by Lara Nance
He glanced at the disappearing troops. “I don’t know.”
“We have to save Ria, but we also have to keep that last victim alive.” Min’s earnest expression swayed him.
“All right.”
Linc pushed through the door on Level Twelve, Min on his heels as he rounded the corner to the lift. When it opened, he leaped inside. Min lifted the lever to the second floor, and the car took off with a whispered whoosh.
“Look.” Min pointed to a bloody handprint on the wall. “I think that last cannibal had the same idea. She’ll reach the lab way before the soldiers.”
Linc’s chest tightened. Instead of seconds, the time passed like hours. He rapped on the rail inside the lift with his knuckles. “Come on, come on.”
“Get ready,” Min said, bracing his feet and raising his hands.
Linc followed suit, entering a fighting stance. He’d lost the pistol and knife in the madness. He pulled out the stun rod, all he had left.
The doors slid open. The cannibal woman sprawled limply on top of Ria. The sight was like a punch in the belly that made him lose his breath. Was Ria dead? God, no! He ran forward and pulled the drooping body to the side. Ria stared up at him, her face pale.
“Linc, you’re okay,” she exclaimed, holding an air-syringe out to one side.
“Are you?” He couldn’t believe she lived.
He frantically searched her for wounds. He’d thought the woman had killed her. The sinking in his stomach eased with the realization she was in one piece with no bites. The lightness in his head dissipated.
She lifted onto one elbow. “I think so.”
He couldn’t stop a beaming smile from stretching his lips. She was alive! The depth of that relief confirmed his suspicion about his growing affection for her. “Let’s get you up then.”
She took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. Then she spotted Minlo.
“You’re okay, too.” She ran forward and hugged him.
The young man grinned and blushed.
She wrinkled her nose. “Ewe, you smell like you fell into an alcohol bottle.”
The remaining contingent of guards erupted from the stairwell, blasters trained.
“Whoa, guys. We’re okay.” Linc held up his hands. He needed to distract them from the cannibal so they could complete their mission.
“What happened?” one asked, staring at the woman and guard on the floor.
The soldier groaned and managed to push to hands and knees.
Ria stepped from Min and motioned to Linc. “I shot this one with a tranquilizer. We’ll use her for the test. Help me.” She handed them gloves to stop their protests about touching her.
“Come on guys. The parasite won’t bite you from inside her brain,” Linc said. They lifted her under the arms and dragged her into the lab where Linc placed her on the table. The soldiers shared confused looks then helped their fellow who struggled to his feet.
Dark hair followed them into the lab. “Are you sure it’s safe to have her in here?”
“Help us find something to strap her down.” Ria gestured to the limp woman. “And stop obstructing my testing. Min, make sure the vid is on and pointed at her.”
If she woke, all hell would break loose. The soldiers would end up shooting her and any of them might be killed in the process. He had to hurry. Linc grabbed a jumble of wires, and Minlo collected fabric from the curtain that had covered the glass door. They twisted and knotted it into restraints. The soldier sent one of his men to the infirmary to gather confinement netting. Until then, the woman was held tight to the table with their improvised net.
Ria assisted Min, attaching electrodes to the woman’s chest and head, then connected the wires to Min’s vibration contraption. As they worked, she maintained a running commentary about what they were doing without admitting this was a test for the final cure. She merely hinted at procedure. If they succeeded, they could alter the audio for the final vid to send to the governments as proof they’d successfully defeated the virus. For now, they couldn’t let the soldiers know the extent of their theory.
Linc followed Ria’s movements and kept an eye on their subject. He had to make sure she didn’t escape their makeshift restraints and hurt anyone. So far she hadn’t moved.
“I think that’s it.” Ria stepped from the table and allowed the soldiers to place the webbing from the infirmary on the rest of the woman to completely secure her.
As they finished, their subject moaned and her eyelids fluttered. Her eyes went wide in fear, but she couldn’t speak or struggle. Her fingers gripped and flexed repeatedly as she tried to move.
He hefted the stun rod still in his possession, tense and watchful.
Ria approached her. “I know you’re frightened, but we’re trying to help you. I hope you understand. We won’t cause you any pain.”
Her words did not abate the raw panic in the woman’s gaze.
It was like watching a torture victim, even though they had good intentions it was hard to take. Linc motioned to Min. “Do it.”
The young man nodded and pressed the lever on his device. The cannibal quivered, but no other sign indicated that the vibration had affected her. She went limp, and her eyes closed. Linc sent a silent prayer that the treatment worked. This was it. The moment to make or break their theory and hopes.
“Should I hit her again?” Min’s brows went up.
“No. We have to know if one pulse works.” Linc joined Ria, staring at the pale, bloodied face of the infected victim.
He took Annaria’s hand. Behind them, the soldiers moved for a better view, the sound of their breathing an ominous backdrop. If this didn’t work, they’d likely kill the prisoner. He said a prayer under his breath, hoping for a miracle.
“She’s moving,” Min said.
She blinked a few times, staring at the ceiling, her fingers flexing. Her gaze moved to Ria, and her forehead wrinkled.
She seemed calmer, but puzzled. He clenched his hands tight. Maybe it had worked. Maybe…
“Take off the head web, but be careful,” Ria ordered the soldiers then studied the subject. “I’m Annaria. We’re trying to help you. Do you understand me?”
With the web removed, the woman’s gaze remained fixed on Ria. After a few seconds, she said, “I don’t…”
Speech! He wanted to whoop with relief. She’d spoken. No cannibal had ever uttered a word that he knew. And he’d had the unfortunate pleasure to interact with quite a few.
Ria clasped a hand to her chest. “Do you remember what happened to you?”
The woman’s head moved a fraction, and her eyes met Linc’s. He smiled, hoping to inspire calm confidence. She shook her head and whispered, “Where…”
Linc crushed Ria against him as Min let out a whoop. They’d done it. It worked. The woman appeared dazed, but no doubt it would take time for her cerebral chemistry to return to normal.
“What does this mean?” dark hair asked.
Linc gave her a warning glance and said, “It means the first part of our testing is complete. Now we have to finish it. I think this woman is safe now. We’ll need to run tests before we can make our conclusions, so we could use some room here. If you guys could take care of the mess from below and make sure the facility is otherwise secure, that would be a great help.”
He held his breath as they considered his request. Finally, the tall, muscular one jerked his chin toward the lift. “Let’s go, men. Let them finish this.”
They filed out while Ria found a pack of water. She thrust a straw in it and placed it in the woman’s mouth. “Drink some water. I’m sure you’re dehydrated.”
“Where…pain…”
“This is a lab. You had a horrible disease, but I think we’ve cured you. It made you very violent, so I hope you understand we’ll have to keep you in restraints until we’re sure you’re completely well. We’ll find some pain medicine for you, though.”
“S, s, sick?” she managed then sucked on the straw and groane
d.
“Yes. A lot of other people have it so we’re in a hurry to find the cure. We’re going to take care of you and release you as soon as we can. We will need to take some blood from you.”
Linc rechecked her restraints, and shook his head. They’d done it. He almost couldn’t believe it after all they’d been through. Now if they could have time to carry out the rest of their plan, they might be able to bring peace to the outside along with a cure.
She located the vacu-syringe and pressed it to the woman’s arm. “This will only take a moment.” She inserted the sample in the analyzer and programmed for detection of the virus. It softly hummed as it worked and chimed when it completed the analysis. She stared at the screen, and Linc waited, his chest near to bursting.
She looked up. “Negative. No evidence of live virus.”
Min slumped in his chair and let his head fall back. Linc pressed his hands to his face then removed them, relief burst inside him like fireworks, quickly followed by an anxious queasiness over the next part of their plan. This had seemed hopeless for so long. He struggled to grasp the reality of a cure.
She ran the report and handed it to him. “Are you ready to launch your strategy?”
He pushed up his sleeves, a sense of determination taking over from the elation and anxiety. “I am.”
***
Ria pulled a chair close to the desk where Linc worked. Her frayed nerves settled a notch, and she found another pack of water for herself. She could hardly believe they’d actually brought that poor woman out of the clutches of the parasite. It gave her hope. It meant the people infected didn’t have to die. The virus-directed parasites had jacked into the people’s brains, rerouting neurotransmitters and sending warped signals. They had no way to guess at long-term consequences, but the goal of rehabilitation was within reason.
Linc completed composing his missive and doctoring the vid of their test. He motioned to Min. “I’ve got everything ready and I’ve transferred it to your account. It’s up to you to send it to the proper people currently in charge of the North and South without leaving a trail.”
Min slid into a chair opposite, a gleam of happy anticipation on his face, and did his thing. He weaved his way past security and secret SatNet passages to the peoples’ comms who’d wrecked the two nations. “Got ‘em.”
“Send the message and the vid. Give them one hour. Tell them no negotiation.”
His fingers flew across the screen, then he looked up. “This is mondo brilliant. Start the countdown.”
For ten minutes, nothing happened.
Ria rubbed her shoulders and massaged her neck, hoping to ease her stiff muscles. What if the jerks didn’t respond? They couldn’t hold the cure a hostage forever. Eventually they had to respond to the massive tragedy. The idea of their waiting the full hour made her edgy, but if it worked, it would be worth it.
Linc’s expression remained calm and composed.
She leaned close to him and said in a low voice, “What if they refuse?”
“Don’t worry. They’ll protest and grumble, but in the end, they have to give in. Otherwise, they won’t have countries left to govern.”
If only she had Linc’s confidence. She didn’t trust the ruthless assholes who’d jeopardized their people for a chance at a power grab. They had viewed this tragedy as nothing more than a weak point in which to take over while the real governments were distracted by the parasite spread.
Fifteen minutes in, the first response came in from the North. Min read the transmission. “Basically, they threaten to find and destroy all of us if we don’t turn over the cure to only them.”
Followed closely came the South’s promise of lots of money for exclusive control of the secret.
“No reply,” Linc said, his expression dark. “Let them stew in silence.”
“What a bunch of fucking dills,” Min exclaimed. “They both want it all to themselves. I want to stick it tight to those RD basteroids for this and what they did to Lola. Can’t we put them in a pit with the last remaining cannibals and let nature take care of them?”
She gave him an, are you serious? look. He muttered something and returned to scrutiny of the computer screen.
Another fifteen minutes passed before the North eased their threatening stance and offered a shared government with the Triumvirate. The South offered more money.
“Time to send the vid you made,” Lin directed.
Min had spent time putting together a montage of the worst news reports of the cannibal disaster in a video. It emphasized how bad the situation had become, in case the protected politicians hadn’t gotten the complete picture.
“My pleasure.” The young man sent the damaging evidence of the infection.
Dismembered bodies scattered in hazy street scenes, heaps of whale and other carcasses on bloody beaches, law enforcement blockades overrun by hordes of cannibals who ripped at bodies with their teeth as they passed. Whole towns along the coast evacuated, now filled with wandering, blood-drenched figures who were once humans with jobs and families.
Ria glanced at the clock on the computer. Not much time left. Every minute they wasted with this senseless negotiation meant people and animals died.
Five minutes later, the North replied. They would allow the Triumvirate back in power, but the people’s representative council would consist of only RD members. The South stated they would allow the former President to return to office, but only with an equally powerful vice-president from the radical side of the IPP who would make joint decisions with him.
“They really are unbelievable,” Ria said.
The tension ate at her. She started pacing, occasionally stopping at the bed of the former cannibal to say something comforting and offer her water or food. She injected her with morphine to ease her pain, and the woman dosed.
Once this tense situation with the governments ended, Ria would take her to the infirmary and have the soldiers’ medic give her a complete physical so she could start healing. Though the blood tests said she was clear of the virus, Ria couldn’t set her completely free. She’d have to spend some time in quarantine in the infirmary and undergo more testing to rule the infection defeated.
Fifteen minutes passed. Min tapped his fingers on the desk and wiped his sleeve across his forehead. Beads of sweat formed on Linc’s face. He wasn’t as sure about the outcome as he’d stated.
The South gave in. All conditions in Linc’s missive would be met.
She hugged her arms around her chest, fighting the urge to cheer. It wasn’t over yet. Come on, North. Come on. The clock continued ticking off minutes and seconds.
In the final minute, as seconds counted down, she moved to Linc’s side. He reached up, and she took the hand he offered. He had to know she thought of her parents and Conner, not to mention friends and colleagues affected by this decision.
Would the North really reject this offer over the desire for power? Didn’t they see the destruction this parasite had caused? They couldn’t stay locked in their shield-protected city forever. It wasn’t self-sustaining. Eventually, they’d need help. She moved behind Linc’s chair, her gaze locked on Min.
The young man’s palms hit the table, startling her and Linc. He yelped. “The North says they give in.”
Her knees went to mush, and she leaned over, wrapping her arms around Linc’s neck. Her mind went blank a second as the news sunk in. She pressed her cheek to his then kissed it, overcome with emotion.
“Send directions for their announcements to the people. They have five minutes.” Linc patted her arms and reached back to ruffle her already frizzy hair. It sent a jolt of joy through her.
Min sent the last message then changed the screen to ten different shots of the major news stations. In obviously hastily prepared sets in the leaders’ offices, the RD and the IPP simultaneously issued statements. In the interest of providing a stable environment for the eradication of the cannibal parasite, they relinquished control of the governments to the origin
al leaders. They announced that a cure had been found and would be rolled out as fast as possible with more announcements on that to come. They begged people to refrain from further riots and to help authorities end this horrible scourge.
With visible reluctance, the speakers then turned the vid over to the previous leaders who added their comments and requests for calm. The relief on their faces barely masked the effects of tension—days spent mourning the disasters in their countries.
“Send the details of the cure,” Linc said and pressed Ria’s cheek to his as she still had her arms around him. She whispered in his ear. “It’s over. I can’t believe it. Thank you. Thank you.”
He remained quiet, eyes glued to the news as if expecting them to change their minds.
She straightened and patted his shoulder. “It’s really over, Linc.”
Min waved his arms and yelled,” Woo hoooo! About time!”
The room filled with soldiers who’d seen the news reports in their first floor security station and pounded down the steps. They burst into the lab, spouting questions. “Was there really a cure? How did they find it? What had caused the reversal of the rebels?” Blah, blah, blah.
She didn’t care. Their words barely penetrated her exhausted but elated brain. She sent up a prayer of thanks and added a request to keep her family safe until she could return. Who knew when that would be.
Despite her comment to Linc that it was over, she knew it had really only begun. A long process lay ahead of the world to roll out plans to deal with the infected in the sea, the remaining roaming infected humans, and those locked in prisons. Cleaning up the ravaged coastal towns would be a monumental task in itself.
Her wrist unit vibrated, and she held it against her chest. What a strange set of events to find the cure when even the world’s most knowledgeable parasitologist hadn’t. Like the apple falling on Newton’s head, giving him the idea of gravity, sometimes the simple parts of life were the most profound. Now if only the world could pull together and make this cure work.