth. I thought after last night we had turned a corner, but apparently I was dead fucking wrong.
I hear Adira begin to speak, but I don’t stick around to find out what else is said. Chris is in there making it sound like I’m some animal unable to control myself or my urges, when he was the one fucking pushing me every chance he got to get me to feed from him. As if he craved it too.
And then have the balls to say that? I’m so angry I’m actually physically vibrating.
After hearing Chris go to bat against me, I know there is no chance in hell that they’re going to let me go on a run but I’m not about to ask for anyone’s permission anymore.
If I can save Bea and countless others and not die, then I don’t see another option. For months they’ve all tried to do what Bea and I did and for months, they failed. They all sit there, trying to find ways to get the supplies, but all they’re doing is wasting precious time when I could already be out there.
Are they that stubborn that they don’t want to admit that right now I’m their only hope?
Fuck what Chris and Lochlan or anyone else says. I’m going.
Knowing that I won’t be able to rely on anyone here to aid me in my escape I’m going to have to be quick and smart about this. Starting with a distraction and organizing a crew.
Running straight to the house, I fly up the stairs almost tripping over my own feet as I power up my screen. There is only one person who can help me right now, so let's hope he’s home. The moment the screen is up and running, I pull up the messenger service and send a quick text.
Lucie: I need your help. Can you meet me in the city
in 2 hours?
Come on, come on, come on!
Rowan and his crew have helped us on many occasions to get in and out of the city unscathed, being our key ingredient to success on the clinic runs no one else is capable of completing. They create the distraction, Bea drives getaway and I’m the gopher gathering supplies for both crews. Bea and I leave their half of the supplies in a lock box a few blocks away from the hospital, payment for their services.
Finally, I see the three little dots pop up letting me know Rowan’s is online and breathe a sigh of relief when his words materialize on the screen.
Rowan: Of course. Whatever you need.
Lucie: I’m also gonna need a vehicle to transport medical
equipment. And we’re gonna need help.
Rowan: You got it. Where?
Lucie: The drop box.
Standing in the alcove of the fence, furthest away from the gate and directly behind my tow truck I got stuck a couple of days ago when I saved Chris’s ass, I wait for the perfect moment when I can climb through the small hole in the fence and make a bee line to my truck. If all goes as planned, I will have maybe five minutes tops to get it unstuck and take off before anyone makes it back to the gate. If I can get out undetected chances are no one will even notice the truck until it’s already too late.
Any second now my distraction should take effect and I get ready to run. I pry the chainlink back ever so slowly and begin to squeeze through when the sound of gunfire permeates the air. That’s my cue.
I take off towards my truck at a dead run, tossing the 2x4 chunk of wood under the rear tire to give it grip and hop in the passenger door, sliding across the seat and starting the truck in one fluid motion, praying to god this fucking works.
It roars to life instantly, and I hit the button to reel the hook back in and throw it in drive. I begin to rock the truck back and forth until the tire gets traction on the board, and the second I feel it stick I put my foot to floor.
Thank you Jesus.
I make sure not to kick up too much dirt and what not behind me to keep my escape as unannounced as possible and head towards the city.
After driving for about 15 minutes, I turn on the radio and tune into the compound station hoping to give myself a heads up the moment they realize I’m gone and give myself a chance to outrun them, but I lose range before that happens, making my drive into the city uneventful.
I relish in the quiet, knowing damn well it’s not going to stay that way. I don’t allow myself to think about last night and what it meant to me or what happened today. I refuse to acknowledge the betrayal I witnessed first hand from Chris, knowing that I can’t afford to dwell on the what if’s. If I focus on it too much I risk getting upset and prematurely draining my energy before we even get started.
Instead I remember the floor plan of the hospital and what’s at stake if I fail. I remember what supplies I heard Dr. Tanner say she needed and create a mental checklist. Portable image machine, generators and lab processing machine with computer.
Get in, get out.
There’s a heavy fog that blankets the city, creating an eerie atmosphere as I make my way through the downtown core to our meeting spot. I have a bad feeling in my gut but I push it aside and keep focused on my task at hand.
I pull into the parking lot and back my truck in, just in case I need to make a run for it and wait for Rowan and his team to show. I don’t wait long before a U-Haul truck pulls up next to me, both the driver and the passenger’s faces concealed by their large black hoods. I grip my bat a little tighter, ready just in case this isn’t them and rest my hand on the ignition.
The driver hops out, rounding the front of the truck, and reaches up pulling back their hood, while simultaneously removing their bandana. Long black hair escapes the confines of the fabric, revealing a woman. A badass looking woman, but a woman nonetheless. And for some reason that puts me a little more at ease.
I step from my truck and meet her around the front of the vehicles, ready to get this mission started and over with before someone comes looking for me and/or we end
up running for our lives.
“Where’s Rowan?” I ask and wait for what feels like forever, while she looks me up and down before responding.
“That’s me. Nice to finally meet you, Lucie,” Rowan replies with an outstretched hand, but all I can do is stand there with my mouth on the floor, while I process the fact that this is Rowan. I’m not sure why but I just always assumed Rowan was a guy.
She chuckles at my stunned expression, not seeming offended and drops her hand, waving to her guys to come join us at the front of the vehicles to make a plan of action. Seven from her truck and three more pile out of a vehicle I hadn’t even seen come in, and crowd around us.
“Everyone meet Lucie. Lucie meet everyone. We’ll do proper introductions later, but for now, let’s get this shit show on the road,” Rowan announces as we all lean in over the floor plans to the hospital we are about to raid.
“We need equipment from three different locations at the hospital, so we’re gonna have to split into three groups of four.” I start off by showing them the locations on the map.
“We need a portable MRI machine, generators, and this lab machine in the picture and the computers to run it. They should be attached. We need to move large hauls quickly and quietly. Any suggestions?” I explain as everyone starts to divide into their groups of four.
“We can use blankets and bedding to keep the banging noises to a minimum,” someone suggests, and we all make a mental note to stop and find bedding along our route.
Rowan and myself have the hardest task, along with two others, Jake and Travis I think they said their names were. We are going to get the MRI machine on the opposite end of the facility. Just because it’s portable doesn’t make it easy. It’s very large and awkward to maneuver and since there’s no elevators working, we’re going to have to bring it around the outside to load it.
“I think we should leave someone at the truck. What if we need a quick getaway or someone to take out Z’s while we bring the equipment and try to load the truck?” I suggest knowing that this is going to be our best option.
“But then one of the teams will be down a member?” someone points out, a little concerned that it could be their team short a person.
“Jake will stay with the truck,” Rowan announces, and not one person disagrees, making her word final. She knows her crew better than anyone, and if she feels he is the one to stay behind, then so be it.
“Here’s the plan. We are going to drop multiple coloured smoke bombs around the building and down the streets, hopefully drawing attention away from the truck and facility. Jake will stay with the truck and set up his sniper rifle on the roof,” Rowan explains, now making perfect sense as to why she chose Jake to stay behind.
“Once we are inside the facility, we will all have fifteen minutes to procure our items and get back to the truck. If you do not make it in that time frame you will be left behind. The moment we leave here, it’s radio silence until the mission is complete. Got it?” She asks, and a resounding sound of affirmation is heard from each person.
Smoke bombs are passed around and we split up into separate vehicles to deploy them in different directions.
Rowan jumps in the truck with me and we take off towards the hospital, her crew close behind.
“So where’s Bea? She didn’t want to do this one?” Rowan asks, trying to make small talk like we aren’t on our way to do something akin to mission impossible.
“Actually, Bea is one of the reasons why I’m doing this run alone. She collapsed a few days ago and our doctor can’t tell what’s wrong with her without this equipment, and she isn’t getting better.” I fill her in on the comings and goings of Bea’s condition.
“Shit! I’m sorry I had no idea. Don’t worry, Luce, we’ll get it all,” Rowan says, completely confident in her crew’s abilities.
Fuck, I hope she’s right.
“So why haven’t you been out on the city runs lately? I’ve seen Bea a few times, but each time she had a new partner. One of them was fine as fuck too. Dark hair, beard, tattoos...grrr,” Rowan says with a growl at the end, and I can’t help but burst out laughing. It’s been a long damn time since I had a reason to laugh, but Rowan’s relaxed tone and crude words, accompanied by that Katy Perry tiger roar just about kill me.
“What? He was,” she says ,sounding offended, sticking out her bottom lip, while crossing her muscled arms, making me laugh even harder at the absurdity of it. I have to wipe the tears from my eyes before I manage to pull myself together as Rowan pretends to pout.
Her sullen attitude quickly dissipates as we pull up to our first marker and she reaches into her bag to prep the first bomb.
“Slow down up here.” She points to a side street that runs parallel to the hospital.
After we release our smoke bombs, we pull around the back of the facility passing by Jake as he sets up on the roof of the U-Haul. I’m a little sad I’m gonna have to ditch this old tow truck, but it’s worth the sacrifice.
“Travis is already inside and coming to let us in the back door where we are going to have to bring the machine out,” Rowan informs me as I tuck the truck out of sight for anyone curious enough to leave the safety of their shelter and see movement.
“Let’s do this.” I fist pump Rowan before getting out and strapping ourselves in tactical gear and weapons, while waiting to be let in, but pause when I see she’s looking at me strangely.
“You didn’t bring anything to cover up?” her voice sounding surprised and a little concerned.
“No, it’s fine. I’m good,” I respond, trying to brush off her concerns without prompting too many questions.
“What do you mean it's fucking fine?” Rowan grinds out a little perturbed. I don’t blame her as she is going into a suicide mission for someone she doesn’t even know.
“I mean, it’s fine because I’m immune.” I shrug, trying to play off the fact that I may have or know of an antidote.
“Really? How is that possible?” Her voice raises in disbelief.
So much for not evoking more questions.
“Long story.” Hoping that will throw her off at least until we can complete this run.
“Does it have anything to do with that bite mark on your arm?” She casually throws out making my head snap in her direction. She just smiles and nods to my now bare shoulder where my jacket was concealing the mark of death.
Fuck, I can’t believe I didn’t think to cover it up with a long sleeve or something before coming out here. And then I just wiped off my jacket without a second thought to gear up and never considering the consequences of others seeing it.
“Ya, it does. But listen, you don’t have to worry, I don’t want to bite you or anything.”
“So...you’re a half-breed?” she asks, seemingly curious and not put off by it one bit.
“It means, I can be bitten and not change. I have their strengths and one or two of their weaknesses,” I say the only thing that I can possibly think of. I know it’s from a movie, but that’s all I got.
“Blade. Nice. So what, you're like a vampire?! ‘Cause that's fucking cool. I want to be one too. Wait—if you bite me, will I turn?” Rowan asks excitement in her voice and I can’t stop the chuckle at how she’s taking the news I’m not human. Also, I have to appreciate the fact she caught my movie reference.
“No, I'm not a vampire. I'm not sure what I am anymore,” I answer honestly.
“So are you dead then? Or undead I guess?” Her questions become over the top as more come to her.
“No, I didn’t die. I just…changed,” I deadpan.
“To what?”
Fuck, she’s worse than a child with the fifty questions. Picture that cartoon kid always asking why, while wearing tactical gear, and a huge rifle.
“I don’t know. Nobody does. I’m an anomaly,” I say, my voice becoming soft at the fact that I’m still a question mark for everyone.
But I don’t have time to dwell on my feelings, because in the next second,
the door to the building gives a loud groan before popping open, exposing a smiling Travis.
“Coast is clear, ladies. The other groups are already in place.”
And with that, all conversation ends and put our game faces on as we make our way into the building.
The halls are dark and littered with equipment and discarded items creating a sinister atmosphere that does nothing to chase away my earlier feeling of unease. The floors are stained, marked and scuffed with foot traffic, whether it’s human or not is hard to tell.
“This way.” Travis waves us forward, taking up the rear and keeping an eye out behind us.
We make it to where the large machine is abandoned and tucked up against the wall, covered in a sheet already, and making our job a tad easier. We wrangle it away from its stationary position and begin to push it, but the second we do a god awful screech is echoed down the silent halls of the now abandoned building and we freeze. None of us speaks or even breathes waiting to see if our clatter garnered unwanted attention. After several minutes of us being statues, we regroup and keep going.
But the moment we push it again the same sound permeates the air.
“Fuck, we are never going to get that thing back to the truck unnoticed. Not like that,” Travis quips. Thanks captain obvious.
Luckily, this is not my first trip and I always come prepared knowing how this new world works. I pull a small squirt bottle from my pocket and poor it over the wheels of the cart to loosen and grease them up.
“Well look at you, hybrid, stepping up and showing us how it’s done,” Rowan jokes, eliciting a confused expression from Travis. I don’t acknowledge his look or the comment from Rowan as we wiggle the wheels to ensure I’ve silenced them.
“Nicely done. Now let's get the fuck outta here.” Rowan’s take charge attitude is back, and I don’t fight her for control. She is the one helping me and it’s her crew, so what she says goes.
