She let out a long breath. “What did you do?”
“You don’t wanna know.”
A knock at the door stopped Val’s interrogation, and she hurried over to answer it. “Who is it?”
“Max.”
She opened the door for him, and he walked in and immediately met my gaze. “I need a word with you, Dean,” he said.
Val shot me a look, and I bit my lip hard.
“I’ll need to talk to Claire too,” Max said sternly. “Can you get her?”
“Just a minute,” Val said, walking down the hallway.
Nick came out and arched a brow. “What’s going on, Max?” he asked.
Max motioned us to the couches. “It’d be best if you all take a seat.”
Claire walked in, holding Sparkles. The look on her face told me she knew we were in major trouble, and the way Max was pacing back and forth on the oriental rug made it clear just how pissed off he really was.
Max finally stopped pacing and looked at us. “I know it’s late and that you’re all heading to bed soon, but I’ve heard some disturbing news about Dean and Claire’s little impromptu rescue mission today.”
Nick looked at me, stunned, finally noticing the bruises and cuts on my face. “What!? What the heck happened here, Dean? I left you here so you’d be safe, and then you decided to play hero and drag Claire along with you? Are you crazy?”
Max cleared his throat. “They took our guns and flamethrowers, left the perimeter of the city, and brought back fifteen survivors who were being overrun by a herd.”
“You did what?” Nick yelled, glaring at both of us.
“Please sit down, Nick,” Max said in a firm voice.
Nick immediately tried to smooth things over. “I apologize for Claire and my little brother’s actions. I had no idea they would—”
Max held up a hand to stop Nick’s tirade, then looked again at Claire and me. “Never use my equipment without my permission,” he said. “You wasted our precious supplies for people we don’t even know, and we lost one of our own to save lives I don’t even care about.”
I looked away, biting my lip.
He continued, “But what bothers me the most is that you were so willing to take our precious supplies on a crazy suicide mission. You didn’t use your heads.”
“You attacked a whole herd of those things?” Val said.
I nodded. “I had to. We needed to get Charlie out of there so we can get answers about Jackie.”
“And did you get those answers?”
“No. Charlie was too freaked out to talk to us. His wife told us to come back later.”
“This crap has to stop, Dean,” my brother roared. “You need to get your act together. This is about survival. We’ve taken so many chances to help strangers, and we’ve almost gotten ourselves killed every time. If you wanna live to see Mom and Dad, you’re going to have to stop playing Superman! I can’t bear the thought of telling them you got yourself killed trying to help a stray puppy, for goodness sake.”
Max looked at Claire. “And as for you, young lady, leaving Ralph and John like that was unthinkable. We never leave our own.”
“Well, I guess you don’t consider us your own then,” Claire said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Max asked. “If you live here, you’re one of ours.”
“We bounced out of the truck as they drove over zombies,” Claire said. “They held the others at gunpoint when they wanted to come back for us, and they drove off without us and left us with a herd on our butt. Your boys deserted us, and—”
I cut in. “They just left us out there to die, to be torn to shreds by zombies. I was bitten lots of times.”
“What!?” Val yelled. “Where?”
My brother’s eyes widened in horror, and he quickly stood to his feet again. “Dean, what happened? Where were you bitten? Why would you keep something like that from me?”
Max clapped Nick’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. He was wearing a shark suit, and the zombie can’t penetrate—”
“Let me see,” Val said to me, cutting Max off.
I rolled up my sleeve and showed her the bruises where the zombies had tried to bite me through the suit.
She grabbed her flashlight and examined my skin, then looked closely at Claire.
Nick turned to face Max. “I know you’re angry and that your supplies were used in the rescue mission, but Dean had no access to those. Maybe you better have a talk with your daughter and future son-in-law. How dare they even invite Dean without letting me know?”
“I’m eighteen,” I reminded him. “I can make my own decisions.”
“I’m talking,” he said. “And what’s this about your boys deserting Dean and Claire, leaving them out there to die? We may only be living here temporarily, but while we are here, we’re supposed to be your people too. Why did your guys just leave their own behind? You’re lucky they managed to escape, because if they hadn’t, I’d—”
Val grabbed his arm. “Stop it!”
Nick kicked the coffee table over and reached for his jacket.
“Nick!” I said.
“I need to breathe,” he shouted. “I’m getting out of here.”
“Give Lucas my love while you’re out and about,” I said.
He left and slammed the door.
Val embraced me in a tight hug. “I can’t believe this, Dean. You could have died. How could they leave you like that?”
“Under the circumstances, I’ll let this incident slide,” Max said.
“Let it slide? Aren’t you going to say anything to the so-called men who left these two to die? You said there were fifteen rescued. Dean and Claire are heroes, for goodness sake.”
“Yes, I’ll have a long, serious talk with my men. Rest assured that Ralph and John will be severely punished for their actions. As for your brother and that girl being a hero, the people they brought back were not my people. I’ve never met them in my life, but they cost us a lot of weapons and ammunition, fuel, and a good, loyal friend.”
“Steven knew them,” Claire said, “and so did Rachel.”
“Think long and hard, young lady,” Max said. “You almost died a gruesome death today…and for what? For people you’ll never most likely ever see again. Do you think they’d be mourning your death right now? Don’t ever put your life on a limb like that. Your best bet is to obey my instructions and stay here at the apartment complex until you’ve properly grieved. I still have no idea how you even survived. It’s a miracle, and I hope you learn from this experience.” He shot me a look. “And, Dean, that goes for you too. Now I have to go face his mother and break the news that her only son was killed during a senseless mission for strangers.”
“I’m sorry about your loss,” I said, swallowing hard.
“Not half as sorry as I am,” Max said before he turned to leave, shaking his head.
I looked away as the door shut; I’d never felt so guilty before.
“Dean, Claire,” Val said, “from now on, please don’t leave the apartment without telling us. We’ve got to be able to trust you on that.”
“You weren’t here,” I said.
“Don’t go beyond the perimeter,” Val said. “It’s far too dangerous out there. I can’t bear the thought of losing the two of you. Also, I wanna know what happened, from beginning to end.”
I nodded and proceeded to tell her the entire story.
Afterward, she reached for her coat.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“To find Nick.”
“Wait. I’ll come with you.”
“Fine,” she said, knowing there was no use arguing with me. “Let’s go.”
After telling Claire that we were leaving for a while, we made our way down the rope ladders and out of the lobby.
* * *
It was dark and chilly outside, and I buttoned up my coat. The guards said hello and told us that Nick was talking to Doug by the main gate. We thanked them and walked that way.
“You should’ve seen Claire,” I said. “She wasn’t the whiny, wimpy girl we know. She was fighting her butt off. She even took down a zombie in the bathroom by kicking it through the shower door and stabbing it with a shard of glass.”
“No way! Not our Claire, our little princess.”
“Yes, our Claire. I couldn’t believe it when she actually drove off and left those guys behind.”
“That isn’t like her at all,” Val said.
“I know, and she was kicking butt. Even when we were surrounded by all those zombies, she didn’t cry. She just kept fighting.”
“I noticed she’s had more of a, um…cold edge to her lately,” Val said. “I think she snapped when she lost her cousin, like when Nick lost Darla.”
“Yeah, I think so too.”
“She needs to grieve for Jackie and let go…and so do you.”
I hated that she’d brought Jackie up, because every time anyone mentioned her name, I wanted to break down inside. “I haven’t forgotten about Jackie. She’ll always be in my heart, but I can’t just sit in the apartment and cry. That’s not me. I need to be out here fighting, right next to you guys.”
“I get it. I’ll talk to Max.”
“Thanks, Val. I know he’s not very happy with me right now, but maybe my bravery will show him I can be a valuable player, an asset to his team.”
“I already know that, Dean. I’ll talk to him, but you gotta promise never to take off like that.”
It was best not to lie to her. “Val, I can’t promise that, but I’ll try, okay?”
“You’re my brother, and I love you. If you die…” Her voice trailed off, as if she was unable to even think it.
“Val, I promise I’ll talk to you first.”
She smiled. “That’s all I ask.”
We walked up to the barbed-wire fence, and Nick met my gaze. “I came out here to get away from you,” he snapped.
“Don’t be like that, Nick,” Val said.
He cocked a brow. “You talked Claire into going. How in the heck did you manage that?”
I blinked. “She wanted to save those people, especially the scientist. Like me, she wants answers about Jackie.”
“You want answers?” Nick said. “That’s what you risked your lives for?”
“Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same if it was about your murdered girlfriend,” I retorted.
“Let’s just all go back upstairs, get Claire, and talk about this calmly and rationally,” Val suggested.
Nick shook his head. “I’m not sure I’m ever gonna get you home to Mom in one piece if you keep pulling stunts like this.”
“Why do you insist on treating me like a kid?” I asked.
He paused for a moment before he finally answered, “Because I’m responsible for you, and you’ll always be my kid brother. Besides, stupid…I love you.”
“Are you’re mad at me?” I asked.
“How can I be? You’re too much like me, that’s all. You just have to be part of the action. But you can’t go on crazy missions alone, without even consulting us. You’ve done it twice, and you’ve almost died both times.”
“Are you talking about the sewer? Rachel needed my help.”
“Nick would have gone with you if you had asked,” Val said. “I couldn’t because I was in the slammer, but he and Lucas wouldn’t have let you go alone.”
“They weren’t around,” I said, “but I guess I’ve learned my lesson. I think I’ve pressed my luck enough.”
Nick slapped my back. “Well, that’s the important thing, buddy. Never go on a dangerous mission without proper backup.”
“Let’s go back inside,” Val said.
As we turned to walk back into the apartment, the nearby metal trashcan toppled over. Instinctively, I pulled out my gun and aimed. Val flashed a light, and beady white eyes glowed. The ring-tailed rodent simply hissed and inching its jaws like it had rabies. It was moving far more sluggishly and slowly than any raccoon I’d ever seen before.
“What’s wrong with it?” Val asked, staring at it.
Nick inched closer. “It’s acting like a zombie.”
It lurched toward Val’s boot, and she fired twice. With one more hiss, it slumped over. She kicked at the animal, but it didn’t even twitch.
“Oh no. You think animals are now vulnerable to the virus?” I asked, fearing the answer.
Nick examined the carcass slowly, then met my gaze. “Looks like it. It has those cursed white eyes, and it obviously wanted to make a meal outta Val’s foot. Raccoons don’t usually act like that.”
Val let out a long breath.
I swallowed hard. “So the virus has…mutated?” I asked.
“Who knows for sure? I’m not a scientist, and I don’t know what to make of it,” Nick answered.
“Do you think Max knows about this?” Val asked.
“We oughtta let him know, just in case,” Nick said. “Besides, Dean already ticked him off today, and I’m not ready to get an eviction notice. We shouldn’t keep secrets from him.”
Val nodded. “You’re right. I’ll go get him.”
Chapter 13
We met in the conference room with Max and a group of his most trusted minions. Well-placed lanterns provided plenty of light.
Nick set a sack on the table, and everyone stared curiously as he rolled the dead creature onto a blanket.
“What is it?” a man asked.
“A raccoon. It tried to take off Val’s leg, so she had to shoot it.”
“It was snapping its jaws, drooling, and had the same white eyes as the zombies,” Val added.
“Rabies?” one of the men said.
“No. We think it was…infected,” I chimed in.
“By the zombie virus?” one of the men retorted. “Are you tellin’ us animals are now susceptible?”
“That’s what we’re thinking,” Val said. “The raccoon definitely had a craving for human flesh.”
Max pondered before blurting out, “This is the last thing we need. That virus spreads like wildfire and is aggressive and possibly contagious. We have to contain it before it spreads to the entire animal population. Has anyone else seen incidents like this?”
“No,” a woman said.
“When we stayed at the lab a while back, I had lots of talks with the scientists. They said the virus can’t infect animals. They were sure of it.”
“Then how is it happening?” another woman asked.
A man sighed. “We already have to watch for zombies. Now we’re gonna have to watch for zombified animals too? What the heck is going on?”
Like everyone else in the room, I was beginning to wonder if our world would ever be safe. “If animals can be contaminated, that means every dog, cat, and household pet could become a dangerous predator.”
“It could be a fluke,” a man said.
“No,” another chimed in. “Those zombies are like cockroaches, and I’m sure the animals are no different. If we saw one, there’s more lurking around.”
“I’m gonna take this specimen to the lab and see if the scientists can figure anything out,” Nick said.
“Nick, I need you here,” Max said.
“I’ll go,” Val offered. “Dean will go with me.”
Nick nodded in agreement; it was, after all, a safer way for me to get my adventure fix. The part of the city where we were going wasn’t highly populated with zombies, and Val would be accompanying me. I didn’t need his blessing, and he couldn’t tell me no all the time, but I felt better knowing he was okay with it. Still, there was one foreseeable problem. “When Claire and I went to the lab this morning,” I said, “they wouldn’t open the door.” I didn’t fill Max in on the fact that they probably hated us for all the damage Sam and Larry had brought on.
“Maybe they were out,” Max said. “Try again. I’ll send a team with you. We’ve got no idea if there are zombies still in the lab.” He then shifted in his seat and looked around at everyone. “Nobody le
aves tonight, not until first light.”
“There are no zombies there,” I said. “When I went there the other day, I saw that the lab’s been repaired. The doors are fixed, so I’m sure they dealt with the zombie threat.”
“Take my team anyway,” Max insisted.
I nodded. “Sure thing.”
“Charlie was rescued from that house. Since he’s one of the scientists, we can start there and see what info he can give us.”
“Fine. Talk to Charlie first, and then go see the other scientists,” Max said. “Like you, I want answers. Tell the geek squad I expect a complete workup on the specimen. I know it might take a few days, but I want their best theories on what they think might be happening. You can give me a full report on your findings tomorrow night.”
Val nodded.
Max jotted down some notes. “If we truly have zombie animals running around, we could have an epidemic on our hands.”
“There has to be another explanation,” a woman said, shaking her head. “Our kids have lost so much. Now they’ll lose their pets too.”
Max turned to face her. “I pray to God they won’t, Judy.”
We spent a few more hours discussing everything, from the zombie virus to those dreaded animals. None of us had answers; all anyone could offer were opinions and fears.
* * *
We arrived back at the apartment around midnight. I glanced out my bedroom window and stared at the moon. Thoughts of Jackie drifted through my mind. I watched the patrol march back and forth outside, and that made me feel a little safer. We were on the fourth floor, in a city with a low zombie count, and there were no stairs for any of the undead to climb to get to us. For once, I would finally get some sleep that wouldn’t be disturbed by worrisome nightmares—or at least I hoped so. I was emotionally exhausted and physically drained, and since Nick was already snoring, I climbed to the top bunk and threw the Spider-Man blanket over top of me.
Chapter 14
Morning came fast, and Val’s voice served as my alarm clock; unfortunately, I couldn’t exactly smack my hand against her to activate the snooze button, because she would have smacked me back. She pulled up the shades, and bright sunshine flooded in.
The Zombie Chronicles - Book 6 - Revelation (Apocalypse Infection Unleashed Series) Page 8
