Saving Humanity Series (Book 2): Edge of Humanity

by Sinclair, Pembroke

  “It would be easier if you sat nicely as opposed to having one of the RBZs hold you down.”

  The thought of making the blood draw difficult for the doctor had its appeal. It would be Caleb’s way of protesting the situation and being defiant. But it was also pointless. Dr. Maudas would still get what he wanted, and Caleb would end up bruised and exhausted. Besides, he wanted answers too. If nothing else, this was an opportunity to get them.

  “And then what?”

  The doctor swallowed the bite in his mouth. “I’m sure you’re tired and had a long day. I’ll show you to your room.”

  Caleb picked up his utensils and stabbed at his food. Being left alone for a while sounded appealing also. It might give him a chance to explore.

  Or escape.

  “What is this place?”

  “A high-security research facility.”

  Caleb scoffed inwardly. He didn’t expect Dr. Maudas to open up and reveal all his secrets, but the man could have been slightly more forthcoming with information. It wasn’t like Caleb had the opportunity to rush out and tell the world about this place. Undeterred, Caleb continued with his questions.

  “Is it yours?”

  “Yes.”

  Caleb raised an eyebrow and stared at him. “What kind of work requires a facility like this?”

  “At this point in time, it doesn’t matter. Now, it is being used to find a zombie cure.” He focused on his plate and sliced his ham into tiny pieces.

  Caleb watched him and felt his discomfort grow. The man was meticulous, unrushed. He was hidden away in a cave built specifically for him. There was no doubt he knew the place like the back of his hand. There was no telling what this man was capable of doing—what he had done. No one knew Caleb was there. He came into the cave being standoffish and defiant, but it wasn’t because he was brave. On the contrary, he acted out of fear. He wished he could face what was going to happen with his head held high, but he wasn’t strong enough.

  Keep your wits about you. Don’t let fear drive your actions.

  He took a deep breath and forced the fear into his stomach where it settled like a rock. There was nothing else he could do until an opportunity presented itself. Until then, he had to do what he could to stay coherent and mobile.

  CHAPTER 14

  Caleb’s room was through a door at the back of the kitchen. There were several bedrooms surrounded a communal TV room. Caleb was surprised at how cozy this part of the cave was. It was still covered in tile and lit by fluorescent lights, but rugs covered parts of the floor, and the furniture was upholstered in slightly tattered and faded suede, but it was still more comfortable than the metal stools in the dining room.

  The large bedrooms had enough space to hold eight people, with bunk beds stacked against the wall. In total, the rooms could house sixty-four people. Caleb imagined the vast majority of them being scientists. For a moment, he wondered where they were and if Dr. Maudas had done something to them, but he pushed the thought away. He didn’t want to know. It was better if he just imagined they never made it to the cave and were working at Zomtech. The closet had ample space, and surprisingly, Caleb found clothes hanging in there. Shockingly, they were in his size. He shuddered to think Dr. Maudas had been planning his arrival for a while.

  There was nothing else of interest in the room, and he wanted to know as much as he could about his surroundings, so he decided to explore the cave. He meandered through the living quarters and into the kitchen, then to the lab. Disappointingly, there wasn’t anything else. He wanted something. Trapdoors, secret tunnels, a ladder leading to a lookout higher on the mountain, or maybe a helicopter landing pad. Anything would have helped him feel less isolated from the rest of the world.

  You’ve been isolated for a long time. How is this any different?

  Caleb frowned. He’d been emotionally and mentally isolated from others, but they were still present. This physical isolation drove home how lonely he really was. Dr. Maudas certainly didn’t count as a connection. Caleb didn’t doubt the doctor viewed him as a subject—an experiment—and the idea certainly didn’t make Caleb feel any less isolated.

  In the lab, Dr. Maudas ran tests on Samuel. He had drawn Caleb’s blood right after dinner. It reminded him of the draws he had to do at Zomtech. He turned away to keep thoughts of death and self-harm from his mind. At the moment, Dr. Maudas was preparing to insert Samuel into an MRI machine—at least it looked like an MRI to Caleb. It wasn’t a huge metal tube like he had seen before, but a ring that made a loud whirring noise. So much of the equipment was unfamiliar to him. Part of him wanted to ask what it was all used for, but the other part was afraid to know.

  Dr. Maudas was engrossed in his work, so Caleb decided to take his chances walking out of the cave. The tunnel loomed in front of him, causing sweat to rise on his skin and his heart rate to increase. The thought of the walls closing in on him ran through his mind. He hesitated for a moment. He wasn’t sure why it caused him so much distress. After all, he was heading out, not in.

  This could be your chance. Don’t miss the opportunity to take it.

  But then I might not get answers about who or what I am.

  Ah, there it was. The fear he might be missing an opportunity to know about his immunity. If he walked away, he might never know what he was capable of.

  What’s more important? Your freedom or information?

  Caleb took a deep breath and stepped tentatively toward the tunnel. He glanced over his shoulder, expecting to see Dr. Maudas rushing toward him to stop him. He was still engrossed in his study. Caleb turned back to the tunnel and took a few more steps. Shadows crept out of the tunnel toward him. A few more steps and he would be engulfed in the blackness. He took them, then stopped in the dark, waiting to see what would happen next. He held his breath. Visions of RBZs attacking him projected onto his mind’s eye, causing sweat to drip down his back. His lungs burned for air, so he sucked in a silent stream between his teeth. Several more minutes passed, and nothing happened, so Caleb rushed down the tunnel. He kept his gaze forward and his feet moving to avoid being crushed by the rock walls.

  A cool breeze touched Caleb’s face, and he practically ran the last few steps into the night air. A deeper, blacker darkness surrounded him as he stepped out of the cave. Night blanketed the mountains, casting sharp peaks in shadow. Through the cracks, the night glowed with stars, but their light had a hard time reaching Caleb. They did little to break up the darkness and fill him with comfort. He shuddered. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t navigate his way down the mountain. He couldn’t even tell which way he needed to go to shimmy through the rocks— the thought caused his stomach to tingle with nervousness. Climbing was out of the question. He looked up. The rock faces nearest him seemed vertical in the dark. Caleb had never been a good climber, so he was sure he would struggle during the day. At night, it would be impossible. The weight of despair settled over him.

  A grunt drew his attention over his shoulder, and he turned to see the outline of an RBZ. It was barely discernable from the rocks but conspicuous enough to let Caleb know he shouldn’t try anything. He figured Dr. Maudas wasn’t dumb enough to leave any escape route open, but it was also good to know exactly what he would face if he ever attempted to run away.

  Footsteps crunched on the rocks in the cave behind Caleb. They were light and purposeful, so he assumed they belonged to the doctor. Caleb didn’t turn; he directed his gaze upward.

  “If you’re having difficulty sleeping, I can give you something.”

  Caleb’s thoughts drifted to the bottles of pills on his nightstand in his apartment in the city. He’d never wanted to take them before because he was afraid he would be unaware if something happened. If zombies attacked, he wanted to be able to fight. Now, it wouldn’t make a difference. Zombies wouldn’t touch him. He would be perfectly safe.

  The prospect had its appeal. A full night’s sleep would probably clear his head, give him the opportunity to look at his situation
from a different perspective. The last time he’d gotten really good rest was after he’d been bitten, and Matt had given him a muscle relaxer. He thought he had a clear enough mind to make the right decision then of what he needed to do. He had been convinced going back to the city for answers was a good choice. It didn’t turn out to be. Maybe being fully rested only led to the illusion he was making good decisions.

  His thoughts drifted to Matt’s bunker and compared it to this one. Aside from being bunkers, they didn’t have much else in common, but Caleb couldn’t help but wonder if they were part of a network. While they weren’t connected, like with underground tunnels—although it would be the best thing ever—Caleb didn’t doubt they were connected. It wouldn’t have surprised him if Matt’s bunker was the lookout post for this lab. It certainly had a military feel to it, and it was more than likely in line of sight to this place. If someone tried to attack here, it wouldn’t be difficult for soldiers to be deployed from there to defend the lab. It made sense in Caleb’s mind. It would also explain how Matt knew so much about him.

  Although, Caleb had to remind himself he wasn’t sure Matt knew about this place. He didn’t mention it or recognize Samuel.

  Why would he mention it? Why would he give away his intentions? And not recognizing Samuel doesn’t mean Matt doesn’t know Dr. Maudas.

  Caleb hadn’t thought about Matt being a bigger part of all of this. But, Samuel had tried his hardest to keep Caleb away from Matt, and if anyone knew if Matt was connected to this place, it was Samuel. So, he wasn’t connected to this place.

  Or they did recognize each other and pretended not to so they could capture you. You were right not to trust him.

  Maybe Matt was in his bunker to keep an eye on this place, and he and Samuel and Dr. Maudas all worked together. Or maybe he didn’t even know this lab existed. Perhaps Caleb was getting as bad as Samuel’s conspiracy theory friends. The thoughts made his skull ache. There was no point worrying about it, so why was he?

  You need to be by yourself. You know you can trust you.

  Caleb turned to Dr. Maudas. “You figure anything out with Samuel?”

  He folded his hands behind his back. “He had been well taken care of before he got here, so I’m thankful to whomever it was who helped you. Unfortunately, there’s nothing more I can do for him. I’m not even sure he’ll wake up.” As much as he tried, Dr. Maudas couldn’t keep the emotion out of his voice, and Caleb picked up on it.

  “Are you two close?”

  Dr. Maudas cleared his throat. “Samuel is my grandson.”

  A pang of jealousy ran through Caleb. After all the horrible things Samuel had done, the murder he committed—maybe murders, Caleb didn’t know what had happened to Jan—he still had family in the world. Someone to love and take care of him, to worry about him and protect him. It wasn’t fair. Karma should have made him pay for his horrible deeds.

  Well, technically, he probably is.

  The thought brought a small smile to Caleb’s lips, but it didn’t make him feel better. It didn’t lead to his freedom or give him back his family. Hearing Samuel may or may not wake up didn’t illuminate whether Caleb should attempt to escape. Nothing had changed.

  “Well, that explains how you were able to access the information from Zomtech.” Caleb didn’t even try to keep the scorn out of his tone.

  “Yes, it was quite a benefit to having him in working there.” He rocked back on his heels. “I always theorized people like you existed; it was just a matter of time before you showed up.”

  “And you gave yourself plenty of time to put yourself in a position of power.”

  Dr. Maudas responded with silence which lasted for several long moments. Caleb thought he had hit a nerve with his comment, but he couldn’t be sure. Dr. Maudas seemed smart, in control. He wasn’t going to give anything away. Caleb was positive the doctor didn’t have a sentimental side, except for Samuel, so there was no sense trying to appeal to it.

  “I know you’re a smart boy, Caleb. Samuel has told me all about your abilities with computer code.” He turned so his whole body faced Caleb. “Which means I’m sure I don’t have to tell you your chances of escape are slim. These mountains can be treacherous, and they are patrolled by RBZs.”

  Caleb turned his head to look at the doctor, but in the darkness, he couldn’t see the man’s face. He imagined his expression was stern with a hint of pompousness.

  “It’s not like I have anywhere to go anyway.”

  Caleb turned and headed inside the cave. With quick steps, he proceeded through the tunnel and into his room. Closing the door gently, he let the smile play across his lips. Dr. Maudas intended his words to be threatening in the nicest way possible, but they were also chalked full of information. It occurred to Caleb Dr. Maudas was probably withholding some information about the security of the area. He was also smart, but given time—which, at the moment, was all Caleb had—he’d figure it out.

  And then what?

  He strolled across the room and plopped onto one of the bottom bunks. Folding his hands across his stomach, he slowed his breathing and closed his eyes. Exhaustion quickly took over, and he drifted to sleep.

  * * * *

  Caleb stared at Payton’s corpse. His throat tightened, and nausea entered his stomach. The desire to apologize surged through him, but the words died in his throat. They were futile at this point. They wouldn’t bring him back. He’d helped him by putting him down before he had the chance to come back, to turn. Still, the thought did little to comfort him.

  The bathroom door flew open and slammed into the tiles. The bang echoed through the bathroom, causing Caleb to jump and raise his gun to take care of any threat that might be after him. His father’s wide eyes surveyed the scene. He swallowed visibly before his gaze fell on Caleb.

  “You okay?”

  Caleb lowered his weapon, his shoulders slouched. He wanted to tell him no. He wanted to say he couldn’t live like this anymore, and the stress and strain of running from the living dead was pushing him toward a psychotic break. He wanted to tell his dad about the voice whispering in his brain. Instead, he nodded slowly.

  Placing his back against the door, his father gestured for him to leave the room. Caleb complied, and the pair stepped into the wide expanse of the warehouse. Running, they joined the rest of the group at the back of the building. The all stared wide-eyed, fear apparent on their faces, their gazes darting to every corner of the building, flinching with every sound.

  “We’ve got to get out of here. This place has been compromised.” His mom spoke quickly as if she would run out of time to say the words.

  “You’re right,” his father agreed. “Take everyone and head for higher ground.”

  “What about you? What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to stay here and wait for the others. I can’t let them walk into this mess without warning.”

  Several members of their group had decided to check out the other warehouses in the area to see what kind of supplies they could find. Six of them had headed out, and they’d been gone for over an hour. The zombies had attacked shortly after they’d left. If Caleb had time to think about the situation, he would comment on how lucky they were to get out while they could. Assuming, of course, they were still alive.

  His mom shook her head, Caleb’s heart leapt into his throat, tears filled Nina’s eyes.

  “No, Dad. You won’t make it.”

  The possibility existed the other six weren’t lucky and had run into the undead on their way out. Perhaps this was how the creatures had gotten into the warehouse. The others from their group could be dead; waiting for them would be a fruitless and potentially deadly endeavor. But Caleb—like his dad—preferred to assume they were still alive. It kept him from completely losing his mind.

  Footsteps sounded behind the group, a steady cadence of death.

  “There’s no time. You’ve got to go now.”

  One by one, Caleb’s dad turned the survivors
around and pushed them out the door. There were four of them left. They didn’t fight or protest the action, knowing full well what was after them. This at least gave them a clear conscience. Later, when they replayed the scene through their minds, they could convince themselves they’d done all they could to help. They were physically turned and pushed away. Caleb understood. No one wanted to face a horde of zombies. No one was that stupid. But life sometimes demanded the impossible. Hesitantly, they left. His dad turned to him.

  “You too, son.”

  Caleb shook his head. “I’m staying with you.”

  His father pressed his lips together and stared. Caleb didn’t doubt he wanted to protest, but the footsteps drew closer. There wasn’t enough time for an argument.

  “There’s a freezer over here. It should keep us safe. It’s got a thick, reinforced metal door.”

  Caleb nodded before the two ran for their sanctuary.

  CHAPTER 15

  Caleb didn’t know what time it was when he woke up. His room didn’t have a clock, and he had no way to look outside from his bed. He figured it was early. It felt early. He could attempt to get some more rest, but he knew his body wouldn’t allow it. Besides, he felt pretty good; alert and ready for what the day might bring. There was no question it would involve hanging out with Dr. Maudas and having a multitude of tests run on him. Would the doctor expect him to shower? Caleb decided he should probably change out of the scrubs; they were growing beyond fresh, and if he was going to change, he might as well shower. The locker room was at the end of the hall a few doors from his room, it wouldn’t take him long to get there. With a sigh, he rolled out of bed and trudged toward the shower.

  After drying his hair, Caleb balled up the towel and tossed it at the hamper across the room. He missed. With a sigh, he walked to it and placed it in the container. He also placed his borrowed scrubs in there and changed into a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt he found in the closet. Despite the fact he was in a cave, the place was comfortably warm, almost making him forget rock completely surrounded him. He walked to the living area and plopped down on the couch. It sunk beneath him, enveloping him in softness, and the faint smell of dust tickled his nostrils. He stared at the TV, wondering if it worked or picked up any channels. With a shrug, he pointed the remote at the screen and clicked on.