by Lowry, C. L.
“I was so worried about you, Mom.”
“I was worried about you too, baby.”
Lori continued embracing her daughter. She happened to look up and see Abraham and Emma standing at the counter, looking at something. They had not even turned around to greet her. Charlotte’s arms were still wrapped tightly around her mother. Then, Lori saw the legs. The legs were stretched out across the counter. “What’s going on?”
Charlotte released her grip and stepped back. “It’s not good, Mom.”
“Is that Tyler?” she asked, walking toward the counter.
Abraham looked back and nodded. He and Emma stepped back, clearing a path for Lori. Her mouth dropped to the floor when she approached him. Tyler was almost unrecognizable. His hair had fallen out, and his skin seemed tight. Lori placed her hand on top of Tyler’s hand. It was almost as hard as a rock and felt like it was on fire.
“Why is he so hot?”
“We don’t know,” Abraham replied. We did our best to try to cool him down, but the fever progressed through all of our efforts. We don’t know what else to do for him.”
“We have to do something.”
“We don’t even know what Jin put in his body. Without the time to analyze the notes and test the remaining serum that is in those syringes, there is literally nothing we can do.”
“I can’t believe this. Tyler, it’s going to be okay. We are going to try and get you some help.” Tyler slowly turned his head and looked at Lori. He used almost all his energy to crack a smile for her. Blood dripped from his mouth, and Lori back-pedaled. An image flashed in her head.
She had not put two and two together when she first looked at Tyler, but the dripping blood was the missing clue. The blood was black. Images of the creature that attacked her in the room flashed in her head. “We have to get out of here.”
“Mom. Are you serious? We’re not leaving until Tyler gets better.”
“Honey, you don’t understand. Tyler is not going to get better; he’s going to get worse.”
“You care to explain, Lori?” Abraham asked.
“Jin. Jin’s serum. It causes a different type of mutation. Jin locked me in a room with one of them, and I saw it with my own two eyes. Tyler is turning into one of them. We can’t be here when he does.”
“Mom, we can’t leave him.”
“Charlotte, this is not up for debate. Tyler is mutating. When the mutation is complete, he is going to be unstoppable. It’s nothing like the other ones. We just saw one of them up close and personal. Go ask Brody.”
“So, you’re telling me that there are more of these things running around?” Abraham asked.
“I don’t know. We only saw that one. But knowing Jin, there could be more.”
Abraham was concerned. Lori was right. Jin was not the type to only conduct one test. He limited the access to certain experiments for others on the research team. When Micah had them searching for a cure, Jin had all hands on deck. But there were times when he did research alone. He started that experimental wing without Micah’s permission. The testing he did with the new serum was not approved because Micah was on the hunt. Jin took full advantage of both his leaders being missing in action.
Charlotte stormed out of the gas station in tears. Emma chased after her. Lori knew the news was going to hit her hard, but it was not an easy decision to make. It broke her heart to see Tyler this way. But she was terrified of what he was going to become. Lori knew time was not on their side. If Tyler was mutating in such a short period, it was only a matter of time until the monster came out of him.
Lori did not have much fight left in her. She remembered being back in the small room with the metal pipe. The same fear that overcame her in the room was coming over her now. She barely made it out of that situation alive, and she did not know if she could do it again.
“We received a flare signal back. Do you think it’s worth trying to get Tyler over to their medical personnel? Maybe they can do something for him.”
In her head, Lori could still hear the sound of the screams that echoed down the hallway. There was pain and agony in each of them. “No. We can’t risk it. I refuse to have anyone’s blood on my hands. If we take Tyler there and they can’t help him, he is going to slaughter them all.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do know that. I can still hear them. I can still hear their screams, Abraham.” Lori was shaking.
Abraham pulled her in. He could still feel her jittery movements even while she was in his arms. “Everything is going to be okay. I trust you. Whatever you decide, we’ll do it.”
“What about Charlotte? She’ll never forgive me.”
“In due time, she will.”
So, it was decided. The group left Tyler in the gas station. The young man laid across the counter. The Nissan and the Toyota peeled off. The group was on their way. They had a ton of miles to cover until they hit their destination.
CHAPTER 34
Levi had reservations about Sade’s decision. This was the first time in a while that he felt safe and did not have to constantly look over his shoulder. With permission from Maverick, he packed a bag filled with items from the inventory room. He knew he could not convince Sade to not make this trip, so he did not even try. Plus, a part of him felt guilty that he left Jayven and Cameron behind. Levi knew he had no other choice but to leave the church and take Kyle to the hospital, but Sade would be furious if she knew that was the reason that Levi did not take the extra time looking for his friends.
Levi got up to answer the knock at the door. “Are you ready?” Sade asked when the door opened.
“Yup. Let me just grab my stuff.”
Sade stepped into Levi’s rowhome. “You stay here all by yourself?”
“Naw. It was a bunch of guys in here with me, but I heard they left this place.”
“Left? To go where?”
“I don’t know. I think they were going back to the hospital. People are saying they probably got killed.”
“Why did they want to leave this place?”
“I don’t know. The short time I’ve been here, those dudes seemed to be running things for the teens. I don’t know why they would leave.”
Sade rolled her eyes. Levi knew that look all too well. Sade’s resistance had just begun. “I see you still got that bat,” she said.
“Yup. Hopefully, I won’t have to use it.”
The two stepped out of the home and started walking toward the camp border. Levi had already arranged for the trip that was approved by Maverick. After Dalton’s situation, Maverick loosened up on the rules. Dalton leading that group to their deaths was a crippling hit for The Saviors. There were families who wanted answers, and other groups of people who wanted to feel less like prisoners to the camp. Maverick knew every move and decision he made was for the safety of the entire group, but he was not expecting the immediate resistance. So now, he allowed people to come and go freely as long as they told them where they were going and what they were going to do.
Sade knew she should not have been out, but her stubbornness got the best of her. She only had the use of one arm. The injured one was bandaged up and placed in a sling. Her determination to find Jayven and Cameron fired her up and made her ignore the pain. Levi had an eerie feeling leaving The Saviors camp and heading back to the church. There were so many questions he wanted to ask Sade but knew he would not like the answers, so he did not bother. He used his nailed bat as a walking stick as they headed down the block.
The walk to the church was not a short one. It would take the teens at least an hour to make it there on foot, and that would be if they were not all banged up. At the rate they were going, they would make it there in about two-and-a-half hours. A glance over at Sade revealed the determination. She did not complain one time about the walk. Matter of fact, she did not say much at all during the walk. The two teens remained observant during the walk. It was not the safest decision they had made, but there was no other way for them to get to th
e church.
After about twenty minutes into their walk, the sound of a running engine got Levi’s attention.
“Someone’s coming, he said, pulling Sade into an alleyway.
The two tucked tightly into the alley as a green Honda minivan drove by. The van was filthy, and they could not see inside, but they knew there was only one crew who was known to drive around the city during these times. The last thing Levi wanted was another run-in with The Underlings. The first two encounters, he got lucky, but there was no guarantee that a third encounter would grant him the same luck.
“Could you see who it was?” Sade asked.
“No. It was a minivan, but they drove by too fast for me to see the driver.”
“Let’s go,” Sade said before exiting the alleyway.
Levi grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “Slow down. I know you want to find Jay and Cam, but we can’t be reckless. Give it a minute to make sure no one else is around.”
“Don’t lecture me, Levi. I’m not the one who left our friends to die.” Sade pulled away from Levi and exited the alleyway. Just as she did, the minivan reversed to their location. Sade attempted to run forward as the van reversed.
“Yo!” the male driver yelled out, rolling down the window.
Her heart was pounding out of her chest, and it felt as if she was about to lose her breath. Nevertheless, Sade continued sprinting up the block. The driver of the van slammed the gear shift into drive and followed her. Levi spotted this from the alley and chased after the van once it took off. Her sneakers slammed on the pavement as her stride shortened. Sade was gassed. She spotted another alley and slipped right into it. This time, she did not pop back out as quickly as she had done minutes ago.
Unfortunately, with the slight limp in her run, she did not gain any distance at all on the van. It was right behind her the entire time. The driver pulled up to the alleyway, and the driver got out in a hurry. “What are you running for?”
Sade pulled out a blade with her good hand. “Come any closer, and I’ll cut you,” she threatened.
“Hey, get away from her!” Levi yelled as he ran up with his bat positioned for a swing.
“Levi!” Destiny yelled as she exited from the passenger seat of the minivan.
Levi stopped as the teen ran toward him and jumped into his arms. “What are y’all doing?” Levi asked, pushing Destiny away from him. “Why the hell would you pull up on us like that?”
“We were looking for you two. Ms. Latoya saw you leave this morning, so I figured we would come be your backup.”
“But why would you pull up on us like that?” Sade asked angrily. “Someone could have gotten hurt. What if I had a gun instead of this knife? I would have shot your friend right here.”
“This isn’t a game. I know y’all have been couped up in that little safe environment with The Saviors, but out here, it’s life or death!” Levi shouted. “You can’t just pull up on us like that. You can’t pull up anyone like that.”
“Sorry,” Destiny muttered. “We were just trying to come along to help you.”
“We didn’t ask for help, and we don’t need any help!” Sade hollered. “Go back home.”
Destiny was nearly in tears. She and the driver headed back to the minivan.
“Hold on,” Levi said. “We could use some help.”
“We don’t need it,” Sade replied.
“Yes, we do. We still have a long way to go, and it would be quicker getting there in the minivan. Plus, you ain’t even thinking logically. So, I could use the extra eyes and ears with me.”
“You’re not in charge of me, Levi.”
“I didn’t say I was. But it seems that you are out trying to get yourself killed. I’m not letting you drag me into a dumb situation. Look at you. You weren’t going to do anything with that knife. Now, I’m getting in this minivan, and I’m going to the church to find Jay and Cam. You can come along if you want.”
Levi walked over to the van and opened the side door. There were two other teens in the back of the minivan. They scooted over to make room. Levi waited for Sade to make her decision.
CHAPTER 35
Marcus’ head was pounding. He grabbed the back of his head and noticed the large knot from the strike he took. He had no idea that Wolff had entered the bathroom and knocked him upside the head with a rifle. One minute he was going toe to toe with Bogdan, and the next he was face down on the floor. Marcus grabbed the toilet and pulled himself up. The gunshot wound to his leg he bled so much that his jeans were drenched. However, it appeared that it was only a flesh wound. Marcus used the wall to support him as he sat up and gathered himself.
“Candice, get up,” he said, noticing that she was still on the bathroom floor. It was time for them to leave. Going back and forth with some of the top men in The Association was not on his list of things to do. Marcus needed a plan to get himself and Candice out of the reach of The Association.
He removed his shirt, balled it up, and pressed it against his leg wound.
“Candice, get up, baby.”
“Candice.”
“Babe, get up.”
Marcus pulled himself forward and flopped on the ground by Candice’s side. He nudged her, but she did not respond. “Candice, wake up,” he said, shaking her by the shoulders.
Candice’s body was limp. Marcus shook her again, hoping she would wake up. He scooted closer to her and put his ear on her chest.
“No, no, no. Candice, get up. Don’t do this to me. Please, wake up.”
Marcus pleaded and begged, but there was no response. He went to scoop Candice into his arms and felt that her back was soaked. Marcus lifted her up and saw the pool of blood she had been lying in. He let out a loud scream as he held her in his arms. His heart skipped a beat, and tears began to flow from his eyes. They were uncontrollable. Seeing his wife filled with holes made him feel guilty. She was struck by the bullets that were fired during the initial altercation.
Marcus squeezed Candice’s body and held it tight. He was in disbelief. “I’m sorry, baby,” he whispered.
“Yeah, you are sorry,” Bogdan said.
“Leave. I don’t have time for this,” Marcus muttered. He did not even bother looking up. He was a broken man.
“You don’t get to decide what you have time for,” Bogdan said, firing a shot at the wounded man. Marcus yelled out as the bullet ripped through his other leg.
“I need to know where your friend, Kyle, is hiding at.”
“I already told you,” Marcus groaned. “I don’t know him.”
Bogdan ripped off another round, this time sending the bullet into Marcus’s good leg. Marcus screamed. “Stop. Leave me alone.”
Wolff let out a devilish laugh. “Damn. You got him begging.”
Bogdan approached Marcus, who was flopping on the floor like a fish. “This is the last time I’m going to ask. Where is Kyle?”
“I don’t know.”
Just as Marcus spoke his last word, Bogdan fired another round at Marcus. This time, the bullet struck him in the head, blowing his brain out of the back of his head. Marcus’s body slumped over Candice.
“Was that necessary?” Wolff asked jokingly.
“Everything we do is necessary.” They were the current leaders of the organization and needed to step it up a notch. There was no more of Micah’s open-door policy. It was time to lock down whatever was left of The Association.
CHAPTER 36
“You’re going to turn left up here at the corner,” Levi said.
“So, what’s the deal with this church? Why are we going there?” Neil asked. Neil was the driver and Destiny’s cousin. The eighteen-year-old was also a part of The Savior’s security squad. Although he was very timid during the encounter with Sade, Neil was well-trained with the .40 caliber Glock 19 that was strapped to his hip. His friends, Jameel and Terrence, were the ones in the back of the minivan.
“That church is our home,” Sade responded. “I think our friends are trapped in
side of there, and I want to get them out.”
“Say no more,” Neil said.
“So, what’s the plan once we get there?” Destiny asked.
“The plan is you stay in the van, and we’ll go inside and get their friends.”
“No, Neil. You’re not going to treat me like a kid,” Destiny stated.
“It’s not up for debate. Uncle P would kill me if something happened to you. So, like I said, you’re staying in the van.”
Jameel was right. Destiny’s father, Patrick, didn’t even know they left the camp. At that very moment, he probably thought she was running her shift in the inventory room. Destiny knew exactly what would happen if her father knew she was out on a rescue mission, let alone with a bunch of other teenagers.
“He’s right, Destiny, it’s best that you stay out of that place. It’s dangerous, and we still don’t know who or what is inside.” Levi added.
Sade looked over at him. A grimaced look covered her face.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jameel asked. “You said you don’t know who or what is inside. What do you mean by that?”
Just as the young man asked that question, Neil pulled up to the church. The front doors of the church were wide open. Sade and Levi looked at each other, and both of their mouths hit the floor. The last time they had left the building, it was secured from the inside. The only way to enter the church would to have been by force. Neil slammed on the brakes once he saw the bodies that covered the street and entrance to the church.
“I guess this is what they meant,” Terrence mumbled, seeing the street filled with the corpses of humans and mutated creatures. The other teens in the group had heard about the mutations, but none of them had seen them up close before.
“Make sure you guys are locked and loaded,” Neil ordered.
“I thought y’all said this was your home,” Destiny said.
“It is,” Sade replied.
“Y’all lived here with all those things around you?”
“Those things are our friends and family,” Sade retorted. “And they weren’t around us—they were living inside the church with us. Someone let them out.”
