A soft sob broke from Zoe and Rec pulled her into his arms. Cer leaned weakly against a tree with tears spilling from his trembling chin. Dom sat next to Viktor on the ground by the grave, looking down at the dirt under his nails. Abe sat on a large rock, looking like he was on the edge of several emotions.
"That was beautiful." Dalli said in her quiet voice.
"Coach's wife wrote it." Neptune said with distant eyes. "It's called Life. He made us read it every time we made it back home." He cleared his throat and leaned back on his arms, the others were still in the shop working on his leg. "He said, 'Never let your last words to someone be less than astounding. If it won't shatter everything wrong in their world, save it, tell 'em later. Down the way.' It's starting to make sense." He shifted and wiped away an escaped tear.
"And if 'down the way' isn't the same place for everyone?" Dalli asked with concern.
"Then I guess last words didn't matter anyway." He answered in a broken voice.
"That's a bit cynical." She said sadly.
"That's reality." Abe sneered. "Nothing you do in this life or the next matters. You walk around clueless for a while, and then you die."
"That's really cynical." Dalli said looking at Abe with disgust.
"At least I'm smart enough to see my death coming. I'm not just wandering around, trying to get a grip on everything." He stood with his arms straight at his sides, seeming to reign something in. "My only hope is to take as many of those bastards with me as the spirits can carry." He stormed off onto the main street.
"He's losing it." Dom said, standing.
"I don't think you should follow him." Zoe said with concern.
"Even I know not to follow a nuke into the city." Dom muttered, walking away in the opposite direction.
"What's happening to us?" Viktor asked, pained.
"We're losing." Rec answered with a still expression.
"No one wins everything." I said.
"No." Rec tilted his head up to meet my eyes. "But they can sure as hell lose it."
It was just past eight in the morning and everyone, except Ria, was gathered at the tables for a breakfast cooked by Ed. Ria had left in search of clothes for everyone. Abe had finally come back and was seated by himself in a corner. Brandon had corralled Dalli into a booth and was talking quietly with her.
"How far is Utah from here?" Zoe asked with an exhausted expression.
"We're in Utah." Ed said with a raised brow.
"Oh." She said with tight smile.
"So, when are we leaving?" Cer asked with a bite of food.
"Leaving?" Dalli looked over to us with a panicked expression. "You just got here."
"Just passing through." Tracy said with a lazy smile.
"What's in Utah?" Eric asked with his face in his hands.
"Answers." Rec said. "Hopefully." He said quieter.
"To what?" Eric asked sitting up a little straighter.
"SunDown." Nep said with a direct gaze.
Eric's arms fell with a thud and Ed's fork scratched the table. Zoe glared at Nep and threw a potato round at him. He stuck his tongue out at her and turned back to the dumbfounded men.
"Don't look so surprised that we're basically heroes." He grinned.
"You could almost call us knights." Brandon said with a wink at Dalli.
"Not this asshole." Ed said deadpan with a thumb towards Tracy.
"Hey, I've done some saving." As soon as Tracy said it, he winced.
"More killing though." Abe immediately countered. "Isn't that right?" He said with a canted head.
A dark look passed from Tracy to Abe, and Ed caught it.
"What the hell is he talking about Tracy?" Ed asked without amusement.
"Oh, you don't know?" Abe asked with mock innocence.
"Abe." Zoe scolded.
"No. They should know!" He yelled back at her, although he didn't continue.
"Tracy." Ed snapped.
"I uh- I've been running with a bad crew." He responded, running a hand over his face.
Abe scoffed and opened his mouth to retort, but halted when Dom shot up to stand in front of him with a severe expression. Zoe steadied Dom with a shaking hand and glanced nervously at our hosts. Dom gave her a sharp nod and sat back down.
"Are we at risk by having you here?" Ed asked cautiously.
"No." Tracy answered too quickly and everyone's guilty expressions gave him away.
"Right." Ed said as he closed his eyes and sighed. "I think you guys should get some rest." He cleared his throat and stood with his eyes on his plate. "And then you should head out." He turned his back with his plate in his hand and went down the hall to the kitchen.
"Ed wait." Tracy started.
"Too agreeable." Brandon smirked, playing on Phyn's comment.
"Shut the fuck up you daft cunt!" Tracy shot a wild glare at Brandon and slapped his plate off the table.
Len, who was sitting next to him, flinched out of the way just before the plate hit him. He looked at Tracy with wide eyes and leaned away from him. Zoe's face went red and she stood slowly with her eyes boring into Tracy.
"Get up." She grated through gritted teeth.
Rec, suddenly alert, stood to put himself between her and Tracy.
"Sit down, Red. You need to eat." Tracy squeezed Len's shoulder and he relaxed slightly.
"I said...get...up!" She was visibly shaking and her disheveled hair seemed to rise like steam off of her head.
"Zo', just sit down." Rec moved to help her into her seat.
She moved like a snake. Her hand and leg shot out, knocking Rec onto his ass. She stepped over him and got in Tracy's face. Without a word, he stood.
"Are they gonna fight?" Dalli whispered loudly.
"Nah." Brandon said noncommittally, eyes locked on Tracy.
"I'm up, Lil Red." Tracy sneered down at Zoe.
"Jesus, do something!" Dalli yelled at me.
"We're more of observers than anything." Glitch said from my side.
I don't think either of us thought anything was going to happen. We were very, very, wrong. It escalated quickly.
"Well?" Tracy asked with a small shove to Zoe.
She stood her ground and stepped into the motion. "Outside." She barked.
"If you're looking to give someone an attitude adjustment, talk to your mate Tonto over there." He canted his head at Abe and turned to sit back down.
Her small fist struck first, nailing him in the kidney. She palmed his head and bounced his face off the table. I moved to split them up, but Tracy crouched and spun, tackling her.
They landed under another table and began to wrestle for control. We could hear slaps and grunts as they traded blows. Rec, Dom, and I were pushing chairs and tables away as we tried to get to them, when I was shoved aside so hard it knocked the breath from my lungs.
"STOP!" Viktor effortlessly flung a table out of the way and ripped Tracy up by his hair.
Zoe jumped up after him and continued to throw punches. Viktor shoved Tracy back and grabbed Zoe by the throat with both hands. It took her a second to realize what was happening and she reached up to pull his hands away.
Viktor looked crazed and was muttering incoherently. His grip tightened and he peered down into Zoe's eyes with a twitching smile. Tracy grabbed Viktor's arm and tried to tear him away with no effect.
"Help me!" He yelled at Rec.
Rec snapped out of his daze and grabbed Viktor's other arm. When they gained no ground I moved in and threw him into a chokehold. Dom started yelling at Viktor in Russian while he tried to pull Zoe away. Everyone else moved restlessly trying to figure out how to help.
Viktor was like a man possessed and we couldn't break the trance. Zoe's eyes were glazing and red with broken vessels. Rec bellowed with frustration and turned on Viktor. With tears in his eyes, he struck him in the face.
Viktor's head snapped back and his grip loosened enough for Dom to snatch Zoe away. I turned and released Viktor from my hold. He straightened
and his eyes cleared. He looked at Rec with betrayal and then the recognition of what he had done registered on his face.
He cried out and fell to his knees next to Zoe, who was being shaken by Dom. Her body was limp and her eyes were just slits on her blue face. Viktor grabbed her away from Dom and cried louder when several pairs of hands instantly separated them again.
"Mladshiy brat!" Dom snapped at him. "Look! She's breathing, give her a minute okay?"
The room went quiet except for heavy breaths and Tracy's swearing as he kicked a chair and began to pace with his hands behind his head. Viktor rocked and sobbed as he waited for Zoe to stir. Rec clutched her small hand in his and looked down at her with stark eyes.
The tension in my spine ebbed slightly when Zoe seemed to take deeper breaths. Her eyes had closed completely and her face wasn't as blue. She coughed and her eyes opened slowly. She swallowed and looked around with unfocused eyes.
"Nathan?" She sat up with Dom's help and put a frail hand to her throat. "Where's my brother?" She met eyes with Rec and she sunk back a little bit. "Oh, yeah." Her lip quivered and her face scrunched up.
Rec swore and pulled her into a gentle hug. He looked over her head at a frantic Viktor and nodded at him. Viktor slowly reached out and took her hand. Zoe clung to it and threw herself into his arms.
Ria walked in with an armload of bags and dropped them to pull her handgun when she saw the room in disarray. Her eyes bounced around until she realized everyone was okay and lowered her gun. She looked over at Glitch.
"What's going on?" She asked as her gaze drifted over to Zoe and Viktor.
"I think Vik' is slipping." Glitch said with none of his regular attitude.
"Viktor, can you come with me?" Ria held her hand out with a worried smile.
Zoe clung tighter to him and buried her face. Viktor looked fiercely at Ria and locked his hands around his forearms. Given what had just happened, it made us all nervous.
"She can come with us." Ria said as she moved towards the door.
Viktor’s hold loosened and Zoe looked up. She had tears in her reddened eyes and her neck was starting to bruise. Ria gave me a look, asking for backup. I stepped in with a nod at Viktor.
"It's alright Viktor, we just need to make sure you're both okay."
Viktor stood on shaky legs and his eyes shifted in and out of focus. Zoe clung to him with silent sobs causing them both to quake. Ria led them outside and I followed behind. Once we were outside, Ria held out a large syringe to Viktor.
"Do you know what this is?" She asked him in a firm voice.
"For the bats." He said after a brief pause. Brows drawn tight.
"That's right. It's not the exact dose and the ingredients are different, but I think it could help with your aggression." Ria's voice softens as she speaks.
Viktor clears his throat and reaches forward to take the syringe. Zoe has stopped sobbing and pops her head up to look at the shimmering violet liquid. Her wide blood shot eyes fixed onto it and she slowly shook her head.
"Wait. Won't it...make him sick again?" She looked up at Viktor and took a step away. "You can't."
"Things aren't good." Viktor said with sad eyes.
"Zoe, can you come with me so I can check you out." Ria motioned for Zoe to follow her and they rounded the building together.
"There's a mark by my ear." Viktor said as he turned away with the syringe out to me.
"You want me to do it?" I asked as I slowly took it.
"My hands are shaking." He said with a nod.
"Just the whole thing then?" The liquid was weighty in my hand and seemed copious.
"There's usually three just the same. Been a long time." He sniffed and bowed his head, brushing his shaggy hair away from a small heart shape behind his left ear.
I raised the syringe and injected the luminous liquid into the mark. It seemed to sizzle on contact and he hissed as his body tensed. The skin along the side of his head and neck began to bruise and I helped him to the ground when his knees gave out.
"Alright, Viktor. Are you okay?" His eyes rolled back and his hands clenched into gnarled fists.
I looked around for Ria and tried to keep Viktor from hurting himself when he started to violently jerk and convulse.
"Ria!" I yelled loudly, looking around more frantically. "Help!" I screamed until vessels burst in my throat.
"Joe?" Cer stepped out and started running when he saw us on the ground. "Joe! What happened?" He crashed onto his knees next to us and looked over Viktor with wide eyes.
Dom and Rec came out behind him and rushed over.
"What the hell happened to him?" Dom demanded.
"Where's Zoe?" Rec said with a worried glance around.
"He took a shot that Ria gave him and then he just dropped." I said shaking my head. "Zoe went with Ria around the building." Rec took off running and Dom began assessing Viktor.
“I remember this happening back at the lab once.” Cer said with a distant look in his eyes. “Bud almost died.”
Dom’s movements slowed then continued after he glanced at me. Victor’s tremors began to dissipate and his breathing was less choked. Almost as quickly as the episode started, it seemed to pass. Dom ran a hand over his face and sighed.
“What do we do when this is too much for him? When his heart can’t take it or his brain just doesn’t make it back?” He seemed to be asking himself. After a beat he said louder, “What if he doesn’t stop next time and kills someone?” He finally looked to Cer who had gone pale and seemed weakened.
“Then we do what we have to. What he’d want us to do.” With that he squared his shoulders and walked back inside.
Dom leaned back and sat, patting Victor’s shoulder. I glanced back to the side of the building, wondering where the others went. I couldn’t breathe past the feeling in my chest that something catastrophic was coming.
“He said that, but I don’t think he could do it.” Dom finally spoke after several moments.
“What’s that?” I muttered distractedly.
“Put him down.” He waited until I looked at him to speak again. “He thinks it would be easy maybe just because it could be what’s best. But, I mean, look how hard it was for people to come to terms with the early stages. People were committing suicide and getting into armed stand offs just because they didn’t want to say goodbye to their pets. This is a human. It’s Viktor. He’s family.”
Not having any answers, I just looked away. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to having to decide either way.”
“The lab we left is a few hours from here.” Dom said on a sigh. “Then there’s the one over east I was in for a bit. Ria said it’s still running. About two days with the necessary stops.”
“You think we should split up?” I asked with a raised brow.
“I think that lab being empty is inevitable. I’m sure Antrim’s men have already destroyed it. It’s been two years. Not to mention, they always find us so easily.”
“Split the trail and hope for the best.” I stated.
“Split the trail and hope for less casualties.” He retorted.
“And who do you think should hang back?”
“I don’t know. I can’t see past them being family. That’s why I’m not in charge.”
Viktor began to snore softly on the ground and Dom scoffed. I finally lowered myself to the ground to sit with them and leaned back on my arms. We sat quietly, until Zoe and Rec came around the building speaking in low voices.
Zoe looked agitated and her eyes were still red, her neck darkening with the large bruises. Rec was close behind with worry all over his face. Ria stayed back several steps seeming to avoid hearing their conversation.
“How is he?” Zoe asked, effectively cutting off whatever Rec was trying to say.
“He’s just sleeping now.” Dom breathed tiredly.
“What happens when he wakes up?” She asked Ria.
“Hopefully he’ll be less aggressive.”
“Hopefully
?”
Ria was quiet for a second, trying to get her words together. “He could be worse.”
“So was it really worth it?” Rec spat.
“It was the shot now or a bullet when he was far enough gone to kill someone.” She snapped back. “Were you gonna do that?” When he didn’t meet her eyes she shook her head and went back inside.
“Why do I feel like this is over before it’s begun?” Rec mumbled.
“Because optimism is the catalyst for failure. Eyes so focused on the bright side, you blind yourself to the truth.” Dom whispered back with his eyes on the ground.
It was becoming harder to disagree.
Chapter 13
Zombie
NEVADA JUNE 15TH 2029
It was nearly noon when I jolted awake from a nightmare. My father’s screams cut off by my own thundering heart. I glanced around at everyone’s sleeping forms and stood to go to the restroom.
I shut the door and ran the cold water, sobbing into the stream. I screamed into my fists, trying to silence my breakdown. I plugged the drain and submerged my head. The water lapped against my head drowning out my thoughts. The tap continued over the back of my head like a pulse.
I stayed until my lungs began to burn. My ears were ringing and my blood was rushing in waves. I pulled my head from the water and took a deep breath. I crumpled against the sink, water cascading over my face.
When the fuzziness faded I stood and shut the water off. Using towels from under the sink I mopped up the overflowed water. I glanced at myself in the mirror, cringing at my blood red eyes. I dried myself with a towel and returned to the dining room.
I rolled my eyes at Brandon’s faint music. Everyone had found various corners and booths to crash in for the day and Tracy had volunteered to keep watch while we slept. I looked over to see him drooling on himself, with his face against the front window.
I sighed and ran a hand over my face, sitting back down in my booth. My spine straightened when I saw Brandon curled up under a table. His music player tucked into his ears.
The music I had heard coming from another direction. It was coming from outside. It started to get louder and was joined by a low rumble. Vehicles.
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