Mass Extinction Event (Book 8): Days 109 to 116

by Cross, Amy

  “Well,” he says with a sigh, “at least if I'm with you, I might be able to talk you out of a tight spot. Just try not to do anything too stupid.”

  Thomas

  “We're going pretty fast,” I mutter as I follow Carter along the corridor. Looking out the window for a moment, I see a desolate landscape racing past. “Where do you think we're going?”

  “Who knows? Maybe straight to the heart of Project Atherius, but I doubt that. It can't be that easy. Patterson and Bloom are both trying to weasel their way into someone's good books, though.” She opens the next door and leads me into another carriage. “I didn't mention this to your friend Edith -”

  “Elizabeth,” I remind her.

  “Whatever. But those kids are in more danger than I let on.” She stops and turns to me. “Someone's going to have to rescue them.”

  “But if -”

  “Relax. There's no way Edith is going to just sit around and hide.”

  “Her name's Elizabeth!”

  “I could see it in her eyes,” she continues. “As soon as we were gone, she'll have headed toward the front of the train to check on the children. Frankly, she'll probably get herself killed, even if she has that dumb-as-a-rock soldier with her. The distraction could be useful, though.”

  “Shouldn't we keep going?” I ask.

  “We can't,” she replies. “We're in the last carriage now.”

  “We are?”

  Looking past, I see that this carriage is at least more open than the others, although there's nothing here that looks very useful. I guess I was clinging to the hope that Carter might have some grand plan, but that hope is now starting to feel pretty weak and I'm worried that we got onto this train without really knowing what we were going to do next.

  Carter takes the backpack and sets it down. She reaches out to unzip the top, but then she lets out a pained gasp and hesitates for a moment.

  “Are you okay?” I ask.

  “Are you an imbecile?” she snaps. “I'm half-human and half-zombie, of course I'm not okay. And I'm getting worse, faster.”

  “What can I do?”

  “Do you happen to possess a time machine?”

  “Don't you have any of that medication left at all?”

  “It wouldn't be much use,” she replies, her face twitching with pain. “To be honest, most of that stuff was just a placebo anyway. It wasn't really doing me much good.”

  She holds her left hand up and slowly clenches a fist. I can see tendons moving in gaps that have been left by her rotten skin.

  “It's fascinating, in a gruesome kind of way,” she continues. “As egotistical as this might sound, I'd dearly like to have a chance to study myself as I continue to decline. It'd make for a...”

  Her voice trails off.

  “For a...”

  I wait.

  “For a fascinating research paper,” she adds finally, before turning to me. “Don't you think so...”

  Again, I wait.

  “Thomas,” I remind her.

  “I knew that!” she snaps, before unzipping the backpack and peering inside.

  “What have you got there?” I ask.

  She pauses, before zipping it shut again.

  “The answer to all our prayers,” she explains, and then she takes an envelope from her pocket as she limps toward me. “You need to look after this,” she adds, thrusting the envelope into my hands. “Believe it or not, Thomas, this is one of the most important pieces of paper in the history of the world. You need to hold onto it, and you need to keep it safe until you meet someone you really trust. Someone smart. Someone who'll know what to do. Someone wise. Someone lucky. Someone brilliant.”

  She squeezes my hand tight around the envelope.

  “In other words, “ she adds, “someone like me.”

  “But what is it?” I ask.

  She stares at me for a moment. One of her eyes is starting to rot slightly, to the extent that it's bloodied and misshapen, and I'm not even sure that she can see out of it anymore.

  “Deep down I always wanted to be famous,” she says. “There, I admit it. Or if not famous, then at least respected. Well-known. To be honest, Thomas, I think I'm going to deserve a few major international prizes after all of this is done. History can be so fickle, it can make heroes seem like monsters and monsters seem like heroes. Someone could save the world and still end up going down as a villain. That's okay, I understand how the world works, but I'd like you to promise me something. I know this is unlikely, but if you have a chance to ever tell this story, I'd like you to put in a good word for me. I'm not saint, and no hero, but I'd like it if people at least recognized that I made a contribution to things not being quite so fucked-up.”

  “You can do all of that yourself,” I point out.

  “I doubt it, Thomas.”

  “Once we're out of this mess,” I continue, “you can cure yourself. You've managed everything else, and next time you'll have a full laboratory to work from. That has to count for something, right? You can cure yourself and then you can show the world that you're a genius.”

  “A genius?” She pauses, and then – despite her rotten face – she actually manages to smile. “Oh, Thomas, flattery will get you everywhere.”

  With that, she suddenly leans forward and kisses me on the cheek.

  I instinctively pull back.

  “Relax,” she adds, “it's not contagious. Not in that way, at least. And anyway, you've got an immunity, haven't you?”

  “What are we supposed to do next?” I ask.

  “I need to get ready,” she replies. “I'm hoping very much that Patterson's too stupid to just send someone to kill me. I'm hoping that his ego is big, and that he wants to come and finish me off himself. That's not too much for a girl to ask for, is it?”

  “But how do -”

  “It's your time to shine,” she adds, with a wink. “Thomas, if you don't mind, would you be so kind as to go and let General Patterson know that I'm here?”

  ***

  “Just let General Patterson know that I'm here,” I mutter under my breath, as I make my way along the shuddering corridor toward the middle of the train. “No big deal. Try not to get killed. Sure. Sounds easy.”

  Suddenly the train lurches slightly, sending me thudding against the wall. I take a moment to steady myself, and then I see that I'm almost back at the compartment where I briefly took refuge earlier with Elizabeth and Toad.

  I head to the door and slide it open, but sure enough there's no sign of either of them. I guess Carter was right when she said that they wouldn't just stay put and wait for us to get to our destination.

  “You'd better not be screwing things up,” I whisper, although deep down I'm pretty certain that they'll have gone off to check on Polly.

  Frankly, I think I'd do exactly the same thing.

  The train lurches again, but this time I'm better prepared as I start making my way along the corridor. I still don't really have a plan, but I figure that at some point I'll work out how to get Patterson's attention. I don't even know where he is on the train at the moment, and I'm starting to think that Carter could at least have tried to give me a little more information before sending me off like this. Then again, I guess she doesn't know much either.

  I just hope she's ready if – and it's a big if – I manage to get Patterson back down to that carriage.

  Stopping suddenly once I'm through into the next carriage, I realize I can hear voices ahead. There's a partially closed door not too far away, and I can hear a few soldiers talking. They sound fairly relaxed, and as I listen I realize that they're talking about the fact that they have no idea where we're all headed. They sound a little bored, and I figure that maybe I can use that to my advantage.

  I take a step forward, and sure enough I see that one of them has left a rifle propped just inside the compartment. If they're all sitting around like that, I should be able to attract their attention and then get away while they're still gathering their we
apons.

  I creep closer to the compartment's door and try to work out when I should make my move. All I need to do is attract their attention and let them know that Carter's on the train, and then they'll surely let Patterson know. After that, hopefully he'll take the bait and head along to see Carter himself and then...

  Well, and then I'm relying on Carter having some kind of plan.

  I take a deep breath and get ready to announce myself.

  “Hey!” a voice shouts suddenly, and I turn to see another soldier aiming at me from the far end of the corridor. “Who are you?”

  Before I have time to react, I hear more voices shouting, and I instinctively turn to run. A shot rings out and I duck, just as a window shatters right next to me. I crawl through into the next carriage and stumble to my feet, and then I race along the corridor in a desperate attempt to get back to Carter.

  Just as I reach the door to the next carriage, more shots are fired and hit the wall right next to me. I duck again and hurry through, and then I slam the door shut in the hope that it might slow the soldiers a little. Then I turn to run, only to suddenly see another soldier aiming a gun straight at me.

  “Going somewhere?” he asks.

  I open my mouth to reply, but for a moment I can only stare at the weapon. And then, before I have a chance to come up with another plan, I hear the door opening behind me and I turn to see that the other soldiers have finally arrived.

  “What are you doing on here?” one of them asks. “Who gave you permission?”

  “Carter,” I stammer.

  “What was that?”

  “Carter,” I continue. “Doctor Carter. Sarah Carter.”

  “Never heard of her,” the soldier replies.

  “Isn't she that woman who was caught the other day?” one of the others asks.

  “She's on the train,” I continue, my mind racing as I try to figure out how to play this. “She's in the last carriage, right at the back. I was coming to tell someone. I think General Patterson will want to know.”

  “The kid might have a point,” one of the other soldiers says. “Patterson seemed to take a personal interest in Carter.”

  “Let's go get her, then,” another soldier mutters.

  “I think Patterson needs to go himself,” I say. “Carter's basically holed herself up there, she told me she'll only talk to General Bill Patterson.”

  “Is that right?”

  “I'm only telling you what she told me,” I continue. “I don't know what she wants. I don't know anything. But she's there, and she's planning something.” I pause, hoping against hope that this will work, although so far these soldiers don't really seem to know what to do next. “I really think,” I add, “that you need to get Patterson to talk to her, to see what she wants. She's pretty dangerous.”

  The soldiers glance at one another, and then suddenly there's the sound of voices further back in the train as more soldiers – most likely alerted by the sound of gunfire – hurry this way.

  “This kid claims Sarah Carter's on the train,” one of the soldiers explains.

  “And how would she have managed that? She should still be rotting in a cell.”

  “It was chaos back there, though. We can't be sure she didn't escape.”

  There's a pause, and several of the soldiers are eyeing me with a skeptical expression. I try to think of something to say that might convince them, but then I hear more voices further along the corridor and the soldiers start trying to get out of the way.

  “He's here,” several of them whisper.

  I take a step back, just as General Patterson steps into view. His eyes are fixed on me, and in the cold light of the train he looks even worse than before. His bandages are bloodied, and his remaining visible skin is pale to the point of almost being see-through, allowing a clear view of the muscle and bone beneath. As he stops and stares at me, I swear I can see the hatred in his eyes.

  “You,” he growls finally, “have a startling habit of showing up over and over again.”

  “Carter's here,” I stammer, backing against the wall. “She's in the last carriage.”

  “And why are you telling me that?” he asks.

  “I...”

  “So that I'll go along and talk to her?” he continues. “So that maybe I'll get close to her? Close enough that she can do whatever she's planning?”

  “I don't know what you -”

  “I wasn't born yesterday, Thomas Edgewater,” he adds. “If your pitiful plan was to lure me to that carriage for some reason, then I'm afraid you've already failed. I already have what I needed from that bitch, and I don't particularly savor the thought of hearing her voice again. I will, however, make sure that our dear Doctor Carter isn't lonely for long.” He turns to some of the soldiers. “Go to the last carriage. Be careful. As soon as you see the lady in question, kill her. Don't listen to anything she says. Don't let her get inside your head. Just shoot her. Let me know when you're done.”

  Suddenly he shoves me forward.

  “And take the kid,” he adds. “Make sure he sees everything.”

  “No!” I shout, as I'm grabbed by the arms and led back along the corridor.

  I look over my shoulder, only to see that a still-grinning General Patterson is waving at me as if he's amused by the situation. I know he has to come with me, so that Carter can complete her plan, but so far I've failed.

  “Wait,” I stammer as I'm pushed further and further back toward the rear of the train. “I really think General Patterson needs to speak to her. It's important!”

  “Sorry,” one of the soldiers replies, “but we've got our orders. Now how about you shut up before I break your jaw.”

  With that, he pushes me even harder. I trip and fall to my knees, but I'm immediately hauled up and I feel the crack of a rifle butt hitting me in the back of the neck. I fall again, this time slumping against the wall, and then I'm shoved through the next door and sent stumbling forward. I look ahead and see Doctor Carter at the far end. I open my mouth to shout out and warn her, but then something hits my feet and I'm sent crashing forward, slamming down hard against the floor.

  “Ah,” Doctor Carter says with a smile, “you made it. Now where's General Patterson? I have something for him in my back pocket, it's a -”

  Before she can finish, a shot rings out.

  “No!” I yell, but I'm too late, and I watch with horror as one side of Carter's head is blown apart.

  Somehow she stays standing, with a shocked expression on what remains of her face, but then there's another shot and I see her getting hit in the chest. This time she drops to her knees, and she opens the last section of her jaw as her tongue hangs down, and she seems to be trying to say something to me.

  Then there's a final shot, blasting her once more in the chest and sending her slumping down dead to the floor.

  Elizabeth

  “They've got to be here somewhere,” I whisper as I continue to lead Toad along the train. “I can't believe there aren't more soldiers around.”

  “Something attracted them to the back of the train,” he points out. “We're lucky we were able to hide when they went past. I heard one of them mention Patterson, something must have happened. As long as they haven't caught Thomas and Carter, we should be okay.”

  “Carter's the only one who knows the full plan,” I reply.

  “This isn't so much a plan,” he mutters, “as a series of screw-ups that haven't quite gotten us killed yet.”

  “But if -”

  “Wait!”

  He grabs my shoulder, holding me back, and in that instant I realize I can hear some voices up ahead. At first I brace myself, in case soldiers are about to appear, but then I realize that the voices sound like children.

  “We've found them!” I gasp, rushing to one of the doors.

  I stop and listen, and I can tell now that there are several children right behind this door. When I try to pull it open, however, I find that it's been locked. There's a keyhole in the wood
en frame, but I can't find any obvious way to bypass that and get through into the compartment. I try the door again, before Toad nudges my arm.

  “I've got this,” he says.

  He produces a small pocket-knife, which he proceeds to slip into the keyhole. I'm about to tell him that this can't possibly work, when suddenly I hear a clicking sound and I realize that he's managed to get the door unlocked.

  “See?” he says as he puts the knife away. “I can be useful occasionally.”

  Sliding the door open, I immediately see a group of children squeezed into the small compartment, and it only takes a moment for me to spot Polly near the back.

  “No!” I say as some of the children try to come out into the corridor. “Wait, you have to stay in there, just for a little longer!”

  “It's too hot!” a boy says.

  “I know, but we have to wait.” I drop down onto my knees, so that I can look him in the face. “We're going to get you out of here, I promise, but you'll be spotted if you start roaming around. You're going to have to wait a little while longer.”

  “But it's too hot!” he whines.

  “We have to do what she tells us to do,” Polly says suddenly, and I look over at her. “Elizabeth's okay,” she continues. “If she says we have to stay here, then she has a good reason.”

  “Thank you,” I reply, before getting to my feet. “We have a plan, I promise,” I tell all the children. “Just wait right here, and we'll be back soon.”

  I hesitate, before sliding the door shut. I desperately want to let the children out, but I know we'd quickly get caught and then we wouldn't be able to help them at all. As I secure the door, my mind is racing and I'm trying to come up with a solution, but so far I can't think of anything at all.

  “Elizabeth?” Toad says cautiously.

  “I'm thinking,” I reply, staring at the door.