Maybe he didn’t know about this. Maybe no one knows.
Caleb swallowed thickly and was about to turn away when doors lining the left wall of the cave caught his attention. They were metal with a square, glass window. There wasn’t anything overly special about them, but a bad feeling caused ice to form in his veins. He stepped into the room toward one of the doors.
The RBZs didn’t acknowledge his presence. They continued to do what they were doing, standing around staring blankly into space or swaying gently. As Caleb approached the door, coldness settled over his body, freezing him in place. A soft white night light lit the room beyond, silhouetting everything inside. With a lump in his throat, he placed his fingers on the window frame and peered in. The room was set up just like his, with four beds and some closet space, but it also had an extra space at the back for a bathroom. There were shapes on the beds—human shapes. Were these the “volunteers” Dr. Maudas pulled from to conduct his experiments? It made sense if they were, but Caleb needed to let them know their pursuit was in vain. He reached for the handle to enter the room, but the door wouldn’t budge. It was locked. His feeling of dread grew. His suspicions of Dr. Maudas’s work increased. These people looked like prisoners rather than voluntary test subjects. It didn’t make a difference. Caleb couldn’t do anything to help them.
A hand, overly large and heavy, clapped down on Caleb’s shoulder. He suppressed a scream as he whirled around. The creature grunted as it took Caleb in, and Caleb stared at it with wide eyes, his heart pounding in his ears. As he took in the large form, familiarity crept over him. The creature looked familiar. Caleb’s eyes drifted up and down the enormous body, noticing the bruising around the wrists that would never heal, then stopping on the cut marks on the creature’s forearm. Caleb’s breath caught in his throat. His eyes darted up to the head. The creature’s hair was becoming unruly, parts of it sticking out in various directions. A thin layer of dust coated the dark strands, but Caleb still saw the touches of gray at the temples. This RBZ had been the man on the table in Dr. Maudas’s lab—the man his blood changed.
Was it here to enact its revenge? Did it realize Caleb had been the reason it turned into this? He stared at the creature, his heart fluttering in his chest, his breathing coming in quick pants. It wouldn’t take much for the creature to take him down. It could easily crush Caleb’s skull. Caleb wouldn’t fight; he wouldn’t scream. It would be his penance for the wrong he committed.
The creature didn’t make any other movements. It just stood there, staring over Caleb’s head, its mouth agape. Several moments passed. A few drops of drool dripped from the creature’s mouth and plinked onto the floor.
“If you’re going to kill me, kill me,” Caleb whispered.
The creature didn’t flinch. With disgust, Caleb threw off the creature’s hand and ran up the path back into the lab.
He didn’t wedge himself back under his bed. Instead, he found himself in the center of the lab running his hands down his face. He spun, taking in every machine, beaker, and scientific instrument in the room. The urge to tear the computers from the wall and smash everything coursed through him. Once everything was broken, he would then light the whole place on fire, burn every shred of experimental equipment to ash.
He panted as the urge to destroy balled his hands into fists and heated his face. The only thing keeping him from bringing it all down was the fact the noise would no doubt bring the RBZs in to stop him. Their presence—what they could do—took some of the fire out of his veins. Still, he needed to vent some of his anger, so he flipped over the tray with all the monitoring equipment Dr. Maudas used on him. It clanged onto the floor with an obnoxiously loud sound. He then turned to the computer where the pictures of his scan had been. He grabbed the reflex hammer from the floor and smashed it into the computer screen over and over until it cracked and then broke.
Caleb miscalculated how much effort it would take to break a computer with a reflex hammer. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and he panted with exhaustion. On the plus side, most of his frustration had leaked out of him, but on the negative side, he really wanted to destroy more lab equipment. He grabbed the handle of a drawer and ripped it out. Pens and pencils few across the room, clinking onto the floor in a spastic fashion. Caleb plopped onto the stool and placed his head in his hands. As he stared at the floor, he noticed the Exacto knife by his shoe. It had a thin blue handle with a clear lid over the triangle-shaped blade. Slowly, he bent down and picked it up off the floor.
As he stared at the blade, visions of the cabin flooded his mind. His gaze drifted to the tattoos on the inside of his wrist. It was the ultimate escape. It was the most effective way to guarantee he wouldn’t hurt anyone else. The lid came off with a soft popping sound. The blade was sharp, slicing into the pad of his thumb with a cut no thicker than a paper cut but went much deeper. Blood beaded on his flesh, and Caleb stuck his thumb in his mouth before it could drip onto the floor. Sadly, his own blood tasted like copper, not the salted chocolate he expected. When the sensation faded, he removed his thumb from his mouth and then replaced the lid on the blade. He stood and turned to head to his room.
Right before taking a step, a soft smacking sound bounced off the walls. It was so faint, Caleb wasn’t sure he’d actually heard it. He cocked his head to the side and held his breath. It sounded again, followed by a soft moaning. He turned to the cave entrance, thinking the RBZs had finally come to investigate the ruckus. They weren’t there. A moan sounded again, slightly louder and to Caleb’s right. He turned his head and noticed Samuel. With soft steps, Caleb approached the bed.
Samuel’s eyes tracked Caleb as he walked to the side of the bed. Feebly, he raised his hand toward Caleb but didn’t have the strength to keep it up. It flopped back onto the mattress. Samuel opened and closed his mouth, his lips smacking together as if to indicate he was thirsty. A hazy memory of Caleb waking from his fever sleep in Matt’s bunker ran through his mind. He had vague memories of his mouth and tongue feeling thick and coated with bile, which was washed away with cool liquid Samuel had been kind enough to bring to him. It was a time Caleb thought Samuel was still his friend, a time when Caleb thought Samuel cared.
Caleb pulled a stool next to the bed and sat down. He held Samuel in his gaze as he twirled the Exacto knife between his fingers.
CHAPTER 21
Caleb still sat next to Samuel’s bed when Dr. Maudas entered the lab the next morning. He stepped through the door and surveyed the damage, placing his hands on his hips. He spun slowly to take it all in. When his gaze fell on Caleb, his jaw muscles tightened. Caleb leaned an elbow on the mattress, trying to act nonchalant. Anxiety coursed through him. He didn’t know what was going to happen or exactly how Dr. Maudas was going to react. But if he needed to, Caleb was going to use Samuel as leverage.
“Do you feel better?” He pointed his open palms at the floor and circled his hands in front of him. Dr. Maudas kept his voice calm, but the red creeping into his cheeks said he was anything but.
Caleb responded by pulling the lid off the blade of the Exacto knife. Once again, it came free with a small pop.
The doctor narrowed his gaze to figure out what was in Caleb’s hands. He huffed when he recognized the object. “And just what do you think you are going to do?”
“I don’t plan on using it at all. Assuming you cooperate.”
Caleb didn’t want to hurt anyone, but he would if he had to. He just wanted some answers.
Dr. Maudas folded his arms across his chest.
His pompous attitude. Caleb wanted to knock the doctor down a few pegs. He shook his head.
“I guess you’re not aware of how serious this situation is.” He turned to Samuel.
The head of the bed rose with a soft whirring sound until Samuel was almost completely upright. He waved feebly at his grandfather.
Dr. Maudas’s mouth dropped open. “Samuel? You’re awake?” He took a step forward.
Caleb pointed the blade in the
doctor’s direction. “Not yet.”
Dr. Maudas stopped. “I have to check him out. I—”
“He’ll be fine for a while. He’s been awake for hours.”
For the most part, Caleb’s words were true. Samuel’s condition had improved since first waking up. He was far from being able to climb out of bed on his own, but he had regained some smaller movements and a bit of his strength. He might have been able to speak, but his throat was probably dry. Caleb never got him a glass of water.
Dr. Maudas narrowed his eyes. “You have nothing if you kill him.”
With a quick flick of his wrist, Caleb sliced the blade across Samuel’s forearm. A thin slice of blood slid its way to the mattress. Both Samuel and Dr. Maudas sucked in sharp breaths.
A sense of satisfaction and revulsion ran through Caleb. He didn’t want to hurt Samuel, but at the same time, he did. If anyone deserved it, it was Samuel. He had orchestrated so many of the events bringing Caleb to this point. So many lies, so much deceit. He was the embodiment of Caleb’s anger and frustration. Caleb was fully aware Samuel’s death wouldn’t change anything—he wouldn’t gain his freedom, and those who had died wouldn’t come back—but Caleb would feel a sense of satisfaction knowing Samuel had paid the ultimate price for his misdeeds. However, he was also aware he would pay too by becoming the object of Dr. Maudas’s wrath. He didn’t want that either.
Caleb placed the tip of the blade into the pad of his index finger and turned it just enough to draw a drop of blood. He held Dr. Maudas’s stare.
“There are worse things than dying.”
The doctor took a deep breath and placed his hands behind his back. He stood silently and waited for Caleb to continue.
“I found the other cave.”
“Oh? I didn’t know I was keeping it a secret.”
Still, the doctor had an attitude! Caleb cocked his head to the side and pursed his lips. If the doctor kept up the attitude, Caleb was going to have to up his threats—and he wasn’t sure he wanted to. So much would change if he gave in to his desires—and not in a good way. How much of his humanity would he lose turning Samuel?
How much do you think you have left?
The thought turned his stomach. Samuel was a terrible, horrible person who probably deserved to die—especially after killing Rachel—but Caleb didn’t want to be the one who did it. It wasn’t his job to judge.
The only other choice is being stuck here forever.
Caleb cleared his throat to silence the voice in the darkness. “Who are the people in the cells?”
Dr. Maudas smirked. “I don’t know.”
Caleb tapped the Exacto blade against Samuel’s arm. Dr. Maudas visibly stiffened, and Samuel tried to move his arm away, but Caleb grabbed his wrist with his other hand. Samuel’s wrist felt thin and fragile beneath Caleb’s grasp. If he twisted his hand quickly, he could snap Samuel’s bones. He tightened his grip until his fingers ached.
“I honestly don’t know,” Dr. Maudas said quickly. “I send the RBZs to collect specimens, and they go. I have no idea where they collect them from. The only time I have any contact with them is after they’ve been sedated, and I’m ready to run my experiments.”
Caleb frowned. He contemplated asking what type of experiments, but he had his suspicions what those were. Caleb released Samuel’s wrist. His fingers left indentations in Samuel’s flesh.
“Why do you have so many RBZs? I thought only a small percentage of people had the genetic anomaly to create them.”
“They do. Through research and experiments, I was able to determine what the anomaly is. I then created a way to introduce the anomaly into others, so I can create RBZs at will.”
Hearing the words confirmed Caleb’s worst fears. Caleb fought the urge to jump out of his seat and slice the blade across the doctor’s neck. It was bad enough to have people unable to die, but to turn them into giant abominations on purpose was unfathomable. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and tightened his grip on the Exacto knife handle. Maybe he could turn the situation around to his and the world’s benefit.
“So, you could find what kind of anomaly I have and replicate it, making others immune.”
“In theory.” He glanced at the broken equipment at his feet. “But between your temper tantrum and the other complications—” He snapped his mouth shut and turned his gaze from Caleb.
Caleb lowered his eyebrows. “What complications?”
Dr. Maudas toed some of the broken glass from the computer screen. “Now who knows how long it will take me to get caught up.”
Caleb pressed his eyebrows together and leaned forward. “What complications?” He said the worlds slowly and loudly.
Dr. Maudas’s gaze drifted from Caleb’s face to his hands to see where the blade was. Caleb waved it over Samuel’s arm. The doctor sighed.
“It seems one of your friends has decided to out you to the world.”
Caleb’s forehead wrinkled in confusion.
“Jan went to the media and told them everything, including about some of the experiments Zomtech has been conducting. She even offered a reward for your safe return.” Dr. Maudas huffed, as if the idea was beyond ludicrous.
Caleb’s heart rate increased. Visions of Jan’s smiling face and the time he had pizza with her after being in the zombie ghetto ran through his mind. The flesh on his arm warmed as he remembered her touch as she wrapped his bite in gauze. It had been different then, still fresh, still raw and sensitive. She was alive! Samuel hadn’t done anything to her. She must have disappeared after Samuel found them at the pizza place. She was trying to help him! Was it possible? Were there actually people in the world who cared about him? Maybe. If nothing else, Caleb wanted to find out—and the fact it was Jan made his heart skip a beat.
No one is going to find you hidden away in a cave.
Caleb’s excitement faltered. Jan’s heart was in the right place, but it wouldn’t make a difference. It might have made things worse. Now everyone would know about him, making him a target for more people’s selfish ends.
“Everyone with access to a TV or radio is going to be looking for you. They may or may not hand you over for the reward.”
Caleb stared at Dr. Maudas hard. “I didn’t ask her to.”
“Oh, I’m fully aware. You’ve been in our possession long enough for me to know you had nothing to do with this … inconvenience.”
“I don’t understand how this affects you. We’re hidden far enough away to not draw attention.”
“No man lives on an island, Caleb. I have to get supplies from somewhere. I’ve been able to lay low, but now considering I need another computer, suspicions might be raised.”
“How long has this been going on?”
Dr. Maudas sniffed. “A few days.”
Caleb dropped the Exacto blade on the mattress. Dr. Maudas stared at it for a moment, his hands unclasping from his back, then shifted back to Caleb’s face. Caleb shrugged.
“I found out what I wanted to know.”
There was little comfort in having his questions answered. It probably wasn’t going to change his situation, but at least the experiments would stop for a while. Dr. Maudas couldn’t do much without equipment. He would no doubt get more, but it would take a while. Perhaps while they waited, he could figure out how to release the prisoners in the other cave.
He stood from his chair and headed for the TV room. Behind him, he heard Dr. Maudas rush to Samuel’s side. Anger and jealousy flared within him, but he pushed it down. There was no point feeling anything anymore. He had considered taking the blade into the locker room and ending it all, but part of him wanted to know if the doctor told the truth about Jan. He’d never get the answer if he were dead.
He plopped onto the couch and turned on the TV. He switched to the news channel and was rewarded with seeing a picture of Jan’s face. Her hair was down, instead of in her customary ponytail, and framed her face. Her wide eyes glistened with tears.
“—his name is
Caleb, and he’s a human being. He’s our only hope against the undead threat, and I’m asking you to help me find him. He’s in serious danger.” She paused to tuck her hair behind her ear.
A small smile touched Caleb’s lips. If only her actions could have a positive outcome. If he ever saw her again, he wouldn’t hesitate to give her a hug. He lowered his gaze to his lap. It was a shame he would never see her again. An ache settled in the center of his chest, desperation weighed heavily on his mind. He may have been a threat to humanity, but he needed human contact. Caleb would have given anything for someone to wrap their arms around him and tell him everything was going to be all right. He wouldn’t have believed it, but the compassion would have been nice. It was more than he deserved, a fact made apparent to him with every passing day, and it pushed him farther away from humanity—right to the edge. The universe was determined to force him into solitude, and being alone was probably the most fitting place for him after what he’d become and what he’d done.
With no one around to comfort him, he wrapped his arms around his chest. His fingers touched his back, right near his shoulder blades, and the cold from the tips seeped through his shirt. The ache in his chest grew. He closed his eyes and took in a shaky breath.
A dull boom echoed through the cave. Caleb’s head shot up, and he slid to the edge of the couch. He turned off the TV to hear better. Several small pops reached his ears. They sounded muffled, as if coming from underwater. Caleb had heard those sounds so many times before; gunshots.
He headed back to the lab. Before opening the door, the scent of smoke drifted into his nostrils. As he pushed it open, the haze was just beginning to fill the room. A sense of urgency coursed through him. He needed to know what had happened to Dr. Maudas and Samuel—if only to confirm their deaths.
Saving Humanity Series (Book 2): Edge of Humanity Page 17
