Those Who Remain (Book 3)

by Priscila Santa Rosa

  I finally have her full attention, her eyes opening wide. “He’s alive?”

  “Seems like it. And he has Spencer’s notebook.”

  The news shocks her into silence for a second or two. Nearby, the teens laugh and joke without a single care in the world. I can’t decide if I envy or pity them. Who knows what tragedies are in store for them? At least I know the end to my story.

  “I’m traveling to D.C. to help. I’m the only zombie ever cured. I figure that’s gotta count for something.” I laugh a little. “Actually, I’m pretty sure it does. Especially if I’m willing to be poked and probed, possibly dissected too. Which I am.”

  Lily steps forward and raises a hand. I flinch, but she only rests it on my left shoulder. “Danny...”

  “I don’t care if I need to donate my body to science, Lily. I want to end this nightmare for all of us.” I bite my lip. “No matter what it takes. So, I came here to say goodbye.”

  I hold my breath, jaw set, waiting for her reaction. A small part of me wishes she would talk me out of the idea, convince me to be selfish, stay in this town and get some measure of peace. The rest of me is sure she would prefer I drop dead right now.

  The radio on her belt turns on. “Lily? We have a problem. Those infected we spotted last week? They’ve got Julie and Steven cornered in the hunting lodge. Julie is injured. Should I send a team?”

  “No, I’ll take care of it. I’m close to the cabin. Stand by in case I need backup.” She says all of this while still looking directly at me. “I have to go. You... If you want supplies, ask Laurie.” She points at one of the tallest teens, an Asian girl with long black hair. “Bye, Danny.”

  I chase after her to a gun stand. “Wait, Lily, let me help.” She picks up a rifle and loads it. I put a hand on its barrel. “I can deal with zombies no problem. Don’t waste your bullets.”

  “No.” Lily pulls the rifle away. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Danny.”

  Of course she doesn’t. After what I did, she doesn’t trust me, and who can blame her?

  “Nobody is pulling my strings anymore, Lily. I’m in control now and this is the safest way for everybody. Give me a chance to at least make it up to you and Roger, just... a little.”

  She sighs but nods. “Follow me.”

  We run out of the shooting range and back to the wall, where her guards open the gates for us and toss Lily a backpack with hiking equipment. We venture into the woods, Lily outpacing me by easily dodging and jumping over logs while I trip more than once. I guess I’m too wired from being near her again to pay attention to where I’m going. Last time we saw each other, she had a gun pointed at me and tears in her eyes. I spent many hours debating if coming here was a good idea and the thought frightened me so much, I kept delaying the trip, but Gail opened my eyes. I know that if I don’t do this, I’ll regret not trying to fix our relationship forever. Saying goodbye is hard and forgiveness is impossible, but at least I did all I could.

  We stop for air for a minute and I use it as an opportunity to talk to her some more. Hey, this might be the last time I see her. She’s the last bit of home I have. I gotta try.

  “You have a nice thing going with this town. I heard you’re kind of their leader. Hard to imagine you being, you know, an authority figure. But it kinda fits too, in a weird way.”

  Lily presses her lips together and adjusts her rifle’s strap. “I realized the only way I was going to live the way I want to live and find a home is building it myself.”

  “If you build it, they’ll come, and all that.”

  “What?”

  “Field of Dreams.” I shift around, hiding my hands in my pockets when she shrugs. “It’s a movie quote.”

  “Of course.”

  Another question is on the tip of my tongue, but I’m too afraid to ask what happened to her father. Last time, he had left her behind. Did she ever see him again? Was he alive? But that’s a touchy subject for her. Just like Roger and Ma are to me.

  “Anyway, I’m glad you’re happy.”

  “Happy is not the word I would use, but I’m surviving.” Her narrowed eyes scan the woods. “Enough talk, let’s move.”

  Six zombies surround a one-room cabin. Two pound a small window and the other three try to force their way through a half-open door, stopped only by someone on the other side pushing back. Lily crouches behind a fallen log and uses it to support her sniper rifle, placing a finger on the trigger, an eye on the scope.

  “No need for that,” I tell her. “I mean, are you really going to shoot these people?”

  “Got a better suggestion for crowd control of violent, deranged monsters?”

  Ouch. I deserved that, but ouch. I dust off my clothes and give her a fake salute. “Leave it to me, bravo leader. Do you have rope?”

  She takes a climbing rope out of her backpack and gives it to me.

  I flex my fingers and smile. “Don’t take your eyes off me even for a second, okay? No blinking. You’re going to watch the zombie whisperer in action. Prepare to be amazed.”

  Lily rolls her eyes, but I stomp my way toward the cabin as pompously as possible hoping to force a smile out of her. I’ve been collecting mental pictures for my future “your life flashes before your eyes” near-death moment, and the image of Lily smiling thanks to my goofing around would mean a lot.

  Anyway, back to the zombies. I slide down from the hill while clapping and whistling like a crazy person, which, in all fairness, is an apt description. The zombies slowly turn their heads, glassy eyes fixing on me, so the person holding the door has enough time to close it tight. Of course, the slam draws the zombies’ attention back to the cabin. A zombie hybrid isn’t interesting enough for them, but I’m not offended.

  I approach one of the zombies, a man in his late forties, half-naked, and covered by the usual tumors, and spin him around by the shoulders. He groans but doesn’t attack me, only vaguely aware of my presence. I grab his wrists, tie them behind his back, and then gently guide him away from the cabin, pushing him down to lie with his stomach against the ground. He attempts to free himself, but I ignore it for now, going to the next zombie.

  I repeat the process until all of them are tied up and lying down. Happy with the success of my very high-risk plan, I wipe my hands and wave to Lily.

  “Boom! And that’s how it’s done.”

  She slides down the hill and inspects my line of zombies with a frown. “That was anticlimactic.”

  “But awesome, right? It was awesome.” She shakes her head and kicks one of the zombies lightly on the leg. I place my hands on my sides. “Come on, Lily. Admit it.”

  “Admit that I find it disturbing? Okay, I admit it,” Lily snaps at me and then knocks on the door and calls to the couple inside, “It’s safe. You can come out now.”

  “Disturbing? I just helped you.” I march after her, frowning. “What? You would’ve preferred shooting these helpless people in the head? I think a bloodbath would be far, far more disturbing, but, hey, that’s just me.”

  She twirls, a finger pointed at my chest. “No. What I find disturbing is how fucking indifferent you’re being right now. Acting like we’re still friends. That you’re not... whatever the hell you are!” She throws her free hand in the air, gesturing wildly. “You show up out of nowhere after all this time to tell me you’re planning on sacrificing yourself for the good of stupid humanity like it’s nothing!”

  I take a step back. The couple, now out in the open, rightly moves to the side. Like a sharp-eyed predator, Lily catches their movements and directs her yelling at them: “And you two. Get those infected. Take them away from the town, further into the woods. And come back before sundown. We need to have a conversation about how not to be dumb and survive a simple patrol. Move!”

  They nod fervently and scramble to leave as fast as six uncoordinated zombies allow them. I wait until they are far enough, then reach for Lily, still very pissed and pacing around.

  “I’m a little confused her
e, Lily. I’m sorry if I’m not acting tortured enough for you. Honestly, I’m pretty tortured, I just didn’t think it would be fair to be all tragic around you. I don’t want you to pity me, because I don’t deserve it.”

  With a heavy sigh, she shakes her head. “You do deserve it, Danny, that’s the problem. I... Dammit.” Another sigh. She closes her eyes, her voice choking with emotion, “We made you like this. Roger and I. We decided to infect you on purpose so you would have a chance to survive. I’m sorry, Danny.”

  I blink. Oh. That makes more sense than my theory of Redwood being attacked shortly after I got shot.

  Lily bites her lip, waiting for my reaction at the reveal. I’m not sure how I feel about that information. Would I have preferred to die instead of living like a zombie for months? Maybe. Like, this is a classic Sophie’s choice here. No good option available. What I do know is that life went to shit and that’s how Zombie Apocalypse stories roll.

  After an awkward pause, Lily continues, “In the end, what happened to Roger is on me. I... I couldn’t deal with that, so I... I pushed you away. Seeing you again? I feel terrible. And happy. At the same time. It’s very confusing and frustrating, and I hate it.”

  I let out a laugh of complete relief. Not caring about the risk anymore, I pull her in for a bear hug. She struggles at first, but slowly, surely, places a hand on my back.

  “It’s okay. I get it. I feel the same.”

  She pushes me back a little. “Stop being so damn calm about this whole thing. It’s annoying.”

  “Sorry.” I smile. “I had a lot of time to meditate on my feelings of self-hatred, Lily. This is the result, I guess.”

  “And you don’t hate me? Or Roger? For turning you into...”

  I raise an eyebrow. “Into what? A badass vegetarian?” You know what? Forgiveness is cooler than resentment.

  There. There’s the smile. Mission complete. Done. No more heavy heart for me, I can go to D.C. without any regrets.

  “I’m serious.”

  We separate. “Not for a second. How could I? My hands aren’t clean and all you did was try your best to help me.”

  Lily looks at the ground, rubbing her nose and eyes. “I’m coming with you. I’m going to D.C. with you.”

  The option for the high road exists, I won’t deny it. I could argue with her, tell her the town needs her and all that bullshit, but I’ve missed her and I don’t give a shit about the town. Sorry. I’m volunteering for crazy experiments that will probably lead to my death, so I want to spend my last moments with the only friend I have left in the whole world. So sue me.

  “Okay. Thank you. Really, I... Thanks, Lily. It means... well, everything.”

  She nods, her dark eyes showing nothing but determination.

  THE HUNTRESS XIX

  Summer

  It seems that if you want to penetrate a highly secured base, all you need to do is ask for Sergeant Nelson Tigh. Despite the suspicious looks Danny’s received from every single soldier posted on the way, we reach the final gate and are allowed in. Guided by an escort, we arrive at a research laboratory, a large building deep in the base. Danny stays close by, head snapping at any sudden movements from the group following us. He’s nervous, twitchy, and I can’t blame him.

  Discreetly, I intertwine our hands, giving him a small smile when he faces me with confusion. He takes a deep breath and nods, seeming more calm after tightening his grip on my hand.

  Traveling with Danny has been bittersweet. The first days we were too keenly aware of each other, unable even to say good morning without muttering and avoiding locking eyes. After a lot of fidgeting and throat clearing, we began to fall into our old patterns. He could complain about the trip, the tent, the car, the food, et cetera. and I could call him annoying and picky. At first glance, our light banter might’ve appeared sour, but the familiarity smoothed things over between us. We’re friends again, or at least acquaintances. He started to tease me again and his quirks made me laugh.

  Sometimes we even risked talking about the past and Redwood. I told him how the town fared after we left. It was mostly good news. Linda Fords left for greener pastures, which was enough to make the place ten times more livable. My mother became the new sheriff. She cried when I told her Dad was dead. Real tears too. I left her with a promise I would come back soon. I never did. Like Danny, she reminds me too much of what I lost. Of course, I don’t tell him about my reason for going back in the first place. As much I dislike Redwood, they deserved to know their original sheriff wasn’t coming back.

  Roger’s absence was felt every day. Our friendship, weak as it is, wouldn’t exist without him. And now, our friendship was dying because of him too. Danny would be in the middle of a funny anecdote, only to realize the people involved were long dead. Inside jokes lost all their appeal when most were shared with Roger.

  But while there were sad days, days we couldn’t even talk, there were also plenty of good moments I’ll relish for the rest of my life. We’re the only ones who remain, the last survivors of a small but loving family. I could never let him come here alone, no matter how difficult the journey.

  Tigh greets us with firm handshakes and friendly pats on our backs. He looks older, tired, but still impeccably dressed and groomed. His story isn’t much different from my own: he lost Maria on that island but found his way back to civilization with the notebook in hand. He tells us this like it’s a debriefing session, voice devoid of any emotion, but I know how he really feels when he calls her “the doctor” instead of using her first name. After meeting with a group of low-ranking officers, they brought him to D.C., where surviving troops from every branch of the military regrouped to fix this mess.

  Now they’re one step closer to a true cure, one that will bring people back to normal. Unfortunately, after many attempts it became clear that Spencer’s notes were incomplete. A crucial detail was missing: Danny. After looking for him in the CDC base back in Canada, Tigh has been roaming the countryside, spreading rumors in hopes they would reach Danny’s ears.

  “You’re the final piece of the puzzle, kid,” he tells Danny, a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you for coming all this way.”

  “What’s going to happen to him?” I ask, stepping even closer to Danny. “Is he going to be okay?”

  Before Tigh can answer, Danny shakes his head. “It’s fine, Lily. Whatever they need, I’m ready for it.”

  I bite my lip as he releases my hand and nods at Tigh, stepping forward and turning around to face me. With a smile, he says, “Thanks for bringing me here, Lily. I’m glad we could spend those days together. Don’t worry about me anymore, okay?”

  As I race to hug him, I wish I was a better person or maybe a horrible person. I want to stop him from sacrificing himself, demand that he come back so I can cling to this last piece of my past and share the memories of everyone we lost. I want someone who understands what it’s like to miss these people. Someone who remembers them as fondly as I do. Who gets me. Who understands what I’ve been through.

  But I’ve been selfish enough. This is what he wants to do. This will give him peace.

  Who am I to deny him that?

  Danny disappears deeper inside the research building; he fades from view like a ghost of the past. I stand, unmoving, for hours until Tigh suggests I rest in the nearby barracks for the night before leaving tomorrow.

  “I’m not leaving until I know what’s going to happen.”

  “He doesn’t want you here. He wants you back home, safe and happy.”

  “After what happened to Maria and you, do you think that’s possible for me?”

  Tigh sighs, head down, and then he leads me to a bench, sitting at my side. “Yes. I do. I don’t know what the scientists here will do to Danny, but I promise you, it won’t be in vain. I’m doing this for her, for Roger, for everyone we lost. But Danny’s doing this for you, Lily. Don’t let it go to waste.”

  I shut my eyes tight, fighting against tears. I’ve had enough tears. I’
m done with them. Instead, I nod and take a deep breath, filling my empty chest with determination.

  “I won’t.”

  THE SISTERS

  End of Summer

  I wrinkle my nose at the smell of wet dog. Sunlight warms my cheeks, sweat running from my forehead into my eyes. Luke runs ahead, barking like crazy as if calling us to hurry up, but he’s not the one carrying a heavy backpack with a tent in it.

  “Laurie, keep up!” Lily says, waving her free hand and jogging after the golden retriever.

  I adjust the straps on my sore shoulders and sigh, not really making an effort to move faster. All I want to do is head back home, but Lily seems to think learning how to hunt is a good opportunity for us to bond. This is her idea of a vacation. Well, for me vacations mean reading books by the pool while snacking on ice cream.

  We spend the better part of the morning after a deer, but Lily does all the work, kneeling down in the mud and dirt to find deer tracks. She’s trying to teach Luke to be a hunting dog, but he’s too dumb to learn anything. I swear I saw him eating rocks and his own poop the other day. Sure, he’s cute and jumps around a lot, but ask him to sit and he’ll lick his balls instead.

  “So... How’re things with Freddie?”

  I freeze completely. No. No. She did not just ask me that. How does she know? How much does she know? Who talked? Crap, there’re no secrets in that stupid town.

  Lily laughs. “Calm down. I’m not here to twist your arm. If you like him, then go for it, okay? He seems like a nice kid.”

  I frown. Luke skips out of a bush, tongue out and splattering saliva everywhere. He finds Lily’s hand and spends the next precious seconds licking it like it was candy.

  “I don’t know. I... I’m like, really dumb around him. It’s so stupid—can we not talk about this?”

  Lily raises one of her eyebrows, smile still open, freely enjoying my suffering. “That’s normal. You just need to boost your confidence a little. And I have the perfect way to do that.”