by Giacomi, A.
I am stunned by the word “reward.” What sort of prize could they give me? All I want is a cure for this living dead virus. If they can give me that, then I will do anything they ask. If they could make my heart start beating again, I suppose they would clearly own it, though. Nevertheless, they have my attention.
“Okay, what sort of reward are we talking about?” I say, keeping my tone purposefully unexcited.
“Well, Agent Williams and I have been discussing that, and he seems to think that while you’re stuck here for testing, you may want to get out from time to time. He recommended you for field work. He would, of course, train you himself. If it interests you, it would grant you some freedoms, but you would have to comply with our terms fully.” He pauses for a moment and awaits my response. I’m not sure what to say, and when I don’t answer straight away, Vallincourt prods again, “What do you think, Eve?”
I cringe at the thought of working with Agent Williams more than I have to. That slimy weasel has no conscience; he tasered and tortured Alex when he mistook her for me, and I’m sure he had been emotionally blackmailing Dr. August since the first case of infection happened to be Dr. August’s best friend. Agent Williams promised to help him discover a cure, but for that, Dr. August traded his freedom. Although he lacks my trust and respect, Agent Williams is offering me an opportunity to leave the lab, which is more than I thought possible. Tears fill my eyes with the thought of sunlight and grass, luxuries I thought I was giving up forever. I know that there will be a price for this freedom. I have no idea how high or what exactly the job entails, but it is too tempting to pass up.
I clear my throat. “What do you need me to do?”
Vallincourt claps. “Excellent! I’m so glad you’ll work with us, Eve. You can do a lot of good with your powers. We’ve never had an agent that was indestructible before. You could be a rather large asset to our team.” He points to Agent Williams. “You will begin training her tomorrow. See if she can be ready by next week.”
Agent Williams furrows his brows, which looks much more attractive than his stupid grin. “I can’t have her ready in such a short time, sir. I need at least a month.”
“A month? Are you joking? She’s stronger than you and I put together. She could tear your head off now if she wanted to. She will only need basic training.” Vallincourt chuckles as he watches Agent Williams’ face fill with concern.
“Sir, there is much more to this than strength. I have to teach her to be smart. She’s only nineteen. Do you really think she’s been many places? Do you think she really knows about the sort of evil that’s out there? Information is also a part of training!”
Agent Williams is trying to keep his cool and failing. It almost looks like Vallincourt wants to smack him, but instead he gets very, very close to Agent Williams and says, “A week and a half then. That will be sufficient.” And with that, Vallincourt storms off. I can feel the flames at his heels.
“You sure know how to piss off your boss,” I say with a giggle. “Sorry. I’m only nineteen, so I’m a little immature. I’ll work on it,” I add sarcastically. “How old are you, anyway? You don’t seem very old, but you’re grumpier than most old men.”
He doesn’t answer my question. Instead, Agent Williams combs back his hair with his hand and starts for the door. Before he’s completely out of the room, he reminds me, “Training starts tomorrow at eight a.m. sharp!”
CHAPTER TWO
DR. AUGUST
After analyzing Eve’s blood samples all day, I begin to grow drowsy. My eyes are ready to close, and I decide it best to retire to my room. My head buzzes with information as I walk through the white hallways. From what I deduced from the samples, Eve’s blood seems to be attacking itself, dying, and then regenerating. Her blood is constantly transitioning between life and death. I’m not sure what any of that means, but that is as far as I got today.
When I reach my room, I walk over to my desk and pull open the laptop that rests there. My email is already open and ready. I begin to type a letter to my wife. She believes me to be back in Egypt on another dig. They allow me to venture home under surveillance every few weeks, but in the meantime, I have to lie in order to protect her.
Hello, Darling,
I miss you terribly. I do hope you’re well. Today was uneventful. I found some bird bones and some other knick-knacks. It’s calling for sandstorms over the next few days, so I might not have Internet access for a bit. Please don’t worry. I will send you a note as soon as I can.
Love,
Walther
As the email sends, I get this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that I always get when I have to lie. I understand that lying to the people I love will keep them safe, but at the same time, the people I love are the only ones I want to tell.
I decide to work on a little something for Eve. Her birthday is in a few days, and I want to do something special for her, especially since she will not have the same opportunities to see her loved ones that I do. Her family believes she died in the terrible fire on Guelph’s campus, which is a lie, but it is a necessary cover up. It wouldn’t be beneficial to know that the campus was overrun by zombie students. As for Cam and Alex, they know the truth, and I simply pray they will stop looking. Eve doesn’t want to be found. She has no desire to go back to her old way of life. She simply can’t go back. What is there for her now? What future can there be? I’m sure she is mourning that loss daily.
Next, I open an email from Agent Williams. The subject simply says: Photos as requested. I open the attachments, and there they are, Cam and Alex, looking slightly exhausted but otherwise healthy. Seeing my former students makes me yearn for my former profession. I decided to retire so that I could help Eve. I feel responsible for her condition; the guilt haunts me, and I simply can’t live with leaving her in this facility alone. Everyone needs friends, especially on their darkest of days. I think I can be that one familiar face that might soften the blow. Hopefully, a few more familiar faces in the form of these photos might also help her push forward. I can get her updated photos from time to time; sadly, this will be her only form of contact with them, photos frozen in silence. Somehow I know she’ll appreciate them anyway, even if they bring her sorrow.
My mind wanders, thinking of friendships long gone, and when my thoughts land on Vincent, I immediately regret ever wanting friends at all. It is painful to lose them, especially in the way that I lost Vincent. That night in Hierakonpolis, Egypt, changed my life forever more. I haven’t been the same since Vincent died, but that’s just the thing, he didn’t die. I can’t even be sure what became of him. When he became infected with the Azrael Virus, he died, reanimated, and then took it upon himself to seek solace in the tombs. I, of course, let him leave. Perhaps I should have killed him, a final act of mercy from a dear friend, but I could not. He could still be out there attacking the living and spreading the virus. I wonder if he is anything like Eve, where he can remember his former life but is unable to stop himself from feeding. From what CSIS has revealed in their case files, it seems quite possible that Dr. Vincent Engel was responsible for the attacks in Hierakonpolis. I don’t want to believe it, but somewhere in denial lies the truth. I feel it like a hammer hitting a rock; the spark cannot be denied.
I force myself to stop thinking of Vincent. It will only bring me heartache, and I have many things to tend to besides my own coronary fatigue, such as finding a cure for Eve, if that is even possible. I hope it is.
Before I can tend to my bedtime routine, there is a knock at my door. I hear Agent Williams’ voice on the other side and bid him to enter. He enters shyly, which is very uncharacteristic of the tough agent I have come to be acquainted with. He stands at the doorway fidgeting with his hands. I wait for him to enter the room, but it seems as though he’s waiting for my permission, so I grant it.
“Please, come have a seat.” I gesture to the chair near my bedside. I t
hink it best to break the awkwardness. I don’t much care for awkward moments of silence.
“What is it you seek, Agent Williams? And why are you so nervous? You’re beginning to make me feel uneasy.”
He rubs his palms against his pants, a clear sign of his nerves.
“Well…I have a bit of news for you, Doctor. It’s about Doctor Engel. We’ve been able to locate him, and I thought you should know…”
I walk over to my bed and have a seat. I have a feeling I might need to sit down for this.
“You should know that the casualty count is quite high in Hierakonpolis at the moment. People have said they’ve seen a man that meets your description, that he looks fairly normal until you get close to him, and that’s when you can see that his eyes are not of any particular colour. They say his eyes burn like flames.”
I shiver at the thought of my friend being possessed by such evil. The virus that courses through his veins is forcing him to do this; he is the victim as much as he is the violator.
“What do you plan to do, Agent Williams?” My heart sinks. I already know the answer.
“I’m sorry, Doctor. We have no choice but to put him down. The head of my department has issued a ‘fire on sight’ order. There is nothing I can do.”
I scowl at him. “You mean there’s nothing you want to do. I understand he’s dangerous, but he was my best friend, and I owe it to my family to try and help him. Is there any way you could bring him to me? Bring him here to the lab for testing alongside Eve?”
His eyes grow wide at the mention of her name. It is almost as if he hasn’t heard the rest. Then he nods many times before answering.
“Yes, yes of course. I will do my best to speak with them. You understand how Vallincourt can be? He’s difficult, but I’ll try. I think testing on Dr. Engel could be of some benefit too. Perhaps you could save them both?”
I rub my forehead, exhausted from the amount of information I now have running through my already busy mind.
“I can only hope that some miracle presents itself, Agent Williams. I want to help everyone involved. It’s because of my stupidity that we’re all here. I won’t forget that much.”
Agent Williams begins to stand, but I grab his arm before he can take his leave. He doesn’t appreciate my hands on him and scowls a bit, but I have one more thing I need to say.
“Just a moment. I need you to do something for me. I’m aware that Eve has been granted an opportunity to go into the field. Who will be training her?”
He looks at the ground. “I am. Why?”
I nod. “Right then. You need to do me a rather large favour. Everything she ever loved is gone. Taken unfairly. None of this is her fault, but she’s making the best of it. I know you’re not always the kindest man, but I need you to change your tune.” He scowls at me but doesn’t interrupt. “I need you to take care of her. Guide her. Guard her. You may not think she needs any protection, but she’s only a girl. She’s still very lost. Will you promise me that?”
Agent Williams’ face softens as he absorbs my request. He seems a bit stunned by me.
“Me? You trust me to take care of her? You don’t even know me,” he says, shaking his head in disbelief.
“I am aware that you are a virtual stranger, but you and I have something in common. Like it or not, we’re all she has left.”
That last statement seems to touch Agent Williams. “Okay, Doctor. You have a deal. I will do my best to protect her, I swear. After all, she is my trainee, and I take pride in caring for them.”
“Thank you, Agent Williams. That gives me one less thing to worry about. The only issue now is Doctor Engel. Please let me know what Vallincourt decides. I do hope you can convince him to change his orders.”
“I can only try. Goodnight, Doctor Augustus. I will see you in the morning.”
And with that, he is gone, and I am left alone with my thoughts. I attempt to sleep many times that night, but it never comes. I can only think of a firing squad of agents pumping bullets into Vincent’s skull.
CHAPTER THREE
AGENT WILLIAMS
After my discussion with Dr. Augustus last night, I am left feeling a bit dizzy. I can’t quite understand why he would place me as Eve’s protector. I’m not sure anyone can protect a wild animal from itself, but regardless, I promised I would try.
I try to collect my thoughts and act calm as I enter Vallincourt’s office. He is rarely in a good mood, and it is rarer still that I can get him to revoke a kill order.
I catch him sipping on some whisky in one of his fireside chairs. Only 7 a.m. and it is already a bad enough day that he thinks a drink necessary.
“Agent Williams, to what do I owe the pleasure?” He raises his glass to me in greeting.
“Sir, I have some very important business to discuss. I do hope you will hear me out before cutting my head off. I spoke with Dr. Augustus last night about Dr. Engel’s whereabouts and what CSIS plans to do with him.”
Silence fills the room, and it’s as heavy as a tsunami.
“Agent Williams!” he says, raising his voice and spilling some liquor. “That was classified information. What are you doing sharing it with some scientist?”
“With all due respect, sir, that was his best friend. He deserved to know that we were going to kill him. Which I’m not sure is even a good idea, to begin with.”
He takes another sip of whisky before continuing. “I think it’s actually fairly wise to dispose of someone who is spreading an incurable virus and partaking in cannibalism. Why do you seem to think he should live?”
I clear my throat, which is filling with venom as the moment’s pass. I know I have to keep calm in order to win this battle. “Sir, don’t you think it would be wise to capture such a rare find and run some tests? If this virus exists in Egypt, who’s to say it doesn’t exist elsewhere? I think we owe it to the world to try and use our research to save countless others. Those who have died are already dead, but we can protect those who are living by coming up with a vaccine against this Azrael Virus. If you dispose of Dr. Engel, you dispose of our only hope, our only real advantage here.”
My breathing is uneven as I finish speaking. I got very caught up in what I was saying and perhaps got too emotional. Agents aren’t supposed to get too emotional; it’s frowned upon.
Special Agent Vallincourt ponders my appeal as he walks towards his fireplace. Rather than look at me, he stares into the flames and simply answers, “Fine.”
“Fine what, sir?” I say while adjusting my suit jacket.
“I said fine, have your Zombie Doctor, but if he takes any more lives, I’m holding you accountable, Williams.”
I nod and then take my leave before Vallincourt has a moment to change his mind. I will share this minuscule victory with Dr. Augustus later, but right now I have to get to my first training session with Eve.
***
When I arrive in Training Room A, I find that Eve is already suited up in track pants and a yoga top. She is sitting on the mats in the centre of the room, placing her long brown hair into a ponytail. She has her back to me, and I assume she hasn’t noticed my arrival, so I watch as she adjusts every strand into a perfect ponytail that rests on her semi-exposed back.
“I know you’re there, douchebag. So let’s get started.”
Not quite the greeting I expected, but this is Eve after all, and I am beginning to learn that she is full of surprises.
“How did you know I was here? I was ever so quiet. I’m practically a ninja.”
“Whatever. You forget that I have this little problem called ‘I eat people,’ which means I can smell you from miles away, and you smell delicious, which makes me hungry and nauseated at the same time. Now let’s start training so I can stop thinking about how tasty your heartbeat sounds.”
I cringe at the thought of anyone eating my heart
. I rub the spot on my chest where my heart would be and try not to look alarmed.
“Okay, Eve, today we’re going to be testing your agility. I know you’re very strong, but that’s not everything. You need to be fast in case you’re ever in contact with your own kind or if there’s someone smarter than you. I’m aware that you can heal fast, but you won’t heal without your head. That zombie rule is true, I’m afraid. If you lose your head, you’re finished.”
Eve scoffs at me. She isn’t taking me seriously just yet, but she will soon enough.
I head over to metal box in a corner of the room. Inside lay a multitude of weapons at our disposal. Anything but guns, that is. I decide to pick up a medieval battle axe. I’ve wanted to test this thing out for years and now seems like the perfect opportunity. Eve’s brow furrows at the sight of the large weapon.
“What do you plan to do with that exactly? I’m not interested in reattaching limbs today.”
I chuckle. “Hopefully, you won’t have to. I’m aiming for your neck, so don’t fail or you won’t be reattaching anything.”
Eve looks distraught. “But wait, what do I do?”
“React!” And with that, the blade swoops past her face. She backs away without a mark as I reposition the blade, ready for its next swipe.
“Are you nuts? You almost took my nose off!” Eve screams.
“Why are you afraid? I can’t hurt you anyway, right?”
I swipe the blade at her middle, and she is too slow to avoid it completely. A bloody slash appears in her top, and she holds it while she sneers at me.
“Just because I can heal doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.” She grunts through clenched teeth. “And just as a side note, I really liked this top. You owe me a new one!”
I allow her some time to heal and then gesture for her to come forward and try to attack me. She tries to grab the axe from me, but I kick her in the chest, leaving her breathless as she falls backwards. She doesn’t seem immune to human pain or natural reflexes. I didn’t even think zombies could breathe. Perhaps it is just a human habit, and Eve feels inclined to go through the motions. Whatever it is makes me worry; this indestructible creature looks a bit fragile at the moment. How am I supposed to take her into the field?
