“Th-thank you.” She left us then, without demanding any details. Probably because she’d started crying.
I wanted to run after her but forced myself to stay where I was. “I hate this. All of it.”
“I know, but the only way to make things better is to keep doing what we’re doing.” He cupped my cheeks and looked into my eyes—and the world vanished—
—I was lying on my back, coughing, blood gurgling from my mouth. Cole hovered over me, tears tracking down his cheeks—
—I was standing in front of him again, the vision gone as quickly as it had started.
“That was…” He shook his head. “You’re staying here.”
“Because I might be injured?” After he’d just told me the only way to make things better was to keep doing what we were doing? I shook my head violently. “We don’t know when the visions come true. The first took forever to happen, and besides that, I can’t stay here the rest of my life, hoping to avoid this one.”
“You were dying!”
“I would have healed.”
“I’ve held death in my hands,” he shouted, shaking me. “You were dying, and you would not have healed. Therefore, you’re staying here. Let me and the others deal with this.”
“No. You said you needed me.”
“Ali, please. I can’t lose you to—”
“Stop.” Though my mouth had dried up and fear swam through me, I put on a brave face. “You’re wasting time.” I brushed past him, reaching for the door. “You can stay if you want, but I’m going.”
I stepped outside. The sun was setting, the sky a haze of azure and violet.
Masked men swarmed me.
Screaming, I scrambled backward, thinking this was an illusion, an extension of the vision, but someone managed to wrap me in his iron-hard arms and cart me toward a waiting van while the others converged inside and tackled Cole. I could hear the whistle of his blades, the hiss of his breath.
I fought my captor but failed to loosen his hold.
Behind me, a loud boom erupted. I and the man holding me were lifted off the ground by a hard blast of heat and propelled into the side of the vehicle. My skull cracked against the metal, and my eyesight dimmed. Shards of wood rained as I watched the man scramble up.
“Alice, my sweet Alice,” I heard someone say from inside the van—and I recognized his voice.
My father had come for me.
* * *
I woke up tied to a chair, confused, my eyesight still dim but gradually clearing. Severe pain tore through my head. My entire body ached. I felt as if I had time traveled to the day after the car accident, when my world had collapsed around me.
Well, my world had just collapsed again.
Memories flooded me. Cole, coming over to my house. The vision of my death. Leaving the house—or trying to leave it. Masked men attacking. Me, grabbed and carried away. The explosion. The van. My father.
Cole. Nana.
Bile burned a path to my throat. They had survived. I wouldn’t believe anything else.
I struggled against my bonds. I had to find them, had to get them help. As I tugged at the rope, I realized that I was in some kind of lab. The lights were turned low, but I could see people in lab coats buzzing around in every direction. I could smell a copper tang in the air, as well as the putrid odor of decay, and I gagged.
“Good. You’re awake.” A female wearing a hazmat suit stepped into my line of vision. She lifted her mask, and spread her arms wide. “Welcome to Anima Industries.”
“Dr. Wright,” I wheezed. “Did they get you, too?”
“How sweet. You trust me so much, you’re willing to overlook the evidence and convince yourself I must be a prisoner, like you.”
In seconds, the smugness of her tone sliced that trust to ribbons, revealing the truth. I didn’t want to believe it, but there was no denying it. She was a spy. A traitor.
“There we go,” she said with a nod. “You’ve just realized I was using your little group for information, nothing more. That my men weren’t following the zombies but the tracker I’d placed in everyone’s boots. Made things so easy.”
Will destroy her. “You said I could trust you,” I gritted out.
“I lie about everything.” She chuckled. “In fact, I might even be lying about lying. Impossible to tell.”
I tugged more fervently at the ropes. “Did you bring Cole and my grandmother here, too?”
“No, I didn’t, and no, I don’t know where they are. The bomb was not our doing, and they were missing when my men went back to search what was left of the house.”
The truth? Or just another lie in a long string? “Why are you doing this?” I demanded.
She rested one hand on her hip, a regal pose not even the hazmat suit could ruin. “Cole’s father wants to destroy the zombies. We want to use them.”
Use absolute evil? “Why?”
“Why else? Money. They are weapons. No army can withstand them. We can use them to destroy whosoever the highest bidder desires from the inside out—and we’ll never have to lift a finger.”
“But they’ll kill us, too!” Not to mention the rest of the world.
“No. We’ve learned to control them. Let me show you.” She looked over my shoulder and motioned with her finger.
A moment later, the lights brightened. I squinted, tried to twist, but couldn’t quite manage it. The sound of shuffling footsteps filled my ears, and then Jaclyn came into view. She, too, was wearing a hazmat suit, the clear mask revealing a shamed expression—another lie surely. She held the end of a rope.
A rope attached to my dad.
I blinked, froze. He was as tall as I remembered, but his hair had thinned. His skin possessed a grayish cast, and there were dark splotches all over his face and neck. He wore a suit, the cuffs and hem frayed.
I’d wanted to see him for so long, had missed him so much, I experienced a sudden surge of elation. Elation that was squashed as eyes that glinted ruby-red in the light drilled into me.
“Let me go,” I said, my struggles renewed. Whether I’d try to aid him or end him, I wasn’t sure.
Unbidden, my spirit began to separate from my body—
“Oh, no, you don’t. You stay put,” Dr. Wright snapped. “Your spirit will be tied up, too, because yes, you’ll take the ropes with you, but that will only cause a zombie uprising that I’ll have to contain. If that happens, I’ll be so irritated I know I’ll end up bringing your friend Kat to the lab to teach you a lesson.”
Grinding my molars, I forced myself to settle back in.
“Join…us,” my dad rasped.
“His cognitive process has astounded us,” Dr. Wright said, and she actually sounded proud. “Usually by this point, they are mindless, hungry, but all he wants is to spend time with his only living daughter.”
Tears seared my eyes. He’s not your dad. Not really. Just…don’t react to any of this right now. You’ll become hysterical. You can react later.
Drool dripped from the corner of his mouth. His fingers curled, as if he were readying himself to attack. “Together…again. Us.”
A few days ago, I would have given anything for a moment like this. A chance to be with him, to talk with him, and now I had it. He might be one of the undead, but he recognized me and wanted me with him always. He missed me.
I admit it. I missed him, too, so very very much, and part of me was tempted to accept. Tempted, yes, but I knew better. “No, Daddy. I can’t.” My tears spilled over, tracking down my cheeks.
A pause, the moans and grunts of other zombies piercing my ears. “Please.” More drool dripped from him.
“No need to answer again,” Dr. Wright said. “It doesn’t matter. We’re going to let him have you.”
Fear exploded through me, and I jerked at the rope, the abrasions on my skin splitting open. Warm liquid trickled down my fingers and pooled on the floor. The moans and grunts mutated into snarls, the zombies whipping into an abrupt frenzy.
&nb
sp; They’d scented my fear.
I forced myself to still.
“I had hoped you would realize we were the better choice,” Dr. Wright said with a sigh. “Your abilities intrigue me.”
“Too bad, because I would rather die than help you.”
“That’s what I thought you’d say.” She smiled with ice-cold assurance. “But when you become a zombie, do you really think you’ll be able to resist me? You see, the ropes are laced with the chemical Cole uses for his Blood Lines. The zombies can’t break them, which allows us to maneuver the creatures wherever we desire. And when we put the zombies with a human, instinct takes over.” Dad hissed at her, and Dr. Wright glowered at him. “Enough.”
He wrenched at his own binding.
Jaclyn stumbled. “Dr. Wright—”
“You will behave yourself,” she snapped, and I wasn’t sure whether she was talking to the girl or to my father. “Do you want me to feed Ali to other zombies?”
My dad, then. He gave another wrench, a much harder one, and this time Jaclyn was forced to release him or topple to the ground.
“Stop—”
He sprang at Dr. Wright, clawing and biting at her, but he couldn’t get past her suit.
Dr. Wright grabbed hold of his rope and attempted to wrestle him to the ground. “Enough of that, Mr. Bell. You’ve already earned Ali’s punishment. Now you’re working on your own.”
“Taste!” my father shouted.
I heard shrieks erupt behind me, the rush of footsteps.
“They’re escaping, Dr. Wright,” someone shouted.
“Keep with protocol!” she demanded.
Hisses of determination sounded next. More footsteps. Then more still, though these were lighter. People screamed. Zombies grunted. Then sharp needle-like pricks were jabbing at my neck and shoulders, shooting acid straight into my veins. I screamed and flailed as my chair fell forward. I tried to slip out of my body, desperate to protect myself and fight, but my strength was compromised by all that acid. At least my bonds finally loosened, and I was able to free my arms.
I twisted and batted at what could only be a nest of zombies—but my hands merely ghosted through them. They were spirits, and I was human. The original biters stumbled away from me, gasping, choking, but that didn’t help me. Line after line of zombies wanted a turn with me, and the next line simply surged forward.
“Daddy!” I screamed.
Maim…
Kill…
Destroy…
The thoughts bombarded me, as every point of contact with the zombies scalded me. Soon I felt as if someone had peeled away my skin, exposing raw muscle.
The second line stumbled away, and the third stepped up to the plate. They were like sharks, burrowing deep, past skin, muscle and hitting bone, uncaring about the bright light shining down on them.
Maim…kill…destroy…
No, I thought. No! I would not give in. People could fight the evil urges, Cole had said, and I would fight. If I could win this battle, maybe I could survive the infection.
Maimkilldestroy…
NO!
“Stop,” I said. “You will stop.”
One by one, all of the lines began to fall away, unable to resist the power of my words, natural realm or not. When there was no one else around me, I still couldn’t force myself to rise. My entire body felt bathed by flames.
“Stay…back,” I rasped.
From this angle, I could see the entire room. Several hazmats were lying on the ground, struggling to escape. Zombies, so many zombies, tried to claw past their suits. Zombies littered the floor, practically climbed the walls, and swung from the equipment. The ones who had yet to attack me formed a wall at my left, shaking with the need to return to me.
Maybe they would have broken free of my faith-filled demand, but suddenly my dad loomed over me, his big body blocking them. His eyes flashed red in the light, and he licked his lips…lowered his head… “Join me. Will join me.”
His words were as powerful as mine, and I found myself trying to sit up to reach him. “Daddy, I love you. Please, help me. You have to help me.”
A howl rent the air, followed by another and another. The zombies that had formed the wall, wanting a go at me, were collapsing, their bodies spasming.
“Ali!” I heard from across the room.
Cole! Cole was here!
Maim—
No! I thought again. NO.
My dad straightened, turning to confront the newest threat.
“Ali!” Cole shouted again.
“Cole! I’m here.”
More howls erupted, this time followed by groans of pain.
The battle between zombies and slayers had begun.
My dad fought beside me, tossing his fellow zombies into the walls, away from me. Adrenaline pumped through me. If I stayed in this spot, he would, too, and one of the slayers would kill him. And with the way my dad was helping me…well, I couldn’t let that happen. He was fighting the evil, too!
I closed my eyes and tuned out every ounce of my pain. It wasn’t easy, but I found a way, the intensity of my determination allowing nothing else. Slowly, my spirit began to rise from my body…rise…I can do this…the moment I was completely free, I experienced a rush of strength, the cold air battling the fever heat. Cole tossed me two daggers.
A zombie rushed toward my dad from the left, but he was occupied with the one on his right. Leaping into action, I crisscrossed my arms—nailed a jugular—parted my arms, swung—nailed another. My body arced forward and back, my feet constantly moving me through the swarming masses. But even if I’d lacked skill, I would have dominated. These zombies were weaker than any I’d fought.
I lost sight of my dad. From the corner of my eye, I spied Cole, fighting just as fiercely as I was. He was covered in black gunk, riddled with scratches, but still he fought. For me. To save me. To kill those who would destroy us all. Haun was behind him, but he wasn’t on his feet. He was lying flat on his back and unmoving as my dad—no, no, no—burrowed inside his body, vanishing, then rising and moving on, black goo on his chin. Trina fought in front of Haun in a desperate bid to save him, even as zombies chewed at her legs.
I battled my way toward them. Someone hit me from behind, knocking me down. My forehead banged into something—a body. At least it cushioned my fall. A second later, teeth were in my leg and more fire was winding through me. I kicked with my other leg, dislodging whoever it was.
Cole was there a second later, sword ending that particular clash.
“You’re good,” he said, already engaging another foe.
“Yeah.” No way I’d confess otherwise. I went low, double-teaming the zombie with a blade slicked over the backs of his ankles, dropping him to his knees.
I turned to my next target and caught sight of my father again. He rushed toward Cole, teeth bared. The two engaged. I watched, horrified as my father tried again and again to bite him.
“Stop,” I screamed, but I didn’t believe they would.
Cole dodged my dad’s chomping teeth while swiping out with his sword. I dropped my blades. My father might want to save me, but he would never have that kind of control with others. Eventually he would act as Pops had. He would hit me, try to harm me. He would destroy everyone I’d come to love.
I couldn’t let that happen.
I had less than a second to make a decision, and so I made it. I looked down at my hands. “You will light up,” I said, and they instantly obeyed. From fingertips to shoulders, I glowed.
With tears leaking down my cheeks, I reached out. My arm shook. Lord, give me the strength.
“Daddy,” I said.
He whipped around to face me.
“I’m sorry.” No other way. Has to be done.
“Ali,” he said.
Contact.
He disappeared in a burst of ash. I think…I think he’d been smiling.
Just like that, my dad was gone.
Dead forever.
Because o
f me.
Cole had been in the process of swinging his sword, a blow my dad’s body should have absorbed. Only, my dad wasn’t there anymore. I was.
Metal sliced through my belly.
At first, I felt nothing. A few seconds later, I felt everything, a pain far worse than anything I’d ever before encountered sweeping through me.
Horror bathed Cole’s expression. A shout of denial rose from him. Cruz and Frosty were suddenly there, helping me ease to the ground. Black dots winked in front of me.
“Ali!”
I tried to reply but coughed instead, feeling the blood ride up my chest, pool in my mouth.
“I’m sorry, so very sorry,” Cole said, and I knew he was hovering over me.
This was the vision we’d had, I realized. What do you know? It had come to pass quickly.
He gathered me in his arms. “Do not die. You will not die, do you hear me?”
After everything I’d endured to get here? “Wouldn’t…dream…” Another cough halted the rest of my words. Something tugged me up…up…up into a never-ending expanse of white.
18
Alice’s Happy Beginning
I had no idea where I was. Clouds, so many white clouds, surrounded me, hazing my line of vision until—
Emma walked through the fluff, no longer wearing her pretty pink tutu. Now a gleaming white robe draped her, flowing to her feet. Her hair was down, long and sleek and so beautifully dark. Her eyes were as bright a gold as ever, a mix of differing emotions.
“Am I dead?” I asked, at peace with the thought.
“Not for long,” she replied. “You killed him, you know.”
The memories flooded me. My dad, a zombie. My dad, about to hurt Cole. My dad, dead—because of me.
“I’m sorry,” I croaked. “I’m so sorry.”
“I know,” was her sad reply. “I wish I could tell you that was the end of the zombies, but I can’t. I wish I could tell you that was the end of Anima Industries, but I can’t. I wish I could tell you all will be well between you and your Cole, but I can’t do that, either.”
No. I refused to worry about any of that. I had faith, and if I had faith I couldn’t have worry. “Everything will be better, you’ll see.”
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