“I knew I would,” he said. “I’ll take you in my car.”
Willow felt so awkward going to Professor Adams’ lab. The fact that he had some human locked down, ready to die gave her the creeps. But if this man really was over two hundred years old, she knew she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see him, maybe even talk to him.
The building was locked, but professor Adams had his own set of keys. Exit signs were the only lights illuminating the hallways. She followed him down several flights of stairs until they were in a portion of the building without windows. The basement.
“I specifically asked for the entire lower level for my research,” he said as they walked through the entrance of his gigantic laboratory. “The university wanted to give me an upper level lab, but I insisted on the basement.”
“Why?” Willow asked.
“Privacy,” he said. “No one bothers me down here. No one accidentally comes down, looking for one of their classes. Only those that are supposed to be here come.”
Willow nodded, still thinking that he was a bit mad at this point. A secret lab with a human test subject? All of this was starting to get weird. For some reason, Willow wished that Jessi were around. She would have probably talked Willow out of going down into the lab, or maybe she would have told Professor Adams that he was crazy and that he needed to leave young college girls alone. But Willow didn’t really want her to be there. Maybe if she wasn’t pregnant. Who knew if this could all become seriously dangerous? It’s not like Willow really even knew Professor Adams well enough to know what he was capable of.
The room was filled with various tables and instruments. Coolers and drawers lined the walls, as did doors to various other rooms. Something that was strikingly strange about the whole place was how clean it was. Every inch was completely spotless. This was contrary to most labs that Willow had gone into over the past couple of semesters. Students were not the best keepers of their lab equipment, and truthfully, neither were the professors.
He led Willow to a table near the center of the room and gestured a hand for her to sit at one of the chairs. Before she sat, she couldn’t help but notice a very large number of lab rats in various containers that filled the entire side wall of the laboratory. Some of them seemed normal, but most were ravenous, biting at the plastic walls to try and get out. They looked like they were half rotten too. She didn’t want to look at them, but like a bad wreck, she couldn’t help but stare.
“Looks like you have a pest problem,” she said jokingly.
“Before I show you the test subject, I first need to tell you about the virus I created,” he said, ignoring her remark.
“Okay,” Willow said, unable to grasp the connection between the two.
“I call it the grey cell virus,” he said. “When injected into the bloodstream, the subject dies within twenty-four hours. The virus had started out as an attempt to create a vaccination, but when testing it on the rats it had the opposite effect.”
“Why do you call it the grey cell virus?” Willow asked.
“The white lab rats started to turn an ashy, grey color. Then they died. And then they reanimated.”
“Reanimated?”
Professor Adams nodded. “They also became highly aggressive, wanting nothing but to eat. I put on protective gear and placed them in a cage with normal lab rats. Within minutes, the non-infected lab rats were either eaten completely or badly injured. The injured ones soon died, but they too reanimated.”
“What would be the point in making such a virus?” Willow asked.
He nodded. “It was meant to be a super vaccine. One that protected people from just about any disease you could imagine. Influenza. HIV. Even cancer.”
“But it didn’t work,” Willow said.
Professor Adams grinned and shook his head. “It attacked good cells in the body. Then the subjects died. The virus doesn’t want to die with the subject however, so it found a way to basically jumpstart the nervous system.” He pointed at the rats. “Their brains function enough to move and desire meat. That’s about it. But it is the virus’ way of living on. Passing from one subject to the next.”
Willow sat with her eyes staring straight ahead at the rats in their containers. What Professor Adams had suggested could be very dangerous indeed.
“I have no reason to doubt that we humans would suffer the same effect as the rats should we come in contact with the virus.”
“How is the virus passed from one subject to another? It’s not airborne is it?”
“Thankfully no,” Adams said with a smile. “Blood, saliva. Basically if any fluid from a greyskin subject can get into your bloodstream, you’re dead.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah,” Adams said. “And this is what I’m about to test out on our human subject.”
“Why?” Willow asked, shaking her head at him.
“Because I know this virus is powerful,” he said. “But I’m more convinced that this man will live through it. If it doesn’t kill him, I will have discovered immortality.”
“You can’t do it,” Willow said. “It isn’t legal.”
“The man was suicidal,” Professor Adams said. “He has experienced much loss in his two hundred years of life. Not that it matters.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that if I’m right, the man won’t die anyway,” Adams said. “That’s how much faith I have in the Starborn’s ability. This man has withstood a plethora of viruses and diseases in his life and has yet to die. I don’t even think the grey cell will do him in.”
“And what if it does?”
“Then he will be happy that he’s done with this life,” Adams said with a scowl. “Either way he will be glad to have a purpose. I’ve promised him that I won’t let the reanimation process happen to him.”
“Then I want to talk to him first,” Willow said.
“He’s sedated.”
Willow couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She had been brought down here to witness a possible assisted suicide. And for what? Why would Professor Adams jeopardize his research only to be turned over to the authorities by some sophomore student? Because he wants me to work as his assistant? It was insane. She placed her hands on her head, gripping her hair between her fingers.
“I’m starting to get the feeling that bringing you down here was a bad idea,” he said. “I thought you would be interested in what was going on. You are possibly about to witness history.”
“That’s the problem!” Willow almost yelled. “I do want to stay and watch. I must stay and watch. If I don’t I feel like I would be throwing away an amazing opportunity. But I also feel like I could go to jail for something like this.”
“I assure you, there will be no jail for you. I have friends in high places if something like this were to get out. No one would ever know you were even here.”
Someone would. Jessi would.
Professor Adams stepped forward and placed two strong hands on Willow’s shoulders, rubbing them gently. She couldn’t help but feel comforted. Her attraction to him was growing despite the insane situation he had brought before her.
“Do you trust me?” he asked.
Willow hesitated for a moment. “Yes,” she finally answered.
Letting go of her shoulders, he took a glance at his watch. “We need to begin the experiment,” he said, starting his walk to the other end of the laboratory. “Now that I know you’re with me in this, I can let you come and see him.”
Willow couldn’t believe what she was hearing as she followed closely behind Professor Adams. “I guess I still don’t understand why you asked me to come out here with you,” she said. “We’ve met on several occasions, but this is something that could get you into a lot of trouble. What do you need me for?”
She didn’t think to listen for an answer as Professor Adams opened the door to the back room. Willow stopped in her tracks, overwhelmed by so many sights all at once.
First, strapped to a medical b
ed with tubes protruding from all parts of his body was the subject. But this wasn’t what startled Willow the most. To her left she saw two men who didn’t seem like scientists at all. They stood tall and gruff, muscles protruding from their T-shirts. Next to them was another medical bed, empty but prepped to have another subject on it soon.
“I asked you here to help me,” Professor Adams said.
Willow looked up at him with confused eyes. The two bouncer-like men stepped forward and grabbed Willow by the arms, pulling her to the second bed.
“Professor Adams?” she called out in desperation.
“Human trials is where the real research happens,” Professor Adams continued. “Tonight I find out two things. I get to see how this grey cell virus works on a normal human being and I get to see how it works with a Starborn.”
“Professor Adams!” Willow screamed.
“Yelling will do nothing for you here,” he said coldly. “Remember, we’re in the basement.”
Tears streaked down her face as the two guards began strapping her to the medical table. “Why are you doing this to me? Please, stop!”
“It’s for science,” Professor Adams said. “Just think, this research will save lives someday.”
“Professor Adams,” Willow whispered through sobs, fully knowing her words of desperation were useless.
Professor Adams sighed as he pulled out the vial and needle containing this new virus.
“Please,” he said, “call me Jeremiah.”
CHAPTER SIX
MY BODY JERKS as I wake from the nightmare, though the feeling in my gut tells me this was no simple dream. This was insightful, full of detail. It was almost as if I hadn’t even fallen asleep before I was thrown into this world that I’ve never seen before. A world that existed before the greyskins.
My first thought is that this could be part of my evolving gifts, but I quickly dismiss it when I remember what Evelyn said and did to me before Aaron and I left Springhill. She had wanted to explain more about Jeremiah and how he was responsible for my parents’ death. Sure, I already knew that he had somehow created the greyskins, but now I see where it started. My dreams have been invaded by Evelyn so she can relay information to me. The past. How we all got here to this horrible world.
I find myself feeling sorry for this Willow girl and how she was sucked into Jeremiah’s madness at the beginning. I shake my head to try and bring myself back to the here and now. Surely this couldn’t have been everything Evelyn had tried to tell me. There had to be more. Perhaps more answers will come the next time I sleep.
On the other side of the basement, I hear a commotion. When I look over, I see Aaron walking toward me carrying a brown, hooded shirt.
“Good morning,” he says, handing me what I know will be way too hot to wear in the summer heat. “Might be a good idea to put this on to conceal your face a little. We aren’t just hiding from Screven guards anymore. We’re hiding from everyone.”
I take the shirt, but I don’t put it on yet. “What’s your plan?” I ask.
“I’ve been up for a little bit,” he says. “I’ve got us a truck and the stuff is already loaded. We just have to find a way to get out of here.”
I nod, knowing that I have to tell Aaron about Christopher. Since he has everything ready, he probably won’t want me to go look for something without an explanation.
“I haven’t been entirely honest about why I came with you,” I say.
Aaron’s brow furrows at my words, but he holds his tongue to let me explain.
“Our last day here, I met someone,” I continue. “His name is Christopher. He’s a Starborn. A healer. I came here so I could try to convince him to come with us. He would be very helpful in all this.”
Aaron shakes his head. “We don’t have time to recruit people right now. We’ve got to get equipment out of here. It’s a huge risk coming back in the first place.”
“But we need more allies,” I say.
“We’ve got all the allies we need,” Aaron comes back. “There will be time for recruitment later.”
“Not if Jeremiah recruits them all against us. He’s already started a campaign to make other Starborns want to come after us. Remember his hunters?”
Aaron nods, but turns away. “I know. It’s going to be dangerous enough trying to get the two of us out of here. Three makes it that much harder. How do you know he wants to come anyway?”
“I don’t. I’m here to convince him.”
“We don’t have time for this, Mora.”
“Maybe not,” I tell him as I stand up. “But that’s what I came here to do.”
I start to make my way for the door.
“Do you even know where he is?” Aaron asks me.
“Of course,” I lie. I’ve got to search him out in my mind for a clue.
“How long is it going to take you?” he asks, knowing that I won’t give up until I get my way.
Truth is, I have no idea. I’ve got no guarantee that I can even find him. Christopher obviously doesn’t want to be found. “A few minutes,” I say. Maybe twenty.
“Fine,” Aaron says. “While you’re out recruiting, I’m going to get the truck ready for departure. I’ve already got the supplies in the back, I just need to get close enough to the gate to be able to make a quick exit.”
“Why can’t we just storm out from here?”
“Bullets,” Aaron answers. “The closer I can get us to that gaping hole that used to be the gate, the fewer shots we might have to face. This is where I’ll need you the most.”
“I understand.”
He stands there looking at me for a long moment before he continues. “I’ll hopefully be parked in front of Connor’s shack,” he says. “It’s just up the hill from the gate. We’ll be abandoning the truck we brought here. I’ve got enough gas to get us back to Springhill.” He sighs. “Are you sure your friend wants to be found?”
“I’m not,” I say, finally able to tell him a bit of truth. “I may just show up with myself.”
Aaron nods at this. “Just remember, the longer we stay here, the higher the risk of being found out. We’ve got to make this quick.”
“I understand.”
I follow him up the stairs, hoping that we aren’t discovered. I’m confident that we could handle just about any force that might try to take us on here, but we don’t want that. Though the villagers may be tempted to turn on us because of the reward, we don’t wish to kill any of them. We just want to liberate them. I don’t think it would help the reputation we’ve gained to be seen fighting off colonists.
Once I’m out of the house, I can tell that Aaron really has been busy, seeing that all the equipment is loaded into the back of the truck. I wonder how he did that without me waking. The vision Evelyn gave me must have kept me in a deep slumber, though I didn’t feel very rested.
The outside morning is already hot, and I know the day is only going to get hotter. I slip the shirt over me and pull the hood tight against my head.
“Won’t the covering make me look more suspicious?” I ask.
Aaron shakes his head. “A lot of farmers wear these to keep covered from the sun. If you don’t act suspicious, you won’t be interesting to any of the guards.”
I nod in understanding, not comforted by the trickle of sweat that drips past my eye.
“We have an advantage here too,” he says.
“What’s that?”
“We ran from here just days ago. Why in the world would we be back already?” He grins slightly. “It would be a foolish thing to do. They aren’t looking for us here.”
I smile back at him, though I’m not as comforted as he might think. I’m still in panic mode, unsure of how to find Christopher. I know he didn’t just reveal himself to me without good reason. I didn’t think that my injuries were so bad that I truly needed his healing touch. I think he wants to be found, but he’s been in hiding so long that his first instinct is to run when given the opportunity to reveal himself to
the masses. But I’m not asking for the masses. I just want him to come back to Springhill with me.
Aaron starts the truck and I step back from him to let him close the door. “Stay safe,” he says. “I know you’ve got a great gift inside you, but no gift stops a bullet you didn’t see coming.”
“You too,” I say. “I’ll be there with you soon.”
“I’m counting on it.”
He drives away slowly, pulling his hood around his head in hopes that no one will recognize him. He is much more familiar to these people than I am, but that doesn’t mean I’m not remembered. I stood in front of these people, many of whom have seen me use my abilities. I’ve got to keep a low profile while I search for Christopher.
I shake my head. Twenty minutes. That isn’t enough time. I should have been out in the middle of the night searching for him. I haven’t the slightest idea where he could be.
I step to the side of the house and look around to see if anyone is near. Apart from the few people I see in the distance getting ready to tend to their gardens, and the slow-moving truck that Aaron is driving, I’m completely alone.
I close my eyes to concentrate on Christopher. All of my past attempts have been failures. He usually keeps to his dark area where I can’t see a thing. But I know he has to come out sometime. I feel like the morning might be the best time to at least find him walking down the road.
As my mind clears and I find myself next to him, he’s still in a dark room. I’m unable to see his surroundings. He’s got to do something to help me figure out where he might be. This time when I look, however, he’s moving. Not walking or even turning over in his bed, but crawling. And from the looks of it, he seems to be in a very tight space. Where could he be?
I open my eyes to scan my surroundings again, just to make sure no one is watching. I then shut my eyes tight and focus more on Christopher. He has to show me where he is this time.
As he continues to crawl, I can hear a voice ahead of him. Someone is talking. It’s a man, but I don’t understand what he’s saying. Christopher crawls further until finally there is a light ahead of him. This is it. I’m finally about to get some clue where he might be. He stops just in front of the light. I’m still unable to move my consciousness in front of him to see what the source of the light may be, but hopefully he’ll continue to move.
If It Kills Me Page 7
