by M. D. Massey
“Hurry,” Rudy says, “I have your backs.” He throws some empty canvas bags to us.
I don’t know what’s in the room, but if the guy had on a mask, it can’t be safe. We enter a sterilization room with a biohazard closet full of suits where one should change before going into the next room.
“That can’t be good.” Reece says.
“The guy was in a hurry. He only had on a mask. I’m sure we can go in without the regular precautions.” Reece looks doubtful. I notice all the medicine cabinets. They’re glass and stocked. “I’ll take one for the team. You get those,” I say, pointing to the cabinets. Going into the closet and shutting the door, I know I can’t do this without a suit, and putting on one now seems strange. There’s a certain way one should be put on, but I don’t know the routine. Putting one on as best I can, I go to open the door to the next room but realize it’s all for nothing. The door sits ajar.
I kick my frustration at it, slamming it open. The room seems like a lab with steel tables, microscopes, and glass refrigerators. Heading straight for the fridge, I find it’s cold, but warming up quickly. Shit.
“Reece!” I pull off the mask, for all the good it’s doing me. Bursting in with no hesitation and no suit, he looks into the fridge full of unmarked vials.
Reece glances at me. “What did you expect? Did you want them to label it ‘zombie vaccine’?”
“Something similar to VX12-antidote might’ve been helpful.” I smirk. “I know what that man was doing. He cut power, and grabbed the only thing useful, the smart pad. It’ll have something on it. I’m guessing here, but I think the vaccine won’t work if it’s not cold.”
He grunts. “It’s not like we’re going to shoot ourselves up with it.”
“True. We’ll take what we can get,” I say, grabbing the canvas bag, shoving in vials. I stop when it’s full. I don’t want to mix the vaccine with useful medicine. Opening Reece’s bag feels like a kid coming across a wrecked ice cream truck. Yes! Yes, yes, yes. Pain pills. Swallowing one without water, it makes its way down my throat.
“We’ve been in here a while. It’s quiet,” Reece informs as we walk out to meet Rudy.
I discard the rest of the suit. “Where do we meet everyone?”
Rudy lowers his bow, glancing at me through the darkness. “We have a spot a few towns over. Everyone’s supposed to leave when either their cars are full, or they need a quick getaway. There’s tons of famished out there, Kan.” Yeah, I’ve seen it myself. He’s talking about on the outside. Without the bombs, they wouldn’t have gotten in.
“Did you bring your hog?” I ask Reece.
“No, it’s a town over. I drove an old car,” he answers.
I look to Rudy, and he answers before I question, “The vehicle I had, Jules, Dalton, and Kale drove away following Bunyan.”
I nod, having a quick plan. “All right. If we can get back to the garage, there is a light that drives away the famished. UV, Julie said. She was trying to get me to leave until we heard bombs. Then I shoved her into the closet.” I look away from Rudy’s silhouette. “We should be able to get away easily.”
“I only have two pipesters left. Better use them wisely,” Reece thinks out loud. We make it to the door. Fires blaze with forms running around in the light and shadows.
“Reece, you go first. Have them ready. Kan?”
“Yes?”
He steps up, looking down at me, strapping his bow to his back. “I’m right behind you.” I have both canvas bags on my shoulders as Reece makes a run for it, tossing a bomb toward a group of famished, mainly for a distraction.
The famished aren’t as bad this time, most seem to be feeding. Reece’s distraction works for a few minutes, but we’re still pursued. Rudy’s gunshots echo through my head. My body screams for me to stop, but I keep running. Holding on to the bags for dear life and praying none of the vials bust.
Luckily, I’m able to keep steady and Rudy doesn’t have to pick me up this time. He does push me through the door as we make it back to the guard’s dormitory. I catch my balance, and turn to scowl at him before seeing the door slam. Famished fingers catch, but Rudy pulls hard, jamming the door with them. Bones shatter and blood spills in the cracks. Seeing it, I’m relieved we made it. Another close call – no wonder he pushed me through the door.
Rudy turns to see me watching. “Come on. Not much further, then you can sleep.” I take account of myself. Breathing heavily, sweating, and hardly able to use my legs, I think the pill kicks in because my pain’s not as prominent.
No sound in the building, all the guards are either busy, or being eaten. With the light still on in the garage, Reece immediately goes to the Ducati. I roll my eyes at his smile, tossing him the keys that made it to the floor during my... scuffle.
Rudy takes in Gray’s dead body. His head’s flattened to match the floor, lying in a pool of his own blood. Rudy looks at Reece. Refraining from sighing, I look away, but not before the exchange of Rudy silently thanking Reece. Taking another pain pill, I swallow with water from the greasy sink this time, drinking until I can’t drink anymore.
Rudy heads to the driver’s side of the vehicle that I can now see is a Range Rover.
“No,” I say. “Not that one.” Rudy looks at me, then, Reece does, too. They simultaneously notice the open back door. Going to the next vehicle, a Jeep Wrangler with a vinyl top, I can’t stand their silent assessments. The passenger seat feels comfortable as I lay the vials at my feet.
“UV switch is right there.” I show Reece, pointing next to the closed garage door. He flips it, and opens the garage door in one go. As the door opens a bright light spills in, but we hardly have to worry about famished. The ones near, scatter away from it, but most zombies are busy running around the base.
Rudy puts his bow in the back, and I watch as he uses his new skills to start the Jeep. He even has electrical tape. He smiles at me when it starts, dimples and all. I can’t help smiling back.
32
The ride is hazy as the drug works through my system, I keep going in and out. Rudy finally speaks up. “Dalton said –”
“Don’t.” My voice sounds far away. I want to sleep and not think. “I don’t want to talk about that. Ever. The past two weeks never happened.” The jeep slows to a stop.
I peek over at him. The tendons of his knuckles stand out from squeezing the wheel. He’s not looking at me as he tries to suppress his emotions. I recognize this because I’m doing the same. The drug makes it easier for me, however.
“I’m glad you’re alive, darlin’,” he finally gets out. Nice choice of words. He doesn’t say, “I’m glad you’re okay,” because he knows this isn’t true, and there’s nothing he can do about it.
“Right now, I can’t say I agree with you.” For the first time ever, he looks helpless. Endearing, and I’d think about it more if I weren’t high. “I’ll manage.”
A thought flickers. Rudy never speaks unless it’s important. When he does ramble, sometimes it comes out wrong, and he gets embarrassed. Rudy knows how he affects people, sometimes using that to his advantage, but he’s uncomfortable with it. His awkwardness on the dance floor and the distress when Candy is around demonstrate this. Except for our incident at the archery targets, he avoids confrontation. The reason he never told me about Julie, most likely.
Rudy is socially inept.
It makes me curious about him, and how he spent his childhood. I want to know everything about him. And the reason I haven’t realized it before now is because he’s been comfortable with me from day one. Why?
Right now, though. I start laughing. It hurts my throat, and pain slices through my midsection, but I can’t help it.
His eyes widen but his expression turns to a frown. “What’s funny?” Suspicion is heavy in his voice.
I giggle some more. “Nothing.”
“You can tell me anything,” he whispers.
He must think I’m going crazy. “Oh, I realized that you’re socially awkw
ard. You aren’t with me, I mean.” Damn drugs. I smile. “But I can still make you blush.”
He cracks a smile, knowing I’m not wrong. “You’re loopy.”
I shrug. “Maybe, but it’s true.” He fixes his gaze on road. My eyelids droop. “It’s adorable and charming,” I breathe, knowing I shouldn’t keep talking, should just shut my mouth. I choose middle ground. “You can tell me anything too, you know?”
The way he stares at me now makes me feel like he sees straight through me, to me. I’m vaguely aware of more talking, but I fall asleep.
He wakes me when we get to the town. They set a camp of tents away from the withered road behind a full, mature tree line. The team rescued plenty of survivors. Looking around, most seem relieved. Some are wary. I guess it’ll take time to adjust. Reece meets us along the way to the tents. Neither one says anything, but they lead me to a tent and Glinda’s there.
“Oh, suga’!” She hugs me tight and I ache. She must feel me stiffen. “Sorry. Just been worried ‘bout yo ass.” She takes in my face and doesn’t even try to hide her astonishment. Her red lips, glossy with a perfect pale face screw in anger. A braid trails down her back, and it’s my first time catching her in sweatpants and a sweatshirt. “Oh my gawd! They said you got the shit kicked out of you. But whut the fuck?”
“Glin, I should speak with you,” Reece interrupts from outside the tent. “Kan, get some rest, little lady. We’ll talk soon.” Glinda ducks out of the tent.
I didn’t know I fell asleep until I wake during the day. A pillow rests under my head as I lie across an air mattress. Sitting, every cell in my body hurts. I swallow a pill with a jug of water, wanting to take more, but I can’t afford the luxury right now. Voices grab my attention on the outside as I unzip the tent. My body creaks from movement but I ignore it. The pill will kick in soon to relieve the worst of the pain. I pull the hood on the hoodie up. My hair hangs down the sides of my neck.
Dalton talks to Rudy, Reece, Thomas, and Bunyan. Feeling a pang in my chest, I knew Mac wasn’t here, or he would’ve shot Gray in the head first thing. It still hurts, nonetheless.
“Good morning,” Reece greets me. I smile as he gives me a hug. He wears a thermal under his vest, clean of zombie gore. I grab his KD sunglasses from the top of his head and put them on. Bunyan hugs me lightly with a concerned face.
“I’m fine,” I state, my tone saying I don’t want to get into it.
Thomas scoffs at me. When I eye him, he smiles. His way of a warm welcome.
“Good to have you back. Dalton tells us you’re married now,” Thomas jests. They all laugh, trying to lighten the mood. Except Rudy, and I avoid his gaze, looking to the ground. His steel-toed leather boots poke out of his frayed and stringy jeans. Apparently, Dalton didn’t enlighten everyone about the events at the cult. They don’t know I was drugged and almost raped there. If they did, they wouldn’t joke about it, I’m sure.
“Ha,” I say sarcastically as I shudder at the memory, but find myself not wanting to talk about that either. I can still see Joseph’s body, and the bleeding bullet hole in his head. “Did Reece tell you about the vaccine?”
“Dalton and I updated everyone. Don’t worry about anything right now,” Reece says in a stern voice.
Everyone nods their agreement. “Guess we’re all taking a road trip to Birmingham,” Bunyan says. Dalton nods, like this is a good idea.
“Kan, are you okay?” Dalton eyes me. I do look horrible with blood, bruises, and a hoodie with Santa Claus boxers. My bare legs, chilled to the bone, are covered in goosebumps.
“Yeah, damn skippy. I need clothes,” I state, and look around for Glinda. Maybe she’s got something I can throw on.
Rudy speaks up, “I brought some of your things.”
He wears the white bandana. “Okay. Thanks.” I follow him to another tent but don’t go inside as he digs around.
Ducking out, he’s got his leather duffle over his shoulder, and goes about dumping water on a clean rag.
“I don’t know where your pack is.” He studies me as he hands me the rag.
I smile faintly, and spread the rag on my face, gripping the glasses in my fist. “Oh, I lost my pack.” A bummer it was confiscated, but I can find another one. I wince and shiver as the pain from my face starts throbbing fresh. It reminds me of the smart pad – I wanted to take a look at it.
“We can get you another one.” I peek at him suspiciously for reading my mind, but he stares at my feet. “But I see you held onto the boots.” I put the sunglasses back on. Seeing him in the daylight, he has bags under his eyes and hasn’t shaved in a while. “You sleep okay?” he asks, sounding concerned. I don’t know how to act around him. I’d been too honest with him last night. I don’t even remember some of the things I said.
“Yeah. I took a pain pill.” I gesture just taking one. The corner of his mouth lifts into a smirk. “And after I eat, I’m going to take another one so I can sleep before thinking about what to do. Maybe head out on my own for a while. Let the team handle the vaccine.” I sigh, I can look for Mago. Just being in the team’s company is painful. I can’t stand looks of pity and need to go back to my tent before I start crying. Being beaten and violated can affect a person.
“You look lost and sad,” he says. I peer at him and shrug lightly. He glances away, not knowing what to say to a broken person. I’m sure in the daylight the full effect isn’t pretty. “Go back to bed, I’ll get Glinda to bring you some broth. Your neck looks like it hurts.” My hands fly to cover it with my hair, my face heating from embarrassment. It does hurt. There’s so much I want to say, but I can’t. Not now. Maybe not ever. Not wanting to feel his scrutiny, I turn and walk to my tent to change.
I pause, my back to him. “Thanks Rudy. For coming. I know it was for Julie, but thanks anyway,” I say with stern conviction. He shifts slightly, but I keep walking.
Changing clothes helps me stay warm, and I’m fuzzy from narcotics as I drift toward consciousness, but I’m not alone. Breathing in a familiar leather and pine smell, my heart beats faster when I ease my eyes open to see Rudy watching me huddle comfortably next to him.
“Hi,” I croak. He smiles so wide, my heart skips a beat.
“Well, good morning to you too, darlin’!” he says, his dimples making me snort out a laugh. “I didn’t want you to be alone, and when I laid down, you snuggled right in.”
“Thanks.” I slowly sit up. A finger grazes my swollen eye, and I flinch away, pulling up my hood. Leaning over him, I grab the sunglasses and push them over my ears.
His face hardens. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through.” He looks away from me. “If you wouldn’t have started hitting him with that bat... I would’ve beaten him to death.”
I look at him with a straight face. “I don’t want you to imagine it. You saw that Reece finished the job. Gray was on the brink of death, anyway.” We don’t say anything for a few moments. He runs his hand through his hair, looking like he hadn’t slept well. I don’t want to bring this up, but I need to. “Where is Mac?” I say it in a tone that suggests Mac is in deep shit with me.
He looks at me. “I don’t know.” Taking my right hand, he absently rubs my scarred knuckles, split from hitting Gray. “He thought you left because of what he told you about Julie.” I figured this, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less. I pull my hand from his.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Julie?”
Sighing, he runs his hands through his hair again. I’ve never seen him this fidgety. “If I remember correctly, you weren’t forthcoming either.”
“I had my reasons.” It doesn’t escape my notice he manages to avoid my question. “I still would’ve helped you. I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“Exactly, it wasn’t a big deal. Still isn’t. It hadn’t felt like an engagement for a long time before the outbreak. I told you the truth, she’s like family.” His shoulders lift with a set jaw, indicating he’d rather not talk about it. I’ll chalk his big words for
someone who found out his fiancé is pregnant by another man.
“Have you talked to her?” I ask, curious to what he’ll say about it.
He nods, lying down on his back, eyes fixed to the top of the tent. “A little. She’s grieving over Jonathan.” He does know. “She won’t say much, but I have a feeling she blames us. Most likely, he’s dead.” I know she doesn’t blame him, but blames me. His gaze moves to me. “I want to talk to you about something.”
“Aren’t we?” I whisper, feeling tired all of a sudden, with so much work to do. Speaking of, I scoot to the canvas bag, bringing out the smart pad.
Pushing a little button on the side that looked like the power button, Rudy puts his hand over it, taking it from me. “Hey!” I complain.
“This is what I want to talk to you about,” he smiles, wagging it.
Oh. He piques my interest and suspicion. “What about it?” I eye him.
“You said your pack was lost. Is that it, or was it because of your laptop?”
I purse my lips, picking at my thumb cuticle. I’ve picked at it so much the past few weeks, it’s sore. “The base confiscated it.”
His eyebrows rise, hopefully he’ll make a point soon. “Why?”
“You’ve turned it on!” I accuse. After all, he had no qualms about reading my notebook.
He shakes his head. “No, Mac did. When he stitched up your head. It’s his job. To keep track of people, and what they do. To help them when they need it.”
My pulse picks up speed. “You knew about Mac? Why didn’t you tell me, or him for that matter?” I ask him, suspecting he knew about Mac, anyway.
“It’s not what you think. Just answer my questions and I’ll explain. Did the base find out who you are, or did you tell them?”