It wasn’t him.
“Oh, sorry. I thought you were someone else.”
“Name’s Reilly. I’m here to rescue you.”
He uncuffed me and removed the drip needle.
“Did my dad send you?”
“Yes, it took us a while to track you down. I’ll take you to him.”
He held out his hand and I took it. Now, I was up close I realized he didn’t look anything like Wesley, except for a similar hair color. He was well built and had brown eyes. The way he held himself made me think he had some kind of military background, although he couldn’t be much older than me.
“Are the others nearby?” I asked.
He gave me a curious look. “It’s just me. Easiest way. Now move we don’t have much time.”
It was a clear run to the back of the building where there was a loading dock. Reilly had a car waiting, a black SUV. As we drove away, I felt relieved and disappointed. Why had Reilly been sent in to get me?
He glanced over at me, seemingly reading my thoughts, “Don’t worry, your dad is waiting for you. I know the compound and he knew they wouldn’t recognize me. I mean, your dad could hardly walk in the front door.
I nodded, he was right. The same went for Wesley. They would be recognized instantly.
I stayed silent for the rest of the trip, feeling the sedative leaving my system. Anxiety gnawed at me, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was another test. God knows my captors, seemed to love them.
If it was one, I didn’t see the point to it. I could easily jump out of the car right now and make a run for it. But in case it wasn’t, I needed to see Dad.
“Are you hurt?” Reilly asked, “I should have asked before, sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m not hurt.”
He smiled at me, “Good.”
I smiled back. He was kind of cute. I wondered how Dad knew him.
Over an hour later, we arrived at an abandoned factory in the middle of nowhere. There was a rusted chain link fence around it. A broken sign hung from it that read, no trespassing.
“This is it?” I asked.
“Yeah, no one comes out this way.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re right on the edge of an X quadrant.”
I craned my neck to see beyond the factory. All I could see was miles and miles of dry earth, dotted with a few broken buildings. A wasteland. Reilly got out of the car and moved the fence aside. He drove up and parked around the back.
As we walked inside, I tried to prepare myself. I had dreamed about this for weeks.
We crossed the deserted factory floor to a wooden partition. Reilly pulled it back to reveal steps. Beyond it were several rooms and a long hallway. Dad came down the hallway towards us along with a tall man in military clothes. It wasn’t an Alliance uniform, but he was still imposing.
“Jenna, thank God,” Dad said. I flung my arms around him and started crying. I had missed him.
“It’s going to be okay, sweetheart. Did they hurt you?”
I shook my head; we could talk about it later when I was ready. If I was ready.
“So this is Jenna,” the military guy said, “I’m Gil, I work with your father.”
“Hi,” I replied dismissively.
“I have a room set up for you. You can rest and get some food,” Dad said.
“Is Mom here?” I asked. The look on his face said it all and I pulled away.
“I know where she is, but I can’t get to her just now. She’s safe, I promise.”
I didn’t look at him.
“Where’s Wesley? Did he get out?”
“Yes, he’s in his room down the hall.”
He gave me directions and I headed off to find him, leaving the three of them standing there. I knocked on the door of his room but didn’t wait for an answer. I found him seated at a desk, once again with a computer. It was like deja vu all over again.
He glanced up at me, “Jenna, are you okay?”
I decided to play it cool, “Yeah, I’m fine. Reilly got me out.”
He nodded, “Good, I knew he would.”
“I thought you’d have been there. You know to help him get past security.”
“I can do it remotely from here. Besides, I wouldn’t have exactly been stealthy.”
“What do you mean?”
He wheeled himself back from the desk.
“Why are you in a wheelchair?” I asked. His right leg was covered in a metal cast.
“My leg is screwed up. I can use crutches, but it’s just easier to get around in this.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize.” I felt a stab of guilt.
“Why didn’t you just have Dad inject you again? It would fix your leg.”
“I couldn’t. Taking it again would be too risky.”
I nodded, “Yeah, I understand.” But I didn’t. I was in that hell hole for weeks and he didn’t seem too concerned about it. Did he even remember what happened before I was taken? The kiss? Had I blown it out of all proportion?
“Wesley, before they took me, do you remember…” I hesitated.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” he interrupted, “I’m sure your dad wants to talk to you.”
He was dismissing me. Well I could take the hint. I walked out, slamming the door behind me.
Wesley
I winced as the door slammed. Putting my head in my hands, I sighed. She was pissed at me. Of course, I wanted to be there to get her out, but it was safer and easier for Reilly to go in. The guy was a douche but he had gotten the job done.
I knew what she was going to say. She was going to mention the kiss. It was all I thought about in the last few weeks, but I couldn’t do anything about it. As much as I wanted to.
For a start, Tom would kill me if he found out. That was the first of many reasons why it was a bad idea to pursue it. I was older than her. And? Okay they were the only two I could think of right now. Years ago, before Tom fired me, I thought of her as his brat daughter. Now...I sighed. She wasn’t a kid anymore. I thought about how it felt when we kissed, it was...No. I needed to stop this and focus on my work. Hopefully, she would forget about it. Although I knew I wouldn’t.
I was summoned to Tom’s office, a short while later. His shadow, Gil, was with him. I really didn’t trust the guy. He was ex-Alliance, I had learned from hacking his files. He could be a spy for all we knew and Tom had not only invited him in, he had given him the keys to the castle.
“Wesley, I want to talk to you about what happened with you and Jenna.”
“What? Nothing happened. I mean...” I started babbling. How did he know about the kiss? Did Jenna tell him?
He looked at me curiously, “I’m talking about what you did to get her out of Manhattan.”
“Oh, yeah. I mean I was just following orders.”
Tom glanced at Gil who shrugged, but when Tom looked back at me, I saw Gil smile. Just for a second, then it was gone.
“Wesley, are you...clean?” Tom asked.
The question threw me, “Yes, of course I am.”
“You’re acting strangely.”
I tried to pull myself together, “I’m not using. I’m just tired.”
Tom seemed to accept that explanation, “Look, I know I was hard on you after Jenna was taken. I was upset. You did a good job of tracking her down. Now that she’s back, I hope you’ll stay on with us.”
Now I was confused, “Where else would I go?”
He glanced at Gil again. Why did I get the feeling that there was more going on than they were saying?
When I left the room, Gil followed me. I halted the chair, allowing him to catch up.
“I’m sure you’re just as relieved as Tom that Jenna is back safe and sound.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Pretty girl, isn’t she?”
Just as I thought. Tom may not have caught on, but Gil sure did.
“Is there something you wanted?” I asked.
He smirked at me, “Just making c
onversation.”
Nineteen
Jenna
Dad offered to give me a tour of the building, but I didn’t want to speak to him right now, so Reilly took me instead. They had really built themselves their own little fortress here. As well as the main lab, there was a dining area, around twelve bedrooms and Dad had his own room converted into a study. Somehow he had become their unofficial leader.
I was surprised to find so many people here. There were at least forty people living in the cramped rooms. Mostly adults and a few children. I saw one little girl around five years old, running around. Reilly introduced me to a few of them.
“This is Pamela. She’s kind of the den mother around here,” Reilly joked.
A woman with long dark hair, dressed in a denim shirt and jeans smiled at me. I held my hand out for her to shake, but she enveloped me in a hug instead.
“Jenna. I’ve heard all about you from your dad. How are you?”
“I’m fine thanks,” I said, feeling awkward, “Is there anyone my dad hasn’t told about me?”
“He was so worried about you. Do you need anything, dear? We can get you some fresh clothes.”
I glanced down at the clothes the Alliance had given me. A plain white t shirt and camouflage pants. Army chic.
“Yeah, that would be great, thanks.”
“Mommy, mommy,” the little girl cried running towards Pamela. She scooped her up.
“This is my little monster, Maddy. Say hello, Maddy.”
“Hello, Maddy,” she replied.
I grinned at her, “Hi, Maddy, I’m Jenna.”
“Do you want to play hide and seek with us?” she asked.
“Oh. Maybe later,” I said.
“Jenna’s tired, honey. You can ask her later.” I left them to it and followed Reilly out of the room.
“Most of the people here are hiding from the Alliance,” Reilly told me. “Pam was a researcher for them. She uncovered some dodgy deals and they tried to have her killed.”
“That’s awful. What about you?” I asked.
“I used to work for them, before I realized how corrupt they were. Your dad was kind enough to take me in.”
I didn’t respond to that.
We were in the main dining area. A few people were eating, but most were sitting in groups talking. A few of them looked in my direction.
“So do you all have a grand plan for the Alliance? To stop them,” I asked.
“Your dad has a few ideas, but it’s not going to be easy. Nobody wants the Alliance in power but at the moment they hold all the cards.”
“What about what happened at Gene-Pharm?”
“They’re blaming terrorists.”
“Did Breton make it out?”
“The official story is yes, but no one has seen him. I think he’s dead and they’re trying to think of a cover story. If they admit the ‘terrorists’ killed him, it would show that they are vulnerable.”
We took a seat at one of the tables.
“Your dad has been telling me about you.”
“He has?” I asked nervously. Like the fact I’m a genetic freak zombie hybrid?
“Yeah, he was telling me how smart you are and how strong you are.”
“Thanks, but I don’t think my dad knows me at all.”
“Hey, you’ve been through a lot and you’re still standing.” He reached out and squeezed my hand. I smiled at him.
Someone dropped a tray onto a table across from us. I looked up to find Wesley glaring at Reilly. I kept my hand where it was, just to annoy him. Although, he had made it clear he wasn’t interested. So why was he pissed?
Reilly glanced over at him, “Does he have a problem with me?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“He’s been a jerk since I met him. I thought he might have mentioned it to you.”
“No, why would you think that?”
“I thought you two were friends.”
“No, we’re not. Dad asked him to get me out of the city, but we don’t really get on.”
I was starting to realize how ridiculous I was being to hope for something more with Wesley. He was a jerk. I should just forget about him.
Reilly showed me to my room, “Why don’t you meet me in the dining hall at seven and we can have some dinner,” he asked.
I nodded, “Sounds good.”
My room was tiny, but at least I had it to myself. There was a bed inside and a small foot locker. I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes. Before I knew it, I was asleep.
“Again, Genesis,” a voice boomed.
I faced the assault course laid out before me that I had already completed five times. I ran at the climbing wall and launched myself over the top. Dropping down on the other side, I stopped thinking and concentrated on the challenge. Each time I went round, my time got better.
“Stop,” I was ordered, on the tenth time around.
I stood panting, waiting for my next order. I wondered briefly when I had become so obedient, but doing what they said was easier. It never crossed my mind as to what all the tests were leading towards.
The assault course descended into the floor and the lights went out. When they flicked back on, the walls were covered in mirrors. My reflection looked back at me. I moved closer to a mirror. My eyes were zombified again, I brought a hand to my cheek, my fingers digging into my flesh. I peeled it away to reveal bone underneath.
I woke up shaking. Racing to the mirror, I was relieved to find my face and eyes were normal. I checked the clock on the wall. It was seven fifteen. Crap, I was late for dinner. Dad managed to get some clothes from another girl in the factory. It was just a t shirt and jeans, but at least they were clean and not covered in zombie guts. I gave my hair a quick brush and headed to the dining hall.
Reilly was sitting at a table alone, picking at his food.
“Hey, sorry I’m late. I fell asleep.”
He gave me another smile, “That’s okay. How are you feeling?”
“Better now. So what are we having?”
“Well we have a choice between creamed corn and creamed corn.”
“Ooh, tough choice. Can I have both?”
He laughed, “Of course, I’ll grab us some.”
I saw Dad and Wesley across the room, eating dinner.
Wesley
“Has Jenna spoken to you since she got here?” Tom asked.
“Briefly, why?”
“Did she say what they did to her?”
“No, not to me.”
He watched her for a while. I tried not to. She was with Reilly again. God, I hated that guy. Mr. Perfect. I heard her laugh at something he said. I threw my fork down, having lost my appetite.
“I should be getting back to the lab,” I said, wheeling myself away from the table.
Tom didn’t even notice I left. I knew he was disappointed in me and I wondered why he was still keeping me around. He thought I was working on cracking the Alliance computers, but in reality I was working to fix Jenna. I saw her eyes back at Gene-Pharm. How long before she turned into a full zombie? I wasn’t going to let that happen to her.
If I could find a way to reverse the effects or at least neutralize them she could get out of here. Live a normal life. I just had to figure it out before Tom kicked me out. No pressure then.
I returned to my workstation to find something waiting for me on the desk. An ampoule of Morphinal. I hesitated. Who the hell would leave it? It wasn’t a long list of suspects with Gil on the top of it.
I wheeled myself closer. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. It was right there. I could just take it and no one would know. One last hit before I stopped completely. It would help keep me awake while I worked on the cure for Jenna. I reached out my hand towards the ampoule, aware of the tremor in it. My mouth felt dry.
My hand closed around it.
Twenty
Jenna
“I’m going to find you,” I said in a singsong voice, as I searched the dining
hall for Maddy.
I heard her giggling nearby. A pink sneakered foot was sticking out from under one of the tables. I pretended not to see her yet so the game would last longer.
Reilly was giving a report to Dad so I had to find something to do to pass the time. I had to admit Maddy was growing on me. She was a funny kid.
“Wow, I can’t find Maddy anywhere. Where could she be?”
More giggling.
I crept up behind her, “Gotcha!”
She let out a shriek and laughed. “Your turn to hide,” she said.
“Maddy, honey,” Pamela said, “Can you play somewhere else for a little while? We need to get set up for dinner.”
“Yeah, we can go up to the factory floor,” I said.
Pamela shot me a worried look.
“Don’t worry, I’ll watch her. We won’t go outside,” I said.
She smiled and nodded, “Okay, but not for long.”
“Yay,” Maddy said, racing ahead of me.
I followed her up to the factory floor. There was plenty of discarded equipment and furniture to hide behind.
“Okay, you count, I’ll hide,” I said.
Maddy dutifully screwed her eyes shut and began counting loudly to ten. I hopped over an old conveyor belt and dropped behind some crates. Pulling my knees to my chest, I tried to make myself as small as possible.
“Ready or not, here I come,” Maddy called.
I heard her little feet running across the wooden floor. I suppressed a giggle as she moved further away from me. I’d wait a little longer before I gave myself away.
“I’m going to get you,” she called.
The smile faded from my face as the words triggered a memory.
“You better move, Genesis, or they’re going to get you,” a voice hissed.
Huddled in a vent, I braced myself as the zombies attempted to tear it open to get to me. Their moans were all I could hear. The noise echoed all around me. I curled into a ball and covered my ears, trying to drown them out.
Nails scraped across metal and I wondered how long it would take them to pull the vent apart. Images of them ripping me apart filled my head and I began to scream. And once I started, I couldn’t stop.
After Zombie Series (Book 1): After Page 11