Countdown to Zero (Patient Zero Book 2)

by Adrianne Lemke

  There was enough there already.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Jake eyed me with concern, but nodded. “Yeah. Only if you have to. To keep us safe. Remember, they do have weapons, and Brent will probably be working to push them out.”

  “I know. Just… Just find out if we have what we need to knock out the fence, okay? And Jake, I need to talk to you once we find it.”

  “You got it, Z. I’ll be back in a bit. Pretty sure we have some wire and stuff from the RV,” he said.

  If not wire, I was pretty sure we’d find some other way to short the fence. That part, I wasn’t concerned about anymore. Using the zombies to distract the guards also seemed as if it would be fairly simple. The main wildcard was Brent. How powerful was his connection? Would he be able to sense even the subtle suggestions I planned to place into the hive mind?

  While Jake collected what we needed, I sat next to a tree and concentrated on the creatures. I didn’t do anything but listen; I wanted to find the best thread to connect to for later. The zombies were hungry. They knew food was beyond the fence, but they couldn’t get to it. Nor could they walk away to find an alternate source. Their behavior confirmed what we already suspected; Brent was here.

  “Found what we need,” Jake said when he returned. “What did you need to talk to me about, Z?”

  “Give that stuff to Kate, then come with me for a sec, okay?”

  “Sure.” He handed the small bag of supplies to Kate. When he turned to come back to me, he winced and grabbed his side.

  “Take it easy, Jake. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I… you need to sit this one out.” He moved to argue, but I cut him off. “Seriously, Jake. You can hardly even walk without wincing in pain. You need more time before you can handle more strenuous activity. Please don’t fight me on this.”

  “Uh… not trying to eavesdrop or anything,” Kate interrupted. “But, I gotta say, the kid is right. I know how much the kids mean to you, Jake. But we need everyone in top condition down there. I think you’re better utilized up here prepping for our escape. You still have some weapons stashed in your bag, right?”

  “Yeah,” he grumbled. “But I can’t just let you guys take all the risk.”

  “You won’t be, trust me,” Kate added. “You’ll be up here, ready to fight off any guards or zombies who try to cut us off. It’s an important job, Jake. You’ll most likely need a helper in order to prep the horses. We’ll be moving quickly once we get out.”

  “We only have three horses,” I objected. “There are a lot of us once we’re all together, and we won’t be able to move very fast on foot. We need a better exit strategy.”

  We’d need a bus or something to carry all of us. I doubted that was in the cards. A couple vans, maybe. “We may need to send Jake to find getaway vehicles. It would mean leaving the horses, but they’ll survive on their own. I’ve never seen the zombies go after an animal before,” I said. “We’ll leave someone else to act as lookout. Jake, find what we need for escape vehicles. Park where we came in, and wait for us.”

  “Got it. I can do that, but Z… I don’t like leaving you to deal with this on your own.”

  “I understand, but Kate and everyone else will have my back while you’re gone. And honestly, I think it is for the best.”

  Jake nodded, and gave a wobbly smile. “I get it, Z. I do. I just hate not being able to help protect you guys. But I understand the need for escape vehicles. I won’t fight you on this, Z, so don’t worry about me. Put your energy into saving our family.”

  “Good. I will, okay. Just… you be careful too. We don’t know how safe the area around here is. I wish we could send someone with you.”

  “I can bring the dogs. That way they’ll be out of the way here, and they can help alert me if anyone gets close.”

  “Make sure we have room for them, okay?” I requested. “I don’t want to abandon them too.”

  He smiled. “Yeah, kiddo. Wasn’t planning on it. If possible, we can try to come back for the horses at some point too.”

  “I’d love that,” I said. For a moment I let myself picture my dream of a peaceful life on the farm with my family, the dogs, and our horses…

  Then reality crashed back in, and I realized how unlikely that scenario was. “But it’s probably not feasible. It would be dangerous to come back here, and I’m not sure I’m willing to risk it.”

  There was nothing more to discuss. Still, we stood together and watched as the others gathered supplies. They grabbed whatever they thought might help us succeed, and left the rest. If we could, we’d collect it on our way out. If not, nothing was irreplaceable.

  Jake rested his hand on my shoulder, and I rolled around until I had him in a hug. “Stay safe, Jake. No more close calls.”

  He chuckled. “Of the two of us, I’m pretty sure I have the safer job. I will be careful. You stay alert, young lady. I don’t want you getting caught off-guard by anyone or anything.”

  I nodded, my forehead bumping his chest as he rubbed calming circles into my back. “See you at the road, boss.”

  Pulling away, I took a deep breath. “Yeah. Yeah. We’ll be good. You need to get going. See you soon.”

  Before I could change my mind and make Jake stay, I forced myself to smile, wave, and walk away. Something Kate had apparently been waiting for, since she stepped in as soon as I left. Jake nodded and pulled her in for a hug as well. He kissed the top of her head and gave an extra squeeze before he gently pushed her away. He walked away with a smile.

  Rex came up behind me, and I could practically hear his smirk. “Yeah, there’s definitely something going on with those two.”

  I grinned. “Yeah. They like each other. Now, let’s get our friends back so we can find a place where they can actually try to make a relationship work.”

  No matter how much I pretended to feel optimistic, I couldn’t fool myself. We were about to break into a fortress. Armed guards everywhere, zombies I may or may not be able to control, and a huge search area all worked against us. We had found a way in. I was at least reasonably certain we could succeed with that portion of our plan.

  What I was less certain of, was whether we would be able to find a way out.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Rex, Kate, and Shanti were the first to venture down the hill about an hour after Jake left. Rex to keep an eye out for the guards; Shanti to help shield them from the zombies; and Kate to get them through the fence and wreck the generator.

  I remained at the top of the hill. As soon as Rex and the others broke cover, I focused on sending a message to the zombies. Only a vague suggestion to start. I didn’t want them all to start behaving differently right away. If they did, it would be a dead giveaway that someone else was in control. Within seconds of implanting the suggestion, a few of the creatures near the fence turned on each other.

  “Keep it up,” Mike urged. “The guards are starting to notice. They’re looking at the zombies instead of the tree line.”

  I gave a terse nod before pushing the thought into a few others. Starving. Must survive. Eat. Simple thoughts, the only way I’d ever heard them communicate with each other. Anything more would be too complex, and Brent would definitely notice.

  After a couple minutes, more of the zombies had turned on each other. Their howls and growls grew louder, echoing through the valley. Gooseflesh rose on my arms, and I shivered. From the increase in sound, it appeared my suggestions had a domino effect. What started in a few, had already spread like wildfire through nearly half the horde.

  I tore my gaze from the violent creatures in order to see the shadowy forms of my friends. They had reached the fence and were bent toward the bottom, working to short it out. They needed me to fully distract the guards and cover what they were doing to the fence, so I focused again. This time on causing the zombies in back to push at those closer to the fence. With my interference, a few of them ended up bumping into the fence.

  I turned my attention back to my
friends, silently urging them to take advantage of the distraction and short the fence. Even from up the hill, I could see Rex turn from watching the horde and nod to Shanti and Kate to go ahead and get through the fence.

  “Time to join them,” I said.

  Caleb and Mike followed as I continued to use the horde to cover our descent to the fence. The guards seemed entranced by what was happening with the creatures, and—at least as far as I could tell—none had noticed our group entering the premises.

  “Nicely done, Kate,” I complemented as we entered through the small gap she’d made under the fence.

  She gave a tight smile as we snuck toward the generator. With a nod toward the pandemonium outside, she said, “You too.”

  My heart thudded wildly as we made our way to the part of the generator we needed to sabotage. There were a few shadows near the machine, but otherwise, the yard was bright. If any of the guards even glanced over here, we’d be impossible to miss.

  For now, at least. That was about to end. It was about time for me to urge the horde to push through the fence toward the fresh meat on the other side. Keep the attention off our entry, and on the now insane creatures.

  Kate nodded toward me as she gripped a piece of the generator. She had Rex holding another part, and Shanti yet another. If someone came to check the machine while we were inside, it would not be a quick fix.

  “Do it,” I said softly.

  She raised one hand, counting down from three; at zero, they all removed the parts they held. The bright yard went dark instantly.

  For the first time, I heard the guards shouting in fear. With the power out, there was nothing stopping the creatures from reaching them. Even with the order to attack each other going through their hive, the zombies started to go after the terrified people within the fence.

  The no longer zombie-proof fence, protected only by the guards and their weapons.

  “They’re completely distracted now,” I said. “We need to get inside.”

  Kate pulled her hand gun, and I had my sword ready to use at a moment’s notice. Since we’d had such quick exits from a few different locations lately, we were short on weapons. Rex and Caleb were the only others who were armed.

  Gunfire erupted at the fence. Where before there had been measured shots, it was now more frequent as the guards were confronted with more of the creatures. The sound of metal snapping resulted in panicked shouts.

  “I’ll make sure the zombies don’t notice us,” I said. “Shanti, help me. The rest of you keep an eye out for the guards.”

  Not a single guard remained at the door of the building. All were focused on trying to prevent the zombies from entering. We got in unhindered.

  The relative silence of the dark hallway was a shock after the mayhem outside. There were distant voices from somewhere down the hall, but, with several hallways branching off the main one, I had no way to know which way to go.

  “Kate, lead the way. You know where the cells are?”

  “Yeah,” she answered. “Hold onto each other. I don’t want to lose anyone.”

  I stayed toward the back of the group in order to monitor the zombies. If they got in, we would need to get out. So far, we were clear, but… “There are a few creatures in here somewhere,” I informed them. “All I can tell is that they’re close.”

  I focused for a minute to see if I could get a better idea where they were, but I shook my head. “Yeah, can’t tell. From what I can feel, I think they’re deeper in the building.”

  Rex nodded. “Keep us updated. Would hate to run into them in an enclosed area.”

  “You got it,” I agreed easily. Monitoring the few creatures inside, even while keeping my mind connected to those outside, wouldn’t be an issue.

  What might be a problem were any guards who might be left inside. Or the doctors we had yet to see or locate.

  “Down this hall,” Kate told us quietly. “If they’re being kept in the same place we used to, anyway.”

  We could only hope they were. If not, I had no idea whether we’d be able to find them. “Would Scout and the other adults be kept with the kids?” I asked. “Or would they be separated.”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure,” Kate answered. “I think they would keep the adults each on their own, or at least confined more securely. They wouldn’t want to risk them colluding with each other to escape. They might have kept the kids all together.”

  I snickered. “If they did, they may have been in for a surprise. Some of those kids would be pretty tricky to keep locked up.”

  Kane came to mind. He was good with electronics, but also knew how to pick a lock. As far as I knew, he always had something on him he could use as a lock pick. Just in case.

  “Even if they managed to escape the cell, I doubt they’d get out of the facility,” Kate warned. “And if they tried, it may have gotten them moved somewhere else.”

  She stopped suddenly and pushed us back around a corner to another hallway. “Stay quiet,” she breathed. “Someone’s coming.”

  A second or two later we all heard it. The slight squeak of a shoe on the laminated floor. She peeked around the corner, and motioned for us to get low. A motion we could only see because those approaching had flashlights. Not great when we had nowhere to hide.

  I held my breath. My hand was on my sword, ready to draw and fight if necessary. The steps slowed as they got closer to our hiding spot. We slowly slunk backward. A fast sweep could miss us. If we had to fight, I wouldn’t hesitate, but I never relished the idea of using the sword on a person.

  It was hard enough to do to one of the creatures.

  That said, I would do whatever it took to protect my family. They were my responsibility, and I wouldn’t allow any harm to come to them. A voice yelled down the hall, and the steps slowed to a stop.

  “What?” The answering voice came from closer. Obviously one of those coming down the hall.

  The farther away voice sounded angry, and the two men in the hall muttered in annoyance as they picked up their pace. Thankfully, they rushed by us without a glance.

  Not so thankfully, the angry voice had come from the direction we were heading. Not that it mattered. We knew this rescue wasn’t without risk. Whatever it took to save our friends, we would do. Even if I had to drive the horde through everyone in this building, I would do it.

  “We need to move,” I said.

  Kate nodded and rose from her crouch to continue walking down the hall. “Zero, that other voice…”

  “I know. It was right where we were heading.”

  “Yeah. How do we want to handle it?” she asked.

  To some extent I was surprised she would defer to me. To another, I wasn’t. Kate had never been the leader. She’d always been a follower. At least since I’d known her. At the start, she’d been suspicious and unwilling to listen to me. Since then, she’d even seen her leader accept me. Scout had become a good friend in the short time we’d known him. I truly hoped we would be able to rescue him.

  My eyes widened, and I tapped my fingers on the sword. “The creatures in here are coming closer. I think they might be using them as a kind of security force while the human guards are outside.”

  Rex came behind me. “Does that mean our friend Brent isn’t in control of the large horde, just the few in here?”

  “For now, yes,” I answered after checking. “I think the horde is currently too out of control for either of us to reach. They’re following the ‘eat or die’ survival instinct right now.”

  Shanti raised her hand a bit gingerly. “Does that mean you can’t make a way out?”

  “It means,” I answered impatiently, “I don’t know if I’ll be able to make them do anything they don’t want to do. If we all connect together again, we might be able to stay hidden from the creatures. Won’t help with the human guards, though.”

  Kate interrupted. “Let’s worry about that when we get to it. We’ve got a few other things to do first.”

  She wasn�
��t wrong. Our next major obstacles were the security zombies. “They’re almost here,” I whispered. “I can’t do much with them, or Brent will know for sure that we’re here.”

  He might have accepted the horde turning on each other, but he could become suspicious if the ones he was in direct contact with began to act oddly as well.

  We could still get away with hiding ourselves. “Be ready,” I warned. “Stop moving.”

  Everyone stopped immediately. I projected the image of an empty dark hallway to the web connecting the few creatures Brent had sent.

  Three of them shuffled by. They didn’t smell bad yet, so I guessed they were newly turned. Newly turned… my breaths sped up, even as I struggled to keep focused and hide us from sight. They couldn’t be our friends, right? We were on time for the countdown. Would they have…?

  I wished I could see, but was glad I couldn’t at the same time. These new creatures could be people we know, and I wasn’t sure how I’d handle seeing them as zombies. I’d already dealt with enough of my loved ones becoming monsters. It didn’t seem likely I’d be strong enough to deal with it again.

  Especially considering my reaction when I thought Jake was dead. Losing any of them now was unfathomable. Everything we’d done the last couple weeks had been to get here on time to save our people. If we’d failed? I couldn’t be sure how I would react, let alone how the others would.

  The creatures didn’t notice us as they went by, but I made everyone stand still for a few seconds. Once I was certain the zombies were gone, I tapped Kate. “We can move.”

  Another obstacle down. Now for the human guards left behind to take care of the prisoners. And Brent, who had yet to make an appearance. From the chaos outside, I thought he might be busy trying to push the horde back under control. A feat that—at this point—seemed impossible. Once their base instincts had been set off, I doubted anyone could truly control them anymore.

  I couldn’t let myself think of what the horde would do to the people here. Some of them, I was sure, were like Scout and his people. They wanted to help protect people from the zombies. Not use them to gain power. They would be just as at risk as any of the others.