A Darker Shade of Dead

by Bianca D’Arc

  Matt backed toward her and the open door, keeping himself between the advancing creatures and Sandra. She was appalled to see even more zombies finding their way in through the window. They were multiplying faster than she’d have believed if she wasn’t there experiencing it.

  “The team is on its way. They’ll come in from behind. As long as we can stay ahead of these guys, we should be okay.”

  “The hallway is clear,” she reported.

  “Good. Go!” He shooed her toward the open door and she went without further comment. Matt followed, closing the door and looking around—probably for something to block it with. “We have to contain them.” His tone was grim.

  “Can’t we just stay here in the hall and pick them off as they try to follow us?”

  “The toxin takes too long to take them down, but it’s as good an idea as any. We’ll retreat only when we have to. Go up to the end of the hall and make sure our exit is clear. The last thing I want to do is get boxed in here.”

  Sandra ran up to the end of the dark hall and pushed open the door.

  Only to come face to face with the business end of a gun barrel.

  “Not so fast, doctor.”

  She knew that voice. Far from being the rescue she’d hoped for, this was something much worse. It was the guy who’d attacked her in the lab. The man who worked for Rodriguez.

  She squeaked. It was embarrassing, really. She couldn’t get a word out for the fear that rose to choke her.

  “I was going to let the monsters finish you off, but now I’m not so sure.” The goon motioned with his gun, shooing her back the way she’d come.

  A quick glance told her Matt was still at the other end of the hall, trying his best to contain the zombies in the classroom. But even as she glanced toward him a second time, Matt backed away from the opening and a zombie stepped through the door and into the hall. He was followed by another and another until Matt was in full retreat up the hall, directly toward her and the man with the gun.

  Of course, Matt had a pistol in his hand, but it contained lethal toxic darts.

  Matt turned to face her and took in the situation with one bright-eyed glance. The hallway was dark, but she could see his face as he moved closer. He walked right up to her, ignoring the slow but steady advance of the zombies behind him in the hall.

  “You don’t want to do this,” Matt said to the man behind her.

  “Why’s that? All I have to do is keep you both here long enough for my little friends to get close enough to infect you. Then my troubles with you both will be over at last. Of course, I could shoot you both now, but that would feel sort of anticlimactic. I really want you to join the rest of the creepy crawlies and turn you back on your friends. There’s a kind of poetry in that, I think. And I want you to suffer.”

  “Why?” Sandra asked, feeling the butt of the gun prodding her forward to meet Matt.

  “Because you’ve both managed to piss me off.”

  The man stopped walking. Sandra followed suit. Matt continued to advance until he stood only a few feet from her.

  “This could’ve been so much easier if you’d just accepted Rodriguez’s offer, doctor. You could’ve had it all. But no. You’re a stubborn bitch.” He pulled her hair and she gasped at the sudden pain as her head snapped back.

  “There’s no need for that.” Matt’s tone was both placating and disapproving.

  “Drop the weapon,” the man instructed Matt.

  Pausing only a second, Matt lifted his hands in a placating motion, pointing the pistol toward the ceiling before he dropped it to the floor. It made a clattering sound that echoed down the hall.

  “Now back up. I want you to be the first to get bit.” He sneered his words, clearly relishing the idea of watching Matt die a horrible death.

  But this guy was sorely mistaken if he thought a scratch or even a bite would kill Matt. Obviously their attacker didn’t realize Matt was immune. Or that Sandra had been immune longer than anyone.

  Sure, they were still in danger from physical attack by the creatures, but the contagion wouldn’t kill them. Really, the only person at risk from the contagion here was their attacker. He was behind the eight ball and didn’t even know it.

  “Let her go.” Matt’s tone was unequivocal.

  “Sure. Why not?” The man pushed her toward Matt, using her hair as a handle.

  She crashed into Matt’s chest, free of her attacker. He’d let her go, but not before pulling out more than a few hanks of her hair. Damn, that hurt.

  Matt clutched her close for just a minute before putting her to the side. He didn’t push her behind him, she noted. The zombies were moving steadily closer, and their assailant continued to threaten them both with his handgun. They were definitely stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place.

  Something had to give, but she didn’t know what. She had to trust that Matt had an ace up his sleeve. He carried himself with enough confidence that she assumed he knew something she didn’t.

  “What’s in this for you?” Matt asked. “You think Rodriguez is going to keep you around once you’ve lost your usefulness? He already offed Tim.”

  “Tim was a wimp. He deserved what he got for lousing up his job.”

  “You’re not far behind. How many times have you failed in your attempts to get to Dr. McCormick?” Matt taunted the man.

  The goon shot Sandra a look filled with both hatred and disgust. “You’ve been a royal pain in the ass, doctor. The commander has that right. But I have the last laugh. This time, you’re going down.”

  “Not quite.”

  A new voice spoke from the side of the hall, from one of the numerous doorways. It had opened silently in the darkness, and only the gleam of his eyes and the dark metal in his hands gave away the presence of Sam Archer.

  “It’s about time, lieutenant.”

  “Sorry, sir. This one tried to delay us, and I’m sad to say it worked. To a point.” The dark line of his assault rifle was leveled at the intruder. “Drop your weapon.”

  It was standoff time. Until hands grabbed their attacker from behind. Pale hands pushing down on his shoulders with great force. The face exposed as the man sank downward in surprise was ashen gray, disfigured, and bloodstained.

  Before they could do anything, the sharp yellow claws drew blood and the gaping maw dropped open, the head bending to allow teeth to sink into the man’s neck. He screamed like a little girl. A little girl in agony.

  After that, everything seemed to happen at once. The man’s weapon discharged wildly toward the ceiling, and Matt pushed Sandra to the floor. Sam and Matt were on top of the guy in a split second, prying the zombie loose and drawing him away. Sam shot the creature point blank several times as more of the combat team began pouring into the corridor from other doorways along the hall.

  Around that time, the zombies Matt had shot began disintegrating one by one as they closed in from behind. Sandra realized Matt had darted them all and was just waiting for them to implode while he’d tried to protect her from the more imminent threat of the man with the gun.

  Chaos ensued. One of the guys tried to push her into an empty room, but she wasn’t going. Everyone here was immune except for the guy who’d orchestrated this entire debacle. He’d escaped answering their questions once already. She wasn’t going to let him die if she could help it. He could lead them to Rodriguez and end this whole mess, but she had to keep him alive to do so. She had to at least try.

  First, though, they had to finish with the zombies. None of the men would let her back into the hall while the zombies still stood. One by one, she watched them collapse in on themselves. Matt had taken care of all the creatures that had followed them in through the window. Sam took out the one that had attacked Rodriguez’s man, and the rest of the team checked all the other rooms, calling the all clear within about five minutes.

  All in all, it went faster than she’d anticipated. Fast enough that she still had time to try to save their attacker’s lif
e.

  “Let me through.” Sandra pushed past the big guys who stood watching over Matt and their former prisoner.

  “Better not to see this, ma’am,” Sam said in a somber tone. “It ain’t pretty.”

  “I might be able to save him.”

  Matt pinned her with his gaze. “You’ve got the serum on you?”

  “I brought it with me. Just in case.” She brandished the small vial in one hand, a disposable syringe in the other. She’d had both in her purse.

  “Give it a try.” Matt backed off to give her room to work.

  Sandra moved fast. She knew if this was going to work, timing was critical. She dropped to her knees at the man’s side and prepared the syringe, estimating dosage based on her visual assessment of his size.

  Positioning the syringe carefully, Sandra stabbed the victim with the long needle, injecting the experimental serum directly into his heart for maximum effect. He screamed at the pain of it, but there was no time for anesthetic or other niceties.

  “You trying to torture me, bitch?” he spat out, breathing hard when she removed the needle.

  “I’m trying to save your life.”

  “Don’t bother. I’d rather go all zombie on your ass and take you out that way.” He looked just ornery enough to do it, too.

  “Won’t work. I’m immune.”

  “Dammit, I told Rodriguez…” Whatever he was going to say was cut off as his body went into convulsions. This reaction was a good sign, but it would be a while before they knew if the new serum would work with this man’s body chemistry.

  “Where is he?” Matt demanded as the man came out of the episode a minute later. Sandra looked up to find Matt kneeling by her side and Simon standing guard over them. “Where’s Rodriguez hiding? Where’s his lab?”

  “Lab?” The man’s eyes narrowed as he focused on Matt. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” He gave the ghost of a laugh. This man was as bitter as they came, she thought. “Your pet bitch knows all about labs, doesn’t she? And the zombie Marines she freed that night so many months ago. She started all this. All she had to do was close a door.” His gaze pinned her as her body froze in shock. “Isn’t that right, doctor?” He spat the last word like a curse.

  “I did not—” she tried to protest, but the words died in her throat as she felt Matt stiffen beside her.

  “Come off it, bitch,” the man swore. “You were the one left to watch the experiment that night. You’re the one who ran out of the building and let them loose. You’re the one responsible for all the men those original few killed and all those who came after. You’re killing me right now. How does that make you feel?”

  As far as attacks went, this one cut to the bone—and beyond. It sliced into her soul.

  She didn’t need to look up to know that Matt and Simon had heard every word. The cat was out of the bag. They finally knew the secret she’d been so desperately hiding.

  The man on the floor went into another convulsion, preventing her from saying anything. This was worse than before. Violent and scary. He seized so hard she thought she could hear his bones creak. Then he collapsed.

  Sandra administered CPR, trying desperately to revive him, but after a few minutes, she had to give up. He was dead.

  “He’s gone.” She stood and stepped away from the man’s body. “There’s nothing more I can do for him.”

  “That’s it then.” Matt pointed his weapon and fired.

  It was only a few minutes before the man disintegrated before their eyes.

  Sandra stood back, unable to meet Matt’s eyes. She feared what she would see there, now that he knew she’d let those original zombies out into an unprepared world. She’d caused so much havoc—when something as simple as remembering to close the door to the lab might have prevented much of the devastation that followed.

  It was all so pointless. The guilt she’d carried so long threatened to overwhelm her, but she had to face it. The time for hiding had abruptly drawn to an end.

  She looked up not to find Matt standing before her, but a red-faced and scowling Simon.

  “Is it true? Did you let those original zombies out?”

  Mutely, she nodded. Her misery was complete.

  “I hope you realize you’re responsible for the deaths of a lot of good men. Good men who were my friends.” Simon choked up and his eyes went flint hard.

  “That’s enough, Si.” Matt stepped between them, pushing Simon back physically.

  That he would stand up for her—especially knowing what he knew now—gave Sandra some glimmer of hope. She couldn’t see Simon past Matt’s bulk, but she felt the tension in the air as the men faced each other down.

  Because of her. She’d done this. She’d set friends against each other. And so much more.

  She had so much to regret. So much guilt to carry around.

  “Enough.”

  She didn’t realize she’d spoken aloud until Matt turned slightly to face her. The look on his face was one of incredulity. He was no longer the indulgent lover or the stern commander. A stranger’s face looked back at her. Cold eyes that she couldn’t read.

  That stare struck her like an arrow through the heart. She stumbled one step backward but stopped before she could show any more weakness.

  “Simon’s right and for that I apologize. I know it’s not enough.” She stepped backward, wanting to escape before she started bawling. “It’ll never be enough.”

  That was it. She couldn’t say more without sobbing and she wouldn’t show these predators her soft underbelly. They’d rip her to shreds.

  She turned and walked away as calmly as possible, not letting her shoulders shake even as tears flowed freely down her cheeks. She wouldn’t let them see her vulnerability. The team would only think she was putting on some kind of dramatic show. They didn’t trust her anymore. Perhaps they never had fully trusted her.

  She regretted that, too. She’d really liked Simon and especially Mariana. They could have been friends, given half a chance, but not now. Not after the truth had come out in such a bad way. Any glimmer of hope for a friendship after this was all over was gone now. Simon would never forgive her, and she didn’t blame him.

  Worse though was Matt’s coldness. Her love folded in on itself, rejected. It made her chest ache with a pain unlike any she’d ever known.

  “Good to have you back.” Matt greeted John and Donna as they reported to his temporary office in the old building for a debriefing. They’d returned to base only minutes before and reported directly to the new team headquarters. “Please be seated.”

  Matt sensed something in the air between the two newly returned team members. Donna kept glancing at John with uncertain motions. John was a much cooler customer. Matt couldn’t tell what was going on from John’s poker face, but Donna was much less adept at hiding her nervousness.

  They sat side by side in front of his desk. Donna looked worried. John’s spine was rigid though he looked otherwise nonchalant to the casual observer. Something was definitely up here. Matt looked from one to the other, allowing the silence to lengthen.

  Donna shifted in her seat, but John remained cool. He wouldn’t crack. Matt sighed.

  “Okay. Spill. What’s going on?”

  John shrugged and reached a hand out to the side. Donna put her much smaller hand in his all too familiarly, and Matt suddenly understood.

  “Donna and I are a couple now, sir,” John said simply, almost defiantly. “If that disqualifies either of us from the team, then so be it.”

  Matt had to laugh. “Well, why not? We seem to be running some kind of matchmaking service around here lately. What’s one more couple?”

  “Scuttlebutt has it that you’re involved with Dr. McCormick,” John said in an accusatory tone. Matt figured John mistook his sarcasm for disgust, so he let the disrespect slide—to a point.

  “Don’t believe everything you hear.” Matt grimaced. Simon had kept his mouth shut about Sandra’s costly mistake for now. Matt wasn’t sur
e how long it could remain hidden. Everyone on the combat team had lost friends to the monsters. They all had a personal feeling about how this contagion had gotten out. They wouldn’t welcome the news of what Sandra had done—or failed to do. They wouldn’t welcome her if they knew. “For the record, I won’t answer any questions about myself and Sandra. Not for you. Not for anyone.”

  “Then you know how we feel.”

  “Understood.” Matt nodded, glad to put this situation behind them for now. “Now that’s out of the way, we can get back to business.”

  John and Donna proceeded with their report on the action in Tennessee. They’d taken out one of the original science team—a mentally unstable female scientist who’d moved into her ex-husband’s mansion on the lake. She’d wreaked havoc on the local fishermen as well as her ex-husband and his new trophy wife. They’d been the first she’d killed, and the carnage had spread from there. The evildoer had built her own little private zombie regiment that hid at the bottom of the lake during daytime.

  “I can’t believe they were sheltering in the lake during the day.” Matt shook his head at the bizarreness of it all. He’d thought he’d seen everything, but this mission just got weirder and weirder.

  “She’d told her husband to go jump in the lake…and he did,” Donna confirmed. “It was a good place to stash them. They were dead. They didn’t need to breathe, and the lake had deep parts murky enough to keep them well hidden and out of sunlight.”

  “What about the fish?” Matt asked. It would be a nightmare if there was now a lake full of zombie fish. “You’d reported you believed there was no cross-contamination. I assume that still holds, right?”

  “Yes, sir,” John answered. “Donna took lots of samples and I checked over the lake visually as well as talking to a bunch of the fishermen. Nothing strange going on with the fishing, according to them.” He looked to Donna, who continued.

  “The preliminary results of testing on the remains show the strain of contagion the scientist was using was carefully tailored to affect humans only. Also, the initial samples from the lake itself show no signs of cross-contamination. There are a few more tests to run, but so far, everything looks clean.”