by Zoë Archer
Around four in the morning, Mariana heard a noise outside and peeked out the windows to see if she could see anything. Sure enough, in back of the house, she caught a glimpse of light fabric as someone walked through the woods.
The Marines wore camo or dark green. The figure she saw looked small, possibly female. Could it be little Becky Sue McGillicuddy, the twenty-something girl who lived just over the hill with her elderly grandmother?
If so, the girl was in big trouble. The locals had most definitely not been warned about the danger in the woods. It was unusual to see the girl walking alone this early in the morning, but then, Becky Sue had always struck Mariana as a little odd on the few occasions they did chance to meet.
She had to be warned.
Gathering her courage, Mariana opened the back door and stepped onto the porch. Simon’s specially loaded pistol was in her hand and her heart was in her throat. She could see more clearly now and it was the girl from the neighboring house, walking calmly along the edge of the trees.
“Becky Sue!” She whispered loudly, hoping to get the girl’s attention.
It must not have been loud enough because Becky Sue kept walking at a steady pace, looking neither left nor right. Her path took her nearer to Mariana’s house, but the girl was still in the woods, walking almost parallel to Mariana’s backyard.
“Becky Sue.” She tried again, louder this time.
The girl paused and slowly turned.
Half her face was missing.
Mariana jumped back, her raised hand hitting the frame of the doorway in her haste. She held on to the pistol out of sheer desperation. Becky Sue was one of them. She wasn’t in danger. She was the danger.
The girl changed paths and began walking directly toward Mariana. She didn’t hurry. She didn’t run. She just walked relentlessly closer as Mariana trembled in fear.
She raised the gun, knowing what she had to do. Now she fully understood Simon’s dilemma. Could she shoot a young girl who’d had her whole life ahead of her?
As a doctor, Mariana had dedicated her life to helping people. She had never deliberately shot at someone, even with a dart gun. Especially not a dart gun loaded with a highly dangerous top secret toxin that had to be kept under lock and key. Mariana’s hand shook as she took aim. She had to steady both the gun and her nerves. Becky Sue got closer and Mariana could see her more clearly with every step.
She realized she couldn’t kill the girl. Becky Sue was already dead. Nobody could survive the kind of injuries she displayed and her pale skin appeared to be completely bloodless. She was a zombie. Like something out of a horror movie.
Praying silently, Mariana pulled the trigger.
A dart flew from the business end of the pistol and landed square in Becky Sue’s chest. She didn’t even flinch, just kept coming. No pain at all registered on what was left of her once lovely face.
Mariana fired again. The dart hit lower, in Becky Sue’s abdomen. She was closer now, out of the tree line and halfway across the grassy yard. A sound traveled on the wind. It was an eerie kind of high pitched moan that sent shivers down Mariana’s spine.
She fired once more, backing into the doorway already planning her next move. She would slam the door shut and call Simon’s cell number. If he was nearby, he would come help her. The third dart hit Becky Sue midthigh and her steps slowed. The shock of pain was still missing from her ruined face, but her eyes looked queer for just a moment, then she…disintegrated.
She melted from the top down. In less than sixty seconds, she disappeared. All that was left was a dark pile of…something…in Mariana’s backyard. She wasn’t about to go out to see exactly what it was. Whether the girl had been turned to dust or goo was really beside the point. The toxin had done its job and the once vibrant young girl was now gone forever.
Mariana felt awful about what she’d had to do, yet breathed a huge sigh of relief. She looked around at the woods in case there were any more of them, and seeing none, shut the door, locking it tight behind her. She was safe for now.
She said a prayer for poor Becky Sue McGillicuddy, and one for Simon while she was at it. Now more than ever, she understood how hard this mission was for him. He wasn’t made of stone, no matter what anyone thought. He had a compassionate heart under all that macho bravado. He had to feel something for those fallen soldiers he had to lay to rest. He had to have some feelings about the experiment gone so terribly wrong for those first fallen comrades, and for the later victims, and the horrific way they had died.
Mariana touched her face, not really surprised to find tears running down her cheeks. She felt sick to her stomach, but muscled through, ignoring the nausea as best she could, keeping vigilant watch on the woods from the corners of her windows. If there were any more of them out there, she now knew what to expect. Of course, Becky Sue hadn’t been a highly trained soldier in life. The others, if they truly retained some of their life’s skills, would be much harder to deal with than the innocent young girl from down the road.
Although she kept watch until dawn, no more of the nightmare creatures came to call. Simon marched in from the tree line as the sun rose fully, looking tired. He paused at the pile of rubbish that used to be Becky Sue McGillicuddy and his jaw tightened. After a moment, he continued toward Mariana’s back porch, a little more energy in his step.
Mariana flung open the door and reached for him as he climbed her back steps.
“Thank heaven you’re all right.” She kissed his stubbly cheek, then his waiting lips.
“What’s this? You’re shaking. And what was that I saw in your yard?” He held her away from him, his expression grim.
“That was Becky Sue, from next door. I saw her in the woods around four this morning and tried to warn her, but…” Her gaze trailed to the lump of dirty clothing and organic debris in her yard. “Simon, half her face was missing. I used the darts you left but she didn’t go down right away. I fired three times. Hit her three times. It seemed to take forever. Just when I was going into panic mode, she…dissolved. Melted, right in front of my eyes.”
Simon tugged her into his chest, placing one big hand on her hair as he hugged her, offering comfort. He felt so good. Whole and unharmed by the terrors of the night. He was her rock of comfort in a sea of confusion. Her body trembled in remembered fear and he calmed her with gentle touches.
Somehow, he had walked her inside and kicked the door shut behind them. She didn’t remember him doing it, but she felt the play of his muscles when he reached behind his back to lock the dead bolt on the back door. He maneuvered her toward a kitchen chair and helped her sit.
“I’m going to make you some coffee. Okay?” She nodded as he moved toward the automatic coffeemaker. He put the water in and added more grounds than she normally used to the filter cup, then switched the thing on and turned back to her. The sound of perking and the strong scent of brewing coffee filled the small kitchen within moments. It felt oddly comforting. Commonplace and routine, it brought sanity back to her life faster than she would have believed possible.
Simon leaned against the kitchen counter and regarded her with concern. “Better now?” She nodded again. “You’ll be steadier once you get some coffee in you. Now, tell me about this neighbor. Does she live alone?”
“Oh, no.” She realized what he was getting at. If Becky Sue had been attacked, more than likely, so had the sweet little old lady that was her grandmother.
Simon cursed and turned to the coffeepot, removing the carafe and filling a mug directly from the stream of freshly brewed coffee. When it was half full, he replaced the carafe and handed the mug to her.
“Drink this. It’ll perk you up and steady your nerves.” She did as ordered, though she usually didn’t go for such strong, black coffee. “I take it from your reaction, the girl didn’t live alone?”
Mariana clung to the mug for strength even as the strong brew started to permeate her body. Surprisingly, it helped her focus as the caffeine hit her system.
> “She lived with her grandmother. Just the two of them.”
Simon’s expression grew even grimmer. “How close is their place?”
“Just over the hill. They’re my nearest neighbors.”
“I know the house. I’ve scouted it before. Damn.” He filled a cup for himself from the coffee maker. “How old is the grandmother? Can she get around okay?”
“She’s pretty old and suffers from arthritis. Becky Sue pretty much took care of her. I visited them once or twice, but they mostly kept to themselves.”
“I’ll need to go check on the grandmother and their house.”
“You don’t think…” Her words trailed off when he turned to her. She could see he did indeed think the worst. “If she was crippled in life and unable to get around much, would she still be that way under the influence of this contagion?”
“I truly have no idea. The only people I’ve seen infected were fit young Marines. But I guess I’m going to find out.”
“I’m going with you. If she wasn’t infected, she’ll be frightened and may need help. There’s no way of knowing how long ago Becky Sue was attacked. Her grandmother could have been alone for days. She’ll be disoriented and frightened if you show up on her doorstep. At least she knows me, if only in passing. Plus, I’m a doctor. Mrs. McGillicuddy knows that.” Simon seemed unconvinced by her argument. “It’s daylight and it’s supposed to be sunny all day. Didn’t you tell me the others hide from the sun? It should be safe to take a quick drive over to their house, check things out, and come back. It’ll only take a few minutes, and you’ll be with me the entire time, right? What could go wrong?”
Grim faced, Simon relented. “All right, but we do this my way. I’ll approach the house first and check things out. If the old lady is still alive, I’ll signal you in. If not, you stay clear. Got it?”
“Aye, aye, sir.” She gave him a salute and a smile, glad to see his expression soften just the tiniest bit.
“Take the pistol with you. How many rounds do you have left?”
Mariana checked the specially crafted handgun. It could hold up to six dart rounds in an oversized, rotating cylinder. She’d only used three on Becky Sue.
“Three left. How many does it usually take to disintegrate one of those creatures?”
Some of the grimness returned to his eyes. “Theoretically, it should only take one, or so the experts tell me. As you probably saw, I’ve learned it actually takes awhile for the toxin to spread and do its work. Multiple rounds help the process along. I usually use at least two if possible—one in the upper body and one in the lower. The key is to hit them while they’re still some distance away, or when you’re in a position to retreat quickly to a safe distance.”
“Good to know.” She hated to think how hard won his knowledge was.
“Finish up your coffee and we’ll get on the road. I want to do this, then report in before I go down for the day.” He rubbed his unshaven face in a rare outward show of fatigue. He was unbending more and more around her, showing that he was, indeed human, after all. That was something he had never really done during their previous involvement.
“How’d you do last night?” She watched his expression as she sipped the strong coffee.
“I got two more. By our counts, there should be only one left, but if they’ve infected civilians, the problem has spread.”
“That’s not good,” she observed, stating the obvious.
“No, not good at all.” He swallowed the last of his coffee and placed his mug in the sink.
She grabbed her jacket, stowed the pistol within easy reach in one pocket, and headed for the front door, next to which was her car, a small, sturdy SUV. Simon said nothing when she made for the driver’s seat, though he did open her door for her as soon as she chirped the locks open. He was a gentleman, after all.
She noticed him looking into the back before opening the door, probably checking to be certain the spacious vehicle was indeed empty before they got in. She would have to remember to do that herself. She wasn’t used to living under near constant threat. Until this situation was fully resolved, she would have to be more cautious.
“I meant to tell you before,” he said as he got in on the passenger’s side and shut the door. “I like your choice of vehicle. My little brother has one of these and I borrowed it the last time I moved. It holds a lot more than I expected.”
She guessed he was making small talk as a way to defuse her fear. It wasn’t working, but she loved him for trying. She was wound tighter than a top and wouldn’t rest until they knew one way or the other if that sweet, crippled old woman had been attacked by something out of a nightmare.
“I appreciate what you’re trying to do.” She turned to look at him as she started the car.
“What?”
“Come on, Simon. You’re not exactly the chatty type. Thank you for trying to take my mind off it, but I’ll never forget what I saw—what I did—tonight.”
“And you never should,” Simon agreed, surprising her. “If it helps, try to remember that girl was already dead. You helped put her soul to rest. You didn’t kill her. She was dead a long time before the creature she’d become tried to attack and kill you. It was both self-defense and an act of mercy.”
“Will the courts see it that way?” A dreadful thought entered her mind. “Simon, I never even thought about the legal ramifications of this. Becky Sue was a civilian. Do we have the right to do what I did to civilians? What about the law?”
“I’m operating under the highest authority, Mari. Orders from the president himself, cosigned by the director of the Centers for Disease Control. This contagion has to be stopped at all costs and I’m authorized to use any and all means necessary to end it wherever it spreads, be it to military or civilian personnel. When I make my report to Commander Sykes tonight, I’m going to mention the continued problems you’ve had on your land, but otherwise I’m keeping you out of this, Mari. They’ll know you’re aware of the contagion and the creatures. That’s it. Anything else, let it be on my head.”
“But Simon—”
“No. Trust me on this. Everything surrounding this experiment has been screwed up from day one. I don’t want your name all over some top secret dossier somewhere. It’s bad enough that as it is, you’ll be a footnote in the file. I don’t want this to come back to haunt you at a later date.” His jaw set in a stubborn line even as his words struck fear in her heart.
“Do you expect more trouble?”
“Honey, I always expect trouble. It’s the only thing that’s kept me alive this long.” He let out a heavy sigh, his stance relenting just a bit. “I’ve been walking a tightrope here. They know I’m immune. Already the research team wants to know why. I only have Matt Sykes to thank for the fact that the researchers don’t know my name or how to find me. I trust Matt. After this is over, I’m going to fade away where those mad scientists will never find me.”
“But won’t they know who did the job of cleaning up the base?”
“That’s where the mercs come in. All the paperwork is run through them. Some creative paper shuffling should keep my name far from Quantico for many years to come.” He shrugged. “It helps to have friends in interesting places. As for you, I want any record of your involvement as limited as we can make it. The locations of all the kills are being recorded by the cleanup team. There’s no way around that. They’ll know about the action on your land. You’ll be listed as a witness in the reports. That’s as far as I want it to go.”
She was uncomfortable with the idea of lying, even by omission. Simon was so serious though, he convinced her of the need for secrecy. And really, what could it hurt for the reports to say Simon took the shots that disintegrated poor Becky Sue? Mariana would always know the truth. She would always remember what she’d done.
“So what about the McGillicuddys? Becky Sue, and possibly her grandmother? How will their disappearance be explained? People do check on them and visit from time to time.”
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br /> “When I call Matt, he’ll help square things. He’s good at that sort of thing. I imagine there’ll be some sort of cover-up to explain the girl’s disappearance and satisfy the locals. Don’t worry.” He reached out to take her hand. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I promise.”
The seriousness of his vow took her by surprise. She had known he cared on some level, but what she saw in his expression—more open to her now than he had ever been before—floored her. He’d never made her any promises before. This could be a breakthrough moment, if she was foolish enough to believe he would let her into his life after this crisis was over.
Only time would tell.
She squeezed his hand and gave him a sad smile. “Thank you, Simon. That means a lot to me.”
“Mari,” he tugged on her hand, leaning over the small console to meet her lips in a soft, gentle kiss. “You mean a lot to me. I never told you before, but I don’t think I could survive if something happened to you on my watch.”
Simon kissed her once more and let go, turning away to gaze out the window. He’d almost revealed too much there. The sad, scared look on her beautiful face had made him want to ease her hurt and fear. She had looked so lost. It tugged on his heart and made him want to comfort her.
If the situation wasn’t so urgent, he would march her right back into the house and make love to her until her eyes lost that shadow of apprehension. She was dealing well with a situation in which she was totally out of her depth. He was damned proud of her, but he also wanted to protect her. Make her go back into her house and batten down the hatches until it was safe again. Or better yet, go get a room on base until the terror was over. He wanted her safe. He wanted her happy. He wanted her. Period.
Mariana put the SUV in gear and headed for the gravel lane that led to the neighboring house. He had done reconnaissance on the entire area and was familiar with the layout of each house and outbuilding where the creatures might possibly try to hide. He had found more than one making use of someone’s garden shed in the first few weeks. After he’d dispatched those, the others seemed to have steered clear of such places. They apparently had the capacity to learn from mistakes, which made them even tougher to deal with in the long run.