“Wow. You sound almost as cold as Nick,” I said.
She shook her head. “I’m sorry you see it that way, but I’m just giving you the facts the way I see them. Your love for her is going to get the scientists and all of us killed.” She handed Nick his walkie-talkie. “Stop the truck, Nick. Do what’s best for this group.”
“No!” I yelled. “You can’t just ditch her. That lab is Jackie’s only hope. If we don’t get her there, she’s as good as lost forever.”
“Dean,” my brother said, trying to remain calm, “I think Asia’s right. We can go our separate ways, find the scientists, and tell them about her. We’ll leave them some vials for their experiments, and leave it up to them what they want to do.”
My stomach clenched, and I stared at him as if he was crazy. “What are you saying?”
“It’s best for us to split up with Jackie and Claire,” he said softly. “Let’s just get back to the island. We can hook up with the scientists there or get a helicopter and fly the serum to other scientists.”
“And what about Val? What if she changes? She’ll be a hybrid too. She’ll be drawing zombies to us as we battle our way back home.”
He crossed his arms. “I’m willing to take the chance,” he said. “She’s our sister. Besides, I don’t think she’s going to change since she hasn’t yet.”
“I thought the same thing about Jackie!” I paused for a moment as I considered something. “Why didn’t you take that naïve attitude before? You were the one always warning us to be on alert, always afraid the girls could change at any given moment. You know what I think?”
“No, what?”
“I think you’re the selfish one, Nick. You’ll risk everything for your sister, and even if Val changes, you won’t give up on her. You hope she doesn’t change, but even if she does, you’ll be more than willing to risk everything to bring her back.” I shot him a look. “If that happens, the lives you’ll risk won’t just be yours and mine. If you insist on that big, happy family reunion and Val happens to turn, you’ll be endangering everyone on the island, including Mom, Dad, and Grams.”
“It’s no different than you being willing to risk the lives of the scientists!” Asia screamed.
“Val won’t change,” Nick said, meeting my gaze head on.
“You can’t know that for sure,” I retorted. I shook my head and held up a hand to silence him. “Let me try to put this into perspective without caring about anyone, Nick. Let me try to be like you for a minute. Why don’t we just ditch Asia and Jackie? Come to think of it, why don’t we leave Val and Claire on the side of the road too? Our sister and your girlfriend are liabilities, because they could turn into hybrids at any given moment. Matter of fact, maybe you, Kate, Lucas, and me—the only normal people left—we oughtta just rush back to the island and have a big freaking party? I mean, deserting the infected is the safest bet, right? It’s what’s best for the group, even though Claire, Jackie, and Val have been fighting right alongside us this whole time, and none of them would ever give up on us!”
Asia wrapped Nick’s fingers around the walkie-talkie. “Tell Kate to stop this truck, Nick. It’s the right choice.”
Chapter 14
When Nick just stood there, more dumbfounded and silent than I’d ever seen him before, Asia grabbed the walkie-talkie from him and stepped aside. “Kate, this is Asia. Pull this truck over right now. I wanna get out.”
“What?” came a static reply. “This is Kate. What’s up?”
“Stop the truck, Kate…now!”
“Why?” she asked, her voice raising an octave as she began to panic. “Oh no! Did Jackie break free or—”
Jackie’s evil laugh echoed. “Not yet,” she hissed.
Goosebumps rose on my neck. That wasn’t the Jackie I knew, and the eerie, threatening tone in her voice made me rethink everything Asia and Nick had said. Deep down, I knew they were right, but I couldn’t let myself give up on her.
A static voice came over the walkie-talkie. “Hey, we’re here. We didn’t wanna worry you guys, but we took a risky route because it was a major shortcut.”
“What?” Asia said into the mouthpiece.
“I just talked to Jonathon. Can you believe he’s still alive? He told us to park down the street.”
“The scientist is alive,” I mumbled in disbelief. “That’s fantastic!”
“Good,” Nick said. “It’s nice to hear some good news for a change,” Nick said.
“Yeah, and it’s good to have a connection. Can you imagine if we had to explain all of this to a bunch of strangers?” Asia said. “Still, I don’t know if we should take her in. I mean, she might—”
“We’re already here,” I said, cutting her off. I rushed over to Jackie and pulled the pillowcase off her head so I could stare into her cold, dead eyes. “Jackie, you have to fight this. Turn it off.”
“Dean?” she said, almost pathetically.
“Jackie, can you fight it?”
“I’m trying, but I don’t know if…it’s so hard.”
“Babe, I’m trying to save your life here. If you can’t turn it off, can’t take control, they’re going to kill you.”
“Knock me out, Dean.”
“What? I can’t hit you. I just can’t—”
“No…with chloroform, like…like Val,” she whispered. “The lab is bound to have some.”
“It would buy us some time,” Nick said, nodding. “Best idea I’ve heard all day.”
I bit my lip and thought about it for a moment. I didn’t want to do anything that would bring harm to Jackie, but we had knocked Val out with chloroform we took from a clinic when she first changed, and it hadn’t caused her any harm. I was certain it would work for Jackie too.
“You’re gonna keep her drugged up for days?” Asia asked. “That’s really your plan.”
“If that’s what it takes,” Nick said. “It’s her only chance, Asia. You were right about her being dangerous because she can summon zombies, but if she’s unconscious, she can’t communicate with them, and that will give the scientists the opportunity to at least look at her, to see if they can help.” Nick took a breath and then let it out slowly. “But we’re still a team, and we all have to be in agreement,” he said, arching a brow at Asia.
Asia thought about it for a moment, then looked from me to Nick to Jackie and back to Nick again. “Fine. If you can knock her out and keep her from communicating with the undead, I say we do it.”
Nick looked at me. “Dean, you need to know that if the scientists can’t help her, we’ll have to euthanize her. In her current state, she’s a danger to any human out there. We’ll be as kind and merciful as we can, but we can’t just knowingly walk away from a murderer.”
“We won’t have to,” I said confidently. “They’ll be able to help her. I just know it,” I said, though I wasn’t as sure about it as I sounded.
A moment later, a thin man opened the door to the truck. “Howdy, folks,” said the doctor we’d met at the nursing home.
“You’re alive!” Claire said, approaching him from the side. “We were afraid you had drowned.”
“I promised to meet you here if we got separated, right?” Jonathon said.
“Right.” She hugged him. “I’m so glad you’re okay. They stabbed Lucas and threw us off the bridge too.”
He cocked a brow. “They what?”
Claire gave him a quick rundown of what had happened, then glanced up at Nick and me. “How’s my cousin?”
“She’s fine,” Nick said, “for now.” He smiled at her and said quietly, “I know you wanna help, Claire, but let me take care of this, okay?”
She backed up. “Okay. I trust you, Nick, and I’m not about to get in your way. Just take care of her.”
Nick met my gaze. “Why don’t you stay here with Claire, Dean?” he said, though it sounded more like an order than a suggestion.
“She’s my girlfriend. I want to help.”
“I got her,” he said, se
curing the pillowcase back over her head. “Please get out of the way,” he said over his shoulder. He shoved me back and put Jackie over his shoulder, darting his eyes all around him the whole time, constantly on alert.
I called Jonathon over. “We managed to get Lucas some painkillers and antibiotics, but he needs to rest. Can we get him inside first?”
“No,” he said. “It’s best to isolate the danger first, and then we’ll help your friend. We’ve got to mind our priorities,” he said.
I played by his rules, and we decided that Kate and Asia would stay at the truck and keep an eye on Lucas while we got Jackie situated inside. It was a bit of a relief to know our lookouts had guns to defend themselves and the unconscious Lucas.
“Follow me, folks.” Jonathon led us up the street, toward a brick building that looked like a courthouse.
“Where are we going?” I asked. “The lab is across the street.”
“If you want our help, you’re gonna have to let us lock Jackie up in one of the holding cells,” Jonathon said.
“Like a common criminal? No way!” I said. “There has to be another way.”
“We have no choice,” Nick told me. “We can’t take the chance that she’ll hurt someone.”
I nodded because I knew there was no use arguing, but I still hated the idea.
“We need to secure the place first,” Val said.
Jonathon pulled out a set of keys. “Already done.” He opened the door, and we followed him into the courthouse. He held a huge flashlight and led us down a few corridors. He finally stopped and opened a door on his left. “Okay, we’re here.” Inside the room, he walked to the desk and turned on a battery-operated lantern.
The room held five empty jail cells. Each six-by-eight cell was modern looking, with brick walls painted in a pale yellow. I had expected to see bunk beds like the ones in prison movies, but instead, there was a single bed anchored to the wall and floor, along with a steel commode. A small, glass cube window allowed a tiny bit of natural light to flow in, and it was some concession to know that Jackie wouldn’t be trapped in complete darkness.
He opened up a cell, and Nick placed Jackie inside, lying her softly on the cot. “Don’t worry. We’re gonna get you some help,” he whispered in her ear.
“Something’s really…something is wrong with me,” Jackie said.
“Help is coming, babe,” I said. “I promise that we’re gonna fix this.”
“Chloroform,” she begged. “I need to…just knock me out, Dean. Please. Before I…”
“Can we get our hands on some chloroform?” I asked.
“Definitely,” Jonathon said. “I think it’d be best to place all of your infected in isolation too. We have no idea if Claire, Val, or Asia will turn. We’ve got elderly people, women, and children inside, and we have to take every precaution to protect them.”
“Asia’s still at the U-Haul,” Nick said. “She was just bitten recently, and I’m not sure she’ll agree to being locked up.”
Jonathon gripped the keys tightly in his hands. “You’ll have to talk to her.” He then turned to Val. “Do you consent?”
“If it’s what you think is best, I’ll do it,” she said bravely. “The last thing I need on my conscience is tearing up an old lady or an innocent child. Besides, I need answers. If this is what it takes, so be it.”
Claire didn’t share the same opinion. “No way,” she said. “Nobody is gonna throw me in jail when I haven’t done anything wrong. We’ll just go to another lab, Jonathon,” she threatened.
Val turned to look at her. “Don’t you get it? No matter where we go, they’ll lock us up. Any of us could change any minute. We’re a risk, a danger to human life, and no matter where we go, they’ll confine us. How can you blame them for that?”
“Fine. Then I guess I’ll just stay on the run,” she threatened.
“You might think you’re being brave, Claire, standing your ground or proving a point,” Jonathon said, “but what you’re really doing if you aren’t willing to let us help you in the safest possible way is giving up. That’s the easiest thing to do in the world.”
Val shook her head and said vehemently, “Listen, Claire, you can run a million miles from here, but it won’t change a thing. You might be free, but for what? To turn into one of those things and kill humans for the rest of your existence? What kind of life would that be? At least here, we have a fighting chance—a well-equipped lab and knowledgeable people who will do everything they can to cure us, to save us.”
“Do you really think they can help us?”
“Hope is all we’ve got left,” Val said. “We lose that, and we’ve lost everything.”
A tear ran down Claire’s face as she pondered Val’s words.
“They might be able to keep us from changing, Claire,” Val said. “I can’t speak for you, but I’m willing to take my chances here. Darting off into the wilderness isn’t gonna help me one tiny bit.”
“I hear what you’re saying,” Claire said calmly, “but I disagree with you. I am not a danger to anyone, and there’s no way I’m gonna let anyone lock me up like an animal. I’m sure Asia won’t give her consent either.”
I was pretty sure Claire was right about that, because I couldn’t imagine Asia ever letting anyone throw her in a holding cell.
Jonathon pushed his glasses up on his nose. “I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do, young lady. You’re not my prisoner. However, you do things my way, or you can leave. This is a safety precaution, and you must cooperate for all of us or get out of town.”
“If it’s my choice to go, I’m going,” Claire said with a huff. “I’ve come all this way, gone through so much to get to this stupid lab, and no one told me I’d be locked up in a dungeon when I got here. You’ve got no right to keep me and my cousin—”
Jonathon interrupted, “Because she is your cousin, we need you in order to help her. Your genetic makeup will have some similarities. It’s your choice, Claire, but if you go, I’m afraid you’ll need to take her with you. Without you, we won’t be able to help Jackie either.”
Nick wrapped his arms around Claire. “C’mon, Claire. Let’s play by their rules. The least we can do is let them run some tests, right? That way, we’ll know where we stand, because we’re all in limbo right now. There’s still a chance you might change, and—”
“It won’t happen,” Claire said, crossing her arms.
“I hope not,” Jonathon said, “and once that’s officially established, we’ll let you go.”
She gazed at Val, her eyes wide. “Are you sure about this? You’re really willing to let them lock you up?”
“Don’t you want answers?” Val asked. “I wanna know if I’m going to turn or if there’s an antidote they can give me before it happens. I’m only agreeing to this to save my life and to keep myself from killing others.”
Nick kissed Claire on the lips. “You won’t be alone here. I’ll be here the whole time. You can count on that.”
“You have to do this, Claire…for Jackie and for yourself,” Val begged.
Claire wiped another tear from her face. “I-I know,” she said with a sniffle.
“You’ve become quite the fighter, Claire,” Val said. “Remember what you’ve been fighting for. Choose hope, Claire.”
Claire glanced away and thought about it, then stared back at Jonathon. “Fine. I just hope you can find a cure so we won’t change. Besides, I’ll do anything to help my cousin.”
Jonathon walked to the corner of the room and grabbed some comforters, sheets, and a pillow. “I want to see nothing more than to clear you and let you out, but we have to run tests first. Until then, the least I can do is try to make you comfortable.”
She reached for bed linens. “Thanks, Doc.”
He met her gaze. “Claire, Val, I hate to see you jailed like this, but we have to consider everyone’s safety.”
“I understand,” Val said.
Nick walked in and hugged Cl
aire, then placed a long kiss on her lips.
I couldn’t believe he was so fickle. Less than an hour earlier, he’d been in the back of the U-Haul suggesting that we leave Claire behind for our good and her own, but now he was making out with her. Not once had I swayed in my decision to save Jackie. I would never desert her, not ever. Jackie had told me back in the nursing home that she didn’t want to live as a hybrid, and she asked me to promise that I’d shoot her if she ever turned. As much as I wanted to comply with her wishes, I never could have killed her. I’d already made that promise to my sister, but luckily for us all, the serum had helped Val before we had to end her life.
“What if zombies break in here and I’m stuck in this cell?” Claire said.
“This place is as secure as it can get. You’re completely safe from zombie attacks,” Nick said, giving her one final kiss.
Val rolled her eyes. “Haven’t you learned anything, Nick? Nobody is ever completely safe.”
“They’d never be able to break through the bars,” Nick retorted.
Jonathon handed her a blanket, pillow, and some sheets, and Val walked in so he could lock the steel door behind her. He walked back to the shelves and picked up boxes, then handed one to each of the girls. “This will make your time served a bit easier, I hope,” he said.
“Care packages? Hmm. I feel like this isn’t the first time you’ve done this,” Val said.
He cleared his throat. “We’ve had some, uh…trouble this past year,” he said.
“How did you end up in Kingsville?” she asked.
“I was there to visit my brother, but I couldn’t find him when I got there. I think we all know what happened to him.”
I gripped Claire’s hands through the bars. “You’re tougher than any of us thought, Claire, and I just know you’ll get through this. Just know that Nick, Kate, Lucas, and I are here for you, just a little ways away.”
“Thanks, Dean.”
I walked over to Val and gave her hand a squeeze. As a police officer, she had put criminals away, but now she was on the other side of the bars. “Temporary custody,” I said with a smile.
The Zombie Chronicles - Book 5 - Undead Nightmare (Apocalypse Infection Unleashed Series) Page 13
