The Complex (The Omega Protocol Chronicles Book 3)

by Courtney McPhail

  When she and Trey rounded the corner of the lodge, they were met with the cheers of children. Hannah, Ruthie, Matthew, Mark and Alejandro were waiting with Elaine in front of the coop but the children quickly ran to meet them.

  “How many of them are there?”

  “Is there a rooster?”

  “What are their names?”

  “Have they laid an egg?”

  They peppered her with questions that Kim did her best to answer as she and Trey carried the cages to the coop gate that Elaine held open.

  “They wanted to come out as soon as they heard you were on your way,” Elaine explained.

  “Yeah, we wanted to welcome the chickens,” Matthew told them. “The party tonight can be for them too.”

  “Party?” Kim asked as she set down the cage.

  “Mom said we’re having a birthday party for Uncle Malcolm and Travis,” Matthew said.

  “There’s gonna be a cake,” Ruthie said excitedly.

  “Well that sounds like fun,” Kim replied, “Now step back while I let the chickens out, okay? We don’t want to scare them.”

  She opened the cage, the hen poking a cautious head out to look around before she strutted into the pen. Her little chicks followed, peeping as they stuck close to her feet. They released the other hens and they were quickly scratching and pecking at the ground. Kim pulled out the feed and water pans from the cages and set them down in the pen. It would be enough for them until they could haul the feed back from the boat.

  The children lined up at the fence, pointing and claiming each chicken to name for their very own. Yeah, they definitely wouldn’t be eating any of these guys for a long while.

  “So what’s this about a party?” Kim asked Elaine.

  “It was Jenny’s idea,” Elaine told her. “She wants to start celebrating holidays, giving us something to look forward to. Since we’ve got a while before the next holiday, she figured we’d start with the people who missed birthdays. Malcolm and Travis fit that bill.”

  Kim was surprised to know that she had missed Malcolm’s birthday. Though it really shouldn’t surprise her. They had never talked about their birthdays, it hadn’t seemed important. Well, at least she’d get a chance to make it up to him.

  Though depending on how things went down with the freak, there might not even be a party.

  “What’s wrong?” Elaine asked, picking up on her worry. “Did something happen out there?”

  “Yeah,” Kim said with a sigh. “Malcolm and Quinton got it in their heads to bring a freak back here for Harold.”

  Elaine’s eyes widened. “They are pretty brave after what happened before.”

  “Well, Malcolm seemed confident he could convince them.”

  “Are you okay with it?”

  Kim nodded. “I don’t like the idea of one of them being here but I trust Malcolm. Besides, if Glen hadn’t died we still wouldn’t even know one of them was here. We can obviously keep it contained in the lab so what does it really hurt?”

  “It is secure,” Elaine told her. “There are three doors with passcode locks between it and the outside.”

  The sound of raised voices from the other side of the lodge drifted over and Kim let out a sigh. “Sounds like Malcolm’s told them. You want to come with me and mention those doors?”

  She left Trey with instructions to keep the children occupied with the chickens while they sorted this out. When she and Elaine rounded the corner, she found Malcolm facing off with Janet on the lawn, several of the others surrounding them.

  Quinton was nowhere to be seen and she figured he’d already got the freak into the clinic.

  “I can’t believe you can be this stupid!” Janet yelled at Malcolm, waving a finger in his face.

  Malcolm stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his face showing no emotion. “It’s what’s best for everyone.”

  “You don’t always know what is best for everyone,” Janet shot back and Malcolm’s face darkened.

  “Who the hell do you think got you here?” Malcolm said, his voice thin as it whistled through his clenched teeth. “I’ve done everything I can to keep all of you safe. I love your kids like they were my own. Don’t insult me by thinking I would hurt them.”

  Kim could see that his words had resonated with Janet but she had already built up a head of steam. She was ready to keep arguing so Kim stepped forward.

  “Janet, he’s right. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt any of us. I know what you are thinking but if I’m willing to let that freak be here with my son, you should be willing to do the same.”

  “What about everyone else?” Janet said, looking to Jenny and Raquel who stood behind her. “Are you okay with this?”

  Raquel looked to Javier who nodded at her. “I am.”

  “Jenny?”

  “Is it locked up?” she asked.

  “Behind three locked doors, each of them half a foot thick. It would take a grenade to open them,” Malcolm said.

  “I’m okay with it then,” Jenny said and Janet let out an exasperated noise. She turned to Veronica, who had been watching the whole exchange quietly on the edge of the group.

  “You can’t be okay with this,” Janet said. “After what happened, you can’t be.”

  Veronica chewed on her bottom lip as her eyes darted around to look at everyone who was waiting on her answer.

  “I think I should sit this one out,” she said finally. “The rest of you can decide.”

  Janet let out a frustrated groan and turned away from Veronica in disgust. Malcolm let out a sigh, his arms dropping to his sides.

  “I know this is hard for you, Janet, but it’s what we have to do if we have any chance of finding a cure,” he said. “You’re scared of the freak getting out and infecting us but that fear is always going to be there. There will always be more freaks out there unless Harold figures out a way to cure this. Isn’t it worth the risk now for the chance at having a future without them?”

  Janet crossed her arms and cocked out a defiant hip, glaring at her brother but she didn’t argue. She knew Malcolm was right, she was just having a hard time admitting it.

  “Alright, I think that means the issue is settled,” Kim said, saving Janet from having to concede her position aloud. “So why don’t we get to work? We’ve still got stuff to unload off the boat and I’m sure there’s still work to be done on the party.”

  “Party?” Malcolm asked.

  “Yeah, we thought we’d throw you and Travis a belated birthday party,” Janet said, her tone petulant. “If it wasn’t for the fact that the kids were looking forward to the cake, I’d cancel it.”

  “You’re throwing me a birthday party?” Malcolm repeated, his tone incredulous as if he didn’t quite believe it.

  “Yeah, we thought it would be nice since we missed your birthday. Bet you feel like an ass now.”

  Kim had to hide her smile at the way Malcolm’s face fell a bit. He did feel put out and Kim admired Janet’s ability to push his buttons.

  “There are games and Craig promised the twins he’d help rope you into a Monopoly tournament. You have to agree,” Janet said. “When the kids hear about the freak being here, I’m sure they’ll have nightmares. The least you can do is give them some fun tonight before they start.”

  Well, she could lay it on quite thick, couldn’t she?

  “I will,” Malcolm said. “As long as the cake has chocolate frosting.”

  “Of course it does. I know it’s your favourite,” Janet said, her voice still annoyed. “Go clean up from handling that freak and then come to dinner. The kids are looking forward to singing Happy Birthday to you.”

  Malcolm nodded, keeping his lips pressed together to stop from smiling at his sister. He was wise not to do it. Janet’s face was still dark when she passed Kim. Malcolm might have won the battle here but Janet wasn’t happy about it.

  Kim sidled up to Malcolm, taking his hand in her own. “You okay?”

  He nodded. “It actually we
nt better than expected. I figured we’d be yelling at each other for at least an hour.”

  She smiled and stood on her toes to kiss him. “So why didn’t you ever mention we missed your birthday?”

  “It was one of the days we were driving north. It didn’t seem important out there,” he said.

  “Well, it is,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I wish I had known we were going to celebrate it tonight. I would have gotten you a present from the mall.”

  He smiled down at her, his pupils enlarging so his eyes were dark pools of desire. “Oh, I think you have a present you can give me.”

  “Do you now?” she replied seductively, leaning in to press the full length of her body against him. He leaned down and nuzzled her neck before moving up to let his lips brush her ear. “Why don’t we take a break back at the cabin so I can unwrap it and play with it before my party?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Subject File #756

  Administrator: Why are you so dedicated to Harold’s work?

  Subject: If he cures this, it would be the greatest medical advancement in human history. Literally saving our existence. Who wouldn’t want their name attached to it?

  Administrator: I don’t believe you are that egotistical. Why are you really helping?

  Subject: Because I gave up everything for it so I damn well better stick it out. Besides, it gives me something to pass the time. I’ve been feeling very aimless lately.

  “Are you positive everyone is okay with this?”

  Quinton nodded in response to Harold’s question but he kept his eyes on the freak that was strapped to the cot in the lab. It was still unconscious and hadn’t made a peep since it had been brought to the lab.

  “Malcolm said he would handle telling the others,” Quinton said. “It’s fine.”

  He might not know exactly how the conversation had gone down between Malcolm and the others but he knew that the outcome would be the same. Malcolm would convince them it was necessary.

  “You just make sure he stays locked up,” Quinton said and turned away from the door to the cell. “Do you know how the other group made out?”

  “They got back a couple hours ago,” Harold said. “Elaine said they found fuel.”

  “That’s good,” Quinton replied. “We’re growing our little navy.”

  “Was everyone in Port Meyer okay?”

  “Yeah, mostly just mild cases of hypochondria,” he said. “They have a nurse there but I think it had finally set in that emergency rooms and specialists were a thing of the past. A chance at a visit with an actual doctor had them worrying about every little ache and pain.”

  “Did anyone mention noticing anything different about the infected on the mainland?” Harold asked.

  “They found a couple sleeping in a bed but I’m still not sure if that’s significant.”

  “What about when you captured this one?”

  “It was part of a pack,” Quinton said, “Like we’ve seen before. Nothing else out of the ordinary.”

  “Well, he’s on the IV and I’ve already taken blood samples. For now, I’ll let the tranquilizer wear off while I run the samples.”

  “I’ll leave you to it then.”

  Quinton figured he’d better get back upstairs and work on putting back the medical supplies and adjusting the inventory list.

  It also had the benefit of keeping him within the safe confines of the clinic. Malcolm had been confident that he could handle telling the others about the freak by himself and Quinton was happy to let him. His involvement probably wouldn’t help Malcolm anyway. It was better he stayed out of it completely.

  He was surprised to find Veronica sitting at his desk, spinning the office chair in a slow circle as she flipped through a book. Her head shot up when he came in and she tossed the book back on the desk.

  “You got it locked up?”

  He nodded. “You okay with this?”

  “As long as it’s locked up, I’m fine with it. At least this time we know. No lies.”

  “How did it go for you?” he asked.

  “It wasn’t exactly a picnic,” she said, leaning over and propping her elbows on the desk, resting her chin in her hand.

  “Freaks?”

  She shook her head. “A bunch of dead people. They’d been living there but something happened to them. Judging by the medication we found in the bedrooms, they were sick. Looks like the last ones to go were a mother and child a couple days ago. The father put a bullet in his brain after he buried them.”

  “Jesus,” Quinton whistled.

  They had spent days on recon of that island. They had passed by countless times, looking for signs of anyone. If they had just docked during one of those trips, instead of pulling back and waiting, maybe he would have been able to give them proper treatment. Maybe they would have lived.

  And maybe even with his help they still would have died and he would have wasted medicine his people could use on the dead.

  He winced when that thought shot through his mind. His people. His view of the world was beginning to change and he wasn’t sure he liked it.

  He had taken an oath to help everyone. He’d treated a drunk driver who killed a bunch of teenagers, and a shanked prison inmate who was serving a life sentence for killing his wife. It was part of being a doctor. But that had been when medicine and resources were plentiful. Now they had a finite amount of resources.

  He didn’t like that he was thinking this way, considering the worth of someone when it came to healing them. This wasn’t who he wanted to be.

  “You okay?” Veronica asked, reading his distress.

  “It’s just sad is all,” he said. “If it’s not freaks or people shooting at you, it’s some other sickness that wipes you out. It’s a shame.”

  “What was it like over on the mainland?” she asked. “Are there more freaks?”

  “Pretty much the same,” he said. “Deserted, quiet as a graveyard.”

  “Isn’t that what it is, a graveyard?”

  The haunted look in his sister’s eyes sent a stab of worry through him. “Maybe I should be the one asking if you’re okay.”

  She shook her head, her brow furrowing as she squinted. He knew that look. She was fighting back tears. Damn, she really was upset.

  “What’s going on? Did something else happen?”

  She shook her head again, sniffling slightly. “It’s just seeing that man over there. He still had his cellphone with him when I found him. He’d been looking at a picture of his family before he pulled the trigger. He had lost everyone he loved. He was left alone and he couldn’t take it.”

  “And you’re wondering if it will happen to you?” She shrugged, not saying anything, but he knew his sister. “Look, I’m not going to tell you that it won’t ever happen because look where we are. I’m also not going to tell you that you’d never do that because in the same place, I might do it too.”

  “So what are you going to tell me?” she asked with a small smile.

  He reached across the desk and put his hand over hers. “No matter what happens, we’ve all got an expiration date so you got to focus on being happy with what you have. You think that guy kept that cellphone because he wanted his last minutes to be sad, thinking about his wife and daughter dying? No. He was thinking about how happy they were when they took that picture. Just make good memories, be happy, and what happens, happens.”

  She nodded and then looked at him with searching eyes. “Are you happy here? I know things are still tense between you and Janet.”

  Well, that was a loaded question, wasn’t it? And it was one that needed consideration.

  Sure, he was happy he was alive and safe and had food and shelter. His basic needs were taken care of and he felt like an asshole for not being happy with that alone. It was more than most people had in this world.

  But if he considered the question using the old world standards for happiness, he wasn’t so sure.

  Thinking about J
anet didn’t make him happy. He was too close to look back at the good times with fondness. It was still too painful.

  But he was healthy and he had his sisters and his friends and he was still able to be a doctor. It was good enough for the world they had.

  “I’m getting there,” he replied. “What about you?”

  She sighed and leaned back in her chair to cross her arms over her chest. “I think I am.”

  “Think?”

  “I don’t know, it’s complicated.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her, letting her know he wasn’t going to let her duck out on this. She was the one who had opened the can of worms and he wasn’t going to let her walk away from it.

  “It’s about Jackson,” she told him. “You still sure you want to talk about it?”

  His animosity towards the man when they first met was long gone. They’d been through too much for him to feel anything but respect and camaraderie with the man. He trusted Jackson and the truth was he couldn’t think of any man he’d rather have watching his sister’s back.

  “If you want to be with Jackson, just tell him,” he told her. “Frankly, the rest of us find it annoying that you’re still dancing around it.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I have told him. We’ve been taking things slow. Being careful that we aren’t making a mistake.”

  “Probably a smart idea,” he said. “Having to see your ex every day isn’t what I’d call a pleasant experience.”

  “Yeah, the thing is, I’m pretty sure now that it isn’t a mistake.”

  “You’re in love with him.” It was a statement, not a question. He could see it in her eyes, behind the worry that talking about love would upset him. He wasn’t a miserable asshole who wanted everyone around him to be as unhappy as him. Just because he didn’t have love didn’t mean he wanted others to go without. “Have you told him?”

  “Once...kinda.”