It made his skin crawl, being surrounded by the dead bodies of other Carriers. There wasn't a single unpleasant odor to be found, no stink of decay- just a strong, sterile smell that burned his nose. None of the bodies looked to be decomposing- they'd been killed recently. I'm in a dumping ground.
On his left, possibly ten feet away was another body, this time of a boy. His wrists were bloodied and bruised, looking as if he had been struggling with significant power against handcuffs. Like the girl, there was a red hole between the young man's eyes, and once again there was no blood.
Panicked, Carson jammed his arms upwards. He knew he was nowhere near strong enough to break the handcuffs, but maybe there would be something to hit that would. To his horror, he found the more he moved within the metal restrains they became tighter around his wrists. The pain increased with each thrash, the metal biting into his skin.
"Stop thrashing, boy. You won't be killed until your little girlfriend arrives and we can kill you right in front of her." A male voice made him stop struggling and whip his head around. Standing in the doorway was a man that with his presence brought all the memories he needed back- the fight at the gas station, Shay bleeding heavily from a head wound, and then some guy coming up behind him and knocking him out. It was all there now. He could only form a few thoughts, but one seemed to ring clearer than the others- Is Shay okay?
"You son of a bitch! What kind of person would do that?" He spat, throwing himself towards the direction of the man. The handcuffs tightened again, causing Carson to shout in pain. He'd never heard of handcuffs that tightened with each movement before- he could only guess as to why they were here. The building resembled the CDC in a lot of ways- off white walls and floors, the lingering sterile scent and sharp overhead lighting. The only other living human in the room with him was obviously an agent. He knew exactly where he was. It's some kind of government facility, thus making my chances of escape impossible. Wonderful.
"Well, technically, you. You've caused fifty-one percent of Missouri and thirty five of Kansas to watch their loved ones die in a much more painful way than a bullet to the brain," he responded coolly, taking a few more steps towards him. He used his legs to push the chair backwards and away from the man but with each push the chair jerked, causing the handcuffs to constrict even more. He had to bite his lip to keep from crying out.
"So that's why I'm surrounded by dead bodies then? You're killing Carriers?"
"Of course we're killing Carriers- if we can stop the source, we'll stop the Plague. The Infected all die anyways, so we can quarantine them and focus on eradicating the Carriers we can save the other forty-eight states."
"So why haven't you killed me yet? You going to leave me to die of disgust once these people start rotting?"
"I already told you. It's a trap love-struck teenagers are bound to fall into- we'll have pretty much every Carrier in here, as I assume they all follow Miss Claire," he replied as he kicked a body out of his way. "This isn't the only room, you know. You just got kind of unlucky we had to put you in here with the bodies. And, just like those handcuffs, we have technology that will keep the smell at bay until we get around to killing you. You might just have to close your eyes for a few days, depending on how long it takes Miss Claire to arrive."
"Nah, they keep me company," Carson hissed back, gesturing towards the girl on the floor. "Susie here is pretty damn hilarious." The image of the dead girl before him rotting while he was chained to the chair made him want to be sick. Come one Shay, if this dude's right and you come after me, please come soon.
"Susie's correct name is Lena Gardner- and some idiot thought she was your girlfriend. At least we got a Carrier of the streets." The agent spat coldly, stopping a few feet away from Carson. He was tall, well-built and strong. The agent's hair color was similar to his dusky brown, just a little darker. His eyes were round and blue, a few wrinkles creeping on the edges of his eyes and forehead. He didn't look menacing, yet looks were often deceiving. He knew this man had malevolent intentions.
"You act like killing teenagers is no big deal." The next thing he knew a fist was flying towards his face. The blow to his jaw was unexpected, sending his head snapping to one side. Pain exploded across his jaw, provoking him to struggle against his restraints again. The metal got even tighter. He screamed out again in a combination of pain from the handcuffs and the blow to his jaw, both mind-numbing in their own right.
"You act like killing 65.78 of the world's population is no big deal, Mr. Bradley," the man hissed.
"What? Where the hell did you get that? You said yourself it's just barely gotten into Kansas!" Carson inquired as his voice faltered. He was terrified for his life now, despite what the agent had told him. It could all very well be lies and he was about to kill him. He was going to die scared, confused and alone. Shay will never even know she's lost me too.
"Shit, I've said too much."
"What-" He never got to finish, for the butt of a gun was brought down against his temple, sending him spiraling once more into unconsciousness.
Chapter 36
In the firelight sat Shay, her head wound covered with a large bandage secured by over-sized band aids. She looked about as foolish as she felt but her mind was on other things- there were more important things to fret over than her appearance.
Katrina and Axel were sitting across from her, their faces hidden by orange tendrils of flame and smoke. She'd decided from then on she would converse with them about serious business, as her previous two were gone. The matter of Carson was what she'd roused the two at three in the morning for. It couldn't be put off another minute. She hadn't gone with slamming pots and pans like she'd first considered for then everyone would think her head injury had sent her completely insane.
"Shay, you can't be serious," Katrina said warily.
"I am. You said yourself we don't have anyone to spare." She responded coolly, rubbing her forehead as she did. Her injury had brought on a headache no dosage of ibuprofen seemed to eradicate. She assumed it would get better over time with the wound, yet for now she was going to have to live with it. I fucking hate headaches.
"Yeah, but it's walking into a trap," Axel butted in. "It's like you're asking to get killed."
"That's the thing- it is a trap. But if we know what it is, shouldn't there be a way around it? Like when an animal knows there's a hunting trap nearby, it goes around it," she replied as calmly as possible even though she felt like punching someone. Why couldn't they just comply and go? Every minute they wasted bickering could have been Carson's last.
"Yeah but hunting traps don't include the Government and guns," he shot back. A twig snapped in the woods behind them, sending all three of them scattering for their guns which rested at their feet. A deer was illuminated in the orange glow of the firelight before sprinting back away into the darkness, white tail raised in alarm.
"Oh look Shay, the deer went into a trap and ran out!" Katrina mocked, dropping her gun to her feet once again. She rolled her eyes and tossed a small twig into the campfire.
"Shut up. All I'm asking is that you trust me. You said yourself I kept you guys alive this far- don't lose faith in me now, please," she pleaded, yet there was a hard edge to her voice, almost like a warning. She wasn't going to give up on this easily.
"If it had been anyone besides Carson or me you wouldn't have given a damn about what they did to him. We could ether risk losing several lives for the sake of one or lose one for the sake of all." Katrina responded. Her seriousness stunned Shay- it was rare she ever took things seriously, even if she'd been growing in her maturity as of late. Even through the licking tendrils of orange her face was all but happy. She looked blank, serious.
"You're starting to sound too much like me for comfort." she replied. "Just because you thought I was dead for twenty minutes doesn't mean you're the new 'Miss Alpha'," she remarked. The two grils broke out into small giggles at the reference of the name Laylia had given her so long ago.
Katrina was making a valid point she was fully aware of yet was choosing vainly to ignore. She couldn't just give up and let Carson go like that. They'd been together for a year and been through far too much together to just give up and say "Well, nothing we can do about it."
"I'm sorry Shay, but I won't do it. I can't take the chance I'd lose Owen, but I don't want to take the chance I'll be losing you ether. You're the last girl I can stand here." Katrina replied. Shay bit her lip in response, for she was expecting that answer.
"Well, you didn't let me finish," she replied, tone cool. She took note of Katrina and Axel glancing at each other with slightly quizzical looks before eyeing her. "We could take Owen and leave the others behind, but you kinda just shot that down."
"What about Kyleigh?" Axel butted in, his voice sounding a little bit louder and more anxious than probably intended. She caught Katrina's gaze from across the fire, her light brown gaze was a warning. Don't say anything about her.
"Oh, yeah, forgot about her," she passed it off evenly. In all truth, she would have been fine with leaving Kyleigh, history of friendship or not. That would mean Axel would stay, and they needed him. Katrina and the dusky-haired boy were the last people she had in the group, and as much as she wished that wasn't the case, it was, making Carson's recuse all the more a pressing issue. She'd lost Marena, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to survive both losses. Would the group?
"So we'd just leave Laylia and Newbie here?" Katrina asked with a quizzical look resting upon her features. An owl hooted in the night, causing all three of them to jump. Nobody was relaxed. They all seemed to expect agents to come melting out of the shadows at any moment, guns drawn and fingers on the trigger. She was surprised she'd even managed to get a few brief hours of sleep.
"It might be best to do so. We all witnessed what problems she caused earlier," Shay responded, her voice lowering as she finished. The thought that had run through her mind several times could no longer be pushed away. There was no more playing nice. She wasn't a nice person to begin with. She was surprised she'd scrounged up the tolerance to struggle through Laylia and her idiotic, selfish, and hateful behaviors for this long.
Another twig snapped, sound echoing from the blackness of shadows cast by firelight. Sensing a human presence her grip around her gun tightened. She could make out no human figures in the darkness yet she could sense them, an instinctual feeling. They weren't alone anymore.
Her eyes shifted to Katrina and Axel, whom were also tense, hands also wrapped tightly around their artillery, eyes glued on the direction from which the noise came. She clicked off the safety slowly, cautious not to make much noise.
"What happened to us being a group Shay?"
The three jumped, each bringing their guns up in defense mode. From behind Katrina Laylia came melting out of the shadows, deviant malice glimmering in her eyes. Instantly swarms of negative thoughts went rushing through her brain. We wouldn't even have to leave her if I do what I should have done a while ago- kill her.
"Oh, come on now, no need to point a gun at me. I'm one of your own." She hissed while taking a few more steps towards the trio. Katrina clicked off her safety, the noise audible and mechanical. Laylia stopped in her tracks, hazel eyes flashing to Katrina's weapon. "Now, now Katrina, that's not necessary."
"One of our own wouldn't go out of her way to make our lives difficult. We're trying to think here, go back to sleep." Shay growled, her voice low in warning. Her patience was running as thin as her nerves at the moment- it wouldn't take much to send her over the edge.
"How do I know that when I wake up you will not have left Alexandria and I alone and defenseless? I wouldn't put it against you."
"Laylia..." Her voice was low. This could very well be the final straw- she didn't have anyone here to keep her from doing anything stupid anymore. She could end Laylia now and nobody would lift a finger of objection.
"Well? Why don't you just leave when I fall asleep?" Laylia's voice was rising now despite her physical calmness, most likely a mask to her anger inside.
"Just go to sleep!" She yelled, rubbing her temples. The noise was hurting her head and everyone's incredulous stares were making it worse. She felt like she could buckle under the pressure. It seemed like the leadership skills Katrina had shown earlier had evaporated now, for she was sitting there silently, staring at her as everyone else was.
"I wonder how a person can be so heartless. You're willing to drop everything and leave just for the sake of one person! You're such a hypocrite, Shay. If it had been anyone else besides your cocky asshole of a boyfriend you wouldn't have given a damn. I always hear you talk about how we don't have people to spare, yet you are willing to leave two members behind and risk the lives of the others you still care about! Some leader you are," Laylia snarled with her eyes ablaze. Newbie had joined her, slinking out of the shadows slowly, attempting not to be noticed. She graced her eyes across everyone before stepping backwards, looking rather startled. Has she never seen a confrontation before?
"Laylia!" Shay warned, temper rising at a startling rate. It was taking all the control she had to not beat some respect into her. "Just shut your mouth and let me think, we were just discussing! What we may or may not have said means nothing and does certainly not concern you, and the minutes we spend arguing could have been Carson's last!"
"Who says that isn't what I'm trying to do?" she shrieked. "Maybe I want Carson dead!"
A stunned silence instantly fell over the campground. Shay's eyes widened and she exhaled loudly, her lips pursed in an expression of rage. Axel stood bolt upright, hazel eyes ablaze. Carson was one of his best friends; he clearly wasn't going to stand for that. Katrina sat there with her head in her hands, constantly shaking it back and forth. She couldn't be sure the reddish-brown haired girl was even focusing on the argument at hand. Come on, where's the Katrina that argued with this bitch earlier? She thought, her disapproving gaze resting upon her friend for a moment.
She stood abruptly. "What... did you say?" Each word was broken up, a staccato measure of music. That was the final straw.
"Now you're getting pissed, aren't you Miss Alpha?" She mocked, a malicious grin hovering on her lips. In the blink of an eye Laylia turned, facing Katrina instead of the blonde- she'd switched the direction of her verbal assault. "You know, she wouldn't give a damn if they took Owen instead of Carson."
Katrina swallowed hard. Shay took note of her eyes flickering up to her before back down towards the ground. Her grip on her gun was loosening, as if her will to defend her had suddenly been sucked out of her completely.
"Katrina, that's not true…" she growled through gritted teeth, eyes on Laylia. You can't turn them against me. They'd never follow you.
She ground her teeth together hard, about to reach her point of no return. If Laylia didn't shut her mouth soon she was going to do it for her. She knew exactly what she was doing; trying to turn all of her friends against her, leave her alone. She would never be able to handle all those agents by herself.
"Do you want to be the leader of the group?" she yelled. "Do you think you can do better than me?"
"Oh please, anyone can!" Laylia spat back. "You haven't got us out of many sticky situations, have you? Jaycee's dead, your boyfriend's been kidnapped and Marena, your best friend, is at the bottom of a river!" Her voice was shrill. A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers. That was low, even for Laylia.
"Shut your fucking mouth right now." She spat bitterly. She was breathing in and out deeply, her final attempt at keeping her fury controlled. She didn't want to lose it in front of everyone else but that took it too far. It was as if she knew exactly how she felt about Marena's death and shot an arrow at the wound. The water was about to boil over the rim of the pot now- Laylia seemed to be asking for her wrath.
"You're not my leader Shay. You can't tell me what to do."
That was when she lost it. She lunged forwards, covering the distance between her and the dark-haired girl in a moment's t
ime. Her hands found Laylia's neck, pressing down and sending them both crashing onto the earth. Laylia's back took most of the impact, pushing a grunt of pain from her throat.
Her eyes were blazing as her hands pushed down on Laylia's throat with more force, teeth bared. Laylia thrashed beneath her, bringing her knee up to collide into Shay's stomach. Pain quickly flashed over her, enough to effectively knock her off. She got back up and scrambled towards Laylia, hands clawing at the dirt.
Laylia swung, bringing her fist slamming into her jaw. It wasn't anything near the most powerful hit she'd ever taken yet it still stung, snapping her head in the opposite direction from which the blow came. The result was fresh pain to radiate from her bandaged head wound, dull and throbbing with the rhythm of her heart.
She turned her head back towards Laylia. Their eyes locked and she found her own emotions mirrored in the eyes of the enemy- an uncontrollable fury and a loathing for the other. She used the back of her palm to smear away the spit and blood that was dribbling out of the corner of her mouth, never breaking eye contact.
She lunged again, barreling into the heavier girl. She used her speed and force to knock her onto her back once more. This time her hands did not find her neck, instead balling into fists and pelting her face continuously. I have the upper hand now, let's see you even try to win. She was being foolish, allowing her ego to get the better of her- she thought she'd had the upper hand right before she got punched in the face.
Laylia was pinned beneath her, not even struggling. Had she knocked her unconscious? Her next blow landed directly on the bridge of her nose. The crunch of cartilage was audible, leaving Laylia crying in pain. So she's still awake she thought quickly, stopping her fist mid-swing. Why am I taking pity on her? I broke her nose, finish the job! No, it's finished. I've broken her.
Laylia attacked without warning, hands flying towards Shay's face. She was caught off guard, thus given little time to react before Laylia's fingers were laced in her blonde hair, shoving her face downwards. Laylia stuffed her in the dirt, smothering her in it. She also made point to occasionally poke the bandage, resulting in her releasing a cry of pain.
Carriers Page 28