BESIEGED (HUNGRY Series Book 2)

by Lawrence Herbert Tide

  I’m going to live!

  She breathed hard at first, but gradually she felt that it became easier and easier. It was like she was learning to breathe again...

  As if she had just been reborn.

  As she finally relaxed, lying on the rollaway bed on which she had been placed, she saw the doctor approaching her, holding again his nose in a handkerchief now completely bloodied.

  Embarrassed, she remembered having hit him... then no longer felt any embarrassment.

  She concluded that it was because, like everyone else in the Community, she didn’t like him.

  "Well, you came back from the dead!" said the scientist, approaching her casually, his usually disturbing smile partly visible behind the handkerchief.

  "True... really?" replied the girl, feeling more and more uncomfortable having to establish a conversation with this man.

  "In a manner of speaking," he replied, leaning down to pick up an object that had fallen to the ground, and getting up, he showed it to her.

  She recognized the big syringe he had held in one hand, earlier. Disgusted, she saw that the needle was still all bloody.

  "I had to give you an adrenaline shot in the heart, to get it to go again," said the scientist. "Adrenaline, to which I added a nice little mix of my own composition."

  He had said that with a voice full of pride, and Red, still muddy, bowed her head and discovered, between her small breasts, a small hole, blood red in color.

  Between her breasts?

  Red blushed when she noticed that she was naked under a sheet that covered her up to her waist, and quickly pulled it up to hide her chest.

  The man looked at her mockingly, obviously amused by her embarrassment.

  Then he took out a small container with a needle containing a bright green liquid, which she recognized. It was the same liquid that Harry had injected into his own brain.

  Glancing around her, the red-haired girl felt something like an electric shock when she saw an assortment of instruments on a table next to her.

  Syringes, scalpels, various surgical instruments.

  Fear made her fire-colored hair stand up on her head.

  No, not me... not my brain!

  "Do not be scared," the scientist said amusedly, nothing in the teenager's attitude seeming to be able to avoid his observation of her. "I will not have to open your cranial box, contrary to what I thought initially… Happy?"

  She opened her mouth, which immediately twisted with pain.

  The professor had, without any warning, put the needle of the container in one of her arms.

  The surprise of the sting, joined to the liquid that entered her veins, burning like boiling lava, had been enough to make her pretty face deform with the pain.

  The burn in her veins disappeared quickly, and, comforted, she relaxed completely on the bed with wheels.

  "You’re young and healthy, you will not undergo a transformation as advanced as Mr Harry Jackson... and I cannot wait to see if the effects of the same treatment will be as impressive on you as it was on him!"

  The young redhead felt that he was watching her with interest as if she were a lab rat, not a human being, and she felt hatred for him.

  "Thanks to me and my serum injector, you will stay with us in the community, instead of being thrown out with the zombies around us, or in the inner detention facility… What do you say to the kind Professor Harding?"

  "I guess... thank you..." said the teenager, having a hard time hiding the hate on her face while looking at him.

  "You're welcome, girl," the man replied with a superior air.

  He has a God complex, Red thought.

  That's when she saw Hiroto.

  He was lying, still unconscious. No sheets covered his body, but the girl felt no discomfort, since her old Master had remained dressed. In fact, she even had the impression that he had been left dressed, as is, without trying to take off the clothes to heal him more easily, as it had been in her case.

  But, above all, something shocked the teenager, who observed one of the old man's legs, partly visible, showing a deep bite. It was a dark, rotten bite, obviously extending into dark veins and venules, invading his leg. She had already seen these kinds of marks: they originated from the rapid invasion of the body by the accursed bacterium responsible for the epidemic which had transformed the majority of Humanity into creatures hungry for human flesh.

  An infection that was quickly transmitted by the slightest bite.

  "Ah, are we concerned about grandpa?" asked Professor Harding with a mocking voice, as he approached the old man.

  "But... I don't see any serum injector on him!" exclaimed the girl.

  Harding just looked at her, shrugging.

  Red now got really hot about it, and she asked, "Aren't you treating him against his transformation into a zombie, too?"

  "Too injured, too tired, too old... At his age, the transformation is fast, even if it can be slowed down a bit by the treatment, so..."

  "So?" the girl murmured, glaring at him as she waited for the cursed scientist to continue.

  "So, I felt it was not worthwhile to treat him, the serum is too precious..."

  "Heal my grandfather!" the young red-head roared, throwing down the white sheet that covered her and jumping to the ground beside the bed, making the professor jump. The sound of her bare feet touching the floor echoed along the tiled white walls all around. She found herself standing next to the bed, instantly stripped down to her birthday suit, her skin very white and the totality of her fire-colored hair clearly visible under the intense light of the neon ceiling lights.

  "Sorry, Miss, but I have to save the serum," said the scientist, who was looking at her without the slightest embarrassment.

  She took a determined step towards the professor and grabbed him by his throat, looking at him furiously, her green eyes filled with hatred.

  It was then that she heard small noises that intrigued her.

  Looking down she saw that they were coming from the scientist's shoes. Their tips were tapping the tiled floor. She realized that she had almost lifted him from the ground. Then, much to her surprise, making a little more effort to lift her arm, she lifted the man completely off the ground, his shoes floating above it.

  Red then heard a choking sound and looked up again.

  She was shocked to see the head of the man becoming puffy and red but, on reflection, wasn't surprised: the neck of the scientist clamped in her teenage hand as in a bench vise, she was literally hanging him...

  The girl opened her hand wide and the scientist's buttocks unceremoniously struck the floor.

  He could thank his reflexes for not falling on his back too, catching himself with his arms just in time. Then, having managed to stabilize, he sighed heavily and blush began to leave his puffy face.

  Then, looking at her, he grinned and laughed.

  A mad laugh that disarmed her. This guy is definitely even madder than I was told!

  He continued to have a few nervous laughs, and when he calmed down, Red asked him, "What... what did you do to me?"

  "Aaaah, but I just saved your life, my dear!"

  "That unnatural force... same as in Harry's case... that you also turned into a fairy animal, huh?"

  "More than that," the scientist said, showing a big, cold, proud smile. "I made him a giant!"

  She looked at him sternly, as if trying to understand, and she finally whispered, "Literally or metaphorically?"

  "In every sense of the word!" shouted the scientist, who was now excited. These words elicited answers to many questions that Red and others in the Community had raised.

  "Sorcerer's apprentice!" shouted the young redhead, her face turning red with anger. "At least save my grandfather!"

  "Oh, him?" said Professor Harding, losing his smile to look beside him at the old man, who was still lying motionless with his eyes closed. "I told you, he's old and useless..."

  Harding paused and began squatting, a grimace appearing o
n his face as he began to moan in pain as he grabbed one of his hands with the other.

  Red smiled when he saw what was happening.

  Hiroto had caught Harding's wrist with one of his hands, and, his eyes open, was watching him intently. Holding the wrist of the mad scientist between two of his fingers, the old Japanese gave him a very painful wrist wrench, while looking at him with a stern look with his little dark eyes.

  "Sto… Stop..." the standing man writhed in pain as he felt a new twist of his wrist from the old man, before resuming, white as a towel, "Stop, you’re hurting me!"

  "You're going to give me a double dose of your serum, one for me and one for my granddaughter," Hiroto said weakly, but decidedly.

  "OK, OK," the scientist replied, practically kneeling and grimacing because of the pain, next to the old Japanese man, who was putting even more pressure on his wrist.

  Confident that he had given his word, the old Master released his wrist.

  Suddenly the professor got up and ran to the door of his laboratory that he opened wide and stopped, surprised.

  Johnny was standing in the doorway, clearly taller than him.

  "Where were you going like that?" shouted the young black guy, pushing back the scientist who was frightened.

  "Father!"

  It was Mei's voice, who had just appeared from behind Johnny. Looking from the doorway, she ran into the room and rushed to her old father. He said nothing but, obviously happy to see her again, he gave her a small smile.

  Not far from them, Johnny pushed Professor Harding bluntly to a table with several syringes and other unused surgical instruments.

  Mei helped her father sit down as Harding approached them with two syringes full of fluids in his hands, Johnny on his heels.

  "This will make you feel better," the scientist said, as he poked Hiroto's arm.

  The latter made a barely perceptible grimace when he was surprised by the needle that had pierced his arm. He pulled himself together again, resuming his usual impassive look.

  His features relaxed suddenly as he felt the beneficial effect of the serum. He whispered, "I feel better."

  "You see that I'm finally generous?" the professor said, trying to put some spirit in his voice, while turning his head towards Johnny, hoping to be treated well by him.

  The teenager kept his stern look as he watched and Harding lowered his head.

  "You will show yourself generous enough to give him a maximum of your doses of serum!" cried Red, who, looking at him angrily, walked towards him.

  The scientist recoiled then, obviously more frightened by the girl than by the muscular young colored man.

  Looking at her as he helped Hiroto get up from the table, Johnny's eyes widened, and then he blushed. "Uh, Red..." he stammered, "you know you don’t have…"

  "To be short," interrupted the old Japanese, who showed a slightly embarrassed attitude when addressing the Professor, "give me some doses, but give my granddaughter her clothes too!"

  ***

  Respect

  Mei was busy vacuuming the dining room in her father's apartment. She had done that four times this week. She knew it was starting to look like a mania, but it allowed her to keep her mind occupied. She devoted herself fully to the task without thinking about anything else, as when she practiced Martial Arts, which allowed her, momentarily, to forget her dark thoughts.

  And momentarily forget what could be happening to her father and her adopted daughter.

  The dining room door suddenly opened wide.

  The young woman, surprised to see who came in, dropped the handle of the vacuum cleaner. It collapsed on a thick carpet in a vast noise.

  Johnny and Red, both dressed, had just passed the door, supporting Hirot, who gave his daughter a beautiful smile.

  "Father!" exclaimed the young woman, running towards them before stopping short in front of the trio, moving aside to let them pass, and resuming, her eyes full of anxiety, "What has happened to you? "

  "The worst and the best happened to us," the old man answered in a weak voice, but in which one could sense a certain satisfaction, especially from the last words.

  "What?" Mei asked, as she started walking in front of them, leading them to her father's futon, opening the bed as quickly as possible.

  After Red and Johnny helped him lie down, the old man gave a sigh of relief when he found himself in the horizontal position, before resuming, "Joshua Adams, the Administrator, is dead... May his soul know nothing else than torments, for he was really an evil being!"

  His daughter looked at him in a disturbed manner and then, looking at her adoptive daughter and her friend, she smiled at them and said, "Thank you both for bringing him back... Thank you."

  "You're welcome," replied the young black man, smiling. "It's nothing!"

  "Thank you," Mei repeated, still smiling but looking embarrassed.

  "As I told you, it's nothing..." Johnny paused, having been elbowed in the ribs by Red.

  Looking at her furiously, he saw her staring at him anxiously, motioning at the room's exit with her chin, and, embarrassed in turn, he said, "Uh, we’ll leave you two alone, see you later." They then went out, leaving the father and the girl alone.

  The young woman turned her attention to her prone father and whispered, "What happened to you, Father?"

  Hiroto just gave her a shy little smile and shrugged.

  ***

  As they were both sitting next to each other on the dining room couch, Red and Johnny exchanged timid glances.

  The girl finally focused her attention on the room where they were. She had spent a few years here, but after all that they had gone through, this ordinary room seemed odd to her, and had almost partly been forgotten... Some things that happen to you change you forever, the young redhead told herself, that which does not kill us makes us stronger.

  Nietzsche's thinking did not comfort her in the least.

  "You should go to bed, too."

  Johnny's phrase almost made Red jump, though he said it softly. She had been so deeply entrenched in her own thoughts... but she felt no fatigue, it was as if the serum sting had soothed her.

  Or was it the young man's arm, which he had put over the back of the sofa and almost around her neck?

  He was becoming too affectionate with her, since she saw in him more of a big brother than anything else... It wasn't the moment for this, she thought, and this made anger build in her.

  "I will not sleep until I'm sure we're out of danger!" she said dryly, surprising her friend.

  He removed his arm from the back of the red-haired teenager's neck and lifted two open hands in front of his face as if to protect himself, saying, "OK, OK, it was just a proposal, I thought you needed to sleep or, at least, to relax for... "

  He was interrupted by a clamor that arose outside. Animal-like, it was audible despite the closed windows of the apartment.

  They looked at each other, sitting for a few seconds, and then stood up simultaneously to look through one of the windows facing the nearest wall.

  Several guards and supervisors were standing on the ramparts, and several others were running to join them, while the inhuman cries grew louder and louder.

  "And you wanted to relax, huh?" the girl said, casting a reproachful glance at her colored friend, who frowned back and replied, "OK, I understand, let's see what’s happened!"

  They quickly opened the door of the apartment and ran outside, hastily closing the door behind them, slamming it loudly.

  Slamming which made Mei jump while coming out of her father's bedroom, as she had watched them leave.

  She paused for a moment in the room, looking at the closed door, sadness on her face. I was so happy to be able to welcome my dad, but finally I haven't welcomed so well my daughter...

  ***

  Red and Johnny joined the supervisors standing on the ramparts and, leaning forward, were as surprised as they were.

  Hundreds and hundreds of zombies were coming from all dir
ections, concentrating their movements towards the Community. It was as if it attracted them like a magnet, roaring like wild animals ready to receive the blood bath.

  A group of undead leaned along one of the walls and began to behave in a strange way.

  "Look, they mass in numbers, it's kind of spooky!" exclaimed a supervisor near Red, and she looked where he was pointing.

  The mass of hideous undead dragging around the wall looked up at the defenders watching them. The creatures uttered an almost animal cry, a vibrating clamor that impressed the human viewers.

  The girl looked at them with wide eyes, saying to herself, what are they preparing against us?

  She did not like the answer...

  Roaring louder, the zombies quickly dragged themselves toward the wall and clung to the door, trying to push it, without getting anywhere.

  They touched, searched, looked for any weakness...

  Surprising, how sometimes, they seem to have a brain that works again, thought Red.

  A Caucasoid undead, more massive than the others, devoid of lips and therefore showing perpetually rotten teeth, with unkempt hair, tried something different.

  The thing inserted the fingers of one of its emaciated hands along the enormous hinge of the door. Then it pulled, causing a squeaky metallic sound, showing that it was beginning to tire the metal of the hinge.

  Its head exploded, spreading a splash of reddish-brown blood on all his peers around him. The trembling body of the massive, dead, headless man collapsed on the floor, trembling, its hand coming out of the door. It was shaken by several spasms for several seconds before coming to a stop.

  "Hey, you've wasted one of our precious bullets! It was your last, wasn't it?" a supervisor asked the shooter.

  "You didn't see that he might show others how to get in? These things may be supposed to have a dead brain, but they're able to imitate like monkeys, I've already seen them at work!"

  "In the meantime, almost all the remaining weapons and their ammunition are out, on orders which had been given by Adams... And we have no sign of those poor guys who took them whereabouts, since the arrival of this mass of zombies!"