by Kadin, Karri
“I am sorry I have to do that. However, I find it necessary to enforce the rules from the beginning. It prevents any confusion and ensures everything progresses in a timely manner. Now when I ask a question, you answer. Colorful language, disrespectful comments, refusing to speak, and anything other than simply answering the question I will not be tolerated. Nod if you understand.” Allison nodded.
“Good. Now, where were we? Ah yes, why you are here. You, Allison, are very special. I believe locked away in your DNA is the key to many things scientists around the world are trying to accomplish. Genetically modifying humans for war and survival, curing diseases and birth defects. However, my focus is on one issue in particular. I want the cure. Am I going too fast for you?” Dr. Neff stood and paced the room, never taking his eyes off Allison lying on the floor.
“Where are my friends?” Another jolt, this time on her other thigh. Her body shook as the electricity flowed through her body and then slowly dissipated. Her jaw locked shut, tears streaming down her face, her shorts wet from urine.
“Your friends are safe, but they will not stay that way if you continue to disrespect me. Am I clear?”
“Yes.” Allison dug her nails into the palms of her hands as she spoke through gritted teeth, her locked jaw holding back all the things she wanted to say.
“Good. As I was saying, in your DNA, specifically your bone marrow, is the key to the cure. By discovering how your altered DNA was able to cure you from the most deadly disease ever known to man I can modify it to cure another. Thus, providing the United States with the only cure for N87.” His voice rose with excitement as he spoke. “This is just the tip of the iceberg. Once I crack this mystery, I am certain there will be more to discover and learn from you. It is important for you to understand: I do not wish you any harm. I can assure you, we will treat you with the utmost kindness as long as you follow the rules.”
“So, I’m your lab rat?” Allison said.
“A well-treated lab rat. Frankly, better than you deserve.” Dr. Neff sat back down across from Allison. “I do not mean to be crude but you are a monster. For years you literally ate people with your bare hands, ripping them limb from limb. You are still killing despite being infection free, or have you forgotten Nurse Catherine? I have not. You may be cured of the infection but you cannot be cured of the leftover effects. You have a rage deep inside of yourself that you cannot control even now. Here, you are giving back to society while keeping the community safe from your uncontrollable outbursts.” He locked eyes with Allison and sighed.
“So when do you kill me? That’s the main reason I’m here, right? To be some sort of cure for your son?” Allison held his gaze until he turned away.
“I will not apologize for trying to save my son. He will do more with the gift of the cure than you ever would. You have already proven that by continuing to follow your bloodlust.” Dr. Neff slammed his fist on the metal table, sending a shockwave of sound echoing through the room. Allison pulled herself up from the floor and sat across from him. She flung her arms down onto the table, mimicking the sound he had made.
“You are a monster.” She spit at him, her saliva landing on the table between them.
“It takes one to know one.” He stood up, hovering above her. “I will leave you with your thoughts until morning. However, I must send in a tech to get some initial blood from you. He will also provide you with dinner as long as you cooperate. I expect you to behave and allow the man to complete his task. It’ll be just like going to the doctor.” The door opened and a little man in blue scrubs and a white lab coat entered the room as Dr. Neff exited.
Allison sat motionless at the table while the tech poked and prodded until he found her vein. He’s not as good at this as Matt. The tech’s hand shook as he held the needle. He’s scared. She placed her hand on his and the man flenched, dropping the needle to the floor. He’s scared of me. He mumbled an apology and reached for a new needle.
She held her hand on his gently, not letting go when he tried to pull away. The man looked at her, his eyes full of fear. She patted his hand, gave a slight nod, and smiled. He gave a half smile back and she released his hand. He took the new needle, this time with a steady hand, and found her vein. Tears fell from her eyes as she watched her blood rush into tube after tube. When he was done, he handed her a sack lunch. He started to leave the room but as he neared the door he turned around. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a peppermint. He quickly set it in front of her and left the room. She heard the metal lock scrape across the door as it was bolted closed. Caged. Locked away, like an animal. Like a monster.
She dumped the contents of the sack on the table. A sandwich with light-colored meat, probably turkey, and white bread wrapped in cellophane. An overripe peach. And a carton of white milk. She stared at the milk before she swiped her arm across the table sending it flying across the room. He’s not wrong. We are both monsters.
She picked up the peppermint, opened it, dropped the wrapping on the floor, and popped it into her mouth. She stomped over to the cot and threw herself on it. Tears streamed down her face, as one word repeated in her head.
Monster.
Gabby
The residents of Wellspring were reeling from the Collectors’ invasion. Soon after they withdrew, Morgan was discovered hiding under the bleachers, having been left behind by Dr. Neff now that she was no longer useful to him. There were injuries and even deaths from the Collectors’ gunfire and most of the town planted the blame on Morgan for bringing them to their doorstep. They put her in jail while they decided what to do with her. Graciously, the town committee voted to allow Matt to be the one to bring her some food once everyone had returned to their homes. Gabby insisted on going with him.
They walked into the small jailhouse the town had constructed. Its front room held two desks, there was a bathroom toward the back, and a separate room with precisely two jail cells. The residents built it after the initial outbreak, when things were beginning to calm down. The original Wellspring did not have a jail, as the whole area used the county lock-up, which was too far away to be practical now. The town had only used it once before, when a man who entered the town turned out to be infected and they had to lock him up while they waited on the Collectors to get him. Morgan was the first real criminal Wellspring had since the outbreak.
“Matt!” Morgan exclaimed.
“Hello, Morgan,” Matt said. Gabby stood back by the door and Morgan eyed her suspiciously.
“I am so happy to see you. I missed you so much!” Morgan reached through the cell bars toward her brother but he stayed just out of her reach. He handed her a paper bag lunch and she snatched it from his grasp.
“Just answer me this, Morgan. Why the fuck were you with Dr. Neff? How could you do that to us?” Matt stared at his sister as she started to whimper.
“I didn’t do it to you. I did it to her!” she screamed. “When I left the cabin, I got lost. The first people I stumbled upon were Collectors. They thought I was Allison, so they knocked me out and took me to Dr. Neff. He obviously knew I wasn’t Allison.” She sighed and ripped open the paper bag. “It fucking terrified me. So, when he asked me if I knew where Allison was, I said yes. It was me or her. She is responsible for the deaths, for almost everyone we love. I was not going to let her get me too.” She shoved a peanut butter sandwich in her mouth.
“Did they not feed you?” Gabby asked. Morgan shot her an icy glare and then turned her attention back to Matt.
“That isn’t true. Your view of reality is a shit show. The Infected have no control over themselves. Allison was an Infected when she did the things she did. She is not sick anymore. She is just like us, and she is our friend.” Matt paced as he spoke.
“That’s not what Dr. Neff said. He told me all about how the Infected with abilities can’t control them; they run off of unfiltered emotions sometimes even after they are cured. You saw Allison with that nurse and those Collectors! She is dangerous. I was protecting you
by turning her in!” Morgan threw her empty juice box at her brother. Gabby moved toward Morgan, but Matt held up a hand stopping her.
“You were not protecting me. You were acting out of your own selfish damn need to get revenge. But it doesn’t make you feel better, does it? No, because the person you are mad at isn’t Allison. It’s yourself, for what you did to Eudora!” He stopped pacing and stared at Morgan as she hung her head and avoided his gaze.
“I miss her. I miss her so much,” Morgan cried. Matt moved toward the cell and reached in through the bars, patting her on her shoulder. She leaned against the bars and cried.
“I’m so sorry, Matt.”
“I know.” Matt took Gabby’s hand and led her from the jail, leaving Morgan crying in her cell.
When Matt and Gabby arrived home, Trevor was dabbing his busted lip from the Collectors at the gym with a rag. He made sandwiches for all of them and they started to eat.
“So, have you told him?” Matt said as he leaned back in the chair.
“No, not yet,” she said as she inhaled the last bite of her sandwich. Trevor gave his friends a questioning look.
“Told me what?”
“Gabby’s part of the Resistance,” Matt said as he fixed himself a second sandwich.
“The Resistance?” Trevor set his sandwich down.
“Dr. Neff torments everyone and only brings misery. But with the Collectors on his side, everyone is afraid to oppose him. I’m part of a network of people who are trying to stop him,” Gabby said.
“Wow,” Trevor said.
“Fucking wow is right. Our Gabby is somewhat of a badass rebel!” Matt exclaimed. Gabby smiled at Matt.
“I can explain it to you more on the way,” she said as she rose. “Pack your bag; we will be gone awhile.”
“Where are we going?” Matt said.
“To get our girl,” Gabby said with a grin.
Trevor couldn’t pack his bag quickly enough.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Gabby
After a thirty minute trek through the forest they arrived at the edge of a clearing. Gabby leaned down and felt around on the forest floor under the brush right along the tree line. When she felt the bar of warm metal against her hand, she tugged up. The earth in front of them lifted up as the door to the underground hideout opened. It was as if the earth itself opened up revealing dark stairs that led into the ground.
“Fucking cool.” Matt grinned as he stared down the stairs.
“Welcome to the Resistance hideout. Well, one of them anyway,” Gabby said.
She lead them down the dark, damp stairs. Once she was a few steps down she felt around on the wall until she found the pulley system. She turned the wheel and the sky above closed off as the entrance closed. A flashlight blinked on and Trevor held it up to his face.
“Glad I always carry this little guy in my pocket.”
Gabby smiled and pulled a small flashlight from her pocket as well and clicked it on.
“Me too.”
“Well aren’t you both some handy little Boy Scouts?” Matt said.
They climbed down the stairs until they ended at a large metal door that always reminded Gabby of submarine doors from old movies, except this one had a little screen mounted to the wall next to it. Gabby tapped on it, bringing it to life. It lit up and five little square boxes appeared above an electronic keyboard. She positioned herself between the boys and the screen and typed in the code.
“Don’t trust us?” Trevor asked and shined his light on the door.
“Trust is earned. You’re getting there,” Gabby answered.
The handle on the door turned and the door popped open, swinging inward to a well-lit room. The flashlights clicked off and the trio walked inside. Matt pushed the door closed. Gabby heard the automatic locks slide into place but she tugged on the handle anyway. It didn’t budge.
“This was a private bunker designed for nuclear fallout by a local survivalist. He perished in the first wave of the outbreak. His son was a member of the Resistance and let us have this before he died at the hands of a Collector.” Gabby held her arms open, gesturing to the walls around them.
“Dude, you will love it. This place has everything, even running water!” Matt said. Trevor nodded as he looked around the small entryway. Voices and laughter from another room echoed off the cement walls of the hall. Gabby motioned for the boys to follow and led them down the walkway to the common room. Multiple doorways opened to the room from other areas of the bunker. The room was cozy, designed to be the perfect place to relax after a rough day surviving the apocalypse. A colorful rug lay in the center of the room with an overstuffed gray couch on top of it. Mismatched chairs lined the wall. A large TV hooked to an old DVD player was attached to the wall across from the seating area. Lyon, a broad-shouldered man with a thick beard that would be the envy of any lumberjack sat on the couch. White tattoos in intricate designs lined one of his ebony arms. Cassi, a short, redheaded woman, sat next to him. They smiled at Gabby when she walked in the room. Their smiles quickly downturned when they saw Trevor.
“Another newbie?” Lyon asked. His dark down eyes narrowed. Cassi gave a little yank on his beard and waved her finger in front of his face. A few more Resistance members entered the common area from different entry points and stood watching Gabby and her guests.
“Gather, everyone. I have news.” Gabby sat on the back of the couch and gestured for everyone to take a seat. She introduced everyone to Trevor. Matt greeted those he met the previous night and introduced himself to the others. None of the Resistance members present at this meeting were residents of Wellspring, so Gabby filled them in on the events of the day.
Cassi stood and paced the room. “You want us to go to Dr. Neff’s, attack Collectors head-on, and break this Allison out of a most likely very secure facility?” The room buzzed with whispers.
“Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying,” Gabby answered. “Up till now we have done our reconnaissance, our little disruptions in his plans here and there. Intercepting supplies or singular prison vans. It’s not enough. We have been talking about doing something big, really making a difference. We can save Allison and many more. I can’t leave her there. It’s my Allison, Cassi.” Her eyes rimmed with tears as she held eye contact with Cassi. Cassi’s face softened and she sighed.
“We all have an Allison. I get it. I’m in, as long as we have a plan and don’t just go in guns blazing.” Other Resistance members nodded their heads in agreement. “What do you say, Lyon?” Cassi gestured to the tall man who was silent on the couch.
“Listen, I’m all for helping this Allison chick and I think it’s about damn time we fuck up that doctor bastard’s world. But we have a mountain of a problem. Since he moved locations a few weeks ago we have no fucking idea where he is. We also do not have enough weapons or ammo to take on a unit of Collectors,” Lyon said. The room buzzed with conversation again. Trevor waved his arms in the air as he shushed the crowd and everyone turned to look at him.
“I know where we can get enough ammo and guns for everyone in this room.” Trevor looked at Matt. “Matt’s uncle had a cabin nearby. We were there not too long ago and he had a cellar full of weapons.”
Lyon ran a hand down his beard. “So once we get these guns, what’s next? We still don’t know where Dr. Neff is holing up.”
“I know someone who does,” Matt said.
Gabby plastered her prettiest smile to her face as she walked into the small jailhouse, making sure to swing her hips extra wide. She had smeared on some pale pink lip gloss and mascara before entering. Makeup was such a luxury now, but this was worth using some. Plus this “date” needed to be believable. The only guard on duty was sitting at the center desk filling out a crossword. He smiled as he saw Gabby walk toward him.
“Hello, Sam. I brought you some dinner and snacks. I figured you would need it since you got stuck with the overnight shift.” Gabby unloaded all the food onto Sam’s desk.
“Well this is a pleasant surprise! Thank you, Gabby.” Sam looked behind her. “Where is that Matt kid from earlier?”
“He’s not with me. I’m not here to see his sister. I came to see you.” She tapped her finger lightly on his chest.
“Does this mean you have reconsidered going on a date with me?” Sam beamed.
“Let’s consider this our first.” Gabby smiled as she brushed her hand over his arm and then blushed. “I have all sorts of goodies for you. Can I sit?” She gestured to his lap.
“Yes!” Sam exclaimed. Gabby sat on his lap, wrapping one arm around his shoulders as she pulled a bottle out of the bag.
“This is some of the strawberry wine Shelly makes. Would you have some with me? I’ve heard it’s really good and I’ve been dying to try it.” Gabby’s eyes glimmered as she spoke and she pulled the cork from the bottle.
“I really shouldn’t.”
“Just a little won’t hurt.” Gabby raised the bottle to his lips. She held the bottle high, forcing more and more wine into his mouth. Sam choked a bit and pushed the bottle away. It was almost half empty.
“What are you doing? Are you trying to . . .” Sam said as Gabby leaned in and kissed him, causing him to lose his train of thought. She giggled as she popped a strawberry into her mouth and then into his.
“I have to use the restroom. I’ll be right back,” Gabby said as she sauntered away. She looked over her shoulder and saw Sam grinning from ear to ear as he took another drink of strawberry wine. She blew him a kiss and slipped into the restroom. As Gabby stood in the small room, she heard Sam call out for her but she didn’t answer. She glanced down at her watch. Any minute now. She heard Sam walk heavy-footed across the floor calling out for her again. She locked the bathroom door just in case he made it that far. A crash, followed by a loud thud. Gabby then emerged from the bathroom. Sam was lying on the floor, face-down, the table near him toppled over.