Paige and Dave scurried away from them without making a sound.
“So, who did you dress as?” he asked, resuming their previous conversation.
“Larry Daley, of course.” He laughed. “Tell me there are pictures,” he teased.
“Who’s your favorite character, then?” she asked in an effort to deflect where his mind was going.
“The Easter Island head, without a doubt. He is one cool dude.”
“So you identify yourself with a big rock?” Paige couldn’t help adding a little mockery. “That’s interesting.”
Suddenly, they almost fell over a woman sitting on the marble floor with her back against the wall. She was breathing quite rapidly as if she had been running.
Noticing that she wore a security guard uniform with a cheerful name tag that read, “Bree,” Paige wanted to rush over to her and start bombarding her with questions when Dave stopped her. She looked questioningly at him, but he simply shook his head before nodding in the guard’s direction.
Paige looked again at the woman more closely now and saw fresh blood flowing from her nose.
She is infected, she realized.
Thankfully, she didn’t seem to be one of the crazy types which called Paige a Seeding and went after her. It’s like it affects people in different ways, Paige thought. I only hope it’s not the next stage of the infection and that soon, everyone will be after me. The thought didn’t sit well with her. Things were bad enough already without throwing that into the mix.
The guard, Bree, also looked scared, so Paige decided to approach her anyway.
Dave sighed next to her, clearly annoyed by her lack of common sense, but this opportunity was too important to simply pass up.
She knelt beside the guard. “Are you all right?” she asked her.
Bree blinked at her a couple of times as if she was unsure of what she was doing on the floor. Even though the confusion was plain to see on her face, she didn’t make any attempt to stand. She was about to repeat the question when Bree shook her head.
“Is there anyone else here besides you?” Page tried another approach.
She received the same reply.
“Do you know what happened to the school kids who were here on a field trip?” she asked, eager to find out anything about her sister.
Dave knelt as well, clearly unable to hold back. “They were wearing school uniforms—formal jackets with a crest on.”
Bree refocused on him and it was obvious she was struggling with something but couldn’t find her way out of it.
Paige put a hand slowly on her shoulder in reassurance and comfort as much in an attempt to keep her focused.
“Bree, can you hear me?” She used her most soothing voice.
The guard looked like she was about to cry but managed to open her mouth this time.
“They…they…” She wrestled with the words while they waited on pins and needles but eventually, managed to choke out an answer. “They took them.”
Panic rose within Paige but Dave was faster. “Who? Who took them?” he demanded.
“Wha— What is happening to me?” Bree cried, getting more and more agitated.
“Listen,” Paige chimed in, squeezing the woman’s hand slightly. “You need to focus. Who took them?”
“Took who?” she countered, furrowing her brows, and Dave cursed beside them, jumping back to his feet. He started to pace, frustration rolling off him almost visible waves.
They were all on edge. Paige was aware of that but they couldn’t lose their heads, not now.
“The school kids,” Paige told Bree as if speaking to a child herself. “Who took them?”
It was really hard to remain calm under those circumstances, but since they needed Bree to tell her everything she knew, Paige needed to rein her emotions in. She wished Dave would do the same so he wouldn’t unintentionally scare the poor security guard who was already close to panic.
Bree nodded, focusing once more. Resolve settled in her face as she tried to speak.
Dave joined them once more, and Paige worried for a second that he would distract her but luckily, he didn’t.
“The men…in clothes…to protect them from the virus. They…left us here to…die.” Tears formed in her eyes and tugged at Paige’s heart. And to her complete shock, Dave took Bree’s other hand, showing his own support.
She knew she would feel beyond bad about leaving her there as well, but she needed her sister. When Dave looked at her, Paige could see in his eyes that he was thinking the very same thing. They needed to go, and now.
“In vans, they’re in vans…” Bree mumbled.
“It’ll be okay.” Paige lied to her and hated herself for it. But that phrase was something people always seemed to say in the most terrible situations, and this was no different.
“Did they take all the kids?” Dave pressed for more information.
Bree nodded. He let out a breath of relief. If his brother was with the rich kids, he would be in safe hands.
They stood almost in unison, but Bree kept staring at the space Paige once occupied as if she believed she was still there.
Willow is gone. Paige started to panic.
“What are we going to do now?” Dave voiced her own thoughts and she honestly didn’t know how to reply.
She pulled her phone out and attempted to call the last number saved.
Her Dad.
There was no answer, Dad can’t help. He is miles away and trapped.
Looking further through her contacts, her eyes stopped at Mom’s number.
She can’t help either.
For some reason, the only person Paige thought about calling next was River. Even though a rational part of her knew that her best friend was already infected and would probably be of no use, she still pressed the dial button.
She walked away from the infected security guard with Dave in tow as the phone started to ring.
“What are you doing?” he wanted to know.
“Shh,” she replied, pleading silently for River to answer.
Come on…pick up, pick up.
“Hello?” River answered in her usual manner, and it took Paige a couple of moments to process what just happened.
“River? Are you okay?” she asked, finding her voice.
“Who is this?” River asked, a bit annoyed, and that confused her even further.
She couldn’t help but feel hurt that her best friend didn’t recognize her voice anymore.
“It’s Paige,” she replied, feeling silly she even had to utter that sentence.
“Why are you calling me? Why don’t you just come over?” she muttered slowly, not making any sense at all.
“River, I can’t come. I’m not there with you,” Paige explained slowly, thinking that maybe her friend had entered the next stage in the virus infection and become delusional.
“Yes, you are,” River replied instantly, starting to get agitated. “You’re here, Paige,” she whispered but it was phrased more like a question. As if she was doubting what she saw. Paige was suddenly really worried for River’s wellbeing.
Wherever she is, she is getting sicker, not better.
“River, do you know where Willow is?” Paige asked, even though she couldn’t explain to herself why she did it. Of course, her friend didn’t know anything. She was probably in some kind of quarantine in a government facility with the rest of the infected people.
“She’s right here…talking to you,” River responded matter-of-factly. Paige was so rattled by that, she stopped in her tracks.
“Talking to me?” She practically screeched into the phone before remembering to remain calm and keep her voice low. “Can you give Willow the phone?” she asked and waited nervously while River complied.
River must be hallucinating. Paige argued with herself, trying to rationalize the impossible.
I’m clearly not there, and neither is Willow.
“Hello?” Her little sister’s voice spoke on the other end of th
e line.
That is her. Paige barely suppressed a gasp. I know her voice—always.
“Willow! Are you okay?”
“Duh, I’m okay,” she replied instantly in that special way teenagers sometimes preferred when conversing with adults. With too much attitude.
It made her pause. “Do you have the virus?” she demanded.
“What? No. They brought us all back. Everything is okay.” Willow tried to reassure her, but her mind was spinning too much to stop and process everything that was happening.
“How is everything okay?” she demanded.
“Because Brooke is here,” Willow replied cheerfully.
Brooke? My sister, who disappeared ten years ago?
All right, that tidbit of information just blew her mind completely. And with that, Paige’s phone simply slipped through her hand.
Somehow, Dave managed to catch it before it completely smashed against the marble floor.
None of this makes sense, Paige thought, questioning her own sanity at that moment.
Willow must have the virus if she thinks she’s with Brooke.
“Paige?” Dave called out to her, handing her the phone.
Snapping back to reality, she snatched it and started yelling even before she placed it against her ear.
“Willow, are you still there?”
“Yeah, Paige,” Willow replied, clearly a little annoyed.
“Can I talk to Brooke?” Paige asked, still shaking her head in disbelief.
This can’t be true, she repeated over and over again, trying to quench the hope that started to bloom deep inside her.
“Sure, one sec.”
Paige waited with something resembling patience, biting at one of her nails as she heard the phone being passed around.
“Hello?”
Her heart froze solid on hearing that one simple word and she recognized Brook’s distinctive voice.
It’s been so many years. It can’t be her. One part of her—one that was getting smaller with each passing second—tried to reason with her. Her mind must be playing tricks on her, making her think she was hearing something she wanted to hear, but that ultimately couldn’t be.
Maybe I am infected? Paige wondered with sudden clarity.
“Who is this?” Paige heard herself speak.
“Brooke,” her older sister responded.
“Look, I don’t know who you are, but stay away from my little sister. Put Willow back on,” Paige yelled with as much authority as she could muster at that very moment.
The impostor didn’t say anything else.
“Paige?” Her younger sister sounded confused.
“Willow, where are you guys? Stay away from that girl. There’s no way she’s Brooke.” Paige tried to reason with her.
“We’re at Fort Hamilton. Why are you so mean? Of course it’s Brooke. Who else would it be?” Willow said all in one breath.
“Willow, listen to me,” Paige tried again. “That is not our sister. Now, where is this place? It sounds familiar.”
She racked her brain to make the connection but couldn’t. Her nerves were stretched woefully thin as was.
“It’s on the sign every time we go visit Mom in Long Island,” Willow explained.
Then it hit her. She did remember. They always passed that specific sign whenever they took a trip to visit Mom. She could even picture it inside her head.
“Paige, she looks just like Brooke,” Willow said, changing the subject and snapping Paige out of her reverie. “Like in all the pictures we have.” She was adamant, her youthful voice vibrant with quiet conviction.
She simply shook her head, even though her little sister couldn’t see her. She definitely couldn’t deal with that. Nothing made any sense any longer.
What Willow was suggesting was beyond impossible, so Paige simply let that one slide.
“Willow, I’m coming to get you. Stay away from whomever that is and anyone who looks sick. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ll be there as soon as I can. I love you,” she assured her then paused because she had to catch her breath.
“I love you too, Paige. Really, don’t worry. I’m fine,” Willow replied with surprising confidence
Paige went to hang up then stopped herself. Eric. She’d almost forgotten her promise to that poor mother at the school. “Willow, do you know a boy called Eric? Is he there?” What’s his last name? Paige tried to remember what Sophie had told her, but it felt like days ago that his mother had pleaded with Paige to help her. “Eric Connor.”
“Yes. He’s here,” Willow replied. “Why?”
“His mom asked me to check. Is he sick?”
“No sicker than normal,” Willow replied flatly.
“What does that mean?”
Willow must have leaned closer into River’s phone because her voice was almost a whisper. “He’s always picking his nose and eating his snot. He’s gross.”
Paige couldn’t hold back a laugh. She was glad they were both okay. Dave was eyeballing her. “And Peter? Is he okay?” he asked, his impatience and worry evident in his tone.
Peter didn’t go to Willow’s school, but Paige asked anyway. “Is there a kid called Peter there?”
“I don’t know any Peter. Peter,” Willow yelled, nearly bursting Paige’s eardrum. She put the phone on speaker, so Dave could hear.
They didn’t hear any kids answer.
“Nope,” Willow said after a short pause. “But there are a lot of rooms with different kids in them. He could be in another room.”
Dave face dropped, and he turned away, his expression disappointed.
“We’ll be there soon, Willow. Don’t go anywhere.”
“I won’t,” Willow replied then hung up.
Paige couldn’t even try to wrap her mind around all that had happened, even though she knew she needed to.
Dave looked questioningly at her and she almost started laughing, but it was with hysteria rather than humor.
“I just had the weirdest conversation ever,” she informed him. That was the understatement of the frigging century.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“That doesn’t make any sense at all,” Dave grumbled once Paige had filled him in on her crazy conversation.
“I know. It’s completely crazy talk,” she replied, nodding. “My sister Brooke disappeared almost ten years ago.”
“What did the police say at the time?”
“They never discovered anything, which in return, pushed our mother over the edge. The anniversary of Brooke’s disappearance is actually coming up, and I don’t know how my mom will handle all of this.” Paige rambled on, and even though she was aware of that fact, she couldn’t stop.
“So, it can’t be Brooke,” she added stubbornly.
“This is so messed up,” Dave replied with a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.
“I know. That’s why we’ve got to get there,” she told him resolutely.
Even though she didn’t have the faintest idea what was going on, she knew she had to save Willow. “Besides, once I get there, I’ll get all my answers,” she added with a confidence that she didn’t feel.
Paige remembered she needed to call Sophie. She scrolled through her contacts and called quickly. “Hey, it—” Before Paige could finish, Sophie cut her off.
“Have you found him?” she pleaded.
“Yes. He’s at Fort Hamilton with my sister.”
The woman was silent for a moment, then let out the breath she’d been holding. “Thank you… Thank you so much, Paige. My husband is his way to the city. I will tell him where Eric is. God bless you.” Sophie hung up quickly.
Paige smiled, happy that she’d found Eric for her. Now they had to work out where they were going next. “I have no idea how to get to Fort Hamilton,” she confessed. “You?”
Dave simply shook his head and shrugged.
Still clutching her phone, Paige had a moment of inspiration.
“Maybe we can Google the location,”
she explained, praying that the Internet was still working. “Yes,” she exclaimed when the map loaded.
She didn’t know how long they had until things changed and they lost the web, but she hoped it would stay long enough for her to get to Willow. Navigation was her kryptonite.
And that wasn’t a joke. If Paige had been born before Google Maps was invented, she would have been royally screwed.
They studied the map together.
“Done. It’s all up here, so we can go now,” he announced, tapping his head. She was glad Dave could remember it because she certainly couldn’t.
Once she got her phone back, she took screenshots of the location, just in case map Dave failed, along with ones on the route to her mom afterward.
Fort Hamilton was in Brooklyn, which was just before Long Island.
Perfect, Paige thought to herself because that was the first piece of good news ever.
“How are we going to get there?” She thought out loud, wracking her brain over the latest obstacle.
“We don’t have a car,” Dave replied as if she was talking to him. “But I can get us another one.”
Paige frowned.
With all the sick staff there, some cars had to be left in the staff parking lot. But maneuvering a car through the streets in that chaos would be a nightmare, even with Dave’s mad skills.
“Driving might not be the best idea,” she replied.
He pondered that for a few moments and then his face shifted. The look of horror he wore would be comical on any other day.
Still, Paige didn’t have time to get alarmed because he started his protest.
“If you say we should run, I will literally lose my shit. I know I look fit and all, but I hate running—”
He would have continued with his little tantrum if Paige hadn’t stopped him.
“Of course we won’t run. It’s too far away,” she replied, even though that thought had crossed her mind. She kept that little fact to herself.
Dave placed both hands across his heart in fake gratitude and once again, Paige rolled her eyes at him.
Contamination (Invasion Survivor Book 1) Page 14
