He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, softly, carefully with no lust or craving behind it. “Thank you, for loving her,” He whispered. I bobbed my head, feeling the tears well again. “Thank you for letting me,” I whispered back.
That day was silent as the men went about digging a ten foot hole, taking turns with the shovel and straight bar, the quiet only broken by a grunt here and there. All of us had lost loved ones, but to see a man bury his baby daughter was a pain we all seemed to feel. At the end of the day, as the sun began to set, we wrapped Seraphima in several blankets and lowered her in.
Burns held out a ratty old pink and purple teddy bear and put it in with her. “She might need it,” he said, his eyes glassy with unshed tears as he stepped back and ducked his head. The entire troupe was there, their eyes and hearts melting with the loss of a child who wasn’t even their own, the grief of their friend bringing home perhaps the losses they’d all had over the last few months.
Marks filled the hole himself, not once letting any of his men take a turn on the shovel. I couldn’t stay any longer, not without losing my composure again. No longer a prisoner, I made my way to the rifle range. I hadn’t seen Sebastian in the last three days as I fought for Seraphima’s life, and my heart ached to be with him and to have him hold me.
The rifle range was strangely silent when I approached and my heart began to thunder. The last ten feet I ran to the gate. “Sebastian!” I screamed.
Nothing.
I ripped the door open and ran inside, spinning in a circle. They weren’t here and I knew they weren’t in the bunker. I let out a whistle, hoping that Scout would hear me, and waited. Again, nothing.
“Sebastian!”
“Marks let them go,” Burns’ voice turned me around. “He didn’t want to kill them, he knew about Sebastian and the scrawny one. So he let them go.”
I started to shake and slowly slid to the ground. “Sebastian wouldn’t leave me.”
Burns shrugged and crouched down to my level. “He took off with the rest of them, the minute the gate was open. Maybe he finally lost himself to the drug.”
I hit the ground with my fist, the pain steadying my nerves. “No. It’s been too long, if it was going to happen, if he was going to lose himself, it would have been before now.”
Again Burns shrugged then held out a hand. “Come on, let’s go back inside.”
I stood on my own and brushed by him. The men here didn’t care about Sebastian, he was just another mouth to feed, another monster.
Stomping my way into the bunker, I went to find Marks. He was in the war room with three other men. When he saw me, he waved them out. “We’ll discuss this more tonight boys, I want to be very sure it’s possible before we attempt anything.”
The other men left, nodding to me as they stepped out the door. It clicked softly behind them, leaving Marks and me alone.
“Mara, we’re going to attack Donavan’s in three days time. I don’t know what to do with you, I can’t have you fighting, and I can’t leave you behind.” There was genuine concern in his voice and it slowed my anger, but only for a moment.
“Why’d you let the pack go? You knew Sebastian still had a connection to me.” I folded my arms over my chest and glared at him. Marks nodded and scrubbed his hands over his face.
“I can’t feed them and they were starving. I know they’ll eat anything, grass, leaves, sticks, bugs. But I couldn’t watch Diana live like an animal any more. And I couldn’t watch her let the other monsters ride her.”
I slumped into the nearest chair, my heart freezing over. “Please tell me Sebastian wasn’t one of the men who . . .” I couldn’t even say it.
Marks didn’t move at first, and then slowly shook his head. “No, Sebastian never touched her, not as far as I know.”
I let out a breath that turned into a sob and covered my face with my hands. I didn’t want to believe that Sebastian would leave me, but it was more than obvious that he had finally forgotten me.
Marks walked over to me and crouched in front of me, taking my hands in his, baring my tear-streaked face.
“I’m sorry that this hurt you Mara. But believe me, it’s better this way. The pain will ease. I promise.”
He squeezed my fingers and then brushed a strand of hair from my face, his eyes never leaving mine. “You’re a good woman Mara, faithful, one that I wish I’d met in another time.”
“Don’t do this Marks, as far as I’m concerned I’m still married.” I tried to pull back, but the chair prevented me from doing anything but squirm.
His hands tightened on mine. “Tell me your heart isn’t beating faster, that you don’t want to be held by a man who won’t turn on you, one that can keep you safe as well as love you and your child.”
My throat started to ache and yes, my heart was beating faster, but it was from a strange mixture of fear and shame. What he was saying was true and not at the same time. Yes, I wanted to be safe, I wanted our child to be safe. But I wanted Sebastian, not Marks; I wanted my husband to hold me and our child, not another man. I had to get out of here, I had to find Sebastian.
He stared into my eyes and I did my best to give nothing back. “I’m sorry Marks,” I said. “I can’t.”
He surprised me by smiling. “It’s okay Mara. We’ve got a lot of time.” He lifted my hands and kissed the back of each one, then stood, changing gears completely.
“The last report we received was that Donavan was close to a breakthrough on finding a cure,” he said.
My thoughts, which had only moments before centered on leaving to find Sebastian, stalled out. A cure. If there was truly a cure, I wanted it. I needed it for Sebastian. A small spark of hope flared where for so long there had been nothing but day to day survival.
Marks continued, “I’ve got to find a way into that compound. Perhaps a distraction, something that will keep Donavan’s eyes on the front of his compound while we hit it from behind. Any thoughts?” He lifted an eyebrow at me and I frowned.
“What about a messenger?” I asked. Marks shook his head. A soft knock on the door and we turned in tandem to see Burns poke his head in.
“You said to come down here when I was finished,” he said. Marks nodded and pointed to another chair.
“Have a seat. Mara and I were discussing a distraction for Donavan.”
“Why exactly are you attacking him now that Vincent is gone?” I asked. “I know what he did to Seraphima is horrible, but to waste more lives on revenge is beyond me.”
Marks took a deep breath. “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t somewhat about revenge. But more than that, he controls the harbour, the ships, and any chance we have of making it to the mainland. Not to mention if he has found a cure, we need to get it to those who can make it in large quantities and spread it around the world.”
I frowned and rubbed at my cheek. “Why would he be the one to find the cure? And why wouldn’t he share it?”
Marks and Burns both stared at me, eyes wide, but it was Marks who answered my question. “He won’t share it because he is so far gone in his delusions, I don’t think he even realizes there is a whole world out there waiting on him. As to why he would be the one to find the cure,” Marks scrubbed his hand over his face before answering me. “He developed Nevermore. This is ground zero Mara.”
16
It was finally decided that in three days I would go with Burns to the bluffs above the compound and set off explosives that had been set the night before by a few of Marks’ men. The explosives were mostly for show; there weren’t any large enough for anything else, but the damage that would be done should keep Donavan’s attention on the front gates. I only got to go along because I pointed out that Marks needed as many men as he could have to help him storm the back, and Burns would need back up. Reluctantly, Marks agreed.
The morning that we were to take the compound dawned with a coolness that reminded me fall was on its way. I made my way slowly up to the rifle range, as I had whenev
er I could find a moment, hoping for a sign that Sebastian was still, at least, close by.
I called for Sebastian, whistled for Scout, but there was no reply. Even the other packs in the area seemed to have faded into the background; maybe one of them had taken over Sebastian’s pack. What if he was hurt, or worse, dead?
Shudders rippled through me and I circled my baby bump with my hands. The thought of being alone, pregnant, and a single mom in this world was enough to give me anxiety attacks. I took a slow even breath and let it out. No, it would be all right. An image of Marks on his knees in front of me calmed me down, and that freaked me out all over again. I was becoming too dependent on the men in my life. I had to be strong now, not just for me, but for the baby.
Back down at the bunker Burns waited for me in a Jeep.
The drive to the bluffs was eerily quiet; no sign of any Nevermore packs in the area. That didn’t seem right, not with this being such a large city. I asked Burns about it.
“Seemed that a lot of people thought they needed to get off the island when everything started to go wrong. I think a lot of them headed to the mainland, maybe in hopes of escaping the Nevermores. I don’t really know, but we could see them all leave from up on the base. Like lemmings.”
“But if this was ground zero, why wouldn’t people stay? Why wouldn’t they stay and try to fix things?”
Burns shrugged and didn’t answer me. But the question stuck in my head like silly putty on a chalkboard, rolling around with me chasing it, trying to find the answer.
It didn’t make sense, not unless there was some seriously powerful motivation to go to the mainland to deal with the trouble of fighting through hordes of infected and non-infected humans alike. What would drive them to the mainland?
A few short minutes later we rumbled to a stop. We were just on the outskirts of downtown, on the hill on top of Third street right next to the St. Peters Catholic Church.
“Donavan’s compound is situated right on the harbour, in what was the Port Theatre,” Burns said, as we drove slowly down the hill.
Burns, his eyes glued on the road said, “As soon as we set off the explosives, we’ll get out of there and head back to the bunker. I still can’t believe Marks let you come along.”
I shrugged. “What if something goes wrong? You showed me how to set the explosives off in case something happened. You need a back up. End of story.”
Glancing in the rear view mirror, I saw a flicker of movement. A body dashed between buildings, a distinct sheen of yellow on the skin. A shiver crawled up my spine as more bodies ducked and dived, stalking me and Burns in the Jeep. Shit. Double shit.
“Burns, I think we’ve got company,” I said, as I continued to watch a very large pack make its way down Third St. using the buildings for cover. I tried to count them, but their scattered groupings made it difficult. “I think it’s about twice the size of Sebastian’s pack,” I said.
Burns hit the gas and took a sharp right, a left, and then another right. I held on to the handle above my head, grateful for it as I grit my teeth against the swaying movement of the Jeep.
“Where are we going? I thought you said the compound was on the harbour?”
“It is, but we need some space between us and this pack, so I’m coming in at a different angle. It should throw them off. ”
It took us another fifteen minutes to circle around to the south and drive up a small hill and onto a bluff that overlooked the Port Theatre or, more accurately, Donavan’s compound.
Burns pushed his mike tight against his head, a look of concentration coming over his face, some noise that could have been a voice barely audible to me.
“Got it.” He nodded his head. “Okay, we’ll get set here.”
He turned to me, “Mara, they’re all in place. Marks will wait on the first explosion before they move in.”
His mike buzzed and he pushed it into his ear and his face quickly shaded red. Slipping it off, he handed it to me and got out of the Jeep. Curious, I slipped the headset on and adjusted it.
“Hello?” I asked, wondering what was going on.
Marks’ voice came through loud and clear. “Be careful Mara. If at any point you think you and Burns have been seen, get the hell out of there. Understand?”
I nodded, forgetting that he couldn’t see me for a moment. “Got it. Be safe Marks.”
“You too, Beautiful.”
The headset clicked and I took it off, tangling it in my hair. I cursed at it, using words I reserved for the very worst days of my life. My emotions were rioting left and right and I didn’t know what to make of them. I’d never loved anyone like Sebastian, never been with anyone but him. But Marks, he was handsome and strong, and he hadn’t taken the drug. He was right, it would be easy to fall for him, and that was what scared me. Just how quickly it could happen.
While Burns got the equipment ready, I stared at the theatre turned compound. The base of it was solid windows, good for a theatre I suppose, but not so good when it came to protecting what was inside. I could see many of them had been shattered, leaving dark holes into the interior. I suppressed a shiver. The gaping wounds in what had once been a place of music and laughter were disturbing. I blinked and shook the feeling off. The theatre was cylindrical in shape and it was at least four, maybe five stories high, surrounded by a large fence, like the kind you’d see around a construction site.
“You ready?” I turned to see Burns looking at me expectantly. I nodded and slipped some earplugs in. Burns nodded, opened a cover on a small black box and flicked a switch.
Nothing.
Burns frowned and flicked the switch back and forth several times. Still nothing.
Oh, this was not good.
Burns started to talk and I pulled out my earplugs.
“. . . Check the wiring. They must have set it wrong.”
“Isn’t that just a tad bit dangerous? Haven’t you already flicked the switch to set them off?” I put my hands on my hips. It was ridiculous to even think about climbing down there with live explosives. We’d just have to retreat and try something else another time.
“Marks is depending on me, Mara. There are only a few boats left in the harbour and we need access to them, as well as whatever cure Donavan has cooked up,” Burns said, his young face looking as if he’d aged in mere moments.
Before I could say anything else, he brushed passed me and made his way down the ivy covered cliff, using the greenery for handholds and reaching the bottom with ease. I put my knuckles to my mouth as Burns crept along the outer of the fence, checking first one small package taped to the metal, and then a second.
It was then that the first of the explosives went off.
Burns dropped to the ground, the air shattering around him, and I bit down on my knuckles, swallowing a scream. Metal twisted and screamed in protest, the explosives doing their job effectively.
Boom after boom rattled and then shouts and gunfire erupted from behind the theatre. All the explosives had gone off and Burns still lay on the ground, unmoving.
I couldn’t just leave him there.
Following the same path he had taken, I made my way to the bottom of the cliff and ran to Burns’ side. Placing a hand on his back, I let out a cry of relief when I felt him breathe.
Dropping to my knees, I turned his face to me. His eyes were closed, a trickle of blood dribbled from his nose. “Come on Burns. Get up.”
“You, what are you doing?”
I spun on my haunches to face the partially blasted gates and several large guns that were pointed at me.
“Please, he’s hurt. I need to get him help,” I said, hoping to appeal to their compassion. I couldn’t see their faces behind the scopes of the guns, but they didn’t seem that interested in helping.
“Lower your guns.” A man stepped out around the others. He looked to be in his mid-forties, around the same age as Vincent. My gut told me I was looking at Donavan, the scientist who’d developed Nevermore.
Donavan smiled at me then made a waving motion with his hands and his men began to pull the gates back together. “I do believe that we will not need to shoot you after all.”
Wiry thin hands grabbed my arms, veined in yellow, and I screamed as the Nevermore behind me roared. I twisted hard to the left, snapping myself out of its hands.
A second Nevermore launched itself at me and I swung my foot, connecting a solid blow to its left knee, dropping it to the ground. From the edges of the harbour crept the large pack that had been dodging me and Burns on our way here. At my feet, Burns began to stir. Crap this was bad timing on his part.
“Burns!” I screamed. He didn’t answer with his voice but with his gun. The Nevermores nearest me dropped as he emptied his clip. There was still nowhere for me to run. The pack pushed me up against the tall fence, and Donavan and his men were on the other side, guns in hand, waiting for me to be eaten. Burns scrambled to his feet and ran in the opposite direction, back towards the cliff, his gait unsteady but keeping him upright.
I pressed my back into the hard wire, my heart galloping as gun fire went off in the distance. I hoped that Marks made it in to the compound, but even if he did there was no way he would make it to me in time.
The pack circled around, leaping in to push, poke and pinch me. I didn’t understand at first why they weren’t attacking me. I was on the ground now, my legs tucked under me as the pack continued to close ranks on me.
One young female came close enough that I was able to land a solid punch, catching her jaw and knocking her backwards. The pack stilled and removed their hands from me.
“What are you doing, eh? Or more importantly, what are you?”
I didn’t answer Donavan, didn’t have time to think about much of anything, when what I had to assume was the Alpha of this pack pushed his way through to me. He was at least as big as Sebastian, maybe even a bit taller, and easily as well muscled. With a single swift move he hauled me to my feet and stuck his nose against my neck, breathing deeply. I tried to think back to the last time I’d showered and knew it had been since before Seraphima came into the world, however brief her stay might have been.
Bound Page 7
