The mansion sat in an empty section of the City. It, like almost every other existing building, was left over from Before. Nella seemed to remember it as a large bank in its former life. It was one of very few large buildings still maintained and in use. The military government was beginning to demolish empty buildings that were in danger of collapse, but for now, most of them sat slumped and shuddering in the wind. They smelled green and rotting and the pavement in front of most of them had been eaten away by rain. Wild silver grass grew long and tangled in the cracks. The clamor of birds coming home to roost in the crooked roofs and rusting cars made Nella feel even lonelier than normal. At least they would be unnoticed in this part of town. Sevita led the way and the three of them reached the hedge in a few short minutes. It shocked the eye, a wall of bright, almost supernatural green against the wild golds and silvers of the dead trees and grass around them. Something thriving in the winter land where everything else just survived until spring.
They were silent now, not knowing if someone patrolled inside the hedge. The sun had set and left a haze of pale blue in the evening sky. Sevita found the gap by feel and ducked into it, holding Nella's hand. Nella reached out for Frank and pulled him through the thick, scratching branches. They stood on the lawn in an odd twilight as the natural sun faded and the floodlights of the house tried in vain to take over. "Look," hissed Sevita, "There aren't any lights inside."
"Maybe the curtains are closed," whispered Frank. They didn't waste time arguing. Leaving the shadow of the hedge they sprinted across the small backyard to the side door. No one stopped them. Sevita fumbled with a small pouch from her camera bag. It was a tiny toolbox. Frank shook his head and held up his hand. Sevita froze as Frank tried to slowly turn the doorknob. The latch clicked and the door opened a crack. The air hit them as if they had just opened a tomb. It was rancid and smelled like raw excrement. Frank quickly closed the door and held the other hand over his mouth, trying not to retch.
"Someone is dead in there Nella," whispered Sevita.
Frank shook his head. "No," he whispered, his face pale and shining with sweat, "that's not death. Someone's been eating meat."
"What?"
"That's someone that's been eating a lot of meat. You just aren't used to it because no one can afford it anymore. Trust me, I'd know that smell anywhere. I never wanted to smell it again." He had to stop again trying not to retch.
"Well," said Sevita, "I guess if anyone ought to be able to afford the last few tins of canned meat it ought to be him."
Nella shook her head. "He'd have to be eating a lot of meat to make the whole house smell like that. I don't think even he could afford that many cans."
"You think he's got a cow in there?" said Sevita.
"I don't know. I don't want to think about it," whispered Nella. She put her hand over Frank's on the knob. "I'll do it," she said. She took a deep breath of clean air, then pushed the door open halfway. The smell hit them again and Nella could taste rotted egg on the back of her throat. She took a few shallow breaths to try to get used to the smell and stepped quietly inside. It was dark, not lit by artificial light at all, only the leftover glow of the sky coming through the windows. At least the curtains were open. Nella waited for her eyes to adjust as Frank and Sevita came in beside her. They were in a small, uncarpeted hallway. The smell had made Nella think the house would be filthy and unkempt but the hallway was clear of any debris or furniture and the floor shone even in the weak light. Nella walked to the left down the hall and through a doorway at the back of the house. She found herself in a small, immaculate kitchen. A light in the oven hood was turned on casting a dull gold light over the countertops. As Nella passed through toward the opposite door, she noticed a slab of meat defrosting in the sink, white and red, but odorless.
"Nella," Frank whispered. She looked back and he pointed to the oven. It was set to preheat. "Someone is coming back."
Nella felt panic clutch at her arm muscles making her ache, but she just nodded firmly and passed out of the door into a darkened formal dining room. She needed to let her eyes adjust again but she didn't want to wait, so she kept creeping forward, hoping she wouldn't bang into on of the massive wooden chairs. Where was the damned lab entrance? Even the outer light was failing fast and Nella knew they were going to have to risk turning on artificial lights soon or be caught in complete darkness, something she was desperate to avoid. Between avoiding heavy furniture and worrying about the light, Nella didn't notice the towering grandfather clock until she was standing underneath it. Then the tick, tick, tick was like a hammer pounding nails into her heart. She let out a shaky breath and looked up to see the pale, stern face of the clock and relaxed, her flesh feeling like abruptly dumped water. The far end of the dining room opened into another hallway. Nella opened a side door to find a tiny bathroom and she quickly shut it again, before the rancid sulfur smell could overwhelm her.
"Sevita," she whispered realizing she could no longer see if Frank or Sevita were behind her.
"I'm here," the answer floated back toward her.
"Do you have a light on your camera?"
"Sure, but it's pretty bright."
Nella hesitated. Frank's voice was a low thrum behind her. "It's either that or we start flipping switches."
Sevita gingerly slid past Nella and turned the camera light on. It was almost blinding after the natural dark. "I don't think anyone else can see down here without lights either, so there is probably no one on this floor right now," she said.
"What about the oven?" Nella asked.
Sevita shrugged in the harsh light. "I didn't say the place was empty, just that there wasn't anyone on this floor at the moment. If we start seeing lights turn on I'll turn off the camera light."
They walked slowly toward the front of the house. Nella began to relax in the bright light of Sevita's camera. She began to notice that the house was extremely quiet. Except for the ticking of the clock she had almost run into, there was no other sound. No dripping faucets, no humming electricity, no natural creaks. And as they passed through the second of two large living rooms, Nella noticed there was nothing out of place either. No books lying open or chairs pushed invitingly out from desks. It wasn't just tidy, the house felt completely unlived in. The oven and meat in the kitchen had been the only sign that someone existed between the walls. At last they came to the large entry hall. It was cold and bare. Nella wasn't sure if it was just because of the rapidity with which they had moved or their limited scope of vision but she didn't recall seeing a single picture or mirror on any of the walls. She was tempted to run back to the small bathroom and check there, but recognized it as foolish impulse. Frank caught her hand and squeezed. She looked at him and realised she could partially see his face though Sevita was facing another direction. He pointed up the large staircase and Nella saw a light at the far end of a long hallway. Sevita turned around. "I think I found it," she whispered. They turned toward where she shone the light. A sleek silver elevator door waited just across from the completely unguarded front door. Nella was no longer relaxed.
"Where is everyone? Where are the guards? The owner? The cook?" Frank's hand was shaking slightly around hers. She squeezed it to calm him down.
"Should we go up or down?" whispered Sevita.
"I think the lab will be downstairs," said Nella, "and whoever is upstairs doesn't know we're here yet, so they won't run or alert anyone.
"But shouldn't we check first?" asked Frank, "We may be able to find Dr. Schneider and she'd be away-" he looked hesitantly at Sevita, "she'd be away from any sort of weapon."
Nella considered for a moment. But while they stood there, the silver door slid open with a smooth woosh of air. And the decision was made for them.
The man in the elevator was startled and immediately reached for the button, but Sevita sprang forward and held the door from sliding shut. "You're Dr. Carton aren't you?" she asked.
>
The man was in a wheelchair and his skin hung in loose folds and wrinkles as if it were slowly melting from him. This man couldn't be Dr. Carton. He had to be at least thirty years older than the pictures Nella had seen of him on the news.
"What do you want?" the man asked.
Frank stepped into the elevator next to him. "We aren't going to hurt you. We just need to find Dr. Carton and Dr. Schneider as soon as possible."
The man sighed. "I knew this day was coming. I'm Dr. Carton. And I haven't seen Dr. Schneider in weeks."
The man oozed the raw sewage smell from every pore. Nella forced herself onto the elevator with him. Sevita stepped in too and trained the camera on Dr. Carton.
"We know there is a lab here Dr. Carton. And we know about the incurable strain of the Recharge bacteria." Nella said it calmly but it fell in the elevator like a steel bat across the old man's face.
He raised a shaky hand to his face. "Jesus," was all he said. Sevita stared at her as if she too, had been struck.
"Why don't we go down to the lab, Dr. Carton? Maybe you can tell us where Dr. Schneider has gone."
"Jesus, don't kill me. I don't know who told you about the Recharge bacteria but it isn't what you think. I beg you not to try to find it, it won't solve your problems. All it will do is make things worse."
"We know," said Nella grimly. Frank pressed the basement button on the elevator.
Nella wheeled Dr. Carton into a brightly lit room with lined with steel tables and unmarked silver doors that looked like refrigerators. Frank and Sevita hurried past her, moving swiftly and quietly down the lab.
"Why are you doing this?" Dr. Carton asked, "Don't you know it will destroy the world if you release it."
Nella was startled and looked down into the choppy sea of frightened flesh that was Dr. Carton's face. "We don't want to release it Dr. Carton. We want to destroy it. Dr. Schneider was the last person to know where it is. We just want to find her."
"What? Then why did you break in? How do you even know about it?"
"We were reviewing the evidence for the Plague Trial." Nella held out her hand, "I'm Dr. Rider. I'm the court appointed psychiatrist for the trial." Dr. Carton took her hand with some reluctance. She noticed his hand was still shaking and wondered if it was actually palsy and not terror.
"So Dr. Pazzo told you then."
"In a manner of speaking, yes."
"He didn't know the whole story," Dr. Carton hesitated and squinted at Nella. He slowly added, "Or if he does, he didn't tell it to you."
Frank and Sevita joined them. "She isn't here," Sevita said, "but there is an exit. Its overgrown with weeds, I don't think anyone has used it in weeks."
Nella looked at Dr. Carton. "Would you care to tell us what you think is the whole story?" she asked.
Dr. Carton sighed and wheeled his chair around so that he was facing all three of them.
Dr. Carton
After the Cure Page 19