End of the Walker (The Walker Series Book 5)

by Coralee June

  “It’ll take about an hour for his arm to heal.” Maverick’s voice seemed far away, and I spun around to see where he was. He was inching towards a glass room.

  “What are you doing?” I asked as he placed his hand on a door, opened it, and closed himself in. The others seemed to know what he was doing and slumped in defeat. “What’s happening?” I could hear my voice growing shriller.

  Maverick started working on the desk and pressed a button, activating an intercom in the center. “It’s a quarantine room. Used for people infected with X.” He then moved towards me as I pounded on the glass, unwilling to accept what I knew was necessary. He held up his palm, and I gasped at the blister forming there. It was a dark purple color, already swelling with what I knew would be a bursting, feverish sore.

  “But I’m immune!” I screamed at him. He didn’t have to go through this alone. No one should ever have to do this alone. I didn’t know how much time I had, and I didn’t want to waste a second away from him.

  “You know where the safe is. You know what to do. Find Payne and bring him here. I’m going to write down the instructions for extracting the DNA code from his blood for the cure.” He didn’t have to say why. I knew how the virus worked in stages. One of the first things to go was a person's mind. I leaned forward to press my lips against the glass, hot tears flowing from my eyes as I sobbed. He was right. I had a mission. It wasn’t just about saving the empire anymore.

  I was going to save Maverick.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Every bone in my body ached. I had never run so fast in my entire life. I had tunnel vision, and the end of that tunnel was Stonewell Manor. Luckily for me, the other guys kept their eyes out for looters and infected Walkers. I was too busy keeping my eye on the prize, the prize being my old home and Payne.

  Kemper stayed behind with Maverick and Cyler to keep watch. Cyler would be healed in another hour, but the process made a person very weak for a few hours. I was eager for Cyler to wake up. Huxley was terrific at keeping the group on track during a crisis situation, but I needed Cyler’s no-bullshit leadership abilities to bring me back down from the terrified high I was feeling.

  We didn’t talk about the dangers we faced. Nor did we mention the gigantic cloud of doom hanging over our heads. There wasn’t time for breakdowns and emotional talks about our feelings. There wasn’t time to cope. Huxley gave me thirty seconds to compose myself, and we were off.

  It was the hardest thing I’d ever done, leaving Maverick behind in the clinic. With everything I had, I hoped that the safe didn’t lead to another clue. Time was of the essence, and we did not have time to travel all over the empire in search of a boy that would save the love of my life.

  “Ash, look out, movement to the left,” Huxley said while grabbing my wrist. We paused at the corner of a building and watched as a mother and her young child scurried by. Once they were out of sight, we started running again.

  With every step that increased the distance between Maverick and me, it felt like my soul was being ripped in half. It wasn’t a clean cut, either. It was a jagged tear that left barbed strips of me on the street as I ran. Although I wanted nothing more than to swallow my grief and choke on it, I kept moving. It was a thirty-minute run from the clinic to the house, and for the first time in my life, I found myself sighing in relief at the site of the metal door. I never thought Stonewall Manor would be a symbol of hope and comfort for me.

  With shaky, exhausted legs, I tripped up the stairs leading to the front door and placed my hand on the thumbprint scanner. It took a moment, but the door unlocked with ease. Josiah never changed the locks. It was like he was always waiting for me to come home. Memories hit me like a ton of bricks, elevating my already depressed state to a feeling that was going to overflow into tears.

  Huxley gently pushed me aside and entered the home first. He checked to see if it was empty and then nodded when he saw that everything looked untouched. When I stepped inside, I nearly gasped at how things hadn’t changed. Aside from dust covering the furniture, it looked like no one had been here since Josiah was taken by Cavil’s men. “It looks the same,” I whispered in awe. It was like walking through a time capsule.

  The Stonewells had the best security money and influence could buy. There were metal barricades to keep anyone out, and a failsafe lock on the windows in case of an outbreak. The air that was pumped through the vents was even tested for toxins.

  The guys filtered in behind me, and it occurred to me just then that they’d never seen this home, never seen where I grew up. “Home sweet home,” my shaky voice said on a sigh as I made my way to Master Stonewell’s office. There was a musty scent in the home that felt foreign to me, and hot air hit me in the face as I moved. The generators were working, illuminating the formal sitting room with light as I passed by it.

  “His office with the safe is this way,” I explained while heading down the hallway. Everything looked the same, untouched. The portrait of the Stonewells was still on the wall, and I paused to stare at it, smiling at the boyish smirk Josiah wore before stroking the frame. I could feel my guys’ eyes on my back, could sense that they weren’t sure what to say or how to act. It was my first time being here since Josiah’s death, and even I didn’t know how I felt about being here again. I struggled between nostalgia and hope, but also a deep, crippling sadness that wouldn’t go away.

  Master Stonewell’s office had been untouched since his death. Josiah once told me that he wasn’t sure he could fill his shoes, so I steered clear of the dark, dusty room because it was a reminder of the burdens piled on his back. But now, I knew the full story. And I wondered if Josiah couldn’t come here because it reminded him that he killed who he thought was his father.

  The desk was dusty and full of papers thrown carelessly along the top of it. An empty whiskey glass was on a coaster near the side table, near a chair that was facing the outside window, now sealed shut with a metal shutter.

  I trailed my fingers along the dusty desk until I got to the oddly shaped statue that looked like a teardrop suspended in air. I’d seen Master Stonewell do this a dozen times, but it still felt wrong even now to touch something that had been ingrained in me as a child not to touch. My hand gripped the round base of the statue, and the room shook as a portrait of Mistress Stonewell on the wall slid up and disappeared into the ceiling, revealing a safe that was about six feet tall and three feet wide.

  “That's a fucking huge safe,” Jacob’s mindspeak said, breaking the silence of the room.

  “I never knew what was inside of it,” I said with a frown before gliding towards it. I had written down the numbers on a scrap of paper in my pocket to ensure that I didn’t forget them, but I had the five digits memorized now. A keypad appeared at the side of the safe’s door, and I made quick work of keying it in.

  8...8...9...8...2

  With the last number, a clicking sound filled the room, and Jacob’s mindspeak spoke once more. “Anyone else think this is creepy as fuck?” he asked, and I turned around just in time to catch Huxley elbow him in the chest.

  I inhaled the stale air of Stonewell Manor and grabbed the handle, opening it while silently praying for something to finally work in our favor. I’d half expected a letter from Mistress Stonewell describing their location, or maybe even leftover Heat from Master Stonewell’s collection. But I didn’t expect to find a staircase leading below the manor.

  “I’ll go first,” Huxley said before passing me. He smelled like sweat and rust. I nodded before filing in behind him, Patrick and Jacob headed up the rear. “Did you know this was down here?” Huxley asked while descending the stairs. Fluorescent lights flickered overhead.

  “No, I didn’t.” It made sense though. Since the plague, wealthy families became obsessed with the idea of the end of the world. They suped up their homes and built fortified bunkers. The Stonewells were always ahead of the trends, and if survival was trending, then they’d have the best damn bomb shelter in town.

&nb
sp; “This is creepy as fuck. God, it looks like the sewer,” Jacob’s mindspeak said, and though the tone was even, I sensed the energy of fear rolling off his back.

  “It’s okay. This was where Mistress Stonewell wanted us to go,” I offered.

  “The same Mistress Stonewell that was fucking Emperor Lackley? Not sure I’m willing to trust her,” Patrick muttered under his breath. The staircase wound around, and we followed it down. The moment Huxley’s boot hit the concrete floor, the room illuminated with more light, and a bright humming sound echoed around us.

  I had to adjust my eyes to the stark brightness of the room. It had a certain moldy smell, and there was heavy machinery lining the walls. In the corner, I’d noticed a living area fitted exactly like the sitting room upstairs in the central part of the home. A small kitchen was opposite it, and a line of beds filled the center of the room.

  “About time you showed up,” Mistress Stonewell said. Her voice echoed around the room, and I spun around to greet her, ignoring the fact that it didn’t quite sound like her. It seemed like it was coming from a speaker above us.

  “Oh fuck, this is like a nightmare I had once,” Jacob’s mindspeak said.

  “If you’re wondering where I am, I’m dead,” her voice said, deadpan. A screen dropped down in the corner, revealing a projected image of Mistress Stonewell. She looked prim as ever, her hair twisted in a fancy bun and her lipstick applied with precision. It was a far cry from the Scavenger-assimilated woman I saw just a few weeks ago. I bit my knuckle, wondering why on earth she would bring us all the way out here if she were dead.

  Oh, no. Payne.

  “When the riots broke out, word filtered back to me that Payne was the last remaining puzzle piece to the cure. I knew then that he must be protected at all costs. She picked up a washcloth and started washing her face of the makeup she was wearing, focusing on her lips first. “My husband was terrified of dying. He thought he was so smart, had every backup plan in existence at his disposal. But death waits for no one, Ash. Remember that.”

  She dipped the cloth in water before continuing. We listened to the sounds of the water sloshing around her bowl. And when she wiped at her cheek, I let out an audible gasp. There, on her face, were the beginning stages of X. Dark boils the color purple covered her skin. “Linda,” I whispered.

  “As you can see, it’s too late for me. Contracted X while bringing Payne here. It’s a right nasty disease. Everything...hurts. I know you probably feel no sympathy for me, Ash. But I take comfort in knowing that I will see my Josiah soon.”

  A pang of distress rocked through me. How much more could my heart handle? A light in the far corner turned on, and the wall lifted up, revealing what looked like a more intricate healing pod. “My husband bought a time capsule. The idea was, should any of us catch the disease, we could freeze ourselves until a proper cure was found.”

  I took small steps towards the pod. “Where is Payne?” I asked, knowing she couldn’t answer me.

  “I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t contemplate saving myself. But alas, we only have one. And considering I don’t know how long it will take for you to find us—or if you ever will—I wanted to safeguard the cure. I placed Payne in the time capsule. He is safe. It’s kind of like sleeping. He’s completely preserved, doesn’t even know what's happening. He doesn’t even know I’m dead.”

  I walked towards the pod and sighed in relief when I saw his boyish features in the small glass window. “When he’s old enough, tell him about Josiah, Ash. Tell him about...me.” Her voice had cracked, the tone full of emotion. It was jarring to hear. Linda Stonewell was always composed. “I don’t want to be forgotten. At the end of this, that’s what I fear most. There’s no one left to really remember me except you. And I don’t think I gave you too many good memories to remember me by.”

  She went silent, and I snapped my attention back to her. All the makeup covering her face was cleared now. Her skin was pale with a yellowish hue aside from the dark circles covering her skin. She stared at the camera for a long, memorable moment, taking in the severity of the situation while closing her eyes to compose herself. I watched in fascination. Linda Stonewell was not kind to me, but she found redemption in the end. “Good luck, Ash. You served my family well,” she whispered as more tears fell down her cheeks. Her fingers reached up to turn off the camera, but she paused as if thinking about one more thing.

  “And, Ash?” she said with a sob. “Josiah’s old violin is still in his room. I know we stopped allowing him to play long ago, but I think Payne would enjoy learning the instrument. When things settle, can you give it to him?”

  She nodded as if realizing the camera wouldn’t be able to answer her back. “Thank you,” she whispered one last time, and with that, the video feed cut and the time capsule started humming. I took a step away from the pod and watched as the door lifted up and a fog fell in icy cool waves onto the floor. A hand on my shoulder pulled me back as another icy blast of air hit me in the face.

  “Have you ever seen something like this?” I asked Patrick who had stepped in front of me like somehow this pod was going to start shooting Heat at all of us. Payne was hooked up to so many wires and monitors that I didn’t know where to look first.

  “I’ve heard of them but never actually seen one in action. They’re very expensive and somewhat temperamental. Some of them can cause permanent memory loss.”

  A cough filled the air, and Huxley surged forward to check on Payne. “You okay, kid?” he asked. I followed after him, sidestepping an overprotective Patrick.

  “Payne?” I could have sobbed at the sight of his pale skin. His lips had turned blue, and his breathing was so shallow that he looked dead. For a moment, I doubted Mistress Stonewell and this technology. What if we hurt Payne? What if he never woke back up?

  “Maybe we should call Maverick?” Patrick asked, but his voice faded. “I don’t know what the protocol is for this sort of thing. What if there’s some special way we’re supposed to wake him up?”

  “We don’t know if Maverick is able to talk right now,” Huxley replied in a dark tone. He lifted his hand up and brushed Payne’s blond hair out of his eyes. It made my heart swell to see Huxley care for the boy so tenderly. They had a lot of bonding time back when we were stationed in the Deadlands, and Hux was just as relieved as I was to see that he was okay.

  I refused to think of Maverick as anything but okay. I grabbed the tablet Kemper slipped into Jacob’s backpack and called them. Maverick answered on the second ring. He looked clammy, and his lips were pale. “Did you find him?” he asked. His voice was still the same, but he blinked a few times as if to force himself to focus.

  “I did. Mistress Stonewell put him in a time capsule. The door opened, but he’s not waking up. Is there something we’re supposed to do?”

  Maverick let out a sigh. “It could take up to twenty-four hours for him to wake up fully. The time capsule works by hooking them up to an IV that gives the patient a twenty-four hour serum that freezes cell production and the organs’ processes. It’ll take at least a day for all of that to get out of his system.”

  “Fuck, we just can’t get a break,” Jacob’s mindspeak said. I took a moment to look Maverick in the eye, committing to memory the warm way he appraised me.

  “Can I take a blood sample now?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

  “It’s tainted with the serum. We’ll have to wait the full twenty-four hours. Payne will wake up, and when he does, you can get started with the vaccine.”

  “I think you mean to say you will get started,” I choked out. My throat felt like it was closing up. Every piece of me was aching to hold Maverick. He looked down at the floor before looking back up at me.

  “Cyler’s waking up and asking for you. Why don’t you have Huxley watch over Payne and come back?” I heard the plea in his words. He wanted me there while he still had his sanity. I couldn’t breathe. I wanted nothing more than to spend every waking second wrapped up
in Maverick’s arms.

  I swallowed down my emotion, hating myself for being so vulnerable. The only way we’d survive this was if we kept our heads on straight and didn’t give in to all the fear that kept getting tossed at us. “Okay. I’ll be there soon. I love you, Mav.”

  “I love you, too, Ash.”

  When the call ended, I looked to Huxley who was standing with his legs spread apart and his arms over his chest, watching Payne like it was his job. I saw the way he carried his emotions in his shoulders, the tension seeping from every damn muscle as he looked over the sleeping boy. Like all of them, he cared for his makeshift family. He was just as worried as I was. “You going to be okay here?” I asked.

  “I’ll keep him safe. You go see Maverick and Cyler. I’ll bring him to you when he wakes up. We’ll see you soon.”

  I sure hoped so. Time was something we just didn’t have.

  Chapter Eighteen

  I was physically exhausted from the day. My legs were a shaky mess by the time we made it back to the clinic where Maverick, Cyler, and Kemper were. It felt like the weight of the day was sitting on my chest.

  My entire body seemed to give out from the exhaustion of the day. Everything that had happened was crashing into me, and it was hard to stand up. I couldn't remember the last time I ate, and running all over the empire, trying to save my men and Payne, was finally catching up to me. Not to mention, I’d endured a severe accident and had fought off an infected Walker.

  When I walked through the door, I noticed that everything had been cleaned up. Kemper made quick work of fixing what equipment was left and making the space usable. My eyes immediately went to the quarantine room, where Maverick was sitting on the floor, his eyes closed as he slept. I watched his chest move up and down in shallow breaths. My eyes grazed over him, and it didn’t seem like more boils had formed in our short time away. But his skin looked almost green, dark circles were under his eyes, and each breath was low and slow.