Candice shook her head. “No. I feel like my whole body is achin’. My head feels like it’s about to explode, an’ my arm… I feel like the fire is burnin’ my flesh.”
“I have another shot for you.”
“I’m almost tempted to say put me in the freezer. I don’t think it can get any hotter.”
“Honey, it’s not that hot in here.”
“Are you sure? I feel like I’m sitting in a pan of hot water, boiling on the stove.”
“That’s the virus. Montana kicked on the generators an’ turned up the AC to help ya. The rest of us have to keep walkin’ outside. It’s like the arctic in here. He’s freezin’ us out. He’s gonna have to turn it off soon. That’s why he’s givin’ it full power now. He thought it might help ya out a bit.”
“Tell him thanks, but I can’t feel it. No reason to freeze everyone else.”
“This shot should help ya sleep an’ relieve some o’ the pain.”
“Really, you should save that for someone who might need it later. You’re just wasting it on me.”
“Shush. I’ll not hear that kinda talk from you. Sleepin’ is always good when you’re sick. It helps the body heal an’ recharge. It might be what ya need to fight this. Ya know, if we were back in medieval times, you’d be the one in the village goin’ out to save us from the fire breathin’ dragon.”
Candice chortled. “Now I can see that happening; me fighting off a fire-breathing dragon while trying to stop him from burning me to a crisp; just call me extra-crispy Candice.” She winced as she got the shot. “I think you’d be right there beside me. It would be both of us trying to keep the dragon from scorching our asses. Sounds like fun to me.”
“Your idea o’ fun an’ mine are totally different.”
“Watch out for the guys, will ya? Keep an extra eye on Zach, because without me around, he’s gonna fuck up a lot.”
Sophia sighed. “I’ll do my best. I’m gonna go do this autopsy.”
“Give my regards to Erica. Tell her I’ll be seeing her soon with an ass whipping.”
“Stop that! You can will yourself to death. You can will your body to shut down an’ you’ll die, sometimes in as little as three months. If anyone can fight this bloody thing, you can. You put it in your head an’ heart that you can an’ will beat it! I know you’ve heard o’ mind over matter. It’s true.”
Candice smiled. “Okay. I’ll fight it. I’ll see you on the other side of that door when I recover.”
“Good. I’ll make sure there’s plenty for ya to eat when ya do.”
It didn’t take long for Candice to go to sleep; pressed up against the back wall with her head on the top of her bent knees, arms cradling them to her chest.
Fourteen
A couple of hours later, Sophia made her way into the break room. Splotches of blood covered her clothing. She peeled off the bloody latex gloves. Pulling them off inside out, she wrapped them in paper towels before shoving them in the trash.
Brandon looked over. “Is ‘at really safe?”
“It should be in a hazard material bin, but I have to work with what I have.” She sighed, pouring a cup of coffee before setting down at the table. “God, I’m so beat right now. I wish I could sleep, but I know I can’t.”
Trevor pointed to her clothes, covering his nose with his shirt. “Are you sure that blood isn’t contagious?”
“No. Once the host is dead so is the virus.”
“That doesn’t make sense if it’s air born.”
“I dunno if it’s air born or not. However, in most cases where a virus is concerned when the host dies so does the virus. So anythin’ that ya get from a dead host is a dead virus.”
Montana sipped his coffee. “So did ya find out anythin’ good?”
Sighing, she shook her head. “Not really. It seems when the virus attacked, all her organs were affected.”
“Is ‘at normal?”
“I expected that to be honest. It’s not normal when it’s somethin’ like a cold. However, this isn’t anythin’ like ‘at. It’s more like Ebola. Like I said it attacked all her organs, but I dunno what it did to ‘em. I won’t know until I can look at it under a microscope.”
Trevor winced. “How bad is it?”
“Without a microscope, I can only guess.”
Brandon nodded. “We need to find you one then. What did ya see?”
“I saw a lotta damage, but I don’t know what caused it.” She sighed. “The only thin’ we can do for Candice now is just pray an’ wait an’ see what happens.”
“Pray hard.”
Fifteen
The alarm on his phone shattered the silence and he quickly reached up and shut it off. He chose the one that sounded like a sinking ship because it was loud enough to wake the dead. However, in the small cabin of his S-10 truck, it was ear splitting. It was his idea to sleep there to avoid the partying that would happen with his return from a weeklong vacation. When he noticed his day was starting very early, it seemed like a good idea. However, with every action he took, his six-foot-three frame protested loudly with creaks and pops to the cramped accommodations. Having no room to stretch out, he slept in a tight ball all night and now he was paying the price for it.
Mark Sheen had an early tour planned that started at eight in the morning, but that wasn’t the hard part. Being the lead guide with the early morning tour meant he had to do the safety check and that took a good two hours. When he returned, late last night and checked the schedule, he immediately grabbed his gear before anyone saw he was back. He left a note for the driver and his partner just to meet him at the zip line.
Groaning, he opened his eyes and looked around. He stretched as much as possible before opening the door and stepping out. When there was actually room to move, he stretched again, emitting a loud squeak of pleasure as cramped muscles relaxed.
Grabbing the Mountain Dew out of the cup holder, he took a couple of swallows to ease the dryness of his throat, before grabbing the cigarettes off the dash. Lighting one, he held it in his mouth as he walked over to the nearest tree to relieve his screaming bladder.
A putrid odor floated on the air and attacked his sense of smell. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, he turned his head from one side to the other looking for the dead animal. It reeked of death and that usually meant there was road kill nearby. That’s when he realized something… it was quiet… too quiet.
Usually this time of morning, nature had its own alarm clock; crickets, birds, and squirrels arguing were on the top of that list. However, he didn’t hear a sound. He quickly looked up at the sky, but noticed that it was a sign of a beautiful day in the making. Usually a bad storm can silence nature as they all made their way for shelter.
Something wasn’t right…
In a campground, there should be campers moving around, seeking that first cup of coffee, or popping the top on that first can of beer. Usually the woods echoed with people talking, sticks breaking, cars starting and driving off to the store for more ice, and the wood snapping as the fire heated up. It didn’t take long before the smell of burning sausage, bacon, and at times eggs would float on the air and make him hungrier than he already was.
None of that was happening. It was Fourth of July. This place filled over capacity that they tried to squeeze out every inch of space to create another spot, so the dead silence unnerved him. Fixing himself, he slowly walked up the road to investigate why it was so quiet and what caused that stench. He couldn’t bring a tour through there with the smell of death lingering in the air.
“Hey, is it safe to come down now?” a female voice asked.
The voice broke the silence and he thought his heart was going to leap out of his chest. Turning, he half expected to see someone behind him, only there was no one there. He looked back the other way as well as off to the side, but he didn’t see anyone. He even bent down looking towards the river, still no one. “Okay, I give. Where are you?”
“You were asked if it was safe to come d
own so most intelligent people would guess we were up a tree, you moron,” another female voice, though not as cheerful as the first, answered. “You’re not getting attacked, so I’m guessing it is.”
That was when he looked up. Oddly enough, he found five girls sitting in a tree. Smirking, he brought his hand up, scratching his head. Ignoring all the snarky comments floating around in his head, he chuckled. “Well, this is a first. I guess ‘at depends on why you’re up ‘ere. Come to think of it, why are ya up there?”
In his circle of friends, he was the go to man for anything. He was never too busy to help someone in need. Whenever passing someone broken down on the side of road, he pulled over and helped. Sometimes that meant breaking out his tools and climbing in the engine. If that didn’t work, he drove around town in search of a part. He tried everything to get the running again. If he couldn’t then he gave them a lift back home. He was just that kind of guy.
Tall with dark hair and a trim physique, he didn’t do too badly with the ladies. Being a zip lining and rafting guide gave him his pick of women if he wanted them. They loved the guides. His job kept him in shape with a rock hard body. It was better than any Gym. It had strength, cardio, and muscle building all in one job, and he got paid to work out too. He loved his job, but he didn’t want the fans that came with it. He was more of a loner.
“You’re not going to wash your hands? Remind me not to hold your hand,” the same annoying second voice said in disgust.
“Darlin’, this is the woods. I work in a campground all day. I’m in dirt for the better part o’ my day an’ the other I’m in the water where the fish shit. So holdin’ my dick an’ pissin’ is definitely not the most unsanitary action o’ my day. Besides, it’s not like I pissed on my hand.” He took a drag off his cigarette. “Once more, why are you sittin’ up in ‘at tree?”
Trina Davis was the first to climb down. She was five-foot-six with brown hair and hazel eyes almost yellow in color. Trina came from a family who didn’t have much. They scrimped and struggled to survive every day. After being around spoiled rotten girls, getting anything their little hearts desired, she wanted the same. She worked hard to try to fit in with the cool girls just so she could be part of the in crowd.
Dusting off her jeans, she looked at him. “Wait, you didn’t see what happened?”
“I think it’s obvious I didn’t see anythin’ or I wouldn’t have asked. So what happened ‘at chased ya up a tree?”
“How did you miss it?”
“I was away for a week an’ just got back last night, but answer my question, please. What the fuck happened?”
Shaking her head, she dusted off her jeans. “To be honest, I have no freaking clue.”
“What do ya mean?”
“People just started fighting and killing each other.”
He chuckled. “Oh?”
She nodded. “We went up the tree for safety.”
“Was ‘at all?”
“Was that all? That happens around here a lot?”
He smirked. “People get really loud where it might sound like ‘at. Some of ‘em shoot off guns they’re not supposed to have, so it might sound like they’re killin’ each other, but it’s just good old-fashioned fun.”
Being the leader and the most popular girl in her college was a fulltime job and one Amber Meadows took seriously. With her blonde hair, blue eyes, and model-like body there wasn’t any wonder people tried to get close to her. Being spoiled by her rich parents didn’t help her mean girl disposition. She expected everyone to give her what she wanted and if she ran across someone who didn’t, she made them miserable until they came around to her way of thinking. Being the head cheerleader didn’t hurt her with the male persuasion. There wasn’t a man she couldn’t get, one way or another.
“No moron,” she said, climbing down the tree. “They were killing each other.”
“How long have ya been up ‘ere?”
“We’ve been lost in the woods for… damn, I lost track of time. There’s a cave we were hiding in, but we got lost. It got dark on us last night so we just went up the tree for safety.”
He looked at her with an arch in his brow. “Are you serious? Wait. Why were you hiding in a cave? Did ya sneak in without payin’?”
“Wow. Have you been living under a rock?”
Arching a brow, he took another drag off his cigarette. “You’re a bitchy little thing.”
Amber rolled her eyes. “The question shouldn’t be why are we out here. It should be where the fuck have you been?”
“If ya must know, I’ve been on a survival run. It’s my first day back in a week.”
Trina nodded. “Oh, well you would’ve thought you might’ve heard it from there.”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure about that. It’s pretty deep in the woods. Now, unless ya just want me to leave ya here, answer my damn question. Why were you guys in a cave?”
“First things first. I’m Trina,” she said, pointing to herself, “and that’s Amber, Heather, Trish, and Alex.”
“Mark.” He took another drag off his cigarette before flicking the cherry off, stomping it in the ground, and shoving the butt in his pocket.
“Now that the intros are done maybe we can get somewhere,” Amber huffed, looking around while rolling her eyes.
“We were here camping and things got crazy. We ran as fast as we could and got away, but I don’t think anyone else did,” Heather told him, shaking her head. “Everything happened so fast.”
Heather Farmer had dark brown hair, blue eyes, and a sexy female body. She spent hours on cheerleading, which was a workout. She came from a family, not as well off as they pretended. Because of that, Heather did whatever Amber asked, no matter how dirty. She didn’t have the personality to be a mean girl, but she made due. She was thought of highly in her circle of friends, because of her association with Amber. Popularity had a price in college and it usually meant kissing someone’s perfumed scented ass.
He looked around, curiously. “Where’s everyone else?”
Trish shrugged. “We haven’t seen another person in a few days, I think. It’s like Amber said, days run into each other when we don’t have a calendar. I hope that you have some food. Or something to drink?”
Trish Calloway was also blonde, blue eyed, with a body she loved to show off. She wasn’t cut out to be a mean girl, and it showed. Usually this put her at odds with Amber. She managed to kiss enough ass to stay out of trouble. She was the best dancer on the squad. That was most likely the only reason Amber kept her around. It meant winning the dance contest. Otherwise, she would have gotten rid of her long ago. However, winning all the awards kept their sorority on top and Trish was good at that.
Looking at the girls, he reached into the bed of his truck and pulled over the cooler. He stopped off at the store three days into his trip, picked up munchies, and still had a few things left. He handed them each a Mountain Dew and a big bag of chips to share. “All I have are sodas an’ chips.”
Amber rolled her eyes. “You don’t have diet?”
“No. I don’t drink ‘at shit.”
She scoffed, shaking her head. “Well, I don’t like this.”
“Then don’t drink it.”
“But I’m thirsty!”
He shook his head, looking at his watch. “It’s July sixth, when did you girls get here?”
Alex took a long drink of the soda, before shoving her hand in the bag and pulling out a handful of chips, shoving them in her mouth. She chewed quickly. “We came in with the big crowd before the fireworks. It was that night when all hell broke loose. Wait, so that means we’ve been living in and out of that cave for two days?”
Alexandria Newsome was one of the favored of the group. She had auburn hair and when the sun caught it just right the red highlights were visible. Her eyes were green like a cat’s and some guys even said they glowed in the dark. She wasn’t part of the rich crowd, so her feet were planted firmly on the ground. The only reason she
was mixed up with Amber, cheerleading, and her sorority was because Amber’s mother and her mother were best friends. If that wasn’t bad enough they were sorority sisters. To top it all off, they were on the same cheerleading squad. They thought it would be fun to relive the past through their daughters, even though neither of the girls could stand the other. Due to their mothers’ pushing, the two became friends, no matter what either one thought of it.
Heather cringed. “Ew, now that makes me want a shower.”
He pointed to the river. “The best I can offer you is nature’s bath.”
“Ew, like you said the fish shit in there. I don’t bathe in feces.”
Trish rolled her eyes. “I don’t think it’s as bad as that. You make it sound like there are just pools of shit floating everywhere.”
Amber scoffed. “I’m eating here!” She shoved a handful of chips in her mouth.
Heather shook her head. “I don’t know, and I don’t want to know.”
“So you’re not my zip linin’ group? Oh thank God, I thought I was gonna be stuck with you,” he said, exhaling a sigh of relief.
Amber grunted. “You have to be the stupidest person on the face of the Earth.”
“An’ you’re the sweetest.”
“We’re not here for your group. They aren’t going to show up!”
He looked at his watch again. “Naw, it’s still early. They aren’t due in yet.”
Amber shook her head, chewing on chips. “How did you not see all the bodies mutilated everywhere?”
He looked over, curiously, canting his head to the side. “Bodies mutilated?”
“Yes! They’re all over the place! It’s one reason we came over here. It’s not as smelly.”
“I came the back way. This is a joke, right? Did Brandon an’ Trevor put ya up to this?”
Heather looked over. “Who?”
“The jokesters of the camp. Nice.” He turned, chuckling as he hollered out to the woods. “I’m not fallin’ for it, guys!”
Trish slapped him. “Hush! You’ll get them over here and we’ll be back up a fucking tree!”
He shook his head. “Get who back over here?”
Beautiful Death (Bella Morté Trilogy Book 1) Page 14