"We're going to need gas soon or we'll be walking!" I say to whomever had gotten out.
"Yeah, I know. What the hell is going on with all this emptiness?" Logan says at my ear.
"Where are we headed anyway?" Blu asks from the other side of the truck.
"I'm thinking up north. The mountains of Oregon, or Canada. Maybe even all the way up to Alaska. We need to find somewhere we can settle that will be safe." I end on a sigh.
Scanning the area for any signs of life, a tremble of fear racks through my body. Fear for what awaits us around the next corner, fear for all of these people that I now think of as family, fear that I can't keep us all alive. Wiping my brow I turn to Logan, needing just one moment of comfort. I will draw it from the one place I know I can find it. Burying my head deep into his chest, I sigh deeply. What I wouldn't give for just one hour, one day, alone with this man. This man who has given me strength when I so needed it. I am falling in love, but I keep asking myself over and over how something like this is possible when the world was falling to pieces around us.
"Shhhh, it's ok, I'm here." He whispers into my hair.
A little while later, the truck was eating up the miles again. The gas tank was getting dangerously low, but so far there wasn't a car or truck anywhere to be found. If we didn't find something soon, we would be walking. Eight people and a dog traveling the road with what supplies we could carry; it isn't a pretty picture.
"Mak! Stop, stop!" Tessa yells from the backseat.
"What is it, Tessa?" I demand, already at my wits end.
Pointing out the window she says, "There's a house and a couple cars." It is our first sign of anything since entering California.
Turning down the dirt path adjacent to the house, we come to a stop before it comes into view. Quietly closing the truck door, I meet up with everyone at the rear of the truck. "Blu and Lainey, stay here with the kids. Clara, Logan and I will head out to inspect the area." I say, tucking my Glock into the holster on my thigh.
"Why can't Clara and Lainey stay here? I'm not a fucking kid, Mak. I can help." Blu says, frustrated.
"I know you can help, but I will feel better if you look after Gage, Tessa, and Ricky." I say, looking him in the eyes.
"Fine, fine." He says as he turns, kicking at the dusty ground. "You will always see me as a kid, I'm a man. I've lived through more shit than most guys my age, but you know what, just whatever. I'm done trying to convince you otherwise." Blu says, stalking off.
Lainey takes off after him, "You know he's right, Makayla." She throws over her shoulder. I am just now realizing how close they have become. I know Lainey is a few years older than him, but in this world what is the difference?
Logan lays a hand on my shoulder and says, "He's right, Mak. You can't keep treating him like a kid. Hell, if you had your way we'd all sit out here while you risked your life for us. That’s not happening anymore. We're a family and families help each other. You're not alone any longer." His fingers start caressing down my back as he pulls me into his arms, my head barely reaches his shoulder. There is so much comfort within his arms and I just want to burrow myself in and stay there.
"I know he's right, but I can't stop myself from wanting to protect him. It’s ingrained into who I am." I say on a long sigh.
"I know and that's one of the things I love about you." Logan says, running his thumb over my bottom lip.
Stepping back away from him, I know now is not the time for me to freak out over his softly spoken words, but damn my brain froze and went on overload all at once.
"You, you love me?" I stutter out.
"I have for a while, but we've never been given a moment to ourselves to talk." He says in a whisper.
"Can we talk about this later? We need to search that house." I say, steering the conversation away from love and roses.
"Yeah, that's fine, but this isn't over, Makayla!" Logan says, equipping himself with his guns.
Walking under the shade of the trees, we keep an eye out for signs of movement, seeing none we move forward slowly. Behind the house stands a facility of some sort, but there isn't a sign to give us a clue as to what it was. That's when I notice the guard standing at the side door of the large metal structure. Pointing to my eyes then toward the building, I whisper, "Hmmm, wonder what's inside to need a guard."
"Not sure, but it's worth a look." Clara says, glancing toward the guard.
"House or building first?" I ask.
"House." Both Logan and Clara say in unison.
The exterior of the house is a simple one story, white washed, wood frame and the steps leading up to the porch are old and weathered. They creak under my weight as I carefully make my way up them; my eyes cutting side to side, watching for any dangers. Reaching out I grab the knob and am thrown backwards as a current of electricity courses through my body. I look up just as Logan arrives at my side.
"Are you ok?" He asks, concern etched on his handsome face.
Grabbing my head, I shake myself mildly. "Damn, I guess so. I wasn't expecting that whatsoever." I say a little confused.
Standing on wobbly legs, I glance around to see if an alarm went off when I touched the door, but so far all is clear.
"Well I guess the house is out of the question." I say, brushing my pants off and stashing the idea of electricity to keep our future home safe in the back of my head.
We move toward the building out back. When sounds from the back alert us to incoming people, we run into the shadows as fast as we can move.
"I've never been so happy for the day to end."
"Me too, Daniel. It's been a long day. You did lock up, right?" Their conversation reaches our ears.
"Of course, Dr. Cilley."
"Well, we don't want any of our little experiments escaping, now do we?"
"Oh, hell no. I don't want to wake up to one of them eating my face." They move on to the house and I watch as they enter a code, cutting the electricity off.
Chapter Twenty-Two
My immediate hope is that they are searching for a cure, but in the back of my mind I keep thinking they're experimenting for evil purposes. I need to have a look in that building, just to satisfy my own curiosity.
"I guess this means we're checking out that building." Logan says close to my ear.
"You are correct." I say, as I walk closer to the building. It had a code box exactly like the one at the house. "Anyone have any ideas of how we can get in?" I ask.
"Yeah, gimme a sec." Clara responds working on the code box. A buzzer sounds from inside just as the door swings open. "Hell yeah, I'm awesome." Clara says as she cheers for herself.
Once inside the door, the darkness surrounds us and the odor takes my breath away immediately. Searching the wall closest to the door, I touch something gooey soft and I retract my arm quickly. Reaching further back, I finally feel metal beneath my fingertips and I run them over the wall until I find the switch. Flipping it on, I'm taken aback by the gore all around us.
Cages at the rear of the building hold zombies in varying stages of decay. The first hold a few freshies, the second holds the next stage and so on, until the last cage. This one holds zombies so decayed their eyes hang from the sockets and their skin is peeling from their body; some are picking at their own rotting skin, eating it as it falls from their bodies. I have to force back the nausea by covering my mouth with my hand.
I watch in fascination as the freshies gaze at us with intelligent eyes. Their eyes having not changed completely to those of the undead, they still hold humanity within their depths and it is terrifying. Walking deeper into the room, we see cots holding decayed body parts and vials full of the varying degrees of brown sludge stand on tables nearby. Further to the side lays a female strapped to a table; she seems to be asleep, or possibly in a coma. One arm is bandaged in white gauze and the other lay loosely by her side.
Moving in her direction, I'm grabbed and brought up short by Logan. "Mak, you have no clue what's going on here. Just leave
it." He says, holding onto my elbow as if to hold me back.
"But what if she's hurt or she's being held prisoner?" I ask, shaking him off.
"Hold up, Makkie. She very well may need help, but let's do this slowly, ok?" Clara says lightly.
"Fine, whatever." I answer.
Once reaching the side of the cot the woman lay upon, I notice her skin isn't quite the right color. It’s more grey than the peachy tones of the human race and she is ice cold to the touch. Lifting the bandaged arm, I start to slowly unwrap it. As soon as I see the infected site of a zombie bite, I drop it back to the cot.
"She's been bitten." I say, backing away from her side.
"Yeah, and it looks like she's in the first stages of the virus, too." Clara says leaning over my shoulder.
Turning away from the young woman, I move through the building where there's more decaying body parts thrown here and there. This isn't a place I want Tessa or Gage to ever see.
The moans from the undead intensify and I look up, casting my eyes upon the door. Standing in the shadow of the open door is the doctor and her guard. "Well hello. Nice of you to drop in. I see you've come across my little project." The doctor says snidely. Lifting my Glock, I aim it at her head and she just laughs.
"I'd put the guns down if I were you. See this little button here?" She asks, pointing to a red button encased in glass. "One press and it opens all the cages allowing my lovely pets to get out." She says laughing evilly. "As a matter of fact, it seems to be feeding time for my precious hybrid. She's looking rather hungry." The mad doctor adds, directing our attention to the woman who, was only moments before, strapped down.
The woman was now sitting up, the bonds that held her lay ripped to shreds at her side. Frantically scanning the room for a way out I see that the damn doctor and guard stand in front of our only way out.
"Come on, Daniel, let's leave Susie to her dinner." The doctor laughs, as her and the guard leave the building, closing the door behind them.
Standing with jerky movements, the hybrid’s eyes never leave us. "Do not be afraid. I will not hurt you, much." She says, with an evil grin. Logan grabs both Clara and me, pushing us behind him.
"What the hell is that thing?" I ask, reaching for the Glock at my side. Before I can lay a hand on the gun I am roughly jerked to the side and thrown across the room against the freshies cage.
"I didn't forget you my brothers and sisters." She says robotically. Their hands reach out, clawing at my body and pulling my hair; trying their best to yank me through the cage bars.
Hearing gunshots ring out I see Logan fighting for our lives. Clara is lying beside the decayed zombies’ cage, passed out. They are trying to reach her, but being that their bodies are beyond rotten, they are unable to reach through the cage for her. They still struggle, wanting their last meal, but fail miserably as they fall apart with each jerky movement.
A loud squeal has me turning back to the fight unfolding in front of me. Yanking my hair from the freshies’, I stand and run for the Glock that had been knocked from my hand. I lift my gun to shoot, but Logan is standing in front of her, her teeth at his neck.
"We have reached an impasse, I believe." She says, in that same robotic voice.
"Let them go and I'll stay." I say, soberly.
"Why do I have to let anyone go?" She asks, an evil grin on her face. She holds Logan even tighter and my brain searches frantically for an answer. Any answer that will help.
"We can get you out of here." I say, desperately hoping to get Logan out of her clutches.
Turning her head from side to side as if she is contemplating my offer, she grins at me before answering, "And what of my sisters and brothers? Will you also get them out of here?"
"I'm not sure your, umm, brothers and sisters in the last two cages can leave. They seem incapable of movement." I respond, pointing to the last cages.
"They are beyond repair, but Dr. Cilley is helping us to become better. So as for your offer of leaving, no thank you." She says with a sneer. There is something so robotic about her it is almost as if she is made of metal and screws, instead of flesh and bone.
Her intelligence, and other worldly abilities, are creeping me out, and I really want to put a bullet between her eyes; my hand twitches on my gun. Snapping her teeth together she leans closer to Logan, inhaling his scent.
"I think it's dinner time." She says, sinking her teeth into Logan's shoulder.
"Noooooooo!" I scream, lunging forward and knocking Logan to the floor as my fist rams into the bitch’s face.
She flies backwards and I pull my katana smoothly from the sheath. With a downward thrust, I center it between her eyes, the sharp tip goes all the way through her brain and the hybrid closes her eyes for the last time.
Grabbing up medical supplies, I race to Logan's side. His shoulder is bleeding profusely. I look up as Clara walks to our side.
"Oh my God. No, this can't be happening." She says, kneeling at Logan's side.
"Help me. Please, Clara." I beg. My hands are trembling as tears cover my face.
"Logan, hang in there. You're going to be ok." Clara says, wiping the wound with gauze and alcohol.
Logan gasps from the sting of the alcohol. Gripping my hand he looks me in the eyes, "Makayla, you and Clara need to get out of here. Leave me." He says, sliding his gun closer to his side.
"No, I'm not leaving you. We can beat this. We have no idea if she can infect you with a bite. Please don't give up. Please, I need you." I plead, tears dropping onto our joined hands.
"Mak, I love you. I need you to go. Please don't stay and watch me turn into whatever the hell that was." He whispers.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The door creaks open and the doctor and guard walk in. I level my gun at the doctor’s head and scream, "Bitch, you better have a cure for what your little experiment did or you will meet your death at the end of my gun!"
The guard raises his gun, but I don't hesitant. I flick my gun to him and pull the trigger, shooting him through the heart. He falls at the doctor’s side.
"See? I'm not playing." I say as I walk toward the shocked doctor.
"I, I, I, don't have a cure. I was trying to make biological weapons that could be controlled. Why would I want a cure?" She asks, still wearing a shocked expression.
"Look around you. This world doesn't need another killer. What this world needs is a cure."
Rearing back, I let my fist fly into her face, knocking her backwards to the floor. I pounce, pummeling her wherever I can reach. Letting out all of my fear and rage on the evil scientist.
Too soon I am pulled away and wrapped in a set of strong arms and tears cover my face. I don't want to lose the man I have fallen in love with. Turning, I wrap my arms around Logan and sob.
"Shhhh, Makayla. It's going to be ok." Logan says as he wipes the tears from my face.
"No. It's never going to be ok. It's always going to be a battle for survival." I reply, burying myself deeper into his chest. Giving myself this one moment of reprieve from the world that surrounds us. From the cruel world that awaits us outside.
Throwing the doctor into one of the empty cages, we go about searching the rest of the premises. The house is locked with a code like the lab, but with Clara's computer know-how, she has the code cracked and is smiling in a matter of seconds.
"We're in, yes!" She shouts with a fist pump.
Logan walks with one arm wrapped securely around my waist and the other hanging loosely at his side. I know he has to be in agony from the bite, but he keeps going, his shoulder a mass of white bandages.
Walking in the door behind Clara, the first thing I notice is how luxurious the home is. There are lamps on and the room is warm, but I’m not sure if that’s from a heating system or fireplace. As we wander ideally through each room, I wonder if this could in actuality be our safe place. We would have electricity, heat, and electric bars to keep out the undead. The thoughts keep floating through my mind, but then they com
e back to reality with Logan by my side. My concern for him overrides all other thoughts.
"Logan, how are you feeling?"
"Ok so far, babe. Seriously, quit worrying." He responds. Standing on my tiptoes, I brush my lips across his cheek.
Clara runs to the sink, turning on the water. With it flowing between her fingers, she lets out a loud, "Hell yeah!" Before she thinks about Logan and I behind her and her face clouds with anxiety. "Since there's running water, let's cleanse your wound." She directs Logan to sit by the sink.
Rushing to what I presume is the bathroom, I grab a towel and wash cloth. Not taking the time to look around, I run back out to Logan and Clara, colliding with Clara as she runs about gathering a few supplies for Logan's shoulder. Reaching out I grasp her shoulders to steady the both of us.
Surviving Earth: Makayla's Journey Page 11