Saving Humanity Series (Book 2): Edge of Humanity

by Sinclair, Pembroke

  Samuel turned as he shoveled a bite in his mouth and stared back a Caleb. “You plotting my demise?” he asked around the food in his mouth.

  Caleb shook himself from his memories and let his face relax. However, he continued to hold Samuel in his gaze.

  “What is going to happen to Zomtech’s computers now that we aren’t working to keep them running?”

  Samuel shrugged. “They’ll be fine for a while. They have what they need to run the basics. At some point, I’m sure they’ll hire new programmers.”

  “You don’t think they’ll miss us? Wonder where we’ve gone?”

  Samuel shook his head slowly. “Everything has been taken care of, Caleb.”

  The thought sent a shock of fear through Caleb’s body. His nonchalance about the situation made Caleb think Samuel really didn’t care what happened to Zomtech. Now that he had Caleb, he had everything he needed to fight the zombie scourge. If the rest of science failed due to the lack of technology, Samuel still had the chance to be the world’s hero, but the plan seemed flawed. Samuel needed the technology as well to figure out what Caleb was. He needed the labs and all the equipment to be as advanced as possible.

  “So where do we go from here?”

  Samuel swallowed the food in his mouth and took a drink of water. “We figure out exactly what you’re capable of.”

  “And how do you plan on doing that?”

  Visions of Samuel hooking Caleb up to various machines and stabbing him with needles ran through his mind. Scientists in white coats with masks covering half of their faces milled around him, taking notes on clipboards.

  Samuel smiled. “It won’t be as bad as you imagine.”

  Caleb huffed. “I wish I could believe you.”

  Samuel shoved more food into his mouth. “And it won’t be here.”

  Caleb’s muscles tightened. “What? Why?”

  Samuel pushed his eyebrows together and held his hand with the fork out to his side. “We need a secure facility and better technology to figure out what’s going on.”

  Confusion coursed through Caleb. He glanced around the apartment as if the answer was floating somewhere in the room. There was no place with better technology than Zomtech, it was the most technologically advanced and secure building in the city.

  Samuel laughed around the food in his mouth. “You’ll understand soon. Don’t worry.”

  The words did little to comfort Caleb. He was extremely worried.

  CHAPTER 3

  An ice ball settled in Caleb’s stomach. Wide-eyed, he turned his gaze from Samuel and focused out the window. It scared him to think there was a place in the world more secure and more advanced than Zomtech—and no one knew about it. Caleb would be completely at their mercy. There would be no hope of rescue. No one would know where he was. If it turned out he couldn’t help the world, no one would ever know about him. He swallowed thickly. He’d always had a sense of insignificance, but his gift was a chance to change that. But as all the possibilities about what could happen ran through his mind, the sense of insignificance turned into confusion and conflict.

  Outside, hazy orange squares of light dotted the dark buildings. Caleb imagined people moving around their apartments, preparing dinner or watching TV, going on with life as normally as possible. The frozen ball grew, sending chills down his spine.

  The city wasn’t his home. It never had been. It had always been a place in the distance; a place to visit, full of fun, intrigue—and perhaps a little fear. He hesitated coming to the city after the rising, but now that he was there, he didn’t want to leave. He didn’t have much in the city, but it was more than he had out there. The gray streets and towering buildings provided him with a sense of safety, which wasn’t saying much, considering RBZs lurked in dark alleys. But it was safer than where Caleb was going. He knew the places to avoid in the city; the same couldn’t be said about this new destination.

  Caleb had never been afraid of trying new things in the before days. He always considered himself adventurous. He had dreams of skydiving and exploring caves. When he went to college, he considered joining a climbing club and scaling mountains. Seeing his friends and family torn apart had killed the adventurous side. All he wanted now was a sense of security and to know what was going to happen. He had this with routine, but it was all going to change making Caleb extremely anxious.

  His thoughts drifted to how scared he had been to have pizza with Jan and her friends after work. It seemed like ages ago, but it had been within the last few weeks. Right before the video of Rachel and him finding out about his gift. Going out after work was out of his routine, and he didn’t want to get close to anyone, but Samuel talked him into going. He wanted Caleb to go so bad, and Caleb could only assume Samuel had nefarious plans even back then. He tried to remember the details of the evening and everything Samuel had said to him, but he couldn’t figure out the end game. Maybe it was just another way for Samuel to try to weasel into Caleb’s life. He didn’t know.

  He thought about sitting at the table with the others at the pizza place. He could barely focus on the conversation because he was so worried about saying something stupid. At the same time, he learned Jan had seen his favorite movies and enjoyed them, creating a connection between the two making him feel comfortable and at ease with her. Well, as comfortable and at ease as Caleb could feel. Still, from that night, his life went downhill. He changed his routine, which changed his life. It led him to where he was now. He should have gone home.

  Too late to change it now.

  “When are we leaving?”

  Samuel took a long drink of water. “Soon enough.”

  Caleb huffed. “Soon enough? Samuel, I’m not going anywhere, and I obviously have no way of contacting anyone. Leveling with me won’t hurt you.”

  Samuel smiled. “You’re right. But there’s not a lot of fun in that.”

  Caleb tightened his fists at his sides and blew a stream of air out of his nose. The urge to lash out at Samuel overwhelmed him, but there was no point. It was obvious who was in control—and he enjoyed every minute of it.

  “Is there at least time to say goodbye?”

  Caleb had regrets about the relationships he had formed, but he didn’t want anyone worried about what had happened to him. For his peace of mind, he needed to know those he had contact with were safe.

  Samuel inhaled a quick breath and choked on the food in his mouth. He coughed and sputtered for several moments before regaining control. “To who?” he croaked.

  “Jan. Dr. Bentley.” Caleb almost mentioned Marjorie, but then figured if Samuel didn’t know about her, there was no reason to bring her into the mix.

  Samuel smirked. “There’s no reason for you to have contact with them anymore.”

  Worry settled heavily in Caleb’s stomach and caused the hair on the back of his neck to rise. It was possible Samuel had done something to his guardian and friend. Caleb wanted—needed—to see them. He had to know for sure. He couldn’t tell Samuel that. He would use it against him. Caleb had to come up with another plausible reason to see those people.

  “I know there’s not,” Caleb said quietly to keep the various emotions out of his voice. “But I’d like to. I don’t doubt they are extremely worried about me. When people are scared and concerned, they start asking questions. If they don’t get answers, they’ll make waves.” Caleb lifted his eyebrows and stared at Samuel.

  Caleb remembered how happy and relieved Dr. Bentley had been when Caleb came home after being at Matt’s bunker with a fever, so he imagined at some point Dr. Bentley would start asking questions and trying to find Caleb. It was possible he already had. The thought tightened his throat. It was probably too much to ask for. He had no idea if this tactic would work, but he desperately hoped it would.

  Samuel stopped chewing his dinner and looked at Caleb through slitted eyes. The look wasn’t angry but contemplative. Finally! Caleb hit a nerve. Samuel may have had a lot of resources at his disposal, but he didn�
�t have them all—giving Caleb the tiniest advantage.

  Samuel turned his gaze to his plate and mumbled, “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Caleb turned his gaze back out the window. The smallest hint of satisfaction attempted to loosen the knot in his stomach, but Caleb pushed it away. There was still an incredibly long road ahead of him, and being able to say goodbye to Jan and Dr. Bentley was nothing. It wasn’t like he could send them a secret message about what was really going on. Samuel would see to it he was watched like a hawk. The only thing the meeting might accomplish was easing the others’ fears and making them believe they didn’t need to look for him; making Caleb completely on his own. He lowered his head. It would destroy any chance he had of rescue. But at the same time, it would keep them from asking questions and potentially getting killed.

  Pain tightened Caleb’s chest, making it difficult to draw in air. Red swirled in front of his eyes, mixed with black dots. He grunted and felt his knees give out beneath him. If he hit the ground, he never felt it, but far in the distance, he heard someone calling his name. He wanted to respond, but darkness covered him like a thick, suffocating blanket.

  * * * *

  Caleb tried to keep his breathing under control and quiet. Every inhale and exhale seemed to grow in intensity as they bounced off the abandoned buildings. Even his footsteps seemed to scrape obscenely on the asphalt. He wore tennis shoes to minimize sound, but the silence was so thick, he felt like he wore tap shoes. He was being overly dramatic about the situation, but thinking about worst-case scenarios was going to save his life. He needed to remain vigilant and on edge.

  He glanced at the buildings surrounding him, looming over him ominously. Short, squat industrial buildings, their windows far off the ground in an efficient line going around the building. The glass was all intact, reflecting the blackness of the night. If there were undead inside, he and the other survivors would never know until they entered a building, which was why they chose places like this. The warehouses were wide open, easy to clear. They had reinforced walls and doors, easy to defend. There were multiple exits—in addition to the high windows. With a little luck, they would also be able to find supplies within the shelter.

  He pulled his gaze from the buildings and directed it down the street before him. He had run ahead as the scout to ensure the coast was clear. He had insisted. He was quick and agile, so if there were trouble, he’d be able to get away. Thankfully, the area was empty. There were no zombies because there was no prey—until now. The thought made Caleb’s skin prickle and his mouth go dry.

  You could keep going. Get far away from the others and the undead.

  Caleb squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head slightly to silence the voice. When he opened them, they fell on a group of fifteen as they headed toward him. He adjusted his grip on his gun. His palm had been sweating and then dried in the night air, so his flesh stuck to the metal. The group’s footsteps bounced off the abandoned building with scrapes, clicks, and chunks. Caleb cringed. They might as well have been blowing an air horn. He wanted to signal to them to be quieter, but he doubted it would do much good. Everyone was on edge. They wanted to find a place to rest; the sooner they were able to rest, the happier everyone would be. Once they’d settled down, they could figure out what to do next.

  Caleb’s gaze fell on the man leading the group. His dad looked tired, but despite the dark circles under his eyes, there was an alertness about him. His gaze darted around the area, scrutinizing every shadow, turning toward every sound. Like Caleb, he wore tennis shoes and moved down the street quickly on his toes. He held a gun in front of him, the barrel pointing to the ground, but his arms were tense, ready to raise the weapon and fire.

  Their eyes met, and Caleb jerked his head to the side before turning and leading the group toward a building. He stepped swiftly and silently up the ramp, frowning. He had hoped for a place with stairs to make it harder for the zombies to get in, but he couldn’t find one. The ramp made sense for the function of the warehouse. Stairs made it difficult to move supplies in and out. Perhaps if they ever got the chance to rebuild, the survivors would take these newfound construction ideas and defenses into consideration.

  He stopped at the door and placed his back against the wall. He’d checked the area outside the buildings, but he hadn’t had time to go inside. They’d have to do it as a group. At least there were more eyes to look for trouble. It paid to be cautious. He cracked open the door and peered in. The lights had been left on, and they flooded the large open space with industrial white light. The area was clear of undead. He waved the group in. They hurried past him and through the door. After the last one was through, Caleb stepped away from the door, stood at the top of the ramp, and scanned the area before him. A sense of unease tingled the hairs on the back of his neck.

  Something is behind you.

  Caleb turned back to the door to step into the warehouse, but it was no longer there. Instead, a rotted corpse standing 10 feet tall was. Half of the flesh on the side of its face had rotted away, revealing the gray, cracked bone beneath. The black socket where the eye had been bored into Caleb’s soul. The creature reached forward with blackened fingers and grabbed Caleb around the arms. Before he could scream, the creature bit down on Caleb’s skull with a sickening crunch.

  * * * *

  Caleb shot up and inhaled a sharp breath. Stars danced in front of his eyes, nausea gripped his stomach. He brought his hand to his forehead and felt the slick sheen of sweat. As his vision cleared, the fuzzy grayness of the room manifested before him. It was barely large enough to hold the bed and dresser. A door sat open to his left, revealing the bathroom beyond. The walls were empty. A door was in front of him, and Caleb assumed it led to the rest of the house. He blinked slowly.

  Where am I?

  He lifted the sheet off his body, then swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Resting his elbows on his knees, he placed his head in his hands. The sweat dried into a gritty layer. Visions from the dream lingered in his mind, causing goosebumps to form on his arms. He attempted to push the images away and remember what led up to this moment. His mind felt hazy, like the gray in the room.

  And then he remembered.

  He was in Samuel’s apartment. Above Zomtech. But what had caused him to pass out?

  You’re too weak to handle this.

  Caleb ran his hands down his face and stood. He stepped into the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. He stayed bent over the sink, the water dripping into the drain with a plinking sound, and took several deep breaths.

  Look at yourself. Look how frail you are. How pathetic.

  He tightened his grip on the sink and clenched his jaw. He refused to lift his head and look in the mirror—he didn’t want to prove the voice right. His gaze drifted to the tattoos on the inside of his wrists. The scars tingled, cold drifted up his arm. He squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t do this. He didn’t even know what he was doing.

  You never do.

  His legs went weak, and he sunk down onto the toilet. There was no point in trying. All he was going to do was screw things up.

  You already have.

  His chest became tight, right in the center, causing his breath to catch. He groaned and doubled over. His chest tightened further.

  “You all right?”

  The voice startled Caleb, and he jerked upward. Samuel stood in the doorway, a look of concern on his face. For a moment, he looked like the friend Caleb thought he had when he first received the threatening email. Part of him cried out for his friend, for someone to be concerned about him and to care. It quickly dissipated. He remembered who he dealt with—how it had all been an act.

  “I’m fine,” Caleb croaked.

  He wanted to ask why he had passed out, but he didn’t need to remind Samuel of his weakness.

  “I hope so. Get showered. We’ve got a big day ahead of us.”

  Caleb cocked his head to the side and stared up at Samuel, his lips pressed into a th
in line. The urge to ask him what they were doing bubbled up inside him, then dissipated. There was no point. Samuel wouldn’t tell him anyway. Caleb let out a slow breath through his nose.

  “Your wish is my command.”

  Samuel shook his head. “Don’t be so fatalistic, Caleb. Things aren’t as bad as you think they are.” He raised his eyebrows, as if the action would somehow reinforce his words and make Caleb feel better, then he turned and left the room.

  A bitter chuckle escaped Caleb’s lips.

  CHAPTER 4

  Caleb pressed his hands against the tiles of the shower and leaned forward. The water hit the back of his head and between his shoulder blades. He hoped the heat would relieve some of the tension. It didn’t. Nausea continued to grip his stomach, snippets of the nightmare clung to his mind. He’d been to the warehouse in real life, and those people from his dream had been with him. The only difference was there hadn’t been an RBZ. There didn’t need to be. The regulars had been enough.

  Caleb shook the memory from his mind. Rivers of water traveled over his head and down the sides of his face. He would have given anything for them to wipe his mind clear. He was tired of living with the memories, the guilt, and the fear. Now, he was in even worse shape. A pawn being moved and manipulated into an unknown future. It was bad enough to watch people he knew get torn apart or changed, but it was just as bad to know he might be able to save the rest of the world. All he had to give up was his freedom to do so. Of course, there was always the possibility he couldn’t help anyone else. Was all of this going to be in vain? Caleb barely knew how he fit into the world before his immunity; things weren’t much different now.

  And you’re too weak to change it or do anything about it.