Chloe came back from chasing the boys.
It wasn’t long before she growled again.
Long shadows bled through the fence. The crash of chain-linked metal made me look up, straight into the morbid faces of five Vectors. One wore a brown UPS uniform. Another had long hair and no lips, just a gruesome perma-grin. And then a child with one arm ran into the fence. More of them came lumbering towards us out of the sunset. I counted another twenty of them—including a few Runners. They would find their way into the baseball diamond soon enough.
We had to leave, but Kaylynn wasn’t about to wake up. The Vectors were bound to catch us if I tried to carry her, so I dropped her bat and slung her arm over my neck. I stood up and took Kaylynn with me.
Now we needed a place to hide, and the answer was standing right in front of me.
The granary.
I moved as fast as I could while holding Kaylynn steady with each step. The gray-skinned monsters followed us. As I was helping her over the railroad tracks, my legs began to ache. So out of shape!
“Chloe . . .” Kaylynn moaned. “Decoy . . .”
The dog ran straight at the Vectors, diverting most of their attention from us, buying us the right amount of time to reach the granary’s single silo. The collective cries of the undead told me they were closing in fast.
“Around . . . corner . . .” Kaylynn instructed.
We shot around the southwest corner and found a double door. I yanked on the handle, raced us inside and waited for Chloe to enter before closing it. There was only a bolt to lock the door with. I twisted the bolt into place and backed away as two runners banged their fists against the metal. I set Kaylynn down, careful and quick. We needed a weapon, and I found a metal pipe a second later. If stopping these things meant having to smash their brains in, I was left with no other choice.
I wasn’t looking forward to the mess, and I was wearing my favorite hoodie, too. Laundry is a pain.
“My bat,” Kaylynn said. “Where is it?”
I sighed in relief. “Where can we hide?”
“Where’s my bat, Jay?” she said angrily.
“At the park,” I said, still breathing hard.
“Idiot!” she cried. “He wasn’t worth it.”
The hinges shook, and Kaylynn jumped back. I hoped this meant she would stop the name-calling and see the serious trouble that we were in. The Vectors had caught up to us. Each of them wailed desperately. And if I wasn’t careful, Kaylynn would become one, too.
“How did you pick up Thomas?” I asked.
She frowned. “What’re you talking about?”
“And your eyes, they went all red. How?”
She got up and silently crossed her arms.
“Are you bitten?” I asked. “Scratched?”
“I’m trying to figure that out,” she said.
“It’s not rocket science! Are you or not?”
“What’ll you do if I am? Bash my head?”
Glancing at the pipe in my hand, I knew I couldn’t bring myself to do that. Aside from Jewel and my parents, Kaylynn was the only person in the world that I couldn’t afford to lose. I lowered my hands as the door creaked. One of the hinges broke. It didn’t matter whose fault it was. We were sardines in an oversized can with two-dozen Vectors attempting to pry it open.
We could argue another day if we lived through this. “Now’s not the time,” I said. “What do we do?”
“I don’t know,” she replied. “There’s no way out.”
My aching ears were of no help to my pounding heart. I searched the dark building for a better weapon or a safer place for us to roost. How Chloe was able to stay so calm throughout all of that was a mystery.
“There’s an office on a second floor?” I asked.
Kaylynn was really out of it. She stood up, nodded, and led me to a set of steel steps. But just when we reached them, the door crashed open. Laggard bodies stumbled over each other to get in. Kaylynn and Chloe ran up the stairs. As I followed them, a Vector grabbed me by the ankle. With my heart caught in my throat, I repeatedly smacked the Vector with my pipe, but with no effect. It had me, my foot was caught in its grasp.
An arrow shot through its left eye from behind its skull, splattering dark blood all over my face.
It was one of Cody’s arrows.
Crack! Bang! Boom!
The moaning stopped when the gunfire ceased.
Flashlight beams danced into the building and converged on Kaylynn and me. Four men entered, each pointing their guns at us. I saw Mason right away, followed by Black-Bandana and Cody. I didn’t know the other guy, but they wouldn’t have come unless a certain fat kid had told them his version of what had happened between him and Kaylynn at the baseball diamond.
“What’re you doing out here?” Mason asked. “It’s way past curfew!”
“It’s my fault.” I stood in front of Kaylynn. “I started the fight.”
“What fight?” Mason looked at me, checking my stained face. “Is that what happened to you?”
“Ask the fat kid.” I hadn’t given the state of my face much thought. My left eye was swollen. I’m sure my stomach was bruised. The scab on my lip had split.
“Did any of those things touch them?” Cody asked.
“I was about to ask,” said Black-Bandana, coldly.
I’d wondered where Cody had been. Now that he was next to Black-Bandana, I saw a resemblance. Was Black-Bandana his dad? The man had a decent rifle and a sheath at his side for a sword or a really big knife.
Like father, like son.
“Did they touch you or not?” Cody asked.
“They didn’t touch us,” I answered. “Big Thomas sure as hell did.”
Kaylynn touched my shoulder, and then she gave me the slightest headshake and a strong expression that said, I don’t blame you, but don’t make a big deal out of this.
Her eyes made me cave, so I gave it a rest. “Thanks for coming for us,” I said. “Those things would’ve—”
“We’ll sort this out later,” Mason said, nodding to the others. “We’ll have to take the usual precautions.”
Black-Bandana and the others stepped behind us.
Kaylynn raised her head. “What precautions?”
“On your knees,” Mason said. “Eyes on me.”
No way. Were they going to kill us? Just because we ran into some Vectors didn’t mean they had infected us. Then again, my lip was split. What if I was infected?
“This will be over quick,” Mason said. “Relax.”
Chloe raised her paw. The new guy had her by the collar. I wanted to tell them to let the dog go when something wet and smelly covered my nose and mouth.
From what I could see in the corner of my eye, they’d done the same to Kaylynn. I tried to fight them off, but my vision blurred. And before I knew it, I was in a cornfield. I ran with Jewel, away from a horde of Vectors. They had sunhats and overalls, laughing instead of moaning. I sat up with a start, wide-awake with a headache. I was in a white room. My arm was tender. A strip of surgical tape was on my elbow pit, with a cotton ball under it. Three worried faces looked at me: Mom, Dad, and Jewel—in the healthcare center.
Dad’s AR-15 gave me a dose of reality.
My thoughts went to Kaylynn. Where was she?
“You gave us a start,” Mom said. “Are you okay?”
“Someone put a nasty cloth over my mouth.”
“Chloroform,” Dad uttered. “I can’t believe they’d use that on you kids—”
“Does it work like in the movies?” Jewel asked.
Typical Jewel. “Yeah. You should try it sometime.”
“She better not.” A fourth voice entered the room, one I hadn’t heard in a while. Sam walked in, her mouth absent of chewing gum. “I have good news and bad news for you, kid.”
I sat up, clueless as to what she was talking about. “What news?”
“You’re not infected,” Sam answered, smiling that time. “Your mother pulled a blood sample w
hile you were asleep. Dr. Sanders ran it through. Type-O positive. That’s a very good thing to know.”
“Just like your dad and me,” Mom said.
“I’m the negative one,” Jewel said smugly.
“Okay . . . What’s your bad news?” Dad asked.
That dampened the mood quick. He wasn’t happy.
“I haven’t decided,” Sam said. “Your kids attracted a horde. I’m trying my best to not send you away. I don’t dare do that; we need you, Mr. and Mrs. Barnes.”
“You’ll have to discuss this later.” A man in a white coat entered the room. He looked like he was in his fifties. He had brown hair like me, but with a touch of gray at the ears. He was wearing glasses with thin frames. “I’m glad to see you awake,” he said before turning to Sam. “Harold told me he recorded a new radio message. Sounds urgent. I’m headed there now.”
Sam nodded. “I’m coming. Mr. and Mrs. Barnes, you’re welcome to join us if you wish.”
Mom and Dad agreed—and they told us to stay put. Jewel was to make sure I didn’t move an inch. I had to know what happened to Kaylynn. I had to know where she was and what this important message was about. Why invite our parents and not us? They probably accepted Sam’s invite to repair the damage I’d caused.
“Hey,” Jewel said. “Do you want to sneak out of here and see what they’re listening to?”
There are times when I could hug my little sister. I hopped out of bed and snuck into the hallway with her.
With the exception of giant floor-to-ceiling windows on the south end of the building, the heath center was a perfect fortress. They had several generators running to keep the place going. The few who saw us didn’t care, even with my medical gown on. I should’ve slipped my underwear on. Those gowns are incredibly drafty.
I poked my head into every open door on the way, finding nothing but check-up rooms, offices, and janitorial supplies. Physical Therapy. X-Ray. Surgery. The list of rooms kept piling up. The off-white walls and tan floors with blue stripes did nothing to alleviate my anxiety. Who knew what these people would do if they found us snooping around? Two men stood guard at one of the entrances—both armed. The more we pressed on, the more the healthcare center looked like a paramilitary compound. That’s exactly what the people of David City had turned it into.
We entered a dark hallway. The faint sound of a radio came from a room on the other end. Quietly we sneaked our way to the door. Jewel peeked with me.
Some equipment was spread on a table—including working computers—next to water heaters and vents. This had to be their utility room. I quickly made out the silhouettes of Mom and Dad. Sam and Sanders were easy to spot. I wasn’t sure about the others. Harold was one of them, but who were the other three?
“It’s weak. I recorded what I could,” a man said. “I think you’ll like it.”
“Let’s hear it before we come to conclusions, Harold,” Sanders replied.
I tapped Jewel on the shoulder. We pulled back. No need to get caught.
When Harold pressed play, I heard a choppy voice, one I’d heard before: “Cecil Bell . . . Kansas . . . repeat . . . cure! . . . three nine . . . zero seven . . . one seven . . . Longitude negative nine four . . . eight . . . three eight one . . . respond . . .”
The message ended. Weak signal? No kidding. They played it a second time. In all that static and fractured sentences, one word stood out to me: cure. A cure for the pandemic—a cure against Vectors—and it was in Kansas? This was great news, and Cecil Bell rang a bell in my memory. Was he the guy that we’d heard on the radio, when all of the turnings first occurred?
“Bring me a map,” Sam said. “You have those numbers, Harold?”
Paper rustled in the room. “Yeah—looks like we’re missing a few digits . . .”
“Let me look,” Dad said. They were in luck. No one knew maps better than Dad. “Kansas City. It’s not far from here. Two . . . three hundred miles, I think.”
“If what you’ve said of the girl is true, we should look into it.” That was Mason’s voice.
As I pulled away, Jewel whispered, “What girl?”
I put a finger to my lips.
“Poor child,” Mom said. “I can’t imagine what she’s going through.”
“The girl is doing fine,” said Sanders. “She is for now, at least.”
“Glad to hear,” Sam said. “If they have a cure—”
“I don’t like it,” said Black-Bandana—Cody’s dad. “How can we be sure this isn’t a hoax to lure us out of the compound? Remember the last time people asked for help? We were ambushed. Left for dead. I don’t think chasing after a cure is a good idea, Samantha.”
“You think I haven’t considered the risks?” she reprimanded him. “If there’s a cure, we need it!”
“To save the girl?” I guess Dad really cared.
“Yes,” Sam answered. “To save her . . . and us.”
“Us?” Mom asked. “We’re not infected, are we?”
“Depends,” Sanders said. “From the research I’ve conducted—and I need more time to evaluate the girl’s blood to know—it’s starting to make sense.” The man paused. I didn’t want him to stop. “The three types, as you call them, are completely relevant. I have reason to believe that there is another, less recognizable type. Using your terminology, I would call it Type Zero.”
Type Zero?
I wasn’t savvy on my scientific terminology, but I guessed he meant an infection that preceded the others—a human who carried the infection without becoming a Vector? Given the way Kaylynn had kept her distance, more so when I had an open cut, it made sense. It explained why she’d eaten my jerky so fast, and why she went after canned meats over other goods.
Kaylynn had the infection inside her?
I didn’t want to believe it.
“If Kaylynn dies, she’ll turn?” Dad asked.
Sanders sighed, and then he chuckled slightly. “That’s an appropriate way to put it—calling these creatures Vectors, I mean. A vector carries and transmits disease, like flees on rats during the bubonic plague. That might explain why these creatures don’t eat each other. They can tell the difference somehow.”
“Don’t laugh,” Mom said. “Her life is at stake!”
You go, Mom!
“My apologies. I meant no disrespect to the girl. If I am to understand what we are dealing with, I need better samples and equipment. The blood you collected for me is, sadly, unusable—the blood is useless once the host turns. I suspect a dormant pathogen is the cause of this. It has the same symptoms as a virus, but that’s not what it is.” I looked inside again. The doctor held something up that made his face glow. A smartphone? Since the blackout, I didn’t think those could work. “The girl’s blood Type is O Positive. She hasn’t displayed any symptoms, so the pathogen is dormant inside her. I honestly have no idea what to make of it.”
“If she hasn’t turned, can she still infect us?” Mason asked.
“Certainly!” Sanders cleared his throat. “If her body fluid enters someone’s bloodstream, they would be infected—just like any disease.” The moment he said that, I touched my lip and felt sick. Good thing I didn’t try to steal first base. Even if I had dared, Kaylynn would’ve pummeled me into a shallow grave. “What puzzles me,” Sanders added, “is how selective this pathogen is. I suspect something unnatural here, and I wouldn’t throw bio-engineering out as a possibility.”
“A weaponized disease?” Dad asked.
“That’s on the bottom of my list, but in the realm of possibility. I can’t know without a better facility, as much as I like this one.” He lowered his phone. “If you plan to investigate, I want to come with you.”
“It’s agreed, then,” Sam said. “I’ll organize a team. Since you think it’s so dangerous, Jackson, we’ll send only our best. That means you,” she paused for a second, “and you.”
“Me?” Dad said. “I’m glad you think so, but I can’t just up and leave my—”
�
�I haven’t decided whether to send you packing because of what your son and that girl did,” Sam said. “This act will make up for it, and it’ll save the girl.”
I tightened my fists. That was blackmail. If Kaylynn wasn’t in the equation, I would’ve said screw it and left the compound ages ago. But Dad likes to play the hero with guns blazing, which was his other weakness.
“I know your tactics better than anyone,” Mom said. “If you’re going, then so am I.”
“Hold on,” Mason said. “What about your kids?”
Thank you, Mason. I was worried for second.
“Maybe Candice will watch them?” Dad said, squashing my hope.
“Can we tell them about Kaylynn?” Mom asked. “It may help them understand what we’re doing.”
“I wouldn’t. No need to raise false hope.” Sam sighed. “If I weren’t needed here, I’d go with you.”
“My sons will want to go,” Jackson said. “How ‘bout it, Sam?”
“Your older son, yes. The youngest stays.”
The monitor flickered. So did the lights. They went out for a second, leaving us in darkness. Not good. If the others ran out, they were sure to catch us. I didn’t want to know what they would do to spies. The lights turned on a second later. A hiccup in the generators.
“Samantha,” Sanders said. I could hear his heavy steps. “Keep those with Type O blood under close observation. I wish I had more concrete evidence to support this, but it may prevent another outbreak.”
“Understood Doc,” Sam replied. “Thanks for all you’ve done.”
Mason stepped out into the hall. I never heard him coming. I tugged Jewel back, covering her mouth too late. The deputy didn’t move, until he gestured down the hall. He was letting us go. Relieved, we flew down the hallway. Before I knew it, we were back in my room.
I jumped into the bed and pulled the thin sheets to my chin. Jewel sat in one of the chairs, breathing hard. My head was swimming with so many questions. What the hell was going on? Why did Mason let us go?
My Zombie Summer (Book 1): The Undead Road Page 7
