by Giacomi, A.
“Eve, don’t you believe me? Why would I go to these lengths just to lie? Never mind, I already know the answer…I can only assume that you have made the poor choice of caring about that foul man. You’re still young, and I can see how an older agent could be appealing, but this has been a grave error on your part. Wake up, Eve, before it’s too late.”
And with those being his final words, he storms out of my room, leaving me completely perplexed and royally pissed off.
***
I don’t speak to Dr. August much in the days that follow. It is more like uncomfortable acknowledgment. Marcus notices the distance between us and keeps asking what is wrong. I reply, “Nothing,” which always means something, but how am I supposed to explain that Dr. August thought up some conspiracy theory about him? He might think I believe it or don’t trust him, but that can’t be further from the truth. I trust Marcus; I have no reason not to. I have a feeling that Dr. August is simply trying to keep us apart. He warned me about Marcus before and that he’s an agent and agents can’t be trusted.
Marcus and I head over to the training room. We have been in there a lot lately, working on our combat skills, among other things. There is something intoxicating about Marcus and I sharing the same defect. Maybe our blood calls out to each other; maybe it is instinct. But being near him makes me feel more powerful, which translates into a different kind of intimacy. It isn’t the same loving, tender moments. Now when we collide, it is vicious. We devour one another, and the desire is insatiable.
There was a moment a week ago where Marcus and I were offered up an inmate to share. We tore into that poor soul like steak dinner. Sharing food, sharing that moment with Marcus, changed our relationship. I felt a great amount of guilt and a great amount of pleasure as we tore through flesh and muscle tissue whilst looking into each other’s eyes. We held our eyes in place and never looked away. When we were full and the body was discarded, we made love on that very floor, covered in pieces of fresh human flesh. There was something very animalistic about that moment; it scared me, it thrilled me, and it brought Marcus and me closer.
“So what do you want to work on today?” Marcus asks, and I snap out of my erotic daydream.
“Hmm… sorry, what?” I say, blushing slightly.
“Eve, are you with me?” He chuckles. “Earth to Eve…what moves would you like to work on today?” He pulls me closer to him, giving me a seriously sexy stare; I know exactly what he is implying with his gaze, so clearly I’m not the only one with a one-track mind today.
He begins kissing my neck and pulling at my clothes, and I’m about ready to lose my mind when Vallincourt walks in with a few of his minions.
Marcus and I part quickly and stand at attention. Vallincourt rolls his eyes; it has been a little harder to hide our affection these days, and I am positive that Vallincourt sports a barf bag for moments like these.
“If you two are quite finished, I need to speak with you.” We both shyly look at our feet and prepare to listen. “I need Agent Williams to head out on a mission for me. It seems there are zombies starting to appear locally. They’ve finally breached our borders and are in Canada. Williams, I need you to scout it out and let us know the threat level. You leave tomorrow.”
Agent Williams nods, and I stand waiting for my role. I point to my own chest, a clear “What about me?” moment.
“Eve, I need you to stay back on this one. Two zombies are too many for a mission like this. You are to remain here and work with Dr. August. He told me that he had made some progress on a few serums that he would like you to try.”
I stand there stunned for a moment but then find my words. “But I always go with Agent Williams. We’re a team! Plus this is on our turf! Don’t you think this is even more important? You’ll need my help.”
My words do not convince him. “No, Eve, you will remain here. I will contact you if I need you. I’m sure Agent Williams with notify you with ways to offer aid once he returns.”
Vallincourt nods to both of us and then turns to leave the training room, his minions scuttling behind him.
I know I’m pouting, but Agent Williams is the one that brings it to light. “Eve, don’t be upset. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Maybe next time you’ll have to go on a mission without me.”
My bottom lip grows heavier. “But I don’t want to go on missions without you. That’s my point. We’re supposed to be a team. You know, a year and a half ago, I would have gladly ditched you, but now I sorta like you and stuff.”
My sarcasm makes his fiery eyes wrinkle as a smile spreads across his face. I still haven’t gotten used to our new eye colour; something about it makes us appear demonic, but we aren’t demons, simply misplaced humans.
Marcus holds me close. “Look, I love you, ya big dumb zombie, so relax. I’m coming back, and it’s all going to be fine. Now, shall we train before I’m off to get ready for tomorrow?”
“If by getting ready you mean pick up where we left off before Vallincourt got here, then I’m game for that.”
“Silly zombie, what did you think I meant?”
He leans in to kiss me, and that intoxicating feeling fills my veins, and I’m drowning in him. I enjoy every second until Cam pops into my mind. He stays there and refuses to be removed. Watching me with disapproving eyes, shaming me, judging me.
***
Later that night, I am lying awake staring at the poster on my ceiling. “Spidey, what do you think that whole thing was about with Cam? Why am I thinking about him now?” I ask the large picture of Spiderman. He always brings me comfort, but tonight I want answers, and talking to myself simply isn’t enough.
I roll out of bed and decide that Marcus will be a much better comfort to me. I quietly walk through the glowing red hallways. At night, they dim the hallway lights, leaving it less of a blinding white and more of a dark red fog. I know my way around the underground lab very well now; in time, this labyrinth has become my home, the only safe place for someone like me.
I reach Marcus’s door and am about to knock when I hear voices inside. One of the voices belongs to Marcus, and the other is unmistakably Vallincourt’s. I can barely make out what they’re saying with the door muffling their words. The only thing I know for sure is that they are arguing; I hear anger in their tone.
Footsteps near the doorway and I bolt around a corner hiding in the shadows. I see Vallincourt standing in the hallway while a shirtless Marcus leans against his doorway.
“Sir, I think we should tell her. This is not top secret. This is personal. She deserves to know,” Marcus says in a dismayed voice.
“You will do nothing of the sort, Agent Williams. Much like everything else, you will keep this from her. We can’t have her leaving the facility, and what do you think she’ll do when she finds out? Wait here patiently? You’re a complete idiot if you think that!”
Marcus’s eyes gleam with hatred as he replies, “Fine, sir, but it’s her mother, for God’s sake. If she finds out, she’ll murder you. You know that. She may be kind and sweet, but that blood that runs through her is as cold and violent as any other vicious zombies’ that you’ve met. You think on that.”
Vallincourt leaves in a huff. He is never pleased with people questioning his authority. He sort of gives off this axe-murdering vibe if you even try to so much as question him.
When Vallincourt is out of sight, I slowly walk out of the shadows, trying not to seem as torn up as I feel. “Marcus, what about my mother? Please tell me.”
He throws his arms up in the air in surrender. “Eve, oh my God! You scared the crap out of me. How long have you been there?”
“Long enough, chump! So spill the beans quick,” I say as I bite my lip in order to hold back my sobbing screams.
“Eve, look. I want to tell you everything, but there are rules that I have to follow, that we need to follow.” He points from himself, th
en to me, as if this explanation will make me less inclined to seek answers.
The anger builds within me like venom, and all that is nice and good about me washes away. I sprint at Marcus and shove him against the wall. “Tell me now,” I hiss at him.
He tries to push me off of him, but I clamp down into his neck, tearing a good chunk of flesh off. I spit the hunk of meat onto the floor as Marcus sprays blood everywhere. He will heal soon enough, but I’m sure it feels awful, and all I can think is, Good.
“Marcus, are you going to talk now, or do I have to chew off every inch of flesh you own? It would be extremely painful to re-grow, but if that’s what you want, so be it!”
Marcus sits on the ground holding his neck with one hand and holding up the other towards me, begging me to halt. He agrees to tell me, but he asks that we head inside his room to speak more privately. I of course agree.
“Eve, your mother, she’s not well…her cancer came back, and they’re working to treat it, but…” Marcus stops there.
“But what, Marcus?” I ask as my voice cracks.
“But from the reports we’ve viewed, it seems as though it has spread too far. There is nothing they can do for her.”
Those words fly around in my head like knives. He tries to touch me, and I shove him away. If he thinks I’m going to let him comfort me, he is dead wrong. With the way I am feeling right now, I might slaughter everyone in the entire place.
“You were going to keep this from me? You’re supposed to be in love with me! Where is your loyalty, huh? What else are you hiding?” I blurt out as the tears start to crawl out no matter how forcefully I restrain them.
“Eve, I wanted to tell you…I did tell you. Vallincourt thought the news would make you break your cover story. We need you here, Eve. You have to stay. Your mother has already said goodbye to you. She thinks you’re dead, remember?”
I do remember, all too well. They told my mother that I was one of the victims in a terrible fire on campus that took the lives of many. They lost me, I’m sure they suffered, and now when they need me most, how can I abandon them?
Marcus strokes my hand; I allow it. I need him to think this is all okay, that I will remain here and pretend like my mother dying isn’t an issue. I can no longer trust him. I know there is something more he is hiding. Perhaps Dr. August was right the entire time, but I have to learn it for myself. I have to be sure.
“Eve, please tell me you won’t do anything crazy…You can’t leave. Vallincourt will have your head before you can even plan your escape. Just stay here. It would be hard on you and more confusing for your mother if you went home. Trust me, Vallincourt is right about this.”
He hugs me, and I want to scream. Simply saying that Vallincourt is right feels like a betrayal. I nod and allow Marcus to kiss my forehead, then I walk back to my room, letting every word hit me full force. I rip my lucky locket from my throat and throw it down the hall with all my might. I won’t need it anymore. The locket that held my mother’s hair during her chemo treatments was a symbol of her survival, but it no longer holds meaning if there is no cure for either of us. It is simply useless jewelry now.
I head back into my room and grab a pillow off of my bed to scream into. If I don’t release some steam, I will never be able to concentrate and come up with a plan. Just then, Jazz walks in, and it can’t be a worse time. My anger has made me hungry.
“Jazz, go! Get out!” I scream.
Jazz looks at me, dumbfounded. I have never yelled at her before. “Eve, I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s wrong. You look like you just witnessed the entire world blowing up.”
She inches towards me with arms open and ready to embrace. I plead again, “Stop, Jazz, please. Don’t come near me.” The room is spinning now, and I know I am losing control. The virus is stronger, quicker, and it always gets what it wants.
In a moment, I am victim to a mental blackout. I remember Jazz’s eyes looking frightened and nothing else…
***
When I come to, my cheek is pressed in a puddle of something warm. I slowly rise and find myself swimming in a puddle of blood. I follow the lake towards a body; my dear friend lies there perfectly frozen, her eyes still wide with fear and disbelief. She was always too trusting with me and supposed that I would never harm her. I am not immune to harming anyone. Killing is now my natural instinct, not love, not compassion. There is not a single human emotion that can surpass my hunger.
I pull Jazz to me and hug her lifeless body. I sob for the loss of her, for the loss of everything. It is happening all over again; the pain shoots through me, and I scream at the top of my lungs as I try to hold Jazz together. She is scattered everywhere, and I try to scoop up all the pieces and put her back together frantically as if I can rebuild her.
Soon, there are men at my door. I suppose my scream alerted them. One of the men immediately barfs when he encounters Jazz’s mangled body. The other holds his gun at me, unyielding. I hold up my hands, trying to show that I mean no harm, but from my guess, I still look pretty terrifying because the gun shakes slightly in his hand.
Marcus appears moments later. He had raced through the halls and is now standing behind the agent holding a gun. “Give me the gun, Lloyd.” Lloyd graciously complies.
Marcus, now holding the gun, aims it at me. For a moment, I worry that he might shoot me in the head. Perhaps that was his plan all along? Dispose of me when I am no longer needed?
I hear a grunt inches away from me. Jazz’s head begins to twitch, and she glares at me with red eyes and hungry, snapping teeth. I now understand why Marcus holds the gun; he is going to put Jazz out of her misery.
“No!” I demand. “Let me do it! I did this. I finish it!” I say to Marcus sternly.
I hold the gun at Jazz’s once irrationally happy face and pull the trigger. I picture Marcus dying her death. I realize that I should have put him down in Vegas; it would have been one less problem.
I push the gun back into Marcus’s hands. “Here, thanks,” I say without emotion.
Marcus stares at me, noticing the change in my demeanor. I want him to know this is permanent, that there is no way we can go back to the way things were, but I realize there will be no point in announcing this. When I leave, he will get the point. Instead, I say, “I always finish what I start, Marcus.” I let it linger in the air like a threat, and then I take my leave from the gruesome scene.
***
Mourning Jazz will have to wait until later. I have to discover what Vallincourt and Agent Williams are truly after. I decide to seek out Dr. August, who I haven’t exchanged more than a few words with since our last discussion.
I was wrong, and I know that I need to apologize, especially if I am going to ask for his help.
As usual, Dr. August is in the lab working on samples. He looks up but doesn’t greet me. Instead, he goes back to his microscope. I walk towards him and make my presence inescapable.
“Dr. August, say I believe you now. Say I was really sorry for being such an idiot. Would you help an idiot out?”
He glances up at me and gives a slight smirk. “Why exactly have you decided to believe me all of a sudden? Have you seen the truth for yourself?” I nod, and he immediately pulls me into the storage room.
“Eve, quick, tell me what you’ve learned. They have cameras all over the lab, and I’m afraid this is the only place that’s safe from prying eyes.”
I nod and make my explanation hasty. “Well, I caught them talking in the hallway last night. Something about phase two, which they didn’t elaborate on, and then the second topic was my mother. Her cancer is back. They weren’t going to tell me anything.”
Dr. August’s eyes grow sad. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Eve. That’s absolutely devastating. You must go to her.”
“Well therein lies the problem, Dr. August. I don’t have clearance to go, and I kil
led Jazz last night, so I’m pretty sure they’re watching me a little closer. I don’t know how I’m going to break out of here without anyone noticing.”
Dr. August covers his mouth so that his words come out muffled, but I can make out, “Jazz is dead? No one mentioned a thing. Oh good God!”
His reaction only makes me feel worse about asking for his help. He has grown fond of Jazz, much like I did. He has now lost a friend, and no one bothered to inform him. I hate to be the one to break the news; I hate to be the one that did it. It is a wrong-place-wrong-time scenario, and she wouldn’t listen. Sometimes being too nice is detrimental to one’s life.
I stare at the floor, unable to say another word. I can’t remember killing Jazz, even though I know I did it. It simply doesn’t feel real. My mind is not left to wander for long. Dr. August shakes me. “Eve, we need to think of a plan! You need to go to your mother, and perhaps while you’re out there, you can retrieve that final rock and bring it here. They would not think to look for it here. The large rock acts like a beacon searching for the final rock. It will lead them to it soon enough, and then once the entire rock is in their hands, there is no telling what they’ll do with it.”
Dr. August mentioned it before, but it didn’t sink in until just then that people would go looking for it. “Oh God!” I say as place my palm to my forehead, which puts Dr. August even further on the edge. He asks what is the matter, but somehow he already knows.
“Dr. August, I hid the stone at my parents’ house. They’re going to go there! They must know. Maybe that’s why they don’t want me anywhere near that house! Dammit! I can’t believe I didn’t put this together sooner. They just want the damn rock! I have to go.”
I haven’t thought of a plan, and Dr. August points that out quite quickly. I will be watched very closely. I just murdered a very pleasant woman; how will I slip under security’s radar? Dr. August suggests I wait a couple of days before leaving, and although the thought makes me feel sick to my stomach, I agree that leaving now will be predictable and completely idiotic.
