Scout approached. “I suggested to some of the others that we try to set up another house,” he said. “This one is fairly large, but for all of us, it’s a bit cramped. If we set up at two locations, we can potentially grow more plants, and also have more room for everyone.”
“Do you think it’s necessary right away?” I asked. “We’re going to be leaving tomorrow, and I just want to make sure this place is fortified.”
“Yes,” he nodded, a hand on his chin as he considered. “We’ll make sure this house is fortified right away. I’ll have some of my people work on the other house while we’re gone. Don’t worry, Zero. We won’t leave your people unguarded.”
“Good. Do you and Kate have your bags packed for tomorrow? I don’t know how long it will take to get to the original outbreak zone.”
“We’ll take one of the trucks to start with. We can always siphon gas from other vehicles if we need to. That will make the trip much faster, and we’ll be able to bring more supplies with us,” Scout said.
“I don’t know,” I shook my head. “I don’t want to take too many of the supplies from the others. They won’t be able to scavenge as much now that they won’t be travelling.”
“No, but we did find a couple gardens with some vegetables that are nearly ready to pick, and a couple apple trees that are loaded with apples. They should be fine. We can take some of the canned foods,” the older man argued.
I grunted an agreement. “Good. I didn’t know about the gardens.”
“Also, there’s a pretty large corn field at the farm next door. It’s the one I was thinking about setting up next. The house is visible from here.”
I glanced where he was pointing, and saw another house that was almost the same size as ours. “Nice. I approve. Just make sure they know to get one set up before they work on the other, okay?”
“Got it,” he agreed. He moved on to his next task, and I saw that the fences were already starting to go up.
Most of the fence would be chain link, but there was some that would be wire twisted and formed to look almost like the chain link. Kristy and Caleb were working on that part, and each section was taken by one of Scout’s people and added to the already erected chain link fencing.
Siren was trotting happily from one person to another, getting attention from each person. “Good dog, Siren,” I heard one man say. “You’re gonna be a good guard dog, aren’t you?”
The new dog had been placed in Siren’s kennel. The two had sniffed noses, and seemed to get along okay, but I wanted to make sure. The new arrival was mostly golden, but had some white on his chest and feet. The name on his tag was King, and his tail wagged each time someone walked past his cage. Whenever Siren approached, he whined and play bowed.
“Let the boy out, Zero,” Rex called. “We’re going to be taking apart the kennel soon anyway, and the two dogs get along just fine.”
The dogs greeted each other happily bouncing around and running in circles around the yard. “I get the feeling they know each other,” I said with a laugh. “Good. That makes this much easier.” Jake came up behind me and watched the happy animals for a moment. “Fighting dogs wouldn’t be nearly as useful.”
I saw Aly heading into the horse barn, and a couple other kids emerged from one of the equipment sheds.
Quinn jogged over to me with a smile. “We found another roll of fencing.”
“Awesome, let Scout know. They’ll get it attached to the rest. We should be fully fenced in by the end of the day at this rate,” I answered, returning his smile.
“Yup. Then you guys can take off. I can’t say I like that you’re leaving, but I do like this place. So don’t worry about us, okay? We’ll be fine. Just focus on you and your own problems.”
I didn’t spend much time talking to Quinn one on one, but he was a good guy. “We’ll be okay too.” I spoke with an assurance I didn’t completely feel. A trick I’d picked up as the leader of a group.
Even so, I thought he might have picked up on my hint of discomfort. “You’re absolutely right, Zero,” Quinn answered. “You guys will find whatever answers you’re looking for, and you’ll be back to us before you know it. Just make sure you don’t take any unnecessary risks, okay? Just because we found a safe place for now, doesn’t mean we don’t need you. Remember that.”
“Done. Now, get back to work. We need to get Kane to set up some kind of generator to electrify the fence if necessary. It won’t be much good against the enemy if the electricity goes out.”
“I’ll get him. I found something in the equipment shed that might be a generator, but I’m not completely sure. If not, I’ll have him go on the next run to one of the other farms. Sound good?”
“Sounds good,” I agreed.
The rest of the afternoon passed faster than I would have liked. But by the end of the day we had a fully fenced in yard, and the broken down car was pulled from the garage to make room for the van. The truck would continue to be in use as the others needed to find supplies.
I found Rex as the sun was setting. “We need to get the others together and make sure we have everything we need for leaving in the morning.”
My bag of personal supplies was already packed, minus the clothes I’d be wearing the next day. Food and other supplies would be packed in separate bags.
“Trust the others, Z,” he said gently. “We all know what’s at stake here. We’re ready to go whenever you are.”
Jake approached while Rex was speaking. “He’s right, kiddo,” he agreed with a smile. “I’ve got food packed into two bags in the back of the truck. We also have one of the cases of bottled water we found. Not sure when we’ll find running water again, so I figured it would be important. Our bedding will be packed in the morning. We’ve been doing this for a while. We’ll be fine.”
I smiled, tapping my leg nervously. Today was the first day in a long time that I hadn’t felt the need to strap on my sword, or carry any other weapon. Tomorrow would end that feeling of security. Would we truly find what I was looking for on this quest? Could we find a way to end the outbreak? Or, at the very least, stop me from being a carrier of the deadly disease?
There was no way to know. It could end up being a complete waste of time, but the only way to be sure was to go.
“Eat some supper, and get some rest,” I ordered. “We’ll leave at sunrise.”
Chapter Forty-Three
We left a little past sunrise, after a quick breakfast. Some of the kids were still sleeping, but we had said goodbye the night before. Besides, I was of the opinion that the sooner we left, the sooner we could return. It wasn’t necessarily true, but it was something my mom had always told me. Especially when I was excited for something. She’d say, “The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner morning comes.” I had outgrown the saying even before she’d turned, but now I seemed to be living it.
Kate was driving, since she had some idea as to the direction we needed to go to reach the next zone. Or another section of this one, as the case may be. The infected zones were getting larger and larger, but the safe zones were few and far between. At least from what we’d been able to determine.
Jake rode in front with Kate, and Shanti and Rex rode in the seats behind them. As protection, Scout and I rode in the bed of the truck. We had both crossbows and guns available in case we ran into any trouble. I had also strapped my sword belt on.
“You good, kid?” Scout asked, about an hour into the drive.
I brought my concentration back to the truck. “For now, yeah. I guess. I hate leaving them. But if we find what we’re looking for, it could save them for good. We could really have a home, and be safe. No more monsters to worry about.”
Scout nodded, but his eyes told a different story. “You don’t think we’ll find the answer, do you?” I asked.
He huffed, and turned away for a moment before meeting my eyes. “I just don’t want you to get your hopes up too high. An outbreak like this… it won’t just go away. Even if a cure can
be found… well, it will take a long time to fix everything.”
“You don’t think I know that?” I snapped. “I’m not a child anymore, Scout! I know life will never go back to what it was. You don’t have to tell me.”
To my horror, I felt burning in my eyes.
“I’m sorry. Please, settle down, Zero,” he apologized hastily. “I don’t want to upset you. I just… I wanted to make sure you knew.”
“There are creatures all around us,” I said. “I can feel them all the time. Do you know what that’s like?”
He shook his head silently. “I have a responsibility to use my abilities to protect people,” I said. “And I will do that to the best of my ability. Right now, that means finding the people who started this outbreak, and doing whatever I can to make them fix it.”
“What if they’re able to fix you, but not the outbreak?” Scout asked. “Would you let them take away your ability to sense the monsters, if there was no way to stop them?”
Would I? It wasn’t a thought I’d allowed. I wanted to know I wouldn’t be able to turn anyone again, but what if that meant I could no longer protect my new family? I shook my head slowly.
“I… I don’t know,” I finally answered.
He eyed me critically. “Good. I’d be worried if you had all the answers now. I have no idea what we’ll find, Zero. What I do know, is that we’re with you, whatever happens.”
“Thanks, Scout.” I turned my attention back to the area around us. Once again, we were passing through a town, but this one seemed more threatening. My mind sent warnings, but I couldn’t tell which direction the threat was coming from.
The truck pulled to a stop, and I looked toward the cab, worried at the unexpected pause in travel. Rex slid the back window open. “We ran into a roadblock. We might have some trouble heading our way.”
I looked more closely. There were vehicles set up to block the road. Not in a way that looked accidental. “We don’t only have people to worry about,” I warned.
The tingling was growing, but I wasn’t feeling the overwhelming bloodlust this time. “We have a horde heading toward us.”
Rex spun to face me. “You okay?” he asked frantically.
Shanti watched curiously, her hands twisted together in her lap.
“I’m good. We should get out of the truck though. I don’t want to have anyone stuck once trouble strikes.”
Jake and Kate had already climbed out, guns at the ready. Rex prepped his knife and a gun, while Shanti held one of the daggers. “Shanti, take one of the crossbows when we get out. I’ll use the other, and Scout can use his gun.”
From past experience, I knew Shanti wasn’t as comfortable handling a gun as she was the bows. Even so, the other girl’s hands were steady and her mouth was set in a firm line. It was the same determined look I saw on Jake, Rex, and Scout. My own teeth were clenched. I took a deep breath, preparing for whatever might come first.
“There!” Shanti pointed her dagger toward a vehicle beyond the barrier.
A quick flash of movement showed us there was someone there. “Human,” I confirmed. “They’re trying to barricade against the monsters.”
My head whipped back toward a clang from behind. I swung my crossbow up and fired, spearing the first of the enemy that appeared. It was only a couple car lengths away. “They’re here!” I shouted.
“No kidding,” Scout answered wryly, his gun up and ready.
At any moment I expected the bloodlust to come over me. My whole body felt tense with expectation. As the creatures flowed into the street the only thing that happened was a normal fight. Well… normal since this outbreak, anyway. I was able to take out a few more of the enemy with the crossbow before I had to toss it back on the truck in exchange for my sword.
On some level, I was aware of my companions fighting alongside me. Two were still shooting. I wasn’t sure about the others. For myself, I spun, and slashed, and did what I had to do to keep everyone safe. I had an immunity to the outbreak. My friends didn’t. By the time I stopped, what was left of the creatures had fallen to Scout and Jake’s bullets.
My lungs were burning as I panted for air. My muscles felt like jelly after the exertion. “You all okay?”
Shanti peered out of the truck sheepishly. “Yeah. Couldn’t do much but hide at the end though. Sorry.”
I nodded in approval. “Good. No sense in risking your own safety. Don’t hesitate to hide.”
Rex peeked out from the front of the truck. “You seemed to stay in pretty good control this time, Z. More like your old self.”
I grinned, finally starting to feel my breaths even out. “Felt like it too.” I shifted, and grimaced at the sticky feeling on my clothes and arms.
“Nasty,” Jake’s nose scrunched in disgust. “You need a bath, kid.”
I was about to nod, when a voice came from behind us. “You stopped the horde.”
Chapter Forty-Four
We spun quickly, weapons raised to the potential new threat. The man stood, his arms up to show he was unarmed. Not overly comforting when I could see at least three others nearby who held guns aimed at us. Shanti ducked down in the truck, putting the seats and front console between her and the human threat.
“Where did you people come from?” The man asked, ignoring the weapons now aimed in his direction.
I exchanged a glance with Jake before stepping forward. “Doesn’t matter where we’re from. We aren’t planning to stay. We just need to get through. We’re heading for Ground Zero.”
The man took a step back in surprise. “Why… why on Earth would you go there?”
A woman, one of those holding a gun in our direction, stepped forward. “Who are you? You’re just a girl, how did you fight off so many creatures? And why aren’t you worried you’ll turn?”
My eyes flickered in her direction, but I shook my head. “None of those answers will help you. Just point us down a street that will take us past your barrier. We don’t want to put you at risk. Just let us pass.”
“You’re her, aren’t you?” One of the men further back shouted. “The one who started the outbreak. Patient Zero. Why would you risk going anywhere the government can get its hands on you?”
I hardened my gaze. “Like I said,” I repeated in a low tone. “Let us through. We have important business to attend to.”
“I don’t think you do, girl.” Another voice came from behind, and I belatedly realized we were surrounded.
My companions circled around to face the enemies now closing us in. Shanti was still hidden in the truck, and I waved her down. I heard a faint click as she locked the doors. They had been watching, but I hoped they wouldn’t view the other girl as a threat.
“What do you want?” I asked.
The person I assumed was the leader, stepped forward. A man standing about six feet tall, and built like a linebacker. His stance screamed confidence, and his smirk told me he thought he’d already won.
The newly arrived man laughed. It was an oddly pleasant sound, but still sent shivers down my spine. Although that may have been the possessive look he sent my way. “You’re our ticket outta this place, girl,” he said.
I sighed, and rolled my eyes toward Scout. “What is it with you men and thinking I’ll do anything for you? I am not going anywhere with you, and I will not let you turn me in so you can escape this place.”
Jake stepped in front of me. “You don’t want out of this place. As bad as the creatures are, the human border guards are worse. You have a semblance of freedom here. You wouldn’t in the uninfected zones. They’re under martial law. Trust me. We were there. It’s not pretty.”
There was some muttering from the people behind us, but the leader didn’t seem convinced. “And I suppose you want us to take your word for it? The big city was pretty easy going.”
“Until it fell,” Scout stated bluntly. “An enclosed city, taken by the outbreak. There aren’t many sanctuaries left, from what I’ve heard. Do you know something we
don’t?”
Our adversary glared. “I know that girl is the cause of all of this. If I turn her over, they’ll protect me and my people from the outbreak.”
Scout burst out laughing. “More likely they’ll take her and kill you all. Or just leave you for the creatures to deal with. Seems like all you know how to do is lay low and hide.”
“This girl is only thirteen. She is not the cause of the outbreak,” Jake snapped. “None of this is her fault. If you turn her over, you’re just playing into their hands.”
Rex stayed silent, but moved a step closer to me. Jake put a hand on my shoulder. “Look at her. Can you logically tell me this child is the cause of an outbreak? Not without someone else’s influence. Just use your brain, and tell me you really believe what the government is selling.”
The confident stance shifted slightly as the man apparently considered what Jake was saying. The woman behind us shouted, “You know they’re right. The girl is only as old as my daughter. I wouldn’t turn any child that age over. Will you, Scott?”
The human group’s leader dropped his gaze. He suddenly appeared younger and less confident than he had before. “You’re a kid,” he admitted. “Yet everyone wants you. Why is that?”
Jake and I exchanged a glance. “If we tell you, will you let us pass?” I asked. “We have to reach our destination.”
“Eat lunch with us, and share your story. We’ll take it from there,” Scott conceded. “I promise, you and your friends will be safe for the afternoon.”
He shot a slightly disgusted look my way. “And you can get cleaned up a bit. Probably not comfortable with all that,” he gestured at my blood covered clothes, “on you. We can give you a chance to clean up, and get some warm food before you go on your way.”
We were outnumbered, and I didn’t relish the idea of harming a bunch of humans. “We don’t have much of a choice, I think,” I spoke softly to my friends, not wanting the new group to hear me.
Ground Zero (Patient Zero Book 1) Page 16
