I scowl and turn my eyes to the sky, passing over the few fluffy clouds floating above us. I know Ryder is enjoying how the voice is annoying me. By the look on his face he wants it to continue happening. I hate to break it to him, but the moment I find a way to get rid of her forever, I’m taking it.
There is movement coming from behind us. I peer over my shoulder and see that the rest of the group is getting their gear together and packing up their water bottles to hit the road again. Elliot puts his bag over his shoulders and keeps the gun in his grip as he leads the group away from the overpass.
I walk with Ryder and Jason soon joins us. His hands are shoved into the pockets of his jeans and he tries to smile apologetically at Ryder.
“I’m sorry.” He says quietly.
Ryder shakes his head and says, “Don’t worry about it.”
“I did kiss her back and I wanted to, but that was only because I thought you were dead and even then I knew it was wrong. I’m sorry about it.”
I listen to the two of them talk calmly back and forth as though their conversation means something. Jason speaks like he wants me to hear his sorrow as he explains everything to Ryder. Humans and their constant need to feel better about themselves is a feeling that eludes me. I don’t feel rueful for anything that has happened thus far and I probably never will.
“I hope we don’t run into any vamps out here.” Jason says, their conversation drifts on to small talk.
“Me too. We can’t afford to slow down if Bridget wants to bite them.” Ryder comments.
“If we had a dart gun it would be easier. That’s what I used to cure Trevor’s vampires.” I say out loud instead of keeping that thought in my head.
“Unfortunately none of us have one of those.” Ryder says.
“Then we’ll just have to kill them. It’s not like it will matter anyway,” Jason says, “Bridget doesn’t plan on giving up the cure when we get to the city, so the whole world will still be dead.”
Ryder snaps his eyes in my direction and seems confused as well as upset. He shakes his head and runs his hands through his shaggy hair.
“What is he talking about? You have to give them the cure. That was always the plan.” He argues, keeping his voice down to not upset the rest of the humans.
“Plans change.” I say. “She planned on keeping me bottled up inside forever and look how that turned out.”
“Well you can’t change this plan. You have to cure the world and give people another chance.” Ryder pleads. “Why wouldn’t you want to do that anymore?”
“Why would I want to be a prisoner inside the city walls? Do you really think they’d let me be free once they know what I can do and what I have done?” I ask.
He raises an eyebrow and says, “What do you mean? What have you done?”
I glance to Jason who keeps his mouth shut. It is best to maintain the secrecy of my human snacks in order to keep myself as free as I possibly can. Elliot seems like the type of man that would put me in shackles if he found out that I have a desire for fresh blood as well as that which belongs to the undead.
I shake my head at Ryder and say, “Nothing. I am just referring to the zombies and vampires I have bitten. Something tells me they would see that as a threat and lock me away.”
“You’re not the monster you like to think you are.” Ryder says and I turn my eyes to his once more. “You can tell yourself that you are freak or a demon as much as you want, but I know the truth. I know you would never be seen as a threat once they know that you hold the key to surviving the apocalypse.”
“That’s my Ryder. He always knows what to say.” The voice chimes in and I roll my eyes.
“I have never once said that I am a monster.” I say to both Ryder and the voice in my head. “I embrace that part about me. That old version, the fucking voice in my head, she is the one who believes I am a freak. The humans in that city will see me in the same light that she does. That’s why I don’t want to give them the cure. If they cannot accept me the way I can, then why should I give them what they want.”
He sighs and says, “Because it’s the right thing to do.”
“Well, sometimes the right thing to do isn’t always the best thing to do.” I reply. “At least not for me.”
Neither of us have anything left to say. The voice even keeps her mouth shut and grants me the peace of a blank mind. Those empty thoughts are short lived and I am left to ponder every action I wish to make.
My life was simpler when I walked out of that barn yesterday and was headed for a life of complete solitude. I knew what I wanted to do and knew that I could conquer anything that crossed my path. My mind had been made up and I was ready to spend eternity completely alone, in fact I was going to embrace it. Listening to Ryder speak his nonsense about curing the world and it being the right thing to do and I can’t stop the weak thoughts from entering my mind.
I can feel them creeping into every crevice of my brain and taking over the very blood under my skin. The old version of myself wants to cure the world. I can feel her fighting against my plans in order to make hers come back to life.
If I let that happen, I’m dead. I will be shoved back into the blackest pit of her mind, never to see the light of day again. My hands are shaking at the very thought of that.
* * *
There is nowhere to hide out here in the middle of the night under the cover of the stars. The moon refused to show itself tonight and the lack of shelter put a damper on the plans of staying safe while the humans sleep. Most of them can’t seem to get their eyes to stay closed. I hear them shifting where they lay, shivering both from fear and the coldness taking over their bodies.
We can all hear the vampires out there. Their footfalls are hard when they hit the crunchy grass and their raspy breathing isn’t something to be missed. They stand amongst the trees and watch us. I see their pale faces in the darkness and their grey eyes that blend in. It gives them a hideous mask that would render even the strongest man to have the most treacherous nightmares.
Our fire light is dimming and the smoke rising from the ashy logs is beginning to dwindle. Elliot stands alert with his large rifle in his grip. He can see the vamps staring at us as well and is waiting for them to make a move. His feet are planted a few feet from me and two others are watching the other side of camp.
If the fire goes out, the humans will be blind. The vamps are stealthy enough to move swiftly around in the darkness without being seen, especially when the light is scarce. But I can see them. That is the glory of having these special eyes.
A short one pokes her head around a tree and stares at me. She’s a young vamp, maybe a teenager, too young to have her life taken away from her. She moves away from the tree entirely and takes a step into the barren field. Elliot holds the rifle tighter and takes aim. He stares through the scope and I’m sure he can see the same face I see staring back at us.
Another vamp steps into the field and Elliot is trying to decide which one is more threatening. If he could see the other faces peering out through the trees, he could clearly see that we are outnumbered. The few guns these people have won’t be enough and I can’t stop them all. I might be strong, but I count over fifteen of them in the trees and they would render me useless after just one bite.
The second one that came into clearing is an older man. His tattered clothing and muddy shoes make his ghastly appearance seem worse. He inches through the field, steadily getting closer to us. Elliot cocks his gun and readies his finger on the trigger. The vampire stops when he hears the click of the gun and he tilts his head to the side in confusion. The young girl at his side does the same, then turns her eyes back to mine.
“What the hell are they doing?” Elliot asks, quietly. “Why aren’t they attacking us?”
I wish I had an answer to his question, but I honestly don’t know. The vamps have no use for a thing like me, but these humans are more than appetizing. Their smell has got to be driving those creatures into a frenzy they
can’t contain. They have no reason not to attack them and enjoy their feast in the process.
A soft groan catches my ear. It’s coming from the trees where the vamps are standing and I hear the stumbling of feet in the woods. I take a step forward and squint my eyes to peer through the darkness.
“What do you see?” Elliot asks.
I watch the trees for a long moment, listening to the footsteps and the groaning is getting louder. I sniff the air and smell the wretched death emitting from their bodies.
“Zombies.” I say quietly.
A few gasps come from behind me and people are rustling to get their guns ready. The branches of the trees sway back and forth as the zombies drag their feet into the field and stand with the vampires by their side.
It truly is a sight to see. Over a dozen vampires are standing amid a small cluster of zombies and they aren’t even that far from us. I could throw a stone and be able to hit one of them in the head.
Ryder comes to my side and stares at the horde of beasts by the trees. A gun dangles from his hand and by the look on his face, he believes that we are utterly screwed.
“We can’t even make a run for it.” A woman’s voice comes from behind me. “The vamps would catch us and let the zombies feed on us.”
The rest of the humans are wide awake and on full alert now. I take another step closer to the beasts and stare at their serene faces. The dead eyes of the zombies stare right through me, but they don’t seem to want to attack. The vampires stand their ground, side by side with zombies and not a single one of them is moving.
“They’re hesitating.” the voice in my head chimes in and I raise an eyebrow at her assumption.
“What do you mean?” I ask. “Vampires don’t hesitate and zombies are stupid.”
“Look at them, monster,” she commands, “they aren’t moving or rushing at the group. They want no part of the humans. How else can you explain this?”
I take another look at the undead creatures on the other side of the field. My eyes scan over each one of them and see the same uncaring expressions on their faces as they look over the humans behind me.
For once, the voice might actually be helpful.
“The vampires can talk, ya know. Go find out what they’re up to.” She states.
I let the devilish grin cross my lips and stick my hands in the pockets of my jacket. I stroll through the field, hearing the sounds of protests coming from Ryder. His footsteps come next, but he keeps a safe distance away. I don’t have to glance over my shoulder to know that he has the gun ready to shoot in case something goes wrong.
I approach the horde and stop a few feet from them and Ryder stops a few feet behind me. Their eyes are telling me nothing, but the way they maintain composure with a human so close to them, I know something isn’t right with these things.
“What do you want?” I ask.
The teenaged girl steps closer then stands completely still. Her eyes are blank and her hair is a faded shade of red. Her once pink nightgown is now a blood stained rag barely covering her body. Her bare feet are covered in dirt and scratches and her pale legs are bruised and veiny.
“You...dead.” she speaks softly.
I nod and say, “Sort of. Why aren’t you attacking the humans back there?”
She doesn’t even look past me as she says, “Don’t...want to.”
I raise an eyebrow and ask, “But why? That doesn’t make sense.”
“You are...cure.” she says and the zombies begin to groan.
“How do you know that?”
She sniffs the air as well as a vampire standing behind her, then she says, “Smell different. We...want.”
I look over my shoulder and Ryder seems to be just as confused as I am. Vampires are supposed to be these blood thirsty creatures that roam the night, enjoying the mass killing of humans that cross their paths. They shouldn’t be going soft and asking for the cure.
“Give us...cure.” She sounds demanding this time.
I turn back to her and say, “It’s not that simple.”
“Bite us.” She says and takes another step closer.
I shake my head and reply, “I can’t do that. If I do, I’ll black out and there is a good possibility that a lot of bad things will happen to you and the humans back there.”
She advances toward me and I have no choice other than to back away from her. She reaches her hand out for mine, but I’m quicker and stay out of her grasp. Another vampire comes at me too and reaches his claws out for my skin.
“We can’t let them bite us, monster. We can’t afford to pass out right now.” The voice says.
“Tell me something I don’t know.” I argue.
She says nothing and another vampire along with two zombies are heading right for me. It’s clear now that they have no desire to hurt the people behind me. I am their target and for some strange reason, they are craving my blood.
“Give us...the cure.” The little girl says again and I see the anger in her grey eyes.
“I can’t do that.” I reply, louder.
Her eyes turn to Ryder who is still standing behind me. In a flash, a tall lanky vampire leaps through the air over my head and lands on the ground directly in front of Ryder. He knocks the gun from his hand and wraps his fingers around his throat and leans his face close to his neck.
“No!” I shout, feeling the sudden urge to keep him safe.
I reach out for him and move my feet closer to the vamp hovering over his neck. A zombie stops me from getting too close and I’m forced to watch Ryder struggle against the vampire’s grip. He fights for breath as he claws at the vamp’s arms, but the thing never unlatches its grip. The humans standing by the fire all have their guns raised, but maintain their safe distance from these creatures.
“Cure us!” The girl says again and I keep my eyes on Ryder.
Why are they begging for this and threating to kill him if I continue to say no? This isn’t the way it’s supposed to be. I am the one that has to be in control, but these damn beasts are about to overpower me in a way I can only associate with weakness.
The zombie standing in front of me growls and her body sways back and forth. The vampires reach out for me, getting too close for me to be able to stop them all from biting me and stealing the cure. My eyes are focused on Ryder’s face and I can hear him gasping for breath.
“Please don’t let them kill him.” the voice begs me.
“I’m trying.” I snap a response.
An odd sensation fills my mind and my eyes turn to the zombie in front of me. Her black eyes stare right through me and the low groan coming from her throat has advanced to the point of utter annoyance. I grit my teeth and lunge at her. I grab the collar of her disgusting shirt and let her claw at my back. I clamp my jaw against her neck and let the dead blood and skin slide down my throat. I don’t take more than I need and toss her slowly dying body to the ground.
The other creatures keep coming for me, their arms outstretched and they are begging for a taste. One of them gets in my way and his claws nearly get my face. I back out of the way just in time. I spin away from him and focus once again at the vamp still gripping onto Ryder. His eyes are bloodshot and he cannot breathe at all. I clench my hands into fists and push myself from the ground, flying through the air, and tackle the damn thing to the ground.
His hold on Ryder quickly releases and he falls to the ground beside me. He lets out a painful cry, but he can finally breathe. I pull myself up and help Ryder to his feet and we stand together, facing the mass of zombies and vampires still calling out for the cure.
We slowly back away from them, keeping just out of their reach. By the feel of things we won’t be making it to the city with these damn things constantly on our tail. I won’t be able to stop them or cure them all. We would need a better plan, a dart gun to do it safely so I won’t have to go hours in the shrilling blackness of my mind.
“I will cure you!” I shout and a few of them stop moving to listen.
>
What am I saying? I can’t cure them here.
“Let me speak for a minute.” The voice demands and she takes over, my lips begin to move and it’s her words coming out. “We are going to the city. I can’t cure all of you from here, but I can when we get there. They will have a better way to do it. You just have to let us get there and trust that I am speaking the truth.”
So that’s what the old me was good for. Coming up with smart plans that I disagree with.
The vampires and zombies standing before us come to a complete halt. They stop reaching out for me and their eyes no longer burn with rage over wanting the cure. The young girl pushes her way through the others and plants her feet right in front of me.
“The city?” she questions and I nod. “If you lie...we kill...him.” she points at Ryder, then leads the cure-hungry creatures back to the woods.
I breathe a sigh of relief and hear Ryder wheezing behind me. I wait until the creatures are completely hidden by the trees again, then spin around and see the others walking up to us. Elliot still has his firearm aimed at the woods and rushes our way. Ryder is still wheezing and his hand grips at a spot on his neck. I move closer to him and eye a tiny hint of red glistening in the starlight.
“No.” the voice whispers, but I speak right along with her.
I reach for his hand and move it away from his neck. Sure enough, there are two long scratches deep in the skin where that vamp held onto him. The damn thing dug its claws into him. It doesn’t need to bite him in order for its disease to spread. A simple scratch will do the trick.
* * *
“You can stop this right?” Elliot asks as he puts more logs on the fire to rebuild it.
Ryder sits on a tree stump, keeping a rag pressed against his neck to slow the bleeding. His breathing is raspy and slow. His hands are shaking and his eyes are wide open in fear. It will take a few days for him to change if the world allows that to happen. He will go through a severe amount of pain as his body slowly dies and he is forced to be awake through it all.
The Human Race (Book 3): The Main Event Page 18