Z 2135

by Wright, David W.

  Liam kept talking, “Of course, she does have that shit on her wrist. I feel terrible telling you this, but just last night while I was trying to fall asleep I was thinking maybe I’d just cut it off come morning, seeing as how that would probably keep the infection away longer. I know it can’t kill it, but I was only looking to buy time, not wanting to be alone any longer than necessary.”

  The killer opened his mouth, but before he could speak Liam turned to the tree. “April, sweetie. Get on down here. We have some new friends!”

  Ana silently climbed down from the tree, slow and labored, nursing her wrist. Once her feet hit the grass, she turned from the tree and hobbled over to Liam. She stood by his side, slouched, looking up at the killer.

  “He’s a friend,” Liam said, pointing to the killer who most certainly was not. “Good guy.”

  The killer looked baffled, as did every bandit Liam could catch from the corners of his eyes. He’d been surveying the situation ever since he came down from the tree, stealing glances past the bandits out to the tree line that he hoped might save his life. He wondered if he would be fast enough to pull off the impossible. Failure meant death, but there wasn’t really a choice.

  Liam stepped back from the killer as the disgusting man’s eyes raked Ana’s body, licking his lips, looking her over like she was meat on the grill. “Ooh, could we have some fun with this one.”

  “You a virgin?” he asked, reaching out and touching Ana’s breasts through her shirt.

  She flinched, and the man laughed as he withdrew his hand.

  “Ah, yes, she is,” he turned to his men, “Oh, yeah, we’re gonna have a good time today!”

  Liam wanted to cleave the fucker’s head from his neck, but knew if he did, they’d both be dead.

  The bandits were all staring at Ana and their leader, some of them rubbing their cocks through their pants. Though Liam was disgusted, he was also grateful, as none of them were paying particular attention to him. He slipped his hand to his back, hungry to reach for his second gun—also with 14 bullets—but passed it in favor of the nug in his back pocket that might keep them living.

  Liam drew the sonic nug from his back pocket, quickly saying a silent “thank you” to Duncan for giving him two before the bridge mission, and to himself for thinking to keep one of the pair in his pocket just in case. Even as he did, he flipped the nug’s dial and hurled it into the sky. Liam had his gun drawn before the nug screamed.

  A shrieking whistle split the air. Liam was expecting the sound—Ana too, once she saw the nug go flying—but neither were protected, and the scream still hurt like the world had exploded inside of Liam’s head. At least they had a chance to brace for it. The bandits had no such warning, and lost weapons as they clapped hands over their ears. The leader, with ears the size of melons, and probably canals to match, fell to his knees with a bellow.

  Liam dove to the ground, landing on his back and aiming his gun straight at the killer. He squeezed out three shots, all to the face.

  Duncan’s sonic nugs were perfect for causing distraction, and even better for holding it by jamming every energy weapon in range—just one of the reasons Liam preferred his old lead shooters. The nug’s third and final benefit—and curse, but one he was counting on right now—was that it brought every zombie in earshot racing toward the fray.

  Liam emptied his remaining 11 bullets into the closest bandits as the nug spun in the air, shrieking and dousing the area in multicolored smoke. He shoved the gun back into his waistband, and looked over at his second gun and bag, both lying by the fallen leader. He longed for them both, but longed for Ana more. Liam reached out, grabbed her by the wrist, then ran away from the confusion and toward the forest.

  Zombies spilled from the woods, first three, then what had to be thirty, all moving fast. Liam ran like an animal through an open cage door, dragging Ana behind him, sprinting straight for the zombies as guns unjammed and shots erupted behind them.

  Liam couldn’t see, but could picture the melee—The Band trying to recover from the sudden loss of their leader and too many men, by a maniac dragging his girlfriend’s slow sister into a wall of zombies. He didn’t dwell on it too long.

  They tore into the forest, past zombies too busy racing toward the wailing’s source, calling them to it like mother to child.

  Chapter 16 — ADAM LOVECRAFT

  Adam stared at the screen, watching as his friend Michael—his sister’s friend—betrayed her by reporting a relationship with Liam. That was why Ana ended up thrown to The Darwins, and how she died.

  He glared at the screen, unable to bury his anger.

  “Remember that feeling, Adam,” Keller said. “Know the truth: people in City 6 will betray you in a heartbeat, so long as it serves their purpose. You can count only on the brotherhood of City Watch and your fellow Cadets.”

  “I can’t believe Michael did that!” Adam said.

  “Would you not have turned your sister in, if you discovered she was Underground?” the Chief said, his left eyebrow arched.

  Adam realized he had shown too much anger. And in doing so had broadcast that he would likely lie for Ana. He wouldn’t have reported her, and had probably just proved himself unworthy of City Watch.

  Adam looked at Keller, almost shameful. “I can’t lie. I don’t think I would’ve reported her. Ana’s my sister. I would at least want to know what she was doing before deciding.”

  “Excellent,” Keller said, folding his hands on his desk. “I wouldn’t want a Cadet who would turn on his family. Family is all we have, Adam. Remember that. You should always be able to count on family. I consider you part of our family at City Watch, Adam. That means you can always count on us. On me.”

  Adam smiled, relieved that he’d not messed up by being honest.

  “I wouldn’t hold it against Michael too much. He didn’t realize how deeply Anastasia was involved with The Underground. He believed he was helping her. Try not to hate him.”

  He nodded. That made sense. Still, Adam wasn’t sure he could forgive Michael.

  “Let’s change the subject, shall we?” the Chief said, sweeping his hand over the desk and smiling. “Do you know what a ride-along is?”

  Adam could tell a ride-along was special by how the Chief was asking. “No,” he said. “But I’d love to know!”

  “A ride-along is when a Cadet gets to spend a patrol shift with a Watcher. Ride-alongs give our Cadets a good idea of what they can expect from their jobs. Like the instructionals, there’s nothing held back. But unlike the instructionals, ride-alongs happen right in front of you and in real time, so they can be frightening for our younger or more sensitive Cadets. We know you’re quite mature for your age, but are you one of those sensitive Cadets, Adam?”

  Adam shook his head no, even though Ana had always said that he was.

  “Of course not. That’s why you don’t have to wait until your final year as a Cadet to go on your first ride-along. You’re going to get to go on your first one tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Absolutely. The State’s already granted permission. They are very interested in you, Adam. You’ve no idea how special that is, you making quite a name for yourself like you are. I’ve been reporting how well you are doing—with everything really. I’ve told them about the strength of your intentions to City and State. They fully agree—your eligibility requirements are outstanding. So, Adam, how does it feel to have such accolades raining all the way from City 1?”

  “Amazing,” Adam admitted.

  “Yes, amazing,” the Chief nodded. “Now, because we are smart City Watch officers, we know that we must always be vigilant, and that vigilance means managing more than one thing at once, yes?”

  “Yes,” Adam agreed.

  “So this time we want you to have all the benefits of a City Watch ride-along, to see as a Cadet what you will one day face as a Watcher. But I’d also like you to keep your eyes open for the other stuff we discussed—signs of cancer in Th
e Watch. How does that sound, Adam?”

  “That sounds great!” He was more excited by the second. “What exactly am I looking for? Are the Watchers I’m with suspected traitors?”

  “It’s simple,” the Chief smiled. “I’d like you to keep your eyes open, and stay on the lookout for anything odd. I don’t think these particular Watchers are bad seeds. They might be, or perhaps it could be others. I just want you to tell me if you see anything strange or in any way out of the ordinary, with either of the two Watchers from your ride-along, or with any of the people you meet while on it. Does that sound simple enough?”

  It did, but Adam felt confused.

  “If these Watchers are bad, why would they do something wrong in front of me? I’m a Cadet, and I could tell on them.”

  “Ah, young Lovecraft, you still have so much to learn about people, the world, and the way people act within it. If you knew all the things I do, you would not be surprised. Human behavior is rarely black and white, or people good or bad. Your father was an example of someone who snapped; the pressure was too much, and a good man did a horrible thing that no one saw coming. But your father is an extreme example. Most bad things that happen behind The Walls aren’t the result of heinous acts, the sort of unthinkable things that often make the Reels. No, they come from small acts done by bad people who don’t even realize they’re bad.” The Chief leaned toward Adam and narrowed his eyes. “Once people justify something long enough, they can’t see it as wrong or bad. Does that make sense, Adam?”

  “Yes,” Adam nodded, although he still had questions. “What if nobody does anything on the ride-along, then what do I report? And if City Watch has orbs and cameras all over The City, wouldn’t you catch stuff on them?”

  “For all the good of the cameras and orbs, they don’t match an individual’s ability to see things, especially the small things.” The Chief seemed pleased by his questions. “As for not witnessing anything, we can consider that extremely good news and mark our day as a success. I don’t want you to find things that don’t need to be found, Adam. I just want to make certain you’re keeping your eyes open, so you can let me know if you see anything I should know about. I trust your judgment, and your integrity. I’ll rotate you into the ride-alongs with a few of our older, already scheduled Cadets, and different Watchers too. With your high performance and youth, Watchers will see you as a brother, rather than a threat.”

  Adam sat taller, feeling more confident.

  “Besides,” Keller added, “most of the Watchers know who you are because they knew your father. I imagine most Watchers will be loose around you.”

  Once again, what Keller said made no sense to Adam. Why would anyone care about what happened to him when his dad was a bad guy who had done such a horrible thing? He looked up at Keller, hating the question and not wanting to hear the answer, yet knowing he needed to.

  “But, don’t they all hate my dad … you know, for doing what he did?”

  “No, Adam,” the Chief shook his head, still smiling at Adam, looking proud. “Not at all. As I said, City Watch is family. These men are brothers, through thick and thin, and now they’re your brothers too. They were disappointed in your father’s fall, but they still loved him. There wasn’t one Watcher who was happy bringing your father in.”

  Adam sat on his side of the Chief’s desk, hands in his lap, wondering what he should say. Then the Chief made it easy. “So, are we going for a ride-along?”

  “Yes!” Adam said, his doubts fading with the excitement to see what might happen, and to report wrongs by Watchers doing what they shouldn’t.

  Chapter 17 — JONAH LOVECRAFT

  Jonah was sitting with Katrina in Hydrangea’s small bar. It looked enough like the Saxon—a bar behind The Walls—that Jonah couldn’t help but think of it every time he brought the glass to his lips. The Saxon had been one of his favorite lazy hangouts, for those rare times when Jonah had been able to afford such a thing. The bar was meant for Watchers and regularly had special events like open mic and trivia nights. The shape of the bar and the color of the wood, as well as the warm light and lived-in walls covered with posters and framed photos from the refugees’ former homes, all felt familiar to Jonah; but the Saxon was usually filled with people, while the Hydrangea’s bar had only him and Katrina.

  Jonah had been sitting long enough to get drunk—his first time on the pleasant side of drink since Molly. He had a high tolerance, and it took a lot to feel the alcohol’s effects. He wasn’t sure, but it seemed to him that Katrina had downed more than he had. Despite being two-thirds his size, she seemed far less soused.

  “I didn’t know that,” Jonah said, laughing. They were playing a game called “I Didn’t Know That,” a game Katrina made up to “see if new people at the camp were worth talking to.” Judging by her smiles and laughter, which made Jonah picture birds pecking from their shells, he was apparently worth it so far. “Your turn.”

  Katrina took a long pull from her drink, swallowed, then gently set it on the table and said, “A long time ago when settlers first came to the Old Nation, there was a hurricane—a tornado that swept inland from the sea. The settlers were caught unprepared. Life was destroyed on the coast and in the interior villages nearby, wiping out the pioneers and natives living there. The hurricane was the Old Nation’s first national disaster, from back in 1635.”

  “I didn’t know that,” Jonah said.

  “Back then they didn’t record things like they did later,” Katrina said. “And yet it’s amazing that we know more about the distant past than our years since the Plague. I guess people were more interested in preserving the past back then. Now everything seems to be about shaping our future.”

  Jonah inhaled the silence before he started his story.

  “Ice cream was invented in the Old Nation in some place called Kentucky. A farmer took cow’s cream and sugar, then flash froze it with liquid nitrogen, make those little balls like you buy in the arcade. After The Wallings, The State wanted to bring some of the Old Nation amenities back, but the cities were still young and had limited resources, so they had to make the ice cream in a new way, by hand.”

  “I didn’t know that.” For some reason, though, Katrina’s expression had soured. “Come on,” she said, “let’s go for a walk.”

  She stood, packed their bottles into her bag, and strolled away from the table. Jonah followed her out of the bar. They were through the doorway, just turning into a long and warmly lit hallway, when Katrina said, “So are you going to help us get the doctor, or have you buoyed our hopes for nothing?”

  “Hey,” he said, “I wasn’t looking for you guys.”

  “True, but if you believe in fortune—and sometimes we all have to just to cling to sanity—then you must believe that some things are destined. That there are pieces to move on a board. I believe fortune brought you to us.”

  She sounded so earnest, Jonah didn’t know what to think, and certainly not what to say. He wanted to say that fortune didn’t bring him to them; they came and found him, but that felt wrong. So he stayed silent, listening as her voice softened into a honeyed tone left warm from the drink.

  “Help us, Jonah,” Katrina persisted. “Anastasia won’t be here for another nine days or so. That’s plenty of time to reach City 6 and return. It’s a two-day walk from Hydrangea.”

  “I said I would think on it, and I will. But I’m not leaving before Ana gets here. I can’t risk anything happening before then.”

  “But Jonah, you could be done when she gets here. Won't it be a lot harder to leave the safety of Hydrangea after your reunion?”

  Jonah paused. Of course it would be, though he’d not considered that before. He deflected.

  “Why are you so hot to help the fearless leader? What’s in it for you? What’s your Anastasia?”

  Katrina’s face flickered with something; Jonah thought she might want to hit him. Instead she deflected right back.

  “I hear plenty of Anastasia—don't you ev
er think about Adam?”

  She didn’t hit him, but Jonah felt slapped anyway and probably looked like Katrina had a moment before. “I think about Adam in between those seconds when I’m not thinking of Ana.”

  “That doesn’t leave a lot of room for Jonah,” she said.

  “No, it doesn’t.”

  Jonah had never had much time for Jonah, but had also never minded. He was happiest when his time belonged to City Watch and Molly and Ana and Adam. Now it was all his, and every bit of it rotten.

  Adam was his little man, an honest boy with a generous heart, desperate to please and do the right thing. A pure soul, deserving of the world's best—certainly not what Jonah had actually left him.

  “Wouldn’t you like to see where Adam is? Don’t you wonder how he’s doing? What if you could get him out of The City?”

  It was bait and Jonah knew it, could smell it like one of Molly’s bribes in the oven. He would be tempted, but Katrina had already broken one promise when she said Ana was at Hydrangea.

  Katrina spoke when Jonah said nothing. “We could do that, you know. Get Adam out of The City.”

  Jonah wanted to take the bait, even knowing it danced at the foot of a snapping trap, but hope would bury him if he let it.

  “Adam's better off without me. I can only make things worse than they are. I’m a criminal.”

  “You don’t believe that.”

  “Doesn’t matter what I believe, it’s what everyone behind The Walls will think the second they see me. I’m an enemy of The State. Even if I wasn't, I’m in no shape to be a father. Look at me, I’m starving. I can barely survive on my own. Ana’s different, bigger, stronger, already out here. Adam’s best off where he is.”

  “But don’t you want to know how he’s doing? Wouldn’t you like to at least see him? Check in with him from afar? We can do that, Jonah. We can get you into The City. You can help us, and we can help you. We’ll be back for Anastasia before she gets here.”