Caleb pushed his eyebrows together and stared at the doctor. He turned his gaze to Samuel, thinking maybe the look on his face would explain what Matt meant.
Matt chuckled. “Basically, Caleb, for whatever reason, you are immune to whatever makes a zombie a zombie.”
Caleb screwed up his face in confusion. “How? Do you even know what causes them to be zombies in the first place?”
His mind drifted to the park. He had seen the blackness in his veins. It had been snaking its way through his body. He looked at his arm again. Aside from the bandage, it looked normal. The blackness was gone.
Matt waggled his head back and forth. “We have a pretty good idea. It’s a virus of some sort, maybe a bacteriophage that mutates DNA. Although we’re not exactly sure why the changes reanimate the dead. Some of the genetic mutations cause creatures like Lilah here.” He gestured toward the BZ. “And others cause the zombies to grow bigger. I believe the rumor think tank has dubbed those RBZs. Both Big Zombies and Really Big Zombies have the ability for limited rational thought and reasoning skills. In RBZs, it is comparable to an average four year old, while BZs think like an average six year old. Most people would consider them a little stupid, but they can be trained to do menial tasks. From my research so far, I don’t show that they gain any further knowledge. They are fairly limited.”
Caleb glanced from Matt to Lilah and back again. His head spun. “But they aren’t supposed to exist. They’re supposed to be rumors.”
Matt nodded. “There aren’t many of them. And we’ve tried to keep them a secret so they don’t become targets, either for good or ill. There’s still a lot of questions that need to be answered before we can go public with the information.”
“What does this have to do with my bite?”
“You see, Caleb, you are immune to the virus. It’s not unheard of. Throughout the course of human history, people have developed immunity to viruses and bacteria. It’s a survival tactic. The only weird thing is how did you become immune? Most people have to be exposed to the virus before they fight them off, hence vaccines, but every time we try to develop one, it only makes matters worse. Most people can’t fight off the infection, no matter how weakened it is. Like the BZs and RBZs, you have some kind of genetic mutation.”
A lump developed in his stomach, his chest felt tight. “How do you know this?”
Matt leaned back in his seat, the smile faltered on his face. “You know, rumors get started for a reason, and most times they have a kernel of truth to them. The one about blood tests, where companies use the blood to conduct experiments on, that one is true.”
Samuel nudged Caleb’s arm with his elbow. “I told you.”
“What kind of experiments do they do?” Caleb glanced at Samuel briefly and shook his head, then focused his gaze on Matt.
“They test the blood to see if the host is a carrier. The part about not wanting to have someone turn in an office building is completely true. We can pinpoint individuals who have a higher chance of contracting the disease and nip it in the bud.”
Caleb cocked his head to the right. “’Nip it in the bud’? What exactly does that entail?”
“Preventative measures. Isolation, quarantine. Most of those individuals carry on to lead normal, healthy lives. But when they die, they have to be disposed of to ensure they can’t contaminate others. But that’s something I can tell you about later. I was explaining blood experiments.”
Caleb waved his hand in circles through the air, encouraging Matt to continue.
“After finding out what’s in the blood, it is put through a series of tests, mainly to try and figure out how the disease is spread. We introduce the virus in numerous ways and see which samples become infected and which don’t.”
“Because they can’t conduct the experiments on humans,” Samuel interjected quickly, as if Matt would forget to mention that important fact.
“That’s exactly why. Plus, people voluntarily give their blood.”
Caleb huffed. “If you consider a condition of employment or fear of incarceration voluntary.”
Matt held his hands out to his sides. “People still have a choice. They can say no if they really want to.”
Caleb nodded.
“When you first started working at Zomtech, your blood was treated the same as everyone else’s. But the infection never took hold. At first, the scientists thought something had gone awry, like the virus wasn’t actually the virus. They wanted to do more tests, but they couldn’t exactly ask you for more blood. After your second draw the other day, they immediately conducted several more tests and had the same outcome. The only conclusion they could draw is that you are immune.”
Caleb’s mind drifted to the video he was emailed and the attack in the park. He pointed a finger at Matt. “Is that why someone is targeting me, they want to know why I’m immune?”
Matt sighed and folded his arms across his chest. “Unfortunately, yes. You’re a valuable asset to the world, Caleb. You may have the answer to combating the zombie threat. You can potentially save a lot of lives. What your body does naturally can give people a lot of power and money.”
“So who wants it?”
Matt shrugged. “I don’t know. But I guarantee there will be several people clambering for it.”
Caleb turned to Samuel, who stared at him wide eyed.
“Can you believe it?” Samuel asked, barely hiding the excitement in his voice. “You hold the key to maybe curing the entire world. You’re a god.”
Caleb fought down the anger surging in his chest. “Don’t call me that.” He turned back to Matt. “Is that why they killed Rachel? They are trying to coerce me into joining their side?”
Confusion covered Matt’s face. “I’m sorry, Rachel?”
“I’ll explain later. Just give me an idea of who would want my ability.”
Matt puffed up his cheeks and let out his breath. “Who wouldn’t? If they could use your blood to create vaccines, everyone would be after it. The government, private entities, the military.”
Caleb looked at Matt suspiciously. “The military? Why would they want it?”
“Whoever controls the cure controls the people. In the right hands, this could save the world. In the wrong, it could control it. At the moment, only very few people know about your condition. The blood samples only last for so long. I guarantee those who know about it will come looking for you. Their intentions might be good, and they might not.”
“How am I supposed to know?”
A look of defeat crossed Matt’s face. “I don’t know.”
“How do I know I can trust you?”
“Because I saved your life in the park.”
Caleb huffed. “That’s means nothing. How do I know you didn’t do that just so you can use me for your own ends? After all, you have ties to both the Army and Zomtech.”
Matt uncrossed his arms and lowered his voice. “You don’t know what my intentions are. And nothing I’m going to say will change that. I can show you that I mean you no harm, but you ultimately have to make the decision about whether or not you are going to trust me on your own.”
Caleb’s stomach knotted to the point it felt like it was twisted around his spine, sweat formed on his back. He didn’t want to be in the bunker any longer, he wanted to get out, to know exactly where he was. He didn’t know if he could trust Matt, but he was also curious to hear what he had to say. After all, Matt could have very easily imprisoned Caleb while he was passed out and killed Samuel. No one would have known what happened to them. He didn’t, so what did that tell him? Caleb would listen to what he had to say. If he didn’t like it, he would find a way to escape. He glanced over at Lilah. If nothing else, he was curious about her and the other mutations. He turned back to Matt.
“I’m listening.”
CHAPTER 6
Matt jerked his head to the right and stood from the bench. “Come with me.”
Caleb hesitated for a moment, then got up. If Matt had w
anted to do something to him or imprison him, he could have done it when he was unconscious. Caleb stood, as did Samuel. A wave of dizziness overcame him and his stomach cramped. His knees wobbled slightly and threated to give out, but he remained upright. The thought of laying back down sounded extremely appealing. Curiosity kept him from doing it. Matt led them out of the cafeteria and down a long hall. A grunt caught Caleb’s attention, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Lilah following them with a lumbering gate.
His eyes drifted to the stump of where her arm used to be, and the thoughts of how she lost it drifted through his mind. She had saved him and Samuel. A zombie—a Big Zombie—had actually done something for a human that didn’t involve consuming them. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it. Even seeing it with his own eyes made him question his sanity. RBZs and BZs weren’t supposed to exist. They were a myth, and yet, there she stood. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t.
What troubled him even more was the fact that he felt sorry for her. Her hand clutched at the stump, her gaze was on the floor. If she had been human, Caleb would have assumed she was mourning the loss of her limb. That sent a pang of sadness across his chest, followed by a burning anger. He shouldn’t feel anything for the creature. It was an abomination, a killing machine. Just because she hadn’t exhibited those murderous traits in the short time he’d been around her didn’t mean they didn’t exist within her. That didn’t mean she hadn’t killed and devoured before. She didn’t deserve sympathy. She deserved condemnation.
Caleb shook his head. The thoughts were giving him a headache. It was more than he could handle at the moment, but at the same time, he wanted to know more. He had to understand what was going on. His sanity depended on it. What made her different? Why did she illicit sympathy from him?
At the end of the hall, a large metal door stood open. Caleb scoffed. It wasn’t doing much to protect them if anyone or anything could walk through it. Behind the door was a set of stairs that led up. Sunlight spilled down them. A warm, dry breeze touched Caleb’s face. His curiosity was piqued further. Apparently, Matt wasn’t concerned about threats or dangers. That allowed Caleb to relax slightly, but he also kept his defenses up. There was no telling what lay before him.
Betrayal. Death. Maybe unspeakable torture. Run now while you the chance.
Caleb ignored the voice. He was willing to give Matt the benefit of the doubt.
It’ll be your funeral.
Caleb shooshed the voice with his mind and proceeded with the group upstairs and into the sun and fresh air. Caleb inhaled a deep breath and enjoyed the warmth on his face. He closed his eyes and let the light surround and engulf him. It seemed like it had been forever since he had been in such brightness. He wanted to pull it into his soul and push the darkness out permanently, but Caleb was convinced there wasn’t a light bright enough to accomplish that task. With a frown, he opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings. They stood on a rock ledge overlooking a barren desert landscape. Cactus, sagebrush, and dirt surrounded them, along with a few rolling hills. He glanced behind him at where they had come from. It was just as he had suspected; they had been in a bunker. Had it been created to hide and house someone important? If so, where were they? Did they ever make it? It wouldn’t surprise Caleb if they hadn’t. A lot of people didn’t make it after the rising. Matt was in it now, and it was completely possible it had been developed for him. Not that it mattered. Even if it wasn’t his, Caleb was sure he wouldn’t give it up without a fight. But it didn’t appear he needed to. He obviously wasn’t worried about threats—his door was wide open. What was his story? At one time he had worked for the government and then Zomtech, had helped in ridding the world of the undead threat. His studies had advanced humanity’s understanding of what they were dealing with. Was he still working to help humanity? Or had he gone rogue? Caleb glanced at Matt out of the corner of his eyes. His suspicion grew.
As it should. He’s all the way out here in the desert. How does he know about your blood tests?
Winding through the hills and sparse vegetation was a road. Directly beneath the ledge was a row of all-terrain vehicles. Caleb didn’t see any other humans, but he was sure they were milling around somewhere, maybe in tactical places around the area to keep out intruders. Caleb’s eyes darted around, taking in the surroundings, looking for soldiers but trying to be inconspicuous about it. Why did he assume something nefarious was going on? It wasn’t like Matt was hiding very well. His bunker was visible for miles around. The road would have led anyone directly to them. There was no place for anyone to hide.
Matt gestured toward the landscape with his hand. “We’re only about fifty miles from the city. The road isn’t the only way in, but it’s the most obvious and the easiest to defend.” He turned his gaze to Caleb. “You’re not a prisoner here. You’re allowed to leave at any time. No one will stop you. But if you decide to go back to the city, I can’t protect you.”
Caleb folded his hands across his chest. “What makes you think I need you to protect me in the first place?”
Matt shrugged. “I don’t think I need to protect you. I’ve read your file; I know what you’re capable of, what you’ve done. I’m sure you can do a great job of protecting yourself. But I’m asking you to work with me, to help me understand why you are immune and help me figure out if we can replicate it.”
Caleb glanced from Matt to the vehicles below him. The desire to hop into one and head back to the city rushed through him. He wanted nothing more than to go back to his old life, pretend like none of this happened, but he knew he couldn’t.
Who are you kidding? Your life was boring. You were a nobody.
And what was wrong with that? Caleb snapped in his mind.
As soon as he thought the words, he could see what was wrong with them. He knew that deep down he yearned for something more. At one point, he thought that more was death. He thought that was the only way to rid himself of the pain and guilt. Now, though, there might be another way. He was special, had a gift. People wanted what he had. There was so much good he could do with it.
Or it could be used for evil.
Caleb frowned. Someone had killed for what he had. More than likely they would kill again. He sighed. Why did the darkness always have to shadow the light? Why couldn’t this just be easy? He still wasn’t sure he could trust Matt. Just because the man had been in the Army and made a reputation for himself saving hundreds of lives, that didn’t mean he did it out of the kindness of his heart. Maybe he was motivated by fame and fortune. Maybe his being in the desert was proof of that. He said Caleb wasn’t a prisoner, but in reality if Caleb left, where exactly was he going to go? If he went back to the city, he risked falling into the hands of whoever had killed Rachel. If he ventured into the desert, a whole host of hardships waited for him—the worst being zombies. Matt didn’t have to keep Caleb as a prisoner because he was fully aware there was nowhere to go. It felt like an elaborate show to gain Caleb’s trust and hope that he was just a stupid, naïve kid. Caleb would play along, but he would have to remain cautious. At this point, he didn’t have any other choice.
His thoughts drifted to the fact Matt said he’d read Caleb’s file. His throat tightened at the memory. Detective Hale had said the same thing. He was positive it came from the shrink’s office. He had told her everything that had happened. He had to. It was the only way to get the nightmares under control. Even then, it wasn’t 100 percent effective. Still, he didn’t think anyone would be able to access them. But, technically, Matt and Hale weren’t just anyones. No doubt they pulled some type of rank card to get the information. That left him feeling unsettled, exposed. His life during zombies was out there in black and white—and apparently open for anyone to read. They knew what he had done, what he had been through, what he had lost. They read about the darkness in him, could see how black he was inside. They had the upper hand, the means to control and manipulate him—to break him further—if they wanted to use
it against him. That made him vulnerable. That made him weak.
“You hiding from something out here?” Caleb asked the question quietly. He didn’t want to be the only one exposed.
Matt smiled and placed his hands on his hips. He silently scanned the horizon for several moments, no doubt buying time to formulate a proper response. His gaze fell back onto Caleb.
“Aren’t we all hiding from something?”
Caleb pressed his lips together and cocked his head to the side. No matter how true, the response was a poor excuse for an answer. And Matt knew it. He chuckled and averted his gaze to the ground.
“Yeah.” He met Caleb’s gaze. “I am. I’m hiding from the same people who targeted you.”
“Who are they?” Samuel stepped up next to Caleb, the anxiety apparent in his tone.
Caleb had nearly forgotten he was there, and his heart skipped when he spoke. The action caused a wave of dizziness to sweep over Caleb, and his knees went weak. As his vision blurred, he reached out to his side to grab onto something that would stabilize him. He found Samuel, who did his best to keep Caleb on his feet. It wasn’t enough, and Caleb fell onto his knees.
The blackness shrouded his vision and with it came the feelings. His stomach knotted, his chest tightened, and anxiety caused his limbs to buzz. The desert sun had been so welcoming, so warming, and so bright, he didn’t think the darkness could get to him. But there it was—like it always was—and it threatened to overtake him.
He felt someone grab his other arm and lift him up. The hand felt huge around his bicep, and there was very little effort exerted to get him to his feet. He turned his head, and his gaze fell on Lilah. He took in her rotted flesh, her tattered clothes. Their eyes met, and Caleb became lost in the faded blue again. For so long, he had viewed zombies as a scourge on humanity. They destroyed without provocation or reason. They took everything from him. He hated everything about them.
Saving Humanity Series (Book 1): Humanity's Hope Page 7
