“Meg?”
I turned at the sound of Ticker’s voice and found him standing two streets over, just visible through a break in the houses. His beady eyes were bright and alert as they scanned the area, and the second he was sure I’d seen him, he ducked down so he was out of sight. I squeezed between two houses, then down another alley, and finally Ticker was in front of me. Kneeling in the dirt.
“What are you doing?” he whispered, his gaze moved across my face, over the cuts and bruises.
“I was attacked last night,” I said as I crouched down in front of him, panting. “And Jimmy... They found his body today. I was picking up garbage and he was there. They put him there so I’d see. So I’d know he was dead!”
Ticker’s shoulder jerked. “He’s dead.”
“He’s dead.”
“Can’t find Matt. He’s still missing. Ticker’s not going to bite it, though. Ticker’s getting out.”
“Getting out? How?” Anyone who left the city had to go through the main gate, and I could pretty much guarantee that they had someone keeping an eye out for Ticker. Probably for me, too.
“Zombie slayer. Ticker has credits saved. You want out of the city, all you need are credits.”
“When are you going?” I asked as his eyes flew back and forth like crazy, bouncing past me and down the street like he was sure he would get jumped at any moment.
“Tomorrow. Ticker’s had enough of this city. Ticker’s done.”
I didn’t blame him. If my Dad weren’t trapped in the CDC, I’d be out of here too.
I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Be careful. Okay, Ticker?”
“You be careful.” He raised himself up just enough so he could get a good look around. “Watch your back. Ticker thinks you should get a gun. If you can find one.”
“Thanks. That’s a good idea.”
He nodded once, his beady eyes barely stopping on me before he took off. Seconds later, he darted down an alley and disappeared from sight.
I stayed where I was, kneeling in the middle of shantytown with the sun beating down on me. Flies buzzed overhead, occasionally landing on me, but mostly just trying to get into the surrounding houses. Every time a breeze swept down the street, it brought the stink of death with it, and it was foreboding enough to send a shiver shooting through me.
Ticker was right. I needed a gun.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Donaghy
The lifeless eyes of the younger guard stared up at me. It was different than looking at a zombie, though. The walking dead had a strange spark in their milky eyes that made them seem alive, even if their heart was no longer beating. The guard’s, however, were blank. Empty. Like whoever used to be in there had been drained out.
On the other side of the room, the older guard wheezed. Every breath out of his mouth seemed to take more effort than the last, and with each inhale his chest rattled even more. He was losing his fight with this flu and we all knew it. Even worse, at this point, I was pretty sure he was praying for the end.
“I’ll wait until he’s gone to have the other body removed,” Dragon said, nodding to the older guard who was barely hanging on. “No reason to have the undertakers here more than they need to be.”
Even though the idea of leaving the dead guy here made me cringe, I had to agree with Dragon. This flu had swept through the city, and I was sure the people in charge of removing bodies were having trouble keeping up.
“Any signs of it slowing?” I asked as I followed Dragon into the other room.
He shook his head as he ducked behind the bar. “Not that I can see, but if this one follows the same pattern as the last few, we should be nearing the end.”
“There’s a pattern?” I asked, sliding onto a stool while the other man filled shot glasses.
We’d fallen into what could almost be called a friendship over the last couple days. Dragon had proven himself to be reliable, even if I still suspected that he was slightly unhinged, and I had proven that I could keep my mouth shut when he helped me. With my guards dying, I didn’t know when I’d be leaving, and despite all the close calls since I’d been here, it was the best place I could imagine getting stuck.
“There’s a pattern to everything if you look for it.” Dragon’s brown eyes held mine as he slid a glass across the counter. “But this especially.”
He didn’t look away until he’d thrown the shot back, and then it was only so he could refill his glass. “They aren’t timed any certain way, which is why a lot of people probably don’t notice the pattern. The last flu was five years ago, and the one before that seven. The first one was only three years after the walls were built. But see, the number of years isn’t what we should be looking at, it’s the population.”
I watched Dragon closely for any sign that he was testing me, but there wasn’t any. He believed every word, and so did I. His theory pretty much confirmed what I’d heard at the Regulator’s house.
“You think the government released this flu so they could downsize the population?”
“A lower population is easier to control. People who are grieving over lost loved ones even more so.” He leaned forward, his gaze holding mine. “I know you’ve seen it too.”
“Yeah.” I threw the shot back and took a deep breath. “Yesterday you said our time was coming. What did you mean?”
After the conversation I’d overheard the other morning, I knew Dragon was involved in something, but how deep he was in was the question I hadn’t dared ask.
Dragon’s sharp gaze sliced through me. “Those in charge aren’t looking out for us. The opposite, really. They use the people they need, then toss them aside like they’re nothing. They leave widows and orphans to live in filth, not caring that they can make the world better. And they can. We can’t let it go on.”
I shook my head, not sure what to say or what to ask. “What about Meg? Does this have something to do with her or her family?”
Dragon leaned back, not taking his eyes off me for even a second. “What do you think?”
“I think that almost everything I’ve seen or heard since getting here has something to do with her family, and it’s damn suspicious. Too suspicious to ignore.” I threw my shot back, letting it hit my stomach and ease the tension there before saying, “And I think you know more than you’re letting on.”
Dragon opened his mouth and I braced myself for the truth, but before he could say anything, the front door was thrown open. We both turned at the sound, my body already tense and my brain ready to get yet another surprise from the government. The guards standing there weren’t a shock, but the person with them was. No zombies this time. Just Jackson Star.
“Sorry to interrupt. But we just got some unfortunate news from Dayton.” The prick gave me a condescendingly sympathetic smile as he crossed the room toward me. “I thought it should come straight from me.”
Dread squeezed my insides and I braced myself for what I knew was coming. The look on Jackson’s face said it all, and after my win last night there was no doubt in my mind that this asshole wanted to destroy me. Slowly if possible, but above all else, he wanted to inflict pain on me.
“Say it,” I growled.
“Your sister was killed sometime last night. Someone broke into her apartment, and she had no one to protect her.” Jackson shook his head as his mouth morphed into a parody of a frown. “A tragedy. She was so young. Had so much ahead of her. The Judicial Officer in Dayton called me personally to let me know. If only you had been there to save her the way you saved Meg. Not that you can save Meg from everything.”
The flash of triumph in his eyes made me jump to my feet. My shoulders were heaving, and I was ready to explode. Red covered my vision, and I knew that at any second I was going to charge this asshole. Beat him to death and then die happy.
Dragon grabbed my arm. “Thank you for letting us know.”
I clenched my hands into fists, ready to punch him too. Us? How the hell was he involved in any o
f this? He didn’t know Patty. He hadn’t been the one to hold her when Mom died or to feed her when Kurt checked out. Dragon hadn’t seen the bruises on her face and arms and legs after that asshole had his way with her. No, that had been me. I was the one who should have been there to take care of her. To keep her safe. But I failed. Not only did I get my ass sent to DC, but I got mixed up in something that found her all the way back home in Dayton.
Jackson didn’t move for what felt like hours. Dragon’s grip on my arm tightened, and behind the Regulator’s son, the enforcers who had come with him shifted awkwardly. The asshole actually grinned when I didn’t move, and I knew he was daring me. Daring me to screw up again so those pricks behind him could shoot me in the head. They’d be justified and everyone in this room knew it.
I let out a deep breath, working to blow all the pain out of my body, and then sank back onto the stool. Dragon let me go and a second later, footsteps shuffled out the door. My head was down, so I didn’t see the expression on Jackson’s face when he left, but I could picture the one from last night perfectly. He had a backup plan and I knew it. He’d be disappointed, but that evil smile of his would be there to light up his face and tell me that he had more than one trick up his sleeve.
“I’m sorry,” Dragon said when we were alone.
“I should have been there for her.”
“There isn’t much in this life that we have control over. Not anymore.”
“I had control over this.”
“No. You didn’t.” I looked up to find Dragon shaking his head. “I read your file and I know what you were in for. That’s the only reason I agreed to this exchange program.” He flashed a toothless grin my way. “Well, that and the credits I knew it would bring in. But that’s not the point.”
“What’s the point?” The ache that had started in my gut had now moved to my chest, and I was pretty sure I was on the verge of a heart attack. All I could picture was Patty the way she’d looked after the first time she was attacked. Split lip and bruised body. Crying. That was probably how she’d looked when she’d died too.
“The point is, we need people like you if we want to start over for real.”
“We can’t start over for real.” I shook my head. “Star’s in control.”
“We can. Just not here.”
I narrowed my eyes on Dragon. “You suggesting we leave? Start an unsanctioned town?”
“No. I’m suggesting we join one. One that’s already established and growing stronger. One that wants to work toward a better future and maybe, one day, defeat Star.”
It seemed ironic coming from the guy who was running this dive, but there was a lot about Dragon I didn’t understand. The first time I’d set foot in his basement I knew that.
“Who are you?”
Dragon grinned. “I’m the black dragon, and I’m about to rain fire down on all of Atlanta.”
“You’re nuts.” I got to my feet and headed to the back so I could grieve by myself. One of my guards was dead and the other was on the verge, but I’d rather cry in front of them than in front of Dragon.
He didn’t try to stop me. Not that he could have.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Meg
Mike lived one floor below me, but I’d only been to his place a few times. With Dad. I’d always known my father was involved in the black market of New Atlanta, but I’d never really asked questions. With stuff like that it was better to live in ignorance. That is, until you were in the position I now found myself in. Thankfully, I’d paid enough attention back then to know where I needed to go now.
Standing outside the closed door, I shifted from foot to foot and glanced up and down the hall, almost as if I expected to see someone standing in the shadows. No one was around though, and even if someone did happen to see me here, there was no real reason for suspicion. It wasn’t illegal to visit someone in the middle of the day, and as far as any strangers passing by knew, that’s all I was doing. Still, my heart was beating twice as hard as it usually did, and my palms were moist with sweat.
What I was about to do wasn’t necessarily what was making me nervous, though. The thing that was making it all so much more nerve wracking was the utter silence that had fallen over this building. It felt empty. Deserted. Like a graveyard. It seemed that the flu hadn’t just wreaked havoc on the shantytown, which just went to show that no one was really safe these days.
When I finally got up the nerve to knock, the sound of my knuckles hitting the wood echoed through the hall. I jumped even though I knew I was the one who’d made the noise. My heart beat faster, the sound of it echoing in my ears. I took a step back and looked up, toward the peephole. If someone did happen to be home in the middle of the day, they were going to look through that little hole before they opened the door.
“Please, please, please,” I whispered, crossing my fingers.
It seemed to take forever, although it was probably less than a minute, but finally the sound of the deadbolt clicking cut through the silence that surrounded me. The lock followed a second later, but when the door was finally pulled open, the safety chain was still on.
A pair of blue eyes peered at me through the gap, moving over me slowly. “What do you want?” the woman asked.
“Hi.” I took a step closer as I shot another quick look up and down the hall. “I’m looking for Mike.”
The woman didn’t blink, but she also didn’t respond.
Did I have the wrong apartment? I was certain this was the right place, but maybe Mike didn’t live here anymore. Maybe he’d died or been shipped off to DC for selling weapons. Anything was possible, and it had been a few years since I’d come here with Dad.
“I need something,” I said, then held my breath.
I couldn’t just come right out and ask for a gun, especially not if this woman had nothing to do with the black market, but I wasn’t ready to give up yet. After seeing Jimmy’s body in that alley, I was afraid to walk away empty-handed. Twice in the last week, my knife had proven insignificant.
When the woman in front of me still didn’t respond, I tried one last tactic. “My dad was Axl James. I need help.”
The woman blinked again, but this time it looked more like she was startled than she was studying me. A second later the door slammed in my face. My shoulders slumped and I let out a deep breath. Maybe I didn’t have the right place, or maybe this woman didn’t want to get mixed up in whatever had happened to Dad. At this point, I almost couldn’t blame her.
I turned to leave, but a click from the other side of the door made me freeze. I spun back around, and a second later the door was pulled open.
“Come in,” the woman hissed, her blue eyes darting around as I rushed through the door.
She shut it before I’d even had a chance to register where I was, and it wasn’t until it slammed behind me that I started to worry. With all the shit going on around me, how did I know I could trust this woman or Mike? Dad had worked with them, but everything had been fine for the past twenty years, and then the world around me seemed to explode. For all I knew, these people were just as bad as Jackson and his father.
The lock clicked and I spun around, coming face to face with the woman who had answered the door. She was in her forties, fit despite the saggy skin on her neck and the dark circles under her eyes. Her hair had once been blonde, but now it was a dull color that was somewhere between gold and gray, and her eyes, although bright, looked sunken.
She coughed once, turning her head away. “What do you want?”
I swallowed. “A gun.”
“And Axl was your dad?” The woman didn’t even blink when she looked me over.
“Yes.”
“Megan, right?”
I nodded.
She moved past me, further into the apartment. “I only have one.”
“Where’s Mike?” I asked as I watched her cross the room.
Her entire body jerked, but her steps didn’t falter. “Dead. Last night.” She cou
ghed again. “I’m not too far behind him.”
“I’m sorry.”
Something in my voice must have reached her, because she paused long enough to look back over her shoulder. The sadness in her eyes reminded me of Mom and how she looked every time someone talked about Dad. Like a piece of her had been ripped away.
“Me too,” the woman whispered.
She disappeared down the hall, leaving me alone, and I shuffled from foot to foot while I waited for her to return. Random items lined the walls in the living and dining room. Bottles of booze from the old world, bootlegged cigarettes by the carton, moonshine, batteries, and prepackaged meals. The illegal stuff was probably hidden, but it looked like everything in this apartment was worth something to the right person.
Footsteps headed my way, and a few seconds later the woman was back, a pistol in her hand. “This should be easy for you to use, but there are only five rounds.” She held it out to me.
“I’ve shot one before,” I said as I shoved my hand in my pocket and pulled out all the credits I had in the world. How I’d pay for rent I didn’t know, but I did know I needed the protection this gun would provide. “This is all I have.” My hands were trembling. Hopefully, it would be enough.
She shook her head as she shoved the gun in my hand. “I’m dead. Even if this flu doesn’t kill me, I’m finished.” The resignation in her voice was painful. “Take anything else you might need.”
She jerked her head toward the stuff stacked along the wall, and even though I felt slightly guilty about taking advantage of her, I turned toward it. “Thanks.”
She nodded, watching me as I shoved the gun into a box of prepackaged meals. My scalp prickled under her scrutiny, but I was too desperate to be humble right now. I needed this stuff.
When I turned back to face the woman, she nodded. “I hope everything turns out okay for you.”
Twisted World Series Box Set | Books 1-3 & Novella Page 29