by Pam Jernigan
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Karen slowed when she reached the far side of the grassy field, and crept closer to the lights, her flashlight app still darkened, phone held close against her just in case. She could see now that she’d come to the back of a neighborhood; the light occluded as it passed behind the houses. From this distance she could make out smaller lights; looked like a convoy crawling through the empty streets. Were these the camp guys again? Maybe that’d be a good thing; if they caught her, she wouldn’t have to walk all the way. Of course, being captured was not exactly a position of strength.
She reached the backyard of an abandoned house and crept forward. Several vehicles rumbled, men and women walking next to them with flashlights. She heard a faint voice calling her name.
She recognized that voice. OMG. Jake! Karen peered around the corner of the house and spotted a familiar truck. She had to take a moment to breathe as relief swept through her, leaving her shaky. Thank you, God.
Well, if that wasn’t a sign, she didn’t know what was. She turned on the flashlight app again, aimed the light at the ground, and stepped out where she'd be visible. She got about halfway to the front before they reacted. They yelled for her to stop - fair enough. They couldn’t see who she was. Although the flashlight should have been a clue she wasn’t Mindless. She obligingly stopped, raising both hands, angling the phone away from the soldiers’ eyes.
“Identify yourself,” a sharp voice sounded as several bodies approached her.
“I’m Karen - Jake, are you there?”
The shapes stilled for a moment, then one moved forward faster. “Karen!”
“Jake! Stop.” The Commander’s voice was sterner than usual, and Jake halted. “Make sure she’s okay before you get too close.”
“You okay, Karen?” Jake asked, from a few feet away. The soldiers with him fanned out to cover her from multiple angles.
She stayed put, making no large movements. “I’m good, Jake.” Her voice wobbled a little without her permission. “Sorry to startle you, but I saw your lights and wanted to find out who you were before I identified myself.”
A larger silhouette approached, no gun in hand. From the stance and size, she assumed it to be Jake’s dad. He stepped up to her, shining a light near to but not directly into her face. “Karen?”
“Yes, sir,” she replied, smiling a little. “I am so glad to see you.”
“You sure you’re all right?”
“I’m fine,” she affirmed, her patience slipping. “It’s been a weird week. I, uh, made a new friend,” and maybe the details about that were best left for later. “His name is Leo, he saved me, and there’s a camp around here somewhere that’s doing unethical research, and they have him, and we have to go rescue him. Right now.” Her voice had gotten faster and higher-pitched without her permission, and she squeezed her lips shut to keep anything more from spilling out.
“Okay,” the commander said, motioning with one hand.
The soldiers lowered their weapons, and Jake hugged her. His arms closed around her and squeezed, and all she could think was that it didn’t feel right. She returned the embrace, though, because, well, he was her boyfriend. She should be a lot more happy to see him.
He pulled back and angled in for a kiss; she turned her head, involuntarily, at the last second and he ended up kissing her cheek. “Karen?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, walking past him towards the convoy. " But I’m really worried about Leo.”
“Tell me about this guy,” Harris ordered.
She hesitated. “Well, I was, um, rescued by these guys. Sort of soldiers but not really.” She picked her words carefully, vaguely thinking that she ought not to lie. “They took me back to their camp, which is where I’ve been all week. Got to know a few people. Met their resident mad scientist. And then two days ago,” she said, anger beginning to color her voice, ”he decided he wanted to experiment on me, trying to turn me Mindless.”
“What?” Jake put his arm around her shoulder. They walked back to the convoy where there was more illumination. Or maybe just less darkness.
“Yeah, well, mad scientist. But Leo… he got me out of there. Saved my life. Several times, actually, so I owe him.” She choked up a little, then cleared her throat and went on. “He and I escaped from the camp together. We were walking back to the city. But tonight the camp guys showed up, hunting us,” Or maybe just her, or maybe just him, but yeah, they didn’t need those details quite yet. “He told me to run and led them off in the other direction so I could get away. And I’m pretty sure they caught him.”
The commander was frowning. “You sure they didn’t kill him?”
She blinked and pressed her lips together. “No. But I think they’d want to do research on him. so we have to go rescue him. Please? There are some others, there, too.”
The commander looked doubtful and turned away to consult with a few people she couldn't identify. She tried to watch, but details dissolved in the gloom. His expression had not filled her with confidence.
“The same experiment they wanted to do on you?” Jake asked, drawing her attention back.
“Um, not exactly, but yeah, something like that. They’d experimented on this other guy; I think his name was Jamal. Afterwards, he acted pretty Mindless.” Which was literally true; he’d been acting. But if they chose to assume that this had been a change from his prior state, well, that wasn’t her fault, was it?
“Come over this way, first,” Jake coaxed. He led her towards the rear of the convoy, and shouted, “We found her!”
An excited squeal was her only warning before she was holding an armful of sister. She grabbed on tight. “KitKat. Oh, Kat, I thought I’d never see you again.”
“Me, too. Oh, my God, Karen, I was so afraid!”
“I know,” Karen soothed her, rubbing a hand up and down her back. “I was, too.” Her heart was pounding, and she felt as if she could soar through the air under her own power. Thank you, God, for keeping her safe. Just like I asked. Katrina was okay. As she absorbed that information, the tension in her stomach eased. Katrina was safe…
Karen released her sister, smiling, wiping her own tears. “You’re safe,” she repeated, and then glanced around. “Except, of course, for the fact that you’re standing in the middle of freaking nowhere - Jake, how could you?” She whirled, glaring at him.
His smile faded a touch. “I thought you’d want to see her.”
“Well, of course, I wanted to see her, but she’s more important. I wanted you to keep her safe, Jake.” She gestured at the ruined world around them. “This. Is. Not. Safe.”
Jake took a step backwards, surprised. “Calm down, Karen - she’s fine, okay?”
“You do not get to calm me down,” Karen snapped.
Katrina reached out to touch her arm. “It’s okay, Karen, really; I’m fine.”
“So far, yes,” Karen agreed, forcibly unclenching her jaw. “But it’s freaking dangerous out here, okay? Wild dogs, Mindless, mad scientists who want new lab rats.” She sputtered to a stop, closing her eyes again, trying to regain a hold on her temper.
God, she wished Leo was here right now. For multiple reasons. But he wasn’t, and the reason why ratcheted up her tension level again.
“Everybody get in a vehicle,” the commander called down the line of cars and trucks.
Katrina and Jake started towards an old Ford, but Karen pulled away from them, advancing on the commander. “Sir, are we going to rescue my friend now?” She hardly knew what answer to hope for; she was desperate to save Leo, and desperate to protect Katrina, and how could she possibly do both at once?
“We’re all going home, Karen.”
Her stomach twisted. “No, you have to save him! Anything could happen!” Her tears threatened to begin flowing again, and she sniffled, trying to control the reaction. The night air felt very cold, and she wrapped her arms around herself.
“Karen,” he sa
id firmly, “I’m not going to confront anybody without more soldiers, more ammo, and much more information. We are going back to the city where we will discuss it, okay? I’m sorry, Karen.” His voice gentled. “We’ll do what we can, all right? I promise. But it won’t be tonight.”
Karen knew that tone of voice, knew how futile arguing with it would be. Leo, Leo, Leo… She had never felt so helpless, and she couldn’t hold herself together anymore. Hands gripped her shoulders as tears began to fall, and she turned blindly to accept a hug.
Voices spoke soothingly as she was escorted to the Ford. She didn’t fight it. She was so tired, and it was all too much, and why, God? and Leo wasn’t here where he should be. That broke the rest of her composure. She was barely aware when they got her inside the truck and started driving. Leo, Leo, Leo… please be okay. I’ll come get you as soon as I can…
#
Leo waited until the guards had left before getting to his feet and peering through the mass of Mindless, searching for a familiar red tie. He located Jamal in one corner and edged through the crowd in that direction.
Jamal met his eyes, his face expressionless. He nodded slightly. "Leo."
“Jamal,” Leo said quietly.
The formalities taken care of, he didn’t quite know what to say next. He was jostled and turned his head to survey the crowded cage. Turning back to Jamal, he said, “What is this?”
Jamal’s emotions shaded over into a tinge of anger. “Soldiers brought them.”
Leo’s eyes widened, and he turned to look at them again. He didn’t know what this meant. Probably it wasn’t good. They looked typical. Scruffy, blank-faced, shuffling around. One difference. The newcomers were starving. They must have been hunting. Unsuccessfully. The others - Leo’s group - were hungry, as always, but not to danger point yet. The humans in the camp emitted emotions, and though they were weak, they were more or less constant. It had been enough. Just barely, but enough. His group had also benefited from three death bursts; two in the library, and one here.
He turned towards Jamal, keeping his eyes on the wall and his face impassive. “What happened?”
“They caught us,” Jamal said, equally expressionless.
“Any killed?” Us or them?
“One guard, only.”
“Okay.”
There was a longish pause before Jamal spoke again. “Where did you go?”
“With Karen,” Leo said, feeling a pang of sorrow at the thought of her. Jamal shifted, and Leo thought he might have noticed. The ones behind him were briefly agitated as well. Mindless emotions were faint, pale reflections of the real thing. His, however, might have changed. Strengthened. Leo was going to have to be careful not to emote too loudly.
“Where is she?”
Carefully neutral, he replied “On her way… home.”
“Without you,” Jamal observed.
“She wanted to take me,” Leo said, warmed by the memory, bittersweet though it was. He shrugged. “Soldiers came. Had to run.”
Jamal was not convinced, Leo could tell, but he didn’t have the heart to argue it further. Not if he wanted to keep his emotions under control.
“Can’t trust humans,” Jamal said.
Leo shrugged. There was no point arguing, and a guard was coming closer. Leo turned away, shuffling a little further into the crowd. Just another anonymous monster. No need for anyone to pay attention. They would get to him eventually, no doubt. But not yet. He still had a little time.
#
It was quiet, and she was alone. At that awareness, Karen sat straight up, looking around. She slumped as she recognized her bedroom. She scooted backwards the lean against the headboard, the old wood smooth behind her thin pajamas. Katrina must have helped her change because she didn’t remember it at all.
She scrubbed her hands over her face, massaging her forehead and temples, trying to ward off an impending headache. She felt horrible.
What was happening to Leo now? She was afraid to guess. Please, God, please take care of him for me.
There was a quiet knock on the door, and it edged slowly open. “Karen?”
Karen had to clear her throat before she could answer. “I’m awake. Just barely.”
Katrina stuck her head in to verify, then rushed across the room to give Karen another hug. Karen oofed and chuckled tiredly. “Morning. Oh, I missed you, KitKat.”
Katrina held on tighter. “I thought I’d never see you again. God, it was awful. Don’t do that to me again, okay?”
“I’ll try not to,” Karen said softly, hoping there wouldn’t be any need to. She extracted herself from the hug and pulled away. “Thank God you guys got away, I was worried.”
Her sister shuddered, but it was mostly for effect. “It wasn’t easy; they chased us for a while, but… we managed to lose them.”
“Good. So… what’s going on?”
Katrina settled herself cross-legged on the bed, like when they’d been younger. “Mom’s working,” she began. Also like when they’d been younger. “She was here last night, but you were pretty out of it. She said to tell you she loves you and she’s thrilled that you’re home, but they need her at the plant.”
“Yeah.” Of course they do.
“And the commander wants to see you in about another hour, to tell him about this friend of yours. But first,” she said, very seriously, “you have to tell me about this guy. I require inside information.”
Karen’s lips curved into half a smile. “He’s medium tall, dark hair, brown eyes, and has a sweatshirt that says ‘meh’.”
Katrina smiled. “Is he cute?”
She sighed, dropping her shoulders and glancing up towards the ceiling with a smile. “Kind of adorable, actually, sometimes. He takes care of me and makes me laugh.”
“Oh, nice. So how’d you meet him?”
Okay, this was the tricky part. “Well, it’s complicated. I don’t even know where to start.”
“Well…” her sister looked down briefly, before meeting Karen’s eyes again, looking pained. “How did you get away from the Mindless? Because, I swear, Karen, if we had thought there was a way to get you out of there…”
“Yeah, you couldn't have,” Karen said, trying to decide how much to share.
“Did the guys from that camp you were talking about show up? I mean, yay heroes, but I can’t figure out where they’d have come from.”
“Yeah, no, they’re not the heroes of this story.” She hesitated, but couldn’t resist the temptation. “Just between us, for now, okay? That would be Leo, and I met him at the library. I didn’t know his name then, of course.” She paused, tilting her head. “I’m not sure if he did, either, come to think of it. Probably not.”
“What?”
“Um yeah.” Karen managed a ghost of a smile at her sister’s look of confusion. “One of the Mindless, there… wasn’t entirely Mindless. He’d started thinking, just a bit, and, well, he protected me. Hid me from the others, somehow,” she added, wanting to keep this point vague for now.
“He… wait, what? Cute guy is Mindless?”
“He was starting to recover by then,” Karen said, defensive on Leo’s behalf. “And he got a lot better after that.”
Katrina leaned forward, holding out a hand to lightly touch Karen’s forehead. “You’re not running a fever,” she said, half-jokingly. “You sure you’re awake?”
Karen pulled her knees up in front of her, hugging them. “Yes, I’m awake. No, I’m not delusional. He never did say exactly why, but he decided to protect me. I was just as confused then as you are now, but…” She shrugged. “That’s what happened. Anyway, I passed out, and next thing I know, we're outside and he's carrying me. The camp guys came along later.”
“We wondered,” Katrina said, clearly not buying it. “Jake and I, we went back to the library the next day, checking…”
Karen stared, appalled. “I’m going to kill him.” Putting Katrina *back* into dan
ger to go look at, presumably, torn-up corpses? “What was he thinking?” There were so many things wrong with that plan she had no clue where to start.
“I talked him into it,” Katrina said, looking only a little bit guilty over it. “He didn’t want to go. Well, he wanted to go, he just didn’t want to take me.”
“Which he shouldn’t have,” Karen re-emphasized.
Kat smiled. “You know how stubborn I can be.”
And how much of a pushover Jake could be. It had never occurred to her to see that as anything other than convenient, but now… “Leo wouldn’t have caved,” she muttered. Never mind. “Although to be fair,” she added, a little louder. “You can be an awful pest.”
Katrina grinned. “It’s one of my better features.”
“Um, no, it really isn’t,” Karen returned dryly, although she respected her sister’s persistence. In general.
“Don't try to distract me. Tell me more about this Mindless… I mean Leo,” she corrected, after Karen narrowed her eyes at her. “Tell me more about him.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“So that’s how we got separated, and he got caught.”
Katrina was listening, wide-eyed. “Wow. That’s quite the story.”
Karen sighed. “Yeah. Do you believe me?”
“Of course I do,” Katrina said automatically, but Karen wasn’t convinced.
“Because I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t. Heck, if I hadn’t lived it, I probably wouldn’t believe it myself.”
“Karen, that is just so amazing. Trust me, it is totally a God thing.”
“Yeah, I’ve sort of come to that conclusion, myself,” Karen said, relaxing at this enthusiastic reception. She’d known Kat would take it as divine intervention. It was strangely nice to be in harmony with her sister.
Katrina’s mouth dropped open. “You have?”
“Well, yeah. Don't tell anyone else, though. It'd be hard to explain.”
“Harder than explaining you made friends with a zombie?”
