by Dia Cole
“Leave her alone,” Reed shouted.
Spider withdrew his hand from my pants and gave him an amused look. “Or you’ll do what? Give me the sign of peace.”
“I’ll kill you,” Reed shouted, pulling my knife out of his waistband and running at Spider.
Spider threw up his arm, knocking the knife out of Reed’s hand. Then, he twisted around and punched Reed in the chin.
“Don’t hurt him.” I couldn’t believe Reed would do something so stupid.
Reed stumbled back, a dazed expression on his face.
As I reached to steady him, a gun went off.
A crimson stain bloomed in the center of Reed’s shirt. He dropped like a stone.
“Reed,” I screamed, following him to the ground. Icy fear fisted my heart.
Someone giggled.
I looked up to see Aiden holding his gun out in front of him.
“Nice shot, son.” Spider’s voice seemed to come from far away. “You killed the Rastaman.”
“No. No.”
He can’t be dead.
I knelt next to Reed and tore open his shirt. Blood pumped from the wound near his sternum, but that wasn’t as horrifying as the mass of black veins covering every inch of his chest. They ran under his bloody bandage, stopping only at his neck.
Shock rooted me to the cement. “Oh no. God, no.”
Reed’s eyes fluttered open. “I’m so sorry, Lee.”
“When were you bitten?”
How did I miss the signs?
“I wasn’t. There must’ve been zombie blood on the knife that impaled me.” His color faded until he was as white as bone.
He’s dying.
My mind flashed back to the hallway at the animal hospital. I’d pulled the weapon out of Eden and given it to Reed.
This is my fault.
Grief threatened to tear me apart. I beat it back, reached over, and grabbed his good hand.
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “We can fix it.” And we could. My gaze searched out Dominic who lay motionless a few feet away. Could he handle any further blood loss? Would I be sacrificing Dominic’s life for Reed’s?
“Remember that I love you,” Reed said, through his choppy breaths. His hand went lax in mine.
“No, stay with me,” I ordered. But it was too late.
His eyes rolled shut.
Whatever I’m going to do, I have to do it quick.
I pressed down on his chest, desperately trying to stop the flow of blood. The scent of it wafted over me. My eyes rolled back in my head. I valiantly fought the urge to bend down and lap at the red fluid.
This is Reed. I need to save him, not eat him.
Spider grabbed hold of my hair and yanked me to my feet. “Don’t touch him. We can’t have you actually getting infected.”
“Let me go,” I screamed, frantically trying to jerk away.
Keeping his grip on my hair, Spider reached for his sidearm with his other hand. “Don’t you worry, pussycat. I’ll make sure this one stays dead.”
Rage had me twisting my head around and biting into his arm. The moment his blood trickled into my mouth, something snapped inside me. My mind emptied of everything. Everything, but the need to feed.
The male bellowed and tried to shake me loose.
I ground my teeth into his flesh. More delicious fluid.
His shout turned into a shriek. He tried to pry me off with his other hand. “Somebody do something.”
When the males around us did nothing, his movements turned desperate. He beat at my head and face. He fumbled for his weapon.
I clamped both hands around my prey.
One of the other males rushed over. “Let him go, girlie.”
I growled at the new threat.
He dug his weapon into my back and bared yellow teeth. “Let him go, or I’ll shoot.”
It’s my food. Mine.
With a quick twist and jerk, I tore off the arm.
Hysterical screams filled the air.
I gnawed at the flesh on the disembodied limb. The skin slid like butter down my throat.
Delicious. I want more.
“Kill the bitch,” my prey ordered, staggering over to a tree. Blood sprayed from the stump where his arm had been.
He won’t last long.
Licking my lips, I followed after him.
Crack.
For a split second, a flare of pain radiated from my back to my chest. I spun around.
The male with yellow teeth lifted his weapon to my head. “Too bad I never got a taste of you, girlie.”
Taste.
I sniffed, scenting the underlying flavor of his blood. I tossed the arm aside and lunged. My teeth were buried in his throat before he could cry out.
Mmm, tangy.
My prey’s legs crumpled from under him. Holding him tightly, I followed him to the ground.
Between greedy gulps, I was aware of the sound of gunfire. Bullets ripped through my back and the side of my head. The brief slices of pain disappeared in seconds. I paid them no mind.
“What the fuck is she?” screamed someone behind me.
The blinds in the window overhead shook. Hands beat at the glass from the inside. The others could smell the blood too.
I snarled. Mine. I clutched my prey tighter.
He went limp. Slowly, the sweet tang of his blood faded. It was replaced by a flat metallic flavor.
Disappointed, I dropped him. The weapons in his vest clanged on the ground. My insides ached.
Need more.
Another male lay a few yards away, blood seeping from his bandaged chest. His blood didn’t smell as good, but it was easy prey.
As I scrambled over to him, a dark-skinned female sprang to her feet. There was a shiny weapon in her hands.
She cut the throat of the male who’d stood above her.
He screamed and fell to the ground.
His blood called to me. Salty and rich.
Much better.
The dark-skinned female started to untie the hands of the fat male kneeling next to her.
A large male fired his weapon at her.
Abandoning the fat male, she ran at the giant.
The two grappled with each other.
Ignoring them, I crawled over to the bleeding male with the ponytail.
“Please, no,” he mouthed.
I pried his hands from his throat and bit down.
He died far too quickly.
My stomach rumbled.
More. I need more.
Gnashing my teeth in frustration, I dropped the lifeless body, and looked for another source of food.
Sometime during my meal, the fat male had run. The acrid scent of urine wafted from a wet spot where he’d been kneeling.
Nearby, a tiny male stood over a corpse. I could hear the frantic beating of his heart. His blood smelled sweet.
So sweet.
The female twisted the giant’s head to the side.
Bone and tendon crunched. He slumped to the ground.
The others beat harder at the window. Cracks began to form in the glass.
Seeing the giant’s death excited me too. The ache inside me grew.
The female rushed over to the side of a large shirtless male lying on his side. They both smelled amazing.
I need to taste them. But first, the tiny male.
His back was to me. His small shoulders shook.
I licked my lips and crept forward.
Don’t startle the prey.
Foliage rustled under my feet.
He spun around and let out a cry. His face paled and the freckles on his face seemed to darken. He raised a weapon.
I slapped it out of his hand and jerked him up by his shirt.
He kicked at me and whimpered.
I brought my mouth close to the soft, smooth skin of his throat. The mouthwatering scent had me clicking my teeth in anticipation.
As I went to bite down, I glanced into his terror-filled eyes. A blood-covered monst
er reflected back.
I’m the monster.
I froze as a tidal wave of grief and horror rose up inside me.
The cold barrel of a gun pressed against my temple. “Put the boy down, Hooker.”
11
Sanity crashed into me with the impact of a wrecking ball.
Darcy pressed her gun harder against my temple. “Dominic says you’re not a zombie. Prove it, Hooker. Drop the boy.”
Oh my God. I’m about to eat a child.
Sickened, I dropped him.
Aiden landed next to Spider’s twitching body. His huge blue eyes stared up at me in confusion and fear.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered. Blood trickled down my chin. I wiped it away wondering whose blood it was.
Spider’s eyelids snapped open revealing cloudy irises. He opened his mouth and clicked his teeth together.
The boy let out a cry as Spider reached for his leg.
Darcy switched her aim and fired a single shot into Spider’s forehead.
He fell back motionless.
Aiden stood rooted to the ground. His eyes were glassy, unfocused.
He’s gone into shock.
Darcy re-aimed her gun at my head. “Tell me you aren’t going to eat anybody else.”
Anybody else? I’d eaten people?
Bile clawed up the back of my throat. I fought the urge to vomit.
“Stand down, Corporal.”
With a curse, Darcy lowered her weapon.
Dominic!
I searched the courtyard until I found him thrusting a knife into Mr. Ponytail’s forehead. He looked up. “Are you okay, baby?”
At his words, a muffled sob broke from my lips.
I’m so not okay.
All I wanted to do was run into his arms and pretend none of this ever happened. I took two steps in his direction when something at the end of the courtyard caught his attention.
He pulled a bowie knife out of the biker’s head and threw it. It slammed into Viper’s forehead.
Viper collapsed over the body he’d been gnawing on—Reed’s body.
Oh, God. Reed. How did I forget him?
I rushed over to his side, pausing only to kick off Viper’s corpse.
Tears stung my eyes at the sight of Reed’s chest. Viper must’ve clawed through the bandage. Reed’s torso was ravaged. Bites covered every inch of him. The ones near his stomach were so deep and ragged, they revealed his internal organs.
Impossibly, he was still alive. His breathing was a painful-sounding wheeze.
There isn’t much time. I need Dominic’s blood.
I opened my mouth to call him over.
Crash.
The break room window shattered. Biters fought their way out through the blinds.
“I need an assist, Corporal,” Dominic shouted at Darcy who looked to be comforting the boy.
She rushed over, and the two of them worked in concert to thin the horde.
Two zombies managed to slip their notice and lurch in our direction.
I have to protect Reed.
I crawled over to Viper’s body and yanked a knife out of the vest he was wearing. Dominic’s vest. My mind seized on a tiny bit of hope. Maybe the serum was still inside.
I unzipped the vest and within seconds the vial was in my hands. My heart pounded with the need to get the serum to Reed.
But the two Biters—a small woman who barely came to my shoulder and a heavyset man dragging his half-torn-off leg behind him—were just a few feet away.
Damn it. I don’t have time for this.
Tucking the vial into my sports bra, I jumped up. One thrust of Dominic’s blade and the dead man fell to the ground. I’d just turned to do the same to the female Biter, when the side of her head exploded.
The bullet continued on, ripping through my chest and flying out my back. The quick flare of pain had me sucking in a breath.
Ten feet away, Darcy waved the handgun in the air. “Sorry, Hooker.”
Yeah, right. She didn’t sound sorry at all. But I didn’t have time for her bullshit. Not when Reed’s life hung by a thread.
His breathing hitched.
Battling back hysteria, I fell to my knees next to his body. I fished the vial out of my bra and flicked off the white cap. Tilting his head back, I poured the amber fluid down his throat.
He choked and swallowed weakly.
Please work.
I willed the accelerant to heal him. I watched his chest rise and fall with bated breath.
Any minute the black veins will fade and his wounds will heal. Any minute...
Nothing happened.
A cry escaped my lips.
Why isn’t it working? I can’t lose Reed. Not now after we’d survived so much.
Grief settled like a rock in my chest.
Reed made a rattling noise in the back of his throat. He took a quick shallow breath. He didn’t exhale.
Seconds ticked by. My panic mounted. “Breathe, damn you. Don’t you dare give up!” I cradled his head in my lap. There was no stopping the tears from streaking down my cheeks.
He finally released his breath and took another. His breathing evened out.
My shoulders slumped in relief.
Is it my imagination or are the veins fading in color? They are! He’s healing.
Slowly the torn flesh of his chest knitted together.
I was so damn happy I could’ve kissed the corpses next to me. “He’s going to make it,” I shouted to Dominic.
He and Darcy were just finishing off the last of the break room zombies. He looked up and nodded, the grim expression never leaving his face.
Well, I guess I can’t expect him to be as thrilled as I am.
I grinned like a fool.
We survived. We’re going to make it out of here. We’ll get home, get Rosie her medicine, and then figure out how to keep me from going zombie again. Everything will work out and—
Grady’s body fell from the sky and landed with a sickening thud next to Aiden.
The boy let out a shriek. Blood covered him from his orange hair to his light-up sneakers.
I looked up through the tree branches to the tiled roof where my sister stood staring down at the crying boy. She let out a howl.
Chills ricocheted down my spine, chasing all hope away. This time we didn’t have a vehicle to outrun her or the distraction of other potential prey. Not unless we counted the boy.
“Oh shit,” Darcy cried. “Little dude, get over here.”
Aiden stood frozen like a zombie in stasis.
Darcy rushed over to the boy, picked him up, and ran back to Dominic’s side.
Eden howled again.
Dominic aimed at Eden and unloaded his handgun in to her.
Bits of terra-cotta tile rained down on the cobblestone. Eden didn’t so much as flinch as several bullets tore into her legs and chest.
I wanted to shout at Dominic to save his lead.
Bullets can’t kill Eden. There is only one thing that stands a chance of ending her. Me.
I shifted Reed’s head off my lap and gently set it on the ground. I grabbed another knife from the vest Viper was wearing and rose to my feet.
Dominic must’ve read the intention in my face. He started running over. “No, Lee. She’s too dangerous.”
He’s right. She is too dangerous. She has to be stopped.
Squaring my shoulders, I got a running start and leaped into the air. I landed on the roof ten feet from her.
The tile was slick from the rain. I had to pinwheel my arms around to keep my balance. While I righted myself, Eden had moved closer.
Her face and hair were so matted with dried blood that they looked black. There were tire marks over the front of her jeans and her pink shirt was filled with bullet holes. The evidence of her inhumanity was overwhelming.
Still, my heart stopped as she lifted her head and studied me with her eerie white eyes. Seeing her shredded me all over again. “I’m so sorry, Edie. I should’ve don
e a better job protecting you.” I tightened my hands on the knife.
She cocked her head to the side.
Does she understand me?
I kept talking. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. None of this was supposed to happen. You were supposed to go to school, become a vet, and open your own clinic.”
She made no move to attack.
Is there something left of my sister in there?
“That would’ve made Gran so proud. She always called you Doctor Dolittle. You rescued your first animal when you were seven. Do you remember finding that baby mouse under the carport?”
She blinked slowly. There was a flicker of recognition in her gaze.
With a flash of understanding, I realized that my sister was still in there. She was just lost in the blood frenzy like I’d been a few minutes ago.
I can bring her back.
I dropped the knife and raised my hands up. “I miss you, Edie. I love you so much.”
She took a step in my direction.
I forced myself not to move. I instinctively knew that if I backed away, I’d lose whatever ground I’d gained with her.
“Lee, move out of the way.”
I gritted my teeth, willing Dominic to give me some space.
Bullets ripped through Eden’s chest. One winged me in the shoulder.
Dominic cursed and shouted something nasty to Darcy.
The softness in Eden’s gaze faded. She let out a shriek and jumped down to the courtyard.
Damn it.
I’d almost brought her back. “Stop,” I screamed, following after her.
I grabbed her arm and wouldn’t let go. “Edie, these are our friends. Don’t hurt them.”
She snarled and struggled to get out of my grip.
I refused to let go. Slowly, I pulled her closer, until we were face-to-face. “This isn’t you, Edie. Come back. Please come back to me.”
She gnashed her teeth in the direction of Dominic and Darcy.
I moved so that I was blocking her view of them.
“Lee, move,” Dominic shouted behind me.
I ignored him and reached up to touch Eden’s face.
She froze.
For a moment, I was sure she would bite me. I refused to show her my fear. “Look at me, sweetie.” I cupped her chin with both hands the way I used to do when she was small. “I’m your annoying older sister. Remember?”
Her gaze softened. “S…sissy.”
