Jan giggled softly. “Thanks, John.”
“Of course,” the waiter replied.
She grabbed a stick and picked small pieces off it, delicately placing them in her mouth. “Well?” she asked between bites. “Are you going to continue?”
Caleb stuffed the rest of the bread into his mouth and chased it with half a glass of water. He forced himself to look at her.
You have to do this. It’s for the fate of the world.
You’re going to get her killed.
No! I can protect her.
Sure you can. The phrase was so quiet, Caleb barely heard it in his own mind.
It was now or never. Sure, it was scary, there was a chance people could get hurt, but they could also be saved. He would never know what he was capable of if he didn’t take the chance. He had to know.
He cleared his throat. “I have a favor to ask you.” His voice cracked like he was going through puberty again. Heat rose into his cheeks and spread to his ears.
“Oh, a favor, huh?” She set her breadstick down and folded her arms on the table. Leaning forward, she lowered her voice. “What kind of favor?”
The candlelight caught her eyes and sparkled off her pupils. A playful smile danced across her lips. It looked like she was about to burst out laughing, and Caleb wanted her to. He wanted to hear the melodic sound of pure joy as it poured out of her rosy lips. He wanted to see her overtaken with amusement and happiness because it may have been the only opportunity he would have to see it. He wished he could say or do something that would make that happen. He wanted the situation to be normal, not laced with danger and potential death.
He cleared his throat again, and then took a drink. His throat was dry and scratchy. He set the glass down. “I want you to know that you can say no.”
The smile fell from her lips, and her eyebrows pushed together. “Is everything all right? Does this have to do with why you haven’t been at work?”
Caleb glanced around the restaurant again. Not much time has passed since he sat down, but he was sure it had been long enough for Hale and his goons to find him. He half-expected to see an RBZ smash through the front windows. The hair on his arms stood up at the thought. But all was quiet. Everything had been just as it was when he walked in. He turned back to Jan.
“Yes.”
She licked her lips. “What’s going on?” The worry and concern on her face was replaced with interest and mischief. Half of her mouth pulled upward, and her eyes focused on him intently.
“It’s kind of a long story, so I’m just going to lay it all out there. It started with a video.”
The words flooded out of Caleb. He told Jan everything that had happened since he opened his email until finding the pizzeria. She listened intently, only moving to fold her hands together on the table. Caleb focused on her knuckles and watched as her grip tightened, turning them white. When he finished, he risked a look at her face. She sat back in her seat and averted her gaze toward the other patrons. They sat in silence for several moments.
The knot in Caleb’s stomach loosened, and his shoulders felt slightly lighter. Even if she decided not to help him, it felt good to know someone else knew what was going on. Someone besides Matt and Samuel—someone who didn’t have an obvious agenda.
And could possibly get killed for it.
That won’t happen.
Jan turned back toward him and brought her hand to her mouth. She started picking on her lower lip as her gaze drifted over him. It stopped on his bandaged arm. She removed her hand from her mouth and pointed at it.
“Is that where you got bit?” she whispered.
Caleb moved to undo the wrap, but she slid around the booth next to him and placed her hands on his to stop him.
“I don’t need to see it. I believe you.”
Her fingertips were warm, her skin was soft. The faint scent of vanilla drifted off her. His gaze flicked from her hands to her face. She forced a smile. Tears moistened her eyes.
“I want to help you, but I don’t know what to do.”
“You realize you’re putting yourself in danger by doing this, right? I want you to know you’ll become a target if anyone finds out.”
She bit her bottom lip and nodded slightly. “Uh huh.”
“If you want to walk away, now is the time. I won’t hate you if you do. I’d totally understand.”
Her grip tightened around his arm. Fear pinched her face, and she shifted slightly in her seat, but then she relaxed. Her grip loosened and a small, genuine smile touched her lips.
“What can I do?”
Caleb fought back the urge to once again throw his arms around her and hug her. It may not have been awkward at this point, and he probably wouldn’t scare her away, but there was the slightest fear at the back of his brain maybe he shouldn’t get too close. It was foolish, especially since she just agreed to risk her life helping him, but one he couldn’t ignore. He appreciated her willingness to help—he really did—but there was an unconscious need to keep a distance. Instead, a sigh of relief and a soft chuckle escaped his lips.
“Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Jan shrugged, and a hint of redness crept into her cheeks. “You’ve piqued my curiosity.”
“Well, hopefully together we can find some answers. But to do that, I have to get into the Zomtech computers.”
After saying those words, the feeling at the back of his brain seemed really ridiculous. After all, she was about to help him access some of his deepest, darkest secrets. Hell, he’d already told her about his immunity. They were going to get close no matter how he looked at it. What would a hug have hurt? Now, though, it really would be awkward to give her one. That thought sent another wave of heat from his neck to his hairline. He hoped she wouldn’t notice or if she did she would attribute it to something else.
She slumped forward, her eyes growing wide. “Just how exactly do you plan on doing that?”
“That’s what I need you for.”
She shook her head. “I know nothing about computer hacking.”
“You don’t have to know anything. I’ll walk you through it. I wrote the code for the security system, I can get you in.”
The color drained out of Jan’s face, her eyebrows raised slightly. “How?”
“I’m not exactly sure. I’m still working out the details.”
She nodded and pulled her hands into her lap. Caleb saw her swallow visibly, but she said, “Okay.”
He reached forward and finished the rest of his water. As he set the glass down, she reached forward and grabbed his wrist. She turned his arm to get a better view of his tattoo. She grabbed his other arm and examined that tattoo also. She ran her fingers gently over the image, and Caleb’s throat tightened. Please don’t feel the scar! He didn’t want to explain himself. He was tempted to jerk his hands away, but that would only raise suspicion. And before he could, she once again placed her hands in her lap.
“I really like those. But why did you put the angel wing on your left? Don’t you know that’s your sinister side?”
Caleb crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah.”
They sat in silence for a moment, then Jan asked, “Where are you staying?”
Caleb shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Jan placed a hand on his arm. “I know a place. You’ll be safe there. And you can take a shower.”
Caleb turned to Jan, and the playful smile was once again on her lips. He smiled back. He was sure he made the right choice getting her involved. Her gentle caresses and reassuring smiles made it feel like everything was going to be all right.
You hope.
CHAPTER 17
Jan took Caleb to a basement apartment two blocks from the pizza place. The walls were drab concrete, and the small, square windows barely let any light in. Caleb couldn’t readily see another exit aside from the front door, but he convinced himself internally he didn’t need one. No one knew he was here so they wouldn’t be
looking for him so he wouldn’t need a way to escape. That didn’t rid himself completely of the feeling of unease, but it took the edge off. Besides, Jan had been kind enough to help him, he couldn’t complain about his accommodations.
An elderly woman sat in a recliner in the far corner of the living room when the pair entered. Pink yarn was intertwined around her thin fingers, and the needles she held clinked rhythmically as she looped the yarn around itself.
Jan turned to Caleb. “Marjorie doesn’t hear very well. And her memory is slipping a bit, but she won’t mind that you’re here, and you’ll be safe.” She turned to Marjorie and raised her voice to just under a yell. “Hi, Marjorie! How are you today?”
Marjorie looked up from her knitting and smiled. “Why hello, dear. I’m doing well.” Her gaze shifted to Caleb. “And who is your friend?”
“This is Mike. He’s sort of in-between places at the moment. I was hoping maybe he could stay with you a few days.”
Caleb’s gaze darted to Jan with a questioning look, but she shook her head slightly, so he let it go. He really appreciated what she had done. Failing memory or not, it really was safer for everyone if Marjorie didn’t know the truth. A pang of guilt ran through him, but he pushed it away. Both of them would be safe because no one would know he was here. He decided he shouldn’t be rude and waved at Marjorie. She smiled at him.
“Of course he’s welcome here. You may stay as long as you need.” She set the yarn and needles down and placed her hands on the arms of her chair as if she was about to push herself up. “I’m sure you’re starving. Let me get you something to eat.”
Caleb shook his head. “No, ma’am, you don’t have to do that. We ate some pizza.” He hesitated using Jan’s name just in case she used a different one also. He glanced at her again, hoping to see the answer to his silent question on her face, but she didn’t meet his gaze. She stepped farther into the apartment and closed the door behind them.
The part about the pizza wasn’t a lie. Jan ordered them a large supreme—and insisted on paying for it—and Caleb had never had a pizza that tasted so good. The green peppers and onions tasted so fresh, and they crunched when he bit into them. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a vegetable that wasn’t mushy, and it made him wonder if these things had always been here but he hadn’t noticed. More often than not, he lived in his own world and rarely paid attention to things outside his own mind. How much was passing him by doing that? The world could possibly be changing for the better, and he was missing it.
Marjorie folded her hands into her lap and sat back in her chair. “Well, that’s lovely. Please, make yourself at home.”
Jan pulled Caleb through the living room through a door that opened into the kitchen and had a short hall to the left that led to the bedrooms and bathroom. The kitchen was barely large enough to hold the table with two chairs and the one counter with appliances. The cupboards were painted a light pink and matched the counters, which were covered in white laminate with small pink flowers. The stove only had two burners, and the fridge was shorter than Caleb, but the place was clean and had a cozy, homey feel to it. It could have been his imagination, but Caleb swore he smelled the faint scent of fresh-baked cookies. He smiled.
It had been a long time since he’d felt that at home in a kitchen. The kitchen in his apartment was just a place to make food. It was functional. This place, though, felt different. It felt like it held memories like people did more than ate here, like they lived here. It reminded him of his home and parents.
Jan pulled him through the short hall and pushed him into the bathroom. He turned to face her. The memories of family and love fading.
“What is the emergency?”
She placed her hands on her hips. “You smell. Bad. It needs to be taken care of.”
He folded his hands over his chest. “And what am I supposed to do about clothes?”
Jan waved her hands through the air. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it.” She pointed across the hall. “That’s your room. You can relax in there when you’re done.” She pulled the door shut.
Caleb turned and took in the tiny bathroom. With his arms outstretched, he could touch the walls opposite of each other at the same time. The floors and walls were covered with white tiles, and the toilet, tub and sink accented the lack of color with a pop of pea green. There were a few cracks and chips in the tiles, but they were clean. Caleb detected the faint hint of bleach in the room. The towel rack hung above the toilet, which was right next to the tub. Caleb pulled back the curtain and turned on the water. He then peeled off his dirty, zombie-fleshed clothes and dropped them on the floor. Stepping into the shower, he pulled the diverter to start the shower.
The water felt amazing and released several of the knots that had formed in his shoulders. The dirt flowed off his skin in streams and made him feel several pounds lighter. He grabbed the bar of soap and scrubbed the rest of the ick away. He stuck his head under the water and let the stream pelt the top of his head. If he had the opportunity, he would let the water rinse his memories clean. He would gladly live without remembering the events that got him to this point. It saddened him to know that wasn’t going to happen.
The wrap on his arm slipped and hit his hand. Caleb pulled his head from the water and turned so it hit his back. He pulled the wet, sloppy gauze from his arm, then examined the wound. There was no hesitation in looking at it, no desire to turn away in disgust. It was what it was, and he couldn’t change it. Perhaps soon he would actually understand what it all meant. Either way, he was stuck living with what had happened. The bite was almost perfectly round with jagged edges where the teeth dug into him. The middle was a deep red, almost black, and the color lightened as it moved out toward the edges. It was still puffy and irritated because of its freshness, but the promise it would heal was there also. Caleb could see the white of where the wet scabs were forming.
He’d seen his share of zombie bites before, so it was easy for him to tell his was different. Normally, there were black lines of infection that snaked their way through the victim’s blood vessels to the rest of their body. He remembered the first time he looked at it in the park. The lines had been present then, and he was convinced he was going to become the undead. Now, they were gone with no trace they had ever been there, which made sense since he was immune. That fact didn’t stop the pain, though. The area was still extremely tender, but he would take the pain over the alternative.
He lowered his arm. His gaze drifted toward the curtain. He wasn’t actually staring at it but beyond, lost in his own thoughts. This could be the fate that befell Jan, especially if they figured out she was involved. Rachel met it. Eaten alive by the regulars who were sicced upon her. He shuddered. What a painful way to go. He didn’t doubt she suffered horribly until the life drained out of her, feeling every bite. And the fear must have been overpowering. What had been running through her mind? Did she think of her family and how much she loved them? A pang of guilt and regret hitched his breath.
You can’t do this alone, he reminded himself. And Jan knows the risks. The thought did little to ease his anxiety.
The water cooled, and the chill pulled Caleb out of his thoughts. He turned the water off, and then grabbed a towel off the rack and dried himself before stepping out of the shower. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he avoided the mirror. He placed his hands on his hips and stared at the pile of dirty clothes. He didn’t really want to do anything with them but burn them, but he picked them up so they wouldn’t be on the floor. He opened the door and headed for the room he would be staying in, hoping Jan had left him some clothes.
Caleb jumped when he opened the door and saw Jan sitting on the bed. He attempted to use the soiled clothes to cover himself, but at the same time, he didn’t want the filth touching his clean skin, so it became a juggling match to keep them in his hands—which he lost. In the process, the towel around his waist loosened, so he had to grab it quickly to keep from fully exp
osing himself. The redness crept into his face and down his neck. Jan stared at him, eyebrows raised, a small smile on her lips.
“You okay?” Caleb heard the amusement in her voice.
Caleb tried to be nonchalant. “Yeah. Fine.”
The right side of her mouth pulled up, and a dimple appeared. He’d never noticed that before. He liked the way it complimented her face and added to the pleasure that sparked in her eyes. Does she see me the same way I see myself? Does she see a walking skeleton with sunken eyes and pale skin standing before her? She couldn’t have. She would have recoiled in fear if she did. She would have never agreed to help him if she saw him as walking death—as a zombie. Either that or she felt sorry for him; it was hard for him to tell. He really hoped she wasn’t helping him out of pity. He didn’t want to be viewed as a charity case. But, at this point, he wasn’t going to get too worked up about it. He needed help, and she was willing to give it. Caleb would take what he could get.
She reached for something on the bed and tossed it to him. The sweat pants and t-shirt hit him in the chest, and he grabbed them before they could hit the ground.
“It was all I could find,” Jan said. “I hope they fit.”
Caleb headed back into the bathroom and pulled on the clothes. They smelled faintly of peach and had a softness from multiple washes and wear. Caleb sunk into them like a warm, familiar blanket. For a moment, he felt like he could relax. He wanted to. He wanted to let the world fade away. But it was dangerous to let his guard down. He took the towel with him back into the bedroom. Jan was still there, leaning on her elbows on the bed.
“Uh, where should I put my dirty clothes?”
“Well, I would suggest burning them, but you can put your towel in the basket in the closet.” She nodded toward the door across from her.
Caleb chuckled. Hadn’t he had the exact same thought about the clothes? He slid the door open and placed the towel in the basket. He turned back to Jan.
Saving Humanity Series (Book 1): Humanity's Hope Page 16
