The Death Series, Books 1-3: Death Whispers, Death Speaks and Death Inception (The Death Series, Volume 1)

by Tamara Rose Blodgett

  Activating: top-five contact: Jade LeClerc

  Hi...how are you? -JLeC

  I'm okay. But we never did get to talk.- CH

  I can come over tonight. With everything that happened, Sophie's mom feels sorry for you so she told me I could.- JLeC

  Seriously? -CH

  Yeah! -JLeC

  Good...I doubt the Parental Unit will let me do anything tonight anyway.-CH

  They shouldn't, Caleb. You need to give your body a chance. -JLeC

  But the Organic.-CH

  pulse interruption

  Whatever! I know they're supposed to be able to 'manipulate all living tissue/organs/blood' but that doesn't mean that it erases the trauma. For once, would you not be a guy about it? -JLeC

  I wasn't sure how not to be a guy, but...

  I guess I'll take a night off fun.- CH

  We can still have fun just hanging out. We don't always have to go somewhere.- JLeC

  K, give me an hour. I need to de-scuz and eat, then we can watch a movie or something.- CH

  Or something.-JLeC

  Yeah smiles-CH

  That,'or something'...that's what I like.- JLeC

  Me too. -CH

  Cya.- JLeC

  :D- CH

  *

  Hey! -JLeC

  Yeah? -CH

  What movie? -JLeC

  Zombie Apocalypse 20-CH

  Are you kidding? -JLeC

  Yeah...some Empath you are.- CH

  Nice! Ttys- JLeC

  :b-CH

  I swiped my thumb on the pad: hibernating.

  I couldn't wait to see her. For once, everything should remain calm. I hadn't had a day that went smoothly since summer ended.

  As it turned out, the night wasn't going to be calm and neither was Saturday at Gramps.

  But a guy can dream.

  ****

  Jade was playing nurse in my bedroom after some über-awkward wrangling with the Parents. The whole, “keep the doors open,” and all that other shit that parents raged about because we may kiss... or something.

  We were doing a lot of the “or something.”

  She lay like a warm line against my body, tight against me and I was amazed how perfect a fit she was. My hand was buried in her hair, clenching my fist in the silk of it and I used my hand to turn her head into my mouth. My other hand rode up and down her side, finally landing on her jaw, where I ran a finger up the softness of it.

  Sitting up, I loomed over her and started brushing little kisses along her neck and she gazed up at me with a flushed face, heated by proximity and what we were doing. My hands were on either side of her head, holding my weight up and when I got down to that great place between her breasts with my mouth, she put her hands on my chest, where I held myself, suspended in a push-up position.

  “What about your parents?” she asked breathlessly.

  “What about them?” I murmured, kissing her mouth again.

  She put her hands on me again and I lifted my eyebrows.

  “I don't want your mom to walk in, I'd die.”

  I looked down at her, so beautiful lying on my bed underneath me, her hair fanning around her like black water. Jade was the only person I felt tender about. I took some of the hair that had worked its way over her face and tucked it behind her ear, kissing her temple as I did...

  “Ahh...” I groaned, “you make me crazy.”

  She smiled. “You do it to me too.”

  We made out some more, thoughts of my parents dim for us in that moment of passion.

  I rolled Jade over on top of me and her curtain of hair fanned around my head like a cocoon, at once suffocating and intoxicating in its heat and perfume. She was a soft weight on the front of me and we kissed while my hands made their way to the small of her back and I pressed her against me and she gasped.

  I broke away. “What?” I asked, a little more than half-gone.

  “We better stop,” she said.

  “I don't want to.” I said, knowing she was right, my parents were here, we were almost fifteen. Hell, I sure didn't feel fifteen. I felt like an adult.

  She rolled off me and lay on her side and I flinched; ribs still weren't one hundred percent yet.

  She saw my face. “What?” her hand floating above my torso.

  “Ribs.”

  “Oh, you okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah! Damn, if I can't have my girl on me, I'm in trouble!”

  That got the smile I was going for.

  We lay like that for a long time, side-by-side, her head crammed underneath my chin, my arm around her, our breathing becoming synchronized.

  Mom shattered it all, calling upstairs, “Caleb and Jade, get down here please.”

  We gazed into each other's eyes. Our feelings a tangible thing in the room, having this time with her had been amazing. Back to reality. We untangled our limbs and trudged downstairs.

  I knew the shit had hit the fan when I could hear Onyx softly growling. I instinctively put Jade behind me on the staircase, halting her progress.

  “Just a sec. Let me see what's going on.”

  I crept down the dimly lit stairs and saw Onyx with his hair standing on end. Then I heard Mom's voice. “Ah, yes, but my husband is not at home and I think it would be best for you to return when he is.”

  “Listen lady, I'm not leaving here until I have my girl. I know she's here, 'cuz Andrea is out-of-town at some stupid thing for women.”

  Jade's dad.

  Wasn't this just dandy?

  I couldn't have him doing something to Mom. I chewed on my lip, I felt kinda weak from the whole nightmare yesterday and my girlfriend had her hand bunched up in my shirt, her body pressed against mine.

  She was on the step behind me and our heads were at equal height when she whispered into my ear, “My dad, Caleb. She can't let him in. He might do something.”

  Yeah. Kinda what I'd been thinking.

  I looked at my shattered watch crystal and just managed to make out the time. Five o'clock, Dad would be home soon...but soon enough? I didn't know.

  I turned around and looked straight in Jade's wide, frightened eyes. “Don't come down, no matter what.”

  She grabbed me before I could move forward. “Don't Caleb. You're still hurt, and he's mean.” Her eyes stayed on mine, never leaving.

  “My mom's down there, Jade. I have to.”

  She lowered herself onto the step and I moved forward, toward danger.

  ****

  I popped out of the narrow staircase into the foyer and LeClerc stood there, a meaty palm planted on the door and my mom's thin hand holding the edge of it.

  Her knuckles showed white under the subtle strain of keeping the door from opening.

  Onyx didn't look my way but he knew I was there.

  I didn't tell him it was okay.

  The Dog smelled the male outside and recognized that he was pack to the small female that the Boy so often smelled of now. The Dog knew the danger from this male, he smelled his fragrant anger, wild and intense. He was like the one that had taken the Dog before he found his new Boy; this was a Bad Male. The Dog was certain that he meant to harm the Alpha Female. The Dog growled to warn the Alpha. The Dog wanted the Alpha Male to come home from the metal box that smelled foul and had holes that were sometimes there. The Dog sensed that the time was near for the Alpha to return. There was a new smell that was around the pack's cave and it was a dead smell...but the Dog felt a comfort because the Boy smelled so often of this. The Dog waited, preparing to defend with the pack.

  I stood behind Mom and met LeClerc's eyes over her head.

  “Well, if it isn't your smartass kid... the zombie-lover,” he said, slapping the door open with the palm that had been there.

  Mom's hand flew off and she stepped back into me. “Oops...sorry honey.”

  Geez...“Mom, get over here.” I said, putting Mom behind me.

  Six months ago, I remember thinking she was so big and now she seemed so fragile before the six foo
t, two hundred pound raging psycho that had just worked his way into our foyer.

  Where the hell was Dad?

  Onyx got a whiff of the deal and growled more, LeClerc's eyes flicked to Onyx.

  The Dog kept his dominant eye-contact with the Bad Male. This male needed to know that the Dog would not back down when a feral entered the pack's cave.

  “Caleb!” Mom screamed as LeClerc grabbed her and all sense of restraint I had flew out the window when I saw that guy's hands on my mom, as she struggled underneath them.

  Everything unraveled then, Jade came down the steps, LeClerc caught sight of her and Onyx lunged at him, clamping onto his leg and worrying at it like it was his favorite bone.

  In a fit of bellowing rage, LeClerc shoved Mom into the wall, she bashed her head and started to slide down the wall, obviously fazed.

  “Jade!” I hollered. Cripes! “Get back upstairs!”

  But too late, LeClerc had grabbed her hair as she turned and jerked her back, at the same time, kicking out with his leg to try and get rid of Onyx.

  Ignoring Jade's cries was the hardest thing I'd ever done.

  I plowed into the fray and LeClerc, apparently ramped up to beat all, slapped her across the face to subdue her.

  A red haze clouded my vision, I took the base of my foot and plowed it, side-long, into the back of his knee, effectively dumping him to the ground, my ribs squawking like crazy.

  He took Jade down to the floor in his abusive embrace.

  I didn't hesitate. Treating his head like a soccer ball, I kicked him with everything I had and he released Jade, sitting up on all fours like and enraged bull, shaking his head in a fit, his handprint a mar against the cafe au lait of Jade's skin.

  I wanted to kill him; it stood like a stale taste in my mouth, filling it. The word sung in my head: kill, kill, kill.

  Then, filling the doorway was Clyde.

  Fuck me.

  Our eyes met in perfect understanding and I couldn't take back what I'd been thinking.

  And Clyde didn't want me to.

  Going straight for LeClerc, he plunged right into him like sliding into third base and they barreled into the wall. Two picture frames came crashing down on top of them and glass shattered everywhere.

  Clyde, apparently not the wasteful type, flat-palmed his hand into the glass, all of it sticking to the oozing rot of his palm and began to smear it into LeClerc's eyes.

  “Aagghhh!” he bellowed, fists flying into Clyde wildly.

  Clyde's garbled speech reached my ears, “You will cease and desist this behavior, you troublesome dolt.”

  Smear, crunch, whack, thunk.

  I walked over to Jade, hauling her up, out of the way, and against me where she hiccuped back sobs. “I thought he was going to...going to... that it was going to be like before.”

  I shushed her, hugging her tight against me, stroking her hair while Clyde worked his magic on her dad.

  I noticed in a detached way that some globs of Clyde were falling on LeClerc, causing him to scream as the wet, slithering flesh plopped on his face.

  I smiled.

  I took stock of Mom who was starting to look more alert when Dad sailed in through the garage door. “Whose car is...” he began, then his hand came over his nose and he began to breathe through his mouth until he saw Mom, then he screamed, “Ali!” Dad rushed over and caught sight of what the smell had been about.

  I was kinda used to it.

  “Caleb, who is this? Stop him!”

  Dad looked on with horror, then swooped in, picking Mom up.

  “Caleb...” Dad turned with Mom in a cradle hold and slammed his thumb into the Fam pulse. Several seconds passed and he released his thumb.

  “Dad, did you call the cops?”

  Clyde was squeezing LeClerc's throat and his face was turning an alarming shade of purple.

  “Clyde, give it a rest.”

  Clyde didn't.

  I left Jade next to Dad and walked over to where Clyde was strangling Jade's dad, hunkering down. “Clyde!”

  His eyes swept to mine, his fingers lost in the meat of LeClerc's neck. “He will never stop, Master, he will continue to hunt you. I must...”

  “You must stop, Clyde.”

  Although I really appreciated his efforts, I had to say.

  I threw some juice at Clyde, underscoring my command and he loosened his hold on LeClerc. Planting his knee in his chest, he used LeClerc's body for leverage and stood. He stared at me, only a couple of inches taller now, but oh, he was so much more.

  He was in tough shape. My original, unconscious call had raised something with purpose, but not enough form. He was really decomposed. I felt a little guilty, Clyde deserved to look better.

  Huh, I'd do better next time.

  My parents and Jade stared at Clyde, but he had eyes only for me.

  “Ah, thanks, Clyde. But, ah... you better go now, 'cuz the cops will be here and I'm starting to get in trouble for zombies popping up like jack-in-the-boxes.”

  “Akin to the toy which winds?” he asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Technically, it was zombie-in-the-box but I felt that might be what my parents called, “splitting hairs.”

  Mom, was definitely more alert now. “Has he been the one making the separator bins smell?” she yelled, disentangling herself from Dad, who let her slide down the front of him, but kept her pinned to his body. None of us were too keen on getting close to LeClerc, who was writhing around on the floor moaning. He reminded me of a snake who'd been poked.

  Staying out of range, thanks.

  The Dog was relieved when the Dead One entered the cave. He smelled of the Boy in a way that the Dog did not understand but accepted... his nose never lied. The Dead One had subdued the feral and the Boy was Alpha to the Dead One. The Alpha Male had returned and the Dog would stand down. Protectors of the pack were in place now and the feral was in great pain. The Dog could smell the Bad Male's agony and it brought a primitive and savage satisfaction. This was as it should be. The Dog sat, watching the Boy make the sounds with the Dead One.

  My eyes narrowed on Clyde. “Have you been...hiding out here, Clyde?”

  “Why, yes. You were incapacitated before, Master. There was nowhere to go but I am able to follow your. signature, as it were. Therefore, I found myself here.” He inclined his head slightly in deference, another blob of flesh sliding off his skull and landing with a splat on the tile entryway. I watched Mom watch it fall with something between surrealism and disgust.

  Brother.

  Dad looked at me, like, what the hell. “Explain,” Dad said tersely.

  Jade came away from the safety of my body, facing Dad. “My dad,” she looked down at the undulating heap on the floor, “came over here looking for me,” and even I could hear the dry swallow of her throat, “and he... hit,” she looked at Mom, who smiled and nodded back at her in encouragement.

  Jade didn't go on. Couldn't go on.

  Mom said, “Actually, he shoved me into the wall.”

  Dad and I gave Mom A Look.

  “One in the same, Ali,” Dad said.

  There was no diffusing it, if you touched a woman in anger, basically, you were A Loser. Dad and I got it, most guys got it.

  LeClerc needed more lessons from Clyde.

  Maybe, like a final lesson.

  Clyde was following my train of thought. “You tell me, 'do not kill him' but your heart says you wish his death. His imminent death.”

  Thanks, Clyde: didn't really want to share the whole tamale with The Parents.

  I sighed, hearing the wailing sirens of the cops coming, again.

  The cops parked outside the house and Garcia (of-effing-course) came at a sprint, gun drawn, Smith and Gale at his heels. They burst through the door. (Let's have the whole world over, I thought randomly 'cuz, why not?).

  They trained their guns on Clyde, who stood stock-still. I heard Gale gag, you know the type: the pre-barf cough, she was gonna toss her guts on the f
loor to join the rot.

  Nice.

  “Mr. Hart, what is going on here?” Garcia said in a low, fierce voice, his gaze a steady menace on Clyde.

  “I think, from what I can piece together, Jade's dad came here to get her, assaulted my wife, and Caleb's zombie who was never put to rest took command of the situation.” We all looked down at Jade's dad who had ground glass embedded in the flesh of his face and throat. “And I came in and ascertained a 911 call was in order,” Dad finished.

  “Ya think?” I said to no one in particular.

  Gale had holstered her gun, a hand over her nose, shallow breaths escaping between her fingers.

  Clyde regarded her. “You. I know you.”

  “She's like me,” I responded to Clyde.

  “Not exactly. She is not a Master. But she feels... very good.”

  Cripes, zombie love for Gale.

  She backed away a little, smart girl.

  Clyde switched his gaze to Garcia. “The Master is under threat.”

  He swung a palm to indicate Jade's dad. The skin on his knuckles was gone from the abuse of Jade's dad, sloughing off with every squeeze.

  Clyde had everyone's attention, especially Garcia.

  “Did we not just discuss your future, Caleb? A future where you stop raising everything and using it as a weapon?” Garcia said, his eyes on Clyde, along with his gun, but his words were all for me.

  I was getting tired of Garcia.

  “Why don't you get your gun off my zombie?” I said disrespectfully.

  Clyde hissed at Garcia, his black mouth opening, decay wafting out in an errant rush.

  Dammit, I couldn't let emotion rule because Clyde was tuned into my frequency, wasn't he?

  “Clyde, cool it, I got this.”

  Clyde straightened, his dead gaze glittering on Garcia, taking his measure. Garcia didn't know it but Clyde was calculating range, not judgment.

  Zombies weren't huge on ambivalence.

  “Caleb...” Dad said, warning me about my behavior.

  I gave him a look, and he looked back, watch it, pal.